Wolfgang,

My postings are intended to be ironic, to call attention to the fact that REAL news isn't being reported.

As to a grip on the facts--well, the closure of the US Congress by House Speaker Hastert yesterday shows he believes every little urban legend floating in through his office door. He claimed anthrax had been found in the building ventilation system, even though it hadn't.

Shutting down Congress was done by a highly partisan Republican House Speaker the same day the President left the country. No Congressional business will now be completed until the President returns from Asia on Monday.

Coincidence? I don't think so.

The Bush administration senior staff, most of whom are accompanying the prez to Asia, are paranoid as hell as to what might happen in their absence, and that someone else might come to control THEIR news/news cycle. The Bush administration OWNS the airwaves right now.

Also, I'm sure they don't trust Cheney.

Also, I'm sure they didn't want any Democratic tinkering with the anti-terrorism legislation currently being debated in Congress. If they are going to be able to wage covert war against their own citizenry legally, as the administration's legislation clearly intends to do, they can't afford to let that Anti-Terrorism Act float through Congress with too many amendments and committee deals. So they had Hastert shut down the government so they didn't have to rely on Cheney (the fox) to guard the henhouse (Congress) while they are trying to make China's human rights violations into saintly acts in their War on Terrorism (TM).