Quick stuff

I'm busy. Some quick hits:

* "Even as the White House decries the ominous prospect of Iranian influence on the upcoming Iraqi national elections," reports Lisa Ashkenaz Croke of the NewStandard, "US-funded organizations with long records of manipulating foreign democracies in the direction of Washington’s interests are quietly but deeply involved in essentially every aspect of the upcoming Iraqi elections."

* Jim Lobe is worried about those "neo-conservatives and Christian Right hawks who still believe that Afghanistan and Iraq were just the 'hors d'oeuvres' to a repast of at least five or six courses."

* "Startling new revelations about Ohio's presidential vote have been uncovered" showing that "Republicans – in state and county government, and in the Ohio Republican Party – were determined to undermine and suppress Democratic turnout by a wide variety of methods," report Bob Fitrakis, Steve Rosenfeld and Harvey Wasserman of The Free Press.

* The dislike of President Bush abroad is starting to rub off on normal Americans.

* Mahmoud Abbas is calling for an end to the intifada, instead urging Palestinians to take up non-violent means of resistance. See also: "Why they love Mahmoud Abbas."

* "Former dictator Augusto Pinochet was indicted and put under house arrest Monday in connection with nine kidnappings and one homicide committed during his 1973-1990 de facto regime," reports IPS. "The fate of the 89-year-old retired general once more depends on the [Chilean] Supreme Court, which must determine whether or not the former dictator is mentally fit to stand trial in the current case, which involves Operation Condor, a covert military intelligence-sharing strategy followed by South American dictatorships in the 1970s and 1980s." Hey, while they're at it, bring on Henry!

* Those Damn Cubans.

* The ownership society? More like the "risk-based society," as Kevin Drum says. Plus: "Rolling Over, Again?"