Guess Who is Heaping Honors on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:
Peas in a Pod?
Iran has bestowed its highest state honor — the Islamic Republic Medal — on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the award shows Iran's gratitude for the Venezuelan strongman's support, especially his opposition to international sanctions on Iran's nuclear program.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}At the medal ceremony in Tehran, Chavez took the opportunity to voice solidarity with Iran in another way — condemning Israel for what he called the "terrorism" and "madness" of its attacks in Lebanon, and urging the world to rise up and defeat the U.S.
Guantanamo Guards Attacked
Guards at Guantanamo Bay are routinely spit on, headbutted, and hit with "cocktails" made up of body waste and fluids. That according to military police reports obtained by the AP, which show prisoners have attacked guards hundreds of times using broken toilet parts, dinner utensils, and even a bloody lizard's tail.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}What's more, detainees regularly grab, punch, or assault guards through the food holes in their cell doors. Guards reported an average of three attacks per week between 2003 and 2005, and noted that similar attacks often occurred in waves — suggesting the prisoners coordinated their efforts.
Star Demands?
The Katie Couric jumped from her seat on a Delta shuttle flight leaving Reagan National Airport — after the aircraft doors were closed – and ran up the aisle while talking on a cell phone and demanded to speak with the pilot.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}According to witnesses who spoke to the Post — the pilot emerged from the cockpit and after hearing a plea from Ms. Couric — agreed to re-open the door to the plane so that one of Couric's CBS producers could get on. Passengers grumbled — but Delta insists Couric got no special treatment.
No one seems to know why the producer didn't just catch the next shuttle, since one flies between National and LaGuardia every 30 minutes.
Waco Oasis
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Just about every reporter who has followed the president to Crawford — has spent some time at a Waco, Texas, watering hole known as Cricket's Bar and Grill.
On July 21, we are just now hearing, off-duty police officers tasered a patron at Cricket's. The man was allegedly rude to several customers and tore up the front doors to the establishment after being asked to leave. Just another Texas bar tussle — except that the man tasered was a U.S. Secret Service agent. Waco Police say they used the stun gun against special agent John Scott Lewis because he resisted arrest. Lewis was charged with public intoxication and reckless damage.
—FOX News Channel's Aaron Bruns contributed to this report.