American and Israeli Intelligence to Blame?

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei says it's not insurgents blowing up U.S. and Iraqi forces in Iraq, it's American and Israeli intelligence that want the Iraqi government to fail and the occupation of Iraq to continue. Khamenei, in a speech translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute, says, "If ... [U.S. forces] wanted to resolve the lack of security in Iraq, they could ... [T]here are indications ... that these acts of terrorism are the handiwork of American and Zionist espionage services."

He says the U.S. "foolishly" and "falsely" accuses Iran and Syria of letting insurgents cross into Iraq, insisting, "[Americans] are to blame. ... This is not mere speculation. This is actual information." As for what that information is, Khamenei didn't say.

All Goes Back to One Englishman?

New York Democratic Congressman Charlie Rangel says many blacks' woes can be traced back to an 18th century Englishman, insisting, "In 1712, British slave owner Willie Lynch ... [came to] Virginia to teach his methods of keeping slaves under control ... Almost 300 years later, the techniques that he prescribed seem to have not only been successful in controlling slaves, but lasting as a means of weakening and destroying the black family."

Thing is, Willie Lynch never existed according to a history professor at Spelman College, an historically black school in Atlanta. Professor Jelani Cobb, quoted by the Washington Times, says Willie is an urban legend, which first "appeared" on the Internet a few years ago.

Met with President Last Year

It's widely known that Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq and who's now demanding to see President Bush, met with the President last year. In fact, there are pictures from that meeting, showing them together. In one of them President Bush is apparently kissing Cindy on her cheek.

The pictures were posted on a Sheehan family Web site, under the title "Sheehans meet President Bush." But since Sheehan has mounted her recent protests in Crawford, Texas, the pictures have disappeared from the site.

Castro Not a Communist Dictator?

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez meeting with Cuban President Fidel Castro in Havana over the weekend said people who think Castro runs a communist, dictatorial regime have it all wrong. Chavez said, "[People] have asked me how I can support Fidel if he's a dictator. But Cuba doesn't have a dictatorship — it's a revolutionary democracy."

Specifically he said it’s a "revolutionary democracy" where the people rule themselves. He also said, "The grand destroyer of the world, and the greatest threat ... [is] U.S. imperialism."

— FOX News' Michael Levine contributed to this report