Politics, the Iraq war and Cuban food

In a shocking editorial turn-around, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, a conservative paper owned by Richard Mellon Scaife, is asking President Bush to end the war in Iraq.

Jack Murtha put it best: The Pennsylvania congressman, among the first to make the cogent argument that staying the course in Iraq was the exercise in futility that indeed the war has become, says President Bush is delusional.
Based on the president's recent performance, we could not agree more. "Staying the course" is not simply futile -- it is a prescription for American suicide.
We've urged for months to bring our troops home. Now is the time.

Why is this shocking? Because Scaife is a long-time contributor to Republican and conservative causes, including funding investigations into the Clintons' finances. More from Editor & Publisher.

In Facing South, news that several freshmen Democratic senators are urging creation of a commission to investigate war contracts. This harkens back to the Truman Committee, "...which conducted hundreds of hearings and investigations into government waste, saving American taxpayers more than $15 billion (1943 dollars)".
Says Facing South: It worked during World War II, why not do it now -- when it's needed even more?

Also on Facing South, some disturbing reporting here and here about Sen. John Edwards' connection to the health insurance industry....Or, as Sen. Mike Gravel said:

"Follow the money," Gravel urged. Joe Biden is "getting a lot of money from the trial lawyers. The rest are getting millions from the health care industry. If you think they're going to do something for you on health care, you're more gullible than I thought."

In nearby Maryville, Tennesee, a Cuban restaurant is opening, the first in the area. The Maryville Daily Times has a lovely detailed article about Cuban cooking: A Taste of Cuba. (via Knox Views)