Blame Game

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

London Mayor Ken Livingstone, who recently voiced support for a radical Islamic sheikh known as the "Theologian of Terror,” now blames the West for the terror attacks in his city. Livingstone says, "I suspect the real problem was that we funded these people as long as they were killing Russians. We gave no thought to the fact that when they stopped killing Russians they might start killing us."

And while the man known as "Red Ken" told BBC radio that he condemns all suicide bombers, he went on to make explanations for some, saying, "Given that the Palestinians don't have jet fighters and don't have tanks, they only have their bodies to use as weapons. In that unfair balance, that is what people use."

Down the Drain

California Republicans are demanding that the state's Attorney General Bill Lockyer, a Democrat, remove a painting showing the United States spiraling into a toilet from an exhibit at the California Department of Justice.

The painting, which appears next to the words "T'anks to Mr. Bush," is the work of the same artist who hung an effigy of an American soldier outside his home, next to the phrase "Bush lied, I died." Republicans argue that the painting is "offensive to a majority of the people." But Lockyer's office says that since he played no role in choosing artworks for the exhibit and no public funds were spent on the show... the painting will stay put until the exhibit ends next month.

Playing Favorites

The Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission defines sexual harassment as "unwelcome sexual advances," and "requests for sexual favors." But the California Supreme Court has now ruled unanimously that a worker can be a victim of sexual harassment even if the boss never touched her or even spoke to her.

The court ruled in favor of female prison employees who complained that their boss unfairly rewarded women with whom he was having consensual affairs. In overturning earlier rulings, California Chief Justice Ronald George wrote, "even in the absence of coercive behavior, certain conduct creates a work atmosphere so demeaning to women that it constitutes an actionable hostile work environment."

Too Hot?

A group of former Black Panthers is looking to trademark their incendiary sixties slogan "burn, baby, burn" -- to promote a new brand of hot sauce. The phrase originated during a 1965 riot in Los Angeles, in which 34 people died and a wide swath of the city was destroyed by fire.

But the foundation named after Black Panthers cofounder Huey P. Newton says selling the sauce will help raise money to "turn the tide of violence and educate young people" and Newton's widow tells the San Francisco Chronicle, "I sure didn't want it to be a call to burn anything other than our taste buds."

— FOX News' Michael Levine contributed to this report