Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts says President Bush "is vulnerable" in facing re-election next year, but he also admits that his Democratic Party has "our work cut out for us to win the election."
Trying to drum up financial support for the 2004 presidential contest, Kennedy warns that Bush won't hesitate to spend his "bottomless" campaign fund to "smear our nominee with lies and accusations."
Republicans by the end of this year could have upwards of $250 million on hand for Bush's re-election bid, while the Democratic National Committee is also beginning to fill its own presidential fund to back the party's eventual nominee.
Speaking of smearing the candidates, Mr. Kennedy starts the mud-slinging by charging that "it's clear beyond doubt that [Mr. Bush] and his administration manipulated the nation into war in Iraq, and had no serious plan to win the peace."
KEEP YOUR SPAM
Nobody seems to be able to block pornographic "spam" on the Internet, but an innocuous newspaper article about bishop-elect Canon V. Gene Robinson's controversial Web site has been bounced back to America by the British.
"I sent an e-mail to Lord John Taylor in the (British) House of Lords and the Houses of Parliament blocked it, sending the note below," says Nina May, president of the Renaissance Women Network:
"This is to advise you that your e-mail has been blocked and will be deleted by the Houses of Parliament in due course since we believe it has inappropriate content. The intended recipient has not received the e-mail."
The newspaper article sent via e-mail to the British lord, a friend of May's, reported that the New Hampshire cleric was behind the creation of "Outright," an Internet site with the following mission statement: "Outright's mission is to create safe, positive, and affirming environments for young gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, and questioning people ages 22 and under."
BIKER DUDE
More than a half-million motorcycle enthusiasts and nearly 1,000 vendors - peddling everything from tattoos to alligator meat - have converged on South Dakota for the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
Among them - rolling into town atop his shiny 2003 Harley-Davidson, Maryland tags "LIDDY" - is Watergate figure G. Gordon Liddy.
"I am a motorcyclist and have been for years - I'm on my fifth Harley-Davidson," Liddy tells this column from Sturgis, where all week long he's broadcasting the Westwood One syndicated "The G. Gordon Liddy Show" to some 250 radio stations.
"I've always wanted to get to the 'mecca' of all biker dudes, which is the great Sturgis rally. So I drove 1,826 miles to get here," says the suburban Washingtonian.