I'm up to May 3, 1984 in the Reagan Diaries, and there's something President Bush could learn from this book. 237 pages of journal entries, and almost none involve meetings with Reagan's Attorney General, William French Smith. At least one of those men, and probably both, understood the nature of the Attorney General role.

Reagan never hesitated to find a compromise. A few times he would hold his line, but most of the time he was happy to get something, rather than nothing.

Reagan believed the media was not a faithful observer. Time after time, he wondered what event the reporters had seen... similar to when a basketball fan wonders what game a referee is watching when he makes a ridiculous call. Seems that even in Reagan's day, reporting was being abandoned for influencing. That capability inherent to the media is irresistible.

I have to force myself to watch and listen to actors talk about anything on TV, but aside from that, doesn’t George Clooney talk a lot about his home in Italy?

Interviewer: When did you decide to do Ocean’s 13
Clooney: I was heading down this long hallway in my villa in Italy, on my way to the can when the percolation hit me.
Interviewer: The percolation for the movie, or for your business in the can?
Clooney: Both. If you’ve ever had the coffee my staff makes at the villa in Italy, you’d know that can runs are constant.
Interviewer: How do you like to work when you’re getting ready for a new film?
Clooney: Here, or at my villa in Italy?
Interview: Either.
Clooney: Well, honestly, I try not to think about the biz when I’m at my villa in Italy. The most I want to do there is peel grapes and fart.
Interviewer: Are you following the primary campaigns these days?
Clooney: Always. I want to hold a primary at my villa in Italy. I want to move the primary date forward so that it occurs at the peak of cheese season.
Interviewer: Who do you like in the races?
Clooney: Well, Hillary and Obama have both been to my villa in Italy, so they are the frontrunners.
Interviewer: Any love in your life these days?
Clooney. No, the true love is my villa in Italy. She’s the only thing I think about.
Interviewer: No kidding…

C-SPAN had a segment this morning about the new Reagan and Gore books. The audience was asked to say which one they would buy and why. Well, I already bought the Reagan book, and don’t plan to buy the Gore one. Why? When I bought the Reagan book by preorder, the Gore book wasn’t on my radar. I’ve always enjoyed Reagan quotes, and a book full of them should be a treat. Reagan’s book is also true history. Gore writes about media and dialogue. I just finished a Master’s program in communications, and probably know as much about media and dialogue as Gore, so there’s little in his book to enlighten me. In fact, the Gore themes I’ve seen in excerpts from his book are much like some I discussed last year in a review of “Amusing Ourselves to Death” by Neil Postman, a book written in 1985. Translation, Gore is restating ideas that have been in the air for a while.

I recall a quote many years ago from California senator SI Hayakawa. When he sought membership in the U.S. senate, Hayakawa believed he was joining a group of great men and women who could accomplish anything by working together. After just one year in office, senator Hayakawa concluded that he'd only become a member of a body full of idiots. Some things never change. Using C-Span, we all can see and hear why senator Hayakawa was so disillusioned.

Here we go again spending a hundred million dollars to find three kidnapped U.S. soldiers in Iraq. The Bush cause continues to suffer from tragic pride and mismanagement. Bush likes to see himself as a businessman and venturer, but he needs to review the chapter on discontinuing operations. Lots of ventures fail. Has Bush ever had a successful venture? His one good business play was being invited into a business group that bought the Texas Rangers... and holding that investment until it appreciated. The rest of his record relates to government, and government was there before him for sure, so that's not really a venture.

I saw a Chicago congressman named Gutierrez who's one of the leaders for giving legal status to illegal aliens. Congressman Gutierrez was born and educated in the U.S., but speaks with an accent like Pancho Villa. What kind of U.S. born and educated citizen talks with an accent like Pancho Villa? One that can't be trusted for sure! I grew up in Los Angeles and went to school with many people with Hispanic heritage and immigrant parents, but none of those schoolmates spoke with an accent. I heard it said again recently that Mexican immigration is more akin to colonization, and that people of one country who cross a border illegally to stay is an act of war.

I saw an article at Excite. com that the Recording Industry Association of America is extorting $3,000 from college students who download songs illegally. I don't know who wrote the law that lets RIAA claim each download is worth $7.47, but if I got a threat letter from RIAA, I'd send them a check for $0.99 per song... the going rate for legal downloads. I subscribe to Rhapsody for $9.99 per month. I plug a keyboard amp into my laptop and it has become little more than a jukebox and web surfing appliance. Anyway illegal downloaders, be careful if you download using access provided by a university.

I like Tony Blair, but it's no big deal to me that he's leaving office. One thing on your way out the door, though. Can you take Bush with you?

I bought myself some better cigars as a graduation present. I realize now, or again perhaps, that one problem with better cigars is that you want to smoke them more often. It's easy to say "no" to a basic cigar, but better cigars get into your head like a good song. The next few weeks will be a true test of my will.

I'm not glad to hear that Alberto Gonzalez will take responsibility for misstatements and misconduct regarding his office and officers. He learned that line from the President, who is also quick to take responsibility for acts that are criticized, or considered questionable. The thing is, taking responsibility when there's no penalty is meaningless. The President is responsible for 3300 dead U.S. soldiers and a trillion dollars wasted in Iraq, but he stays in office, he's free, his wealth is in tact, and he lives pretty much the way he always has... except he has taken responsibility. It's better to evaluate a White House statement by believing that the opposite of what we hear is true. When the President and his people take responsibility, they really mean they can't be held responsible with any force or consequences.

Wow, big surprise, folks are speculating that a violent movie may have been dear to the VA Tech mass murderer. How many times do we hear Hollywood types say that if their message helps just one person with their life, it's a good message? Well, perhaps they should adopt that approach when it comes to promoting violence. If not making a movie will help just one person with their life, it's a good idea to not make that movie. Naahh, Hollywood isn't about good messages, or helping people. It's about scaring people, upsetting them, being class clowns for the masses, attracting attention by any means. That's a murderous lesson of Hollywood, attract attention by any means.

A word about Don Imus. I'm sure he's not a racist, and I'm sure his comments were not evil. Imus, like many people who are inundated with the brain dead babbling of pop culture, let the effects of idiocy and illiteracy possess him. Unfortunately for Imus, he listens to bad, racially oriented entertainment, and he has a job where he is compelled to talk whether he has anything good to say or not. When a speaker's mind is polluted, and he can't stop speaking, eventually he'll say something dreadful. For Imus, that combination of factors was fatal. For a lot of people I know who suffer the same ill, it's sad.

The best thing about Bush's second term as president? He can't serve again.

Jeff Green traveled. Even if you give him the little airspace under his pivot foot while he was pivoting, when he took his shot he jumped off that pivot foot while his other foot was planted. It's been a while since I played basketball, but his last move would've been legal if both feet left the ground at the same time. Maybe it all happened too fast for the refs to see, but it sure looked like traveling to me. Nonetheless, I have Georgetown going far in the pool, so it works out for me.

I'm enjoying the Kansas - Southern Illinois game that's being played at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. Did you know that the HP Pavilion used to be called the Compaq Center, but then HP merged with Compaq and the name had to be changed? HP Pavilion fits because that's the name of an HP product line. When the merger occurred, however, Carly Fiorina was the president of HP, and a lot of jokesters in the Bay Area quipped that the Compaq Center would change its name to Carly Fi Arena.

I read that President Bush thinks he has a reasonable solution for the latest Karl Rove situation. I ask anyone, if you chose 10 or even 100 words to describe President Bush, would any of those be the word "reasonable?" The words obstinate, bully, or petulant, words I've heard recently about the Bush folks, are more appropriate.

Here's an irony. Bush and supporters are bashing Congress for trying to take control of the Iraq mess from the generals. Well, during the Iraq mess, I've heard lots of generals accuse the Bush civilian leadership of exerting unwanted and uneducated control of the war, and then only putting generals in charge who will implement the unwanted and uneducated thinking of the Bush civilian leadership. As I see it, Congress wants to take some control away from the President, kind of like pitchers in a bull pen who want the team to yank the starter for some middle relief. The Bush folk struck out the side in the first inning, and have been shelled relentlessly during innings 2, 3, and 4.

Did I hallucinate, or was Tom DeLay on Sunday's Meet The Press? Holy cow, if ever there was a person to keep out of public discussions, it's Tom DeLay. If ever you needed evidence that network television is as corrupt as the politicians it covers, then DeLay's appearance is that evidence. I have one term for the safe and sane in America-- C-Span.

The new Walter Reed story about two classes of patients and accommodations is revealing. I guess the military is no different than the private sector when it comes to extravagant perks for people who aren't that good at their job!

Anyone remember the movie "Three Days of the Condor?" There's a scene in there when Condor laments about the CIA that, "you guys think not getting caught in a lie is the same thing as telling the truth." Does that line remind you of Karl Rove?

I wonder if it reminds David Geffen of the Clintons?

Coach Phil Jackson comes to the defense of his star Kobe by accusing the NBA of a witch hunt. Phil says, of course my guy throws elbows, pushes off, carries over, and takes three steps to the bucket... that's a good way to score. Uh, yeah, it's easier that way. During the Dr. J era, I remember a commentator being asked who's the best player in the NBA. "Well, as long as they allow three steps to the basket, it's Dr. J."