We've got a new Think Again column called "Cheney's Post Presidency" here and I did a "Welcome to Washington" post for Mr. Abbas for The Daily Beast this morning here.

(And while we have your attention, don't miss the great Charles Pierce on the great Steve Earle singing the music of the great Townes van Zandt here. Pierce and the rest of the mail will be here tomorrow and don't miss the documentary Bill Moyers is showing this weekend, listed below. And if I were you, I'd also catch the PBS showing of the Clapton/Winwood concert at the Garden tonight, unless you're planning to buy it, as I did.)

In the meantime...

This Week on Moyers:

Award-winning producer Sherry Jones presents a comprehensive documentary --more than eighteen months in the making--that examines America's detention and interrogation practices in the "war on terror." Bill Moyers Journal presents "Torturing Democracy," which examines how coercive interrogation methods were used by the CIA and migrated to the United States military at Guantanamo Bay and other locations as well as the charges that these interrogations became "at a minimum, cruel and inhuman treatment and, at worst, torture," in the words of the former-General Counsel of the United States Navy, Alberto Mora. It carefully presents the evidence that the Bush administration promoted these methods and developed legal justification for the practice. The film features in-depth interviews with senior military and government officials who fought the policy and former Guantanamo detainees who experienced it, and uncovers the origins of the tactics the White House called "enhanced interrogation techniques."

Sal on Allan Toussaint and Marcus Roberts; Eric on new RVG releases

When I first heard of a new Allen Toussaint/Joe Henry collaboration of standards I had mixed feelings. Henry is currently my favorite producer and Toussaint is well... a rock and roll icon. What bothered me was the word "standards." I just don't want to hear them "revisited" anymore. I can thank Rod Stewart, Cyndi Lauper, and countless others for that. But "The Bright Mississippi" the fruit of Toussaint and Henry's labor couldn't be more perfect. It is not your standard collection of standards. With the help of some of the greatest names in jazz, Don Byron, Nicholas Payton, and Marc Ribot, Allen Toussaint delivers a collection of songs that more or less shaped jazz music in the early days of the genre.

Composers like King Oliver, Sidney Bechet, Jelly Roll Morton, Django Reinhardt and Duke Ellington all get representation on sweet, soulful, and absolutely joyous takes of some of their most beloved material. Most of the arrangements don't stray far from traditional, but thanks to Joe Henry's brilliant ear and respect for the music and the same simple and dry production that he presented on soon-to-be legendary records like Solomon Burke's "Don't Give Up On Me" and Bettye Lavette's "I've Got My Own Hell To Raise," there is new life in oft-played songs like "St. James Infirmary," "Just A Closer Walk With Thee," and "West End Blues."

I caught last Friday's early set at the Village Vanguard, with basically the same stellar band as the record, including the wonderful rhythm section of David Piltch on bass and Jay Bellerose on drums. But the highlight of the evening was Nicholas Payton's absence. Nothing against the marvelous trumpet player, but to see Christian Scott, the New Orleans prodigy and nephew of Donald Harrison Jr. who was there in his place, wow not only the sold out crowd, but the veterans sharing the stage, was something extraordinary.

The band covered most of "The Bright Mississippi," extending the songs just enough to give the band some room. My favorite moments came when each of the main players were given their chance to shine on duets with Toussaint; Christian on "Dear Old Southland," Don Byron on "Day Dream," and my single favorite song of the evening, Marc Ribot's gorgeous acoustic take on "Solitude."

You can listen to the entire performance from Wednesday, 5/27, in the NPR.org archives. I highly recommend it AND the CD, The Bright Mississippi.

Another record with a similar idea and approach is the (not so) new release from the Marcus Roberts Trio, New Orleans Meets Harlem. On this record, recorded in 2004 and sold as a limited edition at Roberts' live shows, but only now released somewhat commercially--I cant find it on Amazon--Roberts and his killer rhythm section of New Orleans' greats Roland Guerin on bass and the otherworldly Jason Marsalis on drums, reach back to that same jazz-shaping era of the 1920's, and deliver a Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton, & Fats Waller repertoire, with a little bit of Monk for good measure.

The playing is wonderful, and with the New Orleans rhythm section behind him, Roberts' handling of such familiar melodies gets an additional bounce that only makes what could have been another "tribute" record simply good, instead of great.

www.burnwoodtonite.blogspot.com

Eric adds: This week also saw the release of three more classic cds from Concord's Rudy Van Gelder's Remasters series : There are early recordings from Miles and Coltrane from their Prestige Days--Miles went on to Columbia and Coltrane, to Atlantic and Impulse!--entitled Miles: The New Miles Davis Quintet and Coltrane respectively, which have been around for a while on box sets but are now nice and clean for a single CD release and one that's new to me, Eric Dolphy at the Five Spot Vol. 2, from July 1961. A wonderful document and a great friend to have around, with some terrific Mal Waldron piano. Look 'em up.

Name: Timothy Barrett
Hometown: Louisville, KY

Paul Waldman describes at the American Prospect website this week exactly what galvanized the conservative opposition to President Clinton's healthcare reform plan back in 1993. It's a familiar perspective that reiterates that the drumming the Clinton plan took was a purely political hit job. Essentially, William Kristol, set about marshaling conservatives to not simply oppose the Clinton plan on a policy basis but solely because its success would mean a fundamental political defeat that would echo across the election frontier for years to come. Waldman quotes a Kristol memo, "[this plan] will revive the reputation of the party that spends and regulates, the Democrats, as the generous protector of middle-class interests. And it will at the same time strike a punishing blow against Republican claims to defend the middle class by restraining government. The first step in that process must be the unqualified political defeat of the Clinton health-care proposal."

Waldman goes on to describe how this same political hit job is being implemented against the Obama plan by the likes of Frank Luntz. Once again, Waldman, as a political correspondent, advises the Obama administration to drop the rope-a-dope and come out swinging, "The outcome of the health care reform battle will turn on whether the administration is prepared to overcome the opponents of reform – not reach out to them, not listen to them, not understand them, not compromise with them, but overcome them."

It is clear that the conservatives have gambled their fortunes on the rancorous exploits of the likes of Dick Cheney, Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh. The media are happy to pit the opinions of three of the most dishonorable pundits working today against the likes of sitting Congresspersons and even the current President, as if there is no difference between them. Perhaps this is the most appalling part of it all. Forget that the Republican Party is only driven by its lust for power with no shame that it hasn't a clue what good it would do with it. And forget that its revulsion at all things Liberal has become an unhinged catalyst for unwarranted and inexplicable attacks, both figuratively, and unfortunately now, literally by a nut job protecting his perceived right to his guns by killing people with them. Perhaps the worst part of it all is that the media willfully celebrates this mania as directed by its unscrupulous owners and for its own self-promotion.

In any case, it is clear, Obama is on notice that we elected him because we want real healthcare reform (read: national single payer option) and anything less is not a compromise, it's a capitulation and a failure. Don't tell me that getting the votes is like herding cats. Obama's overarching campaign promise was to be nothing less than the chief cat whisperer. And we gave him majorities, to boot.

Name: Edward Furey
Hometown: New York, NY

I'm afraid you gave too much credence to Andrew Roberts' absurd column in the Daily Beast, in which he actually admits there is no evidence for his charges beyond a sort of Eric Idle-esque "wink, wink, nudge, nudge, need I say more" from anonymous sources.

In fact, the Double Cross System was used to turn captured spies, not POWs. In wartime, spies are not covered by the Geneva Conventions or any others. It is the common usage of war to simply kill spies. This is accepted practice of all nations. George Washington, who refused to abuse British POWs, nevertheless had Major Andre executed as a spy in the Benedict Arnold business (he was caught out of uniform). Of the eight Germans landed at Amagansett, NY and Florida from U-Boats, six were executed -- the others were spared by agreeing to turn informant. There is no record that any were tortured.

The Germans did not expect to hear any further from their POWs; spies, on the other hand, were expected to report, usually by radio. The British found it useful to turn them in case their handlers across the Channel recognized their Morse code "hand." As Bogart says in Casablanca: that made it even more official. And credible.

When the spies were captured by the British they were given two choices: "Work for us or die." They were told they would be tried in secret, convicted in secret and executed in secret. No more "persuasion" was required. Every spy knows the penalty, if caught, is death. Most agreed to turn their cloaks. Especially by 1943, when it was increasingly clear that Germany was losing the war, what with the rout in North Africa, the Allies in Italy, the defeat at Kursk and subsequent Soviet advances, and the round the clock bombing. By 1944, the former spies were singing like canaries, with tales of Patton's non-existent First Army massing in Kent, in preparation to cross to Calais.

Roberts has been described as George Bush's favorite historian, continues to defend him as a great president, and seems to have drunk the right wing Kool-Aid with respect to torture. However, including imputing it to Winston Churchill without producing any actual evidence is more than a bit much. As Carl Sagan liked to say, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Roberts offers no evidence at all.

Name: Greg Panfile
Hometown: Tuckahoe, NY

Musical merits aside, and conceding Charles' point that bigotry can point at anything, isn't it going to be time, when the scandalous child abuse report on Ireland surfaces, to re-evaluate what Sinead O'Connor did? Haven't we seen enough evidence that women and young boys as classes have a fairly legitimate beef, so to speak, with the Church hierarchy? There is a North African saying about sex: Women for children, boys for pleasure, melons for ecstasy. Perhaps along with the red cap we can issue new bishops a case of cantaloupe. And those Dylan fans who booed her off the stage at the tribute concert should be added to "American Pie" as another case of when the music died.

Eric: One is distressed by all references to 'Bibi' Netanyahu. Can we not all insist that grown men who assume positions of grave responsibility adopt adult names? It should not be permitted, for example, to head a country with nuclear weapons and be called Bibi, nor to be the Chief of Staff of a torture-promoting Vice President and be called Scooter. The mind boggles to imagine if this paradigm had more historical roots... 'Chancellor Butch Hitler... First Lady Muffy Roosevelt...' At such people's swearing-in ceremonies, they should be required to find some sort of mature appellation to associate themselves with. Should they refuse, in tribute to the comic genius of the late William Frawley, they should all be called, by common consent, Fred, or Bub.

Name: Steve McGaughey
Hometown: Champaign, IL

Thanks so much for including the OU-Texas game as a possible site for the gun-toters to bring their toys. I was planning on going this year but now that you've given them the idea... no doubt unanimous votes from both state legislatures will be forthcoming. Seriously, I always enjoy your writings, especially (being a former journalist) your takes on the slow death of the newspaper industry.

Name: Cindy Morgan
Hometown: Irvine, CA

I know everyone has an opinion about California and why we are shooting ourselves in the foot. Since I am a Californian I would like to explain to everyone why the props that were voted on this week were so wrong.

Number one they were permanant tax increases to give the state money to play with (Prop 1A). Prop 1B was to give the money back to the schools that never should have been taken in the first place. If I see one more prop about schools I'll scream!! Every single election has a prop about school services, smaller classes, more new books, and every time there is a budget crisis that is the first place the government goes to cut programs and borrow money. Prop 1C was a way to tax Lotto winnings in the future. I don't care about this one since I know I won't win the lottery. 1D was a way to take money from women and children's services to balance the budget but doesn't say how it will be repaid or if it even will be. 1E was to take away services from mentally ill people that need more help then anyone. 1F was to freeze elected officials salary, which was the only one that passed.

So before anyone talks about how we are wrong to not approve this keep in mind these are really bad propositions to bail out a government that doesn't know how to govern itself. And yes, every election I will not vote for any incumbents because they are so bad at this they don't deserve my vote. Somehow they keep getting back in.

Name: Merrill R. Frank
Hometown: Jackson Heights, NYC

Dr. As far as history of the 50's books go, check out New York in the Fifties by Dan Wakefield.

Many have the impression that the 50's was just a Happy Days rerun in black and white consisting of somnambulant masses liking Ike while driving tail-fined monsters out of Detroit. Wakefield focuses the cultural upheaval of the era within the city namely The Bohemians, New Journalism as well as the New York jazz scene by interviewing subjects as diverse as a pre-Negro Problem Norman Podhoretz to the beat poet Alan Ginsberg for their takes on the decade.

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