It's Craptastic!

The American public initially supports Medicare legislation providing help with prescription drugs, but that support fades when presented with criticism of the bill signed into law this year, a poll released Saturday suggests.

Asked whether they support "a Medicare bill which among other things provides prescription drug coverage and allows private companies to provide some services," almost two-thirds, 63 percent, said yes, according to the poll by the National Annenberg Election Survey.

When those polled were presented with opponents' arguments that the bill won't help seniors that much and cutting costs will eventually destroy Medicare, support faded. After hearings those arguments, only one in five of the total sample, 21 percent, supported it and another two in five said they were unsure.

"With a month to go before the New Hampshire primary, John Kerry made some of his strongest attacks yet against Democratic front-runner Howard Dean, portraying Dean as inexperienced in foreign policy, wrong-headed on the economy and a muddled thinker."

Japan and South Korea (news - web sites) halted imports of U.S. beef on Wednesday after a cow in Washington state tested positive for mad cow disease, depriving American exporters of two of their largest overseas markets.

Singapore and Malaysia followed suit and authorities in other Asian nations were also deciding whether to invoke bans.

Without revealing whether he'd been naughty or nice, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Lieberman climbed onto Santa's lap Sunday and revealed his holiday wish. He asked for, what else? "A better-than-expected finish in the New Hampshire primary."

Moments after praising his opponents in the Democratic presidential race as worthy running mates, Wesley Clark said, in no uncertain terms, how he would respond if they or anyone else criticized his patriotism or military record.

"I'll beat the s--- out of them," Clark told a questioner as he walked through the crowd after a town hall meeting Saturday. "I hope that's not on television," he added.

It was, live, on C-SPAN.

The campaign's traveling press secretary, Jamal Simmons, was with Clark at the time.

"If anyone tries to question Wes Clark's character, integrity or his commitment to this country or its security, they're going to be in the biggest fight they've ever had," Simmons said.

Iowa, Indiana and Pennsylvania lead the nation in the number of National Guard or Reserve members killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom, a Des Moines Sunday Register analysis shows.
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Gov. Tom Vilsack has asked whether Iowa Guard troops are sharing a disproportionate burden in the global war on terrorism. But Maj. Gregory Hapgood Jr., a spokesman for the Iowa National Guard, said Iowa troops are being called to duty in large numbers because they have a nationwide reputation for being first-rate soldiers.