from the Guardian
On Sunday, Kerry accused Bush of ``stonewalling'' separate inquiries into the events leading up to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, as well as into the intelligence that suggested Saddam Hussein was hiding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The Bush campaign contends the president is cooperating with investigators.

Later Monday, the president was headlining another fund-raiser in Houston, with the two events pouring $3 million into his campaign account the day before Texas holds its presidential primary. Kerry campaigned in Houston on Saturday.

In between the money events, Bush was to stop by the popular Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to meet with cowboy champions and peruse the cattle on display. Despite the political benefits of Bush's attendance - it offered a more colorful photo opportunity than the two fund-raisers and allowed him to appeal to the sport's mostly white male fans - the White House considered it an official event. That means taxpayers will foot the bill for at least part of the trip.


``The visit to the livestock show is part of the president's official capacity,'' White House spokesman Trent Duffy said.

Kerry, who has accused Bush of impeding a federal commission investigating the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, said Monday while campaigning in Florida, ``If the president of the United States can find time to go to a rodeo, he can spend more than one hour before the commission.'


Tax Man from the album Revolver by Beatles (released 1966)