What Caught My Eye Today

Iraq - In a bold wartime challenge to President Bush, the Democratic-controlled Congress cleared legislation Thursday to begin withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by Oct. 1 with a goal of a complete pullout six months later. The White House dismissed the legislation as "dead before arrival." The 51-46 Senate vote was largely along party lines, and like House passage a day earlier it underscored that the war's congressional opponents are far short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a Bush veto. Several Democratic officials have said they expect the next measure will jettison the withdrawal timetable, a concession to Bush. At the same time, they say they hope to include standards for the Iraqi government to meet on issues such as expanding democratic participation and allocating oil resources. Bush and congressional Republicans, eager to signal the public that they do not support an open-ended commitment to Iraq, have both embraced these so-called benchmarks. Unlike Democrats, they generally oppose using benchmarks to require specific actions, such as troop withdrawals. Here's how I score Round 1 of this standoff...a draw. On to Round 2.

Civil Unions - New Hampshire is set to become the fourth state to offer civil unions for gay couples with legislation approved Thursday and sent to Gov. John Lynch, who has said he would sign it. "This legislation is a matter of conscience, fairness and of preventing discrimination," said governor's spokesman. "It is in keeping with New Hampshire's proud tradition of preventing discrimination." New Jersey, Connecticut and Vermont already offer civil unions for gay couples. Neighboring Massachusetts in 2004 became the only state to allow gay marriage. Washington, Maine, California, New York City and Washington D.C., recognize domestic partnerships. New York Governor Eliot Spitzer this week pledged to introduce gay marriage legislation in the next few weeks. You can almost hear the steam coming out of the conservative right wingers who are desperately trying to gain momemtum for a Constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Not exactly working out the way you guys planned it, eh?

American Idol - The charity special filled with wrenching pictures of impoverished children and celebrity appeals raised more than $60 million with more donations still coming in. Some of the highlights from last night's telethon (let's call a 'duck' a 'duck' shall we):

Elvis lives - Singing a duet with an obviously 'delighted' Celine Dion
Ben Stiller - Stick with your day job, bro', though kudos for having the most lighthearted segment
Jack Black - You know, if that acting gig doesn't pan out for you, I'd try this singing deal. Looks like Seal was impressed
Carrie Underwood - Great rendition of the Pretender's classic. I'll admit it, I was grabbing for the tissue box by the end of that segment.
Stayin' Alive clip - Cute but dumb.
Simpsons clip - Watching Simon cover a Pussycat Dolls song...priceless.

Oh by the way, in the spirit of the evening, "American Idol" decided not to bounce a contestant as usual Wednesday — meaning two singers will be going home next week.

Police Blotter - Some big time actors look like they're going to have to brush off the old Roledex to find those lawyers' numbers:

Hugh Grant: Hugh Grant has been arrested and questioned by police after a photographer accused the actor of attacking him with a tub of baked beans. The photographer said that he and Grant clashed near the home of the star and alleged that Grant abused and kicked him before lobbing the beans. So like this happened out of the blue without provocation, right? I think not.

Richard Gere: An Indian court ordered the arrest of Richard Gere for repeatedly kissing Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty at an AIDS campaign event, saying it was an obscene act committed in public. Gere's kisses on Shetty's cheeks at an event to promote AIDS awareness in New Delhi sparked protests in some parts of India, mostly by Hindu vigilante groups, who saw it as an outrage against her modesty and an affront to Indian culture. I saw a picture of the incident and have to say, she didn't look like she was in agony, but wasn't exactly thrilled by being groped by the dirty old man.

Cricket - Here's one from the 'No kidding, Sherlock' file.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive admitted that the 2007 World Cup, which lasts for a marathon seven weeks, is too long. The World Cup, which reaches a conclusion with the final between champions Australia and Sri Lanka on Saturday, staged its first competitive match on March 13. This year's competition is spread over 47 days (which officials are trying to cut down by about 7) with the majority of the matches being played out half-empty stadiums.

This is clearly just one guy's opinion (mine, but then again this is my blog, isn't it), but this is one of those rare activities that makes you wish for an early onset of death.