This is a slippery slope if we do nothing about it. I care about this issue greatly and felt it needed a diary all its own.

It was reported in the New York Times yesterday that filmmakers were outraged by the Smithsonian's move to form an agreement with Showtime Networks that

restricts makers of film and television shows using Smithsonian materials from offering their work to public television or other non-Showtime broadcast outlets.

The bottom line is the Smithsonian is attempting to bridge a funding gap by leasing their archives to Showtime - with an exclusivity clause.

What's at issue:

Showtime will have the right of first-refusal on any non-Showtime documentaries that "rely heavily on Smithsonian collections or staff."

More on the flip...

As reported by Media Matters, Jerome Corsi is planning to run against Kerry in 2008 for his Senate seat. To do so, he intends to move to Massachusetts.

You may remember this liar as co-author of "Unfit for Command." Here's what he said in his column today at: WorldNetDaily.com. More below the fold...

Here's the link: NYT article (subscription required).

I think what the mainstream doesn't get is this is not about overturning the election. At least that is my impression from most of the folks here. This is about the election process itself and why, in this day and age, it is flawed and rife with corruption.

We need a paper trail. We need non-partisan manufacturers of voting machines. We need non-partisan election officials. We need some nationwide standards so secretaries of state can't change the rules during the vote counting. It isn't fair that anyone, especially those in poor precincts, had to wait hours to vote.

We need to demand more accountability. And, those who voted for Bush should care about these very same issues.