Via Buzzwire: This short Washington Post story includes a helpful chart that may make you feel a little better about Vegas, and a lot worse about Washington:

It's easier to rig an electronic voting machine than a Las Vegas slot machine, says University of Pennsylvania visiting professor Steve Freeman. That's because Vegas slots are better monitored and regulated than America's voting machines … Freeman has assembled comparisons that suggest Americans protect their vices more than they guard their rights…

How long will the U.S. military be in Iraq? How about forever?

Don’t count on the U.S. ever withdrawing completely from Iraq, a retired Marine general said Tuesday.

Anthony Zinni, the four-star who commanded U.S. Central Command before retiring in 2000, said when the U.S. commits forces to a country now, it means a long-term commitment. Iraq is no different.

“It isn’t World War I anymore; we don’t come home anymore,” he said.

This is a fairly old story:

President Bush has quietly claimed the authority to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office, asserting that he has the power to set aside any statute passed by Congress when it conflicts with his interpretation of the Constitution.

Cartoonist Mark Fiore has a new animation showing how the Decider plays by his own rules.