If He Could Do It Over Again

And now the most engrossing two minutes in television, the latest from the political grapevine:

If He Could Do It Over Again

Democratic 9/11 commissioner Bob Kerrey (search) -- who skipped out an hour early on last week's interview with President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney -- says that if he had it to do over, he would not leave.

Kerrey left for a noon meeting with New Mexico Republican Senator Pete Domenici, to lobby for the socially progressive New School University, of which Kerrey is president. But Domenici was casting votes on the Senate floor at noon, and, according to National Review, showed up a half-hour late to the meeting with Kerrey. They met for about two minutes.

Photo Flak

London's tabloid Daily Mirror -- trying to fend off accusations that it printed fake photos of British soldiers abusing an Iraqi prisoner -- has published a front-page story with the two soldiers it says furnished the photos.

The soldiers -- identified as Soldier A and Soldier B, and pictured with their faces obscured -- are quoted as saying "We told the truth." But, according to London's Guardian, one of those soldiers recognized himself from the pictures and says he's never even spoken to the Mirror, and he's denouncing the photos he supposedly provided as -- "the greatest recruitment [tools] that Al-Qaeda could possibly have wished."

Automated Response?

MSNBC says that cartoon by Ted Rall -- suggesting that the late Pat Tillman was not a hero but a -- "idiot" and a "sap" -- was posted on its Website automatically without anyone reviewing it.

MSNBC has now pulled the cartoon, saying it -- "did not meet [our] standards of fairness and taste." Rall, meanwhile, is defending his cartoon, saying -- "[it] is a reaction to the extraordinary lionizing of Mr. Tillman as a national hero. ... Mr. Tillman served an evil president and an evil cause. ... At best, [he] was foolish and misguided."

A Measure for Mothers

With Mother's Day just five days away, Republican Kansas Senator Sam Brownback has introduced legislation to celebrate mothers. It provides eight specific commendations, including -- "mothers have a unique bond with their children."

But it also says -- "Mothers have an indispensable role in building and transforming society to build a culture of life."

Uh oh. That was too much for some Democratic senators, including Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, who are opposing the measure, claiming the phrase "culture of life" is code for "pro-life," as in "anti-abortion."

One Democratic staffer, quoted by Roll Call, says -- "using [Mother's Day] ... to advance [the Republican] agenda ... is almost beyond comprehension."

— FOX News' Michael Levine contributed to this report