"I'm not afraid of death, but of scandal," she told the magazine. When asked to elaborate, she said, "To happen like what happened in Abu Ghraib prison."

The United Nations has determined that Saddam Hussein shipped weapons of mass destruction components as well as medium-range ballistic missiles before, during and after the U.S.-led war against Iraq in 2003.

The UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission briefed the Security Council on new findings that could help trace the whereabouts of Saddam's missile and WMD program.

Ronald Reagan belongs to the ages now, but we preferred it when he belonged to us.

The architect of America's great disinflation was Paul Volcker, the Fed chairman. In fact, Mr. Volcker began the process in 1979, when he adopted the tight monetary policy that caused that record unemployment rate. He was also mainly responsible for the recovery that followed: it was his decision to loosen up on the money supply in the summer of 1982 that set the stage for the rebound a few months later.

There was, in short, nothing magical about the Reagan economy. The United States did, eventually, experience an economic miracle — but not until Bill Clinton's second term. Only then did the economy achieve a combination of rapid growth, low unemployment and quiescent inflation that confounded the conventional economic wisdom.

Mr. Rall defended the "crispy brown" comment and said it was made "to get people to understand that the right is attempting to canonize this guy, and it is ridiculous. If there is a hell, this guy is in it."

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The reality is that I feel very strongly about the position I've taken," (Gloria) Molina said. "I feel strongly that if that is what takes me down, that is what will take me down," she said of her position as an elected official.

"If I have to lose my job as an elected official, and it's going to be over the First Amendment, so be it ..." (Zev) Yaroslavsky added. "The First Amendment is not a popularity contest."

County spokeswoman Judy Hammond said protesters complained that the ACLU did not question the picture of the pagan goddess Pomona in the center of the seal. Hammond said a graphic of a Native American may replace Pomona.

Ashcroft: I condemn torture. I think it ... it ...

Biden: So it's not justified then?

Ashcroft: I don't think it's productive, let alone justified.

Biden: Well, I don't either. And, by the way, there's a reason ... I'll conclude by saying there's a reason why we sign these treaties. To protect my son in the military, that's why we have these treaties. So when Americans are captured they ... are ... not ... tortured. That's the reason. Case anybody forgets it. That's the reason.

Dear SPJ-L subscribers:

First, thanks for all the contributions made throughout the many years SPJ-L has been available.

It is now the sentiment of the SPJ Board of directors that all lists bearing the name of SPJ be housed by SPJ and moderated. This is a time consuming endeavor.

So, until such a time as SPJ can reconstitute the list and ensure it is properly moderated, SPJ-L will be eliminated until a yet-to-be undetermined date.

Again, thanks for your contributions.

Best-

Mac McKerral
SPJ President

After seeing the story, White, who was awarded the Bronze Star, said he knows he made a mistake in elaborating after he told the reporter her questions were inappropriate.

He was especially troubled by two references. He cited a paragraph that said he urged Americans to support President Bush. The next sentence said he blamed the media "for uncertainty about Iraq policies and the outrage over prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad." His focus during the address was urging support of the commander in chief and for the troops, he said.

He also was troubled by a paragraph that said: "Unlike White, veterans interviewed said the Abu Ghraib abuse has tarnished the honorable image of the military and that the small number of people who committed the crimes should be punished."

The reporter used White's reluctance to discuss Abu Ghraib as a device to get into the opinions of other veterans. I think the way it was written was unfair to White. In fact, White said, he has an opinion about the prisoner abuse scandal but because he did not share it with the reporter, she had no way of knowing what he thought.

I understand why White was upset by the questions and the way his opinions were connected to Abu Ghraib. In the end, the story did him a disservice.

One man who understood was Yakob Ravin, a Ukrainian émigré who in the summer of 1997 happened to be strolling with his grandson in Armand Hammer Park near Reagan’s California home. They happened to see the former President, out taking a walk. Mr Ravin went over and asked if he could take a picture of the boy and the President. When they got back home to Ohio, it appeared in the local newspaper, The Toledo Blade.

Ronald Reagan was three years into the decade-long twilight of his illness, and unable to recognize most of his colleagues from the Washington days. But Mr Ravin wanted to express his appreciation. “Mr President,” he said, “thank you for everything you did for the Jewish people, for Soviet people, to destroy the Communist empire.”

And somewhere deep within there was a flicker of recognition. “Yes,” said the old man, “that is my job.”

Yes, that was his job.

General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!