I have never written a book, nor do I know any United States Senators.  I therefore have no experience from which to speak.  So maybe my question below the fold is way out of line.  But the ad on the front page made me wonder about something.  I've heard Pesident Bush say that his job is a lot of hard work.  (I know he doesn't really work hard, but that does not mean he is wrong and it is not a hard job; he just isn't doing any of the work required.)  I suspect that United States Senators are extemely busy with their responsibilities as well.

I have also read Markos' posts for more than two years.  He has often expressed that writing a book took way more time than he wished, and that it kept him from other projects he wished he could have had time for.

"US facing wave of murders and gun violence" is the title of an article put out on the wire by Reuters this morning.  It explores a consequence of the way Republicans are fighting the war on terror that I have not seen mentioned before.  Here is the money quote:

Explanations vary -- from softer gun laws to budget cuts, fewer police on the beat, more people in poverty and simple complacency. But many blame a national preoccupation with potential threats from abroad.

"Since September 11, much of the resources that were distributed to crime-fighting efforts in Boston and other major cities were redistributed to fight terrorism," said Jack Levin, director of the Brudnick Center on Violence and Conflict at Northeastern University.

More below the fold.