Guilt by Association?

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Guilt by Association?

In suggesting that Samuel Alito had belonged to a racist conservative group, Massachusetts Democrat Ted Kennedy relied heavily on an essay published by the organization that sounded like a bigoted rant. The essay, titled "In Defense of Elitism," reads in part, "People nowadays just don't seem to know their place. Everywhere one turns, blacks and Hispanics are demanding jobs simply because they're black and Hispanic."

But the magazine's editor at the time says the article was pure satire, a send-up of what liberals think conservatives think. He added, "I think left-wing groups have been feeding Senator Kennedy snippets and he has been mindlessly reciting them."

Impeded Investigation

Independent Counsel David Barrett's investigation of former Clinton Housing secretary Henry Cisneros is set for release after 10 years and $23 million spent. But Barrett is set to blame the length and cost on obstruction by senior Clinton administration officials.

According to the George Galloway defied the U.S. Congress thus furthering his standing as a darling of the anti-war left, but his decision to join the cast of the British reality show "Celebrity Big Brother" has backfired, even according to Galloway's press adviser — who admits the TV appearance has turned into a "worst-case scenario."

So far on the month-long series, Galloway has hidden in a cardboard box, dressed up like a vampire and crawled across the floor on all fours like a cat, pretending to lick milk from the hands of a former TV star.

Galloway agreed to appear in order to publicize his political message. But his adviser says producers have censored Galloway's political statements, citing British broadcasting laws that mandate equal TV time for opposing views.

Offended Criminal

A British police officer who referred to a career criminal as "pondlife" during a private conversation with other officers could be dismissed from his job... because the crook "might have been offended" if he'd been present. The London Times reports that the officer and three colleagues face disciplinary action for "inappropriate language" after they were coincidentally recorded at their police department as part of an investigation into suspected corruption by other officers.

Feminine Kidney?

Finally, a Croation lumberjack who received a life-saving kidney transplant is suing the hospital that performed the operation, claiming the new kidney, donated by a 50-year-old woman, has left him with a passion for housework and knitting. The 56-year-old man who once enjoyed drinking with friends says he wouldn't have been caught dead doing the housework before his operation and blames the hospital for making him a local laughing stock.

— FOX News' Aaron Bruns contributed to this report