Cursor: Media Patrol - June 22, 2005

Some extracts from today's Media Patrol:

There were 700 I.E.D. attacks in Iraq against U.S. forces in May, with casualties reportedly reaching "new heights" due to "significant advancements in bomb design," which an Army explosives expert called "pretty disturbing."

As members of Congress go 'Traveling on the Abramoff Plan,' the Washington Post reports that "the number of registered lobbyists in Washington has more than doubled since 2000" and is now pushing 35,000, with one quoted as saying: "We're trying to take advantage of the fact that Republicans control the House, the Senate and the White House."

'The wages of fundamentalism' are said to include signs that "American science is losing its edge, and may even have peaked." Earlier: "the U.S. is no longer a friendly destination for foreign students."

Although CPB Chairman Kenneth Tomlinson wrote to Sen. Byron Dorgan that his contract with Fred Mann to monitor "Now" was "approved and signed by then CPB President, Kathleen Cox," a leaked copy of the contract "shows that Mr. Tomlinson signed it ... five months before Ms. Cox became president," reports the New York Times. Earlier: Tomlinson also leaked on here and there.

The San Francisco Chronicle's Jon Carroll offers to help the White House uncover liberal bias in the media: "For an extra 20 grand, I would testify before a Senate committee against myself, revealing my long record of liberal opinions."