Steve Gilliard, 1964-2007

It is with tremendous sadness that we must convey the news that Steve Gilliard, editor and publisher of The News Blog, passed away June 2, 2007. He was 42.

To those who have come to trust The News Blog and its insightful, brash and unapologetic editorial tone, we have Steve to thank from the bottom of our hearts. Steve helped lead many discussions that mattered to all of us, and he tackled subjects and interest categories where others feared to tread.

Please keep Steve's friends and family in your thoughts and prayers.

Steve meant so much to us.

We will miss him terribly.

Sadr out of Iraqi Government

BAGHDAD, April 16 — Political followers of Moktada al-Sadr, the Shiite cleric, said today that their six cabinet ministers would quit their posts in government in protest at the refusal of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki to set a timetable for American troops to withdraw from Iraq. (nytimes.com)

Sadr has had enough, he gave them a couple of months to see if the 'escalation' would work, it didnt, His people and the neighborhoods arent safer. Soon the current government will collapse. Dont think that the asinine comments of John McCain using his people as props in a potemkin marketplace and resulting in the execution of 30 people the following day had no effect. But ultimately it was the poodle al-Maliki parroting Bush's bullshit about not setting timetables that probably is what made him realize it was all pointless, and was pushed to action with this current crescendo of death of nearly 300 Iraqis on Saturday alone. Lets hope he doesnt decide to let slip his dogs.

-- Hubris Sonic