Great day for America, Bad day for Libs

* A Dubai-owned company abruptly abandoned its plans for managing U.S. ports on Thursday, defusing an election-year showdown between President Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress over an issue that had become a political land mine for the GOP. "DP World will transfer fully the U.S. operations ... to a United States entity," H. Edward Bilkey, the company's top executive, said in the surprise announcement that seemed to spread relief throughout the Capitol and the White House. It was unclear which American business might get the port operations - HANDS OFF AMERICA, ARABS!

* Acting to crack down on terrorist financing, the Treasury Department on Thursday ordered all commercial banks in the United States to end their relationships with two Syrian banks - I sense invasion nearing, great news.

* The U.N. Staff Union voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to express no confidence in U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and his top managers after Annan announced plans to overhaul the U.N. bureaucracy - Why did it take so long to get that corrupt idiot out of power?

* Residents reported curious declarations hanging from mosque walls and market stalls recently in Ramadi, the Sunni Muslim insurgent stronghold west of Baghdad. The fliers said Iraqi militants had turned on and were killing foreign al-Qaida fighters, their one-time allies - hmm, good news I suppose

* and finally - Raj Bhakta, the aspiring "Apprentice" turned aspiring politician, is running for Congress. Bhakta, who was fired by Donald Trump during the second season of the NBC reality show "The Apprentice," is challenging Democratic U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz for the state's 13th District seat representing suburban Philadelphia - another educated and charismatic conservative - WAY TO GO RAJ!