Headline double-takes

State and Local

Florida 2006 legislative session kicks off today -- Jeb!'s last chance to beef up his resume for 'political retirement.'

• A look at the 2006 Florida legislature
• Live Florida Channel Webcast
  

Twenty-one of Florida's 25 House members object to Bush administration's gulf drilling plans. "This administration is attempting to cut Floridians out of the discussion about drilling off of our coasts." - Rep. Jim Davis, D-Tampa. -LINK-

Katherine 'circles the wagons'. The Republican candidate for US Senate cancels campaign stops as more light is shed on her links to bribery scandal. -LINK-

Cheney campaigns in the 'gunshine state', raising money for Republican congressman Clay Shaw's bid for a 14th term (speaking volumes about the vulnerability of both men -- and Republicans' discarded belief in term limits). In a district with one of the highest concentrations of seniors in the country, 'One-eye Dick' ignored any mention of Medicare, but stressed "our nation is still at risk of attack." Contributions and firearms were checked at the saloon door. -LINK-

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson calls for Florida to lead the way in alternative fuels. "We have a great ability in Florida to reduce the need to buy oil from foreign sources." (still no proposal for hot air conversion in Tallahassee) -LINK-

Previous blog coverage of biodiesel:

• Biodiesel Q & A
• High school student cashes in on biodiesel
• Fuel oil: Farmer Hobbs grows his own
• Why is the US still so dependent on gasoline?

National

Supreme Court denies universities' rights to limit military recruiters on campus. If Congress had exerted half the effort to assure equal rights as they have military recruiters' rights, this would never have become an issue. -LINK-

How did 'Brokeback' lose? Simple: The gap between Hollywood and Republican rhetoric has never been as wide as both sides pretend. No news here. -LINK-

World

US faces latest problem with Iraqi forces: Loyalty. "Militiamen loyal to conservative clerics have flooded the police ranks in Baghdad and the south, and reports of uniformed death squads have risen sharply in the past year." -LINK-

2008 British pullout of Iraq is seen. Bush's biggest 'coalition' ally has all of 8,000 troops there now. "The Iraqi people need to see the withdrawal of foreign forces soon to be reassured that the troops did not plan to stay on in the country...." - General Houghton, Britain's Ministry of Defense. -LINK-

Russian plan for Iran upsets US and Europe. -LINK-

IAEA offers hope of Iran nuclear deal. "The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency says a deal on Iran's suspect nuclear program could be only a few days away, making U.N. Security Council action unneeded." US officials vow strong opposition to any agreement that discourages military intervention. Typical Bush logic will not likely preclude Iran's outsourcing its uranium enrichment program to India, however. -LINK-