YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK

In his nearly 20 years in the US House of Representatives, New Jersey's James Saxton has built a solid if low-profile record as a moderate Republican.

But when it comes to Iraq, the unassuming Mr Saxton is an avowed hawk and he has now found a new target for his anger over European intransigence: the Paris Air Show.

The senior member of the House armed services committee has drafted a resolution, which he intends to introduce this week, that would call on all US companies and government officials to bypass the biennial gathering, widely regarded as the most important trade show for the industry.

Although the resolution would not be binding, Mr Saxton said if it passed he believed it would have a significant impact, particularly on the US military....

The resolution is only one of several efforts being considered in Congress to punish French industry. Dennis Hastert, speaker of the House, has discussed with Republican colleagues imposing regulations on French wine and bottled water imported into the US....

--Financial Times (link courtesy TBOGG)

The Speaker of the House! The guy who becomes the Leader of the Free World if anything happens to Bush and Cheney! Acting like ... like ... well, like a Utah state legislator:

In the latest example of antipathy in Utah toward the United Nations, a state House Committee passed a resolution that urges Congress to get the United States out of the world body. The bill now goes to full house, and if passed, would be sent to Utah's Congressional delegation. The measure was introduced by Rep. Don E. Bush of Clearfield who blamed the United Nations for a divided Korea and for the failure of the United States to oust Saddam Hussein in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. "If no U.N,, no Iraq," said Mr. Bush, who is not related to President Bush. "We could have finished them off." Several years ago, a town in Utah, LaVerkin, passed an ordinance that banned United Nations personnel from town limits. The ban was later dropped.

--New York Times

Is it willfully stupid in here, or is it me?