What Caught My Eye Today

Turkey - Turkey's top general warned that ties with the U.S., already strained by attacks from rebels hiding in Iraq, will be irreversibly damaged if Congress passes a resolution that labels the World War I-era killings of Armenians a genocide. Turkey, which is a major cargo hub for U.S. and allied military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, has recalled its ambassador to Washington for consultations and warned that there might be a cut in the logistical support to the U.S. over the issue. Turkey suspended its military ties with France last year after the French parliament's lower house adopted a bill that that would have made it a crime to deny that the Armenian killings constituted a genocide. But there is more at stake for NATO's only Muslim member when it comes to its relations with the U.S. The Turkish military, and especially the air force, is heavily dependent on the American defense industry. This is almost like watching two children engaged in a stare down--who will blink first? The irony is that both countries need and want good relations with the other. Too bad political posturing has made that all but impossible at this point.

Iran - President Bush must seek congressional approval before taking any military action in Iran, unless Tehran attacks the United States first, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. "We don't believe that any authorities that the president has would give him the ability to go in without an act of Congress. Any president, if we are attacked, if our country is attacked has -- even under the War Powers Act -- very strong powers to go after that country. But short of that, he must come to the Congress," she said. Pelosi said Bush had not requested any congressional authority to take military action in Iran, despite growing U.S. concern over Iran's nuclear ambitions and its support for militant groups in Lebanon and Gaza. Iran denies trying to build a nuclear weapon, but the United States, France, Britain and other countries fear Iran's stated pursuit of nuclear-generated electricity is a precursor to learning how to build atom bombs. Okay, so maybe my memory isn't what it used to be, but when exactly did Iraq attack us, before we invaded? It seems to me that regardless of what Congress says should happen, Bush has demonstrated that he will do whatever he wants when he wants.

Russia - President Vladimir Putin has been warned by his special services of a possible plot to assassinate him during a visit to Tehran this week. Iran dismissed as baseless a report by the Russian Interfax news agency that suicide bombers were preparing to attack the President. It described the allegation as "psychological warfare" calculated by Tehran's enemies -- an apparent reference to Western powers -- to undermine Russian-Iranian relations. A Kremlin spokesman said there are no plans to cancel Putin's visit. The trip is the first by a Kremlin leader to Tehran since World War Two, and comes amid tension over Iran's nuclear ambitions. The trip to Tehran will be watched closely by Western capitals pushing Moscow for a harder line over an Iranian nuclear program they fear masks a drive for an atomic bomb. Try to follow me on this. Country A allegedly tries to 'pop a cap' into Country B's head of state. Country B's head of state finds out about said attempt and decides to teach Country A about a little thing called R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Country B's head of state then proceeds to open up a can of 'shock and awe' all over Country A. Far-fetched you say? Oh I don't know, seems to me that's pretty much how we got into this Iraq fiasco.

NASCAR - I wish I could say this was about how my boy Jeff Gordon has been lights out for a second week in a row (first Talledega, then Charlott) and is well on his week to wrapping up his 5th Nextel Cup with just 5 races to go. I wish I could, but I can't...and you can blame it on some idiot in Congress hell bent on screwing his fellow Democrats. An official with the House Committee on Homeland Security suggested that staff aides get immunizations before visiting health facilities at Alabama's Talladega Superspeedway and North Carolina's Lowe's Motor Speedway, where the Bank of America 500 was run Saturday. In an e-mail, a staffer who works for committee chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., noted an "unusual need for whomever attending to be vaccinated against hepatitis A and B," as well as "the more normal things — tetanus, diphtheria, and of course, seasonal influenza." The reaction on both sides illustrates just how valuable candidates for elected office consider the votes of NASCAR fans who pack grandstands by the thousands every weekend and the donations of business leaders who spend millions to sponsor the sport. Dude, are you mental? Not enough of a challenge getting votes so you decide to alienate the fan base of the single largest sport in the South. How did you manage to get elected to office in the first place?

College Football - Ohio State has been here before, leading the Bowl Championship Series standings. For second-place South Florida, it's another breakthrough in a season full of them. The Buckeyes and Bulls held the first two spots in the first BCS standings on the season released today. The Buckeyes (7-0) can thank the poll voters for making them No. 1. Ohio State is No. 1 in both the coaches' poll and the Harris poll, which are two of the three components the BCS uses in its standings formula. Ohio State was also the new No. 1 team in the AP Top 25. The Buckeyes (7-0) beat Kent State 48-3 Saturday and have played only one team that's been in the rankings at any point this season. In a season in which 10 ranked teams have been beaten by unranked teams, just avoiding the upset bug has been enough for Ohio State. An unpredictable season took a new twist Saturday when LSU, in its second week as No. 1, was upset 43-37 in triple overtime by Kentucky. A few hours later, California, poised to move up one spot to No. 1 with a victory, lost at home 31-28 to Oregon State. It was the first time in 11 years the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the AP poll lost on the same day. The Buckeyes received 50 of a possible 65 first-place votes, and were not the only team to advance. South Florida, which had never been ranked before this season, moved up three spots to No. 2, leapfrogging No. 3 Boston College. No. 4 Oklahoma and No. 5 LSU each received one first-place vote, as did No. 12 Arizona State. The rest of the top 10 was No. 6 South Carolina, followed by Oregon, Kentucky, West Virginia and Cal, which slipped eight spots to No. 10. Virginia Tech was No. 11, followed by Arizona State and Southern California, which fell another three spots to No. 13. USC was the preseason No. 1, but lost the top ranking three weeks ago after a lackluster victory at Washington. The Trojans slipped to No. 10 last week after being upset by Stanford. And this my friends, is why college football is the greatest sport in the world, and why I've decided from this moment forward to never participate in fantasy sports ever again...at least until next weekend.