MSN Annual News Overview

This article, titled "Call it the year of lame excuses," hits all the highlights in last year's news. We all saw the political snafus involving President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Scooter Libby, FEMA's Michael Brown, and Governor Jeb Bush. We know about the deaths of Pope John Paul II, Johnny Carson, and Cheif Justice William Renquist. Then, we saw celebrities Micheal Jackson, Robert Blake, and Martha Stewart endure the legal system. Of course, Iraq was a major topic throughout the year.

While the top headlines catch our attention, it's the lesser known headlines that make this article interesting. The top three news programs lost their anchors (Dan Rather, Peter Jennings, and Ted Koppel). NBC cut to a tape of the prior year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade when a float knocked down a light pole, injuring two people. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes fell head-over-heels in love. And Britney Spears released no albums yet remained the most popular search topic on Yahoo.

Let me leave you with some quotes from the year (these people really said it):

-“This notion that the United States is getting ready to attack Iran is simply ridiculous. And having said that, all options are on the table.” — President Bush

— “I’m telling you, folks, there’s a part of me that likes this.” — Rush Limbaugh on the kidnappings of peace activists in Iraq

— “I think with a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court you can’t play, you know, hide the salami or whatever it’s called.” — Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean

— “A lot of them [Republicans] have never made an honest living in their lives.” — Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean

— “I’d like to say to the good citizens of Dover: If there is a disaster in your area, don’t turn to God. You just rejected him from your city.” — the Rev. Pat Robertson after voters turned out the Dover, Pa., school board, which ordered schools to include “intelligent design” as an alternative to evolution

— “If you’ll look at my lovely FEMA attire you’ll really vomit. I am a fashion god.” — FEMA Director Michael Brown in an e-mail message as Hurricane Katrina made landfall

— “I do know that it’s true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could, if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down.” — former Education Secretary William Bennett