Tomato, to-mah-to, Potato, Po-tat-o

The New York Times reports that Palestinian gunmen stormed four election offices in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank on Tuesday, adding to the political instability in advance of parliamentary elections planned for next month.

Dozens of masked gunmen belonging to the Fatah movement of the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, fired into the air and burst into election offices in Gaza City. The gunmen said they were upset with the candidates Mr. Abbas and the Fatah leadership planned to enter in the election. The gunmen eventually left.

Armed Fatah agents also charged into two other election offices in Gaza and one in Nablus in the West Bank, where they stole a computer and a television set. No injuries were reported in the incidents.

"This is a peaceful step to protest the policy of appointments within Fatah," Abu Eyad, a spokesman for the gunmen, told Reuters. You know, you really don't see the title of "spokesman for the gunmen" very often. Wonder if that's on his business cards? "Abu Eyad - Spokesman for the Gunmen." Does he have different cards when he speaks for suicide bombers?

Just two days ago President George W. "we do not torture" Bush told NBC News about Iraq, "I think we are welcomed. But it was not a peaceful welcome."

With Scott McClellan probably out the door next year I think W has found his new press secretary in the form of Abu Eyad. I wonder if their respective definitions of torture are also as similarly Orwellian as "peaceful" and "welcome."