Page 1 Consider (11/06)

Step by Step: As predicted, disgraced evangelical leader Ted Haggard has inched one step closer to admitting the truth. Naturally, President Bush's buddy's latest admission seems to do more to bash law-abiding gay men and women than condemn his own shortcomings: "The fact is I am guilty of sexual immorality. And I take responsibility for the entire problem. I am a deceiver and a liar. There’s a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I have been warring against it for all of my adult life," he said. "For extended periods of time, I would enjoy victory and rejoice in freedom. Then, from time to time, the dirt that I thought was gone would resurface, and I would find myself thinking thoughts and experiencing desires that were contrary to everything I believe and teach." Yet, his grip on reality remains weak enough that he still won't come completely clean: "The accusations made against me are not all true but enough of them are that I was appropriately removed from his church leadership position." Perfect Wife Gayle vowed to stand by her man, and released this ever-so-delusional modest statement: "For those of you who have been concerned that my marriage was so perfect I could not possibly relate to the women who are facing great difficulties, know that this will never again be the case," she wrote (churchgoers began to audibly laugh when this was read on Sunday!). "My test has begun; watch me. I will try to prove myself faithful." And who (you may wonder) offered the kindest, most thoughtful words about this whole pathetic situation? A religious leader? President Bush? Mrs. Bush? No, the so-called "gay hooker/drug dealer," Mike Jones: "I am sad for him and his family. I know this is a tough day for him also," Jones said in a telephone interview Sunday. "I wish him well. I wish his family well. My intent was never to destroy his family. My intent was to expose a hypocrite." And speaking of which: Get a load of this Christian Post guest columnist named Greg Stier (above, right). Have any of these evangelical types ever had a sexual feeling for a woman before? Ever? (AP)

Some Legacy: If the Internet has increased the ease and anonymity of communication, it has also weakened inhibition and decorum. Legacy.com, the online obituary Web site, says it is forced to devote 30 percent of its staff to vetting comments left about the dead -- many of them horribly nasty. Long-silent mistresses, disgruntled former employees, estranged family members, you name it. "The amount of material from people claiming to have been molested by the person is the only thing that still surprises me," said Katie Falzone, who has been policing the site for four and a half years. Other comments are more subtle: "She never took the time to meet me, but I understand she was a wonderful grandmother to her other grandchildren." Ouch. (NYT)

NFL Roundup: One of my husbands won this weekend and one of them didn't. (AP and AP)

Chainsmoking Mouseketeer? Did you know Courtney Love unsuccessfully auditioned for the Mickey Mouse Club in 1976. "I read Sylvia Plath’s poem 'Daddy,' " Love said, grinning widely. "I don’t think Disney was ready for me." Too bad EuroDisney hadn't been invented yet. (NYT)