5 p.m. ET
Is it time for U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq? A new Gallup poll suggests that 60 percent of Americans want an end date set, an official end to the war in Iraq.
The President has emphasized a need for patience, and other international statesmen like Natan Sharansky have written at length about the difficulty of establishing a democracy. It doesn't happen overnight. That wasn't the case in the United States and it won't be the case in Iraq.
But meanwhile, support for the war is eroding as families begin to feel the strain of what is amounting to a rather prolonged effort in Iraq.
Is it time to get out, and how? We'll discuss this today.
Later, has the media lost it's mandate to be the watchdogs of society? And who will be watch the media, and keep it free from bias?
On the blog roundup I'll survey some opinions on the Senate's apology for not passing anti-lynching legislation and give you a peek at the list of America's most popular Senators.
Web links
Lynching apology
How popular is your senator?
New Study:
As always, e-mail me. Maciulis@MSNBC.com
12 p.m. ET
On Michael Jackson's official website, MJJ Source, he has a new intro celebrating his acquittal. A fast-moving video montage reminds us of important dates in history, like the fall of the Berlin Wall and freeing of Nelson Mandela.
Jacko includes his acquittal date, saying "Remember this day in history."
For many spectators, this day will meld into the litany of other days when celebrity defendants walked free. OJ, Robert Blake. "The News Blog" summed up this feeling well, writing "And thus ended another SoCal trial with the rich walking away when they had strong evidence against them."
Still, others feel this is the justice system at its finest, a jury that strictly focused on the merits of the case and left behind bias and preconceived notions of Jackson's strange behavior.
It's too good a story to skip today. At noon, we've got Jane Velez-Mitchell, Mel Sachs, Jeanne Wolf, and other top drawer commentators from the land where celebrity and justice collide.
We need you to weigh in. Let me ask you a question. Do you think that celebrities and the ultra rich are above the law? Why?
E-mail me.
