We've been caught up in a parade of business meetings today, so apologies for not having as many posts as usual.

So, here's a double shot of On Other Blogs Today.

1. Slog has the story that several members of the local Jewish community  wrote a letter asking King County Executive Dow Constantine to reverse his decision to cancel Metro bus ads—paid for by a group called the Mideast Awareness Campaign—tying U.S. tax dollars to Israeli "war crimes." (I wrote an editorial during the Christmas week bus ad controversy saying Constantine was wrong to pull the ads.)

The long letter—which touches on free speech issues and how other Jewish groups (who condemned the ads) were "exploiting fears of anti-semitism"—mostly focuses on how they agree that Israel committed war crimes during its 2008 invasion of Gaza.

Every internationally recognized non-governmental human rights organization (Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the UN Human Rights Council) that has investigated the 2008 Israeli assault on Gaza has come to the conclusion that there is abundant evidence of war crimes committed by Israel. So too have all the major Israeli human rights organizations (The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, B'Tselem, Committee Against Torture in Israel, Yesh Din, Rabbis for Human Rights, Physicians for Human Rights - Israel, and others). In fact, the most complete investigation to date (the 452 page September 2009 report from the UN Fact Finding Mission headed by the noted international Justice Richard Goldstone) goes further, stating that “From the facts available to it, the Mission is of the view that some of the actions of the Government of Israel might justify a competent court finding that crimes against humanity have been committed.”

The US provides Israel with F-16 fighter planes, Apache helicopters, tactical missiles, white phosphorus shells, GBU-39 guided bombs, controversial DIME (Dense Inert Metal Explosives) shells, and a variety of other armaments at US taxpayer expense. Many of these armaments were used in the commission of war crimes (noted above).

2. At the PI.com, Chris Grygiel attended an event I wish I'd been able to cover: CityClub's legislative preview. His report: The batch of legislators on the panel, including Senate Majority Leader Sen. Lisa Brown (D-3, Spokane) say the cost overruns provision is for real.

During Friday's forum the lawmakers there - Hewitt, Springer, Sen. Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane and Rep. Bruce Dammeier, R-Puyallup (a sub for Minority Leader Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis) - were asked about the cost overrun issue.

During the "lightning round" of questions, in which lawmakers hold up a "yes," "no," or "waffle" sign, the panel was asked whether they thought Seattle would be responsible for any cost overruns on the tunnel. They all held up their "yes" sign.

The "stick-it-to Seattle" language about overruns is not enforceable, Gov. Chris Gregoire, state Attorney General Rob McKenna say. But some state lawmakers have said the Legislature won't appropriate more money for the tunnel if it goes over budget.

I guess I don't feel too guilty about missing the forum, though. House Speaker Frank Chopp (D-43, Wallingford, Capitol Hill)—despite being advertised as a panelist—did not make it either.