It is being reported that BBC’s Gaza correspondent released.

BBC correspondent Alan Johnston has been freed by his captors in Gaza after his abduction nearly four months ago.

Television pictures showed Mr Johnston, 45, leaving a building and entering a white car, accompanied by armed men. He said he was tired but in good health.

Hamas said they would free Mr. Johnston, and they kept their promise after they took control of the Gaza, but, of course, you can’t negotiate with “terrorists.”

Even Richard Nixon knew when to resign: transcript and the video link.

I think we can safely assume that KO is unhappy with the Libby clemency decision.

In anticipation of opponents claiming that single payer will result in huge tax bills. Randy Neal at Facing South looks at the taxes in other countries that have single payer systems.

I have to say it’s a bit annoying when they have lower taxes and health care. That is not what we were told. You don’t think that the opponents of single payer systems and their minions were lying? Why, I do believe they were.

Before the darkness of several things descended last night I found a great Non Sequitur strip by Wiley via Oldwhitelady at It’s morning somewhere .

Go and view the REAL creation story by the Church of Danae.

Oh, for the troll who uses the name G. Bush, I really think the e-mail I could send to abuse at Verizon.net would be more effective than anything you might send to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. If you feel obligated, go for it, Vint Cerf appreciates humor. Oh, I’m not going to complain because I believe in free speech, even if it is impolite, but I don’t scare worth a damn.

Let’s admit it – on his last day in office the Shrubbery is going to sign pardons for everyone in White House, to prevent any action being taken against anyone for their criminal activities, but no before them.

The executive clemency rather than a pardon for Libby is to build a wall against investigations. If Libby had been pardoned he could have been hauled before Congress and required to testify about what really happened in the Plame case. Doing it this way, Libby can still refuse based on the Fifth Amendment, an option only available if you are Republican.

Libby can’t be pressured by Patrick Fitzgerald or Congress, because the “stick” of prison time is gone, he will lose some of his civil rights, and his law license, but those will be restored by the pardon he will get on Bush’s last day.

This whole thing has always been about protecting Karl and Dick. A pardon at this time would have weakened that protection, but clemency braces it. Libby just has to play the good soldier and he’s set for life. That’s the way things are done in crime families.