5 p.m. EST
A draft of the new Iraqi Constitution has been submitted to Parliament. Apparently there are still some sticking points that need to be addressed over the next three days. The Parliament did not vote on the draft today.
We'll bring you the latest.
On the show today, fresh from her trip to Crawford to support Cindy Sheehan--Joan Baez joins us to talk about musicians and the anti-war movement. Later in the hour, Robert Bork joins us to discuss the process that John Roberts is about to live through as a nominee for the Supreme Court.
And I'll bring you a blog report on a few stories out there today, including Sen. Chuck Hagel's call for a withdrawal from Iraq, Sean Penn's dispatches from Iran, and some secret recordings of George Pataki and his confidantes that have surfaced in The New York Post.
Email me. maciulis@msnbc.com
Links:
What Say Me
We The People
NY Post
Mind of Chris Battles
A North American Patriot
12 p.m. EST
The latest news from Iraq is that a Constitution deal may be very close, and could come as soon as this afternoon. We are keeping a watchful eye on Baghdad.
At issue is just how religious the new government will be. It seems obvious that the secular democracy American officials dreamed of will not come to be in Iraq. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? We'll discuss this, as well as the implications for women's rights and relations with the neighboring nations like Iran and Syria.
We'll also be joined by Col. Jack Jacobs for a look at the big picture for troops in Iraq. The Army's chief of staff announced Saturday that troops will need to remain in Iraq for about four more years, and that the DOD hopes to maintain around 100,000 men and women in that area. Is it realistic?
And Jack Burkman and Craig Crawford will join us to discuss the President's new PR push to get out the message on the war in Iraq. Bush is in Salt Lake City today, and we'll cover the events as they happen.
On a totally unrelated note that has nothing to do with the show, did you watch the series finale of "Six Feet Under" last night? Wow. I must admit that I think the show jumped the shark a season ago, but the last few episodes have really delivered.
I was so moved by the final ten minutes, as Claire drove off heading for New York, a new life. I realized at that moment that she was the first one, the only one really, to break free of the death culture of the funeral home. When Claire offered to stay, realizing how much her mother still needed her, her mom said, "No. You have to live." It was as though she finally came alive in those last few moments.
By the way, that song she played as she drove is called "Breathe Me" by an artist named Sia. I had never heard of it, but it was deeply moving.
Email me. maciulis@msnbc.com
