It's the Ides of October. What's happening?

Al Giordano reports this morning:

Meanwhile, back to Bolivia: The same Knight Center reports that five Bolivian journalists have resigned from the state-owned TV station, in protest that "the channel has withheld information about the unrest and the number of people killed... In a letter to Channel 7's management, the journalists said they opposed the policy of the government's communication agency, which, it said, violated journalistic ethics..."

Wouldn't it be loverly if journalists in the U.S. had that kind of commitment to ethics? What's with our news service here?

And he further reports that a group of Bolivian soldiers are refusing to do the government's bidding. "In other words, they're not going to attempt a coup. The approach is rather Gandhian: noncooperation with a tyrannical State." He lists their reasons and stance here. Perhaps some of our soldiers are moving toward similar ethics. Although, I understand there's a move to feed them new pills (different than those they fed them to keep them awake long enough to bomb the Canadians) that would help erase their consciences. Perhaps a little neuro-engineering as well. This super soldier (or robot, as some people think of them) isn't a new idea, of course. Could it be that the most compelling question in human history is how to build a better army?

Bob gets to the point on the 'quibble' over the $87 billion.

Newsday reports on a report that claims big contributors to the Bush campaign have gotten favorable policy decisions in return. (I'm shocked.)

"[Common Cause President Chellie] Pingree said the report shows how important it is to fix the presidential public financing system to make it more attractive to candidates."

We should just play the game, in other words? Because, obviously, we are not going to change the rules that permit favors for contributions activity.

Common Cause has launched a new page: Who are the Pioneers and What Did They Get? to help you keep tabs on who's paying and what they're getting.

Molly Ivins has some comments on that very thing in her 10/14 column. That Molly - she's a corker. "Holy smokes! I know hellzapoppin' with the news here lately, but let's try keeping our eye on the shell with the pea under it." Follow Moll.

In keeping with the theme - the Misleader is on the subject, too. Nothing important though - just the air we breathe.

And speaking of George W. Christ...check out the AP photo job. I agree with Buzzflash - shameless.

More later. You'll have to come back and check it out.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.