Bolton vote — He will almost doubtless go on to confirmation, by sheer dint of majority party rule, in the full Senate. But even if-and-when U.N. Ambassador-Designate gets that ratification, it will come with an asterisk. For what is apparently the first time in 11 ½ years, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has reviewed a nominee — any nominee, for any post — and simply passed the nomination on to the whole Senate without a recommendation to advise and consent. Bolton's candidacy and his controversy were both guaranteed to live another day, or month. Thanks to Republican Senator George Voinovich of Ohio. So unhappy was he with Bolton's conduct that he could've voted "no" — Foreign Relations would've then been tied nine-all, and would've reported it to the Senate without a recommendation. Instead, Voinovich voted yes, but the Committee agreed not to recommend. Thus the final score looks like a 10 to 8 win for President Bush. Though, Voinovich hardly made it sound that way.
Iraq attacks — The : More than 400 Iraqis were killed in the two weeks since the new government of that country was announced. Another 21 lives were taken today in six separate attacks. Four out of the six car bombs in Iraq detonated in or around Baghdad. The worst blasted through a crowded market area. Witnesses say local residents re-acted angrily when U.S. troops rushed to the scene, shouting and throwing stones in evident frustration over the lack of security. Today's violence wasn’t limited to car bombings. Also in Baghdad, an Iraqi general and colonel were gunned down this morning on their way to work.
Death by shoot-out — It was the summer of 1998 and the televised Southern California car-chase. The nationally televised Southern California car-chase was still a relatively new thing. Each ended identically — the fleeing driver crashed and then gave up or was subdued by authorities. Until that day in 1998. That's when — with half a dozen aerial cameras on him, and his actions televised nationwide on this network — the crazy driver got out of his truck and shot himself to death. The screams of shock and disbelief, rang through our newsrooms. Seemingly, nobody realized that car chases could also end that way. Once again, that stark fact was painfully imparted yesterday. And as , we are left with a dead suspect, and
Tiger tragedy — It started off weird. It turned into disturbingly fascinating. It ends tragically. Well, you could say that about life...But in fact, we're being specific, about tonight's Number Two story on the Countdown. The . At the Rangoon Zoo in the nation of Myanmar, two tiger cubs could not accept milk from their mother or a bottle. So, that's where one woman, a relative of a zoo official stepped in. She breast-fed the tiger cubs three times a day for round about a month.. But Rangoon had a heat wave and the cubs died of dehydration because, as it turns out, their livers cannot process human milk.
Jackson — Two words: Monkey Butlers. The Jackson trial and the extraordinary nugget of information contained in the out-takes of the Martin Bashir documentary that the jury got to see. In the videotape, Jackson explained that he . He had trained them to dust, clean windows, and brush the toilets. He said nothing about whether or not they could dispose of the evidence. A former Jackson attorney underscored what "prosecution" witness Debbie Rowe said, when she called Jackson's associates quote, "opportunistic vultures". David LeGrand made that accusation tangible to the tune of $965,000. LeGrand claimed at least two of the pop star's closest aides questionably diverted that amount from Jackson's account. He says he was fired two weeks after questioning the transaction. Wait — theft — by Jackson's... closest aides... the chimps?