Places Say 'Non' to French Products

And now the most telling two minutes in television, the latest from the wartime grapevine:

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Still Standing Behind Her Words
Democratic Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur of Ohio remains stoutly unapologetic about her remarks last week comparing Usama bin Laden and his terrorist organization to the founders of this country. She told The Toledo Blade that "there is absolutely no regret because I want the American people to understand the nature of the enemy." She described that nature in an interview with The Blade last week as follows: "One could say that Usama bin Laden and these non nation-state fighters with religious purposes are very similar to the those kind of atypical revolutionaries that helped cast off the British crown." The Blade says Kaptur says she is happy the remarks have given her a greater platform to explain her views.

Nullifying Normandy?
Efforts to organize a boycott of French products continue, but with uncertain progress. The Palm Beach County Board yesterday passed a resolution urging residents to avoid French products, including Elle, the fashion magazine published by the French company Hatchette in which the New York Post says Saddam Hussein owns a $90 million stake. Meanwhile, a complication concerning that notice posted in a House office building by two Congressmen saying that from now on in House restaurants french fries would be served as freedom fries. The problem, according to one expert, is that what we call french fries actually originated in Belgium, and are called french only in the United States. A spokesman for the French Embassy sniffed at the whole thing, saying, ''We are at a very serious moment dealing with very serious issues and we are not focusing on the name you give to potatoes.'' Meanwhile, GOP Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida has introduced a bill to allow families of American veterans buried in France and Belgium to bring their remains home. She said, "The remains of our brave servicemen should be buried in patriotic soil not in a country that has turned its back on the United States."

No Evidence to Support Story, But...
The latest conspiracy theory making the rounds on the Internet, and even finding its way into some established publications, is that not only did the White House script in advance who would be called on at last Thursday night's presidential press conference, but the questions themselves were submitted in advance. There is not a particle of evidence to support this, but Matt Taibbi, writing in the New York Press, a weekly with some following in the Big Apple, wrote of "the cream of the national press corps submitting politely to the indignity of obviously pre-approved questions."