Backing Bare Bikers
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:
Just 37 percent of Americans approve of the job President Bush is doing — down from 40 percent last month in the latest AP/Ipsos poll. The poll shows the president's support suffered most among Republicans — dropping from 82 percent in February to 74 percent today.
The percentage of Americans who described the president as likeable, however, actually rose 7 points to 59 percent. Meanwhile, just 31 percent of Americans said they approve of the job Congress is doing, matching an all-time low.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Regrettable Reputation
A New Orleans mayoral candidate who served three days in jail says her time behind bars has solidified her as "the people's candidate." Until now, District Court Clerk Kimberly Butler had been most famous for causing widespread voting delays during the 2004 election, when she failed to deliver voting machines to more than 90 precincts.
But then last week — she went on the lam after failing to clean up the court's flooded evidence room in a timely manner. She then refused a state Supreme Court order to turn over the responsibility to someone else and was arrested for contempt of court. Upon being released, Butler said she now counts herself among some of the world's most famous civil rights heroes, including Martin Luther King, Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cartoons Denounced
On February 4, the Yemen Observer denounced those cartoons of the Muslim prophet Muhammad printing thumbnail copies of some of the drawings alongside two articles condemning them — and covering the tiny cartoons with a large black X. But one half-inch cartoon that ran uncovered on the front page landed editor Mohammed al-Asadi in jail on charges of "abusing the prophet." Prosecutors are now calling for the death penalty.
Retirement Remarks
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Vice President Dick Cheney gave a speech last week emphasizing the importance of saving for retirement. Here's how the speech looked to members of the audience and anyone who saw it on TV, but here's the picture of the event distributed by Reuters, which released this picture on its photo wire (Click on the video box above to see photos). According to Reuters editorial policy, by the way, it's "not in the business of disseminating propaganda" and always tries to reflect in its pictures the views of all sides."
Naked Arrests
A New Zealand mayor wants to cancel the town's third annual nude bicycling race calling the bikers "a bunch of radicals trying to grab a headline." The cyclists have the support of local police, who say riding naked is completely legal, believe it or not.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}But Mayor John Hurley is pitching a fit and says officers will look like "utter fools" if they don't arrest the naked cyclists. That's because they're riding to promote safe cycling, but as the mayor notes, in addition to not wearing any clothes, they won't be wearing safety helmets and that is illegal.
— FOX News' Aaron Bruns contributed to this report.