Replies to post #19462 on Discover GOP Opprobrium

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BUSH ADVISORS LOCKED IN INTERNAL DEBATE: NO PLAN TO BE ANNOUNCED THIS YEAR...

Reaction To The Delay…Hagel: “Unpardonable”…Reid: “Serves No One’s Interests”…

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Former Sen. John Edwards appears to have the early edge on the Iowa caucuses, at least according to a new poll from the Des Moines Register. Before campaigning begins (and before we even really know the candidates are going to be), Edwards leads the Democratic field with 36% support, followed by Hillary Clinton with 16%, Barack Obama with 13%, and Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack with 9%.

* In case there were any doubts about the seriousness with which Rudy Giuliani (R) is considering the 2008 presidential race, the former New York City mayor picked up one of the most sought-after GOP staffers in DC yesterday. Mike DuHaime, the political director of the Republican National Committee, signed on yesterday to head Giuliani’s exploratory committee, and would probably be his campaign manager after Giuliani announces. “I don’t have to tell you the credibility he has in the field,” said Anthony Carbonetti, a longtime senior adviser to Giuliani. “Being the RNC political director, his tentacles reach out across the country.”

* If money decides the 2008 primaries, Hillary Clinton (D) and John McCain (R) are in good shape. Clinton continues to lead the Dems with $14 million cash on hand after spending $35.9 million on her successful re-election campaign. McCain leads the GOP pack with more than $1.1 million in the bank.

* Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore (R) continues to believe there’s an opening for a traditional conservative candidate in the presidential field, and he’s still thinking about filling the niche. Gilmore told National Review, “There is a need for a conservative who’s electable,” adding, “I’m considering a national candidacy.” Gilmore has been to Iowa four times and South Carolina twice in just the last month.

* And conservative columnist George Will devoted his column today to urging Barack Obama to run in ‘08. “f he wants to be president — it will not be a moral failing if he decides that he does not, at least not now — this is the time for him to reach for the brass ring,” Will said.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Barack Obama got his chance to make a good first impression in New Hampshire this past weekend, and Hillary Clinton will get her chance very soon. The state Dem Party confirmed yesterday that it has invited Clinton to be the featured speaker at its major annual fundraiser — known as the “100 Club” fundraiser — early in 2007. If she accepts, it will be the senator’s first visit to New Hampshire since October 1996.

* Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) apparently flirted with the idea of retirement, prompting the Senate GOP to give him some plum committee assignments. It had the desired effect — Alexander will reportedly seek re-election in 2008.

* John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) favorability ratings among independents, once assumed to be his most reliable base of support, have fallen 15 percentage points since March.

* Al Gore may still be a little coy about 2008, but according to his son, the former VP isn’t going to run for president again. “I don’t know all of his reasons - but I know that he has no plans to run in 2008,” Al Gore III said this week. Asked if he’s sure his father definitely isn’t running, the son added, “Well, I guess I have to add his addendum. I think the way he always says it is, ‘I don’t see any circumstances under which I would run for president.’”

* Burns Strider has been helping lead the House Democratic Caucus’ “Faith Working Group,” but will now transition to presidential politics. Strider, a reported expert on winning over evangelicals, has joined Hillary Clinton’s team.

* And the decision about where best to hold the Democratic National Convention is still up in the air, though insiders believe that Howard Dean prefers New York to Denver. Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.) spoke to Dean yesterday about the decision and came away “concerned” that Dean has soured on Denver’s chances, fearful that the city couldn’t pull off such a massive event without a hitch.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As expected, former vice presidential nominee John Edwards has finalized plans to launch another presidential campaign. Insiders close to the Edwards campaign acknowledged over the weekend that the former senator is to announce his campaign in New Orleans between Christmas and New Year’s. As the AP noted, “Edwards’ novel choice of sites shows how he wants to distinguish his candidacy: emphasizing policies he believes can unite a country divided by economic inequality, a situation no more evident than in the city’s Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood, still recovering from Hurricane Katrina.”

* Following a few weeks of speculation, former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) has filed presidential exploratory papers with the Federal Election Committee. Thompson also recruited Steve Grubbs, an Iowa political strategist, to help lead his fledging efforts.

* Speaking of former governors eyeing the 2008 campaign, former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating (R), as noted here two weeks ago, is reportedly moving forward with his presidential plans.

* Newt Gingrich might run for president in 2008 if the race is still open — i.e., with no one candidate dominating — by Labor Day 2007. On Meet the Press yesterday, Gingrich said, “If one of them seals it off by Labor Day, my announcing now wouldn’t make any difference anyway. If none of the three, having from now till Labor Day, can seal it off, the first real vote is in 2008. And there’s plenty of time in the age of television and e-mail between Labor Day and 2008.”

* Despite widespread rumors that Sen. John Warner’s (R-Va.) retirement in 2008 was practically a sure-thing, Warner told the Senate GOP leadership late last week that he will seek another term. “I have decided to devote my full time to security responsibilities in the Senate and the demands of a vigorous and challenging reelection campaign,” Warner wrote to incoming Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

* And just a few weeks after former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D) surprised the political establishment by announcing that he would not run for president in 2008, rumor has it that he’s having second thoughts. National Journal noted yesterday that “there was a lot of commentary on the Sunday shows” about Warner giving the campaign another look, especially in light of Evan Bayh’s decision to skip the race. Shortly thereafter, Political Insider quoted anonymous sources that confirmed Warner has, in fact, “been rethinking his decision.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In a pleasant surprise, Nancy Pelosi’s office announced this morning that Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) will replace Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Van Hollen, whom I’m a big fan of, won re-election this year with 77% in his district, which is just outside DC.

* Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) appeared on The Daily Show and did fairly well. As watchers of the show know, Stewart frequently compares Vilsack’s name to the duck from Aflac insurance commercials. With this in mind, the governor gave Stewart a stuffed duck sporting a Vilsack campaign button. Stewart asked, “So you’re not going to run away from duck-related humor?” Vilsack responded, “I’m not going to duck the issue, that’s right.”

* The notion of a Congressman Ari Fleischer (R-N.Y.) is rather horrifying, but apparently that’s the new scuttlebutt. Rep.-elect John Hall (D) won an upset in Westchester County this year, and in light of the area’s GOP leanings, Hall instantly became a top 2008 target. Rumor has it that Fleischer is considering the race.

* Hillary Clinton’s likely presidential campaign added a key staffer this week when Democratic operative Mike Henry was brought on board, likely to serve as deputy campaign manager. During the 2004 cycle, Henry managed the primary campaign of wealthy businessman Blair Hull in Illinois — who lost to Barack Obama.

* And, finally, former U.S. President George H.W. Bush said in Japan this week that he would be an aggressive opponent of Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Bush 41 told students at Waseda University in Tokyo that, in 2008, “I’ll be back on the other side (of politics), and I will be trying to beat the hell out of her, if I possibly can.” Remember, he’s supposed to be the classy diplomat in the family.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* That recent Newsweek poll showing Hillary Clinton leading all the major GOP 2008 contenders — you know, the one the magazine chose not to publish — wasn’t the only one with encouraging news for the New York senator. A new CNN poll showed Clinton tied with McCain at 47% each, and leads Giuliani by two, 48% to 46%. At least at this point, the “she’s not electable” meme is looking pretty shaky.

* Former Virginia Gov. James S. Gilmore III, best known for creating a much of messes for Mark Warner to fix, has decided to form a presidential exploratory committee. Gilmore told the WaPo that he’d fill a void. “It is my intention to run” for the presidency, he said. “There is no committed conservative in this race who can put together a national campaign. I can do that.” Gilmore served as RNC chairman in 2001.

* Rudy Giuliani continues to move forward with his presidential plans, launching a new website yesterday, JoinRudy2008.com. The site omits any reference to his progressive social positions and emphasizes crime, taxes, and welfare reform.

* The DNC was supposed to pick its 2008 convention location any day now, but Howard Dean has decided to put off the decision until January.

* As part of my ongoing fascination with party-switchers, I thought I’d note that Dr. Bob Meneilly, pastor emeritus of Village Presbyterian Church and chairman emeritus of the moderate Mainstream Coalition, announced this week that he’s leaving the GOP and becoming a Democrat.

* DraftObama.org has produced its first TV ad, created in part by The Jackson Group, which created Draft Clark ads in 2004. The ad will hit airwaves in DC and New Hampshire this week, though organizers hope to have funding for airtime in Hawaii, where Obama and his family will spend the holidays.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), asked about any possible political ambitions in the future, told Spanish-language reporters in Miami, “No tengo futuro,” which means “I have no future.” He did not elaborate.

* The race among Republican presidential candidates to snatch up key GOP staffers continues, with John McCain continuing to lure in the high-profile talent. Yesterday, McCain hired Steve Schmidt, a Karl Rove protege who worked for Dick Cheney before helping Arnold Schwarzenegger win a second term. McCain also hired Jill Hazelbaker, most recently Tom Kean Jr.’s communications director in New Jersey, who will be McCain’s communications director in New Hampshire (despite some apparent history of blog sock-puppetry).

* Former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating (R) acknowledged yesterday that he’s still considering the presidential race and would decide next month whether to run. “I’m very alarmed about what ails America and the challenge we face as a country,” Keating said. As CNN reported, “Part of the nation’s peril lies in the perception of the country abroad, said Keating, who contended the United States ‘is detested as a country right now’ and is seen more as Iraq’s occupier than liberator.”

* Christine Jennings (D), who clearly would have won her House race in Florida’s 13th last month were it not for election irregularities, officially contested the election results with Congress yesterday. Also, Jennings’ legal fight in Florida is ongoing.

* Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), an unsung hero in my book, was expected to draw a challenge in 2008 from Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-N.J.), but Ferguson announced this week that he will not run for the Senate, which is a setback to the NRSC’s recruiting efforts.

* And Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) continues to push forward with his presidential campaign, which, reasons that defy comprehension, has started running TV commercials in South Dakota. As Copley News reports, “Hunter’s decision to air the ads in South Dakota’s Rapid City media market puzzled political experts, including GOP officials in that state.” Hunter is now also on the air in South Carolina and North Carolina, but not Iowa or New Hampshire.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Research 2000 released a poll of Iowa Dems yesterday, asking who they prefer in the 2008 presidential race. John Edwards and Barack Obama led the field, tied at 22%. Outgoing Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack was third with 12%, followed by Hillary Clinton at 10%.

* One of the oddities of Barack Obama’s popularity is that he is not as widely known as one might expect. The most recent Gallup poll showed that one-third of Americans still don’t know who Obama is, despite his strong media presence and base of supporters.

* New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) is widely expected to run for president in 2008, so it came as a bit of a surprise to hear that a group of Richardson allies are poised to launch a draft campaign to urge the governor to throw his hat into the ring. Among the leaders of the effort is Reynaldo Martinez, a former chief of staff to incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

* Outgoing Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (R), soon to be unemployed, is hoping to become a consultant to Republican presidential candidates, helping them appeal to minority voters. “I’d like to have a hand in helping our presidential nominee … get the messaging right, to communicate not just with traditional voters, but to go outside our comfort zone,” Steele told the Washington Times. Steele claims to have spoken directly to McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Newt Gingrich, and Chuck Hagel.

* Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) is apparently unconcerned about the early buzz around all of the other Democratic presidential hopefuls, and still plans on making a second run for the nomination. One Biden aide told the WSJ that the senator will have raised $5.5 million in new money through September, which is more than anyone except Clinton and Obama.

* And in the ongoing controversy surrounding the results in Florida’s 13th, Dartmouth voting expert Professor Michael Herron testified yesterday that there were major problems in the Jennings/Buchanan race, and that those problems cost the Democrat the election.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Barack Obama’s first foray into New Hampshire seems to have paid dividends. Two weeks after his initial trip, Obama finds himself nearly even with Hillary Clinton in a statewide poll of 2008 hopefuls. The results, published by the Concord Monitor, found Clinton in the lead with 22% support, Obama right behind her with 21%, followed by John Edwards at 16%. Last month, a Monitor poll showed Clinton leading Obama by 23 points.

* Speaking of New Hampshire, the same Concord Monitor poll, looking ahead to the GOP presidential primary, shows Rudy Giuliani with the narrowest of leads over John McCain, 26% to 25%. Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was third with 10% support.

* Former Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) has been mulling a return to politics for a few years now, but he has reportedly ruled out taking on Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) in 2008. Possible Dems for the race include Democratic Reps. Earl Blumenauer and Peter DeFazio, and State Sen. Ben Westlund, who recently became a Dem after leaving the GOP.

* According to Bob Novak, who’s hardly neutral on the subject, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D) remains undecided on whether to seek a second term in 2007. Speculation is apparently focused on Rep. Charles Melancon (D), a Blanco ally, who was described by one party leader as a “conservative Democrat, the kind of Democrat that Louisiana likes to elect. He’s pretty much what we’re looking for.”

* And Mitt Romney’s presidential announcement appears slated for the week of January 8th, according to a campaign aide who spoke to the AP, following the official filing with the FEC next week. The AP article explained, “The timing is somewhat dependent on when Sen. John McCain of Arizona makes an expected announcement about his own campaign for the GOP nomination, the Romney aide said.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Much to my relief, former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, rumored to be eyeing a congressional race against Rep.-elect John Hall (D-N.Y.), said this week that he has no interest in a campaign. Fleischer told the New York Observer via email, “I do want you to know that I am NOT running. Now that I have children, I would never do anything that could risk making them into Redskin fans.”

* South Carolina, home to the second primary in the presidential nominating calendar, may be fertile ground for Barack Obama, should he decide to run. The State’s Lee Bandy, South Carolina’s most experienced and knowledgeable political reporter, noted this week that the state the first primary with a large minority population, much of which may gravitate towards Obama. A recent poll noted that Obama is seen favorably by 91% of South Carolina’s black community. Local Dem activist Inez Tenenbaum told the paper, South Carolina could send him on his way.”

* On a related note, Iowan Douglas Burns noted that Obama may also appeal to voters in the first caucus state due to geography. “It goes without saying that when Barack Obama is on the television screen or behind the political podium we see a black man,” Burns said. “That is, after all, what he is. But when you listen to Obama, the substance of thinking, the cadence of his reasoning, his unassuming acceptance of people, you hear a Midwesterner.”

* And outgoing Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R), despite losing his re-election bid by a healthy margin this year, has not ruled out returning to Republican politics at some point. Ehrlich is reportedly eyeing the 2010 Senate race, in which incumbent Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D) is rumored to be considering retirement. “I would not eliminate that as an option,” Ehrlich said of the race.

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WH: Bin Laden Capture “A Success That Hasn't Occurred Yet”...

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Outgoing Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.) will create a presidential exploratory committee this week with the FEC, but out of respect, will wait until funeral services for former President Gerald Ford have concluded. The paperwork will probably be filed tomorrow. Romney’s successor, Gov.-elect Deval Patrick (D) will be sworn in tomorrow, but Romney will not attend the ceremony, instead settling into his new campaign headquarters.

* Speaking of Romney, as conservatives began to learn more about his previous support for abortion and gay rights, many of those who considered him a conservative alternative to McCain and Giuliani are having second thoughts. TV preacher Pat Robertson’s news program noted late last week that “four conservative state representatives in Michigan who are members of Romney’s state steering committee are now seriously thinking about abandoning their support for him.”

* There were some rumors that Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) was weighing retirement at the end of his fifth term in 2008, but the senator appears to be leaning towards re-election. Bob Novak reported that “close associates” of Cochran are “cautiously optimistic” that he’ll seek a sixth term. Novak added that Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) has ruled out a Senate bid even if Cochran retires.

* The AP ran an item yesterday on Sen. Christopher Dodd’s (D-Conn.) likely presidential campaign. The article emphasized that Dodd, soon to be the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, will have little trouble raising a lot of money. “Any time you are chairman of a committee that oversees, arguably, the wealthiest sector of society, that’s a significant opportunity to raise some real dough,” said Chris Lehane, a Democratic strategist from several presidential campaigns.

* And Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) says if he runs for president he won’t be a Republican who will “scare the living daylights” out of independents and moderate Democrats. “I think I would appeal to true conservatives for whom conservatism doesn’t mean they’re angry at everybody,” Huckabee said in an interview with the AP. “My brand of conservatism is not an angry, hostile brand. It’s one that says ‘conservative’ means we want to conserve the best of our culture, society, principles and values and pass them on.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A very disconcerting report by Voter Action, VotersUnite.Org and VoteTrustUSA highlights how “electronic voting machines meant to streamline the Election Day process have resulted in late poll openings, data-retrieval errors and widespread machine failures…. The evidence presented indicates that electronic voting in its current form is systematically flawed and will require significant corrective measures to remedy the problems that have been exposed.”

* After Rudy Giuliani’s lost playbook became fairly big political news yesterday, the former mayor’s campaign aides pushed back by calling the leak a “dirty trick” and exploring who might have been responsible. Apparently, suspicion is focusing on aides close to new Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R).

* It’s a very convoluted story, with a series of bizarre twists, but to make a long story short, State Rep. Dennis O’Brien (R) was elected Speaker of Pennsylvania’s House yesterday after a “stealthy maneuver” orchestrated by chamber Dems. The Philadelphia Inquirer noted that this “marks the first time in modern Pennsylvania history — and perhaps in centuries — in which a member of the minority party will wield the state speaker’s gavel.”

* DraftObama.org launched an Iowa-based group yesterday to highlight the Illinois senator’s appeal among unaffiliated voters. The new group — called “Independents for Obama” — “comes in response to growing calls on the group’s Web site to acknowledge the significant support of non-party affiliated voters for a presidential run by Senator Obama,” according to a statement.

* And, as expected, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R), on his final day in office, filed the necessary paperwork to create a presidential exploratory committee. “We’ve filed exploratory papers today, so the process is moving forward on that front,” he told reporters this morning.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The New York Times reported today on a recent meeting between Sen. Hillary Clinton and three allies from New Hampshire. According to participants, Clinton wanted to know if Gore was running again (he’s apparently inclined not to) and whether Kerry still has a base of support (not according to her sources). The NYT article also reported that Clinton views Barack Obama and John Edwards as her two strongest potential rivals for the nomination.

* Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (R), trying to drum up some interest in his presidential bid, announced a new promise to visit Iowa literally every week this year. “I’m going to be here every week, at least one day every week,” Thompson told The Associated Press. “I’m close enough to be able to do that and I’m going to develop a field organization and a grass-roots campaign like you haven’t seen before.” Thompson said he’s betting heavily on his showing in a straw poll of Iowa Republicans in August.

* Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) hired Ben Ginsberg as his presidential campaign’s attorney yesterday, which as National Journal noted, is interesting for a few reasons: “Ginsberg (a) is a very close friend of Pres. Bush’s; (b) a former national counsel to Bush in ‘00; (c) was the RNC’s chief counsel at various points over the past few years; (d) argued before the Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore; (e) perhaps the most prominent Republican election lawyer in the country; and (f) served for a time as counsel to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.”

* Despite some talk before November that a few Blue Dog Democrats from the South may not vote for Nancy Pelosi as House Speaker, Pelosi is now expected to be supported by her entire caucus when she is formally voted Speaker of the House today. “I haven’t heard of anything to indicate that it would be anything other than a unanimous Democratic vote,” a spokesman for Pelosi said.

* The mystery behind the leak of Rudy Giuliani’s presidential playbook continues. Yesterday, Giuliani aides turned their attention on Florida Republicans, and a spokesperson for Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R), confirmed that a bag belonging to someone in Giuliani’s entourage was misplaced on a Crist plane, but that “nothing fishy” happened.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), who still hasn’t officially announced his presidential campaign yet, picked up a key Iowa endorsement yesterday when Kim Lehman, the current president and executive director of Iowa Right to Life, “signed on to Brownback’s upcoming Iowa leadership committee.” Lehman also took a subtle shot at the other GOP frontrunners, saying, “While other candidates are in the process of defining and refining their position at the start of this campaign, Senator Brownback has been principled, consistent and unwavering in his support for the right to life.”

* The Columbia State reported today that John McCain “has locked up nearly every major Republican donor in South Carolina to lead his 2008 finance committee, including some of the top names of President Bush’s 2000 campaign.”

* Former Sen. Mark Dayton (D-Minn.), who retired rather than seek re-election in 2006, is reportedly considering a gubernatorial run in 2010. Dayton acknowledged that he wasn’t “as effective as I hoped to be when I arrived,” in part because he lacked seniority in what was the minority party. “The Senate or the Legislature is a very reactive institution, and I think I’m much more effective personally and professionally being more proactive,” he told reporters.

* Abortion-rights champion Kate Michelman, former president of NARAL, is expected to endorse John Edwards’ presidential campaign.

* It was easy to overlook after Dems went +30 for the campaign cycle, double the number of seats they needed to reclaim the majority, but CQ noted that it was almost much worse for the Republicans. “Of the 202 Republicans sworn in Thursday as members of 110th Congress, 15 maintained GOP control of their seats by margins of just 3 percentage points or less. On the other side of the aisle, just two of the 233 members of the new Democratic majority were winners of contests in which they retained their party’s control by similarly razor-thin margins.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) will officially enter the presidential race in about two weeks. “He will be fully announcing on January 20 in Topeka, Kansas,” Brian Hart, the senator’s spokesman, said Friday. Brownback set up an exploratory committee in December.

* If the presidential race came down to which candidate is the least coy, Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) would win in a landslide. Biden, who has been running in practice for about a year, acknowledged on Meet the Press yesterday, “I am running for president.” He’s going to set up an exploratory committee later this month.

* Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) is taking his transformation from moderate to conservative head on. Speaking to a gathering of influential Christian conservatives and GOP donors in Georgia over the weekend, Romney said he’d grown into being a right-wing leader. “Now, I wasn’t always a Ronald Reagan conservative. Neither was Ronald Reagan, by the way,” Romney said. “And perhaps some in this room have had the opportunity to listen, learn, and benefit from life’s experience — and to grow in wisdom, as I have.”

* Barack Obama continues to look like a likely presidential candidate. The Illinois senator has reportedly contacted Chicago’s biggest Democratic fundraisers to line up support, and will headline the Virginia Democratic Party’s annual high-profile Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Richmond in February.

* New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D), another likely 2008 candidate, has traveled to Sudan to try and get Khartoum to accept United Nations troops. As a friend of mine noted via email, Richardson’s trip was financed by Save Darfur, and “it says a lot about the Bush administration’s handling of the situation that an activist groups would approach Richardson about trying to make some headway.”

* Dems want a high-profile candidate to take on Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) next year, but it won’t be Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.). DeFazio, citing seniority and money concerns, said he will not run for the Senate in 2008.

* As for Al Gore, the WaPo reported over the weekend that the former VP is still unlikely to run for president again. “There are no secret meetings going on to plan the Gore campaign,” said Carter Eskew, a longtime confidant of the former vice president. And then there was the obligatory sentence: “But neither Eskew nor any of the small cadre of Gore’s closest advisers would entirely rule out such a bid.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Tampa Tribune, citing “GOP insiders,” reports that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) has sought to recruit former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) as his running mate, in part because of the fundraising machine tied to the Bush family. The same piece notes that Jeb appears to favor Romney, while his successor, Gov. Charlie Crist (R), prefers McCain.

* Speaking of Romney, the moderate-turned-conservative picked up a big endorsement yesterday when Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) indicated that he would back Romney’s presidential bid, perhaps as early as today. As National Journal noted, “DeMint’s endorsement would be Romney’s most significant political catch in the pivotal state of South Carolina, where Sen. John McCain has managed to corral the lion’s share of would-be GOP endorsers and much of the state party’s financial establishment.”

* And speaking of South Carolina, the first presidential debate of the ‘08 cycle will a Democratic event at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, S.C., on April 26. MSNBC will offer exclusive live coverage from 7-8:30 p.m. (ET), as well as stream it on the network’s website. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) said, “I fully expect that the leading Democrats who are considering a run for the Presidency, will not miss this opportunity to travel to Orangeburg… for this historic occasion.”

* U.S. News reported this week that there’s “growing buzz” in DC and California that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) is strongly considering a Senate bid against Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) in 2010, when his second term is up.

* Al Sharpton said Monday that he’s considering yet another run for president. “I don’t hear any reason not to,” Sharpton said in an interview.

* And the decision on where to hold the next Democratic National Convention is becoming increasingly complicated. Denver is struggling with logistical and financial problems, while New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) has “cooled to the convention and is refusing to underwrite its costs.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* John McCain isn’t the only GOP presidential hopeful backing troop escalation. Former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.), who’s been reluctant to comment either way on Bush’s so-called “surge,” told reporters this morning, “In consultation with Generals, military experts and troops who have served on the ground in Iraq, I believe securing Iraqi civilians requires additional troops. I support adding five brigades in Baghdad and two regiments in Al-Anbar province.” It’s a lot more than Rudy Giuliani is willing to say.

* There’s been plenty of speculation about John Kerry’s future, and according to a report from Chris Cillizza, the 2004 Democratic nominee is “likely” to run again in 2008. As part of an effort to lay the groundwork, Kerry is bolstering his staff, adding top new aides to his campaign committee and Senate office staffs. David Wade, a longtime aide to Kerry, predicted a decision “early in the new year,” adding, “We’re well over a year away before the first ballots are cast in the 2008 nominating process, but Sen. Kerry has no intention of waiting too long in his decision.”

* Christopher Christie, the Republican U.S. attorney for New Jersey, has long been rumored as a top rival for Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D) in 2008, but Christie announced this week that he plans to stay in his current job into next year. “I have every intention of being here through the end of ‘07 and into early 2008,” Christie said. “We’ll see what happens when ‘08 starts.”

* Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.) has told interested parties that he’s not “actively” trying to become the 2008 presidential nominee’s running mate, but he’s apparently interested, should anyone want to consider him for the slot.

* Roll Call reports today that recent interviews with 63 of Iowa’s 99 GOP county chairmen found that John McCain is “far from the first choice of likely caucus voters.” A majority of country GOP leaders in the first caucus state found “disdain for his politics — particularly his handling of President Bush’s judicial nominees and his association with the issue of campaign finance reform. Disenchantment with his candidacy reaches all corners of the state, including the pivotal Republican stronghold of northwest Iowa and vote-rich counties such as Polk, Linn and Scott.” Andrea Roys, chairwoman of the Fayette County GOP in northeastern Iowa, said, “He tries to appeal to the media and make himself liked — and is a RINO Republican as far as I am concerned.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* CNN is reporting that the DNC has picked Denver as the host city for its 2008 national convention.

* Former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.) was embarrassed, again, when a video of a 1994 debate between himself and Ted Kennedy surfaced. Romney is seen touting his belief that abortion should be “safe and legal,” and adding, “I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I’m not trying to return to Reagan-Bush.” Romney appeared on Glenn Reynolds’ radio show yesterday afternoon saying that “of course” he was “wrong on some issues back then,” adding that he’s “not embarrassed to admit that.”

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) announced this morning that he will run for president in 2008, saying problems at home and abroad meant it was time for him to “get out of the bleachers and onto the arena floor.” Dodd said he has about $5 million on hand for his run. He’ll be in Iowa later today, and South Carolina over the weekend.

* Former Rep. Harold Ford (D-Tenn.), fresh off a disappointing showing in a Senate race in Tennessee last year, will soon become the new chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council. Ford will replace Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D), who recently announced a presidential campaign.

* The first Democratic presidential candidate debate isn’t until April, but the first candidate forum will be just three weeks away, when the Democratic National Committee convenes for its winter meetings. The New York Daily News noted that “all the presumed candidates are being invited, but the source was unable to say who has accepted and who hasn’t. ‘I expect they’ll all be there. These meetings have launched candidates in the past,’ the source said.” In 2003, Howard Dean’s appearance at this event helped catapult him into the top tier.

* And in Illinois, State House Speaker Mike Madigan (D) is reportedly interested in moving the state’s primary up to early February to help Barack Obama’s possible presidential campaign. In 2004, the Illinois primary was held on March 16.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In the surest sign yet that Barack Obama is very serious about running for president, the Illinois senator is reportedly expected to hire David Plouffe, a former executive director of the DCCC, as his campaign manager. He’s also recruited DNC research director Devorah Adler and DNC deputy director Shauna Daly to senior positions on his team.

* Just two days after the DSCC said Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) will be a top 2008 target, several would-be contenders started making noises about taking on the incumbent. Katrina Swett, a Democratic congressional candidate in 2002, will reportedly be in DC next week lining up support; Democratic Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand is making calls and lining up potential staffers; and Stonyfield yogurt chief executive Gary Hirshberg, a long-time Democratic activist and fundraiser, is also eyeing the race.

* Less than a week after his campaign playbook was leaked to the media, Rudy Giuliani is dismissing some of the same concerns about his candidacy raised in the lengthy document. Asked about his liberal social views, his marital problems, and Bernie Kerik, Giuliani said, “I sure have strengths and weaknesses. I think that sort of puts me in the same category as just about everybody else that’s running. Are my strengths greater or my weaknesses worse? I don’t know. You have to sort of examine that. That won’t be the issue.”

* Roll Call reported today that Carl Forti, “the former ace communications director for the National Republican Congressional Committee,” will join Mitt Romney’s (R) presidential campaign as deputy campaign manager and political director. Forti was widely sought after, so this is a big pick-up for the former Massachusetts governor.

* North Carolina voters were asked about their presidential favorites this week. Among Dems, John Edwards leads with 29% support, followed by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, who were about tied for second. Among Republicans, Giuliani leads with 30%, followed by Newt Gingrich with 29%, and John McCain with 22%.

* And Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) a bit of an iconoclastic gadfly in the House, is apparently planning to run for president again. Paul filed papers in Texas to create a presidential exploratory committee this week. The chairman of Paul’s exploratory committee said, “There’s no question that it’s an uphill battle, and that Dr. Paul is an underdog. But we think it’s well worth doing and we’ll let the voters decide.” Paul was the Libertarian nominee for president in 1988.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Barack Obama may announce his presidential plans as early as this week, according to several published reports. Bob Novak reported that Obama “informed a major Democratic financial contributor that he probably will announce formation of a 2008 presidential exploration committee” this week, with a formal campaign announcement at a later date. There’s additional speculation that Obama may kick off his campaign on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show.

* It looks like Hillary Clinton’s and John Edwards’ teams are subtly trading barbs. Edwards offered veiled criticism of Clinton, chastising those who fail to “speak out” against the war in Iraq. “Silence is betrayal, and I believe it is a betrayal not to speak out against the escalation of the war in Iraq,” Edwards told a crowd at Manhattan’s Riverside Church, where Martin Luther King had declared his opposition to the Vietnam War. Clinton adviser Howard Wolfson responded, “In 2004, John Edwards used to constantly brag about running a positive campaign. Today, he has unfortunately chosen to open his campaign with political attacks on Democrats who are fighting the Bush administration’s Iraq policy.”

* Newt Gingrich told the Washington Times that the GOP has to move away from Karl Rove’s strategy of winning elections exclusively through the base. “A base-motivation party inherently, in the long run, drives away the non-base,” Gingrich said. He said he prefers wedge strategies, focused on issues like the Pledge of Allegiance.

* A series of presidential candidate forums and debates in Nevada will kick off on February 21. That’s just five weeks away. Nevada, of course, is scheduled to hold its caucus after Iowa, but before New Hampshire’s primary.

* And Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, formally created a presidential exploratory committee on Friday afternoon. Hunter, who is serving his 14th term in Congress, originally announced last October that he was “making preparations to run for president in 2008.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In very big 2008 news of a non-presidential variety, two-term incumbent Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.), recently named by Time magazine one of the Senate’s five worst members, announced yesterday that he will honor a term-limits pledge and not seek re-election in 2008. It offers Dems yet another opportunity to expand their Senate majority. Rep. Mark Udall (D) had been planning to take on Allard, and will be the early favorite to win the Dem nomination. Among the likely GOP candidates are Rep. Scott McInnis, Rep. Tom Tancredo, and state Attorney General John Suthers.

* Rudy Giuliani’s presidential campaign picked up a key supporter yesterday when former Rep. Jim Nussle (R) of Iowa joined Giuliani’s team. Nussle, Iowa’s 2006 Republican gubernatorial nominee, will back the former NYC mayor despite disagreeing with him on gun control, abortion rights, and gay rights. According to the AP, “Nussle said he’s focusing on Giuliani’s accomplishments and suggested Giuliani’s actions after the 2001 terrorist attacks impressed voters who want a strong leader.”

* New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) said he will decide on the presidential race by the end of the month. “Well I am going to make a decision this month, as I have always said Wolf, whether I am going to run or not,” Richardson told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. The New Mexico governor also indicated he would appear at the country’s first presidential debate co-hosted by CNN, New Hampshire’s WMUR-TV and the New Hampshire Union Leader, if he decides to seek the presidency.

* Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced yesterday that he will co-chair Sen. John McCain’s presidential exploratory committee. The move fuels speculation about a possible McCain/Pawlenty ticket in 2008.

* And Hillary Clinton’s presidential hopes got a boost yesterday when Emily’s List, the largest political action committee in the nation, announced it will endorse Clinton’s presidential bid shortly after her campaign kick-off. It will be the PAC’s first-ever presidential endorsement.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Despite the new opening in Colorado’s 2008 Senate race, Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), a virulent opponent of immigration, announced yesterday that he will form a presidential exploratory committee. Noting the reaction he received from some activists in Iowa over the weekend, Tancredo said, “They believe that there is a void in this race that none of the other candidates are willing or able to fill.”

* Former Majority Leader Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) is reportedly eyeing Tennessee’s 2010 gubernatorial race, apparently with the hopes that being a state’s chief executive will help Americans forget what an awful Senate Majority Leader he was. The Hill reported, “Sources in Washington and Tennessee say Frist, who will turn 55 next month, is leaning heavily toward a run for the governor’s office, where he could gain executive experience that might position him to try for the presidency in either 2012 or 2016. ‘It’s a done deal,’ said a source with knowledge of Frist’s plans.”

* Ernie Fletcher may be the incumbent Republican governor of Kentucky, but that didn’t stop former Rep. Anne Northup (R) from announcing that she, too, will run for governor. Fletcher, one of the nation’s least popular governors, has not yet said whether he’ll seek a second term.

* Just when you thought the idea of a flat tax was long gone, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) indicated yesterday that it might be a centerpiece of his presidential campaign. “We need a flat tax instead of the dreadful, incomprehensible tax code we now have,” Brownback wrote in the letter that announced the creation of his presidential exploratory committee.

* Colorado Republicans seem very interested in recruiting retired football player John Elway to run for the state’s open Senate seat in 2008. An Elway representative said yesterday that former Denver Bronco “has no intentions of running.”

* And in a bit of a surprise, former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating (R) announced that he will not run for the GOP presidential nomination in 2008. Keating is rumored to have been Bush’s second choice for a running mate in 2000.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* After a campaign cycle in which the DNC and DCCC didn’t get along well at all, new DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has pledged a new era of cooperation. He and Howard Dean had a “jovial” meeting yesterday and “pledged to work together during the 2008 election cycle.” Funny how victory can put everyone in a good mood.

* Retired football player John Elway quickly put to rest any rumors that he might be a Senate candidate in Colorado in 2008. The former Denver Broncos quarterback told Denver’s KOA radio that he’s not going to run for the seat being vacated by Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.). Elway added, however, that he would possibly consider public office at some point in the future.

* Al Franken continues to move towards a Senate campaign in Minnesota, reaching out to Democratic senators for advice and suggestions. The AP noted Franked has contacted “campaign veterans, pollsters and others to get their advice,” some of whom have warned him about the pitfalls of a comedian running for statewide office. “It’s unknown how people will respond to a comedian running for the Senate,” Franken said. “I need to figure out a way to let people know I’m extremely serious about Minnesotans and their lives.”

* In southern Illinois, one gun-rights advocate is recommending Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to his hunting friends and talking about forming a group with the working title “Sportsmen for Obama.” “I don’t agree with everything he says about guns, but he gets the sportsman’s point of view on it,” said state Rep. Brandon Phelps (D-Norris City), who served with Obama in the state legislature. “He would never do anything to hurt hunters, because he has bothered to get to know us and listen to us.”

* Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), perhaps best known now for his criticism of the war in Iraq, acknowledged yesterday that he’ll have to decide on whether to launch a presidential campaign soon. “I’ll let you know, Wolf — I’ve got to make a decision soon,” Hagel told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “I will make that decision.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) probably expects to suffer politically a bit for his support of Bush’s policies in Iraq, but probably not this much. A new LA Times poll shows that more than a third of Americans (36%) said they would be “much less likely” to back McCain’s presidential campaign because of support for escalation. Among independents, the number is 43%.

* Rumor has it that Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) is gearing up to announce his second presidential campaign sometime in the next few weeks. Yesterday, Kerry sounded a little defensive about the 2004 race: “Look, we won the nomination, and we came damn close to winning, and people better go back and check the history books as to how hard it is to beat a sitting president in a time of war. The mood has changed like night and day from when I was running in ‘04 to where we are now. If it had been two months later, three months later, you’d have had a very different mood.”

* For what it’s worth (at this point, only a little), Zogby has new polls out of Iowa and New Hampshire for both sides’ presidential aspirants. In Iowa, Edwards leads the Dem field with 27%, followed by Obama (17%), Clinton (16%), and Vilsack (16%). On the other side of the aisle, Giuliani is on top with 19%, followed by McCain with 17%. In New Hampshire, Obama leads with 23%, followed by Clinton (19%) and Edwards (19%). McCain leads the Republican field with 26%, followed by Giuliani (20%), and Romney (13%).

* Speaking of Giuliani, Stu Rothenberg, a prominent non-partisan election analyst, argued yesterday that the former New York City mayor is wasting his time and can’t win the GOP nomination: “Giuliani’s strong showing in GOP polling reflects his celebrity status and the reputation he earned after the terrorist attacks. But if and when he becomes a candidate, that will change. He will be evaluated on the basis of different things, including his past and current positions and behavior, and he’ll be attacked by critics and opponents. A Giuliani nomination would also generate a conservative third-party candidate in the general election and tear the GOP apart, thereby undercutting Giuliani’s electability argument.”

* And when Republican National Committee members meet today to pick their new RNC chairman, they’ll vote by secret ballot, which, as the far-right Washington Times noted, “would protect members opposed to the White House’s push to fill the new slot with an advocate of an amnesty for illegal aliens.” I’ll be keeping an eye out for the results.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Though the news was easily overshadowed by Sen. Clinton’s announcement, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) announced over the weekend that he will seek the GOP presidential nomination. It sounded as if James Dobson helped write the remarks: “The last thing we need in America is to take God out of our public lives and institutions,” Brownback said during his speech in Topeka, Kan. “We need to embrace our nation’s motto, ‘In God we trust,’ and not be ashamed of it…. To walk away from the Almighty is to embrace decline for a nation. To embrace him leads to renewal, for individuals and for nations.”

* Billionaire philanthropist and Democratic donor George Soros had to choose between backing Clinton or Obama in the presidential primaries. He reportedly decided late last week to back Obama.

* Newt Gingrich said yesterday that he would run for president, but only if there’s no frontrunner by Labor Day. “You sound as if you think about running for president as a last resort, not as a first resort?” Fox News’ Chris Wallace asked. “Exactly,” Gingrich answered. “I mean, nobody’s ever said it quite that way, but you’re right.”

* Bush’s advertising team from 2004 — best known for creating an ad about John Kerry windsurfing — will now be John McCain’s advertising team.

* In related news, a political consulting firm with close ties to Karl Rove has taken on Rudy Giuliani as a client.

* In Connecticut, Sen. Chris Dodd (D), who is currently running for president, announced that he will not seek another Senate term in 2010, no matter what happens in his White House bid.

* And Roll Call reports today that House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) has not yet decided on a favorite 2008 presidential candidate, but at this point, seems to be strongly leaning towards former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R). Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) is also reportedly leaning heavily in Romney’s direction.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Roll Call reports today that Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign is likely to pick up a major endorsement this week, possibly as early as today, when former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) throws his support behind the former Massachusetts governor.

* Ad man Jimmy Siegel, whose recent work for Eliot Spitzer in New York’s gubernatorial campaign was exceptional, has agreed to help create ads for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.

* Rep. Bobby Jindal (R-La.), who narrowly lost Louisiana’s gubernatorial race in 2003, announced yesterday that he would give it another shot this year. Jindal will likely face a rematch against incumbent Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D), who announced that she is seeking a second term, though there are rumors she might have a primary opponent.

* Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D) has been traveling a bit of late, sparking speculation that Warner, who surprisingly dropped out of the presidential race in October, might be having second thoughts. Warner told the AP the speculation is mistaken. “I have no intention of getting back in the race,” Warner said.

* And according to the New York Post, Rudy Giuliani, apparently concerned about conflict-of-interest questions, plans to sell “the Wall Street wing of his multi-pronged business - the strongest sign yet that he’s making a serious play for the presidency.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A few weeks ago, we learned of leaked portions of Rudy Giuliani’s presidential playbook, given to the New York Daily News by a still-unknown GOP rival. Today, the Daily News’ Ben Smith, who originally obtained the document, published all 140 pages of the dossier online.

* In the already-fascinating competition between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, The Hill reports today that Obama is slightly ahead when it comes to website traffic: “Twelve percent of Internet surfers who visit www.senate.gov click to the freshman senator’s homepage, according to rankings on Alexa.com, which tracks website traffic. Obama’s site gets more hits than any other senator’s, and, much like his popularity, those hits have increased over the last month. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), who made her official presidential announcement last Saturday, pulls 7 percent of Internet surfers to her site from the main Senate page. Her numbers rose to current levels Monday after stagnating at 4 percent for the last month.”

* In what will likely be this year’s most fascinating off-year race, Kentucky’s gubernatorial campaign has a new contestant: former Kentucky Lt. Gov. Steve Henry announced yesterday that he will seek the Democratic nomination for governor.

* Mitt Romney didn’t need any more questions about his fealty to the far-right cause, so it can’t help that Romney was found to have donated to a Democratic congressional candidate in New Hampshire as recently as 1992. Romney’s spokesman responded, “A $250 contribution made almost 15 years ago is, obviously, greatly overshadowed by strong conservative governing and a proud, Republican record of balanced budgets and pro-family advocacy.”

* Speaking of Romney, the news didn’t stop Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.), the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, from endorsing the former Massachusetts governor yesterday.

* And Barack Obama’s staff have given some reporters a copy of a strategy memo on how the senator is responding to the right-wing “madrassa” controversy, which Obama continues to be asked about. Apparently, Obama’s team hopes the senator may benefit politically by making it an Obama vs Fox News dynamic.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), the former chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, formally declared this morning that he’s running for president. The 14-term conservative set up a presidential exploratory committee earlier this month, before officially kicking off his campaign in South Carolina today.

* In a possible boon to Barack Obama’s fundraising efforts, the DreamWorks trio of David Geffen, Steven Spielberg, and Jeffrey Katzenberg sent a letter to 700 political donors and activists asking them to donate $2,300 per person to attend a reception for Obama in Hollywood on Feb. 20. As the LAT noted, the event “will be followed by a private dinner at Geffen’s house for people who agree to raise $46,000 for the Illinois Democrat.” Because of the roll of “Hollywood money” in the Dem primaries, this is a helpful sign for the Illinois senator.

* Rudy Giuliani’s not-quite-announced presidential campaign picked up his first non-New York congressional endorsement yesterday, when Rep. Mary Bono (R-Calif.) announced her support for the former NYC mayor.

* Speaking of New Yorkers, former Gov. George Pataki (R), who has been weighing a presidential campaign in recent months, closed the New Hampshire office of his political action committee. Unless the plan is to get a bigger office space somewhere in the state, it probably suggests Pataki isn’t going to throw his hat into the ring.

* And in a move that would likely have a major impact on the 2008 race, state legislatures in four states — California, Florida, Illinois, and New Jersey — are anxious to move their primaries up to early February 2008. The move would largely ruin the chances of the lesser-funded candidates, and would be a boon to those with high name recognition.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Barack Obama’s presidential campaign got some good news yesterday when some of John Kerry’s top fundraisiers announced they would begin supporting the Illinois Senator. As the NYT noted, “So far, at least, the list includes: Bob Farmer, who was Mr. Kerry’s chief fundraiser; Mark Gorenberg, Mr. Kerry’s top money man in California; and Alan Solomont, a major fundraiser in New England for Mr. Kerry and a former national finance chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Orin Kramer, a prominent New York Democratic fundraiser, has also signed on with Mr. Obama.”

* The Rev. Al Sharpton was on Capitol Hill yesterday doing some “comparison shopping,” meeting with senators running for president. Sharpton met with Obama, Clinton, Dodd, and Biden, with upcoming meetings planned for Edwards and Richardson. Asked who he favored among the Democratic candidates, he said, “We’re talking.”

* Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), who started talking about a possible presidential campaign over a year ago, acknowledged yesterday that he’s still considering the 2008 race, despite the fact that his criticism of Bush, Cheney, and the war in Iraq has cost him some GOP support. “Hagel joked during the interview about teaming up with New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, a moderate Republican, and also floated the possibility of joining a bipartisan unity ticket with a Democrat — with his name first, of course. Hagel clearly admires Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and calls him ‘a star,’ but he doubts the two could ever team up given the vast difference in their parties’ principles. ‘I don’t know if it gets to that point, but there is a shift going on out there, and there’s nothing like a war that does that,’ Hagel said.”

* Former Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-Tenn), who lost a competitive Senate race in November, said he has no plans to run for the Senate again in 2008 against Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander. “My plan is right away to try to do a good job with the DLC,” Ford told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “I’m proud to say that I’m associated with Vanderbilt University; I’m now a professor of public policy.”

* And in a sign of what we can expect from likely presidential candidate Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), the xenophobic representative announced yesterday that he’d like to abolish the Congressional Black Caucus and other race-based groups of lawmakers, calling them “divisive.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) is kicking off his presidential campaign today with the creation of an exploratory committee. “I think this is an opportunity to show the American dream is still alive and there’s hope and optimism that can be awakened in a lot of people’s lives if they think that a person like me can run and actually become president,” Huckabee told The Associated Press.

* Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) still-unannounced presidential campaign picked up two endorsements today when both of Maine’s Republican senators — Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins — announced that they will serve as co-chairs of McCain’s exploratory committee in Maine. It’s probably worth noting that both Snowe and Collins have publicly criticized Bush’s escalation policy, for which McCain has been an active cheerleader.

* Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) continues to mull over a presidential campaign, but insists that if he runs, it will be as a Republican. Talking to Newsweek, Hagel dismissed the notion that he’d run as an independent as “ludicrous.”

* With Senate Dems confident that they can expand their majority in 2008, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Ensign (Nev.) are working fervently to prevent GOP incumbents from even considering retirement. Near the top of the list: Mississippi’s Thad Cochran, who has considered stepping down, but is now leaning toward seeking a sixth term.

* Keep an eye on Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) in a 2008 context. The AP noted, accurately, that she’ll be on the Dem nominee’s short list for running mates, no matter who gets the nomination.

* And in Massachusetts, baseball player Curt Schilling reportedly flirted with the idea of taking on Sen. John Kerry next year, but has apparently decided against it. Schilling plans to pitch this year and next, and is in negotiations for a contract extension.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) found a clever, and apparently, legal way to collect more than the legal limit for presidential candidates’ campaign donors. Right now, the most an individual can give a candidate is $2,300 per election. Romney, meanwhile, has 16 donors who were able to contribute more than $100,000. The key was finding a gap between federal and state law: “While most states limit political donations, about a dozen don’t. Mr. Romney’s political team set up fund-raising committees in three of those: Michigan, Iowa and Alabama. During that time, his political action committees raised $7 million.”

* Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) is already getting the word out that she’d like to be considered as the GOP’s running mate in 2008. “If our party’s nominee called me and said we are putting everything in the grid, and we think you are the best person, would I say no? I can’t imagine that I would say no,” she said. Hutchison insisted, however, that she wasn’t “promoting” herself for the job.

* John Edwards appeared at Wake Forest University yesterday in North Carolina and was asked by an audience member why he was a better candidate than Barack Obama. “Experience,” Edwards responded. “I’ve been through a presidential campaign.”

* An extremely early Quinnipiac poll out of Ohio today shows Hillary Clinton looking quite strong against the GOP’s top contender in hypothetical general-election match-ups. Clinton leads McCain by four (46% to 42%), Giuliani by three (46% to 43%), and Romney by 21 (52% to 31%).

* And in several key House races in ‘08, expect a series of rematches of recently defeated Republicans. Former Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-N.H.), Joe Negron (R-Fla.), and former Rep. Jim Ryun (R-Kan.) all said yesterday that they’ll run again next year.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* At a campaign stop in South Carolina, Republican Mitt Romney once again had to face questions about whether his Mormon faith would be an impediment to his White House aspirations. “I’ve had a number of meetings with pastors of various faiths and religious leaders,” Romney said in an interview with The Associated Press. “Almost to a person they’ve subscribed to what Dr. Richard Land (of the Southern Baptist Convention) said, which was: ‘We’re not electing Mitt Romney as pastor in chief.’” That’s not working with everyone. State Rep. Gloria Haskins (R), Bob Jones University graduate, said, “I don’t think that I could see someone who is a member of a faith so contrary to my faith having my support.”

* Barack Obama has reserved the Old State Capitol in Illinois for Feb. 10, the day he’ll likely announce his presidential campaign. CNN reported, “Abraham Lincoln served in the Old State Capitol when he was a state representative. It was the site of his famous ‘House Divided’ speech warning that America could not remain half slave and half free. If Obama decides to run, making the announcement there would help reinforce his message that America should set aside partisan differences. It would also invite comparisons to Lincoln, another lanky Illinoisan who served in the state legislature and in Congress.”

* Common Cause President Chellie Pingree announced yesterday that she will step down from her post in order to “consider political opportunities back in Maine.” She’s expected to run for Congress in Maine’s 1st District, which will likely be vacant if sixth-term Democrat Tom Allen runs against Sen. Susan Collins (R), as expected.

* Massachusetts Rep. Martin Meehan (D) is rumored to be weighing retirement so he can become the chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. It would create the first competitive congressional seat in the state in over five years, and the number of candidates running would likely be enormous.

* And at the risk of running a little too much Massachusetts-related news in one round-up, Mitt Romney has had enough trouble from his previous endorsements of various Democratic candidates in the 1990s, but yesterday we learned that Romney hosted a fundraiser for a Democratic Senate candidate in 1992. Election Central noted, “The fundraiser is significant because it shows that Romney actively sought to help a Democrat take an open Senate seat from the GOP.” A Romney spokesman confirmed that the fundraiser had occurred but dismissed its significance.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Comedian, writer, and talk-shot host Al Franken has apparently decided to launch a U.S. Senate campaign, and will seek the Dem nomination to take on Sen. Norm Coleman (R) next year. Franken has begun contacting party leaders at the state and federal level to tell them he will “definitely” enter the race. No word on who, if anyone, Franken may face in a DFL primary.

* Considered a long-shot anyway, former New York Gov. George Pataki told supporters in New Hampshire yesterday that he is not ready to jump into the presidential race and won’t object if they get behind other candidates. A former state representative who was with Pataki on Tuesday emphasized that he said he wasn’t ready “at the present time,” which suggests he may jump in later.

* Hillary Clinton was scheduled to make her first campaign appearance in New Hampshire in over a decade, but had to cancel because of the death of Bill Clinton’s step-father.

* GOP presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain is not only struggling in the polls, he doesn’t have a lot of money in his campaign coffers. In the fourth quarter of 2006, McCain raised $660,000 and raided $1 million from his Senate reelection account to his presidential fund, but he spent more than $1.2 million, mostly in support of other GOP candidates running in the ‘06 cycle.

* And, as if California’s and Florida’s interest in moving up their primaries weren’t enough, a Texas state representative is “seeking to move up his state’s presidential primary in hopes the Lone Start State will play a more crucial role in selecting each party’s nominee for president.” Texas is currently scheduled to hold their primary in mid-March, but under a new proposal, the primary would be moved to the first Tuesday in February.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) announced yesterday that his administration was moving forward with a plan to abandon touch-screen electronic voting machines altogether. The controversial machines, installed after the 2000 debacle, proved to be even less reliable, and Crist vowed that a new paper-ballot system, counted by scanning machines, will be in place in time for the 2008 election. Given Florida’s size and significance, some experts are referring to the change as the “death knell” of paperless e-voting.

* It’s been apparent for a while that Hillary Clinton would likely be the best financed of the Democratic presidential candidates, but the senator’s campaign is taking steps to ensure that’s the case. Clinton is setting a $1 million benchmark for the honor of being in her top echelon of supporters. In contrast, Bush’s “Pioneers” were expected to raise $100,000 for his 2000 race.

* In what appears to be part of a trend, Mitt Romney has successfully recruited several top aides from Jeb Bush’s political operation. Yesterday, the Massachusetts Republican announced the hire of five Jeb aides, including the former Florida governor’s press secretary.

* Barack Obama caught some flack yesterday when The Politico discovered that his new national finance chair, Penny Pritzker, donated $2,000 to Bush/Cheney in ‘04. As National Journal noted, “In Pritzker’s defense, it’s smart for a billionaire executive of a major company to max out to the president’s re-election campaign. And Pritzker endorsed John Kerry in ‘04. And almost every check she’s written over the past few cycles have been sent to Democrats.”

* And today, the Democratic National Committee’s annual winter meeting kicks off, and 10 presidential candidates (and likely candidates) will address the party’s faithful. The meeting has become a key event for aspirants — in 2003, Howard Dean used his speech at the winter meeting to catapult himself into the top tier of the ‘04 race, and 1992, a young governor named Bill Clinton did the same thing.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Following up on our discussion from yesterday, Ralph Nader told CNN yesterday that he may run yet again in 2008 and will decide later this year whether to do so. He added that he’d be more inclined to run if Hillary Clinton won the Dem nomination, and added that he wasn’t a “spoiler” in 2000 because Al Gore actually won.

* Rudy Giuliani is still being unnecessarily coy about his presidential plans, but told the AP over the weekend that “there’s a real good chance” that he’ll throw his hat into the ring.

* Sen. Joe Lieberman more or less denied any interest in joining the GOP ticket, should John McCain win the Republican nomination. “My days of seeking national office are over,” Lieberman said.

* There’s been some odd buzz in conservative circles about recruiting White House Press Secretary Tony Snow as a candidate for public office. Snow has rejected the idea outright. “I am absolutely Shermanesque,” Snow said. “After this job — the best I am likely ever to have — I’m going to do something that will enable me to spend much more time with the family.”

* After a speech for Silicon Valley leaders over the weekend, Al Gore was asked by several attendees whether he’d run for president. “I don’t have any plans to run for president, but I appreciate the request,” Gore said, after a pause.

* ABC News reported that Wesley Clark is apparently interested in serving as Hillary Clinton’s running mate, should she win the Dem nomination. ABC quoted Clark as saying, “I’m a great admirer of Senator Clinton. I think she’s terrific.” He reportedly offered a “sly smile” when asked if he shared a former aide’s assessment that “a Clinton-Clark ticket has a nice ring to it.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As part of his ongoing pandering to the religious right, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) recruited Guy Rodgers, a former national field director for the Christian Coalition, to serve as deputy director of McCain’s exploratory committee.

* Ned Lamont, the Democrat Joe Lieberman defeated in November, continues to stay in touch with his email list, and rumor has it he’s considering a race against Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.) next year. Yesterday, Lamont urged his supporters to back a campaign that encourages progressive measures in state and local legislatures. “When I said that the end of the campaign would not bring an end to our fight — our fight for an end to the disastrous occupation in Iraq; our fight for new, innovative solutions to the problems our country faces; and our fight for basic rights and equality of opportunity — I meant it,” Lamont wrote.

* Yesterday, John Edwards became the latest presidential candidate to announce that he would forgo public money for his campaign, following Hillary Clinton, who made the same decision last week. “The move by the former North Carolina senator is the latest sign of trouble for the public campaign funding system, created after the Watergate scandal to set limits and disclosure rules on contributions to presidential campaigns. Edwards said in an interview that he expects major candidates in both parties to raise unlimited private dollars rather than participate in the public system. He said he needs to do the same ‘to have the funds to be competitive.’”

* Apparently a little self-conscious, Barack Obama is trying to kick his cigarette habit once and for all. “I’ve never been a heavy smoker,” Obama said. “I’ve quit periodically over the last several years. I’ve got an ironclad demand from my wife that in the stresses of the campaign I don’t succumb. I’ve been chewing Nicorette strenuously.”

* And in related 2008 news, just about every group in every early primary/caucus wants to host a presidential debate, some as early as March. As a result, top-tier candidates are complaining that there are too many debates, too early — and they won’t appear at all of them. At this point, neither Hillary Clinton nor Barack Obama has accepted any debate or forum invitations. “The two people who can blow up the debates are those two,” an adviser to the Obama campaign told The Politico. “All they have to do is say: ‘Debate without me. Go ahead.’ There will be some accusations that they are being arrogant, but where it is written that you have to debate this early?”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Mitt Romney will make if official on Tuesday, Feb. 13, when he formally kicks off his presidential campaign. Romney’s announcement speech will be delivered in his original home state of Michigan, instead of Massachusetts, but will hold a major fundraiser in Boston a week from tomorrow.

* Roll Call reported today that more than 140 members of the House have unveiled a bill that would require electronic voting machines in federal elections to produce a paper trail. It’s about time. (Who’s going to vote against it?)

* The Politico ran a very interesting item today about widespread Republican beliefs in DC that Hillary Clinton, if she wins the Dem nomination, is better positioned than the GOP candidates to win the general election next year.

* Remember Alan Schlesinger, the Republican who ran against Joe Lieberman and Ned Lamont last year? Schlesinger is apparently considering another run for Congress — this time in Florida against freshman Rep. Ron Klein (D). The Palm Beach Post reported, “Schlesinger says he’s been spending a few months a year in Palm Beach County for about 20 years and has family here. He recently spoke to the Boca Raton Republican Club.”

* And on Long Island yesterday, Democrat Craig Johnson won a key State Senate seat yesterday with 53% support. Why is this notable? Johnson will be the first Democratic state senator in a century to represent that part of Long Island.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Barack Obama is taking a unique approach to campaign financing. On the one hand, he’s joined Edwards and Clinton in opting out of the public financing system and rejecting federal matching funds for the primary. Obama donors will now be able to contribute as much as $4,600 at a time, of which $2,300 would be set aside for his general election account. The twist, however, is that the campaign has also asked the FEC for its advisory opinion: “Is there any way, post-convention, that Obama could return the money he’s raised for the general and accept the general election match? If you’ve let the horse out of the barn, can you shove him back in?” Interesting.

* Most presidential candidates arrange capable surrogates to appear on their behalf when they can’t attend an important event. Hillary Clinton apparently has the best surrogate in the country: “Yes, Bill Clinton will appear at the annual fundraising breakfast for Dems this weekend in Westchester County — in place of his wife, who was scheduled for the event but will instead be campaigning in New Hampshire. Bill Clinton’s spokesman, Jay Carson, has confirmed to Election Central that he’ll be making the Westchester appearance.”

* Joe Negron (R-Fla.) was narrowly defeated in November by Democratic Rep. Tim Mahoney, after running a write-in campaign in Mark Foley’s old district. Though it was widely assumed that Negron would try again in 2008, he announced yesterday that he will not run.

* Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) is so upset about the recently-passed ethics-reform bill, which cleared the Senate after a 96 to 2 vote, that he’s threatening to quit if it becomes law. “If this becomes law, I will guarantee you I won’t run again,” Coburn said. “I’m not about to put what I’ve worked for for 35 years as a physician and a businessman at risk so I can represent the people. I will say ‘I’m cashing it in.’” The legislation would reportedly limit lawmakers’ ability to receive compensation for non-congressional work.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* On CBS’s Early Show this morning, Harry Smith asked Al Gore if he could better create change on the issue of global warming from inside the White House. Gore said that he “worked in the White House for 8 years” and learned that what is needed more than anything else to move the issue forward is to change public opinion and that is what his current campaign is all about. Gore did not respond to a question about whether or not he intends to announce a presidential campaign at the Oscars.

* The first presidential candidate forum is, believe it or not, just 12 days away, when AFSCME and the Nevada Democratic Party host an event for the candidates in Carson City, Nev., on Feb. 21. Barack Obama announced yesterday that he will not participate, though seven other announced or expected Democratic candidates, including Hillary Clinton, will be there.

* State law in New Mexico prohibits public officials from raising money during the state legislative session, which posed a problem for Gov. Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign. Yesterday, the New Mexico attorney general issued an opinion saying the state law does not apply to Richardson in this case, because he’s seeking national office.

* The WaPo noted today that the 2008 race will be the first in 80 years in which White House officials play no role whatsoever. Craig Fuller, Bush 41’s chief of staff during the 1988 campaign, said, “It creates a fundamentally different situation than we’ve known in the past. What’s so starkly different about this situation is that not only is the president, by virtue of the calendar, a lame duck, but there’s no champion out there on the field for him.”

* Rush Limbaugh is reportedly under pressure from some of his followers to support Sen. Sam Brownback for president, because he’s more conservative than the frontrunners. Limbaugh said yesterday, “Look, Brownback is out there on the wrong side of the anti-war resolution. He’s doing some things here that have me scratching my head. He’s not a thoroughbred conservative, like I think he once was.”

* And vicious right-wing talk-show host Michael Savage is reportedly mulling a presidential campaign, presumably as some kind of publicity stunt.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Perhaps the strongest part of Hillary Clinton’s stump speech continues to be her references to those who hate her most. The Politico reported, “Campaigning in New Hampshire, Clinton claimed that she — and her husband, the former president — are the Democrats that Rove and other leading Republican handicappers fear most. ‘I know what Gingrich tells people privately, I know what DeLay tells people privately, I know what Karl Rove tells people privately,’ she said. ‘I’m the one person they are most afraid of. Bill and I have beaten them before, and we will again.’”

* Barack Obama took what I think was his first veiled shot at Hillary Clinton yesterday, questioning the New York senator’s position on the war in Iraq. “I am not clear on how she would proceed at this point to wind down the war in a specific way,” Obama told reporters at a press conference in Iowa. “I know that she has stated that she thinks that the war should end by the start of the next president’s first term. Beyond that, though, how she wants to accomplish that, I’m not clear on.”

* The secretive right-wing Council for National Policy quietly held an informal straw poll to see which GOP presidential candidate had the broadest support from far-right leaders, mainly from the Dobson wing of the party. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee edged former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, sources told U.S. News.

* Hoping to dispel any rumors to the contrary, Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), whose recovery continues to go well, is planning to seek re-election next year. To help Johnson out, several top Senate Dems will host fundraising events on his behalf over the next few weeks, including Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, and Kent Conrad.

* State officials in New York are following the lead of California, Florida, Illinois, and New Jersey, and considering a plan to move the New York primary up to the first Tuesday in February.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* To fairly mild fanfare, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) officially launched his presidential campaign this morning. Perhaps the most noteworthy part of the announcement wasn’t what Romney said, but where he said it: the National Jewish Democratic Council took the candidate to task for making his announcement at a museum honoring Henry Ford, who had a history of anti-Semitism. (Ford was bestowed with the Grand Service Cross of the Supreme Order of the German Eagle by Adolf Hitler.)

* In an interesting interview with The Politico, Karl Rove described himself as “largely disinterested” in the 2008 contest. Rove added that he believes the race is underway far too early, and “I think there’s going to come some point this year where people are going to basically be saying: ‘I’m largely disinterested in the contest.’”

* A 1993 oppo report done for Rudy Giuliani was leaked yesterday, offering a fascinating look at some of the many troubling aspects of Giuliani’s background that could cause him trouble in the presidential campaign. Among the highlights: Giuliani was a McGovern-backing Democrat until he switched to the GOP to help get a job; he managed to void the Vietnam draft through a “one in a million occurrence” with the help of a friendly judge; and couldn’t keep his story straight about whether he knew his first wife (or three) was his cousin.

* Hillary Clinton made her first campaign appearance in a decade in New Hampshire yesterday, and frequently brought up her husband. The NYT noted, “For the first time in her bid for the White House, Mrs. Clinton directly laid claim to the legacy and popularity of former President Bill Clinton — and did so in a crucial primary state where her husband showed his resiliency in 1992, when he finished second despite weeks of troubles.”

* And the first really bitter attack of the GOP presidential primary came yesterday after Mitt Romney suggested that he, like Sam Brownback, made the transition from supporting to opposing abortion rights. Brownback’s team responded by saying, “This false allegation by the Romney campaign comes in light of recent evidence that Romney has switched positions on abortion at least three times… Romney’s flip flops are enough to make John Kerry blush.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Shakespeare’s Sister’s Melissa McEwan resigned from John Edwards’ presidential campaign yesterday. “This was a decision I made, with the campaign’s reluctant support, because my remaining the focus of sustained ideological attacks was inevitably making me a liability to the campaign,” McEwan said Tuesday night.

* Interesting ‘08 poll from USA Today/Gallup: More than four in 10 Americans say they wouldn’t vote for a “generally well-qualified person” for president who was 72 years old. McCain will turn 72 in August 2008. Also, three in 10 Americans say they wouldn’t vote for someone who had been married three times. Giuliani has been married three times.

* On a related note, Mitt Romney’s wife joked this week, “The biggest difference between Mitt Romney and the other candidates” is that Mitt has “only had one wife.”

* We may be 20 months until Election Day 2008, but the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is already taking on some vulnerable GOP incumbents, sending pointed direct mail packages targeting senators who filibustered debate on the Iraq resolution last week. The first two targets are Sens. John Sununu (R-N.H.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.).

* Gore watchers will be interested to know that the New York Observer quoted an influential Democratic insider who says that close associates of Vice President Gore “have communicated to him and other prominent fund-raisers who are uncommitted to the other ‘08 candidates that Mr. Gore will consider entering the race — if an opening presents itself — in September.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Al Franken announced yesterday that he is running for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota and unveiled an excellent web video explaining why. Franken will likely face attorney Mike Ciresi in a Dem primary for the right to take on incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.).

* Hillary Clinton took a firm line yesterday on a possible conflict with Iran, giving a strong speech on the Senate floor in which she insisted that Bush had to seek congressional authority before any kind of military confrontation.

* As part of the ongoing GOP suck-up to the party’s religious right base, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will deliver a commencement address at Regent University, a school founded by TV preacher Pat Robertson. According to Regent spokeswoman Sherri Stocks, Robertson made the decision after Romney met with him at the University last December. “The meeting went very well and the decision was made to invite him back and speak to our students,” Stocks told CNN.

* Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine (D) is reportedly prepared to endorse Barack Obama, perhaps as early as this weekend. Obama will headline the Democratic Party’s annual Jefferson-Jackson Day fundraising gala in Richmond on Saturday night, an event Kaine will attend along with Democratic Sen. Jim Webb and former Gov. Mark Warner. Obama frequently campaigned on Kaine’s behalf in 2005.

* And in Connecticut, Ned Lamont fans may be disappointed to learn that the former Democratic Senate candidate has reportedly decided not to challenge Rep. Christopher Shays (R) next year.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rudy Giuliani, the pro-choice, pro-gay rights serial adulterer, will speak at TV preacher’s Pat Robertson’s Regent University in April, the school announced yesterday. The news comes just one day after Regent announced that Mitt Romney will deliver the school’s commencement address on May 5.

* Speaking of Giuliani, religious right leader Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, said this week that the former mayor’s position on social issues is a deal-breaker in the GOP primaries. Land said “the vast majority” of social conservative voters will not vote for Giuliani even if he gets the nomination and faces off against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). “If he wins, he’ll do so without social conservatives,” Land said.

* John McCain is apparently prepared to skip tomorrow’s Senate vote on a resolution criticizing the president’s escalation strategy, and will instead appear at a town hall meeting Des Moines, Iowa.

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) may not have a lot of poll support, but he’s raising eyebrows with his fundraising prowess. “Among Democrats, Dodd’s $5 million campaign nest egg is surpassed only by that of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), who has one of the most elaborate fundraising machines ever assembled,” the WaPo reported. “Dodd’s electoral riches can be traced to the banking panel, whose jurisdiction includes some of the wealthiest industries in America — banking, insurance and financial services.”

* And in candidate spouse news, the AP had an interesting item about Barack Obama’s wife, Michelle, and what an asset she is likely to be to the senator’s campaign. “We’ve heard this spewed from the lips of rivals,” the candidate’s wife told about 1,000 donors at a Chicago fundraiser this week. “Every phase of our journey, he is not experienced enough, he should wait his turn. He is too young, he is not black enough, he is not white enough … he is too articulate. “Don’t be fooled by these claims because they are mere distractions. Distractions to keep us focused once again on what is not possible. Distractions that keep us mired in fear so that we are unable to focus on the real issues that are dragging us down as a nation. What we need right now is a leader. And a leader is more than a set of finite experiences.” As the campaign heats up, don’t underestimate the value of a spouse who can deliver a great speech on the candidate’s behalf.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), whose 2008 support would be a coup for any GOP contender, seems to favor Mitt Romney and has been steering some of his closest advisers to the former Massachusetts governor’s campaign. “Governor Bush said, ‘Before you commit, I want you to meet Mitt Romney. He is the kind of guy you will like no matter what,’” said former Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings. “The governor was very candid about the fact that he really liked this guy.”

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has pledged to remain neutral in the Democratic presidential primaries, but Hillary Clinton found the next best thing, snagging the support of Reid’s oldest son, Rory, as both the chair of her campaign in the Silver State and an adviser on Western issues. Harry Reid issued a statement over the weekend, reiterating his neutrality.

* The LA Times ran a piece critical of Barack Obama today, arguing that he took too much credit in his autobiography for work that he did with others as a community organizer in Chicago. Obama’s campaign responded with a fact sheet (.pdf) that seems to tear the LAT article apart.

* Mitt Romney admits that he voted for Paul Tsongas in the Democratic presidential primary in 1992, but can’t make up his mind about why. Yesterday, he said he backed Tsongas because he’d be the weakest candidate against George H.W. Bush. Twelve years ago, Romney said he voted for Tsongas because he was from Massachusetts and he preferred his ideas to Clinton’s.

* And former House Speaker Newt Gingrich doesn’t think highly of the current campaign process. “I think the current process of spending an entire year running in order to spend an entire year running in order to get sworn in in January of 2009 is stupid,” Gingrich said. “The idea of spending all of this year criss-crossing to raise money, to pay off the consultants, to do the focus groups, to memorize the 40-second answer to ‘and what would you do about Medicare?’ — I just think it’s a terrible way to spend your time.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Several AP headlines say that it’s a done deal, but Al Gore’s line on whether he’ll run for president again or not sounds the same as it’s been for months. “I have no intention to run for president,” Gore said in an interview conducted in Los Angeles and broadcast Thursday by the BBC. He added, “I can’t imagine in any circumstance to run for office again.” The AP interpreted this to conclude that Gore “has ruled out a bid,” but “no intention” and “can’t imagine” don’t sound categorical to me.

* Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) will be the first major presidential contender to air a 2008 TV ad. Romney says in the ad: “This is not a time for more talk and dithering in Washington. It’s a time for action.” The campaign refuses to disclose the size, scope, or duration of the buy, but it is set to air starting tomorrow in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Michigan, and Florida.

* In Louisiana, former Sen. John Breaux (D) sent a shockwave through the state’s political system late last week, when he acknowledged interest in running for governor. According to the Cook Political Report, current Louisiana Democratic Gov. Kathleen Blanco, whose first term is up in 2008, has “privately” said she would step aside if Breaux or another established Democrat expressed interest in running. Breaux, however, appears unwilling to challenge Blanco in a primary.

* The NYT reported this week on “the demise of the living room campaign, signaling a potentially profound change in the way presidential campaigns are conducted here, and to a lesser extent in New Hampshire.” Candidates just don’t have time anymore to go house-to-house.

* And if you happen to be in Hollywood tonight, it looks like David Geffen, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Steven Spielberg are going to be throwing quite a party for Barack Obama. “Given the A-list stars, movie and music moguls, and top Hollywood dealmakers who have sent their R.S.V.P.’s, one would think the man of honor at Tuesday night’s benefit at the Beverly Hilton would be getting a lifetime achievement award. But the toast of the evening is Barack Obama, the 45-year-old first-term Democratic senator from Illinois, in his first foray to Los Angeles as a declared presidential candidate.” Obama expects to raise at least $1 million, making it one of the first major fundraising events of the presidential campaign.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is sponsoring the first presidential forum of the campaign season in Carson City, Nevada, today, at which eight candidates will appear. ABC’s George Stephanopoulos will moderate and C-SPAN is scheduled to cover the event live. Barack Obama is the only big name to decline the invitation.

* Yet another in a long series of embarrassing Mitt Romney videos was posted to You Tube yesterday, this one a 2002 gubernatorial debate at which Romney explained his firm pro-choice beliefs.

* On a related note, Romney blasted John McCain yesterday as not being pro-life enough.

* The NYT’s Maureen Dowd quoted David Geffen blasting Hillary Clinton and praising Barack Obama. The Clinton campaign responded by criticizing Obama and asking him to disassociate with Geffen. Obama’s campaign responded by saying, “We aren’t going to get in the middle of a disagreement between the Clintons and someone who was once one of their biggest supporters.”

* The AP reports that former Rep. John Kasich “is contemplating a run for Ohio governor 2010, prompting him to begin speaking regularly at Republican functions around the state.” Kasich currently hosts his own talk show on Fox News.

* And the Des Moines Register had a fascinating item yesterday about Iowa’s Republican moderates, who feel like they’re being ignored as all the GOP candidates seek support from the right-wing base. “I haven’t been contacted by any of the presidential campaigns,” said Joy Corning, the moderate former two-term lieutenant governor. “They are all trying to appeal to the far right.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) endorsed Barack Obama yesterday, offering the Illinois senator one of his highest profile Senate endorsements to date. Daschle said Obama has a “great capacity to unify our country and inspire a new generation of young Americans, just as I was inspired by the Kennedys and Martin Luther King when I was young.”

* Much to the dismay of some conservative activists, Republican front-runners John McCain and Rudy Giuliani have not signed an anti-tax-increase pledge that most of their rivals have already endorsed. The pledge has been a mainstay of GOP presidential politics for two decades, and every Republican presidential nominee since 1988 has signed it. The pledge asks the candidates to sign a statement declaring they will “oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates.”

* The Republicans’ official smear sheets were published yesterday, featuring far-right talking points on the Democrats running for president — at least most of them. The Republican National Committee’s opposition research team didn’t bother to do one on Dennis Kucinich. It seems odd to think that it’s rude not to attack someone, but it seems to fit in this case.

* Variety, the entertainment magazine, quoted John Edwards this week as saying an Israeli attack on Iran was the greatest short term threat to world peace. The Edwards campaign is pushing back, insisting that the former senator was misquoted and said nothing of the sort.

* And as the YouTube wars continue among Republican presidential hopefuls, yesterday, a new video appeared featuring John McCain speaking out against an immediate repeal of Roe v. Wade during a 2000 debate.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As if there weren’t enough big states moving their presidential primaries up to early February, Pennsylvania lawmakers reportedly considering a plan to do the same thing. The likely date would be Feb. 5, the date that other big states — California, Michigan, Illinois and Florida — are eyeing for their 2008 primaries.

* Long-time religious right heavyweight Phyllis Schlafly told a New Hampshire crowd yesterday that she doesn’t consider Mitt Romney, John McCain, or Rudy Giuliani “acceptable” for the GOP nomination.

* Following this week’s dust-up over David Geffen’s comments about Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama is reportedly trying to lower the temperature a bit. He told an audience in Houston last night that the nation will remain at a standstill “if we continue to engage in small and divisive politics and tit-for-tat.” Obama also told the NYT that he wasn’t aware of the competing press statements as they were flying, and he told his staff that he doesn’t want his team “to be a party to these kinds of distractions because I want to make sure that we’re spending time talking about issues.”

* In other Obama news, the Federal Election Commission appears ready to approve the senator’s request to raise private funds for the 2008 presidential general election while keeping open the option of returning that money should he later decide to accept public funding. The FEC will make a final ruling on the matter at a meeting next week.

* Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) filed paperwork this week in preparation for a 2009 race to be the next mayor of New York City.

* And for HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson’s GOP presidential campaign is off to a slow start, at least with regards to fundraising. His Forward America political action committee, launched Oct. 25, took in $3,500 from four donors and had spent $841 on operating expenses by year’s end.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A recent meeting of the Council for National Policy, a secretive club of right-wing heavyweights (Dobson, Norquist, Falwell, et al), there was widespread discontent over the leading GOP frontrunners for the presidential nomination. McCain, Giuliani, and Romney are not, CNP members agreed, sufficiently loyal to the movement. The NYT reported that a delegation of CNP members tried to enlist Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina as a candidate, but he declined.

* Karen Unger, Jeb Bush’s former campaign manager, has agreed to serve as the senior Florida adviser for Rudy Giuliani’s exploratory committee. Apparently, not all of Jeb’s team is signing up with Romney.

* On April 4, CNN will broadcast the “First in the nation” GOP presidential debate, but the top two candidates won’t show up. Sen. John McCain and Ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani informed WMUR-TV that they have previous commitments — McCain is expected to be in the Middle East on April 4 and Giuliani has an “unspecified scheduling conflict.” Both McCain and Giuliani accepted Nancy Reagan’s invitation to participate in the 5/3 debate scheduled for the Reagan Library.

* Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had some surprisingly kind words for Barack Obama yesterday. “I think he’s very appealing and a great person. He’s on my committee. And we’ve always had good exchanges. I think he’s an extraordinary person,” she said. Rice declined to say whether she thought he had enough experience, especially in foreign policy, to be president. “Oh, I’m not going to make that choice. The American people are going to make that choice,” she said.

* Both Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) both said over the weekend that they have no interest in serving as a running mate to their party’s eventual nominee.

* And California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) told The Politico late last week that he has not ruled out running for future public office, including U.S. senator or mayor of Los Angeles when his term as governor expires in January 2011.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As if the nominating process needed another big state to move up its presidential primary, New Jersey came one step closer to following California, Texas, Florida, and Illinois yesterday. A state Assembly committee unanimously approved a measure to move New Jersey’s primary from June to the first Tuesday in February. The proposal has already passed the state Senate and received Gov. Jon Corzine’s (D) endorsement.

* Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), who’s been exploring the possibility of running for president for about two years now, raised the specter of running on a “hybrid” presidential ticket that would include a Dem. USA Today reported, “[Hagel] said that if he ran he would seek the Republican nomination. Yet he’s also talking up Unity08. That’s a plan by a bipartisan group of political operatives to draft a bipartisan presidential ticket on the Internet and offer voters an alternative to the Democratic and Republican candidates next year. ‘I think it’s a very intriguing enterprise,’ Hagel said.”

* In Kentucky, Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R) is struggling mightily to maintain GOP support for re-election in the face of primary challenge from former Rep. Anne Northup (R). Yesterday, Fletcher’s lieutenant governor, Steve Pence, endorsed Northup and said Fletcher is unworthy of a second term.

* In Colorado, former Rep. Scott McInnis (R) has filed his paperwork with the state in order to run for the Senate next year. It will be an open-seat contest with Sen. Wayne Allard (R) retiring, and McInnis will likely faceformer Rep. Bob Schaffer and retired Air Force Major Gen. Bentley Rayburn in a GOP primary. Rep. Mark Udall (D) is widely considered the likely Democratic candidate.

* And in New Hampshire, a new Granite State Poll shows both of the state’s U.S. Senators slipping in popularity. Judd Gregg (R) now finds his approval rating down to 48%, from 53% in the fall. More importantly, John Sununu (R), who is up for re-election next year, has seen his standing drop from 50% to 45%. In general, incumbents who enter a race below 50% are considered vulnerable.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* According to the WaPo, former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D) is being “courted by national Democrats to run for the U.S. Senate seat now held by John W. Warner (R-Va.) and is seriously considering the 2008 challenge, several Capitol Hill and state sources said.” Mark Warner has reportedly been chatting quite a bit with Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.) about the race, and it’s been unclear whether John Warner, who is now 80, is serious about seeking another term.

* At an event in Cincinnati earlier this week, Barack Obama raised about $500,000 at an event filled with 1,000 supporters. In a feat I didn’t think possible, nearly twice as many people showed up to hear Obama speak as to hear Bill Clinton speak at a similar event in Cincinnati in October.

* John Edwards took what appeared to be a veiled shot at Hillary Clinton yesterday, telling reporters at a press conference that voters “want you to tell the truth when you believe you have made a mistake.” Asked if he was referring to Hillary, Edwards wouldn’t say. The campaign also had no comment.

* Chicago Mayor Richard Daley easily won a sixth term yesterday, which will make him the longest-serving mayor in Chicago history. By the end of his next term, Daley will have served 22 years. His father died in office after 21 years as mayor.

* And in Arkansas, former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) is still fighting hard in his presidential bid, but some allies back home have a different job in mind. The Hill reported today that some Arkansas Republicans want Huckabee to “drop his national aspirations and return home to wage what they see as a vital campaign against Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) in 2008 instead.” Some sources said Huckabee is considering the possibility. “If he’s knocked out by the [August straw poll in Iowa], then, yes, that’s a credible scenario,” the source said. “If he’s still around, I think, timeline-wise, it would add to the baggage that he already has in the state to drop a presidential [campaign] and come back and run for Senate.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) kinda sorta made his presidential campaign official last night, during an appearance on David Letterman’s talk show. “The last time we were on this program — I’m sure you remember everything very clearly that we say — but you asked me if I would come back on this show if I was going to announce,” McCain told Letterman. “I am announcing that I will be a candidate for president of the United States.” McCain added that he’s make the real announcement in April. “This is the announcement preceding the formal announcement. You know you drag this out as long as you can. You don’t just have one rendition. You’ve got to do it over and over.”

* Former Gov. Mitt Romney (R) has been cautious about criticizing his better known rivals, but appearing on Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network, Romney went after Rudy Giuliani. “He is pro-choice, he is pro-gay marriage, and anti-gun,” Romney told CBN. “That’s a tough combination in a Republican primary.”

* Speaking of Romney, he’s taking the informal straw poll at this weekend’s Conservative Political Action Conference pretty seriously. The Romney campaign is “paying for three vans, scores of registration fees and at least a half-dozen hotel rooms to pack collegiate supporters into the event.”

* Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) is starting to look vulnerable to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. This week, the DSCC circulated the results of a poll that showed just 35% of North Carolina voters describe themselves as certain to vote for Dole’s re-election campaign next year.

* And those who believe a national primary is the ideal way to choose the parties’ presidential candidates will be pleased to know that Feb. 5 may turn into a de facto national primary — 20 states, and perhaps more, plan to hold their primaries on that day. The Hill reports, “Delaware, Missouri, New Mexico and Oklahoma in 2004 held their nominating contests on the first Tuesday of February, and are likely be joined this time by such big states as California, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Texas. They may be joined also by smaller states including Tennessee, Arkansas, Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, North Dakota, Utah, Kansas, Colorado and (for the GOP only) West Virginia and Nevada. The legislatures of Pennsylvania and North Carolina are holding hearings on the issue but the outcomes of these are uncertain.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Remember Henry “Screw the Buddhists and kill the Muslims” Jordan that I’ve been talking about? Late last week, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) welcomed Jordan onto his presidential campaign team. Yesterday, Jordan resigned after some of his inflammatory remarks started making the rounds.

* Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) is generally pleased with the 2008 presidential field, but he’s already ruled out John McCain as a possibility. “The only one I wouldn’t support is McCain,” Santorum said this week, adding, “I don’t agree with him on hardly any issues. I don’t think he has the temperament and leadership ability to move the country in the right direction.”

* Speaking of McCain, the Arizona senator turned down an invitation to appear at the Conservative Political Action Conference, but nevertheless tried to schedule a private reception for conference attendees. It didn’t work out — the hotel couldn’t find space — and CPAC leaders are offended by McCain’s snub. “It was a classical McCain move, dissing us by going behind our backs,” said William J. Lauderback, executive vice president of the American Conservative Union.

* Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) said “the chances are good” that he’ll end up endorsing one of his former rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, but he’ll meet with each of them individually before deciding.

* Despite the media drubbing he received for the same choice of words, Barack Obama gave John McCain a pass yesterday for saying we’ve “wasted” American lives in Iraq. Asked Thursday whether McCain should apologize, Obama responded, “We have a duty, a sacred duty, to make sure we are honoring their sacrifice by giving them missions in which they can succeed. I’m positive that was the intent in which he meant it.” (Would McCain have been as gracious if the circumstances had been reversed?)

* And in a bizarre example of political vandalism, John Edwards’ virtual online headquarters at “Second Life” were ransacked this week, apparently by Republicans. According to the campaign, “Shortly before midnight (CST) on Monday, February 26, a group of Republican Second Life users, some sporting ‘Bush ‘08′ tags, vandalized the John Edwards Second Life HQ. They plastered the area with Marxist/Lenninist posters and slogans, a feces spewing obscenity, and a photoshopped picture of John in blackface, all the while harassing visitors with right-wing nonsense and obscenity-laden abuse of Democrats in general and John in particular.” Classy bunch.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama “locked arms with civil rights icons Sunday and marched through thousands of well-wishers, crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge to cap the 42nd anniversary Right to Vote and Bridge Crossing Jubilee,” the Birmingham News reports. “Though the tone of Hillary Clinton’s and Obama’s speeches was polite and reverent, Sunday was obviously one of the early campaign showdowns between the rivals for the Democratic nomination for president.”

* John Edwards, who continues to look strong in Iowa, is looking to shore up his current standing by mailing DVDs to more than 70,000 Iowa households this week. The Politico reports that the idea is to introduce likely caucus-goers to his plan for universal health care “with a combination of passion, wonkiness, and implicit comparison with his rivals.”

* Though the results were largely overshadowed by Ann Coulter, a straw poll was conducted at the end of the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday. Mitt Romney was the first choice for the GOP nomination, with 21% support. Rudy Giuliani was second with 17%, followed by Sen. Sam Brownback (Kan.) with 15%. Newt Gingrich, who was very well received, was a close fourth, with 14%.

* There were some rumors that Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) was contemplating retirement next year, but the senator seems to have put those rumors to rest. Harkin has hired veteran Democratic operative Jeff Link as his general consultant for his 2008 re-election campaign.

* And the NYT caused a bit of a stir over the weekend when it reported that Rudy Giuliani’s son, Andrew, will not campaign for his father, and the two have had a troubled relationship since Giuliani cheated on his second wife and remarried. Both of Giuliani’s children played significant roles in his mayoral campaigns, but neither his son nor his daughter are even mentioned on Giuliani’s presidential campaign website.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The Vice President had a minor health scare today. Doctors found a blood clot in Cheney’s left leg Monday, but the doctors prescribed blood thinners to treat it and allowed him to return to work.

* The Supreme Court ruled this morning against Colorado Republicans who sought to overturn a congressional redistricting plan written by a judge in 2002. CNN reported, “In a unanimous decision, the justices said that the four Republicans were not entitled to sue in an effort to replace a redistricting plan ordered by a court with one passed by a Republican-controlled state legislature. In an unsigned opinion, the justices said that the only injury the Republican voters allege is that the Elections Clause had not been followed. ‘This injury is precisely the kind of undifferentiated, generalized grievance about the conduct of government that we have refused to countenance in the past,’ the court stated.”

* The Nation’s Max Blumenthal has posted a must-see video of his adventure at the Conservative Political Action Conference. It’s called, “CPAC: The Unauthorized Documentary.” Take a look.

* Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington did the logical thing today and filed an ethics complaint against Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) for interfering in an ongoing federal criminal investigation.

* In other prosecutor-purge news, Michael Battle, the Director of the Executive Office of the United States Attorney, has resigned. Battle personally contacted all of the purged U.S. Attorneys, telling them in December about their dismissals. The Justice Department insists Battle’s resignation is unrelated to the scandal. Just a coincidence, of course.

* It’s been 2001 days since the attacks of 9/11. Still no Osama.

* Fox News’ Brit Hume thinks the real problem with the Walter Reed scandal is that it “looks terrible” for the Bush administration. (Note to Brit: It is horrible — for the troops.)

* Time’s Joe Klein seems to have a way of annoying the liberal blogosphere on a surprisingly frequent basis.

* Ann Coulter’s principal employer, Universal Press Syndicate, has decided not to comment on her latest insanity.

* On a related note, “on March 1, Hollywood’s Creative Artists Agency (CAA) reportedly dropped conservative radio host Michael Savage two days after announcing that he had been signed as a client. CAA’s reported decision followed Savage’s comments — documented by Media Matters for America — attacking singer Melissa Etheridge, who thanked her wife at the Academy Awards, and asserting that married gay couples’ raising of children amounts to ‘child abuse’ and ‘makes me want to puke.’”

* Last week, Fox News’ John Gibson took some heat for his coverage of the Anna Nicole Smith story. Luckily for Gibson, Stephen Colbert has rushed to his defense.

* I often get the impression that British surveillance and security measures are just as creepy as ours, if not more so.

* Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle (D) has “turned down about $600,000 in federal abstinence education money because new rules would limit how much recipients could talk about contraception or sexually transmitted diseases this year.” Good for him; other governors should follow his lead.

* John Ashcroft offered his lobbying services to XM Satellite Radio. When the company turned him down, he began to actively lobby against XM’s proposed merger with Sirius Satellite Radio.

* And finally, Magnet America, the largest manufacturer of the yellow-ribbon car magnets has found that demand has “collapsed” in the wake of widespread disapproval of the war in Iraq. The company has seen “sales fall from a peak of 1.2m in August 2004 to about 4,000 a month and now has an unsold stockpile of about 1m magnets.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Wesley Clark, appearing before a friendly audience yesterday, was asked whether there was any chance he’d launch a presidential campaign within the next three months. Clark said he wouldn’t, because he believes his ideas are taken more seriously as a non-candidate. (Given this field, if Clark isn’t going to announce in the next three months, he probably won’t announce at all.)

* John Edwards raised a few eyebrows yesterday when he told Beliefnet.com that Jesus would be appalled at how the United States has neglected millions of families in need. “I think that Jesus would be disappointed in our ignoring the plight of those around us who are suffering and our focus on our own selfish short-term needs,” Edwards told the site. “I think he would be appalled, actually.” He also disagreed with the notion that America is a “Christian nation,” though he said, “Certainly by way of heritage — there’s a powerful Christian thread through all of American history.”

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) shows no signs of slowing his presidential bid and hired two senior campaign staffers in Iowa this week. CNN reported, “Marc Beltrame, an aide for Iowa Rep. Leonard Boswell, will head Dodd’s campaign in the early-voting state, according to a statement. Taylor West, formerly press secretary for Chet Culver’s successful Iowa gubernatorial campaign last fall, has signed on as Dodd’s press secretary in the Hawkeye State.”

* Rudy Giuliani asked for “privacy” yesterday in dealing with what he called “difficulties” between him and his 21 year-old son. “I believe that these problems with blended families, you know, are challenges, sometimes they are, and the challenges are best worked on privately,” Giuliani told reporters in a joint news conference with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger concerning gang violence. “In other words, the more privacy I can have for my family, the better we’re going to be able to deal with all these difficulties.”

* And Roll Call reports today that Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) and Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.), as recently as a week ago, looked to be in excellent shape for re-election in 2008. Now, thanks to the prosecutor purge scandal, both are in trouble. “I think all bets are off now,” said a Democratic strategist with ties to New Mexico. “You’ve got to see how it plays out.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rudy Giuliani’s family “issues” have made his presidential campaign unacceptable to at least one high-profile religious right leader. Richard Land, head of public policy for the Southern Baptist Convention, said evangelicals believe the former mayor showed a lack of character in his divorce from second wife Donna Hanover. “To publicly humiliate your wife in that way, and your children … that’s rough,” he said. McCain’s divorce is a “molehill compared to Giuliani’s mountain,” Land added.

* Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) seems to be inching closer to throwing his hat into the ring. This week, he told two labor groups — the International Association of Fire Fighters and the Building and Construction Trades Department — that he’d like to be included in their upcoming presidential “cattle calls.” Jeff Zack, a spokesman for the International Association of Fire Fighters, said, “It was made absolutely clear to him that he was coming to speak at a forum where all the major presidential candidates were invited to speak.”

* Mitt Romney will run his first radio ad targeting Spanish-speaking voters with the help of Al Cardenas, former chairman of the Florida Republican Party and a close ally of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. “It is a difficult time in the world, in the Americas, and in our Cuba in transition,” Cardenas says in his native Spanish during the spot, which promotes Romney’s speech Friday at a Lincoln Day Dinner in Miami-Dade County. “Mitt Romney understands the dynamic of Cuba.”

* As Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) continues to recover, Republicans are finding it difficult to recruit a top-tier challenger to take him on next year. Before his health problems, Johnson was expected to be a key GOP target in 2008. Now, as Roll Call noted, “Republicans have been leery of launching even the mildest rhetorical attack against Johnson since he was hospitalized Dec. 13, and they acknowledge that his illness temporarily has frozen any effort to oust him.”

* And the Republican Leadership Council, created in 1993 to help drag the GOP back towards the middle, hasn’t been doing much lately, but that’s apparently going to change. Former Gov. Christie Whitman of New Jersey, former Sen. John Danforth of Missouri and former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele reportedly want to revitalize the RLC, which was recently combined with Whitman’s political action committee IMP-PAC — It’s My Party, Too. Tom Ridge, former homeland security secretary and former governor of Pennsylvania, is also involved with the effort.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* According to a new NBC/WSJ poll, Sen. John McCain is “facing unexpectedly formidable challenges,” and now trails Rudy Giuliani in a head-to-head match-up by 20 points nationally. The WSJ adds, “All told, 2008 is shaping up as the worst presidential year in three decades to be the candidate of the Republican establishment, the spot some in the party think Mr. McCain has assumed.”

* The Politico reports today, “New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson’s 2008 presidential campaign has been burdened by unusually public discussion about his behavior with women. The lieutenant governor of New Mexico, Diane Denish was quoted in the Albuquerque Journal saying she avoids standing or sitting near Richardson because of his physical manner, which she said was not improper but was ‘annoying.’ The governor, she said, ‘pinches my neck. He touches my hip, my thigh, sort of the side of my leg.’” Richardson called the reports “mean-spirited,” and said he’d been thoroughly vetted in 2004 by the Kerry campaign, which found nothing inappropriate about his background.

* Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) will announce his “future plans” Monday at a news conference in his home state of Nebraska. Hagel’s advisers would not explicitly say the senator is going to announce a presidential bid, but it seems like a safe bet.

* Dems consider Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) to be very vulnerable next year, but they’re having trouble recruiting a well-known candidate. Gov. John Lynch (D) isn’t interested, former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen has rebuffed overtures, and Stonyfield Farm yogurt CEO Gary Hirshberg told supporters on Tuesday that he isn’t running. “At this point. I’m not concerned. It’s still early,” said a high-level state party official.

* In related news, Republicans consider Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) vulnerable next year, but they, too, can’t find a top-tier opponent for her. Republican Reps. Charles Boustany and Jim McCrery have both taken their names out of consideration.

* And professional golfer Tiger Woods is reportedly open to a career in politics. At an event with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican Leader John Boehner yesterday in DC, Woods did not rule out the possibility, saying he has had experience “meeting influential people in the political arena” but does not know where his “future lies.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rudy Giuliani’s fight with the International Association of Fire Fighters grew rather intense yesterday, and Giuliani will now be the only major presidential candidate from either party to miss the IAFF’s candidate forum in Washington next week.

* Following Gov. Bill Ritter’s veto of a bill that would make it easier for unions to organize, the AFL-CIO is considering asking the DNC to move its 2008 convention from Denver. “Union members and working people will make up more than a quarter of the delegates to the Denver convention,” a statement from the union said. “Unless we can be assured that the governor will support our values and priorities, we will strongly urge the Democratic Party to relocate the convention.”

* Hillary Clinton was asked yesterday about Bush’s 2000 comment about Clinton and Gore “overextending” and “neglecting” the military in the late ’90s. Sen. Clinton responded, “It wasn’t true when he said it, but it sure is true now. [Bush] has in a very deliberative way created conditions that are straining our military, underfunding it with respect to what actually gets to troops on the ground and what they get when they get home.”

* GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee appeared to argue yesterday that voters should take into account a candidate’s religion in evaluating candidates. “I find that very important because my faith will let people know what my judgments are based on, what my values system is about and where it comes from,” Huckabee tells The Salt Lake Tribune. “It’s a good predictor of how I would likely make decisions and what I think are the important factors in that.”

* Add Maryland to the list of states planning to move up their presidential primary.

* And following up on an item from yesterday, James Dobson asked Newt Gingrich directly about infidelity in his background. “The honest answer is yes,” Gingrich said, according to a transcript provided to the Associated Press. “There are times that I have fallen short of my own standards. There’s certainly times when I’ve fallen short of God’s standards.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) announced this morning that he had nothing new to announce. He told reporters that he will decide “later this year” on a potential presidential run. “In making this announcement, I believe there will still be political options open to me at a later date,” the two-term senator said in press conference in Omaha, Nebraska. “But that will depend on the people of Nebraska and this country. I cannot control that and I do not worry about it.” Hagel, who had vowed to serve no more than two terms, also said he’d continue raising money for a Senate re-election campaign.

* New to YouTube: a 1989 video in which Rudy Giuliani says, “There must be public funding for abortion for poor women…. I have also started that I disagree with President Bush’s veto last week of public funding for abortion.” That might raise a few eyebrows.

* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told Roll Call the GOP is unlikely to take back the Senate majority in 2008. “Could we get it back?” McConnell asked. “It would have to be a good day…. What I think is that it’s clearly possible that we stay roughly where we are.”

* Former Gov. Mitt Romney has been working overtime to curry favor from the far-right wing, and that includes apparent attempts to buy their support. The NYT noted that a foundation controlled by Romney has made contributions of $10,000 to $15,000 to each of three Massachusetts organizations associated with major national conservative groups: the antiabortion Massachusetts Citizens for Life, Massachusetts Citizens for Limited Taxation and the Christian conservative Massachusetts Family Institute. Romney has also generously backed the Heritage Foundation, the Federalist Society, and a nonprofit group affiliated with National Review.

* Ted Sorensen, the speechwriter and special counsel to President John F. Kennedy endorsed Barack Obama late last week and compared Obama’s campaign to Kennedy’s run almost half a century earlier.

* And actor-turned Senator-turned actor Fred Thompson is reportedly considering a presidential campaign. Thompson, best known as Arthur Branch on NBC’s drama “Law & Order,” is being urged to pursue the GOP nomination by several Tennessee Republicans who also have been trying to drum up support for a candidacy. He told Fox News yesterday that he’s “leaving the door open.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A huge new poll from the New York Times is chock full of interesting data, including widespread ennui among Republicans. 40% of GOP voters expect a Dem presidential candidate to win next year, and nearly 60% would like to see additional choices in 2008 candidates beyond the current presidential field.

* John McCain announced yesterday that he will skip yet another important right-wing gathering: the winter gathering of the Club for Growth. McCain is the only major GOP candidate who will not attend, and this is his fourth conservative snub of the movement, having already skipped the Conservative Political Action Conference, the Heritage Foundation’s members’ retreat, and the National Review Institute’s conservative summit.

* The Schiavo controversy apparently lingers as a politically relevant event. Yesterday, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) picked up the support of Bobby Schindler, the brother of the late Terri Schiavo. The endorsement came one day after former Gov. Mitt Romney said he opposed state intervention in the case.

* A new Rasmussen poll shows Al Franken a little closer to incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman (R) in next year’s Senate race in Minnesota, with Coleman’s lead shrinking to 10 points, 46% to 36%. Other polls showed Coleman with a much bigger lead when Franken announced last month.

* Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) announced yesterday that he will seek the GOP presidential nomination. This is Paul’s second presidential campaign, after running as the Libertarian Party nominee in 1988.

* And Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) appeared on The Daily Show last night, and posted on his website an entertaining look behind-the-scenes. It’s worth watching.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* According to a new book by Democratic strategist Bob Shrum, John Edwards’ instincts told him to vote against the Iraq war resolution in 2002, but he was “pushed into it by advisers looking out for his political future.” Edwards spokesman David Ginsberg disputes the suggestion. “John Edwards cast his vote based on the advice of national security advisers and the intelligence he was given, not political advisers,” Ginsberg said. “He got political advice on both sides of the argument, and made his own decision based on what he thought was right, not political calculation.”

* Rudy Giuliani probably won’t like the fact that the only constituents he’s ever had believe his successor would make a better president than him. In a new Quinnipiac poll, New Yorkers say Michael Bloomberg would make a better president than Giuliani, 46% to 31%. Polling director Maurice Carroll said, “America’s Mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, doesn’t score all that well where he really was the mayor.”

* Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.) will become the new chancellor of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, and is scheduled to resign his House seat in July. Massachusetts’ political ladder, which has been backed up for years, will now see a scramble. Niki Tsongas, wife of the late former Sen. Paul Tsongas (D-Mass.); former Lowell Mayor Eileen Donohue; and Middlesex County Sheriff James DiPaola already said they plan on running for the seat. State Reps. Barry Finegold, Jim Sully and James Eldridge are also considered potential candidates.

* CNN reports that John Edwards’ campaign plans to eliminate its contribution to global warming by becoming “carbon neutral.” Speaking to a crowd of college students at Bennett College, the former North Carolina senator urged all Americans to help reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. “It’s time for the president of the United States to ask Americans to be patriotic about something other than war,” Edwards said. “This is an emergency. This requires action now.”

* And in an unfortunate twist, John McCain’s campaign is hosting a NCAA March Madness competition on its website, in which the winner can win campaign gear. This comes after McCain introduced legislation in May 2003 to ban gambling on amateur sports.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama yesterday offered tepid — but not full-throated — criticism of Gen. Pace’s attack on gays, prompting some criticism from the Human Rights Campaign. As a result, both campaigns issued statements criticizing Pace’s comments more directly.

* We may yet be able to kick around George “Macaca” Allen. The former senator is reportedly going to host a private dinner in Northern Virginia in the next couple of days, in order to discuss whether to run for the Senate again, should incumbent Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) retire.

* Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) will sign a measure today officially moving California’s presidential primary from June to February 5. As CNN noted, “At least 15 states have either moved or are attempting to move their presidential primary or caucuses to this date, sometimes called “Super-Duper Tuesday,” making the first Tuesday in February the second biggest day of voting in 2008 after only the general election in November.”

* John Edwards’ presidential campaign headquarters had to be evacuated yesterday when a staffer opened an envelope containing a white powder. “We received a letter this afternoon at our Chapel Hill headquarters which was opened by a member of our staff and contained a white powder,” Deputy Campaign Manager Jonathan Prince said in a statement. “The health and safety of our staff and volunteers is obviously our paramount concern, so we contacted the authorities. The authorities have asked us to evacuate while they run tests on the substance, and we have done so.” The campaign offices re-opened today.

* And DNC Chairman Howard Dean apparently misses the campaign trail, and hasn’t ruled out a future presidential race. Asked if he’d run again, Dean told The Politico, “I have no idea. I hope we are going to elect a Democratic president, and I won’t have to think about it until 2016. In which case, I will be a lot older than I am now.” (Dean would be 68 in 2016, four years younger John McCain in 2008.) Asked if he missed running, Dean added, “Oh, of course. Are you kidding? Who wouldn’t miss it?”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D), a presidential hopeful, is poised to sign a bill that will allow the use of medical marijuana. He’s reportedly not concerned about the impact on his presidential campaign. “Sure I’ll catch national grief over this,” said Richardson, “but I don’t tailor my style, or what I stand for, to primary states.”

* John Edwards yesterday said he’d like to create a cabinet-level position to combat global poverty. The AP reported, “Seeking to link poverty in other countries to the United States’ national security, Edwards argued that militant extremists in nations torn apart by poverty and civil war have replaced government educational systems and are teaching young people to hate the United States. ‘When you understand that, it suddenly becomes clear: global poverty is not just a moral issue for the United States — it is a national security issue for the United States,’ he said at Saint Anselm College.”

* John McCain, who’s been running a completely different campaign from the one in 2000, re-introduced his poorly-named bus this week, the “Straight-Talk Express.” The NYT reported: “‘Everybody says, ‘We just want you to be like last time,’ ‘ he said amid a welter of microphones in what turned into a daylong conversation with reporters, punctuated by the occasional meeting with voters. ‘Last time we lost!’”

* Speaking of McCain, remember the smears against him in South Carolina’s 2000 primary? Yesterday, Karl Rove denied that the Bush campaign had anything to do with it. “If you have any bit of evidence that anybody connected with the Bush campaign was involved in that, you bring it forward, because it is a reckless charge,” Rove said in response to a question at Troy University in Troy, Alabama.

* And in case there was any doubt that Feb. 5 has become a de facto national primary, New Jersey’s state Assembly easily passed legislation to move its presidential primary up from Feb 26 to Feb 5. The measure has already passed the state Senate and Gov. Jon Corzine (D) said he will sign the bill into law.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* After a week or two of acrimony, Al Sharpton seems to have buried the hatchet with Barack Obama. The two made nice a five-minute phone call yesterday, which reportedly went well. “We had a good conversation. He said he’s got a lot of respect for me and what I’ve done. We agreed to keep in touch,” Sharpton said. Sharpton will host all of the candidates at a National Action Network Conference next month.

* South Carolina Gov. Mark Stanford (R) continues to be the subject of presidential speculation, but Stanford denies any interest. “If you’re running for president, you have to be doing real (campaign) stuff today — not in six months, not in a year, today,” Sanford told The State, South Carolina’s major newspaper. “So what is so ridiculous about this is I’m not doing those things that you’ve got to do. And so that’s why it’s indeed a bizarre and silly story.”

* Bob Perry, the principal funder of the Swiftboat liars from the 2004 campaign, has signed on to raise money for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s GOP presidential campaign. When news of Perry’s decision to sign on with Romney made it to John Kerry’s Senate office, his spokesman, David Wade, said it was “appalling but not surprising that a Texas tycoon famous for funding lies would now bankroll a presidential campaign built on flip-flopping and fiction.”

* According to Bob Novak, Actor-politician Fred Thompson, who is reportedly weighing a presidential campaign, is “viewed by the Christian right as more acceptable than any of the three Republican candidates leading in the polls: Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney.”

* Rudy Giuliani’s presidential campaign is so desperate to convince GOP primary voters of the former mayor’s conservative bona fides that it’s circulating a seven-year-old quote from The Amsterdam News, a NYC paper geared towards an African-American audience. The quote reads: “[Giuliani’s] Only Hope For An Overwhelming Victory In Upstate New York Would Be To Remain As He Is: A Hard-Nosed, Evil, Racist Republican Conservative.” (Yes, apparently, Giuliani thinks the description will help him curry favor with the far-right.)

* And former Rep. Bob Barr (Ga.), who left the Republican Party earlier this year, delivered a well-received speech to the Libertarian Party over the weekend, calling for a “multidecade effort” to build a movement to make the party nationally competitive. He added that many “real conservatives” have become disillusioned with Republicans. “They are eager for a philosophical home,” Barr said. “There are enough of them out there that a significant number can be weaned away” from the GOP.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney seems to have annoyed an important GOP constituency: Cubans in Miami. Romney inadvertently associated a notorious Fidel Castro-spewed Communist catch phrase with freedom fighters, describing the socialist saying “Patria o muerte, venceremos” as “inspiring,” and claiming the phrase was swiped from liberty-seeking Cubans by leftist admirers of Castro. Better yet, Romney then tried to cover up his mistake, editing an online transcript and removing the video from his site.

* Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), in a bit of a surprise, announced yesterday that he plans to seek a sixth term in 2010. “There are a lot of important things to be done and finally after being here to acquire some seniority, I’m in a position to do that,” Specter said. “I’m full of energy and my wife doesn’t want me home for breakfast, lunch and dinner.” Specter, who has had health problems, will be 80 in 2010. (thanks to K.M. for the tip)

* Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) told MSNBC’s Nora O’Donnell yesterday that he’s still undecided on caucusing with the GOP. “I wouldn’t rule out,” Lieberman told O’Donnell, adding that “my real hope here is to stay and fight for the kind of Democratic Party I joined when John F. Kennedy was president.” He also says that he could support a Republican pro-war presidential candidate.

* If you haven’t seen it, the political world is surprisingly abuzz with speculation and analysis about the “Big Sister” ad, which incorporates Hillary Clinton into Apple Computers’ famous 1984 dystopian commercial. I’m not quite sure what it’s causing such a stir, but Barack Obama, who appears to have the backing of the anonymous creators of the web video, has said his campaign has nothing to do with it.

* And former Bush HHS Secretary and former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) will reportedly appear on CNN tomorrow to unofficially announce that he’s going to run for president. Thompson has practically moved to Iowa to help improve his chances, which at this point, remain remote.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D) announced yesterday that she will not seek a second term this fall. The decision upends Louisiana’s political landscape and renews speculation that former Sen. John Breaux (D) will come out of retirement and run to succeed Blanco.

* In a huge surprise that will benefit Dems, former Rep. Scott McInnis (R) has changed his mind and will not run for Colorado’s open U.S. Senate seat next year. McInnis was the only Republican in the race, leaving the GOP without a top-tier challenger to take on Rep. Mark Udall (D), who is expected to cruise to the Democratic nomination. It’s considered a key Dem pick-up opportunity, with incumbent Sen. Wayne Allard (R) retiring.

* Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), currently running a Quixotic presidential campaign, announced yesterday that he will not seek re-election to the House, but will instead encourage his 30-year-old son, Duncan Jr., to replace him. The Hill reports that the son, an Iraq war veteran, expects to kick off his congressional campaign in April.

* Dems have long considered Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) a vulnerable GOP incumbent, but given her role (and alleged ethics violations) in the prosecutor purge scandal, the DCCC is turning up the heat. Specifically, the DCCC is poised to launch the first ad of the 2008 campaign cycle, questioning Wilson’s integrity. “A phone call is made … a scandal begins,” the ad’s narrator says. “Serious questions remain about Heather Wilson and violation of congressional ethics rules. It’s time for Heather Wilson to release her phone records and come clean,” the narrator says in the ad.

* And California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) is apparently in a public spat with Rush Limbaugh, who recently questioned Schwarzenegger’s principles and leadership abilities. Asked about the comments on The Today Show, the governor said, “Limbaugh is irrelevant…. I’m not his servant. I am the people’s servant of California.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* John and Elizabeth Edwards are expected to make an important announcement about the former senator’s presidential campaign in just a couple of minutes. I don’t want to engage in baseless speculation, but all reports indicate Edwards may leave the campaign trail, at least temporarily, because of his wife’s health. I’ll have a full report soon.

* The creator of the controversial YouTube clip, “Big Sister,” which incorporated Hillary Clinton into Apple’s famous 1984 ad, has been identified. The video was made by Philip de Vellis, who worked at Blue State Digital, a company created by members of Howard Dean’s Internet Team that currently manages Barack Obama’s online presence. Obama’s campaign insisted yesterday that it knew nothing of the ad, and Blue State Digital explained in a statement that de Vellis made the clip independently and without the company’s knowledge. He talked about the ordeal yesterday at The Huffington Post.

* The Politico reports that Republican presidential candidates Rudolph Giuliani and Mitt Romney are skipping the National Urban League’s annual conference this summer, and league president Marc Morial wants them to know he’s not happy about it. “We’re sending notice, not just to the Republicans, but to all the candidates, that you’re not going to ignore us,” said Morial, the former New Orleans mayor who has led the black civil rights organization since 2003.

* Now that Newt Gingrich has acknowledged his well-established adultery, he now believes the personal lives of candidates should be excluded from the campaign. How convenient. I seem to recall Gingrich having a different standard in the 1990s.

* And the New York state Assembly overwhelmingly approved a measure yesterday to move up the state’s presidential primary from March 4 to February 5. California chose the same day for its primary earlier this month. New Jersey, Florida, and Illinois are expected to do the same.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Former President Bill Clinton has been very assertive the last few days, arguing that it’s “just not fair” to characterize Hillary Clinton as a war supporter. “This dichotomy that’s been set up to allow [Obama] to become the raging hero of the anti-war crowd on the Internet is just factually inaccurate…. It’s just not fair to say that people who voted for the resolution wanted war,” Clinton said.

* Speaking of Hillary, the AP reported today that former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) will endorse Clinton’s presidential bid. Vilsack, who recently dropped out of the race citing a lack of money, will reportedly make the announcement on Monday.

* Rudy Giuliani said yesterday that it was a mistake to coin the term “war on terror” because it allows enemies to redefine the United States incorrectly as a nation that prefers war. Giuliani told a gathering of newspaper reporters that “America is seen as a country by too many that wants to have war, or exercises its power too much, pushes its weight around too much.”

* Mitt Romney’s effort to convince Republicans he’s not a liberal suffered another setback yesterday when we learned that Romney endorsed Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, the pro-gay, pro-choice, pro-impeachment Democrat, in 2003. In fact, Romney also appeared in a TV ad for Anderson’s re-election campaign.

* After receiving some criticism from the gay community after a tepid response to Gen. Peter Pace’s homophobic comments two weeks ago, Barack Obama is forming a gay advisory panel to offer the campaign guidance on GLBT issues. Campaign aides insisted the panel was in the works before the Pace flap.

* I mentioned yesterday that Florida may join most of the other huge states in moving its presidential primary to Feb. 5. Apparently, that’s not quite good enough — the state House approved a measure to move the date up to Jan. 29, just seven days after New Hampshire. (thanks to Nautilator for the tip)

* Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) will decide whether to run for president within two weeks. Campaign spokesman Alan Moore tells the Associated Press that Tancredo’s late March campaign finance report will show he has raised more than $1 million in donations.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* If you missed it over the weekend, seven Democratic presidential candidates met at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on Saturday for a forum on health-care policy. The event was sponsored by Service Employees International Union and the Center for American Progress Action Fund. (Republican candidates were invited, but none attended.) More coverage here.

* Responding to the notion that he’s appealing for votes based on sympathy, John Edwards told Katie Couric last night, “Do not vote for us because you feel some sympathy or compassion for us. That would be an enormous mistake. The vote for the presidency is far too important for any of those things to influence it.”

* Former Sen. John Breaux (D) is interested in running for governor this year, but will wait for an opinion from the state attorney general’s office on whether he meets all the legal requirements (specifically, on the issue of residency). The AP added, “The Democratic former senator is considered a strong possible contender in the Oct. 20 primary, and other potential Democratic candidates are waiting in the wings, saying they won’t run if Breaux does.”

* The WaPo ran a front-page item today noting that New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is mulling over an independent, self-financed 2008 presidential bid. According to the Post, Bloomberg “has told confidants that he will not decide until early next year, when it has become clear whom Democrats and Republicans will nominate.”

* The law firm Rick Santorum has joined is filled with lawyers who contributed to his opponent. The Politico reported, “The law firm’s employees contributed $19,950 to Casey’s campaign, compared to $8,150 to Santorum’s, according to a center analysis of candidate filings with the Federal Election Commission.”

* Hillary Clinton appeared today at a Good Morning America town-hall meeting, where she said she’d support a firm deadline to withdraw American troops from Iraq by the end of August 2008, as last week’s House bill mandates.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new USA Today poll shows that Americans, by a 2-to-1 margin, support John Edwards’ decision to stay in the presidential race despite his wife’s illness. The same poll, however, find that more than a third of those surveyed believe that Edwards eventually will be forced to withdraw from the campaign because of her cancer recurrence.

* On the other side of the aisle, the USA Today poll showed surprising support for actor-turned-senator-turned actor Fred Thompson, who is reportedly considering the race. Nationally, Thompson drew 12% support, which placed him third behind Rudy Giuliani (31%) and John McCain (22%).

* Speaking of Giuliani, the AP discovered yesterday that the former NYC mayor’s campaign website included a serious design flaw: personal information submitted by volunteers on the website was left vulnerable. Giuliani aides insisted that no personal information was compromised.

* It’s routine for professional fundraisers to take a generous commission from candidates, but Mitt Romney is launching a unique model: participants in “Students for Mitt” will get to keep 10% of the money they raise for Romney, after the first $1,000. As the AP noted, “While candidates often offer professional fundraisers commissions up to 8 percent, campaign experts believe [Romney] is the first to do so with the legion of college students who have historically served as campaign volunteers.”

* The Politico noted today that the progressive netroots are anxious to take on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ken.) next year. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, specifically asked online activists to help identify potential candidates.

* And CNN commentator Bay Buchanan announced yesterday that she has resigned from the network in order to help oversee rep. Tom Tancredo’s (R-Colo.) presidential campaign. “I believe Tom Tancredo can beat the top three and that’s what our campaign plan is,” Buchanan said, referring to McCain, Giuliani, and Romney.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In about a half an hour, the political arm of the National Organization for Women will endorse Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. A message posted on the NOW website says PAC Chair Kim Gandy and “a special guest will make a major announcement regarding the 2008 election.” The Associated Press quotes Democratic officials as saying Gandy will be joined by Senator Clinton at Washington’s Sewell-Belmont House, the historic home of the National Women’s Party, to accept the group’s endorsement.

* Speaking of Hillary, Harris Interactive released a poll this week showing that half of voting-age Americans say they would not vote for Sen. Clinton is she’s the Dems’ presidential nominee. I’m not inclined to believe it. For one thing, there are plenty of other polls showing Clinton leading GOP rivals in hypothetical head-to-head match-ups with more than 50% support. For another, the Harris Interactive poll was conducted online, which raises questions about reliability.

* The WaPo reports that John Edwards’ presidential campaign has enjoyed an outpouring of support since last week’s announcement about Elizabeth Edwards’ cancer. The Edwardses received more than 24,000 emails in 24 hours and, in the past five days, “the campaign received more than 5,000 donations totaling half a million dollars — about 50 percent of the total it raised online in the previous three months.”

* Magazine publisher and former presidential candidate Steve Forbes has endorsed Rudy Giuliani’s presidential bid. Forbes, for reasons that were never altogether clear, ran for the GOP presidential nomination in 1996 and 2000.

* MoveOn.org will host the “first ever virtual town hall” meeting on April 10 with presidential candidates of members’ choosing. Eli Pariser, executive director of MoveOn.org Political Action, tells CNN that Clinton, Obama, and Edwards have all agreed to attend if invited. The discussion will focus exclusively on the war in Iraq.

* And following up on an item from yesterday, some media outlets are worked up about Barack Obama mis-remembering a Life magazine article from his childhood. For all the implications that Obama made the whole thing up, reader N.J. points to this 1966 Time magazine article as a possible explanation.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Politico reported today that the Rev. Jesse Jackson will support Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. (The Politico piece appears to be about a month late.)

* The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is launching a new attack website targeting freshman House Democrats. It’s called “The Real Democrat Story.” You’ll notice, of course, that Republicans continue to intentionally use poor grammar — “Democrat Story” instead of “Democratic Story” — even in urls.

* James Dobson doesn’t appear to think too highly of former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.), who is reportedly considering a presidential run. “I don’t think he’s a Christian,” Dobson said. “At least that’s my impression.”

* The WaPo reports today that Maryland is poised to become the first state to agree to bypass the electoral college and effectively elect U.S. presidents by national popular vote under legislation moving briskly toward the desk of Gov. Martin O’Malley (D). There is, however, a catch — the state measure would not take effect until enough other states agree to do the same.

* Devlin Barrett has a memorable quote in the New York Post this week: “Plenty of people and politicians have skeletons in their closets. In the case of Rudy Giuliani, that closet is a walk-in.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Here’s the kind of item that might disrupt the nominating process: the New Hampshire State House approved a measure yesterday that allows the Secretary of State to move its primary up ahead of the Iowa caucuses. The AP noted that New Hampshire state law requires Secretary of State Bill Gardner to schedule the primary on a Tuesday a week or more before any “similar election.” That allows Gardner to jump as far ahead as he wishes, but in the past he has not challenged Iowa’s caucuses, which have long been before the New Hampshire primary. New Hampshire officials will now consider whether Nevada’s caucuses represent a “similar election.”

* Speaking of New Hampshire, a new poll from the American Research Group found that incumbent Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.), up for re-election next year, is in big political trouble. In a hypothetical match-up against former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D), whom Sununu narrowly defeated in 2002, the incumbent trails 44% to 34%. Shaheen has not said whether she’s running, though she hasn’t ruled it out.

* During a campaign appearance in South Carolina, Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney mentioned the names of some people he’d consider for running mates, if he wins the GOP nomination. Among the possibilities were South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. He also said he is “pretty partial” to South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint (R).

* Dennis Kucinich took the unusual step yesterday of disavowing one of his own campaign tactics. Referring to a campaign project called “Eyes and Ears: We need your help!” which asked supporters to help monitor the campaigns of his Democratic primary rivals, Kucinich asks supporters to “disregard the request” since “I believe such tactics are spiritually and politically counterproductive…. The intellectual or emotional focus on any campaign dissipates that creative energy.”

* And James Dobson was quoted this week as saying he doesn’t believe former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) is a Christian. Dobson issued a statement yesterday arguing that he was misquoted. “We would caution friends of our ministry not to believe what they read about Dr. Dobson in the secular media today,” Focus on the Family said.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* I was going to report here on Q1 fundraising totals for the presidential candidates, but I think there’s enough interest to warrant a full post. It’ll be up soon.

* Former Wisconsin Gov. and HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson (R) formally entered the presidential race yesterday during an appearance on ABC’s This Week. Touting his record as a “reliable conservative,” Thompson said, “All that people have to do is look at my record, and I am the one individual that they can count on.” He added, “People feel Republicans lost their way in Washington.”

* Speaking of Thompsons, if former Sen. Fred Thomson (R-Tenn.) decides to run for president, as appears increasingly likely, television stations will reportedly have no choice but to pull reruns of his “Law & Order” episodes. As the WaPo noted, “Federal campaign law requires broadcasters to give all candidates equal time on the airwaves. That rule applies to entertainment programs like ‘Law & Order,’ meaning stations that run the show would be required to give other GOP candidates a like amount of prime-time exposure.”

* In a bit of a surprise, the Rev. Al Sharpton, who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004, says he won’t get into the race this time. “I am not going to run,” he told CNN.

* Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is apparently anxious to write off the Latino vote in 2008, telling the National Federation of Republican Women on Saturday that bilingual education is comparable with “the language of living in a ghetto.” Peter Zamora, co-chair of the Washington-based Hispanic Education Coalition, which supports bilingual education, said, “The tone of his comments were very hateful. Spanish is spoken by many individuals who do not live in the ghetto.”

* And Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), as expected, announced this morning that he is running for president. He kicked off his candidacy on Jan Mickelson’s “Mickelson in the Morning” show on WHO Radio. “They’re the ones who brought me to the party,” Tancredo said, referring to conservative talk radio.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Following up on yesterday’s Q1 fundraising reports, John McCain’s campaign announced yesterday that it had collected $12.5 million in the first quarter of 2007, giving him the third best tally among the GOP candidates. According to The Politico, “McCain’s camp blamed his lackluster report on the senator’s relatively late official entry into the race and his attention to Senate business, particularly the war in Iraq. But Campaign manager Terry Nelson acknowledged that the campaign ‘had hoped’ to do better.” The late-entry excuse doesn’t much work (McCain’s been unofficially running for over a year), and the Senate excuse isn’t much better (official duties didn’t hurt Clinton or Obama).

* Possible presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said over the weekend that the U.S. should abolish bilingual education so that people aren’t speaking “the language of living in a ghetto.” Last night, on Fox News, Gingrich said his statement “did not refer to Spanish.” So, which language was he referring to? Gingrich said, “Now, I’ll let you pick — frankly, ghetto, historically had referred as a Jewish reference originally. I did not mention Hispanics, and I certainly do not want anybody who speaks Spanish to think I’m in any way less than respectful of Spanish or any other language spoken by people who come to the United States.”

* Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), hoping to cast himself as the candidate best positioned to end the war in Iraq, has unveiled a new website — Head to Head ‘08 — to “contrast his statements on the Iraq conflict to those of his opponents for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.”

* Rudy Giuliani is the only top Republican presidential candidate not to endorse a South Carolina measure that would force women to look at fetal ultrasounds before having an abortion. A campaign spokesperson said the bill “a good example of a matter best left to the states to decide.”

* And the latest Newsweek poll showed surprisingly limited support for another Al Gore presidential run. The poll found that only a third of registered voters want the former VP to run again, while a majority (56%) do not. Among Dems, 47% want him to run again, while 39% do not.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* I hardly thought it was possible, but Barack Obama raised $25 million in the first quarter of 2007, just shy of Hillary Clinton’s record-setting $26 million quarter. More than a third of his total came from online donations. The Chicago Tribune noted that overall, Obama received contributions from more than 100,000 individuals, while Clinton had about 50,000 donors, and Edwards had 37,000 donors. Wow.

* After a series of missteps and a lackluster fundraising quarter, John McCain is shaking up his campaign a bit, overhauling his campaign finance operation and pushing off his official announcement speech. He’s also brought on Fred Malek to be his campaign’s national finance co-chair. (Malek is perhaps best known for counting Jewish employees at the State Department for Richard Nixon.)

* Robert Novak recently suggested the GOP’s religious right base was inclined to rally behind former Sen. Fred Thompson’s (R-Tenn.) presidential campaign, should he launch one. Apparently, there’s something to this. Richard Land, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Religious and Ethics Liberty Commission and a major player in the religious right movement, told The Hill, “Fred Thompson reminds me of a Southern-fried Reagan. To see Fred work a crowd must be what it was like to watch Rembrandt paint.” Land added that neither Giuliani nor McCain are appealing to the movement.

* The McCain responded to John Kerry’s assertions that the Arizona senator approached him about joining the Democratic presidential ticket in 2004, denying Kerry’s version of events. Why would Kerry lie about this? Top McCain aides said they consider the charge a bid for attention by Kerry.

* Dems looking for a top challenger to Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) may be in luck — Rep. Peter DeFazio, who had expressed minimal interest in the race, is reportedly warming to the idea. He said the biggest stumbling block is his distaste for raising the millions of dollars necessary for a statewide contest.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rudy Giuliani acknowledged yesterday that he still believes, as he’s said publicly before, that there should be public funding for some abortions. When asked directly Wednesday if he still agreed with his 1989 position on the use of public funds for abortions, Giuliani told CNN’s Dana Bash, “Yes. If it would deprive someone of a constitutional right. If that’s the status of the law, yes.” I wonder what GOP primary voters will think about this?

* Newt Gingrich, still reeling about suggesting Spanish is the language of the “ghetto,” backpedaled a little more yesterday, delivering a video statement — in Spanish and English — in which he concedes his word choice was “poor.” Gingrich did not apologize, but insisted his comments were not an “attack” on Spanish. He added that he has been taking Spanish lessons “for some time now.”

* Mitt Romney told a New Hampshire audience this week, “I purchased a gun when I was a young man. I’ve been a hunter pretty much all my life.” As it turns out, that’s largely false — he’s hunted twice, once at age 15, and again last year.

* Al Franken, a Democratic candidate for Senate in Minnesota, raised $1.3 million in the first quarter, an impressive tally for a rookie candidate. Will the figure discourage potential primary opponents? We’ll see.

* The Democratic National Committee announced today that it will sanction six Democratic debates, one per month, starting in July 2007.

* And Dennis Kucinich argued yesterday that the front-loaded primary calendar will work to his advantage, because more established candidates won’t have time to recover from early losses. “When I run strong in New Hampshire and win New Hampshire it will propel me to be the nominee,” Kucinich said.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Contributing to the growing buzz that senator-turned-actor Fred Thompson (R) is going to run for president, The Politico’s Mike Allen reported that the “Law & Order” star has “moved beyond pondering a bid for the White House and begun assembling the nucleus of a campaign should he decide to run.” Thompson will appear at the annual Lincoln Club of Orange County dinner in Southern California in May, which is considered an important stop for aspiring Republicans.

* Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) continues to drop strong hints that he’s going to go after his GOP presidential rivals’ personal lives. Huckabee told the AP that Republicans not paying attention to the personal lives of their own candidates “would be troubling because that inconsistency would show it really wasn’t about principles. It was about personality, character assassination and politics.”

* Even before his talked about supporting public funding of abortions, Rudy Giuliani’s swing through Iowa this week didn’t generate the excitement his campaign had hoped for. Before a speech at a high school gymnasium, Giuliani aides partitioned the gym, which they’d hoped to fill, in order to make the crowd look bigger. The AP added, “Just before the candidate took the stage, a few in the audience tried to start a ‘Rudy, Rudy, Rudy’ chant. It was a halfhearted effort that died quickly.”

* I’ve been trying very hard to ignore early polling data for the presidential race — it’s just not reliable yet — but a new Hotline/Diageo poll (.pdf) included an interesting result: nationwide, a generic Democratic candidate leads a generic Republican by almost 20 points, 47% to 29%. Obviously, once real names are added, the results change, but it certainly sounds as if Americans are ready for a Democratic president.

* And Mitt Romney continues to struggle after having been caught fibbing about his experience as a hunter. “I’m not a big-game hunter. I’ve made that very clear,” he said. “I’ve always been a rodent and rabbit hunter. Small varmints, if you will. I began when I was 15 or so and I have hunted those kinds of varmints since then. More than two times.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* John Edwards announced late on Friday that he will boycott the debate co-hosted by Fox News and the Congressional Black Caucus, scheduled for Sept. 23, though he will participate in the CBC’s event in January, co-hosted by CNN. Edwards’ deputy campaign manager Jonathan Prince said, “[W]e believe there’s just no reason for Democrats to give Fox a platform to advance the right-wing agenda while pretending they’re objective.”

* Mitt Romney’s claim last week to being a “life-long hunter” continues to dog him on the campaign trail. In the latest news, officials in the four states Romney has lived in say the presidential hopeful never applied for a hunting license. Romney clarified that he has hunted rabbits and other small animals for many years, mainly in Utah. Hunting certain small game there does not require a license.

* The rumor mill has been working overtime the last few days, with scuttlebutt about former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson’s (R) possible presidential plans. For what it’s worth, the senator-turned-actor has done some guest blogging at RedState, a popular conservative site. The WSJ noted today, however, that Thompson may already be too late to get in — top funders and activists are already committed to other candidates.

* New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer signed a law this morning that will move the state’s presidential primary to Feb. 5, joining just about every other big state in the Union.

* Rep. Duncan Hunter’s (R-Calif.) son, Duncan Jr., hopes to replace his father in the House next year, but he may have trouble campaigning for himself: he’s a Marine who was recalled to active duty last week, and will probably be in the Middle East during next year’s election.

* And in Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist’s (R) surprising moderation has drawn the frustration of the state GOP’s establishment. “Charlie has succeeded in just three months in getting rid of just about everything Jeb Bush accomplished,” a key Florida Republican told Bob Novak.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In case there was any doubt about the status of the scheduled debate co-hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute and Fox News, Hillary Clinton joined John Edwards and Barack Obama in skipping the event. Clinton didn’t repudiate the Republican network specifically, but her campaign did say that she would limit her appearances to DNC-sanctioned debates, and Howard Dean has already rejected the notion of sanctioning a Fox News event.

* Obama, appearing on David Letterman’s talk show last night, rejected the notion that he’d consider the VP slot. “You don’t run for second. I don’t believe in that,” Obama said. When Letterman said a Clinton-Obama ticket would be “powerful,” Obama responded, “Which order are we talking?”

* New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) said yesterday that he’s satisfied with his underdog role in the presidential race, concluding, “I’m perfectly content to be the only candidate in the second tier.”

* Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) apparently shouldn’t be too concerned about his re-election bid next year. The Des Moines Register’s David Yepsin talked to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) yesterday, and the lawmaker couldn’t even think of a GOP candidate willing to take Harkin on. Yespin added that current House Republicans probably shouldn’t bother — Harkin has “defeated more sitting Republican members of Congress than any Democrat in the history of the Senate.”

* As if Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) didn’t have enough to worry about with a tough re-election fight next year, there are rumors that Smith, who has been trying to move to the middle, might have to endure a primary challenge from the right.

* And don’t forget that MoveOn.org is hosting a virtual town hall forum tonight with all seven of the Democratic presidential contenders. The discussion will focus exclusively on the war in Iraq, and questions will come from MoveOn members.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* They may have lost their top three candidates, but the Fox News/Congressional Black Caucus Institute debate is moving forward according to plan. The CBC release a statement last night “announcing that it stands by its plan.” The statement said the CBC “will determine the format and select the panelists for the debates.”

* With the Don Imus scandal becoming the subject of national scrutiny, presidential candidates are being asked about whether they’d appear on his radio program. Yesterday, both Rudy Giuliani and John McCain said they would continue to appear with the controversial commentator.

* Speaking of Giuliani, conservative columnist Cal Thomas lit into the GOP candidate this week on Giuliani’s support for publicly-funded abortion. “Giuliani says people who don’t like his position do not have to vote for him. Many social conservatives who view abortion as a make-or-break issue are likely to follow his advice,” Thomas said.

* Giuliani also told an Alabama audience that locals should decide whether or not to fly the Confederate Flag. John McCain initially took that position in 2000, before reversing course and admitting that he was pandering to far-right Southern conservatives.

* With polls showing former New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D) looking strong in a hypothetical match-up against Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.), top Senate Dems are pressuring Shaheen to consider the race. According to the Union Leader, “The Democratic former three-term governor had a serious discussion about the Senate race less than two weeks ago during a private meeting with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.”

* And the NYT reports today that the GOP establishment is feeling a great deal of anxiety about 2008. “Republican leaders across the country say they are growing increasingly anxious about their party’s chances of holding the White House, citing public dissatisfaction with President Bush, the political fallout from the war in Iraq and the problems their leading presidential candidates are having generating enthusiasm among conservative voters.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson disclosed yesterday that he was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2004, but he is in remission. “I have had no illness from it, or even any symptoms,” Thompson said in a statement. “My life expectancy should not be affected.” The political implications were fairly obvious — “Thompson described the announcement as one item on a checklist of issues he must deal with before deciding whether to run for president.”

* I’m generally avoiding national polls in the presidential race at this point — their reliability is dubious at this point — but I was very surprised by the new LA Times/Bloomberg poll, which shows John McCain slipping to third nationally among Republicans. Rudy Giuliani leads with 29% support, followed by senator-turned-actor Fred Thompson with 15% and McCain with 12%. Mitt Romney isn’t too far behind with 8%.

* Speaking of McCain’s troubles, the senator started firing some non-senior staff positions yesterday and cutting some consultants’ contracts. The campaign characterized the moves as “minor adjustments.” Said Brian Jones, a campaign spokesman, “A campaign is a dynamic organization like a business, and we have to take the necessary steps to ensure it’s as efficient and effective as possible.” That’s not a bad spin, but at this point in the campaign, aren’t the leading candidates supposed to be hiring staffers, not firing them?

* Hillary Clinton told USA Today that she realizes that her conservative critics go after her with a vengeance, but she’s not fazed by the attacks. “So what, people are going to say something bad about me?” Clinton said, laughing. “I mean really. I mean look. I understand how contentious American politics is. And why? Because there are big things at stake.”

* And finally, I’m not in a position to criticize others’ typos, but this one really is bad: In Rep. Duncan Hunter’s (R-Calif.) formal Federal Election Commission filing making his bid official, Hunter misspelled “president,” mangling the name of his committee as “Hunter for Prseident Inc.” As Roll Call noted, “On the bright side, although the field of candidates for the presidency is a bit crowded, Hunter is uncontested to be prseident.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* After MoveOn.org’s online Town Hall Forum this week on the war in Iraq, the group asked members to participate in an online straw poll on which is the best Democratic presidential candidate “to lead the country out of Iraq.” According to the results, released yesterday, Barack Obama won the overall vote with 28%, followed closely by John Edwards with 25%. Among MoveOn members who attended House Parties, Edwards won with 25%, followed by Bill Richardson with 21%.

* There’s been considerable speculation of late about Sen. John Warner’s (R-Va.) possible retirement next year, and the rumors grew considerably louder yesterday when the senator reported a first-quarter fundraising total of $500. That’s not a typo. “It almost speaks for itself,” said one national Democratic official. “You have to try to raise only $500. You have to tell people not to give you money, and you have to return checks.”

* Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) is already the longest serving senator in American history, but that doesn’t mean he plans to retire anytime soon. “I am not getting ready for any re-election right now,'’ he said. “I will run in 2012, the Lord willing.” Byrd will turn 95 shortly after Election Day 2012.

* Former football player Lynn Swann may have turned out to be an awful gubernatorial candidate, losing badly to Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) last year, but he isn’t necessarily done running for office. Swann told the AP that he has been approached about running for Congress from Pennsylvania’s 4th, where freshman Rep. Jason Altmire (D) recently defeated three-term Republican Melissa Hart.

* And the New York Daily News reports today on the still-enthusiastic Draft Condoleezza Rice movement. Think Condi ‘08, which is already fund-raising and recruiting volunteers, is just the latest organization to try to persuade the unwilling Rice to run. “She’s certainly flattered by all this, but she’s said that after this she’s going to go back to Stanford University, where she is still a tenured professor,” said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* We saw the Q1 fundraising totals for the presidential candidates a couple of weeks ago, but those numbers didn’t reflect how much of their coffers the candidates spent and how much cash they have on hand moving forward. Among the Dems, Obama raised the money primary money, but Clinton leads the field with $24 million in the bank, followed by Obama with $18 million, Edwards with $9.8 million, Dodd with $7.5 million, Richardson with $5 million, and Biden with $2.8 million. (I couldn’t find Kucinich’s cash on hand; if anyone knows, please add in comments)

* On the other side of the aisle, Romney leads with $11.8 million in the bank, followed by Giuliani with $10.8 million and John McCain with $5.2 million. No other Republican candidate tops the $1 million figure.

* Sen. Joe Lieberman announced late last week that he’s endorsing Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in her 2008 re-election bid and will campaign on her behalf. Lieberman’s PAC has already contributed $5,000 toward Collins’ campaign. As a reminder, Collins endorsed Lieberman after he lost the Democratic nomination to Ned Lamont last year.

* Former Sen. John Breaux (D), whom most expected to be the leading candidate in Louisiana’s gubernatorial race, announced on Friday that he will not run. Breaux reportedly was unclear about his eligibility, after having lived in DC for many years.

* Barack Obama drew 20,000 attendees to a campaign rally in Atlanta yesterday, which locals described as “one of the biggest presidential political rallies in Atlanta’s history, and easily the largest this early in the race — 18 months before the election.” Very impressive.

* And finally, Sen. John Kerry, just a couple of months after declaring that he won’t be a presidential candidate in 2008, hinted yesterday that he might reconsider. In response to a question from a voter at a book signing in Denver, Kerry said he had decided it wasn’t the right time to run again. “Could that change?” Kerry said. “It might. It may change over years. It may change over months. I can’t tell you, but I’ve said very clearly I don’t consider myself out of it forever.” When asked whether he expected that decision to change in time for the 2008 race, Kerry said, “If suddenly the field changed or the dynamics of the nation shifted, who knows? You might look at it differently, but I don’t see that. I don’t foresee that. That’s not where I am today and that’s not what I’m doing.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The shootings at Virginia Tech yesterday had led to several cancellations and postponements of political events scheduled for today. Perhaps most notably, Rudy Giuliani was scheduled to deliver a speech at Pat Robertson’s Regent University, but the event will be rescheduled. Similarly, Barack Obama had scheduled a major foreign policy speech for today, but the remarks have been postponed.

* Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu (D) announced this morning that he will not run for governor. “I believe I can best serve the people of Louisiana by finishing the job I started four years ago,” Landrieu said in a written statement Monday. He said he would seek re-election instead. Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell is now the most experienced Democrat in the race, though party officials are still looking for a higher-profile candidate. Rep. Bobby Jindal (R) is widely considered the likely GOP nominee. The primary election is Oct. 20.

* Richard Land, president of the Religious and Ethics Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention said that he’d rather vote for Hillary Clinton than Rudy Giuliani. Now, he’s clarified — if Giuliani gets the GOP nomination, he just won’t vote at all.

* Roll Call reported that Rep. Mark Udall (D) filed papers yesterday to run for Colorado’s open Senate seat, making official what have long been his stated intentions for the 2008 cycle. Udall is considered the Dem favorite, while the GOP currently has no top-tier candidate.

* Victoria Wulsin came very close to beating right-wing Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio) last year, and she’ll seek a rematch in 2008.

* And Mitt Romney’s list of embarrassing flip-flops continues to grow. Asked by The Associated Press after a recent speech if he disagreed with Hillary Clinton’s view, that “it takes a village” to raise a child, Romney said he disagreed and added, “It takes a family.” In 1998, Romney told The Boston Globe, “Hillary Clinton is very much right, it does take a village, and we are a village and we need to work together in a non-skeptical, no-finger-pointing way.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) seems to be one step closer to launching a presidential campaign today, with a visit to DC where he’ll “meet with Republican House members who are interested in his potential candidacy. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., one of those pushing a Thompson run, arranged for the meeting at the National Republican Club of Capitol Hill.” Wamp said conservatives “are looking at the current field and saying, ‘No one here excites me, and Fred Thompson excites me.’” As many as 60 congressional Republicans may attend the meeting.

* Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) is still feeling the heat after telling a Jewish group the other day that earning money is “part of the Jewish tradition.” Yesterday, Thompson got a little snippy about it during an interview with a group of Politico reporters and editors. “I was tired, I made a mistake and I apologized. Have you ever made a mistake?”

* On a related note, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has called on Thompson to drop out of the presidential race. “Gaffes are nothing new to Thompson. But this was said to give him the aura of the average Wisconsin guy. No. The average Wisconsin guy deserves more credit.”

* The conservative Washington Times notes today that there is no second tier of Republican presidential hopefuls — only a first tier and a third tier: “Republicans’ presidential field may be wide, but this weekend’s fundraising numbers show it is not deep. Other than Mitt Romney, Rudolph W. Giuliani and John McCain, no Republican raised $2 million or had $1 million cash on hand as of March 31, making it nearly impossible for them to challenge the top three candidates.”

* And Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) has unveiled a new idea that may generate some interest: he sent a letter to his Democratic House colleagues yesterday declaring his intention to file articles of impeachment against Vice President Dick Cheney.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* It looks like Fred Thompson’s presidential campaign has moved from “if” to “when.” Thompson met with a series of Republican lawmakers at the Capitol Hill Club yesterday — estimates go as high as 60 House Republicans in attendance — and apparently made a very positive impression. ABC reported: “Multiple House Republicans who attended the hour-long Q&A session with Thompson gushed over him as someone who ‘checks all the boxes’ in a way that the current crop of leading Republican contenders do not.”

* Rudy Giuliani praised the Supreme Court’s decision yesterday on banning a specific kind of abortion procedure, despite having taken, in writing, the exact opposite position as mayor of New York. Kelli Conlin, president of NARAL Pro-Choice New York, accused Giuliani of “flip-flopping.” “I am absolutely astounded that Mayor Giuliani would do a 180-degree pivot on his former position,” she said.

* Speaking of inconsistencies, John McCain delivered a speech yesterday in which he vowed that “we’re going to win” in Iraq — just minutes after saying, “Am I telling you we’re going to succeed? No.”

* And speaking of McCain, the Arizona senator declared yesterday that he believes in “no gun control.” In a speech in South Carolina, McCain said the Virginia Tech massacre had no effect on his policy positions. Asked whether ammunition clips sold to the public should be limited in size, said, “I don’t think that’s necessary at all.” The position generated some heckling from the audience.

* And in Minnesota, Minneapolis attorney Mike Ciresi (D) announced yesterday that he is running for the U.S. Senate, setting up a primary fight with Al Franken for the DFL nomination to oppose Republican Sen. Norm Coleman in 2008. Ciresi, who has never held public office, first ran for the Senate in 2000, narrowly losing to Mark Dayton, who ultimately won the seat.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Joe Trippi, best known for his work as one of Howard Dean’s campaign managers in 2004, didn’t expect to work for any of the 2008 aspirants, but announced yesterday that he is joining John Edwards’ team. Trippi will serve as a senior adviser to the campaign and be a “key member” of the media team, the campaign announced Thursday.

* I’m trying not to pay too much attention to any of the early presidential polls, but I nevertheless found it striking that a new Suffolk University poll in Massachusetts shows Bay State Republicans preferring Rudy Giuliani to their former governor, Mitt Romney, 33% to 21%. In fact, Romney’s hold on second place is precarious — John McCain was right behind him with 18%. Not a good sign for Romney.

* New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will be the first Democratic presidential candidate to air a TV ad, with two modest buys. As MSNBC reported, “Two ads will begin running on Monday — a 60-second one that describes his record and a 30-second that tells viewers why he’s running and what he’ll do about Iraq.” Richardson is scheduled to hit the airwaves in New Hampshire next week, as well.

* Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning (R) has made no secret of his plans to run for the U.S. Senate, but said he’d wait to see what Sen. Chuck Hagel (R) planned to do about next year’s race. Now that Hagel has backed a withdrawal timeline for the war in Iraq, Bruning says he might challenge Hagel in a GOP primary. “Senator Hagel voted with the Democratic leadership against President Bush on the most important issue facing our country,” Bruning said.

* In Louisiana, state Sen. Walter Boasso has been running for governor as a Republican, but now says he may consider switching parties.

* And the Washington Post reports today that for the “first time since the passage of campaign finance reform in 2002, national Democrats have outpaced their Republican rivals in the race for campaign cash in the first three months of an election cycle.” The combined efforts of the DNC, DCCC, and DSCC raised $47.7 million, while the comparable Republican committees collected $47.4 million.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-Calif.) died yesterday of cancer at age 68. The congresswoman, recently re-elected to her seventh term, had asked for a four- to six-week leave of absence from the House last week to deal with her illness. Under state law, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has 14 days to set a date for a special election to fill the seat.

* A report from UK’s Telegraph raised eyebrows over the weekend when the British paper reported that “friends of Al Gore have secretly started assembling a campaign team in preparation for the former American vice-president to make a fresh bid for the White House.” It quoted a former Gore campaign aide as saying, “He hasn’t asked them to do this, but nor has he told them not to.” Shortly thereafter, Gore spokesperson Kalee Kreider denied the report. Former Gore adviser Michael Feldman added, “Pure fantasy.”

* Hoping to prove there is substance to back up his style, Barack Obama is “unleashing the fine print” on his campaign’s policy agenda. USA Today reports, “Now his campaign is 10 weeks old. Enough with the niceties, the generalities, the story of his life. On Friday, the Illinois senator unveiled a plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Today, he gives a speech on foreign policy. Next up, education and health care.”

* Despite statewide polls showing him with a very good chance, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) announced late of Friday that he will not run for the Senate in 2008. “This was not an easy decision,” DeFazio continued. “You don’t get a poll that shows you’re ahead of an incumbent senator and generous offers of support from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and just blow it off. It was a long and serious deliberation on my part.” Attention is now likely to turn to Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), who was waiting for DeFazio to make a decision.

* The WaPo had an interesting item over the weekend about House Dems following up on their 2006 successes by, once again, “greatly expand[ing] the playing field of competitive races” in November 2008.

* And in NYC, rumors continue to circulate about Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s (R) interest in a presidential campaign. The New York Daily News reports that he’s “met in recent months with the chairman of the state Independence Party to discuss a national ballot access strategy for the 2008 presidential race, party sources confirmed.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) delivered a speech yesterday in which he characterized global warming as a key national issue that he takes seriously. Shortly thereafter, the McCain announced that former Defense Secretary James Schlesinger, a prominent global-warming denier, would be advising McCain on energy issues.

* Former First Lady Barbara Bush defended Mitt Romney yesterday against charges that people might hesitate to vote for a Mormon president. “I mean it was in 1897 that bigamy was outlawed in that church,” she said. “You know we have a lot of Christian wild people too, and a lot of Jewish wild people and a lot of Muslim wild people. The Mormon religion takes care of its own, they don’t have people on welfare.” She didn’t elaborate on which religious groups do have people on welfare.

* Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning (R) commissioned a poll last week of in-state Republicans on their preference for GOP Senate nominee next year. Bruning said his poll showed him leading incumbent Chuck Hagel (R) by nine points, 47% to 38%. Bruning reversed course a few days ago, indicating that he’ll run for the Senate whether Hagel runs for president or not.

* Speaking of incumbent Republican senators in trouble, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee conducted a poll in Texas recently and found that Sen. John Cornyn’s (R) re-elect numbers are fairly weak. The DSCC reported that Cornyn “has lower than expected name recognition for an incumbent US Senator, with 39% of the electorate unable to rate Cornyn either favorably or unfavorably.” In a hypothetical match-up against an unnamed Dem, Cornyn is below the 50% threshold, leading a generic Dem, 47% to 38%.

* Democracy for America is currently hosting an online vote to determine which congressional candidate will receive the first DFA endorsement of the ‘08 cycle. The three finalists for this round are Charlie Brown in California’s 4th, Darcy Burner in Washington’s 8th, and Eric Massa in New York’s 29th.

* Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Looneyville) isn’t ready to launch a presidential campaign quite yet, but he has hired a pollster and a fundraiser, and is building a staff for his political action committee, “American Solutions for Winning the Future.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) will officially launch his presidential campaign in New Hampshire today, under a cloud of questions surrounding his struggling effort. On the eve of the announcement, McCain fired his campaign’s finance director, who received some of the blame for the senator’s sub par fundraising in the first quarter.

* Speaking of announcements, former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore is traveling to Iowa tomorrow to officially kick off his own presidential bid. Gilmore, whose one term in Virginia is widely considered to be a drastic failure, barely registers in GOP polls and has almost no money in his campaign coffers (Gilmore had $90,107 cash on hand at the end of March).

* The NYT reported today that several states are considering bills to ban automated recorded telephone messages (robocalls) that became excessive during the 2006 campaign cycle. “Get rid of them,” said Stan Jordan, a Republican state representative in Jacksonville, Fla., who has sponsored a bill there. “When they first started, this wasn’t much of a nuisance. But it’s epidemic-level now.” Political calls have been exempt from the do-not-call list; states hope to change that.

* The two leading Democratic presidential candidates, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, pushed back hard against Rudy Giuliani’s argument that a Dem president would make Americans less safe. “Rudy Giuliani today has taken the politics of fear to a new low and I believe Americans are ready to reject those kind of politics,” Obama’s campaign said in a statement. “America’s mayor should know that when it comes to 9/11 and fighting terrorists, America is united. We know we can win this war based on shared purpose, not the same divisive politics that question your patriotism if you dare to question failed policies that have made us less secure. I think we should focus on strengthening our intelligence, working with local authorities and doing all the things we haven’t yet done to keep Americans safe. The threat we face is real, and deserves better than to be the punchline of another political attack.”

* And Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), in the midst of his second presidential run, launched a drive to impeach Dick Cheney yesterday at an event in DC. When a reporter noted that Speaker Pelosi has said his impeachment drive isn’t going anywhere, Kucinich shot back, “Have you talked to her today?” “Yes, I did,” the reporter replied. Kucinich had not expected that answer. “Then I would say I have not talked to her,” he acknowledged. At this point, Kucinich has zero cosponsors for his impeachment resolution.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The very first debate of the presidential campaign season will be held tonight at South Carolina State University. All eight Democratic candidates are scheduled to appear at the event, which will be moderated by NBC’s Brian Williams and will be shown on MSNBC from 7-8:30 p.m.

* John McCain’s campaign kick-off was not necessarily a major draw in New Hampshire yesterday. At a waterfront park in Portsmouth, police estimated about 250 attendees, many of whom told reporters they were there out of curiosity, not necessarily because they were supporting McCain. The Boston Globe noted there were “plenty of parking spots to be had in walking distance of the park” shortly before McCain’s speech.

* Speaking of McCain, John Murtha criticized the Arizona senator for going on The Daily Show on Tuesday and joking that he had picked up a gift for Jon Stewart during a recent trip to Baghdad. “I had something picked out for you, too — a little IED (improvised explosive device) to put on your desk.” Murtha, in a speech on the House floor, said, “Imagine a presidential candidate making a joke about IEDs when our kids are getting blown up.”

* Despite constant rumors about Michael Bloomberg (R) running for president as an independent in 2008, the NYC mayor seems to have a different candidate in mind. The NYT reported today that Bloomberg wants Al Gore to run, saying “I think it would be good for the country.” The article explained, “The mayor made the comments to reporters after a news conference kicking off the Tribeca Film Festival, as the two men took the stage and teased each other over speculation about their respective presidential ambitions.”

* Rep. Bob Wexler (D-Fla.) is known to fans of The Colbert Report as the unopposed incumbent who said, at Colbert’s request, that he enjoys cocaine and prostitutes. Ben Graber, a local doctor who plans to take on Wexler next year, said he plans to use the comments against the incumbent. “There are many ways to look at it,” Graber said. “Maybe he was shocked and the truth came out.” Few political observers expect Graber to compete seriously against Wexler, in one of Florida’s most Democratic districts.

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It appears Bush administration officials have finally figured out a way to demonstrate progress in stemming violence in Iraq: change the way violence is measured.

U.S. officials who say there has been a dramatic drop in sectarian violence in Iraq since President Bush began sending more American troops into Baghdad aren’t counting one of the main killers of Iraqi civilians.

Car bombs and other explosive devices have killed thousands of Iraqis in the past three years, but the administration doesn’t include them in the casualty counts it has been citing as evidence that the surge of additional U.S. forces is beginning to defuse tensions between Shiite and Sunni Muslims.

President Bush explained why in a television interview on Tuesday. “If the standard of success is no car bombings or suicide bombings, we have just handed those who commit suicide bombings a huge victory,” he told TV interviewer Charlie Rose.

Others, however, say that not counting bombing victims skews the evidence of how well the Baghdad security plan is protecting the civilian population - one of the surge’s main goals.

Typical. If we use one of the principal methods of attacks in Iraq to measure violence in the streets, then the terrorists win. Better to discount the bombings and congratulate ourselves for a job well done.

The administration, for example, notes with pride the reduction in bodies being dumped daily on the streets of Baghdad, which officials consider sectarian murders. The administration ignores, however, that the death toll from explosive attacks is going up, from 323 in March, the first full month of the security plan, to 365 through April 24. (As McClatchy explained, “In that same period, the number of bombings has increased, as well. In December, there were 65 explosive attacks. That number was unchanged in January, but it rose to 72 in February, 74 in March and 81 through April 24.”)

“Since the administration keeps saying that failure is not an option, they are redefining success in a way that suits them,” said James Denselow, an Iraq specialist at London-based Chatham House, a foreign policy think tank.

And as it turns out, those aren’t the only books being cooked.

USA Today reports that Iraqi officials may be intentionally withholding data to downplay civilian casualties.

Iraq’s humanitarian crisis is “rapidly worsening,” and violence is rising despite a shift in U.S. military tactics, the United Nations said in a report Wednesday. U.N. officials also accused the Iraqi government of withholding civilian casualty figures because the data could undermine public opinion. […]

In contrast to the U.N.’s critical report, Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, told members of Congress Wednesday that the number of sectarian killings in Baghdad has fallen by a third since the U.S. troop buildup began in January.

The U.N. assessment, which addressed violence broader than just sectarian killings, did not provide numbers on civilian casualties because Iraqi officials refused to share the data, said Ivana Vuco, a U.N. human rights official who helped author the study. Previous U.N. reports had relied primarily on data from the Iraqi health ministry and the Baghdad morgue.

Asked to explain the reasoning behind withholding the data, Iraqi officials expressed concerns that people would “construe” civilian casualties to “portray the situation negatively.”

What do you know, Iraqi officials and Bush administration officials spin reality exactly the same way.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Mitt Romney’s come up with a response to questions about being a shameless flip-flopper: I’m not alone. “Senator McCain voted against the Bush tax cuts. Now he’s for them. He was opposed to ethanol. Now he’s for it. He said he was opposed to overturning Roe v. Wade. Now he’s for overturning Roe v. Wade,” Romney said, adding: “that suggests that he has learned from experience.” He did the same thing for Giuliani.

* On a related note, Rudy Giuliani, who lived with two gay men after his wife threw him out of the mayor’s mansion for a series of extramarital affairs, came out against civil unions yesterday. In February 2004, Giuliani told Bill O’Reilly, when asked if he supported gay marriage, “I’m in favor of … civil unions.”

* It looks like Sen. John Kerry won’t run unopposed next year. Republican Jeff Beatty announced last night that he is forming an exploratory committee to take Kerry on. Beatty’s previous political experience includes a House campaign last year against Rep. Bill Delahunt (D-Mass.), when Beatty garnered less than 30% of the vote.

* Poking fun at the reaction to John McCain’s recent song about bombing Iran, McCain’s campaign played the Beach Boys’ “Barbara Ann” at a campaign stop yesterday. A McCain aide told CNN it was no coincidence that the song was played at the end of the event. “We thought it would add a little levity,” said John Weaver, a senior McCain strategist, adding, “And to show we are not going to get pushed around on things like that.”

* And I’m a little skeptical about the reliability of numbers like these, but in case readers are interested, SurveyUSA took a quick poll last night of debate watchers to see who came out on top. According to the poll, Obama was first with 31%, followed by Clinton with 24%, and Edwards at 14%. (There was a noticeable gender gap — among men, Obama was the big winner; among women, Clinton led the field.) The rest of the Dems were in single digits. Gravel was last with 2%.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rudy Giuliani is claiming endorsements in New Hampshire that he didn’t earn. Oops.

* The LA Times reported over the weekend, “President Bush’s unpopularity and a string of political setbacks have created a toxic climate for the Republican Party, making it harder to raise money and recruit candidates for its drive to retake control of Congress.” The Republicans’ fundraising advantage has dwindled and the GOP’s campaign committees are finding that many of their top recruiting targets aren’t interested in running in a cycle in which the Republican “brand” is in sharp decline. It’s also not helping with incumbents who are mulling retirement.

* On a related note, private polls conducted for the House Dems of the 50 most competitive congressional districts suggest the party, at this early stage, believes it can add another 9 to 11 seats to its House majority.

* Bob Novak noted that former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) has “won straw polls at the Oklahoma Republican convention, the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference, the California Republican Assembly and Georgia’s 9th Congressional District party convention,” all without actually announcing his candidacy.

* The WaPo had a fascinating profile over the weekend on John Arthur Eaves, running for governor in Mississippi as a pro-life, pro-school prayer evangelical Democrat. The Post put it this way: “[A]n Eaves victory would also be a shot across the bow to the Democrats’ liberal base, raising the question of how far the party is willing to go in jettisoning its support for abortion rights, gay rights and a high wall of separation between church and state for a chance at electoral success. Eaves’s campaign asks: Just how big should the Democrats’ tent be?”

* Dems in Texas believe Sen. John Cornyn (R) may be vulnerable next year, but haven’t identified a top-tier challenger. Rep. Nick Lampson (D), who just won Tom DeLay’s old seat last year, is mulling a bid. “He has been getting a lot of calls from lots of friends and supporters around the state asking him to look into it,” said Mike Lykes, who just traded in his job as Lampson’s chief of staff to become his campaign finance director.

* And finally, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D), who caught some flack for naming Byron White as his ideal Supreme Court justice last week, responded to questions with a confused response. Told that White voted in the minority on Roe, Richardson said, “Are you sure? Roe versus Wade? He was in the ’60s.” For the record, White served from 1962 to 1993 — and was one of two justices in the minority on Roe.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Politico reports today that former Sen. Fred Thompson’s (R-Tenn.) advisors have “begun exploring a range of staffing options,” including talking to potential campaign managers, in advance of an increasingly likely presidential campaign. Thompson advisers indicate that the actor-turned-pol-turned-actor is “on track to be ready to announce his candidacy in June or July.”

* On a related note, congressional Republicans have reportedly begun asking Thompson about possible skeletons in his closet, specifically his reputation for an active social life. “I was single for a long time, and, yep, I chased a lot of women,” Thompson replied, chuckling, according to an attendee who took notes. “And a lot of women chased me. And those that chased me tended to catch me.” Thompson is now married.

* Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D) announced a few weeks ago that she would not seek a second term, assuming at the time that former Sen. John Breaux (D) would seek to replace her. With Breaux withdrawing due to residency issues, Blanco is reportedly mulling a reversal. Blanco (D) “would not deny she is considering re-entering the governor’s race when questioned by TV reporters,” the Baton Rouge Advocate reported.

* Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) believes a third-party candidate could excel in the 2008 presidential race, though he didn’t mention any names and didn’t include himself in the mix. “I think the public is fed up,” he said. “If the two major parties don’t hear this going into ‘08, there is a real chance of an independent third-party candidacy — and watch out if that happens,” he said at an AEI forum yesterday.

* While “what’s your favorite novel?” is a perennial campaign question, most of the answers are hardly newsworthy. Yesterday, however, Mitt Romney pointed to “Battlefield Earth,” a novel by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, as his personal favorite. “I’m not in favor of his religion by any means,” Romney said. “But he wrote a book called ‘Battlefield Earth’ that was a very fun science-fiction book.” Campaign aides later said the book is just one of the former governor’s many favorite novels.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In a surprise turn-around, Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama announced yesterday that they will attend a CNN/Union Leader debate in New Hampshire in June. Despite early statements that they would work within a debate sanctioning process instituted by the Democratic National Committee, the two announced within hours of each other their intentions to take part in the June debate.

* The WaPo reported today that John Edwards “is launching the first television ads for his presidential campaign to coincide with President Bush’s veto of the Iraq funding bill. The ad, which will run in the D.C. media market, is aimed at sending a message to Congress as it considers the next steps on the war.”

* Mitt Romney had a rough day yesterday after reports surfaced that his favorite novel is L. Ron Hubbard’s “Battleship Earth.” The Boston Herald noted that the Mark Twain novel “Huckleberry Finn” tops the book list on Romney’s My Space page — and “Battlefield Earth” isn’t on the list. The paper labeled this “another flip flop.”

* The Hill reported Monday that Barack Obama snubbed the Congressional Black Caucus, declining to help the CBC raise money after promising he would. Yesterday, CBC member Rep. Al Wynn (D-Md.) took “strong exception” to the article, insisting, “Obama has always expressed his willingness to host a fundraiser for the CBC PAC. We are working together to secure a date and avoid a scheduling conflict. The Senator has been very supportive of the CBC PAC’s efforts, and I am confident that he will continue to do so in the future.”

* And widespread rumors that Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) will not seek reelection picked up a bit yesterday when Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) reportedly told supporters that Warner told him to make preparations for an open Senate race. If Warner doesn’t seek another term, Democrats hope to get former Gov. Mark Warner (no relation) to seek the seat.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Tonight will be the first Republican presidential debate, with 10 candidates taking the stage to field questions from Chris Matthews. The event will be held at (where else?) the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Nancy Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger will reportedly be on hand. The debate starts at 8pm (eastern) and will aired on MSNBC.

* Barack Obama found himself in a bit of an online mess when his campaign took control of the MySpace page listed under his name, which had been run by an Obama supporter unaffiliated with the campaign. Obama’s staffers had reached out to the supporter, who in turn asked for $39,000 for the work he’d put into the site, plus some additional fees up to $10,000. The campaign balked and worked with MySpace to claim the site anyway, in the process losing over 150,000 “friends” the site had collected. The creator of the site, Joe Anthony, received a call from Obama personally last night, but nevertheless has soured on the senator’s campaign.

* With Republican presidential hopefuls poised to share a stage for the first time this evening, the DNC is releasing a research packet on the top three candidates titled, “The Real Republicans.” The document, obtained by Politico, says Giuliani, Romney and McCain are “[o]ut of step with the mainstream of their party, out of step with the American people and even out of step with their own previous positions and public records.”

* Most of the Dem presidential candidates have been reluctant to criticize one another, but yesterday Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) took a modest shot at John Edwards for his new ads on Iraq funding: “We wish that Senator Edwards was still in the Senate for this important fight…. If we can’t get his vote in the Senate, of course we would welcome Senator Edwards ‘ support for Senator Dodd’s plan, which would safely re-deploy out troops and bring an end to this war within on year rather than the incremental eighteen-month approach he has proposed.”

* In Kentucky’s Republican gubernatorial primary, former Rep. Anne Northup (R) has launched an unbelievably hard-hitting ad against incumbent Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R), literally showing attack ads from Democrats that Northup’s campaign made up. Fletcher’s still leading in the polls, though.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Florida has thrown a huge monkey wrench into the presidential nominating schedule by moving its primary up to Jan. 29, a week ahead of the Feb. 5 primaries that make up a de facto “national primary.” As the NYT reported, this is likely to cause a ripple effect: “New Hampshire may move up its primary — possibly even to this year — and in South Carolina, Republican officials said they, too, would advance the date of their primary. “South Carolina will name a date that keeps us first in the South,” said the party chairman, Katon Dawson. ‘It could be as early as Halloween and our version of trick-or-treat, if we have to.’”

* Barack Obama won a big endorsement this week from Oprah Winfrey, her first official endorsement of a political candidate. Asked about a certain senator from New York, Winfrey said, “I have great respect for Hillary Clinton. I think I’ve said this before and it’s true: Because I am for Barack does not mean I am against Hillary or anybody else.”

* In case there was any lingering doubt about Fred Thompson’s campaign plans, the lobbyist/actor/senator has taken up blogging: “The actor-politician had experimented with blogging, posting two- and three-sentence thoughts on the Web site for ABC News Radio, for whom he is a host and commentator. But not until several weeks ago, after declaring an interest in the presidency, did he start weighing in in earnest. Now his opinion columns are appearing on RedState.com, the Pajamas Media blog, National Review Online and his own blog, The Fred Thompson Report.”

* Republicans have finally recruited a candidate for Colorado’s open U.S. Senate race. Former Rep. Bob Schaffer (R-Colo.), who lost to Pete Coors in a Senate primary three years ago, announced this week that he will seek the seat. He’ll likely face Rep. Mark Udall (D-Colo.), around whom Democrats have coalesced.

* Oklahoma State Sen. Andrew Rice (D) is apparently gearing up to take on Sen. Jim Inhofe (R) next year. Keep an eye on this one.

* And the NYT had an interesting report this week about Rudy Giuliani raising an impressive amount of money in Texas ($2.2 million in Q1), thanks in large part to his extensive connections to a former Enron president and executives with the nation’s biggest oil companies.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Fred Thompson, the Republican lobbyist/senator/actor weighing a possible presidential bid, appeared at the Lincoln Club of Orange County Dinner on Friday night, with high expectations. A packed crowd thought Thompson might even declare his candidacy. According to Bob Novak, the event was a “letdown,” that disappointed the audience. Novak quoted attendees describing Thompson’s half-hour speech as “not Reaganesque,” having “no red meat,” and being “too low key.”

* Rudy Giuliani told Iowa Republicans over the weekend that he believes George W. Bush “will be viewed by history for this one decision [launching a war on terrorism] as being a great president.” Should Giuliani somehow get the GOP nomination, expect this quote to appear quite a bit in 2008 Democratic advertising.

* David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, one the country’s largest far-right lobbying groups, said John McCain’s presidential campaign has “fatal problems.” Keene added, “I can be proven wrong, but McCain is dying a slow political death right now…. There are a number of reasons for that. On the right, he’s simply not trusted, doesn’t have credibility. He is not a small government conservative, and that’s the basic underlying problem.”

* CNN’s upcoming presidential debates (Dems on June 3, GOP on June 5) in New Hampshire will be made available to the public without restrictions, unlike MSNBC. Good for CNN.

* Barack Obama was asked about Rush Limbaugh’s “Barack the Magic Negro” song. “You know, I have not heard it but I’ve heard of it,” Obama said. “I confess that I don’t listen to Rush on a daily basis. On the other hand, I’m not one of these people who, who takes myself so seriously that I get offended by — by every — every comment made about me. You know, the — you know, what Rush does is entertainment, and although it’s probably not something that I listen to much, I don’t — mind folks poking fun at me.”

* And in Florida, which caused a stir last week when the state legislature moved its primary to late January, state Democratic leaders are reportedly working behind the scenes with Howard Dean to choose a later date for their nominating contest.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Following a series of staffing changes in April, John McCain’s presidential campaign continues to change the players at various positions. Yesterday, Michael P. Dennehy, McCain’s national political director, stepped down from his job, saying he wants to spend more time with his family.

* Barack Obama delivered a surprisingly stern message to the auto industry yesterday, giving a speech at the Detroit Economic Club on using government incentives to modernize U.S. car companies. “I’m making this proposal here today because I don’t believe in making proposals in California and giving a different speech in Michigan,” he said. His goal “is not to destroy the industry, but to help bring it into the 21st century,” he said.

* Kentucky state Treasurer Jonathan Miller (D) withdrew from the state’s gubernatorial race yesterday and threw his support behind his rival, former Lt. Gov. Steve Beshear (D). Miller said he wanted to avoid a situation in which Democrats chose a candidate “whose baggage would be picked apart and exploited’ by Republicans.”

* The New York Post reported today that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) may say he’ll be done with politics at the end of his second term, but he’s reportedly interested in taking on Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) in 2010.

* The Nation’s Ari Berman wrote a very unflattering profile on Mark Penn, Hillary Clinton’s pollster and chief strategist. Berman asks, “Is what’s good for Penn and his business good for Hillary’s political career? And furthermore, can she convincingly claim to fight for the average American with Penn guiding strategy in her corner?”

* And the Washington Times reports that about half of Al Gore’s top 25 fundraisers have not donated or publicly committed to any other presidential candidate, prompting speculation that they may be waiting for a certain former VP to decide what to do about 2008.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* It didn’t take too long for Rudy Giuliani’s rivals to jump on his Planned Parenthood contributions. John McCain’s top campaign strategist told the LA Times, “He’s well outside the mainstream of rank-and-file Republicans on this issue, not only as someone who is pro-abortion, but someone who has supported one of the most radical pro-abortion groups in the country.” Expect more of this.

* While most of the nation’s Democratic governors have so far steered clear of endorsing presidential candidates, two high-profile governors are poised to throw their weight behind Hillary Clinton. Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) will endorse Clinton at an event in Annapolis today, followed by New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D), who will announce his support next week.

* CNN: “Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards said Tuesday that he worked for a hedge fund to learn more about financial markets and their relationship to poverty in the United States. Edwards won’t disclose how much he got paid as a consultant to Fortress Investment Group, but said he did keep the money. ‘It was primarily to learn, but making money was a good thing, too.’”

* The media seems to be having quite a bit of fun ridiculing Barack Obama for overstating the death toll in Kansas’ recent tornadoes. Obama told an a Virginia audience that “10,000″ people had died. He meant to say, “10.”

* Rep. Tom Allen (D-Maine) announced yesterday that he will challenge Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) next year, in what should be one of the most closely-watched statewide contests in the country. Allen was the DSCC’s top choice for the race, and no other Dems have announced.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* ABC News reported last night that Mitt Romney’s wife, Ann, donated $150 to Planned Parenthood in 1994. “Her positions are not terribly relevant to my campaign,” Romney said in response in Iowa last night. Romney’s rivals, as one might imagine, are arguing the opposite.

* Rudy Giuliani criticized congressional Republicans during a speech in Alabama yesterday, saying they failed to keep federal spending under control. “We need a President who knows how to cut spending,” Giuliani said. “I am an expert at it.” He neglected to mention that New York City’s budget swelled by nearly 28% during his two terms as mayor.

* Speaking of Giuliani, the former NYC mayor apparently asked for and received four New York Yankees World Series rings — one for each title during his tenure — each engraved with his name. Giuliani paid $16,000 for the rings, which are valued at over $200,000. It’s illegal for the mayor to accept lucrative gifts from those who do business with the city — and the Yankees did a lot of business with NYC.

* Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson acknowledges that his big speech in California last weekend was a bust, but he’s shaping a new “Stump Speech 2.0” for Saturday night, when Thompson delivers the keynote address to the secretive right-wing Council for National Policy.

* Rep. Martin Meehan (D-Mass.) resigned from Congress yesterday in order to become the new chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. Gov. Deval Patrick has set a Sept. 4 primary and an Oct. 16 general election to replace him.

* Al Gore’s friends and former aides don’t expect the VP to run again in 2008.

* And the political world is abuzz with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson’s new TV ads, which show him struggling at a mock job interview. Fans of the ads think they’re effective because they’re funny and emphasize Richardson’s terrific resume. Critics of the ads think they fail to make Richardson look presidential, and neglect to talk about the issues. Take a look and see for yourself. (For what it’s worth, I think they’re great for an early bio ad, but he’ll need to follow up with something more substantive soon.)

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Bush was the featured speaker for the national Republican Party at its annual gala last night, helping the party raise $10.5 million. The AP noted that it was a paltry sum, compared to previous years (Bush raised $17 million last year, $15 million in 2005 and $14 million in 2003. When Bush was seeking re-election to the White House in 2004, the dinner brought in a record $38.5 million).

* As if Rudy Giuliani didn’t have enough trouble right now, ABC News reported last night that the former NYC mayor and his consulting company, Giuliani Partners, have “served as key advisors for the last five years to the pharmaceutical company that pled guilty today to charges it misled doctors and patients about the addiction risks of the powerful narcotic painkiller OxyContin.”

* West Virginia Rep. Shelly Moore Capito (R) has rebuffed NRSC overtures and will not challenge Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D) next year. Rockefeller’s likelihood of winning re-election easily just went up.

* NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg raised a few eyebrows this week when he re-launched the website he used for his mayoral campaigns in 2001 and 2005. “This site will help you learn more about the issues important to me and the causes I’ve supported in business, philanthropy and public life,” it says. Hmm.

* MySpace is organizing a series of “Presidential Town Hall” meetings at college campuses across the country from September through December. Twelve candidates from both parties will participate.

* How fast is the 2008 presidential race moving? The AP reports that the Commission on Presidential Debates is already visiting some of the 19 possible sites for next year’s debates. (We’re still seven months before the Iowa caucuses, right?)

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson delivered the keynote address to the secretive right-wing Council for National Policy over the weekend, and the group was reportedly impressed. The media was forbidden from attending the event — CNP members aren’t even supposed to acknowledge the group’s existence publicly — but the far-right Washington Times quoted some members who liked what they heard. One said, “He’s right on the issues…. He’s better than all of the above.”

* Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich inched closer to a presidential campaign this morning, telling Diane Sawyer that there is a “great possibility” that he will run. “You said you’ll make a decision at the end of the September,{is it} more likely, less likely this morning?” Sawyer asked Gingrich. “I think right now, it is a great possibility,” Gingrich said.

* John McCain’s staff shake-up continued late Friday when his campaign fired its New Hampshire campaign manager. It’s the fourth major staffing change Team McCain has made in the last few weeks.

* Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) made a big mistake over the weekend, telling an audience in Wisconsin that someone other than Brett Favre is the best NFL quarterback in the game. Discussing the need for the nation to focus on families, Brownback said, “This is fundamental blocking and tackling. This is your line in football. If you don’t have a line, how many passes can Peyton Manning complete? Greatest quarterback, maybe, in NFL history.” The crowd booed. Brownback touted Bart Starr, the former Packer great. The crowd continued to rustle. Finally, he mentioned Favre, and the audience was satisfied.

* And speaking of Wisconsin, former Gov. Tommy Thompson explained that he flubbed a question on discrimination at the recent GOP presidential debate because he had to go to the bathroom. “I’ve been very sick…. I was very sick the day of the debate. I had all of the problems with the flu and bronchitis that you have, including running to the bathroom. I was just hanging on. I could not wait until the debate got off so I could go to the bathroom.” Last week, Thompson said he’d misunderstood the question.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The far-right Washington Times quotes inside sources today to report that NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg is “prepared to spend an unprecedented $1 billion of his own $5.5 billion personal fortune for a third-party presidential campaign.” A long-time business adviser to Bloomberg said, “He has set aside $1 billion to go for it. The thinking about where it will come from and do we have it is over, and the answer is yes, we can do it.” Bloomberg has also reportedly been meeting with Ross Perot’s senior advisors from the 1992 campaign.

* Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) has not only endorsed Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) against her Democratic challenger, but he will also co-host a DC fundraiser for her in June with Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.).

* Remember the family farmers snubbed by the Giuliani campaign because they weren’t wealthy enough? The candidate seems to have ironed things out — Giuliani personally flew out to Iowa to make amends. It paid off: “His campaign sent out a release announcing that Deborah VonSprecken will chair his effort in the county where the VonSprecken’s have their family farm. Or, as the release went: ‘After spending nearly two hours visiting with Mr. and Mrs. VonSprecken, Deborah expressed her interest in supporting Mayor Giuliani and leading his efforts in Jones County.’”

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) became only the second Democratic presidential candidate hit the New Hampshire airwaves this week with a new ad emphasizing his opposition to the war in Iraq. “Half measures won’t stop this President from continuing our involvement in Iraq’s civil war. That’s why I’m fighting for the only responsible measure in Congress that would take away the President’s blank check and set a timetable to bring our troops home,” he tells voters, asking why his Dem rivals haven’t endorsed his plan.

* And tonight is the second Republican presidential debate, this time in South Carolina. The event begins at 9 pm (eastern), will be aired on Fox News, and Brit Hume is the moderator. The debate, despite some rumors to the contrary last week, will feature all 10 candidates who appeared at the first debate.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In a move intended to help Barack Obama, and improve Illinois’ standing on the presidential campaign calendar, the Illinois state Senate “gave final approval Tuesday to legislation that advances the state’s 2008 presidential primary by more than a month to Feb. 5,” the Chicago Tribune reports. “Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich has said he will sign the measure, which also would put primary races from the county level to the legislature, Congress and the U.S. Senate on the same fast track, as well as future contests for governor and other statewide offices.”

* Bill Kelly, a prominent GOP activist and likely ‘08 congressional candidate in Michigan, announced yesterday that he is switching his support from McCain to Romney. In an email to a dozen prominent Michigan Republicans, Kelley said, “I now formally endorse Mitt Romney for president. Romney has the charisma and ability to communicate our conservative values. He will lead our party to victory. Endorsing John McCain was the biggest mistake of my political career - I think he has been more of a detriment than a benefit to our party. ”

* In a bit of a setback for the DSCC, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D) announced yesterday that, like Rep. Peter DeFazio (D), he will not challenge Sen. Gordon Smith (R) in next year’s Senate race in Oregon. Blumenauer cited his new-found power in the House as a reason for skipping the race.

* A new Minnesota Public Radio poll shows Republican Sen. Norm Coleman easily defeating Democrats Al Franken or Mike Ciresi if the election were today, but warning signs lie ahead: “Coleman’s approval rating among Minnesota voters has slipped below 50 percent and some analysts say that’s politically risky for him.”

* And The Hill notes that John McCain may have blasted Jerry Falwell as an “agent of intolerance” during the 2000 presidential campaign, but yesterday, the Arizona senator’s campaign was the first to honor Falwell upon the announcement of his death. McCain put out a statement saying that “Dr. Falwell was a man of distinguished accomplishment who devoted his life to serving his faith and country.” There was no reference to McCain believing the opposite seven years ago.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will formally kick off his presidential campaign on Monday, after months of campaigning. He will make his announcement in Los Angeles, instead of his home state.

* Richard Viguerie, the conservative guru who pioneered direct-mail fundraising, is going after Rudy Giuliani’s presidential campaign with considerable gusto. “Rudy Giuliani is wrong on all of the social issues, is wrong on the Second Amendment, and is pretty much a blank slate on all other issues of importance to conservatives,” Viguerie adds. “If the Republican Party nominates him, it is saying to the American people that it has lost all purpose except the raw political desire to hold power. It will be time to put the GOP out of its misery.”

* Speaking of Giuliani, the former NYC mayor likes to brag about the drop in his city’s abortion rate during his tenure, but the NYT reports today, “A review of the figures from Mr. Giuliani’s years as mayor, from 1994 to 2001, shows that although abortions did decline and adoptions did increase, the changes mirrored national trends. Furthermore, other factors probably contributed to those changes, calling into question Mr. Giuliani’s suggesting correlation between the two trends.” NYC’s abortion rate dropped less than the national average over his eight years in office.

* Brownback thinks he has a uterus: “During [Tuesday’s] presidential debate, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) repeatedly motioned to his stomach to argue against pro-choice policies. ‘Here in the womb,’ he said, there ‘is a child that we’re talking about doing this to.’”

* Rep. Walter Jones Jr. (R-N.C.), one of only four congressional Republicans to vote with Dems on the president’s war policy, is getting a primary challenge from far-right County Commissioner Joe McLaughlin (R). “I’ve campaigned for Walter before, but that all changed when I saw him on ABC with Dennis Kucinich saying the war on terror wasn’t worth it,” McLaughlin told the Wilson Daily Times.

* And the DNC officially announced “the dates, media sponsors and cities for the six DNC sanctioned [presidential] debates.” CNN and NBC each get two, while and ABC and CBS each get one. Fox News isn’t included. The first will be on July 23 on CNN, with one per month following through December.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* There are 10 sitting members of Congress running for president right now, but only John McCain believes he doesn’t have to show up for work anymore: “Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is the only presidential candidate in Congress to have missed a major vote on the Iraq war this year, and his absences are not sitting well with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).” McCain has missed 42 consecutive votes, and this is the fifth straight week he hasn’t cast a vote.

* The New York Daily News noted today that Rudy Giuliani has been paying his third wife $125,000 a year to be one of his speechwriters. The payments go back to before they were married. GOP Strategist Nelson Warfield said, “It just looks odd. Most spouses view supporting their significant others as part of the package, not part of the compensation package.”

* The Wall Street Journal’s Peggy Noonan devoted her column today to former Sen. Fred Thompson, writing a lengthy love letter praising the actor/lobbyist/pol for “running a great campaign.” Acknowledging that there is no actual campaign right now, Noonan adds, “It’s a guerrilla campaign whose informality is meant to obscure his intent. It has been going on for months and is aimed at the major pleasure zones of the Republican brain.”

* My friend Cliff Schecter reports this week about an important Dem gubernatorial primary on Tuesday in Kentucky, when former Lt. Gov and AG Steve Beshear fill face off against millionaire businessman Bruce Lunsford. As Schecter explains, Lunsford is from the Zell Miller wing of the party, having backed a variety of Republicans of late (including George W. Bush, Mitch McConnell, Ernie Fletcher, and Anne Northup).

* Saul Anuzis, the chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, is working on having Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) excluded from future GOP presidential debates. Paul backers have responded aggressively: “The Michigan Republican Party has been deluged with incoming missives, some inviting Anuzis to go become the Republican party chair of Cuba. They’re even calling his home.”

* And Al Gore continues to give unclear answers about his ‘08 plans, though he appears to be leaning against a campaign. The former VP told Time, “I’m not convinced the presidency is the highest and best role I could play. The path I see is a path that builds a consensus — to the point where it doesn’t matter as much who’s running. It would take a lot to disabuse me of the notion that my highest and best use is to keep building that consensus.” And what would it take to disabuse him? “I can’t say because I’m not looking for it. But I guess I would know it if I saw it. I haven’t ruled it out. But I don’t think it’s likely to happen.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As much as I’m disinterested in national polls for 2008, I nevertheless think polls from the early primary states are fairly significant, because voters in the first handful of states will help drive the process. With that in mind, a new poll from Iowa’s Des Moines Register raised a lot of eyebrows over the weekend, when it showed Mitt Romney pulling out in front among the state’s Republicans with 30% support. John McCain was second with 18%, followed by Giuliani with 17%. No other candidate reached double digits (Tommy Thompson places a distant fourth with 7%).

* As for the Dems, the same Iowa Poll showed John Edwards leading the pack with 29%, followed by Barack Obama with 23%, and Hillary Clinton with 21%. Bill Richardson, whose ads recently hit Iowa airwaves, garnered 10% support and was the only other candidate to reach double digits.

* Speaking of good news for Romney, James Dobson, fresh off his denunciation of Rudy Giuliani, shared some praise for the former Massachusetts governor late last week, and suggested he might back his candidacy. “I mean he’s very presidential and he’s got the right answers to many, many things,” Dobson told conservative commentator Laura Ingraham on her show. Dobson said he hasn’t decided whom to back, but that Romney “is still on the list.”

* Most political observers agree that Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) is vulnerable next year, but that only applies if Dems find a strong challenger. Late last week, Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.) announced he, too, would skip the race. Wu’s announcement follows Democratic Reps. DeFazio, Blumenauer, and Hooley, who have all said they’re not running for the Senate.

* And last week there was considerable scuttlebutt about a possible independent presidential ticket featuring NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.). In case there was any doubt, sources close to Bloomberg insist that if the two did pair up, the mayor would not settle for the VP slot. “I’m not sure he would run for president, but I’m fairly certain that he wouldn’t want to run for vice president,” said a rep for Bloomberg’s company.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Florida always seems to figure out a way to be provocative: “Gov. Charlie Crist signed a bill Monday moving Florida’s 2008 presidential primary up to Jan. 29, leapfrogging several other states in a change that could dramatically alter the Republican and Democratic presidential nominating campaigns. The move puts Florida’s primary, which had been scheduled for March, behind only the Iowa and Nevada caucuses and the New Hampshire primary and on the same day as South Carolina’s Democratic primary.”

* Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) is once again talking up the possibility of breaking his word, ignoring his pledge to voters, and leaving the Democratic caucus. “I hope the moment doesn’t come that I feel so separated from the caucus” that he decides to shift allegiance to the Republicans, Lieberman told Bloomberg. Asked what Democratic actions might cause such a break, he invoked Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s famous 1964 definition of pornography: “I’ll know it when I see it.”

* Today is a big primary day in Kentucky, with both parties hosting closely-watched gubernatorial primaries. On the GOP side, Gov. Ernie Fletcher is facing former Rep. Anne Northup and businessman Billy Harper. Polls show Fletcher in the lead, but a June runoff will be necessary if he falls short of 40%. A runoff is likely among Dems, with former Lt. Gov. Steve Beshear, Bruce Lunsford, former Lt. Gov. Steve Henry, and state House Speaker Jody Richards all vying for the party’s nod. (As I recently mentioned, Lunsford is the candidate to avoid — he’s the quintessential Zell-Miller-style DINO.)

* New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) formally kicked off his presidential campaign yesterday and told reporters that he’ll be campaigning heavily in Iowa in the coming weeks. “I am very encouraged because it shows that our grass-roots campaigning and our TV ads are creating some momentum,” he said. Richardson finished fourth in a recent Iowa Poll with 10% support, suggesting he’s at the top of the second tier.

* Democratic presidential candidates are finding more fundraising success in the South than GOP candidates? Apparently so.

* And satellite radio subscribers may be interested to know that XM Radio is about to launch POTUS 08, the first national radio channel dedicated to a presidential election campaign. “This channel is a unique public service opportunity to provide our listeners with a commercial-free and politically neutral destination that is focused solely on this important presidential election,” said Hugh Panero, CEO of XM.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The AP explains today that former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) “already is” running for president, he just hasn’t said so yet: “Thompson is hiring staff, speaking to conservative groups, writing online columns on topics of the day and staking out positions on issues like the Senate immigration overhaul.” Chris Cillizza adds that Thompson hired former Federal Elections Commission Chairman Michael Toner “to serve as the lead lawyer for his increasingly likely campaign for the GOP presidential nomination.”

* The Boston Globe’s James Pindell notes that Rudy Giuliani will host “a town hall meeting” in New Hampshire today — but the public isn’t invited. “Apparently to Giuliani, speaking to insurance company employees and spouses in the office cafeteria counts as a town hall meeting,” Pindell said. Meet America’s next Bubble Boy.

* Indicative of the directions of the two major parties, the AP reports, “National Democratic Party committees raised nearly $60 million in the first four months of this year, one-fourth more than two years ago and twice as much as they collected during the same period in 2003. Republican Party committees, on the other hand, collected a quarter less than in 2005, placing them at near parity with Democrats for the first four months of this year.”

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) is launching a new TV ad in New Hampshire today, taking credit for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama voting for the Feingold bill on Iraq war funding. (I doubt he’s right, but at a minimum, it takes chutzpah to make the claim.)

* And both of Kentucky’s gubernatorial primaries went exactly the way Democrats wanted them to go yesterday. On the Republican side, incumbent Gov. Ernie Fletcher won 51% of the vote, despite a series of ethics and legal scandals. Fletcher will face former Lt. Gov. Steve Beshear (D), who got 41% (just barely enough to avoid a run-off) of the Democratic vote. Given Fletcher’s scandals, the smart money is on Beshear. The general election is in November.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A staffer for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign prepared a memo, which was leaked yesterday, suggesting the senator skip the Iowa caucuses and concentrate on other early primary states. Clinton and top campaign officials said the memo was considered and rejected. “It’s not the opinion of the campaign,” Clinton told Radio Iowa yesterday, referring to the memo. “It’s not my opinion.”

* Rudy Giuliani and John Edwards traded a series of shots yesterday over whether the “war on terror” is legitimate or a political “bumper sticker.” Giuliani said Edwards is “not facing reality.” Edwards spokesman Eric Schultz said, “America deserves better from Rudy Giuliani. They deserve a President whose interest is in protecting America from terrorist attacks and not simply using this for political gain.”

* Mitt Romney has apparently decided that he can score points in the GOP primaries by running against Massachusetts, the state he led for one term. “In the most liberal state in the country,” a narrator says over pictures of photos of John Kerry and Mike Dukakis, “one Republican stood up, and cut spending instead of raising taxes. He enforced immigration laws, stood up for traditional marriage and the sanctity of human life.”

* Arizona State Rep. Russell Pierce (R) believes Sen. John McCain, who hasn’t cast a vote in weeks, and has even skipped supporting bills he sponsored, should step down. “We need a Senator,” Pearce said. “I think if McCain wants to be a full-time candidate and not be at the Senate, he ought to consider resigning.”

* Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) hopes to expand his ties to the religious right movement by campaigning today in Iowa with pseudo-historian David Barton, head of a group called Wallbuilders, a liaison to evangelicals for the Republican National Committee.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* When the Senate voted yesterday on the president’s war-funding bill, only 14 senators opposed the measure. Among them were three of the four Dem senators running for president: Clinton, Dodd, and Obama.

* Speaking of Clinton, the senator unveiled her healthcare policy yesterday, acknowledging the fact that the issue caused her some trouble a decade ago.”Now, I’ve tangled with this issue before, and I’ve got the scars to show for it,” Clinton told an auditorium packed with medical students and doctors at George Washington University. “But I learned some valuable lessons from that experience. One is that we can’t achieve reform without the participation and commitment of healthcare providers, employers, employees and other citizens who pay for, depend upon and actually deliver healthcare services.” Clinton offered a proposal Thursday focused on reining in healthcare costs.

* Rudy Giuliani scored a few cheap points in the last debate at Ron Paul’s expense, but Paul is still trying to capitalize on the exchange. Yesterday, the Texas lawmaker questioned Giuliani’s qualifications to be president, suggesting he would not support him unless he’d read several specific books and “report back to me.” He suggested that the former mayor read four books: “Imperial Hubris” by Michael Scheuer, “Dying to Win” by Robert Pape, “Blowback” by Chalmers Johnson and the 9/11 Commission Report. Paul was joined by Scheuer, the former head of the CIA’s Osama bin Laden unit.

* Speaking of cheap points from the last debate, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) is having so much fun making fun of John Edwards’ expensive haircut, the Huckabee campaign is building a whole fundraiser around it. His campaign site now features a message explaining, “[W]e added a Barber pole to my campaign website, the kind that hangs inside or outside of barbershops all over this country, but probably not where John Edwards gets his haircut!”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Several news outlets report this morning that Fred Thompson will enter the presidential race soon. Thompson apparently dropped the pretenses during a conference call with supporters yesterday, urging 100 potential donors to each raise at least $50,000. He will reportedly create an exploratory committee next week, in advance of a formal launch sometime over the next month or so.

* Hillary Clinton picked up a major endorsement yesterday when Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) announced his support for her campaign. The NYT noted, “In a telephone interview yesterday, Mr. Villaraigosa described a lengthy courtship by both Clintons, starting with a phone call from Mrs. Clinton on the January morning when she announced her presidential candidacy. The mayor also recalled conversations with her at his Los Angeles home and at his office; two private dinners in Washington; and several phone conversations.” The formal announcement is expected today in L.A.

* Mitt Romney raised a few eyebrows yesterday when he announced that, if elected president, he would give his salary away. While governor of Massachusetts, Romney, who became a multi-millionaire as a venture capitalist, declined his $135,000 annual salary.

* Joining what appears to be every other state in the Union, Georgia and Alaska pushed their presidential primaries up to Feb. 5. The date has become a de facto national primary.

* And the American Spectator put the rumor mill in motion yesterday with a report on Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) weighing a presidential campaign. A few hours later, Coburn’s office shot down the rumors. “He has no intention of running for president,” Coburn spokesman John Hart said. He chalked up the buzz to “effective rumor planting by powerful donors who want to see a wholesale shake-up in the GOP.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Obama-McCain feud took an entertaining twist yesterday, after McCain fired off an email to supporters arguing that he is “mindful of my duties and responsibilities as a United States Senator,” and was “profoundly disappointed” in Obama for voting against Bush’s war funding bill. Obama spokesman Bill Burton responded: “As a senator who takes his duties seriously, and has also showed up to vote more than once this month, Barack Obama considers few responsibilities more important than his votes on the war in Iraq. Obama opposed the war from the beginning and, unlike Senator McCain, is committed to ending it as quickly and responsibly as possible.”

* Fred Thompson indicated yesterday that he hasn’t decided whether to compete in the Ames Straw Poll, scheduled for Aug. 11 in Iowa. As it turns out, he may not have a choice — the state GOP may force him to compete whether he wants to or not. “It’s our party, and we decide whose name is on the ballot,” Iowa GOP executive director Chuck Laudner told the Politico. “I predict he will be on the ballot one way or another,” Laudner added with a grin.

* Speaking of Thompson, Atrios raised an important point yesterday. CNN’s Candy Crowley told viewers yesterday that Thompson had a “bout with cancer,” but now he’s “cancer free.” Whether medical history matters to a voter or not, Crowley’s report is mistaken — “Thompson has indolent lymphoma. It’s incurable. It will kill him, if something else doesn’t first. It may not kill him very soon. He may live many years. But he’s not ‘cancer free.’”

* With Bush having nominated Bob Zoellick to replace Paul Wolfowitz at the World Bank, there’s a largely unnoticed effect on the presidential race: Zoellick has been serving as policy director for John McCain’s presidential campaign.

* And RRW reported a fascinating tidbit from an article in Rolling Stone. Sam Brownback is apparently impressing the wrong people: “A favorite of hatemongers: Fred Phelps, the ‘God Hates Fags’ preacher infamous for disrupting military funerals, says Brownback ‘likes what we’re doing, and he tells me that.’”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Washington Times: “The Republican National Committee, hit by a grass-roots donors’ rebellion over President Bush’s immigration policy, has fired all 65 of its telephone solicitors, The Washington Times has learned. Faced with an estimated 40 percent falloff in small-donor contributions and aging phone-bank equipment that the RNC said would cost too much to update, Anne Hathaway, the committee’s chief of staff, summoned the solicitations staff and told them they were out of work, effective immediately.” Several of the sacked solicitors said donations had dropped off considerably due to Bush’s immigration policy.

* One of Rudy Giuliani’s principal talking points on the stump is that he, unlike his GOP rivals, can compete in the Northeast. The claim was undercut a bit yesterday, when a Siena College poll found that he trailed both of the Dems’ top two candidates, in his home state, by double digits. In New York, Clinton leads Giuliani 52% to 39%, while Obama leads the former mayor 50% to 40%.

* Speaking of Giuliani, the Huffington Post’s Tom Edsall (congrats on the new gig, Tom) explores the growing conservative network that has come together to defeat Giuliani’s presidential aspirations. “The early success of Rudy Giuliani’s presidential bid has provoked a groundswell of opposition from disparate forces including conservative Catholics, remnants of Pat Buchanan’s presidential campaigns and regional political operatives seeking to break into the Republican firmament.”

* John Edwards ran into a little trouble yesterday when he told an interviewer that he had read the classified October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate before voting to authorize force in Iraq. Edwards, before yesterday, has maintained that he never read the report, but had been briefed on it. Campaign aides later said the former senator misunderstood the question.

* Chris Dodd unveiled his third (!) television ad of the campaign season yesterday, with a new spot emphasizing his concern about global warming.

* And Wesley Clark appears to have missed the boat when it comes to launching a presidential campaign, but he’s still involved, speaking regularly with other candidates. “I haven’t said I won’t run,” Clark told Politico.com. “I think about running every single day.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In case you needed further proof that debate analysis is purely in the eye of the beholder, consider a couple of examples. The Des Moines Register’s top political analyst, after last night’s event, concluded, “Edwards probably did himself the most good.” The Manchester Union Leader’s top political analyst concluded, “John Edwards and Bill Richardson did not make as strong a showing as they had hoped in the Democratic Presidential debate yesterday.”

* Fred Thompson received a warm welcome at a fundraising dinner for the Virginia Republican Party over the weekend, offering up red meat — and little else — for the GOP faithful. Asked by a reporter afterwards what he would do as president, Thompson said, “Well, I’d do lots of things.” Asked if he was prepared to share some examples, he said, “No.”

* Rudy Giuliani’s allies in New Jersey appear anxious to give him a hand when the state holds its primary on Feb. 5: “Supporters of Rudy Giuliani for president are changing New Jersey’s longtime proportional representation rules for allocating national convention delegates to winner-take-all, seeking a coup to give the former New York City mayor the lion’s share of the state’s 52 votes.”

* Scandal-plagued Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) may be exiting stage right next year. Bob Novak cited GOP sources on the Hill saying Lewis probably won’t seek a 16th term, due to the series of ethics and legal scandals.

* And Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-Md.), one of only four congressional Republicans to vote against Bush’s Iraq policy, is being rewarded with a primary challenger. State Sen. Andy Harris (R), a Johns Hopkins obstetric anesthesiologist and a commander in the Naval Reserve, announced that he plans to take Gilchrest on.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Republican presidential hopefuls will gather tonight for their third debate, this one in New Hampshire on the same stage used by Dems on Sunday night. The debate will be aired on CNN, starting at 7pm eastern.

* In one of the more inexplicable media decisions in recent memory, Fox News has invited Fred Thompson — who has formed a presidential exploratory committee, but who has declined to participate in the debate — to offer post-debate commentary on Hannity & Colmes. No conflict of interest there….

* Rudy Giuliani’s campaign distributed an item to conservative bloggers yesterday from the Salt Lake Tribune about whether Mitt Romney would fulfill a disputed Mormon legend about saving the Constitution in the last days. A Romney spokesperson suggested Giuliani’s campaign looked like it was questioning Romney’s faith. Giuliani’s campaign quickly backed off, calling the distribution of the story “a regrettable mistake.”

* Speaking of Giuliani, the new Post/ABC poll asked Republican voters how they feel about the former NYC mayor supporting abortion rights and gay civil unions. Fifty percent said his positions make them less likely to vote for him, up four points since February.

* The Democratic Senate primary in Minnesota is now up to three candidates, with St. Cloud bank owner Bob Olson scheduled to kick off his campaign later today. Olson, who is also the founder of the American Sustainable Energy Council, joins Al Franken and Mike Ciresi in the DFL field, with the winner to take on Sen. Norm Coleman (R) next year.

* And in Georgia, Dale Cardwell, a former television investigative reporter, announced yesterday that he will seek the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate. He will likely take on Vernon Jones, chief executive of adjacent DeKalb County, who has formed an exploratory committee, and who has been the subject of some of Cardwell’s investigative reports. The winner will face Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R) next fall.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Immediately after last night’s GOP debate, nascent presidential hopeful Fred Thompson appeared on Fox News to offer his analysis of his competitors (yes, it was breathtakingly unethical journalism). The former senator used his role as a campaign “analyst” to announce his new website (www.ImWithFred.com). He also responded to some of the Republicans who’ve criticized him: “It’s a badge of honor to get attacked by some of these bozos.”

* MSNBC reported this week that Lynne Cheney, the VP’s wife, might be considered by Wyoming Republicans for the Senate vacancy created by Sen. Thomas’ death. At this point, it appears only to be a rumor.

* Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, DNC Chairman Howard Dean, and Ret. Gen. Wesley Clark announced this week that they will be speakers at the YearlyKos convention in Chicago. (Just for the record, in case anyone’s curious, I’m not sure if I’ll be attending or not.)

* Hillary Clinton said on Sunday that we in the U.S., after 9/11, “are safer than we were. We are not yet safe enough, and I have proposed over the last year a number of policies that I think we should be following.” Her rivals, including the Obama and Edwards campaigns, have been trying to capitalize on the comment, suggesting the terrorist threat is greater now than before. The NYT reported that the Obama camp sent supporters and reporters a memorandum on Monday titled “America Is Not Safer Since 9/11,” which “cited research from the State Department and other groups that described terrorism as an accelerating threat.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The upcoming GOP Straw Poll in Ames, Iowa, was set to be a critically important early test for the Republican presidential field, possibly even knocking some of the bottom-tier guys out of the race. Yesterday, however, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain both announced that they will skip the event. This is a setback for Mitt Romney, who hoped beating Giuliani and McCain in the straw poll would propel his candidacy. It’s also a setback for the Iowa GOP, which stood to make millions of dollars from a competitive event, and is furious with yesterday’s developments. As for Giuliani and McCain, the Des Moines Register noted today, “No candidate in the straw poll’s nearly 30 year history has bypassed the event and won the caucuses.”

* In case anyone’s wondering about the Dems’ Iowa Straw Poll, it doesn’t exist — Dems banned it years ago.

* Yesterday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich gave himself 4-to-1 odds against running for president, less than a month after saying “it is a great possibility” that he would run. Gingrich told the AP that he will host some workshops in late September and will decide whether to form an exploratory committee on Sept. 30.

* McCain is scrambling to shore up support from the GOP’s religious right base, particularly after two senior campaign aides in charge of courting evangelicals who were fired started blasting the campaign for its intolerance. The WaPo noted that McCain “spent an hour answering questions on a conference call with church pastors and antiabortion activists in Iowa, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Florida and other key states” yesterday.

* Controversial former U.S. Attorney Tim Griffin was having trouble finding a job, but he appears to have landed on his feet: he’s joined Fred Thompson’s presidential campaign team.

* “Christian conservatives are on the brink of becoming irrelevant in this election cycle if they do not remain active because they really believe something about their faith that drives them into the political arena,” Mike Huckabee said yesterday. “If they say [social] issues are not as important this time; if they say the real issues are taxes or national security, then frankly, they are just another Republican special interest group.” You think he might be talking about the GOP top tier?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* It was odd enough when Mark McKinnon, a senior media adviser to John McCain who also led George W. Bush’s ad efforts in 2000 and 2004, said he’d back Barack Obama if he got the Democratic nomination. It’s even odder that Colin Powell, Bush’s Secretary of State, has advised Obama on foreign policy and is open to voting Democratic in 2008. Asked about how he plans to vote in 2008, the lifelong Republican would not commit to supporting the GOP nominee. “I’m going to support the best person that I can find who will lead this country for the eight years beginning in January of 2009,” Powell said. (It’s not exactly a vote of confidence for the Republican field, now is it?)

* Newt Gingrich believes the GOP has to convince voters that they’ll move away from Bush or they’ll lose the White House and more seats in Congress. “If the Republicans run a stand-pat presidential candidate who ends up being on defense for all of September and October and who is seen by the country as representing four more years, the fact is that Republicans are not going to” win, Gingrich told the American Enterprise Institute. Gingrich added that he believes John McCain “has the greatest challenge in a Republican primary.”

* Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), after a lengthy recovery period, is likely to return to the Senate chamber in September, a fact which has initiated some interest in his re-election campaign next year. The NRSC said there are three potential candidates considering the race, including Gov. Mike Rounds (R).

* A new Mason-Dixon poll in New Hampshire shows Mitt Romney leading the GOP pack with 27% support, followed by John McCain with 16%, and Rudy Giuliani with 15%. Fred Thompson is a close fourth with 12%. Among Dems, Hillary Clinton is out in front with 26%, followed by Barack Obama with 21%, and John Edwards with 18%. No other Dem is in double digits.

* Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), who also serves as chairman of the RNC, publicly criticized Romney and Giuliani over the weekend for their rhetoric on Bush’s immigration bill. “I have to say, on this issue they are falling short,” Martinez said. “What is [their] answer?” As The Note mentioned, “When judging what this means, imagine the furor if DNC Chairman Howard Dean had said the Clinton and Obama healthcare plans ‘fall short.’”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. Robert Menendez (D), one of New Jersey’s most influential Dems and a leading Hispanic lawmaker, will endorse Hillary Clinton today. That’s a valuable pick-up for the Clinton campaign.

* A new libertarian/conservative group, American Freedom Agenda, is pushing Republican presidential candidates to sign a pledge vowing to get search warrants before wiretapping, not to use signing statements, and promising to use the federal courts for terrorism suspects instead of military commissions. The group hasn’t had too many takers. Ron Paul is the only GOP candidate who has signed the pledge.

* Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) has the honor of holding the record for defeating more Republican House members in Senate races than any other senator in history. But that may not matter to Rep. Tom Latham (R-Iowa), who appears to be making moves towards a race against Harkin. The WaPo reported, “National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Ensign (Nev.) said that Latham ‘looks like a senator’ and would have ‘broad-based statewide appeal.’”

* Howard Dean’s game of chicken with the Florida Democratic Party continues: “They warned him yesterday not to ‘disenfranchise’ state voters and risk being blamed for a debacle on the scale of the 2000 recount. The warning comes amid alarm over a decision Sunday by state Democratic leaders to embrace Jan. 29 as the primary date. They are defying DNC headquarters and daring it to follow through on its threat to disqualify electors selected in the primary and punish candidates who campaign there. But the DNC is not backing down.”

* Speaking of Florida, reader W.B. alerted me to some political trouble back home for Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), whose work on the compromise immigration bill, coupled with his support for Bush’s Iraq policy, seems to have hurt his standing. Overall, Martinez’ approval rating has dipped to 37% in Florida.

* And in Wyoming, several top-tier Dems are lining up to run for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat following Sen. Craig Thomas (R) death last week. Former House candidate Gary Trauner, state Sen. Mike Massie and former gubernatorial candidate Paul Hickey are all weighing campaigns, and popular incumbent Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D) hasn’t ruled it out.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Bush used to be an unstoppable fundraising machine for the GOP. Not anymore: “Financial projections for the President’s Dinner tonight confirm that Republican confidence in the president is in a state of collapse. The National Republican Congressional Committee’s (NRCC) fundraising goal is $7.5 million, which is half what was raised last year. But to reach this lesser goal, each individual lawmaker has been asked to raise the same amount as 12 months ago. In other words, the NRCC is assuming lawmakers won’t be either willing or able to hit the targets they managed last year.”

* Subscribers to the always-conservative Jerusalem Post received an email solicitation yesterday from the Giuliani campaign, which characterized Dems as being unreliable allies of Israel. In an odd twist, the pitch wasn’t sent specifically by Team Giuliani, but rather from the newspaper itself. (In the “from” column of the email, it said, “The Jerusalem Post.”) As Greg Sargent explained, “There’s nothing untoward about sending out fundraising mail to lists that are rented from others — campaigns do that all the time. However, it does seem a bit unorthodox for the sender of the email to be identified as the newspaper, and not the campaign.”

* NBC’s Chuck Todd thinks the McCain campaign is faltering badly and may not recover: “Can Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the initial GOP front-runner, raise enough money by the time the second-quarter campaign finance books close on June 30 to survive and continue on? While his candidacy might not be dead, it is, at best, on life support at this point.” The Washington Times added this morning that McCain’s campaign “is showing signs of unraveling.”

* With polls showing him leading in Iowa and New Hampshire, Mitt Romney hopes to solidify his position with additional television advertising. The NYT reports, “[Romney] has spent some $4 million on television advertising since February, focusing mostly on Iowa and New Hampshire… He increased his advertising in a huge way last month, spending more than $2 million, much of it on national cable advertisements. This month, he added a run of television commercials in South Carolina, another early primary.” None of the other leading GOP candidates have aired television spots.

* And Hillary Clinton got a boost in Nevada yesterday when Dana Titus, the Dems’ gubernatorial nominee last year, endorsed the New York senator.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The deadline for Wyoming Republicans who want to fill the late Sen. Craig Thomas’ (R) seat was yesterday, and 31 people submitted applications. Lynne Cheney, Dick’s wife, was not among them. Next Tuesday, the Wyoming’s GOP Central Committee will winnow the number from 31 to three.

* All of the Democratic presidential candidates will appear an Univision debate in August, but the field will hear questions in English and English responses will be translated simultaneously into Spanish. Bill Richardson and Chris Dodd, both of whom are fluent Spanish speakers, are disappointed. A spokesperson for the Richardson campaign said, “This is a disservice to Univision’s viewers. It is a Spanish-language network and candidates who speak Spanish should not be penalized because other candidates do not.” He added that doing the debate in English is a “new wrinkle” that “detracts from the original intent” of the event, and as a result, Richardson may boycott.

* Rudy Giuliani took an indirect shot at Bush’s presidency yesterday, telling a Flag Day audience in Delaware, “What we’re lacking is strong, aggressive, bold leadership like we had with Ronald Reagan.”

* Speaking of Giuliani, the Jerusalem Post is going to stop distributing fundraising mail for the former mayor’s presidential campaign.

* Former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel appeared on the Laura Ingraham radio show yesterday, although he didn’t know it at first. “He came on, and he thought he was actually on the Dr. Laura show,” Ingraham’s producer said yesterday.

* And n a setback for DSCC recruiting, Alabama State Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks (D) announced this week that he will not take on Sen. Jeff Sessions (R) next year.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Most of Mitt Romney’s GOP rivals have played nice when it comes to making an issue out of his religious faith, but an Iowa staffer for Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) aimed low late last week. Former state Rep. Emma Nemecek (R), the southeastern Iowa field director for Brownback’s presidential campaign, sent a letter to Iowa GOP leaders with attacks on Mormons, which, among other things, argued, “Theologically, the only thing Christianity and the LDS church has in common is the name of Jesus Christ, and the LDS Jesus is not the same Jesus of the Christian faith. The LDS church has never been accepted by the Christian Council of Churches.” The Brownback campaign has since apologized.

* A new Mason-Dixon poll in South Carolina shows Barack Obama leading the Democratic field with 34% support. Clinton is second with 25%, and Edwards, who was born in South Carolina, is third with 12%. Among Republicans, Fred Thompson has jumped out in front with 25%, Rudy Giuliani is close behind with 21%, and Romney is third with 11%. John McCain is in fourth with 7%, which has to be kind of embarrassing.

* Nevada’s caucuses may have been moved up, but right now, Bill Richardson is pretty much the only candidate spending a lot of time there. The WaPo explained that Richardson has had “about as many events in the state as the three front-runners for the Democratic nomination have combined.”

* Mike Gravel has a new campaign ad out. It’s too long to air on television, and Gravel can’t really afford to buy airtime anyway, but it’s one of those ads that has people talking. I don’t want to give anything away for those who haven’t seen it; you’ll have to check it out for yourself. For the record, the ad isn’t a joke; the campaign actually put it together. A spokesperson for the former senator said the ad “is an expression of Mike Gravel.”

* And Dallas elected a new mayor over the weekend when wealthy retired businessman Tom Leppert easily won a run-off election in the most expensive mayoral race in Dallas history. Leppert defeated Ed Oakley, an openly gay city councilman, by more than 13,000 votes.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Brownback-Romney brouhaha, caused by a Brownback staffer who went after Romney’s faith, seems to have ended well. Brownback called Romney personally to apologize yesterday, and Romney accepted it. For what it’s worth, the Brownback campaign aide was not fired, but she was reprimanded.

* Speaking of apologies, Barack Obama called several prominent Indian Americans to apologize for the staff memo that criticized Hillary Clinton for her business interests in India. Obama has taken responsibility for the error, and has explained that he expects more from his staff in the future.

* NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke before a crowd of Google employees in California yesterday, “sounding every inch the presidential candidate he insists he is not.” Bloomberg reportedly said, “I am not a candidate” for the presidency. He did not, however, speak to whether he might become a candidate.

* The suspense is over. Hillary Clinton’s campaign has picked an official song — Celine Dion’s “You And I.” (Let the jokes begin.) More importantly, though, you really have to watch the video the campaign put together on this. If you don’t watch The Sopranos, you may not get the whole joke, but watch it anyway. The campaign did an amazing job on this.

* And there will be a special election in Georgia’s 10th congressional district today to replace the late Rep. Charlie Norwood (R). Former state Sen. Jim Whitehead (R) is considered the clear front-runner in this extremely conservative district.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* If the ongoing Take Back America conference in DC this week is any indication, the progressives are as geared up for the 2008 cycle as at any point ever. “There’s enthusiasm and optimism that someone in this room will be elected president,” said Wayne Holland Jr., head of the Utah Democratic Party who attended the conference of liberal activists organized by the Campaign for America’s Future. “There’s a confidence I’ve never seen.”

* Barack Obama’s speech at the TBA conference was very well received (and is online), as was John Edwards (whose speech is also online). From people I’ve talked to who were in the room, Obama helped himself the most, hitting what several attendees told me was a “home run.”

* Hillary Clinton spoke today and received a less-enthusiastic response. Bill Scher noted the boos that Clinton generated, but explained they came in response to the senator blaming Iraqis for not having done more to stabilize their country. (National Review and Fox News are suggesting activists booed Clinton for expressing support for the U.S. military. National Review and Fox News are, predictably, wrong.)

* Bill Richardson blasted some of his colleagues for supporting the Feingold-Reid war policy, but neglected to mention that he, too, supported the Feingold-Reid war policy up until very recently. (The Richardson campaign tried to scrub its website of references, but missed a few.)

* Rudy Giuliani’s day was pretty bad yesterday when Newsday discovered he blew off the Iraq Study Group to give lucrative private speeches, but Giuliani’s day got worse later in the day when the chairman of his presidential campaign in South Carolina was indicted for selling cocaine.

* The Wyoming Republican central committee picked state Sen. John Barrasso, former state treasurer Cynthia Lummis and former assistant U.S. Attorney General Tom Sansonetti as the final three candidates for the state’s open Senate seat.

* And in the special election in Georgia’s 10th. former state Sen. Jim Whitehead (R) led a large field, but fell short of avoiding a run-off election, which will be held next month.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Politico hosted a straw poll of attendees at the Take Back America conference and Barack Obama came out on top with 29% support. John Edwards was a close second with 26%, followed by Hillary Clinton exceeding expectations with 17%. Just as importantly, the top two were also the most popular second choices. As pollster Stan Greenberg explained, “If you look at this, you see Obama’s [supporters’] second choice and Edwards [supporters’] second choice are each other — in this group, the two of them form the top tier.”

* A news Mason-Dixon poll in Iowa shows a very tight three-way race among Democratic presidential hopefuls. Clinton has inched out in front with 22%, followed by Edwards with 21% and Obama with 18%. No other candidate reached double digits.

* Did Michael Bloomberg drop any more hints yesterday after leaving the GOP? Not really. Talking to reporters, the NYC mayor was careful, however, to talk about his intentions in the present tense: “My intention is to be mayor for the next 925 days and 10 or 11 hours. I’ve got the greatest job in the world and I’m going to keep doing it.”

* In light of the multiple scandals surrounding the GOP in Alaska, Dems are starting to look anew at the state that has traditionally been a Republican stronghold. National Dems are specifically targeting Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich to run for Congress next year, against either Rep. Don Young (R) or Sen. Ted Stevens (R). A new Hays Research poll shows both GOP incumbents falling below the 50% approval threshold.

* And Illinois officially moved its presidential primary up to Feb. 5 yesterday, joining just about every other state.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* John Edwards’ presidential campaign seems to be struggling in second quarter fundraising — or is at least doing a masterful job lowering expectations. In an email to supporters, Joe Trippi, a top Edwards aide, said the campaign’s goal was to raise $9 million for the quarter, and is only two-thirds of the way there with about a week to go. Even if Edwards meets its stated goal, he’ll likely trail Clinton’s and Obama’s Q2 totals by a large margin.

* Rudy Giuliani delivered a highly-touted speech on fiscal discipline in Iowa yesterday, in which he vowed to cut the civilian federal work force by at least one-fifth. No one seriously believes that’s possible.

* Speaking of Giuliani, the former NYC mayor was in South Florida yesterday, condemning dictators and powerful thugs in Latin America. But as the NYT noted, Giuliani has a “Chavez problem”: “Corporation of Houston, the American subsidiary of Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA). Therefore, it ultimately is controlled by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.” Giuliani argued, “My firm did represent Citgo, they never represented Venezuela. They represented an American company that employs thousands and thousands of people in America.” A reporter was cut off when he asked why Giuliani refers to Citgo as an American company.

* Boston Globe: “State Police are investigating one of Mitt Romney’s top campaign aides for allegedly impersonating a trooper by calling a Wilmington company and threatening to cite the driver of a company van for erratic driving, according to two law enforcement sources familiar with the probe. Jay Garrity, who is director of operations on Romney’s presidential campaign and a constant presence at his side, became the primary target of the investigation, according to one of the sources, after authorities traced the cellphone used to make the call back to him.”

* Top aides to Al Gore’s 2000 campaign remain unaffiliated with 2008 candidates, which The Hill said only adds to speculation about the former Vice President’s future plans. Former traveling chief of staff Michael Feldman, however, said, “I take him at his word on this and nothing he has said privately has differed from what he has said publicly. He is not planning to run for president.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Fred Thompson will unveil his presidential campaign headquarters tomorrow in Nashville, followed by quick trips to South Carolina and New Hampshire. Maybe now ABC will stop paying him to broadcast his political commentaries?

* Barack Obama unveiled a sweeping ethics/lobbying-reform measure late last week, which would, among other things, ban political appointees in his administration from lobbying the executive branch after leaving their jobs and prohibit anyone joining his administration from working on issues related to their former employers for at least two years. Obama said he would launch his reform initiative on his first day in office. The proposal was well received by groups such as Public Citizen and Democracy 21.

* Chris Dodd presented his “American Community Initiative” in New Hampshire on Friday, which establish a mandatory service requirement for high school students. Dodd, a former Peace Corps volunteer, also proposed increasing the size of AmeriCorps to one million participants and creating a Rapid Response Corps made up of former service volunteers and retired military personnel to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies.

* A Mason-Dixon poll in Nevada shows Fred Thompson leading the GOP field with 25% support, followed by Mitt Romney with 20% and Giuliani with 17%. (McCain was far behind with 7%.) Among Dems, Hillary Clinton is way out in front with 39%, followed by Obama with 17% and Edwards with 12%.

* Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who is up for re-election next year, is suffering politically in his home state as a result of his role in the immigration debate. A Republican pollster found Graham’s approval rating slipping to just 31% statewide. His disapproval among Republicans is higher than among Democrats.

* And in Nebraska, where Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) may or may not seek re-election next year, former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D) seems to be testing the waters for a comeback bid. Kerrey, a former Nebraska governor and senator, is currently the president of The New School, a university in New York City.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rudy Giuliani lost his South Carolina campaign chairman, Thomas Ravenel, last week to federal cocaine-distribution charges. Yesterday, Giuliani picked a replacement, Ravenel’s father, Arthur. The new chairman is perhaps best known for referring to the NAACP as the “National Association for Retarded People.” The Giuliani campaign has heard of Google, right? The team that can’t vet campaign chairmen can be trusted to run the White House?

* The Republicans’ freefall is hurting party fundraising badly. Chris Cillizza reported, “Through May, the DSCC and the DCCC had raised $48.6 million as compared to the $36 million collected by the NRSC and the NRCC. And, even though the two Republican committees have been outraised by $12 million by their Democratic counterparts, they have actually outspent the DSCC and DCCC $31.3 million to $23.7 million.”

* Barack Obama is launching his first television ads of the 2008 cycle, with two new spots in Iowa, while John Edwards is doing the same in New Hampshire.

* Mitt Romney is rumored to have the most successful fundraising operation of the Republican presidential candidates, but he nevertheless found it necessary yesterday to dip into his personal fortune to give his campaign a loan. We’ll know exactly how much after Q2 reports come out next week.

* John McCain’s website tells visitors, “Too often the special interest lobbyists with the fattest wallets and best access carry the day.” It’s odd, then, that McCain has “more lobbyists working on his staff or as advisers than any of his competitors, Republican or Democrat.”

* The rumors are getting louder that Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) will not seek re-election.

* And in North Carolina, Brad Miller announced he will not take on Sen. Liddy Dole (R) next year. Speculation now turns to state Rep. Grier Martin of Raleigh and state Sen. Kay Hagan of Greensboro.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As part of his trip to Virginia Beach yesterday, Rudy Giuliani sat down with David Brody of Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network. Brody noted a 1993 Giuliani quote in which the former mayor said he wanted to change the GOP platform on gay rights and abortion rights. Yesterday, Giuliani backpedaled, saying, “Right now, my view is, the platform is the platform.

* In case, for whatever reason, there were any lingering doubts about Fred Thompson’s ambitions, he told reporters yesterday, “You’re either running or not running. I think the steps we’re taking are pretty obvious.” I think so, too.

* Joe Biden reportedly told financial supporters last night that he probably won’t do well in Q2 fundraising, but they shouldn’t worry because he’s making in-roads with the media. National Journal reported, “‘The press wants me in this thing,’ he said confidently. Biden instructed the group of $10K-and-over-donors to take a look at the papers and the recent slew of great coverage he’s getting. And as if announcing endorsements, he proudly noted the winning reviews he’s been receiving from David Yepsen, Adam Nagorney, David Broder, Mark Shields, and Eleanor Clift.”

* And it’s probably a little early for 2008 congressional polling, but Democracy Corps conducted the first comprehensive survey of 70 battleground House seats, and found Dems currently hold a distinct edge. The WaPo reported, “Even in seats that Democrats narrowly lost in November, Greenberg found, the party holds a nine-point lead on average over GOP incumbents for the 2008 contest, suggesting that election momentum — at least at the district level — continues to shift in Democrats’ favor. Democratic incumbents in competitive districts, including newcomers such as Reps. Gabrielle Giffords (Ariz.), Chris Murphy (Conn.) and Heath Shuler (N.C.), hold average leads of 20 points over GOP competitors.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Fred Thompson made a campaign appearance in South Carolina yesterday, and received a warm welcome from a far-right audience, though activists apparently left the event unconvinced. Asked “what do you believe in,” and about his “underlying principles,” Thompson said, “We can aspire to wonderful things.” Said one would-be supporter, “We drove an hour and a half to get here, and he didn’t say anything new.”

* Rudy Giuliani told Pat Robertson’s CBN that he was poised to become a priest, but changed his mind. “Frankly, in the Catholic Church, the vow of celibacy was something I wasn’t sure I could keep,” Giuliani said. Given his three marriages and adulterous affairs, Giuliani might want to come up with a better line to that question, particularly for an evangelical audience.

* Speaking of Giuliani, the South Carolina NAACP is hammering the former mayor picking a state campaign chairman who a) considers the NAACP the “National Association of Retarded People”; and b) is unusually fond of the Confederate battle flag.

* Mitt Romney rented Fenway Park in Boston for an event that was, shall we say, sparsely attended.

* And speaking of Romney, the former governor has a new public-relations problem to worry about. Apparently, he strapped a dog carrier — with the family dog Seamus, an Irish Setter, in it — to the roof of the family station wagon for a 12-hour drive. As Time explained, “Massachusetts’s animal cruelty laws specifically prohibit anyone from carrying an animal ‘in or upon a vehicle, or otherwise, in an unnecessarily cruel or inhuman manner or in a way and manner which might endanger the animal carried thereon.’ An officer for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals responded to a description of the situation saying ‘it’s definitely something I’d want to check out.’”

* And The Hill reported, “California State Assemblywoman Laura Richardson (D) defeated state Sen. Jenny Oropeza (D) by a larger-than-expected margin late Tuesday in a special election to fill the late Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald’s seat.” Richardson will face Republican John Kanaley in an Aug. 21 runoff, which she is expected to win easily.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A reporter asked John McCain whether he’d consider ending his presidential campaign in light of his sagging poll numbers and subpar fundraising totals. “That’s ridiculous,” McCain said. “Why in the world would I want to do that? It would be nuts.” McCain noted that the first primary contests are a full six months away and said voters won’t start paying close attention until the fall. “I don’t know why I would even remotely consider such a thing in the month of June or July,” he said. Sometimes, once those questions start, they’re hard to stop.

* Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) is apparently a little sensitive about his position on Bush’s immigration bill: “Republican presidential candidate Sam Brownback yesterday voted both for and against the immigration bill, explaining that he wanted to show his support for an overhaul but not President Bush’s legislation. When voting began on whether to advance the measure that would legalize millions of unlawful immigrants, the Kansas senator voted ‘yes.’ About 10 minutes later, Brownback switched his vote to ‘no.’”

* The Hill: “The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) and a ramped-up draft movement are upping the pressure on former New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D) to enter the race against vulnerable Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) as she pulls far ahead in polling. The DSCC yesterday sent out a release that showed Shaheen, who repeatedly has said she has not made a decision about entering the race, leading Sununu by a whopping 28 percentage points.”

* Politico: “Democrats are preparing to accuse more than a dozen vulnerable Republican House members of not supporting veterans in the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s first issue ad buy of this election cycle. The DCCC will launch the campaign of e-mails, radio ads and ‘robocalls’ in at least 14 GOP-held House districts next week, according to Democratic officials.”

* And MSNBC notes a Mason-Dixon poll showing that Hillary Clinton “is the only major presidential candidate — either Democrat and Republican — for whom a majority of likely general election voters say they would not consider voting. In addition, she’s the only candidate who registers with a net-unfavorable rating.” I find this curious, in part because I’ve seen several national polls showing Clinton with majority support in hypothetical head-to-head match-ups with Republicans, but nevertheless, it speaks to Clinton’s number one hurdle during the primary process.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* This sounds like it warrants some follow-up: “Two of the leading GOP presidential contenders took time out of their frenetic fundraising schedules late last week to address ‘Legacy,’ a group of wealthy conservative Christians that operate below the radar screen. Sen. John McCain spoke to a dinner gathering of the organization in Washington — where they’re meeting — on Thursday night and former Gov. Mitt Romney addressed them at a lunch in the Willard hotel Friday afternoon, a member said.”

* Newt Gingrich is still mulling over a presidential campaign, but according to Bob Novak, he’s waiting to see what happens with Fred Thompson. “If Thompson runs a vigorous and effective campaign, Gingrich says privately, he probably will not get in the race. If Thompson proves a dud, however, the former House speaker will seriously consider making a run. That implies that the others in the field look to Gingrich like losers in the general election.”

* Tommy Thompson conceded over the weekend that the upcoming Ames Straw Poll is “very much a must win” for his campaign. If he comes up short, as he’s expected to do, the former Bush HHS Secretary will probably pack up and go home.

* San Antonio attorney Mikal Watts (D) is gearing up for a serious challenge against Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) next year. Watts, independently wealthy, is already indicating that he’s prepared to spend $10 million of his own money on the race.

* Montana State Rep. Michael Lange (R) announced that he’s going to take on incumbent Sen. Max Baucus (D) next year. Baucus is considered a heavy favorite.

* And in Louisiana, State Treasurer John N. Kennedy, elected as a Democrat, is reportedly poised to switch parties and wants to take on Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) next year as a Republican. Kennedy reportedly discussed his plans last month at a meeting with Karl Rove and Sen. David Vitter (R-La.).

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* For the first time this year, Bill Clinton campaigned alongside Hillary Clinton yesterday, with a joint appearance at a rally in Iowa. The former president went so far as to tell the thousands of Democratic supporters on hand that his wife is better qualified to be president than he was when he first ran for the job.

* Speaking of Clinton, Sen. Tom Harkin’s (D-Iowa) wife, Ruth, endorsed the New York senator yesterday. Ruth has a long track record with the Clintons, having served as the director of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation in Bill Clinton’s administration.

* In a battle between third-tier GOP hopefuls, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) lashed out at Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) yesterday, blasting the Colorado xenophobe for having accepted campaign donations from a founder of a Planned Parenthood chapter. “Given Tanton’s obvious ties to Planned Parenthood, Tom Tancredo should publicly denounce his ties to Tanton and should donate all previously accepted funds to an Iowa crisis pregnancy center,” said John Rankin, Brownback’s Iowa communications director. “How can pro-life Iowans believe Tom Tancredo’s commitment to life when he has accepted money from such a prominent abortion supporter?”

* Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore (R) will be pulling back from the presidential campaign trail for the next two weeks in order to have surgery on a detached retina.

* Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) released his Q2 fundraising totals this morning, reporting $2.4 million for the quarter, placing him a distant sixth in the Democratic money chase. For the record, here are the top six candidates’ totals for the April through June: Obama $32.5 million, Clinton $27 million, Edwards $9 million, Richardson $7 million, Dodd $3.2 million, and Biden $2.4 million. (Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel did not release fundraising estimates.)

* And in Virginia, former Gov. Mark Warner (D), who unexpectedly dropped out of the presidential race earlier this year, is reportedly still interested in seeking office, running either for governor in 2009, Senate in 2008, or possibly angling for the VP nod in the presidential race.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) will endorse Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign today. It’s not entirely clear what kind of impact it will have, but Gephardt has enjoyed significant union backing in the past, and actually won the Iowa caucuses in 1988 (he finished fourth in 2000).

* Bill and Hillary Clinton were campaigning in Clear Lake, Iowa, yesterday when they ran into Mitt and Ann Romney at the same parade. After a couple of minutes of exchanged pleasantries, Mitt Romney said, “We’ll see you guys some more.” “Yes, you will,” Sen. Clinton quickly shot back.

* Barack Obama sat down for an interview with the AP yesterday, and covered quite a bit of political ground, including some thoughts on the last Democratic president. “I admire Bill Clinton, I think he did a lot of fine things as president and he’s a terrific political strategist,” the Illinois senator said. “What we’re more interested in is in looking forward, not looking backward. I think the American people feel the same way. They are looking for a way to break out of the harsh partisanship and the old arguments and solve problems.”

* Speaking of Obama, a 24-year-old man with an eight-inch knife was arrested outside the senator’s Iowa hotel after having been spotted loitering by Obama’s security detail.

* And the WaPo had an interesting item today about Alex Gage, who is working on microtargeting for Romney’s presidential bid after successfully employing it in George W. Bush’s 2004 campaign.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Citizens for Community Values, an anti-pornography group in Ohio, is blasting Mitt Romney because he didn’t stop Marriott Hotels from offering adult movies to guests while he served on the company’s board of directors. “Marriott is a major pornographer,” Phil Burress, president of the group, said. “And even though [Romney] may have fought it, everyone on that board is a hypocrite for presenting themselves as family values when their hotels offer 70 different types of hardcore pornography.” (There are 70 different kinds of porn?)

* John Edwards’ presidential campaign added a few top staffers yesterday and shifted the responsibilities of some senior staff. Joining Edwards’ team is Paul Blank and Chris Kofinis, leaders of the “Wake Up Wal-Mart” effort. Blank also served as Howard Dean’s political director. Following a lackluster fundraising quarter, campaign manager David Bonior is apparently losing some of his responsibilities, but will step up his role as a campaign spokesman.

* Barack Obama has embraced an across-the-board pay raise for teachers as part of his domestic policy agenda, but yesterday, he risked drawing teachers’ unions’ ire by endorsing scales of merit-based pay. “I think there should be ways for us to work with the NEA, with teachers’ unions, to figure out a way to measure success,” the Obama told the National Education Association’s convention. “I want to work with teachers. I’m not going to do it to you; I’m going to do it with you.”

* South Dakota State Rep. Joel Dykstra (R) officially entered the race for the Republican nomination to face Sen. Tim Johnson (D) next year. Dykstra is perhaps best known for saying during a debate on banning abortions in South Dakota, “I think ‘rape and incest’ is a buzzword. It’s a bit of a throwaway line and not everybody who says that really understands what that means. How are you going to define that?”

* John McCain’s campaign staff in Iowa is down to just seven people. Wow.

* And the man arrested outside the Iowa hotel in which Barack Obama was staying may not have been a threat after all.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) was surprisingly cagey about his future plans, including a possible presidential campaign, on Meet the Press yesterday. Hagel said he doesn’t “intend” to leave the GOP to run as an independent, but that leaves him a lot of wiggle room. Asked if he’s ruling such an effort out, Hagel said, “For right now I am. And what the world looks like next year, I don’t know. But I have no plans to change parties or run for president as an independent.”

* John Edwards is following up on his work on poverty next week with a three-day swing through poverty-stricken communities in New Orleans, Memphis, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and eight other cities and eight states. The visits begin on July 16.

* Remember all of those campaign staffers that John McCain was forced to fire? It looks like they’re making the jump to Fred Thompson’s campaign, which is just starting to staff up.

* Rudy Giuliani received a surprisingly hostile reception at the University of North Florida over the weekend, when he said he opposes the elimination of the federal income tax. Pushed on whether he’d consider a consumption-based tax, Giuliani said, “I have to study it some more. I don’t think a fair tax is realistic change for America.” The comments drew quite a few boos.

* Barack Obama’s campaign office in Davenport, Iowa, was burglarized Friday night, and two laptop computers were stolen. “It doesn’t appear that it was anything sensitive or irreplaceable,” a spokesperson said.

* And George Stephanopoulos interviewed Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) yesterday, discussing Paul’s presidential platform. Towards the end, Stephanopoulos asked, “What’s success for you in this campaign.” When Paul said “winning” would be a sign of success, Stephanopoulos said, “That’s not going to happen.” Paul asked Stephanopoulos if he would wager his “every cent” in his pocket that Paul would not be president, to which the host said, “Yes.” It was kind of rude, but kind of amusing, too.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* What do you know, McCain’s campaign can get worse: “Sen. John McCain’s top political strategists Tuesday resigned from their posts with the Arizona Republican’s presidential campaign. Campaign Manager Terry Nelson and Chief Strategist John Weaver announced their departures in a statement released by the campaign just as McCain took to the Senate floor to talk about the situation in Iraq.”

* Speaking of McCain, according to U.S. News, the senator’s chief advisers are urging him to quit his day job and become a full-time presidential candidate. “Just resign,” one says he told McCain. “Show you’re all in.” USNWR added, “Advisers say being a senator is a drag. He doesn’t have enough time to campaign and raise money. Worse: The issues he has to vote on, like immigration reform, are killers.”

* Barack Obama picked up a fairly big endorsement yesterday from Gary Hirshberg, chief executive of Stonyfield Farm in New Hampshire. “This guy can heal a divided nation,” Hirshberg said on a conference call with reporters. Stonyfield is an organic dairy specializing in yogurt and known for environmental activism.

* The Hill: “Democratic Senate candidate Al Franken out-raised Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) in the second quarter, pulling together more than $1.9 million and topping his own total from the first quarter.”

* And the Politico’s Elizabeth Wilner makes an interesting argument encouraging presidential candidates to pick running mates early, instead of waiting for their respective party nominating conventions.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The exodus from John McCain’s staff continued late last night, when Mary Kate Johnson, the finance director for the senator’s presidential campaign, joined the stampede. As Chris Cillizza noted, “With Johnson gone, the vast majority of McCain’s senior staff has left the campaign.” Apparently, the resignations aren’t quite done yet, either.

* Rudy Giuliani responded to questions about David Vitter’s apparent connection to prostitutes yesterday, calling the scandal a “personal issue,” though he admitted that “some people disappoint you.” One assumes it’s the prostitution angle that’s disappointing, given that Giuliani is hardly in a position to complain about another’s adultery.

* The Des Moines Register reports that John Strong, an unemployed senior citizen and Army veteran, caught Barack Obama’s attention yesterday when Strong “pleaded for the United States to withdraw time limits on educational benefits given to soldiers.” Obama called this an “outstanding idea,” and said he’d consider introducing legislation on this as early as next week.

* Bill Richardson is fending off criticism for having used a homophobic slur on the radio with Don Imus a year ago. Richardson apologized for his use of the word “maricon,” which generally translates to the word Ann Coulter used to describe John Edwards.

* And in slightly related news, perhaps Richardson can explain himself in more detail next month when the Human Rights Campaign hosts the first-ever debate for presidential candidates focused solely on LGBT issues. Obama, Clinton, Edwards, and Dodd have already confirmed their participation in the event, scheduled for August 9 in Los Angeles.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The International Association of Fire Fighters unveiled their video yesterday about Rudy Giuliani, called “Rudy Giuliani: Urban Legend,” which hammers the former NYC mayor’s handling of the crisis on 9/11. It’s online and worth watching. (The video cost about $70,000 to produce and was paid for from PAC money, not union dues.)

* Speaking of Giuliani, his presidential campaign utilized a large security team in the first quarter, though he neglected to report any security expenses. The Boston Globe explains the disclosure problem and why it looks like this was an illegal in-kind contribution from Giuliani Partners.

* MoveOn.org members backed John Edwards in a climate change straw poll, which asked participants which candidate would be strongest on combatting global warming. Dennis Kucinich, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama were all practically tied for second.

* The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that the executive committee of the state GOP approved moving its precinct caucuses from March 4 to Feb. 5, “plunging the party into the maelstrom of a de facto national presidential primary.” Minnesota Dems (DFL) is expected to approve the same date shift soon.

* Though John McCain has not actually dropped out of the presidential race, recent events have led observers to start wondering how his departure would affect the campaign. Mark Blumenthal crunched the poll numbers and found that Giuliani would likely get the bulk of McCain’s current supporters.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A conversation between John Edwards and Hillary Clinton was accidentally picked up by a live microphone, and the two were overheard discussing excluding long-shot Democratic candidates from future events. In Detroit, the national NAACP convention featured speeches from the whole crew, leading Clinton to tell Edwards. “We’ve got to talk because they, they are, just being trivialized.” “They are not serious,” Edwards responded. The AP also heard Clinton say, “We should try to have a more serious and a smaller group.”

* Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, has been one of the many religious right leaders searching for a top-tier GOP candidate who isn’t a) a Mormon; b) a pro-choice adulterer; or c) John McCain. With that in mind, Land told TV preacher Pat Robertson’s CBN yesterday, “My assessment is that at this moment in time it is Fred Thompson’s race to lose.”

* If Mitt Romney loses the race for the GOP nomination, clips posted to YouTube will have had something to do with it. In the latest embarrassing video, put together by the Massachusetts Democratic Party, Romney is seen repeatedly distancing himself from the Republican Party during his 2002 gubernatorial race.

* Hillary Clinton is not usually considered one of the favorites among the progressive netroots, but she’ll be on hand for the YearlyKos convention next month in Chicago.

* And Roll Call reports that the Republican Party’s troubles are clearly having an effect on fundraising. The National Republican Congressional Committee raised $13 million in the second quarter, but lingering debt led the NRCC to have “a couple” of million dollars left in cash on hand. The DCCC, meanwhile, raised $17 million in Q2, while banking around $19 million.

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Peggy Noonan, who seemed to effectively give up on Bush’s presidency six weeks ago, during the immigration debate, wrote one of her less-annoying columns today.

In fact, she raises a good point about the president’s demeanor.

As I watched the news conference, it occurred to me that one of the things that might leave people feeling somewhat disoriented is the president’s seemingly effortless high spirits. He’s in a good mood. There was the usual teasing, the partly aggressive, partly joshing humor, the certitude. He doesn’t seem to be suffering, which is jarring. Presidents in great enterprises that are going badly suffer: Lincoln, LBJ with his head in his hands. Why doesn’t Mr. Bush? Every major domestic initiative of his second term has been ill thought through and ended in failure. His Iraq leadership has failed. His standing is lower than any previous president’s since polling began. He’s in a good mood. Discuss.

Is it defiance? Denial? Is it that he’s right and you’re wrong, which is your problem? Is he faking a certain steely good cheer to show his foes from Washington to Baghdad that the American president is neither beaten nor bowed? Fair enough: Presidents can’t sit around and moan. But it doesn’t look like an act. People would feel better to know his lack of success sometimes gets to him. It gets to them.

You know, that’s true. I know it gets to me. This president has had more calamities, of greater consequence, than any president should be allowed. And yet, he brags about how well he sleeps, he takes more vacation time than any president in history, and he’s constantly smirking, as if he hasn’t a care in the world.

This was especially true in yesterday’s press conference. He seems to be almost amused, especially when he talks about threats against the U.S. Now, I suspect he’s smiling because he’s thinking, “These idiots don’t understand the world the way I do,” a sentiment that probably gives him some sense of self-satisfaction. But it comes across as a detached president who thinks crises are humorous.

The president has the weight of the world on his shoulders. How about showing some signs of stress?

As for the rest of Bush’s presidency (556 days and 20 hours), Noonan seems to suggest that we just run out the clock and hope for the best.

[T]his is a democracy. You vote, you do the best you can with the choices presented, and you show the appropriate opposition to the guy who seems most likely to bring trouble…. We hire them and fire them. President Bush was hired to know more than the people, to be told all the deep inside intelligence, all the facts Americans are not told, and do the right and smart thing in response.

That’s the deal. It’s the real “grand bargain.” If you are a midlevel Verizon executive who lives in New Jersey, this is what you do: You hire a president and tell him to take care of everything you can’t take care of–the security of the nation, its well-being, its long-term interests. And you in turn do your part. You meet your part of the bargain. You work, pay your taxes, which are your financial contribution to making it all work, you become involved in local things — the boy’s ball team, the library, the homeless shelter. You handle what you can handle within your ken, and give the big things to the president.

And if he can’t do it, of if he can’t do it as well as you pay the mortgage and help the kid next door, you get mad. And you fire him.

Americans can’t fire the president right now, so they’re waiting it out. They can tell a pollster how they feel, and they do, and they can tell friends, and they do that too. They also watch the news conference, and grit their teeth a bit.

Depressing, but true.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* TPMM: “The Republican National Committee has been slapped with a subpoena from a House Judiciary subcommittee demanding e-mail messages that could shed some light on Karl Rove’s involvement in the firing of nine US attorneys. The subpoena is online here. The RNC’s custodian of records has until Tuesday at 10 a.m. to give the subcommittee the e-mails it wants.”

* On a related note, Dems on the House Judiciary Committee also let Harriet Miers’ attorney know that blowing off a subpoena is a no-no: “Federal law makes it very clear that recipients of a congressional subpoena must appear — regardless of whether or not they intend to assert privilege once the arrive…. This letter is to formally notify you that we must insist on compliance with the subpoena.” Miers’ lawyer has until 5 pm Tuesday to respond in writing as to whether Miers will comply.

* AP: “Two prominent Senate Republicans have drafted legislation that would require President Bush to come up with a plan by mid-October to dramatically narrow the mission of U.S. troops in Iraq. The legislation, which represents a sharp challenge to Bush, was put forward Friday by Sens. John Warner and Richard Lugar, and it came as the Pentagon acknowledged that a decreasing number of Iraqi army battalions are able to operate independently of U.S. troops.” More on this tomorrow.

* The House voted 223-201 yesterday to being U.S troop withdrawal from Iraq in April. A grand total of four Republicans broke ranks, up from two the last time. (At this rate, we’ll have a veto-proof majority by 2011.)

* U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton is not at all pleased with the president commuting the prison sentence he gave Scooter Libby. “In his first public comments on the matter, U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton… defended the sentence, saying that he followed established legal precedents as well as a strict interpretation of federal sentencing guidelines that has been supported by Bush’s own administration.”

* It’s one thing to be so craven as to let Neil Cavuto onto Fox News. It’s another to make him the anchor of his own right-wing business channel.

* On a related note, the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board, perhaps the most intellectually dishonest in print journalism, has managed to reach a new low. Prof. DeLong calls it the “Most Dishonest Wall Street Journal Editorial Ever.” He’s right.

* The latest in Keith Olbermann’s series of “special comments” was devoted to Michael Chertoff’s “gut feeling” about domestic terrorism this summer. Keith doesn’t hold back.

* Slate’s John Dickerson explains exactly why Bush’s take on the Libby scandal yesterday was such a ridiculous joke.

* Joe Lieberman thinks historians will think highly of George W. Bush. What an embarrassment.

* Sen. Barbara Boxer thinks impeachment “should be on the table.”

* The Senate voted 87 to 1 today to boost the reward on Osama bin Laden’s head to $50 million. The measure also requires the White House to report on the efforts to try and capture him. The lone vote of opposition came from Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.), who seriously argued that he wants to capture bin Laden in Iraq. Or something. The man’s not all there.

* James Holsinger, Bush’s nominee for surgeon general, told a Senate panel yesterday that he doesn’t hate gay people, and won’t let his office be politicized by White House hacks. (Those are my words, not his.)

* On a related note, Michael Feldman had an amusing item today, based on former Surgeon General Richard Carmona’s explanation that he was forced to mention the president’s name three times on every page of his speeches. It’s called “The New Hippocratic Oath.”

* And in still more Surgeon General news, Henry Waxman is introducing legislation that would prevent political interference with the Surgeon General’s office.

* Bob Novak doesn’t like bloggers. What a relief.

* And finally, in the latest Nixon news, the disgraced president apparently had an idea as to how to deal with John Kerry’s anti-war activism: convince Kerry to join the Republican Party. In response, Kerry told the WaPo, “I experimented with a number of things in college. Being a Republican wasn’t one of them.” Apparently, Nixon thought Kerry’s background as a Yale grad might make him GOP material. Responded Kerry, “[G]oing to Yale doesn’t make you a Republican. Going to Bob Jones University makes you a Republican.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The mass exodus of John McCain’s staff continued this morning, when communications director Brian Jones stepped down, along with deputies Matt David and Danny Diaz. Research director Brian Rogers and South Carolina McCain spokesman Adam Temple are also leaving the campaign.

* Fred Thompson’s team is gearing up for a “Thompson-Romney duel” for the hearts of the GOP’s religious-right base. Hoping to win over the Dobson crowd, aides for the actor/senator/lobbyist are “arranging more meetings between Thompson and conservative Christian leaders and have launched a rapid-response operation to fend off attacks on Thompson’s conservative credentials.”

* On a related note, Romney is debuting a new TV ad this week called, “Ocean,” in which he decries popular culture, holding it responsible for poisoning our youth. To get a sense of the pitch, consider the fact that the ad quotes a Peggy Noonan column at length.

* The flap over serious/unserious Democratic candidates continues, sparked by an overheard conversation between Hillary Clinton and John Edwards last week, in which the two sounded like they wanted to limit future debates to credible candidates. Clinton is now saying it was Edwards’ fault, Edwards is now saying he was taken out of context, and Obama is taking advantage of the situation, saying he doesn’t want to exclude anyone.

* Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) said he may end his presidential campaign if he finishes “fourth or worse in the Aug. 11 Ames straw poll.”

* And the final cash-on-hand numbers for presidential hopefuls were released today. Here’s the snapshot for the top contenders: Obama: $34 Million; Clinton: $33; Giuliani $14.6; Romney: $12.1; Edwards: $12; Richardson: $7; Dodd $6.4. I’d just add that Obama and Clinton both have more money in the bank now than Bush did at this point in 2003.

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We’ve talked at some length about the White House using demonstrably false rhetoric about al Qaeda in Iraq as part of a cynical and deceptive strategy to rally public support under false pretenses. Americans don’t support U.S. staying in the middle of a civil war, but maybe, the Bush gang hopes, Americans will support a war against al Qaeda.

The bad news is, it’s working; Americans are now confused about al Qaeda’s role in Iraq. The good news is, it doesn’t matter; Americans still oppose the president’s policy.

Greg Sargent highlighted a largely overlooked question from the latest Newsweek poll.

Right now, which of the following do you think is the biggest threat to achieving peace and stability in Iraq?

34% Al Qaeda in Iraq, 9% Sunni nationalists, 14% Shiite militias, 13% Same/All equal,
30% Don’t know

Now, at first blush, it’s worth noting that with this conflict in its fifth year, about a third of Americans aren’t sure who the enemy is, and another third are wrong about who the enemy is. That’s not exactly a good sign.

But in the context of the political debate, this might appear to be good news for the White House. The president has been arguing aggressively that those responsible for 9/11 are now the “main enemy” for the United States in Iraq. It’s false, he knows it’s false, but the White House won’t let reality get in the way of an argument.

The Newsweek poll suggests a plurality of the public is buying it. As Greg explained, the latest intelligence assessment shows that Sunni insurgents are blamed for 70% of attacks in Iraq, but this reality isn’t reaching the public; Bush’s rhetoric is.

But the same poll shows only half of the White House strategy has been effective.

Bush’s deception is working, inasmuch as Americans now perceive AQI as the principal problem in Iraq, but it’s also failing, inasmuch as this bogus claim isn’t shifting opinions on the broader Iraq policy.

* Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bush is handling the situation in Iraq?

68% disapprove, 27% approve, 5% don’t know

* Do you think President Bush’s “surge” plan increasing U.S. troops in Iraq has been a success or a failure?

64% failure, 22% success, 14% don’t know

The point of the White House’s lie is to rally support for the cause. People are hearing the lie, some are even believing the lie, but the purpose behind the lie is failing.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Well, this might shake up the Iraq debate a bit: “The U.S. military’s top general said Monday that the Joint Chiefs of Staff is weighing a range of possible new directions in Iraq, including, if President Bush deems it necessary, an even bigger troop buildup…. He mentioned no potential range of increases or decreases in force levels. Another possibility being considered, he said, is maintaining the current level of troops for some period beyond September.”

* The relationship between the netroots and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign has been a little awkward, but even the most die-hard Clinton critic would have to concede the senator’s campaign is making a real effort: today, on a conference call exclusively for progressive bloggers, former Amb. Joe Wilson endorsed Clinton’s campaign. Wilson, a fierce critic of Bush’s Iraq policy, cited Iraq as the reason for the endorsement.

* The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, owned by right-wing billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife, is not exactly known for a progressive editorial policy. It’s why this was encouraging: “The [Tribune-Review] yesterday called the Bush administration’s plans to stay the course in Iraq a ‘prescription for American suicide.’ The editorial … added, ‘And quite frankly, during last Thursday’s news conference, when George Bush started blathering about ’sometimes the decisions you make and the consequences don’t enable you to be loved,’ we had to question his mental stability.’”

* Speaking of editorial boards, apparently the Chicago Sun-Times wants everyone to know that last week’s announcement was misconstrued — it will not be an intentionally liberal paper.

* How far gone is William Kristol? Time’s Jay Carney, hardly a liberal firebrand, takes him to task today in a thorough smackdown.

* My friend Tom Schaller has a terrific piece in the New York Daily News explaining how the International Association of Firefighters’ 13-minute video released last week is “the latest straw to bend Rudy’s back.” The 9/11 halo gets tarnished more and more all the time.

* A man with a gun walked into Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter’s office and yelled, “I am the emperor. I am here to take over state government.” Details are still a little sketchy, but there was an incident, and state troopers reportedly shot and killed the man. The governor’s spokesperson said Ritter is “shaken and rattled” but fine.

* If a writer intentionally goes easy on his government sources, he shouldn’t call himself a journalist.

* Wouldn’t it be nice if Donald Rumsfeld testified at the next hearing on the Tillman scandal?

* Every time I start to think John McCain’s campaign is toast, I remember that political reporters will do what they have to do to shamelessly bolster his effort: “On the July 15 broadcast of Fox Broadcasting Co.’s Fox News Sunday, NPR national political correspondent Mara Liasson claimed that during a July 14 New Hampshire town hall meeting, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) ‘took questions for an hour and a half and answered them all, you know, with the same kind of candor and honesty that people come to expect from John McCain.’ Later in the program, Liasson claimed that McCain ‘is a candidate who always says, you know, he puts principle above politics.’” Have these people no pride?

* Speaking of Fox News, a network personality compared to tobacco addicts to African Americans over the weekend, suggesting neither should face “discrimination.”

* Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) is facing so many investigations for his various scandals that he’s created a legal defense fund.

* On a related note, Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.) could probably use a legal defense fund, but after the FBI raided his house, his financial backers stopped returning his phone calls. Imagine that.

* Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) was invited to attend Lady Bird Johnson’s funeral last week, but reportedly blew it off for a campaign event. Classy.

* And finally, at the risk of ending the day on a depressing note, I was struck by the story of Jonathan Aponte who, after a painful tour of duty in Iraq, reportedly paid a hitman $500 to shoot him in the leg, rather than be re-deployed. He described watching a fellow soldier shoot herself in the head in the middle of the dining hall, and said, “I was not going back one way or another. Some people can handle it mentally, but some can’t. You have to know when to say enough is enough…. Would I risk going to prison? As far as being shot at, I think it’s better.” Aponte now faces a variety of criminal charges, including assault, conspiracy, and falsely reporting an incident.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* One of the great dynamics of this year’s presidential race is how satisfied Dem voters are with their choices, and how dissatisfied Republicans are: “The latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that nearly a quarter of Republicans are unwilling to back top-tier hopefuls Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain or Mitt Romney, and no one candidate has emerged as the clear front-runner among Christian evangelicals. Such dissatisfaction underscores the volatility of the 2008 GOP nomination fight.” In June, 14% of Republicans couldn’t say which candidate they would back. This month, it’s 23%.

* Despite some rumors to the contrary, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) said he’s not interested in being anyone’s vice president and would turn it down if it were offered. “I’m not running for vice president, and I believe after this debate is over I’m going to win — but I don’t want to be vice president,” Richardson told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “I’ve got the best job, governor of New Mexico.

* Recent corruption scandals have undermined Sen. Ted Stevens’ (R) popularity in Alaska, where a new poll shows only 44% of Anchorage voters have a positive attitude about the senator. Between September 2005 and April 2007, Stevens’ popularity rating ranged between 58% and 63%.

* NBC wants to air “Law & Order” repeats over the summer, but is worried about the political consequences — specifically whether the network would need to honor an equal time rule. The WaPo reported, “Hoping to avoid violating a Federal Communications Commission provision that would force the network to provide equal time to other candidates running for president, NBC chief lobbyist Robert Okun has reached out to the GOP presidential campaigns of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, among others, to inquire whether they would make a major issue out of Thompson being featured in reruns this summer.”

* And in Idaho, 72 Republican officials have filed suit against the Idaho secretary of state to have GOP primary elections limited to registered Republicans. “I’ve always felt like the primaries ought to be closed,” said Tom Simmons, of Kamiah, a former Idaho County Republican precinct committeeman who signed the lawsuit. “It keeps people from crossing over and crossing the line. That’s pretty much it.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Amazing. Just as the debate begins in earnest over Iraq policy in the Senate, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wants everyone to know that Iraq is finally on track for success. “What I’m hearing right now is a sea change that’s taken place in many places here, that it’s no longer a matter of pushing al-Qaida out of Ramadi, for example but rather, now that they have been pushed out, helping the local police and local army have a chance to get their feet on the ground,” he said. I think there’s reason for skepticism.

* There’s been quite a bit of movement in the Senate on a bill to restore Habeas rights eliminated by the Military Commissions Act last fall. Christy Hardin Smith has a target list and phone numbers for lawmakers who are reportedly on the fence and could make the difference.

* TPMM: “War: it’s not a time for strict accounting. USA Today conducted a Freedom of Information Act review of Pentagon contracting in the Iraq war. The paper found that, through October, more than two-thirds of contracts flagged by auditors as “inflated, erroneous or otherwise improper” eventually found their way to approval, representing over $1 billion. In total, auditors have raised red flags about 10 percent of contracts for about $38.5 billion in bidded-out Iraq funds.”

* Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) emerged from hiding yesterday, holding a brief DC press conference with his wife in which he said he wanted to get on with his Senate duties. “I’m not going to answer endless questions about it all over again and again and again and again,” he said. As a result, he answered literally no questions — it wasn’t much of a press conference, per se — and fled again. Today, he avoided reporters, but received a warm welcome from his GOP colleagues.

* Speaking of the Vitter sex scandal, I found this hard to believe, but the CBS Evening News has not mentioned the controversy once, not even in passing. The show has plenty of time for Paris Hilton, but if a Republican lawmaker is exposed as a hypocrite who illegally paid for adulterous sex, Katie Couric isn’t interested?

* Fox turned down a new advertising campaign by Trojan, the condom maker, because “it objected to the message that condoms can prevent pregnancy.” Sometimes, I find it hard to believe it’s the 21st century.

* Leonard Pitts Jr.: “[Bush’s predecessors were] flawed men yes, but say this much for them: When it came to a choice between people and party, between the public and the politics, there was at least a bare chance they would put the people, the public, first. No such chance exists with the current occupant of the mansion on Pennsylvania Avenue. Given a choice between what’s best for the country and what suits his political and ideological needs, George W. Bush will invariably, unfailingly, pick the latter.”

* John Fund and some far-right blogs are outraged that congressional Dems are cutting $11 million from the Office of Labor Management Standards, which investigates labor unions, which they believe suggests Dems support union corruption. Bradford Plumer explains why Fund and his fans are confused.

* The House Judiciary Committee wants to chat with John Tanner, the chief of the DoJ’s Civil Rights Division’s voting rights section. Gonzales reportedly won’t let him.

* On a related note, “Members of the House Judiciary Committee want the Justice Department to hand over documents, among them correspondence with the White House, related to three controversial prosecutions, including that of former Gov. Don Siegelman (D-AL).”

* The Senate is making progress on legislation that would empower the FDA to regulate tobacco products for the first time.

* Appearing with far-right talk-show host Hugh Hewitt yesterday, Bob Novak said women are responsible for making our current political discourse more “vicious.” Melissa McEwan has a few thoughts as to why Novak might believe this.

* A popular right-wing talking point is that World War II would have been much more politically contentious if there were polls, and politicians saw the public recoil from U.S. casualties. Josh Marshall has an excellent item today explaining that there were polls during WWII, but the public didn’t recoil. “The reason the [Iraq] war is unpopular is because people don’t think we are accomplishing anything that promotes our security or national interests — indeed, quite the contrary. Not because we’re not doing it right or not doing it well but because the whole concept is flawed.”

* And finally, for those of you who are really excited about tonight’s Iraq debate in the Senate, you’ll be pleased to know that there will be live-blogging for your reading pleasure. No, not here — I’ll be sleeping, though I’ll report in the morning — but our friends at ThinkProgress have ordered coffee and are giving it a go. (Good luck, guys. My hat’s off to you.)

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Elizabeth Edwards caused a surprisingly big stir yesterday, when Salon ran a long interview with John Edwards’ wife about the campaign. Elizabeth raised eyebrows with her comments explaining why her husband would be a better advocate for women than Hillary Clinton: “Look, I’m sympathetic, because when I worked as a lawyer, I was the only woman in these rooms, too, and you want to reassure them you’re as good as a man. And sometimes you feel you have to behave as a man and not talk about women’s issues. I’m sympathetic — she wants to be commander in chief. But she’s just not as vocal a women’s advocate as I want to see. John is…. I’m not convinced she’d be as good an advocate for women. She needs a rationale greater for her campaign than I’ve heard.”

* With his congressional backers feeling a little anxious, John McCain plans to huddle with his House and Senate supporters this afternoon to dispel questions over the long-term health of his 2008 White House bid [and] to reassure them that he is staying in the race.”

* Hillary Clinton’s campaign will be sending out quite a few DVDs to Iowa Dems over the next week, in which the senator explains her plan to end the war in Iraq. The campaign would not say exactly how many DVDs will be distributed, or how much this endeavor will cost.

* Rudy Giuliani may be a named partner at the Bracewell & Giuliani law firm, but that doesn’t mean the firm’s attorneys are backing the former mayor’s presidential campaign. As the New York Daily News reported, “Nearly one-third of the firm’s attorneys who made a personal contribution to a presidential campaign during the past three months picked a candidate whose name is not on their paychecks, Federal Election Commission records reveal. Four gave to Bill Richardson, three to Barack Obama and one to Christopher Dodd, all Democrats. One backed Giuliani GOP rival Mitt Romney.”

* And in Georgia, former state Sen. Jim Whitehead (R) was expected to cruise to an easy victory in the special election runoff to succeed the late Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-Ga.), but in a huge surprise, physician Paul Broun (R) appears to have pulled an upset. With nearly all of the votes counted, Broun led by just 277 votes. It may take a while before someone is declared a winner — Secretary of State Karen Handel said the outcome could be decided by yet-uncounted absentee and provisional ballots.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* In light of all the many, many Justice Department scandals, rumor has it Alberto Gonzales has struggled to fill several top positions, because no one wants to tarnish their reputation by working with him. Nevertheless, filling one of the many empty positions left vacant by the U.S. Attorney scandal, Gonzales named Craig S. Morford, currently the interim U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, as Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty’s replacement.

* I was poking around this afternoon for the dumbest media headline regarding today’s GOP filibuster on Iraq policy, but it looks like David Kurtz found the very worst. From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “Filibuster Fails to Force Iraq Vote.” It’s as if editors don’t have any idea what’s going on.

* Reader AG emailed to mention that C-SPAN’s headline was better, but still misleading: “Senate Blocks Iraq Withdrawal Timeline, 52-47.” C-SPAN ought to know better.

* Fox News, true to form, skipped the subtlety and flat-out lied to its audience, claiming that 52 senators voted against the withdrawal measure. That’s wrong on a couple of levels.

* A new Gallup poll shows Bush dropping to a 31.8% approval rating, his lowest yet. Cheney fared slightly worse.

* It’s one of the worst-written pieces I’ve seen in a while, but Ed Koch (who recently described Bush as his “hero”) announced that he “will no longer defend the policy of keeping U.S. troops in Iraq to assist the Iraqi central government in the ongoing civil war.”

* ABC News’ Jake Tapper, who’s been disappointingly hackish lately, ran a piece today indicating that a threatened fish species was served at Al Gore’s daughter’s rehearsal dinner earlier this month. Not only is the piece fairly pathetic in its own right, but it’s based on the wrong fish.

* Be sure to watch last night’s ABC report on what it’s like on U.S. troops in the midst of the surge.

* In one of my favorite Culture-of-Corruption lines in quite a while, Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) “acknowledged taking more than $5,500 in illegal campaign contributions from a seafood trade association since 2001, but he has informed federal officials he will only pay back a portion of those funds because some of the violations fall outside the statute of limitations.” Classic. Young’s argument, in a nutshell, is: “Yes, I broke the law. Yes, I accepted illegal contributions. And no, I won’t give the money back because the law doesn’t force me to.”

* There’s a fascinating item in the San Diego Union-Tribune today, catching us up on the latest with disgraced former congressman Duke Cunningham (R-Calif.). After a year behind bars, the Dukestir is apparently far more forthcoming about his bribery scandal and the prostitutes lobbyists arranged for him.

* Curious about which presidential campaigns are subscribing to which publications?

* ABC’s libertarian crusader, John Stossel, devotes his latest column to praising free-market healthcare. Fortunately, Anonymous Liberal tears his argument apart.

* Here’s a good post explaining how the Bush administration skewed the data on attacks against U.S. forces in Anbar Province to make it look like there’s progress. Regrettably, the administration is playing games in the hopes of deceiving people.

* And finally, two years after Alberto Gonzales’ office had placed Patrick Fitzgerald on a list of prosecutors who had “not distinguished themselves,” the two ran into each other in the Justice Department’s Great Hall yesterday. According to a report from the WaPo’s Al Kamen, Gonzales said, “Good job” to Scooter Libby’s prosecutor, and extended his hand. Fitzgerald was apparently “taken aback,” and “didn’t say much in response.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* John McCain’s patience is apparently running thin: “A frustrated Sen. John McCain snapped Wednesday when asked by CNN about his troubled presidential campaign and vowed he would no longer answer questions on that topic. ‘I’m not going to talk about my campaign anymore,’ McCain said in a sharp tone. ‘I’m finished with talking about it. I’ve talked about it for two weeks. I will not discuss it or any aspect of it. Thank you.’”

* The New York Daily News highlights some of the follow-up to yesterday’s Reed-Levin vote: “After a Senate all-nighter, Republicans blocked a bill yesterday that would have begun to withdraw troops from Iraq, but they now face a media barrage aimed at booting GOP lawmakers who voted against the measure. ‘There are a good number of Republicans, many … up for reelection in 2008, who back home say they want a change of course in Iraq, but in Washington do nothing to change it,’ said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) ‘This puts the spotlight on those senators.’” Schumer specifically appeared to be referring to Coleman (Minn.), McConnell (Ky.), Sununu (N.H.), and Domenici (N.M.).

* With Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson battling for the support of far-right activists, the former Massachusetts governor took a fairly direct shot at the former senator yesterday. “Can he raise the money?” Romney asked of Thompson. “Will he do the work it takes to become the president? To beat Hillary Clinton, you’re going to have to raise a lot of money. You’re going to have to work like crazy.” Message: Thompson is lazy.

* Several news outlets have been questioning Barack Obama’s donor base, with CNN going so far as to suggest that Obama’s online fundraising may be “just smoke and mirrors.” Media Matters explains why this is bogus.

* And New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has launched a new TV ad, called “Stand Up,” in which the presidential hopeful explains his intention to “get all of our troops out of Iraq.” He adds, “The one thing the Iraqis agree on is they want us to leave. Our troops have done everything we’ve asked, and I don’t want to see any more die.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Mitt Romney went after Barack Obama aggressively yesterday for his support for science-based sexual education in public schools. The attack backfired — Obama shrugged off the criticisms, while noting that Romney supported the same policies Obama does as governor of Massachusetts. The result was yet another reminder for the GOP base that Romney’s record doesn’t match his rhetoric.

* Speaking of Romney, he may be losing fights with Obama, but he’s winning over Bush’s big donors. Romney reportedly leads the GOP field in donations from the president’s “Pioneers.”

* John McCain’s comeback plan in a nutshell: raise more money, spend less money, and win the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries after a decent showing in Iowa. Well, if it’s that easy….

* NPR’s John Ridley had an odd commentary yesterday, criticizing Barack Obama for hanging out with “elites” at an Oprah Winfrey fundraiser. As Ridley sees it, Obama can’t relate to regular working people if he goes to an event with wealthy people. Or something. I didn’t quite get it.

* Remember Christine Jennings, who was robbed of her rightful victory in Katherine Harris’ former Florida House district? Good news: she’s running again.

* And finally, Salon ran an interesting interview with Bill Richardson, during which the New Mexico governor acknowledged that he’s stumbled a bit as a candidate. “I admit that I don’t have my shtick down,” Richardson said. “I admit that my policies are evolving.”

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Be Afraid, Be very, very afraid. This headline is now running at CNN as a Breaking News flash ...

President Bush temporarily will transfer power to Vice President Dick Cheney while Bush has a colonoscopy Saturday.
So making Dick Cheney acting president for maybe an hour or two.

Hmmm. Checklist. 1. Invade Iran. 2. Rule Pat Leahy 'Special Legislative Enemy Combatant' ...

What else do you think is on (Acting) President Cheney's to-do list?

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Bush will undergo a routine colonoscopy tomorrow, and under the 25th amendment, will temporarily transfer power to Dick Cheney. The procedure is expected to take about two and a half hours, during which time Cheney will no doubt be tempted to start several new wars.

* The president acknowledged yesterday that he considered sending U.S. troops into Darfur, but decided not to because he doesn’t believe in “unilateral” deployments. Bush has quite a sense of humor doesn’t he?

* Under pressure from Bill O’Reilly’s minions, JetBlue has pulled its sponsorship of the YearlyKos conference. (Note to the airline: if you give in to bullies, you’ll probably continue to be bullied.) As it turns out, JetBlue is taking the worst-of-both-worlds approach: it’s still donating some free airline tickets for yKos attendees (which will annoy the right), but is pulling its official support (which annoys the left). Dumb.

* 74% of Republicans believe Rudy Giuliani is an “acceptable” presidential candidate, the highest of the current GOP field. Now, how many of those 74% know that Giuliani is pro-choice, supports gay rights, and has had more adulterous affairs than Romney has had hunting trips? I have a hunch that it’s a pretty high number.

* Bill Clinton is blogging. (Now, if I can figure out how to finagle may way onto that blogroll….)

* National Journal: “Barack Obama is losing his top foreign-policy adviser to active military duty. Mark Lippert, who has helped to write every major Obama foreign-policy speech and is known as “an expert at nailing down details,” has been called up by the Naval Reserve. He’s in training now but says his orders don’t specify where or how long he’ll deploy. This will be the first tour for the lieutenant junior grade, who signed up for the Reserve about three years ago.”

* TPMM: “President Bush signed an executive order Friday spelling out new interrogation techniques for terrorism suspects that bar cruel and inhumane treatment, humiliation or denigration of prisoners’ religious beliefs.” There may already be a loophole.

* CNN political analyst Bill Schneider told viewers today that conservatives “admire Giuliani’s record on terrorism.” What record on terrorism?

* John Cole makes fun of Hugh Hewitt over and over again so I don’t have to.

* Rumor has it former House Speaker Dennis Hastert is planning to not seek re-election, and may decide to quit Congress before the end of the 110th Congress. Would anyone notice his absence?

* Conservative columnist Jim Pinkerton: “When kids see ‘Harry Potter,’ they should be thinking first about defending their country, and their civilization, against evildoers wielding weapons of mass destruction.”

* Exactly 18 months from today, a new president will take office. Something to look forward to.

* Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.), the only Republican in the House from New England, makes the perfect WINO case: he argues publicly that the U.S. should begin to plan a withdrawal of troops, but refuses to vote accordingly.

* I find it startling that the Washington Post would run an entire piece on Hillary Clinton’s cleavage on the front page of its Style section, and yet, there it is.

* Matt Groening doesn’t want Rupert Murdoch to buy the Wall Street Journal, either.

* And finally, MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann had another one of his Special Comments last night, this time in response to Under-Secretary of Defense Eric Edelman’s argument that the Iraq debate encourages the “enemy.” Take a look; you’ll be glad you did.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The fourth debate for the Democratic presidential candidates — the first “official” debate sanctioned by the DNC — will be tonight in Charleston, S.C. As you may have heard, the questions are coming by way of regular people, who submitted content via YouTube. The debate starts at 7 pm ET and will be moderated by CNN’s Anderson Cooper.

* As an extension of the increasingly apparent enthusiasm gap, the WSJ notes that Dem candidates are outraising Republican candidates, not just at the presidential level, but also at the House and Senate level. All told, Democratic congressional candidates have outraised their GOP counterparts by a stunning $100 million — $388.8 million to $287.3 million — in the first six months of 2007.

* Mitt Romney got into a little trouble over the weekend for holding up a supporter’s hand-written sign that read, “NO TO OBAMA OSAMA AND CHELSEA’S MOMA” [sic]. After the story quickly made the rounds on the blogs over the weekend, Romney was asked about the sign at a town hall gathering in Iowa. “You know what? Lighten up slightly,” Romney said.

* Speaking of Romney, a senior strategist for the Massachusetts governor penned a new memo, which was quickly leaked to reporters, explaining why Giuliani has lost his edge and should no longer be considered the GOP frontrunner.

* And if Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) is gearing up for a re-election campaign in Nebraska, he has a funny way of showing it. The two-term incumbent raised only $387,215 in the last quarter, as compared to state Attorney General Jon Bruning, who’s willing to face Hagel in a GOP primary, who raised $723,688 in the same period.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* TPMM: “Despite the administration’s statements that a U.S. attorney would not be permitted to enforce a contempt citation from Congress, the House Judiciary Committee will vote Wednesday on whether to cite Harriet Miers and Joshua Bolten with statutory contempt, according to a senior committee aide.”

* How might things go in the House Judiciary Committee tomorrow? Chairman Conyers issued a statement: “I’ve allowed the White House and Ms. Miers every opportunity to cooperate with this investigation, either voluntarily or under subpoena. It is still my hope that they will reconsider this hard-line position, and cooperate with our investigation so that we can get to the bottom of this matter.”

* Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) sure is a rabble-rouser, isn’t he? “One of the Senate’s most liberal members said Sunday that he would ’shortly’ propose two censure resolutions against President Bush and his administration.” One of the potential complications: Feingold’s effort will be rather broad, encompassing Iraq-related misconduct, torture, warrantless searches, and the purge of U.S. Attorneys. On Meet the Press yesterday, Feingold characterized his effort as “moderate,” because it falls well short of impeachment.

* Mike McConnell, the Director of National Intelligence, wouldn’t say what techniques are and aren’t included in the president’s new interrogation guidelines, but he did concede, “I would not want a U.S. citizen to go through the process.”

* As part of the same interview, McConnell was asked if “policy makers [i.e., White House officials] hyped the intelligence” on Iraq before the war. McConnell would only say, “That’s a judgment that I think the American people will have to make.” That’s a far cry from “no.”

* Fred Barnes believes there will be more U.S. troops in Iraq in December 2007 than there were in January 2007. Given that Barnes generally can’t speak while Karl Rove is drinking water, one should probably assume this reflects the White House’s thinking on troop deployments in Iraq.

* Bob Novak seems a little confused about who to blame for the new 60-vote threshold to pass anything in the Senate.

* On a related note, Kevin has one of those posts I wish I’d written, explaining why Republicans are filibustering so much, instead of just letting Bush veto bills the GOP doesn’t like.

* Rifts between Bush and Cheney are exceedingly rare, and never publicized, but if asked, the VP was prepared to say last December that he “absolutely” disagreed with the president’s decision to fire Donald Rumsfeld. He was not asked, however, so he never said anything.

* David Broder managed to go an entire column today without criticizing Dems in some kind of pox-on-both-your-houses assessment of Washington. It was a very pleasant surprise.

* The WaPo’s Walter Pincus explained today that a new White House executive order titled, “Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq,” is intended to focus on freezing assets of those committing acts of violence in Iraq. Some of the language, however, is uncomfortably broad, and some are wondering if the E.O. could apply to Americans.

* A Democratic bill to expand S-CHIP to provide more access to health insurance for millions of middle-class kids has so much support, some believe Dems may have enough votes to override a Bush veto.

* AP: “Frustrated by delays in health care, a coalition of injured Iraq war veterans is accusing VA Secretary Jim Nicholson of breaking the law by denying them disability pay and mental health treatment.”

* Some odd right-winger has launched a new effort for conservatives to boycott products, services, and people who have even a tangential connection to Democratic politics.

* And finally, a quote of the day from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ken.): “I think we do agree this is the last chance for the Iraqis to get it right. But we ought to give one of our finest, if not our very finest, general a chance to see if he can succeed in the next few months.” He made the comment six months ago today.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Newt Gingrich, like most Republicans, apparently isn’t impressed with the current field of GOP presidential candidates. He described the field as “pathetic,” and said those in the race are “pygmies.” He also hinted that he’s still eyeing the race: “If, in mid-October, it’s quite clear that one or more of the current candidates is strong enough to be a serious alternative to a Clinton-Obama ticket, you don’t need me to run,” the former House Speaker said at a breakfast sponsored by the American Spectator. “If it becomes patently obvious, as the morning paper points out, that the Democrats have raised a hundred million more than the Republicans, and at some point people decide we are going to get Hillary unless there’s a radical change, then there’s space for a candidate,” he added. “So you’ll know by mid-October one of those two futures is real.”

* Rudy Giuliani continues to believe that unless Democrats use the phrase “Islamic terrorism,” they don’t meet his personal standard for credibility. Is it me or does this guy sound more and more ridiculous with each passing day?

* Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee “warned Iowans on Monday that if they vote for national front-runners in the Aug. 11 Ames straw poll, it might lead some presidential candidates to skip Iowa in the next election,” the Des Moines Register reports. “Huckabee, who has said he is depending on the Republican Party of Iowa’s fundraiser to vault him into the top tier of candidates, said Iowans should not copy the national polls.”

* Odd report from the WaPo: “The campaign of the late congressman Charlie Norwood (R-GA) treated his supporters to a $63,000 thank-you weekend at a golf resort two months after he died — the same day that the candidate endorsed by Norwood’s family held a fundraiser at the same resort, reports and interviews show.” Hmm.

* And former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D) has reportedly begun talking with supporters about re-entering politics and will announce his intentions in September, shortly after Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.) makes public whether he will run for reelection. If Sen. Warner announces his retirement, Mark Warner will probably run to replace him. If the senator runs for another term, the former governor would run for his old job again in 2009 (Virginia is the only state in the country that prohibits governors from seeking re-election, but they can serve non-consecutive terms.)

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* I’ll have an analysis in the morning on Alberto Gonzales’ latest humiliation before the Senate Judiciary Committee, but in the meantime, go take a look at Paul Kiel’s last nine or so posts. As you might have expected, the Attorney General was in a hole before the day started, and just kept on digging all afternoon.

* The NYT’s David Brooks wrote an unusually bad column today, filled with statistics that purportedly show the strength of the economy for low- and middle-income families. “[T]he main point is that the Democratic campaign rhetoric is taking on a life of its own, and drifting further away from reality,” Brooks said. “Feeding off pessimism about the war and anger at Washington, candidates now compete to tell dark, angry and conspiratorial stories about the economy.” Dean Baker and Brendan Nyhan set the record straight.

* Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) asked the White House for information on a recently devised plan for maintaining governmental control in the wake of an apocalyptic event. Despite the fact that DeFazio has the necessary security clearances, and jurisdiction on the Homeland Security Committee, the White House refuses to cooperate, insisting the information is “highly sensitive.” There is no more certain way to feed conspiracy theorists than this kind of secrecy. As DeFazio himself put it, “Maybe the people who think there’s a conspiracy out there are right.”

* Yglesias: “Dave Weigel has the goods on the relaunch of the Victory Caucus website. Rather than haranguing Republicans out of expressing doubts about the war, the ‘new’ idea is to become ‘a one-stop-shop for anyone interested in learning about what’s really going on in the war.’ What’s really going on, of course, is that US forces are winning a brilliant victory against the combined forces of Ahmadenijad, al-Qaeda, Fidel Castro, and the Cobra Commander but the liberal media is covering it all up.” I knew it.

* “Despite official Iraqi and U.S. statements to the contrary, the reports indicate that the number of unidentified bodies in the capital has risen again to pre-surge levels over the last two months.” Ugh.

* If Gen. David Petraeus will spend time chatting with Hugh Hewitt, will he also take the time to answer questions from Glenn Greenwald?

* Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) grudgingly conceded today that the White House’s political briefings for diplomats, ambassadors, and State Department officials were “probably inappropriate.”

* As of today, the minimum wage increases 70 cents to $5.85 an hour. “It ends the longest period without an increase since the federal minimum wage was enacted in 1938.”

* Joel Brinkley explained this week that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice tried to get an op-ed published on administration policy towards Lebanon. No one would publish it — editors said it was too political. “I kept hearing the same thing: ‘There’s no news in this,’” Price Floyd, who was the State Department’s director of media affairs until recently, said. The piece, he said, was littered with glowing references to Bush’s wise leadership. “It read like a campaign document.”

* O’Reilly isn’t done trying to smear Kos. Last night, he told his suckers viewers that DailyKos recommends the violent overthrow of the government.

* On a related note, Hillary Clinton Communications Director Howard Wolfson will be on “The Factor” tonight to debate the FNC blowhard about YearlyKos. (Peter Daou’s apparent strategy of having the Clinton campaign stand up for the netroots is absolutely brilliant.)

* Eric Boehlert has a great item today, emphasizing an important point: [T]he press, once again, is letting the lying Swift Boat Vets off easy…. For the Beltway press, Swift Boat has simply become a catch-all phrase to describe coordinated, negative campaign attacks that try to take a candidate’s perceived strength and turn it into a weakness.”

* The Chicago Tribune’s Red Eye is hosting a competition for readers’ favorite Simpsons character. The final four: Homer vs Ralph Wiggum, Moe Szyslak vs. Apu Nahasapeemapetilon. I can’t believe Ralphie beat Mr. Burns to make the finals.

* And finally, Dick Cheney talked to Stephen Hayes about the 2004 incident in which he told Sen. Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) to go “f*ck himself.” Leahy, Cheney said, got too “close” to him: “Leahy came over and put his arm around me. And he didn’t kiss me but it was close to it. So I flashed and I told him — I dropped the F-bomb on him…. It was heartfelt.” Multiple witnesses said Leahy was not “close” to kissing Cheney; all he did was try to shake his hand.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The latest Clinton/Obama spat is still going strong, with Clinton insisting Obama was “irresponsible and frankly naïve” for his debate comment on international diplomacy, and Obama insisting about Clinton, “If you want to talk about irresponsibility and naivety, look at her vote to authorize George Bush to send our troops into Iraq without an exit plan.”

* Fred Thompson may be having staff trouble, but he’s nevertheless having success picking up support from top religious right leaders. “Some of the nation’s most influential social conservatives say their movement is quickly coalescing around Fred Thompson … a decision that would bolster his expected campaign with money and grass-roots support.” Gary Bauer and Tony Perkins are looking the other way on Thompson’s pro-choice lobbying work, and Richard Land concluded, “It’s almost as if the man and the moment met.”

* In response to new Mitt Romney ads that feature the former governor’s wife, children, and grandchildren, Rudy Giuliani said, “He has a right to emphasize the things he wants to emphasize…. I never emphasize those things.” Care to elaborate on why, Mr. Mayor?

* For months, everyone has considered Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) one of the most vulnerable incumbents in next year’s campaign cycle, but Dems were struggling to recruit a top challenger. It looks like State House Speaker Jeff Merkley (D) is ready to take the plunge, and will file notice with the Federal Election Commission by Aug. 1.

* On a related note, there’s been some interest in DC about finding a top-tier opponent for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), too. Yesterday, State Attorney General Greg Stumbo (D) floated his name in the Louisville Courier-Journal and formed an exploratory committee. Chris Cillizza analyses the potential match-up and concludes, “This race has potential despite McConnell’s significant political chops and fundraising capacity.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Rep. Jack Murtha (D-Pa.) is back with a new Iraq bill that would mandate U.S. troop withdrawal begin in two months, following a vote in September. As Murtha sees it, the plan would take about a year to complete. “This is big time,” Murtha told reporters, explaining why he thinks he can pick up some GOP support this time. “When you get to September, this is history. This is when we’re going to have a real confrontation with the president trying to work things out.”

* On a related note, the House voted today to ban permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq: “This bill states that it is the policy of the United States not to establish any military installation or base for the purpose of providing a permanent stationing of United States Armed Forces in Iraq. It also states that it is the policy of the United States not to exercise U.S. control of the oil resources of Iraq. The measure bars the use of any funds provided by any law from being used to carry out any policy that contradicts these statements of policy.”

* And speaking of the Speaker, Nancy Pelosi explained that today’s contempt vote was necessary to help restore some checks and balances to the federal government. She’s right.

* On the Culture of Corruption beat, the WSJ reported today that Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) and Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) are both “under criminal investigation in the Justice Department’s widening inquiry into alleged influence-peddling and self-dealing in Congress.” The WSJ added, “The two lawmakers are among the highest-ranking members of either party to come under scrutiny in the wave of public-corruption probes that has swept Washington in the past three years.”

* Apparently, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) is interested in reviewing confirmation-hearing testimony from Supreme Court Justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito “to determine if their reversal of several long-standing opinions conflicts with promises they made to senators to win confirmation.” I guess that’s a noble exercise, but what’s Specter going to do if the two misled the Judiciary Committee during their hearings?

* Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards would rather attend the College Democrats’ national convention in South Carolina this weekend than the DLC’s national convention in DC. I find that kind of amusing.

* Bush and Maliki have video conferences every other week, and according to the White House, the two occasionally “talk about their faith in God.” I’m not sure what to make of this.

* Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee made a valiant effort at spin today when voting against the contempt measures, arguing that a congressional court defeat would “make the presidency in America, a much stronger, imperial office.” That’s clever, but unpersuasive.

* Tom DeLay, who unfortunately has a column at The Politico, blasts the “failures” of the Democratic Congress in his latest installment. Wouldn’t you know it — DeLay’s piece is littered with falsehoods. Give his strong reputation, who would have guessed?

* Way back in March, Bush admitted that Alberto Gonzales “has some work to do” up on Capitol Hill: “[A]nytime anybody goes up to Capitol Hill, they’ve got to make sure they fully understand the facts, and how they characterize the issue to members of Congress. And the fact that both Republicans and Democrats feel like that there was not straightforward communication troubles me, and it troubles the Attorney General, so he took action. And he needs to continue to take action.” So, Mr. President, has Alberto continued to take action?

* Another legal setback for the Bush administration: “A federal judge in California ruled Tuesday against the federal government’s attempts to stop investigations in five states of President Bush’s domestic spying program. U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker last winter was assigned to hear arguments in the federal government’s attempt to stop Maine regulators from forcing Verizon to say whether it provided customer call records to the government without a warrant. Similar cases in Missouri, New Jersey, Connecticut and Vermont were combined with the Maine case.”

* And finally, the latest Washington Post poll found Bush’s disapproval rating reaching 65%, just one point shy of the record set by Nixon shortly before he resigned in disgrace. Asked to analyze Bush’s problems, Frank Donatelli, Reagan’s White House political director, said, “A lot of the commentary that comes out of the Internet world is very harsh. That has a tendency to reinforce people’s opinions and harden people’s opinions.” Jonathan Chait responded, “Look, 52 percent of the public strongly disapproves of Bush’s performance. They’re not all reading DailyKos.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* John Edwards unveiled a fairly detailed tax plan this morning in Des Moines. Among the highlights: repealing tax breaks for families earning more than $200,000, raising the top tax rate on long-term capital gains to 28 percent, and aggressively going after tax-cheats. Also, Edwards backs a variety of measures for those left behind by Bush: “[He] would make savings easier for low income families with a ‘Get Ahead’ credit that would match savings up to $500 per year, and provide a tax credit he calls work bonds, which would also be matched and would go directly into savings accounts. He also proposes exempting the first $250 in interest, capital gains and dividends to allow low-income families to get a start on savings tax-free.”

* John McCain’s staff exodus continued yesterday, when the senator’s advertising consultants, Russ Schriefer and Stuart Stevens, resigned. Both Schriefer and Stevens did the advertising for the last three GOP presidential tickets.

* Barack Obama picked up a fairly important endorsement today, getting the backing for Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.). As the NYT reported, “So who is Congressman Paul Hodes? In Democratic circles, he is viewed as something of a giant slayer. Last fall, he defeated a 12-year Republican incumbent, Representative Charlie Bass in a district that stretches from the Massachusetts border to the northern tip of New Hampshire…. Of all the hundreds of elected officials in New Hampshire, Mr. Hodes is among the top three Democrats in the state.”

* Hillary Clinton picked up an equally significant endorsement yesterday, when Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced her support for Clinton. “This is a very special moment for me because I have the opportunity to endorse the campaign of a U.S. senator who I believe will be the first female president of the United States,” Feinstein said. “Hillary Clinton, I believe, has the experience, the heart and the strength to be a great American president. There has been no election for president where change is as defined and necessary as this one. The question is who is best equipped to lead that change. I believe it is Hillary.”

* Sam Brownback is annoying the Romney campaign quite a bit with robocalls in Iowa questioning the former governor’s opposition to abortion rights. Brownback is also hitting Tom Tancredo with robocalls on the same issue.

* And Tommy Thompson, who believes a big win in Iowa will catapult his candidacy, is counting on a victory in the Ames Straw Poll next month. The former Wisconsin governor and HHS Secretary said yesterday, “If I don’t win, I’ll be shocked.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The Hillary Clinton/Barack Obama quarrel is still going strong in its fourth day, with Obama goings so far today as to suggest that Clinton may be “Bush-Cheney Lite.” Clinton responded, “You know, I have been called a lot of things in my life, but I have never been called George Bush or Dick Cheney certainly. You know you have to ask whatever has happened to the politics of hope/”

* Clinton added, “I have been absolutely clear that we’ve got to return to robust and effective diplomacy. But I don’t want to see the power and prestige of the United States President put at risk by rushing into meetings with the likes of Chavez, and Castro, and Ahmadinejad.” Matt Yglesias makes the argument that comments like that suggest Clinton “really does sound like what Bush thinks about these things.”

* For what it’s worth, Mitt Romney and John McCain are sticking up for Clinton’s position on this, and questioning Obama’s judgment. Given the circumstances, I suspect she doesn’t want their help.

* It didn’t get quite as much attention as it deserves, but a presidential commission, led by Donna Shalala and Bob Dole, made a series of substantive recommendations yesterday on how to make “fundamental changes” in the ways in which veterans navigate the convoluted health-care bureaucracy. Most of the changes can be made by executive order — but the White House initially balked at its own commission’s ideas. White House press secretary Tony Snow initially told reporters yesterday that Bush would not act immediately on the panel’s advice. “He’s not going to be making recommendations; he’s not going to be issuing calls for actions,” Snow said. Shortly thereafter, the White House reversed course.

* From my friend Blue Girl: “As if more proof was needed that the Army is broken and George Bush is the vandal that broke it; the Army is lagging both on new recruits and reenlistments. The situation with recruiting shortfalls is so dire – the Army fell 16% short of recruiting goals in June alone – that 1,106 former recruiters have been reassigned and ordered back to recruiting stations throughout the land. The sudden TDY reassignments will run from this coming Friday to 15 October. (FY 2007 ends on 30 September.)”

* Bob Novak thinks Henry Waxman is mean. I’m sure it’ll keep the congressman up at night.

* If you missed it, be sure to check out this great piece today on torture policy from retired Marine Gen. P.X. Kelley and respectable Republican Robert Turner.

* Also in the in-case-you-missed-it category, Josh Marshall still opposes Bush impeachment, but he’s beginning to wonder if we’ve reached a point in which it’s necessary.

* Speaking of impeachment, conservative Cal Thomas and liberal Bob Beckel are discussing the issue over at USA Today. Thomas is open to the possibility, just so long as the inquiry is led by “responsible Republicans and Democrats who no longer hold office conducted it. It could be modeled on the Iraq Study Group, or the base closings commission.”

* This may come as a shock, but Fox News really, really hates liberal blogs. I can’t imagine why; liberal blogs always say nice things about Fox News.

* Would you believe Sean Hannity is still talking about Vince Foster? Is it even possible for a person to be more pathetic?

* Were all of the workers building the U.S. Embassy in Iraq there voluntarily? Apparently not. (Nothing says “democratic values” like forced labor.)

* David Broder can’t imagine why governors aren’t rushing to endorse Bill Richardson and Mitt Romney. Maybe because the governors don’t like them that much?

* It’s extremely unusual for me to actually enjoy at a post at RedState, but I thought this was hilarious: “No, Alberto Gonzales should not be offed…. But the man President Bush calls “Fredo”–was a Presidential nickname ever more apt?–should at long last be invited to spend more time with his family. Much more time…. Especially if he suddenly gets a hankering to serve his country once again. In which case, the legions upon legions of intelligent adults accompanying him in a supervisory capacity should move Heaven and Earth to convince Alberto Gonzales that ‘his country’ is Kazakhstan.”

* Ann Coulter’s latest column suggests, “Fox News ought to buy a copy of Monday’s Democrat debate on CNN to play over and over during the general election campaign,” because the only people it could possibly convince to vote for a Democrat are ‘losers blogging from their mother’s basements.’” Rick Perlstein notes, “Now why ever would Fox care about electing Republicans, given that they’re a news organization in the business of ‘fair and balanced’?”

* And Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), he of the prostitution scandal, told his Senate Republican colleagues yesterday at GOP policy luncheon that he wants to help “rebrand” the party by emphasizing fiscal conservatism. Yes, David Vitter wants to work on the party’s image. Apparently, the audience didn’t have much of a response. Perhaps they appreciated the irony.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Former Sen. Fred Thompson’s staffing trouble got worse yesterday when his lead political advance operative resigned unexpectedly. The staffer, Sam LeBlond, who is George W. Bush’s nephew, joined Thompson’s campaign committee less than two weeks ago. The news came just as Thompson’s fundraising was reportedly coming up short.

* And speaking of Thompson, is he ever going to actually announce he’s running for president? The former senator told Hannity last night that he’ll probably kick things off in September. “August is kind of a down month, not much going on, so it wouldn’t make sense to do it in August,” Thompson said.

* Chris Dodd unveiled his universal healthcare plan yesterday. “The pillars of his plan are: 1) creating a heath insurance marketplace called Universal HealthMart, based on the Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan; 2) basing individual and business contributions to the Universal HealthMart on their ability to pay; 3) driving down premiums by leveraging negotiating power and reducing costs; and 4) making coverage portable — that is, insurance would follow individuals, not jobs.” The plan is estimated to cost between $40-$70 billion a year over the first four years.

* Mitt Romney started hitting Rudy Giuliani where he’s vulnerable yesterday. “I think we can’t win the presidency without a pro-life, pro-family Republican,” Romney said, referring to the former mayor. Asked to respond, Giuliani adviser Jim Dyke said, “cleaning up Times Square porn and prostitution, making the streets safe, leaving more money for the family budget by cutting taxes, moving people from welfare to work — sounds pretty pro-family to me.”

* In a setback for the NRCC, Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) announced today that he will not seek re-election next year.

* And former Speaker Newt Gingrich said yesterday he’s far less likely to run for president if Fred Thompson does. The Politico reported, “Publicly, Gingrich has been sending signals making clear that a presidential candidacy for him is becoming less likely. Privately, he and some of his closest advisers have been meeting with — and, in at least one prominent case, going to work for — the lobbyist-actor and former Tennessee senator.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* How does John Edwards get some airtime in the midst of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama attacking each other? By attacking them for attacking each other.

* Bill O’Reilly thought he’d flex his muscles a bit by berating JetBlue into canceling its sponsorship of YearlyKos. He probably didn’t think about the equal and opposite reaction: “Liberal activists are stepping up their campaign against Fox News Channel by pressuring advertisers not to patronize the network. MoveOn.org, the Campaign for America’s Future and liberal blogs like DailyKos.com are asking thousands of supporters to monitor who is advertising on the network. Once a database is gathered, an organized phone-calling campaign will begin, said Jim Gilliam, vice president of media strategy for Brave New Films, a company that has made anti-Fox videos.”

* That has to hurt: “Bob Dole says his preferred presidential candidate, Arizona Senator John McCain, is fading and that his support is likely to be “picked up” by Fred Thompson, who is expected to announce his candidacy for the Republican nomination in September. ‘My heart has always been with my good friend John McCain,’ said Dole, former Senate majority leader and Republican presidential nominee. ‘But it’s just not happening, the buzz is gone.’”

* The WaPo ran a surprisingly dumb article last week about Hillary Clinton showing a modest amount of cleavage during a speech on the Senate floor last week. This week, the very clever campaign is turning it into a fundraising opportunity: “Frankly, focusing on women’s bodies instead of their ideas is insulting,” Ann Lewis, a senior adviser to Clinton, wrote in the e-mail. “It’s insulting to every woman who has ever tried to be taken seriously in a business meeting. It’s insulting to our daughters — and our sons — who are constantly pressured by the media to grow up too fast.”

* For all the talk about Iran’s influence in Iraq, there is the other huge neighbor to consider: “Now, Bush administration officials are voicing increasing anger at what they say has been Saudi Arabia’s counterproductive role in the Iraq war. They say that beyond regarding Mr. Maliki as an Iranian agent, the Saudis have offered financial support to Sunni groups in Iraq. Of an estimated 60 to 80 foreign fighters who enter Iraq each month, American military and intelligence officials say that nearly half are coming from Saudi Arabia and that the Saudis have not done enough to stem the flow. One senior administration official says he has seen evidence that Saudi Arabia is providing financial support to opponents of Mr. Maliki.”

* Speaking of Iraq, the Parliament hasn’t quite embarked on its month-long break, but in the meantime, Iraqi lawmakers aren’t doing much: “Missing from Thursday’s session of the Iraqi parliament were about half of the members, including the speaker, the former speaker and two former prime ministers. Also missing: a sense of urgency. American officials have been pressing Iraqi leaders to prove their commitment to ending sectarian strife by enacting landmark legislation before mid-September, when the Bush administration is to present its next report on Iraq to Congress. But even as parliament’s monthlong August break approaches, key issues aren’t being discussed. Quorums are marginal, or fleeting.”

* According to Bob Novak, heaven will be blog-free. The guy seems to have something of a hang-up, doesn’t he?

* Bill O’Reilly continues his habit of cutting the mic when a guest might mention something inconvenient. In this case, someone was about to tell O’Reilly’s audience about the hate speech that appears on BillOReilly.com.

* If you haven’t seen Max Blumenthal’s “Rapture Ready: The Unauthorized Christians United for Israel Tour,” you really ought to take a couple of minutes to check it out.

* When Al Franken first announced his Senate campaign, the GOP treated it like a joke. I don’t think they’re laughing anymore.

* I suppose it’s possible that Limbaugh could be more loathsome, I’m just not sure how.

* Escalation architect ret. Gen. Jack Keane and said today that calling the Army broken “is one of the most offensive statements we can make.” He has to pretty upset, then, with a whole lot of former Bush administration officials.

* And finally, I think it’s fair to say the WaPo’s Eugene Robinson has seen enough of our tragic Attorney General: “Over time, one becomes almost numb to this administration’s relentless lies and can-you-top-this transgressions. A kind of ‘outrage fatigue’ sets in, accompanied by the knowledge that whatever it is that they’ve done this time, it could have been worse…. For me, at least, Gonzo is the perfect antidote to midsummer apathy…. I hope they nail him.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* John Edwards has a provocative new response to the media focusing on political trivia over political substance during the campaign: it’s an intentional strategy. Late last week, Edwards told an Iowa audience that the media’s negligence is “not an accident” and that “they want to shut me up” to silence his message about Iraq, healthcare, and poverty. Edwards paraphrased the establishment as saying: “Let’s distract from people who don’t have health care coverage. Let’s distract from people who can’t feed their children…. Let’s talk about this silly frivolous nothing stuff so that America won’t pay attention.”

* NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg continues to say he’s not running for president, but he keeps doing little things to raise eyebrows. In the latest step, Bloomberg registered a bunch of domain names, including michaelbloomberg.com, mbloomberg.com, and mike2008.com.

* Bill Richardson announced the other day that he would give voters a preview of his Cabinet before they pick the next president. “I would announce my Cabinet before the election. If I’m the nominee, I would tell you who my team would be,” the New Mexico governor told a Service Employees International Union conference in New Hampshire. “It would have independents, Republicans and Democrats. Don’t worry, I won’t overdo the Republicans.”

* Newt Gingrich believes the Dems will run a Clinton/Obama ticket next year. He made the prediction on Fox News yesterday morning. The former Speaker also dismissed John McCain’s chances, saying he “has taken positions so deeply at odds with his party’s base that I don’t see how he can get the nomination.”

* And the WaPo began speculating over the weekend about possible Democratic VP candidates, a mere four months before a single voter backs a single candidate. Specifically, the Post explored the possibility that Gov. Ted Strickland of Ohio, who has not yet endorsed a candidate, could join the Democratic ticket.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Details are still a little sketchy, but Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts was taken to the hospital this afternoon after falling at his summer home in Maine. A spokesperson for the court said the hospital visit was just a “precaution.”

* The O’Hanlon/Pollack op-ed that we talked about earlier is continuing to cause quite a stir. In an interesting twist, the scholars at the Brookings Institute appear to have contradicted the data on Iraq produced by — you guessed it — the Brookings Institute. In fact, much of the discouraging data on the war comes from the Brookings Iraq Index, which is overseen by Michael O’Hanlon himself.

* On a related note, Jonathan Schwarz reminds us of this classic Pollack quote from 2002: “Saddam has a twenty-eight year pattern of aggression, violence, miscalculation, and purposeful underestimation of the consequences of his actions that should give real pause to anyone…. Even when Saddam does consider a problem at length…his own determination to interpret geopolitical calculations to suit what he wants to believe anyway lead him to construct bizarre scenarios that he convinces himself are highly likely.”

* It hasn’t generated a lot of attention, which is a shame, but BlogHer, a national feminist blogger conference, kicked off today in Chicago. Regrettably, the presidential campaigns are not taking the event particularly seriously — only the Edwards and Clinton camps sent representatives to the conference.

* As part of his new-found obsession with the Daily Kos, Bill O’Reilly will reportedly go after the site (and, presumably, Markos) again tonight. This time, the Fox News blowhard will apparently show viewers some kind of ugly, photoshopped image that will reportedly “bury” the Kos website. An O’Reilly lackey even emailed Democratic presidential hopefuls, seeing “statements.” Markos added, “O’Reilly now has people contacting Democratic presidential candidates to ask them what they think about random pictures posted by random users of a website? Are we serious?” It’s almost as if O’Reilly wants to be a pathetic joke.

* On a related note, David Neiwert has done some interesting research on hate speech on O’Reilly’s show — from the host, not the guests.

* Anonymous Liberal, who’s been doing some terrific work on Alberto Gonzales and his recent deceptions, has another gem on getting additional information on the NSA surveillance programs by pursuing perjury charges.

* On a related note, did Dick Cheney send Gonzales into Ashcroft’s hospital room?

* Late last week, Jim Mills, a congressional producer for Fox News, announced he is leaving the Republican network for a Republican campaign, joining Fred Thompson’s communications team. Insert joke here.

* As much as I appreciate Sen. Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) leadership on the Senate Judiciary Committee, he really shouldn’t write a book about the importance of taking care of the middle class, and then advocate a twisted tax provision that benefits hedge-fund billionaires.

* Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is helping finance a documentary film about the Dover intelligent-design creationism case from last year. Sounds cool.

* Murdoch hasn’t quite wrapped up his WSJ purchase yet.

* Bush’s proposed arms deal with Saudi Arabia isn’t exactly going over well on the Hill.

* Iraq’s Interior Ministry is about as chaotic as, well, the rest of Iraq.

* On a related note, the NYT has a fascinating piece today on Baghdad’s “legal Green Zone,” where even judges and defendants are housed to prevent them from being killed.

* And finally, it’s probably not of any great interest outside New York, but there’s been an ongoing controversy about some Spitzer administration staffers using state resources to gather dirt on Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno (R). Today, Gov. Spitzer cleared the air in an NYT op-ed: “We made mistakes. Though two independent investigations proved that no illegal activity occurred on my watch, it is crystal clear that what members of my administration did was wrong — no ifs, ands or buts.” Spitzer has suspended one of his longtime advisers indefinitely and transferred the other out of the governor’s office. I’m curious — can anyone even imagine Bush showing similar leadership skills?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Bill Clinton said yesterday he didn’t want to wade into the Hillary-Obama “spat” from last week, but he shared a few thoughts anyway. “We have to get back to more diplomacy,” Clinton said, adding, “I’ve heard no fewer than four of our candidates say in the last month, remind us that in the middle of the cold war, in the darkest hours, we never stopped talking to the Soviets at some level. So no one disputes that.” The Politico reported, “Bill Clinton, according to an aide, was speaking extemporaneously about the Obama controversy, trying to strike a conciliatory tone but not with a message coordinated through his wife’s campaign.”

* It’s unlikely to become a major issue, but Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama also disagree on a domestic policy issue: Obama supports federal funding for needle exchange programs; Clinton doesn’t.

* Last week, Hillary Clinton’s campaign sent a top staffer to Bill O’Reilly’s show to defend Dem candidates appearing at YearlyKos, but this week, Chris Dodd’s campaign will take things up a notch, sending the candidate to “The Factor.” Greg Sargent reports, “Dodd’s spokesperson, Hari Sevugan, tells Election Central that the Senator will hit O’Reilly hard for his smear tactic of selecting a few isolated comments out of literally hundreds of thousands or even millions of comments to smear the whole site and the netroots in general.”

* With John McCain already having announced that he will not compete in the Ames Straw Poll next month, Sam Brownback supporters have a clever pitch. Brownback volunteers are calling known McCain backers and asking, “I see here that you’re supporting John McCain, correct? McCain has chosen not to participate in the straw poll, and we’d like you to show your support for his values by voting for Brownback.”

* All of the Democratic presidential hopefuls would love House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn’s (D-S.C.) endorsement, but it looks like Clyburn may withhold supporting any candidate. In 2004, he backed Dick Gephardt — who withdrew before the South Carolina primary was held.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* NYT: “Rupert Murdoch appeared today to have gained enough support from the deeply divided Bancroft family to buy Dow Jones & Company, publisher of The Wall Street Journal, for $5 billion. With verbal agreement this afternoon from a group of family trusts based in Denver that had been holding out for more money, family members and trusts representing about 40 percent of the shareholder vote have indicated they will support Mr. Murdoch’s offer, according to people briefed on the matter.”

* Arlen Specter established a 12pm deadline for an administration response on Alberto Gonzales’ lies about NSA surveillance. The White House missed the deadline by several hours, but issued a vague letter that defended the AG’s testimony. Not surprisingly, the response was incomplete, citing national security concerns.

* Ted Stevens continues to be in a world of hurt: “A Senate clerk for Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) has testified before a grand jury about the remodeling of the senator’s home overseen by Veco, the AP reports. The Commerce Committee clerk, Barbara Flanders, who assisted Stevens with his personal financial records, also handed over documents related to the senator’s finances and testified to what she knew about how the murky home remodeling project bills were paid.”

* Some of the president’s more sycophantic allies in Congress would have us believe Americans don’t want Dems to go to the trouble of investigating Gonzales’ mendacity. On the other hand, a new poll shows that 70% of Americans (including 49% of Republicans) think Congress is right to investigate Gonzales. His approval rating is down to 28%.

* National Review’s John Derbyshire praised Ron Paul today because he wants to “abolish the IRS and Federal Reserve; balance the budget; go back to the gold standard; pull out of the U.N. and NATO;….fence the borders; deport illegals; stop lecturing foreign governments about human rights; let the Middle East go hang.” As Kevin noted, “Have I mentioned lately that these guys are barking mad?”

* The story is a little convoluted, but it appears that Home Depot will no longer advertise on Bill O’Reilly Fox News program.

* Remember when the Senate Ethics Committee was going to investigate Pete Domenici for pressuring David Iglesias over unwarranted prosecutions? The committee is still kinda sorta moving forward with the probe.

* Why did career DoJ lawyers and their bosses disagree over how aggressively to pursue fraud charges against the maker of the narcotic painkiller OxyContin? Hmm.

* Kevin explains (extremely well) why Democratic presidential candidates are better off going to YearlyKos than the DLC convention.

* How low can Glenn Beck’s ratings go?

* Ross Douthat is still on the eugenics beat? Time to let it go, Ross…

* Congress is debating FISA “revisions” this week, and it’s likely to be a very big deal.

* A few weeks ago, Bill O’Reilly was worried about a large number of gays gathering in one place at one time. This week, O’Reilly is worried about large numbers of Latino immigrants “clustering in neighborhoods and changing the tempo of the whole neighborhood.”

* Fred Thompson isn’t exactly raking in the dough yet, but one controversial supporter has already given the maximum legal contribution: Doug Feith.

* And the Pat Tillman controversy is anything but over for the Bush administration. Today, VoteVets.org started a new initiative to pressure the White House to drop its executive privilege claim and release pertinent materials on Tillman’s death. Stay tuned.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* I plan to offer a more detailed report later, but the big campaign-related news of the day is a major national security speech from Barack Obama: “In a strikingly bold speech about terrorism scheduled for this morning, Democratic presidential candidate Illinois Sen. Barack Obama will call not only for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, but a redeployment of troops into Afghanistan and even Pakistan — with or without the permission of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf. ‘If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won’t act, we will.’”

* Vanity Fair wrote a very unflattering piece about Rudy Giuliani’s third wife, Judith, which characterizes her as obsessed with power, ego, and social climbing. A reporter asked the former NYC mayor for a reaction to the piece, and he lashed out at the journalist for even asking. “One of the terrible prices that unfortunately families pay in a situation like this is that they get castigated and attacked,” Giuliani said, before adding, “And, usually, most reporters don’t even ask about it. They actually have more dignity than to ask about it.” (Note to reporters: he’s going to try to bully you into submission.)

* With less than two weeks to go before the closely-scrutinized Ames Straw Poll, Mitt Romney is launching a new ad in Iowa focused on immigration. “We should put in place an employment verification system,” Romney tells an audience member in a scene from one of his “Ask Mitt Anything” town hall meetings. “And then, when an employer is thinking of hiring someone, the federal database immediately tells them whether they’re available to be working or not. If they’re not, you can’t hire them.”

* The AP reported that John Edwards is going after Bush’s proposed sale of $20 billion worth of weapons to friendly Arab states, including Saudi Arabia. “Edwards said the United States should require the Saudi government to shut down the movement of terrorists across its borders, help stabilize the Iraqi government and participate more seriously in regional security before they are offered weapons.”

* “The California Republican Party is swimming in red ink” because “state campaign finance reports that were due by midnight Tuesday will show that the party has millions of dollars more in debt than money in the bank, according to party officials,” the Los Angeles Times reports. “The party’s dire financial situation has alarmed Republican activists, who worry that it will not have the resources needed to run an effective get-out-the-vote campaign in key congressional and legislative districts during the upcoming election.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* I suspect this won’t surprise anyone: “President Bush is expected to claim executive privilege to prevent two more White House aides from testifying before Congress about the firings of federal prosecutors. Thursday is the deadline for Karl Rove, Bush’s top political adviser, to provide testimony and documents related to the firings, under a subpoena from the Senate Judiciary Committee. Also subpoenaed was White House political aide J. Scott Jennings. The Justice Department included both men on e-mails about the firings and the administration’s response to the congressional investigation.” Presumably, the no-oath, no-transcript offer still stands.

* Donald Rumsfeld showed up for a House hearing on Pat Tillman’s death, but he wasn’t able to shed too much light on the subject. “Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Wednesday there was no evidence of a cover-up of the circumstances of Army Ranger Cpl. Pat Tillman’s death. ‘I know that I would not engage in a cover-up. I know that no one in the White House suggested such a thing to me,’ Rumsfeld testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which is examining what senior Defense Department officials knew about Tillman’s death and when they knew it.”

* There’s been some talk about whether Speaker Pelosi would give the green light to an effort within her caucus to impeach Alberto Gonzales. Pelosi is reportedly cool to the idea, but she acknowledged today that impeachment is “merited.” She added, “I’ve called for the resignation of the attorney general. But right now, we’re focusing on health care for America’s children, a strong energy bill for energy independence, lobby reform. … If that’s something he wants to introduce, I think there are certainly grounds.”

* Speaking of the Speaker, Harold Meyerson had a good column on Pelosi’s underrated skills as a leader. It’s a good point.

* Rep. Jack Murtha’s (D-Pa.) latest withdrawal plan appears to be just about dead, scuttled this time by opposition from the left.

* Never one to let an opportunity slip by, Hillary Clinton’s campaign is going to the well again, hoping to capitalize one more time on the Edelman letter, this time in response to Dick Cheney’s bizarre defense of the correspondence.

* A sign of progress on Darfur? “The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize a force of about 26,000 U.N. peacekeepers to help end more than four years of violence in the Darfur region of Sudan, which has left hundreds of thousands dead and forced millions from their homes.”

* Military officers continue to insist that AQI isn’t the main threat in Iraq; Shiite militias are.

* Sen. David Vitter’s (R-La.) sex scandal isn’t quite over yet — the senator’s “favorite escort” is scheduled to testify as a prosecution witness at Palfrey’s trial.

* David Frum thinks the GOP is in trouble because there aren’t enough white people.

* My friend Cliff Schecter let me know about a fun “My Bad Boss” contest. You’ll like the prize for the winner: an all-expenses paid vacation, which presumably the winner will have earned by virtue of their awful employer.

* Oh, Canada: “It may seem like a quiet country where not much happens besides ice hockey, curling and beer drinking. But our neighbor to the north is proving to be quite the draw for thousands of disgruntled Americans. The number of U.S. citizens who moved to Canada last year hit a 30-year high, with a 20 percent increase over the previous year and almost double the number who moved in 2000.”

* Oh my: “On the July 31 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh claimed that Democrats have ‘aligned themselves with the enemy’ in Iraq and went on to assert: ‘The enemy kills more soldiers, their spokesmen here in the U.S. are the Democrats. When we kill more of the enemy, the Democrats are silent and they say nothing.’ He continued: ‘But when we have reports of, you know, another IED, or pictures of a car on fire — then the Democrats assume the role of media PR spokespeople for Al Qaeda.’”

* The International Association of Firefighters, anxious to tell the whole story about Rudy Giuliani’s 9/11 performance, is about to get some public relations assistance — from Michael Moore.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* If you haven’t seen it, Mitt Romney has a new web video in which he pretends to chat with his family about whether to run for president. It culminates with one of his sons concluding, “I don’t think you have a choice. I think you have to run.” As Christopher Orr added, “Remarkably, in all the weighing of pros and cons, none of Romney’s kids points out, ‘But Dad, you’re a pro-choice, pro-gay moderate who’ll have to lie through his teeth to appeal to conservative voters.’”

* Rudy Giuliani’s record of exaggerations continues. In the latest example, his campaign is exaggerating its list of “new” endorsements by including endorsements that have already been rolled out.

* This may be more of a local story, but I like to think it might speak to a larger trend: Chris Koster, the Republican front-runner in Missouri’s upcoming Attorney General race, has switched parties and is now a Dem. “My vision for the state is not a far-right vision,” Koster told The Kansas City Star. “I am a hindrance to them, and they are to me. It seemed like a good time for a separation.”

* NYT: “The Democratic Party will announce on Thursday a state-by-state effort to identify potential problems in how elections are administered before the 2008 presidential election.” Good.

* He’s not quite back to work yet, but Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), still recovering from a brain aneurysm, is now considered a top target by National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Ensign (Nev.). “It’s time,” Ensign said, stressing emphatically that he and all of his colleagues continue to pray for Johnson’s full recovery. “Obviously, we are all still concerned. But this is a United States Senate seat. He was a top target before his health problems and he’s still a top target.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Having dispatched some holds, the Senate easily approved a sweeping ethics and lobbying reform bill this afternoon, after an 83 to 14 vote. With the House already having passed the measure, the bill now goes to Bush, who has not yet said whether he’ll sign the bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) called the legislation the “most significant change in lobbying ethics in the history of the country.”

* Rick Perlstein: “This year two Democratic Minnesotan legislatures passed a $4.18 billion transportation package. Minnesota’s Republican governor vetoed it because he had taken a no-new-taxes pledge, Grover Norquist-style. That’s just what conservative politicians do. The original bill would have put over $8 billion toward highways, city, and county roads, and transit over the next decade. The bill he let pass spent much less.”

* Good news last night in the House: “Over angry Republican objections, the House on Wednesday passed a sweeping expansion of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, financed with increases in tobacco taxes and cuts in subsidies to private Medicare insurance plans for older Americans.” The final vote was 225 to 204.

* Following up on my Scott Thomas Beauchamp item from earlier, The New Republic has wrapped up its investigation into the veracity of the soldier’s guest columns. Once again, the right was wrong. (I can’t wait to see how many apologies turn up.)

* Roll Call: “Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) held out the possibility Thursday afternoon that he would block quick passage of any changes to warrantless wiretapping laws, despite enormous pressure from both the Democratic and Republican leadership to approve a bill by Friday at the latest so Congress can leave town for the month-long August recess. Saying Congressional Democrats and Republicans were moving ‘awfully quickly’ on a White House proposal to make it easier to eavesdrop on suspected overseas terrorists, Feingold said he is in ‘no hurry’ to leave town for the August recess.”

* NYT: “Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today that he was discouraged by the departure of the major Sunni Arab bloc from Iraq’s coalition government, and noted that the Bush administration may have misjudged the difficulty of achieving reconciliation among Iraq’s sectarian factions. In one of his bluntest assessments of the progress of the administration’s Iraq strategy, Mr. Gates said: ‘I think the developments on political side are somewhat discouraging at the national level. And clearly the withdrawal of the Sunnis from the government is discouraging. My hope is that it can all be patched back together.’” Hope is not a plan.

* Earlier this week, a number of bloggers (including me) took Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) to task for saying Alberto Gonzales could not legally be impeached. To her enormous credit, Tauscher has not only issued a clarification, she has also signed on as a co-sponsor of the impeachment resolution. Good for her.

* Wild international terrorism story out of Colombia: “On April 24, 2003, a board member of Chiquita International Brands disclosed to a top official at the Justice Department that the king of the banana trade was evidently breaking the nation’s anti-terrorism laws. Roderick M. Hills, who had sought the meeting with former law firm colleague Michael Chertoff, explained that Chiquita was paying ‘protection money’ to a Colombian paramilitary group on the U.S. government’s list of terrorist organizations.” Hills said unless Chiquita paid the terrorists, it would have to pull out of Colombia altogether.

* NYT: “The federal Department of Education, after months of criticism for lax oversight of the student loan program, still has no system to detect and uncover misconduct by lenders and protect student borrowers, a new government report said yesterday.”

* House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) announced today that former White House Counselor Dan Bartlett, former Press Secretary Scott McClellan, and former speechwriter Michael Gerson will testify privately in the Pat Tillman inquiry — without a transcript. As TP explained, “If investigators determine that the aides have relevant information, they will be asked to return for transcribed interviews.”

* You won’t believe how much time MSNBC devoted to Hillary Clinton’s cleavage on Monday.

* And finally, tensions can sometimes run high during congressional debates, but not usually this high. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), during a debate, argued that Republicans can’t be trusted. Rep. Leery Terry (R-Neb.) took issue with the comment, told Jackson to “shut up,” and confronted Jackson, face to face, on the floor. Jackson reportedly shared a few PG13 words with his GOP colleague, before asking Terry if he’d care to step outside the chamber. Terry “respectfully declined the request” — Jackson is an accomplished martial arts enthusiast with a black belt. Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.) eventually intervened before things got out of hand, and Jackson and Terry have reportedly reconciled.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* John Edwards thinks he’s found a weak point in Hillary Clinton’s armor: Fox News. “Edwards criticized [Clinton] for taking more than $20,000 in donations from News Corp. officials, arguing that the company’s Fox News Channel has a right-wing bias and Democrats should avoid the company…. ‘The time has come for Democrats to stop pretending to be friends with the very people who demonize the Democratic Party,’ Edwards said in a statement.” News Corp. responded by noting that Edwards’ publisher, HarperCollins, paid Edwards for his 2006 book. Edwards responded to that by noting he donated the book payments to charity.

* In light of the Minnesota bridge tragedy, Democratic Senate candidates Al Franken and Mike Ciresi both suspended all campaign activities. The Republican National Committee, however, is continuing with its summer meeting in Minneapolis.

* I’m still paying almost no attention to national polls on the presidential primaries, but state polls in early primary states are at least mildly interesting. The latest WaPo/ABC poll out of Iowa shows the top three Dems in what is effectively a three-way tie: Obama 27%, Clinton 26%, and Edwards 26%.

* In case it was unclear why former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s presidential campaign is struggling to break through, the far-right Club for Growth makes it clear with a new ad in Iowa. It accuses Huckabee for raising “sales taxes, gas taxes, grocery taxes, even higher taxes on nursing home beds.”

* There’s been a bizarre, over-the-top fight lately between Huckabee and Sam Brownback, both of whom believe they deserve support from the GOP’s religious right base. The details are kind of irrelevant — neither is gaining any real traction — but yesterday it crossed into the silly threshold when the Huckabee campaign relied on Baptists for Brownback, a parody website, to launch its latest attack.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* I’ve been reading tons of great items from all over about fascinating events at YearlyKos today, but in light of the conference, the Republican National Committee, which can level as ugly a smear as anyone in the business, has decided to turn its guns on DailyKos with a new video. It’s surprisingly sad, even by the RNC’s rock-bottom standards.

* Regrettably, Valerie Plame suffered another court setback today: “The ex-spy whose unmasking led to the conviction of Vice President Dick Cheney’s top aide cannot disclose the dates she worked for the CIA because the details were never declassified, a federal judge has ruled. The decision, made public on Friday by U.S. District Judge Barbara Jones, was a victory for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, which sought to block former agent Valerie Plame Wilson from including the dates in her upcoming memoir, ‘Fair Game.’”

* The House GOP and its allies are in a major uproar after some vote shenanigans on the House floor last night. As it turns out, they may have a point. I know Republicans pulled some offensive, over-the-top stunts during their reign of error, but I want Dems to set a much higher standard.

* Tom Tancredo recently asserted that he, if elected, would let the Muslim world know he would consider attacking Muslim holy sites such as Mecca. Today, Tancredo adviser Bay Buchanan defended the comments, telling CNN that the candidate’s threat would show the Middle East “that we mean business,” A spokesperson for Bush’s State Department told CNN that Tancredo’s comments were “reprehensible” and “absolutely crazy.”

* Chris Dodd defended YearlyKos on Bill O’Reilly’s FNC program last night and did an excellent job. It’s worth checking out.

* Speaking of clips to check out, reader AYM alerted me to a very clever short film about how World War II would have turned out if Roosevelt acted like Bush. Great stuff.

* Last night, there was an announcement at YearlyKos that Hillary would not conduct a breakout session after the Presidential Leadership Forum, which was not well received. Today, the Clinton campaign announced that she would appear at a breakout session after all. (Love her or hate her, Clinton takes the netroots seriously. You have to give her that.)

* Kevin explains the netroots to reporters who seem surprised at how normal we all are: “What’s happening now isn’t a youth revolt, and it’s not powered by free love, free acid, or fear of being drafted. It’s powered by a lot of bog ordinary moderate liberals who have been radicalized by George Bush and the Newt Gingrichized Republican Party. I think a lot of journalists … don’t quite get this because they haven’t internalized just how far off the rails the modern Republican Party has gone. Until they do, they’re going to continue to misunderstand what’s happening.”

* Leslie Southwick’s judicial nomination cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee because Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Ca.) sold out the party and the party’s interests. Harry Reid and others still hope to defeat the nomination on the Senate floor.

* As you’ve no doubt heard by now, the Senate passed the major S-CHIP expansion bill last night, by a veto-proof 68-31 margin. The Senate bill needs to be reconciled with a more generous House version, though Bush opposes both.

* The Campaign for America’s Future put together a new web video to highlight the Senate GOP’s obstructionism. It stars Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander.

* I haven’t forgotten about Friday Cat Blogging, and Smithers is fine, I’ve just fallen a little behind on taking pictures and getting them ready to be published. I’ll get back to it soon.

* E&P: “This spring, it looked like Ann Coulter’s alleged voting-fraud troubles might be over after a high-level FBI agent made unsolicited phone calls to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in Florida to vouch for the conservative columnist. But the Palm Beach Post’s Jose Lambiet now reports that the Universal Press Syndicate pundit may not be completely off the hook.”

* For crying out loud: “On the August 1 edition of MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, discussing an August 1 speech in which Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) proposed a comprehensive strategy to fight global terrorism, WashingtonPost.com staff writer Chris Cillizza said: ‘Democrats still know they need to prove to the American public that they can keep them just as safe as Republicans can.’”

* At a book-release party for Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) joked with the largely Democratic crowd, telling them, “Hell, I don’t know what party I belong to any more.”

* And finally, here it is, the Quote of the Week: “Oh, George Bush, don’t go by the bridge! You’ll just make things worse!” — Katie Fecke, age 4, after learning that the president would visit the 35W Mississippi River Bridge site in Minneapolis on Saturday.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Jerome Hauer, who served as Rudy Giuliani’s emergency management director in NYC, is criticizing his former boss’ presidential ambitions. “Rudy would make a terrible president and that is why I am speaking now,” Hauer said. He based much of his criticisms on Giuliani’s decision to ignore warnings and locate his crisis control room in the World Trade Center complex, despite a pervious attack at the site.

* Jonathan Martin: “Mitt Romney engaged in a heated discussion about his Mormon faith with a prominent Des Moines talk show host off the air on Thursday morning. The contentious back-and-forth between Romney and WHO’s Jan Mickelson began on the air (video link courtesy Breitbart.tv) when the former governor appeared on the popular program that has become a regular stop for GOP presidential hopefuls. But the conversation spilled over to a commercial break and went on after the program ended, where a visibly annoyed Romney spoke in much greater detail about his church’s doctrines than he is comfortable doing so in public.”

* Though the senator is still keeping his plans close to his chest, Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) is expected not to seek re-election next year, at least as far as the Virginia GOP establishment is concerned. Bob Novak reported that the state’s Republican leaders now expect Rep. Tom Davis (R) and former Gov. Mark Warner (D) to face off, with Warner as the favorite.

* Barack Obama took some heat last week over his foreign policy positions, but the senator isn’t backing down: “‘I made a simple proposition that I’d like anybody here to challenge me on,’ Obama said of his Wednesday speech in which he said that he would use military force in Pakistan, a U.S. ally, if necessary to root out terrorists…. ‘Everybody knows that you’d use conventional weapons in those circumstances,’ he said. ‘Every military expert knows that you’d never use nuclear weapons in that situation.’”

* And former Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.) is reportedly unhappy with the state of the presidential race and has reached out to NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg about an independent campaign. “We’ve had conversations about frustration with the fact that the process is flawed,” Nunn said of Bloomberg, who has denied he plans to launch a White House bid. “I’ve told him … it may be time for some serious people to look at what I call a timeout and having people of good faith in the Democratic and Republican parties to come together and address the issues that the parties don’t seem to want to address.” No word on what those issues might be.

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About a month ago, Florida State Rep. Bob Allen (R), a co-chairman of John McCain’s presidential campaign in the Sunshine State, ran into a little trouble with the law. He was arrested in a public park after allegedly offering to pay to perform oral sex on an undercover police officer. Not a good career move.

Josh Marshall notes today, however, that ol’ state Rep. Allen can explain everything.

t turns out that Allen revealed the true reason for the alleged park-john-offer in a tape recorded statement he made just after his arrest.

“This was a pretty stocky black guy, and there was nothing but other black guys around in the park,” said Allen, according to this article in the Orlando Sentinel. Allen went on to say he was afraid of becoming a “statistic.”

OK, let me get this straight. Allen was in a public park, late at night. For some reason, he’s afraid of black people. As a result of this irrational fear, he wanders into a bathroom, where he offers another man $20 to perform oral sex.

In other words, Allen thought he might be attacked some “stocky” black men, and this first his instinct? Josh added, “I guess this raises the question of whether if you thought you were about to get mugged by a group of stocky black guys, your first plan of escape would be to try to give one of them a blowjob.”

The police report suggests Allen’s fear of black people was not his principal motivation.

In a written statement released Thursday, Titusville Officer Danny Kavanaugh recalled entering the restroom twice and said he was drying his hands in a stall when Allen peered over the stall door.

After peering over the stall a second time, Allen pushed open the door and joined Kavanaugh inside, the officer wrote. Allen muttered ” ‘hi,’ ” and then said, ” ‘this is kind of a public place, isn’t it,’ ” the report said.

The officer said he asked Allen about going somewhere else and that the legislator suggested going “across the bridge, it’s quieter over there.”

“Well look, man, I’m trying to make some money; you think you can hook me up with 20 bucks?” Kavanaugh asked Allen.

The officer said Allen responded, “Sure, I can do that, but this place is too public.”

Then Kavanaugh said he told Allen, “I wanna know what I gotta do for 20 bucks before we leave.’ ” He said Allen replied: “I don’t know what you’re into.”

According to Kavanaugh’s statement, the officer said, “do you want just [oral sex]?” and Allen replied, “I was thinking you would want one.”

The officer said he then asked Allen, “but you’ll still give me the 20 bucks for that . . . and that the legislator said, “yeah, I wouldn’t argue with that.”

As Allen turned and motioned for the officer to follow him to his car, Kavanaugh identified himself as a police officer by raising his shirt and exposing his badge.

Oddly enough, consider the big picture. Mitt Romney’s top aide is under investigation for impersonating a police officer and creating bogus law-enforcement badges. Rudy Giuliani has teamed up with some colorful characters, including an alleged cocaine dealer, an accused child molester, and Bernie Kerik.

All things being equal, McCain got off easy.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The White House censure resolutions were officially unveiled today: “U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) and U.S. Representative Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) have introduced two censure resolutions in their respective chambers condemning the president, vice president and the attorney general for misconduct regarding our military involvement in Iraq and for their repeated assaults on the rule of law at home. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) is a cosponsor of both Senate censure resolutions and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) is a cosponsor of the Senate censure resolution regarding Iraq. The House resolutions have 19 original cosponsors.”

* Here’s a good one from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington: “Today, CREW filed a complaint with the Department of Justice asking that the Counterespionage Section of the National Security Division initiate an investigation into whether House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-OH) violated the law by leaking classified information…. In a July 31, 2007 interview with Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto, Rep. Boehner disclosed an aspect of a Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court’s decision regarding warrantless wiretapping.”

* NYT: “One part of the Justice Department mess that requires more scrutiny is the growing evidence that the department may have singled out people for criminal prosecution to help Republicans win elections. The House Judiciary Committee has begun investigating several cases that raise serious questions. The panel should determine what role politics played in all of them.”

* Roll Call: “An investigative subcommittee of the House ethics committee unanimously agreed to suspend its two-month-long investigation into indicted Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) after the Justice Department expressed concerns that the panel’s inquiry would interfere with the FBI’s ongoing criminal investigation.”

* LA Times reporter admits that he obsesses over Drudge links: “Every day, journalists and media executives in newsrooms across the land hope they’ll have something that catches Drudge’s fancy — or, as he has put it, ‘raises my whiskers.’ Most keep their fingers crossed that he’ll discover their articles on his own and link to them. Others are more proactive, sending anonymous e-mails or placing calls to him or his behind-the-scenes assistant.”

* McClatchy’s Steven Thomma, explaining how and why the Democratic Party is more liberal now than at any point in a generation, said, “It’s more antiwar than at any time since 1972.” I don’t want to dwell on one nine-word sentence, but I’d quibble with the assertion. I don’t think Dems are anti-war; I think they’re opposed to dumb wars. It’s not a reflexive pacifism.

* The NYT ran an entire column today on the hassles involved with buying a cup of coffee. I don’t know why.

* MSNBC ran an on-air feature today asking, “How hot is too hot for a candidates spouse?” This, after painfully absurd coverage of Hillary Clinton’s cleavage last week.

* As of today, there are now 131 supporters in the House for a repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” That’s actually pretty good.

* Does the White House still have confidence in Maliki? Today, the State Department hedged. Hmm.

* The Huffington Post unveiled a new feature, Fundrace, that makes it easy to see who’s funding the 2008 presidential campaign. Cool.

* Congressional earmarks have dropped from 16,500 in 2005 to 6,500 now. That’s not bad, but apparently new disclosure rules are backfiring.

* White House spokesperson Dana Perino blasted Dems on Fox News for trying to politicize the Minneapolis bridge collapse. She explained, “You know, literally an hour after the bridge collapsed you had Democrats in Congress making such accusations while people are still underwater needing to be rescued. And I think it is reprehensible … And I have to also remind you, when you look at those highway bills and the billions upon billions that American taxpayers are spending, it’s congressional earmarks that take up a lot of that money, and believe me that money is not going to fund maintenance of bridges.” I don’t think she appreciated the irony.

* And finally, Slate stumbled onto what turned out to be the political story of the day: “There’s one vote that Rudy Giuliani definitely can’t count on in his 2008 presidential bid: his own daughter’s. According to the 17-year-old Caroline Giuliani’s Facebook profile, she’s supporting Barack Obama.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* John Edwards turned up the heat a little on the Clintons yesterday, criticizing the former president for his NAFTA policy, which Edwards apparently believes was a mistake. The former senator also continued his criticism of Hillary Clinton for her willingness to accept campaign contributions from lobbyists.

* Speaking of the Clinton campaign, the LAT reports today that the senator has received some behind-the-scenes pressure from labor groups because Mark Penn, a top Clinton aide, is the head of the Burson-Marsteller public relations firm, which represents some anti-union companies. “Learning that Mark Penn was CEO of a company that in fact conducts some of its business busting unions was very, very problematic to the AFL-CIO, as well as to many other unions, and we made that clear” to the Clinton campaign, said Karen Ackerman, AFL-CIO political director. “This is an issue that continues.”

* After some initial balks, it looks like Republicans might show up for a rescheduled CNN/YouTube debate after all. Initially, only two candidates (McCain and Paul) agreed to show up. Now, four have, and the Florida Republican Party believes the full field could be announced as early as this week.

* Obama campaign manager David Plouffe issued a memo yesterday in which he argued, “The national press continues to be obsessed about national primary polling, but as we outlined in the last memo, we fundamentally reject the importance of these national primary polls.” The memo was released just as a new USA Today poll shows Clinton expanding on her national lead over Obama, with Edwards a distant third.

* And John McCain emphasized GOP electability in Iowa yesterday, telling voters, “I think that whoever emerges from the Democratic side is going to be very, very difficult to defeat.” He added, however, that he believes “America is a right-of-center nation, and I believe we are a right-of-center party.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Bill Richardson unveiled his policy on a national healthcare system yesterday, though he went to far less detail than his top-tier rivals. “Speaking in Iowa, the New Mexico governor said he would provide coverage for the 45 million Americans who currently lack it through a combination of steps: expanding Medicare eligibility to people as young as 55, letting people keep their parents’ coverage up to age 25, expanding coverage for children via Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, and providing a sliding-scale tax credit for people buying their own coverage. Under his plan, all Americans would be required to get health insurance.” Richardson criticized his rivals’ plans, though his approach includes many of their elements.

* Rudy Giuliani is already predicting the Democratic ticket, telling London’s Daily Telegraph that he expects Hillary Clinton to get the nomination, and Barack Obama to be her running mate. As Giuliani sees it, Clinton will have to pick Obama because he “has had such a good showing and it’s going to be very hard for her to deny him a place on the ticket.”

* Newt Gingrich is still toying with the idea of launching a presidential campaign, telling a National Press Club luncheon yesterday that it’s not too late and he’ll decide for certain by October. “I think it is proven I’m candidate material,” he said when asked if he could organize a campaign quickly to compete in states with early primaries.

* AP: Sen. Tim Johnson and his wife Barbara plan to return to South Dakota at the end of this month, his office announced Tuesday. ‘The doctors have given me a ‘thumbs up’, and Barb and I are incredibly excited to head home,’ Johnson, D-S.D., said in a statement. ‘We have missed our friends and family and cannot wait to meet our two new grandchildren.’”

* And in Iowa, with just a few days left before the weekend’s Ames Straw Poll, Mitt Romney has unveiled a new ad seeking support. “Washington politicians in both parties have proven they can’t control spending, and they won’t control our borders,” the former Massachusetts governor says in the new ad. “I will, but I need your help to do it. So come on to Ames. After all, changing America always starts in Iowa.” Romney is expected to do well — Giuliani, McCain, and Fred Thompson are not participating in the event.

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Today’s edition of quick hits. (There’s something odd about the database’s clock today. I’m posting this at 5:30 EST, but the timer may show otherwise)

* Leahy’s patience is running thin: “Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Wednesday set an Aug. 20 deadline for the Bush administration to produce documents related to the panel’s probe of the National Security Agency’s wiretapping program. ‘Despite my patience and flexibility, you have rejected every proposal, produced none of the responsive documents, provided no basis for any claim of privilege and no accompanying log of withheld documents,’ Leahy said in a letter to White House Counsel Fred Fielding.”

* TPMM: “Now that’s how you show you’re committed to fighting terrorism: by pulling out of a tribal council convened to… fight terrorism. That’s what Gen. Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan announced today. Indicating his displeasure with accusations from the U.S. that he’s acquiesced to the entrenchment of al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in his country’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Musharraf cited “engagements” preventing him attending a joint Afghan-Pakistan tribal conference aimed at cracking down on jihadists…. Why would anyone think Musharraf is less than 100 percent committed to fighting al-Qaeda?”

* WaPo: “Bookkeeping deficiencies allowed thousands of weapons issued to Iraqi security forces in 2004 and 2005 to then go missing, Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said yesterday. ‘Some percentage’ of weapons the U.S. military provided to the Iraqi army and Iraqi police units were not tracked by serial number because there were no procedures in place to do so within the Iraqi units, Petraeus said in an interview broadcast last night on Fox News Radio’s ‘Alan Colmes Show.’”

* Bush has spent 418 days of his presidency in Crawford, and is also about to spend the next few weeks there, but we’re not supposed to call it a “vacation.” The White House prefers “recess.”

* Another GOP sex scandal? This time it’s the chairman of a County Republican Party in North Carolina, who is suspected of alleged “criminal deviate conduct,” which in this case, involved a man who claimed that the GOP official “performed an unwanted sex act on him while the man slept.” Is someone keeping track of all of the Republican sex scandals? It seems like there have been quite a few of late.

* The Brookings Institution’s Michael O’Hanlon and Ken Pollack stirred up the political world with an NYT op-ed that immediately became The Most Important Opinion Piece Ever, at least as far as the GOP was concerned. What we didn’t know was that they were joined by Anthony Cordesman, a national security analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, during the same visit to Iraq, and Cordesman had a far more pessimistic perspective.

* Wesley Clark and Kal Raustiala had a good NYT piece today, explaining why “terrorists aren’t soldiers,” and jihadists detainees shouldn’t be treated as “unlawful combatants,” but rather as criminals.

* Headline of the year: “China tells living Buddhas to obtain permission before they reincarnate.” (thanks, PPC, for the tip)

* Lindsey Graham apparently wasn’t paying attention to Mitt Romney’s recent sign controversy.

* Anonymous Liberal tears John Stossel’s latest healthcare piece to shreds.

* Media Matters: “On the August 7 edition of Fox News host John Gibson’s nationally syndicated radio program, the show’s executive producer, known on air as ‘Angry Rich,’ described as ‘a poor choice of words” his August 3 statement — documented by Media Matters for America — that Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards “whored his wife’s cancer as a fundraising gimmick.’ Angry Rich did not apologize for the remark and went on to say of Edwards: ‘That doesn’t mean he’s not duplicitous, which he is.’”

* I do not watch baseball and have no opinions on Barry Bonds. There. I said it.

* Apparently, right-wing activists still think there’s new mud to throw at Bill Clinton.

* Charles Krauthammer doesn’t understand FISA, but that doesn’t stop him from misleading Fox News viewers about the law.

* AP on Bush’s promises about fixing the I-35W bridge: “Nearly two years ago, with parts of New Orleans still under water after Hurricane Katrina, Bush made similar declarations in the French Quarter. The president’s promise was all Melanie Thompson needed to hear to bring back her family of five and begin work on their flooded home. But today Thompson’s family is still living in a cramped trailer and awaiting aid to rebuild. Her hope and faith in government have faded and she worries for the people of Minneapolis. ‘I just hope to God they come to their rescue a lot quicker than they did ours,’ she said.”

* And finally, Stephen Colbert is concerned about Bush’s powers: “The vice president knew that we cannot win this war if we go by the book. You do whatever it takes. You go beyond what’s legal. You go past what’s acceptable. But thanks to this new law, all that dark side is now allowed. And we know doing what’s allowed is not enough…. Now that indefinite detention, enhanced interrogation and domestic spying are acceptable, it is getting harder and harder to find those things that we as Americans theoretically cannot bring ourselves to do.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* If the New York Post is right (which is not always a gimme), the New York Times is poised to give up on its TimesSelect project and will re-open its op-ed page, for free, online. “The timing of when TimesSelect will shut down hinges on resolving software issues associated with making the switch to a free service, the source said.” If true, it’s good news.

* The AFL-CIO will host a Democratic presidential forum (technically, it’s not a debate, though I suspect it will look and sound like one) tonight at 7pm eastern. The event will be in Chicago and will be hosted by Keith Olbermann. It will be carried live on MSNBC.

* NYT: “A federal judge yesterday rejected New York City’s efforts to prevent the release of nearly 2,000 pages of raw intelligence reports and other documents detailing the Police Department’s covert surveillance of protest groups and individual activists before the Republican National Convention in 2004. In a 20-page ruling, Magistrate Judge James C. Francis IV ordered the disclosure of hundreds of field intelligence reports by undercover investigators who infiltrated and compiled dossiers on protest groups in a huge operation that the police said was needed to head off violence and disruptions at the convention.” (thanks to Homer for the tip)

* There are more U.S. troops serving in Iraq right now than at any time since the war began. As of this week, there are approximately 162,000 American troops currently on the ground. Remember when Paul Wolfowitz said, “It’s hard to conceive that it would take more forces to provide stability in post-Saddam Iraq than it would to take to conduct the war itself and secure the surrender of Saddam’s security forces and his army. Hard to imagine”? Neither does he.

* I guess the Democrats’ ethics-reform measure is a success: lobbyists on the Hill seem rather annoyed by the restrictions.

* AP: Addressing a town-hall meeting in Iowa, [Giuliani] was asked whether he considered himself a “traditional, practicing Roman Catholic.” An audience member also called on Giuliani to discuss the role his faith played in making decisions on issues such as abortion. “My religious affiliation, my religious practices and the degree to which I am a good or not so good Catholic, I prefer to leave to the priests,” Giuliani said. “That would be a much better way to discuss it. That’s a personal discussion and they have a much better sense of how good a Catholic I am or how bad a Catholic I am.”

* I wonder if Bill O’Reilly will denounce this as hate radio: On the August 3 edition of Fox News host John Gibson’s nationally syndicated radio program, the show’s executive producer, who goes by the name “Angry Rich” on the program, claimed Democratic presidential candidate former Sen. John Edwards (NC) “whored his wife’s cancer as a fundraising gimmick.” He also went on to call him “a fraud” and “a pansy.”

* Apparently, Barack Obama is facing protestors who are urging him not to invade Pakistan. Folks, he said he’d attack high-level terrorists in the mountains of Pakistan if Musharraf left them alone. This is not an invasion policy.

* Howard Fineman continues to perceive bad news for the GOP as bad news for Dems. I think he’s confused.

* The Oklahoma Dept. of Motor Vehicles is now offering a license-plate upgrade that says, “Global War on Terror,” alongside an eagle, the Twin Towers, and a small banner that says, “9/11.” Oh my. It’s as if it were designed by Stepehen Colbert — without the sense of irony.

* ABC: “A manhunt is on in Afghanistan for the man President Hamid Karzai wanted to name head of his country’s border police, ABC News has learned, following the discovery that the official owned a car filled with heroin intercepted by members of the Kabul City Criminal Investigations Division.”

* Fox News plays chyron games.

* Pat Robertson’s Regent University is experiencing some financial trouble. Good. (thanks to Rege for the tip)

* And finally, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) doesn’t think Iraq will be the big issue next year. It also won’t be healthcare. Or the economy, the environment, or energy policy. “I think the defining issue in ‘08 is going to be Hillary Clinton and the Democrats in Washington who are busily at work trying to raise taxes, add more regulation and more litigation,” he said. Once in a while, I almost feel sorry for McConnell, and wonder how it is he managed to become Senate Minority Leader.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Elizabeth Edwards had some curious comments in an interview this week about her husband generating less attention than Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. “We can’t make John black, we can’t make him a woman,” Edwards said. “Those things get you a certain amount of fundraising dollars.” I’m not quite sure what to make of that.

* “With middle class students unable to afford a college education of their choosing,” Sen. Chris Dodd “unveiled a plan for free tuition to community colleges,” the New Hampshire Union Leader reports. “Dodd estimates the cost of providing free tuition to all students in the 50 states as $54 billion over eight years, while he believes eliminating the federal subsidies for banks writing college loans and making them bid to provide the service would save $48 billion.”

* ABC: “In one of the strongest conflicts yet between Republican presidential front-runners, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney attacked rival Rudy Giuliani Wednesday, implying that Giuliani supported illegal immigration when he was mayor of New York. ‘If you look at lists compiled on Web sites of sanctuary cities, New York is at the top of the list when Mayor Giuliani was mayor,’ Romney said. ‘He instructed city workers not to provide information to the federal government that would allow them to enforce the law. New York City was the poster child for sanctuary cities in the country.’”

* John McCain has repeatedly said, over the course of several years, that the U.S. “will” win in Iraq. This week, at a fundraiser, McCain conceded, “I’m not positive we can win this fight.”

* Fred Thompson, who still hasn’t announced, introduced his third campaign manager yesterday: Bill Lacy, who previously served as a top strategist in Bob Dole’s ‘88 and ‘96 campaigns.

* Mitt Romney may have been governor of Massachusetts, but asked yesterday how many counties his state has, Romney got it wrong. (There are only 14; it seems like the kind of thing a state’s governor would know.)

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Ames Straw Poll is scheduled for tomorrow in Iowa, but the event will almost certainly be a mismatch. With Giuliani and McCain sidestepping the event, Romney is poised to win easily, thank in large part to an unrivaled operation: “[A] statewide corps of 60 ’super-volunteers,’ who have been paid between $500 and $1,000 per month to talk him up; a fleet of buses; more than $2 million in television ads in Iowa; a sleek direct-mail campaign; and a consultant who has been paid nearly $200,000 to direct Romney’s straw poll production, which will include barbecue billed as the best in the state.”

* If Ames goes as expected, we probably won’t have Tommy Thompson in the hunt for the GOP nomination much longer. His campaign manager said the former Wisconsin governor must finish first or second in this weekend’s Ames Straw Poll for him to remain in the presidential race. “If you’re a SOTT (Supporter of Tommy Thompson), then this is probably the most important e-mail you have ever received from his campaign,” Steve Grubbs wrote. “Without your help and support this week, Tommy Thompson’s campaign cannot go on.”

* At the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Las Vegas yesterday, Kiara Ashanti, a Republican blogger, confronted Hillary Clinton with charges that she supports “socialized medicine,” which he insisted would hurt the black community. “Oh man, I can’t answer that in 30 seconds, that was a string of misrepresentations,” Clinton responded. “I have never advocated socialized medicine, and I hope all the journalists hear that. That has been a right-wing attack on me for 15 years.” The two also traded barbs about Medicare — which he also said was “socialized medicine” — but the crowd seemed to side with Clinton in the end.

* The DCCC hopes to use the August recess to its advantage: “The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has begun running radio ads in 12 districts held by vulnerable Republicans, targeting the GOP lawmakers on their support for President Bush’s policy in Iraq. The new DCCC radio ads are running in the districts of GOP Reps. Christopher Shays (Conn.), Mark Kirk (Ill.), Joe Knollenberg (Mich.), Mike Ferguson (N.J.), Heather Wilson (N.M.), Jon Porter (Nev.), Jim Walsh (N.Y.), Deborah Pryce (Ohio), Phil English (Pa.), Jim Gerlach (Pa.), Tim Murphy (Pa.) and Dave Reichert (Wash.).”

* And the DNC, hoping to take advantage of the discontent among Republicans about the party’s weak presidential field, has launched a new project. It’s called, “I’m With None of the Above.” As the site explains, “Voters are hungry for change and real leadership on the issues they care about. None of the Above is the only Republican candidate who represents the values and priorities of the American people. He is the only Republican offering real solutions to the challenges facing our country.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Wall Street was not for the faint of heart today: “Stocks trimmed losses, but still ended lower for the second session in a row as investors mulled news that the Federal Reserve has pumped $38 billion into the banking system amid ongoing worries about tightening credit and the subprime mortgage market fallout.”

* Facing the heat, Giuliani is backpedaling: “I think I could have said it better,” he told nationally syndicated radio host Mike Gallagher. “You know, what I was saying was, ‘I’m there with you.’ … There were people there less than me, people on my staff, who already have had serious health consequences, and they weren’t there as often as I was, but I wasn’t trying to suggest a competition of any kind, which is the way it come across.”

* Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf raised some eyebrows this week when, to Bush’s embarrassment, he said he would not attend a joint Afghan-Pakistan tribal conference aimed at cracking down on jihadists. Today, he reversed course and agreed “in principle” to participate.

* Following up on reports from the blogs yesterday, ABC News reports, “For the second time in as many weeks, a senior House Republican may have divulged classified information in the media.” Let this be a lesson to all of us: the GOP is not to be trusted with state secrets.

* Capt. Maria I. Ortiz was buried yesterday at Arlington National Cemetery yesterday, a month after she was killed in a mortar attack Baghdad’s Green Zone. Ortiz, from Puerto Rico, is the first nurse killed in combat since the Vietnam War.

* TP: “Yesterday, lawyers for Guantanamo Bay detainees asked a federal judge in San Francisco to invalidate the recently-passed FISA law that lets the Bush administration conduct warrantless surveillance on suspected terrorists without first getting court-approved warrants. ‘We are asking your honor, as swiftly as possible, to declare this statute unconstitutional,’ said Michael Avery, a lawyer for the Center for Constitutional Rights…. ‘Neither Congress nor the president has the power to repeal the Fourth Amendment’s warrant requirements,’ Avery said.”

* The RNC’s direct-mail fundraising program has to be the sleaziest, most corrupted fundraising operation in professional politics.

* Dick Cheney still wants to attack Iran.

* A new CNN poll shows that Americans believe a) we are not winning in Iraq; b) we are capable of winning in Iraq; and c) we will not win in Iraq. Sounds about right.

* If taxes on cigarettes go up, people smoke less. Good to know.

* Even after Missouri voters passed a statewide constitutional amendment on embryonic stem cell research, the anti-cure community is still standing in the way of life-saving medical research. “State lawmakers who opposed the constitutional amendment continue to fight it, introducing new bills that would bar some types of the research and suggesting that a ballot initiative to that end may lie ahead.”

* Bill O’Reilly blasted bloggers last night, describing us as “blackmailers.” I have no idea what this means.

* NYT: “Lyrics sung by Pearl Jam criticizing President Bush during a concert last weekend in Chicago should not have been censored during a Webcast by AT&T, a company spokesman said Thursday…. The AT&T spokesman, Michael Coe, said that the silencing was a mistake and that the company was working with the vendor that produces the Webcasts to avoid future misunderstandings.”

* The WaPo’s E. J. Dionne Jr. had a terrific piece today explaining the Dems’ motivation for caving on FISA last week: “Even some very liberal Democrats worried about the political costs of blocking action before the summer recess….One anxiety hovered over the debate: If a terrorist attack happened and Congress had not given Bush what he wanted, the Democrats would get blamed for a lack of vigilance.” Kevin’s analysis was also spot-on: “If you pass the bill, the results are ambiguous. Sure, a lot of people will be angry, but they’ll probably get over it eventually (or so the thinking goes). But if you stall the bill and a terrorist strikes, you are firmly and completely screwed. Goodbye political career. So which choice do you think a risk-averse politicians is likely to make?”

* And finally, MSNBC’s Tucker Carlson hosted a discussion last night on his talk show, addressing the question of whether Barack Obama is “black enough.” Carlson added, “What is the measure of blackness and who gets to decide?” The discussion was limited to three pundits, all of whom are white.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Mitt Romney backed off from comments he made last week, when he equated his sons’ efforts on behalf of his campaign with military service in a time of war. Yesterday, on Fox News, he took it all back. “I misspoke,” Romney said. “It’s not service to the country, it’s service for me, and there’s just no comparison there.”

* Barack Obama took on the “black enough?” question at the annual National Association of Black Journalists Convention late last week. “What it really does is really lay bare, I think, that we’re still locked in this notion that if you appeal to white folks then there must be something wrong,” he said, adding it’s the same sort of suspicion many blacks face when they attend a predominately white Ivy League institution. CNN reported, “[T]hat’s when he issued this provocative challenge: Instead of asking Obama if he’s black enough, black journalists should dig deeper, and ask why there exists this mistrust in black America of a black man like Obama running for office? Bottom line: Obama nailed it.” I hope so; can the media stop talking about this now?

* NYT: “It looks as if the Republican presidential candidates, at least most of them, will be participating in a YouTube debate after all. The forum is now set for Nov. 28, the Wednesday after Thanksgiving. The campaigns of Rudolph W. Giuliani and Senator John McCain have signed on, according to CNN, which will broadcast the event.” The Romney campaign is apparently the only one still hedging on whether to participate.

* Iowa Gov. Chet Culver (D) announced late last week that he’s intent on keeping the Iowa caucuses in January, and has no interest in moving them up to pre-Christmas December. “The bottom line is Iowa will have the first caucus in the nation and we’re going in January,” Culver said during an interview in his office. “There’s only so far that I think people are willing to be flexible. This is a 2008 presidential selection process. It should start in 2008, and I expect that it will.”

* The Maryland Republican Party is “nearly broke.” The Baltimore Sun reported that the “state GOP treasurer’s report from July 31 shows the party had $4,615 in cash and $50,500 in debt. Because of lackluster fundraising, the party operated at a $103,536 deficit in the first six months of the year.” The party’s major annual fundraising event, the Red, White and Blue Dinner, was expected to bring in about $150,000. It actually netted $15,572.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Most of the Democratic presidential campaigns issued statements noting Karl Rove’s resignation from the White House, but John Edwards’ campaign had the shortest, most direct response: “Goodbye, good riddance.” That was literally the entire statement. Nicely played.

* PoliticsTV put together a video montage of Rove’s “greatest hits.” It’s definitely worth watching.

* Right-wing uber-lobbyist Grover Norquist argues in the Financial Times that “the next big thing in US politics is transparency: making state budgets, contracts and individual expenditures available to the public on the internet.” (If you’re thinking there’s a disconnect between Norquist and transparency, we’re on the same page.) Right now, FT is accepting submissions questions from readers for Norquist on the issue. (thanks to Basilisc for the heads-up)

* I suspect he was trying to be funny, but this 2000 clip of Giuliani comparing zoo animals to welfare recipients is … well, let’s just say it’s not particularly “presidential.”

* House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (R-Mich.) is, not surprisingly, still interested in getting information from Rove: “The need for Karl Rove to explain his role in the firing of the U.S. Attorneys does not diminish when he leaves the White House…. We will continue to seek answers to these questions and expect full cooperation from Mr. Rove and other officials regardless of whether they are employed by the White House.”

* ACLU officials met with Justice Department officials today to learn more about the administration’s surveillance efforts under FISA. Wouldn’t you know it, the DoJ was less than forthcoming. Who could have guessed?

* Last week, Bill Richardson inadvertently told Melissa Etheridge, during a presidential forum on gay issues, that he thinks homosexuality is a “choice.” Today, explaining his mistake, Richardson said, “I always love the word ‘choice.’ I’m for freedom of choice, I have in my health care plan a choice where everybody can keep their health care plan. And so I always kind of feel it’s a golden word, and I didn’t think through what Melissa was asking me.” Um, okay….

* Bill O’Reilly is mystified as to why John Edwards would avoid Fox News, after the former senator received what O’Reilly called “fair” treatment in the past. TPM Media offers O’Reilly a video montage that should offer a few clues as to why Edwards knows better.

* How did federal officials bring down disgraced former Rep. Bob Ney’s (R-Ohio)? Having his chief of staff wear a wire seemed to help.

* Hillary Clinton wrote to the administration today, asking for clarification on the White House’s draft policy, following Gen. Lute’s comments on Friday. “Since raising the prospect of a draft contradicts the previously stated policy of your Administration, I ask that you clarify your current policy regarding the possibility of re-instituting a military draft,” Clinton writes in the letter, which was sent directly to Bush. Will the senator receive a response from Edelman questioning her patriotism? Time will tell.

* Spencer Ackerman reports on a fascinating AP story from the weekend out of Italy: “There’s a ton that isn’t clear about this story. But the simplest explanation is that the Interior Ministry needed to hide weapons purchases from the U.S. in order to funnel guns to Shiite death squads and militiamen. As the U.S. has recently been supplying Sunni ex-insurgents in Anbar, perhaps the Shiite-dominated ministry felt compelled to balance the scales.”

* I guess China is taking lead-tainted toys seriously: “The head of a Chinese manufacturing company accused of shipping hundreds of thousands of lead-tainted toys later recalled in the United States has committed suicide, a state-run newspaper said Monday.”

* French President Nicolas Sarkozy attended a family picnic at the Bush retreat in Maine over the weekend, but said his wife couldn’t attend due to a severe throat ailment. Later that day, Mrs. Sarkozy was seen shopping, which apparently has caused a minor diplomatic stir.

* And on a related note, reporters asked Bush, upon Sarkozy’s arrival, whether he might speak a few words of French, as a gesture of goodwill. “‘No, I can’t,’ Bush said. ‘I can barely speak English.’”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Hillary Clinton’s campaign unveiled its first TV ad of the season, which will hit the Iowa airwaves today. The spot, which is called “Invisible,” is quite good. “If you’re a family that is struggling and you don’t have health care, you are invisible to this president,” Clinton is seen saying to a crowd. “If you’re a single mom trying to find affordable child care so you can go to work, you’re invisible too. Americans from all walks of life across our country may be invisible to this president but they’re not invisible to me and they won’t be invisible to the next president of the United States.”

* Mitt Romney, according to his latest FEC filings, is really, really wealthy. Bloomberg reported, “The former Massachusetts governor reported that most of his wealth is in a blind trust and a retirement account. When the assets of his wife, Ann, are included, the Romneys have holdings of between $190 million and $250 million, according to national campaign counsel Ben Ginsberg.” Romney’s financial holdings are apparently “greater than the other major Democratic and Republican contenders combined.”

* NYT: “New Hampshire is still pondering when to hold its presidential primary, but it looks as if one of the options is a Saturday, either Jan. 5 or Jan. 12. Saturday voting is presumed to be popular with voters, although that is not the reason New Hampshire is considering the change. Rather, the state is trying to keep its first-in-the-nation primary status in a year in which other states are leap-frogging ahead, and setting a Saturday seems to be one of the ways it can do that. But if New Hampshire does move its primary to Saturday, it would be one more sign in this country that the hallowed tradition of voting on a Tuesday is increasingly a relic of the past, at least when states have a say in the matter.” Good.

* Bill Richardson spoke with the New York Daily News editorial board yesterday, and responded to questions about whether he’d consider joining the Democratic ticket in the VP slot. Richardson insisted he’s “not interested” in the vice presidency, but added, “I never preclude anything.”

* And in Louisiana, State Treasurer John Kennedy (D) was rumored to be considering a plan to switch parties and take on Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) next year, and had reportedly met with top GOP officials about it. Kennedy put the rumors to rest the other day and announced that he would seek re-election to his current post. Yet another setback for Republicans’ ‘08 recruiting efforts.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Awful news out of Iraq from Reuters: “At least 175 people were killed when three suicide bombers driving fuel tankers attacked a town, home to an ancient minority sect, in northern Iraq on Tuesday in one of the worst single incidents in the four-year-old war. Iraqi army Captain Mohammad al-Jaad said at least another 200 people were wounded in the bombings in separate Yazidi neighborhoods in the town of Kahtaniya, west of Mosul.”

* Gen. George Casey, the former top commander in Iraq and now the Army Chief of Staff, at the National Press Club today: “Right now, there’s so much residual mistrust left over from the time under Saddam Hussein that they’re not quite ready to go forward. But they have an educated population, they have oil wells, they have water, they have some of the most fertile land I’ve ever seen. In a decade or so, this will be a remarkable country, if we stick with it.” Yes, he really did say “a decade or so.” Ready for another 20 Friedman Units?

* Dennis Hastert, the longest-serving Republican House Speaker in the chamber’s history, is calling it quits: “After less than a year as a rank-and-file House member, former Speaker J. Dennis Hastert is expected to call an end to a political career that made him the longest serving Republican Speaker in the history of the House of Representatives. Several Illinois newspapers, including the Aurora Beacon News and the Chicago Tribune, reported Tuesday that the Illinois Republican has scheduled a Friday announcement…. [H]e is expected to announce that he will not run for a 12th term in 2008, according to Republican sources.” Hastert will be best remembered for his work on … or maybe his leadership during … or perhaps his commitment to … well, I’m sure he’ll be remembered for something; I just don’t know what.

* Following the blogs’ lead, the New York Post picked up on Chris Matthews’ creepy on-air treatment of CNBC anchor Erin Burnett today, quoting Matthews as saying “he was only fooling around with Burnett because the camera lens had already made her appear closer than usual.” The article then quoted Matthews saying, “It was this weird fishbowl look . . . I was just kidding around.” I don’t think that counts as an apology.

* Last week, Rudy Giuliani committed what should have been a humiliating gaffe when he insisted that he was one of the 9/11 rescue workers who had spent as much time at Ground Zero, if not more, than the clean-up and recovery teams who spent 40 hours a week there for a year. Greg Sargent raised a great question: what kind of coverage did Giuliani’s obvious lie generate among the political pundits? The answer: not much.

* No one can accuse Pat Leahy of failing to try: “Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), at the urging of the panel’s ranking member, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), on Tuesday requested a meeting with President Bush to hammer out a deal that would allow key White House aides to testify before the panel on the firing of several U.S. attorneys. Leahy indicated that this is a last-ditch effort, saying that his previous efforts to get the White House to cooperate have failed to yield results.” This one could fail, too, but Leahy’s is taking his due diligence seriously.

* Reuters: “Lobby groups must ensure they get their facts straight, Britain’s advertising watchdog has warned after finding that the Save Darfur Coalition could not substantiate its claim of 400,000 deaths in the Sudanese region. Made up from dozens of faith-based and advocacy organisations and backed by celebrities such as Mia Farrow and George Clooney, the US-based Save Darfur Coalition has been credited with drawing international attention to the situation in Sudan’s war-torn west. But Britain’s Advertising Standards Authority said in a ruling last week that recent adverts saying that 400,000 people had died in violence that the coalition blames on the Sudanese government went too far.”

* I don’t think prominent neoconservative Victor Davis Hanson knows what a “paper tiger” is.

* Right-wing personality John Gibson mocked Jon Stewart today on his radio show. If we’re really lucky, Stewart will respond on The Daily Show.

* Arianna Huffington thinks the media is neglecting a vital part of the Utah mine collapse story.

* NYT: “Five reporters must testify about their law enforcement sources in a former Army scientist’s lawsuit against the Justice Department, a federal judge in Washington ruled yesterday. The suit, filed by Steven J. Hatfill, a bioterrorism expert, contends that the government violated the federal Privacy Act by providing journalists with information about him in the F.B.I.’s investigation of the deadly anthrax mailings in 2001.”

* New man-crush for Chris Matthews: “On the August 13 edition of MSNBC’s Hardball, during an interview with Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, host Chris Matthews said: ‘Let me ask you about Mitt Romney. You know, I watched him on the today show this morning. He looks like a million bucks. Everything is perfect. Everything about him is perfect.’ As examples, Matthews cited Romney’s ‘look,’ his ‘manner,’ and his ’shirt.’”

* And finally, the “macaca” story broke exactly one year ago today. And with it, the YouTube era was born.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In a bit of a surprise, John Edwards’ presidential campaign has decided to move staffers out of Nevada, an early caucus state, to focus on Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. The AP added, “They would not disclose how many staffers were being moved but characterized it as a handful.” Both Clinton and Obama have been working to make inroads in Nevada, which is expected to vote shortly before New Hampshire.

* All of a sudden, Dems seem to be feeling more confident in Kentucky. Incumbent Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher is expected to lose this year, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) is suddenly considered a possible target next year. Yesterday, Rep. Ben Chandler (D) suggested he’s considering a Senate race.

* Mitt Romney has quietly started to build some credible support from lawmakers, picking up Rep. Vernon Ehlers’ (R-Mich.) endorsement yesterday. The former Massachusetts governor now has 29 congressional supporters, more than any other Republican presidential candidate.

* Bill Richardson unveiled two new campaign ads today, a serious one about his gubernatorial record, and a less serious one, as part of his clever “job interview” series.

* How rough have things gotten for the president and his allies? In Louisiana — a state Bush carried twice, both times fairly easily — State Sen. Walter Boasso (D) has begun running an ad that paints Rep. Bobby Jindal (R) as being too close to the president. “Some things just go together,” Boasso says. “Like red beans and rice. Gumbo and Tabasco. And, unfortunately for Louisiana, George W. Bush and Bobby Jindal.” (A cardboard cutout is shown depicting the two men sitting together at a diner.) The ad goes on to note that Jindal has voted with Bush on Iraq 100% of the time. Boasso and Jindal are expected to face off later this year in Louisiana’s open gubernatorial race.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel had a great response to news that the Petraeus/Crocker report would be written by the White House: “After years of slogans and soundbites Americans deserve an even-handed assessment of conditions in Iraq. Sadly, we will only receive a snapshot from the same people who told us the mission was accomplished and the insurgency was in its last throes. We’ve spent hundreds of billions of dollars and lost thousands of lives in Iraq. An honest report from our generals and diplomats about the status of the war isn’t too much to ask.”

* TPMM: “Here’s something that comes to us via very-alert DailyKos diarist drational. The day after Alberto Gonzales and Andrew Card ran to John Ashcroft’s hospital room to have him overrule acting attorney general James Comey’s determination that the administration’s warrantless surveillance program was illegal, the White House gave a briefing on the super-secret program to none other than Tom DeLay. Practically no members of Congress knew about the surveillance.”

* HuffPost: “The man who will oversee the federal government’s investigation into the disaster that has trapped six workers in a Utah coal mine for over a week was twice rejected for his current job by senators concerned about his own safety record when he managed mines in the private sector.”

* WSJ: “The U.S.’s top intelligence official has greatly expanded the range of federal and local authorities who can get access to information from the nation’s vast network of spy satellites in the U.S. The decision, made three months ago by Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell, places for the first time some of the U.S.’s most powerful intelligence-gathering tools at the disposal of domestic security officials. The move was authorized in a May 25 memo sent to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff asking his department to facilitate access to the spy network on behalf of civilian agencies and law enforcement.”

* Spencer Ackerman: “It wasn’t long ago that the White House couldn’t find anyone to become its ‘war czar,’ a brand-new position created in the spring by President Bush to oversee interagency coordination for Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, the war czar has an apparent under-czar.”

* If Jim Webb isn’t a “Daily Kos Democrat,” I don’t know who is.

* Rumsfeld resigned shortly before the election, but it wasn’t announced until the day after. If there’s a logic to the White House’s reasoning on this, I don’t see it.

* Right-wing pundits Charles Krauthammer and Fred Barnes conceded last night on Fox News that the Bush White House doesn’t have a policy agenda. Some of us realized that a year ago, but I’m glad they’re acknowledging reality.

* Rick Perlstein reported today that the FBI-California Highway Patrol Joint Counter-terrorism Task Force wants to use one of David Horowitz’s hyper-conservative videos, “What Every American Needs to Know About Jihad,” as a training film. That’s really not a good idea.

* The recently-passed FISA revisions expire in six months, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wrote letters to the Intelligence and Judiciary Committee chairmen yesterday, explaining that he’d like to see senators reconsider the issue starting as early as September.

* USAT: “A federal crackdown on corruption involving U.S. contracts in Iraq produced a record number of criminal and administrative cases last month — including the largest bribery case.”

* It’s not enough that far-right media personality John Gibson is an oaf; he also has to be an oaf with a victim’s complex: “[On the August 14 broadcast of his Fox News Radio show, John] Gibson claimed that ‘[t]he war on Gibson is real’ and that ‘it is pursued everyday by the people who just can’t abide by what you hear on this radio program.’”

* E&P: “No matter what you think of Karl Rove — or anyone else in politics — please keep it to yourself, or at least fairly quiet. That was the message in a note sent to staffers at the Seattle Times by Executive Editor Dave Boardman after what he called ‘an awkward moment at yesterday’s news meeting.’” Apparently, when word came in of Karl Rove’s resignation, several people in the meeting started cheering, which Boardman described as “not appropriate” for a newsroom.

* And finally, on a related note, the Washington Post’s Peter Baker asked Karl Rove if he had any regrets from his White House tenure. He only mentioned one. Iraq? Manipulating and exploiting 9/11? Katrina? No, none of those: “I regret accepting that invitation from CNN and going to that stupid dinner and getting turned into MC Rove.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Karl Rove is not leaving the White House quietly. As part of his farewell tour, the man the president affectionately calls “Turd Blossom” stopped by Rush Limbaugh’s show to take a few rhetorical shots at Hillary Clinton. Rove said the senator is “fatally flawed” and would ultimately lose the race for the White House. “She is going into the general election, depending on what poll you look at, with high forties on the negative side and just below that on the positive side. There is nobody who has ever won the presidency who has started out in that position,” he said. Given Rove’s recent track record, the Clinton campaign should be thrilled.

* On a related note, the Clinton campaign is hoping to capitalize on the White House’s recent attacks on her first TV ad of the season, sending out a fundraising letter to supporters yesterday. “Every time Hillary tells it like it is, the Republicans attack,” wrote campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle. “We know there’s more to come. The best way you can help her respond today is by making a contribution.”

* CNN: “Likely Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson says September 5th is ‘in the neighborhood’ for the announcement of his official bid, and says he doesn’t believe he’s too late to the dance. Thompson told a Nashville radio station Wednesday, ‘I can’t give you a particular date, but sounds like you’re in the neighborhood.’ On The Steve Gill show on WLAC Radio, Thompson said, ‘I’m taking the time that I’ve got allotted to me to get my team together, to get my act together.”

* Kudos to Chris Dodd for articulating a sensible policy position on Cuba: “For more than forty-six years, the United States has maintained an isolationist policy toward Cuba, which I believe has not achieved its intended objectives, namely to hasten a peaceful and democratic transition on the Island of Cuba. Rather, it has solidified the authoritarian control of Fidel Castro, and has adversely affected the already miserable living conditions of 11 million innocent men, women, and children on the Island.” Good for Dodd.

* And Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio) is poised to announce this afternoon that she will not seek re-election in 2008. Pryce, a top target last year, eked out a narrow victory over Mary Jo Kilroy, who plans to now run for the open seat.

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take this 3-5 minute test....

and see where you stand on it. It's an interesting one and thought you might enjoy taking it....

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Don’t get too excited about pseudo-political breakthrough in Baghdad: “Iraq’s political leaders emerged Thursday from three days of crisis talks with a new alliance that seeks to save the crumbling U.S.-backed government. But the reshaped power bloc included no Sunnis and immediately raised questions about its legitimacy as a unifying force.” Substantively, absolutely nothing has changed.

* It needs to be done: “In a letter today, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) asked the Justice Department’s inspector general to probe whether Alberto Gonzales has made false or misleading statements. The IG, Glenn Fine, a former prosecutor who’s respected by Democrats and Republicans alike, is already engaged in a joint probe with the Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility of the U.S. attorney firings and general politicization at the DoJ. The inspector general has the power to refer matters for a criminal investigation, but Leahy doesn’t want him to stop there.”

* Slate’s Fred Kaplan tears Rudy Giuliani’s Foreign Affairs article to shreds: “Giuliani’s essay in the latest issue of Foreign Affairs, laying out his ideas for a new U.S. foreign policy, is one of the shallowest articles of its kind I’ve ever read. Had it been written for a freshman course on international relations, it would deserve at best a C-minus (with a concerned note to come see the professor as soon as possible). That it was written by a man who wants to be president — and who recently said that he understands the terrorist threat ‘better than anyone else running’ — is either the stuff of high satire or cause to consider moving to, or out of, the country.”

* Speaking of Giuliani, his FA piece detailed his thoughts on terrorism, but managed to go 6,000 words without mentioning Pakistan — where, you know, the terrorists are.

* I’m sure you’ve seen it by now, but just in case, take a look at Cheney discussing Iraq in 1994.

* Markos was on The Colbert Report last night.

* USAT: “Army soldiers committed suicide last year at the highest rate in 26 years, and more than a quarter did so while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a new military report.”

* Ex-Rep. Bob Ney’s (R-OH) former chief of staff, Will Heaton, was sentenced to two years of probation today for his involvement with Ney and Jack Abramoff. Prosecutors noted that Heaton was hired at age 24 precisely because he was young and unqualified. “Ney intentionally hired and quickly promoted young, inexperienced staffers - who did not receive any formal ethics training from Congress - so that the staffers would have neither the knowledge nor the maturity to question Ney’s conduct,” prosecutors wrote.

* It’s going to be very difficult for Republicans to claim that they’ve been expecting all along that the mid-September Iraq report will come from the White House, not Petraeus.

* The same goes for the Bush gang.

* Salon’s Michael Scherer created a “secret test all elite reporters must pass before they can hit the 2008 trail.” For a fun little exercise, it’s challenging and clever.

* Ezra has a great piece on Bill Richardson’s economic policies. (If I hear “pro-growth Democrat” one more time….)

* Everything you ever wanted to know (and more) about what’s wrong with Rich Lowry’s political analysis.

* Winning hearts and minds? “[Career U.S. diplomat] Patrick Syring retired last month, about a year after he allegedly left racist and intimidating phone and e-mail messages with the Arab American Institute, but before his Wednesday indictment on federal charges of threatening and violating civil rights laws, [State Department] spokesman Sean McCormack said.” (thanks to L.M. for the heads-up)

* I don’t care about the marital plans of the president’s kids.

* The Hill: “Eight House Republicans have called for a boycott of next year’s Olympics in Beijing in a resolution introduced just before the congressional recess. The resolution criticizes China’s human rights record and compares the 2008 Beijing Games to the 1936 Olympics in Nazi-era Berlin. Those Olympics showed that ‘the integrity of the host country is of the utmost importance so as not to stain the participating athletes or the character of the Games,’ according to the resolution.”

* WaPo: “Lawyers for the Bush administration encountered a federal appeals court Wednesday that appeared deeply skeptical of a blanket claim that the government’s surveillance efforts cannot be challenged in court because the litigation might reveal state secrets. ‘The bottom line here is the government declares something is a state secret, that’s the end of it. No cases … The king can do no wrong,’ said Judge Harry Pregerson.”

* Fox News personality John Gibson now believes there are wars against terror, Christmas, Christians, Easter, and himself. Someone get this guy some help.

* And finally, on a related note, Gibson blasted The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart yesterday, prompting Stewart to mention it briefly during a discussion with Cheney sycophant Stephen Hayes. Explaining why so many Americans feel like they’re patriotism has been called into question, Stewart explained, “I myself had some idiot from Fox playing the tape of me after September 11th — very upset. And them calling me a phony … because, apparently, my grief didn’t mean acquiescence.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The GOP congressional leadership realizes that if they’re going to have any kind of success in 2008, they’ll have to keep incumbent retirements to a minimum. Fourteen months out, the strategy isn’t working out well: Reps. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.), Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio), and Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) have all announced their retirements over the last 24 hours. The Politico added: “The retirements come at a time when the National Republican Congressional Committee is lagging well behind the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in cash on hand and can ill-afford too many retirements in competitive congressional districts.”

* Rudy Giuliani was asked yesterday by a conservative voter why the presidential candidate should expect loyalty from voters when he doesn’t get it from his children. “I love my family very, very much and will do anything for them. There are complexities in every family in America,” Giuliani said calmly and quietly. “The best thing I can say is kind of, ‘Leave my family alone, just like I’ll leave your family alone.’” The voter wasn’t entirely satisfied with the response. “If a person is running for president, I would assume their children would be behind them.” she said. “If they’re not, you’ve got to wonder.”

* The Illinois Straw poll at the Illinois State Fair, which practically no one was paying attention to, wrapped up last night. Mitt Romney won with 40% support, followed by Fred Thompson with 20%. Ron Paul was third with 19%, followed by Giuliani with 12%, and John McCain with 4%.

* CNN: “One of Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson’s top organizers in rural Nevada resigned Thursday after the campaign learned he had worked for a brothel and was wanted on a felony arrest warrant in California.” The AP brought the staffer’s record to the campaign’s attention yesterday, and Richardson’s aides promptly accepted the staffer’s resignation.

* And Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), a leading voice on federal immigration policy, reversed course yesterday and announced he would not retire next year. Gutierrez had said he would step down at the end of his eighth term, but with immigration reform legislation likely to come back, Gutierrez said he wants to stay on.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* AP: “President Vladimir Putin placed strategic bombers back on long-range patrol for the first time since the Soviet breakup, sending a tough message to the United States on Friday hours after a major Russian military exercise with China. Putin reviewed the first Russian-Chinese joint exercise on Russian soil before announcing that 20 strategic bombers had been sent far over the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans — showing off Moscow’s muscular new posture and its growing military ties with Beijing.”

* On a related note, Josh Marshall responded to the news from Russia with a terrific post: “[O]ur whole national dialog, hundreds of billions of dollars and a lot more are going to Iraq. And more generally the fantasy 450 year long-war epic battle with the Islamofascists. We’re close to breaking the US Army and Marine Corps with over-extended deployments. And in hotspots around the world, there’s a vacuum, as the world sort of rushes past us. In many ways this is the greatest danger in Iraq, not that our future as a nation is at stake in staying (as the right would have it) or even that it’s necessarily at stake in leaving but that our engagement with the country has fixed us with a dangerous national myopia which is letting many other problems fester unattended for going on a decade.”

* An edge-of-the-seat week on Wall Street ended on a positive note today, after the Fed lowered interest rates cut a key interest rate by a half a percentage point. “The Fed also said in a statement that recent turbulence in financial markets has significantly increased the risk that the economy will worsen. Investors interpreted the two moves, taken together, as a signal that the central bank is prepared to take serious action to try to prevent disruptions that began in the market for mortgages from spreading widely through the economy.” The Dow closed up 233 points.

* On a related note, confused about the current market freakout? Salon’s Andrew Leonard did an excellent job explaining what’s going on and why.

* Yesterday, the Bush gang insisted publicly that they were not pushing for closed-door-only briefings between Gen. Petraeus and members of Congress. By all indications, the administration was lying.

* Next week, The Daily Show will get reports from Baghdad — real ones, not in front of a green screen.

* Donald Rumsfeld wants to write a book. Publishers don’t seem to care.

* Lee County, Florida, doesn’t want Rep. Don Young’s (R-AK) ethically-dubious $10 million earmark.

* Remember Nicole and Jeffery Rank? They were arrested on the 4th of July, 2004, for wearing anti-Bush t-shirts to a public event where the president was speaking. The couple filed a lawsuit with the help of the ACLU, and settled out of court yesterday for $80,000. White House spokesman Blair Jones said the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing. No, of course not.

* Fox News got caught this week fiddling with Wikipedia pages, editing content that didn’t fit with the partisan network’s political agenda. Not surprisingly, Fox News then ran a segment last night blasting Wikipedia’s reliability because some people manipulate the online encyclopedia due to “self-serving agendas.” The irony was rich.

* Before the report the White House is writing for Gen. Petraeus is turned over to Congress next month, the public is already skeptical. CNN reports, “A majority of Americans don’t trust the upcoming report by the Army’s top commander in Iraq on the progress of the war and even if they did, it wouldn’t change their mind, according to a new poll…. 53 percent of people polled said they suspect that the military assessment of the situation will try to make it sound better than it actually is.”

* A South Carolina small supplies shipping company exploited an automated shipping system to charge the Pentagon $1 million to ship two 19-cent washers. The system was designed to make it easier to quickly get supplied to U.S. troops, but Charlene Corley, the owner of C&D Distributors LLC, decided to try to exploit the system. She pleaded guilty yesterday to wire fraud and money laundering.

* If there’s a bigger hack in public life than Sean Hannity, he or she is hiding well.

* Thanks to several alert readers, I now have a clear understanding of the president’s position on brain-eating zombies.

* And finally, John Edwards’ 7-year-old, Jack, asked his dad, “is it fun to be on ‘Hardball’?” Edwards responded, “I think it’s only fun if you’re Chris Matthews.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* WaPo: “Democrats and Republicans are mounting a fierce battle to shape voter impressions of Congress during August’s political lull, convinced that they must define the story line of the 2008 congressional election before voters are swamped by the presidential campaign. The opening salvo of television and radio advertisements, automated calls and fundraising appeals is unusually intense this early in the election cycle, and it comes just seven months after the Democrats took control of Congress. But lawmakers, pollsters and Congress watchers say it is not clear whether the Democrats have convinced the public that they can do the job an angry electorate handed them in November — or whether, once again, all incumbents will be vulnerable next year, regardless of party.”

* Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe (D) will announce today that he’s supporting Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. It will be Clinton’s first endorsement from a southern governor, and comes on the heels of a new poll showing the New York senator leading her Republicans rivals in the state.

* There’s been ample speculation of late of that Sen. Thad Cochran (R-S.C.) will not seek re-election next year, but the 70-year-old incumbent apparently gearing up for another race. “He’s planning to run, right now he’s making preparations and doing fund-raisings,” Cochran press secretary Margaret McPhillips said.

* Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.) appears to be raising money for a gubernatorial campaign.

* And NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg appeared to rule out a presidential campaign during an interview last week with Dan Rather. Asked if he’d run, Bloomberg said, “No.” Asked if there were “any circumstances” in which he would launch a campaign, the mayor added, “Oh, I don’t know. Any — the answer — if I don’t say no categorically you’ll then read something into it. The answer is no.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Interesting timing: “The White House revealed today that General David Petraeus’ testimony before Congress on progress in Iraq has now been scheduled — and the chosen date just happens to be September 11, the sixth anniversary of the attacks. Why the timing? The White House said today that it’s based on the fact that Congress is now out of session and reconvenes in September. And in fairness, as Think Progress notes, the Petraeus briefing is mandated to occur before Sept. 15.”

* This ought to shake things up a little: “The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee is calling for a new government in Iraq, saying his trip there last week convinced him that Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki is too sectarian and cannot create a stable Iraq. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, was blunt in a Monday conference call with reporters. ‘I hope the Iraqi Assembly, when it reconvenes in two weeks will vote the Maliki government out of office,’ he said.” Levin added, “The Maliki government is non-functional and cannot produce a political settlement because it is too beholden to religious and sectarian leaders.”

* An interesting multi-part report will begin tonight on CNN called “God’s Warriors.” Take a look.

* Even Fred Hiatt has seen enough of Alberto Gonzales: “Trying to take advantage of a hospitalized man is despicable. That the behavior was exhibited by the future attorney general in an effort to circumvent the chain of command to get approval for a surveillance program the administration’s top lawyers had already said was unacceptable is nothing less than disgraceful.”

* Yet another federal corruption investigation for an Alaskan Republican: “It looks like Rep. Don Young’s (R-AK) $10 million Coconut Road earmark has roped him into another FBI investigation, McClatchy reports. Young slipped the money into a 2005 transportation bill just days after a real estate developer, Daniel Aronoff held a fundraiser in Florida that fetched Young $40,000 in campaign contributions.” Last week, local officials in Florida turned down the money.

* This isn’t good: “Rep. Bob Filner didn’t just lose his luggage on Sunday night, he allegedly lost his temper, too. The California Democrat is being charged with assault and battery following an incident at Dulles International Airport in which Filner allegedly pushed an airline worker and refused to leave an employees-only area, according to a statement given to HOH by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.”

* TV Newser: “Countdown with Keith Olbermann is getting a tryout on NBC. The NYTimes reports, Countdown will air before NBC’s broadcast of this Sunday’s pre-season game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers. Says NBC SVP Phil Griffin, ‘The world has changed, and I think people have come in line with the smart, focused approach [Keith] has on the show.’”

* TP: “With skyrocketing casualties in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as a higher death rate for veterans of World War II and the Korean War, demand for burial plots at Arlington National Cemetery is increasing. According to the Pentagon, ‘nearly 2,000 veterans died each day’ last year, and wait times for funerals can be as long as two months.”

* Exactly two months ago today, Bill O’Reilly told his national radio audience, “I’m giving [the war in Iraq] two more months.”

* My friend Brian Beutler has a new (online) home.

* Liberty University, the far-right college started by TV preacher Jerry Falwell, had amassed quite a bit of debt, which was promptly paid off thanks to Falwell’s life-insurance policy.

* The war is really popular with those who don’t want to fight in it.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid believes the threat of global warming should preclude the construction of new coal-fired power plants anywhere in the world. Good for him.

* And finally, starting tonight, The Daily Show will be getting actual reports from Iraq from correspondent Rob Riggle, who has combat experience as a major in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, and who spent five days in the country last week with Daily Show writer Kevin Bleyer and field producer Glenn Clements. Riggle told MSNBC that they were primarily there to entertain the troops, many of whom reportedly enjoy the show.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* CNN: “A liberal blogger has filed a federal complaint against former Sen. Fred Thompson, the actor and unannounced Republican candidate for president, accusing him of violating election laws as he ponders his entry into the race. The blogger, Lane Hudson, submitted his complaint to the Federal Election Commission on Monday saying Thompson has raised far more money than he needs to explore whether to run for president.” Legally, Thompson, as an exploratory candidate, can raise money to travel, conduct polls and pay for other expenses related to “testing the waters” for a political campaign right now, but not hoard the money for later use — but that’s exactly what Thompson appears to have been doing.

* Speaking of Thompson, the campaign-in-waiting suffered another departure last week, with spokesperson Burson Snyder announcing her resignation. Snyder said she plans to pursue a “better professional fit.” She’s part of several major staff shake-ups with Team Thompson over the last few weeks.

* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ken.) continues to look increasingly vulnerable next year, with the far-right Washington Times reporting that the senator’s “close backing of President Bush on immigration and the Iraq war is costing him support among Kentucky Republicans, and, according to some party members, hurting his chances for re-election.” McConnell may even face a GOP primary challenge from former Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Forgy.

* Sen. David Vitter’s (R-La.) sex scandal apparently hasn’t hurt his support in Louisiana. A new Southern Media & Opinion Research poll shows Vitter enjoys a 66% approval rating.

* Barack Obama picked up a helpful endorsement today from Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.), an Iraq war veteran.

* Everyone’s seen the video of Giuliani expressing his support for taxpayer-funded abortions, right?

* And the Boston Globe had an amusing item yesterday on Mitt Romney’s wholesome choice of words: “Romney often sounds as if he has stepped out of a time machine from 1950s suburban America, golly-ing and gosh-ing his way across the nation, letting out the occasional ‘Holy cow!’ after something really shocks him.” Romney claims not to have used profanity since high school.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The Hill: “House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) demanded Tuesday that 18 federal agencies provide the panel with documents related to ‘asset deployment teams’ managed by departing White House adviser Karl Rove leading up to the 2004 election. According to Waxman, documents obtained by the committee confirm the existence of the teams, as well as the involvement of 18 federal agencies, including the Departments of Justice, State and Homeland Security, in a 2003 asset deployment strategy meeting.” Waxman set a Sept. 7 deadline for document production.

* Way back in 2005, Karl Rove, a Texas resident, illegally took a homestead deduction and property tax cap on his home in DC, and owed the city back taxes. A lawyer in the Texas secretary of state’s office was fired, presumbaly at Rove’s behest, for confirming the story for the Washington Post. The lawyer, Elizabeth Reyes, is now suing Rove.

* Hurricane Dean is wreaking havoc in the Atlantic, but is its size and power a result of global warming? Chris Mooney tackles the question in a helpful HuffPost item today.

* The president is usually unreserved when it comes to praising Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, but asked today whether the Iraqi parliament should oust Maliki, Bush said, “That’s up to the Iraqis to make that decision, not American politicians. The Iraqis will decide. They have decided they want a constitution. They have elected members to their parliament. And they will make the decisions, just like democracies do.”

* ABC: “Former CIA director George Tenet ‘bears ultimate responsibility’ for failing to create a strategic plan to stop al Qaeda prior to 9/ll, according to a review by the CIA’s inspector general that was made public today, more than two years after it was written.” Too late to get that Presidential Medal of Freedom back?

* The AP has more: The CIA’s top leaders failed to use their available powers, never developed a comprehensive plan to stop al-Qaida and missed crucial opportunities to thwart two hijackers in the run-up to Sept. 11, the agency’s own watchdog concluded in a bruising report released Tuesday. (thanks to SKNM for the tip)

* TPMM: “Bradley Schlozman, a former Justice Department official who was at the center of the U.S. attorneys scandal and is under investigation by the Departments inspector general for his alleged efforts to politicize the Civil Rights Division, has finally left his post at the Department.” If my count is right, he’s the sixth high-ranking DoJ official to resign in the wake of a scandal.

* The Family Security Matters may be some kind of right-wing think tank with a roster of high-profile figures — James Woolsey, Barbara Comstock, Frank Gaffney, Laura Ingraham — but the group sure does believe some odd things.

* Matt Bai has written a new book, “The Argument: Billionaires, Bloggers and the Battle to Remake Democratic Politics,” about Democratic politics in the Bush years that’s already sparking arguments. Joan Walsh offers a thorough and insightful response today.

* According to data from Brookings (.pdf), 113 Americans were killed in Iraq in the summer of 2003, 162 in 2004, 217 in 2005, 169 in 2006, and 229 in 2007 (and there are, alas, 9 days left before the end of August).

* The right surprisingly worked up about Janeane Garofalo joining the cast of “24.”

* There’s no reason for the NYT to keep referring to the “Petraeus-Crocker Report.” The White House is responsible for writing the document, so it’s the White House’s report.

* Things are looking bad for Bush’s Agriculture Undersecretary, who apparently doesn’t want to answer questions about the Forest Service’s failure to analyze the environmental impact of dropping fish-killing fire retardant on wildfires.

* If only war supporters could decide when they think the surge began, their arguments wouldn’t sound so incoherent.

* I suppose it’s possible that Tom Tancredo could be more irresponsible, but I’m not sure how: “Federal officials said on Monday that a second man among the suspects in the schoolyard slayings of three young friends was in the United States illegally…. ‘If the suspects are found guilty, Newark and its political leadership share a degree of responsibility,’ [Tancredo] said on the steps of the gold-domed City Hall, surrounded by a dozen supporters and slightly more protesters who rallied against him. ‘I encourage the family of the victims to pursue a lawsuit against the city.’”

* And finally, you will be pleased to learn that the American Association of Publishers has found that liberals read more books than conservatives. “The Karl Roves of the world have built a generation that just wants a couple slogans: ‘No, don’t raise my taxes, no new taxes,’” Pat Schroeder, president of the [AAP] said in a recent interview. “It’s pretty hard to write a book saying, ‘No new taxes, no new taxes, no new taxes’ on every page.” She added that liberals tend to be policy wonks who “can’t say anything in less than paragraphs. We really want the whole picture, want to peel the onion.” I guess that’s why my posts are so long?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Mitt Romney’s lead in Iowa continues to get bigger, at least according to a new Zogby poll. Romney now leads the GOP field with 33% support, followed by Rudy Giuliani, who is a distant second at 14%. Fred Thompson is third with 12%, followed by Mike Huckabee at 8%, and John McCain with 6%.

* Rudy Giuliani’s once-enthusiastic support for gun control hasn’t been a big campaign issue thus far, but Fred Thompson apparently hopes to change that. Thompson, in his latest online column, wrote, “When I was working in television, I spent quite a bit of time in New York City. There are lots of things about the place I like, but New York gun laws don’t fall in that category.” He went on to decry a recent court ruling on a gun case, writing that “the same activist federal judge from Brooklyn who provided Mayor Giuliani’s administration with the legal ruling it sought to sue gun makers, has done it again.”

* John McCain campaign’s financial troubles have been well documented, but apparently the senator is still not clear on why he practically ran out of money mid-way through 2007. On a blogger conference call this week, McCain confirmed that an internal audit is underway “to find out exactly what we spent.”

* Speaking of McCain, the senator’s new campaign manager, Rick Davis, has decided to try to save some money by getting McCain a less-fancy “Straight Talk” bus. “The next time we roll it out, [the new bus will] be much more like the original version,” Davis said. “A piece of sh*t.”

* The DNC is still deeply troubled by Florida’s decision to move its primary up to Jan. 29 in violation of party rules. The Politico reported, “The ugly elbowing over which states will go first in the 2008 presidential primary process is due to explode into open warfare Saturday as the Democratic National Committee decides what to do about ‘rogue’ states that are threatening to violate party rules. The DNC’s powerful Rules and Bylaws Committee is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. in Washington to decide primarily what sanctions to take against Florida.”

* And on speaking of the primary calendar, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) has used her discretion to move her state’s primary up to Feb. 5, from Feb. 26. Arizona will now vote on the same day as several other huge states, including California, Illinois, New Jersey, and New York.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Former CIA operative Bob Baer told Fox News yesterday that the Bush administration will likely attack Iran in the coming months. Today, on the same network, former U.N. ambassador John Bolton said he “absolutely” hopes Baer is right.

* In related news, Brave New Films has unveiled “Fox Attacks: Iran,” which, among other things, highlights the similarities between the partisan network’s rhetoric about Iraq in 2002, and rhetoric about Iran in 2007. It’s discouraging, to put it mildly.

* It’s kind of a long story, but right-wing hatchet-man Roger Stone was hired by the New York GOP to attack Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D). As part of his efforts, Stone ended up calling the governor’s elderly father and leaving an odd voice-mail message. Referring to a potential subpoena, the message said, “There is not a goddamn thing your phony, psycho, piece-of-shit son can do about it. Bernie, your phony loans are about to catch up with you. You will be forced to tell the truth and the fact that your son’s a pathological liar will be known to all.” Stone resigned today.

* Speaking of resignations, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), in the midst of a corruption scandal and criminal investigation, is now facing pressure from Alaska Republicans to end his career and gracefully step aside. Stevens told reporters yesterday he will not resign.

* In an amusing Michael Kinsley Moment (making a mistake by accidentally telling the truth), Fox News’ Brit Hume reported yesterday that “[t]he Senate Judiciary Committee’s latest deadline for the White House to comply with its subpoena for documents relating to warrantless — allegedly warrantless wiretaps has come and gone.” Hume didn’t have to correct himself; the administration has already admitted to conducting warrantless wiretaps. (Yes, FNC personalities are even more deferential to the administration that administration officials are.)

* AP: “The Justice Department said Tuesday that records about missing White House e-mails are not subject to public disclosure, the latest effort by the Bush administration to expand the boundaries of government secrecy. Administration lawyers detailed the legal position in a lawsuit trying to force the White House Office of Administration to reveal what it knows about the disappearance of White House e-mails.”

* At the end of those Freedom’s Watch ads we talked about earlier, the group urges viewers to call 877-222-8001 in order to contact members of Congress. But when you call the number, you get a right-wing operator who makes sure you’re convinced that Bush is right about everything. Callers are also given a quiz to ensure ideological purity. As IraqCampaign.org explained, “Ari Fleischer brings Bush ‘town hall’ screening tactics — come in tell us what you think. First, you need to take a test to see if we agree.”

* Chris Matthews has the lowest-rated program on MSNBC primetime, so the network fired his producer. Note to MSNBC: the ratings aren’t the producer’s fault.

* John Stossel is still confused about healthcare. What a shock.

* As if their ideas weren’t bad enough, voucher proponents in Utah are now conducting push-polls, suggesting the National Education Association supports gay marriage. For the record, a) it’s not true; and b) what does this have to do with public funding for private schools?

* TPMM: “In a motion filed yesterday, Justice Department lawyers argued that the Office of Administration is not subject to FOIA. Their reasoning: the office is not an ‘agency,’ by the definition of FOIA.” On the White House website, the Office of Administration is listed among “agencies” that are subject to FOIA.

* The offices of Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) have been squabbling over some earmark expenditures, and it apparently got a little heated. After Coburn’s office found a suspect request from Nelson, John Hart, Coburn’s communications director, sent an email from his Senate account to several of his colleagues. “This will shut that fu**er up,” Hart said. “I can’t wait to send an In Case You Missed It to Nebraska press that will be forwarded to a**face.”

* Former Reagan DoJ official Bruce Fein is still pushing hard for impeaching the president, and is challenging Pelosi’s decision to take the option off the table.

* The Bush gang was for S-CHIP expansion before they were against it.

* Bush’s poll numbers on terrorism have dropped well below 50%, but the far-right Washington Times doesn’t realize that’s a bad thing.

* CNN reports, “Vermont is a picture perfect place — its rivers and mountains and covered bridges are a draw to some 10 million visitors a year. Yet, the Green Mountain State is the forgotten place in the crowded travelogue of President Bush — the only state he has failed to visit in his presidency.” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) apparently wants to change that, daring Bush to visit Vermont before the end of his term. “This president will probably go down in history as the least popular president in history of this country — he should go forward and find out why that is so,” Sanders said.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* ABC: “Mitt Romney has once again changed his position on whether states should be allowed to retain abortion rights. Two weeks after indicating to ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos on ‘Good Morning America’ that his abortion position goes beyond reversing Roe vs. Wade and includes support for a human life amendment to the Constitution as well as federal legislation that would bring the unborn under the protections of the 14th Amendment, Romney said Tuesday that he supports letting states make their own choices about abortion — a position that would be impossible if his ‘GMA’ abortion position were implemented.”

* Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert recently announced that he would not seek re-election, but apparently, Hastert won’t even bother serving the rest of his term, preferring to resign from Congress in November. Dairy owner Jim Oberweis, who has run unsuccessfully in three previous statewide bids for governor and for the Senate, is considered a leading contender to replace him.

* John Edwards appears to be turning up the rhetorical heat against Hillary Clinton. In a speech in New Hampshire today, the former senator is scheduled to say, in reference to the 1990s, “The trouble with nostalgia is that you tend to remember what you liked and forget what you didn’t. It’s not just that the answers of the past aren’t up to the job today, it’s that the system that produced them was corrupt — and still is.” Without mentioning Clinton by name, Edwards will also reportedly argue that voters should not simply replace “a group of corporate Republicans with a group of corporate Democrats, just swapping the Washington insiders of one party for the Washington insiders of the other.”

* Struggling a bit, Sen. Joe Biden is retooling his presidential fundraising operation in an effort to raise more money. Biden has raised approximately $4.4 million since the beginning of the year, less than any other candidates except Kucinich and Gravel.

* Former Rep. Bob Schaffer (R-Colo.) was supposed to be the leading GOP candidate for Senate next year, but now he’s hedging on whether or not he’s even going to run.

* Karl Rove caused a fuss saying Hillary Clinton’s “unfavorables” makes it impossible for her to win the presidency. Gallup released a poll yesterday suggesting Rove (who has his own math) is misreading the numbers.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The White House is already downplaying Sen. John Warner’s (R-Va.) suggestion of a small drawdown by Christmas. Asked whether Bush would leave the door open to setting a timetable, White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said, “I don’t think the president feels any differently about setting a specific timetable for withdrawal. I just think it’s important that we wait right now to hear from our commanders on the ground about the way ahead.”

* AP: “Florida’s top police agency said Wednesday its investigation into former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley’s lurid Internet communications with teenage boys has been hindered because neither Foley nor the House will let investigators examine his congressional computers…. Smith said that the House claims the computers are considered congressional work papers, and that only Foley can release them for review.” Lurid IM chats are considered constitutionally protected? Really?

* Bob Somerby scrutinizes the media’s coverage of the Michelle Obama’s harmless, innocuous comment about family as only Bob Somerby can. (Here’s a hint, the media embarrassed itself — again — with coverage that can only be described as pathetic.)

* Remember the absurd Freedom’s Watch commercials that debuted yesterday? Americans United for Change has already put together a quick response video.

* Speaking of good videos, VoteVets.org has put together a new clip of its own, this one helping emphasize opposition to Bush’s policies among the troops. The new ad features Iraq Veteran John Bruhns, who says, using various Senators’ names, “When I went to Iraq I put my country first. Now we’re stuck in a religious civil war and the troops say it’s only getting worse. Susan Collins thinks protecting George Bush is more important than protecting America. But, George Bush is obsessed with Iraq — instead of defeating Al Qaeda. And Susan Collins won’t stop him. Senator Collins, when will you put your country before politics?”

* NYU’s Jay Rosen responds to Michael Skube’s recent LAT op-ed questioning the journalistic value of blogs, by highlighting some fine journalism Skube would have found if he knew what he was talking about.

* Several conservative blogs are excited today about a Newsweek item that suggests Bill Clinton didn’t do enough to go after Osama bin Laden. Dave Johnson takes a closer look at the report.

* Support the troops: “The Pentagon will fall far short of its goal of sending 3,500 lifesaving armored vehicles to Iraq by the end of the year. Instead, officials expect to send about 1,500.” Blue Girl has some excellent background info on this.

* Rush Limbaugh apparently believes white people don’t care about Darfur, arguing that Democratic presidential candidates talk about the crisis only to secure support from African-American voters. (In other words, he doesn’t care…)

* I’ve been wondering for years why we don’t have rayguns. It’s 2007, for crying out loud. We can go to space, but we can’t have rayguns? Apparently, our wait is nearly over.

* It just gets so tiresome: “During the August 21 edition of MSNBC’s Hardball, Washington Post staff writer Anne E. Kornblut asserted that, in contrast with Democratic crowds who applaud Democratic candidates when they say, ‘I’m going to start ending this war in Iraq,’ ‘Republican crowds are a little different. They still want to be supporting the troops.’”

* More evidence of “progress” in Iraq: “Armed groups increasingly control the antiquated switching stations that channel electricity around Iraq, the electricity minister said Wednesday.”

* Rep. Steve King, Iowa Republican and ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee’s immigration subcommittee, believes the Bush administration employs thousands of illegal immigrants. He did not, however, wave a list saying, “I have here in my hand, a list of names of immigrants…”

* And finally, Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) returned from a visit to Iraq saying that “the surge is working very, very well,” and adding that it was “very, very helpful to see things on the ground.” Vitter was in Iraq for all of 10 hours. I realize that the senator is anxious to rebuild his credibility after being humiliated in a prostitution scandal, but this is not a way to gain credibility; it is a way to look even more foolish.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In the latest in a series of similar announcements from House Republicans, Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) said yesterday that he will not seek re-election next year. He’s the fifth GOP incumbent this month to announce his retirement, through Renzi’s situation is slightly different — his family business was raided earlier this year by the FBI, which is investigating whether he used his federal office for personal gain.

* Remember the borderline-racist “Harold, call me” ads from the Senate race in Tennessee last year? They were produced by Heath Thompson and his Dallas-based firm, Scott Howell & Company — which will now handle advertising for Rudy Giuliani.

* As part of his decision to limit the number of candidate debates and forums, Barack Obama will skip an AARP forum in Iowa on September 20, despite the fact that Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Bill Richardson have already agreed to participate. Locally, Obama’s decision seems to be rather unpopular.

* The rumors are apparently true — if Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) decides not to seek re-election, former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.) plans to enter the race. “I am more and more certain Chuck is not going to seek re-election, and my intention is to make my decision before he makes an announcement,” Kerrey told the Lincoln Journal Star.

* Alabama State Sen. Vivian Figures (D) is poised to announce tomorrow that she will take on incumbent Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) next year. Sessions won 59% of the vote against Susan Parker in 2002, and is considered the likely favorite again next year.

* California Attorney General Jerry Brown is mulling yet another gubernatorial campaign, conceding that he’s “talked about it” and “thought about” the 2010 race. Brown, of course, served two terms as governor from 1974 to 1982, in addition to three unsuccessful presidential campaigns.

* And the suntan lotion is going to hit the fan tomorrow, when the DNC meets to decide whether (and how much) to punish Florida for its decision to ignore party rules and move its primary up to Jan. 29. Sen. Bill Nelson (D) has already vowed to file a lawsuit if the party imposes sanctions.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.), the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, announced yesterday that he no longer shares the president’s vision for a democracy in Iraq. “You’ve got a culture where democracy is not part of, ‘Let’s go there,’ ” Hoekstra said. “It was a stretch.” He insists U.S. troops should stay indefinitely, but only to create a stable Iraq, not to create a free Iraq.

* I’ve never been entirely clear on why Barack Obama’s position on attacking terrorists in Pakistan was so controversial, but the AP notes that newly uncovered “rules of engagement” show the “U.S. military gave elite units broad authority more than three years ago to pursue suspected terrorists into Pakistan, with no mention of telling the Pakistanis in advance.” In other words, the media and political world freaked out because Obama expressed his support for existing U.S. policy. Odd.

* If you haven’t heard about Matt Stoller and Open Left’s “Bush Dog” campaign, it’s garnering an increasing amount of attention.

* Congrats to Cenk Uygur of the Young Turks for launching his new “Meet the Bloggers” show, patterned after “Meet the Press.” Today was the inaugural episode, featuring a great panel: Joan McCarter, John Amato, and Lane Hudson.

* Another top Justice Department has announced his resignation: Wan Kim, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Kim wasn’t nearly as controversial as some of his more ridiculous colleagues, but as Paul Kiel noted, “[T]he Division continued in the direction set by the prior Bush years under Kim’s direction, often pursuing causes favored by conservatives (such as religious discrimination and human trafficking) to the detriment of the Division’s traditional emphasis (such as protecting African-Americans from discrimination).”

* The WaPo had an interesting front-page item today, highlighting the Bush administration’s effort to have U.S. business purchase more Iraqi products. It’s a bit of a tough sell (literally and figuratively) given that Iraq isn’t producing a lot of goods right now. Bush has tapped an official to oversee the project who is currently under investigation by the Pentagon’s Inspector General for “erratic behavior, public drunkenness, mismanagement, waste of funds and sexual harassment.”

* Mark Foley’s reputation will never recover, but he’s not going to jail: “Former Rep. Mark Foley, the Florida Republican who resigned his seat last fall after it was revealed he sent sexually explicit e-mails to underage House pages, is unlikely to face criminal charges for his behavior, Scripps Howard News Service reports. The news agency reports federal investigators have been unable to gather enough evidence to prove Foley, 52, intended to ’seduce, solicit, lure, entice, or attempt to seduce a child,’ with his inappropriate contacts.”

* Roger Stone can explain those awful calls from his phone to Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s grandfather: someone broke into his house, and made the call using some sort of replication of his voice. His alibi: he was at a play the same time as the call. (The play happened to be off that night.)

* Score one for common-sense budgeting: “Millions of dollars later, Congress has effectively killed a military plane program the Pentagon repeatedly rejected, and which never had a successful flight. The $63 million Congress poured into the DP2 program over 20 years was not requested by the Department of Defense. Instead, it was mandated through obscure provisions in bills known as ‘earmarks.’ Most of those earmarks for the DP2 were inserted by Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., in whose district the plane was designed and built, in prototype.”

* With all the awful news coming out of Iraq about security and political reconciliation, let’s also not overlook the genuine refugee crisis. The U.N. migration office has labeled it the “worst human displacement in Iraq’s modern history” — and given the country’s modern history, that’s very discouraging.

* NYT: “The Bush administration is set to issue a regulation on Friday that would enshrine the coal mining practice of mountaintop removal. The technique involves blasting off the tops of mountains and dumping the rubble into valleys and streams. It has been used in Appalachian coal country for 20 years under a cloud of legal and regulatory confusion. The new rule would allow the practice to continue and expand, providing only that mine operators minimize the debris and cause the least environmental harm, although those terms are not clearly defined and to some extent merely restate existing law.”

* I knew some teenager would crack the iPhone eventually.

* Edwards vs. Coulter, Round III.

* Media Matters is launching a worthwhile pushback against Rush Limbaugh’s assertion that only black people care about the crisis in Darfur.

* Paul Krugman: “f you look at the political successes of the G.O.P. since it was taken over by movement conservatives, they had very little to do with public opposition to taxes, moral values, perceived strength on national security, or any of the other explanations usually offered. To an almost embarrassing extent, they all come down to just five words: southern whites starting voting Republican.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* “Democratic National Committee officials ruled [Saturday] that Florida’s Jan. 29 presidential primary is in violation of party rules and gave Florida Democrats 30 days to find a solution or be frozen out of the nominating convention next year,” the Boston Globe reported. “The near-unanimous vote threw the already contentious primary season into further turmoil, setting up a showdown between the states and the national party, which is desperately trying to quell the rush toward early primaries that could determine the nominee before spring.”

* Fred Thompson’s still-unannounced campaign continues to hemorrhage staffers: “Linda Rozett, the communications director for former Sen. Fred Thompson’s (R-Tenn.) presidential bid, has left the campaign, according to an internal e-mail obtained by The Fix. ‘It is my duty to let you know that Linda Rozett is no longer with our committee,’ wrote campaign manager Bill Lacy. ‘I will have to make a lot of tough decisions to make our venture successful, and this was one of them. Linda is a talented, professional and gracious lady who will be missed…. But in the limited amount of time we have I feel it critical to have a communications point person with significant campaign experience.’”

* Rudy Giuliani unveiled the basics of his tax plan over the weekend, which includes reducing corporate taxes, eliminating the inheritance tax, and making Bush’s reckless cuts permanent. The former mayor also compared Dems’ opposition to Bush’s tax cuts to their opposition to Bush’s Iraq policy. “When it’s working, let’s change it. Isn’t that a brilliant philosophy? It sounds a little bit like Iraq,” Giuliani said. (No, the poor guy isn’t very bright.)

* AP: “Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama often says he will be a candidate that will bring both parties together and Saturday he named a few of the Republicans he would reach out to if elected. ‘There are some very capable Republicans who I have a great deal of respect for,’ Obama said in an interview with The Associated Press. ‘The opportunities are there to create a more effective relationship between parties.’ Among the Republicans he would seek help from are Sens. Richard Lugar of Indiana, John Warner of Virginia and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Obama said.”

* CNN: Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee said Sunday that voters’ expectations might be too high for Fred Thompson’s run for the Republican presidential nomination. Weighing in on Thompson’s likely candidacy on Fox News Sunday, Huckabee said ‘Well, let’s just hope Fred decides it’s just too hot this summer to even do this. Maybe he won’t get in. But if he does, I think he’s going to suck a lot of the oxygen out of the room when he first comes in. But I’m not sure I’d want to be in his position where the expectations are simply just sky-high for him to be able to perform.’”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The latest on Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) being arrested for lewd conduct in an airport men’s room.

* Politico: “The abrupt departure of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales won’t stop congressional Democrats from pursuing investigations into his tenure at the Justice Department.”

* For quite a while this afternoon, CNN.com treated a football player’s guilty plea in a dog-fighting case as a bigger story than the resignation of the Attorney General. When I checked a few hours ago, MSNBC.com was doing the same thing.

* After commenting on Gonzales’ resignation, the president traveled to New Mexico for a private fundraiser on behalf of Sen. Pete Domenici (R). Given Domenici’s role in the scandal that ultimately cost Gonzales his job, I can’t help but think there’s a joke in there somewhere. If only The Daily Show wasn’t off this week….

* Most of the GOP presidential hopefuls issued press statements today that were mildly critical of Gonzales, but Giuliani remained silent.

* A few years ago, soon-to-be-acting Attorney General Paul Clement was described this way: “He can make the unreasonable sound reasonable.” In the Bush administration, that’s unfortunately an important quality to have.

* Red State on finding Gonzales’ permanent successor: “The President needs to appoint someone who believes strongly in the foreign surveillance program, he needs to appoint someone who will go into the justice department, not with a new tone, but someone that will clean house of the endless career bureaucrats that been undermining the administration.” Responded John Cole: “Why didn’t I think of that? The solution to the problems at Justice is clearly to insert more “yes-men” and some more cronyism.” Obviously.

* Awful news from McClatchy: “Iraq’s deadly insurgent groups have financed their war against U.S. troops in part with hundreds of thousands of dollars in U.S. rebuilding funds that they’ve extorted from Iraqi contractors in Anbar province. The payments, in return for the insurgents’ allowing supplies to move and construction work to begin, have taken place since the earliest projects in 2003, Iraqi contractors, politicians and interpreters involved with reconstruction efforts said.” (thanks for the tip, R.P.)

* Kevin Drum does some damn impressive surge blogging and summarizes the results: “The conventional wisdom this summer, after a steady round of dog-and-pony shows from the military, says that although political progress in Iraq is nil (or even in reverse), at least we’re finally making some tactical progress on the security front. And maybe we are. But I’m trying to be as honest as I can be here, and it looks to me like the balance of the evidence suggests that this is more hype than reality. As near as I can tell, we’re not making much progress on either front.”

* Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin raised the specter of Patrick Fitzgerald as the next Attorney General. I have a hunch Bush won’t care for the idea.

* Christopher Orr finds someone who answers questions about as well as Alberto Gonzales. (For the record, I feel really bad for that poor woman. I’ve had brain-freezes, too, though mine haven’t come on national television.)

* Andy Rooney, the crotchety writer and “60 Minutes’ humorist, is drawing flack for saying he no longer cares about baseball because “today’s baseball stars are all guys named Rodriguez to me.” Responding to criticism, the 88-year-old Rooney told the NYT, “Yeah, I probably shouldn’t have said it,” Mr. Rooney, 88, tells The New York Times for a story today. “It’s a name that seems common in baseball now. I certainly didn’t think of it in any derogatory sense…. I write columns and have opinions, and some of them are pretty stupid.”

* And finally, a Quote of the Day from House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel: “Alberto Gonzales is the first Attorney General who thought the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth were three different things.”

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California Republicans are floating a ballot initiative that would change how the state awards
its 55 electoral votes, a whopping prize that Democrats have come to regard as theirs.

Under the current format, the winner of the state's popular vote takes all electoral votes.
The initiative proposes to award one electoral vote for every congressional district a
candidate wins, with the statewide winner getting two more electoral votes.

"It has a gut-level appeal to it," said Kevin Eckery, a GOP consultant supporting the initiative,
which would be put before voters in June. "It sounds fair, and it is fair."

Hey, screw that!
What could be more fair than the guy with the most votes wins?
You didn't want to play that way in 2000, so you bastards cheated.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Top Republican officials, including Karl Rove, pushed hard to get Louisiana Treasurer John Kennedy to leave the Dems and join the GOP, and yesterday, he did. The plan is apparently to have Kennedy run against Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) next year. (That’s fine, I suppose, but what would possess someone to join the GOP right now?)

* The Politco reported yesterday that Sen. Chris Dodd’s (D-Conn.) presidential campaign picked up a major boost by earning the endorsement of the International Association of Firefighters. As Ben Smith explained, T”he firefighters carry a special cachet among organized labor for a couple of reasons. The post-9/11 symbolism of firefighters is powerful. And as the union proved in 2004, they are willing to come out in force for an underdog, and send members from around the country to early states to work hard. In 2004, the underdog was John Kerry, and Schaitberger was a prominent figure in his campaign.” I’ve heard this morning, however, that the IAFF has not yet formally backed anyone, and the Politico report may have been premature.

* Speaking of endorsements, Barack Obama picked up the support of Zbigniew Brzezinski, the national security adviser under President Jimmy Carter. “There is a need for a fundamental rethinking of how we conduct world affairs, and Obama seems to me to have both the guts and the intelligence to address that issue and to change the nature of America’s relationship with the world,” Brzezinski said.

* The DNC has threatened Florida Dems, and said the state must move its primary to Feb. 5 (or later) or it will lose its convention delegates. Yesterday, Florida officials and representatives said they weren’t budging.

* And in response to the Louisiana Democratic Party’s controversial ad highlighting gubernatorial hopeful Bobby Jindal’s (R) decade-old, anti-Protestant articles, the conservative Republican candidate is threatening to sue television stations that air the ad. According to letters Jindal is sending station managers, the ad is defamatory and slanderous.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Roll Call reported this afternoon that Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) regrets his guilty plea, and may yet have an opportunity to reverse his decision: “Under Minnesota law, the Senator could file a motion requesting the withdrawal of the guilty plea. According to University of Minnesota Law School professor Steve Simon, Craig would have to allege ‘a manifest injustice’ in that motion, which he would have to file with the Hennepin County District Court judge who presided over his case. ‘He would have to allege some defect in the plea process,’ Simon said on Tuesday. ‘In other words that there was an inadequate factual basis or that his rights were not explained.’”

* A CBS affiliate in Sacramento re-enacted Craig’s bathroom encounter live, during an on-air broadcast. As frustrated as I get about national news outlets, local news outlets are too often even more cringe-worthy.

* E&P asks a good question: how is it that a senator can get arrested on sex charges, and no one noticed for a couple of months? Roll Call noted it found out based on a tip, but newspaper editors agreed that it was a combination of factors, most notably that Craig was arrested outside his home district in an area where few national outlets have a desk.

* The healthcare crisis is getting worse. The Census Bureau released its new figures for poverty and health insurance this morning: “The number of people without health insurance coverage rose from 44.8 million (15.3 percent) in 2005 to 47 million (15.8 percent) in 2006.” As Jonathan Cohn noted, “Note that the number of people without insurance is growing both as a raw number and as a percentage of the population. In other words, the problem is getting worse — making the case for universal health insurance even more urgent than before.”

* Rep. Brian Baird’s (D-Wash.) decision to go from war critic to surge supporter is costing him dearly among his constituents, who were outraged with their congressman at a townhall meeting last night.

* More and more, I’m starting to understand why conservatives seem less informed. Last night, for example, both Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity presented the news to their (misguided) viewers, and neglected to mention the Alberto Gonzales resignation and the Larry Craig sex scandal.

* AP: “The United States has 90 guns for every 100 citizens, making it the most heavily armed society in the world, a report released on Tuesday said.”

* On MSNBC last night, Newsweek chief political correspondent Howard Fineman asserted that “[t]he problem that the Democrats have got, indeed, that all America has got, is that having gone into Iraq the way we did, there is, in the opinion of many fair-minded observers, chaos and hell to pay if we get out overnight.” Note to Fineman: no one’s talking about an overnight withdrawal.

* TP: “On March 12, the Pentagon announced that Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley, who oversaw neglect at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, was resigning, effective immediately.” Guess what. He’s still there.

* Chertoff to senators that the Pentagon interrogation methods at Guantanamo were “plain vanilla.” Mark Benjamin explains that Chertoff might have lied.

* Speaking of Chertoff, who’s the leading replacement for Alberto Gonzales? I’ve decided not to mention every rumor I hear — and I heard quite a few today — but Emily Bazelon and Dahlia Lithwick run through some of the likely candidates.

* Media Bistro: “Last night on FNC, Hannity & Colmes spoke with Bill Keller, a Christian televangelist known for his harsh criticism of Islam. One problem: in the intro to the story, there was an image of Bill Keller, the executive editor of The New York Times.”

* AP: “A call by Puerto Rico’s governor for a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq earned a standing ovation from a conference of more than 4,000 National Guardsmen. Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila said Saturday that the U.S. administration has ‘no new strategy and no signs of success’ and that prolonging the war would needlessly put guardsmen in harm’s way. ‘The war in Iraq has fractured the political will of the United States and the world,’ he said at the opening of the 129th National Guard Association general conference. ‘Clearly, a new war strategy is required and urgently.’” (thanks to LM for the tip)

* And finally, I suspect conservatives won’t want to hear this, but the AP reports that Europe accommodated gay civil unions — more than a half-millennium ago: “Civil unions between male couples existed around 600 years ago in medieval Europe, a historian now says. Historical evidence, including legal documents and gravesites, can be interpreted as supporting the prevalence of homosexual relationships hundreds of years ago, said Allan Tulchin of Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania. If accurate, the results indicate socially sanctioned same-sex unions are nothing new, nor were they taboo in the past.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The rumors are true: Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) has won the support of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), which as the WaPo noted, is among the most “politically active and symbolically prized labor groups in the country.” When John Kerry was struggling in 2004, the IAFF endorsement helped turn things around for him. With this in mind, this is a major boost for Dodd. (For months, the political world has wondered if any second-tier Dems could make a serious play for the top tier. From where I sit, Richardson isn’t the one to watch; Dodd is.)

* On a related note, Hillary Clinton’s campaign announced yesterday that she has earned the United Transportation Union’s endorsement. With Dodd getting the IAFF’s support today, the Clinton team emphasized that the UTU announcement is “the first national union endorsement of the 2008 campaign.”

* Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), eight months after a severe brain hemorrhage, appeared before a cheering crowd at the Sioux Falls Convention Center yesterday, declaring: “I am back.” Johnson will return to work after Labor Day and said yesterday he expects to run for re-election next year.

* Though most of the calendar attention has been on the Dems’ side of the aisle, the Republican National Committee indicated yesterday that it plans to penalize at least five states holding early primaries outside of the agreed-upon schedule. “The rules are clear,” said Tracey Schmitt, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee. “Any state that holds their primary outside of the window shall be penalized delegates.” The severity of the punishment remains to be seen.

* Barack Obama has picked up the support of Douglas Wilder, the former governor of Virginia and the current mayor of Richmond.

* According to a leaked PowerPoint presentation, Rudy Giuliani believes that he can fall short in the early primary states, but remain competitive, just so long as he wins big in Florida. The former mayor’s campaign considers the Sunshine State to be Giuliani’s “firewall.”

* Mitt Romney likes to characterize himself as a champion of tax cuts, but as governor, he raised state fees (and created new state fees) an awful lot to keep his budgets balanced.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* With Larry Craig having blamed The Idaho Statesman for his troubles, the paper offered a response in the form on an editorial today: “During a brief — and largely defiant — public appearance Tuesday afternoon, Sen. Larry Craig apologized for bringing ‘a cloud over Idaho.’ We’re sorry, senator. This cloud does not belong to the people who have elected you for the past 27 years. It’s all yours. It stems from your mistakes.”

* Interesting developments in Pakistan: “Pakistani Gen. Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto were on the verge Wednesday night of forming an improbable alliance that would involve him stepping down from the army but continuing as president and her returning to Pakistan after eight years of exile to try to win back her old job, officials on both sides said. ‘We’re very close to an agreement,’ Bhutto said.”

* Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki sat down with McClatchy Newspapers for an exclusive interview and said he has no intention of resigning and doesn’t expect to be forced out. He noted modest improvements in Iraqi security, and said it was his leadership, not Bush’s surge, that were responsible. Maliki also blamed the administration for the sectarianism that plagues the country, but stopped short of calling for a withdrawal of U.S. troops.

* Bush in New Orleans this morning: “It’s sometimes hard for people to see progress when you live in a community all the time. Laura and I get to come — we don’t live here, we come on occasion. And it’s easy to think about what it was like when we first came here after the hurricane, and what it’s like today. And this town is coming back.” Tim Grieve translates: “You don’t see the progress because you live here. I come here once in a while, so I know better.”

* Speaking of New Orleans, on the second anniversary of the storm hitting the Gulf Coast, Digby has a painful timeline of events from August 29, 2005.

* In light of NRO’s Michael Rubin getting stuck in Greenland due to an airline strike, Kevin Drum hatches a new plan to “finally solve the wingnut pundit problem.”

* I assume I’m the only person here who’s seen every episode of “Little Britain,” a sketch-comedy show on BBC, but last year, the show has this one skit in which a powerful male politician consistently gets caught having gay sex, and consistently has to read implausible public explanations. One, in particular, seems prophetic this week.

* I wish cable-news talking heads realized how foolish they appear when they tell viewers that Obama and Clinton have both claimed Bush’s surge policy is working. Why don’t these people know what they’re talking about? Shouldn’t they stay off the air until they read a newspaper or two?

* Interesting conflict-of-interest controversy in Maine: “[I[f Collins were to lose the election, the wife of the executive editor of a major newspaper in Collins’ home state would be out of a job — which would cause some serious inconvenience for that household.” Hmm.

* House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) said he’s not ruling out Bush impeachment. “Nancy Pelosi has impeachment ‘off the table,’ but that’s off her table, it is not off John Conyers’ table,” he said.

* I haven’t seen the Bourne Supremacy, but I am surprised at all the political discussions it’s prompted.

* A whopping 11% of Americans believe that the U.S. has “already achieved victory” in Iraq. I’m going to hope that these 11% are being clever, and are embracing the ol’ declare-victory-and-go-home tack.

* Christian Broadcasting Network’s David Brody did an item yesterday on blogger Lane Hudson filing an FEC complaint against Fred Thompson for misusing his exploratory committee. Brody wrote, “Well, now Fred Thompson has an angry girlfriend. His name (don’t go there) is Lane Hudson.” I have no idea what this means, or why Brody would write something like this, but it probably won’t hurt his chances of being on Meet the Press several more times.

* And finally, there’s this wild story from the New York Daily News: “Moon Karl Rove, and you’ll be arrested. When the politico spoke on American University’s campus in April, he was met by a throng of angry Democratic students’ behinds as they dropped trou and blocked Rove’s motorcade. Most of the kids were given 40 hours of community service by the university, but on Friday, the cheeky group was notified that the Secret Service has issued warrants for their arrest. Details are bare, but the students are reportedly being charged with crossing a police line and disorderly conduct.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* AP: “Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton will give to charity the $23,000 in donations she has received from a Hong Kong-born fundraiser who is wanted in California for failing to appear for sentencing on a 1991 grand theft charge. The decision came Wednesday as other Democrats began distancing themselves from Norman Hsu, whose legal encounters and links to other Democratic donors have drawn public scrutiny in the past two days.”

* In his 2000 campaign, McCain would allude infrequently to his time as a prisoner of war during Vietnam. This year, he’s ready to use the experience quite a bit: “The McCain campaign — in a new video unveiled exclusively to CNN on Wednesday — is aiming to showcase the Arizona Republican’s service in the Vietnam War, including his time spent in a North Vietnamese prison. Called ‘Courageous Leadership,’ the twelve-minute video begins with footage of McCain being interrogated by enemy soldiers.” The campaign apparently intends to use the video at house parties and speaking events, and as the basis for television commercials.

* Barack Obama unveiled a mortgage plan yesterday, which would target unscrupulous subprime lenders with steep fines, which would in turn be used to help bail out borrowers facing a wave of foreclosures, according a report in the Financial Times.

* Wyoming Republicans made a bold move yesterday by moving its presidential primary to Jan. 5 — before even Iowa or New Hampshire vote. “We’re first in the nation,” said Tom Sansonetti, the state party’s 2008 county convention coordinator. “At least for the next couple, three weeks until New Hampshire and Iowa move, which I expect they will.” Expect the RNC to come down hard on Wyoming.

* While some unions are starting to line up behind their favored presidential hopeful, AFL-CIO leaders said yesterday that they probably won’t endorse anyone during the primary season.

* Though he stopped short of an endorsement, former President Jimmy Carter had some strong praise for John Edwards yesterday, lauding the former senator’s positions on the environment, healthcare, and poverty.

* And in keeping with the trend, Elizabeth Edwards continues to be the most aggressive voice in the Democratic presidential process, telling Time, “I do not think the hatred against Hillary Clinton is justified. I don’t know where it comes from. I don’t begin to understand. But you can’t pretend it doesn’t exist, and it will energize the Republican base. Their nominee won’t energize them, Bush won’t energize them, but Hillary as the nominee will.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* MSNBC has obtained an audio recording of Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) being interviewed by police shortly after his arrest in Minneapolis in June. Investigative Sgt. Dave Karsnia, whose foot Craig touched between stalls, is heard telling Craig, “You are sitting here lying to a police officer. People vote for you. Unbelievable.” All in all, Craig doesn’t sound good on the tape.

* Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has added his name to the list of Republicans who would like to see Craig go away. Though he stopped short of calling for Craig to resign, Ensign said, “I wouldn’t put myself hopefully in that kind of position, but if I was in a position like that, that’s what I would do.”

* Reps. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Fla.), Bobby Jindal (R-La,), and Ron Lewis (R-Ken.) all urged Craig to step down today.

* Based on the request of the GOP Senate leadership, the Senate Ethics Committee is prepared to start investigating Craig, but is unsure how best to proceed — they’re not sure which, if any, rules Craig may have violated. “I am not aware of any case in which a Senator was investigated [by the Ethics Committee] because he or she was alleged to have violated a law and there was no nexus between the conduct and the Senator’s Senate service,” said Wilson Abney, who worked for the panel as both counsel and staff director from 1980 to 1992. As Roll Call explained, “Most scandal-plagued Members have resigned before pleading or being found guilty of felonies or offenses related to their service in Congress.”

* TPMM: “The busiest employee of the Department of Justice by far must be the inspector general, Glenn Fine. A couple of weeks ago, Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) asked Fine to investigate whether outgoing-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales had misled the Congress and press on a number of occasions. Fine, in a letter sent today (you can read it here), has responded that he’s already looking into it.”

* It’s not just the GAO; the left-leaning National Security Network believes the Bush administration is manufacturing evidence of non-existent progress in Iraq. “US officials have recently claimed that violence is down and specifically civilian deaths in Iraq have decreased,” the group said in a letter to lawmakers. “No evidence has been provided to the public that supports this claim.”

* Gen. David Petraeus said he, not the president’s team, will be writing his report to Congress in a couple of weeks. That’s not what the White House said 10 days ago.

* McClatchy: “In a sign that top commanders are divided over what course to pursue in Iraq, the Pentagon said Wednesday that it won’t make a single, unified recommendation to President Bush during next month’s strategy assessment, but instead will allow top commanders to make individual presentations…. Military analysts called the move unusual for an institution that ordinarily does not air its differences in public, especially while its troops are deployed in combat.”

* Politico: “California Rep. Ellen Tauscher suggested fellow Democratic Rep. Brian Baird of Washington was overcome by “Green Zone Fog” during the recent trip to Iraq that prompted him to advocate maintaining the current troop levels on the ground. In an interview with ThinkProgress.org following her own fourth trip to Iraq, Tauscher said, ‘I will tell you that when you get in the Green Zone, there is a physiological phenomenon I think called Green Zone fog…. It’s death by powerpoint…. It’s always that their argument is winning.’”

* The WaPo’s David Ignatius is confused about Iraq’s leadership. Again.

* Jonah Goldberg is confused about agricultural subsidies.

* At least for the time being, the White House is playing nice, and asking Democratic senators for input on the next Attorney General nominee. “In the past,” Chuck Schumer said in an interview, “the White House has talked about consultation, but they were the most wooden conversations I ever had. This was the first time there was a real back and forth.”

* MSNBC’s Tucker Carlson issued a statement explaining his bathroom incident that generated so much interest yesterday: “In the mid-1980s, while I was a high school student, a man physically grabbed me in a men’s room in Washington, DC. I yelled, pulled away from him and ran out of the room. Twenty-five minutes later, a friend of mine and I returned to the men’s room. The man was still there, presumably waiting to do to someone else what he had done to me. My friend and I seized the man and held him until a security guard arrived. Several bloggers have characterized this is a sort of gay bashing. That’s absurd, and an insult to anybody who has fought back against an unsolicited sexual attack. I wasn’t angry with the man because he was gay. I was angry because he assaulted me.” That story seems a little different than the one he told on the air.

* Nice to see VoteVets’ Jon Soltz getting some well-deserved publicity. “Jon Soltz seems to be exactly what progressives need,” Paul Begala said. “He has a pair of fists, and he knows how to use them.”

* James Dobson’s Focus on the Family produced this video to bash social programs that combat poverty. It’s not only bizarre, it troubles me to think anyone might find such nonsense persuasive.

* And finally, Fox News has apparently decided to attack CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric for reporting from Iraq next week. During one segment, Neil Cavuto prompted Janice Crouse to characterized Couric’s trip as “a clear act of desperation” by a single mother whose “priorities [are] so determined by her ambition rather than her children’s welfare.” There are thousands of soldiers who are also mothers who are serving in Iraq right now. Does FNC believe they should all come home? Or that they’re wrong to volunteer?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) has scheduled a 2pm event today to announce whether he’ll seek re-election again. The 80-year-old incumbent has kept his plans close to his vest, but rumor has it he’s going to announce his retirement. I’ll let you know later.

* Actor/lobbyist/politician Fred Thompson finally confirmed yesterday that he is going to run for president, and will formally kick off his candidacy in a webcast on Sept. 6.

* Thompson also said yesterday that he will skip next week’s GOP presidential debate in New Hampshire, which is scheduled for the day before his campaign kick-off. New Hampshire Republicans are expressing their annoyance with the decision. The Union Leader recently editorialized, “If Thompson waits until after the debate to make his announcement, it will appear to some as if he timed the announcement just to avoid the New Hampshire debate. That would give his foes the chance to say he is either not serious about running for the nomination or is too unprepared to be considered a credible candidate.”

* The calendar craziness continues: Michigan’s state House voted to move its presidential primary to Jan. 15, ignoring threats from the DNC.

* Univision had scheduled a Sept. 16 debate at the University of Miami with the Republican presidential field, but had to cancel the event because most GOP candidates refused to participate. John McCain was the only confirmed participant. (This probably won’t help heal any rifts between the GOP and the Latino community.)

* More union endorsements yesterday: the 520,000-strong Carpenters Union announced its support for John Edwards, while the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said it will back Hillary Clinton.

* Rumor has it that retired Army Gen. Tommy Franks is considered a leading candidate to make the GOP ticket as the eventual nominee’s running mate.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* As of this minute, Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) has not yet resigned.

* A couple of hours ago, the Idaho Statesman reported, “Republican officials say Gov. Butch Otter will name Lt. Gov. Jim Risch to the Senate if Sen. Larry Craig resigns. But Otter’s spokesman Jon Hanian said the governor hasn’t made that decision yet. ‘The governor has made no promises or guarantees to anyone regarding a seat that at this hour is still occupied by Larry Craig,’ Hanian said. ‘We have not heard anything otherwise from their office.’”

* A county judge in Iowa yesterday struck down the state’s law banning same-sex marriage and ordered the county recorder to permit gay couples to marry. Less than two hours after word of the ruling reached the public, two Des Moines men applied for a marriage license, which was accepted and filed.

* By 11am, about 20 gay couples had applied for marriage licenses in Polk County, Iowa, but officials stopped accepting applications after the case was appealed to a state appellate court.

* Despite being the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation, Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) announced today that he will seek a 16th term next year. “I never seriously contemplated not running again,” he said in an interview.

* Keep an eye on this one: The White House will not identify a private company which appears to be involved in the disappearance of millions of White House e-mails. The company was responsible for reviewing and archiving White House e-mails, a White House official told congressional staff in May, according to a letter yesterday from House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif. Congressional investigators asked then for the name of the company and ‘have repeatedly requested’ the information since then, according to Waxman.” The White House refuses to share the company’s name? Doesn’t that sound a little suspicious?

* Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona recently alleged that his office was politicized by the White House, a claim the Bush gang denied. Carmona’s claims were substantiated yesterday by emails Sen. Ted Kennedy released from White House staffers showing them hoping to use Carmona as a political tool.

* Joe Conason: “The GOP’s crowded closet: The party’s culture of concealment has led to embarrassment and personal destruction. Isn’t it about time for the right to cure its homophobia?”

* Bush yesterday on 9/11: “People murdered Americans to achieve a political objective. There’s a debate in our country whether that’s true or not. I believe it’s absolutely fundamentally true.” There’s a “debate” over this? Since when?

* Jamie Kirchick: “Whereas once the AFL-CIO had a large and effective international office, you’d be hard-pressed to hear, for instance, what they’re doing for Iraqi trade-unionists.” Brad Plumer: “But you’d only be ‘hard-pressed’ if you didn’t have access to Google.” How does Kirchick even get this writing gigs? And why does he keep accepting them, knowing he’s going to appear foolish?

* Senate 2008 Guru put together a list of all the recent Republican sex scandals. If it seems like there’s been about one a week for quite a while, that’s because there has been.

* The right seems to get quite a bit of pleasure out of lying about Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.).

* U.S. News: “The government’s legal arguments justifying the detention of hundreds of people at the Guantanamo Bay naval base have been repudiated three times by the U.S. Supreme Court. But it’s not just outsiders who take issue with the U.S. Justice Department strategy: Up to one fourth of the department’s own civil appellate staff has recently opted out of handling the government’s cases against detainee appeals, two sources familiar with the matter tell U.S. News.”

* I was going to mock Peggy Noonan’s latest column, but Steve M. already delivered a stinging and thorough rebuke. Nicely done, Steve.

* Please, make it stop: “Continuing a pattern of uncritically calling Sen. John McCain a ‘maverick’ and a ’straight talker,’ CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and MSNBC’s Chris Matthews suggested that, because McCain has called on Sen. Larry Craig to resign, he is espousing ’straight talk from the Straight Talk Express’ and ‘is very much the maverick’ — despite other Republicans having called for Craig’s resignation as well.”

* And finally, today is Karl Rove’s last day in the White House: “Rove was nearly overcome with emotion Friday as colleagues privately paid tribute to the political adviser as he leaves the White House, senior officials say…. White House Press Secretary Tony Snow told CNN that Rove was so touched by the tribute that he didn’t have any final words for his colleagues. ‘He was pretty choked up,’ Snow said.” Knowing that Rove is leaving the White House, I’m feeling a little emotional as well.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Over the weekend, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards pledged not to campaign in Florida, Michigan, or any other states trying to leapfrog the 2008 primary calendar. The NYT reported, “The pledge sought to preserve the status of traditional early-voting states and bring order to an unwieldy series of primaries that threatened to accelerate the selection process. It was devised to keep candidates from campaigning in Florida, where the primary is set for Jan. 29, and Michigan, which is trying to move its contest to Jan. 15.” The candidates’ announcement should help discourage New Hampshire and Iowa from moving their contests up even earlier.

* Edwards continued to solidify his union support over the weekend, picking up two major endorsements yesterday. The United Steelworkers and the United Mine Workers of America announced their support of Edwards at a rally in downtown Pittsburgh. Steelworkers president Leo Gerard said, “All of the Democratic candidates in the field share our values, and any one of them would be a major improvement over the current administration. But none of them is a more forceful advocate for those values than John Edwards.”

* Edwards’ latest comments on healthcare, however, have proven to be very controversial. Edwards told an Iowa audience over the weekend that his healthcare plan would require Americans to seek preventive care. “It requires that everybody be covered. It requires that everybody get preventive care,” he said. “If you are going to be in the system, you can’t choose not to go to the doctor for 20 years. You have to go in and be checked and make sure that you are OK.” Follow-up question: or what?

* How badly does Bill Richardson want to compete in Iowa.? So badly that he told a Hawkeye crowd yesterday, “Iowa, for good reason, for constitutional reasons, for reasons related to the Lord, should be the first caucus and primary.” Related to “the Lord”? And what does the primary calendar have to do with the Constitution?

* It didn’t count for much, and none of the top-tier candidates took it seriously, but the Texas Republican Straw Poll was held over the weekend. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) came out on top, winning 534 votes out of about 1,300 cast. Fred Thompson came in a distant second, followed by Ron Paul.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The Culture of Corruption lives on: “‘GOP Rep. John Doolittle’s chief of staff and deputy chief of staff have been subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury in a federal probe into ties between Doolittle, his wife and jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff.’ … The Sacramento Bee reported back in June that the feds had contacted as many as six of Doolittle’s former aides. The feds raided his Virginia home in April after he refused to plead guilty.”

* Ambassador Ryan Crocker, two weeks ago: “The whole premise, of course, of the surge was to … bring levels of violence down and keep them down so that there would be the time and space for political leadership to get on with the business of national reconciliation.” National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, yesterday: “It was really for two purposes. One, to get sectarian violence down, which was centered in Baghdad. And secondly, to try and take advantage of what was beginning to happen in Anbar provinces [sic] with local political leaders and tribal sheiks coming together to fight al-Qaida.”

* USAT: “The concern Levin voiced to Defense Secretary Robert Gates was fundamental: After four years of war, he feared that the Pentagon still wasn’t doing enough to protect U.S. troops — and wouldn’t, unless prodded by Congress. The fears appear to be well-founded, a USA TODAY investigation shows. Since the war began, members of Congress — Democrats and Republicans — repeatedly have forced the Defense Department to invest in body armor, order devices to jam signals from detonators used by insurgent bombers, and buy vehicles that top military officials initially deemed unnecessary.”

* According to Jeffrey Toobin’s new book on the Supreme Court, Justice David Souter was so disgusted with the high court’s ruling in Bush v. Gore, he nearly resigned. “David Souter alone was shattered,” at times weeping when he thought of the case, Toobin wrote. “For many months, it was not at all clear whether he would remain as a justice. That the Court met in a city he loathed made the decision even harder. At the urging of a handful of close friends, he decided to stay on, but his attitude toward the Court was never the same.”

* On a related note, Al Gore was royally screwed by the media in 2000, and he’s still not happy about it. I don’t blame him; I’m still not happy about it, either.

* First Lady Laura Bush refers to Karl Rove as “Pigpen,” the perpetually dirty character from Charles Schulz’ “Peanuts” comic strip, and considers him a “necessarily evil.”

* The White House’s website indicated, as of last week, that the Office of Administration is subject to the Freedom of Information Act. Now that there’s a controversy seeking materials from the OoA, the White House has corrected the problem — by changing the website.

* Oh my: “Reporting on Fred Thompson’s Republican presidential campaign, National Public Radio’s Audie Cornish cited the ‘renown’ Thompson acquired for his role as Republican counsel on the Senate Watergate committee during Watergate, but her report did not mention Thompson’s own admission that he provided crucial information to President Nixon’s lawyer without authorization.”

* Comedy writing is really hard. Richard Cohen shouldn’t try it.

* The Hill: “A district court judge Thursday dismissed a case against the Federal Election Commission (FEC) that would have compelled the agency to set rules for outside 527 groups. The ruling places the burden back on Congress to impose new constraints on the powerful groups before the 2008 election season begins in earnest.”

* On a related note, Daily Kos won a case today, with the Federal Election Commission announcing that the site did not violate FECA.

* Michael O’Hanlon should have quit while he was behind.

* Gary Kamiya: How Bush betrays Reagan — Bush idolizes the Great Communicator. But Reagan’s successes came because he didn’t follow his conservative ideology.

* Rock stars tend to die younger than non-rock stars? Who would have guessed?

* And finally, in talking to Robert Draper for “Dead Certain,” the president admits that he cries. “I cry a lot. I do a lot of crying in this job. I’ll bet I’ve shed more tears than you can count, as president,” Bush told Draper. Mr. President, with you in office, I’m sure you’re not the only one who’s been shedding tears.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Eight of the nine Republicans presidential hopefuls will meet for a debate in New Hampshire tonight, with only Fred Thompson preferring Jay Leno’s couch to the GOP forum. The debate starts at 9pm eastern, and will be aired on Fox News. Thompson will, however, make an appearance of sorts — he’ll air his first TV ad on Fox News during the event.

* Speaking of Thompson, the actor/lobbyist/senator still can’t keep a consistent group of staffers together for more than a few days. In the latest move, Thompson spokesperson Jim Mills, the former Fox News producer who just joined the campaign a few weeks ago, has resigned, citing “strategic differences.”

* After telling an Iowa audience that the state deserves to hold the first caucus because of the Constitution and “the Lord,” Bill Richardson appeared on MSNBC to respond to the mini-flap. The New Mexico governor explained, “That was an off-the-cuff comment about the importance of Iowa. This was an Iowa crowd — I’m trying to score points, I’m moving up in the polls. So I don’t consider that a mistake — that was an off-the-cuff comment, and I stand very strongly behind the fact that Iowa and New Hampshire should be first.”

* Brave New Films has launched a terrific new clip called, “Rudy in 30 Seconds,” helping document all of Rudy Giuliani’s more scandalous problems. The video is a teaser for part of a new YouTube series called, “The Real Rudy.”

* Speaking of Giuliani, John McCain made some of his most pointed comments thus far about the former mayor’s inexperience : “I don’t think [leadership after 9/11] translates, necessarily, into foreign policy or national security expertise. I know of nothing in his background that indicates that he has any experience in it, with him or Romney.”

* And speaking of McCain, be sure to check out the difficulties he had with a couple of students in New Hampshire yesterday, one of whom McCain called a “little jerk.”

* Al Gore was interviewed by 02138 Magazine, and said that “odds are” that he will endorse one of the Democratic presidential candidates. Asked if he felt some obligation to endorse “the wife of your former boss,” Gore responded, “Uh, no.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Jaw-dropper from the AP: “A B-52 bomber was mistakenly loaded with five nuclear warheads during a flight from North Dakota to Louisiana, a newspaper reported Wednesday. The bomber carried advanced cruise missiles as part of a Defense Department program to retire 400 of the missiles, the Military Times said.” Rep. Ike Skelton, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, called the mishandling of the weapons “deeply disturbing” and said the committee would press the military for details.

* AP: “Ohio Rep. Paul Gillmor, a Republican whose political career covered four decades, has died, party officials said…. The body of the 68-year-old congressman was found by staff members who went to his apartment Wednesday after he failed to show up for work, according to a Republican aide who spoke on condition of anonymity pending an official announcement. There was no immediate word on the cause of his death.”

* Seattle PI: “Jennifer Dunn, a former six-term member of Congress, former chairwoman of the Washington State Republican Party and one of the state GOP’s most respected members, died Wednesday, her family announced. She was 66. A statement issued by the office of her son, King County Councilman Reagan Dunn, said, ‘Jennifer collapsed from a pulmonary embolism in her Alexandria, Va., apartment and never regained consciousness. She passed peacefully surrounded by family.’”

* Have you ever over-packed for a trip? “The United States President, who arrived in Sydney last night, brought not one Jumbo jet, but three, as well as another two aircraft that carry aircraft. The President’s Jumbo has a back-up, and the back-up has a back-up.” Among those traveling with Bush are a doctor, nurse, personal chef, four cooks, 50 political aides, 150 national security advisers, and 200 specialists from other government departments.

* On a related note, this huge U.S. delegation arrived in Australia to some discouraging news: a majority of Aussies believe Bush is the worst president in American history.

* Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on the power of the people in Iraq’s democracy: “In a matter of weeks, we’re going to have a major breakthrough in Baghdad on items of political reconciliation — the benchmarks — because the Iraqi people are putting pressure on their politicians. That’s the best pressure that could be applied where people vote is have the people themselves, frustrated with their own elected representatives, having their say. And I saw that all over Iraq.” Hey, Lindsey, Americans voted and expressed their frustration with their elected representatives. Why aren’t you listening?

* Among Sen. Ted Stevens’ (R-Alaska) many, many problems is his humiliating understanding of climate change: “We’re at the end of a long, long term of warming. 700 to 900 years of increased temperature, a very slow increase. We think we’re close to the end of that. If we’re close to the end of that, that means that we’ll starting getting cooler gradually, not very rapidly, but cooler once again and stability might come to this region for a period of another 900 years.” Better to be silent and be thought a fool, Sen. Stevens, than speak and remove all doubt.

* The DC Madam rolls out the national-security defense. Seriously.

* How Republican Govern 101: “Where do you find a job after lobbying for a (potentially) corrupt failure of a subprime mortgage company? You go work for Gov. Jim Gibbons (R-NV) as commissioner of the state’s Mortgage Lending Division, of course! Gibbons just tapped Joe Waltuch, who served as legislative counsel to New Century Financial, which filed for bankruptcy protection in April (after predicting it wouldn’t cover its weekly payroll) and is now under scrutiny by federal prosecutors in California and the Securities Exchange Commission. Not surprisingly, some officials are pretty shocked by the choice.”

* Remember Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), the guy who left threatening voice mail messages on some conservative constituents’ voicemail? He apologized yesterday, saying “events have risen to a level that was unintended.”

* TP: “Yesterday, President Bush named Barry Jackson to be Peter Wehnher’s replacement to run the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives. Jackson was the major White House strategist behind Bush’s failed Social Security privatization ploy, and was one of the White House employees discovered to be using RNC email accounts to e-mail an associate of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.”

* Reed Hundt thinks there are plenty of reporters from the 2000 campaign who deserved to lose their jobs. I couldn’t agree more.

* The “Harvard 100″ rankings, in which the university’s most influential living alumni are listed, has Al Gore at number one. The president is number two.

* And finally, Keith Olbermann delivered his latest “Special Comment” last night, explaining why Bush no longer has any credibility on Iraq. “You can hold that canteen up and promise it to the parched nation. And the untold number of Americans whose lives have not been directly blighted by Iraq — or who do not realize that their safety has been reduced and not increased by Iraq — they will get the bullet points: ‘Bush is thinking about bringing some troops home. Bush even went to Iraq.’ You can fool some of the people all of the time, can’t you, Mr. Bush? You are playing us!”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As expected, actor/lobbyist/senator Fred Thompson launched his presidential campaign last night on The Tonight Show. When Jay Leno asked about the delay, Thompson said, “I don’t think people are going to say, ‘That guy would make a very good president, but he just didn’t get in soon enough.’ ”

* Speaking of Thompson, did you know that his given first name isn’t Fred? It’s “Freddie.” Seriously. Official marriage, birth and divorce records in Alabama and Tennessee show that the newest Republican presidential contender was born Freddie Dalton Thompson.

* Barack Obama had a different take on the experience question during an event in Iowa yesterday. Responding to a question from a voter, Obama said, “I find it amusing, the whole experience argument, because I’ve been in public service for over two decades now. I’ve been in elective office longer than John Edwards or Hillary Clinton. I’ve passed more bills, I’m sure, than either of them…. What people seem to mean when they say that I don’t have enough experience is I haven’t been in Washington as long as they have. Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a criteria for gauging experience.” It seems to me Obama should have been saying this months ago.

* Bill Richardson is still struggling to deal with his recent argument that “the Lord” and the Constitution want Iowa to be the first caucus state. Responding to the fact that the comments drew considerable online criticism, Richardson told CNN yesterday, “Bloggers can say whatever they want, but I care about the voters… I didn’t put my foot in my mouth. I stand by what I said. I make no apologies about it.” If you think message discipline is important, I don’t think Richardson is your guy.

* Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) held a campaign event in New Hampshire on Tuesday night. Based on this amusing picture, it looks as if six people showed up. That has got to hurt.

* And in Washington’s 8th congressional district, Rodney Thom and Darcy Burner were poised to have a tough primary for the right to take on Rep. Dave Reichert (R) next year. Thanks in large part to Burner’s support from the netroots, Thom dropped out yesterday and endorsed Burner.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The story surrounding Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) sure is tough to keep up with: “Republican senators expressed relief Thursday that embattled Sen. Larry Craig has signaled he is highly likely to surrender his seat within a few weeks rather than fight to complete his term…. Craig spokesman Dan Whiting told the Associated Press on Thursday that the senator was focused on trying to clear his name and to help Idaho prepare for a replacement. ‘The most likely scenario, by far, is that by October there will be a new senator from Idaho,’ Whiting said.”

* While it now looks like Craig has one foot out the door, we also learned today that the Senate GOP caucus is not quite as united in their disgust for Craig as we’d been led to believe: “Republican senators held what one participant called a ‘passionate’ and ’spirited’ closed-door discussion Wednesday afternoon about how their leaders responded to the sex scandal involving their colleague Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho, CNN has learned. At least three senators complained their leaders ‘rushed to judgment’ while others defended the leaders for quickly pulling their support from the disgraced senator, according to one Republican senator in the room and two GOP aides familiar with the meeting.”

* Today’s most provocative story, by far, is an exclusive report in Salon from Sidney Blumenthal, who cites two former CIA officers who say the president not only knew Iraq didn’t have weapons of mass destructions, but also squelched top-secret intelligence, and a briefing by George Tenet, months before invading Iraq.

* Roll Call reports that the White House has begun quietly circulating a short list of potential replacements for Alberto Gonzales among key senators. The list reportedly includes former Solicitor General Ted Olson; former Attorney General Bill Barr; former Deputy Attorney General George Terwilliger; D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Laurence Silberman; former Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson; and Michael Mukasey, a former judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. (You’ll notice, of course, that Michael Chertoff is not on the list.)

* Major court ruling today: “In a big win for the rule of law, Federal District Judge Marrero issued a 103 page decision today holding National Security Letters unconstitutional despite their being blessed by the reauthorization of the Patriot Act.”

* Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) “is working to pass a bill on Thursday that will put limitations on communications between the White House and the Justice Department regarding pending law enforcement business. The bill’s author intends to prevent the politicization of Justice Department criminal and civil prosecutions.” Have I mentioned lately how much I like Sheldon Whitehouse?

* Al Gore is writing a follow-up to “An Inconvenient Truth”: “Gore is working on a new environmental book, ‘The Path to Survival,’ that will be released as a paperback original on April 22, 2008, Earth Day. According to publisher Rodale Books, Gore will continue where he left off in ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ and offer ‘a visionary blueprint for the changes we should make as a world community.’”

* When putting together web videos, national Democrats, especially the national campaign committees, usually keep the gloves on. In the DSCC’s new one, “Moral High Ground,” the gloves are off. I’m pleasantly surprised the party is willing to be this aggressive.

* Speaker Pelosi’s office has released a rebuttal to most of the White House’s talking points on Iraq. Nice job, guys.

* I really, really hate to agree with Limbaugh, but I actually think he’s largely right about this: “I’m not crazy about presidential candidates announcing their candidacy on these late-night shows, Leno or Letterman… The one thing about it that bothers me — and I’m not rooted in fuddy-duddiness here, although it may sound like it to some of you but — is I think the office of the presidency has a certain stature, and I don’t like to see it linked or tied to pop culture.” I don’t mind candidates appearing on the late-night shows, but announcing their presidential campaign? I think candidates should aim a little higher.

* For the one millionth time, tax cuts do not pay for themselves. Anyone who argues that they do does not deserve to be taken seriously.

* During last night’s debate, Duncan Hunter said of prisoners at Guantanamo: “They’ve got health care that’s better than most HMOs. And they got something else that no Democrat politician in America has: They live in a place called Guantanamo, where not one person has ever been murdered.” I have no idea what this means.

* Bush claimed today that the Iraqi Parliament is more efficient than the U.S. Congress. Rahm Emanuel hit back quickly with a great response.

* Keep an eye on this legislation: “The United States Congress has a chance to take a big step toward reassuring Americans that the votes they cast on Election Day will not be lost or stolen. The House is considering a bill sponsored by Rush Holt, Democrat of New Jersey, that could come to a vote as soon as today that would make electronic voting both more reliable and less prone to fraud. The bill lacks one important thing: a ban on touch-screen voting machines. But even in its current form, it goes a long way toward fixing a voting system that has been clearly broken for many years. The House should pass it, and the Senate should pass its own bill without delay.”

* And finally, First Lady Laura Bush couldn’t make the trip to Australia with the president because of a pinched nerve. Last night, at a dinner hosted by Prime Minister John Howard and his wife, the president arrived with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at his side. “She can be my date,” the president said. Have I mentioned lately that I find their relationship a little creepy?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* John Edwards and Hillary Clinton continue to pick up union endorsements, with each earning the support of a major transportation union yesterday. The 200,000-strong Transport Union Workers threw its weight behind Edwards’ campaign, while the 65,000-strong Transportation Communications Union endorsed Clinton. Edwards, meanwhile, also announced that he now has 2 million union supporters, more than any other candidate.

* Chris Dodd announced yesterday that he will not support any funding bill for Iraq that does not include a withdrawal timeline. Dodd challenged Clinton and Obama to make the same commitment.

* Putting an end to some speculation about his ambitions, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin (D) announced that he will not run for governor of Louisiana.

* A Pew Research Center poll released yesterday showed that Americans perceive Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani as the least religious of the major presidential candidates. Giuliani, sure, but Clinton has always struck me as one of the most religious. Once again, there’s a gap between perception and reality when it comes to the senator from New York.

* The DSCC held a bumper-sticker-message contest for the 2008 cycle, and announced the winner this morning. Not bad.

* The GOP primary to replace retiring Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) hasn’t even started yet, but there are signs that it’s going to get ugly. The far-right Club for Growth is already going after Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), blasting him for having “one of the most economically liberal records among Republicans in the House.”

* And the LAT had an interesting piece on Fred Thompson’s youth and his start in GOP politics. Apparently, Thompson married at 17 after getting his high-school sweetheart pregnant. His first wife was the daughter of one of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee’s leading Republican families, which helped put Thompson though school and got his career started. As Dana Goldstein put it, “[T]here’s nothing like pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* For the first time in four years, the U.S. economy lost jobs last month: “The job numbers for August were released this morning, and they show that the economy actually lost 4,000 jobs last month. It’s the first time in four years that the economy has actually lost jobs in a month, and that wasn’t the only bad news. The 92,000 jobs the economy supposedly gained in July? The Labor Department has just revised that number down to 68,000. And the 126,000 jobs the economy was thought to have added in June? Now the Labor Department says the real number was just 69,000. The biggest losers: August saw the loss of 46,000 manufacturing jobs and 22,000 construction jobs.”

* Wall Street was not pleased with the employment numbers, dropping nearly 250 points: “Wall Street had been awaiting the report all week as it sought to determine how well the economy was holding up under the weight of a faltering housing market, a rise in mortgage defaults and tightening availability of credit. While the report is backward looking, investors regard it as an important proxy of the economy’s overall health.”

* Fred Thompson believes “we better figure out a way” to combat al Qaeda. Not that he necessarily knows how, of course, only that “we better figure out a way.” If you like Bush, you’re gonna love Thompson.

* More on yesterday’s encouraging court ruling on National Security Letters: “The secrecy provisions are ‘the legislative equivalent of breaking and entering, with an ominous free pass to the hijacking of constitutional values,’ Marrero wrote. His strongly worded 103-page opinion amounted to a rebuke of both the administration and Congress, which had revised the act in 2005 to take into account an earlier ruling by the judge on the same topic.”

* Over the weekend, a McClatchy piece on combat casualties in Iraq sparked quite a bit of criticism, leading McClatchy to delve into detail supporting its piece. It’s a refreshing approach for a media outlet to respond to criticism this way.

* Tom Edsall has a good piece on leading members of the Democratic foreign policy establishment (from Brookings, Council on Foreign Relations, Center for Strategic and International Studies, etc.). Those who opposed the war from the outset have signed up with Obama; the rest are aligned with Clinton.

* There’s hope for congressional Dems yet: “Senior House Democrats called on the Bush administration yesterday to delay a planned Oct. 1 expansion of the use of powerful satellite and aircraft spy technology by local and federal law enforcement agencies, challenging the plan’s legality and charging that the administration is failing to safeguard the privacy of Americans. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and two Democratic subcommittee chairmen jointly asked the Department of Homeland Security to provide the legal framework for the domestic use of classified and military spy satellites, and to allow Congress to review privacy and civil liberties protections.”

* AP: “Congressional auditors gave a stinging assessment of the Homeland Security Department’s progress and said the department could not take credit for the fact that there has not been another terrorist attack on American soil since Sept. 11, 2001. The Government Accountability Office identified 171 performance expectations and found the department achieved fewer than half since it formed four years ago in the government’s largest reorganization. Auditors said the country is safer than it was on 9/11, but the department has poorly managed its mission.”

* NOAA: “The Arctic ice cap is melting faster than scientists had expected and will shrink 40 percent by 2050 in most regions, with grim consequences for polar bears, walruses and other marine animals.”

* Conservatives don’t want Petraeus’ assessment being referred to as the “Bush report.” Odd bunch, those war supporters.

* Judith Miller and the Manhattan Institute deserve one another.

* If you support the war in Iraq, you’re “principled.” Good to know.

* And finally, White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten was asked by PBS’s Jim Lehrer if Alberto Gonzales’ resignation was in anyway similar to Karl Rove’s departure. “No,” Bolten said. “This was completely an independent decision by Karl about the time that he wanted to leave…. And that’s a circumstance in which the timing was not dictated by any sort of outside forces. That was completely up to Karl.” It sounds like Gonzales’ resignation wasn’t exactly voluntary.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Ordinarily, I watch the presidential candidates’ debates (so you don’t have to), but I missed last night’s Democratic event in Miami, sponsored by Univision. As far as I can tell, there weren’t any race-changing moments, but the format was unprecedented — the candidates’ answers were translated live from English to Spanish, and English-speaking viewers had to rely on SAP (secondary audio programming) to follow along. The NYT and LAT had thorough coverage.

* AP: “Oprah Winfrey rolled out the red carpet Saturday for Barack Obama at a gala fundraiser attended by high-wattage stars that was expected to raise $3 million for the Democratic presidential candidate. The most powerful woman in show business celebrated her favorite candidate with 1,500 guests at her palatial estate in this coastal enclave south of Santa Barbara. Tickets to the sold-out private event went for $2,300 apiece, keeping them within campaign finance limits.”

* In addition to Oprah, Obama also picked up the support late last week of Federico Pena, a former mayor of Denver who served as Secretary of Energy in Bill Clinton’s administration.

* For a few months, the religious right considered actor/lobbyist/politicians Fred Thompson their savior in a Republican presidential race featuring zero solidly right-wing social conservatives in the top tier. Now, however, the religious right is having second thoughts. “The problem I’m having is that I don’t see any blood trail,” Rick Scarborough, a Southern Baptist preacher and president of Texas-based Vision America, said. “When you really take a stand on issues dear to the heart of social conservatives, you’re going to shed some blood in the process. And so far, Fred Thompson’s political career has been wrinkle-free.”

* John Edwards said over the weekend that he carries a running list of people he might put in his cabinet, and it includes “more than one” Republican. He wouldn’t, however, commit to a bipartisan cabinet, adding, “[T]he test for me is not whether they’re Democratic or Republican. The test is how competent they are and whether they’re the best person for the job, and to make a decision about who’s best to choose you have to spend time talking to them.” He all but ruled out a GOP running mate, saying the VP “needs to be someone who shares my vision for the country.”

* And, as expected, Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) announced this morning that he will retire from elected office at the end of his second term next year.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

*TPMM: “While Gen. Petraeus repeatedly cited the Sunni tribal turn against al-Qaeda as the most significant development in Iraq over the last year, he balks at the suggestion that his command is providing them with guns. ‘We have never given weapons to tribals,’ he said. ‘What we have done is applaud when they ask if they can point their guns at al-Qaeda.’” That’s rather misleading — the U.S. military is paying “tribals,” who are in turn using our payments to buy weapons.

* Speaking of Anbar, Petraeus said repeatedly this afternoon that he wants to see the successes of this province expanded to other provinces (and suggested he could if only policymakers give him more time). It’s a dubious claim; replicating the model is almost certain to fail.

* Matthew Dowd, Bush’s former pollster who publicly denounced his old boss a few months ago, offered Dems an interesting perspective yesterday at the HuffPost: “In the public’s mind, the Iraq War was a mistake, and continuing the status quo is simply continuing on with a mistake…. The public does not see withdrawal from Iraq as a signal America doesn’t support the troops. In fact, the public sees removing the troops from harm’s way and having them in a place where the mission is supported, welcomed and understood as the most proper way to support our troops.”

* Greg Sargent: “For weeks now we’ve been hearing endlessly that today’s testimony by General Petraeus will mark a key moment in deciding which way public opinion will swing on Iraq. Guess who disagrees with that prediction? The public, that’s who…. Bottom line: The public appears to have decided that Petraeus won’t tell them the truth about Iraq, that they want out of Iraq no matter what he says, and that the President won’t change course in the wake of his testimony. Clever public.”

* As far as I can tell, the media’s interest in today’s testimony and the media’s interest in MoveOn.org’s Petraeus ad is running at a 1-to-1 ratio this afternoon. (Let this be a reminder to all of us: if you’re going to say something politically intemperate, and you don’t want excessive scrutiny, make sure you’re a conservative.)

* The last I heard, Petraeus will appear on Fox News tonight — and only Fox News. I’m actually a little surprised by this; I thought the Bush gang would want to at least pretend Petraeus is a neutral, dispassionate public servant.

* Roll Call reported that the White House has narrowed his list of replacements for Alberto Gonzales to five: Michael Mukasey, Theodore B. Olson, Laurence H. Silberman, George J. Terwilliger, and Larry D. Thompson. Rumor has it that Olson — best known for his role in the infamous anti-Clinton Arkansas Project — is the leading candidate. The announcement may come as early as this week.

* Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) isn’t on the short list, but he’s reportedly interested in being asked about the Attorney General gig.

* Michael O’Hanlon’s transition from Brookings scholar to “conservative movement propagandist whose salary just happens to be paid by Brookings” is nearly complete.

* NYT’s Adam Cohen: “Alberto Gonzales is out as attorney general, but there is still a lot of questionable Justice Department activity for Congress to sort through. The imprisonment of Don Siegelman, a former Democratic governor of Alabama, should be at the top of the list. Jill Simpson, an Alabama lawyer and Republican operative, is heading to Washington this week to tell Congressional investigators that she heard prominent Republicans plotting to use the United States attorneys’ offices to remove Mr. Siegelman as a political threat. The case should be the focus of a probing Congressional hearing this fall.”

* In legal/academic circles, more and more people are seriously discussing whether to change lifetime appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court. Interesting.

* Note to the White House: never pick a fight over previous events with a guy who writes everything down.

* 9/11 Commission Co-chairmen Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton: “Two years ago, we and our colleagues issued a report card assessing the U.S. government’s progress on the bipartisan recommendations in the 9/11 commission report. We concluded that the nation was not safe enough. Our judgment remains the same today: We still lack a sense of urgency in the face of grave danger.”

* And finally, Donald Rumsfeld told GQ magazine he has had practically no contact with Bush since leaving the Pentagon. Asked directly if he misses the president, Rumsfeld told the Magazine, “Um, no.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* NYT: “At least two top members of Mitt Romney’s South Carolina operation appear to be connected to an anti-Fred Thompson Web site that was taken down today after reporters began to make inquiries about it. The Web site, PhoneyFred.org, had attacked Mr. Thompson’s conservative credentials, opening with the line: ‘Phoney Fred. Acting like a conservative.’ But Internet queries reveal connections between the site and Warren Tompkins, a South Carolina political consultant hired by Mr. Romney, and Terry Sullivan, Mr. Romney’s South Carolina state director.”

* Speaking of Thompson, during his lengthy career as a lobbyist, he apparently did some consulting work for a colleague representing two accused Libyan terrorists implicated in the Pan Am Flight 103 attack. Thompson said yesterday that he was only tangentially involved, and only dealt with court venues.

* Rudy Giuliani’s campaign emailed former NYC deputy mayors and commissioners in order to round up some surrogates who will say nice things about Giuliani’s record as mayor on camera.

* John McCain’s “comeback” strategy is apparently built around taking “ownership of the surge” in Iraq. Given that the surge policy hasn’t worked, it sounds like a great idea.

* Rasmussen has an interesting new poll out today from Massachusetts, where Mitt Romney trails Hillary Clinton in a hypothetical head-to-head match-up, 60% to 34%. Given that Romney was governor of Massachusetts, this isn’t a good sign.

* Dems have been eyeing western states like Nevada, Colorado, and Arizona as the key to electoral success in the future, and there are signs the region is starting to turn a shade of blue. The Las Vegas Sun reported this week, “An analysis of voter registration reports over the past 12 months shows many more new voters are registering as Democrats — enough to tilt Nevada to a considerable Democratic majority for the first time since the 1992 presidential election.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* AP: “President Bush will tell the nation this week he plans to reduce the American troop presence in Iraq by about 30,000 by next summer, but will condition those and further cuts on continued progress, The Associated Press has learned.” You mean, Bush and Petraeus have decided to stay the course? You don’t say.

* Sen. Joe Lieberman asked Petraeus if he and his colleagues could pass legislation allowing him to “pursue the Qods forces into Iranian territory.” Petraeus politely declined Lieberman’s invitation to start another war.

* On a related note, I endorse Josh Marshall’s take on the senator from Connecticut: “For all that’s happened, I still have a respect for Gen. Petraeus. Even though he’s made himself into a GOP operative in the domestic political fight over Iraq, I think I agree with Juan Cole that over in Iraq I believe he’s doing his best as a professional soldier to salvage something from a catastrophic mess. But here just before 4:00 PM I’m listening to Sen. Lieberman’s colloquy with the general. And I really don’t think I can think of anyone in this debate who is more treacly, sanctimonious and self-serving than Joe. He’s become that bad.”

* And one more on Lieberman: for all his talk about civility, moderation, and the all-important center, it’s odd that he’s deciding to party down on 9/11 with unhinged right-wing clowns like Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity. So much for moderation.

* Sen. Larry Craig’s (R-Idaho) court hearing in Minneapolis is set for Sept. 26, just four days before he’s scheduled to give up his Senate seat.

* I know it’s stiff competition, but I firmly believe that Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) is the Senate’s biggest joke. Today, in describing conditions in Iraq, Inhofe said, “It’s a huge success story.” The man is just an embarrassment.

* MoveOn.org has come under fire this week, but it’s not sheepishly retreating: “MoveOn.org, the liberal group that enraged Republicans this week by alleging that Gen. David Petraeus was ‘cooking the books’ with regard to the situation in Iraq, is asking its members to engage in a grassroots effort to help bring U.S. troops home.”

* Hillary Clinton on the MoveOn controversy: “It is unfortunate that Republican presidential candidates are focused on generating a political sideshow instead of discussing the president’s failed war policy.” See? Wasn’t that easy?

* I know it’s just a conversation piece, but I actually like conversation pieces. USA Today is ranking the Top 25 Headlines That Shaped (Recent) History. Coming in at number one is the fall of Communism, followed by 9/11 and the current war in Iraq. So far, sounds right to me. Number four is Hurricane Katrina. Fair enough. Number five? The O.J. trial. Really? Higher than the 2000 election?

* George Will is making sense: “What ‘forced’ America to go to war in 2003 — the ‘gathering danger’ of weapons of mass destruction — was fictitious. That is one reason this war will not be fought, at least not by Americans, to the bitter end. The end of the war will, however, be bitter for Americans, partly because the president’s decision to visit Iraq without visiting its capital confirmed the flimsiness of the fallback rationale for the war — the creation of a unified, pluralist Iraq. After more than four years of war, two questions persist: Is there an Iraq? Are there Iraqis?”

* In the “money demo” (25-to-54-year-olds), Keith Olbermann beat Bill O’Reilly last Friday. I’m fairly certain that’s a first. Now imagine what Olbermann could do if he wasn’t sharing a prime-time line-up with Tucker Carlson and Joe Scarborough.

* Speaking of Olbermann, he reportedly told Playboy, “Al Qaeda really hurt us, but not as much as Rupert Murdoch has hurt us, particularly in the case of Fox News. Fox News is worse than Al Qaeda — worse for our society. It’s as dangerous as the Ku Klux Klan ever was.” This probably isn’t going to go over well.

* Chris Matthews whined last night that only “the anti-war movement” refers to Iraq as a “civil war.” Um, Chris? The policy of your own network is to call Iraq a civil war. I know that, and I don’t even watch your network.

* The fourth Indy movie is going to be called, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” Now we know.

* Let’s see, Code Pink disrupts congressional hearings. The Westboro Baptist Church disrupts funerals of fallen U.S. soldiers. Who on earth would consider this a fair comparison?

* David Vitter’s nightmare, Part II: “A former New Orleans prostitute who says she had an affair with Sen. David Vitter has passed a lie-detector test and will provide details of the four-month relationship at a press conference Tuesday, according to Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt.”

* House leaders plan to take a closer look at former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman’s criminal charges, and whether Karl Rove may have interfered with the process.

* When Scott McClellan resigned as Bush’s press secretary, COS Josh Bolten approached Torie Clarke, Donald Rumsfeld’s former press secretary, about the gig. She reportedly said she would “rather commit suicide.” Wow.

* And finally, Jay Leno: “President Bush called the APEC conference the OPEC conference. He called the Australian troops Austrian troops. And he left the stage the wrong way. He was given the wrong information when he got there, he stumbled when he was there, and couldn’t figure out how to leave. It’s like Iraq all over again.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* AP: “Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is calling for the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. combat brigades from Iraq, with the pullout being completed by the end of next year…. ‘The best way to protect our security and to pressure Iraq’s leaders to resolve their civil war is to immediately begin to remove our combat troops. Not in six months or one year — now,’” Obama is expected to say in a speech Wednesday at Ashford University.

* Fred Thompson, may be basing his campaign on appealing to conservative voters, but he likely offered the wrong conservative answer yesterday, when he conceded that he doesn’t go to church regularly and doesn’t plan to speak about his religion on the stump. Talking to reporters later, Thompson said his church attendance “varies,” adding, “I attend church when I’m in Tennessee. I’m in McLean right now,” referring to the DC suburb where he lives.

* Speaking of Thompson, his fight with Mitt Romney over PhoneyFred.org, continues to spiral into comedy. As of yesterday afternoon, a Thompson spokesperson was insisting that Romney was part of a “half-baked cover-up attempt” in trying to distance himself from the site.

* John McCain looked like he had his considerable staffing problems under control. Not anymore — three more campaign aides resigned this week, including his deputy political director, Mike Leavitt. Asked about the departures, McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said they would not “discuss staff issues,” which means it’s kind of embarrassing.

* Keep an eye on that Senate race in Minnesota, where incumbent Norm Coleman (R) is watching his lead slip badly. In a new Rasmussen poll, Coleman leads attorney Mike Ciresi 46%-42%, and comedian Al Franken 46%-41%.

* Incredibly, one in 10 Hispanics in the U.S. watched Sunday’s debate between Democratic presidential candidates.

* Though there were some reports to the contrary, former Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) will not seek the Green Party’s presidential nomination next year.

* And former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner will make a “major political announcement” today, at which time he’ll indicate whether he’s running for the Senate or not. Rumor has it he will throw his hat into the ring, and will likely be the frontrunner if he gets in.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said at a Capitol Hill news conference today that Bush’s plan to withdraw 30,000 U.S. troops home by next summer is “unacceptable.” He added that the White House approach “is neither a drawdown or a change in mission that we need. His plan is just more of the same.”

* Reid, to his enormous credit, was just as forceful today in response to rumors about Bush’s pick for the new Attorney General. “Ted Olson will not be confirmed,” Reid said in a written statement. “I intend to do everything I can to prevent him from being confirmed as the next attorney general.”

* Never mind that policy about not negotiating with terrorists: “U.S. diplomats and military officers have been in talks with members of the armed movement loyal to Muqtada Sadr, a sharp reversal of policy and a grudging recognition that the radical Shiite cleric holds a dominant position in much of Baghdad and other parts of Iraq. The secret dialogue has been going on since at least early 2006, but appeared to yield a tangible result only in the last week — with relative calm in an area of west Baghdad that has been among the capital’s most dangerous sections.”

* TNR explained today’s developments in East Asia nicely: “A major world leader — the aggressively nationalistic spoiled scion of a famous political family, who has thrown his own ruling party into disarray and whose approval ratings have dipped below 30 percent amid accusations of corruption and after presiding over a cabinet full of embarrassingly incompetent hacks — has finally decided to resign today. No, not that one.”

* Washington Times: “Democratic congressional leaders and the party’s presidential candidates yesterday refused to repudiate a liberal group’s ad questioning Gen. David H. Petraeus’ character. Capitol Hill Democrats rejected a call for votes in both chambers to condemn the attack newspaper ad, run by MoveOn.org, saying Republicans are trying to take attention off what they call the president’s failed Iraq policy.”

* ABC: “Despite six years of promises, U.S. officials say Saudi Arabia continues to look the other way at wealthy individuals identified as sending millions of dollars to al Qaeda. ‘If I could somehow snap my fingers and cut off the funding from one country, it would be Saudi Arabia,’ Stuart Levey, the under secretary of the Treasury in charge of tracking terror financing, told ABC News.”

* Rush Limbaugh questions Rep. Tom Lantos’ (R-Calif.) experience on matters of war. Steve M. explains why Rush Limbaugh is a disgrace.

* Constitutional scholar Erwin Chemerinsky was poised to become the new dean of the UC Irvine law school. Today, Chemerinsky was fired because the school decided it didn’t want a liberal. Seriously.

* Gen. Petraeus insisted in his congressional testimony that the U.S. was not providing arms to Sunni militias in al-Anbar. Major General Benjamin Mixon, commander of U.S. troops in northern Iraq, said otherwise.

* If you happen to work for Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and haven’t updated your resume lately, now might be a good time — his corruption scandal keeps getting worse.

* Sen. David Vitter’s (R-La.) sex scandal has managed to become even more unseemly, with another prostitute having entered the mix. Apparently, because the prostitute is a woman, the Senate Republican caucus does not care.

* White House calendars apparently don’t include Rosh Hashanah, since the Bush gang sent out Bush’s official Rosh Hashanah greetings way too early.

* VoteVets responds to Petraeus’ “I don’t know” gaffe. Nice video — and quick turn-around.

* CNN: “Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf — a key U.S. ally — is less popular in his own country than al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, according to a poll of Pakistanis conducted last month by an anti-terrorism organization.”

* Peter Keating: “You can tell a lot about a product by the way it’s sold, and the Bush administration has hawked Medicare’s prescription-drug benefit — ‘Part D’ — almost as honestly as it rolled out the Iraq war. The results are going to start slamming millions of seniors right here, right now, in the fall of 2007.”

* Just like old times — the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, at Republicans’ instance, is going to be investigating Bill Clinton’s White House again. Seriously.

* And finally, good news out of the Keystone State: “The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has taken steps to suspend the law license of I. Lewis ‘Scooter’ Libby Jr., a former White House aide convicted in March of lying and obstructing justice in a probe into the leak of a CIA operative’s identity.” He is, oddly enough, the only member of the Bush gang to face any consequences at all for his actions.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The president will offer a prime-time address tonight on Iraq and troop deployments, but John Edwards’ campaign has a clever way of responding: it’s purchased two minutes of advertising time on MSNBC following Bush’s speech. The ad will run in the first ad break following Bush’s address and the official Democratic rebuttal by Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.). In the ad, Edwards argues that Bush was wrong to push for more U.S. troops in Iraq, and calls for a “firm timeline for withdrawal,” according to excerpts of the ad provided to CNN.

* Hillary Clinton picked up another union endorsement yesterday, when the 300,000-strong National Association of Letter Carriers threw its support to the New York senator. Union president William H. Young said Clinton was the “runaway winner” when they surveyed their members on the presidential primary candidates.

* Gen. David Petraeus came fairly close to ruling out a career in politics in a discussion with the USA Today editorial board. After saying the idea has “not crossed [his] mind,” an editor asked if that might change at some point. When asked if he’d make the pledge offered by Union General William Tecumseh Sherman — “If drafted, I will not run; if nominated, I will not accept; if elected, I will not serve” — Petraeus said he would “associate myself with” Sherman’s sentiment.

* Newt Gingrich is still making noises about a presidential campaign, telling the far-right Washington Times this week, “I will decide based on whether I have about $30 million in committed campaign contributions and whether I think it is possible to run a campaign based on ideas rather than 30-second sound bites.”

* Bob Novak reports today that several seasoned GOP consultants have been willing to sign up with Fred Thompson’s campaign, but the inner circle of advisors for the actor/lobbyist/politician, including Mary Matalin, won’t let others in.

* And speaking of Novak, his latest assessment in the Evans-Novak Political Report notes, “The decision not to run by Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) now raises to five the possible losses of Senate seats by Republicans. Democrats also are targeting Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) for a sixth seat. If 2008 turns into a Democratic landslide, Senators Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) and even Mitch McConnell (R-KY) could be in danger.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* More disaster in Iraq: “Iraqi tribal leader Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, a key figure in U.S. efforts to turn local residents against al-Qaeda in the restive Anbar province, was killed today by a roadside bomb, U.S. military and Iraqi sources confirmed. Abu Risha was a leading member of the Anbar Salvation Council, a group formed a year ago Thursday that proved critical to a recent reduction in insurgent violence in the province. He worked closely with U.S. officials, a fact that made him a target of militants angry about his decision to cooperate with the United States and his ability to convince other tribal sheiks to follow. He and two bodyguards were killed near his home in Ramadi.”

* Marc Lynch offers some helpful and informative analysis of the Risha assassination.

* The Center for American Progress’ Brian Katulis offers a fairly detailed preview of what to expect from the president’s speech tonight, and why Bush is mistaken.

* A new AP poll measures public opinion after the Petraeus/Crocker testimony, and finds nothing much has changed. Support for Bush, and his handling of the war, foreign policy, and terrorism are all practically identical to where they were a month ago.

* Speaking of new polls, Fox News asked respondents whether they believed Petraeus’ testimony was “truthful and objective,” or “slanted toward the policies of the Bush administration”? A plurality (40%) said the latter. Obviously, if right-wing talking points are correct, this means Americans hate the troops.

* John Kerry ripped House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) for dismissing the sacrifices of the troops in Iraq as “a small price.” Kerry implored Boehner to apologize.

* The DNC condemned Boehner’s callousness, as well.

* For reasons that I don’t understand, Kerry and the DNC were pretty much the only Democratic leaders to take Boehner to task. Where was everybody else?

* George Will, surprisingly enough, hit Fred Thompson pretty hard in his column today: “Fred Thompson’s plunge into the presidential pool — more belly-flop than swan dive — was the strangest product launch since that of New Coke in 1985. Then, the question was: Is this product necessary? A similar question stumped Thompson the day he plunged.”

* It runs counter to the conventional wisdom, but it turns out that Americans don’t actually approve of warrantless searches.

* I have no idea if it was photoshopped, but Wonkette has a picture of Bush making the “hook ‘em, horns” gesture during the 9/11 memorial ceremony this week. I’m going to hope the picture isn’t real, or perhaps the gesture was made by accident?

* War supporter Michael O’Hanlon said today that could “easily see myself changing camps in the next six to nine months.” What is it about war supporters and six-month increments?

* Sometimes, O’Reilly manages to surprise. Describing Middle Easterners, the Fox News personality said, “They want their meals. They want to smoke. They want to go to the mosques. They want to sit around, and that’s what they want to do. Do they want to vote? Do they want to get involved? Not really.” He then said the U.S. should nevertheless stay in Iraq for at least another year.

* Brian Beutler does a fine job explaining why, when it comes to economics, Amb. Ryan Crocker seems terribly confused.

* Standing up for quality journalism and professional standards: “On Glenn Beck, Howard Kurtz said that Keith Olbermann has described Fox News as a channel that ‘poses as a news organization and puts out dangerous misinformation [and] is a cheerleader for the Bush administration, that it is misinforming our society.’ Kurtz added: ‘But you know what? They’re entitled to do that.’”

* If the election were today, one Connecticut poll says Lamont would beat Lieberman.

* And finally, wouldn’t you just love to have been in the room to see the look on the president’s face? “When top Democratic leaders visited him at the White House this week, President Bush told them he wanted to ‘find common ground’ on Iraq. But when the president said he planned to ’start doing some redeployment,’ the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, cut him off. ‘No you’re not, Mr. President,’ Ms. Pelosi interjected. ‘You’re just going back to the presurge level.’” Awkward.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Increasing the Democrats’ chances of picking up another Senate seat in 2008, former New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D) is poised to announce that she will take on incumbent Sen. John Sununu (R) next year. Several polls already show Shaheen with a double-digit lead over Sununu in hypothetical match-ups, and the DSCC all but begged Shaheen to give up her post at Harvard’s Kennedy School, and enter the race. It will be a rematch of the 2002 race in which the state Republican Party broke several laws cheating on Sununu’s behalf.

* Fred Thompson already took some heat for chickening out of the last debate for the Republican presidential candidates, but that won’t stop him from ducking the next two. Next week, in Ft. Lauderdale, there will be a “Values Voters” debate sponsored by religious right groups, and Thompson has already turned down the invitation. Moreover, Thompson said yesterday that he’ll also probably skip a PBS-sponsored debate at Morgan State University in Baltimore on September 27th. The next debate on the GOP calendar in October 9.

* Speaking of Thompson, the actor/lobbyist/politician picked up his first Senate endorsement from outside Tennessee yesterday, when Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi threw his support behind the former senator.

* Rudy Giuliani’s former campaign manager, Fran Reiter, has decided to support Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Reiter, who ran Giuliani’s 1997 mayoral campaign, and also served as a deputy mayor in the Giuliani administration, said this week that the former mayor has “backed away from” the values he embraced while in office. (If Giuliani and Clinton win their respective parties nominations, this would make for a fun ad. “I’m Rudy Giuliani’s former campaign manager, and I’m supporting Hillary Clinton…”)

* Joe Biden hasn’t exactly been racking up the endorsements lately, but he picked up a pretty good one this week when Iowa House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (D) announced his support for the Delaware senator. In Iowa, Clinton still enjoys the most state legislative endorsements, with 16.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* There’s no such thing as the Petraeus report, but there is a new White House report: “The White House told Congress Friday that Iraqi leaders gained little new ground on key military and political goals, a discouraging assessment a day after President Bush announced that progress justifies keeping a large U.S. military presence there. The report underscored the difficulty of Bush’s argument that continued American sacrifice was creating space for Iraqi leaders to make gains on tamping down the sectarian fighting that leaves Iraq persistently fractured and violent.”

* Not only is Sen. Ted Stevens’ (R-Alaska) career in jeopardy, but so is his standing as a free man: “Former VECO Corp. CEO Bill Allen admitted Friday to using company funds to pay some of the construction costs associated with Sen. Ted Stevens’ (R-Alaska) home remodeling project as well as using a small number of company employees to do the work.” Stevens’ office doesn’t know how to respond.

* Every network that covered the president’s speech last night also showed viewers the Democratic response from Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) — except one. Care to guess?

* Speaking of the White House address last night: “All networks shared the same pool video of Bush from the Oval Office. Perhaps in an effort to make its coverage look distinctive, CNN pulled a very questionable stunt during the speech. Bush made reference to a brave soldier, Brandon Stout, who died while serving in Iraq, and CNN, having received a copy of the text in advance, obligingly inserted a photo of Stout into the picture, moving Bush slightly to the left, as it were. But it’s not the job of news organizations to help politicians, even presidents, embellish their speeches or assist them in making a point.”

* Disgusting: “A Michigan lawyer who sexually attacked a 21-year-old woman at a Young Republicans convention here said Thursday that he disgraced himself, his family and his political party. Michael Flory, 33, of Jackson, Mich., told a Cuyahoga County Common Pleas judge that his humiliation and self-destruction should be punishment enough for his guilty plea to a sexual- battery charge. Judge Peter Corrigan couldn’t have disagreed more.” Good.

* According to Sen. John Inhofe (R-Okla.), when Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) recommends bringing 5,000 troops home by Christmas, he’s awful; when Bush says the same thing, he’s wise.

* CREW: “Congress in the midst of debating legislation to re-authorize the controversial “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB) program. A three-month long investigation by CREW raises serious questions about the use of NCLB funds to pay for products sold by Neil Bush, the younger brother of President George Bush.”

* I suppose it’s possible to read a less complementary review of Mark Penn’s new book than Ezra Klein’s take, but I can’t see how.

* Spencer Ackerman apparently spent quite a bit of time this afternoon trying to figure out which 36 countries Bush was referring to as part of the Multi-National Forces Iraq. He seems to have put the picture together, but it hardly helps Bush’s case.

* On a related note, one of the 36 is Iceland, which is pulling its one person from Iraq as of October 1. Not one percent, mind you, one guy.

* Elizabeth Edwards has been fairly aggressive on the campaign trail the last several months, but I was a little surprised to see her direct her criticism towards MoveOn.org.

* There’s been some talk in The Hill and elsewhere about a new Rasmussen poll supporting the Bush/Petraeus policy for Iraq. The poll’s question is very misleading, which makes the results rather useless.

* Kudos to Bush’s science advisor for ignoring his boss’ agenda: “In an interview with the BBC, Professor John Marburger, Bush’s chief science adviser, said it was an ‘unequivocal’ fact that climate change is man-made and that greenhouse gases emitted by human activity are to blame. Marburger said he ’strongly agrees’ with the IPCC reports and ’supports its conclusions.’”

* NYT: “Douglas A. Macgregor, a retired Army colonel and a critic of the Bush administration’s handling of Iraq called General Petraeus’s testimony ‘another deceitful attempt on the part of the generals and their political masters to extend our stay in the country long enough until Bush leaves office.’” Maybe Giuliani should try and smear Gen. Macgregor, too?

* And finally, the caption on Fred Thompson’s high-school yearbook photo: “The lazier a man is, the more he plans to do tomorrow.” So true, so true.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* On Saturday morning, Wesley Clark, the retired four-star general who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004, announced his endorsement of Hillary Clinton. “I’m very pleased today to announce my endorsement of Senator Clinton to be our next President of the United States,” Clark said on a conference call (which I was on). “She’ll be a great leader for the United States of America, and I think she’ll be a great commander in chief for the men and women in the armed forces.” Asked if he would consider a role in a future Clinton administration, Clark said he had not considered it.

* After a tense showdown with the DNC, the Florida Democratic Party appears to be backing down over the date of its presidential primary. Faced with the prospect of losing all of its convention delegates, the state party will apparently hold a non-binding “beauty-contest” primary on January 29, and will be delegates at a state convention on February 5.

* Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.), the last House Republican from New England and perennial DCCC target, is threatening not to seek re-election unless the House GOP leadership agrees to make him the ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. “I’m 61 years old. I’ve been in Congress 20 years,” Shays told the Hartford Courant. “If I have to fight to become chairman of a committee, given the job I’ve done, I need to move on.”

* The Clinton campaign quietly dropped Angelique Pirozzi, the senator’s Iowa field director, from the team late last week. Clinton’s campaign would not confirm whether Pirozzi had resigned or had been fired; “She is no longer with the campaign,” was all spokesman Mo Elleithee would offer. The WaPo noted, “Pirozzi, often described as a protege of uber organizer Michael Whouley, has a long history in Iowa Democratic presidential politics, having served as caucus manager for Sen. John Kerry’s 2004 victory and as deputy caucus manager for then-Vice President Al Gore in 2000. In between those races, Pirozzi managed Kerry’s 2002 re-election race to the Senate.”

* And former Sen. Lincoln Chafee, who lost his Rhode Island seat last year, has officially left the Republican Party. “It’s not my party any more,” he said. Chafee said he disaffiliated from the party “in June or July,” making him an unaffiliated voter. He did so quietly, and until yesterday, he said, “No one’s asked me about it.” He said he made the move because “I want my affiliation to accurately reflect my status.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Rudy Giuliani has been taking quite a few swings at MoveOn.org over the last several days. This afternoon, MoveOn swung back.

* On a related note, Dick Cheney waded into the fight himself today, saying, “The attacks on him by MoveOn.org in ad space provided at subsidized rates in the New York Times last week were an outrage.” The ad space wasn’t “subsidized,” but if Cheney ever managed to levy an honest attack, it’d probably cause a rift in the space-time continuum, so he might as well keep on lying.

* CREW wonders why the Senate GOP leadership stripped Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) of his committee assignments, but not Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska). It’s a good question.

* Speaking of Craig, the ACLU filed a brief on the Republican senator’s behalf today with the Minnesota Court considering Craig’s motion to withdraw his guilty plea over his bathroom sting arrest.

* Happy ending in California: “UC Irvine Chancellor Michael V. Drake and Erwin Chemerinsky have reached an agreement that will return the liberal legal scholar to the dean’s post at the university’s new law school, the university announced this morning. With the deal, they hope to end the controversy that erupted when Chemerinsky was dropped as the first dean of the Donald Bren School of Law.”

* Kevin Drum makes the case that Dems aren’t really all that anxious to end the war in Iraq: “Iraq itself would probably get worse if we pulled out, at least in the short term, and there’s an outside chance that it would get way worse. Dems would get all the blame, of course. And finally, Democrats would no longer have the war as an issue to run on in 2008.”

* David Cole and Jules Lobel on the ineffectiveness of “gong on offense” to combat terrorism: “Security rests not on exceptionalism and double standards but on a commitment to fairness, justice and the rule of law. The rule of law in no way precludes a state from defending itself from terrorists but requires that it do so within constraints. And properly understood, those constraints are assets, not obstacles.”

* U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker subtly criticized his boss yesterday on the slow pace of addressing the Iraqi refugee crisis. On this, he’s right.

* Joe Klein explains why Bush deserves far more blame than Petraeus: “The nature of military leadership is congenital optimism; officers are trained to complete the mission, to refuse to countenance the possibility of failure. That focus is essential when you go to war, but it lacks perspective. That’s why civilian leaders — the Commander in Chief — are there to set the mission, to change or abort it when necessary. The trouble is, George W. Bush’s credibility on Iraq is nonexistent. And so he has placed David Petraeus, an excellent soldier, in a position way above his pay grade. He has made Petraeus not just the arbiter of Iraq strategy but also, by default, the man who sets U.S. policy for the entire so-called war on terrorism.”

* David Broder’s praise for Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) doesn’t make a lot of sense.

* Last week, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell was caught lying to the Senate about a revised FISA law’s role in preventing a terrorist attack in Germany. This week, he’ll return to the Hill to ask House lawmakers to give him even more surveillance authority. These guys have chutzpah, I’ll give them that.

* Scott Bloch and the Office of Special Counsel may soon find that their investigation into White House malfeasance coming to an abrupt end — the probe needs an extra $3 million.

* Tom Schaller on white guys: “Those who have been closely following the politics of the Democratic primaries may have noticed that someone is missing…. I’m talking about the white male voter, or at least a certain long-coveted variety thereof. He is variously known as ‘NASCAR dad’ — that shirt-sleeved, straight-talkin’, these-colors-don’t-run fella who votes his cultural values above all else — or ‘Bubba,’ as Steve Jarding and Dave ‘Mudcat’ Saunders affectionately call him… Start looking on milk cartons for Bubba because he has vanished, and not a moment too soon: The Democratic obsession with the down-home, blue-collar, white male voter, that heartbreaker who crossed the aisle to the Republicans many decades ago, may finally be coming to a merciful end.”

* In his new autobiography, Former Mexico President Vicente Fox describes George W. Bush as “the cockiest guy I have ever met in my life.” He added that the president’s Spanish skills are at a “grade-school” level and says, “I can’t honestly say that I had ever seen George W. Bush getting to the White House.”

* The Senate is moving forward on a plan to revisit the Military Commissions Act. Good.

* Ron Brownstein is moving from the LA Times to become the political director of Atlantic Media. It’s a nice gig.

* And finally, it’s disconcerting to know that the bathroom in the Minneapolis airport in which Larry Craig was arrested has become a tourist attraction. Said one man who works at a shoeshine near the men’s room, “People have been going inside, taking pictures of the stall, taking pictures outside the bathroom door — man, it’s been crazy,”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Barack Obama will unveil a new tax plan today, which will propose more than $80 billion in annual tax relief for workers and seniors funded by an increase on wealthier investors. According to an AP report, Obama “wants to give 150 million working Americans a $500 tax credit, expand relief for homeowners, eliminate income taxes for seniors making less than $50,000 and simplify tax returns so millions of Americans can file in less than five minutes.”

* Speaking of Obama, the Illinois senator delivered a stern message to Wall Street investors yesterday. “If we are honest, I think we must admit that those who have benefited from the new global marketplace — and that includes almost everyone in this room — have not always concerned themselves with the losers in this new economy,” Obama told the crowd at the Nasdaq MarketSite.

* Fred Thompson became the fourth leading GOP candidate to announce yesterday that he would blow off a PBS debate later this month at a historically black college in Baltimore. Giuliani, McCain, and Romney had already declined invitations. “There is a pattern here,” Tavis Smiley told the Huffington Post. “When you tell every black and brown request that you get throughout the primary process that ‘no, there’s a scheduling problem.’ That’s a pattern… Are we really supposed to believe that all four of these guys couldn’t make it because of scheduling?”

* John Edwards’ campaign is sending an unusually-blunt email to supporters, criticizing Hillary Clinton for attending a DC fundraiser today hosted by government contractors and lobbyists in the homeland security industry. In a mass email, the Edwards campaign blasts Clinton as a “corporate Democratic insider.”

* McCain lost another key staffer — Robert Terra, who managed the senator’s campaign war room — and lost a key supporter in Michigan, when former state Attorney General Mike Cox announced he would resign as state chairman of the McCain campaign

* Mitt Romney attacked Hillary Clinton’s healthcare plan yesterday, using an NYC hospital who didn’t want to be used as a campaign prop. “We find it unfortunate that Mr. Romney misappropriated the image and good will of St. Vincent’s Hospital to further a political agenda,” a hospital spokesman said in a statement.

* And as part of a disconcerting trend for the GOP, Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.) announced yesterday that he will retire next year after nine terms in the House. “I’m burned out, I’m tired,” Ramstad said. “I still have the passion for politics but I want to go home.” The seat is expected to be competitive in 2008.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* A bill to give the U.S. taxpayers who live in the District of Columbia a voting representative in the House of Representatives had majority support in the Senate today, but it wasn’t enough to overcome GOP obstructionist tactics. The bill’s 57-vote majority was three short of the total needed to end a Republican filibuster. Taxation without representation continues.

* The Federal Reserve cut the target on a key short-term interest rate by half of a percentage point today. Wall Street responded very favorably to the news, with the Dow Jones finishing up over 300 points.

* In related news, “The number of foreclosure filings reported in the U.S. last month more than doubled versus August 2006 and jumped 36 percent from July, a trend that signals many homeowners are increasingly unable to make timely payments on their mortgages or sell their homes amid a national housing slump.”

* U.S. Attorney Rachel Paulose, who’s long been one of Bush’s more controversial prosecutors, is now under investigation from the Office of Special Counsel. There’s evidence that alleges that she “mishandled classified information, decided to fire the subordinate who called it to her attention, retaliated against others in the office who crossed her, and made racist remarks about one employee.”

* Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the outgoing Joint Chiefs chairman: “One of the mistakes I made in my assumptions going in was that the Iraqi people and the Iraqi army would welcome liberation, that the Iraqi army, given the opportunity, would stand together for the Iraqi people and be available to them to help serve the new nation.” That would be the army Cheney disbanded, right?

* Why is that the Defense Department’s civilian casualty figures and Gen. Petraeus’ figures don’t match? Inquiring minds want to know.

* When conservatives attack — each other: “Larry Klayman, the conservative lawyer best known for repeatedly taking the Clinton administration to court in the 1990s, sued supporters of the Bush administration yesterday, claiming they appropriated the name ‘Freedom’s Watch’ for use in a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign in support of the Iraq war.”

* When a contractor admits to bribing a U.S. senator, it should probably be a bigger deal. “t’s not every day that a witness admits in open court to having bribed a sitting U.S. Senator, which is exactly what happened last Friday, when former VECO executive Bill Allen admitted that among the bad acts he had pleaded guilty to was renovation work done on Stevens’ Alaska home. Stevens is not commenting.”

* By arming both sides of a civil war, Bush is creating the conditions for some even more catastrophic bloodshed.

* This may come as a shock, but Fox News’ coverage of Gen. Petraeus’ testimony was heavily slanted in support of the administration’s policy. Who could’ve guessed?

* Richard Cohen’s column today was so dumb, I couldn’t even bring myself to write about it. Thankfully, Steve M. showed more patience and highlighted the column’s inanity.

* Every time CNN (or any network, for that matter) contrasts “anti-war protestors and troop supporters,” it hurts just a little more.

* The White House said Solicitor General Paul Clement would serve as Acting Attorney General pending confirmation of a permanent AG. That’s apparently no longer the case — Peter Keisler, “a hard-line movement conservative,” will now be taking over. That’s not necessarily a good thing.

* MoveOn’s hard-hitting new Giuliani ad, which lambastes the former mayor for blowing off the Iraq Study Group, is going national. Good.

* Reps. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), and Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) have all agreed to take the food stamp challenge.

* Ding dong, TimesSelect is dead.

* Thirteen House Republicans “have been served with subpoenas from defense attorneys representing Brent Wilkes, the former defense contractor charged with bribing imprisoned ex-Rep. Duke Cunningham (R-Calif.). None of the lawmakers will comply with the subpoena.”

* Quote of the Day, from Jonathan Zasloff: “If Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, and John McCain can’t stand up to Tavis Smiley, than how can they stand up to the terrorists?”

* Robert Samuelson doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I knew that, but it’s good to get the occasional reminder.

* And finally, in highly amusing television-rating news, the president’s prime-time speech on Iraq last week drew lower ratings on some networks than Sen. Jack Reed’s Democratic response. Tony Snow recently claimed, “My sense is that the American people want to hear what the President has to say.” Apparently, we’ve heard enough.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The Senate is expected to vote on ending a GOP filibuster on the Webb troop-support amendment any second now. If someone could mention the final tally in comments, I’d appreciate it.

* In the latest twist in the Blackwater controversy in Iraq, two injured Iraqis, one of whom is a lawyer who was headed to the Ministry of Justice before a Blackwater guard allegedly shot him in the back, said the private security firm opened fire on civilians for no reason.

* A new rule created earlier this year says that any House member charged with a crime must be investigated by the House Ethics Committee. The first lawmaker subject to this rule will be Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.). The panel will review a misdemeanor charge brought against Filner last month after an alleged assault of a Dulles airport baggage employee.

* Yesterday, Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell told the House Judiciary Committee that the FISA Court was using such restrictive standards, the NSA couldn’t spy on Iraqi insurgents that had kidnapped U.S. troops without obtaining a warrant. As it turns out, like some of McConnell’s other claims, this almost certainly isn’t true.

* LAT: “The U.S. Embassy on Tuesday banned diplomats and other civilian government employees indefinitely from traveling by land outside the heavily protected Green Zone as American and Iraqi officials debated the legal status of foreign security contractors after a weekend shooting incident here in which eight civilians were reported killed.”

* WaPo: “Maryland’s highest court yesterday upheld a 34-year-old state law banning same-sex marriage, rejecting an attempt by 19 gay men and lesbians to win the right to marry. In reversing a lower court’s decision, the divided Court of Appeals ruled that limiting marriage to a man and a woman does not discriminate against gay couples or deny them constitutional rights. Although the judges acknowledged that gay men and lesbians have been targets of discrimination, they said the prohibition on same-sex marriage promotes the state’s interest in heterosexual marriage as a means of having and protecting children.”

* Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.): “Unfortunately, we have too many mosques in this country.” He now claims his comments were taken out of context, but there’s a YouTube clip.

* Intriguing questions surround an apparent Israeli airstrike inside Syria: “The Israeli government has made no comment about the raid on what is believed to be a nuclear installation in Syria and Israeli newspapers have been forbidden to write anything on the subject.”

* Asked if invading Iraq was a good idea, Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the NYT’s David Brooks, “I don’t know.” I don’t imagine Cheney is going to respond well to that response.

* Josh Marshall offers John McCain a much-needed lesson in constitutional law.

* No wonder Bush and Australian Prime Minister John Howard get along: Howard’s party has banned its members from listening to Al Gore’s global warming speeches.

* Fascinating study from the Center for American Progress: “Amid the most recent immigration debate on Capitol Hill, many of us for the first time met a whole new group of spokespeople arrayed against immigration. But did we really meet them — or just the face they would like the mainstream press to see? It turns out that many anti-immigrant leaders have backgrounds that should disqualify them from even participating in mainstream debate. What is sad is they manage to get the American press to quote them without ever noting their bizarre and often racist beliefs.”

* Apparently, Gen. Petraeus’ testimony hasn’t changed the political landscape at all, at least according to the latest Zogby poll.

* I figured conservatives would lash out wildly at Gen. Abizaid, but given the Freepers’ reaction, one might start to think that conservatives were anti-military or something.

* Welcome to blogging, Paul Krugman.

* The tasered college student in Florida? He’s apparently something of a gonzo journalist who has a flare for self-promotion.

* On a related note, two University of Florida police officers are on mandatory paid leave in response to the incident. The Florida Division of Law Enforcement will investigate what transpired.

* WaPo: “Polls overseas show Muslims’ views of the United States going through the floor. Even in NATO ally Turkey, the United States’ favorable rating is down to 9 percent, according to a recent Pew Research Center poll, down from 30 percent five years ago and 52 percent in 2000.”

* And finally, Bush had a hilarious discussion with an Asian journalist about his relationship with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, with whom the president described as a close friend. It’s too long to excerpt here, but Bush apparently remembered almost nothing about Badawi, despite the president’s insistence that the two are close.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* With the GOP’s top tier missing, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) easily won the religious right’s “Values Voters” straw-poll this week, winning 64% of the vote that followed the movement’s debate in South Florida Monday night. “We won huge,” Huckabee said. “I’m pleased, and proud, and honored to have this historic endorsement from America’s leading social conservatives who believe, as I do, in the core values which define American culture and life. This overwhelming vote affirms that conservatives are coalescing around one candidate and that candidate is me.”

* The Republican establishment has been hoping for quite a while that former Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns (R) would run for the Senate. With Sen. Chuck Hagel (R) retiring, that now appears likely. Johanns will reportedly resign his position as Bush’s Secretary of Agriculture to return home for an expected Senate campaign, which will likely come next week. Johanns will, however, face a large GOP primary field.

* Fred Thompson likes to tell his life story on the campaign trail, but he somehow manages to ignore the one profession that has dominated his adult life: corporate lobbyist. The Miami Herald reported, “Asked why he omits public mention of his long and lucrative career, Thompson chuckled: ‘Nobody asked me the question.’”

* Speaking of Thompson, he defended himself against charges that he’s skipping debates by noting that he’ll participate in an October 14th forum in New Hampshire sponsored by ABC News. There’s just one problem: that event was cancelled quite a while ago.

* Mitt Romney released a 67-page document yesterday, offering some details about what his policy agenda would look like if elected. “I think the picture is, ‘I’m a fairly orthodox conservative,’ ” said Charlie Arlinghaus, president of the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy, a think tank in Concord, N.H. “There’s precious little there you wouldn’t see in the Heritage Foundation talking points.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* John Edwards suffered a minor campaign setback yesterday when the SEIU said it would not offer any presidential endorsement, at least right now. Apparently, it looked like Edwards had the support to get the nod, but big locals based in New York and Chicago scuttled the endorsement.

* For reasons that I still don’t entirely understand, Rudy Giuliani’s scandalous personal life hasn’t played much of a role in the campaign, but it’s possible the issue is just now starting to percolate. In a televised interview, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D), a major Hillary Clinton backer, noted that Giuliani has “lots of issues” voters may not know about — yet. “I can’t even get into the number of marriages, [and] the relationship he has with his children,” Vilsack said on New York 1, describing the ex-mayor’s past as “interesting.”

* Mitt Romney has a new ad on the air in New Hampshire in which he takes his own party to task for abandoning its principles. “If we’re going to change Washington, Republicans have to put our own house in order,” Romney says in the ad, speaking directly to the camera, ticking off a list of transgressions. “When Republicans act like Democrats, America loses. It’s time for Republicans to start acting like Republicans. It’s time for a change, and change begins with us.”

* The GOP caucus’ retirement troubles got worse yesterday when Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.) indicated that he will not seek re-election next year. Weller has been the subject of considerable scrutiny lately after a series of controversial Latin American land deals.

* John Edwards agreed to be the first candidate to participate in a new kind of online forum, sponsored by MTV and MySpace. Apparently, “as the candidates answer questions, online viewers will be able to register their opinions in real time with choices of ‘I agree,’ ‘I disagree,’ and an unorthodox ‘Full of bull’ just in case the politician sounds a little too pandering or nonsensical. The votes will then be displayed live, as the interview is progressing.” Edwards is taking a bit of a chance by being the guinea pig for this.

* And finally, Barack Obama has a new ad in Iowa that’s worth watching because of how different it is from his other ads. Note his emphasis on “experience” and “20 years of public service” — suggesting his polls are probably telling him that’s his biggest hurdle right now.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The Jena Six controversy hasn’t generated enough national attention thus far, but this is hard to ignore: “Thousands of protesters clogged the tiny town of Jena, Louisiana, Thursday to show their indignation over what they consider unjust, unequal punishments meted out in two racially charged incidents. They swarmed over the grounds of Jena High School, surrounding the stump of the tree from which nooses hung in early August 2006, about three months before six black teens known as the ‘Jena 6′ were accused of beating a white classmate.”

* On a related note, the House Judiciary Committee will hold hearings and a forum on the controversy.

* Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), Rudy Giuliani’s homeland security advisor, is continuing to take heat for telling a reporter this week that there are “too many mosques” in the United States. The DNC blasted King today, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations has also repudiated the lawmaker. “We call on Republican leaders and other people of conscience to repudiate Representative King’s bigoted remarks and to support the civil and religious rights of all Americans,” said CAIR official Corey Saylor.

* I received several emails today asking why Obama didn’t vote on John Cornyn’s anti-MoveOn amendment today. The senator released a statement this afternoon: “The focus of the United States Senate should be on ending this war, not on criticizing newspaper advertisements. This amendment was a stunt designed only to score cheap political points while what we should be doing is focusing on the deadly serious challenge we face in Iraq. It’s precisely this kind of political game-playing that makes most Americans cynical about Washington’s ability to solve America’s problems. By not casting a vote, I registered my protest against this empty politics. I registered my views on the ad itself the day it appeared. All of us respect the service of General Petraeus and all of our brave men and women in uniform. The way to honor that service is to give them a mission that is responsible, not to vote on amendments like the Cornyn amendment while we continue to pursue the wrong policy in Iraq.”

* As I recall, when the United Arab Emirates sought to purchase a number of U.S. ports, there was quite a collective freak-out. Will there be a similar reaction if Dubai takes significant ownership of the NASDAQ stock exchange?

* House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) responded to the “small price” flap by sitting down with — who else? — Fox News today. Boehner insists he was responding to a question about financial costs. The video shows otherwise.

* Howard Kurtz really out to feel embarrassed about this: “On CNN’s Reliable Sources, Howard Kurtz repeated a pattern in which he suggests that the media skew coverage against Republicans by asking — regarding scrutiny of Rudy Giuliani’s actions related to 9-11 — ‘Why all the press scrutiny of the mayor’s performance that day?’ and ‘Is there any possibility that he’s being kind of Swiftboated here?’”

* Number of times Bush said “in other words” during his 35-minute press conference: Nine.

* Bob Novak is apparently among the conservatives unhappy with Michael Mukasey’s nomination to be Attorney General. Today, Novak described Mukasey as “unqualified and ill-equipped for the daunting task of rehabilitating the Justice Department.”

* Maybe Circuit City shouldn’t have laid off all of their best and most knowledgeable employees.

* Conservatives who whine that symbolic resolutions are “meaningless,” probably don’t realize how hypocritical they appeared today. They irony is usually lost on this crowd.

* O’Reilly is selling, “Don’t taze me, bro” bumper stickers. Seriously.

* “Staying in Iraq: $25 Billion per Year … Forever”

* The secret lobbying campaign your phone company doesn’t want you to know about.

* Tim Grieve: “One day after voting to block consideration of a measure that might have helped hasten the end of the war in Iraq, Republican Sens. Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts have written a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs urging full funding for a new cemetery at Fort Riley in Kansas. The reason: With an influx of casualties from Iraq, the existing cemetery at Fort Riley is now full. Well, not entirely full: A spokesman for the facility tells Reuters that bodies can be buried on top of other bodies if family members want to share plots.”

* And finally, the Quote of the Day, by way of Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.): “It is a sad day in the Senate when we spend hours debating an ad while our young people are dying in Iraq. Now that the Senate has twice voted on this ad, it is time to move on and vote to end the war.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Asked about the Jena Six scandal in Louisiana, which drew 10,000 protestors to the small town yesterday, Fred Thompson said, “I don’t know anything about it.” It’s a phrase he seems to repeat quite a bit.

* The most aggressive campaigner on the presidential trail continues to be Elizabeth Edwards, who blasted Hillary Clinton yesterday for effectively stealing John Edwards’ healthcare plan. “I don’t call it Senator Clinton’s health care plan,” Edwards said. “I call it John Edwards’ health care plan as delivered by Hillary Clinton. The truth is that anyone who tries to describe Hillary’s health care plan will run through every material part of John’s health care plan. I just have to wonder, if John released his plan at the beginning of February, what took her seven and a half months to endorse it?”

* A day after James Dobson disseminated a document blasting Fred Thompson’s presidential efforts, the actor/lobbyist/politician shrugged off the significance of the criticism. “If in fact this e-mail … reflects his views, so be it,” Thompson said. “I have a lot of friends who I think are friends of his who have a high regard for me, and I’m very proud of that.” Focus on the Family confirmed that the email is genuine.

* In an apparent attempt to generate some interest in his presidential campaign, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) unveiled the Ultrasound Informed Consent Act yesterday, which would require women seeking abortions to have an ultrasound first. Somehow, I doubt the bill is going to pass, but the measure is about score points, not passing laws.

* And finally, several prominent political observers have suggested that John McCain has found his footing and is poised to re-establish himself as a contender, but evidence to the contrary keeps popping up. The very-conservative Washington Times reported this week that McCain’s third-quarter fundraising is, once again, awful, with about $3.7 million raised with just two weeks to go. Said one person close to the campaign, “Those are gross numbers, not net. Plus the campaign is carrying $2.5 to $3 million in debt. [He’s] done for.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Alas, no big surprise here: “The Senate rejected legislation Friday that would have ordered most U.S. troops home from Iraq in nine months, culminating a losing week for Democrats who failed to push through any anti-war proposal. The vote, 47-47, fell 13 votes short of the 60 needed to pass.”

* Remember that B-52 mistakenly armed with six nuclear-tipped cruise missiles that flew from North Dakota to Louisiana last month? “Three weeks after the Air Force began investigating the mistaken arming of a B-52 bomber with nuclear weapons, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has asked for an outside inquiry led by a retired general who once commanded the strategic bomber fleet, an official said Thursday.”

* CNN: “Mychal Bell, the sole defendant who remains behind bars from the group of teens known as the ‘Jena 6,’ will not be released Friday, a court decided. Bell, 17, has been in jail since his arrest more than nine months ago. It was not immediately clear what happened in court Friday, where Bell’s attorneys had planned to push for his release.”

* That didn’t take long: “American convoys under the protection of Blackwater USA resumed on Friday, four days after the U.S. Embassy suspended all land travel by its diplomats and other civilian officials in response to the alleged killing of civilians by the security firm.”

* On a related note, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is calling for a “full and complete review” of security practices for U.S. diplomats, who are generally protected by Blackwater. “To recap,” Spencer Ackerman wrote, “while the Iraqi prime minister says Blackwater killed Iraqi civilians “in cold blood,” the State Department is promising to “review” its security procedures — with details on the scope of that review to come later — and already has Blackwater back to work. Very diplomatic.”

* National Review’s Cliff May reported, “Senators Lieberman and Kyl are offering an amendment today calling on the US to combat, contain and roll back Iran’s aggression in Iraq. It also designates the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization.” Jonathan Schwarz has more.

* NYT: “Military officials said Thursday that contracts worth $6 billion to provide essential supplies to American troops in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan — including food, water and shelter — were under review by criminal investigators, double the amount the Pentagon had previously disclosed. In addition, $88 billion in contracts and programs, including those for body armor for American soldiers and materiel for Iraqi and Afghan security forces, are being audited for financial irregularities, the officials said.” (emphasis added)

* After a series of tough questions at yesterday White House press conference, the president sought out a friendly reporter who asked him to respond to the “Betray Us” ad. Was it an orchestrated softball? Given the circumstances, it probably was. (That there are specific conservative ideologues in the press room who can help get Bush out of jams, is, in and of itself, scandalous.)

* Kurgman: “Lots of buzz suddenly about the possibility of a sharp fall in the dollar. The Canadian dollar is back at parity with the greenback; there are rumors that the Saudis are planning to diversify into euros, and maybe even that the Chinese might break the dollar peg…. [A]ccording to the story, one of these days there will be a Wile E. Coyote moment for the dollar: the moment when the cartoon character, who has run off a cliff, looks down and realizes that he’s standing on thin air — and plunges. In this case, investors suddenly realize that Stein’s Law applies — ‘If something cannot go on forever, it will stop’ — and they realize they need to get out of dollars, causing the currency to plunge.”

* Michael Kinsley’s best column of the year: “The fuss over this MoveOn.org ad is something else: it is the result of a desperate scavenging for umbrage material. When so many people are clamoring for a chance to swoon that they each have to take a number and when the landscape is so littered with folks lying prostrate and pretending to be dead that it starts to look like the end of a Civil War battle re-enactment, this isn’t spontaneous mass outrage. This is choreography.”

* Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell is once again spreading the nonsense that discussing surveillance policies necessarily kills Americans. With each passing week, he sounds more and more like a partisan hack. It’s a shame; before teaming up with Bush, McConnell had a decent reputation.

* While chattering with conservative media personalities at the White House this week, Bush was asked about the qualities he’d like to see in his successor. The president said, “Be comfortable with your family. Work hard to make sure there is love in the White House.” What an odd thing to say.

* I hate to admit it, but intellectual honesty compels me to note that Bush’s comments yesterday about Mandela being “dead,” really were misconstrued.

* I shouldn’t be, but I’m often surprised how truly dumb high-profile Republicans are about healthcare policy: “The smear-and-fear campaign has already started. The Democratic plans all bear a strong resemblance to the health care plan that Mitt Romney signed into law as governor of Massachusetts, differing mainly in offering Americans additional choices. But that didn’t stop Mr. Romney from denouncing the Clinton plan as ‘European-style socialized medicine.’ And Fred Thompson claims that the Clinton plan denies choice — which it actually offers in abundance — and relies on ‘punishment’ instead.” If only there was some kind of system in place — say, a national press corps of some kind — that could provide Americans information about how wrong the GOP is about the issue.

* Glenn Beck thinks Jesse Jackson is a racist. Time to look in the mirror, Glenn.

* CREW released, “Beyond DeLay: The 22 Most Corrupt Members of Congress (and two to watch)”

* And finally, Bush may have bought his ranch in 1999 as a prop for the 2000 campaign, but the pretend-cowboy has one problem real cowboys don’t — George W. Bush is apparently afraid of horses.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* NYT reports from the Sunshine State: “The Florida Democratic Party announced Sunday that it would move ahead with its plan to hold its presidential primary on Jan. 29 despite the national party’s decision to block the state delegation from the 2008 Democratic convention. State party leaders said that even if none of the state’s delegates were seated at next summer’s Democratic presidential convention, the earlier primary would still help determine the nominee.” The DNC will almost certainly strip Florida’s delegates in response.

* The pressure seems to be pushing the House Republican leadership to the breaking point. Burdened by retirements and weak poll numbers, Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and NRCC Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) are apparently fighting vehemently over the party’s 2008 strategy. Apparently, the two have been getting into shouting matches and Cole is threatening to quit.

* Hillary Clinton will pick up two big endorsements today — one from the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, and the other from Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), who flirted with a presidential campaign of his own earlier this year. Speculation is already circling as to whether Clinton would consider Bayh as a possible running mate.

* Barack Obama picked up a helpful of endorsement of his own this morning, getting the support of former Iowa Democratic Party chairman Gordon Fischer. On a conference call with Obama campaign manager David Plouffe, Fischer said Obama would attract more Republicans and Independents into the Democratic fold, which would help Dems “down the ballot.”

* And the LAT reported over the weekend that when it comes to immigration, Mayor Giuliani bears no resemblance to Candidate Giuliani: “After Congress passed a landmark welfare law with support from both parties, one prominent mayor became furious. His concern: a provision that would lead, he believed, to the ‘inhumane’ treatment of illegal immigrants. He promptly dispatched his lawyers to file suit against the federal government. This was no bleeding-heart liberal championing the rights of illegal immigrants, but the Republican mayor of New York, Rudolph W. Giuliani.” In 1996, Giuliani described anti-immigration animus as one of the nation’s “most serious public problems.” He’s not saying that anymore.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Huge news out of Detroit: Thousands of United Auto Workers walked off the job at General Motors plants around the country Monday in the first nationwide strike against the U.S. auto industry since 1976. UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said that job security was the top unresolved issue, adding that the talks did not stumble over a groundbreaking provision establishing a UAW-managed trust that will administer GM’s retiree health care obligations. Gettelfinger complained about ‘one-sided negotiations.’ ‘It was going to be General Motors’ way at the expense of the workers,’ Gettelfinger said at a news conference. ‘The company walked right up to the deadline like they really didn’t care.’”

* On a related note, Digby mentioned, “GM says it needs to cut costs. Perhaps it would like to work with the Democrats and the Unions to get universal health insurance. It would be good for their workers, good for the country and good for the bottom line.” Absolutely — GM’s healthcare costs topped $5 billion a couple of years ago. Imagine what would be possible for Corporate America if we moved away from an employer-financed system?

* More tragedy near Baghdad: “A suicide bomber struck a reconciliation meeting of Shiite and Sunni tribal leaders and senior provincial officials in Baqouba on Monday, killing at least 15 people, including the city’s police chief, security officials said.”

* Last week, Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell told a Senate panel that FISA restrictions made it impossible to quickly eavesdrop on Iraqi insurgents who kidnap U.S. troops. It was a bizarre claim to make, especially under oath, and the evidence that McConnell was repeating a falsehood continues to pile up.

* The New York Times’ public editor, Clark Hoyt, did his own investigation into MoveOn.org’s “Betray Us” ad, and found that the progressive group was mistakenly charged a lower rate. Hoyt’s analysis did not, however, address the charges that the NYT editorial board’s opposition to the war in Iraq led the paper to “subsidize” MoveOn’s message.

* NBC and CBS both turned down Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice this month for Sunday morning appearances. “I expected we’d just get a repetition of the administration’s talking points, which had already been well circulated,” says Bob Schieffer, host of CBS’s “Face the Nation,” who questioned two senators instead. Ouch.

* WaPo: “A Pentagon group has encouraged some U.S. military snipers in Iraq to target suspected insurgents by scattering pieces of “bait,” such as detonation cords, plastic explosives and ammunition, and then killing Iraqis who pick up the items, according to military court documents.”

* As part of an apparent effort to mollify nervous Republicans, Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey assured conservative activists such as Leonard Leo and Ed Meese that he’ll support keeping Guantanamo Bay open and can understand CIA use of “enhanced” interrogation techniques against al Qaeda suspects.

* The Quote of the Day award goes to Matt Stoller: “I’m a little worried about upcoming fights over funding for Iraq, inasmuch as they might distract us from discussing the Moveon ad.”

* The unintentionally-hilarious Quote of the Day award goes to Bill O’Reilly: “I respect dissent on the Iraq war.” As recently as two weeks ago, O’Reilly told his audience that critics of the administration’s policy are “actually hoping for defeat.” (I’m sure he meant that respectfully.)

* Leader of the Free World? “Dozens of world leaders are to gather at the United Nations on Monday for a full agenda of talks on how to fight global warming, and President Bush is skipping all the day’s events but the dinner. His focus instead is on his own gathering of leaders in Washington later this week, a meeting with the same stated goal, a reduction in the emissions blamed for climate change, but a fundamentally different idea of how to achieve it.”

* I can’t help but enjoy seeing a conservative like Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) denigrate civil liberties — until he’s facing legal trouble, at which point he’s practically an ACLU member.

* Alan Greenspan’s thoughts on the war in Iraq are even stranger than his support for Bush’s tax cuts.

* Shortly after scandal-plagued Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.) announced that he would retire at the end of this term, a Weller aide pushed a reporter down a flight of stairs. I know House Republicans live in a culture of corruption, but this is ridiculous.

* Some NYC officials are threatening to punish Columbia University for allowing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak on campus. Asks Glenn Greenwald, “Is there anyone who fails to see how dangerous and improper this is — not to mention unconstitutional — that government officials threaten and punish universities for hosting speakers whom the officials dislike?”

* And finally, given the reaction on Fox News and in some other Republican circles to Democratic presidential candidates appearing at Yearly Kos, I wonder what the defense is for the Bush White House inviting the DC chapter of the right-wing website FreeRepublic.com over for a picnic?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* CNN: “Trying to reclaim the health care spotlight from campaign rival Hillary Clinton, Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards unveiled his plan to combat HIV/AIDS during an appearance at the Families USA/Kaiser Foundation Health Care Forum on Monday in Washington, D.C. The former North Carolina senator argued that, in order to better combat HIV/AIDS domestically, Medicaid needs to provide more extensive coverage for HIV-related treatment. He also advocated teaching age-appropriate sex education and ending the federal ban on needle exchange programs.”

* Washington Times: “The National Rifle Association, which did not endorse President Bush in 2000 and 2004 until just a month before the general election, is considering stepping into the presidential campaign fray early next year during the primary season, the group’s chief lobbyist says…. ‘Historically, we have not gotten involved in primaries. We traditionally wait until after the conventions,’ said Chris Cox, head lobbyist for the NRA. ‘That being said, given the candidates and the process and the front-loading of the primaries, it is a possibility that we could get involved in one of these presidential primaries.’”

* The Politico’s Ben Smith reports that Atlantic Monthly staff writer Josh Green was poised to have a piece in GQ about infighting among Hillary Clinton staffers, but the magazine spiked the story. According to Smith, “Clinton’s aides pulled a page from the book of Hollywood publicists and offered GQ a stark choice: Kill the piece, or lose access to planned celebrity coverboy Bill Clinton.”

* Barack Obama hasn’t earned as many union endorsements as Edwards and Clinton, but yesterday he picked up the support of the Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association, a New York City union that represents 9,000 jail workers.

* In a piece profiling Sen. Chris Dodd’s (D-Conn.) work in publishing his father’s papers from the 1946 the Nuremberg trials, the NYT noted that Dodd had dated Bianca Jagger and Carrie Fisher during a “very public bachelorhood.” Why include this in the article at all? Isn’t this an example of what the NYT complained about over the weekend?

* And finally, Mitt Romney’s campaign came up with a “Create Your Own Ad!” contest, promising to buy TV time for the winning spot. It appears that Slate’s Bruce Reed came up with the most popular entry — it had more than 19,000 views, a 7,500-view lead over the next contender — but the Romney campaign doesn’t care for it.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The streets are heating up in Burma: “The military government banned assemblies of more than five people and imposed curfews in Myanmar’s two largest cities on Tuesday, after thousands of Buddhist monks and sympathizers defied orders to stay out of politics and protested once again.”

* The Senate was poised to vote today on the Kyl-Lieberman amendment, a key legislative building block in establishing a case for war with Iran. A couple of hours ago, the measure was pulled, reportedly because its language is being “modified.’

* Before lawmakers cast their votes on S-CHIP expansion, opponents of the legislation may want to at least notice the results of the latest Democracy Corps poll (.pdf), which shows the public overwhelmingly siding with Dems on the issue. Even voters in “red” districts favor the expansion, 55% to 39%.

* I found it absolutely fascinating that MSNBC’s David Shuster noted on the air that several Republican senators refuse to accept invitations to talk about Iraq. Apparently, GOP lawmakers such as Norm Coleman (Minn.) and John Sununu (N.H.), who are up for re-election, and who would ordinarily love the media exposure, don’t want to talk about their unwillingness to break with their party over war policy. “They’ve come out with public statements and press releases, but when it comes down to brass tacks, they have voted to keep the war going indefinitely,” Shuster said.

* Huge case to watch at the high court: “The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to decide whether voter identification laws unfairly deter the poor and minorities from voting, stepping into a contentious partisan issue in advance of the 2008 elections. The justices will hear arguments early next year in a challenge to an Indiana law that requires voters to present photo ID before casting their ballots. The state has defended the law as a way to combat voter fraud. The state Democratic party and civil rights groups complained that the law unfairly targets poor and minority voters, without any evidence that in-person voter fraud exists in Indiana. The party argued that those voters tend to be Democrats.”

* WaPo: “Violent crime in the United States rose more than previously believed in 2006, continuing the most significant increase in more than a decade, according to an FBI report released yesterday.”

* Good news: “The president sent a letter to the Senate Intelligence Committee informing it of the decision to withdraw the nomination of John Rizzo to be the CIA’s general counsel. The panel had been expected to consider Rizzo’s nomination at a hearing Tuesday afternoon.”

* Katie Couric apparently kicked off last night’s CBS Evening News broadcast by announcing, “President Ahmadinejad of Iran, an enemy of the United States, arrived tonight….”

* Questions continue to hang over the reliability of Gen. David Petraeus’ Iraq data. (I’m not sure if I’m still allowed to say that without giving up my right to citizenship, but it’s true; there really are key questions about his numbers.)

* The White House was apparently very angry when the United Nations posted a marked-up draft of the president’s speech today on its website. The draft apparently included phonetic spellings of some names and countries, including some that the president presumably knows how to pronounce, such as “Sarkozy.” Asked why Bush needed the phonetic spellings, Press Secretary Dana Perino described the question as “offensive,” and refused to answer it.

* I just don’t know how this loon stays on the air: “During the September 21 broadcast of his nationally syndicated Fox News Radio show, John Gibson asserted that the demonstrators who gathered last week in Jena, Louisiana, only ‘wanna fight the white devil.’ Gibson aired news coverage of the Jena 6 protests and challenged protestors’ claims that the incidents in Jena are representative of ongoing racism in this country. He said: ‘[W]hat they’re worried about is a mirage of 1950s-style American segregation, racism from the South. They wanna fight the white devil. … [T]here’s no — can’t go fight the black devil. Black devils stalking their streets every night gunning down their own people — can’t go fight that. That would be snitchin’.'”

* On a related note, Bill O’Reilly condemned Columbia University for inviting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad onto campus to talk and answer questions. On the same program, O’Reilly added that he’d invited Ahmadinejad onto his show as well.

* Speaking of O’Reilly, the Fox News blowhard now characterizes transcripts of his show as “hatchet jobs.”

* I didn’t expect the WSJ editorial board to defend the NYT over the MoveOn.org flap, but that’s exactly what the conservative paper did.

* What if military recruiting videos featured disclaimers like pharmaceutical ads do?

* And finally, a prescient warning from Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.): “The Republican Party has won two elections on the issue of fear and terrorism. It’s going to try again.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* According to the latest fundraising tallies, the DCCC has $22.1 million in the bank, and $3.1 million in debt, for a total of $19 million. It’s Republican counterpart, the NRCC, has $1.6 million in the bank, and $4 million in debt, for a total of negative $2.4 million. That’s just astounding. No wonder House Republicans are freaking out.

* A new WMUR poll conducted in New Hampshire shows Hillary Clinton with a big lead, earning 43% support, followed by Barack Obama with 23% and John Edwards with 12%. That gap may soon narrow a bit — Obama launched his first New Hampshire TV ads of the season just this week.

* Rudy Giuliani distanced himself last week from a lawsuit he personally helped launch against gun manufacturers during his tenure as mayor. The move drew a rare rebuke from Michael Bloomberg this week. While Giuliani told the NRA that the lawsuit had “taken several turns and several twists that I don’t agree with,” Bloomberg explained that the case had “not changed at all” since its inception.

* Obama, who could really use a boost in Iowa, is nevertheless skipping the annual Johnson County Democrats’ Fall Barbeque on October 6. Clinton, Edwards, Richardson, and Dodd will be there. The announcement comes shortly after Obama was criticized for skipping an AARP candidate forum in Iowa last week.

* And speaking of Iowa, Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), who has struggled to break through all year, will apparently put his campaign on the line in the Hawkeye State: “Word out of the Biden campaign Tuesday tonight is that he is dispatching almost all of his senior national staff to the state for the final months before the state’s caucuses, which are expected to go off some time in early January…. Larry Rasky, communications director for the campaign, confirms that the decision to move senior staff en masse into Iowa means Biden is in the race until at least the caucuses — quieting rumors (for now) that the Delaware senator might drop his candidacy before the end of the year.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* MSNBC: “Bomb attacks killed 57 people and wounded more than 120 across Iraq on Wednesday as suspected al-Qaida militants stepped up a campaign of violence coinciding with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. In a mainly Shiite district of southwest Baghdad, twin car bombs killed 32 people in one of the biggest attacks to hit the Iraq capital in weeks.”

* WaPo: “The Defense Department is seeking an additional $42.3 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, bringing the total request for 2008 to nearly $190 billion, according to prepared testimony Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is to present to Congress this afternoon.”

* Good idea: “It’s a pretty belated idea — what with $6 billion worth of Pentagon contracts under criminal investigation — but today, freshman Democratic Sens. Jim Webb and Claire McCaskill are introducing an amendment to the defense appropriations bill creating an independent, bipartisan commission to study the contracting process for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The eight-member commission would be staffed by appointees of the Congressional leadership, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense.”

* For someone with a background in academia, Condi Rice makes the strangest historical analogies: “Rice told Fox News that Zarqawi was ‘diabolically brilliant’ and his loss was devastating to Al Qaeda in Iraq, much as the loss of Grant and Lee would have been to the Union and Confederate armies. ‘When you hear people say … ‘If you kill one of them, they’ll just replace him with another leader,’ remember that that’s like saying, ‘If you take out Robert E. Lee or Ulysses S. Grant, well, they’ll just replace them with another leader.’” Retired Marine Gen. Joseph Hoar said, “I think the analogy doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

* Reed Walters, the district attorney of LaSalle Parish pursuing charges against the Jena Six, explains his reasoning for the legal controversy in an NYT op-ed. It sounds fairly reasonable — until you realize he charged the Jena Six with second-degree murder, a detail he ignores.

* After Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb) broke party ranks, the Senate Rules Committee sent Hans von Spakovsky’s nomination to the Federal Elections Commission to the Senate floor.

* On top of all the other action on the Hill today, the Senate voted 75-23 “for a non-binding endorsement of his plan to partition Iraq into three separate states with Baghdad as a federal capital.” The measure was the brainchild of Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.).

* Bush lectured the U.N. yesterday on human rights and oppression, which struck some in the audience as ironic, in light of Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay, secret prisons, rendition policies, and holding detainees indefinitely without charges. “At first read, it’s little more than an exercise in hypocrisy. His words about human rights ring hollow because his credibility is nonexistent,” said Curt Goering, the deputy executive director of Amnesty International USA. “The gap between the rhetoric and the actual record is stunning. I can’t help but believe many people in the audience were thinking, ‘What was this man thinking?’ ”

* It’s been several months since the scandal at Walter Reed broke. Have conditions improved for injured U.S. troops returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan? Not really.

* On a related note, there’s new evidence that the effects of Traumatic Brain Injury from exposure to bomb blasts “are even more devastating than previously believed.”

* When Ahmadinejad told a Columbia University audience that there were no gay people in Iran, the audience laughed at him. When the transcript of the event was posted on Ahmadinejad’s official website, the exchange on gays was omitted.

* Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) hit Al Franken for not condemning MoveOn.org’s “betray us” ad. Today, Franken hit back: “Bush and his allies in Washington have blocked increases to veterans’ benefits, refused to be held accountable for the mistakes that ruined our military’s efforts in Iraq, and dodged every effort to bring our troops home. Instead of solutions, Norm Coleman offers political games and pointless attacks. As a satirist, I find the whole thing ridiculous. But as a Minnesotan who wants to bring the troops home, I also find it sad.”

* According to the U.S. Marshals assigned to protect him, Michael Mukasey, Bush’s Attorney General nominee, is a lousy boss.

* Are our efforts to combat climate change already too little, too late?

* Fox News is nothing if not subtle — Iran has now been labeled a “ticking bomb.”

* And finally, don’t forget that the latest in a series of Democratic debates will be held tonight in New Hampshire. The event, moderated by Tim Russert, begins at 9pm (eastern), and will be aired live on MSNBC. Assuming I can stay awake, I’ll have a full report in the morning.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* With the third quarter nearly over, Rudy Giuliani is apparently feeling a little antsy about his financial standing in the presidential race. Yesterday, he fired his chief fundraiser, Anne Dunsmore, who took control of Giuliani’s day-to-day fundraising operation in May, replacing her with one of Bush’s top money men. As the New York Daily News reported, “Coming just days before Sunday’s filing deadline, when candidates are expected to report how much money they’ve raised over the last three months, the departure suggests that Giuliani is less than happy with his most recent haul.”

* Speaking of Giuliani, the former mayor may be having money trouble, but he’s narrowing the gap in New Hampshire. A new poll from CNN shows Mitt Romney leading the GOP primary race with 25%, with Giuliani right behind him at 24%. John McCain is third with 18%, followed by Fred Thompson at 13%.

* For the first time in the campaign, John McCain is starting to emphasize that his principal GOP rivals (Giuliani, Romney, and Thompson) have no foreign policy, national security, or military experience. Speaking to the conservative Hudson Institute, McCain said, “We don’t have time or opportunity for on-the-job training, and the other candidates for president I don’t believe have the qualifications that I do to hit the ground running and immediately address these serious challenges.”

* Michelle Obama was probably a little overly-blunt in Iowa yesterday, describing the significance of the state’s caucuses. “Iowa will make the difference,” she said. “If Barack doesn’t win Iowa it is over.”

* The exodus continues: “Rep. Terry Everett (R-Ala.) announced on Wednesday he’s not seeking re-election, but his retirement is not likely to affect the balance of power in the House. Everett, 70, the ninth Republican congressman to announce he’s stepping downs this cycle, cited as the decided factor his slow recovery from nerve damage in his right foot.” The decision sparked a frenzy in Alabama among officials who now want to run for his seat.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Bloodshed in Burma: “At least nine people, including a Japanese national, were killed Thursday when Myanmar soldiers fired on protesters…. Tens of thousands defied the ruling military junta’s crackdown by demonstrating for a 10th straight day in Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon. Security forces raided several monasteries overnight, beating monks and arresting more than 100, according to a monk at one monastery.”

* U.S. officials and their allies are keeping the pressure on: “The Bush administration imposed economic sanctions against more than a dozen senior officials of Myanmar on Thursday, condemning the military-run government’s crackdown on protesters. President Bush also urged China to use its influence in the region to find a peaceful end to the standoff. ‘The world is watching the people of Burma take to the streets to demand their freedom, and the American people stand in solidarity with these brave individuals,’ Bush said… ‘Every civilized nation has a responsibility to stand up for people suffering under a brutal military regime like the one that has ruled Burma for too long.’”

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: “Car bombs and other attacks killed at least 56 people in Iraq on Wednesday and wounded another 103 in a day of mayhem that heralds an annual surge in violence during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The bloodiest attack was a double car bombing on a crowded Baghdad shopping street that killed at least 32 and left more than 50 people wounded. It was the worst Baghdad attack since July.”

* AP: “Two provisions of the USA Patriot Act are unconstitutional because they allow search warrants to be issued without a showing of probable cause, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken ruled that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, as amended by the Patriot Act, ‘now permits the executive branch of government to conduct surveillance and searches of American citizens without satisfying the probable cause requirements of the Fourth Amendment.’”

* The Senate advanced the State Children’s Health Insurance Program today, ignoring Bush’s veto threat, with a 69 to 30 vote. The strong bipartisan majority, including 18 Republicans, is enough to override the president’s opposition to healthcare for children.

* On a related note, David Broder has a good column on the S-CHIP fight, noting that congressional Republicans are foolish to follow Bush off this cliff — they have to run for re-election, and he doesn’t. (I’d like to congratulate Mr. Broder for going the entire column resisting the temptation to manufacture some reason to criticize Dems, too.)

* The Pentagon wants an additional $42.3 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, bringing the total annual request to $190 billion. For all the talk about “progress,” this is the “largest single-year total for the wars so far.”

* On a related note, what’s the war costing your state? The Center for American Progress has a cool interactive map.

* Several White House officials and their allies have compared the war in Iraq to the U.S. Revolutionary War. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg did the same thing yesterday, except in his comparison, we’re the British and the Iraqis are the colonial Americans.

* Now that the media has begun to pick up on Bill O’Reilly’s comments about civility in a Harlem restaurant, the Fox News blowhard is really starting to freak out.

* When Chris Matthews asks a dumb question, he makes sure it’s a doozy. After last night’s Democratic debate, he asked Chris Dodd, “Do you find it difficult to debate a woman?” Dodd, of course, responded, “[N]ot at all.” (That’s the right answer, but I’d be tempted to endorse Dodd on the spot if he responded, “Chris, are you insane?”)

* If the NYT mistakenly charges MoveOn.org for a newspaper ad, the Republicans want congressional investigations and hearings. But what about when the Minneapolis Star-Tribune undercharges Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) for a full-page ad about the MoveOn ad? Is the GOP prepared to accuse the Star-Trib of criminal behavior, too?

* Remember all of those silly town hall-style meetings in 2005 in which Bush would talk about how great it would be to privatize Social Security? The unsuccessful campaign cost taxpayers more than $2.8 million. I guess it’s too late to ask for a refund.

* Get ready for another round of vote-caging scandals in Ohio and Florida.

* Maybe Dems should have sent Bill Clinton onto TV to talk about the “Betray Us” ad sooner. He’s ridiculously good.

* And finally, Katie Couric admitted this week that she felt “corporate pressure” when she was at NBC to ease off of Condi Rice and the Bush Administration after a “tough interview”: “After the interview, Couric said she received an email from an NBC exec ‘forwarded without explanation’ from a viewer who wrote that she had been ‘unnecessarily confrontational.’” Here’s my follow-up: an NBC exec takes a single email from a viewer that seriously? Should we start writing more emails to NBC to get them to lean on their on-air talent to be more confrontational with administration officials?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* After several months of lackluster fundraising, John Edwards’ presidential campaign will reverse itself and opt into the public finance system. The former senator insisted he made the decision out of a heartfelt commitment to the system, but the claim is not entirely credible — he’s accepting the constraints (including spending caps) that come with public funds because he needs the money to keep up with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Marc Ambinder goes over the pros and cons of Edwards’ controversial decision.

* For every person who believes the Democratic primary race is effectively over, consider this tidbit from the latest CNN/WMUR poll in New Hampshire: 55% of Granite State Democrats are still “trying to decide” which presidential candidate to support.

* John McCain, more so than at any point in his political career, is relying on his military background to get ahead with voters. Yesterday, his campaign unveiled its newest TV ad: “[It] opens with black-and-white footage of a haggard and badly injured 31-year-old McCain being interrogated by an off-camera enemy. The footage is from 1967, when he was a prisoner of war in Vietnam. McCain lies on a bed, holding a burning cigarette, grimacing in pain. The camera pans to a heavily bandaged arm.”

* Edwards suffered a little more bad news yesterday when his work with the Fortress Investment Group hedge fund came back to cause him some embarrassment: Fortress companies foreclosed on sub-prime mortgage borrowers in Iowa — 107 of them, to be exact — while Edwards worked with the firm.”

* It appears that Michelle Obama was misquoted yesterday when she said her husband’s race was dependent on an Iowa victory. “Iowa will make the difference,” she said. “If Barack doesn’t win Iowa, it is just a dream.” The campaign said the candidate’s spouse was just trying to rally Iowa supporters, not make an official pronouncement.

* The crowded Republican primary in Nebraska’s open Senate race will get a little thinner today when Hal Daub ends his campaign, just 12 days after throwing his hat into the ring. Daub’s announcement comes on the heels of former Gov. Mike Johanns’ resignation from the Bush administration and expected entry into the race.

* And good ol’ Newt Gingrich told supporters yesterday that if “they pledge at least $30 million to his campaign over a three-week period starting Monday and ending Oct. 21, he will compete for the nomination.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Bloodshed in Burma: “Soldiers clubbed and dragged away activists while firing tear gas and warning shots to break up demonstrations Friday before they could grow, and the government cut Internet access, raising fears that a deadly crackdown was set to intensify. Troops also occupied Buddhist monasteries in a bid to clear the streets of Myanmar’s revered monks, who have spearheaded the demonstrations. The government said 10 people have been killed since the violence began earlier this week, but British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he believed the loss of life in Myanmar was “far greater” than is being reported. Dissident groups have put the number as high as 200, although that number could not be verified.”

* John McCain became the first Republican to criticize Rush Limbaugh for his “phony soldiers” comment, saying Limbaugh “would be well advised to retract it and apologize.” (It’s worth remembering that Limbaugh has repeatedly smeared McCain, especially during the 2000 race, so there is no love lost between them.)

* Limbaugh insists that he was being literal when dismissing the attitudes of “phony soldiers,” referring to those who really didn’t serve. As an example, he cited Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), a decorated combat veteran. Quit while you’re behind, Rush, you’re only making yourself look worse.

* The Senate Democratic caucus is calling on Clear Channel, Limbaugh’s boss, to repudiate the “phony soldiers” remarks.

* After insisting he was taken out of context, Limbaugh posted a transcript of the controversial comments on his website — but he omitted relevant context.

* Clarence Thomas, a sitting member of the U.S. Supreme Court, will be on Limbaugh’s show on Monday. Breathtaking.

* Apparently, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) didn’t like being humiliated on MSNBC this week, when she demonstrated more interest in the New York Times and MoveOn.org than troops from her district killed in Iraq. Blackburn’s office apparently pushed back pretty hard against the network.

* Details about the latest Blackwater shooting continue to trickle out. This is stunning: “Participants in a contentious Baghdad security operation this month have told American investigators that during the operation at least one guard continued firing on civilians while colleagues urgently called for a cease-fire. At least one guard apparently also drew a weapon on a fellow guard who did not stop shooting, an American official said.”

* As part of the Dems’ push to expand S-CHIP, Graeme Frost, a 12-year-old boy, will deliver the party’s radio address tomorrow: “Because of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Graeme was able to get the medical care he needed after a serious car accident caused severe brain trauma, paralyzed one of his vocal chords and put him in a coma.”

* O’Reilly hasn’t really been skewered until he’s been skewered by Paul Krugman.

* Speaking of O’Reilly, it sounds as if the Fox News blowhard is about this close to having some kind of breakdown. Referring to reporters who covered his surprise at the civility at a Harlem restaurant, O’Reilly said, “You know, look, if I could strangle these people and not go to hell and get executed…. I would — but I can’t.”

* Jesse Jackson tried to explain the problem to O’Reilly: “What concerns me is that fear and ignorance, you know, lead to hatred and leads to violence, obviously. … And so, to underestimate the civility of blacks was insulting to many people.” O’Reilly countered: “Who underestimated the civility of blacks?”

* Rep. John Doolittle’s (R-Calif.) troubles continue to get worse.

* It’s a pleasant surprise when Peggy Noonan explains civil liberties and the free exchange of ideas to her conservative colleagues.

* The test for those becoming naturalized American citizens is surprisingly challenging. I’d guess most native-born citizens would fail it.

* Ezra: “In their post-presidential careers, Gore and Clinton have pioneered almost precisely opposite methods of affecting social change. Clinton has made remarkable strides activating and orienting the private sector towards good works. Gore, who has emerged as a cross between an atmospheric scientist and a folk hero, has sought to lead a post-millennial social movement capable of exerting the intense pressure required to move the government towards collective, even coercive, action to stop climate change.” It’s a fascinating take, but it led me to a shallow thought: will anyone care what Bush and Cheney have to say in 2016?

* And finally, it was very subtle, but NBC’s “My Name Is Earl” got an amusing little dig in on Scooter Libby last night. The main character is shown reporting for a prison sentence, saying, “I realized that no matter how scared I get, if I’m going to survive in prison I have to do it as myself. ‘Cause my name isn’t inmate number 28301-016. My name is Earl.” That was the inmate number assigned to Scooter Libby.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In an interview with the AP, Barack Obama threw a relatively sharp elbow in the direction of the Democratic frontrunner. “They want to make the argument that Senator Clinton is just an extension of the Bill Clinton presidency,” Obama said. “They’ve been the dominant political family in the Democratic Party for the last 20 years now. So it’s not surprising that they want to focus on their longevity. [But] my belief is that the American people are looking for a fundamental break from the way we’ve been doing business.”

* Mitt Romney’s fundraising efforts have been less than stellar of late, but the former Massachusetts governor is reportedly supplementing his coffers by writing his own checks: “Top Romney advisers said last week that they expected his campaign to raise almost $40 million in the first nine of months this year. And though they have not released a firm figure, they expected that Romney will have supplemented those contributions with nearly $15 million of his own money.”

* New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) is the first Democratic presidential candidate to divulge third-quarter fundraising totals, telling reporters yesterday that he raised $5.2 million over the last three months, and $18 million over the course of the year so far. That’s expected to be more than the other second-tier Democrats, and should bring Richardson fairly close to John Edwards.

* Marc Ambinder spoke to a Fred Thompson aide who said the actor-lobbyist-politician raised about $8 million in the third quarter. Considering Thompson’s late entry, he’ll have to do far better — in contrast, Romney and Giuliani each raised more than double this amount during the first quarter.

* Sen. Mel Martinez’s (R-Fla.) uneventful term as head of the Republican National Committee will reportedly end in a few months. Once a GOP presidential nominee emerges, probably sometime in February, Martinez plans to step down.

* And Capitol Hill Republicans are bragging that MoveOn.org’s “Betray Us” ad has given the GOP a much-needed fundraising boost. “The [MoveOn ad] issue is very hot with our base right now,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee spokeswoman Rebecca Fisher. The RNC, NRSC, and NRCC have all used the controversial ad in recent fundraising appeals.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Less than a week after Rush Limbaugh attacked U.S. troops who disagree with him on the war in Iraq, Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) introduced a House resolution to commend the right-wing blowhard for “supporting” the troops. Do you ever get the feeling House Republicans just aren’t very bright?

* In criticizing Limbaugh for his remarks, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said, “Maybe he was just high on his drugs again. I don’t know whether he was or not. If so, he ought to let us know. But that shouldn’t be an excuse.” Ouch.

* Russian President Vladimir Putin’s take on executive power is a little scary: “[Putin] said Monday he would lead the dominant party’s ticket in December parliamentary elections and suggested he could become prime minister, the strongest indication yet that he will seek to retain power after he steps down as president early next year. Putin is barred from seeking a third consecutive term in the March presidential election, but has strongly indicated he would seek to keep a hand on Russia’s reins. He agreed to head the United Russia party’s candidate list in December, which could open the door for him to become a powerful prime minister — leading in tandem with a weakened president.”

* I foolishly believed Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff couldn’t appear any more ridiculous. I stand corrected: “Today, Homeland Security Chairman Michael Chertoff on Monday defended the construction of the border fence, by arguing that it’s good for the environment. ‘Illegal migrants really degrade the environment. I’ve seen pictures of human waste, garbage, discarded bottles and other human artifact in pristine areas,’ he said. ‘And believe me, that is the worst thing you can do to the environment.’”

* One of the 36 countries included in Bush’s “coalition” in Iraq is Iceland, which had a single person in the country. The lone Icelandic soldier is officially heading home.

* A budget showdown in Michigan shut down the state government this morning — for about four hours. Policy makers quickly agreed to a modest increase in the state income tax, which ended the stalemate and brought the state government back online.

* Retired Gen. John Batiste, a conservative Republican who served in both Iraq wars, isn’t happy with Rush Limbaugh right now.

* They’re starting to get it: “The [DCCC] has launched a series of radio ads against eight House Republicans who voted against the expansion of a popular children’s health care program. Borrowing a page from the Republican campaign playbook, Democrats have simplified the children’s health care issue (President Bush versus the children) and have been beating GOP lawmakers over the head with the pointed message.” The targets include Reps. Steve Chabot in Ohio, Thelma Drake in Virginia, Tom Feeney in Florida, Sam Graves in Missouri, Joseph Knollenberg in Michigan, John R. Kuhl in New York, Jim Saxton in New Jersey and Tim Walberg in Michigan.

* Rudy Giuliani has interrupted at least 40 campaign appearances to answer his cellphone. That’s … kind of bizarre.

* Publius is right; David Ignatius’ latest is pretty awful.

* Debra Cagan, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Coalition Affairs to the Secretary of Defense, told British officials that she hates “all Iranians.” Wow.

* Lieberman isn’t even reliable on environmental policy anymore.

* I knew real estate prices in New York City were bad. I didn’t know they were this bad.

* McClatchy: “Afghanistan is currently suffering its most violent year since the 2001 U.S.-led intervention, according to an internal United Nations report that sharply contrasts with recent upbeat appraisals by President Bush and his Afghan counterpart, Hamid Karzai.”

* Former U.N. ambassador John Bolton believes regime change in Iraq went so well, we should do it all again in Iran. He did not appear to be kidding.

* AT&T continues to make a powerful case for net neutrality.

* Subtle Rupert Murdoch humor on The Simpsons.

* And finally, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) is seriously trying to cut off funding for Columbia University because the school hosted a forum for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last week. His bill is called the “Restore Patriotism to University Campuses Act.” Do you suppose someone will tell him it’s unconstitutional for Congress to punish colleges based on the content of political speech? Will it matter?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* I’ll have more on the quarterly totals later, but for now, Hillary Clinton raised $22 million in primary funds in the last three months, outpacing Barack Obama’s $20 million. No one in either party came close to these two.

* Of the most competitive presidential hopefuls, no one has had to work harder than Mitt Romney to boost his name recognition. He’s never run for national office, he hasn’t been a media fixture (appearing on the Sunday shows), and few outside of Massachusetts know his name. With that in mind, perhaps it’s not too surprising that this week, Romney will have run his 10,000th political ad, most of which have aired in Iowa and New Hampshire. No other candidate is expected to come close to this figure anytime soon.

* Hillary Clinton picked up a helpful endorsement yesterday, when Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums offered the New York senator his support. Dellums, a widely admired African-American leader, was reportedly “anguished” trying to choose between Clinton and Obama.

* John Edwards’ chief media consultant, Marius Penczner, quietly left the campaign recently. “The Edwards campaign confirmed Penczner’s departure but offered no further comment. Senior strategists Joe Trippi (himself a media consultant by training) and Jonathan Prince will take over the development and production of Edwards’s ad campaign.”

* Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), one of the chamber’s nuttier members, has drawn a credible Democratic challenger — former Minnesota Transportation Commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg.

* And National Review suggested yesterday that Virginia Republicans should recruit Gen. Peter Pace, recently forced by the White House to give up his post as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to run for the Senate next year. No word on whether Pace is interested.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* John Edwards’ presidential campaign has criticized Hillary Clinton’s campaign for stealing the former senator’s ideas, and yesterday, Team Edwards went after Barack Obama for the same reason. “If you need any more proof that John Edwards is shaping the race for the Democratic nomination, you don’t need to look any further than Senator Obama, who has followed Edwards’s lead on healthcare, poverty and, today, eliminating nuclear weapons,” Edwards spokesperson Colleen Murray told The Hill. “Next thing you know, he’ll be rooting for the Tar Heels.”

* Rudy Giuliani’s presidential campaign distributed a strategy memo to political reporters, giving its take on the political landscape. Surprise, surprise, Giuliani’s aides believe Giuliani is going to win.

* New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is the biggest campaign spender among the Democratic presidential hopefuls, having bought 3,780 TV spots in Iowa and New Hampshire, totaling $2 million. Barack Obama is the next biggest, with nearly $2 million in ads, primarily in Iowa.

* The Des Moines Register’s David Yespen, the Dean of Iowa media, had an interesting piece this week, suggesting that Chris Dodd still has a shot at pulling an upset, in part because of the perception that the top tier is too timid on Iraq policy: “It could happen. It’s happened before. In this deadlocked race, the front-runners could fizzle if liberal Democratic activists think they’re wimping out on Iraq - or would be wimps in November.”

* Tommy Thompson, Bush’s former HHS secretary and the former governor of Wisconsin, was asked whether he’d be interested in serving in the next president’s cabinet. “I don’t think Hillary will have me,” he said.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Today’s House hearing on Blackwater produced all kinds of interesting information. Here’s the AP’s lede: “Blackwater chairman Erik Prince vigorously defended his private security company on Tuesday, rejecting charges that his staff acted like a bunch of cowboys immune to legal prosecution while protecting State Department personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. ‘I believe we acted appropriately at all times,’ Prince, a 38-year-old former Navy seal, told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.”

* The folks at TPM Muckraker have been doing terrific work covering today’s hearing in great detail, so just start at the top and scroll down.

* The Gavel has also had some terrific coverage, with plenty of compelling YouTube clips and transcripts.

* Carpetbagger regular Sarabeth takes a closer look at the intersection of Blackwater’s over-billing and no-bid contracts.

* Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) had a banner day on the Hill today. Before embarrassing himself at the hearing, he was on C-SPAN, suggesting that House Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) may be in physical danger from Blackwater if he traveled to Iraq.

* Discouraging news out of Pakistan: As a widening political crisis distracts President Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s army appears to be folding in the face of a mushrooming Taliban insurgency sweeping down from the Afghan border, diplomats and Western military officials say. ‘I am very concerned that they are sort of throwing in the towel because it’s something the people don’t support and since Musharraf is also on the ropes,’ a Western military official told ABC News.”

* Rep. Mark Udall’s (D-Colo.) resolution condemning Rush Limbaugh for denigrating U.S. troops was officially introduced today. No word of when, or if, it’ll get a floor vote.

* Last week, Hillary Clinton disappointed many Dems when she endorsed the Kyl-Lieberman Amendment, which declared Iran’s military to be a terrorist organization. Yesterday, Clinton helped to redeem herself by joining with Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) to mandate that Bush seek congressional approval before any confrontation with Iran.

* Any chance the president might come to his senses and support healthcare access for millions of uninsured children? Apparently not. “President Bush ‘will veto’ legislation expanding a children’s health insurance program by $35 billion over five years despite Democratic pressure lobbying him to change his mind, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino reiterated Tuesday.” It will be the fourth veto of Bush’s presidency, all of which dealt with bills that enjoyed broad, bipartisan support.

* Given how close the margin is, I’m glad the majority picked up another vote toady to override Bush’s S-CHIP veto.

* AP: “The National Archives gained a little power and presidents lost some in a federal judge’s ruling Monday about the fate of public records after presidents leave office. The ruling, by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of Federal District Court, involved a challenge to a 2001 executive order issued by President Bush.”

* Jack Goldsmith, the former head of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, explained the origins of his the administration’s definition of torture. “It came from a health care statute designed to define the circumstances under which there was an emergency situation warranting health care benefits,” he answered. He acknowledged today that was probably not a good idea.

* WaPo: “While waiting to be confirmed by the White House for a top civilian post at the Air Force last year, Charles D. Riechers was out of work and wanted a paycheck. So the Air Force helped arrange a job through an intelligence contractor that required him to do no work for the company, according to documents and interviews.”

* AP: “A federal judge refused Friday to dismiss a defamation case against Rep. John P. Murtha and ordered the Pennsylvania Democrat to give a sworn deposition about his comments alleging ‘cold-blooded murder and war crimes’ by unnamed soldiers in connection with Iraqi civilian deaths. A Marine Corps sergeant is suing the 18-term congressman for making the charge, which the soldier claims is false. Murtha, who opposes the Iraq war, made the comment during a May, 2006 Capitol Hill news conference in which he predicted that a Pentagon war crimes investigation will show Marines killed dozens of innocent Iraqi civilians in Haditha in 2005.” (thanks to tAiO for the tip)

* Shortly after Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.) endorsed a “war tax” proposal, Speaker Pelosi nixed the idea.

* Where was Giuliani during the debate at Morgan State about the concerns of the African-American community? He was with Bo Derek in Santa Barbara. He’s a man of the people, you know.

* And finally, Stephen Colbert offered his take on the Lieberman-Kyl Amendment: “[N]ot everyone supports our troops enough to give them the job security a war with Iran would provide,” Colbert said. “People like Sen. Jim Webb, who voted against the amendment, calling it ‘Dick Cheney’s fondest pipe dream.’ Well, that is completely unfair. Everyone knows Dick Cheney’s fondest pipe dream is driving a bulldozer into the New York Times while drinking crude oil out of Keith Olbermann’s skull.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* I sure am glad Bush came around to accepting Clinton’s policy on North Korea: “North Korea pledged Wednesday to detail its nuclear programs and disable all activities at its main reactor complex by the end of the year, its firmest commitment to disarm after decades seeking to develop the world’s deadliest weapons…. In Washington, President Bush hailed the nuclear deal and said it reflected the ‘common commitment’ of the talks to shut down North Korea’s atomic weapons program.”

* People in Burma are still terrified: “Soldiers announced that they were hunting pro-democracy protesters in Myanmar’s largest city Wednesday and the top U.S. diplomat in the country said military police were pulling people out of their homes during the night. Military vehicles patrolled the streets before dawn with loudspeakers blaring that: ‘We have photographs. We are going to make arrests!’” The acting U.S. ambassador said, “From what we understand, military police … are traveling around the city in the middle of the night, going into homes and picking up people.”

* I’ll have more on this tomorrow, but Chris Cillizza is reporting that Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) will announce that he will retire from the Senate in 2008, making the next campaign cycle even more challenging for the Republican Party.

* Some House Dems want to know what role the White House played in the GOP’s illegal phone-jamming scandal. Sounds like a good idea to me.

* NYT: “Signaling an indefinite halt to executions in Texas, the state’s highest criminal appeals court late Tuesday stayed the lethal injection of a 28-year-old Honduran man who was scheduled to be put to death Wednesday. The reprieve by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals was granted a week after the United States Supreme Court agreed to consider whether a form of lethal injection constituted cruel and unusual punishment barred under the Eighth Amendment.”

* Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) explains his support for Rush Limbaugh after he smeared U.S. troops: “Frankly, I think there’s a First Amendment issue that goes well beyond Rush Limbaugh, and that’s the right of private citizens to have discourse without the U.S. Congress or members of the Senate leadership denouncing them.” Kingston voted last week to condemn MoveOn.org. (I often wonder if guys like Kingston are trying to appear ridiculous, or if it just comes naturally.)

* This is just madness: “Eduardo Gonzalez, a petty officer second class with the U.S. Navy, is about to be deployed overseas for a third time. Making his deployment even tougher is the fact his wife may not be around when he comes back. His wife faces deportation to Guatemala — her home country that she hasn’t seen since 1989. He also doesn’t know what would happen to his young son, Eduardo Jr., if that happens. “I like being in uniform and serving my country, but if she goes back I’m going to have to give it all up and just get out and take care of my son and get a job,” he said. “Defending the country that’s trying to kick my family out is a thought that always runs through my mind.”

* This warrants some follow-up: “U.S. authorities confiscated an AP Television News videotape that contained scenes of the wounded being evacuated. U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Scott Bleichwehl told the AP the government of Iraq had made it illegal to photograph or videotape the aftermath of bombings or other attacks.”

* Strange fires on Capitol Hill: “Four separate, small trashcan fires were reported Wednesday in the Dirksen and Hart Senate office buildings. The first three fires all occurred in women’s restrooms between 9 and 10:45 a.m., while the fourth fire was reported around 2 p.m. Capitol Police spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider described the fires as ’suspicious.’”

* I find it interesting that Limbaugh’s allies cannot defend him without lying about what he said. If his comments were innocuous, this wouldn’t be necessary.

* A team of FBI agents is headed to Baghdad to oversee a murder investigation involving Blackwater security. While they’re there, the agents will be protected by … Blackwater security.

* Jonah Goldberg doesn’t follow the news very closely.

* New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) is suing the Bush administration over S-CHIP, and explains why in a great HuffPo post.

* Is it me, or is it ironic that Bush issued a declaration this week in honor of “Child Health Day”?

* And finally, I’m sure this will come as a terrible disappointment to Markos and George Soros, but Bill O’Reilly has identified a new Public Enemy #1: “O’Reilly lashed out at Media Matters for America President and CEO David Brock for what O’Reilly called ‘the vicious far-left assaults on me and Rush Limbaugh over the past few days.’ After calling Brock ‘a hatchet man,’ O’Reilly stated: ‘[A]t this point, this guy has emerged as the biggest villain, in my opinion, in the country. He’ll do anything. He’ll say anything — doesn’t matter if it’s true — for money.’” Congrats, Brock, O’Reilly doesn’t name just anyone the nation’s biggest villain.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Yesterday afternoon, Hillary Clinton picked up one of her biggest union endorsements yet, winning the support of the American Federation of Teachers, which has 1.4 million members nationwide.

* The fight between the DNC and Florida Dems is getting even uglier: “Senator Bill Nelson of Florida is to file a federal lawsuit Thursday accusing the Democratic National Committee of violating the constitutional rights of four million of the state’s voters by refusing to seat its delegates at the party’s national convention next summer. The suit also accuses the committee of violating the Voting Rights Act, which protects voters from racial discrimination.”

* Barack Obama seems anxious to turn torture into a campaign issue. He emphasized it at DePaul the other day, and his campaign was quick this morning to hammer the administration over the NYT revelations. In a statement I received via email, Obama said, “Torture is how you create enemies, not how you defeat them. Torture is how you get bad information, not good intelligence. Torture is how you set back America’s standing in the world, not how you strengthen it.” Chris Dodd, meanwhile, released a strong statement of his own.

* Bob Novak said the GOP still can’t get over Mitt Romney’s Mormon faith: “In my travels, I find his religious preference cited everywhere as the source of opposition to his candidacy.”

* On a related note, McCain’s not sure if Mormons are Christians.

* Ron Paul raised eyebrows this week by reporting an impressive $5 million in contributions in the third quarter, close to John McCain’s haul, and five times the amount raised by Mike Huckabee.

* Fred Thompson said on Fox News yesterday he’s not anxious to chat with James Dobson. “I don’t particularly care to have a conversation with him,” Thompson said. “If he wants to call up and apologize again, that’s okay with me.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* AP: “The House passed a bill on Wednesday that would make all private contractors working in Iraq and other combat zones subject to prosecution by U.S. courts. It was the first major legislation of its kind to pass since a deadly shootout last month involving Blackwater employees. Democrats called the 389-30 vote an indictment in connection with a shooting incident there that left 11 Iraqis dead. Senate Democratic leaders said they planned to follow suit with similar legislation and send a bill to President Bush as soon as possible.” All 30 no votes came from Republicans.

* It’s difficult to have any hope about developments in Burma, but here’s the latest news: “The head of Myanmar’s military junta told a U.N. envoy this week that he is willing to meet with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but with certain preconditions, the state media reported Thursday. It also said nearly 2,100 people were arrested in last week’s bloody crackdown on pro-democracy activists, and almost 700 have been released.”

* The story about U.S. forces in Iraq confiscating an AP cameraman’s videotape and taking the journalist into custody continues to be a fairly big deal. Spencer Ackerman has all the details today.

* I just don’t understand House Republicans: “Republican Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia launched an online petition Thursday asking loyal conservatives to stand in solidarity with embattled talk show host Rush Limbaugh.” It’s as if there’s really something wrong with these people.

* And speaking of the Limbaugh flap, VoteVets.org tried to buy an on-air ad on WJNO in Palm Beach, featuring Brian McGough, the Iraq war veteran who was compared by Limbaugh to a suicide bomber. The station refused the ad because it presented information that “would conflict with the listeners who have chosen to listen to Rush Limbaugh.” Don’t want to confuse the simple, I suppose.

* A media shield law is progressing in the Senate: “The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday advanced a bill to shield reporters from being forced to reveal their sources in federal court, setting up a floor fight between supporters and Bush administration allies who believe the measure would harm national security. The 15-2 vote sent the legislation to the Senate floor, where it was expected to face more challenges if not efforts to stall or kill it.”

* The NYT’s Roger Cohen had an odd piece today arguing that the neocons have been unfairly condemned. Digby takes Cohen’s piece apart quite nicely. Michael Tomasky does a nice job in response, too.

* Glenn Kessler explains that Bush’s policy on North Korea only started showing progress when the president abandoned his previous policy and started to follow Clinton’s model. Now, if we could only get Bush to do similar 180s on the rest of his foreign policy….

* Iraqi’s Shiite majority apparently isn’t thrilled with administration’s plan about arming Sunni insurgents. Go figure.

* I’ve seen conflicting reports, but it looks like Michael Mukasey’s nomination as Attorney General may not face too many hurdles, particularly in relation to documents the administration owes the Senate Judiciary Committee.

* Strangest analogy of the day: Pat Robertson’s political correspondent, David Brody, compared gay marriage to slavery. No, I don’t understand it, either.
http://cernigsnewshog.blogspot.com/2007/10/christians-and-hypothetical-slavery.html

* Andrew Sullivan explains why he believes Bush could be considered a war criminal.

* As if the Department of Homeland Security needed another embarrassment….

* Contrary to several initial reports, FBI official in Iraq investigating Blackwater will not be guarded by Blackwater.

* Radiohead has a new album coming out. You can pay whatever you want for it.

* Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick imagines what Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia would do with Jack Bauer-like power.

* How did Specialist Ciara Durkin die? (thanks to VS for the tip)

* And finally, readers will want to check out the Republican National Convention’s 2008 logo, which is unintentionally amusing. Note that the elephant is blue (the Dems’ color), and the elephant appears to be mounting the “2008″ for some reason. C’mon, GOP, you can afford quality graphic designers, right?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* According to Rasmussen, 27% of Republican voters say they’d vote for a conservative third-party candidate over pro-choice Rudy Giuliani. If GOP primary voters hear about this and believe it, Giuliani’s electability argument is no longer viable.

* Hillary Clinton has a powerful new TV ad, which utilizes images from Ground Zero. It’s a clear reminder that Giuliani may claim 9/11 as his own, but the junior senator from New York isn’t going to let him.

* Speaking of Hillary, Newsweek’s Howard Fineman had a piece yesterday speculating on Clinton’s running mates — more than three months before a single vote has been cast.

* Barack Obama has a solid new ad of his own, featuring retired Air Force General Merrill McPeak, who served on the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the first Gulf War.

* Mitt Romney hit Giuliani pretty hard yesterday on taxes, telling a New Hampshire audience that the former NYC mayor was wrong to oppose a presidential line-item veto, wrong to oppose a no-new-taxes pledge, and wrong to support a commuter tax on those who worked in NYC but lived elsewhere.

* In New Mexico’s open Senate race, Rep. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) is not running and Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) is.

* In Minnesota, Al Franken (D) raised more money than incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman (R) in the third quarter.

* In New Hampshire, a new poll shows former Governor Jeanne Shaheen (D) leading incumbent Sen. John Sununu (R), 54% to 38%.

* And Rudy Giuliani, who brags about having considered the priesthood, should be denied communion, according to Roman Catholic Archbishop Raymond Burke, who cited the former mayor’s support for abortion rights. Asked if the same would apply to politicians who support the death penalty or pre-emptive war, he said, “It’s a little more complicated in that case.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Good news this morning in the House: “Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), the House Majority Leader, postponed a press conference announcing new reforms of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act after progressive lawmakers banded together and said they would fight any legislation that did not include a set of eight principles on wiretapping that preserve the ‘rule of law.’ ‘What’s most significant is that the Progressive Caucus came together and said to the leadership that all 72 of us require that these provisions be included,’ said Caroline Fredercikson, Legislative Director for the American Civil Liberties Union. ‘This changes the dynamic significantly.’”

* NYT: “Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ordered new security procedures today for American diplomatic convoys in Iraq amid continuing repercussions over the shooting of Iraqi civilians by employees of the Blackwater USA security company.” And since Rice’s State Department has covered for Blackwater before, the agency has credibility, why?

* The Burmese streets aren’t quite as chaotic, but the crackdown continues: “Myanmar’s junta said Friday that hundreds of Buddhist monks were detained during its crackdown on pro-democracy activists and that it was hunting for four more clerics it described as ringleaders of the uprising. The government insisted that most of the monks had already been freed, with only 109 still in custody, according to an official statement broadcast on state TV.”

* The Brass and the Dems seem to be on the same page: “Four and a half years after the nation’s top military leaders saluted and fell in behind President Bush’s pre-emptive invasion of Iraq, their replacements are beginning to question the mission and sound alarms about the toll the war is taking on the Army and the Marine Corps…. ‘It’s part of a sea change,’ said Loren Thompson, a military analyst at the Lexington Institute, a national-security research center in Washington. ‘The ideologues have been replaced by managers who view Iraq not as a cause, but a problem to be solved.’”

* I have no idea if this is true, but if it is, it’s incredible: “The male escort responsible for the downfall of Christian evangelist leader Ted Haggard is now alleging that embattled Senator Larry Craig also came to see him.”

* On a related note, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) suggests censure, not expulsion, is more likely for Craig.

* Ackerman: “Associated Press spokesman Jack Stokes confirms today that the AP still hasn’t received a videotape confiscated by U.S. troops on Wednesday.”

* Josh Marshall: “Verbal gymnastics are more offensive when they’re about oral sex than they are when they’re about state-sanctioned torture.” That does seem to be the prevailing wisdom in DC.

* David Brooks believes Republicans are falling apart because they’ve strayed from Burkean roots. John Cole has a more compelling explanation.

* I genuinely love it when candidates campaign on a pro-science platform: “In a stinging critique of Bush administration science policy, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York said yesterday that if she were elected president she would require agency directors to show they were protecting science research from ‘political pressure’ and that she would lift federal limits on stem cell research.”

* Chris Matthews’ preoccupation with Mitt Romney’s appearance is a little odd.

* Scott Jennings, the Karl Rove aide who helped deliver legally-dubious partisan briefings to government employees in government buildings on government time, is also resigning from the White House.

* American Spectator editor-in-chief R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr. said Rush Limbaugh has “already apologized” for his September 26 “phony soldiers” comments. He hasn’t.

* The NYT editorial board believes Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas may not be “impartial” in hearing cases. You don’t say.

* Glenn Beck to Sharida McKenzie, a Muslim American who recently organized the Muslim Peace March: “[Y]ou’re reasonable. How do we know the difference between you and those that are trying to kill us?” (Note to CNN: your credibility suffers a little more for every second you keep this clown on the air.)

* You, too, can get a love message from Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.).

* What is it with these conservative Republicans and their sex scandals? The latest is a local official in Louisiana, who’s running for the state Senate, who has been stopped twice for suspicion of engaging in lewd behavior in public restrooms.

* Great new DNC ad on Republicans avoiding minority groups.

* And finally, Elizabeth Edwards continues to be the toughest campaigner on the national scene. Yesterday, she went after Limbaugh: “My classmates went to Vietnam, he did not. He was 4F. He had a medical disability, the same medical disability that probably should have stopped him from spending a lifetime in a radio announcer’s chair; but it is true, isn’t it? If he has an inoperable position that allows him not to serve, presumably it should not allow him to sit for long periods of time the way he does.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Republican leaders in Iowa are apparently set to make Jan. 3 the date for the party’s presidential caucus, with the hopes that the state Democratic Party will do the same. (Rumor has it that Mitt Romney’s team was pushing for the 1/3 caucus, hoping to prevent any 11th-hour surge from Romney rivals.) Count on the candidates spending New Year’s in Iowa this year.

* Barack Obama will unveil his global energy initiative today, and in the process, will also reportedly offer veiled criticism of the Democratic frontrunner: “There are some in this race who actually make the argument that the more time you spend immersed in the broken politics of Washington, the more likely you are to change it. I always find this a little amusing. I know that change makes for good campaign rhetoric, but when these same people had the chance to actually make it happen, they didn’t lead. When they had the chance to stand up and require automakers to raise their fuel standards, they refused. When they had multiple chances to reduce our dependence on foreign oil by investing in renewable fuels that we can literally grow right here in America, they said no.” As usual, Obama criticizes Hillary Clinton without actually mentioning her name.

* A young man with muscular dystrophy told Mitt Romney in New Hampshire over the weekend that five of his doctors say he is “living proof medical marijuana works.” The voter, Clayton Holton, said, “I am completely against legalizing it for everyone, but there is medical purposes for it.” Holton asked whether Romney would support arresting him or his doctors over the issue. “I am not in favor of medical marijuana being legal in the country,” Romney said as he moved on to greet other people. Holton continued, “Excuse me, will you please answer my question?” “I think I have,” Romney said. “I am not in favor of legalizing medical marijuana.” I guess that means he would support incarcerating Holton?

* New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) told reporters that he does not want to be anyone’s running mate, if his presidential campaign comes up short. “I’m not interested in the vice presidency,” Richardson told CNN. “If it doesn’t work out for me as president, I’ll go back to the best job in the world, governor of New Mexico, in the sunset, riding my horse.”

* Speaking of Richardson, his campaign suffered a minor setback when his campaign co-chairman in South Carolina left Richardson and signed up with Sen. Joe Biden. Smith serves in the South Carolina House of Representatives and is a member of the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus. Smith has been the co-chair of Richardson’s South Carolina steering committee since July.

* And in Virginia, we may not have heard the last of George “Macaca” Allen (R). Bob Novak reported that Allen, who had hoped to run for president before losing to Sen. Jim Webb (D) last year, is eyeing Virginia’s 2009 gubernatorial race. Allen already had the job once (1994-1998), but Virginia prohibits governors from seeking consecutive terms.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Reuters: “Six years after the September 11 attacks in the United States, the ‘war on terror’ is failing and instead fueling an increase in support for extremist Islamist movements, a British think-tank said on Monday. A report by the Oxford Research Group (ORG) said a ‘fundamental re-think is required’ if the global terrorist network is to be rendered ineffective. ‘If the al Qaeda movement is to be countered, then the roots of its support must be understood and systematically undercut,’ said Paul Rogers, the report’s author and professor of global peace studies at Bradford University in northern England.”

* Is the division of Jerusalem on the table? “Two senior Israeli politicians, including the prime minister’s closest ally, talked openly Monday about dividing Jerusalem, signaling a possible shift in Israeli opinion about one of the Mideast’s most contentious issues. The dispute over Jerusalem has derailed negotiations in the past, and the latest comments come at a time when Israeli and Palestinian teams are trying to agree on principles guiding future peace talks.”

* I haven’t read the details of Barack Obama’s energy policy, but Brian Beutler has — which is a good thing, because he knows more about the issue than I do anyway. His verdict? “It’s extremely good. Exceptional in some places, slightly nebulous in others, perfectly in line with expectations in yet more, but perfectly in line what we should expect from good public servants at this point, and certainly more than I expected from Obama.”

* A handful of House Dems voted against the S-CHIP bill recently, and their votes will be crucial when trying to override Bush’s veto. Blue America, BlogPac, and several prominent bloggers are targeting five of the Blue Dogs — Jim Marshall (Ga.), Baron Hill (Ind.), Gene Taylor (Miss.), Bob Etheridge (N.C.), and Mike McIntyre (N.C) — with some serious pressure. Needless to say, if you live in one of these districts, I hope you’ll make your voice heard.

* Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R-Va.) died yesterday after a two-year battle with breast cancer. She was 57.

* When Hillary Clinton has a confrontation with an unhappy voter, it’s major news. When Rudy Giuliani has a similar confrontation, the media doesn’t care.

* Speaking of Hillary, many conservatives have been apoplectic today in response to news that Sandy Berger is considered an informal “advisor” to Clinton’s presidential campaign. It’s not nearly as bad as it sounds — Berger has no formal role in the campaign whatsoever. John Cole explores the issue.

* Clinton and Edwards include individual mandates in their healthcare plans; Obama doesn’t. Josh Patashnik takes a closer look at the divide.

* I, too, hope Al Gore wins the Nobel Peace Prize this week, in part because so many conservatives would go berserk.

* Want to watch MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough humiliate himself while discussing Iraq policy? Trust me, you do.

* Bjorn Lomberg acknowledges that global warming is real, and concedes that we’re causing it, but argues today that the consequences aren’t that bad. Ezra does a little fact-checking.

* Bill Kristol wants to send U.S. troops into Burma. That’s not surprising, of course, because Bill Kristol wants to send U.S. troops everywhere.

* Paul Krugman explains why Bush is “the very model of a modern movement conservative.” That’s not a compliment.

* Ackerman: “After five days, the AP finally got back its confiscated video of a Wednesday Baghdad bombing. U.S. troops briefly detained the AP cameraman who shot the footage, Ayad M. Abd Ali, for no stated reason.”

* Fox News tries to find the good side of global warming — consider how much easier it will be for the oil companies to drill the arctic!

* And finally, Bob Novak, who still isn’t quite over his role in the Plame scandal, has gone after Joe Wilson again, insisting that Wilson did not forcefully object when Novak spoke to him before publishing his now infamous column outing his wife. Today, Wilson told Greg Sargent that Novak isn’t just wrong; he’s also “going straight to Hell.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* AP: “Two suicide car bombers targeted a local police chief and a prominent Sunni sheik working with U.S. forces against al-Qaida in Iraq in a northern city on Tuesday, killing at least 19 people, authorities said.”

* The September leak of the Osama bin Laden video will continue to reverberate: “The director of a group that monitors Islamic militant Web sites said the government leaked an Osama bin Laden video that was passed along to senior U.S. officials on condition that they keep it secret. She claimed the leak rendered certain intelligence-gathering capabilities ineffective. The White House said it was not responsible for the leak, and a senior official said the director of national intelligence should investigate the allegation.”

* AFP: “The US Army will need three or four years to recover from the strains of repeated deployments to Iraq even with a planned drawdown of US forces next year, the service’s chief said Monday. General George Casey said the army is ‘out of balance’ after six years of warfare in Afghanistan and Iraq, and facing unpredictable demands in an era of ‘persistent conflict.’”

* Dan Bartlett, Bush’s former advisor, doesn’t think highly of the Republican presidential field. Here he is on Fred Thompson: “The biggest liability was whether he had the fire in the belly to run for office in the first place and be president. So what does he do? He waits four months, fires a bunch of staff, has a big staff turnover, has a lot of backbiting, comes out with his big campaign launch and gives a very incoherent and not very concise stump speech for why he’s running for president.”

* It’s odd that so many conservatives struggle with the difference between reality and fictional television shows: “On the October 8 edition of his CNN Headline News show, Glenn Beck began a segment on Iran by asserting, ‘War with Iran is no longer a question of ‘if,’ I believe it’s a question of ‘when.’ ‘ Beck went on to state: ‘Iran has long been the puppet master in the Middle East. You don’t have to take my word for it. Just watch any episode of Law & Order.’”

* For a Congress that’s perceived as being slow and ineffective, there sure have been a lot of roll-call votes.

* According to the WaPo’s Howard Kurtz, on 9/11, NBC anchor Brian Williams found relief in Bush’s advisors: “For Williams, it all went back to Sept. 11, 2001. As a citizen, he thought on that fateful day, thank God that Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld and Colin Powell were on the team.” I have no idea what Williams might have been thinking, but if the quote is accurate, it’s quite an embarrassment.

* If a private school voucher scheme was going to pass anywhere, Utah would seem to be the place. Fortunately, it looks like it’s going to lose there, too.

* Stephen Colbert was in rare form last night: “Hey, Media Matters, you want to end offensive speech? Then stop recording it for people who would be offended. Because the Constitution gives us broadcasters the right to say anything we want but that doesn’t mean that just anyone has the right to listen.”

* And speaking of Colbert: “He claims he doesn’t read books or respect those who do mess around with these potentially dangerous bearers of actual facts or vital analysis. Yet faux-pundit Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central’s ‘Colbert Report’ has gone out and written something that appears between hard covers and looks suspiciously like a … book? So how does he explain the arrival this week of ‘I Am America (and So Can You!)’? Take a look at the excerpts.

* Cheney may be the architect of this White House’s power-grab, but the idea didn’t just come to him all of a sudden — he’s been working on it for decades.

* Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) just isn’t very bright: “[Blackwater CEO Erik] Prince is on his way to being an American hero just like Ollie North was.”

* On a related note, is there another U.S. security contractor poised to face a similar investigation?

* And finally, Conan O’Brien: “During a recent speech, President Bush said, this is a quote, ‘My job is a decision-making job. As a result, I have made a lot of decisions.’ Apparently, Bush’s decision that day was to write his own speech.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* AP: “Four Democratic candidates have withdrawn from Michigan’s Jan. 15 presidential primary, leaving what amounts to a beauty contest for front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton…. Barack Obama, John Edwards and Bill Richardson filed paperwork Tuesday, the deadline to withdraw from the ballot, said Kelly Chesney, spokeswoman for the Michigan Secretary of State’s office. A fourth candidate, Joe Biden, said in a statement that he was bypassing the primary.” Hillary Clinton will not compete in the primary, but her campaign said, “We don’t think it’s necessary to remove ourselves from the ballot.”

* Speaking of Clinton, the New York senator unveiled “the second biggest domestic policy idea of her Democratic presidential campaign today, proposing to spend $20 billion to $25 billion a year to create 401(k)-style retirement accounts for all Americans and provide federal matching money of up to $1,000 to middle-income people.” Clinton would pay for the program by freezing the estate tax at its 2009 level of $7 million per couple.

* Chris Dodd called for reforming the absurd bankruptcy bill passed by the last Congress. I don’t imagine Joe Biden is going to care for that, but I’m glad to see someone emphasizing the issue.

* Former Rep. Mike Sodrel (R-Ind.) will face Rep. Baron Hill (D-Ind.) next year, in a rematch of the 2006 race. And the 2004 race. And the 2002 race. Yes, this will be the fourth consecutive cycle Sodrel and Hill have gone head-to-head. For the record, Sodrel lost in 2002, won in 2004, and lost again in 2006.

* In Idaho, Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) will apparently stick around for a while, but Republicans hoping to replace him are already stepping up. Lt. Governor Jim Risch (R), a leading candidate to replace Craig after he said he would step down in September, announced his candidacy yesterday. Risch is now considered the front-runner for the GOP nod, and will likely face former Rep. Larry LaRocco (D).

* And finally, Al Gore fans continue to hold out hope that they can draft him into the presidential race. I think it’s a lost cause.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The RESTORE Act, with FISA revisions backed by most House Dems, cleared a major hurdle today: “In 20-14 vote today, the House Judiciary Committee passed the RESTORE Act, which seeks to update the hastily-passed Protect America Act and restore a balance between civil liberties and security. Upon the passage of the bill, Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) said in a statement that the bill gives “the Director of National Intelligence everything he said he needed” while still protecting the ‘vital rights of Americans.’”

* AP: “Thousands of Chrysler LLC autoworkers walked off the job Wednesday after the automaker and the United Auto Workers union failed to reach a tentative contract agreement before a union-imposed deadline. It is the first UAW strike against Chrysler since 1997, when one plant was shut down for a month, and the first strike against Chrysler during contract talks since 1985. Negotiators stopped talking after the strike began, according to a person briefed on the talks who requested anonymity because the talks are private.”

* Alberto Gonzales is still worried about the legal questions surrounding him: “No sooner did Alberto Gonzales resign as attorney general last month than he retained a high-powered Washington criminal-defense lawyer to represent him in continuing inquiries by Congress and the Justice Department…. The top concern for Gonzales, and now [George] Terwilliger, is the expanding investigation by Glenn Fine, the Justice Department’s fiercely independent inspector general, according to three legal sources familiar with the matter who declined to speak publicly about ongoing investigations.”

* CNN: “The United States tortures prisoners in violation of international law, former President Carter said Wednesday. ‘I don’t think it. I know it,’ Carter told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. ‘Our country for the first time in my life time has abandoned the basic principle of human rights,’ Carter said. ‘We’ve said that the Geneva Conventions do not apply to those people in Abu Ghraib prison and Guantanamo, and we’ve said we can torture prisoners and deprive them of an accusation of a crime to which they are accused.’”

* Barack Obama criticized Hillary Clinton by name today. That’s a little unusual.

* If Col. Robert P. “Powl” Smith, the chief of operations for the Standing Joint Force Headquarters, U.S. Northern Command, wants to tout the Bush war policy, that’s entirely his call. But doing so at Republican Party events seems like a bad idea.

* No one seems to have any idea what Israel hit via airstrikes in Syria on Sept. 6. Odd.

* What did Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office have to do with the right-wing smear of a 12-year-old? Questions abound.

* Glenn Beck thinks Scooter Libby went to jail for his role in the Plame scandal. Glenn Beck doesn’t pay close attention to current events. It’s a good thing CNN continues to pay him to host a largely-unwatched show, isn’t it?

* Hillary Clinton got slammed today for equivocating on torture, but the context suggests the WaPo report wasn’t entirely fair.

* Remember, she’s a popular figure in Republican circles: “Deutsch then asked, ‘It would be better if we were all Christian?’ to which Coulter responded, ‘Yes.’ Later in the discussion, Deutsch said to her: ‘[Y]ou said we should throw Judaism away and we should all be Christians,’ and Coulter again replied, ‘Yes.’ When pressed by Deutsch regarding whether she wanted to be like ‘the head of Iran’ and ‘wipe Israel off the Earth,’ Coulter stated: ‘No, we just want Jews to be perfected, as they say.’”

* Greg Sargent: “I’ve just learned that nearly 90 members of the House of Representatives have now added their names to a letter to the President pledging not to vote for any more funding for the war and only to vote for supplementals that fully fund withdrawal and nothing else.”

* VoteVets.org gets the same kind of mail I used to receive at Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

* “Dear Abby” supports same-sex marriage. I think it’s going mainstream.

* And finally, Sen. Larry Craig (R) may be embattled, but he’s about to be inducted into the Idaho Hall of Fame. Of course, just as DC Republicans aren’t thrilled with Craig in Washington, Idaho Republicans aren’t happy either. Kootenai County Republican precinct committeeman Phil Thompson said Idaho Hall of Fame officials should consider at least postponing the induction. “Maybe in 10 or 15 years we can think of this hall of fame stuff. Now is not the time,” Thompson said. “It’s a sad day to be a Republican.” Truer words were never spoken.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The House’s resolution on Armenian genocide is causing quite a diplomatic stir: “The Bush administration, chafing over a House committee vote to label the deaths of Armenians a century ago as genocide, said Thursday lawmakers could better spend their time passing legislation attending to today’s problems at home. White House deputy press secretary Scott Stanzel reiterated the administration’s disappointment with the vote by the House Foreign Affairs Committee and said it would be problematic for American efforts in the Middle East.”

* On a related note: “Turkey has recalled its ambassador to the United States, Nabi Sensoy, in response to a House resolution that would call the World War I massacre of Armenians by Turkish forces ‘genocide,’ the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Thursday.”

* WaPo: “An injured Iraqi man and the families of three Iraqi civilians who were killed in the Sept. 16 shootings by Blackwater security contractors sued the company in federal court today, calling the incident a ‘massacre’ and ’senseless slaughter’ that was the result of corporate policies in the war zone. Attorneys for Talib Mutlaq Deewan, who was injured in the shootings at Nisoor Square, and the families of Himoud Saed Atban, Osama Fadhil Abbas and Oday Ismail Ibraheem, who were killed, filed the lawsuit this morning in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, asking for an unspecified amount of money to compensate for alleged war crimes, illegal killings, wrongful death, emotional distress and negligence. The lawsuit names Blackwater USA, The Prince Groupand Blackwater founder and CEO Erik Prince as defendants.”

* NYT: “The Marine Corps is pressing to remove its forces from Iraq and to send marines instead to Afghanistan, to take over the leading role in combat there, according to senior military and Pentagon officials. The idea by the Marine Corps commandant would effectively leave the Iraq war in the hands of the Army while giving the Marines a prominent new role in Afghanistan, under overall NATO command.”

* Paradoxically, dentists are making more money while Americans are having more dental problems. According to the Times, “[T]he percentage of Americans with untreated cavities began rising this decade, reversing a half-century trend of improvement in dental health.”

* Paul Krugman: “I’m just a liberal, living in a radicalizing time.” I know how you feel, professor.

* Politico: “Rank-and-file members of Congress are grumbling about the five-day workweek instituted this year by House Democratic leaders, complaining that it leaves little time for campaigning and allows few weekdays to deal with business back home.” You know, for most of Congress’ history, lawmakers stayed in DC for months. It wasn’t a bad system.

* Atrios makes an important point about school violence: “Any time there’s a horrible school shooting there’s talk of changing security as if there’s something schools can or should be doing. It’s stupid. We live in a society where lots of people have very easy access to guns. People who aren’t too concerned about getting caught or killed, as is usually the case, will generally manage to injure or kill a few people. They could just as easily do this in a school bus, or outside the school, or at some gathering of people elsewhere, or whatever. Turning the school itself into an extreme security location where students inevitably just feel like criminals won’t really help stop anything.”

* Tim Grieve: “Number of times Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, John McCain, Fred Thompson, Mike Huckabee and Duncan Hunter uttered the word “Bush” during Tuesday night’s two-hour debate in Michigan: 0. Number of times Giuliani and Romney referred by name to Bill or Hillary Clinton: 16.”

* If a writers’ strike affects The Daily Show, I’m going to be severely disappointed.

* Has everyone seen this? I swear the silhouette is spinning counter-clockwise; Ms. CB swears it’s spinning clockwise.

* Who’s pushing back against Bush’s executive overreaching? Strangely enough, it’s the state of Texas.

* And finally, last night, Lynne Cheney boasted to Jon Stewart that the White House’s policies are responsible for stopping terrorist attacks since 9/11. Stewart noted, “[T]here was the anthrax thing. … [Terrorists] have been doing that all these past six years. The Spanish bombings, the English bombings, and then all the bombs in Iraq.” Cheney responded, “Yes, yes. But we’re talking about American interests.” I wonder how many other conservatives agree that Washington, D.C., England, Spain, and Iraq are not “American interests”?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* John McCain unveiled his healthcare plan yesterday. He called it a “reform” measure, but it’s really just a modest tax credit and a call for “greater competition.” In other words, it’s more of the same.

* The exodus continues: Rep. Ralph Regula (R-Ohio) will announce today that he is retiring at the end of his term. For a Republican caucus that hoped to keep retirements to a minimum, this isn’t good news — Regula is the 10th GOP incumbent to retire this cycle. What’s more, Dems already have a candidate in mind to run in Regula’s district: State Sen. John Boccieri, a major in the Air Force Reserve.

* Hillary Clinton has earned the support of two legendary Democratic leaders: Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) and former Vice President Walter Mondale.

* Mitt Romney, facing an uncomfortable question about gay rights, said he opposes gay marriage, but, “At the same time, I’m not in favor of discrimination. I do not oppose and I very much support equal opportunity in education, equal opportunity in employment, in housing and so forth for gay people.” He added that as Governor one of his cabinet members was gay. The questioner later suggested Romney was trying to play “the gay friend card.”

* Former HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson didn’t have much luck during his presidential campaign, and withdrew after the Ames Straw Poll. Today, he’ll endorse Rudy Giuliani at an event in South Carolina.

* In the non-endorsement category, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford’s (R) support is coveted by all the GOP candidates, but Sanford said yesterday that he doesn’t expect to endorse anyone. He added, however, “I’m not saying never.”

* In case there are any lingering suspicions about just how much the religious right opposes Giuliani’s campaign, Operation Rescue’s Randall Terry said yesterday, “As President, Giuliani would be the de-facto head of the GOP; he would systematically destroy the political power of the pro-life movement within the GOP; he would pressure the party to take the pro-life plank out of the party platform; he would declare the ‘abortion issue’ is divisive, and should not be part of federal races; he would make the GOP the mirror image of the DNC regarding child-killing, thus insuring that there is no pro-life party.” I guess Giuliani should count on an endorsement.

* Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D), currently planning to run for the U.S. Senate next year, holds a whopping 30-point lead over his Republican rivals in a new WaPo poll. As for the GOP primary, former Gov. James Gilmore leads Rep. Tom Davis by 19 points.

* And speaking of the WaPo poll, Virginia, which hasn’t backed a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964, is clearly getting bluer — by an 11-point margin, Virginians want a Democratic president next year.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The right has responded to Al Gore’s Nobel Peace Prize with the kind of class and dignity we’ve come to expect from conservatives. Here’s the National Review: “Who Else Should Al Gore Share the Prize With? How about that well known peace campaigner Osama Bin Laden, who implicitly endorsed Gore’s stance — and that of the Nobel committee — in his September rant from the cave.”

* Josh Marshall: “You know, with Al Gore winning the Nobel Prize for his environmental activism, it really makes the Nader voters look prescient, doesn’t it?”

* Despite multiple criminal charges pending against his former police commissioner, Rudy Giuliani said today that Bernie Kerik did a good job, just so long as you overlook all of his alleged misdeeds. How very odd.

* Remember, it’s not the heat, but the humidity that will get you.

* The netroots has targeted five conservative Dems to reverse course and vote to override Bush’s S-CHIP veto. Yesterday, we got one. Rep. Baron Hill of Indiana said he doesn’t care for the bill, but concluded, “I will vote to override the President’s veto in an effort to again show my support for the program and desire to move towards a fairer bill.

* TP: “Former Justice Department employees allege that Voting Rights Section chief John Tanner used ‘the force of the Department to further Republican aims.’ In particular, the former attorneys say that Tanner’s half-hearted investigation of alleged African-American voter suppression in Ohio in 2004 was an effort to ‘poison the well’ for ‘outside groups attempting litigation on the issue.’” Said one former attorney with the Voting Rights Section, “Tanner bent over backwards to rule that black voters did not have a right to the same number of machines as white registered voters, and then went out of his way to make that ruling public.”

* Fox News’ John Gibson, who has a history of making bizarre comments about race, responded to this week’s school shooting in Cleveland by saying he “could tell right away” that the shooter was white: “He killed himself. Hip-hoppers do not kill themselves. They walk away. Now, I didn’t need to hear the kid was white with blond hair. Once he’d shot himself in the head, no hip-hopper…. And I could tell right away ’cause he killed himself. Black shooters don’t do that; they shoot and move on.”

* Republican strategist Cheri Jacobus was invited onto CNN today, to argue that the Nobel Prize committee only gave Gore today’s award to get “publicity.” She did not appear to be kidding.

* You haven’t seen the Washington Post get ripped into until you’ve seen Scott Horton take the paper to task.

* Madonna Constantine, a professor at Columbia University, who is African American, found a 4-foot-long twine noose hanging from her office door this week. Police are now seeking a court order for footage from security cameras to identify who was responsible. Wednesday, Constantine told hundreds of faculty and students at a rally that the incident was a “blatant act of racism” that “reeks of cowardice and fear.”

* McCullagh’s Law of Politics: “As the certainty that legislation violates the U.S. Constitution increases, so does the probability of predictions that severe harm or death will come to Americans if the proposal is not swiftly enacted.”

* A few traditional news outlets picked up on the John Edwards rumor, but most ignored it and the gossip seemed to dissipate today. Good.

* Imagine losing your home to Hurricane Katrina. Then imagine, after rebuilding, someone burning your renovated home down.

* AP: “Republican state Rep. Debbie Stafford of Aurora is switching parties, becoming the 40th Democrat in the [Colorado] House of Representatives.” Kos has a helpful list of party switchers from the last few years. Not surprisingly, a majority are moving from the GOP to the Dems.

* The fine folks at The Democratic Daily have a new URL and a redesigned homepage.

* The Encyclopedia Britannica has been hosting an interesting online forum about a possible confrontation with Iran all week. It’s worth checking out.

* What to expect from the Fox Business Network. (Here’s a hint: nothing good.)

* Larry King suggested to Stephen Colbert last night that he’s publishing a book as part of a presidential campaign. Colbert agreed, but said he’s seeking the nomination of both parties. This afternoon, ETV, South Carolina’s Public Television Network, invited Colbert (a South Carolina native) to formally launch his bid on the statewide media outlet, which includes 11 television and eight radio stations. No word on whether Colbert will accept.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The exodus continues: Rep. David Hobson, a nine-term Republican from Ohio, announced yesterday that he will retire at the end of the term. Despite the GOP leadership’s desperate desire to keep retirements to a minimum, Hobson is the 12th Republican to step down this year, and there’s still a year to go.

* John Edwards will get a helpful boost today when the Iowa State Council of the Service Employees International Union throws its support to the former senator’s presidential campaign. The announcement comes shortly after last week’s announcement that the national SEIU would not officially back any candidate.

* A Marist College Institute poll in New Hampshire, released yesterday, showed Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic field with 40% support, followed by Barack Obama with 20%, and Edwards with 12%. No other candidate reached double digits.

* Marist College also polled New Hampshire Republicans, and found a much narrower race. Mitt Romney currently leads with 25%, followed closely by Rudy Giuliani with 21%. John McCain was third with 18%, and Fred Thompson was a distant fourth with 10%.

* Obama, speaking at an interfaith forum in downtown Des Moines yesterday, said that too often religious leaders use faith to “exploit what divides us” by saying that the only issues that matter are abortion, gay marriage, school prayer, and creationism. He added that he wanted to change the boundaries for what should be considered a religious issue to include global warming. “The bible tells us that when God created the earth, he entrusted us with the responsibility to take care of that earth,” he said. “It is a responsibility to ensure that this planet remains clean and safe and livable for our children, and for all of God’s children.”

* Virginia Republicans hoping to find a candidate who can beat former Gov. Mark Warner (D) in next year’s open U.S. Senate race will not have a primary. Virginia’s Republican State Central Committee voted over the weekend to hold a nominating convention instead of allowing GOP voters in the state to pick their candidate. As one Republican official said “primaries are expensive and bitter,” while “conventions are cheap and bitter.” He added, “Cheap is better.”

* Friends of the Earth Action, the San Francisco-based political arm of Friends of the Earth, endorsed a presidential candidate on each side of the aisle over the weekend, backing Edwards on the Democratic side, and John McCain on the GOP side. Group officials noted that among the Dems’ top-tier candidates, Edwards is the only one to staunchly oppose expanding use of nuclear power.

* And the NYT notes today that much of the New York City Republican establishment is balking at supporting Rudy Giuliani’s presidential bid, in part because of all the bridges he burnt while in office, including former Sen. Alfonse D’Amato (R). Apparently, allies of former Gov. George Pataki are some of Giuliani’s harshest critics. (Giuliani endorsed Democrat Mario Cuomo in 1994, when Pataki was first elected.)

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* For nearly seven years, the Bush gang held to the opinion that the Middle East peace process is not worthy of its time, in part because Clinton invested heavily in the process. Now, slowly but surely, the administration seems to be coming around: “Saying the time is now for a Palestinian state, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday prodded Israel and the Palestinians to agree at a U.S.-sponsored conference this fall on how and when to start formal peace talks. In one of her strongest statements yet on the issue, Rice declared that creation of a Palestinian state is a key U.S. interest and urged the two sides to drop contentious demands and reach consensus on a substantive joint statement ahead of the international conference.”

* U.S. News: “Rep. Henry Waxman, considered the meanest dog in town by the GOP, is still sniffing around the White House for proof the president lied when making the case for going to war in Iraq. We hear that he’s been quietly summoning former Bush aides, especially speechwriters, to testify behind closed doors about what they knew and how they phrased his words on the issue. Whispers hears that one called in was John Gibson, a former National Security Council speechwriter. He wouldn’t spill to us. The committee had no comment either, but an administration official says, ‘It is yet another item on the ever growing fishing expedition list from Representative Waxman.’”

* The WaPo’s Howard Kurtz seems to believe the Frost family, smeared last week by right-wing activists, brought the attacks on themselves by standing up in support of the bipartisan S-CHIP compromise: “When the parents agreed to make their son available to the Democratic Party as a spokesman for the program, surely they must have expected that their financial situation would become part of the debate.”

* On a related note, Dems are now pointing to the Wilkerson family, whose two-year old daughter Bethany is covered by S-CHIP and had life-saving heart surgery when she was an infant. Earlier today, the Wilkerson family participated in a conference call in support of the S-CHIP bill. As for the inevitable question — “We rent a house, we have one car that is a junker. Let them dig away,” Bo Wilkerson said. “I have $67 in my checking account. Does that answer your question?”

* PBS’s Frontline will take a closer look at Dick Cheney. That ought to be interesting.

* Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) could barely hide his contempt for anyone that dared to question Gen. David Petraeus last month, but who was leading the charge in trying to tear down retired Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez over the weekend? That would be Lindsey Graham.

* Fox News’ Roger Ailes, without a hint of irony, said, “[S]ome of the cable networks, such as MSNBC, have their opinion people actually anchor the news. We don’t do that.” That Roger; he’s such a kidder.

* Even if you compare Al Gore to Hitler, cable news networks will still treat you like a respected, mainstream academic, whose arguments denying global warming are worthy of airtime.

* Remember that insane press release from the Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee over the weekend? It turns out, their site wasn’t hacked — they meant it.

* Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, in an interview with Right Wing News, said he actually reads Atlas Shrugs, Power Line, Michelle Malkin, and National Review. Sure, I read all of them, too, but only because I’m paid to, not because I find them useful.

* NYT: “With only 15 months left in office, President Bush has left whole agencies of the executive branch to be run largely by acting or interim appointees — jobs that would normally be filled by people whose nominations would have been reviewed and confirmed by the Senate. In many cases, there is no obvious sign of movement at the White House to find permanent nominees, suggesting that many important jobs will not be filled by Senate-confirmed officials for the remainder of the Bush administration. That would effectively circumvent the Senate’s right to review and approve the appointments. It also means that the jobs are filled by people who do not have the clout to make decisions that comes with a permanent appointment endorsed by the Senate, scholars say.”

* Why I don’t usually care for unscientific polls — they’re useless.

* Clarence Thomas’ colleagues apparently aren’t terribly impressed with his “unseemly” new book and public-relations offensive.

* And finally, a Vatican official was caught on hidden camera making sexual advances on a child, but the man, Monsignor Tommaso Stenico, said he was only doing research on “those who damage the image of the Church with homosexual activity.” Stenico added that he would frequent online gay chat rooms and meet with gay men as part of his work. “I was a victim of my own attempts to contribute to cleaning up the Church with my psychoanalyst work,” Stenico said. Hmm, will “psychoanalyst work” now replace “wide stance”?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Barack Obama’s campaign distributed another email request for donations this morning, which wouldn’t be unusual except for how blunt it is: “The situation here is simple. We are $2.1 million behind. We must close that gap right now…. The fact of the matter is, we are still running an uphill battle. We’re running against candidates who take money from PACs. They take money from Washington lobbyists. So I hope that you make that extra in these last few weeks. If you do, then not only are we going to be able to get our message of change out to the country, but we’re going to be able to sustain that all throughout the primary, and lay the foundation for winning back the White House.”

* With Mitt Romney and John McCain having argued for several days who is the most reliably conservative candidate, Fred Thompson dragged himself away from home last night, just long enough to make the same argument. “I am the consistent conservative,” Thompson said to several dozen people at a gathering of the New York Conservative Party with former New York Sen. Alfonse D’Amato at his side. “I was a conservative yesterday. I am a conservative today, and I will be a conservative tomorrow.” Thompson, on Fox News, also took a more direct shot at Rudy Giuliani: “I don’t think that the mayor has ever claimed to be a conservative. He sought and received the Liberal Party nomination.”

* It may be early, but Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) has already announced that she will not seek re-election in 2012. In fact, Hutchison, who easily won a third term just last year, suggested she might give up her seat before her term ends. “Is it better for Texas for me to leave early and give someone else a chance to start building seniority before the class of 2013? I think it probably is,” Hutchison said. Most observers in Texas expect her to run for governor in 2010.

* Mitt Romney unveiled a new TV ad today, called, “Not Fair.” In the ad, Romney says, “It’s not fair that you have to pay taxes when you earn your money, when you save your money, and then when you die. That’s why I’ll kill the death tax once and for all.” What a hack.

* And Josh Marshall, who recently suggested a Romney presidency was the worst possible scenario, explained that the danger posed by Romney “cannot hold a candle to the truly catastrophic foreign policy Giuliani would likely pursue if he got anywhere near the Oval Office…. The people he’s coalescing around himself as his foreign policy advisors are the ones who are going to help him learn as he goes. And they are simply the most dangerous, deranged and deluded folks you can find in American political and foreign policy circles today. It’s really not an exaggeration. Scrape the bottom of the ‘Global War on Terror’ Islamofascism nutbasket and you find they’ve pretty much all signed on as Rudy advisors.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Keep an eye on this one: “Russian leader Vladimir Putin met his Iranian counterpart Tuesday and implicitly warned the U.S. not to use a former Soviet republic to stage an attack on Iran.”

* Responding to Putin’s comments, Matt Yglesias argues that the developments “deserve to be taken very seriously. Since we’re not contemplating actually conquering Iran and trying to occupy its territory, people need to understand that the post-strike diplomatic environment is going to be much more important to the future of the Iranian nuclear program than is any damage that bombing Iran with our on-the-table options might or might not do. If Russia decides to just send some scientists with schematics and materiel over to Iran and show them how to build a nuclear bomb, then — bam — nuclear bomb.”

* The Maliki government seems a little impatient when it comes to getting Blackwater private security forces out of Iraq. The Prime Minister once again asked the State to “pull Blackwater out of Iraq,” in the wake of a now-complete Iraqi probe of the Nusoor Square shootings in Baghdad on Sept. 16. Adviser Sami al-Askari told CNN the Bush administration wants a delay, but Maliki and most Iraqi officials are “completely satisfied” with the findings of their probe and are “insisting” that Blackwater leave the country.

* Jena Six developments: “For months now, Reed Walters has maintained that an incident in which white students hung nooses on a tree in the schoolyard of Jena high school “did not fit the criteria” of a hate crime, which is why he did not prosecute it as such…. That’s not what the U.S. Attorney who considered the case said today in the House Judiciary Committee hearings on Jena.”

* The House voted today to condemn the Bush administration’s withholding of Iraqi corruption information. The final vote was 395 to 21.

* Sen. Chris Dodd today called on the Senate leadership not to move forward on telecom immunity. Following up on today’s Verizon revelations, Dodd said, “We must be told the full extent of Verizon’s activities and what other private information they have provided to the Bush Administration. More troubling still is that the United States Senate would sanction those telecommunications companies that have violated the law and the privacy of our citizenry, enabling this Administration’s assault on the Constitution.” Good for him.

* It’s hardly a surprise, but it looks like Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey shouldn’t have too much trouble getting confirmed. “I don’t see a bombshell,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) said. “Right now from what I have seen, I would expect him to be confirmed.”

* Pat Buchanan thinks Don Imus was a “victim.” He added, “If Don Imus had been black, nothing would have been done to him.” I sometimes wonder if Buchanan realizes he’s a parody of himself.

* A variety of progressive netroots activists targeted five conservative Dems to reverse course and vote to override Bush’s S-CHIP veto. On Friday, Baron Hill (D-Ind.) announced he would join the majority, and yesterday, Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) did the same. “My objection to the method of funding for this bill and my support of North Carolina’s farmers and the economic well-being of our communities are well-known, but I have always supported the SCHIP program and will do what is necessary to preserve it for the sake of children and families in need,” McIntyre said. Two down, three to go.

* Mitch McConnell is taking local heat for his office’s role in pushing the Frost family smear. Good.

* NYT: “The second-highest-ranking member of the Air Force’s procurement office was found dead Sunday in an apparent suicide, Air Force and police officials said Monday. The civilian official, Charles D. Riechers, 47, came under scrutiny by the Senate Armed Services Committee this month after reports that the Air Force had arranged for him to be paid about $13,400 a month by a private contractor, Commonwealth Research Institute, while he awaited clearance from the White House for his selection as principal deputy assistant secretary for acquisition. He was appointed to the job, which does not require Senate confirmation, in January.”

* Bill O’Reilly believes the Abu Ghraib scandal was “blown out of proportion.” He did not appear to be kidding.

* Rick Santorum claimed on Fox News last night that Sen. Hillary Clinton is “not doing any kind of interviews.” Um, Rick? Two weeks ago, she did all five Sunday morning shows on the same day.

* Sam Brownback is going to push for an official government apology for slavery and segregation. “They were federal policies,” Brownback told the Boston Globe editorial board. “They were wrong. The only way for us to move forward … is at the end of day acknowledging those, taking ownership for it, and asking for forgiveness.”

* And finally, I know there were a lot of rumors going around today about Air America’s Randi Rhodes getting attacked, but the talk was bogus. The New York Daily News reported, “Rhodes’ lawyer told the Daily News she was injured in a fall while walking her dog. He said she’s not sure what happened, and only knows that she fell down and is in a lot of pain. The lawyer said Rhodes expects to be back on the air Thursday. He stressed there is no indication she was targeted or that she was the victim of a ‘hate crime.’”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In a special election in Massachusetts’ fifth congressional district, Nikki Tsongas, wife of the late Massachusetts Sen. Paul Tsongas, narrowly defeated Republican Jim Ogonowski, 51% to 45%. Why was the race so close in a Democratic district? Here’s some good analysis of the campaign (and here’s some more), but the long and the short of it is that Tsongas was a lackluster candidate backed by a tired political machine, while Ogonowski, an Iraq war vet who lost his brother on 9/11, ran a good race. Still, a win is a win.

* CNN: “The Iowa Republican Party will hold its caucus on Jan. 3, while the South Carolina Democratic Party will ask the Democratic National Committee to move its primary to Jan. 26, the two state parties announced Tuesday. What remains unclear is what date New Hampshire will hold its primary for both parties, and if Iowa Democrats will join their GOP colleagues on Jan. 3 or hold their caucus on another date.”

* On a related note, there are some rumors that New Hampshire is seriously looking at a December primary. (Won’t someone please stop the madness?)

* Following up on yesterday’s announcement, Bob Jones University president Bob Jones III endorsed Mitt Romney today. Jones said the endorsement “is all about beating Hillary,” and also preventing Giuliani from getting the nomination. “If it turns out to be Giuliani and Hillary, we’ve got two pro-choice candidates, and that would be a disaster,” Jones said.

* Romney also earned the backing today of former Sen. Connie Mack (R) of Florida, who remains a popular figure in the state.

* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) endorsed Rudy Giuliani today. “The one (issue) that I wanted to hear him give me an answer and look me right in my eyes was that issue of who can I expect, what type of individual can I expect on the Supreme Court,” Perry said at a news conference with Giuliani. “He clearly said … you can look for people like Scalia and Roberts and Alito.”

* With former Gov. Mark Warner (D) looking very strong in Virginia’s Senate race, rep. Tom Davis (R), long expected to be a candidate, started backing away from the race yesterday. “There are other races; this isn’t the only shot,” said Davis. “You’ve got a very vulnerable guy sitting there in the other Senate seat right now who may or may not run in four years. And you know what? If you don’t go to the Senate, so what?”

* Bush’s approval rating dropped to just 24% in a new Reuters/Zogby poll, which is a new low, even for Bush.

* Rep. Steve Pearce (R) has shrugged off discouragement from party leaders and will take on Rep. Heather Wilson (R) in New Mexico’s open-seat Senate race. The Democratic field is still taking shape, with Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez in the race and Lt. Gov. Diane Denish being heavily pressured by national Democrats to consider a bid.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* This may prove to be the only thing that makes matters in Iraq worse than they are now: “Turkey has voted itself the right to launch cross-border military attacks on Kurdish separatist fighters holed up in Northern Iraq, but it has not yet decided to exercise that right. The Turkish Parliament on Wednesday authorized military operations into neighboring Iraq to hunt down guerrillas of the outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s Party, or PKK, which continues to launch attacks inside Turkey that have killed more than 30 Turks in recent weeks. Although Turkey has sent troops on similar missions in northern Iraq on up to two dozen previous occasions during the 1980s and 90s, this would be the first such incursion since U.S. forces toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003 and took responsibility for security in Iraq.”

* Speaking of Turkey, the House resolution on Armenian genocide looks like it’s fading fast. Opponents of the measure claimed this afternoon that they had secured the votes to defeat the resolution. “If it were to run today, it would not pass,” Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) said at a late-morning news conference Wednesday . “I think the decision has been made by the members; (the resolution supporters) don’t have the votes.”

* China is apparently thoroughly annoyed that the president and Congress joined today to bestow the nation’s highest civilian honor on the Dalai Lama at a ceremony in the Capitol. Though Bush said the ceremony was not meant to antagonize the Chinese, he made repeated references to religious oppression. “Americans cannot look to the plight of the religiously oppressed and close our eyes or turn away,” Bush said.

* Washington Times: A defiant Blackwater Chairman Erik Prince said yesterday he will not allow Iraqi authorities to arrest his contractors and try them in Iraq’s faulty justice system…. ‘In an ideal sense, if there was wrongdoing, there could be a trial brought in the Iraqi court system. But that would imply that there is a valid Iraqi court system where Westerners could get a fair trial. That is not the case right now,’ said Mr. Prince.”

* Prospects for the telecom immunity measure supported by the White House dimmed a bit late yesterday, when Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) announced his opposition. “I certainly would not give them immunity retroactively on programs that we don’t know what they are,” Specter said.

* The NYT reported that most of the Republican presidential candidates are not actively hostile to addressing global warming. That may sound like progress, but Brian Beutler explains why there’s reason for skepticism.

* Rep. Todd Akin’s (R-Mo.) shameless dishonesty about kidnapped troops is breathtaking.

* Rep. Darrell Issa’s (R-Calif.) shameless dishonesty about Blackwater is just as bad.

* McClatchy: “One of the Bush administration’s key foreign policy successes — brokering an end to a 21-year war between northern and southern Sudan — is coming apart even as U.N. and African diplomats step up peace efforts in Sudan’s other crisis, the conflict in the western Darfur region.”

* I find it interesting that many of Bush’s 2004 “Pioneers” and “Rangers,” his top fundraisers, haven’t donated to any of the Republican candidates at all this cycle. But I find it really interesting that more than two dozen of these generous GOP donors have actually contributed to Democratic candidates.

* The House vote on the Dems’ FISA revision bill (called the RESTORE Act) should come sometime this afternoon, but House Republicans are doing everything possible to scuttle the legislation.

* Have you heard about the country music song devoted to Rick Santorum’s daughter crying after her father lost his re-election race last year? Steve M. has the story.

* Fox News’ Steve Doocy just isn’t very bright. Poor guy.

* I try not to do this often, but I can’t help myself on this one. One of the far-right blogs I check for one of my other gigs had a post claiming that Dems “abuse the language” to achieve partisan ends. The headline read, “Democrat language abuse.” The irony is rich — I think he was looking for the word “Democratic.”

* NYT: “A public radio station here stopped running underwriting messages from Planned Parenthood and returned its $5,000 donation after the station’s license holder, Duquesne University, decided the organization was ‘not aligned with our Catholic identity.’”

* Stephen Colbert announced last night he will seek the presidency, but will run in his native state of South Carolina “and South Carolina alone.” As the AP added, “Exactly how far the mock conservative pundit planned to stretch his impression of a presidential candidate wasn’t clear.”

* And finally, Lynne Cheney told MSNBC yesterday, “Think about this. This is such an amazing American story that one ancestor, a man that came to Maryland, could be responsible down the family line for lives that have taken such different and varied paths as Dick’s and Barack Obama’s.” Yes, apparently Obama and Dick Cheney are eighth cousins. Reacting to the news, Obama’s campaign spokesman Bill Burton told CNN, “Obviously, Dick Cheney is sort of the black sheep of the family.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Before the end of the year, former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) is expected to announce his resignation from Congress, setting up a special election to replace him. Hastert announced his intention to retire at the end of his term several months ago, but apparently he no longer wants to do the job. There’s been some speculation that Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) could schedule the special election on the same day as the state’s Feb. 5 presidential primary.

* Rudy Giuliani told the Club for Growth yesterday that he “would rule out a tax increase” to help shore up Social Security as president. A month ago, he told the AP he was open to raising taxes to support the retirement program. I guess he was for it before he was against it.

* Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) indicated yesterday that he will endorse Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. He will be the second sitting governor to back Obama, following Virginia’s Tim Kaine (D).

* Speaking of Obama, the Illinois senator was on The Tonight Show last night. Jay Leno asked whether Obama finds the recent polls discouraging. “Hillary appears to be a shoo-in,” Leno said, adding: “How discouraging is that?” Obama said, “It’s not discouraging.” “A little bit?” Leno asked. “Hillary is not the first politician in Washington to declare mission accomplished a little too soon,” Obama responded.

* John Edwards is hammering the electability argument pretty hard. According to a campaign memo written by Edwards’ pollsters, Edwards “outperforms the other Democratic candidates in match-ups with Republican candidates in key battleground states including Iowa, Missouri, and Ohio. Further, unlike other Democrats who must ‘run the table’ in states where Democrats have been competitive in recent elections, Edwards brings new states into play. This provides alternate scenarios – and a margin for error – when it comes to amassing 270 electoral votes.”

* And the Romney campaign unveiled a new TV ad that hits Giuliani where it hurts, without ever mentioning his name — it features Mitt, his wife, their kids, and their grandkids.

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* Blasts rock Pakistan: “A suicide bombing in a crowd welcoming former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto killed at least 126 people Thursday night, shattering her celebratory procession through Pakistan’s biggest city after eight years in exile. Two explosions went off near a truck carrying Bhutto, but police and officials of her party said she was not injured and was hurried to her house. An Associated Press photo showed a dazed-looking Bhutto being helped away.”

* In response to news that the Senate has struck a deal with the White House on retroactive telecom immunity, senator and presidential hopeful Chris Dodd (D) announced today he would put a hold on the legislation. Dodd notified Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of the decision this afternoon. The block will, at a minimum, delay the bill for quite a while.

* On a related note, want more information about Senate holds? Kagro X has a primer, including an explanation of why senators don’t place more holds on bills all the time.

* For what it’s worth, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) is also thoroughly unhappy about the immunity deal, and implored his colleagues not to “cave” to the White House on “illegal conduct.”

* USAT: “A State Department review of private security guards for diplomats in Iraq is unlikely to recommend firing Blackwater USA over the deaths of 17 Iraqis last month, but the company probably is on the way out of that job, U.S. officials said Wednesday. Blackwater’s work escorting U.S. diplomats outside the protected Green Zone in Baghdad expires in May, one official said, and other officials told the Associated Press they expect the North Carolina company will not continue to work for the embassy after that.” Still, May is seven months off — and Maliki may not want to wait that long.

* This is definitely worth watching: “The head of the Federal Communications Commission has circulated an ambitious plan to relax the decades-old media ownership rules, including repealing a rule that forbids a company to own both a newspaper and a television or radio station in the same city. Kevin J. Martin, chairman of the commission, wants to repeal the rule in the next two months — a plan that, if successful, would be a big victory for some executives of media conglomerates. Among them [is] Rupert Murdoch, who has lobbied against the rule for years so that he can continue controlling both The New York Post and a Fox television station in New York.”

* Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey’s confirmation hearings haven’t had too many speedbumps, but today would have been far more encouraging if he were willing to acknowledge that waterboarding is torture. He wasn’t.

* Speaking of Attorneys General, Murray Waas has another gem at the Huffington Post: “Alberto Gonzales was briefed extensively about a criminal leak investigation despite the fact that he had reason to believe that several individuals under investigation in the matter were potential witnesses against him in separate Justice Department inquiries.”

* Even by the standards of House Republicans, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is surprisingly dumb. He’s such an embarrassment to himself, I almost feel bad for the guy.

* Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) is about as bad.

* The good news is, Hannity was able to get through his interview with Giuliani without drooling on the candidate. The bad news is, Hannity neglected to mention that he’s campaigned for, and raised money for, the candidate. If Fox News had professional ethics, this might pose a problem.

* Phill Kline, now a district attorney for a county in Kansas, looks more and more like Captain Ahab all the time.

* Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s resignation might have a little something to do with the creeping corruption scandal headed towards his office.

* And finally, the military may continue to adhere to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” but somehow, that’s not reflected in the Pentagon’s advertising: “The Army, Navy and Air Force unwittingly advertised for recruits on a website for gays, who are barred from military service if they are open about their sexual orientation. When informed Tuesday by USA TODAY that they were advertising on GLEE.com, a networking website for gay professionals, recruiters expressed surprise and said they would remove the job listings.” Or, as an alternative, they can keep the ad listings in place, and drop DADT. That would make more sense.

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Friday’s Mini-Report

* The aftermath in Pakistan: “Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, her return from exile shattered by a suicide attack that killed up to 136 people, blamed militants Friday for trying to kill her and said she would not “surrender our great nation” to them…. ‘There was one suicide squad from the Taliban elements, one suicide squad from al-Qaida, one suicide squad from Pakistani Taliban and a fourth group, I believe, from Karachi,’ she in a news conference.”

* This ought to be interesting: “A U.S. magistrate on Friday rejected arguments by the Bush administration and urged a federal judge to order the White House to preserve copies of all its e-mails. U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola said it is necessary to hold out the threat of a contempt-of-court citation to ensure that White House personnel safeguard backup tapes of electronic messages that may have been deleted. Whether to issue the order is up to U.S. District Judge Henry Kennedy. The Bush administration has 10 days to say why Kennedy should not order preservation of electronic communications by White House officials and aides.”

* Chris Dodd says he will filibuster the FISA bill, if it reaches the floor with telecom immunity, and if the Senate leadership moves forward with the bill despite his plan to put a hold on the legislation.

* I’ll have plenty on the Values Voter Summit tomorrow, but in the meantime, this seems newsworthy: “At the FRC gathering today, Fred Thompson approvingly quoted the words of one Andrew Roberts, a right-wing British historian who has been hosted at the White House by President Bush and has dined with Vice President Cheney and Karl Rove — and whose writings are quite literally an apologia for 19th and early 20th-century imperialism, concentration camps, and massacres of indigenous peoples.”

* I’m glad to see Obama stepping up on this: “In a letter today, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) urged the acting attorney general to fire voting rights section chief John Tanner. Citing Tanner’s remarks earlier this month that ‘minorities don’t become elderly the way white people do: They die first,’ Obama wrote that ‘Through his inexcusable comments, Mr. Tanner has clearly demonstrated that he possesses neither the character nor the judgment to be heading the Voting Rights Section.’ He concluded: ‘For that reason, I respectfully request that you remove him from his position.’”

* The Pentagon is still trying to explain why several nuclear warheads were recently transported across the country by mistake.

* The stock market looked pretty scary today.

* The GOP hissy fit notwithstanding, Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) isn’t going to apologize: “I may have dishonored the commander in chief, but I think he’s done pretty well to dishonor himself without any help from me…. The fact is that I do support the troops in Iraq. They’re there fighting to protect our children here. I think (Republicans) owe the troops in Iraq an apology for not protecting the children that those troops left behind.”

* Rush Limbaugh apparently doesn’t listen to his own show.

* The punishment isn’t as severe as I’d like, but the FCC did come down on Armstrong Williams and Sinclair: “The Federal Communications Commission issued a citation on Thursday against a conservative commentator for promoting the Bush administration’s education plan without disclosing that he had been paid to do so. The commentator, Armstrong Williams, whose firm was also cited, was not subject to any fines for a first violation of F.C.C. rules, because he and his company are not broadcasters. But the agency said it had fined two broadcasting companies, including the Sinclair Broadcast Group, for putting on the air programs distributed by Mr. Williams and his company, the Graham Williams group, without properly disclosing who had sponsored them.”

* Henry Waxman isn’t done with Blackwater yet.

* It sounds like something out of a science fiction movie: “[M]any advanced military weapons are essentially robotic — picking targets out automatically, slewing into position, and waiting only for a human to pull the trigger. Most of the time. Once in a while, though, these machines start firing mysteriously on their own. The South African National Defence Force ‘is probing whether a software glitch led to an antiaircraft cannon malfunction that killed nine soldiers and seriously injured 14 others during a shooting exercise on Friday.’”

* Oh my: “James D. Watson, who shared the 1962 Nobel prize for deciphering the double-helix of DNA, apologized ‘unreservedly’ yesterday for comments reported this week suggesting that black people, over all, are not as intelligent as whites. In an interview published Sunday in The Times of London, Dr. Watson is quoted as saying that while ‘there are many people of color who are very talented,” he is “inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa.’ … ‘All our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours — whereas all the testing says not really.’” Watson apologized, but would not say whether he was misquoted.

* For every instance that the right doesn’t question our patriotism, there’s an example of the right questioning our patriotism.

* And finally, if you’re like me, you’ll be pleased to know that Comedy Central has extended Jon Stewart’s contract, and the host of The Daily Show will be on for at least another three years. For a fake-news show, it’s the most informative thing on TV.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rep. Bobby Jindal (R) won Louisiana’s gubernatorial election on Saturday, easily cruising past a wide-open field. In his second run for the office, Jindal garnered 54% of the vote, enough to avoid a run-off, and well ahead of his closest competitor, Democrat Walter Boasso, who had 18%. Jindal, the son of Indian immigrants, will be the nation’s youngest sitting governor (he’s 36), and is Louisiana’s first non-white governor since Reconstruction.

* Chris Dodd, hoping for a strong showing in Iowa, is moving into the Hawkeye State with his family for the next few months. According to an LAT report, “The Dodd family has rented a house in Des Moines for the duration to be closer to the prairie campaign scene… His wife, Jackie Clegg Dodd, is moving to the Midwest too, along with their two daughters, 6-year-old Grace and 2-year-old Christina. They’ve even enrolled Grace in kindergarten.”

* Barack Obama unveiled his latest campaign commercial, called “Conventional,” which will begin airing in New Hampshire today. In the spot, his third, Obama tells a small roomful of people, “We are a beacon of light around the world. At least that’s what we can be again. That’s what we should be again. When we break out of the conventional thinking and we start reaching out to friend and foe alike, then I am absolutely confident that we can restore America’s leadership in the world. We’re going to lead with our values and our ideals by deed and by example. I want to go before the world and say America’s back. America is back.”

* Speaking of new ads, Bill Richardson unveiled a new spot today, called “Only One,” emphasizing the governor’s work as a diplomat. The ad features Kathy Daliberti, wife of former hostage Dave Daliberti, saying, “He’s the only one that was willing to, to leave his family, his wife behind, travel to a dangerous section of the world, for two men he didn’t even know.”

* AP: “Republican Party leaders on Monday recommended punishing five states for shifting their nomination contests earlier, moving to strip New Hampshire, Florida, South Carolina, Michigan and Wyoming of half their delegates.” Said Mike Duncan, chairman of the Republican National Committee, “It’s very important that our party uphold and enforce the rules that we unanimously voted into place at the Republican National Convention in 2004.”

* In Michigan, Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Lt. Gov. John Cherry have announced that they will endorse Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.

* Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) announced late last week that he will run for re-election next year, despite a brain aneurysm that kept Johnson from serving for much of the year. “After months of rehabilitation and recovery, more than a month on the job in Washington and after my recent trips back to South Dakota it is clear, to my family, my doctors, and me that I am able to do the hard work required of a United States Senator,” Johnson said in a statement. “I have said before that I wanted to take this second chance at life and focus even harder on being the best advocate I can for the people of South Dakota. Today I am asking South Dakotans to give me the chance to give back to them by announcing that I will run for reelection in 2008.”

* And Mike Gravel fans will be disappointed to learn that the former senator is not welcome at next week’s Democratic debate in Philadelphia: NBC News, sponsor of the two-hour debate along with the Democratic National Committee, said the former Alaska senator did not meet fundraising and polling requirements for the forum, which will be broadcast on MSNBC.” Gravel had $17,000 on hand as of the end of the third quarter.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Almost immediately after Bush asked for more Iraq money from Congress, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told the White House not to expect lawmakers to “rubber-stamp” the latest request. “In the coming weeks, we will hold it up to the light of day and fight for the change of strategy and redeployment of troops that is long overdue,” Reid said. Reid also compared this funding request to the recent S-CHIP veto. “It’s no wonder the American people are frustrated,” Reid said. “We’ve been fighting for America’s priorities, while the president continues investing only in his failed war strategy. He wants us to come up with another $200 billion and just sign off on it — that’s what he said today.”

* Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) today became the first senator to announce that he will not support Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey. “We need an attorney general who does not believe the president has unlimited power,” Sanders said. “We need an attorney general who understands that torture is not what this country is about, and we need an attorney general who clearly understands the separation of powers inherent in our Constitution. Unfortunately, it is clear that Mr. Mukasey is not that person.”

* OBL is apparently popping off again: “Osama bin Laden called on insurgent groups in Iraq to unify their ranks in an audio recording aired by Al Jazeera television on Monday. ‘Some of you have been lax in one duty, which is to unite your ranks,’ bin Laden purportedly said in the audiotape. ‘Beware of division…. The Muslim world is waiting for you to gather under one banner.’” He sounds a little desperate.

* Henry Waxman is still all over Blackwater, arguing today that the private security company “may have engaged in significant tax evasion.” At issue is the company’s decision to treat an armed guard as an “independent contractor,” thus neglecting to pay payroll taxes for which it is legally responsible. Waxman charges that “it now appears that Blackwater used this illegal scheme to avoid millions of dollars in taxes and then prevented the security guard who discovered the tax evasion from contacting members of Congress or law enforcement officials.”

* Speaking of Blackwater, the company is apparently aware of its public-relations problems, and has decided to make a move — by changing its logo. Instead of “a bear’s paw print in a red crosshairs, under lettering that looks to have been ripped from a fifth of Jim Beam,” Blackwater “has undergone a publicity-conscious, corporate scrubbing.” (Note to Blackwater: I don’t think a new logo is going to help you keep your Iraq contract.)

* And speaking of logos, the CIA’s new “Terrorist Buster” icon looks awfully similar to the “Ghostbusters” logo from 20 years ago.

* The WaPo had a good item today on the dangerous precedent set by the telecom immunity deal working its way through Congress. “Legal experts say the granting of such retroactive immunity by Congress is unusual, particularly in a case involving private companies…. ‘It’s particularly unusual in the case of the telecoms because you don’t really know what you’re immunizing,’ said Louis Fisher, a specialist in constitutional law with the Law Library of the Library of Congress. ‘You don’t know what you’re cleaning up.’”

* Media Matters took a closer look at the AP’s coverage of the controversy surrounding Rush Limbaugh’s “phony soldiers” comments. MM wasn’t impressed.

* Freedom Watch vs. Freedom’s Watch: “Halloween could turn out to be scarier than usual for some in Bushworld. Larry Klayman, the government watchdog who haunted the Clinton administration, has a little trick-or-treat planned for this one, too. Klayman has sued supporters of President Bush for using Freedom’s Watch as the name of a new advocacy group running commercials on behalf of the Iraq war. Klayman registered the name Freedom Watch with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2004, and he claims the Bush backers ripped him off.” Klayman has a trial date and is set to start depositions on Halloween.

* Good NYT editorial today on immigration policy: “The new demagogues are united in their zeal to uproot the illegal population. They do not discriminate between criminals and the much larger group of ambitious strivers. They champion misguided policies, like a mythically airtight border fence and a reckless campaign of home invasions. And they summon the worst of America’s past by treating a hidden group of vulnerable people as an enemy to be hated and vanquished, not as part of a problem to be managed.”

* How bad was last week on the Hill? Brian Beutler makes the case that it was really bad, with Dems making a few too many mistakes.

* And finally, some clever folks at People for the American Way have come up with an ingenious little Facebook parody. It’s called “Right Wing Facebook.” Nicely done.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Politico: “The Obama campaign has scheduled a conference call with campaign manager David Plouffe and other top aides to re-assure gay donors and other backers who are angry at the inclusion of a gospel singer hostile to homosexuality, Donnie McClurken, in Obama’s South Carolina gospel tour, one supporter advised of the call said. ‘They’re trying to put out the fire,’ said the gay Obama supporter of the call planned for this evening. He said he hoped heads would roll. ‘Somebody made the decision [to include McClurken] and somebody approved the decision,’ the supporter said. ‘The question is, Will he hold someone accountable?’”

* Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are trading fire over Iran policy, but mainly through the mail. Over the weekend, Clinton, apparently concerned about the issue, did a major mailing in Iowa about her position, saying her vote on Kyl-Lieberman was not an endorsement for military action. Obama sent out his own mailing on the issue today, which read in part, “Why is this amendment so dangerous? Because George Bush and Dick Cheney could use this language to justify keeping our troops in Iraq as long as they can point to a threat from Iran. And because they could use this language to justify an attack on Iran as a part of the ongoing war in Iraq.”

* It will probably be wrapping up shortly, but FireDogLake is hosting an online chat with Chris Dodd this morning, and he’ll be fielding questions live from bloggers and blog commenters.

* Rep. Tom Davis (R), up until recently a top contender in Virginia’s open U.S. Senate race, apparently doesn’t want to lose to former Gov. Mark Warner (D). Davis will reportedly announce later this week that he will not run for the seat, but will instead seek re-election to the House. With Davis out, former Gov. James Gilmore (R) is expected to be the Republican candidate next fall.

* Speaking of Senate withdrawals, Texan Mikal Watts, a leading candidate to take on Sen. John Cornyn (R) next year, bowed out this morning. Watts, who has three young children, said in a statement, “After spending the last several months putting everything into this campaign, I have seen the toll this effort has taken on my young children. For these reasons, my wife and I have made the decision that I will not be seeking the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate in 2008.” With Watts out, state Rep. Rick Noriega is the likely Democratic candidate for the statewide race.

* All of a sudden, Giuliani is opposed to gay marriage, but in August 2001, after the mayor’s infidelity got him thrown out of Gracie Mansion, Giuliani moved in with a gay couple, Howard Koeppel and his partner, Mark Hsiao. Giuliani reportedly told Koeppel that “if they ever legalized gay marriages, we would be the first one he would do.”

* Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), an unheralded hero on many progressive issues, has drawn a challenger for next year’s re-election fight: businesswoman Anne Evans Estabrook.

* Bill Richardson is facing renewed criticism for his ongoing support of Don Imus. “Despite Imus’ history of on-air racial blunders, Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico and Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona said they would return to Imus’ show, saying the talker deserves a second chance.” Markos isn’t going for it.

* I can’t vouch for her veracity, so I’m just passing this along: “In Shirley MacLaine’s new book, the actress and longtime friend of Dennis Kucinich makes an interesting claim: During a visit to her home in Washington state, Kucinich said he saw a UFO and heard messages from it. ‘Dennis found his encounter extremely moving,’ MacLaine writes…. ‘It hovered, soundless, for 10 minutes or so, and sped away with a speed he couldn’t comprehend. He said he felt a connection in his heart and heard directions in his mind.’”

* Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist endorsed Fred Thompson’s presidential campaign yesterday. Chances are, no one cares.

* And Mike Huckabee has won the coveted Chuck Norris endorsement. “Like our Founding Fathers, he’s not afraid to stand up for a Creator and against secularist beliefs,” the martial-arts actor said. Huckabee’s campaign did not have a public comment on the endorsement.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* A fourth brutal day in Southern California: “The devastating wildfires in Southern California have caused at least $1 billion in damage in San Diego County alone, officials said Wednesday, as easing wind gave firefighters hope that they could begin to gain ground against the flames…. The announcement of San Diego’s staggering losses came as President Bush signed a major disaster declaration for California in the wake of the wildfires that have charred about 426,000 acres, or about 665 square miles.”

* On a related note, the right has decided to begin trying to assign blame for the wildfires. Fox News, for example, has decided that al Qaeda might be responsible. No, I’m not kidding.

* CNN’s Glenn Beck, apparently going all out to win the award for dumbest television personality, blamed the fires on the “damn environmentalists” and their “bad environmental policies.” To bolster his “argument” (I use the word loosely), Beck chatted with R.J. Smith of the Exxon-funded Competitive Enterprise Institute, and Chris Horner, author of the Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming and Environmentalism. Remember, CNN pays this guy to go on the air every day.

* This should be all manner of fun: “After years of ignoring congressional letters and rejecting requests for testimony, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has finally agreed to subject herself to a grilling before Henry Waxman (D-CA) and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee…. Rice still appears unwilling to speak candidly. According to a State Department official, she will balk at discussing ‘the administration’s use of intelligence before the Iraq war and the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame,’ though she’s ‘more willing to discuss department policies implemented during her tenure as Secretary of State.’ How gracious.”

* The Blackwater scandal has apparently claimed its first administration victim. Richard Griffin, the State Department’s top diplomatic security official, has agreed to resign. A month ago, Griffin was asked by a House committee to explain why State helped Blackwater evacuate a contractor who’d drunkenly killed an Iraqi vice president’s bodyguard. He refused to offer an explanation.

* Remember the “don’t tase me, bro” incident from last month? “State investigation finds University of Florida police were justified in using taser in that much-publicized incident during a John Kerry speech.”

* Ackerman: “The metaphorical statue of L. Paul Bremer III has come crashing down. Today the Iraqi government formally revoked one of the Coalition Provisional Authority’s enduring vestiges — a decree of immunity from prosecution in Iraqi courts for U.S. security contractors.”

* A day after Bush talked tough about missile defense, his Pentagon chief went in a very different direction: “Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, seeking to mollify Moscow, gave the clearest sign yet yesterday that the United States might delay the activation of missile defense sites in Eastern Europe - even as President Bush pleaded with Congress to fully finance the plan to fill what he called an urgent need for European missile defense.” A few hours earlier, Bush said the time for a shield in Europe was now.

* Politco: “The first major bill that will reach the president’s desk after the SCHIP veto is most likely going to be … SCHIP. Call it the sequel. Democrats are already working on minor tweaks to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program legislation and plan to consider it again in the House by the end of this week.”

* Juan Cole: “The Bush administration once imagined that its presence in Afghanistan and Iraq would be anchored by friendly neighbors, Turkey to the west and Pakistan to the east. Last week, as the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan continued to deteriorate, the anchors themselves also came loose.”

* Bush has plans for Cuba: “President Bush is planning to issue a stern warning Wednesday that the United States will not accept a political transition in Cuba in which power changes from one Castro brother to another, rather than to the Cuban people…. In effect, the speech will be a call for Cubans to continue to resist, a particularly strong line coming from an American president. He is expected to say to the Cuban military and police, ‘There is a place for you in a new Cuba.’”

* Several media personalities really don’t like it when people talk about Rudy Giuliani’s scandalous personal life. The Clintons’ personal life is, however, fair game. Odd.

* Quote of the Day: “I took a city that was full of pornography and licked it to a large extent” - Rudy Giuliani.

* And finally, in the midst of the disaster in Southern California, former Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Michael Brown issued a press release to news outlets announcing he is “available for interviews” to discuss the wildfire crisis. Brown “can offer advice to residents and businesses on proper relief and recovery efforts and provide suggestions for future disaster preparedness,” the press release states. It’s a shame The Daily Show took this week off, isn’t it?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Let there by no doubt that Hillary Clinton plans to fight hard to win Iowa, and possibly land a knock-out punch: “Sources tell First Read the Clinton campaign is making a push to significantly step up their efforts in Iowa. They are aiming to add more 100 paid staff in the Hawkeye State by Nov. 1.” Adding 100 staffers to the existing team would be considerable — according to an analysis by the Des Moines Register, Obama has 145 paid staffers in Iowa, Edwards has 130, and Clinton has 117.

* Joe Biden, whose history of questionable language on race hasn’t done his presidential campaign any favors, appears to have stuck his foot in his mouth again, this time during an interview with the Washington Post editorial board. The Delaware senator certainly implied that DC’s large African-American population is responsible for the city’s struggling school system. “There’s less than 1 percent of the population of Iowa that is African American,” Biden said. “There is probably less than 4 or 5 percent that are minorities. What is in Washington? So look, it goes back to what you start off with, what you’re dealing with.” His campaign scrambled to insist he was referring to socio-economic support systems.

* Chris Dodd unveiled a new TV ad yesterday, a lighthearted spot set in an Iowa barbershop, which emphasizes all the work the senator’s done that turned his hair white. If you listen carefully at the very end of the ad, you can hear a not-so-subtle shot at the flap surrounding John Edwards’ haircut, which may or may not rub people the wrong way.

* Much to my surprise, Mike Huckabee’s campaign ended up getting enough questions about a recent debate mistake that it had to issue a formal response. On Sunday, Huckabee claimed “most” of the Founding Fathers who signed the Declaration of Independence were ministers, when in fact, only one out of 56 were. Yesterday, the former governor said, “While I do appreciate the interest and media attention that my comments sparked, I believe it’s critically important to remember history in its proper context — and not to extract the lessons that we may hope to portend. Ours is, and was, and hopefully will always be, ‘One Nation under God.’”

* John McCain told some New Hampshire workers at a small weapons factory that he not only wants to catch Osama Bin Laden if elected, but said he “will shoot him with your products.” He later told reporters, “I certainly didn’t mean I would actually shoot him. I am certainly angry at him, but I was only speaking in a way that was trying to emphasize my point.” (Several conservative bloggers criticized McCain for backpedaling.)

* Yesterday afternoon, the Obama campaign changed its website to start organizing volunteers to help respond to the California wildfires. Shortly thereafter, the other leading Democratic campaigns followed suit.

* Politico: “A newly formed political action committee is aiming to stop Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary by calling into question her progressive credentials. ‘We think there are other Democratic presidential candidates who are both more progressive and have a better chance of beating the Republicans than she does,’ said the president of Democratic Courage, Glenn Hurowitz. He declined to tip his hand on the group’s case against Clinton, but said the PAC plans a paid media campaign in the early primary states to make its position clear.”

* This would be a very big surprise: “Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) is considering endorsing Rudy Giuliani for the GOP presidential nomination and will meet with him Thursday in Washington to hear his views on abortion.” Brownback has also met with McCain.

* And finally, Fred Thompson’s habit of losing aides continued this week when media consultant Nelson Warfield left the campaign, and Dan Hughes, a top backer of Thompson in New Hampshire, decided to give up on Thompson and join McCain’s team. Asked to comment on the departures, the candidate said, “You know, the campaign can address that. I can’t really address who’s doing — and who was doing — exactly what at every level of this campaign.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* All things considered, I’d consider today’s hearing a success: “House Democrats on Thursday accused Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of grossly mismanaging diplomatic efforts in Iraq and concealing information from Congress. The charges put a visibly frustrated Rice on the defensive. At a hearing by a congressional watchdog committee, Democratic lawmakers said the State Department under Rice had been too lax with armed security contractors, ignored corruption at the highest levels of the Iraqi government and was sloppy in overseeing construction of the costly new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. ‘I think there was a huge gap between what she said and reality,’ said Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.”

* There’s progress in Southern California, but the fires burn on: “The Santa Ana winds that helped fires explode across Southern California were dying down Thursday, but the fight was far from over: Despite a massive aerial assault, several blazes remained far from containment as flames drew perilously close to thousands of homes.”

* The White House acted today to make the Kyl-Lieberman amendment U.S. policy: “The United States announced harsh new penalties on the Iranian military and state-owned banking systems Thursday, raising pressure on the world financial system to cut ties with a regime the West accuses of bankrolling terrorism and seeking a nuclear bomb. The U.S. sanctions on elements of Iran’s vast armed forces and its largest bank are the most sweeping since 1979, when the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran ruptured diplomatic, business and military ties. The sanctions are the first of their type imposed by the United States specifically against the armed forces of another government.”

* I don’t usually think of House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) as a progressive champion, but he said some very encouraging things today about retroactive telecom immunity: “Simply stated, it would be grossly irresponsible for Congress to grant blanket immunity for companies without even knowing whether their conduct was legal or not.”

* On a related note, the “hostage” standoff may be improving: “The White House will allow leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee to access documents on the Bush administration’s secret spying program, in an effort to win their support for retroactive legal protections covering the telecommunications firms that participated in the program, Democrats said Thursday.”

* The Republicans’ filibuster of the DREAM Act really didn’t make any sense at all, and only punishes kids for their parent’s decisions: “A bill to grant legal status to illegal immigrants who are high school graduates was defeated Wednesday in a test vote in the Senate, significantly dimming the prospects for any major immigration legislation this year.” The majority got 52 votes, eight short of bringing the measure up for a vote. If this bill can’t pass, no immigration bill can.

* Once in a while, O’Reilly makes me laugh: “During the October 24 edition of his Fox News show, Bill O’Reilly asserted: ‘it seems to me, and the studies indicate, that most teachers — high school and college in the United States — are left-wingers. That they bring in a [sic] anti-American viewpoint to the sense that they don’t preach about the nobility of America, they teach about the deficits. Now, I think you have to teach both.’” I’m curious, what “studies” might O’Reilly be referring to?

* A new LAT/Bloomberg poll shows public attitudes about healthcare policy, which seem to lean in a progressive direction, but as Kevin Drum explained, the results are really a garbled mess.

* Reuters: “Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice admitted Wednesday that the United States had mishandled the case of a Canadian [Maher Arar] who was deported to Syria and who has said he was tortured there, but she stopped short of an apology…. ‘We do not think that this case was handled as it should have been,’ Ms. Rice told the House Foreign Affairs Committee. ‘We do absolutely not wish to transfer anyone to any place in which they might be tortured.’”

* There have been several developments in the Scott Beauchamp story. John Cole runs down the details, while Greg Sargent notes that Army officials have acknowledged they’re investigating the leak of private materials to Drudge.

* Senate Dems, most notably Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), want to see the testimony CDC Director Julie L. Gerberding was going to give before the White House “eviscerated” it.

* The Bush administration spent $8 million to train 500 Iraqi government employees in various ministries to use a computerized accounting system. The Finance Ministry refused to drop its paper spreadsheets.

* Say what you will about the House of Representatives, but the chamber sure does hold a lot of votes.

* Rick Santorum is now a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer. What liberal media?

* Rosa Brooks: “Forget impeachment. Liberals, put it behind you. George W. Bush and Dick Cheney shouldn’t be treated like criminals who deserve punishment. They should be treated like psychotics who need treatment. Because they’ve clearly gone mad. Exhibit A: We’re in the middle of a disastrous war in Iraq, the military and political situation in Afghanistan is steadily worsening, and the administration’s interrogation and detention tactics have inflamed anti-Americanism and fueled extremist movements around the globe. Sane people, confronting such a situation, do their best to tamp down tensions, rebuild shattered alliances, find common ground with hostile parties and give our military a little breathing space. But crazy people? They look around and decide it’s a great time to start another war.”

* And finally, yesterday, Dick Cheney literally fell asleep during a cabinet meeting. The day after tomorrow, he’ll be wielding a shotgun. I hope his hunting partners keep a nice, healthy distance.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* John McCain’s new “tied up” commercial is drawing fire from an unexpected source: Fox News. Because the senator used footage from a Fox News debate as the basis for the commercial, the Republican network has ordered the McCain campaign to cancel the new ad before it reaches airwaves. The campaign has rejected the network’s claim, arguing “fair use.” Fox News executives say they have faxed a cease and desist letter to McCain’s campaign. Stay tuned.

* With most of the Democratic field already having unveiled healthcare plans, Joe Biden and Dennis Kucinich joined in yesterday, sketching out two very different forums sponsored at the Kaiser Family Foundation. As expected, Kucinich articulated a single-payer, not-for-profit system. Biden focused on a policy focusing on catastrophic medical bills and expanding S-CHIP to cover every child in America. Biden concedes that, unlike the other Dems, his plan is not a mandate for universal health care.

* In the ongoing story about Barack Obama’s gospel concerts in South Carolina, the campaign issued an open letter from 16 leaders from the gay rights and religious communities. The argument, in a nutshell, is that Obama is reaching out and bringing together people who have very different theological beliefs: “We believe that Barack Obama is constructing a tent big enough for LGBT Americans who know that their sexual orientation is an innate and treasured part of their being, and for African-American ministers and citizens who believe that their religion prevents them from fully embracing their gay brothers and sisters. And if we are to confront our shared challenges, we have to join together, build on common ground and engage in a civil dialogue even when we disagree.” From what I hear, critics who wanted McClurkin to get the boot aren’t satisfied.

* Chris Dodd fans will be glad to know that the Connecticut senator will be on Meet the Press this weekend, getting the full hour.

* Hillary Clinton’s campaign will get a $1 million boost tonight, at a 60th birthday party in New York City, hosted by Billy Crystal. The event follows a similar party hosted by Rob Reiner in Los Angeles a few days ago, which brought in $500,000.

* As of now, it looks like the Iowa Democratic Party will hold its presidential caucuses on Jan. 3, the same day as Iowa Republicans (who urged Dems to pick the same date). The NYT reported, “The state central committee of the Iowa Democratic Party will convene Sunday evening by telephone to set the official date of the party’s caucuses, Carrie Giddins, a party spokeswoman, said Thursday.” Still no word on what New Hampshire might do.

* There was a flurry of attention yesterday when the AP reported, “Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama says Al Gore would play a key role in his administration if he wants one, but he won’t say whether he’d ask him to be his running mate.” A New Hampshire voter asked the senator about naming Gore as his running mate before the nomination is decided “as a way to take the wind out of Hillary’s sails.” Obama responded that Gore would be involved in his administration in a “very senior capacity, if he’s willing” but joked, “I will also be honest with you: having won the Nobel Peace Prize and an Oscar, being vice president again would probably be a step down for him.” I suspect most of the Democratic field would probably offer the same answer.

* And Rep. Michael McNulty (D-N.Y.) is reportedly set to announce that he will retire next year. It’s a very Democratic district, which is not expected to be a GOP pick-up opportunity, though local observers expect a tough primary fight. McNulty is the first House Dem to announce his retirement this cycle, though two (Colorado’s Mark Udall and Maine’s Tom Allen) are running for the Senate.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Some welcome relief for our friends in Southern California: “Cool, damp weather moved into Southern California from the Pacific Ocean on Friday boosting efforts to beat down stubborn wildfires, while weary families returned to find many homes unscathed but hundreds of others burned to rubble. After six days of relentless blazes from Los Angeles to the Mexican border, most of the raging fires had either been doused or brought under relative control as the emergency turned to the long business of recovery.”

* Late yesterday afternoon, the House held its latest vote on S-CHIP, with revisions intended to draw increased Republican support. The bill passed 265 to 142, less than the two-thirds needed to override a veto, and with one fewer Republican votes than the last vote.

* No matter what Congress does next on S-CHIP, Bush vowed today to stick to his veto.

* Remember when White House chief of staff Josh Bolten and former counsel Harriet Miers blew off a House Judiciary Committee subpoena relating to the U.S. Attorney firings? The committee passed resolutions in July authorizing contempt citations, and apparently, there’s renewed interest in actually following up on the matter.

* The suspected nuclear site in Syria, bombed last month during an Israeli airstrike, has been cleaned up incredibly quickly by Syrian officials. The building has, in fact, “been dismantled down to the last brick.” One expert noted, “They are clearly trying to hide the evidence.”

* At least Larry Craig’s defenses are getting more creative: “Craig is now taking yet another path in his quest to legally absolve himself: He is legally arguing that the law under which he was arrested and subsequently pled guilty to disorderly conduct in a men’s room is in fact unconstitutional. This puts Craig with an odd ally for a conservative Republican: The ACLU, who argued in an amicus brief that foot-tapping and hand gestures alone, absent a real sexual act, were protected by the First Amendment.”

* Good news out of Georgia: “The Georgia Supreme Court on Friday ordered the release of Genarlow Wilson, the Douglas County man who has been serving a controversial 10-year sentence for having consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl when he was 17. The court’s 4-3 decision upholds a Monroe County judge’s ruling that the sentence constituted cruel and unusual punishment under both the Georgia and U.S. constitutions.”

* NYT: “James D. Watson, the eminent biologist who ignited an uproar last week with remarks about the intelligence of people of African descent, retired yesterday as chancellor of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island, and from its board…. Dr. Watson, who has long had a reputation for challenging scientific orthodoxy and for sometimes incendiary off-the-cuff remarks, became a center of controversy last week after he was quoted in The Times of London as suggesting that, over all, people of African descent are not as intelligent as people of European descent.”

* WaPo: “A U.S. military strike against Iran would have dire consequences in petroleum markets, say a variety of oil industry experts, many of whom think the prospect of pandemonium in those markets makes U.S. military action unlikely despite escalating economic sanctions imposed by the Bush administration. The small amount of excess oil production capacity worldwide would provide an insufficient cushion if armed conflict disrupted supplies, oil experts say, and petroleum prices would skyrocket. Moreover, a wounded or angry Iran could easily retaliate against oil facilities from southern Iraq to the Strait of Hormuz.”

* As some kind of counter-terrorism precaution, Pennsylvania will not publish a list of state polling places. How very odd.

* House Ways and Means Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) seems to have successfully shaken up Capitol Hill with “the mother of all [tax] reforms.”

* Last week, Henry Waxman charged Blackwater with possibly illegally dodging payroll taxes. Today, Sens. Obama, Durbin, and Kerry followed up, seeking a federal investigation.

* Culture of corruption watch, Part I: “A federal grand jury investigating California GOP Rep. John Doolittle’s ties to jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff has subpoenaed the House official responsible for maintaining lawmakers’ old e-mails and other records.”

* Culture of corruption watch, Part II: How rough are things for Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)? His lawyer told a reporter, “By the time somebody comes to me, they are pretty far up the creek. The good thing is they will pay almost anything.” Ouch.

* Bill O’Reilly, apparently in all seriousness, told his Fox News audience that he has a problem with “tolerance” for gays, and is bothered by the notion of “parity for homosexuals with heterosexuals.” No, I don’t know what he’s talking about, either.

* I’ll concede that I stopped following the Scott Thomas Beauchamp “controversy” quite a while ago. I was waiting for the right to get the proverbial smoking gun, proving that Beauchamp’s articles were wrong, but the evidence never quite came together. Today, TNR offered its latest update and the story, and it’s pretty persuasive.

* And finally, I didn’t realize it, but apparently there’s a burgeoning cottage industry devoted to clocks that count the remaining days, hours, minutes, and seconds left in Bush’s presidency. In fact, McClatchy described this as part of a “booming anti-Bush paraphernalia industry that seems to grow as Bush’s time in office shrinks.” Said one entrepreneur who has sold nearly 40,000 countdown clocks, “Personally, I’ll be ecstatic not having Bush in the White House, but our business will fall off a bit. It’s a price I’m willing to pay.” For the record, there are 451 days left.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* News consumers who feel like Hillary Clinton is dominating the media’s coverage of the presidential campaign happen to be right: “Hillary Clinton has drawn nearly twice as much media coverage as any Republican presidential candidate, making her the dominant figure in the race. But that coverage is more negative than positive, a new study says, in part because the former first lady is such an object of revulsion on conservative talk radio. In the first five months of the year, says the Project for Excellence in Journalism, 17 percent of the stories were about Clinton, followed by Barack Obama (14 percent), Rudy Giuliani (9 percent), John McCain (7 percent) and Mitt Romney (5 percent). Everyone else was a relative blip.”

* You can write this in your calendars, but use a pencil: “Iowa Democrats voted to move their caucuses from Jan. 14 to Jan. 3, the date the state’s Republicans decided on earlier this month. And what about New Hampshire’s primary? Secretary of State William Gardner has said he is determined to maintain the state’s first-in-the-nation status. Last week he said he was leaning toward Jan. 8.”

* Chris Dodd became the second senator to announce that he will oppose Michael Mukasey’s nomination as Attorney General.

* Mitt Romney, hoping to shore up additional support in New Hampshire, will get a bit of a boost with an endorsement from Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) today. As CNN noted, “Gregg is the Granite State’s senior U.S. senator, and served as governor before heading to Capitol Hill.”

* On CNN yesterday, Mike Huckabee stood by his previous comments, describing legalized abortion as the equivalent of a Holocaust. “I think it is,” Huckabee said. “I don’t know what else you can call it.”

* John Edwards yesterday described a proposal whereby prescription drug companies would wait two years before advertising new products to consumers: “Outlining a plan to regulate what he views as misleading drug ads, Edwards noted that annual spending on such ads nearly has quadrupled to $4 billion in the decade since the government relaxed rules on advertising directly to consumers.”

* The Florida Democratic Party hosted its annual convention yesterday, but because of its fight with the DNC over the primary calendar, Mike Gravel was the only candidate who showed up.

* Last week, after John McCain used Fox News footage in a campaign ad, the Republican network asked him to stop. TPM noticed that the network didn’t say a word when Rudy Giuliani used Fox News footage in his ads, prompting the network to announce that from now on, no candidate can use footage without permission.

* Rep. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) has said he will not run for New Mexico’s open U.S. Senate seat next year, but he’s apparently under “increasing pressure to reconsider that decision as Democrats have yet to come up with a candidate that can bring the party together.” Asked about the possibility, Udall spokeswoman Marissa Padilla said that “nothing has changed, and Tom Udall is not reconsidering.”

* In one of the more offensive campaigns in recent memory, Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) defeated former Sen. Max Cleland (D), thanks in part to ads comparing the heroic Democratic senator to Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. But might there be some buyer’s remorse? An InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion poll found that Cleland, should he seek a rematch, would be pretty competitive with the incumbent. Chambliss still leads a hypothetical match-up, 36% to 24%, but a whopping 40% would be undecided.

* And in South Carolina over the weekend, John Edwards and comedian Stephen Colbert got into a mock-argument over who was the real “favorite son.” In a statement to reporters, with tongue planted firmly in cheek, the Edwards campaign said, “Stephen Colbert claims to represent a new kind of politics, but today we see he’s participating in the slash and burn politics that has no place in American discourse. The truthiness is, as the candidate of Doritos, Colbert’s hands are stained by corporate corruption and nacho cheese. John Edwards has never taken a dime from salty food lobbyists and America deserves a President who isn’t in the pocket of the snack food special interests.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: “A suicide bomber rode his bicycle into a crowd of police recruits in Baqouba on Monday, killing at least 29 people in a province that has become a battleground among U.S. forces, al-Qaida militants and Shiite radicals. A group of Shiite and Sunni clerics, meanwhile, were rescued one day after they were kidnapped in the capital after meeting with the government to discuss how to coordinate efforts against al-Qaida in Iraq. In a reflection of the extraordinary complexity of Iraq, the U.S. military blamed a Shiite militant for the kidnapping. The military did not reveal its evidence, but has claimed that so-called rogue Shiite groups are doing everything possible to stop Iraqis from joining U.S. forces — even in the fight against the Sunni al-Qaida in Iraq.”

* Speaking of Iraq, guess who’s back in the administration’s good graces? “Ahmad Chalabi, the controversial, ubiquitous Iraqi politician and one-time Bush administration favorite, has re-emerged as a central figure in the latest U.S. strategy for Iraq. His latest job: To press Iraq’s central government to use early security gains from the surge to deliver better electricity, health, education and local security services to Baghdad neighborhoods. That’s the next phase of the surge plan. Until now, the U.S. military, various militias, insurgents and some U.S. backed groups have provided those services without great success.”

* When it comes to the crisis in Darfur, Bush will occasionally talk a good game. Of course, Bush’s promises don’t meet his policies.

* If you missed Glenn Greenwald’s coverage over the weekend of the email(s) he received from Col. Steven A. Boylan, the Public Affairs Officer and personal spokesman for Gen. David G. Petraeus, do yourself a favor and check this out. I could summarize, but I wouldn’t even begin to do the bizarre story justice.

* And then, when you’re done with that, read today’s follow up. It’s a reminder that far too many right-wing bloggers just aren’t very bright.

* I’m not going to get my hopes up, but a surprising number of senators on the Judiciary Committee are saying encouraging things about Michael Mukasey’s A.G. nomination. Most notably, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said that if Mukasey “does not believe that waterboarding is illegal, then that would really put doubts in my own mind.” We’ll see.

* Turkey, in response to Kurdish attacks, sounds increasingly like Bush did in early March 2003. “The moment an operation is needed, we will take that step,” Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told a large flag-waving crowd in Izmit. “We don’t need to ask anyone’s permission.”

* Here’s a story with plenty of potential: “Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is pushing $25 million in earmarked federal funds for a British defense contractor that is under criminal investigation by the U.S. Justice Department and suspected by American diplomats of a ‘longstanding, widespread pattern of bribery allegations.’”

* John Cole articulated a thought today that I’ve had every day for several years: “I am going live with my theory, the only thing I can come up with for the rampant asshattery and thorough idiocy we have witnessed lately from the right-wing blogosphere: They are now working in concert to say as many stupid things as possible so that we are unable to document and mock them all. It is the only thing that makes sense.”

* If you’ve been discouraged at all by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s approach to challenging Bush’s Iraq policy, you’ll be pleased to know that Susan McCue, who held the title of Reid’s chief of staff before leaving to serve as an executive for the ONE Campaign, is returning to consult her former boss. “Rocky had Mick, Reid has McCue,” said Tom Matzzie, Washington director of MoveOn. “This is great news.”

* Why did the Army engage in a selective leak about Scott Thomas Beauchamp to Drudge? The LAT asks some pertinent questions.

* There’s been some talk of late, especially from the Giuliani campaign, about the connection between adoptions and abortions. It’s completely wrong.

* The WaPo did a lengthy story yesterday about Bush being “a generous hugger.” No, I don’t know why the Post published this, either.

* And finally, Jonah Goldberg has been working on a book called “Liberal Fascism” for quite a while, during which time the name of book has changed more than once. But someone hacked the book’s entry on Amazon over the weekend to make an unauthorized change Goldberg probably won’t approve of: “Liberal Fascism: The Totalitarian Temptation from When I Got My Advance Until I Finally Hand in the Manuscript in 2011.” The book’s actual subtitle (pre-hacking), was: “The Secret History of the American Left from Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning.” An earlier subtitle included Hillary Clinton, and still another, Hegel and Whole Foods.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Another step towards instability in Pakistan: “A bomber blew himself up about a quarter-mile from President Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s office Tuesday, killing seven people and deepening Pakistan’s insecurity ahead of crucial elections. Officials said the attacker detonated his explosives among police at a checkpoint in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, just south of the capital, Islamabad.”

* Dems are still trying to figure out what to do with the president’s latest funding request: “Democrats are debating whether to approve $50 billion to $70 billion more for Iraq and Afghanistan, less than half of President Bush’s $196 billion request but enough to keep the wars afloat for a few more months. Such a move would satisfy party members who want to spare the Pentagon from a painful budget dance and show support for the troops as Congress considers its next major step on Iraq. But it also would irritate scores of other Democrats, who want to pay only to bring troops home and who say their leadership is not doing enough to end the war.”

* Mukasey plays dumb: “President Bush’s nominee for attorney general told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that he does not know whether waterboarding is illegal. He pledged to study the matter and to reverse any Justice Department finding that endorses a practice that violates the law or the Constitution. ‘If, after such a review, I determine that any technique is unlawful, I will not hesitate to so advise the president and will rescind or correct any legal opinion of the Department of Justice that supports the use of the technique,’ Michael Mukasey wrote to the committee’s 10 Democrats.”

* The Col. Boylan story unfolds a little more. E&P got an unsolicited, critical email, too? “E&P contacted Boylan for a clarification about the email. Late Monday night he (or someone claiming to be him) replied: ‘I am denying writing and sending it. I know from past experience with Mr. Greenwald that any email exchange with him would be posted to his site as well as there is no need to discuss anything with him. I would only contact him in response to anything he would directly send to me as he did in this case. I have not contacted Mr. Greenwald since this summer’ — until Greenwald asked him to confirm the Sunday email, when ‘I told him it was not mine and I did not send it.’” How very odd.

* It looks like Code Pink played quite a nasty prank on the Politico today.

* It’d be nice if Cheney could go hunting without causing a controversy: “Vice President Dick Cheney spent about eight hours hunting Monday at a secluded Hudson Valley gun club where well-heeled enthusiasts shoot ducks and pheasants. It was Cheney’s second visit to Clove Valley Rod & Gun Club in Dutchess County, about 70 miles north of New York City. The previous trip was in fall 2001. Although a heavy police presence kept the media and curious local residents at a distance, Cheney’s visit did stir up a bit of controversy when a New York Daily News photographer snapped a picture of a small Confederate flag hanging inside a garage on the hunt club property.”

* The White House wants to spend more than $50 billion a year on intelligence activities. Cernig offers some helpful perspective on how that matches up to the rest of the world.

* He’s bound to be better than his predecessor: “President Bush said that retired Army Lt. Gen. James Peake, chosen on Tuesday to head the embattled Veterans Affairs Department, will work to end months-long delays facing hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops trying to get treatment and benefits. The nomination comes as the administration and Congress struggle to resolve some of the worst problems afflicting wounded warriors, such as getting adequate mental health care and disability checks on time.” I don’t know anything about Peake’s background, but I spoke with a few people today who said he’s a reasonably good choice.

* Tony Snow has been on a roll this week: “There is a perceived bias on the part of Fox [News] because it doesn’t treat conservatives like knuckle-dragging morons.”

* Max Blumenthal brought a camera to the Values Voter Summit, hosted by the Family Research Council a couple of weeks ago. He captured the lunacy quite well.

* Remember the “don’t taze me, bro!” student at the University of Florida? Apparently, a little electroshock therapy has apparently done wonders for his disposition.

* Pajama’s Media ran a column today comparing former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer to Moses. Seriously.

* And finally, Atlas Shrugs, a prominent far-right blog, has produced its first music video. It’s even scarier than you might expect — but it’s perfect for Halloween.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* I haven’t seen much in the way of post-debate polls (if there were any), but Frank Luntz’s focus group seemed to think that Barack Obama won last night’s event in Philadelphia.

* In an apparent effort to appear pathetic, Ralph Nader sued the Democratic Party, the Kerry-Edwards 2004 campaign, and affiliated Democratic groups yesterday for “sabotaging” his latest failed presidential bid. He also told reporters yesterday that he would decide later this year whether to launch yet another unsuccessful campaign.

* Former FEMA Director Joe Allbaugh, also known as Bush’s chief of staff in Texas, signed on yesterday as Rudy Giuliani’s “senior adviser on homeland security.” The New York Daily News added, “That Allbaugh is also a board member of the National Rifle Association - a group the ex-mayor once tagged as ‘extremist’ but now embraces as a presidential hopeful - was underscored by campaign aides.”

* Speaking of Giuliani, some news outlets have apparently noticed his whopper about British healthcare in his new radio ad, though reporters are awfully polite about it. The NYT said Giuliani’s bogus claim is “in dispute.” It would have been far more accurate to just say, “It’s wrong.”

* Surprising no one, John Edwards is poised to win the support of the SEIU local in New Hampshire, following an endorsement from the SEIU local in Iowa. He couldn’t pick up the national SEIU, but this is the next best thing.

* Following up on a report from yesterday, Hillary Clinton will oppose Michael Mukasey’s nomination to be Attorney General.

* Rumors abound this morning that Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) may be leaning towards retirement at the end of his term next year. If he does, expect former state Attorney General Mike Moore (D) to make this another possible Democratic pick-up opportunity.

* Rudy Giuliani said some nice things about Mike Huckabee yesterday on Fox News: “I don’t know about running mates, but I sure like having him at the debates, because he makes me laugh. And he has got a nice approach to life. You know, he is a man that is — he has got a happy approach and he has got an optimistic approach to life. And then I — you know, I have great respect for him.” When Huckabee returned the favor later, defending Giuliani’s position on abortion on CNN, speculation about a possible ticket grew.

* Who are the Republican candidates’ leading South Carolina hatchet men, where slander and whisper campaigns seem to make all the difference? TPM runs down the list.

* Is Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in trouble in his re-election fight next year in Kentucky? Maybe. A recent poll showed McConnell receiving less than 50 percent of the vote in head-to-head match-ups with four potential Democratic candidates. Apparently, McConnell is starting to feel a little nervous about his chances.

* Politico: “North Carolina state senator Kay Hagan (D) has decided to challenge Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) after announcing earlier in the month that she would not be running…. Hagan, whose state Senate district covers Greensboro, enters the race as a major underdog. Party officials had attempted to court several other Democrats, including Gov. Mike Easley (D-N.C) and Rep. Brad Miller (D-N.C.), with higher name recognition. Hagan said earlier in the month that she didn’t plan on running, but changed her mind as other potential candidates opted not to run. She will be facing investment banker Jim Neal in the Democratic primary.”

* And after all kinds of kvetching, all eight major Republican presidential candidates have agreed to participate in a CNN/YouTube debate scheduled for November 28 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on Michael Mukasey’s nomination on Tuesday, Nov. 6. If Mukasey doesn’t answer the waterboarding question between now and then, expect the committee to reject the nomination. (It could, conceivably, move on to the floor for full consideration anyway.)

* Malcolm Nance, a veteran of counterterrorism operations in Iraq, has some helpful hints for Mukasey in answering the question. (Hint: waterboarding is torture.)

* Speaking of Mukasey, Brian Beutler raises a good point about the AG nominee’s reluctance to answer the torture question: “Mukasey knows that, as Attorney General, he’ll have to sign off on at least one interrogation technique–call it waterboarding–that he can’t describe, for the record, under oath, as torture. It would constitute an ex ante admission of his own guilt. At this point, being an Attorney General in the Bush administration simply requires breaking the law, and Mukasey, simply by appearing before the Senate, is saying he’s OK with that.”

* It wasn’t easy, but Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates have come to an agreement: “[A]ll State Department security convoys in Iraq will now fall under military control.” The point, obviously, is to bring private security forces like Blackwater “unter tighter supervision.”

* The Consumer Safety Product Commission may not want a larger staff and more authority to keep consumers safe, but House Dems are pushing for the measures anyway.

* In related news: “The government announced an 11th-hour recall Wednesday to warn consumers that fake Halloween teeth sold by the tens of thousands since last year contain excessive amounts of lead.”

* Fox News can relax — the wildfires weren’t started by al Qaeda: “Officials blamed a wildfire that consumed more than 38,000 acres and destroyed 21 homes last week on a boy playing with matches, and said they would ask a prosecutor to consider the case.”

* TPMM: “Mitchell Wade, that other high-profile (alleged) briber of Duke Cunningham, got hit with a $1 million fine from the Federal Election Commission, what the commission calls ‘the second largest penalty ever paid in the 32-year history of the FEC.’”

* Ever wonder why conservative Republicans in Pennsylvania keep supporting Arlen Specter? It may have something to do with the huge earmarks he gives to abstinence groups.

* NYT: “Moments before a Mississippi prisoner was scheduled to die by lethal injection Tuesday evening, the Supreme Court granted him a stay of execution and thus gave a nearly indisputable indication that a majority intends to block all executions until the court decides a lethal injection case from Kentucky next spring. There were two dissenters, Justices Antonin Scalia and Samuel A. Alito Jr., but neither they nor the majority gave reasons for their positions.” The prisoner was 19 minutes away from execution, and had already eaten his last meal.

* In related news: “Serious problems in state death penalty systems compromise fairness and accuracy in capital punishment cases and justify a nationwide freeze on executions, the American Bar Association says. Problems cited in a report released Sunday by the lawyers’ organization include: spotty collection and preservation of DNA evidence, which has been used to exonerate more than 200 inmates; misidentification by eyewitnesses; false confessions from defendants; and persistent racial disparities that make death sentences more likely when victims are white.” (thanks to reader W.E. for the tip)

* Karl Rove is still trying to spin (and demagogue his way out of) the fiasco at Tora Bora several years ago: “The U.S. military and U.S. intelligence agencies made every effort possible to get Osama bin Laden. I don’t think it reflects well on our intelligence and military services to suggest they didn’t.” Rove is cravenly wrong.

* According to former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson, Dick Cheney doesn’t like poor people: “A proposal to help the poor or sick would be presented at a White House meeting, but Vice President Cheney’s office or the budget team or some other skeptical officials would shoot it down. Too expensive. Wrong priority.”

* On Capitol Hill today, smoke alarms led to an evacuation of the Hart and Dirksen Senate Office Buildings this afternoon, but it appears that it was only a small basement fire that was quickly extinguished.

* Would you believe the Col. Boylan controversy continues to escalate?

* Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, wrote an op-ed defending telecom immunity today. It’s not persuasive.

* And finally, CNN’s Glenn Beck makes another move for the dumbest-person-on-TV award: “Citing films such as Happy Feet, Superman Returns, and the forthcoming G.I. Joe, Glenn Beck stated, ‘I believe some are trying to indoctrinate our kids into hating their own country, turning us into some one-world-government nightmare; hating America, turning it into a dirty word.’ He later added, ‘We must preserve our symbols of national pride and power, be they a flag, a cross, characters like Superman or G.I. Joe.’” Remember, CNN pays a lot of money to keep this guy on the air.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As expected, the powerful and politically influential American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) endorsed Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign yesterday. “This is no time to take chances. We need someone who knows how to fight and knows how to win,” AFSCME president Gerald McEntee said. “Sisters and Brothers, Senator Clinton is a seasoned fighter. Believe me, she knows how to fight and she knows how to win.”

* Speaking of Clinton, there’s been some follow up on the flap from Tuesday’s debate about a New York effort to offer driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. The campaign explained yesterday, “Senator Clinton supports governors like Governor Spitzer who believe they need such a measure to deal with the crisis caused by this administration’s failure to pass comprehensive immigration reform.” Greg Sargent suggests Clinton is still hedging on the details.

* Mitt Romney didn’t need to get caught in another flip-flop, but it’s happened anyway. This week Romney’s campaign insisted that the former governor “strongly opposed the McCain-Kennedy [immigration] legislation and was a vocal critic of the blanket amnesty it provided to lawbreakers with the Z-visa provision.” It didn’t take too long for Romney critics to notice that, in 2005, he called the same plan “reasonable,” and argued that it’s “quite different” from “amnesty.”

* New campaign ads are going on the air this week from John Edwards, John McCain, and Chris Dodd.

* Joe Biden got in the line of the night during Tuesday’s debate when he questioned Rudy Giuliani’s qualifications, adding, “[T]here’s only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun and a verb and 9/11.” The comments seem to have bothered the Giuliani campaign quite a bit, because they lashed out at Biden yesterday: “Senator Biden certainly falls into the bucket of those on the stage tonight who have never had executive experience and have never run anything. Wait, I take that back; Senator Biden has never run anything but his mouth.” Note to Biden: keep it up.

* Because of Iowa’s quirky caucus system, Democratic candidates realize that being a voter’s second choice can be a key to success. The AP explains: “The key is a Democratic rule that candidates need the backing of at least 15 percent of people at a caucus meeting for that support to count. If a candidate doesn’t achieve the 15 percent viability rule, the candidate’s supporters can switch to their second choice or call it quits…. Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards are trying to establish themselves as second options to the other candidates. The assumption is that the candidates leading in Iowa polls will easily meet the viability rule, but in many of Iowa’s 1,784 precincts backers of Democrats such as Joe Biden, Bill Richardson or Chris Dodd may have to make a choice.”

* Dems are definitely eyeing next year’s Senate race in Kentucky: “Reflecting an increasingly aggressive strategy for the 2008 election cycle, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, acknowledged on Wednesday that the Democrats are gunning for the seat of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY. Schumer cited McConnell as a Democratic target for the first time during an open press briefing, and took a swipe at the Senate GOP leader, suggesting that his proximity to President Bush and his sagging poll numbers put him directly in electoral limbo.”

* Comedian Stephen Colbert is taking his campaign joke pretty far: he’s poised to file for South Carolina’s Democratic primary ballot today. He decided not to pursue the Republican primary because the party has a $35,000 entry fee. As for the Democratic ballot, it’s far from a done deal: “The state party’s 26-member executive council — with representatives from each of South Carolina’s six congressional districts as well as state members of the Democratic National Committee — will meet Thursday afternoon to decide which candidates meet the criteria to appear on the ballot. To make the cut, a candidate must demonstrate two requirements: that he or she is viable nationally and has spent time campaigning in the state.” Charleston Democratic Party Chairman Waring Howe said, “Over my dead body will Colbert’s name be on the ballot.”

* Speaking of Colbert, a Rasmussen poll out this week shows the comedian lead Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich in hypothetical match-ups.

* And like practically every other state, Rhode Island moved its presidential primary to Feb. 5.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The market is almost back to where it was when Bush took office nearly seven years ago: “The Dow industrials suffered one of its biggest declines of the year Thursday, plummeting more than 360 points after a Citigroup downgrade served as a blunt reminder to Wall Street that the credit market crisis is not over. The Dow Jones industrial average (Charts) finished 362 points, or about 2.6 percent, lower based on early tallies. The broader S&P 500 index (Charts) lost 2.6 percent, while the tech-fueled Nasdaq slipped nearly 2.3 percent.”

* This afternoon, Sens. John Kerry and Ted Kennedy announced their opposition to Michael Mukasey’s AG nomination, while John McCain announced his support. As of now, there are nine “no” votes against Mukasey, 47 “yes” (all Republicans), and 44 undecideds.

* Yesterday, we talked about Washington State Rep. Richard Curtis (R), the latest “not gay” conservative Republican to get caught up in a sordid gay-sex scandal. Today, Curtis resigned from the state legislature. In a written statement, he said, “Events that have recently come to light have hurt a lot of people. I sincerely apologize for any pain my actions may have caused.”

* James Sandler has a fascinating report today on the war against government whistle-blowers: “[A] six-month investigation by the Center for Investigative Reporting, in collaboration with Salon, has found that federal whistle-blowers almost never receive legal protection after they take action. Instead, they often face agency managers and White House appointees intent upon silencing them rather than addressing the problems they raise. They are left fighting for their jobs in a special administrative court system, little known to the American public, that is mired in bureaucracy and vulnerable to partisan politics. The CIR/Salon investigation reveals that the whistle-blower system — first created by Congress decades ago and proclaimed as a cornerstone of government transparency and accountability — has in reality enabled the punishment of employees who speak out. It has had a chilling effect, dissuading others from coming forward.”

* Juan Cole makes the case: “The US embassy in Iraq should be closed. It is not safe for the personnel there.”

* The government’s terrorist watch-list started with a couple of dozen names. “By June 2004, that list had swelled to 158,000 names. In May of this year, it clocked in at 755,000. Today, only five months later, it’s at 860,000 and counting, according to the Government Accountability Office.” Wow.

* The military’s recruiting troubles get worse. Much worse: “The Army started off the recruiting year with the lowest number of recruits signed up for Basic Training since the United States military became an all-volunteer force in 1973. Gen. William S. Wallace, commander of Army Training and Doctrine Command, told Pentagon reporters on Wednesday that the diminished number of delayed enlistment recruits in the pike will make it extremely difficult to reach the goals for 2008.”

* Here’s an extremely good, non-rhetorical question: why would Blackwater guards need silencers? “The fact they appear to have smuggled them into the country doesn’t weigh heavily in favor of an innocent explanation.”

* Here’s another extremely good, non-rhetorical question: “My question for those who support torture because they believe it’s effective is always: should local cops use waterboarding to gather evidence from suspected criminals?”

* Some Republicans are almost desperate to see Michael Bloomberg run for president, in the hopes of splitting the left.

* In the midst of manufacturing depraved and baseless gossip, several right-wing blogs prove that they have no idea what role a “body person” plays in a campaign. (Hint to conservatives: it has nothing to do with sex.)

* A few weeks ago, Trent Wisecup, chief of staff to Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-Mich.), went berserk yelling at a liberal blogger while on camera. It appears that Wisecup has since decided to take a leave of absence.

* The Republican scam to divide California’s electoral votes is losing popularity quickly. A new poll released yesterday found a majority (53%) oppose the measure, while only 22% support it. Even among California Republicans, the stunt isn’t popular — with opponents outnumbering supporters, 46% to 22%.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* John Edwards’ campaign has released probably the hardest-hitting spot of the Democratic campaign, issuing a YouTube clip this morning accusing Hillary Clinton of engaging in the “politics of parsing.”

* Speaking of Edwards, the former senator won the endorsement of the New Hampshire chapter of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), but under unusual circumstances. The chapter’s executive board endorsed Barack Obama last week, following a 7-to-5 vote, but met again this week, with more board members present. Edwards won the second vote, 9 to 8.

* The DSCC really wanted Rep. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) to consider running for New Mexico’s open Senate seat, but as recently as last week, Udall said he wasn’t interested. As of yesterday, that may no longer be the case. Udall has reportedly told party leaders that he’s giving the race another look. If he runs, he’ll be considered the automatic frontrunner.

* Bill Richardson picked up a high-profile endorsement yesterday when former Chrysler Corp. Chairman Lee Iacocca threw his support to the New Mexico governor. “Unlike others on the stump, he’s offering bold plans, not just pandering talk,” Iacocca said Thursday in a post on his personal blog titled “Bill Richardson is my guy.” After noting some of Richardson’s policy positions, Iacocca, a former Bush supporter, added, “I also just plain like the guy.”

* It appears that comedian Stephen Colbert’s one-state presidential campaign came to an abrupt halt yesterday when the South Carolina Democratic Party rejected his application for a spot on the primary ballot. The state party’s executive council voted 13 to 3 in opposition to Colbert’s bid.

* After trading a couple of shots earlier this week with Rudy Giuliani, Joe Biden sought to keep the fires burning with another salvo. Luis Navarro, Biden’s campaign manager, sent this to reporters: “Rudy Giuliani seems to be increasingly worried that Joe Biden is questioning his lack of leadership and his use of 9/11 for his own political purposes. This criticism is grounded in reality: there are numerous examples of Mr. Giuliani using 9/11 as a substitute for real experience and real answers to important topics.” Navarro added, “In the spirit of Halloween, Rudy, if the dress fits, wear it.”

* Wired: “If Texas congressman Ron Paul is elected president in 2008, he may be the first leader of the free world put into power with the help of a global network of hacked PCs spewing spam, according to computer-security researchers who’ve analyzed a recent flurry of e-mail supporting the long-shot Republican candidate. ‘This is clearly a criminal act in support of a campaign, which has been committed with or without their knowledge,’ says Gary Warner, the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s director of research in computer forensics.”

* Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) endorsed Giuliani yesterday. Andy Barr, Al Franken’s campaign manager, responded, “So the Senator who didn’t think Halliburton’s war profiteering was worth investigating is endorsing the candidate who wanted to put Bernie Kerik in charge of Homeland Security. Makes sense to us!”

* Just how crazy is Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo), best known for leaving threatening voice-mail messages for some of his Republican constituents? So crazy that the Colorado Republican Party has decided not to endorse his re-election bid.

* Unsure how to stop former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner’s (D) Senate bid, some conservatives hope to lure former U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson into the race. How sad.

* If you’re ever wondering just how many endorsements the presidential candidates have received, and from whom, the WaPo has created an “endorsement tracker.” Could be handy.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Say hello to your next Attorney General: “Democratic Sens. Charles Schumer of New York and Dianne Feinstein of California say the will support Michael Mukasey’s nomination to be attorney general. Both are members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.”

* This has the potential to be very interesting: “Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and more than a dozen other current and former intelligence officials must testify about their conversations with pro-Israel lobbyists, a federal judge ruled Friday in an espionage case. Lawyers for two former American Israel Public Affairs Committee lobbyists facing charges have subpoenaed Rice, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, Deputy National Security Adviser Elliott Abrams and several others to testify at their trial next year. Prosecutors had challenged the subpoenas in federal court…. If they ultimately testify in court, the trial in federal court in suburban Alexandria, Va. could offer a behind-the-scenes look at the way U.S. foreign policy is crafted.”

* In only the fifth veto of his presidency, Bush rejected the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) today, because, he said, it included $9 billion in extra spending for water infrastructure projects. The bill, which funds hurricane protection, flood mitigation, and wetlands restoration is expected to become law anyway, because it enjoys veto-proof support in both chambers.

* Reporters finally started asking Rudy Giuliani about his blatantly dishonest radio ad today. “Even if you want to quibble about the statistics, you find me the person who leaves the United States and goes to England for prostate cancer treatment, and I’d like to meet that person,” he told reporters. Allow me to translate: “As long as I really believe in the broader point I hope to make, it’s acceptable for me to lie about the details.”

* Did the White House think no one would notice? “On ABC World News with Charles Gibson last night, ABC National Security Correspondent Jonathan Karl filed a report about the recent decline in American troop casualties in Iraq. In the report, Karl noted that ‘violence in Iraq is down,’ but added that ‘there has been almost no political progress on the national level.’ … After the report aired, the White House sent the piece out in an official White House publication called ‘White House Iraq Update.’ But, as Karl writes today, the White House edited his report before sending it out, making it look ‘like an unqualified declaration of success in Iraq.’”

* Is Iraq poised to get worse? “The U.S. military official in charge of supporting reconciliation efforts in Iraq says that unless the Shiite-led Iraqi government takes concrete steps to embrace the Sunnis, the new, mostly-Sunni ex-insurgent militias supported by the U.S. could return to insurgency.”

* CBS reveals the man who know as “Curveball.” (thanks to DOK for the tip)

* S-CHIP continues to percolate: “Talks seeking a bipartisan compromise on health insurance for low-income children were cut short on Thursday, and the Senate then swiftly passed a bill to provide coverage for 10 million youngsters, fully expecting President Bush to veto it. The 64-to-30 vote, coming one week after the House approved the same bill, moves the legislation to Mr. Bush’s desk. The bill differs slightly from one vetoed on Oct. 3, but it faces the same fate.” Negotiations between lawmakers continue.

* Fox News banned candidates from using network footage in campaign ads. Mitt Romney’s doing it anyway.

* Whether you like Dennis Kucinich or not, this CBS interview was both awful and unfair.

* Speaking of Kucinich, Jimmy Carter wants no part of the UFO discussion.

* TAP is hosting a fascinating discussion about the modern role of the Air Force.

* Jon Soltz has an idea: moving Condoleezza Rice’s office to Baghdad.

* And finally, Speaker Pelosi had a compelling response to Bush’s speech from yesterday: “He is the President of the United States. What does he have to show for his presidency? He is the President of the United States already talking about his library. What is he going to have in the library? A tax cut for the wealthiest people in the country at the expense of the middle class and a war without end that is a total failure? So he has to talk about something and he stoops to a level, in my view, that is beneath the dignity of the office that he holds and I don’t want to go there with him.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* It looks like John Edwards will go a little further than he has before in challenging Hillary Clinton: “Senator Clinton is voting like a hawk in Washington, while talking like a dove in Iowa and New Hampshire,” Edwards plans to say in Iowa today, according to excerpts of a speech provided to the NYT by his campaign. “We only need one mode from our president: tell-the-truth mode all the time…. With less than 60 days to the caucus, Senator Clinton has still not given specific answers to specific questions. How many troops will she withdraw, and when will she withdraw them?”

* Speaking of Edwards, the former senator still can’t quite make a persuasive case about what he’ll do in a general election campaign while staying within the public-financing system: “I will have taken a principled stand. They will be awash in this corporate and lobbyist money, and the distinction will be absolutely clear. We can’t be a lighter version of them. We have to give Americans very clear choices in this election, and that’s one of the choices.” That’s pleasant rhetoric, but in this case, “principled stands” translates roughly to “not keeping up financially with a Republican juggernaut.”

* Fred Thompson survived his first Meet the Press appearance as a presidential candidate, but probably raised a few conservative eyebrows by noting his opposition to a constitutional amendment banning abortion, a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, and federal intervention in the Terri Schiavo matter.

* Speaking of Thompson, his campaign got a little bad news yesterday when the WaPo discovered that businessman Philip Martin, a top Thompson backer who makes his private jet available to the candidate on the campaign trail, has a controversial criminal background, including charges of cocaine-trafficking and conspiracy.

* In response to Thompson’s MTP comments, Mike Huckabee is wasting no time going on the offensive. “Sen. Thompson’s philosophy seems to be more ‘cut and run’ when it comes to these issues, rather than stand and lead,” Huckabee said in a statement.

* Tomorrow is Election Day in Kentucky, and with Dems poised to do very well, the state Republicans are scraping the bottom of the homophobic barrel: “The state GOP is now sending a robo-call throughout the state featuring none other than Pat Boone, warning that as a Christian he is concerned that Democratic nominee Steve Beshear, who has been way ahead in the polls, will work for ‘every homosexual cause.’ … And at a campaign stop last night, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports, the Republican nominee for Lt. Governor made a direct attack upon the Democratic ticket: ‘Do you want a couple of San Francisco treats or do you want a governor?’”

* Former Vice President Walter Mondale endorsed Hillary Clinton yesterday, praising the frontrunner for not criticizing her rivals who trail her in all the polls. “One thing that I like about her campaign,” Mondale said, “is that she’s stayed focused on her positive vision for change. She knows that it’s not the time to tear down our fellow Democrats with personal attacks.”

* Chris Dodd made the case yesterday that “Earth Day” shouldn’t just be one day. “It takes leadership that can truly make this an issue not just on ‘Earth Day’ but every single day that you’re in the White House,” the Connecticut senator said.

* In case you missed it, Barack Obama made a surprise cameo on Saturday Night Live over the weekend, in a pretty funny bit.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Crisis in Pakistan: “Police fired tear gas and clubbed thousands of lawyers protesting President Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s decision to impose emergency rule, as Western allies threatened to review aid to the troubled Muslim nation. Opposition groups put the number of arrests at 3,500, although the government reported half that.”

* The White House is left scrambling: “Even before Saturday’s crackdown, U.S. State Department officials said they had struggled with what to do if Musharraf went through with his threat. They didn’t know then, and they don’t know now. ‘Frankly, it ain’t easy,’ one official said. ‘We are looking at our options, and none of them are good.’”

* Bush is, however, moving to help diffuse a different pending crisis nearby: “President Bush on Monday pledged fresh help to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in fighting Kurdish rebels, declaring them ‘an enemy of Turkey, a free Iraq and the United States.’ In an Oval Office session, Bush offered intelligence sharing to help combat the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK. Bush also said top military figures from the United States and Turkey would be in more regular contact in an effort to track the movement of the guerrilla fighters.”

* Duke Cunningham went to jail, and now the defense contractor who bribed him is headed to jail, too: “A U.S. District Court jury has convicted Brent Wilkes on all 13 counts in his corruption trial. The Poway defense contractor had been accused by prosecutors of leveraging more than $600,000 in cash bribes and thousands more in gifts to ousted Rep. Randy Duke Cunningham in exchange for Cunningham’s influence in securing more than $80 million in government contracts.” As TPMM added, “Wilkes faces up to 20 years for his conviction here, but keep in mind that this is just the first of two trials that Wilkes will face. The second deals with Wilkes’ alleged bribes of former CIA executive director Dusty Foggo.”

* Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) introduced the Caging Prohibition Act today, which would outlaw a “long-recognized voter suppression tactic which has often been used to target minority voters.” Good for Whitehouse.

* There’s no accounting for taste: “Premiere Radio Networks, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications, is expected to announce today that it is extending [Glenn] Beck’s contract. Two sources with knowledge of the deal said it was valued at $50 million over five years, through a combination of salary and profit-sharing from syndication. In signing the deal, Mr. Beck, 43, becomes the newest — and youngest — entrant into an exclusive club of highly compensated radio stars.” Beck will now be the third highest-paid talk radio host in the country, behind Limbaugh and Hannity.

* Former Attorney General John Ashcroft had an op-ed today arguing on behalf of telecom immunity. Wouldn’t you know it; Ashcroft also just so happens to be a lobbyist for the telecommunications industry. What a coincidence.

* Kevin Drum is hosting a really fun project: “All-Time Wingnuttiest Blog Post Contest.” There are 14 finalists, featuring “the worst, most embarrassing, most risible wingnut blog posts of all time.” Somehow, the contest is both hilarious and depressing at the same time.

* In last week’s Democratic debate, Dennis Kucinich called for Bush’s impeachment three times. This week, he’ll shift his attention a little with a plan to “force the House to … on whether to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney.”

* Al Gore is almost as good talking about the media’s flaws as he is talking about global warming.

* Down by double digits and certain to lose tomorrow, what does Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R) do the day before the election? What else? He unveils a Ten Commandments monument in the state Capitol Rotunda. Shameless.

* Not only has Rudy Giuliani’s bogus cancer claims been thoroughly debunked by independent sources, they’ve now been refused by Giuliani’s original source: “The Boston Globe reports that the Commonwealth Fund, an independent think tank, has disowned Rudy’s use of their numbers to argue that British survival rates for prostate cancer are under 50%.”

* Fascinating column from Garry Wills: “Much of the debate over abortion is based on a misconception — that it is a religious issue, that the pro-life advocates are acting out of religious conviction. It is not a theological matter at all. There is no theological basis for defending or condemning abortion. Even popes have said that the question of abortion is a matter of natural law, to be decided by natural reason. Well, the pope is not the arbiter of natural law. Natural reason is.”

* I’m sure you’ve heard about the writers’ strike in Hollywood. What it’s at all about? This piece from the Writers Guild of America explains.

* And finally, comedian Stephen Colbert officially ended his not-quite-serious presidential campaign today, after the South Carolina Dems rejected his application late last week. “I am shocked and saddened by the South Carolina Democratic Executive Council’s 13-to-3 vote to keep me off their presidential primary ballot,” he said in a statement. “Although I lost by the slimmest margin in presidential election history — only 10 votes — I have chosen not to put the country through another agonizing Supreme Court battle. It is time for this nation to heal.” Colbert said he would stay off the air “until I can talk about this without weeping,” which just so happens to coincide with the writers’ strike that takes his show off the air anyway.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* I don’t imagine anyone could have expected this: “On Monday, a group of Paul supporters helped raised more than $4.07 million in one day — approaching what the campaign raised in the entire last quarter — through a Web site called ThisNovember5th.com, a reference to the day the British commemorate the thwarted [Guy Fawkes] bombing.” The total is the best single day of fundraising for any Republican presidential hopeful this year.

* In the latest national CNN poll, Hillary Clinton still enjoys a huge lead over the rest of the Democratic field, but it’s not quite as huge as it was a couple of weeks ago. Clinton now enjoys 44% support (down from 51%), Barack Obama is second with 25% (up from 21%), and John Edwards is third with 14%. No other Dem topped 5%.

* In the same CNN poll, Rudy Giuliani is still on top, but his national lead has dropped back to single digits. The former mayor is first with 28% support, followed by Fred Thompson with 19%, John McCain with 16%, and Mitt Romney with 11%. Mike Huckabee is a close fifth with 10%, and no other Republican topped 5%.

* Just as an aside, just to show how much more competitive the GOP race is, the gap between first place and second place among the Dems is 19%. The gap between first place and fifth place among the Republicans is 18%.

* Mitt Romney got a big boost yesterday when he earned the endorsement of Paul Weyrich, a religious right pioneer who helped create the Moral Majority.

* It’s Election Day in several parts of the country, including Kentucky and Virginia. Perhaps the biggest race in Kentucky’s gubernatorial contest, where conservative activists are engaged in some of the predictable dirty tricks cowards pull when they’re losing.

* It’s safe to say the right-wing media has chosen its favorite in the Republican presidential race. Not only does Fox News go out of its way to help Giuliani, but the Washington Times, the Moonie-owned conservative paper in DC, featured a banner-headline — above the fold on the front page — to report on a routine campaign stop Giuliani made in New Hampshire.

* Speaking of Giuliani, the former mayor praised his old friend and partner, Bernie Kerik, yesterday during an interview with the AP. “Sure, there were issues [with Kerik], but if I have the same degree of success and failure as president of the United States, this country will be in great shape,” Giuliani said.

* Fred Thompson backer Philip Martin, who apparently had some run-ins with the law 25 years ago, resigned as a campaign fundraiser yesterday. “I have decided to resign my position as chair of ‘First Day Founders’ of ‘The Friends of Fred Thompson,’” Martin said in a statement. “The focus of this campaign should be on Fred Thompson’s positions on the issues and his outstanding leadership ability, not on mistakes I made some 24 years ago. I deeply regret any embarrassment this has caused.”

* Joe Biden said he has no interest in being Hillary Clinton’s running mate. “If I don’t win the nomination, the likely nominee is going to be Hillary,” Biden told CNN, “and I love Bill Clinton, but can you imagine being vice president?” The former president “is such a dominant and powerful and positive force that I think the question is if you’re going to stay in public life do you want to be a contributor … I’m not looking for a ceremonial post,” Biden said.

* I haven’t heard too much from the presidential candidates about the Writers Guild strike, but a statement from Barack Obama landed in my inbox yesterday: “I stand with the writers. The Guild’s demand is a test of whether corporate media corporations are going to give writers a fair share of the wealth their work creates or continue concentrating profits in the hands of their executives. I urge the producers to work with the writers so that everyone can get back to work.”

* And speaking of Obama, CNN reported that “more than 300 former Republican voters from New Hampshire and Iowa are switching their party affiliation to actively support Obama,” and sent out a list to news outlets to prove it.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Crisis continues to grip Pakistan: “Baton-wielding police fought with lawyers outside courthouses in Islamabad and Lahore again Tuesday, arresting dozens more as they enforced Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf’s crackdown on judicial activism. Three days after Musharraf suspended the constitution and declared a state of emergency, Pakistan’s judicial system is in lockdown, with thousands of lawyers jailed and many judges detained in their homes. Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto arrived in Islamabad from Karachi on Tuesday for meetings with other opposition leaders about how to respond to Musharraf’s declaration.”

* There’s been a lot of talk of late about the price of gas topping $90 per barrel. Now it’s nearly $100 per barrel.

* Michael Mukasey nomination as Attorney General, as expected, passed the Senate Judiciary Committee today, following an 11 to 8 vote. All the Republicans voted together (as they always do), while Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) and Charles Schumer (N.Y.) broke party ranks to support Mukasey.

* Violence is on the rise in Afghanistan, where a bomb attack targeted a group of lawmakers killed at least 28 people this morning, including five parliamentarians. “The bomb exploded outside a Baghlan sugar factory as the lawmakers were about to enter. The blast struck children, elders and government officials gathered to greet the visiting delegation of 18 lawmakers from the lower house, officials said.” Reports indicated that 81 people were wounded, including 42 children.

* Speaking of Afghanistan, the Center for American Progress released an interesting report today called, “The Forgotten Front” by Larry Korb and Caroline Wadhams, which sets forth a new counterinsurgency strategy for Afghanistan. It outlines a set of recommendations for strengthening the Afghan government, increasing security, accelerating reconstruction, combating the narcotics trade, and removing the terrorist safe haven in Pakistan. (That last part seems particularly relevant in light of recent events.)

* Rep. Dennis Kucinich forced his Cheney impeachment measure onto the House floor today where it was about to be killed — before House Republicans decided to embrace it: “At one point there were 290 votes to table. After the [GOP] turnaround, the final vote was 251-162 against tabling, with 165 Republicans voting against it.” Republicans apparently wanted the measure to advance, but the House Dem leadership didn’t — they sent the bill to the Judiciary Committee, where it probably won’t be heard from again.

* Glenn Reynolds doesn’t understand why everyone is more concerned about the crisis in Pakistan than “Hugo Chavez’s emerging dicatatorship [sic].” Noah Shachtman explains why Reynolds doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

* The good news is, the latest CNN poll shows that 69% of Americans believe waterboarding is torture, and 58% believe the U.S. government should be barred from using the tactic against “suspected terrorists.” The bad news is, those numbers should be higher.

* Another painful milestone: “The U.S. military on Tuesday announced the deaths of five more soldiers, making 2007 the deadliest year of the war for U.S. troops, according to an Associated Press count… At least 852 American military personnel have died in Iraq so far this year — the highest annual toll since the war began in March 2003, according to AP figures. Some 850 troops died in 2004.”

* Congratulations to John Hinderaker for easily winning the Golden Wingnut Award for the worst blog post ever. It’s a well-deserved distinction.

* I sometimes wonder what the Bush administration would be like if it weren’t staffed with crazy people: “Julie Myers, head of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement division, has apologized for ‘awarding ‘most original costume’ to a Homeland Security Department employee who dressed in prison stripes, dreadlocks and dark makeup for a Halloween gathering at the agency.’”

* I thought media coverage of the presidential campaign couldn’t get much worse. I stand corrected.

* For those covering the Writers Guild strike, the writers continued to get additional support from Hollywood celebrities today, many of whom joined picket lines. Also, here’s a list of how some TV schedules will be affected, while the LAT has a good piece on how we got to where we are today.

* And the president reached a milestone today. A new Gallup poll showed Americans disapprove of Bush’s job performance, 64% to 31%, but here’s the kicker: 50% say they “strongly disapprove” of the president. The previous high was Richard Nixon at the height of the Watergate scandal, when 48% of Americans strongly disapproved of his performance. Congratulations, George, it couldn’t have happened to a more appropriate person.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In light of Sam Brownback’s popularity among Christian conservatives, there’s been a fair amount of interest in which of his former presidential rivals he’ll endorse. Apparently, he’s made his decision — he’ll announce his support for John McCain today at an event in Iowa. The two will then travel together for a couple of campaign events elsewhere in the state.

* The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) announced in September that it would unveil a whole slew of recruiting successes, with a “flurry of candidates that will be coming forward in the next few weeks.” As it turns out, there is no flurry, and the campaign committee is struggling to find candidates to run next year: “The NRCC said in late September that it would have challengers emerge in five specific top-targeted districts within a few weeks, but so far only one of those races has a nationally recruited challenger officially in the race.”

* Hillary Clinton told CNN yesterday that she wasn’t at the top of her game during the most recent Democratic debate. “I wasn’t at my best the other night,” Clinton said. “We’ve had a bunch of debates and I wouldn’t rank that up in my very top list…. But I’ve answered probably, I don’t know, more than 5,000 questions over the last 10 months and I have been very clear about where I stand and what I want to do for the country.”

* In a surprise move, Fred Thompson is going to make some campaign appearances this week. The former senator, who mysteriously vanishes from the campaign trail for days on end, has apparently decided to pick up the pace: “Thompson plans to campaign in Iowa next week after undertaking an unusually busy week that included a day in New Hampshire, two days in South Carolina and an event at the Country Music Association Awards in Tennessee.” Why, it’s almost as if he were a real presidential candidate or something.

* Speaking of Thompson, the GOP presidential hopeful was overheard chatting with Fox News’ Carl Cameron before an interview the other day: Trying to encourage his studio to hurry up so an interview could start, Cameron said, “The next president of the United States has a schedule to keep.” Standing beside him, Thompson added, “And so do I.” It was just a joke, but comments like these only reinforce doubts about Thompson’s commitment.

* And in still more Thompson news, the former senator is poised to unveil his first TV ads this week. The spot is called, “Consistent Conservative,” and will come in 30- and 60-second varieties. Creating a distinction between himself and his rivals, Thompson emphasizes in the ad, “I’ve been a conservative my whole life.” He concludes, “Free people. Free markets and a government that doesn’t tax and regulate us to death, but defends us and protects our borders.”

* Joe Biden is quietly racking up quite a few endorsements in Iowa. Yesterday, State Sen. Herman Quirmbach, an Iowa State professor who represents the city of Ames, threw his support to Biden, the 12th legislative endorsement in Iowa for the senator.

* McCain was opposed to ethanol subsidies. Then he supported them. Now he’s against them again. Remember, he’s the principled candidate of the GOP bunch.

* AP: “Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson has moved 10 staff members from Nevada to Iowa, shifting resources to the leadoff caucus state where he’s hoping for a strong dark horse finish.”

* And Barack Obama seems to be working pretty hard to support those participating in the Writers Guild strike. Yesterday, an Obama campaign staffer unexpectedly called the WGA office to ask, “What can we do to help?” Jody Frisch, the Guild’s director of policy and government affairs, said, “We don’t even have a PAC, so why he did it is still a question. But we’re delighted.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* This really isn’t good: “Wall Street suffered its second big drop in a week Wednesday, with investors worried about spreading fallout from the credit crisis at banks and about a dollar that just keeps getting weaker. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 360 points — just about matching its plunge of last Thursday. A passel of worries tormented investors, including the dollar, which swooned amid speculation that China will seek to diversify some of its foreign currency stockpiles beyond the greenback. Meanwhile, a record loss from General Motors Corp. owing to an accounting adjustment further dragged on sentiment.”

* The president has been eerily quiet about the crisis in Pakistan, but today he picked up the phone: “President Bush told Pakistan’s president on Wednesday that he must hold parliamentary elections and step down as army leader. ‘You can’t be the president and the head of the military at the same time,’ Bush said, describing a telephone call with Gen. Pervez Musharraf. ‘I had a very frank discussion with him.’”

* In related news: “Following four days of relatively tepid statements, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on Wednesday issued a rousing call to action against President Pervez Musharraf’s declaration of emergency rule, setting up a possible direct confrontation between two titans of Pakistani power. Bhutto, whose legions of rank-and-file supporters have been conspicuously absent from anti-Musharraf demonstrations this week, called her backers to join in a major rally on Friday in Rawalpindi, headquarters for the army, which Musharraf heads. After that, she said, opponents of emergency rule would begin ‘a long march’ from the eastern city of Lahore to the capital, Islamabad.”

* Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.): “Two weeks ago, I learned of the indictment of David H. Brooks, the founder and former CEO of Point Blank Solutions, Inc., and its COO Sandra Hatfield for insider trading, fraud, obstruction of justice, and tax evasion to the tune of nearly $200 million dollars. Point Blank Solutions, Inc., formerly DHB Industries, is a leading U.S. manufacturer of body armor for our troops and law enforcement, manufacturing more than a million Interceptor body armor units that have been standard issue to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan for the last several years.”

* TPMM: “Malcolm Nance, good-spirited though he is, is a pugnacious guy. Nearly 20 years’ service in the Navy, including time instructing would-be Navy SEALs how to resist and survive torture if captured. Intelligence and counterterrorism expert. Several years in Iraq as a security contractor. So don’t expect him to suffer in silence if his credibility is attacked during testimony to a House panel tomorrow about his personal experiences with waterboarding.”

* It took five vetoes, but it looks like we’ll see our first override: “The House voted to override a veto by President Bush for the first time yesterday, acting to save a $23 billion water resources bill stuffed with pet projects sought by lawmakers from both political parties. The Senate is likely to follow suit as early as today, in what would be the biggest Republican defection of Bush’s tenure — even given the legislation’s obscurity.”

* Karen Hughes apparently won’t be missed by some of her international observers. G. Khouri, a widely respected columnist in Lebanon’s Daily Star, wrote that Hughes “should apologize for subjecting her own country, and we who were the objects of her mission, to what can only be described as a monumental and insulting hoax.” Ouch.

* Spencer Ackerman: “Just in time for Michael Mukasey’s impending Senate vote to become attorney general, the ACLU has discovered that one of his would-be underlings, Steven Bradbury of the Office of Legal Counsel, penned three memoranda in 2005 on the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” by the CIA. The discovery raises the possibility that the Justice Department has penned other as-yet-unknown torture memos since 2005.”

* The House has debated the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) for much of the afternoon. The Gavel has some informative coverage.

* The man-crush continues: “On the November 6 edition of Hardball, Chris Matthews asserted, ‘I’m not going to sell Rudy [Giuliani]. It’s not my job to sell anybody.’ But Matthews declared Giuliani ‘the person with the best shot to win the Republican nomination,’ and he and his panelists called Giuilani a ‘a gunslinger,’ ‘a straight-talker,’ ‘a quick draw,’ ‘a tough, kick-butt policeman,’ and ‘this tough, kick-butt cop from New York.”

* It’s been quite a while since Halliburton was in the news for getting into trouble. I guess the company was due.

* Asked today about his Iraq policy, the president offered the following: “If you lived in Iraq and had lived under a tyranny, you’d be saying: ‘God, I love freedom,’ because that’s what’s happened.” You know, I have a hunch that’s not what Iraqis are saying right now. Call it a hunch.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The latest Zogby poll out of Iowa continues to show the top-tier Dems battling it out for the top spot. The poll showed Hillary Clinton ahead with 28%, followed by Barack Obama with 25%, and Edwards third with 21%. No other Democrat reached double-digits. If we filter out the undecideds, the race is even closer: Clinton with 30%, Obama 29%, Edwards 27%.

* NYT: “[Former Treasury Secretary Robert] Rubin is now ready to go public: Despite some early misgivings about Hillary Rodham Clinton’s candidacy, he is scheduled to headline a major fundraiser for her on Dec. 13 in New York City, according to a memo describing the event. Democrats close to the Clinton campaign said today that he may appear at additional events, with her or former President Bill Clinton, before the primaries begin in January.”

* WaPo: “Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, bidding to strengthen his appeal among working families, outlined new proposals Wednesday designed to make college more affordable, encourage retirement savings and help people balance the competing demands of work and family.”

* Speaking of Obama, former White House communications director Dan Bartlett told Texas Monthly he’s more worried about Obama getting the Democratic nomination than Clinton. “I think he poses a different set of challenges,” Bartlett said. “When it comes down to it, Hillary Clinton will very much excite the Republican faithful to get out and work hard in the election. I don’t know if a similar case can be made if Obama were the candidate.”

* It looks like Bill Richardson is putting all of his chips on Iowa. Earlier this week, he pulled staffers out of Nevada to head to the Hawkeye State, and yesterday, he moved several members of his South Carolina staff to Iowa, too. Polls currently show Richardson, who has been airing TV ads in Iowa for a couple of months, running fourth in the state.

* It looks Mike Huckabee is doing the same thing on the other side of the aisle: “Huckabee will spend most of the next 65 days in Iowa and has moved the majority of his staff to the state in an effort to capitalize on a sense that he’s gaining ground here.”

* In a disappointing setback for Chris Dodd, a new Quinnipiac poll shows him struggling with Democrats in his home state of Connecticut. The poll shows Clinton with a big lead in the state with 45% support, while Dodd is fourth with 5%.

* Mitt Romney ran into a distant relative while on the campaign trail in South Carolina yesterday, Heather Krueger, who was sitting in the front row at a Romney event. The former governor got her name and profession wrong, but they hugged when he was finished. Asked about Romney by reporters, Kruger said she was “excited” about his candidacy, but wouldn’t commit to voting for him.

* And Obama had a little trouble getting to a campaign rally in Iowa Tuesday night when his plane landed at the wrong airport: “Instead of going to Cedar Rapids, the plane had touched down about 100 miles to the west in Des Moines.” Obama showed up at the event an hour late.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Easing the crisis in Pakistan? “Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has decided that parliamentary elections will be held by Feb. 15 and reiterated plans to step down as head of the Army, partial concessions to the pressure building on him from Washington and inside Pakistan since he declared a state of emergency over the weekend.” Hundreds of members of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s political party were rounded up in overnight raids — “the first time that party activists have been targeted since the emergency was declared.”

* The first four vetoes of Bush’s presidency stuck. The fifth did not: “President Bush suffered the first veto override of his seven-year-old presidency Thursday as the Senate enacted a $23 billion water resources bill despite his protest that it was filled with unnecessary projects. The 79-14 vote included 34 Republicans who defied the president.” The House voted 361-54 to override the veto on Tuesday.

* TPMM: “Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL) asked during today’s hearing whether even the impression that the U.S. tortures makes it more likely that an adversary in a future conflict — he used the Iranians as an example — would torture captured U.S. or allied troops. Former Navy instructor Malcolm Nance said he considered it a ‘guarantee’ that other nations now have ‘a legal standard to subject American soldiers to enhanced interrogations.” U.S. Air Force Reserve Colonel Steve Kleinman said he “agree[s] entirely.’”

* House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said today that Bush’s request for Iraq spending will begin to unfold this week, when congressional Democrats bring up a measure to give the administration $50, out of the $200 billion Bush requested, but make the down payment conditional on withdrawing U.S. troops from Ira by the end of next year. Asked if the measure will pass, Pelosi said, “Well, we are restating the differentiation between ourselves and the president of the United States. The American people have spoken very clearly about their opposition to the course of action in Iraq. I believe that this legislation gives voice to the concerns of the American people, and, at the same time, strives to meet the needs of our troops.”

* Joe Lieberman defended his Kyl-Lieberman measure on Iran today, insisting that “left-wing blogs” made up “conspiracy theories” about his legislation. (I think we’re getting to him.)

* TPMM: “On the heels of today’s torture hearings in a House Judiciary subcommittee, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), the subcommittee chairman, and Rep. William Delahunt (D-MA) have introduced a bill to force all American interrogators to conform to the Geneva Conventions-compliant standards of the Army Field Manual on Interrogation (pdf). That would mean no waterboarding, no ‘cold cells,’ no stress positions.”

* It wasn’t a perfect bill, but the House passed the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) last night, “granting broad protections against discrimination in the workplace for gay men, lesbians and bisexuals.” Dems have been trying to pass the bill since 1974, so the vote was a bit of milestone. Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) vowed to push a companion bill in the Senate, though its chances aren’t as good. Bush has already vowed to veto the bill, should it reach his desk.

* Bush backers would have us believe Iraq is going swimmingly, but Americans aren’t buying it: “Opposition to the Iraq war is at an all-time high despite reports of a reduction of violence in the country, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Thursday.” A record-high of 68% oppose the war, while support has dropped to 31%, a new low.

* NBC’s Today show managed to do a report on Bernie Kerik’s pending indictment without mentioning Rudy Giuliani to viewers at all. That’s amazing.

* This is a national disgrace: “Veterans make up one in four homeless people in the United States, though they are only 11 percent of the general adult population, according to a report to be released Thursday. And homelessness is not just a problem among middle-age and elderly veterans. Younger veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are trickling into shelters and soup kitchens seeking services, treatment or help with finding a job.”

* Remember those rumors this week that Rosie O’Donnell might join the MSNBC primetime line-up? Well, the rumors were true, the two really were in talks, but the deal apparently fell through. O’Donnell acknowledged as much on her site last night. Under the heading “the show that never was,” she wrote, “we were close to a deal/almost done.” She added: “well what can u do/2day there is no deal/poof/my career as a pundit is over/ b4 it began.”

* FEMA’s recent fake press conference has claimed a second victim. Aaron Walker, press secretary for FEMA, submitted his resignation to the administration’s chief David Paulison Wednesday afternoon.

* I hardly ever watch Fox News, and had no idea the Republican network airs so much smut. Won’t someone please think of the children?

* If a Saudi prince offers disaster relief after suggesting U.S. policies contributed to the 9/11 attacks, Rudy Giuliani doesn’t want the support. If a crazed TV preacher offers political support after suggesting Americans contributed to the 9/11 attacks, Giuliani is more than happy to accept the support.

* Enjoy the Wall Street Journal now; Rupert Murdoch is about to add his personal touch to the once-great newspaper: “[Murdoch] said yesterday that when he assumes control of Dow Jones, his ‘first priority’ will be to change the Wall Street Journal and ‘get it as we like it.’ Murdoch has been accused in the past of suggesting ’specific editorial views’ at some papers he’s owned.”

* And the political world was abuzz this afternoon on the suggestion that Hillary Clinton went to a diner in Iowa recently and forgot to leave a tip. For the record, Clinton campaign spokesman Phil Singer said the campaign paid $157 for lunch and left another $100 for the tip. Media personalities will have to find something else to talk about tonight on Hardball.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In an interview with the WaPo, Barack Obama explained his approach to negative campaigning. “I want to campaign the same way I govern, which is to respond directly and forcefully with the truth,” Obama said. “That means I’m not going to paint a caricature of Senator Clinton. I think she’s a smart, able person. I think anybody who tries to paint her as all negative is engaging in caricature, and when you start slipping into that mode, it’s hard to come back.” Responding to the notion that this might make him appear timid, Obama said, “First of all, you start losing credibility. Secondly, I’m not that good at saying things I don’t really believe. Maybe this is considered a weakness in my political style. I try to stick to what I think.”

* In the same interview, the Post noted that John Edwards was critical of Obama yesterday, saying his style is too conciliatory, and the times call for a leader who won’t compromise. Obama suggested Edwards had reconstituted himself since his last campaign. “John wasn’t this raging populist four years ago when he ran” for the previous Democratic nomination, he said. “He certainly wasn’t when he ran for the U.S. Senate. He was in the U.S. Senate for six years, and as far as I can tell wasn’t taking on the lobbyists and special interests. It’s a matter of, do you walk the walk that you talk?”

* In still more Obama news, the Illinois senator is still screwing up the Social Security argument. He told the National Journal, “You know, Senator Clinton says that she’s concerned about Social Security but is not willing to say how she would solve the Social Security crisis, then I think voters aren’t going to feel real confident that this is a priority for her.” There is no “Social Security crisis.”

* AP: “The Republican Party said Thursday that it would deprive New Hampshire, Florida, South Carolina, Michigan and Wyoming of half their delegates to the national convention because they planned to hold their presidential nominating contests on dates earlier than the party’s rules allow. The rules require the punishment of states that hold their nominating contests before Feb. 5.” The Republican National Committee vote to punish the five states was 121 to 9.

* The latest Zogby poll out of Iowa shows Mike Huckabee moving up into second place in the GOP presidential race, while Mitt Romney holds a comfortable lead in the top spot. Zogby poll shows Romney leading with 31%, followed by Huckabee with 15%. Rudy Giuliani is third with 11%, while Fred Thompson is fourth with 10%. No other Republican was in double digits.

* Edwards is poised to pick up the endorsement of Iowans for Sensible Priorities, which reportedly has 10,000 committed caucus goers. The group’s litmus-test issue is support for shifting “15% of wasteful Pentagon spending into other priorities.” Apparently, Edwards said what the group wanted to hear.

* Bob Novak reports that much of the conservative movement was let down over the weekend when Fred Thompson said he’s against a constitutional amendment banning abortion, and wouldn’t want to run on the party’s 2004 platform that calls for such an amendment. Novak said Thompson’s comments “sent e-mails flying across the country, reflecting astonishment and rage from pro-life Republicans who had turned to Thompson as their best presidential bet for 2008.”

* How nervous is Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) about his re-election chances next year? McConnell became the very first senator in the chamber to launch a TV ad campaign a full year before the 2008 elections: “The ads are airing on broadcast television in the Louisville and Lexington markets for at least one week. The buy costs approximately $117,000 per week. The positive spot touts McConnell’s leadership on behalf of Kentucky, and compares him to the last Kentuckian to serve as his party’s Majority Leader, Democratic Sen. Alben Barkley.” You don’t suppose this has anything to do with Dems excelling in statewide races a few days ago, do you?

* Hillary Clinton has put her very-impressive rapid-response operation online. It’s impressive.

* Arab Americans are increasingly looking at a Giuliani presidency as a nightmare scenario. “Dr. James Zogby, a prominent Democrat and founder of the Arab American Institute, sounded a similar alarm: ‘[A Giuliani administration] is the scariest thing I could imagine at this point. He’s Bush on steroids or Cheney without nuance. He is like the kid who group up in the tough neighborhood who wasn’t tough and now has the chance to sound tough. And I find it frightening because he preys on the worst instinct of people… You would be correct to call his administration a doomsday scenario.’”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Another contentious day in Pakistan: “Pakistan quickly ended house arrest for opposition leader Benazir Bhutto on Friday as President Gen. Pervez Musharraf came under new U.S. pressure to end a crackdown that Washington fears is hurting the fight against Islamic extremism. Earlier in the day, police threw up barbed wire around Bhutto’s house to keep her from speaking at a rally to protest Musharraf’s imposition of emergency rule, and security forces rounded up thousands of her supporters to block any mass demonstrations.”

* Wall Street was also unsettling, in a far-less violent way: “Wall Street finished a turbulent week with another huge drop Friday after major banks warned of further losses on their debt portfolios, raising investor concerns that the credit market slump shows no sign of abating. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 220 points…. Further worries about the continuing credit market slump kept investors on edge a day after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said he expects the economy to ’slow noticeably’ this quarter.”

* The exodus of House Republicans continues: “Rep. Jim Saxton (R-N.J.) will retire at the end of this Congress after 22 years in the House, striking another serious blow to his party’s reelection efforts. In addition, GOP sources expect Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-Wyo.) to announce her retirement Saturday at a meeting of state party officials in Casper.” They are the 14th and 15th GOP House incumbents to announce their retirements this year.

* Last night, the Senate confirmed Michael Mukasey as the nation’s new Attorney General. The 53 to 40 vote was the closest for any AG since 1952. No Republicans voted against him, and seven Dems broke ranks to join the majority — Feinstein (D-Calif.), Schumer (N.Y.), Bayh (Ind.), Carper (Del.), Landrieu (La.) and Nelson (Neb.). None of the presidential candidates in either party voted.

* On a related note, Mukasey was sworn in today at a private Justice Department ceremony, about 16 hours after the Senate vote. Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said Mukasey “got right to work.”

* And speaking of the DOJ, this might be one of the more striking headlines in recent memory: “Justice Department returns to enforcing voter laws.” Stick it in a time capsule; future generations won’t believe it.

* Hazy on the details on exactly why Bernie Kerik is facing federal criminal charges? Paul Kiel runs down what the charges are all about.

* YouPeopleReallyAreNuts.com. This just made my day a little better.

* With a new president, and an end to the war, I hope this will turn around: “The Army is struggling to find volunteers for an unpopular war, despite recruiting bonuses of up to $20,000 and pay increases for enlistees that have beaten inflation by 21 percent since 2000.”

* On a related note, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell insisted Thursday that the Iraq war is “winding down.” This is why nobody takes Mitch McConnell seriously.

* Joss Whedon has a WGA-strike picket-line update — and a list of five great strike movies. (Have I mentioned that I worship Joss Whedon?)

* AP: “Civil rights advocates criticized plans by the Los Angeles Police Department to map the city’s Muslim communities, calling it racial profiling. The LAPD’s counterterrorism bureau plans to identify Muslim enclaves in order to determine which might be likely to become isolated and susceptible to ‘violent, ideologically based extremism,’ said Deputy Chief Michael P. Downing on Thursday.”

* Congressional Dems may let us down, but they still come through for middle-class families the GOP would leave behind.

* Ugh: “Woodland Hills-based Health Net Inc., one of the largest health insurers in California, ’set goals and paid bonuses’ for employees ‘based in part on how many individual policyholders were dropped and how much money was saved.’”

* He’s not gone yet: “After months of seemingly self-imposed exile, Sen. Larry Craig is tapping his foot back into the national political scene.”

* Speaking of Republican sex scandals, Sen. David Vitter’s (R-La.) mess is getting worse.

* New details on the latest FEMA fiasco: “An internal investigation into a fake news conference staged by the Federal Emergency Management Agency during last month’s California wildfires found that the agency’s press secretary directed aides to pose as reporters, secretly coached them during the briefing and ended the event after a final, scripted question was asked, according to a senior FEMA official.”

* Speaking of humiliating Bush administration employees, there are also new details on the DHS employee who came to work dressed in a dreadlocks wig, a prison outfit, and makeup to darken his skin.

* The Center for Reproductive Rights has a new report: “What If Roe Fell?” Pay particular attention to the state-by-state analysis (.pdf).

* And finally, end the week on a good laugh, and check out Al Gore’s cameo on “30 Rock.” Great stuff.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Edwards strikes the right note on Veterans’ Day: “John Edwards will announce today a $400 million plan to increase awareness and treatment for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Edwards’ plan would enable veterans to seek counseling outside the Veterans Administration, increase the number of counselors within the VA system, and even employ family members to help spot signs of PTSD.”

* Mitt Romney, who already has a big lead in Iowa, continues to look strong in New Hampshire, too. The latest Boston Globe poll of Granite State Republicans shows Romney leading the field with 32%, followed by Giuliani at 20%, and McCain at 17%. (No other candidate reached double digits, and Thompson has dropped like a rock to just 3% support.)

* On a related note, the latest Marist Poll among New Hampshire Republicans offers very similar results: Romney 33%, Giuliani 22%, McCain 13%.

* Apparently unmoved by the new polls, John McCain guaranteed yesterday that he would win the New Hampshire Republican primary. “A lot of people haven’t made up their minds,” McCain said on Fox News Sunday, before making his guarantee. “I can tell you right now I will win New Hampshire.” And if his prediction is wrong, will McCain drop out? He said yesterday he would not.

* John Edwards’ criticism of Hillary Clinton continues to get more aggressive as the campaign unfolds. “I mean, she says she’s for ending the war, but she’ll continue combat missions in Iraq,” Edwards said yesterday. “She says she’s for standing up to Bush on Iran, and she votes with Bush on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard…. [She] said that she was not for doing anything with the taxes for social security, and then apparently she told somebody in private that she was. I mean I don’t know.”

* Clinton, meanwhile, continues to earn support from high-profile Dems in key states. On Friday, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland endorsed Clinton, calling her “the strongest candidate our party can bring forth.”

* In the latest good news for the DSCC, Rep. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) reversed his earlier dismissal and has agreed to run for the open Senate seat in New Mexico. He will still face Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez in a Democratic primary, but recent polls show Udall as the frontrunner.

* Mitt Romney seems to have a very quirky sense of humor: “At one young couple’s house, Romney remarked at the large leaves on their tree, quipping, ‘Adam and Eve would not have looked as promiscuous if they had had leaves this big.’” ABC’s Jake Tapper added, “Asked what he meant, a Romney spokesman told Stuart he meant what he said.”

* Speaking of Romney, the former Massachusetts governor was gracious in brushing off anti-Mormon comments from John McCain’s mother. “Mrs. McCain’s comments? Oh I give a pass to anybody that’s over 90. They can say whatever they want,” Romney told reporters with a smile.

* WaPo: “On the heels of his record online fundraising haul this week, GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul is reserving air time in Iowa next week, according to sources familiar with the ad traffic. The candidate appears to be readying a $100,000 ad buy.”

* And finally, DiversityInc.com studied the staffs of the top presidential candidates in both parties. Joe Biden has the least diverse staff of the Democratic candidates, but his staff was still twice as diverse as Giuliani. The former NYC mayor’s staff is 100% white.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Stability in Pakistan is still very far away: “The government of President Pervez Musharraf ordered the detention of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, blocking the former prime minister from leading a planned protest procession from Lahore into Islamabad on Tuesday to protest Musharraf’s declaration of emergency rule. Lahore police served the detention order on Bhutto early Tuesday at a house where she is staying after erecting barricades in the neighborhood and placing snipers on nearby rooftops.” The Musharraf government says it is protecting Bhutto for her own safety.

* I can only imagine what’s in there: “A federal judge Monday ordered the White House to preserve copies of all its e-mails, a move that Bush administration lawyers had argued strongly against. U.S. District Judge Henry Kennedy directed the Executive Office of the President to safeguard the material in response to two lawsuits that seek to determine whether the White House has destroyed e-mails in violation of federal law.” What about the emails that have already been “lost”?

* A Veterans’ Day must-read: “Two lives blurred together by a photo.” A powerful piece about the “Marlboro Marine” and the LAT photographer who took his iconic picture.

* Call me overly sensitive, but it strikes me as rather crazy to ban veterans from a Veterans’ Day parade, just because they disagree with the Bush administration about the war in Iraq. Isn’t Veterans’ Day for all veterans?

* Liberal hawk Paul Berman is absolutely convinced that he was right about the war in Iraq all along. Thankfully, Matt Yglesias sets him straight.

* Another step backwards for political reconciliation in Iraq.

* Sullivan notes that the number of Americans who support impeachment is similar to the number of Americans who approve of Bush’s job performance. Are they both fringe positions?

* Brendan Nyhan thinks both sides are right in the Great Krugman-Brooks Feud of 2007. I still think Krugman has the upper hand, but Nyhan’s argument is reasonable enough.

* TPMM: “It’s official: embattled State Department Inspector General Howard ‘Cookie’ Krongard will finally testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday.” Given that Krongard, perhaps more than any other IG in the Bush administration, acts as if he’s allergic to accountability, the hearing will probably be pretty interesting.

* Speaking of muckraking, if you’ve heard bits and pieces about the breathtaking political corruption among Alaska Republicans, but don’t quite get the whole picture, the WaPo has a good front-page piece on the subject today: “Officially, the scandal has remained confined to Juneau, where Alaska lawmakers had grown so accustomed to operating under the presumption of impropriety that several of them embroidered ball caps with the letters CBC, for ‘Corrupt Bastards Club.’ But with signs that the investigation is brushing against Alaska’s lone congressman, Don Young (R), and its longtime and venerated senator Ted Stevens (R), residents of the Last Frontier are experiencing a rare spasm of soul-searching.”

* And in still more GOP-scandal news, remember Florida State Rep. Bob Allen (R), the anti-gay McCain co-chair who was arrested in a park soliciting gay sex? (He offered an undercover cop money so that he could perform oral sex. Allen later claimed he was afraid of black people in the park, which caused him to extend the offer.) He’s been convicted on one misdemeanor count of solicitation for prostitution. Allen is vowing an appeal.

* An encouraging ruling: “A federal judge has ordered an anti-abortion activist to remove Web site postings that authorities said exhorted readers to kill an abortion provider by shooting her in the head.”

* I wonder if Charles Krauthammer realizes what an embarrassment he is to himself.

* And finally, Al Gore has a cool new gig: a venture-capitalist firm focused on environmental solutions: “They argue that to halt global warming, nothing less will be required than a makeover of the $6 trillion global energy business. Coal plants, gas stations, the internal-combustion engine, petrochemicals, plastic bags, even bottled water will have to give way to clean, green, sustainable technologies. ‘What we are going to have to put in place is a combination of the Manhattan Project, the Apollo project, and the Marshall Plan, and scale it globally,’ Gore continues. ‘It’d be promising too much to say we can do it on our own, but we intend to do our part.’”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Fred Thompson’s campaign has been looking for a while for some good news, and yesterday, it got some: “Fred Thompson, the candidate billing himself as the most consistent conservative in the crowded Republican field, has won the presidential endorsement of the National Right to Life Committee, GOP officials said Monday. The nod by the prominent anti-abortion group could boost the former Tennessee senator’s lackluster campaign.” Thompson told reporters the endorsement is just logical: “I’ve had a 100 percent pro-life voting record in the United States Senate. And I think they know that, and that’s the way I would govern if I was president.”

* WSJ: “Democrat John Edwards’s presidential campaign released Sunday an 80-page ‘Plan to Build One America’ booklet detailing a broad swath of policy proposals he has promised to put in place as president. The campaign said they will deliver 100,000 copies to Iowa households before the Jan. 3 caucuses - now only 52 days away.” In a subtle dig at Hillary Clinton, Edwards told the AP that he’s willing to put his priorities in print, and accept the scrutiny that comes with it. “I’m not afraid to stand here and answer your questions, and to tell you where I stand,” he said.

* WaPo: “Even as the Democratic primary fight enters the final stretch, plans are proceeding apace among party strategists to build an independent money machine that will rival or eclipse what they created in 2004, when donors poured millions into two key outside-the-party organizations — America Coming Together and the Media Fund. Tom Matzzie has been hired to run a new organization for 2008, which he has described in an e-mail as a $100 million-plus venture organized around ‘issues and character.’ Matzzie is leaving his post as the Washington director of Moveon.org to take the job.”

* The latest in the “gender card” discussion: “It’s a Southern thing, not a gender thing. That was the explanation from Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential campaign for a new remark by former President Bill Clinton, who had this to say yesterday about his wife’s (all-male) presidential rivals: ‘Those boys have been getting tough on her lately.’”

* It seems hard to believe, especially in mid-November, but Mitt Romney has already spent $10.2 million on television advertising this year, a record amount at this point in a presidential campaign. On average, he’s spending $85,000 a day on TV commercials, including $600,000 just in the last week. For context, the next closest Republican is John McCain, who’s aired more than $300,000 worth of campaign ads (about 2% of Romney’s total).

* Apparently, Rudy Giuliani is serious about competing for the nomination after blowing off the first three contests. He was supposed to appear in South Carolina yesterday for a fundraiser and the opening of his upstate headquarters. He blew off both events, preferring to campaign in Missouri (a Feb. 5 primary state). Noted one S.C. supporter, “If you can’t make it to your own fundraiser, I’ll be damned if I can depend on him as a president.”

* Speaking of Giuliani, Bernie Kerik’s felony trial isn’t just dogging him now; it’s likely to keep dogging him as the campaign unfolds: “[L]awyers have announced that the first pretrial hearing in Kerik’s case will be Jan. 16 - smack in the middle of the most critical primary stretch. That’s 13 days after voting begins in Iowa, three days before the South Carolina primary and less than three weeks before 21 states go to the polls on Feb. 5 - a day Team Giuliani considers vital to success. ‘If Kerik went away tomorrow, he wouldn’t be such a huge problem,’ said Republican consultant Dan Schnur.”

* Provocative idea of the day: CQ’s Craig Crawford suggests John Edwards is so opposed to Clinton’s campaign that if he loses in Iowa, he might drop out and endorse Obama.

* And John McCain has apparently decided to milk the Woodstock earmark for all it’s worth.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* CNN: “Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on Tuesday called on President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to immediately step down in the wake of a mass crackdown on the opposition this week. Protesters in Karachi meanwhile reportedly opened fire on two police stations in protest as Bhutto remained under house arrest in Lahore, according to The Associated Press. ‘It’s time for him to leave,’ said Bhutto in a phone interview with CNN Tuesday morning, as Pakistani riot police arrested her supporters.”

* After refusing to say whether he’d support the eventual Democratic nominee, John Edwards has clarified his position: “I fully expect to support the Democratic nominee, and I fully expect to be the Democratic nominee.” For those paying close attention, the other candidates have said they “will” support the nominee; Edwards has now said he “expects” to support the nominee. This one’s not quite over yet.

* I’d like to think this might move us a little further away from the brink: “Iran has met a key demand of the U.N. nuclear agency, handing over long-sought blueprints showing how to mold uranium metal into the shape of warheads, diplomats said Tuesday. Iran’s decision to release the documents, which were seen by U.N. inspectors two years ago, was seen as a concession designed to head off the threat of new U.N. sanctions.”

* I’d also like to think this is a good start to Michael Mukasey’s AG tenure: “The Justice Department has reopened a long-dormant inquiry into the government’s warrantless wiretapping program, a major policy shift only days into the tenure of new Attorney General Michael Mukasey. The investigation by the department’s Office of Professional Responsibility was shut down after the previous attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, refused to grant security clearances to investigators.” (I’ll have more on this tomorrow.)

* All the key administration players, including Gen. Petraeus to Amb. Crocker, have described the “Joint Campaign Plan” as the key military and diplomatic strategy to stabilize Iraq. Members of Congress have been asking for a copy of the plan for several months. The Bush gang refuses to make a copy available, even after excerpts were leaked to the WaPo and the NYT.

* If you stop by Capitol Hill, and see congressional Republicans sweating, it’s because the Abramoff probe is still ongoing.

* This could be a major policy sea-change: “An independent panel is considering reducing the sentences of inmates incarcerated in federal prisons for crack cocaine offenses, which would make thousands of people immediately eligible to be freed. The U.S. Sentencing Commission, which sets guidelines for federal prison sentences, established more lenient guidelines this spring for future crack cocaine offenders. The panel is scheduled to consider today a proposal to make the new guidelines retroactive. Should the panel adopt the new policy, the sentences of 19,500 inmates would be reduced by an average of 27 months.”

* It’s probably best not to count on Bob Novak’s prognostication skills. He’s been off quite a bit lately.

* For quite a while now, the Wall Street Journal has been the only major newspaper with content hidden behind a pay-wall. Rupert Murdoch apparently plans to set the paper free: “Murdoch said that instead of boasting 1 million subscribers, a free version of the online newspaper could draw ‘10 million to 15 million’ readers from ‘every corner of the earth…. We are studying it and we expect to make [the site] free.’”

* Remember the Iowa waitress who claims Clinton didn’t give her a tip? That story hasn’t quite gone away yet, either.

* When the GOP congressional majority disappears, so too does the protection for the tobacco industry: “On Tuesday, a Senate committee plans to release documents that reveal the tobacco industry knew as early as 1975 that ‘light’ cigarettes tend to pass as much if not more tar into smokers’ lungs as regular smokes, and government tests on these cigarettes were inaccurate. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), who will chair a Senate Commerce panel hearing, plans to not only criticize the tobacco industry for its decades-long knowledge that light cigarette smokers inhale just as much tar and nicotine — he will show that the Federal Trade Commission used faulty methods in measuring delivery of toxins.”

* Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D) recent voting record is really not going over well among California Democrats.

* And finally, I’m pleased to report that Bush’s media operation is branching out. This week, the president is sitting down for two fairly lengthy television interviews — one with Fox News Channel, and the other with the Fox Business Channel.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The latest New York Times/CBS News polls gauged support for the presidential candidates specifically in Iowa and New Hampshire, where the race is very different, at least among Dems. In Iowa, the race is practically tied, with Hillary Clinton ahead with 25%, followed by John Edwards with 23%, and Barack Obama with 22%. Bill Richardson, who had 12T support, was the only other candidate in double-digits. In New Hampshire, Clinton’s lead is far bigger — she’s ahead with 37%, followed by Obama with 22%, and Edwards falling behind with 9%.

* As for Republicans, the same poll shows Mitt Romney holding onto his lead in Iowa with 27%, followed by Mike Huckabee with 21%. Rudy Giuliani is third with 15%. In New Hampshire, Romney enjoys a more comfortable lead — he’s ahead with 34%, followed by Giuliani and John McCain, who both enjoy 16% support.

* Fred Thompson unveiled his “Four Pillars of a Revitalized National Defense” in South Carolina, emphasizing his intention to increase defense spending to at least 4.5% of GDP. Thompson also wants to vastly increase the size of our active-duty forces.

* Hillary Clinton is starting to invest heavily in South Carolina, tripling her campaign spending in the state recently. Local observers believe she’s trying to deny Obama a key early victory.

* Speaking of Clinton and Obama, the Illinois senator criticized the Democratic frontrunner yesterday on trade policy, during a speech at a regional convention of the United Auto Workers. “So, when a candidate rails against NAFTA today, it’s fair to ask her where she was with NAFTA 20 years ago,” Obama said. “You don’t just suddenly wake up and say NAFTA is a terrible thing when you were for it before.”

* And speaking of Obama, the senator is also fighting back against the whisper campaigns against him: “‘I don’t mind them arguing with me about policy, but don’t let them question my patriotism,’ said Obama, responding to a question about the email. ‘And listen, I am not going to be swift boated at this race. If somebody comes at me I am going to come right back at them hard.’” As for the right-wing rumors about his faith, Obama added, “If I were a Muslim I would let you know. But I am a member of Trinity United Church of Christ on 95th street on the South side of Chicago.”

* John Edwards unveiled his first TV ad in South Carolina today. He’s the first Democratic candidate to hit the state’s airwaves.

* Speaking of Edwards, there’s a renewed debate over the former senator’s plan to take away federal officials’ healthcare insurance unless they pass his UHC policy in 2009. Most seem to agree that Edwards’ approach is unconstitutional.

* Sen. Charles Grassley, the highest ranking Republican official in Iowa, will apparently not endorse any presidential hopeful this cycle. “The more practical approach is: Which one is the best one to defeat Hillary Clinton?” Grassley said in a Des Moines Register interview. “And that practical approach keeps me from still backing anybody, because I guess I’ve got some faith in the primary system sorting it out so that the strongest candidate will float to the top - and I haven’t picked that strongest candidate.”

* Mitt Romney’s staff is divided over whether to attack Giuliani hard right now. Some worry about a backlash, others worry that they need to undermine Giuliani now before it’s too late.

* TNR’s Michael Crowley raised a good point yesterday: if George Allen hadn’t lost last year in Virginia, and were running for the Republican nomination right now, he’d probably be the easy frontrunner.

* In non-presidential campaign news, Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) will seek re-election next year; Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) will draw a Republican primary opponent; and Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey (D) has decided not to run for Nebraska’s open Senate seat.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* An awful scene in Chile: “A major earthquake struck northern Chile on Wednesday, toppling power lines, closing roads and sending terrified residents into the streets. Authorities reported some injuries but no deaths from the quake, which was felt in the capital as well as neighboring Peru and Bolivia. The earthquake, which struck at 12:40 p.m. local time (10:40 a.m. ET), measured magnitude 7.7 and was centered 780 miles north of Santiago, or 25 miles east-southeast of Tocopilla, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was followed by several aftershocks, including two larger than magnitude 5.”

* Getting closer to another showdown: “House Democrats defiantly pushed ahead Wednesday with a $50 billion war spending bill that calls for troops to leave Iraq, despite concerns raised by some members of the party and a veto threat issued by the White House. The bill would require that the U.S. initiate troop withdrawals within 30 days of its passage and agree to the goal of bringing home most soldiers and Marines by Dec. 15, 2008.” Bush has, of course, vowed to veto.

* NYT: “Gov. Eliot Spitzer is abandoning his plan to issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, saying that opposition is just too overwhelming to move forward with such a policy. ‘You have perhaps seen me struggle with it because I thought we had a principled decision, and it’s not necessarily easy to back away from trying to move a debate forward,’ he said.” The governor added, “I am not willing to fight to the bitter end on something that will not ultimately be implemented.”

* TPMM: “Tomorrow morning is the long-awaited mark-up of the surveillance bill in the Senate Judiciary Committee. And Russ Feingold (D-WI), who voted against the bill in the intelligence committee, is going to redouble his efforts to rid the bill of its provision granting retroactive legal immunity to telecommunications companies that complied with the Bush administration’s warrantless surveillance program.”

* NYT: “Federal agents investigating the Sept. 16 episode in which Blackwater security personnel shot and killed 17 Iraqi civilians have found that at least 14 of the shootings were unjustified and violated deadly-force rules in effect for security contractors in Iraq, according to civilian and military officials briefed on the case.” Even giving Blackwater the benefit of the doubt, the private security forces massacred 14 innocent civilians.

* The Center for American Progress has unveiled a new TV ad campaign, called, “Progressive. And Proud Of It.” I really like these ads; go take a look.

* Did Hizbollah put a mole in our government? It certainly looks like it: “A former FBI agent who pleaded guilty Tuesday to fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship and then improperly accessing sensitive computer information about Hizbollah was working until about a year ago as a CIA spy assigned to Middle East operations, Newsweek has learned. The stunning case of Nada Nadim Prouty, a 37-year-old Lebanese native who is related to a suspected Hizbollah money launderer, appears to raise a nightmarish question for U.S. intelligence agencies: Could one of the world’s most notorious terrorist groups have infiltrated the U.S. government?”

* A military tragedy that few are prepared to confront: the rise in the suicide rate among combat veterans.

* Bush’s Surgeon General nominee, Dr. James Holsinger, is going nowhere fast. It’s little wonder, then, that the White House is apparently ready to give him — you guessed it — a recess appointment.

* Oh my: “it began in August when a flood in much of Northern Ohio wiped out most of Putnam County’s voting machines. In September, Paul Gillmor, a Republican who represented Putnam and nearby counties in Congress, died suddenly. A special election was called for December. Meanwhile, a battle broke out for the Republican nomination, so a primary was called for Nov. 6. Putnam borrowed 40 touch-screen voting machines from Franklin County specifically for the primary. But the machines developed problems, so election officials decided to give voters paper ballots. Then the Putnam polling places didn’t have enough ballots, so voters were told to come back after more were printed. And after that, the county board of elections didn’t have containers for all the paper ballots.”

* I hate it when Pat Buchanan makes sense: “Rudy Giuliani has made a “promise” not to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear capability, even if it requires U.S. military action. Though the U.S. Army is scrimping to meet recruitment goals, Rudy has pledged to add at least 10 new combat brigades. Speaking to an Atlantic Bridge conference in London, Rudy called for NATO expansion to include Japan, India, Australia, Singapore and Israel. Has Rudy thought this through?” (thanks to reader L.K.)

* And finally, I can only hope The Onion’s satire isn’t taken seriously by the White House: “Barely two months after U.N. inspectors in Iran failed to find evidence of an active nuclear weapons program, the Department of Homeland Security uncovered new information Monday proving the Middle Eastern nation has obtained literally trillions of atoms — the same particles sometimes used to make atomic bombs — for unknown purposes.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The latest debate for the Democratic presidential candidates will be in Las Vegas tonight, and aired live on CNN. The event, hosted at the Thomas and Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, will air at 8pm ET.

* After a couple of weeks of heartburn over a New York plan to offer driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, Hillary Clinton finally took a firm stand on the policy yesterday, announcing after the demise of the plan that she’s against it: “I support Governor Spitzer’s decision today to withdraw his proposal. As president, I will not support driver’s licenses for undocumented people and will press for comprehensive immigration reform that deals with all of the issues around illegal immigration including border security and fixing our broken system.”

* On a related note, Barack Obama embraced New York’s controversial license plan, even after Gov. Spitzer announced he’s pulling it. Obama spokesman Bill Burton added, “When it takes two weeks and six different positions to answer one question on immigration, it’s easier to understand why the Clinton campaign would rather plant their questions than answer them.” Ouch.

* Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), the longest-serving Republican House Speaker in history, will announce his imminent retirement from Congress today, though it’s not clear exactly when he’ll give up his seat. “Hastert is expected to tell the House Republican Conference of his decision on Thursday afternoon, and then make his final floor speech sometime after that.” Pelosi has already scheduled floor time for Hastert’s announcement.

* Believe it or not, we still don’t know exactly when the New Hampshire primary is going to be: “The Union Leader reports that Secretary of State Bill Gardner said he will not set the primary date this week. Instead, Gardner is waiting on news from Michigan about whether their rogue January 15 primary law, which a judge invalidated for technical reasons, will go forward or not…. He has been hinting/threatening at a December date, but most observers expect the primary to be held on January 8 if the Michigan law is upheld.”

* Oh my: “Per the Jewish news service JTA, top Giuliani aide Ken Kurson told a Jewish audience last night in New York that if Bill Clinton was ‘the first black president,’ than the former New York mayor would be the first Jew to reach the White House. Kurson was referring to Giuliani’s support among Jews in New York and, presumably, his backing of Israel. The aide, who co-authored ‘Leadership’ with the former mayor, also noted that he’s a proud Jewish gun owner.”

* Boston Globe: “Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston, saying the Democratic Party has been persistently hostile to opponents of abortion rights, asserted yesterday that the support of many Catholics for Democratic candidates ‘borders on scandal.’”

* The co-chairman of Joe Biden’s South Carolina campaign said if the Delaware senator finishes as low as fourth in Iowa, “the national press will follow him and give him momentum to go on.” I really don’t think that’s true.

* And finally, New Jersey Gov. Jon Bon Jovi (D)? Stranger things have happened.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* I suspect there are going to be a few folks in DC who find this alarming: “Iran has made important strides toward transparency about its nuclear activities but key questions remain unresolved and it has significantly expanded uranium enrichment, a U.N. report said on Thursday…. The International Atomic Energy Agency said it remained unable to verify Iran was not militarizing enrichment at secret sites still denying inspector visits to anything but the few facilities of its declared civilian atomic energy program. ‘Iran’s cooperation has been reactive rather than proactive,’ IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei’s report said. ‘Iran’s active cooperation and full transparency are indispensable for full and prompt implementation of the work plan.’”

* On a related note, the Bush administration has a new National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran, but they don’t want others to see it. Kevin Drum describes the broader dynamic nicely: “The NIE’s key findings, which are normally released, are being withheld because (a) they contain dissents Dick Cheney doesn’t like, or (b) because they might expose U.S. intelligence capabilities. If you choose (b), I have a subprime loan you might be interested in taking a look at.”

* It’s hard to imagine how this guy keeps his job much longer: “The State Department’s embattled top fraud investigator, who recused himself from probes into Blackwater Worldwide security contractors over conflict of interest charges, has relinquished even more authority but remains at his post, officials said Thursday. In addition to removing himself from all queries related to Blackwater, Inspector General Howard Krongard has given up his role in looking into corruption allegations involving the construction of the new U.S. embassy in Baghdad, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.”

* Here’s a Republican sex scandal that might linger a while: “The ‘D.C. Madam’ served a subpoena Tuesday on Sen. David Vitter, R-La., requiring him to testify about his use of the Washington, D.C., escort service federal prosecutors say was a prostitution ring. The subpoena calls on the freshman senator to testify at a federal court hearing Nov. 28 looking into the business operations of the $2 million escort service Deborah Jeane Palfrey operated in the nation’s capital for 13 years…. Vitter declined to say whether he would honor Palfrey’s subpoena or challenge it.”

* And here’s a Republican sex scandal that might not linger at all: “A leading national gay rights advocacy organization is pressuring Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Senate Ethics Committee, to drop an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho). As a result, Democrats may question the merits of pushing the embattled Republican out of Congress.”

* Are those lasers on their heads? “How to get Baghdad cars out of the way of diplomatic motorcades? The old answer — an escalation of force beginning with thrown water bottles and ending with rifle fire — clearly isn’t in the cards after Nisour Square. So what’s left to try? The State Department is experimenting with an idea to make the Baghdad streets both safe and stylish. Convoy drivers will be fitted with — yes — laser helmets able to emit a beam of bright light to blind errant and potentially dangerous motorists.”

* Something to consider during tonight’s debate: “According to a November 9 Broadcasting & Cable article, former NBC News anchor Campbell Brown will ‘make her debut’ on CNN as a ‘panelist’ during the November 15 Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas, moderated by CNN host Wolf Blitzer. Brown, who was hired by CNN in July, is married to Dan Senor, a former adviser for the now-defunct Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq who is now reportedly serving as an adviser to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.”

* Something else to consider during tonight’s debate: “A full-page advertisement in today’s New York Times states that the debate is being sponsored by the ‘clean coal’ industry.”

* You tell ‘em, Warren: “For years, Warren Buffett has been urging Congress to keep the federal estate tax. Now, he’s suggesting how the government should use the money: a $1,000 annual tax credit for the 23 million U.S. households with incomes under $20,000. The billionaire investing guru told the Senate Finance Committee that many of those families face a marginal payroll tax rate of 15.3%, higher than the current top rate on capital gains, dividends and carried interest for assets held long term. In contrast, repealing the estate tax would help families of the richest Americans who have seen their wealth take off like a ‘rocket ship’ in the last two decades.”

* I can’t quite figure out why House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) cries quite so much.

* Next year, Netroots Nation (the conference formerly known as Yearly Kos) will be in Austin, Texas. I’ve heard good things about Austin.

* I find it disconcerting that Matt Yglesias doesn’t know what the Everglades are.

* AP: “Congress yesterday approved a five-year Head Start bill minus the provision sought by the Bush administration to allow religious groups participating in the preschool program to hire and fire staff members based on religious affiliation. The bill, championed by Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, would expand Head Start to more low-income families, improve teacher qualifications, and take steps to see the program is well run. The House passed it, 381 to 36, and the Senate vote was 95 to 0.”

* And finally, Bill O’Reilly won’t be able to blame secular progressives for this one: “Santas in Australia’s largest city have been told not to use Father Christmas’s traditional ‘ho ho ho’ greeting because it may be offensive to women, it was reported Thursday. Sydney’s Santa Clauses have instead been instructed to say ‘ha ha ha’ instead, the Daily Telegraph reported. One disgruntled Santa told the newspaper a recruitment firm warned him not to use ‘ho ho ho’ because it could frighten children and was too close to ‘ho’, a US slang term for prostitute.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Republican push-polling season has begun: “Here’s today’s key story out of the New Hampshire local press: The Union Leader reports that New Hampshirites have been getting push-poll calls … targeted against Mitt Romney. The calls, which among other things attack Romney’s Latter-Day Saints religion, have reportedly been traced back to Utah-based firm Western Wats, which has done push-polling in past general elections against Democrats as well as primary campaigns against Republicans. The calls do not specify which candidate is being supported by them, as is required under New Hampshire law.”

* The same tactic is being used against Romney in Iowa: “Among the questions was whether a resident knew that Romney was a Mormon, that he received military deferments when he served as a Mormon missionary in France, that his five sons did not serve in the military, that Romney’s faith did not accept blacks as bishops into the 1970s and that Mormons believe the Book of Mormon is superior to the Bible.”

* Depending on which pollster you believe, the Republican race in Iowa is either relatively competitive, or extremely competitive. The latest poll from KCCI, the Des Moines CBS affiliate, shows Romney ahead with 27%, followed by Huckabee with 18%, and Giuliani with 16%. A new Des Moines Register poll, however, shows a much closer contest: Romney 24%, Huckabee 22%, Giuliani 11%, Thompson 11%.

* As for Dems, KCCI shows a very close race, with Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama by just two points, 27% to 25%, with John Edwards third at 21%. The new Des Moines Register poll, however, shows a slightly bigger lead for the frontrunner: Clinton 27%, Obama 21%, Edwards 20%.

* A Dec. 4 Republican debate co-sponsored by the Iowa Republican Party and Fox News was called off yesterday after Mitt Romney said he had a scheduling conflict. Rudy Giuliani had also not said whether he’d attend, presumably waiting for Romney’s decision. Without these two on the stage, organizers decided to skip the event altogether.

* Barack Obama got some good news in yesterday when the United Auto Workers Region 4, which includes 30,000 members and retirees in Iowa, announced it’s endorsement of the Illinois senator.

* John Edwards’ campaign is hitting the Clinton campaign pretty hard for the planted-question flap. Yesterday, Edwards unveiled a new website, “Plants for Hillary.” Among the highlights of the parody site is a T-shirt that reads, “Questions are hard…so plant them. Hillary 08.” Ouch.

* Journalist Sidney Blumenthal, most recently of Salon fame, announced that he’s joining Clinton’s campaign as a senior advisor.

* While Chris Dodd continues to focus his attention on Iowa, he’s apparently divesting in Nevada — he closed his Nevada headquarters yesterday.

* And it looks like Giuliani’s appeal to Iowa conservatives still isn’t going too well: “The Des Moines Register reports that Congressman Steve King (R-IA) is openly bashing the idea of the Republican Party nominating Rudy Giuliani, warning that a Rudy nomination would undermine the GOP. King was critical of Giuliani’s record on abortion, gun rights and illegal immigration, as well as his past support for gay rights. ‘All these things are essential to the Reagan coalition,’ King said, worrying that Rudy’s candidacy could give rise to a third-party spoiler candidate.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* A stunning tragedy in Bangladesh: “Aid workers struggled Friday to help hundreds of thousands of survivors of a cyclone that blasted Bangladesh with 150 mph winds, killing a reported 1,100 people, savaging coastal towns, and leaving millions without power in the deadliest such storm in more than a decade. Rescuers — some even employing the brute force of elephants — contended with roads that were washed out or blocked by wind-blown debris to try to get water and food to people stranded by flooding from Tropical Cyclone Sidr.”

* McClatchy: “Iran appears to have stopped shipping the deadliest type of weapons used against U.S. troops in Iraq after a European government confronted Tehran with proof that the weapons came from Iranian factories and Iraqi officials warned their neighbor that instability in Iraq affects the entire region, U.S., Western and Iraqi officials said.” Note to Bush: this is called an “overture.” You don’t have to attack.

* The result of the Republican war on science: “Some government scientists have complained that officials at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History took steps to downplay global warming in a 2006 exhibit on the Arctic to avoid a political backlash, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post. The museum’s director, Cristián Samper, ordered last-minute changes to the exhibit’s script to add ’scientific uncertainty’ about climate change, according to internal documents and correspondence.”

* In case there were any lingering doubts: CNN confirmed this afternoon that it chose the “diamonds or pearls” question and directed a college student to ask it.

* Concern over the plight of the Jena Six has not faded away: “Marchers surrounded the Justice Department headquarters on Friday to demand federal intervention in the “Jena Six” case and enforcement of hate crimes against those who hang nooses in public.”

* Words fail me: “A Saudi court sentenced a woman who had been gang raped to six months in jail and 200 lashes — more than doubling her initial penalty for being in the car of a man who was not a relative, a newspaper reported Thursday.”

* I know Ron Paul has some unbelievably rabid fans, but they should remember that it’s illegal to print money with his picture on it.

* Remember when the U.S. was a beacon of hope for the world? “A confidential 2003 manual for operating the Guantanamo detention center shows that military officials had a policy of denying detainees access to independent monitors from the International Committee of the Red Cross.”

* I assumed no one was watching these debates except me, but it turns out last night’s debate in Las Vegas was the most watched primary debate in television history. That means over 4 million people got to hear Wolf Blitzer ask stupid questions.

* There’s an inkling of a deal in the works — congressional Republicans will let congressional Dems’ spending bills pass in exchange for a blank check on Iraq.

* Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) can’t imagine why reporters in his home state would cover the biggest political corruption scandal in Alaska’s history.

* I appreciate why John Edwards is challenging Hillary Clinton as aggressively as he is, but this seems like a waste of outrage.

* AP: “Soldiers strained by six years at war are deserting their posts at the highest rate since 1980, with the number of Army deserters this year showing an 80 percent increase since the United States invaded Iraq in 2003.”

* I think we’re losing the Pakistani street: “‘We used to love America. Give me Tom Cruise and a vacation in Florida any day,’ said Parveen Aslam, 30, who like many Pakistanis has relatives in the United States. ‘But why isn’t the U.S. standing up for Pakistan when we need it most? Is America even listening to us? We are calling them Busharraf now. They are the same man.’”

* Major court ruling from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on fuel economy standards for light trucks and SUVs.

* It looks like the State Department won’t have to force several dozen diplomats to serve in Iraq after all.

* Compassionate conservatism: “Like the other Gulf Coast states battered by Hurricane Katrina, Mississippi was required by Congress to spend half of its billions in federal grant money to help low-income citizens trying to recover from the storm. But so far, the state has spent $1.7 billion in federal money on programs that have mostly benefited relatively affluent residents and big businesses.”

* Why does CNN feature a partisan supporter of one Democratic candidate as an analyst for all Democratic candidates?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rudy Giuliani is trying to rally support in Iowa, without looking like he’s rallying support in Iowa. His campaign is relying on “a surge of radio advertisements, telephone calls and mailings,” while lowering expectations and pretending that he’s not focusing on the state at all. (Presumably, if he finishes third or fourth in Iowa, he’ll say, “See? Look how well I did without even trying,” despite trying very hard.)

* Thomas Kean Sr., the chairman of the 9/11 Commission, will endorse John McCain today. The Politico reported, “Kean will help McCain make the case to voters in New Hampshire, his must-win state, that strength on national security encompasses a lot more than the divisive issue of Iraq, the sources said.”

* Speaking of McCain, the senator said he would try to go without Secret Service protection if elected. “It’s my intention, if we win this nomination, to reject Secret Service,” he said during a weekend campaign event yesterday, adding, “The day that the Secret Service can assure me that if we’re driving in the motorcade and there’s a guy in a rooftop with a rifle, that they can stop that guy, then I’ll say fine. But the day they tell me, ‘well, we can’t guarantee it,’ then fine, I’ll take my chances.”

* Hillary Clinton racked up another union endorsement, earning the support of a 230,000-member labor group that will soon be formed through a merger. As CNN explained, “SMART, the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, will merge the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association and the United Transportation Union in January. The New York senator had previously received the endorsement of the transportation union, which is the larger of the merging unions with 125,000 active and retired members in the railroad, bus and public transit industries.”

* With Mike Huckabee’s support growing, Fred Thompson’s campaign appears to be challenging Huckabee’s conservative credentials: “In particular, they pointed to Mr. Huckabee’s support as governor for awarding state college scholarships to the children of illegal immigrants.” The Iowa state director of Thompson’s campaign described Huckabee as “the equivalent of John Edwards in a Republican suit.”

* Speaking of Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor has unveiled his first TV ad, and it’s rather amusing. The spot is, oddly enough, built around Chuck Norris’ endorsement.

* And in still more Huckabee news, he told Fox News yesterday that simply returning abortion rights over to the states — the effect of overturning Roe — isn’t good enough. “It’s the logic of the Civil War,” Huckabee said yesterday, comparing abortion rights to slavery. “If morality is the point here, and if it’s right or wrong, not just a political question, then you can’t have 50 different versions of what’s right and what’s wrong.”

* Last week, John Edwards mocked Clinton with a website called, “Plants for Hillary.” It came down after one day. An Edwards spokesperson said the site “was just a fun one day thing to set up the debate. Takes too much ‘gardening and tending.’” That doesn’t sound right — the campaign went to the trouble of writing, designing, and creating an entire website for just one day?

* Barack Obama is redoubling his efforts to appeal to senior citizens in Iowa. Apparently, most of his support is among younger voters, but it’s seniors who are most likely to participate in the caucuses.

* Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore (R), who launched an awful presidential campaign for much of the year, announced this morning that he’s running for his state’s open Senate seat. He’ll apparently run unopposed, and will face his successor, former Gov. Mark Warner (D), who is expected to win next November.

* And finally, CNN’s Lou Dobbs said he’s not running for president. “I don’t know where this is coming from,” he told the NYT. “I have no interest in running, and I’ve said that throughout.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Congressional Republicans are still running for the exits: “In a surprise move, Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-N.J.) announced Monday that he will not be seeking a fifth term.” The 37-year-old Ferguson claimed, of course, that he wants to spend more time with his family, but it’s worth noting that he struggled to win re-election last year and would have been a top DCCC target next year. Ferguson is the 15th House Republican to retire this year, and the second from New Jersey this month.

* Ugh: “Wall Street resumed its slide Monday as Wall Street absorbed a gloomy outlook for the banking sector as well as bleak news from the National Association of Homebuilders. The major stock market indexes each fell more than 1.5 percent, with the Dow Jones industrial average giving up more than 200 points.”

* OPEC is getting tired of our weak dollar: “The Observer reports that during OPEC’s meeting this past weekend, leaders of the oil-producing nations ‘argued that pricing - and selling - oil using the crippled dollar was damaging the cartel.’ The meeting was supposed to have been private, but was mistakenly broadcast to the media for more than half an hour after a technician had incorrectly plugged the TV feed into the wrong socket.”

* We haven’t had any good Culture-of-Corruption updates in a while: “The investigation into Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA) lives! Or at least investigators were doing some investigating this summer. Roll Call reports (sub. req.) that an FBI agent peeked at Lewis’ personal financial records in July of this year, along with those of former aides. The FBI also took a look at Rep. Ken Calvert’s (R-CA) personal records, as they did once before, about a year ago.”

* And speaking of scandal-plagued Republicans: “State Department Inspector General Howard ‘Cookie’ Krongard’s new strategy to get out of a possible perjury investigation? Begging.”

* Laura Rozen has the story about Freedom Watch’s deep-pocketed right-wing donors, who are “marketing language that could be used to sell a war with Iran.”

* Meanwhile, still other conservative hawks are pondering a military invasion of Pakistan. The dreaded O’Hanlon/Kagan combo writes, “We need to think — now — about our feasible military options in Pakistan, should it really come to that…. Pakistan may be the next big test.”

* McClatchy: “Despite the fact that Iraq and U.S. officials have made water projects among their top priorities, the percentage of Iraqis without access to decent water supplies has risen from 50 percent to 70 percent since the start of the U.S.-led war, according to an analysis by Oxfam International last summer. The portion of Iraqis lacking decent sanitation was even worse — 80 percent.” (thanks to R.K. for the tip)

* ABC News: “A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. has opened an investigation into the role of Blackwater security guards in the shooting deaths of 17 Iraqi citizens in September in Baghdad, federal law enforcement sources tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com. A number of Blackwater security guards assigned to the ill-fated convoy have been subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury next week.”

* Interesting idea: “The term of choice in political giving these days is straight out of the world of finance — donors have become ‘investors.’ Now, liberal California venture capitalists have come up with the natural corollary — political ‘mutual funds.’ The new venture, being launched Monday, is the work of Andy and Deborah Rappaport’s New Progressive Coalition, a San Francisco-based organization they like to call the Charles Schwab of politics. Through a rigorous vetting system, the coalition identified 37 Democratic-leaning organizations and distributed them among three funds. The idea is to guide potential contributors through the myriad liberal causes and groups that dot the political landscape.”

* CBS’s Bob Schieffer blamed, well, everyone for problems in DC: “[M]y question is this: what do the following have in common: Legislation to provide health insurance for children; education legislation; energy legislation; the Farm Bill; funding the Iraq War; and legislation funding all federal agencies except the Pentagon next year? The answer is all of it is stalled in Congress, awaiting final action, tangled in the gridlock that the Republicans blame on the Democrats and the Democrats blame on the Republicans.” He didn’t say which side was right.

* According to Maj. Gen. Graham Binns, commander of British forces in Basra, violence fell dramatically after foreign troops withdrew from his area of Iraq. Hmm.

* The city of Philadelphia has given the Boy Scouts a sweetheart deal since 1928: use of the Beaux-Arts building for the annual rent of $1. Now, the city is giving the Scouts a choice, stop discriminating against gays or expect to pay the same rate as everybody else.

* It’s extremely frustrating to see Dennis Kucinich use “Democrat” when he means “Democratic.”

* Apparently, Fox News blames Nancy Pelosi for high gas prices.

* And finally, remember State Rep. Bob Allen (R) — aka, Florida’s Larry Craig? He was convicted last week on one misdemeanor count of solicitation for prostitution. Late last week, to the delight of Florida Republicans, Allen resigned from the legislature. The University of South Florida professor Susan A. MacManus, an expert in Florida politics, responded, “With the environment today and the anger of voters … it’s probably a good thing personally and professionally.” She added that a political comeback for Allen “would be difficult.” Apparently, if you’re an anti-gay Republican who offers to pay an undercover police officer to allow him to perform oral sex on him in a public park restroom, voters hold a grudge.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new CNN poll of New Hampshire Republicans shows Rudy Giuliani dropping fast, and Mitt Romney solidifying his lead. As of now, Romney is out in front with 33% support, followed by John McCain at 18%, and Giuliani third at 16%. In September, a CNN poll showed Romney with a one-point lead over Giuliani, 25% to 24%. In the new results, Fred Thompson has dropped all the way to sixth, behind Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee, who are running fourth and fifth, respectively. (corrected)

* A new AP poll gauged which candidates are the most likable: “On the Republican side, Giuliani gets the nod, both from GOP voters and among voters overall. None of the Democratic candidates has a clear advantage among Democratic voters, with Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards running about even. But in a sheer popularity contest, pitting the most likable Democrat vs. the best-liked Republican, it would be Obama over Giuliani, 54 percent to 46 percent.”

* Hillary Clinton told an Iowa audience yesterday that the economy is in trouble and she’s the only competitive Democrat experienced enough for the job. She added that today’s economic downturn is similar to the early 1990s: “There seems to be a pattern here. It takes a Clinton to clean up after a Bush.” Barack Obama, responding to the inexperience charge, said, “My understanding is she wasn’t Treasury secretary in the Clinton administration. I don’t know exactly what experience she’s claiming.”

* Obama is in New Hampshire today, unveiling his education plan. According to one report, the policy “calls for affordable preschool for every child, higher pay for better teachers and the option of more class time for students.”

* John Edwards criticized Clinton on Iran yesterday, telling an Iowa crowd, “I think if you defend the system in Washington, you’re for the status quo; if you want to continue the occupation in Iraq, you’re for the status quo, and if you’re not willing to stand up to Bush and Cheney on Iran, that’s the status quo.” Asked if he believes the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is a terrorist organization, Edwards hedged, but said he would have voted against the Kyl-Lieberman amendment.

* Fresh off his new TV ad featuring Chuck Norris, Mike Huckabee is now touting an endorsement from wrestler Ric Flair: “CNN has learned the WWE wrestler is on board with Huckabee, and will co-host a campaign tailgate with the candidate at the South Carolina vs. Clemson football game on Saturday afternoon in Columbia, South Carolina.”

* In New Mexico, Rep. Tom Udall (D) is officially a candidate for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat. In the first poll with him in the mix, Udall leads his Democratic primary opponent, Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez, 62% to 32%.

* Michelle Obama will be a guest host on the television talk show “The View” next month. The appearance is scheduled for December 5th.

* Apparently, corruption scandals aren’t helpful for approval ratings: in Alaska, Sen. Ted Stevens (R) and Rep. Don Young (R) have both seen their support plummet. Steven’s ratings have dropped to 44%, while Young’s positive numbers have dropped to 34%.

* In Missouri, Dems got some good news yesterday when a new poll showed state Attorney General Jay Nixon leading incumbent Gov. Matt Blunt (R) in a hypothetical match-up, 51% to 42%. The same poll showed that a majority of Missourians have an unfavorable opinion of Blunt.

* Save the dates: the Commission on Presidential Debates has announced the debate dates and sites for next year’s presidential general election. The first debate will on Sept. 26 at the University of Mississippi; the VP debate will be on Oct. 2 at Washington University in St. Louis; the second presidential debate will on Oct. 7 at Belmont University in Nashville; and the third presidential debate will on Oct. 15 at Hofstra University. The schedule was disappointing to New Orleans, which lobbied for one of the four slots.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* So much for political reconciliation in Iraq: “Iraq’s prime minister lashed out at the country’s Sunni Arab vice president in an interview published Tuesday, drawing attention to a bitter rift between two key politicians from rival sects at a time the U.S. is pressing for Iraqi unity…. In the interview, published by Al-Hayat, a London-based, Arabic-language daily, al-Maliki, a Shiite, said Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi was to blame for a backlog of legislation adopted by parliament but not yet ratified by the three-man presidential council of which the Sunni is a member.”

* There are occasional reports about stem-cell breakthrough, but this, if it holds up, sounds very promising: “Two research groups have found different genetic recipes to give ordinary skin cells the power to turn into virtually any kind of human tissue, just as embryonic stem cells do. If the recipes live up to their promise, they could someday end the ethical debate over embryonic stem cell research — and usher in an era when a person’s own cells could be manipulated to mend a broken spinal cord, heal a damaged heart or regenerate other failing tissues.” The recipes are, at this point, too risky for disease treatment, and potential therapies are still years away.

* The more we talk, the less likely we attack: “The United States has accepted an Iraqi proposal to hold new talks with Iran about the security situation in Iraq, the State Department said Tuesday. The as-yet unscheduled meeting would be the fourth round of talks between Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, and his Iranian counterpart. Two previous sessions ended inconclusively with Iran rejecting U.S. allegations that Iran is supporting Shia insurgent groups in Iraq by providing bombmaking material responsible for the deaths of American troops.”

* Just to reemphasize a point from earlier, House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) was surprisingly stern while talking about Iraq funding: “I mean, we have provided the money. I will repeat that 50 times. We have provided the money. The money is not the issue. The issue is that the president is simply refusing to accept the conditions under which the money is provided.” Obey said it like it he meant it — House Dems won’t fund the war without withdrawal dates.

* NYT: “In one of the clearest signs yet of Hurricane Katrina’s lasting demographic impact, the City Council is about to have a white majority for the first time in over two decades, pointing up again the storm’s displacement of thousands of residents, mostly black.”

* Dick Morris is a free American who can go where he pleases, but it pains me to think he’s bringing his “talents” to Kenya for a political campaign: “Leading presidential candidate Raila Odinga has brought Morris on as a consultant to help him beat incumbent President Mwai Kibaki in next month’s elections. Last week Morris arrived in Kenya on a tourist visa and held a press conference saying he believed Odinga was poised to win the election.”

* Karl Rove wanted to work for Time, not Newsweek. Time wouldn’t have him, boosting my opinion of the magazine.

* I’ve long wondered why Vote Vets doesn’t have a blog. Fortunately, the group launched one today.

* In his first paid appearance since resigning in disgrace, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales traveled to the University of Florida yesterday, giving a $40,000 speech. It didn’t go well: “Embattled former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was a few minutes into his speech Monday night when the first two protesters took the stage, their heads covered and hands tied behind their backs like Abu Ghraib prisoners.”

* Josh Marshall is one of GQ’s Men of the Year. How cool is that?

* Glenn Beck is still dumb.

* John Gibson is still dumber.

* Digby had a real gem this week on defining deviancy down: “[H]ere we find ourselves more than 40 years after the conservatives began decrying the moral depravity of the left and 15 years after Patrick Moynihan told us that our liberal culture was defining deviancy down and we find that they were right all along. They just got one little detail wrong. It wasn’t the liberal left who were morally depraved. It was them.”

* And finally, apropos of nothing, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams told viewers last night, as matter of fact, that marriage “is under attack.” I haven’t the foggiest idea what Williams is talking about.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Slowly but surely, Rudy Giuliani’s scandalous personal life is becoming more of a campaign issue: “‘It just drives me nuts, I have to be honest with you, when politicians get up and talk about their personal life, and then say, ‘Oh, everybody makes mistakes,” Romney said. ‘Well, everybody makes mistakes, but not everybody asks to be president of the United States… And when you ask for those responsibilities, then we expect you to live by a higher standard of conduct.’”

* Last week, an ex-con was arrested in a double-murder case, after having been released from prison by a judge appointed to the bench by Mitt Romney. Romney has called on the judge to resign, but Giuliani has slammed the former governor for the appointment anyway, insisting that it’s an example of Romney’s poor judgment and weakness on crime.

* Romney tried to turn Giuliani’s criticism around: “Rudy Giuliani should be the last guy to talk about appointing a screwup to public office, rival Mitt Romney sniped Sunday as the Republicans continued to attack each other during a weekend of campaigning in New Hampshire. Romney called it ’strange’ and ‘ironic’ that Giuliani should attack him about a judge he appointed, conjuring up the specter of Giuliani’s disgraced police commissioner, Bernard Kerik.”

* Bob Novak unloaded on Mike Huckabee in his new column: “Huckabee is campaigning as a conservative, but serious Republicans know that he is a high-tax, protectionist advocate of big government and a strong hand in the Oval Office directing the lives of Americans. Until now, they did not bother to expose the former governor of Arkansas as a false conservative because he seemed an underfunded, unknown nuisance candidate. Now that he has pulled even with Mitt Romney for the Iowa caucuses and might make more progress, the beleaguered Republican Party has a frightening problem.”

* Speaking of Huckabee, the former governor delivered a couple of sermons at two Baptist churches in South Carolina yesterday. “God is still looking for good soldiers, good soldiers for Christ,” he told the congregation in Irmo. “Every single person here is a soldier that God needs in his army. He is just waiting on us to say here am I, send me.”

* CNN: “Sen. Barack Obama dropped the hint last week, but Monday his presidential campaign made it official: talk show host Oprah Winfrey will join him on the campaign trail next month. The campaign said Oprah will make four appearances with the Democratic presidential candidate in three key early states: Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. The stops will be the weekend of December 8th and 9th, in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Manchester and Columbia.”

* Romney’s background as a pro-choice candidate continues to dog him: “Two Republican presidential candidates slammed rival Mitt Romney’s record on abortion Saturday, claiming Romney cannot be trusted on the issue because of his past support for abortion rights. The attacks, some of the most pointed to date from his Republican opponents Fred Thompson and Mike Huckabee, come one week after Romney’s campaign sent out a mailer in South Carolina calling him ‘the only presidential candidate who supports the Republican party’s pro-life platform: a constitutional amendment banning abortion nationwide.’”

* Jonathan Martin had a good piece the other day on Fred Thompson’s campaign troubles, including this striking note: “Even [Thompson’s] own aides and advisers acknowledge privately that there are days when he seems disinterested in running for president at all.”

* This may surprise some people, but apparently, some over-zealous Ron Paul fans have become so aggressive towards journalists, it “appears to spill beyond advocacy into harassment.”

* Lance Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France champion, is apparently considering a political career. This week, spokeswoman Katherine McLane explained, “For the coming year, his focus is on making cancer a national priority and a front-burner topic in the presidential election. What happens after that, who can say?”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The bear market continues to rear its ugly head: “Wall Street sold off sharply Monday as concerns about a weakening credit market wiped out investors’ enthusiasm about strong retails sales over the holiday weekend. The Dow Jones industrial average fell nearly 240 points. Investors were unnerved by another series of announcements that pointed to continuing problems in the credit markets that stem from home loan debt going bad under the weight of a faltering housing market.”

* Dick Cheney, who has already had four heart attacks, will undergo a heart procedure this afternoon, following the discovery of an irregular heartbeat. “Cheney was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat, when he visited his doctor Monday morning complaining of a lingering cough after a cold. It was then that the arrhythmia was diagnosed, the vice president’s office reported. Doctors described the procedure — intended to shock the heart back into normal rhythm — as routine, and said they expect the vice president to return to his residence Monday night.”

* Trent Lott’s announcement that he will resign from Congress has set off a scramble in the GOP Senate leadership. Lott, of course, is giving up the Senate Minority Whip post, and Senate GOP Conference Chairman Jon Kyl (Ariz.) quickly announced that he would give up his post to seek Lott’s. Kyl will likely face competition from Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).

* With Kyl giving up the Senate GOP Conference Chairman gig, there’s also, naturally, a scramble for that job, too. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) was first out of the gate, announcing her plan to run for the chairmanship, and she will likely face competition from Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.).

* Remember FEMA’s fake press conference during the wildfire crisis? It wasn’t the agency’s first: “A Homeland Security public affairs official acted like a reporter asking questions during a briefing in San Antonio in January 2006. A Homeland Security Department investigation found that an official with Immigration and Customs Enforcement asked a question during that news conference. The ICE official was standing with about 12 reporters but didn’t identify herself when she posed the question, Homeland says the employee was verbally reprimanded for asking the question after the news conference.”

* Moving away from a Petraeus-centric policy: “Top military leaders at the Pentagon want to avoid a repeat of the last public assessment of the Iraq war — with its relentless focus on the opinion of a single commander — when the Bush administration makes its next crucial decision about the size of the U.S. force. Concerned about the war’s effect on public trust in the military, the leading officials said they hoped the next major assessment early next year would not place as much emphasis on the views of Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, who in September spent dozens of hours in testimony before Congress and in televised interviews.”

* NYT: “Representative Julia Carson, Democrat of Indiana, has terminal lung cancer, a newspaper reported Sunday. Ms. Carson, 69, said in a statement in The Indianapolis Star that she had planned to return to Washington after recuperating from a leg infection but that a doctor then found the cancer. ‘It had gone into remission years before, but it was back with a terminal vengeance,’ Ms. Carson said.” Carson added today that she will not seek re-election.

* His complaints yesterday notwithstanding, Fred Thompson has generally been treated pretty well by Fox News.

* This might be interesting: “Larry Flynt, editor and publisher of Hustler magazine, just told FOX Business Network’s Neil Cavuto that he’s ‘hoping to expose a bombshell’ that will stand ‘Washington and the country on its head.’ Within the next week or two, he says his magazine will expose a sex scandal of huge proportions involving a prominent United States Senator. Flynt refused to comment on the Senator’s political affiliation, but alluded that he or she is a Republican.”

* Tucker Carlson’s MSNBC show is in trouble, and he apparently knows it. He recently signed off his program this way: “That does it for us. Thank you for watching, as always. We mean that sincerely to all eight of you.” MSNBC was reportedly not at all amused, and considering that his career is in jeopardy anyway, it probably wasn’t a smart move. (That said, it was both amusing and accurate.)

* Following up on last week’s brouhaha over Scott McClellan’s new book, Dana Perino told reporters today that she has discussed the book with the president, and added that Bush “has not and would not knowingly pass false information.” No, of course not. It’s not like the president is known for having trouble telling the truth, right?

* Did everyone catch Keith Olbermann on “The Simpsons” last night?

* And seven years too late, Al Gore was in the Oval Office today — when Bush received America’s Nobel Prize winners: “In his private Oval Office meeting with President Bush, the former vice president insisted that they had spoken about global warming ‘the whole time.’ It wasn’t clear if the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, who shared the honor for his work on climate change, was serious.” Gore went on to call the meeting with Bush “very cordial” and “substantive.” He would not elaborate.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Hillary Clinton sat down with CBS News’ Katie Couric for an interview that was almost entirely about process and the horserace — Couric must have missed Halperin’s memo — and the anchor asked the Democratic frontrunner how disappointed she’ll be if she isn’t the nominee. “Well,” Clinton said, “it will be me.” When Couric asked if Clinton had considered the possibility that she might come up short, the senator added, “No I haven’t.”

* Trent Lott’s resignation seems to have caused some rancor back home over election law: “Gov. Haley Barbour (R) said in a statement Monday that he would schedule the special election for the same day as the November 2008 general election. State law, however, appears to require an earlier date if Lott retires this year, as he said he would.” Dems believe they’d have a better shot in a special election, which may be driving Barbour to play fast and loose with the legal requirements.

* The Denver Post chatted with Focus on the Family’s Tom Minnery, James Dobson’s right-hand man, about the election. Asked specifically about Mitt Romney as the GOP nominee, Minnery said Dobson probably won’t endorse the former governor. “It’s doubtful because of the tremendous difference in theological views,” he said.

* Speaking of the religious right, “Mike Huckabee, the Republican presidential candidate and former Southern Baptist minister, is getting help from Tim LaHaye, the Christian conservative organizer and co-author of the apocalyptic ‘Left Behind’ novels.” LaHaye sent a supportive message to far-right activists in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, inviting conservative pastors to attend two-day conferences held in each state (free, including meals and a hotel room). Huckabee will be the only candidate speaking at the events.

* A new Zogby Interactive poll got a lot of ink yesterday when it showed John Edwards and Barack Obama faring well against the Republican presidential field, but Hillary Clinton trailing all of the top five GOP candidates. The response did not match the credibility of the data — Zogby Interactive’s poll did not include a random sample, and the results were dismissed by pollsters as unreliable.

* Speaking of polls, a more reliable national poll was released yesterday by Gallup, also featuring hypothetical general-election match-ups. In this poll, Clinton led all of the top four Republican hopefuls. Barack Obama led McCain, Thompson, and Romney, but was tied with Giuliani.

* NYT: “Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton will propose steps today to strengthen the government’s strategy to battle H.I.V. and AIDS in the United States and the rest of the world, becoming the latest Democratic presidential candidate to commit to a significant expansion of federal efforts to combat the epidemic. Mrs. Clinton’s two main rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, Senator Barack Obama and John Edwards, have already released plans of their own. Taking Mrs. Clinton’s into account, the three approaches are similar in terms of spending, goals and differences with President Bush’s AIDS policy.”

* The National Republican Congressional Committee launched a YouTube contest a few months ago, asking supporters to submit their own creations. They received a grand total of five submissions — one of which were Dems making fun of NRCC talking points. (Here’s the punch-line: according to the Republicans’ rules, the “top five videos will be hosted on NRCC.org and voted on by the general public.”)

* Speaking of YouTube, the Republicans’ debate featuring questions from YouTube will be tomorrow night. Chris Dodd submitted his own inquiry: “Many Americans are concerned that the Administration seems to be making a false choice. That is to be safer we have to give up rights. I don’t believe that, I wonder if you do. And if you believe we aught not to give up our rights, what would you do in order to protect our Constitution?” Somehow, I have a hunch CNN won’t include it at the event. It’s a good quesiton, though, isn’t it?

* Rudy Giuliani is more convinced than ever that the 2003 invasion of Iraq was the right move. The poor guy just isn’t very bright.

* McClatchy: “Barack Obama’s wife has a heavy message for blacks in this early voting Southern state: Her husband’s chances of defeating Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination may hinge more on them than they do on white voters…. ‘I know folks talk in barbershops and beauty salons, and I’ve heard some folks say, ‘That Barack, he seems like a nice guy, but I’m not sure America’s ready for a black president,” Michelle Obama told a crowd Tuesday at historically black South Carolina State University. ‘We’ve heard those voices before, voices that say, ‘Maybe you should wait’ — you know? — ‘You can’t do it,” she said. ‘It’s the bitter legacy of racism and discrimination and oppression in this country.’”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The photo-op is off to a good start: “Israeli and Palestinian leaders agreed Tuesday to immediately resume long-stalled talks toward a deal by the end of next year that would create an independent Palestinian state, using a U.S.-hosted Mideast peace conference to launch their first negotiations in seven years… ‘We agree to immediately launch good-faith bilateral negotiations in order to conclude a peace treaty resolving all outstanding issues, including all core issues without exception, as specified in previous agreements,’ [a joint statement read by President Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas] said.”

* We’re running out of time: “Unless the international community agrees to cut carbon emissions by half over the next generation, climate change is likely to cause large-scale human and economic setbacks and irreversible ecological catastrophes, a U.N. report said on Tuesday. The U.N. Human Development Report issued one of the strongest warnings yet of the lasting impact of climate change on living standards and a strong call for urgent collective action. ‘We could be on the verge of seeing human development reverse for the first time in 30 years,’ Kevin Watkins, lead author of the report, told Reuters.”

* The hits just keep on coming: “U.S. home prices fell 4.5 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, the sharpest drop since Standard & Poor’s began its nationwide housing index in 1987 and another sign that the housing slump is far from over, the research group said Tuesday. The index also showed that prices fell 1.7 percent from the previous three-month period, the largest quarter-to-quarter decline in the index’s history.”

* Two steps forward, one step back: “President Gen. Pervez Musharraf bade farewell to the military Tuesday, a day before he steps down as army chief and restores Pakistan to civilian rule in an effort to ease the country’s political crisis. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whom Musharraf ousted in a 1999 coup, said the president’s departure from the army would make ‘a lot of difference,’ but insisted he needed to do much more to defuse tensions. Relinquishing the post of army chief has been a key demand of an increasingly adamant opposition to Musharraf both at home and abroad.”

* Clearing the way for permanent bases: “Yesterday, General Douglas Lute, a top Iraq adviser to President Bush, said that the administration didn’t require Senate ratification for its forthcoming long-term security guarantee to the Iraqis. [Whether that’s true or not], the Iraqi constitution stipulates that Iraq’s parliament has to ratify any such agreement. And the Iraqi parliament is a lot more hostile to the idea of hosting U.S. troops indefinitely than the U.S. Senate is.”

* Could the Veco Oil scandal have contributed to Trent Lott’s abrupt resignation? Maybe.

* And MSNBC wonders why no one’s watching the show: “On the November 26 edition of MSNBC’s Tucker, after stating that he ‘will bet [his] car’ that President Bush, ‘when he leaves office will come out in the next decade or so as a strong advocate on behalf of ending global warming,’ host Tucker Carlson asserted that former Vice President Al Gore ‘would have been a disaster as president.’ Carlson continued: ‘We’d have been living in the Dark Ages. I think he’s fundamentally hostile to human civilization. And a phony.’ After Politico senior political columnist Roger Simon asked Carlson, ‘Would we be fighting a war in Iraq?’ Carlson responded, ‘We would likely be not, not be fighting a war in Iraq. We’d also be living in yurts in the dark, and that would be maybe almost as bad.’”

* Want to see an incredibly progressive party platform on immigration? Read the Republican Party’s platform — from 1972.

* Sweetheart deal for a certain former Attorney General: “The law firm of former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft is set to collect more than $52 million to help the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey monitor leading manufacturers of knee and hip replacements, The Star-Ledger of Newark reported Tuesday. Ashcroft is among five private attorneys whom U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie hand-picked to monitor the implant makers, the newspaper reported.”

* I’m a little behind on the latest Joe Klein flap, but apparently he really stepped in it with a recent column criticizing Dems on FISA. Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) does his best to set the legislative record straight, while Glenn and FDL highlight Klein’s errors of fact and judgment.

* Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) officially resigned last night, one minute before midnight. No one seems to care. For the longest-serving Republican Speaker in American history, Hastert didn’t exactly leave his mark on the institution.

* Note to congressional candidates everywhere: do not try to fake your own disappearance in order to get publicity. It’s better to just lose.

* A couple of months ago, we learned that Bush had so much trouble with the names of foreign heads of state and countries, his speechwriters had to give him “phonetic spellings.” At the time, Dana Perino said she found questions about this “offensive.” Today, the matter came roaring back: “While reading a joint agreement on principles established between the Israelis and Palestinians at today’s Annapolis conference, President Bush stumbled in pronouncing the names of the two leaders standing right next to him — Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.” Ouch.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* AP: “Democrat Barack Obama, confronting claims that he’s light on foreign policy, surrounded himself Tuesday with heavyweights who said his differences with rival Hillary Rodham Clinton and others are just what the country needs: A new leader willing to talk with America’s enemies and become a better friend to struggling nations…. ‘I cannot understand why he is attacked for a lack of experience,’ [former National Security Adviser Tony Lake] told an audience…. Obama is older than Bill Clinton was when inaugurated, Lake said, and probably has more foreign policy experience than Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Clinton and George W. Bush had when they took office.”

* And speaking of Obama, in case there’s any doubt, the senator absolutely, positively opposes permanent U.S. bases in Iraq: “Barack Obama is against permanent bases in Iraq. He will not seek them. He will not build them. We will not have permanent bases in Iraq if Barack Obama is President.” An initial public statement on permanent bases led some to believe the senator was looking for a little wiggle room.

* Dueling celebrities — Obama has Oprah, and Hillary Clinton has Barbra Streisand: “We truly are in a momentous time, where a woman’s potential has no limitations,” Streisand said. She added that Clinton has “transcended the dictates for what is thought to be possible for our time.”

* Strategic Vision, a Republican pollster, released its latest data from Iowa yesterday. Among Republicans, Mitt Romney is clinging to his lead with 26% support, followed by Mike Huckabee at 24%, Rudy Giuliani at 14%, and Fred Thompson at 10%. No other candidate was in double-digits.

* The same Strategic Vision poll showed Clinton and Obama tied for first among Dems at 29%, with John Edwards not too far behind at 23%.

* The Clinton campaign got some good news yesterday when South Carolina state Rep. Harold Mitchell (D) switched his support from Obama to Clinton. Mitchell told CBS News, “If you put that aside and look at the candidates … it’s a no-brainer.”

* A CNN/Opinion Research poll in Florida shows Giuliani continuing to lead the GOP field in the Sunshine State. The former NYC mayor leads with 38%, with Romney, his next closest rival, way behind at 17%. McCain and Thompson are tied for third in the poll with 11% each.

* And speaking of Florida, Huckabee got at least some good news yesterday when state Senate Majority Leader Daniel Webster threw his support to the former Arkansas governor.

* The DNC hopes to utilize online activists even more, with the party putting digital video from its “trackers” online, for free. “People often say to us, ‘Why didn’t you make an ad from that?’” said Mike Gehrke, director of research for the Democratic National Committee, referring to interesting tidbits from the trail. “Now we can say, ‘Go make it yourself.’ If it’s good, maybe we’ll steal it.”

* When unveiling her new HIV/AIDS policy, Hillary Clinton also mentioned in passing that she now backs federal financing for needle exchange programs, joining Obama and Edwards. Good for all three of them.

* Joe Biden sticks his foot in his mouth yet again: “Biden called Obama a ‘great guy,’ then said, ‘I spent time in the projects’ and was a public defender.” What is this guy thinking?

* The Indianapolis Star released a poll this week showing Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) trailing his likely Democratic opponents during next year’s re-election fight. Good.

* On a related note, Chris Cillizza speculates about whether Indiana, a traditional GOP stronghold, may slowly be turning “purple.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* CNN: “President Bush on Wednesday told CNN he would personally ‘facilitate’ peace negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis but dismissed the idea that he would travel to the region to engage in talks.” The president prefers a kind of hands-off, long-distance style of engagement. That ought to work, right?

* Some of the White House’s previous Middle East envoys ended up opposing the president’s policy. We’ll see if the new one sticks to the script: “Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice tapped a former NATO commander on Wednesday to serve as a special envoy for Middle East security, moving quickly to maintain momentum coming out of this week’s international conference that launched new Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. She said James Jones, a retired Marine Corps general, was ‘the person we need to take up this vital mission.’”

* Romney is so totally busted: “I just got off the phone with another Nevada Republican who confirmed that Mansoor Ijaz’s account of Mitt Romney saying he’d nix Muslims in his cabinet is accurate. This is the first person I’ve spoken to who directly confirmed Ijaz’s account of that particular event…. ‘I can tell you that what was reported by Mansoor is accurate,’ this person said to me. The man, a real estate broker and volunteer in local Republican politics, declined to allow his name to be used.” For those keeping score at home, that’s three separate Nevada Republicans who corroborate Ijaz’s account.

* WaPo on the latest poll from the Pew Research Center: “A new poll released yesterday underscored the changing political environment, finding the public more positive about the military effort in Iraq than at any point in 14 months as a surge of optimism follows the rapid decline in violence. Yet Bush remains as unpopular as ever in the survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, and the public remains just as committed to bringing U.S. troops home.” There’s been a major upswing in the public’s attitudes about progress in the war, but it’s had no effect on the number of Americans who want to withdraw.

* We’ve certainly lost sight of what used to be the “center” of American politics — Nixon’s universal healthcare plan, embraced by Republicans, was to the left of what most Dems would propose now.

* I know it’s a hackocracy in the Bush administration, but I don’t understand why this guy is still employed: “When John Tanner, chief of the Civil Rights Division’s voting section, appeared before a Congressional panel last month, he was upbraided by Democrats for his ‘ineffectiveness.’ Little did they know that as the section, probably the most politicized in the Justice Department under the Bush Administration, has done less and less to protect African-American voters from discrimination, Tanner has been seeing the country on the taxpayers’ dime. He even managed to make taxpayer-funded trips to Hawaii in three consecutive years, two of them a week long. One Department lawyer who accompanied Tanner on his first trip took the earliest available flight back after having completed all necessary work in just two business days. But Tanner insisted on staying a full week, despite the lack of apparent Department business. It’s a crime for government officials to use public funds for personal travel.”

* E&P: “Journalists covering the war in Iraq contend stories about ordinary Iraqis are not getting the play that the U.S. military and insurgents are, according to a study released Wednesday. It reveals: ‘Overall, journalists working in Iraq give their own coverage a mixed but generally positive assessment. A majority (58%) regard press coverage in Iraq as ‘good,’ the second-highest mark. Another 16% rate the coverage as excellent. But nearly a quarter (23%) rate the coverage as only fair. Another 2% grade the coverage as poor.’ Most also say reporting has not been overly negative, adding that the situation there is actually worse than most Americans believe.”

* More on permanent U.S. bases in Iraq: “President Bush might not require Congressional approval for the upcoming U.S.-Iraq security agreement. But al-Dabbagh said the Maliki government will need to secure a blessing for the deal from the Iraqi parliament. And even though the deal will cover a U.S. military presence for years to come, Dabbagh doesn’t expect any parliamentary turbulence — let alone refusal.”

* The exodus from the White House continues apace: “President Bush’s top economic advisor Al Hubbard will resign at the end of the year and be replaced by his deputy, the White House announced Wednesday. The resignation of Hubbard, who served as the director of the National Economic Council, comes amid growing concerns about the state of the U.S. economy that could pose political perils for Bush and congressional Democrats. House Democrats are mulling an economic summit next week as a way to seize a political advantage on a potential recession, which they hope would be blamed on Bush.”

* Ten leading researchers in the field of adolescent sexual and reproductive health have implored congressional leaders to reconsider continuing federal investments in abstinence-only funding. If common sense still means anything, lawmakers will listen.

* And finally, don’t forget that the latest debate for Republican presidential candidates is tonight at 8pm eastern. All of the questions will come via YouTube, though CNN has carefully screened the submissions, because CNN senior vice president David Bohrman said the public isn’t reliable enough to choose substantive questions. As an example, he complained that before the Dems’ YouTube debate, the “second-most-viewed video question was: Will you a convene a national meeting on UFOs?” If I remember correctly, didn’t Tim Russert asked a couple of UFO questions during a recent NBC debate?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Democratic presidential race is starting to get very interesting in South Carolina. A new Clemson University Palmetto Poll shows Hillary Clinton holding onto her lead, but by a small margin — she’s leading the field with 19%, followed by Barack Obama with 17%, and John Edwards with 12. “Undecided” still draws a majority.

* Mitt Romney is poised to get a very helpful endorsement from American Conservative Union President David Keene. “Keene said he became ‘convinced that Mitt Romney represents our best hope for 2008′ and added that in the weeks remaining before the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3, 2008 he would work to persuade ‘my fellow conservatives that if we are serious about electing a conservative president in 2008, it’s time to unite behind his candidacy.’”

* Chris Dodd, who is the Senate Banking Chairman in addition to being a Democratic presidential hopeful, unveiled his bankruptcy reform plan yesterday, which would, to his credit, correct some of the more obvious flaws from the 2005 bill passed by Congress. CQ noted that Dodd’s plan “will include language that would change the treatment of mortgage debt to help struggling property owners hold on to their homes.”

* The next debate for Democratic presidential candidates, scheduled for Dec. 10 in Los Angeles, has been cancelled because of a potential writers strike at CBS News. “Due to the uncertainty created by the ongoing labor dispute between CBS and the Writers Guild of America, the DNC has canceled,” spokeswoman Karen Finney said. “There are no plans to reschedule.” Just as well; Katie Couric was scheduled to be the moderator.

* Joe Biden drew a provocative line yesterday, announcing that he would drop out of the presidential race if he fell short in Iowa. “If I don’t come out of here in the top three, unless you’re bunched up, then I’m out of here,” he told Hawkeye State public television. Right now, Biden is running a distant fifth in the state.

* ABC News: “Barack Obama, D-Ill., scoffed Wednesday at former President Bill Clinton’s recent claim that he opposed the Iraq war from the very beginning. ‘Well if he did,’ Obama said on a conference call with reporters, ‘I don’t think most of us have heard about it.’”

* AP: “A Republican group that backs abortion rights will start an ad campaign this weekend in Iowa and New Hampshire portraying Mitt Romney as a flip-flopper and drawing attention to a questionnaire he filled out in 2002 endorsing legal abortions. The ads by the Republican Majority for Choice suggest Romney’s current anti-abortion stance is politically motivated…. ‘He’s an opportunist,’ Jennifer Blei Stockman, national co-chair of Republican Majority for Choice, said in an interview. ‘It’s important for voters to know who they are voting for.’”

* Washington Wire: “John Edwards launched a Web site today that takes a cloaked strike at front-runner Sen. Hillary Clinton. Called ‘America Belongs to Us,’ the site is essentially a petition seeking one million voters who promise to withhold their vote for any candidate who “accepts campaign contributions from Washington lobbyists” and lobbyist political action committees. The target is clear: Of the three leading Democrats, Edwards, Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama only Clinton has refused to turn down special-interest money. In keeping with Edwards’s increasingly strident (some would say angry) stump rhetoric, the site includes an ‘outrage of the day.’” (via Ron Chusid)

* AP: “Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton was endorsed for president Thursday by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an environmental activist and scion of one of the nation’s most prominent political families. ‘Hillary Clinton has the strength and experience to bring the war in Iraq to an end and reverse the potentially devastating effects of global warming,’ Kennedy said in a statement released by Clinton’s campaign.”

* And hoping to highlight a difference between himself and Mitt Romney, John McCain said yesterday that he would allow a qualified Muslim to serve in his cabinet. “I’m proud of the Muslims who are currently serving in the United States armed forces,” McCain told a group of conservative bloggers, “and my sense is that if they can serve in that manner, they can serve in any position of responsibility in America.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Good lord, it gets worse: “Well before it was publicly known he was seeing her, then-married New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani provided a police driver and city car for his mistress Judith Nathan, former senior city officials tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com. ‘She used the PD as her personal taxi service,’ said one former city official who worked for Giuliani.”

* Giuliani is trying, in a pathetic kind of way, to push back against the “Shag Fund” scandal, calling the original Politico article a “hit job.” He added, “I would not accuse any of my opponents of doing it. But who knows, it could be on the Democratic side.” Either the story is true, or it isn’t. Either Giuliani can explain the scandal, or he can’t. Dismissing it is as a “hit job” won’t even persuade sycophants.

* Giuliani’s office did offer something resembling a substantive response, but it doesn’t make any sense, and side-steps all the key questions.

* Signs of easing tensions in Pakistan? “President Pervez Musharraf promised Thursday to lift Pakistan’s state of emergency on December 16, in a long-awaited gesture of reconciliation hours after being sworn in as a civilian leader. Addressing the nation on state television, Musharraf said he would restore the constitution and vowed that general elections on January 8 would be held ‘in a fair and transparent manner.’ The promise, which if carried through would meet one of the key demands of the international community, came a day after he had bowed to global pressure by stepping down as head of Pakistan’s nuclear-armed military.”

* TPMM: “It’s been an eventful week for the Lott clan. On Monday, Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) announced that he’d be retiring late this year. The next day, FBI agents raided the law office of his brother-in-law, Richard ‘Dickie’ Scruggs. Yesterday, Scruggs, his son, and three associates were indicted for bribery. Scruggs is a hotshot plaintiff’s lawyer who famously cleaned up from lawsuits against big tobacco. His recent business has focused on Katrina-related litigation, especially against State Farm Insurance. He’d better have a great criminal defense lawyer, because the indictment from the U.S. attorney for Mississippi’s Northern District is devastating.”

* It could have been worse, but this is still madness: “A British teacher in Sudan was convicted Thursday of the less-serious charge of insulting Islam for letting her pupils name a teddy bear ‘Muhammad,’ and was sentenced to 15 days in prison and deportation to Britain. Gillian Gibbons could have received 40 lashes and six months in prison in the case if found guilty of the more serious charge of inciting religious hatred and given the maximum penalty.”

* Just imagine a political world in which campaign reporters at traditional outlets picked up the phone the way Greg Sargent does: “I have now spoken to a fourth person who has claimed on the record that Mitt Romney did in fact nix the idea of having Muslims in his cabinet, despite his claim that he never said this. Jarret Keene, a freelance reporter for a libertarian mag called Liberty Watch Magazine, tells me that he was at a private fundraising luncheon three months ago where he heard Romney say this. ‘He was asked if he would appoint a Muslim to his cabinet,’ Keene told me. ‘And he said, `Not likely.’ He said flatly that it was highly unlikely that it was ever going to happen.’ This runs directly contradictory to Romney’s defense of himself on the issue.”

* How did Time’s Joe Klein manage to get his FISA piece so terribly wrong? He listened to House Intelligence Committee member and right-wing partisan Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.), who, by all appearances, is mad as a hatter. I would have hoped Klein knew better, but this actually explains a lot about his errors of fact and judgment.

* AP: “Former Rep. Henry Hyde, the Illinois Republican who steered the impeachment proceedings against President Clinton and was a hero of the anti-abortion movement, died Thursday. He was 83.”

* It’s nice of Newsweek to notice that Karl Rove was lying, blatantly and pathologically, about the 2002 Iraq war resolution vote last week.

* Glenn Greenwald delivers some good news: “The Electronic Frontier Foundation has won another significant legal battle, as a federal judge in California yesterday ordered the Bush administration to comply with EFF’s FOIA demand and disclose documents revealing its ‘communications with telecommunications carriers and members of Congress’ regarding efforts to amend FISA and provide amnesty to telecoms. Better still, the court imposed an extremely quick deadline for release of these documents — December 10 — so that ‘the public may participate in the debate over the pending legislation on an informed basis.’”

* Remember, it’s not Fox, it’s CNN: “During the November 28 CNN special Campaign Killers: Why Do Negative Ads Work?, CNN anchor Campbell Brown said: ‘General David Petraeus made his reputation taking on insurgents in Iraq. But when he came to Capitol Hill in September, he was confronted by American insurgents, a liberal anti-war group called MoveOn.org.’”

* One entertainment-related strike down, one to go.

* E&P: “Nearly two-thirds of Americans do not trust press coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign, according to a new Harvard University survey, which also revealed four out of five people believe coverage focuses too much on the trivial — and more than 60% believe coverage is politically biased.”

* And finally, now that Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), he’s really not holding back. In an address to the Council on Foreign Relations, Hagel said he would give the Bush administration “the lowest grade of any I’ve known.” He added, “I have to say this is one of the most arrogant, incompetent administrations I’ve ever seen or ever read about,” before concluding, “They have failed the country.” I can’t remember the last time I’ve agreed so thoroughly with a conservative Republican.

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If a Democrat asks a question at a debate for Republican presidential candidates, far-right activists reflexively (and incomprehensively) define this as a “planted” question.

But, of course, given the meaning of the word, that doesn’t make a lot of sense. To really appreciate what a “plant” looks like, you’ll have to turn to the Bush administration.

For example, once the Bush gang’s initial rationale for the war in Iraq was exposed as a fraud, then-National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice launched a public-relations campaign to shield herself from the fiasco (Rice frequently went on national television to tout the notion that we can’t wait to be sure Iraq is a threat, because we “don’t want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud”).

According to the WaPo’s Glenn Kessler, Rice’s strategy included ordering an aide to “plant a question” about her possible presidential ambitions.

She had a very deliberative public relations strategy when she became Secretary of State to help erase the images of how ineffective she had been as National Security Adviser. And I describe how one of her aides even planted a question with a friendly journalist to ask whether she would be interested in running for president — to give her the aura of someone who might have presidential aspirations, make her seem more powerful than she was.

And that all helped negate American memories over her very direct role in the invasion of Iraq.

See? That’s a planted question.

Speaking of shameless Bush administration propaganda, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that those responsible for a recent fake FEMA press conference have been “punished” for their mistake by receiving a promotion.

On Oct. 23, the day of FEMA’s now infamous phony news conference, the agency’s former external affairs chief, Pat Philbin, announced plans to promote a number of people in the shop as part of an effort to build a “new FEMA.”

Cindy Taylor, deputy director of public affairs, was to become head of a new Private Sector Office, Philbin said in his e-mail to staff members. And Mike Widomski would move up to replace Taylor as deputy director of public affairs.

Loop Fans might recall that both of them, posing as reporters, asked questions of acting Deputy Administrator Harvey Johnson. After our item, and an investigation of what Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff called “one of the dumbest and most inappropriate things I’ve seen since I’ve been in government,” we’re happy to announce that Taylor and Widomski appear to have been disciplined, FEMA-style.

They’ve received the promotions they were in line to get.

So, according to the External Affairs Weekly report for this week, Taylor is director of the Private Sector Division, and Widomski is deputy director of public affairs.

As unpredictable as the Bush gang can be, the one thing we can count on is that those who are caught making a mistake will, without a doubt, get promoted. The bigger the screw-up, the bigger the promotion.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* As of the latest report, it looks like the hostages in a New Hampshire Clinton campaign office have been released: “A deranged man wearing what appeared to be a bomb strapped to his chest walked into a Hillary Rodham Clinton campaign office Friday, took several hostages and demanded to speak to the candidate during a nearly four-hour standoff, authorities said. The man released the last of the hostages as the afternoon wore on, but he remained in the office and was not immediately taken into custody.”

* ABC: “Local police are believed to be negotiating with a man described as a well-known local resident with a history of emotional problems who told his son to ‘watch the news today.’”

* I continue to believe that Giuliani is utterly and completely screwed: “Giuliani refused to take questions here today about allegations that travel expenses were picked up obscure city offices when he was mayor of New York City. ‘We’ve already explained it,’ he said, walking past reporters after a town hall meeting. Giuliani, who is normally friendly to reporters, bristled past them, and campaign staffers were unusually physical in keeping the press away. Several campaign aides told campaign reporters to return to the press area, and some of his security detail manhandled reporters. On other occasions, reporters have been free to video Giuliani as he is shaking hands and signing autographs after events, and he often informally takes questions from reporters.”

* This certainly won’t help: “Ray Kelly, who was Police Commissioner right before and right after the Rudy era, says he never heard about any of the reimbursement delays that Team Rudy has been using to explain the squirrelly accounting procedures.”

* Giuliani’s principal rival sees Giuliani drowning, and doesn’t see the need to get involved: “This is something the mayor is addressing and I think we ought to give him the opportunity to address that as he feels appropriate,” Romney said. “I really don’t have anything to say, or to add to the discussion other than, let’s let him have an ample chance to look at the history and explain what he feels is needed.”

* The gang that can’t shoot straight might actually do the right thing on this one: “The Bush administration is working with industry on a plan to extend lower, introductory interest rates on home loans before they reset at higher levels…. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and other top regulators met Thursday with loan servicing companies — firms that collect and distribute loan payments — and other industry executives. No formal agreement was announced, but an accord on this issue could be revealed in the next week or two.”

* Where are the rest of records we were promised of White House visits by Jack Abramoff?

* The Republicans’ problem with race, Part MMMCCXVII.

* When Jack Murtha was quoted yesterday saying that the “surge is working,” it sparked all kinds of interest. As it turns out, that isn’t what Murtha actually said.

* How pathological has Karl Rove’s lying become? Even Former White House Chief of Staff Andy Card is distancing himself from “Turd Blossom,” telling a national television audience last night, “Sometimes [Rove’s] mouth gets ahead of his brain.”

* Good advice from Howard Dean: “Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean opened the party’s fall meeting with a warning to his fellow party members. ‘The worst thing we can do right now is be complacent … and take things for granted’ Dean told the crowd. He said ‘Republicans may not know’ how to run the country but ‘they know how to win elections … we better work harder than they do.’”

* Joe Biden isn’t usually associated with impeachment talk, but the second-tier presidential hopeful said yesterday that if Bush launches an attack against Iran, he’s open to impeachment.

* You know, I’m starting to think that maybe, just maybe, the WaPo’s John Solomon isn’t a very good reporter.

* The NYT exposed some of Giuliani’s whoppers today in a textbook case of a great newspaper article. MSNBC noted the Times piece with this chyron: “Newspaper finds some figures wrong, but basic claims still true.” This is why I don’t watch television news.

* Facebook backs down: “Critics objected to what they viewed as a breach in privacy because users would have to formally decline to have the information displayed after making purchases at each participating web site. Most Facebook applications involve a pro-active “opt-in,” with users choosing to participate. MoveOn and the more than 51,500 members of its protest group wanted Facebook to make the Beacon feature “opt-in,” too, meaning that if a user took no action, their information would not be displayed. And that’s what Facebook will do, the site announced this evening.”

* CAP did a nice job this week with a new economic strategy entitled “Progressive Growth: Transforming America’s Economy through Clean Energy, Innovation, and Opportunity.” It offers the next (hopefully Democratic) president a blueprint on economic growth and a transformation to a low-carbon economy. Take a look.

* And finally, yesterday, the WaPo ran a ridiculous piece about a bogus smear that Barack Obama is a Muslim. Today, in a must-see political cartoon, the WaPo’s own Tom Toles (aka, the Best Cartoonist In America) swings back at his own newspaper’s awful article. Good for him; that took some guts.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Des Moines Register poll showing Barack Obama taking the lead in Iowa shook up the landscape, but it’s not the only poll. The Clinton campaign is noting this morning that there are two other polls released today — one from the AP, the other from Iowa State University — that show Clinton ahead by five and seven points, respectively, among Iowa Dems. The DM Register poll is generally considered the most reliable, but these additional numbers are a reminder that Clinton remains in a strong position.

* In New Hampshire, the conservative Union Leader, the state’s most widely-read newspaper, endorsed John McCain’s campaign yesterday, calling him Republicans’ “most trustworthy, competent, and conservative of all those seeking the nomination.” That will likely give McCain a boost in the Granite State, though I would add that the paper endorsed magazine publisher Steve Forbes in 2000, and he nevertheless finished a distant third.

* Dems met in Iowa for a tradition called the Black and Brown Forum, which is devoted to the concerns of the African-American and Hispanic communities. As for substantive differences, John Edwards and Barack Obama agreed that not only should drug sentencing laws be changed to end the disparities between crack and powder cocaine, but also that sentences should be changed to apply to those who’ve already been convicted. Clinton disagreed, saying, “On principle, I have problems with retroactivity.”

* Also this weekend, progressive activists hosted the Heartland Forum in Des Moines, where Clinton received a less-than-warm reception. Asked if she would “make a decision to give undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship” during her first 100 days in office, Clinton responded saying, “I have been favoring a plan to citizenship for years. I voted for it in the Senate, I have spoke out about it around Iowa and the country and in my campaign. And as president comprehensive immigration reform will be a high priority for me.” But because she wouldn’t commit to a new policy within her first 100 days, the audience booed. Given that she’d have to work with Congress, the harsh treatment seemed wildly unfair.

* Don’t look now, but the ever-sleazy Dick Morris has been chatting quite a bit with Mike Huckabee lately. (Morris has been praising Huckabee in print columns, without disclosing his regular talks with the former Arkansas governor. Morris, of course, is not known for his unimpeachable ethical standards.)

* Obama got a boost in Iowa yesterday, when Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie, recently re-elected with 80% support, threw his support to the Illinois senator.

* Speaking of helpful Iowa endorsements, U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley (D), whose support has been widely sought after, announced yesterday that he is backing John Edwards’ campaign.

* Pro-Huckabee push-polls in Iowa? “A newly-formed group claiming to support Mike Huckabee hit the phones of Iowa Republicans tonight with an automated push-poll attacking Huckabee’s GOP opponents and praising the former Arkansas governor…. For each target, the pattern was the same — a recorded message using voice recognition technology asked the recipient if they would participate in the caucuses, considered themselves pro-life and thought marriage should be between a man and a woman. Then the dirt came, right after those called were asked which candidate they were backing.” The dirt was apparently directed at Romney, Thompson, McCain, and Giuliani.

* The LAT editorial board noticed Giuliani’s dishonesty problem: “Campaigns are not known for their strict fidelity to the truth — Mitt Romney, another contender for the Republican nomination, has piled up some doozies of his own, and the Democratic field has produced its share. But Giuliani’s stretches are noteworthy for at least two reasons: His candidacy is predicated almost exclusively on his record as mayor — the same record he’s misrepresenting — and he likes to set himself apart from his rivals by claiming greater precision — this while being imprecise. That pushes Giuliani’s misstatements beyond mere inaccuracy and into the dicier realm of hypocrisy.”

* WaPo: “At a gathering of the Iowa Christian Alliance here last night, James Bopp Jr., a leading social conservative activist and supporter of Mitt Romney’s presidential bid, said that a vote for any candidate other than Romney in next month’s Iowa caucuses was a de facto vote for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. ‘Either a conservative is going to emerge’ with the financial and organizational power to take on Giuliani, predicted Bopp, or ‘Giuliani is going to be the nominee.’” Bopp said he likes Huckabee, but added, “Something I know for sure [is] he does not have the resources to compete.”

* Not surprisingly, Michigan Democrats were stripped of all 156 delegates to their party’s national convention as a result of moving its primary to January 15.

* Alabama AP: “Perry County Commissioner Albert Turner praised Obama’s qualifications, but urged the group to support Clinton. ‘The question you have to put forth to yourself is that whether or not in this racist country a black man named Obama — when we are shooting at Osama — can win the presidency of the United States?’ Turner said. Turner said Clinton is the Democrat most likely to win in November ‘because of her husband and because of some other things, mainly because she’s white.’” Oh my.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* A pleasant surprise in Venezuela: “Venezuelan voters delivered a stinging defeat to President Hugo Chavez on Sunday, blocking proposed constitutional changes that would have given him political supremacy and accelerated the transformation of this oil-rich country into a socialist state. Hours after the final ballots were cast, the National Electoral Council announced at 1:15 a.m. local time Monday that voters, by a margin of 51 to 49 percent, had rejected 69 reforms to the 1999 constitution. The modifications would have permitted the president to stand for reelection indefinitely, appoint governors to provinces he would create and control Venezuela’s sizable foreign reserves.”

* While Venezuela’s authoritarian was rebuffed over the weekend, Russia’s wasn’t: “President Vladimir Putin secured a convincing personal victory in Russia’s parliamentary election Sunday and with it, his allies say, the “moral authority” he had demanded to maintain political influence in the country after he steps down next year. The pro-Kremlin United Russia party, whose ticket was headed by Putin, won more than 60 percent of the vote, according to exit polls and early returns.”

* Of course, not surprisingly, there are some lingering concerns about the integrity of Russia’s voting process. Go figure.

* How big is the national debt? It grows at a rate of $1 million per minute. Maybe now would be a good time to remind folks that as of 2001, Clinton had us on track to eliminate the national debt entirely by 2010. Instead, the debt now stands at a mind-numbing $9.13 trillion.

* A Wolfowitz comeback? Scary, but true: “Don’t ever say the Bush administration doesn’t take care of its own. Nearly three years after Paul Wolfowitz resigned as deputy Defense secretary and six months after his stormy departure as president of the World Bank — amid allegations that he improperly awarded a raise to his girlfriend — he’s in line to return to public service. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has offered Wolfowitz, a prime architect of the Iraq War, a position as chairman of the International Security Advisory Board, a prestigious State Department panel.”

* How bad was that front-page WaPo article on “rumors” (read: lies) about Obama’s religion? The piece has now drawn fire from the paper’s congressional reporter, media critic, and cartoonist.

* At a certain point, corruption in Iraq stops being a crisis, and becomes an epidemic.

* Larry Craig wants everyone to know that, despite all of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, he’s still not gay.

* More importantly, Craig, instead of just slinking away into oblivion, is in Bali this week, doing his part to undermine U.S. efforts to combat global warming.

* It’s a shame Bill O’Reilly doesn’t know what “ironic” means.

* It’s an even bigger shame the National Review’s W. Thomas Smith, Jr. seems to have published news reports from Lebanon that apparently weren’t true.

* Remember those loyalty oaths the Virginia Republican Party announced last week for voters participating in the primaries? The GOP wisely scrapped the idea in the face of widespread criticism. “We have heard the voice of the people,” said John H. Hager, the state party chairman. “It’s a new day, and our job has to be to build the party.”

* I like David Gregory’s aggressive style in the White House press room, but I’ll never understand his irrational hostility towards the netroots.

* TNR has decided to put the Scott Thomas Beauchamp controversy to rest with a piece from Franklin Foer: “In light of the evidence available to us, after months of intensive re-reporting, we cannot be confident that the events in his pieces occurred in exactly the manner that he described them. Without that essential confidence, we cannot stand by these stories.” I’d add, however, that the piece suggests Beauchamp’s accounts and anecdotes may very well be true, but the evidence to support the claims don’t meet the magazine’s standards.

* Did Tom Tancredo hire illegal immigrants to work on his Denver-area McMansion? It sure sounds like it.

* And finally, a nice quote from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on the filibuster-obsessed Senate GOP minority: “In all, Republicans have now blocked the priorities of working Americans by forcing 56 cloture votes — fast approaching the all-time record of 61 — a record that took a full two-year session to reach. Let me repeat — they have already nearly reached the all-time two-year obstruction record in less than one year. That would be like a ballplayer hitting 73 home runs by the all-star break. This isn’t normal obstruction. This is obstruction on steroids.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new national USA Today/Gallup poll shows the Democratic presidential race narrowing considerably over the last month. Hillary Clinton still leads, but her margin has been cut nearly in half. According to the results, published this morning, Clinton leads the field with 39%, followed by Barack Obama with 24%. The 15-point margin is still large, of course, but Clinton’s lead was 28 points in the same poll as recently as early November. John Edwards was third with 15%, and no other candidate was above 5%.

* The same poll also shows a Republican race very much in flux. Rudy Giuliani still leads the field, but his support has dropped considerably, and now stands at 25%. Mike Huckabee, fueled by the backing of religious right activists, has shot up to second place with 16%. John McCain and Fred Thompson are right behind them at 15% each, while Romney is fifth with 12%. No other candidate was above 5%.

* Push-polling on Mike Huckabee’s behalf in Iowa has been exposed as a project of a group called Common Sense Issues, which conceded its attack tactics yesterday: “The group’s executive director, Patrick Davis, dubbed the calls ‘personalized educational artificial intelligence,’ and admitted they are designed to promote Huckabee.” Huckabee denounced the calls, but Davis said he will not stop his efforts.

* On Sunday, the Clinton campaign went after Obama over an essay he wrote while in kindergarten. This morning, Clinton adviser Mark Penn told MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough that the press release was “serious,” but the kindergarten bullet-point was a “joke.” I really doubt that it was, but I get the sense the campaign is probably embarrassed about it now.

* Some evangelicals have complained that Fred Thompson hasn’t been nearly theocratic enough for their tastes, prompting the former senator to defend his religiosity on CNN yesterday: “‘As far as faith is concerned, I have not made any secret as to where I am. I am a Christian,’ Thompson said, noting that, while he doesn’t attend church while at home in McLean, Virginia, he did attend church with his mother when he visits in Tennessee.” He concluded, “I’m OK with the Lord, and the Lord is OK with me as far as I can tell.”

* As part of the Clinton campaign’s hyper-aggressive new style, the New York senator continued to go after Obama yesterday in Iowa, accusing him of being inexperienced, overly ambitious, uninformed, inattentive, and cowardly. The Obama campaign responded, “The truth is, Barack Obama doesn’t need lectures in political courage from someone who followed George Bush to war in Iraq, gave him the benefit of the doubt on Iran, supported NAFTA and opposed ethanol until she decided to run for president.”

* On a related note, the Obama campaign seems anxious to use Clinton’s latest round of attacks to boost his fundraising.

* On a more substantive note, Obama campaigned in Iowa yesterday, emphasizing what he sees as a need for a “Credit Card Bill of Rights” to “crack down on predatory credit card companies using deceptive practices to make big profits while driving families deeper into debt.”

* Rudy Giuliani is doing his best to cozy up to Abramoff-tainted activist Grover Norquist. The Americans for Tax Reform chief wrote to the former mayor, noting a recent letter he received from Giuliani. “The information you put in your letter certainly more than achieves the spirit and letter of the Americans for Tax Reform National Taxpayer Protection Pledge,” Norquist said.

* We won’t be able to watch it, but Iowa Public Radio will host a debate for Democratic candidates today in Des Moines. There will be no audience and no cameras, though NPR will stream the event online.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The U.S. intelligence community is convinced, but Israeli intelligence officials are not: “Israeli officials, who’ve been warning that Iran would soon pose a nuclear threat to the world, reacted angrily Tuesday to a new U.S. intelligence finding that Iran stopped its nuclear weapons development program in 2003 and to date hasn’t resumed trying to produce nuclear weapons…. “It seems Iran in 2003 halted for a certain period of time its military nuclear program, but as far as we know, it has probably since revived it,” Defense Minister Ehud Barak said.

* Reuters: “U.S. assertions about the growing independence of Iraqi security units are often based on conflicting claims or assessment methods that do not allow for ‘independent’ ratings, a U.S. watchdog agency said on Monday. A report by the Government Accountability Office said the Defense Department and top military officials including U.S. Commander in Iraq Gen. David Petraeus have sought to show progress by repeatedly citing numbers of Iraqi Security Force (ISF) units deemed ‘independent’ or ‘fully independent.’ But it is unclear how the Pentagon and its officials have reached those conclusions, according to the GAO.”

* ABC: “U.S. government officials who have overseen the controversial Blackwater security firm’s activities in Iraq are slated to receive thousands of dollars in performance bonuses, despite controversy surrounding the company. A State Department document obtained by ABC News shows Diplomatic Security officials Kevin Barry and Justine Sincavage will receive between $10,000 and $15,000 for their ‘outstanding performance.’ Barry and Sincavage, who managed Blackwater’s contract for the department, recently received promotions as well, ABC News reported in October.”

* Bush only learned about the NIE’s contents last week? Um, no: “[O]ne highly reliable intelligence community source I consulted immediately after Hadley spoke answered my question this way: ‘This is absolutely absurd. The NIE has been in substantially the form in which it was finally submitted for more than six months. The White House, and particularly Vice President Cheney, used every trick in the book to stop it from being finalized and issued. There was no last minute breakthrough that caused the issuance of the assessment.’”

* On a related note, Robert Farley raises a good point: “For the last two years, we have justified putting a missile defense system in Eastern Europe explicitly around the threat of Iranian ballistic missiles. In addition to the extraordinary financial costs, this project has resulted in increased Russian hostility to the United States and to Russia’s neighbors.”

* The new conservative line is that Bush still deserves praise for Iran stopping its nuclear-weapons program in 2003, because it was Bush’s war in Iraq that motivated Tehran. First, that’s a pretty silly argument. Second, at least one friend of mine saw this coming.

* WSJ: “Fifty-two percent of Americans say the economy and health care are most important to them in choosing a president, compared with 34% who cite terrorism and social and moral issues, according to the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll. That is the reverse of the percentages recorded just before the 2004 election.” That’s a pretty fascinating reversal, which may have major ‘08 implications.

* At his press conference this morning, Bush said, “I’ve tried to be respectful to all parties.” The record really shows otherwise.

* Bush wants former Rep. James Rogan (R-Calif.), perhaps best known as one of the leading Clinton impeachment managers, to serve as a federal judge. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) is blocking the nomination. Good for her.

* Gary Kamiya: “Barring a miracle, Bush’s Annapolis charade will make matters in the Middle East much worse.”

* Eric Boehlert: “Republican bloggers need to grow up and stop their schoolyard whimpering.” We should be so lucky.

* For the record, Sen. Larry Craig’s (R-Idaho) alleged gay-sex partners approached the Idaho Statesman, not the other way around.

* Truly nauseating: “James Michael McHaney, an aide to Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) until he was fired Friday, was arrested for attempting to sexually exploit a teenage boy. McHaney was fired from his job as Cantwell’s scheduler hours after the arrest. In a charging document, the FBI said McHaney, known as ‘Mike,’ allegedly tried to set up a meeting with an undercover witness posing as someone who could give him access to sex with a 13-year-old boy.”

* I’ll gladly concede I don’t really know who Sherri Shepherd is, I don’t know why she’s always on TV, and I’ve never seen “The View,” but every time I hear about something Shepherd has said, she frightens me more and more. Perhaps, for the public’s benefit, producers of the show should take her off the air?

* Whatever happened to that sleepy little town known as Los Angeles?

* And finally, Rudy Giuliani said today that “it wouldn’t quite be fair to say September 11, like, made my career.” Oh, that Rudy; he’s got quite the sense of humor, doesn’t he?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Mitt Romney may have slipped into second in Iowa, but he’s still running strong in New Hampshire. A new WaPo/ABC poll in the Granite State shows the former Massachusetts governor leading the GOP primary with 37% support. John McCain is second with 20%, followed by Rudy Giuliani with 16%. (Note: Romney’s support is stronger than McCain’s and Giuliani’s combined.) Mike Huckabee is fourth with 9%, Ron Paul is fifth with 8%, and Fred Thompson has dropped way back, garnering just 4%.

* As for the latest national poll, Bloomberg/LAT released its latest results this morning. Among Dems, while some national polls show the race tightening, this one doesn’t — Hillary Clinton leads with 45%, followed by Barack Obama with 21%, and John Edwards with 11%. Among Republicans, Giuliani still leads, but his support has dropped to 23%, followed by Huckabee with 17%, Thompson with 14%, McCain with 11%, and Romney with 9%.

* Huckabee was asked whether he supports teaching creationism in public schools, but he apparently didn’t like the question. “That’s an irrelevant question to ask me — I’m happy to answer what I believe, but what I believe is not what’s going to be taught in 50 different states,” Huckabee said. “Education is a state function. The more state it is, and the less federal it is, the better off we are.”

* CNN: “Bill Clinton said Tuesday that if reporters covered the candidates’ public records better, his wife’s presidential bid would be far ahead of her rivals…. ]One percent of the press coverage was devoted to their record in public life. No wonder people think experience is irrelevant. A lot of the people covering the race think it is (irrelevant),’ Clinton said to students at Keene State College.”

* Romney’s immigration problems continue: “Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney spent the day campaigning in New Hampshire. Between stops, he took care of some yard work. He fired his landscaper.” A year after facing criticism for his lawn-care company hiring undocumented immigrants, Romney acted yesterday — the day before a Boston Globe piece was poised to run on the controversy.

* Election Central: “Late yesterday the Hillary campaign sent out an email alleging that the Obama camp is engaging in dirty tricks of various sorts against her. The email claimed that Hillary supporters were reporting that they’d received a variety of strange phone calls from the Obama campaign, adding: ‘In both Iowa and New Hampshire, we have heard that Obama staffers are berating Hillary supporters on the phone with negative attacks against her.’” The campaign made a woman available to reporters yesterday who received a call, ostensibly from the Obama campaign, who criticized Clinton’s record on abortion and experience. But is this a “dirty trick”?

* Dennis Kucinich’s presidential campaign may not be around too much longer. The Ohio congressman told his local Democratic Party that he will seek re-election to the House, and will return to his home district shortly to campaign against multiple Democratic primary opponents.

* Rudy Giuliani’s new TV ad is based entirely on Reagan’s handling of the 1980 Iran hostage crisis. It’s extremely odd — it’s as if the ad is encouraging voters to vote for Reagan.

* Speaking of strange ads, a group called “Democratic Courage” has a new ad attacking Hillary Clinton for caving to Rudy Giuliani on baby bonds. Love Hillary or hate her, this is just not a good ad, and probably won’t persuade anyone either way.

* And on one more ad-related note, Tom Tancredo unveiled a jaw-dropper yesterday, arguing that immigrants are responsible for “pushing drugs, raping kids, and destroying lives.” It’s at least as bad as it sounds.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Horrific scene in Nebraska: “A gunman killed eight people and wounded five others Wednesday at the popular Westroads Mall in Omaha, Nebraska, before apparently turning the gun on himself, police said. ‘We do not believe that we have any other shooter,’ said Sgt. Teresa Negron. The shooting took place at the Von Maur store inside the shopping complex, which was locked down, the Nebraska State Patrol said. Shoppers and employees walked out of the building with their hands up. Some described hiding in clothes racks and dressing rooms after hearing the shots.”

* As always, the devil will be in the details: “The Bush administration has hammered out an agreement with industry to freeze interest rates for certain subprime mortgages for five years in an effort to combat a soaring tide of foreclosures, congressional aides said Wednesday. These aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the details have not yet been released, said the five-year moratorium represented a compromise between desires by banking regulators for a longer time frame of as much as seven years and industry arguments that the freeze should only last one to two years.”

* Blackwater to face oversight? “Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top United States commander in Iraq, and Ryan C. Crocker, the American ambassador to Baghdad, have agreed on the details governing the operations of Blackwater and other private security contractors there, American officials said Tuesday. The agreement requires all State Department convoys in Iraq to coordinate their movements with the military’s main operations center in Baghdad, sets minimum standards for training the contractors and outlines when armed guards may use force in self-defense.”

* In light of Mitt Romney’s latest immigration troubles, National Review’s Kathryn Jean Lopez, without a hint of irony, said, “My question is: Do we really have to stake out presidential candidates homes?” John Cole offers Lopez a few compelling thoughts in response.

* The WaPo’s awful piece about Muslim “rumors” and Obama continues to spark controversy. Columbia Journalism Review’s Paul McLeary wrote that the Post’s front-page piece “may be the single worst campaign ‘08 piece to appear in any American newspaper so far this election cycle.” The Post’s Peter Baker mounts a defense, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense.

* Let’s all pause to recognize the sterling success of Republicans’ abstinence-only policies: “In a troubling reversal, the nation’s teen birth rate rose for the first time in 15 years, surprising government health officials who had no immediate explanation. The birth rate had been dropping since its peak in 1991, although the decline had slowed in recent years. On Wednesday, government statisticians said it rose 3 percent from 2005 to 2006.”

* The American Enterprise Institute is not “a nonpartisan group.”

* I’m deeply disappointed that Beliefnet, the best faith/spirituality site on the web, has been purchased by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. What a shame for a terrific resource to get gobbled up by such a malevolent media mogul.

* On a related note, having Lou Dobbs’ rant against immigrants on CNN seemed like more than enough exposure for the blowhard, but apparently, United Stations Radio Networks doesn’t agree — Dobbs will now have a three-hour daily radio show.

* Whaddaya know, Senate Republicans are whining again. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said yesterday that he wants to pass an AMT reform package, but Bush “is the man that’s pulling the strings on the 49 puppets he has here in the Senate.” Arlen Specter complained today that the GOP caucus do not “take it lightly to be called ‘puppets,’” and suggested Reid may have violated chamber rules that state that no senator “directly or indirectly, by any form of words impute to another senator or to other senators any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming a senator.”

* And finally, do you have a background in tourism? Well, have I got the opportunity for you. The Bush administration will pay you up to $144,000 — plus a 35% “danger pay” premium — to improve Iraqi tourism, which apparently hasn’t been going well. As Al Kamen explained, “[O]ne of your jobs will be ‘recognizing and reporting on obstacles to business development’ — small-arms fire, roadside bombs, for example — and to be ‘a catalyst for new ideas.’” Applications are due by Dec. 12, so act now.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A WaPo/ABC poll of New Hampshire Dems shows the race in the Granite State closer than ever. At this point, Hillary Clinton leads with 35%, followed by Barack Obama with 29%, and John Edwards with 17%. For Obama fans, the poll is good news, because the six-point margin is the smallest to date in New Hampshire. For Clinton fans, the poll is good news because the internals show her solidifying her support among her backers.

* Speaking of polls, new Iowa data from Strategic Vision, a Republican pollster, shows Mike Huckabee leading Mitt Romney in Iowa, 27% to 24%. Giuliani is third with 13%, followed by Fred Thompson at 11%. Among Dems, Strategic Vision shows Obama with a seven-point lead over Clinton, 32% to 25%. Edwards is tied with Clinton in this poll.

* And in still more poll news, a Marist poll in New Hampshire shows Clinton leading Obama by 14 points, 37% to 23%, while on the other side of the aisle, Romney leads McCain and Giuliani, 29% to 17% to 17%.

* Obama unveiled his national-service plan yesterday at Cornell College in Iowa, after picking up the endorsement of former Pennsylvania Sen. Harris Wofford, who helped form the Peace Corps during his time in the Kennedy administration. Obama’s plan includes a major expansion of AmeriCorps from 75,000 slots to 250,000 slots, and the creation of five new “corps,” including: Classroom Corps, Health Corps, Clean Energy Corps, Veterans Corps and Homeland Security Corps. Moreover, the policy would create a new American Opportunity Tax Credit to ensure the first $4,000 of a college education is free for Americans willing to complete 100 hours of public service a year.

* Clinton tackled the mortgage crisis in a speech at Nasdaq’s NYC headquarters yesterday, pushing Wall Street to acknowledge its significant role in the problem and do its part to help fix it. “Wall Street shifted risk away from people who knew what was going on, onto people who did not,” she said. The WSJ added, “She urged investors to adhere to her plan to impose a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures and freeze mortgage rates for at least five years to prevent families from immediately losing their homes.”

* Mike Huckabee struggled to explain his ignorance on the National Intelligence Estimate yesterday, telling Wolf Blitzer he’s been too busy to keep up on current events: “There are going to be times out there on the campaign trail, Wolf — you’ve been on the trail, you know — that candidates are literally driven from one event to the next. And it would have been nice had someone been able to first say here’s some things that are going on, that are taking place. That didn’t happen.”

* Fred Thompson is catching flack from Confederate flag-waving protestors for his comments at a debate last week. Asked about the flag, Thompson said that, “as far as a public place is concerned, I am glad that people have made the decision not to display it as a prominent flag, symbolic of something, at a state capital.” Jim Hanks, chairman of the South Carolina League of the South, said, “He’s masquerading as a good ole boy.” CNN’s report added, “One man was carrying a sign calling Thompson a ‘carpetbagger,’ but when he realized Thompson is from Tennessee, he put it away.”

* Harvard University’s Institute of Politics polled likely voters between the ages of 18 and 24, and found that among Dems, Obama enjoys a narrow lead over Clinton, 38% to 33%. Among Republicans, young people prefer Giuliani to McCain, 26% to 15%, though undecideds outnumbered any GOP candidate.

* The Hill: “After losing a lawsuit filed against the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for stripping Florida’s delegates from the national convention, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) said Wednesday that he would not pursue further legal action against the DNC. ‘I disagree, but the judge’s decision stands,’ Nelson said during a conference call. ‘I respect the decision. It is time to move on.’”

* I guess Oprah is popular in South Carolina: “Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign announced Wednesday afternoon that because of overwhelming demand, their rally on Sunday with Oprah Winfrey will be moved to the 80,000-seat [Williams-Brice] college football stadium in Columbia…. The campaign had been scheduled to hold the rally at the Colonial Center in downtown Columbia, which seats 18,000 people, but on Tuesday Obama’s state director Stacey Brayboy announced that ‘overwhelming excitement’ had caused a run on free tickets.”

* Wesley Clark has a new Clinton TV ad, dismissing criticism from other Democratic candidates: “I see that Hillary’s opponents have started to attack her. That’s politics. What this country needs is leadership.” Markos responded, “Of course it’s ‘politics.’ It’s called a presidential campaign. Clark’s ad itself is ‘politics.’”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Good news from the House floor: “The House approved the first increase in federal automobile fuel efficiency requirements in three decades Thursday as part of an energy bill that also repeals billions of dollars oil company tax breaks and encourages use of renewable fuels. The bill, passed by a vote of 235-181, faces a certain filibuster in the Senate and a veto threat from the White House…. ‘We will send our energy dollars to the Midwest, not the Middle East,’ countered House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, referring to the bill’s emphasis on promoting renewable energy sources, especially ethanol, which would see a sevenfold increase by 2022 to 36 billion gallons a year.”

* Bad news from a congressional conference committee: “Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Thursday postponed a vote on contempt resolutions against former White House adviser Karl Rove and Chief of Staff Josh Bolten after Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) objected to language in the measures. Committee rules allow for a one-week delay, so the vote will likely take place next Thursday. Committee approval of the resolution would trigger a full Senate vote on the resolutions early next year.”

* Bush unveiled his mortgage-rate-freeze plan today, as part of the administration’s effort to respond to the mortgage crisis. Among those who won’t get any help from the policy at all are low-income borrowers, those who’ve missed a mortgage payment, and/or those whose homes cost less than their mortgage. In other words, if you’re not wealthy, you’re screwed.

* Very good point: “The Administration’s most persistent spin of the new Iran NIE is that it vindicates their position because it shows that Iran did in fact have an active nuclear weapons program in 2003. That’s quite some vindication. What it really means is that faced with two neighbors in the spring of 2003 who both harbored nuclear ambitions, we invaded the country without an active WMD program while ignoring the one that did. I’m not suggesting we should have invaded Iran instead, but by the Administration’s own reckoning, we should have.”

* I’ve respected and admired plenty of political leaders over the years, but it’s never even occurred to me to be as shamelessly sycophantic as Hugh Hewitt: “Mitt Romney’s ‘Faith in America’ speech was simply magnificent, and anyone who denies it is not to be trusted as an analyst. On every level it was a masterpiece.” Watch out for that drool there, Hugh.

* Joe Klein’s reputation has taken a tumble in the blogosphere lately, and these comments on MSNBC this morning, about Bush and the NIE, will only make matters worse: “The Bush reaction to this — he didn’t try to block it. He didn’t try to postpone it. He didn’t spend weeks, he didn’t ask the intelligence community ‘give me a couple of weeks, let’s see if we can figure out some kind of negotiating initiative or some way to respond to this.’ He didn’t try to spin it to our advantage. This is an amazing moment of candor by the United States.” Sweet Jeebus, that’s wrong.

* CNN was slated to run a speculative documentary called, “We Were Warned — Iran Goes Nuclear” in less than a week. It was set to feature “a what-if scenario as former government officials — playing fictional cabinet members — debate how to deal with the Iranian threat.” Today, CNN announced it will not run the special. Good move.

* Did Bush send Kim Jung-Il a personal note? It seems unlikely, but that’s what North Korea claims.

* Glenn Beck doesn’t believe the media should question politicians about their religious beliefs — unless they’re Muslims, in which case it’s an important issue.

* Fred Thompson’s take on the NIE doesn’t make a lot of sense.

* The Philadelphia council of the Boy Scouts of America wanted the city to give it valuable real estate for almost nothing and wanted the city to overlook its discriminatory policies towards gays. The city gave the Boy Scouts a choice: give up the sweetheart real-estate deal, or give up on discrimination. The Scouts decided discrimination was more important. How very odd.

* It’s inside pool, but in case anyone was curious, “By an overwhelming 2-1 margin, Republican Senators voted Thursday to install Sen. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) as their next Conference chairman.”

* The Washington Post’s conservative editorial line-up was remarkably one-sided yesterday, and then just as bad today. And yet, you’ll still hear some complain that it’s a liberal paper.

* And finally, the president unveiled a toll-free hotline for homeowners with questions in the midst of the mortgage crisis. The only problem: he gave out the wrong phone number. Just to set the record straight, the correct number is 1-888-995-HOPE.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new national AP/Ipsos poll reinforces other recent data showing Mike Huckabee on the upswing, and Fred Thompson moving in the other direction. The new poll shows Rudy Giuliani continuing to lead the field with 26% support, followed by Huckabee at 18%, up from 10% a month ago. John McCain is third with 13%, followed by Mitt Romney at 12%, and Thompson fifth with 11%.

* The same AP/Ipsos poll shows minimal movement in the Democratic race — Hillary Clinton is still out in front with 45%, followed by Barack Obama at 23%, and John Edwards with 12%.

* It appears the California GOP’s scheme to split the state’s electoral votes is faltering. “California Counts,” the right-wing outfit financed by Republican fat-cats, conceded yesterday that the group’s campaign will not have the necessary signatures to put the question on the June ballot. “Due to the tight calendar we are operating under and the challenge of raising money and gathering signatures during the Holiday season,” the group said in a statement, “we understand that submitting signatures and having them counted in time to make the June ballot, is no longer a realistic goal.” “California Counts” will, however, aim to bring the issue to the November ballot.

* NYT: “Gains made by Republicans among Hispanic voters in the presidential elections of 2000 and 2004 have been erased over the past year, with Hispanics returning to earlier levels of strong preference for the Democratic Party, a survey released yesterday by the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington shows…. According to the survey, 57 percent of registered Hispanic voters now say they are Democrats or favor the Democratic Party, while 23 percent say they align with the Republicans, yielding a gap of 34 percentage points between the parties. As recently as July 2006, that gap was down to 21 points, as Latino support for the Democrats dipped to 49 percent.”

* Fred Thompson may be struggling on the campaign trail, but he’s not going down quietly. In a new direct-mail piece, the former senator goes after Huckabee on taxes, and makes the ultimate Republican insult — he compares Huckabee to Bill Clinton.

* Remember the hilarious Giuliani ad parody that was everywhere last weekend? The very clever and creative guy behind the spot has two new ones. The first seeks to explain why Giuliani is such a hit with the ladies, and the second questions why Obama refuses to endorse Hillary Clinton. Take a look; they’re both very funny.

* Some of Clinton’s union support is paying dividends in Iowa, where the American Federation of Teachers has launched radio ads on the senator’s behalf. The 60-second radio ad features the voices of four women talking about their concerns for their children’s futures. “Education is the key to everything,” says one. “I’m supporting Hillary,” says another. “She really knows what’s going on,” says a third. “When she walks in, she’s gonna know what a president has to do.”

* The WaPo has some less encouraging news for the Clinton campaign: “Once, Garry Thomas counted himself a Hillary Clinton supporter — even signing up to be one of her 25 co-chairs in Iowa alongside with former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack. But Thomas now says he felt obliged to switch sides in recent weeks. “I think the Clinton campaign went negative,” Thomas said in a telephone interview on Thursday. He attributed his defection to the new tone Clinton took last weekend, describing it as divisive. Obama officials said Thomas committed to them this week.”

* Bill Richardson is asking New Mexico state workers for quite a sacrifice — he wants them to travel over the holidays to chilly Iowa to campaign for the governor. Those who agree will have to use their vacation days and pay their own way. The NYT reports, “It is unclear how many will go.”

* And finally, CBS News asked the candidates, “What is the biggest mistake you’ve ever made?” It drew some interesting responses, all of which are online.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* This was way overdue: “State Department Inspector General Howard Krongard, under scrutiny for his brother’s link to the Blackwater security firm, has decided to resign, U.S. officials said on Friday. Krongard, the State Department’s top investigator, has been accused by current and former subordinates of thwarting probes into waste, fraud and abuse in Iraq, including alleged arms smuggling by Blackwater.” (You’ll notice, of course, that Krongard waited until Friday afternoon — the only time administration officials are allowed to resign in disgrace.)

* Remember when U.S. officials freaked out a bit when Iraqi lawmakers took a break and stopped working over the summer? They’re taking another break over the winter, and just suspected parliamentary sessions for the rest of December.

* NYT: “In a sharp rebuke to White House counterterrorism policy, a Congressional conference committee has voted to outlaw the harsh interrogation techniques used by the Central Intelligence Agency against suspected high-level terrorists. The vote to require all American interrogators to abide by the Army Field Manual, which prohibits coercive methods, came during negotiations of the Senate and House intelligence committees over the annual intelligence authorization bill. It will not be the last word on the subject; the full House and Senate must still pass the bill, and it would likely face a veto by President Bush.”

* By all appearances, leading Democratic lawmakers on the Intelligence committees, Jane Harman and Jay Rockefeller, had at least some knowledge of the tapes the interrogation tapes the CIA destroyed, but didn’t say anything. Yglesias had a good post exploring the bind they’re in: “A member who believes he or she is in possession of evidence of crimes being committed and covered-up through illegitimate classification ought to seriously consider civil disobedience: calling a press conference, stating the facts, and accepting responsibility for the consequences. The White House could, of course, then turn around and seek to prosecute a member for violating classification laws, and the member could argue justification and we’d have it out. That’s a tough call to make, clearly. But our political leaders have responsibilities to the country and to the Constitution.”

* Olbermann’s “special comments” are always terrific, and last night he tackled the president’s obvious dishonesty over the National Intelligence Estimate. You’re really want to watch this one: Olbermann calls the president a “bald-faced liar.”

* My friend Blue Girl reads white papers about massive financial waste at the Pentagon so we don’t have to. It’s amazing.

* Not too long ago, Bush was taunting Kim Jung Il, calling him a “pygmy” and compared him to a “spoiled child at a dinner table.” Around the same time, Bush, on a whim, added North Korea to the “axis of evil.” Now, Bush is sending Kim Jung Il personal correspondence about normalized relations. It’s deeply amusing.

* I think the WaPo seems to realize that awful story about Obama and bogus “rumors” was a disaster, and the paper is trying to correct the problem. Let this be a lesson to all of us: sometimes, a blog-driven fit pays dividends.

* Those misguided Reagan-on-Rushmore nuts really need a new hobby.

* Fallout from the “big sticks” nonsense: “House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says a swipe that Vice President Cheney took at Democratic House leaders is ‘beneath the dignity of his office.’” Wait, you mean Cheney has no class and/or dignity? Who knew.

* The TPM team did a really nice job putting together a Shag Fund timeline. It’s a handy resource we can reference every time Giuliani digs deeper into the muck.

* Mitt Romney’s wife seemed to compare his speech yesterday on religion in America to the Gettysburg address. She did not appear to be kidding.

* Bill O’Reilly argued last night, “If you read these far-left websites, you’re a devil worshipper. You are…. Satan is running the DailyKos. Yes, he is!” Later, he called his remarks “a little satire,” but added, “I still think they are satanists.”

* And finally, a Quote of the Day from Paul Krugman: “Back when Hillary Clinton described Dick Cheney as Darth Vader, a number of people pointed out that this was an unfair comparison. For example, Darth Vader once served in the military. Here’s another reason the comparison is invalid: the contractors Darth Vader hired to build the Death Star actually got the job done.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Republican presidential candidates met for a genteel debate in Miami last night, appearing on Univision for a Spanish-language event. (Questions were asked in Spanish and translated to English for the candidates. They then answered in English, and their answers were translated into Spanish for the audience.) I didn’t see the event, but most of the reports indicate that the candidates were on their best behavior, refrained from taking shots at one another, and tried to sound moderate when it came to immigration. Tom Tancredo boycotted the event.

* Barack Obama campaigned over the weekend with Oprah Winfrey, drawing some of the biggest crowds I’ve ever even heard of for a pre-general-election campaign event. There were a variety of estimates, but it appears that the Obama/Oprah show drew nearly 20,000 visitors in Des Moines, 10,000 in Cedar Rapids, nearly 10,000 in New Hampshire, and a jaw-dropping 30,000 yesterday in South Carolina.

* Recognizing Oprah’s appeal with women voters, Hillary Clinton’s campaign did its best over the weekend to counter Obama’s events with some women guests of its own. The New York senator campaigned alongside her daughter and mother on Saturday, in addition to events in Iowa with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, and Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski.

* Mason-Dixon released some new polling data yesterday. Among Dems, Mason Dixon found close races in each of the first four contests. In Iowa, it’s Clinton 27%, Obama 25%, and Edwards 21%. In New Hampshire, it’s Clinton 30%, Obama 27%, and Edwards 10%. In Nevada, it’s Clinton 34%, Obama 26%, Edwards 9%, and Richardson 7%. And in South Carolina, it’s Clinton 28%, Obama 25%, and Edwards 18%.

* Mason Dixon also polled the same states for the GOP candidates. In Iowa, it’s Huckabee 32%, Romney 20%, and Thompson 11%. In New Hampshire, it’s Romney 25%, Giuliani 17%, McCain 16%, and Huckabee 11%. In Nevada, it’s Giuliani 25%, Romney 20%, Romney 15%, and Huckabee 17%. And in South Carolina, it’s Huckabee 20%, Giuliani 17%, Thompson 14%, and McCain 10%.

* Nevada has been more or less the odd-state out this cycle, but the candidates aren’t completely blowing it off. The Obama campaign announced late last week that it would start airing TV ads in the state today, making Obama the first Democratic candidate to hit Nevada’s TV airwaves. (Richardson has been airing radio ads in Nevada since the summer.)

* Joe Biden appeared on ABC yesterday and said he’d like to see the appointment of a Special Counsel to investigate the CIA’s destruction of its torture tapes. “This is a White House that has sanctioned and pushed for the kind of interrogation techniques captured on those video tapes,” Biden said. “This is a White House that was informed of the CIA’s desire to destroy those tapes. Thus, it is possible this investigation could lead to the White House.”

* Ron Paul’s campaign has a new idea: a campaign blimp. “We’re not doing a blimp because traditional political wisdom maybe doesn’t say that that’s the best way to spend money,” said Paul campaign spokesman Jesse Benton. “But who knows? It could turn out that the blimp is the best thing that anyone’s done.”

* Speaking of Paul, the Libertarian National Committee wants him to run under its flag, but as of yesterday, the Texas Republican said he’s not interested.

* Newt Gingrich isn’t running for president, but he was asked whether he’s consider joining the GOP ticket. Gingrich said, “You know, if drafted, I would run, and if nominated, I would serve.” He added, “I think it is sufficiently unlikely. We’re not making any plans to be writing an acceptance speech.”

* And finally, Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez (D) announced that he is ending his Senate campaign, leaving Rep. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) as the lone Democratic candidate. Republicans are still facing a tough primary between Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) and Steve Pearce (R-N.M.).

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Not surprisingly, the Bush gang has become a little shy about the CIA torture tape scandal: “White House lawyers have advised President Bush’s spokeswoman not to answer specific questions about why the CIA destroyed tapes of terror suspects under interrogation, as Congress seeks answers about the matter…. With that review ongoing, the White House counsel’s office has instructed Bush’s press secretary, Dana Perino, not to get into details with reporters. ‘I think that that’s appropriate, and I’ll adhere to it,’ Perino said Monday. She said her previous statement remains accurate — that Bush has no recollection of hearing about the tapes’ existence or their destruction before being briefed about it last Thursday.”

* Here’s a clip of Perino talking about why she won’t be talking about the destroyed torture tapes.

* And here’s a video of Perino dodging Scooter Libby-related questions. She looked pretty uncomfortable — if the press corps is smart, it’ll follow up tomorrow.

* Welcome news from the Supreme Court: “The Supreme Court decided today that judges may impose lighter sentences for crack cocaine, adding its voice to a racially sensitive debate over federal guidelines that call for tougher penalties for crack than for powder cocaine…. In the crack case, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said it was reasonable for a federal judge in Virginia to impose a lower sentence than one prescribed by the guidelines because of his disagreement with the rule that imposed the same sentence for a crack dealer as for someone selling 100 times as much powder cocaine.” It was a 7-to-2 ruling.

* TP: “In today’s White House press briefing, Press Secretary Dana Perino said that, “this weekend,” the White House counsel sent out a notice to “all employees” ordering them to preserve documents and evidence” related to the torture-tape destruction. Didn’t this notice go out a few days too late?

* Congressional Dems have offered the Bush gang a ridiculously slanted deal: the White House gets all the war funding it wants, with no strings attached, and in exchange, Dems get to exceed Bush’s domestic spending limits by a mere $18 billion. Apparently, the Bush gang isn’t going for the deal that’s already in their favor.

* On a related note: “Liberal group MoveOn.org is seeking this week to pressure the Senate Democrats running for president to oppose and block a war spending bill that does not include a plan for withdrawal from Iraq. Not satisfied with reports that a massive omnibus spending bill currently in the works will include some funding for the wars but no commitment to bring soldiers home, the group wants to get the Democratic candidates to stop the effort.”

* See you in a six-and-a-half years, Conrad Black.

* When did House Speaker Nancy Pelosi learn about the administration’s waterboarding? Spencer Ackerman takes a closer look.

* Remember all of those U.S. Attorneys the administration fired for not being loyal Bushies? They’ve all apparently landed on their feet, and are keeping in touch with one another: “Six of the attorneys marked the anniversary of their firings at a private dinner in San Diego 10 days ago, where they toasted one another for persevering.”

* The exodus continues: “A top-ranking Republican on one of the most influential committees in Congress announced Friday that he plans to resign — opening up yet another G.O.P. seat in a year that has already seen 18 Republicans announce plans to leave the chamber. Jim McCrery, of Louisiana, said at a news conference late Friday that he does not intend to seek re-election to the House next year. McCrery, currently serving his 10th full term, is the ranking Republican on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and was in line to chair the committee before Democrats took control in the 2006 elections.”

* WaPo: “National Review has apologized for an ‘editing failure’ involving a blogger in Lebanon and says it can no longer stand by a disputed dispatch from W. Thomas Smith Jr. The former Marine resigned Friday, saying he ’should have been more specific in terms of my sourcing.’” Sounds like more than an “editing failure.”

* Remember Ann Coulter? Apparently, she’s avoiding prosecution on voter fraud thanks in part to the statute of limitations.

* Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell has an op-ed in the NYT today urging Congress to extend Bush-friendly FISA laws. Chris Dodd has a good piece explaining why McConnell is “flat wrong.”

* Speaking of “flat wrong,” the White House and Treasury Department are pushing their solution to the mortgage crisis. Paul Krugman takes it apart today and exposes it as a sham.

* Once again, the Coalition of the Shrinking.

* And finally, here’s a cheeky kind of ad for healthcare reform: “In Iowa today, 10 newspapers are running a full page ad advocating for a single-payer health-care bill, highlighting the fact Vice President Dick Cheney has benefited from his government-provided coverage. ‘If he were anyone else, he’d probably be dead by now,’ the ad claims.” The ad is a project of the California Nurses Association and the National Nurses Organizing Committee. Cheney’s office responded, “[S]omething this outrageous does not warrant a response.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A week after Hillary Clinton’s campaign was embarrassed by an Iowa country chair spreading the ridiculous Obama/Muslim email, it’s happened again. “Hillary Clinton’s campaign on Sunday requested the resignation of a second Iowa volunteer coordinator who forwarded a hoax e-mail saying Barack Obama is a Muslim possibly intent on destroying the United States.” Said Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee, “We’ve made our position on this crystal clear. Our campaign does not tolerate this kind of activity or campaigning.”

* Mitt Romney, slipping further and further behind, has decided to air his first negative ad of the season. The new commercial, which will air in Iowa, targets Mike Huckabee on immigration. “Mitt Romney stood up, and vetoed in-state tuition for illegal aliens, opposed driver’s licenses for illegals,” the ad says. “Mike Huckabee? Supported in-state tuition benefits for illegal immigrants. Huckabee even supported taxpayer-funded college scholarships for illegal aliens.”

* Speaking of Huckabee, his pardon record is drawing increased scrutiny in the wake of the Wayne Dumond scandal. As Arkansas governor, he was involved in twice as many pardons and commutations as his three predecessors combined. “It seems to be true at least anecdotally that if a minister is involved, (Huckabee) seems likely to grant clemency,” prosecutor Robert Herzfeld said in 2004 after successfully battling the then-governor over the release of a killer.

* A new national CNN/Opinion Research shows the Republican race very close. Rudy Giuliani is now ahead with 24%, followed by Huckabee at 22%, and Romney third at 16%. John McCain is fourth at 12%, followed by Fred Thompson with 10%. The three remaining candidates are in single digits.

* Speaking of national polls, a new NYT/CBS poll shows Clinton leading the pack with 44%, followed by Obama at 27% and Edwards at 11%. The rest of the field was in low single digits. Clinton’s 17-point lead is sizable, but smaller than the 28-point lead she enjoyed in an NYT/CBS poll in October.

* The same poll showed Giuliani leading the Republican field with 22% support, followed very closely by Huckabee at 21%, and Romney at 16%.

* Obama got a boost in New Hampshire yesterday, picking up Rep. Carol Shea-Porter’s (D-N.H.) endorsement. Obama now has the support of both of the Granite State’s House delegation, following Rep. Paul Hodes’ (D-N.H.) endorsment in July.

* Speaking of Obama, Chris Bowers raised the prospect yesterday that the Obama campaign had done some opposition research on progressive bloggers a couple of months ago. Obama aides strongly denied the claim, and Bowers walked back his charge a little bit, noting that his charge included “a bit of speculation on my part.”

* And speaking of opposition research, Bob Nash, Clinton’s deputy campaign manager and a top-notch researcher, sent an email to some supporters yesterday, hoping to gain more background about Obama’s work as a community organizer in Chicago.

* In an interesting contrast, Democrats nationally believe Clinton is running the most positive campaign of the Dems’ field. In early primary states, they believe Clinton is running the least positive campaign.

* A new South Carolina poll from InsiderAdvantage, a Republican pollster, found Obama ahead with 28%, Clinton second with 22%, Edwards third with 14%, and Joe Biden fourth with 10%.

* Clinton is hitting Nevada’s TV airwaves this week, too.

* It looks like Fred Thompson is giving up on New Hampshire.

* And finally, keep a very close eye on today’s special election in Ohio’s 5th congressional district. It was supposed to be an easy win for Republicans, but it’s turned out to be a very competitive contest.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Devastation in Algiers: “Death and destruction revisited the Algerian capital of Algiers Tuesday morning when a pair of powerful car bombs exploded, and claimed what early estimates placed as 62 lives. Though no claims of responsibility have been made, security experts say there’s little doubt the attack was the work of al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), a group that formed an alliance with Osama bin Laden’s global jihad in 2006. Officials say Tuesday’s spectacular strike increases the risk that AQIM is ramping up its violent struggle to bring down the Algerian government. And as the fourth big hit by AQIM in less than a year, the incident highlights the group’s increasing organizational skills and establishes it as the greatest potential terror threat to continental Europe as well.”

* In what I can only assume is an attempt at humor, Bush will appoint conservative commentator James Glassman to serve as Karen Hughes’ replacement in the State Department office devoted to improving the nation’s image abroad. That would be this James Glassman.

* In Iraq, policewomen have been ordered by the Maliki government to turn in their firearms — so they can be given to policemen. If they refuse, their pay will be withheld. “Critics say the move is the latest sign of the religious and cultural conservatism that has taken hold in Iraq since Saddam Hussein’s ouster ushered in a government dominated by Shiite Muslims. Now, that tendency is hampering efforts to bring stability to Iraq by driving women from the force, said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. David Phillips, who has led the effort to recruit female officers.”

* In related news, Iraqis are killing women in Basra for not wearing the appropriate attire: “Religious vigilantes have killed at least 40 women this year in the southern Iraqi city of Basra because of how they dressed, their mutilated bodies found with notes warning against ‘violating Islamic teachings,’ the police chief said Sunday. Maj. Gen. Jalil Khalaf blamed sectarian groups that he said were trying to impose a strict interpretation of Islam. They dispatch patrols of motorbikes or unlicensed cars with tinted windows to accost women not wearing traditional dress and head scarves, he added.”

* Remember that weird religious group in Miami that the White House said wanted to blow up the Sears Tower? The members are on trial, but the jury is reportedly deadlocked.

* Is the CIA leadership reliable when it comes to interrogations? Not so much.

* Last week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ken.) took a rather dismissive attitude towards U.S. casualties in Iraq. Political reporters didn’t care, but apparently some of his constituents did.

* Note to David Brooks: we are not in a post-war period.

* House Dems are working on a bill to alter bankruptcy laws to help shield homeowners from foreclosure. Today, Republican Rep. Steve Chabot of Ohio signed onto the Democratic measure, which should help the bill’s progress.

* The Pentagon refused to allow Col. Morris Davis, the former chief prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay, to testify today befor the the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Defense Department was willing, however, to let Davis do an interview with Canadian journalists.

* Spencer Ackerman and Paul Kiel did a nice job putting together a timeline of the CIA torture-tape controversy.

* Nationalize The Daily show!

* Fred Thompson, meet my friend Cliff Schecter.

* If Rachel Maddow got her own show on MSNBC, I might have to actually watch television news for a change. She reportedly taped a pilot recently.

* Note to policy makers everywhere: do not turn to The View for intelligent discussion of tax policy.

* When Hillary Clinton laughs on a Sunday-morning talk show, it’s part of a “calculated” strategy. When Rudy Giuliani laughs on a Sunday-morning talk show, it’s evidence of his “good-natured” personality. Good to know.

* And, on related note, meet Rudy Giggliani!

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* After the GOP invested far more time and effort than it wanted to, Republicans won two special election House races yesterday. State Rep. Bob Latta (R) held off a challenge in Ohio’s 5th congressional district, defeating Robin Weirauch (D), 57% to 43%. State Del. Rob Wittman (R) defeated Iraq war veteran Philip Forgit (D) in Virginia’s 1st congressional district, 61% to 37%.

* Hoping to put a positive spin on two (largely expected) defeats, DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said, “National Republicans, right wing special interest groups, and 527’s, like Freedom’s Watch, are alive and well in Republican House races. They poured more than $500,000 in to save Bob Latta in a 39% Democratic performing district. Tom Cole and the NRCC spending 20 percent of their cash on hand to retain one of the most Republican districts in the country — priceless.”

* A new CNN/WMUR poll in New Hampshire shows the Democratic race in the first primary state just about tied. According to the results, released this morning, Hillary Clinton now leads Barack Obama, 31% to 30%. Since the CNN/WMUR poll in November, Clinton has lost five points, and Obama has gained eight.

* The same poll found Mike Huckabee hanging onto his sizable lead in New Hampshire, leading the GOP pack with 32% support, followed by Rudy Giuliani and John McCain who are tied with 19% each. Mike Huckabee is surging everywhere, except the Granite State, where he remains in single digits — 9%. (Fred Thompson’s support has dropped to just 1% in the state.)

* Romney got some very good news on the endorsement front yesterday when the National Review, arguably the most important publication of the conservative movement, threw its backing to the former Massachusetts governor.

* John Edwards raised a few eyebrows yesterday when he told an Iowa audience that he has been aggressive about ending the war in Iraq “from the very beginning.” A campaign spokesman later said that Edwards was referring to the beginning of his presidential campaign.

* Mike Huckabee had all kinds of interesting things to say in the early 1990s. In the latest example, Huckabee told the AP in 1992, “The U.S. should not kill Saddam Hussein or anyone else.” I imagine if a Democrat had said that, Republicans might have a few things to say about it.

* The Des Moines Register’s David Yepsen is all worked up about out-of-state students participating in Iowa’s caucuses. I’m not sure why — the Iowa Secretary of State actively instructs students how to do it. Wouldn’t Yepsen want more people participating in the process, especially young people?

* Apparently, Fred Thompson has decided to become too folksy. Asked about his national security policy yesterday in South Carolina, the former senator said, “The good guys win and the bad guys lose — how ’bout that?” Asked about his economic policy, he said, “Free people, free markets, doin’ free things together.” Asked if even more tax cuts would lead to lost revenue, Thompson responded, “It ain’t lost, it’s in my pocket.” Asked how he came to arrive at his views on healthcare policy, he said, “I had a conversation with my little mama back in Franklin, Tennessee.” I guess it’s easier than offering substance.

* MSNBC last night noted a poll I hadn’t seen before. Republicans were asked which of the Democratic candidates would make the best president. Obama was first with 23%, followed by Edwards at 18%, and Richardson at 14%. When the inverse was asked of Dems about the Republican field, Giuliani and McCain were tied at 24%, followed by Romney at 12%, and Huckabee at 11%.

* And finally, I was taken aback when I saw that ABC News had John Stossel interview Ron Paul. I mean, really, were none of Paul’s immediate family members available?

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Something to consider before Bush and the GOP declare “mission accomplished” again in Iraq: “Three powerful car bombs exploded one after the other in a southern provincial capital on Wednesday, killing at least 46 and injuring 149, the most devastating attack in the nation since August, police said. The attack in Amarah, in Maysan province, was believed to be its first mass bombing since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. The area is considered one of the country’s safest, and the bombings shattered a hopeful, if brittle, lull in Iraq’s violence.”

* AP: “The Bush administration was under court order not to discard evidence of detainee torture and abuse months before the CIA destroyed videotapes that revealed some of its harshest interrogation tactics. Normally, that would force the government to defend itself against obstruction allegations. But the CIA may have an out: its clandestine network of overseas prisons. While judges focused on the detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and tried to guarantee that any evidence of detainee abuse would be preserved, the CIA was performing its toughest questioning half a world away. And by the time President Bush publicly acknowledged the secret prison system, interrogation videotapes of two terrorism suspects had been destroyed.”

* Speaking of the CIA torture-tape scandal, some want to see John Kiriakou prosecuted for publicly discussing waterboarding. It’s not going to happen — the Justice Department has said it will not launch an investigation.

* Lee Stranahan is a genius, Part I: Mitt Romney’s attack ad you won’t see on TV (parody).

* Lee Stranahan is a genius, Part II: The Huckabee ad that actually sells his campaign in an honest way (also a parody).

* Another veto for a bipartisan children’s health bill? Yep.

* The Senate Intelligence Committee passed a FISA bill with telecom immunity. The Senate Judiciary Committee passed a FISA bill without telecom immunity. Which one will Harry Reid bring to the floor? Fourteen senators, including all four Democratic presidential candidates in the chamber, urged the Majority Leader to pick the latter.

* In the light of the CIA’s games with the torture tapes, the ACLU filed a motion asking a federal judge to hold the agency in contempt. Sounds reasonable enough.

* AP: “The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee asked the Justice Department on Tuesday to give a full account of its investigation into the alleged rape of a female contract worker in Iraq two years ago…. In a letter dated Tuesday, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., asked Attorney General Michael Mukasey if his office had investigated Jones’ claims and whether the Justice Department has jurisdiction to prosecute under military provisions of the USA Patriot Act.”

* AP: “The nation’s spy court said yesterday that it will not release its documents regarding the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, in a rare on-the-record opinion, said the public has no right to view the documents because they deal with the clandestine workings of national security agencies. The American Civil Liberties Union asked the court to release the records in August.”

* I’m disappointed that Journeyman was cancelled. There’s just not enough well-written sci-fi on the major networks’ prime-time line-ups.

* NASA: 2007 Second Warmest Year Ever, with Record Warmth Likely by 2010.

* Bush drives young people into the Democratic Party in droves. Thanks, George.

* And speaking of the president, he came in a close second in this year’s “Foot in Mouth” award, presented by the Plain English campaign. Former England football (soccer) manager Steve McClaren came out on top for describing one of his star players this way: “He is inexperienced but he’s experienced in terms of what he’s been through.” Bush came second for, “All I can tell you is that when the governor calls, I answer his phone.”

* And finally, the White House has come up with yet another new excuse to not answer questions about the Plame leak scandal. Pushed by reporters yesterday, Dana Perino said, “I did talk to our counsel’s office because I forgot that there is a civil case that is pending on this issue. I did forget. The Wilsons have filed a case in civil court, it was dismissed, and they are on appeal.” I should probably just accept it — we’re never going to get any answers from these guys.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Bill Shaheen, the co-chairman of Hillary Clinton campaign in New Hampshire, caused a quite stir by tackling Barack Obama’s teenaged drug use yesterday. In response, the Clinton campaign quickly distanced itself from Shaheen’s comments, saying “these comments were not authorized or condoned by the campaign in any way.” Shaheen himself released his own statement shortly thereafter: “I deeply regret the comments I made today and they were not authorized by the campaign in any way.”

* The flap was certainly noticed at Obama campaign headquarters. Obama campaign manager David Plouffe issued a statement that read in part: “Hillary Clinton said attacking other Democrats is the ‘fun part’ of this campaign, and now she’s moved from Barack Obama’s kindergarten years to his teenage years in an increasingly desperate effort to slow her slide in the polls. Senator Clinton’s campaign is recycling old news that Barack Obama has been candid about in a book he wrote years ago, and he’s talked about the lessons he’s learned from these mistakes with young people all across the country.” This morning, the Obama campaign began raising money on the controversy.

* Despite the setbacks, the New York senator remains very optimistic about her chances: “Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is anticipating that she will not have to wait long to become the Democratic presidential nominee, privately telling campaign donors in California that the race ‘is all going to be over by Feb. 5.’”

* And in still more Clinton-related news: “Bill Clinton has severed business ties with Los Angeles billionaire Ron Burkle, fearful that their deals could erupt into bad publicity damaging his wife’s presidential bid, according to sources who know both men. The break-up is a major development in the world of political fundraising, where Burkle has risen to the top ranks, credited with channeling $50 million or more into Democratic coffers over the past 15 years.”

* All four Democratic presidential candidates from the Senate will return to work this afternoon, briefly, in order to vote on an energy bill pending on the Hill. They will then quickly return to Iowa, for a debate set to begin at 2pm eastern.

* Speaking of today’s debate, the Des Moines Register decided that Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel will not be welcome on the stage today, because neither have opened campaign offices in the Hawkeye State. Why Alan Keyes can participate in the GOP debate, but Kucinich can’t participate in the Dems’ debate is unclear.

* And speaking of Iowa, there’s apparently quite a debate going on about whether students from out of state going to a college an Iowa should be able to participate in the caucuses. State law allows it (and kind of encourages it), but some, including David Yepsen, say it violates the “spirit” of the caucuses, whatever that means. I find the whole debate rather confusing, but Greg Sargent breaks it down nicely.

* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is at least a little worried about his re-election fight next year, and now has his first serious Democratic challenger — Retired Lieutenant colonel Andrew Horne announced his Senate bid today. Horne has not held elected office, and lost in a Democratic House primary last year.

* And speaking of vulnerable Republican incumbents, there’s a real opportunity for some shake-up in Alaska next year: “A new round of Research 2000 polling, commissioned by Daily Kos, finds two longtime — and scandal-plagued — incumbents trailing in Alaska. Congressman Don Young (R) trails former state Rep. Ethan Berkowitz (D) by a 49%-42% margin, while Senator Ted Stevens (R) is behind Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D) 47%-41%.” Dems have not won a federal election in Alaska since 1974.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* After yesterday’s uproar following Bill Shaheen’s discussion of Barack Obama’s teenaged drug use, Shaheen resigned today as co-chair of Hillary Clinton’s campaign in New Hampshire. “I would like to reiterate that I deeply regret my comments yesterday and say again that they were in no way authorized by Senator Clinton or the Clinton campaign,” he said in a statement, adding, “I made a mistake and in light of what happened, I have made the personal decision that I will step down as the Co-Chair of the Hillary for President campaign.”

* On a related note, in an unusual move, Hillary Clinton met up with Obama at a DC airport today and personally apologized for Shaheen’s comment.

* I’ll have a full report on this afternoon’s Democratic debate in the morning, but in the interim, there seems to be one Obama-Clinton exchange that already has the political world buzzing.

* I don’t know or care about baseball, but a report by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell (D), hired by commissioner Bud Selig to examine the sport’s steroid problem, was released today, ending a 20-month investigation. If media interest is any indication, it’s a pretty big deal.

* It’s painful to imagine, but former Halliburton employee Jamie Leigh Jones’ horrific experience may not have been an isolated incident: “Congress is asking questions about another ex-employee of government contracting firm KBR who claims she was raped in Iraq. Letters to the Pentagon and the Justice Department today from Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. underscore congressional concern about a second alleged assault, this time of a woman from Florida who reportedly worked for a KBR subsidiary in Ramadi, Iraq in 2005.”

* Why did the CIA videotape its torturous interrogations?

* Remember those strange guys in Miami the Bush administration accused of wanting to blow up the Sears Tower? “One of seven Miami men accused of plotting to join forces with al-Qaida to blow up Chicago’s Sears Tower was acquitted Thursday, and a mistrial was declared for the six others after the federal jury deadlocked. The mistrial means prosecutors will have to decide whether to retry the six men.”

* It’s hard to know when Bush administration prosecutors go after a Democrat whether politics is involved, but in either case, Al Sharpton’s office is facing a subpoena from the FBI.

* That Savage clown really isn’t well:”On his radio show, Michael Savage referred to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which awards the Nobel Peace Prize, as ’socialist perverts.’ He continued: ‘Why do I call them socialist perverts? Answer: because they are. By and large, 90 percent of the people on the Nobel Committee are into child pornography and molestation, according to the latest scientific studies.’”

* As expected, Bush delivered an early Christmas president to low-income kids with no health insurance in the form of coal in their stockings: “President Bush vetoed another children’s health bill on Wednesday, effectively killing Democrats’ hopes of expanding a popular government program aimed at providing insurance to youngsters in lower- and middle-income families. It was the seventh veto of Mr. Bush’s presidency and the second veto of a children’s health bill. Mr. Bush rejected a similar bill in October, despite support from Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill.”

* USAT: “A record number of soldiers — 109 — have killed themselves this year, according to Army statistics showing confirmed or suspected suicides. The deaths occur as soldiers serve longer combat deployments and the Army spends $100 million on support programs…. The Army provided suicide statistics to Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. Her staff shared them with USA TODAY. Those numbers show 77 confirmed suicides Army-wide this year through Nov. 27 and 32 other deaths pending final determination as suicides.”

* Note to suspected criminals everywhere: when you hide, you look guilty: “The director of a national charity for veterans has gone into hiding after defying a congressional subpoena. Roger Chapin, head of the California-based charity, Help Hospitalized Veterans, refused to appear today before a congressional hearing chaired by Congressman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., who is investigating how the charity’s money was spent. Waxman said Chapin had evaded attempts by U.S. marshals to find him for the past week to serve a warrant to compel Chapin to answer questions before Congress about his charity, which raised more than $98 million last year.”

* What do “The Golden Compass” and the attacks on Pearl Harbor have to do with each other? Nothing, but far-right nuts make very strange analogies, anyway.

* And finally, I know the National Republican Senatorial Committee has fallen on hard times, and I realize the campaign committee’s future looks bleak. But there’s just no excuse for putting out the most breathtakingly stupid 12 Days of Christmas parody in the history of the world. C’mon, NRSC, show a little pride.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new CNN/Opinion Research poll in South Carolina shows Mike Huckabee surging ahead, after trailing for months. According to the numbers, released this morning, Huckabee leads the GOP field with 24%, up from just 3% in July. Fred Thompson was second with 17%, followed by Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, who are each at 16%. John McCain, who was leading in South Carolina over the summer, has dropped to fifth with 13%.

* The same CNN/Opinion Research poll shows Hillary Clinton out in front with 42%, followed by Barack Obama with 34%, and John Edwards with 16%. (No other Dem topped 3%.) Obama has cut Clinton’s lead thanks to increased support from African-American voters, who had been leaning in Clinton’s direction.

* In New Hampshire, a Research 2000 poll conducted for the Concord Monitor shows Obama edging past Clinton, 32% to 31%. Edwards is third with 18%. The poll added an interesting detail: Clinton still leads by a fair margin among traditional Dems, but Obama has a slight lead thanks to support from independents.

* The same poll on the GOP side shows Mitt Romney holding onto his comfortable lead with 31% support, followed by Rudy Giuliani at 18%, and John McCain at 17%.

* Huckabee hasn’t gotten much love from the Republican establishment, which is why it was slightly unexpected yesterday when insider Ed Rollins announced he will serve as the national chairman of Huckabee’s campaign. Huckabee seems pleased, but he may want to reconsider.

* Clinton got a very nice boost in Iowa this morning, when Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa) announced his support for the New York senator. Boswell is the longest-serving Democrat in Iowa’ House delegation.

* Apparently, rank-and-file members of the Minutemen are quite unhappy about Jim Gilchrist’s support for Mike Huckabee. Yesterday, the organization Gilchrist founded issued a “special message” to members with this headline: “Real Minutemen Do Not Endorse Huckabee.”

* I won’t pretend to fully understand the legal intricacies of Iowa’s caucus rules, but the flap over whether college students who go to school in Iowa can participate on Jan. 3 remains a big deal. According to a report from Ben Adler, “Many youth activists are furious with the campaigns of Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) for suggesting that college students who did not grow up in Iowa should not caucus there in January — and they are delivering that message both publicly and privately.”

* On a related note, Obama is reaching out to Iowa youths with what McClatchy describes as “an unmatched network throughout Iowa’s high schools. His campaign Web site lists 144 Iowa high schools with Obama student groups. That’s 40 percent of the state’s public high schools, and it translates to thousands of teens who say they’re committed to caucusing for Obama.”

* How bad was the Republicans’ presidential debate in Iowa on Wednesday? So bad that Iowa Republicans are now considering hosting one more forum before the caucuses, possibly between Christmas and New Years. “We’d prefer if the Register debate did not leave a bad taste,” said one insider. “Iowa deserves a little better than that.”

* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) got a little confused yesterday. After describing Giuliani’s types of judicial appointees, Perry said, “The issue becomes very, very clear to me from the standpoint of who I want to support. And it is Mike Huckabee.” Quickly realizing that he’s already endorsed Giuliani, Perry added, “And then it goes to the next level, which is who do we have who is the most electable of our candidates, and I think without a doubt it’s Rudy Giuliani.”

* If you haven’t seen it already, this video about Huckabee’s Wayne Dumond controversy is pretty devastating.

* Much to my dismay, former Mississippi Attorney General Mike Moore (D) has decided not to run for Trent Lott’s vacant Senate seat.

* And finally, just for you Ron Paul fans out there — you know who you are — Carpetbagger regular Zeitgeist alerted me yesterday to “Hotties 4 Paul,” a pin-up calendar created to raise money for the quirky Texas Republican/libertarian.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* In light of the Bush administration’s obstinacy, this is what passes for progress: “European and U.S. delegates on Friday agreed to move controversial emission targets to a document footnote, opening the way for the 189 nations at the U.N. climate change talks to approve a roadmap for international action…. ‘This is a compromise. We can live with this. It’s in a footnote,’ German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel said, referring to the 25 to 40 percent range for cuts.”

* John Tanner has resigned from his position as chief of the Civil Rights Division’s voting section. It’s effective immediately. It’s also about time.

* On a related note, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) responded to Tanner’s overdue resignation: “nder Mr. Tanner’s leadership, the Justice Department essentially took positions that disenfranchised minorities and the elderly. The departure of Mr. Tanner presents an opportunity for a fresh start of the Voting Section. I urge the Bush Administration to take this opportunity to take politics out of voting rights enforcement by appointing a new chief with a commitment to the letter and the spirit of the Voting Rights Act.” I’m not counting on it.

* Mark the day on your calendars — Republicans didn’t filibuster today, in large part because the bill doesn’t go very far: “The thousands of Americans facing foreclosure because of ballooning interest rates on their variable-rate mortgages would get help from the federal government under legislation overwhelmingly approved by senators Friday. The legislation, approved 93-1, is the Senate’s first attempt to deal with the looming subprime mortgage crisis through stand-alone legislation. The bill would allow the Federal Housing Administration to guarantee refinanced loans for tens of thousands of borrowers who are delinquent on payments because their mortgages are resetting to sharply higher rates from low initial ‘teaser’ levels.”

* It’s extremely disappointing, but it appears that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is going to allow the FISA bill with retroactive immunity for telecoms to move forward in the Senate. Russ Feingold and Chris Dodd are vowing a filibuster. Stay tuned.

* Once the tax breaks for the oil companies were protected, Republicans allowed the Senate to legislate: “The Senate passed the first increase in automobile fuel economy standards in three decades Thursday night, as a comprehensive energy bill finally cleared the chamber after months of negotiations. The vote was 86-8.”

* The House’s vote yesterday on banning torture was a big step in the right direction (despite Republican opposition), but Dan Froomkin has a good piece today on the likely Bush veto.

* No info for you: “Last week, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and ranking member Arlen Specter (R-PA) sent Attorney General Michael Mukasey a detailed list of questions about the Justice Department’s knowledge of the CIA’s torture tapes’ destruction. They were also eager to learn the details of the Justice Department’s joint investigation with the CIA. Today, Mukasey gave his reply: no.”

* I’ve been meaning to mention this all week: “Political operatives in the Department of Labor are using federal reporting requirements to undermine trade unions and conduct a “political misinformation campaign” against them, a report released yesterday charges. While the Bush administration has generally relaxed federal regulations, the department’s Office of Labor-Management Standards has done the reverse, beefing up disclosure rules, staff and investigations of union leaders and members.” Scott Lilly has much more.

* New Jersey is poised to become the first state to abolish the death penalty since the Supreme Court allowed states to reinstate it 30 years ago.

* I guess he had to lawyer up eventually: “Jose Rodriguez, the CIA’s ex-operations director who ordered the interrogation tapes destroyed in late 2005, has hired one of Washington’s most prominent criminal attorneys.” He hired Bob Bennett, the ultimate DC lawyer.

* Bad news for Inspector General Stuart Bowen? “Bowen’s office has also been roiled by allegations of its own overspending and mismanagement. Current and former employees have complained about overtime policies that allowed 10 staff members to earn more than $250,000 each last year. They have questioned the oversight of a $3.5 million book project about Iraq’s reconstruction modeled after the 9/11 Commission report. And they have alleged that Bowen and his deputy have improperly snooped into their staff’s e-mail messages.”

* Digby: “People and societies don’t just wake up one morning to find they no longer recognize themselves. It’s a process. And we are in the process in this country of ‘defining deviancy down’ in ways I never thought possible. We are legitimizing torture and indefinite detention — saying that we will only do this to the people who really deserve it. One cannot help but wonder what ‘really deserves it’ will mean in the years to come as we fight our endless war against terror.”

* And finally, the American Bar Association Journal this week drew widespread disgust when it named Alberto Gonzales its “Lawyer of the Year.” It wasn’t necessarily a compliment — the ABA meant that Gonzales was the biggest “newsmaker” in the legal community. Regardless, given the outrage, the journal has issued a clarification: “We appreciate the feedback we’ve received, and we’re acting on it. So that there can be no confusion, the term ‘Lawyers of the Year’ has been changed in the headline and story to ‘Newsmakers of the Year.’” An improvement, to be sure.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), one of Congress’ most right-wing members, endorsed Fred Thompson’s presidential campaign. It gives Thompson a much-needed boost in Iowa, where he’s been running fourth. (Apparently, there was some confusion in the initial reports, because King was expected to endorse Romney.)

* Speaking of endorsements from Iowa lawmakers, Barack Obama will get a similar boost today, earning the support of Rep. David Loebsack (D-Iowa). As the Des Moines Register noted, “His decision means all three of Iowa’s Democratic congressmen have endorsed a presidential candidate, and all have chosen a different one. Rep. Leonard Boswell has endorsed New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, while Rep. Bruce Braley has backed former Sen. John Edwards.”

* Ron Paul fans organized another massive fundraising initiative yesterday, and exceeded their previous highs. Paul took in an amazing $6 million on Sunday, apparently the most ever raised by one candidate in one day. The Politico added that the haul will probably help Paul raise more money than any other Republican candidate in the fourth quarter.

* Mitt Romney didn’t generate too much news in his first “Meet the Press” appearance yesterday, though it was interesting to see him concede that non-believers can be moral people. The interview was not, however, without controversy: Romney claimed to have the NRA’s backing during his 2002 gubernatorial campaign, which is not true.

* Confident that Mitt Romney will no longer run the table in the first three contests, Rudy Giuliani is apparently giving up on New Hampshire, and redirected resources into his campaign’s Feb. 5th strategy.

* Bill Clinton went after Barack Obama quite aggressively over the weekend, telling PBS’s Charlie Rose that electing the senator would be a “risk,” and dismissing him as “a gifted television commentator.”

* Over the weekend, Mitt Romney picked up support from right-wing judge Robert Bork, who said, “No other candidate will do more to advance the conservative judicial movement than Governor Mitt Romney.”

* Mike Huckabee’s decision to criticize Bush’s handling of Iraq has drawn fire from former Bushie Ari Fleischer, who said the former governor “will serve Republican primary voters, and our nation, better if he focused his criticisms on the Democrats who will run against our eventual nominee and not on the President who has kept us safe.”

* And speaking of Huckabee, what’s the secret of his success? By one estimation, evangelical home-schoolers.

* Saturday, the Boston Globe, which is widely read in New Hampshire, endorsed Obama and McCain.

* And presidential candidates are still figuring out exactly how they’ll campaign in Iowa around Christmas — without annoying voters. “The general consensus among political operatives is that on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, telephone banks will be quiet. Door-knocking will cease. And campaign events to build support will not be scheduled. The television commercials, though, will go on.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* A growing number of U.S. military officials are pressuring the White House to “accelerate a troop drawdown in Iraq and bulk up force levels in Afghanistan.” Apparently, conditions in the “other” war are deteriorating quickly, and some administration officials now believe Afghanistan may pose a “greater longer-term challenge than Iraq.”

* Last week, Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.), the senior Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee compared waterboarding to going for a swim. In the face of criticism, Bond told C-SPAN that his comments were misconstrued, saying he only meant to say “there are different kinds of waterboarding, and different kinds of swimming.” And people wonder why I can’t take Republican lawmakers seriously on policy matters.

* Congrats to New Jersey: “Gov. Jon S. Corzine signed into law Monday a measure that abolishes the death penalty, making New Jersey the first state in more than four decades to reject capital punishment. The bill, approved last week by the state’s Assembly and Senate, replaces the death sentence with life in prison without parole…. The measure spares eight men on the state’s death row. On Sunday, Corzine signed orders commuting the sentences of those eight to life in prison without parole.”

* CREW put together the top 10 biggest ethics scandals in government from 2007. There are quite a few doozies in there, though I’d like to think last year’s list was slightly worse. (Remember the Republicans’ culture of corruption? It made picking 10 quite a challenge.)

* The controversy surrounding the alleged Halliburton/KBR rape in Baghdad isn’t going away: “Today, the House Judiciary Crime, Homeland Security, and Terrorism Subcommittee announced a hearing on the “Enforcement of Federal Criminal Law to Protect Americans Working for U.S. Contractors in Iraq.” Members will address the recent alleged rape of a former KBR/Halliburton employee, among other cases. The hearing will take place Wednesday, December 19, at 10:15 a.m. in room 2141 of the Rayburn House Office Building.”

* It wasn’t enough for Rudy Giuliani to say he was a good U.S. Attorney; he had to say he cleaned up an awful U.S. Attorney’s office that he inherited. Now, his predecessor is hitting back, explaining that Giuliani is needlessly lying about this, too.

* “Rep. Julia Carson, the first black and first woman to represent Indianapolis in Congress, died at home Saturday morning following a battle with lung cancer. She was 69. Carson’s death comes just weeks after she announced the cancer, which she was in remission before, was back with ‘terminal vengeance.’”

* It’s tragic it even came to this, but the pardon is better late than never: “King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia pardoned a teenage girl sentenced to six months in jail and 200 lashes after being gang raped in a decision swiftly welcomed by Washington on Monday…. The girl, who was 18 at the time she was raped, was attacked at knifepoint by seven men after she was found in a car with a male companion who was not a relative, in breach of strict Saudi law. The king also pardoned the male companion, the justice minister announced.”

* Voting-machine problems haven’t dominated the headlines much lately, but that doesn’t mean the problem is a thing of the past: “All five voting systems used in Ohio, a state whose electoral votes narrowly swung two elections toward President Bush, have critical flaws that could undermine the integrity of the 2008 general election, a report commissioned by the state’s top elections official has found. ‘It was worse than I anticipated,’ the official, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, said of the report.”

* In response to reality that shows the ineffectiveness of abstinence-only programs, “at least 14 states have either notified the federal government that they will no longer be requesting the funds or are not expected to apply, forgoing more than $15 million of the $50 million available.” Good for them.

* If the writers’ strike isn’t resolved soon, the studios are going to lose a lot of writing talent to some online start-ups.

* “While violence is down in Iraq, Americans continue to die and fall badly wounded, and suffer severe stress and trauma caused by 15-month tours of duty. A remarkable article on Friday in the Army Times is titled: ‘Not us. We’re not going: Soldiers in 2nd Platoon, Charlie 1-26 stage a ‘mutiny’ that pulls the unit apart.’”

* Keith Olbermann nearly left MSNBC in 2003 over Michael Savage. I can’t say I blame him.

* I feel like we need to get political reporters everywhere to write, “I will not use the word ‘maverick‘ anymore.”

* Harry Reid may not be handling the FISA debate well, but at least he has the good sense to prevent Bush recess appointments over the winter holidays.

* And finally, Jonah Goldberg’s to-be-released-eventually “Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning,” is poised to be the single most mocked book in publishing history. Here’s an excerpt from the book jacket highlighting why: “The quintessential liberal fascist isn’t an SS storm trooper; it is a female grade-school teacher with an education degree from Brown or Swarthmore.” He’s not kidding.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Bill Clinton went a little off message yesterday, telling supporters of his wife’s presidential campaign yesterday, “Well, the first thing she intends to do, because you can do this without passing a bill, the first thing she intends to do is to send me and former President Bush and a number of other people around the world to tell them that America is open for business and cooperation again.” George W. Bush’s father would travel with Bill Clinton to improve some of the diplomatic failures of his own son? It seems unlikely.

* John Edwards got a boost in Iowa yesterday when the state’s First Lady, Mari Culver, endorsed the former senator’s campaign. While her husband, Democratic Gov. Chet Culver, remains neutral, Mari is backing Edwards, citing her affection for Elizabeth Edwards, his anti-poverty campaign, and Edwards’ electability.

* Hillary Clinton’s campaign, in an apparent effort to help demonstrate the senator’s warm side, unveiled a new project yesterday called, “The Hillary I Know,” featuring testimonials from people “whose lives have been directly touched by Hillary.”

* A new national poll from USAT/Gallup doesn’t show too much change from November. Clinton still leads the Dems with 45%, followed by Obama at 27%, and Edwards with 15%. Giuliani leads the GOP field with 27%, followed by Huckabee with 16%, and Romney, McCain, and Thompson, each with 14%. No other candidate, in either party, had more than 3% support.

* Romney is taking on Huckabee with a new TV in Iowa, hitting the former Arkansas governor for being soft on crime: “The ad, entitled ‘Choice: Judgment,’ points out that Romney did not issue a single pardon during his time as governor, compared to the 1,033 pardons and commutations Huckabee granted during his tenure…. While Romney’s ad doesn’t specifically mention the DuMond episode, it does clearly try to make the case that Romney is strong on crime and Huckabee is not.”

* Ron Paul told the AP he now has the resources to hang on through the de facto national primary on Feb. 5, so he’ll be in the race through then no matter how poorly he fares in the early contests: “‘Nobody would understand if I faded out before Feb. 5,’ Paul said. The date makes sense as a time for Paul’s candidacy to end — as the Republican nominee will probably be decided by then, which means there won’t be any more debates or opportunities for Paul to tweak the GOP establishment from within.”

* Speaking of Paul, he held a press conference yesterday to talk about his new fundraising success. Reporters didn’t exactly show up in droves.

* Have you heard the Goonies’ theory behind Bob Kerrey’s provocative Obama comments? Clever.

* And on the heels of his Steve King endorsement, Fred Thompson is apparently going all out in Iowa (he’s now apparently even willing to campaign for votes): “Thompson began a 15-day tour of Iowa yesterday, which will go all the way through the caucuses and take a break only for Christmas. For some context: Since September, when he officially declared his candidacy, Thompson had only spent a total of 14 days in Iowa — meaning that this tour will more than double his previous time on the ground here.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* After the U.S. gave Turkey real-time intelligence in attacking PKK, the Turks are ready to pull back: “Turkey sent hundreds of troops about 1 1/2 miles into northern Iraq early Tuesday in an operation against Kurdish rebels but then withdrew them later in the day, Kurdish officials said. Jamal Abdullah, a spokesman for the regional Kurdistan government, told The Associated Press that the 300 Turkish troops had withdrawn about 15 hours after entering Iraq about 3 a.m. Jabar Yawar, a spokesman for Kurdistan’s Peshmerga security forces in Irbil, Iraq, told the AP that ‘today’s Turkish military operation was a limited one, and the troops withdrew from Iraqi territory.’”

* The torture tape controversy took an interesting turn today, when the judicial branch entered the fray: “Much to the administration’s chagrin, Judge Henry H. Kennedy Jr. has ordered a hearing on the CIA’s destruction of the torture tapes for this Friday at 11 AM. Back in 2005, Kennedy, a Clinton appointee, had ordered the Bush administration to safeguard ‘all evidence and information regarding the torture, mistreatment, and abuse of detainees now at the United States Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay.’”

* Blackwater caused quite a scandal with shooting Iraqi civilians, but now the private security firm has really done it: Blackwater bodyguards shot the dog of the New York Times’ Baghdad bureau staff.

* Some things will never change: “If you thought Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) was going to let the berries in his state go unresearched and the vistas of alternative uses for salmon unexplored just because he’s under federal investigation for past earmarks (among other things), then you thought wrong.”

* Either al Qaeda captive Abu Zubayda was a key source of valuable intelligence or a mentally-retarded man who told U.S. officials nonsensical intelligence to stop the torture. To this day, the CIA insists it’s the prior, and the FBI insists it’s the latter.

* This is likely to have a major impact: “The Federal Communications Commission, overturning a 32-year-old ban, voted Tuesday to allow broadcasters in the nation’s 20 largest media markets to also own a newspaper. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin was joined by his two Republican colleagues in favor of the proposal, while the commission’s two Democrats voted against it.”

* Quick, someone call a bloggers’ ethics panel: “On the December 17 edition of Fox News’ Hannity & Colmes, co-host Sean Hannity interviewed former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R), but did not disclose during the 13-minute interview that he has reportedly helped raise money for Giuliani’s presidential campaign.”

* Good: “The House has just passed the Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act of 2007, which will ensure that members of the armed services who are discharged as a result of combat-related wounds receive the full compensation to which they are entitled by the Department of Defense. According to Department of Defense rules, enlistees cannot receive their full enlistment bonus unless they fulfill their entire military obligation. Unfortunately, members of the armed services who are wounded while on active duty are not receiving their full bonuses because their service was prematurely cut short. The Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act, H.R. 3793, will correct this problem.”

* House Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) wrote to Attorney General Michael Mukasey two weeks ago, requesting records from Patrick Fitzgerald’s investigation. Mukasey apparently ignored the letter, prompting Waxman to push a little further today.

* Is Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) still physically up to serving as chairman of the Appropriations Committee? A growing number of Senate Dems are worried he is not.

* It’s been watered down, but a congressional energy bill is on its way to the president.

* For right-wing talk show host Dennis Prager, a politician’s religion should be entirely irrelevant, unless he or she is a Muslim, in which case a politician’s faith is paramount.

* So much for that idea: “Former President George H.W. Bush has shot down his successor Bill Clinton’s idea of a diplomatic mission under a Hillary Clinton presidency that would send him and other notables abroad to assure other nations that ‘America is open for business and cooperation again.’ … In a statement sent to CNN Tuesday afternoon, former President Bush’s chief of staff Jean Becker said that he ‘wholeheartedly supports the President of the United States, including his foreign policy.’”

* Peter Jackson is going to make “The Hobbit” after all.

* A few weeks ago, Karl Rove was looking to cash in on his White House service with a book deal, with “Turd Blossom” seeking $3 million. How’s that working out? Not very well: “The auction for Karl Rove’s memoir drags on a month after the Republican strategist made the rounds of publishers with Washington power lawyer Robert Barnett at his side. ‘It’s very, very slow,’ says an executive at one of the few houses left in the bidding.” In the immortal words of Nelson Muntz: “Ha ha.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Most recent polls out of New Hampshire show Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama practically tied, but a new CNN/WMUR poll finds Clinton with a comfortable lead. The New York senator is out in front with 38%, Obama is a distant second with 26%, and Edwards is third with 14%.

* The same poll shows the Republican race is pretty steady, though a certain former mayor seems to be sinking. Mitt Romney is still ahead with 34%, John McCain is second with 22%, and Giuliani is third with 16%. Mike Huckabee, who has struggled to connect with Granite State voters, barely reaches double digits with 10%.

* Romney’s past just keeps catching up with him: “Mitt Romney attended a fund-raising reception for Planned Parenthood in 1994 in conjunction with a $150 donation his wife made to the organization — notwithstanding Romney’s contention that he had ‘no recollection’ of the circumstances under which his wife gave money to the abortion-rights group. In the photograph obtained by ABC News, Romney and his wife, Ann, are shown in a yellow-and-white tent chatting with local political activists, including Nicki Nichols Gamble, who was then president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts.”

* Obama gave the latest in a series of speeches about foreign policy yesterday, but was joined by a group of top-tier policy advisers including Tony Lake, a national security adviser to former President Clinton, and Susan Rice, former assistant secretary of state for African Affairs under Clinton.

* A USAT/Gallup poll released yesterday offered Obama some bragging rights on electability over Clinton. Though each leads Giuliani, Huckabee, and Romney in hypothetical head-to-head match-ups, Obama’s margin over the GOP candidate was bigger in every grouping. The same poll asked respondents about their impressions of the candidates. Obama led the field with the highest favorable numbers, followed by Edwards. McCain did the best among Republicans.

* The League of Conservation Voters has released a helpful voter guide detailing the candidates’ proposals — or lack thereof — to address global warming and the nation’s energy future. It’s a helpful resource. Also, the LCV has noticed that the media refuses to ask the candidates about climate change, and started a project devoted to the subject called, “What Are They Waiting For.”

* Mike Huckabee was the first Republican to launch a Christmas ad, but Obama appears to be the first Dem to do so, with a new ad out this morning. (Presumably, this was in the works well before Huckabee’s ad.) Obama’s spot features his wife and daughters, and in a move that’s sure to annoy Bill O’Reilly, includes both “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Holidays.”

* Ron Paul appeared on Fox News yesterday morning, and was asked about Huckabee’s new Christmas ad. Paul responded, “It reminds me of what Sinclair Lewis once said. He says, ‘when fascism comes to this country, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross.’ Now I don’t know whether that’s a fair assessment or not, but you wonder about using a cross, like he is the only Christian or implying that subtly. So, I don’t think I would ever use anything like that.”

* Apparently, former Rep. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia is planning to seek the Green Party’s presidential nomination.

* Dems in Missouri were encouraged by a new Rasmussen poll that showed state Attorney General Jay Nixon (D) leading incumbent Gov. Matt Blunt (R), 47% to 42% in what will likely be a closely-watched race next year.

* And in Minnesota, Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.) announced in September that he would not seek re-election next year, but now, he’s apparently reconsidering and might run again after all.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* We haven’t had too many signing ceremonies lately, so I suppose today was good news: “President Bush signed into law Wednesday legislation that will bring more fuel-efficient vehicles into auto showrooms and require wider use of ethanol, calling it ‘a major step’ toward energy independence and easing global warming. The legislation signed by Bush at a ceremony at the Energy Department requires automakers to increase fuel efficiency by 40 percent to an industry average 35 miles per gallon by 2020. It also ramps up production of ethanol use to 36 billion gallons a year by 2022.”

* Whether the energy bill was a step in the right direction or a massive sell-out is a matter open to some interpretation.

* Over the weekend, the Boston Globe’s Charlie Savage had a great scoop about the Bush administration planning to take control over the promotions of military lawyers and politicize the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. The response to the story was overwhelmingly negative, prompting the administration to back off the plan yesterday. “In light of the feedback that [William Haynes] received, he thought that it was wiser to try a different approach,” Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said. Good move.

* Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott (R-Miss.) officially resigned from the Senate today, though one assumes he hasn’t seen the floor of Congress for the last time — after a one-year waiting period, he’ll be a very high-priced lobbyist. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) will have 10 days to fill the vacancy.

* ABC News: “The Department of Justice refused to send a representative to answer questions from Congress today on the investigations into allegations of rape and sexual assault on female American contractors. ‘I’m embarrassed that the Department of Justice can’t even come forward,” said the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee John Conyers, D-Mich. ‘This is an absolute disgrace,’ said Conyers. ‘The least we could do is have people from the Department of Justice and the Defense over here talking about how we’re going to straighten out the system right away.’”

* On a related note, Last week, Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) said last week that the alleged gang rape of former Halliburton/KBR employee Jamie Leigh Jones in Iraq was not likelly “an isolated case of assault.” Today, Poe said he knows of at least three other women who were the victims of sexual assaults during their service in Baghdad working for KBR.

* Do you know what Rudy Giuliani really needs? Another association with a suspected criminal that makes his ties to Bernie Kerik look worse.

* The Bush administration desperately wants Congress not to investigate the torture-tape controversy. At this point, the House Intelligence Committee is ignoring the administration’s requests.

* David Frum has a new piece trying to get a rise out of the liberal blogosphere. The article is a little thin, though Yglesias and Drum weigh in on Frum’s flawed approach.

* Jonah Goldberg’s new screed isn’t even out yet, and it’s already the most mocked book in ages. Jon Swift has a great post on the book today: “Apparently, Goldberg unearths for the first time shocking similarities between Nazis and liberals. For example, Nazis wanted to clean up the environment. So do liberals! Nazis wanted to cure cancer. So do liberals! Nazis liked organic food and many were vegetarians. So are many liberals! A lot of Nazis were gay and a lot of liberals are, too! Nazis made Volkswagons and liberals love to drive them! Hitler loved dogs and so do many liberals!”

* A hearty congratulations to Digby on her blog’s fifth anniversary. The ’sphere wouldn’t be the same without Hullabaloo.

* It’s not particularly controversial, but I’m often surprised at how many people haven’t heard: C-SPAN is conservative: “[A] new evaluation by the Center for Economic and Policy Research … finds that right-wing think tanks got 51 percent of C-SPAN’s total coverage in 2006, while left-of-center think tanks only got 18 percent of their coverage (a mere 5 percent of which were “progressive” think tanks). The other 31 percent of coverage went to centrist groups. So what happened to C-SPAN’s stated mission to provide their audience political coverage ‘without editing, commentary or analysis and with a balanced presentation of points of view’? Well, you don’t need editing or commentary to create an imbalanced presentation when you get to choose whose ideas get coverage.”

* John Kerry is already talking about consequences in the wake of Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin’s decision yesterday to rush through a vote on media consolidation: “Chairman Martin was warned that ignoring the will of the Commerce Committee would have consequences, and I will work hard with my colleagues on the appropriations committee to ensure that the FCC’s funding reflects Chairman Martin’s decision to go against the commission’s own charter and limit media diversity rather than foster it.” Obama had some noteworthy reactions, too.

* There was a two-alarm fire in the OEOB — the office building adjacent to the West Wing — today, specifically in the Vice President’s office. (Insert conspiracy theory here.) No one was hurt, and the fire was quickly put out.

* The Yale Book of Quotations released the most memorable quotes of 2007 today, and the number one quote was: “Don’t Tase Me, Bro.” Other notable political additions to the list are Joe Biden’s very amusing shot at Giuliani (”There’s only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun and a verb and 9/11;) and Larry Craig’s now-infamous explanation for his bathroom run-in with an undercover cop (”[I have] a wide stance when going to the bathroom”).

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rudy Giuliani was hospitalized overnight in St. Louis, suffering from what his campaign described as “flu-like symptoms.” The former mayor is reportedly fine now and will return to New York later today.

* Former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey has formally apologized to Barack Obama over this week’s “Muslim” flap, sending the Democratic presidential hopeful a written note and email. “I answered a question about your qualifications to be president in a way that has been interpreted as a backhanded insult of you. I assure you I meant to do just the opposite,” Kerrey wrote. (A cynic might wonder if the apology was a way to keep the story in the news for just one more day.)

* The Christmas campaign ads are now hitting airwaves pretty quickly. Huckabee was first, followed by Obama, and now Giuliani, Clinton, and Edwards are all on the air with holiday wishes.

* Clinton got a boost in South Carolina yesterday when she picked the endorsement of Don Fowler, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and husband of current South Carolina Democratic Party Chairwoman Carol Fowler. He called the senator a “wise leader who understands American government and politics better than anyone in the race.”

* John McCain, responding to Obama’s comments about withdrawing troops from Iraq, questioned Obama’s judgment, telling reporters, “That’s the difference between (having) experience and judgment — and not having it.” Tough talk from a guy who’s been wrong about Iraq every step of the way for five years.

* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters yesterday that chances are “rather slim” that Republicans will win a Senate majority in 2008. “There’s no question that if you just look at the numbers, we have a daunting task,” McConnell said. “I think the chances of you all calling me the majority leader a year from now are rather slim because of the number situation.” That’s a safe bet, Mitch.

* I get the distinct impression that Paul Krugman will not be supporting Obama in the Feb. 5 New York Democratic primary, though Newsweek’s Jonathan Alter thinks Krugman, while brilliant, is off-base on Obama.

* Ron Paul is took some heat yesterday for accepting a $500 campaign contribution from a prominent white supremacist, and then insisting that he had no reason to return the money.

* CNN: “Perry Kucinich, brother of Democratic presidential hopeful Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, was found dead Wednesday morning at his eastside Cleveland home, officials said…. Powell Caesar said the cause of the 51-year-old man’s death won’t be known until the results of the autopsy are returned. But, Caesar said, the body did not show injuries and there appeared to be no signs of foul play. Dennis Kucinich said in a statement that his brother struggled with mental illness but led a productive life. The congressman and his wife were flying in to Cleveland later Wednesday.”

* And rumor has it that Tom Tancredo will drop out of the Republican presidential race later today. I’ll have more once it actually happens.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new USAT/Gallup poll shows the Democratic primary race all tied up in New Hampshire: “In the poll, Clinton and Obama are tied at 32%-32%, with Edwards at 18%. No other candidate breaks into double digits. Counting only those who say their vote is certain, Clinton narrowly leads Obama, 20%-18%. Edwards is backed by 10%.”

* The same poll shows a Republican race in flux as well. Mitt Romney still leads, but his margin is shrinking: “Romney leads McCain, 34%-27%. Including only those whose votes are set, Romney’s lead narrows to 19%-15%, within the survey’s margin of error of +/- 5 points. Effectively tied for third place are former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, at 11%, and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and Texas Rep. Ron Paul, each at 9%.” USAT adds that more than four in 10 voters in each party “say they may change their minds before the Jan. 8 primary.”

* Strategic Vision, a Republican pollster, has new numbers on the Iowa caucuses today. It finds Obama leading the Dems’ race with 30%, followed by Clinton and Edwards, who had 27% each. Among Republicans, Huckabee still leads with 31%, followed by Romney with 25%, and Fred Thompson with 16%.

* Get ready for a new round of Bloomberg rumors: “New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel have been conducting regular, private phone conversations over the past few months in an effort to “feel each other out” for a possible presidential run, sources have told the Huffington Post…. Sources with knowledge of the conversations say they usually occur every few weeks and always are done in private. As such, the topics of discussion remain unclear. But one high-ranking aide confirmed that they have discussed Hagel joining the presidential campaign should Bloomberg choose to run.”

* John McCain unveiled his own Christmas campaign commercial, but unlike Huckabee, he featured a cross in his ad blatantly, instead of obliquely: “‘One night, after being mistreated as a POW, a guard loosened the ropes binding me, easing my pain,’ McCain narrates in the 30-second spot. ‘On Christmas, that same guard approached me, and without saying a word, he drew a cross in the sand.’ The ad uses grainy footage to re-enact the moment as a man, off screen, draws a cross in the dirt using a twig.”

* Chris Dodd is on the air with a new ad, hitting one of his key strengths: “Dodd’s new ad is called ‘Together,’ but it’s really more about setting him apart in terms of experience. In the spot, which starts running statewide in Iowa this Thursday, the Connecticut Democrat takes digs at both his rivals for the Democratic nomination and President Bush on the experience question. ‘Some people say that I have too much experience to run for President,’ Mr. Dodd says to open the no-frills spot. ‘But the more you hear my opponents, the more you wonder whether they have enough.’”

* CNN: “Just one day after a challenge from presidential rival John Edwards to commit to raising the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton announced that she had already introduced legislation to do just that. ‘With stagnant wages and skyrocketing costs for healthcare, energy and college, working families in America need a break. That is why yesterday I introduced legislation to raise the minimum wage to $9.50 by 2011, and link the minimum wage to Congressional pay raises after that,’ said Clinton in a Thursday statement. The senator said the measure was ‘the first bill ever to call for a $9.50 minimum wage.’”

* The Hill reports that the Clinton campaign organized a conference call yesterday so that some of her House supporters could go after Obama on his “present” votes in the state Senate: “Democratic Reps. Anthony Weiner (N.Y.), Joseph Crowley (N.Y.) and Stephanie Tubbs Jones (Ohio) all joined Clinton adviser Howard Wolfson on the call to hit Obama for the number of ‘present’ votes he cast while in the Illinois state Senate…. ‘He took what many of us in public life would say is the easy way out,’ Weiner said.” I really wish the campaign wouldn’t do this.

* Dems are still leading Republicans in fundraising: “In financial reports filed today, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reported raising $4.1 million in November, compared to the $2.7 million raised by the National Republican Congressional Committee. The DCCC now has $30.7 million cash on hand, significantly more than the $2.3 million banked by the NRCC…. On the Senate side, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised $4.1 million in November and now has $25.5 million cash on hand. The National Republican Senatorial Committee raised $2.3 million, and banked $10.4 million at the end of the month. The DSCC still has $2 million in debt, while the NRSC has no outstanding debt.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* In a pleasant surprise, after a promised stonewall, the CIA and the Justice Department agreed yesterday to start sharing documents with Congress regarding the destruction of the torture tapes. The CIA also agreed to let the agency’s top lawyer, John Rizzo, testify about the matter before the House Intelligence Committee.

* In related news, the Intelligence Committee heard from former CIA Assistant General Counsel John Radsan today, who said the stated defense — the tapes had to be destroyed to protect the identities of the U.S. torturers — doesn’t make any sense: “There was no indication that they wanted to share this with anybody. If they are worried about a leak, the CIA protects a lot of classified information. If you have tapes in an overseas location, then have the tapes moved back to headquarters as Ms. Jackson-Lee said, put it in a safe in the Director’s office. If a tape is not safe in the CIA, in the office of the Director of the CIA, we’re in trouble.”

* And speaking of torture: “A blood-spattered ‘torture complex’ used by Iraqi insurgents, and the remains of 26 people buried nearby, were found in the province of Diyala on Thursday, the US military announced…. The torture chamber was housed in an area containing three detention facilities, the military said. ‘It had chains on the walls and ceilings, a bed still hooked up to an electrical system and several blood-stained items,’ a statement said.” I remember a time when we had the moral authority to denounce such horrors without looking like hypocrites.

* And speaking of Iraq: “A suicide bombing northeast of the capital and a car bombing in Baghdad on Thursday shattered the calm of an otherwise unusually peaceful holiday period in Iraq. Authorities said 19 people were killed in the two attacks, including a U.S. soldier.”

* California has been waiting for quite a while for a waiver from the Bush administration to implement its own regulations to cut greenhouse-gas emissions from vehicles. Yesterday, Bush’s EPA finally responded: “No.”

* Time magazine’s person of the year: Vladimir Putin. (Al Gore was a runner-up.)

* Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) is facing some heat for defending Trent Lott’s racism. Good.

* Mukasey got this one absolutely right: “Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey issued new restrictions yesterday on contacts between Justice Department and White House officials regarding ongoing criminal or civil investigations, implementing his first major policy revision since taking office on Nov. 9.” During the Clinton years, there were seven people at the White House and the Justice Department who were authorized to initiate discussions about pending cases. Under Ashcroft, that number swelled to 40. Under Alberto Gonzales, it grew to more than 900. Mukasey is adding some welcome sanity to this part of the Justice Department.

* Aw-kward: “It’s true that in Washington, adversaries often wind up drinking together after hours. But when insiders at the FBI saw that Sen. Ted Stevens had RSVP’d ‘yes’ to last Friday’s annual director’s holiday bash, the hunters couldn’t quite conceive of partying with the prey. FBI agents raided the Alaska Republican’s home less than five months ago as part of a sprawling corruption probe.” Stevens agreed to attend, but didn’t show up.

* Time magazine is about to get better: “Two conservative Time magazine columnists are on their way out the door: Neither William Kristol nor longtime contributor Charles Krauthammer will be on contract with the magazine starting next month. Mr. Krauthammer confirmed the news to Off the Record, and a spokeswoman for Time said Mr. Kristol’s contract would not be renewed.”

* If his presidential campaign doesn’t work out, might Chris Dodd be considered as a Senate Majority Leader? There’s quite a bit of talk about the subject.

* Remember, CNN, you’re paying good money to keep this clown on the air: “Glenn Beck guest host Joe Pagliarulo described an Australian professor’s proposal as ‘a baby tax to help save the planet,’ about which Beck said: ‘[A] lot of these environmentalists absolutely hate people.’ Beck also claimed that ‘it’s these same kind of environmentalists that took the wolves out of Yellowstone Park.’ In fact, the gray wolf population in Yellowstone National Park was eradicated in the late 1800s and early 1900s by federally funded predator-elimination programs.”

* And finally, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas told students at Chapman University that he doesn’t much care for his job: “There’s not much that entices about the job,” Thomas said. “There’s no money in it, no privacy, no big houses, and from an ego standpoint, it does nothing for me.” If he wanted to quit in, say, 2009, that’d be just fine.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Somehow, the MLK story manages to get worse for a certain former Massachusetts governor: “Mitt Romney went a step further in a 1978 interview with the Boston Herald. Talking about the Mormon Church and racial discrimination, he said: ‘My father and I marched with Martin Luther King Jr. through the streets of Detroit.’” Oh my.

* This is certainly a disappointing development: “A federal judge appeared reluctant Friday to investigate the destruction of CIA interrogation videotapes while the Justice Department is conducting its own inquiry. U.S. District Judge Henry H. Kennedy is considering whether to delve into the matter and, if so, how deeply. The Bush administration is urging him to back off while it investigates. ‘Why should the court not permit the Department of Justice to do just that?’ Kennedy asked at a court hearing.”

* The State Department’s Blackwater problem gets worse: “A report prepared for the State Department’s inspector general in January 2005, and obtained by TPMmuckraker, shows Blackwater’s accounting system for its no-bid, multimillion dollar Iraq contract was ‘not considered adequate for accumulating costs on government contracts.’ … Yet despite its own internal watchdog’s finding of fraudulence in Blackwater’s Iraq contract, months later, the State Department re-signed a deal with the company to provide security for U.S. diplomats.”

* When the Bush administration balked at California’s request to impose greenhouse-gas regulations beyond federal requirements, it ignored the evidence completely: “‘California met every criteria … on the merits. The same criteria we have used for the last 40 years on all the other waivers,’ said an EPA staffer. ‘We told him that. All the briefings we have given him laid out the facts.’” Better yet, Bush’s EPA leaders made their decision on California’s application after cutting off consultation with their technical staff and before a justification for the rejection could even be written.

* On a related note, before EPA administrator Stephen Johnson rejected California’s application, auto executives appealed directly to Dick Cheney, and Johnson delayed his decision until after the VP had talked to the execs: “On multiple occasions in October and November, Cheney and White House staff members met with industry executives, including the CEOs of Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler. At the meetings, the executives objected to California’s proposed fuel economy standards.”

* NYT: “The House Intelligence Committee subpoenaed the former chief of the Central Intelligence Agency’s clandestine service on Thursday to testify about his role in the destruction of videotapes documenting the interrogation of two suspected operatives of Al Qaeda. The subpoena for the official, Jose A. Rodriguez Jr., who current and former officials say ordered the destruction of the tapes in 2005, came after the committee’s staff spent hours at C.I.A. headquarters poring over classified documents related to the matter.”

* Mike Huckabee and Condoleezza Rice appear to be at odds: “Today in a press briefing, a reporter asked Rice to respond to [Huckabee’s] criticisms. Rice initially refused, dismissing them as unimportant. But she nevertheless proceeded into a vigorous defense of the administration’s policies, eventually calling the statements ‘ludicrous.’”

* Huckabee had a response of his own, saying that while he has “great respect” for Rice, he thinks she’s criticizing an article she hasn’t read: “I’m not sure if she’s actually read the article, or maybe she’s reacting to the headlines, because I think some of the people who have spoken about it when asked have admitted they have not actually read the article and what I was specifically referencing.”

* Payback for truth-telling? “A lot of people want to talk to John Kiriakou. After the leader of the team that interrogated senior al-Qaeda operative Abu Zubaydah in 2002 — one of the detainees whose interrogation was secretly recorded — went public, a lot of confusion remained. Did Abu Zubaydah really break after 35 seconds of waterboarding, as Kiriakou said? Or, as the FBI’s Dan Coleman and others have said, did Abu Zubaydah’s interrogation yield the best information through non-coercive techniques? Very few people are sure of the answer. Many want to ask Kiriakou more questions. Not least of whom: the Justice Department.”

* And finally, yesterday afternoon, Comedy Central announced that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert would return to the network’s airwaves on Jan. 7. Neither show has aired new episodes since the Writers Guild of America went on strike Nov. 5. If the strike is unresolved, both Stewart and Colbert will do their shows without writers, which should make things a little tricky. (On a related note, I found this cartoon about Stewart’s absence from the airwaves quite amusing.)

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A Boston Globe poll of New Hampshire voters released yesterday included some eyebrow-raising numbers in both primaries. Among Republicans, while Mitt Romney has had a comfortable lead in the state, his margin is shrinking fast — the former Massachusetts governor now leading with 28%, followed closely by John McCain with 25%. Rudy Giuliani, who was a threat to win New Hampshire a couple of months ago, has slipped to a distant third with 14%.

* The same Globe poll also pointed to a very competitive Democratic race. In last month’s poll, Hillary Clinton led by 14 points; now that lead is gone — Barack Obama has inched out in front with 30%, followed by Clinton at 28%, with John Edwards third with 14%.

* Speaking of Obama, the senator was campaigning in Iowa over the weekend, when he was confronted with a voter who wanted him to explain his “Muslim background.” Obama said, “My father was from Kenya, and a lot of people in his village were Muslim. He didn’t practice Islam. Truth is he wasn’t very religious. He met my mother. My mother was a Christian from Kansas. I’ve always been a Christian…. The only connection I’ve had to Islam is that my grandfather on my father’s side came from that country. But I’ve never practiced Islam.” The voter seemed satisfied.

* Newspapers in Iowa and New Hampshire routinely write endorsement editorials this time of year, but the Concord Monitor editorial board tried something different over the weekend, imploring readers not to vote for Romney, who the paper said “most surely must be stopped.”

* With a touch of condescension, Giuliani told reporters yesterday that he likes McCain, and would consider bringing him on as a presidential advisor if elected. “John would be a really good adviser,” Giuliani said, adding, “I have great respect for him. I know he has great respect for me.”

* WSJ: “John Edwards will get a welcome endorsement this evening from the Iowa Farmers Union, the state’s biggest advocacy group for family farmers and rural communities. The endorsement comes as the top Democratic presidential candidates have been trying to woo the rural vote, in hopes that Iowa’s rural communities will make the difference in what is expected to be a historically close caucus on Jan. 3. While the rural vote has typically favored Republicans, economic uncertainty and frustration with the war in Iraq has motivated many rural voters to consider Democrats.”

* Bob Novak reported yesterday that McCain is “openly boosting” Huckabee’s campaign in Iowa, with the hopes that a Romney defeat will make it easier for McCain in New Hampshire: “[T]he McCain camp acknowledges that a Romney victory in Iowa may trigger a win in New Hampshire and a chance to sweep subsequent primaries. The McCain insiders feel Huckabee will not be a serious candidate even if he defeats Romney in Iowa.”

* Ron Paul was on Meet the Press yesterday and would not rule out an independent presidential campaign, saying only, “I have no intention of doing that.” When pressed by Russert to state unequivocally that he would not, Paul joked, “I deserve one wiggle now and then, Tim!”

* The NRA isn’t likely to play a significant role in the early Democratic contests, but for what it’s worth, the gun group is backing Richardson: “The National Rifle Association of America Political Victory Fund has reported spending money on a planned mailing for Bill Richardson. The move appears, at least for now, to be a token gesture — just under $9,000 all told, spent on lists, printing and labor.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* TP: “Jose Rodriguez, the CIA official who reportedly ordered the destruction of the torture tapes, ‘has indicated he may seek immunity from prosecution in exchange for testifying before the House intelligence committee.’ Rodriguez is ‘determined not to become the fall guy’ for the White House, according to intelligence sources.”

* No one can say the State Department wasn’t warned about Blackwater: “The U.S. government disregarded numerous warnings over the past two years about the risks of using Blackwater Worldwide and other private security firms in Iraq, expanding their presence even after a series of shooting incidents showed that the firms were operating with little regulation or oversight, according to government officials, private security firms and documents. The warnings were conveyed in letters and memorandums from defense and legal experts and in high-level discussions between U.S. and Iraqi officials. They reflected growing concern about the lack of control over the tens of thousands of private guards in Iraq, the largest private security force ever employed by the United States in wartime.” It wasn’t until after the Sept. 16 shootings that the administration considered substantive action.

* A step backwards for union workers’ right to organize: “The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that employers have the right to prohibit workers from using the company’s e-mail system to send out union-related messages, a decision that could hamper communications between labor unions and their membership. In a 3-to-2 ruling released on Friday, the board held that it was legal for employers to prohibit union-related e-mail so long as employers had a policy barring employees from sending e-mail for “non-job-related solicitations” for outside organizations. The ruling is a significant setback to the nation’s labor unions, which argued that e-mail systems have become a modern-day gathering place where employees should be able to communicate freely with co-workers to discuss work-related matters of mutual concern.”

* A stunning account of a man who subjected himself to waterboarding so he could report on the experience: The water fills the hole in the saran wrap so that there is either water or vacuum in your mouth. The water pours into your sinuses and throat. You struggle to expel water periodically by building enough pressure in your lungs. With the saran wrap though each time I expelled water, I was able to draw in less air. Finally the lungs can no longer expel water and you begin to draw it up into your respiratory tract. It seems that there is a point that is hardwired in us. When we draw water into our respiratory tract to this point we are no longer in control…. At the time my lungs emptied and I began to draw water, I would have sold my children to escape. There was no choice, or chance, and willpower was not involved.

* Remember those Judith Regan tapes, that might have an impact on her lawsuit against News Corp? The scuttlebutt continues: “Now the tale has taken another intriguing and potentially explosive twist with the sudden emergence of a mysterious tape recording…. [W]ord of the tape’s existence, if not the tape itself, has reached the highest levels of News Corp., say four sources, who declined to be identified discussing a legally sensitive matter. In fact, the tape may be the catalyst for what publishing executives describe to Newsweek as a recent resumption of negotiations between News Corp. and Regan to settle their battle out of court. News Corp. confirmed that it is again in ‘conversations’ with Regan.”

* Did Paul Krugman stretch things a bit by suggesting that Barack Obama is insufficiently supportive of unions? Probably.

* Tony Snow, still not the sharpest crayon in the box.

* Maybe John McCain knows something we don’t — after blowing off Iowa for months, and polls showing up between fifth and sixth place, all of a sudden the Arizona senator is planning a swing through Iowa. Hmm.

* And let this be a lesson to White House reporters: if Bush is calling on you, it’s probably because he thinks you’re a pushover. “In the last month, CNN’s Ed Henry has aggressively questioned Press Secretary Dana Perino about the White House’s deceptive statements about Iranian intelligence and its evasiveness about its role in destroying the torture tapes. Fishbowl DC reports that at his year-end press conference last Thursday, Bush did not call on CNN, ‘making CNN’s Ed Henry and Helen Thomas (who almost never gets called on by Bush) the only two front-row journos not to be called on.’”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* AP: “President Bush, still voicing concern about special project spending by Congress, signed a $555 billion bill Wednesday that funds the Iraq war well into 2008 and keeps government agencies running through next September. Bush’s signed the massive spending bill as he flew on Air Force One to his Texas ranch here to see in the new year…. ‘I am disappointed in the way the Congress compiled this legislation, including abandoning the goal I set early this year to reduce the number and cost of earmarks by half,’ the president said in a statement.” He signed it anyway.

* Juan Cole: “Top Ten Myths about Iraq 2007.” Well worth reading.

* On a related note, Matt Yglesias notes that the surge is going to end in a few months, so it’s worth considering what will happen next, especially given that the policy has failed to produce its desired political results: “Well, things will just get worse again. [Bush and Petraeus] said that the temporary increase in troops would lead to a temporary increase in security which would lead to political reconciliation which, in turn, would lead to sustainable security gains. But it hasn’t happened. So when we start desurging, we’re just going to find that nothing’s changed and nothing’s been accomplished.”

* Glenn Greenwald: “One of the few things I dislike more than end-of-the-year ‘looking back’ articles is the incessant chatter and worthless speculation over the upcoming primaries.” As a remedy, Glenn offers an actual look back with his favorite quotes of 2007. There are some real doozies in there, most of which are a reminder of why the political media establishment is a near-constant source of bitterdisappointment.

* Paul Krugman: “I very much hope that the next president will open the records and let the full story of the Bush era’s outrages be told. But Bush will soon be gone. What progressives should be focused on now is taking on the political movement that brought Bush to power. In short, what we need right now isn’t Bush bashing — what we need is partisanship.”

* I foolishly thought Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens’ (R) corruption scandal couldn’t get much worse. I stand corrected: “The Seattle Times reports on its interview with David Anderson, a foreman for the corrupt oilfield services company, Veco, who supervised the renovation of Stevens’ Girdwood, Ak., home. Anderson is the nephew of former Veco chairman Bill Allen, who has pleaded guilty to bribery in the wide-ranging federal criminal investigation into political corruption in Alaska. According to Anderson, Veco provided $150,000 worth of labor renovating the Stevens home, which the FBI raided earlier this year as part of its investigation into Stevens and his connection with the Veco. That’s compared to the “more than $130,000 Stevens claimed last summer to have paid for the renovation. So if labor alone was $150,000, what does that make the total price tag on the project?”

* We’re all very lucky that Sen. Jim Webb (D) lives in northern Virginia: “In case you missed it — and we hope you did — the Senate gaveled open at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, and closed up shop 26 seconds later. On Sunday, the Senate slept in a bit, opening up shop for under a minute at 11 a.m. And today, the day after Christmas, the Senate gaveled open and gaveled closed another one of these meaningless ‘pro-forma’ sessions in less time than it took you to take out your trash bags full of wrapping paper.”

* Oh my: “A September 2007 State Department report, obtained by TPMmuckraker, found that contractors DynCorp and Blackwater can’t account for $28.4 million in U.S. government-issued property in Afghanistan, including armored cars, guns and radios. The report, prepared by the State Department inspector-general’s office, hits the department for its lack of ‘adequate internal control over the government property held by contractors.’”

* And finally, Charles Murray loves Jonah Goldberg’s “Liberal Fascism”: “‘It is my argument that American liberalism is a totalitarian political religion,’ Jonah Goldberg writes near the beginning of Liberal Fascism. My first reaction was that he is engaging in partisan hyperbole. That turned out to be wrong. Liberal Fascism is nothing less than a portrait of 20th-century political history as seen through a new prism. It will affect the way I think about that history — and about the trajectory of today’s politics — forever after.” Well, if Bell-Curve Murray loves it, the book has to be good, right?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Hoping to end nagging questions about the candidate’s health, Rudy Giuliani’s campaign offered a statement from Dr. Valentin Fuster, the former mayor’s doctor for the past seven years, who said the candidate had passed a battery of tests after a headache forced him from the campaign trail last week. “It is my medical opinion that Rudy Giuliani is in very good health,” Fuster said. CNN reported, “The statement indicated that Giuliani had undergone a CAT-MRI scan of his brain, an ultrasound of his carotid arteries, a spinal fluid evaluation and a transesophageal echocardiogram, the last a test that uses sound waves to take detailed pictures of the heart.”

* Speaking of Giuliani, the former mayor is in “closing argument” mode, unveiling a new 9/11-focused TV ad for the last week before voters actually start expressing preferences. “When you try to take something away from us, like freedom,” Giuliani proclaims, “Americans are going to be one in resisting it. So the Islamic terrorists would make a terrible mistake if they confuse our democracy for weakness.” It’s pretty shameless.

* AP: Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson says there’s not a woman who should be president next year. It was a jab aimed at Democratic candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton. The former Tennessee senator was in Iowa today, challenging potential caucus-goers to choose the best man to help fend off what he described as a Democratic Party that would lead the country into a welfare state. Without saying Clinton’s name, he said ‘There is no woman on the horizon that ought to be president next year, let’s all agree on that.’”

* Mike Huckabee has taken the very unusual step of giving paid speeches during his presidential campaign. Huckabee, who has no day job, said speaking income “is all I have,” in addition to money from writing. “Otherwise, I don’t make my house payment or pay my insurance,” he said.

* And speaking of Huckabee, the Club for Growth announced yesterday that it will expand its anti-Huckabee advertising in Iowa this week, spending an additional $175,000 on ads, for a total of $550,000 in just three weeks. The commercial emphasizes Huckabee’s support for tax increases while governor of Arkansas.

* Fred Thompson, who appears to be running a weak third in Iowa, apparently doesn’t have the resources necessary to buy TV ads in Iowa for the final week before the caucuses. As Jonathan Martin noted, “It’s a remarkable indicator of just how topsy-turvy the GOP race has been that the man once viewed as the party’s savior cannot even afford to buy TV time in the final days before Iowa.”

* Touching moment in Iowa yesterday: “Retired Air Force veteran Andrew Hampton grew emotional when he rose to ask Obama what he would do to ensure that others leaving the military get the health benefits they were promised…. ‘I feel strongly about my question,’ Hampton said as he paused to compose himself. He said he joined the Air Force on active duty in 1956 and was promised health benefits. He retired in 1988 and didn’t get coverage because of ‘political decisions.’ … He said he was especially worried about the veterans currently returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with terrible injuries…. ‘We can’t desert them,’ a weepy Hampton told Obama. The crowd responded with a standing ovation, and Obama walked over and hugged him.”

* Speaking of Obama, it looks like both his and Hillary Clinton’s campaigns got a little sloppy when crafting lists of ministerial supporters in South Carolina.

* John Edwards told voters yesterday that his accent might be an asset in the general election: “The last two Democratic presidents, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter,” he said in his Carolina twang, “both talk like me.”

* Bob Novak makes the case that John McCain may very well be in the best position to win the GOP nomination.

* And with time running out, and weak support in the polls, both Joe Biden and Bill Richardson have new ads highlighting their experience in public office.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Dealing with the aftermath: The Bush administration scrambled Thursday to deal with the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s after having investing significant diplomatic capital in promoting reconciliation between her and President Pervez Musharraf. President Bush, speaking briefly to reporters at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, urged that her murder not derail nascent efforts to restore democratic rule ahead of parliamentary elections set for next month. And he demanded that those responsible for the killing be brought to justice.”

* Who will succeed Bhutto? “Try as Nawaz Sharif might to carry the banner of Benazir Bhutto, he might not be the optimal anti-Musharraf candidate. For one thing, even if Musharraf holds a promised election, Sharif isn’t eligible to run, thanks to a ruling of the Musharraf-controlled Electoral Commission. For another, there’s another secular, democratic politician waiting in the wings who might resonate with this year’s middle-class rejection of Musharraf. Ex-Bhutto aide Husain Haqqani says he expects Aitzaz Ahsan to ascend to the leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party, the party first led by Bhutto’s father.”

* This does not appear to be an uncommon sentiment: “It’s not just Bhutto adviser Husain Haqqani. Nawaz Sharif, now Pervez Musharraf’s chief political enemy in the wake of Bhutto’s assassination, also blamed the dictator for his onetime rival’s death. The Hindustan Times: ‘Pervez Musharraf is responsible and accountable for what happened today,’ Sharif told a private news channel in an interview. ‘I hold his policies responsible for landing this country into the terrible mess,’ a shaken Sharif said.”

* Another milestone: “As of Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2007, at least 3,900 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.” No word on whether the White House considers this “just a number.”

* As for the financial costs: The latest estimate of the growing costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the worldwide battle against terrorism — nearly $15 billion a month — came last week from one of the Senate’s leading proponents of a continued U.S. military presence in Iraq. ‘This cost of this war is approaching $15 billion a month, with the Army spending $4.2 billion of that every month,’ Sen. Ted Stevens (Alaska), the ranking Republican on the Appropriations defense subcommittee, said in a little-noticed floor speech Dec. 18…. ‘Stevens is being realistic,’ said Gordon Adams, who served as the senior national security official at the Office of Management and Budget from 1993 to 1997, in the Clinton administration.”

* The Senate’s pro-forma sessions really are making an important difference: “A nine-second session gaveled in and out by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., prevented Bush from appointing as an assistant attorney general a nominee roundly rejected by majority Democrats. Without the pro forma session, the Senate would be technically adjourned, allowing the president to install officials without Senate confirmation. […] Democrats wanted to block one such recess appointment in particular: Steven Bradbury, acting chief of the Justice Department’s Office of Legislative Counsel. Bush nominated Bradbury for the job and asked the Senate to remove the ‘acting’ in his title. Democrats would have none of it, complaining Bradbury had signed two secret memos in 2005 saying it was OK for the CIA to use harsh interrogation techniques — some call it torture — on terrorism detainees.”

* A helpful reminder for candidates who might be confused about today’s events: “To all the presidential campaigns trying to claim that the atrocity in Pakistan somehow proves that they have the right candidate — please stop. This isn’t about you; in fact, as far as I can tell, it isn’t about America. It’s about the fact that Pakistan is a very messed-up place. This has very bad consequences for us, but it’s hard to see what, if anything, it says about US policy. ”

* It’s the economy (in Iran), stupid: “A sharp rise in inflation has provoked fierce criticism of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — not only from his reformist opponents, but also from senior conservatives who helped bring him to power but now say he is mismanaging the economy. Ahmadinejad was elected in 2005 on a populist agenda promising to bring oil revenues to every family, eradicate poverty, improve living standards and tackle unemployment. Now he is being challenged for his failure to meet those promises.”

* And finally, Bush hasn’t managed the economy well, but one business is flourishing thanks to his “leadership”: “Polls may show George W. Bush as the most unpopular president in modern history, but a different kind of measurement shows he’s the most popular president ever for selling calendars. As the Bush presidency winds down, the Bush Out of Office Countdown 2008 desk calendar ($11.99) is winding up as the No. 2 humor calendar (behind The Far Side Scared Silly 2008 Wall Calendar) for the new year, according to Calendars.com, the largest purveyor of calendars online and at retail kiosks. ‘They’re edgy and a way to mark the days, so it’s a perfect tie-in,’ says Hillel Levin, general manager at Calendars.com. ‘The intensity of dislike (for Bush) is driving these sales.’”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* With just six days remaining before the Iowa caucuses, the latest Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll finds that there’s still no obvious frontrunner. In Iowa, Hillary Clinton leads with 29%, followed by Barack Obama with 26%, and John Edwards with 25%. (Clinton’s lead gets larger when the poll narrows to likely caucus goers, but the margin of error goes up, too.) In New Hampshire, the LAT finds Obama inching ahead with 32%, followed by Clinton at 30%. Edwards a distant third with 18%.

* Among Republicans, the LAT/Bloomberg poll found that Mike Huckabee still leads in Iowa with 37%, followed by Mitt Romney with 23%. John McCain and Fred Thompson are tied for third with 11% each. In New Hampshire, Romney leads with 34%, followed by McCain with 21%. Giuliani is third with 14%.

* For even more poll news, Strategic Vision, a GOP pollster, also shows the Democratic race in Iowa to be very tight. In this poll, Obama holds a very narrow lead with 30%, followed by Clinton at 29%, and Edwards at 28%.

* As for Republicans, Strategic Vision shows Huckabee in the lead, but by a smaller margin. The former Arkansas governor has 29%, followed by Romney with 27%, Thompson with 15%, and McCain with 14%.

* An AP poll released late yesterday reminded us of just how much things can change in the 11th hour: “Dig beneath the surface of the raucous Republican presidential race, and you will find even deeper turmoil: Four in 10 Republican voters have switched candidates in the past month alone, and nearly two-thirds say they may change their minds again.”

* Perhaps no one constituency in the country is as happy about the presidential race as sales directors at Iowa television stations. In 2004, Dem candidates broke a record by spending $9.1 million of TV ads in Iowa. This year, the Democratic field has spent $23.7 million.

* And there are more ads to come: “Democrat Hillary Clinton has purchased two minutes of airtime on every Iowa television station to deliver her ‘closing argument’ on the eve of the Iowa Caucuses, her campaign announced Thursday. The campaign says the message will air on every 6 p.m. news broadcast across the Hawkeye State.”

* Obama is getting a hand in Iowa from retired Air Force Gen. Merrill A. McPeak, who campaigned for Bob Dole in 1996 and George W. Bush in 2000. He told a crowd yesterday that Obama is “what the joint chiefs want to see — somebody they can rely and depend on.”

* And in New Hampshire, Romney wants to make sure McCain doesn’t get too much closer, so he’s going negative: “The text: McCain is on the wrong side of taxes and immigration, two core issues for GOP regulars. The subtext: ‘For the future?’ flashes on the screen under McCain’s picture. In other words, the 71-year-old McCain is yesterday’s news not tomorrow’s promise. Does (can?) McCain hit back with a response spot?” Time’s running out.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* AP: “The opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was buried at her ancestral village in southern Pakistan on Friday as riots that began after her assassination on Thursday continued across the country, leaving 23 people dead, including four security officers.”

* More: “The government laid the blame for the combined shooting and suicide bomb attack on a militant with ties to Al Qaeda, and ordered the army deployed to Ms. Bhutto’s home province of Sindh, where the worst violence occurred, including parts of the city of Karachi, as the protests descended into criminality and banks were ransacked, train carriages and cars set on fire, and shops looted and burned.”

* Still more: “The government ordered an almost complete shutdown of services to try to prevent the violence from spreading. Officials suspended train services between Karachi and the Punjab province to the east, and most domestic flights were canceled. Gas stations across the country were closed, making it virtually impossible to make a journey by car any great distance. Roads were closed around the city centers where trouble was anticipated, and television and Internet services were down or only sporadic in most cities.”

* Who killed Bhutto? Noah Schactman did a nice job publishing a “line-up of the potential killers.” It’s a lengthy list.

* An unexpected complicating factor: “Benazir Bhutto died from a fractured skull caused by hitting her head on part of her car’s sunroof as a bomb ripped through a crowd of her supporters, a spokesman for Pakistan’s Interior Ministry said Friday. ‘When she was thrown by the force of the shockwave of the explosion, unfortunately one of the levers of the sunroof hit her,’ said spokesman Brigadier Javed Iqbal Cheema.”

* Following up on a post from this afternoon, Greg Sargent interviewed John Deady, the co-chair of Veterans for Rudy in New Hampshire, and he is not backing off his original comments: “I don’t subscribe to the principle that there are good Muslims and bad Muslims. They’re all Muslims.” (Note to political reporters: this is even more interesting than John Edwards’ hair.)

* Sign of the times: “The Miami Herald is outsourcing some of its advertising production work to India, the newspaper’s editor said Thursday. Starting in January, copyediting and design in a weekly section of Broward County community news and other special advertising sections will be outsourced to Mindworks, based in New Delhi.” Wait, community news in South Florid is being shipped to India?

* Keep an eye on this one: “The Environmental Protection Agency signaled Thursday that it was prepared to comply with a Congressional request for all documents, including communications with the White House, concerning its decision to block California from imposing limits on heat-trapping gases. The agency’s general counsel directed employees in a memorandum to preserve and produce all documents related to the decision, including any opposing views and communications between senior agency officials and the White House.”

* It’s almost as if the Bush administration doesn’t respect a free press: “Top editors at the military newspaper Stars and Stripes are asking for full disclosure of the paper’s relationship with a Department of Defense publicity program, called America Supports You, after disclosures that money for the program was funneled through the newspaper. The newspaper’s two top editors have asked that the acting publisher, Max D. Lederer Jr., and the Pentagon official who oversees the program, Allison Barber, release details of a relationship that involves employees of the newspaper’s business department overseeing contracts on behalf of America Supports You. The program was established three years ago to build public support for the troops. ‘This is not how an editorially independent newspaper should conduct itself,’ the executive editor, Robb Grindstaff, and managing editor, Doug Clawson, said in a Dec. 8 letter to Mr. Lederer and Ms. Barber, and copied to the secretary of defense.”

* Huckabee pulls a Cheney? “It looked at first like nothing more than a humorous update on the Dick Cheney shot-his-friend-in-the-face moment, this time featuring Mike Huckabee. But by the time Jim Tankersley was done, at the Chicago Tribune’s popular The Swamp blog, it had gained a serious edge. Tankersley, under the title, ‘Huckabee’s muzzle control problem,’ explored the candidate’s photo op ‘pheasant-hunting expedition’ in Iowa on Wednesday. A reporter asked why he hadn’t invited Cheney along, and Huckabee quipped, ‘Because I want to survive all the way through this.’ Har-har, and all that. But Tankersley then related that at one point, ‘Huckabee’s party turned toward a cluster of reporters and cameramen and, when they kicked up a pheasant, fired shotgun blasts over the group’s heads.’ He added: ‘This, friends, is dangerously bad hunting form.’”

* When discussing Pakistan, Huckabee might want to learn east from west.

* And finally, Jon Swift publishes the Best Blog Posts of 2007, as chosen by the bloggers themselves. Jon was kind enough to invite me to participate, and I was really impressed by all the posts included. Take a look.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* NYT notices John Edwards’ Iraq policy: “John Edwards says that if elected president he would withdraw the American troops who are training the Iraqi army and police as part of a broader plan to remove virtually all American forces within 10 months…. Elizabeth Edwards, his wife and political partner, who listened in on the interview from a seat across the aisle, intervened at the end of the session to underscore that Mr. Edwards did not intend to stop all training and was prepared to train Iraqi forces outside of the country. Mr. Edwards continued the theme while acknowledging that the benefits of such training would be limited.” (For the record, I’m pretty sure this is the same thing Edwards has been saying for months.)

* Could McCain win New Hampshire? “With exactly a week to go until New Hampshire, McCain has pulled ahead of Romney and Clinton has opened back up a double-digit lead in New Hampshire, according to a 7News/Suffolk University poll. McCain gained 12 points since a month ago in the same survey to vault ahead of Romney 31%-25%. Romney had led in the December Suffolk poll 31%-19% over McCain. Giuliani is third with 14%, a three-point drop from 17%.”

* The same poll, by the way, shows Clinton leading Obama by a whopping 14 points, 36% to 22%, which seems well out of line with most other recent polls in New Hampshire.

* In fourth-quarter fundraising, Clinton and Obama were the big winners, each surpassing the $100 million mark for the year. Ron Paul, oddly enough, had the best Q4 among Republicans, collecting nearly $20 million.

* Hillary Clinton stepped on her expertise message a bit yesterday, making some claims about scheduled Pakistani elections that didn’t make sense. Joe Biden is trying to take advantage of the foreign-policy gaffe.

* Michael Bloomberg still claims he’s not running for president. I don’t think anyone believes him.

* Biden, by the way, is gunning for fourth place in Iowa, and hosted a surprisingly large rally in Iowa yesterday, drawing a crowd of over 500. Asking the crowd to caucus for him on Thursday night, Biden offered this assurance: “You’re going to be stunned on how many people stand with you.”

* Huckabee still insists he’s staying positive, but he’s letting Chuck Norris go after Mitt Romney for him.

* Romney says he’ll be happy with “gold or silver” in Iowa. Hmm.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* I guess this was only a matter of time: “Crude oil prices soared to $100 a barrel Wednesday for the first time, reaching that milestone amid an unshakeable view that global demand for oil and petroleum products will outstrip supplies. Surging economies in China and India fed by oil and gasoline have sent prices soaring over the past year, while tensions in oil producing nations like Nigeria and Iran have increasingly made investors nervous and invited speculators to drive prices even higher.”

* Horror in Kenya: “International pressure mounted on Kenya’s leaders Wednesday to end postelection violence that has killed more than 300 people, including dozens burned alive as they sought refuge in a church. The killing of up to 50 ethnic Kikuyus as they sheltered in a church in the Rift Valley city of Eldoret fueled fears of deepening tribal conflict in what has been one of Africa’s most stable democracies. The Kikuyu, Kenya’s largest ethnic group, are accused of using their dominance of politics and business to the detriment of others. President Mwai Kibaki, who won a second term in the disputed elections, is a Kikuyu, while his rival Rail Odinga is from the Luo tribe, a smaller but still major tribe that says it has been marginalized.”

* NYT: “An outspoken Saudi blogger is being held for ‘purposes of interrogation,’ the Saudi Interior Ministry confirmed Tuesday.” Fouah al-Farhan, whose blog “discusses social issues,” wrote in a letter to friends before he was arrested that he is being targeted because of his writings on “political prisoners here in Saudi Arabia.”

* This should at least help add credibility to the investigation: “Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said Wednesday that he had requested a team of investigators from Britain’s Scotland Yard to assist in the investigation into the killing of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. ‘We decided to request a team from Scotland Yard to come. I sent the request to (British) Prime Minister (Gordon) Brown, and he accepted the request,’ Musharraf said, adding that the British team would assist local investigators. ‘We would like to know what were the reasons that led to the martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto. I would also like to look into it,’ Musharraf said in a nationally televised address.”

* TP: “Yesterday, President Bush signed the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act, which makes it easier for “states, local governments and private investors to cut investment ties with Sudan as a way to pressure the Khartoum government into ending violence in the country’s Darfur region.” Both the House and the Senate passed the bill unanimously.” (There was, however, a signing statement.)

* Everyone welcome New Hampshire to the group of states that recognize civil unions of same-sex couples. Somehow, I suspect traditional marriages will survive. Call it a hunch.

* Before the announced criminal investigation, the 9/11 Commission’s Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton had a few choice words for the CIA today: “As a legal matter, it is not up to us to examine the C.I.A.’s failure to disclose the existence of these tapes. That is for others. What we do know is that government officials decided not to inform a lawfully constituted body, created by Congress and the president, to investigate one the greatest tragedies to confront this country. We call that obstruction.”

* The Hill: “House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) announced Wednesday he would not seek reelection because he has been diagnosed with cancer. ‘Routine medical tests have revealed that I have cancer of the esophagus,’ Lantos said in a statement. ‘In view of this development and the treatment it will require, I will not seek reelection.’”

* I’ve heard some talk about Obama advertising on Drudge. Based on the scale I used this morning, this doesn’t even qualify as 1 Lieberman — the campaign has an approved list of websites for official Obama advertising, and Drudge isn’t on it.

* I can appreciate an optimistic outlook as much as the next guy, but Mitt Romney may want to dial it down a notch: “In the next ten years, we’ll see more progress, more change than the world has seen in the last ten centuries.” Um, Mitt? The last millennium saw quite a few changes. The chances of comparable changes by 2018 seem a little remote.

* I was going to take Maureen Dowd to task for her foolish column today, but it looks like my friend Melissa McEwan has already taken care of it.

* California is suing the EPA. Good.

* Hillary Clinton will be on Letterman tonight. Given that the caucuses are tomorrow, it seems like an odd choice, but we’ll see.

* And finally, you haven’t seen the RIAA skewered until you’ve seen the RIAA skewered by Lee Stranahan.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* I guess this was only a matter of time: “Crude oil prices soared to $100 a barrel Wednesday for the first time, reaching that milestone amid an unshakeable view that global demand for oil and petroleum products will outstrip supplies. Surging economies in China and India fed by oil and gasoline have sent prices soaring over the past year, while tensions in oil producing nations like Nigeria and Iran have increasingly made investors nervous and invited speculators to drive prices even higher.”

* Horror in Kenya: “International pressure mounted on Kenya’s leaders Wednesday to end postelection violence that has killed more than 300 people, including dozens burned alive as they sought refuge in a church. The killing of up to 50 ethnic Kikuyus as they sheltered in a church in the Rift Valley city of Eldoret fueled fears of deepening tribal conflict in what has been one of Africa’s most stable democracies. The Kikuyu, Kenya’s largest ethnic group, are accused of using their dominance of politics and business to the detriment of others. President Mwai Kibaki, who won a second term in the disputed elections, is a Kikuyu, while his rival Rail Odinga is from the Luo tribe, a smaller but still major tribe that says it has been marginalized.”

* NYT: “An outspoken Saudi blogger is being held for ‘purposes of interrogation,’ the Saudi Interior Ministry confirmed Tuesday.” Fouah al-Farhan, whose blog “discusses social issues,” wrote in a letter to friends before he was arrested that he is being targeted because of his writings on “political prisoners here in Saudi Arabia.”

* This should at least help add credibility to the investigation: “Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said Wednesday that he had requested a team of investigators from Britain’s Scotland Yard to assist in the investigation into the killing of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. ‘We decided to request a team from Scotland Yard to come. I sent the request to (British) Prime Minister (Gordon) Brown, and he accepted the request,’ Musharraf said, adding that the British team would assist local investigators. ‘We would like to know what were the reasons that led to the martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto. I would also like to look into it,’ Musharraf said in a nationally televised address.”

* TP: “Yesterday, President Bush signed the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act, which makes it easier for “states, local governments and private investors to cut investment ties with Sudan as a way to pressure the Khartoum government into ending violence in the country’s Darfur region.” Both the House and the Senate passed the bill unanimously.” (There was, however, a signing statement.)

* Everyone welcome New Hampshire to the group of states that recognize civil unions of same-sex couples. Somehow, I suspect traditional marriages will survive. Call it a hunch.

* Before the announced criminal investigation, the 9/11 Commission’s Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton had a few choice words for the CIA today: “As a legal matter, it is not up to us to examine the C.I.A.’s failure to disclose the existence of these tapes. That is for others. What we do know is that government officials decided not to inform a lawfully constituted body, created by Congress and the president, to investigate one the greatest tragedies to confront this country. We call that obstruction.”

* The Hill: “House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) announced Wednesday he would not seek reelection because he has been diagnosed with cancer. ‘Routine medical tests have revealed that I have cancer of the esophagus,’ Lantos said in a statement. ‘In view of this development and the treatment it will require, I will not seek reelection.’”

* I’ve heard some talk about Obama advertising on Drudge. Based on the scale I used this morning, this doesn’t even qualify as 1 Lieberman — the campaign has an approved list of websites for official Obama advertising, and Drudge isn’t on it.

* I can appreciate an optimistic outlook as much as the next guy, but Mitt Romney may want to dial it down a notch: “In the next ten years, we’ll see more progress, more change than the world has seen in the last ten centuries.” Um, Mitt? The last millennium saw quite a few changes. The chances of comparable changes by 2018 seem a little remote.

* I was going to take Maureen Dowd to task for her foolish column today, but it looks like my friend Melissa McEwan has already taken care of it.

* California is suing the EPA. Good.

* Hillary Clinton will be on Letterman tonight. Given that the caucuses are tomorrow, it seems like an odd choice, but we’ll see.

* And finally, you haven’t seen the RIAA skewered until you’ve seen the RIAA skewered by Lee Stranahan.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Here’s an interesting tidbit: how many days each Democratic candidate has spent in Iowa during the campaign — Dodd 96, Biden 90, Obama 80, Edwards 78, Clinton 69, and Richardson 6. (No word on Kucinich or Gravel, neither of whom have active operations in Iowa.)

* Yet another House Republican incumbent is retiring, though it’s an unlikely pick-up opportunity for Dems: “Rep. John Peterson (R-Pa.) will announce this morning that he is retiring, according to a Republican source who cited the 69-year-old’s health problems as the reason why he has decided not to seek re-election. The six-term Congressman represents the largest, most rural district in Pennsylvania, one considered a safe hold for Republicans.”

* The polls are likely to change after the Iowa results captivate the political world, but New Hampshire is getting pretty interesting, too. A new poll from Franklin Pierce College shows Clinton leading Obama in the Granite State, 32% to 28%, while McCain now leads Romney, 37% to 31%.

* On a related note, a CNN poll in New Hampshire shows Clinton leading Obama 34% to 30, and McCain and Romney tied at 29% each.

* In the third major contest, South Carolina, Obama got a big boost yesterday, picking the support of former Gov. Jim Hodges (D): “While Mr. Hodges said he chose to support Mr. Obama because of his ideas for early childhood education programs and college tuition affordability, he repeatedly emphasized Mr. Obama’s electability, saying he sensed a tremendous amount of support for Mr. Obama.”

* Given his age, it’s only natural for people to wonder if McCain could serve two terms. Yesterday, he told a New Hampshire audience that he may not try: “John McCain is 71 years old, but the issue of his age comes up only occasionally at his town meetings. That is why a query this morning at Pembroke Academy was striking. A woman asked whether McCain had the stamina to serve as president for eight years. McCain responded by leaving open the possibility that, if he is elected, he might not seek re-election. ‘If I said I was running for eight years, I’m not sure that would be a vote getter,’ McCain said shortly before leaving New Hampshire for Iowa.”

* Rush Limbaugh still doesn’t like Mike Huckabee, telling his audience yesterday, “Ladies and gentlemen, Gov. Huckabee, mighty fine man and is a great Christian, is not a conservative, he’s just not. If you look at his record as governor, he’s got some conservative tendencies on things but he’s certainly not the most conservative of the candidates running on the Republican side.”

* Hillary Clinton was pressed, oddly enough, by the “Today” show’s Meredith Vieira about a dubious claim the senator mads about a trip to Bosnia in the 1990s.

* Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) is playing fast and loose with election law pertaining to a special election to fill Trent Lott’s old Senate seat. Yesterday, the state Attorney General filed a lawsuit against Barbour. Good.

* Does anyone care about Wyoming’s caucus on Saturday? Apparently not — candidates aren’t showing up.

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In all likelihood, you don’t need yet another reason to reject the very idea of a Rudy Giuliani presidential administration. Here’s one anyway.

Would a Rudy Giuliani administration be populated with a cabinet of Republican rivals and a powerful, all-knowing vice president like Dick Cheney? Possibly, according to musings Giuliani shared in answers to questions from New Hampshire voters Wednesday evening in Hooksett. […]

Later, Giuliani pivoted from a question about potential picks for secretary of state to this: “Let me answer with the question of what you would look for in a vice president first — again without any presumption that I’m going to be the nominee.”

In an answer that mentioned Cheney more than once, Giuliani said, “A vice president has to be a partner in the administration. The vice president has to know everything that’s going on, just in case the vice president has to step in at a moment’s notice,” he said. He added that during a conversation with Cheney on Sept. 11, 2001, he felt the vice president “had a sense that he knew what he was doing.”

Now, I suspect most reasonable people — now and in the future — will look at Cheney’s tenure as one of the more destructive, nefarious aspects of Bush’s presidency. The vice president has not only been wrong about every possible challenge, he’s raised the stakes on everything from dishonesty to secrecy, demagoguery to corruption.

Indeed, in some of the debates for Republican presidential candidates last fall, most of the GOP field agreed that they would not follow in Bush’s example, and give their VPs the broad powers and authority Bush has given Cheney.

And yet, there’s Giuliani, suggesting the last seven years would serve as a positive model for the next president. (This wasn’t a fluke; he said the same thing in November.)

The mind reels.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Former Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.), now an advisor to Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign, defended the candidate’s position on gay rights: “He’s always had the same position as to regards to the gay agenda. Look, he wants to know people to know he values gay people as people, okay? But he doesn’t want the militant gays to be able to change the cultural institutions of the country.” Who are the “militant gays”? And how does Romney plan to combat them?

* There’s been a lot of talk this afternoon about an Obama-Richardson deal, though there are a lot of official denials and nothing firm. It may not matter soon, since the caucuses are just a couple of hours away.

* Remember the anti-Mormon call scandal in New Hampshire a while back? The state AG’s office has identified the firm behind the calls as Moore Information. Greg Sargent noted, “But the AG has not been able to determine who contracted the company for the calls, which obviously is the crucial info here…. According to the AG’s release Moore Information outsourced the job to Western Wats, the firm that actually made the calls — and Wats was tied to Romney in various ways, giving weight to the theory that Romney himself was behind the calls.”

* Spencer Ackerman: “Suicide bombings in Iraq: not actually over. The last two weeks there’s been something approaching a bombing every two or three days. And they’re not where U.S. forces are spread the thinnest, but where they’re in full effect — Diyala and Baghdad. The Post reports the trend line for suicide bombings has been upward for the past two months. Happy 2008, year of the de-surge.”

* In Pakistan: “Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said Thursday there were problems with Pakistan’s investigation into Benazir Bhutto’s killing and conceded that uncertainty remained over the exact cause of the former prime minister’s death. He denied accusations the military or intelligence services were involved in the attack.” Somehow, I suspect that won’t settle the matter.

* Was Bush’s veto of the defense authorization bill last week constitutional? Oddly enough, it’s a debatable point.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Hoping to capitalize on his success in Iowa, Barack Obama arrived in New Hampshire this morning (at 4:30am), and talked briefly about his intention to take his model nationally: “We felt good for the last two weeks because we were so proud of what was happening on the ground. We were seeing the crowds, and so regardless of how the numbers played out exactly, we were really confident about us having changed how politics operated in this caucus. And it makes me very optimistic about the country. I think we can do it for the country as a whole.”

* John Edwards has a new ad up in New Hampshire that strikes an interesting note: “Corporate greed is not just stealing the future of the children of Democrats,” Edwards says. “It’s doing the same thing to the children of independents; the same thing to the children of Republicans.” Clever — it’s Edwards’ message, with a tri-partisan Obama twist.

* Mitt Romney arrived in New Hampshire early this morning (3:30am), and vowed to learn from his mistakes. “I let one guy slip by me, hats off to him,” Romney told an early morning rally of supporters at the Portsmouth airport, referring to Huckabee. “We’re not going to let that happen in New Hampshire, or anywhere else.”

* Bill Clinton told ABC News this morning that New Hampshire can make Hillary Clinton the “comeback kid,” just as it did for him 16 years ago. He sounded an optimistic note: “She’s got a better profile here. They know more about her now than they did about me then. And I think she’ll be fine. We just get out and go.”

* Just how close did Clinton come to finishing second instead of third? Extremely close.

* And finally, despite finishing with just 0.4% of the vote in Iowa, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) will press ahead with his presidential campaign. “Absolutely, he is staying in,” his top aide said. Given that he’s already announced that he will not seek re-election to Congress, Hunter apparently has nothing better to do.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Economic news is more than just a little discouraging: “With the latest numbers on jobs growth showing the U.S. economy deteriorating more rapidly than expected, the threat of a recession - and the measures needed to revive growth - has taken on a larger political profile. Friday’s jobs report for December, showing a much weaker than expected net gain of 18,000 jobs, added to growing fears that the U.S. economy may be headed for — or already in — a recession. Forecasters were generally looking for growth of about 70,000 jobs. The unemployment rate jumped from 4.7 to 5.0 percent, which was also higher than expected.”

* On a related note: “President Bush, who has continued his cheerleading about the U.S. economy despite a growing host of ominous indicators, is suddenly expressing an openness for new ideas on how to stimulate growth. As long as they involve tax cuts, of course. Sheryl Gay Stolberg writes in the New York Times: ‘President Bush said Thursday that he was considering whether to propose a stimulus package to shore up the economy, the clearest indication yet of a growing concern inside the White House over rising oil prices, the subprime mortgage crisis and the possibility of recession.’”

* This should be a lawsuit worth watching: “Jose Padilla, the man once accused of harboring a desire to set off a dirty bomb before he was convicted on lesser terror-related charges, has long maintained that he was tortured while being detained as an enemy combatant. Today, Padilla began an effort to hold responsible one of the men who provided the Bush administration’s legal justification for the kind of actions allegedly taken against him, filing suit against John Yoo, the former deputy assistant Attorney General.”

* The kids are alright: “The youth turnout rate tripled in Iowa. The youth turnout rate rose to 13% in 2008 compared to 4% in 2004 and 3% in 2000. Out of all of Barack Obama’s support in Iowa, 57% came from young voters.” I’d just add that, for the first time, the youth vote and the over-65 vote in Iowa were the same.

* I’m beginning to think that Joe Trippi might not be the best Iowa prognosticator. Here’s his take on caucus turnout from a few days ago: “Anybody who tells you this thing gets up to 220,000, that’s some number of people who’ve never participated in this thing. It’d be an incredible thing to see if it happened, and more power to the candidate who pulled that off. But I’m also having this reverse deja-vu where I remember spending a good chunk of this period 4 years ago telling every reporter that would talk to me about exactly how 220,000 people were going to turn out and vote, and if they did Howard Dean would be the next president of the United States. This time I feel a little awkward sitting here arguing that 200,000 will never show up, but I honestly don’t think it’s going to happen.” Oops.

* My heart goes out to the friends and family of Andrew Olmsted, who contributed to Obsidian Wings under the name G’Kar, and who was killed yesterday in Iraq. Hilzoy has published a piece Andrew wrote to be published in the event of his death, and it’s just terribly painful to read.

* My friend dnA went to an event in Harlem last night to watch the Iowa caucus results, because, “win or lose, black history was going to be made.” There’s been a lot of talk, here and elsewhere, about the significance of white, rural Iowans supporting Obama, but let’s not overlook what this means to the African-American community. dnA heard one man say last night, “This isn’t just a victory for Harlem. This is a victory for all the Harlems across this nation.”

* No one’s watching the Fox Business Network.

* Aside from all the various candidates, the real winner last night was the polling director at the Des Moines Register.

* For a guy who decries negative advertising, McCain engages in a lot of negative advertising.

* Patrick Fitzgerald has a new gig: “Mukasey announced today that he’s appointing Chicago federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald to the Attorney General’s advisory committee of U.S. attorneys. Fitzgerald was on the committee from 2001 until 2005, but his appointment to it preceded his service as special prosecutor in the Valerie Plame CIA leak investigation…. Gonzales… did not re-appoint Fitzgerald to the advisory panel, which counsels the attorney general on law enforcement issues.”

* Mike Huckabee is ninth cousins with President Bush and a 10th cousin once removed from Mitt Romney. Somehow, I doubt this will help the Republican establishment perceive him as “one of them.”

* And finally, David Letterman, whose writers got the deal they were looking for and are therefore no longer on strike, offered this gem: “The Writers Guild strike does continue. . . . Here’s what the writers want. Tell me if you don’t think this is fair. They want a share of internet revenues and four more years of President Bush.” I wouldn’t blame them — he has been the gift that keeps on giving for satirists. Bad for the country, good for comedy.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* After coming up short in Iowa, and struggling in New Hampshire, Mitt Romney hasn’t had too much good news lately, but he at least has one victory under his belt: on Saturday, he won the Wyoming Republican caucuses.

* Former Sen. Bill Bradley (D-N.J.), a presidential candidate in 2000, endorsed Obama yesterday. “Barack Obama is building a broad new coalition that brings together Democrats, independents and Republicans by once again making idealism a central focus of our politics,” Bradley said in a statement released by Obama’s campaign. “Because of his enormous appeal to Americans of all ages and backgrounds, Obama is the candidate best positioned to win in November…. His movement for change could create a new era of American politics — truly a new American story.”

* Hillary Clinton has been relaying a story in several recent campaign events about bringing together Catholic and Protestant women in Northern Ireland, an anecdote that’s obviously intended to boost her credibility on foreign policy. The Boston Globe reports that the details of the story suggest Clinton may be exaggerating.

* There’s an interesting labor dispute underway. AFSCME, which is backing Clinton, is hitting Obama on points unrelated to labor issues. In response, members of AFSCME’s executive board sent a letter to the union’s leadership, calling the Obama attacks “fundamentally dishonest.”

* Mitt Romney has a new strategy: he’s a Washington outsider, unlike John McCain. He told a New Hampshire audience yesterday, “Americans are not looking for Washington insiders. This is a time of choice for our party.” It’s also the basis of a new ad.

* Obama’s Secret Service protection has increased this week, “amid fears over the safety of the man seeking to become America’s first black president.”

* As if there was any doubt, Fred Thompson announced late last week that he wouldn’t compete or campaign in New Hampshire. He did, however, show up for both New Hampshire debates over the weekend.

* John Edwards has a new campaign metaphor: “‘I am Seabiscuit!’ Edwards proclaimed in a packed warehouse in Manchester, a reference to the legendary undersized racehorse that delighted a nation in 1938 by beating champion thoroughbred War Admiral.”

* CNN talked to one “leading Republican strategist” who sounded very nervous about the new Democratic frontrunner: “I think Barack Obama is a potential Robert Kennedy or Reagan figure…. in terms of raw political horsepower, he is the most electable of any of the Democrats and potentially more electable than Bill Clinton. If he ran the right campaign he could appeal to a substantial number of Republicans and Independents.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* I wonder what the whole story is here: “Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Monday that a confrontation between Iranian boats and U.S. Navy ships in the Persian Gulf over the weekend was ’something normal’ and was resolved. It suggested the Iranian boats had not recognized the U.S. vessels. The Pentagon said that in the incident early Sunday, five small Iranian boats repeatedly ‘charged’ U.S. warships in the Gulf’s Hormuz Strait and dropped boxes in the water. The boats warned the U.S. ships that they would set up ‘explosions,’ a U.S. Defense Department official said…. But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Ali Hosseini played down the incident, suggesting it was an issue of mistaken identity.”

* Some have trouble remembering that he ever entered the race for the Republican nomination, but Duncan Hunter announced today that he’s not going to withdraw: “Underdog GOP presidential candidate Duncan Hunter lashed out at ‘knucklehead media executives’ who did not include him in this weekend’s New Hampshire primary debates, telling reporters he was staying in the race despite widespread expectations he would announce his withdrawal.” Hunter announced, “I’m not going to quit. I’m staying in.”

* The Republicans’ culture of corruption is poised to lose one of its more notable culprits: “The California Majority Report reports that Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA), one of the long-time subjects of the Jack Abramoff investigation, “will announce that he will not seek re-election.” That could come as soon as this week, reports John Bresnahan of The Politico. Back in September, Doolittle proclaimed ‘I am running again. Period.’” The Justice Department is still reportedly building a criminal case against the California Republican.

* William Kristol is off to a great start: his inaugural column includes a quote attributed to Michelle Malkin, which was actually delivered by Michael Medved. It seems like the kind of thing a writer might want to get straight before publishing in the New York Times, but then again, if the NYT were concerned about standards and accuracy, it wouldn’t have hired Kristol at all.

* Newsweek: “Attorney general Michael Mukasey’s decision to launch a full-scale FBI probe into the destruction of CIA interrogation tapes has sent several alarmed agency employees scrambling to find lawyers. To lead the probe, the A.G. named John Durham, a hard-nosed veteran prosecutor who is assembling a team of deputies and FBI agents. Some CIA veterans fear the move is tantamount to unleashing an independent counsel on Langley. ‘A lot of people are worried,’ says one former CIA official, who asked not to be identified talking about sensitive matters.”

* In case there were any doubts about the still-dangerous conditions in Iraq: “Two suicide bombers struck in a Sunni Arab district of Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 14 people including the leader of a U.S.-backed neighborhood security patrol, police said. The strikes were the latest in an apparent stepped-up campaign of suicide bombings that has seen major attacks nearly every day for the past two weeks, even as overall levels of violence in Iraq have fallen.”

* Time to retire, Andy Rooney.

* Was Frank Luntz’s pro-Romney focus group on Fox News last night orchestrated? There are some interesting questions being raised.

* Former Sens. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and John Breaux (D-La.) are opening up a bipartisan lobbying shop along with their sons, Chet Lott and John Breaux Jr. This comes as a surprise to … absolutely no one.

* BBC: “The average UK person will this year have a greater income than their US counterpart for the first time since the 19th Century, figures suggest…. Analyst Oxford Economics said the UK’s GDP per head of population will reach £23,500 - £250 higher than in the US.”

* The latest on Sibel Edmonds.

* George McGovern makes the case for Bush’s impeachment. And Cheney’s.

* Mike Huckabee’s tax policy is still remarkably, breathtakingly dumb.

* And finally, I think I’m ready to make an endorsement: Ralph Wiggum for President.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Final Rasmussen numbers out of New Hampshire for the GOP: McCain 32%, Romney 31%, Huckabee 10%. Final Zogby: McCain 36%, Romney 27%, Huckabee 10%.

* Final Rasmussen numbers out of New Hampshire for the Dems: Obama 37%, Clinton 30%, Edwards 19%. Final Zogby: Obama 42%, Clinton 29%, Edwards 17%.

* Dixville Notch, N.H., the first town to vote in the state’s primary, is always fun for a little political theater. This morning, the village, which has 17 voters, backed Obama with seven votes (a landslide in Dixville Notch) and McCain with four votes. Turnout was 100%.

* Hart’s Location, N.H., the second town to vote, had very similar results, with Obama and McCain leading.

* A couple of idiots interrupted a Hillary Clinton speech yesterday with a banner that read, “Iron my shirts.” The two 20-something men began shouting in unison: “Iron my shirts! Iron my shirts!” Before the two were escorted out by security, the senator said, “Oh, the remnants of sexism are alive and well.”

* Speaking of disruptions, Obama was interrupted by about a dozen anti-abortion protesters at an event yesterday. The WSJ reported, “Obama stopped his speech and told the rest of the crowd that ‘there’s no need to boo,’ but that didn’t stop them…. After quieting down the crowd, he told the chanting protesters that ‘I understand your position but this isn’t going to solve anything.’ About two minutes after they began chanting, security tossed them out. Obama quieted down the crowd as they cheered the protesters’ departure. Free speech is ‘part of the American tradition, too,’ he said. It’s not easy to ’stand up in a crowd of people who don’t agree with you.’”

* The polls in South Carolina are likely to change after New Hampshire, but for now, Rasmussen shows Huckabee leading the GOP field with 28%, followed by McCain at 21%, and Romney at 15%. SurveyUSA, meanwhile, shows Huckabee ahead in South Carolina with 36%, followed by Romney at 19%, and McCain at 17%.

* As for the Dems in South Carolina, Rasmussen shows Obama first with 42%, followed by Clinton with 30%, and Edwards at 14%. SurveyUSA, meanwhile, shows Obama at 50%, Clinton second with 30%, and Edwards third with 16%.

* Predictably, the national polls are on the move, as well. Gallup, which had shown Clinton leading Obama nationally by 18 points, now shows the two tied at 33%. Among Republicans, Huckabee has claimed the national lead with 25%, followed by Giuliani with 20%, and McCain at 19%.

* I can’t say I like the sound of this: “Alarmed at the increasingly populist tone of the 2008 political campaign, the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is set to issue a fiery promise to spend millions of dollars to defeat candidates deemed to be anti-business. ‘We plan to build a grass-roots business organization so strong that when it bites you in the butt, you bleed,’ chamber President Tom Donohue said.”

* And finally, Bill Clinton was confronted by a group of Ron Paul supporters in New Hampshire yesterday, which insisted that 9/11 was an “inside job.” The former president responded, “You wanna know what I think? You guys who think 9/11 was an inside job are crazy as hell. My wife was the senator from New York when that happened. I was down at Ground Zero. I saw the victims’ families. You’re nuts.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Good news: “A federal magistrate ordered the White House on Tuesday to reveal whether copies of possibly millions of missing e-mails are stored on computer backup tapes. The order by U.S. Magistrate Judge John Facciola comes amid an effort by the White House to scuttle two lawsuits that could force the Executive Office of the President to recover any e-mail that has disappeared from computer servers where electronic documents are automatically archived. Two federal laws require the White House to preserve all records including e-mail. Facciola gave the White House five business days to report whether computer backup tapes contain e-mails written between 2003 and 2005. The time period covers the Valerie Plame affair in which at least three presidential aides were found to have leaked Plame’s CIA identity to the news media.”

* As much as we’d hope the Iraqi insurgency is gone, it’s not: “Militants assassinated two key leaders of American-backed neighborhood militias in northern Baghdad over the past two days, highlighting the militants’ strategy of eliminating militia commanders who have embraced partnerships with American forces but who themselves remain vulnerable to attack. On Monday morning, a suicide bomber on foot killed Col. Riyadh al-Samarrai, a founder of the Sunni Awakening Council in Adhamiya, a Sunni stronghold that until recently was a haven for insurgents…. The bomber struck at the offices of the Sunni Endowment, one of the most powerful Sunni institutions in Iraq and an influential backer of the new Sunni alliances with American forces. The suicide blast and a nearly simultaneous car bombing just yards away killed 14 people and wounded 18 others.”

* Fox News reported today that James Carville and Paul Begala would leave their CNN jobs to help turn around Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Shortly thereafter, Carville flatly denied the report, “Fox was, is and will continue to be an asinine and ignorant network. I have not spoken to anyone in the Clinton campaign about this. I have not done domestic political consulting since President Clinton was elected. I’m not getting back into domestic political consulting.” Not long after, Begala was equally emphatic: “As I say to the boys: N.H.D. Not Happenin’ Dude.”

* Krugman: “When the economy was (sorta, kinda) strong, it showed that tax cuts work, and so we needed to make the Bush tax cuts permanent. Now the economy is falling off a cliff — although according to the White House, nobody is predicting a recession (I seem to know an awful lot of nobodies) — and you know what that means: we’d better make the Bush tax cuts permanent.” Dan Froomkin has more.

* I hate to see Dems get caught up in the culture of corruption, but this story about a fishy earmark pushed by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) looks discouraging. Let’s hope there’s an innocent explanation.

* Over the weekend, Bill O’Reilly got physical with an Obama staffer he didn’t like. Last night, the Fox News blowhard said his temper tantrum, which drew Secret Service intervention, was necessary to protect the Constitution. He didn’t appear to be kidding.

* Good point from Matt Yglesias, Part I: “My roommate Kriston Capps is having some difficulty explaining to his parents why the Fair Tax is not, in fact, fair. I think the talking point you want to hit here has to do with the effects of excluding savings and investment from taxation. Under the fair tax, Paris Hilton’s maid winds up paying a bigger proportion of her income in taxes than does Paris Hilton. People who can afford giant mansions aren’t going to pay 30 percent on that, people who can afford full-tuition for their kids at fancy private universities aren’t going to pay 30 percent on that, people aren’t going to pay 30 percent on their European vacations, they’re not paying 30 percent on what they pay their maid or their gardner. But ordinary people are going to see the price of everything they buy at the grocery store go up. ”

* Good point from Matt Yglesias, Part II: “Reading Bill Clinton’s slams on Barack Obama you have to wonder if the ex-president and other close associates might be so clouded by bitterness if Hillary Clinton loses that they’ll try to sabotage Obama’s general election campaign. As Hillary’s husband, you expect Bill to vigorously support her campaign. But as a former president and high-profile Democratic Party leader, you also expect Bill to not actually get down and dirty attacking other Democrats as unfit for office. After all, if Obama does become the nominee and John McCain or Mitt Romney starts attacking him as insufficiently experienced to do the job, one surrogate you’d definitely want to have out there in Obama’s camp would be former President Bill Clinton.”

* Very disappointing: “The Defense Department’s top watchdog has declined to investigate allegations that an American woman working under an Army contract in Iraq was raped by her co-workers. The case of former Halliburton/KBR employee Jamie Leigh Jones gained national attention last month. An ABC News investigation revealed how an earlier investigation into Jones’ alleged gang-rape in 2005 had not resulted in any prosecution, and that neither Jones nor Democratic and Republican lawmakers have been able to get answers from the Bush administration on the state of her case. In letters to lawmakers, DoD Inspector General Claude Kicklighter said that because the Justice Department still considers the investigation into Jones’ case open, there is no need for him to look into the matter.”

* Best healthcare in the world? “France, Japan and Australia rated best and the United States worst in new rankings focusing on preventable deaths due to treatable conditions in 19 leading industrialized nations, researchers said on Tuesday. If the U.S. health care system performed as well as those of those top three countries, there would be 101,000 fewer deaths in the United States per year, according to researchers writing in the journal Health Affairs.” (thanks to LM and RK for the tip)

* Fox News Attacks: Obama edition.

* Sam Seder reports live from New Hampshire at a Rudy Giuliani “rally.” Hilarious.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* It’s unclear whether Hillary Clinton will go all out to win Nevada in 10 days, but in the interim, Barack Obama is picking up key support in the state: “[Nevada’s] 17,500-member SEIU local has voted to endorse him, and he’s also expected to pick up the support of the 60,000-member Culinary Workers Union today. Those union votes are definitely a blow to John Edwards, who has built his campaign on the strength of organized labor, but seen Obama overtake him as the anti-Hillary candidate. So keep an eye on Nevada. For Obama, it will be his next chance to get an edge on Hillary. And for Hillary, it will be her chance to beat Obama and fully regain control of this whole process.”

* Mike Huckabee’s top immigration surrogate, James Gilchrist, caused a bit of a stir yesterday, indicating that Huckabee now supports a constitutional amendment to end birthright citizenship. Yesterday, the former governor rejected the claims and blamed the far-right Washington Times for running the story about Gilchrist’s comments. The Times reported today, “But Mr. Huckabee’s spokeswoman, Kirsten Fedewa, did talk to The Times for the article. She did not challenge any of Mr. Gilchrist’s statements at the time, and was quoted as saying Mr. Huckabee and Mr. Gilchrist were ‘united by a mutual desire to end illegal immigration and are political allies toward that end.’”

* Before the polls in New Hampshire were even closed, the Clinton campaign made a key staffing change: “Maggie Williams, a longtime Hillary Clinton confidante, is reportedly being brought on to coordinate the campaign’s activities. Insiders have urged campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle to stay on, but no decisions have been made, according to campaign insiders. Williams served as Hillary Clinton’s chief of staff during Bill Clinton’s first term and has remained close to the former first lady ever since.”

* Yesterday, the Huffington Post reported that a number of Clinton-backing groups — including AFSCME, Emily’s List, and the American Federation of Teachers — were considering the creation of an anti-Obama 527 committee. Shortly thereafter, the groups involved denied any such effort.

* Despite two very weak showings in Iowa and New Hampshire, and a looming primary fight in his own congressional district, Dennis Kucinich insisted yesterday that he’s not ready to drop out of the presidential race. The AP reported, “He said he will continue his campaign in Michigan and Ohio and elsewhere, and asked his cheering supporters to help him.”

* Ever get confused about the talk about convention delegates? CNN has a helpful primer.

* George “Macaca” Allen has been rumored to be in line for another statewide campaign, but the former governor and former senator announced yesterday that, at a minimum, he would not be a gubernatorial candidate in 2009.

* And in case you missed the speeches last night in New Hampshire, here’s Clinton’s, Obama’s, and Edwards’.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: “Six American soldiers were killed and four wounded in a house rigged with explosives during an operation in Baqouba, the U.S. military told NBC News on Wednesday. The soldiers were clearing the house when a huge blast killed the six — the largest single loss of life for U.S. troops in the Iraq war so far this year. It’s not clear whether the house was booby-trapped or the explosives were remotely detonated.”

* This is looking like it’s shaping up as another Supreme Court disaster: “The Supreme Court appeared reluctant Wednesday to strike down the nation’s strictest requirement that voters show photo identification before being allowed to cast a ballot…. ‘You want us to invalidate the statute because of minimal inconvenience?’ Justice Anthony Kennedy said near the end of an hour-long argument. Kennedy, often a key vote, appeared more willing than some to consider changes to the law.”

* Some pollsters are scrambling to explain how and why they got the Dems’ New Hampshire primary so wrong: “Amidst all the hand-wringing by pollsters over how they managed to get New Hampshire so amazingly wrong, John Zogby has put out a press release containing an interesting piece of information: The last one-day sample of his three-day tracking poll showed Hillary closing the gap in a big way — but the sample was too small to be published on its own.”

* Good point: “They did it again! Just as in Iowa, yesterday’s media-sponsored Election Day poll failed to ask Democrats in New Hampshire if they were evangelical. Voters from both parties were asked about their church attendance and if they were Protestant, Catholic, Mormon, Other Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Something else, or None. But only Republicans were asked if they were born-again or evangelical Christian…. Asking only Republicans about their religion shows that the media is still stuck on the outdated and false notion that evangelical Christians are the GOP’s political property. No party can own any faith. Evangelicals have broadened their agenda to include care for the planet, the poor and the stranger, and as a result are increasingly independent politically. Exit polls need to abandon the hidebound frames of the culture war — evangelicals already have.”

* Remember the Mark Foley scandal? “Florida law enforcement officials investigating former Republican Rep. Mark Foley, whose e-mails and instant messages to teenage former congressional pages shocked the country, are hoping Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will grant them access to Foley’s House computers…. A spokesman for Pelosi told ABC News her office ‘is in the process of preparing a response to Commissioner Bailey’s request,’ after receiving the letter only last week due to security precautions taken with her mail.”

* The Hill: “Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), a top target for national Republicans in November, is battling with a government watchdog group that is alleging the senator may have violated federal bribery laws by earmarking funds to a campaign contributor…. The senator’s office released a number of documents that backed the propriety of the earmark and also showed that it had been sought by D.C. public schools. The office also released documents showing that the program had been well-regarded by New Orleans public schools and former Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), who wanted Ohio schools to buy the program in 2002.”

* Sometimes, it takes corruption to know corruption: “According to three well-placed Republican sources, former Rep. Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) — who lost his seat amid ethics allegations — has called on longtime friend Doolittle to not seek reelection in the interest of keeping the district a GOP stronghold. In the last Congress, Pombo was a panel chairman while Doolittle was a member of GOP leadership. Pombo could not be reached for comment.”

* It was widely expected, but the 60,000-member Culinary Workers Union, an important force in Nevada, formally endorsed Barack Obama today.

* I’ll admit I keep an eye on the political futures markets, more out of curiosity than anything else. The reality is, they’re poorly named: “I’ve been watching the action in one of the political futures markets this evening, Intrade. And the action in this prediction market has reinforced my opinion that these are less futures markets than immediate-past markets.”

* I sometimes think Chris Matthews is in a competition with himself to appear truly insane on matters relating to Hillary Clinton: “I think the Hillary appeal has always been about the mix of toughness and sympathy. Let’s not forget, and I’ll be brutal, the reason she’s a US Senator, the reason she’s a candidate for President, the reason she may be a front runner, is that her husband messed around….. That’s how she got to be a Senator from New York. We keep forgetting it. She didn’t win it on her merit, she won because everybody felt, ‘My God, this woman stood up under humiliation,’ right? That’s what happened.” How this clown remains on the air is a mystery to me.

* And finally, the Larry Craig sex scandal is the gift that keeps on giving: “Besides attacking the law he was prosecuted under, Craig’s legal team argues that the hand signal allegedly used to communicate a desire to engage in sexual conduct would be constitutionally protected speech.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* This isn’t going away anytime soon: “The United States on Thursday lodged a formal diplomatic protest with Iran over an incident last weekend in which Iranian speedboats harassed U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf. The protest repeats U.S. complaints about Sunday’s “provocative” action in the Strait of Hormuz and was sent to the Iranian Foreign Ministry via the Swiss Embassy in Tehran, which represents U.S. interests in Iran, the State Department said.”

* On the other hand: “Just two days after the U.S. Navy released the eerie video of Iranian speedboats swarming around American warships, which featured a chilling threat in English, the Navy is saying that the voice on the tape could have come from the shore or from another ship. The near-clash occurred over the weekend in the Strait of Hormuz. On the U.S.-released recording, a voice can be heard saying to the Americans, ‘I am coming to you. You will explode after a few minutes.’ The Navy never said specifically where the voices came from, but many were left with the impression they had come from the speedboats because of the way the Navy footage was edited. Today, the spokesperson for the U.S. admiral in charge of the Fifth Fleet clarified to ABC News that the threat may have come from the Iranian boats, or it may have come from somewhere else.”

* I think it’s safe to say the Fed is worried about the health of the economy: “Any confusion as to whether the Federal Reserve plans to cut rates further to help a struggling economy may have been cleared up today. In prepared remarks, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke pledged Thursday to slash interest rates yet again to prevent housing and credit problems from plunging the country into a recession. The Fed chief made clear the central bank was prepared to act aggressively to rescue a weakening economy. ‘We stand ready to take substantive additional action as needed to support growth and to provide adequate insurance against downside risks,’ he said.”

* The Abramoff/GOP culture of corruption claims another victim: “Well, Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) finally made his much-anticipated announcement, and curiously enough, the ongoing federal investigation and his near-certain defeat in the Republican primary apparently didn’t figure into his decision to retire.” Doolittle, recently the subject of an FBI raid, said he and his wife are “ready for a change after spending almost our entire married lives with me in public service.” That’s even lame by Republican standards.

* Mitt Romney got choked up today, talking about his father. One assumes that this will now be the subject of intense media scrutiny? Observers will obsess endlessly about whether the emotions are legitimate? I doubt it.

* I can’t believe Time magazine actually published this: “Pelosi has so far stayed out of the race. But when her top advisor who also happens to be a famous champion of women politicians endorses Obama, does it send the signal: is there room in Washington for both a Speaker Pelosi and a President Hillary?” Worse, it was written by a woman, Jay Newton-Small.

* Andrew Sullivan, whose distaste for Hillary Clinton knows no bounds, mentioned today (in response to a thoughtful email) that he’s “going to try a little harder to be a little more temperate.” Good for him.

* Blackwater didn’t need another controversy, but it has one anyway: “Suddenly, on that May day in 2005, the copter dropped CS gas, a riot-control substance the American military in Iraq can use only under the strictest conditions and with the approval of top military commanders. An armored vehicle on the ground also released the gas, temporarily blinding drivers, passers-by and at least 10 American soldiers operating the checkpoint…. Both the helicopter and the vehicle involved in the incident at the Assassins’ Gate checkpoint were not from the United States military, but were part of a convoy operated by Blackwater Worldwide, the private security contractor that is under scrutiny for its role in a series of violent episodes in Iraq, including a September shooting in downtown Baghdad that left 17 Iraqis dead. None of the American soldiers exposed to the chemical, which is similar to tear gas, required medical attention, and it is not clear if any Iraqis did. Still, the previously undisclosed incident has raised significant new questions about the role of private security contractors in Iraq, and whether they operate under the same rules of engagement and international treaty obligations that the American military observes.”

* My personal test for great writers? When something happens on their beat, I look forward to what they have to say. For example, here’s Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick on the voter-ID case at the Supreme Court. If Lithwick’s not one of the very best at covering legal issues like these, I don’t know who is.

* Did CBS News’ Scott Conroy really write a piece complaining about the quality of the food on the Romney campaign plane? I mean, sure, we’re all human beings, and we all enjoy warm meals, but this just seemed weak. (thanks to DOK for the tip)

* If you missed it, here’s the video of Kerry’s Obama endorsement.

* There’s been some speculation about voter-machine mischief in New Hampshire’s Democratic primary. Josh Marshall isn’t buying it.

* Quote of the day by way of Jon Chait: “Basically, trying to explain why the Fairtax is a bad idea is like trying to explain why having trained elephants perform open-heart surgery on every first-grader in America is a bad idea. The whole idea is one bit of lunacy stacked upon another, so when you focus on any one element of it, you let the other side suck you into into arguments about details — maybe there could be benefits to preemptively fixing the hearts of six year olds! Perhaps elephants do have the potential intelligence to one day perform this task!! — that inadvertently make the plan sound semi-credible.”

* And finally, with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert calling Bush “a great guy,” it looks like Bush may have found himself a new poodle: “I know that people say all kinds of things about him. Gentlemen, he’s a graduate of Yale and Harvard. People don’t graduate from Harvard and Yale without wisdom and understanding of processes and domestic and international relationships. He’s a very wise man.” Oh my.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* This is a nice pick-up for the Obama campaign: “Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano will endorse Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign today, according to two sources familiar with the decision. Napolitano’s endorsement has literal and symbolic significance. As a popular western state governor, she could prove as an effective surrogate for Obama in Nevada’s Jan. 19 caucuses. Napolitano is also one of a handful of female governors in the country, and her decision to go with Obama could undercut Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s attempts to unify female elected officials behind her candidacy.”

* Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), the highest-ranking African American in Congress and the most powerful Dem in South Carolina politics, had vowed to remain neutral in the Democratic primary. Now, however, he’s leaning towards an endorsement, after comments from Bill and Hillary Clinton that he perceived as “diminishing the historic role of civil rights activists” and “distorting civil rights history.”

* Ned Lamont, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut in 2006, announced yesterday that he is supporting Obama’s campaign. Lamont had backed Connecticut’s Chris Dodd, but with Dodd having withdrawn, he sees Obama as having “the tone and temperament to bring out the best in our people and our nation, and to bring new coalitions together in support of the progressive policies we all want to see enacted.”

* ABC News: “The Texas advertising guru and branding whiz who spent most of October on a spiritual soul quest trying to reconnect with ‘the heart of America,’ has been tapped for a bigger role in Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Roy Spence, 60, a longtime friend of the Clintons, is the quirky Austin-based advertising legend who coined the phrase ‘Don’t Mess With Texas’ and developed the Southwest Airlines slogan: ‘You are now free to move about the country.’ He was with Clinton at her Chappaqua, New York home yesterday, after she flew in overnight from New Hampshire and met with her team to develop a campaign strategy for the next four weeks of key primaries.” Spence will reportedly now have a major role in “rebranding” Clinton’s message.

* Sounds like Giuliani’s having some real financial trouble: “CNN has learned that top staff members of Rudy Giuliani’s presidential campaign were asked to work without pay for the month of January, and perhaps longer, so that campaign resources could be focused on the Florida Republican presidential primary.”

* On a related note, Marc Ambinder reports: “John McCain’s presidential campaign is virtually broke, raising and spending about $25,000 a day. To do that, he will turn to a cadre of big-name fundraisers recruited way back when the campaign was projecting $120M budgets and renting high-class office space in Los Angeles.”

* TPM: “A new 527 called Victims Voice — set up by one Arkansas Republican, Keith Emis, with the assistance of his new financial backers — is running a truly ferocious new attack ad in South Carolina against Mike Huckabee. The ad cuts straight to the point in informing viewers of Huck’s role in the Wayne Dumond case, and features the mother of one of Dumond’s victims blaming Huckabee for her daughter being raped and murdered.”

* NPR had scheduled yet another Republican debate for next Wednesday in South Carolina, but low attendance has forced its cancellation. “We had commitments, we had some people whose schedules were fluid, and the ultimate decision was to cancel it,” said Andi Sporkin, a spokeswoman for NPR.

* The Hill: “Citing unspecified ’serious and credible reports, allegations, and rumors’ regarding the presidential primary in New Hampshire, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) is asking for a recount of the vote. Kucinich, who placed at the back of the Democratic field with less than 1.4 percent of the votes, said in a letter to New Hampshire Secretary of State William Gardner that there were ‘possible vote-count irregularities’ that have been ‘fueled by the stunning disparities between various ‘independent’ pre-election polls and the actual election results.’”

* And finally, we won’t have Unity08 to kick around anymore.

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The president’s abysmal poll numbers aren’t worth noting anymore; there’s just no point. He’s extraordinarily unpopular; he’s reviled around the world; and his would-be Republican successors are embarrassed to say his name in public. It’s hardly worth mentioning anymore.

But U.S. News noted this week, however, that the White House is eyeing a Bush comeback.

He’s a poll cellar-dweller whom even GOP presidential candidates sneer at, but George W. Bush and some congressional backers see happy days for the prez this year. His fans have dubbed it his “legacy year,” when they hope to lock in his achievements on the domestic front.

Among the items Bush’s GOP congressional allies want to work on this month: continuing his tax cuts and extending the controversial No Child Left Behind Act. As for the war, they say, the news has been good, and Bushies believe that their guy will eventually get credit for opening the war on terrorism. But more immediately, they are predicting a remarkable poll shift to about 45 percent favorable by the time he leaves office next year.

“Legacy year”? It seems unlikely. He’s the lamest of lame-ducks — rock-bottom public support, Democratic Congress, and the absence of a policy agenda. I was especially amused by the notion that the White House is anxious to work with his “GOP congressional allies” on “continuing his tax cuts.” They do know the Dems are in the majority in both chambers, don’t they?

As for the notion of a “remarkable poll shift” to 45%, I suppose anything’s possible, but this seems like wishful thinking gone horribly awry.

First, TP posted a chart showing the stability of Bush’s disapproval. He’s been in the low 30s for over a year, and it’s hard to imagine where this “remarkable” bump is going to come from, especially given the fact that most Americans are ready to shift their attention to electing the next president and putting this painful chapter in our history behind us.

Second, let’s say the White House’s optimism is not ridiculous, and that Bush really can work his way back up to 45%. At that point, he’ll be the eighth least popular president of the last four decades, instead of the ninth. End-of-presidency job approval ratings:

Bill Clinton (2001) — 65%
Ronald Reagan (1989) — 64%
John F. Kennedy (1963) — 63
Dwight Eisenhower (1961) — 59%
George H.W. Bush (1993) — 56%
Gerald Ford (1977) — 53%
Lyndon Johnson (1969) — 49%
Jimmy Carter (1981) — 34%
Richard Nixon (1974) — 24%

As of now, George W. Bush is on track to finish below Carter. Even with a “remarkable” turn around, the Bush gang is still aiming pretty low.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* This really isn’t good: “Wall Street plunged again lower Friday amid renewed fears that the financial sector’s troubles with bad credit won’t soon end and that some consumers are buckling under signs of a slowing economy. The Dow Jones industrials finished down nearly 250 points. The arrival of earnings season has investors worried about how banks and brokerages have fared after suffering losses in the collapse of the subprime mortgage market. Traders appeared to grow more pessimistic ahead of reports next week from the nation’s biggest financial institutions. Merrill Lynch & Co., Citigroup Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. are all slated to weigh in next week. Adding to investors’ unease, Merrill Lynch might take a $15 billion hit from its exposure to soured subprime mortgage investments, according to The New York Times. The nation’s largest brokerage is also said to be seeking another capital infusion to help shore up its balance sheet.”

* He’ll come bearing gifts: “The Bush administration will notify Congress on Monday of its intent to sell $20 billion in weapons, including precision-guided bombs, to Saudi Arabia, moving up the announcement to coincide with the president’s arrival in Riyadh, The Associated Press has learned. Despite concern about the deal from some lawmakers, the State Department, which last month said it would delay the notification until after Congress comes back into session, will announce the proposed sale on Jan. 14, a day before the House returns to work and more than a week before senators return to Washington, said a senior official.”

* Shouldn’t there be some kind of FCC rule against raving lunatics buying quality newspapers? “Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson is considering making an offer for The Virginian-Pilot, a daily newspaper he has criticized for its coverage of him and his activities. The Pilot is the flagship newspaper of Norfolk-based Landmark Communications Inc., which announced last week that it was evaluating whether to sell all its assets, including The Weather Channel. ‘Although the price for The Weather Channel is a little rich for my blood, I am considering a potential bid for the Pilot and have asked my attorneys to look into it,’ Robertson said in an e-mail statement provided Friday by his assistant, G.G. Conklin.”

* Interesting campaign controversy: “When John McCain’s presidential campaign all but went broke, it borrowed money from its bank using its fundraising list as collateral. Problem: McCain’s own privacy policy promises donors he won’t sell their information. That seems to put the Republican senator’s campaign in a pickle; either it pledged to its bank proceeds from something it can’t sell, or it offered to violate its own promise to donors.”

* What, exactly, do we know about the recent events in the Strait of Hormuz? Slate’s Fred Kaplan takes a look, and highlights how best to “prevent a naval war with Iran.”

* Dan Froomkin: “So what’s President Bush got to show for his three-day visit to Israel and the West Bank? Not much more than a bunch of pretty pictures for his scrapbook.”

* I don’t doubt Dennis Kucinich’s sincerity about a New Hampshire recount, but I do doubt his willingness to pay for one: “The New Hampshire Secretary of State’s office said Kucinich can have a recount but he will have to pay for it. Under state law if a candidate loses by less than 3 percent they can pay a flat $2,000 for the recount. If they lose by more than 3 percent they have to pay the entire cost.”

* The Wall Street Journal editorial page believes “the economy could use another tax cut.” At least they’re consistent in their absurdity.

* Interesting observation about Edwards: “t was Edwards who forced a new style of politics [this cycle], untethered by the fear and timidity of the 90s, adamant that liberalism was an electoral boon and economic justice a popular sentiment. Knowing they had to defend against his challenge, both Hillary and Obama edged closer to his appeal. This left the Edwards campaign without much substance on which to distinguish itself, but it left the Democrats in a much stronger position overall, and forced them to argue for, and commit to, a much broader and more inspiring agenda than we otherwise might have seen.”

* John Cole coins The [Jonah] Goldberg Principle: “You can prove any thesis to be true if you make up your own definitions of words.”

* An independent pro-Huckabee group called Common Sense Issues is utilizing robocalls to help get the message out about their guy. How many robocalls? 5 million.

* Does Chris Matthews have a problem with women?

* My friend Blue Girl reads GAO reports so I don’t have to. This time, the subject is port security.

* And finally, the president is apparently a little uncomfortable with John McCain’s idea of keeping U.S. troops in Iraq until 2108. NBC News asked Bush, “John McCain has been saying on the campaign trail that the American people would accept U.S. troops remaining in Iraq for a hundred years. Do you agree with that?” He responded, “I don’t know if a hundred years is the right number. That’s a long time.” Well said, Mr. President.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In South Carolina, Rep. James Clyburn (D) had hinted last week that he would endorse a presidential candidate, but he’s since backed off. On Friday night, Clyburn said he will remain neutral.

* South Carolina’s conservative Republican governor, Mark Sanford, had an interesting editorial the other day praising, of all people, Barack Obama. Sanford explained from the outset that he wouldn’t vote for Obama, but added, “Obama is not running for president on the basis of his race, and no one should cast their ballot for or against him on that basis. Nonetheless, what is happening in the initial success of his candidacy should not escape us. Within many of our own lifetimes, a man who looked like Barack Obama had a difficult time even using the public restrooms in our state. What is happening may well say a lot about America, and I do think as an early primary state we should earnestly shoulder our responsibility in determining how this part of history is ultimately written.”

* John McCain won the endorsement of South Carolina’s largest newspaper Saturday, The State, which praised McCain’s “independence.”

* Michigan’s Republican primary is tomorrow, and the polls are all over the place.

* On a related note, Michigan appears to increasingly look like a must-win state for Mitt Romney, but he vowed yesterday to stay on, regardless of the results.

* WSJ: “Barack Obama’s campaign released details of an economic-stimulus plan Sunday that would focus on tax rebates and one-time Social Security benefits sent out immediately, something it championed as superior to a Clinton proposal announced Friday.”

* Las Vegas Review-Journal: “An off-the-cuff comment Hillary Clinton made in Las Vegas on Thursday has ignited a national firestorm. Answering a shout from a man in the crowd who said, “I’m married to an illegal woman,” Clinton shot back, ‘No woman is illegal,’ grinning as the packed Mexican restaurant at which she was speaking exploded in cheers. That comment, reported in Friday’s Review-Journal, caught the attention of the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Lou Dobbs and the Drudge Report and led to nearly 1,000 angry comments on the newspaper’s Web site.” Sounds to me like Hillary got this one exactly right.

* New line of attack from the Clinton campaign against Obama: he was a “part-time state senator” in Illinois.

* James Pinkerton, a former aide in the H.W. Bush White House, and a prominent conservative pundit, has left his media role to join Mike Huckabee’s presidential campaign. Another sign of grudging establishment credibility?

* Rudy Giuliani supports a national insurance backup fund because … wait for it … it reminds him of 9/11.

* It looks like Dennis Kucinich won’t qualify for the Democratic primary ballot in Texas.

* And Kucinich won’t qualify for the next presidential debate, either.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The de-Baathification law passed in Iraq might not be quite as encouraging as once thought. Spencer Ackerman explains that the measure is basically “phony”: “The Sunnis are outraged: one Sunni parliamentarian calls the law “a sword on the neck of the people.” But the Shiites throw their hands up and say What do you want from us? It took us over a year of arduous compromise to get to this point. That’s as far as we can go! ”

* I’ll have more on this tomorrow, but John Solomon, who’s been doing some pretty awful work for the Washington Post is moving on … to the far-right Washington Times. Given the quality of Solomon’s work, and the journalistic standards of the Moonie newspaper, it’s an unusually good match.

* The Hill: “Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) is strongly criticizing the EPA’s failure to produce documents regarding its decision to reject California’s effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions. The lawmaker, who chairs the Committee on Oversight and Government Affairs, had asked EPA for the documents in December and requested that their delivery begin on Jan. 10.”

* In related news: “Both Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and House sleuth Henry Waxman (D-CA) have set their sights on EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson, who made the unprecedented and arbitrary decision (over the unanimous recommendation of the staff) to deny California’s petition to limit greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks. They both requested documents related to the decision. But Johnson is apparently having real trouble getting all those documents together…. [Waxman] says that the committee will be interviewing a host of EPA employees about Johnson’s decision. If the reports are correct, all of them will be telling Waxman about how they told Johnson there was no legal justification for blocking California’s law and he overruled them anyway.”

* AP: “The chief of the U.S. military said Sunday he favors closing the prison here as soon as possible because he believes negative publicity worldwide about treatment of terrorist suspects has been ‘pretty damaging’ to the image of the United States. ‘I’d like to see it shut down,’ Adm. Mike Mullen said in an interview with three reporters who toured the detention center with him on his first visit since becoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff last October.” Mullen added, however, that he’s “not aware that there is any immediate consideration to closing Guantanamo Bay” from the Bush administration.

* Who spun the Strait of Hormuz incident? Cernig has a great post on the subject.

* Whether you’re in Michigan or not, you’re likely to enjoy this short video, explaining why Dems should vote for Mitt Romney in tomorrow’s Michigan GOP primary. Tag line: “Michigan, do you want this primary season to be over? Or do you want this primary season to be hilarious?”

* On a related note, Kevin asks a very good question about Dems and Romney: “Would Romney really be worse than, say, McCain or Giuliani from a liberal perspective? That’s hard to believe, frankly. But that’s what Hugh Hewitt thinks, and his fealty to the conservative cause isn’t really open to question. So who’s right?”

* AP: “The nation’s intelligence chief says that waterboarding ‘would be torture’ if used against him, or if someone under interrogation was taking water into his lungs. But Mike McConnell declined for legal reasons to say whether the technique categorically should be considered torture. ‘If it ever is determined to be torture, there will be a huge penalty to be paid for anyone engaging in it,’ the director of national intelligence told the New Yorker in this week’s issue, released today.”

* WaPo: “In its first couple of weeks after it returns tomorrow, the House is likely to take up contempt-of-Congress resolutions against White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet E. Miers for their refusal to appear before Congress for questioning about the 2006 removal of nine U.S. attorneys, Democratic leadership aides said.”

* Part of the flap regarding BET’s Robert Johnson going after Barack Obama has as much to do with the messenger as the message. (I got a note from a friend today that said, “I don’t care what Johnson implied — why is Clinton hanging around with Bob Johnson”?) What’s so offensive about Johnson? Take a look at Jonathan Chait’s devastating profile from 2001 (written before Johnson endorsed Bush’s Social Security privatization scheme.)

* And finally, David Letterman listed the other night the “Top Ten Things Overheard on George W. Bush’s Trip To The Middle East.” There are a few gems in there, but personal favorite was #3: ‘That’s not a kitty, sir, it’s a Sphinx.’

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Republican presidential primary in Michigan is today, and no one’s really sure what to expect. Polls show John McCain and Mitt Romney as the two leading candidates, with different polls showing each in the lead. One thing’s for sure — in Michigan, the health of the economy is easily the top campaign issue, easily outpacing Iraq, health care, and terrorism.

* A precinct captain for Barack Obama in Reno, Nevada, created a flier encouraging Republicans and independents to participate in the state’s Democratic caucuses on Saturday. “Be a Democrat for a Day,” the flier says. Obama critics argued, without proof, that the flier was part of an Obama campaign effort to undermine the Democratic Party. As it turns out, the guy who made the fliers was acting on his own, has stopped distributing them, and is now prepared to resign as a precinct captain.

* Yesterday afternoon, a Nevada judge ordered MSNBC to include Dennis Kucinich in its debate tonight, citing the Jan. 9 invitation the network extended to the Ohio House member. Charles Thompson, a senior district court judge for Clark County, Nevada, said he would issue an injunction stopping the debate if Kucinich is excluded. MSNBC has indicated that it will appeal the ruling, but with only nine hours before the event begins, the network may run out of time.

* Yet another House Republican is making a run for it — Rep. Richard Baker (R-La.), an 11-term incumbent, is giving up his seat to head the Managed Funds Association, the top lobbying group for the hedge fund industry. Baker is perhaps best known for this remark after the Hurricane Katrina: “We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn’t do it, but God did.”

* Fred Thompson actually campaigned in South Carolina yesterday: “Tieless, hands in his pockets and buoyed by new polling numbers, an upbeat [Thompson] mixed impromptu one-liners with his campaign theme of constancy to conservative principles” in Simpsonville, S.C., on Monday night. “Thompson, increasingly aggressive on the campaign trail, swiped at McCain’s support for failed immigration reform legislation, Romney’s change in positions on key issues, and Democrat Hillary Clinton’s tearful moment in New Hampshire last week.”

* The NYT has a report today about the tensions between the African-American and Latino communities in western states like California, and how that might affect the region’s Democratic primaries. “Many Latinos are not ready for a person of color,” Natasha Carrillo, 20, of East Los Angeles, said. “I don’t think many Latinos will vote for Obama. There’s always been tension in the black and Latino communities. There’s still that strong ethnic division. I helped organize citizenship drives, and those who I’ve talked to support Clinton.”

* And in Mississippi, Gov. Haley Barbour’s (R) efforts to play fast and loose with election law in filling Trent Lott’s old Senate seat have suffered their first setback: a Mississippi judge ruled yesterday that Barbour exceeded his authority in setting the wrong special-election date.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Subprime mania continues to take its toll: “Citigroup announced a steep cut in its stock dividend and another big investment by foreign investors on Tuesday after taking more write-downs related to subprime securities and posting a $9.83 billion loss for the fourth quarter. Beginning what is expected to be a grim week for financial company earnings, Citigroup said it was writing down $22.2 billion because of soured mortgage-related investments and bad loans…. Facing rising expenses and deepening losses, Citigroup is expected to embark on a major cost-cutting campaign that could result in at least 4,000 layoffs. And thousands more could be in the offing in the coming months.”

* I sure hope we’re near the end of this story: “House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) tried his best Tuesday to diffuse a lingering controversy in the Democratic presidential contest over race by talking about, well, race…. In the wake of the controversy, Clyburn implored reporters to move beyond the controversy to focus on other issues because the race debate has distracted from the big issues confronting the country – Iraq, health care, and the housing slump spawned by a cascade of bad debt. Despite his continued promise to remain neutral, though, Clyburn said he knew who he would vote for. But he added, ‘I could change my mind.’”

* NYT: “Pakistan’s premier military intelligence agency has lost control of some of the networks of Pakistani militants it has nurtured since the 1980s, and is now suffering the violent blowback of that policy, two former senior intelligence officials and other officials close to the agency say. As the military has moved against them, the militants have turned on their former handlers, the officials said. Joining with other extremist groups, they have battled Pakistani security forces and helped militants carry out a record number of suicide attacks last year, including some aimed directly at army and intelligence units as well as prominent political figures, possibly even Benazir Bhutto.”

* It looks like MSNBC really doesn’t want Kucinich at tonight’s debate.

* Bloodshed in Beirut: “An explosion targeted a U.S. Embassy vehicle Tuesday in northern Beirut, killing at least three Lebanese and injuring an American bystander and a local embassy employee, U.S. and Lebanese officials said. The blast, which damaged the armored SUV and several other vehicles, took place just ahead of a farewell reception for the American ambassador at a hotel in central Beirut. No Americans were in the car, which was carrying two Lebanese employees of the embassy, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in Washington.”

* The House Intelligence Committee was set to chat with former CIA official Jose Rodriguez Jr., who destroyed the now-famous torture tapes, but the testimony was delayed after Rodriguez worked on getting an immunity deal from lawmakers.

* No matter what you think of the race-based dispute between Clinton and Obama, I think reasonable people should be able to agree that Robert Johnson shouldn’t be invited to campaign with any presidential candidates anytime soon.

* The Justice Department doesn’t want to talk to TPM anymore. Hmm.

* David Brooks really ought to know the difference between Ward Churchill and Ward Connerly. So should the editors who presumably check his copy before publication.

* Eric Boehlert: “The dismal truth about New Hampshire was this: Never has a Granite State primary received so much media attention and been covered by so many journalists. And never has the press so badly botched a New Hampshire vote.”

* Slate’s Fred Kaplan explains why Bush’s “cavalier dismissal of the NIE undermines our credibility, again.”

* Good news from the Miami Herald (or, at least, the absence of bad news): “The McClatchy Co., which announced in December it would experiment with outsourcing some production of The Miami Herald’s ‘Broward Neighbors’ sections to an India firm, has canceled that project, the Herald reported Monday.”

* The Obama campaign did make clear just how wrong Richard Cohen is.

* All of a sudden, Michael Mukasey is playing nice with congressional Dems. He must want something.

* And the incomparable Sam Seder gets the answer to the eternal question: who would Republican loyalists prefer: Ronald Reagan, or whomever they’re supporting now?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Barack Obama picked up a somehwat helpful endorsement in Nevada today, earning the backing of the Las Vegas Review Journal. The state’s largest newspaper wasn’t exactly complementary to any of the Dems — most of the endorsement editorial criticized Hillary Clinton more than it praised Obama — but given the competitive contest, I’m sure Obama will take it.

* There’s just something nasty about South Carolina Republican politics: “This is ugly even by South Carolina standards: John McCain is being targeted by a nasty flyer that lampoons McCain’s POW captivity in Vietnam. The flyer, which was sent to local newspaper editors, depicts a manacled McCain in a cell with the phrase ‘POW for President,’ and ‘elect me’ scrawled on the walls, suggesting that McCain is trying to ride his POW status into the White House. The mailer also accuses McCain of collaborating with his captors and betraying his fellow POWs…. [The flyer] appears to be the work of a group of unknown size and origin called ‘Vietnam Veterans Against John McCain.’” It’s pretty sick stuff.

* One wonders if Richard Cohen will get the message: “The anonymous anti-Obama e-mail campaign has been particularly viral in Jewish political circles (one of the ones accusing him of being some sort of Manchurian candidate was actually translated into Hebrew), and a broad group of prominent Jewish leaders just put out an open letter pushing back: ‘Of particular concern, over the past several weeks, many in our community have received hateful e-mails that use falsehood and innuendo to mischaracterize Sen. Barack Obama’s religious beliefs and who he is as a person. These tactics attempt to drive a wedge between our community and a presidential candidate based on despicable and false attacks and innuendo based on religion. We reject these efforts to manipulate members of our community into supporting or opposing candidates.’”

* At a debate a few months ago, Mike Huckabee was asked whether, as president, he would support a federal law banning smoking in public places. “I would, certainly would,” Huckabee said, “I would, just like I did as governor of Arkansas.” Yesterday, the campaign announced that the former has reversed course and no longer stands by his stated position.

* This might help Obama a bit in California: “The head of the politically powerful Los Angeles County Federation of Labor said Tuesday that she is endorsing Barack Obama for president. The endorsement by Maria Elena Durazo is a coup for Obama that could help the Illinois senator in his uphill struggle against Hillary Rodham Clinton to win substantial support among Latino voters in Southern California. Obama has won the backing of other Los Angeles-area Latino leaders, but this is probably his biggest such endorsement yet, given the broad reach of the county labor federation.”

* John Kerry didn’t just endorse Obama, he’s also become a rather aggressive advocate on Obama’s behalf. Yesterday, for example, responding to Clinton surrogates’ references to drug use, Kerry said, “That kind of discussion, from a campaign where the former president made famous the words ‘I did not inhale’ is to make something an issue that they themselves acknowledged shouldn’t be.”

* On a related note, Kerry also noted today that he supports the “at large” precincts for Culinary Union members in Nevada, which Clinton supporters are trying to shut down by way of a lawsuit.

* Lately, Dems have picked “rising stars” to deliver the Democratic response to the president’s State of the Union address. Keeping in this spirit, the Dem leadership announced yesterday that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is this year’s choice. Nice pick.

* And finally, SurveyUSA conducted a series of polls testing Michael Bloomberg’s presidential chances. Obviously, it’s hard to know for sure before a candidate even starts campaigning, but the numbers certainly aren’t favorable to the NYC mayor.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Remember that bizarre veto during the winter congressional break? It looks like there’s been progress on a resolution: “Congress has reached a compromise with the White House over a defense authorization bill provision that had drawn complaints from the Iraqi government. Those complaints prompted President Bush to veto the defense bill last month. He complained that a provision in the bill that allowed victims of terrorism to be awarded compensation from frozen foreign assets of state sponsors of terror could have crippled the fledgling Iraqi government with billions of dollars in liability. Under the compromise, Iraq is excluded from the provision, but other state sponsors of terrorism, such as Iran and Syria, could see frozen assets used as compensation. The compromise is likely to leave American victims taken hostage and tortured by Saddam Hussein’s regime during the first Gulf War without recourse in U.S. federal court.”

* More details about the story behind the torture tapes: “In late 2005, the retiring CIA station chief in Bangkok sent a classified cable to his superiors in Langley asking if he could destroy videotapes recorded at a secret CIA prison in Thailand that in part portrayed intelligence officers using simulated drowning to extract information from suspected al-Qaeda members…. The CIA had a new director and an acting general counsel, neither of whom sought to block the destruction of the tapes, according to agency officials. The station chief was insistent because he was retiring and wanted to resolve the matter before he left, the officials said. And in November 2005, a published report that detailed a secret CIA prison system provoked an international outcry.”

* I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to Giuliani dropping out: “In an interview up at the National Review, Rudy Giuliani foreign policy advisor Norman Podhoretz says that ‘by any reasonable historical standard,’ George W. Bush’s war on terrorism has been ‘a triumph, not a disaster.’ Podhoretz weighs the war on terrorism — he calls it World War IV — against both World War II and the U.S. Civil War. He says the mistakes made in Iraq — ‘assuming they were all mistakes, as alleged, rather than judgment calls that might have gone worse the other way’ — are ‘chump change’ compared with the mistakes made in World War II. As for the Civil War, Podhoretz says: ‘It took Lincoln three years to find Sherman and Grant. It took George Bush three years to find Petraeus.’”

* I think we all saw this one coming: “To review: it’s debatable whether Blackwater can even be prosecuted because they don’t seem to be covered by any law. Beyond that, the State Department provided the Blackwater guards involved in the incident with limited immunity in order to get their version of events, thus further compromising the investigation. And don’t forget that Blackwater quickly mended the trucks involved in the incident, destroying key evidence as to whether the guards were actually under attack when they opened fire (Blackwater says that State gave them the green light to do that). So those are the difficulties.”

* I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that CNN’s John King does not respond well to criticism. The email he sent Glenn Greenwald was pretty stunning.

* James Kirchick reminded me that the Washington Times, which John Solomon considers a legitimate newspaper, has “a rule that the word ‘gay’ can never be used in news copy (except when quoting someone), only ‘homosexual.’” Seriously.

* Remember, CNN gives this guy all kinds of money: “[Yesterday] on his CNN Headline News show, Glenn Beck went on a rant against former President Franklin D. Roosevelt, blaming him for making the Great Depression ‘go on and on and on for a decade.’ He then added: “I have to tell you, I said on my radio show today, I`m beginning to come to a place where I just — I love my grandfather, but I just want to slap himself across the face for liking FDR. I think that was one evil son of a bitch.”

* Common Cause issued a statement this week, announcing that former Rep. Jim Leach (R-Iowa) has been named as the chairman of the group’s national governing board. Think about that one for a second — a Republican who repeatedly supported Tom DeLay for the congressional leadership is now going to help lead a good government group.

* A positive step towards improving miner safety.

* The Michigan Republican Party issued a press release last night congratulating John McCain for winning the state’s primary — right around the time Mitt Romney won.

* And finally, this may not make sense to those who never watched Buffy, but this is a very clever item, matching the Republican candidates to the appropriate Buffy villain. If you can’t appreciate the obvious similarities between the Mayor and Mitt Romney, well, you’re just not paying attention.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) endorsed Obama this morning: “Leahy likened his support of Obama to the 1968 presidential campaign, when as a young prosecutor he endorsed Robert Kennedy over Hubert Humphrey. ‘He was bringing us a sense of hope, bringing us together,’ Leahy said. ‘I know those are intangibles, but it encouraged me to go against the establishment in my own state, and go with Bobby Kennedy.’”

* Does it seem like there’s more interest in the presidential campaign this year than in previous cycles? There’s evidence to bolster the suspicion: “American voters, to borrow a candidate’s phrase, are fired up and ready to go. Turnout in the opening Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary this month smashed records. By 2-1, those surveyed in a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll say they’re more enthusiastic than usual about voting this year. Nine in 10 say it makes a difference to them who is elected president.”

* When it comes to media attention, John Edwards is getting screwed: “The Project for Excellence in Journalism has done a study of which candidates have gotten the most media coverage in recent days. It found that poor John Edwards has gotten the least attention of any major candidate from either party.” There’s only so much media oxygen, and outlets seem content to let Edwards gasp.

* Let’s hope this is the final word on the subject: “High-profile Hillary Clinton supporter Bob Johnson is apologizing to Barack Obama for comments he made last week regarding the Illinois senator’s acknowledged drug use as a teenager. Johnson said he sent a letter to Obama Thursday morning and said he was also reaching out by phone…. Johnson told CNN Clinton did not ask him to apologize nor leave the campaign. Johnson said he quickly realized his comments were a mistake ‘made in haste in an attempt to be funny.’”

* Slipping in South Carolina polls, Mitt Romney is giving up on the state and focusing his efforts on the Nevada caucuses.

* Speaking of Romney and Nevada, he picked up the endorsement today of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the largest paper in the state.

* And speaking of Nevada, Obama’s campaign manager, David Plouffe, is trying to manage expectations by insisting that Clinton should be considered the “prohibitive favorite” in Nevada due to her strong support within the state party establishment and her large lead in early polling.

* Even Rudy Giuliani’s backers in New York and New Jersey are losing hope: “[A]s Mr. Giuliani has plummeted from first to fourth — or worse — in some national polls, as he finished near the bottom of the pack in the nation’s earliest primaries, and as his lead evaporated even in Florida, the state on which he has gambled the most time and money, those Republican leaders are verging toward a grim new consensus: If Mr. Giuliani loses in the Florida primary on Jan. 29, they say, he may even have trouble defeating the rivals who are encroaching on his own backyard.”

* Let no one tell you that Hillary Clinton lacks a good sense of humor. She’s actually quite funny.

* And anti-immigration group called the Americans for Legal Immigration PAC apparently hopes to draft CNN’s Lou Dobbs into an independent presidential campaign.

* A Mississippi judge ruled this week that Gov. Haley Barbour (R) “exceeded his constitutional authority by setting the special election” to replace former senator Trent Lott for Nov. 4. The judge, however, ruled that the election should be held “within 90 days of the governor’s Dec. 20, 2007 proclamation of writ of election…on or before March 19, 2008.”

* And in Minnesota, Al Franken has launched his first two TV ads. His DFL primary rival, Mike Ciresi, has already been on the air.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The markets take another tumble: “Wall Street extended its 2008 plunge Thursday, tumbling after a regional Federal Reserve report showed a sharp decline in manufacturing activity and as investors grew concerned that downgrades of key bond insurers could trigger further trouble with souring debt. Each of the major indexes fell at least 2 percent, including the Dow Jones industrial average, which lost more than 300 points and skidded to its lowest close since last March 16.”

* On the other hand, I’m delighted to have a sensible Fed chairman: “Bernanke is saying, as clearly as he can, that a temporary economic downturn shouldn’t be used as a cynical excuse to pass new long-term tax cuts or to make existing tax cuts permanent. Not only would that have no effect on the economy right now, but it would likely make future economic problems even more intractable. In other words, Bernanke isn’t nuts: he thinks tax cuts reduce revenue and make long-term deficits worse.”

* Dept. of unintended consequences: “Iraqi farmers, desperate to make ends meet while simultaneously facing escalating fuel and fertilizer costs, as well as cheap imported fruits and vegetables, have taken to growing opium poppies. Poppy cultivation is spreading rapidly all across Iraq, but is especially prevalent in Diyala province, where local police and security forces are so preoccupied with the ethnic conflicts among the residents of the region, as well as a tenacious insurgency that brings the war and it’s associated chaos home — suffice it to say that the drug trade is low on their list of priorities.”

* WSJ: “Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said he hopes to see the U.S. military presence fall below 130,000 by the end of 2008, a position shared by many senior Pentagon commanders who worry the high troop levels in Iraq are causing growing manpower strains on the army. ‘The surge has sucked all of the flexibility out of the system,’ Army Chief of Staff George Casey said in an interview this week. ‘And we need to find a way of getting back into balance.’”

* I think we can probably safely ignore rumors about Tommy Franks entering politics: “Retired U.S. Army Gen. Tommy Franks, who led the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, was paid $100,000 to endorse a veterans charity that watchdog groups say is ripping off donors and wounded veterans by using only a small portion of the money raised for veterans services, according to testimony in Congress today.”

* The Guttmacher Institute reported yesterday that the abortion rate in the U.S. has declined to about 19 per thousand women of childbearing age. Kevin and Newshoggers take a look at what may be driving the trend.

* Ross Perot was a very strange man when he ran for president in 1992. He’s only gotten weirder since then.

* Fox News’ John Gibson wants to know if his liberal critics still think he’s a racist. The answer, especially in light of his incessant talk about more white people having babies, is an unequivocal “yes.”

* Speaking of Fox News blowhards, the good news is, the AP picked up on Bill O’Reilly’s comments about homeless vets. The bad news is, the AP neglected to mention that there are, in fact, nearly 200,000 of them, whether O’Reilly believes it or not.

* MM: “Today, Media Matters for America President & CEO David Brock issued an open letter to Steve Capus, the president of NBC News, raising serious questions about the on-air conduct of MSNBC Hardball host Chris Matthews. Given Matthews’ long history of degrading commentary, Brock has urged Capus to protect the network’s trusted reputation for fair and equal coverage and, as Capus himself articulated, ‘continue the dialogue about what is appropriate conduct and speech” on the air.’”

* I like this a lot: “Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) introduced the Caging Prohibition Act of 2008. Voter caging is a practice by which mail is sent to a registered voter’s address and, if the mail is returned as ‘undeliverable’ or if it is delivered and the voter does not respond, his or her registration is challenged in order to suppress voter turnout. This may occur even if the voter has simply moved across a college campus or to another location on a military base, or simply does not respond to what one might assume is junk mail. It is estimated that the practice has resulted in tens of thousands of voters - often soldiers, college students and low-income families - being purged from the rolls.”

* “Liberal Fascism” — to debut at #10 on the New York Times bestseller list.

* CREW wants CNN to dump Ralph Reed from its campaign coverage. Sounds like good advice.

* And finally, I can’t help but think that if Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) didn’t exist, we’d have to invent her: “I am so proud to be from the state of Minnesota. We’re the workingest [sic] state in the country, and the reason why we are, we have more people that are working longer hours, we have people that are working two jobs.” As TP concluded, “Bachmann’s version of the American Dream is apparently working two full-time jobs and struggling to get by.” And she’s “proud” of it.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new McClatchy-MSNBC poll in South Carolina shows a pretty competitive contest in tomorrow’s Republican primary. John McCain leads the field with 27%, followed closely by Mike Huckabee at 25%. Mitt Romney is third with 15%, and Fred Thompson is fourth in the poll with 13%. About one in 10 likely GOP voters are still undecided.

* McClatchy-MSNBC also polled South Carolina Dems, who’ll vote a week from tomorrow, and found a less competitive race. Barack Obama leads the field with 40%, followed by Hillary Clinton with 31%, and John Edwards is third with 13%. About 15% said they remain undecided, and an additional 1 in 5 said they still might change their minds. Obama’s biggest advantage is among those voters who are looking for change, where he leads Clinton 65% to 7%. Clinton’s biggest advantage is among those looking for experience, 81% to 7%.

* Nevada polls seem to be leaning in Clinton’s direction.

* Washington Times: “Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee yesterday continued to move to the right on immigration during this year’s presidential campaign, signing a pledge to enforce immigration laws and to make all illegal aliens go home. The pledge, offered by immigration control advocacy group Numbers USA, commits Mr. Huckabee to oppose a new path to citizenship for current illegal aliens and to cut the number of illegal aliens already in the country through attrition by law enforcement.” Up until recently, Huckabee described this approach as “inhumane.”

* John Edwards’ campaign put together a funny video about being ignored by the mainstream national media. It’s prompted some interesting debate — Jason Zengerle argues Edwards hasn’t been treated unfairly, while Greg Sargent argues the opposite.

* Rush Limbaugh isn’t endorsing anyone, but he certainly seems to be heaping praise on Mitt Romney: “Limbaugh, who makes a point of saying he does not officially endorse in the primaries, has nonetheless praised Romney effusively, repeated Romney’s policy talking points, defended him against attacks from fellow conservatives, and after Romney’s win in Michigan this week, declared him the front-runner.”

* In the race for Nevada newspaper endorsements, Obama has picked up the support of the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the Reno Gazette-Journal, while Clinton has won the endorsement of the Las Vegas Sun.

* This is causing quite a stir: “The pro-Obama UNITE-HERE union — the parent organization of the Culinary Workers Union — is running a Spanish radio ad in Nevada that lambastes Hillary Clinton, calling her ’shameless.’ The subject of the ad is the failed lawsuit filed by Clinton supporters, against the special caucus sites created on the Las Vegas Strip in order to help Culinary members participate. Hillary declined to condemn the suit, and Bill Clinton publicly defended it. ‘Senator Obama is defending our right to vote. Senator Obama wants our votes,’ the ad says.”

* At the Democratic debate the other night, each of the top three Dems were asked to name their greatest weakness. Obama talked about losing paperwork, Clinton said she’s impatient when trying to bring about major political changes, and Edwards said he cares too much about working people. It led Obama to have a little fun at his rivals’ expense: “Because I’m like, an ordinary person, I thought that they meant what’s your biggest weakness?” Obama said. “So I said, ‘Well, I don’t handle paper that well. You know, my desk is a mess. I need somebody to help me file and stuff all the time.’ So the other two they say uh, they say well my biggest weakness is ‘I’m just too passionate about helping poor people. I am just too impatient to bring about change in America.’ As the room erupted in laughter, he added, “If I had gone last I would have known what the game was. I could have said, ‘Well you know, I like to help old ladies across the street. Sometimes they don’t want to be helped. It’s terrible.’”

* Given the recent controversy about racism in Ron Paul publications, does he really want to appear at Bob Jones University right now?

* Kucinich is having a little trouble in his House district: Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson just endorsed Kucinich’s primary opponent (not his presidential primary opponent, his local primary opponent).

* And speaking of Kucinich, he really shouldn’t tell his supporters that he has “topped every other candidate in major polls.” I can appreciate trying to give backers a morale boost, but this is just dishonest.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* CNN: “President Bush on Friday proposed a temporary, broad-based tax relief package aimed at spurring the nation’s slowing economy…. It should equal about 1 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product, or roughly $140 billion, he added. Bush said the economy will continue to grow but at a slower rate. The president offered no specific details of the proposed package, but he did insist that it include tax incentives for business, ‘including small businesses, to make major investments in their enterprises this year.’ Bush also said the economic package must include ‘rapid income tax relief’ for consumers to ‘lift our economy at a time when people otherwise might spend less.’”

* Paul Krugman summarizes the president’s rhetoric on tax cuts: “Wouldn’t it be nice if, just once, the Bushies could refrain from trying to con the public?” If I only had a nickel for every time I’ve thought that phrase over the last seven years.

* Speaking of Republicans, tax cuts, and lies, Jonathan Chait explains, “John McCain is a recent convert to supply-side economics and still working on getting the talking points down. Speaking yesterday in South Carolina, the straight talker ‘proclaimed himself a believer in the notion that cutting taxes increases revenue for the government by spurring economic growth. ‘Don’t listen to this siren song about cutting taxes,’ Mr. McCain told supporters gathered here under a tent in a driving rain. ‘Every time in history we have raised taxes it has cut revenues.’ What? Every time?” Actually, no.

* Keith Olbermann made a mistake, so he apologized. Given that apologies from major news outlets are incredibly rare, I found this noteworthy.

* Iraq National Security Adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie: “Iraq’s government is at a stalemate…. I understand that the political objectives of Iraq’s three main communities are unrealizable within the framework of a unitary, centralized state. It has been impossible to maintain a political consensus on many important issues. For one thing, the U.S.-dominated coalition, which has its own objectives, must be accommodated. The regional “superpowers” (Iran and Saudi Arabia) meddle in Iraq’s affairs, and their own sectarian tensions are reflected in the violence here. The absence of truly national political parties and leadership that reach the Iraqi people exacerbates the problem.”

* NYT: Mitt Romney will be flying this afternoon from Reno to Burbank, Calif., for a taping of the ‘The Tonight Show’ with Jay Leno. ‘It occurred to us the best way to be in South Carolina and Nevada at the same time, was to be on the Tonight Show,’ said Eric Fehrnstrom, Mr. Romney’s spokesman. ‘Plus, it worked for Mike Huckabee, he won Iowa.’”

* McClatchy: “New data from the Labor Department confirm what most middle-class Americans already know: Inflation is squeezing them. As consumer prices rose by 4.1 percent last year, the highest rate since 1990, the prices of basic essentials such as food, gasoline and health insurance climbed far more steeply, explaining why so many Americans are telling pollsters that the economy is their chief concern. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday that the price of food and beverages rose 4.8 percent. At the same time, real weekly earnings failed to keep pace, rising 0.9 percent for the year. In the simplest of terms, a dollar earned bought less. This partly explains why the economy so frustrates Americans.” (thanks to R.K. for the heads-up)

* How strong is the animosity towards John McCain in some far-right GOP circles? Tom DeLay isn’t prepared to vote for the Republican ticket if McCain’s the nominee. “If McCain gets the nomination, I don’t know what I’ll do,” DeLay said at the Capitol Hill Club. “I might have to sit this one out.”

* The Pew Research Center has an interesting chart on how voters perceive themselves and the presidential candidates on the liberal-conservative spectrum. Take a look. (thanks to R.P. for the tip)

* Sweet Jesus I Hate Chris Matthews. I’m surprised this hasn’t come up sooner.

* Only a Fox News personality would say people who make $100,000 a year are “poor.”

* My friend Errington Thompson on what really happened in the Straits of Hormuz.

* Stephen Colbert’s portrait was “hung Wednesday at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington for a six-week showing in what the museum considers an ‘appropriate place’ — right between the bathrooms near the ‘America’s Presidents’ exhibit. Museum officials stress it’s only temporary. ‘We agreed to go along with the joke and hang it for a short time in between the bathrooms,’ said museum spokeswoman Bethany Bentley. ‘Let me tell you two key things here: His portrait is not coming into the collection, and it’s not hanging permanently.’”

* And finally, the latest gem from the incomparable Lee Stranahan: “The war on change.” Take a look; it’s a good way to end the week.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The NYT reports today that the Republican presidential field is going all out in Florida. John McCain, who shut down his Florida operation last summer, opened six offices in the state yesterday and hits the airwaves today. Mitt Romney’s TV ads return on Wednesday, and he’s not planning to leave the state again until after the primary. Rudy Giuliani spent his 48th day of campaigning in Florida yesterday.

* AP: “Barack Obama is stepping up his effort to correct the misconception that he’s a Muslim now that the presidential campaign has hit the Bible Belt. At a rally to kick off a weeklong campaign for the South Carolina primary, Obama tried to set the record straight from an attack circulating widely on the Internet that is designed to play into prejudices against Muslims and fears of terrorism ”I’ve been to the same church — the same Christian church — for almost 20 years,” Obama said, stressing the word Christian and drawing cheers from the faithful in reply. ‘I was sworn in with my hand on the family Bible. Whenever I’m in the United States Senate, I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. So if you get some silly e-mail … send it back to whoever sent it and tell them this is all crazy. Educate.’”

* Chuck Norris, still campaigning aggressively on Mike Huckabee’s behalf, questioned John McCain’s age at a campaign event yesterday. “If John takes over the presidency at 72 and he ages 3-to-1, how old will he be in four years? Eighty-four years old — and can he handle that kind of pressure in that job?” Norris said, as Huckabee looked on. Norris added, “That’s why I didn’t pick John to support, because I’m just afraid the vice president will wind up taking over his job within that four-year presidency.”

* Things really didn’t turn out in Nevada the way John Edwards had hoped, and now his aides concede that they expect Edwards to lose every primary contest in which he competes. But he’s still not planning to withdraw: “There’s just no reason not to go to South Carolina, pick up delegates and watch the dynamics of the race play out for a while,” one adviser said. In other words, if Edwards can’t be president, he wants to be a kingmaker.

* For what it’s worth, at least Edwards isn’t in denial: “I got my butt kicked. That is what happened in Nevada,” the former North Carolina senator told Wolf Blitzer.

* Following up on an earlier item, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, South Carolina’s most powerful Democrat, urged Bill Clinton to dial his campaign efforts down a notch. In an interview on CNN, Clyburn said, “I think they would say in Gullah-Geechee country, he needs to chill a little bit. I hope he understands what that means,” Clyburn said. “I can understand him wanting to defend his wife’s honor and his own record, and that is to be expected. But you can’t do that in a way that won’t engender the kind of feelings that seem to be bubbling up as a result of this.”

* Responding to some of the anti-Obama smears, spread via email and whisper campaigns, seven Jewish U.S. Senators released an “open letter to the Jewish community” on Saturday — none of whom have endorsed any presidential candidate — rejecting the baseless talk. “Over the past several weeks, many in the Jewish community have received hateful emails that use falsehood and innuendo about Senator Barack Obama’s religion and attack him personally,” reads the letter. “Jews, who have historically been the target of such attacks, should be the first to reject these tactics.”

* On a related note: “The military has warned soldiers not to use official computers to forward a chain e-mail that falsely accuses Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama of being a Muslim who attended a radical Muslim school, saying distribution of the information is a violation of Army regulations and constitutes unlawful political activity.” The memorandum also reminds the troops that the email smear, “like virtually all chain e-mails,” is “false.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* AP: “More than 2,000 people crowded Ebenezer Baptist Church on Monday to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s commitment to peace and equality and note the importance of his legacy in this election year. ‘He understood that life is not about self. Life is about service — and service to others,’ said Georgia Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle. Former President Bill Clinton, Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin were among those attending the service. King’s birthday is Jan. 15, but the federal holiday bearing his name is observed on the third Monday in January.”

* In 1983, John McCain was one of several Republican senators who voted against creating a holiday to honor Dr. King.

* Rick Perlstein notes the relationship between conservatives and MLK, including controversial comments from Strom Thurmond and Ronald Reagan upon King’s assassination: “What you get now are convoluted and fantastical tributes [from the right] arguing that, properly understood, Martin Luther King was actually one of them — or would have been, had he lived. But, if we are going to have a holiday to honor history, we might as well honor history. We might as well recover the true story. Conservatives — both Democrats and Republicans — hated King’s doctrines. Hating them was one of the litmus tests of conservatism.”

* First, the Heritage Foundation makes silly attacks: “The Heritage Foundation’s ‘blog’ indicts the ‘moral bankruptcy of Talking Points Memo.’ It seems to be a rearguard action expressing some hurt feelings about the right-wing failure to substantiate any of their bogus election fraud charges, which they have used to suppress voter turnout by minority and low-income voters as well as provide fodder for Voter-ID laws and sundry other voter suppression tactics.”

* …and then the Heritage Foundation offers a metaphor for conservative competence: “I am offended that Heritage is slyly using their server reliability as a metaphor for modern conservative governance. Earlier I linked to the main blog to try to give people a working link. But now it seems that your visits have brought down the entire blog section of the Heritage website. Then momentarily the direct link worked. But then it went down again too. If someone from Heritage would be willing to walk a paper copy to TPM headquarters we would be happy to scan it and post it directly on our site.:

* Did Mitt Romney, for no apparent reason at all, really say, “Who let the dogs out?” while campaigning in Florida today? Regretfully, yes.

* An important post from emptywheel: “What follows is an uber-timeline, matching the dates for which OVP and WH don’t have any email archives to the Plame investigation, as well as laying out further details on how the investigation proceeded over time.”

* I guess this was inevitable: “It’s official! The EPA-California greenhouse gas affair has matured into the promised knock-down-drag-out fight it showed promise to become. That’s right, barely a month into it, and we’ve already got an assertion of executive privilege.”

* I’ve lost count of just how many columns Paul Krugman has devoted to criticizing Obama, but he was at it again today. Matt Yglesias and dnA offer retorts.

* AP: “The Los Angeles Times fired its top editor after he rejected a management order to cut $4 million from the newsroom budget, 14 months after his predecessor was also ousted in a budget dispute, the newspaper said Sunday. James O’Shea was fired following a confrontation with Publisher David D. Hiller, the Times reported on its Web site…. The departure also follows that of his predecessor, Dean Baquet, who was forced to resign after he opposed further cuts to the newsroom budget in 2006.”

* Like Kevin, I found this National Review item confusing: “If either McCain or Romney gets the nomination, as unfortunately seems likely, he must choose the single most conservative running mate he can find, who is sane and articulate. Or else Obama becomes President, with a lot of crossover GOP votes.” Conservatives prefer Obama to McCain and Romney? Independents, sure, but conservatives?

* Reader R.K. reminded me of Bob Herbert’s great column from the weekend: “I think of the people running this country as the mad-dashers, a largely confused and inconsistent group lurching ineffectively from one enormous problem to another. They’ve made a hash of a war that never should have been launched. They can’t find bin Laden. They’ve been shocked by the subprime debacle. They’re lost in a maze on health care. Now, like children who have eaten too much sugar, they are frantically trying to figure out how to put a few dollars into the hands of working people to stimulate an enfeebled economy. They should stop, take a deep breath and acknowledge the obvious: the way to put money into the hands of working people is to make sure they have access to good jobs at good wages.”

* And finally, coming eventually to a theater near you: “He’s tackled the assassination of John F. Kennedy and tumultuous presidency of Richard Nixon. Now Hollywood director Oliver Stone is preparing to take an in depth look at how President Bush came to power. According to Daily Variety, Stone is in the process of developing a script about the current president that he hopes will hit theatres in time for the general election next fall. And he’s tapped Josh Brolin — most recently of ‘No Country for Old Men’ to play the commander in chief.” Stone said he wants a “fair, true portrait of the man.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Expecting to come up short, Hillary Clinton is apparently scaling back her efforts in South Carolina, campaigning outside the state over the next few days, and returning later this week. Instead, Bill Clinton will be campaigning on her behalf in South Carolina throughout the week.

* Speaking of the former president, Bill Clinton faced an awkward moment yesterday: “With former President Bill Clinton standing not 20 feet in front of her, Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin took what appeared to be a political shot at the former president’s comments about Barack Obama’s candidacy. Speaking at the 40th annual MLK commemorative service at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Franklin said the country is on the ‘cusp of turning impossible into reality. Yes this is reality, not fantasy or fairy tales.’ … [A]fter Franklin’s remarks, the crowd of more than 2000 rose to its feet — except for Bill Clinton, who sat in his front pew seat and clapped politely.”

* Rudy Giuliani’s campaign troubles got a little worse yesterday, when an WNBC/Marist poll showed the former mayor losing badly in his own home state. John McCain now leads in New York with 33% of likely GOP primary voters, followed by Mitt Romney with 19%. Giuliani was third with 18%, just three points ahead of Mike Huckabee.

* In Florida, the Romney campaign has unveiled a Spanish-language TV ad, featuring a testimonial from Romney’s son, Craig, who learned Spanish during his missionary work in South America. It’s interesting, of course, that Romney would approve a Spanish-language ad, given his support for English-only measures. “English needs to be the language that is spoken in America. We cannot be a bilingual nation like Canada,” Romney said last year.

* The Obama campaign launched a national ad this week on cable TV, drawing complaints from the Clinton campaign that viewers in Florida might see it, and the candidates aren’t supposed to be campaigning in Florida at all. The Clinton team called the ad “a clear and blatant violation” of the candidates’ pledge, and has threatened to start campaigning in Florida as a result. The Obama campaign responded that it tried to buy a national ad that aired in 49 out of 50 states, but the networks said that was impossible.

* The Obama campaign told supporters in South Carolina that he’s encouraged by the polls, but his backers shouldn’t feel over-confident: You may decide, ‘Well you know what maybe Barack’s got it in the bag, because the polls look good.’ Remember the polls in New Hampshire? We cannot take anything for granted.”

* This morning, Hillary Clinton sounded a bit like she was taunting Obama this morning, following last night’s debate. “I think what we saw last night was that he’s very frustrated – Senator Obama is very frustrated,” Clinton said at a DC press conference.

* CNN is pushing this pretty hard, though I suspect it wasn’t a big deal: “Hillary Clinton and John Edwards met privately backstage following a very contentious Democratic presidential debate in this coastal city, sources with both campaigns confirm to CNN. The meeting took place in the Edwards campaign green room. One of the sources said the meeting happened by chance and the conversation consisted of light chatter. The source added that Clinton did jokingly take a jab at Edwards about his beating up on her during the debate.”

* And Ralph Nader said yesterday that he’s still considering a fourth presidential campaign. “I’ll decide in about a month,” he said in an interview broadcast on CBC Radio’s Daybreak show in Montreal. “What I’m deciding on right now is whether we can get enough volunteers, enough financial resources to overcome the huge ballot access obstacles, which you don’t experience here in Canada, but which are the worst in the Western world in the United States.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Market watching today, as you might imagine, was not for the feint of heart: “Stocks ended lower, but off the worst levels of the session as worries about a global economic slowdown eased and investors continued to sort through the implications of the Fed’s emergency interest-rate cut. The Dow Jones industrial average lost about 1 percent, recovering from bigger losses during the session. The blue-chip barometer opened the session down by more than 450 points. The broader S&P 500 index gave up 1.1 percent and the Nasdaq composite lost 2 percent, recovering from larger losses. The Russell 2000 small-cap index ended just 0.2 percent lower. The Russell is considered to be in a bear market, having tumbled more than 20 percent off its highs from last summer. Treasury prices rallied, lowering the corresponding yields as investors bet on the comparative safety of government debt. Oil prices fell and gold prices climbed.”

* On a related note, McClatchy has a nicely-done Q&A: “With the market dropping, the economy softening and prices spiking, it’s an unsettling time for most Americans. Here are some answers to key questions consumers face.”

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: “A suicide bomber pushing an electric heater atop a cart packed with hidden explosives attacked a high school north of Baghdad on Tuesday, leaving students and teachers bloodied and bewildered as insurgents appeared to be expanding their list of targets. The bombing — one of two attacks near Iraqi schools on the same day — follows a wave of recent blasts blamed on al-Qaida in Iraq against funerals and social gatherings.”

* AP: “Jose Padilla, once accused of plotting with al-Qaida to blow up a radioactive “dirty bomb,” was sentenced Tuesday to 17 years and four months on terrorism conspiracy charges that don’t mention those initial allegations. The sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke marks another step in the extraordinary personal and legal odyssey for the 37-year-old Muslim convert, a U.S. citizen who was held for 3 1/2 years as an enemy combatant after his 2002 arrest amid the “dirty bomb” allegations. Prosecutors had sought a life sentence, but Cook said she arrived at the 17-year sentence after considering the ‘harsh conditions’ during Padilla’s lengthy military detention at a Navy brig in South Carolina.”

* What’s the latest on FISA and retroactive immunity for the telecoms? Paul Kiel has an update: “When [Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid] tried to get a thirty-day extension to that date last month, Republicans blocked it. So this morning he said on the Senate floor that he’d try again. The time pressures are real, he said, and suggested that even if the Senate were to somehow pass a bill, it would be mighty difficult to get it through the House and to the president’s desk before February 1st. The Senate itself will be a high hurdle, with Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) filibustering over a retroactive immunity provision on the one hand and Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) saying that the authority for warrantless wiretapping stems from the Constitution on the other.”

* This wasn’t supposed to happen: “From the blast and the high, thin plume of white smoke above the tree line, it looked and sounded like any other attack. The bare details were, sadly, routine enough: a gunner was killed and three crew members were wounded Saturday when their vehicle rolled over a homemade bomb buried beneath a road southeast of Baghdad. Yet, it was anything but routine. Over a crackling field radio came reports of injuries and then, sometime later, official confirmation of the first fatality inflicted by a roadside bomb on an MRAP, the new Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected armored vehicle that the American military is counting on to reduce casualties from roadside bombs in Iraq.”

* The WaPo had a great piece today on the Bush White House’s email archive system, or lack thereof, but here’s a good summary of the piece: “[T]he Clinton administration, after getting into trouble over losing some White House emails, had a perfectly good system in place by the end of its term. But the Bushies threw that out the window for no apparent reason when they came in and didn’t put anything in its place. Whether deviousness or incompetence is to blame is unclear.”

* The purge scandal isn’t on the front page anymore, but it’s still percolating and several sources said the controversy may yet have an impact on November congressional elections: “Washington’s attention has been diverted from the scandal since the August resignation of Alberto Gonzales as attorney general, and has focused instead on Democrats’ efforts to hold White House officials in contempt for ignoring congressional subpoenas to testify on Capitol Hill about the firings. But recent behind-the-scenes activity in several investigations suggests that the issue that roiled Congress in 2007 could re-emerge in the heat of the election year. Two inquiries by the House and Senate ethics committees are examining whether several congressional Republicans, including one running for the Senate this year, improperly interfered with investigations.”

* The Oscar nominations were announced this morning, and while entertainment news really isn’t my kind of thing, I was pleased to see “No End in Sight” and “Sicko” get nominations.

* In related news, the writers and the studios are apparently getting ready to talk again.

* Jonathan Schwarz has an interesting, albeit counterintuitive, look at market fluctuations and Social Security privatization.

* And finally, Jay Leno had an amusing line: “In Saudi Arabia last week, President Bush was criticized for doing a little ceremonial dance with a sword given to him by the Saudi prince. A lot of people thought the President was pandering to the Saudis. To be fair, I don’t think the President was pandering. See, I think President Bush is truly fascinated by bright, shiny objects.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Barack Obama has already been doing pretty well in South Carolina if the polls are any indication, but it won’t hurt to pick the endorsement of The State, South Carolina’s largest newspaper.

* Hillary Clinton began hammering Obama yesterday on an apparent healthcare flip-flop. Clinton’s campaign put together a video featuring footage from a 2003 event in which Obama touts single-payer healthcare. The Obama campaign said the video takes the five-year-old comments out of context. Not having seen the full speech, I can’t say for sure who’s right.

* Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt (R) surprised quite a few people yesterday afternoon when he announced that he is retiring at the end of his term. Blunt said he wants to spend more time with his family, but the decision not to seek re-election may have had something to do with polls showing him badly trailing state Attorney General Jay Nixon (D). Chris Cillizza noted that rumored Republican candidates include Rep. Kenny Hulshof, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, former senator Jim Talent and state treasurer Sarah Steelman.

* California’s Democratic primary is still two weeks away, but the latest Field Poll, arguably the most respected in the state, shows Clinton with a double-digit lead over Obama, 39% to 27%. The 12-point margin is slightly smaller than the 14-point lead Clinton enjoyed in December.

* How rough have things gotten for Rudy Giuliani? He’s already trying to downplay the significance of Florida’s primary, where he’s spending $350,000 per day in TV ads.

* John McCain picked up the support yesterday of former New York Sen. Al D’Amato.

* He’s also poised to pick up an endorsement from retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of the first Gulf War.

* The presidential campaign has spilled over into the world of basketball, as Magic Johnson (a Clinton backer) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (an Obama backer) made their cases for the respective candidates.

* There was going to be a debate between John McCain, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday in Miami, but McCain pulled out and said he has to be in Tampa on Sunday morning.

* Joe Lieberman will be a co-chair of McCain’s leadership team in Connecticut.

* The Clinton campaign’s mischaracterizing of Obama’s “party of ideas” remark has now been turned into a radio ad.

* Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D), who has quite a political operation in his state, endorsed Clinton this morning.

* And John Edwards seemed to have a little fun on David Letterman’s show last night.

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I suppose it’s only natural for partisans in a presidential campaign to look across the aisle and wonder, “Which one of our candidates would the other side least like to face?” It’s hardly a foolproof way of looking at a race — partisans give head-fakes, and more importantly, they can be wrong.

Having said that, I found this item from the National Review’s Byron York pretty interesting.

I went to Barack Obama’s rally [in Columbia, South Carolina] on Sunday night, with a Republican friend who had never seen the Illinois senator in action before. Watching the crowd of more than 3,000 fill up the convention center, watching the people send up waves of energy to Obama, and watching him play off that energy in a speech that was one of the best political performances anyone has seen this year, my Republican friend said, simply, “Oh, s—t.” He recalled the scene from Jaws, in which the small seaside town’s sheriff realizes how big the shark he’s tracking truly is, and says, “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.” What my friend didn’t have to say was that he was deeply worried that Republicans just don’t have a bigger boat. […]

Watching Obama perform at the convention center Sunday night, it’s easy to understand why Bill Clinton is walking around with a look of red-faced frustration these days. Obama represents a mortal threat to his wife’s candidacy, and, given the identity politics that prevail in the Democratic Party, it will be hard to cut his legs out from under him without appearing racist. But there’s no doubt that some Republicans are hoping the Clintons will succeed. Running against the man on stage at the convention center would be a hard, hard campaign, requiring a very big boat.

At a minimum, this seems to create a selling point for Obama. John McCain enjoys telling Republicans that he’s the one candidate Dems don’t want to face. Some find it persuasive, others don’t, but rank-and-file Republicans certainly consider this when weighing the candidates’ merits.

In this sense, I suspect if the Obama campaign sent around Lowry’s column, it might reinforce a similar argument.

Now, it’s fair to say that it’s an over-simplification to tell Dems, “Vote for the one Republicans are afraid of.” That said, there’s something to this, isn’t there? It’s not unreasonable for Dems to hesitate before nominating the candidate Republicans want to face, is it?

I’m reminded of an item the LAT ran several months ago about the 2004 race. Before John Kerry started winning all the contests, Karl Rove, Matt Dowd, and Bush’s political team sized up the Democratic field and concluded that John Edwards was the guy they didn’t want to see get the nomination. As a result, Bush’s operation immediately went after Kerry.

Their thinking went like this, Dowd explained: Democrats, in a knee-jerk reaction to GOP attacks, would rally around Kerry, whom Rove considered a comparatively weak opponent, and make him the party’s nominee. Thus Bush would be spared from confronting Edwards, the candidate Republican strategists actually feared most.

Unlike Kerry, who had been in public service for decades, Edwards was a political newcomer and lacked a long record that could be attacked. And, unlike former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who had been the front-runner but whose campaign was collapsing in Iowa, Edwards couldn’t easily be painted as “nutty.”

If that sounds implausibly convoluted, consider Dowd’s own words: “Whomever we attacked was going to be emboldened in Democratic primary voters’ minds. So we started attacking John Kerry a lot in the end of January because we were very worried about John Edwards.”

Nicolle Wallace, the 2004 Bush campaign communications director, confirmed all of this and said Rove was so worried about Edwards, BC04 “refused” to even respond to Edwards’ attacks on Bush, not wanting to make him seem like a threat.

Fast forward four years. Republicans are going after Clinton quite a bit, as Lowry’s piece demonstrates they seem pretty nervous about Obama, and they disregard Edwards as uncompetitive.

From where I sit, I see a few possible scenarios:

* Republicans are attacking Clinton for the same reasons Rove & Co. attacked Kerry — they want to face her in November.

* Republicans are attacking Clinton because they fear her as a general-election candidate, and are trying to create negative narratives now to lay the groundwork for the rest of the year.

* Republicans are holding their fire on Obama for the same reasons Rove & Co. ignored Edwards — they don’t want to face him in November.

* Republicans are holding their fire on Obama because they want him to get the nomination, at which point they’ll swiftboat the hell out of him.

It’s worth noting, of course, that the Republicans may be entirely wrong. (It’s been known to happen on occasion.) They may think it’d be easy to defeat Hillary, when she may win in a landslide. They may think Obama would be tough to beat, when the opposite could be true. Who knows; it’s all speculative anyway.

The point I’m weighing here is whether, and to what extent, Dems should care about who Republicans want to face. I’m all ears.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Market watching these days is enough to give someone whiplash: “Wall Street swung between steep losses and large gains Wednesday, as investors wrestled with fears that a recession in the United States is inevitable. Each of the major indexes at times were down more than 2 percent, including the Dow Jones industrial average, which fell more than 320 points before rebounding. Some investors seeking safety turned to Treasury bonds, often a haven as the stock market plunges.”

* I suspect it will surprise no one to hear that the war in Iraq is costing a lot of money: “The Iraq war may not dominate U.S. news reports as the carnage drops, but a new report underscores the financial burden of persistent combat that is helping run up the government’s credit card. ‘Funding for U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and other activities in the war on terrorism expanded significantly in 2007,’ the Congressional Budget Office said in a report released on Wednesday.” By the CBO’s estimate, Iraq is costing $11 billion a month.

* On a related note, the CBO also concluded that the U.S. budget deficit for the current year would increase to a quarter-trillion dollars. This does not include the cost of a likely economic stimulus package, which will likely add an additional $100 billion to the nation’s charge card. I vaguely recall hearing Bush bragging about cutting his record-high budget deficits “in half” before leaving office. Just another presidential assurance Bush didn’t mean and couldn’t keep.

* There’s no better time than a recession for Republicans to block healthcare for low-income kids: “The House Democratic leadership again failed to win over enough Republicans to undo President Bush’s veto of a children’s health insurance bill Wednesday. The 260-152 vote fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to override the veto on the measure, which would have added $35 billion to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and, Democrats assert, provided health benefits to 10 million children.” A group of 42 Republicans broke party ranks, but that wasn’t nearly enough.

* In an unusually inane report, ABC News told viewers that Barack Obama had a confrontational and “testy” exchange with a reporter on the campaign trail yesterday. ABC’s report was almost comically misleading.

* Dems still want to know if Michael Mukasey can now explain whether he believes waterboarding constitutes torture. The cat still has the AG’s tongue.

* Hillary Clinton’s Senate predecessor, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, also described modern Republicans as the “party of ideas.” One assumes her campaign won’t mention this in its misleading radio ads.

* AP: “Tens of thousands of Palestinians on foot and on donkey carts poured into Egypt from Gaza Wednesday after masked gunmen used land mines to blast down a seven-mile barrier dividing the border town of Rafah. The border breach was a dramatic protest against the closure of the impoverished Palestinian territory imposed last week by Israel.”

* Oh dear: “Senior Democrats have decided that holding a controversial vote on the contempt citations, which have already been approved by the House Judiciary Committee as part of its investigation into the firing of nine U.S. attorneys, would ’step on their message’ of bipartisan unity in the midst of the stimulus package talks.” Here’s a tip: the Bush White House will continue to treat Congress and its subpoenas as an easily-ignored annoyance until they think there may be consequences.

* No matter who’s using them, loyalty oaths make me uncomfortable: “Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich asked the Supreme Court Thursday to block the Texas Democratic Party from using a loyalty oath to keep him off the presidential primary ballot. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals turned down a similar request earlier Thursday. Kucinich and singer-supporter Willie Nelson are pressing the case, objecting to the Texas Democratic Party’s oath that a presidential candidate must ‘fully support’ the party’s eventual nominee. Kucinich crossed out the oath when he filed for a spot on the primary ballot. A federal judge in Austin ruled against Kucinich last week. U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel ruled the state party has the right to require the oath.” (thanks to JJF for the tip)

* The New Hampshire recount doesn’t seem to be having much of an effect.

* And finally, in the wake of Heath Ledger’s death, Fox News personality John Gibson mocked the deceased actor on the air today: “Playing an audio clip of the iconic quote, ‘I wish I knew how to quit you’ from Ledger’s gay romance movie Brokeback Mountain, Gibson disdainfully quipped, ‘Well, he found out how to quit you.’ Laughing, Gibson then played another clip from Brokeback Mountain in which Ledger said, ‘We’re dead,’ followed by his own, mocking ‘We’re dead’ before playing the clip again.” It’s the kind of class and decency we’ve come to expect from Fox News employees.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Following up on the latest Hillary Clinton radio ad, which is clearly misleading about the “party of ideas” flap, the Obama campaign is hitting back, turning Clinton’s attacks into a character issue with a radio spot of their own. The ad tells the audience it was “Hillary Clinton, in an interview with Tom Brokaw, who quote ‘paid tribute’ to Ronald Reagan’s economic and foreign policy. She championed NAFTA – even though it has cost South Carolina thousands of jobs. And worst of all, it was Hillary Clinton who voted for George Bush’s war in Iraq. Hillary Clinton. She’ll say anything, and change nothing. It’s time to turn the page.”

* If you blinked you missed it, but Louisiana apparently held its Republican caucuses last night. The “winner” was “an uncommitted slate running under the title of ‘Pro-Life, Pro-Family,’ followed by John McCain, Ron Paul and Mitt Romney. In fact, the organizers of that “Pro-Life, Pro-Family” slate were almost all Thompson supporters who decided to take that name a few weeks ago, when it became a distinct possibility that he would drop out before the caucuses — which he did that very afternoon.”

* The exodus continues: “Republican Rep. Jim Walsh of New York is expected to announce his retirement soon, according to a GOP aide familiar with the decision, giving Democrats another pick-up opportunity following a wave of Republican retirements this cycle. The veteran appropriator had a tough reelection fight in 2006 and was expected to face another challenge in the fall. It marks another surprise retirement for the GOP.” Dems are already eyeing the district as a strong pick-up opportunity.

* The ugliness associated with the Dems’ Nevada caucuses continues. Yesterday, the Obama campaign filed a formal complaint over some of the alleged irregularities. “On the day of the Caucus, we received by phone reports of misconduct, violations of the rules and irregularities, in the hundreds. Since that time, well over a thousand more accounts have been sent to us,” the complaint said.

* Duncan Hunter endorsed Mike Huckabee’s White House bid yesterday, though Hunter probably lacked the support necessary to help make this matter.

* McCain’s campaign has a new ad out, referring to himself as the Dems’ “worst nightmare.” “Democrat [sic] Senators Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards said John McCain’s name 15 times during the course of their hour and a half-long debate this week,” McCain spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker said in statement. “Why? They fear John McCain most because he’s the one candidate who can rally the conservative Reagan Coalition while appealing to independent voters to win in November.”

* MSNBC will host a debate tonight in Boca Raton, Fla., for the Republican presidential candidates. I’ve haven’t decided whether to watch or not.

* Short on funds, McCain and Giuliani left Florida yesterday in order to raise money in New York. Romney, independently wealthy, stayed in the Sunshine State.

* And the AP notes that Feb. 5 will be huge, but there aren’t enough delegates at stake to officially end the parties’ nominating contests. That’s true, but if one candidate dominates, the writing will be on the wall.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Given the pressures he’s facing in his House district, I suppose the timing was right for Dennis Kucinich to step aside: “Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich is abandoning his second bid for the White House. In an interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the congressman said he was quitting the race and would make a formal announcement Friday. ‘I want to continue to serve in Congress,’ he told the newspaper. Kucinich said he will not endorse another Democrat in the primary.”

* Discouraging-but-expected news from the Senate this afternoon: “The Senate just voted to kill (table) the Senate Judiciary Committee’s surveillance bill, which did not contain retroactive immunity for the telecoms. The vote was 60-36 to table, with a number of Dems crossing over.”

* Just one year ago, the president, in coordination with the Maliki government, presented the nation with 18 fairly specific benchmarks, which would demonstrate for Americans how much progress the administration’s policy was making. Twelve months later, by the Center for American Progress’ estimate, just three of the 18 benchmarks can fairly be described as complete.

* Encouraging: “Just 24 hours after it was launched, Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign pulled a South Carolina radio ad that targets Barack Obama for his recent comments on the Republican Party…. Clinton’s South Carolina spokesman did not provide a reason why the ad was pulled, saying only, ‘we are on schedule with our closer ads starting.’”

* Even more encouraging: “CNN reported that the Hillary campaign has yanked their radio ad in South Carolina hitting Obama for saying the GOP is the ‘party of ideas.’ … Now the Obama campaign has responded in kind with their S.C. ad hitting Hillary for being willing to ’say anything’ to win. Obama spokesperson Bill Burton tells us: ‘Once we confirmed that Clinton was taking down her attack ad, we instructed radio stations in South Carolina to take down our response ad.’”

* I plan to have a more detailed report on this tomorrow, but EPA Chief Stephen Johnson had a very rough day before a Senate committee this afternoon, with the administrator struggling to explain why he rejected his staffers’ advice and blocked states’ efforts to combat global warming.

* It’s about damn time: “Ending months of resistance, the White House has agreed to give House members access to secret documents about its warrantless wiretapping program, a congressional official said Thursday. The Bush administration is trying to convince the House to protect from civil lawsuits the telecommunications companies that helped the government eavesdrop on Americans without the approval of a court. Congress created the court 30 years ago to oversee such activities. House Intelligence and Judiciary committee members and staff will begin reading the documents at the White House Thursday, said an aide to Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas.”

* Fox News personality John Gibson continued to mock Heath Ledger’s death today, because the actor portrayed a gay man in “Brokeback Mountain.” MSNBC’s Scarborough described the homophobic undertones of Gibson’s comments as “mean-spirited and hateful.” I still don’t know why anyone would listen to Gibson’s show voluntarily.

* Even William Safire seems disappointed that the NYT hired Bill Kristol as a columnist. Is there anyone outside the paper’s leadership who still thinks this was a good idea?

* Al Gore supports gay marriage. May others follow his lead.

* I can’t believe Fox News did a hatchet job on one of my wife’s favorite video games.

* The problem with some “independent” voters.

* This probably shouldn’t surprise anyone: “The White House confirmed Wednesday that its new budget next month will not request a full year’s funding for the war in Iraq, leaving the next president and Congress to confront major cost questions soon after taking office in 2009.”

* And finally, this story was painful to read: “A passenger who went through an airport security checkpoint — before remembering that he had a loaded gun — is facing charges after going back to report his error, authorities said.” Seriously. A guy passed through security at Washington National Airport with a loaded gun, and went undetected. He realized his mistake and returned to the checkpoint. He could have gotten on the plane and been on his way, but he did the right thing — so he was charged with possessing or transporting a firearm into an air carrier terminal. As Steve Verdon put it, “Wouldn’t it make more sense to not come down so hard on what appears to be a decent law abiding citizen and instead spend more time focusing on how the security checkpoint failed? Just an idea.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Two weeks before New Yorkers vote in their presidential primary, the New York Times endorsed Hillary Clinton: “The potential upside of a great Obama presidency is enticing, but this country faces huge problems, and will no doubt be facing more that we can’t foresee. The next president needs to start immediately on challenges that will require concrete solutions, resolve, and the ability to make government work. Mrs. Clinton is more qualified, right now, to be president.”

* The NYT also endorsed John McCain today, largely due to a process of elimination. After explaining why Giuliani, Romney, and Huckabee are poor choices, the Times notes that McCain was at least willing to speak out against torture, recognize global warming, and support campaign finance reform. “That doesn’t make him a moderate,” the editorial explains, “but it makes him the best choice for the party’s presidential nomination.”

* Rudy Giuliani said yesterday that he’d stay in the race for the GOP nomination, even if he loses in Florida on Tuesday. “I have no plans to end my campaign,” he said. “Of course, I anticipate winning in Florida because I don’t go into a campaign anticipating losing. And I have no reason not to anticipate winning. We’re very, very competitive.”

* Departing Ebay CEO Meg Whitman appears to be gearing up to run for governor in California in 2010 as a Republican: “Whitman is said to be asking detailed questions about the logistics of a run and the effect she could have as governor, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal the conversations.”

* Barack Obama held a press conference this morning, and had a new answer in response to intra-party squabbling: “This is good practice for me, so you know when I take on those Republicans I’ll be accustomed to it.”

* John McCain’s fundraising is picking up — he’s raised more than $7 million in January, and the month’s not over yet. If the GOP establishment starts to think of him as the frontrunner, expect this number to soar; the party always wants to bet on the favorite.

* Hillary Clinton characterized Obama this morning as the aggressor in their disputes. “I try not to attack first, but I have to defend myself — I do have to counterpunch,” Clinton told NBC’s “Today Show.”

* On a related note, in the same interview, NBC showed a picture of Hillary Clinton alongside Tony Rezko. I wonder who dug that picture up?

* Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) has made up his mind about which candidate to support, but he won’t say who it is. (He apparently isn’t even telling his wife.)

* When it comes to the “party of ideas,” the WaPo’s E. J. Dionne Jr. thinks Obama in ‘08 sounds a bit like Bill Clinton in ‘92, only Clinton was far quicker to embrace conservative frames.

* And Obama appeared via satellite on Letterman last night, reading the “Top Ten Barack Obama Campaign Promises.” Some were funnier than others, but this was my favorite: “Pronounce the word ‘nuclear,’ nuclear.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Lest anyone think the deal over the stimulus package is a done deal, it’s not: “The bipartisan agreement on an economic stimulus package reached by House leaders was immediately undermined by senators intent on ensuring that their ideas get a hearing before any bill becomes law. Even before House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and the chamber’s minority leader, John Boehner of Ohio, stood together yesterday on Capitol Hill to announce their agreement, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, a Montana Democrat, said he planned to introduce his own bill.”

* On a related note: “Americans increasingly expect a recession this year and they’re looking to Democrats more than President George W. Bush for a solution, according to a Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times survey. The pessimism was shared widely, with more than two-thirds of those polled saying the economy is doing badly, up from 56 percent in December. That is the most negative sentiment since the poll began asking the question in 1997…. By a margin of 51 percent to 29 percent, respondents to the survey said Democrats can handle the economy better than Bush.”

* As expected, Dennis Kucinich formally ended his presidential campaign today.

* The exodus continues: “Rep. Dave Weldon (R-Fla.) is expected to announce that he will retire from Congress at the end of this session, a Republican source confirmed Friday. Weldon, 54, is a seven-term lawmaker who sits on the House Appropriations Committee. He could not be reached for comment. Weldon would be the 22nd GOP incumbent to announce that they will not seek reelection in 2008. It’s also the second GOP retirement announcement this week. On Thursday, Rep. Jim Walsh (R-N.Y.) said he would not seek reelection.”

* This McClatchy piece about immigration officials detaining and deporting American citizens is just stunning. As Michael Froomkin noted, “It’s really worth reading the whole article: no right to a lawyer, no help getting documents, no one believes the documents you get or the witnesses you find, and you have the burden of proof of showing you are a citizen — while in custody.”

* Disappointing, but not unexpected: “Attorney General Michael Mukasey today told reporters that ‘he doesn’t plan for a special prosecutor to investigate whether the CIA broke the law when it destroyed videotapes of terror interrogations, defying some in Congress who want an independent look’ at the case. ‘Speaking tersely and in an even, low tone,’ Mukasey refused to say ‘whether he has seen any evidence that destroying the interrogation tapes violated court orders or otherwise interfered with any case.’”

* In related news: “A judge on Thursday gave the Justice Department three weeks to report in writing whether the destruction of C.I.A. videotapes in November 2005 violated an order he issued four months earlier to preserve evidence. The new order, issued by Judge Richard W. Roberts of the Federal District Court in Washington, is the first to require the Bush administration to provide information related to the videotapes’ destruction, which is under criminal investigation.”

* I’ve been meaning to write more about EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson and his indefensible decision to prevent states from doing more to combat global warming. He was smacked around quite effectively yesterday, and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) has introduced a bill to overrule Johnson’s decision.

* Anxious to understand exactly what went on in the Senate yesterday with FISA and retroactive telecom immunity, and what happens next? Paul Kiel offers a summary with the lay of the land.

* In a very pleasant surprise, union membership went up last year for the first time in a quarter-century. Good. Maybe this please be the start of a trend.

* The Wall Street Journal was poised to make more of the paper available for free online, in the hopes that it would boost traffic and online advertising revenue. So much for that idea.

* Does Dana Perino really want to talk about “do-nothing” Congresses? If so, she hasn’t thought this one through.

* And finally, Colorado State Rep. Douglas Bruce (R) became the first state lawmaker in Colorado history to receive a formal censure from the General Assembly, following an incident in which he “delivered a swift kick to the knee of a photographer for The Rocky Mountain News who was snapping his picture during a ceremonial prayer.” Bruce, a conservative Republican, refused to apologize. “Just before he was censured, Mr. Bruce gave a speech on the House floor comparing himself to the main character in the film ‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,’ in which he said Jimmy Stewart plays a rookie senator who is hounded by the press until he physically attacks them. Mr. Bruce’s colleagues were unmoved. ‘You’re not Jimmy Stewart,’ responded Representative Al White, Republican of Hayden. ‘This is not a 1939 movie. This is today. Your actions were wrong.’”

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Good morning and welcome back to the Huffington Post's essential and somewhat sado-masochistic liveblog of the Sunday morning nimroddery. We return after a week's absence. Hope everyone is well! As usual, leave comments, send emails, and relax: we're watching this crap so you don't have to.

Fox News Sunday

Chris starts off with a sit down with Henry Paulson to talk about the Too Little Too Late Act of 2008 - the economic stimulus package. Paulson's like: "Are you not pleased with our magical bipartisanship!?" All that really means is that the GOP wanted to food stamps and unemployment measures stripped out of the bill. Paulson won't come right out and say what needs to stay out of the bill, and he won't come right out and say the president will veto the bill. "Complexity is the enemy."

I haven't had a whole lot of experience watching Paulson, and maybe he's hoarse or something, but he sure comes across this morning as some meathead from out of David Mamet play - licking his lips, rasping his consonants to give them this menacing edge...let's give us the "always be closing" monologue, here, P!

Can't we all just sit back and stop pretending that the Bush economic policies were ever anything other that a warm plate of dung? Came in on a cheap tax rebate plan, going out on an even bigger rebate plan. Glacial growth, a moribund job market, the dollar dying a grim death. Bush has had one idea and now he's used it twice. Oh well. If you get this money America, don't use it to stimulate the retail economy! Pay down debt! Put it in savings! Wrest the interest earnings from the government and keep it for yourself. And send a clear message to the administration: "HA HA BURN!"

"Shouldn't the administration acted much earlier?" Wallace asks about the housing bubble. Not when the administration was attempting to give the electorate a conservative makeover! Getting people into homes tends to make them more conservative. Unfortunately, what the GOP is going to learn is that massive foreclosures and unaffordable mortgages only make people anxious and angry.

Mike Huckabee! Oh, Mike. Is the run over?

Wallace gets Huckabee to weigh in on Romney and McCain, and, as agreed, Huckabee slams Romney without really doing it. "I've never known John McCain to be dishonest." It's telling that he only gets to talk about his own record on the second question. His economic message - this "trickle up" concept - is interesting conservative populism, though, and he's right that he was the only one back in Michigan who felt the economy was moving in the wrong direction.

What's Huckabee's "private sector" acumen? I think this is getting mention only because Romney did so well in the debate.

Huckabee has truck drivers with big magnets, driving all over the country stumping for him! It's like a sensible version of the Ron Paul Blimp - in that you can actually SEE the campaign massage because it's not hundreds of feet in the air, and the supporters aren't terrifying freaks chasing people down the streets of New Hampshire.

Wallace gets to the whole "Easter Eggs" comment. Huck says he doesn't have any secret evidence of WMDs. "We didn't find them so they didn't exist is a bit of an overreach," he says. No Mike: believing the weapons were spirited away to "a remote location in Jordan" - JORDAN!, people...Jordan!! - THAT's an overreach.

Panel time. First topic: Obama beating the crud out of the field in South Carolina. Brit Hume thinks Obama is appealing to whitey! His appeal to black voters has been "greatly enhanced" by the way the Clintons launched a bunch of attacks. Liasson makes a good point: the attacks hurt in SC, but they might be helping her on Super Tuesday.

Bill Clinton, according to Liasson, was voter poison wherever he went. Juan Williams disputes this, saying the exit polls showed that fifty percent of the people who thought Bill mattered to the race voted for Hillary. Bill Kristol also said some stuff.

Brit Hume! Gives us his Napoleon Dynamite act! For a few seconds the camera lingered on him as his eyes rolled back in his head and his jaw dropped, and I was totally ready for him to just say, "GOSH! IDIOT!" Didn't happen, but it's what he was thinking.

On Bill Clinton's "Jesse Jackson" comment, Bill Kristol said, "If a Republican said it, there would be outrage." Isn't there outrage, though? The blogosphere seems to be a bit upset about it. It was a dumb thing to say, but, guess what? We should all be well-trained at this point to not expect anything from Bill Clinton's mouth other than petulant stupidity.

Meanwhile, McCain and the Romney-bot are running in Florida. Chris Wallace and Hume are totally bitchslapping each other over Romney's "timetable" statements, and Hume is Dynamiting even harder than before! Hilarious. It doesn't sound to me like Romney was calling for a public timetable for troop withdrawal. That's too bad! There needs to be one!

Kristol thinks Giuliani is on the verge of leaving the race. He also says that Liz Cheney will back Romney - of course, his context is a happy one: it means a continuation of Bush-Cheney foreign policy. But if you have a brain, that should scare you. Of course, your alternative is McCain's 100 Years of Wars.

This Week With George Stephanopoulos

Obama is GS's first guest, and right away, avoids the bait of being asked "Does it feel like vindication." Then, though, he hits him with Bill's "Jesse Jackson" campaign. "That was twenty years ago," Obama says. Obama's trained response is to take the race-baiting, or negative-baiting questions and bend it back to the stump speech. It has a slightly deleterious effect--we hear the same platitudes over and over and over again, robotically. But this reflects poorly on Stephanapoulos, as well--this whole segment has been one long game where GS looks for a way to trip Obama up. He's just adjusting the same question, over and over again. But Obama's beginning to repeat himself.

GS brings up the Reagan stuff. "What ideas of Reagan's challenged conventional wisdom." Obama states this case more clearly: Reagan attracted Democrats to his candidacy because the disaffection they felt was real. At the same time, his street level view was that Reagan's ideas were crippling Americans. He needs to say, though, that the "conventional wisdom" of two-three decades ago is different from today.

Here's a very good iteration of his point: it's not the "Clintons' fault" but in the 1990s we got "caught up in a slash and burn style of politics," that still prevents "non-ideological conversations" on various issues. That's still way too high-faluting, but he should think about refining that idea into something bare and clear, that American voters can understand.

Let's get into Rezko! Obama says that this story has been "gnawed on." But will he return, "every dollar" that he got from Rezko? "Absolutely," Obama says. He'd better hop to it then!

Is Obama open to having Clinton as a running mate? Obama says that's premature. (And that Edwards is running a terrific campaign as well - in other words, thanks for drawing all those white voters away from Hillary!) But what Obama needs to realize ISN'T premature is that polls indicate that 3 out of every 5 democratic voters polled would like to see Clinton and Obama BOTH on a ticket. That speaks loudly to a resonant enthusiasm among the Democratic voters. If the two of them don't stop the high-profile slugging of one another, that enthusiasm could diminish, and that would be really bad for the Dems prospects nationally.

By the way, on the matter of seating the Florida delegates, a reader named Curtis Walker, emailed me back at the top of the hour:



Watch for this to bloom into a full blown issue on the Sunday Talk Shows....sorta of a BUSHIAN way to try to steal Florida from the other two democratic challengers.

Nice call, Curtis. Indeed it did. Obama says he'll abide by the agreement made by the Democrats at the beginning of the primary season.

Panel time: Will believes everything's coming up roses for Obama. Cokie Roberts points out that the Obama campaign eschewed the old "walking around money" style of campaigning. Indeed, the most interesting tactical aspect of the Obama campaign is this community organizing acumen he's borrowed from city politics. I think as long as we've been in these state-by-state races, this has been, at times, effective. But is it going to avail Obama on Super Tuesday? Seems to me like traditional campaign machine politics is going to be most effective.

But if it doesn't play out that way, we're going to have a new model of national campaigning.

Just about the entire panel agrees that Bill Clinton needs to get out of the spotlight. Without him, at the debate, she had Obama on his heels, she earned the Times endorsement.

Key endorsements that you probably already know about: Ted Kennedy will back Obama. Charlie Crist, who looks like he should be captaining a Love Boat somewhere, backed McCain. McCain pulling Crist and Martinez...that might not be enough to beat Romney, but I think that it's enough to effectively end the idea of Rudy Giuliani's presidential ambitions. The panel tepidly agrees with me.

The idea of issue terrain: Isn't it ironic that the "Surge", that McCain supported, and which has, through a lot of timely ethnic cleansing, bought a temporary period of peace and quiet in Iraq, has kept Iraq from the headlines, and allowed economic worries to take over? From an "issue terrain" perspective, this means that McCain's biggest success - being behind the "Surge" - has only benefitted Romney. McCain could REALLY use some bad news in Iraq!

The Chris Matthews Show

I think that this was filmed before South Carolina, so we'll maybe get to see how bad the punditry is here. We have Elisabeth Bumiller on the panel, so we're one foot in the hole already.

Matthews is calling Bill Clinton "The Terminator." Oy. "How does Barack come back and deny he's a Reaganite?" Matthews asks. Uhm...shouldn't it be easy? There's nothing in his policy proposals that's the least bit Reagany. Obama should just apologize for, I guess, noticing that the Reagan administration happened.

Bill Clinton is in Obama's head! Eh, it's still an all-or-nothing, scorched-earth sort of strategy. Clarence Page seems to recognize this. Again, we have the benefit of knowing the South Carolina result. If this weres filmed today, YOU JUST KNOW Matthews would be all over Clinton's Jesse Jackson's comment. He'd also probably swoony with his whole, "BARACK IS A GIFT FROM THE WORLD!" stuff. And Andrew Sullivan would probably charge the set and say, "I loved him first!" Then the whole show would disintegrate into something that looks like that episode of Flight of the Conchords where Jemaine and Brett compete over Sally. "I made Barack Obama a glass butterfly!" Matthews would brag. Then Sullivan would pull out a disturbingly anatomical oil painting of Obama.

None of this has anything to do with what's being discussed on the Chris Matthews Show, mind you. I just thought you'd find it more interesting.

You know what's also slightly more interesting than the discussion? Katty Kay's decision to wear neon-lime green with black in the middle of winter. Not working for me.

Now Chris Matthews is putting songs over the scene of Bush doing the sword dance. They play, "Side By Side" - which is, I think an old Andrews Sisters tune? Anyway, Matthews giggles and say, "It's like an old road movie! Bob Hope and Bing Crosby!" Which causes my wife to sigh, "Thanks for stating the obvious, fat face." Again, I'm guessing that all of this is more interesting than what was actually discussed.

By the way, I saw Cloverfield last night. You should know that I enjoyed it. Our politics editor, Nico Pitney, did not. This is a trend with he and I! Though we've found some common ground this morning, in a mutual affection for Keira Knightley. Make of that what you will! By the way, my wife and I have revised our emergency preparedness plan to include localized incidents of FREAKAZOID MONSTER ATTACKS. We suggest you do the same.

Meanwhile, let's try to pick up the inane discussion, which shifts to the GOP race in Florida. Matthews is running out of opportunities to send valentines to his BF, Rudy Giuliani. "Does it come down to Romney and McCain?" he asks. "Doesn't Rudy have a chance? Please, maybe?" No, says Bumiller. McCain generates more enthusiasm, says Kay, her blazer cutting a white-hot swath across my retinae. John Heilemann points out that the shift in concern to the economy benefits Romney. Frankly, Romney doesn't impress me with his economic knowledge. Page calls him a "brainiac," but that's laughable. The only brainy thing he's done is point out again and again that McCain once said that the economy wasn't his forte. But Romney's done little more than demonstrate that his forte is pointing that out.

I said it once before. Romney is Michael Scott! He's Dunder Mifflin Infinity!

Tell Chris something he doesn't know! Katty Kay says Pakistan could get a lot worse than it already is! Page says Nader will run if Hillary gets the nomination! OH NOES! DO NOT WANT! John McCain has touched off an old feud between Al D'Amato and Rudy Giuliani. And here I thought Al D'Amato was dead! Sorry, Al! Glad you're alive! Although I think the idea of you haunting Rudy from beyond the grave (once you get there, Al, please feel free to take your sweet time) is hilarious! Like a sequel to Blithe Spirit, except, NOT SO BLITHE. Heilemann shills for Slate's new Henry Louis Gates-driven black culture offshoot.

My favorite part of the Sunday Morning shows, by the way: the preponderance of commercials for stool softener. It tells me that I'm not yet fully inside the Sunday Morning political show demo, and that's a great relief to me.

Though, nothing softens the stool so much as repeated viewings of Tim Russert, who's up next.

Meet The Press

OK. Really? I'm going to have to listen to Maureen Dowd? FEGGGHHHHEHHH. I hope it's not too early for something stiff to drink.

First, Tim Russert and John McCain get their powwow on. McCain is hammering Romney for speaking about a "timetable." In fairness...Obama:Reagan::Romney:Timetables. To suggest that Romney had the Dems back on timetables is staggeringly incorrect.

But this is great! McCain, referencing Russert's own gotcha moments of pulling clips and cherrypicking statements (the only thing he's any good at), McCain whips out an index card with Romney's statement on it, just to make sure his point (however flawed it is) get's made. Hilarious!

McCain sticks it to Clinton, saying that her withdrawal plan equals surrender and that most people would agree. Except that most people want to withdraw. And as far as timetables go, why not set a timetable? If the only argument is that the insurgency is laying in wait to mark their calendar, then it still makes sense to try to put incentives in front of the Iraqi government. Without a timetable, the insurgency just sits back and waits anyway. They have all the time in the world! This approach to Iraq is so numbingly stupid that I feel I need to convene a meeting with Bush and McCain and the rest of them and give them a proper Romper Room style scolding.

I'm also getting sick of McCain pretending as if he INVENTED the General Petraeus strategy. Like he led on that issue. He just glommed onto Petraeus and the "Surge" because it was his last ditch strategy for reviving his stumbling campaign.

He's also worried about "genocide and chaos" in the region. We'll see. Here's a timetable for you, Mr. McCain--April 2008. That's when the surge ends.

McCain cops to having said that line about his economic acumen that he denied saying at the debate.

As far as his flip-flop on the Bush tax cuts, his explanation is "Blah blah...9-11...restrain spending...2006 election...restrain spending...my tax cuts were better...we have fiscal difficulties today...right now today...restrain spending...so now we will make these tax cuts permanent." Oy. Uhm, John. John. Listen. The circumstances we're different in 2004? You want to restrain spending? Where can spending best be restrained, John? What's been going on since 2004, John? That's cost us a lot of money? That's the top-line, runaway expenditure? THE IRAQ WAR, NIMROD!

Tom Coburn, fan of sterilization and fearful of lesbians, supports McCain.

McCain: "I will embrace Joe Lieberman anywhere and at any time!" Well, Shabbat Shalom, sexy boys!

Don't you love it when he says, "I'm a border state governor! I know how to secure a border!" Is it secure? No? Then stop braggin'! Other than that, he says, don't worry about my terrible immigration bill, because it's dead.

Thad Cochran feels that McCain is a ticking timebomb of animal rage! McCain says Cochran's just saying that because Cochran is an "Appropriator." No bridges to nowhere! But he will not knock them down with his rage.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Florida’s Republican presidential primary, which is tomorrow, is going down to the wire and John McCain and Mitt Romney are battling it out for first place. McCain may have gained a slight edge in recent days, though, with endorsements from Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) and Sen. Mel Martinez (R).

* On a related note, there have been rumors that Crist could be a possible McCain running mate. Asked about this over the weekend, Crist responded, “It’s not something I’m thinking about.” Pressed if he would rule out accepting the vice presidency, Crist again dodged: “I’m not even focused on it.”

* Barack Obama has been picking up a few big endorsements lately, but this is one to keep an eye on: Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.), the highest-ranking Latino lawmaker in Washington, endorsed the Illinois senator over the weekend. Given the importance of California’s primary, and Obama’s tepid support in the Latino community, this was certainly welcome at campaign HQ.

* It may not be quite as significant, but this endorsement is bound to get more media attention: “Barack Obama is picking up the endorsement of author Toni Morrison, who won the Nobel Prize in literature for her writings on African-American life. The endorsement is special due to some famous words that Morrison wrote about Bill Clinton in 1998: ‘White skin notwithstanding, this is our first black president. Blacker than any actual person who could ever be elected in our children’s lifetime.’”

* There were some rumors yesterday that Ted Kennedy decided to endorse Obama after hearing Bill Clinton’s odd remarks connecting Obama to Jesse Jackson. That’s apparently not the case — Kennedy told the Clintons about his decision last Thursday.

* And speaking of the Jesse Jackson comments, Obama was asked about it yesterday, and brushed it off.

* There was some talk yesterday that Hillary Clinton would violate her pledge and make a campaign appearance in Florida. That’s not quite right — she’s traveling to Florida on Tuesday night, after the primary, where she’ll presumably try to draw attention to the state’s primary results, despite the fact that none of the Dem candidates have campaigned in the state.

* Bill Clinton caused a little trouble for John McCain over the weekend, saying that HRC and McCain are “very close.” “They always laugh that if they wound up being the nominees of their party, it would be the most civilized election in American history, and they’re afraid they’d put the voters to sleep because they like and respect each other.” For the Republican Party, that didn’t help improve McCain’s cred.

* John Kerry has been stepping up and challenging the Clintons, specifically the former president, more forcefully than expected.

* And the battle for Thompson backers is definitely underway. Former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker has made the switch to McCain, while Liz Cheney, the VP’s daughter who joined Thompson’s camp early on, has switched to Romney.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The news we were hoping for: “The fight goes on. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) cloture vote failed 48-45 just now, well short of the 60 votes necessary. In the end, four Dems crossed over to vote with the Republicans: Sens. Mark Pryor (D-AR), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA). Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) was the lone Republican to vote with the Dems. Now we’re on to the question of whether an extension will be passed. We’ll have more on that in a moment.”

* Bloodshed in Iraq: “Five U.S. soldiers were killed Monday when their patrol was hit by a roadside bomb and then came under small arms fire in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, the U.S. military said. Iraqi army and police also reported fighting had broken out in the Haysuma neighborhood, a known al-Qaida stronghold in eastern Mosul, Iraq’s third-largest city, which is 240 miles north of Baghdad.”

* The incomparable Lee Stranahan’s latest clip offers the Giuliani campaign a new message: highlight all the disasters he’s been involved with, and tell voters it’s evidence of disaster-management abilities.

* Two interesting new political magazines launched today: The Root, created by the Washington Post to provide “thought-provoking commentary on today’s news from a variety of black perspectives”; and The Washington Independent, a “nonpartisan news and commentary site dedicated to covering topics of national importance. Launched in January 2008, the site aims to combine the best of the old and new media by combining the reporting, accuracy and fairness of traditional journalism with the speed, voice and community of the Web.”

* On a related note, Spencer Ackerman (recently of TPM Muckraker) has an interesting piece at the new Washington Independent about the CIA and the Bush administration’s torture policies: “[D]espite innumerable statements from the Bush administration about the value of the CIA’s interrogation program, U.S. interrogators are still mostly in the dark — in the dark not only about al-Qaeda, but about how to effectively elicit vital national-security information from the detainees in its custody.”

* There are 10,000 agents in the FBI. A grand total of 50 of them speak Arabic (that’s .005%). As Matt Yglesias noted, “Suppose that instead of deciding to spread our scarce language assets thinner by invading Iraq, the Bush administration had done something much cheaper like a $15 billion per year effort to massively boost America’s base of people who speak Arabic, Turkic languages, Urdu, etc.? Wouldn’t that have been more helpful?” Actually, yes.

* Not a good sign: “Sales of new homes plunged by a record amount in 2007 while prices posted the weakest showing in 16 years, demonstrating the troubles builders are facing with a huge backlog of unsold homes. The Commerce Department reported Monday that sales of new homes dropped by 26.4 percent last year to 774,000. That marked the worst sales year on record, surpassing the old mark of a 23.1 percent plunge in 1980.”

* The NYT notes today, “Mr. Bush has spent years presiding over an economic climate of growth that would be the envy of most presidents. Yet much to the consternation of his political advisers, he has had trouble getting credit for it.” This is wrong for a variety of reasons. Most notably, Bush has presided over weaker growth than any president in five decades — hardly the stuff of “envy.”

* Here’s an odd twist: one of Bush’s SOTU guests is apparently ineligible to enter the country legally. One wonders if Tom Tancredo will send the Capitol Police after him, just on principle.

* “60 Minutes” had a really interesting report last night on George Piro, who was the front man for a team of FBI and CIA analysts who were responsible for interrogating Saddam Hussein while he was in U.S. custody. Among the insights: Piro didn’t need torture to acquire information, and Saddam Hussein had no interest in a relationship with Osama bin Laden.

* John Solomon, now the head of the far-right Washington Times, is still defending the bizarre brand of journalism he utilized at the Washington Post: “All the stories the liberal blogs have attacked have never been questioned by my own editors. They stood by them. The blogs point to no factual errors but complain that I highlighted something they didn’t care for or preferred that I would have focused on something else.” Predictably, this is false, too.

* Asked if the Bush administration has been good for his career, Keith Olbermann said, “Honestly? No. I’m an American citizen, I think this has been a disastrous presidential administration. I would have given what I have, in terms broadcasting success in the nature of this newscast, I would have easily said … if I were given the choice of this or some responsible presidency in the last four years or eight years? I would have taken a responsible presidency.”

* Clip and save for future use: “Sen. John McCain told a crowd of supporters on Sunday, ‘It’s a tough war we’re in. It’s not going to be over right away. There’s going to be other wars.’ Offering more of his increasingly bleak ’straight talk,’ he repeated the claim: ‘I’m sorry to tell you, there’s going to be other wars. We will never surrender but there will be other wars.’ McCain did not elaborate who the United States would be fighting.”

* And finally, Dick Cheney apparently likes souvenirs — he “has a piece of the house where [Abu Musab al Zarqawi] died on display at his residence.” That would be the same Zarqawi the Bush White House repeatedly declined to attack for political reasons, right? Just checking.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Have I mentioned lately that Bush’s approach to signing statements is sheer madness? “President Bush yesterday signed the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act after initially rejecting Congress’s first version because it would have allegedly opened the Iraqi government to ‘expensive lawsuits.’ Even though he forced Congress to change its original bill, Bush’s signature yesterday came with a little-noticed signing statement, claiming that provisions in the law ‘could inhibit the President’s ability to carry out his constitutional obligations.’”

* I don’t expect smooth sailing in the Senate, but the House passed the stimulus bill easily: “The House approved a $146 billion economic stimulus package Tuesday afternoon by a wide, bipartisan margin, but the package had an uncertain future in the Senate. The vote was 385-35, with one representative voting present.”

* Speaking of the House, news from the floor about an hour ago: “Just now, the House changed the bill to make it a 15-day extension instead of 30-day one, and the bill passed by voice vote. It all happened rather quickly. So it seems as if there really wasn’t much disagreement on this at all. Now it’s back over to the Senate….”

* On a related note, it looks like Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) is an outside-the-box thinker. In this climate, that’s a good thing: “[Holt] took to the floor this afternoon to urge others to vote against any extension to the Protect America Act. His reasoning: 1) the administration’s bill was bad law in the first place and brought home the lesson to never pass legislation under ‘duress brought on by propaganda, misinformation, and fear mongering,’ 2) surveillance authorized under the PAA would continue even if the law lapsed, and 3) it wouldn’t improve the Dems’ negotiating position.” Give that man a prize.

* Is the war in Iraq undermining the U.S. economy? Two of my favorite progressive voices disagree — Russ Feingold argued the war is “eviscerating our economy,” while Paul Krugman wrote today, “One thing I get asked fairly often is whether the Iraq war is responsible for our economic difficulties. The answer (with slight qualifications) is no.”
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/29/an-iraq-recession/

* This ought to be all manner of fun: “House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) have invited Ohio’s controversial former Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell (R) for a chat about voting irregularities in the 2004 election.”

* Usually, Bush administration officials dodge the waterboarding question. John Negroponte apparently didn’t get the memo.

* Raise your hand if you saw this one coming, Part I: “The government agency that enforces one of the principal laws aimed at keeping politics out of the civil service has accused the Justice Department of blocking its investigation into alleged politicizing of the department under former Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales.”

* Raise your hand if you saw this one coming, Part II: “We knew it was bad, but even so, the latest report on an American contractor’s failures in the rebuilding of Iraq is shocking. The report, by the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, looks at the work of the Parsons Corp. What the I.G. found was dispiriting at best: Out of the 11 major job orders the I.G. examined, eight were terminated by the U.S. before they were completed. The New York Times says the reasons for the terminations included ‘weak contract oversight, unrealistic schedules, a failure to report problems in a timely fashion and poor supervision by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, which managed the contracts.’”

* Townhall.com’s Mary Katharine Ham went on CNN this week to argue that Bill Clinton, while he was president, “was not subjected to quite as much scrutiny, and I think he got a lot of passes, and now he’s mad he’s not getting them anymore.” She did not appear to be kidding.

* I know it’s the silly season, but this had to be one of the weaker campaign controversies I’ve seen lately: “The question swirling around Barack Obama Tuesday: did he, or didn’t he, deliberately snub presidential rival Hillary Clinton at the State of the Union speech? Speaking to reporters Tuesday, the Illinois senator said all the talk swirling around the moment the two crossed paths Monday night is much ado about nothing. ‘I was surprised by sort of the reports this morning,’ Obama told reporters. ‘You know there was the photograph in the Times about, sort of, me turning away. I was turning away because [Sen.] Claire [McCaskill] asked me a question as Sen. [Ted] Kennedy was reaching for her. Sen. Clinton and I have very cordial relations off the floor and on the floor. I waved at her as we were coming into the Senate chamber before we walked over last night,’ he continued. I think that there’s just a lot more tea leaf reading going on here than I think people are suggesting.’” Can we move on now?

* Is McCain attacking Romney witha gay-baiting robocall? The McCain campaign must have been at least somewhat concerned about appearances; they pulled the ad.

* My friend Blue Girl, a friend of the blog, could use a hand.

* Speaking of McCain, I wonder what it’s like to have a full-time media personality on MSNBC who isn’t too proud to blow you kisses on the air?

* On a related note, Fox News has apparently settled on a Rudy Giuliani nickname.

* And finally, I wanted to close out State of the Union coverage with my favorite quote of the speech: “All of us were sent to Washington to carry out the people’s business. That is the purpose of this body. It is the meaning of our oath. And it remains our charge to keep.” Yes, there’s that phrase again.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Hillary Clinton got a little help in California yesterday: “California Rep. Maxine Waters, a powerful member of the Congressional Black Caucus, announced in a conference call with reporters she has decided to back Clinton’s White House bid. Waters said Clinton ‘understands the daily challenges that people are facing and she will fight for them every day she is in the White House.’”

* Barack Obama’s victory in South Carolina appears to be paying dividends: “Obama’s campaign has raised more than $4 million online over the past couple of days, said Obama campaign manager David Plouffe in a campaign memo released on Monday. ‘Our strong donor base provides us sustainability, allowing us to be financially competitive — if not superior — heading into the rest of February and March,’ he wrote in the memo. ‘In the last two and a half days, we have raised over $4 million online alone.’”

* Joe Lieberman told the AP yesterday that if John McCain asked him to be his running mate, he’d say, “Thanks, John, I’ve been there, I’ve done that. You can find much better.” He added, however, that he may attend the Republican convention if McCain wins the GOP nomination. “I’d probably be more welcome there,” he said.

* Former President Jimmy Carter has said he will not offer a formal endorsement in the Democratic primaries, but he had some kind words for Obama yesterday. “Obama’s campaign has been extraordinary and titillating for me and my family,” Carter told the Wall Street Journal. He added that Obama “will be almost automatically a healing factor in the animosity now that exists, that relates to our country and its government.”

* It looks like those waiting for Al Gore to make an endorsement will have to wait quite a bit longer: “An adviser said that Mr. Gore had long ago decided to lay low once the Democratic delegate selection contests began so as not to interfere in the race. Last night, a close adviser said ‘nothing has changed’ with regard to Mr. Gore’s decision to keep mum about an endorsement.”

* Obama picked up an endorsement in Arizona yesterday from Rep. Raul Grijalva (D), who had originally backed Edwards in May. In the statement explaining his switch to Obama, Grijalva said it “was not a repudiation of Senator Edwards, rather the understanding that Senator Barack Obama is the future.” The announcement was made before Edwards’ announced withdrawal.

* Ralph Nader is launching an exploratory website. This makes me unhappy.

* Yet another House Republican incumbent heads for the exit: “Rep. Ron Lewis (R-Ky.) abruptly withdrew his name to run for re-election Tuesday, only minutes before the filing deadline, setting off a late scramble for a replacement…. Lewis chief of staff Daniel London went to the secretary of state’s office to withdraw his boss’ name - and file his own papers to run for the seat, according to state Board of Elections executive director Sarah Ball Johnson.”

* At 8 p.m. (eastern), the four remaining Republican candidates will gather at the Reagan Presidential Library for another debate, the last before the Feb. 5 primaries. The event is co-sponsored by CNN, the LAT, and the Politico.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* As a long-term economic policy, I’m not sure this is going to cut it: “The Federal Reserve cut a key interest rate by half a percentage point today, the second rate cut in nine days, in an aggressive move to try to prevent a recession. The central bank cut the federal funds rate, the rate at which banks lend to each other, to 3 percent. Combined with a surprise rate cut last week after a massive sell-off on world financial markets, the Fed has now cut the rate by 1.25 percentage points in January, the steepest rate cut in a single month in the nearly 20 years that the bank has been targeting the federal funds rate.”

* WaPo: “The House and Senate yesterday approved a 15-day extension of an expiring intelligence surveillance law and the White House backed off a threatened veto, allowing more time to resolve a dispute over the administration’s proposal to immunize telephone companies from lawsuits stemming from their cooperation with warrantless wiretaps. Both chambers passed by unanimous voice votes the temporary extension of the Protect America Act, and members then left town for a one-week break. The White House gave its blessing last night to the short-term measure rather than allowing the surveillance law to expire Friday.”

* NYT: “Four months after announcing troop reductions in Iraq, President Bush is now sending signals that the cuts may not continue past this summer, a development likely to infuriate Democrats and renew concerns among military planners about strains on the force. Mr. Bush has made no decisions on troop reductions to follow those he announced last September. But White House officials said Mr. Bush had been taking the opportunity, as he did in Monday’s State of the Union address, to prepare Americans for the possibility that, when he leaves office a year from now, the military presence in Iraq will be just as large as it was a year ago, or even slightly larger.”

* Maybe it’s just me, but I think a burst housing bubble, a credit crunch, slowing consumer demand, and rising inflation, all at the same time, isn’t encouraging.

* As speechwriting goes, John Edwards’ withdrawal speech was quite good.

* As speechwriting goes, Bush’s SOTU was quite awful, possibly “one of the worst ever written.”

* Attorney General Michael Mukasey’s Interesting Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing, Part I: the AG feels that if he were personally subjected to waterboarding, it would be torture. Due to “the office” he holds, though, Mukasey can’t concede that waterboarding is, in fact, torture.

* Mukasey’s Interesting Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing, Part II: “Does the attorney general really think that it depends on the circumstances when you can waterboard somebody?” Apparently, yes.

* Mukasey’s Interesting Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing, Part III: Chuck Schumer got Mukasey to concede that waterboarding is “repugnant.” So, following up, wouldn’t a ban on something that’s “repugnant” be a good thing? Mukasey said he’d have to mull it over.

* Mukasey’s Interesting Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing, Part IV (my personal favorite): Arlen Specter knows the president violated the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. So, Specter wants to know if the AG also knows that the president violated the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Mukasey couldn’t quite come up with an answer to the question.

* Bush’s ambassador to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad, is in the administration’s dog-house because he chatted briefly with two high-ranking Iranian officials during a chance encounter at Davos. It’s a reminder of just how unhealthy the Bush gang really is: “It’s dumb enough that we have a policy of refusing to speak to Iran in the first place, as if merely talking to them would give us geopolitical cooties. But to repeatedly get bent out of shape by the mere possibility of an American diplomat saying a few words to an Iranian even in an unofficial setting is stark raving mad. Tell me again how many days are left until next January 20th?”

* I hope congressional Dems are listening: “‘Who do you want to see take the lead role in setting policy for the country: George W. Bush or the Congress?’ asks NBC/WSJ. The answer is congress by a 62 to 21 margin.”

* From the brilliant mind of Lee Stranahan, meet “Pablito Ali.”

* Greg Sargent raises a good point about John and Elizabeth Edwards: “Thanks largely to the Edwards couple, aggressive push-back against right-wing (and even traditional) media figures went mainstream in Dem primary politics in a big way.”

* And finally, just a random thought to close the day: with John Edwards’ departure from the presidential race, the Democratic Party is going to either nominate an African-American or a woman this year, marking the first time in American history that a major political party has nominated someone other than a white Christian guy. This is going to happen, and putting aside who likes which candidate, I think that’s pretty exciting.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has said he expected to stay neutral in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, but apparently made a decision after Rudy Giuliani withdrew: “Schwarzenegger will endorse John McCain on Thursday, giving a boost to the Republican presidential front-runner six days before California’s high-prize primary. The two will appear at a news conference after touring a Los Angeles-based solar energy company and the governor will make his endorsement official, his senior aides confirmed.”

* If I didn’t know better, I might think Mitt Romney was effectively giving up. As of today, his campaign concedes that it has purchased exactly zero TV time in Feb. 5 states. Romney spokesperson Kevin Madden wouldn’t even say if the campaign would put any ads on the air, though a campaign official told Greg Sargent this morning that Romney would be on the air, though he/she wouldn’t offer details.

* Hillary Clinton picked up another Senate endorsement yesterday, when Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) threw her support to the New York senator. Clinton now enjoys the support of most of the Democratic establishment in Washington state, which will caucus on Feb. 9, including the state’s other senator, Maria Cantwell.

* The New York Post, Rupert Murdoch’s New York tabloid, endorsed Obama, despite Murdoch’s financial contributions to the Clinton campaign.

* How serious were the financial difficulties facing the McCain campaign? “McCain ended the year with only $2.95 million cash on hand, and $4.52 million in debts. In short, it appears that McCain is on the verge of clinching the nomination despite the fact that he was broke just before voting began.”

* Speaking of fundraising, the Obama campaign has apparently raised $32 million in January, with an average of more than $1 million a day. That’s pretty extraordinary, given that the candidates were raising that kind of money in a quarter.

* Bob Novak still doesn’t like McCain or believe he’s a real conservative.

* On a related note, Rush Limbaugh blamed McCain’s rise on the party’s “uninspiring” candidates, and a “fractured” party base. “There was no figure in our roster of candidates who rose up to challenge him or galvanize conservative support,” Limbaugh said on his show. “All the candidates on our side, for various reasons, are uninspiring or worse — and so, just as I predicted, the base has fractured.”

* And “Meet the Press” had invited McCain and Romney to appear together for a two-person debate this Sunday. Romney immediately accepted, but McCain declined.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Yet another al Qaeda #3 goes down: “Abu Laith al-Libi, a top al-Qaida commander in Afghanistan who was blamed for bombing a base while Vice President Cheney was visiting last year, has been killed in Pakistan, according to a militant Web site. Al-Libi was a key link between the Taliban and al-Qaida and was one of the Americans’ 12 most-wanted men with a bounty of $200,000 on his head. ‘He was martyred with a group of his brothers in the land of Muslim Pakistan,’ said the Web site, which frequently carries announcements from militant groups. ‘Though we are sad for his loss, he left a legacy that will inflame the enemy nation and religion.’”

* I can’t believe ABC’s Jake Tapper is defending his shoddy work today. Suck it up, Jake, admit your mistake, correct it, and try to do better next time. Mistakes are understandable, but defending them isn’t.

* It looks like the right will have one less thing to complain about: “Congressional leaders are taking extra measures to make sure the economic stimulus bill has clear language to prevent illegal immigrants from receiving tax rebate checks.”

* As expected, the surveillance bill in the Senate is going to come down to one main provision: “According to a source on the Hill, discussions have been progressing. Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) made an offer on how to proceed, to which Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) made a counteroffer. Most of the details of those discussions are unknown. But, as might be expected, the Dodd/Feingold amendment, which would strip retroactive immunity for the telecoms that collaborated with the administration’s warrantless wiretapping program, is at the center of the dispute. According to the source, McConnell’s counteroffer included votes on seven of the proposed amendments … but, crucially, Dodd/Feingold was not one of them.”

* Apparently, no one at Fox News has read, or even heard of, the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran. It’s a shame, because it makes the network’s reporting on a nuclear apocalypse sound pretty silly.

* Count on 130,000 U.S. troops being in Iraq by the time Bush leaves office: “Senior U.S. military commanders here say they want to freeze troop reductions starting this summer for at least a month, making it more likely that the next administration will inherit as many troops in Iraq as there were before President Bush announced a ’surge’ of forces a year ago.”

* On a related note, this is tragic beyond words: “Suicides among active-duty soldiers in 2007 reached their highest level since the Army began keeping such records in 1980, according to a draft internal study obtained by The Washington Post. Last year, 121 soldiers took their own lives, nearly 20 percent more than in 2006. At the same time, the number of attempted suicides or self-inflicted injuries in the Army has jumped sixfold since the Iraq war began. Last year, about 2,100 soldiers injured themselves or attempted suicide, compared with about 350 in 2002, according to the U.S. Army Medical Command Suicide Prevention Action Plan.”

* More discouraging economic news: “The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for state unemployment benefits rose by 69,000 last week to 375,000, the Labor Department said. It was the biggest jump since September 2005 after Hurricane Katrina hit the U.S. Gulf Coast. However, the department cautioned that the data may have been skewed because of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, and analysts agreed, even though many thought the underlying trend in jobless claims might be moving higher.” (thanks to SW for the tip)

* Cooperation is a two-way street: “Senate Democrats plan to delay a floor vote on President Bush’s nominee for the No. 2 post at the Justice Department until the department responds to several Judiciary Committee oversight letters. Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin , D-Ill., said Thursday that the nomination of Mark Filip for deputy attorney general will be ‘held on the floor’ until the panel receives responses, adding that Democrats have notified the department of the demand.”

* Backsliding? “It used to be that surge enthusiasts would at least hint at the unachieved strategic objective of the surge. As Bush himself put it, the surge was meant to provide the Iraqi government “the breathing space it needs to make progress” on sectarian reconciliation. But reconciliation hasn’t happened, and, in important respects, sectarianism has deepened over the past year. So surgeniks are now simply declaring victory by the sheer fact of reduced violence itself, unmoored to any strategic goal. But even accepting that lowered standard, there are growing signs of backsliding in Iraq — even before the surge brigades depart in July.”

* Obama has a lot of young voters to thank.

* How on earth does Michael Savage stay on the air?

* And finally, rumor has it that Keith Olbermann will have one of his “special comments” tonight. Be sure to tune in. The topic: Bush’s warrantless surveillance.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Just how serious were the financial troubles facing John McCain’s campaign up until recently? He took out a $3 million loan, but had to take out a special life-insurance policy in the event he died during the presidential race. Wow.

* Speaking of finances, Barack Obama, fresh off the best month of primary fundraising any presidential candidate has ever had, is poised to launch “an eight-figure, 24-state barrage of television advertising, heading into the Super Tuesday contests and beyond, that will carry his message to twice as many states as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s ads will reach with her current ad buy.”

* And in still more financial news, Mitt Romney “spent $18 million of his own fortune in the fourth quarter on his bid for the White House, according to reports filed today with the Federal Election Commission. That brings Romney’s total personal contribution for 2007 to $35.35 million. Romney, founder of Bain Capital, is worth a reported $250 million in addition to money he has stored in a trust for his five sons.” Romney raised about $9 million from individuals in the fourth quarter and $53 million for the entire year.

* A number of unions had backed John Edwards’ presidential bid, and with his departure, the race is own among Obama and Hillary Clinton to pick up their support. Today, the 200,000-member Transportation Workers Union will move from Edwards to Obama, the first national AFL-CIO union to endorse Obama’s presidential campaign. California’s SEIU may do the same.

* Following up on a reference she made in last night’s debate, the Clinton campaign is “buying an hour on the Hallmark Channel on the eve of Feb. 5 Super Tuesday presidential primaries to air part of a 90-minute national town hall meeting. Dubbed ‘Voices Across America,’ it will take place in New York and will air Feb. 4 at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. The extra 30 minutes will also be available on the internet and at 21 live events across the country.”

* The conservative Washington Times reports this week that Obama, four years ago, told Illinois college students that he supported eliminating criminal penalties for marijuana use or possession. A campaign spokesperson said the senator has “always” supported decriminalizing marijuana.

* Salon’s War Room: “With the approval of a majority of its members, MoveOn.org has convened a poll to help determine whether the group will endorse a candidate in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination and, if so, who that nominee will be. MoveOn, which began during the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton, has never endorsed a presidential candidate, though last time around former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean came close to earning the nod. This cycle, the Nation’s Ari Melber reports, it will be even harder for either of the two front-runners, Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton, to reach the threshold required for the endorsement. In the last presidential election cycle, the support of a simple majority of the group’s members was needed to get the endorsement; this time, MoveOn has decided to require a supermajority of 66 percent.”

* Connecticut’s Democratic primary, one of many on Feb. 5, is drawing increasing attention because it’s likely to be one of the more competitive contests. Yesterday, Reps. John Larson and Chris Murphy threw their support to Obama.

* Is Al Franken really ahead in Minnesota’s Senate race? Apparently, so.

* Giuliani backers are starting to move to their second choices. Rick Perry and Ted Olson are moving to McCain, while Sean Hannity is going to Romney.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Breathtaking attack in Baghdad: “Remote-controlled explosives strapped to two mentally handicapped women detonated in a coordinated attack on pet bazaars Friday, police and Iraqi officials said, killing at least 73 people in the deadliest day since the U.S. sent 30,000 extra troops to the capital this spring…. Iraqi officials said the women in Friday’s attack apparently were mentally disabled and the explosives were detonated by remote control, indicating they may not having been willing attackers in what could be a new method by suspected Sunni insurgents to subvert stepped up security measures.”

* It’s a real shame that Bill O’Reilly, for all his talk about the troops, shows this kind of disrespect for homeless veterans: “Yesterday, several homeless veterans rose to this challenge, protesting outside O’Reilly’s office. MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann reports that O’Reilly ‘cold shouldered” the veterans and “did not even have the courage to meet them’: ‘Instead, a producer asked the woman, whose group provides transitional housing for 83 vets, whether they have an appointment…. The producer took them into the lobby so our cameras could not get a shot of him accepting their petition with 17,000 signatures…. Instead of meeting with those veterans, O’Reilly had [staff] tell the vets group, please leave a message, somebody will get back to you.”

* Last night was the “fourth CNN debate sponsored by coal front group Americans for Balanced Energy Choices (ABEC). Not one of the four has contained a question on climate.” Given the seriousness of global warming, the omission of even one question is glaring.

* Speaking of the debate last night, I have no idea who the “winner” on the stage was, but I guarantee CNN feels like a winner today: “Last night’s Democratic debate on CNN drew 8,324,000 million total viewers, making it the most-watched primary debate in cable news history, and the second-most watched on TV this election cycle (ABC’s Democratic debate on Jan. 5 drew 9,360,000). The debate gives CNN the top five highest rated cable debates this cycle in total viewers…. In the A25-54 demo, the debate finished with 3,257,000 viewers, the #1 take in cable news history as well.”

* It’s awfully difficult to break out of the culture of corruption: The National Republican Congressional Committee said Friday that it has contacted the FBI about possible financial improprieties at the committee. Without providing details, the NRCC released a statement from Chairman Tom Cole (Okla.) that said: “As part of our ongoing efforts to institute and strengthen financial controls at the National Republican Congressional Committee, we learned earlier this week of irregularities in our financial audit process. Since these irregularities may include fraud, we have notified the appropriate law enforcement authorities.”

* VoteVets: “When a mortar landed just outside Tikrit on Thursday, the round killed one American soldier and wounded another. We still don’t know their names. Yet despite all the cheering we’ve heard about the success of the surge recently, this death made January the deadliest month for Americans in Iraq since September. Let that sink in. When 39 Americans are killed in January at the highest rate since September (which marked the end of the single bloodiest period to date in Iraq) we cannot say things are improving. Call it a spike, call it a bump, call it whatever you want: Just don’t call it success. The bottom line is that despite what the chickenhawk pundits and politicians are saying about the surge, American troop deaths are up 70 percent from December to January.”

* Politico: “Setting the stage for one last budget battle with the Democratic Congress, President Bush plans to propose $178 billion in long term cuts to Medicare in the fiscal 2009 budget he will unveil on Monday.” The phrase “not going to happen” keeps coming to mind.

* I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of laughing at Giuliani: “Over $50 million for a single delegate.
As the LA Times notes, that’s the worst dollar for delegate record in American presidential history…. On the other hand, 9/11 did change everything.”

* If O’Reilly were smart, he’d just avoid talking about John Edwards and the homeless altogether. Of course, O’Reilly is not smart.

* Jake Tapper’s mistaken report on Bill Clinton was bloggers’ fault? I’m terribly confused by this.

* Speaking of bloggers: “It’s the government’s idea of a really bad day: Washington’s Metro trains shut down. Seaport computers in New York go dark. Bloggers reveal locations of railcars with hazardous materials. Airport control towers are disrupted in Philadelphia and Chicago. Overseas, a mysterious liquid is found on London’s subway. And that’s just for starters. Those incidents were among dozens of detailed, mock disasters confronting officials rapid-fire in the U.S. government’s biggest-ever ‘Cyber Storm’ war game, according to hundreds of pages of heavily censored files obtained by the Associated Press.”

* “Juan McCain” is apparently what passes for modern conservative wit.

* Karl Rove and Fox News: a match made in…somewhere unpleasant.

* Al Gore may endorse a presidential candidate, but not before Feb. 5.

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With the president having signed a 15-day extension of the existing surveillance law (the poorly-named “Protect America Act”), senators have finally crafted a plan on what happens next. Paul Kiel sets the stage.

So, after all that, after all the back room offers and counteroffers and fear-mongering and delaying, the Senate has finally struck a deal on the surveillance bill, and everyone has agreed to it, including Sens. Dodd and Feingold, so there should be no filibustering this time around. They’ll get to voting on it all on Monday.

Most crucially, the Dodd/Feingold amendment, which would strip retroactive immunity for the telecoms from the bill, will only need 51 votes to pass. The same goes for the related Specter/Whitehouse amendment, which instead of offering immunity to the telecoms, would replace the federal government as the defendant in all the lawsuits.

Keep in mind, there are some differences of opinion about whether this landscape is encouraging or not, and regrettably, two people I look to for guidance disagree with one another — McJoan believes the deal going into Monday offers us hope; Glenn Greenwald does not.

In the meantime, Dick Cheney is going on the offensive (natch), appearing on Rush Limbaugh’s show (again) this week to make the White House’s case: “Those [telecommunications] companies helped specifically at our request, and they’ve done yeoman duty for the country, and this is the so-called terrorist surveillance program, one of the things it was called earlier. It’s just absolutely essential to know who in the United States is talking to Al-Qaeda. It’s a program that’s been very well managed. We haven’t violated anybody’s civil liberties.”

I don’t want to alarm anyone, but what the Vice President said isn’t true.

I think Keith Olbermann’s “special comment” last night summed up the argument quite well:

“In a presidency of hypocrisy — an administration of exploitation — a labyrinth of leadership — in which every vital fact is a puzzle inside a riddle wrapped in an enigma hidden under a claim of executive privilege supervised by an idiot — this one … is surprisingly easy.

“President Bush has put protecting the telecom giants from the laws… ahead of protecting you from the terrorists.

“He has demanded an extension of the FISA law — the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act — but only an extension that includes retroactive immunity for the telecoms who helped him spy on you.

“Congress has given him, and he has today signed a fifteen-day extension which simply kicks the time bomb down the field, and has changed nothing of his insipid rhetoric, in which he portrays the Democrats as ’soft on terror’ and getting in the way of his superhuman efforts to protect the nation… when, in fact, and with bitter irony, if anybody is ’soft on terror’ here… it is Mr. Bush.

“In the State of the Union Address, sir, you told Congress, “if you do not act by Friday, our ability to track terrorist threats would be weakened and our citizens will be in greater danger.”

“Yet you are willing to weaken that ability! You will subject us, your citizens, to that greater danger.

“This, Mr. Bush, is simple enough even for you to understand: If Congress approves a new FISA act without telecom immunity and sends it to your desk and you veto it — you, by your own terms and your own definitions, you will have just sided with the terrorists.

“Ya gotta have this law, or we’re all gonna die. But you might veto this law!

“It’s bad enough, sir, that you are demanding an ex post facto law which would clear the phone giants from responsibility for their systematic, aggressive, and blatant collaboration with your illegal and unjustified spying on Americans, under the flimsy guise of looking for any terrorists stupid enough to make a collect call or send a mass e-mail.

“But when you then demanded again, during the State of the Union address, that Congress retroactively clear the Verizons and the AT&T’s, you wouldn’t even confirm that they actually did anything for which they deserved to be cleared!

“‘The Congress must pass liability protection for companies believed to have assisted in the efforts to defend America.’ Believed? Don’t you know? Does the endless hair-splitting of your presidential fine print, extend even here?

“If you, sir, are asking Congress, and us, to join you in this shameless, breathless, literal, textbook example of fascism — the merged efforts of government and corporations who answer to no government — you still don’t have the guts to even say the telecom companies did assist you, in your efforts?

“Will you and the equivocators who surround you like a cocoon never go on the record about anything? Even the stuff you claim to believe in? Silly me. Of course Mr. Bush is going to say ‘believed.’

“Yes, it sounds dumber than if he had referred to himself as ‘the alleged president,’ or had said today was ‘reportedly Thursday,’ or had claimed ‘Mission Accomplished’ in Iraq.

“But the moment he says anything else, any doubt that the telecoms knowingly broke the law, is out the window, and with it, any chance that even the Republicans who are fighting this like they were trying to fend off terrorists using nothing but broken beer bottles and swear words couldn’t consent to retroactively immunize corporate criminals.

“Which is why the Vice President probably shouldn’t have phoned in to the Rush Limbaugh Propaganda-Festival yesterday.

“Sixth sentence out of Mr. Cheney’s mouth: The FISA bill is about, quote, ‘retroactive liability protection for the companies that have worked with us and helped us prevent further attacks against the United States.’

“Oops….

“The primary job of any president is to protect us. Not just those of us who own Internet and Telephone companies — All of us. And even you, sir, with your intermittent grasp of reality… even with your ego greater than a 100-percent approval rating… even with your messianic petulance — even you could not truly choose to protect the corporations instead of the people.

“I am not talking about ethics here. I am talking about blame. Even if it’s you throwing out the baby with the bathwater, Mr. Bush, it still means we can safely conclude… there is no baby!

“This is not a choice of protecting the telecoms from prosecution, or protecting the people from terrorists, sir. It is a choice of protecting the telecoms from prosecution, or pretending to protect the people from terrorists.

“Sorry, Mr. Bush. The eavesdropping provisions of FISA have obviously had no impact on counter-terrorism, and there is no current or perceived terrorist threat, the thwarting of which could hinge on an e-mail or a phone call going through room 641-A at AT&T in San Francisco next week or next month.

“Because if there were, Mr. Bush, and you were to, by your own hand, veto an extension of this eavesdropping, and some terrorist attack were to follow, you would not merely be guilty of siding with the terrorists, you would not merely be guilty of prioritizing the telecoms over the people, you would not merely be guilty of stupidity, you would not merely be guilty of treason… but you would be personally, and eternally, responsible.

“And if there is one thing we know about you, Mr. Bush, one thing that you have proved time and time again under any and all circumstances, it is that you are never responsible.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* No one cared, even a little, but Mitt Romney won the Maine Republican caucuses over the weekend with about 52% support. John McCain was second with 22%, while Ron Paul, who thought he might have an outside shot at a victory in Maine, came in third with 19%.

* The “temperament” issue continues to linger: “Mitt Romney’s campaign is blasting out automated phone calls that feature a recording of former senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania raising questions about John McCain’s ‘temperament’ - a hot-button issue that Romney himself has assiduously avoided. Santorum said in an interview yesterday that he wrote the script himself, and the campaign deferred to him and approved it. ‘I think that to me it is a relevant issue for people to consider,’ he said. ‘I think it’s one without question that factors into his ability to govern, to form coalitions, and to get things done.’”

* There was quite a bit of talk yesterday about a possible “push poll” launched by the Clinton campaign against Obama in California. It looks like it may not have been a push poll after all.

* Mitt Romney’s poised to have a bad day tomorrow, but he at least claims that he’s sticking around past this week. “Looking at the numbers of delegates and the numbers of states, I don’t think somebody is going to walk away with the needed number, so I think this thing goes on well beyond Tuesday,” he said over the weekend.

* Barack Obama attended a campaign event in Boise, Idaho, on Saturday, drawing about 15,000 people — not to mention thousands more who couldn’t get in when the arena hit its capacity. For context, consider that the total number of Democrats who participated in Idaho’s presidential caucuses in 2004 was about one-third the number who showed up for this rally.

* Clinton is tweaking her message: “Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton debuted an almost entirely new stump speech at a raucous rally with 5,000 people in Los Angeles on Saturday morning, meanwhile, replacing her old, policy-heavy remarks with a new overarching message – ‘the America I see’ – and new hits on two of her opponents, Mr. Obama and the Republican front-runner, Senator John McCain of Arizona.”

* Romney wants Huckabee to get out of the way, and Huckabee wants Romney to also get out of the way: “White House hopeful Mike Huckabee denied the Republican presidential race had narrowed to two candidates, Mitt Romney and John McCain, telling journalists at an Alabama campaign stop Saturday that ‘if anybody ought to be quitting, it’s Mitt Romney.’ ‘John McCain hasn’t suggested I step aside. So if Mitt Romney’s going to engage me, which he has, then I feel like the engagement is on,’ said the former Arkansas governor.”

* The New York Daily News endorsed Clinton over the weekend: “Clinton’s time is here now. Her greater seasoning and instinct for taking command of the executive branch - from the Defense and State departments to homeland security and transportation agencies that just might find money for New York - are decided advantages. So, too, her projection of strength. She is the right choice for the Democrats.”

* A surprisingly competitive Democratic primary in New Jersey?

* And Bill Clinton is trying to push back against Ted Kennedy’s support for Obama by criticizing the Liberal Lion’s work with Bush on No Child Left Behind. It’s not an entirely persuasive pitch — Hillary Clinton voted for NCLB.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* This isn’t a federal budget, it’s a punch-line: “President Bush today unveiled a tough-minded, $3 trillion budget proposal for fiscal 2009 that would slice $14.2 billion from the growth of federal health-care programs, eliminate scores of programs and virtually freeze domestic spending — but would still record a $407 billion budget deficit. The president’s final budget is a sharp contrast to the priorities of the Democratic-controlled Congress, which is likely to wait out Bush’s presidency rather than accede to many of his demands. The Bush budget plan would continue his first-term tax cuts beyond their 2011 expiration date, at a cost to the Treasury of $635 billion through 2013, extend abstinence education programs, create elementary and secondary education vouchers and guard other White House initiatives.”

* Speaking of budgets: “As Congress and the public focus on more than $600 billion already approved in supplemental budgets to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and for counterterrorism operations, the Bush administration has with little notice approached a landmark in military spending. The Pentagon on Monday will unveil its proposed 2009 budget of $515.4 billion. If it is approved in full, annual military spending, when adjusted for inflation, will have reached its highest level since World War II.”

* As it turns out, the half-trillion in military spending may underestimate the price tag: “[T]he costs for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are not included in the baseline DoD request. In reality, the war costs will most likely increase the defense budget to nearly $688 billion through the first quarter of FY 2009…. To fund his war and preserve his tax cuts for the rich, President Bush is cutting vital services for low- and moderate-income Americans, including child-care assistance for low-income families, low-income rental assistance programs, and total funding for K-12 education.”

* Making matters in Iraq a little more complex: “Turkish fighter jets bombed targets in northern Iraq on Monday, the Turkish military said, the fifth major strike against Kurdish rebels this year.
In a statement posted on its Web site, the Turkish military said it had struck 70 targets in the Avashin and Harkuk districts in a 12-hour bombing run that began at 3 a.m. The military did not give details on damage or deaths.”

* Bill Kristol thinks John McCain is less wrong than Democrats. How insightful.

* On a related note, Kristol apparently told a national television audience yesterday that he has a problem with “white women.” Great job, New York Times, giving this guy one of the most prestigious positions in American media.

* AP: “The deaths of nine civilians, including a child, in a U.S. airstrike south of Baghdad have raised fresh concerns about the military’s ability to distinguish friend from foe in a campaign to uproot insurgents from Sunni areas on the capital’s doorstep. Witnesses and Iraqi police said helicopters strafed a house Saturday after confusing U.S.-allied Sunni fighters for extremists in the deadliest case of mistaken identity since November. The U.S. military on Monday confirmed the civilian deaths, but gave few other details of the Army gunship attack. The bloodshed also points to the wider complications for U.S.-led offensives against insurgents in populated areas: As the firepower increases so do the risks of claiming innocent lives. And each such death potentially frays the crucial alliances between the Pentagon and new Sunni allies, widely known as Awakening Councils.” (thanks to R.K. for the tip)

* The fact that McCain has no idea whether Iraqi casualty rates are going up or down is not a good sign.

* The renewed FISA debate is set to move forward in the Senate, and the ACLU has put together a helpful fact sheet.

* This is just an amazing story: “The U.S. Park Police have failed to adequately protect such national landmarks as the Statue of Liberty, the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument and are plagued by low morale, poor leadership and bad organization, according to a new government report. The force is understaffed, insufficiently trained and woefully equipped, the report by the Interior Department’s inspector general concludes. Hallowed sites on the Mall are weakly guarded and vulnerable to terrorist attack, the inspector general’s office found.”
Asked about the accusation that the monuments were not adequately protected, Park Police Chief Dwight E. Pettiford declared: “They’re still standing.”

* Haven’t heard much political news from George Soros lately: “Here comes Big George again. Billionaire George Soros is weighing in heavily with more cash, delivering $2.5 million to a new political organization called Fund for America.”

* It’s good to know there are uninformed people everywhere: “Britons are losing their grip on reality, according to a poll out Monday which showed that nearly a quarter think Winston Churchill was a myth while the majority reckon Sherlock Holmes was real. The survey found that 47 percent thought the 12th century English king Richard the Lionheart was a myth. And 23 percent thought World War II prime minister Churchill was made up.”

* And finally, Karl Rove has officially joined Fox News’ on-air team of “media professionals.” Both Rove and the Republican network have been reading the same talking points for years, but now, Rove will be paid handsomely to do it. I’m only surprised it took this long for the two to get together.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* If recent fundraising is indicative of a larger trend, Barack Obama is moving in the right direction in the race for the Democratic nomination. Last week, Obama announced he’d raised $32 million in January. By way of contrast, Hillary Clinton’s campaign announced yesterday that she’d collected “about $13.5 million” over the same month. Ordinarily, Clinton’s haul would be pretty impressive, but up against Obama’s numbers, it suggests he has the momentum.

* Speaking of money, Republicans’ financial troubles keep getting worse. Dems are out fundraising Republicans at the presidential level (no one in the GOP field comes close to Clinton and Obama); the House level (by Jan. 1, the DCCC had seven times the cash on hand as the NRCC); and the Senate level (the DSCC ended the year with more than $29 million in the bank, while the NRSC ended with $12 million).

* Michelle Obama caused a stir yesterday after a “Good Morning America” appearance in which she said she’d “have to think about” whether she’d support a Democratic ticket with Clinton as the nominee. And while that drew plenty of criticism, it’s worth noting that Michelle Obama quickly followed this up by explaining, “Everyone in this party is going to work hard for whoever the nominee is. I think we’re all working for the same thing.”

* Bill Clinton said yesterday that Barack Obama believes “affordable quality health care for all Americans” is “not that important.” Clinton and Obama have slightly different approaches on how to get there, but I’m pretty sure that’s not true.

* Speaking of the former president, he has some predictions for the day: “Bill thinks Hillary will win in NY, NJ, AR, TN, OK, CA and ID. Clinton thinks Obama will [win] in IL, CO, MN, AL and GA. He’s not sure about MO, MA and CT. (He’s missing New Mexico.)”

* If you believe SurveyUSA, Clinton is set to win California and Missouri. If you believe Zogby, Obama is set to win the same two states.

* Will the weather affect the Super Tuesday results? “Thunderstorms and snowstorms spread across the eastern half of the nation Tuesday, making travel miserable for voters in states holding primaries and causing flooding that chased some people from homes in Indiana.”

* New conservative meme: “Responding to Bob Dole’s letter to Rush Limbaugh, Mitt Romney said this morning on ‘Fox & Friends’ that there were similarities between the GOP’s ‘96 standard-bearer and the current Republican front-runner. ‘Well, it’s probably the last person I would have wanted write a letter for me,’ Romney said. ‘I think there are a lot of folks who tend to think that maybe John McCain’s race is a bit like Bob Dole’s race. That it’s the guy who’s next in line, the inevitable choice.’”

* Ugh: “As voters head to the polls today to participate in the most crowded primary day in history, with the most delegates at stake and a tightening Democratic contest, some are concerned that there could be chaos at the polling booths with malfunctioning machines and disputed results. Six states, including New York, New Jersey, Georgia, Arkansas, Delaware and Tennessee, are ‘considered at high risk for having election results affected by machine malfunction or tampering,’ according to a report by Common Cause and the Verified Voting Foundation, nonprofit groups committed to accountable politics.”

* And on a related note, keep an eye on this voting problem in Los Angeles: “Turns out that in Los Angeles County, if a DTS voter requests their Democratic ballot and casts their vote, but does NOT mark ‘Democratic’ in the appropriate space, the vote will indeed not be counted. The ballot will go through the scan-tron machine, not register as a counted vote, AND will not spit back out for the voter to fix. In LA County, they feed the ballot through the tabulator right in front of the voter, presumably to prevent errors just like this. But this one doesn’t get caught in all the tests.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Market watching has slipped from the front page lately, but the key indicators continue to look very discouraging: “Stocks slumped for a second straight session Tuesday after an unexpected contraction in the service sector rekindled investors’ worry that the economy is headed for recession. The Dow Jones industrial average fell about 300 points, while bond prices surged. The Institute for Supply Management’s January report on the service sector, which accounts for about two-thirds of the economy, came in well short of Wall Street’s forecast. The index dropped to 44.6 last month, its lowest level since 2001, from a revised reading of 54.4 in December. The reading below 50 — which indicates contraction — was the first in the service sector in more than four and a half years. Economists had been expecting another month of growth.”

* So far, a few hiccups, but no voting disasters: “Scattered voting problems, including machine glitches and long lines, were reported early in some states in the biggest Super Tuesday ever held in America. But overall, voting appeared to go smoothly. A record turnout was expected as an unprecedented 24 states held primaries and caucuses to narrow the field for the Democratic and Republican nominees for president.”

* Remember all of the countless times the Bush White House has said, “We don’t torture”? Well, guess what: ” I guess they figure the cat’s out of the bag. Last month, former Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte, trying to accent the positive, confirmed that the U.S. had used waterboarding, but said they hadn’t done it ‘in years.’ Today, CIA Director Michael Hayden got more specific in a public Congressional hearing.” Hayden pointed to three specific examples of waterboarding.

* In related news, Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell told the Senate Intelligence Committee today that waterboarding “is a legal technique used in a specific set of circumstances. You have to know the circumstances to be able to make the judgment.” McConnell added that when he’d said previously that waterboarding constituted “torture,” he meant that he didn’t like the idea of having “water up my nose.”

* Mitt Romney lost in West Virginia today after John McCain’s campaign urged supporters to shift to Mike Huckabee. The Romney campaign is apparently livid: “Governor Romney had enough respect for the Republican voters of West Virginia to make an appeal to them about the future of the party based on issues. This is why he led on today’s first ballot. Sadly, Senator McCain cut a Washington backroom deal in a way that once again underscores his legacy of working against Republicans who are interested in championing conservative policies and rebuilding the party.”

* It’s not saying much, but Mukasey is a slight improvement on Alberto Gonzales: “Five years after a gay advocacy group was told that it could no longer use the e-mail, bulletin boards and meeting rooms at the Justice Department, Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey has reversed that decision and issued a revised equal-employment-opportunity policy barring discrimination against any group.”

* This is just so painful: “Abdul Razzaq Hekmati was regarded here as a war hero, famous for his resistance to the Russian occupation in the 1980s and later for a daring prison break he organized for three opponents of the Taliban government in 1999. But in 2003, Mr. Hekmati was arrested by American forces in southern Afghanistan when, senior Afghan officials here contend, he was falsely accused by his enemies of being a Taliban commander himself. For the next five years he was held at the American military base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, where he died of cancer on Dec. 30.” Hilzoy explained very well, “There’s a better way of dealing with this sort of thing than letting people rot in jail until they die of cancer. It’s called a ‘trial.’”

* Why doesn’t the president care about national security? “President Bush issued a veto threat Tuesday in the debate to update terrorist surveillance laws, rebuking Democratic plans to deny retroactive legal protections for telecommunications providers that let the government spy on U.S. residents after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.”

* A sharp rebuke: “The Bush administration overreached when it sought to limit the Navy’s obligations under national environmental laws related to sonar training exercises off California, a federal judge ruled yesterday. In a sharply worded decision that will keep the Navy from continuing a series of 14 planned exercises, U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper wrote that the Navy and the administration had improperly declared that an emergency would be created if they had to accept court-mandated steps to minimize risk to whales and other sea mammals. Because no real emergency exists, she said, the White House cannot override her decisions and those of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.”

* Just once, I’d love to hear a conservative Republican like Mary Matalin explain what an “all-American family” looks like.

* Rush Limbaugh said today of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, “They are not going to surrender the country to Islamic radicalism or the war in Iraq.” The guy really doesn’t like John McCain.

* Have I mentioned lately how much I love the reports from the campaign trail from Sam Seder (of Air America fame) from 236.com? Yesterday, Sam reported on John McCain and “The Not So Straight Talk Express.” Today, Sam had another gem on Mitt Romney and his love of “change.” Great stuff.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* So, who ended up winning New Mexico’s Democratic primary last night? As of this morning, with 98% of the precincts reporting, Hillary Clinton led Barack Obama by about 100 votes. There are, however, almost 17,000 provisional ballots yet to be counted. (To be sure, it’s not exactly important either way, but I mention it because I know the campaigns are looking for additional bragging rights.)

* MSNBC had a pretty good summary of the delegate situation as of now: “By our estimates, [Obama] picked up 840 to 849 delegates versus 829-838 for Clinton; the Obama camp projects winning by nine delegates (845-836)…. Yet with Clinton’s overall superdelegate lead (259-170, based on the lists they’ve released to us), and when you toss in the 63-48 lead Obama had among pledged delegates going into Super Tuesday, it appears Clinton has about 70 more overall delegates than Obama does (1140-1150 for Clinton versus 1070 to 1080 for Obama). It’s that close, folks.”

* What’s Romney’s next move? “Mitt Romney and top aides and advisers plan to huddle Wednesday to discuss the future of his campaign, including whether to launch an advertising buy in upcoming primary states. Romney vowed late Tuesday to press on, though top advisers acknowledged the delegate match was daunting. ‘It is tough to saddle up this AM,’ said one top Romney adviser who spoke only on condition of anonymity.”

* Speaking of Romney: “Republican campaign operatives call it the Gramm-o-meter, the money a candidate spends per delegate won, in honor of Phil Gramm, the former Texas senator who spent $25 million and won just 10 delegates, or $2.5 million per, in 1996. By Republican strategist Alex Vogel’s calculation, Mitt Romney is giving Gramm a run for his money. The former Massachusetts governor has spent $1.16 million per delegate, a rate that would cost him $1.33 billion to win the nomination.”

* Following a few unexpected victories yesterday, Huckabee took a victory lap on several morning shows: “Huckabee said he performed well despite being ruled out by talk radio hosts and ‘the pundits,’ and that he won states the eventual GOP nominee must win in November. Denied making a deal with McCain in West Virginia and accused Romney of ‘whining’ about the results. Continued to speak only positively of McCain, and said on NBC that no one turns the vice presidency down. Claimed he’s had a strong influx of online donations.”

* How well did McCain do in California yesterday? He won 51 of the state’s 53 congressional districts.

* Kate Michelman, the former president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, has switched from supporting John Edwards to Barack Obama.

* With the Nebraska caucuses coming up, Obama is traveling to Omaha tomorrow to make his pitch, making him the first (and so far, only) candidate to visit the state this year. Obama already enjoys the support of Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Nebraska’s most powerful Dem.

* At some recent John McCain campaign rallies, John Mellencamp’s “Our Country” and “Pink Houses” have been booming out over the speakers. This week, Mellencamp asked the McCain campaign to stop playing his songs at its events.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Stunning devastation in the Southeast: “Rescue crews, some with the help of the National Guard, went door-to-door looking for more victims a day after a cluster of tornadoes tore through the South, killing at least 52 people and injuring several hundred. Residents in five states tried to salvage what they could Wednesday from homes reduced to piles of debris. Tens of thousands were without power after dozens of twisters were reported in Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama.”

* Sounds like Republican officials on the Hill have reason to be nervous: “Top House Republicans were told in recent days that a former employee of their campaign committee may have forged an official audit during the contentious 2006 election cycle and that they should brace for the possibility that an unfolding investigation could uncover financial improprieties stretching back several years, according to GOP sources briefed on the members-only discussions.”

* I often wish the White House wasn’t so humiliating: “In congressional testimony yesterday, CIA director Michael Hayden confirmed that his agency used waterboarding on three al Qaeda suspects. In 2006, Hayden banned the use of waterboarding in CIA interrogations. The Pentagon also banned its employees from using it, and the FBI said its investigators do not use coercive tactics in interviewing terror suspects. But in today’s gaggle, White House said that it may approve the use of waterboarding again ‘depend[ing] upon circumstances.’ … Later, in a press briefing, Fratto tried to distance himself from these remarks, claiming that he only was talking about ‘the process’ of approving waterboarding. ‘I’m not speculating,’ he declared.”

* Oddly enough, just last week, Bush was boasting that the nation is better off than it was eight years ago, because our military is stronger than it was: “The military’s top uniformed officer says U.S. forces are ’significantly stressed’ by fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan while simultaneously trying to stem the tide of violent extremism elsewhere. ‘The pace of ongoing operations has prevented our forces from fully training for the full spectrum of operations and impacts our ability to be ready to counter future threats,’ Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in testimony prepared for delivery Wednesday.”

* When it comes to shattering records, Democratic turnout on Super Tuesday was pretty impressive.

* And speaking of Super Tuesday, I suppose it’s not too surprising that quite a few Floridians showed up at their polling stations yesterday, wondering why they weren’t allowed to vote. (Florida’s primary was last week.) The Palm Beach County Election Supervisor alone received over 100 calls.

* In a pleasant surprise, the president has backed off a plan to enter into a treaty with Iraq without congressional approval: “The administration has maintained that the agreement would not rise to the level of a treaty. The ’security guarantee’ statement appeared in the announcement because Iraqis wanted it on the table, the administration official said. But, he said, the United States does not believe it to be necessary. ‘We say, look, if you want a security guarantee, that will be a treaty, and a treaty will have to go to our Senate,’ endangering the whole agreement, he said.”

* What on earth was going on in New Mexico? “The state Democratic Party chairman is formally apologizing for not adequately preparing for Tuesday’s caucus. ‘We had long lines and it’s the responsibility of the party to say we needed to do a better job,’ said Chairman Brian Colon. ‘Instead of 4,000 volunteers, we probably needed 6,000 volunteers. For voters who weren’t able to vote, I have that regret.’ Among the issues voters had were very long lines at some voting locations - up to three hours at Rio Rancho High School - and a lack of ballots. Colon said nobody could have predicted such a high turnout at the caucus, which brought in more than 152,000 voters.”

* Former White House Chief of Staff Andy Card wishes for another Bush presidency — this time, with Jeb. No, I don’t understand it, either.

* The Senate considered amendment to the surveillance bill this afternoon, sponsored by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md), which would mandate that the law expire in four years. 60 votes were needed for passage; it got 49. (Because of the interest in the candidates, it’s worth noting that Obama voted with the party, but Clinton, who was in DC, did not vote.)

* One of the problems I’ve noticed with bloggers enthusiastically taking sides in a presidential primary fight is that they become so obsessed, they’re not worth reading anymore; their posts are just too predictable. Hugh Hewitt, a Mitt Romney sycophant, became just such a person quite a while ago, though it appears he realizes that his cause is lost.

* After last year’s Rich Little fiasco, the hosts of this year’s White House Correspondents Association dinner wanted to go a little younger. After Ellen DeGeneres and Steve Carrell turned them down, late night TV host Craig Ferguson accepted.

* And finally, a quote of the day, from the National Review’s Mark Steyn: “The real story of the night, when you look at their rallies and their turn-out numbers, is that the Dems have two strong candidates either of whom could lead a united party to victory. Forget the gaseous platitudes: in Dem terms, their choice on Super Duper Tuesday was deciding which candidate was Super Duper and which was merely Super. Over on the GOP side, it was a choice between Weak & Divisive or Weaker & Unacceptable. Doesn’t bode well for November.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The post-Super Tuesday fundraising push is more intense than I even imagined: “[T]he Hillary campaign has raised roughly $4 million since the polls closed, the Clinton campaign tells us. The Hillary camp is also claiming 35,000 new donors in the past 48 hours.” At the same time, however, the Obama campaign, using the $5 million Clinton loan as a rallying cry, has raised $7.6 million over the same time period.

* Some Obama campaign staffers got a little sloppy yesterday and inadvertently leaked a memo with expectations for the next couple of months: “By the time the last primary is held June 7, Obama’s advisers project he will have 1,806 delegates to 1,789 for New York Senator Hillary Clinton, according to a document outlining the scenario that was inadvertently attached to a release on delegate counts from yesterday’s Super Tuesday primaries.” As the campaign sees it, Obama will win all of the remaining states, except for Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

* In case there were any concerns, Joe Lieberman will not be a Democratic superdelegate: “Lieberman’s endorsement of Republican John McCain disqualifies him as a super-delegate to the Democratic National Convention under what is informally known as the Zell Miller rule, according to Democratic State Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo. Miller, then a Democratic senator from Georgia, not only endorsed Republican George Bush four years ago, but he delivered a vitriolic attack on Democrat John Kerry at the Republican National Convention. The Democrats responded with a rule disqualifying any Democrat who crosses the aisle from being a super delegate. Lieberman will not be replaced, DiNardo said.”

* Yesterday morning, Obama said he’d be ready for the Republicans after enduring attacks from the Clinton campaign, should he win the nomination. A few hours later, the Republican National Committee told reporters that it would hit even harder: “With all due respect to the Clinton ‘machine’, should Barack Obama win the nomination, I’m sure Republicans will have plenty of arguments to level against the Senate’s ‘most liberal’ member.” (I assume you know, but the “most liberal” line is bogus.)

* A Yale medical student named Liza Goldman reportedly asked Hillary Clinton this week whether she would support a single-payer healthcare policy if Congress passed one. “She said yes, and shook my hand,” Goldman said.

* Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), a superdelegate, announced yesterday that he would support Obama because his constituents did: “Last night at the Democratic caucuses, the voters of southern Minnesota overwhelmingly supported Senator Barack Obama and his hopeful vision for positive change. As a superdelegate to the Democratic National Convention, I will honor their decision and support Senator Obama.”

* The back and forth on Mississippi Republican Governor Haley Barbour’s decision to delay a special election to fill Trent Lott’s seat went to the state Supreme Court yesterday. Unfortunately, the court majority ruled in Barbour’s favor. (The dissent was a gem: “Much of what has been written by the majority in the instant case would be dismissed as mere gobbledygook but for the fact that it is being promulgated by a venerable institution in our democracy, the Mississippi Supreme Court. This majority decision erodes that veneration.”)

* Ron Paul thinks he has 24 delegates. Party officials aren’t so sure.

* Pollster John Zogby predicted a double-digit victory for Obama in California this week. Given that Clinton won by double digits, Zogby felt compelled to respond to the criticism: “Some of you may have noticed our pre-election polling differed from the actual results. It appears that we underestimated Hispanic turnout and overestimated the importance of younger Hispanic voters. We also overestimated turnout among African-American voters. Those of you who have been following our work know that we have gotten 13 out of 17 races right this year, and so many others over the years. This does happen.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* After Republicans successfully blocked consideration of a better bill yesterday, the Senate returned to the fiscal stimulus again today: “Senate Democrats have agreed to an amended version of a House-approved plan to spur the economy, making swift passage of a final stimulus measure likely. The new Senate plan, which will likely get Senate approval by Thursday evening, would pay one-time rebates to more than 100 million low- and middle-income households, 20 million senior citizens living off of Social Security and 250,000 disabled veterans. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., had hoped for a more expansive package. He said Thursday afternoon that the Senate had an obligation to improve on the House bill and ‘we’ve done that.’”

* The Clinton campaign is pushing back very aggressively against the notion that it’s experiencing financial trouble. In a conference call with reporters today, the campaign’s finance team explained that it’s collected $7.5 million is since Feb. 1 (none of which includes loans from the candidate), and $6.4 million of that total has come since the polls closed on Super Tuesday. The campaign also emphasized that “all” of the campaign staff has been “100% paid.”

* The annual CPAC conference, arguably the leading national right-wing political gathering, kicked off today in DC. Apparently, CPAC attendees were specifically encouraged not to boo John McCain, who turned down an invitation to attend last year’s conference. The instructions didn’t work — McCain brought up immigration, and was quickly met with boos anyway.

* NYT: “At the time that the Central Intelligence Agency destroyed videotapes of the interrogations of operatives of Al Qaeda, a federal judge was still seeking information from Bush administration lawyers about the interrogation of one of those operatives, Abu Zubaydah, according to court documents made public on Wednesday. The court documents, filed in the case of Zacarias Moussaoui, appear to contradict a statement last December by Gen. Michael V. Hayden, the C.I.A. director, that when the tapes were destroyed in November 2005 they had no relevance to any court proceeding, including Mr. Moussaoui’s criminal trial.”

* The vast majority of House retirements are Republicans this year, but not all: “Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-Ore.) announced Thursday that she will not be running for reelection, becoming the first Democrat from a competitive seat to announce her retirement this election cycle…. The six-term congresswoman was a leading centrist in the Democratic caucus, winning a Salem-based district that narrowly voted for President Bush in the last two presidential elections. The district gave President Bush 50 percent of the vote in 2004.”

* Are McCain’s far-right critics putting his age on the table? “‘The whole question of securing his base and the Republican disquiet with him makes it almost mandatory that McCain consider going with a conservative running mate who would get those people energized,’ [American Conservative Union head David Keene] said. ‘And given his age, he’s likely to be a one-term president anyway.’”

* TPMM: “Rep. Bill Delahunt (D-MA) wanted some clarity during his questioning. Was the attorney general really saying that anyone who acted pursuant to a Justice Department legal opinion was ‘insulated from criminal liability?’ Mukasey wanted to say it more carefully. ‘I think what I said was that we could not investigate or prosecute somebody for acting in reliance on a Justice Department opinion.’” If the Justice Department made a mistake and gave the wrong advice, it wouldn’t matter, Mukasey said, those who broke the law wouldn’t be prosecuted.

* We haven’t heard much from Jack Murtha lately. That apparently is about to change: “A top Democrat said Thursday he is preparing legislation that would give President Bush the war funding he wants this year, but on the condition that troops leave Iraq by the end of the year. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., chairman of the House defense appropriations subcommittee, said he’ll propose that the House vote this March on the spending measure. In addition to the troop withdrawal, he said he’ll ask for other conditions such as that all deploying troops must be fully trained and equipped. Similar bills scraped by on party line votes in the House last year only to fail in the Senate, where Democrats hold a more narrow margin of control and 60 votes are needed to overcome procedural hurdles. Murtha, speaking to reporters following a speech to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said he’s confident this bill would pass the House, but he’s not sure about the Senate.”

* And finally, Fox News personality John Gibson heralded the recent arrest of Christopher Holder, a Florida teenager, who was arrested for disorderly conduct and breach of peace for rapping the lyrics of a song that included the word “motherfu**er.” (The teen pleaded guilty and received six months of probation.) Gibson was pleased, but wants more: “If the rap song is bad enough to cause Holder’s arrest, why is it not bad enough to cause the arrest of the guy who made the recording?” Gibson asked. He concluded, “I say … Book ‘em, Dano. Book ‘em all.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* I get the sense that supporters of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are borderline obsessed with hypothetical general-election polls, each hoping to prove they could beat John McCain while the other couldn’t. In the newest fuel for the fire, Time magazine shows Clinton and McCain tied nationally at 46%, while the same poll found Obama leads McCain, 48% to 41%. The pollster who conducted the survey said, that “independents tilt toward McCain when he is matched up against Clinton, but they tilt toward Obama when he is matched up against the Illinois Senator.”

* Clinton wants weekly debates, Obama isn’t anxious to have any more debates at all. Yesterday, Obama agreed to two more debates, so long as one of them is in Ohio. “We have such a compressed schedule, it is important for us to be able to travel around Ohio as much as possible. Whenever there is a debate, that is a day that is lost,” he said.

* The race for the Republican nomination is over? Not officially: “Mike Huckabee said Thursday he will continue his quest for the Republican nomination, and directly appealed for support from backers of Mitt Romney’s now suspended presidential bid. ‘As a true authentic, consistent, conservative, I have a vision to bring hope, opportunity and prosperity to all Americans, and I’d like to ask for and welcome the support of those who had previously been committed to Mitt,’ Huckabee said in a statement. ‘This is a two-man race for the nomination, and I am committed to marching on.’”

* Whether this is an elaborate head-fake is unclear, but Rush Limbaugh told his audience yesterday that he’s considering raising money for Hillary Clinton, to help her get the Democratic nomination. The phrase Limbaugh used was, “Keep her in it so we can win it.”

* You may have noticed that Bill Clinton is keeping a lower profile these days. That’s not an accident — the former president conceded yesterday that he probably went a little overboard in the week leading up to the South Carolina primary. “The mistake that I made is to think that I was a spouse like any other spouse who could defend his candidate… I think I can promote Hillary but not defend her, because I was president,” he said.

* Obama encouraged Hillary Clinton to follow his lead and release her and her husband’s income tax returns. “I’ll just say that I’ve released my tax returns. That’s been a policy I’ve maintained consistently. I think the American people deserve to know where you get your income from. But I’ll leave it up to you guys to chase it down,” Obama told reporters on a flight to Nebraska.

* CNN: “In an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-California, explained and defended the involvement of so-called ’superdelegates’ in picking her party’s presidential nominee. Superdelegates were established, Pelosi explained, in order to allow grassroots Democratic activists to attend the nominating convention without having to compete with high-ranking Democratic party officials for a coveted spot on the convention floor. ‘So, again, I don’t think that members of Congress, governors and senators are not attuned to what’s happening in their states and in their districts,’ said Pelosi.”

* Obama picked up two gubernatorial endorsements yesterday: Chet Culver of Iowa and Christine Gregoire of Washington state.

* Hillary Clinton picked up the support yesterday of Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln.

* Oddly enough, we still don’t know who won New Mexico’s Democratic presidential primary.

* The “F7″ February 7 fundraiser was billed as a “grassroots campaign by Rightroots to mobilize thousands of Republican donors to contribute to our party’s nominee on Thursday, February 7, 2008.” How’d they do? They raised $2,290 dollars from 26 donors. Ouch.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* About that 15-day FISA extension: “With time running out for Congress to finish work on an overhaul of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) filed a bill on Friday that would extend the current law through the end of the month. The Senate is expected to finish work on the bill sometime on Tuesday afternoon, giving the House just three working days to finish the bill before the current law expires on Feb. 16.”

* And what about all of those FISA amendments? Be patient: “After passing an economic stimulus package late Thursday afternoon, the Senate immediately began taking up some of the 11 amendments pending to the FISA bill. However, Reid put off votes on final passage of the bill, which means it will not likely be completed until early next week.”

* Naturally, torture extended to contractors: “The CIA’s secret interrogation program has made extensive use of outside contractors, whose role likely included the waterboarding of terrorist suspects, according to testimony yesterday from the CIA director and two other people familiar with the program. Many of the contractors involved aren’t large corporate entities but rather individuals who are often former agency or military officers. However, large corporations also are involved, current and former officials said.”

* In light of Attorney General Michael Mukasey’s recent remarks: Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) will ask the Justice Department’s Inspector General and the Office of Professional Responsibility “to investigate the conduct of Justice Department officials who advised the CIA that waterboarding is lawful.”

* On a related note, Bill O’Reilly is taking the administration’s position to a predictable-yet-ridiculous level: “On Fox News’ O’Reilly Factor yesterday, Bill O’Reilly gave a full-throated defense of the torture tactic, claiming that the ‘far left went wild’ after the revelations. The left ‘literally went crazy,’ he said. O’Reilly continued his pro-torture rant: ‘Why are they so insane about this? It’s not fatal. It doesn’t leave a lasting phyiscal injury? Why are they so crazy? … I think the President has to have the authority…in extraordinary circumstances, as these three were. And the far left is putting us all in danger.’”

* Following his “pimp” comments last night, David Shuster has been suspended from MSNBC.

* Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) still wants Stephen Johnson and the EPA to provide “unredacted” copies of a PowerPoint presentation Johnson’s staff made to him about California’s petition to limit greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks. Next step: subpoenas.

* During his speech to CPAC yesterday, McCain was identified on Fox News with “(D-AZ)” after his name.

* Yes, consumer confidence can get worse.

* Media Matters highlighted more of the flaws in the National Journal liberal-conservative rankings I’ve written a few posts about.

* The state of Nebraska can still execute its own citizens, but it can no longer use the electric chair.

* Joseph Romm: Why John McCain is not the candidate to stop global warming.

* It’s hard to believe how badly Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Julie Myers has handled that Halloween-party flap.

* Lawmakers in Mississippi considered legislation that would have banned restaurants from serving food to obese customers, which in Mississippi’s case, would mean 30% of state residents would be excluded from eating out. The bill, sponsored by a Republican legislator, died this week.

* And finally, Jimmie Johnson, a NASCAR driver, got a chance to meet the president at the White House recently, but thought the Oval Office was just for show. “[Y]ou can tell that’s not the office he really works in,” Johnson said. “It’s way too clean. There isn’t a paper on the desk. There isn’t a computer on the desk. And I’d really like to see his spot. Obviously there are things that are done in that office, but I want to see the spot. I want to see how messy this man is or how organized this man is, you know?” I wonder if Johnson considered the notion that maybe the president doesn’t actually have a place where he does actual work?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* It appears that John Edwards is poised to make an endorsement of one of his former rivals for the Democratic nomination. He quietly met with Hillary Clinton in North Carolina last Thursday (that they kept the meeting under wraps is pretty impressive), and is scheduled to sit down with Barack Obama this evening.

* John McCain’s support in religious right circles is pretty weak, but at least one high-profile figure in the movement is willing to embrace him. This morning, Gary Bauer, a James Dobson protege, backed the Arizona senator, citing his “consistent 24-year pro-life record” and McCain’s “demonstrated commitment to the values that keep our families and communities strong.” Bauer also endorsed McCain in 2000.

* The Clinton campaign hasn’t had too much good news over the last couple of days, but there was one silver lining — the campaign raised over $10 million from 100,000 donors in the four days following the February 5 Super Tuesday contests. As for the previous financial difficulties, the senator has reportedly repaid her $5 million loan, and no one on her staff will forgo paychecks.

* Mike Huckabee is still pretty angry about the shenanigans in Washington state on Saturday night. This morning, he told CNN, “That is not what we do in American elections. Maybe that’s how they used to conduct it in the old Soviet Union, but you don’t just throw people’s votes out and say, ‘well, we’re not going to bother counting them because we kind of think we know where this was going.’

* Obama picked up some helpful newspaper endorsements over the weekend, with the largest newspaper in Ohio (the Cleveland Plain Dealer) and the largest paper in Maryland (the Baltimore Sun) both backing the Illinois senator’s campaign.

* Huckabee appeared on a couple of the Sunday morning talk-shows yesterday, where he faced questions from both Tim Russert and Bob Schieffer about whether he’d consider running as McCain’s running mate. The former governor repeatedly said he didn’t think McCain would choose him, but added, “I’m not interested in being a running mate.”

* Virginia’s closely watched presidential primaries are tomorrow. A Mason-Dixon poll found Obama with a big lead over Clinton going into the race, ahead 53% to 37%.

* The same Mason-Dixon poll found Virginia Republicans leaning heavily in McCain’s direction, with the Arizona senator leading Huckabee, 55% to 27%.

* The Conservative Political Action Conference held a straw-poll at the end of the event late last week, and Mitt Romney, despite having dropped out, edged John McCain, 35% to 34%. Huckabee and Ron Paul had 12% each.

* Fred Thompson endorsed McCain, saying it was time for the GOP to “close ranks.”

* Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said he would certainly consider voting for a Democratic presidential candidate this year, and offered some praise for Obama. “He has energized a lot of people in America. He has energized a lot of people around the world. And so I think he is worth listening to and seeing what he stands for.”

* An eight-day “Democrats Abroad” primary may seem irrelevant, but seven delegates are at stake.

* And in the closely-watched Maryland primary between Rep. Al Wynn and Donna Edwards, the WaPo editorial board endorsed the challenger.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* We’re going to be hearing a lot more about this: “The Pentagon announced today that it has charged six detainees at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, military prison with conspiring to carry out the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and that military prosecutors will seek the death penalty for each.”

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: “Twin car bombs targeted a meeting of Sunni tribal leaders Monday, killing as many as 22 people in the latest attack against U.S. allies who have turned against al-Qaida in Iraq. The attackers managed to penetrate heavy security to leave bomb-rigged cars near a Baghdad compound hosting chieftains from the western Anbar province, where the so-called Awakening Council movement against al-Qaida emerged last year. The blasts were also near the offices of one of Iraq’s most powerful Shiite politicians, Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim.”

* Tom Lantos dies at age 80: “Rep. Tom Lantos, 80, a California Democrat whose experience as the only Holocaust survivor elected to Congress shaped his concern for human rights and his staunch view in favor of U.S. military intervention abroad, died today at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda. He had esophageal cancer. Lantos, born in Budapest to Hungarian Jews, served 14 terms in the House of Representatives. He is the only Holocaust survivor elected to Congress.”

* Josh Marshall went back and checked the TPM notes from Saturday night regarding the Washington GOP primary: “[H]ere’s basically how this works. We start out with McCain ahead. Huckabee jumps ahead with a 3% margin with almost 40% of the vote counted. Then everything slows waaaaay down. And we don’t see anything else until about 40% more of the votes been counted and McCain is back in the lead. Things then proceed a glacial pace with Huckabee a little less than 2 percentage points back until 9% more of the vote is counted. And then they decide to declare McCain the winner. Not quite as cut and dry as the conclusion of a Scooby-Doo episode. But pretty close. Sound fishy to you?”

* On a related note, the controversy has sparked some additional scrutiny of Washington GOP Chair Luke Esser — and that’s not a good thing. He has, after all, apparently made some pretty ugly jokes about disenfranchisement.

* I hope you’re sitting down: “In a speech to Missouri Republicans yesterday, former attorney general John Ashcroft defended President Bush’s warrantless wiretapping program and his record on civil liberties, declaring that Bush is ‘among the most respectful of all leaders ever’ when it comes to ‘respecting the civil liberties and rights of individuals.’ Bush ‘respects liberty so profoundly that he has protected it and has safeguarded civil liberties more than any other president in wartime that I know of,’ Ashcroft said.”

* CNN: “A U.S. Defense Department analyst has been arrested and charged with espionage, accused of passing American military secrets to the Chinese government.”

* TPMM: “John Durham, the prosecutor tapped by Attorney General Michael Mukasey to probe the destruction of the CIA’s videotapes of interrogations, finally laid out in detail the purview of his investigation last week. And it’s clear that his focus is on the tapes themselves – not what they might show.”

* We’ve reached the point at which CNN personalities credit John McCain for “straight talk,” even when they’re not talking about John McCain.

* Karl Rove is apparently feeling a little camera shy. How odd.

* I’ve been thinking about pulling together the data to see which pollsters have been doing the best in predicting primary and caucus results. Now, I don’t have to; it looks like SurveyUSA already put together a chart. (It puts itself at #1, though SUSA didn’t poll any of the early contests.)

* The Clinton campaign has a new youth-outreach video out today, and while it’s been slammed in a few corners, I think it’s actually quite good.

* I have a hunch that National Journal liberal-conservative ranking is going to be a lingering annoyance for quite some time.

* And finally, I suspect everyone has already seen the “Yes, We Can” video put together by Will.i.am. from the Black Eyed Peas. But have you seen the parodies targeted at McCain? There are not one but two great take-offs of the video online today, one from the always-brilliant Lee Stranahan, and another put together with by friends of AmericaBlog’s John Aravosis. Take a look at both; you’ll be glad you did.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* CNN reported last night that “two sources close to Al Gore tell us not to expect the former vice president to endorse either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama any time during the primary season.” Apparently, Gore has decided that with John Kerry and Bill Clinton having weighed in on competing sides, it’s up to him to remain the neutral elder statesman in the party.

* Obama was scheduled to travel to North Carolina last night for a meeting with John Edwards at his home, but the get-together was scrapped. The NYT reported, “The two have been talking on the phone and will meet soon, people close to both men say, but for now the media attention has become too intense and is out of control, with stake-outs at Mr. Edwards’s home.” In response to a voter’s question in Maryland, Obama later said of the meeting, “It will be rescheduled. We’re gonna make it happen.”

* Yesterday, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who was rumored to be leaning in Mitt Romney’s direction, endorsed John McCain.

* Speaking of high-profile endorsements, Clinton is set to pick the support of former Sen. John Glenn, who ran his own presidential campaign in 1984. Glenn, also known for being the first American to orbit the Earth, remains a popular figure in Ohio politics.

* In 2000, Karl Rove offered an interesting description of McCain’s temperament: “Dan Quayle’s well though of, you know Senator McCain desperately tried to get the endorsement of other candidates, particularly Elizabeth Dole as they withdrew. And When he failed to get their endorsement because they thought Governor Bush was a better person to nominate and to be president. And now he turns around and belittles them, this is his style, if you’re not with him he belittles you, he makes fun of you, he disparages you but that not the mark of a leader who can unite the party and win the White House.”

* The Obama campaign accepted a debate invitation yesterday, and will once again go toe to toe with Clinton on Feb. 21 in Austin, Texas. The event will be broadcast on CNN, and will be co-sponsored by CNN, Univision, and the Texas Democratic Party.

* Ron Paul apparently will not endorse McCain’s campaign. “I can not support anybody with the foreign policy he advocates — you know, perpetual war…. I think it’s un-American, unconstitutional, immoral, and not Republican,” Paul said.

* Mike Huckabee continues to pick up some high-profile support from leading conservatives who just can’t stomach McCain’s candidacy. The latest is uber-activist and Moral Majority founder Paul Weyrich. Weyrich had endorsed Romney.

* Obama held a campaign event near the University of Maryland last night, and more than 17,000 people showed up. New Hampshire proved that crowd-size doesn’t always translate to victory, but that’s a lot of people.

* And in Kentucky, Democratic hopes of beating Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) in Kentucky this November suffered a setback when Andrew Horne (D) announced he is dropping out of the race. Businessman Greg Fischer and two-time gubernatorial candidate Bruce Lunsford (and prototypical DINO) remain in the race.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* AP: “Homeowners threatened with foreclosure would in some instances get a 30-day reprieve under an initiative the Bush administration announced Tuesday. Dubbed ‘Project Lifeline,’ the program will be available to people who have taken out all types of mortgages, not just the high-cost subprime loans that have been the focus of previous relief efforts…. These lenders say they will contact homeowners who are 90 or more days overdue on their monthly mortgage payments. The homeowners will be given the opportunity to put the foreclosure process on pause for 30 days while the lenders try to work out a way to make the mortgage more affordable to homeowners.”

* About once a year, Bush says something I agree with: “President Bush said Tuesday that recent displays of nooses are disturbing and indicate that some Americans may be losing sight of the suffering that blacks have endured across the nation. ‘The era of rampant lynching is a shameful chapter in American history,’ Bush said in an event marking African-American history month at the White house. ‘The noose is not a symbol of prairie justice, but of gross injustice,’ the president said. ‘Displaying one is not a harmless prank, and lynching is not a word to be mentioned in jest.’”

* Funny, I remember the White House’s allies bragging about the president cutting the deficit in half: “The federal budget deficit is running at a pace that is more than double last year’s imbalance through the first four months of the budget year. In its monthly review of the government’s finances, the Treasury Department said Tuesday that the budget was in surplus in January, but the deficit totals $87.7 billion so far this budget year, double the $42.2 billion imbalance recorded during the same period in 2007…. The Bush administration sent its final budget request to Congress last week, projecting that the deficit for all of 2008 will total $410 billion, very close to the all-time high in dollar terms of $413 billion in 2004.”

* AP: “A federal judge agreed Monday to allow a private group to delve into the operations of an office at the White House as part of a controversy over whether large amounts of e-mail have disappeared. Permitting any private organization to inquire into White House functions is an unusual step, a point U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly underscored in her six-page order…. The issue for Kollar-Kotelly is whether the Office of Administration operates with substantial independent authority. If the judge finds that it does, the private group can pursue data about what went wrong with the White House e-mail system.”

* TPMM: “Speaking to a conference call of reporters this afternoon, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) said that, reflecting on the string of defeats in the Senate today, he thought the House was the best hope for stripping retroactive immunity from the final surveillance bill.” Dodd has vowed to filibuster the bill that emerges from conference, if it includes retroactive immunity.

* On a related note: “Signaling the fight ahead when lawmakers get together to sort out the differences between the Senate and House surveillance bills, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) wrote White House counsel Fred Fielding today to deliver two messages: 1) from what he’s seen of the documents relating to the administration’s warrantless wiretapping program, there’s no reason to grant the telecoms retroactive immunity (he prefers the term ‘amnesty’), and 2) Congress needs to know more before it can be expected to consider granting that amnesty.”

* The exodus continues: “Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) will announce this evening that he will retire from the House upon the conclusion of his current term, according to a well-placed Republican source. Shadegg is announcing his retirement a little more than one year removed from his campaign to be House Minority Whip, which he lost to Rep. Roy Blunt (Mo.)…. Shadegg is the 29th House Republican to announce he will not seek another term.”

* I had no idea the Washington GOP primary would turn into this big a mess.

* The caucus process can be complicated. But a caucus/primary hybrid in Texas? It’s just bewildering. (Put it this way: Clinton could get more votes, while Obama gets more delegates. And that’s not even the most complex part.)

* I simply don’t understand how a) Michael Savage stays on the air; and 2) why anyone would listen to voluntarily: “Discussing the recent death of Rep. Tom Lantos, Michael Savage stated, ‘You’re not supposed to talk badly about the dead. I generally wouldn’t do it. But in the case of Tom Lantos, I’ll make an exception. I think he was one of the most — he was a scoundrel. And I’ll tell you why I detested Tom Lantos. The man survived the Holocaust of World War II and used it as a weapon the rest of his life.’”

* And finally, I was delighted to read about Marla Spivack, a student at New England prep school Choate Rosemary Hall, who challenged Karl Rove at an event yesterday, asking him to explain why gay marriage endangers others. Rove dodged, saying it was an issue for legislators and voters. “‘You never actually answered, how does it threaten anyone?’ she asked. Rove asked, what’s the compelling reason to throw out 5,000 years of understanding the institution of marriage as between a man and a woman? What, Spivack countered, was the compelling reason for society to allow interracial relationships when they had once been outlawed. Then Rove invoked the Declaration of Independence before Spivak interjected that its reference to ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness seemed to support her claims.” Point, set, match.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Big surprises in Maryland primaries last night: “A longtime GOP congressman who initially voted for the Iraq war but later accused the Bush administration of bungling it was defeated by a state senator, joining a Democratic House member in becoming the first incumbents to fall this primary season. Republican Rep. Wayne Gilchrest was seeking his 10th term representing Maryland’s 1st Congressional District, which includes the state’s Eastern Shore and parts of the Baltimore suburbs. He lost Tuesday to state Sen. Andy Harris in a five-way race. Democrat Donna Edwards upset eight-term incumbent Rep. Albert Wynn in Maryland’s 4th Congressional District, which includes many of Washington’s eastern and northern suburbs, in a field of six candidates.”

* No one seems to know with absolute certainty exactly how many delegates either leading Democrat has, but Greg Sargent reviewed the tallies from CNN, AP, CBS, and ABC, and all had Barack Obama leading Hillary Clinton in the overall count. They’re all close — the largest margin was 67 — but this is the first time they’ve all shown this result.

* The NAACP is urging the Democratic National Committee to seat delegates from Michigan and Florida, despite the states’ decision to ignore DNC rules, and despite the fact that none of the presidential candidates competed in either contest. Al Sharpton, however, is arguing the opposite: ”I firmly believe that changing the rules now, and seating delegates from Florida and Michigan at this point would not only violate the Democratic Party’s rules of fairness, but also would be a grave injustice.”

* This must be frustrating for the Clintons: “The man who served as national manager of former President Clinton’s 1992 campaign plans to endorse Sen. Barack Obama, an aide to Obama said Wednesday. Obama’s campaign planned a 1 p.m. conference call Wednesday to announce the endorsement by David Wilhelm, who later became chairman of the Democratic National Committee, according to an aide who spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement would be made public later in the day.”

* A poll released yesterday shows Obama ahead in Wisconsin, 50% to 39%. Obama’s margin among Dems is much narrower, but his lead among independents is huge.

* On a related note, the Clinton campaign has a new ad up in Wisconsin, attacking Obama for not agreeing to weekly debates. “Maybe he’d prefer to give speeches than have to answer questions,” the ad says.

* In response to an Obama challenge, Clinton said this week that she would only release her tax returns if she won the presidential nomination, not before. She didn’t elaborate as to why.

* Would John McCain consider following Bob Dole’s lead and giving up his Senate seat to concentrate on his presidential campaign? “If I get the nomination, we’ll figure it out,” he told the WSJ this week.

* CNN: “‘If I really wanted to torpedo McCain, I would endorse him,’ Rush Limbaugh said on his radio show. ‘Because that would send the independents and liberals who are going to vote for him running away faster than anything.’”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* First Rupert Murdoch took the Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones. Now he’s going after Yahoo? “Yahoo Inc. is discussing a possible partnership with News Corp. in its latest effort to repel Microsoft Corp. or prod its unsolicited suitor into raising its current takeover bid, according to a person familiar with the talks…. Both The Wall Street Journal and a prominent blog, TechCrunch, reported that News Corp. is interested in folding its popular online social network, MySpace.com, and other Internet assets into Yahoo — an idea that first came up last year.”

* So what happened on the torture measure we talked about earlier? “Later this afternoon, the Senate will be voting on a bill authorizing the government’s intelligence activities. Included in that bill is a measure sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) that would restrict the interrogation methods the CIA could use to the Army Field Manual, which bans waterboarding and other harsh techniques currently used by the CIA. The Republicans had been expected to challenge that provision, forcing a vote. But they didn’t. After a vote on the bill in 90 minutes or so, it will be on its way to the President, who has already announced that he will veto it.” Rumor has it Republicans wanted to make this easier on McCain.

* David Shuster caused quite a stir with his “pimp” remarks last week, but he’ll remain with MSNBC. “In the wake of the news that Hillary will debate on NBC later this month, an MSNBC spokesperson confirms that Shuster won’t be fired and will return to the network.” It’s not clear when he’ll be on the air next.

* The check is (almost) in the mail: “President Bush on Wednesday signed the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, calling it a “booster shot” for the American economy…. The government hopes the measure, which will send most Americans tax rebate checks by May, will either prevent a recession or make one relatively brief.”

* More discouraging news on the surge policy in Iraq: “Overall civilian fatalities in February, though still running at less than half the peak rate of 2006-07, are noticeably higher than in the past few months. Tension in the Sunni Awakening movement seems to be on the rise. Parliament is still deadlocked. Infrastructure improvements are nonexistent. And the surge is running out of time.”

* This should be interesting tomorrow: “As expected, things are finally moving forward in the House today to bring contempt resolutions against White House officials for ignoring Congressional subpoenas as part of the U.S. attorney firings investigation. House Judiciary Committee Chair John Conyers (D-MI) introduced two resolutions this afternoon related to the subpoenas. The first is a criminal contempt resolution against White House chief of staff Josh Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers — both were subpoenaed and did not respond, citing the White House’s invocation of executive privilege. But Conyers also filed a resolution that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) file a civil suit against the White House.”

* Bush wants his unchecked powers and he wants them now: “President Bush once again reiterated his objections to an extension of electronic surveillance legislation on Wednesday, dashing some House Democrats’ hopes for another three weeks to resolve differences with the Senate over the bill. The Senate version of the bill contains immunity for telecommunications companies who aided the government; the House version does not.”

* On a related note, Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) had some very compelling things to say on the subject on the House floor.

* Interesting report in Time on a sought-after terrorist: “Imad Mughniyah, who was assassinated Tuesday in Syria, was a man of the Middle East’s shadows. He was a terrorist mastermind behind political causes. For him, though, it was as much about the fight as the cause. He shunned the light. He never gave public speeches or lectures. He is not known to have given any press interviews, not even to sympathetic or politically aligned journalists. Western reporters who sought the Lebanese Shi’ite group Hizballah’s help to arrange a rendezvous were politely but sternly advised not to go there. So, did the CIA or some other American intelligence agency finally do Mughniyah in? Everyone, including some of his friends, may have had a motive.”

* I’m glad this controversy is over: “After a day of raucous protests by veterans and anti-war activists, the Berkeley City Council admitted it had made a mistake by calling the United State Marine Corps “unwanted intruders” in this liberal city. ‘To err is human but to really screw up it takes the Berkeley City Council,’ said council member Gordon Wozniak. ‘We failed our city. We embarrassed our city,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle.”

* And finally, oh my: “A Utah state senator has apologized for comparing a school funding bill to a ‘dark ugly’ black baby, saying he did not intend it as a racist slur. Sen. Chris Buttars’ remark came during debate on the bill, which another senator had just called ‘the ugly baby bill,’ The Salt Lake Tribune reported. ‘This baby is black,’ Buttars said. ‘It’s a dark, ugly thing.’ Members of both parties criticized the Republican’s remark. Buttars apologized after a short break.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* AP: “Democrat Barack Obama said Wednesday that as president he would spend $210 billion to create jobs in construction and environmental industries, as he tried to win over economically struggling voters. Obama’s investment would be over 10 years as part of two programs. The larger is $150 billion to create 5 million so-called ‘green collar’ jobs to develop more environmentally friendly energy sources. Sixty-billion dollars would go to a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank to rebuild highways, bridges, airports and other public projects. Obama estimated that could generate nearly 2 million jobs, many of them in the construction industry that’s been hit by the housing crisis.”

* On a related note, the Clinton campaign responded by arguing that Obama’s plan was similar to theirs, and in an odd twist, distributed talking points from a prominent John McCain supporter criticizing Obama’s speech.

* Former Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee, who left the Republican Party last year, will endorse Obama today.

* The Clinton campaign is putting enormous emphasis on winning states like Ohio (in March) and Pennsylvania (in April), and she apparently starts off in a very good position in both. A new poll from Quinnipiac shows Clinton leading Obama in Ohio by 21 points (55% to 34%) and in Pennsylvania by 16 points (52% to 36%).

* Though there was talk of Clinton boycotting MSNBC last week, her campaign announced yesterday that she will, in fact, participate in an NBC-sponsored debate in Ohio on Saturday, Feb. 26. (This will apparently have no effect on the campaign’s decision to air an ad in Wisconsin accusing Obama of avoiding another debate with Clinton.)

* More fodder for the electability argument — a new Rasmussen poll in Colorado shows McCain leading Clinton in the state by 14 points, 49% to 35%, but the same poll shows McCain trailing Obama in Colorado by seven points, 46% to 39%. Bush won the state twice, though John Kerry only lost by five.

* Apparently, the McCain campaign is feeling a little sensitive about their candidate’s age: “McCain campaign manager Rick Davis today sent an unmistakable message to Barack Obama over the Illinois Democrat’s effort to stoke the obvious age contrast between himself and the 71-year-old McCain: Bring it on. ‘It’s nice of him to constantly point out how nice he thinks of John McCain and his half-century of service to our country,’ Davis said sardonically. ‘I don’t think he can get that [”half-century” line] out enough.’”

* James Carville said yesterday that if Clinton “loses either Texas or Ohio, this thing is done.” Is this really the message a high-profile Clinton surrogate wants to send? Doesn’t that put a little too much pressure on the candidate?

* Far be it from me to give Mike Huckabee strategic advice, but giving a paid speech this weekend at the Young Caymanian Leadership Awards — in the Cayman Islands — probably isn’t his best bet for catching McCain.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* For all the complaining we do about congressional Dems caving all the time, I just thought I’d mention that over the course of one day, House Dems didn’t back down at all on Bush’s surveillance authorities and congressional subpoena power. Maybe they’re learning.

* Discouraging assessment of the economy: “Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress Thursday the economy is deteriorating and signaled a readiness to keep on lowering a key interest rate to shore things up. Bernanke also told the Senate Banking Committee that the one-two punch of housing and credit crises has greatly strained the economy. And he forecast sluggish growth in the near term. Bernanke also noted that hiring has slowed and that people are likely to tighten their belts further because of high energy prices and plummeting home values.”

* Honestly, what kind of people interrupt a memorial for a recently-deceased member of Congress and Holocaust survivor? The House Republican caucus, that’s who. Just when I thought my opinion of these guys couldn’t get any lower….

* David Shuster’s mistake was awful, but the real problem has always been Chris Matthews: “Yesterday I speculated that the Hillary campaign’s allegation of a pattern of sexist remarks at MSNBC — a charge that was made in response to reporter David Shuster’s ‘pimped out’ remark about Chelsea — was primarily driven by anger at Chris Matthews. In making these charges, the Hillary campaign has always been careful to avoid mentioning Matthews by name, but political insiders believe he is who Hillary advisers were talking about, even if it hasn’t been confirmed by them. I’ve now confirmed that this is the case. And that’s not all: Hillary’s advisers, it turns out, have repeatedly taken their grievance with Matthews directly to the network.”

* A few weeks ago, I criticized Barack Obama’s occasional use of conservative frames. In fairness, then, I should note that it’s not helpful for Clinton campaign surrogates to publicize bizarre charges that originated on right-wing blogs.

* There are a lot of myths out there about the Canadian healthcare system. Here’s a great Top 10 List debunking some of the more annoying ones.

* John McCain is now bragging that he called for Donald Rumsfeld’s resignation. That’s a fairly obvious lie.

* Joe Lieberman was asked about McCain’s promise to appoint conservative judges and Supreme Court justices who would undermine laws Lieberman claims to care about. Lieberman responded, “That concerns me. That’s probably the largest area of concern that I have about a McCain presidency.” But he’s endorsing him anyway.

* John McCain’s new sound-bite phrase on his website: “Ready to lead on day one.” Isn’t that word for word what Hillary Clinton usually says?

* I can’t believe Jane Fonda used the “c” word on the “Today” show this morning. The FCC isn’t going to care that at all.

* This Valentine’s Day, it’s worth noting the media’s never-ending crush on John McCain.

* More bad spin from Mark Penn: “Change Begins March 4th. Hillary leads in the three largest, delegate rich states remaining: Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania. These three states have 492 delegates - 64 percent of the remaining delegates Hillary Clinton needs to win the nomination.” Um, Mark? All three distribute their delegates proportionally.

* It is the 21st century, isn’t it? “A leading human rights group appealed to Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah on Thursday to stop the execution of a woman accused of witchcraft and performing supernatural acts.”

* And finally, the award for the most offensive thing a Republican has said in a while goes to Tennessee State Sen. Doug Henry: “Rape, ladies and gentlemen, is not today what rape was. Rape, when I was learning these things, was the violation of a chaste woman, against her will, by some party not her spouse. Today it’s simply, ‘Let’s don’t go forward with this act.’” I think he’s trying to say, sexual assault isn’t what it used to be? The mind reels.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* This is a pretty huge pickup for Obama: “CNN has learned the 1.9 million-member Service Employees International Union is poised to endorse Sen. Barack Obama for President. Three sources familiar with the deliberations said union leaders met via conference call Thursday to deliberate on the endorsement issue. These sources, speaking to CNN on condition of anonymity, said Obama was the overwhelming choice of the union’s state and national leadership.”

* On a related note, the United Food and Commercial Workers also threw its support to Obama.

* Mike Huckabee, oddly enough, not only won’t go away quietly, but is now talking about a brokered GOP convention: “It may be all bluster to motivate donors and raise coin — like most fundraising pitches — but in an email solicitation tonight Huck is now openly pushing the notion of taking his race to the convention.”

* It took quite a bit longer than anyone could have expected, but Hillary Clinton was finally declared the winner of the New Mexico caucuses — which were held 10 days ago. She beat Obama by 1,709 votes, and will get 14 of New Mexico’s 26 delegates.

* There haven’t been too many polls in Texas, but one released this morning shows Clinton with an eight-point lead, 49% to 41%.

* CNN: “CNN has learned that John McCain will travel to Texas, most likely next week, to accept the endorsement of former President George H. W. Bush. The campaign is working on the scheduling with the former president’s office but the goal is for an event in Texas next week, according to two Republican sources familiar with the discussions.”

* In response to a Clinton ad in Wisconsin this week accusing Obama of ducking a debate, the Obama campaign has responded with a new ad of its own, emphasizing how many times Obama and Clinton have already debated, noting that there are two more to go, and calling her ad the “same old politics of phony charges and false attacks.” (The always-brilliant Lee Stranahan created his own video response to the Clinton ad, which is slightly harder hitting than Obama’s.)

* MoveOn.org is concerned about the idea of superdelegates deciding the Democratic nomination: “The group launches a petition drive to keep superdelegates on the sidelines, calling on them ‘to let the voters decide between Clinton and Obama — and then to support the will of the people.’ … Ilyse Hogue, MoveOn’s communications director, says via another spokesman that MoveOn’s position is Obama’s: The superdelegates should follow the pledged delegates.”

* The Democratic National Committee is a little busy right now, but many DNC members “already are talking about a review of the party’s nominating process once the elections are over in November.” I think that would be a very good idea.

* And I guess Rush Limbaugh isn’t going to come around on John McCain anytime soon: “Asked what Mr. McCain might do to change his mind, Mr. Limbaugh said: ‘I don’t think there’s anything he could do. If he did do it, he would be accused of selling out.’ Then, in a familiar baritone as resonant as it is on the air, he added, ‘If I were to endorse McCain based on the current circumstances, I’d be looked at as a party hack.’” Heaven forbid.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The tragic massacre in DeKalb: “The 27-year-old gunman who killed five students and himself in a university lecture hall was known as “an outstanding student” but had stopped taking medication a couple of weeks ago and had been behaving erratically, police said Friday.”

* Additional details: “Law enforcement officials said [Stephen] Kazmierczak started buying his guns last August, all legally and all from the same gun dealer in Champaign, where he was enrolled at the University of Illinois. He bought a Sig Sauer 9mm on Aug. 6 and a Highpoint .380 on Dec. 30. Two of the weapons — the pump-action Remington shotgun and a Glock 9mm handgun — were purchased less than a week ago, on Saturday, authorities said. He had a valid permit required for all Illinois residents who buy or possess firearms, authorities said. ”

* Is the Clinton campaign really going to try and ride the “only 18 debates thus far” wave to victory in Wisconsin? It seems to me she has stronger pitches than this one.

* The SEIU endorsement was expected, but now it’s official: “The Service Employees International Union gave Barack Obama its highly prized endorsement on Friday afternoon. The S.E.I.U.’s endorsement is especially coveted because the union has 1.9 million members and has a rank-and-file that is far more politically active than most other unions’. Moreover, its political action committee is expected to collect more than $30 million this campaign, making it one of the biggest PACs in the nation.”

* Justice Department Official Steven Bradbury argued, without a hint of irony, that the Bush administration’s use of waterboarding isn’t like the torture technique used during the Spanish Inquisition, but rather, is like “the sort popularized by the French in Algeria, and by the Khmer Rouge. This technique involves placing a cloth or plastic wrap over or in the person’s mouth, and pouring or dripping water onto the person’s head.” I suppose this is supposed to make us feel better about the national disgrace?

* After 13 months of campaigning, Obama has passed Clinton in national polls for the first time. (Of course, Obama fans shouldn’t get too excited about this, given that it’s a state-by-state race, not a national one.)

* Former Sen. Bob Kerrey, a prominent Clinton backer, is opposed to the Clinton campaign’s efforts to count delegates from Michigan and Florida. “You don’t change the rules in the middle of the game. Period,” Kerrey said.

* As it turns out, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) was also against torture before he was for it. No wonder he and McCain get along so well.

* There’s at least some evidence that the term “socialized medicine” may not be nearly as scary to Americans as Republicans would like to believe.

* Al Gore told a group of businesspeople yesterday that the mortgage crisis and the financial risks facing investors in carbon-based industries are worth comparing: “You need to really scrub your investment portfolios, because I guarantee you — as my longtime good redneck friends in Tennessee say, I guaran-damn-tee you — that if you really take a fine-tooth comb and go through your portfolios, many of you are going to find them chock-full of subprime carbon assets…. The assumption that you can safely invest in assets that come from business models that assume carbon is free is an assumption that is about to go splat…. You have lots of assets, many of you do, in your portfolios right now that truly do deserve that epithet “subprime.’”

* If Dems used winner-take-all primaries like Republicans do, Clinton would have a big lead over Obama. If Republicans used proportional primaries like Dems do, Romney would practically be tied with McCain. Interesting.

* Given his history, Chris Matthews should probably just not talk about Hillary Clinton at all, but he apparently can’t help himself: “Chris Matthews fired a salvo at the Clinton campaign this morning after both he and his MSNBC colleague were privately and publicly rebuked for recent comments deemed misogynistic or inappropriate. Appearing on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, the Hardball host went off on the Clinton press shop, calling them ‘knee cappers’ who were ‘lousy’ and delve in the business of ‘intimidation.’”

* Fascinating item from Cernig: “There were over 24,000 tapes made of interrogations at Gitmo, according to official statements by military officers. What happened to them?”

* Remember all of those times Rudy Giuliani bragged about his budget skills? Well, never mind all that; his defunct campaign is facing a mountain of debt. “We are deeper in the hole than I thought we would be,” wrote John Gross, the campaign’s treasurer, in an e-mail message to several senior campaign aides obtained by the Times.

* And finally, maybe my favorite Lee Shanahan short yet: “The world. It’s a scary frickin’ place. But President Bush is standing firm on the most important issue facing your security … immunity for giant corporations who helped the Bush administration violate the Constitution.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* How strong was the turnout in Hawaii’s Democratic caucuses yesterday? The state has never topped more than 5,000 participants. The Obama campaign speculated a few days ago that as many as 18,000 might show up. The final number? Over 37,000. Wow.

* It’s safe to guess why John McCain is desperate to keep the general election within the public-financing system: “Republican Sen. John McCain raised nearly $12 million in January, propelled by victories in New Hampshire and South Carolina that solidified his place as the leading candidate for the GOP presidential nomination. According to filings with the Federal Election Commission late Tuesday, McCain had $5.2 million cash on hand at the start of February and $5.5 million in debts, including a loan of nearly $4 million.”

* What’s the current state of the delegate race? Different news outlets, of course, show different results, but everyone seems to agree that Obama is ahead, whether superdelegates are included or not, by a fairly comfortable margin. According to NBC News Political Director Chuck Todd, Obama is up by about 150 pledged delegates, and leads overall (counting superdelegates) by 80 delegates. The margin, Todd said, is probably too large for Clinton to catch up before the convention.

* Clinton is poised to get a little help making more attacks against Obama: “A group of Hillary Clinton backers have set up a new 527 called the American Leadership Project, with the intention of running ads in Ohio and possibly Texas and Pennsylvania. The ads will compare Hillary and Obama on various issues, and be an appeal to look beyond mere rhetoric in politics. The tag-line for the ads: ‘If speeches could solve problems…’”

* Obama has an op-ed in USA Today on his willingness to participate in the public-financing system.

* The Clinton campaign launched a new ad in Ohio this week, called, “Night Shift.” It tells viewers, “You pour coffee, fix hair, you work the night shift at the local hospital,” a voice says as images of blue-collar workers flash across the screen. “You’re often overworked, underpaid and sometimes overlooked. But not by everyone. One candidate has put forth an American family agenda to make things easier for everyone who works so hard… . She understands. She’s worked the night shift, too.” Critics have noted that Clinton has not, in fact, worked a night shift, though the campaign insists the ad is referring to the nights Clinton has worked during her political career.

* Clinton ally Lanny Davis told Fox News yesterday that Obama is like Ned Lamont, while Clinton is like Joe Lieberman. I don’t think that’s a helpful message right now.

* More fuel for the electability fire: in Pennsylvania, McCain beats Clinton, 44% to 42%, while Obama beats McCain, 49% to 39%.

* In Texas, CNN shows Clinton with a two-point lead over Obama, 50% to 48%, while SurveyUSA shows her up by five, 50% to 45%.

* Not helpful: A co-chairman of Hillary’s Michigan campaign and has a line that’s sure to drive a whole bunch of red state governors up the wall: ‘Superdelegates are not second-class delegates,’ says Joel Ferguson, who will be a superdelegate if Michigan is seated. ‘The real second-class delegates are the delegates that are picked in red-state caucuses that are never going to vote Democratic.’”

* And in Mississippi: “Ronnie Shows, a former Democratic congressman from Mississippi, announced today that he has dropped his nascent Senate bid against Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and endorsed the candidacy of former Democratic Gov. Ronnie Musgrove. ‘After weeks of talking to my family and friends, I have come to the conclusion that we would not be able to raise the millions of dollars needed to compete with a former governor and the handpicked candidate from the sitting governor,’ Shows said in a statement.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* It looks like the election results in Pakistan didn’t faze the Bush gang: “The administration first tried to promote a power-sharing deal last summer, between Mr. Musharraf and Ms. Bhutto, but neither side proved amenable enough, and the deal collapsed after Mr. Musharraf imposed emergency rule, suspended the Constitution and dismissed the Supreme Court. Despite those actions, and despite Ms. Bhutto’s assassination in December, the Bush administration still has not given up on the idea that a democratically elected Parliament would share power with Mr. Musharraf. Nor has administration officials given up hope that there would be some way to construct a coalition that will keep Mr. Musharraf in power as president.”

* Fidel Castro’s resignation was encouraging, but will Raul Castro be any better? “Nothing fundamental in Cuba has changed in the almost 19 months since Fidel, 81, temporarily handed the reins to his 76-year-old defense minister. Raul Castro is thought to be more practical than his brother on economic issues, and less ruthless. He has called on university students to debate Cuba’s problems ‘fearlessly.’ In 1989, when Fidel ordered the executions of allegedly disloyal senior officials, including Raul’s favorite army general, the younger Castro admitted weeping over the purge. Yet he backed it unequivocally. Still committed to one-party rule, Raul may hope to use what’s left of his life to build Chinese-style market communism.”

* The forecasts just keep getting worse: “The Federal Reserve on Wednesday lowered its projection for economic growth this year, citing damage from the double blows of a housing slump and credit crunch. It said it also expects higher unemployment and inflation. The updated forecasts come amid worry by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues that the economy could continue to weaken, even after their aggressive interest rate cuts in January, according to minutes of those private deliberations released Wednesday.”

* High court disappointment: “The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a challenge to President Bush’s order authorizing the interception of some phone calls and e-mails within the United States, dealing another defeat to civil libertarians who say the president violated the law.”

* I don’t want to alarm anyone, but it appears the military commissions at Guantanamo Bay are a sham. What a surprise.

* What would happen if we listened to Ron Paul and embraced the gold standard?

* Congress is in recess this week? As a technical matter, no; lawmakers are still relying on pro forma sessions to prevent White House mischief. It may seem silly, but then again, so is the president.

* Congratulations to Josh Marshall and TPM for winning a prestigious George Polk Award for the coverage of the U.S. Attorney purge scandal. Well deserved.

* You’ve got to be kidding me: “NBC News said Tuesday it has reprimanded the employee responsible for mistakenly flashing a picture of Osama bin Laden on MSNBC as Chris Matthews talked about Barack Obama. ‘This mistake was inexcusable,’ MSNBC spokesman Jeremy Gaines said.”

* Remember, CNN pays this clown a lot of money: “On his CNN Headline News show last night, conservative talking head Glenn Beck fumed about the House leadership’s decision to let the Protect America Act (PAA) expire this weekend. This was ‘an extension requested by the president,’ exclaimed Beck. Beck then jumped on President Bush’s fearmongering bandwagon, claiming that the House leadership — specifically Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) — would be responsible for the death of Americans: ‘He feels — and I happen to agree with him — that this congressional game-playing by Nancy Pelosi will end up killing Americans.’”

* And finally, one wonders if he can even appreciate why we find this amusing: “Yesterday, President Bush defended his decision not to send U.S. troops into the Darfur genocide, saying he learned lessons from the genocide in Rwanda. Ignorant of the comparison to Iraq, Bush said, “A clear lesson I learned in the museum was that outside forces that tend to divide people up inside their country are unbelievably counterproductive.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* AP: “Serb rioters broke into the U.S. Embassy and set fire to an office Thursday, and police clashed with protesters outside other embassy buildings after a large demonstration against Kosovo’s declaration of independence. Masked attackers broke into the U.S. compound, which has been closed this week, just after 7 p.m. and tried to throw furniture from an office. They set fire to the office and flames shot up the side of the building. It took police about 45 minutes to appear at the scene, and firefighters arrived about the same time and put out the blaze. Police secured the U.S. Embassy and surrounding area, blocking off all access.”

* WaPo: “Military officials have a “high degree of confidence” that they were able to hit and destroy the tank of potentially dangerous fuel aboard a wayward spy satellite orbiting Earth last night, but they said they must still monitor the debris to be certain it does not pose further risk of reentering the atmosphere in coming days.”

* Fortunately, no one was hurt: “Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Joseph Biden (D-Del.) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) were uninjured in an emergency landing that became necessary during a helicopter flight Thursday afternoon in Afghanistan. Biden spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander said the senators were flying in a snowstorm when the landing became necessary.”

* Bill O’Reilly on Michelle Obama: “I don’t want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there’s evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels. If that’s how she really feels — that America is a bad country or a flawed nation, whatever — then that’s legit.” I wonder if he can even begin to understand why “lynching party” was the wrong choice of words.

* Trent Lott may be gone from the Senate, but his record is still drawing scrutiny from some interesting people: “[Federal investigators] are investigating whether former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott knowingly played a role in the alleged conspiracy involving a Mississippi judge, Bobby Delaughter.”

* Air America Radio is changing hands: “Air America, one of the country’s more powerful radio networks and a major progressive megaphone, is switching ownership. Charlie Kireker, a former political official and creator of Pendulum Media will succeed Stephen L. Green, the New York real estate CEO who helped lift the company out of bankruptcy, as chair of the board. The move will be finalized in mid March. Mark Green, Stephen’s brother and Democratic activist, will remain as Air America’s president.”

* Remember this John McCain quote from November? TP does: “Everybody says that they’re against the special interests. I’m the only one the special interests don’t give any money to.” That was, what’s the word, demonstrably false.

* Will McCain’s name be on the ballot for Indiana’s Republican presidential primary? As it turns out, that’s a funny story.

* It’s heartbreaking that this garbage still goes on: “A police investigation is under way at an elite prep school here after many black students received anonymous letters that the head of the school described as ‘threatening hate mail.’ A spokeswoman for the school, St. Paul’s, said the letters had arrived in the students’ mailboxes on Tuesday. The spokeswoman, Jana Brown, would not disclose the contents of the letters or how many students received them, but said, ‘Students of color do appear to be the target.’ According to several people associated with St. Paul’s, each student received a copy of his own photo from the school’s internal face book with the words ‘bang bang get out of here’ written below.”

* I may have to break my “no TV news” rule for this one: “On Sunday, CBS’s 60 Minutes will air its long-awaited report on Alabama’s incarcerated former governor Don Siegelman, reportedly one of its ‘best pieces of domestic exposé journalism.’ Justice Department prosecutors opposed the Siegelman investigation, in which Bush administration political operatives — including Karl Rove — allegedly interfered.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* With about 10 days to go before the closely-watched contests in Ohio and Texas, the two Clinton “firewall” states look pretty competitive in a new WaPo/ABC poll. The results show Clinton ahead in Ohio by seven points (50% to 43%), and ahead in Texas by just one (48% to 47%).

* That new pro-Clinton 527 group is drawing quite a bit of scrutiny: “Obama lawyer Bob Bauer reiterated the charges made in a memo yesterday that the new pro-Clinton 527, the American Leadership, is breaking the law and warned that donors and aides to the group could face criminal liability — an apparent effort to stop the group before it starts, and to scare off other, similar efforts.”

* Obama picked up the endorsement yesterday of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, announced at an event with Obama’s wife Michelle at Cleveland State. Obama now has the earned the endorements of the mayor’s of Ohio’s two biggest cities: Cleveland and Columbus.

* Rasmussen offered some data yesterday that will fuel Democratic electability arguments. In Michigan, for example, Clinton ties McCain in a general election match-up, while Obama leads McCain by eight. In Ohio, though, McCain leads Clinton by three, and McCain also leads Obama by one.

* On a related note, SurveyUSA found that in a hypothetical general election match-up, Kansas voters prefered McCain to Clinton by 24 points, while Kansans preferred McCain to Obama by just six points.

* Oddly enough, SurveyUSA also found that both Clinton and Obama enjoy huge leads over McCain in New York, though Obama’s margin is slightly bigger.

* Usually, major federal corruption investigations, especially those in which members of Congress look pretty guilty, are enough to prevent re-election plans. But Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) filed for re-election yesterday anyway. Dems are desperately hoping Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich enters the race.

* Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) announced in November that he’s retiring. Yesterday, he changed his mind, saying his Republican colleagues and 33 outside conservative groups convinced him to stay.

* It looks like Ralph Nader is going to announce on Meet the Press on Sunday. Joy.

* Clinton told Texas Monthly that she’ll have to fight to seat delegations from Florida and Michigan because voters from Florida and Michigan participated in their contests. While she had previously agreed to play by the rules, Clinton now says she doesn’t want anyone to be “disenfranchised.”

* Stanford University’s Lawrence Lessig, an online pioneer and the founder of the Center for Internet and Society, said this week that he’s considering a run for Congress in California. Lessig is eyeing the now-vacant 12th district seat that was represented by Tom Lantos, who died earlier this month. “It is very rare to have the chance to live in times where there’s the opportunity for fundamental change; this is one of those times,” Lessig said. He didn’t express a party preference, but I’m assuming he’s a Dem.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Good news in Iraq is rare, but this is encouraging: “Powerful Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr extended his Mehdi Army militia ceasefire by six months on Friday, a decision U.S. officials said would help foster reconciliation among Iraq’s divided communities. The renewal was welcomed by the Iraqi and U.S. governments, which both say the initial six-month truce has helped reduce attacks on U.S. and Iraqi troops and the tit-for-tat sectarian violence that pushed Iraq to the brink of civil war.” The next round of elections is in October.

* This should be interesting: “The Justice Department announced it has launched an investigation into who authorized the use of waterboarding at the department, following a request from Democratic Sens. Richard J. Durbin of Illinois and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. After the two sent the DOJ a letter asking who authorized the use of the controversial interrogation technique, H. Marshall Jarrett, the head of DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility, wrote the senators that this issue is “included in a pending OPR investigation into the circumstances surrounding the drafting” of a 2002 Office of Legal Counsel memo on interrogation standards.”

* When it comes to surveillance, Bush wants it all and he wants it now: “Asked about a potential deal with Democrats, Bush said, ‘I would just tell you there’s no compromise on whether these phone companies get liability protection.’ The administration says it needs the help of the phone companies for its post Sept. 11, 2001, surveillance. Bush said his strategy for breaking the deadlock on the surveillance bill will be to keep talking about why it should be passed on his terms. ‘The American people understand we need to be listening to the enemy,’ he said.” Bush does know that the expiration of the PAA has had no effect on us listening to the enemy, doesn’t he? Sometimes I feel bad for the poor guy; he just seems so confused….

* On a related note, the House Republicans have a new ad suggesting that Democrats are trying to get us all killed, and the GOP is cool because it walked out of work last week. Or something. It all looks like a bad “24″ trailer.

* Two can play at that game — Howard Dean and the DNC are now trying to raise money off of McCain’s and the RNC’s efforts to raise money from yesterday Iseman story in the NYT.

* Surprisingly enough, Bill O’Reilly doesn’t have journalistic standards: “While discussing a New York Times article on Sen. John McCain’s relationship with a lobbyist, Bill O’Reilly aired a clip of McCain’s attorney Robert Bennett defending McCain against the article’s allegations, but did not disclose that Bennett represents McCain and was reportedly hired for the explicit purpose of dealing with the controversy.”

* Very good Michael Kinsley piece on Iraq today: “We needn’t quarrel about all this, or deny the reality of the good news, to say that at the very least, the surge has not worked yet. The test is simple, and built into the concept of a surge: Has it allowed us to reduce troop levels to below where they were when it started? And the answer is no.”

* There’s been a fair amount of interest which presidential candidate Sen. Russ Feingold prefers. He acknowledged today that he voted for Obama in Wisconsin’s primary and will be “extremely likely” to cast his superdelegate vote for Obama at the convention.

* Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) looks to be so corrupt that House Minority Leader John Boehner, not exactly Mr. Ethics and Propriety, thinks Renzi should resign. John McCain, however, says he doesn’t “know enough of the details to make a judgment.” The multi-count indictment, including charges on wire fraud, extortion, and money laundering, apparently aren’t quite clear enough for the GOP frontrunner.

* Sorry, SMU: “Representatives of Bush announced this afternoon that Southern Methodist University in Dallas will be the home of the library housing his presidential papers and a public policy institute.”

* I’m glad HBO is going to air “Taxi to the Dark Side.”

* And finally, George Clooney on being up against Daniel Day-Lewis for the Best Actor Oscar: “For me, it’s like being Hillary Clinton. If it weren’t for Barack Obama, it would have been a very good year.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Hoping to find a line of attack that will resonate, Hillary Clinton gave sarcasm a try on the campaign trail yesterday: “Framing Obama as both a deceiver and a dream weaver, Clinton said ‘none of the problems we face will be easily solved.’ Then oozing derision, Clinton cracked, ‘Now, I could stand up here and say, ‘Let’s just get everybody together. Let’s get unified. The sky will open. The light will come down. Celestial choirs will be singing, and everyone will know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect.’”

* A new Quinnipiac Poll out this morning shows Clinton holding onto a double-digit lead over Barack Obama in Ohio, though the margin is shrinking. According to the poll, Clinton now leads, 51% to 40%. A couple of weeks ago, Quinnipiac showed Clinton’s lead nearly as twice as big, leading 55% to 34%.

* Good call: “Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean told reporters today that the DNC will file a complaint with the Federal Election Commission Monday over Sen. John McCain’s recent letter to the FEC informing them that he is withdrawing from the public financing system for his presidential campaign. ‘We are in this complaint to the FEC asserting that the senator and his campaign are still bound to the conditions by matching funds including the spending limits of approximately $56 million dollars,’ Dean said.”

* Oddly enough, John McCain’s role in the 2005 “Gang of 14" continues to be a major point of contention in far-right circles: “The power to appoint federal judges is seen as one of the most crucial presidential roles by many on the right, and some continue to believe the agreement undermined the Republican leadership at the precise moment the party was about to eliminate the ability to use procedural tactics to block judges.”

* In addressing the annual State of the Black Union forum over the weekend, Hillary Clinton was asked about some of the racially-charged comments her husband made in South Carolina last month. “If anyone was offended by anything that was said, whether it was meant or not, whether it was misinterpreted or not, then obviously I regret that,” she said. “But I believe our task is to go forward with the agenda that all of us agree upon. That is what I have done my entire life, on behalf of civil rights and women’s rights and human rights.”

* The National Governors Association met in DC over the weekend, and apparently, about half the people in the room seemed to be positioning themselves for VP slots.

* This, apparently, was especially true of Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R), a long-time McCain ally: “He did numerous sit-down interviews with such heavyweight print reporters as the Washington Post’s Dan Balz and David Broder, New York Times columnist David Brooks and syndicated columnist Bob Novak. Pawlenty also did two Sunday shows — Fox News Sunday and CNN’s Late Edition. And, yes, he demurred on those shows when the Veep questoin came up.”

* Good news for Dems in Nebraska: “Former congressional candidate Scott Kleeb will run for the Democratic nomination for Senate in Nebraska, he announced Sunday on his website. Kleeb said he will file the paperwork on Monday to run for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Chuck Hagel (R). He will face a primary with businessman Tony Raimondo, who initially joined the race as a Republican but is now running as a Democrat. The winner is likely to face former Gov. Mike Johanns (R), who left his job as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to run for the seat.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* More discouraging economic news: “Sales of existing homes fell for the sixth straight month in January, dropping to the slowest sales pace on record. Median home prices were also down and many analysts predicted further price declines in the months ahead given high levels of unsold homes…. The median price of a home sold in January slid to $201,100, a drop of 4.6 percent from a year ago. Particularly alarming, analysts said, was the fact that the inventory of unsold homes jumped to a 10.3 months’ supply, meaning it would take that long to sell the 4.19 million homes on the market at the January sales pace.”

* Remember, the “surge” was called a “surge” because it was supposed to be a temporary bump in the size of the U.S deployment: “The Pentagon is projecting that when the U.S. troop buildup in Iraq is over in July there will be about 8,000 more troops on the ground than when the buildup began in January 2007, a senior general said Monday. Lt. Gen. Carter Ham, operations chief for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that by July the troop total is likely to be 140,000. That compares with 132,000 when President Bush approved orders to send an additional five Army brigades to Iraq to improve security and avert civil war.”

* Going to political war over surveillance powers: “Stepping up the pressure on House Democrats, the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies has launched a national ad campaign criticizing Democrats for not passing the Senate’s surveillance bill. According to the group’s press release, the ad ‘will be seen on cable and satellite stations throughout the country and is also seen locally in 17 media markets across the United States.’ It’s similar in tone to an ad the House Republicans put together last week — and similarly misleading. It claims that the lapse of the Protect America Act has meant that ‘new surveillance against terrorists is crippled.’” In other words, as is usually the case, they couldn’t make the argument on the merits, so they had to make stuff up. Typical.

* After declining to say either way whether it was responsible for pushing the pic of Obama in Somali garb, the Clinton campaign distanced itself from the effort this afternoon. Asked if the campaign had any role, Clinton spokesperson Howard Wolfson said, “No, not to my knowledge… I’ve never seen that picture before. I’m not aware that anyone else here has. I’m not aware that anyone here has circulated this e-mail.”

* On a related note, top Clinton aide Harold Ickes compared Obama to Jesse Jackson today. Probably want to be careful with that one.

* James Fallows, who used to work for Ralph Nader, has a good item about his former employer’s fourth presidential campaign: “That he stayed in the race in 2000 was tragedy. (See: Invasion of Iraq, 2003, and subsequent occupation.) That he came back in 2004 was unfortunate; his entry in 2008 is farce. Farce because it suggests detachment from political reality (the differences between the Republican and Democratic nominees are so faint that we can say, What the hell!) and, worse, narcissism. The fact that it won’t make any difference in the outcome actually is sad. I will always like and respect Ralph Nader and will always admire the wonderful things he has done. But I wish to God that he had not made this decision, or will reverse it soon. (And, I am sorry that saying this will make me an enemy in his eyes.) He is a better man than his recent decisions indicate.”

* Scholars at Southern Methodist are less than pleased that an upcoming Bush library will avoid objective academic research: “Benjamin Hufbauer, an associate professor of art history at the University of Louisville and author of Presidential Temples: How Memorials and Libraries Shape Public Memory, said, ‘…Academics everywhere should be concerned about this. Clearly this goes against the idea of dispassionate inquiry, of looking at things on the basis of fact and merit. If it’s ideological, that’s opposed to the mission of a university,’ Hufbauer said.”

* It’s interesting how professionals seem to always reject the ticking-timebomb scenario out of hand: “Jack Cloonan, who spent 25 years as an FBI special agent and interrogated members of al Qaeda, recently told Foreign Policy that he has ‘been hard pressed to find a situation where anybody’ can say ‘that they’ve ever encountered the ticking bomb scenario’ when interrogating terrorists. He said it is a ‘red herring’ and ‘in the real world it doesn’t happen.’ Cloonan added that the Israelis, ‘who have been doing this for a long time,’ have ‘never had a situation where it is quote ‘a ticking bomb.’”

* John McCain thinks the “war [in Iraq] will be over soon.” Feel better?

* And they wonder why we mock them for their secrecy: “Vice President Dick Cheney was visiting Dallas on Monday for undisclosed reasons. Cheney and is wife [sic], Lynne, arrived at Love Field airport at about 11:15 a.m. The smiling and waving couple exited Air Force One about 5 minutes [sic]. A limousine quickly escorted from them [sic] from the tarmac.”

* I appreciate those who take politics seriously, but this just isn’t healthy: “Jose Ortiz, 28 — a Hillary Clinton supporter — is behind bars after stabbing his Barack Obama-supporting brother-in-law, Sean Shurelds, following a political argument, according to KYW1060.com. ‘One is a supporter of Barack Obama, the other is a supporter of Hillary Clinton, and an argument of words turned bloody when one brother-in-law tried to choke the other and the victim then responded with a knife and stabbed his brother-in-law in the stomach,’ Montgomery County, Pa., District Attorney Risa Furman said, according to KYW. KYW reports that if Ortiz is convicted of the felony charge, he won’t be able to vote.” Ortiz, by the way, is a registered Republican.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Chris Dodd will endorse Barack Obama today at an event in Ohio. In an email to supporters Tuesday morning, Dodd wrote, “While both of our party’s remaining candidates are extremely talented and would make an excellent commander-in-chief, I am throwing my support to the candidate who I believe will open the most eyes to our shared Democratic vision…. I’m deeply proud to be the first 2008 Democratic presidential candidate to endorse Barack Obama. He is ready to be president. And I am ready to support him — to work with him and for him and help elect him our 44th president.”

* As firewall states go, Texas is looking a little shaky for Hillary Clinton. A new CNN poll in the state shows Obama leading her among Texas Dems, 50% to 46%, after Clinton led by a couple of points last week.

* Speaking of Texas, in light of the state’s complex primary/caucus hybrid system, Bill Clinton was already arguing yesterday that a Clinton defeat probably shouldn’t count: “The doors open at 7 and they close at 7:15,” the former president said. “It would be tragic if Hillary were to win this election in the daytime and somebody were to come in at night and take it away.”

* I find it a little hard to believe, but an LAT political blog noted yesterday that one of Mitt Romney’s sons said it’s “possible” Romney will re-enter the presidential campaign, as either the VP candidate, or as the party’s standard-bearer if John McCain falters.

* Get ready for the kitchen sink: “After struggling for months to dent Senator Barack Obama’s candidacy, the campaign of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is now unleashing what one Clinton aide called a ‘kitchen sink’ fusillade against Mr. Obama, pursuing five lines of attack since Saturday in hopes of stopping his political momentum.”

* Helping reinforce the CNN poll, SurveyUSA polled Dems in Texas and found similar results, with Obama leading by four points, 49% to 45%. Most notably, Clinton’s lead among Texas Democratic women has shrunk from a 27-point lead to an 11-point lead.

* Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory announced his support for Obama yesterday. Given that Mallory is also a superdelegate, the endorsement was a two-fer.

* Regrettably, Stanford’s Lawrence Lessig won’t be running for Congress after all. Consulting with a pollster this week, Lessig was told he had no credible shot at beating fellow Democrat Jackie Speier, a highly popular former state senator, in California’s 12th district.

* Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a Clinton surrogate, told a national television audience that the controversial picture of Obama in Africa yesterday is acceptable because it showed him wearing the clothes “of his country.” Umm, congresswoman? Obama was born in the United States.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* More discouraging economic news: “Consumer confidence plunged, the wholesale inflation rate soared, the number of homes being foreclosed jumped, home prices fell sharply and a report predicts big increases in health care costs. Consumer confidence weakened significantly as Americans worry about less-favorable business conditions and job prospects. The New York-based Conference Board says in a report released on Tuesday that its Consumer Confidence Index plunged in February to 75.0 from a revised 87.3 in January. The reading — the lowest since the index registered 64.8 in February 2003 — is far below the 83.0 analysts expected.”

* Sounds like a bad scene: “Widespread power outages were reported Tuesday from Miami to Jacksonville on Florida’s east coast and as far north as Tampa on the Gulf Coast, police and utility officials said. As many 800,000 Florida Power & Light Co. customers are without power Tuesday afternoon, the company said. Mike Stone, a Florida Department of Emergency Management spokesman, said 2 million to 3 million people were affected.” As of now, no one seems to know what caused the outage.

* Fallout from the “60 Minutes” report on the Siegelman scandal continues. Karl Rove went on (what else?) Fox News to address the scandal publicly for the first time. Rove, among other things, denied ever even knowing Republican lawyer Dana Jill Simpson. The man Bush calls “Turd Blossom” went on to scold CBS for not having interviewed him for the piece, though “60 Minutes” did speak to his attorney.

* On a related note, Simpson has an excellent idea, telling MSNBC: “Since Karl Rove has said that and he feels so good saying that, what I want him to do is go and swear before the United States Congress and swear what he’s saying is true.”

* And in still more related news: “Malfunctioning equipment blocked an Alabama TV station’s broadcast of a ‘60 Minutes’ report suggesting that imprisoned former Gov. Don Siegelman was the victim of a Republican conspiracy, station officials said. After promoting the segment for days, WHNT-TV of Huntsville went black just as the report was to air Sunday night…. WHNT general manager Stan Pylant said Monday that despite what some unhappy viewers said, the problem was caused by a malfunctioning receiver at the station.” I think the phrase I’m looking for is, “Yeah, right.”

* Any time the far-right blogs wants to apologize, we’re listening: “Gen. George Casey, the Army’s chief of staff, said Tuesday he has no reason to doubt Barack Obama’s recent account by an Army captain that a rifle platoon in Afghanistan didn’t have enough soldiers or weapons. But he questioned the assertion that the shortages prevented the troops from doing their job. Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Casey said the incident would have occurred in 2003 and 2004 following the Iraq invasion. He said he remembers it as a ‘difficult time’ trying to rush armor and other equipment to the troops.”

* No matter what, Bush’s hyper-confidence is an unshakable force: “President Bush predicted Monday that voters will replace him with a Republican president who will ‘keep up the fight’ in Iraq. ‘I’m confident we’ll hold the White House in 2008,’ Bush told donors at the Republican Governors Association annual dinner, which raised a record $10.6 million for GOP gubernatorial candidates. ‘When I say I’m confident, I am so because I understand the mentality of the American people,’ Bush said.”

* Right-wing commentator Bill Cunningham, an Ohio native, appeared at an official McCain rally today, and lashed out at Obama, emphasizing his middle name and calling him a “hack, Chicago-style Daly politician.” Cunningham also, predictably, went after Hillary Clinton. McCain was not on stage for the unhinged diatribe, but distanced himself from Cunningham’s tirade after the event. “I absolutely repudiate such comments, and again I will take responsibility it will never happen again,” McCain said. “It will never happen again.” Good for him.

* Isn’t it interesting that those who know what they’re talking about are convinced the White House is wrong? Richard Clarke (former head of counterterrorism at the National Security Council), Rand Beers (former Senior Director for Combating Terrorism at the National Security Council), Lt. Gen. Don Kerrick (former Deputy National Security Advisor), and Suzanne Spaulding (former assistant general counsel at the CIA) wrote a joint letter to say that McConnell and the administration were “distorting the truth about surveillance capabilities after the lapse of the Protect America Act. The country is not ‘at greater risk,’ they write. ‘The intelligence community currently has the tools it needs to acquire surveillance of new targets and methods of communication.’”

* Florida wants to join the mess over state promotion of the Confederate Flag.

* And tonight in Ohio, Obama and Clinton will meet for what may very well be the last debate of the 2008 primary season. I’m not going to be able to stay up, but savor it — we probably won’t see another debate until the fall.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll suggests Dems still have some work to do in the general election: “In head-to-head contests, the poll found, McCain leads Clinton by 6 percentage points (46% to 40%) and Obama by 2 points (44% to 42%)…. The Arizona senator is viewed favorably by 61% of all registered voters, including a plurality of Democrats.”

* The Clinton campaign’s old superdelegate strategy: lean on party insiders to get them to commit now. The Clinton campaign’s new superdelegate strategy: lean on party insiders to get them to remain neutral for now. Apparently, the thinking is, if the superdelegates are going to break for anyone right now, it’s Obama.

* In response to an NYT report the other day pointing to morale trouble inside the Clinton campaign, 503 Clinton staffers and volunteers signed a letter to the editor sent to the Times that read, in part, “The unnamed advisers and aides the story relies on speak for nobody but themselves. The rest of us — thousands of her supporters, friends, members of her staff and volunteers — are working tirelessly each and every day and night, because we believe in Hillary.” The Times declined to run the letter, calling it “a press release from the Clinton campaign.”

* For reasons that are still unclear, Clinton said last night that she would continue to wait to release her tax returns until after the primaries. Pressed for an explanation, the senator said she’s “a little busy right now.”

* Mike Huckabee is still hanging around, and he’s wondering why he and John McCain aren’t debating. “There’s a race going on, and I wish Sen. McCain was debating me this weekend,” Huckabee told reporters in Cleveland. “I wish we were going to be in Cleveland tonight on stage or in Dallas or in Houston or San Antonio or Austin or somewhere between now and Tuesday having a debate. I think certainly Republicans in these states that are voting deserve that, and I’m disappointed that we’re not in that same kind of forum.”

* In a very impressive display of support, the Obama campaign announced this morning it had received support from 1 million donors. Given that it’s February, that’s pretty astounding.

* Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), long rumored as a possible GOP running mate this year, said she has no interest in the gig. During an interview on MSNBC, Hutchison said, “I don’t want to be vice president. I’ve said that over and over again. I’m going in a different direction. I really do not want to be vice president.”

* A new Quinnipiac poll in Pennsylvania shows Clinton leading Obama, but by a shrinking margin. As of today, Clinton is up by six in the Keystone State, 49% to 43%, though just two weeks ago, Clinton led by 16, 52% to 36%.

* Houston lawyer Mark White, one of the two surviving Democratic governors of Texas, says he’s endorsing Obama for president because he’s “essentially become America’s candidate. You see people from all walks of life, rich and poor, every color reflected, every ethnicity. There’s enthusiasm, hope. He will not only be nominated, he will be elected president. He will be America’s president.”

* I’m delighted to note that Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D) is poised to challenge Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska).

* And this may seem like little more than a local story, but it’s actually a pretty cool: “In a major victory for Gov. Eliot Spitzer and his party, a Democratic assemblyman won a stunning upset in a State Senate election [in New York] on Tuesday in a district that has been in Republican hands for a century.” Dairy farmer Darrel Aubertine finished with 52%, to 48% for William Barclay, a Republican lawyer and an assemblyman whose father once held the Senate seat. As the NYT noted, “Republicans outnumber Democrats 78,454 to 46,824 in the north country district, and Mr. Barclay had been favored to win.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* I’m worried: “Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned Congress that the nation is in for a period of sluggish business growth and sent a fresh signal Wednesday that interest rates will again be lowered to steady the teetering economy… Since Bernanke’s last such comprehensive assessment last summer, the housing slump has worsened, credit problems have intensified and the job market has deteriorated. Bernanke said that the confluence of these factors has turned people and businesses alike toward a more cautious attitude toward spending and investment. This, he said, has further weakened the economy.”

* This should be interesting: “The Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed inclined to reduce the $2.5 billion award of punitive damages to victims of the Exxon Valdez disaster. Several justices indicated they think the amount approved by a federal appeals court is too high, although there was no apparent consensus about how much Exxon Mobil Corp. should have to pay for the 1989 accident in which its 987-foot tanker ran aground on a reef and dumped 11 million gallons of oil into Alaska waters.”

* This hasn’t generated much attention, but it’s shaping up to be an interesting legislative fight: “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) signaled Wednesday that Democrats will not back down on their commitment to a controversial bankruptcy provision of their ‘housing stimulus’ package, even if it means the defeat of the measure…. ‘I have no expectation of reaching any kind of agreement with the White House,’ Reid said at a press conference, when asked about efforts to win support from President Bush. ‘So we’re going to do what we think is best for the country. If we get 67 votes, that’s great.’”

* A little more background on this: “On the Hill, the controversy on this housing bill as focused entirely on the section that would change the bankruptcy code to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. But the administration finds a lot more wrong with the legislation. The White House ’strongly opposes’ giving $4 million to state and local governments to redevelop abandoned and foreclosed homes; it just ‘opposes’ increasing funding for the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation.”

* Lt. Gen. Michael D. Maples, the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that waterboarding is not humane and not consistent with Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions.

* Hmm: “A new Zogby poll finds that 67 percent of Americans ‘believe traditional journalism is out of touch with what Americans want from their news.’ Forty-eight percent say that their primary source of news and information comes from the Internet, an increase of eight points from a year ago. The public also views citizen journalism (77 percent) and blogging (59 percent) as important for the future of journalism.”

* Sam Zell, the billionaire who owns, among other things, newspapers like the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune, blames the national economic slowdown, at least in part, on Obama and Clinton: “We have two Democratic candidates who are vying with each other to describe the economic situation worse.” Zell described the problem as a “self-fulfilling prophecy.”

* Should be interesting: “Former Attorney General John Ashcroft has agreed to testify to Congress about a multimillion-dollar no-bid contract steered to his consulting firm by the Justice Department under an out-of-court settlement between federal prosecutors and a medical-supply company, Congressional officials said Tuesday.”

* The Foundation for Defense of Democracies, which claims to be bipartisan, launched a bizarre ad campaign blasting House Democrats for not passing the Senate surveillance bill. In response, Donna Brazile, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Rep. Elliot Engel (D-N.Y.), and Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Ga.) all resigned from the group’s board of advisors.

* Lanny Davis, who frequently appears on the cable shows as an unofficial Clinton campaign surrogate, told MSNBC this morning that “it’s very hard to criticize Senator Obama without being accused of playing the race card.” I have no idea what Davis is talking about, and he offered no specific examples.

* And finally, many probably remember that David Broder, just one year ago, predicted a “political comeback” for Bush. Today, in an online discussion, Broder was asked about how wrong he was. “That was certainly one of my less astute observations,” Broder said. “He has been less flexible in the past year than I expected after the 2006 election, and I think he continues to pay a price for his rigidity.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* After a couple of weeks of speculation about his intentions, Georgia congressman and civil rights pioneer John Lewis officially switched his support from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama. In a statement issued by his office, Lewis said, “Something is happening in America. There is a movement, there is a spirit, there is an enthusiasm in the hearts and minds of the American people that I have not seen in a long time, since the candidacy of Robert Kennedy.”

* Clinton is offering a plan this afternoon on reducing childhood poverty, including a “‘comprehensive’ early education initiative that starts with nurse’s visits for pregnant women, lets children begin the Head Start program earlier and calls for universal pre-kindergarten programs. The New York senator also says she would deal with childhood hunger by putting in place a food safety net, and give children ‘greater access to healthy, fresh food.’”

* Feel like we haven’t heard as much from former President Clinton lately? “‘The Clinton campaign is sending Bill to safe places, to small cities where a visit by a former president is a really big deal,’ said Darrell West, a professor of political science at Brown University in Providence, R.I. The Clinton campaign won’t comment on its Bill strategy, but the numbers and the fallout from some of his public appearances earlier in the campaign suggest why West’s view, one widely shared by other analysts, makes sense.”

* Obama picked up another Senate endorsement yesterday, earning the support of North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan (D). Dorgan said he joined colleagues such as Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius who are “really anxious to have a candidate on the top of the ticket who isn’t going to give up on a state before it begins.”

* The Children’s Defense Fund Action Council released a new congressional scorecard, measuring lawmakers on their votes affecting children. While plenty of Republicans fared well — Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), and Gordon Smith (R-OR) received 70% rankings — John McCain received a 10% rating, the worst in the chamber. (His score was depressed by a series of missed votes.)

* Adelfa Callejo, a prominent Clinton campaign supporter in Dallas, raised a few eyebrows yesterday when he told a local TV station that Obama would have trouble gaining Latino support because he “simply has a problem that he happens to be black.” The campaign later issued a statement: “After confirming that they were accurately portrayed, Senator Clinton, of course, denounces and rejects them.”

* Speaking of Texas, a new Rasmussen poll shows Obama ahead in the Lone Star state, 48% to 44%. About a week ago, Rasmussen showed Clinton ahead in Texas, 46% to 45%.

* The Obama campaign is stepping up its advertising in the LGBT communities in Ohio and Texas. The Advocate reported, “According to Obama LGBT steering committee member Eric Stern, the campaign has just completed an ad buy with queer newspapers in the four largest LGBT markets of those two states — Columbus, Cleveland, Dallas, and Houston. Full-page ads will appear starting this Friday in Outlook Weekly of Columbus, the Gay People’s Chronicle of Cleveland, the Dallas Voice, and OutSmart, which is Houston-based.”

* Leon Panetta, a prominent Clinton backer and former WH Chief of Staff, expressed his deep dissatisfaction with the Clinton campaign in an interview with the New York Observer this week, complaining about underestimating Obama, and the Clinton camp’s overall lack of planning. Panetta was especially rough on Clinton pollster Mark Penn, whom he described as “a political pollster from the past.” Panetta concluded, “I never considered him someone who would run a national campaign for the presidency.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The Land of the Free: “More than one in 100 adult Americans is in jail or prison, an all-time high that is costing state governments nearly $50 billion a year, in addition to more than $5 billion spent by the federal government, according to a report released today. With more than 2.3 million people behind bars at the start of 2008, the United States leads the world in both the number and the percentage of residents it incarcerates, leaving even far more populous China a distant second, noted the report by the nonpartisan Pew Center on the States.”

* Some encouraging news out of Nairobi: “Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga agreed Thursday to a power-sharing arrangement meant to stabilize a country wracked by political violence since a disputed December election. Brokered by former U.N. secretary general Kofi Annan, the deal was signed by the two political rivals at a ceremony here and witnessed by both Annan and Jakaya Kikwete, the current head of the African Union and president of Tanzania.”

* Predominantly Sunni forces in Iraq are so frustrated right now, many are abandoning their posts. Among their chief concerns are low salaries, late payments, and the fact that U.S. troops are accidentally killing many of the Awakening forces. The threat, of course, is that they’ll re-join the insurgency.

* Remember the “virtual fence” along the Mexican border Bush has been so excited about? Well, forget it: “The Bush administration has scaled back plans to quickly build a “virtual fence” along the U.S.-Mexico border, delaying completion of the first phase of the project by at least three years and shifting away from a network of tower-mounted sensors and surveillance gear, federal officials said yesterday…. The announcement marked a major setback for what President Bush in May 2006 called “the most technologically advanced border security initiative in American history.”

* New Abu Ghraib pictures: “If Osama bin Laden had hired a Madison Avenue public relations firm to rally Arabs hearts and minds to his cause, it’s hard to imagine that it could have devised a better propaganda campaign.”

* It took a while, but the Tennessee Republican Party removed the word “Hussein” from its now-notorious press release.

* Great piece from the Center for American Progress’ Brian Katulis: “The easily foreseen consequences of conservatives’ surge “strategy” in Iraq are now coming to pass. The disaffected Sunni groups that turned against Al Qaeda in Iraq are now demanding their due—political power for these “Awakening” groups commensurate with their newfound military clout and their belief that Sunnis should once again be the dominant power in Iraq as they were under Saddam Hussein. But the fractured Shi’a-led government of prime minister Nouri al Maliki has strongly opposed these efforts, and resisted integrating these irregular forces into the Iraqi government. The looming threat is that the different sides in one of Iraq’s key internal conflicts –supported to varying degrees by the United States over the last year—may start turning their weapons on each other.”

* Great inside look at the Pakistani elections.

* The economy is coming to a halt. Guess what GOP lawmakers want to do? “While Senate Democrats continue to argue that the best recession antidote is to pass legislation aimed directly at the housing market’s woes, Republicans are offering an alternative, albeit an unsurprising one: a second dose of stimulus via tax relief for ‘job creators,’ i.e. businesses. The conservative Republican Study Committee is pushing a package, dubbed the ‘Economic Growth Act of 2008,’ of permanent business tax incentives.”

* George Will really slammed John McCain today: “Although his campaign is run by lobbyists; and although his dealings with lobbyists have generated what he, when judging the behavior of others, calls corrupt appearances; and although he has profited from his manipulation of the taxpayer-funding system that is celebrated by reformers — still, he probably is innocent of insincerity. Such is his towering moral vanity, he seems sincerely to consider it theoretically impossible for him to commit the offenses of appearances that he incessantly ascribes to others. Such certitude is, however, not merely an unattractive trait. It is disturbing righteousness in someone grasping for presidential powers.”

* Fox News lies about Obama. Try not to be surprised.

* Bill Clinton complained yesterday, “There’s a one-minute ad on in Texas telling you how terrible things were in the 90s.” The problem? No such ad exists.

* Great piece from Joseph Romm on global warming deniers: “Deniers continue to insist there’s no consensus on global warming. Well, there’s not. There’s well-tested science and real-world observations.”

* And finally, Rep. Jack Kingston (Dimwit-Ga.) argued on MSNBC last night that it’s acceptable to “question” Barack Obama’s patriotism because he doesn’t regularly wear an American flag lapel pin. Kingston claimed that “everybody” in politics “wears them.” At the time he was making the attack, Kingston — you guessed it — was not wearing an American flag lapel pin.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* After experiencing a financial rough patch, it looks as if the Clinton campaign is back on firm ground, raising $35 million in February, more than double her January haul. “It was incredibly gratifying to see people come forth with this vote of confidence in me,” Clinton told reporters in Hanging Rock, Ohio. “Obviously this is a tremendous benefit to my campaign.”

* And what about Obama’s monthly total? Exact numbers haven’t been released, but almost immediately after the Clinton camp announced its $35 million monthly total, the Obama campaign’s Bill Burton told reporters that they’d raised “considerably more” than that.

* At a town-hall meeting in Texas yesterday, John McCain inadvertently described himself as “a proud conservative liberal Republican.” Quickly realizing he’d used one word too many, McCain corrected himself, adding, “Conservative Republican.” As the audience laughed, McCain said, “Hellooo, easy there.”

* Obama delivered a forceful lecture to some Texas parents yesterday, who seemed to agree with his message: “During a Barack Obama town-hall meeting on the economy, the topic turned to education, which, the Illinois senator said, could not be remedied by spending alone. ‘It doesn’t matter how much money we put in if parents don’t parent,’ he scolded…. Each line was punctuated by a roar, and Obama began to shout, falling into a preacher’s rhythm. ‘Am I right? So turn off the TV set. Put the video game away. Buy a little desk. Or put that child at the kitchen table. Watch them do their homework. If they don’t know how to do it, give ‘em help. If you don’t know how to do it, call the teacher.’ By now, the crowd of nearly 2,000 was lifted from the red velveteen seats of the Julie Rogers Theatre, hands raised to the gilded ceiling. ‘Make ‘em go to bed at a reasonable time! Keep ‘em off the streets! Give ‘em some breakfast! Come on! Can I get an amen here?’” The crowd, according to multiple accounts, went wild.

* The big story of the ‘08 race? According to Mike Huckabee, it’s him: “What I think has been the phenomenal story is that we had a dime to every dollar that these other candidates have had. And yet our campaign has stayed on the field when the campaigns that were far better financed and organized and staffed with all the establishment people they’ve come and gone. And nobody, I think, would’ve said a few months ago that we would have outlasted Rudy and Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney and many other candidates who have disappeared.”

* Arianna Huffington notices an interesting calendar coincidence: “Should Barack Obama end up winning his party’s nomination, he will give his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver on August 28 — 45 years to the day Martin Luther King delivered his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.”

* The Dems’ Texas primary on Tuesday is open to independents and Republicans, and they may give Obama an edge: “If the latest polling data are to be believed, those Republicans aren’t whispering in Texas, where 195 of the 228 delegates the state will send to the Democratic National Convention will be chosen in a primary and caucuses Tuesday. As many as a tenth of the Texans voting in the Democratic contests could be Republicans, and overwhelmingly they favor Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois, the polls show.”

* Former Secretary of State James A. Baker III endorsed McCain yesterday, comparing him to Baker’s former boss: “John [McCain] appreciates the complexity of the real world, which after all is a world of hard choices and painful trade-offs. Ronald Reagan was a staunch conservative. Nobody ever accused the Gipper of being squishy … Ronald Reagan found solutions that worked, even if they sometimes occasionally failed the rigid tests of the purists.”

* And Ralph Nader has a running mate: Matt Gonzalez, a San Francisco lawyer who came in a close second in the city’s mayoral race in 2003. Gonzalez has served as president of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors, and is a member of the Green Party.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Another rough day in the markets: “Stocks fell sharply Friday after a series of depressing economic and earnings reports and high oil prices stoked concerns about the health of economy. The major stock indexes fell more than 2 percent, with the Dow Jones industrials closing down more than 300 points…. Adding to Wall Street’s list of worries, oil prices continued to stir concern about inflation after topping $103 per barrel for the first time, in electronic trading overnight.”

* Special Assistant to the President Timothy Goeglein works in the White House’s Office of Public Liaison, where apparently he’s been plagiarizing others’ work in published columns. After getting caught, Goeglein fessed up: “It is true. I am entirely at fault. It was wrong of me. There are no excuses.”

* As is often the case with those who take others’ work, Goeglein was caught in one incident, but there are others: “Timothy S. Goeglein, a White House aide and President Bush’s chief liaison to religious groups, has admitted to plagiarizing a column he wrote for his hometown paper, the Fort Wayne (Ind.) News-Sentinel. The problem is: More examples have now been identified at The Washington Post and New York Sun, with further searches (including at the News-Sentinel) just starting.”

* The White House isn’t even trying to defend Goeglein: “‘We were just made aware about Tim’s column and his actions this morning,’ said White House spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore. ‘Obviously this is not acceptable.’ Lawrimore would not comment on whether the president would ask Goeglein to resign, saying the White House was still ‘looking into the details.’”

* McCain finally responded to his endorsement from anti-Catholic evangelist John Hagee: “Yesterday, Pastor John Hagee endorsed my candidacy for president in San Antonio, Texas. However, in no way did I intend for his endorsement to suggest that I in turn agree with all of Pastor Hagee’s views, which I obviously do not.” Two things: 1) OK, which views does McCain like, and which views does he reject? 2) Obama denounced Farrakhan’s comments; why won’t McCain do the same with Hagee?

* A fiasco gets worse: “The U.S. embassy in Iraq has faulty sprinklers, fire suppression and water supply, despite testimony from the State Department last year that the $592 million was on schedule and on budget. According to a letter released by House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), February inspections found ‘raise serious questions about status of the embassy project and the December decision to certify substantial compliance.’”

* Given that millions of American lives hang in the balance, surely Republicans would want an extension of the recently-expired “Protect America Act,” right? Wrong. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) offered a 30-day extension today, pending additional debate, and Republicans refused to go along. I guess it’s not a matter of life and death after all.

* TPMM: “Two weeks ago, the House passed a contempt resolution against White House chief of staff Josh Bolten and former counsel Harriet Miers. The two refused to comply with subpoenas issued by the House Judiciary Committee as part of the investigation of the U.S. attorney firings. [Yesterday], after House lawyers dotted their i’s and crossed their t’s, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) finally followed up by referring the contempt resolution to the U.S. attorney for D.C.” I have a hunch Bush’s Justice Department isn’t interested in helping out on this one.

* Ugh: “A post on the MSNBC.com blog First Read stated: ‘We’ve noticed today the [Sen. John] McCain/FEC stories — that McCain very well might have to abide by spending limits before the GOP convention — are starting to roll in. But why is this only now starting to get more traction, compared with all the stories about [Sen. Barack] Obama waffling on his pledge to accept public funds in the general?’” Here’s a thought: because NBC News hasn’t given the McCain/FEC controversy any attention at all?

* I don’t like to see anyone lose their job, but I did notice that Giuliani Partners is laying off part of its staff “as the business is reshaped after his failed presidential campaign.”

* And finally, an unhelpful Drudge scoop: “Prince Harry will be immediately brought home from Afghanistan, where he has spent the last 10 weeks fighting on the front lines, the British Defense Ministry said Friday…. His presence there had been kept secret from the public in a remarkable deal between the British military and media. But the secret was revealed in two little-noticed articles in an Australian tabloid magazine, and then blasted into the global media spotlight Thursday by the Drudge Report Web site…. The Ministry of Defense announced Harry’s withdrawal early Friday afternoon, saying that publicity about his presence in Afghanistan had unduly jeopardized him and his fellow soldiers.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* How’s that delegate race shaping up? According to an MSNBC analysis aired this morning, Clinton “could net anywhere from seven to a bit over 10 delegates. This, obviously, is hardly major progress, given Obama’s overall pledged delegate lead of roughly 150 or more. But it’s more than some commentators were predicting she’d gain.”

* Be prepared to hear a lot about John McSame: “We’ve just obtained a copy of the new ad that the 501c4 issue-advocacy group Campaign to Defend America is running against John McCain in Ohio and Pennsylvania. It says that McCain offers more of the ‘McSame as Bush,’ on issues from Iraq to health care, and repeatedly superimposes Bush’s head atop McCain’s body…. The Campaign to Defend America — which will be running ads on issues like Iraq, the economy, energy, and health care, from a bent that appears to be pro-Democratic — is spending more than $1,000,000 on the buy, the group tells me.”

* One of the Democratic Party’s most powerful couples — both of whom are superdelegates — have decided to back different candidates. Don Fowler, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and a member of the DNC from South Carolina, is backing Clinton. As of yesterday, his wife Carol Khare Fowler, chairwoman of the South Carolina Democratic Party, is backing Obama.

* Statistic of the Day: “2,833,000 Texans voted for John Kerry in the 2004 general election, but 2,857,000 people voted in last night’s Democratic primary.”

* Mike Huckabee may be plotting his next career: “As Mr. Huckabee’s campaign plotted a concession speech on Tuesday, some analysts suggested that viewers would see the longshot Republican presidential candidate on television again very soon. On the MSNBC program ‘Morning Joe,’ the Republican strategist Mike Murphy predicted Mr. Huckabee would ’suspend his campaign, hire excellent agents, and begin negotiations for a cable TV talk show, all within the next 10 days.’”

* Yesterday morning, Terry McAuliffe, one of Clinton’s highest ranking advisors, was asked about Mark Penn downplayed his role in the Clinton campaign. “People ought to quit talking to the press,” McAuliffe told MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough, adding, “When we get through with Texas and Ohio, I’ll go talk to Maggie Williams, our campaign manager, about that.” We may not be hearing quite as much from Penn in the immediate future.

* I’m still not quite sure what anyone expects Howard Dean to do. “If these attacks [between Clinton and Obama] are contrasts based on policy differences, there is no need to stop the race or halt the debate,” Donna Brazile, a superdelegate, said. “But, if this is more division, more diversion from the issues and more of the same politics of personal destruction, chairman Dean and other should be on standby.”

* Dennis Kucinich faced four Democratic primary opponents yesterday, but managed to save his congressional career. Kucinich appears to have won with about 52% support.

* And on a related note, Ron Paul held back his intra-party challenger in his House district, winning his GOP primary with nearly 70% of the vote. “Some Washington insiders would have you believe that Republicans no longer believe in the principles our country and party were founded upon, but the voters in my district have once again proven them wrong,” Paul said, in a statement.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Following up on a point raised by my friend Sarabeth, NBC News crunched the Dems’ popular vote numbers after yesterday’s contests. In DNC-sanctioned contests (sans Florida and Michigan), Obama still leads Clinton by 600,000 votes, 12.9 million to 12.3 million. Even with Florida in the mix, Obama is ahead by 300,000.

* Disappointing, but not surprising: “The FBI improperly used national security letters in 2006 to obtain personal data on Americans during terror and spy investigations, Director Robert Mueller said Wednesday. Mueller told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the privacy breach by FBI agents and lawyers occurred a year before the bureau enacted sweeping new reforms to prevent future lapses…. The report is a follow-up to an audit by the inspector general a year ago that found the FBI demanded personal data on people from banks, telephone and Internet providers and credit bureaus without official authorization and in non-emergency circumstances between 2003 and 2005.”

* Don’t expect much in the way of follow-through from a McCain administration when it comes to Bush malfeasance: “Despite rhetoric about tackling corruption in Washington, John McCain does not appear too eager to look into the current administration. When asked today about supporting independent investigations into the Bush administration, McCain replied: ‘I do not agree with your sentiment that there has been widespread corruption. I just don’t accept that.’”

* Was race (and alleged racism) a key factor in yesterday’s primaries? There’s no shortage of analysis out there, though I’m inclined to agree with Isaac Chotiner’s take: “I am willing to believe there are people out there who will not vote for Obama because of his race, but the exit poll is not convincing on this measure.”

* More discouraging news: “The economy has weakened since the start of this year as shoppers turned even more cautious given the severe housing slump and painful credit crunch. Manufacturers and other businesses, meanwhile, had to cope with skyrocketing prices for energy and other raw materials.”

* John Kerry is pushing the FCC to investigate Alabama’s WHNT over the “60 Minutes” controversy. Good.

* When it comes to FISA expansion and telecom immunity, the White House isn’t even willing to sit down with Dems to tell them what to do: “[Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller] supports the immunity provision the administration wants, but he said he was perplexed by the fact that the White House has skipped the meetings the Democrats have tried to hold. ‘I don’t understand why the White House hasn’t been more active in pushing the solution they want,’ he said. ‘It’s very strange.’”

* Have you heard about the “Lunatics and Liars” contest? “We’re looking for funny TV commercials. But not real ones. Ones made up by you. Make a 30 second commercial that tells us why we should vote - or not vote - for your favorite presidential candidate, and you could win a $5,000 grand prize and free trip to Washington, DC, to meet real politicos in their native habitat.”

* Reuters: “The leak of information about Barack Obama’s position on the North American Free Trade Agreement was ‘blatantly unfair’ to his campaign, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Wednesday.”

* Leave it to one of Bush’s hacks to generate this kind of internal division at the EPA: “Unionized EPA workers are withdrawing from a cooperation agreement with the political appointees who supervise them over controversies including the agency’s refusal to let California regulate greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks.”

* FBI Director Robert Mueller doesn’t see the need for torture. Maybe he ought to let the president know; he might find the information helpful.

* And finally, my adopted home state is making national news again: “Voters in two Vermont towns on Tuesday approved a measure that would instruct police to arrest President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for ‘crimes against our Constitution’, local media reported. The nonbinding, symbolic measure, passed in Brattleboro and Marlboro in a state known for taking liberal positions on national issues, instructs town police to ‘extradite them to other authorities that may reasonably contend to prosecute them’.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* For my money, the biggest problem in Democratic presidential politics isn’t whether Clinton and Obama will destroy one another, but rather, what’s going to happen with Florida and Michigan: “The governors of Florida and Michigan have stepped in to offer their opinions about the question of what is to be done regarding their states’ potential delegates to this summer’s Democratic convention. The two governors, Florida Republican Charlie Crist and Michigan Democrat Jennifer Granholm, released a joint statement Wednesday. The statement reads, ‘The right to vote is at the very foundation of our democracy. This primary season, voters have turned out in record numbers to exercise that right, and it is reprehensible that anyone would seek to silence the voices of 5,163,271 Americans. It is intolerable that the national political parties have denied the citizens of Michigan and Florida their votes and voices at their respective national conventions.’”

* There are all kinds of rumors about the Obama campaign having a secret bloc of 50 superdelegates who will all, sometime soon, come forward together to announce their support. The Obama campaign continues to deny the talk. Bill Burton told Greg Sargent: “This is just a rumor. There is no secret stash of superdelegates that we are sitting on waiting to roll out.”

* With the Wyoming caucuses just a few days away, the Clinton campaign has a new radio ad on the air in the state. The ad features a woman who says that her young son has had four open heart surgeries that the family couldn’t have paid for without the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which Clinton supported as First Lady.

* With the Mississippi primary coming right up, too, the Obama campaign is reminding Mississippians of some derogatory comments she made about the state a few months ago.

* In light of questions from Obama about Clinton’s reluctance to release her tax returns, Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson said this morning on a conference call with reporters: “I for one do not find that imitating Ken Starr is a way to win a Democratic primary election for president.” (To ask for transparency is to act like Starr? Sounds like a cheap shot.)

* There’s more counting to do, but at this point: “At last report, with 40 percent of precincts counted, Barack Obama led Hillary Clinton 56 percent to 44 percent in the Texas Democratic caucuses. Counting continues today.”

* The Clinton campaign raised more than $3 million in the 24 hours following Tuesday’s victories. Very impressive.

* Keep an eye on the possible effort to win over pledged delegates: “On a conference call with reporters, Clinton aide Harold Ickes noted that pledged delegates aren’t formally bound to vote for the candidate they’re elected to support. ‘That binding rule was knocked out in 1980,’ he said. Ickes didn’t actually suggest that the Clinton campaign would court pledged delegates, something they’ve disavowed; he just stated the rule. Still, an interesting note.”

* Clinton has emphasized on several occasions this week that her husband didn’t lock up his first nomination until June of 1992. The NYT takes a closer look at this and finds that the contest started a month later in 1992 than it did in 2008, and by March 20, 1992, some were already calling Clinton the presumptive nominee. Less than two weeks later, on April 8, after winning the New York primary, George Stephanopoulos, then Clinton’s deputy campaign manager, declared the process over.

* The Republican candidate to take on Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) withdrew yesterday, citing health problems. The deadline for candidates to qualify for the ballot in New Jersey is on April 7, leaving the state GOP in a bit of a jam.

* How strong was turnout in Vermont’s presidential primaries this week? Over 46% of the state’s registered voters participated (and that was with a largely uncompetitive GOP contest). Impressive, isn’t it?

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: “Fifty-three people were killed and 125 were wounded in two bomb attacks Thursday evening in a Baghdad commercial district, an Interior Ministry official said. A roadside bomb exploded first, around 7 p.m., in the central Baghdad district of Karrada, killing and wounding a number of people, the Interior Ministry official said. As others gathered to help the wounded, a suicide bomber amid the crowd detonated an explosive vest, killing and wounding many more, the official said. The majority of causalities occurred during the second attack, the official said.”

* A deadly terrorist attack in Jerusalem, too: “A gunman infiltrated a Jewish seminary in Jerusalem and opened fire in a library Thursday night, killing at least seven people, officials said. Police commander Aharon Franco told reporters at the scene that “an Israeli army officer nearby” then shot the gunman dead. Rescue workers said at least 10 people were wounded…. In Gaza, the Islamic militant Hamas praised the attack but stopped short of claiming responsibility. Thousands poured into the streets to celebrate, firing rifles in the air.”

* Good news from the Hill: “After more than a decade of struggle, the House on Wednesday passed a bill requiring most group health plans to provide more generous coverage for treatment of mental illnesses, comparable to what they provide for physical illnesses…. ‘Illness of the brain must be treated just like illness anywhere else in the body,’ said Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California. Supporters of the House bill, including consumer groups and the American Psychiatric Association, said it would be a boon to many of the 35 million Americans who experience disabling symptoms of mental disorders each year.”

* More discouraging economic news: “Home foreclosures soared to an all-time high in the final quarter of last year and are likely to keep on rising, underscoring the suffering of distressed homeowners and the growing danger the housing meltdown poses for the economy. ‘Clearly it’s the worst it’s been,’ chief association economist Doug Duncan said in an interview with The Associated Press.”

* A reminder of yet another reason not to torture — civilized countries won’t accept evidence beaten out of suspects: “The Canadian government is no longer using evidence gained from CIA interrogations of a top Al Qaeda detainee who was waterboarded.”

* A report from the IRS shows that America’s top 400 wealthiest income-tax payers — the Fortunate 400 — “now control 1.15% of the nation’s income — twice the share they controlled in 1995. Over the same period, however, the average income tax paid by this same group has fallen from 30% to 18%. That’s due mainly to the Bush tax cuts.” McCain wants more of the same.

* TP: “[Yesterday], a bipartisan group of 14 senators introduced a bill ‘to stop regulators from easing media-ownership rules in the nation’s 20 largest cities.’ The 32-year old ban — whose loosening is being pushed by Bush’s FCC chairman — is meant to ‘keep major media companies from monopolizing newspapers and broadcasters in their market.’”

* I genuinely wonder sometimes if watching Fox News can make someone dumber: “On America’s Newsroom, while discussing a video clip of Sen. Hillary Clinton drinking a beer on the campaign plane, Bill Hemmer asked Fox News’ ‘body language expert’ Tonya Reiman: ‘is that an honest moment, a moment of levity?’ Reiman replied: ‘You know, the only thing that struck me as odd is, she’s holding the beer with her left hand, and she’s a righty. And if you think about how you would normally take a sip, it’s a little bit awkward to drink with your nondominant hand, unless you have a reason to be doing that.’”

* Remember that White House press conference from five years ago tonight?

* Good post on the latest nonsense from global warming deniers.

* There’s been quite a bit of talk about whether the Clinton campaign intentionally darkened Obama’s skin tone for one of its ads. I’m not sure what to think of the controversy, but it’s drawing some pretty close scrutiny.

* And Dan Froomkin had an interesting observation today: “You’ll never guess who was the most excited about yesterday’s endorsement. As of this writing, there’s no mention of it on the home page of McCain’s Web site. There’s no mention of it all on the Republican National Committee’s home page. In fact, I can’t find any mention whatsoever of the event on either Web site at all. (It’s like: Bush Who?) But on the Democratic National Committee Web site, the lead headline blares: ‘Bush Endorses John McCain as His Successor.’ ‘Since the event was held in the middle of the afternoon we fear that some Americans may miss George Bush’s assurances that John McCain would continue the Bush Administrations failed economic and foreign policies,’ the DNC explains. ‘As a public service we’ve posted a video of the press conference for voters to see.’”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In the unlikely event you haven’t heard, this is one of the more impressive fundraising achievements I’ve ever seen: “Democratic Sen. Barack Obama raised a record $55 million in February for his presidential campaign, eclipsing rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s own substantial fundraising for the month. All told, Obama has raised $193 million during his yearlong bid for the White House. Obama’s February total was his second fundraising record. He raised $36 million in January, more than any other presidential candidate who has ever been in a contested primary. His combined January and February totals nearly matched what he raised last year.”

* Retired Col. Larry Wilkerson, former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell, doesn’t sound optimistic about John McCain’s temperament, saying that with McCain “[n]o dissent, no opinion to the contrary, however reasonable, will be entertained.” Wilkerson added that McCain is “hardheaded,” “arrogant,” “hubristic,” and “too proud for his own good.” Referring to McCain’s foreign policy advisers, Wilkerson said: They “scare me.” “Scare me.”

* In a comment that was intended to be off the record, Samantha Power, an Obama aide, told a Scottish newspaper she thought Hillary Clinton “is a monster” who is “stooping to anything.” Power apologized this morning, saying, “These comments do not reflect my feelings about Sen. Clinton, whose leadership and public service I have long admired.” The Clinton campaign has rejected the apology, and wants Power fired.

* It looks like Ron Paul is just about done, though he’s urging his followers to stick together and plan future phases for their collective efforts.

* In case there was any doubt that McCain is considering Florida Gov. Charlie Crist as a possible running mate, yesterday, McCain described Crist as “one of the greatest governors in the history of this country.” Crist has been on the job for just one year, suggesting this was a wee bit of hyperbole.

* Earlier this week, Rush Limbaugh implored his listeners to vote for Clinton in Tuesday’s contests. Did it make any difference? Maybe in Texas.

* I think it’s a trend: “More people say they are Democrats than said so before voting started in this year’s presidential contests while the number of Republicans has remained flat, a survey showed Thursday. The Associated Press-Ipsos poll had additional bad news for the GOP: The number of independents and moderates satisfied with President Bush and the country’s direction has dipped to record or near-record lows.”

* Senate Democrats, believe it or not, continue to believe it’s at least possible to get to 60 seats next year: “For Democrats hoping the November elections set off a seismic shift in Washington, the dream scenario is not just capturing the White House, but also winning a filibuster-proof majority of 60 seats in the Senate…. As far-fetched as that might seem — Democrats now control the Senate by a razor-thin 51 to 49, thanks only to two independents who vote with them — some Democrats have started thinking aloud that such a scenario is within reach.”

* And the RNC loves registering domain names: “The day after Barack Obama won the Iowa caucuses, the R.N.C. snapped up at least 20 domains related to his candidacy. Some of them may signal the party’s future strategy: baracknotready.com and norealexperience.com. The party has also begun preemptively registering domains that could be used to attack John McCain, like mccainamigos.com, voteagainstmccain.com, flipflopmccain.com and hatemccain.com (ihatemccain.com was taken.)”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Oh my: “Dangerous cracks are appearing in the nation’s job market. Employers slashed jobs by the largest amount in five years — and hundreds of thousands of people dropped out of the labor force — an ominous sign that the country is falling toward a recession or has already toppled into one. For the second straight month, nervous employers got rid of jobs nationwide. In February, they sliced payrolls by 63,000, even deeper than the 22,000 positions cut in January, the Labor Department reported Friday. The grim snapshot of the country’s employment climate underscored the heavy toll the housing and credit debacles are taking on companies, jobseekers and the economy as a whole.”

* Finding an analyst who doesn’t think we’re in a recession has become rather difficult.

* And then, of course, there’s the market: “Stocks tumbled for a second consecutive session Friday after the government’s February jobs report revealed employers slashed payrolls last month, compounding fears that the U.S. economy is succumbing to recession. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 146 points, bringing its two-day slide to 370. This week’s declines in the three major stock indexes to their lowest settlements since 2006 came despite the Federal Reserve’s announcement that it would take steps to aid the credit markets.”

* Consumer debt has hit $2.52 trillion. Wow.

* The New York Observer talked to former National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, an Obama supporter, about the Samantha Power controversy. Brzezinski thinks she got a raw deal, adding, “I don’t think she should have resigned.”

* On a related note, the Clinton campaign acted with amazing speed to turn the Power controversy into yet another fundraising opportunity.

* WaPo: “A new National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq is scheduled to be completed this month.” Whether anyone gets to see it is another matter entirely.

* It’s about damn time: “The Senate yesterday approved the most far-reaching changes to the nation’s product safety system in a generation, responding to recalls of millions of lead-laced toys that rattled consumers last year.” The Bush administration rejects the very idea of protecting consumer safety through government regulation; fortunately there’s a Democratic Congress.

* This hasn’t generated a lot of attention yet, but come January, neither Gen. David Petraeus nor U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker will be in Iraq; they’ll be back home.

* Creationists probably won’t care for this at all.

* I wonder what the story is here: “Later today, Bradley Blakeman will step aside as president of Freedom’s Watch, an independent conservative organization expected to play a major role in the 2008 election. ‘I will stay through transition and then I will go back to my consulting business,’ Blakeman said in a brief interview today. ‘I resigned, they didn’t ask for my resignation.’ Blakeman spent several years earlier this decade serving in the administration of President George W. Bush.”

* Did the Clinton campaign darken an image of Obama for an attack ad? Kevin Drum isn’t buying it: “Hillary Clinton is running a rough campaign, and I’m pretty unhappy with some of her tactics, but that’s no reason to start hauling out all the old Clinton-hating artillery we came to know and love in the 90s. This ad isn’t evidence of race-baiting or anything else. Time to move on.”

* The other side loves the 3 a.m. ad: “At a Council on Foreign Relations event in D.C. today, as a Hillary adviser touted Clinton’s foreign policy experience, McCain adviser Randy Scheunemann reportedly chimed in with: ‘Please keep running those 3 a.m. ads about who you want to answer the phone, because we like those.’”

* McCain sure does have some interesting friends: “Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., allegedly defrauded dozens of pro-life organizations for hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund his first congressional bid, according to an analysis of the recent indictment against him, a state insurance claim and an interview with an insurance lawyer involved in the case.”

* Interesting: “A longtime protege of President Bush told former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias that he was fired for political reasons and that he shouldn’t fight his ouster, Iglesias says in a new book. ‘This is political,’ Iglesias recalls Texas U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton telling him shortly after he was ousted. ‘If I were you, I’d just go quietly.’”

* And finally, don’t miss Katha Pollitt’s response to Charlotte Allen’s ridiculous anti-woman hit job from the other day: “Why did The Post publish this nonsense? I can’t imagine a great newspaper airing comparable trash talk about any other group. ‘Asians Really Do Just Copy’ ‘No Wonder Africa’s Such a Mess: It’s Full of Black People!’ Misogyny is the last acceptable prejudice, and nowhere more so than in our nation’s clueless and overwhelmingly white-male-controlled media. I can just picture the edit meeting: This time, let’s get a woman to say women are dumb and silly! If readers raise too big a ruckus, Outlook editor John Pomfret can say it was all ‘tongue in cheek.’ Women are dingbats! Get it? Ha. Ha. Ha. Here’s a thought. Maybe there’s another thing women can do besides fluff up their husbands’ pillows: Fill more important jobs at The Washington Post.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In the latest twist in the ongoing saga over what Democrats can and should do about Florida and Michigan, there’s growing interest in a cheap alternative for a re-vote: “Some prominent Democrats are converging on the prospect of settling the dispute over Florida and Michigan delegates through mail-in voting to re-do those states’ presidential nominating contests. Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, speaking on the Sunday morning talk shows, called mail-in voting — in which every registered Democrat, including those overseas, receives a ballot by mail — ‘a very good process.’ But Dean said it is up to the states and both campaigns to decide how to proceed.”

* Who’d pay for the re-vote primaries? Govs. Jon Corzine (D-N.J.) and Ed Rendell (D-Pa.) announced yesterday that they would be willing to “raise half the $30 million it would take to run new contests in those two states.” Both Corzine and Rendell are major Clinton backers, but are also known as two of the party’s most successful fundraisers.

* This won’t help the “third term” problem: “John McCain is getting much more than President Bush’s endorsement and fundraising help for his campaign. He’s getting Bush’s staff. It’s no secret that Steve Schmidt, Bush’s attack dog in the 2004 election, and Mark McKinnon, the president’s media strategist, are performing similar functions for McCain now. But other big-name Bushies are lining up to boost McCain, too.” Among them are Karl Rove, Ken Mehlman, Dan Bartlett, and Sara Taylor.

* What’s McCain going to do while the Democratic contest continues? Raise a lot of money.

* Talk of Mitt Romney joining the McCain ticket continues to make the rounds. Both Fred Barnes and Bill Kristol have touted the idea in recent days.

* Bob Novak reported that Republicans are worried about a Florida do-over primary: “Republicans fear a revote would be won by Sen. Barack Obama, who they consider a tougher opponent of Sen. John McCain than Clinton.”

* Al Sharpton, meanwhile, is threatening to sue the DNC if Florida’s delegates, chosen during a primary boycotted by the candidates and not sanctioned by the DNC, end up getting seated at the convention.

* Last week, reports out of Canada caused a stir when it appeared Hillary Clinton’s campaign assured Canadian officials that her anti-NAFTA talk was just political posturing. On Friday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office said Clinton “never gave Canada any secret assurances about the future of NAFTA.”

* A new Rasmussen poll shows Obama ahead by 14 points in tomorrow’s Mississippi primary.

* Not only did Puerto Rico change its Democratic contest from a caucus to a primary, but it also moved itself up on the nominating calendar to June 1. While Puerto Rico was expected to be the very last contest, the move means Montana and South Dakota will go last, holding their primaries on June 3.

* Gallup’s daily tracking poll has been all over the place lately — Clinton and Obama have traded national leads four times in three weeks — but the latest shows Obama inching back into the lead.

* And finally, remember the young girl sleeping at the beginning of Clinton’s “3 a.m.” ad? It turns out, the footage was shot eight years ago, and the little girl is now 17-year-old Casey Knowles — an Obama precinct captain in Washington state. Knowles, who’ll turn 18 next month, told CNN, “I think it would be wonderful if Barack Obama and I could get together and do a counter-ad.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) held a press conference this afternoon, acknowledging that he had “acted in way that violates his obligation to his family,” but he did not answer questions and did not comment on his future plans. “I apologize first and most importantly to my family. I apologize to the public, to whom I promised better,” he said, adding, “I am disappointed that I failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself.” There’s no shortage of rumors about possible resignation plans, but nothing confirmed yet. (Spitzer did vow to “report back” in “short order.”)

* A sign of the times: “As one reporter just quipped on the Clinton plane: ‘There goes another superdelegate.’”

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: “A suicide bomber killed five American soldiers on a foot patrol Monday after detonating his explosives vest in central Baghdad, the U.S. military said. It was the deadliest attack on American forces in Iraq since a Jan. 28 roadside bombing and ambush killed five soldiers in Mosul in northern Iraq…. An Iraqi police officer at the scene, speaking on condition of anonymity, said two civilians were also killed and another eight wounded in the attack which occurred outside a computer store.”

* Waxman to the rescue, again: “Because Blackwater had many fewer ‘employees,’ for example, it made out with a number of contracts reserved for so-called small businesses: ‘at least 100 small business set-aside contracts. worth over $144 million, that have been awarded to Blackwater since 2000.’ Waxman wants the IRS, the Small Business Administration, and the Department of Labor to investigate. Blackwater is already the focus of its share of criminal investigations, but it may be that these, if they were to get off the ground, would do the most damage to the company’s bottom line.”

* I remember, eight years ago, when gas was about $32 a barrel and Bush complained that it was evidence of a failed Clinton energy policy: “U.S. average retail gasoline prices have reached a new high of almost $3.20 per gallon and will likely jump another 20 to 30 cents in the next month, worsening the pain of consumers struggling to make ends meet in an economic downturn…. The national average for self-serve regular unleaded gas was nearly $3.20 a gallon on March 7, up about 9.44 cents per gallon in the past two weeks, according to the nationwide Lundberg survey of about 7,000 gas stations. The price has risen 64 cents per gallon in the past 12 months.”

* The single best report ever on the NSA’s domestic surveillance program. Everything you ever wanted to know and more.

* The long-awaited “Phase II” report will likely be a letdown: “After an acrimonious investigation that spanned four years, the Senate Intelligence Committee is preparing to release a detailed critique of the Bush administration’s claims in the buildup to war with Iraq, congressional officials said. The long-delayed document catalogs dozens of prewar assertions by President Bush and other administration officials that proved to be wildly inaccurate about Iraq’s alleged stockpiles of banned weapons and pursuit of nuclear arms. But officials say the report reaches a mixed verdict on the key question of whether the White House misused intelligence to make the case for war.”

* Tucker Carlson’s MSNBC show was officially cancelled this afternoon. Instead of Rachel Maddow, whom I’d hoped would get her own show, the network will replace Carlson with a new program, “Race For The White House with David Gregory.” (As if MSNBC needed to devote more time to the horserace.) The other disappointing angle: Gregory was actually one of the best reporters in the White House press corps, of which he’ll no longer be a part.

* Would someone please tell Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) to quit while he’s behind?

* Unfortunately, I neglected to make fun of Michael O’Hanlon’s NYT piece yesterday on “progress” in Iraq, but Matt Yglesias, John Cole, Ilan Goldenberg, and Spencer Ackerman were on the case.

* Oops: “A British factory worker has shut down a tourism site he owned at the request of the U.S. air force after he received thousands of e-mails sent to his domain that were meant for military personnel — among them e-mails with flight plans for Air Force One, the U.S. presidential plane, as well as passwords and military procedures and tactics, according to the BBC.”

* And finally, while I’m not generally a fan of heckling, it sounds like Karl Rove’s reception at the University of Iowa was pretty lively: “At one point during the speech, Rove reportedly lashed out at some of the students, saying, ‘You got a chance to ask your questions later and make your stupid statements, let me make mine.’ Police also were forced to remove two people after they tried to perform a citizen’s arrest on Rove for what they said were his crimes while a member of the Bush Administration…. Toward the end of the speech a member of the crowd yelled, ‘Can we have our $40,000 back?’ Rove replied, ‘No, you can’t.’”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Barack Obama’s campaign offered a response to the Clinton campaign’s “commander-in-chief test” yesterday, hosting an event in Washington at which former secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force endorsed Obama and said he “has demonstrated the judgment and has the experience to be Commander In Chief.”

* Yesterday, John McCain at least started to distance himself from his indicted campaign co-chairman: McCain “told reporters that indicted Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ) ‘is no longer taking part in his presidential campaign,’ but refused to say whether the congressman had ‘officially stepped down as a campaign co-chair.’” Why on Earth would he refuse to answer that question?

* On Friday afternoon, over the span of a few hours, McCain said “it’s very likely” that America is “in a recession” and argued that he believes “the fundamentals of our economy are still strong.” It seems like an awkward argument.

* Last week probably wasn’t Obama’s best week ever (losses on Tuesday, the Samantha Power flap), but Markos makes the case that as bad weeks go, Obama’s was pretty good. Clinton had a net gain of about four in pledged delegates for the week, while Obama picked up the support of 12 superdelegates to Clinton’s four.

* On a related note, the Wall Street Journal reported on a California blogger who noticed that Clinton’s delegate wins in the Golden State were apparently exaggerated a little: “David Dayen, who blogs at the site Calitics … wrote last week that Sen. Clinton won 203 of the state’s 370 pledged delegates — and not the commonly reported total of 207. He relied on updated vote totals from the state, based on late counts of absentee and provisional ballots. Later, when he noticed that several major news organizations still were showing Sen. Clinton with 207 delegates, he wrote a follow-up post explaining his calculation and exhorting, ‘I know math is hard and everything, but get out your calculators, people.’” A spokesman for the state party confirmed Dayen’s numbers

* In an unexpected move, attorney Mike Ciresi announced yesterday that he is dropping out of Minnesota’s Senate race, clearing the way for Al Franken to take on Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) in November. “In my judgment, continuing the endorsement race would only lead to an unnecessary floor fight. It is time to step aside,” Ciresi said in a statement.

* In 2002, Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor was the only Democratic Senate candidate to win a Republican seat. In 2008, the GOP would surely go after the freshman, right? Wrong — the filing deadline has passed and Pryor will have no Republican opponent this year.

* Republican recruiting efforts suffered another setback yesterday when former South Dakota Lt. Gov. Steve Kirby (R) announced he will not take on Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) this year. “Kirby, who could have self-funded his uphill bid against Johnson, had continually prolonged his decision and faced pre-emptive attacks from national Democrats. Republicans remain without a top-tier candidate in one of their top-targeted races.”

* And finally, it looks like the Obama campaign is going to try to capitalize on (read: exploit) Geraldine Ferraro’s intemperate remarks: “A senior adviser to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign called on Hillary Clinton to ‘repudiate’ a comment by one of her top fundraisers that Barack Obama would not be a major presidential contender if he were not black. ‘I think if Sen. Clinton is serious about putting an end to statements that have racial implications,’ Susan Rice, an Obama foreign policy adviser, told MSNBC Tuesday, ‘…then she ought to repudiate this comment.’”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Spitzer-Watch 2007 will continue on at least until tomorrow: “Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who has spent much of the day considering his options following allegations that he was linked to a high-priced prostitution ring, will not resign his office on Tuesday, according to a person involved in discussions with the governor.”

* There’s at least some indication that Spitzer is wondering if he can wait to see if the storm blows over: “‘He has not made up his mind,’ a senior adviser to Mr. Spitzer, Lloyd Constantine, said. ‘It is more correct to say that he is not resigning.’”

* For his part, Lieutenant Governor David Paterson hasn’t talked to Spitzer since yesterday and has no idea what’s going to happen: “Asked whether preparations for a transition were underway, the lieutenant governor said: ‘No one has talked to me about his resignation and no one has talked to me about a transition.’”

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: “A roadside bomb hit a bus traveling in southern Iraq on Tuesday, killing at least 16 civilians, while other violence killed at least 26 people around Iraq, police said. The U.S. military reported three American soldiers killed Monday by a roadside bomb north of Baghdad, bringing to eight the number of troops who died that day. It was the deadliest day for American forces in Iraq since Sept. 10, when 10 troops died. At least 22 other people were wounded in the attack on the bus traveling from Najaf to Basra, a policeman said on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to release the information.”

* Bloodshed in Pakistan: “The spread of terrorism across Pakistan from its wild tribal regions to the cultural capital of Lahore on Tuesday adds to the pressure for a reconsideration of its U.S.-allied president’s approach to countering al-Qaida and the Taliban as its new government prepares to take office…. At least 24 people died Tuesday and more than 200 were injured when bombers in explosives-laden vehicles devastated a police headquarters and a business near a house belonging to Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.”

* Waxman is still all over the EPA. Good.

* Dick Cheney will leave Sunday for a diplomatic trip to the Middle East. Bush said yesterday that Cheney would “reassure people that the United States is committed to a vision of peace in the Middle East.” Cheney the diplomat? Why does this seem like a bad idea?

* I had a hunch this might happen: “The Kansas Supreme Court today declared the state’s funeral picketing ban invalid, citing legislative legal maneuvering as the reason. The decision nullifies the law passed by the Legislature last year – and not yet implemented – designed to rein in a Topeka church that protests the funerals of fallen soldiers and others across the country. Fearing the church could win a legal challenge against the law, lawmakers inserted a so-called ‘trigger’ provision designed to test the law’s validity before it could be implemented.”

* Murdoch visits his newsroom: “In his first visit to the Wall Street Journal’s D.C. bureau, Rupert Murdoch told staffers Friday that he would put more resources into Washington coverage and take on the New York Times, while reassuring them that he is not a ‘conservative’ pushing an agenda in the news pages.” No, of course not. Why would anyone ever think that?

* Hoping to prevent the next Ashcroft-based controversy: “The Justice Department announced guidelines Monday to prevent the sort of conflict-of-interest accusations that followed its decision to steer a private contract worth tens of millions of dollars to former Attorney General John Ashcroft to monitor a large out-of-court settlement… Until now, the Justice Department has allowed individual federal prosecutors who do not work in Washington to select outside lawyers to monitor out-of-court settlements involving large companies, with the companies paying the monitors’ fees. Under the new guidelines, the monitors must now be chosen by a committee and approved in Washington by the office of the deputy attorney general, the department’s No. 2 official.”

* Cheney may not be quite as popular with the troops as he thinks he is.

* Reuters: “Only 22 percent of people responding to the poll said they read blogs regularly, meaning several times a month or more, according to the survey conducted by Harris Interactive.” Only? I have some serious doubts about the reliability of the poll, but if more than one in five Americans are reading blogs, isn’t that a lot?

* And finally, John McCain’s website lists high-profile supporters of the campaign, including “Former President George W. Bush.” It’s an amusing gaffe — and a pleasant thought.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A relative consensus was beginning to emerge in Florida, with state Dems embracing the idea of a do-over primary — which would count — held by mail. Sen. Bill Nelson, Florida’s top ranking Democrat, was behind the idea, and officials just needed to work out the details. The plan hit a snag yesterday, however, when Florida’s House Democrats issued a statement: “Our House delegation is opposed to a mail-in campaign or any redo of any kind.” Oh my.

* Mitt Romney, currently unemployed, indicated last night that he’d love to be John McCain’s running mate. “I think any Republican leader in this country would be honored to be asked to serve as the vice presidential nominee, myself included,” Romney said on Fox News Channel. If only McCain didn’t seem to hate Romney so much…

* The primary is still six weeks away, but Hillary Clinton goes into Pennsylvania with a sizable lead over Barack Obama. A SurveyUSA poll released yesterday showed Clinton with a whopping 19-point lead, 55% to 36%.

* I’m not sure what to make of this: “Sen. John McCain’s election planners are preparing to unveil a radically decentralized campaign structure over the next few months. Instead of funneling authority through a few central figures at campaign headquarters in Arlington, VA, plans call for it to be dispersed to up to ten ‘regional campaign managers’ — spread at satellite campaign offices throughout the country.”

* Oddly enough, they’re still counting votes from Texas’ caucuses, but it appears that Obama has won easily, and will claim more Texas delegates that Clinton, despite her having won the state’s primary.

* House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been consistently neutral between Clinton and Obama, but yesterday she appeared to tip her hand, just a little, when commenting on the likelihood (or lack thereof) of the two Dems running on the same ticket: ‘I think that the Clinton [campaign] has fairly ruled that out by proclaiming that Senator McCain would be a better commander-in-Chief than Obama,’ she said. She spoke bluntly about her view that a joint ticket was not in the cards, she said, because ‘I wanted to be sure I didn’t leave any ambiguity.’”

* Clinton adviser Harold Ickes said Obama is doing well in states that Dems are likely to contest in November, including North Carolina. Obama campaign manager David Plouffe used the Ickes quote to emphasize the electability argument. “Amazingly, they said that the Democratic nominee could not carry the Carolinas,” Plouffe said. “We think that speaks to their weakness in the general election. We think we can win the state of North Carolina. Clinton has already waved the white flag [there]. North Carolina will be a central battleground if Obama is our nominee.”

* And speaking of North Carolina, SUSA has Obama leading Clinton by eight, 49% to 41%.

* Andre Carson won a special election in Indiana’s 7th congressional district yesterday, and will replace his grandmother, Julia Carson, who died of cancer in December. Carson, 33, was a member of Indianapolis City Council. Carson becomes the second Muslim to ever get elected to Congress, though he describes himself as an “Orthodox, universal, secular Muslim.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Oh my: “Merrill Lynch economist David Rosenberg, one of the most bearish Wall Street economists, says to look past the 1990-91 recession as a guide to the current downturn. The key difference: the depth of home-price declines…. The mid-1970s recession ‘not only saw a sharp and sustained rise in food and energy prices, as is the case today, but also saw a very similar consumer balance sheet squeeze from a simultaneous deflation in residential real estate and equity assets, which never happened in the 2001 recession, the 1990-91 recession or the recessions of the early 1980s for that matter,’ he writes. ‘The last time we had more than one quarter of outright contraction in the value of both asset classes on the household balance sheet was in the 1973-75 recession.’”

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: “A U.S. military spokesman said three American soldiers were killed in a rocket attack on their combat outpost south of Baghdad on Wednesday. The deaths bring to 12 the number of U.S. troops killed in three days…. Two other American soldiers were injured in the rocket attack. Eight American soldiers died in separate attacks on Monday and one was killed Tuesday.”

* I remember, in 2000, when Bush talked all the time about the importance of a balanced budget: “The Treasury Department says the federal deficit swelled to $263.3 billion in the first five months of this budget year as record spending during the period outpaced record revenues. The department’s latest snapshot of the government’s balance sheets, released Wednesday, shows that the deficit for the budget year that began Oct. 1 was up a whopping 62 percent from the red ink of $162.2 billion for the corresponding five-month period last year. The latest year-to-date budget deficit of $263.3 billion was an all-time high, the government said.”

* A major step on ethics reform: “The House voted Tuesday night to impose a new layer of outside ethics scrutiny on itself after two weeks of open rancor on both sides of the aisle and more than a year of wrangling over the proposal. The final 229 to 182 vote was preceded by plenty of fireworks, despite the comfortable margin. Democratic leaders first had to overcome a procedural hurdle that threatened to kill the measure. They also held the vote open for 15 minutes while leaders pressed several Democratic members to change their no votes to yes.” (Let me just mention, for the record, that I abhor keeping votes open like this.)

* Speaking of the House, lawmakers tried to override Bush’s veto of the intelligence authorization bill (over torture and use of the Army Field Manual in interrogations). It didn’t even come close — Dems came about 60 votes shy of a two-thirds majority.

* When it comes to domestic NSA dragnets, I think the ACLU is onto something.

* What an awful story: “Mehdi Kazemi, a gay Iranian teenager fighting to stay in Europe after his boyfriend was reportedly executed in Iran, has lost a plea for asylum in the Netherlands and will be sent back to Britain, where he could face deportation to Iran, the teen’s uncle told ABC News…. Kazemi, 19, came to Britain to study in 2005. He has said he intended to return to his country until he learned that his boyfriend in Tehran, whom he had been dating secretly since he was 15 years old, had been arrested for sodomy and hanged, according to Kazemi’s lawyer.” Kazemi believes he will be executed upon his return, but a British court denied Kazemi’s request in 2006 on the grounds that Iran does not systematically persecute homosexuals (a conclusion disputed by human rights organizations).

* I’m glad CREW is still on the case: “It’s the burning question of the Bush Administration: malfeasance or incompetence? Did the White House just lose an untold number of emails because of their “primitive” archiving setup? Or is there something worse at play — something criminal? CREW, which has been pursuing a lawsuit over the lost emails, wants to know. And today the group wrote FBI Director Robert Mueller to request that he investigate whether White House officials deleted emails relevant to the Valerie Plame investigation.”

* Keith Olbermann is slated to do another “special comment” tonight, and for the first time, the target of his ire will be a Democrat.

* Really? “Be careful who you frag. Having eliminated all terrorism in the real world, the U.S. intelligence community is working to develop software that will detect violent extremists infiltrating World of Warcraft and other massive multiplayer games, according to a data-mining report from the Director of National Intelligence.”

* What do you know, the EPA’s political leadership has overruled its professional staff again: “The Environmental Protection Agency has decided to lower the allowable amount of smog-forming ozone in the air to 75 parts per billion, a level significantly higher than what the agency’s scientific advisers urged for this key component of unhealthy air pollution, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post.”

* And finally, former U.S. attorney Kendall Coffey appeared on CNN yesterday to discuss Eliot Spitzer’s sex scandal. Coffey, of course, is best known for having been forced to resign for “allegedly biting a stripper.” CNN later conceded that Coffey was “probably not the right one for this story.” No, probably not.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new WSJ/NBC poll found that registered voters, by a 13-point margin (50% to 37%) say they would prefer a Democrat to be elected president in November. That’s the good news. The less good news is that when actual names are added to the mix, Obama leads McCain by three (47% to 44%), while Clinton leads McCain by two (47% to 45%).

* Presumably in response to Clinton challenging him on his credentials to be commander in chief, Obama hosted an event in Chicago yesterday at which he was flanked by 10 former generals and admirals who are supporting his campaign. Asked about Clinton’s questions about his readiness, Obama said, “Here’s the one good thing about it: This issue would have come up in the general election anyway. So, we might as well surface it now. I didn’t expect Democrats to be making these arguments against fellow Democrats. They typically come from Republicans against Democrats.”

* The AFL-CIO will apparently make every effort to dog John McCain for the next several months: “The AFL-CIO said Wednesday it will have union protesters follow GOP presidential nominee-in-waiting John McCain around the country to demand explanations on his positions on economic and labor issues…. In addition to the protests, the nation’s largest labor federation also plans to devote part of its record-setting $53.4 million grass-roots mobilization campaign funds to criticizing McCain through workplace leafletting, volunteer door-knocking, telephone calls, e-mail, direct mailings and an anti-McCain Web site.”

* The latest from Florida: “Florida’s Democratic Party has proposed a combination mail-in vote and in-person election on June 3. ‘The plan would be inclusive of all Democratic voters,’ according to a memo of the draft plan obtained by CNN that was sent to party leaders…. The estimated cost of the proposal would be between $10 million and $12 million, according to the memo which was sent to party leaders Wednesday night.”

* Obama talked to Al Gore last week. This seems to have excited campaign reporters, but we probably shouldn’t read too much into it.

* The latest from Michigan: “A proposal now being considered for the Michigan primary is that the mulligan primary would be an otherwise normal, state-run contest, but with the state Democratic Party reimbursing the state for roughly $10 million needed to run it. This idea had previously been viewed as unfeasible, but the Detroit Free Press says it was given new life when Govs. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and Ed Rendell (D-PA), both Hillary Clinton supporters, offered to help raise the money for new contests in Florida and Michigan.”

* The McCain campaign seems a little worried about what its supporters might say and do next: “After being forced to respond to three separate incidents in recent weeks of conservatives alluding to Barack Obama’s middle name, John McCain’s campaign manager today sent a memo to top supporters urging them to stick to the campaign’s preferred message — and to avoid taking gratuitous shots at their Democratic rivals.”

* In case there were any doubts about who enters Pennsylvania as the favorite, a new poll from Strategic Vision, a Republican firm, shows Clinton leading Obama by 18 points, 56% to 38%. In a general-election match-up, Strategic Vision shows McCain beating both Dems, though Obama fares slightly better than Clinton.

* TNR has an interesting item showing that Republican voters were very helpful to Clinton in Ohio. She almost certainly would have won the state without GOP voters, but by a smaller margin.

* And Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), who’s uncommitted, wrote a letter to Clinton and Obama yesterday: “While you trade barbs, McCain is uniting the Republican Party around his thinly disguised right wing agenda. In the next six weeks, McCain can sit back, amass his war chest, concentrate his base and delight as you deconstruct each other.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: “An explosion killed at least 11 people and wounded dozens on Thursday after a car bomb detonated in a commercial district of central Baghdad, adding to a recent upsurge in Iraq’s violence. Explosives in the parked car went off just outside the heavily fortified Green Zone. It’s the latest in a string of attacks after several months of relative calm linked to last year’s U.S. security buildup. Also on Thursday, Iraqi police and a morgue official said that the body of Chaldean Catholic Archbishop kidnapped last month was found just outside the northern city where he was abducted.”

* Well, this ought to be interesting: “The House will go into a rare closed session Thursday night to debate a controversial electronic surveillance legislation. It is the first closed session in the House since 1983 and only the fifth in congressional history. House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) plans to offer a motion on the issue as soon as the House finishes work on the budget. During the session, the chamber will discuss an update to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that has been stalled in Congress for months over the issue of granting immunity to telecom companies who aided the government in the wake of the Sept. 11. Following the closed session, the House will debate their version of the FISA bill, which does not include immunity.”

* On a related note, Bush launched into a spectacularly misleading harangue this morning about FISA and telecom immunity. Shortly thereafter, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi came just short of telling people that Bush is lying: “The president is wrong and he knows it.” (I think she’s right, but we shouldn’t rule out the possibility that the president is wrong and has no idea what he’s talking about.)

* Another one for the list: “The FBI continued to improperly obtain private telephone, e-mail and financial records five years after it was granted expanded powers under the USA Patriot Act, according to a report issued today.”

* Buckle up: “The U.S. has finally slid into recession, according to the majority of economists in the latest Wall Street Journal economic-forecasting survey, a view that was reinforced by new data showing a sharp drop in retail sales last month. ‘The evidence is now beyond a reasonable doubt,’ said Scott Anderson of Wells Fargo & Co., who was among the 71% of 51 respondents to say that the economy is now in a recession.”

* Metzenbaum was a first-class mensch: “Howard M. Metzenbaum, the populist Democratic multimillionaire who represented Ohio in the U.S. Senate for 19 years, died yesterday at his home in Florida. No cause was given. He was 90.”

* Are lobbyists for Washington newspapers trying to screw over bloggers? It sure looks like it.

* There was quite a bit of talk this afternoon that a plan for a re-vote in Florida was making progress, but it hit some pretty serious snags as the day progressed.
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/03/florida_revote_plan_in_trouble.php

* I can’t wait for the explanation on this one: “When Justice Department lawyers proposed adding a new rule that would require U.S. contractors to report waste, fraud or abuse they encounter while doing work for the government, they intended it to apply to all of the $350 billion in government contracts each year. But in a twist that has evolved into a Capitol Hill mystery, the proposed rule that the White House’s Office of Management and Budget published late last year includes language that would exempt from such reporting all U.S. contractors who do work overseas. There have been more than $100 billion in such contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past five years.”

* The three most widely read political bloggers among the “liberal” media are Andrew Sullivan, Glenn Reynolds, and Mickey Kaus. Hmm.

* Amusing: “Lou Dobbs claimed on his radio show that ‘illegal immigration’ is among ‘the top three issues for American voters in both political parties.’” That isn’t even close to being true.

* Have I mentioned lately how much I love pro-forma sessions?

* Bush, yesterday: “I think when people take a look back at this moment in our economic history, they’ll recognize tax cuts work.” He sure is a funny one.

* Speaking of comedy, Karl Rove said he learned a lot from Bush, including lessons about “trust and honesty and straightforwardness.” There’s something deeply wrong with these people.

* And finally, New York Lt. Gov. David Paterson, who will take over for Eliot Spitzer on Monday, held a press conference today, reassuring the public about the smooth transition. One gutsy reporter asked, “Just so we don’t have to go through this whole resignation thing again, have you ever patronized a prostitute?” Paterson thought for a minute and said, “Only the lobbyists.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Won’t someone please stop the madness: “Two more Democratic presidential debates were announced on Thursday, the first to take place in Philadelphia on April 16, and the second in North Carolina on April 19. ABC News will host the first debate, to take place in advance of the Pennsylvania primary on April 22. The North Carolina debate will be hosted by CBS News and moderated by Katie Couric and Bob Schieffer. Both Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama immediately released statements saying that they would accept the invitations to appear in Philadelphia. Senator Obama also accepted CBS’s invitation.”

* Close to a deal on a Michigan re-vote? “The Obama campaign’s Michigan co-chair says that all the momentum right now in private negotiations between Michigan Dems is behind the option of having a redo primary in the state, suggesting that an agreement on a redo is likely.” Word may come later today; I’ll let you know what happens.

* The Obama campaign seems anxious to make disclosure and transparency an important part of the debate, and released a list of every earmark request he’s made since becoming a U.S. senator. “Bringing real change requires changing the way we do business in Washington,” Obama Communications Director Robert Gibbs said. “If Senator Clinton will not agree to join Senator Obama in releasing her earmark requests, voters should ask why she doesn’t believe they have the right to know she wants to spend their tax dollars.” The Clinton campaign, which has also not released the candidate’s tax returns, did not respond to the earmark challenge.

* House Speaker Nancy Pelosi continues to throw water on an Obama-Clinton (or Clinton-Obama) ticket: “I do think we will have a dream team, it just won’t be those two names,” She said. “Whoever our nominee is and whoever he or she is and whoever he or she chooses, will be a dream team as the Democrats go forward.”

* At least he won’t be surprised: “A resigned National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman John Ensign (Nev.) said this week that goal [of reclaiming the majority] is a ‘very long stretch’ at this point, and he conceded that recruitment failures and an unhelpful Senate GOP conference have hindered his efforts in what was already a perilous cycle.”

* MoveOn has a new video contest: “Who needs Samantha Power when you’ve got Eddie Vedder, Ben Affleck and Moby? Those three are just a few of the cast of celebrities the liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org assembled as a panel of judges for their new ‘Obama in 30 Seconds’ competition. The contest, reminiscent of MoveOn’s 2004 anti-Bush ad contest, asks amateur and professional filmmakers to submit pro-Barack Obama campaign advertisements in the hopes of receiving a $20,000 gift certificate and having their ad aired nationally. MoveOn endorsed Obama in February.”

* Obama was asked about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s “God Damn America” comment by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He responded, “Obviously, I disagree with that. Here is what happens when you just cherry-pick statements from a guy who had a 40-year career as a pastor. There are times when people say things that are just wrong. But I think it’s important to judge me on what I’ve said in the past and what I believe.”

* We may have Mitt Romney to kick around some more. Even if he doesn’t make the GOP ticket (I’d bet he doesn’t), Romney “intends to establish a new political action committee to help elect Republican candidates.” Eric Fehnrstrom, Romney’s long-time aide, said, “We’re thinking about what new entity can be created to allow Governor Romney to remain politically active so he can raise money and campaign for Republicans, and advocate for the issues he cares about.” In other words, Romney’s thinking about 2012.

* AP: “Representative Robert E. Cramer, a nine-term Democrat from Alabama, said he would not run for re-election in November. The announcement leaves little time for campaigning before the state’s June 3 party primaries and opens up a competitive district that Republicans have long eyed. Mr. Cramer, 60, of Huntsville, said he believed this was ‘a good time for me to step aside.’”

* And finally, former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura (I) is apparently mulling over a possible independent presidential campaign this year. In the opening of his upcoming book, the former wrestler writes, “As I begin to write this book, I’m facing probably the most monumental decision of my 56 years on this planet. Will I run for president of the United States, as an independent, in 2008? Or will I stay as far away from the fray as possible, in a place with no electricity, on a remote beach in Mexico?”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The latest on Florida’s delegates: “Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) is floating a new compromise idea for seating delegates from Florida: That the result of the January rogue primary be accepted as is, but that the overall delegate allotment be cut in half, as the Republican National Committee originally did to their unauthorized primaries. If such an idea were accepted — a big ‘if’ — then Hillary Clinton’s hypothetical delegate margin from Florida would be reduced form +38 to +19. In exchange, the candidates would haven’t to go to the trouble of running in a whole new primary contest or being in the position of throwing out Florida entirely.”

* Probably the first of several major bailouts: “Bear Stearns, one of the nation’s biggest and most prominent investment banks, stunned Wall Street Friday by announcing it had turned to a rival bank and the federal government for an emergency bailout. The surprise, last-ditch rescue effort, announced just before the stock market opened, is the latest troubling sign of how a cascading credit crisis is threatening the liquidity of even Wall Street’s most established firms.”

* I’m waiting to see the fine print on this deal: “Senate Democrats and the White House reached a deal early Friday morning on moving a host of President Bush’s nominees, according to Democratic and White House officials. In exchange for Bush’s help in moving five Democratic nominees to federal agencies and boards, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) agreed to act on 40 Republican nominees, a Democratic leadership aide said…. Despite the agreement, Democrats did not win assurances that Bush would not install some controversial nominees during the Senate’s recess, including Steven Bradbury to head the Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department.”

* I had no idea the guy who started the Weather Channel was so far out there: “The founder of the Weather Channel wants to sue Al Gore for fraud, hoping a legal debate will settle the global-warming debate once and for all. John Coleman, who founded the cable network in 1982, suggests suing for fraud proponents of global warming, including Al Gore, and companies that sell carbon credits. ‘Is he committing financial fraud? That is the question,’ Coleman said.”

* That’s trillion, with a “t”: “The government’s debt limit would be raised to $10.2 trillion under a budget plan for next year approved by the U.S. House of Representatives. The House’s fiscal 2009 budget, which passed on Thursday, would increase U.S. borrowing authority by $385 billion from the current limit of $9.815 trillion, according to the House Budget Committee.”

* What do you know, the Spitzer scandal can get worse: “Federal prosecutors are investigating whether Gov. Eliot Spitzer used campaign funds in connection with his meetings with prostitutes, including payments for hotels or ground transportation, three people with knowledge of the investigation said…. The governor’s lawyers have begun consulting with a campaign finance expert who has long worked for Mr. Spitzer’s political organization to see whether campaign money was spent on the trips, including some as recently as last month, a person briefed on the investigation said.”

* For some reason, the McCain campaign really doesn’t want to talk about “spiritual guide” Rod Parsley. Go figure.

* The White House’s arguments for bypassing Congress on a treaty with Iraq — in violation of Article II of the Constitution — are getting sillier all the time.

* Hans von Spakovsky sure is shameless. He’s teamed up with the Heritage Foundation to write a book called “Stolen Identities, Stolen Votes: A Case Study in Voter Impersonation.” Paul Kiel noted, “In it, Spakovsky takes on those liberal critics who claim that there’s no voter fraud by unearthing a 1984 grand jury investigation in Brooklyn, NY during which, he says, numerous episodes of voter fraud dating back to 1968 were uncovered. Just because the case was 24 years ago and no indictments were issued shouldn’t give us pause.” No, of course not.

* This guy was doomed: “It never did look very good for Richard “Dickie” Scruggs, the well-known plaintiffs attorney, Dem fundraiser, and brother-in-law to ex-Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS). If you got associates rattling on about knowing where the bodies are buried on a wiretapped conversation, then it’s generally safe to say that you’ve got problems. And so Scruggs, who was indicted last November, has gone down easy for his ‘boneheaded bribery scam’ to bribe a judge.”

* Speaking of dumb: “One of the country’s top federal judges has been linked to an investigation of a Denver-based prostitution ring, according to federal officials. Edward Nottingham, the chief federal judge in Denver, Colo., was “implicated as a customer” in an ongoing IRS and Denver police investigation of an alleged prostitution operation called Denver Sugar/Denver Players, according to officials.”

* And finally, this weekend is the fifth anniversary of this Dick Cheney classic: “I think things have gotten so bad inside Iraq, from the standpoint of the Iraqi people, my belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators.” Is this a bad time to note that McCain agreed with him?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Campaigning in Indiana over the weekend, Barack Obama continued to respond to the controversy surrounding his former pastor. The NYT noted that Obama implored an Indiana audience to set aside racial divisions and heed the words that Robert F. Kennedy delivered not far from here the night the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. “I will not allow us to lose this moment where we cannot forget about our past and not ignore the very real forces of racial inequality and gender inequality and the other things that divide us,” he said. “When people say things like what my former pastor said, you have to speak our forcefully against them, but what you have to also do is to remember what Bobby Kennedy said that it is within our power to join together to truly make a United States of America.”

* On a related note, apparently aware of the seriousness of the Jeremiah Wright controversy, the Obama campaign also released a web video on the subject over the weekend.

* There are rumors that the Clinton campaign may go to court to challenge the results of the Texas caucuses: “As final results from the Texas Democratic caucus remain unknown, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign wants signatures from the March 4 contest verified before party conventions are held around the state later this month. In a letter sent to the state Democratic Party late Friday, the Clinton campaign requests the March 29 count and state Senate district conventions be postponed until the eligibility of an estimated 1 million caucus-goers are double checked.”

* Superdelegates are starting to commit in larger numbers: “The number of undecided superdelegates has fallen in recent weeks as both candidates have picked up support — Barack Obama more so than Hillary Rodham Clinton, according to a survey by The New York Times and CBS News. Mr. Obama has gained the support of about 60 superdelegates in the last month while Mrs. Clinton added more than half as many. Still, just under half of the total 795 Democratic party leaders who will cast votes at the convention have not expressed a preference for either candidate.”

* House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sounds as if she’s leaning in Obama’s direction, telling ABC News yesterday that it would be “harmful” to the party if superdelegates were to give the Dems’ nomination to a candidate who is trailing in pledged delegates. One assumes Pelosi realizes that Obama will almost certainly go to the convention with more pledged delegates.

* Speaking of Pelosi, this is important: “House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has endorsed three Miami congressional candidates after two House Democrats from South Florida refused to participate in their campaigns because of their friendships with the Republican incumbents. In letters, Pelosi and four other top House Democrats congratulate each of the challengers for a ’strong start” and say they look forward to helping each ‘become our newest Democratic partner for change in Washington.” The letters came after Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Kendrick Meek said they wouldn’t actively campaign for their fellow Democrats because of they didn’t want to risk their personal and professional ties to Republican Reps. Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.”

* A do-over vote in Michigan is looking more likely; a do-over vote in Florida is looking less likely.

* In a quote I’m sure she’d like to take back now, Hillary Clinton said this during a radio interview a couple of months ago about the Michigan contest: “It’s clear. This election they’re having is not going to count for anything.”

* Obama got a boost in Oregon with support from the state’s AFSCME organization.

* Pro-Clinton bloggers are apparently organizing some kind of DailyKos boycott. “This is a strike - a walkout over unfair writing conditions at DailyKos. It does not mean that if conditions get better I won’t ‘work’ at DailyKos again,” diarist Alegre wrote, promising to come back only “if we ever get to the point where we’re engaging each other in discussion rather than facing off in shouting matches.” The “unfair writing conditions” reportedly include comments threads with significant Clinton criticism. (Markos said he thought the move is “great,” adding, “It’s a big Internet, so I hope they find what they’re looking for.”)

* Sen. Norm Coleman (R) is looking surprisingly strong against Al Franken (D) in Minnesota’s Senate race, at least according to SurveyUSA.

* And Rep. Don Young’s (R-Alaska) future just got a little more challenging, thanks to a primary challenge he’ll face from Alaska Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell (R).

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Would you believe the Dow Jones finished up today? “Wall Street ended a temperamental session widely mixed Monday after investors grappled with JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s government-backed buyout of the stricken investment bank Bear Stearns & Co. The Dow Jones industrials recovered from an initial drop of nearly 200 points to finish up about 21 points.”

* Congrats to Gov. Paterson: “David Paterson was sworn in as New York’s governor on Monday, becoming the state’s first black chief executive and vowing to move past the prostitution scandal that has rocked the state Capitol.” Apparently, Paterson is quite a cut-up: “Paterson drew howls from the audience when he poked fun at his disability and deadpanned that he would accept an invitation to dinner with the state’s top Republican, Sen. Joseph Bruno, only if his ‘taster’ could come along.” (Bruno is next in line to be the state’s chief executive.)

* Notice the contrast: “Vice President Dick Cheney made a surprise visit to Baghdad on Monday and credited Iraqi leaders and a massive U.S. troop build-up with security improvements he described as ‘phenomenal’ after meetings with U.S. military commanders and Iraqi politicians.
But violence continued against civilians. At sunset Monday, a female suicide bomber killed at least 36 people and injured more than 40 when she blew herself up among Iranian pilgrims just outside a crowded Shiite Muslim shrine in the southern holy city of Karbala.”

* Oh my: “Bear Stearns Cos Inc Chairman Jimmy Cayne was playing cards in a tournament late last week while his company’s future appeared to be at risk, according a published report.”

* We’re getting closer to a June 3rd Michigan re-do primary.

* Post of the Day, Part I: “[T]his is the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, and the Fed, with the best will in the world, probably lacks the tools to deal with it. Broader action is necessary. But then comes the question: who ya gonna call? The Gang That Couldn’t think Straight still holds the White House; no good ideas will come from that quarter. Worse, Incurious George would probably veto any sensible plan from Congress, even if said plan could get past a filibuster. Hey, here’s an idea! Let’s create a nonpartisan expert commission, headed by Alan Gr …. oh, wait. He’s part of the problem.”

* Post of the Day, Part II: “It’s too bad we didn’t invest one-third of the Social Security system in the market.”

* One of the Bush administration’s most tragic errors in Iraq was disbanding the Iraqi military. Nearly five years later, no one wants to take responsibility for the decision. Imagine that.

* Here’s an interesting primer on the Bear Stearns fiasco.

* On a related note, you’ll really want to take a moment to read this report: “An awful lot of normal finger wagging about the hazards of bailing out those who make bad decisions from their consequences melted away in the face of Paulson’s primary concern — the health of Wall Street investment banks amid the greatest credit crisis since the Great Depression.”

* Clinton vs. Sinbad.

* This is just stunning: “Teenage girls and their parents need to read the latest government study of sexually transmitted diseases. The infections are so prevalent they are hard to avoid once a girl becomes sexually active. One in four girls ages 14 to 19 is infected with at least one of four common diseases. Among African-American girls in the study, almost half were infected.”

* For goodness sakes: “You’ll be happy to know that the Los Angeles US Attorney’s office, where the (endlessly) on-going investigation into Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA) is being handled, has decided to shut down its public corruption unit. That topic was getting a bit too much attention.”

* Markos has responded in more detail about the pro-Clinton boycott of DailyKos.

* No one reads newspapers anymore? Actually, newspaper readership is up — online.

* Slate’s new legal blog, Convictions, looks good. And Philip Carter is the editor, and since he’s terrific, I have high hopes for the site.

* This may prove to be interesting: “The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed the guilty verdict in the criminal insider trading case of former Qwest CEO Joe Nacchio and ordered a new trial before a different judge.”

* On Saturday, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), quite possibly the House’s nuttiest member, told a Republican audience over the weekend that the U.S. is accomplishing great things in Iraq, in part because, “God has not abandoned us.” Good to know.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Barack Obama’s speech in Philadelphia on race just wrapped up, and I’ll have a report shortly. Here’s the prepared text, which was similar, but not identical, to the delivered speech.

* Interesting development after Hillary Clinton’s speech on Iraq policy yesterday: “Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is sticking to her plan to withdraw troops from Iraq, no matter what. In a testy exchange with a reporter on a conference call Monday, after Clinton delivered a speech about Iraq, top Clinton advisors went to pains to make plain that there would be no room for adjustment in Clinton’s Iraq plans, no matter what happens on the ground. At one point her communications director boiled it down to a one-word answer. Would she stand by her plan? Yes.”

* Good: “A coalition of liberal groups will coordinate $350 million worth of efforts to mobilize voters and advocate for candidates for the general election, its leaders are expected to announce Tuesday. They are billing it as the largest such effort ever across the liberal spectrum. MoveOn.org, labor groups like the A.F.L.-C.I.O. and Change to Win, and other organizations like Acorn, Women’s Voices Women Vote and the National Council of La Raza will be taking part in the effort for the presidential election and House and Senate races.”

* The Clinton campaign asked the Texas Democratic Party to delay their district conventions, the second step in the caucus process. Yesterday, the state party rejected the request (and even seemed to mock the campaign for asking).

* Lots of new polls out over the last 24 hours. CNN has Obama and Clinton leading McCain nationally by similar margins, Gallup’s tracking poll shows Clinton edging Obama by two among Dems nationally, and CNN shows Obama besting Clinton by seven among Dems nationally.

* A new Quinnipiac poll shows Clinton leading Obama in Pennsylvania by 12, 53% to 41%. CNN noted, “Clinton’s widest gains in the state are among white voters, who now back her over Obama by a margin of 28 points. That compares to a 19-point gap in the late February poll.”

* Bill Clinton re-entered the fray over controversial remarks he made in January. “What happened there is a total myth and a mugging,” Clinton told CNN. He said that Charlie Rangel has argued that the Clinton campaign didn’t play the race card, but “that had some played against us.”

* Americans United for Change released a very clever video yesterday showing Bush and McCain talking about the economy with literally the exact same words and phrases.

* McCain’s war cabinet is hardly encouraging.

* We’ve long been under the impression that the first Democratic candidate to reach 2,025 delegates get the nomination. But as CNN noted, the so-called “magic number,” is “a constantly moving target.”

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* The band-aid: “The Federal Reserve slashed a key interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point Tuesday, in the central bank’s continued effort to restore confidence in the economy and battered financial markets. Although some experts cautioned that the cut may lead to more inflation, stocks soared as Wall Street cheered the news. The Fed cut its federal funds rate, an overnight bank lending rate, to 2.25%. It is the sixth cut in the past six months and comes at a time when the Fed is trying to keep the economy from slipping into recession - although many think it’s already entered one.”

* Uh oh: “The thickest, oldest and toughest sea ice around the North Pole is melting, a bad sign for the future of the Arctic ice cap, NASA satellite data showed on Tuesday.”

* The likelihood of a re-vote in Michigan is looking kind of shaky, but some in-state Dems are suggesting it probably wouldn’t matter: “One of Hillary’s most important supporters in Michigan, former Governor Jim Blanchard, went way off message in a conversation with me moments ago, saying that even if a revote were held in the state, it would likely be so close that it wouldn’t make much of a material difference in the delegate count. ‘I think if we had a vote in Michigan, it could easily be close,’ Blanchard told me. ‘The amount of delegates wouldn’t make much difference.’”

* I’ve neglected to mention developments in Tibet: “The Dalai Lama said on Tuesday he would step down as head of Tibet’s government-in-exile if that would stop bloodshed in his homeland, but China repeated its charge that he was the mastermind of a violent uprising. His officials, based in the Indian Himalayan foothills, said they believed 99 people had died in clashes between Chinese security forces and Tibetans over the past week, including 19 on Tuesday alone. Chinese state-run media said more than 100 people had given themselves up to police after taking part in Tibet’s most intense unrest against Chinese rule for nearly two decades.”

* Do you get the sense that Bear Stearns’ employees will soon be in the same boat as Enron’s?

* On a related note, USA Today had a good primer on the Bear Stearns collapse. Question #1: “What is an investment bank, and why should I care what happens to one?”

* I think we can guess how the case is going to be decided, but this debate at the high court is fascinating.

* I’m going to guess the Obama campaign wants more quotes like this one, as published by McClatchy: “I’ve never heard anybody give a speech like that, ever. It transcends John F. Kennedy’s speech on his faith and his politics,” said G. Terry Madonna, director for the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Pennsylvania’s Franklin & Marshall College. “I think his candidacy was in serious, serious trouble. I think that this speech saved his campaign.”

* The disbanding of the public integrity unit in the U.S. Attorney for Los Angeles’ office really is absurd.

* The EPA library system is the latest agency decimated by hacks.

* British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will hold a formal inquiry on the lessons to be learned from the war in Iraq “at some point.” Do we get one, too?

* Hey look, Fox News is lying about Obama’s church. Who would have guessed?

* The reporters covering Iraq for the newspaper chain formerly known as Knight Ridder really do deserve greater recognition.

* Classic: “U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn, told the editorial board of The Advocate and Greenwich Time he’s supporting Republican John McCain for president because he’s the most likely to bring about change in Washington.” The 72-year-old senator who’s been in Congress for a quarter-century and agrees with Bush on practically all of the major issues is “most likely to bring about change”? Seriously?

* And finally, the problem with the president in a nutshell: “In some ways it was a throwaway line, the kind of praise a boss tosses out casually. But as the economy teetered Monday, President Bush’s words to Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson struck many as discordant and disengaged. ‘I want to thank you, Mr. Secretary, for working over the weekend,’ Bush said as he met with his economic advisors at the White House. ‘You’ve shown the country and the world that the United States is on top of the situation.’ Actually, many analysts and critics said, by focusing on Paulson’s working hours instead of on the fear gripping Main Street and Wall Street, the president seemed to show just the opposite — that he has failed to grasp the gravity of the country’s economic crisis.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* It looks like the Obama campaign has effectively ruled out the idea of a Michigan revote, making it unlikely the state will host a second primary. In a campaign memo, Obama aides cited legal and organizing difficulties: “Whether the state can achieve its goals here depends on the nature and seriousness of the legal and administrative questions presented by this initiative — questions that, raised after the election, could put at risk the running of the election, undermine acceptance of the results if the election is held, and in both cases effectively deny Michigan voters, a second consecutive time, meaningful participation in the nominating process.”

* Hillary Clinton is still pushing aggressively for a Michigan re-vote, and will visit Detroit today to bring attention to her case. “We will go and make the case for a revote,” said Mo Elleithee, a Clinton spokesman. Phil Singer, a Clinton spokesperson, accused Obama’s campaign of a “passive-aggressive effort to disenfranchise the voters of Michigan and Florida.”

* Hillary Clinton picked up a very helpful endorsement yesterday, when Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) announced his support for the senator. “Sen. Clinton is the candidate that will forge a consensus on health care, education, the economy, and the war in Iraq,” Murtha wrote in a statement about his decision. Murtha is, of course, a superdelegate, in addition to being an influential veteran from Pennsylvania.

* I doubt there will be any major revelations, but the materials will at least be out there: “Over 11,000 pages of Hillary Clinton’s schedule as first lady are set to be released to the public on Wednesday, the National Archives announced…. In a statement Tuesday, the Archives said the documents are from the files of Patti Solis Doyle, the director of Clinton’s scheduling while she was first lady, and later the manager of her presidential campaign…. ‘Arranged chronologically, these records document in detail the activities of the First Lady, including meetings, trips, speaking engagements and social activities for the eight years of the Clinton Administration,’ the statement said.”

* Mark Penn is going to get a little company — the Clinton campaign has finally hired a second pollster.

* As long as Democratic Senate candidates do well in November, I don’t imagine Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) will face much resistance if he wants a third term as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

* A new SurveyUSA poll out of Colorado tested general-election match-ups in this key battleground state. The poll, conducted before the Jeremiah Wright controversy broke in earnest, showed Obama leading McCain by nine (50% to 41%), and McCain leading Clinton by six (48% to 42%).

* Obama’s speeches are still a much bigger deal on YouTube than Wright’s sermons.

* One of McCain’s daughters, Meghan, told GQ we shouldn’t expect a McCain/Huckabee ticket: “That’s not going to happen. I don’t think they’d be a good match for a lot of reasons and am not even sure if that’s what Huckabee’s going for, anyway. I think he wants to be the head of the evangelical movement.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Bush gave another big speech on Iraq today; I didn’t watch: “President Bush on Wednesday declared that “the successes we are seeing in Iraq are undeniable” as he gave a rousing defense of the war on its fifth anniversary before a receptive but not overwhelmingly enthusiastic Pentagon audience…. The president, who issued the executive order to start “Operation Iraqi Freedom” on March 19, 2003, did acknowledge on Wednesday ‘an understandable debate over whether the war was worth fighting . . . whether the fight was worth winning . . . and whether we can win it.’”

* Dan Froomkin had a great take/overview: “The supposed victory against bin Laden that Bush is celebrating is belied by the fact that al-Qaeda wasn’t in Iraq before the invasion, that its Iraqi namesake is a mostly home-grown version with limited ties to bin Laden’s organization, that the administration’s own intelligence has concluded that the war has helped rather than hurt al-Qaeda — and that bin Laden himself likely remains safely ensconced in Pakistan…. Furthermore, Bush’s decision to arm anti-government Sunni militias may lead to even greater chaos when we do leave. The only way the surge has been an unqualified success is one that Bush didn’t mention today: It has bought him time.”

* Dick Cheney is misleading people about the Iranian threat. Try to contain your surprise.

* Worth watching: “Under strong U.S. pressure, Iraq’s presidential council signed off Wednesday on a measure paving the way for provincial elections by the fall, a major step toward easing sectarian rifts as the nation marks the fifth anniversary of the war. The decision by the council, made up of the country’s president and two vice presidents, lays the groundwork for voters to choose new leaders of Iraq’s 18 provinces. The elections open the door to greater Sunni representation in regional administrations.”

* It looked this morning like the Michigan re-vote was officially dead.

* And yet, talks continue between the state party, national party, and Clinton and Obama campaigns. (They’re even still working in Florida, too. — thanks W.B.)

* Well said: “I think everyone can agree that if you go to the trouble of organizing an Iraqi political reconciliation conference, it’s generally a bad sign if a number of key players don’t even show up.”

* Practically the entire Clinton campaign has gone to extraordinary lengths to avoid commenting on the Jeremiah Wright controversy. Lanny Davis didn’t get the memo.

* Clinton is singing Gen. David Patraeus’ praises, describing him at an event today as “an extraordinary leader and a wonderful advocate for our military.”

* Because the line between right-wing rhetoric and parodies of right-wing rhetoric are eerily blurry: “Pelosi ‘Worst Kind of Liberal Racist,’ Iraq Expert Says.”

* NYT: “Hundreds of gay and lesbian rights advocates protested at the Capitol over comments a state representative made about homosexuals. Representative Sally Kern, Republican of Oklahoma City, drew national attention last week when a January speech she gave before a Republican club in Oklahoma City was posted on the Internet. In the speech, she said homosexuality was ‘the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam.’”

* Justice Kennedy thinks D.C. residents need protection — from grizzly bears.

* Well said, Part II: “As progressives, our goal shouldn’t be to provide gold-plated care to every person in the country, nor should it be to restrict the ability of the rich to get better service if they want to pay for it. Our goal should be to provide decent care to everyone, with the market free to operate on top of that.”

* Hmm: “The Times article today on how all med students are going into dermatology and plastic surgery instead of general medicine was rather fascinating — maybe the answer is some sort of Harvard Law-style loan forgiveness program for med students who actually want to be, you know, doctors?”

* And finally, Bill O’Reilly is convinced that Barack Obama is incapable of bringing the country together, not because of race or ideology, but because the senator doesn’t like Fox News.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Barack Obama conceded to CNN yesterday that the Jeremiah Wright flap has taken a toll. “In some ways this, this controversy has actually shaken me up a little bit and gotten me back into remembering that the odds of me getting elected have always been lower than some of the other conventional candidates,” the Illinois senator told Anderson Cooper

* As the Take Back America conference in Washington wraps up, it appears that progressive activists prefer Obama to Hillary Clinton by a wide margin. A Politico.com straw poll conducted at the event showed Obama ahead by a 3-to-1 margin, 72% to 16%. Moreover, 86% of conference participants said they would be satisfied with Obama as the nominee, while 48% said the same of Clinton.

* Yet another House GOP Republican incumbent is retiring: “GOP sources confirm that Rep. Tom Reynolds, a Western NY Congressman since 1999 and ex-NRCC chairman, will announce around noon tomorrow in Buffalo that he will not seek re-election this fall…. [T]he recent NRCC fraud scandal - some of which took place on his watch - has made his re-election effort that much more difficult in an already tough year.”

* A new CBS/NYT poll shows Obama leading Clinton nationally, but his margin has shrunk considerably in the wake of the Wright flap. Obama is now up by just three, 46% to 43%. Nevertheless, the same poll shows Obama leading McCain nationally by five points, while Clinton leads McCain by two.

* A hint of the right-wing, race-based ugliness to come: “I often find it quaint when Republicans go after anyone for hateful rhetoric or race prejudice when it’s been a major pillar of GOP coalition going back more than 40 years. The co-founder of Laura Ingraham’s radio show who now helps run Hugh Hewitt’s ‘Salem Radio Network’ has mixed an Obama video interweaving Obama with Malcolm X, the Black Power salute at the Mexico City Olympics and Public Enemy’s ‘Fight the Power’.”

* Pennsylvania’s primary is still a month off, but for now, Clinton’s lead in the state seems to be getting bigger, not smaller. According to a new Franklin & Marshall College poll, Clinton now leads by 16, 51% to 35%.

* Speaking of big Clinton leads, it looks like Obama doesn’t stand much of a chance in West Virginia — a new Rasmussen poll shows Clinton way ahead, 55% to 27%.

* Remember the Bredesen “superdelegate primary” we talked about yesterday? The Obama campaign apparently loves it, but the Clinton campaign said the idea was a good one that will “never happen.”

* Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), who is retiring at the end of the year, suggests in his new book that another political party might be necessary. It’s hard to say exactly what the party would look like, but from press accounts, it appears that Hagel wants a conservative party with no neocons.

* After the McCain campaign attacked Obama for making hay of McCain’s Iran/al Qaeda gaffe, the Obama campaign’s Bill Burton released a statement: “We wish the McCain campaign well as they try to figure out the difference between Iran and al Qaeda.”

* And NBC News’ Chuck Todd had an interesting prediction yesterday: “I think Michigan is not going to have a revote. I think the Obama people are going to play a game of chicken on this, and figure they’re going to make Michigan Democrats mad. I think you’re going to see a hopefulness by the Obama people that they put this away by May 6th, which is the day of the North Carolina and Indiana primaries, and then go ahead and seat Florida and Michigan fully as the nominee, with nothing to fear. That’s the Obama hope.”

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This Rasmussen poll seems to be getting quite a bit of attention, bolstered in part by a big Drudge headline about McCain’s “double digit” lead.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Thursday shows John McCain’s lead growing against both potential Democratic opponents. McCain currently leads Barack Obama 49% to 42% and Hillary Clinton 51% to 41% margin. African-American support for Clinton has collapsed, falling to 55% in the general election match-up. Obama, on the other hand, earns solid support from African-American voters but attracts only 36% of white voters in a match-up with McCain.

Over the past month, McCain has gained ground in Ohio, Michigan, Colorado, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. Both Democrats continue to lead in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and California.

This either a very big deal or not at all a big deal, depending entirely on one’s disposition.

If you’re among the latter, you’ll note that it’s only one poll — a daily tracking poll, at that — and Rasmussen, while not bad, is still an automated system that hasn’t batted 1.000 this year. McCain enjoys a relatively comfortable lead, but that comes at a time when he’s facing very little scrutiny, and the media has decided that Jeremiah Wright is the single most important person on the planet.

And if you’re among the prior, Rasmussen is reinforcing your worst fears.

After all this campaigning from two very talented Democratic candidates, the Republican candidate who’s promising voters four more years of Bush/Cheney is ahead? In Clinton’s case, by double-digits?

And if we’re willing to look beyond just the Rasmussen numbers, there’s also evidence that independents are moving to McCain in large numbers right now?

Look, it’s March. Campaigns that panic in March look pretty foolish, given that so much can and will happen.

That said, there’s been considerable discussion in Democratic circles in recent weeks whether a prolonged primary would hurt the party’s chances in November. And now we’re seeing at least a few polls in which the Dems’ big leads over McCain have evaporated, and in Rasmussen’s case, it’s now McCain with the lead.

Granted, there are multiple factors playing out simultaneously, but as Isaac Chotiner noted, poll numbers like these are only going to make the Democratic establishment a lot more antsy.

The Clinton campaign is probably right in assuming that the only way they can win the nomination is to destroy Obama’s electability argument with superdelegates. The obvious problem is that intense campaigning and attacks may hurt her popularity, too. But the Clintonites should be wary of Drudge headlines like “McCain now leads by double-digits” for another reason. If superdelegates begin to think that the party is blowing it’s chance at the presidency, it’s all the more likely that they will want to end this tiresome primary sooner rather than later.

With each passing day, I’m looking forward to ending this process more and more.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* I think we can pretty much forget about the Michigan re-vote: “Michigan’s State Senate adjourned Thursday without reaching an agreement to schedule a new Democratic primary on June 3. The Legislature is now on recess for two weeks, and by the time lawmakers return, it will likely be too late to approve and organize a new vote.”

* By any reasonable measure, this is the broadest challenge to Chinese rule in quite some time: “China sent additional troops into restive areas and made more arrests in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in an effort to suppress anti-government protests even as the Dalai Lama offered face-to-face negotiations with Chinese leaders. Government officials acknowledged for the first time that protests against Chinese rule of Tibet have spread to Tibetan communities in other provinces after sweeping through Lhasa last week.”

* Yesterday, confronted with the fact that two-thirds of Americans oppose the president’s Iraq policy, Dick Cheney said, “So?” Today, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino was asked about this and responded, “We are all Americans. We care deeply about what people think.” So, which is it?

* Scooter Libby was disbarred today. No, the president can’t intervene to save his butt on this one.

* A John McCain aide helped disseminate a vile, racially-charged video attacking Barack Obama this week. Today, the aide was suspended from the campaign.

* A Pentagon divided against itself: “nside the Pentagon, turmoil over the war has increased…. In one camp are the ground commanders, including Gen. David H. Petraeus, who have pushed to keep a large troop presence in Iraq, worried that withdrawing too quickly will allow violence to flare. In the other are the military service chiefs who fear that long tours and high troop levels will drive away mid-level service members, leaving the Army and Marine Corps hollowed out and weakened.”

* The WaPo editorial board’s credibility is at its lowest ebb while addressing Iraq policy.

* Can someone please make U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Mario Ramos-Villalta a U.S. citizen?

* Can someone please get Geraldine Ferraro to stop talking?

* Tim Noah asks the provocative question: “Why should you waste your time, at this late date, ingesting the opinions of people who were wrong about Iraq? Wouldn’t you benefit more from considering the views of people who were right?”

* This one’s getting more and more interesting: “Earlier this week, we reported on the decision by U.S. Attorney for Los Angeles Thomas O’Brien to disband the office’s public corruption unit. The official line from O’Brien was that disbanding the 17-lawyer unit would actually boost the number of public corruption investigations, because other units would now have the opportunity to take on such cases. The was a line of reasoning with which a former prosecutor from that office disagreed. And not surprisingly, the current lawyers there don’t think much of that either. But, reports The Los Angeles Times, O’Brien warned them not to dispute that publicly.”

* I’m trying to imagine what 100,000% inflation would look like. I’m having trouble wrapping my head around it.

* Encouraging news for the Flight 93 Memorial.

* One reason reporters are so bad at fact-checking McCain is that too many reporters don’t have the facts to begin with.

* The Onion on Obama: “Those who encountered the black man Tuesday said he engaged in erratic behavior, including pointing at random people in the crowd and desperately saying he needs their help, going up to complete strangers and hugging them, and angrily claiming that he is not looking for just a little bit of change, but rather a great deal of change, and that he wants it ‘right now.’”

* There’s no way I want a guy this confused answering the White House crisis line at 3 a.m.: “When McCain made a foreign policy gaffe in Jordan on Tuesday, it was Sen. Joe Lieberman who quietly pointed out the mistake, giving McCain an opportunity to correct himself in front of the international press corps. In Israel yesterday, NBC’s Lauren Appelbaum reports, Lieberman once again intervened when McCain made an incorrect reference about the Jewish holiday Purim — by calling the holiday ‘their version of Halloween here.’”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In one of the weaker attacks from the Obama campaign in recent memory, the Obama team found and distributed a picture of Bill Clinton shaking hands with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright at a White House prayer breakfast in 1998. The NYT noted, “There is nothing in the picture or the note that addresses whether Mr. Clinton had met Mr. Wright prior to the White House meeting or whether he or Mrs. Clinton knew anything about Mr. Wright’s views.” It’s pretty weak.

* In a more substantive offensive, the Obama campaign is capitalizing on recently-released Hillary Clinton schedules from her time as First Lady that showed her working to help pass NAFTA in 1993. “It’s about trust,” an Obama campaign memo released to the media said. “Working Americans are looking for a president who will be consistent in standing up for American workers - and have the integrity to be consistent in his or her views. Senator Clinton has failed that test…. American workers are already facing the uncertainly of a changing economy. The last thing they need is another president who changes views when there’s an election coming up.”

* Rasmussen tested the candidates’ general-election prospects in Minnesota, historically a Democratic state, but now considered a competitive battleground. The poll found McCain edging Clinton, 47% to 46%, while Obama was ahead of McCain, 47% to 43%.

* Usually, when a political ad uses anti-France animus, it comes from the right. But not every time. The Campaign for America’s Future takes on McCain’s lobbying efforts that benefitted a French company over an American one.

* Obama expects to lose Pennsylvania, but with a month until the election, he’s already on the air in the state.

* John Edwards taped an interview with Jay Leno last night, and there was some interest in whether the former senator might mention which presidential candidate he’s supporting. Apparently, that didn’t happen.

* The McCain campaign finally disclosed what it raised in February: $11 million. For context, Hillary Clinton raised triple that over the same period, and Obama raised quintuple McCain’s total. No wonder he was reluctant to talk about the number.

* The latest national Fox News poll asked voters if they thought Obama shares the social views of his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. By a 57%-24% margin, they said they don’t think so. On a related note, the same poll found that 54% said the controversy did not raise doubts about Obama, while 35% said it did.

* Hillary Clinton’s chief strategist, Mark Penn, released his latest report, which he believes shows a significant “shift to Hillary” based on the results of nine recent polls. Peyton Craighill of the ABC News Polling Unit said of the nine polls “are not airworthy.” (Jake Tapper noted that “airworthy” is a term used to describe “polls so poorly done we are discouraged from mentioning them on air.”)

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* New details on the State Department’s snooping on presidential candidates: “The Associated Press has learned that the two contractors fired for snooping into Barack Obama’s passport records worked for a Virginia-based company called Stanley Inc. Earlier this week, the 3,500-person company won a five-year, $570-million contract to support passport services at the State Department.”

* This is overdue: “Something about HUD chief Alphonso Jackson’s reputation as the most cronyfied Bush administration official of all makes Sens. Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Patty Murray (D-WA) think he might not be the best man for the job. In a letter to President Bush today (which you can read in full below), the two, who chair on the two key oversight committees for HUD, say it’s time for Bush to pull the rug out from under his most loyal cabinet member.”

* The Chinese aren’t going to be happy: “House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) met with the Dalai Lama and offered words of support for Tibetan protesters and criticism of China’s crackdown during a visit Friday to Dharamsala, India, the headquarters of Tibetan exiles. ‘If freedom-loving people throughout the world do not speak out against China’s oppression in Tibet we have lost all moral authority to speak on human rights anywhere in the world,’ Pelosi said.”

* Want to know what would make matters in Iraq worse? “The success of the US “surge” strategy in Iraq may be under threat as Sunni militia employed by the US to fight al-Qaida are warning of a national strike because they are not being paid regularly. Leading members of the 80,000-strong Sahwa, or awakening, councils have said they will stop fighting unless payment of their $10 a day wage is resumed. The fighters are accusing the US military of using them to clear al-Qaida militants from dangerous areas and then abandoning them.”

* Speaking of Iraq: “At least two Iraqi families of victims killed by Blackwater security guards in September tell ABC News they have refused compensation offered by the company.” Blackwater offered $20,000 for each victim. “Several of the Iraqi families have already filed lawsuits against Blackwater in U.S. courts, alleging the security guards were guilty of ‘war crimes.’”

* It appears, based on Bill O’Reilly’s standards, that Fox News is running a hate site on par with the KKK and the Nazis.

* Good point: “Last week the McCain campaign included an op-ed slamming Obama and the Rev. Wright in its morning clip package to reporters — then later in the day had an aide say they regretted doing so. This week, the campaign suspended an aide for Twittering the appalling ‘Is Obama Wright?’ video. I’m starting to believe that the Senator’s campaign isn’t entirely serious when it emphasizes its commitment to avoiding any and all ugly personal attacks in this race. Either that or senior aides are having a hell of a time communicating that seriousness.”

* It was quite a lively episode of “Fox and Friends” this morning. Not only did Chris Wallace take the conservative trio of hosts to task, but Brian Kilmeade literally walked off the set after a dispute with his co-hosts Gretchen Carlson and Steve Doocy.

* The Clinton campaign’s financial troubles are so serious, it may be “in the red.” Not a good sign.

* Lawrence Lessig’s new project: “Change Congress.”

* Remember the girl in Clinton’s “3 a.m.” ad? She’s a young woman now, and she’s made an ad of her own.

* Bizarre Right-Wing Ugliness of the Day, Part I: “Discussing his opposition to the Uniting American Families Act — ‘which would allow gay Americans the same right straight Americans have to sponsor a foreign partner for citizenship’ — Family Research Council Vice President Peter Sprigg recently offered rhetorical support for exporting gay men and women from America. ‘I would much prefer to export homosexuals from the United States than to import them into the United States because we believe homosexuality is destructive to society,’ said Sprigg.”

* Bizarre Right-Wing Ugliness of the Day, Part II: “A Texas local Fox News affiliate reports that ‘Mustang Ridge City Council member Charles Laws referred to a proposed immigrant detention center as a ‘holding pen for wetbacks’ on the March 12 meeting agenda.’ Asked about his comments, Laws explained: ‘I’m 74 years old, and that’s what we called them when I was growing up. I don’t care about political crap.’ But Laws later back-tracked, saying ‘I wasn’t thinking.’”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* AP: “Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton called on President Bush on Monday to appoint ‘an emergency working group on foreclosures’ to recommend new ways to confront the nation’s housing finance troubles. The New York senator said the panel should be led by financial experts such as Robert Rubin, who was treasury secretary in her husband’s administration, and former Federal Reserve chairmen Alan Greenspan and Paul Volcker.” (Don’t most Democrats believe Greenspan helped create the current mess?)

* This might be my favorite online DNC project ever: the McCain Debates. Jonathan Martin explained, “While meant to contrast McCain statements at different times about the conflict, the cartoon also is as much about tying the candidate to President Bush. Hence the upside-down ‘W’ insignia turned around to read ‘M 2008′ on one of the podiums, the appearance of a smiling and thumbs-upping Bush after every answer and the message at the end: ‘No Matter Which McCain You Listen To, He Only Offers A Third Bush Term On Iraq.’”

* McCain’s lobbyist problems continues: “Republican presidential candidate John McCain has condemned the influence of ’special interest lobbyists,’ yet dozens of lobbyists have political and financial ties to his presidential campaign — particularly from telecommunications companies, an industry he helps oversee in the Senate. Of the 66 current or former lobbyists working for the Arizona senator or raising money for his presidential campaign, 23 have lobbied for telecommunications companies in the past decade, Senate lobbying disclosures show.”

* Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) will inevitably endorse John McCain’s presidential campaign, right? Well, maybe not. Hagel told George Stephanopoulos he’s waiting: “I want to understand a little more about foreign policy, where he’d want to go.”

* Rasmussen polled Nevada, expected to be a key battleground state, on the general election. Clinton leads McCain by one (44%-43%), and Obama leads McCain by four (45%-41%).

* On a related note, Clinton seems to fare better in Arkansas, though both Dems lose to the Republican. Rasmussen shows McCain leading Clinton by seven (50%-43%), and McCain leading Obama by 29 (59%-30%).

* The AP’s new delegate totals: Obama 1,620, Clinton 1,499. Obama’s net gain last week was 14.

* Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) reversed course on resigning, but he kept his word about retirement — Idaho’s filing deadline came and went on Friday, and Craig isn’t running.

* Speaking of Idaho, reader G.B. alerted me to an unfortunate situation in which a candidate changed his legal name to “Pro-Life” in order to get those two words on the state ballot.

* And speaking of quirky candidates, assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian is running for Congress as an independent in Rep. Joe Knollenberg’s (R) Michigan district.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* At the breaking point in China: “One policeman was killed and several others injured in riots Monday in western Sichuan province, China’s state media reported…. Xinhua also said that 381 people involved in protests in another Sichuan county, Aba, had surrendered to police, according to local authorities.”

* XM and Sirius merger clears another hurdle: “The U.S. Justice Department approved the merger between satellite radio companies Sirius and XM Monday, more than a year after the two companies first announced their deal…. In its decision, the Department of Justice determined that an XM-Sirius merger was not anti-competitive…. The Department of Justice did not place any conditions on the merger.” The Federal Communications Commission still has to approve the deal.

* The reversal was inevitable in light of the evidence: “The Clinton campaign says Senator Hillary Clinton may have “misspoke” recently when she said she had to evade sniper fire when she was visiting Bosnia in 1996 as first lady.”

* I ran out of time before I could dig into John Yoo’s latest missive in the Wall Street Journal, but it doesn’t appear to be going over well. Pay special attention to Steve M.’s gem of a response, which concluded, “Hackery. Absolute hackery.”

* This is more than a little discouraging: “The U.S.-led effort to choke off financing for Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups is foundering because setbacks at home and abroad have undermined the Bush administration’s highly touted counter-terrorism weapon, according to current and former officials and independent experts.”

* The latest Gallup Daily Tracking poll shows Obama with a narrow lead over Clinton, and both Obama and Clinton with narrow leads over McCain.

* On a related note, Kevin did everyone a favor by stitching together two months’ worth of Gallup Daily Tracking polls. Guess what? “[F]or two nearly two months straight they’ve polled within three or four points of each other. Two months! All this new information, all the spitballs, all the ads, all the spin, and both candidates have held on to almost precisely the same level of support they had right after Super Tuesday. That’s remarkable.” It really is.

* Raise your hand if you’re skeptical about the official White House line about the hard drives the Bush gang destroyed.

* Why, oh why, won’t Pat Buchanan go away?

* A Connecticut newspaper that endorsed Joe Lieberman in 2006 regrets it now. Good.

* Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) raises the right question about Iraq: “As we mark this painful milestone, we must ask ourselves: what is the moral justification for allowing this war to continue?”

* I’m starting to get the sense that Eliot Spitzer had some real Nixonian issues.

* On a related note, what role did Republican hatchetman Roger Stone have in Spitzer’s scandal?

* Everyone read Krugman today, right?

* Dems can blow this, can they? “During the segment, NBC’s Norah O’Donnell said that McCain was ‘not smart to make himself sort of a G.I. Joe candidate’ because ‘a whopping 76 percent, in our latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, said they want a candidate who has policies different than President Bush.’ ‘This country wants to move on from that,’ said O’Donnell.”

* In case you missed it, be sure to check out the McCain Debates.

* I think it’s safe to say that Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (D), who was indicted today, is in real trouble.

* And finally, there’s been a Fred Thompson sighting! “After a failed run for president, Fred Thompson is getting back to pretending to be commander in chief. Hollywood’s high-powered William Morris Agency announced this week that it has signed the actor/politician, signaling a return to the screen for the former senator from Tennessee.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Maybe we’ll get lucky? “Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, once so eager to debate she ran two ads questioning why her rival wouldn’t, has yet to say whether she’ll debate Sen. Barack Obama in North Carolina next month. Both presidential candidates plan to participate in an ABC News debate on April 16 in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania holds its primary days later, on April 22. Obama also has agreed to a debate April 19 hosted by CBS in North Carolina. North Carolina holds its primary May 6. Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said Monday that the campaign has not made a decision about the CBS debate and is still working through the details.”

* James Carville, who compared Bill Richardson to Judas on Friday for endorsing Obama, bragged yesterday about how pleased he is with the comparison. “I was quoted accurately and in context, and I was glad to give the quote and I was glad I gave it,” Carville said. “I’m not apologizing, I’m not resigning, I’m not doing anything.” After a Clinton campaign spokesperson suggested Carville might want to apologize, the NYT called him back: “For several seconds he laughed – cackled might be more accurate – and then said he stood by his quote fully.”

* In what was billed as a major speech on his economic ideas, John McCain said he doesn’t want to do anything about the housing crisis: “Republican John McCain, who has conceded economics is not his strong suit, says government isn’t in the business of saving and rewarding banks or small borrowers who behave irresponsibly.”

* Top Clinton aide Harold Ickes is still talking openly about the options available for pledged delegates.

* Pennsylvania is leaning towards Clinton, and Oregon is leaning towards Obama, but no one knows what’s going to happen in Indiana.

* Gordon Fischer, a former chair of the Iowa Democratic Party and Obama supporter, wrote an intemperate item on his blog yesterday about a certain former president: “Bill Clinton cannot possibly seriously believe Obama is not a patriot, and cannot possibly be said to be helping — instead he is hurting — his own party. B. Clinton should never be forgiven. Period. This is a stain on his legacy, much worse, much deeper, than the one on Monica’s blue dress.” The Clinton campaign expressed outrage, accusing the Obama campaign of “gutter tactics,” though there’s no reason to believe the Obama campaign was involved with the blog post. Fisher later removed the item and apologized.

* All three of the remaining presidential candidates have been missing a lot of votes in the Senate, but McCain barely seems to show up for his day job at all.

* No matter who wins Pennsylvania’s primary, Dems have to be happy about this: “Democratic registration in Pennsylvania set a new record yesterday, at the close of yesterday’s deadline to register for the state’s closed primary. Over 4 million Pennsylvanians are now registered as Democrats, out of 8.2 million total registered voters. Republican and independent registrations both shrank slightly — a possible sign of crossover voters for Barack Obama — while 120,000 previously unregistered people entered the rolls.”

* Facing a looming deadline, Republicans in New Jersey finally found a candidate to run against Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D) in November: Andrew Unanue, a former executive with Goya Foods Inc. Unanue “was ousted from the leadership of Goya Foods in a family feud in 2004 and has since run a financial consulting firm and a New York nightclub.”

* And in Virginia, Lt. Gov. William Bolling (R) announced yesterday he will not run for governor, clearing the way for state Attorney General Robert McDonnell, and giving the state GOP its first good chance of winning the governorship in a decade.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Maybe we’ll get lucky? “Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, once so eager to debate she ran two ads questioning why her rival wouldn’t, has yet to say whether she’ll debate Sen. Barack Obama in North Carolina next month. Both presidential candidates plan to participate in an ABC News debate on April 16 in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania holds its primary days later, on April 22. Obama also has agreed to a debate April 19 hosted by CBS in North Carolina. North Carolina holds its primary May 6. Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said Monday that the campaign has not made a decision about the CBS debate and is still working through the details.”

* James Carville, who compared Bill Richardson to Judas on Friday for endorsing Obama, bragged yesterday about how pleased he is with the comparison. “I was quoted accurately and in context, and I was glad to give the quote and I was glad I gave it,” Carville said. “I’m not apologizing, I’m not resigning, I’m not doing anything.” After a Clinton campaign spokesperson suggested Carville might want to apologize, the NYT called him back: “For several seconds he laughed – cackled might be more accurate – and then said he stood by his quote fully.”

* In what was billed as a major speech on his economic ideas, John McCain said he doesn’t want to do anything about the housing crisis: “Republican John McCain, who has conceded economics is not his strong suit, says government isn’t in the business of saving and rewarding banks or small borrowers who behave irresponsibly.”

* Top Clinton aide Harold Ickes is still talking openly about the options available for pledged delegates.

* Pennsylvania is leaning towards Clinton, and Oregon is leaning towards Obama, but no one knows what’s going to happen in Indiana.

* Gordon Fischer, a former chair of the Iowa Democratic Party and Obama supporter, wrote an intemperate item on his blog yesterday about a certain former president: “Bill Clinton cannot possibly seriously believe Obama is not a patriot, and cannot possibly be said to be helping — instead he is hurting — his own party. B. Clinton should never be forgiven. Period. This is a stain on his legacy, much worse, much deeper, than the one on Monica’s blue dress.” The Clinton campaign expressed outrage, accusing the Obama campaign of “gutter tactics,” though there’s no reason to believe the Obama campaign was involved with the blog post. Fisher later removed the item and apologized.

* All three of the remaining presidential candidates have been missing a lot of votes in the Senate, but McCain barely seems to show up for his day job at all.

* No matter who wins Pennsylvania’s primary, Dems have to be happy about this: “Democratic registration in Pennsylvania set a new record yesterday, at the close of yesterday’s deadline to register for the state’s closed primary. Over 4 million Pennsylvanians are now registered as Democrats, out of 8.2 million total registered voters. Republican and independent registrations both shrank slightly — a possible sign of crossover voters for Barack Obama — while 120,000 previously unregistered people entered the rolls.”

* Facing a looming deadline, Republicans in New Jersey finally found a candidate to run against Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D) in November: Andrew Unanue, a former executive with Goya Foods Inc. Unanue “was ousted from the leadership of Goya Foods in a family feud in 2004 and has since run a financial consulting firm and a New York nightclub.”

* And in Virginia, Lt. Gov. William Bolling (R) announced yesterday he will not run for governor, clearing the way for state Attorney General Robert McDonnell, and giving the state GOP its first good chance of winning the governorship in a decade.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* We’ll see if the Bosnia story is still dogging Clinton tomorrow, but for today, it’s still a headache: “Clinton told reporters in Pennsylvania on Tuesday that she erred in describing the scene, which she now realizes after talking with aides and others. ‘So I made a mistake,’ she said. ‘That happens. It proves I’m human, which you know, for some people, is a revelation.’” (The campaign has not yet explained why the senator made the same mistake several times.)

* Well, this isn’t good: “A vast ice shelf hanging on by a thin strip looks to be the next chunk to break off from the Antarctic Peninsula, the latest sign of global warming’s impact on Earth’s southernmost continent. Scientists are shocked by the rapid change of events. Glaciologist Ted Scambos of the University of Colorado was monitoring satellite images of the Wilkins Ice Shelf and spotted a huge iceberg measuring 25 miles by 1.5 miles (about 10 times the area of Manhattan) that appeared to have broken away from the shelf.”

* A poorly timed attack: “A spokesman for Hillary Clinton’s campaign sent out a press release Tuesday morning belatedly attacking Barack Obama for his failure to release his tax returns – at virtually the exact moment the Illinois senator’s campaign posted his 2000-2006 filings on his campaign Web site. ‘In the public record there are 20 years of Hillary’s tax returns, hundreds of thousands of pages of records from her time in White House and countless other documents detailing her time in public life. Sen. Obama’s record is far more opaque. Sen. Obama has not released his tax returns, except for 2006,’ Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said in a statement sent to reporters just as the Obama camp posted the Illinois senator’s returns online.”

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid seems unusually confident that the Democrats’ nominating mess will be resolved before the convention. He told Molly Ball of the Las Vegas Review-Journal: “it will be done. I had a conversation with Governor Dean (Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean) today. Things are being done.” Beyond those cryptic words, no one knows.

* This should be a fascinating lawsuit: “[N]ine Americans are accusing KBR, then a subsidiary of the oil conglomerate Halliburton, of knowingly exposing them to the deadly substance [sodium dichromate] and failing to provide them with the protective equipment needed to keep them safe.” KBR is claiming immunity under a WWII-era federal workers compensation law, but the employees have a clever response: “[T]he company’s own actions have undermined its case: To avoid payroll taxes for its American employees, KBR hired the workers through two subsidiaries registered in the Cayman Islands, part of a strategy that has allowed KBR to dodge hundreds of millions of dollars in Social Security and Medicare taxes.”

* Speaking of interesting cases, word from the Supremes today: “The Supreme Court today said President Bush does not have to power to order state courts to reopen a death penalty case involving a foreign national because of a judgment of the World Court. The court held 6-3 that judgments of the international court are not binding on U.S. courts and that President Bush’s order that courts in Texas comply anyway does not change that. The court’s decision, written by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., was a rebuke to the government in a case that involved the powers of all three branches of government, the intricacies of treaties and the international debate over the death penalty.”

* This won’t help the administration’s competency problems: “The U.S. Air Force mistakenly shipped fuses that are used in nuclear weapons to Taiwan in 2006, believing the crates contained helicopter batteries, officials at the Pentagon announced this morning. The error — undetected by the United States until last week, despite repeated inquiries by Taiwan — raises questions about how carefully the Pentagon safeguards its weapons systems. It also exposes the United States to criticism from China, a staunch opponent of a militarized Taiwan. Pentagon officials said Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has launched a full investigation.”

* Let’s not forget about the House contempt lawsuit: “We knew that the House’s lawsuit against White House officials would take awhile. And it turns out that it’ll be June, at the earliest, before a judge makes his first decision in the House’s suit against Harriet Miers and White House chief of staff Josh Bolten. That relatively rapid pace (for the courts, at least) is the result of the House pushing for quicker resolution of some of the White House’s more expansive claims of executive privilege.”

* Sooner or later, we’ll go a whole week without controversial news from the governor’s office in New York: “New York’s new governor, who disclosed last week that he and his wife committed adultery several years ago, said Monday he used cocaine in his 20s and smoked marijuana when he was younger.”

* There sure are a lot of high-profile senators “misspeaking” lately. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is the latest.

* And finally, after a full year of campaigning, 25 years in Congress, and two lengthy presidential races, John McCain is learning how to read a prepared speech: “In an effort to improve John McCain’s big speech delivery, his campaign put in place for today’s speech a large flat screen monitor and two side panel teleprompters. Campaign officials have expressed concern that McCain has looked in prior speeches like he was watching a tennis match. Today, by installing a large monitor in the back of the room, McCain is able to fix his gaze straight ahead.” He’s just now getting to this?

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Mukasey argued before the Supreme Court on Tuesday to uphold the entire conviction of a terrorist implicated in the failed millennium bomb plot.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* No word yet on whether James Carville will compare her to Judas: “U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, one of Washington’s 17 Democratic superdelegates, isn’t ready to shift her allegiance from Sen. Hillary Clinton to Sen. Barack Obama — yet. But in an interview with The Columbian’s editorial board Monday, she said the candidate with the most pledged delegates at the end of the primary season in late June will have the strongest claim to the party’s presidential nomination.” Cantwell said the party has to rally behind the candidate with “the most delegates and the most states,” suggesting Obama should be the nominee.

* Clinton’s former pastor was willing to do what Clinton was not: defend Jeremiah Wright.

* Earlier this month, Public Policy Polling showed Obama leading Clinton in North Carolina by just one point, 44% to 43%. PPP now shows Obama up in the state by 21 points, 55% to 34%. What happened? “It turns out that PPP changed the structure of its sample over the past week to include people who voted in the 2006 general election (last week’s only counted 2004 and 2006 primary voters). PPP’s Tom Jensen attributes ’some’ of Obama’s jump to that decision.”

* Clinton still leads Obama comfortably in Pennsylvania, according to the latest Rasmussen poll, but the margin has slipped slightly. Two weeks ago, she led by 13 (51%-38%); now she leads by 10 (49%-39%).

* Rasmussen also shows both Dems struggling against McCain in Missouri. In hypothetical match-ups, McCain leads Clinton by 10 (50%-41%) and Obama by 15 (53%-38%).

* Clinton is poised to get a helpful hand in Philadelphia: “Emily’s List, the political action committee that works to get female candidates elected, plans to bombard women voters in the Philadelphia area with direct mailings and phone calls on behalf of Hillary Rodham Clinton.”

* I suspect this will eventually change, but as of now, Gallup shows 28% of Clinton backers preferring McCain to Obama, and 19% of Obama backers preferring McCain to Clinton.

* Nancy Reagan has endorsed McCain.

* In Indiana, probably the most competitive Democratic contest left, Obama picked up a helpful endorsement from the state’s House Majority Leader, Russ Stilwell (D).

* Apparently, if you look back far enough, Obama and Clinton are distantly related to a bunch of other famous people.

* Mike Gravel has joined the Libertarian Party. Good luck with that.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Iraq’s most intense fighting in several months: “Amid heavy clashes between government forces and Shiite Muslim militants in Baghdad and the southern port city of Basra, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki issued an ultimatum Wednesday demanding that the militias surrender their weapons within 72 hours. Radical cleric Muqtada al Sadr, whose Mahdi Army militia is a prime target of the government offensive, responded by demanding that Maliki leave Basra. U.S. forces joined Iraqi troops in Baghdad to fight Mahdi Army militants, and police said that at least 20 people had been killed in the Sadr City neighborhood, a stronghold for Sadr’s backers. The city’s fortified Green Zone sustained a third round of intense mortar fire beginning at 5:30 a.m. that seriously injured three U.S. government employees, according to a statement from the U.S. Embassy. A mortar round struck near Maliki’s office.”

* Confused about the complicated events in Basra? Paul Kiel’s summary/primer is helpful.

* Bush ratchets up the pressure on China: “President Bush called China’s President Hu Jintao on Wednesday and raised concerns about the crackdown in Tibet, joining a growing chorus of international protests about Beijing’s tough tactics. Bush also told Hu that a ‘mistake had been made’ in the shipment of nuclear missile fuses to Taiwan, the president’s national security adviser said.”

* Not surprisingly, the Senate Finance Committee has started an inquiry into the Bear Stearns bailout.

* How was the New England Journal of Medicine to know that the “Foundation for Lung Cancer: Early Detection, Prevention & Treatment” was apparently a front for the tobacco industry?

* Ouch: “Drudge. Limbaugh. The American Spectator. Richard Mellon Scaife. What exactly is it going to take before Clinton campaign staffers recognize that they are, in essence, now working for the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy?”

* Many senior and midlevel White House and administration officials are anxious to get out of their jobs, and apparently, resumes aren’t exactly flying in to replace them.

* A symbolic step forward in Florida: “The Legislature issued an apology Wednesday morning for the state’s ’shameful’ history in enslaving black people and passing laws that called for savage lashings and even the nailing of their ears to posts for crimes like burglary.” The measures passed both chambers without discussion or recorded votes.

* A Samantha Power comeback? I hope so.

* It sounds Bill Clinton is tired of all the calls for resignations, too.

* Good bloggers doing good: “Yesterday afternoon, FDL’s Jane Hamsher filed a complaint with the FEC charging John McCain with violations of campaign finance law for spending beyond limits imposed by his decision to take public financing. McCain has claimed he is backing off that decision, and justifies it with the fact that he never received any of that public money. However, the law clearly states that he is bound by those limits if he uses the promise of those funds in order to secure campaign loans — something he absolutely did.”

* I’ll have more on McCain’s big foreign policy speech in the morning, but in the meantime, it amuses me that some of it was lifted from a 2001 op-ed on Afghanistan. C’mon, McCain speechwriters, it’s time to give us your A game.

* Provocative imagery: Joe Lieberman, John McCain, and Cindy McCain sharing a bed in the White House.

* Will the new Iraq NIE be kept secret?

* Now O’Reilly thinks Huffington and Kos are “fascists” and “anti-American.” I’m starting to think O’Reilly is more interested in the progressive online community than we are of him — and we’re pretty interested in him.

* One of my new favorite McCain quotes: “We’re succeeding [in Iraq]. I don’t care what anybody says.” Maybe, next, he can stick his fingers in his ears and sing, “La la la.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* At a townhall meeting in North Carolina yesterday, Barack Obama was asked about the role that Jesus and his teachings have had in the senator’s life. “I’m a Christian,” Obama said. “What that means for me is that I believe Jesus Christ died for my sins, and his grace and his mercy and his power, through him, I can achieve everlasting life.” He added, “I think it’s very important to think that you do not have to have the same faith as me to be a moral person – there are a lot of Jewish people who are as moral, or more moral than I am, there are a lot of Muslims who are decent kind people. I don’t think they are any less children of God.”

* Bill Clinton said yesterday the Obama and Clinton camps should “just saddle up and have an argument.” Obama told reporters he didn’t have a problem with that, but he added that one of his goals in politics was still “to see if we can change the tenor a little bit so it’s more productive.” Obama said he agreed with Clinton’s point about the intensity of politics, saying it was “a contact sport,” but emphasized he didn’t want to see this go too far. “There’s a line that can be crossed where you stop focusing on the American people’s business and it just becomes about sport.”

* Obama’s electability argument got a bit of a boost this morning when a new Public Policy Institute of California poll showed Obama leading McCain in a general-election match-up by nine points (49% to 40%), while Clinton leads McCain by three (46% to 43%).

* Joe Lieberman’s support for McCain doesn’t appear to be especially helpful in Connecticut, with a new Quinnipiac poll showing McCain trailing both Dems in general-election match-ups in the state. Obama leads McCain by 17 (52% to 35%), while Clinton leads McCain by three (45% to 42%).

* The first Mitt Romney sighting in a while: “In their first campaign swing as allies, Romney planned to meet McCain at the airport in Salt Lake City and appear with the likely Republican nominee at a fundraiser. The two then were traveling to Denver for a second fundraiser.”

* The NYT’s Nicholas Kristof makes a comparison that the Clinton campaign won’t like at all: “If Mrs. Clinton can run a high-minded, civil campaign and rein in her proxies, then she has every right to continue through the next few primaries, and the Democrats might even benefit from the bolstered attention and turnout. But if the brawl continues, then she and her husband may be remembered by many people who long admired them as having the same effect on Mr. Obama this November that Ralph Nader had on Al Gore in 2000. Do the Clintons really want to risk becoming the Naders of 2008?”

* Despite all we’ve seen, Republican donors will still pay to be in the same room as the president: “President Bush this year has already raised nearly half the amount of money for the Republican Party and candidates he did all of last year, in a role in which the lame-duck leader still excels despite his low job-approval ratings. Mr. Bush, after a $2 million fundraiser Tuesday night at the Virginia home of a finance director for Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign, had raised $30.1 million this year for various Republican Party groups and candidates, compared with $66.6 million in 2007, according to numbers provided by the Republican National Committee.”

* Nice to see this get at least a little attention: “A group of liberal bloggers filed a complaint to the Federal Election Commission, saying Sen. John McCain is breaking campaign finance law. The McCain campaign reported spending $58 million this election cycle, which is a few million more than what is permitted for candidates who commit to public financing in the primaries. Led by bloggers at Firedoglake and DailyKos, the group submitted a complaint to the FEC on Tuesday, and is asking for more signatures online to be added to another, larger complaint.”

* Is Bob Barr going to run for president as a Libertarian?

* And Clinton seems to have settled on a line to deflect attention from her disproven claims about her 1996 Bosnia trip. “I’m a human being. I made a mistake and owned up to it,” Hillary told Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren. “But that’s not what people talk to me about. When I’m out campaigning … people want to talk about the economy and health care, and they want to know what are you going to do to get fix our country and get it back on track, and help my family and me.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Like McCain, Maliki doesn’t care what anybody says: “Iraq’s prime minister vowed Thursday to fight ‘until the end’ against Shiite militias in Basra despite protests by tens of thousands of followers of a radical cleric in Baghdad and deadly clashes in the capital and the oil-rich south.”

* Bloodshed in Baghdad, as well as Basra: “A U.S. government employee was killed and four others were wounded in Baghdad this week by rocket attacks on the Green Zone diplomatic and government compound, the U.S. State Department said on Thursday. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the casualties occurred during four days of rocket attacks on the compound in central Baghdad beginning on Sunday.”

* Now that Al Wynn has lost his House primary, he’s cashing in: “Lame-duck Rep. Albert Wynn (D-Md.) announced Thursday afternoon that he will leave the House in June to join a Washington, D.C., law firm. Wynn, who was defeated in February in his bid for a ninth term when he lost the Democratic primary to nonprofit executive Donna Edwards, will become a partner in Dickstein Shapiro’s Public Policy & Law Practice and will focus on legal, legislative and regulatory counseling.”

* I get the impression that Speaker Pelosi is not easily intimidated: “A recent letter from several Hillary Clinton fundraisers to Nancy Pelosi seeking she step back from her contention that superdelegates should support the pledged-delegate leader appears to have had little effect on the House Speaker.”

* On a related note, MoveOn is rallying to Pelosi’s defense.

* AEY Inc., a company led by 22-year-old with some run-ins with the law and who has no discernible experience in military procurement, somehow won a military contract to provide ammunition to Afghan security forces. Now that the ammo has turned out to be useless, no one can explain why and why this happened.

* Henry Waxman has more than a few questions about the AEY contact. (If Joe Lieberman believed in doing his job, he would be asking questions, too.)

* Would the U.S. team up with Iran in Basra? Hmm.

* Maybe, just maybe, the State Department can review how its employees and contractors access private files of high-profile Americans.

* Bring on the Siegelman hearings.

* Rebate checks are going to make the economy “stronger than ever before“? Somehow, I doubt that.

* Good idea: “Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Wednesday called on Attorney General Michael Mukasey to explain the decision to eliminate the public corruption unit in Los Angeles that has been investigating Rep. Jerry Lewis’s (R-Calif.) ties to a lobbying firm.”

* Too many conference calls? “The first question on today’s latest Clinton campaign conference call came from the ‘freelance humor columnist’ for the Syracuse Post-Standard. Maybe it’s time to put this whole campaign on pause for a month or so?”

* I’ll never really understand why the media is this irresponsible in its coverage of McCain: “After playing a video clip of Sen. John McCain’s March 25 speech on the housing crisis, MSNBC’s Contessa Brewer asked, ‘Is this a real turning point for him, being this specific and detailed on what the economy needs?’ Um, Contessa? He didn’t offer any specifics.

* It looks like the LA Times really got burned on that Tupac Shakur story.

* John Solomon wants everyone to know that the Washington Times will remain biased and unreliable. What a relief.

* The NYT ran a story today, on the front page, about how young people like to send and receive news links and videos to their friends. “According to interviews and recent surveys, younger voters tend to be not just consumers of news and current events but conduits as well — sending out e-mailed links and videos to friends and their social networks. And in turn, they rely on friends and online connections for news to come to them.” You don’t say.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* It’s Friday afternoon, so it must be time for some White House official to resign in the face of scandal: “An aide to President Bush has resigned because of his alleged misuse of grant money from the U.S. Agency for International Development when he worked for a Cuban democracy organization. Felipe Sixto was promoted on March 1 as a special assistant to the president for intergovernmental affairs and stepped forward on March 20 to reveal his alleged wrongdoing and to resign, White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said Friday. He said Sixto took that step after learning that his former employer, the Center for a Free Cuba, was prepared to bring legal action against him. Stanzel said the alleged wrongdoing involved the misuse of money when Sixto was an official at the center.”

* The Iraqi Army isn’t taking the lead: “U.S. forces were drawn deeper into Iraq’s four-day-old crackdown on Shi’ite militants on Friday, launching air strikes in Basra for the first time and battling militants in Baghdad in heavy clashes.”

* Given how ridiculous Bush’s comments on Iraq are, I almost feel sorry for him: “President Bush on Friday branded the recent eruption of violence across Iraq as a ‘defining moment in the history of a free Iraq’ and insisted it was crucial to quash criminal elements eager to disrupt the new government.”

* Fred Kaplan: “The fighting in Basra, which has spread to parts of Baghdad, is not a clash between good and evil or between a legitimate government and an outlaw insurgency. Rather, as Anthony Cordesman, military analyst for the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, writes, it is ‘a power struggle’ between rival ‘Shiite party mafias’ for control of the oil-rich south and other Shiite sections of the country…. In other words, as with most things about Iraq, it’s a more complex case than Bush makes it out to be.”

* Sen. Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) has clarified his remarks about calling on Hillary Clinton to withdraw. “Senator Clinton has every right, but not a very good reason, to remain a candidate for as long as she wants to. As far as the delegate count and the interests of a Democratic victory in November go, there is not a very good reason for drawing this out. But as I have said before, that is a decision that only she can make.”

* Not surprisingly, the Clinton campaign is using the push for her withdrawal as a new fundraising pitch.

* Darcy Burner’s “Responsible Plan” for Iraq is starting to get some attention — and sponsors.

* Can’t tell the difference between ISCI, SIIC, and SCIRI? Kevin Drum comes through with a clip-and-save gem.

* Gallup tracking poll shows Obama with his biggest lead (eight points) in several weeks.

* The problems associated with the CIA destroying its torture tapes continue to linger.

* Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey will replace Navy Adm. William Fallon at U.S. Central Command.

* Al Gore compared global warming deniers to those who “still believe that the moon landing was staged in a movie lot in Arizona and those who believe the world is flat.”

* The right seems pretty worked up about the release of Geert Wilders’s Muslim-bashing film “Fitna” online. Steve M. explains why.

* I’m a little surprised Paul Krugman didn’t have more positive things to say about Obama’s speech on economic regulations today, given that it sounded like the kind of speech Krugman could have written. I’m encouraged, though, by the fact that Bob Kuttner agrees with me.

* Dean Barnett takes on Spencer Ackerman on the “Obama doctrine,” and Ackerman responds. If there’s such a thing as a first-round knockout in foreign policy analysis, I’d say Ackerman just scored one.

* I’m thinking about starting a new feature called, “Which media outlet is doing unnecessary and misleading favors for John McCain today?” In this afternoon’s edition, it’s NPR.

* Don Siegelman is free — and he’s talking.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Barack Obama picked up a very helpful endorsement today, earning the support of Sen. Bob Casey (D) of Pennsylvania, “a move that could help the presidential candidate make inroads with white working-class voters dubbed “Casey Democrats” in the Keystone State…. Casey is scheduled to join Obama in Pittsburgh Friday and campaign with him as Obama travels by across Pennsylvania by bus.” Most of the Democratic establishment in the state, including Gov. Ed Rendell and Rep. John Murtha, are backing Hillary Clinton.

* Sen. Pat Leahy (D-Vt.), an Obama supporter, was rather blunt on Vermont Public Radio this morning: “There is no way that Senator Clinton is going to win enough delegates to get the nomination. She ought to withdraw and she ought to be backing Senator Obama. Now, obviously that’s a decision that only she can make frankly I feel that she would have a tremendous career in the Senate.”

*During a taping yesterday of the ABC talk show, “The View,” Obama conceded that he would have left his church if Jeremiah Wright had stuck around. “Had the reverend not retired, and had he not acknowledged that what he had said had deeply offended people and were inappropriate and mischaracterized what I believe is the greatness of this country, for all its flaws, then I wouldn’t have felt comfortable staying at the church,” he said.

* Bill Clinton believes his wife would be doing great if it weren’t for all of those caucus states. “Right now, among all the primary states, believe it or not, Hillary’s only 16 votes behind in pledged delegates,” the former president told ABC News, “and she’s gonna wind up with the lead in the popular vote in the primary states. She’s gonna wind up with the lead in the delegates [from primary states]. It’s the caucuses that have been killing us.”

* DNC Chairman Howard Dean is getting impatient. ”You do not want to demoralize the base of the Democratic Party by having the Democrats attack each other,” he told the AP. ”Let the media and the Republicans and the talking heads on cable television attack and carry on, fulminate at the mouth. The supporters should keep their mouths shut about this stuff on both sides because that is harmful to the potential victory of a Democrat.”

* On a related note, Dean doesn’t want superdelegates waiting to decide which candidate to support until August. ”There is no point in waiting,” he said. This morning, he added that he is eyeing a July 1 deadline.

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) is getting impatient, too: “I think it’s very difficult to imagine how anyone can believe that Barack Obama can’t be the nominee of the party. I think that’s a foregone conclusion, in my view, at this juncture given where things are. But certainly over the next couple of weeks, as we get into April, it seems to me then that the national leadership of this party has to stand up and reach a conclusion. And in the absence of doing that — and that’s not easy and I realize it’s painful — but the alternative, allowing this sort of to fester over the months of June and July and August, I think are irresponsible. I think you have to make a decision, and hopefully the candidates will respect it and people will rally behind a nominee that, I think, emerges from these contests over the next month.”

* Sounds good to me: “Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said in an interview on Wednesday that if elected president she would push for a universal health care plan that would limit what Americans pay for health insurance to no more than 10 percent of their income, a significant reduction for some families. In an extensive interview on health policy, Mrs. Clinton said she would like to cap health insurance premiums at 5 percent to 10 percent of income.”

* InsiderAdvantage, a Republican pollster, shows Obama leading Clinton in North Carolina, 49% to 34%.

* The Clinton campaign has said, on a few occasions, that Obama may have taught constitutional law, but he’s lying when he says he was a “professor.” The University of Chicago Law School has finally weighed in, explaining that Obama really was considered a “professor,” though “not full-time or tenure-track.” (What’s more, the law school invited Obama “to join the faculty in a full-time tenure-track position, but he declined.”)

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In the latest Gallup Poll Daily, Barack Obama has his largest lead to date over Hillary Clinton, 53% to 42%. John McCain, meanwhile, continues to lead both Dems by similar margins in hypothetical match-ups.

* When McCain delivered a speech last week on the mortgage crisis, he neglected to mention that two of his top campaign advisors were up until recently lobbyists for Ameriquest Mortgage, one of the nation’s more notorious lenders in the mortgage meltdown.

* Obama will pick up another Senate endorsement today, when Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) of Minnesota announces her support for him.

* Al Gore doesn’t seem to have any interest intervening in the race for the Democratic nomination. “I’m trying to stay out of it,” Gore told “60 Minutes.” Asked if he might intervene to help the party and the campaign strike some kind of arrangement, Gore added, “I’m not applying for the job of broker.”

* In New Jersey, Rasmussen shows McCain leading both Dems in hypothetical match-ups, though Obama fares slightly better than Clinton against the Republican nominee in the Garden State.

* I’ve pretty much given up trying to understand the details of Texas’ Democratic caucuses and the delegates awarded at the state’s convention, but it appears that Obama won 38 pledged delegates in the caucuses, to Clinton’s 29. (Clinton won the Texas primary by four delegates, 65 to 61, meaning that Obama’s net gain from the state is five.)

* The former president wants everyone to take a deep breath: “Former President Bill Clinton twice told Democrats at the California Democratic Party convention in San Jose to “chill out.” He also displayed a remarkable memory for the rest of the nominating-contest calendar…. ‘Chill out,’ Clinton continued. ‘We’re going to win this election if we just chill out and let everybody have their say. This is a good thing.’”

* Bob Novak believes former Rep. Rob Portman of Ohio has the inside track on being McCain’s running mate. “Portman’s background is legislative, serving in the House Republican leadership as a representative from Ohio; executive and economic, serving in George W. Bush’s Cabinet as director of the Office of Management and Budget, and diplomatic, serving as U.S. trade representative. He comes from Ohio, a swing state, is young enough at 52 to contrast McCain, and conservative enough, earning an 89 percent lifetime American Conservative Union rating.”

* Bush Pioneers aren’t exactly rushing to help McCain out: “Even though he all but secured the Republican nomination by mid-February, Mr. McCain has so far managed to enlist only a fraction of the heavyweight bundlers of campaign contributions who helped drive President Bush’s two runs for the White House, an examination of Mr. McCain’s fund-raising network shows.”

* Did Obama blow it with John (and Elizabeth) Edwards? Maybe.

* And in Senate news, New Jersey Republicans finally found a candidate to take on Sen. Frank Lautenberg in November, but there’s one small catch: he doesn’t actually live in New Jersey. (Some might argue this makes him a “carpetbagger,” not that I would ever use the word in a derogatory way….)

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The lede is encouraging, the details are not: “The Bush administration Monday proposed the most far-ranging overhaul of the financial regulatory system since the stock market crash of 1929 and the ensuing Great Depression. The plan would change how the government regulates thousands of businesses from the nation’s biggest banks and investment houses down to the local insurance agent and mortgage broker.”

* Chris Dodd had the right response: “Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut said he welcomed the plan offered by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, but questioned its relevance in addressing falling home prices, rising foreclosures and the imminent threat of recession. ‘To talk about overhauling the regulatory system is a wonderful idea. But frankly it doesn’t relate to the issues we’re grappling with,’ Dodd said on a conference call. ‘I would call this a wild pitch. … It’s not even close to the strike zone,’ he said.”

* And on a related note: “Both Democratic presidential hopefuls jumped on the resignation today of President Bush’s housing secretary to decry the ‘cronyism’ they said he represented and the inaction they said is worsening the housing crisis. ‘While Secretary Jackson’s resignation is appropriate, it does nothing to address the Bush Administration’s wait-and-don’t-see posture to our nation’s housing crisis, which is threatening to drive our economy into a painful recession,’ Hillary Clinton said in a statement.”

* NYT: “Driven by a painful mix of layoffs and rising food and fuel prices, the number of Americans receiving food stamps is projected to reach 28 million in the coming year, the highest level since the aid program began in the 1960s.”

* Shocking to the point of disbelief: “The stories are shocking in their simplicity and brutality: A female military recruit is pinned down at knifepoint and raped repeatedly in her own barracks. Her attackers hid their faces but she identified them by their uniforms; they were her fellow soldiers…. Women serving in the U.S. military are more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire in Iraq.”

* Go, Al, go: “Former vice president Al Gore will launch a three-year, $300 million campaign Wednesday aimed at mobilizing Americans to push for aggressive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, a move that ranks as one of the most ambitious and costly public advocacy campaigns in U.S. history.”

* Lou Dobbs seems to have trouble talking about talking about race.

* That doesn’t explain, though, why CNN was scrub the transcript to clean up Dobbs’ remarks.

* Yet another compromise proposal is on the table with regards to Michigan’s Democratic delegates.

* Why does McCain always seem to be surprised by developments in Iraq? “As he launched a tour here designed to highlight his family’s long tradition of military service, Senator John McCain said Monday that he was surprised by the latest turn of events in America’s current war in Iraq.”

* Oh my: “With the soft economy reducing government tax collections, President Bush’s projected $410 billion budget deficit for 2008 could climb to $500 billion or more, according to new estimates.”

* Confused about what a “credentials committee” at the Democratic convention would do? Greg Sargent has a very helpful primer.

* Bush just isn’t good with numbers. That includes reading phone numbers from a piece of paper.

* Former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill is asked what he thinks of John McCain’s confession that he doesn’t understand economics. “Yeah,” O’Neill replied. “That’s a great place to start from, isn’t it?”

* Hillary Clinton to run for governor in New York? Don’t count on it.

* Great line after Bush was booed at a baseball game in DC last night: “There’s a reason President Bush almost never appears before members of the general public: They really don’t like him.”

* And finally, what the heck is up with my server? Friday, I was supposed to move to a new, fancy dedicated server, which would fix all my problems. Apparently, there was some kind of problem, so that didn’t happen, which is why today has been such a mess. But tonight, my hosting company assures me, is the night, and tomorrow, everything should be running smoothly. Keep your fingers crossed.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new Rasmussen poll out of Pennsylvania has caused a bit of a stir, showing Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama by just five points, 47% to 42%. This is down from a 10-point lead in a Rasmussen poll a week ago, and a 13-point lead two weeks ago.

* On the other hand, SurveyUSA also has a new Pennsylvania poll out this morning, and it shows Clinton up by 12, 53% to 41%. The trend seems to be in Obama’s direction — Clinton led by 19 points in a SUSA poll a couple of weeks ago.

* In her TV interviews this week, Clinton is pushing hard the notion that Obama is trying to force her from the race, but Obama is taking a very different line publicly. This morning, on the “Today” show, Obama said, “[S]he has certainly earned the right to stay in this race as long as she wants. She has run a formidable race. I mean, we won 11 contests in a row and that didn’t knock her out. And that’s some tenacity on her part…. And I think she deserves to be able to run and make her case.”

* On a related note, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declined on “Good Morning America” today to join the chorus of those calling for an end to the nomination fight. “I think that for all that I have said about respecting the will of the people that the inference to be drawn from that is that we have to continue the election in terms of hearing from the people,” Pelosi said.

* In a Gallup poll released yesterday, majorities in both parties said Obama would be a tougher general-election candidate against John McCain than Clinton. Among Dems, 59% said Obama has a better chance in November, and among Republicans, 64% said Clinton would be easier to beat.

* There’s a very odd quirk in the daily Gallup tracking polls: Clinton does better mid-week, while Obama does better later in the week and/or on weekends. Hmm.

* The list of “must-win” states for Clinton has been a little unpredictable, but it seems the new conventional wisdom is looking past North Carolina and eyeing Indiana.

* Of all the upcoming races, I think Clinton has Kentucky in the bag — a new SurveyUSA poll shows Clinton leading by 29 points, 58% to 29%.

* For those who are obsessively tracking delegate counts, Obama’s margin of victory in Mississippi has been recalculated and he picked up an extra delegate.

* I really wish people would not ask Chelsea Clinton a bunch of Lewinsky-related questions. First, it’s cheap. Second, she’s not going to answer. And third, what, exactly, do people expect her to say?

* And in light of April Fool’s Day and McCain’s scheduled appearance on Letterman tonight, the DNC released a very amusing “Top 10 Reasons to Elect John McCain.” It touches all the bases, but my personal favorite was #6: “He won’t need Dick Cheney to tell members of Congress to ‘go f— yourself.’”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* More of this, please: “Lawmakers grilled executives from the world’s five largest publicly traded oil companies Tuesday, criticizing them for taking tax subsidies and not investing in renewable resources amid record prices for oil and gasoline. ‘Americans are hoping that the top executives from the five largest oil companies will tell us that these soaring gas prices are just part of some elaborate hoax,’ said Ed Markey, D-Mass, chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. ‘Unfortunately, it’s not a joke.’”

* I don’t imagine the White House will take the Speaker’s advice: “Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is calling on President Bush to consider boycotting the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Beijing. Pelosi does not favor boycotting the games themselves, but believes the possibility of boycotting the ceremonies is something that should remain an option, according to Drew Hammill, her press secretary. ‘She does not favor a boycott of the entire games,’ he said. ‘But she does believe boycotting the ceremonies should be left on the table.’”

* Froomkin: “President Bush is ratcheting up expectations for his European trip, aggressively calling for continued expansion of NATO into the former Soviet Union and saying he is hopeful that a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin on establishing a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe could be nailed down by Sunday. Does he know something we don’t? At least two NATO members appear to be opposed to Bush’s expansion plan. And since NATO operates by consensus, that would seem to indicate that Bush is headed for another international humiliation.” We can add it to the list.

* Progress on a bipartisan housing bill? “In a surprise announcement, Senate leaders Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Harry Reid (D-Nev.), cast aside the procedural politics and agreed to bring a foreclosure prevention bill to the Senate floor…. The breakthrough is extraordinary if only because the Senate has been so accustomed to gridlock on major issues like Iraq and foreign intelligence. But clearly, senators from both side of the aisle realized that legislating is better than political rhetoric as the housing market continues in a meltdown…. McConnell and Reid have agreed to allow a bipartisan bill, negotiated by Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) and the panel’s top Republican, Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama.”

* Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell badly misstated his recent negotiations with Senate Dems on FISA. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) is not amused.

* I guess it could have been worse; it could have been 100%: “Government auditors issued a scathing review yesterday of dozens of the Pentagon’s biggest weapons systems, saying ships, aircraft and satellites are billions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule. The Government Accountability Office found that 95 major systems have exceeded their original budgets by a total of $295 billion, bringing their total cost to $1.6 trillion, and are delivered almost two years late on average.”

* Elizabeth Edwards 1, John McCain 0.

* Olbermann 1, Wal-Mart 0.

* Encouraging: “For most of the twentieth century, no single group represented a bigger obstacle to universal health care than organized medicine…. So given all of these changes, are physician attitudes about health care reform changing? Perhaps, if a new study from the Annals of Internal Medicine is correct.”

* High school students know when they’re being used as political props.

* Nice job, Madam Speaker: “Prior to the Easter recess, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was forced to intervene with Defense Secretary Robert Gates in order to get Democratic Rep. Tammy Baldwin’s domestic partner on a military flight for a congressional fact-finding trip to Europe.”

* Steve Doocy’s hackitude knows no bounds.

* Ralph Reed may be a disgrace, but that doesn’t preclude him from writing a political thriller.

* Speaking of Ralph Reed, Congress is still completing unfinished business from the Abramoff days.

* The media is still talking about Clinton tearing up in New Hampshire?

* And finally, if you haven’t seen Josh Marshall’s blooper reel, you’re missing out on a hilarious video.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Another big endorsement pickup for Obama: “Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has won the endorsement of one of his party’s top foreign policy figures, Lee Hamilton, who hails from Indiana, home to one of the next crucial primary votes. Hamilton, a former U.S. House member who co-chaired the commission that investigated the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and headed the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, said he was impressed by Obama’s approach to national security and foreign policy.”

* After a brief lull last week, there are a couple of new polls out of Pennsylvania this morning. Quinnipiac shows Clinton leading Obama by nine (50-41), down from a 12-point lead two weeks ago. Public Policy Polling, oddly enough, shows Obama up by two (45-43), which is a 28-point swing in just two weeks. For the record, the PPP poll is the first to show Obama leading in Pennsylvania, and given all of the other data — from Quinnipiac, SurveyUSA, Rasmussen, and others — I don’t buy into the results at all.

* Speaking of polls, the internals of the latest Quinnipiac report offer some good news for Clinton fans. In Florida, she leads McCain by two, while McCain leads Obama by nine. In Ohio, both Clinton and Obama lead McCain, but Obama’s margin is smaller. Likewise, in Pennsylvania, Clinton leads McCain by eight, while Obama leads McCain by four.

* John McCain told Don Imus this morning that he has begun “getting together a list of names” for running-mate consideration. “I’d like to get it done as early as possible. I’m aware of enhanced importance of this issue given my age,” McCain said.

* March wasn’t as big a fundraising month for the candidates as February, but the Dems still fared pretty well. It looks like Obama took in over $30 million, while Clinton collected about $20 million.

* It’s not a big surprise, but I believe this was the first on-the-record confirmation: “In an interview with me this morning, senior Hillary adviser Harold Ickes confirmed that Reverend Jeremiah Wright is a key topic in discussions with uncommitted super-delegates over whether Obama is electable in a general election.”

* Apparently, things got a little heated over the weekend when Bill Clinton met privately with California’s superdelegates at their state party convention.

* Indiana, one of the more competitive primaries remaining on the calendar, appears to favor Clinton at this point. SurveyUSA shows her leading Obama by nine, 52% to 43%.

* Interesting Gallup poll: “Only 42% of Democrats nationwide want Hillary Clinton to be the Democratic vice presidential nominee if Barack Obama wins the presidential nomination, while 55% think he should pick someone else. By contrast, the majority of Democrats — 58% — would like to see Obama nominated as vice president if Clinton heads the ticket.”

* McCain has assured the right that he won’t try to “soften” the party platform in opposition to abortion and gay rights.

* The Richardson/Carville drama continues to percolate.

* And Gallup is insisting that its daily tracking polls do not fall victim to a “day of the week” effect, and that recent trends to that effect are a coincidence.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Bernanke used the “r” word: “For the first time, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke acknowledged the U.S. could reel into recession from the powerful punches of housing, credit and financial crises. Yet, he was coy about the Fed’s next move. With home foreclosures swelling to record highs and job losses mounting, Bernanke on Wednesday offered Congress an unflinching — and more pessimistic — assessment of potential damage to the national economy.”

* Still stretched to the breaking point: “Senior Army and Marine Corps leaders said yesterday that the increase of more than 30,000 troops in Iraq and Afghanistan has put unsustainable levels of stress on U.S. ground forces and has put their readiness to fight other conflicts at the lowest level in years. In a stark assessment a week before Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, is to testify on the war’s progress, Gen. Richard A. Cody, the Army’s vice chief of staff, said that the heavy deployments are inflicting ‘incredible stress’ on soldiers and families and that they pose ‘a significant risk’ to the nation’s all-volunteer military.”

* Wait, another Dem caught with a prostitute? “The co-founder and former CEO of the liberal-progressive Democracy Radio and husband of U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow was caught in February by a Troy police sting aimed at catching prostitutes, according to a police report. Thomas L. Athans was stopped Feb. 26 by undercover officers investigating a possible prostitution ring in a room at the Residence Inn near Big Beaver and Interstate 75. Athans paid a 20-year-old prostitute $150 for sex in a Troy hotel but was not arrested, according to police reports obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by The Detroit News.”

* If you haven’t already ordered “Great American Hypocrites: Toppling the Big Myths of Republican Politics” by the estimable Glenn Greenwald, get to it.

* Good for Kaine: “Virginia has put all executions on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether lethal injections are constitutional. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine ordered the moratorium on Tuesday in delaying the scheduled April 8 execution of Edward Nathaniel Bell until July 24. It is the 30th such stay of execution nationally since September, when the Supreme Court agreed to hear a Kentucky case that challenged the constitutionality of lethal injections. Other executions are not being scheduled pending the ruling, expected in late June.”

* The seamless, top-down transition from the Yoo’s theory to Rumsfeld’s practice.

* Time’s Joe Klein is on a roll: “Fresh from his assertion that the Iraq civil war was ‘over’ a week ago, here’s Fred — plus added bonus attraction Kimberly — Kagan reinforcing their profoundly warped view of Iraq in the Weekly Standard.” Great post. Really.

* Again? After losing by double digits in a conservative state just two years? “Abortion opponents in South Dakota filed petitions this week that are likely to put an initiative on November’s ballot calling for a near-ban on abortion, renewing a contentious fight over a similar proposal in 2006. The group VoteYesForLife.com said Tuesday that it turned in on Monday three times the number of signatures needed to qualify an initiative that would ban abortion in most cases. Unlike the 2006 law, however, it includes exceptions to allow the procedure when necessary to protect the health of a woman and in cases of rape or incest.”

* The NRCC’s financial scandal gets a little worse.

* Lieberman’s a little confused about the history of “residual forces.”

* The good news is the U.S. image abroad is starting to improve. The bad news is our image is still pretty awful.

* I don’t want to alarm anyone, but it appears that former Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas), McCain’s top economic “expert,” isn’t especially honest.

* If Obama had shot an airball on this, I shudder to think just how much play it would have received from Scarborough and Matthews. Fortunately — for all of our sakes — it was nothing but net.

* Even after having been corrected by another conservative, Tony Snow can’t get his Obama attacks right. How sad.

* And finally, Bush’s press conferences usually aren’t particularly funny, but today, alongside Romanian President Traian Basescu, was an exception. Bush decided to end the press conference — typically, the AP noted, “as a matter of courtesy and protocol, the host decides when such an event is over, but Bush has been known to ignore that practice” — when Basescu intervened, spoke a little more, and then wrapped up the event.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Love him or hate him, I’ve never seen or heard of a Democrat who could rally this kind of financial support: “Sen. Barack Obama raised better than $40 million for his presidential campaign in the month of March alone, bringing his total raised for the first three months of 2008 to a staggering $134 million…. Obama’s fundraising machine continues to churn at historic levels. In March alone, 218,000 new donors contributed to Obama’s campaign and a total of 442,000 people contributed to the campaign in the last month — a reflection of the massively broad fundraising pool from which the Illinois Senator is drawing.” The Clinton campaign would not disclose its March totals, but conceded that it would fall short of Obama’s haul.

* DNC Chairman Howard Dean had said, more than once, that Florida could not have a convention delegation. Yesterday, Dean reversed course, saying, “We are committed to do everything in our power to seat the Florida delegation,” adding that the DNC is “confident enough we have reserved hotel rooms.” Rep. Ron Klein (D-Fla.) called Dean’s comments “a breakthrough.”

* Obama picked up another endorsement from a red-state governor yesterday when Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal threw his support to the Illinois senator. (Freudenthal is, of course, a superdelegate.)

* Speaking of endorsements, Obama also picked up the support of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, an AFSCME affiliate based in Philadelphia.

* If the libertarian wing of the Republican Party doesn’t like McCain, it looks like they’ll have a high-profile alternative: former Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga.) is poised to launch an independent bid.

* I pretty much stopped paying attention to the feud between the Clinton campaign and Bill Richardson, but apparently, it’s still ongoing. Let it go, guys.

* Public disclosure of Hillary Clinton’s tax returns is apparently still on the way.

* Obama seemed to cause quite a stir yesterday when he said at a campaign event, “I will make a commitment that Al Gore will be at the table and play a central part in us figuring out how we solve this [climate change] problem.” (I’m not sure why the media found this so fascinating; hasn’t Obama said this many times before?)

* Interesting trends in North Carolina: “Between January and March of this year, more than 30,000 currently registered voters changed their party identification. More than 12,000 of those, about 40%, are previously Republican voters who have moved OUT of the party to register either as Democrats or as unaffiliated voters able to participate in either primary on May 6th. Subtract from that the number of Dems and unaffiliated voters who moved into the GOP, and there’s still a net LOSS of about 6,700 Republican voters in three months. In contrast, the Democratic party nabbed a net of about 4,000 voters – previously Republican or unaffiliated – who moved into the D column.”

* And Obama appeared on Hardball with Chris Matthews yesterday, and the host asked him for an example of a strikingly ridiculous moment from the campaign. “That happens once a day,” Obama said. “But then I stopped watching cable news.” I know how he feels.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* More discouraging economic news: “The number of new people signing up for unemployment benefits last week shot up to the highest level in more than two years, fresh evidence of the damage to a national economy clobbered by housing, credit and financial crises.”

* Why did the Maliki offensive in Basra go so poorly? According to a fascinating NYT piece, Maliki “overestimated his military’s abilities,” “underestimated the scale of the resistance,” acted “impulsively,” refused to send enough troops, and rejected the good advice. (There’s a very good reason Bush and Maliki get along so well….)

* I’m not surprised; there are a lot of crazies out there: “Obama’s church has faced threats of violence since the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s comments on race and on America became national news, an official of a church council with which it’s affiliated said.”

* This one has to be read to be believed: “‘If you’re going to start taking pictures of me, you’re liable to get shot,’ the chairman of one of the country’s biggest coal mining companies, Don Blankenship of Massey Energy, told an ABC News reporter before grabbing the reporter’s camera. The incident this week, in the parking lot of a Massey Energy office in Belfry, Ky., is just the latest chapter in the saga of Blankenship’s controversial relationship with the West Virginia Supreme Court, which is hearing appeals that could cost his company hundreds of millions of dollars. Photographs recently emerged showing Blankenship vacationing on the French Riviera with the state Supreme Court Chief Justice Elliott ‘Spike’ Maynard.”

* John McCain insists that Iran and al Qaeda are in cahoots. Ayman al-Zawahiri, AQ’s second in command, offers a very different perspective. (Remember, according to Bush, Cheney, McCain, and their allies, it’s imperative that we listen to what al Qaeda’s leaders tell us about their strategies.)

* We don’t hear about this as much as we used to, but we’re still sending troops to war with untested body armor.

* When Clinton donors threatened Speaker Pelosi over her superdelegate comments, the whole effort seemed to backfire. Not only did Pelosi maintain her position, but DCCC donations spiked in response to the hardball tactics.

* Former Pentagon official Doug Feith, who “played a major role in developing the interrogation policy for Guantanamo Bay,” thinks only “assholes” care about torture. He wasn’t kidding.

* It’s hard to believe how worked up the right gets about Jane Fonda.

* I’m trying to imagine what would happen if a liberal Democrat had said this: “The California congressman who called the Sept. 11 attacks ’simply’ a plane crash ran for cover Wednesday under a barrage of ridicule from fellow Republicans, first responders and victims’ families. San Diego GOP Rep. Darrell Issa was under siege for suggesting the federal government had already done enough to help New York cope with ‘a fire’ that ’simply was an aircraft’ hitting the World ‘Trade Center.”

* Agreed: “I think the whole ‘earmark’ discussion is stupid. One can ask for more transparency in the process, and a better process, but basically we’re just talking about Congress specifying how money should be spent instead of having the Awesome Executive make those decisions. But I’m enough of a ‘to the winners go some of the spoils’ guy to wonder just how it is that in a Democratic Congress, conservatives are the worst earmark ‘offenders.’”

* It looks like I can safely skip Lee Siegel’s new anti-web book, “Against the Machine.”

* If James Kirchick had only clicked on the link, he wouldn’t have known not to publish his cheap and misleading shot at Jane Hamsher.

* I wonder who the Wall Street Journal will endorse?

* And finally, you know how there was some odd campaign to get everyone, everywhere to name everything after Ronald Reagan? A new effort is underway to get a sewage plant in San Francisco named after George W. Bush. Seems like a reasonable idea.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The polls in Pennsylvania are all over the place, but taken together, it looks like an increasingly competitive contest. The latest InsiderAdvantage poll shows Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama by just two, 45% to 43%. The Morning Call newspaper finds Clinton up by 11 (49-38), down from 14. Strategic Vision shows Clinton with an eight-point lead (49-41), though the margin is down from an 18-point lead a few weeks ago. However, the Strategic Vision poll has one key piece of good news for Clinton — she leads McCain in Pennsylvania by six, while the Republican pollster shows McCain beating Obama by five.

* Speaking of polls and primaries, a new poll in Indiana shows another tight race, with Clinton leading Obama by just three points, 49% to 46%.

* Former President Jimmy Carter seems to have a preference in the Dems’ nomination fight: “Don’t forget that Obama won in my state of Georgia,” Carter said. “My town, which is home to 625 people, is for Obama, my children and their spouses are pro-Obama. My grandchildren are also pro-Obama. As a superdelegate, I would not disclose who I am rooting for but I leave you to make that guess.”

* The good news for Clinton is that her $20 million haul in March was her second best monthly showing to date. The bad news for Clinton is that she only raised about half of Obama’s total for the month.

* John Edwards was a running mate once, and he doesn’t want to be one again: “After his keynote speech at CTIA, the annual U.S. wireless industry showcase, Edwards was asked in a question-and-answer session if he would accept the nomination for vice president. ‘No,’ said Edwards, who also declined to say whether he would endorse Clinton or Obama.”

* New Jersey Sen. Jon Corzine and Pennsylvania Rep. Jack Murtha, two prominent Clinton backers, both said independently yesterday that they believe Clinton needs to win the Democratic popular vote to have a chance at the nomination.

* Self-deprecating humor is always welcome, as was the case with Clinton’s appearance on “The Tonight Show” last night: “[S]he used her entrance to try to defuse the recent unpleasantness about her fictional account of flying into Tuzla, Bosnia, under sniper fire in 1996, a tale that was discredited by witnesses and news footage. ‘I was worried I wasn’t going to make it,’ she said as she walked onto the set (to the theme from ‘Rocky’). ‘ was pinned down by sniper fire at the Burbank airport.’”

* The LAT takes a closer look at the race for superdelegates and finds a narrowing contest: “In December, according to an Associated Press tally, Clinton led Obama by 106 superdelegates. In February, her lead had been cut to 87. As of Thursday, it was 30.”

* CBS had scheduled a Democratic debate in North Carolina for April 19, which Obama agreed to but Clinton did not. Yesterday, the Clinton campaign agreed to an April 27 debate in North Carolina, but the Obama campaign has not yet signed on.

* And House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), for reasons that are unclear, is feeling pretty good about his caucus’ chances in November: “I think we are going to gain seats this year. Period.” We’ll see.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The Clintons’ tax returns were released this afternoon: “Bill and Hillary Clinton earned a combined $109 million between 2000 and 2007, with the former president and first lady parlaying their White House years into hefty publishing paydays, and with his oratorical gifts bringing in more than $51 million from paid speaking engagements. The figures came with the release this afternoon of the Clintons’ joint tax returns, a move Sen. Clinton made after promising during a televised presidential debate to comply with requests from journalists and her Democratic rivals to share details of her family’s financial dealings. The returns reveal how the Clintons turned global fame into a successful commercial brand, particularly through the former president’s speaking fees. The two also collected more than $30 million from book deals, the returns show.”

* For years, policy experts have feared that terrorists would go to Iraq, learn deadly skills, and then take those lessons elsewhere to commit more acts of violence. We’re starting to see these fears come to reality.

* And embarrassed Mark Penn apologized this afternoon for his work on the Colombian trade deal: “[A] Clinton adviser said the candidate was not happy to learn about the meeting, and Penn issued a statement expressing regrets. ‘The meeting was an error in judgment that will not be repeated and I am sorry for it,’ Penn said in a written statement. ‘The senator’s well-known opposition to this trade deal is clear and was not discussed.’”

* John McCain delivered a speech on Dr. King in Memphis today. He heard a lot of boos.

* The re-vote in Michigan was dead, but now it’s really dead: “Michigan Democrats will not to go to the polls again to choose a presidential nominee, even though the national party has refused to recognize the results of their vote in January, the party announced Friday. ‘We have concluded that it is not practical to conduct such a primary or caucus,’ the state party’s executive committee said in a written statement.”

* On the other hand: “After meeting with Florida Democratic leaders this week, Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Howard Dean met with Michigan party leaders Friday, saying again he is ‘committed’ to find a way to seat the two states’ delegates at this summer’s convention.”

* A painful, nauseating story that needs to be read: “It was an early January morning in 2008 when 42-year-old Lisa Smith [a pseudonym], a paramedic for a defense contractor in southern Iraq, woke up to find her entire room shaking. The shipping container that served as her living quarters was reverberating from nearby rocket attacks, and she was jolted awake to discover an awful reality. ‘Right then my whole life was turned upside down,’ she says. What follows is the story she told me in a lengthy, painful on-the-record interview, conducted in a lawyer’s office in Houston, Texas, while she was back from Iraq on a brief leave.”

* If McCain’s too busy running for president to co-sponsor the revised GI Bill, how is that Clinton and Obama found time to sign on?

* Nice chart on the McCain-lobbyist connection.

* Paul Weyrich, the religious right pioneer, endorsed Mitt Romney for president, but is working to ensure that he’s not vice president. Odd.

* House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers has some questions for Attorney General Michael Mukasey about that mysterious 9/11 phone call.

* No, we can’t see the new NIE on Iraq.

* Remember when O’Reilly encouraged everyone to “relax on all this gay stuff”? He needs to take his own advice.

* And finally, Glenn Beck argued last night that the extinction of polar bears as a result of global warming isn’t such a bad thing, because, he explained, “they eat people.” Remember, CNN — the network that the right considers insufficiently conservative — pays this guy quite a bit of money.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new CNN poll in Pennsylvania shows Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama by seven, 49% top 42%. The last CNN poll showed Clinton up by 11, and is the latest in a series of polls showing the race tightening. [corrected — I initially neglected to mention the state]

* John McCain was asked on “Fox News Sunday” yesterday whether he believes Obama is qualified to be president. In a bit of a surprise, McCain said, “Absolutely,” though he added, “I believe that my talent and my background and my experience, which has led to my judgment … qualifies me more.”

* The latest Charlotte Observer/WCNC poll out of North Carolina shows Obama leading Hillary Clinton by nine points. A potential sign of trouble for Clinton: “Only 25 percent of voters gave Clinton high marks for trustworthiness, compared with 54 percent for McCain and 48 percent for Obama. Even Democrats ranked Clinton lower.”

* ABC News reported over the weekend that Clinton urged pledged delegates in North Dakota to switch from Obama to her. The report added (but did not include direct quotes), “Clinton made it clear to North Dakota Democrats last night that she believes there is no such thing as a pledged delegate.”

* Probably best not to rely on third-hand stories: “A hospital in Ohio is disputing a story often told on the stump by Hillary Clinton, in which a woman was allegedly refused care over an inability to tender $100, and later died of complications from a stillbirth.” The campaign said on Saturday that it will strike the anecdote from the senator’s stump speech, where it’s been for nearly a month.

* McCain has been reluctant to accept Secret Service protection, but the senator is nevertheless scheduled to meet with officials this week about making arrangements. “I think that it’s important as we get more and more visibility, that we recognize the inevitable,” McCain told Fox News. McCain, who uses private security guards, had announced in November that he would reject Secret Service protection if he won the Republican nomination and possibly even the White House.

* I’ve been unimpressed with ARG polls so far this year, but for what it’s worth, the pollster has Clinton and Obama tied at 45% in Pennsylvania.

* Speaking of Pennsylvania, the SEIU is investing heavily in Obama’s campaign in the Keystone State, announcing that it’s “dropping almost $740,000 on staff and literature for a massive canvass of Pennsylvania.”

* What would Connecticut voters do if they had the ‘06 Senate race to do over again? By a wide margin, they’d back Ned Lamont over Joe Lieberman.

* The comedy of errors in New Jersey continues. First, Andy Unanue was going to run as the GOP’s U.S. Senate candidate. Then he dropped out, clearing the way for John Crowley, who changed his mind a couple of times before announcing he would throw his hat into the ring. Then Crowley dropped out, prompting Unanue to say he’s now reconsidering whether to jump back in.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Mark Penn has been forced out of his role in the Clinton campaign, but he’s not really gone: “…Penn may no longer have the coveted title of chief strategist, but he remains a key member of the campaign’s senior staff. Mr. Penn took part on the campaign’s morning message call this morning, as usual. This afternoon, he is also scheduled to be on a call with Clinton and other aides to begin to prepare for Saturday’s presidential debate in Philadelphia. Mr. Penn ‘is still going to be very much involved,’ a senior campaign official said. Indeed, it is not clear precisely what Mr. Penn’s title-change entails, other than a public rebuke, although the official said that ‘there is a difference between being in charge and being one of many voices.’”

* Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman (D), now out from behind bars, has quite a few interesting things to say — about the details of his case and about the need for Karl Rove to testify about his role in the controversy.

* Great chart comparing job growth during Clinton’s two terms against job growth during Bush’s two terms.

* John McCain gave another big speech in Iraq today. Right around the time the GOP candidate was insisting that we’ve “turn[ed] things around,” MSNBC had to break away to report on mortars being fired into the Green Zone, which came just a day after five Americans troops were killed in Iraq.

* Interesting statement from the Clinton campaign: “The violent clashes in Tibet and the failure of the Chinese government to use its full leverage with Sudan to stop the genocide in Darfur are opportunities for Presidential leadership. These events underscore why I believe the Bush administration has been wrong to downplay human rights in its policy towards China. At this time, and in light of recent events, I believe President Bush should not plan on attending the opening ceremonies in Beijing, absent major changes by the Chinese government.”

* Good move on the part of New Jersey officials on six weeks of paid leave for workers to to “care for sick family members and newborn or adopted children.”

* “The percentage of recruits requiring a waiver to join the Army because of a criminal record or other past misconduct has more than doubled since 2004.” Still no law-abiding gays, though.

* The Mortgage Bankers Association is now finding it “harder than it imagined to pay its own mortgage.”

* Historian Sean Wilentz makes the case today that the if the Dems used a winner-take-all system in the primaries and caucuses, Clinton would be way ahead, and Obama’s lead is “reliant on certain eccentricities in the current Democratic nominating process,” most notably a proportional system of dividing delegates in the states. Perhaps. But why is a winner-take-all system superior? Wilentz doesn’t say. (And aren’t those “eccentricities” the party rules that all the candidates agreed to play by before the process even began?)

* The Pulitzer Prizes were announced today. The WaPo did especially well.

* I’m sure everyone will want to pick up the new book from my friend Cliff Schecter, “The Real McCain: Why Conservatives Don’t Trust Him and Why Independents Shouldn’t.”

* Some of Cliff’s revelations are already raising eyebrows.

* The NYT characterized professional blogging as dangerous to one’s health.

* After seeing his lead dissipate last week, the new Gallup Daily Tracking poll shows Obama back up by nine.

* Cokie Roberts helps capture everything that’s wrong with the media establishment’s take on Iraq. It’s painful but important.

* And finally, Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn.), one of Congress’ most unhinged members, insisted last week that because of immigration, “We’re losing our country. People are not assimilating themselves to America. They’re not speaking English, and you must speak it if you want to succeed here in this country,” she said. Bachmann also compared the situation on the border to the Israel/Palestine conflict, saying “the argument that fences don’t work doesn’t hold water. Look at Israel and Palestine. Fences work.” Oh my.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* At least partial vindication: “Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has stopped telling a story of a pregnant woman’s medical tragedy after an Ohio hospital challenged its accuracy last weekend. But recent accounts of the episode have omitted key details that suggest there was more truth in the essence of Clinton’s tale than her critics, and even her presidential campaign, have acknowledged.”

* In keeping with the general trend, a new Quinnipiac poll shows the Democratic race in Pennsylvania tightening, with Clinton now leading Obama by six, 50% to 44%. Quinnipiac had Clinton ahead by nine last week.

* Speaking of polls, SurveyUSA’s first Oregon poll shows Obama leading Clinton, 52% to 42%. Oregon’s primary is May 20, the same day as Kentucky’s primary, where Clinton is heavily favored.

* The Clinton campaign has a new ad in Indiana featuring the state’s most popular Democrat, Sen. Evan Bayh, who tells viewers that Clinton will have “a spine of steel” in fighting for working people and against unfair trade deals.

* Sen. Bill Nelson (D) of Florida said that if there isn’t a satisfactory resolution to the dispute over the state’s delegates, there could be “blood on the floor” in Denver during the convention. I’m going to assume he was speaking metaphorically.

* Obama was asked in San Francisco the other day what he’s looking for in a running mate. “I would like somebody who knows about a bunch of stuff that I’m not as expert on,” he said, adding, “I think a lot of people assume that might be some sort of military thing to make me look more Commander-in-Chief-like. Ironically, this is an area — foreign policy is the area where I am probably most confident that I know more and understand the world better than Senator Clinton or Senator McCain.”

* Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D) of Illinois, an Obama backer, claims she knows of eight House Dems who will back Obama as superdelegates, but are staying quiet about it for now. “It’s just a question of whether or not — or when — they come out and say it,” Schakowsky said.

* This ought to be a fascinating event: “Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will participate in a faith and values forum that will be broadcast live Sunday exclusively on CNN. Clinton and Obama, in back-to-back interviews, will field questions from CNN’s Campbell Brown and Newsweek’s Jon Meacham as well as prominent members from the faith community. The Compassion Forum, sponsored by Faith in Public Life, will air at 8 p.m. ET on April 13.”

* Interesting: “For an advocate of straight talk and government transparency, John McCain has been less than clear with a voter-education nonprofit, on whose board he serves, about why he hasn’t responded to its survey of issue positions. Now, after nine months, 17 phone calls, and 8 emails asking McCain to state exactly where he stands on key issues, Montana-based Project Vote Smart is poised to kick McCain off its board later this week.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Another development that makes al-Sadr stronger and Maliki weaker: “Iraq’s top Shiite religious leaders have told anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr not to disband his Mehdi Army, an al-Sadr spokesman said Monday amid fresh fighting in the militia’s Baghdad strongholds. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki demanded Sunday that the cleric disband his militia, which waged two uprisings against U.S. troops in 2004, or see his supporters barred from public office. But al-Sadr spokesman Salah al-Obeidi said al-Sadr has consulted with Iraq’s Shiite clerical leadership “and they refused that.” He did not provide details of the talks.”

* I’ll have more coverage of the Petraeus/Crocker hearing(s) in the morning, but Spencer Ackerman’s live-blogging has been excellent all day. Pay particular attention to Joe Biden and Jim Webb, both of whom probably saw the VP stock rise today.

* More discouraging news on gas prices: “In the latest bit of bad news for cash-strapped consumers, the Energy Information Administration released its annual report on the outlook for summer fuels Tuesday and predicted that average gasoline prices will shoot up to $3.60 a gallon in June and remain nearly that high into fall. In a report released before a presentation scheduled for 11 a.m., the EIA — the statistical and analytical arm of the Energy Department — says that it expects gasoline prices to peak in June to just over $3.60 a gallon for regular unleaded. The monthly average diesel price is expected to peak at just over $3.90 per gallon this month.”

* This was unexpected: “For the first time, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino Tuesday left the door open to President Bush skipping the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Beijing to protest China’s crackdown in Tibet and human rights record. Asked by CNN at an on-camera briefing if Bush will specifically attend the opening ceremonies in Beijing, Perino would not be definitive. ‘We haven’t provided any schedules on the president’s trip,’ she said.”

* This was less surprising: “On Tuesday, the Senate voted 92-6 to cut off all debate and hasten passage of the legislation, which would provide billions in tax breaks for homebuilders, tax credits for people who buy foreclosed homes and about $100 million for foreclosure prevention counseling. The bill lacks some of the most aggressive measures meant to help troubled homeowners, including a proposal that would allow bankruptcy judges to restructure mortgages in default. But even the bipartisan proposals, including $4 billion in community development block grants, have run into White House opposition.”

* Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice really isn’t going to be McCain’s VP.

* No one ever seems to get fired from the Bush administration: “A Federal Aviation Administration official who was criticized last week for the agency’s handling of missed inspections at Southwest Airlines has been reassigned, an agency spokeswoman said Monday.”

* Solid follow-up work from Glenn: “I just received the following statement from the Vice Chairman of the 9/11 Commission, Rep. Lee Hamilton, in response to my inquiries last week (and numerous follow-up inquiries from readers here) about Attorney General Michael Mukasey’s claims about the 9/11 attack and, specifically, about Mukasey’s story that there was a pre-9/11 telephone call from an ‘Afghan safe house’ into the U.S. that the Bush administration failed to intercept or investigate: ‘I am unfamiliar with the telephone call that Attorney General Mukasey cited in his appearance in San Francisco on March 27. The 9/11 Commission did not receive any information pertaining to its occurrence.’”

* The John Yoo Memos have not gone unnoticed on the Hill: “House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) announced plans to hold a May 6 hearing to examine a recently released torture memo and the issue of executive power as it relates to interrogation and war-making authority.”

* Hmm: “One curious element of the Bosnia story is that a female senator actually did land under fire in the former Yugoslavia – but it wasn’t Clinton. It was Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), who landed in Sarajevo as part of a congressional delegation six months before Clinton’s foray to Tuzla.”

* Vice Presidents don’t usually need or get Secret Service protection after leaving office. Dick Cheney, however, appears to be a special case.

* Elizabeth Edwards is joining the Center for American Progress as a senior fellow, and will be a contributor to ThinkProgress. That’s very cool.

* Interesting: “CBS, the home of the most celebrated news division in broadcasting, has been in discussions with Time Warner about a deal to outsource some of its news-gathering operations to CNN, two executives briefed on the matter said Monday.”

* Karl Rove is reportedly willing to testify in the Siegelman case if subpoenaed.

* And Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) is so anxious to avoid new questions about his prostitution scandal, he’s getting into car accidents. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but Vitter’s deteriorating reputation will never be the same.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In keeping with the recent trend, the polls in Pennsylvania are all over the place. The latest from Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm, shows Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama by three, 46% to 43%. Strategic Vision, a Republican firm, has Clinton up by five, 47% to 42%. SurveyUSA, which has been having a very good year, shows Clinton up by a whopping 18 points, 56% to 38%.

* Why would the SurveyUSA poll be so significantly different than the rest of the recent data out of Pennsylvania? Noam Scheiber suggests “this may be that rare example of SurveyUSA misfiring,” noting a sharp drop off in Obama support among African Americans, which isn’t reflected anywhere else.

* Elizabeth Edwards continues to prefer Clinton’s healthcare plan to Obama’s.

* DSCC Chairman Chuck Schumer still holds out hope that a 60-seat Democratic majority in the Senate next year is a distinct possibility.

* Obama seems to be moving further away from the public-financing system: “We have created a parallel public financing system where the American people decide if they want to support a campaign they can get on the Internet and finance it, and they will have as much access and influence over the course and direction of our campaign that has traditionally been reserved for the wealthy and the powerful.” Ben Smith noted, “The case against this: He seems to be breaking a pledge. The case for it: The world has changed, and his online, small-dollar base embodies the spirit of campaign finance reform.”

* Hari Sevugan, Chris Dodd’s spokesperson last year, has joined the Obama campaign.

* Robert Andrews’ Senate campaign is off to a rough start: “Rep. Robert Andrews’ fellow Garden State Democratic House Members called upon the South Jersey Congressman to end his day-old Senate bid in a joint statement this morning, adding that his primary challenge to Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D) is neither realistic nor helpful to Democratic goals in the state.”

* Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-Tex.) former chief of staff, Pete Olson, easily defeated former Rep. Shelley Sekula Gibbs in a runoff yesterday, and will face incumbent Rep. Nick Lampson (D-Texas) in November. (This is, of course, Tom DeLay’s old seat.)

* The WaPo’s Al Kamen reports today, “Death — unless, of course, you live in Chicago — will deprive you of your ability to vote. But so what? You can join the hundreds of dead people who have remained politically involved — even influential — by contributing more than $656,000 to various campaigns and PACs in the last decade. They’ve done it by leaving ‘testamentary bequests’ to their favorite committees and, occasionally, to candidates.” Over the last six years, the DNC leads the RNC among deceased donors, $265,000 to $64,000.

* And finally, from the Ministry of Silly Walks to an Obama White House? “Comedian John Cleese has a crush on Obama - and he wants to be the White House hopeful’s speechwriter. The legendary British funnyman, known for his hilarity in the groundbreaking ‘Monty Python’ TV series and movies, told a British newspaper that his comedic chops could help the Democrat capture the Oval Office. ‘I am due to come to Europe in November, but I may be tied up until then because if Barack Obama gets the nomination, I’m going to offer my services to him as a speechwriter because I think he is a brilliant man,’ Cleese, 68, told the Western Daily Press regional paper.” An Obama spokesperson responded, “If he can throw in a cameo in the next ‘Monty Python’ movie, we have a deal.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Speaker Pelosi flexes her muscles a bit on trade: “House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Wednesday that she’ll use a rare procedural option to block fast-track consideration of the Colombia free-trade agreement, a draconian step that counters President Bush’s push to get Congress to vote on the controversial deal this year. Pelosi said she’ll present to the House of Representatives floor a rule change suspending the limit of 90 legislative days to pass or reject the Colombia free-trade agreement, just two days after Bush dispatched the text to Congress. ‘The president took his action,’ Pelosi told reporters. ‘I will take mine tomorrow.’”

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: “Violence raged for a fourth straight day in Baghdad’s Sadr City, leaving 20 more Iraqis dead on Wednesday. At least seven people were killed and 38 others wounded in a mortar attack and gunfire, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said. Six people died in clashes between U.S. and Iraqi forces and members of the Mehdi Army, the militia of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Five people were killed and 14 others were wounded when attackers fired at a tent of mourners for a person killed in this week’s fighting.”

* Another one: “Yet another woman has come forward saying she was brutally raped in Iraq while working for the U.S. contractor Kellogg Brown Root (KBR). Dawn Leamon, who has two sons on active duty, says she was raped earlier this year by a U.S. soldier and a KBR colleague. She will tell her horrific story to members of Congress today at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Leamon says that following her rape, she spoke with a woman at the KBR Employee Assistance Program. ‘She discouraged me from reporting, saying, ‘You know what will happen if you do,” Leamon said.”

* On a related note: “In an apparent reversal of policy, the Justice Department will send an official to answer questions before Congress on the investigation and prosecution of alleged sex crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

* House Judiciary Committee Chair John Conyers (D-Mich.) would like a word (or two) with John Yoo.

* The most tenacious lawmaker in Congress: “Today, House oversight committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-CA) issued his third subpoena to the EPA this year…. Waxman says that his staff ‘has found evidence that EPA officials met with the White House’ about the rule, but that ‘EPA has refused to disclose the substance and extent of its communications with the White House.’ Waxman’s subpoena seeks about 100 EPA documents involving the White House.”

* Bilal Hussein is finally free.

* Wal-Mart is going to be really unhappy: “From the tough anti-union talk to the wilder side of men in drag, videos of Wal-Mart corporate meetings are being sold to willing buyers, and the corporate behemoth is not happy about it. The videos, thousands of them spanning three decades, are in the library of a production company in Lenexa, Kan. Flagler Productions Inc. was hired on a handshake deal by Wal-Mart in the 1970s to produce and film corporate sales meetings and other company events.”

* Note to media: Hillary Clinton has released her tax returns, but John McCain hasn’t.

* No, liberals did not cause the sub-prime crisis.

* The right move by TNR: “You may notice that this blog looks a little different. The phrase ‘powered by BP,’ which appeared in the banner when we launched yesterday, led to some (justifiable) confusion about the blog’s relationship with BP. But TNR’s agreement with BP was and is purely an advertising deal, and the company never had any say in our editorial content. Today, the TNR business staff and BP decided to remove their logo placement to make sure that relationship is clear.”

* I don’t care for flying. I really don’t care for flying knowing of Bush’s regulatory policies.

* I’m not an expert on media and business practices, but the WaPo getting rid of its best reporters seems like a very bad idea. Thomas Ricks is poised to leave in the latest round of company buyouts.

* Won’t folks please stop pestering Chelsea Clinton with Lewinsky questions?

* And finally, I may write the occasional typo here, but if I were creating ads for a presidential campaign, I’d be careful not to spell my boss’ name, “Johm McCain.” Indeed, if I were running a campaign, I’d probably have someone on staff to proof read ad copy to prevent this. But that’s just me.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Hillary Clinton’s campaign coffers got a $2.5 million boost last night, thanks to an event with Elton John at Radio City Music Hall last night. Tickets for the sold-out event ranged from $125 to $2,300. In remarks that have raised a few eyebrows, John told the audience, “I never cease to be amazed at the misogynistic attitude of some of the people of this country, and I say to hell with it.”

* SurveyUSA isn’t the only pollster showing Clinton’s lead in Pennsylvania getting bigger; InsiderAdvantage now shows Clinton beating Barack Obama by 10, 48% to 38%. Time magazine shows the race closer, with Clinton ahead, 44% to 38%.

* Obama’s polls appear far stronger at the national level, where the Gallup Daily Tracking poll shows him leading Clinton by 10, 51% to 41%. The tracking poll was static all last week, with Obama holding modest, four-point leads, but over the last few days, his lead has expanded. The 10-point margin is Obama’s second largest of the year.

* Both Clinton and Obama picked up one new superdelegate each today. CNN shows Clinton leading among superdelegates overall, 243 to 215.

* Obama won the backing of the American Postal Workers Union yesterday. “Sen. Obama’s message is one of hope and change,” APWU President William Burrus said in a statement. “His message is special, and the timing is right.”

* McCain is doing an event in Brooklyn this afternoon at a company called Windows We Are, Inc. It looks like McCain’s campaign didn’t exactly check the place out first — the company’s employment application form asks applicants if they have kids, are married, and rent or own. I’m pretty sure employment law prohibits these questions. Given that McCain is supposed to be speaking about jobs, this might prove to be a little embarrassing for the campaign (which never seems to do its homework).

* Fortunately, GOP pushback hasn’t stopped Clinton from referencing McCain’s 100-years comments: “At a speech at Hopewell High School in Aliquippa, Pa., Mrs. Clinton praised Mr. McCain, but then added that the Senator ‘has said that it would be alright with him if we kept troops in Iraq for up to 100 years and again yesterday, he basically reiterated his commitment to the course that we are on in Iraq. Well, I don’t agree with that.’”

* Colin Powell had some complimentary words for Obama today on “Good Morning America,” raising speculation about a possible endorsement.

* A poll in Puerto Rico shows Clinton leading Obama by 13 points.

* Asked a couple of months ago if he planned on giving up his Senate seat to run for president full time, McCain said he’d “figure it out” after he got the nomination. And now? “I will go back and think about it, and think about the scenario that you just described,” McCain said in response to a question about possibly stepping aside. (The questioner, CNN reported, suggested the Republican who would replace him “would have an easier time defeating an opposing Democrat in a special run-off election because McCain will be at the top of November’s ballot.”)

* That’s a lot of advertising: “Barack Obama has spent a record breaking $60 million to run more than 100,000 political television ads in pursuit of the Democratic presidential nomination, a new analysis conducted for CNN shows…. Clinton, who trails Obama in fundraising by about $60 million, has run just over 60,000 TV ads in her bid for the White House.”

* And if the race were up to Canadians, Obama would win in a landslide — he enjoys a five-to-one lead over McCain, including a nearly two-to-one lead among Canada’s self-identified conservatives.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Pelosi vs. Bush: “House Democrats handed the White House a stinging defeat Thursday over a free-trade agreement with Colombia, rejecting President Bush’s bid to force a vote on the deal before the end of the year. But even as they did this, the Democrats held out an olive branch of sorts, telling the administration that they were ready to find ways to ease the economic pain caused by free trade and the economic downturn before they took up the agreement.”

* Senate passes housing bill: “The Senate took a first step toward addressing the nation’s housing crisis today, giving overwhelming approval to a bipartisan package of tax breaks for homeowners, homebuyers and businesses hurt by the faltering economy. By an 84-to-12 vote, the Senate agreed to create a temporary $7,000 tax credit for buyers of foreclosed properties and a temporary tax deduction worth up to $1,000 for families who pay property taxes. The measure also would make available more money for foreclosure counseling and for state and local housing agencies to refinance troubled mortgages.”

* Typical: “The release of a report on the FBI’s role in the interrogations of prisoners in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay and Iraq has been delayed for months because the Pentagon is reviewing how much of it should remain classified, according to the Justice Department’s watchdog. Glenn Fine, the Justice Department’s inspector general, told McClatchy that his office has pressed the Defense Department to finish its review, but officials there haven’t completed the process ‘in a timely fashion.’ ‘Why that happened, I don’t know,’ Fine said in an interview this week.”

* Mr. 28 Percent really is Mr. 28 Percent.

* Regrettably, Randi Rhodes has left Air America. Apparently, she decided she’d rather quit than apologize to Hillary Clinton and Geraldine Ferraro.

* I fully agree with Bill Scher who notes that Air America would be wise to take this opportunity to give a daily show to Sam Seder.

* Joe Lieberman, Bill Bennett, And Bill Kristol believe the lesson of the Petraeus testimony is that we should go after Iran. Of course, since they thought this before the testimony, no one cares.

* Important poll: “For the first time in 50 years of polling, a majority of Americans believe they are stuck or falling behind, according to a new Pew Research poll measuring the attitudes of the middle class…. According to the poll, 25% of respondents said they haven’t moved forward in life in the past five years, while a higher number, 31%, believe they have taken a step back…. [L]ooking at the shorter term, Pew said real median household income peaked in 1999 ‘making this decade one of the longest downturns ever for this widely-accepted measure of the middle-class standard of living.’”

* Brandon Friedman: “When 18 Americans are killed in Iraq during a four-day span, we are experiencing something other than progress. While all eyes have been on General Petraeus in Washington this week, U.S. troops have experienced the deadliest four days in Iraq since last summer.”

* McCain follows Speaker Pelosi’s lead on China and the opening ceremony at the Olympics.

* I’m sorry to see that Scott Horton is giving up on blogging; he’s an immensely talented writer. (Does it make me an awful person to wonder who Harper’s might consider as his replacement?)

* Attorney General Michael Mukasey doesn’t want to say if the Yoo memo on the Fourth Amendment is still applicable. Great.

* McCain gets the boot from Project Vote Smart.

* Some right-wing hoaxes are more humiliating than others.

* MoveOn.org scores with a great new Iraq video.

* Team Lieberman still doesn’t want to apologize for the whole “hack attack” incident from ‘06.

* Brad DeLong vs. Sean Wilentz on the Dems’ electability.

* Photo-ops are rarely this amusing: “Barack Obama appeared to have a bit of an awkward moment on the campaign trail in South Bend, Indiana. From the pool report: ‘[Obama] posed for report pictures with the staff when he apparently felt his phone start to vibrate in his pocket on his right thigh – against which one woman was closely pressed. ‘Now that’s my phone buzzing there,’ he said, drawing a laugh. ‘I don’t want you to think I’m getting fresh or anything.’”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The latest AP-Ipsos poll shows Barack Obama tied with John McCain in a national hypothetical match-up, at 45% each. Obama held a 10-point lead in the same poll in late April. The biggest concern for the Dem’s campaign: independents no longer back Obama by a wide margin. The same poll showed Hillary Clinton narrowly leading McCain, 48% to 45%.

* The DNC polled swing voters in 17 swing states late last month and found some interesting results: “76% of swing voters said America is on the wrong track” and “64% of swing voters saw McCain holding similar views to Bush. This was before the surveyors started laying down information about McCain.”

* Apparently, there’s “a long-standing Philadelphia ritual” in which Democratic candidates hand out “street money” to party leaders, who in turn give out money for GOTV (get out the vote) efforts in the city. While the practice is legal, the Obama campaign has apparently decided not to pay “street money,” and ward leaders, who call this a local “tradition,” aren’t happy about it.

* WSJ: “After weeks of news about superdelegates choosing rival Barack Obama, Clinton picked up three endorsements in 36 hours.”

* Unprompted, Dick Cheney told Sean Hannity yesterday how much the Jeremiah Wright controversy offended him. “I haven’t gotten into the business of trying to judge how Senator Obama dealt with it, or didn’t deal with it, but I really — I think, like most Americans, I was stunned at what the Reverend was preaching in his church and then putting up on his website,” the VP said.

* Obama told The Advocate this week that he will take a stand against “don’t ask, don’t tell” as president. “We’re spending large sums of money to kick highly qualified gays or lesbians out of our military, some of whom possess specialties like Arab-language capabilities that we desperately need,” he said. “That doesn’t make us more safe.” Obama added, however, that he would not use a litmus test in his appointees to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

* A Clinton campaign office was destroyed by fire in Terre Haute, Ind., last night. No one was reported injured and firefighters are investigating the incident.

* Howard Dean told reporters yesterday that he was always more concerned about Mitt Romney getting the GOP nomination than McCain, describing the former Massachusetts governor as “the candidate I feared the most.”

* The media is back to talking about Hillary’s laugh?

* Sen. Ted Stevens’ (R) race in Alaska continues to look like a real pick-up opportunity for Dems.

* To the disappointment of a surprising number of Republicans, Gen. David Petraeus will not seek elected office. Pressed on the point by NBC’s Brian Williams, Petraeus said, “Never. And I’ve tried to say that on a number of occasions. Some folks have reminded me of a country western song that says ‘what part of no, don’t you understand?’”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Hillary tells Bill to please stop talking: “Sen. Hillary Clinton wants her husband to quit talking about her trip to Bosnia in 1996, the former president said Friday. ‘Hillary called me and said, ‘I misstated it, you said I misstated it, but you got to let me handle it because you don’t remember it either’ … I said ‘Yes ma’am,” Bill Clinton said in Terre Haute, Indiana.”

* Discouraging economic news: “Consumer sentiment sunk to its lowest level in 26 years in early April, according to a report on Friday from University of Michigan/Reuters, as worries about the economy, unemployment and inflation deflated hopes for future. U.S. consumer sentiment index fell to 63.2 in early April from 69.5 in March. Sentiment is at its lowest level since March 1982. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch were looking for an April result of 68.8.”

* Remember that Wecht case I mentioned earlier? This is really bizarre: “Two jurors said Thursday they were unnerved by FBI requests for home visits to explain why they deadlocked in the federal public corruption trial of former Allegheny County coroner Cyril H. Wecht. Experts said the practice of using FBI agents to contact and interview jurors in their homes after mistrials was unusual, but the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Pittsburgh characterized it as ‘commonplace.’”

* At least it’s not a Peabody: “Barry Nolan, a local Boston news reporter, is mounting a campaign to protest the fact that Bill O’Reilly will be awarded an Emmy Award by the Boston/New England Chapter next month. Nolan insists that O’Reilly is ‘a mental case’ who shouldn’t be held up as an example of journalistic integrity.”

* If McCain is going to go after Soros-funded outfits, he might want to look a little closer to home, Part I and Part II.

* Wouldn’t this be entertaining: “Earlier this week, House Judiciary Committee Chair John Conyers (D-MI) invited John Yoo to testify before the committee on May 6th about the infamous legal memos on torture that he issued while with the Department of Justice. If Yoo did not want to appear, Conyers wrote, then the panel would subpoena him. Now Conyers, following up on the reports in the last couple of weeks about the role of top administration officials in authorizing the use of “enhanced interrogation” techniques including waterboarding, has invited a slew of current and former officials to testify at the hearing. Among those invited are former Attorney General John Ashcroft, former CIA Director George Tenet, former Undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith, Chief of Staff to the Vice President David Addington, and former Assistant Attorney General Daniel Levin, who headed up the Office of Legal Counsel for a brief time.”

* Speaking of Conyers, he’s interested in the Wecht case, too.

* One wonders if Mark Penn had any friends in the Clinton camp at all. Here’s Paul Begala on Penn: “I have nothing but contempt for Mr. Penn. And for those of us who wanted to see him out from the beginning, it became almost a Rumsfeldian thing. And he is not even fired. He has been demoted. How could this be?”

* There is a parallel: “Lawyers for the House Judiciary Committee compared President Bush to the late President Richard Nixon in a legal motion filed today in federal court as part of their civil contempt lawsuit against White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former White House Counsel Harriet Miers for failing to comply with panel subpoenas. The subpoenas were issued as part of the committee’s probe into the firing of nine U.S. attorneys in 2006.”

* The “nuclear option” is one of theirs, not one of ours.

* Note to the LA Times: unhinged, right-wing blogs who peddle ridiculous smears shouldn’t be used as sources for news articles.

* Nice metaphor: “But the administration’s critics (and even some sympathizers) see the current policy as the equivalent of constructing an expensive road, under hazardous conditions, without being able to explain where the road will lead. The road becomes an end in itself. The point is to keep building it in the hope that it will eventually arrive at some lovely destination.”

* And finally, you may have heard about the odd image, possibly of a naked woman, in the reflection of Dick Cheney’s sunglasses. The mystery seems to have been resolved: “McClatchy/Tribune Information Services photo editor George Bridges used the latest digital technology to enlarge the picture, took a close look at Cheney’s sunglasses and concluded that Mitchell was telling the truth. The image is of the vice president’s hand on his fly rod. ‘In one lens of his sunglasses you can clearly tell it is a sleeved arm of Cheney or a fishing companion. The other lens has an extreme distortion that, without looking at it closely, could be misconstrued,’ said investigative photo editor Bridges.” Good to know.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The significance of the “bitter” remarks is based largely on how the public perceives them. At this point, the initial reaction for Obama isn’t encouraging for his campaign: “A new Rasmussen poll has Barack Obama apparently losing the first rounds of the spin war over his ‘bitter’ comments, with 56% disagreeing and only 25% agreeing Perhaps more worrisome, a 45% plurality believe that the comments ‘reflect an elitist view of small-town America,’ versus only 37% who say it is not elitist. This is something he will probably have to address more, as it’s a figure sure to be analyzed and exploited by the Republicans should he ultimately win the nomination.”

* Hillary Clinton targeted Obama’s comments, but apparently found herself in a slightly awkward position on related issues yesterday: “After a weekend spent making direct appeals to gun owners and church goers, Hillary Clinton said Sunday a query about the last time she fired a gun or attended church services ‘is not a relevant question in this debate’ over Barack Obama’s recent comments on small town Americans.” She ultimately told reporters, “We can answer that some other time.”

* John McCain spoke to the Associated Press’ national convention this morning, and piled on a little. Asked if Obama is an elitist, McCain said, “I don’t know Senator Obama very well. I can only look at his remarks and say that those are certainly not the vision that I have of America and its strength and its greatness and what its fundamental values and beliefs are.”

* It was obvious before the recent dust-up, but Zogby shows Clinton leading Obama in Pennsylvania by four, 47% to 43%.

* Clinton unveiled a new anti-crime agenda on Friday, aiming to put 100,000 new police officers on America’s streets. (If this sounds familiar, it was part of Bill Clinton’s anti-crime platform 16 years ago.) The AP noted, “The plan sets a goal of cutting the murder rate in half in cities with high or rising murder rates. The time frame for doing so would vary by city, from as little as five years to longer. Her proposals would cost an estimated $4 billion a year and would be financed with savings gained from eliminating outdated corporate subsidies.”

* Here’s a fun poll result: “Thirty-two percent (32%) of Democrats now say Hillary Clinton should drop out of the race while 26% say the same about Obama. Those figures are up from 22% each in late March. Ten percent (10%) want both to leave.” Both?

* The efforts to find a Republican Senate candidate in New Jersey are surprisingly comical: “The merry-go-round of New Jersey Senate candidacies continued today, as one controversy-riddled Republican businessman officially dropped out, while a well-known former Congressman is back in the political picture. Former Goya Foods executive Andrew Unanue, whose campaign was controversy-ridden ever since he announced his candidacy on Easter Sunday, withdrew from the race today and threw his support behind former GOP Rep. Dick Zimmer.” (For those keeping score at home, Unanue entered the race, then withdrew, then re-entered, then re-withdrew.) The Republican primary will now feature a low-profile former congressman, a low-profile state senator, and a Ron Paul activist.

* I guess he’s trying to stay on the offensive: “Barack Obama furthered his recent criticisms of Hillary Clinton Monday by mocking the fact that she recently ‘threw back a shot and a beer’ in front of the media. After first saying too many candidates are only giving voters ‘rhetoric,’ the Illinois senator said, ‘They’ll promise you anything. They’ll even give you a long list of proposals. They’ll even come around with TV crews in tow and throw back a shot and a beer.’”

* Clinton is apparently serious about the Montana primary: “In a sign that she is planning to stay in the presidential nomination fight until the bitter end, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) has dispatched a top aide to Montana to manage her campaign in that state’s June 3 primary. Matt McKenna, who has served as former President Bill Clinton’s traveling press spokesman since December, is returning to his home state in an attempt to guide the New York senator to a surprise victory in Montana.”

* Even the Republicans’ best Senate pick-up opportunity is looking weak: a new Rasmussen poll shows Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) leading state Treasurer John Kennedy (R) in Louisiana by 16 points, 55% to 39%.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* We now have right-wing Republican members of Congress referring to Barack Obama as “that boy.” The lawmaker, Rep. Geoff Davis (R-Ky.), has since apologized.

* On the Hill, Dems and Republicans finally seem to agree on one part of Iraq policy: “From the fiercest war foes to the most steadfast Bush supporters, they are looking at Iraq’s surging oil income and saying Baghdad should start picking up the tab, particularly for rebuilding hospitals, roads, power lines and the rest of the shattered country.”

* Hillary Clinton tried to bring up Obama’s “bitter” controversy again this morning in a speech in Pittsburgh sponsored by the Alliance for American Manufacturing. Apparently, by the time she said, “I know that many of you, like me were disappointed by recent remarks that he made,” the crowd was groaning. When she added, “I am well aware that at a fundraiser in San Francisco, he said some things that many people in Pennsylvania and beyond Pennsylvania have found offensive,” the union members on hand were even less receptive. Are people tired of this flap already?

* The great global challenge on deck: “Finance ministers gathered this weekend to grapple with the global financial crisis also struggled with a problem that has plagued the world periodically since before the time of the Pharaohs: food shortages. Surging commodity prices have pushed up global food prices 83% in the past three years, according to the World Bank — putting huge stress on some of the world’s poorest nations. Even as the ministers met, Haiti’s Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis was resigning after a week in which that tiny country’s capital was racked by rioting over higher prices for staples like rice and beans.”

* Jeremiah Wright delivered a eulogy for the late R. Eugene Pincham, a retired judge, over the weekend. Wright said Pincham befriended “Jews, Muslims, rabbis, imams, fathers in the Catholic church and (Louis) Farrakhan in the Islamic faith.” He added, “Fox News can’t understand that. O’Reilly will never get that. Sean Hannity’s stupid fantasy will keep him forever stuck on stupid when it comes to comprehending how you can love a brother who does not believe what you believe.” Mourners gave Wright a standing ovation.

* National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley seems to be having some trouble telling the difference between Nepal and Tibet…

* …but the Associated Press is covering for him.

* The Maliki government fired 1,300 soldiers and policemen who refused to fight during the recent Basra offensive.

* McClatchy: “With the price of crude oil hovering near $110 a barrel and gasoline prices at record levels, a Washington senator says federal regulators need to stop delaying and start investigating whether petroleum markets are being manipulated. Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell said the Federal Trade Commission should move quickly to implement a provision she inserted in a national energy bill approved by Congress late last year that gives it authority to investigate whether excessive speculation and manipulation have driven up prices.” (thanks to R.K. for the tip)

* A historic collapse in audits: “The I.R.S.’s scrutiny of the nation’s biggest companies is at a 20-year low.”

* A key Supreme Court case to watch: can a state execute someone for child rape?

* A petition to get Sam Seder a permanent daily show on Air America Radio.

* My friend dnA tackles the broader dynamics of white people “keeping it real” in the context of a presidential campaign.

* I bet Vitter is one happy guy today: “Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), your prayers have been answered! The D.C. Madam’s attorney tells the AP that he will not be calling her most famous former client as a witness.”

* I have a hunch there’s more to this: “Count former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias among those who are critical of prosecutors’ use of FBI agents to contact jurors from the Pittsburgh trial of Dr. Cyril Wecht.”

* And finally, after McCain criticized the media’s coverage of the campaign, the Associated Press responded by giving him a box of donuts. When the book is written on how news outlets gave McCain a pass in the 2008 presidential election, there’s your first-page anecdote.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Clinton campaign strongly hinted over the weekend that it would use the “bitter” flap for the basis of an attack ad against Barack Obama, and last night, the campaign followed through with a new TV spot. The ad features citizens — it’s unclear if they’re actors — describing how “insulted” they were by Obama’s comments. One man in the commercial says, “The good people of Pennsylvania deserve a lot better than what Barack Obama said.”

*The polls in Pennsylvania continue to be all over the place, though Clinton leads in each: “Yesterday we reported on the ARG poll showing a 20 point spread for Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania. Three more today so far. Quinnipiac gives Clinton a 6 point margin; SurveyUSA gives her a 14 point edge; and Rasmussen gives Clinton a 9 point margin.” SurveyUSA’s track record has been strong; ARG’s has not.

* Speaking of polls, SurveyUSA also shows Clinton looking strong in Indiana, leading by 16, 55% to 39%.

* In still more poll news, Obama leads McCain in Michigan while Clinton doesn’t, and Clinton leads McCain in Florida while Obama doesn’t.

* People in Pittsburgh tell me this could have some significance: “Pittsburgh Steelers chairman Dan Rooney on Monday endorsed Democratic Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential bid. In a statement, the 75-year-old Rooney said endorsing political candidates is not something he regularly does. ‘As a grandfather and a citizen of this community, I think Barack Obama’s thoughtful, strategic approach is important to America,’ Rooney said. ‘When I hear how excited young people seem to be when they talk about this man, I believe he will do what is best for them, which is to inspire them to be great Americans.’”

* I suspect this will change sometime soon, but the Gallup Daily Tracking Poll shows Obama holding onto a 10-point lead over Clinton nationwide. Gallup noted, “That 10-point lead matches Obama’s best of the campaign, and even as the controversy has dominated the political airwaves, Obama’s support remained strong in tracking interviews conducted on Saturday and Sunday.”

* Clinton is expected to win next week’s Pennsylvania primary, but her net gain in delegates is expected to be rather small.

* Remember Elton John’s concert for the Clinton campaign last week? It may or may not have run afoul of campaign finance law.

* Condoleezza Rice still isn’t going to be on the Republican ticket.

* A new plagiarism controversy? “At least three of the ‘McCain Family Recipes’ appear to be lifted directly from the Food Network, while at least one is a Rachael Ray recipe with minor changes.” If this happened to a Dem, would it be bigger news?

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: “Car bombs and a suicide attacker struck crowded areas in Baghdad and former insurgent strongholds to the north and west of the capital Tuesday, killing dozens and breaking a recent lull in violence in the predominantly Sunni areas. The attacks were a deadly reminder of the threat posed by suspected Sunni insurgents even as clashes between Shiite militia fighters and U.S.-Iraqi forces continued elsewhere.”

* Good: “The United States military said Monday that it would release an Associated Press photographer who has been jailed in Iraq without trial for two years on accusations of terrorism and kidnapping. The announcement came after two rulings over the previous week by panels of Iraqi judges, who said that the photographer, Bilal Hussein, was covered by an amnesty law and should be released. But such decisions are not binding on the coalition forces in Iraq, and it was not clear at first whether the military would continue to hold him.”

* The worst numbers on food inflation in 17 years: “Inflation at the wholesale level soared in March at nearly triple the rate that had been forecast as energy prices kept rising and food costs posted a much bigger jump than anticipated.”

* Not a big surprise: “Deborah Jeane Palfrey was convicted this afternoon of racketeering and other charges after a federal court jury determined that her upscale escort service was actually a front for prostitution. Jurors deliberated less than eight hours before returning the verdicts against Palfrey, 52, who stood impassively, with her hands folded in front of her, as the decision was read. She will remain free pending her sentencing July 24.”

* Bush is apparently poised to give a speech tomorrow on a new climate change policy. Don’t get your hopes up — the White House is apparently pushing on global warming because Bush administration officials “fear a coming regulatory nightmare.”

* Before a speech to veterans today, a disabled vet gave Barack Obama an American flag lapel pin. Taking away Fox News’ fun, he wore it.

* Bush has gone 39 consecutive months without majority public approval. It’s the longest streak since pollsters came into existence.

* I’ll have more on McCain’s economic speech tomorrow, but until then, a “gas-tax holiday”? Really? And people wonder why it’s so difficult to take McCain’s campaign seriously.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_04/013528.php

* On a related note, MSNBC personalities are really bad at math. Shaving 18 cents off the price of a gallon of gas will not reduce prices at the pump by “20 percent.”

* Why is Rupert Murdoch joining the Associated Press’ board of directors?

* Very good advice: “The Bush administration’s latest story line about Iraq — that Iran is now the primary problem there — should be greeted with profound skepticism. Not only is it the latest in a series of rationales for U.S. involvement in Iraq, most of which have turned out to be based on flawed intelligence, misrepresentations or outright dishonesty. But there are at least two illegitimate reasons why the White House would want the American public to see Iran as a threat right now.”

* Have you signed the Sam Seder petition yet? 4,000 names and counting….

* Donald Rumsfeld is working on a memoir for a 2010 release. As a likely reflection of publishers’ interest, Rumsfeld is going with a conservative subsidiary of a publisher, and will not receive an advance. (thanks to Wiley for the heads-up)

* Don’t say Harry Reid has no sense of humor: “Senator Majority leader Harry Reid was asked just now about whether the ongoing nomination fight is hurting the party. ‘It makes me bitter,’ he said.”

* How did Fox News personality Megyn Kelly impress her colleagues at the Republican network? According to Brit Hume, Kelly “seemed to get what we’ve talked about with ‘fair and balanced news’ …. She came in believing there was a left bias in the news. That’s not common.” He quickly created an opening for her. So that’s what Fox News means by “fair and balanced.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* There are no shortage of polls out there today. LA Times/Bloomberg polled three upcoming Democratic contests and found Clinton leading Obama in Pennsylvania (46-41), Obama leading Clinton in Indiana (40-35), and Obama up big in North Carolina (47-34).

* Franklin and Marshall College has Clinton up by five in Pennsylvania (46-41), while Strategic Vision (R) has her up by nine (49-40). Public Policy Polling (D) is the oddball, showing Obama up in Pennsylvania by three (45-42).

* The Obama campaign has a new TV ad up in Pennsylvania, responding to Clinton’s ad attacking him for the “bitter” controversy. The Obama spot emphasizes the booing Clinton heard emphasizing the controversy on Monday before a labor union.

* Speaking of unions, Clinton was endorsed this morning by the 45,000-member Operative Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ International Association, which the AP noted, “timed its announcement for Clinton’s speech Wednesday before the AFL-CIO’s Building Trades National Legislative Conference.”

* And speaking of endorsements, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette backed Obama today.

* In an even higher-profile endorsement, Bruce Springsteen threw his support to Obama this morning.

* The Clinton campaign announced yesterday morning that that roughly 100 mayors in Pennsylvania would endorse her at the same time.

* Don’t expect McCain to pick a pro-choice running mate.

* Top strategists for Al Gore and John Kerry aren’t especially pleased that Clinton had some unkind remarks about their campaigns over the weekend.

* For all the recent talk about Obama and small towns in Pennsylvania, the Huffington Post noted, “t is Obama, not Sen. Hillary Clinton, who has received the majority of donations from these very same Keystone State communities.”

* Lieberman is still open to giving the keynote address at the Republican National Convention.

* Barney Frank wants somebody to drop out by June 3.

* Could Obama turn North Dakota blue in November?

* Mike Huckabee’s HuckPAC is born, vowing to raise money to support Republican candidates. But didn’t Huckabee have trouble raising money for his own campaign?

* We’ve heard this before, but tonight’s debate may actually be the last one between Clinton and Obama.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Huge day at the Supreme Court: “U.S. executions are all but sure to resume soon after a nationwide halt, cleared Wednesday by a splintered Supreme Court that approved the most widely used method of lethal injection. Virginia immediately lifted its moratorium; Oklahoma and Mississippi said they would seek execution dates for convicted murderers, and other states were ready to follow after nearly seven months without an execution in the United States. Voting 7-2, the conservative court led by Chief Justice John Roberts rebuffed the latest assault on capital punishment, this time by foes focusing on methods rather than on the legality of the death penalty itself. Justice John Paul Stevens voted with the majority on the question of lethal injections but said for the first time that he now believes the death penalty is unconstitutional.”

* I’ll have a more detailed report tomorrow on Bush’s big speech on global warming, but let’s just say for now that it featured a lot of hot air about hot air.

* Here’s an investigation worth watching: “Earlier this month, NPR reported that the Justice Department inspector general’s sprawling investigation into politicization at the Department included a probe of whether Monica Goodling had fired an attorney because she’d heard a rumor that the lawyer might be gay. In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and ranking member Arlen Specter (R-PA) earlier this week, the inspector general Glenn Fine confirmed that his office was digging into such accusations.”

* Judiciary Chairmen Leahy and Conyers want the Senate to pass the House’s version of FISA modernization. With the Senate version stalled, and Republicans ready to move on, it sounds like a good idea.

* Remember the other war? “While America’s attention remains focused on Iraq, violence is escalating in Afghanistan, worrying senior U.S. defense officials and commanders who’re struggling to find some 7,000 more American and European troops to combat resurgent Taliban and al Qaida forces. There are indications that Islamic militants may have adopted a new strategy of avoiding U.S and NATO forces and staging attacks in provinces that haven’t seen major unrest and on easy targets such as aid organizations and poorly trained Afghan police.”

* Who knew that al Qaeda is run by terrorists who act like bureaucrats?

* Roll Call reported that Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell have reached an agreement on advancing at least three of Bush’s pending judicial nominees before Memorial Day. This makes me more than a little uneasy.

* What a shame: “Vice President Dick Cheney does not have to testify as an eyewitness in a civil lawsuit filed against Secret Service agents by a man who says he was wrongfully arrested for criticizing the vice president — at least not yet, U.S. District Magistrate Judge Craig Shaffer ruled Tuesday.”

* McCain: “I’m very pleased with the relationship that I’ve had with the media over many years.” Yeah, I bet he is.

* Pope Benedict XVI spoke at the White House this morning. After his address, Bush told him his speech was “awesome.”

* Freedom’s Watch can’t catch a break: “Democratic Party officials said they will file a complaint today with the Federal Election Commission alleging that a conservative political group has illegally coordinated its advertising with a Republican Party campaign committee in advance of a May 3 special election in Louisiana.”

* I still love this case: “In an open letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey and U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan today, more than two dozen Pennsylvania public figures urged that the Justice Department ‘reconsider the publicly announced decision to re-try De. Cryil Wecht.’”

* The NYT’s Maureen Dowd feels comfortable calling other elitists. I know, I couldn’t believe it either.

* Hillary doesn’t want to go on “Hardball.” I don’t blame her.

* As a long-time reader of right-wing blogs, I genuinely loved this: “The Official Village Voice Election-Season Guide to the Right-Wing Blogosphere.” Pay particular attention to the “stupid/evil” test.

* And in the unlikely event you haven’t heard, Clinton and Obama will meet tonight in Philadelphia for what may be their last debate. The event begins at 8 p.m. eastern, and is scheduled to run 90 minutes. I’ll have plenty of coverage in the morning.

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The Official Village Voice Election-Season Guide to the Right-Wing Blogosphere

A confederacy of dunces

by Roy Edroso
April 15th, 2008 12:00 AM

http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0816,a-confederacy-of-dunces,411897,1.html/full

Sick of political blogs? Too bad! The 2008 campaign is unavoidable; if you know what superdelegates are, or who said “God damn America,” you’re already a victim. Thanks to the curse of modern technology, you’ll be hearing what top Internet buffoons are saying about the candidates—whether you want to or not. So you may as well prepare yourself. Herewith, a rundown of 10 conservative Web scribblers who, by virtue of their high readership or annoyance factor, are likely to invade your casual conversations until the gruesome finale of our Celebration of Democracy drives us all back to our blessed, customary ignorance.
JAMES LILEKS (The Bleat; lileks.com)

ORIENTATION: Suburbative

TONE: Nostalgic

FUN FACT: Briefly lived in Washington, D.C. (“where I heard every voice on the globe,” and also “the world’s crossroads of disease”), in a “blaring trash-strewn enclave” where he “lived in a constant state of nervous dread.” Currently resides in a house he calls “Jasperwood,” complete with “water feature” (i.e., fountain), in a Minneapolis neighborhood that he describes as “urban.”

CANDIDATE: Undeclared, leaning toward George Wallace

STUPID/EVIL RATIO: 60/40

HISTORY: Writer for various papers, including The Washington Post; longtime employee of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, for whom he blogs and supplies columns. Books include humorous, affectionate tweakings of ads, recipes, and photographs from the mid-20th century, which also comprised the centerpiece of The Bleat when it started in 1997, along with scrupulous coverage of Lileks’s daily routine (dog-walking, conversations with daughter, unsatisfying encounters with store clerks). Conservative themes emerged tentatively at first, with grumpy-old-man swipes at graffiti (“When I see that thicket of cryptic squibbles plastered on a sign, I want to bring back the chain gang”) and Monica Lewinsky (“I no more care how she feels about Ken Starr than I care how Al Capone felt about Eliot Ness”). September 11 exacerbated these tendencies to an hallucinogenic degree. Predicted New York would be “nuked,” compared a Chock Full O’Nuts Coffee can to “an urn from Atlantis,” and imagined his daughter attacked by Osama bin Laden (“Give me a gun; show me the cave”) and feminists (“I cannot possibly think of any good reason to ever strike a woman, unless it’s the one in the uniform who wants to pry my daughter’s arms from my neck because the state has decided all men must leave the household for the good of the People”).

MODUS OPERANDI: The Bleat remained thick with such fist-shakings until the 2006 elections, which seem to have thrown Lileks for a loop. Now, he mainly weaves weird culture-war demurrers into his ripely worded chronicles of shopping and child-rearing. So far he’s been quiet about McCain and even Hillary, but he refers to Obama as “Cool Brother,” which, given his longstanding antipathy to The Boondocks, is dispositive. Also: “Hillary and Obama; put them together, and what do you have? White. Male.”

WHAT TO EXPECT: Long, maudlin reminiscences of Ye Olden Tymes (croquets lawns, village greens) contrasted with fantasies of the Brave New Worlds affected by Hillary (forced repatriations of girlchilds and slut-servicings of Bill) or Obama (forced integration of Target, Wal-Mart).



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GLENN REYNOLDS (Instapundit.com)

ORIENTATION: Glibertarian (sex, drugs, guns, endless wars)

TONE: Gnomic

FUN FACT: Self-described “transhumanist”: “Once human technology passes a certain threshold . . . human beings will potentially enjoy the kind of powers and pleasures traditionally assigned to gods or beings in heaven.”

CANDIDATE: A transparent mystery (see Modus Operandi)

STUPID/EVIL RATIO: 5/95

HISTORY: Law degree from Yale. Currently a professor at the University of Tennessee. Many books and papers, mostly legal perspectives on firearms (“Kids, Guns and the Commerce Clause”) and outer space (“International Space Law: Into the Twenty-First Century”). Began online career as commenter A.G. Android at Slate (“The groupies I’ve seen backstage at rock shows are generally not especially attractive”), where he was praised as “the Pride of the Fray.” Founded Instapundit in 2001, with a stance both libertarian (“GLOWSTICKS AND BOTTLED WATER: DRUG PARAPHERNALIA?”) and pro-Bush. September 11 boosted his circulation (thanks in part to publicity from Fox News) and dramatically reduced the libertarian content. Reynolds cautioned citizens against “being stampeded into giving up their freedom,” but also intensified his identification with Bush (“It’s clear that adults are in charge”) and denounced leftists with increasing frequency and anger (“more than a little in common with Osama bin Laden”). As anti-war sentiment grew, he attacked “Big Media’s bias in favor of the left,” calling for a “guerrilla media” of bloggers to combat it.

MODUS OPERANDI: Expresses overt support only rarely, mostly in reviews of cars and consumer goods. Otherwise cites other (mostly right-wing) writers, adding a few words—or one word (usually heh, indeed, or ouch)—to denote approval. This style is, probably purposely, hard to engage. For example, after a lengthy quote in defense of the 1980s Salvadoran death squads, Reynolds adds this: “makes me wonder if making comparisons to Central America will help the Left, or simply bring up a lot of things that a lot of people would rather gloss over today.” Inquiries as to meaning are likely to go unanswered, as Instapundit has no comments feature.

WHAT TO EXPECT: Quotes denunciatory of Democratic candidates, followed by snotty asides involving Walter Mondale, Robert Heinlein, and Osama Bin Laden. Also, heh.

ROD DREHER (CrunchyCon; blog.beliefnet.com/crunchycon) ORIENTATION: End-times conservative

TONE: Cheerful when discussing food or “sluts”; otherwise, grimly millenarian

FUN FACT: Claims to suffer from “Sensory Processing Disorder,” which makes it difficult for him to shop at Wal-Mart. May also be said to suffer from a religious form of attention-deficit disorder, having in the past 15 years moved from the Methodist faith to Catholicism and thence to Eastern Orthodoxy.

CANDIDATE: McCain in 5, 4, 3, 2 . . .

STUPID/EVIL RATIO: 50/50

HISTORY: Reviewed movies at New York Post (“Runaway Bride is a runaway bore!”); at the National Review Online, began promulgating “Crunchy Conservatism,” a mix of Christian conservatism and small-is-beautiful slow-food doctrines (also the topic of his book). Supported the invasion of Iraq, which he has since denounced; also denounced homosexuality, which he still denounces. Now a columnist at the Dallas Morning News. At CrunchyCon blog, Dreher vacillates between anger at Islamofascists and sympathy for Islamic fundamentalism, at least insofar as it resembles Christian fundamentalism. Outraged by a little-seen indie documentary about zoophilia, Dreher asked: “What do you say to Muslims abroad who’d genuinely wonder why, if this kind of decadence is the fruit of American liberty, they should welcome what we have to offer?” Though originally angry at Jerry Falwell’s post-9/11 statements, Dreher later decided that “God will judge America, and judge it harshly. And perhaps is judging America . . .” Despite this, he strongly denounces Obama pastor Jeremiah Wright for his “God damn America” comments—which would seem inconsistent, were we unaware of Dreher’s feelings on race, as seen in his frequent denunciations of black racism and reminiscences of how he was once denied a job in favor of “a woman or a minority.” In lighter moments, Dreher regales his readers with moral judgments (e.g., calling a bride who displayed a tattoo on her wedding day a “slut”) and his praise of artisanal cheeses and meats.

MODUS OPERANDI: Despite anti-war stand, he is typically ChristyCon on most issues. Criticizes capitalistic excesses (“How Wal-Mart Harms the Free Market”); however, his preferred method for reversing this problem isn’t social policy but embracing Jesus. Culture war (“This is how the left works: yell ‘bigotry’ to silence critics”) excites him far more than economics.

WHAT TO EXPECT: As always, will vote Republican because of the fetuses, and agitate for the McCain administration to support sustainable yogurt farming.


HINDROCKET, THE BIG TRUNK, THE DEACON (Power Line; powerlineblog.com)

ORIENTATION: Grassroots Establishmentarian

TONE: First-draft-of-right-wing-history important

FUN FACT: Named “Blog of the Year” in 2004 by Time. (“I don’t put much faith in anything that comes from Time magazine.”—Hindrocket, 2003)

CANDIDATE: McCain

STUPID/EVIL RATIO: 30/70

HISTORY: Powerline was founded in 2002 by lawyers John Hinderaker, Scott Johnson, and Paul Mirengoff, all fellows of the right-wing Claremont Institute and contributors to conservative publications. The genesis of their cognomens is unknown, but they’ve been widely mocked (“Assrocket”) and were eventually soft-pedaled by the authors, who favor lengthy dissertations on moral and political topics (“the Clinton-Gore lack of seriousness about issues”), personal essays (“Being a child of the ’50s, I don’t recall a time when Sammy Davis was not a celebrity . . .”), and the occasional attempt at investigative journalism, some of which were howlingly unsuccessful (“Bin Laden is dead. More leaks are starting to come out . . .”—July 27, 2002). Sometimes they struck pay-dirt, however, including the “Rathergate” controversy over George W. Bush’s alleged military service, which figured in the blog’s 2004 Time award. Thereafter, Powerline sometimes attempted to recapture the old magic, most notably by unsuccessfully debunking the damning “Schiavo memo” from Senator Mel Martinez’s office, which was laid to rest with the admission “Real Memo, Fake Story” (“While [it] . . . didn’t turn out to be a Democratic dirty trick, the media’s treatment of the memo was misleading at best”). Mostly covered other people’s reporting from a right-wing Republican perspective, like Fox News with a scroll bar.

MODUS OPERANDI: Having built their reputation and traffic sufficiently, the authors appear to be coasting (“Will Bush Rebound in 2008?”). They do sometimes attempt to hold John McCain’s feet to the fire (“Those of us who want to preserve the interrogation device that apparently caused Khalid Sheikh Muhammad to break down in minutes . . . remain free to punish McCain and/or Graham at the polls for their underlying efforts to ban waterboarding categorically”), but their heart obviously isn’t in it (“Stop attacking McCain for his ‘impurities’ ”).

WHAT TO EXPECT: Pro forma boosterism, with frequent breathless dispatches on whatever scandal the GOP is pushing in October.



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MEGAN McARDLE (The Atlantic Online; meganmcardle.theatlantic.com) ORIENTATION: Lipstick libertarian TONE: Self-referential FUN FACT: Very concerned with diet; talks at length about her experience of vegetarianism and veganism, while denouncing the veggie-vegan dogma of “free-lance preachers in the hemp shoes.” CANDIDATE: Obama, for the moment STUPID/EVIL RATIO: 60/40 HISTORY: Began posting at Live From the WTC (later Asymmetrical Information) as “Jane Galt” shortly after 9/11, with Randian tropes and denunciations of “Lefty Idiocy.” Advocated patriotism, war, the execution of John Walker Lindh, and the beating of noisome war protestors with “a two-by-four,” the uproar over which made McArdle briefly quit blogging (“-30-”), only to return a week later, accusing her opponents of incivility. Struck libertarian themes—for example, opposing subsidized health care that would treat “the guy who’s been overeating for the last thirty years” the same as worthier sick people—but frequently played both ends against the middle, as when she chided Phillip Morris for introducing a Christmas “holiday cigarette” while asking: “What the hell is the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids doing complaining about this . . . Of course, we all knew that the kids were a smokescreen for the fact that these activists don’t like tobacco, period.” Also refrained from endorsing gay marriage, advocating “humility” from libertarians on social issues and quoting G.K. Chesterton. Enlivened her output with posts about the problems of being tall (“I’ve decided to start my own guerrilla movement, designed to force the world to accommodate larger size people”) and other puckish subjects. These increased in frequency as Republican policies became less popular, even among her readers. Eventually abandoned her previous affection for the Iraq War while complaining that the war’s opponents were trying to make her look bad (“Do you get credit for being right, or being lucky?”). Worked briefly at The Economist; later picked up by The Atlantic, for whom she blogs now under her own name, but in a similar (though apparently more heavily edited) manner. MODUS OPERANDI: As an Atlantic blogger, McArdle still complains about statism, but half-heartedly (“I just can’t get that excited about the complaint that the Bush administration wants to spend taxpayer money on people with bad mortgages. The government spends amazing amounts of money on amazingly stupid things”). Continues to assert that government health-care programs unfairly favor the old and sick. Has endorsed Obama while complaining: “I wish he wouldn’t tell me things that I can’t possibly believe.” WHAT TO EXPECT: Will renounce Obama when it is revealed that he once laughed at a Richard Pryor routine with anti-Semitic content.

ANN ALTHOUSE (Althouse; althouse.blogspot.com)

ORIENTATION: "Moderate" Democrat who disapproves of nearly everything the Democratic Party does

TONE: Free-associative

FUN FACT: Reduced to tears at a libertarian conference at which libertarian issues were frankly discussed: "I am struck by how deeply and seriously libertarians and conservatives believe in their ideas." Later, a liberal blogger defended Althouse, who then attacked the liberal blogger ("you obviously believe I simply fail to believe strongly enough in liberal and left-wing principles").

CANDIDATE: No coherently stated preference

STUPID/EVIL RATIO: 80/20

HISTORY: University of Wisconsin Law School professor; author of numerous articles and papers, including "Thelma & Louise and the Law: Do Rape Shield Rules Matter?" Began blog in 2004 with posts about law and reality-TV shows; denunciations of Democrats, including John Kerry ("boring us to death over the next 8 months"); and praise for Bush ("I feel a strong connection to this man and what we've been through together"). Complained that Democratic campaign literature was "always trying to scare me about things that are about to happen." Over time, Althouse's style has become more eccentric. She analyzed at length a Hillary Clinton video, finding vaginal significance in its use of onion rings. She noted the prominence of a large-breasted woman in a group photo of bloggers posing with Bill Clinton, and suggested that readers puzzled by her mention of this revealed a "willful blindness to the criticism of Clinton." She also began frequently posting her drawings and photographs. Voted for Obama in Wisconsin primary because his "growing power allowed me to cast off my resignation," but has since posted quotes and cites mostly critical of Obama.

MODUS OPERANDI: Favors piquant reversals, e.g., complains about sexism mainly when she perceives it among liberals ("Atrios managed to summon up worse misogynists [in his comments section] than [anti-Islam blogger] Charles Johnson did"). Defended Justice Alito: "Where are the passionate, Brennanesque liberals of yore, who really believed we have rights?" Frequently posts comments at unsympathetic websites ("Really, why are you writing for [The New Republic] when your diligence and comprehension are at such a low level"). Gleefully attributes baffled reactions to the power of "the Althouse vortex."

WHAT TO EXPECT: Something—a news photo, a quote, a gum wrapper on the sidewalk—will annoy her and she'll go to McCain, especially if he runs with Romney. ("I think they look great together. They seem to loosen each other up.")


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CHARLES JOHNSON (Little Green Footballs; littlegreenfootballs.com)

ORIENTATION: Anti-Islamo-everything

TONE: Unrelenting

FUN FACT: Coined the terms idiotarian and anti-idiotarian for, respectively, people who don't think like him and people who do.

CANDIDATE: None, but prone to close late and reliably anti-idiotarian (i.e., Republican)

STUPID/EVIL RATIO: 40/60

HISTORY: "fixed my flat from this morning and got out on the bike. riding for 15 minutes and pow! fss--fsss--fss--fsss. yes. another flat." This kind of lower-case personal reminiscence, interspersed with media and tech reviews, were Johnson's bailiwick at LGF until 9/11. A week later, considering a National Review denunciation of Islamic terrorists, he wrote: "I agree totally—something I never imagined I would say about an article in the National Review." Quickly outstripped the Review in conservatism, denouncing the Johannesburg Earth Summit ("generated between 300 and 400 tons of garbage"), the "NEA's pomo multiculti agenda," and "the left-wing extremism that dominates U.S. college campuses." But he's really a single-issue voter whose bugbear is terrorism, and who will support any foreign adventure purporting to fight it. Was an early supporter of the invasion of Iraq ("Stability Is the Last Thing Iraq Needs") and has his eye on Iran ("Iran's Manhattan Project Still On Track"), and on America, too: was pleased by a 2004 poll that showed 44 percent of Americans believed the U.S. government should restrict the civil liberties of American Muslims ("that's not going to make the moonbats among us feel very good"). Johnson was delighted by the results of the 2004 election ("Moonbats . . . packing your bags and heading to Canada to escape the evil Cowboy Chimp's imperialistic regime"), but was dismayed by the returns in 2006, especially when Muslim Keith Ellison was elected to Congress ("They'll be celebrating in Gaza tomorrow").

MODUS OPERANDI: For this election cycle, Johnson has interrupted his traditional Muslim-watch more often than usual to run pieces critical of Obama ("Obama Fools Mississippi") and Clinton ("I doubt the crying tactic will work very well with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad"). Fairly quiet on McCain, but insists that "I know who I want to vote against: the Hillary-Obama Appeasement Complex."

WHAT TO EXPECT: More reverse jihad, a late McCain endorsement, then still more reverse jihad.


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JONAH GOLDBERG (The Corner/Goldberg File/Liberal Fascism blog, National Review Online)

ORIENTATION: Legacy-pledge conservative

TONE: Self-amused

FUN FACT: Son of Lucianne Goldberg, the Republican operative who got Linda Tripp to wear a wire in the Lewinsky affair; helped Mom spread the word in multiple TV appearances.

CANDIDATE: McCain, duh

STUPID/EVIL RATIO: 90/10

HISTORY: Worked for wire services and produced TV projects and documentaries prior to joining National Review in 1998. Shortly thereafter, Goldberg launched the National Review Online (NRO). Writes for the Review online and off, and for other publications. Themes and style were evident from his earliest NRO "Goldberg File" contributions. Prefaced a post on Bill Clinton's Kosovo intervention with a quote from The Princess Bride (which remains one of his cultural touchstones, along with Animal House, Star Trek, and Battlestar Galactica) and took a breezy attitude toward matters of life and death ("We should kill Milosevic . . . Stalin moved populations like I play Risk on my computer"). Later, welcomed "the opportunity to wax Swiftian and offer my modest proposal for saving the rainforest," resulting in a wan P.J. O'Rourke rip-off proposing to "sell the rainforest to Disney" (which "is becoming an incredibly liberal company anyway"). His muddled, heedless style often necessitated a lengthy "Corrections" section, with errors mostly belligerently defended or blown off ("my crack team of researchers is unavailable to me, and I will have to get back to that one at the end of the week"). In January 2002, he created the Corner, where the short-form posts suited his lighter side ("Okay, I just tried to take a follow-up nap"), leaving Goldberg Files for longer examinations of single topics with a pretense of seriousness, e.g.: "It's so depressing that 'people of color' has replaced 'colored people' . . . the practice is just one small sign of how completely the racialist Left has abandoned the moral juggernaut that was Martin Luther King's original argument: that everyone should be judged by the content of their character . . ." Breezily acknowledged his own non sequiturs: "Like saying violence never solves anything, people understand what I mean even when in reality what I'm saying isn't true." In 2007, Goldberg published Liberal Fascism, expanding his NRO method to book length, alternating accusations of fascism against liberals such as Hillary Clinton with insistences that he was saying nothing of the kind.

MODUS OPERANDI: Goldberg's comical persona—once pretty much all he had—is now mainly a fallback position in his attempts at serious commentary. For example, he begins one Goldberg File with the observation that "God, unlike, say, North Dakota, has an uncanny gift for staying in the headlines"; then launches into an incoherent but apparently earnest defense of religion based on the obnoxiousness of scientists and Penn Jillette; then wraps up with a philosophical assertion—"whatever electrochemical signals my brain may be receiving, my awareness of their existence doesn't diminish the fact that I love my wife or that I think love is something more than mere electrochemical signals"—and a joke about a turkey sandwich.

WHAT TO EXPECT: Comparisons of the Democratic candidate (whoever he or she happens to be) to amusing inanimate objects and Nazis.


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MICHELLE MALKIN (michellemalkin.com)

ORIENTATION: Nativist

TONE: Very, very angry

FUN FACT: In 2004, attacked Wonkette's Ana Marie Cox and her protégée, Washington call girl Jessica Cutler, as "the female Beavis and Butt-head" and "skanks"; was thereafter subjected to years of mercilessly mockery by Wonkette scribes, including doctored photos of Malkin frolicking in a bikini, which were strenuously debunked by her ("updated: tracking the source of the bogus Flickr photos . . . Wonkette editors demonstrate further malice . . .").

CANDIDATE: None—McCain's too liberal

STUPID/EVIL RATIO: 97/3

HISTORY: In the early '90s, reporter and editorial writer for the Los Angeles Daily News; later wrote for the Seattle Times, became a Fox News commentator, and joined Creators Syndicate, which currently distributes her columns. Has published books about the internment of Japanese-Americans in World War II (pro), illegal immigration, and "Liberals Gone Wild" (both con). Columns have focused on culture-war subjects ("Voices From the Womb") from a more-right-wing-than-thou perspective (e.g., citing "President Bush's cave-in on government funding of embryonic stem-cell research"). Illegal immigrants get special attention, as do nefarious nonwhite Americans, be they of Asian ("Asian-Americans milking 9-11"), Arab ("myth of the Muslim hate crime epidemic"), or African ("Sept. 11 brought home the lesson that vile ideas have bloody consequences—no matter how 'daggone funky' they may sound to mush-headed music critics") descent. Began blogging in 2004, mainly bringing Internet-response speed to the usual subjects, plus a few new tropes, including frequent accusations of "dhimmitude" against parties insufficiently hostile toward Muslims, including YouTube ("JihadTube").

MODUS OPERANDI: Parses news feverishly for offenses to her worldview. Has been enraged by the D.C. networking group Professionals in the City (for holding an event at the Cuban embassy), Jessica Alba (for "making pro-assimilation remarks"), and Google (for bias in news-site affiliate selection, logos, and search results). Doesn't spare conservative outlets ("P.C. at the Washington Times") or the Republican Party ("Is the GOP Lost?") when they run afoul of her on doctrinal matters, especially regarding immigration. Attacks McCain on this subject, often without the benefit of hyphens ("I don't want another George W. Bush open borders type in the White House").

WHAT TO EXPECT: Barring a dramatic reversal on immigration by McCain, will wash her hands of the whole election and concentrate on everyday liberal- and foreigner-bashing.

ACE OF SPADES (Ace of Spades HQ; ace.mu.nu)

ORIENTATION: Fratboytarian

TONE: Retarded

>FUN FACT: Scrupulously conceals his true identity, but accepted the Blogger of the Year award from 2008 Conservative Political Action Conference in person, looking rather less butch than advertised. Recently celebrated in Time magazine's "First Annual Blog Index" as the "conservative/libertarian answer to the Daily Kos," with sample quote about how "large segments of the black population" are anti-Semitic.

CANDIDATE: Undeclared

STUPID/EVIL RATIO: 99/1

HISTORY: Begun by Ace as a blogspot site in 2003 with off-hand political commentary ("Can you imagine a President who thinks like Al Gore?"). In April 2004, promised a transfer to the new address "right after we figure out how to make our site-design look less, what's the word? ah yes: faggy." New blog quickly mutated into rowdy multi-author scrum specializing in schoolyard taunts, e.g.: "Yeah, Bryan Singer is gay, but that's not really what I mean by 'art-fag,' " "John F'n' Kerry attempts to claim that only non-military pussyboys are attacking him," etc. Nancy Pelosi became "Granny Rictus McBotoximplants." Site contributors and readers became "morons," but affectionately, e.g.: "There's Hope For You Morons Yet: Woman Takes Out Ad To Lose Virginity Before 30th Birthday." Throughout good times (2004: "I don't plan on doing anything except gloat until Thanksgiving") and bad (2006: "Islamist Enemies Take Great Relief in Democratic Win"), contributors keep their spirits high with "not safe for work" links, often accompanied by moral dudgeon ("Something has seriously gone wrong in this culture . . . Ten years ago? Virtually impossible to get a young girl to do this.")

MODUS OPERANDI: Not much changes with Ace. Believes the Wright scandal "belies Obama's appeal to those of us who wish black folks well but honestly would prefer to be left the fuck alone to live our lives in peace"; disdains Clinton ("Seven Year Bitch"); agnostic on McCain ("he would rather lose a war than a political argument"). Has threatened to sit out the election unless McCain goes anti-immigration.

WHAT TO EXPECT: In the eleventh hour, will remember that McCain is running against a woman or a black guy. Then, porn and car-crash videos all around!

continued 9 more pages to read

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Barack Obama probably didn’t have any fun at last night’s debate, but he had a pretty good day with superdelegates. He picked up four yesterday, including three U.S. House members. The WSJ reported, “That is the most in a single day in recent weeks.” He picked up another this morning.

* Speaking of Obama, his campaign also released his 2007 tax return yesterday. The NYT noted that that the senator reported “a household income of $4.2 million due to a sharp increase in the sales of his books during the first year of his presidential campaign. That was a substantial jump from the roughly $1 million in income the Obamas reported in 2006, much of that also from book deals.”

* As pollsters go, Zogby hasn’t had a good cycle at all. With that in mind, Clinton fans should be encouraged by the fact that Zogby now has Obama leading in Pennsylvania, 45% to 44%. (Zogby also predicted Obama wins in California and Ohio, both of which Clinton won easily.)

* And speaking of Pennsylvania, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is jumping into the ad war with just five days left before the state’s primary, with a pro-Obama ad touting his energy policy.

* From Rezko to Wright to “bitter” to Ayers: “Hillary hit Obama hard over his ties to former Weather Underground member William Ayers at the debate yesterday. And on the call today, Hillary advisers kept up the pressure, pointing out that Ayers hosted an event at his home for Obama when he ran for state senator and that this was a legitimate topic for journalistic scrutiny. It’s an intriguing move, to say the least. The Clinton camp was so eager to get Ayers’ name into the political conversation that they were willing to risk not one, but two possible blowbacks: First, the inevitable criticism they’ll take for going so negative; and second, questions about Bill’s pardons.”

* The Philadelphia Daily News published an enthusiastic endorsement of Obama today.

* Several current Clinton campaign staffers are saying they were present for the alleged “screw ‘em” comment, but argue it did not happen.

* A chance to get some early diplomatic legwork done: “Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain are all scheduled to meet with British prime minister Gordon Brown Thursday morning. The three will have 45-minute, one-on-one sessions with Brown at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C.”

* WSJ: “After several days defending himself over remarks he made about small-town Americans, Sen. Barack Obama explained himself to another demographic that has been skeptical towards him: Jewish voters.”

* Mitt Romney spoke at the Radio and Television Correspondents Dinner last night, and delivered a very funny “Top 10 Reasons for Dropping Out of the Race.” The whole thing is quite clever, but I was partial to #2: “Once my wife Ann realized I couldn’t win, my fundraising dried up.”

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Suicide bombing in Iraq: “A suicide bomber struck the funeral of two Sunni tribesmen who joined forces against al-Qaida in Iraq, killing at least 50 people Thursday and reinforcing fears that insurgents are hitting back after American-led crackdowns. The sudden spike in bloodshed this week adds to the other worries now piling up in Iraq: violent rivalries among Shiites and persistent cracks in the Iraqi security forces.”

* And a suicide bombing in Afghanistan: “A suicide attack in front of a mosque in southwestern Afghanistan killed 16 people and wounded more than 30 others on Thursday, a provincial governor said…. At least two other suicide attacks have hit Nimroz this month, including an attack on April 1 that left two policemen dead in Zaranj, and another on Saturday that killed two Indian road construction engineers and their Afghan driver in Khash Rod district.”

* More discouraging economic news: “The number of newly laid off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits increased by more than expected last week after a big decline in the previous week. The Labor Department said Thursday that applications for unemployment benefits rose to 372,000, an increase of 17,000 from the previous week.”

* Oh my: “More than 10 million viewers tuned into Wednesday’s Democratic debate on ABC, making it the most-watched debate of the primary election season. The debate, the first to air on a weeknight on a broadcast network, attracted an average of 10.7 million viewers between 8 and 10 p.m., according to Nielsen Media Research. The debate topped the ‘reality’ fare of ‘Deal or No Deal’ on NBC and ‘Big Brother’ on CBS during the 8 p.m. hour.”

* Good idea: “A pair of lawmakers on Thursday urged Congress to move forward with legislation aimed at remedying what they view as questionable practices of the credit card industry that keep consumers mired in debt. Speaking before a panel of the House Financial Services committee, Senator Carl Levin, D-Mich. and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., urged action as Americans face rising unemployment and sluggishness in the overall U.S. economy. ‘If this is going to be resolved, it has to be resolved here in Congress,’ said Levin.”

* Air travelers had a rough week last week, so those responsible are having a rough week this week: “The head of the Federal Aviation Administration faced withering criticism from lawmakers Thursday for massive flight cancellations that stranded hundreds of thousands of passengers last week while airlines scrambled to make repairs that the FAA had ordered.”

* The Senate measure to request that the Justice Department initiate an investigation of Don Young’s Coconut Road earmark passed easily.

* This would be all manner of fun: “House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) and other panel members are calling on Karl Rove to testify before Congress on the alleged White House-led investigation of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman (D).”

* I get the sense Bush didn’t wow his international critics yesterday on global warming policy: “Leading players in talks to forge a pact for tackling climate change took the lash on Thursday to President George W. Bush’s new blueprint for global warming, with Germany mocking it as ‘Neanderthal.’”

* Dan Froomkin’s daily piece was especially good today: “Standing alongside Pope Benedict at the White House yesterday, President Bush took a swipe at moral relativism. ‘In a world where some no longer believe that we can distinguish between simple right and wrong, we need your message to reject this dictatorship of relativism,’ Bush said…. Yet some of Bush’s most defining decisions — such as launching a war of choice against Iraq and his picking and choosing which laws actually apply to him — suggest a highly subjective sense of right and wrong. Most notably, he defends the use of interrogation tactics that violate human dignity by arguing that the ends justify the means.”

* I had no idea a 90-second clip about healthcare policy could be this hilarious.

* Tragic: “‘Some 300,000 U.S. troops are suffering from major depression or post traumatic stress (PTSD) from serving in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and 320,000 received brain injuries,’ according to a study from the RAND Corporation. The study put the percentage of PTSD and depression at 18.5 percent, but only ‘about half have sought treatment.’”

* You may have caught Obama today brushing off his shoulders in reference to various political attacks, but I didn’t realize it may have been the first-ever example of hip-hop dog-whistle politics in the history of presidential campaigns.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rasmussen, which seems to have been hit or miss this year, shows the race in Pennsylvania tightening. Hillary Clinton now leads Barack Obama by three, 47% to 44%. On Monday, Rasmussen showed Clinton with a nine-point advantage. The same poll, however, said Obama’s support “appears to be a bit softer” than Clinton’s.

* Stephen Colbert pulled off quite a feat last night, with one episode featuring Clinton, Barack, and John Edwards (Obama appeared via satellite). Both Clinton’s and Obama’s appearances are online. (And I’d just add that anyone who thinks Clinton doesn’t have a sense of humor is wrong.)

* Gallup polled the 12 most competitive states from 2004 and found that Obama and Clinton both leading John McCain by the exact same margin, 47% to 43%.

* In a bit of a surprise, former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich endorsed Obama this week. He said he’d resisted, but was pushed over the edge by the Clinton’s campaign tactics: “We have three terrible traditions that we’ve developed in American campaigns. One is outright meanness and negativity. The second is taking out of context something your opponent said, maybe inartfully, and blowing it up into something your opponent doesn’t possibly believe and doesn’t possibly represent. And third is a kind of tradition of distraction, of getting off the big subject with sideshows that have nothing to do with what matters. And these three aspects of the old politics I’ve seen growing in Hillary’s campaign.”

* I’m not optimistic: “According to his calendar, John McCain will appear on This Week with George Stephanopoulos this Sunday. Something tells me that a lot of people will be watching to see if Steph asks McCain tough ‘gotcha’ questions designed to gauge his ‘electability’ and his ability to handle future attacks, as he claimed to be doing at Wednesday’s Dem debate. Anyone offering odds?”

* Jonathan Martin has an interesting item on the structure of the McCain campaign: “For reasons of financial necessity, personal preference and plain politics, John McCain is gearing up to run one of the least traditional presidential campaigns in recent history. The problem is that even prominent strategists within McCain’s own party wonder if his unorthodox strategy will work.”

* The flap over Obama’s “bitter” remarks is working its way down-ballot: “In a mail card for Republican congressional candidate Matt Shaner, who is running for the congressional seat being vacated by retiring Rep. John Peterson in Pennsylvania’s 5th Congressional District…. Voting for Shaner will ’send a message’ to Barack Obama. Shaner’s message: ‘I’m a god-fearing, church-going, NRA member and I’m proud of it!’”

* The NYT’s David Brooks doesn’t love Obama anymore.

* And in the opposite direction: “From the politics/strange bedfellows file: Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has won an endorsement from Republican and former Nixon Watergate figure William D. Ruckelshaus. Ruckelshaus was serving as deputy attorney general in 1973 when he made history as part of the infamous Saturday Night Massacre. He and his boss, Attorney General Elliot Richardson, were fired after they refused Nixon’s order to dismiss the independent counsel investigating the Watergate break-ins…. ‘Senator Obama’s ability to attract not only Democrats, but also Republicans and Independents, makes him uniquely qualified to build the broad coalitions needed to address our nation’s challenges,’ said Ruckelshaus in a statement.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* If the new Gallup daily tracking poll is right, the Democratic race hasn’t been this tight in weeks: “Gallup Poll Daily tracking shows a tightening of the national Democratic race, with Barack Obama now holding just a 3-percentage point advantage over Hillary Clinton, 47% to 44%.” A week ago, Obama’s lead was 10 points in the same poll.

* If the new Newsweek poll is right, however, Obama is pulling away: “Despite her campaign’s relentless attacks on Barack Obama’s qualifications and electability, Hillary Clinton has lost a lot of ground with Democratic voters nationwide going into Tuesday’s critical primary in Pennsylvania, a new NEWSWEEK poll shows. The survey of 1,209 registered voters found that Obama now leads Clinton by nearly 20 points, or 54 percent to 35 percent, among registered Democrats and those who lean Democratic nationwide. The previous Newsweek poll, conducted in March after Clinton’s big primary wins in Ohio and Texas, showed the two Democrats locked in a statistical tie (45 percent for Obama to 44 percent for Clinton). The new poll puts Obama ahead among women as well as men, and voters aged 60 and older as well as younger voters.”

* This is one unhappy electorate: “Nine in 10 Americans now give the economy a negative rating, with a majority saying it is in “poor” shape, the most to say so in more than 15 years. And the sense that things are bad has spread swiftly. The percentage who hold a negative view of the economy is up 33 points over the past year, and the percentage who rate the economy “poor” has increased 13 points in the past two months. That is the quickest 60-day decline since The Post and ABC started asking the question, in 1985. Views of the Iraq war have dipped as well. Now, more than six in 10 say that the conflict is not integral to the success of U.S. anti-terrorism efforts. That is the most people to reject what is one of the Bush administration’s central contentions and a core part of presumed GOP presidential nominee John McCain’s stand on the issue.”

* What a disaster: “Three weeks after U.S. troops were ordered into the sprawling Shiite Muslim slum of Sadr City to stop rockets from raining down on the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad’s Green Zone, they’re caught in crossfire between Shiite militiamen and the mostly Shiite Iraqi army. American soldiers who try to move around this urban area, even in the U.S. Army’s state-of-the-art Stryker armored vehicles, risk being ambushed. The soldiers in a platoon from the 25th Infantry Division quickly learned that holding a position puts them in the line of fire from both the Mahdi Army militia and the U.S.-backed Iraqi forces.”

* The rationale for not releasing Cindy McCain’s tax returns appears to be bogus.

* The “Colbert Bump” is looking more and more realistic all the time.

* Post of the Day: publius imagines what we might have heard if ABC News existed in 1858 to cover the original Lincoln-Douglas debates.

* In an administration of hacks, this clown might very well be the worst (at least since Alberto Gonzales left): “EPA chief Stephen Johnson has deployed a variety of methods to thwart Congressional scrutiny. There’s been old fashioned stonewalling. Testimonial gobbledygook. And of course fleeing the hemisphere.” He’s now claiming the mysterious “executive privilege to avoid embarrassment.”

* And speaking of Gonzales, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) isn’t thrilled with Attorney General Michael Mukasey unwillingness to compromise, but when compared to his predecessor, Specter said, “He’s a big improvement. It would be impossible not to be.”

* And speaking of Specter, he’s saying all the right things about telecom immunity: “I think retroactive immunity is exactly wrong. How can you ask for retroactive immunity in a context where you don’t even know what you’re immunizing?”

* I’m not at all sure if I fit in with the esteemed signatories, but I was nevertheless pleased to add my name to this letter: “In an open letter to ABC, journalists and media analysts condemn the network’s poor handling of the April 16 Democratic presidential debate.”

* Uh oh: “Smells like success: ‘Trying to stem the infiltration of militia fighters, American forces have begun to build a massive concrete wall that will partition Sadr City, the densely populated Shiite neighborhood in the Iraqi capital.’ Whatever happened to destroying the village in order to save it?”

* And finally, it’ll be interesting to see what happens with this: “Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) introduced a bill Thursday that would decriminalize the personal use of marijuana and legalize the use of medical marijuana in certain states.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* So, what do the latest polls in Pennsylvania say about tomorrow’s primary? Quinnipiac has Clinton up by seven (51-44); Strategic Vision (R) also has her up by seven (48-41); Mason-Dixon has her up by five (48-43); Zogby has her up by six (48-42); ARG has her up by 13 (54-41); Suffolk shows her leading by 10 (52-42); and SurveyUSA has her up by six (50-44). Public Policy Polling (D) is the oddball, showing Obama leading by three (49-46).

* On Saturday, the first time in several weeks, the Gallup Poll Daily tracking report showed Clinton taking a narrow, one-point lead over Obama. By yesterday, however, Obama had reclaimed the lead, 47% to 45%.

* The Clinton campaign still has some financial trouble: “Financial reports released to the Federal Election Commission around midnight this morning show that Clinton raised around $20 million in March and had roughly $8 million available at the beginning of April for use during the primary. But the campaign also reported debts of $10.3 million, which makes it in the red leading into contests in Indiana and North Carolina.”

* Most of Pennsylvania’s newspapers have endorsed Obama, but Clinton picked up the support yesterday of the right-wing Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, owned and published by Richard Mellon Scaife, who helped finance the anti-Clinton crusade of the 1990s. (Just as an aside, the paper said it supports Clinton in the “Democrat [sic] primary.” Even when endorsing, conservatives have to use the grammatically incorrect name for the party.)

* Bloomberg takes a look at what it would take for Clinton to win the Dems’ popular vote: “Clinton would need a 25-point victory in Pennsylvania, plus 20-point wins in later contests in West Virginia, Kentucky and Puerto Rico. Even that scenario assumes Clinton, 60, would break even in Indiana, North Carolina, South Dakota, Montana and Oregon — a prospect that’s not at all certain. More than just big margins, Clinton would need record voter turnout too.”

* Clinton picked up three new superdelegates on Friday.

* Obama had the single biggest crowd of his campaign on Friday night, when 35,000 people jammed into Independence Park in Philadelphia to see him.

* Michael Moore endorsed Obama.

* SurveyUSA has Obama up by five in Indiana (50-45).

* This Senate race should be all manner of fun: “In a move that will make Alaska a battleground in the 2008 election, Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D) will make his candidacy for Senate official on Monday, his campaign said Sunday. Begich, who currently has an exploratory committee, was widely expected to enter the race eventually. He will make stops in Anchorage and Fairbanks to launch his candidacy for the seat of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), who is under federal investigation for his ties to the Veco Corp.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* I suppose this represents some kind of diplomatic progress: “Islamist Hamas group Hamas said on Monday it would accept the establishment of a Palestinian state on land occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, but it was not prepared to recognize the Jewish state. Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, in an apparent softening of the group’s position, was confirming an account of his remarks given by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter after two meetings in Damascus over the weekend.”

* The Gallup Daily Tracking Poll has been surprisingly volatile of late. After last week’s debate, Hillary Clinton surged, even taking a narrow lead on Saturday for the first time in weeks. As of this afternoon, however, Barack Obama has rebounded and is now up by seven.

* I’m going to have more on this tomorrow, so save some of your best snark for the stand-alone post, but CNN’s political team has managed to become even more Republican: “Former White House press secretary Tony Snow will join CNN as a conservative commentator beginning Monday. CNN president Jon Klein announced that Snow, a long-time political observer with a longstanding news background, will contribute to CNN as the network continues to broadcast winning political coverage.”

* Disgraced cabinet secretaries who resign in the midst of multiple ongoing investigations aren’t supposed to get regal send-offs. Apparently, HUD and the White House aren’t familiar with this idea: “Last Wednesday, Alphonso Jackson got the send off he deserved, as you can see from the cover of the program for the event obtained by TPMmuckraker. The event, which was held in the main auditorium at HUD, included an overflow crowd of about 1,000 HUD employees, said HUD spokesman Jerry Brown. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was the special guest speaker at the event, Brown said.”

* More FISA wrangling: Congressional staffers from both parties met with administration officials Monday to discuss controversial electronic surveillance legislation, confirmed an aide to House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), offering a ray of hope for the long-stalled bill. For the first time since February, representatives from both parties, from both sides of the Capitol and from the administration gathered to discuss the stalled bill, according to the aide.”

* The proposed Dem debate in North Carolina for April 27 was officially cancelled today. You know who’s really disappointed about that? Katie Couric — it was going to be her only shot at moderating a debate this year.

* It seems to me, the Bush administration was carefully avoiding directly annoying Muqtada al-Sadr, for fear that he would officially end his cease-fire against U.S. forces. Now, Condoleezza Rice is publicly calling him out with a bring-’em-on like challenge. Great diplomacy there, guys.

* The Abramoff fallout is still ongoing: “A former high-ranking Justice Department official is being accused of criminal conflict of interest in the latest case stemming from the investigation of disgraced GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Robert Coughlin was deputy chief of staff of the Justice Department’s criminal division before his resignation a year ago. In court papers filed Monday in federal court in Washington, prosecutors accused Coughlin of providing assistance to a lobbyist and the lobbyist’s firm while receiving gifts from the firm and discussing prospective employment there.”

* AP: “The Bush administration is challenging a court ruling that White House visitor logs are public documents, saying that release of the records would infringe on the separation of powers.”

* Hillary Clinton doesn’t like or agree with MoveOn.org, but she’s reluctant to say why.

* Karl Rove is working behind the scenes to help support conservative independent groups in advance of the general election. Wait, isn’t Rove a professional journalist now? You mean, Rove thinks it’s ethical to be an independent media analyst and a Republican campaign operative at the same time?

* Mitt Romney thinks Obama is an elitist. Mitt Romney.

* People sure are buying a lot of hybrids.

* And it appears that the intersection of politics and wrestling is not limited to Jesse Ventura: “Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain will appear on World Wrestling Entertainment’s live ‘Monday Night Raw’ (8-11 p.m. EST on cable’s USA network) but instead of smacking each other down, they separately will deliver some wrestling-themed stumping in taped messages before Tuesday’s Pennsylvania primary…. The candidate appearances will be used to promote ‘Smackdown Your Vote!’ — the WWE’s voter registration drive.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The very last Pennsylvania polls to be released before voting began this morning both show Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama by 10. The final Zogby tracking poll in the state shows Clinton up 51-41, while the latest InsiderAdvantage poll shows her up 49-39.

* In terms of national polls, the latest numbers from USA Today/Gallup show Obama solidifying his support nationwide. He now leads among Democrats 50-40, and the 10-point gap is up 3 percentage points from a month ago. The news was not all bad for Clinton, though — in hypothetical general election match-ups, her margin of victory over John McCain (50-44) was greater than Obama’s (47-44).

* On CNN last night, Larry King asked Clinton about staying in the race until the convention. Clinton responded, “Well, I’m going until we get Florida and Michigan resolved. I’m going until everybody’s had a chance to vote in this process. I’m going until the automatic delegates have made their judgments, based on their independent assessments, as to who of us would be better against John McCain in the fall and who would be the best president for our country.”

* Cindy McCain denied reports about her husband’s explosive temper while appearing on “The View” yesterday, insisting that he’s simply “passionate about the future.”

* Jon Stewart asked Obama last night if he planned, once in office, to “enslave the white race.” Obama responded, “That is not our plan, Jon, but I think your paranoia might make you suitable as a debate moderator.”

* Good advice: “Clinton, speaking to reporters in Conshohocken just now, said she’d campaign for a united Democratic Party, no matter who’s the nominee. ‘Anybody who supports Barack or me would be very foolish to think voting for Senator McCain makes any sense,’ she said.”

* Unfortunately, it appears Obama is just as confused as McCain when it comes to the correlation (or lack thereof) between vaccines and autism rates.

* Bill Clinton believes the Obama campaign played the “race card” against him.

* Obama got a little testy with reporters while he was having breakfast yesterday.

* Louisiana’s Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, John Kennedy, was trashed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee just four years ago. Kennedy was a conservative Democrat at the time.

* Remember Ron Paul? Apparently, he’s been running radio ads in Pennsylvania in advance of today’s primary. (Yes, technically there really is a Republican primary.)

* Richard Nixon’s daughter supports Obama.

* I guess the long campaign is taking its toll — Hillary Clinton’s favorable numbers have actually fallen below Obama’s and McCain’s in New York.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* We may not need to stay up too late tonight: “Polls close at 8 p.m. State elections officials tell us that results from the bigger cities will start trickling in within the hour, but fuller results may not be known until at least 9:30 or 10 p.m. The smaller counties, where there aren’t too many Democrats anyway, tend to report last.”

* Strong turnout in Pennsylvania.

* This won’t help him look like he’s in touch: “President Bush denied Tuesday that the United States’ economy is in recession, calling it instead a ’slowdown.’”

* A related note, from the latest USAT/Gallup poll: “Meanwhile, President Bush set an unwelcome record, scoring the highest disapproval rating — 69% — in the history of the Gallup Poll, which dates to Franklin Roosevelt’s tenure. Bush’s approval rating is 28%, matching the low point of his presidency.”

* Dan Froomkin had a good item on this: “No president in recent history has let the American people down the way this president has…. Pundits focused so intently on the race to replace him risk losing sight of just how unhappy the American people are with Bush, how dismally they regard his tenure, and how eager they are to set off in a new direction.”

* AP: “Al Qaeda still has plans to target Western countries involved in the Iraq war, Osama bin Laden’s chief deputy warns in an audiotape released Tuesday to answer questions posed by followers. The voice in the lengthy file posted on an Islamic Web site could not be immediately confirmed as al Qaeda No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahiri’s. But it sounded like past audiotapes from the terror leader, and the posting bore the logo of As-Sahab, al Qaeda’s official media arm.”

* Remember, the stop-loss policy means involuntary service: “The Army has accelerated its policy of involuntary extensions of duty to bolster its troop levels, despite Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ order last year to limit it, Pentagon records show…. [Since May 2007,] the number of soldiers forced to remain in the Army rose 43% to 12,235 in March.”

* Earth Day News: “On the eve of Earth Day, an environmental group released a study that suggests implementing a cap-and-trade program to cut greenhouse gas emissions would not slow the U.S. economy or cost jobs, contradicting a report released recently by a group of manufacturers that oppose a climate change bill.”

* Dick Cheney really ought to know the difference between FISA and the PAA.

* On a related note, FISA talks have begun anew.

* AP: “Sales of existing homes fell in March as a severe slump in housing showed no signs of abating.”

* Keep an eye on this one: “Yesterday marked the opening day of a class action lawsuit brought by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans against the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), arguing “that failure to provide care is manifesting itself in an epidemic of suicides” among veterans. The VA denies the charges, pointing to increased resources devoted to mental health. Today, CBS News reports that the VA apparently concealed veteran suicide statistics, and fed the news organization faulty data for a story on the issue.”

* Rupert Murdoch wants Newsday, too.

* It probably wasn’t a good idea for Bill Clinton to pick a fight over three-month-old comments.

* Obama appears to have rebounded in the Gallup Daily Tracking Poll, which has been volatile to the point of unreliability. After trailing Clinton by one on Saturday, Obama leads her by 10 today.

* Oh dear, Bush is dancing again.

* It takes a special kind of conservative to insist that “illiterate peasant” is not an insult.

* Uh oh: “Researchers have found the unexpected in U.S. life expectancy: We might have peaked. Life expectancy rates rose for most of Americans over the last four decades by about six years, from an average of about age 71 to age 77. Yet a sizeable portion of the population, mostly in rural regions, saw those modest gains level off and even reverse starting in the 1980s. This is in contrast to all other industrialized nations. Nearly 20 percent of American women, in fact, experienced either stagnation or a decline in longevity, what researchers at Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Washington call a ‘reversal of fortunes.’”

* And finally, a U.S. veteran of the war in Iraq was competing on an NBC game show called “Deal or No Deal” last night, so the president made a cameo (via video tape) to wish him luck. “I’m thrilled to be on Deal or No Deal’ with you tonight,” Bush said. “Come to think of it, I’m thrilled to be anywhere with high ratings these days.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Whether you liked the outcome of the Pennsylvania primary or not, the turnout rates were pretty impressive: “Pennsylvania’s primary day turnout approached general election levels this year, state officials said Tuesday night. The result comes on the heels of unprecedented Democratic voter registration in the months leading up to the presidential primary. Voters in some counties participated at double and triple the level of the previous two presidential cycles — up to 60 percent in Clinton-supporting Allegheny County — although there is little basis for comparison, since the nomination had been essentially decided by the time the 2000 and 2004 primaries were held, so both were basically uncompetitive contests.”

* The Obama campaign has ruled out going after Clinton on ’90s-era controversies, such as Whitewater and cattle futures. Good to know.

* Obama continues to look like the favorite in North Carolina, where SurveyUSA shows him ahead by nine percentage points, 50% to 41%.

* On a related note, Obama also got a boost in North Carolina yesterday, when 29 state legislators, including the Senate Majority Leader and the former House Speaker, endorsed him.

* Clinton will likely get a net gain of between 10 and 12 delegates as a result of her victory in Pennsylvania.

* Obama picked up another superdelegate this morning: “Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry endorsed Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination Wednesday, calling him an inspirational leader who can unite the country. ‘I believe Senator Obama is uniquely positioned to unite our nation and move beyond the divisiveness and partisan skirmishes that too often characterize politics as usual in Washington,’ Henry said early Wednesday in a statement released by the Obama press office in Chicago.”

* North Carolina Republicans are getting surprisingly desperate, especially for April, running an ugly ad against state gubernatorial candidates on the Jeremiah Wright controversy. (The RNC and the McCain campaign are reportedly urging the state party to drop the ad.)

* Speaking of McCain, he won 73% of the Republican vote in Pennsylvania yesterday. Isn’t that a little low?

* Using results she previously said wouldn’t count, Clinton is now arguing she’s ahead in the popular vote count.

* And for all of yesterday’s excitement, let’s not lose sight of the fascinating contest in Mississippi: “Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers (D) and Southaven Mayor Greg Davis (R) are headed to a May 13 runoff in the open special election to fill the northern Mississippi House seat of now-Sen. Roger Wicker (R). According to unofficial results posted by The Associated Press, neither man was able to secure the simple majority of votes necessary to secure an outright victory in the crowded six-way primary contest, although between them, the two men accounted for 95 percent of the total vote in the special election. In perhaps the most surprising turn of events in what was a safe Republican district under Wicker, Childers got 49 percent of the vote to Davis’ 46 percent, coming just a few hundred votes shy of locking up the special election outright on Tuesday night. No party IDs appeared on the special election ballot.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The Clinton campaign will still trail Obama’s fundraising totals by quite a bit, but this is an extraordinarily impressive one-day haul: “Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) campaign said Wednesday afternoon it was “on track” to raise $10 million in online donations in the 24 hours since the Pennsylvania primary was called in her favor.”

* Big vote tonight in the Senate on the “Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act,” which passed the House nearly a year ago. Expect floor action in about a half an hour.

* Speaking of the Ledbetter bill, Clinton and Obama will return from the campaign trail to vote for the measure. John McCain, who has barely shown up for work in over a year, will not be there.

* Karl Rove’s lawyer concedes that Rove received requests to have Patrick Fitzgerald fired, but he didn’t follow up on them. Hmm.

* There’s a surprising amount of interest in whether Clinton won Pennsylvania by 10 points, 9.4 points, or 9.2 points.

* McClatchy: “The Veterans Administration has lied about the number of veterans who’ve attempted suicide, a senator charged Wednesday, citing internal e-mails that put the number at 12,000 a year when the department was publicly saying it was fewer than 800. ‘The suicide rate is a red-alarm bell to all of us,’ said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. Murray also said that the VA’s mental health programs are being overwhelmed by Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, even as the department tries to downplay the situation.”

* Why am I not surprised: “You didn’t think that John Yoo would come easily, did you? Earlier this month, House Judiciary Committee Chair John Conyers (D-MI) invited Yoo to testify to the committee about his time as the administration’s point man for authorizing the use of torture in interrogations. Now Yoo, through his lawyer, is saying that he’s not coming.”

* Something to keep an eye on: “House Republicans Wednesday began circulating a discharge petition to force a vote on the Senate version of a bill seeking changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.”

* The NYT’s Thomas Friedman was attacked today — with a pie.

* The United States has less than 5% of the world’s population, but “almost a quarter of the world’s prisoners.” Incredible.

* A little something CNN executives should have read before hiring Tony Snow.

* It’s going to take a long time to clean up Bush’s scandalous mess at the Environmental Protection Agency: “The Union of Concerned Scientists said that more than half of the nearly 1,600 EPA staff scientists who responded online to a detailed questionnaire reported they had experienced incidents of political interference in their work.”

* The latest cover of The New Republic really is a cheap shot.

* And why, oh why, was top Clinton campaign surrogate and former DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe on Fox News last night, praising it as the “fair and balanced” network? Without a hint of irony or satire?

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Oh my: “Sales of new homes in March plummeted to the lowest level since the housing recession of the 1990s, the government said on Thursday, as inventories rose to the highest point in more than a quarter century. Buyers vanished from the housing market last month at a swift rate. Sales of new homes fell 8.5 percent, a far sharper decline than economists had forecast. Sales are running at an annual rate of 526,000 after adjusting for seasonal factors, the lowest point since October 1991. Adding to the gloom, the Commerce Department lowered its initial estimate for February sales as well, to a 5.3 percent decline from 1.8 percent.”

* None dare call it rationing: “The two biggest U.S. warehouse retail chains are limiting how much rice customers can buy because of what Sam’s Club, a division of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., called on Wednesday ‘recent supply and demand trends.’ … The move comes as U.S. rice futures hit a record high amid global food inflation, although one rice expert said the warehouse chains may be reacting less to any shortages than to stockpiling by restaurants and small stores.”

* I didn’t think Hoekstra had it in him: “The senior Republican on the House Select Committee on Intelligence said that lawmakers felt ‘used’ by the White House after finally getting briefed today on alleged North Korean nuclear assistance to Syria. Rep. Pete Hoekstra warned of a ‘damaged’ relationship that could hinder the administration’s ability to get congressional approval for an agreement on the North Korea’s nuclear program.”

* John McCain visited New Orleans today, and most of the media coverage focused on his subtle criticism of the president’s handling of the Hurricane Katrina crisis. Even more interesting, at least to me, was McCain’s comment that he’d consider “tearing down” the Ninth Ward altogether.

* Hey, look! A bill Senate Republicans didn’t filibuster! “A bill seeking to outlaw discrimination based on genetic test results won overwhelming approval from the Senate Thursday, clearing the way for the measure to become law more than a decade after its introduction. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act would forbid insurance companies from denying coverage to workers due to a person’s genetic makeup. It would also prohibit insurers and employers from forcing employees to undergo genetic tests. The bill passed the Senate 95-0. The House is expected to pass it next week and the White House has said the president will sign the measure.”

* Are prosecutors really going to try that Seas of David cult again? Apparently so.

* For all of the Iraqis’ many problems, generating oil revenue apparently isn’t on the list.

* Where does nuclear waste go? Bradford Plumer has a very good item on the subject.

* McCain’s problem with his base continues — Jenna Bush isn’t sure if she’s going to vote for him.

* A really fascinating “decision tree” on who’s voting for which Democratic presidential candidate in the primaries.

* The Gallup Daily Tracking Poll continues to be all over the place. Obama now leads Clinton by five.

* Speaking of Obama, unfortunately, he’s decided to end his personal boycott and will appear on “Fox News Sunday.”

* Keith Olbermann gave it straight to Letterman last night: “Most of us in news are not smart enough to figure out what’s going on. We may pretend that we’re good enough to do that. But in fact, when we look you in the eye, in the camera, we’re really just making it up.”

* A gameshow called “Deal or No Deal” saw its ratings drop when Bush made a cameo appearance.

* And finally, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) wrote a song for John McCain in the hopes of helping his presidential campaign. Seriously. It’s called, “Together Forever.” The lyrics go like this: “Forever together / America is the land we’re fighting for / There’s a time in history / for a hero’s destiny / together forever more.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Before the Wisconsin primary in February, Hillary Clinton made debates a central point of her campaign. She appears to be following a similar strategy now, telling audiences over the weekend that she wants 90-minute, Lincoln-Douglas style debates — without moderators.

* Barack Obama, for his part, emphasizes that Dems have already broken the record for most debates ever in a presidential primary. He told Chris Wallace yesterday, “We’re not going to have debates between now and Indiana.”

* The Clinton campaign suffered a setback late on Friday when a major fundraiser switched to Obama: “NBC News has learned that a major fundraiser for Hillary Clinton, former Amb. to Chile Gabriel Guerra-Mondragon is leaving the campaign to join up Barack Obama’s campaign. Officially dubbed a “Hillraiser,” Guerra-Mondragon raised nearly $500,000 for Clinton’s campaign, according to some estimates. He has been informing people inside Clintonworld this week in what’s been described as some tough conversations. A formal announcement of a role for Guerra-Mondragon on Obama’s national finance committee will be made next week.”

* On a related note, the WaPo reported over the weekend that more than 70 top Clinton donors “wrote their first checks to Obama in March.”

* Perhaps reflecting a post-Pennsylvania bounce, Newsweek’s latest poll shows Obama’s national lead over Clinton shrinking considerably to just seven points, 48% to 41%. Both Dems lead McCain in general election match-ups by three points.

* On a related note, the Gallup Daily Tracking Poll shows Clinton and Obama tied again.

* Obama picked up another superdelegate over the weekend, earning the support of Charlene Fernandez, the newly-elected first vice chairwoman of the Arizona Democratic Party.

* Obama also picked up an extra pledged delegate during Saturday’s congressional district conventions in Iowa.

* Speaking of Iowa, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is on the fence and planning to stay there for a while. “I am determined to stay neutral as a superdelegate until all of the people’s votes have been counted,” he said. “We set up rules. Every state signed off, so every state ought to have their say.”

* Ron Paul fans remain a very lively bunch: “Outmaneuvered by raucous Ron Paul supporters, Nevada Republican Party leaders abruptly shut down their state convention and now must resume the event to complete a list of 31 delegates to the GOP national convention. Outnumbered supporters of expected Republican presidential nominee John McCain faced off Saturday against well-organized Paul supporters. A large share of the more than 1,300 state convention delegates enabled Paul supporters to get a rule change positioning them for more national convention delegate slots than expected.”

* In a very odd column, the NYT’s Bill Kristol praised Hillary Clinton today, and parroted her campaign’s talking points.

* And in an upset, the hyper-conservative Constitution Party rejected Alan Keyes yesterday, instead giving its presidential nomination to talk-show host Chuck Baldwin. Oddly enough, despite Keyes’ notoriety, the margin wasn’t close, and Baldwin won the nomination on a 384 to 126 vote. (Baldwin was the party’s VP candidate in 2004.)

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Barack Obama’s appearance on Fox News still isn’t going over well. Adam Green, a spokesperson for MoveOn.org, which has endorsed Obama, said today, “It was a mistake for Obama to go on FOX’s Sunday show and treat the experience as if it was a real news interview. Democratic politicians need to understand that FOX is a Republican mouthpiece masquerading as a news outlet. When dealing with FOX, you either burn them or they will burn you.”

* On a related note, Josh Marshall had a good item on this, making the case that the appearance was a judgment call, but picking a fight with Wallace wasn’t a viable option.

* This could be interesting: “In the corruption trial of Chicago political fundraiser Antoin ‘Tony’ Rezko last week, a federal witness alleged that ‘Rezko discussed efforts among top Republicans, including former White House political director Karl Rove and GOP national committeeman Robert Kjellander,’ to have U.S. attorney Patrick Fitzgerald ‘fired to derail a corruption probe.’ Now, according to Newsweek, the House Judiciary Committee ‘intends to investigate the facts and circumstances alleged in this testimony.’”

* On a related note: “Tony Rezko associate Elie Maloof just testified that when he received a grand jury subpoena, Rezko told him not to talk to the feds. Why? ‘The federal prosecutor will no longer be the same federal prosecutor,’ Maloof just testified that Rezko told him. What did Rezko mean, prosecutor Chris Niewoehner asked. ‘That Patrick Fitzgerald would be terminated and Dennis Hastert will name his replacement. The investigation will be over.’”

* The Clinton campaign is done talking about the Wright controversy. I’m glad, though I think it was a mistake for the campaign to weigh in on this one in the first place.

* Dan Froomkin had a good item on the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, which he described as “a dispiriting, mostly humorless affair.”

* Antonin Scalia isn’t convinced that torture constitutes punishment. Wow.

* Tim Russert told Howard Dean yesterday that “McCain is tied or beating both Clinton or Obama in most of the national polls.” That’s actually not true.

* For all the complaining I do, I actually love newspapers, and shudder to think what American journalism would be like without them. (Broadcast news just relies on newspaper reporters to do all the heavy lifting.) I mention this because the industry’s numbers continue to tank.

* Amusing: “Vice President Dick Cheney headlined a fundraiser for Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL) on Thursday. While Cheney gave some of his standard lines … only a ’small crowd’ turned out to hear them. A sponsor of the event blamed the low turnout on the lack of a ‘more competitive two-party system.’” I don’t think that’s the right explanation.

* If you missed Bill Moyers’ interview with Jeremiah Wright, Where’s the Outrage posted the video.

* Ackerman 1, Kagan 0.

* Why, exactly, would someone call 911 after seeing two men kissing?

* There’s something deeply comical about this controversy: “It looks like the Pentagon is just in a lesson-learning mood lately. While they’re busily reviewing whether the carefully-orchestrated use of military analysts was improper, the Army is reviewing whether it should have known better than to award a $300 million contract to supply arms to the Afghan security forces to a company run by a 22 year-old. As The New York Times reports, the key lesson seems to be that if a contractor’s price seems too good to be true, then it probably is.”

* This is just starting to get interesting: “House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) on Monday threatened to subpoena former Attorney General John Ashcroft, a top former Justice Department lawyer and the chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney over legal memos justifying the use of harsh interrogation techniques against suspected terrorists.”

* It’s hard to believe this is still ongoing: “Johnson County District Court Judge Stephen Tatum ruled today that prosecutors cannot have the abortion reports they want for their criminal case against Planned Parenthood. The documents are key to District Attorney Phill Kline’s 107-count case against Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri and its Overland Park clinic, Comprehensive Health, its attorneys have said. But Kline said today that he can proceed with his criminal case against Planned Parenthood even if KDHE doesn’t turn over the reports.”

* And finally, you’ll be pleased to know that the U.S. occupation of Iraq ended four years ago — that is, according to Paul Wolfowitz. I’m curious, if the occupation ended in 2004, how does Wolfowitz describe what we’ve been doing since?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Hillary Clinton picked up a very helpful endorsement this morning, earning the support of North Carolina Gov. Michael Easley. The two campaigned together in Raleigh, one week before the state’s Democratic primary. Easley is, of course, a superdelegate.

* Speaking of North Carolina, a new Rasmussen poll still shows Barack Obama with a double-digit lead, but his margin is shrinking. Earlier this month, Obama led by 23 (56% to 33%), whereas now, with a week to go, Obama leads by 14 (51% to 37%).

* Barack Obama picked up a superdelegate endorsement of his own yesterday, when Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) threw his support to Obama. At this point, Obama now leads Clinton on endorsements from their Senate colleagues.

* In still more endorsement news, Obama will also pick up the support today of Rep. Ben Chandler (D) in Kentucky. Eric Kleefeld noted the oddity: “Kentucky may well be [Obama’s] single worst state in the Union in both primary and general election polls, and thus it doesn’t seem like he’d be much help to them at the top of the ticket.” Kentuckians head to the polls in three weeks.

* With a week to go before the Indiana primary, SurveyUSA has Clinton leading Obama, 52% to 43%. The nine-point margin is down from a 16-point lead Clinton enjoyed in a SUSA poll two weeks ago.

* A national AP/Ipsos poll released yesterday showed Clinton leading McCain by nine (50% to 41%) in a general election match-up, while Obama leads McCain by two (46% to 44%).

* Greg Sargent found an interesting tidbit in the same AP/Ipsos poll: at least for now, Clinton’s faring much better among independents. A few weeks ago, this poll showed Clinton and McCain about even among independents; now, it shows her with a 16-point lead (50% to 34%). Is the AP/Ipsos poll an outlier or part of some new trend?

* Obama appears to enjoy a general-election edge in Wisconsin, where Obama leads McCain by four, while McCain leads Clinton by six.

* The Gallup Daily Tracking Poll continues to show a very close race, with Obama now leading Clinton by just one, 47% to 46%.

* SEIU is on the air in Ohio with a new ad hitting McCain on healthcare.

* Ending the suspense, and dashing Dems’ hopes of yet another open Senate seat for Republicans to defend, Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) will seek re-election this year.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* More discouraging economic news: “From soaring gas prices to weaker job prospects, Americans are gloomier about the economy than just before the U.S. invasion of Iraq. They’re so anxious that fewer people say they are planning to take a vacation than in 30 years. And those are worrying signs for the already deteriorating economy, since eroding consumer confidence foreshadows weaker spending.”

* On a related note: “Housing prices dropped in February at the fastest rate ever, a widely watched index showed on Tuesday, reflecting that the housing slump is gaining momentum and showing no signs of letting up. The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller home price index of 20 cities fell by 12.7 percent in February versus last year, the largest decline since its inception in 2001. ‘There is no sign of a bottom in the numbers,’ David Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at S&P, noting that all 20 metro areas have declined for six straight months.” (thanks to R.K. for the tip)

* Not a huge surprise: “Earlier this month, [House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers] scheduled a hearing for next week on the administration’s authorization of torture, and along with John Yoo, has invited former Attorney General John Ashcroft, former CIA Director George Tenet, former Undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith, Chief of Staff to the Vice President David Addington, and former Assistant Attorney General Daniel Levin. Yesterday Conyers released some of the correspondence he’s been having with lawyers for Addington, Yoo, and Ashcroft. As expected, none of them want to testify, and they’re not short on reasons.”

* Bloggers aren’t the only one to notice that the AP screwed up royally on its story about the DNC’s “100 years” ad.

* Fascinating McClatchy report on one of the most powerful men in Iraq — an Iranian general who’s more influential than “an Iraqi government official, a militia leader, a senior cleric or a top U.S. military commander or diplomat.”

* Hillary Clinton is going to appear, of all places, on O’Reilly’s Fox News show tomorrow.

* The Clinton campaign justified accepting O’Reilly’s invitation because he “has a large audience of politically engaged people.”

* If you wanted to watch Obama’s big press conference in DC this afternoon, it’s online.

* John Ashcroft has decided he’s better off keeping his mouth shut on waterboarding from now on. Probably a smart move.

* On a related note, congressional Dems aren’t done trying to impose the Army Field Manual’s interrogation techniques on the CIA.

* I’m a little surprised that a Fox News personality doesn’t realize that the Golden Rule is “rooted in Scripture.” I mean, really. Not everyone’s a theologian, but if you’re going to talk about this on the air….

* “Clueless” isn’t the first adjective that comes to mind, but it’ll do: “In February 2003, just before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Army Gen. Eric Shinseki told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the U.S. would need ’several hundred thousand soldiers’ to secure Iraq. Two days later, then-deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz dismissed Shinseki’s prediction saying it was ‘wildly off the mark.’ Yesterday, during a discussion of fellow war architect Douglas Feith’s new book ‘War and Decision,’ Wolfowitz acknowledged he was ‘clueless on counterinsurgency’ regarding troops levels after the fall of Baghdad.”

* I can’t begin to describe how offensive I find this: “Here’s another for the annals of vote suppression. Calls have gone out to an untold number of North Carolina voters telling them that they need to fill out a registration form before they vote. Democracy North Carolina, a government watchdog that has posted audio of the call, says that the calls went out to ‘black neighborhoods.’”

* I’m starting to get the impression that Hugh Hewitt is kind of a partisan hack. Shocking, I know.

* Why won’t Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) support the troops?

* If you haven’t seen it, be sure to check out Fox News’ prime-time schedule last night. The network is truly beyond parody.

* And finally, be sure to check out David Corn’s item on the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner: “It’s decades from now, and historians and others are trying to understand what happened in the first years of the 21st century. That was when the United States government initiated a foolhardy war on the basis of fear and hyped-up threats. It was also a period when the people in charge did not take one of their last chances to deal with the real danger of global warming. And, of course, it was during those years that American leaders hocked the nation to China and the nation’s global financial standing diminished. And these historians are asking, ‘What the hell went on.’ Well, look at this old tape, one says, it just might explain.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* There’s been a flurry of superdelegate endorsements over the last 24 hours. Hillary Clinton picked up the support of House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton of Missouri, and Pennsylvania AFL-CIO president Bill George.

* Barack Obama meanwhile, has picked up a few superdelegates of his own, including farmer Richard Machacek, Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa), and Rep. Baron Hill (D-Ind.). Hill may prove to be the most significant, at least in the short term, in light of the looming Indiana primary.

* With yesterday’s and today’s endorsements, the number of uncommitted superdelegates has dropped below 300, to 294. Clinton’s lead among committed superdelegates has shrunk to 20 (or 18, or 24, depending on which count you prefer). Both Clinton and Obama have added three superdelegates each since yesterday morning.

* In polling news, SurveyUSA shows Clinton closing the gap in North Carolina, where Obama’s lead is down to just five points, 49% to 44%.

* A Public Policy Polling (D) survey in Indiana puts Clinton’s lead in Indiana at eight points, 50% to 42%.

* I’m always encouraged to hear Clinton say things like this: “Anyone, anyone, who voted for either of us should be absolutely committed to voting for the other because it would be the height of political foolishness to have voted for one of us and what we stand for and then either to stay home or not vote for a Democrat and instead vote for Sen. McCain.”

* Clinton beat Obama in New Jersey’s primary three months ago, but since then, Garden State Dems seem to have shifted into Obama’s camp.

* Another plan to fix the mess between the DNC, Michigan, and the candidates: “This latest plan would split the difference between the positions of Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama. Mrs. Clinton insists that the state’s 128 pledged delegates be seated according to the result of the Jan. 15 primary, which she won although the national Democratic Party declared the contest illegal in advance and Mr. Obama’s name was not on the ballot. That would give her a 73 to 55 advantage in delegates.”

* When North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley endorsed Clinton yesterday and used the word “pansy,” it rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.

* The West Virginia Secretary of State’s office is screwing up in a major way when it comes to independents participating in the Democratic primary.

* And in Minnesota’s Senate race, Al Franken is trying to resolve the flap that’s been dogging him: “The comedian-turned-Democratic politician announced on Tuesday that he will be paying $70,000 in back taxes and penalties in 17 states after several weeks in which the campaign downplayed the amount of money that his company owed and changed the reasons for why the taxes (and workers’ compensation insurance) had not been paid. During this period of time, Franken has also been avoiding publicly commenting about the controversy, instead relying on his surrogates to offer explanations.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Economic growth has almost come to a complete halt: “The bruised economy limped through the first quarter, growing at just a 0.6 percent pace as housing and credit problems forced people and businesses alike to hunker down.”

* Paul Krugman tackles anemic growth and the “r” word: “So, GDP was up slightly in the first quarter. Does that mean that we’re not in a recession? The correct answer is, who cares?… The point is that the official definition of recession has become delinked from peoples’ actual experience. Right now, we’re in an economy with deteriorating employment and incomes, collapsing home prices, and business retrenchment. Is it also an economy in recession? Who cares?”

* On a related note: “The Federal Reserve cut a key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point today, the seventh cut in as many months, continuing its efforts to guard the economy against a steep downturn.”

* After an encouraging dip, casualty rates in Iraq are on the rise again: “The killings of five U.S. soldiers in separate attacks in Baghdad pushed the American death toll for April up to 49, making it the deadliest month since September…. The spike in U.S. troop deaths comes as intense combat has been raging in Sadr City and other neighborhoods between Shiite militants and U.S.-Iraqi troops for more than a month.”

* I’ll have more on this tomorrow, but we learned today that terrorism rates are not improving around the world: “Al-Qaida has rebuilt some of its pre-Sept. 11 capabilities from remote hiding places in Pakistan, leading to a major spike in attacks last year in that country and neighboring Afghanistan, the Bush administration said Wednesday…. More than 22,000 people were killed by terrorists around the world in 2007, 8 percent more than in 2006, although the overall number of attacks fell, the report says.”

* The Dems’ new “100 years” ad can’t be too outrageous to the Republican Party — Fox News has agreed to begin airing it.

* No matter who’s elected in November, I hope treating the troops with more dignity is high on the next president’s to-do list: “Army officials said Tuesday they are inspecting every barracks building worldwide to see whether plumbing and other problems revealed at Fort Bragg, N.C., last week are widespread.”

* A lengthy book could probably be written on the ways in which the Bush gang has utterly decimated the EPA: “A White House budget agency is ‘actually dictating’ which chemicals the Environmental Protection Agency can assess for health impacts, a congressional investigator told a Senate committee Tuesday. John Stephenson, the Government Accountability Office’s director of natural resource programs, told the Senate Environment Committee that the White House Office of Management and Budget not only is closely involved in the chemical assessments but ‘actually dictating which assessments that the EPA can undertake.’”

* On a sort-of related note: “The latest contribution to good government from Vice President Dick Cheney: preventing the implementation of rules to protect the endangered right whale.”

* Apparently, a bunch of right-wing blogs got excited about the notion that the new DNC ad took footage from “Fahrenheit 9/11.” It didn’t.

* According to Bill O’Reilly, the United States never “invaded” Iraq. O’Reilly has, of course, said the opposite many times.

* Is Tim Russert keeping Arianna Huffington off the NBC airwaves?

* The Obama campaign weighed in on the controversy of the day: “In a conference call with reporters, Obama aides tentatively accepted the Women’s Voices Women Vote apology for ill-timed robocalls, but simultaneously compared the calls to deliberate voter suppression tactics. ‘The group has apologized and indicated that it was inadvertent,’ said Obama campaign counsel Bob Bauer, adding that the apology is ‘presumably to be taken at face value.’ But Pricey Harrison, a local Obama supporter on the call, said it was ‘a possibly deliberate attempt to disenfranchise voters.’”

* A deal in the works on FEC commissioners?

* Pentagon bean-counting gone horribly awry.

* Jonathan Alter has a good item in Newsweek on the gas-tax holiday debate.

* And finally, Fox News’ “Fox and Friends” pondered the Clinton campaign’s proposal for a “Lincoln-Douglas style” debate against Barack Obama, but showed an on-air graphic with Frederick Douglas, instead of Stephen Douglas. Um, Fox News? I know it was a long time ago, but you do know that Frederick Douglas and Stephen Douglas were opposites, don’t you?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Uncommitted superdelegates seem to be falling off the fence this week in far larger numbers. Yesterday, Hillary Clinton picked up support from Puerto Rico’s Luisette Cabanas, and today she’ll get the endorsement of Connecticut DNC member and state AFL-CIO head John Olsen.

* Obama has added to his superdelegate total as well. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) threw her support to Obama yesterday, and the campaign announced this morning that it would pick up three more next week when the Democratic Party of Illinois meets to finish filling out its delegate slate.

* Perhaps most notably on the superdelegate front, former DNC Chairman Joe Andrew, who had endorsed Hillary Clinton the day she announced her campaign, switched to Obama yesterday and encouraged his colleagues to “heal the rift in our party” and unite behind the Illinois senator. The AP reported, “Mr. Andrew said the Obama campaign never asked him to switch his support, but he decided to do so after watching Sen. Obama’s handling of two issues in recent days. He said Sen. Obama took the principled stand in opposing a summer gas tax holiday that both Sens. Clinton and McCain supported, even though it would have been easier politically to back it. And he said he was impressed with Sen. Obama’s handling of the controversy surrounding his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.”

* As of now, among endorsements from Democratic members of Congress, Clinton and Obama are tied at 97 each.

* Perhaps concerned with how voters might perceive the Clinton/McCain gas-tax-holiday idea, the Obama campaign unveiled a new ad last night featuring comments from an Obama speech this week: “I’m here to tell you the truth. We could suspend the gas tax for 6 months, but that’s not going to bring down gas prices long-term. You’re gonna save about $25, $30 dollars or half a tank of gas. That’s typical of how Washington works.” He called idea a “short-term quick fix,” which it is.

* Mason-Dixon has Obama leading Clinton in North Carolina by seven, while Insider Advantage has Clinton up by two over Obama in the same state.

* Rasmussen shows Clinton leading Obama in Indiana by five.

* New data from Quinnipiac shows Clinton polling better than Obama in general-election match-ups in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

* To pay for his admittedly thin healthcare plan, McCain may end up raising taxes a bit on those with expensive health plans.

* Among Dems nationwide, Obama leads Clinton by three, 46% to 43%, according to the latest NBC/WSJ poll (pdf). A month ago, the two were tied at 45% each.

* In the latest NYT/CBS poll, however, Dems nationwide prefer Obama to Clinton by a wider margin, 46% to 38%. The same poll gives Clinton an edge, though, in the general election against McCain — Obama and McCain are tied in the poll, while Clinton leads him by five.

* Dennis Kucinich has a plan to distribute Michigan and Florida delegates based on poll results.

* And, oddly enough, both Dems lose to McCain in his home state of Arizona, but Obama is within single digits.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: “A double suicide bombing struck a wedding convoy northeast of Baghdad Thursday, killing at least 35 people and wounding 65 others, police said. In Baghdad, a car bomb aimed at a U.S. patrol in Baghdad on Thursday killed an American soldier and least nine Iraqi civilians and wounded 26, police and military said.”

* The D.C. Madam has apparently committed suicide: “Deborah Jeane Palfrey, known as the ‘D.C. Madam,’ was found dead in Florida Thursday, according to Tarpon Springs police. Palfrey, 52, hanged herself, police said in a news release…. Palfrey was convicted last month in connection with a high-end prostitution ring catering to Washington’s elite. She was found guilty April 15 of money laundering, racketeering and mail fraud and faced a maximum 55-year prison term at her sentencing, which was scheduled for July 24.”

* Another House Republican in legal trouble: “Rep. Vito J. Fossella (R-N.Y.) was arrested overnight in Alexandria and charged with driving while intoxicated, court records showed today. Fossella is scheduled to appear in Alexandria General District Court on May 12 for an advisement hearing, the records said. No other details were immediately available.”

* Defending his “gas-tax holiday” idea, John McCain said it would help low-income Americans the most because it’s “obvious” that they drive the most to get to their jobs. In reality, McCain has it backwards. Again.

* On a related note, it doesn’t look like the tax policy endorsed by McCain and Clinton is actually going anywhere — Speaker Pelosi announced her opposition to the proposal today.

* I’m a little surprised the vote was unanimous: “The Senate Armed Services Committee spoke with one voice Thursday and sent ‘a loud message to Iraq,’ according to Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), that the U.S. is no longer willing to pick up the bill when it comes to costly infrastructure projects. As part of the Defense authorization bill, the panel unanimously approved a provision that prohibits the Pentagon from paying for infrastructure projects in Iraq that cost more than $2 million.”

* Typical: “The Bush administration is refusing to disclose internal e-mails, letters and notes showing contacts with major telecommunications companies over how to persuade Congress to back a controversial surveillance bill, according to recently disclosed court documents.”

* Oh my: “Nobel Peace Prize winner and international symbol of freedom Nelson Mandela is flagged on U.S. terrorist watch lists and needs special permission to visit the USA. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice calls the situation ‘embarrassing,’ and some members of Congress vow to fix it.”

* Recently-fired GSA chief Lurita Doan seems to have developed a martyr complex.

* On a related note, Atrios explains extremely well precisely why Doan was able to stick around for as long as she did.

* In the latest Gallup Daily Tracking Poll, Clinton now leads Obama by four, 49% to 45%. It’s her biggest lead since mid-March, and is the latest evidence that Jeremiah Wright has done some very serious damage to Obama’s campaign.

* Keep an eye on this one: “The Federal Trade Commission will announce Friday its plan for investigating and regulating possible market manipulation by oil companies, traders and others, a Democratic senator said Thursday. Under legislation passed late last year, violators could face fines of $1 million a day. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said the best way to bring down the price of gasoline at the pump is for the administration to start seriously policing the oil industry.”

* Tim Karr explains the media blackout on the Pentagon Pundits story.

* CNN.com featured a “live developing story” this morning: “Rescuers try to help pelican dangling from tree.” Now, I like pelicans, and I sincerely hope rescuers were successful. But why CNN considers this a breaking national news story is a mystery.

* Sounds like a riotous event: “At least 20 disabled activists, most of them in wheelchairs, were arrested outside Sen. John McCain’s offices Tuesday after being refused a meeting with the GOP presidential nominee-to-be over a bill to expand Medicaid coverage to more people who want in-home care.”

* Now that he’s withdrawn his support for the bipartisan GI Bill, I’m comfortable saying that Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) has to be the chamber’s worst member. Has to be.

* The Clinton campaign’s push-back against Joe Andrew needs a little work. OK, more than a little.

* I’m always glad to see Olbermann’s ratings go up.

* And finally: “A new poll suggests that George W. Bush is the most unpopular president in modern American history. A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Thursday indicates that 71 percent of the American public disapprove of how Bush his handling his job as president. ‘No president has ever had a higher disapproval rating in any CNN or Gallup poll; in fact, this is the first time that any president’s disapproval rating has cracked the 70 percent mark,’ said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Indianapolis Star, Indiana’s largest newspaper, endorsed Hillary Clinton this morning. The Star’s editorial board seemed disappointed that Clinton has “pandered more to voters,” but the paper nevertheless concludes that she “is well prepared for the rigors of the White House. She is tough, experienced and realistic about what can and cannot be accomplished on the world stage.”

* Barack Obama seems to be doing quite well with former chairmen of the Democratic National Committee this week. Yesterday, he was endorsed by Joe Andrew, and today, Obama won the support of former DNC chairman and Massachusetts supderdelegate Paul Kirk.

* In other superdelegate news, John Patrick, a 31-year member of the United Steelworkers union and vice president of the Texas AFL-CIO, has also thrown his support to Obama.

* On Fox News yesterday, John McCain, who attacked Obama on his association with Jeremiah Wright earlier this week, was asked if he would pursue this issue in the general election. “No. The American people will make that decision and he’ll have that discussion with them,” McCain responded. “I’ve said that I don’t think he shares Reverend Wright’s views.”

* In North Carolina, a Research 2000 poll shows Obama with a seven-point lead (51% to 44%), while Zogby has Obama up by 14 (50% to 34%).

* Speaking of Zogby, the pollster also found that Indiana is all tied up, with both Clinton and Obama drawing 42%.

* Oregon’s primary, despite being just two weeks away, hasn’t drawn a lot of polling lately, so it was good to see the latest numbers from SurveyUSA. Its new poll shows Obama up by six, 50% to 44%.

* I think Dems are right to be concerned: “A new sign a growing numbers of Democratic primary voters may think the campaign season has passed its sell-by date: in a new survey, almost two out of three people think that the marathon campaign is doing the party more harm than good. In a Gallup poll released Friday, 62 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say the fact that both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are still battling while the Republican nomination has been settled for weeks is making it less likely that either of them will be able to win in the fall – twice as many as the 30 percent who say the extended primary season is actually helping Democratic odds of re-taking the White House.”

* Working-class whites continue to move to Clinton in large numbers: “A month ago, Hillary held a 50%-40% advantage among white Democratic voters with a high school degree or less. Today, after the Pennsylvania result and the latest flare-up by Jeremiah Wright, it’s a 65%-25% win for Hillary among this same group.”

* My friend Cliff Schecter’s new book highlights an alleged incident in which McCain lashed out at his wife publicly, calling her a very ugly word (let’s say, it rhymes with “blunt”). At an Iowa town-hall meeting yesterday, a Baptist minister asked McCain if the report was accurate. “There’s people here who don’t respect that kind of language so I’ll move on to the next question,” McCain said to a smattering of applause.

* Joe Trippi is wondering what might have happened if John Edwards had stuck around. I bet Edwards is wondering the same thing.

* McCain ally John Hagee believes American public schools provide abortion services. He did not appear to be kidding.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* In today’s economy, when the news is bad, but better than expected, it’s good: “The American economy shed 20,000 jobs in April, the Labor Department said on Friday in a report that many economists took as powerful evidence that the United States is ensnared in a recession. It was the fourth consecutive month of decline. But the size of the loss was significantly smaller than many analysts predicted, and the unemployment rate nudged down to 5 percent, sowing hopes that the economy may not suffer as severely as some have feared.”

* I wonder if the Hillary Clinton realizes how much her own Democratic colleagues are going to hate having to vote on an idea they all know is stupid: “Hillary spokesperson Howard Wolfson, on a conference call with reporters moments ago, confirmed that she’d be going forward with her plan to introduce the gas tax holiday legislation. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi opposes the proposal, so there’s very little chance it will ever come to a vote, at least in the House. If it did, however, it could put members of Congress — the same ones who are also super-delegates being courted by Hillary — in a bit of a spot.”

* Might Rove actually testify? “The House Judiciary Committee threatened Thursday to subpoena former White House adviser Karl Rove if he does not agree by May 12 to testify about former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman’s corruption case. In a letter to Rove’s attorney, committee Democrats called it ‘completely unacceptable’ that the Republican political strategist has rejected the panel’s request for sworn testimony even as he discusses the matter publicly through the media. ‘We can see no justification for his refusal to speak on the record to the committee,’ the letter states. ‘We urge you and your client to reconsider … or we will have no choice but to consider the use of compulsory process.’”

* If this Rove fiasco sounds familiar, there’s a good reason for that.

* Speaking of testifying, David Addington may talk to Congress after all about the administration’s interrogation techniques.

* Bush is returning to his ATM: “President Bush said earlier this week that $108 billion is $108 billion, and he would allow no more than that on the latest Iraq funding bill. Well, there seems to be some flexibility in that demand. Bush today requested $70 billion in funding that would pay for Iraq operations into the next presidency, dovetailing with a Democratic request to put this so-called ‘bridge’ fund into the overall Iraq budget and fund the war for several months into the next presidency.”

* Congress hasn’t forgotten about the Pentagon Pundit scandal: “One of Congress’ leading progressive figures sent a harsh letter to the Department of Defense on Friday demanding an investigation into reports of an “extensive propaganda program” involving the Pentagon, network news outlets, and military analysts. Rep. Rosa Delauro (D-CT) and 39 other members of Congress are calling on the DOD’s Office of the Inspector General to release more information on what she deemed an ‘unethical and potentially illegal’ campaign to place sympathetic generals and military personnel into influential analysts roles on television.”

* Well put: “McCain wants to stay in Iraq until no more Americans are getting killed, no matter how long it takes and how many Americans get killed achieving that goal — that is, the goal of not getting any more Americans killed. And once that goal is achieved, we’ll stay.”

* The EPA firing in Chicago really does look just like the U.S. Attorney Purge scandal.

* E. J. Dionne ponders what would have happened if Jeremiah Wright were white. Good question.

* On a related note, Peggy Noonan’s column on Wright was actually pretty darn good.

* John Gibson’s stupidity knows no bounds.

* The Bush-McCain challenge.

* Great, now Fox News personalities are gloating about the Dems appearing on the network.

* I had no idea Ben Stein wrote for the NYT.

* Dumb, dumb, dumb: “Ohio’s attorney general admitted an extramarital affair with an employee Friday, soon after three of his aides were fired or forced out after an investigation found evidence of sexual harassment and other misconduct. Leader of both parties were critical of Attorney General Marc Dann, one of several Democrats swept into office in 2006 after a scandal over state investments sullied Republicans. He apologized to his wife and supporters but promised not to step down.”

* Congratulations, John McCain, you’re a natural-born citizen of the United States.

* And finally, Barack Obama delivered a Top 10 list on Letterman last night, and the topic was, “Surprising Facts About Barack Obama.” #1: “I have not slept since October.” I can think of two other candidates and several dozen staffers who know just what he means.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Clinton campaign seems to be raising expectations regarding North Carolina, where Obama has been considered the favorite. Clinton said on Friday, “This primary election on Tuesday is a game changer. This is going to make a huge difference in what happens going forward. The entire country — probably even a lot of the world — is looking to see what North Carolina decides.”

* Speaking of North Carolina, the latest Zogby tracking poll still shows Obama ahead in the state, 48% to 39%. Zogby also shows Obama with a narrow lead in Indiana, 43% to 41%, though nearly every other polling outlet shows Clinton ahead.

* And speaking of Indiana, the latest InsiderAdvantage poll shows Clinton leading Obama by seven, 47% to 40%. A Suffolk University poll has her up by six, 49% to 43%.

* Obama has picked up some new superdelegates, with endorsements from New Mexico Party Chairman Brian Colon, Guam’s Jaime Paulino, and DNC member Kalyn Free.

* An on-screen graphic in McCain’s new TV ad describes him as “President McCain.” Is the election over? Did I miss it?

* The WSJ reported today that Obama privately assured the Teamsters that he supports ending strict federal oversight over the union, which in turn helped Obama win the Teamsters’ endorsement. The Clinton campaign is criticizing Obama for secrecy, though the Obama campaign responded that Obama’s position has been consistent and public for four years.

* Citing Obama’s position against the “gas-tax holiday” promoted by McCain and Clinton, environmental activist group Friends Of The Earth Action endorsed the Illinois senator late last week. “The two other candidates responded with sham solutions that won’t ease pain at the pump, but Senator Obama refused to play that typical Washington game,” group’s president, Brent Blackwelder, said. “Instead, Obama called for real solutions that would make transportation more affordable and curb global warming. He showed the courage and candor we expect from a president.”

* This speech in North Carolina tomorrow should be interesting: “John McCain’s campaign said Friday that Fred Thompson and Sam Brownback will join the presumptive GOP nominee in North Carolina next week for a major speech on judicial appointments. Both Thompson and Brownback have endorsed the Arizona senator, and both Republicans presented themselves throughout the Republican primary battle as ‘consistent conservatives,’ particularly regarding social issues and judicial appointments.”

* The Clinton campaign has an aggressive new direct-mail piece in Indiana, attacking Obama on gun control. The mailing has drawn some unwelcome interest from firearm enthusiasts: “Sen. Hillary Clinton’s mailing attacking Sen. Barack Obama’s record on guns appears to include a striking visual gaffe: The image of the gun pictured on the face of the mailing is reversed, making it a nonexistent left-handed model of the Mauser 66 rifle. To make matters worse, a prominent gun dealer said, it’s an expensive German gun with customized features that make it clearly European.”

* Rasmussen has Obama leading in Oregon by 12, 51% to 39%. Oregonians will vote two weeks from tomorrow.

* Speaking of May 20, Obama was endorsed by the Louisville Courier-Journal, Kentucky’s largest newspaper.

* And finally, Ron Paul told CNN late last week that he prefers Obama’s approach to foreign policy to McCain’s, but added, “[T]hat doesn’t mean that’s an endorsement.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The devastation in Burma is just staggering: “The death toll from the Myanmar cyclone is more than 10,000 people, Myanmar’s Foreign Ministry said Monday. Survivors were facing their third night without electricity in the aftermath of the historic cyclone that also clogged roads with thousands of downed trees. Diplomats were summoned to a government briefing Monday as the reclusive southeast Asian country’s ruling military junta issued a rare appeal for international assistance in the face of an escalating humanitarian crisis. A state of emergency was declared across much of the country following the 10-hour storm that left swathes of destruction in its wake.”

* On a related note, these fears seem fully justified: “House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) both expressed concern Monday over the response of the Burmese government to a massive cyclone that hit the country over the weekend, which has left up to 10,000 dead and tens of thousands missing. ‘I am concerned with the reported slow response by the military regime to help the Burmese people during this critical time,’ Pelosi said in a statement. Burma is ruled by a military junta which has spurred international aid for decades. According to the Associated Press, as of Monday afternoon the Burmese government had not granted permission for a Disaster Assistance Response Team into the country.”

* Unbelievable: “The number of suicides among veterans of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may exceed the combat death toll because of inadequate mental health care, the U.S. government’s top psychiatric researcher said.”

* It’s hard not to like numbers like these: “Voter excitement, always up before a presidential election, is pushing registration through the roof so far this year — with more than 3.5 million people rushing to join in the historic balloting, according to an Associated Press survey that offers the first national snapshot. Figures are up for blacks, women and young people. Rural and city. South and North.”

* State welfare rolls, after a lengthy decline, are on the rise again.

* Remember when Bernie Kerik was supposed to be training Iraqi police? He was raiding whorehouses. Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez said Kerik’s “whole contribution was a waste of time and effort.” (Remember, Bush wanted him to head DHS.)

* Gas Tax Scam.com.

* Sen. Bob Corker, a conservative Republican from Tennessee, said McCain’s “gas-tax holiday” scheme qualifies him as a “pandering extraordinaire.”

* After watching Hillary Clinton pretty closely for 16 years, I’ve never been as disappointed with her as I am after seeing her new gas-tax ad.

* House Republicans talk tough, but by a two-to-one margin, they don’t want a moratorium on earmarks.

* Kudos to Howard Dean for telling Chris Wallace the truth about Fox News’ coverage often being “shockingly biased.”

* Can fun movies be considered for Academy Awards?

* In 2005, Clinton thought McCain was right about a long-term presence of U.S. troops in Iraq. Clinton now knows better. McCain? Not so much.

* Why going after oil companies’ tax breaks is better than going after oil companies’ profits.

* Dear WaPo editors, we’re still waiting for that editorial on Cindy McCain.

* And finally, we warned Nevada voters about this guy: “To call Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons’ tenure troubled doesn’t quite capture it. It started off with a bang with accusations that he’d drunkenly assaulted a cocktail waitress in a parking garage in the middle of the night. That probe was eventually closed due to insufficient evidence. And then there’s the federal investigation as to whether he took bribes from a defense contractor while he was a congressman. And now he’s seeking a very public divorce from his wife.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* It’s official; John and Elizabeth Edwards told People magazine that they will not endorse either of the remaining Democratic candidates before the nominee is chosen. The Edwardses will instead save their political capital “for their own causes — his, fighting poverty; hers, fighting for universal health care.”

* Barack Obama picked up two more superdelegates yesterday, getting the support of Maryland Democratic Party Chairman Michael Cryor and Vice Chairwoman Lauren Dugas Glover. Hillary Clinton also picked up a superdelegate yesterday — Democrats Abroad’s Theresa Morelli — though her support only counts as half a vote.

* In light of the latest numbers and endorsements, Eric Kleefeld notes that Clinton’s lead among superdelegates is down to 15.

* Just as the latest USAT/Gallup poll shows Clinton claiming the national lead among Dems, so too does a new poll from AP/Ipsos, which shows Clinton up by seven, 47% to 40%. In terms of the general election, Obama leads McCain by four, while Clinton leads McCain by five.

* National Right to Life has been doing anti-Obama robo-calls in Indiana this week, despite a state law prohibiting such calls. NRL is taking a risk, apparently hoping to beat the law in court if challenged.

* Did McCain vote for Bush in 2000? Arianna Huffington said yesterday that he privately conceded to her that he didn’t. McCain’s campaign denied the report.

* The Clinton campaign decided yesterday to change the magic number to win the nomination from 2,025 to 2,208.

* I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Clinton is going to do very well in the West Virginia primary next week. A Rasmussen poll released yesterday showed her ahead by 29 points, 56% to 27%.

* In the volatile Gallup Daily Tracking poll, Obama now leads Clinton by five, 50% to 45%.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/107014/Gallup-Daily-Democrats-Tied-Record-12th-Day.aspx

* Bloomberg: “More than 200 economists, including four Nobel prize winners, signed a letter rejecting proposals by presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and John McCain to offer a summertime gas-tax holiday.”

* Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), a top Clinton surrogate, told MSNBC this morning, “Thank God that we don’t have economists making necessarily public policy.”

* Fred Thompson has become a McCain campaign surrogate, and is making the conservative media rounds, talking to Instapundit and Sean Hannity.

* Could Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) actually be vulnerable for re-election this year? It sure looks like it.

* Technically, Ron Paul is still seeking the Republican presidential nomination.

* And Hillary Clinton delivered a funny Top 10 list on Letterman last night, listing the reasons she loves America. I was especially fond of #8: “Thanks to the Internet, I can order new pantsuits 24/7. There’s your pantsuit joke, Dave. Are you happy now?”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Death toll reaches 22,000 in Burma: “Homeless children watched Tuesday as solemn men unceremoniously dropped dead bodies into the river of this southern Myanmar township. The funeral-like procession to the river was one of the many disturbing images of the destruction left by Myanmar’s deadly cyclone.”

* The president speaks out: “ Bush joined a chorus of international leaders urging Myanmar’s reclusive military government to allow the flow of aid after a disastrous weekend cyclone killed tens of thousands of people. ‘Let the United States come and help you,’ Bush exhorted the junta on Tuesday.”

* Speaking of the White House’s reaction to the cyclone disaster, it’s hard to imagine what the First Lady was thinking: “A White House press conference given by First Lady Laura Bush took a bizarre and insensitive twist when the focus of the conference, the devastation wrought by a powerful cyclone in Myanmar, switched to Jenna Bush’s upcoming wedding.”

* Turnout in Indiana and North Carolina appears very high.

* Good: “A House of Representatives committee voted Tuesday to compel vice presidential chief of staff David Addington to testify about controversial interrogation techniques used on terrorism suspects overseas. Democrats want Addington to answer questions about interrogation methods permitted by secret administration memos and criticized as torture.”

* Here’s a phrase Republicans probably don’t want to see in news stories: “McCain appeared confused about where he was for a moment Tuesday.”

* Tragedy renews doubts about MRAPs: “The deaths of two U.S. soldiers in western Baghdad last week have sparked concerns that Iraqi insurgents have developed a new weapon capable of striking what the U.S. military considers its most explosive-resistant vehicle. The soldiers were riding in a Mine Resistant Ambush Protective vehicle, known as an MRAP, when an explosion sent a blast of super-heated metal through the MRAP’s armor and into the vehicle, killing them both.”

* I remember the good ol’ days, when the Clintons liked economists.

* Why don’t Americans love America enough to wear flag-pins?

* Left with no other options, the surge is ending: “A ’surge’ brigade deployed to Iraq last year is heading back to the United States, the U.S. military said Monday. About 3,500 soldiers from the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team will go back to Fort Benning, Georgia, over the next few weeks. It is the third surge brigade to leave Iraq, as planned, and two more are scheduled to leave by the end of July.”

* On a related note: “Secretary of Defense Robert Gates wants to send 7,000 more U.S. troops — about two brigades — to Afghanistan, according to the May 3 New York Times. But there’s a problem, which the story underplays: We don’t have any more troops to send. The Army is in a zero-sum state: No more soldiers can be sent to Afghanistan without a one-for-one reduction of soldiers in Iraq.”

* The latest on those elusive White House emails: “A White House declaration filed late last night in CREW v. EOP, CREW’s lawsuit challenging the failure of the White House to preserve millions and millions of emails, makes the stunning admission that the White House failed to preserve ANY backup tapes for the period March 1, 2003 through May 22, 2003, a period of time during which the U.S. went to war in Iraq.”

* I guess it’s too late to ask the administration to improve its security protocols: “Hundreds of employee laptops are unaccounted for at the U.S. Department of State, which conducts delicate, often secret, diplomatic relations with foreign countries, an internal audit has found. As many as 400 of the unaccounted for laptops belong to the department’s Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program, according to officials familiar with the findings. The program provides counterterrorism training and equipment, including laptops, to foreign police, intelligence and security forces.”

* Reuters: “[A] black man is 11.8 times more likely than a white man to be sent to prison on drug charges, and a black woman is 4.8 times more likely than a white woman.”

* Bill Kristol likes the “gas-tax holiday” idea. Figures.

* When Jeremiah Wright gets more news coverage than Hillary Clinton, you know the media is in need of some kind of rehab or something. Maybe reporters can start wearing Wright patches and chewing Wright gum, slowly weaning themselves from their Wright addiction.

* I had no idea the new electric car looked cool.

* As political soap operas go, Nevadans are getting quite a show: “Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons, a first-term Republican already under pressure because of his handling of the state’s budget crisis, filed Friday for divorce from Dawn Gibbons, his wife of 22 years. On Monday, the governor won a court ruling to have the proceedings sealed under a state law that allows either party in a divorce to do so. Were that all, it might be a blip. But the governor is also seeking a legal ruling — which would certainly become public — to force his wife to move out of the governor’s mansion, where she, and not he, has been living since they officially separated last month.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Former South Dakota Sen. George McGovern, the Dems’ 1972 presidential nominee, this morning became the first prominent Clinton supporter to urge her to drop out of the race. McGovern added that he will switch his endorsement to Obama.

* Estimates vary, but it appears Obama’s net gain among pledged delegates last night was about 15, increasing his already large lead.

* I haven’t heard of any new superdelegate announcements this morning, but yesterday, Jeanette Council, a county commissioner in North Carolina, threw her support to Obama.

* AmericaBlog reported last night that retired Gen. Wesley Clark, another high-profile Clinton backer, “called Hillary tonight to tell her it’s over.” [Update: Clark’s office denies that this call happened.)

* Hoping to find some good news in yesterday’s North Carolina primary, chief Clinton strategist Geoff Garin emphasized this morning Clinton’s success with white people: “Garin argued that the North Carolina contest, which Obama won by 14 points, represented ‘progress’ for Hillary because she did better among white voters there than she did in Virginia. ‘When we began in North Carolina,’ Garin said, ‘our internal polling and in much of the public polling we were running exactly even with white voters.’”

* Did Rush Limbaugh have any real influence on the results in yesterday’s primaries? MSNBC took a closer look and concluded he did not.

* John McCain will obviously be the GOP nominee, but in yesterday’s perfunctory primaries, about a fourth of Republicans still voted for someone else.

* While the voting was still going on yesterday, the Obama campaign indicated that it has reached 1.5 million individual donors.

* Hotline: “John McCain announced [yesterday] the members of his campaign’s Justice Advisory Committee. Translation — The very folks who would help a President McCain select nominees to the SUPCO and federal courts. Heading up the effort are Theodore B. Olson, former Solicitor General of the United States, and KS Senator Sam Brownback.”

* Obama will be in DC tomorrow for a series of meetings with uncommitted superdelegates.

* Clinton spokesperson Howard Wolfson said this morning that there have been “no discussions” about ending the race.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Staggering: “The death toll from the cyclone that ravaged the Irrawaddy delta in Myanmar may exceed 100,000, the senior U.S. diplomat in the military-ruled country said Wednesday. ‘The information we are receiving indicates over 100,000 deaths,’ the U.S. Charge D’Affaires in Yangon, Shari Villarosa, said on a conference call. The U.S. figure is almost five times more than the 22,000 the Myanmar government has estimated.”

* On a related note, take a look at the satellite image of Burma before and after the cyclone. It’s reminiscent of New Orleans after Katrina, but with even more devastation.

* WaPo: “The Bush administration has not found disaster recovery files for White House e-mails from a three-month time period in 2003, according to court documents filed this week, raising the possibility that messages sent before and after the invasion of Iraq may never be recovered. The White House chief information officer, Theresa Payton, said in a sworn declaration that the White House has identified more than 400 computer backup tapes from March through September of 2003 but that the earliest recorded file was dated May 23 of that year. That period was one of the most crucial of the Bush presidency. The United States launched the invasion of Iraq on March 20, 2003, and President Bush declared the end of major combat operations on May 1.”

* McClatchy: “The Iraqi government has all but given up on hopes it can persuade Iran and the United States to meet again to discuss security issues, the Iraqi foreign minister said Wednesday. Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said that his government has proposed four dates to the U.S. and Iran for tri-lateral talks, but that each has been rejected. He said the government will not propose another.”

* The Hill: “The Senate Judiciary Committee announced Wednesday that Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) plans to hold a hearing with oil industry executives on the high cost of oil. ‘American consumers continue to pay the price at the pump, while oil companies post record profits,’ said Leahy. ‘With food and transportation prices rising with the exploding price of oil, it is important to hear what the multibillion-dollar oil companies are doing to help ease the crunch, and consider what actions the federal government should take to help consumers.’”

* I admit it; I love the OSC soap opera: “Since 2005, Special Counsel Scott Bloch, whose office is charged in part with protecting federal whistleblowers, has been under investigation for retaliating against whistleblowers in his own office and generally politicizing the OSC. Now government watchdog POGO says they’ve discovered evidence that Bloch’s apparent motivation for launching a very well publicized probe was to make himself invulnerable.”

* I don’t know what he’s basing his optimism on, but I hope he’s right: “The worst of the nation’s credit crisis may have passed, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Wednesday, though he acknowledged rising gas prices will blunt the effect of 130 million economic stimulus checks.”

* This housing-bill fight is worth watching: “On the eve of a House floor debate on a plan to help homeowners in danger of foreclosure, the Bush administration said on Tuesday that it opposed the measure and that White House advisers would urge the president to veto it.”

* Gingrich’s tough love for the GOP: “Gingrich chastised an electoral strategy congressional Republicans are using to ‘nationalize’ the election by tying local races to national figures. ‘The Republican brand has been so badly damaged that if Republicans try to run an anti-Obama, anti-Reverend Wright, or (if Senator Clinton wins), anti-Clinton campaign, they are simply going to fail,’ Gingrich warned.”

* If you missed the Brazile-Begala smackdown on CNN last night, it made for some interesting political drama.

* Not that it really matters, but some emailers noted this afternoon that Clinton’s win in Indiana yesterday is now closer to a one-percentage-point margin instead of two.

* I’m always glad when Nazi-friendly Republican candidates lose primary races.

* The Gallup Daily Tracking poll shows Obama rebounding against McCain.

* Fred Barnes might want to be more careful when talking about “class.”

* The Defense Department has released a bunch of documents relating to the Pentagon Pundits controversy. There’s bound to be some interesting nuggets in there.

* Speaking of the Pentagon, support for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” may not be as strong as it was.

* I often wonder the same thing: “I gather that it’s conventional wisdom that there would be some tremendous backlash if Congress tried to do away with the penny, but I find that a bit puzzling. Do people love amassing large amounts of almost worthless spare change? Is it resistance from the dreaded Big Penny lobby?”

* And finally, I’ve watched this Iron Man vs. Batman clip more than once, and I laugh every time. It’s not for everybody, but I thought it might be a pleasant way to wrap up a busy day.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* We haven’t heard too much superdelegate news this morning, but late yesterday, Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-Ind.) threw his support to Hillary Clinton, citing her success in his home district. (Later, however, Ellsworth’s office hedged a bit, saying he would stick with the winner of his district “unless there is a compelling reason to do otherwise.”)

* In other endorsement news, David Bonior, John Edwards’ campaign manager and a former Democratic House leader, announced his support for Barack Obama. In a statement, Bonior said, “Because Barack Obama continues to run a positive campaign that focuses on the issues that matter to ordinary Americans, he has won a commanding lead in this race, and I believe he can and will defeat John McCain in November. Now is the time to unite behind Barack Obama so we can end business-as-usual in Washington and fulfill our moral obligation to America’s hardworking families.”

* Credit where credit is due: this week, Zogby did pretty well in forecasting the results, while SurveyUSA didn’t. For most of the year, the reliability had been reversed.

* Following up on an item from last week, Clinton beat Obama among Catholics in Pennsylvania by a stunning 40 points. The WSJ reported today, “In Indiana, Sen. Obama sliced that deficit in half, earning 41% of the Catholic vote to Sen. Clinton’s 59%. And in North Carolina Sen. Clinton won among Catholics by a scant seven points.”

* Jimmy Carter said yesterday that he believes the DNC should honor the integrity of the agreed upon rules and not count Michigan’s and Florida’s primary results.

* On a related note, work continues on what to do about the contested states: “We may be on the verge of a compromise on the Michigan situation — with the key being that a new solution wouldn’t actually change the overall delegate race. The Michigan state party’s executive committee voted to submit a proposal to the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee, to send 69 delegates for Clinton and 59 for Obama. The +10 margin for Hillary would be a significant cut from her +18 over ‘Uncommitted’ in the state’s rogue January primary, would take away any chance of getting at any of the 55 slots for Uncommitted, and would still allow the seating of a full delegation.”

* Clinton’s event in Shepherdstown, W.Va., yesterday was thrown together at the last minute, and as a result, there were a few hitches: “Security was minimal, and problems with the sound system gave the Clinton staff fits; it didn’t help that one of the men working the sound system wore an Obama T-shirt. ‘I’m not turning it inside out,’ he said, when Clinton supporters protested. In the back of the crowd, a camera riser collapsed with a huge crash, sending bodies, coffee and cameras flying. ‘Metaphor?’ a reporter asked as he picked himself off the ground? ‘Metaphor,’ confirmed another.”

* Mike Huckabee said he can relate to Hillary Clinton’s situation. He told ABC News, “In the words of her husband, ‘I feel her pain!’”

* Was there a Limbaugh effect in Indiana on Tuesday? It’s actually hard to say for sure.

* Assuming Obama is the Democratic nominee, he’ll give his acceptance speech at the convention on August 28 — 45 years to the day of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Relief efforts shouldn’t be this difficult: “Relief supplies from the United Nations arrived in Myanmar Thursday, but U.S. military planes loaded with aid were still denied access by the country’s isolationist regime five days after a devastating cyclone. The military junta also continued to stall on visas for U.N. teams seeking entry to ensure the aid is delivered to the victims amid fears that lack of safe food and drinking water could push the death toll above 100,000.”

* Gun battles break out in Beirut: “Gunfire broke out in downtown Beirut on Thursday after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said recent government actions amount to ‘a declaration of open war.’ There are reports of open street battles in at least one neighborhood.”

* Good: “Today, the House passed a package of housing measures that will help families facing foreclosure keep their homes, help other families avoid foreclosures in the future, and help the recovery of communities harmed by empty homes caught in the foreclosure process. The package is the most comprehensive response yet to the American mortgage crisis.”

* Blue Dogs really do pick strange fights sometimes: “A small group of fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats is threatening to block the emergency war spending bill over a program for veterans’ benefits not offset with tax hikes or spending cuts. Because of that problem, and the efforts by House Republicans to stall floor action with procedural motions, the vote on the carefully crafted supplemental measure could be delayed until Friday or next week.”

* Terry McAuliffe thinks the Democratic race will be over in early June. We’ll see.

* Uh oh: “Is the Anbar Awakening coming unraveled? In the last four weeks nine U.S. soldiers have been killed in Anbar province. That’s up from two in the previous six months. Something to keep an eye on.”

* One of the military analysts involved in the Pentagon Pundit scandal “at one point proclaim[ed] that Rumsfeld need to get out there on the ‘offense,’ because ‘we’d love to be following our leader, as indeed you are. You are the leader. You are our guy.’” We don’t know who, but this same person went on national television where he/she was treated as an objective voice on military matters.

* Just how bad is inflation?

* Charlie Savage is going from the Boston Globe to the NYT. It’s a great pick up for the Times; Savage is one of the best reporters in the country.

* Did Mark Penn not realize that Dems award delegates proportionately? He denies it, and it seems hard to believe, but it’s been the subject of considerable speculation today.

* I’ll never understand rulings like these: “[T]he Michigan Supreme Court ruled ‘that a 2004 ban against gay marriage also blocks governments and state universities from offering health insurance to the partners of gay workers…. Up to 20 public universities, community colleges, school districts and local governments in Michigan have benefits policies covering at least 375 gay couples.’”

* More than 43,000 U.S. troops were sent to Iraq or Afghanistan despite the fact that they had been deemed medically “non-deployable” before they were shipped out.

* I can’t imagine why the White House press corps is so interested in the president’s daughter’s wedding.

* Russ Feingold: “The Bush administration recently announced it will allow select members of Congress to read Justice Department legal opinions about the CIA’s controversial detainee interrogation program that have been hidden from Congress until now. But as the administration allows a glimpse of this secret law — and it is law — we are left wondering what other laws it is still keeping under lock and key.”

* The telecom immunity fight is still percolating along.

* The Bushies won’t like this at all: “A military judge in the trial of Canadian captive Omar Khadr threatened Thursday to suspend the terror trial unless the prison camp releases a detailed log of Khadr’s treatment in more than five years of detention as an alleged al Qaeda terrorist.”

* Be sure to check out the addendum chapter to “Free Ride: John McCain and the Media.”

* How rough are things for Bush? His approval rating among Republicans has dropped to 60%. Ouch.

* And finally, remember the nuns who were rebuffed at the polls in Indiana on Tuesday because they didn’t have driver’s licenses? They’re really not happy.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* It’s getting tough to keep up with superdelegate developments, but Obama has picked up Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon and Maryland DNC member John Gage, while Chris Carney of Pennsylvania announced his support for Clinton. Most notably, Rep. Donald Payne of New Jersey switched from Clinton to Obama, giving Obama a net gain of three superdelegates for the morning.

* Estimates are all over the place, but ABC News reported, “For the first time this campaign season, Barack Obama has surpassed Hillary Clinton’s support among superdelegates.” Keep in mind: ABC is the only outlet to reach this conclusion. CBS, CNN, NBC, AP, NYT, and Politico all show Clinton’s lead shrinking quickly, but with her nevertheless still leading among superdelegates.

* House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) urged Clinton to withdraw yesterday. “Bill and Hillary Clinton can become genuine American leaders by ending this in a way that reflects positively on them,” Conyers said.

* Michigan Dems have been pushing a proposal whereby the state’s delegation would be seated, with a 69-59 split in Clinton’s favor. Yesterday, the Clinton campaign rejected the proposal.

* Now here’s an interesting milestone — for the first time ever, Hispanic Democrats in Florida outnumber Hispanic Republicans in the state. Hmm.

* Clinton still wants more debates.

* Interesting observation from Marc Ambinder: “On election day, Obama might have more than a million individuals volunteering on his behalf. That should scare the beejeesus out of the McCain campaign and the RNC.”

* Did John Edwards acknowledge on MSNBC this morning that he supports Obama? It’s been the subject of some speculation, and it seems to depend on whether he said, “I just voted for him on Tuesday,” or, “I just voted for ‘em on Tuesday.”
http://halfricanrevolution.blogspot.com/2008/05/edwards-voted-for-obama.html

* For all the talk about Obama struggling with white voters, Gallup released an interesting tidbit yesterday: “Barack Obama’s current level of support among white voters in a head-to-head matchup against John McCain is no worse than John Kerry’s margin of support among whites against George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election.”

* John McCain has a new ad featuring his mother. It’s kind of odd.

* Al Sharpton wants Clinton to drop out.

* Bob Barr will announce on Monday that he’s running for president as a Libertarian.

* Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) was rumored to be eyeing Georgia’s gubernatorial race in 2010, but announced yesterday he’s going to seek re-election to the Senate.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Insult to injury: “Burma’s ruling military junta today impounded United Nations food shipments bound for the storm-ravaged Irrawaddy Delta, forcing a temporary suspension of U.N. aid deliveries. A U.N. official later said shipments would resume tomorrow, and the United States said it has received approval to fly in a single cargo plane on Monday.”

* On a related note, confused about “Burma” vs. “Myanmar”? That’s understandable.

* AP: “Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says Hezbollah, backed by Syria and Iran, is killing and injuring innocent civilians in Lebanon. Rice says that Hezbollah is trying to protect its ’state-within-a-state.’”

* Involuntary service: “The number of soldiers forced to remain in the Army involuntarily under the military’s controversial ’stop-loss’ program has risen sharply since the Pentagon extended combat tours last year, officials said Thursday. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates was briefed about the program by Army officials who said that thousands of new stop-loss orders were issued to keep soldiers from leaving the service after Gates ordered combat tours extended from 12 to 15 months last spring.”

* Joe Lieberman defended John McCain today, using a very odd choice of words: “I just want to report that this morning I personally checked John McCain’s bearings. He has not lost any of them. They are all in really great shape.” That’s kind of creepy.

* This really is ridiculous. “Even with countless media outlets available these days, a Sunday New York Times cover story could always be counted on to send a jolt through the television news cycle. But apparently that’s no longer the case. Indeed, reporter David Barstow’s 7,600-word investigation of the Pentagon’s military analyst program — whereby ex-military talking heads, often with direct ties to contractors, parroted Defense Department talking points on the air — has been noticeably absent from television airwaves since the story broke on April 20.”

* Another indicator: “In yet another sign that Democratic forces are starting to view Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) as their party’s presumptive nominee, a group of state party chairmen are gathering in Chicago at Obama’s headquarters Friday.”

* What if Iranian weapons that turned up in Iraq aren’t Iranian?

* Dick Cheney said things are going “swimmingly” in Iraq. The poor guy just isn’t well.

* Rasmussen Reports believes the race for the Democratic nomination is over, and has stopped polling the Clinton-Obama race.

* Congressional Republicans still want to pass the Colombian trade deal House Dems blocked a few weeks ago.

* Renewing the Plame case? “Former CIA operative Valerie Plame is trying to resurrect a lawsuit against those in the Bush administration she says illegally disclosed her identity.”

* The Senate Ethics Committee dismissed the complaint against David Vitter.

* From time to time, unhinged right-wing activists insist that Obama and Joe Biden are working on a plan to impose a “global tax that would require America to pay tax to the U.N.” In case anyone hears about this, rest assured, it’s not true.

* The KBR nightmare continues: “Government contracting giant KBR rehired a man its own officials had fired after catching him with what they believed could be child pornography. KBR rehired Ira Waltrip just a few months later to work as a truck driver in Iraq. He was apprehended there last month with a massive collection of child pornography, prosecutors say, including graphic photographs of men having sex with girls as young as six years old.”

* An interesting explanation of the difference between liberal populism and conservative populism.

* NYT: “[Sen. Richard Shelby, Republican of Alabama] does not run a key Congressional committee. Instead, as the ranking Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, he is using his clout and the Democrats’ slim majority in the Senate to help determine what gets in, or almost as important, what is left out, of legislation. He will soon play a major role in deciding the fate of one such bill, to help struggling homeowners, that the House passed, 266 to 154, on Thursday. But over the years, his critics say, Mr. Shelby’s ties to the mortgage industry and the Alabama real estate market, and the generous campaign donations he receives from financial services companies, have distorted his perspective and led him to delay critical legislative remedies.”

* I guess we won’t see Lanny Davis on CNN again soon.

* Far-right blogs aren’t big on policy. What a surprise.

* Fox News staffers are supposed to support Republicans, but they’re not supposed to admit they support Republicans.

* And finally, some right-wing group is going to boycott Starbucks because of its logo. Apparently, a mermaid is a little too racy?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A few more superdelegates fell off the fence over the last 48 hours or so. If my count is right (and I may have missed one or two), Barack Obama picked up four (Maine’s Tom Allen, Arizona’s Harry Mitchell, California’s Crystal Strait, and Virginia’s Joe Johnson), and Hillary Clinton has picked up one (Texas’ Ciro Rodriguez).

* Clinton officials acknowledged yesterday that the campaign is $20 million in debt.

* On a related note, Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe said yesterday that the senator is “willing” to make another personal loan to her campaign.

* Speaking of financed, chief Obama strategist David Axelrod noted yesterday that Obama might be willing to help Clinton retire some debt, but he’s not going to write her a check. “I don’t think even under any scenario … that we were going to transfer money from the Obama campaign to the Clinton campaign. We obviously need the resources we have. We have a great task ahead of us.” There was, Axelrod said, “a misunderstanding out there about that.”

* Clinton held a conference call on Saturday with her superdelegate supporters, urging them to hang in there. “I know this is not easy,” Clinton said. She added, “We will close ranks and I know we will be totally unified going forward.”

* Obama is going to lose by a whole lot tomorrow in West Virginia. A new Suffolk University poll has Clinton ahead by better than a two-to-one margin, 60% to 24%.

* Clinton appears nearly as strong in Kentucky, where a new Herald-Leader/WKYT Kentucky Poll shows her leading Obama, 58% to 31%.

* Based on the latest Rasmussen polls, it looks like Virginia and North Carolina are certainly going to be in play in November.

* The latest national poll from LAT/Bloomberg shows McCain trialing both Dems in general election match-ups (Obama leads by six, Clinton leads by nine), and McCain scored especially poor numbers on the economy.

* The winner of the MoveOn.org ad contest has been unveiled.

* John Edwards came pretty close to telling Clinton that the race is over.

* Clinton won the California primary in February, but a new SurveyUSA poll shows that if they had it to do over again, California Dems would back Obama, 49% to 43%.

* The pro-Clinton American Leadership Project decided not to air any advertising in advance of the West Virginia primary. Whether the group backed off because Clinton was going to win anyway or because the unions and major donors behind the project decided the race is over is unclear.

* Obama said McCain’s Keating Five scandal is relevant and fair game for the election.

* Might Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R) be in trouble in North Carolina this year? It sure looks like it.

* Ron Paul fans still have plans to “stage an embarrassing public revolt against Sen. John McCain when Republicans gather for their national convention in St. Paul at the beginning of September.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* A devastating 7.9-magnitude earthquake in China: “Thousands of people have been killed by Monday’s powerful earthquake in just one affected region of central China, its government said, with the toll expected to keep rising as bodies are retrieved from schools, homes and factories. The Chinese government said at least 8,600 people were dead, but that the death toll was sure to rise as authorities began to reach some of the worst-hit areas.” Reaching those areas is proving difficult — the quake severely damaged roads in the area around the epicenter.

* Progress remains slow in Burma: “Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon criticized Myanmar’s military junta Monday for what he called its ‘unacceptably slow response’ to helping cyclone victims. Three of the U.N. Security Council’s five veto-wielding members — France, Britain and the United States — remain interested in a possible resolution that could require Myanmar’s government open its doors to more aid, several council diplomats said.” Diplomats told the AP discussions were ongoing this afternoon.

* Harry Reid is working hard to resolve the impasse over the FEC. In the latest move, the Senate Majority Leader gave Bush a choice: either drop Hans von Spakovsky or tell Senate Republicans to let lawmakers vote against him.

* Must-read piece from the LAT: “The number of Americans being secretly wiretapped or having their financial and other records reviewed by the government has continued to increase as officials aggressively use powers approved after the Sept. 11 attacks. But the number of terrorism prosecutions ending up in court — one measure of the effectiveness of such sleuthing — has continued to decline, in some cases precipitously. The trends, visible in new government data and a private analysis of Justice Department records, are worrisome to civil liberties groups and some legal scholars. They say it is further evidence that the government has compromised the privacy rights of ordinary citizens without much to show for it.”

* Quote of the Day: “If a conservative is a liberal who’s been mugged, I guess that means a liberal is a conservative who’s been denied insurance because of a congenital condition.”

* 82% of Americans don’t agree on much, but according to a new ABC News poll, “Eighty-two percent of Americans now say the country’s seriously off on the wrong track, up 10 points in the last year to a point from its record high in polls since 1973.”

* Following up on an earlier item, the House Republicans’ new re-branding phrase — “Change You Deserve” — also happens to be the marketing slogan for a prescription anti-depressant.

* Ohio Dems want to pretend Marc Dann no longer exists. I don’t blame them.

* John Conyers is still asking the right questions.

* A bunch of Ron Paul fans recently announced the purchase of 50 acres in West Texas in order to build a gated community “containing 100 percent Ron Paul supporters and or people that live by the ideals of freedom and liberty.” Ron Paul, not surprisingly, doesn’t want to live in Paulville. I wouldn’t either.

* Note to Terry McAuliffe: Tim Russert’s father isn’t dead.

* Note to Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty: If you’re being considered for the Republican presidential ticket, it’s not a good idea to joke about your wife not wanting to have sex with you.

* Raise your hand if you’re surprised: “The State Department’s policies ‘not only contradicted the anti-corruption mission but indirectly contributed to and has allowed corruption to fester at the highest levels of the Iraqi government,’ Brennan told the Senate Democratic Policy Committee.”

* Defense contractors probably shouldn’t set up tax shelters to avoid paying U.S. taxes. Just saying. (via)

* Bill Kristol thinks Obama will pick Dick Gephardt as his running mate. Remember, Kristol is paid large sums of money to give his political opinions.

* If you haven’t already seen it, Bill O’Reilly’s on-air meltdown is quite an extraordinary sight. I have suspicion the guy has some serious anger-management issues.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* I’ve been trying to keep up with superdelegate announcements over the last 24 hours, and if my count is right, Obama has picked up seven, including this morning’s endorsements (Sen. Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, Rep. Joe Donnelly of Indiana, former governor and DNC Chair Roy Romer of Colorado, Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans, Anita Bonds of the District of Columbia, Keith Roark of Idaho, and Dolly Strazar of Hawaii). I haven’t seen any new superdelegates for Clinton, but if I missed them, let me know.

* Late last week, ABC and the NYT said Obama had taken the lead among superdelegates based on their counts. Yesterday, CBS, NBC, the AP, and the Politico all came to the same conclusion.

* The AP said if the current superdelegate pace keeps up, Obama may reach the 2,025 finish line by June 3 — “even if he loses half of the remaining six contests.”

* In Maryland, one of Clinton’s pledged delegates switched to Obama yesterday. (I continue to believe, by the way, that pledged delegates shouldn’t do this, barring extraordinary circumstances.)

* Obama announced his first campaign stops in Florida and Michigan yesterday. “It will be Obama’s first time in either state since signing a pledge nine months ago not to campaign in the two states that violated national party rules with early primaries. Obama will have to build relationships in the two critical general election battlegrounds if he wins the Democratic nomination.”

* The Clinton campaign seems to really be ramping up expectations for today’s West Virginia primary. Bill Clinton suggested the other day that HRC could win with 80% support. Yesterday, State Senate Majority Leader Harry Truman Chafin went further, saying 90% is within Clinton’s reach. (Aren’t campaigns supposed to lower expectations before a big win?)

* With a week to go before the Oregon primary, Obama appears to be in pretty good shape. SurveyUSA shows him leading Clinton by 11 (54% to 43%), while the Portland Tribune has him up by 20 (55% to 35%).

* Looking at Obama’s short-term travel schedule, he certainly looks to be moving into a general-election mode.

* I suspect talk of Obama struggling among Jewish voters is overstated, but the campaign is nevertheless taking the issue seriously: “Faced with doubts about his support for Israel and American Jews, Senator Barack Obama has stepped up his efforts to reach out to the Jewish community over the past month, giving speeches and granting interviews to confront questions about the militant Palestinian group Hamas and his commitment to Jewish causes and values.”

* AFSCME, which has been backing Clinton enthusiastically, apparently hasn’t given up on her long-shot chances at the Democratic nomination. The union announced yesterday it is committing “real money” to independent expenditures on Clinton’s behalf in the remaining primaries.

* Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) laughed off the possibility of running on the Democratic ticket with Obama, but he didn’t necessarily rule it out. Asked if he’d consider running with Obama, Hagel told CNN, “I’m going to try and find some honest work,” he said, adding that “If [Obama] asks, I’ll let you know.”

* U.S. News reports that Mike Huckabee is high on the McCain short list of running mates.

* Carville may be warming up to Obama after all.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Horrific devastation in China: “The toll of the dead and missing soared as rescue workers dug through flattened schools and homes on Tuesday in a desperate attempt to find survivors of China’s worst earthquake in three decades. The official Xinhua News Agency said the death toll exceeded 12,000 in Sichuan province alone, and 18,645 were still buried in debris in the city of Mianyang, near the epicenter of Monday’s massive, 7.9-magnitude quake.”

* Devastation of a man-made variety: “Bombs ripped through crowded parts of this ancient city in western India on Tuesday, killing 60 people and wounding 150, police said. The seven explosions in Jaipur took place in markets and several other areas of the city in Rajasthan, a region dotted with palaces and temples that draws hundreds of thousands of tourists every year, said A.S. Gill, the state’s police chief. ‘Obviously, it’s a terrorist plot,’ he told reporters. ‘The way it has been done, the attempt was to cause the maximum damage to human life.’”

* It doesn’t sound like much of a cease-fire: “A shaky cease-fire appeared to take hold Tuesday in Baghdad’s Sadr City, after a cleric who brokered the deal for Shiite fighters said they would honor it even after clashes left at least 11 dead and 19 wounded.”

* When Pentagon-coached “media analysts” show up on the networks to repeat propaganda, it’s a problem. When they do it 4,500 times, it’s a scandal. (There’s even a spreadsheet.)

* I’ve lost count of the number of 20th hijackers: “The Associated Press reports this morning that Pentagon officials have dropped military commissions charges (for now) against Mohammed al-Qahtani — better known as Detainee 063 after the Time magazine cover story detailing his interrogation. Prosecutors alleged that al-Qahtani was the ‘20th hijacker,’ who narrowly missed participating in the 9/11 attacks after being detained at a Florida airport. However, the prosecution stalled because of government admissions that some evidence against al-Qahtani was gleaned through coercive interrogation (read: torture) like waterboarding, and that al-Qahtani himself was harshly treated (read: tortured) at Gitmo. And so, yet again, the decision to ‘take the gloves off’ in prisoner interrogations comes back to haunt us.”

* John McCain is impressed with John Hagee’s apology. What a surprise.

* Whatever happened to institutional pride? “Throughout the House Judiciary Committee’s struggle to obtain White House documents and have Harriet Miers testify about the U.S. Attorney firings, House Republicans adopted a contrary stance…. Well, now House Republicans have brought their opposition to court.”

* For the love of God, won’t some program director show the good sense to give Rachel Maddow her own cable show?

* Dems in the Ohio legislature are nearly unanimous in their support for impeachment against state Attorney General Mark Dann (D).

* John McCain’s questionable association of the day: Terry Nelson.

* It’s probably a little too late for this: “It is a quintessential example of political irony. Just hours before Sen. Barack Obama uttered his now famous “bitter” comments, suggesting that small town Americans had turned to guns and religion out of economic frustration, he appeared at a different private event and offered a much more nuanced, sympathetic interpretation of gun ownership. That quote, however, never made it public.”

* Doug Feith on The Daily Show. Oh my.

* Ol’ Karl must be feeling shy: “The House Judiciary Committee wants Karl Rove to testify about what he knows about the prosecution of ex-Gov. Don Siegelman (D-AL). Rove doesn’t want to testify. Conyers has threatened to seek a subpoena, and in response, Rove’s lawyer made an offer for a compromise yesterday. It was somewhat of an improvement on Rove’s preliminary offer, which was a private interview with no transcript or oath and with strictly defined parameters.”

* There’s been a Vito Fossella sighting.

* The competition is stiff, but “The Journal Editorial Report” on the Fox News Channel may very well be the “worst show on a cable news network.”

* MSNBC, part of the “liberal” media, has invited Mike Huckabee to offer election analysis tonight. Given that Huckabee is still angling for the #2 slot on the McCain ticket, this strikes me as pretty irresponsible, as far as journalistic standards go.

* I’m quite impressed that Bill O’Reilly’s meltdown has been put to music so quickly.

* Republicans really aren’t going to be pleased: “Michael Moore is making a sequel to ‘Fahrenheit 9/11′ for Paramount Vantage and Overture Films, who will shop the project to international buyers when the Cannes Film Festival and market get under way today. The two companies are co-financing and co-producing the untitled documentary, which will be released in 2009.”

* And finally, John McCain is older than chocolate-chip cookies. Seriously.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* If this morning is any indication, the results from the West Virginia primary have not slowed down Obama’s momentum with superdelegates. Three more announced their support for the Illinois senator this morning: Rep. Pete Visclosky of Indiana, College Democrats of America Vice President Awais Khaleel, and Democrats Abroad Chairperson Christine Schon Marques. (This is actually a net of +2.5, not +3, because Democrats Abroad superdelegates are considered as half-delegates by the DNC.)

* College Democrats of America President Lauren Wolfe also endorsed Obama this morning, and would be a superdelegate from Michigan, pending resolution of the state’s delegate controversy.

* In the latest Quinnipiac poll, both Dems lead John McCain in general-election match-ups: Obama is up by seven (47% to 40%), while Clinton is up by five (46% to 41%).

* More importantly, Greg Sargent found a key tidbit in the Quinnipiac poll: among working-class white voters, McCain is leading Obama by seven (46% to 39%), and also leading Clinton by seven (48% to 41%). These results, Greg noted, “seem difficult to square with her basic argument.”

* Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) is the latest high-profile Clinton backer to urge Obama to pick Clinton as his running mate.

* Even now, Clinton is trying to shore up her support: “Hillary’s holding a meeting at her Washington D.C. home tonight for 30 or 40 top fundraisers, a Clinton backer says. And she’ll be hosting a group of superdelegates who support her at the Clintons’ home in Chappaqua, NY Saturday, two sources said. ‘All of this is about reassuring her supporters,’ said a person who plans to attend one of the meetings.”

* Obama hit McCain pretty hard on global-warming policy yesterday: “It is truly breathtaking for John McCain to talk about combating climate change while voting against virtually every recent effort to actually invest in clean energy.”

* This seems like something that deserves a little follow up: “Senator Barack Obama’s campaign is steering the candidate’s wealthy supporters away from independent Democratic groups, calling into question what had been expected to be the groups’ central role in this year’s Democratic offensive against Senator John McCain.”

* Will the Sierra Club really stay neutral this year? Just because of McCain’s lip-service on the environment?

* The Hill: “Former congressional candidate Scott Kleeb won the Democratic Senate primary in Nebraska on Tuesday, setting up an uphill battle with former U.S. Agriculture Secretary and former Gov. Mike Johanns (R) for the state’s open Senate seat.”

* Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) thinks Obama still might be able to win West Virginia in the fall. That seems overly optimistic to me, but we’ll see.

* Chris LaCivita, one of the Republican strategists behind the Swift Boat Vets smear group in 2004, told the WaPo, “We will attack Obama viciously on all fair issues.” We’ve been warned.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The aftermath in China continues to unfold: “Rescuers arrived for the first time in the epicenter of China’s massive earthquake, scouring flattened mountain villages for thousands of victims and distributing air-dropped supplies to survivors. The death toll of nearly 15,000 appeared likely to soar far higher. Leveled hospitals forced doctors and nurses to treat survivors in the street. Helicopters dropped food and medicine to isolated towns. Mourners burned money before rows of bodies, believing their lost relatives could use it in the afterlife.”

* Conditions in Burma may yet get worse: “Another powerful storm headed toward Myanmar’s cyclone-devastated delta, where so little aid has been delivered that the United Nations warned on Wednesday of a “second wave of deaths” among an estimated 2 million survivors. The area was pulverized by Cyclone Nargis on May 3, with the Red Cross estimating on Wednesday the toll will be between 68,833 and 127,990.”

* Bloodshed near Baghdad: “Iraqi police say a suicide bomber killed 22 people and wounded at least 35 at the funeral of a Sunni school principal west of Baghdad. The bomber blew himself up in a funeral tent in the village of Abu Minasir. The funeral was for a grammar school principal who was shot and killed Tuesday.”

* Senate Republicans pulled a foolish stunt on the floor today to undercut the bipartisan GI Bill expansion, and give McCain’s watered-down version a better chance.

* Fortunately, the stunt failed, and McCain’s bill won’t be added to an unrelated bill giving public safety workers the right to unionize. (Yes, the GOP was playing stupid games with veterans’ benefits and first responders.)

* Karl Rove asked House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers if he can answer questions via mail. Today, Conyers responded: “No.”

* Unbelievable: “The U.S. government has injected hundreds of foreigners it has deported with dangerous psychotropic drugs against their will to keep them sedated during the trip back to their home country, according to medical records, internal documents and interviews with people who have been drugged. The government’s forced use of antipsychotic drugs, in people who have no history of mental illness, includes dozens of cases in which the “pre-flight cocktail,” as a document calls it, had such a potent effect that federal guards needed a wheelchair to move the slumped deportee onto an airplane.”

* McCain and the RNC did something similar, so this will keep things competitive: “Howard Dean announces: ‘As part of the agreement, a new entity, ‘Democratic White House Victory Fund,’ has been formed. The fund will allow both candidates to raise money for the Party, forming one joint fundraising committee account that will accept money for the nominee’s primary and general election and for the DNC.”

* ACLU: “The American Civil Liberties Union has obtained previously withheld documents from the Defense Department, including internal investigations into the abuse of detainees in U.S. custody overseas. Uncensored documents released as a result of the ACLU’s Freedom of Information Act lawsuit shed light on the deaths of detainees in Iraq and internal disagreement within the military over harsh interrogation practices used at Guantánamo Bay.”

* I can only hope that this kind of racism backfires.

* The New Hampshire phone-jamming scandal lives!

* Good point from Krugman: “Do you remember how, after the 2004 election, we had — according to all the talking heads — entered a new era of permanent Republican dominance? At that point the GOP held 232 seats in the House to the Democrats’ 202 — and this was thought of as overwhelming dominance. After last night’s special election in Miss., the Democrats hold 236 seats to the Republicans’ 199.”

* I had no idea HIV-positive people faced such onerous U.S. travel restrictions.

* I get the feeling Arlen Specter likes football a little too much.

* David Broder is accepting a contract buy-out, but he’s staying with the paper as a contract employee of The Washington Post Company. His column will reportedly remain unchanged.

* The WaPo editorial board noticed the problem with Cindy McCain’s tax returns.

* Chris Wallace and the “Fox & Friends” guys have made up.

* For the third year in a row, Miami, Fla. — the city in which I was born and raised — was named the worst American city for road rage. I’m really not surprised.

* And finally, you’ve seen Bill O’Reilly’s on-camera meltdown, but have you seen Stephen Colbert mocking O’Reilly’s on-camera meltdown?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* What’s up on the superdelegate front? Over the last 24 hours, Obama has picked up two (Mike Morgan in Oklahoma and Lena Taylor in Wisconsin) and Clinton got one (Vicky Harwell of Tennessee). An Edwards pledged delegate from New Hampshire has also moved to Obama. (At this point, Edwards’ delegates are, to a certain extent, like superdelegates, in that they can pick whomever they want.)

* Speaking of endorsements, the United Steelworkers, which had supported Edwards, also announced their switch to Obama this morning.

* In a classy move yesterday, Hillary Clinton defended Obama from McCain’s Hamas-related attacks. Good for her.

* Bloomberg reported yesterday that Obama picked up endorsements from “three former chairmen of the Securities and Exchange Commission, two of whom were appointed by Republican presidents.” “We believe Senator Obama can provide the positive leadership and judgment needed to take us to a stronger and more secure economic future,” they said

* Obama has been wearing a flag pin on his lapel this week. Reporters find this fascinating.

* A woman reporter pressed Obama on the plight of auto workers before a media availability had begun, prompting Obama to ask her to “hold on one second there sweetie.” He later called her directly to apologize.

* I find it hard to believe, but a Rasmussen poll found that more than one in four Clinton supporters (29%) want her to run as an independent, third-party candidate if her Democratic bid comes up short.

* NARAL’s decision to endorse Obama was not immediately embraced by some of the organization’s state affiliates, who have decided to remain neutral.

* I’d like to hear a little more about this: “Progressive Media will not be running an independent ad campaign this year,” David Brock, the head of the organization, confirmed in a statement. “Progressive Media was established to be an independent on-going progressive issue advocacy organization,” Brock added. “We were not established for one issue, one candidate or one election cycle. But donors and potential donors are getting clear signals from the Obama camp through the news media and we recognize that reality.”

* Bill Clinton suggested yesterday that Florida would not have been punished by the DNC if the state had backed Obama instead of Hillary. I don’t know what he’s basing that on.

* Just in time for VP consideration, Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) has a new book out this week.

* In Colorado’s open U.S. Senate race, Republican Bob Schaffer tried to tout his ties to his home state in a new TV ad, noting that he proposed to his wife on the top of Pikes Peak. Unfortunately, the ad makers featured Alaska’s Mt. McKinley in the commercial. The Schaffer campaign pulled the ad.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* 50,000: “The death toll from China’s massive earthquake could reach more than 50,000, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday, quoting rescue headquarters. Already some 20,000 are confirmed dead as a result of Monday’s 7.9 magnitude quake, and at least 12,300 people remained buried and another 102,100 were injured in Sichuan province, where the quake was centered, the vice governor told reporters.”

* Rove can run but he can’t hide: “Just off the House floor today, the Crypt overheard House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers tell two other people: ‘We’re closing in on Rove. Someone’s got to kick his ass.’ Asked a few minutes later for a more official explanation, Conyers told us that Rove has a week to appear before his committee. If he doesn’t, said Conyers, ‘We’ll do what any self-respecting committee would do. We’d hold him in contempt. Either that or go and have him arrested.’”

* House GOP uses “present” votes to block a war-spending bill: “Republicans just pulled off an ambush on Democrats on the House floor, helping to vote down a $160-billion plus measure for military operations in Afghanistan. The GOP has grown increasingly angry in recent weeks over the procedures the majority has used to bring the supplemental package to the floor. The measure has been split into three parts, and the first part — which consists solely of war funds — just lost 141-149, with 133 Republicans voting ‘present.’”

* Speaking of action on the Hill: “The Senate on Thursday joined the House in overwhelmingly supporting a farm bill, which was cleared to President Bush by an 81-15 vote despite his veto threat. The move followed a 318-106 favorable vote in the House, meaning both chambers provided the bill with veto-proof margins.”

* Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann resigned. It took him long enough.

* I probably shouldn’t be surprised, but it’s kind of hilarious to me that the Republican National Committee is doing what Hillary Clinton was doing a couple of weeks ago: going after Obama on a “gas-tax holiday.”

* Breaking up is hard to do: the on-again, off-again relationship between Bush and Ahmad Chalabi appears to be kaput.

* Scandalous: “VoteVets.org and CREW released an e-mail today that reveals ‘a Veterans Affairs (VA) employee directing VA staff to refrain from diagnosing soldiers and veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).’ The e-mail, dated May 1, 2008, complains about ‘compensation seeking veterans’ and urges VA staff to rule out PTSD and ‘consider a diagnosis of ‘Adjustment Disorder” instead.”

* South Dakota law limits exit polling outside voting locations, prompting a lawsuit against the state today from ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, and the Associated Press.

* Cheney loses an argument: “The polar bear, whose summertime Arctic hunting grounds have been greatly reduced by a warming climate, will be placed under the protection of the Endangered Species Act, Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced on Wednesday.”

* Glenn Greenwald has a really valuable analysis of the gay marriage ruling from the California Supreme Court.

* Bushies are headed for the exits — Solicitor General Paul Clement resigned yesterday.

* Bill O’Reilly is whining about Kos again.

* Michael Medved seems to have gone completely around the bend.

* Chris Matthews, moving on from bowling and orange juice, tries to find political significance in Barack Obama’s decision to shoot pool.

* And if you haven’t seen it, Keith Olbermann’s latest “Special Comment” was especially blistering, taking on Bush’s argument that he gave up golf in honor of the war in Iraq. Take a look; you’ll be glad you did.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Superdelegate announcements have been relatively spare this morning, with only one endorsement I can find: Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) endorsed Obama.

* On a related note, the Obama campaign issued this press item on delegates: “Yesterday, Obama secured the support of 4 superdelegates (Reps. Henry Wexler, Jim McDermott and Howard Berman and Larry Cohen (CWA DNC)), 1 pledged delegate in North Carolina (because of updated vote tallies in the state) and 7 pledged delegates that had previously supported John Edwards. That means that the number for Obama to secure a majority of pledged delegates has gone down from 25 to 17. And the number Obama needs to secure the nomination is 121.5.”

* Democrats pushed back pretty hard against Bush’s “appeasement” talk yesterday, but this afternoon, Obama will reportedly do some pushing of his own: “Obama foreign policy adviser Susan Rice vowed on MSNBC this morning that Obama will respond forcefully today to President Bush’s claim yesterday that Democrats’ willingness to negotiate with hostile foreign powers constitutes ‘appeasement.’ ‘What you’re going to hear is a very vigorous response to what was an outrageous, unprecedented, and divisive attack from President Bush yesterday,’ Rice said.”

* Despite some rumors Wednesday night, John Edwards flatly ruled out the possibility of joining Obama’s ticket as VP.

* Clinton continues to take the high road this week, and indirectly defended Obama yesterday against Bush’s ridiculous smear. Campaigning in South Dakota, Clinton told reporters, “President Bush’s comparison of any Democrat to Nazi appeasers is both offensive and outrageous on the face of it, especially in light of his failures in foreign policy. This is the kind of statement that has no place in any presidential address and certainly to use an important moment like the 60th anniversary celebration of Israel to make a political point seems terribly misplaced. Unfortunately, this is what we’ve come to expect from President Bush.”

* On a related note, Clinton also criticized McCain yesterday for his opposition to the Senate-passed farm bill.

* The Tennessee Republican Party has decided the way to help McCain win is to attack Obama’s wife.

* I actually like the idea of Tom Daschle serving as Obama’s White House Chief of Staff.

* A non-partisan Research 2000 poll, commissioned by Daily Kos, shows Democrats ahead in both of Alaska’s major statewide campaigns this year. Mark Begich leads Ted Stevens in the Senate race by five (48% to 43%), and Ethan Berkowitz leads Don Young by 10 (50% to 40%).

* Speaking of Senate races, a new SurveyUSA poll shows Rep. Tom Udall (D) looking very strong in New Mexico, leading both of his possible Republican rivals by about 25 points.

* And Alan Keyes, after having been rebuffed by the Republican Party and the Constitution Party, has decided to create his own entity, called “America’s Independent Party.” He claims to have groups of supporters getting to work in Texas, California, Florida, New York, and Missouri, though he already fell far short of qualifying for the ballot in Texas. The state required 74,000 signatures; Keyes had 10,000.

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Countdown Special Comment to Bush: 'Shut the hell up.'

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/24635229#24635229

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Tragic: “The official death toll from Cyclone Nargis has nearly doubled to almost 78,000 and another 56,000 people remain missing two weeks after the storm, Myanmar state television reported Friday. The United Nations, meanwhile, said that severe restrictions by Myanmar’s military junta have left aid agencies largely in the dark about the extent of survivors’ suffering.”

* Aftershocks in China: “A strong aftershock sparked landslides Friday near the epicenter of this week’s powerful earthquake, while some survivors were pulled from rubble after being buried for four days. The first foreign rescue workers since Monday’s magnitude 7.9 temblor were allowed to the scene, and helicopters dropped leaflets urging people to ‘unite together’ and providing survival tips. Officials have said the quake’s final toll could reach 50,000.”

* This is unlikely to make a difference, but for what it’s worth: “Saudi Arabia announced Friday that it will boost oil production by about 300,000 barrels a day to meet increased demand from customers next month. The announcement came after Bush met with Saudi King Abdullah to appeal for help in bringing down oil prices that are hitting record highs. The Saudi increase is a modest one and appeared unlikely to have much effect on crude oil prices. But with the president under pressure at home to show he is fighting to lower gas prices, the gesture gave Bush a face-saving benefit from a day-long meeting with Saudi leaders.”

* On a related note: “Oil prices shot to new highs again Friday as traders, unimpressed by U.S. and Saudi efforts to boost supply, kept buying on the belief that prices had more room to rise.
Light, sweet crude for June delivery jumped $2.17 to settle at record close of $126.29 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Earlier in the session, prices surged to $127.82 a barrel, also a new high.”

* I know he was kidding, and I try not to overreact to these things, but Mike Huckabee joking to the NRA convention today about pointing a gun at Barack Obama strikes me as wildly inappropriate.

* Gary Hart on John McCain: “If John McCain seriously believes we are at war with al Qaeda in Iraq, that alone is such a serious error in judgment as to rank him with George W. Bush at his worst and therefore disqualify him from any chance to govern this country.”

* Obama’s not backing down an inch: “Obama, at a Q-and-A with reporters after his speech, continued to keep the story of his standoff with McCain and Bush going at full throttle: ‘If John McCain wants to meet me anywhere, anytime to have a debate about our respective policies in Iraq, Iran, in the Middle East or around the world, that’s a conversation I’m happy to have.’”

* Florida and Michigan aren’t in a position to save the Clinton campaign.

* Speaking of Obama: “A Florida Democratic Party source says that, by their count, at least 8 of the state’s 13 Edwards delegates are switching to Obama, and none to Hillary. The delegates don’t, currently, count, but that could change…. This all-but guarantees that Obama will clinch the pledged delegate majority — including Michigan and Florida — on Tuesday.”

* And in still more Obama-related news, his Senate office is all over the revelations about under-diagnosing PTSD to save the VA money.

* Why doesn’t Minority Leader John Boehner respect the American flag?

* Michael Gerson is still talking about Jeremiah Wright. Can someone explain to me why the Post gave him a column?

* And here I thought Bush’s EPA couldn’t get any more embarrassing.

* Nice work from Joe Klein: “Do these brilliant strategic thinkers — starting with George W. Bush — worry that their over-the-top rhetoric only serves to empower the mullahs and assorted cave-dwelling extremists by making the Great Satan into a bellicose cartoon in the eyes of the Islamic world? Indeed, whom do we think Hamas and Hezbollah and Ahmadinejad are really supporting in the 2008 election–the candidate who increases their street cred by demonizing them, or the candidate who increases our street cred by proposing talks?”

* I’m a shameless and enthusiastic Joss Whedon devotee, so I was delighted to see a trailer for his new TV show.

* In the grand scheme of things, this doesn’t matter at all, but Bush really did lie about how and when he gave up golf.

* Jonah Goldberg argued, without a hint of humor, that he “really can’t think of any mainstream political figure more inappropriate for [the Attorney General] job than [John] Edwards.” I wonder if Goldberg has ever heard of Alberto Gonzales.

* And finally, in case I needed another reminder of why I don’t watch television news: “On MSNBC Live, Tamron Hall stated: ‘Well, remember when there were those reports out that Hillary Clinton would use the so-called ‘Tonya Harding strategy’ to perhaps take out Barack Obama? Well, we’re going to talk to the real Tonya Harding about her place in history and now her infamy within American politics. Yes, really, Mika.’ Mika Brzezinski said: ‘Oh, my God,’ later adding: ‘I can’t believe that. It’s great.’” Oddly enough, “great” isn’t the first adjective that came to mind.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* There was some additional movement on the delegate front over the weekend, with Obama picking up Maryland superdelegate Greg Pecoraro, and add-on delegates in Colorado and Kansas. In California, Clinton picked up three add-on delegates, and Obama got two. In all, Obama had a net gain of two (five for him, three for Clinton) over the weekend.

* Obama got one more this morning, with support from Washington State Democratic Party Chairman Dwight Pelz.

* When Obama drew a crowd of 35,000 in Philadelphia last month, I assumed that would be the biggest political rally of the year. It never occurred to me that 75,000 people would show up for an event in Portland, Oregon, but they did. (If you haven’t seen the pictures, they are quite a sight.)

* The DNC launched a very worthwhile project today: “McCainpedia.org is a wiki run by the DNC’s Research, Communications, and Internet teams. The goal is to centralize research material, allowing the general public to use it as they see fit. Unlike some wikis, McCainpedia is read-only and can’t be edited by the public. This allows us to fully validate all of the information that appears, ensuring accuracy and reliability.”

* Last week, the Tennessee Republican Party went after Michelle Obama. Today, Barack Obama expressed his displeasure. “If they think that they’re going to try to make Michelle an issue in this campaign, they should be careful, because that I find unacceptable — the notion that you start attacking my wife or my family,” he said. Obama added that the attack was “low class.”

* The latest polls from Suffolk University show Clinton leading big in Kentucky, and Obama with a narrow lead in Oregon.

* Mike Huckabee would love to be John McCain’s running mate. What a surprise.

* McCain isn’t doing too well on the fundraising front, so he’ll be relying on the Republican National Committee for support for the rest of the campaign.

* McCain’s self-deprecating jokes about his age on “Saturday Night Live” may not have been a great idea.

* Greg Sargent reports on some of the behind-the-scenes talks that led to John Edwards’ withdrawal from the race in January. [corrected]

* On a related note, Elizabeth Edwards rejected speculation yesterday that she might endorse Clinton.

* Jim Webb didn’t rule out the VP slot during a “Meet the Press” interview yesterday, but he didn’t sound like he’s interested, either.

* The latest Minneapolis Star-Tribune poll shows Sen. Norm Coleman (R) continuing to lead Al Franken (D) in one of the year’s key Senate contests, 51% to 44%.

* In other Senate news, Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D) leads Sen. Ted Stevens (R) in the latest Rasmussen poll in Alaska, 47% to 45%.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* AP: “The Pentagon on Monday announced upcoming deployments of more than 42,000 troops, including 25,000 active duty Army soldiers who would be sent to Iraq beginning in the fall to replace troops scheduled to come home by year’s end. The deployments would maintain a level of 15 brigades in Iraq, or roughly 140,000 troops — the number military leaders expect will remain on the warfront at the end of July, once the currently planned withdrawals are finished.”

* Recent developments with the EPA are the biggest scandal no one seems to know about: “The head of the Environmental Protection Agency reversed himself on whether to grant California’s request to impose a 30-percent reduction in vehicle tailpipe emissions by 2016 after talking to White House officials, a report released Monday said…. The report said Johnson reversed himself and had initially planned to grant the waiver. Johnson ‘was very interested in a full grant of the waiver’ in August and September, said Jason Burnett, an associate deputy EPA administrator. Later Johnson shifted to supporting a partial grant of the waiver and then ultimately reversed himself, denying it on Dec. 19, Burnett said.”

* Big ruling from the Supreme Court: “The Supreme Court today upheld Congress’s most recent attempt to prosecute those who would promote child pornography, ruling that the law did not violate free speech guarantees.”

* Encouraging news on Ted Kennedy: “Senator Edward Kennedy, the head of one of America’s legendary political families, ‘is not in any immediate danger’ and will undergo tests in the coming days after suffering a seizure yesterday, his doctor said. ‘Preliminary tests have determined that he has not suffered a stroke and is not in any immediate danger,’ Larry Ronan, Kennedy’s primary care physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, said in an e-mailed statement.”

* Oh my: “A soldier used the Quran — Islam’s holy book — for target practice, forcing the chief U.S. commander in Baghdad to issue a formal apology on Saturday.”

* House Minority Leader John Boehner told George Stephanopoulos yesterday that his leadership post is secure, as is Tom Cole’s role atop the NRCC. That he was even asked suggests rumors of Republican discontent are pretty strong.

* I wonder about the legality of something like this: “One of Sen. Hillary Clinton’s top financial supporters offered $1 million to the Young Democrats of America during a phone conversation in which he also pressed for the organization’s two uncommitted superdelegates to endorse the New York Democrat, a high-ranking official with YDA told The Huffington Post. Haim Saban, the billionaire entertainment magnate and longtime Clinton supporter, denied the allegation. But four independent sources said that just before the North Carolina and Indiana primaries, Saban called YDA President David Hardt and offered what was perceived as a lucrative proposal: $1 million would be made available for the group if Hardt and the organization’s other uncommitted superdelegate backed Clinton.”

* The Bush gang seems more than a little peeved about this: “The White House on Monday sent a scathing letter to NBC News, accusing the news network of ‘deceptively’ editing an interview with President Bush on the issue of appeasement and Iran.”

* Thank you, Gov. Sebelius: “A bill requiring Kansas voters to show photo identification in 2010 elections was vetoed today by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. The measure — HB 2019 — was similar to a measure she threatened to veto during last year’s legislative session. Last year’s measure failed, but this year’s version passed through the efforts of the Republican majorities in the House and Senate. Sebelius is a Democrat. In her veto message, the governor said the bill created a roadblock that prevents citizens from voting.”

* Absolutely fascinating report on a test to measure the Bradley Effect and socially-desirable results.

* I remember a time when Geraldine Ferraro was a serious, respected trailblazer in the Democratic Party. It’s a genuine shame to see how far she’s fallen in such a short time.

* On a related note, as much as I admire Sean Wilentz’s scholarship, I can’t imagine what he’s thinking when he praises Fox News’ campaign coverage.

* Can you imagine being the only kid in your graduating class?

* And finally, if you haven’t see The Real McCain 2, take a minute to check it out. It’s a little too long for TV, but as web videos go, it’s pretty devastating.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Over the last 24 hours, there’s been some superdelegate news, with Obama picking up 6.5 new superdelegates (West Virginia’s Robert Byrd, Kansas’ Larry Gates, Washington’s Dwight Pelz, Alaska’s Cindy Spanyers and Blake Johnson, Iowa’s Scott Brennan, and Guam’s Madeleine Bordallo). He also gained three pledged delegates yesterday (one in Nevada as an add-on delegate, and two who had been pledged to John Edwards.) As far as I can tell, Clinton has not picked up any new delegate over the last 24 hours. (Obama was also endorsed by Michigan superdelegate Eric Coleman, but at least for now, his vote doesn’t count.)

* Voters in Oregon and Kentucky will head to the polls today, and while Clinton is expected to cruise to an easy victory in Kentucky, a couple of polls out of Oregon show Obama looking pretty strong. SurveyUSA today shows Obama up by 13 (55% to 42%), while Public Policy Polling (D) has him up by 19 (58% to 39%).

* Warren Buffett isn’t a superdelegate, but as the world’s richest man and a successful businessman, his opinions tend to draw some attention. Yesterday, Buffett, who had offered support to both Obama and Clinton, endorsed Obama. “He is my choice,” Buffett said.

* In the latest Gallup Daily Tracking poll, Clinton has dropped below 40% for the first time during the campaign. Obama now leads by 16 points, his largest margin to date.

* Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.), ensnared in a DUI and adultery scandal, will not seek re-election in November. Whether he will resign before the end of the year remains to be seen.

* Al Gore still hasn’t endorsed.

* VoteVets.org launched a couple of very hard-hitting TV ads this morning, targeting John McCain and Texas Sen. John Cornyn for their opposition to the bipartisan GI Bill modernization efforts, currently pending in the Senate.

* A new Rasmussen poll shows incumbent Sen. Frank Lautenberg looking strong against his primary challengers, Rep. Rob Andrews and Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello. Lautenberg, who I personally support, is ahead with 49%, followed by Andrews with 19%, and Cresitello with 7%.

* Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) doesn’t like the Tennessee Republican Party’s ad attacking Michelle Obama, and has asked the state party to remove the ad from the party’s website and YouTube. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) doesn’t like the ad, either. His office issued a statement saying, “There are probably better ways to communicate our pride in America, and we need to focus on those.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* There’s no shortage of support for Sen. Ted Kennedy this afternoon.

* Except on the Free Republic threads, which were apparently so awful, site administrators had to shut them down.

* I’m not sure if this is going to work, but Congress needs to look like it’s doing something: “The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation on Tuesday allowing the Justice Department to sue OPEC members for limiting oil supplies and working together to set crude prices, but the White House threatened to veto the measure. The bill would subject OPEC oil producers, including Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela, to the same antitrust laws that U.S. companies must follow. The measure passed in a 324-84 vote, a big enough margin to override a presidential veto.”

* On a related note: “Oil prices spiked to a new trading high Tuesday, sweeping toward $130 a barrel as supply concerns intensified the momentum buying that has lifted crude deeper into record territory. Gasoline, meanwhile, reached an average of $3.80 at the pump for the first time.”

* Interesting report: “Only one in five detainees in U.S. custody in Iraq are members of the main extremist groups fighting U.S. and Iraqi forces, while many of the rest can be reintegrated back into society, according to U.S. military statistics and interviews. The assessment reflects a new approach to detainees, which emphasizes isolating al-Qaeda and Shiite extremists and increasing the release of many average men caught up in the fighting.”

* The Jerusalem Post reports that Bush is intent on a war with Iran before his presidency ends…

* …but the White House strenuously rejected the article.

* This doesn’t sound good: “More than 30 sources of radiation were buried by debris from the massive earthquake in central China last week and all have either been recovered or safely cordoned off, state media reported Tuesday.”

* The White House was asked if we’d see Bush and McCain on the campaign trail “together.” The response: “I think you’ll see the President out on the campaign quite — campaign trail quite a bit. We’ll keep you posted on their events that they may have together.”

* Interesting report: “Immigrants of the past quarter-century have been assimilating in the United States at a notably faster rate than did previous generations, according to a study released today…. ‘This is something unprecedented in U.S. history,’ Vigdor said. ‘It shows that the nation’s capacity to assimilate new immigrants is strong.’”

* Remember hearing about that “boy crisis”? It turns out, it probably doesn’t exist.

* How bad off are House Republicans? They miss the disgraced Tom DeLay.

* Google doesn’t much care about Joe Lieberman’s opinions on what does and doesn’t belong on YouTube.

* Why wasn’t the 20th hijacker charged?

* It might yet be topped, but this is clearly the most offensive ad of the campaign season thus far.

* And House Minority Leader John Boehner told reporters last month that his caucus was in great shape for the fall. “I think we are going to gain seats this year. Period,” he said at the time. Is Boehner just as confident now? Not so much.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The Fed isn’t optimistic: “The Federal Reserve on Wednesday sharply lowered its projection for the U.S. economic growth this year, citing blows from the housing and credit debacles along with zooming energy prices. It also expects higher unemployment and inflation. Even with the more downbeat outlook, Fed officials left the impression that they would not be inclined to cut interest rates further.”

* Political theater: “Amid increasing public outcry over record-shattering oil and gas prices, senators on Wednesday hauled industry executives in to testify about the recent runup. The Senate Judiciary Committee called the hearing to explore the skyrocketing price of oil, which jumped over $4 a barrel to a new record of over $133. The committee grilled executives from Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips Co., Shell Oil Co., Chevron and BP as to how their companies can in good conscience make so much money, while American drivers pay so much at the pump.”

* Teddy left the hospital this morning: “Sen. Edward M. Kennedy gave a thumbs up to well-wishers and kisses to relatives as he walked out of the hospital Wednesday, a day after learning he has a cancerous brain tumor. A square bandage at the back of his head marked the spot where doctors performed a biopsy Monday that led them to diagnose the Massachusetts Democrat with malignant glioma. Experts say such tumors are almost always fatal.”

* It’s painful to hear such misguided rhetoric: “Hillary Clinton compared her effort to seat Florida and Michigan delegates to epic American struggles, including those to free the slaves and win the right to vote for blacks and women.”

* Fascinating report; read the whole thing: “There are many problems facing the United States today: a faltering economy, a health-care crisis, and the continuing war in Iraq, to name a few. But viewers of some of the most prominent cable news programs are presented a different reality, one in which one issue stands above all others: illegal immigration. Media Matters Action Network undertook this study in order to document the rhetoric surrounding immigration that is heard on cable news. When it comes to this issue, cable news overflows not just with vitriol, but also with a series of myths that feed viewers’ resentment and fears, seemingly geared toward creating anti-immigrant hysteria.”

* Dan Froomkin reported on a big development that’s gone largely unnoticed: “Top White House officials waved off early warnings from the FBI that interrogation tactics being used on detainees might be illegal, according to a new report from the Justice Department’s inspector general.”

* The NYT keeps needing to run corrections on Bill Kristol’s columns. That should tell the editors something.

* Something to look out for: “John McCain’s campaign is using their campaign website to encourage supporters to post supportive comments on political blogs, including the most well-known liberal site in the blogosphere. And to make things easier, they’re including talking points with which sympathizers can use to get out the McCain message…. McCain supporters are asked to send the details of their comment to the campaign, which in turn will verify it and then reward the supporter with ‘points’ (assumedly to accumulate for McCain swag).”

* Hmm: “The U.S. military, in a shift, has postponed the release of a report detailing allegations of Iranian support for Iraqi insurgents, according to people familiar with the matter.”

* Of all the possible responses to the new ad from VoteVets.org, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) appears to have picked the worst one.

* EPA scandal, Part I: “The head of the Environmental Protection Agency refused to say Tuesday whether he had any specific discussions with President Bush that would have caused him to reverse his agency’s position and deny a waiver California needed to move ahead with stringent auto emission standards.”

* EPA scandal, Part II: “A Senate panel voted narrowly Wednesday to overturn EPA’s decision blocking California and more than a dozen other states from limiting greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. The bill by California Democrat Barbara Boxer passed the Environment and Public Works committee 10 to 9, sending it to the full Senate.”

* McCain finally seems to have learned who runs Iran. It’s about time.

* Michael Savage is beneath contempt.

* Alex Castellanos is no better.

* Douglas Feith believes we found “a serious WMD threat” in Iraq. Poor guy is clearly confused.

* Geraldine Ferraro went on Fox News today to complain about “black journalists” who, she believes, have been unfair to Hillary Clinton. I miss the time when Geraldine Ferraro was a respected figure. I really do.

* And finally, Obama drew 75,000 people for an event in Oregon over the weekend, but some conservatives are crying foul because the Decemberists, a Portland-based indie rock band, appeared at the show, which some on the right argue exaggerated the numbers for the campaign. Jason Linkins argues that the right is off base, since as the Decemberists “are a modestly successful indie outfit, more apt to perform at venues such as the 1,200-person capacity 9:30 Club, it would be more accurate to suggest that the promise of an Obama rally is a great inducement to come see the Decemberists, rather than the reverse.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* It’s been fairly quiet on the superdelegate front, with both Clinton and Obama picking up one each over the last 24 hours. Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Dowdy endorsed Obama, while Guam Democratic Party Chair Pilar Lujan now supports Clinton.

* CNN: “Obama senior adviser David Axelrod says the Illinois senator’s campaign is ‘open to compromise’ and willing to cede Hillary Clinton the advantage in talks over the seating of the Florida and Michigan delegations at the Democratic National Convention this summer. ‘We are willing to go more than half way. We’re willing to work to make sure that we can achieve a compromise,’ Axelrod tells National Public Radio’s Michele Norris in a Wednesday evening interview. ‘And I guess the question is: is Senator Clinton’s campaign willing to do the same?’”

* Bill Clinton is rumored to be “pushing real hard” for the party to rally behind Hillary Clinton as Obama’s running mate.

* Obama had a little fun with McCain yesterday, mocking the Republican for supporting legislation 10 years ago that would make his own campaign structure illegal now. “And when he was called on it, his top lobbyists actually had the nerve to say, ‘The American people won’t care about this.’ Well, I think the American people do care about it and I know they have a clear choice in this election,” Obama said.

* The United Mine Workers, which had supported John Edwards, threw its support to Obama yesterday.

* New poll numbers from Quinnipiac show Clinton doing better than Obama against McCain in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, though in Pennsylvania, both lead McCain.

* After Joe Lieberman’s breathtaking op-ed in the WSJ yesterday, Obama Communications Director Robert Gibbs responded: “I have to admit, I haven’t read the whole piece because what dawned on me about two paragraphs into the piece is that Joe Lieberman would be a fabulous secretary of state for John McCain for one reason and one reason only. What Joe Lieberman proposes and what John McCain proposes is another four years of George Bush’s foreign policy.”

* TPMM: “The fundraising figures for April show that the Democratic Party committees continue to dominate in total cash-on-hand, despite a surge of support for the Republicans as they settled on John McCain as their nominee.”

* In a general-election match-up, Obama leads McCain in Colorado by six, 48% to 42%.

* Mitt Romney has a new political action committee.

* NRCC Chairman Tom Cole (Okla.) isn’t being replaced, but he is being placed on a short leash.

* In the open Senate race in Colorado, a new Rasmussen poll shows Mark Udall (D) leading Bob Schaffer (R) by six, 47% to 41%.

* In Missouri’s gubernatorial race, SurveyUSA has Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon currently enjoying huge leads over all of her possible Republican opponents.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* I’ll have a much more detailed report on this first thing in the morning: “In the face of mounting controversy over headline-grabbing statements from Pastor John Hagee, CNN has learned presumptive Republican nominee John McCain has decided to reject his endorsement.”

* The news out of China continues to get worse: “China said the toll of dead and missing from last week’s powerful earthquake jumped to more than 80,000, while the government appealed Thursday for millions of tents to shelter homeless survivors.”

* Keep an eye on this: “At the same time that the House Judiciary Committee voted to issue a subpoena to former presidential adviser Karl Rove today, it released a May 5 letter from the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility to committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) disclosing that the OPR is investigating ‘allegations of selective prosecution relating to the prosecutions of Don Siegelman, Georgia Thompson, and Oliver Diaz and Paul Minor.’”

* In light of John McCain’s decision to oppose the bipartisan GI Bill, and his decision not to even show up to vote on troop benefits, Barack Obama took a hard line against McCain while speaking on the Senate floor. McCain, in response, went kind of berserk.

* I feel like I’ve heard this one before: “Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in the war in Iraq, said that he expects this fall to recommend additional cuts in U.S. troop levels there…. He said he didn’t know how large those cuts might be.”

* On a related note, Petraeus isn’t sticking to the Bush script on the greatest threats in the Middle East.

* Uh oh: “Oil prices leaped above $135 a barrel in overnight trading on Thursday, a new record that underscored the growing pressures that runaway energy prices are placing on some of the biggest names in global industry…. Some investors reacted to a report on Thursday in The Wall Street Journal that the International Energy Agency, an Paris-based policy advisory group for industrialized countries, was concerned about a reduction in the long-term world supply of crude oil.”

* All of a sudden, Arnold Schwarzenegger is warming up to the idea of gay marriages in California — because it’s likely to be a boon for the state’s economy.

* I still can’t imagine how Susan Orr got the job to oversee federal family planning programs at the Department of Health and Human Services in the first place.

* Oh dear: “The U.S. Postal Service purchased more than 30,000 ethanol-capable trucks and minivans from 1999 to 2005, making it the biggest American buyer of alternative-fuel vehicles. Gasoline consumption jumped by more than 1.5 million gallons as a result…. A Postal Service study found the new vehicles got as much as 29 percent fewer miles to the gallon…. ‘You’re getting fewer miles per gallon, and it’s costing us more,’ Walt O’Tormey, the Postal Service’s Washington-based vice president of engineering, said in an interview. The agency may buy electric vehicles instead, he said.”

* More litigation in Florida: “Three of Florida’s Democratic delegates filed a federal lawsuit Thursday in an attempt to force the Democratic National Committee to seat Florida’s delegation at the convention.”

* Sounds to me like the wrong broadcaster got canned: “Boston-area TV journalist Barry Nolan made some news last month by calling out Bill O’Reilly, who was being honored with a local Emmy, and even invited Keith Olbermann to the ceremony as his date. Well, it didn’t work out so well for Nolan, who placed anti-O’Reilly fliers on tables during the dinner. He just got fired.”

* If you don’t want to get frustrated about bigotry and ignorance in West Virginia, be sure to steer clear of this report from the West Virginia NPR affiliate.

* It’s only the Federal Election Commission in an election year. Who needs it?

* And finally, even loyal Bushies realize that the president’s “appeasement” talk is nonsense, and they’re ignoring it while shaping administration policy. Many State Department officials “concede that the United States does not hew to one policy on engaging its enemies. ‘I’d rather be right than consistent,’ a senior Bush administration official said.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* There was a little movement in superdelegate news this morning, with Obama picking up two new supporters from Congress, Reps. Jim Costa and Dennis Cardoza, both of California. This is actually a net gain of three for Obama over Clinton, because Cardoza had been a Clinton supporter before this morning’s switch. Two New Hampshire delegates for John Edwards also switched to Obama this morning.

* I’ve been wondering the extent to which age would be an issue in the campaign, but I didn’t think McCain would be the one playing the age card: “Senator John McCain mocked Senator Barack Obama here today at an airport rally, repeatedly calling him a ‘young man’ with ‘very little experience.’” McCain said, with obvious sarcasm, “I admire and respect Senator Obama. For a young man with very little experience, he’s done very well.”

* Obama indicated yesterday that he believes the idea of cutting Florida’s delegation in half would be “a very reasonable solution” to the party’s stand-off, and would mirror the punishment Florida Republicans received from the RNC. Though Bill Clinton and Terry McAuliffe have both indicated they would perceive this as fair, Hillary Clinton said yesterday this would be unacceptable, saying she would insist on 100% representation, despite having already agreed to the opposite.

* New York Gov. David Paterson, a Clinton superdelegate, criticized Clinton yesterday, saying her Florida/Michigan comments this week were a mark of “desperation.” He added, “Candidates have to be cautious in their zeal to win, that they don’t trample on the process.” Paterson went on to say that no one “in their right mind” would buy into Clinton’s approach to Michigan.

* Speaking of Michigan, 40% of Michigan voters preferred “uncommitted” when they went to the polls in January. Howard Wolfson, a senior Clinton campaign aide, said earlier this month that under a compromise, those votes could go to Obama. Yesterday, the campaign reversed course, and said the “uncommitted” had to remain that way.

* In a head-to-head match-up, Obama leads McCain by seven points in Virginia in a new SurveyUSA poll.

* Speaking of polls, Obama may have lost California’s primary back in February, but he seems to be faring quite well there now. A poll from the Public Policy Institute of California shows Obama leading McCain, 54% to 37%.

* In Nevada, a state likely to be a key battleground in November, Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by six (46% to 40%), while Clinton leads McCain by five (46% to 41%).

* And speaking of purple states, Greg Sargent reports, “In a sign that Obama is shifting more aggressively into general election mode, the Illinois Senator will undertake a tour of three purple states — New Mexico, Nevada, and Colorado — on the first three days of next week, a senior Obama campaign aide confirms to me. Obama will visit the Las Cruces area on Monday, the Las Vegas area on Tuesday, and the Denver area on Wednesday, the Obama aide says.”

* In case there are any lingering doubts, Florida Republicans are not solely to blame for the state moving up its primary to Jan. 29.

* Ted Kennedy believes his wife, Vicki, should replace him in the Senate if he dies.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Reuters: “Newly diagnosed cases of post-traumatic stress disorder among U.S. troops sent to Iraq and Afghanistan surged 46.4 percent in 2007, bringing the five-year total to more than 38,000, according to U.S. military data released on Tuesday. The statistics, released by the Army, showed the number of new PTSD cases formally diagnosed at U.S. military facilities climbed to 13,981 last year from 9,549 in 2006.”

* On a related note, in the kind of comments that would spark quite a controversy if anyone still cared about the Bush administration, VA Secretary James Peake reportedly took a casual and dismissive attitude towards the PTSD scourge, suggesting the issue has been overblown.

* Something to keep an eye on: “Iran may be withholding information needed to establish whether it tried to make nuclear arms, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Monday in an unusually strongly worded report.”

* Foreclosures in military towns are surging at four times the national rate.

* I guess appeasement really has gone mainstream — now the Bush administration is making overtures to Sudanese leaders, despite Sudan’s role in perpetuating genocide in Darfur and offering safe haven for terrorists. No word yet on whether the president is prepared to denounce himself.

* Remember Barry Nolan, the TV journalist who was fired for criticizing Bill O’Reilly? Nolan has a guest post at ThinkProgress today, explaining what happened, why he lost his job, and why our culture seems to tolerate this kind of suppression of free speech.

* Not a big surprise: “At a time when gas prices are at an all-time high, Americans have curtailed their driving at a historic rate. The Department of Transportation said figures from March show the steepest decrease in driving ever recorded.”

* AP: “Soaring gas prices and weakening job prospects left shoppers gloomier about the economy in May, sending a key barometer of consumer sentiment to its lowest level in almost 16 years.” (Hmm, wasn’t 16 years ago the end of the last Bush presidency?)

* Over the weekend, Fox News contributor Liz Trotta thought it would be funny to joke about her desire to see someone assassinate Barack Obama. Yesterday, she backpedaled on the air: “I am so sorry about what happened yesterday in that lame attempt at humor,” she said. “I sincerely regret it and apologize to anybody I’ve offended. It’s a very colorful political season, and many of us are making mistakes and saying things that we wish that we hadn’t said.” Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer called this a “clarification.”

* If you volunteer for military service, some Fox News personalities believe you’re entitled to worse educational benefits.

* One of the Blackwater scandals is still percolating: “The FBI has brought four Iraqi witnesses, including the father of a dead 9-year-old boy, to testify before a federal grand jury investigating Blackwater security guards accused of killing 17 innocent civilians last year at a Baghdad traffic square.”

* Inflation and food prices are really not helping families on food stamps.

* Ugh: “Looks like the ‘crackdown’ against illegal immigrants crossing over the Mexican border has been a boon for corrupt border guards.”

* I not only love MoveOn.org’s latest campaign, but think the group is executing it very well.

* I’m glad Washington Monthly isn’t merging with Common Cause. That never struck me as a good fit.

* I think CNN has badly missed the point of the Pentagon Pundit scandal. The network isn’t supposed to invite back officers who were part of the propaganda controversy.

* Sexism may sell, but no one should ever buy it.

* If the Bush administration were still interesting to people, the EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson would be every bit as humiliating as Mike “Heckuva Job” Brown, if not more so.

* Is Barack Obama a Muslim? (Honestly, I’m linking to this to help the Google ranking.)

* And finally, over the weekend, Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas, a far-right Republican, conceded to a group of eighth-graders visiting DC that Bush “is doing everything he thinks is correct,” and yet “the American people are fed up…. we’ve lost the House and Senate, and everybody hates George Bush.” He said it, not me.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* There’s been some movement on the superdelegate front over the last 24 hours. If my count is right, Barack Obama has picked up four new supporters, worth 3.5 superdelegate votes — Colorado’s Pat Waak, Oregon’s Meredith Wood Smith, Wyoming’s Nancy Drummond, and Guam’s Ben Pangelinan. Hillary Clinton picked up on, the Virgin Island’s Kevin Rodriguez, who’s been a little indecisive (Rodriguez first endorsed Clinton, then endorsed Obama, and has now gone back to Clinton again).

* In a general-election match-up in Iowa, which Bush won in 2004, SurveyUSA shows Obama leading John McCain by nine, 47% to 38%. A month ago, Obama led by seven.

* There’s been considerable discussion of late about whether Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) would be a good addition to the Democratic ticket. Yesterday, Kathy G. writes up the definitive take on why he wouldn’t be a good choice. Similarly, Ed Kilgore summarized the various pros and cons against a Webb VP nomination.

* Francis Fukuyama, who helped create the neoconservative movement before denouncing it, endorsed Obama this week.

* Arab-American voters constitute 3.5 million people in this country, and as Juan Cole explains today, they’re not exactly enamored with John McCain: “Recent polls show a tight race between either Democrat and McCain in Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio, all states where Arab-Americans account for an appreciable percentage of the vote. Such polls have limited utility with November so many months away, but that it will be a close election in those key states seems clear. In a tight election, the votes of a well-placed minority — Arab-American votes — can be crucial.”

* I have to say, Obama’s ability to read Spanish is pretty impressive. (Does anyone know if he actually speaks any Spanish?)

* Gallup: “In the 20 states where Hillary Clinton has claimed victory in the 2008 Democratic primary and caucus elections (winning the popular vote), she has led John McCain in Gallup Poll Daily trial heats for the general election over the past two weeks of Gallup Poll Daily tracking by 50% to 43%. In those same states, Barack Obama is about tied with McCain among national registered voters, 45% to 46%.”

* AP: “Polls this month show the Illinois senator leading McCain among women, running even with him among Catholics and suburbanites and trailing him with people over age 65. Results vary by poll for those without college degrees. And though Obama trails decisively with a group that has shunned him against Clinton — whites who have not completed college — he’s doing about the same with them as the past two Democratic presidential candidates.” (thanks to V.S. for the tip)

* HuffPost: “‘I don’t know if [Barry Goldwater] would recognize the Republican Party today,’ Alison Goldwater Ross, a registered Democrat and granddaughter of the 1964 GOP presidential candidate, told The Huffington Post. ‘I’m sure if we were to raise his ashes from the Colorado River… he would be going, ‘What? This is not my vision. This is not my party.’”

* In the McCain campaign’s new TV ad, it appears McCain shakes hands with a woman wearing an Obama shirt.

* NRSC Chair John Ensign recently said that the Republican Party is confident that Jim Ogonowski “can be a very serious candidate” against John Kerry this year in Massachusetts. Making Ensign look a little foolish, Ogonowski failed this week to get enough signatures to qualify for the GOP primary ballot. Ouch.

* And on a related note, “Finding a candidate to replace Representative Vito J. Fossella, who will step down at the end of the year, is proving much harder than Republican Party leaders ever imagined.” All of the possible leading candidates have decided to take a pass, in part because it’s not expected to be a GOP-friendly year.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* No big surprise: “For the 2nd time this year, a federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit filed by a Florida democrat delegate angry over party rules that have threatened to keep Florida Delegates from being seated at the upcoming Democratic Convention. Once again US District Judge Richard A. Lazzara ruled Wednesday the DNC did not violate any laws in stripping Florida’s delegates of their voting powers.”

* The White House pushback against Scott McClellan intensified as the day has gone on: “Former White House counselor Dan Bartlett lashed out at Scott McClellan in a telephone interview Wednesday, saying the allegations that the media was soft on the White House are ‘total crap.’”

* On a related note, Republicans probably won’t care for this, either: “On Thursday morning, Scott McClellan will be interviewed on NBC’s ‘Today’ show. That night, it’s MSNBC. Indeed, Keith Olbermann has scored the first cable interview with McClellan on Thursday night on ‘Countdown,’ according to a network release.”

* I’ll have more on this in the morning: “President Bush said Wednesday that rebuilding Iraq and Afghanistan while battles rage is proving difficult, and ‘we’re learning as we go.’”

* In the credit-where-credit-is-due department, the Supreme Court did the right thing yesterday, ruling that “employees are protected from retaliation when they complain about discrimination in the workplace, adopting a broad interpretation of workers’ rights under two federal civil rights laws.”

* I’m actually starting to feel encouraged: “Signaling a generational shift in attitudes, a new Field Poll on Tuesday said California voters now support legal marriage between same-sex couples and oppose a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. By 51 to 42 percent, state voters believe gay couples have the right to marry, according to a May 17-26 poll of 1,052 registered voters.”

* As part of the criminal investigation against Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.), prosecutors have questioned John McCain staffers.

* It’s about freakin’ time: “The oil giant ExxonMobil has admitted that its support for lobby groups that question the science of climate change may have hindered action to tackle global warming. In its corporate citizenship report, released last week, ExxonMobil says it intends to cut funds to several groups that ‘divert attention’ from the need to find new sources of clean energy.”

* The WaPo had an interesting item on MSNBC getting all kinds of criticism of late. Republicans insist the network leans to the left, but I suspect the network brass won’t want to mess with what works: “NBC executives say the ratings growth at MSNBC — up 61 percent this month in prime time, compared with a year ago — has made it a target.”

* Reporters, for reasons that defy comprehension, continue to buy into the GOP spin that says Obama thinks hunters use handguns to hunt ducks. He doesn’t.

* Which pollsters have done the best in predicting the results this year? FiveThirtyEight takes a look with a helpful analysis.

* I didn’t realize Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) opposes the death penalty. Good for him.

* Will McCain keep Hagee’s campaign contribution?

* I don’t want to alarm anyone, but it appears that Republican policies make the gap between rich and poor considerably worse. Shocking, I know.

* Can’t say I blame them: “With eight months left in President Bush’s term, scores of senior officials already are heading for the exits, leaving nearly half the administration’s top political positions vacant or filled by temporary appointees, federal statistics show.”

* Bush, McCain, and the longest 47 seconds ever.

* And finally, Dana Perino told reporters that Bush “doesn’t wish for a third term.” I guess it’s unanimous then.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* On the superdelegate front, Barack Obama picked up two more of the last 24 hours, Wayne Kinney and Gail Rasmussen, both from Oregon. Hillary Clinton has not received any new superdelegate endorsements.

* Puerto Rico’s presidential primary is just a couple of days away, and a new poll shows Clinton with a big lead. The report is written in Spanish, but if I’m reading it correctly, the latest numbers put Clinton ahead by 13, 51% to 38%.

* There’s obviously been a lot of talk about Obama struggling with certain Democratic constituencies that have preferred Clinton in the primaries. Veteran Democratic pollster Mark Mellman makes an important point today on this subject: “[T]here is no relationship between how candidates perform among any particular group of voters in primaries and how they do with that segment in the general election. In 1992, Bill Clinton lost college-educated voters to Paul Tsongas in the early competitive primaries, but he went on to win that group in November by the largest margin any Democrat ever had. Similarly, John Kerry lost young voters in the competitive primaries in 2004 before going on to win them by a record margin in the general election.”

* Clinton is still making her case to the last group of voters who matter most right now: “In what appear to be her closing arguments to superdelegates, Tuesday her campaign sent a letter to superdelegates that claimed she is a stronger general election candidate than Barack Obama. Just in case superdelegates hadn’t understood her point, the campaign followed up on the letter on Wednesday, sending out a detailed, 11-page memo advancing the same suggestion. The memo included polls, charts and even Electoral College maps produced by Karl Rove.”

* There have been reports this week about a sizable group of superdelegates who’ve endorsed Obama, but who won’t officially announce their support until next week. The Obama campaign denied that this group exists, and said they announce superdelegate endorsements as they’re available.

* The latest McCain campaign policy is that anyone closely associated with the campaign cannot formally participate with a 527 group or other independent campaign organizations. As a result, Sens. Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham had to step down yesterday from their positions on the Vets for Freedom’s policy advisory board.

* Bill Clinton made the case yesterday that caucuses shouldn’t count as much as primaries.

* John Kerry for Secretary of State?

* Cynthia McKinney will be the Green party nominee. Nader will have to run as something else?

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* A new Michigan/Florida compromise seems to be gaining traction in Democratic circles. Under the scenario, the DNC would halve the votes for all of the Florida delegates, giving Clinton a net gain of 19, and the popular vote from the state would count. Michigan, meanwhile, would be split 50-50. The new magic number would be 2,118.

* Tragic: “The number of Army suicides increased again last year, amid the most violent year yet in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Two defense officials said Thursday that 108 troops committed suicide in 2007, six more than the previous year.”

* Hmm: “Perhaps the biggest revelation from Scott McClellan’s bombshell book about his time at the White House is that Bush directly authorized the leak of Valerie Plame’s identity.”

* Speaking of McClellan, the former press secretary also revived the controversy surrounding Bush’s alleged cocaine use. “The media won’t let go of these ridiculous cocaine rumors,” he quotes Bush as having said in that conversation with a political supporter. “You know, the truth is I honestly don’t remember whether I tried it or not. We had some pretty wild parties back in the day, and I just don’t remember.”

* More McClellan news: “Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) called for former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan to appear before the House Judiciary Committee to testify under oath regarding the devastating revelations made in his new book on the Bush Administration’s deliberate efforts to mislead the American people into the Iraq War.”

* Mike Turk, who served as the eCampaign director for Bush’s 2004 campaign, said it’s unfortunate that McClellan is “getting savaged for saying what everyone knows to be true.”

* Better than nothing: “The U.S. economy grew at a faster rate in the first quarter of this year than previously thought, the government reported Thursday, further muddying the question of whether or not the sluggish U.S. economy is now in recession.”

* After all this time, you’d think Condoleezza Rice could talk about Iraqi WMD coherently.

* We talked earlier about CNN’s Jessica Yellin feeling corporate pressure to be more pro-Bush before the U.S. invasion of Iraq. This afternoon, she clarified her remarks.

* I really wish news outlets would stop referring to Lieberman as a Democrat.

* I really wish news outlets were smart enough to know that John McCain never called for Rumsfeld’s resignation.

* Apparently, some conservatives believe McClellan’s criticism of his former colleagues is part of a conspiracy involving his publisher, The Nation, and George Soros. Steve M. seems to think these conservatives are nuts. I can’t imagine why.

* Interesting journalistic ethics question involving the WaPo’s Howard Kurtz.

* The Secret Service is not fond of the idea of McCain and Obama traveling together to Iraq. Go figure.

* Dahlia Lithwick: “Perhaps it’s the inevitable byproduct of the accusation that anyone who failed to support Clinton’s presidential bid has doomed feminism, but the claim that the doors have slammed on decades of future woman presidents is as maddening as the Olympics of Oppression that preceded it. The folks claiming we’ve allowed the presidency to slip through our fingers arrive at this conclusion by pressing the same flawed syllogism: The only viable woman candidate thus far has been Hillary; Hillary did not win; ergo there will never be another viable woman candidate.”

* Things have gotten rough at Number 10: “Gordon Brown’s latest comms offensive involves cold-calling members of the public who have written him letters, according to sources close to Downing Street. The initiative is said to be the brainchild of Downing Street chief of strategy Stephen Carter and is intended to ‘humanise’ the Prime Minister as his popularity continues to wane.”

* I can only assume that monkeys and their robots will soon take over.

* And finally, a quick word on polls and the presidential election. In late May 2004, polls showed John Kerry trouncing George W. Bush, with the Dem winning a whopping 327 electoral votes, 57 more than he needed to win. Needless to say, the polls changed as the year went on. Something to keep in mind.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* On the superdelegate front, Barack Obama picked up three new superdelegates over the last 24 hours — Rep. Alan Mollohan of West Virginia, and Boyd Richie and Betty Richie of Texas. Hillary Clinton also received a superdelegate endorsement, with Eileen Macoll of Washington state throwing her support to the New York senator.

* House Speaker Nancy Pelosi isn’t the only one prepared to intervene to prevent the Democratic race from going all the way to the convention; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is on the same page.

* The Huffington Post had an interesting item on some of the organizers, most of whom are women, of tomorrow’s rally at the meeting of the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee. Organizers reportedly said they will support Obama if he’s the nominee. One asked, “You’re not going to write that we’re a bunch of hysterical women trying to create havoc, are you?”

* As if Scott McClellan hasn’t raised enough of a fuss, he indicated yesterday that he might vote for Barack Obama.

* A new SurveyUSA poll shows John McCain leading Obama in Michigan by four, 41% to 37%. As Ben Smith noted, however, the internals show Obama winning only 62% of the African-American vote in the state, which is likely to change considerably by November.

* SurveyUSA shows McCain leading Obama in Kansas by 10 points, 49% to 39%. At least at this early stage, adding Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to the Obama ticket would not make a significant difference.

* Clinton won the endorsement of the Argus Leader — the paper she spoke with last week when she talked about the 1992 and 1968 races going into June.

* A new Pew Forum poll shows Obama leading McCain and Clinton with the highest favorable ratings, but Obama’s support is weighed down by resentment from Clinton supporters. Obama nevertheless narrowly leads McCain nationwide.

* Conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch is “open” to supporting Obama this year, and added that McCain “has a lot of problems.” (thanks to reader R.K.)

* Obama is reportedly in “excellent health.”

* The Rev. Michael Pfleger, a Chicago activist and Catholic priest, gave a sermon recently at Obama’s UCC congregation in which Pfleger mocked Hillary Clinton. Pfleger has since apologized, and Obama issued a statement yesterday saying, ”As I have traveled this country, I’ve been impressed not by what divides us, but by all that that unites us. That is why I am deeply disappointed in Father Pfleger’s divisive, backward-looking rhetoric, which doesn’t reflect the country I see or the desire of people across America to come together in common cause.”

* Al Franken is facing all kinds of heat for an explicit, satirical piece he wrote for Playboy several years ago. (thanks to Zeitgeist for the heads-up)

* In 1988, Bill Clinton encouraged presidential candidates to drop out, for the good of the party, before Michael Dukakis had formally claimed the Democratic nomination.

* There’s a surprising amount of debate over the explanation for McCain cancelling an event in Pennsylvania today. He either really has a bad cold, or he’s perfectly healthy but has a scheduling problem.

* Sen. Chuck Hagel may be a conservative Republican, but his wife is nevertheless an Obama donor.

* How bad a year is it for the GOP? Republicans apparently have to worry about Mississippi.

* A confusing-but-important note about tomorrow: “As for the actual meeting itself, there’s one more angle you ought to be aware of: a 50% cut and a halving of the delegates is not the same thing. For instance, if Florida delegates are seated in their entirety, but only have their vote counted as a .5, then Clinton will net approximately 19 delegates out of the state. But if the delegation is cut in half, that’s done in every congressional district as well as statewide, then suddenly Clinton’s advantage is only a net of six.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* This morning, the McCain campaign insisted there was nothing wrong with using pictures of Gen. David Petraeus, without his permission, in their fundraising solicitations. This afternoon, McCain himself admitted the campaign was wrong and said it “will not happen again.”

* As for McCain ignorance about how many U.S. troops are still in Iraq, the senator and his campaign refuse to acknowledge the error, and insist his confusion about the basics in Iraq is really just a semantics debate.

* Bob Dole unloaded on Scott McClellan today, telling the former White House Press Secretary via e-mail that he is a “miserable creature” who is “spurred on by greed.”

* On a related note, McClellan is sorry about all the things he said about Richard Clarke and his book. Clarke has accepted McClellan’s apology.

* McClellan would, by the way, be “happy to talk” to Congress “if I am asked to testify.”

* Which segues nicely to this encouraging development: “Twenty former U.S. attorneys, both Republicans and Democrats, urged a federal judge Thursday to intervene in a constitutional battle over whether two White House officials should be forced to testify before Congress about the firings of nine U.S. attorneys. The former top prosecutors, including two who served under President Bush, argue in court papers that the judge should reject the Bush administration’s assertion of blanket immunity for presidential chief of staff Joshua Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers in the congressional investigation.”

* Quote of the Day, from Steve M.: “Can’t right-wing pundits and bloggers at least pretend that they’re not following marching orders (probably Blackberried over from [e-mail]) to hammer away at certain phrases? Especially when the phrases have, outside of Wingnuttia, exactly zero resonance?”

* No wonder the Bush gang tried to hide the truth: “The Bush administration, bowing to a court order, has released a fresh summary of federal and independent research pointing to large, and mainly harmful, impact of human-caused global warming in the United States… Most of the findings, like the spread of warmth-loving pests and the inevitable loss of low-lying lands to rising seas, are not new. But the report included new projections of how the poor, elderly and communities with lagging public-health and public-works systems will face outsize health risks from warming.”

* Fascinating report on negative campaigning over the last several months. (thanks to T.C. for the tip)

* The McCain lobbyist controversy just keeps on giving: “Before Rick Davis began serving as John McCain’s campaign manager, his lobbying firm had a pretty cosmopolitan set of clients. For example, Ukranian billionaire Rinat Akhmetov, who has several business links to Iran. To be sure, there’s a good crowd of lobbyists in Washington who work for international firms with ties to Iran. But Davis isn’t just any lobbyist. He’s a lobbyist-turn-presidential campaign manager who just a couple weeks ago was drawing up rules on how to build a wall between lobbyists and McCain’s political operatives.”

* Dennis Hastert is, of course, joining a lobbying firm. Conservatives aren’t at all happy that it’s a transgender-family lobbying firm. (thanks to K.W. for the tip)

* Democracy for America has a scholarship program. I’m voting for Tammy.

* I guess Minnesota officials expect GOP leaders to drink a whole lot at the Republican National Convention.

* I’d almost forgotten that today is “Thomas Friedman: ‘Suck On This’ Day.”

* Over the course of the last year, some political figures have seen their stature and reputation rise, and others have seen the opposite. I feel confident that no one has done more to ruin their standing and eminence than Geraldine Ferraro. She’s just completely fallen apart, and has fallen so far from her role as a respected party leader. How sad.

* And finally, as great as “An Inconvenient Truth” was, I’m not sure how I feel about it being made into an opera.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* On the superdelegate front, there’s been some movement since Friday at noon. If my count is right, Barack Obama has picked up four (Nevada’s Yvonne Gates, Virginia’s Jerome Wiley Segovia, Connecticut’s Nancy DiNardo, and Maine odd-on delegate Gwethalyn Phillips). Hillary Clinton earned two (Buddy Leach and Chris Whittington, both of Louisiana).

* Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, a national co-chairman of Clinton’s campaign, told the AP that the race for the nomination is over. “It does appear to be pretty clear that Senator Obama is going to be the nominee,” Vilsack said. “After Tuesday’s contests, she needs to acknowledge that he’s going to be the nominee and quickly get behind him.”

* Turnout has soared throughout most of the Democratic contests, but yesterday’s turnout in Puerto Rico fell far short of expectations: “A total of 380,000 ballots were cast, making up only a little over 16% of the island’s voters — well short of the 900,000 that both campaigns had once thought was a reasonable estimate.”

* In a move filled with symbolic significance, Obama will host a rally tomorrow night in Minnesota — at the site of this year’s Republican National Convention: “Tuesday is the night of the final Democratic primaries, and the choice of venue is a mischievous, aggressive way for Obama to unofficially kick off the general election campaign against John McCain. The location gives huge meaning to the moment, with Obama likely to frame a tough case against his new opponent in the very hall where McCain will accept his party’s nomination.”

* This was unexpected: “A McClatchy computer analysis, incomplete due to the difficulty matching data from various campaign finance reports, found that hundreds of people who gave at least $200 to Bush’s 2004 campaign have donated to Obama.”

* Paul Kane, the WaPo’s congressional reporter, said on Friday that he’s been watching Dems on the Hill for a while, and “the simple basic truth is that the super-delegates stopped paying attention to the Clinton-Obama race about a couple days after the Indiana and North Carolina primaries. They’ve stopped paying attention to the primary, and instead they’re focused on an Obama-McCain matchup in November. That’s the basic, simple, definitive reality that has happened in this race.”

* A SurveyUSA poll found Obama leading McCain in Wisconsin, 48% to 42%.

* Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) told the Washington Times that Obama has asked him to “play a more prominent” and “deeply involved” role in his campaign. Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Times, “I’ll do whatever he asks me to do.”

* Ron Paul fans are still rabble-rousing at state GOP conventions.

* In a very unimpressive showing, James Gilmore (R) just barely won the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate over the weekend at the Virginia GOP’s nominating convention. Running against an under-funded and largely unknown state lawmaker, Robert Marshall, the former Virginia governor and presidential candidate won with 50.3% support.

* The Weekly Standard’s blogger, Michael Goldfarb, has left the magazine, at least temporarily, to go work for McCain.

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As the Bush administration heads out of office, they have notified federal agencies that today is the deadline to propose new regulations, nearly eight months before a successor takes the office.

On its face it's a rare good government measure from this White House, but critics claim the policy ensures the next occupant will have a difficult time changing the regulations made by the Bush Administration. (The Boston Globe)

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I used to worry a bit that Barack Obama’s above-the-fray style might not be assertive enough for a rough-and-tumble general election campaign against an aggressive Republican machine. I’m increasingly confident that my concerns were misplaced — Obama seems to enjoy going on the offensive against John McCain.

Last week, Obama went after McCain on the GI Bill. Over the weekend, Obama continued to hammer away at McCain’s confusion over the number of U.S. troops in Iraq. And today, in a speech in Troy, Michigan, Obama will take on a McCain quote that’s certain to generate an angry response.

“Senator McCain says we have made, and this is a quote, ‘great progress economically’ these past eight years, and he promises more of the same.

“Well, I couldn’t disagree more. Since George Bush took office, we’ve gone through the first period of sustained economic growth since World War II in which the incomes of American workers have actually dropped. 7 million more Americans don’t have health care. 1 million more Americans are out of work. Millions of families are facing foreclosure. You’re working harder for less, and paying more for tuition, more for groceries, and more at the pump.

“To me, this isn’t ‘great progress.’ This is a cause for concern and an impetus for change. Yet Senator McCain wants to double down on the Bush economic plan…. In fact, Senator McCain conceded not long ago that he didn’t know much about the economy. That’s not his interest. That’s not his priority. But it will be mine.”

The “great progress economically” originally came up in mid-April, and it was one of those gems we just knew we’d be hearing again.

When Obama first starting pursuing this, a very annoyed McCain campaign responded, “American families are hurting and Barack Obama is being recklessly dishonest. It is clear that Barack Obama is intentionally twisting John McCain’s words completely out of context.”

Is the McCain campaign right? Is the “great progress economically” line being taken out of context? Not so much.

ThinkProgress has the video clip of McCain chatting with Bloomberg Television in April. The reporter offered the senator a “version of the Ronald Reagan question,” and asked, “Do you think if Americans were asked, ‘Are you better off today than you were before George Bush took office more than seven years ago?’ What answer would they give?”

McCain responded:

“Certainly, at this time, we’re in very challenging times. We all recognize that. Families are sitting around the kitchen table this evening and figuring out whether they’re going to be able to keep their home or not. They’re figuring out whether they’re, why it is that suddenly and recently someone in their family or their neighbor has lost their job. There’s no doubt that we’re in enormous difficulties.

“I think if you look at the overall record, and millions of jobs having, being created, etc., etc., you can make an argument that there’s been great progress economically, over that period of time. But that’s no comfort, that’s no comfort to families now that are facing these tremendous economic challenges.

“But let me just add, Peter, the fundamentals of America’s economy are strong.”

McCain suggested that he’s familiar with the difficulties currently facing millions of American families, but when asked about the economy under Bush’s leadership, McCain believes that the “overall record” points to “great progress economically” over the last seven years. The context shows that McCain seems vaguely aware of the fact that some have enjoyed this “progress” more than others, but McCain’s overall assessment of the Bush economy is a positive one.

And Obama seems anxious to remind voters about this. My hunch is Republicans will erupt, much the same way they did about the “100 years” line, but the quote is accurate. McCain said it, he meant it, and now he’s being called on it. McCain may wish he could take it back now, but it’s too late.

As for Obama, I can’t help but enjoy seeing a Dem presidential candidate go on the offensive and stay on the offensive, especially on subjects that seem to irritate McCain to no end.

Noting Obama’s rally tomorrow night at the site of the Republican convention, Ezra noted this morning, “If I didn’t know better, I’d say the strategy here is to tweak McCain often enough that he uncorks his famous temper and forces the American people to decide whether they really want to hand the presidency to a cranky, touchy old man. Actually, come to think of it, I don’t know better….”

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* CNN: “Sen. Edward Kennedy underwent ’successful’ surgery for a brain tumor at Duke University Medical Center, his doctors said Monday. Doctors said Kennedy was awake during the surgery, which lasted roughly three and a half hours. Dr. Allan Friedman said Kennedy should suffer ‘no permanent neurological effects’ and he hoped the senator would have ‘an uneventful and robust recovery.’”

* The Abramoff scandal isn’t quite done yet: “A former chief of staff for an Oklahoma congressman is the latest figure caught up in prosecution of Jack Abramoff’s lobbying ring. John Albaugh, the former chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Ernest Istook (R-OK), has been charged with a conspiracy to defraud the House of Representatives, taking perks and doling out official favors.”

* It’s probably best not to read too much into this: “Obama campaign spokesperson Bill Burton confirms to me that Obama and Hillary spoke privately on Sunday night — but those looking to read their conversation for clues to how or whether the race will end tomorrow may be disappointed. ‘They did speak,’ Burton tells me via instant message. Asked if they had discussed anything relating to post-primary activities, Burton said: ‘He called to congratulate her on her victory in Puerto Rico, that’s it.’”

* Ugh: “Karl Rove is facing contempt citations for his refusal to answer subpoenas to testify before congress. But lucky for him, he’s gotten himself a friendly judge in Bush appointee John Bates.” Bates is, of course, a former deputy to Ken Starr. Great.

* Remember the Coalition of the Willing? Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, fulfilling a campaign promise, ended his countries combat missions in Iraq over the weekend.

* Retired Air Force Gen. Merrill A. McPeak, was a Republican, a former chief of staff of the Air Force, a former fighter pilot who flew 285 combat missions, and a veteran who campaigned for Dole in ‘96 and Bush in ‘00. This year, he’s supporting Obama — and isn’t at all impressed with McCain. “It doesn’t take very long to uncover national security issues that McCain is weak on,” McPeak said. “For McCain to think he has a monopoly on virtue in the national security issue is going to be shown a pretty flimsy idea very quickly.”

* The latest on the Siegleman controversy: “A bipartisan group of 54 former state attorneys general from across the country has filed a federal appeals brief supporting former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman’s bid to overturn his criminal conviction. Saying the prosecution and sentencing of Siegelman ‘raised serious First Amendment concerns,’ the brief asks the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn Siegelman’s conviction.”

* Crazy: “Arthur Mkoyan’s 4.0 grade-point average has made him a valedictorian at Bullard High School in Fresno and qualified him to enter one of the state’s top universities. But while his classmates look forward to dorm food and college courses this fall, Arthur Mkoyan may not make it. He is being deported.”

* Details are sketchy, but if Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Wash.) told a “joke” at a Republican event about Hillary Clinton dying, it’s outrageous and demands, at a minimum, a public apology.

* Our very own “Prup” has another great piece at Mark Kleiman’s place about John McCain’s “religious cluelessness.”

* On a related note, I wonder what more it would take for Joe Lieberman to disassociate himself from John Hagee.

* It’s a good thing we have David Brooks to tell us which issues we’re going to care about.

* Why is Bill Kristol borrowing ideas from far-right blogs?

* Why can’t Bush administration officials turned media personalities get their facts straight on the Plame scandal?

* I’m really disappointed that Sam Seder is unlikely to return to the Air America Radio schedule. He’s one of the greats.

* Rest in peace, Bo Diddley.




#board-2412


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* There’s been a flurry of superdelegate announcements over the last 24 hours. If my count is right, Obama has picked up eight (South Carolina’s James Clyburn, Michigan’s Brenda Lawrence, Michigan’s Lu Battaglieri, Florida’s Janee Murphy, Washington state’s David McDonald, Missouri’s Maria Chappelle-Nadal, Massachusetts’ John W. Olver, and Michigan’s Joyce Lalonde). Clinton picked up one (New York’s Irene Stein).

* The latest national USA Today/Gallup poll shows Obama leading McCain by three, 47% to 44%. A month ago, McCain led Obama by two (47% to 45%).

* Rasmussen: “The ongoing race for the Democratic Presidential Nomination may be causing angst for party leaders, but the competition has been good for the Party label. In fact, the Democrats now have the largest partisan advantage over the Republicans since Rasmussen Reports began tracking this data on a monthly basis nearly six years ago.”

* Mitt Romney criticized Obama for only having visited Iraq once. Mitt Romney has only visited Iraq once. Why these guys don’t think before criticizing remains a mystery to me.

* On a related note, Rudy Giuliani may be McCain’s “right arm” in counter-terrorism, but Giuliani has never been to Iraq. I can’t imagine why McCain hasn’t thought to criticize him for it.

* Interesting scoop from Ambinder: “When he formally announced his presidential candidacy last year, Sen. John McCain was inches away from making an unprecedented pledge: if he were elected, he would serve only one term as president. It could have been an earth-shifting moment for the campaign and the primary. At the time, McCain’s fundraising pace was falling well short of its target and Republicans were not treating McCain as the frontrunner. The idea to serve one term had long been discussed among top advisers, and McCain was on board. A one-term pledge was set to be the central thread of his presidential campaign, and Mark Salter, McCain’s chief speechwriter, crafted an announcement speech around it. But less than a day before he was set to speak in New Hampshire on April 25, McCain ordered his aides to excise the paragraphs describing the pledge.”

* More lobbyist trouble for McCain: “In the summer of 2005, John McCain’s chief strategist Charlie Black, working for his firm Black, Kelly, Scruggs & Healey, was paid $60,000 to lobby the U.S. government on behalf of the Chinese oil conglomerate CNOOC. At the time, CNOOC was mounting an aggressive bid to buy Unocal, a California-based oil giant, and Black was tasked with churning up congressional support. But the bid ultimately fell through, in part because of objections over the China oil industry’s ties to Iran, a country in which it had already invested tens of millions of dollars.”

* Bob Barr may have gotten an endorsement from a white-supremacist group, but he quickly rejected it. Good for him.

* A good point to keep in mind: “By the standards of this long, long primary season, this general election is going to be over in a blink. The primary, which essentially began in January, lasted 17 months. The general election, which is starting around now, will last about five months — less than a third as long. It’ll be over before we know it.”

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* This afternoon, the Obama Campaign announced a series of pledged Edwards delegates have now committed to vote for Obama, bringing Obama just 16.5 delegates shy of the magic number of 2,118.

* Jimmy Carter will formally endorse Barack Obama later today or tomorrow.

* As for the two very last primaries, turnout is reportedly strong in Montana and South Dakota.

* While Sen. Ted Kennedy’s outlook remains bleak, he was up and walking around today, just one day after he underwent brain surgery at Duke University Medical Center.

* On a related note, Sen. Robert Byrd was admitted to a hospital yesterday because of a high temperature. He will reportedly stay in the hospital for the next few days.

* Raise your hand if you’re surprised: “An investigation by the NASA inspector general found that political appointees in the space agency’s public affairs office worked to control and distort public accounts of its researchers’ findings about climate change for at least two years, the inspector general’s office said yesterday…. From the fall of 2004 through 2006, the report said, NASA’s public affairs office ‘managed the topic of climate change in a manner that reduced, marginalized, or mischaracterized climate change science made available to the general public.’ It noted elsewhere that ‘news releases in the areas of climate change suffered from inaccuracy, factual insufficiency, and scientific dilution.’”

* He doesn’t sound optimistic: “Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke painted a gloomy picture of the economy on Tuesday but hinted that the central bank was prepared to hold steady on interest rate cuts.”

* Give ‘em hell, Henry: “Today Chairman Henry Waxman of the Oversight Committee urged Attorney General Mukasey to turn over the FBI interviews of President Bush and Vice President Cheney, citing new information from the FBI interview of I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby and the recent disclosures by Scott McClellan.”

* Sam Nunn, who was chiefly responsible for creating “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” is beginning to wonder if it’s time to drop the policy. It’s about damn time.

* Telecommunications companies sure are investing quite a bit of money in retroactive immunity. At last count, they’ve hired 37 lobbying firms and spent more than $14 million.

* “An Iraqi government official today said that a ‘July target for negotiating an agreement on future relations between Iraq and the United States is likely to be missed.’”

* I wonder if the Abramoff scandal will ever stop being the gift that keeps on giving: “Taxpayers for Common Sense released a list on Tuesday of possible earmarks that were referenced in the charging documents filed against the former chief of staff to retired Rep. Ernest Istook (R-Okla.) on Monday as the most recent guilty plea in the ongoing investigation of jailed GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff.”

* I’ve been negligent in reading up on the details of the Lieberman-Warner global-warming legislation pending in the Senate. Kate Sheppard explains how the bill works.

* Hey look, Jonah Goldberg is confused about McCain and Iraq. Who could have imagined?

* In Russia right now, critics of the Kremlin are not featured on the constantly-under-pressure Russian media because they’ve been deemed “not newsworthy.”

* Based on the latest polls, Obama has 173 electoral votes, McCain has 144, and 221 are up in the air. This will likely change dramatically over the next five months, but that’s where we’re starting.

* And Dick Cheney got into a little trouble yesterday, talking about his family history and the fact that he had Cheneys on both sides of his family. “And we don’t even live in West Virginia,” Cheney quipped. Not surprisingly, this didn’t go over well: “This is exactly the type of stereotyping that we don’t need from our elected officials,” said Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. “It’s disrespectful, and it’s certainly not funny…. As a proud state, I can say we are disappointed.”

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Yesterday was a key campaign day for reasons that have nothing to do with the presidential race, with plenty of down-ballot primaries to watch. In New Mexico, for example, Rep. Steve Pearce barely beat Rep. Heather Wilson in a Republican primary for the state’s open Senate race, 51% to 49%. Given Pearce’s record as a far-right conservative, Dems found his victory yesterday encouraging — he’ll be easier to beat.

* In New Jersey, thankfully, Sen. Frank Lautenberg easily won his primary with 61% support, and is considered the favorite in the general election.

* Montana held a Republican primary for Senate yesterday, and the results were unexpected. Perennial candidate Bill Kelleher — who runs practically every year, but hasn’t won a contest since 1972 — managed to defeat Mike Lange, who enjoyed the overwhelming support of the Republican establishment.

* In Iowa, six-term Rep. Leonard Boswell won his Democratic primary against Ed Fallon, who was challenging the incumbent from the left. Boswell emphasized Fallon’s support for Ralph Nader over Al Gore in 2000. Fallon conceded the endorsement was probably his “worst political decision” and it probably undermined his chances.

* Barack Obama spoke at AIPAC’s national conference this morning, and continued to offer effusive praise for Hillary Clinton, calling her “great,” “extraordinary,” and a “true friend of Israel.”

* Shortly thereafter, Clinton returned the favor, telling the AIPAC audience: “I know Senator Obama understands what is at stake here. It has been an honor to contest primaries with him. It is an honor to call him my friend. And let me be very clear: I know that Senator Obama will be a good friend to Israel.”

* SurveyUSA released a bunch of new general-election polls yesterday. The numbers are at least mildly encouraging — Obama leads McCain in Missouri by two (McCain was ahead by eight in April); Obama leads McCain by five in Massachusetts (Obama only gets 65% support from Bay State Dems, which, one assumes, will go up); Obama leads McCain by 10 in Oregon; Obama leads McCain by 16 in Washington state; and Obama leads McCain by five in Minnesota.

* We can only hope this is accurate: “Are House Democrats on the verge of an unprecedented second ‘wave election’ in a row — one that could win them up to another 45 House seats? That’s the astonishing finding of a new survey by the Democracy Corps, the Democratic polling firm run by Stan Greenberg and James Carville.”

* The Obama campaign released his schedule for the week, and his first stop outside events in DC and NYC is a townhall meeting in Bristol, Virginia. That wouldn’t be especially noteworthy, except Bristol is definitely Appalachian country, and Obama badly lost Bristol in the Virginia primary (despite easily winning the state overall). He is, in other words, kicking off his general election by going directly to those who are most skeptical of him. Good for Obama.

* And finally, the White House congratulated Obama on winning the Democratic nomination. Bush didn’t call him, though.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Howard Dean, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and Democratic Governors Association Chair Joe Manchin have told the remaining uncommitted superdelegates that they have until Friday of this week to “make their decisions known.” I’m not sure why anyone would need more time anyway.

* House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) has been one of Hillary Clinton’s most reliable backers, but his support is apparently fading fast.

* Speaker Pelosi said the Democratic race is over, and it’s time to rally around the nominee: “Barack Obama is the nominee of the Democratic party.” (Rumor has it Pelosi really doesn’t want Clinton to be VP.)

* On a related note, Jimmy Carter thinks adding Clinton to the ticket would be the “worst mistake” Obama could make when picking a running mate.

* Rahm Emanuel can finally crawl out from under his desk.

* They were literally afraid we were invading to take their oil: “U.S. Navy ships are leaving Myanmar after failing to get the junta’s permission to unload aid to ‘ease the suffering of hundreds of thousands’ of cyclone survivors, the top U.S. military commander in the Pacific said Tuesday. Word of the aborted mercy mission comes even as the United Nations warned that a month after the cyclone swept through Myanmar, more than 1 million people still don’t have adequate food, water or shelter and junta policies are hindering relief efforts.”

* Gay couples in California will be able to marry in less than two weeks. The state Supreme Court refused a request to delay the right until after the November ballot initiative.

* Mitch McConnell shut down the Senate this afternoon over Harry Reid’s reluctance to let more far-right judges onto the federal bench. No one seems to care.

* Tony Rezko was found guilty today on 16 of 24 counts.

* AP: “Federal prosecutors are no longer seeking stiffer prison sentences for former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman and former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy.”

* My friend Melissa McEwan has a very good post about sexism and presidential politics: “I’m not sad because Obama’s the nominee. I’m sad because there are … many of whom weren’t even Hillary Clinton supporters, many of whom voted for Obama in the primary, who have watched with horror the seething hatred directed at Hillary Clinton just because she is a woman.”

* On a slightly related note, Hilary Rosen talks about the election and gender issues, and doesn’t approve of what she’s seen of late from the Clinton camp: “[S]he left her supporters empty, Obama’s angry, and party leaders trashing her. She said she was stepping back to think about her options. She is waiting to figure out how she would “use” her 18 million voters. But not my vote. I will enthusiastically support Barack Obama’s campaign. Because I am not a bargaining chip. I am a Democrat.”

* And in still more perspective on this subject, Adele Stan has a very interesting item about why it would be bad for women if Clinton joined Obama’s ticket.

* Thankfully, it looks like the Hummer will soon be an endangered species.

* Violence was not quite as intense in Iraq in May, but it was the most violent month in Afghanistan in seven years.

* The U.S. may not be involved, but international interest in diplomacy is on the rise.

* Steve M. has a very amusing take on the still-elusive (read: probably non-existent) video of Michelle Obama talking about her hatred of white people.

* The tide in support of legally-recognized gay relationships continues to move in a progressive direction.

* And finally, the McCain campaign would have us believe McCain had a small, listless, unimpressed audience last night in Louisiana was “by design.” Riiiiight, guys, sure you did.




#board-2412


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Yesterday, a variety of House Dems who support Hillary Clinton planned a coordinated effort to pressure Barack Obama to pick Clinton as his running mate. As of this morning, the Dem lawmakers have scrapped their plan and they’ve decided to “communicate our views informally.”

* MSNBC has an interesting look at how Obama and John McCain match up with regards to states and electoral votes, and concludes that Obama, at least for now, has an edge. “His reach right now seems much longer than McCain’s.”

* McCain’s finance team is more than a little worried about Obama’s ability to raise money: “A review of campaign finance data offers not one ounce of good news and barely any hope for the McCain campaign’s ability to compete with Obama’s fundraising prowess. To make matters worse, Obama’s campaign, which raised $272 million through April for the primary, now is reaching out to Clinton’s fundraisers, who raised another $200 million through April, in an effort to unite forces and bury the historically deep-pocketed Republicans.”

* Obama will campaign in Virginia today with Mark Warner, the former governor and U.S. Senate candidate, and Tim Kaine, the current governor. He’ll campaign tonight with Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.). All three are considered possible running mates.

* There goes one of McCain’s favorite talking points — Hamas now believes Obama would be no better than McCain. “The Democratic and Republican parties support totally the Israeli occupation at the expense of the interests and rights of Arabs and Palestinians,” Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters.

* Would Clinton be a good pick for Secretary of Defense? Max Bergmann ponders.

* Over the last year, Clinton’s favorability ratings among Dems nationwide went down 13 points, and Obama’s went up 12 points, but they both ended up at the exact same place.

* McCain apparently doesn’t know what a “cap and trade” policy means, despite the fact that he supports one.

* Now conservatives criticize Obama when he does wear a flag pin.

* How embarrassing is former Gov. Jim Gilmore’s Senate campaign in Virginia? The man he hopes to replace, retiring Sen. John Warner (R), won’t endorse him.

* Good lord: “[T]he bitterness among Obama supporters lingers. Clyburn said his office has been deluged with racist phone calls since his endorsement of Obama on Tuesday, some so vicious an intern had to be taken from his office crying on Tuesday.”

* Michael Bloomberg isn’t quite done with public service. He either wants to change the law to seek a third term as mayor, or wants a possible gubernatorial campaign.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* This is pretty huge: “The top military and civilian leaders of the U.S. Air Force will be fired Thursday after a critical report regarding the mistaken transport of nuclear-tipped missiles, military sources said. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will ask Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley and Secretary Michael W. Wynne to resign after a report on the August flight in which a B-52 bomber crew mistakenly flew across the country with nuclear weapons, sources said.”

* Some very good advice: “Barack Obama said Thursday he’s in no rush to pick a vice presidential candidate, telling CNN ‘everybody needs to settle down’ and let the vetting process run its course.”

* McCain’s trip to Florida was marked by some very effective criticisms from the Obama campaign over his opposition to a National Catastrophic Insurance Fund (a big issue in the hurricane-targeted Sunshine State).

* I know Bristol, Va., is on the southern end of Appalachia, and Appalachia is Obama’s worst-performing region, but locals seemed pretty excited about seeing him this morning.

* Senate Republicans would rather “make political points” than debate how best to combat global warming. How do we know? Because they admit it in private memos.

* Typical: “As Bush’s health chief, Tommy Thompson was criticized for not doing enough to help workers exposed to toxic debris from the Sept. 11 attacks at the World Trade Center. Now, a company he leads has won a $11 million contract to treat some of those workers who responded to New York’s ground zero.”

* Might Patrick Fitzgerald talk to Congress?

* Major Clinton backers are, not surprisingly, rallying behind Obama (including Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, who’s bound to get some serious VP consideration).

* Looks like Sen. Robert Byrd is headed home from the hospital.

* I suspect veterans of the war in Iraq with PTSD would find recovery easier if they weren’t in barracks across the street from an Army infantry firing range.

* VoteBoth really hasn’t formulated an effective strategy if Lanny Davis is joining the team.

* To add a coda to a story we’ve been following: “Two protesters who were inappropriately strip searched after protesting at a George W. Bush campaign rally in 2004 have been awarded $750,000. Alice McCabe and Christine Nelson had brought a civil suit related to their arrest and later strip search at the jail. An eight-member jury found Wednesday that the Secret Service took lawful action, but that a strip search at the Linn County Jail was not warranted because the women were being charged with a simple misdemeanor. McCabe was awarded $250,000 and Nelson $500,000. Charges against the women had already been dropped.”

* Wyden’s right; Rumsfeld should be held accountable.

* It’s a great logo, and some terrific branding, but for McCain to steal Obama’s stuff is just kind of cheap for a Republican presidential campaign.

* On a related note, I think the McCain campaign is taking “golf gear” a little too seriously.

* Why am I cautiously optimistic about Dems’ chances this year? Because: “Nobody under 40 really remembers it, but the recession around the middle of Reagan’s first term was really, really, really bad. It licked inflation, but at the cost of sky-high unemployment and the worst recession since the Great Depression. And even then the public’s view of their personal finances was rosier than it is now.”






#board-2412


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* After shaking the reporters who follow him, Barack Obama met privately with Hillary Clinton last night. No one knows what they said to each other — it was literally just the two of them, alone in a room — but the discussion has been characterized as “positive” and “productive.” The two met at the DC home of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who has talked a bit about the logistics of the private chat.

* Clinton is now starting to push back against speculation about her joining the ticket: “Clinton today disavowed a campaign by some of her supporters to pressure Senator Barack Obama into choosing her as a running-mate, saying they were acting on their own and the decision on who to pick was ‘Senator Obama’s and his alone.’” Clinton spokesperson Howard Wolfson added, “[S]he is not seeking the vice presidency.”

* Clinton seems to have taken an unequivocal tone when urging her leading donors to support Obama.

* There’s been considerable talk about Obama struggling to win the Latino vote, but the latest numbers actually look pretty encouraging: “A new Gallup Poll summary of surveys taken in May shows Obama winning 62% of Latino registered voters nationwide, compared with just 29% for McCain. Others have found a wide gap as well. The pro-Democratic group Democracy Corps compiled surveys from March through May that showed Obama with a 19-point lead among Latinos. And a Times poll published last month showed Obama leading McCain among California Latinos by 14 points.”

* Clinton’s campaign debts are up to $30 million, and she’s looking for some help from Obama.

* McCain is now comparing Obama to William Jennings Bryan. Given that Bryan last ran for president literally 100 years ago, and there are concerns about McCain being too old for the White House, this might not have been the best analogy.

* McCain raised $21.5 million in May. It’s his best month to date, but it’s not especially impressive compared to Obama.

* John Edwards has said before that he’s not interested in being a running mate again, but he reiterated his position yesterday.

* A new Rasmussen poll shows Obama edging McCain in Missouri, 43% to 42%. A month ago, Rasmussen had McCain ahead by six in the Show Me State.

* Don’t forget to look down-ballot: “The Cook Political Report, whose ratings of Congressional races are well-respected by political pros, has just changed its ratings on ten House races — and has changed them all in favor of the Dems. It’s very rare that Cook flips so many ratings at once — much less flipping them all in favor of the same political party.”

* Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) must be pretty upset with Clinton right now. He’s not going to her concession speech tomorrow, and when asked why, Rangel said, “It’s a Jewish holiday — enough said.” Rangel isn’t Jewish.

* Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle wants to be Secretary of HHS. Sounds good to me.

* Mark Halperin did a nice job coming up with 15 ways in which McCain “underestimates” Obama.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Uh oh, Part I: “Oil prices shot up nearly $11 a barrel and settled Friday at a record $138.54 - driven by geopolitical jitters, a dollar decline stemming from a weak jobs report and a forecast that oil would hit $150 by July 4. Friday’s spike in the July contract for light crude on the New York Mercantile Exchange marks the largest single-day increase in oil prices on record. The contract hit an intraday record of $139.12, breaking the previous trading record of $135.09.”

* Uh oh, Part II: “The Dow Jones industrial average lost about 400 points at the close…. According to preliminary calculations, the Dow fell 394.64, or 3.13 percent, to 12,209.81. Broader stock indicators also declined. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 43.37, or 3.09 percent, to 1,360.68, and the Nasdaq composite in

* The Senate debate over a pending global-warming bill really didn’t go well: “Apparently three days of debate was enough for what many senators called ‘the most important issue facing the planet.’ With little chance of winning passage of a sweeping 500-page global warming bill, the Senate Democratic leadership is planning to yank the legislation after failing to achieve the 60-vote threshold needed to move the bill to the next stage. After a 48-36 vote on the climate change bill, the Senate is likely to move on to a separate energy debate next week. The legislation collapsed for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was the poor timing of debating a bill predicted to increase energy costs while much of the country is focused on $4-a-gallon gas.”

* I’m pretty sure the media is not in the tank for Obama: “The Project for Excellence in Journalism has officially crowned Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) relationship with his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, ‘the dominant media story of the entire’ presidential campaign, ‘by far.’ Wright’s comments ‘received four times more coverage than any other theme or event throughout the campaign.’ Reports of the superdelegate role and Obama’s so-called ‘bitter’ comments were the second and third most covered stories, respectively. However, ‘[n]o other story line came close to attracting as much coverage as the Wright-Obama association, and most of it was negative.’”

* On a related note, it seems the media’s obsession over Wright has had a chilling effect among African-American pastors.

* Iraqi lawmakers are wary of a long-term U.S. security agreement. What a surprise. (thanks to R.K. for the tip)

* Did an MSNBC reporter really call Spike Lee “uppity” on national television? Yep.

* Stay classy, RNC: “J Street reader PS emails a link to the RNC’s new oppo site on Obama called ‘Meet Barack Obama.’ He notes their description of Obama’s job on the south side of Chicago as a young man is not ‘community organizer’ as the job is commonly known, but rather ’street organizer.’ Nice. Frankly, in order to elicit the maximum degree of racial stereotyping I would have gone with ‘ghetto operative’ or ’slum captain’ but I suppose that would have been too obvious.”

* Just what the world needs — Karl Rove to start running campaigns outside the U.S.

* Speaking of Rove, did everyone see the reports about Rove’s role in the administration’s painfully negligent response to Hurricane Katrina?

* The Obama nomination is obviously a very big deal, and a historic moment Americans can be proud of. But bigger than the Emancipation Proclamation?

* All week long, I’ve been trying to think of a good way to report on the presidential campaign with more analogies to The Simpsons, but nothing good came to mind. Roy Sekoff, thankfully, came up with a great one.

* Fascinating report: “A Tale of Two Conservaties: Comparing Bush and Hoover on the Economy.”

* Tapped did a nice job pulling together seven changes we owe to Hillary Clinton.

* Al Franken has taken a lot of heat in his Senate campaign over a racy piece he wrote for Playboy several years ago. Today, he apologized. “I’m proud of my career as a satirist, which doesn’t mean every joke I’ve ever told was funny, or, indeed, appropriate,” Franken said in a statement. “I understand and regret that people have been legitimately offended by some of the things I’ve written.”

* Anyone going to the academic Buffy conference this weekend in Arkansas?

* Clarke seems to have the right idea: “Noting that ‘prominent Democrats’ had ruled out impeachment, MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann asked former counterterrorism adviser Richard Clarke on his show last night, what ‘remedy’ there could be for the lies and misinformation highlighted in the new Senate Intelligence Committee reports on the Bush administration’s misuse of pre-war Iraq intelligence. ‘Someone should have to pay in some way for the decisions that they made to mislead the American people,’ said Clarke. He suggested that ’some sort of truth and reconciliation commission’ might be appropriate because, he said, we can’t ‘let these people back into polite society.’”

* And finally, sage advice from Joe Conason: “For Democrats of all persuasions, the conclusion of the primaries should encourage reflection rather than recrimination. Now is the time to listen to the calm counsel that cannot be heard amid the roar of combat, and to think.” Read the whole thing.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new two-week tour kicks off today: “Sen. Barack Obama will kick off a two-week ‘Change That Works for You’ tour to highlight his economic plans. ‘The middle class has always been the engine of prosperity in this country — but for nearly eight years we’ve had an administration that tells working people ‘You’re on your own,” Obama said. ‘Not when I’m president.’” The tour gets started in North Carolina.

* NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and ABC News were prepared to partner on a town-hall debate for McCain and Obama, but both campaigns rejected the logistics and format of the event.

* Mark Penn, Clinton’s former pollster and strategists, regrets not having taken the caucuses more seriously during the Democratic campaign.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in South Carolina by nine, 48% to 39%. Nine points is a lot, of course, but given that South Carolina is one of the most Republican states in the Union, and Kerry lost the state by 17 points four years ago, I found the gap a pleasant surprise.

*Obama’s picking up some good staffers for the general election: “In one telling example, he is moving to hire Aaron Pickrell, the chief political strategist of Gov. Ted Strickland of Ohio — who helped steer Mrs. Clinton to victory in that state’s primary — to run his effort against Mr. McCain there. In another, aides said, he has tapped Dan Carroll, an opposition researcher who gained fame digging up information on opponents’ records for Bill Clinton in 1992, to help gather information about Mr. McCain.”

* The campaign is building a team around Michelle Obama, too: “Recognizing the extent to which Republicans view Michelle Obama’s strong views and personality as a potential liability for her husband, Mr. Obama’s aides said they were preparing to bring aboard senior operatives from previous Democratic presidential campaigns to work with her, a clear departure from the typical way the spouse of a candidate is staffed. Mrs. Obama’s operation would include senior aides devoted to responding to attacks and challenges to her, particularly if she continues to campaign as much as she has so far.”

* According to the AP, Obama leads McCain nationally, 47% to 43%, but the poll shows Nader drawing 6%. Given that Nader won about 0.4% in the 2004 election, that number sounds wildly exaggerated.

* Obama delivered a very interesting speech to the staffers at his campaign office in Chicago on Friday, which is worth watching. Pay particular attention to the part in which he explains, “We have to win. We have no choice.”

* There continues to be scurrilous lies spread about Obama online — I got a heads-up on a new lie-filled video just this morning — and the campaign has added staffers to its team in place to tackle this: “One area in particular where Mr. Obama is adding muscle is a team that is tasked with tracking down rumors and erroneous statements circulated on the Internet. ‘The growth of the Internet, which has been a fabulous asset for helping to build the Obama community, is also a place where erroneous e-mails live,’ said Anita Dunn, a senior campaign adviser. ‘That’s a challenge I don’t think previous campaigns have had to deal with to the extent that the Obama campaign has.’”

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by three in Connecticut (47% to 44%), while McCain leads Obama by eight in West Virginia (45% to 37%).

* Al Franken won the Senate nomination in Minnesota over the weekend, and will take on Republican Sen. Norm Coleman in November.

* John Kerry’s Republican challenger officially ended his campaign after failing to collect the signatures necessary to qualify for the ballot.

* The Obamas’ fist-bump seems to be catching on in the political world.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* If only this had come out sooner: “The White House had stronger ties to disgraced superlobbyist Jack Abramoff than it has publicly admitted, according to a draft congressional report released Monday. Bush met Abramoff on at least four occasions the White House has yet to acknowledge, according to the draft report by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. And White House officials appeared as comfortable going to Abramoff and his lobbyists seeking tickets to sporting and entertainment events, as they did seeking input on personnel picks for plum jobs, the report found.”

* In the unlikely event you missed this over the weekend: “Gasoline prices reached a national average of $4 a gallon for the first time over the weekend, adding more strain to motorists across the country. But the pain is not being felt uniformly. Across broad swaths of the South, Southwest and the upper Great Plains, the combination of low incomes, high gas prices and heavy dependence on pickup trucks and vans is putting an even tighter squeeze on family budgets.”

* On a related note, the Saudis want to talk: “Saudi Arabia will call for a summit between oil producing countries and consumer states to discuss soaring energy prices, Information and Culture Minister Iyad Madani said Monday. The kingdom will also work with OPEC to ‘guarantee the availability of oil supplies now and in the future,’ the minister said following the weekly Cabinet meeting, held in the seaport city of Jiddah.”

* Oh my: “A military defense lawyer today said that U.S. interrogators at Guantanamo Bay were instructed by the Pentagon ‘to destroy handwritten notes that might have exposed harsh or even illegal questioning methods.’ According to Navy Lt. Commander Bill Kuebler, who is representing Canadian Omar Khadr, interrogators may have ‘routinely destroyed evidence’ that could have been used to defend Khadr and other detainees.”

* Teddy heads home: “Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was released from the hospital Monday a week after undergoing an aggressive and delicate surgery to treat a cancerous brain tumor.” The senator is reportedly anxious to return to work, and said he plans to write legislation now that could be ready for an Obama administration next year.

* What happened to all the tomatoes? Kevin knows.

* It’s really painful to hear about U.S. troops and the “rising trend” of self-harm cases among troops unwilling to return to the war in Iraq. Col. Kathy Platoni, an Army Reserve psychologist who has worked with veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, said, “There are some soldiers who will do almost anything not to go back.” Col. Elspeth Ritchie, the Army’s top psychologist, agrees that we could see an uptick in intentional injuries as more U.S. soldiers serve long, repeated combat tours, “but we just don’t have good, hard data on it.”

* The “American dream” is looking shaky — most no longer expect the next generation to be better off than theirs.

* Laura Bush defended Michelle Obama today. Classy move by the First Lady.

* There may be more embarrassing members of Congress than Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), but they’re hard to find.

* “Redneck” was a very poor choice of words for Andrea Mitchell.

* And speaking of media apologies, it’s time for Fox News’ E.D. Hill to offer one.

* It’s a real shame that dnA is going to stop blogging.

* James Joyner has a great piece on the evolution of political blogs.

* Good move: “Democratic Sens. John F. Kerry, Robert Menendez, Byron Dorgan and Frank R. Lautenberg introduced legislation on Monday that will prohibit the Department of Defense from using money for ‘propaganda.’ It would also require the DoD Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office to deliver related reports to Congress within 90 days. The bill is a companion measure to a House effort by Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.).”

* McClellan has said he’s willing to chat: “Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) invited former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan to testify before the Committee at a June 20th hearing about reported efforts to cover up the role of the White House in the Valerie Plame leak.”

* And finally, yes, it is surreal to have Ari Fleischer talking about how great (and aggressive) the White House press corps was during his tenure.




#board-2412


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The post-primary “bounce” is modest but noticeable for Barack Obama. Gallup now has Obama leading John McCain by six, 48% to 42%, while Rasmussen also has Obama leading by the same margin, 50% to 44%.

* Given that Elizabeth Edwards has been underwhelmed by Obama’s healthcare plan, I found this encouraging: “Thirty minutes into his speech, Obama interrupted his prepared remarks and pointed to the wife of his former Democratic rival to declare his intention of her role. ‘I’m going to be partnering up with Elizabeth Edwards — we’re going to be figuring all this out,’ Obama said when addressing his proposed reform to the health care system.”

* More intra-party reconciliation talk: “The reconciliation process between the upper echelons of the Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton campaigns has already begun, as advisers and fundraisers look for areas of commonalty in a somewhat disjointed party.”

* On a related note, Obama strategist David Axelrod was asked whether Clinton would hit the campaign trail for the Democratic nominee. “We hope so,” Axelrod said. “We expect so, based on what she said publicly. But this has been an unbelievably grueling process and she deserves some time to chill out.”

* The Clinton campaign’s debts are not just burdensome, they’re record-breaking.

* Yesterday, McCain screwed up and called Vladimir Putin the “president of Germany.” First, it’s Russia. Second, Putin is prime minister, not president.

* A trend to watch: “For years, Republican candidates have counted on mainline Protestants for support, but a poll conducted for Calvin College shows that religious group shifting more toward the Democratic Party. For the first time since the beginning of Franklin Roosevelt’s administration, a larger percentage of mainline Protestants call themselves Democrats than Republicans, the national survey commissioned by the Paul B. Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics at Calvin College found.”

* E. J. Dionne Jr. talks up Joe Biden for VP.

* The Obama campaign is poised to unveil the “Joshua Generation Project,” which reportedly is intended to “attract younger Evangelicals and Catholics to their campaign.”

* Good news in Alaska, Part I: Rep. Don Young (R) “trails former state Rep. Ethan Berkowitz, his likely Democratic opponent, by a 20-point margin – 58 to 38 percent. A 52 percent majority of voters said they held a negative opinion of Young, while Berkowitz holds strong favorable ratings.”

* Good news in Alaska, Part II: “A recent poll shows Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich leading incumbent Ted Stevens in the U.S. Senate race. The survey found 51 percent of those responding would vote for Begich in November’s general election, compared to 44 percent who said they would back Stevens.”

* I didn’t really expect fist-bumping to become the signature greeting of the presidential campaign, but here we are.

* State Attorney General Jay Nixon (D) looks to be in very good shape in Missouri’s gubernatorial race.

* And NRSC Chair John Ensign is setting very low expectations for his party this year, setting the bar for “success” at losing “only” eight seats: “Ensign pointed out that if the Dems win nine seats they’ll get to the filibuster-proof magic number of 60 — at which point, Ensign warned, ‘they will be able to do pretty much whatever they want.’ So if the Dems can’t get to a 60-seat super-majority, the GOP will have won.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Not a big surprise: “Senate Republicans blocked a proposal Tuesday to tax the windfall profits of the largest oil companies, despite pleas by Democratic leaders to use the measure to address America’s anger over $4 a gallon gasoline. The Democratic energy package would have imposed a tax on any “unreasonable” profits of the five largest U.S. oil companies and given the federal government more power to address oil market speculation that the bill’s supporters argue has added to the crude oil price surge.”

* I can’t imagine why this isn’t going well: “Iraqi lawmakers say the United States is demanding 58 bases as part of a proposed ’status of forces’ agreement that will allow U.S. troops to remain in the country indefinitely. Leading members of the two ruling Shiite parties said in a series of interviews the Iraqi government rejected this proposal along with another U.S. demand that would have effectively handed over to the United States the power to determine if a hostile act from another country is aggression against Iraq.”

* The latest on Iran: "Bush and European Union leaders threatened Iran on Tuesday with new financial sanctions unless the country curbs its nuclear ambitions and opens facilities to international inspection…. Bush and his European counterparts indicated they were prepared to go beyond current United Nations sanctions to try to ensure Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon.”

* This probably won’t turn out well: “Congressional Republicans are reviewing a Democratic proposal to break the logjam on electronic-surveillance legislation by allowing federal district courts to determine whether telephone companies seeking legal immunity received orders from the Bush administration to wiretap people’s phones.”

* Those wacky senators and their oversight responsibilities: “Unsatisfied Democratic and Republican senators on Tuesday pressed the Bush administration for more answers on its torture policies. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee criticized a report from the Department of Justice as vague and incomplete.”

* HUD’s role in the crisis isn’t generating the attention it deserves: “In 2004, as regulators warned that subprime lenders were saddling borrowers with mortgages they could not afford, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development helped fuel more of that risky lending.”

* Just a few months before Congress wraps up work for the year, impeachment drops: “Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich defied his party leadership on Monday by calling for the impeachment of U.S. President George W. Bush for launching the Iraq war — but his move was not expected to go anywhere. The Ohio representative outlined his intention to propose more than two dozen charges against Bush on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.”

* Even Dick Cheney thinks McCain is wrong about the “gas-tax holiday.”

* Now reporters and conservatives are questioning Obama’s choice of clothes.

* Bill Kristol, December 17, 2006: “Barack Obama is not going to beat Hillary Clinton in a single democratic primary. I’ll predict that right now.”

* When Karl Rove resigned, he said, “I’m leaving on my own terms.” That might not have been true: “On a Sunday in midsummer, George W. Bush accompanied Karl Rove to the Episcopalian Church Rove sometimes attended,” writes Alexander. “They made their way to the front of the congregation. Then, during their time in the church, Bush gave Rove some stunning news. ‘Karl,’ Bush said, ‘there’s too much heat on you. It’s time for you to go.’”

* Following up on an item of mine from yesterday, publius hilzoy does a great job taking a closer look at McCain’s energy policy.

* Speaking of McCain, he’s still having trouble reading from a teleprompter. Today, he vowed to “veto every single beer” that reaches his desk.

* And finally, I found this absolutely delightful: “For the first time ever, MSNBC’s ‘Countdown with Keith Olbermann’ was the #1 show at 8 p.m., out-drawing Fox News’s ‘O’Reilly Factor’ head-to-head among Adults 25-54. This is the first time since June 2001 that MSNBC has out-rated ‘The O’Reilly Factor’ at 8 p.m. Excluding Tuesday’s primary coverage, “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” averaged 477,000 A25-54 vs. 472,000 for the ‘Factor.’”




#board-2412


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, considered in some circles to be a likely finalist for Barack Obama’s VP shortlist, indicated yesterday that he definitely does not want the job. He told NPR, “If drafted I will not run, nominated I will not accept and if elected I will not serve. So, I don’t know how more crystal clear I can be.” (This does not appear to be about Obama specifically; he made similar remarks last December, when no one knew who the nominee would be.)

* Brave New Films has a new clip out explaining precisely why John McCain has earned a zero rating from Planned Parenthood and NARAL ProChoice America, and what that might mean to women if he were president.

* Hillary Clinton is reportedly “making private calls to her pledged delegates, asking them to vote for Obama at the convention, and urging them to work as hard for Obama as they did for her. This comes after her speech full-throatedly endorsing Obama that pleased many in the Illinois Senator’s camp.”

* CQ reports: “The extensive network of partisan supporters that helped President Bush break fundraising records on his way to two terms in office has, for an array of reasons, yet to rally around the Arizona senator. According to a Congressional Quarterly analysis, only about 5,000 of the 62,800 donors who gave the maximum contribution of $2,000 to Bush — roughly 8 percent — had given to McCain as of April 30.”

* Obama may have come up short in the very “big state” of New York during the primaries, but he’s looking pretty strong there now. A Quinnipiac poll shows him leading McCain in the state by 14 points, 50% to 36%.

* The McCain campaign sure does seem to care a lot about golf gear.

* Here’s a good problem to have: “Democratic convention organizers are warning volunteers that they may not have much to do. They’ve recruited more than six times as many as the Republican convention.”

* McCain is, predictably, targeting Cuban-American voters in Florida, running a Spanish-language radio ad going after Obama because he doesn’t support the same failed policy the U.S. has embraced for the last half-century.

* According to a series of new Rasmussen polls, Obama leads McCain in Wisconsin by two (45% to 43%); Obama leads McCain in New Jersey by nine (48% to 39%); and McCain leads Obama in Georgia by 10 (51% to 41%).

* Jeff Merkley’s (D) Senate campaign in Oregon got some good news yesterday when John Frohnmayer, a former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, announced he’s dropping his independent bid.

* And Ron Paul, who will not have an opportunity to speak at the Republican National Convention in September, is moving forward with plans for his own convention.

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I suppose there’s nothing more embarrassing for a politician than to make a mistake by accidentally saying what he or she really believes. Take John McCain, for example.

Matt Lauer asked McCain this morning whether the senator now has “a better estimate of when American forces can come home from Iraq.” McCain said, “No, but that’s not too important. What’s important is the casualties in Iraq.” The response, not surprisingly, hasn’t gone over well, and has drawn sharp rebukes from McCain critics.

But what’s truly entertaining about all of this is watching the McCain campaign struggle to come up with a coherent response. It’s almost consistent with the five stages of grief.

First up, denial — the remarks weren’t unusual or a break with previous statements.

“Sen. McCain has consistently opposed a timeline for withdrawing our troops from Iraq. And our friends on the opposite side of the aisle have a long history of attempting to twist Sen. McCain’s words on Iraq. The fact that Sen. McCain opposes a timeline for withdrawal and is principally concerned about the safety of American troops and the security of Iraq is pretty much ‘dog bites man.’”

Next, anger — the remarks were taken out of context.

“The Obama campaign is embarking on a false attack on John McCain to hide their own candidate’s willingness to disregard facts on the ground in pursuit of withdrawal no matter what the costs. John McCain was asked if he had a ‘better estimate’ for a timeline for withdrawal. As John McCain has always said, that is not as important as conditions on the ground and the recommendations of commanders in the field. Any reasonable person who reads the full transcript would see this and reject the Obama campaign’s attempt to manipulate, twist and distort the truth.”

Then, bargaining — don’t believe your lying eyes, consider an alternate spin on the meaning of McCain’s plain words.

Advisor Randy Scheunemann said McCain was calling the question of whether he, John McCain, had an estimate “not too important,” not the question of when troops will come home.

Then, depression — don’t try to understand the comments, because McCain was a POW.


“I mean the obvious fact is that more than most any American, Senator McCain knows the sacrifices that our men and women in uniform make, and the burden that their families bear. And it really is wrong to suggest otherwise. And obviously he knows that from his own — well, from his father’s service, and the impact it had on his family; from his own service and incarceration…“

I realize why these guys are spinning like tops. Most Americans — especially the troops and their families — don’t want to a hear a prospective candidate say that it’s “not too important” when the troops come home from Iraq. But the problem is, and the reason the campaign can’t come up with a coherent response, is that McCain actually believes what he said.

Josh Marshall explained:

Sometimes these references by McCain are treated as gaffes but they’re not. This is what McCain believes: that we should have a long-term troop presence in Iraq to guarantee the survival of a pro-U.S. government and assert power in the region. That’s not a crazy position. That’s the position of the current administration. That’s why we’re currently trying to secure an agreement with the Iraqis to ratify that goal. The problem isn’t that McCain’s position is incomprehensible. It’s just not popular. Most Americans think reducing casualties is important too. But they’d like to do both — reduce casualties and leave too.

The problem for the McCain campaign is that he keeps stumbling into clear statements of his actual policy, which is close to lethal since the vast majority of Americans disagree with his policy and Iraq is virtually the only thing he’s running on. The context the McCain campaign keeps trying to put forward after the fact is what they wished he’d said rather than what he did. And even that, when you push deep, isn’t that different from McCain’s actual policy, which is that he doesn’t think we should be leaving Iraq for years to come, most likely decades.

As for the stages of grief, we’re still waiting for McCain & Co. to get to acceptance.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Oh my: “U.S.-led forces killed Pakistani troops in an airstrike along the volatile Afghan border that Pakistan’s army condemned on Wednesday as ‘completely unprovoked and cowardly.’ U.S. officials confirmed that three aircraft launched about a dozen bombs following a clash between Taliban militants and Afghan and U.S.-led coalition forces late Tuesday. Pakistan says the strikes killed 11 of its paramilitary troops. The Pakistani army said the coalition airstrike hit a post of the paramilitary Frontier Corps and was a ‘completely unprovoked and cowardly act.’”

* On a related note, ABC News reported that Pakistan is now threatening to end “cooperation” with the U.S. with regards to counter-terrorism.

* The deficit soars: “The U.S. government says a flood of economic stimulus payments pushed the federal budget deficit to an all-time high of $165.9 billion in May. The Treasury Department reported Wednesday that the May deficit was more than double the imbalance in May 2007. That reflects some $48 billion in payments as part of the government’s $168 billion effort to give the economy a jump-start and keep the country from falling into recession.”

* McCain’s “not too important” comments this morning really were a gift to the Democratic Party. A hanging curve, right over the middle of the plate.

* Joe Lieberman thinks the whole controversy is “outrageous.” Whatever.

* Thanks to ridiculous Republican-driven efforts to block Democrats from voting, we can expect plenty of stories like these: “A 97-year-old Arizona woman who has voted in every election since 1933 says she won’t be able to vote in November, due to the state’s stringent voter ID law that requires proof of citizenship for those registering to vote and a photo ID when voting. Shirley Preiss was born in 1910 in Kentucky, before the state issued birth certificates. She has no driver’s license or passport.”

* The impeachment drive is going nowhere fast: “The House voted to refer articles of impeachment against President Bush to the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, though the bill’s sponosor, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), warned that he is not going to let the issue drop.”

* There’s been some complaints about Jason Furman joining the Obama campaign as an economic advisor. Paul Krugman defends the move.

* McCain admits he can’t use a computer.

* Does the McCain campaign consider Arizona a swing state this year? It sure looks like it.

* McCain keeps saying that “1.3 million people around the world make a living off eBay.” That’s simply not true, but he says it all the time anyway.

* It doesn’t sound like U.S. News & World Report will be around much longer.

* Have I mentioned lately how unbelievably annoying Senate Republicans are?

* Newsflash: Among DC insiders, most Democrats accept the science on global warming. Most Republicans don’t.

* Bill O’Reilly suggested inner-city kids lack “values systems.” Nothing racist about that. Not at all.

* ProPublica, “the investigative brainchild of former Wall Street Journal Managing Editor Paul Steiger, launched its new Web site with a mix of original stories, links to other news outlets, and its new ‘Scandal Watch.’”

* The humiliating saga of Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) keeps managing to get worse.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* More encouraging steps towards unity: “The other day, EMILY’s List president Ellen Malcolm revealed that she’s not over her ‘anger and grief’ at Hillary’s loss, but that hasn’t stopped her from coming out with a full-throated endorsement of Obama.” In a conference call yesterday, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz (D-Fla.), an ardent Clinton backer, said, “In order to advance the progress that women have made in the last decade and in order to improve the lives of women and their children, the last thing in the world that women need to do is vote for John McCain.”

* It didn’t take long for the DNC to turn some of John McCain’s comments on Iraq into a 30-second ad.

* Wesley Clark hit McCain pretty hard in an interview with the Huffington Post: “I know he’s trying to get traction by seeking to play to what he thinks is his strong suit of national security,” Clark said of McCain. “The truth is that, in national security terms, he’s largely untested and untried.”

* There’s been quite a bit of talk about Sen. Jim Webb’s (D-Va.) “affinity for the Confederacy,” but TNR’s Eve Fairbanks believes Webb’s comments have been misconstrued.

* Republicans are anxious to consider Wisconsin a swing state, but a new University of Wisconsin-WisPolitics.com poll, conducted after Hillary Clinton ended her campaign, shows Obama leading McCain by 13 points, 50% to 37%.

* McCain doesn’t seem especially anxious to stop right-wing 527s who’ll be going after Obama.

* One of the most likely states to flip from red to blue is Iowa, where Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain, 45% to 38%.

* McCain is very anxious to flip Michigan, but Rasmussen shows Obama with a narrow edge, 45% to 42%.

* We might as well take Washington out of the swing-state category. Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain there by 18 points, 53% to 35%.

* Quinnipiac shows Obama leading McCain in New Jersey by six, 45% to 39%.

* And McCain may be mocking Jimmy Carter now, but he used to hold the former president in much higher regard.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Good move: “The House on Thursday approved an extra three months of jobless benefits for all unemployed Americans, knowing the plan’s chances are slight in the Senate and almost nonexistent at the White House. After failing to get a veto-proof two-thirds margin by three votes on Wednesday, Democrats got an exact two-thirds margin on Thursday with a 274-137 vote — the amount needed to overcome a threatened presidential veto.” (Here’s the roll call.)

* Not a big surprise: “New U.S. proposals have failed to overcome Iraqi opposition to a proposed security pact, two lawmakers said Thursday, and a senior government official expressed doubt an agreement could be reached before the U.S. presidential election in November.”

* Republicans are pretty livid about this morning’s Supreme Court ruling on habeas, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is talking about overturning it with a constitutional amendment. He’s quite an excitable young man, you know.

* Even by GOP standards, this is quite a mess: “A scheme by a former treasurer resulted in a loss of about $725,000 to the House Republicans’ campaign arm, according to an audit released today. Christopher J. Ward, long a trusted financial figure in Republican circles, funneled money belonging to the National Congressional Campaign Committee and covered up his scheme by faking external audit reports between 2002 and 2006.”

* Fox News backpedaled on the Michelle Obama/”baby mama” story, with the Republican network’s Vice President of Programming conceding that the producer “exercised poor judgment.” You don’t say.

* On a related note, Sean Hannity accidentally identified himself on the air last night as a surrogate for the McCain campaign. He might as well make it official.

* And in still more Fox News-related news, Mike Huckabee has signed a one-year contract with the network to be an on-air contributor. Because what the network really needed was another conservative Republican voice offering political commentary.

* McCain’s flip-flopping on immigration is not without consequence.

* Remember when the White House used bogus intelligence from Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi to sell the war in Iraq? A the time, the CIA questioned his “credibility” and “truthfulness.” Apparently, that didn’t much matter.

* Apparently, we can keep saber rattling in Iran’s direction, but that doesn’t have the desired effect.

* Castro, Hamas, and now Qaddafi have all criticized Obama lately. Don’t they realize they’re undermining Republican talking points?

* Brownie may be gone, but FEMA is still screwing up, this time giving away about $85 million in household goods meant for Hurricane Katrina victims.

* If you were getting tired of the Olbermann vs. O’Reilly feud, perhaps you’re ready for the Olbermann vs. Couric fued?

* Campus Progress has a sharp new blog: Pushback.

* And finally, Mark Penn, talking about Hillary Clinton possibly trying another campaign in the future, told GQ, “A lot of people have come back. It’s pretty unusual for somebody to win the nomination the first time out.” That’s true, except for Barack Obama, John Kerry, Bill Clinton, Walter Mondale, Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush, JFK, and Dwight Eisenhower. Yep, pretty unusual.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* More intra-party reconciliation: “As we first reported here, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe wooed top Clinton donors at a private presentation in Manhattan yesterday, and the early indications are that such efforts are paying off. Top Hillary supporter Ed Rendell is hosting a fundraiser for Obama tonight in Philadelphia. My sense from talking to Hillary donors is that from their point of view, there’s just no percentage in not getting behind Obama, and while there’s definitely still a bit of grumbling in these circles, they’re basically falling into line.”

* Even more intra-party reconciliation: “The Barack Obama campaign continued its effort to reach out to women and supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) Wednesday night with a dinner for female House members. The dinner, at the home of Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), was attended by 28 female members. More than half of the women were former Clinton supporters, said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), a national co-chairwoman for Obama.”

* Howard Dean is staying atop the DNC, but the Obama campaign is enveloping much of the party’s apparatus: “Barack Obama’s move to merge key elements of the Democratic National Committee into his own campaign’s Chicago headquarters appears aimed at the goal of a centralized and united Democratic Party. The shift of the DNC’s political and field organizing operations to Chicago will consolidate the Democratic presidential campaign apparatus more than in either of the last two cycles, when staffers at DNC headquarters overlapped – and occasionally competed – with aides to Al Gore and John Kerry.”

* Don’t look now, but North Carolina is looking competitive — Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by just two points, 45% to 43%.

* Great point by Rick Hasen: “…McCain says that there’s nothing he can do to stop 527 attacks on Sen. Obama. As TPM notes: ‘Obama’s finance team has explicitly instructed donors not to give money to those groups. McCain, by contrast, seems to be saying that he can’t control the groups on his side.’ Bad news for Sen. Obama? Not necessarily. It has been clear for some time that Sen. Obama rationally would not choose to opt into public financing for the general election, and now he has a reason not to do it.”

* MSNBC makes a fascinating observation about general election match-ups from 2004, when the polls were largely spot-on about Bush’s lead over Kerry — but Bush’s lead was never as big as Obama’s lead is now.

* Speaking of polls, Steve M. offers a key observation that has gone unnoticed by the talking heads: “Not only is [Obama’s] 7-point lead among white women better than what Gore and Kerry accomplished (both lost the white female vote), it’s actually slightly better than Bill Clinton did when he won the presidency handily in 1996 — his lead among white women was 5 points, according to CNN’s exit poll (48%-43%).”

* Obama probably won’t be able to compete in Oklahoma, where he now trails by 14 points, 52% to 38%. Given that Bush won Oklahoma by 32 four years ago, I’m actually surprised Obama is as close as he is.

* Yglesias raised an interesting angle yesterday (in response to a commenter) that I hadn’t considered before: if Mitt Romney is added to McCain’s ticket, it would likely boost Mormon turnout in battleground states like Nevada and Colorado.

* There was some recent evidence that Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R) would struggle to win re-election, but a new Rasmussen poll shows her leading state Sen. Kay Hagan by 14, 53% to 39%.

* The NBC/WSJ poll released yesterday shows Americans preferring a Dem-led Congress to a Republican-led Congress, 52% to 33%/ Marc Ambinder noted this is, by far, “the highest margin for either party in the 13 years of data available from previous polls.”

* Might CNN anti-immigration personality Lou Dobbs run for governor of New Jersey?

* And Ron Paul finally ended his Republican presidential bid last night. He’ll continue to run for re-election to the House, but Paul will also launch a new advocacy group, called The Campaign for Liberty.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* NBC Universal President Jeff Zucker has released a statement: “We are heartbroken at the sudden passing of Tim Russert. We have lost a beloved member of our NBC Universal family and the news world has lost one of its finest. The enormity of this loss cannot be overstated. More than a journalist, Tim was a remarkable family man. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Maureen, their son, Luke, and Tim’s entire extended family.”

* The flooding tragedy in the Midwest is growing increasingly severe: “Rising water from the Cedar River forced the evacuation of a downtown hospital Friday after residents of more than 3,000 homes fled for higher ground. A railroad bridge collapsed, and 400 city blocks were under water… Gov. Chet Culver declared 83 of the state’s 99 counties to be state disaster areas, and nine rivers were at or above historic flood levels. Elsewhere in the upper Midwest, rivers and streams tipping their banks forced evacuations, closed roads, and even threatened drinking water.”

* A breakthrough appears unlikely: “Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki declared Friday that talks with the U.S. on a new security agreement were deadlocked, as Sunni and Shiite preachers spoke out against the deal that would enable American troops to remain in Iraq after year’s end. Al-Maliki said negotiations will continue, but his tough talk reflects Iraqi determination to win greater control of U.S. military operations after the U.N. mandate expires at the end of the year.”

* Cheney’s office has admitted that the VP was wrong about China drilling for oil in Cuba’s waters. Will congressional Republicans make the same concession?

* The housing crisis is not improving: “The number of U.S. homeowners swept up in the housing crisis rose further last month, with foreclosure filings up nearly 50 percent compared with a year earlier.”

* Inflation: “Americans faced sharply higher prices in May, the government said today, as soaring costs for energy drove overall prices up at the fastest rate since November.”

* Colin Powell might vote for Obama. I don’t blame him.

* Olbermann offered a more subdued special comment last night on McCain saying it’s “not too important” when U.S. troops come home from Iraq. “The full context is that the Iraq you see is a figment of your imagination,” Olbermann said.

* It looks like Sens. Dodd and Conrad have some explaining to do about their mortgages.

* The NYT tackles the issue of sexism in the presidential campaign, and Krugman has an interesting item on the subject.

* Give ‘em hell, Henry: “Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) has had enough of the great stonewaller himself, EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson. In a letter today to Johnson, Waxman threatens to hold Johnson in contempt for failing to comply with congressional subpoenas requesting information on two recent controversial decisions by Johnson that overruled EPA’s professional staff: his refusal to grant California a waiver to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles and his refusal to fully raise ozone standards.”

* Why has ABC News assigned a full-time journalist to cover Hillary Clinton during the general election campaign?

* Have I mentioned today how truly ridiculous the obstructionism from Senate Republicans has become?

* Have I mentioned today that there is no talking point too stupid for the McCain campaign? In response to negotiations over extra debates, McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said, “Barack Obama requires more preconditions to meet with voters and John McCain than he does Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.” Does McCain really want to be associated with such transparent idiocy?

* And finally, my very favorite right-wing headline of the week: “Kos Tries To Pass Off Obama’s Birth Certification As Birth Certificate.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* John Edwards sounded rather emphatic recently when he said he’s not interested in being Barack Obama’s running mate, but he sounded a little more open to the idea yesterday. “Well, I’d take anything he asked me to think about seriously, but obviously this is something I’ve done and it’s not a job that I’m seeking, ” Edwards told George Stephanopoulos.

* Speaking of VP speculation, former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, currently the leading candidate for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat, indicated Friday that he will not be on the presidential ticket. “Let me be clear about this: I have been working very hard these last few months to ask the people of Virginia to give me the honor of being their United States senator,” Warner said. “I will not seek, and I will not accept, any other opportunity.”

* The Obama campaign will take Ohio and Florida seriously, but it also believes it can get to 270 electoral votes without these two battleground states.

* A new Rasmussen poll in Arkansas shows John McCain leading Obama by nine, 48% to 39%. That may sound like a lot, but Rasmussen showed McCain lading Obama a month ago by 24 points, so this is a big step in the right direction.

* A new Mason-Dixon poll in Nevada shows a very close contest, with McCain edging Obama by two points, 44% to 42%. Oddly enough, the poll, commissioned by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, showed Obama worse off if he picked Clinton as a running mate, despite Clinton’s success in the Nevada caucuses in January.

* Republican Sens. Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Elizabeth Dole (N.C.) and Norm Coleman (Minn.) are all considered potentially vulnerable this year, and all have adopted a new strategy to shore up in-state support: they’re running ads bragging about the pork they’ve brought to their respective states.

* Speaking of Republican Senate campaigns, Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.), chairman of the NRSC, was asked late last week whether the Republican Party was going to give up on open contests in Virginia and New Mexico, where Dems are favored. Ensign said bluntly, “You don’t waste money on races that don’t need it or you can’t win.”

* Bob Novak reported that McCain likes the idea of putting Joe Lieberman on his ticket, but doesn’t think he can get away with it.

* With friends like these, we don’t need enemies: “In Tennessee, Democrats are doing the Republicans’ dirty-work for them. Fred Hobbs, a member of the Tennessee Democratic Party’s executive committee, recently expressed fear that his party’s presumptive presidential nominee Barack Obama may have connections to terrorists, and suggested that one prominent Tennessee congressman harbors the same suspicions.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Conditions aren’t pretty in Iowa: “Even as flood fears eased in Iowa City, the state’s south and east prepared for new problems ahead for a string of towns along the Mississippi River. Sandbagging was under way in Burlington, a key rail hub, to build the city’s levee system and protect it from the river; 350 people had been evacuated.”

* Waxman wants answers (and the truth): “A House committee moved Monday to compel Attorney General Michael Mukasey to turn over documents related to FBI interviews of President Bush and Vice President Cheney in the investigation into the leak of a covert CIA officer’s name. The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform issued a subpoena demanding the documents days before former White House press secretary Scott McClellan is expected to testify about Cheney’s role in the leaking of CIA agent Valerie Plame’s identity.”

* Disappointing: The White House Office of Administration is not required to turn over records about a trove of possibly missing e-mails, a federal judge ruled Monday. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly found the agency does not have ’substantial independent authority’ so it is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act. The decision means the White House does not have to disclose documents relating to its troubled e-mail system. That system developed problems that may have caused millions of White House e-mails to be unaccounted for.”

* Can’t that family just stop tormenting our nation? “President Bush was asked by a SkyNews correspondent whether the end of his term marked the end of the Bush presidential dynasty that began with his father’s Oval Office tenure 20 years ago. In response, Bush singled out his brother…. ‘Well, we’ve got another one out there who did a fabulous job as governor of Florida, and that’s Jeb,’ he said. ‘But you know, you better ask him whether or not he’s thinking of running. But he’d be a great president.’”

* Outrageous: “Since 2003, 64 people have been arrested for publishing their views on a blog, says the University of Washington annual report. In 2007 three times as many people were arrested for blogging about political issues than in 2006, it revealed. More than half of all the arrests since 2003 have been made in China, Egypt and Iran, said the report.”

* This may not end well: “Lawmakers are hoping for a breakthrough this week on changes to national security legislation that has divided Congress for months: the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.”

* Lanny Davis, not surprisingly, hooks up with Fox News. (The network will now offer real diversity — Republicans who hate the Democratic presidential nominee and Republicans who hate the Democratic presidential nominee.

* The Obama campaign’s online store doesn’t sell flag lapel pins — but neither does McCain’s.

* I wonder if Bush’s appreciation for arugula will spark a media frenzy. I doubt it.

* Bush is even less trusted on the national stage than Ahmadinejad? Ouch.

* For what it’s worth, I actually like Jonah Goldberg’s idea of “Meet the Press” returning to an old-school format, in which multiple journalists question a prominent policy maker. By biggest complaint about “MTP,” aside from Russert’s inordinate fondness for “gotcha” questions, has always been the “journalist roundtable” discussions. Who wants to watch reporters talk to each other for an hour? The idea was never for us to meet the press, but for the guest to meet the press.

* I get Southerners using “Coke” as a generic term for soft-drinks. I also understand “soda” on the coasts and “pop” in the Midwest. But what’s with east Missouri? Why is there that little pocket of “soda” there?

* If only Chris Matthews watched (or at least listened to) his own show.

* Why does John McCain believe we should “deliver bottled hot water to dehydrated babies“? Wouldn’t cold water be better?

* I’m not sure why the media persists in arguing that McCain called for Rumsfeld’s resignation. That never happened.

* It’s almost as if George Will were an out-of-touch elitist.

* And finally, congratulations to Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin of San Francisco, a lesbian couple who’ll get legally married today in California. They’re both in their mid-80s and have been together for 55 years. It’s about damn time.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Barack Obama announced yesterday that he intends to visit Iraq and Afghanistan before the election in November. John McCain predicted that Obama would embrace the Bush/McCain policy on Iraq after seeing the facts on the ground. I don’t think that’s true.

* McCain was pressed a bit yesterday on his Clayton ‘Claytie’ Williams fundraiser. “My people were not aware of the statement that he made 16 or 18 years ago,” McCain told CNN’s Dana Bash. “So when we found out that this was planned there we said ‘Nope, we’ll reschedule it and do it someplace else,’ and I understand that he’s not attending. That’s pretty much the sum of it all.” McCain added that he would not return any of the money Williams raised on his behalf.

* We’ve all heard the talk about Virginia being competitive this year, and now we’re starting to see evidence to bolster the speculation. A new Rasmussen poll shows Obama leading McCain in the commonwealth, 45% to 44%.

* Perhaps more importantly, a new poll out of Ohio from Public Policy Polling — which, incidentally, got the presidential primary in Ohio almost exactly right — shows Obama leading McCain in the Buckeye State by 11 points, 50% to 39%.

* Reports of Obama’s Hispanic problem have been greatly exaggerated.

* A couple of new polls show Obama looking strong in New York. An NYT poll shows Obama leading McCain by 19 points, 51% to 32%. Similarly, a Siena poll pegs Obama’s lead at 18.

* Kansas is unlikely to throw its support to Obama, but a new Rasmussen poll shows the state a little more competitive than one might ordinarily expect. A Rasmussen poll shows McCain up, 47% to 37%. The 10-point lead for McCain is down from a 21-point lead over Obama in May.

* Rasmussen also shows Obama leading McCain in Oregon by eight points, 46% to 38%.

* Interesting analysis of the electoral-college map — the networks are characterizing the race as far more competitive than outlets like Rasmussen, RCP, and FiveThirtyEight.

* Obama isn’t about to let anyone forget that McCain doesn’t know what Google is.

* The Senate race in Minnesota isn’t looking as good as we’d hoped, at least not yet. A SurveyUSA poll shows incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman (R) leading Al Franken (D) by 12, 52% to 40%.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: “A car bomb tore through a market area in a mainly Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad on Tuesday, killing more than 50 people and wounding dozens, officials said, the deadliest such attack in more than three months.”

* Flooding worsens in the Midwest: “Hundreds of volunteers on the surging Mississippi River piled sandbags atop strained levees on Tuesday as the worst Midwest flooding in 15 years delivered a blow to the U.S. economy and world food prices. A levee broke in Gulfport, Illinois, sending muddy waters from the most important U.S. waterway cascading into nearby farmland and a few homes.”

* The few bad apples were, tragically, running the country: “A Senate investigation has concluded that top Pentagon officials began assembling lists of harsh interrogation techniques in the summer of 2002 for use on detainees at Guantanamo Bay and that those officials later cited memos from field commanders to suggest that the proposals originated far down the chain of command, according to congressional sources briefed on the findings. The sources said that memos and other evidence obtained during the inquiry show that officials in the office of then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld started to research the use of waterboarding, stress positions, sensory deprivation and other practices in July 2002, months before memos from commanders at the detention facility in Cuba requested permission to use those measures on suspected terrorists.”

* The FISA “compromise” won’t face too much resistance in the Senate.

* One of Abramoff’s buddies caught a break from an appeals court today.

* See what appeasement gets you? “Gaza’s Hamas rulers on Tuesday said they have reached a long-awaited cease-fire with Israel meant to end months of Palestinian assaults on Israeli border towns and bruising Israeli retaliation. The announcement came shortly after Egypt, which has been trying to broker the truce for months, said the cease-fire would go into effect on Thursday. Israel refused to confirm a deal, but said a ‘new reality’ would take hold if Palestinian attacks end.”

* For reasons that defy reason and common sense, the National Press Club hired Jeff Gannon as its in-house blogger. Yes, that Jeff Gannon.

* Conservatives continue to insist, reality be damned, that China got drilling rights from Cuba (Mary Matalin repeated the lie last night on national television). Andrew Tilghman tries to track down the far-right myth’s origin.

* Note to CNN: Obama offered McCain five debates, not one.

* I lack the words to sufficiently mock Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) for his truly ridiculous new web video. It’s literally jaw-dropping.

* I’m delighted to know that Paul Krugman likes Doctor Who.

* Speaking of sci-fi, purged U.S. Attorney David Iglesias offered a metaphor I could relate to: “I thought I was working with the Jedi Knights and I was working for the Sith Lords.”

* Honda is launching the first commercial production of a hydrogen fuel-cell powered vehicle. Interesting.

* Bill Kristol is so far out there, he’s starting to find his own positions offensive.

* George Will, surprisingly enough, did a nice job ripping McCain for his criticism of last week’s Supreme Court ruling on habeas.

* Would NBC really ruin the “Meet the Press” brand with a guy like Chris Matthews?

* And finally, GOP activists attending the Texas Republican Convention this week can pick up a button that reads, “If Obama Is President … Will We Still Call It The White House?” What are Dems up against this year? This is what Dems are up against this year.




#board-2412


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* There was some evidence during the Democratic primaries that Barack Obama would struggle in the three biggest swing states — Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. This morning, Quinnipiac released polls from each of the states, and Obama leads John McCain in all three. In Florida, Obama is up by four (47-43); in Ohio, Obama is up by six (48-42); and in Pennsylvania, Obama is up by 12 (52-40).

* Together at last: “Hillary Clinton will appear with Barack Obama in Washington next week to persuade her top donors to write big checks to the Democrats’ nominee, the Daily News has learned. The June 26 event will be the first to bring together the victor and vanquished from the Democratic primary race and put their pledges of unity for the fall campaign into action, a source said. A joint public appearance also is in the works, insiders said.”

* Good: “The DNC will today announce that they intend to file a lawsuit next week in U.S. District Court to spur an FEC inquiry over whether John McCain illegally withdrew from the federal financing system.”

* If you haven’t seen the new ad from the political arms of MoveOn.org and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, you probably ought to take a look. The WSJ reported, “The ad, ‘Not Alex,’ is one of the highest tested ad buys MoveOn.org has run in recent years, said pollster Anna Greenberg, whose firm has tested the persuasiveness of roughly 50 ads by the group since 2004. ‘What we saw with this ad is people saw the message as straight-forward and clear, and the message was credible, and they largely agreed with what she was saying,’ Greenberg said.

* An eight-year-old reporter asked Obama yesterday if he might consider Al Gore as a running mate. “He may not want to be vice president again, since he’s already done that for eight years,” Obama said. “But certainly he’s somebody that I’ll be getting advice from as we go forward and hopefully he’ll help me when I’m president.”

* Obama met last night with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, most of whom supported Clinton during the primaries.

* Obama’s lead in Minnesota is just one point, according to SurveyUSA.

* In Wisconsin, Obama leads McCain by five, according to SurveyUSA.

* Obama isn’t going to win Kentucky, but McCain’s lead in the state, according to SurveyUSA is 12 points. I thought it would be much higher (it was 24 points a month ago).

* In North Carolina, a Civitas poll shows McCain’s lead over Obama down to just four points, 45% to 41%.

* Plouffe, Axelrod, & Co. asked independent groups earlier this year to direct their resources to the DNC and the Obama campaign, but PowerPAC.org, among others, are planning to do their own thing anyway.

* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ken.) is ahead in his re-election campaign, but not by much. A Rasmussen poll shows him up by four over Democratic businessman Bruce Lunsford, 50% to 46%.

* Similarly, Rasmussen shows Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens with a two-point lead over Mark Begich (D), 46% to 44%.

* And believe it or not, Rep. William “Cash in the Freezer” Jefferson (D-La.) is planning to run for re-election, despite his looming trial on corruption charges.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The news in the Midwest is not good: “Water spilled over two levees on the Mississippi River on Wednesday, surging into west-central Illinois, covering fertile farmland and pushing residents from their homes, officials said. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Mississippi Valley said water flowed over the top of one levee, but local officials had a different account, reporting that the levee — near Meyer, Illinois — breached in two places about 6:20 a.m., pouring water into Hancock and Adams counties. ‘It’s kind of a sad day,’ Sheriff John Jefferson of Hancock County said. ‘People put in a lot of manpower [to build up the levees], and all was lost.’”

* Rush Limbaugh has decide to use the flooding as an excuse to trash the people of New Orleans: “I look at Iowa, I look at Illinois — I want to see the murders. I want to see the looting. I want to see all the stuff that happened in New Orleans. I see devastation in Iowa and Illinois that dwarfs what happened in New Orleans. I see people working together. I see people trying to save their property… I don’t see a bunch of people running around waving guns at helicopters, I don’t see a bunch of people running shooting cops. I don’t see a bunch of people raping people on the street. I don’t see a bunch of people doing everything they can…whining and moaning, where’s FEMA?”

* Progress? “Israel offered on Wednesday to start direct peace talks with Lebanon, saying all issues would be negotiable, including a tiny piece of Israeli-held land on the countries’ border that Israel has long argued does not belong to Lebanon but that the Lebanese say is theirs.”

* An untraditional White House strategy: “Bush could have taken a bolder step by overturning a 10-year-old executive order that bans drilling off most U.S. shores. But he said he wouldn’t do that because he wanted Congress to act first.” Since when does Bush care what Congress wants?

* And speaking of separation of powers, the Bush gang is still working on a long-term security agreement with Iraq, hoping to shape it in such a way as to make congressional approval unnecessary. (The president is probably unfamiliar with the constitutional measures about “treaties.”)

* Funeral services for Tim Russert were today. Rep. Darrel Issa (R-Calif.) decided to exploit Russert’s death, saying the NBC journalist would have supported Republican efforts for additional domestic oil drilling. Darrel Issa is a pathetic joke.

* Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) apologized today for equating gay marriage with polygamy. It was a very odd thing to say.

* Good move: “The Texas Republican Party is distancing itself from a vendor who sold campaign buttons at last weekend’s state convention that asked, ‘If Obama is president … will we still call it The White House?’ The state GOP party said Wednesday that it will donate the $1,500 rent it collected from the vendor, Republicanmarket.com, to Midwestern flood victims.”

* Some Obama campaign volunteers asked two Muslim women, seated behind the candidate’s stage, to remove their head scarves before the event began. A campaign spokesperson responded today, “This is of course not the policy of the campaign. It is offensive and counter to Obama’s commitment to bring Americans together and simply not the kind of campaign we run. We sincerely apologize for the behavior of these volunteers.”

* I get the sense Chris Dodd’s chances of making the ticket just got smaller: “Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut said Tuesday that he was aware that Countrywide Financial Corporation had assigned him to a V.I.P. program in 2003 when he refinanced mortgages on his homes in Connecticut and Washington but that he and his wife ‘assumed’ that ‘it was more of a courtesy thing.’”

* I didn’t watch Michelle Obama host “The View,” but it apparently went well.

* The McCain campaign wants Obama to denounce the DNC’s attack against McCain’s wife. There’s just one problem: the DNC didn’t attack McCain’s wife.

* I can’t help but wonder what rock Larry Sinclair crawled out from. I also can’t help but wonder how foolish one would have to be to take him seriously.

* Tired of the insane email smears of Obama? Christopher Beam has a new idea — start a new email chain with an alternate message.

* Concrete evidence of China’s importance.

* The AP clearly didn’t think this through: “[The AP has] done the impossible: They’ve united liberal and conservative bloggers, political and tech bloggers and sports bloggers and gossip bloggers and all other kind of bloggers against them. In an election year. Is Michael Brown running the AP? Because they’re doing a heck of a job.”

* And finally, have you heard about Bill O’Reilly soon-to-be-published memoir? The title is, “A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity.” Seriously, that’s actually the name.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* This is one way to avoid pesky questions: “After getting zinged for having a number of domestic and foreign lobbyists advising the candidate, the McCain campaign recently introduced new campaign rules barring anyone currently employed as a lobbyist from serving on the campaign. But they seem to have another new policy too: not telling anyone who the candidate’s advisers are.”

* More reconciliation talk during Michelle Obama’s appearance on “The View” yesterday: “‘Yes, there’s always a level [of sexism],’ she said [on coverage of Clinton’s campaign]. ‘People are not used to strong women.’ Obama credited Clinton for her race and for breaking down barriers for women. ‘And I think that Hillary Clinton, as she said, has made 18 million cracks on the ceiling and we need to keep pushing it and pushing it.’ She further credited Clinton for paving the way to make it easier for her young daughters, Sasha and Malia. ‘She’s taken [the hits] so that when my girls come along they won’t have to fight it as badly,’ she said.”

* McCain was pressed at an event in Missouri yesterday on the contributions he’d received from “big oil.” McCain said he didn’t know what the guy was talking about. As it turns out, “McCain does lead all other senators, and all others who ran for president, in contributions from the oil and gas industry, according to the Center for Responsive Politics’ analysis of federal data in the 2007-08 election cycle. McCain collected $724,000 through May.”

* Laura Bush graciously defended Michelle Obama last week when asked about Michelle’s “proud of my country” comments from February. Yesterday, Cindy McCain was far less classy.

* There was some talk recently about retired Marine Gen. James Jones being considered for the Obama ticket. I think we can safely cross his name off the list — he joined McCain on the campaign trail yesterday.

* Virginia continues to look very competitive. A Rasmussen poll the other day showed Obama with a one-point lead, and now a Public Policy Polling (D) survey shows Obama leading McCain in Virginia by two, 47% to 45%.

* Quinnipiac showed Obama leading in Florida yesterday, but a new Rasmussen poll shows McCain ahead in the Sunshine State by eight, 47% to 39%.

* Similarly, Quinnipiac showed Obama leading in Ohio, but Rasmussen shows McCain winning by one point.

* Obama looks like he’s in good shape in Maine, where Rasmussen has him up by 22 points.

* Just so everyone’s clear, Obama’s half-brother did not say Obama was a Muslim. Rumors to the contrary are incorrect. Just FYI.

* Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen doesn’t expect Obama to do well in his state. He said yesterday he hopes to help get Obama “in the ballpark” of McCain.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* These guys are going to need good lawyers: “Two former Bear Stearns hedge fund managers, Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin, were indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury on charges they intentionally misled investors in two funds that collapsed last summer under the weight of wrong-way bets on mortgage-backed securities. Cioffi and Tannin, who surrendered Thursday morning to the FBI, face charges of conspiracy, securities fraud and wire fraud. Cioffi faces an additional charge of insider trading. The case turns on the question of what the men knew when they told investors they were hopeful about the funds’ prospects - at a time when their performance was deteriorating and some investors were trying to withdraw money.”

* One of the few issues on which John McCain has been entirely consistent is his opposition to drilling ANWR for oil. Apparently, even that long-held position is now on the table.

* I’ve been wondering the same thing: “Someone help me here. McCain is grandstanding on public financing when he is, as we speak, breaking the law by continuing to spend unlimited primary campaign money after opting in to public financing for the primary phase of the campaign? And then greenlighting the outside 527s to go after Obama only days ago? Something doesn’t compute.”

* Remember, these are the words of a retired U.S. general, not just some blogger: “[T]here is no longer any doubt as to whether the current administration has committed war crimes. The only question that remains to be answered is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to account. ”

* Dems and Republicans in the House struck a deal on a war supplemental bill late yesterday. The breakthrough suggests Sen. Jim Webb’s (D-Va.) modernized GI Bill will be in position to become law.

* We can say with a high degree of confidence that the Bush/McCain drilling plan won’t produce oil anytime soon: “As oil trades at more than $135 a barrel — up from $68 a year ago — the world’s drill-ships are booked solid for the next five years. Some oil companies have been forced to postpone exploration while waiting for a drilling rig, executives and analysts said.”

* Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) gave a speech on the House floor today, urging everyone to be nicer to “our friends,” the oil companies. Wow.

* Taking Bush’s legacy on the road.

* Brian Williams will host “Meet the Press” this weekend, but there’s no word about a permanent replacement for Tim Russert.

* I’m not at all sure the “Media Bloggers Association” is a reliable, representative outlet.

* I’ve always liked Nirvana, too.

* Remember that re-Baathification law passed by the Iraqi parliament in January? And how it was supposed to be a breakthrough? It’s not being implemented.

* I’m really not sure who Elisabeth Hasselbeck is, or what she’s done to become some kind of celebrity, but if her Fox News appearance last night is any indication, she’s not very bright.

* Republicans are apparently worried about what Scott McClellan might say if he testifies before the House Judiciary Committee as planned.

* And people wonder why I make fun of the Washington Times: “Times columnist and editor emeritus Wesley Pruden opened with a line stating that the AIDS virus is ‘the gifts of the gays.’”

* And finally, the #1 nightmare in the right-wing worldview is bringing Islamic Sharia law to America. I look forward, then, to hearing the conservative reaction to Blackwater’s request that a federal U.S. judge apply Sharia law to a civil case against the company. I guess this means Blackwater is literally trying to destroy Western civilization?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Earlier this week, two Muslim women were asked “not to sit where they could be photographed” behind Barack Obama because “they were wearing traditional religious head coverings.” Yesterday, Obama called both Shimaa Abdelfadeel and Hebba Aref personally to apologize. Abdelfadeel and Aref issued a statement thanking Obama for the call, accepting his apology, and vowing to “continue to support Senator Obama in his campaign.”

* According to Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-Mich.), who leads the Congressional Black Caucus, Former Sens. John Edwards and Sam Nunn are on Obama’s short list for running mates.

* NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has heard the whisper campaign about Obama, and told a Jewish group in Boca Raton that it’s time to stand up against it. The deceptive campaign against Obama, who is Christian, “threatens to undo the enormous strides that Jews and Muslims have made together in this country,” the New York mayor said.
The lies are “cloaked in concern for Israel, but the real concern is about partisan politics,” said Bloomberg, who is Jewish. “This is wedge politics at its worst, and we’ve got to reject it — loudly, clearly and unequivocally.”

* Georgia should be an easy win for John McCain, right? Wrong. An InsiderAdvantage poll shows McCain’s lead over Obama down to just one point, 44% to 43%. Notably, Bob Barr is third in his home state, with 6% support. (Keep in mind, Georgia was included in the Obama campaign’s latest ad buy, which should raise a few eyebrows at McCain HQ.)

* Speaking of in-play “red” states, keep an eye on Indiana: “Does the Obama campaign really believe Indiana is in play? Team Obama has assigned one of its most valued campaign staffers to the state, reports the Indianapolis Star. The staffer, Emily Parcell, was political director for Obama in Iowa, where the Illinois Senator secured a huge win that essentially put him on the path to the nomination.”

* On a related note, Obama now has 15 paid staffers in Texas.

* According to Rasmussen, Barack Obama enjoys a slight edge in Colorado, a key swing state, 43% to 41%.

* McCain’s new-found support of coastal drilling didn’t impress Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio (R), who criticized McCain yesterday for being “disingenuous” and offering “a flawed argument.”

* American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees was a major force for Hillary Clinton’s campaign, and now AFSCME is moving its support to Obama.

* Similarly, the Sierra Club will endorse Obama today.

* What’s the key age group in the presidential race? According to a fascinating new Gallup poll, it’s voters in their 40s.

* The bogus notion that Obama is the Senate’s “most liberal” member is drawing some fresh scrutiny from reporters who question its accuracy.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* 100-year floods are only supposed to happen every 100 years: “For the second time in 15 years, Keith Aubuchon found himself packing his belongings and evacuating his home to escape a ‘100-year’ flood of the Mississippi River. He returned and remodeled his house after the flood of 1993. This time, he doesn’t know if it will be worth coming back.”

* Obama on coastal drilling: “Believe me — if I thought that there was any evidence at all that drilling could save people money who are struggling to fill up their tanks by this summer or this year or even the next few years, I would consider it. But it won’t. And John McCain knows that.”

* MoveOn.org is shutting down its 527: “MoveOn, the advocacy group supporting Barack Obama, has decided to permanently shutter its 527 operation, partly in response to the Illinois Senator’s insistence that such groups should not spend on his behalf during the general election, I’ve learned from the group’s spokesperson. MoveOn’s decision, which will dramatically impact the way it raises money on Obama’s behalf, is yet another sign of how rapidly Obama is taking control of the apparatus that’s gearing up on his behalf.”

* Bush has threatened a veto, but this was an encouraging vote anyway: “A bill to enhance parental leave benefits for federal employees passed the House by a wide margin yesterday…. Under the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act, federal and congressional employees would receive four weeks of paid parental leave after birth or adoption, or taking in a foster a child. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) would have the discretion to grant an additional four weeks of paid leave. Employees could still use accrued vacation days as part of their parental leave, and the bill would make it easier to use sick leave to care for a new child by eliminating the current requirement to demonstrate medical need.”

* Hmm: “An aide to Gov. Chet Culver said Thursday that Republican presidential candidate John McCain ignored the governor’s request to cancel a campaign visit amid a massive flood recovery effort in the state.”

* Everyone saw the news about ice on Mars, right? Wired posted a very helpful visual, showing the apparent melting.

* Noted without comment: “In a brochure announcing its ‘Red Hot Summer Sale’ Diebold, now known as Premier Election Solutions, is selling off everything from used touch-screen voting machines ($600/each) to ballot boxes ($1,000/each), voter and poll supervisor smart cards that are used to initiate voting on machines on election day ($2.00/each), and tamper-evident security seals ($0.15/each) that are supposed to protect machines from intruders.” (thanks for J.C. for the tip)

* I can’t imagine why more newspaper editors don’t balk at what appear to be vile and racist political cartoons from Pat Oliphant.

* I don’t know what’s worse, what Cheney did, or that he’ll get away with it: “Vice President Dick Cheney has won his battle to withhold records from the public despite efforts by Congress and other critics who say they should be open to scrutiny…. ‘He has managed to stonewall everyone,’ said Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. ‘I’m not sure there’s anything we can do.’”

* In Chris Matthews’ world, six-point leads are sizable when it’s McCain who’s ahead. If Obama is up by the same margin, a six-point lead is “almost … negligible.”

* On a related note, given Matthews’ on-air misogyny, MSNBC would have been smart not to go with an ad for a “Hardball” segment on Michelle Obama that featured “female silhouetted dancers” in the background. Seriously.

* Sign of the times: “Atrios asks why the dateline on this financial story is Bangalore. Because Reuters now covers U.S. financial markets from India. Fun stuff.”

* Why isn’t solar a bigger part of the energy policy discussion?

* If NPR is so liberal, why is the McCain campaign picking up campaign workers from the NPR staff?

* And finally, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) didn’t need to offer us any additional evidence of her nuttiness, but she keeps doing so anyway. In her latest gem, Bachman insisted that drilling ANWR would be good for Arctic wildlife, because oil pipelines would become a “‘coffee klatch’ for the caribou.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In a speech in Fresno, John McCain will unveil a plan to encourage automakers to sell alternative fuel vehicles. “For every automaker who can sell a zero-emissions car, we will commit a 5,000 dollar tax credit for each and every customer who buys that car,” McCain will say. “For other vehicles, whatever type they may be, the lower the carbon emissions, the higher the tax credit.”

* The latest USAT/Gallup poll shows Barack Obama leading McCain by six, 50% to 44%.

* This parity probably won’t last: “For Mr. McCain, of Arizona, [May] was one of his best fund-raising months, with $21.8 million coming in from individual donors and from three joint Republican fund-raising dinners. For Mr. Obama, of Illinois, it was one of his weaker months, drawing $21.9 million…. Obama continued spending heavily as the primary campaign extended into early June, and he ended May with $33.3 million in cash for the primary race. Mr. McCain, who raised less all year, was virtually assured of the Republican nomination by February and so spent less, ending the month with $31.6 million in the bank.”

* Obama continued to emphasize energy policy over the weekend: “Sen. Barack Obama on Sunday said that as president he would strengthen government oversight of energy traders, whom the Illinois Democrat blames in large part for the skyrocketing price of oil. The candidate’s campaign singled out the so-called Enron loophole as allowing speculators to run up the cost of fuel by operating outside federal regulation…. ‘My plan fully closes the Enron loophole and restores common-sense regulation as part of my broader plan to ease the burden for struggling families today while investing in a better future.’”

* The first far-right, anti-Obama hatchet book will be out in August: “Conservative journalist David Freddoso’s ‘The Case Against Barack Obama’ will offer ‘a comprehensive, factual look at Obama,’ according to Regnery Publishing president and publisher Marjory Ross.” Given Regnery’s publishing history, how could anyone doubt the book’s fairness?

* When Obama and Hillary Clinton campaign together this week, it will likely be in Pennsylvania.

* Obama’s looking good in New Hampshire, up by 11 points in the latest Rasmussen poll.

* McCain has a three-point lead in Nevada according to Rasmussen. Last month, Rasmussen showed McCain ahead in Nevada by six.

* Obama leads McCain by 12 in California, according to SuveyUSA.

* Obama leads McCain by four in Iowa, according to SuveyUSA.

* Obama leads McCain by 15 in Washington state, according to SuveyUSA.

* Obama leads McCain by three in Oregon, according to SuveyUSA.

* Obama may have a 50-state strategy in mind, but he probably shouldn’t count on Utah — a Deseret News poll shows McCain with a 28-point lead.

* Frank Powers, the leading GOP candidate to replace retiring Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.), died over the weekend. On a personal note, my condolences to his family and friends. On a political note, that sure is a strange House race.

* Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) was not “one of the first to stand up to George Bush and other Republicans to end this war,” as he proclaims in his new TV ad.

* Ralph Nader, as he has in each of the last three campaign cycles, prefers attacking Democrats and leaving Republicans alone.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Conditions in Zimbabwe are spiraling quickly: “Police on Monday raided the offices of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change party, arresting about 60 people — including women and children — on a day that world leaders condemned the actions of Zimbabwe’s government in increasingly strong terms.”

* On a related note, Tsvangirai fled to the Dutch Embassy in Zimbabwe for his safety.

* Also in Zimbabwe, the ruling party has a new slogan: “WW – Win or War.” They mean it literally.

* Oh my: “Was the State Department involved in a shoddy and potentially illegal ammo shipment that led to the arrest of a 22-year-old Miami arms dealer last week? That’s what Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) now says. The House oversight committee says it has evidence that the U.S. embassy in Albania helped Albanian officials keep the allegedly illegal shipment of Chinese-made ammunition to Afghanistan under wraps and then failed to disclose that information when Waxman’s committee asked about it.”

* I usually mock Bill Kristol on Mondays, but I ran out of time this afternoon. Today’s column was actually legitimately provocative — Alex Koppelman argues that Kristol “actually makes some decent — if obvious — points,” while Steve M. has a slightly more critical take.

* Maureen Dowd went after Hillary Clinton with such ferocity — and frequency — during the Democratic presidential campaign, I just gave up on reading Dowd’s columns altogether. I was glad to see, then, NYT public editor Clark Hoyt take Dowd to task yesterday.

* So much for the “ownership society.” Bush’s drive to promote home ownership, at all costs, was not only a flop; it was a disaster.

* Ten months ago, Congress mandated that the White House name coordinator for preventing nuclear terrorism. Despite the federal law, Bush hasn’t done anything about it.

* The Armed Forces discriminates against gays, but it really discriminates against gay women: “The Army and Air Force discharged a disproportionate number of women in 2007 under the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy that prohibits openly gay people from serving in the military, according to Pentagon statistics gathered by an advocacy group. While women make up 14 percent of Army personnel, 46 percent of those discharged under the policy last year were women. And while 20 percent of Air Force personnel are women, 49 percent of its discharges under the policy last year were women.”

* For the rest of this election year, Tom Brokaw will host “Meet the Press.” NBC will now be able to take its time looking for a new, permanent host.

* Remember that fake presidential seal at an Obama event last week? You won’t see it again.

* I trust that everyone watched the first season of “Mad Men,” right? It’s brilliant.

* Know the joke about all news, no matter how good for Dems, is actually good news for Republicans? It’s true — the Scaife paper in Pittsburg proved it.

* I find it hard to believe Don Imus could be insane enough to make racially-charged comments (again), on the air (again), about an African-American athlete (again). What could he possibly be thinking?

* And finally, a Quote of the Day: “Republicans say Rove is the architect,” said one GOP insider on the Hill. “He’s the architect of our demise.”

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Reuters: “Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday defied mounting pressure from both inside and outside Africa to call off Friday’s presidential election, saying he had a legal obligation to go ahead.”

* Bloodshed in Sadr City: “Two U.S. soldiers and two American civilians working for the U.S. government were killed in an explosion Tuesday morning in Sadr City, a vast Shiite slum where security had improved dramatically in recent weeks, U.S. officials said.”

* Bloodshed in Iraq: “Two U.S. soldiers were killed and three were wounded Monday when a council member opened fire on them after a meeting in a small town south of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.”

* On a related note, what’s the post-surge plan? “The administration lacks an updated and comprehensive Iraq strategy to move beyond the ’surge’ of combat troops President Bush launched in January 2007 as an 18-month effort to curtail violence and build Iraqi democracy, government investigators said yesterday.”

* Something to look forward to: “Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) released the following statement today in response to the announcement that the Senate this week will consider the compromise legislation that would reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).”

* Speaker Pelosi may have allowed the “compromise” FISA bill to move, but now she’ll be rooting for a Senate filibuster from afar.

* This had to feel good: “Talk about rolling out the red carpet. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s much-hyped return to the Senate after dropping out of the presidential race included a crowd of adoring interns, a phalanx of Senate staff, hugs from Democratic colleagues and an ovation from a closed luncheon of Democratic senators.”

* Rick Perlstein vs Pat Buchanan. An unusually entertaining nine minutes of television.

* Tom Ridge’s reluctance to register his foreign lobbying work sure does seem strange.

* This really would be a great move: “In a deal that environmental groups said would be the largest ecological restoration in the country’s history, a plan for the state to buy the nation’s largest producer of cane sugar was announced Tuesday by the governor and officials of U.S. Sugar Corporation. The intention is to restore the Everglades by restoring the water flow from Lake Okeechobee, in the heart of the state, south to Florida Bay. That flow had been interrupted by commercial farming and the Everglades have suffered as a result.”

* Interesting: “A former top official in the White House’s faith-based office was awarded a lucrative Department of Justice grant under pressure from two senior Bush administration appointees, according to current and former DOJ staff members and a review of internal DOJ documents and emails. The $1.2 million grant was jointly awarded to a consulting firm run by Lisa Trevino Cummins who previously headed Hispanic outreach efforts for the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, and a California evangelical group, Victory Outreach.”

* Shelby Steele doesn’t believe the title of his own anti-Obama book.

* The day’s wildest news story: “The House oversight committee is holding hearings today on those 20-something Florida arms dealers (I could write that phrase a 100 times and take no less pleasure in it). According to evidence obtained by the committee, government contracting officials had complained that their company, AEY, was delivering ‘poor quality,’ ‘damaged goods,’ ‘junk’ weapons, and other equipment in ‘the reject category.’ And that was before the Pentagon awarded AEY that $300 million contract to supply ammo to the Afghan Army.”

* Fascinating: “Judges and jurors who must decide whether sexually explicit material is obscene are asked to use a local yardstick: does the material violate community standards? That is often a tricky question because there is no simple, concrete way to gauge a community’s tastes and values. The Internet may be changing that. In a novel approach, the defense in an obscenity trial in Florida plans to use publicly accessible Google search data to try to persuade jurors that their neighbors have broader interests than they might have thought.”

* And finally, Fox News’ Bob Beckel, ostensibly one of the Republican network’s “liberals,” explained his vision for Iraq to Bill O’Reilly last night: “OK, now, what we ought to do is get Iraq to give us 100 year lease on their unexplored — they’re the second largest source of oil in the world. Known reserves. Give the United States oil companies 100 year leases. Let us explore.” As TP noted, Beckel justified giving U.S. oil companies a century of business in Iraq by claiming, “The Iraqis owe us, Bill. We ought to take it.”



#board-2412


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The NYT notes that Barack Obama “asked his leading fund-raisers in a conference call [yesterday] to lend a hand to retire the campaign debt of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.” Clinton issued a statement expressing her appreciation for Obama’s assistance.

* Indiana has voted Republican in 16 of the last 17 presidential elections, dating back nearly seven decades. Indiana even voted against FDR in ‘40. But according to a new SurveyUSA poll, Obama actually leads McCain in Indiana, at least for now, 48% to 47%.

* The Obama campaign welcomed Bill Clinton’s offer of support and said he will have a “big role” in the general election. “A unified Democratic Party is going to be a powerful force for change this year, and we’re confident President Clinton will play a big role in that,” Obama spokesperson Jen Psaki said.

* The AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest labor organization, is poised to throw its support to Obama. The AFL-CIO had remained neutral during the primaries.

* As if Ralph Nader hasn’t done enough to destroy his reputation, he suggested yesterday that Obama isn’t talking about poverty enough, perhaps because the senator “wants to talk white.” I can’t imagine what this guy is thinking.

* Ordinarily, governors become the automatic chairs of their party’s presidential campaigns, but in Nevada, McCain doesn’t want anything to do with scandal-plagued Gov. Jim Gibbons (R). Instead, McCain has tapped Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki (R) to serve as the Nevada campaign chairman. The only problem — Krolicki has embarrassing scandals, too.

* Sen. Gordon Smith (R) is so worried about re-election in Oregon that he’s promoting the work he’s done with Barack Obama in the Senate. The Obama campaign issued a statement reiterating Obama’s support for Smith’s Democratic opponent, Jeff Merkley.

* Speaker Pelosi suggested Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas) might make a good running mate for Obama. I actually like Edwards — who happens to be Bush’s congressman in Crawford — back from my days at Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Edwards was one of only a handful of lawmakers who really “got it.” (Edwards said he’d accept the gig if it were offered.)

* Rep. Chris Cannon (R-Utah), one of Congress’ nuttier members, lost a Republican primary yesterday to former gubernatorial aide Jason Chaffetz. They were both far-right candidates, but Chaffetz benefited from an aggressive anti-immigration message.

* And the National Review has heard the McCain VP rumors, and would like to veto Crist, Ridge, Huckabee, and Lieberman.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* While almost no crimes are more heinous, this was probably the right call: “The Supreme Court ruled, 5 to 4, on Wednesday that sentencing someone to death for raping a child is unconstitutional, assuming that the victim is not killed. ‘The death penalty is not a proportional punishment for the rape of a child,’ Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for the court. He was joined by Justices John Paul Stevens, David H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer. The court overturned a ruling by the Louisiana Supreme Court, which had held that child rape is unique in the harm it inflicts not just upon the victim but on society and that, short of first-degree murder, no crime is more deserving of the death penalty.”

* Speaking of major Supreme Court rulings: “The Supreme Court on Wednesday dashed the hopes of more than 32,000 fishermen and Alaska Natives who’ve been waiting for nearly 20 years to hear whether Exxon Mobil Corp. must pay billions in punitive damages for its role in the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. In a victory for corporations seeking to limit big-dollar lawsuits, the court decided 5-3 to reduce the $2.5 billion punitive damages. The award was excessive, the justices wrote, and reduced it to $507.5 million.”

* For years, John McCain has seen terrorism as a boost for Republicans. It’s the opposite of his rhetoric of the past couple of days.

* It’s stunning to consider, but Afghanistan is looking more like Iraq all the time. Insurgent attacks are up nearly 40% in provinces once touted as evidence of success.

* The long national FEC nightmare is over, and the Federal Election Commission will now function again.

* James Hansen has a message for those who want to hear it: “Exactly 20 years after warning America about global warming, a top NASA scientist said the situation has gotten so bad that the world’s only hope is drastic action…. ‘We’re toast if we don’t get on a very different path,’ Hansen, director of the Goddard Institute of Space Sciences who is sometimes called the godfather of global warming science, told The Associated Press. ‘This is the last chance.’” (thanks to R.K.)

* This was a no-brainer, which most Republicans opposed: “The House approved legislation to shield 25 million families from a scheduled tax increase this year, voting to raise taxes on the private equity industry and major oil companies to offset part of the measure’s $60 billion cost.”

* Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-.NY.) will oppose the “compromise” FISA bill. Good for him.

* On a related note, it’s interesting what one senator can do: “Senate progress toward approving a sweeping housing rescue plan was delayed on Wednesday by the objections of a Republican lawmaker who wants to attach an amendment dealing with renewable energy. Nevada Sen. John Ensign — whose state is among the hardest hit by a deep housing market slump — was refusing to allow the housing bill to proceed without a vote on extending tax incentives for renewable energy technologies.”

* Can’t say I blame them: “Skeptical states are shoving aside millions of federal dollars for abstinence education, walking away from the program the Bush administration touts for slowing teen sexual activity. Barely half the states are still in, and two more say they are leaving.”

* Republicans are still lying about China drilling for oil in Cuban waters? Still?

* Maureen Dowd was taken to task over the weekend by the NYT’s public editor, but her first column since was actually quite good.

* Joe Conason explains that Obama has all the right enemies.

* MTV will accept political advertising this year for the first time in the network’s 27-year history. I wonder which presidential candidate is more likely to target the network?

* Oh my: “One question left unanswered by the officials summoned to Capitol Hill yesterday to talk about arms dealer AEY was this: Why did U.S. taxpayers end up spending $300 million for Cold War-era ammunition rounds which it easily could have gotten it for free? Eastern Europe is full of old Soviet-era ammunition. And many countries have been offering to give it away for years. Countries like Bosnia, Bulgaria and Hungary. In fact, the Albanian Defense Minister himself offered to give the U.S. virtually the same ammo that AEY ended up providing under contract.”

* And here I thought Limbaugh couldn’t get any more offensive. I was mistaken.

* Scott McClellan is getting cheeky: “McClellan who is clear that he has no great admiration for Cheney, joked to the audience that his national book tour has given him some ideas for book titles Cheney might consider: ‘The Lies I Told,’ or ‘I Upped Halliburton’s Income - So Up Yours.’”

* And finally, I wonder how this vote will turn out: “Reagan has his highways. Lincoln has his memorial. Washington has the capital (and a state, too). But Bush may soon be the sole president to have a memorial named after him that you can contribute to from the bathroom. From the Department of Damned-With-Faint-Praise, a group going by the regal-sounding name of the Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco is planning to ask voters here to change the name of a prize-winning water treatment plant on the shoreline to the George W. Bush Sewage Plant. The plan, naturally hatched in a bar, would place a vote on the November ballot to provide ‘an appropriate honor for a truly unique president.’”

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A group of Quinnipiac polls conducted for the WaPo and the WSJ found some more encouraging news for Barack Obama in four key battleground states. The poll found Obama leading by five in Colorado (49% to 44%); six in Michigan (48% to 42%); 13 in Wisconsin (52% to 39%); and 17 in Minnesota (54% to 37%). Chris Cillizza added, “With partisans loyally aligning behind their respective parties, Obama’s edge in each of the four states is founded on two factors: An increased tendency for voters to identify as Democrats and a solid margin for the Democrat among independent voters.”

* Obama has reportedly asked his top fundraisers to each collect five or six checks “to help Senator Clinton repay the people who provided goods and services to her campaign.”

* David Plouffe, Obama’s campaign manager, during a 90-minute briefing and press conference yesterday, mentioned in passing that he doesn’t think McCain “used the period from March 3rd [until the end of the Democratic primaries] very effectively, and for that, we’re grateful.”

* While some national polls show Obama up by double digits, the volatile Gallup Daily Tracking poll shows Obama and McCain tied at 45% each.

* All eyes on energy policy: “Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee, rolled out a new Web site Wednesday that focuses on his energy proposals. The site, www.NewEnergyForAmerica.com, details differences in the energy plans of Obama and Sen. John McCain as the two men continue to debate the best way to meet the country’s energy needs when prices for oil and gasoline are at or near all-time highs.”

* SurveyUSA shows McCain leading Obama in Missouri by seven, 50% to 43%.

* Oddly enough, an Arizona State University/KAET-TV poll shows McCain leading Obama in Arizona, but by a smaller margin than expected. McCain leads with 38%, followed by Obama with 28%, but 34% remain undecided.

* The Obama campaign believes Bob Barr’s presence on the ballot may help tilt Alaska and Georgia in Obama’s direction.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in California by a whopping 28 points.

* Nebraska looks like it’ll be pretty tough for Obama. Rasmussen shows McCain up by 16.

* Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), rumored to be a top candidate for the VP slot if Hillary Clinton had won the nomination, wouldn’t mind being Obama’s running mate.

* McCain hasn’t voted in the Senate since April 8.

* And he doesn’t like working on weekends, either.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Oh my: “A barrage of bad news including a new record high for oil sent Wall Street plunging Thursday, hurtling the Dow Jones industrials down nearly 360 points to their lowest level in nearly two years. Oil’s surge past $140 a barrel was just one of the day’s troubling developments. Warnings of trouble in the key financial, automotive and high-tech industries added up to an increasingly troubled economy.”

* The Supreme Court’s other big decision today: “Wealthy political candidates caught a break Thursday as the Supreme Court struck down a campaign finance rule that benefits their opponents. By 5-4, the court ruled that Congress went too far when it loosened fundraising restraints for politicians facing millionaires who invest in their own campaigns. The court’s majority declared that the campaign-finance double standard violated First Amendment free-speech guarantees.”

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: “The U.S. military said three American Marines and two interpreters were killed in an attack west of Baghdad in Anbar province, Thursday. Iraqi police said the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber against a meeting of pro-government Sunni sheiks in the former insurgent stronghold and at least 20 Iraqis were killed as well.”

* Now Mugane wants to talk: “Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe said Thursday that he is ‘open to discussion’ with the opposition, which is boycotting Friday’s runoff vote. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai called Wednesday for talks on forming a transitional authority. Mugabe had until Thursday shown little interest in talks, instead focusing on the election.”

* David Addington won’t answer questions about torture policy, because “al Qaeda may watch C-SPAN.”

* The liberal media strikes again: “Belying any claim to ideological balance, the Washington Post’s opinion page today is firmly tilted to the right with a neoconservative Iraq war architect, two movement conservatives, and an opponent of cap-and-trade. The closest thing to a nominal “liberal” is David Broder, who is seen by many liberals as being the ‘embodiment of Beltway values.’”

* The vote on FISA will be delayed until after the July 4th holiday.

* AP: “Federal agents raided Blackwater Worldwide this week as part of an investigation into whether the private security company sidestepped federal laws prohibiting the private purchase of automatic assault rifles, the company said Thursday.”

* I wonder why Democrats have never figured out how to obstruct like this: “Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is planning a ‘Coburn Omnibus’ for July that would wrap most if not all of the bills held by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) into one large measure to be voted on by the Senate, according to a Coburn aide and two Democratic leadership staffers. Coburn is blocking roughly a hundred bills that are generally non-controversial or have broad support…. But in a stroke of legislative creativity that may have no precedent, Reid could lump all of the bills into one package and bring up the Coburn Omnibus for a single vote.”

* Good news in Montana: “Opponents of a proposed constitutional amendment to ban abortion by defining a fertilized human egg as a ‘person’ announced Tuesday the measure has failed to gain enough support to qualify for the November ballot.”

* T. Boone Pickens offered $1 million to anyone who could disprove any of the accusations the Swift Boat liars made against John Kerry. When a group of Swift boat veterans prepared a 60-page report detailing 10 separate lies, Pickens decided he no longer wants to follow through on his offer.

* Brave New Films: “Lieberman Must Go.”

* Jeffrey Rosen has a compelling item defending Obama’s criticism of the Supreme Court ruling on executing child rapists.

* Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal will now be known for chemical castrations as well as exorcisms.

* Wow: “On the June 25 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, while discussing the upcoming September 13 football game between Ohio State University and the University of Southern California, Hugh Hewitt referred to the game as ‘probably the last football game we’ll ever get to see before the United States gets blown up by the Islamists under Obama.’” I wonder what would happen if a liberal talked like that about McCain?

* Martian soil is looking pretty good.

* And finally, Republican obstructionism is annoying, but ironic Republican obstructionism is hilarious: “[T]he only senator holding up ending the HIV travel and immigration ban is none other than Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), serial frequenter of prostitutes in DC and Louisiana.”

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* When it comes to helping Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama is putting his money where his mouth is: “Senator Barack Obama said on Thursday that he had written a personal check of $2,300 to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, a good-will gesture intended to nudge his top donors to help ease Mrs. Clinton’s campaign debt and help the two Democrats move beyond their rivalry to focus on the fall contest.” Michelle Obama also contributed $2,300.

* More unity: “A key hire by the Obama camp: He reportedly signs up senior Hillary policy adviser Neera Tanden, one of her top loyalists, as his new Director of Domestic Policy. Tanden, a fixture on many a Hillary campaign conference call, was a key architect of her health care plan, which was probably the one domestic policy proposal of hers that was most often compared favorably to Obama’s.”

* The unity efforts must be going at least relatively well — Terry McAuliffe told a national television audience this morning, “I love Barack Obama.”

* While some recent national polls have shown Obama with a big lead over John McCain nationally, a new Time magazine poll shows a much closer race, with Obama enjoying a five-point lead, 43% to 38%. Time added, “When undecided voters leaning towards Obama and McCain are accounted for, the race narrows to a mere 4 percentage points, barely above the poll’s 3.5% margin of error.”

* Given Obama’s height advantage, this is generating a surprising amount of attention: “Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama would sit at a table at two of three presidential debates this fall, according to a formal proposal unveiled Thursday, which, perhaps unintentionally, would neutralize Obama’s height advantage. The Commission on Presidential Debates proposed the less formal, more conversational talk-show format for two of three 90-minute debates it’s seeking this fall. The third debate would be a town hall-style session in which the candidates would be free to get up from high stools and walk around the stage.”

* Tennessee probably won’t be one of the Obama campaign’s key targets. A Rasmussen poll now shows him trailing by 15. That’s better than the 27-point margin McCain enjoyed in April, but it’s still pretty big.

* Obama’s team is seriously thinking about campaigning in Alaska this year, which would make Obama the first Democratic presidential candidate to appear in Alaska since JFK.

* Eric Kleefeld has an item on a bunch of new Senate polls, including Dems looking good in Colorado, and New Jersey; struggling in Minnesota; and competitive in Mississippi and Texas.

* A couple of Mississippi Dems — Reps. Gene Taylor and Travis Childers — apparently won’t show up for the Democratic convention this year.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* It was largely symbolic, but I guess they won’t be able to send engineers back in after inspectors are gone: “In a gesture demonstrating its commitment to halt its nuclear weapons program, North Korea blew up the most prominent symbol of its plutonium production Friday.”

* The flooding crisis in the Midwest is far from over: “Defiant residents of this eastern Missouri community lost one struggle against the relentless Mississippi River Friday, but quickly prepared for another.”

* Conditions in Afghanistan continue to worsen: “A roadside bomb killed three service members and a local-national interpreter in a coalition convoy in eastern Afghanistan, the U.S.-led coalition said. With the deaths, the number of foreign forces in Afghanistan killed in June has reached 39, the highest monthly toll of the war, according to a CNN count of official figures.”

* On a related note: “The Taliban has regrouped after its initial fall from power in Afghanistan and the pace of its attacks is likely to increase this year, according to a Pentagon report that offers a dim view of progress in the nearly seven-year-old war.”

* I don’t know the details of the deal yet, but there’s movement in the Senate: “Dozens of Bush’s nominees cleared the Senate Friday after a breakthrough in negotiations between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and the White House. The Senate also moved to prevent Bush from using his constitutional authority to avert the Senate-confirmation process and make appointments to the Executive and Judicial branches during extended congressional recesses.”

* Nelson Mandela can finally travel to the United States again. It’s about damn time.

* I will never really understand the far-right worldview: “Bush’s efforts to broaden a widely respected, bipartisan program to fight the spread of AIDS in Africa have faced roadblocks by seven Republican senators. Bush had hoped that Congress would pass legislation to spend $50 billion to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis primarily in Africa in time for the Group of Eight summit in Japan next month. However, the seven socially conservative senators, led by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., refuse to support the legislation unless spending focuses more heavily on treatment than on prevention.” One of the seven concerned about investing too heavily in preventing a sexually transmitted disease is Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), best known for his role in a prostitution scandal.

* You’ve all heard about the dispute between Glenn Greenwald and Keith Olbermann, right? It’s a doozy.

* Arnold Schwarzenegger apparently isn’t impressed with McCain’s energy policy: “Politicians have been throwing around all kinds of ideas in response to the skyrocketing energy prices, from the rethinking of nuclear power to pushing biofuels and more renewables and ending the ban on offshore drilling, it goes on and on the list,” Schwarzenegger said. But, anyone who tells you this will lower our gas prices anytime soon is blowing smoke.”

* Lieberman doesn’t care for “Lieberman Must Go.” What a surprise.

* It’s true, on top of being wrong, and having rationalized possible war crimes, David Addington is also a remarkably unpleasant individual.

* As a long-time reader of The American Prospect, I’m delighted that Mark Schmitt will soon take over as the magazine’s editor. Schmitt is as clever and insightful a political observer as anyone in the country.

* You know, Democrats really did warn Nevada voters that Jim Gibbons would be a humiliating governor. All the evidence was there. I hate to say, “I told you so,” but….

* Too funny: “The Division of Motor Vehicles in North Carolina issued 10,000 license plates that began with WTF before someone spoiled the fun by complaining.”

* I’m genuinely surprised how many far-right Republicans continue to repeat the lie about China drilling for oil in Cuban waters, well after the bogus claim has been debunked.

* Bob Barr may have been instrumental in impeaching Bill Clinton, but he now concedes that George W. Bush is much worse.

* I’ve seen people on both sides of the aisle blame speculators for oil prices. Paul Krugman sets the record straight.

* And finally, I thought this story was hysterical. Barack Obama went to a gym in DC this morning for a quick workout. Takehia Wheeler was manning the front desk, scanning members’ ID cards, when Obama (and presumably his Secret Service detail) came in. “He came in and walked past me,” Wheeler said. “I was like, ‘Sir, you need to come back.’ ” Wheeler said Obama looked familiar, but she didn’t recognize him. So she asked for his ID card. “I said, ‘What’s your last name?’ He said ‘Obama,’ ” Wheeler explained. “I said, ‘So what’s your first name?” Eventually, she realized who he was.




#board-2412


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In mid-July, Barack Obama will be making an overseas trip to Europe and the Middle East. Though, for security reasons, there’s been no announcement about visiting Iraq, one assumes it will be on the itinerary.

* There’s been plenty of speculation about what Bill Clinton will do, or not, to support the Obama campaign. The ice may be thawing: Although he has yet to pick up the phone when Barack Obama calls, a close associate said Sunday that the former President is ready to make nice this week. ‘This man doesn’t stay mad,’ said former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe, although there are a few anger issues hanging around. For Clinton, it’s not all about him, definitely not, McAuliffe said on CNN’s ‘Late Edition.’ ‘Is he somewhat angry, as I am, and others, at some of the treatment Hillary Clinton received from the press? Sure. But, you know, that’s life,’ McAuliffe said.”

* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ken.) acknowledged on CNN yesterday that he doesn’t believe Republicans have any shot at reclaiming the Senate majority this cycle. “We are not going to be back in the majority in the Senate next year,” McConnell said. “The numbers make that impossible.”

* Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) said over the weekend that he’s going to continue to withhold his endorsement in the presidential race, and added that he no longer holds his party in high regard. “I think the party has veered, and shifted, and come loose of its moorings,” Hagel said. “It’s not the party that I first voted for in 1968. I’m an Eisenhower Republican, and the party today is not an Eisenhower Republican Party. Will it come back? I don’t know. Will we have a new party? Maybe.”

* AP: “Barack Obama stopped by Walter Reed Army Medical Center Saturday to visit wounded war veterans, a group that he has said endures substandard care under the Bush administration. The presumed Democratic nominee, who was in Washington to speak to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, spent about two hours inside the facility. On his way in and out, he did not speak to the small group of reporters who follow him, and the visit wasn’t on his public schedule.”

* WSJ: “As Sen. John McCain continues to woo religious conservatives, the Republican presidential contender paid a visit [Sunday] to Rev. Billy Graham and his son Rev. Franklin Graham at their family home in the Blue Ridge Mountains, near Montreat, N.C.”

* Obama campaign manager David Plouffe put his PowerPoint presentation about the state of the race online for supporters late last week.

* SurveyUSA shows Obama leading McCain in Virginia by two, 49% to 47%.

* SurveyUSA shows Obama leading McCain in Ohio by two, 48% to 46%.

* While some recent polling showed Georgia looking very competitive, a new Rasmussen poll shows McCain leading Obama in Georgia by 10, 53% to 43%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Mississippi by six, 50% to 44%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Texas by nine, 48% to 39%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Arizona by nine, 49% to 40%.

* The Obama campaign is taking the South seriously.

* McCain is, for some unknown reason, running ads in parts of Iowa hardest hit by flooding, where plenty of families are living in FEMA trailers.

* And Lanny Davis hopes Barack Obama doesn’t take all of the nasty things he said about him during the primary race “out of context.”

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Bill Clinton and Barack Obama spoke on the phone today, reportedly for about 20 minutes, and both issued statements afterwards indicating that it went well. I shudder to think about the extent to which their statements will be parsed and analyzed for evidence of animosity.

* I’ll try and have more on Obama’s Missouri speech on patriotism tomorrow, but in the meantime, here’s a good report on his remarks.

* McClatchy: “The Pentagon Monday announced a proposed death penalty prosecution of a Saudi man at Guantánamo, alleging he organized the October 2000 suicide bombing of the USS Cole off Aden, Yemen, that killed 17 American sailors…. It seeks to try him by military commission at the U.S. Navy base in southeast Cuba, and execute him if convicted.”

* AP: “Former detainees of the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq are suing U.S. contractors in four states for alleged torture…. The complaints allege that innocent people who were arrested and taken to the prison were subjected to forced nudity, electrical shocks, mock executions and other inhumane treatment by employees of defense contractors CACI International and L-3 Communications, formerly Titan Corporation. The plaintiffs are represented by law firms in Philadelphia and Detroit and by the Center for Constitutional Rights.”

* We never really stopped having to deal with the consequences of the administration’s early catastrophic errors in Iraq: “The U.S. Army’s official history of the Iraq war shows military chiefs made mistake after mistake in the early months of the conflict. The U.S. Army’s official history of the Iraq war shows military chiefs made mistake after mistake in the early months of the conflict.”

* It’s stunning to see just how badly major media outlets screwed up reports on Wesley Clark today, over and over again.

* The Mukasey Justice Department sure does like to act like the Gonzales Justice Department: “Two weeks ago, Chairman Henry Waxman (R-CA) of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee issued subpoenas for FBI paperwork regarding interviews with Bush and Cheney on the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame. And now the Justice Department has responded: Think again, Henry.”

* Keep an eye on this one: “The Bush administration said Monday it will delay paying doctors for treating Medicare patients in early July to give Congress more time to block a scheduled 10.6 percent fee cut. The decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services doesn’t block the cut, scheduled to take place Tuesday. It’s up to Congress to decide that. But to give Congress more time to act, the agency will instruct its contractors not to process any physician or non-physician Medicare claims for health care services given during the first 10 business days of July.”

* Have the National Journal rankings about the “most liberal” senator not been debunked enough already?

* Lieberman and the White House agree on the likelihood terrorism. It must be a day that ends in “y.”

* I guess this is some sort of progress for free speech: “The fence around the public demonstration zone outside the Democratic National Convention will be chicken wire or chain link, authorities revealed in U.S. District Court today. That may allow protestors to be seen and heard by delegates going in and out of the Pepsi Center during the convention.”

* I get the feeling Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons (R) is not exactly the kind of guy you’d call “pro-family.”

* Good news, we probably have nothing to fear from the latest atom-smashing experiment.

* The no-bid contracts have not gone unnoticed: “Sen. Charles Schumer called Monday for an independent probe into the Iraqi government’s decision to open the country’s oil fields to foreign oil companies. ‘This is a head fake by the Iraqi government,’ Schumer said just hours after the Iraqis announced their plan. ‘The Iraqis have shown they will pursue these contracts at all costs, their nation’s political stability be damned.’”

* And Ari Fleischer’s father, a Democrat, told his local paper that “if his son was going to rebel, it’s better I became a Republican than a drug dealer — but not by much.”


#board-2412


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* There is such a thing as going to the well once too many times. The McCain campaign is trying to milk the Wesley Clark issue for another day of headlines, but the best McCain aides could come up with is an odd and largely incoherent whine about the Obama campaign neglecting to tell Clark to apologize.

* The Obama campaign unveiled its second national TV ad of the general election. As the press release explained, “The spot highlights Senator Obama’s decision to bypass big money jobs and help lift neighborhoods stung by job loss. The ad illustrates Senator Obama’s record of working hard to move people from welfare to work, passing tax cuts for workers and providing healthcare for children.” The ad, entitled “Dignity,” began airing in 18 states (14 of which supported Bush in 2004) yesterday.

* I guess McCain is writing off the labor vote: “Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) visited Worth & Co., a contracting company in Bucks County, PA, where he held a town hall. The visit is a slap in the face to the state’s unions, since Worth & Co. has been investigated by the state Department of Labor and Industry for ‘intentionally failing to pay the predetermined minimum wage’ to its employees.”

* After several days of parity, Obama has reclaimed a five-point lead over McCain in the Gallup Daily Tracking poll, 47% to 42%.

* Bush’s money men have not yet lined up behind McCain: “ Bush has headlined a fund-raising event to help John McCain finance his campaign to succeed him, but most of the big-money backers who helped reelect Bush in 2004 haven’t pulled out their checkbooks for McCain - or asked their friends to chip in either. Of the 548 leaders of Bush’s vaunted money-raising machine, about 43 percent have contributed to McCain, a Globe review of finance reports covering the period through May 31 shows. Even fewer of them solicited and bundled donations from others for McCain, as they did for Bush four years ago.”

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Florida by seven points, 48% to 41%, fueled in large part by 20% of Florida’s Democrats supporting the conservative Republican.

* Rasmussen also shows McCain leading Obama in Georgia by 10 points, 53% to 43%.

* SurveyUSA shows Obama leading McCain in Massachusetts by 13, 53% to 40%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Alabama by 15, 51% to 36%.

* There have been some questions this week about whether Obama supporters have successfully shut down some pro-Clinton blogs through Blogspot. A Google spokesperson said the real culprit here was an errant spam filter: “…It appears that our anti-spam filters caused some Blogger accounts to be blocked from creating new posts. While we are still investigating, we believe this may have been caused by mass spam e-mails mentioning the ‘Just Say No Deal’ network of blogs, which in turn caused our system to classify the blog addresses mentioned in the e-mails as spam. We have restored posting rights to the affected blogs, and it is very important to us that Blogger remain a tool for political debate and free expression.”

* The NRA is investing $40 million in the presidential campaign, most of which, one assumes, will be devoted to attacking Obama.

* To my delight, Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio) may have trouble getting re-elected this year.





#board-2412


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* A sales crash: “June auto sales plunged, according to reports from the nation’s major automakers, as Americans shunned pickups and SUVs in the face of record gas prices and growing concerns about the weak economy. Despite high gas prices, sales of many fuel efficient car models also fell sharply in the month as automakers were caught without the supply of vehicles that people suddenly wanted to buy.”

* How bad was the stock market in June? It was “the worst June for the S&P 500 and the Dow industrials since the Great Depression.” Wow.

* For the second month in a row, more U.S. and NATO troops were killed in Afghanistan than in Iraq.

* This is the kind of headline you get when you go to the well once too many times: “McCain Camp on Military Jabs: It’s a Conspiracy.”

* For what it’s worth, Sen. Jim Webb’s (D-Va.) office doesn’t know why McCain thinks Webb attacked him: “Senator Webb has never, and would never, demean the service of anyone who has stepped forward to serve our country. To the contrary, he was calling on those on all sides of the debate to refrain from implying that their political views are representative of the military writ large.” Oh, don’t go confusing McCain with facts again.

* On a related note, it looks as if a McCain surrogate has started attacking Wesley Clark’s military service. I’d expect a few days of a massive whine-a-thon, were Democrats not already grown-ups.

* Jonah Goldberg, surprisingly enough, apparently isn’t convinced that the United States is great.

* I dare readers to watch this video and tell me why news consumers would regularly watch the cable news networks voluntarily.

* If foreign policy is McCain’s area of expertise, he should probably know the difference between Sudan and Somalia.

* Keith Olbermann’s latest “special comment“: Obama and the FISA “compromise.”

* Note to Republican campaign staffers: suck-puppetry almost always ends badly.

* I almost feel sorry for BWM Direct, Inc. Once the TPM crew has sunk its teeth into a potential corruption story, the target of their inquiries rarely ends up looking good.

* This probably wasn’t the kind of news Norm Coleman’s re-election campaign was hoping for: “Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a complaint with the Senate Select Committee on Ethics asking for an investigation into whether Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) violated the Senate gifts rule by accepting lodging from Republican operative Jeff Larson.”

* McCain appears to be touting free trade at a time when most Americans are in a very different place.

* I think Wal-Mart needs more than a new logo.

* Note to the McCain campaign: I’m pretty sure Bush supported his own “surge” policy.

* And finally, just what will it take for conservative Republicans to stop repeating the lie that China is drilling for oil in Cuban waters?

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* If the McCain campaign wants to do more to distance McCain from Bush, it probably shouldn’t send out pictures of McCain and Bush standing side by side.

* McCain blasted Barack Obama yesterday for not having voted to confirm Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. When McCain learned that Joe Lieberman had also voted against Alito’s confirmation, McCain decided it was time to change the subject. Imagine that.

* Was Obama hinting about his VP intentions yesterday? “I love Kathleen Sebelius,” Obama said. “I think she is as talented a public official as there is right now. Integrity. Competence. She can work with all people of all walks of life, but I promised that I am not going to say anything about my vice president until I actually introduce my vice president.”

* Why is McCain accepting major financial support from an accused sponsor of terrorists? “The co-host of a recent top-dollar fundraiser for Sen. John McCain oversaw the payment of roughly $1.7 million to a Colombian paramilitary group that is today designated a terrorist organization by the United States.”

* It looks like reports of Obama’s difficulties with Latino voters have been greatly exaggerated: “Hispanic registered voters’ support for Barack Obama for president remained consistent and strong in June, with Obama leading John McCain by 59% to 29% among this group.”

* A new CNN/Opinion Research national poll shows Obama leading McCain by five, 50% to 45%. (The same poll, by the way, found that 90% of Americans consider McCain patriotic, while 73% said the same of Obama.)

* One of the fastest growing groups on Obama’s website is made up of more than 7,000 supporters calling on him “to reverse his decision” on the pending FISA “compromise.”

* The polls out of Florida have been all over the place, but in the latest survey from Public Policy Polling (D), Obama enjoys a narrow edge over McCain in the Sunshine State, 46% to 44%.

* Speaking of Florida, Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) won’t be up for re-election until 2010, but his numbers at this point look awfully weak.

* Public Policy Polling (D) also shows McCain leading Obama by four in North Carolina, 45% to 41%.

* Quinnipiac shows Obama crushing McCain in Connecticut, 56% to 35%.

* Rudy Giuliani still seems to believe he’s better qualified for the presidency than McCain.

* McCain’s campaign has decided to stop advertising on vehemently anti-Obama websites, including one that compares the Democratic candidate to Hitler.

* Hillary Clinton’s team has decided to pull its anti-Obama ads from its campaign website and YouTube.

* The only Senate Democrat who’s worried about re-election this year, Louisiana’s Mary Landrieu, is holding onto a modest lead over Republican state Treasurer John Kennedy, 46% to 40%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* I’ve known Brian for a while, and this is just stunning: “Brian Beutler, a well-known progressive blogger, was shot and seriously injured during a mugging last night in Washington, D.C. One bullet damaged Beutler’s spleen, and he had it removed during surgery this morning at the Washington Hospital Center. He’s expected to make a ‘pre-trauma’ recovery, which is to say, a completely full recovery.”

* A bear market: “Stocks fell in volatile trade on Wednesday as investors worried about the outlook for corporate profits and the toll of record oil prices on automakers’ prospects.”

* Good news in Colombia: “Colombia said its military rescued former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, three U.S. military contractors and 11 other hostages from leftist rebels on Wednesday. Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said no one was hurt in the operation in eastern Colombia.”

* I really should be used to it by now, but I was truly amazed to see Fox News stoop this low. Just amazing.

* Interesting: “House oversight committee Chairman Henry Waxman says the Bush Administration knew about the September 2007 deal that Texas-based Hunt Oil struck with Kurdish officials in Iraq. That contradicts what President Bush said at the time.”

* Five years ago today: ”’There are some who feel like — that the conditions are such that they can attack us there,” Bush said. ”My answer is, bring them on. We’ve got the force necessary to deal with the security situation.”’

* Christopher Hitchens discovers that waterboarding is torture. Imagine that. “You may have read by now the official lie about this treatment, which is that it ’simulates’ the feeling of drowning. This is not the case. You feel that you are drowning because you are drowning — or, rather, being drowned, albeit slowly and under controlled conditions and at the mercy (or otherwise) of those who are applying the pressure.”

* Why are there miles-long gas lines in Iraq? (thanks to R.K.)

* David Brooks gets sloppy when it comes to attacking Barack Obama’s tax plan.

* If Bill O’Reilly is going to Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette on the air, he should learn who they are.

* I’m a little surprised this didn’t happen sooner: “It was bound to happen when you had a big mess of lawyers disqualified from hiring for illegal reasons. One of the de-selected masses filed a lawsuit claiming $100,000 in damages on Monday.”

* With Jackie Calmes leaving the WSJ for the NYT, I have one less reason to read the Journal.

* Sign of the apocalypse: Rush Limbaugh will be one of the highest paid figures in American media. The mind reels.

* The right really does seem worked up by that “Wall-E” movie. Odd.

* I didn’t think Michael Gerson’s columns could get any more tiresome. I was mistaken — today, after complaining about Obama for the 11 millionth time, he praised Bush’s “intellectual contributions.” Seriously, WaPo, what were you thinking?

* The 10 Most Awesomely Bad Moments of the Bush Presidency.

* I wish I knew what’s wrong with these people: “Here’s yet another variation of the GOP-pushed tall tale that China and Cuba are drilling for oil off American shores. This latest one comes courtesy of GOP Senator John Sununu of New Hampshire, who has trailed Democratic opponent Jeanne Shaheen by wide margins in all the polls, and who by our count is the eighth GOPer to push this silly myth. Sununu’s version: He’s dropped the China part from the tale — now it’s the Cubans who are supposedly doing the oil drilling.”

* And finally, Amanda wins the double entendre award of the day with this very amusing post: “Bush Stimulates The Porn Industry With His Economic Package.”

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Barack Obama unveiled his policy on national service yesterday at an event in Colorado: “His proposals are mostly not new but they are repackaged as a plan for ‘Universal Voluntary Citizen Service’ and include expanding AmeriCorps to 250,000 slots and doubling the size of the Peace Corps. The plan includes expanding initiatives to motivate disadvantaged young people to veer towards service jobs. One new proposal is the creation of a Clean Energy Corps that would promote energy independence by helping to clean up polluted lands and plant trees.”

* In a new Time magazine poll of U.S. Roman Catholics, John McCain enjoys the narrowest of leads, 45% to 44%.

* The Washington Post article yesterday on Obama’s mortgage rate really was a uniquely bad piece of journalism.

* An “independent” arm of Republican National Committee will spent $3 million on TV ads in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, starting Sunday. The ads will focus on energy policy, and according to the AP, represent the first of the RNC’s independent expenditure operation.

* McCain’s allies have found another loophole in the McCain-Feingold campaign-finance law, and will funnel funds through the Republican Governors Association.

* Elizabeth Edwards will head up Health Care for America Now, which intends to invest $40 million over the next several months, promoting universal health care in a national TV ad campaign.

* The Democratic National Convention probably won’t be shortened to three nights instead of four.

* The NYT reports, “The two-million-member Service Employees International Union will be focusing its substantial resources – it has set aside more than $75 million between now and November – on states that have not been traditional battlegrounds. The union’s secretary-treasurer Anna Burger said the S.E.I.U. would devote money and staff to Colorado, North Carolina and Virginia.”

* When the Obama campaign first indicated that it’s optimistic about Virginia this year, the McCain campaign scoffed. Now, the McCain campaign has “bought up ad time for a sixty-second spot in at least four major Virginia media markets.”

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in New York by 31 points, 60% to 29%. Wow.

* Obama met yesterday with editorial board of the Military Times.

* An AP/Yahoo poll shows that more Americans would rather have Barack Obama than John McCain at their summer cookout.

* And despite widespread reports to the contrary, Obama did not deny a fist-bump to a child in Ohio this week.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The U.S. economy has lost jobs for six months in a row: “The economy is likely to keep stumbling at least through the rest of the year, analysts agreed Thursday, after a disappointing government report showed that payroll jobs fell by 62,000 in June.” The employment numbers for April and May were also revised, and both were worse than previously believed.

* Paul Krugman adds some disconcerting context to the latest data: “The U.S. economy needs to add more than 100,000 jobs each month just to keep up with growth in the working-age population. Over the past 6 months, nonfarm payroll employment has fallen more than 400,000. So job creation this year has fallen well over a million jobs short.”

* If only we’d move troops out of Iraq: “The Pentagon has extended the tour of 2,200 Marines in Afghanistan, after insisting for months the unit would come home on time.”

* Conyers isn’t letting Rove off the hook: “The standoff between the House and the Bush administration over the congressional testimony of top White House aides continued on Thursday when House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) threatened to hold Karl Rove in contempt if he follows through on his refusal to respond to a committee subpoena.”

* The courts aren’t buying what Bush’s lawyers are selling: “A federal judge in California said Wednesday that the wiretapping law established by Congress was the ‘exclusive’ means for the president to eavesdrop on Americans, and he rejected the government’s claim that the president’s constitutional authority as commander in chief trumped that law.”

* We can pretty much forget about the Bush administration striking a long-term security arrangement with Iraqi officials before the end of the year.

* $145: “Oil prices raced above $145 a barrel for the first time Thursday as traders added to their bets on the commodity ahead of the long holiday weekend.”

* If you haven’t read the story about how, exactly, Colombian officials freed the hostages yesterday, you really should. It’s quite a tale.

* Not good: “Yesterday, in the Viacom v. Google litigation, the federal court for the Southern District of New York ordered Google to produce to Viacom (over Google’s objections): ‘all data from the Logging database concerning each time a YouTube video has been viewed on the YouTube website or through embedding on a third-party website.’”

* Also not good: “The Justice Department is considering letting the FBI investigate Americans without any evidence of wrongdoing, relying instead on a terrorist profile that could single out Muslims, Arabs or other racial and ethnic groups.”

* I guess Republicans will have to work harder: “According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Wednesday, 35 percent of Americans believe a terrorist attack somewhere in the United States is likely over the next several weeks. The figure is the lowest in a CNN poll since the September 11, 2001, al Qaeda attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people.”

* I wish I knew why McCain’s associates keep questioning Wesley Clark’s military service.

* I often wish Andrea Mitchell were a better journalist, Part I and Part II.

* Ted Kennedy isn’t going to let a brain tumor get in his way; he has work to do.

* I just couldn’t bring myself to suffer through Douglas Feith’s latest op-ed. Matt Duss is a more patient man than I.

* I’m only vaguely aware of who Monica Crowley is, but anyone in her position should realize that plagiarists usually get caught.

* We’re #8! “The U.S. has done the least among the world’s eight largest economies to address global warming, a study released Thursday found. The G-8 Climate Scorecards 2008, released Thursday ahead of next week’s gathering of the Group of Eight on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, also found that none of the eight countries are making improvements large enough to prevent temperature increases that scientists think would cause catastrophic climate changes.”

* And finally, I haven’t been to McDonald’s in years, but if it’s going to annoy the American Family Association, I might just have to make a trip: “Today, the right-wing American Family Association (AFA) announced a boycott of McDonald’s. According to AFA, Ronald McDonald and his gang are part of giant gay agenda.” Of course, the AFA thinks everyone is part of a giant gay agenda, so McD’s probably shouldn’t worry too much.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* This would be an interesting twist on a convention speech: “The Obama campaign hopes to turn the last evening of the Democratic National Convention in Denver on Aug. 28 into a giant rally of voters in a football stadium. The unusual move, confirmed by two sources, would be an echo of John F. Kennedy’s acceptance speech in 1960. Kennedy delivered his address before thousands of supporters at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Obama’s big moment also would fall on the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, delivered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C…. Invesco Field, home of the Denver Broncos, can seat more than 76,000.”

* AP: “Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Thursday that a shake-up in the leadership of his campaign was part of a ‘natural evolution’ as the organization becomes more national in scope.” Yes, right. Over the course of two days, McCain added a new campaign manager, a new campaign structure, a new national political director, and a new field director. As routine as the sunrise, right?

* Noted without comment: “Florida’s most powerful bachelor is getting hitched. Gov. Charlie Crist, single for nearly three decades, on Thursday morning became engaged to his girlfriend of nine months, Carole Rome.” Crist is, of course, a leading VP candidate for the Republican ticket. Rome is — I’m not kidding — an heiress to a Halloween-costume fortune.

* The latest CNN/Opinion Research poll finds that 63% of Americans have a favorable opinion of Obama, while 59% say the same of McCain.

* Obama leads McCain in Rhode Island by 28 points.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As had been rumored, the DNC announced this morning that Barack Obama will accept the party’s presidential nomination at Denver’s Invesco Field at Mile High. The stadium, home to the Denver Broncos, can accommodate more than 75,000 people. It will be the first convention acceptance speech in a stadium since JFK in 1960.

* On a related note, the NYT reported over the weekend that the Dems’ convention has, to date, been “marred by costly setbacks and embarrassing delays.” Howard Dean disputed the accuracy of the report.

* In the latest Gallup Daily Tracking poll, Obama has extended his national lead over John McCain to six points, 48% to 42%. The poll’s three-day rolling average was collected on July 2, 3, and 5.

* On Saturday, Obama thanked the National Education Association for its endorsement but reiterated his support for teacher merit pay, a policy the NEA opposes. Though his position generated some boos at the teachers’ union’s national event, the educators were far more receptive to Obama’s commitment to fix the unpopular “No Child Left Behind Act.”

* It was only a matter of time: “For the first time, the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is about to get a substantial hand from advertisements by an outside group…. Next week, Vets for Freedom — a 20,000-member, nonpartisan organization established by combat veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — plans to begin spending more than $1 million on a TV campaign that will include Ohio, Virginia and New Mexico. The group plans to spend millions more and to add other states to the roster over the next four months. The ad, the largest independent expenditure on a national-security theme in the general election so far, features a number of vets speaking about the success of the surge and the need to finish the job. ”

* As part of the McCain campaign’s effort to replace its leadership, Mike DuHaime has been brought in to serve as political director, deputy campaign manager, and director of the campaign’s field operation. DuHaime is probably best known for having run Rudy Giuliani’s presidential campaign.

* Charlie Black, the McCain campaign’s chief strategist, was willing to acknowledge this morning, “We don’t want to talk about his patriotism and character. We concede that he’s a patriot and person of good character. This is about big issues.”

* Hundreds of Hillary Clinton’s “Hillraisers,” individuals who raised at least $100,000 apiece for her campaign, refuse to support the Democratic ticket this year, in part to protest the media’s treatment of Sen. Clinton during the presidential primaries.

* This raised a lot of eyebrows this morning, but it doesn’t appear to be cause for concern: “While flying from Chicago to Charlotte the presumptive Democratic nominee’s airplane is unexpectedly grounded in St. Louis because of a maintenance problem.” Pilots say they realized while in the air they had “controllability issues” with the “pinch.” It’s being described as a “minor little problem.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Violence in Afghanistan continues to worsen: “A car bomb ripped through the front wall of the Indian Embassy in central Kabul on Monday, killing 40 people in the deadliest attack in Afghanistan’s capital since the fall of the Taliban, officials said.”

* And in Pakistan: “A suicide bomber marked the first anniversary of the military operation against Islamabad’s radical Red Mosque by targeting police guarding the site, killing at least 15 people. The attack on Sunday raised fresh concerns about the stability of nuclear-armed Pakistan and whether it can cope with the scale of the extremist challenge now confronting it. The unofficial death toll stood at 19 late in the day, mostly policemen. There were over 40 injured.”

* And in Iraq: “Yesterday, a ‘wave of attacks in Baghdad and areas north of the capital…shattered a relative lull in violence, killing 16 people and injuring 15.’ The attacks came just one day after Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki declared that his government had ‘defeated’ terrorism in Iraq. Today, a female suicide bomber ‘killed nine people and wounded 12 others in an attack on an Iraqi market.’”

* Interesting: “Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has for the first time suggested establishing a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, a step that the Bush administration has long opposed. Maliki floated the idea on Monday during a visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he spoke with Arab ambassadors about a security pact being negotiated to determine the future role of U.S. troops in Iraq. The agreement would replace a U.N. mandate authorizing the presence of the troops, which is set to expire Dec. 31.”

* After months of speculation, Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) announced that he will not join the Democratic ticket this year: “Last week I communicated to Sen. Obama and his presidential campaign my firm intention to remain in the United States Senate, where I believe I am best equipped to serve the people of Virginia and this country,” Webb said. “Under no circumstances will I be a candidate for vice president.”

* Dems are awfully close to overcoming Republican obstructionism on Medicare: “Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Finance Committee, said Monday that Democrats are “oh so close” to finding a 60th vote to move forward with a Medicare fix that would postpone a 10.6 percent cut in doctors’ reimbursements. ‘We don’t always get a second chance in life, but this week senators will get a second chance to do the right thing on Medicare,’ he said on a conference call.”

* You know, John McCain isn’t a good speaker.

* Given recent history, when a U.S. Attorney resigns, there’s reason to be suspicious.

* We haven’t had enough Lee Stranahan videos lately. Here’s a new gem.

* This really isn’t acceptable and warrants an on-air apology: “Recalling previous media attention given to Sen. Hillary Clinton’s laugh, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough said to Air America Radio’s Rachel Maddow: ‘[Y]ou might support Obama, but you’ve got the Clinton cackle down, Rachel. I’m proud of you.’”

* This ought to be interesting: “The Buffalo News reports that former Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards will debate Karl Rove on Sept. 26 on the campus of the University of Buffalo as part of the school’s Distinguished Speakers Series. In the midst of the U.S. attorney scandal, Edwards called on President Bush to ‘fire Karl Rove.’ When Rove announced he was resigning from the White House, Edwards released a statement that simply read ‘Goodbye, good riddance.’”

* Brian Beutler’s recovery is reportedly going well after he was shot three times last week, and Spencer Ackerman has set up a Brian Beutler Medical Relief Fund to help with Brian’s medical expenses. To help, go to Spencer’s site and click on the “donate” link.

* Take a moment to check out this chart. And then consider the fact that McCain wants four more years of the identical policies that produced these results.

* Lifelong Nebraska Republican David Sayers: “The Republican Party has lost its soul…. In the long term, a catastrophic loss in November could be very good for the party.”

* What 1992 and 2008 have in common: “It’s the economy, stupid — again.”

* Good lord, Fox News is still telling viewers that Al Gore claimed to invent the Internet.

* The Plame scandal began five years ago today.

* I really do hate term limits.

* Sounds like progress: “Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) is responding well to radiation and chemotherapy treatments for brain cancer, his wife reported in an e-mail to friends and family obtained Monday by The Associated Press.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Yesterday, the RNC unveiled a new ad attacking Barack Obama on energy policy. This morning, the Obama campaign unveiled a very strong response ad that will air in the same four states as the RNC’s ad — Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

* John McCain appeared on Fox News this morning, and continued to blatantly mischaracterize Obama’s Iraq position. “Oh I think there’s been definitely shifts in position,” McCain said, pointing to nothing in particular.

* The McCain campaign unveiled a new TV ad this morning, called “Love.” It’s pretty ridiculous.

* Howard Wolfson, best known for his work as Hillary Clinton’s communications director, announced last night that he will join Fox News as a contributor. Apparently, the plan is to pit him, head to head, against Karl Rove.

* The scare aboard Obama’s campaign plane may have been a little more serious than we’d been led to believe.

* There are rumors that Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) might hit the campaign trail over the summer with Obama. That would be interesting.

* Just how bad is the Republican brand right now? The RNC is running ads bragging when Republican candidates stand up to the Republican Party. Wow.

* So, why did Jim Webb withdraw from VP consideration?

* In party-unity news: “Terry McAuliffe was obviously one of Hillary’s most aggressive and high-profile advocates during the primary, but now McAuliffe is really doing his part to help Obama get elected. We hear McAuliffe will be the main attraction at a unity event for Obama this Thursday, along with Rep. Artur Davis, a top Obama supporter.”

* The Obama campaign unveiled its congressional liaison team yesterday. “The four-member team includes Phil Schiliro, Rep. Henry Waxman’s long-time chief of staff and the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee’s top Democratic staff person who will become a senior adviser to the campaign.”

* If you can’t beat ‘em, copy ‘em: “First you had the McCain campaign ripping off design elements from the Obama website. Now, a reader sends me proof that the RNC is ripping off the design of the DNC’s email blasts…. Republicans can pretend that adding a border around their text makes it totally different, but in reality, this is just more evidence that the GOP is a party devoid of any fresh or original ideas. Or creativity.”

* I found this news delightful: “A new poll suggests that two Republican members of Congress from Miami are facing a tight race from their Democratic challengers — the first significant challenge to the incumbents in years. The poll, by Bendixen & Associates, shows Reps. Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart, Cuban-American brothers with a long Miami political pedigree, are leading their Democratic challengers by only single digits with four months to go to the election. Potentially more troubling for the GOP incumbents, the poll shows neither cracked 50 percent of the vote. That’s a far cry from their dominance in previous campaigns.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* A hint of progress, now that Bush won’t have to deal with the follow-through: “The United States joined its allies Tuesday in committing for the first time to try to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050, as the Group of Eight major industrialized nations approved a plan aimed at spurring a new worldwide treaty to limit global warming.” It’s still weak tea: “In a statement, President Bush and the other G-8 leaders said they would work with other countries to ‘consider and adopt’ the 50-percent reductions as part of a new United Nations treaty to be negotiated in Copenhagen at the end of 2009.”

* This is worth keeping an eye on: “The Federal Reserve will issue new rules next week aimed at protecting future homebuyers from dubious lending practices, its most sweeping response to a housing crisis that has propelled foreclosures to record highs…. Bernanke said the Fed may give squeezed Wall Street firms more time to tap the central bank’s emergency loan program.”

* Hagee is apparently feeling shy: “Late last week, with no prior notification, lawyers for the controversial evangelist John Hagee had a series of videos concerning the pastor removed from YouTube. The clips spanned from the contentious to the mundane; some included footage lifted from sermons Hagee had already made public, others involved documentaries made by filmmakers inside Hagee’s conventions. All told more than 120 videos were taken down in the abrupt sweep.”

* I know Mike Huckabee wants to be on the Republican ticket in the worst way, but this is just insane: “Yesterday, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee appeared on Fox News’s Hannity and Colmes to talk about Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) lack of ‘convictions.’ Huckabee held up the late conservative senator Jesse Helms as an example of someone Obama should aspire to be.”

* It appears John McCain really doesn’t like being questioned about, well, much of anything. When pressed on CNN to explain why his budget numbers don’t add up, McCain got more than a little annoyed.

* Disappointing the Republican establishment, consultant Mike Murphy announced today that he will not be part of McCain’s campaign operation. “I do not expect to join the campaign,” Murphy said. “They’re my friends, and I wish them well.”

* Waxman still wants answers: “House Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) is wielding more than his gavel against Attorney General Michael Mukasey. In a letter to the AG today, Waxman brought out the big guns, stating that the Committee would vote to hold him in contempt on July 16, if he failed to produce a report on an interview with Vice President Cheney regarding the Valerie Plame leak scandal.”

* This was the subject of quite a bit of scuttlebutt: “Marcus Brauchli, whose appointment as the new executive editor of The Washington Post had been rumored for days, was officially named top editor late Monday, the Post reported on its Web site.”

* Former Senate aide Michael E. O’Neill doesn’t want a plagiarism controversy to interfere with his nomination for a lifetime position on the federal bench.

* Asked a year ago what he’d do if Maliki asked us to withdraw from Iraq, Bush said, “I don’t see how we could stay. It is his country.”

* Be still my heart — the NYT noted today that when it comes to Iraq policy, Obama has “wavered very little from the stance he took many months ago,” despite the fact that the “McCain campaign has labored hard to suggest that he is inconsistent on this issue.” Look, everyone! A reporter engaged in journalism! About the presidential campaign, no less!

* If you haven’t seen the Blue America/Color of Change full-page ad in the Washington Post today, be sure to take a look — top half, bottom half.

* For a very different perspective, consider Morton Halperin, the executive director of the Open Society Policy Center, who was on Nixon’s enemies list, and who argued today in an NYT op-ed that the FISA “compromise” isn’t that bad. “The compromise legislation that will come to the Senate floor this week is not the legislation that I would have liked to see, but I disagree with those who suggest that senators are giving in by backing this bill,” Halperin argued, adding, “As someone whose civil liberties were violated by the government, I understand this legislation isn’t perfect. But I also believe … that it represents our best chance to protect both our national security and our civil liberties. For that reason, it has my personal support.”

* On MSNBC, no McCain flip-flop is too obvious to be overlooked.

* And what has the AP stooped to? Running stories, and fielding polls, about the candidates and household pets. Seriously.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In response to Iranian missile tests this morning, John McCain said the developments “cry out for collective action,” and insisted the U.S. should end “trade and diplomatic” activities. Barack Obama said in a statement, “Now is the time to work with our friends and allies, and to pursue direct and aggressive diplomacy with the Iranian regime backed by tougher unilateral and multilateral sanctions. It’s time to offer the Iranians a clear choice between increased costs for continuing their troubling behavior, and concrete incentives that would come if they change course.”

* More intra-party unity: “In another sign that Barack Obama’s campaign is moving with all deliberate speed to deal with tensions created by the long primary season, it announced today that Dana Singiser, who was Director of Women’s Outreach for Hillary Clinton’s campaign, would be brought aboard as a senior advisor to ‘help direct efforts to win the women’s vote.’”

* And still more intra-party unity: “The Democratic unity-fest is set to continue this week, with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton teaming up for some big-money fundraising events on Wednesday and Thursday, the Obama campaign has announced. The two will meet for a Wednesday evening fundraiser in Washington, followed by a Women For Obama breakfast Thursday morning in New York City.”

* The NYT had a very good piece today on the McCain campaign’s healthcare plan and how it relates to those with pre-existing conditions.

* Don’t expect any more Obama-family interviews anytime soon.

* I’d probably avoid hiring this firm: “Former Clinton strategist Mark Penn is teaming up with former Bush strategist Karen Hughes to ‘create a bipartisan consulting organization to advise corporations in crisis.’ Penn will hire Hughes as his vice-chairman. Penn ‘has been blamed in recent months for [Hillary Clinton’s] failed candidacy,’ while Hughes failed in marketing Bush’s policies to the Muslim and Arab world.”

* Obama hit McCain on immigration yesterday, reminding a Latino audience that McCain abandoned his support for McCain’s own immigration legislation during the campaign.

* I think it’s safe to say Congress, as an institution, is not especially popular right now.

* The Planned Parenthood Action Fund officially endorsed Obama yesterday, and Obama spoke to hundreds of the group’s members on a celebratory conference call yesterday afternoon. Keep in mind, this is only the second time the Planned Parenthood Action Fund has officially endorsed a presidential candidate.

* John Kerry won’t be Obama’s running mate.

* Mark Warner has some advice for Obama in winning Virginia: “The roadmap Warner laid out for Obama — win major margins in northern Virginia, drive turnout in the outer suburbs of Washington and “not get smoked in the rural parts of the state” — is a carbon copy of the strategy Warner used to win the governorship in 2001 and that he is implementing in his race this fall against former Republican governor Jim Gilmore.”

* If the catch phrase in McCain’s new TV ad sounds familiar, it’s because the Tories used the exact same line in England in the ’70s.

* Democrats gain ground in Nevada: “According to the secretary of state’s office, 55,560 more Democrats than Republicans are on the active voter rolls in Nevada, as of the end of June. The gap widened from 50,020 in May and represents 5 percent of the 1,031,984 active voters.”

* In Alaska, Mark Begich unveiled two new statewide TV ads, one of which is a biographical spot, while the other talks about energy policy. (That sound you hear is Ted Stevens getting increasingly nervous.)

* Defeating Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) this year continues to look like a long-shot.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Oh my: “At least six people were killed Wednesday after gunmen opened fire outside the U.S. consulate in Istanbul. Several armed men attacked the police post at the consulate’s entrance at around 11 a.m. local time, Turkish television channels reported. Istanbul Gov. Muammer Guler said that three police officers and three attackers were killed during the 15-minute shootout. At least one suspect was believed to remain at-large.”

* I’m quite certain the war in Iraq isn’t over: “At least 14 people were killed in bomb attacks on Wednesday, including a suicide bombing against an Iraqi general who escaped unharmed, the officer and security officials said. A suicide bomber rammed his explosives-filled car against the convoy of General Riyadh Jalal Tauffiq, the head of the security operations in Iraq’s main northern city of Mosul and its surrounding province of Nineveh.”

* In the wake of the FISA vote, the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation are already planning to challenge the new legislation in court, presumably after Bush signs it into law.

* In dramatic fashion, Sen. Ted Kennedy returned to the Senate floor this afternoon, helped break a Republican filibuster, and helped pass long-stalled Medicare legislation. I needed a little good news today….

* Today’s message in Iraq doesn’t sound like yesterday’s message: “A deadline should be set for the withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces from Iraq, and the pullout could be done by 2011, an Iraqi government spokesman said Tuesday. Ali al-Dabbagh said any timetable would depend on “conditions and the circumstances that the country would be undergoing.” But he said a pullout within “three, four or five” years was possible. ‘It can be 2011 or 2012,’ al-Dabbagh said. (thanks to R.K. for the tip)

* In the latest example of the AP going out of its way to help John McCain’s presidential campaign, the wire service got the story about McCain’s “joke” on killing Iranians wildly wrong. Note to the AP: the interesting angle here had nothing to do with McCain’s wife.

* On a related note, it’s not just the AP. All kinds of media personalities came forward today to, of course, defend McCain and explain that his “joke” about killing Iranians shouldn’t be taken seriously. McCain’s “base,” in other words, remains very much intact.

* The White House nearly created an international incident by plagiarizing from a site called Encyclopedia of World Biography, and then neglecting to read the text it stole. Ugh.

* Congress is unpopular, but it’s not that unpopular.

* True: “Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) cannot win the presidency if the election becomes a referendum on President Bush, a prominent Republican lawmaker, Rep. Tom Davis (Va.), declared Wednesday. ‘If this is a referendum on Bush, then this race is over,’ Davis said on a conference call with reporters.”

* The McCain campaign is lying about Obama’s position on Iran. It must be a day that ends in “y.”

* Some necessary pushback against Fox News’ attacks against Michelle Obama.

* I enjoy all of the episodes of Bloggingheads.tv, but the latest, featuring Matt Yglesias and TNR’s Jamie Kirchik, was especially entertaining (especially when Matt pushed back against Kirchik’s talk about Obama “flip-flopping” on Iraq, which, of course, never happened).

* You may have noticed the odd, news-free New York Times Magazine cover story this week on Rush Limbaugh. What readers probably didn’t realize, though, is that the NYT inexplicably gave the assignment to Zev Chafets, a conservative who wants to defend the right-wing blowhard from the “liberal media.” (Call me crazy, but the fact that Chafets even wrote the piece for the NYT magazine helps prove that there is no liberal media.)

* Note to Pat Buchanan: If you don’t want people to think you’re a racist, don’t advertise your new book on a neo-Nazi talk show. Just a helpful hint.

* And speaking of racism, some Republicans in New Jersey are promoting a message that reads, “Obama loves America like OJ loved Nicole.”

* According to CBS News foreign correspondent Kimberly Dozier, Gen. David Petraeus “won’t let folks use words like ‘triumph’ or ‘victory’ or say ‘we’re winning.’” I wonder if McCain will get that message.

* Good for him: “L.F. Eason III gave up the only job he’d ever had rather than lower a flag to honor former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms. Eason, a 29-year veteran of the state Department of Agriculture, instructed his staff at a small Raleigh lab not to fly the U.S. or North Carolina flags at half-staff Monday, as called for in a directive to all state agencies by Gov. Mike Easley. When a superior ordered the lab to follow the directive, Eason decided to retire rather than pay tribute to Helms.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new USAT/Gallup national poll shows Barack Obama leading John McCain by six, 48% to 42%. Among the key details, once again, is the enthusiasm gap: “In all, 67% of Obama supporters say they’re more excited than usual about voting, compared with 31% of McCain backers. A 54% majority of McCain voters report being less excited than usual.”

* Yesterday morning, Obama and David Axelrod quietly went to the offices of Covington and Burling, the workplace of Eric Holder, one of the members of Obama’s vice-presidential search team. After a two-hour meeting, Obama left the building, and was asked by a reporter who he was meeting with. Obama smiled and replied, “I’m not telling you.”

* NYT: “Senator Barack Obama asked a roomful of his loyal donors in New York on Wednesday night to help his primary foe Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton pay off part of the $23 million in debt she ran up trying to beat him. After he finished a 30-minute address to about 1,000 donors in a ballroom at the Grand Hyatt New York, Mr. Obama returned to the microphone and said that giving money to Mrs. Clinton was one of the best ways to ensure that the Democratic Party would be unified in the fall campaign.”

* We’ve been hearing for months that less-educated voters are reluctant to back Obama. The latest data from Gallup suggests the conventional wisdom is wrong: “In June, voters with a high school education or less were as likely to prefer John McCain as to prefer Barack Obama for president. That represents a change from earlier in the campaign — McCain led Obama among this group during the prior three months, but by diminishing margins.” In March, McCain led Obama among voters with a high-school degree or less, 47% 40%. In June, the two candidates were tied at 43% each.

* To accommodate coverage of the Democratic convention’s final evening, the Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans have agreed to move their Aug. 28 game up an hour.

* Is the McCain campaign coordinating illegally with Vets for Freedom? Questions abound.

* The McCain campaign has been flooding Missouri with TV ads, while the Obama campaign is ramping up its ground operation in the Show Me State. As of now, the polls look close — Rasmussen shows McCain up by five, and Public Policy Polling puts McCain’s lead at three.

* Obama leads McCain in New Jersey by five, 44% to 39%.

* Obama leads McCain in Illinois by 13, 50% to 37%. (I have a strong hunch that margin will be much higher on Election Day.)

* McCain leads Obama in Alabama by 13, 49% to 36%. For what it’s worth, McCain’s lead was 24 points a month ago.

* The DNC unveiled a new web video yesterday, hitting McCain for his constantly-evolving expectations on the war in Iraq.

* The AFL-CIO has a new ad going after McCain on his poor record on veterans’ benefits. The ad is headed for the airwaves in Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

* Progressive Media U.S.A. is back — as ProgressiveAccountability.org. There’s a great group of people over there; I’m delighted to know they’re back at work. The site is definitely a terrific resource.

* Marc Ambinder reports, “Hillary Clinton has reconstituted her political action committee — another sign that she plans to remain a political force for years to come.”

* And the Senate race in Minnesota featuring incumbent Norm Coleman (R) and Al Franken (D) might get a little more bizarre: former wrestler and Gov. Jesse Ventura (I) may throw his hat in the ring, and will announce his plans on Tuesday.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Not surprisingly, Bush didn’t waste any time: “President Bush signed a bill Thursday that overhauls rules about government eavesdropping and grants immunity to telecommunications companies that helped the U.S. spy on Americans in suspected terrorism cases. He called it ‘landmark legislation that is vital to the security of our people.’”

* Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), a leading opponent of the “compromise” FISA bill, told Rachel Maddow that the surest way to correct the Senate’s mistake is to elect Barack Obama and have him work with a Democratic Congress to set things right.

* The Hill: “The Senate on Thursday nearly unanimously confirmed Gen. David Petraeus as the new commander of the U.S. Central Command and Gen. Ray Odierno, Bush’s pick as the top U.S. military commander in Iraq. Sens. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) opposed the confirmation of Petraeus, while only Harkin opposed Odierno.”

* Conspiracy theorist concerned about Obama’s campaign plane the other day can rest easy: “[T]he NTSB reported, ‘examination of the hardware did not reveal any evidence of missing components, nor any evidence of tampering.’ Instead, it appears a strange — but perfectly legitimate and unsuspicious — malfunction is at hand.”

* I’m pretty sure Dems have the votes to beat this: “Bush will stand by his longstanding threat to veto Medicare legislation passed by the Senate Wednesday, the White House confirmed. The veto will set up override votes in the House and Senate, where the legislation passed with more than the two-thirds majority needed to overcome the president’s rejection.”

* Speaking of the White House opposing good bills, the House approved a measure to provide housing assistance to homeless veterans. Bush opposes the measure because it requires “builders of veterans housing to pay employees prevailing wage,” and we can’t have that.

* Did Iranian officials tamper with the photograph of their missile test yesterday? It looks like it.

* Good: “House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday shut the door on expanding oil and gas drilling beyond areas that have already been approved for energy exploration, drawing a clear distinction from her counterparts in charge of the Senate.”

* You know what Alaska really needed? Another allegedly corrupt Republican official under indictment.

* Why it’s amusing that Mitt Romney speaks French.

* ABC’s Charles Gibson did an entire segment last night on “flip-flops” with John McCain, but it never occurred to him to ask about any of McCain’s 61 reversals. Imagine what our democracy would be like if the media wasn’t so awful….

* Good: “From Rose Mary Woods’ tape recordings in the Nixon White House to Karl Rove’s e-mails during the Bush administration, congressional investigators and political historians are forever seeking records of White House communications, often against the wishes of the sitting president. Hoping to boost their efforts, the Democratic-controlled House moved Wednesday to impose new rules to preserve e-mails from the White House and other federal agencies, acting in defiance of a veto threat from President Bush.”

* Jesse Jackson is still apologizing.

* Phil Gramm doesn’t speak for John McCain, expect when he speaks for John McCain.

* The Elian Gonzales story was eight years ago. Let it go….

* And finally: “Amigo! Amigo!” Mr. Bush called out cheerily in Spanish when he spotted the Italian prime minister. “How you doing, Silvio? Good to see you!” Um, Mr. President? “Amigo” is Spanish. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi speaks Italian. Just FYI.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Wall Street Journal reported this morning that the Obama campaign only raised $30 million in June, a number the Journal described as “underwhelming.” Soon after Obama spokesperson Dan Pfeiffer responded, “The Wall Street Journal report of our fundraising numbers is way off the mark. It appears that after 18 months, some in the press still haven’t realized that anyone who is talking about numbers doesn’t know what our numbers are.”

* Speaking of fundraising: “On a conference call with reporters, the McCain campaign said it has $95 million cash-on-hand, with most of that money — about $67 million — held by the Republican National Committee. Campaign manager Rick Davis also said McCain was outspending Barack Obama on the airwaves by a wide margin.”

* North Dakota is a solid, reliable “red” state, right? Maybe not: “John McCain and Barack Obama are tied in the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of North Dakota voters. Both men earn 43% of the vote. When leaners are included, McCain holds a statistically insignificant one-point advantage, 47% to 46%.”

* Rasmussen also has good news for Obama in Wisconsin, where Obama now leads by 10, 52% to 42%.

* Running-mate news: “Barack Obama’s presidential campaign has requested information from Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd as part of its search for a possible vice presidential candidate.”

* More running-mate news: “On Fox, former Clinton chief strategist Howard Wolfson indicated that Hillary Clinton is not being formally considered as Obama’s running mate, in that she has not been asked to undergo the formal vetting process.”

* Yesterday, McCain went after Obama on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, saying, “This is the same organization that I voted to condemn as a terrorist organization when an amendment was on the floor of the United States Senate. Senator Obama refused to vote.” In reality, there are two lies in the same attack — McCain didn’t vote to condemn the IRG, and Obama agrees that the IRG deserves to be labeled a terrorist organization.

* McCain has a new TV ad targeting Latino voters.

* Phil Gramm still thinks he’s right.

* Former Georgia Rep. Cynthia McKinney is the favorite to win the Green Party presidential nomination.

* In New Jersey, Sen. Frank Lautenberg’s (D) lead is a little wider than it was, with the incumbent now leading by 13, 49% to 36%.




#board-2412


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Another unpleasant day for market-watchers: “Wall Street’s angst over the ongoing fallout from the credit crisis made for a turbulent end to a volatile week Friday — stocks tumbled, soared and then turned south again as investors tried to assess the dangers faced by the country’s biggest mortgage financiers, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The Dow Jones industrial average, which traded down more than 250 points in the session, briefly moved into positive territory Friday before resuming its decline. The blue chips also fell below 10,000 for the first time in two years before recovering.”

* Oh, and the price of a barrel of oil topped $147 for the first time, too.

* A large ice plate is “hanging by its last thread” to Antarctica.

* NYT: “Turkish police have now detained 10 suspects in the armed attack on the United States Consulate on Wednesday that killed six people, the governor of Istanbul said Friday.”

* There’s been a lot of buzz about this story, but the Bush Administration is denying earlier reports: “It looks like the story that the Bush administration pressured the German government to nix an Obama speech at Berlin’s historic Brandenburg Gate is getting shakier. The Treasury Department has just told me that stories in the German press saying that a Treasury official expressed open hostility to the idea are ‘not an accurate reflection of what he said.’”

* More on this tomorrow: “The Bush administration today disavowed its own proposal to seek comment on whether the government should regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act, declaring that the proposed approach would be unworkable.”

* Good: “The Bush administration was dealt a setback on Friday in its efforts to keep records of White House visitors under wraps when an appeals court refused to throw out a lawsuit seeking access to the material. The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that it would be premature to consider reversal of a lower court ruling last December that the White House visitor logs were public records, and that the administration should stop withholding them from scrutiny by outside groups.”

* The president apparently intends to veto the just-passed Medicare bill. It’s a fight against congressional Democrats that Bush is almost certain to lose.

* Interesting: “The chief prosecutor of the Internationals Criminal Court will seek an arrest warrant Monday for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, charging him with genocide and crimes against humanity in the orchestration of a campaign of violence that led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians in the nation’s Darfur region during the past five years, according to U.N. officials and diplomats.”

* Lawrence Lessig thinks the netroots are overreacting on FISA: “The hysteria that has broken out among we on the left in response to Obama’s voting for the FISA compromise was totally predictable. Some more cynical types might say, so predictable as to be planned. National campaigns are dominated by people who believe a leftist can’t be elected to national office. That means events that signal a candidate is not a leftist are critical for any election to national office.”

* Here’s a concept I can get behind: “Media Trolls.”

* Republicans are finding new and creative ways to lie about the Chinese drilling for oil in Cuban waters.

* It was only a matter of time before conservative media personalities began telling us how right Phil Gramm is about the strength of the economy. Weekly Standard executive editor Fred Barnes is just a little ahead of the curve.

* Vermonters may be pleased to learn that the award-winning Candleblog has been redesigned. It’s fancy, now.

* And finally, let’s just say Fox News isn’t having a very good year: “Fox News desperately needs a fact checker in its graphics department. MSNBC’s David Shuster caught this gem from a Fox report on the Iranian missile tests. The graphic that Fox used to identify the Strait of Hormuz put the strait in the wrong location, and misspelled ’strait.’ For good measure, the Fox reporter also mispronounced ‘Hormuz.’”

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Voter-registration numbers in Florida look very good for Democrats: “The numbers are ominous for Republicans: Through May, Democratic voter registration in Broward County was up 6.7 percent. Republican registrations grew just 3 percent while independents rose 2.8 percent. Democrats have posted even greater gains statewide, up 106,508 voters from January through May, compared with 16,686 for the Republicans. ‘It’s a huge swing,’ says Marian Johnson, political director for the Florida Chamber of Commerce. ‘I looked at that and said, ‘Wow.’”

* How discouraging is the landscape for Senate Republicans? A spokesperson for the NRSC said late last week, “We have no safe seats right now. In a normal election year, we would not be concerned at all. But those are the cards we’re dealt. We’re not taking any states for granted.”

* More intra-party unity news: “Karen Dunn, a former aide to Hillary Clinton, is becoming the deputy to Obama’s chief strategist, David Axelrod, a source familiar with the plan said.”

* California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) told ABC News yesterday that he’s willing to serve in an Obama administration, possibly as an energy and environment czar. “I’d take his call now, and I’d take his call when he’s president — any time,” Schwarzenegger said of Obama.

* Obama had an important message on McCain’s education record while speaking to the American Federation of Teachers over the weekend: “For someone who’s been in Washington nearly 30 years, he’s got a pretty slim record on education, and when he has taken a stand, it’s been the wrong one.”

* Rasmussen’s daily tracking poll has Obama’s lead down to just one point, 47% to 46%.

* Obama has 15 field offices in Iowa. McCain has one.

* Americans seem to believe race relations can improve under a President Obama: “Barack Obama’s groundbreaking candidacy has raised high expectations among blacks and whites that his election would make race relations in the United States better. A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll of nearly 2,000 Americans also finds about a third of both groups say the defeat of the first black to win a major party’s presidential nomination would worsen race relations.”

* There were several polls in Missouri last week that showed McCain with a modest lead, but a new Research 2000 poll shows Obama leading in Missouri by five, 48% to 43%.

* Rasmussen has Obama up by eight in Washington state, 48% to 39%.

* There’s been some evidence that Mike Huckabee wants to be McCain’s running mate, but he’s now expressing less interest. “I’m not sitting around waiting on the phone to ring and right now — it would really mess up a lot of things I have going,” he told an Iowa radio station.

* In response to the controversy surrounding Phil Gramm’s “nation of whiners” remarks, the McCain campaign is pretending that Gramm isn’t close to McCain anymore.

* Comedian Bernie Mac made a surprise appearance at an Obama fundraiser on Friday night, and told a few inappropriate jokes. Obama teased Mac later, saying he’d need to “clean up [his] act.” The media found this fascinating.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Conditions in Afghanistan are getting worse: “Nine U.S. soldiers were killed in heavy fighting Sunday at a military base in eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistani border, according to a Western official. The attack was the deadliest against U.S. forces in the country since 2005.”

* The AP noted that the attacks on the American outpost in eastern Afghanistan have “deepened doubts about the U.S. military’s effort to contain Islamic militants and keep locals on its side.”

* The Fannie, Freddie fallout: “Buyers flocked to Freddie Mac’s $3 billion debt sale on Monday, just hours after the U.S. government pledged support for the nation’s top mortgage finance agencies, but the steps failed to stem growing alarm on Wall Street…. U.S. stocks quickly shed initial gains as investors feared the steps will do little stem the losses spreading through the financial sector in the wake of a deflating housing market and stalling economy.”

* Good: “The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court filed genocide charges Monday against Sudan’s president, accusing him of masterminding attempts to wipe out African tribes in Darfur with a campaign of murder, rape and deportation.”

* We haven’t seen a good ol’ fashioned bank run in a while: “IndyMac Bank, the second-largest financial institution to close in U.S. history, reopened Monday after being taken over by federal regulators. Hundreds of worried customers lined up to pull as much money as they could from the failed financial institution. However, federal regulators said it could be years before the affairs of the bank were fully resolved.”

* I had no idea it was this out of control: “The nation’s terrorist watch list has hit one million names, according to a tally maintained by the American Civil Liberties Union based upon the government’s own reported numbers for the size of the list. ‘Members of Congress, nuns, war heroes and other ’suspicious characters,’ with names like Robert Johnson and Gary Smith, have become trapped in the Kafkaesque clutches of this list, with little hope of escape,’ said Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office.”

* The House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform had trouble investigating Pat Tillman’s death — everyone involved had Alberto Gonzales-like memories.

* Say hello Anheuser-Busch InBev: “After turning down an initial bid from Belgian-Brazilian suitor InBev, Anheuser-Busch accepted a higher bid of $70 per share. That’s a $52 billion price tag for the King of Beers, up from $46 billion. The companies today announced their formal agreement to combine into the world’s largest brewer with the very inventive name of Anheuser-Busch InBev. The new company also will rank the fifth largest consumer product company in the world.”

* Bob Novak reported over the weekend that Joe Lieberman “will be kicked out of the party’s caucus next year and lose his Senate chairmanship if he addresses the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., as planned.”

* Not surprisingly, Iranian officials heard about John McCain’s joke about their deaths, and formally denounced him.

* This probably won’t help Ted Stevens’ re-election chances in Alaska.

* Under no circumstances should we hear major media personalities talking about “oreos” in a racial context.

* It was only a matter of time before Mike Huckabee got his own show.

* A 13-part series on the unsolved murder of Chandra Levy? Really?

* The world’s oldest blogger has died at age 108.

* Awaken your inner elephant. (This might be my favorite Stranahan video yet, and I tend to love ‘em all.)

* Didn’t Bush give up golf to honor the troops?

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Obama campaign unveiled its first new TV ad in a while, called, “America’s Leadership.” The spot focuses on Obama’s bipartisan work on counter-proliferation, with Obama explaining, “The single most important national security threat that we face is nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorists.” The commercial will run in 18 states, including 14 “red” states.

* A new Quinnipiac poll shows Obama leading John McCain nationally by nine, 50% to 41%.

* Fortunately, wrestler-turned-politician Jesse Ventura told Larry King last night, “I’m not going to run at this moment” for the U.S. Senate. What about the “at this moment” qualifier? Ventura would have to change his mind very quickly: the federal filing deadline is today.

* Obama spoke to the NAACP yesterday, once again arguing that “African Americans needed to take more responsibility for their lives and families, a theme that had angered one of the icons of the civil rights movement.” The message seemed to resonate with, rather than alienate, the audience.

* McCain surrogate/advisor Carly Fiorina told NBC that McCain is committed to “fully” funding No Child Left Behind. In reality, McCain has already voted against fully funding the education policy.

* Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) is generating some VP buzz, but he’s not pushing it. “There are people that are spending a lot of time, one, looking for candidates, and … trying to promote themselves as candidates,” Reed said. “And I’m in neither category.”

* Is John McCain campaigning in Arizona?

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Michigan by eight, 47% to 39%.

* Public Policy Polling (D) shows Obama leading McCain in Colorado by four, 47% to 43%.

* I never would have imagined South Dakota being in any way competitive, but Rasmussen shows McCain’s lead in South Dakota down to just four points, 47% to 43%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Louisiana by 19, 56% to 37%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Iowa by 10, 48% to 38%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Minnesota by 10, 52% to 34%.

* Speaking of Michigan, Obama has quite a ground operation in the state. Put it this way, the Kerry campaign took Michigan seriously in ‘04, and Obama’s operation is already twice as big.

* Obama’s fundraising in Orange County, Calif., is surprisingly strong.

* Who’s leading the Senate race in Minnesota? It depends on which pollster you listen to.

* Missouri’s gubernatorial race is looking awfully good for state attorney general Jay Nixon.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Violence remains a problem in Iraq: “Two suicide bombers posing as army recruits struck an Iraqi base just east of Baquba on Tuesday morning, killing at least 35 Iraqi recruits and wounding 63, according to the Iraqi police and medical officials in Diyala Province.”

* More: “Scattered sandals and overturned bicycles were all that remained hours after suicide bombers struck the Saad military camp. Medical staff had finished unloading the white body bags at the nearby hospital, where the wounded moaned on bloodstained floors and weeping soldiers kneeled over slain comrades. The twin blasts in Baqouba recalled the scenes of mass terror and grief that were almost a daily routine before last year’s steep decline in violence.”

* It’s really a haunting video: “In a video released Tuesday, a 16-year-old captured in Afghanistan cries out for his mother and says he needs treatment for his battle wounds during questioning by Canadian officials at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay. ‘Oh Mommy,’ he cries in despair in Arabic when he is alone in the room, watched only by hidden cameras.”

* He didn’t sound optimistic: “The twin problems of slow growth and rising prices are making it difficult for federal policymakers to chart a course for the economy, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said today, as he outlined a raft of problems facing the country — including ‘ongoing strains’ at banks and finance companies and a string of recent job losses and declining home prices.”

* We knew this was coming: “Today President Bush vetoed the bipartisan Medicare bill that would have prevented a 10.6 percent cut in doctor pay for Medicare fees…. Congress will attempt to override the veto ‘as soon as possible,’ said Carol Guthrie, spokeswoman for the Senate Finance Committee. ‘There’s no time to waste.’”

* Brit Hume will step down as a Fox News anchor at the end of the year.

* John McCain still thinks Czechoslovakia exists. (That’s twice in two days.)

* TPMM: “The Homeland Security adviser accused of selling access to the White House provided TPMmuckraker with a string of emails that he says prove he did nothing wrong. Stephen Payne says he never meant to suggest that meetings with high-level Bush administration officials were contingent on big contributions to the future Bush library fund.” Take a look and see what you think of his explanation.

* The PEPFAR vote in the Senate is worth watching.

* And keep an eye on this, too: “Barack Obama is taking heat for hinting that he might refine his 16-month timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq. But a forthcoming Pentagon-sponsored report will recommend an even steeper drawdown in less time, NEWSWEEK has learned. If adopted, the 300-page report by a defense analysis group at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., could transform the debate about Iraq in the presidential election.”

* Some in media are even willing to defend John McCain’s ignorance on tech issues.

* Good: “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Tuesday sought to cut off any shift among Senate Democrats toward more oil drilling as an answer to high energy prices, saying a strong majority of the conference remains opposed.”

* This is a really fascinating tool from Google: “Our teams have been working to develop tools to make it easier for people to track election-related information. A few months back, YouTube encouraged everyone to participate in the discussion process through the CNN/YouTube debates, Google Checkout offered an easy and fast way for individuals to make contributions to political candidates, and the Geo team created maps and layers to inform voters during elections. Today, the Google speech team (part of Google Research) is launching the Google Elections Video Search gadget, our modest contribution to the electoral process.”

* Quote of the Day: “Let’s be cruel. Things have deteriorated to the point where staffers at People are mystified by the inanity of the political press corps.”

* And finally, remember the initiative in San Francisco to rechristen the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant as the George W. Bush Sewage Plant? It’s running into a little opposition from locals who “felt that this is a facility that does something really quite useful and it would be inappropriate to put his name on it.”




#board-2412


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Obama campaign is jumping all over John McCain’s confusion over Afghanistan policy.

* Sparking a new round of scuttlebutt about possible running mates, Barack Obama will be joined today by Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and former Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.) for a national security roundtable at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.

* MoveOn.org released a solid new ad today, going after McCain for his opposition to a withdrawal timetable for U.S. troops in Iraq. The ad, which will run on national cable, notes that Americans and Iraqis want a timetable, but McCain would continue to spend “hundreds of billions” to keep our troops in Iraq for “years and years.”

* And speaking of new ads, Planned Parenthood Action Fund is taking advantage of McCain’s hilarious non-response to questions last week about health insurance covering Viagra, but not birth control.

* Good for Howard: “Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is set to embark on a cross-country voter registration tour this Thursday. The bus tour, called ‘Register for Change,’ will act as a mobile campaign office as the party seeks to build upon the record voter turnout during the primary season. The tour kicks off in President Bush’s hometown of Crawford, Texas and coincides with the DNC’s 50-state strategy to hold forums across the country.”

* SurveyUSA shows McCain leading Obama in North Carolina by just five points, 50% to 45%.

* Public Policy Polling (D) McCain leading Obama in South Carolina by just six points, 45% to 39%.

* McCain’s attacks against Obama continue to get sloppier.

* The McCain campaign seems anxious to pretend they don’t know Phil Gramm anymore, but as of this morning, he’s still listed as a National Campaign General Co-Chair for McCain’s “National Leadership Team.”

* Good news out of Alaska: Mark Begich (D) outraised Sen. Ted Stevens (R) by over $250,000 in the 2nd quarter.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Well, that’s not good: “Prices paid by U.S. consumers jumped in June by the most since 1982 on spiraling costs for fuel and food, giving the Federal Reserve even more reason to be concerned about inflation. The cost of living soared 1.1 percent, more than forecast, after a 0.6 percent gain the prior month, the Labor Department said today in Washington. Excluding food and energy, so-called core prices climbed 0.3 percent, also more than anticipated. The figures underscore why Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke yesterday said inflation risks had ‘intensified.’”

* Shortly after Bush vetoed the bipartisan Medicare bill, both the House and Senate easily overrode his veto. Good.

* McClatchy: “Lebanon’s Shiite militia Hezbollah on Wednesday turned over to Red Cross officials two coffins believed to hold the remains of Israeli soldiers whose capture in 2006 sparked a 34-day war that reshaped political dynamics in the Middle East.”

* Something to keep an eye on: “Two top Pentagon officials said Wednesday they expect to be able to recommend troops cuts in Iraq this fall and will try to increase troops in Afghanistan. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said that he is hoping to send more troops to Afghanistan ’sooner rather than later.’”

* Speaking of Gates, the Pentagon chief made a lot of sense this week, warning of the “creeping militarization” of US foreign policy: “It has become clear that America’s civilian institutions of diplomacy and development have been chronically undermanned and underfunded for far too long — relative to what we traditionally spend on the military, and more importantly, relative to the responsibilities and challenges our nation has around the world.”

* As a technical matter, the “surge” policy in Iraq is over. There are, however, 150,000 U.S. troops still in Iraq, which is about 15,000 more than when the surge began.

* No big surprise here: “Bush has asserted executive privilege to prevent Attorney General Michael Mukasey from having to comply with a House panel subpoena for material on the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame’s identity.”

* Apparently, “perceived bribery” can be costly to one’s career: “Stephen Payne, a ‘GOP lobbyist and fundraiser with close ties to the White House has quit a Homeland Security Department advisory committee following allegations of influence peddling and quid pro quo donations to the Bush presidential library.’”

* This seems to sum up the situation quite well: “I simply have no words in the face of Liddy Dole’s attempt to attach Jesse Helms’ name to the PEPFAR renewal. Helms did everything he could to ensure the deaths of thousands of gay men from HIV in the 1980s and 1990s; he never recanted his despicable hatred of those who struggled alone with this disease in the darkest days of the epidemic, and did all he could to make sure nothing was ever done to help them. That he should be honored now, especially when he was single-handedly responsible for adding a unique stigma to HIV-positive people in immigration law is just … well, unfathomable.”

* House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) doesn’t think there wildlife in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Boehner doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

* The White House wants everyone to know that we’re not negotiating with Iranians, we’re simply engaging them in multi-party, diplomatic talks about the status of their nuclear program. But that’s not diplomacy. Not at all.

* Does Rahm Emanuel want to be Speaker of the House?

* Jon Stewart wasn’t especially impressed the by the controversy surrounding the cover of the New Yorker.

* I seem to recall a couple of decent Maureen Dowd columns not too long ago. It was nice while it lasted.

* Check out DDay’s great post: “This Week in Torture.”

* As it turns out, the McCain campaign doesn’t always get along with reporters.

* If you haven’t seen the latest pictures from Mars, they’re pretty extraordinary.

* And be sure to check out Doug Feith’s testimony to a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on torture. I didn’t know, for example, that one can have their clothes removed, but not be naked. Feith is quite the informative fellow.




#board-2412


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Interesting fundraising item from Roll Call: “Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and the Democratic National Committee on Wednesday established a joint fundraising agreement with 18 state Democratic parties to funnel money into those states for Obama’s White House bid. Party leaders believe the program can also help Democratic candidates up and down the ballot. The new fund, the Committee for Change, will parcel a fixed percentage of the contributions it receives to each of the 18 state parties, infusing those parties with new federal dollars and a list of new donors who can be helpful in future campaigns.”

* In addition to touting private school vouchers at the NAACP convention yesterday, John McCain said some nice things about Barack Obama: “Don’t tell him I said this, but he is an impressive fellow in many ways. He has inspired a great many Americans, some of whom had wrongly believed that a political campaign could hold no purpose or meaning for them. His success should make Americans, all Americans, proud. Of course, I would prefer his success not continue quite as long as he hopes.”

* The Obama campaign isn’t bluffing when it talks about trying to win Virginia: “The Obama campaign plans to open 20 new field offices in the state — and at least five of them are in very red areas where Dems have traditionally feared to tread.”

* The insurance companies are already getting prepared to fight against a reform campaign in 2009: “America’s Health Insurance Plans is launching a nationwide education campaign ahead of the approaching health care reform storm. The Campaign for an American Solution includes a nationwide listening tour, advertising and a recruitment effort to sign up Americans who are satisfied with their private insurance coverage. It will kick off Tuesday in Ohio.”

* Gallup shows Congress’ approval rating down to just 14%, “the lowest congressional rating since Gallup first began asking the question in 1974.”

* Sen. Evan Bayh (D) of Indiana has received some VP buzz, but Greg Sargent notes some of Bayh’s foreign policy work that should hurt his chances: “In 2003, Bayh was an honorary co-chair of the neocon pro-war Committee for the Liberation of Iraq — a group he joined along with none other than John McCain and Joe Lieberman, according to a press release from during the run-up to the invasion.”

* Joe Biden has Obama’s back on Afghanistan and committee hearings.

* I found this op-ed, by Larry Hunter, fascinating: “I’m a lifelong Republican - a supply-side conservative. I worked in the Reagan White House. I was the chief economist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for five years. In 1994, I helped write the Republican Contract with America. I served on Bob Dole’s presidential campaign team and was chief economist for Jack Kemp’s Empower America. This November, I’m voting for Barack Obama…. Even if my hopes on domestic policy are dashed and Obama reveals himself as an unreconstructed, dyed-in-the-wool, big-government liberal, I’m still voting for him.”

* Get to know right-wing financier, Sheldon Adelson.

* It looks like Rep. Heath Shuler’s (D-N.C.) re-election chances just went up — his Republican opponent suspended his campaign.




#board-2412


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Resolving a simmering dispute, the Obama campaign has indicated that Barack Obama will not speak at Brandenburg Gate in Germany during his visit, but will instead give a speech at Berlin’s Victory Column next Thursday.

* CNN: “Former President Bill Clinton said Thursday he’s prepared to hit the campaign trail on behalf of Barack Obama as soon as the presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee asks him to. ‘Whenever he asks — that is, we had a good talk, and he said he wanted me to campaign with him, and I said I was eager to do so,’ Clinton told reporters in New York Thursday. ‘He’s busier than I am, with politics anyway, so I just told him that whenever he wanted to do it, I was ready.’”

* The Obama campaign has quietly organized a tight-knit group of foreign-policy aides, “supported by a huge 300-person foreign policy campaign bureaucracy, organized like a mini State Department.”

* Rasmussen shows Obama pulling ahead of John McCain in Nevada by two, 42% to 40%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Virginia by the slimmest of margins, 48% to 47%.

* A little further south, Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in North Carolina by just three points, 45% to 42%.

* The McCain campaign can feel a lot better about its chances in Arkansas, where Rasmussen shows McCain up by 10, 47% to 37%.

* Marc Ambinder asks, “When was the last time that a Democratic presidential candidate opened six campaign offices in Montana? As of Saturday, Obama For America will have 24/7 ‘Campaign for Change’ outposts In Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Great Falls, Helena and Missoula.”

* For that matter, when was the last time a Republican presidential candidate felt compelled to campaign in Nebraska?

* In case there were any doubts, Al Gore will not be Obama’s running mate. “I’ve decided to impose a personal term limit of two terms as vice president,” Gore said yesterday.

* I’m sure it was just a verbal miscue, but McCain inadvertently announced at a town-hall meeting in New Mexico this week that he would be in the Senate next year.

* The Weekly Standard and the RNC insist that Obama’s campaign spending is “out of control.” It’s not.

* McCain and Phil Gramm are buddies again.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* It’s hard not to laugh at this sentence: “Citigroup has become the latest big bank to quell Wall Street’s worries about a financial sector implosion, posting a $2.5 billion second-quarter loss that was smaller than expected.” Yes, a company lost $2.5 billion, over the course of three months, and managed to beat expectations.

* Sometimes, it’s hard to look gift oil in the mouth: “Two years ago, New Hampshire refused to accept heating oil from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the pro-Castro U.S. critic who once called President Bush ‘the devil.’ But with fuel prices rising, well, free oil is free oil. With the state’s blessing, New Hampshire residents will be receiving some of the fuel this winter.”

* I wasn’t there, but I hope Markos Moulitsas was able to teach DLC Chairman Harold Ford a few things. (The two first faced off on “Meet the Press,” and Markos appeared at the DLC conference earlier this year.)

* Is it possible that John McCain would literally put Barack Obama’s life in danger in Iraq? It seems hard to believe, and I plan to have more on this in the morning.

* Oddly enough, there’s going to be a Unity ‘08 conference. No one seems anxious to go. Imagine that.

* Surprisingly enough, the McCain campaign isn’t denouncing Bud Day’s religious bigotry. I thought it was a no-brainer, but the McCain campaign seems to be going out of its way to remove any shred of decency from its operation.

* When Obama said he wouldn’t accept campaign help from lobbyists, he meant it — and isn’t making exceptions.

* NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell, who can be a surprisingly bad journalist at times, told viewers yesterday that Obama has “the least foreign policy experience” of any presidential nominee since Carter. If you exclude Reagan, Clinton, and Bush, that’s absolutely true.

* Conservative activists look like they’re struggling badly to defeat gay marriage in California.

* TPMM: “Did the CIA start using torture before the DOJ authorized it in the infamous torture memos? That’s what it sounded like according to former Attorney General John Ashcroft, who was on the Hill yesterday testifying on interrogation techniques before the House Judiciary Committee.”

* What are they thinking, Part I: “The Air Force’s top leadership sought for three years to spend counterterrorism funds on ‘comfort capsules’ to be installed on military planes that ferry senior officers and civilian leaders around the world, with at least four top generals involved in design details such as the color of the capsules’ carpet and leather chairs, according to internal e-mails and budget documents. Production of the first capsule — consisting of two sealed rooms that can fit into the fuselage of a large military aircraft — has already begun.”

* What are they thinking, Part II: “Shoddy electrical work by private contractors on United States military bases in Iraq is widespread and dangerous, causing more deaths and injuries from fires and shocks than the Pentagon has acknowledged, according to internal Army documents.”

* Right-wing shock jocks now want to attack children with autism? Seriously?

* Not good: “The United States fails on most measures of health care quality, with Americans waiting longer to see doctors and more likely to die of preventable or treatable illnesses than people in other industrialized countries, a report released on Thursday said…. The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation, created a 100-point scorecard using 37 indicators such as health outcomes, quality, access and efficiency. They compare the U.S. average on these to the best performing states, counties or hospitals, and to other countries. The United States scored 65 — two points lower than in 2006.”

* There’s simply no reason in the world for undercover Maryland State Police officers to conduct surveillance on war protesters and death penalty opponents.

* Non-political news, Part I: Has everyone been enjoying Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog? I have.

* Non-political news, Part II: New Watchmen trailer. Cool.

* Non-political news, Part III: Those of you going to see the Dark Knight should keep an eye out for Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman (and noted Batman fan) Pat Leahy (D-Vt.).

* And finally, Netroots Nation knows exactly how to treat Fox News: “Planners of the conference want to force representatives of the cable news network to wear credentials identifying them as opinion media rather than providing them with the regular press passes other news outlets will receive.” It turned out to be a moot point — the Republican network isn’t sending anyone to cover the event.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* On the last full day of a very successful Netroots Nation conference in Austin, Barack Obama sent along a video address, and Al Gore made a surprise appearance.

* Last week, Republicans tried to push a new line, insisting that the Obama campaign was spending at a reckless pace. Apparently, this was not only false, it was directed at the wrong candidate: “Republican Sen. John McCain spent more money in June than he took in…. McCain raised $22.2 million in June, his best fundraising month of the campaign. He also spent more than he had in a single month, doling out $27 million for such expenses as television ads, campaign consultants, direct-mail fundraising and the travel costs associated with the construction of a national field operation, the [FEC] report shows.”

* Hillary Clinton’s campaign debts continue to be an enormous burden, prompting the senator to lend her campaign an additional $1 million at the end of June, to help stay ahead of creditors. Clinton’s debts to vendors increased to $12 million at the end of June.

* Activists in the Iowa Republican Party have become so right-wing, they have successfully denied Sen. Chuck Grassley’s request for a place on the state’s delegation to the Republican National Convention. Far-right party members are angry at Grassley for investigating alleged fraud among several wealthy TV faith-healers.

* Speaking of state Republican parties, the Nevada Republican Party has “called off its state convention and will instead pick its delegates to the national convention by private conference call.” The move appears to be in response to an attempted takeover by Ron Paul fans.

* In case there were any lingering doubts, Gore would prefer to work with, but not for, the next president.

* Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr showed up unexpectedly at the Netroots Nation conference on Saturday.

* It looks like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is at least a little worried about his re-election chances — more than three months before Election Day, McConnell is already running negative ads against his far-less–known Democratic opponent.

* Colin Powell has been contributing “outside advice” to Obama on foreign policy.

* And while Obama’s poor bowling skills dominated the political media for a while, it’s worth keeping in mind that the senator is awfully good from the three-point line.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Barack Obama and John McCain will briefly share a stage on Aug. 16, at the Rev. Rick Waren’s Saddleback Church, in Lake Forest, Calif. They’ll appear together for a moment, but Warren will then talk with each candidate individually in front of the very large congregation.

* The Obama campaign’s fundraising in June was quite strong, but the expected financial support from Hillary Clinton’s high-dollar fundraising machine did not materialize, at least not yet.

* On a related note, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi directed some criticism at Democrats who are reluctant to support the Democratic ticket because their preferred candidate came up short, and making VP demands now. “I don’t think we should be making an issue after the primary is over about who should be vice president. That would have been up to Hillary Clinton and would have been up to Barack. And it is up to Barack,” Pelosi said. “The only one thing important right now is party unity. None of us can afford the luxury of ‘my candidate doesn’t win the nomination’ or ‘my candidate wasn’t chosen as vice president, I’m taking my marbles and going home.’”

* I’m a little skeptical that the margin is this large, but Public Policy Polling’s (D) latest numbers show Obama leading McCain in Ohio by eight, 48% to 40%.

* The latest Granite State survey from the University of New Hampshire shows Obama leading McCain there by three, 46% to 43%.

* According to a poll conducted by the new progressive pro-Israel group J Street, Obama is more popular among American Jews than Joe Lieberman is.

* Rasmussen shows McCain continuing to lead Obama in Georgia, 48% to 39%.

* A new poll from the Detroit News shows Obama with a narrow lead in Michigan, 43% to 41%.

* The Obama campaign is creating a position to serve as a liaison to the Muslim-American community.

* Rasmussen continues to show a competitive race in Alaska, where McCain now leads Obama by five, 45% to 40%.

* And speaking of Alaska, it’s very encouraging to see Mark Begich (D) taking an eight-point lead over Sen. Ted Stevens (R) in the latest Rasmussen poll, 52% to 44%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Barack Obama’s day in Iraq seems to have gone pretty well: “Senator Barack Obama arrived in Baghdad on Monday, meeting with Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki and other senior Iraqi politicians, as an Iraqi spokesman said that the government was hopeful that foreign combat troops would withdraw in 2010…. Mr. Obama met with Mr. Maliki; the United States ambassador to Iraq, Ryan C. Crocker; the Iraqi national security adviser, Mowaffak al-Rubaie, and other Iraqi officials at the prime minister’s residence in the Green Zone.” Obama also spent time with Gen. David Petraeus, who gave Obama a helicopter tour.

* Tomatoes are looking better, but keep an eye on those jalapenos: “U.S. government inspectors have found the same salmonella strain responsible for a food-poisoning outbreak in the U.S. in a Mexican-grown jalapeno pepper in a Texas plant, prompting a new warning for consumers to avoid eating fresh jalapenos. The Food and Drug Administration called Monday’s announcement a ‘very important break in the case.’”

* This isn’t encouraging at all: “Poorly designed ballots continue to plague U.S. elections, even after Congress set aside $3 billion to overhaul voting systems to prevent a recurrence of the flawed Florida ballots that deadlocked the 2000 presidential race, a study out today concludes. Problems with confusing paper ballots in 2002, absentee ballots in 2004 and touch-screen ballots in 2006 led thousands of voters to skip over key races or make mistakes that invalidated their votes, according to the study by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law.”

* The right now has a new idea on how to deal with the debate over Iraq policy: go after Maliki as an Iranian stooge. Didn’t conservatives love this guy as recently as last week?

* Bush doesn’t know anything about computers, but he’s apparently aware of YouTube.

* For some reason, an investigation from the British Parliament found that that England “should no longer rely on assurances by the United States that it does not torture terrorism suspects.” Imagine that.

* Last week, Michael Savage attacked autistic children. This week, he refuses to back down. Classy bunch, those right-wingers.

* Inspiring confidence in electronic voting machines is much tougher when we hear stories like this one. (thanks to N.W. for the tip)

* The WaPo should pay more attention to the LAT’s coverage of Iraqis’ support for a withdrawal timetable.

* Sean Hannity may seem worthless, but he’s still going to get paid $100 million.

* I neglected to make fun of Bill Kristol’s column today. Steve M. picks up the slack.

* Duke Cunningham is looking for a presidential pardon.

* Paul Krugman predicted an Obama victory in November — “but added that ‘within three months of taking office, no, less than three months’ the media would be out to get him, as much as they had at the high point of anti-Bill Clinton bashing.”

* I vaguely recall a time when CNN was respectable. Oh well.

* Now seems like a very bad time for McCain to cut funds for the national highway trustfund.

* And finally, Fox News recently had some trouble with geography. Over the weekend, the Republican network misspelled “education” during a news segment about education. Wow.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Practitioners of genocide keep getting busted: “Radovan Karadzic, one of the world’s most wanted war criminals for his part in the massacre of nearly 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995, was arrested Monday in a raid in Serbia that ended a 13-year hunt. Serge Brammertz, the prosecutor of the United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague, hailed the arrest as an important step in bringing to justice one of the architects of Europe’s worst massacre since World War II. He said Mr. Karadzic, 63, the Bosnian Serb president during the war there between 1992 and 1995, would be transferred to The Hague in ‘due course.’”

* Torture comes with consequences: “Prosecutors in the trial of Osama bin Laden’s former driver cannot use as evidence some statements the defendant gave interrogators because they were obtained under ‘highly coercive’ conditions while he was a captive in Afghanistan, a military judge ruled Monday evening.”

* Bob Novak is backing off his report about John McCain announcing his running mate this week, telling Fox News today that the leak may have been “a dodge” by the campaign to grab some headlines from Obama.

* Thank goodness for all of those miraculous tax cuts: “The current U.S. economic expansion is the first in 60 years that may end before many Americans have recovered from the last slowdown. Annual family incomes adjusted for inflation have grown just 0.8 percent since the end of 2001 even as the economy expanded an average 2.7 percent a year, leaving households little cushion to absorb higher food and fuel prices.”

* This is beyond outrageous: “Of the women veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan who have walked into a VA facility, 15 percent have screened positive for military sexual trauma, The Associated Press has learned. That means they indicated that while on active duty they were sexually assaulted, raped, or were sexually harassed, receiving repeated unsolicited verbal or physical contact of a sexual nature.”

* Republicans blasted Obama today for flying into Jordan in an Osprey aircraft, which Obama has opposed in the past. There’s just one problem — McCain also criticized the Osprey, and also flew in one during his Iraq trip in May.

* It looks like Obama enjoyed a very enthusiastic greeting from U.S. troops and State Department officials in Baghdad last night.

* There’s already some talk in media circles about a “backlash” against Obama traveling abroad. I have no idea why.

* Bob Herbert: You want a scary thought? Imagine a fanatic in the mold of Dick Cheney but without the vice president’s sense of humor. In her important new book, ‘The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals,’ Jane Mayer of The New Yorker devotes a great deal of space to David Addington, Dick Cheney’s main man and the lead architect of the Bush administration’s legal strategy for the so-called war on terror. She quotes a colleague as saying of Mr. Addington: ‘No one stood to his right.’ Colin Powell, a veteran of many bruising battles with Mr. Cheney, was reported to have summed up Mr. Addington as follows: ‘He doesn’t believe in the Constitution.’”

* The right is still whining about the NYT failing to run McCain’s hatchet-job op-ed. The complaints still don’t make any sense.

* The Austin American-Statesman was right to apologize for this.

* McCain suggested today that Obama refuses to acknowledge the successful work of the troops in Iraq. McCain, again, is lying.

* Eric Boehlert: “The AP has a Ron Fournier problem.”

* I meant to make fun of David Brooks today, but ran out of time.

* Fox News’ Chris Wallace wanted to go on the foreign trip with Obama. The campaign blew him off, and now his feelings are apparently hurt. (Note to Wallace: to get treated as a legitimate journalist, you have to work for a legitimate news outlet.)

* After his comments sparked considerable controversy, right-wing shock-jock Michael Savage said today that his attacks against autistic children had been “taken out of context.” They weren’t.

* As a result of the story, Savage has lost Aflac as a show sponsor.

* TV preacher Pat Robertson, still insane.

* And Richard Cohen devoted an entire column today to complaining about young people getting too many tattoos. The Washington Post paid him for this, and published it. Next week, he’ll probably explain why he wants those darn kids off his lawn.




#board-2412


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Despite the latest web video from his campaign, John McCain said yesterday he does not believe he’s been subjected to unfair media treatment. I guess it’s a good-cop/bad-cop routine.

* There was at least one poll showing Barack Obama leading McCain by a comfortable margin in Ohio, but Rasmussen shows the opposite — McCain leads Obama by six, 46% to 40%.

* Public Policy Polling (D) may be out of step on Ohio, but it’s latest poll out of Virginia is consistent with most of the available data — Obama leads McCain by two, 46% to 44%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama continuing to lead McCain in Colorado by three, 50% to 47%.

* Obama campaign manager David Plouffe is scheduled to meet today with House Democrats, “the first meeting of a top Obama campaign staffer and the entire House Democratic Caucus…. The appearance by Plouffe is expected to be followed at some point by a visit from Obama himself to one of the House Democrats’ regular weekly meetings.”

* McCain’s campaign volunteers apparently aren’t impressed with McCain’s campaign staff.

* New Obama radio ad: “Obama launches a Spanish language radio spot (.mp3), ‘Bootstraps,’ which casts Obama as the son of an ‘immigrant’ and a woman from a “humble, middle class family” who worked his way up.”

* Ron Paul is still making news: “The former Republican presidential candidate announced he is also changing to a larger venue for his three day ‘Rally for the Republic’ event in Minneapolis that overlaps for one day with the Republican National Convention in neighboring St. Paul, Minn., in early September. The grassroots event will mark the official launch of Paul’s latest political effort ‘Campaign for Liberty’ which, in part, seeks to elect more Republicans in his mold to office. The event has been in the works for months, but the original venue at the University of Minnesota couldn’t accommodate all the people interested in attending, so they’re moving to the Target Center, which will accommodate up to 15,000 attendees.”

* And Mark Begich’s Senate campaign in Alaska has a clever new TV ad, which is likely to resonate — it’s called, “Car Wash.”

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Dolly made landfall: “Hurricane Dolly was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane Wednesday afternoon, about an hour after it made landfall on South Padre Island, Texas, the National Hurricane Center said. Dolly’s sustained winds decreased to about 95 miles an hour.”

* On a related note, because the weather has a well-known liberal bias, Hurricane Dolly has led the McCain campaign to cancel its event on an oil rig off the coast of Louisiana.

* So much for the veto threat: “Bush dropped his opposition Wednesday to legislation aiming to calm the chaotic housing market despite his objections to a $3.9 billion provision. The House was expected to vote on the bill Wednesday, and it could become law as early as this week. Under the bill, the government would help struggling homeowners get new, cheaper loans and would be allowed to offer troubled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac a cash infusion.”

* Lawmakers were relieved to hear Bush’s change of heart: “Congress is moving quickly to pass a housing package that aims to help 400,000 strapped homeowners avoid foreclosures and prevent Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from collapsing.”

* More appeasement with evil from the Bush administration: “Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged North Korea to accept terms to verify the dismantling of its nuclear weapons program, as the two countries ended a four-year hiatus in cabinet-level talks on Wednesday.”

* What do the oil companies do with all of those profits? Here’s a hint: they’re not reinvesting the money.

* Did EPA Administration Stephen L. Johnson lie under oath about the White House’s role in blocking a state emissions initiative? It’s certainly possible.

* Obama’s team created promotional materials, in German, for Obama’s appearance in Germany. Remarkably, some on the right find this offensive. Conservatives sure are odd sometimes.

* “The richest 1% of Americans in 2006 garnered the highest share of the nation’s adjusted gross income for two decades” and “possibly the highest since 1929.” But we’re not supposed to notice, or Fox News will insist it’s “class warfare.”

* Senate Republican obstructionism really is extraordinary.

* Bob Novak’s hit-and-run victim may be worse off than initial reports indicated.

* TPMM: “Karl Rove has categorically denied any involvement whatsoever, either directly or indirectly, in the prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, in written responses to questions from the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, entered into the Congressional record today and obtained this afternoon by TPMmuckraker.”

* If Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) can’t hunt wildebeest, then he’s not interested in distributing food at a refugee camp in the country.

* Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) supports “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Sometimes, the jokes write themselves.

* I’ve been neglecting this story: “Sen. John McCain’s campaign has admitted that his top foreign policy adviser has lobbied for not two but three different firms run by cash-for-access deal-maker Stephen Payne. But the McCain camp insists that Randy Scheunemann did not lobby McCain himself on “any issues relating to” Stephen Payne…. But is it true?”

* I don’t know why conservatives insist that McCain called for Rumsfeld’s resignation — he didn’t — but Jonah Goldberg is the latest to make the bogus claim.

* And finally, Obama no doubt knows not to follow Bush’s lead in giving a backrub to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, but as it turns out, she apparently wouldn’t mind. “That’s not really up to me,” she joked today. “But I wouldn’t resist.”



#board-2412


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) came pretty close to ruling himself out as John McCain’s running mate yesterday. “I’m not going to be the vice presidential nominee or vice president,” Jindal told reporters. “I’m going to help Senator McCain get elected, as governor of Louisiana…. Let me be clear: I have said in every private and public conversation, I’ve got the job that I want.”

* On the heels of Nouri al-Maliki’s endorsement of Barack Obama’s withdrawal policy, VoteVets has a powerful new ad, featuring an Iraq war vet. “Senator McCain would occupy Iraq indefinitely, against their wishes,” the U.S. veteran says in the ad. “That’s not what freedom means. That’s not what we fought for. Senator, I thought you would know better.”

* Speaking of interesting advertising moves, this is pretty unusual: “Senator Barack Obama’s campaign will spend $5 million on advertisements during NBC’s coverage of the Summer Olympic Games next month, an NBC spokeswoman confirmed on Wednesday.”

* The White House announced yesterday that George W. Bush will speak at the Republican National Convention, on Sept. 1, the opening night of the gathering. No word on whether we’ll see Bush and McCain together at any moment during the convention.

* About that Hispanic problem: “Hispanic registered voters support Democrat Barack Obama for president over Republican John McCain by 66% to 23%, according to a nationwide survey of 2,015 Latinos conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center, from June 9 through July 13, 2008.”

* Obama, speaking in Israel yesterday, told reporters, “Just this past week, we passed out of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, which is my committee, a bill to call for divestment from Iran, as a way of ratcheting up the pressure to ensure that they don’t obtain a nuclear weapon.” This was a gaffe; Obama doesn’t actually serve on the Banking Committee. He was referring to a bill with provisions he cosponsored.

* There’s been some buzz this week about a new, coordinated “Republicans for Obama” effort. There was apparently a conference call this week, featuring former Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island (who left the GOP last year).

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Florida, 49% to 47%.

* Quinnipiac/WaPo shows McCain leading Obama in Colorado, 46% to 44% — a seven point swing in McCain’s favor over the last month.

* Quinnipiac/WaPo shows Obama leading McCain in Michigan, 46% to 42%.

* Quinnipiac/WaPo shows Obama leading McCain in Minnesota, 46% to 44% — a 15 point swing in McCain’s favor over the last month.

* Quinnipiac/WaPo shows Obama leading McCain in Wisconsin by 11, 50% to 39%.

* A Monmouth University poll shows Obama leading McCain in New Jersey, 50% to 36%.

* Newt Gingrich hopes McCain doesn’t pick a running mate who is a “boring, normal, mainstream Republican white guy.”

* Has everyone seen the new McCain campaign poster?

* Arizona donors prefer Obama to McCain.

* Obama will deliver his convention speech on the 45th anniversary of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. McCain will deliver his convention speech on the opening night of the NFL season.

* I thought James Gilmore’s Senate campaign in Virginia couldn’t get any worse. I was wrong.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Wall Street “abruptly ended an earnings-driven rally and closed sharply lower Thursday after a steeper-than-expected decline in existing home sales and worries about the financial sector chilled the market’s recent optimism. The major indexes fell about 2 percent, including the Dow Jones industrial average, which lost more than 275 points.”

* How bad were the housing numbers? “Sales of existing homes fell more sharply than expected in June as the housing industry continued to be bruised by the worst slump in more than two decades. The National Association of Realtors reported that sales dropped by 2.6 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.86 million units. That was more than double the decline that had been expected and left sales 15.5 percent below where they were a year ago. The downward slide in sales depressed prices, too.”

* On a related note, first-time unemployment claims rose last week to the highest level in nearly four months. The jobless numbers were worse than economists’ predicted.

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: “Iraqi police say at least eight people have been killed in a suicide bombing at a checkpoint manned by U.S.-allied Sunni guards northeast of Baghdad. A police officer says…. at least eight guards were killed and 24 other people were wounded. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.”

* He’s a very poor choice, given the task at hand: “Former CIA Director Porter Goss has been appointed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) as co-chairman of the new Office of Congressional Ethics.”

* If journalists would stop letting Drudge dictate their lives, I’m sure the rest of us would appreciate it.

* Oh dear: “The major Sunni sheik who John McCain said was protected by the surge and subsequently helped lead the Anbar Awakening, was actually assassinated by an al-Qaeda led group in midst of the surge.”

* On a related note, Karl Rove is willing to acknowledge that McCain screwed up the surge timeline, but he’d prefer that none of us notice. When Alan Colmes brought it up last night on Fox News, Rove said, “Look, let’s not get into this,” and adding, “[D]on’t make a big deal of it.”

* The right is raising a fuss about Obama’s decision not to use campaign funds to visit U.S. troops stationed in Germany. Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs explained, “During his trip as part of the CODEL to Afghanistan and Iraq, Senator Obama visited the combat support hospital in the Green Zone in Baghdad and had a number of other visits with the troops. For the second part of his trip, the senator wanted to visit the men and women at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center to express his gratitude for their service and sacrifice. The senator decided out of respect for these servicemen and women that it would be inappropriate to make a stop to visit troops at a U.S. military facility as part of a trip funded by the campaign.”

* McCain’s principal talking point today was that he doesn’t think presidential candidates should give foreign speeches until after they’re in office. This, of course, contradicts McCain’s own record.

* Obama was in Germany. McCain was in a German restaurant.

* You’ve got to be kidding: “The Justice Department in 2002 told the CIA that its interrogators would be safe from prosecution for violations of anti-torture laws if they believed ‘in good faith’ that harsh techniques used to break the will of prisoners, including waterboarding, would not cause ‘prolonged mental harm.’”

* An increasingly regional disease? “AIDS specialists are calling for a fundamental rethinking of HIV policy after a new report showed that infection with the virus was rising dramatically in the South even as it dropped everywhere else in the country.”

* Don’t be too surprised if sometime soon, Randy Scheunemann, John McCain’s top foreign policy adviser, announces his desire to spend more time with his family.

* Attorney General Michael Mukasey thinks the Vice President is part of the executive branch. Will wonders never cease.

* How many Democratic Senate candidate support net neutrality this year? All of them.

* When Dems say McCain seems to have forgotten about the war in Afghanistan, we mean that literally.

* The questions in Fox News polls are always so darn amusing.

* And finally, Color of Change and MoveOn.org launched an initiative to bring attention to racism on Fox News. Stephen Colbert devoted half his show last night to bringing attention to the project. Good for him.

[teapeebubbles]

Apparently a Yeshiva student stole Obama’s prayer from the Western Wall (it’s a custom to insert a small piece of paper with a prayer into the cracks…at this point, the cracks in the wall are overflowing) and an Israeli newspaper published it. How long before someone says this is conspiracy by the Obama campaign to prove he’s not a Muslim?

There was a rumor on the interwebs yesterday that Obama deliberately “blew off troops” at an Afghan base to do a basketball photo op. It’s not true, according to Army Lt. Col. Rumi Nielson-Green, who said Obama didn’t play basketball or even visit the recreation tent where the court was located. In any case, look for this latest rumor in an email coming soon to your inbox.

An article in the New Republic outlines a conflict between NYT reporter Adam Nagourney and the Obama campaign over the Times’ article that was headlined “Poll Finds Obama Isn’t Closing Divide on Race.”


I suppose it depends which divide you’re talking about though, because Latino voters seem pretty united around the Obama candidacy.

Josh Marshall confirms that the Pentagon told Obama he couldn’t visit a military hospital with campaign staff. The McCain campaign pounced on a poorly worded press statement that it wouldn’t be “appropriate” for Obama to make a campaign appearance there, without noting of course, that Obama wasn’t actually allowed to go because it would be a violation of Pentagon rules.

The RNC might wanna fix that whole clock thing they’ve got on their website now that Obama has visited Iraq.

The Washington Post is reporting that the McCain VP pick could come any day now, noting that McCain is “anxious to counter the blanket media coverage that has followed Sen. Barack Obama on his overseas journey”. Anxious enough to get reporters to write articles speculating on whether his VP pick might come every day now? Naw, never that.

This is satire. You paying attention, New Yorker? My bad, I didn’t mean to interrupt you while you were counting your money.

Former White House communications director Dan Bartlett thinks Maliki’s comments were “a game changer.”

That’s all I got for today’s Campaign Roundup.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Barack Obama, appearing on “Meet the Press” yesterday, talked a bit about his search for a running mate. “I think the most important thing, from my perspective, is somebody who can help me govern,” Obama said. “I want somebody who I’m compatible with, who I can work with, who has a shared vision, who certainly complements me, in the sense that they provide a knowledge base or an area of expertise that can be useful. Because we’re going to have a lot of problems and a lot of work to do…. I’m not interested in a vice president who I just send off to go to funerals.”

* Speaking of the VP search, Sen. Jack Reed (D) of Rhode Island, who accompanied Obama to Iraq and Afghanistan last week, seemed to withdraw from consideration the other day. “I am interested in serving in the United States Senate and that interest trumps any consideration of serving as a vice president,” Reed said. He was asked, “If you were offered this position you would decline, is that correct?” Reed answered, “Yeah, but I frankly I don’t expect to be offered the position.”

* Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) hasn’t endorsed Obama, but he’s coming closer. On CBS’s “Face the Nation” yesterday, Hagel said, “Each candidate has strengths and weaknesses, and experience does matter. But what matters more in my opinion is character and judgment.”

* CNN: “The rabbi who supervises Jerusalem’s Western Wall condemned the removal of a prayer note purportedly written by Sen. Barack Obama, saying the action was ’sacrilegious.’ The U.S. presidential candidate visited the holy site early Thursday and placed a note in the cracks of the wall — a custom of visitors. It was subsequently removed from the wall, according to the Israeli newspaper, Ma’ariv, which printed what it said were the contents of the note.”

* Post-trip bounce? The latest Gallup tracking poll shows Obama leading McCain by nine, 49% to 40% — Obama’s biggest lead in the poll to date.

* Rasmussen’s tracking poll shows Obama getting a post-trip bounce last week, but it started to fade over the weekend.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in California by 12, 50% to 38%.

* Research 2000 shows McCain leading Obama in South Carolina by 13, 53% to 40%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Pennsylvania by six, 51% to 45%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in New Hampshire by six, 47% to 41%.

* Research 2000 shows McCain leading Obama in North Dakota by just three, 45% to 42%.

* Research 2000 shows McCain leading Obama in Mississippi by nine, 51% to 42%.

* Terry McAuliffe, one of Hillary Clinton’s most enthusiastic supporters, is now promoting someone else for the Obama ticket: “Virginia Governor Tim Kaine would be his party’s best choice as Barack Obama’s vice presidential running mate.”

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* I don’t think the war’s over: “Female suicide bombers attacked crowds in Baghdad and the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Monday morning as part of a series of four bombings that left at least 46 people dead and more than 200 wounded, security officials said. The first attacks occurred in Baghdad, as millions of Shiite Muslim pilgrims walked toward the Kadhemiyah shrine a day before one of the holiest Shiite festivals.”

* Terrorism in India: “Authorities scoured a western Indian city Sunday for those behind a series of bombings that killed at least 45 people, reportedly rounding up more than two dozen residents. It was the second series of blasts in India in two days. A little-known group claimed responsibility for the attack.”

* More questions about McCain’s health: “Three-time melanoma survivor John McCain had a spot of skin removed from his right cheek early Monday that he said would undergo a biopsy as a precaution. The Republican presidential candidate told reporters he had his routine three-month check up with his dermatologist.”

* Best wishes for a speedy recovery: “Robert Novak, one of Washington’s best-known columnists for nearly half a century, announced today that he has a brain tumor. Novak, 77, said the diagnosis was made yesterday and that he was admitted to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where he will soon begin treatment. ‘I will be suspending my journalistic work for an indefinite but, God willing, not too lengthy period,’ he said in a statement.”

* McCain may be warming up to the Obama timeline endorsed by the Maliki government, but Gen. Petraeus isn’t on board: “Gen. David Petraeus, the Iraq commander, said in an interview with McClatchy that the situation in Iraq is too volatile to ‘project out, and to then try to plant a flag on, a particular date.’”

* On a related note, former Bush White House communications director and counselor Dan Bartlett said Maliki’s support of the Obama policy is “very close to a game-changing event.”

* Some of the details in the DoJ inspector general’s report today are real jaw-droppers.

* I’d love to hear more about this: “The Environmental Protection Agency is advising certain staff members not to talk to congressional investigators, reporters or even the agency’s inspector general, according to an internal email obtained by the Associated Press.”

* Attacking autistic children will have consequences — Michael Savage is losing advertisers at a rapid clip.

* Maybe some of MSNBC’s on-air personalities should pay closer attention to MSNBC’s actual reporting.

* Bill O’Reilly is still worked up about Scott McClellan.

* On a related note, the Fox Business Network isn’t exactly raking in the viewers. (Consider this odd tidbit: I have more readers than Fox Business has viewers.)

* I meant to mock Bill Kristol today, but ran out of time. Fortunately, Steve M. is on the case.

* Harry Reid’s new approach to Republican obstructionism: “A product of Democratic frustration with the tactics of Senator Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican and physician who has become the Dr. No of the Senate, the Tomnibus is a $10 billion collection of Coburn-blocked measures assembled by the Senate leadership in an effort to break his solitary grip on the legislative process. Engineered by Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader, the bill includes 35 of the most irresistible-sounding measures stuck on the docket, including the Mothers Act and the Protect Our Children Act.”

* Incredibly, Republicans don’t mind obstructing for obstructionism’s sake.

* I guess the Obamas are trend-setters.

* I’ve intentionally avoided the latest rumors about John Edwards, but Lee Stranahan has a very strong piece in the HuffPost about the story’s significance.

* And finally, Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) probably ought to be more careful when he credits himself for awards he did not earn.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Following up on an earlier item, Marc Ambinder reports that there is “independent evidence” that the Obama campaign’s VP search committee is “taking a serious look” at three people: Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia, and Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana. Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, Ambinder noted, is also under serious consideration, “although he is not being subjected to the same level of vetting.”

* The speculation about Kaine has reached a fever pitch, but the Virginia governor remains coy.

* We haven’t seen too much of her lately, but Hillary Clinton is prepared to embark on extensive travel on behalf of the Obama campaign. “I don’t like to relay conversations between Senator Obama and Senator Clinton — I know they have an extensive travel schedule for her,” Terry McAuliffe said.

* John McCain told Newsweek, “The majority of women in America, in my view, respect the rights of the unborn.” In our reality, most American women are pro-choice.

* In light of the latest budget deficit numbers from the Bush administration, McCain is starting to hedge on one of his campaign promises. “As President, I have committed to balancing the budget by the end of my first term,” McCain said in a written campaign statement. “Today’s news makes that job harder.”

* The Obama campaign’s operation in Florida is “months ahead organizationally of Gore/Kerry.”

* MoveOn.org has a clever new ad in support of Obama, which will air on MTV and Comedy Central.

* Public Policy Polling (D) shows McCain leading Obama in North Carolina by three, 47% to 44%.

* The AFL-CIO is helping push back against the bogus notion that Obama is a secret Muslim.

* Obama is raising more money than McCain in Idaho? That’s a pleasant surprise.

* And in light of the attention focused on McCain’s minor facial surgery yesterday, Michael Crowley has the line of the day: “Nothing promises to lift your campaign out of the doldrums quite like a new wave of stories about your melanoma!”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* I hope all of our friends in Southern California are safe and sound: “A magnitude-5.4 earthquake has struck just east of Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake’s epicenter was about 2 miles southwest of Chino Hills and about 5 miles southeast of Diamond Bar, the USGS said. Chino Hills is about 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. The center was about 7.6 miles deep. In general, earthquakes centered closer to the Earth’s surface produce stronger shaking and can cause more damage than those further underground.”

* Less than encouraging economic news: “Home prices tumbled by the steepest rate ever in May, according to a closely watched housing index released Tuesday, as the housing slump deepened nationwide. The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller 20-city index dropped by 15.8 percent in May compared with a year ago, a record decline since its inception in 2000. The 10-city index plunged 16.9 percent, its biggest decline in its 21-year history. No city in the Case-Shiller 20-city index saw price gains in May, the second straight month that’s happened. The monthly indices have not recorded an overall home price increase in any month since August 2006.”

* Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), now under indictment, had to start dropping his committee assignments this afternoon: “Consistent with GOP bylaws that require Members who are under felony indictment to relinquish their ranking posts on committees, Stevens, the longest-serving Republican Senator, has officially stepped down as ranking member of both the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.”

* Speaking of Stevens, I found this take from a local journalist fascinating: “In Alaska, the presence of so-called Stevens money is as prevalent as the winter snow. Everywhere you look, Stevens has left his mark. … Stevens’ ability to deliver–and his invulnerability to electoral challenge because he could deliver–transformed him from an elected official into something of a frontier fertility god–worshiped, propitiated, feared. Stevens answered to no one.”

* Imagine that: “[W]hen you increase the number of teenagers eligible to receive family planning services through Medicaid you get fewer teen pregnancies.”

* My friend Jed calls the new AFL-CIO mailing the “most effective anti-smear message of the campaign,” and makes a compelling case as to why that is.

* TPMM: “Among our coverage yesterday of the OIG report, was the specific case of an ‘experienced terrorism prosecutor’ who was denied a DOJ promotion because Monica Goodling discovered that his wife was a longtime Democrat. That man has now been identified by The Buffalo News as William J. Hochul Jr., a career federal prosecutor from Western New York, whose wife, Kathleen Hochul, was a longtime Democrat.”

* The lead political story on Time magazine’s The Page this afternoon told readers, with a red siren, “****McCain Veep Pick Might Not Be on Media Lists.****” I have no idea why this is important. McCain’s running mate may be one of the names we’ve heard bandied about, or maybe not. So?

* Remember that enormous budget deficit we talked about yesterday? It’d be closer to $600 billion were it not for “creative accounting” by the White House.

* Glenn Greenwald explains today why “pushing conservative Democrats out of Congress could help the party stand up to the GOP.”

* Ed Kilgore offers a competing thesis, urging Dems to wait until Bush is gone.

* Chart of the Day: Annual rates of employment growth, by president.

* McClatchy: “President Bush on Monday approved the execution of an Army soldier who terrorized Fayetteville, N.C., for months in the late 1980s and was eventually convicted of raping and killing four women, and raping and attempting to kill another…. Bush’s action was the first time in more than half a century that a president has approved the execution of a member of the Armed Services.”

* The madman who killed two people this week in a Unitarian church in Tennessee was consumed with hatred for “liberals and gays.” Police found books by Michael Savage, Sean Hannity, and Bill O’Reilly in his home.

* The McCain campaign had previously referred to the politicization scandal at the Justice Department as “mostly a combination of nonsense and politics and provides us no concern at all.” Great judgment there, guys.

* And on a related note: “Despite yesterday’s explosive report confirming that top Justice Department officials, including Monica Goodling and Kyle Sampson, had violated federal law, the White House press corps has not asked White House press secretary Dana Perino a single question about it. Both yesterday’s and today’s press briefings included no discussion of the report, nor a question on whether Attorney General Mukasey would follow through on a criminal perjury referral from Congress.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* CNN: “Scandal-hit Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced Wednesday he will not be his party’s leader going into the next election. Citing ‘a wave of investigations and criticism’ at the hands of his political opponents, he said he will resign once his Kadima party elects a new chairman.”

* John Weaver, one of John McCain’s closest allies and confidants, is deeply unimpressed by the direction of the McCain campaign, and believes the latest campaign strategy “diminishes John McCain.” Weaver called today’s celebrity-driven ad “childish.” Saying he’s had “enough,” Weaver added, “For McCain’s sake, this tomfoolery needs to stop.”

* For what it’s worth, Barack Obama was also asked about the Britney-Paris ad: “You know, I don’t pay attention to John McCain’s ads, although I do notice he doesn’t seem to have anything to say very positive about himself. He seems to only be talking about me… You need to ask John McCain what he’s for and not just what he’s against.”

* Four members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, including Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) yesterday called on EPA administrator Stephen Johnson to resign. That would be a very good idea.

* As expected, Bush signed the housing bill into law today, with little fanfare.

* All of a sudden, Senate Republicans don’t want any of Ted Stevens’ money in their campaign coffers. Imagine that.

* Hilarious Quote of the Day: “What you’re going to see is a great debate. Which is what the American public deserves. None of this negative stuff, though. You won’t see it come out of our side at all.” - Cindy McCain, Today Show, May 8, 2008.

* Sounds good to me: “The House on Tuesday issued an unprecedented apology to black Americans for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow segregation laws. ”Today represents a milestone in our nation’s efforts to remedy the ills of our past,” said Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich., chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus.” The measure passed on a voice-vote; there is no final roll call.

* While serving as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, Alberto Gonzales had no idea what was going on around him. Good lord.

* But that’s all right, because the White House still likes him.

* I know he’s not a blogosphere favorite, but when Joe Klein is good, he can be very good.

* You’ll be pleased to learn that the McCain campaign is backing away from one of its lies — the bogus assertion that Obama snubbed wounded troops because he wanted cameras around. Of course, the McCain campaign continues to falsely insist that Obama snubbed wounded troops anyway.

* Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) thinks it’s outrageous if the Chinese government tries to spy on people without warrants, oversight, or probable cause. But when the Bush administration does the exact same thing, Brownback thinks that’s fine.

* A genuinely fascinating story from Mother Jones: “Mary McFate was a prominent gun control activist. Mary Lou Sapone was a freelance spy with an NRA connection. They are the same person.”

* We’ve all heard comparisons between McCain and Grandpa Simpson. But it’s at least possible that the better comparison is to C. Montgomery Burns.

* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) underestimates the value of a Toyota Prius. (thanks to D.H. for the tip)

* Krugman: “[T]here was a combination of power without oversight and a deeply creepy cult of personality (which was obvious long before we got the latest specifics.) I think we were lucky to get out of this with democracy more or less intact.”

* And finally, nothing says “pro-family” like a right-wing Republican congressman — in this case, Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) — hosting a fundraiser at a Las Vegas strip club. Sessions, of course, took the lead in the bashing the Janet Jackson “wardrobe malfunction” a while back, blasting “liberal values.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A biopsy of John McCain’s latest facial spot turned out to be negative: “A biopsy of a spot removed from the right cheek of Senator John McCain revealed no evidence of skin cancer, an official at the Mayo Clinic said Tuesday in a statement released by the McCain campaign. Mr. McCain, who has had four melanomas, had a spot removed for testing at his regular checkup at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz.”

* In response to the McCain campaign’s ad blaming Barack Obama for high gas prices, the Obama campaign has responded with a response ad that talks to voters as if they were grown-ups. The spot, called “Old Politics,” will air in the same states McCain’s ad is airing.

* Obama was on the Hill yesterday to meet with the House Democratic Caucus. “The caucus room of the Cannon House Office Building was so crowded that some members of Congress did not have seats.”

* Obama’s Latino outreach is being well received: “Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) on Tuesday praised an effort by Barack Obama’s campaign to use $20 million to ‘engage and inspire’ Latino voters ahead of the election. Calling the $20 million sum ‘unprecedented,’ the CHC members, many of whom supported Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) presidential campaign, said the effort to target Latino voters in Colorado, Florida, Nevada and New Mexico is both a recognition that Hispanics will be a critical voting bloc in the general election and that Sen. Obama (D-Ill.) must not take these voters for granted.”

* When campaign web stunts go awry: The day’s clever RNC attack on Obama seems to be in the process of being swallowed by the Internets. After Obama supporters swarmed BarackBook with a series of not-so-friendly discussion threads, the GOP seems to have disabled the discussion feature and deleted the mockery. The ‘review’ feature is still on, however, so the first thing readers see on the page is ‘E-Viagra for crotchety old Republicans: Destined to be the #1 website in Czechoslovakia and the Iraq/Pakistan border region.’”

* Mike Huckabee equated McCain with Bob Dole yesterday. I suspect that was not well received at McCain HQ.

* The Obama campaign has named a new national coordinator for Muslim affairs, Mazen Asbahi, who will also head the campaign’s outreach efforts to Arab Americans.

* Hillary Clinton is hosting a dinner to help retire some of her campaign debt. “In her latest plea to supporters, Mrs. Clinton has sent a breezily written e-mail about the ’simple pleasures’ of summer, including ‘family vacations, baseball games, and dinner out under the stars.’ And guess what? For those who contribute, Mrs. Clinton says, ‘you and I could be enjoying a summer dinner together soon!’”

* And in Alaska, the latest Rasmussen poll shows with Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D) leading Sen. Ted Stevens by nine, 50% to 41%. The poll was conducted before Stevens was brought up on criminal charges.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* ExxonMobil’s profits in the second quarter were $11.68 billion, the biggest quarterly profit any U.S. corporation has ever had.

* And how much of that money will be directed towards alternative energy? About 1%. Great.

* The bad news out of Iraq: “A suicide car bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle against the wall of a police station south of Mosul on Thursday, killing three policemen and wounding four others, authorities said. It was the fifth suicide attack in Iraq this week and showed that insurgents can still carry out assaults despite security gains in urban areas of the country. Four suicide bombers killed 57 people in Baghdad and the northern city of Kirkuk on Monday.”

* The good news out of Iraq: “The monthly U.S. toll in Iraq fell to its lowest point since the war began, with at least 10 American deaths as July drew to a close Thursday after the departure of the last surge brigade.”

* U.S. troops and their families will also, no doubt, be pleased to learn that the White House will return combat tour lengths to 12 months, from 15.

* Economic news: “The U.S. economy grew at a solid pace in the second quarter, the government said today, despite being buffeted by a financial crisis, a deep housing slump, high fuel prices and a weak job market. But the economy shrank at the end of last year, the Commerce Department said, and much of the recent improvement came from the one-time bump from economic stimulus payments, raising the prospect of weaker performance in the months ahead.”

* Joe Klein: “A few months ago, I wrote that John McCain was an honorable man and he would run an honorable campaign. I was wrong. I used to think, as David Ignatius does, that McCain’s true voice was humble and moderate, but now I’m beginning to think his Senate colleagues may be right about his temperament.”

* The expected plea: “Republican Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska was arraigned Thursday afternoon in federal District Court in Washington, where he pleaded not guilty to seven counts of failing to disclose gifts he allegedly received from an oil services executive.” Stevens’ trial is set for Sept. 24.

* Andrea Mitchell 1, Rick Davis 0.

* It didn’t take long at all for errors to pop up in Jerome Corsi’s forthcoming book, The Obama Nation. Media Matters, fortunately, is on the case.

* I wanted to take a moment to endorse Atrios’ take on Lanny Davis.

* Do more experienced candidates make better presidents? Not especially, no.

* Quite a reputation McCain is making for himself.

* Must-read editorial: “The Straight Talk Express has taken a nasty turn into the gutter. Sen. John McCain has resorted to lies and distortions in what sounds like an increasingly desperate attempt to slow down Sen. Barack Obama by raising questions about his patriotism. Instead of taking the Democrat down a few notches, these baseless attacks are raising more questions about the Republican’s campaign and his ability to control his temper…. Virtually all candidates, including Obama, distort their opponent’s record. But McCain has gone beyond reasonable bounds. The self-described “happy warrior” in the 2000 presidential campaign has turned sour in 2008, and the candor and straight talk that once made him such an attractive candidate are rapidly disappearing.”

* Believe it or not, even now, Judy Miller doesn’t get it.

* And finally, I will simply never understand why CNN pays Glenn Beck to appear on the air: “On Tuesday, the House passed a formal apology for slavery and racist segregation laws, recognizing that “African-Americans continue to suffer from the consequences of slavery and Jim Crow.” Yesterday, Glenn Beck spent nearly 30 minutes on his radio show mocking the apology. He continued expressing his outrage on his CNN Headline News show last night, during a discussion with Ron Paul. Paul wondered why Congress should apologize, since ‘we personally weren’t responsible.’ Beck claimed that the apology ‘was a front [sic] to the principles of Christianity.’”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* So far, the media narratives haven’t quite reached the public: “37% think Obama is arrogant (34% think McCain is arrogant.); 63% do not think Obama is arrogant. 44% think he’s acting as if he’s already won the election; 56% don’t. 72% think Obama cares about military veterans.”

* A platform push: “As her chances of becoming vice president recede, some of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s supporters are pushing for the Democratic Party’s new platform to state that the primary elections ‘exposed pervasive gender bias in the media’ and to call on party leaders to take ‘immediate and public steps’ to condemn future perceived instances of bias.”

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Texas by nine, 50% to 41%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Kentucky by 10, 49% to 39%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Montana by one, 45% to 44%.

* Research 2000 shows McCain leading Obama in Idaho by 16, 53% to 37%.

* After being indicted this week, Sen. Ted Stevens’ (R-Alaska) support has dropped even further — he trails Mark Begich by 13 in the latest Rasmussen poll, 50% to 37%.

* For the second time, Sen. Gordon Smith, the Republican incumbent in Oregon, has highlighted his ties to Barack Obama in a television ad.

* And Jesse Ventura will attend Ron Paul’s convention.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Looks like an arrest was in the works on the anthrax case: “A top U.S. biodefense researcher apparently committed suicide just as the Justice Department was about to file criminal charges against him in the anthrax mailings that traumatized the nation in the weeks following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, according to a published report. The scientist, Bruce E. Ivins, 62, who worked for the past 18 years at the government’s biodefense labs at Fort Detrick, Md., had been told about the impending prosecution, the Los Angeles Times reported for Friday editions.”

* More information on Ivins has been released throughout the day: “Friends, colleagues and court documents paint a picture of a brilliant scientist with a troubled side. Maryland court documents show he recently received psychiatric treatment and was ordered to stay away from a woman he was accused of stalking and threatening to kill.”

* Discouraging economic news: “Stores, factories and other businesses large and small showed workers the door last month, sending unemployment to its highest rate in four years and adding to the evidence an economic recovery remains far off. Employers clamped down on hiring and cut 51,000 jobs in July, the Labor Department said Friday. The economy has shed jobs each month this year — 463,000 in all.”

* Discouraging news on the counterterrorism front: “American intelligence agencies have concluded that members of Pakistan’s powerful spy service helped plan the deadly July 7 bombing of India’s embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, according to United States government officials…. The American officials also said there was new information showing that members of the Pakistani intelligence service were increasingly providing militants with details about the American campaign against them, in some cases allowing militants to avoid American missile strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas.”

* Oh my: “Federal agents may take a traveler’s laptop computer or other electronic device to an off-site location for an unspecified period of time without any suspicion of wrongdoing, as part of border search policies the Department of Homeland Security recently disclosed. Also, officials may share copies of the laptop’s contents with other agencies and private entities for language translation, data decryption or other reasons, according to the policies, dated July 16 and issued by two DHS agencies, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”

* There’s no excuse for this: “The Pentagon defied a Congressional subpoena yesterday by refusing to let the head of its sexual assault program testify at an oversight hearing about sexual assault in the military.”

* What is it about Alaska Republicans that leads to so many investigations?

* Water on Mars. Very cool.

* I guess the Associated Press was unmoved by my criticism — Ron Fournier, who has been the “acting” DC bureau chief, is now the “official” DC bureau chief. (Let this be a lesson to all of us — in the world of political media, failure is rewarded.)

* The McCain campaign, up until recently, referred to John McCain as a “political celebrity” on the official campaign website. Aides have since scrubbed the site. I wonder why.

* I’ve long perceived Slate as something of a center-right publication. Apparently, conservatives don’t see it that way, and have decided to start an even more conservative version of the online magazine.

* Jerome Corsi just can’t change his stripes.

* Zeitgeist won’t like this, but Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is taking a slight lead in the race to be Congress’ least-sane member.

* There were some additional developments yesterday on the McCain campaign’s “troop” smear, but I’ll let the estimable Christopher Orr have the final word: “This isn’t just remarkably dishonest for a campaign that promised to hold itself to a high ethical standard. This is remarkably dishonest for any campaign.”




#board-2412


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Remember the extraordinarily heated fight over Democratic convention delegates from Florida’s and Michigan’s non-binding primaries? Well, it’s been resolved: “Now Senator Barack Obama, the party’s presumptive nominee, has asked the credentials committee to let the two states have full voting rights at the convention after all. The request is likely to be granted since it comes from the all-but-certain nominee, who now controls the party apparatus.”

* The ridiculous McCain campaign ad featuring Britney Spears and Paris Hilton was not just a “little fun” on the part of the presumptive Republican nominee: “It looks like McCain is sinking a significant proportion of his current ad spending into it. Evan Tracey, who tracks national ad buys for the Campaign Media Analysis Group, tells us that McCain is spending over $140,000 a day to run the spot. That accounts for roughly a third of his current overall TV ad spending, Tracey says.” The Spears/Hilton ad is running in 11 target states.

* In VP news, House Minority Deputy Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is among the Republicans receiving a “thorough vetting” by McCain’s search committee. Cantor also appeared on a McCain campaign conference call this morning — on which he attacked Obama over energy policy — presumably as some kind of audition.

* CBS News is trying to go after Barack Obama over the size of his campaign airplane. The criticism really doesn’t make any sense.

* Gallup’s daily tracking poll shows Obama up by one (45% to 44%). Rasmussen’s daily tracking poll shows McCain up by one (47% to 46%).

* Most of the buzz from the last several days suggested McCain may pick his running mate any day now. Jonathan Martin, however, reports that the campaign may push off an announcement until after Obama unveils his VP pick.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Alaska by five, 44% to 39%.

* Research 2000 shows McCain leading Obama in North Carolina by four, 47% to 43%.

* SurveyUSA shows McCain leading Obama in Missouri by five, 49% to 44%.

* Siena shows Obama leading McCain in New York by 18, 44% to 26%.

* The Tulsa World/KOTV shows McCain leading Obama in Oklahoma by 32, 56% to 24%.

* Speaker Pelosi still likes the idea of Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas) becoming Obama’s running mate.

* And for health reasons, Sen. Edward Kennedy probably won’t make it to the Democratic National Convention, but he’ll have a presence there anyway.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Novak retires: “Robert Novak has announced his immediate retirement following the diagnosis of a brain tumor, a prognosis the Sun-Times’ political columnist describes as ‘dire.’ ‘The details are being worked out with the doctors this week, but the tentative plan is for radiation and chemotherapy,’ Novak said.” I’ve been reading his column every week for years, and will miss it.

* Consumer spending dropped again: “Consumer spending, after adjusting for inflation, fell in June as shoppers were hit with the second biggest increase in prices in nearly three decades. The Commerce Department reported Monday that consumer spending dipped by 0.2 percent in June, after removing the effects of higher prices, the poorest showing since a similar drop in February.”

* More economic news: “Planned layoffs at U.S. companies jumped 26 percent in July from June, depicting further deterioration in the labor market, a report showed on Monday.” (thanks to S.W. for the tip)

* Just in time for the Olympics: “Attackers rammed a dump truck into a patrol station in China’s restive Central Asian border province Monday morning, tossing grenades in a raid that killed 16 officers and wounded others, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported. The attack in Xinjiang province was in an area where local Muslims have waged a sporadic rebellion against Chinese rule.”

* Let me get this straight — a middle-class couple in Queens, one of whom works as track foreman for Amtrak and one of whom is an office manager at Hess, donated a combined $57,000 to the McCain Victory 2008 fund? On the exact same day as nine other Hess execs and Hess family members contributed? Note to reporters: you want a juicy story to dig into? This is a juicy story for you to dig into.

* Maybe this isn’t a good time to shut down the investigation into the 2001 anthrax attacks: “The New York Daily News has a new twist in the administration’s attempt to peg the anthrax attacks to its own bellicose aims. Immediately after 9/11, the Daily News reports, ‘White House officials repeatedly pressed FBI Director Robert Mueller to prove it was a second-wave assault by Al Qaeda,’ according to a former FBI official.”

* By McCain campaign standards, was Ronald Reagan a “celebrity,” too?

* Whether this augurs VP considerations or not, it’s a subject that deserves attention: “As speculation over the number two slot rises, presidential candidate Barack Obama and potential v.p. contender Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana joined forces Monday, signing a letter with eight other senators that urges Defense Secretary Robert Gates to increase medical coverage and care for Iraq war veterans left with serious brain injuries. The senators point to a recent study from the RAND Corporation that estimates 320,000 troops from the two Iraq wars experienced a traumatic brain injury, or TBI.”

* “Russian novelist and historian Alexander Solzhenitsyn, whose works detailed the horrors of Stalin’s Soviet labor camps, has died at 89, Russian news agencies reported Monday…. Awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1970 for ‘The First Circle,’ Alexander Solzhenitsyn was considered a moral voice for Russia. His works centered on issues of good and evil, materialism and salvation. His three-volume ‘Gulag Archipelago’ unveiled the horrors of the Soviet labor camps, where he himself was imprisoned for eight years.”

* Josh Marshall wants to know if the punditocracy will stop grading McCain on a curve. I’ve been wondering the same thing.

* I had no idea the Politico had a print edition.

* Rachel Maddow wants to host both a TV and a radio program: “If O’Reilly, Hannity and Beck can do that, so can I.” Damn straight — and she’d do it better than both of them, too.

* Let’s just say there appears to be some “concerns” about the accuracy of Jerome Corsi’s new book. The phrase “Unfit for Publication” seems entirely appropriate.

* Does Bob Schieffer understand what the word “denigrate” means? I kind of doubt it.

* Paul Krugman has been concerned about Obama’s rhetoric lately, but loved today’s speech on energy.

* Note to Dana Milbank: when your readers notice your factual errors, it’s probably a good idea to pay attention and do better next time, not to accuse your audience of “whining.”

* And finally, no Republican wants to be seen with George W. Bush right now. And no Republican wants to be seen with Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) right now. They don’t mind, however, being seen with each other.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Encouraging registration shift: “Well before Senators Barack Obama and John McCain rose to the top of their parties, a partisan shift was under way at the local and state level. For more than three years starting in 2005, there has been a reduction in the number of voters who register with the Republican Party and a rise among voters who affiliate with Democrats and, almost as often, with no party at all.”

* John McCain hung out at the 68th annual Sturgis Rally in South Dakota yesterday, and I suspect McCain’s religious right buddies won’t be thrilled with his choice in company: “One woman wore little but a deep tan. Tattoos reigned, as did black leather. The emcee praised America for its ‘beautiful roads, beautiful bikes and ice-cold beer.’”

* McCain called a Wisconsin woman who lost her delegate seat at the Democratic National Convention because she’s vowed to support the Republican after Hillary Clinton ended her presidential campaign. McCain told the woman, “Perhaps your reward will be in heaven — not here on Earth.” My hunch is, if Obama had said those exact same words, we’d be hearing quite a bit about it.

* I found this absolutely fascinating. The Boston Globe’s John Schwenkler compiled a graphic showing which words appeared the most frequently on the official McCain campaign blog and the official Obama campaign blog. As it turns out, one word appeared the most often on both: “Obama.”

* SurveyUSA shows McCain leading Obama in Florida by six, 50% to 44%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Alabama by 18, 55% to 37%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Connecticut by 15, 51% to 36%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Massachusetts by nine, 47% to 38%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Arizona by 16, 52% to 36%.

* The Republican Party of Delaware expelled its Senate candidate from the party because he was spotted at an Obama rally.

* Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (R), occasionally rumored as a possible McCain VP, was surprisingly complimentary of Obama’s energy policy.

* Joseph Romm described Obama’s energy policy as “easily the best energy plan ever put forward by a nominee of either party.”

* If House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is named to the McCain ticket, let’s not forget some of the insane lies he’s told about Obama.

* Like Eve Fairbanks, I prefer Kathleen Sebelius to Tim Kaine on the Democratic ticket.

* Would Dick Cheney skip the Republican convention? It looks like he very well might.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Uh oh: “The possibility of a mistrial emerged on Tuesday in the United States’ first war crimes trial at Guantanamo, after prosecutors said the judge gave flawed instructions to a jury of military officers in the case against Osama bin Laden’s driver. Prosecutors asked the judge to revise the instructions he gave in what constitutes a war crime to the jurors, who began deliberating on Monday in the case of Yemeni prisoner Salim Hamdan.”

* For crying out loud: “The soaring price of oil will leave the Iraqi government with a cumulative budget surplus of as much as $79 billion by year’s end an American federal oversight agency has concluded in an analysis released on Tuesday. The unspent windfall, which covers surpluses from oil sales from 2005 through 2008, appears likely to put an uncomfortable new focus on the approximately $48 billion in American taxpayer money devoted to rebuilding Iraq since the American-led invasion.” Ya think?

* Interest rates stay unchanged: “The Federal Reserve, confronted with the perils of a slumping economy and rising inflation, has decided for a second straight meeting to leave interest rates unchanged. The Fed announced Tuesday that it was keeping its target for the federal funds rate, the interest that banks charge each other on overnight loans, at 2 percent. Wall Street seem pleased with the decision.”

* I’ve long believed John Kerry is much funnier than people give him credit for: “I don’t know if you know this. John McCain is looking for someone for vice president who has more economic expertise than he does. So congratulations to all of you, you’re on the short list.”

* TPM: “Looks like we have yet another point in common between John McCain and George Bush: Both are responding to Nouri al-Maliki’s inconvenient endorsement of Barack Obama’s 16-month withdrawal timeline by saying that Maliki didn’t really mean it.”

* Fascinating Newsweek piece: “What the massive turnout for a free medical and dental clinic in southwest Virginia reveals about the widening gap between health-care haves and have-nots in the United States.”

* Fox News is boasting about a KFC restaurant opening in Fallujah. The establishment doesn’t actually exist.

* Stevens wants a change in venue: “Lawyers for Sen. Ted Stevens (R., Alaska) filed a motion Monday to move his trial to Alaska so he can campaign for re-election during the trial…. ‘Were venue transferred to Alaska, Senator Stevens would have the opportunity to campaign in the evenings and on weekends during the trial,’ the motion said. In the filing, Stevens’ legal defense team argued the ‘center of gravity’ of the case was based in Alaska, and that very little of the alleged underlying conduct took place in Washington, D.C., where the case is currently being heard.”

* Don’t underestimate Oprah’s political power.

* I’m only vaguely aware of who Toby Keith is, but he appears to be an unusually foolish political commentator. I expect a Fox News contract to be extended his way soon.

* “Ethnic cleansing” doesn’t seem to mean what Stephen Biddle, Michael O’Hanlon, and Kenneth Pollack think it means.

* I’m glad to see someone at MSNBC is reading Media Matters’ reports.

* No more Dana Milbank on “Countdown.” Keith Olbermann’s backstory on this is worth reading.

* As a rule, I consider political figures’ families entirely off-limits. But when a Republican candidate for Senate has an adult son who declares “Slavery Gets Shit Done” on his Facebook page, I think it’s fair-game.

* And finally, asked about the illegal employment decisions made by his Justice Department, the president said yesterday, “I had a lot of hires in this administration, a lot of parts of it. I’ve read the critique. I’ve listened very seriously to what they said. And other than that, I have no comment.” I have no idea what this means, but I found it amusing.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Evan Bayh told the Indianapolis Star that Obama has not asked him to be on the Democratic ticket. Asked if he will be asked at some point, Bayh said, “I have no idea. You’d have to ask him.”

* Last month, the Obama campaign announced it would spend $5 million on TV ads during the Olympics. Yesterday, the McCain campaign announced it would spend $6 million on Olympics ads.

* Last week, the McCain campaign insisted Obama had flip-flopped on coastal drilling. Today, the McCain campaign insisted Obama hasn’t flip-flopped on coastal drilling. Obama’s position hasn’t changed over the last week, but McCain’s bizarre rhetoric has.

* The latest Pew Forum poll shows a lot of Americans believing that they’re hearing too much about Obama in this campaign, and want to hear more about McCain.

* The latest Associated Press-Ipsos national poll shows Obama leading McCain by six, 47% to 41%.

* A new Elway Poll shows Obama leading McCain in Washington state by 12, 47% to 35%.

* Public Policy Polling (D) shows McCain leading Obama in Florida, 47% to 44%.

* At a town-hall meeting in Youngstown, Ohio, Obama shared his perspective on the McCain campaign: “When John McCain gets up there and says I’d rather win an election than win a war. When he says I didn’t visit the troops when I was overseas, even though every media outlet says that’s just not true… [It suggests] you are not trying to solve problems. All you are trying to do is divide people so you can win an election. That is nothing to be proud of. Let’s have a real honest debate about policies that are going to make a difference in people’s lives.”

* Hillary Clinton will host a rally and voter registration drive for Obama in Nevada on August 8, and another in Florida on August 21.

* DNC unveils The Next Cheney. They did a great job on this.

* I don’t expect Kentucky to turn blue anytime soon, but voter registration numbers look encouraging for the long-term.

* Interesting new poll: “According to a recent poll by the National Women’s Law Center, women feel the impact of economic insecurity and rising food, energy, education, and health care costs more deeply than men – and see government as a key to the solution.”

* And the official schedule was released yesterday by the Commission on Presidential Debates. Mark your calendars:

Debate #1: Friday, September 26, at the University of Mississippi, moderated by Jim Lehrer

VP Debate: Thursday, October 2, at Washington University in St. Louis, moderated by Gwen Ifill

Debate #2: Tuesday, October 7, at Belmont University in Nashville, moderated by Tom Brokaw

Debate #3: Wednesday, October 15, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, moderated by Bob Schieffer

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Freshman Rep. David Davis (R-Tenn) lost in a Republican primary yesterday, the first Tennessee rep to lose in a primary in more than four decades. Johnson City Mayor Phil Roe beat Davis by about 500 votes, making Davis the third House Republican to lose to a primary challenger this year, following Reps. Chris Cannon in Utah and Wayne Gilchrest in Maryland.

* Marc Ambinder obtained a 54-page draft of the Democratic Party’s platform. It includes, among other things, an emphasis on women’s issues, fatherhood, and government ethics.

* Tom Matzzie is one Democrat not afraid to play hardball: “Nearly 10,000 of the biggest donors to Republican candidates and causes across the country will probably receive a foreboding ‘warning’ letter in the mail next week…. Led by Tom Matzzie, a liberal political operative who has been involved with some prominent left-wing efforts in recent years, the newly formed nonprofit group, Accountable America, is planning to confront donors to conservative groups, hoping to create a chilling effect that will dry up contributions. ‘We want to stop the Swift Boating before it gets off the ground,’ said Mr. Matzzie, who described his effort as ‘going for the jugular.’”

* Andrew Sullivan had an interesting item on McCain’s age: “In McCain’s home state of Arizona, where state Supreme Court picks are chosen very similar to how the federal government makes its own Supreme Court picks, BUT … they serve until the age of 70. It’s in the Arizona Constitution. They are picked by the Governor, approved by the state senate, and then serve until they reach age 70, when the must retire.”

* It looks like Cheney will speak at the Republican convention after all.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Wisconsin by four, 47% to 43%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Massachusetts by 15, 51% to 36%.

* SurveyUSA shows Obama leading McCain in Oregon by three, 48% to 45%.

* Quinnipiac shows Obama leading McCain in New York by 21, 57% to 36%.

* Capital Survey shows McCain leading Obama in Alabama by 13, 47% to 34%.

* The Obama campaign unveiled its Olympics ad, emphasizing Obama’s forward-thinking energy policy.

* Some Democratic Party insiders would like John Edwards to address the tabloid rumors about his personal life.

* And John McCain has scheduled his first media availability in a while for late on a Friday afternoon. Hmm.

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Bush was scheduled to visit the Episcopal Church
outside Washington as part of his campaign to restore his pathetic
poll standings.

His image handler made a visit to the Bishop and said, "We've been
getting a lot of bad publicity because of the president's position on
stem cell research, the Iraq war, hurricane Katrina, and the
Veterans Administration. We'll make a $100,000 contribution to your
church if during your sermon you will say that the President is a saint."

The Bishop thought it over for a few moments and finally said, "The
Church is desperate for funding - I'll do it."

Bush showed up for the sermon, and the Bishop began:

"I'd like to speak to you all this morning bout our President who is a
liar, a cheat, and a low-intelligence numb-nut who can't put a
compound sentence together.

He bugged out of combat service during the Vietnam war and went AWOL
to avoid a drug test, then had all reports on the sordid event destroyed.

He is the spawn of a Nazi loving great grandfather who smuggled
anti-Americans into this country on his shipping line.

He took the tragedy of September 11 and used it to frighten and
manipulate the American people.

He lied about weapons of mass destruction and invaded Iraq for oil
and money, causing the deaths of tens of thousands and making the
United States the most hated country on earth.. It is a six-trillion
dollar folly.

He appointed fund-raiser cronies to positions of power and influence,
leading to widespread death and destruction due to government
paralysis after Hurricane Katrina.

He awarded no-bid cost-plus contracts and tax cuts to his rich
friends so that we now have more poverty in this country and a
greater gap between rich and poor than we've had since the
Depression.

He has headed the most corrupt, bribe-inducing political party since
Teapot Dome.

The national surplus has turned into a staggering national debt of 11
trillion dollars.

Oil rose from $18 to over $120 per barrel, leading to transportation
costs which the people of America cannot afford, with low minimum
wages, part time jobs, no health insurance, and outsourcing.

Vital research into global warming and stem cells is stifled because
he's afraid to lose votes from religious kooks.

He is the worst example of a true Christian I've ever known, but
compared to Dick Cheney......George W. Bush is a saint."

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* War breaks between Russia and Georgia: “Russian and Georgian military forces clashed in the separatist province of South Ossetia on Friday, with Russian tanks and troops pushing in after a Georgian assault on the disputed area. Russia, which has peacekeeping troops in the area, said it was coming to the defense of its citizens, who it says were threatened by Georgian aircraft, tanks and artillery. Georgia’s president, meanwhile, said the two countries were at war, and he called on the United States to back up its support of a nation that is vying to become a member of NATO.”

* For more on developments in Russia, They Gave Us A Republic and James Joyner offer some solid coverage of today’s events.

* The political angle to the conflict: “The situation on the Russia-Georgia border today is a undoubtedly a complicated situation. But it would be difficult for John McCain to give a credible response since his top foreign policy advisor, Randy Scheunemann, was until recently a paid lobbyist for the Georgian government.”

* Sadr is offering a deal: “Anti-American Iraqi Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr would dissolve his Mehdi Army militia if the United States started withdrawing troops according to a set timetable, a spokesman said…. Sadr’s decision to link disarming his militia to a U.S. withdrawal comes at a crucial point in talks between Baghdad and Washington over a security pact to provide a legal basis for U.S. troops in Iraq when a U.N. mandate expires at the end of the year.”

* Also in Iraq: “A car bomb in the northern town of Tal Afar killed 21 people and wounded 72, police said, an attack that demonstrated the potential for violence that persists in a country that has become far more peaceful over the past year. Police said the bomb struck a crowded vegetable market.”

* An attack on Iran “could backfire by strengthening Tehran’s resolve to acquire the bomb.”

* John Boehner managed to tear himself off the golf course. What a trooper.

* All manner of interesting: “The Justice Department investigation into the firings of nine U.S. attorneys has been extended to encompass allegations that senior White House officials played a role in providing false and misleading information to Congress, according to numerous sources involved in the inquiry. The widened scope raises the possibility that investigators will pursue criminal charges against some administration officials, and recommend appointment of a special prosecutor if there is evidence of criminal misconduct.”

* I think the book is true: “Ron Suskind’s bombshell report — that the CIA essentially forged a letter in late 2003 linking Saddam Hussein to 9/11 and nuclear weapons — has been getting knocked around all week. And so far, it’s holding up well under scrutiny.”

* Facts and reality notwithstanding, Stephen Johnson, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, refuses to resign.

* Will Farrell vs. John McCain.

* Conservative pundits follow instructions and stick to the Republican Party script, parts I, II, III, and IV.

* As it turns out, yes, things can get worse for Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who now faces a new set of felony charges.

* Gingrich is hopelessly confused.

* Fox News confuses the Iranian and the Iraqi flags. The network is unique in its ability to screw up both big and little things.

* And finally, the Spin of the Week, by way of senior International Olympic Committee official Arne Ljungqvist, who said the deadly air pollution in Beijing is “mist,” not a “major risk” and blamed the media for hyping the non-problem. Yes, “mist.” Riiiiiight.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The schedule for the Democratic National Convention is coming together, and according to a press release sent out yesterday, Michelle Obama will speak on Monday night, and Hillary Clinton will speak on Tuesday night. It appears Bill Clinton will speak on Wednesday night, the same night as Obama’s running mate. (This should, in all likelihood, end the speculation about Clinton joining the Obama ticket.)

* Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, the co-chair of the convention, also announced that the convention’s overall theme “will be ‘America’s Town Hall’ with each night having a focus and time for voters’ pre-submitted questions.”

* The Obama campaign will release a new book on Sept. 9 — similar to a strategy used by Clinton in ‘92. The Politico reported, “‘Change We Can Believe In: Barack Obama’s Plan to Renew America’s Promise’ includes a campaign photo album from the road, a collection of seven of the hit speeches by Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), and new essays outlining his policy proposals. Since everything Obama is selling well these days, that means the senator’s picture and policies will be in the front of most bookstores in America throughout the heart of the general-election campaign.”

* John McCain had dinner last night with former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge (R), sparking at least chatter about Ridge as a potential running mate. Given that Ridge is pro-choice, one has to assume the Republican base would be more than a little upset.

* Late last week, tickets became available for Obama acceptance speech at Invesco Field in Denver. The campaign set aside half of the 60,000 seats for the general public, and all of the tickets were snatched up within 24 hours.

* Hillary Clinton was absolutely on message at an event near Las Vegas on Friday: ”Anyone who voted for me or caucused for me has so much more in common with Sen. Obama than Sen. McCain,” Clinton told her cheering audience in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson. ”Remember who we were fighting for in my campaign.” She added that ”we may have started on two separate paths, but we are on one journey now.”

* On the other hand, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) and former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.) are very much off-message.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Michigan by seven, 47% to 40%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Missouri by seven, 48% to 41%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Washington state by 12, 52% to 40%.

* In an awkward move, Howard Wolfson, the Clinton campaign’s former communications director, told ABC News that if John Edwards’ affair had come out sooner, Hillary Clinton would have won Iowa and the nomination.

* Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), still recovering from the effects of a brain hemorrhage, is running for re-election, but announced that he will not be able to participate in campaign debates. “I have been open and honest about my recovery. While my speech continues to improve it is not yet 100 percent and I have not yet reached a point in my rehab where my participation in a debate would accurately reflect my capabilities,” Johnson said in a statement. “Therefore I will not participate in traditional political debates during this campaign.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The offensive continues in Georgia: “Russian forces continued airstrikes against targets in this central Georgian city Monday as Moscow’s troops moved deeper into Georgian territory around the western town of Senaki. The airstrikes and ground movements came despite an announcement by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Monday that military operations in Georgia are almost complete.”

* Slicing Georgia in half: “Russian forces seized several towns and a military base deep in western Georgia on Monday, opening a second front in the fighting. Georgia’s president said his country had been effectively cut in half with the capture of the main east-west highway near Gori. Fighting also raged Monday around Tskhinvali, the capital of the separatist province of South Ossetia. Russian warplanes launched new air raids across Georgia, with at least one sending screaming civilians running for cover.”

* John McCain spent much of the day talking about events in Georgia; Bush was scheduled to address the subject about 15 minutes ago; and Obama is expected to have a public statement any minute now.

* McCain is impressed with himself for working the phones with Georgia, but he’s not actually doing anything.

* The latest in Iraq: “The Iraqi government on Monday suspended a massive military operation in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, offering a limited amnesty to insurgents who surrender by the end of the week…. An hour after the announcement, a woman wearing a suicide vest blew herself up near a police station in the provincial capital of Baqouba, injuring 13 policemen and killing one. Earlier in the day, a roadside bomb killed five women who’d been on their way into the city to buy vegetables.”

* House Republicans are still engaged in a sit-in of sorts, which only they and the tourists can see.

* A withdrawal date from Iraq might help improve matters on the ground. Quick, someone tell John McCain.

* Enjoy the Endangered Species List now; the Bush administration may soon try to make it extinct.

* Headline of the Day: “11,000 couples later, gay marriage largely a nonevent in Mass.” Wait, you mean the sky didn’t fall? Civilization remains intact? The religious right was wrong? Ya don’t say.

* The Justice Department wrongfully obtained the phone records of reporters at the New York Times and Washington Post Indonesia bureaus, but the FBI is really sorry about it now.

* David Axelrod is starting to getting a little slyer with his rhetoric: “Obviously, his strategists met on the portico of the McCain estate in Sedona — or maybe in one of his six other houses — and decided what line of attack they were going to use.”

* I wonder if the DC media establishment might be willing to take a few notes from Bob Costas.

* The WaPo really screwed up the story about Obama’s budget plan.

* Hmm: “Scientists are stepping up among those most skeptical of the FBI’s evidence implicating military microbiologist Bruce Ivins in the 2001 Anthrax attacks.”

* The flap over Boehner’s “hanging” comment is not yet resolved, and an apology has not yet been forthcoming.

* I actually like Rolling Stone, and I’m not sure how I feel about it shrinking.

* And finally, I found James Joyner’s take on his “distaste” for the Pledge of Allegiance absolutely fascinating: “My reasons aren’t libertarian, however, but quite conservative. It’s not so much that I find taking oaths distasteful or contrary to our Republican spirit but, rather, that I take my oaths seriously.” Take a look at his post.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* McCain in the round: “John McCain plans to accept the Republican presidential nomination in a unique setting. Convention planners are working with broadcasters to stage McCain’s speech in the round, with Republican faithful behind him. It’s a special request of McCain image-makers, who think the candidate looks more comfortable — and feels more comfortable — when he’s surrounded by real people.”

* The Republican National Convention has unveiled its theme for the year: “Putting Country First.”

* Remember the only positive McCain campaign ad of the last several weeks? The one about him being a maverick and believing that the country is worse off now than it was four years ago? It “only aired six times on a single day last week.” And while the McCain campaign is barely investing at all in its positive ad, it has a bunch of “celebrity” attack ads “in heavy rotation.”

* McCain campaigned in Pennsylvania yesterday and sang former Gov. Tom Ridge’s praises, but hinted that Ridge would not be on the ticket. Asked about his plans for his first 90 days in office, McCain said, “Call Tom Ridge to Washington from whatever vacation he is taking and get him to work.”

* Bloomberg: “Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is opening campaign offices in Indiana, North Carolina and Alaska, using his financial edge to challenge John McCain in states previously written off by Democrats…. Obama’s push in previous Republican strongholds includes 14 offices in Indiana, 11 in North Carolina and four in Alaska, according to his campaign Web site. Only one of those states, North Carolina, has backed a Democratic presidential candidate in the past 40 years.”

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Iowa by five, 46% to 41%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Oregon by 10, 47% to 37%.

* Public Policy Polling (D) shows Obama leading McCain in Colorado by four, 48% to 44%.

* SurveyUSA shows McCain leading Obama in Virginia by one, 48% to 47%.

* “Barns for Obama.”

* Remember when Mike Huckabee really wanted to be McCain’s running mate? He no longer seems interested, and doesn’t even want a cabinet spot. “Why would I want to do that?” Huckabee told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “What possible reason? I’m gonna have a good life out here in the private sector.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Russia has apparently finished making its point: “President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia agreed on Tuesday to the terms of a cease-fire that could end the clashes in Georgia, saying Russia had ‘punished’ Georgia enough for its aggression against the separatist enclave of South Ossetia. The six-point agreement — which the Georgians had endorsed in an earlier draft — would withdraw troops to the positions they occupied before fighting broke out Thursday.”

* Georgian officials have insisted that Russian forces continued bombing and shelling even after the cease-fire, but those reports are unconfirmed.

* The underlying elements that sparked the five-day conflict remain unresolved: “The Russian and French presidents on Tuesday announced a six-point plan of principles for settling the immediate conflict in Georgia but stopped short of tackling the issues that sparked the violence.”

* Neocon arguments about Russian conquest continue to look pretty shaky.

* Josh Marshall responds to John McCain’s rhetoric on the Russian/Georgian conflict: “I know I’ve made this point in various ways in several posts over the last day or so. But watching John McCain speak about the Georgian crisis in the video below should deeply worry anyone interested in a sane US foreign policy — or the safety of their children…. It’s beyond Obama or political strategy or dinging McCain on this or that policy. This man is simply too dangerous and unstable to be president. People need to wake up and get a look of the preview he’s giving us of a McCain presidency.”

* Al Qaeda keeps losing its top lieutenants: “Al Qaida’s reputed number three commander has been killed in fighting in Pakistan’s wild border region with Afghanistan, according to news reports Tuesday. Amid a fierce battle which began a week ago between the Pakistani army and militants in Bajaur, a tribal area known as a hotbed for extremists, it emerged that Abu Saeed al Masri had been killed. It’s thought that his real name is Mustafa Abu al Yazid, al Qaida’s commander in Afghanistan.”

* Congress is running a little short on time, but this could make for an interesting hearing or two: “After pundits have commented about the muted reaction to author Ron Suskind’s explosive allegations last week, the House Judiciary Committee said today it will ‘review’ the reports of White House and CIA misconduct.”

* Oh my: “Two-thirds of U.S. corporations paid no federal income taxes between 1998 and 2005, according to a new report from Congress. The study by the Government Accountability Office, expected to be released Tuesday, said about 68 percent of foreign companies doing business in the U.S. avoided corporate taxes over the same period. Collectively, the companies reported trillions of dollars in sales, according to GAO’s estimate. ‘It’s shameful that so many corporations make big profits and pay nothing to support our country,’ said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., who asked for the GAO study with Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.”

* The McCain campaign denied cribbing from Wikipedia.

* I’d always hoped Valerie Plame’s civil suit had a reasonably good shot. The courts continue to disagree.

* Note to NPR’s Mara Liasson: there is nothing “ironic” about “a liberal Democrat showcasing his faith.” (I get the sense Mara Liasson understands irony about as well as Alanis Morissette.)

* When the FBI improperly accesses reporters’ phone records, “sorry” doesn’t seem to cut it.

* If McCain wants to demonstrate his expertise on foreign policy, and his support for Georgia in the midst of its conflict with Russia, someone probably ought to tell McCain how to pronounce the name of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

* And finally, the McCain campaign “borrowed” footage from a “Wayne’s World” movie for its latest attack video. It appears, however, that the McCain campaign is not worthy.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Meet your DNC Keynote speaker: “Mark Warner, Virginia’s former governor and its Democratic candidate for the Senate, has been tapped to be the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention, a plum spot that is often a springboard to national prominence. ‘Like Barack Obama, Mark Warner is not afraid to challenge the status quo to bring people together and get things moving,’ campaign manager David Plouffe said in a statement. ‘It’s that kind of spirit and innovation that resulted in his selection as keynote speaker on a night when we will be discussing how to renew Americas promise.’”

* Speaking of Plouffe, Obama’s campaign manager also responded yesterday to the notion that the email announcement about the running mate was just a stunt. “People keep asking me if we’re really going to announce Barack’s VP directly to our supporters. The answer is yes,” Plouffe said. “Let me be very clear. You are the ones who built this campaign, and Barack wants you to be the first to know who will join him in leading our movement for change.”

* Obama held a fundraiser in Hawaii yesterday, and raised $1.3 million.

* The line-up for other speakers at the Democratic convention were announced yesterday, including a tribute to Ted Kennedy. Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter will be among the speakers at Invesco Field on Thursday.

* Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) had said publicly that he would “consider” an invitation to join the Obama ticket, though he thought an invitation was unlikely. Yesterday, Hagel’s spokesperson ruled it out, and said Hagel does not intend to endorse either candidate this year.

* Franklin & Marshall shows Obama leading McCain in Pennsylvania by five, 46% to 41%.

* Quinnipiac shows Obama leading McCain in New Jersey by 10, 51% to 41%.

* SurveyUSA shows McCain leading Obama in North Carolina by four, 49% to 45%.

* InsiderAdvantage shows McCain leading Obama in Florida by four, 48% to 44%.

* SurveyUSA shows McCain leading Obama in Kentucky by 18, 55% to 37%.

* Hays Research Group shows Obama leading McCain in Alaska by five, 45% to 40%. (A caveat on this one: the poll was paid for by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, a PAC that has endorsed Obama.)

* Obama has been airing more TV ads in Florida than McCain by an enormous margin.

* Bob Perry, the financier behind the Swiftboat attacks, has teamed up with the Club for Growth to try to help scandal-plagued GOP Senate candidate Bob Schaffer in Colorado.

* I always thought former Ohio Rep. Rob Portman (R) would be a top contender for McCain’s ticket, but he claims that he hasn’t even been vetted.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The networks are reporting that Arkansas Democratic Party Chairman Bill Gwatney died this afternoon in a Little Rock hospital.

* About that cease-fire: “A column of Russian armor and troops moved deeper into Georgian territory on Wednesday in apparent violation of a new cease-fire agreement, according to Georgian officials and eyewitnesses. They said the Russian equipment was moving toward the Georgian capital, then turned north.”

* The Bush administration weighs in: “In Washington, President Bush said the United States planned a massive humanitarian effort involving American ships and aircraft, including a C-17 military cargo plane loaded with supplies that landed on Wednesday. Bush said he was sending in Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to deal with the crisis, and she called on Russia to halt military operations in Georgia. ‘I have heard the Russian president say that his military operations are over. I am saying it is time for the Russian president to be true to his word,’ Rice said.”

* McCain really isn’t helping: “Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili on Wednesday called for John McCain and other American leaders to do more for Georgia in their response to the conflict in his country. ‘Yesterday, I heard Sen. McCain say, ‘We are all Georgians now,” Saakashvili said on CNN’s American Morning. ‘Well, very nice, you know, very cheering for us to hear that, but OK, it’s time to pass from this. From words to deeds.’”

* On a related note: “President Saakashvili today told Georgians that the US military was moving in to take over control of the countries air and seaports — which would be a pretty big deal since much of the country still appears to be an active war zone. And about five minutes later the Pentagon said he didn’t know what he was talking about…. John McCain says he’s talking to Saakashvili every day. What’s he telling him? Is he confusing the situation?”

* The gunman who shot the chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party died after his confrontation with police.

* One day after criticizing Congress for not being in session, Bush left for his ranch for a two-week vacation.

* Cindy McCain was briefly taken to a Michigan hospital with wrist pain today. She’s apparently fine and will return to the campaign trail tomorrow.

* Bloomberg: “Almost one-third of U.S. homeowners who bought in the last five years now owe more on their mortgages than their properties are worth.”

* I thought it was impossible for Rush Limbaugh to appear even more classless. I underestimated him.

* What do you know, there really is a Colbert Bump.

* Some on the right are now blaming global warming on immigration.

* Good to see increased pressure on this: “It’s been a couple weeks since the Pentagon defied a Congressional subpoena and refused to let the military’s chief sexual assault expert testify at a hearing about sexual assault in the military. Lawmakers on the House oversight committee were definitely not happy about it at the time. Now the committee is stepping up its pressure on the Department of Defense to let Dr. Kaye Whitley, the director of the department’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, speak on Capitol Hill.”

* And finally, China wanted to put on its best face for the Olympics — literally. During the opening ceremonies, a young girl sang “Ode to the Motherland,” but she was lip-synching, because the child who actually sang was deemed insufficiently cute. “We combined the perfect voice and the perfect performance,” a musical director acknowledged. “The audience will understand that it’s in the national interest.”

Anything to add? Consider this an end-of-the-day open thread.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In a new mailer, the AFL-CIO is going after John McCain’s wealth: “McCain’s worth over $100 million,” the mailer reads. “He owns 10 houses…he flies around on a $12.6 million corporate jet…he walks around in $520 Italian loafers. If John McCain lost his social security, he’d get by just fine. Would you?”

* On Fox News yesterday, Bill Kristol said Colin Powell was poised to endorse Obama and would attend the Democratic convention. Soon after, Powell dismissed Kristol’s talk as false. “I do not have time to waste on Bill Kristol’s musings,” Powell told ABC News. “I am not going to the convention. I have made this clear.” Whether Powell may eventually endorse Obama remains unclear.

* The Obama campaign is running a new negative ad against McCain, but it’s only running in Indiana. The tagline: “How can John McCain fix the economy, when he doesn’t think it’s broken?”

* The International Association of Fire Fighters, during its annual convention in Las Vegas today, will throw its support to Obama. “The union chose to back Obama over John McCain because of the presumptive Democratic nominee’s support of collective bargaining, which gives workers the right to jointly work with their employers to negotiate hours, salaries, benefits and overall working conditions, IAFF spokesman Scott Treibitz said.”

* The DNC’s website is all about promoting the Obama campaign. The RNC’s website is all about trashing the Obama campaign. Poor John McCain, not even the Republican Party wants to talk about him.

* Let’s just say that Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) would not be a netroots favorite if he joined the Obama ticket as the running mate.

* Soon after running ads connecting himself to Obama, Republican Sen. Gordon Smith of Oregon has now resigned as a state co-chairman for the McCain campaign. Smith’s campaign said the move was about saving the senator’s time, but in reality, being an honorary co-chair required no time commitment at all.

* And then there were eight: Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) is the eighth incumbent Republican senator to announce he won’t attend the party’s national convention.

* The latest Pew national poll shows Obama leading McCain by three, 46% to 43%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Virginia by one, 46% to 45%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Nevada by three, 45% to 42%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Kansas by 15, 52% to 37%.

* Strategic Vision shows Obama leading McCain in Wisconsin by five, 47% to 42%.

* Don’t expect to see the Rev. Jesse Jackson speaking at the Democratic convention this year.

* The DSCC goes for humor against Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R) in North Carolina.

* The NRSC is giving up on the Senate race in New Jersey.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Russians aren’t exactly rushing to go home: “Russian officials said Thursday that the Georgian government will not regain control over two breakaway provinces that are at the center of a week-long military conflict, as the Kremlin issued an uncompromising response to U.S. and Western threats over its military incursion deep into the territory of its tiny neighbor.”

* On a related note: “Georgia’s president said Thursday that a column of Russian tanks and other vehicles was moving toward the country’s second-largest city, and that Russian forces already control a third of Georgian territory.”

* McCain’s bluster notwithstanding, don’t expect U.S. troops in Georgia. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told reporters in a briefing this morning: “I don’t see any prospect for the use of military force by the United States in this situation. Is that clear enough?”
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/48242.html

* McCain has been blaming Russia for the conflict, but now he seems confused about who’s responsible.

* A change at the top in Pakistan: “Faced with desertions by his political supporters and the neutrality of the Pakistani military, President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, an important ally of the United States, is expected to resign in the next few days rather than face impeachment charges, Pakistani politicians and Western diplomats said Thursday.”

* Inflation: “Consumer prices shot up in July at twice the expected rate, pushed higher by surging energy and food costs. The latest surge left inflation running at the fastest pace in 17 years.”

* More important than inflation: “The Labor Department also reported that workers’ average weekly earnings declined by 0.8% in July and 3.1% over the last year, even after adjusted for inflation.”

* More discouraging economic news: “U.S. foreclosure activity in July rose 55 percent from a year earlier as a slump in once-sizzling housing markets forced yet more borrowers to default on their mortgages, according to a monthly report.”

* Let’s not tell Lou Dobbs: “In a few decades, all Americans will be minorities.”

* Let’s all thank the president for not vetoing this: “Bush on Thursday signed consumer-safety legislation that bans lead from children’s toys, imposing the toughest standard in the world. The new law prohibits lead, beyond minute levels, in products for children 12 or younger. Lead paint was a major factor in the recall of 45 million toys and children’s items last year, many from China. Both houses of Congress approved the bill by overwhelming margins two weeks ago.”

* China tried to deal with its smog problem before the Olympics … so expect consumer goods to cost more for a while.

* Good: “The AFL-CIO and several union-friendly groups filed a formal complaint against Wal-Mart on Thursday, charging that the retail giant is pressuring employees to vote against Sen. Barack Obama. Citing a Wall Street Journal report, the complaint accuses Wal-Mart of pushing its workers to oppose Obama (D-Ill.), who supports a measure that would allow workers to form unions without a secret-ballot election. The complaint calls on the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to investigate whether Wal-Mart has broken federal election laws.”

* After Sean Hannity argued on the air that those who are unfaithful to their spouses don’t deserve the public’s trust, Alan Colmes mentioned that John McCain is an admitted adulterer. First, this caused Hannity to go completely berserk. Second, good for Alan Colmes.

* Where do the Republicans find these clowns? “Wow, talk about taking right-wing attacks against Dems on Iraq to the next level. At a debate in New Mexico for the open GOP-held Second District late last week, Republican nominee Ed Tinsley accused his Dem opponent Harry Teague of wanting to cut the throats of American troops in Iraq.”

* Some right-wing voices are insisting that George Clooney has advised Obama on foreign affairs. In case you have a crazy uncle who emails you about this, please know that this nonsense has already been debunked.

* Happy Birthday, Social Security. Here’s hoping McCain doesn’t get the chance to privatize you.

* After all that we’ve learned lately, why would Jerome Corsi go on a “pro-White” right-wing radio show?

* Alan Greenspan, not a mensch.

* And finally, a right-wing member of Congress, Rep. Bill Sali (R-Idaho), apparently believes we can get oil from trees. And people wonder why we don’t take House Republicans seriously on policy issues.




#board-2412


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Obama campaign released a very detailed refutation of Jerome Corsi’s hatchet-job book, and posted a lengthy document on the subject online.

* A good fundraising month for the GOP: “John McCain raised $27 million in July, his largest one-month fundraising haul since clinching the Republican presidential nomination, while the Republican National Committee brought in nearly $26 million.” The Obama/DNC numbers for July have not yet been released.

* On a related note: “Barack Obama’s campaign announced Thursday that it had set a new campaign fundraising record, reaching the two million donor mark with more than two months left until Election Day. ‘Today we achieved something amazing — 2,000,000 donors owning a piece of this campaign,’ read a message on the campaign’s Web site. ‘In the face of John McCain’s low road tactics, it’s more important than ever to keep our movement growing and show the power of millions of grassroots supporters coming together to work for change.’”

* Guess who’s back? “Ousted John McCain campaign co-chairman Phil Gramm is back with the campaign’s top advisers this weekend, as the campaign gathers top supporters for a series of briefings in scenic Aspen, Colo.”

* In an unexpected move, Mike Huckabee, who says he doesn’t want to be McCain’s running mate, publicly criticized the notion of adding Mitt Romney to the ticket. “I think there are better choices for Sen. McCain that have the approval of value voters,” Huckabee told Fox News, adding, “The issue is that in many ways, Mitt Romney has had very definite swings of position. Not just on one or two things, but on many of the issues.”

* The DNC is linking McCain, Reed, and the Abramoff scandal.

* Arguably the biggest knock on Evan Bayh as a potential running mate is his role as a co-chair of the neocon Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, along with John McCain and Joe Lieberman, several years ago. Yesterday, Bayh said he doesn’t remember serving on the committee.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in North Carolina by six, 50% to 44%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Colorado by two, 47% to 45%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Minnesota by four, 46% to 42%.

* SurveyUSA shows Obama leading McCain in Washington state by seven, 51% to 44%.

* A University of Texas poll shows McCain leading Obama in Texas by 10, 43% to 33%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Barack Obama struck a fairly aggressive tone towards John McCain at an event in Reno, Nevada, yesterday: “[A]fter praising the Arizona senator as a ‘genuine American patriot,’ the Democratic presidential hopeful got back to business — methodically tearing into McCain’s health care, tax and energy policies and criticizing his advisers.”

* Obama sat down briefly with David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network on Saturday night, after the event at Saddleback. Brody brought up charges from a right-wing pro-life group, and Obama was visibly frustrated: “I hate to say that people are lying, but here’s a situation where folks are lying.”

* Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge (R) said yesterday that he thinks the party would accept a pro-choice running-mate for McCain. “At the end of the day, I think the Republican Party will be comfortable with whatever choice John makes,” Ridge said. We’ll see.

* Obama held a series of fundraisers in San Francisco yesterday, collecting money for both his campaign and the joint effort between Obama and the DNC. “John McCain, all he wants to do is talk about me,” Obama told supporters. “They know they can’t win on the issues. So what they’ll do is they’ll try to scare people: ‘He’s risky. He’s risky. We’re not sure.’” In all, Obama raised a combined total of $7.8 million between the various events.

* Last week, Joe Lieberman suggested Obama has not always put the country first. Yesterday, Dick Lugar, a conservative Republican from Indiana, rejected Lieberman’s remarks on CNN: “I think that was clearly a partisan statement at a rally. I respect everybody [has] their opinions in a political campaign, but that’s all that was.”

* Obama chatted with T. Boone Pickens to chat about alternative energy. Pickens’ support for the Swiftboat liars apparently didn’t come up. “Everybody knows that if we keep on going on the same track that we’re going, that we are giving our wealth away, we’re funding both sides in the war on terror. We’re going to be — over the long term — putting enormous pressure on ordinary families…. That’s what we’re going to be talking about,” Obama said before the meeting.

* Obama isn’t writing off any states, but his campaign has apparently decided to practically ignore Arkansas.

* Public Policy Polling (D) shows Obama and McCain tied in Ohio at 45% each.

* A poll from the Rocky Mountain News shows McCain leading Obama in Colorado by three, 44% to 41%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in North Carolina by four, 46% to 42%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Maine by 13, 49% to 36%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Stay safe, Floridians: “The center of Tropical Storm Fay passed over Key West on Monday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said. There were no immediate reports of serious injuries or damage. Authorities said there was some localized flooding and power lines were down in some areas. Hurricane forecasters said the storm was expected to strengthen into possibly a Category 1 hurricane before hitting Florida’s Gulf Coast sometime Tuesday.”

* Maybe it’s a very, very slow withdrawal: “The deputy head of the Russian military’s general staff, Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, told reporters in Moscow earlier on Monday that Russian troops were being drawn back to the breakaway region of South Ossetia, which sits just on the other side of the Georgia-Russia border. But McClatchy journalists in both western and central Georgia saw little sign that was happening. As has been the case during the 10-day conflict, the Russians seemed intent on showing they controlled the ground.”

* I’m not quite sure how someone accidentally files a lawsuit: “An old lawsuit on record at the city courthouse reveals a moment of friction between John McCain’s mother and his ex-wife. Years later, McCain and his former wife presented a united front in a lawsuit of their own. McCain, the Republican candidate for president, calls the first lawsuit a mistake and says he never authorized the second. Both legal actions were settled out of court before they went to trial.”

* Reporters seem to be actively pushing the notion that we’ll learn about the presidential candidates’ running mates soon. Well, yes, we will. It’s a rather obvious point, isn’t it?

* Brave New Films takes a closer look at McCain’s many homes.

* Steve M. takes a closer look at McCain’s “dirt in the cross” story, and finds another reason that McCain’s version of events may not be accurate.

* I continue to think this should be a bigger deal: “Randy Scheunemann, John McCain’s top foreign policy aide, has lobbied for Georgia ($780,000 in lobbying fees!), Romania, Latvia, Macedonia, and Taiwan. In other words, he’s lobbied for a variety of foreign governments. McCain’s response? He’s ‘proud’ of Scheunemann’s paid lobbying work for foreign governments. Country first indeed.”

* The Obama campaign went after McCain for the scheduled Ralph Reed fundraiser in Georgia: “It’s clear that Senator McCain is willing to do whatever it takes to win — even if that means embracing Bush’s policies, his tactics, and now his disgraced fundraisers.”

* Oh hell, Harry and Louise are back.

* Two years ago today, then-Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) used the word “macaca.”

* Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) is all for ethics measures, just so long as they don’t apply to him directly.

* Michael Tomasky’s blog is up and running over at The Guardian.

* It may rile up the far-right base, but the McCain campaign picking a fight with NBC News is mind-numbingly foolish.

* And finally, what do Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili do when he gets nervous? Apparently, he eats his necktie. No, I don’t understand it, either.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* According to the National Review’s Rich Lowry, the McCain campaign “has been calling key state GOP officials around the country the last couple of days and sounding them out about the consequences of a pro-choice VP pick.”

* Will Obama’s drive to stretch the map stretch the campaign too thin? “The McCain campaign has outspent the Obama camp by hundreds of thousands of dollars, and in some cases by as much as a million dollars or more, in virtually all of the nearly dozen battleground states where both campaigns are up on the air, according to a firm that tracks national advertising…. McCain is advertising heavily in 11 traditional battlegrounds; Obama is advertising in those same 11 plus roughly seven more; and McCain holds a heavy advantage in virtually all the 11 shared states.”

* A new Quinnipiac poll shows Obama leading McCain nationally by five, 47% to 41%.

* Interesting: “Recognizing an opportunity, Obama has opened more offices in rural areas than any other Democratic presidential candidate in years, pushing a message focused on job creation. Neighborhood campaign teams have been going door to door talking about Obama and his economic policies. In Ohio, his campaign recently announced a “Barns for Obama” effort, in which farmers are encouraged to paint their barn with Obama’s logo.”

* As expected, the United Auto Workers officially endorsed Obama yesterday.

* Hillary Clinton hopes to use the Democratic convention to raise money she can use to pay off her campaign debts.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Georgia by seven, 50% to 43%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Illinois by 15, 53% to 38%.

* A Siena poll shows Obama leading McCain in New York by eight, 47% to 39%.
47-39

* It’s safe to assume, at this point, that Wesley Clark won’t be Obama’s running mate.

* This might matter in Virgina, but it’s unclear which candidate will benefit more: “On Friday, under the radar, the Independent Green Party of Virginia successfully gathered enough signatures to put New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s name on the presidential ballot. They did it all without the mayor’s knowledge or consent. Moreover, they wrote in as his number two Texas Rep. Ron Paul.”

* Al Franken (D) is still trailing Sen. Norm Coleman (R) in Minnesota’s Senate race, but a new Rasmussen poll shows the gap narrowing a bit.

* And speaking of Coleman, the incumbent Republican senator said he’d skip the Republican National Convention this year, if it weren’t being held in his home state.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Violence erupts near Kabul: “In unusually large and well-coordinated operations in eastern Afghanistan Monday, Taliban fighters killed 10 French soldiers and at least six suicide bombers attacked a base of NATO alliance troops, NATO and Afghan officials said Tuesday. The fighting with the French began late Monday afternoon when dozens of insurgents ambushed a French-led patrol near the town of Sarobi about 40 miles east of Kabul, according to NATO officials. Shortly after the ambush, a quick reaction force of NATO and Afghan soldiers and air support was sent to reinforce the French patrol.”

* Inflation: “Wholesale inflation surged in July, leaving prices for the past year rising at the fastest pace in 27 years, according to government data released Tuesday. The Labor Department reported that wholesale prices shot up 1.2 percent in July, pushed higher by rising costs for energy, motor vehicles and other products. The increase was more than twice the 0.5 percent gain that economists expected.”

* It sounds like Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) is going to need a good lawyer.

* Harriet Miers has landed on her feet — she’s a lobbyist for Pakistan.

* Bush’s presidency may be ending soon, but the Hackocracy isn’t quite finished: “F. Chase Hutto III, a senior aide to Vice President Dick Cheney with a long history of promoting anti-environmental regulation policy, is a top choice for a post at the Energy Department, the Washington Post reports today.”

* A second stimulus package? Expect movement in a few weeks.

* Hmm: “Ralph Reed was a no-show at a fund-raiser for John McCain Monday evening, following nearly a week of considerable drama surrounding his involvement in the senator’s campaign…. ‘Faced with the embarrassing prospect of holding a fundraiser with one of Jack Abramoff’s closest associates, the McCain campaign scrambled today scratch Ralph Reed from tonight’s program,’ Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor said in a statement. ‘The real question isn’t why Reed isn’t showing up, but why a so-called reformer would invite him at all.’”

* Here, in a nutshell, is one of the more striking problems with our political system: “Joe Morton of Ohio, who served as a Marine in the Korean War, admitted that he had other concerns about Obama, repeating the false rumor that the Illinois Democrat is a Muslim. Told that Obama, a Christian, isn’t Muslim, Morton said, ‘but his father was.’ Told that Obama grew up hardly knowing his father, Morton shrugged and said, ’something like that.’”

* Big Oil spent $83 million last year on lobbying, an all-time record. The industry has already spent $55 million this year and is on pace to top last year.

* In his latest “Special Comment,” Keith Olbermann had some very good advice for John McCain: “Grow up.”

* Anytime I see the intersection of public policy and Monty Python, I’m happy.

* Fox News’ Gretchen Carlson insists that McCain “doesn’t like to talk about when he was a POW.” Does Carlson watch her own network?

* Sure enough, the NYT had to run another correction for a Bill Kristol error.

* Typo of the Day, from the AP’s Nedra Pickler: “Less traditional choices mentioned [for McCain’s running mate search] include … Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Democratic vice presidential prick in 2000 who now is an independent.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Would he make us wait until Saturday to learn about the running mate? “Barack Obama’s campaign confirms that the Illinois senator will hold an event in his home state Saturday, kicking off the ‘roll into the convention’ — but would not confirm or deny reports that he might be joined on stage by a running mate. The event will be held in the Old State Capitol in Springfield — where Obama first launched his presidential bid a year and a half ago.”

* Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) hit John McCain pretty hard yesterday on energy policy. “[McCain] continues to reject bipartisan compromise because it would roll back massive tax breaks for the oil companies,” Vilsack said. “That is not putting the country first, it is putting the interest of oil companies first.”

* The McCain campaign is utterly offensive on so many levels, but it’s really good at message discipline. Its new Spanish-language radio ad tells a Latino audience: “Fame must be grand for Barack Obama. But is he ready to lead in tough economic times?”

* And the new McCain campaign English-language radio ad follows the same theme: “Celebrities like to spend their millions. Barack Obama is no different. Only it’s your money he wants to spend.”

* Al Gore gets a Thursday night slot: “Former Vice President Al Gore has accepted a speaking role on the final night of the Democratic convention, appearing on the same stage that Barack Obama will officially receive the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, three sources tell CNN.”

* Jimmy Carter will speak on Monday night of the convention.

* The DNC is hitting McCain over his odd remark on Saturday night that $5 million was the line of demarcation for distinguishing the rich.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Ohio by four, 45% to 41%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Florida by three, 46% to 43%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Louisiana by 17, 55% to 38%.

* SurveyUSA shows McCain leading Obama in Indiana by six, 50% to 44%.

* SurveyUSA shows Obama leading McCain in Minnesota by two, 47% to 45%.

* A Susquehanna poll shows Obama leading McCain in Pennsylvania by five, 46% to 41%.

* There will be plenty of campaign ads before Sept. 11, 2008, and plenty more after, but both McCain and Obama will suspend campaign advertising on the seventh anniversary of the attacks.

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* What a shame: “Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio, a Democratic superdelegate and one of Hillary Clinton’s most ardent supporters, was hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday after suffering an aneurysm, the hospital said.” There were reports earlier that she had died, but they were mistaken.

* New pact: “The United States will deploy anti-missile interceptors, upgrade Poland’s air defenses and modernize its military under two agreements signed Wednesday. The agreements, signed by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, are almost certain to increase the already high tensions between Russia and the West over the Russian invasion of Georgia.”

* Russia is really unhappy: “Norway’s Defense Ministry said Russia has informed it that it plans to cut all military ties with NATO. Ministry spokeswoman Heidi Langvik-Hansen said the country’s embassy received a telephone call from Russia’s Defense Ministry on Wednesday, saying Moscow plans ‘to freeze all military cooperation with NATO and allied countries.’”

* Nice try, Ted: “A jury in Washington, D.C., will determine whether Sen. Ted Stevens is guilty of failing to report gifts and home renovations he allegedly accepted from an oil services company and its owner. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan decided Wednesday that the trial will stay in the nation’s capital and continue on its accelerated schedule. However, there’ll be no sessions on Fridays so that Stevens can travel to Alaska to campaign. Jury selection is set to begin Sept. 22 and the trial will start two days later.”

* Speaking of right-wing senators with legal trouble: “Lawyers for the Federal Election Commission do not believe that Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) should be allowed to use campaign funds to cover all the legal costs he incurred while trying to avoid testifying in the Deborah Jeane Palfrey prostitution case. In a draft advisory opinion released by the FEC on Wednesday, the agency concluded that Viitter will have to personally pay more than $160,000 in lawyers’ fees stemming from Vitter’s effort to quash suppoenas from Palfrey, dubbed by the media as the ‘D.C. Madam.’”

* And speaking of the FEC: “The Democratic National Committee is asking the Federal Election Commission to postpone a decision — scheduled for its public meeting on Thursday — on the issue of Senator John McCain’s withdrawal from the public financing system for his primary bid.”

* I generally avoid sports news, but the Henry Cejudo story is just beautiful. Go read it.

* The far-right’s tendency to attack veterans who disagree the conservative line never ceases to amaze me.

* Scott McClellan hopes that Barack Obama, if elected, doesn’t go back and investigate the Bush White House’s criminal conduct. Hmm.

* A very sound prediction from Atrios: “Republicans will inevitably throw some sort of hissy fit over something real or imagined that happens at the Democratic convention in order to try to prevent any kind of convention bounce for Obama. Be prepared.”

* Rumor has it that Harry Reid’s patience for Joe Lieberman has run out. Good.

* If you missed Rachel Maddow talking about her new show on “Countdown” last night, it’s definitely worth watching.

* I’m glad kids are getting into rock music via “Guitar Hero,” but I wonder, how many of them make the transition from the game to actually playing a real guitar?

* The task of debunking the anti-Obama emails is daunting and never ending.

* Wait, there might be a “Veronica Mars” movie? Sounds good to me.

* And finally, note to political reporters: if you ask an unexpected question on a McCain campaign conference call, be prepared to be inexplicably cut off.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The major players are still hoping for unity: “Politico reports that Clinton’s campaign is putting together a 40-person ‘whip team’ to quickly shut down any protests before they become vocal enough for the TV cameras to catch. ‘If people get down there on the floor and want to start blowing kazoos and making a scene, we want to make sure we’ve got people who stand in front of them with Obama signs,’ someone involved in the planning told the paper.”

* Several leading Republicans, including Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty, are headed to Denver next week to try to crash the Dems’ convention party.

* The Obama campaign has begun pushing back more aggressively against the “infanticide” smear making its way through right-wing circles.

* Both the Obama and McCain campaigns agreed this morning to the dates, times, and exact format of the questioning for their three fall debates.

* The superdelegates played a fairly significant role in this year’s nominating process, but Obama wants to lessen their significance in future contests.

* Rudy Giuliani really thinks his party would be just fine with a pro-choice running mate for John McCain. Come to think of it, he thinks the GOP would be fine with a pro-choice nominee, too, but the primaries should have made it clear how wrong this is.

* McCain continued to insist that Obama is “opposed to nuclear power.” He continues to be wrong.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Pennsylvania by five, 45% to 40%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in New Hampshire by one, 43% to 42%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Maryland by 12, 53% to 41%.

* A University of Minnesota poll shows Obama leading McCain in Minnesota by 10, 48% to 38%.

* InsiderAdvantage shows McCain leading Obama in North Carolina by two, 45% to 43%.

* Public Policy Polling shows McCain leading Obama in Missouri by 10, 50% to 40%.

* McCain is taking three days off, leaving the campaign trail altogether, starting today.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Confirming earlier reports: “Iraq and the U.S. have reached preliminary agreement to withdraw American forces from Iraqi cities by next June, six years into the increasingly unpopular war, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Thursday after meeting with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.”

* Russia isn’t in any hurry: “Washington demanded on Friday that Russia pull its troops out of Georgia ‘now,’ but Moscow said it would be another 10 days before the bulk of its force left Georgian soil.”

* What a terrible shame: “Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a key figure in Ohio Democratic politics and the chairman of the House ethics committee, died yesterday at a Cleveland hospital after suffering a brain hemorrhage.”

* Taliban wreaks havoc: “At least 60 people were killed and 100 injured in coordinated suicide bombings on the country’s largest army munitions factory here Thursday, the latest in a series of Taliban attacks against Pakistani government targets.”

* He won’t say who, but Barack Obama has, in fact, decided on a running mate. “I won’t comment on anything else until I introduce our running mate to the world,” he said. “That’s all you’re going to get out of me.” Obama also wouldn’t say if he’s informed his pick yet.

* Harry Reid acknowledged, on the record, that he “can’t stand” John McCain. I can’t say I blame him.

* Tensions with Russia sent oil prices higher today.

* I’m starting to get the impression that Rush Limbaugh has a problem with black people.

* No, really, I’m starting to get the impression that Rush Limbaugh has a problem with black people.

* One of the more depressing scandals of the Bush administration is how routine this gang has made corruption: “Medicare’s top officials said in 2006 that they had reduced the number of fraudulent and improper claims paid by the agency, keeping billions of dollars out of the hands of people trying to game the system. But according to a confidential draft of a federal inspector general’s report, those claims of success, which earned Medicare wide praise from lawmakers, were misleading.”

* Are the Olympics over yet?

* When it comes to the 1922 Colorado River compact, just because McCain says he wants to renegotiate the deal doesn’t mean that McCain wants to renegotiate the deal. Remember, McCain doesn’t always speak for the McCain campaign.

* And the Bush White House sure is clumsy: “The White House is missing as many as 225 days of e-mail dating back to 2003, and there is little likelihood that a recovery effort will be completed by the time President Bush leaves office, according to an internal White House draft document obtained by the Associated Press…. The draft document outlines a process in which private contractors would attempt to retrieve lost e-mail from 35,000 disaster recovery backup tapes dating to October 2003, a period covering such events as growing violence in Iraq, the Abu Ghraib prison scandal and the criminal inquiry into the disclosure that Valerie Plame, wife of an administration critic, worked for the CIA.”

[teapeebubbles]

FRIDAY'S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP....Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Even now, no one seems to be sure exactly how many homes John McCain actually owns.

* Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas) isn't really on Obama's short-list, is he?

* On Sept. 11, both McCain and Obama will pull their television ads and appear separately at a forum hosted by a coalition called ServiceNation.

* After Obama appears with his yet-to-be-named running mate tomorrow in Springfield, Ill., the two will make campaign stops in Eau Claire on Sunday, the Quad Cities area on Monday, Kansas City on Tuesday, and Billings on Wednesday.

* There's a lot of buzz this morning about Mitt Romney being the frontrunner for McCain's running mate, but Jonathan Cohn raises an interesting point: "If this housing gaffe sticks and John McCain has a hard time shaking the economic elitist level, it's hard to imagine him picking Mitt Romney as running mate. According to documents that Romney released during his presidential run, he is worth between $190 and $250 million, making him the wealthiest presidential candidate to run this election cycle. And, yes, he owns several homes."

* For those of you worried about former Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.) becoming Obama's running mate, rest easy -- he'll be out of the country over the weekend.

* A Detroit Free Press poll shows Obama leading McCain in Michigan by seven, 46% to 39%.

* Research 2000 shows Obama leading McCain in Nevada by one point, 44% to 43%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in New Mexico by six, 47% to 41%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Pennsylvania by five, 45% to 40%.

* SurveyUSA shows McCain leading Obama in Kansas by 23, 58% to 35%.

* How much do Dems in Minnesota want a picture of Bush and Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) together? Enough to pay for one.

* And finally, it turns out, there may be no such thing as an undecided voter.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* As of this minute, we don't know who Barack Obama's running mate is.

* Russia doesn't appear to be in any kind of rush in Georgia.

* Did the McCains embellish their Mother Teresa adoption story? Maybe.

* It must be terribly unpleasant to be Evan Bayh's neighbors today.

* Spencer Ackerman has a good item on Obama's response today to developments in Iraq.

* Media Matters launched "County Fair" today, a media blog "featuring news links and progressive media criticism from around the web, along with commentary from Eric Boehlert and Jamison Foser."

* How do you know a right-wing ad is way too over the top? When Fox News declines to run it. (Except, as it turns out, Fox News ended up running the ad it had rejected.)

* I'm probably a big geek, but I really like the video fact-checking clips the Obama campaign's been doing.

* Obama's "lost" law review article turned out to be no big deal.

* Krugman: "So the Obama campaign is going all out on the issue of McCain's multiple houses. Isn't that kind of stupid? Yes, it is -- and it was also necessary."

* McCain probably didn't expect Robin Leach's support, and probably wishes he hadn't received it.

* Oliver Willis: "Dave Mudcat Saunders could be the greatest political operative since Machiavelli, no Democrat should be working with a guy who sleeps with the confederate flag on his bed."

* And finally, it's not nearly as bad as the house flap, but it's not encouraging that John McCain doesn't know what kind of car he drives.

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MONDAY'S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP....Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Clinton adviser Maggie Williams and Obama strategist Axelrod release a joint statement: "The fact is that our teams are working closely to ensure a successful convention and will continue to do so. Senator and President Clinton fully support the Obama/Biden ticket.... Anyone saying anything else doesn't know what they're talking about. Period."

* Hillary Clinton is expected to formally release her primary delegates at a reception on Wednesday.

* In a bit of a surprise, Ted Kennedy will speak tonight at the convention.

* Remember the fight over what to do with the Florida and Michigan convention delegations? It's all water under the bridge -- the credentials committee voted unanimously yesterday to restore full voting rights to both states' delegations.

* Former Rep. Jim Leach, an Iowa Republican, will speak to the Democratic convention tonight, and Fairbanks Mayor Jim Whitaker, an Alaska Republican, will do the same tomorrow.

* The latest CNN/Opinion Research poll shows Obama and McCain tied nationally at 47% each.

* The Hill reported, "AFL-CIO officials have kicked off their push to introduce Barack Obama to union voters in 24 'priority' states, unveiling a mail piece that will go out to more than a million swing voters in four states this week." Karen Ackerman, political director of the AFL-CIO, called it the "biggest grassroots effort in history."

* The RNC has established a "war room" in Denver, to attack Dems during their convention.

* The RNC also continues to utilize Hillary Clinton's attacks against Obama from the primary season.

* A Public Policy Polling poll shows Obama leading McCain in Virginia by two, 47% to 45%.

* A Suffolk University poll shows Obama leading McCain in Colorado by five, 44% to 39%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Indiana by four, 46% to 42%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in California by 14, 51% to 37%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Mississippi by 13, 54% to 41%.

* Mason-Dixon shows McCain leading Obama in Arizona by six, 47% to 41%.

* Mason-Dixon shows Obama leading McCain in Colorado by three, 46% to 43%.

* Mason-Dixon shows McCain leading Obama in New Mexico by four, 45% to 41%.

* Mason-Dixon shows McCain leading Obama in Nevada by seven, 46% to 39%.

* Mason-Dixon shows McCain leading Obama in Utah by 39, 62% to 23%.

* Mason-Dixon shows McCain leading Obama in Wyoming by 37, 62% to 25%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Deal in the works: "Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are working on a deal to give her some votes in the presidential nomination roll call, but end the divided balloting quickly with a unanimous consent for Obama."

* Obama told Bill Clinton, "Mr. President you can say whatever you like" during your convention speech.

* This morning at the New York State delegation breakfast: "Now I understand that the McCain campaign is running ads trying to divide us and let me state what I think about their tactics and these ads: I am Hillary Clinton and I do not approve that message."

* Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice used some surprisingly kind words to describe Joe Biden.

* Jon Stewart doesn't think highly of the cable news networks. I don't blame him.

* No, everyone does not love Karl Rove.

* The AP's Ron Fournier has caught MoveOn.org's attention.

* I was going to do an item how terribly disappointing it was to see Sean Wilentz's nasty piece in Newsweek, but it looks like publius already has it covered in a fine post.

* Bill Kristol in January: "Thank you, Senator Obama. You've defeated Senator Clinton in Iowa. It looks as if you're about to beat her in New Hampshire. There will be no Clinton Restoration. A nation turns its grateful eyes to you." So much for the glass-ceiling talk.

* I can't remember the last time a national news outlet ran negative ads targeting a rival national news outlet, but that's Fox News for you.

* For that matter, I can't remember the last time a national news outlet sent someone to a political convention for the express purpose of "causing trouble," but that's Fox News for you.

* "Welcome, rich white oligarchs!"

* It's tough to get eight in 10 Americans to agree on much, but that's how many people are dissatisfied with the direction of the country.

* What does "Swiftboating 2.0" look like? Media Matters has a chart.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* John McCain appeared on "The Tonight Show" last night, and Jay Leno joked about McCain's confusion over how many houses he owns. McCain responded by pointing to -- you guessed it -- his background as a former prisoner of war during Vietnam.

* Quinnipiac shows Obama leading McCain in Ohio by one, 44% to 43%. The same poll showed Obama up by two in July.

* Quinnipiac shows McCain leading Obama in Florida by four, 47% to 43%. The same poll showed Obama up by two in July.

* Quinnipiac shows Obama leading McCain in Pennsylvania by seven, 49% to 42%. This is unchanged from July.

* A Suffolk University poll shows Obama leading McCain in Colorado by five, 44% to 39%.

* A Detroit News poll shows Obama leading McCain in Michigan by two, 43% to 41%.

* A Columbus Dispatch poll shows Obama leading McCain in Ohio by one, 42% to 41%.

* More swiftboating underway, this time from the right-wing Vets for Freedom.

* Just what the political world needed, yet another "3 a.m." ad.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Russia "stunned" Europe and the U.S. today, by recognizing the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The AP noted that the Kremlin's move "suggested it was willing to risk nearly two decades of economic, political and diplomatic bonds with its Cold War antagonists."

* Barack Obama condemned Russia's decision and called on other nations "not to accord any legitimacy to this action."

* Russia President Dmitry Medvedev said, "We are not afraid of anything, including the prospect of a new Cold War."

* Good question: "What was a top national security aide to Vice President Dick Cheney doing in Georgia shortly before Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's troops engaged in what became a disastrous fight with South Ossetian rebels -- and then Russian troops?"

* Good advice for one of the media's more transparent and shameless hacks: "Jesus, Joe, why don't you get a shovel."

* Alaskan Sen. Ted Stevens (R) thinks Bush administration prosecutors are trying to smear him. I think the poor guy is cracking under the pressure.

* How much longer can the White House stall? "A district court judge denied Harriet Miers and Joshua Bolten's request for a stay on their Congressional testimony pending the appeal of the recent decision in HJC v. Harriet Miers et al."

* The new data from the Census Bureau did not go unnoticed by Obama campaign HQ.

* The closer one looks at McCain's record on women's issues, the worse it looks.

* Bloggers and MoveOn.org aren't the only ones who've noticed the AP's Ron Fournier's trouble with objectivity.

* And Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) is the latest far-right Republican to raise the specter of a government shutdown over coastal drilling.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Rocky Mountain News has the latest details on how the roll-call vote at the Democratic convention this evening is probably going to work.

* On Friday, Obama and Biden will kick off a bus tour, traveling first to Pennsylvania, followed by stops in Ohio and Michigan.

* Michael Dukakis told Katie Couric yesterday: "I owe the American people an apology. If I'd beaten the old man, we would have never heard of the kid, and we wouldn't be in this mess." Laughing, he added, "So, it's all my fault."

* No, Springsteen won't perform at Invesco tomorrow night.

* Bob Novak doesn't want to see a McCain-Lieberman ticket.

* Pat Leahy thinks McCain's confusion is reminiscent of Reagan's, circa 1987.

* Sen. Ted Stevens (R) of Alaska survived a primary challenge yesterday.

* A Brown University poll shows Obama leading McCain in Rhode Island by 21, 51% to 30%.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The weather, at this point, looks pretty good for Denver tonight.

* Republicans may not be as meteorologically fortunate.

* A Time/CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain in New Mexico by 13, 53% to 40%.

* A Time/CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain in Nevada by five, 49% to 44%.

* A Time/CNN poll shows McCain leading Obama in Colorado by one, 47% to 46%.

* A Time/CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain in Pennsylvania by five, 48% to 43%.

* A University of Akron poll shows Obama and McCain tied in Ohio at 40% each.

* If McCain added Lieberman to the Republican ticket, it may not help as much as expected in Florida.

* There's buzz in conservative circles about Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) possibly joining the McCain ticket, but Jonathan Martin reports that she hasn't been vetted.

* Terry McAuliffe is apparently considering running for governor of Virginia.

* Did Rove call McCain to urge him not to pick Lieberman for the ticket? Rove doesn't want to talk about it.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* As expected, Hillary Clinton released her convention delegates at an event this afternoon.

* In an apparent effort to drive me batty, CNN is running its own reports on Clinton and "body-language experts."

* With a hurricane on the horizon, New Orleans is weighing an evacuation plan.

* We still don't know for sure if Rep. Don Young won his Republican primary in Alaska yesterday.

* Dan Pfieffer, Obama's communications director, thinks the Gallup daily tracking poll is "the worst thing that's happened in journalism in 20 years."

* Even after Paul Begala set the record straight, on the air, CNN still managed to screw up the Casey-in-'92 story.

* Ratings for Clinton's speech last night were pretty strong.

* Rudy Giuliani steps all over the McCain campaign line, insists this would be an awful time for a president with no executive experience.

* Why do I think Rachel Maddow is the best in the biz? This is why: "[S]he is determined to avoid the left-right pairings that sustain much of cable news. 'It creates fake balance,' she says. 'I'm sorry -- we're going to have a debate about whether or not the Earth is flat? It doesn't make sense to have a debate about whether offshore drilling is going to bring down gas prices. You know what? It's not. The fact that it's false ought to be reported, or you're advancing a lie.'"

* It's a shame the Blue Dogs aren't interested in hanging out with Glenn Greenwald.

* Wouldn't this be fun? "There's quiet buzz in Washington this week that convicted GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff and several colleagues -- including scam-artist Michael Scanlon -- will be sentenced soon for their roles in the 2005 tribes-and-bribes scandal. These rumors have circulated before, so perhaps it's the natural gossip of idle politicos during the Capitol's dog days. But individuals tangentially related to the case say the sentences could come as early as next week, during the Republican convention."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Now here's a provocative charge: "Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has accused the United States of orchestrating the conflict in Georgia to benefit one of its presidential election candidates."

* The stock markets did well today, which I suppose means, based on Larry Kudlow's economic theories, that investors like what they're hearing from the Democratic National Convention.

* We talked earlier about John Goodman, who helped write McCain's healthcare plan, arguing that all Americans have access to healthcare thanks to emergency rooms. Soon after, the McCain campaign said Goodman isn't actually an advisor to the senator. The campaign appears to be lying.

* When Karl Rove thinks about hurricanes hitting the Gulf Coast, he thinks about how much they inconveniences Republicans.

* They want to let Abramoff out early?

* I didn't realize right-wing media personalities are still hung up on the whole Obama birth-certificate thing.

* AFSCME president Gerald McEntee spoke to Iowa Democrats this morning: "Toward the end of his 18 minute speech, McEntee sort of addressed the elephant in the room, saying there were some union members who won't vote for Barack Obama because he's black: 'I say to all those people out there in our own union and every other union in the United States: 'If that's the reason you can't vote for Barack Obama, that is bullsh*t and you have to change your mind.'"

* "McCain's Million Dollar Parking Lot"

* Del Martin died yesterday at age 87.

* Convention "word clouds" can be pretty interesting.

* And Tom Brokaw continues to carry water for McCain, suggesting that his background of a prisoner of war necessarily shields him against, well, everything.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Paul Begala: "John McCain needs what Kinky Friedman calls 'a checkup from the neck up.' In choosing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate he is not thinking 'outside the box,' as some have said. More like out of his mind."

* David Gergen was pretty impressed with Barack Obana's speech last night, calling it "a political masterpiece" and "less a speech than a symphony."

* The McCain campaign is selling pens on its website that misspell the word "students." Ouch.

* Sarah Palin actually doubts that human activity is responsible for global warming.

* Palin has never been to Iraq. I'm looking forward to McCain denouncing her disinterest in the troops.

* What a coincidence: "Ad featuring scandal-plagued Ted Stevens endorsing Sarah Palin for governor in 2006 mysteriously vanishes from her campaign Web site."

* Ezra makes it plain: "[H]ere's what even [McCain's] supporters must admit: Country did not come first. Polls did."

* In a few years, Palin may be as accomplished as Dan Quayle was in '88.

* Today's edition of quick hits:

* Paul Begala: "John McCain needs what Kinky Friedman calls 'a checkup from the neck up.' In choosing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate he is not thinking 'outside the box,' as some have said. More like out of his mind."

* David Gergen was pretty impressed with Barack Obana's speech last night, calling it "a political masterpiece" and "less a speech than a symphony."

* The McCain campaign is selling pens on its website that misspell the word "students." Ouch.

* Sarah Palin actually doubts that human activity is responsible for global warming.

* Palin has never been to Iraq. I'm looking forward to McCain denouncing her disinterest in the troops.

* What a coincidence: "Ad featuring scandal-plagued Ted Stevens endorsing Sarah Palin for governor in 2006 mysteriously vanishes from her campaign Web site."

* Ezra makes it plain: "[H]ere's what even [McCain's] supporters must admit: Country did not come first. Polls did."

* In a few years, Palin may be as accomplished as Dan Quayle was in '88.

* McCain is 23 years older than Alaska.

* John Cole on the Palin pick: "It seems so transparently cynical, so deeply poll-driven and focus-grouped, and so manifestly just a bone to the wingnut pro-life base and the 8 PUMA holdouts, that I really can't treat this pick seriously."

* For months, Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty have worked their asses off for the McCain campaign, traveling, speaking, doing interviews, and launching attacks. Palin, meanwhile, didn't do much of anything to help the McCain campaign. As of today, Romney and Pawlenty are pissed.



* John Cole on the Palin pick: "It seems so transparently cynical, so deeply poll-driven and focus-grouped, and so manifestly just a bone to the wingnut pro-life base and the 8 PUMA holdouts, that I really can't treat this pick seriously."

* For months, Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty have worked their asses off for the McCain campaign, traveling, speaking, doing interviews, and launching attacks. Palin, meanwhile, didn't do much of anything to help the McCain campaign. As of today, Romney and Pawlenty are pissed.

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MONDAY'S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP....Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll shows Obama/Biden leading McCain/Palin nationally by one point, 49% to 48%.

* Howard Wolfson has come around on Barack Obama.

* Tom Daschle thinks Sarah Palin is outside the ideological mainstream. He's right.

* Palin thinks the Founding Fathers recited the Pledge of Allegiance. She's off by more than 100 years.

* While the McCain campaign claims to be appalled at any political criticism during preparations for Hurricane Gustav, McCain's surrogates are going on the attack -- at events where McCain is present.

* I heartily endorse Ezra's take: "I just want to note, if only for the record, that in a saner country, the fact that Sarah Palin wants us to teach our children lies rather than biology, and doesn't believe in man-made global warming, should be enough to cost the Republicans the election."

* Former DNC Chairman Don Fowler was overheard joking the other day that Gustav's expected landfall on the same day as the opening of the Republican Convention suggested God was on the Democrats' side. Yesterday, he apologized.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* We'll have a better sense of the damage tomorrow, but the AP reports, "Hurricane Gustav slammed into the heart of Louisiana's fishing and oil industry with 110 mph winds Monday, delivering only a glancing blow to New Orleans that raised hopes the city would escape the kind of catastrophic flooding brought by Katrina three years ago."

* Waves reportedly went over the levees, which is better than breaching them.

* The hurricane, Paul Krugman explained today, underscores the fundamental issue of ideology and government competence. It's a point Alan Wolfe explained very well in these very pages.

* Both sides of the aisle were supposed to back off attacks today, in light of the storm. Karl Rove, however, can't help himself. Stay classy, Karl.

* Despite the limited schedule this evening, the Republican National Convention began this afternoon in St. Paul.

* Have you heard about the reported raids associated with the convention? Glenn has a disconcerting report.

* Cindy McCain and Laura Bush are scheduled to speak to the convention today.

* The AP must be hearing quite a few complaints about Ron Fournier.

* Lindsey Graham forgets that John McCain hasn't shown up for his day job in months.

* I have a hunch the McCain campaign wanted to get out as much bad news about the Palins as possible on a day when a hurricane reached U.S. shores.

* I finally have something in common with the president -- neither Bush nor I find John Bolton credible.

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TUESDAY'S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP....Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The latest national poll from CBS News shows Obama leading McCain by eight, 48% to 40%.

* The latest national poll from USA Today/Gallup shows Obama leading McCain by seven, 50% to 43%.

* The latest national poll from Diageo/Hotline shows Obama leading McCain by nine, 48% to 39%.

* Giuliani is out as McCain's keynote speaker; Lieberman and Fred Thompson will replace him tonight. Giuliani will speak tomorrow or Thursday instead.

* Obama delivered an unusually good speech last night in Milwaukee on Hurricane Gustav and the "quiet storms" families face nationwide every day. Time's Jay Newton-Small, who's covered Obama for 19 months, said he was "as good as I've ever heard him."

* About two-thirds of the country is worried that a McCain presidency would be too similar to the last eight years.

* Thanks to a late push from conservative activists, McCain raised $47 million in August, easily his best fundraising month to date.

* For a little while, Palin was referencing Hillary Clinton's accomplishments in her stump speech. That, apparently, is over.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The McCain campaign will punish news outlets that ask tough questions. Good to know.

* Palin said she had visited Ireland. It turns out, her plane merely refueled there.

* No one asked city clerk of Wasillia for materials on Palin until The Washington Independent's Laura McGann asked this morning.

* Alberto Gonzales improperly handled classified information, but won't face criminal prosecution.

* Hmm: "Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki has been on a roll, and American officials are getting worried.... Now, however, U.S. officials in Baghdad worry that success has gone to Maliki's head. They fear that his tough bargaining on a long-term security agreement with the United States is a sign that Maliki thinks he can move ahead on his own."

* Palin's lawyers are dragging their feet on the investigation into her abuse-of-power scandal.

* I guarantee the McCain campaign won't be pleased with the new cover of US Weekly.

* Palin and Abramoff had a lobbyist in common.

* It's stunning how Amy Goodman was treated while covering a demonstration at the Republican convention.

* Good point: "Looking at the Sarah Palin debacle, one is reminded that one of the principal powers of the presidency is the power to appoint people -- federal judges, ambassadors, cabinet secretaries, subcabinet officials, FEC members, the Amtrak board, all kinds of things. Presidents don't always put the best people in these positions, but normally they give the matter some thought."

* Some Republicans are still claiming Palin opposed the "bridge to nowhere." Do they know they're lying, or do they just no longer care?

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Republicans were very reluctant to mention the name "Bush" last night. I wonder why.

* Hoping to steal some of McCain's thunder, Obama will appear on "The O'Reilly Factor" tomorrow night.

* The Obama campaign unveiled a new ad yesterday connecting McCain to Bush; and the McCain campaign will unveil a new ad today arguing that Palin has more experience than Obama.

* Obama campaign manager David Plouffe didn't go after Palin yesterday, but he did go after the process through which Palin was selected: "The way the process was done should be of interest to voters because I do think it speaks to how things will be managed and executed as president. At the end of the day, it may work out for them, but the process is a transparent moment for voters to decide how these two people will go about major decisions."

* Ron Paul's rival convention drew 12,000 people to the Target Center yesterday. I wonder whether there'd be more media attention if one of Obama's Democratic rivals held a competing convention during the DNC and 12,000 people showed up.

* Maryland Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R), who lost to a far-right Republican in a primary in February, endorsed the Democratic candidate in his district yesterday.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Could U.S. troops be out of Baghdad by next summer?

* Once again, the AP comes through for the McCain campaign.

* I had a hunch the Eagle Forum would scrub its site of Sarah Palin info.

* No, Bush doesn't deserve credit for Iraq not having weapons of mass destruction.

* When it comes to Chelsea Clinton, Republicans have a very short memory.

* Joe Klein is tired of the McCain campaign's pushback against the media: "The attempts by the McCain campaign to bully us into not reporting such things are not only stupidly aggressive, but unprofessional in the extreme."

* Nice piece from Dan Froomkin on the media not being even more aggressive when it comes to Palin and McCain's judgment.

* McCain has lost Thomas Friedman.

* Did Alberto Gonzales commit perjury? He very well may have.

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THURSDAY'S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP....Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* No one wants to use the word "Bush" at the Republican convention. I wonder why that is.

* The DNC has a solid new ad poised to air in Michigan hitting McCain on the economy.

* Former Rep. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), a McCain advisor, is the latest to defend the media's scrutiny of Sarah Palin, rejecting Republican accusations of sexism.

* The day after McCain campaign manager Rick Davis claimed that the campaign "is not about issues," Barack Obama incorporated the bizarre notion into his stump speech.

* Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is done in Detroit.

* In a CNN poll taken before the start of the Republican convention, Obama leads McCain by 15 in Iowa (55% to 40%), 12 in Minnesota (53% to 41%), and two in Ohio (47% to 45%).

* In a Democracy Corps (D) poll taken before the start of the Republican convention, McCain leads Obama in North Carolina by two, 47% to 45%.



#board-2412


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* It was a very rough day on Wall Street today. If Larry Kudlow's logic is right, and I know it's not, that means investors were unimpressed with Sarah Palin's convention speech.

* He got off easy: "Jack Abramoff, the disgraced former lobbyist who orchestrated a wide-ranging scheme to corrupt several members of Congress, was sentenced to four years in prison Thursday afternoon."

* Jesus was a community organizer.

* A huge setback for Florida's new private school voucher scheme.

* Why would the McCain campaign acknowledge a tabloid rumor few had even heard of? (On a related note, the National Enquirer's response was surprisingly amusing.)

* Do Republicans know there's still a war going on in Afghanistan? Apparently not.

* Let's have a more detailed conversation about which of the two competing families -- the McCains and the Obamas -- qualify as "elitists."

* Palin's television ratings were extremely good last night.

* If Democrats used fake troops in a convention video, we'd never hear the end of it, and Fox News would never stop talking about it.

* Palin boasted in her speech that she's launched a "natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence," which she described as "the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history." Her claim fudged most of the facts.

* I wonder if any of the convention attendees notice the contrast of white on white.

* CNN seems confused about the meaning of the phrase "knockout punch."

* Funniest. Roger Simon column. Ever.

* Jon Stewart 1, Karl Rove 0.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new ABC News poll found that 50% of Americans believe Sarah Palin does not have the right experience to serve effectively as president, while 42% believe she does. For Joe Biden, 66% believe he does have the experience, while 21% said he doesn't.

* The same poll found that 50% of Americans think the media coverage of Palin has been fair, while 41% believe it's been unfair.

* Georgia Republican Lynn Westmoreland doesn't think "uppity" should be considered "racially derogatory."

* Since Sarah Palin's convention speech, the money from donors has been rolling in -- at Obama campaign headquarters.

* Palin sure does love her pork-barrel transportation projects.

* Palin attended five colleges in six years before graduating from the University of Idaho in 1987, and the McCain campaign, according to the Associated Press, didn't contact any of the schools as part of its vetting process.

* Hillary Clinton will campaign in Florida for the Democratic ticket on Monday.

* A DFM Research poll shows Obama leading McCain in North Dakota by three, 43% to 40%.

* A Gauge-Howey poll shows McCain leading Obama in Indiana by two, 45% to 43%.

* An Ivan Moore poll shows McCain leading Obama in Alaska by 19, 54% to 35%. (Previous polls had shown Obama within striking distance in Alaska, but these numbers come after Palin was added to the GOP ticket.)

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The investigation into Sarah Palin's alleged abuse-of-power is now on a fast-track, and will be completed three weeks earlier than scheduled.

* Due to "unique political circumstances," Alaskan lawmakers will not subpoena Palin directly. I'm confused -- if she vowed to cooperate, and then stopped cooperating, why back off, simply because she's seeking national office?

* Palin aides, however, will face subpoenas.

* Republicans apparently had a little trouble telling the difference between Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Walter Reed Middle School in North Hollywood, California.

* The television ratings for McCain's convention speech were even better than Obama's.

* Coming up in September: a vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which McCain opposes.

* The McCain campaign keeps using artists' songs without permission. The artists are not at all happy about it.

* When he wants to, McCain pulls off remorse very well.

* If the media's so liberal, why did the networks give the Republican convention more airtime than the Democratic convention?

* Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) makes a renewed push to regain his title as Congress' Most Ridiculous Member.

* Last night, someone held up a sign that read "Mavrick" right around the same time McCain was talking about adult literacy. Too funny.

* Obama vs. O'Reilly, round one.

* The story about Palin, eBay, and the gubernatorial jet has already been distorted.

* And if you haven't seen NBC News' Andrea Mitchell get completely engulfed by balloons at the Republican convention last night, take a look. It's pretty hilarious.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new USA Today/Gallup poll taken over the weekend shows McCain leading Obama among registered voters, 50% to 46%. Among those identified as likely voters, the lead is even bigger, 54% to 44%.

* Nate Silver has an analysis piece on post-convention polling in general.

* In responding to the new McCain ad, the Obama team used the "l" word: "Despite being discredited over and over again by numerous news organizations, the McCain campaign continues to repeat the lie that Sarah Palin stopped the Bridge to Nowhere."

* Obama and Bill Clinton will meet on Thursday at Clinton's offices in Harlem. The New York Times said this will be their "first extended face-to-face encounter after more than a year of tense relations, aides said Sunday."

* Speaking of the Clintons, Hillary Clinton will campaign for Obama today in Florida, with a discussion on the economy near Orlando this afternoon and a rally this evening in Tampa.

* Dick Cheney offers enthusiastic support for Sarah Palin. Condoleezza Rice's support sounds more restrained.

* Joe Biden told Tom Brokaw yesterday that, as a religious matter, he believes life begins at conception. Biden is, however, pro-choice as a matter of government policy.

* The National Republican Senatorial Committee must feel pretty certain about Tom Udall's (D) chances of winning the open Senate seat in New Mexico this year -- the NRSC is calling off scheduled TV ads in the state.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Thomas Friedman did a nice job this morning trashing the McCain/GOP energy policy on "Good Morning America."

* To hear the McCain campaign tell it, we not only have Sarah Palin media interviews to look forward to, but also Sarah Palin press conferences. I'll believe it when I see it.

* The Abramoff scandal never really ends; there are always more people to get indicted.

* Republicans wanted to get state Sen. Hollis French, a Democrat from Anchorage, removed from his role overseeing the probe into Palin's abuse of power scandal. French, however, is staying right where he is.

* Senate Republicans are apparently considering another government shutdown. Harry Reid is encouraging them to be less irresponsible.

* I'm not sure how the right came up with this anti-Oprah nonsense, but Oprah hasn't had any national candidates on her show this year, so she hasn't snubbed Palin (or McCain, or Biden, or Obama).

* The McCain gang sure does repeat that "Bridge to Nowhere" lie a lot.

* Monty Python alum Michael Palin for President?

* There's a list going around of books Sarah Palin allegedly wanted to ban in the Wasilla library. It's not true.

* There won't be time for another S-CHIP vote before Congress adjourns for the year.

* And finally, some good questions from the Washington Post editorial board: "Was Alberto R. Gonzales the least intellectually gifted attorney general in history? Did he possess the worst memory? Was he incapable of telling the truth? All of the above?"

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The latest round of national polls show McCain's lead over Obama somewhere between zero and two points.

* Obama campaign manager David Plouffe continues to insist the national polls are of little interest at this stage. "In this building we don't spend a lot of time on national polls, we are very focused on the battleground states that will decide the race," Plouffe told reporters. "We think McCain is more at his high water mark then we are."

* Public Policy Polling shows Obama leading McCain in Michigan by one point, 47% to 46%.

* Rasmussen released a bunch of state polls yesterday. Obama leads in Colorado (+3) and Pennsylvania (+2), while McCain leads in Ohio (+7) and Virginia (+2). Rasmussen shows Obama and McCain tied in Florida.

* Sarah Palin has a group of close friends, who jokingly call themselves the "elite six," and who got to know each other through aerobics classes. Three of the six, though, aren't sure if they're even willing to vote for her.

* If ABC News' Charlie Gibson wants to ask Palin some good questions, the Anchorage Daily News has some very helpful suggestions.

* It looks like Georgia is off the Obama campaign's wish list.

* Last week, Heart demanded that the McCain campaign stop playing "Barracuda" at its events. The campaign, which claims to have paid for and obtained all necessary licenses, is apparently playing the song anyway.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* That's quite a budget mess Bush is leaving behind.

* Sarah Palin finds very strange reasons to fire people.

* Lieberman will reportedly be unwelcome at Democratic luncheons moving forward.

* And Lieberman's legislative director resigned this week, in protest of the senator's betrayal.

* John Boehner doesn't remember how he spent his summer vacation.

* If I had to pick the worst member of the Senate, it would have to be James Inhofe. But if I had to pick the looniest, it would have to be Kentucky's Jim Bunning.

* Veterans will, once again, be able to register to vote at federally run nursing homes, shelters for the homeless, and rehabilitation centers across the country.

* Joe Biden explained today that opposition to stem-cell research has real-life consequences for real-life people. Republicans found this outrageous. I don't know why.

* Take a moment to look at the latest chart from Project for Excellence in Journalism regarding last week's media coverage, and notice what aspect of the race got the least amount of attention.

* Sebilius thinks Palin is a fad.

* Another Republican House member caught up in Abramoff's web.

* One actually becomes less informed by reading the New York Post.

* Andrew Sullivan is fine.

* Once in a while, College Republican leaders will drop the pretense and say what they believe. That's really not a good idea.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The latest NBC/WSJ poll shows Obama leading McCain by one, 46% to 45%, among registered voters.

* Former Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee called Sarah Palin a "cocky wacko" yesterday, at a forum hosted by the New America Foundation.

* Al Gore will deliver the keynote address at the Iowa Democratic Party's annual Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner on Oct. 4.

* Are the national polls over-sampling Republicans?

* The McCain campaign has begun buying ad time for daytime television, and will run spots during "The Price is Right," "Guiding Lights," and "Days of Our Lives."

* McCain has launched his first television ad swing in Florida.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Montana by 11, 53% to 42%.

* Depending on which poll you find more credible, McCain is either leading in North Carolina by a little or a lot.

* Norm Coleman really doesn't want to talk about Bush.

* Those Georgia Republicans sure do seem to like the word "uppity."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Pentagon conceded today that the Bush administration policy in Afghanistan isn't working.

* McCain/Palin is, even now, lying about the Bridge to Nowhere.

* Newsweek is moving the ball forward on Palin's "troopergate" scandal.

* The controversy over Palin's per diems gets a little worse, and a little more hypocritical.

* By the way, Maddow's first-night numbers looked pretty solid. She beat Larry King.

* Have I ever mentioned how much I loathe the term-limits movement? I'm thrilled to see the backlash.

* The DNC isn't digging up dirt on Palin in Alaska, despite what the latest dishonest McCain ad claims.

* Good news, the Large Hadron Collider has not destroyed the universe. Just FYI.

* Not surprisingly, the charges against Ted Stevens are going to trial.

* Palin's eBay story: what really happened.

* It's amazing how many reporters have added "mind-reading" to their list of talents.

* CBS News isn't happy about being used in the new McCain ad.

* Fred Thompson doesn't read much.

* CREW releases its list of the 20 most corrupt members of Congress -- and four to watch.

* In an unusual twist, Factcheck.org has concluded that the McCain campaign is lying about Factcheck.org.

* Actor Matt Damon was less than complimentary about Sarah Palin today, describing the prospect of a Palin presidency as akin to a "really bad Disney movie."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Both Obama and McCain issued statements honoring the anniversary of 9/11.

* Joe Biden went off-message yesterday, and suggested Hillary Clinton "might have been a better pick" for the VP slot than he is.

* Bill Clinton will have a lunch meeting with Obama today, and will campaign for the Democratic ticket on September 29 in Florida. (I continue to believe Obama's team would be smart to get Clinton out onto the trail as much as humanly possible.)

* On a related note, Todd Beeton reported yesterday that Obama and Hillary Clinton chatted on the phone on Monday, and Obama expressed his appreciation for the work she's done in support of the campaign.

* Quinnipiac shows Obama leading McCain in Ohio by five, 49% to 44%.

* Quinnipiac shows Obama leading McCain in Pennsylvania by three, 48% to 45%.

* Quinnipiac shows McCain leading Obama in Florida by seven, 50% to 43%.

* Time/CNN shows Obama leading McCain in Michigan by four, 49% to 45%.

* Time/CNN shows Obama leading McCain in New Hampshire by six, 51% to 45%.

* Time/CNN shows McCain leading Obama in Missouri by five, 50% to 45%.

* Time/CNN shows McCain leading Obama in Virginia by four, 50% to 46%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in New Mexico by two, 49% to 47%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Obama and McCain put aside politics for a little while today, and visited Ground Zero together.

* Sarah Palin doesn't want to talk to CNN.

* She may, however, start doing real interviews next week.

* Remember those no-bid contracts in Iraq for six Western oil companies? The plan has been withdrawn.

* Olbermann, in a "Special Comment," slammed Republican exploitation of 9/11 last night.

* The "Gang of 10" on an energy compromise is poised to become the "Gang of 20."

* McCain aides love the revolving door.

* National Review's The Corner knew, at least initially, that the "lipstick on a pig" nonsense was a stupid, pointless story. And then, the Cornerites managed to convince themselves otherwise, writing 31 separate posts on the subject in less than 24 hours. Amazing.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Our best wishes go out to those along the Texas coast this evening. Be safe.

* A car bomb in a crowded commercial district north of Baghdad killed at least 32 people today.

* More discouraging economic news -- the price index for finished goods and consumer spending are headed in the wrong direction.

* Harry Reid said today it would be dangerous to elect a president "with a temperament prone to recklessness." He's right.

* McCain's embarrassing admission last night that he finds it "easy" to be "divorced from the everyday challenges people have" did not go unnoticed by Barack Obama.

* The scandal surrounding Cindy McCain's drug abuse is an even more sordid tale than previously believed.

* Even Orrin Hatch thinks the "lipstick on a pig" flap is absurd, calling the McCain/media creation "ridiculous," and defending Obama.

* Planned Parenthood released what may be my favorite negative ad of the season. Why wouldn't John McCain want to protect kids from sexual predators?

* Brave New PAC tackles the subject of the hour: McCain's breathtaking dishonesty.

* Sarah Palin insisted last night that "many vice presidents" had never met a foreign head of state before taking office. At least as it applies to every VP of the last 32 years, Palin's wrong.

* And why is the "Rachel Maddow Show" important? Because there isn't another show in prime-time that told viewers about McCain spending his 70th birthday partying on an Italian con man's yacht off the shore of Montenegro.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Not surprisingly, the Obama campaign jumped on McCain for praising the strength of the "fundamentals of the economy."

* Both McCain and Palin have repeatedly said that Alaska supplies 20% of the nation's energy. They're blatantly lying.

* The same Texas billionaire and right-wing operatives who organized the Swiftboat attackers from 2004 have formed the American Issues Project to tear down Obama.

* Hillary Clinton campaigned on Obama's behalf in Ohio yesterday. "I hear a lot of talk about this election, people asking, 'Who are you for?'" Clinton said. "That's not right question. The right question is: 'Who is for you?'"

* Palin campaigned solo for the first time since joining the Republican ticket yesterday, hosting a rally in Nevada.

* Newsweek's latest national poll shows Obama and McCain tied at 46% each.

* The new Iowa Poll shows Obama leading McCain in Iowa by 12 points, 52% to 40%.

* The Star-Tribune shows Obama and McCain tied in Minnesota at 45% each, while SurveyUSA shows Obama ahead in Minnesota by two, 49% to 47%.

* A Research 2000 poll shows Obama leading McCain in New Jersey by nine, 50% to 41%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Nevada by three, 49% to 46%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Utah by 32, 64% to 32%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Delaware by 12, 55% to 43%.

* Hockey Moms from Wasilla take a page from the Swiftboat playbook. (Just to be clear, this is a parody.)

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* A very unpleasant day on Wall Street: "The Dow Jones industrial average lost 500 points, or 4.4%, according to early tallies. It was the biggest one-day point decline for the Dow since Sept. 17, 2001, when the market reopened for trading after having been closed in the aftermath of 9/11 terrorist attacks. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 4.5% and the Nasdaq composite lost 3.6%."

* Former Alaskan Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan is quite sure that Sarah Palin lied to ABC News about the "troopergate" scandal.

* Palin's email use as governor continues to be a lingering source of controversy.

* A number of readers have asked if I might consider pulling together a single document that details the McCain campaign's documented lies. It looks like the DNC is already on the case.

* On a related note, Tom Toles gets it.

* Now there's a good headline I didn't expect to see in U.S. News: "John McCain's Journey From Maverick to Liar."

* Unemployment is hitting American women especially hard.

* Americans remain skeptical about vesting too much power in the hands of the Executive Branch.

* A funny thing happens to conservatives when they're confronted with facts that correct their mistaken impressions -- they're more likely to believe what's been proven false.

* That's quite an operation Cheney has run.

* Joe Klein explains the wingnut canon: "[T]hey are, at base, ideologues not intellectuals, propagandists not journalists, thugs not thinkers."

* Todd Palin's first chat will be with Fox News.

* The more Obama says this, the better: "If you believe (fill in the blank from McCain), I've got a bridge to sell you in Alaska."

* Charlie Rangel's troubles get a little worse.

* And finally, in his most unintentionally hilarious column ever, Bill Kristol rails against the political establishment -- without a hint of irony.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Obama campaign is taking the GOP disenfranchisement plan in Michigan very seriously.

* The Obama campaign's outreach to women voters is becoming even more aggressive, and will include an online video conversation with "women across the country" between Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton.

* The turnout for one of McCain's events in Florida yesterday was kind of embarrassing.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Colorado by two, 48% to 46%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain and Obama tied in Virginia at 48% each.

* Rasmussen shows McCain and Obama tied in Pennsylvania at 47% each.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Florida by five, 49% to 44%.

* There are several new polls out of Ohio, where Rasmussen shows McCain up by three, Suffolk University shows McCain up by four, and SurveyUSA shows McCain up by four.

* Palin's gubernatorial tanning bed has been getting plenty of attention.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* As expected, the Fed left interest rates unchanged.

* Pakistan is threatening to shoot at U.S. Special Forces that enter their country without an invitation.

* Democrats are suing to prevent Michigan Republicans from challenging voters based on home foreclosures.

* Fascinating item in Salon on Todd Palin.

* Under the circumstances, McCain may want to learn the initials for the Securities Investor Protection Corporation.

* Charlie Rangel doesn't plan on giving up his gavel.

* CNN's Candy Crowley offers a good example of what's wrong with the media's campaign coverage.

* MSNBC's Jon Decker offers a good example of what's ridiculous about the media's campaign coverage.

* McCain is, even now, lying about the Bridge to Nowhere.

* If it seems like the media is blatantly ignoring Joe Biden, it's because the media is blatantly ignoring Joe Biden.

* Push-polls rear their ugly head? Maybe.

* Reporters aboard McCain's plane are getting a little restless.

* Harry Reid sees similarities between McCain and Herbert Hoover. Paul Krugman is thinking along the same lines.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The mysterious and deceptive right-wing polling, intended to drive down Jewish support for Barack Obama, was launched by the Republican Jewish Coalition.

* The latest Ipsos/McClatchy poll shows Obama and McCain tied nationally at 45% each. Nader is third with 2%, followed by Barr with 1%.

* TPM reports, "A group of civil rights lawyers is launching what it bills as the largest voter-protection effort in American history, planning to raise and spend millions of dollars to station hundreds of lawyers and thousands of volunteers at polling places across the country to help voters having trouble with the polls on Election Day." The project is called, "Election Protection."

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in New York by 13, 55% to 42%.

* Research 2000 shows Obama leading McCain in Vermont by 19, 55% to 36%.

* Quinnipiac shows Obama leading McCain in New Jersey by 3, 48% to 45%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The federal government effectively took control of AIG last night.

* Investors weren't impressed -- the market fell 450 points today.

* That's quite an attack: "Attackers armed with automatic weapons, rocket-propelled grenades and at least one suicide car bomb assaulted the U.S. Embassy in the Yemeni capital on Wednesday. Sixteen people were killed, including six assailants, officials said."

* The House passed a new energy bill last night, which includes expanded coastal drilling opportunities.

* Happy Constitution Day.

* In case you needed a reminder, Michael Kinsley explains, once again, that Democratic presidents really are better for the economy than Republican presidents. He's got charts to prove it.

* The White House was asked today whether the fundamentals of the economy are strong. The president's press secretary didn't want to answer the question.

* Palin defended McCain's "verbiage" on Fox News.

* The hack of Palin's email account appears to be legit.

* As a rule, McCain's rhetoric shouldn't sound like Herbert Hoover's.

* There's a renewed interest in McCain's medical records.

* CNN's Alex Castellanos really doesn't seem to understand Daily Kos and MoveOn.org.

* Dan Quayle thinks liberals are afraid of "effective conservatives" like Sarah Palin -- and Dan Quayle.

* Mitt Romney's hypocrisy knows no bounds.

* The Washington Post's Ruth Marcus notices that John McCain has been lying an awful lot.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* John McCain has 83 Wall Street lobbyists on staff. Given all the railing he's done this week about the corruption, greed, and mismanagement on Wall Street, I can't help but find this amusing.

* Even Karl Rove thinks Palin was added to the ticket for political reasons.

* Richard Riordan, the former mayor of Los Angeles and a Republican, endorsed Obama yesterday.

* Rep. Don Young of Alaska eked out a victory in his Republican primary.

* In the latest national poll from New York Times/CBS, Obama leads McCain among registered voters by five (48% to 43%), and among likely voters by five (49% to 44%).

* In the latest national poll from Quinnipiac, Obama leads McCain among likely voters by four, 49% to 45%.

* The latest CNN poll shows Obama and McCain tied in Florida at 48% each.

* The latest CNN poll shows McCain leading Obama in North Carolina by one, 48% to 47%.

* The latest CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain in Ohio by two, 49% to 47%.

* The latest CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain in Wisconsin by three, 50% to 47%.

* The latest CNN poll shows McCain leading Obama in Indiana by six, 51% to 45%.

* Speaking of the Hoosier State, a new Indianapolis Star poll shows Obama ahead in Indiana by three, 47% to 44%.

* A new SurveyUSA poll shows Obama leading McCain in New Mexico by eight, 52% to 44%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Wisconsin by two, 48% to 46%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Oregon by four, 51% to 47%.

* The latest Field Poll in California shows Obama leading McCain by 16, 52% to 36%.

* Speaking of California, voters in the state don't appear anxious to ban gay marriages.

* Jeb Bush apparently hasn't been especially impressed with his brother's presidency.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Talk about a roller-coaster week: "Wall Street rallied Thursday, finding momentum at the end of a tough session, on talk that the government is working on a more permanent solution to absorbing bad debt. Also helping lead the advance: reports that China will cut out taxes on stock purchases. The Dow Jones industrial average added 410 points, or 3.9%. The Standard & Poor's 500 index jumped 4.3% and the Nasdaq composite gained 4.8%."

* Things in Afghanistan really aren't going well.

* Sen. Chuck Hagel, the Nebraska Republican, pretty much trashed Sarah Palin's qualifications for national office yesterday, and described one of the McCain campaign's arguments in support of Palin as "insulting to the American people."

* CNN and the AP picked up on McCain's problem with Spain.

* McCain's odd comments notwithstanding, the White House has confidence in SEC Chairman Chris Cox.

* Have I mentioned how cool it is to see Rachel Maddow doing great in the ratings?

* Joe Klein wonders why McCain would deliberately put a "chill in the relationship with one of our NATO allies simply because McCain misheard a question." I'm wondering the same thing.

* "When Joe Biden claimed wealthy Americans have a patriotic duty to pay more in taxes, he was absolutely right."

* Remember when U.S. Supreme Court rulings were influential around the world? Those were good times.

* Bill O'Reilly sure does say "Shut up" a lot.

* Timothy Egan has a fascinating look at how government works in Sarah Palin's Alaska.

* I sincerely hope Palin's position on rape kits in Alaska had nothing to do with emergency contraception.

* The APA has voted to prohibit members from participating in the torture of detainees. Good.

* Ben Smilowitz, executive director of the Disaster Accountability Project: "It's frustrating that the government can deliver $85 billion to bail out AIG, and they can't deliver ice in Texas."

* Why does the Republican Party struggle to connect with minority audiences? It might have something to do with the party's willingness to invite George "Macaca" Allen to a rally to help the Republican Party connect with minority audiences.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* On Wednesday, McCain was planning to slam the Bush administration's handling of the Wall Street crisis, and even circulated a draft of the attacks. Soon after, the criticism was softened.

* The AFL-CIO is taking on McCain's "fundamentals of the economy are strong" line.

* Al Gore and MoveOn.org have teamed up to help generate support for three Democratic Senate candidates -- Kay Hagan in North Carolina, Mark Udall in Colorado, and Al Franken in Minnesota.

* A new Marist poll shows Obama leading McCain in Ohio by two, 47% to 45%.

* Marist shows Obama leading McCain in Michigan by nine, 52% to 43%.

* And Marist shows Obama leading McCain in Pennsylvania by five, 49% to 44%.

* The latest InsiderAdvantage poll shows Obama leading McCain in Colorado by 10, 51% to 41%. (For the record, I find this very hard to believe.)

* InsiderAdvantage poll also shows McCain leading Obama in Virginia by two, 48% to 46%.

* An Allstate/National Journal poll shows Obama leading McCain in New Mexico by seven, 49% to 42%.

* Allstate/National Journal also shows Obama and McCain tied in Florida at 44% each.

* Allstate/National Journal also shows McCain leading Obama in Ohio by one, 42% to 41%.

* Allstate/National Journal also shows McCain leading Obama in Virginia by seven, 48% to 41%.

* Allstate/National Journal also shows Obama leading McCain in Colorado by one, 45% to 44%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in New Jersey by 13, 55% to 42%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Connecticut by 12, 53% to 41%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Vermont by 24, 60% to 36%.

* The latest poll from the Pew Research Center shows Obama leading McCain nationally by two, 46% to 44%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Treasury Department unveiled a sketch of the administration's plan to resolve the crisis on Wall Street. Henry Paulson told reporters, "We're talking hundreds of billions. It needs to be big enough to make a difference and get at the heart of the problem." I've seen some estimates that said the price tag might be much higher.

* Investors were delighted by the news, and the Dow jumped 369 points.

* There are at least a couple of lawmakers who are worried about what this might do to the federal budget, which is already a mess.

* It looks like the investigation into Sarah Palin's "troopergate" scandal will be completed by Oct. 10, notwithstanding the Palin administration's refusal to cooperate.

* House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers is all over alleged Republican voter-suppression tactics.

* The last 10 days have been less than kind to Palin's favorability ratings.

* Remember the war in Iraq? Political progress remains elusive.

* It looks like disgraced former Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) won't face criminal charges.

* How much is Palin willing to stray from the truth? She's even given a misleading account of how she accepted McCain's invitation to join the Republican ticket.

* It wasn't too long ago that the right loved SEC Chairman Christopher Cox.

* Time's Michael Scherer ran into a little trouble trying to defend McCain on Social Security.

* Scherer ran into some more trouble defending McCain's record on alternative energy.

* The right, worked into a frenzy by a New York Post article, believes Obama privately urged Iraqi leaders to delay a security agreement with the Bush administration. Republicans in the room with Obama in Iraq have come forward to say the report and the attacks are completely wrong.

* By a narrow margin, Americans would rather watch football with Obama than McCain. Is this anything like the have-a-beer-with voting standard?

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* McCain campaign spokesperson Tucker Bounds was on MSNBC yesterday, and was pressed on whether McCain could rule out Phil Gramm as a possible Treasury Secretary. Bounds refused to give a straight answer.

* Hillary Clinton is launching a new outreach project called, "Hillary Sent Me." It's part of a renewed effort on Clinton's part to help the Obama campaign, both with more fundraising and more volunteers for the Obama campaign's ground game. The effort is slated to formally get underway this week in New Hampshire.

* The Obama campaign had high hopes about competing in South Dakota, but has since concluded the state is out of reach. The campaign's 50 staffers in South North Dakota will now be sent to Minnesota and Wisconsin.

* A new NBC News/Mason Dixon poll shows Obama leading in Pennsylvania by two, 46% to 44%.

* A new Miami Herald poll shows McCain leading Obama in Florida by two, 47% to 45%.

* A Suffolk University poll shows McCain with a very narrow lead over Obama in Nevada, 45.8% to 45.3%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Minnesota by eight, 52% to 44%.

* A Research 2000 poll shows McCain leading Obama in Missouri by four, 49% to 45%.

* EPIC-MRA shows Obama leading McCain in Michigan by one, 43% to 42%.

* In North Carolina, Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by three, 50% to 47%, while Public Policy Polling shows the two tied at 46% each.

* A University of Cincinnati poll shows McCain leading Obama in Ohio by six, 48% to 42%.

* A Research 2000 poll shows Obama leading McCain in Maine by 14, 52% to 38%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in South Carolina by six, 51% to 45%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Another rough day on Wall Street: "Stocks slumped Monday, with the Dow losing 373 points, as investors worried about the specifics of the government's $700 billion bailout plan and rocketing oil prices - which saw the biggest one-day dollar gain ever."

* If you missed it over the weekend, 53 were killed in Islamabad on Saturday, when a huge suicide truck bomb struck a Marriott Hotel. An additional 266 were wounded in the attack, believed to be one of the largest terrorist attacks ever in Pakistan.

* Sen. Ted Stevens' (R-Alaska) trial begins today. He'll be the first sitting senator to face a jury trial in more than 27 years.

* The Hill reports this afternoon: "House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) on Monday said 'a great deal of progress' has been made on the $700 billion Wall Street bailout bill, even though congressional Democrats have supplemented the administration's proposal with their own versions."

* Senate Republicans don't exactly love the Paulson bailout plan.

* If the New York Times is "in the tank" for Dems, why no stories about the Keating Five scandal?

* McCain wants a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants ... from Ireland.

* The McCain campaign is outraged the New York Times hasn't covered the lobbying work done by Joe Biden's son. The Times ran a story last week on the lobbying work done by Joe Biden's son.

* Stop the shredders: "A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction [Saturday] ordering Vice President Cheney and the National Archives to preserve all of his official records."

* McCain was asked last night why Sarah Palin can't be interviewed or host press conferences. McCain responded, "The American people are vetting her." I have no idea what this means.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Bill Clinton made his first appearance on "The View" yesterday, and sounded very much like a neutral political analyst when describing his take(s) on the presidential campaign.

* Joe Biden told Katie Couric he didn't like the recent campaign ad mocking John McCain for his lack of familiarity with modern technology, calling it "terrible." Biden has since walked back his criticism a bit.

* In Colorado, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Obama leading McCain by four, 49% to 45%.

* In Michigan, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Obama leading McCain by four, 48% to 44%, while Rasmussen shows Obama up by seven, 51% to 44%.

* In Minnesota, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Obama leading McCain by two, 47% to 45%.

* In Wisconsin, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Obama leading McCain by seven, 49% to 42%.

* In New Hampshire, a University of New Hampshire poll shows McCain leading Obama by two, 47% to 45%.

* In New Mexico, Public Policy Polling shows Obama with a surprising 11-point lead, 53% to 42%.

* In Florida, a new NBC News poll shows Obama leading McCain by two, 47% to 45%, but Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by five, 51% to 46%.

* In Virginia, the Washington Post shows Obama up by three (49% to 46%), SurveyUSA shows Obama up by six (51% to 45%), and Rasmussen shows McCain up by two (50% to 48%).

* In Pennsylvania, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by three, 48% to 45%.

* In Ohio, Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by four, 50% to 46%.

* In Iowa, a Research 2000 poll shows Obama leading McCain by 14, 53% to 39%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Obama, speaking to reporters in Florida, turned down McCain's offer to delay the debate. "Presidents are going to have to deal with more than one thing at a time," he said. "It's not necessary for us to think that we can do only one thing, and suspend everything else."

* As far as the University of Mississippi and the Commission on Presidential Debates are concerned, Friday's event is still on.

* The original Treasury plan for a $700 billion Wall Street bailout is just about dead, but congressional alternatives are looking more promising.

* Like TPM, I've heard rumors that a deal is very nearly in place. It would be a shorter-term deal, totaling around $150 billion.

* A criminal investigation has begun at the Justice Department, looking into whether fraud contributed to the collapse of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, and AIG.

* Just two hours before Georgia was set to kill Troy Davis, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay, and will decide Monday whether to grant Davis's appeal for a new trial.

* Brandon Friedman has the latest on just how deadly Afghanistan has become.

* What a surprise, healthcare premiums are still on the rise.

* It's good to see Congress take a stand to require insurance companies to treat mental ailments the same way as physical ailments.

* What did KBR know and when did they know it?

* That's quite a ghost-writing operation the McCain campaign has put together.

* Quote of the Day, in response to McCain's stunt this afternoon: "If you were wondering how bad McCain's pollster was telling him things are, there's your confirmation."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* McCain blew off David Letterman last night, but made time for Katie Couric. Letterman wasn't happy about this, and questioned the McCain campaign's new tactics. "This just doesn't smell right. This is not the way a tested hero behaves," Letterman told his audience. "Somebody's putting something in his Metamucil."

* Republican candidates in Washington State are trying to avoid listing their party affiliation on the November ballot as "Republican." Yesterday, the state Democratic Party filed a lawsuit on the matter.

* In two new national polls, NBC/WSJ shows Obama up by two, 48% to 46%, while Bloomberg/LAT shows Obama up by four, 49% to 45%.

* In Michigan, Time/CNN shows Obama leading McCain by five, 51% to 46%, while NBC News shows the two tied at 46% each.

* In Colorado, Time/CNN shows Obama leading McCain by four, 51% to 47%, and Rasmussen shows Obama up by three, 50% to 47%.

* In Pennsylvania, Time/CNN shows Obama leading McCain by nine, 53% to 44%.

* In North Carolina, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by two, 49% to 47%.

* In New Hampshire, Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by two, 49% to 47%.

* In Wisconsin, Research 2000 shows Obama leading McCain by six, 49% to 43%.

* In West Virginia, Time/CNN shows McCain leading Obama by four, 50% to 46%.

* In Montana, Time/CNN shows McCain leading Obama by 11, 54% to 43%.

* In Alabama, Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by 21, 60% to 39%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Is there a bailout deal? That depends on which faction you're listening to.

* Job numbers, home sales, and factory orders are all quickly going in the wrong direction.

* John McCain may not have time for a debate tomorrow night, but he has time to talk to ABC, NBC, and CBS tonight.

* Sarah Palin appeared to be campaigning at Ground Zero in New York today, but afterwards, was willing to field a couple of questions from reporters. That's a first.

* In general, the pundits were thoroughly unimpressed with the McCain campaign's "suspension" gimmick.

* Alaskans seem to believe Joe Biden is better qualified for the vice presidency than Sarah Palin. That's obviously the case, but I kind of thought Palin's home-state supporters would come to a different conclusion.

* Bernie Sanders 1, Larry Kudlow 0.

* How did the administration settle on $700 billion for the bailout? A Treasury spokesperson said, "We just wanted to choose a really large number."

* Looking at history, presidential candidates have campaigned during plenty of crises.

* Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, commenting on the Wall Street crisis, said he doesn't think the president "understands or knows much about any of this and it shows." O'Neill did, however, express his confidence in Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Tonight's debate is on. More on that very soon.

* Mike Huckabee argued that John McCain made a "huge mistake" by even raising the possibility of skipping tonight's presidential candidate debate.

* McCain campaign ads are still on the air today. That's not a suspension we can believe in.

* A new national poll from CBS News/New York Times shows Obama leading McCain by five, 47% to 42%. (Among likely voters, the margin is the same, 48% to 43%.)

* In Florida, Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by one, 48% to 47%.

* In Ohio, Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by one, 47% to 46%.

* In New Hampshire, Research 2000 shows Obama leading McCain by four, 48% to 44%.

* In Missouri, Research 2000 shows McCain leading Obama by one, 47% to 46%, while SurveyUSA shows McCain leading by two, 48% to 46%.

* In Arkansas, Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by nine, 51% to 42%.

* In New York, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by 19, 57% to 38%.

* In Massachusetts, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by 20, 58% to 38%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Biggest bank failure ever: "As the debate over a $700 billion bank bailout rages on in Washington, one of the nation's largest banks -- Washington Mutual Inc. -- has collapsed under the weight of its enormous bad bets on the mortgage market."

* Despite what you may have heard, WaMu's collapse cannot be blamed on black people.

* This seems like a pretty important development: "Pakistani and American ground troops exchanged fire along the border with Afghanistan on Thursday after the Pakistanis shot at two American helicopters, ratcheting up tensions as the United States increases its attacks against Qaeda and Taliban militants sheltering in Pakistan’s restive tribal areas."

* The McCain campaign has already declared McCain the winner of tonight's debate. (If Obama had pulled the same stunt, how many times do you think we would have heard the word "presumptuous"?)

* Any progress on the bailout package? Maybe a little.

* On the air yesterday, Paul Begala told CNN's audience that lawmakers from both parties consider the president "a high-functioning moron."

* Did Bush dispatch Alberto Gonzales to John Ashcroft's hospital bed? It certainly looks like it.

* On a related note, the latest DOJ IG report on the U.S. Attorney purge scandal is due on Monday. It should be fascinating.

* "House Republicans are a different breed."

* If I were to rank the most ridiculous members of the U.S. House, Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) would have to be in the top five. Easy.

* I'm beginning to think McCain doesn't know what an "earmark" is.

* The chairman of the Republican Party in New Mexico's most populous county resigned this week, after telling a reporter, "Hispanics consider themselves above blacks."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll taken after the debate shows Obama with a modest lead over McCain nationwide, 49% to 44%, compared with last week's three-point lead.

* In case there are lingering doubts about how the public perceived Friday night's debate, Gallup found that voters saw Obama as having done a better job, 46% to 34%.

* The Obama campaign is trying to build up expectations for Sarah Palin's debate performance. "She's very skilled and she'll be well-prepared," David Axelrod told reporters last night.

* Obama told guests at a Detroit fundraiser last night, "You couldn't have written a novel with all the crazy stuff that has happened in this election." I know the feeling.

* Interesting report: "In a development that could have a significant impact on the presidential race, the rise in registered Democrats has far outpaced Republican registration in many key swing states, giving Dems a clear registration advantage in a lot of them, while wiping away one-time GOP registration advantages in a couple others."

* Republicans are starting to worry a bit about Indiana, which hasn't backed a Democratic candidate in more than four decades.

* Mason-Dixon released two polls over the weekend, but neither are likely to be competitive in November. McCain leads by 16 in Tennessee (55% to 39%) and by 12 in Kentucky (53% to 41%).

* And the daily newspaper in Modesto, California, hadn't endorsed a presidential candidate in any election in the last 72 years. Yesterday, it endorsed Obama.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Dow fell nearly 778 points today, or almost 7%. It was the worst single-day point loss in American history. The S&P 500 dropped 8.7% and the Nasdaq fell 9.1%.

* As of today, the Dow Jones is lower now than it was the day Bush took office in 2001.

* This afternoon, responding to the economic crisis, the Obama campaign issued a statement calling for calm, encouraging lawmakers to keep working, and urging investors not to panic. The McCain campaign attacked Obama. It's a reminder that one can tell a lot about a person's character by how they respond to adversity.

* No one has any idea what's going to happen next.

* The climate crisis continues to grow increasingly scary.

* The New York Sun is closing up tomorrow.

* This attack on a mosque in Dayton, Ohio, is the height of insanity.

* Maureen Dowd is apparently no longer welcome aboard the McCain campaign plane.

* Have I mentioned lately how fantastic it is to see that Rachel Maddow's MSNBC show is off to such an amazing start? Her ratings last week showed her biggest audiences to date.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Obama campaign unveiled another two-minute ad this morning, emphasizing Obama's message on the economy. It did not specifically address the crisis on Wall Street.

* The AFL-CIO is hitting McCain on healthcare with a new direct mail piece.

* By a wide margin, voters blame Republican lawmakers for yesterday's developments.

* In North Carolina, Public Policy Polling shows Obama leading McCain by two, 47% to 45%.

* In Florida, Rasmussen shows Obama and McCain tied at 47% each.

* In Colorado, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by one, 49% to 48%.

* In Pennsylvania, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by eight, 50% to 42%.

* Early voting is underway in Ohio.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Wall Street rebounded today: "The Dow Jones industrial average added 485 points, according to early tallies, recovering some of the record 777 points lost the day before. If the gains hold, it would be the third-biggest one-day point advance for the indicator in its history. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 5% and the Nasdaq composite gained about 5.3%."

* The news was not all good, however, as credit markets remain frozen.

* A long-term security agreement is still pending between the Maliki government and the Bush administration. The sticking point? Civil jurisdiction over U.S. troops.

* New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is in his second term, and the city has a two-term limit. He is, apparently, going to seek a third term anyway.

* Did Gingrich screw over Boehner on the bailout vote?

* The television audience for the first presidential debate was big, but not nearly as big as expected.

* McCain certainly made it sound like he thinks Venezuela is in the Middle East.

* MoveOn.org vs. Tom Brokaw.

* Gwen Ifill broke her ankle today, but she'll still moderate Thursday's debate.

* And on Oct. 16, in support of the Obama campaign, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel will play their first concert together.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The latest ABC News/Washington Post poll shows Obama leading McCain nationally by four, 50% to 46%.

* A new national poll from the Pew Research Center shows Obama leading McCain by seven, 49% to 42%, and shows Palin's support dropping quickly.

* A new national poll from Time magazine shows Obama leading McCain by seven, 50% to 43%.

* There are a lot of newly-registered voters for this cycle, and according to a Wall Street Journal/NBC/MySpace survey, they support Obama over McCain by a wide margin, 61% to 30%. The same report, however, showed that the trick will be getting these new voters to show up on Election Day.

* A new ad from Planned Parenthood hits McCain/Palin aggressively, targeting the Republican ticket on charging victims of sexual assault for rape tests.

* If Florida, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Obama leading McCain by eight, 51% to 43%.

* If Ohio, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Obama leading McCain by eight, 50% to 42%.

* If Pennsylvania, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Obama leading McCain by 15, 54% to 39%.

* Before Obama supporters get too excited about the Quinnipiac results, it's worth noting that even the Obama campaign doesn't believe them, calling the results "a bit rosier than reality."

* In Ohio, SurveyUSA shows McCain leading Obama by one, 49% to 48%.

* In Arizona, Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by 21, 59% to 38%.

* In Indiana, SurveyUSA shows McCain leading Obama by three, 48% to 45%.

* In Georgia, SurveyUSA shows McCain leading Obama by eight, 52% to 44%.

* In New Jersey, SurveyUSA shows Obama leading McCain by 10, 52% to 42%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The bailout package is expected to pass the Senate tonight.

* How bad is the credit crisis? "Cities, states and other local governments have been effectively shut out of the bond markets for the last two weeks, raising the cost of day-to-day operations, threatening longer-term projects and dampening a broad source of jobs and stability at a time when other parts of the economy are weakening."

* Gen. David McKiernan, the top American military commander in Afghanistan, wants more troops "as quickly as possible."

* If you see any Republicans protestors outside the debate tomorrow night, remember that they very well may be paid fraternity guys, looking for some cash and free food from a right-wing group.

* Speaking of tomorrow's debate, John McCain is fine with Gwen Ifill moderating.

* I don't want to alarm anyone, but it sure looks like the White House was directly responsible for the U.S. Attorney purge.

* The Philly grad student who asked Palin about Pakistan doesn't appreciate the "gotcha journalism" label.

* The McCain campaign has become so reflexive, today it denounced an Obama attack that hadn't happened in reality.

* The way the McCain campaign hosts media conference calls is truly hysterical.

* Remember back when Palin actually approved of investigations?

* Words fail me.

* Palin's approval rating is dropping quickly -- in Alaska.

* According to the latest ABC News poll, 70% of Americans disapprove of Bush's job performance. That's the highest number ever recorded, going back to 1938.

* Snow on Mars? Who would have guessed?

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Republican officials in Florida are starting to worry, quite a bit, about McCain's chances in the Sunshine State.

* A new CBS News poll shows Obama leading McCain nationally by nine, 49% to 40%. It's the first statistically significant lead for Obama in a CBS poll this year.

* The latest Ipsos-McClatchy poll shows Obama leading McCain nationally by four, 46% to 42%.

* The latest Associated Press-GfK poll shows Obama leading McCain nationally by seven, 48% to 41%.

* In Florida, the latest Time/CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain by four, 51% to 47%.

* In Minnesota, the latest Time/CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain by 11, 54% to 43%.

* In Missouri, the latest Time/CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain by one, 49% to 48%.

* In Nevada, the latest Time/CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain by four, 51% to 47%.

* In Virginia, the latest Time/CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain by nine, 53% to 44%.

* In Iowa, a new KCCI/CBS poll shows Obama leading McCain by 16, 55% to 39%.

* In North Carolina, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by three, 50% to 47%.

* In Texas, Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by nine, 52% to 43%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* New claims for unemployment benefits continue to soar. Today's numbers were the worst in seven years, and the second worst since 1992.

* The markets did not respond especially well to the awful employment news, with the Dow falling nearly 350 points.

* As campaign slogans go, "Life isn't fair" sounds kind of whiny.

* Three House members -- two Republicans and one Democrat -- who voted against the bailout/rescue package on Monday indicated today they would support it tomorrow.

* Does McCain want Bush to veto the bailout that he just voted for?

* In case you missed it, the national debt hit $10 trillion this week. Oh my.

* Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, told reporters today that Sarah Palin "is one of the best debaters in American politics." The journalists, quite literally, started laughing out loud. He protested: "No, she is!"

* The Senate approved the administration's nuclear trade deal with India last night. For an administration with very few foreign policy achievements, I'm sure the president was thrilled.

* The Palins are worth more than $1.2 million.

* Steven Waldman, John Green, and Dan Gilgoff have released a fascinating study on American politics and religious identity: "The Twelve Tribes of American Politics in the '08 Election."

* Might Ted Stevens get a mistrial? It looks like prosecutors screwed up in a pretty big way.

* This satirical conversation between Couric and Palin may not be true, but it is hilarious.

* If one does not tell the "100%, absolute truth," he/she should not claim to tell the "100%, absolute truth."

* Palin thinks the media has been "censoring" her? Seriously?

* Palin believes in a right to privacy. In 1987, McCain didn't. I wonder what McCain thinks now.

* And McCain told a national television audience this morning, "I'm not a rich man." Big mistake.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Yet another poll showing Biden doing very well with independents after last night's debate.

* The far-right is hitting Obama very aggressively in Wisconsin over abortion rights.

* The Obama campaign has added a new field office in Omaha, Nebraska. (Remember, Nebraska is one of two states that can divide its electoral votes.)

* The New Yorker ran a lengthy endorsement of Barack Obama in its new issue.

* In New Hampshire, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by 10, 53% to 43%.

* In New Mexico, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by five, 49% to 44%.

* In Montana, Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by eight, 52% to 44%.

* In New York, a Siena College poll shows Obama leading McCain by 22, 58% to 36%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Congress rushed the bailout bill to the White House this afternoon, and the president signed it into law.

* The markets had another lousy day anyway.

* Soon after, the House adjourned for the year.

* The Palins were scheduled to release some of their recent tax returns on Monday. Instead, they picked today -- late on a Friday afternoon, the day after a debate, the afternoon of a massive bailout package becoming law. What a coincidence.

* Republicans asked an Alaskan judge to block the rest of the investigation into Palin's abuse of power scandal, also known as "Troopergate." The judge denied the request yesterday, and we should get a report on the probe a week from today.

* Last night, Palin said McCain supports a measure to allow bankruptcy courts to adjust the principal on mortgages. McCain actually opposes the measure.

* Ted Stevens' felony trial will continue, as the judge in the case declined to dismiss the charges or to declare a mistrial.

* California was relying on short-term loans to finance the state government, but in light of credit crunch, there are no short-term loans. Schwarzenegger told the Treasury Department yesterday that he needs $7 billion.

* Oddly enough, Charles Krauthammer believes Obama has passed the Reagan-in-'80 credibility test, and will become president.

* Amazingly enough, Palin can now think of all kinds of Supreme Court rulings she disagrees with. You don't suppose someone prepped her on the subject, do you?

* What's more, Palin can name newspapers and magazines she reads, too.

* You caught Bill O'Reilly's latest on-air meltdown, right? This time, the target is Barney Frank.

* Palin will skip the Sunday morning shows again. Who could have guessed?

* If flag pins become the standard used by voters, John McCain is in trouble.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Joe Biden's mother-in-law, Bonny Jean Jacobs, died yesterday at the age of 78. Biden will be off the campaign trail for a couple of days.

* Now we know who to blame for foisting Palin on the world: Steve Schmidt.

* The director of McCain's campaign in Michigan is not at all pleased with the senator's announcement that he will blow off the state this year.

* USA Today has a good item on Hillary Clinton's efforts to help the Obama/Biden ticket.

* It looks like the McCain campaign is starting to worry, at least a little, about the electoral vote in eastern Nebraska.

* Republican officials in Virginia seem to be increasingly worried about McCain's chances.

* John McCain's brother referred to two major areas in Northern Virginia as "communist country." He later apologized.

* In Ohio, the latest Columbus Dispatch poll shows Obama leading McCain by seven, 49% to 42%. There are, however, some concerns about the methodology.

* In New Mexico, an Albuquerque Journal poll shows Obama leading McCain by five, 45% to 40%.

* In Minnesota, a Star Tribune poll shows Obama leading McCain by 18, 55% to 37%. There were a few questions about the methodology of this one, too.

* In Colorado, a Mason-Dixon poll shows Obama and McCain tied at 44% each.

* In Maine, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by five, 51% to 46%.

* In Washington state, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by 10, 53% to 43%.

* The McCain campaign is not optimistic about Liddy Dole's re-election chances in North Carolina.

* Retiring Sen. John Warner (R) is considering endorsing the Democrat in the race to replace him, former Gov. Mark Warner (no relation).

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* It was another very painful day on Wall Street, with the Dow, at one point, dropping 800 points. It ended up closing down nearly 370 points, for the first close below 10,000 in four years, and its lowest close overall in five years.

* With just days remaining until the final report on the "Troopergate" investigation is due, Palin administration officials have announced their willingness to testify as part of the probe.

* Palin's tax returns, released quietly on late Friday afternoon, raise a series of new questions.

* Yesterday, a House Republican suggested that Barack Obama's willingness to question Bush administration policies on foreign policy makes him unpatriotic. This is what's become of modern Republican thought.

* Richard Clarke is wondering what Osama bin Laden might do to help McCain win in November.

* Joe Klein today called the McCain campaign a "desperate empty embarrassment." Good for him.

* The FEC has some questions about "excessive" campaign contributions the McCain team has accepted.

* I'm afraid GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz's critical thinking skills look a little shaky.

* I'm a little surprised McCain isn't doing more campaigning on weekends.

* Jonah Goldberg had some thoughts yesterday on the Bradley Effect, but his argument wasn't exactly persuasive.

* Are Palin's crowds not quite as big as they once were?

* Bill Maher's "Religulous" went up against David Zucker's conservative "An American Carol" this weekend at the domestic box office. Maher ended up doing very well.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new CNN/Opinion Research poll shows Obama leading McCain nationally by eight, 53% to 45%. The same poll showed Obama leading by four in late September.

* A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows Obama leading McCain nationally by six, 49% to 43%. The same poll showed Obama leading by two points just two weeks ago.

* A new CBS News poll shows a closer race, with Obama leading McCain nationally by four, 47% to 43%.

* In Ohio, a Washington Post/ABC News poll shows Obama leading McCain by six, 51% to 45%, while Time/CNN shows Obama up by three, 50% to 47%. Rasmussen, however, shows McCain up by one, 48% to 47%.

* In Florida, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by seven, 52% to 45%.

* In Virginia, SurveyUSA has Obama up by 10, 53% to 43%, while a Suffolk University poll shows Obama up by 12, 51% to 39%, and Rasmussen shows Obama up by two, 50% to 48%.

* In New Hampshire, Time/CNN shows Obama leading McCain by eight, 53% to 45%, while SurveyUSA has Obama up by 13, 53% to 40%.

* In North Carolina, Public Policy Polling shows Obama leading McCain by six, 50% to 44%, while Time/CNN shows Obama and McCain tied at 49% each.

* In Colorado, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by six, 51% to 45%.

* In Wisconsin, Time/CNN shows Obama leading McCain by five, 51% to 46%.

* In Indiana, Time/CNN shows McCain leading Obama by five, 51% to 46%.

* In Missouri, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by three, 50% to 47%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Obama has begun outspending McCain at nearly a three-to-one clip on television airtime. The only way the campaign could afford that is if fundraising went very well in September.

* Sarah Palin slammed Joe Biden yesterday, while he was at a family funeral. Classy.

* In Ohio, Public Policy Polling shows Obama leading McCain by six, 49% to 43%.

* In Florida, Mason-Dixon shows Obama leading McCain by two, 48% to 46%.

* In Pennsylvania, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by 13, 54% to 41%.

* In Nevada, Research 2000 shows Obama leading McCain by seven, 50% to 43%.

* In Wisconsin, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by 10, 54% to 44%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Dow fell another 508 points today, closing at its lowest point since Sept. 30, 2003.

* The Federal Reserve is poised to buy "massive amounts of short-term debt." (thanks for the reminder, R.K.)

* Over the last 15 months, Americans' retirement plans have lost as much as $2 trillion.

* White House Press Secretary Dana Perino isn't sure if there's a recession. I think she's the only one who remains undecided.

* McCain's record on veterans' issues leaves much to be desired.

* Bush's approval rating is down to a stunning 25%. When Nixon resigned in disgrace, his approval rating was 24%.

* Gallup also found that only 9% of Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in the country. That's the lowest total in the history of Gallup polls.

* Might opponents of marriage equality actually win in California? I thought this one was going to be an easy win for the good guys. Apparently not.

* It appears that far-right hatchet-man Jerome Corsi did not have a successful trip to Kenya.

* In case there were any lingering doubts, the story about Sarah Palin, Wasilla, and charging victims for rape kits has not been debunked.

* Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) has had political contributors pay for his rent, his utility bills, his travel, and now, even his clothes.

* Remember that Republican in the Louisiana state House who wanted to pay poor women to have their Fallopian tubes tied? He's been removed from his role as the vice chairman of the House Health and Welfare Committee.

* Meet Andy Martin.

* Richard Cohen wonders what would have happened if Hillary Clinton had acted like Sarah Palin during a nationally televised debate. It's a very good question.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Somehow, we seem to have reached the point at which a 189-point drop in the market doesn't seem like such a bad day.

* The good news is, John McCain has come up with an actual mortgage policy of his own, called the "American Homeownership Resurgence Plan" (notice the use of the word "surge"). The bad news is, it's an awful policy.

* Obama, not surprisingly, rejected McCain's new plan out of hand.

* Speaker Pelosi is weighing a second stimulus package.

* John McCain today referred to Americans as "my fellow prisoners." How odd.

* Lieberman is "worried" that Obama may not bomb Iran. I think he meant it as criticism.

* If you missed yesterday's AIG hearing on the Hill, it was a doozy.

* It's hard to overstate how insane it is that Fox News will pay Sean Hannity $20 million a year through 2012.

* Even major networks are picking up on the hate and rage apparent at McCain campaign rallies.

* New York Times editorial: "It is a sorry fact of American political life that campaigns get ugly, often in their final weeks. But Senator John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin have been running one of the most appalling campaigns we can remember. They have gone far beyond the usual fare of quotes taken out of context and distortions of an opponent's record -- into the dark territory of race-baiting and xenophobia."

* Like John Cole, I have no idea why the RNC would run an ad featuring Obama criticizing his critics' dishonesty. It's one of the cycle's stranger spots.

* I've seen some painful press conferences, but it's been a while since I've seen something this painful. No wonder Norm Coleman is in trouble in Minnesota.

* And Martin Chalfie won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and one of the first things he did after learning of the honor is endorse Obama. Chalfie is the 63rd Nobel Prize winner to endorse the Democrat's campaign.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Obama campaign unveiled a minute-long biographical piece last night, emphasizing Obama's love of country.

* The United Auto Workers are stepping up with a new ad campaign, hitting McCain on economic issues. The spots are slated to run in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

* In perhaps the cycle's most predictable announcement, the National Rifle Association endorsed McCain this morning.

* In Pennsylvania, a Strategic Vision poll shows Obama leading McCain by 14, 54% to 40%.

* In Wisconsin, a SurveyUSA poll shows Obama leading McCain by 14, 52% to 42%.

* In North Carolina, a SurveyUSA poll shows McCain leading Obama by three, 49% to 46%.

* In Georgia, a Strategic Vision poll shows McCain leading Obama by seven, 50% to 43%.

* And while Obama has done well in stretching the electoral map this year, I think we can safely say that Oklahoma is not in play.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Dow closed down another 679 points today. It closed below 9,000 for the first time since June 2003, and is now at its lowest points since May 2003.

* Krugman added: "The money markets are frozen; the TED spread is 4.14%. G7 meeting tomorrow, IMF-World Bank over the weekend. Now is the time for major action -- an announcement of coordinated capital injections, liquidity measures, and more. If we've had nothing except vague assurances by Monday...."

* McCain spent the day smearing Obama for knowing Bill Ayers. It comes a day after his campaign assured us that McCain would not smear Obama for knowing Bill Ayers.

* McCain has begun using Hillary Clinton to excuse his Ayers-related attacks. Clinton is not amused.

* A day after Obama dared McCain to bring these attacks to his face, Joe Biden also questioned McCain's fortitude: "In my neighborhood, when you've got something to say to a guy, you look him in the eye and you say it to him."

* Todd Palin seems to have had an "Ahab-like obsession" with Mike Wooten. (The "Troopergate" report is still due tomorrow, by the way.)

* No one seems to think McCain's mortgage policy makes any sense.

* Remember that undecided voter in the debate, who McCain said had probably never heard of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac? He's feeling a little insulted right about now.

* MSNBC's "First Read" might not remember it, but McCain, by his standards, voted to cut off funding for the troops in the middle of a war.

* Charles Keating once told McCain, in writing, "I'm yours till death do us part." Wow.

* The Lee Country sheriff who appeared in uniform to smear Obama and praise McCain is now under investigation for his partisan efforts.

* McCain-Palin fanatics are getting really scary.

* No, really, I mean it. These folks are stark raving mad.

* You think I'm kidding, but seriously, these folks have lost it.

* Have you heard about the American Center for Sarah Palin Inspriational [sic] Limericks?

* And finally, it's possible there have been more pathetic interviews than the one last night between Hannity, McCain, and Palin, but I honestly can't think of one.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* On Tuesday, McCain's top aides suggested McCain would not focus on Bill Ayers going forward. This morning, McCain released a new ad slamming Obama for having "worked with" Ayers. The ad also baselessly accuses Obama of having "lied" about the association.

* The Obama campaign has completed deals to show half-hour long ads -- in prime time -- on CBS and NBC on Wednesday, Oct. 29. Similar deals are in the words for ABC and Fox, though the World Series may make the Fox deal fall through.

* In Ohio, Strategic Vision shows Obama leading McCain by two, 48% to 46%.

* In Florida, Strategic Vision shows Obama leading McCain by eight, 52% to 44%.

* In Virginia, Public Policy Polling shows Obama leading McCain by eight, 51% to 43%.

* In Wisconsin, a Research 2000 poll shows Obama leading McCain by 10, 51% to 41%.

* Esquire, the men's magazine, has thrown its support to Obama, the first presidential endorsement the magazine has made in its history.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Dow was done as much as 700 points this morning, but closed down "only" 128 points. Over the last seven trading sessions, the Dow has lost 2271 points, or 20% of its value.

* The president tried to give Wall Street a pep talk this morning. No one was impressed.

* Lawmakers in Alaska are still discussing the Troopergate report.

* Obama unveiled a new plan to help small businesses this afternoon.

* The Secret Service is investigating threats shouted by McCain supporters at a rally this week.

* Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) reportedly plans to investigate abuses of eavesdropping on Americans overseas.

* A county in upstate New York printed absentee ballots with the name "Barack Osama" on them. I assume someone will be fired for this shortly.

* I really meant to do a post on David Brooks' column today, but server trouble threw off the schedule. I was largely going to reiterate Publius' thoughts on the subject.

* Jonathan Stein raises a very good point: Fox News deserves at least as much credit for whipping the enraged Republican base into a frenzy as any other source.

* On a related note, Obama predicted these smears with eerie accuracy.

* Sarah Palin got her start in politics with the support of some very unsavory characters. Max Blumenthal and David Neiwert have the story.

* Did McCain report his gambling winnings on his financial disclosure forms? Hmm.

* It's not entirely his fault, but Norm Coleman's campaign spokesperson should probably just stop conducting press briefings. He looks ridiculous avoiding simple questions.

* Shark Jesus.

* Quite a few folks would like to see the final Obama-McCain debate be better than the first two.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Describing the state of the campaign, McCain will tell a Virginia audience this morning, "[W]e've got them just where we want them."

* Yesterday, hoping to cheer up his staff, McCain vowed to "whip [Obama's] you-know-what" in Wednesday's debate.

* Relying on reports from CNN and Time, I indicated that Sarah Palin would campaign in West Virginia yesterday. It turns out, she skipped the state.

* For the first time in months, Obama did some door-to-door campaigning, this time in the Toledo, Ohio, area.

* Bill Clinton campaigned in Richmond, Va., yesterday, urging supporters to help Obama, but not to forget the importance of down-ballot Democrats, too.

* Over the last five weeks, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and Joe Biden have appeared at a total of 95 separate events. Over the same period of time, John McCain, Cindy McCain, and Sarah Palin have appeared at 56 events.

* In Ohio, a University of Cincinnati poll shows McCain leading Obama by two, 48% to 46%. A new Marist poll, however, shows Obama leading McCain in Ohio by four, 49% to 45%.

* In Pennsylvania, a new Marist poll shows Obama leading McCain by 12, 53% to 41%.

* In Colorado, Public Policy Polling shows Obama leading McCain by 10, 52% to 42%.

* In Nevada, a Mason-Dixon poll shows Obama leading McCain by two, 47% to 45%.

* In Iowa, SurveyUSA shows Obama leading McCain by 13, 54% to 41%.

* In North Dakota, a poll from the Public Affairs Institute at Minnesota State University Moorhead shows Obama leading McCain by two, 45% to 43%.

* In California, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by 16, 56% to 40.

* Obama picked up 16 endorsements from newspaper editorial boards over the weekend, "including six in swing states Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina and Missouri." McCain gained two.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Wall Street had a very good day for a change, and the Dow soared 936 points, the biggest single-day point gain ever. As a percentage, the Dow closed 11.1% higher, the fourth best in market history.

* A second stimulus is likely, eventually.

* "Jobs, baby, jobs."

* Did Obama push Iraqi leaders to delay a security agreement with the administration? Of course not.

* In 2006, Mark Foley's sex scandal cost him his career. It now appears his replacement, Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-Fla.), will also see his career fall apart in 2008 thanks to his own sex scandal. What is with that district?

* If McCain/Palin wins on Election Day, Tina Fey plans to leave Earth.

* McCain was for ACORN before he was against it.

* Sarah Palin's claims on the stump aren't just wrong, they're pants-on-fire wrong.

* My friend Adam Serwer has a thought-provoking piece today on conservative attempts to call Obama a "socialist": "Right-wing attempts to paint Barack Obama as a socialist aren't just disingenuous. They're rooted in a history of conservative smears against black leaders."

* Fred Hiatt is still trying to exonerate John McCain. It's still not working.

* Just as important as some racist nut at a McCain rally is what other McCain supporters do in reaction to the racist nut.




#board-2412


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* McCain hosted an event in North Carolina yesterday, and said he would open the floor to questions after his speech. After he spoke, however, McCain shook some hands and left. "I thought this was a town hall meeting?" a man asked the press corps.

* The League of Conservation Voters is going after McCain in Colorado for raising the possibility of taking more of the state's water for neighboring states.

* Joe Lieberman isn't just helping McCain; he's also helping vulnerable Republican candidates like Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.).

* A new Politico/InsiderAdvantage survey takes a closer look at four key bellwether counties that Bush won in 2000 and 2004 in Nevada, North Carolina, Florida, and North Carolina. Obama now leads in three of the four.

* In Ohio, SurveyUSA shows Obama leading McCain by five, 50% to 45%, while Rasmussen shows Obama up by two, 49% to 47%.

* In Florida, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by five, 51% to 46%.

* In Virginia, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by three, 50% to 47%.

* In Colorado, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Obama leading McCain by nine, 52% to 43%.

* In North Carolina, Rasmussen shows Obama and McCain tied at 48% each.

* In Missouri, SurveyUSA shows Obama leading McCain by eight, 51% to 43%, while Rasmussen shows Obama up by three, 50% to 47%.

* In Pennsylvania, SurveyUSA shows Obama leading McCain by 15, 55% to 40%.

* In Minnesota, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Obama leading McCain by 11, 51% to 40%.

* In Wisconsin, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Obama leading McCain by 17, 54% to 37%.

* In Michigan, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Obama leading McCain by 16, 54% to 38%.

* In New Jersey, SurveyUSA shows Obama leading McCain by 15, 55% to 40%.

* In New York, SurveyUSA shows Obama leading McCain by 33, 64% to 31%.

* In Oregon, SurveyUSA shows Obama leading McCain by 17, 57% to 40%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Early voting in New Mexico, Ohio, Georgia, Iowa, and North Carolina at this point seems to favor Obama.

* There are several new national polls out today. Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg shows Obama leading McCain by nine (50% to 41%); Ipsos/McClatchy shows Obama leading McCain by nine (51% to 42%); and the Pew Research Center shows Obama leading McCain by 10 (50% to 40%).

* Republicans must be getting really nervous about North Carolina, where McCain and the RNC are using robo-calls to attack Obama on Hollywood and taxes.

* Obama addressed the ACORN "story" yesterday, telling reporters, "We've got the best voter registration and turnout and volunteer operation in politics right now, and we don't need ACORN's help."

* Obama is reportedly moving field staff from Michigan to Indiana.

* Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) cut a good radio ad for Obama, emphasizing the fact that Obama won't take anyone's guns away.

* Bring Ohio Back, a 527 group, has a series of new anti-McCain spots that "look more like a beer commercial than campaign advertising." I found the ads pretty effective.

* For all the recent talk about "anonymous" Obama donors, it seems McCain is in a similar situation.

* In Delaware, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by 15, 56% to 41%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The markets started high before ending low, with the Dow dropping about 76 points today.

* Remember Bush's pledge to cut the deficit in half by 2009? Well, never mind.

* This tax-cut calculator is a pretty good idea.

* This White House has abused "executive privilege" in ways no one even imagined before 2001.

* We're back, once again, to McCain/Palin supporters calling for Obama's assassination. It's no longer foolish to think the Secret Service may want to start keeping an eye on these Republican rallies.

* Christopher Buckley endorsed Obama, and almost immediately lost his job at the National Review.

* I used to think former Sen. John Danforth (R-Mo.) was an honorable guy. So much for that idea.

* I'll never understand how (and why) Stanley Kurtz writes such bizarre missives.

* Obama campaign manager David Plouffe identifies the "24-hour ACORN channel."

* TPM cronws Palin the "Queen of the Liars."

* There is nothing too sleazy for most right-wing blogs.

* I'm beginning to think CNN's Campbell Brown knows what she's doing.

* George McGovern, you really ought to know better.

* Eugene Robinson: "When a political party reaches the point of lurching incoherence, the most effective cure is a good, long spell in the wilderness. Americans should help Republicans out by sending them home to get their act together."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* New discouraging economic numbers pushed the markets even lower today, with the Dow falling 733 points.

* McClatchy reports, "A U.S. official who participated in drafting the top secret National Intelligence Estimate said it portrays the situation in Pakistan as 'very bad.' Another official called the draft 'very bleak,' and said it describes Pakistan as being 'on the edge.'"

* The Bush administration "issued a pair of secret memos to the CIA in 2003 and 2004 that explicitly endorsed the agency's use of interrogation techniques such as waterboarding against al-Qaeda suspects."

* Christians are fleeing Mosul in the wake 10 recent killings. (thanks to reader M.R. for the tip)

* The Bush administration went to great lengths to use our money to help Republican candidates.

* Time to eliminate the White House Political Affairs Office altogether?

* Marc Ambinder reports that it's "hard to find an honest GOPer who actually believes that Barack Obama will benefit in any statistically significant way from ACORN-related voter registration shenanigans." I guess that means it's easy to find a dishonest Republican.

* Can Dems please throw Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-Fla.) under the bus now?

* The foolishness of far-right blogs never ceases to amaze me.

* Once in a great while, Republican efforts to challenge legitimate voter registrations backfires in a big way.

* The official website of a California county's Republican Party called for Obama to be tortured. Once again, "occasional nuts" run the Republican Party.

* Comedian D.L. Hughley is getting his own weekly CNN program, "diving into the increasingly crowded arena of news-driven comedy."

* McCain's recent attacks come straight out of the Penguin's playbook.

* Sarah Palin reminds John Cleese of a well-trained parrot. He makes a surprisingly compelling case for the comparison.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Obama spoke to some supporters this morning at a Manhattan at a fundraising breakfast, and said it's too early to feel confident: "For those of you who are feeling giddy or cocky or think this is all set, I just have two words for you: New Hampshire. I've been in these positions before when we were favored, and the press starts getting carried away and we end up getting spanked.... That's another good lesson that Hillary Clinton taught me, so we want to make sure that we are closing strong, running through the tape."

* The RNC is pulling its McCain ads in Wisconsin and Maine, and redirecting resources to traditionally "red" states like Colorado, Missouri, Indiana, and Virginia.

* On a related note, the National Republican Senatorial Committee has decided to give up in Louisiana, which was home to the GOP's only legitimate pick-up opportunity this cycle.

* Republicans' direct mail packages are getting increasingly vile, especially in "red" states the GOP sees slipping away. Yesterday, it was North Carolina. Today, it's Virginia.

* In Florida, a Time/CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain by five, 51% to 46%.

* In Virginia, a Time/CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain by 10, 53% to 43%.

* In Colorado, a Time/CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain by four, 51% to 47%.

* In New Mexico, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by 13, 55% to 42%.

* In Missouri, a Time/CNN poll shows McCain leading Obama by one, 49% to 48%.

* In Georgia, a Time/CNN poll shows McCain leading Obama by eight, 53% to 45%.

* In Massachusetts, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by 13, 62% to 34%.

* In Kansas, Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by 13, 54% to 41%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* After falling nearly 400 points this morning, the Dow finished up over 400 points this afternoon. Not for the faint of heart.

* Keep an eye on this story: "Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner told the Huffington Post on Thursday that she is ready not only to fight the state's current election law battle in front of the Supreme Court, but is also willing to wage a new fight, if necessary, to make sure hundreds of thousands of new voters are not 'forced' onto provisional ballots on election day."

* Early voting began in North Carolina, and the lines are already very long.

* The United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry finds McCain's "Joe the Plumber" talk ridiculous.

* Speaking of which, "Joe the Plumber" isn't a licensed plumber, isn't a political independent, doesn't make more than $250,000, and his name isn't even "Joe."

* Atrios seems to have summarized the story beautifully: "I don't care anything at all about Joe the Plumber. I care about our stupid media who have elevated this registered Republican to represent the everyman undecided voter, even though he isn't even an undecided voter."

* Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) takes the stand.

* A brief Secret Service investigation found no threats made against Obama at Palin's rally in Pennsylvania this week.

* Jack Murtha apologized today for calling western Pennsylvania "a racist area."

* It's odd that PBS is unwilling to air "Torturing Democracy," a documentary examining the Bush administration's detention and interrogation policies, until after the next president is inaugurated.

* There's apparently a new viral, right-wing email chain making the rounds. Be forewarned.

* Factoid of the Day: "Joe the Plumber has now had more press conferences than Sarah Palin."

* Remember Rick Santorum? He's bashing Obama for not wearing a flag pin -- despite the fact that Obama wears one and McCain doesn't.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers. (Sorry I'm running late today; I've been experiencing trouble with my internet connection this morning.)

* The RNC's new ad slams Obama for lacking "executive experience." It doesn't note, of course, that McCain also lacks "executive experience."

* Is Colin Powell poised to weigh in on the presidential race?

* The Politico reports, "Sen. Barack Obama holds leads in four key counties that will go a long way toward determining the eventual winner in four important swing states -- Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia -- according to a new Politico/Insider Advantage survey."

* In Florida, where recent polling had shown Obama leading, SurveyUSA shows McCain up by two, 49% to 47%.

* In Missouri, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by six, 52% to 46%.

* In Ohio, Rasmussen shows Obama and McCain tied at 49% each.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Dow "only" lost 127 points today, following the release of new numbers showing a sharp fall in home construction in September.

* The Bush administration and the Maliki government appear to be "on the verge of an agreement that would spell out the conditions under which American troops would remain in Iraq and a timeline for their eventual departure."

* McCain/Palin supporters have taken to physically assaulting journalists. Seriously.

* What a coincidence: "Right now, two Republican members of Congress are simultaneously sitting in courtrooms in their own criminal trials, just a few miles from one another." This is in reference, of course, to Ted Stevens' corruption trial, and Rep. Vito Fossella's (R-N.Y.) drunk-driving trial.

* The Obama campaign, to its credit, is arguing that the Justice Department's new-found interest in ACORN is eerily similar to the politicization of the Justice Department we saw in the last election cycle.

* Joe Biden is hitting back against Sarah Palin's suggestion that some parts of America aren't "pro-American."

* On a related note, Sen. Jim Webb's mockery of Palin today was pretty amusing.

* If Cindy McCain is going to keep taking cheap shots at Dems, she has to be prepared for some additional scrutiny.

* I never would have expected Michael Smerconish, a conservative talk-show host and former H.W. Bush administration official, to endorse Obama, but he did.

* Joe 'the Plumber' Wurzelbacher conceded this morning that he'd benefit from Obama's tax policies.

* CNN's coverage of the manufactured ACORN "controversy" has been unusually bad.

* It really is time to throw Tim Mahoney under the bus.

* And finally, I'm curious. Four years ago, a random MoveOn.org member made a video comparing Bush to Hitler, and the right is still talking about it. But when an official McCain campaign office compares Obama to Hitler, it's no big deal. I wonder why that is.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Obama expects the presidential race to get tighter in the remaining 15 days.

* McCain's creepy obsession with "Joe the Plumber" isn't paying political dividends.

* At this point, early voting and absentee ballots seem to favor Obama in several "red" states, including Iowa, Ohio, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

* If you haven't seen pictures from Obama's record-breaking crowd in St. Louis on Saturday, it was an impressive showing.

* Obama and Hillary Clinton will campaign together in Florida today, their first joint appearance since a New Hampshire event in June.

* Sarah Palin appeared on "Saturday Night Live" over the weekend, and was in two amusing skits.

* McCain has spent less time in "real" Virginia than Obama.

* The AFL-CIO has a hard-hitting direct-mail piece going out on McCain and retirees.

* In Ohio, a Mason-Dixon poll shows McCain leading Obama by one, 46% to 45%.

* In Colorado, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by seven, 52% to 45%.

* In Minnesota, a Star Tribune poll shows Obama leading McCain by 11, 52% to 41%, Research 2000 shows Obama ahead by 13, 52% to 39%, and SurveyUSA shows Obama up by six, 50% to 44%.

* In Wisconsin, Mason-Dixon shows Obama leading McCain by 12, 51% to 39%, while a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee poll shows Obama up by 15, 51% to 36%.

* In West Virginia, Mason-Dixon shows McCain leading Obama by six, 47% to 41%.

* In Montana, Research 2000 shows McCain leading Obama by four, 49% to 45%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The market is back up over 9,000 again, at least for now, with the Dow closing up over 400 points.

* Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke approves of the idea of a second stimulus package.

* Joe Biden allowed reporters to sift through his medical files for several hours today, and made his personal physician available to reporters. Biden appears to be in fine health.

* Romney stammered when asked if Sarah Palin is ready to lead the nation. Oops.

* Over the weekend, a Republican political consultant, who owns a firm that's been registering hundreds of thousands of voters and gathering petition signatures, was busted for ... wait for it ... voter registration fraud.

* Contrary to what Dana Milbank reported last week, the Secret Service denies having any role in keeping journalists from talking to voters at McCain/Palin rallies.

* Judith Miller is ending up at Fox News.

* Taking infrastructure seriously again. What a concept.

* The "fair tax" really is pure policy insanity.

* Bill Kristol thinks 9/11 "did not result in a much-feared (by intellectuals) wave of popular Islamophobia or xenophobia." I'm pretty sure that's false.

* Are election boards ready for November 4?

* Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.) was found guilty of driving while under the influence.

* And it's one thing to for Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) to call for a new round of McCarthyism, but it's slightly worse for her to lie about it. Note to Bachmann: you're only making matters worse.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Obama will leave the campaign trail on Friday and Saturday to visit his grandmother, who helped raise him, and who is gravely ill in Hawaii.

* Obama is hosting an economic forum in Lake Worth, Fla., this afternoon, featuring governors, business leaders, and economic experts.

* CNN reported that the McCain campaign is effectively giving up on Iowa, New Mexico, and Colorado -- all "red" states -- but McCain aides deny the accuracy of the report.

* Just one day after Sarah Palin criticized the use of robocalls, she recorded her own robocall.

* The Republican Party of Florida has begun attacking Obama on, of all things, crime.

* In Ohio, a Suffolk University poll shows Obama leading McCain by nine, 51% to 42, while Rasmussen has McCain up by two, 49% to 47%.

* In Florida, Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by one, 49% to 48%.

* In Virginia, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by 10, 54% to 44%, while SurveyUSA shows Obama up by six, 51% to 45%.

* In Missouri, a Suffolk University poll shows McCain leading Obama by one, 45% to 44%, while Rasmussen shows Obama up by five, 49% to 44%.

* In Colorado, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by five, 51% to 46%.

* In North Carolina, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by three, 51% to 48%.

* In New Hampshire, Research 2000 shows Obama leading McCain by seven, 50% to 43%.

* In Indiana, Public Policy Polling shows Obama leading McCain by two, 48% to 46%.

* In New Jersey, Quinnipiac shows Obama leading McCain by 17, 59% to 36%.

* And don't forget to keep an eye on that Senate race in Kentucky. According to SurveyUSA, it's tied.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Dow dropped another 230 points today.

* Palin apologized today for her "pro-America areas" remark from the other day.

* On a related note, Palin still seems a little confused about the V.P.'s responsibilities.

* Bush has stated his desire to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, but he's not actually going to follow through.

* The smartest thing MSNBC has ever done is give Rachel Maddow a prime-time show: "Maddow ... has done something that is virtually unheard of: she has doubled the audience for a cable news channel's 9 p.m. hour in a matter of days." I can't overstate how encouraging this is.

* Speaking of MSNBC, Chris Matthews wants to chat with Michelle Bachmann again. I'm not surprised -- the ratings would be huge.

* Conservatives looking for encouraging presidential polls have begun touting online polling of children. Seriously.

* Has Drudge's campaign influence evaporated? Eric Boehlert makes a compelling case that it has.

* Amusing voting anecdote from an Obama supporter in Southwest Kansas.

* Seriously, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) is really unimpressed with the Republican ticket.

* Apparently, there's some bizarre rumor circulating in far-right circles about Michelle Obama ordering lobster at the Waldorf Astoria. It's not true.

* The RNC's complaints about ACORN keep falling apart.

* On a related note, the RNC's small-donor database is apparently little more than a publicity stunt.

* Beneath contempt: "A dead bear was found dumped this morning on the Western Carolina University campus, draped with a pair of Obama campaign signs, university police said."

* Homelessness has largely been on the decline, but it appears to be rising again.

* Don't let the door hit you on the wait out, Scott Bloch.

* And finally, a Pennsylvania state rep named Tim Mahoney is working hard to make sure he's not that Tim Mahoney.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The new McCain campaign ad, I kid you not, features people identifying themselves as "Joe the Plumber."

* McCain thinks Republicans who question Palin's credentials have an "elitist" attitude.

* A right-wing group called Let Freedom Ring is spending over $1.2 million on some anti-Obama attacks ads. The spots will air in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, and Colorado.

* In Wisconsin, a WPR poll shows Obama leading McCain by 13, 51% to 38%.

* In South Dakota, a KELO poll shows McCain leading Obama by seven, 48% to 41%.

* In West Virginia, Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by nine, 52% to 43%.

* In Colorado, an InsiderAdvantage poll shows Obama leading McCain by five, 51% to 46%.

* In Maine, a Pan Atlantic SMS Group poll shows Obama leading McCain by 12, 51% to 39%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Ugh: "A late afternoon barrage of selling sent the Dow Jones industrials tumbling almost 700 points before the index pulled back to close down near 500. Weak corporate earnings stoked fears that the government's financial intervention won't keep global economies out of recession."

* There was a scare at the New York Times today when an envelope was found containing a "white granular substance." Authorities came in, ran some tests, and concluded that the substance was "non-hazardous."

* On a related note, several Senate offices received bomb threats this afternoon. No suspicious packages have been found and none of the offices have been evacuated.

* McCain has now begun robo-texting anti-Obama smears to cell phones.

* Republican thugs continue to get physically abusive, this time in Missouri.

* On a related note, it's hard to believe the threatening messages ACORN has received lately. The audio clips are nauseating.

* There's still some lingering question as to whether Sarah Palin has to declare the $150,000 in clothes and accessories as "income."

* For reasons that defy comprehension, marriage equality in California appears to be in real trouble.

* Are Republicans responsible for fueling the nonsense about Obama being a secret Muslim? Steven Waldman explains why the GOP bears responsibility.

* And finally, a day in the life of an unpopular president: "Not once this year has President Bush appeared in public at a campaign rally for the Republican Party or any of its candidates. And on Tuesday night, when he attends a million dollar fund-raiser for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, it will be the last political event he does before Election Day."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The McCain campaign and the RNC have two new robocalls. The first insists that Obama has "voted against ... protecting children from danger." The second goes after Obama's "bitter" comments, and says he and "elitist Democrats" want to take away people's guns.

* The National Republican Senatorial Committee is running ads in North Carolina that assume an Obama victory.

* As recently as July, the McCain campaign didn't see the need to even open a campaign office in the Republican stronghold of Indiana. Now, less than two weeks before Election Day, the McCain campaign has decided to spend several hundred thousand dollars on "a last-minute television buy" in the state.

* In Florida, Quinnipiac shows Obama leading McCain by five, 49% to 44%, while Mason-Dixon shows McCain leading by one, 46% to 45%.

* In Ohio, Quinnipiac shows Obama leading McCain by 14, 52% to 38%, while Time/CNN shows Obama up by four, 50% to 46%, and the Big Ten polling consortium shows Obama up by 12, 53% to 41%.

* In Pennsylvania, Quinnipiac shows Obama leading McCain by 13, 53% to 40%, while the Big Ten polling consortium shows Obama up by 11, 52% to 41%.

* In Virginia, Time/CNN shows Obama leading McCain by 10, 54% to 44%, while Mason-Dixon shows Obama leading by two, 47% to 45%,

* In Nevada, Time/CNN shows Obama leading McCain by five, 51% to 46%.

* In North Carolina, Time/CNN shows Obama leading McCain by four, 51% to 47%.

* In Indiana, the Big Ten polling consortium shows Obama leading McCain by 10, 51% to 41%.

* In West Virginia, Time/CNN shows McCain leading Obama by nine, 53% to 44%.

* In Iowa, the Big Ten polling consortium shows Obama leading McCain by 13, 52% to 39%.

* In Michigan, the Big Ten polling consortium shows Obama leading McCain by 22, 58% to 36%.

* In Minnesota, the Big Ten polling consortium shows Obama leading McCain by 19, 57% to 38%.

* In Wisconsin, the Big Ten polling consortium shows Obama leading McCain by 13, 53% to 40%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* After struggling for most of the day, the Dow closed up 172 points today.

* Not all of today's economic numbers were good: "New applications for state unemployment benefits increased by 15,000 in the week ended Oct. 18 to a seasonally adjusted 478,000."

* Alan Greenspan's faith in the free market was apparently a big snafu.

* On a related note, no serious person believes Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were responsible for the financial crisis.

* McCain defended Palin's exorbitant campaign wardrobe today, telling reporters, "She needed clothes."

* The White House fired Scott Bloch before he could resign.

* Bill O'Reilly will get $10 million a year to tell people to shut up.

* I don't think Palin knows what a "precondition" is.

* The polls on marriage equality in California remain close, but a new LA Times poll shows a majority opposing a ban on gay marriage.

* Usually, Republican race-baiting isn't as blatant as this direct-mail piece in Texas.

* Usually, Republican gay-baiting isn't as blatant as this direct-mail piece in North Carolina.

* The RNC is denying robo-texting efforts.

* Newt Gingrich thinks "Saturday Night Live" should be sued for its skits about Palin.

* Next year, Bono will be a contributing writer to the New York Times' op-ed page.

* James Dobson has quite an active imagination.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A new Gallup poll shows Obama with strong support from Jewish voters. "The current proportion of U.S. Jews backing Obama is identical to the level of support the Democratic ticket of John Kerry and John Edwards received in the 2004 presidential election (74%)."

* A new McCain robocall insists that Obama's healthcare plan will slow "development of life saving drugs."

* The Obama campaign is responding with its own robocall, featuring a Navy veteran and self-described former McCain supporter denouncing McCain for running a "dishonorable campaign" of "vicious personal attacks."

* Interesting new tool unveiled by the Obama campaign to track and monitor McCain campaign lies and scare tactics.

* The New York Times editorial board endorsed Obama today, urging readers to remember that "the nation's future truly hangs in the balance."

* When it comes to re-election, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is in deep trouble in her district, and so is Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) in his. Both have said very dumb things recently.

* Obama unveiled his first all Spanish-language television ad yesterday, and his pronunciation is surprisingly good for someone who doesn't speak Spanish.

* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) has finally cut an ad for McCain. It's a radio spot.

* Hillary Clinton's PAC has donated $500,000 to over 75 Democratic candidates in over 30 states.

* In Florida, a Miami Herald poll shows Obama leading McCain by seven, 49% to 42%.

* In Montana, a Montana State University-Billings poll shows Obama leading McCain by four, 44% to 40%.

* In Indiana, SurveyUSA shows Obama leading McCain by four, 49% to 45%.

* In Georgia, Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by five, 51% to 46%, but InsiderAdvantage shows Obama with a narrow lead, 48% to 47%.

* In Minnesota, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by 15, 56% to 41%.

* In Washington state, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by 11, 54% to 43%.

* In Louisiana, Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by 16, 57% to 41%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The Obama campaign unveiled a two-minute ad this morning that emphasizes Obama's economic plan and how he'd pay for it. McCain and Bush aren't mentioned.

* The National Republican Senatorial Committee has officially given up on winning Colorado's open U.S. Senate seat, which obviously spells trouble for Bob Schaffer.

* In other Senate news, Obama cut a new TV ad for Oregon's Jeff Merkley, the first commercial Obama has done for a Democratic Senate candidate this year.

* In Ohio, a new Ohio Newspaper Poll shows Obama leading McCain by three, 49% to 46%. A month ago, this same poll showed McCain up by two.

* In Colorado, a new Rocky Mountain News/CBS4 poll shows Obama leading McCain by 12, 52% to 40%.

* In New Hampshire, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by four, 50% to 46%.

* In Iowa, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by eight, 52% to 44%.

* Nationally, Newsweek shows Obama leading McCain by 12, 53% to 41%.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers. (I'm running late because the server has been a mess this morning.)

* If crowd size translates to votes, the Obama campaign must have been thrilled by what they saw over the weekend.

* Sarah Palin's home-town newspaper, the Anchorage Daily News, endorsed Obama/Biden on Saturday.

* Bill Clinton and most of the Democratic establishment of Arkansas held a rally on Obama's behalf over the weekend in Arkansas.

* In Virginia, a Washington Post poll shows Obama leading McCain by eight, 52% to 44%, while a poll from Virginia Commonwealth University shows Obama up by 11, 51% to 40%.

* In Missouri, Mason-Dixon shows McCain up by one, while SurveyUSA shows Obama by two, and Research 2000 shows Obama up by one.

* In Iowa, a Lee Enterprises poll shows Obama up by 15, 54% to 39%, while Mason-Dixon shows Obama up by 11, 51% to 40%.

* In New Hampshire, a Boston Globe poll shows Obama up by 15, 54% to 39%.

* In Georgia, Mason-Dixon shows McCain up by six, 49% to 43%.

* In Kentucky, a Herald-Leader poll shows McCain up by 16, with 12% of Kentucky voters acknowledging that they're uncomfortable with the color of Obama's skin.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Scary beyond words: "Federal agents have broken up a plot to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and shoot or decapitate 102 black people in a Tennessee murder spree, the ATF said Monday. In court records unsealed Monday, federal agents said they disrupted plans to rob a gun store and target a predominantly African-American high school by two neo-Nazi skinheads.... Jim Cavanaugh, special agent in charge of the Nashville field office for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said the two men planned to shoot 88 black people and decapitate another 14. The numbers 88 and 14 are symbolic in the white supremacist community."

* The Dow fell another 200 points today, closing at 8175.

* This seems rather important: "U.S. military helicopters launched an extremely rare attack Sunday on Syrian territory close to the border with Iraq, killing eight people in a strike the government in Damascus condemned as 'serious aggression.' A U.S. military official said the raid by special forces targeted the network of al-Qaida-linked foreign fighters moving through Syria into Iraq."

* On a related note, there's been an increase in CIA airstrikes against militants in the Pakistani mountains.

* An aide to Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) beat and assaulted Democratic trackers over the weekend. Wolf's office, after a lengthy delay, apologized for the incident this afternoon.

* The Reuters newsroom in New York was evacuated today after an envelope with a "puff of powder" was found. Authorities found the powder to be harmless soon thereafter.

* There's a real problem with the presidential ballot in North Carolina.

* Sarah Palin started talking about her wardrobe again yesterday. Apparently, the McCain campaign isn't happy about it.


#board-2412


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* We knew we'd see a Jeremiah Wright ad eventually, and the right-wing National Republican Trust PAC is responsible for one.

* It looks like Virginia Republicans aren't confident in McCain's chances: "A phony flier, purporting to be from the Virginia Board of Elections, is circulating in the African-American-heavy Hampton Roads region of the state, falsely informing people that, because of expected high turnout, Democrats should vote on November 5th. The election is November 4th."

* The DNC is "taking out a $10 million line of credit to split equally between the House and Senate campaign committees" to help maximize their gains in congressional elections.

* Early voting is helping Obama in Florida and Ohio.

* The RNC is starting to worry, at least a little, about West Virginia.

* In Florida, a Suffolk Poll shows Obama leading McCain by five, 49% to 44%, while Rasmussen shows Obama up by four, 51% to 47%.

* In Ohio, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by four, 49% to 45%, while SurveyUSA shows Obama leading by the exact same margin.

* In Colorado, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by four, 50% to 46%.

* In Virginia, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by four, 51% to 47%.

* In Missouri, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by one, 48% to 47%.

* In North Carolina, Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by one, 49% to 48%.

* In New Hampshire, a Marist poll shows Obama leading McCain by five, 50% to 45%.

* In Iowa, a Marist poll shows Obama leading McCain by 10, 52% to 42%.

* In Arizona, Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by five, 51% to 46%.

* Pew Research Center shows Obama leading McCain nationally by 16, 52% to 36%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* After dropping to a five-year low yesterday, the Dow soared by about 900 points today.

* It took a while, but Sarah Palin finally agreed that Ted Stevens should resign.

* Just think, if you only watched Fox News, you probably wouldn't even know that Stevens was a convicted felon.

* If you build it, they will watch: in just its second month, "The Rachel Maddow Show" on MSNBC is beating CNN's "Larry King Live" in the key demo that advertisers care about.

* Another Republican is backing Obama: this time, it's former Rep. Charles McC. Mathias Jr. of Maryland.

* Wait, the McCain's Keating scandal can get worse.

* It's painful to think 15% of women in the Armed Services who served in Iraq or Afghanistan were victims of sexual assault or sexual harassment during their tours of duty. It's also completely unacceptable.

* I'm disappointed the Christian Science Monitor is going to be a weekly instead of a daily. It's a good paper.

* I find it hard to relate to someone who uses words like "intellectualoids."

* Great, now we have right-wing blowhards attacking the poor. Classy.

* Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita has become quite an embarrassment to himself.

* Notice how calm the Obama campaign's Bill Burton seems while Fox News' Megyn Kelly gets angry.

* And finally, my most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Dean Barnett, who died yesterday after a lengthy fight with cystic fibrosis. He was just 41 years old.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* I guess something like this was inevitable: "Citizens United, the conservative group headed by notorious Whitewater scandalmonger David Bossie, is distributing hundreds of thousands of DVDs attacking Barack Obama's associations with Jeremiah Wright and William Ayers in newspapers in Ohio, Nevada, and Florida this week, a group spokesperson confirms to us."

* In Florida, a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll shows Obama leading McCain by seven (50% to 43%), Quinnipiac shows Obama by two (47% to 45%), and an Associated Press poll also has Obama up by two (45% to 43%).

* In Ohio, a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll shows Obama leading McCain by nine (49% to 40%), Quinnipiac shows Obama by nine (51% to 42%), and an Associated Press poll has Obama up by seven (48% to 41%).

* In Pennsylvania, Quinnipiac shows Obama leading McCain by 12 (53% to 41%), an Associated Press poll has Obama up by 12 (52% to 40%), and a Franklin & Marshall College poll has Obama up by 13 (53% to 40%).

* In Nevada, an Associated Press poll shows Obama leading McCain by 12 (52% to 40%), while a Suffolk University poll shows Obama up by 10 (50% to 40%).

* In Colorado, an Associated Press poll shows Obama leading McCain by nine (50% to 41%).

* In Virginia, an Associated Press poll shows Obama leading McCain by seven (49% to 42%).

* In New Hampshire, an Associated Press poll shows Obama leading McCain by 18 (55% to 37%).

* In North Carolina, an Associated Press poll shows Obama leading McCain by two (48% to 46%).

* In Indiana, a Howey/Gauge poll shows McCain leading Obama by two, 47% to 45%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Fed cut interest rates to just 1%. The markets' reaction was mixed.

* McCain fans get violent in Miami.

* More of the same: "Authorities at the University of Kentucky are trying to find out who hung an effigy of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on campus."

* Sarah Palin has already been the subject of multiple ethics complaints; what's one more?

* It looks like there are quite a few cheapskates in the Senate Democratic caucus.

* The right is now unabashedly anti-equality? These guys have really fallen off the ideological cliff.

* By Rudy Giuliani's own standards, he can't possibly vote for John McCain.

* Rep. Chris Shays, a Connecticut Republican: "[John McCain] has lost his brand as a maverick."

* Ari Fleischer should probably brush up on GOP talking points before appearing on CNN.

* The next stimulus bill will be debated in the House after the election, but before the winter holidays.

* I get the sense that McCain doesn't know what a "safety net program" is.

* And finally, Jonathan Stein made an interesting observation yesterday: while the DNC's site is heavily promoting Obama, the RNC's site doesn't feature McCain at all. I just checked a moment ago, searching the RNC's home page. It features Obama's name six times, and doesn't mention its own party's presidential nominee even once.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Obama and Bill Clinton held a rally outside Orlando late last night, their first joint event of the campaign season. "This man should be our president -- all of our president," Clinton said. "He's going to be the next president unless Americans forget what this election is all about."

* The Obama campaign unveiled its closing-argument ads this morning, one positive spot and one negative.

* McCain campaign manager Rick Davis is still inexplicably worked up about ACORN.

* Yesterday, 76 of the most distinguished scientists in the country, Nobel laureates all, endorsed Obama for president.

* In Ohio, a Time/CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain by four (51% to 47%), while a Marist Poll shows Obama up by three (48% to 45%).

* In Florida, a Time/CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain by four (51% to 47%).

* In Pennsylvania, a Time/CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain by 12 (55% to 43%), while an NBC/Mason-Dixon poll shows Obama up by just four (47% to 43%), and a Marist Poll shows Obama up by 14 (55% to 41%).

* In Colorado, a Time/CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain by eight (53% to 45%).

* In Virginia, a Time/CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain by nine (53% to 44%).

* In New Mexico, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by 10 (54% to 44%).

* In Nevada, a Time/CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain by seven (52% to 45%).

* In North Carolina, a Time/CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain by six (52% to 46%).

* In Missouri, a Time/CNN poll shows McCain leading Obama by two (50% to 48%).

* In Georgia, a Time/CNN poll shows McCain leading Obama by five (52% to 47%).

* In Arizona, a Time/CNN poll shows McCain leading Obama by seven (53% to 46%), while an NBC/Mason-Dixon poll shows McCain up by four (48% to 44%).

* In Minnesota, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by 12 (55% to 43%), while an NBC/Mason-Dixon poll shows Obama up by eight (48% to 40%).

* In California, a Field Poll shows Obama leading McCain by 22 (55% to 33%).

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Dow closed up nearly 190 points after a 0.3% drop in GDP. Apparently, investors expected the numbers to be even worse.

* It seems like every campaign cycle we hear all about voting-machine problems. I wonder why that is.

* I'm not an expert, but if I were the McCain campaign, I'd probably hesitate before putting Michael Goldfarb on national television again.

* Speaking of odd surrogates, I don't think Rudy Giuliani understands McCain's healthcare plan.

* The crowd was a little thin for a McCain event in Ohio this morning, so nearby schools bussed in thousands of kids to fill the seats.

* Ashley Todd is free after six days in jail, but will be required to undergo mental health treatment. The AP reported, "Her record eventually will be expunged as long as she goes to treatment, stays out of trouble and keeps authorities apprised of her whereabouts."

* One of Sarah Palin's favorite publications, The Economist, endorsed Obama.

* Ruy Teixeira, a friend of the Monthly, has returned to blogging after a lengthy absence.

* In an unusual twist, at least one Fox News exec is defending the LA Times against the McCain campaign's attacks.

* In a cringe worthy moment on the campaign trail today, McCain tried to introduce "Joe the Plumber" to an audience. As it turns out, Wurzelbacher had stood McCain up.

* And on a related note, Wurzelbacher is "being pursued for a major record deal and could come out with a country album as early as Inauguration Day." I wish I were kidding. "Joe the Plumber" has signed a deal with a Nashville p.r. firm to exploit his notoriety for all its worth.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A right-wing outfit in Virginia has begun doing robocalls on the residency status of Obama's half-aunt.

* Another right-wing outfit, this one called the Pennsylvania Republican Party, is now running Jeremiah Wright television ads.

* The last CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll of the campaign shows Obama leading McCain nationally by seven (53% to 46%).

* In Florida, Mason-Dixon shows Obama leading McCain by two (49% to 47%).

* In Pennsylvania, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by four (51% to 47%), SurveyUSA has Obama up by seven (51% to 44%), Muhlenberg has Obama up by seven (52% to 45%), and Mason-Dixon has Obama up by four (47% to 43%).

* In Ohio, a Columbus Dispatch poll shows Obama leading McCain by six (52% to 46%), while Masox-Dixon shows McCain up by two (47% to 45%).

* In Colorado, Mason-Dixon shows Obama leading McCain by five (49% to 44%).

* In Virginia, Mason-Dixon shows Obama leading McCain by three (47% to 44%).

* In Nevada, Mason-Dixon shows Obama leading McCain by four (47% to 43%).

* In North Carolina, Mason-Dixon shows McCain leading Obama by six (49% to 46%).

* In Missouri, Mason-Dixon shows McCain leading Obama by one (47% to 46%).

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* After McCain's poorly attended rally this morning in Tampa, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) was supposed to stick around and do interviews with CNN and local affiliated. Instead he "bolted right after the rally with no explanation."

* Most modern presidential candidates refrain from campaigning on Election Day. McCain, however, will hit the trail in Colorado and New Mexico on Tuesday afternoon.

* Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens (R), a convicted felon, will air a two-minute advertisement tonight on seven television stations across his home state.

* Gay-baiting in a campaign is wrong, no matter who the target is.

* The last national Marist Poll of the year shows Obama leading McCain by nine (53% to 44%).

* In Florida, Quinnipiac shows Obama leading McCain by two (47% to 45%), while Public Policy Polling also has Obama up by two (50% to 48%).

* In Ohio, Quinnipiac shows Obama leading McCain by seven (50% to 43%), while Public Policy Polling has Obama up by two (50% to 48%), and a University of Cincinnati poll shows Obama by six (52% to 46%).

* In Pennsylvania, Quinnipiac shows Obama leading McCain by 10 (52% to 42%), while Public Policy Polling has Obama up by eight (53% to 45%), and Rasmussen shows Obama by six (52% to 46%).

* In Virginia, Public Policy Polling shows Obama leading McCain by six (52% to 46%).

* In North Carolina, Public Policy Polling shows Obama leading McCain by one (48% to 47%).

* In Montana, Public Policy Polling shows Obama leading McCain by one (48% to 47%).

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The good news is the Dow finished up about 144 points for the day. The bad news is the Dow lost 14% of its value for the month, making October 2008 among the worst on record.

* Al Gore returns to the scene of the crime.

* If you missed it, Rachel Maddow's interview with Obama was excellent, and went beyond the predictable questions that dominate typical candidate interviews. Take a look.

* When Liddy Dole falls in a ditch, she keeps digging.

* According to House Minority Leader John Boehner, Bush's Justice Department is biased ... against Republicans. (One day, at some point in the distant future, congressional Republicans will find and choose sensible leaders. I'm genuinely looking forward to it.)

* For those Americans making under $100,000, and most do, Obama's tax cut is clearly bigger than McCain's.

* Even now, Palin won't say if she'll vote for convicted felon Ted Stevens.

* Under the circumstances, I think it's fair to describe Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) as "scandal-plagued."

* Bill O'Reilly is a legend in his own mind.

* Fivethirtyeight has an interesting photo montage of McCain campaign field offices.

* Depending on how things go next week, we're likely to hear a lot more from a guy named Josh Segall, who's running in Alabama's 3rd congressional district.

* Drudge's influence really has waned.

* Bill Kristol bites the hand that feeds, blasting his employer, the New York Times.

* Obama is drawing a lot of support from newspaper editorial boards.

* Obama is drawing even more support from college newspaper editorial boards.

* And finally, it's with sadness that I note the death of the legendary Louis "Studs" Terkel, who passed away today at his Chicago home. He was 96.

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FRIDAY'S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP....Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* McCain can't implement Bush's GOTV strategy, because he can't afford it.

* A right-wing outfit called the National Republican Trust PAC will air Jeremiah Wright ads nationwide through the election.

* North Carolina has extended its early voting hours.

* The McCain campaign apparently doesn't spell-check its television ads.

* Kay Hagan hits back against Liddy Dole's "godless" ad.

* In Ohio, a National Journal poll shows Obama leading McCain by seven (48% to 41%).

* In Florida, a National Journal poll shows Obama leading McCain by one (45% to 44%).

* In Virginia, a Marist poll shows Obama leading McCain by four (51% to 47%), while National Journal also shows Obama by four (48% to 44%).

* In Colorado, a Marist poll shows Obama leading McCain by six (51% to 45%), a National Journal poll shows Obama by four (48% to 44%), and Public Policy Polling shows Obama by 10 (54% to 44%).

* In Indiana, an Indianapolis Star poll shows Obama leading McCain by one (46% to 45%), a WISH poll shows the two tied at 47% each, while Rasmussen shows McCain up by three (49% to 46%).

* In North Carolina, a Politico/InsiderAdvantage poll shows Obama and McCain tied at 48% each, while a National Journal poll shows Obama by four (47% to 43%).

* In New Hampshire, SurveyUSA shows Obama leading McCain by 11 (53% to 42%), while Research2000 shows Obama up by seven (51% to 44%).

* In New Mexico, Public Policy Polling shows Obama leading McCain by 17 (58% to 41%).

* In Missouri, a Politico/InsiderAdvantage poll shows McCain leading Obama by three (50% to 47%).

* In Montana, Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by four, 50% to 46%.

* In West Virginia, Public Policy Polling shows McCain leading Obama by 13 (55% to 42%).

* The latest New York Times/CBS News poll shows Obama leading McCain nationally by 11, 51% to 40%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* There were some discouraging reports today on construction, manufacturing, and auto sales, but the markets were surprisingly quiet.

* In March, five states were believed to be experiencing recessions. By the end of September, that number had reached 30.

* Remember the flyers being circulated in predominantly African-American neighborhoods in Virginia, telling people to vote on Wednesday? Those responsible will likely face criminal charges.

* Terence Tolbert, the Obama campaign's Nevada state director, died suddenly of a heart attack yesterday. He was just 44.

* Hell hath no fury like a Fox News personality scorned.

* What about campaign polls and voters who only use cell phones? Brian Schaffner crunches some numbers.

* Apparently, right-wing blogs are worked up today about a "hidden" Obama interview that wasn't "hidden" at all.

* Dick Cheney's hometown paper offers an endorsement I don't think the V.P. is going to like.

* "Ferris Bueller" weighs in with a message on behalf of the Obama campaign. (He uses actual dialog from the movie!)

* Looking at the six major national tracking polls, Eric Kleefeld adds the numbers together, weights them based on sample sizes, and finds on the election's eve that Obama leads McCain, 51.9% to 44.3%. Kleefeld concluded, "Counting today, Obama's lead has increased by small amounts in the last five consecutive composites."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The RNC is launching an 11th-hour round of robocalls in Georgia. Interesting.

* The final Marist poll shows Obama leading McCain nationally by nine, 52% to 43%.

* In Ohio, SurveyUSA shows Obama leading McCain by two (48% to 46%), while Rasmussen has them tied at 49% each.

* In Florida, SurveyUSA shows Obama leading McCain by three (50% to 47%), while Public Policy Polling has Obama up by two (50% to 48%), and Rasmussen shows McCain up by one (50% to 49%).

* In Pennsylvania, SurveyUSA shows Obama leading McCain by nine (52% to 43%), while Strategic Vision has Obama up by seven (51% to 44%).

* In Colorado, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by four (51% to 47%).

* In Virginia, Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain by four (51% to 47%).

* In Nevada, Public Policy Polling shows Obama leading McCain by four (51% to 47%).

* In Missouri, SurveyUSA shows Obama and McCain tied at 48% each, while Rasmussen also has them tied, at 49% each.

* In North Carolina, Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama by one (50% to 49%), while SurveyUSA also has McCain up by one (49% to 48%).

* Last night, Obama briefly chatted with reporters on the back of his campaign plane, acknowledging them for having "shared this process with us." Before walking away, Obama added, "It will be fun to see how the story ends."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* A good day on Wall Street.

* Fox News' pathetic reporting notwithstanding, there was no Black Panther violence in Philadelphia today.

* Palin promised two weeks ago to release her medical records. Her aides waited until late last night to instead issue a two-page letter from her doctor saying she's healthy.

* "Joe the Plumber" had a rough time on CNN today.

* I have no idea why a network would keep repeating the wrong closing times for polls in various states.

* Today "was a day when the White House purposely went dark."

* And finally, today, McCain appeared in his own sleazy robocall. Historically, campaigns tried to keep candidates away from the offensive and cheap tactics like these, but not this guy.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Another rough day on Wall Street.

* Interesting statistic: "Barack Obama won every John Kerry state by double digits. That is 252 electoral votes."

* For those keeping track of such things, Indiana was called for Obama.

* Colin Powell was visibly choked up this morning while talking about Obama's victory on CNN.

* The Senate race in Georgia is headed for a runoff.

* Al Franken has not conceded, while Norm Coleman's opposition to a recount is pretty ridiculous.

* President Bush was rather gracious today at the White House in congratulating Obama on his victory.

* For all the talk about Jewish voters resisting Obama, the President-Elect actually won "the demographic by a margin even higher than John Kerry's, and like Al Gore's and Bill Clinton's."

* Also interesting: "National exit polling shows 53 percent of of the voters considered the U.S. Supreme Court an 'important factor' in their vote Tuesday. Fifty-two percent of these voters supported Barack Obama, while 46 percent supported John McCain."

* I'm not a historian, but when was the last time the results of a presidential election prompted spontaneous celebrations in cities across the country?

* Ralph Nader is a disgrace.

* The newspaper industry enjoyed a very good day today.

* And finally, the Onion gets the award for headline of the day: "Black Man Given Nation's Worst Job."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* If all goes according to plan, I'll be on MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow Show" this evening.

* The Dow fell by another 440 points today, closing at around 8,700.

* "In the latest sign of the ailing job market, the number of people continuing to draw unemployment benefits jumped" in late October to the highest level in 25 years.

* CentCom Commander Gen. David Petraeus has reduced troop levels in Iraq by one brigade.

* Rahm Emanuel's role as the next White House chief of staff was officially announced this afternoon.

* David Axelrod is joining the White House staff, too.

* The positioning to replace Obama in the Senate is on.

* Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) will not face federal criminal charges.

* Why do you suppose Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) chief Julie Myers is resigning in mid-November, instead of January?

* Robert Rubin will not be the next Treasury secretary.

* What do you know, the Randy Scheunemann story can get more embarrassing.

* Obama is lending Jim Martin a hand in Georgia's runoff Senate campaign.

* Ezra explains why Max Baucus may be "the most consequential legislator in America."

* Have you seen the map showing the counties that became more Democratic this year?

* A Republican lawyer is en route to Alaska to pick up some of Sarah Palin's expensive clothes.

* And finally, Chris Matthews' journalistic reputation took another hit this morning.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Dow rose 250 points today in light trading, but it was still a spectacularly bad week on Wall Street.

* With arguments that deny reason, reality, and common sense, Fox News personalities are blaming the market declines on Obama.

* Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) agreed today to relinquish his chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Given the power of the committee, particularly in the midst of an economic crisis, Byrd did the honorable thing by giving up his gavel.

* It looks like Reid is prepared to let the Democratic caucus decide Lieberman's fate.

* Obama may yet pick up one more electoral vote, this time from Nebraska.

* Remember when Russia said its brief war with Georgia was the result of Georgian aggression? They may not have been lying.

* Voting turnout in the 2008 election may not have been quite as good as first believed, but Democratic turnout was still huge.

* Obama improved on Kerry's numbers in 46 of 50 states. (The exceptions were Alaska, Arizona, Louisiana, and Tennessee.)

* We still have a ways to go on the racial reconciliation front. This is truly sickening.

* If you haven't yet read the story of former White House butler Eugene Allen, I hope you'll take a moment to do so. Don't skip the ending.

* Lederman for OLC? Sounds like a good idea to me.

* It sounds like these documentary filmmakers got some amazing access to Obama. I'm glad I get HBO.

* I don't think it's too early to conclude that the strange people at National Review's "The Corner" already have an acute case of Obama Derangement Syndrome.

* On a related note, Michael Goldfarb will make his not-so-triumphant return to the Weekly Standard.

* And finally, it's only the first week in November, but don't worry, Bill O'Reilly is already thinking about the "war on Christmas."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Change comes to the White House.

* Layoffs at the DHL Express center in southern Ohio may total 8,000 workers.

* Another down day on Wall Street.

* Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D) will stay on as DCCC chairman, to the relief of the party.

* Even after all of his Lieberman's ugly attacks and betrayals, Barack Obama has sent word that he wants the Connecticut independent in the Democratic caucus next year. No word, however, on whether Obama wants Lieberman to keep his committee chairmanship.

* TPM reports that former President Clinton "is making calls on Sen. Lieberman's behalf."

* The lawsuit over White House emails is still ongoing, and the Bush gang keeps losing.

* Don't bother looking for Obama cabinet announcements this week; there apparently won't be any.

* Obama's preferred choice to replace him in the Senate is Valerie Jarrett, a Chicago lawyer and one of Obama's closest advisers.

* China's stimulus package sounds pretty good.

* A right-wing leader in the Polish parliament condemned Obama's election last week, insisting that it "marks the end of white man's civilization." The comments were condemned by Poland's foreign ministry.

* Good move: the Obama White House is adding Mike Lux to the team.

* It won't be pleasant, but the Defense Business Board, a senior Pentagon advisory group, believes the current Pentagon budget is "not sustainable" and has to be cut significantly.

* Interesting statistical tidbit: "The Dem share of the House vote ... was higher than Obama's share of the Prez vote."

* Can you imagine how bad an American newspaper would have to be to blow off Obama's victory last week?

* Joe Scarborough's on-air F-bomb, and the reaction to it, was pretty amusing this morning.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Yet another rough day on Wall Street.

* Obama prefers a very different approach to the war in Afghanistan than the one taken by Bush.

* No cabinet announcements until after Thanksgiving?

* Obama's team unveiled ethics guidelines today for those working in the transition operation. Most notably, "no federal lobbyist can raise or contribute money for the transition efforts, no one who has lobbied in the last 12 months can advise the transition on the policy area on which they lobbied, no one involved in the policy work of the transition can lobby on that issue for a calendar year."

* Americans seem optimistic that Obama will get the country's economy back on track.

* A caucus vote will decide Lieberman's fate.

* We're more probably more likely to see Valerie Jarrett working in the White House than serving in the Senate.

* Interesting observation: "By bankrolling opposition to same-sex marriage in California, the LDS church has earned some serious cred in social conservative circles."

* Is voting reform on the horizon?

* John Edwards is coming out of hiding. Can he make a "comeback"? (I kind of doubt it.)

* Romney is helping finance Norm Coleman's recount effort in Minnesota? I guess 2012 positioning really is underway.

* Guns really are flying off the shelves.

* And finally, do check out Olbermann's "Special Comment" on Prop. 8.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Another very rough day on Wall Street, with the Dow falling more than 400 points.

* Remember Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's plan to purchase troubled assets as part of the bailout plan? Well, forget it.

* Congrats to the couples who can now legally marry in Connecticut.

* Can the Wall Street Journal's editorial slant get even more right-wing? It's going to try.

* The Cheneys are giving the Bidens a tour this afternoon. Oh, to be a fly on the wall for that one....

* I wonder if the McCain of 2008 remembers what the McCain of 2002 said about Saxby Chambliss.

* Right-wing Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) "regrets" his Obama-Hitler comparison, and apologizes to those who "took offense."

* A step forward: "The New Hampshire Senate became the first state legislative body in the country with a majority-female membership."

* Someone at Immigration and Customs Enforcement screwed around a few days before the election, but we don't know who.

* Harold Meyerson offers a helpful perspective Fox News' influence.

* MSNBC has decided to put Joe "Potty Mouth" Scarborough on a seven-second delay.

* At a Republican Governors Association panel session today, Frank Luntz noted Obama's email list of 10 million voters. "He's got 10 million names and our candidate doesn't know how to use this," Luntz said, holding up a BlackBerry in the air. "There is a problem there."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Dow quickly dipped below 8,000 earlier today before surging in the opposite direction, finishing up over 550 points.

* While the markets had a good day for a change, the unemployment picture looks even worse than expected.

* Obama wants to save Detroit: "President-elect Barack Obama is pushing Congress this year to approve as much as $50 billion to save cash-starved U.S. automakers and appoint a czar or board to oversee the companies, a move that would require President George W. Bush's support, people familiar with the matter said."

* Oddly enough, it looks like scandal-plagued Rep. Don Young (R) managed to win re-election in Alaska.

* Ron Klain, Al Gore's former chief of staff, will join Joe Biden, serving in the exact same job. (If you saw HBO's "Recount," and I hope you have, Klain was played by Kevin Spacey.)

* Obama's first post-election interview goes to "60 Minutes."

* China's growth carries a severe cost: "A noxious cocktail of soot, smog and toxic chemicals is blotting out the sun, fouling the lungs of millions of people and altering weather patterns in large parts of Asia, according to a report released Thursday by the United Nations."

* On a related note, could dirty air in California really kill more people than car crashes?

* Sens. Leahy and Whitehouse reminded the White House on the importance of preserving internal records -- especially Dick Cheney's.

* For the record, I think Hillary Clinton would make an excellent choice for Secretary of State.

* Al Gore isn't going to join the Obama administration.

* The Republican governors not named Sarah Palin were less than pleased with her press conference today.

* Be on the lookout for a nasty new email virus.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Yesterday was nice, but today was yet another ugly day on Wall Street, with the Dow closing down over 330 points.

* Speaking of ugly economic news, consumer spending completely collapsed last month.

* And then there were two: Bernie Sanders will vote against Lieberman keeeping his committee chairmanship.

* Two senior Democratic officials told Nico Pitney that Hillary Clinton really has been offered the Secretary of State job.

* If only Senate Democrats understood the Lieberman situation as well as Rachel Maddow does.

* Barack Obama will record the weekly Democratic radio address today, but this time, he'll also offer a video version that will be posted on YouTube -- a first for the medium.

* Slowly but sure, the national Democrats are taking the run-off race in Georgia seriously.

* Obama really did win that extra electoral vote in Nebraska. With Missouri's vote still unresolved, Obama won 365 electoral votes.

* One of the year's most important, and most fascinating, House races was in Virginia's 5th. Adam Serwer spent some time down there in October, and has a great article on the contest between Tom Perriello and the loathsome Virgil Goode.

* It's a little unusual, but the Obama campaign rewarded its hard-working staffers with post-election bonuses -- extra paychecks worth one month's salary.

* I haven't the foggiest idea why Barbara Walters would find Rush Limbaugh "fascinating."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Yet another rough day on Wall Street, with the Dow closing down another 223 points.

* According to a late-breaking report from Roll Call, Senate Democratic leaders are expected to propose that Joe Lieberman "keep his gavel at the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee but lose his Environment and Public Works subcommittee chairmanship." In other words, a meaningless slap on the wrist.

* Obama and McCain spoke for 90 minutes this afternoon in Chicago. Asked whether he would help the president in the future, McCain responded, "Obviously."

* A whole lot of people tuned in to see Obama on "60 Minutes."

* Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt (R), I do believe your pants are on fire. (thanks to B.B. for the tip)

* It was good to see Teddy Kennedy return to the Hill today, looking and sound energetic and excited about working on a national health care bill.

* Voter turnout in Alaska may not have been suspiciously low after all.

* Have I mentioned lately how great Burlington, Vt., is?

* Is the Franken camp losing confidence in Minnesota?

* A.L. is more or less on board with my Spitzer idea.

* With Huckabee and Romney feuding again, November 2008 sounds a lot like November 2007.

* Right-wing media personality Glenn Beck claims to have been accosted by a liberal truck driver at a Wendy's.

* I love it when there's a convergence like this: just as we learn that Barack Obama collects Spiderman comics, Stan Lee is awarded the National Medal of Arts and the National Humanities Medal at the White House today.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Nice to see a positive day on Wall Street for a change.

* Execs from the U.S. auto manufacturers were on the Hill today, with hat in hand. They got an earful from angry lawmakers.

* Howard Dean's all right with the Senate Democrats' decision on Lieberman.

* Even now, the Bush gang is pushing an 11th-hour plan to "grant sweeping new protections to health care providers who oppose abortion and other procedures on religious or moral grounds has provoked a torrent of objections."

* In the latest round of rumors, Hillary Clinton isn't sure if she wants the Secretary of State job.

* If Clinton stays in the Senate, Ted Kennedy has a project for her.

* Given recent history, Obama probably won't tackle this right off the bat, but it's worth remembering that "more than 100 retired U.S. military leaders -- including the former head of the Naval Academy -- have signed a statement calling for an end to the military's 'don't ask-don't tell' policy."

* Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden will not replace his Dad in the Senate.

* Chuck Hagel seems to feel liberated now that he's poised to leave elected office. (Note his comments about Limbaugh.)

* E&P has been chronicling local anti-Obama incidents, "usually involving racist attacks of a verbal, physical or even criminal nature." Some truly chilling reports.

* Prosecuting interrogators who engaged in torture is legally tricky.

* I get the sense E.D. Hill never quite recovered from her bizarre comment about the Obamas' "terrorist fist-bump." Even Fox News doesn't want her anymore.

* For the first time in a long while, Texas finds itself left out of the leadership in D.C.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Another painful day on Wall Street, with the Dow falling 427 points. It closed just below the 8,000 mark, a five-year low.

* On a related note, in October, the Consumer Price Index experienced its steepest single-month drop in the 61-year history of the pricing survey.

* Obama's transition team made a few more announcements official this afternoon. David Axelrod will a senior advisor to the president; Greg Craig will be White House Counsel; Chris Lu will be Cabinet Secretary; and Lisa Brown will be Staff Secretary.

* Henry Waxman took one step closer today to beating out John Dingell for the chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The House Steering Committee voted 25-22 to approve Waxman for the post. The House Democratic caucus will vote tomorrow.

* Four years ago, Bush won Salt Lake County, Utah, by 20 points. This year, Obama narrowly won the same county.

* Sam Stein has a terrific report on the closed-door Democratic caucus meeting that decided Lieberman's fate.

* Joe Conason argues there's nothing wrong with Obama keeping Robert Gates around as the Defense Secretary.

* The combination of the weak economy and declining violence in Iraq has boosted the number of young people considering military careers.

* Republicans seem to have some grudging respect for Dean's 50-state strategy.

* Nice to CNN's John King have a little fun with "The Daily Show's" John Oliver.

* Nate Silver has a fascinating chat with right-wing activist John Ziegler.

* Joe Scarborough's judgment is so bad, he can get politics and arithmetic wrong in the same sentence.

* Bill O'Reilly's website promotes a "holiday" reading list, instead of a "Christmas" reading list. One wonders, of course, whether O'Reilly will launch a boycott against himself.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The statewide recount in Minnesota is off to a good start for Al Franken. With 18% of the ballots recounted, Norm Coleman's lead went from 215 to 174, a net gain of 41 for Franken.

* On a related note, a Minnesota judge agreed with Franken's request for access to "rosters of disqualified absentee voters ... to determine if they were properly rejected in the counting of ballots."

* Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) intended to fight to stay on as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, but he withdrew unexpectedly yesterday. Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas will replace him.

* Mike Huckabee will be campaigning promoting his new book in Iowa today.

* Delaware's Governor-elect Jack Markell (D) will take the oath of office at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 20, 2009, so that he can name Vice President-elect Joe Biden's replacement to the Senate before the Obama/Biden inauguration in D.C

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* It's hard to overstate how scary this is: "Wall Street slumped Thursday afternoon and the S&P 500 closed at an 11-1/2 year low as fears of a prolonged recession sparked a massive selloff.... The Dow Jones industrial average lost 445 points or 5.6%. It closed at the lowest level since March 12, 2003, just above the low of the last bear market. The Nasdaq composite lost 5.1% and also closed at its lowest level since March 12, 2003."

* Democratic leaders in Congress are open to a rescue plan for U.S. automakers, but they're looking for a coherent plan first: "[Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid] and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a press conference that the Big Three automakers -- Ford, General Motors and Chrysler -- had failed to convince Congress that they had developed a viable plan for the $25 million they are requesting in bailout funds. 'This is an important industry in our country and we intend to save it,' Pelosi said. 'Until they show us a plan we cannot show them the money.'"

* McClatchy reports: "A federal judge ordered the speedy release Thursday of five Algerian men held for nearly seven years in Guantanamo Bay prison in the latest setback for the Bush administration's controversial detention policies."

* Chicago businesswoman Penny Pritzker, national campaign finance chairwoman for the Obama campaign, has withdrawn from consideration and will not be the next Secretary of Commerce.

* Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) thinks Eric Holder is a great choice for Attorney General.

* Bill Clinton seems to be doing his part to help Hillary Clinton become Secretary of State.

* Minnesota Public Radio posted a terrific feature showing examples of contested ballots in the Coleman-Franken Senate race.

* Now that the election is over, Michele Bachmann can go back to sounding ridiculous again.

* I don't think Dana Perino understands what the Endangered Species Act is.

* Obama really is screwing up al Qaeda's plans.

* And Bill McInturff, the McCain campaign's chief pollster thinks Frank Luntz is a "moron," adding, "I would like to take a hammer and start breaking bones in Frank's arms." Tell us how you really feel, Bill.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Minnesota, Norm Coleman's lead over Al Franken is down to just 136 votes. As of last night, about 46% of the 2.9 million ballots had been counted as part of the statewide recount.

* Barack Obama got directly involved in the Senate runoff election in Georgia yesterday, recording a 60-second radio ad in support of Jim Martin. After thanking voters in the state for their support, Obama says, "The elections aren't over.... I want to urge you to turn out one more time and help elect Jim Martin to the United States Senate."

* Fred Thompson was considering a run for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee, but has instead decided to return to his acting career.

* In Florida, McCain beat Obama by almost 5 points among those who voted on Election Day, but Obama beat McCain by 11 points among those voted early or by absentee ballot.

* Hillary Clinton still has about $7.5 million in campaign debt -- including $5.4 million to Mark Penn -- but could push off her debt if she becomes Secretary of State.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Wall Street loves Tim Geithner.

* Fortunately, Attorney General Michael Mukasey, who collapsed last night during a speech to the Federalist Society in Washington, was released from the hospital today and was given "a clean bill of health."

* Clinton aides are still describing reports that she's accepted the Secretary of State job as "premature."

* GM is giving up some of its private jets. Good move.

* The Coleman-Franken race keeps getting closer. The margin is now reportedly in single digits.

* Joe Scarborough, in the height of media irresponsibility, is raising bogus questions about the legitimacy of the vote in Minnesota.

* Despite what some far-right bloggers may want you to believe, gun owners can and will work in the Obama administration.

* Buried glaciers on Mars? Very cool.

* I'm sorry to hear that Salon is cutting its staff.

* The odd indictment against Dick Cheney and Alberto Gonzales in southern Texas has managed to get a little more unusual, culminating in the local district attorney screaming at the judge in open court.

* Did talk radio kill conservatism? Nate Silver has a fascinating piece on the difference between "stimulating" political discourse and "persuasive" political discourse.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Vote counters in Minnesota took yesterday off. They resumed this morning, with Coleman leading Franken by about 180 votes. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported that, according to Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, the recount is about 65% complete, and "anywhere from 30 to 40 counties still have to finish or even start the recount process."

* Nate Silver believes Franken will eke out a narrow, 27-vote win when all is said and done.

* In the Georgia Senate runoff, the Republican National Committee sent cards to GOP voters, which they could in turn send in for absentee ballots. Thousands took advantage of the opportunity, but neglected to sign the cards before sending them to their local county offices.

* Obama is helping Martin out in Georgia, first with a radio ad, and now with a robocall.

* As expected, South Carolina Republican Party Chair Katon Dawson will seek the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee. He joins Michigan Republican Party Chair Saul Anuzis and former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, though the field is likely to get even bigger.

* Our Country Deserves Better, a far-right political action committee, has released a minute-long ad thanking Sarah Palin for seeking national office. It's more than a little odd.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Dow finished up nearly 400 points today. This, combined with Friday's gains, mark the Dow's biggest two-day percentage gain since October 1987.

* Home prices plunged in October.

* Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.), one of Congress' most offensive members, was declared the loser of his competitive House race today. He's demanding a recount.

* I'm not sure if there's any real point to polling voters on Obama's transition, but for what it's worth, 67% approve of the president-elect's efforts thus far.

* Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) will not be the next Secretary of Agriculture.

* Wal-Mart fired Jim Hirni, its top in-house Republican lobbyist, for his ties to the Jack Abramoff corruption scandal.

* I really didn't think Dick Morris couldn't get any lower. I stand corrected.

* GM's CEO got the message about traveling to Washington in a private jet.

* A good piece on EFCA from John Blevins.

* Some of the major daily newspapers found a way to make a whole lot of quick, easy money: sell Obama-related stuff.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* After two campaign cycles as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, New York's Chuck Schumer is stepping down. How much credit Schumer deserves is open to some question, but Democrats gained at least 13 seats during his tenure.

* Sen. Bob Menendez (D) of New Jersey will replace Schumer at the DSCC. Menendez served as the vice chair of the committee for the last two years.

* A few new polls have been released on the Senate runoff race in Georgia. A new Politico/InsiderAdvantage poll shows Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R) leading Jim Martin (D) by three (50% to 47%), while Public Policy Polling shows Chambliss up by six (52% to 46%), and a Mellman Group poll taken for the DSCC shows Chambliss' lead at two (48% to 46%).

* Speaking of the race in Georgia, Rudy Giuliani will campaign in support of Chambliss today, and Sarah Palin will speak at four rallies in Georgia on Monday.

* In case you thought the recount in Minnesota's Senate race couldn't get messier, consider the question of missing ballots.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Wall Street was relatively quiet today, for a change.

* It looks like Robert Gates will stay on as Defense Secretary. More on this tomorrow.

* Karzai wants a timetable on the war in Afghanistan?

* Hank Paulson has used half of the $700 billion bailout package, and is now eyeing the other half.

* Obama will limit contributions to his inaugural committee. While recent presidents have accepted donations as high as $250,000, Obama will cap contributions at $50,000.

* Is it me, or have there been a lot of criminals working in Bush's White House?

* Fox News won't replace Colmes, and Hannity will host the prime-time show by himself.

* Bush granted 14 pardons and commuted two sentences yesterday, but they didn't involve any well-known names. (There was, however, a certain regional imbalance.)

* Obama's healthcare team means business.

* You know, counter-terrorism really can be a law-enforcement issue, Republican talking points notwithstanding.

* The White House has played fast and loose with the list of "the coalition of the willing."

* Great, Glenn Beck is talking about secession.

* Mark Halperin's complaints about the media and Obama are pretty tiresome.

* Does Hillary Clinton have an "emolument" problem relating to the Secretary of State job?

* CNN will have to re-hire 110 workers who were dismissed for being union members.

* Duke Cunningham apparently doesn't have a lot of friends.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* John McCain made it official yesterday, holding a press conference to announce that he will seek re-election to the Senate in 2010.

* Obama probably won't head to down to Georgia personally to campaign for Jim Martin (D) in the state's Senate runoff contest.

* Al Franken experienced a setback this morning when a canvassing board rejected his lawyers' request on a review of thousands of rejected absentee ballots.

* Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) was a leading candidate to replace Barack Obama in the Senate, but he reportedly turned down the offer from Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D).

* Speaking of replacing senators, who should get Hillary Clinton's seat? Karl Meyer and Shareen Blair Brysac make the case today for Sen. Bill Clinton.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Devastating terror attacks in Mumbai: "Several people have been killed in a series of coordinated attacks targeting Mumbai sites popular with tourists and business people, according to police and CNN's sister network in India. Ongoing battles between police and gunmen were reported at two five-star hotels. Gunmen armed with automatic weapons and grenades attacked targets including the hotels, a cafe, and a train station, police say. Maharashtra state government spokesman Bhushan Gagri said 78 people killed and about 200 wounded, while police confirmed 26 deaths."

* The FBI warned of a "plausible but unsubstantiated" threat of a terrorist bomb attack against the New York train system.

* Obama certainly seems to have restored some confidence among investors.

* New reports today shows unemployment, consumer spending, factory orders, and new-home sales all moving in the wrong direction.

* If I didn't know better, I might think the Bush administration actually likes increased greenhouse gas emissions.

* Good to see the Obamas volunteering at a Chicago food-bank today.

* For the first time on record, fewer Americans are getting cancer. "It is a significant milestone," said Otis Brawley, chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society, which produces the report with the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. "It is a really big deal."

* It's great to see the Center for American Progress generating some much-deserved recognition.

* The Franken campaign is having to regroup after a major setback today.

* Obama is bringing his chief speechwriter, Jon Favreau, with him to the White House.

* Reading over Sullivan's Von Hoffmann Award Nominees today has been pretty amusing.

* Donald Rumsfeld's revisionism is literally unbelievable.

* The Wall Street Journal reports that "at least 85 of the 135-odd members of President-elect Barack Obama's agency review teams served in the Clinton administration." Since Clinton is the only Democratic president of the last 28 years, that doesn't seem especially surprising.

* National Review really needs to keep up on its slang.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* After a procedural setback last week on counting absentee ballots, Al Franken's chances of victory in Minnesota have decreased. The Star Tribune's latest analysis concluded that Franken now "faces a daunting task."

* Sarah Palin will appear at four campaign rallies on Sen. Saxby Chambliss' (R) behalf today in Georgia.

* Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) expects to face a primary challenge and spirited Democratic opponent in 2010, and believes he'll likely win another term. Specter sidestepped questions about a possible Chris Matthews campaign.

* Speaking of Matthews, the MSNBC anchor was reportedly in the process of interviewing Obama campaign staffers for his possible bid. Over the weekend, Matthews called the claim "absolutely not true." (His denial seemed directed at the staffing rumor, not his interest in the campaign.)

* Speculation about Obama's replacement in the Senate took a turn late last week when Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) inadvertently referred to Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) as "senator."

* The inauguration is just 50 days away.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The Senate run-off in Georgia is today. Incumbent Saxby Chambliss (R) appears to have the edge as voters head to the polls.

* Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) was widely considered a leading candidate to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate, but yesterday, she withdrew from consideration.

* On a related note, there's been some speculation about whether Bill Clinton might be considered as a possible replacement for his wife. This morning, the former president's office dismissed the talk altogether.

* And while we're at it, Bobby Kennedy, Jr., isn't interested, either.

* Al Franken may ultimately ask the Senate to resolve the issue of disqualified absentee ballots in Minnesota, which if counted, would make his victory far more likely.

* Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) believes Sarah Palin might challenge her in a 2010 Republican primary, and is urging her to stay away. Asked for a response, a Palin spokesperson would only say, "The governor has never stated her intention or desire to run for that office."

* Will Minnesota lose one of its eight House seats after the next census?

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* If you haven't yet, don't forget to take a couple of minutes to complete the BlogAds reader survey.

* The Wall Street roller coaster continued its wild ride, with the Dow closing up 270 points (3.3%) today. The S&P and Nasdaq indexes were up by slightly higher percentages.

* New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will be introduced tomorrow as Obama's choice to lead the Department of Commerce.

* GM says it needs $12 billion to stay in business.

* For Ford, it's $9 billion. (On a related note, Ford's CEO drove to D.C. from Detroit. Smart move.)

* If polls have any meaning at this point, Americans seem to approve of Hillary Clinton and Robert Gates joining Obama's cabinet.

* An independent, congressionally-mandated concluded has concluded that "terrorists will most likely carry out an attack with biological, nuclear or other unconventional weapons somewhere in the world in the next five years unless the United States and its allies act urgently to prevent that."

* Biden really should try to stick to the script.

* The election may be over, but Virginia Republican Party Chairman Jeff Frederick is still a hack.

* There's apparently low turnout in Georgia's Senate runoff election today.

* The U.S. Mint is not at all pleased about those Obama coins that keep popping up on cable TV advertisements.

* The Sci Fi Channel has given the green light to "Caprica," a "Battlestar Galactica" prequel.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Barack Obama has been the president-elect for about a month now, and as far as voters are concerned, he looks good so far. A new USA Today/Gallup Poll finds, "More than three of four Americans, including a majority of Republicans, approve of the job Obama has done so far -- broad-based support he'll need as he faces tough decisions ahead."

* The congressional races aren't quite over yet, and there's still a runoff election to be held in Louisiana's 4th congressional district, in the northwest corner of the state. Yesterday, Obama unveiled a radio ad in support of Caddo Parish District Attorney Paul Carmouche, who'll face Republican John Fleming. The election is Dec. 6.

* On a related note, Republican ads in Louisiana's 4th are pretty brutal.

* Hillary Clinton still has considerable campaign debts to retire, so her team is using her promotion to Secretary of State as a reason to hit up donors. According to multiple reports, Clinton still owes about $7 million.

* Remember Colorado Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, the far-right Republican who went into hiding after her re-election defeat? The good news is, she's reemerged. The bad news is, she only popped up long enough to record a bitter robocall for Saxby Chambliss in Georgia.

* I think it's exceedingly unlikely, but Bill Clinton indicated that he'd be willing to take on a role in the Obama administration.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Wall Street roller coaster continues.

* UAW is obviously willing to do its part to help U.S. automakers.

* The Obama transition team "has notified all politically-appointed ambassadors that they must vacate their posts as of Jan. 20."

* I don't want to alarm anyone, but apparently, TARP lacks oversight. Who knew?

* Robert Gates really is on board with Obama's Iraq plan.

* Ugh: "The White House on Tuesday approved a final rule that will make it easier for coal companies to dump rock and dirt from mountaintop mining operations into nearby streams and valleys."

* With gas prices and the cost of a barrel of oil having dropped precipitously in recent months, Obama no longer sees the need to pursue a windfall profits tax on the oil industry.

* The Washington Post has a new ombudsman.

* Remember this holiday season, the Nixon tapes are the gift that keeps on giving.

* Are cows worse for the climate than cars? Ben Adler explores an important issue.

* It's easy to take it for granted, but once in a while, we're reminded of the astounding ways in which modern technology can shape (and sometimes save) lives.

* Slave labor in Iraq?

* I've always appreciated the links in Frank Rich's columns.

* Vermont is the nation's healthiest state. The lowest ranking states tended to be in the South, with Louisiana coming in last, followed by Mississippi. The rest of the bottom 10 included South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Nevada, and Georgia.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* It took a while, but the House race in California's 4th congressional district was resolved yesterday, when Charlie Brown (D) conceded to Tom McClintock (R).

* For all of his many flaws, Chris Matthews seems to have enough poll support to at least make him vaguely credible as a Senate candidate in Pennsylvania.

* Leaders in both the House and Senate are moving forward with a plan to reduce the salary of the Secretary of State, removing a possible constitutional hurdle for Hillary Clinton's confirmation.

* The Democratic Governors Association announced yesterday that its new chairman will be Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley will be the vice-chair.

* Jeb Bush isn't the only Florida Republican with a famous last name eyeing the 2010 Senate race. Rep. Connie Mack IV (R), whose father was also a senator, is reportedly thinking about throwing his hat in the ring.

* Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) was overheard on a live mic this week saying Janet Napolitano will make a great Director of Homeland Security because she doesn't have a family, and she'll have more time for the job. Rendell backpedaled yesterday and apologized.

* There are, believe it or not, new details emerging on the RNC's campaign wardrobe for Sarah Palin.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Another rough day on Wall Street, with the Dow falling another 215 points (2.5%). The other major indexes fared even worse, with the S&P falling 2.9% and the Nasdaq dropping 3.1%.

* There was a slight and unexpected drop in the number of newly laid-off people signing up for unemployment benefits, but even with the dip, the total number of Americans continuing to draw unemployment benefits climbed to a 26-year high.

* Political events in Canada have been unusually fascinating this week, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper going so far as to send Parliament home for seven weeks.

* Executives of the Big Three U.S. automakers faced a skeptical Senate panel today, while asking for immediate financial assistance. Collectively, the CEOs are looking for $34 billion.

* The secret Senate hold against Neil Barofsky to be inspector general for the bailout has been lifted. Everyone seems convinced it was the work of Jim Bunning of Kentucky.

* Good news from the Middle East: "U.S. combat deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan last month dropped to the lowest combined level since the United States began fighting the two wars more than five years ago." As encouraging as the trend is, there were still 11 American servicemembers who made the ultimate sacrifice in these conflicts in November.

* If current trends continue, by 2010, "several" cities will not have a daily newspaper.

* Paul Krugman makes the case that the stimulus may be slow to take effect, and it may not be possible to "pull the economy out of its nosedive before unemployment goes into double digits."

* Some myths are very hard to knock down. If major media outlets would stop misleading the public, it'd be really helpful.

* Nevada Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki (R), a likely Senate candidate in 2010, was indicted yesterday on four counts of fraud related to his handling of public money as state treasurer.

* David Plouffe, Barack Obama's campaign manager, is writing a book about the campaign.

* A day after we learned that Bush's "ranch" in Crawford really was just a campaign prop, it appears the First Couple have bought a Dallas home where they'll live after Obama's inauguration

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Minnesota, the Franken campaign is concerned about 133 ballot that have been reported missing. The Coleman campaign doesn't believe the ballots exist.

* Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) launched a gubernatorial exploratory committee yesterday and will reportedly take on incumbent Texas Gov. Rick Perry in a Republican primary in 2010. This, of course, means another Senate vacancy for the NRSC to worry about.

* Caroline Kennedy is reportedly being considered for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat.

* The Obama campaign raised nearly $750 million from start to finish, thanks to the support of almost 4 million donors. The totals shatter all previous records.

* Florida's chief financial officer, Alex Sink (D), has become very interested in running for the U.S. Senate in 2010, whether Jeb Bush runs or not. The Miami Herald reminds us this morning, "Sink is the only Democrat on the state Cabinet and the only woman to hold a statewide post."

* The McCain campaign spent an incredible amount of money on Sarah Palin's traveling makeup artist and hair stylist.

* Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.) added his name to the mix yesterday of Democrats eyeing a race against Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) in 2010. Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), however, announced that he's not interested in the race.

* Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.), who will soon be on trial for accepting bribes, is considered the overwhelming favorite to win re-election tomorrow, following his victory against a Democratic challenger on Nov. 4. Jefferson will face a Republican, a Libertarian, and a Green Party candidate. Peter Burns, a political science professor at Loyola University New Orleans, said, "If [Jefferson] lost at this stage, it would be a colossal upset."

* Fred Thompson said yesterday that he will not run for elected office again. Try to contain your disappointment.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Wall Street ended the week on a high note, with the Dow closing up about 3%. The other indexes did even better, with the S&P finishing 3.6% higher, and the Nasdaq closing up 4.4%.

* The markets upswing happened despite dismal employment numbers, and a new report that U.S. retailers posted the worst November sales in more than three decades.

* Those were some pretty scary right-wing activists at the Supreme Court today, convinced that Obama isn't an American. It was quite a sight.

* It seems the rumors about Caroline Kennedy possibly replacing Hillary Clinton in the Senate are fairly serious.

* A few more Obama White House staffing announcements were made this afternoon.

* Ana Marie Cox is leaving Time's "Swampland" blog.

* Miami Mayor Manny Diaz has been rumored as a leading candidate to become Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, but he's starting to draw heat from labor and activist groups, including the South Florida AFL-CIO.

* Former Rep. David Bonior (D-Mich.) is trying to rally support to make union activist Mary Beth Maxwell the next Secretary of Labor.

* No one should listen to Henry Kissinger.

* Sarah Palin has decided the Troopergate scandal has been resolved. Demonstrating her commitment to transparency and accountability, Palin is also refusing to release a transcript of the testimony she made during the investigation.

* I'm starting to think Alberto Gonzales is in a bit of trouble.

* Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) has some more explaining to do.

* In light of his presidential inauguration, Barack Obama has decided to finally buy a new tuxedo. It will be, for those who are curious, a union-made tux.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Ohio, Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy was finally declared the winner of an unresolved House contest yesterday, and will replace retiring Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio). Kilroy puts the Democratic margin in the U.S. House at 79 seats.

* It appears that Republican John Fleming narrowly defeated Democrat Paul Carmouche, but the margin was so close, a recount is likely. Carmouche has not conceded.

* Mike Huckabee believes the Republican Party has to avoid the "mushy middle" and become more conservative. Keep on talkin', Huck.

* Might Chris Matthews' Senate bid be over before it starts? Mike Allen reported over the weekend that Matthews is "expected to sign a long-term contract to remain as host of MSNBC's 'Hardball.'"

* Former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell (R), who was crushed in the state's gubernatorial campaign two years ago, now wants to be chairman of the Republican National Committee.

* With the increasing talk that Caroline Kennedy is a leading candidate to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate, Jane Hamsher argues that this is "a truly terrible idea," while Steve M. isn't thrilled with the possibility, but doesn't think Kennedy is that bad.

[teapeebubbles]

HIGH COURT TURNS DOWN OBAMA ELIGIBILITY CASE....

A disappointment, to be sure, for unhinged, right-wing conspiracy theorists everywhere. The AP reports:

The Supreme Court has turned down an emergency appeal from a New Jersey man who says President-elect Barack Obama is ineligible to be president because he was a British subject at birth.

The court did not comment on its order Monday rejecting the call by Leo Donofrio of East Brunswick, N.J., to intervene in the presidential election. Donofrio says that since Obama had dual nationality at birth -- his mother was American and his Kenyan father at the time was a British subject -- he cannot possibly be a "natural born citizen," one of the requirements the Constitution lists for eligibility to be president.

Donofrio also contends that two other candidates, Republican John McCain and Socialist Workers candidate Roger Calero, also are not natural-born citizens and thus ineligible to be president.



How non-partisan of him.

So, it's all over? Donofrio's case is, but, alas, he's not the only one pursuing the issue. Robert Barnes notes that there are two related cases filed at the Supreme Court -- neither of which have been considered by the justices -- in addition to many more suits in the lower courts on the same issue. The "most celebrated" of the suits was filed by Philip J. Berg of Lafayette Hill, Pa., who continues to insist that Obama was born in Kenya, and might possibly be a citizen of Indonesia.

Federal courts in Pennsylvania have dismissed Berg's lawsuit. Go figure.

For more on why all of this is easily-dismissed far-right nonsense, take a look at this piece from David Weigel, and this one from my friend Alex Koppelman.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* A good day on Wall Street, with the Dow closing up nearly 300 points (3.46%). The other indexes did even better, with the S&P closing up 3.84% and the Nasdaq up 4.1%.

* We're apparently about this close to a deal between the White House and congressional Democrats on a short-term bailout of the auto industry.

* On a related note, I'm not at all sure we need an "auto czar."

* Even with this package, some, including Barney Frank, expect to return to this issue in March.

* The Tribune Co. filed for bankruptcy today, drowning in $13 billion in debt. It's the first major media conglomerate to seek bankruptcy protection since newspaper circulation began a precipitous decline. The company owns multiple newspapers and television stations, including the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune.

* AP: "Security forces overran a militant camp on the outskirts of Pakistani Kashmir's main city and seized an alleged mastermind of the attacks that shook India's financial capital last month, two officials said Monday."

* Remember the September shooting in Baghdad's Nisoor Square? Five Blackwater security guards are now facing criminal charges. A sixth pleaded guilty late last week to charges of voluntary manslaughter and attempt to commit voluntary manslaughter.

* Disgraced Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.) will go to jail for five days for his DUI conviction.

* Bushies are mad at the New York Times again. It must be a day that ends in "y."

* After decades of service, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) will give up his seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

* Good move: "For the first time, the Pulitzer Prizes will accept submissions from online-only news outlets, but require that they be 'text-based' submissions from news organizations that are updated at least weekly and include original reporting."

* CNN Chief National Correspondent John King will take over the network's Sunday morning coverage, taking the reins from Wolf Biltzer, who'll continue to host the "Situation Room" every weekday.

* On a related note, David Gregory was officially introduced as the new host of "Meet the Press" yesterday.

* Paul Krugman didn't exactly say the U.S. automotive industry would disappear, only that the the concentration of the industry around Detroit would disappear.

* Why does Bill O'Reilly hate Christmas?

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* For now, the 133 missing Minneapolis ballots in the unresolved Senate race in Minnesota are going to stay missing.

* Obama and Biden will meet with Al Gore today to discuss energy policy. A role in the administration is apparently not part of the discussions.

* With Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) prepared to give up her seat in 2010 to run for governor, Texas Democrats are gearing up for the race. Former state Comptroller John Sharp and Houston Mayor Bill White are reportedly considering the contest.

* Chip Saltsman, the former head of the Tennessee Republican Party and the former campaign manager of Mike Huckabee's White House bid, is the latest candidate for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee.

* Very early polling in advance of next year's gubernatorial race in Virginia shows Terry McAuliffe struggling against the likely Republican candidate, state Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell.

* ABC News has a copy of a McCain campaign ad on Jeremiah Wright, which McCain aides put together but did not air.

* The Republican establishment has gone from trashing Howard Dean to wanting to emulate him.

* Sen. Fran Drescher? Don't count on it.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* After a couple of good sessions, Wall Street had a rough day, with the Dow dropping another 242 points.

* Blagojevich's lawyer said the governor isn't going to resign.

* Obama said he was "saddened and sobered" by this morning's developments, and added that he was "not aware of what was happening" when it came to Blagojevich's conduct.

* Did Rahm Emanuel tip off federal investigators on Blagojevich's corruption?

* Harry Reid doesn't want Blagojevich involved with filling the Senate vacancy.

* The state legislature in Illinois is moving forward, quickly, with a plan to convert the Senate appointment into a special election. Impeachment talk also abounds.

* It's a real shame this got buried today, but Obama, Biden, and Gore apparently had a good discussion this afternoon about global warming.

* Change to Win says it never considered any deals with Blagojevich, and similarly, the SEIU insists it was not involved with any wrongdoing.

* NYT: "The five Guantanamo detainees charged with coordinating the Sept. 11 attacks told a military judge on Monday that they wanted to confess in full, a move that seemed to challenge the government to put them to death. The request, which was the result of hours of private meetings among the detainees, appeared intended to undercut the government's plan for a high-profile trial while drawing international attention to what some of the five men have said was a desire for martyrdom."

* The Pentagon was told about the IED threat in Iraq before the invasion began, but didn't take the warnings seriously.

* Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain has dropped his request for a $10 million bonus. Good move.

* And, as expected, Freedom's Watch will shut its doors at the end of the month.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* If there's a special election to fill the Senate vacancy in Illinois, it's likely that Republican Rep. Mark Kirk will consider the race, and be the strongest Republican candidate.

* On a related note, a Democratic field would likely be much larger. Chris Cillizza runs through the possibilities.

* Just what Minnesota needed: 171 absentee ballots in Minneapolis that "may have gone uncounted because of an error."

* RNC chairman Mike Duncan will reportedly seek another term, but will face a large (and growing) field of challengers.

* A new Marist College poll out of New York shows Caroline Kennedy and state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo as the leading candidates to replace Hillary Clinton. Each garnered 25% support, and no other candidate reached double digits.

* Speaking of New York, Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) will apparently run for Clinton's Senate seat in 2010.

* Rudy Giuliani will reportedly not run for the Senate, but is still eyeing New York's gubernatorial race.

* In case you were wondering, Obama does plan to use his middle name when taking the oath of office next month. "I'm not trying to make a statement one way or another," Obama said. "I'll do what everybody else does," referring to other presidential inaugurations.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* It was a relatively quiet day on Wall Street, with all of the major indexes showing modest gains.

* The short-term rescue package for the auto industry may get a House vote as early as tonight. The package's future is in doubt, however, in light of a likely Republican filibuster in the Senate.

* Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) is, as was rumored yesterday, the person identified in the criminal complaint against Blagojevich as "Senate Candidate No. 5." He will speak with federal investigators fairly soon.

* Jackson insists he did nothing wrong, and assumed Blagojevich was weighing possible Senate candidates on their merits.

* One of Blagojevich's top aides, Deputy Gov. Bob Greenlee, resigned today.

* We're hearing a series of new rumors about Obama's environmental team, including the likely appointment of Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Nancy Sutley as the chair of Obama's Council on Environmental Quality.

* The financial crisis has taken its toll on NPR, which announced today that it is cutting 64 jobs and cancelling two programs.

* Significant parts of Big Business appear to be on board with Obama's stimulus plan.

* Rachel Maddow introduces "enhanced history reenactment" to cable news. It was hilarious.

* Surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen have been invited to attend Obama's inauguration.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn (D) explained yesterday that if he becomes governor soon, he's inclined to go ahead and fill the Senate vacancy, instead of waiting for a special election. Quinn emphasized the importance of moving quickly.

* In the lingering race in Louisiana's 4th congressional district, Democrat Paul Carmouche officially conceded yesterday, making John Fleming (R) the winner in the open-seat contest.

* Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.), who seemed oddly unsteady during his last campaign four years ago, noted yesterday that he plans to seek re-election in 2010. Rep. Ben Chandler and Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo are considered the leading Democratic candidates for the race.

* Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.) apparently intends to run for governor in 2010. He'll likely face state Attorney General Tom Corbett and former U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan in a GOP primary.

* The American Constitution Society has been around for a few years, serving as something akin to a liberal version of the conservative Federalist Society, but when it comes to political significance, the ACS is about to get quite a bit more attention.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Wall Street did not react well when the automotive rescue package ran into roadblocks in the Senate.

* Senators are, however, trying to salvage the bailout plan.

* CNN: "The number of Americans filing new unemployment insurance claims jumped last week to a 26-year high, surpassing the number of filings economists had predicted."

* On a related note, white-collar unemployment is soaring.

* As Americans' net worth declines, consumers are pulling back and saving more for the first time since the government started keeping track.

* Conditions have obviously improved in Iraq over the last year, but there are painful exceptions.

* The International Energy Agency has found that global oil consumption will drop this year. It's the first annual decline in 25 years.

* Say it ain't so: "A bipartisan Senate report released today says that former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and other top Bush administration officials are directly responsible for abuses of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and charges that decisions by those officials led to serious offenses against prisoners in Iraq and elsewhere."

* DNC Chairman Howard Dean has joined the chorus calling for Blagjevich's resignation.

* The Senate passed a measure last night helping Hillary Clinton circumvent her emolument problem and become Secretary of State. The move will not, however, prevent wingnut lawsuits.

* A pleasant surprise: "The Environmental Protection Agency yesterday abandoned its push to revise two air-pollution rules in ways that environmentalists had long opposed, abruptly dropping measures that the Bush administration had spent years preparing."

* As expected, Fox News will not replace Alan Colmes. "Hannity" will debut in about a month.

* I don't suppose House Democrats can replace Rep. Silvestre Reyes as chairman of the Intelligence Committee, can they?

* PEER isn't impressed with Lisa Jackson as the new head of EPA under Obama. Brad Plumer isn't impressed with PEER's argument.

* And finally, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has been using a cleaning company that utilizes illegal immigrants. I'm not sure how they passed the Secret Service screenings.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* It's a big day for the unresolved Senate race in Minnesota, with the state canvassing board meeting to determine whether to count improperly rejected absentee ballots. The preliminary decisions appear to favor Franken. More on this soon.

* It looks like Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D) plans to run if there's a special election to fill the Senate vacancy in Illinois. Her office has confirmed her intentions.

* Speaking of vacancies, Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D) has been rumored to be a leading candidate to replace Hillary Clinton, but she's withdrawing from consideration.

* If former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) challenges Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) in 2010, it would be a very competitive contest.

* It's unclear if Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) plans to seek re-election in 2010, but if does, he'll be vulnerable to a strong Democratic challenger. A Quinnipiac poll found that 36% of Ohio voters want to give him a third term, while 35% are ready to back an unnamed Democrat.

* RNC Chairman Mike Duncan had to scramble yesterday to remove a country-club backdrop from his website.

* Why didn't the McCain campaign push the Jeremiah Wright story more aggressively? Because, according to McCain's pollster, it wouldn't have worked.

* Senator-elect Mark Begich (D-Alaska) has tried to reach out to Sen. Ted Stevens (R), but Stevens refuses to return Begich's calls.

* Colin Powell is thoroughly unimpressed with the Republican electoral strategy, and has urged his party to stop taking orders from Rush Limbaugh.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* U.S. markets were all over the map today, but closed this afternoon with slight gains.

* The White House is moving forward with a rescue plan for the automakers. Congressional Republicans aren't happy about it.

* The fundraising controversies surrounding Norm Coleman got a little more serious today.

* Speaking of Coleman, the Republican senator is asking the state Supreme Court to stop the counting of wrongly-rejected absentee ballots.

* The downturn in the price of oil isn't doing any favors for Iran, and Iranian economists and businessmen expect crashing prices to "ravage the country's economy."

* Robin Toner, the first woman to be the national political correspondent of the New York Times, died today after a lengthy battle with colon cancer. She was 54.

* James Steinberg, the deputy national security adviser under Bill Clinton, and a foreign policy adviser to the Obama campaign, will be Deputy Secretary of State under Hillary Clinton.

* Another sign of the times: the Detroit Free Press is expected to announce that it will limit home delivery to just three days a week to help cut costs.

* The Abramoff scandal has claimed yet another victim.

* Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) really should learn to speak a lot less.

* Sean Hannity questioned Jon Stewart's intelligence. Seriously.

* Hillary Clinton supporters in New York are raising questions about Caroline Kennedy as a possible replacement because Kennedy supported Obama in the Democratic primaries. (HRC is going to be Obama's Secretary of State. Maybe now Dems can stop keeping track of who endorsed whom a year ago?)

* Glenn Beck may not be very bright, but he does have a sense of humor.

* And I know it's a little too late, but if the Supreme Court wanted to revisit Bush vs. Gore, it'd be all right with me.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Members of the electoral college will meet today and formally make Barack Obama the president-elect.

* Caroline Kennedy is reportedly working the phones as part of her interest in replacing Hillary Clinton in the Senate, with Kennedy calling state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver last week. She's also spoken to Gov. David Paterson and state Controller Thomas DiNapoli.

* Houston Mayor Bill White (D) has reportedly agreed, at the DSCC's behest, to run for the Senate in 2010, which will likely be an open-seat contest with Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) running for governor. White was re-elected last year with 86% of the vote.

* Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) is apparently enthusiastic about Chris Matthews' possible Senate campaign, calling the MSNBC host the "strongest Democratic candidate without any doubt."

* If Matthews does run, the latest Research 2000 poll shows him faring rather well against potential primary rivals and in a general election match-up against Arlen Specter. (Of course, these early polls largely measure name recognition and are likely to change.)

* John McCain hedged yesterday when asked whether he's prepared to support Sarah Palin in 2012, if she runs for president. He noted that his "corpse is still warm."

* Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.), the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, will not seek re-election in 2010. It's widely believed he's planning to run for governor.

* Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) will seek a ninth term in 2010.

* Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) does not plan to run for governor in 2010.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* A relatively quiet day on Wall Street, with the three major indexes closing down slightly.

* Obama is now officially the president-elect.

* Muntader al-Zaidi, the Iraqi reporter who threw his shoes at the president, has become something of a cause celebre in the Middle East.

* It looks like the WSJ's report this morning on net neutrality got some key details wrong. Scott Gilbertson has a rundown of the different angles. (By the way, the WSJ report suggested Obama's support for net neutrality is waning. In reality, Obama is still an enthusiastic supporter.)

* If you haven't caught up -- I'm a little behind myself -- the story of Bernard Madoff and his $50 billion Ponzi scheme is just breathtaking.

* Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion will head Obama's new White House office of Urban Policy.

* It's a bit of a surprise, but Time's Jay Carney will be Joe Biden's communications director in the OVP.

* TPMM: "Mitchell Wade, the contractor who in 2006 pleaded guilty to bribing Duke Cunningham to the tune of over $1 million, was sentenced moments ago to 30 months in federal prison, and ordered to pay a $25,000 fine."

* A fired caused serious damage to Sarah Palin's church on Friday night.

* Obama continues to reach out to members of Congress individually, to the surprise of members from both parties. "This is unheard of," said retiring Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.). "I don't know of another president-elect who has done this."

* Bush may deny it, but he really did say, more than once, that the Taliban has been "eliminated."

* If you haven't seen Bill Moyers' interview with Glenn Greenwald, be sure to take a look.

* New sci-fi trailers: "Terminator: Salvation" and "Wolverine."

* Sen. Jim Bunning's (R-Ken.) vote against the auto industry isn't earning him any friends.

* There's just no reason for refrigerated beaches.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Caroline Kennedy has hired "major Democratic fixer Josh Isay, who has deep connections to New York powerhouses Sen. Charles Schumer, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Rev. Al Sharpton" to serve as a political consultant.

* Kennedy picked up her first endorsement yesterday, when Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) threw her support to Kennedy.

* Kennedy has also been very busy on the phone, having called Hillary Clinton, Sharpton, and Chuck Schumer, among others.

* Hillary Clinton will not take sides in the selection of her successor for the Senate, but she doesn't want her supporters to punish Caroline Kennedy for having supported Obama during the primaries.

* Norm Coleman now has two sets of lawyers -- one working on the recount mess in Minnesota, and a new team representing him in the FBI investigation into possible fundraising irregularities.

* George W. Bush thinks Jeb Bush would be an "awesome" senator.

* Kentucky Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo (D) is contemplating a rematch against Sen. Jim Bunning (R) in 2010. "I'm considering the race," Mongiardo said yesterday.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Wall Street seemed to react well to the Fed's latest (and last) rate cut.

* Evidence of deflation may have had something to do with the Fed's move.

* Construction starts fell in November to the lowest point since the government started keeping track in 1959.

* The attempted terrorism in Paris today looked pretty scary.

* It looks like some folks may end up owing Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill.) an apology. If he's been working with federal investigators for months, then he's helped catch a crook.

* Is Muntadar al-Zaidi, the shoe-throwing Iraqi journalist, being abused while in custody?

* What do you know, Cheney signed off on torture.

* Speaking of Cheney, the fact that he's still confused about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction is kind of scary.

* Conservative Republicans in Congress seem to want the U.S. auto industry to collapse.

* The Securities and Exchange Commission was unbelievably slow in responding to doubts about Madoff's business practices, which were apparently an elaborate Ponzi scheme.

* Speaker Pelosi will work with the Obama administration, but she's putting limits on Rahm Emanuel's influence.

* The Supreme Court has cleared the way for smokers to sue tobacco companies over the marketing of "light" cigarettes.

* Obama's plan to build up the nation's Internet infrastructure really is worthwhile.

* It's hard to believe, but Bill O'Reilly's replacement on Fox Radio is actually a step down: it's John Gibson.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) for Secretary of Transportation?

* ABC News reports that Rod Blagojevich will "likely hold a press conference toward the end of this week."

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid not only likes the idea of Caroline Kennedy joining the Senate, he conceded yesterday that he's lobbied the governor of New York on the issue. As to her background, Reid said Kennedy has "lived in government and politics her whole life."

* On a related note, Kennedy will reportedly head upstate today, visiting Buffalo, Rochester, Tonawanda, and North Tonawanda, and participating in a series of private meetings with local officials.

* The mess in Minnesota: "The Coleman campaign suddenly indicated that it wants to bring back some of their challenges that they'd previously withdrawn -- a development that will probably drag out this process well past the board's original goal of finishing by Friday."

* Sarah Palin's Wasilla Bible Church really does take a radically right-wing view when it comes to homosexuality.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The major Wall Street indexes finished down about 1% each.

* The shoe-throwing incident seems to sparked all kinds of political turmoil in Baghdad, including the resignation of Parliament's Speaker.

* Speaking of Iraq, Blackwater may be finished in the country.

* OPEC is really cutting back on production, but prices keep dropping anyway.

* Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) was considered the likely pick for U.S. Trade Representative in the Obama administration, but he's passed up the chance and will stay in the House.

* At some point, I sincerely hope Bush White House officials learn not to say, "No one could have anticipated." It's just embarrassing -- for all of us.

* Republicans want to go after Holder for supporting the Brady Bill? These guys do not wear desperation well.

* Sarah Palin's friends on the Alaska State Officers Compensation Commission want to help give her a generous raise.

* When it comes to corruption convictions per 100,000 residents, the four worst states in the union are in the Bible Belt: Louisiana, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Alabama.

* As the recession gets worse, welfare rolls are surging for the first time since the '96 reform effort.

* Great line from my friend Melissa: "If you want to be a parent, you're better off being a gay male penguin in China than a gay male human in Arkansas."

* Didn't Giuliani already have a radio show?

* Congratulations to Sean Hannity for winning Media Matters' "2008 Misinformer of the Year" award. On second thought, maybe "award" is the wrong word.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* This morning, Bill Clinton published a list of his foundation's financial supporters. There are more than 200,000 donors listed, and the materials were released as part of an arrangement to remove concerns about potential conflicts of interest if Hillary Rodham Clinton is confirmed as Secretary of State.

* Incoming NRSC chairman John Cornyn is demanding that there be a special election in Illinois to fill its Senate vacancy.

* A Siena College poll in New York shows state attorney general Andrew Cuomo as the top choice to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate, with Caroline Kennedy close behind.

* On a related note, Liz Moynihan, the widow of Daniel Patrick Moynihan, endorsed Kennedy yesterday.

* Sen. Sam Brownback (R) of Kansas will announce today that he will not seek re-election in 2010. This does not come as a surprise, given that Brownback has been gearing up for a gubernatorial campaign for quite a while.

* Rod Blagojevich's attorney said yesterday that the impeachment process against his client is "illegal," telling the 21 members of a special Illinois House impeachment committee, "The evidence you have is nil, zero, nothing."

* After a very long wait, far-right Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.) conceded defeat yesterday, officially resolving the only outstanding U.S. House race. For the record, Democrats went +24 for the cycle, and the next House will have 257 Dems to 178 Republicans.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Yet another rough day on Wall Street, with the Dow falling more than 200 points, and the other major indexes down about 2% each.

* The Bush administration is considering an "orderly" bankruptcy for the ailing U.S. auto manufacturers.

* The news comes on the heels of Chrysler announcing its plans to shut down production at its 30 U.S. factories for at least a month, starting tomorrow.

* The Maliki government, reportedly breaking up a possible coup attempt, arrested dozens of officials from Iraq's Ministry of the Interior yesterday, including four generals. Was Maliki simply getting political rivals out of the way?

* Muntader al-Zaidi, the infamous shoe-hurler, apologized to Maliki in writing yesterday and asked for leniency.

* Chuck Todd will be the new chief White House correspondent for NBC News. Todd is generally a very sharp and knowledgeable political analyst, but is he a beat reporter?

* Don't look now, but Al Franken's chances for success look pretty good.

* Obama held a press conference earlier, and there wasn't a single question about Blagojevich. Good.

* Howard Dean deserves a really good job somewhere.

* Will the NYT give Kristol a contract extension?

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* As I type this, Al Franken leads Norm Coleman in Minnesota by 123 votes. It is Franken's first official lead since the process began six weeks ago. According to a projection by the Star Tribune, Franken will win by a margin of 80 votes.

* The AP reports that the final outcome will "also depend on some 5,000 withdrawn challenges that have not yet been allocated to the candidates," and that may not be resolved until the new year.

* On a related note, CNN reports that Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) is "quietly prepping for the possibility of a temporary Senate appointment," working under the assumption that the contest may not be resolved when Congress reconvenes in January.

* Caroline Kennedy had lunch with Al Sharpton in Harlem yesterday. He praised her as a "unique candidate," but would not say whether he supports her Senate bid. "I will trust the government's judgment to decide what's best for the state, he told reporters. "I won't get into that."

* Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle (R) is popular in her home state, but if she were to challenge Sen. Daniel Inouye (D) in 2010, he would still be the favorite.

* Rod Blagojevich has scheduled a 3pm (eastern) press conference in Chicago. That ought to be interesting.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The markets rose early on, in response to Bush's loans to GM and Chrysler, but by the end of the close, the early gains were largely gone.

* I think it's fair to say the economy in California qualifies as "not good."

* Obama introduced the rest of his cabinet this afternoon, introducing his nominees to lead the Departments of Labor and Transportation, and serve as the U.S. Trade Representative. Perhaps the only real surprise was Obama's choice of Maine economist Karen Mills, a close ally of Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), to be administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA).

* It was, by the way, Obama's 12th press conference as president-elect, breaking a record for modern presidents -- and he still has a month to go.

* As I type, Al Franken leads Norm Coleman in Minnesota by 249 votes.

* David Safavian, a former associate of disgraced ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, has been found guilty of multiple criminal counts, again.

* Krugman has a good item on the Madoff Economy.

* Sargent has a good item on what's "new" about Obama's style of politics.

* Cohn has a good item explaining why Bush's loan package for the auto industry is a good idea.

* Lind had a good item on why the South wants to undermine the North's auto industry.

* Things didn't work out too well for Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) when it came to the chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, but new Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) has rewarded Dingell with a good consolation prize: taking the lead of healthcare initiatives in the next Congress.

* Joe Scarborough knows even less about science than he does about current events. Scary, but true.

* If a politician's daughter's fiance's mother has a run in with the law, it probably shouldn't be national news. Just sayin'.

* And finally, W. Mark Felt Sr., the associate director of the FBI during the Watergate scandal who, and the man best known as "Deep Throat," died yesterday. He was 95.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Over the weekend, Al Franken's campaign in Minnesota said it expects to win the unsettled Senate race by 35 to 50 votes. By the Star-Tribune's count, Franken currently leads by 251.

* On a related note, the recount will continue in Minnesota this week, with somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 ballots left to be processed. (Will the AP call the race once those votes have been settled?)

* The presidents of both NBC and NBC News believe that Chris Matthews will not run for the Senate in Pennsylvania in 2010. Network president Phil Griffin said over the weekend. "I've talked to Chris. I think he's going to be here [at MSNBC] for a long time."

* Hillary Clinton is still burdened by a significant debt from her presidential campaign, but it's down to $6.4 million from $12 million. There are a total of 16 creditors remaining, the biggest of which is Mark Penn's consulting firm.

* Kentucky Democrats seem to think Sen. Jim Bunning (R) will be vulnerable in 2010, and some big in-state names are eyeing the race. Last week, Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo (D) said he's considering a rematch of the 2004 contest, and a few days ago, state Attorney General Jack Conway (D) said he's thinking about the race, too.

* Former Denver mayor and Clinton cabinet official Federico Pena (D) does not want to be appointed to fill Ken Salazar's (D-Colo.) Senate seat.

* There will be a lot of people in D.C. for the Obama inauguration, but not quite as many as previously feared.

* And in Alaska, if Sarah Palin challenges incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski in a 2010 Republican primary, a new poll shows the governor as the clear favorite.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Toyota announced this morning that it expects to post its first annual operating loss in more than 70 years. U.S. markets did not respond well to the news, and finished down again.

* A jury convicted five men today of conspiring to kill soldiers at Fort Dix, New Jersey. The plot, you may recall, came to light when the men gave a Circuit City clerk some of their training videos to be converted to DVD. The clerk contacted authorities.

* Nearly two years ago, the Army Corps of Engineers identified 122 levees across the country that were in "unacceptable" condition and in need of repair. To date, only 45 have been fixed.

* Did Arab leaders really give Condoleezza Rice jewelry worth more than $300,000? Apparently so.

* The New York Times accidentally published a letter to the editor that claimed to be from the mayor of Paris about Caroline Kennedy. The paper neglected to verify the authenticity of the letter. Oops.

* Barack Obama is poised to have four African Americans in his cabinet. The Congressional Black Caucus is reportedly disappointed. A senior member of the CBC apparently told The Hill that Obama "isn't doing enough for the black folks."

* The Boston Globe always seems to have the most amazing photo collections.

* Cokie Roberts' on-air complaints about Hawaii being "foreign" and "exotic" deserve the label of "Most Inane Punditry of the 2008 presidential campaign."

* Both the LA Times and the Chicago Tribune included "The Middleman" among the best television shows of 2008. I'm glad; I was afraid I was the only one watching.

* I just can't figure out why Joe Scarborough says such dumb things on a daily basis.

* Here's hoping YouTube ignores the Parents Television Council.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Al Franken leads Norm Coleman by 48 votes, but, naturally, it's not over. Expect more movement today.

* Coleman's campaign claims it can make the case for a Coleman lead, if only the state canvassing board would do what Coleman wants it to do.

* A Quinnipiac poll shows 33% of New Yorkers want Caroline Kennedy to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate, while 29% prefer state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. The same poll shows that a 48% plurality believes Kennedy will fill the Senate vacancy.

* New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg doesn't care who Gov. David Paterson picks, he just wants the governor to make a decision "reasonably quickly" because the speculation is "just getting out of control."

* With another census coming up, congressional reapportionment is around the corner. Election Data Services projects, based on population shifts over the last decade, that Texas will gain three House seats; Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and Utah would each gain one; and Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania would each lose one.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Another bad day on Wall Street, with the three biggest indexes falling about 1% each.

* The housing market continues to look bleak, and may not have reached the bottom yet.

* The Bernard Madoff fiasco gets even more tragic: Rene-Thierry Magon de la Villehuchet, who founded an investment fund that lost millions with Madooff, apparently committed suicide overnight.

* Obama/Biden doesn't want to see Congress load up a stimulus package with a lot of earmarks. Good luck with that.

* The LA Times forgets the importance of disclosure.

* More members of Obama's national security team were announced today.

* Howard Wolfson isn't headed to the State Department, but he is going to Michael Bloomberg's re-election campaign.

* Some of Obama's detractors need geography lessons.

* Federal prosecutors seem to have seriously mishandled the Ted Stevens prosecution.

* I had no idea so many presidents had been photographed without their shirts on.

* I guess Rick Warren is embarrassed about some of his church's anti-gay messages?

* Even now, Fox News personalities are still repeating nonsense about the Community Reinvestment Act.

* There's been some good discussion around the 'sphere today about the structural problems facing the newspaper industry. I found Kevin's thinking very much in line with my own.

* Bret Baier will replace Brit Hume as Fox News' "Special Report" anchor.

* The "War on Christmas" nonsense is definitely muted this year, but some conservatives just can't help themselves.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Norm Coleman and Al Franken have reached a deal on disputed absentee ballots -- the votes will only be counted if both sides agree they were wrongly cast aside.

* The Minnesota canvassing board will meet on January 5, possibly to certify a winner in the lingering Senate race, but the board's process may go beyond January 6, the day the 111th Congress convenes.

* For the first time since the election, Coleman spoke publicly yesterday about the possibility of losing: "Life goes on, regardless of what your job is. I certainly love what I do. If I can keep doing it, I'll be thrilled, and if not, I'm sure we'll do something else."

* A growing number of New York Democrats are raising concerns about Caroline Kennedy replacing Hillary Clinton in the Senate.

* We don't yet know who Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D) is likely to appoint to fill Ken Salazar's Senate seat, but there's some buzz about Democratic state Senate President Peter Groff, the highest-ranking African-American elected official in Colorado history.

* Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, meanwhile, doesn't mind admitting that he'd like to be appointed to the vacant seat.

* And speaking of interest in vacancies, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) admitted yesterday that he wouldn't mind being considered for Clinton's seat, either. Nadler, who represents most of Manhattan, is not considered a leading candidate.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Unemployment continues to look brutal.

* New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) believes a stimulus package totaling $1 trillion over two years would be about right.

* Is it too late to send more troops to Afghanistan?

* The Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun are going to start sharing some of their local articles and pictures. Expect more deals like these as the strain on newspapers continues to worsen.

* Dennis Prager's piece on marital sex is so offensive, I'm a little surprised Prager published it with his name on it. This is the kind of piece that looks like a career-killer.

* Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox really doesn't want to be blamed for the economic crisis.

* Obama delivered his weekly radio address early, making a worthwhile holiday message: "This season of giving should also be a time to renew a sense of common purpose and shared citizenship. Now more than ever, we must rededicate ourselves to the notion that we share a common destiny as Americans – that I am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeper. Now, we must all do our part to serve one another; to seek new ideas and new innovation; and to start a new chapter for our great country."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* A pretty quiet day on Wall Street, with the major indexes each closing up a little.

* Speaking of Wall Street, the Bush administration hasn't been especially interested in prosecuting fraudulent stock schemes.

* Serious stuff: "Prisoners in a western Iraqi prison staged an armed revolt Friday morning that lasted for at least two hours and left 10 policemen and six prisoners dead. Three al Qaida in Iraq prisoners escaped and are on the loose, Iraqi police said."

* Oh my: "An Iditarod without snow, Florida's coastal towns lost forever to the Gulf of Mexico, wheat farmers in Kansas without crops. What sounds like the climatic end of days could be coming a lot sooner than previously anticipated. A recent report released by the U.S. Geological Survey paints abrupt climactic shifts, including a more rapid climate change with global sea level increases of up to four feet by the year 2100 and arid climatic shifts in the North American Southwest by mid-century."

* Cash-strapped states are making painful cuts to Medicaid.

* What a disaster: "What may be the nation's largest spill of coal ash lay thick and largely untouched over hundreds of acres of land and waterways Wednesday after a dam broke this week, as officials and environmentalists argued over its potential toxicity." (The disaster is even worse than originally feared.)

* Let's add "food safety reform" to Obama very lengthy to-do list.

* Fox News would have us believe that "historians pretty much agree" that FDR prolonged the Great Depression. David Sirota sets the record straight.

* I've had unimpressed over the years with the way the Senate Press Gallery operates, so I'm not especially surprised to learn that it's not at all friendly towards bloggers.

* Democrats in Congress intend to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," they just don't plan to work on it anytime soon.

* R.I.P, Eartha Kitt and Harold Pinter.

* I support people doing pretty much whatever they want with their own bodies, but I think taking prescription medicine to "enhance" one's eyelashes is crazy.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In the wake of last week's Minnesota Supreme Court ruling, lawyers for Sen. Norm Coleman's (R-Minn.) campaign are threatening a new lawsuit to prevent the state from certifying election results that would make Al Franken the winner.

* Could Franken be seated before his victory is certified? The state's other senator, Democrat Amy Klobuchar, is working on it.

* While the race for the RNC chairmanship heats up, committee members have called for an unprecedented special meeting, working outside the dictates of the national party's leadership.

* It looks like former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) is moving closer to launching a Senate campaign.

* In what I believe is a reversal, Caroline Kennedy said over the weekend that she will not run for the Senate in 2010 if she's not chosen to fill New York's current vacancy.

* Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn (D) said yesterday that he believes Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) can be removed from office in time for Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday on February 12.

* Terry McAuliffe is moving ahead with his gubernatorial campaign in Virginia, and is planning to raise record amounts of money -- Virginia has "no limits on how much an individual, corporation or union can donate to a candidate running for state office."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The major indexes on Wall Street dropped a little lower today, and the Dow is now prepared to have its single biggest annual drop since 1931.

* The initial estimate on coal waste in central Tennessee was more than 360 million gallons of sludge. Now, it appears the total will be more than 1 billion gallons. The CEO of the Tennessee Valley Authority today pledged to clean up the massive spill.

* The Obama transition office has re-opened its "Open for Questions" feature, and it seems more user-friendly now.

* The war in Iraq may not be over, but the major U.S. television networks have stopped sending full-time correspondents to cover the conflict.

* An upside to the economic crisis that only Tom Tancredo could love: fewer immigrants are trying to sneak into the country now than at any point in 30 years.

* Is the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy staking its claim as a legitimate progressive rival to the Federalist Society? It certainly looks like it.

* It's not at all cool for Anderson Cooper to take not-so-subtle shots at Rachel Maddow.

* What did happen to Bernard Madoff's money?

* Bernie Kerik just can't stay out of trouble. Remember when Bush believed he was the best person in America to lead the Department of Homeland Security? Good times, good times.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rahm Emanuel will formally give up his House seat on Friday. It falls to Rod Blagojevich, of all people, to set a date for a special election. There are as many as 11 Democrats eyeing the race.

* As of right now, Al Franken leads Norm Coleman by 50 votes.

* The Coleman campaign yesterday offered a list of rejected absentee ballots that they say should be counted, but they're all from Republican strongholds. Coleman's team is also gearing up to go after state election officials.

* CNN did a national poll on whether Caroline Kennedy is qualified to serve as a U.S. senator. A 52% majority said she is, while 42% said she isn't. There was a sizable gender gap.

* Candidates vying to be the chairman of the Republican National Committee may engage in a "special forum," in which each contender would outline their visions for the party's future.

* Hopes that Gov. Kathleen Sebelius might run for the Senate in 2010 would be dashed if she becomes the chancellor of the University of Kansas, as is now rumored.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Israel is considering a temporary cease-fire in Gaza. Should Hamas rocket fire disrupt a cease-fire, Israel is threatening a ground offensive.

* Consumer confidence reached an all-time low this month, hitting depths unseen since the Conference Board began keeping track 41 years ago. Nevertheless, the major indexes rallied today, each closing up more than 2%.

* If you missed the wild Blagojevich press conference today, it's online.

* On a related note, the U.S. Senate isn't the embattled governor's only hurdle to filling the Senate vacancy -- Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White said today he won't certify Blagojevich's paperwork.

* Also on this story, Jeff Greenfield considers whether the Senate really does have the authority to refuse a legally-appointed U.S. senator.

* The Treasury Department is committing $6 billion to bolster GMAC.

* The International Monetary Fund's top economist believes Obama's approach to economic recovery is the right one.

* Muntazer al-Zaidi, the shoe thrower, is facing up to 15 years in prison. (Update: The trial has been delayed.)

* Naturally, John Bolton looks at the violence in Gaza and believes this is an ideal time for the U.S. to attack Iran.

* Kevin makes a good point about why Bush's response to Hurricane Katrina ruined his presidency.

* Kudos to John Judis for sticking up for Spencer Ackerman, after Martin Peretz described Ackerman's articles as "trash."

* Dennis Prager is back with more sexual advice for married women everywhere. I'm beginning to think there really may be something wrong with that guy.

* Are taxpayers on the hook for Bernard Madoff losses?

* Like Zbigniew Brzezinski, I've long believed that Joe Scarborough has "such a stunningly superficial knowledge" of current events that "it's almost embarrassing to listen" to him.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The race for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee was crowded enough, but Florida GOP Chair Jim Greer is apparently prepared to throw his hat into the ring.

* Rep. Diana DeGette (D) was a leading contender to fill Colorado's vacancy in the U.S. Senate, but she withdrew from consideration yesterday.

* Kevin Sheekey, a top deputy to NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has been an enthusiastic supporter of Caroline Kennedy filling the vacancy left by Hillary Clinton, but he's reportedly pulling back now.

* Al Franken believes he's "on track to win" in Minnesota.

* There's been some talk about seating Franken before Norm Coleman's lawsuits have been completed, but NRSC chairman John Cornyn (R-Texas) denounced the idea yesterday and vowed to fight any such move.

* In the meantime, Coleman's efforts are becoming increasingly silly, while a growing number of conservatives are coming to terms with the fact that a Franken victory is very likely.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Violence in Gaza continued for a fifth straight day, after talks broke down for a possible cease-fire.

* U.S. markets ended the year on an up note, after a disastrous year in which six years of gains were lost.

* Roland Burris and his staff are now referring to him as "Senator Burris." He says he plans to attend the chamber's swearing-in ceremony next week.

* Burris was, apparently, Blagojevich's second choice -- Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) turned the governor down last week.

* Speaking of Blagojevich, Patrick Fitzgerald wants an additional 90 days to bring an indictment against the governor.

* The Arkansas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is challenging a new state law that bans unmarried couples that live together from becoming foster or adoptive parents.

* One of the main problems with the Republicans on the Federal Election Commission is that they don't seem interested in enforcing the law.

* Remember Vikki Iseman? She's suing the New York Times for $27 million.

* I'm sorry to see the Village Voice let go of Nat Hentoff.

* California's budget problems are pretty extraordinary -- and not in a good way.

* I enjoyed Andrew Golis' year-end piece: "The Ten Young Progressive Intellectuals Who Make Me Hopeful."

* Ed Kilgore has a good piece of his own, highlighting various political memes that became conventional wisdom, but which turned out to be completely wrong.

* Congratulations to James Joyner on the birth of his daughter.

* And finally, don't forget that tonight, we gain an extra second. Set your clocks accordingly.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* New York Gov. David Paterson (D) is apparently opposed to the idea of a "caretaker" senator to keep the state's Senate seat warm until 2010.

* The AP, counting on "two people close" to Paterson, said Caroline Kennedy has emerged as his likely choice to fill the Senate vacancy.

* Possibly tipping the scales in Kennedy's favor was an unexpected endorsement from State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, New York most powerful legislator, who had previously expressed reservations. Silver said yesterday, "If she is the appointee of the governor, I will certainly be supportive of her. I will work for her and will work strenuously for her election."

* Norm Coleman appears poised to keep Minnesota's unresolved Senate race "bottled up in the courts for weeks or even months." Al Franken will likely be declared the winner early next week.

* There are as many as 18 people eyeing Rahm Emanuel's House seat, but the top tier includes state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley, and former Transportation Security Administration official Justin Oberman.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Wall Street started 2009 on the right foot, with all three of the major indexes closing up 3% or more.

* Is an Israeli ground offensive in Gaza the next move?

* U.S handed over control of the Green Zone to Iraqi control yesterday, with minimal fanfare. Among those who didn't show up: the U.S. ambassador, the head of U.S. forces in Iraq, and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

* U.S. manufacturing has hit its lowest level in 28 years.

* Flying While Muslim continues to be problematic.

* I wonder how many temper tantrums John Cornyn will throw before Al Franken takes the oath of office.

* Roland Burris is a respected figure in Illinois, but his background is not without controversy.

* The "future grave" he built for himself is also kind of odd.

* Former Sen. Claiborne Pell (D) of Rhode Island died yesterday at age 90. The New York Times described him as "the most formidable politician in Rhode Island history." What's more, I know I'm not the only one who was able to afford college thanks to his signature policy initiative: Pell Grants.

* It's hard to imagine TPM without Greg Sargent, but it sounds like Greg has an amazing opportunity lined up at the Washington Post. I wish him the best of luck in the new gig.

* On a related note, congrats to Marc Lynch on the new gig at Foreign Policy.

* Corporate sponsorship of college bowl games has driven Jonathan Chait to Marxism.

* There's reason for skepticism about the new Military Times poll.

* It'll be a while until they're on the road, but Toyota is reportedly working on a solar-powered car. I'm glad someone is.

* Powerful Republicans in D.C. will be fleeing the capital for "an extended holiday vacation" during the Obama inauguration. They will, however, return.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In about three hours, Al Franken will be declared the winner of the Senate race in Minnesota. Harry Reid is urging Norm Coleman to face reality and concede.

* Roland Burris will leave for D.C. this afternoon, as part of his effort to be sworn into office this week. Rod Blagojevich will not join Burris on the Hill, but his acting chief of staff will.

* Former DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe made it official over the weekend, announcing that he's running for governor in Virginia.

* It's not just Caroline Kennedy and Andrew Cuomo -- Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D) is informally "campaigning" to be the next senator from New York. Maloney made a series of visits in upstate New York over the weekend.

* Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R) is not going to run for governor of Tennessee in 2010, as had been rumored. With Frist out of the way, Rep. Zach Wamp (R) announced this morning that he will run for governor.

* Grover Norquist is hosting an event today for the top six candidates hoping to be the next chairman of the Republican National Committee. You can watch the whole thing on C-SPAN 2 in about an hour.

* The RNC competition is taking place in a contentious environment. A Republican consultant who has worked with the RNC told the Politico: "Some people are pissed off at [Americans for Tax Reform President] Grover [Norquist]. Some people are pissed off at the Conservative Steering Committee. Some people are pissed off at [current RNC chair] Mike Duncan. Some people are pissed off at social conservatives. The social conservatives are pissed at leaders in Congress. Everyone is basically pissed."

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CHUTZPAH WATCH....

John Bolton, the former ambassador to the U.N., and former deputy assistant attorney general John Yoo, best known for his torture memos and creative ideas about the "unitary executive," have a fascinating op-ed in the New York Times today. Now that Bush is leaving office, Bolton and Yoo believe -- get this -- the president should have less authority and discretion when it comes to international affairs.

The Constitution's Treaty Clause has long been seen, rightly, as a bulwark against presidential inclinations to lock the United States into unwise foreign commitments. The clause will likely be tested by Barack Obama's administration, as the new president and Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton, led by the legal academics in whose circles they have long traveled, contemplate binding down American power and interests in a dense web of treaties and international bureaucracies.

Like past presidents, Mr. Obama will likely be tempted to avoid the requirement that treaties must be approved by two-thirds of the Senate.... By insisting on the proper constitutional process for treaty-making, Republicans can join Mr. Obama in advancing a bipartisan foreign policy. They can also help strike the proper balance between the legislative and executive branches that so many have called for in recent years.



As Bolton and Yoo see it, Obama might pursue international treaties that "subordinate" the United States to "international control" under the auspices of the "'global governance' movement." As such, they argue, Obama must only enter into international agreements that have the support of two-thirds of the Senate.

Reading this, I had to double check to make sure we were talking about the same Bolton and Yoo. After all, John Yoo has spent most of the last eight years arguing that the president has an unfettered power to do as he pleases on the international stage. Indeed, Yoo argued that the president can literally ignore any law he chooses -- including the Constitution -- if he decides it's in the nation's interests.

But that was then. Now Yoo is worried about executive overreach. Now Yoo wants every letter of the Constitution to be respected and adhered to without exception. The very same people who argued that the president must act without restriction when pursuing his foreign policy are now arguing that the president must honor the Treaty Clause at all costs.

How these guys expect to be taken seriously is a total mystery.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Israeli ground offensive moved deeper into Gaza today, and European diplomats are "pouring into the region seeking a cease-fire."

* Did Israel consider the U.S. presidential transition in the timing of its offensive? Maybe.

* Suicide bombings in Baghdad are not uncommon, but this one was more brutal than most.

* Al Franken was officially named the winner in Minnesota today and the state Canvassing Board certified the results. Norm Coleman will, of course, file a lawsuit. Just a few minutes ago, Franken declared victory at a public event.

* U.S. auto sales completely collapsed in December.

* The House delves into the Bernard Madoff fiasco.

* Patrick Fitzgerald will get 90 additional days to put together the Blagojevich indictment.

* Bill Richardson's press conference was a bit of a mess today.

* Those nine Muslim American passengers received an apology from AirTran, but the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) will likely press for a formal discrimination complaint against the airline.

* Unemployment among college graduates hasn't been this high since the government started keeping track nearly four decades ago.

* Bob Barr helped author the Defense of Marriage Act, but now he wants it repealed. (Some of his reasoning is partially wrong, but he ends up in the right place.)

* Did politics play a role in delaying the drug arrest of Sarah Palin's daughter's boyfriend's mother? Maybe.

* Kudos to Foreign Policy for putting together a very impressive blogging team.

* Sign of the Times: "In its latest concession to the worst revenue slide since the Depression, The New York Times has begun selling display advertising on its front page, a step that has become increasingly common across the newspaper industry. The first such ad, appearing Monday in color, was bought by CBS."

* The new Doctor Who strikes me as awfully young for the part.

* Joe Scarborough seems to be getting worse as time goes on.

* And finally, George H.W. Bush was asked yesterday to comment on his son's failures as president. He responded, "You can go back to your, what do you call it, your Google, and you figure out all that."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Roland Burris went to Capitol Hill this morning, and introduced himself to the media as the "junior Senator from the state of Illinois." When he tried to join his "colleagues," he was told that his "credentials are not in order," and he would not be permitted onto the Senate floor.

* Though there were rumors that Harry Reid might consider seating Al Franken today, the Majority Leader backed off last night. The possibility of Franken being sworn in later this week, though, remains alive.

* Speaking of Franken, Norm Coleman's Senate office was ordered closed yesterday, at the direction of Senate Rules Committee.

* If the latest survey from Public Policy Polling is right, Caroline Kennedy's support has fallen sharply of late, and state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is the public favorite to fill New York's Senate vacancy.

* In related news, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (R-Texas) will support Rep. Peter King's (R) Senate campaign in 2010, which in turn should discourage a primary fight.

* Nothing's official, but Jeb Bush's Senate campaign in Florida is far from a lock, and there's increasing speculation that he'll skip the race.

* The prospect of a Chris Matthews Senate campaign in Pennsylvania appears increasingly unlikely.

* If Sarah Palin considers a Senate campaign in 2010, she may struggle against Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) in a GOP primary.

* Meg Whitman appears to be gearing up for a gubernatorial campaign in California. She would presumably run as a Republican.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* In a change, the Bush administration now supports an "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza. The AP added, however, that U.S. officials "quickly stressed they would not budge from their stance that it must be durable, sustainable and indefinite."

* The shift in U.S. position came shortly after an Israeli bombardment hit outside a U.N. school where hundreds of Palestinians had sought refuge. At least 30 people, many of them children, were killed.

* There's a lot of talk about who might replace Bill Richardson at Commerce. Sebelius and Becerra are out, Gregoire was never in, and Parsons might be in.

* Obama seems serious about his opposition to wasteful earmark spending in the stimulus bill.

* Norm Coleman held a press conference this afternoon, not to concede, but to announce that he's filing yet another lawsuit.

* Nancy Pelosi was the unanimous choice among Democrats to continue serving as Speaker of the House.

* If you read one article today, make it this one about Muhammad Saad Iqbal.

* A gender-neutral House. Sounds good.

* For all of CNN's work promoting its "Planet in Peril" series, it still has Lou Dobbs on every night, repeating all manner of ignorant nonsense about global warming. It's an embarrassment.

* Credit where credit is due: Bush's new protected marine areas in the Pacific Ocean is a good move.

* Publius makes the case that Roland Burris is destroying his reputation.

* Gary Farber wants to know why Dennis Blair, Obama's choice to be the Director of National Intelligence, isn't drawing closer scrutiny, especially for his ties in 1999 to the Indonesian military. Kevin Drum takes a closer look.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Taking a far different position than Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, the new vice chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said yesterday that Illinois' vacant seat should not be viewed as "the black seat." If that happens, "we begin to lose the progress we made," Cleaver said.

* Most Americans believe the Senate should block Roland Burris' appointment.

* Walter Dellinger, a former head of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel under Clinton, presents a compelling case that Burris should be seated.

* At a press conference to discuss the latest in a series of Norm Coleman lawsuits, Al Franken's aides kept referring to "former Senator Coleman."

* Obama has transferred some of his leftover campaign funds to the DCCC.

* To help rally support for his bid to become the next RNC chairman, former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell has begun using robocalls.

* An ad hoc group of RNC members calling itself the Conservative Steering Committee cancelled a straw poll yesterday when they didn't like the expected outcome.

* Rep. Mark Kirk (R) announced yesterday that he will not run for governor of Illinois in 2010, despite encouragement from the state GOP. Kirk will, however, likely run for the Senate in two years, or sooner if there's a special election.

* And CQ notes an interesting historical trend: since the 17th Amendment established procedures for filling vacancies in 1913, only one-third (60 out of 180) of Senate appointees have gone on to win their own full term.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Another rough day on Wall Street, with the Dow falling 245 points, the other major indexes down about 3% each.

* There was a brief break to the violence in Gaza earlier, allowing for some relief supplies to reach Palestinian civilians. Soon after, Israeli strikes and Hamas rocket fire resumed. Talk of a possible cease-fire continues.

* The annual budget deficit Obama will inherit from Bush will be $1.2 trillion.

* The staff of the Federal Reserve expects the economy to deteriorate further and for the recession to last through next year.

* Roland Burris expects to be seated "very shortly."

* Oh my: "The coal ash pond that ruptured and sent a billion gallons of toxic sludge across 300 acres of East Tennessee last month was only one of more than 1,300 similar dumps across the United States -- most of them unregulated and unmonitored -- that contain billions more gallons of fly ash and other byproducts of burning coal."

* Obama has asked Dennis Ross, Richard Haass, and Richard Holbrooke "to serve as his chief emissaries to world hot spots."

* Nancy Killefer will serve as the nation's first "chief performance officer." Obama introduced her at an event this morning.

* The Progressive Change Campaign Committee is an excellent idea.

* The attack yesterday on Soapblox is completely outrageous, and worthy of FBI attention.

* It's time to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

* Despite rumors she'd be replaced by the incoming administration, Sheila Bair will stay on as the head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

* Harry Reid's support for Ted Stevens is very odd.

* Mitch McConnell keeps using the phrase "middle class," but I don't think it means what he thinks it means.

* Back when there were Koufax Awards, there was a way to honor a specific series of posts on a single topic. It's a shame they're gone, because I'd like to see Digby's series on tazers get an award.

* Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) really shouldn't challenge anyone to check his facts.

* So long, "digital rights management."

* Ben & Jerry's has an inauguration-inspired flavor: "Yes Pecan."

* R.I.P., Peter Freyne.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Norm Coleman has, of course, filed a last-gasp lawsuit challenging his defeat in Minnesota. Eric Kleefeld went through the filing and came away unimpressed.

* Alex Sink, Florida's popular Chief Financial Officer, is moving closer to a 2010 campaign for U.S. Senate, running for the seat Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) is giving up.

* Florida Republican Party Chair Jim Greer was rumored to be a late entrant in the race to be the next chairman of the RNC, but instead, he endorsed former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele yesterday.

* On a related note, after this week's embarrassing forum, the six candidates vying to lead the Republican National Committee have suddenly become camera shy.

* Some are already accusing Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe of being a (ahem) carpetbagger. He addressed the issue yesterday: "I was born in Syracuse, New York. I am proud of where I was born," McAuliffe said. "But I am a Virginian.... If you are looking for someone who was born here in Virginia, I agree Creigh Deeds is your man... I honestly believe people want to know who can help them. They don't really care where you were born."

* Speaking of Virginia, former Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) will be the new head of the Main Street Partnership, a group of moderates trying to drag the Republican Party away from the far-right cliff.

* Colorado, in a national first, will have African-American lawmakers lead both the state House and state Senate. Both Speaker of the House Terrance Carroll and Senate President Peter Groff are Democrats.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Ugh: "The U.N. suspended aid shipments in the Gaza Strip on Thursday and the Red Cross restricted its convoys after their trucks came under Israeli fire. The threat of a wider conflict arose when militants in Lebanon fired two rockets into northern Israel."

* Muqtada al-Sadr wants "revenge operations" against U.S. forces in Iraq as punishment for U.S. support for Israel.

* This may be an encouraging development: "Senate leaders won the support of Citigroup, one of the nation's largest banks, for legislation allowing bankruptcy judges to modify the terms of troubled mortgages."

* Senate Democrats aren't thrilled with Obama's tax-cut plan.

* Tom Daschle's confirmation hearings seem to be off to a good start.

* Tim Kaine was officially introduced as the next chairman of the DNC this afternoon. (Obama, in case you're curious, said a number of nice things about Howard Dean at the event.)

* Congress officially tallied the votes from the Electoral College today, making Obama the president-elect.

* Former CIA official John Brennan will be the next White House director of counterterrorism.

* Cass Sunstein, a long-time legal scholar and Obama confidant, will head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.

* Cool new subcommittee for Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass).

* Bush gave a speech on education policy today. No one cared.

* SEIU president Andy Stern makes an excellent point about Congress working quickly when it wants to.

* Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) thinks Eric Holder will be confirmed. So do I.

* Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) is picking a fight with Obama over his likely Surgeon General nominee. Since the confirmation is up to the Senate, Conyers may have limited influence on this. (Unfortunately, Conyers' letter to his House colleagues spells Gupta's name wrong, misspelled the "Nobel" prize, gets the address of Conyers' website wrong, and mistakenly claims that Paul Krugman won a Nobel Peace Prize. Oops.)

* Former Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) finally gave up his appeals today.

* Monsters.

* And I'm very glad Broward County Mayor Stacy Ritter, eight years later, will finally get a chance to wear that dress.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Voters in Minnesota are, not surprisingly, pretty tired of the prolonged fight over the state's Senate seat. A plurality of Minnesotans want Norm Coleman to concede the race and disagree with his decision to contest the results. Meanwhile, as the process has dragged on, both Coleman's and Al Franken's favorability numbers have dropped.

* Speaking of Coleman, the new Senate phone listings are out, and he's not listed. His office remains closed.

* Gov. David Paterson (D-N.Y.) conceded yesterday there are pluses and minuses to a possible Caroline Kennedy role in the Senate. Of course, we knew that.

* Former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie (R), as expected, is launching a gubernatorial campaign, gearing up to challenge incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine (D). The election is one of two gubernatorial races this year; the other is in Virginia.

* Former Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.), who lost his re-election bid in 2006, is planing a comeback, running for Missouri's open Senate seat in 2010.

* Might Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) retire at the end of his term in 2010? The rumor mill is going strong in Ohio right now.

* If Arnold Schwarzenegger decides to challenge Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) in 2010, he'll probably start off as the underdog. A new Research 2000 poll, commissioned by Daily Kos, shows Boxer leading Schwarzenegger by nine, 49% to 40%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Wall Street didn't respond well to the latest unemployment numbers.

* The U.N. call for a ceasefire in Gaza was quickly ignored by both Israel and Hamas.

* Obama introduced the rest of his national security team today, including Leon Panetta at the CIA.

* Dick Durbin said the Senate won't seat Roland Burris unless his appointment is certified by the Illinois Secretary of State, independent of what the state Supreme Court says.

* Speaking of alleged corruption, did you see the charges facing Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon?

* A win for White House transparency. A little late in the game, though.

* Kudos to the House for easily passing both the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and Paycheck Fairness Act today.

* Hilda Solis' confirmation hearings for the Department of Labor began today. Apparently, Republicans don't care for EFCA. What a surprise.

* The transition team isn't prepared to say quite yet whether it'll appoint a special prosecutor to investigate alleged Bush Administration crimes, but it did concede today that Obama will get rid of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

* Gen. David Petraeus thinks we may want to engage Iran diplomatically as part of a new approach to policy towards Afghanistan.

* Begich and Lieberman are fighting over ANWR.

* Fox News considers some pretty radical people to be "experts."

* It looks like the Seattle Post-Intelligencer is in deep trouble.

* It looks like the Politicker network is no more. It closed sites for 11 states last month, and closed New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania today.

* The college football season is over, but the president-elect is more convinced than ever in the need for a playoff system. After congratulating the Florida, Obama said, "If I'm Utah, or if I'm USC or if I'm Texas, I might still have some quibbles. That's why we need a playoff."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Former Rep. Rob Portman (R) will announce today that he's running for George Voinovich's Senate seat, now that the incumbent has said he's retiring.

* Roland Burris' Senate appointment seems exceedingly likely at this point.

* Caroline Kennedy had a formal interview with Gov. David Paterson over the weekend, discussing New York's vacancy in the Senate.

* On a related note, Rasmussen found that if Kennedy is appointed and runs against Rep. Peter King (R) for a full term, she would be the heavy favorite.

* In Florida, former House Speaker Marco Rubio (R) is gearing up to run for the Senate in 2010, while former congressman and MSNBC host Joe Scarborough isn't.

* A Fairleigh Dickinson-PublicMind Poll shows New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) leading former U.S Attorney Chris Christie in a hypothetical match-up, 40% to 33%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Israel continued to pound Hamas today, though an AP report noted that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel would end the conflict if rocket fire on Israel stops and Hamas is unable to rearm. "Anything else will be met with the Israeli people's iron fist," Olmert said.

* The Dow fell another 125 points, and other major indexes fell more than 2% each.

* At Obama's behest, Bush asked Congress today to release the second half of the $700 billion bailout.

* Bernard Madoff is still out on bail, when a judge decided that the government had offered enough evidence that Madoff is not a flight risk or a security risk.*

* Bush had a largely uneventful press conference this morning, and will deliver a prime-time farewell on Thursday night.

* Confirming what was already widely believed, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said today that he'll support Eric Holder's A.G. nomination.

* Just because a strategy worked in Iraq doesn't mean it'll work in Afghanistan.

* NYT: "Democrats are hoping to roll back a series of regulations issued late in the Bush administration that weaken environmental protections and other restrictions."

* U.S. Marshalls are not escorts for sports broadcasters.

* Jeffrey Toobin explores what happened to SoapBlox.

* They had to work on a Sunday, but the Senate defeated a Tom Coburn filibuster on a key public lands bill.

* The estate tax is scheduled to disappear in 2010. Obama and congressional Dems are going to make sure that doesn't happen.

* Far-right bloggers looking for evidence of manipulated war photos are wrong with surprising regularity.

* Lee Stranahan has the latest on Ann Coulter's voting "issues."

* And The Beast always does a nice job pulling together its list of the top 50 most "loathsome people in America."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Roland Burris will be seated as the junior senator from Illinois tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. The NRSC has already said defeating Burris in 2010 is a "top priority" for the party.

* Al Franken asked Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie to issue a certificate of election so he could be seated in the Senate. Ritchie declined.

* On a related note, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) said Republicans will resist any effort to seat Franken until all of Norm Coleman's lawsuits have been exhausted. He predicted this could take "a month or more."

* Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.) kicked off his Senate campaign this morning at an event in Miami. He will likely face a crowded primary field, but Meek is the first to formally announce.

* Obama campaign manager David Plouffe is reportedly prepared to oversee "Obama's sprawling grass-roots political operation, which boasts 13 million e-mail addresses, 4 million cellphone contacts and 2 million active volunteers."

* Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett got a chance to see former Ohio Secretary of State and gubernatorial nominee Kenneth Blackwell up close for several years. And now that Blackwell is seeking the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee, Bennett is supporting Mike Duncan.

* Speaking of Ohio, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), as expected, is mulling the open-seat Senate race in the state in 2010.

* In North Carolina, a Research 2000 poll shows Sen. Richard Burr leading his likely Democratic challengers, but not by much. In a hypothetical match-up against state Attorney General Roy Cooper, Burr leads by just two points (45% to 43%), while against former state Treasurer Richard Moore, Burr leads by six (46% to 40%).

* Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.) has decided not to run for the Senate in 2010.

* Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) will seek a fifth term in 2010.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* "Decisive" talks are prepared to begin in Egypt between Israel and Hamas.

* CNBC: "Citigroup has agreed to merge its Smith Barney brokerage unit into Morgan Stanley's brokerage operations, the first step in ultimately shedding Smith Barney and a move away from the financial supermarket model that Citigroup has followed for the past decade."

* The first veto threat: "President-elect Barack Obama made his first veto threat Tuesday in a closed-door meeting with Senate Democrats. Obama told his former colleagues that if Congress passes a resolution blocking release of the second half of the financial bailout funds he will veto it, said Sen. Joseph Lieberman after leaving the caucus meeting."

* House Republicans will oppose additional bailout funds for the Obama administration.

* Hillary Clinton's confirmation hearing seemed to go very well today. Shaun Donovan (HUD) and Arne Duncan (Education) also seemed to have successful hearings.

* I've heard nothing but good things about Obama nominating Julius Genachowski, an adviser on technology issues during the campaign and longtime friend to the incoming president, to become the next chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

* Obama is going to nominate the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids' William Corr as deputy director of the Department of Health and Human Services. Good move.

* Lt. Gen. Douglas E. Lute will stay on in his role of coordinating Iraq and Afghanistan policy out of the National Security Council.

* This is one of the many reasons the FDA has become a joke under Bush.

* How about a financial transactions tax?

* Jon Stewart argues that Obama is being far too professional and respectful to serve as president.

* I'm really looking forward to the day when conservatives start treating "24" like the fictional program it is. I suspect, however, that such a day will never come.

* Mike Huckabee wants everyone to know he's "not 'pro-gay.'" I think we knew that.

* The Internet "may not be such a dangerous place for children after all."

* Suddenly, the NRA isn't conservative enough for some far-right bloggers who want the gun group to help defeat Eric Holder's nomination.

* The National Portrait Gallery was going to feature a caption under George W. Bush's portrait noting that the attacks of Sept. 11 "led to" the war in Iraq. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) made them fix it.

* Oddly enough, Condoleezza Rice indirectly argued that the United States is not a democratic, multiethnic state.

* And one more Bushism from yesterday's press conference: "I'm telling you there's an enemy that would like to attack America, Americans, again. There just is. That's the reality of the world. And I wish him all the very best."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Al Franken's lawyers, citing federal law and the Constitution, are asking the Minnesota Supreme Court to force his certification to the U.S. Senate.

* New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo had his formal interview with Gov. David Paterson for the Senate vacancy.

* If Paterson is taking public opinion into consideration, a new Quinnipiac poll shows New Yorkers preferring Cuomo for the gig over Caroline Kennedy, 31% to 24%.

* Democratic leaders aren't exactly excited about the prospect of Roland Burris seeking a full term in 2010.

* It's generating no attention at all, but new Sen. Ted Kaufman (D) was sworn in this morning to fill Delaware's vacancy in the Senate.

* Michael Bennet, soon to replace Ken Salazar as a senator from Colorado, wrapped up a four-day statewide tour yesterday, introducing himself to voters who may not know who he is. The tour seemed to go well.

* Steve Hildebrand, who ran Barack Obama's field program, will now advise Rep. Kendrick Meek's (D) Senate campaign in Florida.

* NRSC Chair Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) wants every Republican who's seeking re-election in 2010 to start campaigning now.

* Rob Portman, best known as George W. Bush's budget director and trade rep, formally kicked off his Senate campaign in Ohio this morning.

* We don't yet know who the candidates will be in Missouri's open Senate race in 2010, but Democrats appear to begin with a slight edge.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Ouch: "Stocks plunged Wednesday as anxieties on Wall Street flared again amid a weaker-than-expected retail sales report, a new crop of corporate bankruptcies and continued debate over the release of federal bailout funds intended for the financial industry."

* In response to Republican demands, Tim Geithner's confirmation hearing has been pushed off until Jan. 21, the day after the inauguration. Obama is still optimistic about Geithner's nomination.

* It looks like Osama bin Laden is still alive.

* This 5-4 ruling will have a significant impact: "The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the conviction of an Alabama man on drug and weapons charges, emphasizing that the exclusionary rule, which generally bars prosecutors from using evidence obtained by the police through improper searches, is far from absolute."

* Rod Blagojevich was impeached again today, by the new newly sworn-in Illinois House. The final vote was 117 to 1, with the lone "no" vote coming from the governor's sister-in-law.

* I wonder if we'll ever know what the emails actually said: "A federal judge has ordered the Bush White House to preserve its e-mails, just days before a new administration takes over."

* The president doesn't "give a darn" about his lack of public support.

* It's great to see Rand Beers join Janet Napolitano's team at the Department of Homeland Security.

* Speaking of staffing moves, Bill Burton, Obama's national press secretary during the campaign, will join the White House staff as a deputy press secretary.

* Bush and Limbaugh, BFF.

* The Brad Schlozman story manages to appear even more ridiculous.

* Every day, it seems, the news looks worse for the newspaper industry: "Gannett is implementing a long-rumored furlough program that wil require most U.S. employees to take a week off without pay."

* The transition office unveiled the official Obama portrait today. It's the first time that an official presidential portrait was taken with a digital camera.

* It's great to see Judd Legum blogging again.

* Go, Kepler, go.

* The Speaker is aware of our Internet traditions.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* It seems like Barack Obama just got off the campaign trail, but he's heading back out, going to the Cleveland area tomorrow to promote his economic rescue plan. Obama is scheduled to appear at a factory that makes parts for wind turbines.

* Norm Coleman's attorneys have a plan to keep the fight going into the spring. The Republican campaign would reportedly pursue a five-stage legal strategy, that wouldn't be resolved until March.

* Sen. Judd Gregg (R) in New Hampshire is considered a vulnerable incumbent, but Democratic Gov. John Lynch said yesterday that he will not run for the seat in 2010.

* Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) had indicated her intention to step down from the Senate in 2010 while running for governor in Texas, but the NRSC is begging her to keep her seat during the gubernatorial campaign. Hutchison is reportedly reconsidering her plan, in light of the party's requests.

* Jeb Bush decided not to run for the Senate, but the NRSC hopes to recruit someone of similar significance in Florida: current Gov. Charlie Crist (R). No word on whether Crist might be interested.

* It's early, and other Republicans might get into the race, but House Minority Leader John Boehner (R) nevertheless endorsed former Rep. Rob Portman's (R) Senate campaign in Ohio. The party is likely hoping to discourage a primary fight.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Fortunately, there do not appear to have been any fatalities: "A US Airways plane was down in the Hudson River on Thursday after attempting to take off from LaGuardia Airport, officials said. US Airways Flight 1549, an Airbus A320, was headed to Charlotte, North Carolina, the Federal Aviation Administration said. A passenger said he was 'pretty sure' everybody on the plane got out."

* A terrible mistake: "Israeli forces shelled the United Nations headquarters in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, setting fire to the compound filled with hundreds of refugees as U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon was in the region on a mission to end Israel's devastating offensive against the territory's Hamas rulers. Ban expressed 'outrage' over the bombing. He said Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told him there had been a 'grave mistake' and promised to pay extra attention to protecting U.N. installations."

* Roland Burris is now the junior senator from the state of Illinois.

* Eric Holder's hearing, as far as I can tell, went rather well.

* Ken Salazar vowed to clean up the "mess" at the Interior Department. That's no small task.

* Janet Napolitano's hearing also seemed to go well.

* Holder might take a closer look at the Justice Department's decision not to prosecute Schlozman. Good.

* Hillary Clinton said goodbye to the Senate today, prompting Chris Matthews to say, "[E]veryone knows Hillary Clinton earned that Senate seat and very much loves that place." Funny, I seem to recall Matthews saying something different not too long ago.

* I hadn't seen the video in the Oscar Grant case until today. It's chilling.

* John Tanner will need to do more than just write an apologetic note.

* Right-wing host Glenn Beck's new show will debut on Fox News on Monday. His very first guest? Sarah Palin. Noted without comment.

* Sanctity of Human Life Day?

* And finally, you know how Amazon.com features customer reviews? Reader L.S. emailed to let me know about the hilarious reviews for Playmobil's "Security Check Point" toy set for children. Damn funny.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In a surprise move, and a setback for Democratic recruiting, Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink announced this morning that she will not run for the Senate in 2010. Sink, a popular figure in Florida politics and the only Democrat in the state's cabinet, was the DSCC's top choice for the open-seat contest.

* If New York Gov. David Paterson is swayed at all by polls, he may be interested to know New Yorkers prefer Andrew Cuomo for the Senate vacancy to Caroline Kennedy, 40% to 25%.

* On a related note, Kennedy has hired media consultant Mark Kornblau to help with press requests.

* Norm Coleman will be permitted to temporarily re-open his Senate office, but only so it can be cleaned out.

* It's unclear if Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) will seek a full term in 2010, but if he does, he may face a primary challenger or two. Yesterday, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) expressed interest in the race.

* Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell (R) has raised an impressive $2 million for his gubernatorial campaign. On the other side of the aisle, Terry McAuliffe, who's known for his fundraising acumen, has collected about $948,000, Creigh Deeds has raised about $658,000, and Brian Moran has raised roughly $755,000.

* Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, rumored to be planning a gubernatorial campaign in California, visited Congress yesterday and did quite a bit of politicking. Her schedule included a closed-door lunch with the California GOP House delegation.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The story of the U.S. Airways flight that landed in the Hudson River continues to be nothing short of extraordinary. Josh Marshall, who tends to look at air travel the same way I do, has an interesting item on the history.

* Be prepared to hear a lot more about Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III, whose heroism saved a lot of lives on that plane.

* On a related note, emptywheel had a very good item this morning: "This Miracle Brought to You by America's Unions."

* A hint of progress in Gaza.

* So long, Circuit City.

* Senate Democrats put their faith in Obama's word late yesterday and voted to give him the $350 billion remaining for the financial industry bailout. Also, the federal government agree to supply Bank of America "with a fresh $20 billion capital injection and absorb as much as $98.2 billion in losses on toxic assets."

* The AP found "at least 26" Bush administration burrowers, but added, "There likely are even more."

* Blagojevich's impeachment attorney quit today. Probably not a good sign.

* Pakistan has rounded up the leadership of Lashkar-e-Taiba. Given its suspected role in the Mumbai attacks, that's a good move.

* Florida Sen. Mel Martinez is the latest Republican senator to endorse Eric Holder's A.G. nomination. Sorry, Arlen.

* NASA Administrator Michael Griffin's unorthodox campaign to keep his job didn't work.

* I neglected to mention yesterday that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved Hillary Clinton's nomination to serve as Secretary of State yesterday, 16 to 1.

* More newspaper troubles -- the Minneapolis Star Tribune is filing for Chapter 11, and the Boston Globe is slashing its newsroom staff.

* For the record, Obama was not cheered in the Washington Post newsroom yesterday.

* Note to Fred Barnes: when someone refers to the next president as "Monkey Boy," muster the courage to express some kind of disapproval.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Wondering when New York's Senate vacancy will be filled? Gov. David Paterson said to expect an announcement within two or three days of Hillary Clinton's confirmation.

* Five years ago, Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ken.) won re-election despite odd and erratic personal behavior. Now, a year before another re-election fight, Bunning is acting strangely again, including not having shown up yet for the 111th Congress. The Louisville Courier-Journal tracked him down, but he would not explain why he hasn't appeared on the Hill alongside his colleagues.

* Democratic state Senator Dan Gelber will run for the open U.S. Senate race in Florida next year. U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.), the only Democrat in Congress to endorse Bush's Social Security privatization scheme, is also considering the race and is "very close to a decision."

* On a related note, U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV (R-Fla.) -- the son and grandson of senators, and great-grandson and great-great grandson of congressmen -- is also eyeing Florida's open Senate race next year, and has received "very positive feedback from a lot of big money players all around the state."

* Former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton (D-Minn.) only served one term before retiring from Congress, but he's not quite done with politics. Dayton is apparently preparing to run for governor in 2010.

* And in the state of Vermont, there's no real indication that Gov. Jim Douglas (R) plans to challenge Sen. Pat Leahy (D) next year, but a Research 2000 poll should discourage Douglas from even thinking about it -- Leahy leads in a hypothetical match-up by 22 points.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Ted Kennedy's condition has apparently improved this afternoon. Bob Byrd, meanwhile, did not fall ill, as previous reports had indicated.

* Unfortunately, Wall Street did not partake in celebrating the Obama inauguration, and the markets took a serious tumble this afternoon.

* The Senate unanimously approved the cabinet nominations of Secretaries Chu, Duncan, Napolitano, Salazar, Shinseki, and Vilsack today. OMB Director Peter Orszag was also approved.

* On a related note, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) decided to celebrate the first day of the new political era by blocking a vote on Hillary Clinton's nomination to be Secretary of State. She's expected to be approved tomorrow.

* On a related note, right-wing Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) helped usher in a new political era by boycotting a Capitol Hill reception for Iowa's congressional delegation. Both of Iowa's senators and four of its five representatives will attend, but King is refusing, citing his "philosophical" problems with the new president.

* It's incredible, but Bush really has left.

* There's supposed to be a welcome-home celebration for Bush this afternoon in Midland, Texas. Good seats are still available.

* The president's new limo includes some pretty amazing features.

* No word yet on whether Bush issued any pardons this morning.

* CNN is still screwing up reports on the cost of the Obama inauguration.

* On the Hill today, Obama reportedly signed three documents: a proclamation declaring today a day of national renewal and reconciliation (a recent presidential tradition), cabinet nominations, and sub-cabinet nominations. As he signed his name, Obama said, "I'm a lefty. Get used to it." (For the record, Reagan, H.W. Bush, and Clinton were also left-handed.)

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* New York Gov. David Paterson has kinda sorta decided who he'll pick to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate, saying he has "a good idea now which direction" he'll go in. Rumor has it, we'll hear something on Friday.

* Norm Coleman's lawyers still want more absentee ballots counted.

* A new poll shows the 2010 Senate race in Florida, where incumbent Mel Martinez (R) has announced his retirement at the end of his term, to be wide open.

* Similarly, the 2010 Senate race in Ohio, where incumbent George Voinovich (R) has announced his retirement at the end of his term, also has no clear frontrunner, though former Bush administration official Rob Portman (R) appears to have the early edge.

* Fox News' Sean Hannity has not only endorsed Michael Steele's bid for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee, he's also begun campaigning for the former Maryland Lt. Gov.

* And finally, it appears actor Val Kilmer is considering a gubernatorial campaign in New Mexico at the end of Bill Richardson's term. He told The Hill on Monday that "they've asked me to run for governor," though he didn't say who "they are." It's also unclear what party's nomination he would seek -- Kilmer supported Nader over Obama in 2008.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Hillary Clinton was confirmed by the Senate as the new Secretary of State. The final vote was 94 to 2, with far-right Sens. Vitter and DeMint in opposition.

* Around the same time, Senate Republicans delayed consideration of soon-to-be Attorney General Eric Holder by a week.

* It was an unusually good day on Wall Street today, with the Dow closing up 279 points, and the other major indexes finishing up over 4% each.

* Israel believes all of its troops have been withdrawn from Gaza, following the three-week military offensive.

* I'm pleased to see Teddy Kennedy has been released from the hospital after yesterday's seizure.

* Bush largely avoided the Middle East peace process. On his first day on the job, Obama signaled a far more engaged commitment: "This morning, the President placed phone calls to four Middle Eastern leaders: President Mubarak of Egypt, Prime Minister Olmert of Israel, King Abdullah of Jordan, and President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority."

* According to the first press release from the new White House press operation, President Obama "arrived in the Oval Office" at 8:35 a.m., and "spent 10 minutes alone in the office." I can't say I blame him.

* Obama was photographed today at his Oval Office desk with a shirt and tie, but no jacket. Apparently, that was a major no-no for Bush.

* David Iglesias, the purged U.S. Attorney from New Mexico, will be prosecuting Guantanamo detainees, at the direction of Susan Crawford, who runs the Office of Military Commissions.

* Nice to see Neal Katyal join the Obama administration as the deputy solicitor general.

* Quite an impressive montage of newspaper front-pages.

* On a related note, I think I know how to solve the newspaper industry crisis: keep hoping for more major Obama-related events.

* More than 10 envelopes containing an "unknown white powder" were sent to the Wall Street Journal today, prompting an evacuation.

* A whole lot of people tuned in to watch Obama's inauguration. The Nielsen numbers do not, of course, include those who watched online. (More than 21 million people saw the event on just CNN's site.)

* Care to guess which was the only network to air Bush's homecoming event live? I'll give you a hint: it rhymes with "Pox Lews."

* It sounds like the actor who played Starbuck on the original "Battlestar Galactica" is a bit of a nut.

* Joe Biden joked about John Roberts' memory today, when administering the oath of office to senior White House aides. Obama apparently didn't want to talk about it.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Norm Coleman still thinks he'll eventually get his Senate seat back, but just in case he doesn't, Coleman has taken a job with the Republican Jewish Coalition.

* On a related note, Senate Democrats are moving forward with a plan to bring Al Franken into the Senate. "We're going to try to seat Al Franken," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters Wednesday.

* Is Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) the new front-runner to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate?

* South Carolina GOP chairman Katon Dawson, currently running to be chairman of the Republican National Committee, apparently got involved in politics because he opposed busing in the 1960s.

* Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (D) will likely face former Rep. John Kasich (R) in 2010, but early polling seems to favor the incumbent.

* And in Virginia, Democratic consultant Joe Trippi has signed on with Brian Moran's gubernatorial campaign, which means he'll be going up against Terry McAuliffe once again. I get the sense that Trippi is looking forward to it: "Like Obama, Brian Moran embraces a politics powered by the people, empowering supporters, not relying on millions of high-dollar donations and the status-quo party establishment."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The roller-coaster ride on Wall Street continues, with another downturn today.

* The Senate Finance Committee approved Tim Geithner's nomination today.

* Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) opposed Geithner, but ended up attacking the nominee for a failure Grassley himself is guilty of.

* As expected, George Mitchell was introduced today as Obama's special envoy to the Middle East, while former ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke will serve as a special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

* Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin isn't allowing William Lynn's nomination to move forward. Lynn, a former lobbyist for a military contractor, is looking to become the #2 man at the Pentagon.

* Antarctica is warming, but we've got some work to do before Americans fully appreciate the problem.

* Dick Cheney's disappointed that Bush didn't pardon Scooter Libby. Seriously.

* Why did Caroline Kennedy really withdraw from Senate consideration? It may have had something to do with taxes and household employee issues.

* This year's anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we have a president who supports existing law.

* Olbermann's a hit at 8 pm, Maddow's gold at 9 pm, so MSNBC wants to keep line-up going with a similar show at 10 pm. I'm thinking, "Political Animal, with Steve Benen...."

* It's great to see Greg Sargent back, blogging away.

* Do you ever get the sense that Limbaugh is trying to be repulsive?

* The new White House staff is very tech savvy, but their offices aren't. "It is kind of like going from an Xbox to an Atari," spokesman Bill Burton said.

* The Child Online Protection Act has died a quiet death.

* If you watched Obama's inaugural address in China, you missed a few sentences the Chinese government didn't want people to hear.

* The new "Funny or Die" video has an amazing supporting cast. How'd they get all of those folks?

* And finally, to the new president's relief, he will be able to keep his Blackberry after all.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand's (D) selection as New York's new senator has pushed a whole lot of dominoes in the Empire State and "appears to have thrown the state's political scene into a free-for-all."

* As expected, even before taking office, Gillibrand seems to already be shifting to the left. The first issue is gay rights, on which Gillibrand has been anything but a progressive ally.

* A special three-judge panel rejected Al Franken's request that Norm Coleman's latest lawsuit be dismissed.

* Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D), a close friend to Barack Obama, has begun taking steps toward challenging Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) in a 2010 Democratic primary.

* Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) for president? John McCain raised the possibility last night.

* I knew Obama was popular, but I didn't expect him to have 60% approval ratings in very "red" states like Texas and Tennessee.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* As expected, the global-gag rule is no more, at least until there's another Republican in the White House.

* The U.S. bombing campaign against al Qaeda leadership in Pakistan continued today, and among those killed may be a leading al Qaeda member.

* Just think, the stimulus package could be a whole lot smaller, if only Republicans had agreed to address the crisis last fall.

* Senate Republicans are blocking Labor Secretary-designate Hilda Solis, too.

* Have I mentioned how thrilled I am about the new team at the Justice Department? It keeps getting better.

* There's something deeply wrong with Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa).

* Visitors have been denied access to the top of the Statue of Liberty since 9/11, but the Obama administration apparently intends to open the monument back up.

* Just how many people showed up for Obama's inauguration? It looks like officials are going with 1.8 million, which would easily set a record for presidential events.

* Good piece on "Get Afghanistan Right."

* It won't literally be a State of the Union address, but Obama will deliver its equivalent sometime in February.

* Republican Joseph Bruno, the former Majority Leader of the New York State Senate, was indicted today on eight counts of public corruption.

* Bush "burrowers" are going to be a problem for years.

* I'd heard that Obama got testy with a reporter during a friendly visit to the White House briefing room, but I've watched the video. If that's Obama annoyed, it's pretty mild.

* Impeached Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is refusing to partake in the Senate trial against him.

* And speaking of Blagojevich, he believes his arrest is analogous to the attacks on Pearl Harbor. There's something wrong with that guy.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A trial will kick off in St. Paul today, with a three-judge panel hearing Norm Coleman's (R) latest complaint challenging his defeat in Minnesota.

* A Quinnipiac poll in New York shows that most voters in the state aren't especially familiar with newly-appointed Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D).

* Four years ago, then-state Sen. Daniel Mongiardo (D) nearly defeated U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning (R) in Kentucky. In 2010, now-Lt. Gov. Mongiardo wants a rematch, and announced his Senate campaign this morning.

* Former DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe unveiled his first television ad this morning, as part of his gubernatorial campaign in Virginia. It uses the word "job" a lot.

* Club for Growth president Pat Toomey, who challenged Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) in a GOP primary four years ago, will not seek a re-match in 2010. That's no doubt good news for Specter, but that doesn't mean he won't face some other Republican opponent.

* There's already a big field of candidates hoping to fill the vacancy in Sen. Gillibrand's House seat. Republican officials expect it to be an easy pick-up.

* It's mostly behind the scenes, but some Republicans are already positioning themselves for the 2012 presidential race. The latest is former Idaho governor and senator Dirk Kempthorne, who has reportedly "begun to reach out to allies gauge their opinion about whether he should run for President in 2012."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Brutal news on the job market today, with six major corporations announcing combined layoffs of over 68,000 people.

* Two military helicopters crashed in Iraq today, killing four U.S. service members.

* Congress is poised to give the Federal Reserve significant new powers to regulate the financial system.

* Roadside bomb attacks in Afghanistan hit a record in 2008, and increased 45% over the year before. The result was 161 fatalities among coalition troops -- double 2007.

* This is Fox News at its most destructive and irresponsible.

* Drew Westen makes the case for a new narrative to replace the "government is the problem" meme.

* Obama still intends to ban weapons in space. (via Blue Girl)

* On Google Maps, the Vice President's home will no longer be blurred.

* Althouse has a habit of writing very silly things.

* Robert Reich doesn't like it when the usual right-wing blowhards lie about his beliefs.

* It's very cool that Lisa Heinzerling is joining the EPA to advise Lisa Jackson on climate change.

* I'm sorry to see Dr. Larry Altman retire.

* The Washington Post's Fred Hiatt believes Bill Kristol is a "very smart" person who "wrote a good column" for the New York Times. Maybe he's thinking of a different Bill Kristol.

* Putting Guantanamo Bay detainees in Alcatraz is a very bad idea.

* When Bill Bennett starts disagreeing with him publicly, you know Rush Limbaugh has gone completely over the edge.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Norm Coleman's lawsuit got off to a bad start yesterday in Minnesota: "It's not a good day when the court throws out your evidence and tells your legal team to submit it all over again."

* The race for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee is getting increasingly ugly. Some anonymous activists sent around a parodied USA Today cover, mocking the reactions if South Carolina GOP chair Katon Dawson wins the contest. One grammatically-challenged headline read, "RNC Chooses White's Only Chairman." Dawson rival Michael Steele, meanwhile, is under attack from the religious right.

* As expected, Florida state senator Dan Gelber (D) announced yesterday that he will run for the U.S. Senate in 2010. He's the second Democrat to enter the open-seat contest, following Rep. Kendrick Meek.

* Despite pressure from his Republican colleagues to retire, Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning (R) said yesterday that he intends to run for re-election. In the same conversation, Bunning had no idea that Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo (D) had already announced his campaign against him, saying, "I've been very busy."

* Former President Bill Clinton hosted a fundraiser last week for Terry McAuliffe's gubernatorial campaign in Virginia.

* Colorado Attorney General John Suthers (R) was widely expected to be a leading candidate for the Senate in 2010, but he announced yesterday that he's not running. Former Rep. Scott McInnis (R) will also skip the race, though he's likely to run for governor.

* Kirsten Gillibrand will be sworn in as New York's junior senator in about a half-hour. She has already begun campaigning for her 2010 race.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The "truce" in Gaza is already looking shaky, in light a Palestinian roadside bomb that killed an Israeli today, which sparked an Israeli "airstrike that wounded a Hamas militant."

* No brainer: "The Treasury secretary, Timothy F. Geithner, announced on Tuesday that he would crack down on lobbying to influence the $700 billion financial bailout program by the companies that are receiving billions in taxpayer funds."

* Speaking of which, Geithner was confirmed late yesterday, following a 60-34 vote. The Democrats (Harkin, Feingold, and Byrd) voted against him, as did one of the independents (Sanders) caucusing with the Dems.

* Climate researcher Susan Solomon, of the NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory, believes "many damaging effects of climate change are already largely irreversible." Solomon explained, "People have imagined that if we stopped emitting carbon dioxide the climate would go back to normal in 100 years, 200 years; that's not true."

* The Lily Ledbetter measure is headed to the White House for the president's signature.

* Al-Arabiya's Hisham Melhem thinks it makes sense for al Qaeda to be "nervous" about Barack Obama.

* Surprise, House Republicans not only fail to negotiate in good faith, but they also fail to maintain any kind of ideological consistency.

* Thanks to still more Republican objections, progress on S-CHIP has stalled once again.

* CNN's Ed Henry is confused about why the CBO incomplete "report" on the stimulus became controversial.

* The digital TV deadline has been extended to the summer.

* Congressional Republicans may not like Obama, but they do want their picture taken with him.

* Defense Secretary Bob Gates sets the record straight on Guantanamo detainee recidivism numbers.

* Is the far-right still repeating ACORN nonsense? Yep.

* Fox News' ridiculous "report" in Murtha's district on Guantanamo detainees was wrong on so many levels.

* Glenn Greenwald 1, Richard Cohen 0.

* R.I.P., John Updike.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Let's just say Norm Coleman's legal strategy is off to a very bad start in the latest court hearings in Minnesota.

* Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) went after his Kentucky colleague, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, yesterday. On a conference call with in-state reporters, Bunning blasted McConnell for having said he's unsure whether Bunning will seek re-election.

* Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) realizes that his new colleague, Kirsten Gillibrand, is known for having a record that's pretty conservative for a Democrat, but he's confident that "her views will evolve" as a senator.

* Speaking of Gillibrand, her 2010 ambitions got a boost this morning when she was endorsed by EMILY's List, a move that may discourage a primary challenge from Rep. Carolyn McCarthy.

* In the race to replace Gillibrand, Republicans will run New York Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, a decision made yesterday by 10 Republican county chairs in the district.

* Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio (D) is considering a run for the Senate in 2010.

* The National Republican Senatorial Committee has already started advertising against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in Nevada.

* Rep. Jerry Moran (R) appears to be the frontrunner in Kansas' open-seat Senate race next year. A poll from Public Opinion Strategies shows him leading fellow Rep. Todd Tiahrt in a GOP primary, 41% to 25%.

* Republicans have suffered quite a bit at the ballot box lately, but the party is nevertheless optimistic about 2010 redistricting.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Al Gore warned the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today that the planet is facing a "grave danger."

* The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Eric Holder's nomination, 17 to 2. Only Sens. Coburn and Cornyn voted against him.

* Speaking of Holder, Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.), vice-chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Holder assured him that he wouldn't prosecute Bush administration officials who committed acts of torture. No one seems to think Bond is telling the truth.

* For a change, it was a good day on Wall Street.

* Don't be too surprised if mail delivery on Saturdays becomes a thing of the past.

* Funding for repairs to the Washington Mall were stripped from the stimulus bill to make Republicans happy. They'll vote against the bill anyway, though.

* On a related note, despite the concessions, the Congressional Progressive Caucus has plenty to like about the final House bill.

* Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is looking for a U.S. "apology." He'll be waiting for a while.

* The American Society of Civil Engineers have a pretty scary new report: "More than a quarter of the nation's bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Leaky pipes lose an estimated seven billion gallons of clean drinking water every day. And aging sewage systems send billions of gallons of untreated wastewater cascading into the nation's waterways each year."

* Education is likely to get a huge boost from the stimulus.

* Have I mentioned lately how impressed I am with the new Justice Department team? It keeps getting better.

* In case this afternoon's written apology wasn't quite pathetic enough, Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) called Limbaugh personally this afternoon to express his regrets -- on the air -- for subtly criticizing him yesterday.

* Speaking of Limbaugh, here's Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.), responding to some of the blowhard's latest nonsense: "Limbaugh actually was more lucid when he was a drug addict. If America ever did 1% of what he wanted us to do, then we'd all need pain killers."

* So long, Washington Post "Book World" section.

* And finally, President Obama gave his new hometown of D.C. some good-natured ribbing this afternoon for practically shutting down every time a winter storm comes through: "We are going to have to apply some toughness to this town." As someone who moved from D.C. to Vermont, I can only agree enthusiastically.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Sarah Palin said her new leadership PAC shouldn't necessarily be interpreted as the first step towards a presidential campaign.

* In Florida, Rep. Allen Boyd (D) announced that he won't run for the Senate next year. In a bit of a surprise, state Attorney General Bill McCollum (R), who's run for the Senate twice, also said yesterday he'd skip the open-seat contest.

* Brian Moran's (D) gubernatorial campaign in Virginia got a boost yesterday with an endorsement from Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones, former chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus.

* Rep. Peter King (R) plans to run for the Senate in New York next year, but according to a new Marist poll, he'll start as a serious underdog to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D).

* NRSC Chairman John Cornyn (R-Texas) really doesn't want Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) to seek re-election next year.

* Might Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) be gearing up for a Senate campaign against Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) next year? Maybe.

* There are some caveats to the data, but Gallup's latest report on 2008 has to be discouraging for the GOP: "[J]ust five states, collectively containing about 2 percent of the American population, have statistically significant pluralities of adults identifying themselves as Republicans. These are the 'Mormon Belt' states of Utah, Idaho and Wyoming, plus Nebraska, plus Alaska. By contrast, 35 states are plurality Democratic, and 10 states are too close to call."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The President signed the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law today, the first measure to get his signature.

* The president ripped Wall Street for $18 billion in bonuses last year in the midst of a market collapse. Obama called it "the height of irresponsibility" and "shameful."

* Multiple corporations announced thousands of additional layoffs today. The news comes as more Americans receive unemployment benefits than at any time since the government started keeping track in 1967.

* It was a rough day on Wall Street, with the major indexes falling about 3% each.

* Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) made his case to state senators today, asking them not to remove him from office.

* Blackwater will no longer be welcome in Iraq.

* The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced yesterday that union membership "rose last year by the largest amount in a quarter-century, a gain of 428,000 members."

* John Yoo continues to embarrass himself.

* The suicide rate among U.S. troops keeps getting worse.

* Dennis Blair was confirmed last night by unanimous consent as the new Director of National Intelligence.

* O'Reilly and Dennis Miller think torture is hilarious. No wonder Miller has been kicked out of so many jobs.

* The truth about food stamps matters.

* And the president goes out on a limb and picks a favorite for the Super Bowl.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The newly-created Organizing for America, an outgrowth of the Obama presidential campaign, is taking on its first project: rallying support for the president's economic stimulus package.

* The process of picking the next chairman of the Republican National Committee is already underway in D.C. With several top-tier candidates, and a minimum number of 85 votes to win, there will likely be several hours of balloting.

* One candidate who won't be in the mix is Chip Saltsman, the former Tennessee Republican chairman and former campaign manager for Mike Huckabee. Saltsman, who gained national notoriety for distributing a holiday CD featuring "Barack the Magic Negro," withdrew from consideration yesterday.

* Former Rep. Bill Sali lost his re-election bid last year, despite running in one of the most conservative districts in the country. The notion that he appears to be stark raving mad seemed to factor into his defeat. Yesterday, Sali filed for a re-match, hoping to once again take on Rep. Walt Minnick (D-Idaho). Sali will likely face a few primary opponents.

* Despite rumors to the contrary, Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-Tenn.) announced yesterday that he's not running for governor next year.

* If Judd Gregg leaves the Senate to join Obama's cabinet, who would New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch (D) choose to replace him? There's some talk that former Gov. Walter Peterson, a liberal Republican, would be among the leading candidates, though he probably wouldn't seek re-election.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Another rough day on Wall Street, with the major indexes closing down about 2% each.

* Following the news about $18 billion in Wall Street bonuses last year, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) suggested a salary cap for employees of any company that accepts federal bailout money. "We have a bunch of idiots on Wall Street that are kicking sand in the face of the American taxpayer," McCaskill said on the Senate floor. "They don't get it. These people are idiots."

* Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) believes the stimulus package will get 60 votes, though conservative Democrats continue to cause heartburn.

* Nice soundbite: new Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn vows to "fumigate state government."

* Despite the economic crisis, ExxonMobil reported an annual profit last year of $45.2 billion. It's the biggest profit any American company has ever had.

* Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) publicly confirmed today that he's under consideration to be the next Commerce Secretary.

* On a related note, Senate Republicans are really desperate to keep Gregg around. National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn was asked today what he'd offer Gregg to stay in the Senate. "I would say whatever it is, name it," Cornyn replied.

* Judd Legum has five interesting facts about newly-elected RNC Chairman Michael Steele.

* Why do House Republicans oppose tax cuts in the Democratic plan, and support tax increases in the GOP plan?

* I'm delighted to see Howard Kurtz take my side against Mark Halperin's argument about Obama and the stimulus.

* New EFCA ads have the media in mind.

* The Bush/Rove "executive privilege" claim isn't exactly compelling.

* Glenn Beck's ratings on CNN Headline News were so weak, his largely-unknown replacement is already generating better numbers.

* Interesting article about the new president's personal style in the White House.

* And finally, a "large sculpture of one of the shoes thrown at President Bush last December by an Iraqi journalist was unveiled this week just outside an orphanage in Tikrit, Iraq -- Saddam Hussein's hometown." The status was intended to honor the "heroic action" of Muntadhar al-Zeidi. Not surprisingly, government officials made the orphanage director take it down.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Even now, Senate Democrats are still making concessions, in the hopes of making Republican lawmakers happy.

* Consumer spending, down for the sixth straight month.

* The economy gets worse, but the welfare rolls get cut: "The trends, based on an analysis of new state data collected by The New York Times, raise questions about how well a revamped welfare system with great state discretion is responding to growing hardships."

* Macy's is slashing 7,000 jobs.

* Nearly as interesting as the elections in Iraq over the weekend was the extent to which U.S. forces weren't needed to make them happen.

* Speaking of Iraq, a must-read article from Spencer Ackerman about the serious risks facing Iraqi translators.

* Oh my: "Despite a near collapse that required $45 billion in federal taxpayer bailout funds, Bank of America sponsored a five day carnival-like affair just outside the Super Bowl stadium this past week as President Obama decried wasteful spending on Wall St."

* Good: "Rep. Barney Frank plans to call the heads of major bailed-out banks to testify before his committee next week."

* There are a variety of problematic issues surrounding Tom Daschle's nomination. Zachary Roth offers a round-up of all of them.

* Florida's House Speaker, Republican Ray Sansom, is the latest high-profile politician to resign in the wake of corruption charges.

* Blue Girl explains the problem with the Bush administration's 11th-hour regulation making it easier for the pharmaceutical industry to promote "off-label" prescription drug uses.

* CNBC's on-air talent is looking out for "fat cats."

* Howard Kurtz thinks Dick Armey should face consequences for his on-air misogyny. I think Kurtz is right, but I'm not optimistic that anything will come of this.

* I don't know which conservative think tank convinced media figures that food stamps aren't stimulative, but it's a completely bogus talking point.

* Ben Stein was going to give the commencement address at the University of Vermont. I'm delighted to know that's no longer the case.

* Another Abramoff associate is headed to jail. How many is that now?

* Poor Joe Scarborough is so confused, he no longer knows what "socialism" means. Maybe we can chip in and buy him a remedial Poli Sci 101 textbook?

* Poor Glenn Beck is so confused, he's making up acronyms for bills he doesn't understand. (I'd chip in for the remedial Poli Sci 101 textbook, but I don't think Beck can read.)

* Pajamas Media seems to be having some financial trouble and has shut down its ad network.

* It sounds like "Celebutards" is going to be a fascinating book for right-wing readers who missed the same book the first few times it was published.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Roll Call reported yesterday that Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) is "giving serious consideration" to running for the Senate in 2010, given Sen. Mel Martinez's (R) looming retirement after one term.

* The same report noted that Martinez is thinking about stepping down before the end of his term, but the senator's office is denying this.

* Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan announced this morning that she will run for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Kit Bond (R) in 2010. Carnahan may face a Democratic primary, but at this stage, she's the likely favorite.

* Texas Gov. Rick Perry is going to face a Republican primary challenge next year from Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, so he was no doubt pleased to pick up an endorsement yesterday from Sarah Palin.

* Fundraising has picked up for the Campaign for Jobs and Recovery, which is "the group coordinating efforts by labor unions and other outside liberal groups to push Obama's stim package and target its GOP opponents." In the 48 hours after the Republicans' unanimous opposition to the plan, the group raised nearly half a million dollars.

* Norm Coleman's attorneys continue to make odd arguments in Minnesota.

* Rep. Artur Davis (D) is poised to launch a long-rumored gubernatorial campaign in Alabama.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Auto sales continue to fall off a cliff.

* Updating an earlier question, Tom Daschle has withdrawn from both HHS consideration and the White House office on healthcare reform.

* Eric Holder's first day at the Justice Department went pretty well, and he was met by "thunderous" applause from DoJ employees. (They've been waiting for a real A.G. for quite a while now.)

* Is Obama making al Qaeda nervous? Yep.

* These idiots never learn: "Wells Fargo & Co., which received $25 billion in taxpayer bailout money, is planning a series of corporate junkets to Las Vegas casinos this month."

* Now Republicans are questioning whether mass-transit investment is "stimulative." Is it me, or is the GOP getting worse as the process unfolds?

* The president met with Republican "centrists" today -- all three of them -- to discuss the stimulus package.

* Good point: "Not to second-guess the Republican strategy, but is Sen. John McCain really the best spokesman for the No On Stimulus campaign? Didn't the America people deliver him a whopping precisely because of all issues, they didn't trust his instincts on the economy?"

* Daschle is done, but the prospects for healthcare reform live on.

* William Lynn's chances of becoming Deputy Defense Secretary got a real boost yesterday.

* The coverage of the stimulus debate on "Morning Joe" has been hopelessly misguided.

* Even now, House Republicans can't bring themselves to tell the truth about CBO analyses of the recovery package.

* I was sorry to learn that Rachel Maddow is dropping her Air America Radio show, due to time constraints. She will, however, provide content for an hour-long morning program of AAR. (I'm disappointed, not just because I was an occasional guest, but because it's been a really great show.)

* The right is apparently still worked up about the residency status of the president's half-aunt.

* Bill Richardson's legal issues appear to be getting more serious.

* And finally, Obama has nominated Tammy Duckworth to be the Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Good call.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* New Hampshire's Bonnie Newman (R), who will be Judd Gregg's successor in the Senate, will not seek a full term in 2010. New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch (D) said yesterday, "Bonnie has assured me she will not run in 2010, and she will not endorse any candidates in 2010."

* On a related note, Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.) is expected to launch his campaign for the Senate this week.

* Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) will seek re-election in 2010, but has begun telling state political leaders that he will challenge Joe Lieberman in 2012.

* I've pretty much given up trying to follow the developments in Norm Coleman's lawsuit in Minnesota, but Eric Kleefeld has the latest.

* A Quinnipiac poll in New Jersey shows Gov. Jon Corzine (D) trailing his likely Republican opponent, former U.S. attorney Chris Christie, 44% to 38%.

* Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell (R) is stepping down from his post so he can focus exclusively on his gubernatorial campaign. State Rep. Brian Moran (D) recently did the same thing.

* Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (D) wants to see Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher as the Democrats' Senate nominee next year, instead of Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. "I believe Lee would be the strongest candidate if he were to choose to run," Strickland said. "I don't say that to disparage Jennifer. She would be a very strong and credible candidate."

* On a related note, a new poll shows both Fisher and Brunner leading the likely Republican candidate in Ohio, former Bush administration official Rob Portman.

* Despite rumors to the contrary, Rep. Jo Bonner (R) announced yesterday that he will not run for governor in Alabama next year.

* Barbara Comstock, known for her work as a right-wing smear artist, is running for the Virginia House of Delegates.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* As advertised: "The Obama administration outlined plans today to tighten restrictions on executive compensation for future recipients of federal aid under the government's financial rescue program, but the vast majority of firms would be able to opt out of most of the limits."

* S-CHIP is on its way to the president's desk.

* The slashing continues: "Panasonic on Wednesday said it was shedding 15,000 jobs, the second significant layoff in Japan's electronics industry in less than a week."

* The Senate easily passed an $11.5 billion amendment to the stimulus package to "provide tax breaks to spur new auto purchases."

* Salazar gets to work: "Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is canceling oil and gas leases on 77 parcels of federal land in Utah, according to sources familiar with the decision, ending a fierce battle over whether to allow energy exploration in the environmentally sensitive area."

* Conservative Republican senators have shut down Hilda Solis' nomination as Labor Secretary for the indefinite future. An acting secretary was named today.

* The House hearings on Madoff generated plenty of fascinating moments.

* The digital TV deadline will be delayed until June.

* Mitt Romney won't be HHS Secretary. Neither will Tom Harkin.

* A former Judd Gregg aide received gifts from Jack Abramoff.

* The AP's sloppy accusations were common during the campaign, and they continue after the inauguration.

* John Cole: "Our media is simply failing us. Why have they not asked the Republicans how tax cuts are going to provide jobs? Why are they not laughing openly when the Republicans bring up capital gains tax cuts as part of a stimulus package? Why are they not asking the Republicans to explain how infrastructure spending is not stimulus?"

* When the recession, Mexico, and Glenn Beck's unhinged conspiracy theories collide.

* No exit strategy in Afghanistan.

* Yesterday's developments notwithstanding, tax troubles can be bipartisan.

* Dick Morris? Ethics problems? You don't say.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The employment picture continues to look rather abysmal.

* Leon Panetta said exactly what needed to be said during his CIA confirmation hearing today.

* There's been some conflicting reports today about whether Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) is sticking to his misguided cuts in the stimulus package. Based on the most recent update, Nelson isn't backing down -- even though he should be. The negotiations, meanwhile, remain touch and go.

* If Hilda Solis' husband had been nominated for the cabinet, this delay might make sense. But as it stands, this is completely unjustified.

* In case you missed it, Obama signed the S-CHIP measure into law late yesterday.

* Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) had some encouraging things to say about getting healthcare done this year.

* Blue Dogs are capable of doing some meaningful and lasting damage to the country.

* The federal grand jury probe into the U.S. Attorney purge scandal has begun to focus on retired Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.)

* Retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni had an unpleasant experience while under consideration for the job of U.S. ambassador to Iraq. The administration still hopes, however, to bring him into the fold.

* ABC News' report on presidential perks was pretty ridiculous.

* The right's ability to play fast and loose with CBO reports knows no bounds.

* Republicans are are not at all happy about Judd Gregg losing control over the census.

* Brace yourself for a new round of "Fairness Doctrine" panic.

* House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-Calif.) plans to bring up the Employee Free Choice Act "soon."

* And on a related note, Fox News' Glenn Beck believes his bizarre rants on EFCA might lead unions to kill him. What a strange man.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Now that Michael Steele is the chairman of the Republican National Committee, he's laying off almost the entire RNC staff and will start from scratch.

* A Rasmussen poll shows Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell (R) with single-digit leads over his Democratic rivals in this year's gubernatorial race. The most competitive Democrat, according to the poll, is former state Delegate Brian Moran, who trails McDonnell by three, 39% to 36%.

* A new Research 2000 poll shows Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) narrowly leading his two most likely Democratic opponents, Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo and Rep. Ben Chandler, 46% to 42%. With Bunning under 50%, the pressure on Bunning to retire is bound to get more intense.

* Former Republican Sen. Mike DeWine, who lost his re-election bid in 2006 to Sherrod Brown, is planning to run for statewide office in 2010. It's unclear which office he'll seek.

* Speaking of Ohio, former Rep. Steve Chabot (R), who lost in 2008, is seeking a rematch against Rep. Steve Driehaus (D).

* Rep. Jim Gerlach (R) is apparently gearing up to run for governor in Pennsylvania next year.

* After an awkward stint as an ineffective surrogate for John McCain, former eBay HP CEO Carly Fiorina is thinking about challenging Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) next year.

* And former Sen. Bob Smith (R-N.H.) is thinking about running for the Senate again, but this time, he'd do so in Florida, where he's been selling real estate.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* A surprisingly good day on Wall Street. Apparently, investors have more confidence in the Senate than I do.

* Speaking of Wall Street, they appear to owe us about $78 billion.

* President Obama will hit the road next week, traveling to Indiana and Florida in support of his economic stimulus package.

* The Supreme Court's next session begins in two weeks, and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg plans to be there.

* Speaker Pelosi is not at all pleased with some of the Senate's cuts to the stimulus bill. I don't blame her.

* Obama "guaranteed" that he will sign an executive order overturning Bush's ridiculous policy on embryonic stem cells. He added, however, that he wants to coordinate with Congress, so that lawmakers codify his order, making it harder for future presidents to reverse the progress.

* Labor is getting more than a little tired of Republicans blocking Hilda Solis' cabinet nomination. On a related note, GOP demands relating to Solis are so absurd, they're hard to believe.

* The Bush administration's "burrowing" will be a serious problem for a quite a while.

* Leon Panetta has made some very encouraging comments about torture and national security policies, but he also said he's not inclined to support prosecution of CIA interrogators.

* I've been wondering the same thing the last several days: "Shouldn't Obama have made a much bigger plan, say $1.3 trillion, his opening gambit? If he had, he could have conceded to the centrists by cutting it to $1.2 trillion, and still have had a plan with a good chance of really controlling this slump. Instead he made preemptive concessions, only to find the centrists demanding another pound of flesh as proof of their centrist power."

* Olbermann's latest "special comment" considers Dick Cheney's new round of demagoguery.

* Shouldn't Goodyear, at this point, go back and restore Lilly Ledbetter's pension?

* I'd love to see Sam Seder get the 10pm gig at MSNBC. I could just Tivo MSNBC from 8 to 11 and be both happy and well-informed.

* And finally, I didn't realize that Sarah Palin named one of her children after the ESPN headquarters. She explained this week that she wanted to be an ESPN journalist at one point. "Until I learned that you'd have to move to Bristol, Connecticut. It was far away," Palin said. "So instead, I had a daughter and named her Bristol."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The newly-elected chairman of the Republican National Committee, Michael Steele, is already facing his first scandal, with new evidence of suspicious expenditures from his 2006 Senate campaign in Maryland. Steele has denied wrongdoing and vowed to cooperate with FBI investigators.

* The Democratic primary in Virginia's gubernatorial race is already heating up, with former House member Brian Moran taking a few veiled rhetorical shots at former DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe at a Jefferson-Jackson dinner on Saturday.

* In Florida, Rep. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.), who recently announced that he isn't running for the Senate, will face a primary challenge this year from state Sen. Al Lawson. Boyd is a "Blue-Dog" Democrat, and was the only House Dem to support Bush's Social Security scheme in 2005.

* We don't yet know Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' (D) career plans, and she's reportedly a leading candidate to be the next HHS Secretary. But if she decides to run for the Senate next year in her home state, she'd enter the race as the frontrunner.

* Norm Coleman may keep his appeals going in Minnesota for a very long time.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Why the stimulus is too small.

* Nissan is slashing 20,000 jobs.

* Joe Biden's remarks over the weekend at a security conference in Munich were well received by Russian officials.

* The fires in Australia are just brutal.

* Now here's a provocative idea from a "Political Animal" regular: marijuana legalization as an economic stimulus?

* When Michael Steele complains about "bling, bling" in the stimulus bill, you know he's trying a little too hard.

* In addition to taking policy advice from "Joe the Plumber," Republicans are now taking communications advice from Michelle Malkin.

* Despite some reports to the contrary, it appears Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) had a good reason for turning down Obama's Air Force One invitation.

* John Thain, please stop talking.

* Owen West, a Marine vet who served two tours in Iraq, makes the case for ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

* The Senate bill could be improved quickly and effectively by dropping the AMT patch.

* The media's coverage of the stimulus debate has been pretty painful.

* Marc Ambinder ponders what a "depression" actually is.

* Congratulations to Jesse Lee, the new White House Online Programs Director.

* It's encouraging to see that there will be at least one openly-gay person on the White House's policy council of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

* Something seems to have gone terribly wrong with the Council on Foreign Relations.

* I wonder what the holidays are like at Woodhouse family gatherings.

* And finally, it appears Ann Coulter is under investigation for voting irregularities.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* As was expected, former eBay CEO Meg Whitman kicked off her Republican gubernatorial campaign in California yesterday, formally launching an exploratory committee. She will likely face state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner in a GOP primary.

* Speaking of exploratory committees, Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D) got his Senate campaign underway yesterday. Fisher will enjoy the support of Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (D).

* And speaking of Strickland, a couple of high-profile Republicans are lining up to challenge the governor in 2010, but the latest Quinnipiac poll shows the incumbent with a huge edge.

* Is MSNBC host Joe Scarborough mulling over a Senate campaign in Florida next year? That's the rumor.

* Colorado's newly-appointed Sen. Michael Bennet (D) is apparently still struggling a little to introduce himself to voters who don't yet recognize him. He'll need to work on that -- Andrew Romanoff, the well-known former Speaker of the Colorado House, is mulling a primary challenge.

* It's bound to be a large Democratic field, but Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) has drawn his first of many challengers: Joe Torsella, a former president of the National Constitution Center and the current chairman of the State Board of Education, formed an exploratory committee yesterday.

* Remember Tennessee state House Speaker Kent Williams? The Republican who pulled a fast one on his GOP colleagues and became Speaker with the help of Democrats? Williams has been formally kicked out of the Republican Party for his actions.

* If Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) is thinking about possibly running for the Senate, he shouldn't pick fights with the Democratic congressional leadership.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* There hasn't been a day this ugly on Wall Street in a while.

* Netanyahu was ahead in the polls, but it looks like the Kadima Party has edged the Likud Party in Israeli elections.

* Good: "The Obama administration on Tuesday overturned another Bush-era energy policy, setting aside a draft plan to allow drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts."

* The Senate "centrists" are wedded to their version of the stimulus package, but House Democrats are planning to fight for the changes they believe are necessary.

* On a related note, here's a good look at the difference between the two stimulus bills.

* Sarah Palin's Trooper-gate scandal gets a little more interesting.

* Attorney General Eric Holder has "ordered a review of all claims of state secrets, which were used under the Bush administration to shield controversial antiterrorism programs from lawsuits."

* It's odd the Bush gang didn't put the right-wing male escort in "Siberia."

* The Club for Growth believes supporting the stimulus bill is "treason." Those folks really aren't well.

* Some days, the over-the-top mendacity from clowns like Limbaugh is more frustrating than other days.

* Joe Scarborough considered the possibility this morning that he doesn't know what he's talking about.

* I've seen Jon Stewart humiliate Bill O'Reilly on a few occasions, but this has to be one of the more impressive take-downs of all time.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Al Franken is on the Hill today for a two-day visit aimed at "preparing him for the Senate, both in terms of policy and in terms of familiarizing himself with the institution of the Senate and how it operates." Norm Coleman's legal efforts, meanwhile, are not letting up.

* John McCain formally announced yesterday that he will seek a fifth Senate term next year.

* Sarah Palin, after having agreed to headline CPAC this year, announced yesterday that she will skip the far-right conference. She cited "duties of governing," but since that's unlikely to be true, many are wondering what the real reason is for Palin's cancellation.

* Former Sen. Jim Talent (R) has decided not to mount a comeback and will skip Missouri's Senate race next year.

* The Quinnipiac poll showing Joe Lieberman struggling in Connecticut also showed Sen. Chris Dodd (D) looking pretty vulnerable. The poll found 51% of voters in the state who aren't inclined to re-elect Dodd, presumably stemming from controversies surrounding his mortgage. Dodd may face former Rep. Rob Simmons (R), who could make the race competitive.

* Tom Schieffer, who served as U.S. Ambassador to both Australia and Japan under George W. Bush, is considering a gubernatorial campaign in Texas -- as a Democrat. Schieffer said this week that he's always been a Dem, and supported Barack Obama both in the primaries and in the general election.

* Justin Ruben has been named the new executive director of MoveOn.org, replacing Eli Pariser, who is poised to become the president of the organization's board of directors.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Deal or no deal? The Senate says yes; the House says maybe.

* Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) doesn't understand why a very expensive AMT fix had to be in the stimulus package. Neither do I.

* I'm pleased to see that Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen (D) will probably not be the Obama administration's Secretary of HHS.

* U.S. banking leaders told the House Financial Services Committee that they're not humiliating failures, guilty of widespread mismanagement. Zachary Roth had some good coverage of the hearings today.

* When is a "bonus" not a "bonus"? When it's given out by Morgan Stanley.

* Disasters: tornadoes in Oklahoma, earthquake in Indonesia, and brushfires in Australia.

* The Senate Intelligence Committee unanimously approved Leon Panetta as the next director of the CIA. Confirmation may come as early as this evening.

* President Obama will reportedly nominate Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske to be director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

* Defense Secretary Robert Gates is open to allowing the media to photograph flag-draped coffins of fallen soldiers as they return to the United States. It would be a good move.

* In light of the profanity-laced video his office distributed this morning, it's hilarious that House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is an anti-obscenity crusader.

* A Senate committee voted 11 to 1 today to give the District of Columbia a voting seat in the House. The lone dissenter was John McCain, who offered a pretty foolish defense.

* Interesting: "Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy and White House Chief Counsel Greg Craig discussed on Tuesday the Senator's proposal to set up a truth and reconciliation commission to investigate potential crimes of the Bush administration." The two agreed to "talk further."

* Godwin watch: the far-right Washington Times ran an editorial today comparing healthcare modernization to Nazism. Seriously.

* Judicial term limits strike me as eminently reasonable.

* Just three weeks after Inauguration Day, a fairly prominent right-wing blogger has described President Obama as "one of the worst Presidents in American history."

* On a related note, did you hear about the prominent right-wing website promoting a conspiracy theory that Barack Obama is a Soviet spy? Symptoms of Obama Derangement Syndrome apparently include bursts of creativity.

* The "kidnapping capital" of the United States is ... Phoenix, Arizona?

* 50 million people tuned in to Obama's first press conference? That seems like a lot.

* And congratulations to Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) for becoming the longest-serving House member in American history.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) has been tapped for a high-profile gig: giving the Republican response to President Obama's speech before a joint session of Congress on Feb. 24. Jindal has been rumored as a likely presidential candidate in 2012.

* New York Gov. David Paterson (D) announced yesterday that there will be a special election for Kirsten Gillibrand's vacant House seat on March 31.

* Speaking of Gillibrand's vacant House seat, Democrat Scott Murphy, hoping to succeed Gillibrand, has already launched an ad campaign. Murphy, who will face off against Republican James Tedisco, has already spent nearly $250,000 of his own money on the campaign.

* A Quinnipiac poll found that Republican Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania is, as expected, vulnerable in his re-election bid next year. The poll shows 43% said Specter doesn't deserve another term, while 40% said he does. Oddly enough, Specter enjoys more support from Pennsylvania Democrats than Pennsylvania Republicans.

* Democratic Sen. Roland Burris of Illinois is also looking shaky for 2010. A Chicago Tribune poll found only 37% of in-state voters believe Burris should seek a full term. Burris currently enjoys a 34% favorability rating, though a plurality (43%) have no opinion.

* If Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.) runs for the Senate next year, as has been long rumored, he'll enjoy a slight edge on his likely Republican opponents. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.), another possible Senate candidate, is also competitive, but does less well in hypothetical match-ups against former Sen. John Sununu and former Rep. Charlie Bass.

* If Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) decides to run for the Senate next year, a new poll shows he's be the overwhelming favorite. Part of this, though, is the result of low name recognition for the Democrats seeking the seat.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The White House statement on Judd Gregg's withdrawal strikes an irritated note: "Senator Gregg reached out to the President and offered his name for Secretary of Commerce. He was very clear throughout the interviewing process that despite past disagreements about policies, he would support, embrace, and move forward with the President's agenda.... We regret that he has had a change of heart."

* Wall Street was down all day, until a late rally.

* It was a very pleasant surprise to see U.S. retail sales jump 1% in January.

* Kabul is still badly shaken after teams of Taliban terrorists attacked three government buildings in Afghanistan yesterday.

* WaPo: "Thousands of parents who claimed that childhood vaccines had caused their children to develop autism are wrong and not entitled to federal compensation, a special court ruled today in three decisions with far-reaching implications for a bitterly fought medical controversy."

* The stimulus package has grown increasingly popular over the last week or so.

* That doesn't, however, mean that Democratic congressional leaders have handled the legislative process correctly.

* The new GOP talking point is that the stimulus package includes a $30 million project to protect the salt marsh harvest mouse in Speaker Pelosi's district. They're lying.

* The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved Hilda Solis's nomination for Labor Secretary late yesterday.

* The full Senate voted 93 to 4 yesterday to approve William Lynn as the Deputy Defense Secretary.

* I was glad to see House lawmakers humiliate Stew Parnell yesterday, "the man whose peanut butter killed eight people and sickened 550 more," but it's not enough.

* NPR seems to be embarrassed by Juan Williams.

* Behold Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-S.C.) malleable principles.

* I don't expect much, but sometimes, the Wall Street Journal's editorial page is so absurd, it's remarkable.

* Sen. Pete Domenici's (R-N.M.) legal troubles keep getting worse.

* I'd heard rumors about corruption among state Senate Republicans in New York, but it's worse than I imagined.

* How does the Los Alamos National Lab lose 67 laptops?

* And finally, I get the sense that Media Matters scrutiny is starting to take its toll on Bill O'Reilly and Bernie Goldberg. Those two sounded pretty nutty last night.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) told reporters the DSCC will target nine races in 2010. Five are open-seat races currently held by Republicans (Florida, Ohio, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Kansas), while four are held by vulnerable GOP incumbents (Louisiana, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania).

* Judd Gregg's announcement yesterday didn't affect Rep. Paul Hodes' (D) plans in New Hampshire -- he's still running for the Senate.

* Sen. Arlen Specter's (R-Pa.) decision to support the economic stimulus plan is apparently hurting his standing with Republicans in Pennsylvania.

* Another poll shows New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) looking vulnerable in his race against former U.S. attorney Chris Christie (R) later this year.

* If Republicans hoped to take down Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) next year, they may want to lower their expectations. A new Research 2000 poll shows Dorgan with a 22-point lead over Gov. John Hoeven (R) in a hypothetical match-up (Hoeven has not said whether he'll challenge Dorgan).

* Former Bush aide Ed Gillespie announced yesterday that he'll help lead Republican Bob McDonnell's gubernatorial campaign in Virginia.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Flight 3407: "Flight recordings recovered from the scene of the Continental Airlines plane that crashed late Thursday night near Buffalo, killing 50 people, revealed that the flight crew reported significant icing on the windshield and on the leading edges of the wings as it was descending toward the airport, offering a potential cause of the fatal accident."

* It's not over: "A female suicide bomber with explosives hidden under flowing black garments blew herself up in a crowd of Shiite pilgrims including many women and children south of Baghdad on Friday, killing at least 30 people and injuring dozens more, according to initial reports from Iraqi security officials."

* The president's national intelligence director explained yesterday that the largest near-term security threat to the United States isn't terrorism -- it's the global economic crisis.

* It appears Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's cancer has not spread.

* Judd Gregg will vote against the stimulus package. Natch.

* Nationalization, please: "Some of the nation's large banks, according to economists and other finance experts, are like dead men walking. A sober assessment of the growing mountain of losses from bad bets, measured in today's marketplace, would overwhelm the value of the banks' assets, they say. The banks, in their view, are insolvent."

* House Republicans are lying about Speaker Pelosi and money for mice.

* House Republicans are lying about Speaker Pelosi and traveling to Europe.

* Marc Thiessen is struggling to tell the truth about about all sorts of things.

* John Cornyn isn't very bright.

* Rush Limbaugh hasn't heard about CTRL F.

* On a voice vote, Leon Panetta was confirmed last night as the next director of the CIA.

* I really wish the wasteful is the Alternative Minimum Tax patch had gotten more attention.

* The sooner the White House and the president's legal team addresses the state secrets issue -- and by "address," I mean "move away from Bush's policy" -- the better.

* Once in a while, corruption is so insane, it's actually hard to believe.

* And finally, the headliner for the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner will be Wanda Sykes. I'm delighted, in part because Sykes is genuinely talented, and in part because they didn't invite Rich Little again.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) can probably forget about party support, should he decide to seek a full term in 2010.

* Norm Coleman's already-remote chances took another hit late on Friday, when a three-judge panel rejected the Republican's claim about a systemic error in counting absentee ballots.

* Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), one of Congress' most notorious buffoons, is considering running for governor in 2010.

* Jeff Frederick, Virginia's Republican Party chairman, is giving up his seat in the House of Delegates. He wants his wife to succeed him in the chamber.

* Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D) is already a popular two-term incumbent, but he may go for a third term in 2010 by challenging the constitutionality of term limits. A similar court case recently struck down term limits for state lawmakers, and if Freudenthal tested the law as it relates to governors, legal experts expect he'd win.

* South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R), widely expected to run for president in 2012, took a few rhetorical shots at Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R), a possible presidential rival, yesterday. Crist, Sanford said, isn't a real "fiscal conservative."

* David Plouffe, the Obama campaign manager, conceded last week that Sarah Palin helped the Democratic effort considerably during the 2008 race. "Vice presidential picks rarely but sometimes make an electoral difference," Plouffe said. "Our view was it probably wasn't going to matter that much. It's the most over-covered story in politics. This was the one exception to that. It did have an effect. She was our best fundraiser and organizer in the fall."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The AP reports that the Pakistani government today agreed "to implement Islamic law across a large swath of northwest Pakistan on Monday in a concession aimed at pacifying a spreading Taliban insurgency." The announcement follows "talks with a pro-Taliban group from the Swat Valley, a one-time tourist haven in the northwest where extremists have gained sway through brutal tactics including beheadings and burning girls schools."

* President Obama has decided against the "car czar" idea, and will instead have Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and National Economic Council Director Lawrence Summers oversee the "Presidential Task Force on Autos."

* Obama is thinking long and hard about Afghanistan before ordering more U.S. troops into the country.

* It appears that military consultations between the United States and China will resume in a couple of weeks in Beijing.

* Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D), who promised to "fumigate" state government after the Blagojevich impeachment process, has fired the remaining staffers from the former governor's team.

* Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez successfully led an effort to eliminate term limits from the country's constitution. It suggests Chavez will be able to hold office for the indefinite future, after his second term ends in 2013.

* It's hard to overstate how messed up the budget process is in California.

* Blackwater's solution for its public relations problems? Changing its name to "Xe." Seriously.

* I'm afraid some journalists are confused about why Juan Williams' criticism of Michelle Obama sparked a controversy.

* Last week, Fox News used official Republican talking points for an on-air script. The network later apologized -- not for the incident, but for a typo. Yesterday, Howard Kurtz did a good job calling the Republican network out.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* New York Gov. David Paterson (D) is struggling badly in a new Quinnipiac poll, and would get trounced by state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo in a Democratic primary next year.

* On a related note, Quinnipiac also found that newly-appointed Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is also trailing a possible primary challenger, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy of Long Island. The good news for Gillibrand is that the Quinnipiac poll showed the senator trouncing her likely Republican opponent, Rep. Peter King, by double digits.

* Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner (D) announced that she is running for the Senate next year, hoping to fill the seat now filled by retiring Sen. George Voinovich (R). Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D) is likely to face off against Brunner in a primary, though Fisher will enjoy the support of Gov. Ted Strickland (D), who'd urged Brunner not to run.

* Rep. Kendrick Meek's (D) Senate campaign in Florida got a boost yesterday, when he won the backing of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which has considerable sway in Florida Democratic politics.

* The AP reports today that Sarah Palin's national ambitions may have to be curtailed in light of Alaska's budget problems. "Given these bad times, she's going to have a much more difficult time traveling outside Alaska," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. "When times are good, people will let their governor roam. In bad times, citizens expect their governor to stay home and work on solving the problems." Lower gas prices have apparently hit Alaska's state budget pretty hard.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Ouch: "Investors around the world are betting that even with government stimulus and bailout programs, the global recession will just have to run its course. The problems that slammed stocks last year -- ailing banks, foundering automakers, tumbling home prices and cash-strapped consumers -- haven't let up. Instead, the issues have festered, and are threatening to push U.S. stocks back to levels not seen since the late 1990s."

* Chrysler wants another $5 billion in loans. GM will likely make a request of its own fairly soon.

* President Obama has reportedly approved "an increase in U.S. forces for the flagging war in Afghanistan."

* Busted: "Federal authorities today charged a prominent Texas businessman and three of his companies with carrying out a 'massive, ongoing fraud' involving the sale of $8 billion in certificates of deposit, one of the largest alleged financial frauds in U.S. history. R. Allen Stanford and two colleagues, working through a web of firms in Houston and the Caribbean, lied to customers about how their money was being invested and how the firms' investment portfolios had performed in the past, the Securities and Exchange Commission said in a complaint."

* And guess who took a Caribbean junket on Stanford's dime?

* The Recovery.org project gets underway.

* Good move: "The Obama administration on Tuesday agreed to review whether it should regulate carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, portending a major reversal of the Bush administration's policy on global warming."

* House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) hasn't seen the Obama administration's new housing plan, but he's already knows he's opposed to it. (Note to Cantor: you probably shouldn't have spoken out against the GOP becoming the "party of 'no.'")

* I can only assume that George W. Bush gives Fred Barnes some kind of monthly stipend. No one would choose to be this big a hack for free.

* Tonight's "Frontline" special, "Inside the Meltdown," looks like it'll be a good one.

* I find The Trilogy Meter fascinating, especially the fact that the third movie so frequently seems to be the worst.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Norm Coleman's lawyer argued yesterday that the election in Minnesota was "a fatally-flawed election," and hinted that he'd like to see a court-imposed do-over.

* Americans United for Change and AFSCME have unveiled an ad celebrating the passage of the stimulus bill.

* Almost simultaneously, Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, both Democrats, announced yesterday they will run for Ohio's open U.S. Senate seat.

* If the latest Quinnipiac poll in Florida is any indication, Tampa mayor Pam Iorio (D) may be a major factor in next year's open Senate race. The poll shows Iorio tied with Rep. Kendrick Meek as the Democratic favorite, though most voters are undecided. Iorio has not yet announced her intentions.

* Speaking of Florida, the same Quinnipiac poll shows Gov. Charlie Crist (R) well positioned for 2010, whether he seeks re-election or runs for the Senate.

* Might Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah) face a further-right primary challenger next year? Attorney David Leavitt, who's already lost a few Republican campaigns, seems to be moving in that direction.

* Jill Hazelbaker, the former national communications director for McCain/Palin, has signed on to work for Mayor Michael Bloomberg's re-election campaign in New York City.

* Republicans wouldn't mind if Rep. Walt Minnick (D) of Idaho switched parties, but Minnick says he's sticking with the Dems.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Federal Reserve released its new economic projections for 2009. The central bank is even less optimistic than it was before.

* And speaking of '09 pessimism, Gen. David McKiernan, who commands U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, told reporters at the Pentagon today, "Even with these additional forces, I have to tell you, 2009 is going to be a tough year."

* Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) continued to insist today that he's done nothing wrong. Around the same time, Rep. Phil Hare (D-Ill.) became the first member of Congress to call on Burris to resign.

* Alan Greenspan, oddly enough, conceded yesterday, "It may be necessary to temporarily nationalize some banks in order to facilitate a swift and orderly restructuring. I understand that once in a hundred years this is what you do."

* Banks with TARP money aren't lending the way they're supposed to.

* The New York Post caused quite a stir today with a controversial political cartoon.

* Attorney General Eric Holder gave a provocative speech on race today.

* A federal judge yesterday denied a motion to "dismiss charges against five Blackwater guards accused of killing Iraqi civilians in a bloody rampage at a busy traffic circle in Baghdad in September 2007."

* The North Dakota House voted yesterday to define "any organism with the genome of homo sapiens" as a person protected by rights granted by the North Dakota Constitution and state laws. The measure is intended to serve as a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade.

* Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is opposed to hold the Bush administration accountable for alleged wrongdoing because the economy is bad.

* Marc Morano, a press flack for Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), has quite a propaganda operation.

* The Washington Post reported in September that Sarah Palin had "billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a 'per diem' allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business." Tax experts said at the time that Palin was supposed to pay taxes on the money, but hadn't. It turns out, they were right.

* "The Big Stone Wall" -- the nine Bush administration officials who refused to cooperate with Justice Department investigations.

* Responding to Juan Williams' recent foolishness, Gwen Ifill told ThinkProgress, "Since Juan was one of the people who criticized my book before it was published, I really -- I just leave it at that. I think that people really should make a better effort to know what they're talking about."

* And finally, House Republicans had to pull their "Back in the Saddle" video yesterday after Aerosmith expressed its disapproval. Sometimes, it seems those poor GOP lawmakers just can't do anything right.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a former member of the House GOP leadership who was ousted after electoral failures, announced this morning that he is running for Missouri's open Senate seat next year. In his announcement, instead of reaching out to a broad audience, Blunt said he's running to battle the "liberal monopoly in Congress." Blunt may face former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman in a Republican primary. The Democratic favorite in the race is Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan.

* Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois came close to calling for Roland Burris' resignation late yesterday, saying in a press release, "These news reports and the public statements by Roland Burris himself are troubling and raise serious questions which need to be looked at very carefully."

* Norm Coleman's lawyers are continuing to lay the groundwork for an appeal, calling the ongoing court case a "legal quagmire," and questioning the possibility of a "legitimate" result to this election.

* In a bizarre move, Republican James Tedisco, running in the special election in New York's 20th, is refusing to take a position on the recently-passed economic stimulus package.

* Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) has raised more than $3 million in his first year in office, a record for Louisiana governors, and the kind of total that may discourage challengers in 2011, should he seek a second term.

* New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is reaching out to a variety of political parties, hoping to convince them to put his name in their ballot slots in November. The outreach to the Republican, Independence, and Working Families Parties is reportedly not going well so far.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Dow Jones closed down at its lowest level in six years.

* Disaster averted in California.

* The FBI tracked down R. Allen Stanford in Virginia today, and "served him with civil legal papers filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission."

* Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) has emerged as "the president's top choice" for HHS Secretary.

* I don't know who's idea it was to have former Sen. George "Macaca" Allen help with Republican outreach to minority communities, but someone clearly wasn't thinking.

* Apparently, a CNBC personality said something on the air today that has conservatives worked up.

* Words of wisdom from Blue Dog Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) about the stimulus package: "I didn't vote for it, but I support it."

* Today, Limbaugh compared Democrats to murderers, rapists, and "this Muslim guy" that "offed his wife's head" Classy.

* Remember Vicki Iseman? She's dropped her $27 million lawsuit against the New York Times.

* It looks like Freedom of Choice Act will replace the Fairness Doctrine in some far-right circles.

* Only the Washington Times could suggest to readers that right-wing activist Jerome Corsi is a liberal blogger.

* For someone who takes religion as seriously as Rick Santorum, he seems to get easily confused about theological details.

* I know I'm not the only one who'd be thrilled to see Phillip Carter as the deputy assistant Secretary of Defense for detainee affairs.

* Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is bad at arithmetic, too.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In another painful twist for Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.), his press secretary abruptly quit yesterday. That's rarely a good sign.

* Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao (R-La.) had told reporters he was likely to vote for the economic stimulus package, but then reversed course under pressure from his fellow Republicans. Cao, who represents a heavily Democratic district, now faces a recall petition, which was initiated by a group of ministers in New Orleans.

* Sen. George Pataki? Apparently, the National Republican Senatorial Committee has approached the former New York governor about running against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) next year.

* Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) appears to be well positioned for re-election, should she seek a fourth term next year. It's obviously still very early, but a new poll shows her leading her next closest competitor, Rep. Dave Reichert (R), by 15 points, 54% to 39%.

* Former Missouri State Treasurer Sarah Steelman is apparently planning to run for the Senate next year, taking on House Minority Whip Roy Blunt in a Republican primary. "Roy Blunt is another white guy in a suit, and I think the public wants change," Steelman said.

* The Republican National Committee isn't impressed with President Obama, and CNN's political blog did an item about the latest RNC press release. I'm not sure why.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* It was an "erratic" day on Wall Street.

* Roland Burris' chief of staff abruptly resigned today. Another very bad sign for the Illinois senator's already-bleak future.

* On a related note, the White House would like Burris to take the weekend to think about the benefits of resignation.

* To have been a fly on the wall for these talks: "Since last fall, many of the leading figures in the nation's long-running health care debate have been meeting secretly in a Senate hearing room. Now, with the blessing of the Senate's leading proponent of universal health insurance, Edward M. Kennedy, they appear to be inching toward a consensus that could reshape the debate."

* Another tragedy: "A suicide bomber attacked the funeral of a slain Shiite Muslim leader in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, killing 28 people and triggering deadly rioting, officials said."

* The New York Post has kinda sorta apologized for its controversial political cartoon.

* Will the recession lead to a crime wave?

* Oops: "National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (Texas) has closer ties to Allen Stanford and his financial empire than his office previously has acknowledged."

* It would be must-see-TV: "In an unusual move, one of the country's most powerful labor leaders, SEIU chief Andy Stern, has just issued a public challenge to Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue, daring the influential business leader to debate him publicly over the Employee Free Choice Act."

* John Boehner doesn't seem to know what he's talking about.

* Larry Kudlow doesn't seem to know what he's talking about (probably because he's getting his talking points from John Boehner).

* Malkin doesn't seem to believe comparing Obama to Hitler is "out of bounds." Wow.

* Why the White House welcomes the chance to push back against that ranting guy on CNBC.

* Great item from John Judis on the "fiscal equivalent of war."

* The ongoing problem of military readiness.

* And here I thought Leon Panetta was supposed to be unpopular at Langley.

* John Gibson was misquoted, but given his track record, it's easy to see how a mistake like this can happen.

* Good piece from A.L. on the six far-right governors "considering" turning down stimulus aid.

* The line between the actual Republican Party and the "SNL" parody really is easily blurred.

* The right wing is already selling bumper-stickers calling for Obama's impeachment. That didn't take long.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) "hopes" to see Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) resign this week. We'll see.

* How anxious is the Republican establishment to get rid of Sen. Jim Bunning (R) in Kentucky? Officials at the National Republican Senatorial Committee met with State Senate President David Williams (R) over the weekend, apparently to talk about the race.

* The Star Tribune notes today that Norm Coleman's chance of winning his latest legal fight is remote. "Coleman is in a bubble running out of oxygen," said Lawrence Jacobs, a University of Minnesota political science professor.

* Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) sees Gov. David Paterson's (D) dropping statewide support, and she's getting awfully nervous about next year.

* South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal were all asked over the weekend if they planned to seek the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. Each was noncommittal.

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) has picked up his first Republican opponent for 2010, but it's not former Rep. Rob Simmons; it's state Sen. Sam S.F. Caligiuri.

* How solid are John McCain's re-election chances next year? Seyward Darby takes a closer look at the Arizona Republican's prospects.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* It was yet another dreadful day on Wall Street, with the Dow and S&P dropping to their lowest levels in 12 years.

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: "The U.S. military in Iraq says three U.S. soldiers and an interpreter have been killed in combat north of Baghdad. A statement says the soldiers and their interpreter were killed Monday in Diyala province."

* Karl Rove didn't show up for today's House Judiciary Committee hearing on the U.S. Attorney purge scandal.

* Former Gov. Gary Locke (D) of Washington state has emerged as the likely choice to be Commerce Secretary.

* Officials from across the country seem pretty anxious to claim the stimulus money a handful of far-right Republican governors don't want.

* CNBC's Rick Santelli, following up on last week's bizarre class-war tirade, is now sounding kind of paranoid.

* Fascinating story in the NYT today about U.S. "military advisers and technical specialists" working with the Pakistani military on fighting in lawless tribal areas of the country. The initiative began several months ago and "is a much larger and more ambitious effort than either country has acknowledged."

* Sounds like the Pentagon owes for stop-loss troops some bonus money.

* Philadelphia Newspapers L.L.C., which owns The Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News, has filed for Chapter 11.

* I can't quite figure out the rationale for this: "The Obama administration, siding with former President George W. Bush, is trying to kill a lawsuit that seeks to recover what could be millions of missing White House e-mails."

* Do the hosts of "Morning Joe" listen to their own show?

* President Obama's approach to budget honesty, at this point, strikes me as very encouraging.

* Where is this "do-over" talk coming from?

* When a cabinet nominee is confirmed 75 to 21, only Fox News could characterize that as getting in "by the skin of his teeth."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) doesn't want to resign, but is reportedly prepared to say he won't run again in 2010.

* Norm Coleman's lawyers signaled they could wrap up the current phase of their ongoing lawsuit this week. (This would not include the appeal, of course.) In the meantime, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) believes the lack of representation in the Senate is hurting the state.

* The DCCC's Frontline program, designed to bolster at-risk incumbents, identified its 40 most vulnerable freshmen yesterday.

* Americans United for Change's Brad Woodhouse is leaving the organization to take over as communications and research director at the Democratic National Committee.

* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) is gearing up for a primary challenge from Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R), and right now, he's losing. A PPP survey shows Hutchison leading Perry, 56% to 31%, among Texas Republicans.

* Former President Bill Clinton will headline a fundraiser for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) next month in NYC.

* Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. (R) said yesterday he doesn't bother to deal with congressional leaders from his own party. "I don't even know the congressional leadership," Huntsman told the Washington Times. "I have not met them. I don't listen or read whatever it is they say because it is inconsequential -- completely."

* With the DCCC targeting 12 House Republicans who voted against the stimulus package, Mitt Romney's political action committee is sending $1,000 checks to each of the dozen GOP lawmakers. Romney, who is almost certainly planning another presidential run, praised the Republicans for "standing up for fiscal responsibility."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* For a welcome change, the markets rallied today.

* Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke believes the stimulus package could lead to some economic growth next year, but a full recovery will take "more than two or three years." Bernanke also spoke against the idea of governors rejecting unemployment insurance.

* The Senate confirmed Hilda Solis as Labor Secretary, 80 to 17. It's about damn time.

* Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) urged Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) today to resign from the Senate. Burris refused.

* AIG wants more money.

* News from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is even more discouraging.

* There will be a White House envoy to Darfur.

* US Airways pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger not only made the case for more and stronger unions, he also made the case against deregulation.

* In a surprise move, Rupert Murdoch, chairman of the New York Post, personally apologized for the controversial chimp/stimulus cartoon.

* A step closer on D.C. voting rights.

* Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen (D): please stop talking.

* Can someone please hire some capable staffers for Tim Geithner at the Treasury Department?

* I wonder what the New York Times' editors were thinking.

* Given that we're talking about "the single most pressing fiscal challenge we face by far," the AP really should be more careful.

* And finally, Fox News' John Gibson is feeling litigious.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Things continue to not go well for Norm Coleman. On the other hand, he is the only non-senator allowed to attend the Senate Republicans' weekly caucus meetings.

* Pennsylvania's Republican Committee Chairman suggested yesterday that the state party may not support Sen. Arlen Specter's (R) re-election campaign.

* On a related note, Specter expects to have a primary opponent, though it's not yet clear who that might be.

* In an unusual twist, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is "praising House Democrats for voting in favor of the economic stimulus measure that passed two weeks ago."

* Tony Perkins, the very conservative head of the Family Research Council, continues to explore a possible primary challenge against Sen. David Vitter (R) in Louisiana. Perkins served in the state legislature and ran against Vitter in the 2002 Senate primary.

* And Ben Smith has an interesting item on Bobby Jindal, Tim Pawlenty, and Mark Sanford making an appearance earlier this week "at the regular gathering of Legacy, a group of mostly 40-and-under Republicans with roots in Texas but membership across the country. The well-heeled group strives to avoid media attention and does not let reporters attend their meetings."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Treasury Department is starting to outline the "stress test" mechanism.

* Third time's the charm: President Obama nominated former Washington State Gov. Gary Locke as the new head of the Commerce Department. "Now, I'm sure it's not lost on anyone that we've tried this a couple of times, but I'm a big believer in keeping at something until you get it right," Obama said today.

* Ben Bernanke offered his definition of "nationalization."

* Bipartisanship! The House passed its $410 billion omnibus spending package today, 245 to 178. Sixteen Republicans voted with the majority.

* DHS still wants to have a system in which all cargo entering the U.S. is screened, but it won't meet the deadline.

* Will Obama face any heat from the left on its Iraq withdrawal timeline? Not really.

* What did Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) really say about the president's birth certificate?

* Americans invented all kinds of cool stuff, but Obama was wrong to credit us with inventing the automobile and solar energy.

* Harry Reid intends to tackle healthcare this summer. Good.

* Chris Bowers wants to see David Sirota get the 10 p.m. slot on MSNBC; Ezra Klein wants to see Chris Hayes get the gig.

* Jindal's getting some good advice on how to recover from last night.

* On a related note, the timing on Michael Gerson's latest column could have been much better.

* I can't imagine what the mayor of Los Alamitos was thinking.

* The San Francisco Chroncile is in big trouble.

* And finally, Drudge sure does play funny games with headlines.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Bill Clinton talked to Greg Sargent about Obama, the state of the GOP, Jindal, the economy, and all sorts of other topics.

* The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) gets underway in Washington today. The event is the largest in the nation for the far-right.

* Camp Coleman is talking more and more about asking for a whole new election.

* Kentucky Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo (D) said Sen. Jim Bunning (R) should not seek re-election, calling him an "embarrassment" to the state. Mongiardo is, of course, a likely Democratic opponent for Bunning next year.

* As expected, it appears Republican Assemblyman James Tedisco has the edge against Democrat Scott Murphy in New York's 20th. The special election to replace Kirsten Gillibrand, however, is still more than a month away.

* In the race for Ohio's soon-to-be-open Senate seat, there's already a crowded Democratic field, but it got a little bigger yesterday when State Rep. Tyrone Yates threw his hat into the ring.

* New York Gov. David Paterson (D-N.Y.), his political fortunes in decline, shook up his top political staff yesterday.

* Actor Val Kilmer is moving forward with his plans to run for governor of New Mexico.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* President Obama unveils his budget and posts it online.

* AP: "New-home sales tumbled to a record-low annual pace in January and there's no relief in sight as mounting damage from the collapsed housing market pushes the country deeper into recession."

* Senate approved a bill this afternoon to give D.C. a vote in the House. It passed 61 to 37, and 36 of the Senate's 41 Republicans voted against it.

* GM lost $30.9 billion in 2008.

* Jobless numbers continue to rise.

* What do you know, Roland Burris' situation can look worse.

* Blue Dogs sure can be tiresome.

* Obama and senior administration officials have begun receiving "a daily CIA report" on the global economic crisis, reinforcing the belief that the economy will have a direct impact on national security.

* Daily Kos, the Service Employees International Union, and some of the best bloggers in the business are teaming up to create Accountability Now.

* As of Friday, the Rocky Mountain News, Colorado's oldest newspaper, will be no more.

* The latest evidence on media bias will not make conservatives happy, but that doesn't mean it's wrong.

* Ratings for the president's speech on Tuesday night were pretty impressive.

* Obama staffers are serious about limiting access to lobbyists.

* Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) loves free-market principles, except when he doesn't.

* "False equivalency" stories are the traditional media's most annoying bad habit.

* U.S. News tries to make amends.

* Recessions are "a part of freedom"?

* And Fox has renewed "The Simpsons" for (at least) two more seasons. Next year, it will become the longest running prime-time show in U.S. television history.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Americans United for Chance and AFSCME have a good new television ad out today, hitting congressional Republicans as the "party of 'no'" and beholden to Rush Limbaugh.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he's "pretty confident" Al Franken will soon be a senator, and may seat the Minnesota Democrat as soon as early April.

* Speaking of Reid, his re-election prospects in Nevada got a boost yesterday when Sid Rogich, a leading Republican fundraiser in the state, said he's going to support Reid in 2010. Republicans have not yet recruited a top-tier candidate for the race.

* Sen. Robert Bennett (R) appears to be well on his way to winning re-election in Utah next year.

* As far as former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) is concerned, Bobby Jindal's national address this week dooms his presidential aspirations.

* And rumor has it that CNN will release its first 2012 poll today, measuring who Republicans prefer as their next presidential nominee. It's obviously ridiculously early, but in case you're wondering, the poll shows Sarah Palin out in front, with Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney close behind.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Good: "The Obama administration has lost its argument that the state secrets privilege is a good enough reason to stop a lawsuit over the government's warrantless wiretapping program."

* This could have been worse: "The Treasury Department confirmed early Friday that taxpayers could take a 36 percent stake in Citigroup Inc. through a complex swap process designed to shore up the once-grand banking institution."

* California's unemployment rate has hit 10.1%. Ohio's is up to 8.8%.

* President Obama's policy in Iraq is generating positive reviews among Iraqis.

* The lobbying is bound to be intense in opposition, but the White House's budget "aims to foster generic competition for costly biotech drugs used to treat cancer and other intractable ailments."

* Several conservative senators, primarily in the South, are talking about turning down unemployment aid from the stimulus package. Some of the unemployed, oddly enough, aren't happy about it.

* It's a good thing Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) withdrew from cabinet consideration, or his latest scandal might be really damaging.

* This should be interesting: "The Senate Intelligence Committee is preparing to launch an investigation of the CIA's detention and interrogation programs under President George W. Bush, setting the stage for a sweeping examination of some of most secretive and controversial operations in recent agency history."

* Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) argued yesterday, "Every major tax cut we've had in history has created more revenue." It's really annoying how often Republicans repeat this transparent nonsense.

* The good news is, George Will has finally responded to the controversy surrounding his misguided column on global warming. The bad news is, the conservative columnist is still wrong.

* The conservative Washington Times has a headline this morning that reads, "Obama's budget to raise small-business taxes." That's wildly misleading.

* Wanted: Diversity on the WaPo op-ed page.

* Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have no interest in renewing the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004

* I'll never understand what Los Alamitos Mayor Dean Grose was thinking.

* And for the record, if I had a choice between hanging out with Paul Krugman and Robert Reich or with Rush Limbaugh, I wouldn't have to think twice.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* CPAC held a 2012 straw poll over the weekend, which Mitt Romney won with 30% support. Bobby Jindal was second with 14%, followed by Ron Paul and Sarah Palin, with 13% each. It was Romney's third win in a row at CPAC.

* Alexi Giannoulias, Illinois' Democratic state treasurer, announced this morning that he's running for the Senate next year, whether Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) seeks a full term or not. Giannoulias is likely to be a credible candidate, given his close ties to Obama and Dick Durbin, and his reported fundraising prowess.

* Speaking of Illinois, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) said this morning that she will run if there's a special election for Burris' seat. She has not yet decided, however, about a campaign in 2010.

* Democrat Scott Murphy's campaign in New York's 20th got a boost this morning, when he won the endorsement of the Independence Party. Murphy, running to replace Kirsten Gillibrand in the House, won the support after "an intense lobbying effort from both sides of the aisle." His Republican opponent, state Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco, had enjoyed Independence Party support in the past.

* Tom Schieffer, who was Bush's ambassador to Australia but is a life-long Democrat, is poised to kick off a gubernatorial campaign in Texas.

* Former Rep. John Cooksey (R-La.) is moving towards challenging Sen. David Vitter in 2010 in a GOP primary.

* Is House Minority Leader John Boehner's (R-Ohio) job on the line if Republicans have yet another bad cycle in 2010? Probably.

* Would CNBC's Larry Kudlow run against Sen. Chris Dodd (D) next year in Connecticut? There's a rumor to that effect, but I'm skeptical that Kudlow would consider the paycut. Besides, does he even begin to realize all of the nutty things he's said on the air over the years?

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Let's just say it was an unpleasant day on Wall Street.

* AIG gets another $30 billion. (If you missed it, Joe Nocera had a terrific piece over the weekend explaining the whole AIG mess.)

* A new batch of Bush's secret anti-terror memos were made public today by the Obama administration.

* For crying out loud, another cabinet-level nominee who hasn't quite paid all of his taxes?

* David Moffett, installed as CEO of Freddie Mac last year, is resigning.

* Speaking of resignations, the CEO of Blackwater, or whatever it's called now, is also stepping down.

* Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) has an interesting new scandal on his hands.

* Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) is introducing legislation to undo "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

* Greg Sargent got his hands on Bill Kristol's 1993 healthcare memo.

* Howard Dean conceded that he told administration officials that he was interested in the HHS job. That obviously didn't work out, but Dean is planning to work on healthcare issues through Democracy for America.

* Congress isn't exactly popular, but it's getting less unpopular.

* Union leaders are very pleased thus far with the Obama White House. "Republicans and business leaders are not so happy."

* The video of the King County Sheriff's deputy pummeling a 15-year-old girl in a holding cell is just brutal.

* Why did the RNC force its finance director out?

* Do read Joe Klein on the class warfare of the Reagan era.

* Despite what you may hear from a Republican member of the Virginia state assembly, the stimulus bill isn't like slavery.

* And finally, Rush Limbaugh generated huge applause at CPAC for labeling the White House agenda as a "bastardization of the Constitution." He proceeded to say, "We believe that the preamble to the Constitution contains an inarguable truth that we are all endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights, among them life, liberty, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness." Given his interest in the "bastardization of the Constitution," it's worth noting that these words aren't in the preamble to the Constitution.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Apparently convinced that good ol' vote counting isn't going to work, Norm Coleman's attorney has now officially embraced setting aside the election results in Minnesota and hosting a do-over.

* It's primary day in Illinois' 5th congressional district, in the race to replace Rahm Emanuel. The leading Democrats appear to be Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley and state Reps. Sara Feigenholtz and John Fritchey, Given the strong partisan tilt of the district, the winner of the Democratic primary is heavily favored to win the seat.

* A new Marist poll of New York Democrats shows Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) narrowly leading her likely primary opponent, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D), 36% to 33%. Gillibrand fares much better against her likely Republican candidate, Rep. Peter King, who trails the appointed incumbent, 49% to 28%.

* Larry Kudlow, the conservative media personality, confirmed yesterday that he is considering running for the Senate next year in Connecticut against incumbent Sen. Chris Dodd (D).

* Rep. Mary Fallin (R-Okla.) announced yesterday that she's giving up her seat to run for governor next year. She's likely to face Rep. Tom Cole, Kevin Calvey, and Oklahoma City mayor Mick Cornett, or some combination of them, in a Republican primary.

* Much to Sen. David Vitter's (R-La.) relief, former Rep. John Cooksey said he will not challenge Vitter in a Republican primary next year.

* Howard Dean has indicated that he may, at some point, seek elected office again. "I wouldn't rule it out," he said. "Who knows? It's not in my plans right now."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* President Obama has an interesting proposal for Russia to consider, trading curtailed missile defense for help with Iran.

* The Obama administration is beginning to engage Syria directly. Good.

* February was another very poor month for auto manufacturers.

* President Obama sees some value in buying stocks now, with their prices so low.

* Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) had surgery today to remove part of his left lung. Fortunately, the senator appears to be cancer free.

* Obama continues to correct Bush's mistakes: "President Obama today asked federal agencies to consult with wildlife biologists over decisions that may affect threatened or endangered species."

* Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) defended Rush Limbaugh from criticism levied by his own party chairman. Natch.

* On a related note, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs seemed to take some pleasure in needling RNC Chairman Michael Steele today. Gibbs also had some fun at CNBC's Jim Cramer's expense.

* There's reason for some skepticism when it comes to the new healthcare poll from Rasmussen.

* House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md) doesn't want the White House messing with congressional earmarks.

* John Berry, the new Director of the Office of Presidential Personnel, is apparently the highest-ranking openly gay official in American history.

* Would the White House pursue healthcare reform and energy legislation under budget rules to prevent GOP obstructionism? The idea is on the table.

* Nice line from Ezra responding to David Brooks' call for Obama to tackle problems slowly, one at a time: "If a patient has cancer and heart disease, her doctor doesn't have the luxury of treating only one or the other. Whether history is 'calling' anyone is immaterial. "

* Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) reminds Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) about the name of the majority party.

* SEIU has a clever new web video about the conservative apoplexy over the Employee Free Choice Act.

* And finally, Jon Chait has a very sharp idea for taking advantage of rich people's ignorance of tax-law basics: tax them at the rate they think they're already paying. "This is one of the great scamming opportunities of all time, with the side bonus that the targets richly deserve their fate."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) won a second four-year term yesterday.

* Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley won the Democratic primary in Illinois' 5th yesterday, as part of the special election to fill the seat left vacant by Rahm Emanuel. Quigley is considered the overwhelming favorite in the special general election, scheduled for April 7. Netroots favorite Tom Geoghegan came in a disappointing seventh in the multi-candidate primary.

* Americans United for Change continues to exploit Rush Limbaugh in its criticism of congressional Republicans.

* New York Gov. David Paterson (D) has seen his support plummet of late, and his 26% approval rating is now lower than Eliot Spitzer's was in the midst of his sex scandal.

* Speaking of struggling Democratic governors, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) is still trailing in his re-election campaign. A Fairleigh Dickinson University poll released this morning shows the governor trailing former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, the leading Republican candidate, 41% to 32%.

* A day after Club for Growth President Pat Toomey expressed interest in running against Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) in a Republican primary, Toomey's group went after Specter, calling him "Comrade of the Month" for supporting the economic stimulus package.

* Rep. Gresham Barrett (R-S.C.) is giving up his seat to run for governor in South Carolina next year.

* Former Rep. Jon Porter (R) was considered a credible challenger for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) next year, but Porter bowed out of consideration yesterday.

* Is former Rep. and infomercial salesman J.C. Watts (R) going to run for governor in Oklahoma? Maybe.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* A rare pleasant day on Wall Street.

* The Fed still isn't optimistic about a quick recovery, though Chairman Ben Bernanke seems supportive of President Obama's agenda.

* The Obama administration unveiled its plan today to help 9 million families keep their homes.

* The president also kicked off a significant initiative reforming the process on how government contracts are awarded.

* The ICC issued an arrest warrant to day for Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

* I can't believe Countrywide has found a new way to profit off the mortgage crisis. As a lawyer at the National Consumer Law Center put it, "It is sort of like the arsonist who sets fire to the house and then buys up the charred remains and resells it."

* I also can't believe the compensation packages at Merrill Lynch last year -- you know, when the company was losing nearly $30 billion.

* Craig Fugate, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, will soon take over as the new FEMA administrator.

* An encouraging 6-3 ruling: "The Supreme Court forcefully rejected calls Wednesday for limiting consumer lawsuits against drug makers, upholding a $6.7 million jury award to a musician who lost her arm to gangrene following an injection."

* Leahy still wants that "truth commission."

* Obama still supports EFCA.

* Limbaugh wants to debate the president. Not gonna happen.

* Limbaugh also gets amusing "apologies" from Christopher Orr and Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.).

* Of course tobacco should be regulated by the FDA. It's long overdue.

* More crazy Birthers in public office, this time in Missuori.

* Obama's pick to head the Federal Communications Commission looks encouraging.

* If Sean Hannity is going to engage in a red scare, he really should learn to spell "comrade."

* The DCCC comes up with a clever idea -- and web visitors respond in a big way.

* Bill Frist with a role in the Obama administration?

* And finally, did you hear about the woman who called 911 -- three times -- because of a dispute over Chicken McNuggets? It just had to be in Florida.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* RNC committeewoman Ada Fisher this morning became the first RNC member to call on Michael Steele to resign as party chairman.

* Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio has formed an exploratory committee and appears to be the first top-tier Republican to enter the 2010 Senate race in Florida.

* In Kentucky, Sen. Jim Bunning's (R) approval rating is down to 41%.

* Lake Research Partners, a Democratic polling firm, conducted a survey showing state Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) with an edge in California's upcoming gubernatorial campaign. Mayors Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa also did well in the poll, and all three fare well against the likely Republican candidates.

* To the disappointment of the DCCC, Michigan House Speaker Andy Dillon (D) has decided not to take on Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) next year. Dillon is, however, considering a gubernatorial campaign.

* Club for Growth issued its first endorsement of the 2010 cycle yesterday, announcing its support for Rep. Mary Fallin's (R) gubernatorial campaign in Oklahoma.

* William Daley, the former commerce secretary and brother to Chicago's mayor, is apparently planning a Senate campaign in Illinois next year.

* Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) is dismissing rumors that he might run for governor in Iowa next year.

* And Ned Lamont is thinking about running for governor in Connecticut next year. The incumbent, Gov. M. Jodi Rell (R), has not yet announced whether she plans to seek re-election, but if she does run, she'll be favored to win.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Yesterday's rally on Wall Street didn't last long.

* G.M. is in big trouble.

* The California Supreme Court is considering whether the right to marry can be taken away by a popular vote.

* Secretary of State Hillary Clinton invites Iran to participate in regional talks about Afghanistan's future.

* I heard a rumor that Sanjay Gupta is withdrawing from consideration for the Surgeon General position. No confirmation yet.

* Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner seems ready to trade away some of the caps on itemized deductions.

* Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is worried about Chas Freeman's role as head of the National Intelligence Council.

* Like President Obama, Vice President Biden supports EFCA.

* Sen. Ted Kennedy may be ailing, but he told attendees at the White House health care summit today, "I commit... to be a foot-soldier in this undertaking."

* The White House is getting its first Chief Information Officer.

* Harvard economist Robert Barro has been trying to quantify the odds of a depression. He says puts the likelihood at 20%.

* In the meantime, the Fed's "beige book" shows a whole lot of pain.

* I'm kind of worried about Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-Minn.) mental stability.

* No, really, Bachmann's mad as a hatter.

* Sometimes I get the impression that the Republican Party literally writes the on-air script for Fox News' on-air personalities.

* Now would be a very good time to crack down on voter caging.

* Let's not take that "Thelma and Louise" metaphor too far, okay?

* VoteVets is helping go after DADT. Good move.

* And the DNC isn't quite done with Limbaugh yet. The party is now holding a contest, soliciting a "slogan in ten words or less," which will appear on a billboard in Limbaugh's hometown.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* It's official: former Rep. Pat Toomey is challenging Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) in a Republican primary next year.

* It looks like there won't be a special election to replace Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.). That said, new questions surrounding Burris' appointment keep popping up.

* Louisiana may be a conservative "red" state, but Sen. David Vitter (R) is nevertheless vulnerable.

* It's going to be difficult for the RNC to go "beyond cutting edge" when its top Internet official resigns.

* If Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) runs for governor in California next year, she's the odd-on favorite to win the Democratic nomination. Feinstein has not, however, announced her plans for 2010, and it's hard to imagine her giving up her role as chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

* It looks like Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) has his first Republican opponent: Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck.

* With a likely eye on 2012, Mike Huckabee will be in South Carolina next month at a rally for Fair Tax supporters.

* Virginia Republicans have seen about enough of state party chairman Jeff Frederick.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* President Obama will lift Bush-era restrictions on stem-cell research on Monday. Good.

* Obama spoke in Columbus, Ohio, today, talking up his stimulus package. He appeared at the graduation ceremony for 25 police recruits who wouldn't have been hired were it not for the economic recovery bill.

* Speaking of spending bills, Senate Republicans blocked a vote on the $410 billion omnibus spending measure last night, and Democrats couldn't break the filibuster.

* Madoff may be ready to plead guilty.

* Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) is suspected of possible perjury.

* Is Chas Freeman going to make it onto the National Intelligence Council? At this point, I doubt it.

* Krugman takes apart the Bernanke-Geithner plan on creating a market for toxic assets.

* Dr. Sanjay Gupta has withdrawn from consideration as surgeon general. (No, Howard Dean apparently doesn't want the job.)

* Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) has a problem with the stimulus package. Mississippi state lawmakers don't.

* Justice Ginsburg had a point to make to Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.). Good for her.

* Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman didn't get everything he wanted from the federal appeals court.

* Conservative bloggers find the strangest things to write about.

* New Democratic phrase: "Leader Limbaugh."

* Have you noticed how GOP claims of voter fraud always seem to fall apart?

* And CNN dropped D.L. Hughley's Saturday night show -- which I thought was pretty good -- but he'll stay on as a contributor for the network based in Los Angeles.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Michael Steele's management skills continue to draw fire from within the RNC.

* Al Franken's victory is likely to get certified one of these days, but the Minnesota Supreme Court isn't prepared to give it to him just yet.

* Speaking of Minnesota, Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) remains fairly well liked by his constituents, but they don't want to see him run for president in 2012.

* Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) launched a long-rumored gubernatorial campaign over the weekend. Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou (R) is the leading Republican in the race for Abercrombie's House seat, and on the Democratic side, expect to see a crowded primary, with former Rep. Ed Case, former state House Majority Leader Kirk Caldwell, Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hanneman, state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, and former state Rep. Brian Schatz in the mix.

* Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) looks like a safe bet for re-election, even if Arnold Schwarzenegger decides to run against her.

* In Virginia, the Democratic gubernatorial primary fight continues to be very close, with Terry McAuliffe enjoying a very small lead over Brian Moran and Creigh Deeds.

* Americans United for Change is still using Limbaugh to hit the Republican Party.

* And speaking of Americans United for Change, former DNC executive director Tom McMahon is slated to take over the progressive organization.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* For the first time since World War II, the global economy will fall into a global recession. The Obama administration will renew efforts to encourage world leaders to pursue stimulus packages of their own.

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: "A suicide bomber struck police lined up at the entrance of the main police academy in Baghdad on Sunday, killing more than two dozen people and wounding dozens of others, officials said."

* Around the same time, the Pentagon announced that 12,000 U.S. troops will leave Iraq within the next six months.

* President Obama, like Gen. Petraeus, is open to negotiating with some elements of the Taliban.

* Some key Republican senators are prepared to let major banks fail. Be sure to read Kevin Drum's post on their chutzpah.

* The White House is still filling empty offices at the Treasury Department.

* E.J. Dionne Jr. has some good advice for the president. So does Paul Krugman.

* Has the Republican Party largely ceded the foreign policy debate to the administration? Apparently so.

* Howard Dean is joining a powerful D.C. lobbying operation.

* Joe Lieberman seems to be far more impressed with Obama than he used to be.

* Nate Silver explains why Kevin Hassett's criticism of the president's economic policies lacks credibility.

* Hey, Jindal, still think volcano monitoring is a big joke?

* Republicans are getting organized in going after the administration over Chas Freeman. Liberal bloggers tend to have a far different position.

* Marty Peretz has assembled a group of investors to help him buy back The New Republic.

* Irony Watch: Jim Cramer denounces ad hominem attacks.

* Can someone remind me why Ralph Reed is allowed to show his face in public?

* Karl Rove is now trying to argue that Bush had no important role in the Wall Street bailout last fall. I often wonder if he can even hear the words coming out of his mouth.

* Good question: "[H]as anyone else noticed that the since there is a Democrat in the Oval, everything became his fault at 12:01 pm on January 20 -- but everything that went wrong on 43s watch was Clinton's fault?"

* Michael Steele criticized Rush Limbaugh on D.L. Hughley's CNN show nine days ago, and at the time, Hughley was impressed. Since Steele apologized 48 hours later, Hughley has reconsidered his take on the RNC chairman: "Why is his name Steele? You should call him aluminum. He folded that fast."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) will not challenge Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) next year, and it's not altogether clear who might. Burr is considered vulnerable, but no top-tier Democrat has thrown his or her hat into the ring.

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) continues to struggle in his home state. A new Quinnipiac poll shows Dodd trailing former Rep. Rob Simmons (R) in a hypothetical match-up, 43% to 42%.

* If Republican Jim Tedisco loses what should be a fairly easy race in N.Y. 20's special election in a couple of weeks, is RNC Chairman Michael Steele's job on the line? "Absolutely."

* Speaking of Steele, he's now drawing fire from his party's debt-ridden campaign committees for allegedly slashing funds former RNC Chairman Mike Duncan had offered the NRCC and NRSC before he left.

* Sen. Jim Bunning, the erratic Kentucky Republican facing a tough re-election fight next year, has done some recent polling, but he's feeling shy about the results. Asked this morning about the poll's results, the senator told reporters this morning, "It's none of your goddamn business."

* Rick Santorum gave Arlen Specter a boost in 2004. Will he do so again in 2010? We'll see.

* Is Karl Rove helping Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's (R) gubernatorial campaign in Texas?

* And Jon Vogel is returning to the DCCC, this time as its new executive director.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Wall Street responded very well to surprising news from Citi.

* Facing bleak prospects, Chas Freedman withdrew from consideration today. He was President Obama's choice to be chairman of the National Intelligence Council.

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: "A suicide bomber took aim at a group of Iraqi army officers on their way to a reconciliation conference, killing 33 people on Tuesday and raising concerns about an increase in insurgent activity in Iraq. It was the second attack since Sunday to kill more than two dozen people."

* Bernie Madoff to plead guilty. He faces life in prison.

* The Supreme Court voted 5 to 4 yesterday to narrow the protections of the Voting Rights Act.

* CNN: "Five Guantanamo prisoners accused in the September 11, 2001, terror attacks on the U.S. staunchly defended their actions, calling the operation 'blessed' and 'great' and the accusations against them 'badges of honor.'"

* You know what Michael Steele really needs right now? Yet another controversy.

* Did Howard Dean become a lobbyist? That's what the Washington Post reported yesterday, but it's not the whole story.

* It's good to see Van Jones join the Obama administration.

* The Center for American Progress is launching a new war room? Sounds like a good idea.

* Scott Lemieux explains the nuances of the religious right's media strategy.

* Some Republican senators aren't impressed with John McCain's misleading crusade against pork.

* The DNC is making progress on its Limbaugh-related billboard project. (My personal favorite: "Americans didn't vote for a Rush to failure")

* Mary Matalin has a very short memory, and a bizarre understanding of recent history.

* Is Ed Schultz in line for the 10 p.m. slot on MSNBC?

* Joe Scarborough goes after Jon Stewart, despite the fact that the MSNBC anchor and former Republican congressman apparently is unaware of what "The Daily Show" actually is.

* Jon Stewart goes after Jim Cramer, and is fully aware of what's on CNBC.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Will RNC Chairman Michael Steele be subjected to a no-confidence vote next month? There's a real possibility, and Katon Dawson, chairman of the South Carolina GOP, appears to be the ring-leader.

* Arlen Specter may catch a big break with far-right activist Peg Luksik moving towards a Republican primary challenge. If both Luksik and Pat Toomey split the right-wing vote next year, Specter's chances of winning the primary improve.

* On a related note, Toomey, the former Republican congressman who nearly defeated Specter in 2004, has indicated he's likely to run, but the official announcement is due "very soon."

* Al Franken's lawyers will rest their case today in Minnesota.

* President Obama, still popular: "The 61 percent approval rating is also slightly higher than his predecessors' numbers around the same time. George W. Bush stood at 58 percent around 50 days into his administration, with Bill Clinton at 53 percent, George H.W. Bush at 56 percent and Ronald Reagan at 60 percent."

* If Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden (D) runs for his father's former Senate seat, he may have a real tough race on his hands. The latest PPP survey shows Biden trailing Rep. Mike Castle (R) in a hypothetical match-up, 44% to 36%.

* In a bit of a surprise, Rep. Henry Brown (R-S.C.) will face a primary challenge next year. Brown's narrow win last November might have something to do with this.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* President Obama signed the "imperfect" omnibus spending bill into law today, but not before chiding some of the hypocrites who railed against earmarks while adding earmarks to the package.

* At the same time, Obama also issued a call for earmark reform. McCain and Feingold weren't impressed, but Norm Ornstein was.

* Deadly shootings in Alabama and Germany this morning. Tragic.

* Uh oh: "The federal agency that insures bank deposits, which is asking for emergency powers to borrow up to $500 billion to take over failed banks, is facing a potential major shortfall in part because it collected no insurance premiums from most banks from 1996 to 2006."

* As a rule, it's best not to get into a contentious naval dispute with China.

* In the United States, 2009 is off to its driest start since the government began keeping track in 1895.

* Can we not wait another four years on this? "Four million to five million voters did not cast a ballot in the 2008 presidential election because they encountered registration problems or failed to receive absentee ballots, which is roughly the same number of voters who encountered such problems in the 2000 election."

* Someone shuold let Michele Bachmann know: "The director of the 2010 Census will report to the Commerce secretary, a White House official said Tuesday, offering the clearest statement yet about the chain of command on the census and possibly allaying fears among Republicans that it will fall under the political control of the White House."

* Seattle police chief Gil Kerlikowske was named the nation's new drug czar today. I'm glad to see the office has been dropped from cabinet-level status.

* And speaking of the White House, Obama established a new White House Council on Women and Girls today. It will be run, in part, by Valarie Jarrett.

* MoveOn.org unveiled a solid new ad today on health care.

* The chairmen of the House Committees on Energy & Commerce, Ways & Means, and Education & Labor wrote the White House a letter today, vowing to get health care reform done this year.

* CNBC's Jim Cramer gave an interesting interview in 2006 bragging about manipulating the market and occasionally pushing the legal envelope, which he said was fine because the SEC didn't know what was going on.

* Speaking of Cramer, he really should stop taunting Jon Stewart, who continues to make Cramer look ridiculous.

* Jack Cafferty is unimpressed with the GOP of late: "The Republican Party is becoming a cartoon.... The Republican Party is marching double-time down the road to irrelevance and they don't even know it."

* Good question: "Anyone seen any recent calls for Social Security private accounts?"

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Michael Steele wants everyone to know that he's really, really pro-life, and would like us all to just forget about those comments he made to GQ.

* Rush Limbaugh remains quite popular with the GOP's far-right base. With everyone else, not so much.

* On a related note, the DNC unveils its new billboard slogan today: "Americans didn't vote for a Rush to failure."

* In the race to fill the vacancy left by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's (D-N.Y.) promotion to the Senate, Republican Assemblyman Jim Tedisco still leads Democratic businessman Scott Murphy, but the margin is down to just four points. Two weeks ago, the same pollster had Tedisco up by 12.

* New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) continues to look very vulnerable heading into his re-election campaign.

* Despite their recent differences, Joe Lieberman will support Chris Dodd's re-election campaign.

* Ken McKay will be introduced today as the RNC's new executive director. One assumes this will free up time for Michael Steele to do more entertaining media interviews.

* Former Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.), a loathsome figure who was narrowly defeated last year, is seeking a rematch in 2010.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Madoff, go to directly to jail.

* Three consecutive good days on Wall Street? Haven't seen that in a while.

* Muntadar "shoe thrower" al-Zaidi is sentenced to three years behind bars.

* Obama issues his first signing statement. The NYT cited law prof David Golove, who specializes in executive powers, and who concluded that "the prerogatives invoked by Mr. Obama were relatively uncontroversial." Tim Fernholz has a good item on this, too.

* Under Bush, the FDA was a complete mess. Under Obama, Margaret Hamburg will help fix it.

* Americans trust government more than businesses to fix the economy. (On a related note, Kevin Drum had a fine post on what happens next.)

* The vetting process has apparently tripped up another key Treasury Department nominee. Unless his transgression was really serious, I'm beginning to think the administration is going to have to drop their standards a little.

* Speaking of nominations, the right fought very hard to derail Associate Attorney General Thomas Perrelli, Solicitor General Elena Kagan, and Deputy Attorney General David Ogden. Their efforts were for naught.

* CBS News' Chip Reid drops the pretense of objectivity.

* Apparently, the House Blue Dog Caucus wasn't a big enough hurdle to governing; now we're getting a Senate version.

* I'm beginning to think the LA Times' Andrew Malcolm isn't good at his job.

* I really loathe voter-suppression tactics like these.

* Obama will be the first president in over 100 years to skip his first Gridiron Dinner.

* Jim Cramer will appear on "The Daily Show" tonight, but not before he tries to lower the temperature on their "feud."

* My new favorite oxymoron: "Fox Facts."

* Rick Santorum thinks "the fundamentals of American economy is [sic] still strong." He wasn't kidding.

* Raise your hand if you think Michael Steele knows anything about music.

* And finally, reader J.M. alerted me to this amusing story about prominent Illinois Republican Gary Skoien, whose wife beat the hell out of him when she found him at home with two prostitutes at 1 a.m. Skoien said it was a big misunderstanding: "No money was exchanged. Nobody was naked."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* If Arlen Specter votes against EFCA, he'll have a better chance in the Republican primary next year. If Specter votes for EFCA, he'll enjoy the enthusiastic backing of the AFL-CIO, which carries real weight in Pennsylvania.

* Republican Assemblyman Jim Tedisco, clinging to a narrowing lead in the special election in New York's 20th, is apparently feeling nervous about his campaign. Yesterday, Tedisco decided he's "shaking up" his staff and, from now on, will stop airing attack ads against Democrat Scott Murphy. The special election is March 31.

* In a very awkward message to donors, Norm Coleman, after carelessly failing to protect personal information about his supporters, is now urging concerned donors to cancel their credit cards. Immediately thereafter, in the same message, Coleman urged them to send more money.

* It's likely that Mitt Romney will be facing off against Bobby Jindal for the Republican nomination in 2012. But in the short term, Romney is helping raise money for Jindal's re-election campaign.

* RNC Chairman Michael Steele has more Republican detractors than he knows what to do with, but there are handful of party leaders coming to his defense. Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer, for example, believes the party should offer Steele "unwavering loyalty and support."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Louisiana Sen. David Vitter caught a break on Friday when Family Research Council president Tony Perkins announced he will not run against Vitter in a Republican primary next year. Perkins joins former Rep. John Cooksey as Republicans who considered the race before bowing out and endorsing the scandal-plagued incumbent.

* In the special election in New York's 20th congressional district, tightening polls have forced GOP leaders to scramble for more money to support Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R). More than 80 members of the GOP conference are writing checks for Tedisco's campaign, and four are hosting fundraisers.

* Former Rep. Rob Simmons (R), as expected, announced he is running against Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) next year. He was rejected by his constituents in 2006, but recent polls show him very competitive against Dodd.

* On a related note, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee responded to Simmons' announcement by noting his "close ties to Jack Abramoff and Tom DeLay."

* Rep. Ben Chandler (D) is apparently moving closer to a Senate campaign in Kentucky against Sen. Jim Bunning (R).

* The DNC, in its first ad since President Obama's inauguration, has a new spot up criticizing South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's (R) economic policies.

* Rep. Kendrick Meek's (D-Fla.) Senate campaign got a boost over the weekend with an endorsement from the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, the third union to support the Miami congressman.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The White House seems to want AIG's bonus money back, and has an idea how to make that happen.

* South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's (R) waiver request on stimulus funds was, not surprisingly, rejected. Sanford has vowed, however, to continue to work in opposition to recovery efforts in his state.

* In the midst of a major political showdown between Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, the former chief justice of the Supreme Court will be reinstated.

* Iraqis are slowly but surely becoming more optimistic about their country's future.

* Ali Frick asks a good question: "Why Are AIG's Contracts Sacrosanct But Not Union Workers' Contracts?"

* Remember when Bush used to say, "We don't torture?" We tortured.

* I think Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) has some explaining to do.

* Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) wants a commission to probe the 2001 anthrax attacks. Sounds like a very good idea.

* Tomorrow will be the last print edition of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and the paper will now shift to online-only editions. It's the largest U.S. paper to cease printing operations as part of the recent downturn for the industry.

* AmeriCorps poised to get an expansion boost.

* Comedian Jackie Mason offers a great example for my "conversation enders" file: "If it's a racist society, the white people are the ones being persecuted...."

* I don't want to alarm anyone, but it appears that Fox News will deliberately take quotes from Democrats out of context to help Republicans' attack efforts. Shocking, I know.

* House Blue Dogs won't force strict offsets as part of healthcare reform. That's definitely a good thing.

* Don Imus has prostate cancer.

* Why on earth is CNN's John King referring to Human Events as if it were a legitimate news outlet?

* Montel Williams? On Air America?

* If I didn't know better, I might think the Washington Times, a project started by cult-leader Sun Myung Moon to be a conservative newspaper, isn't objective in its coverage.

* And finally, the New York Times added a "graphic books" section to its bestseller list? Ah, the sweet smell of legitimacy....

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In the closely-watched special election in New York's 20th congressional district, Republican Assemblyman Jim Tedisco, who refused to publicly express a preference on the stimulus package while it was under consideration, yesterday announced his opposition. Given the money headed for upstate New York in the package, that will be a controversial position.

* Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.) announced yesterday that she will seek re-election, and will not run for the vacant Senate seat. This, of course, helps clear the way for Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.).

* The DNC released a new web ad today, criticizing congressional Republicans for attacking President Obama's budget without offering an alternative.

* According to congressional Republicans, Sarah Palin will deliver the keynote address at the annual GOP Senate-House Dinner on June 8 in Washington. According to Palin's press secretary, the governor has not agreed to appear. And according to Palin's political action committee, she might appear.

* Much to Democrats' disappointment, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) will not give up her Senate seat during her gubernatorial campaign. Democrats had hoped to see an open-seat contest in Texas.

* If Senate Republicans have their way, Minnesota will have one senator instead of two indefinitely.

* And the latest national CNN poll puts Obama's approval rating at 64%. That's down from 67% in mid-February, and the three-point drop is due to increasing opposition from Republicans.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Have you noticed how fast Congress can move when it wants to? "Senate Democrats will seek to recoup $165 million in bonuses paid to executives of the troubled insurance giant American International Group through a narrowly focused tax, unless the money is returned voluntarily."

* A better-than-expected housing market report helped push the major stock indexes up today.

* The reformist efforts in Iran suffer a setback with Mohammad Khatami's withdrawal from Iran's presidential race.

* Avigdor Lieberman? Israel's next foreign minister?

* Ruth Bader Ginsburg will begin chemotherapy later this month, but does not expect to miss any court sessions. For a 76-year-old cancer patient, Ginsburg is pretty damn tough.

* Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) raised a few eyebrows yesterday when he suggesting some embattled AIG executives should "resign or commit suicide." Today, he emphasized that he was speaking rhetorically.

* GM has plenty of problems, but at least it's not AIG.

* Americans' support for the war in Afghanistan is dropping quickly to all-time lows.

* Speaking of polls, Rasmussen is playing a little fast and loose again, this time with EFCA.

* Pittsburgh Steelers owner Daniel Rooney will be the U.S. ambassador to Ireland.

* David Frum can't believe the nonsense his fellow conservatives are putting on the air at Fox News. I can't say I blame him; if I were conservative, I'd feel embarrassed and frustrated, too.

* Good for David Shuster for pushing back against Fox News' most insulting nonsense.

* Rick Santelli is fine with excessive and unearned bonuses. It's those "losers" who are losing their homes he doesn't like.

* Remember, according to conservatives, MSNBC is supposed to be the liberal network: "Discussing AIG bonuses, MSNBC's Francis says, 'I've heard a lot of backlash from people saying, 'What about Nancy Pelosi's plane?'"

* Quote of the Day: "No one should face financial ruin because of a mishap with a fork and an avocado." (Click the link; it'll make sense.)

* And in honor of St. Patrick's Day, the White House somehow managed to turn the water in the fountains on the north and south lawns green. If I'm not mistaken, that's a White House first.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania has pretty much ruled out seeking re-election as a Democrat. But how about running as an independent? It remains a distinct possibility.

* Republican Assemblyman Jim Tedisco, running in the special election in New York's 20th, has a new ad downplaying his party identification, and apparently hoping to connect himself to President Obama.

* It's not clear which Democratic candidate will emerge in Ohio's open Senate race, but Ohio voters nevertheless seem to prefer Sen. George Voinovich's (R) seat get filled by a Democrat. New polling data shows both Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner (D) and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D) leading Republicans Rob Portman and Mary Taylor.

* Speaking of Ohio, Gov. Ted Strickland (D) remains popular, but the state's struggling economy has taken its toll on the governor's approval ratings. Strickland faces reelection in 2010.

* Jeffrey Frederick, the embattled chairman of the Virginia Republican Party, is still struggling to hold onto his job, but he's refusing to resign.

* Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) is headed to Obama's State Department, meaning there will be another special election fairly soon. There's already a race underway to replace Labor Secretary Hilda Solis in her former Los Angeles-area district.

* It seems terribly silly to even think about 2012 presidential polling, but in the interest of comprehensive coverage, I suppose I should mention that Public Policy Polling asked respondents to consider a hypothetical match-up featuring Barack Obama and Sarah Palin. The president leads by 20 points, 55% to 35%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* More from the Fed: "Saying that the recession continues to deepen, the Federal Reserve announced Wednesday that it would pump an extra $1 trillion into the mortgage market and longer-term Treasury securities in order to revive the economy."

* Some right-wing lawmakers (Florida's Connie Mack IV and California's Darrell Issa) are calling for Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner's resignation. House Minority Leader John Boehner stopped just shy of that line, but said the Treasury Secretary is on "thin ice."

* Asked if Boehner's comments were justifiable, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) responded, "No. Does Boehner need any justification? It says it right there on his partisan hack license that he can say anything that he wants."

* It's about time: "The Associated Press has learned that the Obama administration will sign a U.N. declaration calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality that President George W. Bush had refused to endorse." Up until now, the U.S. was the only Western democracy to refuse to back the measure.

* Uh oh: "Three of the most dangerous Taliban leaders in Pakistan, once arch-enemies, have formed an alliance that could threaten thousands of American troops set to arrive across the border in Afghanistan this year, according to an exclusive interview with one of the commanders."

* Christopher Hill, President Obama's choice to be the next U.S. ambassador to Iraq got a boost yesterday with an endorsement from Sen. Richard Lugar (R) of Indiana.

* It's not AIG, but some Fannie Mae executives are slated to get some generous bonuses, too.

* The Senate confirmed Ron Kirk today as the new U.S. Trade Representative. The final vote was 92 to 5.

* Vivek Kundra was quietly reinstated yesterday as the federal government's chief information officer.

* Sarabeth makes the case that the AIG bonuses need a new name.

* The Congressional Research Service believes it's likely unconstitutional for state legislatures to override state governors in accepting federal stimulus aid.

* Sen. Judd Gregg's (R-N.H.) deeply held principles vary based on the president's party.

* Don't blame Chris Dodd for the AIG bonuses.

* Greg Sargent picks up on a point I touched on earlier: there's an interesting split between far-right lawmakers and far-right activists on the AIG bonuses.

* Former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) believes his party needs "serious people to deal with serious issues and to govern seriously."

* Dana Perino has a very strange sense of what constitutes "middle class."

* Julian Zelizer makes the case that the GOP's "small government" talk is hollow.

* CNN's Lou Dobbs is so far gone, he attacked St. Patrick's Day yesterday as a needless "ethnic holiday." After asking for "an American Day," the strange CNN personality added, "Is there a Jewish ethnic holiday? Is there one? No. Okay.... How about an Asian ethnic holiday? Is there one? You know, St. Jing-Tao-Wow?"

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* RNC fundraising in February -- Michael Steele's first full month -- was bad, but it wasn't that bad: "The RNC collected $5.1 million in February and ended the month with $24 million in the bank." In February 2007, the last post-election February, the RNC raised $7.2 million. Given that many of Steele's troubles began in earnest this month, March fundraising will be even more interesting.

* It's a real stretch, but Republicans hope to use public frustration over the AIG bonuses as a campaign issue in New York's 20th.

* Terry McAuliffe, a leading Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Virginia, is "running a new advertisement on black radio stations in the commonwealth tying himself to President Obama." For those who remember McAuliffe's efforts during the Democratic presidential primaries, this is an interesting turn of events.

* Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) has vowed to fully support the Democratic Senate candidate in 2010, regardless of what happens with Sen. Arlen Specter (R). If true, this will represent a shift from Rendell's efforts in 2004.

* Is Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) vulnerable as he seeks re-election next year? A poll from Public Policy Polling suggests he is: "Burr's approval rating here is only 35%, disapproval is 32%, and a third of likely voters are undecided -- not very good numbers for an incumbent, to say the least. Against a generic Democrat, Burr has an initial lead of 42%-38%, with the incumbent well below 50%."

* With Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) leaving Congress to join the Obama administration's State Department, the race is on to replace her.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Not too big a surprise: "The Treasury Department, trying to stabilize the battered auto industry, will provide up to $5 billion in financing to troubled auto parts suppliers who are linked to Detroit's carmakers, officials said Thursday. The funding would be made available from the government's Troubled Assets Relief Program, or TARP, said two congressional aides briefed on the plan."

* Claiming full responsibility for the situation, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told CNN today that his office "asked Sen. Chris Dodd to include a loophole in the stimulus bill that allowed bailed-out insurance giant American International Group to keep its bonuses." He said he requested the measure to prevent costly governmental litigation.

* Two far-right senators -- Jim Bunning (Ky.) and Johnny Isakson (Ga.) -- called for Geithner's ouster today. No one really cares what they think.

* Today is the sixth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq. It didn't generate too much attention.

* On a related note, President Obama's Iraq policy is drawing considerable support from the public.

* Lawrence Wilkerson is still on a roll: "A former Bush administration official says many Guantanamo detainees are innocent and have been held only because U.S. officials hoped they would know something important."

* Why did yesterday's House hearing with AIG CEO Edward Liddy go poorly? Daniel Gross has a compelling piece arguing that lawmakers were asking questions of the wrong person.

* Noam Schieber warns of potential unintended consequences of today's vote on AIG bonuses.

* Good: "The House voted Wednesday to approve the largest expansion of government-sponsored service programs since President John F. Kennedy first called for the creation of a national community service corps in 1963."

* The Senate passed the public lands bill, again.

* I'd be pretty surprised if immigration reform happened this year.

* How far gone is Larry Kudlow? Today he literally set money on fire. There's something deeply wrong with CNBC.

* McCain and Lieberman talk U.S. policy on Afghanistan. Joe Klein has some worthwhile thoughts on the subject.

* Last week, on "The Daily Show," Jim Cramer was contrite and committed to doing better. Today, not so much.

* Who made the final four in your Bracket of Evil?

* And my Quote of the Day goes to Robert Farley, who made me laugh out loud: "Now that I'm more or less finished with my taxes, I can proclaim without reservation that I have, for the 34th consecutive year, successfully managed to keep my income below $250000. Take that, Barack Hussein Hitler Lenin Osama! I can only hope that society will realize the folly of constraining my creative energies through the medium of a modest increase in the marginal tax rate."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Former Sen. Norm Coleman's (R-Minn.) lead attorney now assumes his client will lose its case pending before the three-judge panel. He also assumes that Al Franken's lead is going to get bigger. But the lawyer is nevertheless looking forward to additional litigation on appeal.

* The National Republican Senatorial Committee had a fairly strong fundraising month in February, and was able to bring down its post-election debt from $4 million to $2.7 million.

* Gentry Collins, a prominent Republican activist in Iowa and the former political director of the Republican Governors Association, is joining Michael Steele's team at the RNC as political director for the national party.

* Actor and former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) said a Republican victory in the special election in New York's 20th later this month would be "a very public repudiation" of the Democratic Party. Does Thompson realize it's a pretty conservative district that Republicans are supposed to win?

* Businessman and venture capitalist Rick Snyder, decrying "professional politicians," is eyeing a gubernatorial campaign in Michigan. If he runs, Snyder will join a crowded Republican field.

* California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) seemed awfully impressed with President Obama yesterday.

* In the campaign to support the Employee Free Choice Act, labor activists are planning to use the "Rush Limbaugh strategy."

* Mitt Romney's political action committee has raised $571,000 this year, but he's only distributed $16,000 of the haul to Republican candidates.

* At least one Republican lawmaker, Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Fla.), is already running anti-Obama robo-calls in her district about an administration proposal -- charging insurance companies for troops' service-related industries -- that the White House has already dropped.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iranian officials weren't moved by President Obama's Nowruz greeting. But what did the Iranian people think?

* On a related note, the right-wing response to the president's message was so embarrassingly predictable.

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn) is very unhappy.

* Some bailed out companies aren't paying their taxes, either?

* Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) is getting slammed for her opposition to economic recovery. Apparently, screwing over one's constituents is controversial in some circles.

* On a related note, Palin waited until 20 hours had passed after Obama apologized before condemning the president's Special Olympics comments. Her press release neglected to mention the fact that Obama had already apologized.

* Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), ignoring the requests of military leaders, is planning to do everything he can to block Christopher Hill's nomination as U.S. ambassador to Iraq.

* Krugman isn't impressed with the AIG tax bill. Neither is Kevin Drum. Josh Marshall doesn't like it, either.

* The recent Israeli offensive into Gaza continues to draw scrutiny.

* Despite complaints from far-right activists, the Senate confirmed Elena Kagan as the solicitor general of the United States.

* The unemployment rate is bad. The unemployment rate for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is even worse.

* Marriage equality is making progress in Vermont.

* First Lady Michelle Obama broke ground today on the first White House vegetable garden since Eleanor Roosevelt tended to a victory garden during World War II. Obama's will include 55 varieties of organically grown vegetables and two honey hives.

* John Holdren can finally get to work as President Obama's top adviser on science and technology policy.

* Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) believes "the Middle Eastern mentality" is "a little worse" than Nazism.

* Attorney General Eric Holder issued new guidelines yesterday on making more public records available through the Freedom of Information Act.

* You know what the Obama White House is really bad at? Gift giving.

* And finally, Bernard Goldberg believes, "The dictionary is written by some liberal person." I know reality has a well-known liberal bias, but this is just silly.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The DNC's fundraising in February was surprisingly bad, due at least in part to Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine's day job.

* On a related note, the DCCC outraised the NRCC in February, $3.5 million to $2.9 million.

* Former Florida state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R) is moving forward with his Senate campaign, and in his announcement video, Rubio takes a veiled shot at Gov. Charlie Crist (R) for supporting the economic recovery package. Crist has not yet indicated whether he'll run for the Senate.

* Will Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway (D) join the field of candidates hoping to challenge Sen. Jim Bunning (R)? It appears increasingly likely.

* Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah) is a pretty conservative Republican, but he's still likely to face a far-right challenge (or two) in his re-election bid next year.

* Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) should be vulnerable next year -- his district backed Obama pretty heavily -- but Democrats can't seem to recruit preferred candidates.

* California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's (R) approval ratings have slipped, but he's still sending signals about a possible Senate campaign.

* Judd Legum, an accomplished blogger who helped create ThinkProgress, is running for the General Assembly in Maryland.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The major indexes on Wall Street were expected to soar in light of the new Geithner plan on toxic assets. And soar they did.

* On a related note, it probably helped that there was an unexpected boost in existing home sales.

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: "At least 25 people were killed and 45 were injured when a man walked into a tent of mourners and detonated himself in a town north of Baghdad on Monday evening. The death toll was expected to rise, hospital officials said."

* An encouraging move: "A federal court today ordered the Food and Drug Administration to reconsider the agency's controversial decision limiting non-prescription access to the morning-after pill Plan B to women age 18 and older."

* Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) is on a quixotic crusade against U.S. Ambassador-designate to Iraq Christopher Hill.

* From a tactical perspective, the U.S. drone campaign in Pakistan has been quite a success.

* Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) has successfully battled breast cancer over the past year, in a remarkable fight that included seven major surgeries, a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery," while balancing motherhood, Congress and her roles as a chief fundraiser for House Democrats and a political surrogate, first for Hillary Clinton and then for Barack Obama."

* Introducing, "Financial Media Matters."

* Chris Matthews got the new contract he wanted from MSNBC.

* It's great to see the State Department embracing new media.

* JP Morgan should probably not talk about new corporate jets for quite a while.

* There are a lot of things Fox News needs to change, but hiring intelligent chyron writers would be a big first step.

* John Kerry tackles an interesting asylum case.

* Howard Dean is already making CNBC better. (He's not picking sides, though, between Jon Stewart and Jim Cramer.)

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The National Republican Senatorial Committee is circulating a new attack ad, which hopes to connect President Obama and the AIG bonuses.

* On a related note, the far-right American Issues Project is also planning new attack ads connecting Obama to AIG bonuses. The group, which intended to be a major player in 2008 before failing to line up the necessary finances, is reportedly prepared to spend "more than $500,000" on the new spot.

* The DNC is moving forward on a new commission "to study the party's primary and caucus calendar for the next election." Given that Obama is likely to seek re-election, the DNC process -- which will reportedly try to downplay the role of superdelegates and make caucuses more inclusive -- is eyeing changes with 2016 in mind.

* If New York Gov. David Paterson (D) expects to seek another term, he probably ought to think again. A new Siena College Research Institute poll show his approval rating down to just 19%, in a hypothetical primary match-up against state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Cuomo leads by a nearly four-to-one margin.

* Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Mich.), now in his 14th term, is considered one of Congress' safest members, but he'll nevertheless face a primary challenge next year from state Sen. Mickey Switalski (D), who can't seek re-election in Michigan due to term limits.

* California's gubernatorial race is still pretty far off, but San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (D) has "already begun campaigning." He'll likely face state Attorney General Jerry Brown and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, among others, in a Democratic primary.

* Todd Herman, a former Microsoft executive, has joined Michael Steele's team as the RNC's New Media Director. (His task, apparently, will be to take Republicans "beyond cutting edge.")

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* President Obama's second prime-time conference starts tonight at 8 p.m. eastern.

* According to New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, nine of the top 10 AIG retention bonuses have agreed to give the money back. The Senate, meanwhile, is slow-walking the House bill on bonuses.

* Good: "Dozens of mountaintop coal-mining permits are being put on hold until the projects' impacts on streams and wetlands can be reviewed, the Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday."

* Obama had an op-ed today arguing for "the urgent need for global economic cooperation." In an unusual twist, it appeared in more than 30 newspapers around the world.

* Nice to see some of those Treasury Department vacancies getting nominees.

* The president and some school kids called space today. I love stuff like this.

* There's plenty of blame to go around for AIG, but very few are blaming the president.

* The latest in a series of reasons to be suspicious of Zogby poll results.

* Al Gore will have a new book out later this year on climate change.

* The state Senate in Vermont approved legislation yesterday in support of same-sex marriage. The final vote was 26 to 4.

* NPR experiences a ratings boom.

* Interview of the Day: Benjamin Sarlin talks to Bo Lundgren, Sweden's minister for fiscal and financial affairs.

* Remember David Vitter's airport trouble? He's in the clear.

* Bill O'Reilly's ridiculous hatchet job on Amanda Terkel.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A new Quinnipiac poll in Pennsylvania shows Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) in pretty big trouble, trailing his likely Republican primary challenger, Pat Toomey, by 14 points, 41% to 27%. In general, incumbent below 50% are considered vulnerable. But under 30%?

* Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) continues to be furious at, well, pretty much everyone. In his latest tirade, Bunning lashed out at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for raising money when Bunning says he needs the money more.

* Americans United for Change is launching a new television ad campaign in 12 states (Maine, North Dakota, Nebraska, Virginia, Indiana, Arkansas, North Carolina, Alaska, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and New Hampshire) in support of President Obama's budget. Also, MoveOn.org is kicking off a radio and web ad campaign targeting "centrist" Democrats who may oppose the administration's budget.

* Obama is weighing in on next week's special election in New York's 20th. An email featuring the president's signature was sent to DNC and Organize for America activists, encouraging them to support and organize on behalf of Democrat Scott Murphy.

* Conservative CNBC commentator Larry Kudlow announced yesterday that he will not be a Senate candidate in Connecticut next year.

* An appeals court panel ruled yesterday that the Texas Democratic Party can demand that candidates seeking the party's presidential nomination vow to support the party's eventual nominee.

* The race to replace Rep. Ellen O. Tauscher (D-Calif.), who is headed for Obama's State Department, is on. The early leader appears to be state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier (D).

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* House Dems unveil their budget.

* Lawmakers in Alaska are preparing to override Gov. Sarah Palin's opposition to economic stimulus.

* Secretary of State Hillary Clinton noted today that "America's 'insatiable' demand for illegal drugs and its inability to stop weapons from being smuggled into Mexico are fueling an alarming spike in violence along the U.S.-Mexican border."

* On a related note, Clinton enjoys very strong support from Americans on her job performance.

* Howard Dean is poised to enter the fight over health care reform in a big way.

* The U.S. military is taking suicide prevention seriously.

* In case you needed another reason to be skeptical of electronic voting machines.

* In a surprise move, Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas (R) said he will veto a gay marriage bill that enjoys strong support in the state House and Senate. He said the effort is a distraction from the economy (though his veto will only make this a bigger distraction). Whether there are enough votes to override the veto remains to be seen.

* Former Washington Gov. Gary Locke was confirmed yesterday as the new Commerce Secretary.

* ThinkProgress' Amanda Terkel did a great job on "Countdown" last night, talking about the harassment she received from Bill O'Reilly staffers.

* On a related note, ThinkProgress is ratcheting up the pressure on O'Reilly's sponsors, asking them to stop subsidizing harassment.

* James Fallows tackles the right-wing nonsense about the president and teleprompters.

* The White House gets slightly better in the gift-giving department.

* Jamison Foser has some very compelling advice for the LA Times' Andrew Malcolm.

* CNBC adding Howard Dean to the team is a good move. CNBC adding Fred Malek to the team isn't.

* Apparently, the right is worked up about an Obama teleprompter gaffe that didn't happen.

* Listening to Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) talk about the economy, I keep thinking about this quote from Matt Yglesias: "Something I think most liberals don't understand is exactly how stupid many conservative leaders are."

* What Washington Post readers should have been told about Martin Feldstein.

* Why it doesn't really matter if the major dailies felt left out of the White House press conference last night.

* As stop-motion animation goes, I found this pretty damn impressive:

* And finally, the White House is "open for questions." I tend to think initiatives like these are a pretty good idea.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Organizing for America is launching its first television ads. The goal, not surprisingly, is to rally support for the president's budget.

* Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) says he's not worried about trailing in next year's Republican primary in Pennsylvania. He's putting on a brave face, but if Specter weren't afraid, he wouldn't have flipped on EFCA.

* Vice President Joe Biden is also helping out in the special election in New York's 20th, appearing in a radio ad in support of Democrat Scott Murphy. The election is Tuesday.

* Speaking of New York's 20th, Democrats are also exploiting public revulsion of Rush Limbaugh.

* Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) has been rumored as one of the Republicans' vulnerable incumbents, and there's new polling data to back up the talk. A poll from the conservative Civitas Institute shows Burr trailing state Attorney General Roy Cooper (D), 41% to 38%, even though Burr has better name recognition.

* Speaking of vulnerable incumbents, a Public Policy Polling survey in Arkansas shows Sen. Blanche Lincoln with a modest 45% approval rating, but reasonably solid leads over her likely Republican challengers.

* Is Arnold Schwarzenegger going to run for the Senate? Yesterday, the California Republican said, "I'm not running for anything." Asked if that meant he is ruling out a race against Sen. Barbara Boxer, Schwarzenegger added, "When I say I'm not running for anything, that's exactly what I mean ... until you change the Constitution."

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Back in December, Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) said he'd launch an initiative to reform the U.S. prison system in the spring. Here we are in late March, and Webb is right on time.

Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) will launch an effort to reform the nation's prison system today at noon, his staff says, introducing a bill -- the National Criminal Justice Act of 2009 -- that would create a bipartisan commission no reform. The commission would undertake an 18-month review of the U.S. prison system, offering recommendations at the end.

Prison reform is a difficult thing to achieve, politically. Nearly every politician wants to be perceived as "tough on crime," and suggesting that too many Americans are being incarcerated can seem to run against that. (Webb has, in fact, pointed out that the U.S. has attained the highest incarceration rate in the world.) Add tough discussions of prison conditions, inmate crime, and abuse, and it's not an easy task for a politician to undertake.



That's certainly true, but if anyone is well positioned to try, it's Webb. If and when the right goes after Webb as "soft," one assumes the senator -- a decorated Marine veteran and former Navy Secretary under Reagan -- won't have to waste too much time proving otherwise.

Webb has reportedly considered this a key issue for many years, and is taking an approach that sounds a lot like common sense. He told the Washington Post in December, "I think you can be a law-and-order leader and still understand that the criminal justice system as we understand it today is broken, unfair, locking up the wrong people in many cases and not locking up the right person in many cases."

In speeches and in a book that devotes a chapter to prison issues, Webb describes a U.S. prison system that is deeply flawed in how it targets, punishes and releases those identified as criminals.

With 2.3 million people behind bars, the United States has imprisoned a higher percentage of its population than any other nation, according to the Pew Center on the States and other groups. Although the United States has only 5 percent of the world's population, it has 25 percent of its prison population, Webb says. [...]

Webb aims much of his criticism at enforcement efforts that he says too often target low-level drug offenders and parole violators, rather than those who perpetrate violence, such as gang members. He also blames policies that strip felons of citizenship rights and can hinder their chances of finding a job after release. He says he believes society can be made safer while making the system more humane and cost-effective.



It's obviously a crowded policy landscape, so no one should expect sweeping proposals anytime soon. Indeed, Webb's National Criminal Justice Act wouldn't recommend specific reforms, but rather, would establish a commission to launch an investigation and then recommend specific reforms.

That said, Webb is not only right to tackle the issue, he's showing political courage in addressing a problem most would prefer to ignore. Good for him.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* President Obama started to sketch out his policy today on U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Senate Republican leaders didn't show up.

* Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner presented Congress with his ideas about re-regulating the financial industry today.

* The administration has some ideas about how to help the U.S. auto industry, but I don't think the companies are going to like them.

* This isn't exactly new, but a secretive wing of Pakistan's military intelligence agency continues to provide direct support to the Taliban.

* The president is poised to sign an important conservation bill, which is "the largest expansion of the wilderness system in 15 years."

* Obama will not legalize marijuana to help the economy.

* "Campaign against extremists who wish to do us harm" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.

* We thought the economy shrank at 6.2% pace in the fourth quarter of 2008. It was actually 6.3%.

* R.I.P., John Hope Franklin.

* Gingrich sees Obama as a "dictator." Limbaugh prefers "tyrant."

* Happy Blogoversary, Blue Girl.

* Why anyone would look to an unlicensed, non-union plumber for guidance on federal labor policy is a mystery.

* I think it's fair to say that ThinkProgress has gotten Bill O'Reilly's attention.

* Quote of the Day: "Two novels can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other involves orcs."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In the wake of Arlen Specter's flip on EFCA, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is no longer interested in seeing the Pennsylvania Republican switch parties.

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) got a little good news for a change, when a new Research 2000 poll showed him with a five-point lead over his likely Republican challenger, former Rep. Rob Simmons, 45% to 40%.

* According to a Republican pollster, Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) has an early lead in the open Senate race in Missouri next year. She leads former House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R) by four, 47% to 43%.

* Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) will apparently start his re-election bid facing an uphill climb. A Suffolk University shows only 34% of Massachusetts voters want to give Patrick another term, while 47% believe it's time for someone else. Patrick's approval rating stands at just 40%.

* The DNC seems to really enjoy picking fights with Karl Rove.

* Some prominent conservatives in Louisiana decided to skip a primary challenge to Sen. David Vitter (R) recently, but Louisiana Secretary of State Jay Dardenne (R) is still mulling the possibility.

* Former Sen. Lincoln Chafee is reportedly poised to launch a gubernatorial run in Rhode Island. Chafee, a Republican until he was defeated in 2006, would reportedly run as an independent.

* South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) is lining up far-right friends for 2012.

* And Sarah Palin told Alaska Republicans this week that she couldn't find McCain campaign staffers during the 2008 race with whom to worship. "[N]obody I could find that I wanted to hold hands with and pray," the Alaska governor said. McCain campaign aides are, of course, pushing back.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* President Obama's new policy for Afghanistan and Pakistan has been generally well received.

* Best wishes to everyone in Fargo, North Dakota, and the surrounding areas, where the Red River has swelled to 40 feet, threatening the dikes fortifying the city.

* Consumer spending went up in February?

* UPS is dropping its sponsorship of Bill O'Reilly. I'm inclined to reward good behavior.

* Sometimes, we get lucky and suicide bombers accidentally blow themselves up without hurting any innocent people.

* The DNC is milking the House Republicans' "budget" for all it's worth. I can't say I blame them.

* And speaking of the House Republicans' "budget," meet Ian Dobbin.

* A new threat to the lives of U.S. troops is ... poorly installed electrical wiring by Halliburton?

* Unemployment keeps getting worse in South Carolina. Unfortunately for those who are losing their jobs, they have a governor who opposes economic recovery efforts.

* Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), for reasons I can't understand, may oppose EFCA, too.

* A growing number of Americans are just now starting to think the economy might be getting better.

* Good: "Jurors have acquitted one of the nation's few late-term abortion providers of violating Kansas law requiring an independent second opinion for the procedure. Dr. George Tiller was found not guilty Friday of 19 misdemeanor charges stemming from some abortions he performed at his Wichita clinic in 2003."

* Also good: "Pennsylvania's highest court on Thursday overturned hundreds of juvenile convictions issued by a corrupt judge who took millions of dollars in kickbacks from youth detention centers."

* Marriage equality advances in New Hampshire, but it's prospects remain iffy.

* Spakovsky wins the Irony Award for the day.

* Tammy Bruce helps keep zombie lies going.

* I don't think conservatives understand why Bush's constant talk about 9/11 was problematic.

* It's a shame to see the Christian Science Monitor wrap up its print edition.

* The Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program deserves to be extended.

* And finally, davenoon imagines what it's like for CNN's Ed Henry to visit a fast-food establishment. Hilarity ensues.

[teapeebubbles]

Here's today's edition of quick hits:

* The market did not take kindly to the President's plan for the auto industry, with the Dow dropping a little over 3%.

* Another terrorist strike in Pakistan, as militants dressed as policemen stormed a police academy and left at least 20 dead. Pakistani authorities blamed Taliban-aligned elements. These brazen attacks have occurred with increasing frequency in Pakistan in recent weeks.

* The White House released a report today called The Cost of Inaction, detailing the perilous state of the US health care system and the need to act immediately to control costs and provide maximum coverage. Some good facts and figures inside this document.

* Mitch McConnell keeps saying that Obama is turning America into France. Sacre bleu! Now McConnell is one person I wouldn't mind to see "going Galt."

* Nearly 7 in 10 major weapons-buying programs were over-budget in 2008. When the President talks about reining in the contracting process, this is what he's talking about.

* DougJ caught this moment of clarity from Evan Thomas in his largely substance-free profile of Paul Krugman: "If you are of the establishment persuasion (and I am), reading Krugman makes you uneasy ... Members of the ruling class have a vested interest in keeping things pretty much the way they are. Safeguarding the status quo, protecting traditional institutions, can be healthy and useful, stabilizing and reassuring. But sometimes, beneath the pleasant murmur and tinkle of cocktails, the old guard cannot hear the sound of ice cracking." That's a good thing to know about the establishment media. It should be in every single one of their stories as a boilerplate at the top.

* Is the current chair of the DNC, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, really going to sign a ban on stem cell research funding in his state?

* One of the lawyers in the Spanish case against Bush Administration members, Gonzalo Boye, had a good retort to Douglas Feith's complaining about the possible indictment: "I would recommend that Mr. Feith first of all read the complaint, and secondly that he get a very good lawyer ... If he is so sure of what he is saying - then the address of the national court is #22 Genova Street, second floor.

* President Obama signed the omnibus lands bill today providing for 2 million more acres of protected wilderness.

* I do indeed hope that at the very least we can relax the travel ban with Cuba, as it serves no legitimate purpose for either nation. Neither does the embargo.

* Talks on reducing nuclear arsenals between the United States and Russia is also change I can believe in.

* Fox News launched a conservative Web site today called "Fox Nation". I guess that they won't be offering comments, since Andrew Breitbart explained today that Obama supporters have been unleashed on right-wing comment sections, forcing sites like Instapundit to close them retroactively years before Obama became President. This is something that John McCain would never pay supporters to do.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* It's election day in New York's 20th, in the special election to fill the House seat left vacant by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D). I'll have more on the race later today.

* The DSCC launched a new ad today accusing Senate Republicans of a "hit and run with our economy."

* The DNC has unveiled its new anti-Limbaugh billboard in the talk-show host's hometown in Florida. After an online contest, the winning phrase appears on the sign: "Americans didn't vote for a Rush to failure."

* Democratic leaders in Connecticut are worried about Sen. Chris Dodd's (D-Conn.) future, and wonder whether he should seek re-election.

* Speaking of Connecticut, former Rep. Rob Simmons is considered the leading Republican contender in next year's Senate race, but he will likely face a primary opponent or two.

* Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R) announced yesterday that he'll run for governor in Michigan next year.

* Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear (D) endorsed Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo's (D) Senate campaign late last week. State Attorney General Jack Conway (D), a likely primary opponent for Mongiardo, seemed unfazed.

* With Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D) running for governor in Hawaii next year, former Rep. Ed Case (D) will run for the open seat.

* Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) will reportedly give up his House seat next year to run for lieutenant governor. Ohio's current lieutenant governor, Lee Fisher (D), is running for the Senate.

* Apparently, Mitt Romney plans to run for president in 2012. What a shocker.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Sarah Palin had been slated to be the keynote speaker at the annual Republican Senate-House Dinner in Washington in June. Yesterday, she was replaced by Newt Gingrich. A GOP official told Fox News that the Alaska governor "was a disaster."

* RNC Chairman Michael Steele encouraged his fellow Republicans yesterday to be more like him. Steele said his party would be better off if it were "unconventional" and "unpredictable," the way he is.

* Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ken.) conceded yesterday that his re-election fundraising has been "lousy." He added, however, "If at first you don't succeed, you try, try, try again."

* The very competitive Democratic primary in Virginia's gubernatorial race remains close. According to a Public Policy Polling survey (pdf), Brian Moran is out in front with 22%, followed by Terry McAuliffe with 18% support, and Creigh Deeds a close third at 15%.

* The field of Republican challengers hoping to take on Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) got a little bigger yesterday when Connecticut state Sen. Sam Caligiuri (R) threw his hat into the ring.

* Former Hewlett-Packard CEO and troubled McCain/Palin surrogate Carly Fiornia is reportedly moving forward with her plans to run for the Senate in California next year. Fiorina acknowledged yesterday she is "seriously considering" challenging Sen. Barbara Boxer (D), and would run as a Republican.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* It wasn't at the top of the G20 agenda, but Obama and Medvedev made some very encouraging progress on a new nuclear arms treaty today.

* Instability in Iraq continues to be a cause for concern.

* The latest from the unresolved special election in New York's 20th.

* Rush Limbaugh: if Gordon Brown keeps "slobbering" over Obama, he'll "come down with anal poisoning and may die from it." Classy bunch, those right-wing leaders.

* I liked DougJ's description of the Republican budget plan: "This is just embarrassing. It's like watching a Pauly Shore movie."

* I'm still not sold on Obama's gift-giving skills, but I think an iPod is better than a DVD collection.

* Thankfully, it wasn't that bad, and the total was fairly modest, but still: "Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Tuesday joined a list of cabinet nominees who were forced to pay back taxes because of errors in their returns."

* Of course women in the military should have access to emergency contraception.

* Even as the economy crumbles, large cities are not seeing an increase in serious crimes.

* Sun-Times Media Group joins the Chapter 11 club.

* No one can tackle Glenn Beck's sanity quite as well as Stephen Colbert.

* I'm glad to see some nominees in position to fill Treasury Department vacancies, but there are some serious questions about Neal Wolin that warrant answers.

* Is the birth-certificate obsession on the right nearly over?

* Do major news outlets understand what bankruptcy is? Perhaps not.

* Jim Henley didn't mention me specifically, but I think I understand why he doesn't read my blog.

* Happy Birthday, Rachel Maddow.

* If conservatives are going to bring in "Joe the Plumber" to rally opposition to EFCA, someone probably ought to tell the poor guy what EFCA is and why he doesn't like it.

* One of the top stories on CNN.com this afternoon had this headline: "Ashton Kutcher squeals as chest is waxed." I don't think it was an April Fools' joke; I think CNN considered this news.

* And finally, I figured former Bush national security adviser Stephen Hadley would wind up with a job somewhere, but I wouldn't have guessed the U.S. Institute of Peace.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Believe it or not, the first televised campaign ad of the 2010 election cycle began airing today in Pennsylvania. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) launched a spot criticizing Club for Growth President Pat Toomey, who's likely to challenge Specter in a Republican primary, but who has not yet launched a campaign.

* A new Quinnipiac poll in Connecticut shows the bottom effectively falling out for Sen. Chris Dodd (D) -- he now trails former Rep. Rob Simmons (R) in a hypothetical general election match-up, 50% to 34%. Making matters worse, Dodd also trailed Simmons' virtually unknown GOP primary opponents -- state Sen. Sam Caliguri and former Ambassador Tom Foley -- in head to head match-ups. Expect Dodd to face a new round of pressure to retire.

* Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) is in a tough spot. If he refuses to sign the election certificate that would send Al Franken to the Senate, his constituents will accuse him of dragging this process out for partisan reasons. If he does sign the certificate, the Republican establishment will be mad at him, and it might undercut his 2012 presidential campaign.

* Reiterating what he'd indicated earlier, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) said he will not seek re-election next year. His recent absurdities, then, are sincere.

* Rep. Kendrick Meek's (D) Senate campaign in Florida is off to a good start, at least as far as fundraising is concerned. Meek no doubt benefited from Bill Clinton's support -- the former president has hosted two events for the Florida Democrat this year.

* Newt Gingrich told a group of college students in Missouri yesterday, "If the Republicans can't break out of being the right wing party of big government, then I think you would see a third party movement in 2012."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The G20 seems to have ended on a positive note: "Attempting to bridge deep divides in policy and financial philosophy, the leaders of nearly two dozen of the world's largest economies agreed Thursday to a broad array of new fiscal and regulatory steps, in a desperate effort to revive the paralyzed global economy."

* On a related note, it's nice to see a U.S. leader able to play a leadership role on the international stage for a change (though it must have been awkward for the prime minister of India to ask for Obama's autograph).

* And speaking of Obama at the G20, ABC News' Jake Tapper asked the president if he was confident about avoiding a global depression. Obama didn't take the bait. Stressing twice that there are no "guarantees" in life, Obama returned to a preferred metaphor: "The patient is stabilized, pretty good care is being applied ... [but] the wounds still have to heal."

* Wall Street seems encouraged.

* The House passed a measure today to give the FDA the power to regulate tobacco. Senate passage is far from assured.

* The House also passed a measure last night to limit executive compensation at financial houses that received federal bailout funds.

* I find it terribly frustrating when conservative Republicans and conservative Democrats get together to make it easier to filibuster energy reform.

* A major court ruling on marriage equality is due tomorrow in Iowa.

* Maddow did a great job last night pressing Colin Powell on the Bush administration's torture policies.

* On a related note, Maddow also is doing some solid follow-up work on the Neal Wolin nomination at Treasury,

* Drawing a line in the sand: "House liberals are threatening to vote against any health plan that doesn't include a 'public plan option.' The Congressional Progressive Caucus made its point today in a publicly released letter to Democratic leaders in the House and Senate."

* The Royal Press Office clarified today that First Lady Michelle Obama did not breach protocol by touching Queen Elizabeth II at a reception yesterday. Can political reporters move on now?

* Is Sen. Pat Leahy's (D-Vt.) proposal for a truth commission finished? It looks like it.

* China is prepared to take the lead in producing hybrid and electric vehicles over the next three years.

* Ed Schultz isn't getting the 10 p.m. slot on MSNBC, but he is getting the 6 p.m. spot currently held by David Shuster. Shuster is headed for 3 p.m., and Norah O'Donnell's hour will be moved to the morning.

* A good example of why Colbert matters.

* On a related note, have I mentioned lately that Glenn Beck is a crazy person?

* And finally, Michelle Obama's favorability rating is slightly higher than Barack Obama's. Take that, Juan Williams.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Sarah Palin and Republicans in Alaska want some kind of do-over election for Ted Stevens, but Republicans in the U.S. Senate, while upset over how Stevens' case was handled, concede that the election is over.

* In New York's 20th, depending on who you ask, either the Democrat is up by six votes or the Republican is up by 12.

* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) is popular in the Sunshine State, but there are lingering doubts about him with the party's far-right base, which could make a difference if the governor runs for the Senate next year. A new Mason-Dixon poll found that only 23% of Florida Republicans would "definitely" vote for Crist if he ran for the Senate -- a poll being touted by former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, the leading GOP candidate for the open Senate race.

* On a related note, Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.) has decided not to run for the Senate next year, and indicated that he'd support Crist, should the governor enter the race.

* Mike Huckabee advised Virginia Republicans yesterday to "let the air out of [Democrats'] tires" and "do not let them out of their driveway on Election Day."

* Virginia Democrats were not amused by Huckabee's comments.

* Appointed Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) still doesn't have great name recognition in his state, but his first quarter fundraising has gone pretty well.

* Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker (D) announced yesterday that he's running for governor. It may be a crowded Democratic primary.

* Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) looks like a pretty safe bet for re-election next year.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* There was a brutal rampage at an immigration services center in Binghamton, New York, this afternoon. A gunman, according to the most recent reports, killed as many as 13 people before apparently committing suicide.

* Attorney General Eric Holder wants to release classified Bush-era torture memos. Intelligence officials at the CIA and elsewhere are raising "holy hell" over the prospect.

* Sens. Evan Bayh and Ben Nelson really ought to feel ashamed over their budget votes yesterday.

* There's new evidence that arctic sea ice is melting faster than expected.

* It won't help the right's crusade against Harold Koh, President Obama's choice as the State Department's legal advisor, that Ted Olson has endorsed the nomination. Olson, one of the most prominent Republican attorneys in Washington and Bush's former solicitor general, called Koh "a brilliant scholar and a man of great integrity."

* Wall Street has seen gains for four weeks in a row.

* This will only bolster John McCain's reputation as a hothead.

* D.C. voting rights in the House got a little closer to reality today.

* Rod Blagojevich is now facing a 19-count felony indictment. The charges include racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud, extortion conspiracy, attempted extortion and making false statements to federal agents.

* Joe Klein makes the case for legalizing marijuana.

* Bachmann's insane proposal for a constitutional amendment on U.S. currency continues to pick up additional Republican support.

* There are some wounds time can't heal -- Bush and Cheney are still very unpopular.

* And finally, when it comes to anal poisoning, it seems Rush Limbaugh has a one-track mind.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A new Quinnipiac poll shows New York Gov. David Paterson (D) trailing state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) in a hypothetical match-up, 61% to 18%. In a hypothetical general election match-up, Paterson also loses to Rudy Giuliani by 21 points, while Cuomo leads Giuliani by 17 points.

* Speaking of New York, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), hoping to discourage potential challengers, announced this morning that she's raised more than $2.3 million in the two months since she was appointed to the Senate.

* Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) must be pretty worried about the prospect of a Pat Toomey primary challenge because the incumbent senator is already very much on the offensive.

* How close the special election race in New York's 20th district? At one point over the weekend, Jim Tedisco (R) and Scott Murphy (D) were literally tied.

* Rep. Don Young (R) of Alaska wouldn't mind seeing former Sen. Ted Stevens (R) challenge Gov. Sarah Palin (R) in a Republican primary.

* Former House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R), currently a leading Senate candidate in Missouri, has run into a little tax trouble.

* Roger Pearson, a former local official in Greenwich, Connecticut, is apparently planning to challenge Sen. Chris Dodd (D) next year in a Democratic primary.

* Rep. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.), one of the House's leading "Blue Dogs," will face state Sen. Al Lawson in a Democratic primary next year. "From my perspective, a Blue Dog is just a closet Republican," Lawson said, casting himself as someone who is "committed to being a true Democrat."

* And while I don't usually report on state Senate races, there was a big contest in Louisiana over the weekend, featuring Lee Domingue, a right-wing Republican who enjoyed the enthusiastic support of Gov. Bobby Jindal (R). Domingue, a Biblical literalist who wants creationism taught in public schools and supports banning single Louisiana citizens from adopting children, lost badly.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The earthquake that shook central Italy early this morning has caused extraordinary devastation. At last count, 150 deaths were reported.

* Violence in Pakistan is not limited to tribal areas along the Afghan border -- there were three suicide attacks in the country yesterday, including one that killed 26 people at a Shiite mosque outside the capital.

* Similarly, there were four car-bomb attacks in Baghdad this morning. The deadliest of the four killed at least 10 people at a popular market in Sadr City.

* Was there a plot to assassinate President Obama in Turkey today?

* Women's rights in Afghanistan are (finally) front in center in light of the country's new "rape" law. Over the weekend, Obama told reporters, "I think this law is abhorrent."

* There's a lot of scum and villainy out there: "The Obama administration on Monday announced a major crackdown on companies operating mortgage and foreclosure scams that target cash-strapped consumers on the verge of losing their homes. The stepped-up enforcement effort comes amid an explosion of mortgage fraud cases in which opportunistic scammers woo vulnerable homeowners with promises of assistance that never materializes."

* On a related note, Allen Stanford expects to be indicted in two weeks.

* After betraying party principles on the estate tax, Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) will betray party principles again on the Employee Free Choice Act. Her opposition makes EFCA passage extremely unlikely in this Congress.

* Remember, no matter how bad a conservative columnist is, he or she will always get another job.

* It's hard to imagine Boston without the Globe.

* Is Judd Legum the first national blogger to run for public office? Probably.

* A.L. explains racial demagoguery to the National Review's Victor Davis Hanson.

* GOP lawmakers aren't the only ones screwing up the facts on cap and trade.

* And finally, remember the conservative uproar last week about Obama bowing when he met King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia? It turns out, Bush and Cheney bowed, too. Let the rumors about Bush and Cheney being secret Muslims begin.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The NRSC expects the Senate race in Minnesota to take "years" to resolve, but Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) said yesterday he's expecting it take "a few more months."

* Arlen Specter argued on MSNBC this morning that Pat Toomey is far too conservative to win a general election in Pennsylvania, so the party's far-right base shouldn't support his primary campaign. Specter said Toomey is "to the right" of former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), adding, "Santorum lost by 18 points [in 2006], spent $31 million and was a two-term incumbent."

* Jeffrey Frederick, the controversial right-wing chairman of the Virginia Republican Party, has been ousted from his job. Frederick has vowed to seek the position again, and enjoys the support of many far-right activists in the state party.

* Former Sen. Lincoln Chafee is moving forward with his plans for a 2010 gubernatorial campaign in Rhode Island, launching an exploratory committee yesterday. Chafee, who served in the Senate as a Republican, will run as an independent.

* Given Sen. Blanche Lincoln's (D-Ark.) shift to the right, as evidenced by her reversal on EFCA yesterday, will she face a primary challenge next year? It's possible.

* Illinois state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D), who's planning to run for the Senate next year whether Roland Burris seeks a full term or not, has raised a very surprising $1.1 million since launching his exploratory committee. It makes him a credible force to be reckoned with, and adds further pressure on Burris to seek a graceful exit.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* President Obama seemed to have a productive visit in Iraq today, which ended up including a meeting with Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki.

* The indefensible law effectively legalizing marital rape in Afghanistan is "on hold."

* Good news on marriage equality wasn't limited to Vermont, today, as the D.C. Council "voted to recognize gay marriages performed in other states."

* The reported presidential assassination plot turned out to be far less serious than initially thought.

* I get the sense Vice President Biden has a genuine dislike for Dick Cheney.

* Sens. Schumer and Menendez called on Norm Coleman to give up this afternoon. Expect to hear quite a few similar requests fairly soon.

* Why is Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) lying so recklessly about the Pentagon budget restructuring? Because his state would lose out if the administration is successful.

* I guess deranged right-wing talk-show host Michael Savage doesn't get along with deranged right-wing talk-show host Glenn Beck?

* In general, I avoid celebrity news, but I was glad to see Kal Penn joining the White House staff in the public liaison office. It's not just because I enjoy his work, but also because I admire someone willing to walk away from a lucrative career in entertainment to get involved in public service.

* Glenn Beck told his audience today that the president "will slowly but surely take away your gun or take away your ability to shoot a gun, carry a gun." It's almost as if Beck is trying to create a vioent mob motivated by lies.

* Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) was on the fence regarding EFCA, but announced today he'll support the bill.

* The right is still spewing Neville Chamberlain nonsense? It's getting stale.

* Allen Stanford complained to ABC News about being forced to fly commercial after the government seized his fleet of private jets. "They make you take your shoes off and everything, it's terrible," he said. Stanford added, "I always lived very frugally. I flew around on a private jet. I had a boat. But I always lived very frugally."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Mike Quigley, a Democrat and reform-minded Cook County commissioner, won the special election in Chicago yesterday to fill the seat recently held by Rahm Emanuel.

* Sarah Palin had hinted at possible interest in challenging Sen. Lisa Murkowski in a Republican primary next year, but the governor's spokesperson said yesterday that Palin "has no intention of running for the senator's seat in 2010."

* As of late yesterday, Jim Tedisco (R) leads Scott Murphy (D) in New York's 20th by 17 votes.

* Why are Republicans so desperate to get Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) to retire? It might have something to do with his 28% approval rating in his home state.

* If North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper (D) runs against Sen. Richard Burr (R) next year, it'll make the NRSC awfully nervous.

* Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) picked up an odd endorsement yesterday, winning the support of radio shock-jock Howard Stern.

* And in Virginia's closely watched gubernatorial race, the Democratic Party of Virginia is using controversial comments from Sarah Palin in 2008 to mobilize party activists.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Details remain sketchy, but the U.S. crew has reportedly retaken control over the ship hijacked by Somali pirates this morning, though the U.S. captain is still reportedly being held hostage.

* In a significant break from Bush-era policy, the U.S. will join in multi-nation talks with Iran over its suspected nuclear ambitions.

* The engagement with Iran will apparently be welcome news to a majority of Americans.

* Keep an eye on instability in Moldova.

* This isn't going well: "The Obama administration might agree to postpone auctioning off 100 percent of emissions allowances under a cap-and-trade system to limit greenhouse gas pollution, White House science adviser John P. Holdren said today."

* Attorney General Eric Holder is poised to name Mary Patrice Brown, a well-respected career prosecutor, as the new head of the Justice Department's internal ethics unit. Good move.

* Speaking of the Justice Department, Keith Olbermann is none too pleased with the administration's recent claims on secrecy and immunity.

* The fallout from the prosecutorial misconduct in the Ted Stevens case continues.

* Has the Army pressured medical staff not to diagnose post-traumatic stress disorders?

* Speaking of veterans' issues, Tammy Duckworth will finally get a vote after Republican obstructionism delayed her nomination unnecessarily.

* Encouraging gesture: "The White House is allocating tickets for the upcoming Easter Egg Roll to gay and lesbian parents as part of the Obama administration's outreach to diverse communities."

* In yet another embarrassment for George Will, the Washington Post's editorial cartoonist has begun mocking him, too.

* Leading progressive bloggers ask leading progressive organizations: where's the love?

* Muntadar al-Zaidi, the shoe-thrower, has seen his sentence reduced from three years to one.

* The new ads from the National Organization for Marriage are slick but ridiculous.

* A Republican caller told Rush Limbaugh yesterday that the host sounds like a "brainwashed Nazi." One can only assume the call-screeners will be severely punished.

* I get the sense former Bush strategist Pete Wehner doesn't understand that tax increases produce more money for the government.

* And finally, a Quote of the Day from Italy's Silvio Berlusconi, commenting on the 17,000 Italians left homeless by the Abruzzo earthquake: "They should see it like a weekend of camping."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rush Limbaugh was asked yesterday on Fox News to name his favorite "up-and-coming Republicans." The right-wing host responded, "I -- I like the kind of things I am hearing out of Governor [Mark] Sanford from South Carolina. I have always admired Governor [Sarah] Palin."

* RNC Chairman Michael Steele wanted to participate in the far-right "Tea Party" in Chicago next week. Organizers told him he isn't invited.

* Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe was expected to excel in fundraising -- it's always been his forte -- and he lived up to his reputation in the first quarter, raising more than $4 million in three months. The total is more than five times the amount of his next closest Democratic competitor.

* Remember former Sen. Bob Smith (R) of New Hampshire? Smith was defeated in a 2002 Republican primary, and moved to Sarasota, Florida, where he began selling real estate. Now, Smith is trying to launch a comeback, running for the Senate in his new home state. As a senator, Smith temporarily left the Republican Party, complaining that it was too liberal.

* Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.), a perennial Democratic target, has his first challenger for 2010. Doug Pike, a former member of the Philadelphia Inquirer's editorial board, announced his candidacy yesterday, and is reportedly prepared to spend up to $1 million of his own money on the race.

* Will Montel Williams go from talk-show host, to infomercial salesman, to talk-show host, to politician? Maybe.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Four Somali pirates continue to hold Capt. Richard Phillips hostage. U.S. officials have been in contact with the lifeboat.

* Wells Fargo had a strong first quarter, which pleased Wall Street. (Matt has more about why Wells Fargo had a strong three months.)

* Retail sales were worse in March than February, but the rate of decline has slowed a bit.

* For reasons I'll never fully understand, Virginia Republicans voted to reject $125 million in federal stimulus money for additional unemployment benefits.

* Moving the ball forward on the Geithner stress-test plan.

* The White House announced today a new system for updating the media records of servicemen and women, both during and after their military careers.

* Tens of thousands of protesters are demanding Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's resignation. Blue Girl has more.

* Rush Limbaugh thinks the rise in piracy off the Somali coast is liberals' fault.

* He also rejects the very existence of homeless veterans. (Way to honor the troops' service, Rush.)

* The right-wing smear campaign against Harold Koh is pretty nauseating.

* Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry (D) vetoed a voter identification bill yesterday, over Republican howls. Good for him.

* I'm not sure why Mark Halperin believes Karl Rove attacking President Obama is a big deal.

* Yet another Washington Post staffer thinks George Will made false claims in his column(s) about global warming.

* Apparently, Republicans on the Hill think the Obama administration is right in its Afghanistan policy, but also think Obama deserves to be attacked on the policy they've already endorsed. How odd.

* If there were a political equivalent of the Darwin Awards, Bob Quick, Britain's most senior counterterrorism officer, would qualify for one.

* If a U.S. deportation policy kicks U.S. citizens out of their own country, there's a problem.

* New York Gov. David Paterson (D) may be down, but he's showing some leadership on gay marriage.

* Alanis Morissette isn't the only one confused by the meaning of the word "ironic."

* First Lady Michelle Obama has an organic garden. Some chemical companies are concerned.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway (D) announced yesterday that he, too, wants to take on Sen. Jim Bunning (R) next year. Conway will face Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo in a Democratic primary, and the field may not be finished yet, with Rep. Ben Chandler (D) also eyeing the race.

* On a related note, the good news for Democrats is that all of the leading Democratic candidates in Kentucky -- both announced and unannounced -- lead Bunning in hypothetical match-ups. Indeed, the top four most likely Democratic candidates hold Bunning to 36% or less.

* For the time being, Scott Murphy (D) leads Jim Tedisco (R) in New York's 20th by 49 votes.

* Speaking of statewide polls, the latest Research 2000 poll commissioned by Daily Kos takes a look at the gubernatorial race in Virginia. The Democratic primary continues to be very competitive, with Brian Moran enjoying a narrow lead over Terry McAuliffe and Creigh Deeds. Republican Bob McDonnell, the former state Attorney General, enjoys the highest favorability ratings of any candidate in either party, and leads all of the Dems in hypothetical match-ups, though Moran was the most competitive, only trailing by one, 37% to 36%.

* On a related note, Deeds, a Virginia state senator, may be a close third in the Democratic primary fight, but he's doing fairly well in fundraising.

* How low has the National Republican Senatorial Committee stooped? It's now trying to raise money in response to President Obama's alleged bow towards Saudi King Abdullah.

* And James Carville sent an email to supporters of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, hoping to help the Secretary of State retire debt from her presidential campaign. Apparently, there will be a raffle -- $5 a ticket -- and the prizes will include hanging out for a day with Bill Clinton in New York and a trip to the "American Idol" finale in Los Angeles.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Five American troops were killed this morning in Mosul as a result of a "massive" suicide truck bombing. It was the deadliest day for U.S. forces in over a year.

* Negotiations with the Somali pirates continue, as Richard Phillips' effort at an escape proved unsuccessful.

* Limbaugh tries to connect the pirates with ACORN. What a weirdo.

* President Obama sees "glimmers of hope" in the economy, but reiterated his belief that we have a long way to go.

* Robert Mugabe's cronies are seeking amnesty deals by abducting and torturing opposition leaders.

* The Obama administration's efforts in invoking the state secrets claim continues to be an ongoing source of deep disappointment.

* Corporate lobbyists are helping orchestrate right-wing "Tea Parties"? Imagine that.

* Marc Morano will be a full-time, professional global warming denier. Nice work if you can get it.

* The way David Schultz, an NPR-affiliate reporter, was treated at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center forum was not acceptable.

* Is Maine Gov. John Baldacci (D) open to marriage equality? Maybe. (thanks to reader A.F. for the tip)

* On a related note, someone really ought to get the opponents of marriage equality some urban dictionaries.

* Why anyone would find Charles Krauthammer even remotely credible is a mystery to me.

* Broder Today, Broder Yesterday.

* There aren't that many gay Republicans. The chances of sustaining two rival political organizations for the same constituency seem remote.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Club for Growth Chairman Pat Toomey stepped down from his position this morning, almost certainly in advance of a Senate campaign against Sen. Arlen Specter (R) of Pennsylvania.

* In New York's 20th, Democrat Scott Murphy now leads Republican Jim Tedisco by 35 votes.

* New York City Michael Bloomberg has worked to gain multiple ballot slots as he seeks a third term, and has been largely successful. Bloomberg will be the Republican nominee, despite having left the GOP in 2007. He will also be the Independence Party nominee.

* Is Sen. Richard Burr (R) vulnerable in his re-election prospects in North Carolina next year? It sure looks like it.

* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) must be pretty worried about next year's Republican primary.

* There's apparently some kind of rule requiring every likely presidential candidate to write a book, and apparently, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) is sticking to the rules.

* On a related note, it's one of those rumors I find very hard to believe, but New York magazine's John Heilemann said over the weekend that Jindal is thinking about running against Sen. David Vitter (R) next year. Don't count on it.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* It took a while, but the U.N. Security Council expressed its disapproval today of North Korea's recent missile launch.

* The anti-government protests are getting pretty intense in Thailand.

* Will U.S. troops be out of Iraq by late 2011, as per the administration's withdrawal timeline? Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, believes so.

* Defending the network's association with the right-wing Tea Parties, Fox News' Neil Cavuto reminded viewers over the weekend, "We were there for the Million Man March" in 1995. Fox News, of course, didn't exist until 1996.

* I'm glad to see the Department of Veterans Affairs follow up on the confiscation of a WAMU radio reporter's recording equipment during a public forum.

* My nominee for Wanker of the Day: Dick Gephardt.

* Club for Growth gets a new far-right chairman.

* It appears the hostage standoff with Somali pirates drove a lot of conservative leaders completely around the bend.

* Speaking of the pirates, some conservatives deserve credit for creativity.

* Hey look, John Bolton has called for endorsed a military assault and ground invasion of another country. It must be a day that ends in "y." This time, the target is Somalia.

* Some changes afoot at TPM, including the departure of Elana Schor.

* Someday, Newt Gingrich will see the value in spouting less nonsense. I wonder when that day will be.

* And finally, Fox News' Glenn Beck is launching a six-date comedy tour in June. Seriously. Apparently, his on-air insights were quite comical enough, so the self-described "circus clown" is taking his act on the road.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Now that former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) has lost in court, Republican leaders, including the RNC and the NRSC, are surprisingly quiet.

* As Coleman prepares for another round of legal wrangling, he's losing more of his allies. Joe Scarborough said this morning, "Seriously. Norm, I like you. You lost.... It is seriously not fair to constituents in Minnesota to drag this out any longer. It is over Norm, okay. It is over."

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D), meanwhile, reiterated this morning his intention to wait to seat Al Franken until after the next court ruling.

* In New York's 20th, Democrat Scott Murphy now holds a 25-vote lead over Republican Jim Tedisco. Still plenty of vote-counting to go.

* Surprising no one, Pat Toomey told Club for Growth members in an email yesterday, "Very soon, I intend to announce my candidacy for the United States Senate in a Republican primary challenge against Arlen Specter."

* Despite rumors to the contrary, former Rep. Harold Ford (D) announced yesterday that he will not run for governor in Tennessee next year.

* If any other top-tier Democrats plan to run for the Senate in Florida next year, they better hurry -- Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) continues to lock up support from key party allies.

* And former Rep. Vito Fossella's (R-N.Y.) comeback plans may be undermined a bit by his DUI guilty plea yesterday.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* For all the talk about encouraging economic indicators, retail sales took an unexpected downturn in March.

* U.S. and European leaders are prepared to engage Iran without the precondition "Tehran rapidly shut down nuclear facilities during the early phases of negotiations over its atomic program."

* North Korea promised to throw a fit if anyone criticized its recent missile launch. And now that the Security Council has registered disapproval, North Korea is "restarting its rogue nuclear program, booting U.N. inspectors and pulling out of disarmament talks in an angry reaction to U.N. Security Council condemnation of its April 5 rocket launch."

* The Republican National Committee has officially endorsed the "Tea Party" rallies.

* Pakistani insurgents with ties to al Qaeda are expanding their operations in Punjab.

* Ken Starr has joined Ted Olson in supporting Harold Koh's nomination to the State Department. That's bound to help against Glenn Beck and right-wing bloggers, right?

* Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich pleaded not guilty today to federal corruption charges.

* Will New York join the marriage equality club (four states and counting)?

* Lies, damn lies and Ari Fleischer.

* I wonder why a "journalist" at Fox News would tell a national television audience, "It's now my great duty to promote the tea parties. Here we go!"

* I also wonder why Mark Penn would hire Dana Perino.

* Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.) says he knows of 17 "socialists" in Congress. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) of Vermont wants to know who the other 16 are.

* At various points during the controversy Blagojevich, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) has appeared to be in hot political water. The latest revelations aren't encouraging for the Illinois Democrat.

* What do you suppose Chris Wallace thinks of his network's recent antics?

* Ordinarily, "under budget" is a good thing. Right now, in the context of the stimulus package, perhaps not.

* I'm sure he's still embarrassed, but Jim Cramer really should stop complaining about his recent appearance on "The Daily Show."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Pat Toomey made it official this morning in Pennsylvania, kicking off his Senate primary challenge to Arlen Specter.

* On a related note, Toomey's announcement comes the day after National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn of Texas endorsed Specter. "A vote for Arlen Specter is a vote for denying Harry Reid and the Democrats a filibuster-proof Senate," Cornyn said.

* Norm Coleman will appeal to the state Supreme Court, reportedly next week. Why his legal team couldn't file the appeal immediately is unclear.

* The Democratic National Committee is not only urging Coleman to stop dragging this out, it's also airing a radio ad in the Twin Cities media market with the same message.

* In New York's 20th, Democrat Scott Murphy has seen his lead over Republican Jim Tedisco jump to 168 votes, based on this morning's tally from the state Board of Elections.

* Speaking of New York's 20th, Tedisco's team has, in an odd move, decided to challenge the absentee ballot cast by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).

* The latest numbers from Public Policy Polling show Sen. Richard Burr's approval rating at just 35%. It should send a pretty strong signal to Democratic state Attorney General Roy Cooper, who leads Burr in a hypothetical match-up by four points, 41% to 37%.

* Is Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) going to seek re-election next year? He's apparently undecided.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* I guess those fears over inflation were wrong: "Consumer prices dipped unexpectedly in March, leaving prices over the past year falling at the fastest clip in more than a half-century."

* The Fed thinks the economy may be leveling off. I'm not convinced.

* President Obama is headed to Mexico amidst growing drug violence.

* The results of the administration's bank stress tests will, more or less, be disclosed to the public.

* Somali pirates tried to hijack another U.S. cargo ship today, but failed.

* Arizona State University clearly "blew it" when it came to an honorary degree for the president.

* Joe Klein explains how best to deal with North Korea's latest tantrum.

* Some of those Tea Baggers sure are foolish.

* Off the air, Fox News' Neil Cavuto saw about "5,000" people at a Tea Party he was helping promote. Once the cameras were on, that number grew rather dramatically.

* On a related note, a Fox News journalist told viewers, on the air today, "Guys, when are we going to wake up and start fighting the fascism that seems to be permeating this country?"

* Another Fox News journalist told viewers today they "need to" purchase Tea Party merchandise, "no matter what side of the issue you're on."

* Adam Serwer does a terrific job explaining where the White House has come up short, at least so far, on civil liberties.

* Robert Gates seems to realize "last gasp" was probably the wrong thing to say over the weekend.

* Dick Morris is very bad at math.

* The opinion page editor of the Minneapolis Star Tribune is "embarrassed" about publishing Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-Minn.) ridiculous op-ed last week.

* And finally, Stephen Colbert will not have a node named after him on the international space station. NASA will, however, name a treadmill after him. The equipment will be labeled the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill, or COLBERT.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Is it over in New York's 20th? Democrat Scott Murphy now leads Republican Jim Tedisco by 167 votes. The problem for Tedisco is absentee numbers from GOP stronghold areas came in yesterday, and the Republican didn't close the gap.

* In Pennsylvania, Pat Toomey thinks he's a stronger general-election candidate than Sen. Arlen Specter.

* Democratic recruiting efforts paid off in Delaware yesterday, where former Lt. Gov. Jack Carney (D) announced he will take on Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) next year.

* And speaking of recruiting, Democratic leaders also convinced Florida state Sen. Charlie Justice to take on Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.).

* In more Florida-related news, Gov. Charlie Crist (R) continues to enjoy strong support in his home state, with a new Quinnipiac poll showing him with a 68% approval rating. Crist's fiercest critics aren't Democrats, but rather, far-right Republicans who complain he isn't conservative enough.

* GOP leaders anxious about Sen. Jim Bunning's (R) prospects next year in Kentucky will feel even more discouraged after looking at his first quarter fundraising totals.

* Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) got his first Republican challenger yesterday, when Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier launched an exploratory committee.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* To its credit, the Obama administration didn't redact much from the Bush-era OLC torture memos.

* At least 16 Iraqi soldiers were killed outside of Baghdad today by a suicide bomber.

* General Growth Properties, one of the largest mall operators in the nation, filed for bankruptcy today.

* New York Gov. David Paterson (D) unveiled a gay-marriage bill today. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is on board, and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has already voiced his support for gay marriage.

* In related news, Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) has promised to sign a state bill to extend same-sex couples all of the rights and benefits afforded married couples in the state.

* Good: "A Pentagon office responsible for coordinating Defense Department information campaigns overseas has been abolished in an effort by the Obama administration to distance itself from past practices that some military officers called propaganda."

* By Nate Silver's count, as many as 262,000 people attended "Tea Party" events yesterday.

* The 10 most disgusting signs from the Tea Baggers. (Don't look on a weak stomach.)

* Bush's NSA tried to conduct surveillance on a member of Congress. Which one?

* Limbaugh seemed impressed with Texas Gov. Rick Perry's (R) secession talk.

* It's always a little jarring to hear members of Congress make transparent anti-Muslim remarks on national television.

* Sullivan: "Only a day after a massive, sustained and widespread outcry on the bloggy right about the DHS convening a study to worry about right-wing extremism, we get news of illegal and excessive wire-tapping under Bush. Not a single right-wing blog I can find via Memeorandum has commented. If you think the right is sincerely concerned about civil liberties for all in this country, this is not encouraging."

* Interesting new report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project: "Researchers have now confirmed what was evident to most political campaigns last year -- more than half of the voting-age public used the Internet last year to find out about, write about and comment on the presidential election."

* And finally, was a law-abiding ticket holder ejected from Yankee Stadium for leaving his seat to go to the bathroom while "God Bless America" was playing before the game? That's what one fan alleges in a new lawsuit. Sounds like an interesting case.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In New York's 20th, Democrat Scott Murphy now leads Republican Jim Tedisco by 264 votes. In the face of increasingly likely defeat, Republicans are now eyeing the courts, and Tedisco's lawyers yesterday asked a state court to declare him the winner, despite having fewer votes.

* Former Sen. Norm Coleman (R) said he feels compelled to keep fighting his defeat in the courts. "I'm hopeful," Coleman said. "I think the law is on our side."

* Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) spoke at an anti-abortion dinner last night in Indiana.

* Sen. Chris Dodd's (D-Conn.) in-state fundraising in the first quarter was abysmal, but President Obama made it clear this week that he intends to help the Connecticut Democrat.

* Speaking of senators with fundraising problems, Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) raised a grand total of $845 in the first quarter. No, that's not a typo, and there are no zeroes missing from the figure.

* Will we see a rematch next year between Elwyn Tinklenberg and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.)? It seems likely, and some Democratic leaders are confident that Bachmann is vulnerable.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Captain Richard Philips returns home to Vermont.

* A breakthrough on relations with Cuba?

* Marital rape will not be legal in Afghanistan after all.

* NIH releases new guidelines on stem-cell research.

* Andrew Slack has a report on how "the genocide in Darfur has shifted to a new phase of horror for the Darfuri people."

* California's unemployment rate is up to 11%.

* The White House is standing by Steven Rattner, at least for now.

* Thank the ACLU for yesterday's revelations on the Bush torture memos.

* And be sure to read Jeffrey Toobin's take on one of the torture memo authors: Jay Bybee.

* I guess it was only a matter of time before Glenn Beck attacked Little Green Football's Charles Johnson.

* Let the countdown-to-apology clock begin -- Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R) of Kansas described Rush Limbaugh today as "just as entertainer."

* Whether Gates realizes it or not, DADT is going to end.

* The feud between Howard Dean and Rahm Emanuel appears to be over.

* I have no idea why CNN would "commend" South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) for embracing Neo-Hooverite policies.

* Deranged right-wing shock-jock Michael Savage is apparently feeling litigious.

* I often wonder what kind of media figure Joe Scarborough would be if he weren't so frighteningly foolish.

* And finally, Fox News' Geraldo Rivera reminded his colleagues yesterday that the "grand total of all of the tea party demonstrators" this week was less than the number "at that immigration rally in 2006 in the city of Chicago alone." That's true. Remind me, did Fox News do public-relations work for that rally, promote it constantly for weeks, and offer live coverage throughout the day?

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* To help encourage former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) to end his court fights delaying the inevitable, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy for America have begun a campaign to collect $1 a day from supporters for every day Coleman drags out the process.

* On a related note, Coleman has already hinted that he'll take his case to the federal judiciary, if/when he loses at the state Supreme Court.

* Despite Michael Steele's troubles, the RNC edged the DNC in first quarter fundraising.

* Six state Republican lawmakers in California in February helped the state avert a budget disaster by agreeing to a plan crafted by the state's GOP governor and Democratic majority. The state party has already agreed to cut off campaign funding for these six, and now conservative activists in the state are launching a recall initiative.

* The NRSC has already thrown its support to Sen. Arlen Specter's (R) re-election bid in Pennsylvania, but the state's House Republican delegation is largely remaining neutral.

* With the initial counting of absentee ballots complete in New York's 20th, Democrat Scott Murphy leads Republican Jim Tedisco by 273 votes. There are about 1,500 challenged absentee ballot envelopes remaining, and the campaigns are headed to court.

* Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) has her first Republican challenger, with state Sen. Kim Hendren kicking off his campaign over the weekend. The 71-year-old state lawmaker will probably face some stiff competition in a GOP primary, with former U.S. Attorney Tim Griffin eyeing the race.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The U.S. decision to skip the U.N. conference on racism in Geneva looked a little more reasonable this afternoon, as a "stream of delegates from France and other European nations walked out of a United Nations conference ... in protest during a speech by the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad."

* Ongoing concerns over the banking industry gave Wall Street its worst day in two months.

* The Taliban takeover of Pakistan's Swat Valley has only emboldened militant leaders to want the whole country.

* President Obama wants to see cabinet agencies put together a plan to cut $100 million in the next 90 days. That's a lot of money to me, but in the scope of the federal government, it's not much.

* Roxana Saberi is not a spy.

* Congrats to this year's Pulitzer winners.

* Sorry, Rudy, but 55% of New Yorkers are on board with marriage equality.

* Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), a senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, called today for Jay Bybee's impeachment.

* Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) is pushing back against the story of the day.

* The latest bank-rescue idea is going over about as well as the last one.

* It was probably inevitable that the right would start going after Elizabeth Warren. Here's hoping she considers it a compliment.

* Would Obama hire Dan Bogden, one of the purged U.S. Attorneys fired by Bush? It appears likely.

* Speaking of hires, Obama has named Virginia Technology Secretary Aneesh Chopra to be the nation's first chief technology officer and Jeffrey Zients to be his chief performance officer.

* Nice to see the New York Times acknowledge Marcy Wheeler's work this morning.

* Far-right Republicans in Florida's legislature want to make it even harder for voters to particulate in the electoral process.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The Democratic National Committee has a new 30-second ad calling Republicans the "Party of Hypocrites" for having supported deficits and expanded government spending during the Bush years.

* As expected, former Sen. Norm Coleman (R) has appealed his case to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

* On a related note, Al Franken isn't a senator just yet, but he's begun hiring a Senate staff.

* The RNC topped the DNC in first quarter fundraising, but the DCCC and DSCC outraised their Republican counterparts over the same period.

* Missouri Republicans are beginning to think former House Minority Whip Roy Blunt might not be the ideal Senate candidate after all.

* The first debate among the three leading Democratic gubernatorial candidates in Virginia was last night. The primary is on June 9.

* In Georgia, neither Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle (R) not Sen. Johnny Isakson (R) will run in the open gubernatorial race next year.

* Is Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) working hard or hardly working? A close look at his schedule suggests it's the latter.

* And speaking of Florida, Jim Piccillo announced that he's running against Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R), a four-term incumbent. That wouldn't be especially noteworthy, except Piccillo is a life-long Republican who's running as a Democrat because he feels the GOP has lost its way.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* President Obama signed a new national service bill into law today, which, among other things, triples the size of AmeriCorps.

* Might prosecutors drop the charges against the AIPAC lobbyists?

* Apparently, a criminal investigation is underway covering illegal activities associated with the financial industry bailout program.

* Chrysler reportedly preferred more expensive financing from the private sector than a government loan that restricted executive compensation.

* Christopher Hill moves one step closer to becoming the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq.

* Kathleen Sebelius moves one step closer to becoming Secretary of HHS.

* House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) will hold hearings on the Bush-era torture memos.

* On a related note, whether officials are comfortable with the word or not, torture is torture.

* Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) would like to see Jay Bybee resign from the judiciary. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) and Rep. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) also expressed concerns about Bybee staying on the bench.

* Under the circumstances, CNBC's Larry Kudlow looked even more foolish than usual comparing President Obama's handshake with Hugo Chavez to "Boyz N the Hood."

* I wonder why the right didn't throw a tantrum when George W. Bush shook hands with Uzbekistani President Islam Karimov.

* Know what's tiresome? Listening to wealthy financiers complain about people not liking them.

* Nonprofit groups would like see the White House make its anti-lobbying rule a little more forgiving.

* The conflict(s) between Little Green Footballs and some of its former allies is pretty interesting.

* It's really hard to believe Newt Gingrich has a degree in history.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), the new head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, believes it will be "real hard" and "a huge challenge" stopping Democrats from getting a 60-vote majority in the next Congress.

* In an apparent bid to keep the Senate Democratic caucus from reaching 59 seats, former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) wants his latest court appeal to go slowly.

* San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (D) has been informally campaigning for a while, but officially announced yesterday that he's running for governor in California. He made the announcement, oddly enough, on Twitter.

* New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D), facing re-election this November, continues to struggle in statewide polls. A new Quinnipiac poll shows the incumbent trailing Chris Christie, his likely Republican opponent and a former U.S. Attorney under George W. Bush, 45% to 38%. A new Strategic Vision poll showed Corzine trailing by an even larger margin, 47% to 36%.

* Sen. John McCain will face a primary challenge next year from Chris Simcox, a founder of the anti-immigration Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.

* In Kansas, Reps. Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt are both vying for the Republican nomination in next year's Senate race. A new SurveyUSA poll shows Moran with a four-point lead over Tiahrt, 39% to 35%.

* State Rep. Bill Kortz (D) is the latest to enter Pennsylvania's crowded Senate race.

* Elwyn Tinklenberg raised so much money, so quickly, late in his race against Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) last year that he couldn't spend it all. He's now transferring $250,000 to the DCCC.

* Former President Bill Clinton continues to help Terry McAuliffe's gubernatorial campaign in Virginia.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Happy Earth Day. President Obama has an entirely new energy framework in mind for the nation's future.

* House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was briefed on the Jane Harman wiretap after all.

* David Kellermann, Freddie Mac's CFO, was found dead this morning in what police described as an apparent suicide. (Fox News, for reasons that defy comprehension, is exploring alternative scenarios.)

* Good: "The Food and Drug Administration, reversing field, will allow 17-year-olds get the 'morning-after' birth control pill without a doctor's prescription, the agency announced Wednesday."

* Bob Graham, the former chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said today prosecuting high-ranking Bush administration officials who authorized torture should not "be taken off the table."

* On a related note, Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) is pleased the White House hasn't ruled out accountability for these officials, but he'd like to see the president hold off on any final decisions for a little while.

* Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) don't want anyone prosecuted, no matter what crimes were committed.

* Eric Boehlert: "Does anybody else think it's odd, albeit telling, that for chunks of the corporate press corps, the emphasis surrounding the release of the Bush era torture memos is now centered on the political problems they've created for the Obama administration -- how the memos reflect poorly on the current White House -- and not, y'know, what the memos say about the administration that actually okayed the law breaking in the first place?"

* Christopher Hill was confirmed late yesterday as the new U.S. ambassador to Iraq. The final vote was 73 to 23.

* What was the single dumbest Earth Day column published in a major newspaper today? I nominate this one.

* Adam Serwer does a terrific job with this "brief, helpful guide for understanding what is and isn't fascism."

* Steve M. raises a good point: "There's no longer a point in the Republican Party where the establishment ends and the freelance ranters begin. Everyone in the GOP is now in the latter category."

* It sounds a bit like Peter Wehner wants to see terrorists vindicate his opposition to President Obama's national security policies.

* I'm going to hope Glenn Beck just doesn't know what "erotic" means. If he does, this is more than a little creepy.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Some additional challenged ballots were counted yesterday in New York's 20th, and Democrat Scott Murphy now leads Republican Jim Tedisco by 365 votes.

* Both Americans United for Change and the Democratic National Committee have new ads/videos out today, hitting Republicans as the party of "no."

* In an interesting new strategy playing out in Florida, a few far-right groups who've been critical of Gov. Charlie Crist for not being nearly conservative enough -- the Conservative Republican Alliance, the Florida Conservative Reform Caucus, and the Ronald Reagan Young Republican Club of Miami Beach -- are organizing to support Crist in a re-election campaign. As the groups see it, they'd much prefer Crist stay in Florida as governor than become a moderate senator.

* Appointed Sen. Michael Bennet (D) will seek a full term next year, but according to Public Policy Polling, he'll start off in a difficult position. As of now, Bennet's approval rating is 34%, with 41% disapproving. In hypothetical match-ups against likely Republican opponents, Bennet narrowly trails former Rep. Bob Beauprez, but enjoys modest leads over the other contenders.

* In California, Lt. Gov. John Garamendi (D) had been planning a gubernatorial campaign, but he switched gears yesterday, announcing that he's running for Congress, hoping to fill the vacancy left by Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D) who's joining the State Department. Despite Garamendi's statewide office, he'll face a very credible challenge for the House from state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier (D), who already enjoys support from leading California Dems and local unions.

* And while I tend to think 2012 polling is inherently silly this early, I suppose I should mention, just in the interest of comprehensive coverage, that Public Policy Polling shows President Obama leading four potential GOP challengers -- Gingrich, Huckabee, Palin, and Romney -- with leads ranging from seven to 13 points.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Suicide bombers killed more than 70 people in Iraq today.

* Taliban militants have "established effective control" over Buner in Pakistan, about 60 miles from Islamabad. Pakistan's military is headed for the area.

* Chrysler's bankruptcy may come as soon as next week. GM, meanwhile, will shut down most of its plants for most of the summer.

* Preliminary election results in South Africa show Jacob Zuma's African National Congress way out in front, and Zuma's supporters have already taken to the streets in celebration.

* Good: "President Barack Obama says he will push for a law to provide "strong and reliable" protections for the millions of Americans who have credit cards. The president on Thursday outlined his priorities after meeting with chief executives of the credit-card lending industry."

* Defense Secretary Robert Gates grudgingly endorsed releasing the Bush-ear torture memos.

* Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Alberto Gonzales, and John Ashcroft were among the Bush administration officials who approved of the detainee abuse as early as 2002.

* President Obama rejected the advice of his advisors on the creation of a 9/11 Commission-style investigation of interrogation techniques. According to a presidential aide, "His whole thing is, 'I banned all this. This chapter is over. What we don't need now is to become a sort of feeding frenzy where we go back and re-litigate all this.'"

* It's hard to imagine the American Prospect without Ezra Klein, but it sounds like Ezra has an amazing opportunity lined up at the Washington Post. I wish him the very best in the new gig.

* Needless Republican obstructionism is blocking Dawn Johnsen's nomination to the OLC.

* Needless Republican obstructionism is also blocking Kathleen Sebelius' HHS nomination.

* When it comes to Cheney's efforts to shift the torture debate, Greg Sargent gets it.

* The Weekly Standard used to support torture investigations. Come to think of it, George W. Bush did, too. I wonder what changed their minds?

* Sorry, Juan Williams, First Lady Michelle Obama seems to be getting more popular all the time.

* O'Reilly really doesn't know much about history.

* Is it possible that Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) broke the law? Zachary Roth ponders.

* Far too many rank-and-file Republicans believe news of global warming is "exaggerated."

* And finally, it's not every politician who gets a semi-automatic rifle named for him or her. Sarah Palin is just more fortunate than most.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* How much trouble is Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) in next year? A new Rasmussen poll shows him trailing his Republican primary opponent, former Rep. Pat Toomey, by 21 points, 51% to 30%.

* There are rumors out of New York's 20th that Republican Jim Tedisco may concede the race this afternoon.

* Under an "expedited" schedule, the Minnesota Supreme Court will begin hearing former Sen. Norm Coleman's (R) appeal on June 1.

* On a related note, two of the Minnesota Supreme Court's seven justices have recused themselves from the case. One of the remaining five, Justice Christopher Dietzen, is a Coleman donor, who apparently intends, at least for now, to hear the case.

* Research 2000's latest poll for Daily Kos shows Republicans strongly favored to keep the governor's mansion in Texas, while the Senate race is far more competitive.

* I'm starting to think former President Bill Clinton is a big fan of Florida Senate candidate Kendrick Meek (D).

* In New Jersey, Republican gubernatorial hopeful Chris Christie, a former U.S. attorney in the Bush administration, apparently used his office to track U.S. citizens, without warrants, through their cell phones.

* Former Commerce Secretary Bill Daley will not run for the Senate in Illinois next year.

* A long-shot Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, Republican Larry Murphy, probably won't apologize for this one: "Rush Limbaugh is a racist, he's a cancer to the Republican Party and he should be excised."

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Cheney isn't the only Bush administration official trying to defend his legacy. Yesterday, it became a family affair as his daughter, former State Department official Liz Cheney, got in on the act.

Several alert readers let me know about Liz Cheney's interview with MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell, in which the two explored the now-infamous torture memos. Cheney threw around a lot of nonsense, but repeatedly emphasized the idea that waterboarding, all evidence and reality to the contrary, is not torture. Most notably, she argued, "Everything that was done in this program, as has been laid out and described before, are tactics that our own people go through in SERE training.... We did not torture our own people. These techniques are not torture."

Since this seems to be popping up more and more in conservative circles, let's note all of the many reasons the argument is completely wrong.

First, both Bush's Justice Department and the CIA inspector general agree that SERE training and waterboarding detainees are "very different" situations. Second, Cheney's argument itself indirectly helps prove the point critics are making. As Matt Yglesias explained, "[T]he larger issue here is that SERE stands for Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape. And by 'resistance' they mean resistance to torture. What we do when we train soldiers isn't torture, because it's training. But it's training in torture resistance. When we look through the torture-resistance manual to find ways to do interrogations, we're looking through the torture-resistance manual to find ways of torturing people."

Or, as Jason Linkins put it, "[T]he training Liz Cheney describes is undertaken to prepare our fighting men and women for the sadistic acts that might be done to them if captured."

Third, if we're waterboarding Americans 183 times in SERE training, it's probably time to reevaluate the program.

For what it's worth, Cheney reportedly wouldn't appear on MSNBC alongside Lawrence O'Donnell, but he came on after her segment to do some fact-checking. Not surprisingly, Liz Cheney got a whole lot wrong, from waterboarding to the Blair memo to the bogus argument about waterboarding preventing an attack on Los Angeles.

At this point, perhaps the loyal Bushies should just stop trying to defend the indefensible. The more they push back, the worse their arguments appear.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* At least 60 people were killed in two more suicide-bomb attacks in Baghdad today. In just 24 hours, "five bombings have killed at least 140 people and wounded 240."

* The latest from Pakistan: "Some Taliban pulled back from a key district not far from the capital on Friday, but remained in control of the area, as the military defended its response, saying it was 'determined to root out the menace of terrorism.'"

* President Obama gave a speech on higher ed today, and talked a bit about curbing the spiraling costs of college tuition.

* The "swine flu" is hitting Mexico in a very big way.

* Ford lost $1.4 billion in the first quarter. That, oddly enough, was considered good news.

* John McCain thinks DHS fired the official who prepared the report on potentially violent right-ring radicals. As is often the case, McCain is apparently confused.

* You don't say: "For more than a decade the Global Climate Coalition, a group representing industries with profits tied to fossil fuels, led an aggressive lobbying and public relations campaign against the idea that emissions of heat-trapping gases could lead to global warming.... But a document filed in a federal lawsuit demonstrates that even as the coalition worked to sway opinion, its own scientific and technical experts were advising that the science backing the role of greenhouse gases in global warming could not be refuted."

* Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) said any effort to hold Bush administration officials accountable for criminal behavior will lead Republicans to "go to war" and launch a "scorched-earth policy."

* Steve Schmidt, the chief strategist from the McCain/Palin campaign, believes Barack Obama's campaign in 2008 was "the unfinished Bobby Kennedy campaign" from 1968.

* Schmidt also believes the Republican Party is a "shrinking entity."

* On a related note, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) seems confused (again) about what carbon dioxide is.

* Harry Reid isn't ready to impeach Jay Bybee.

* Wouldn't it be great to be able to just look at a detainee and know instantly whether he or she is a national security threat?

* Ambushing Bill O'Reilly's ambusher.

* Washington state is ending felon disenfranchisement. Good.

* I suspected conservative Republicans to freak out over the decision to make Plan B available without a prescription. I just didn't expect the reaction to be this nauseating.

* And Bill Maher ponders whether the Republican Party is "divorced from reality." Take a guess how he answers the question.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* While the "100 days" plateau is practically meaningless, Democratic leaders seem to believe they need to play along since the media is going to take the threshold seriously. To that end, the DNC released a minute-long ad today, touting President Obama's early successes.

* New York Gov. David Paterson (D) has seen his approval ratings fall precipitously of late, but he's apparently planning to run for a full term next year anyway.

* Will Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) make the Democratic establishment happy and not run in 2010? At this point, Burris says he's undecided, but if his fundraising is any indication, he's not planning to mount a serious campaign next year.

* The field of Republicans hoping to take on Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) next year just got a little bigger, with Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck, a staunch anti-immigration conservative, launching his campaign today.

* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has a new line of attack against Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) in advance of next year's gubernatorial primary: a vote for Hutchison makes it more likely Democrats will cross the 60-vote threshold.

* Speaking of Texas, Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, perhaps best known for his prosecution of Tom DeLay, is considering a statewide race next year, running for either governor or attorney general.

* Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R) was rumored to be a leading candidate for governor in Georgia, but the Republican announced late last week that he plans to seek re-election to the House, instead.

* The GOP has struggled to find a credible candidate to take on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) next year in Nevada, but party leaders believe they may have recruited a strong challenger. The problem is that the would-be candidate, banker John Chachas, lives in New York, not Nevada.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The World Health Organization has issued a phase 4 alert on the swine flu.

* There are now a 73 confirmed cases of swine flu worldwide, including 40 in the United States, but the actual number is believed to be closer to 1,6000 affected people. In Mexico, the virus has killed 149.

* The CDC today encouraged Americans forgo all "nonessential travel" to Mexico.

* The right is responding to the public health emergency about as you'd expect. Some are accusing the administration of deliberately overreacting. Others see an elaborate conspiracy to get Americans to "respond to government orders." Others still see a different conspiracy to get Kathleen Sebelius confirmed. Just another day in conservative political discourse.

* Just what Mexico City needed: an earthquake.

* Among those who supported cutting pandemic flu preparedness from the recovery package were Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and David Vitter (R-La.). Susan Collins (R-Maine), meanwhile, is defending her record.

* Krugman: "So Bobby Jindal makes fun of 'volcano monitoring,' and soon afterwards Mt. Redoubt erupts. Susan Collins makes sure that funds for pandemic protection are stripped from the stimulus bill, and the swine quickly attack. What else did the right oppose recently? I just want enough information to take cover."

* GM is cutting 21,000 factory jobs and dropping Pontiac altogether.

* Every major broadcast network will air President Obama's White House press conference on Wednesday -- except Fox.

* Flying these jets over Manhattan today was a pretty jarring error.

* Five House Democrats were arrested today protesting Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's expulsion last month of 16 aid groups from Darfur.

* Nine years later, political reporters still aren't fair to Al Gore.

* "Politics Daily" launched today, featuring work fromWashington Monthly contributing editor Walter Shapiro, among others. We wish the site the best.

* Newt Gingrich still doesn't know if waterboarding is torture.

* Threatening to kill government officials in Twitter messages can get someone arrested.

* Dave Weigel made me laugh with this tweet: "If it turns out that rightwing extremists invented the swine flu in a secret militia lab, Janet Napolitano is gonna *laugh*"

* And finally, I'm sorry to hear about Portfolio shutting down, but I'd love to know how a magazine burns through $100 million in two years.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The Democratic National Committee is using Jim Tedisco's (R) concession in New York to remind former Sen. Norm Coleman (R) it's time to concede in Minnesota.

* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) will announce within the next few days whether he'll run for the Senate next year. Rumor has it, Crist will run for the vacant seat, which would shake up the political landscape considerably.

* Will Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) face a primary challenge next year? It appears increasingly likely.

* Former state treasurer Sarah Steelman (R) is gearing up for a primary fight against Rep. Roy Blunt (R) in Missouri's 2010 Senate race.

* Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) is still eyeing Illinois' Senate race next year, and released a poll yesterday showing her as the leading Democratic candidate.

* Speaking of Illinois, Chris Kennedy, the son of late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, is also apparently considering next year's Senate race.

* Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) appeared to be running for lieutenant governor, but he reversed course yesterday and said he'd seek re-election to the House.

* Might former Rep. Bill Sali (R-Idaho) be planning a comeback? Apparently so.

* Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert's 31-year-old son, Ethan, is eyeing his father's former seat.

* Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) has become so ridiculous, the DCCC has created a site devoted to chronicling her nuttiness.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The virus spreads: "Two new swine flu cases were confirmed in Israel and as many as 11 in New Zealand, bringing the number of countries with confirmed cases to at least seven on Tuesday. But all, with the exception of Mexico, said the patients were recovering or had been hospitalized with only mild symptoms, leaving health officials struggling to determine why the disease has killed only in Mexico."

* The CDC expects to see Americans die from the swine flu virus. The U.S. now has 64 confirmed cases across five states, with the most cases in New York, which has 45.

* Pakistan starts taking the Taliban menace a bit more seriously.

* President Obama isn't happy about yesterday's fly-over in Manhattan, and has ordered an official investigation of what happened.

* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell believes Arlen Specter's party switch represents a "threat to the country."

* Note to Michael Steele: Republicans really have to drop "no one could have predicted" from the list of talking points. It's a cliche Atrios uses to make fun of you.

* Chrysler may avoid bankruptcy after all.

* In a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court decided today that the FCC can punish television networks for isolated incidents of profanity, known as "fleeting expletives."

* Russ Feingold released a report card of sorts, evaluating the Obama administration on judicial issues and the rule of law. The president fares pretty well, though Feingold is justifiably critical on the issue of state secrets.

* 42% of Americans now support gay marriage. That's obviously not a majority, but it's an all-time high for support of marriage equality, and a big jump from the support of just a few years ago.

* Ross Douthat's first column in the New York Times ran today. There are plenty of interesting takes on the piece, but I'll just say this: Douthat is already an infinitely better columnist than Bill Kristol.

* Florida Republicans don't want stimulus aid for the state's unemployed, either. I'll never understand this.

* Dawn Johnsen was endorsed yesterday by a bipartisan coalition of scholars. Will Arlen Specter get his career in Democratic politics off to a very bad start by voting against her nomination?

* I get the impression that Joe Scarborough is getting worse as an on-air hack.

* And finally, the Quote of the Day, by way of Michael Crowley: "Two wars, economic collapse, and now a possible global pandemic. When do the locusts arrive? During the '08 campaign the GOP ran an advertisement mockingly comparing Obama to Moses. But if he can get us through all this...."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

*Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), chairman of the NRSC, wants to see the GOP "regain our status as a national party" in next year's midterm elections. Sounds like a good idea.

* Sen. Arlen Specter stopped by the White House this morning, and appeared alongside President Obama and Vice President Biden.

* Rush Limbaugh is not only glad to see Specter leave the Republican Party, he also wants to see John McCain leave, too.

* Former Sen. Lincoln Chaffee announced today he is running for governor of Rhode Island as an Independent. Chafee is a former Republican who supported the Obama campaign last year.

* In Virginia, SurveyUSA shows Terry McAuliffe out in front in the race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, with 38% support. Brian Moran and Creigh Deeds are at 22% each. Former state Attorney General Bob McDonnell, the likely Republican nominee, leads all three Democrats in hypothetical general election match-ups, though Deeds appears the most competitive.

* Rep. Nathan Deal (R) is apparently poised to announce he's running for governor in Georgia next year.

* The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg can run for a third term later this year.

* And House Minority Leader John Boehner (R) may face a primary opponent in Ohio next year from a county sheriff best known for his anti-immigration views.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The WHO signals governments around the world: "The World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert to 5, its second-highest level Wednesday, indicating the outbreak of swine flu that originated in Mexico is nearing widespread human infection."

* A 23-month-old child is the first confirmed death as a result of the swine flu in the United States. The toddler was from Mexico City, but was visiting Texas.

* More bloodshed in Iraq: "Six car bombings in four hours killed 48 people and wounded 81 in various Baghdad neighborhoods Wednesday, according to Iraq's Interior Ministry."

* North Korea is threatening a second nuclear test and the launch of an ICMB unless the U.N. Security Council says it's sorry for censuring North Korea earlier this month.

* The House passed a hate-crimes measure this afternoon, but not before some far-right Republicans made some pretty nauseating comments.

* The New Hampshire Senate approved a gay-marriage law today. The measure now heads for the state House. (There's also been progress in Maine.)

* The regular ol' flu kills about 36,000 Americans a year. I didn't realize the number was that high.

* First quarter GDP numbers were really ugly.

* The Federal Reserve believes the recession may be easing and that the economic outlook has "improved modestly" since March.

* Remember when Arlen Specter hated lawmakers who switched parties?

* Judge Bybee? Pat Leahy would like a few words with you.

* To his credit, Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) will support Dawn Johnsen's nomination.

* House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said the Democratic agenda "makes me want to throw up." Classy.

* Apparently, Fox News is encouraging Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) to leave the Republican Party, too.

* Believe it or not, George W. Bush's public support keeps managing to get worse.

* With a cramdown provision in real trouble on the Hill, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), a champion on bankruptcy reform, conceded what he's up against. "The banks -- hard to believe in a time when we're facing a banking crisis that many of the banks created -- are still the most powerful lobby on Capitol Hill," Durbin said this morning. "And they frankly own the place."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) certainly sounds like a guy getting ready to run against Sen. Arlen Specter in a Democratic primary. (Even if he doesn't, the talk might push Specter to the left.)

* In an amusing twist, the National Republican Senatorial Committee is going after Specter for his ties to ... wait for it ... George W. Bush.

* And in related news, with Specter having left the GOP, Republicans are even more worried about Pat Toomey running as their Senate candidate in Pennsylvania. Tom Ridge has been approached, and Rep. Jim Gerlach (R), who intended to run for governor, is facing some pressure to run against Toomey in a primary.

* Expecting Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) to run for the Senate, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has already put together a critical television ad, suggesting Crist wants to go to D.C. so he won't have to clean up his mess in Florida.

* NRSC chairman John Cornyn (R-Texas) thinks it's "unlikely" Norm Coleman's lawsuits will fail in Minnesota. He didn't explain how he came to believe this, but most of Cornyn's Republican colleagues disagree.

* If state Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) challenges Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) next year, it looks like Madigan would enter the race as the favorite.

* And speaking of Illinois, if Sen. Roland Burris (D) runs next year, he's almost certain to lose, no matter who he faces.

* In Louisiana, a new poll shows scandal-plagued Sen. David Vitter's (R) approval rating slipping to 58%, a year before he seeks re-election.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The H1N1 numebrs increase: "Confirmed cases of swine flu worldwide increased to 236 on Thursday, up significantly from the previous day's total of 147, the World Health Organization reported." There are 109 confirmed cases in the U.S., but for now, most are considered mild.

* A very disappointing result on cramdown: "The Senate has defeated legislation that would have let hundreds of thousands of debt-ridden homeowners seek mortgage relief in bankruptcy court." The measure drew 45 supporters, all from the Democratic caucus.

* A security aide to Energy Secretary Steven Chu, recently in Mexico City, reportedly contracted the H1N1 virus, as did three members of his family.

* After talks broke down last night, Chrysler filed for bankruptcy today, and entered into an alliance with the Italian automaker Fiat.

* Rumor has it that Sen. Arlen Specter is a Democrat now. Given his voting record over the last two days, I find that hard to believe.

* A law to allow marriage equality in Maine passed the state Senate today, and the state House is expected to take up the bill next week.

* Defense Secretary Robert Gates does not have high hopes about a military strike on Iran's nuclear program.

* Former FEMA chief Michael "Brownie" Brown went on Fox to bash the Obama administration's handling of the N1H1 public health emergency. Oddly enough, this gives me more confidence in Obama's team, not less.

* CNN's Ed Henry's question last night about the Freedom of Choice Act would have made more sense if the bill had even been introduced in Congress.

* Yesterday, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) said Matthew Shepard's murder was a "hoax." Today, Foxx, a right-wing Republican, said she used a "poor choice of words." She added, however, that she still questions whether Shepard was brutally murdered because of his sexual orientation.

* Confirm Dawn Johnsen.

* Elizabeth Edwards thinks John Edwards shouldn't have run for president in 2008. You don't say.

* Veridian Dynamics: "When Presidents Talk, Americans Get Hurt." (It's a parody ad from a great TV show that was preempted last night.)

* Conservative bloggers are still talking about people "going Galt"? I thought that was a March fad.

* Ta-Nehisi Coates has a very good item following up on Byron York's piece from yesterday.

* Right-wing talk-show hosts are back to ranting about the Panama Canal? It's as if they're trying to look ridiculous.

* And in case the previous National Organization for Marriage ads weren't quite bad enough, the conservative group is now launching a new campaign starring a Miss USA contestant who has become a cause celebre in Republican circles for her anti-gay attitudes.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* It appears Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ken.), after months of insisting otherwise, might be getting ready to retire at the end of his term next year. Kentucky's Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R) formed an exploratory committee yesterday for the Senate race, a step he said he would not take if Bunning sought re-election.

* Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), as expected, is poised to announce that he's running for the Senate next year. Despite Illinois' Democratic leanings, Kirk appears to enter the race as a competitive candidate.

* While Sen. Arlen Specter clearly expects to run in the Democratic primary next year with minimal opposition, Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) continues to sound like a possible candidate.

* Speaking of Specter, Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) was initially reluctant to say whether he'd support the former Republicans next year, but Casey told reporters this morning, "I'll support him. It doesn't mean he doesn't have some work to do to go around the state and to listen to people in our party and go through a process. But I think in the end, it is my goal and it has to be my goal to make, which is to make sure we have two Democrats in the Senate in 2011, it is important that we support him I believe."

* Is Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) vulnerable next year? He's not on most target lists for vulnerable incumbents, but a Research 2000 poll conducted for Daily Kos shows Isakson leading former Gov. Roy Barnes (D) in a hypothetical match-up by only four points.

* Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) is reportedly eyeing the 2012 presidential race, but he may want to refocus attention closer to home. A new Star Tribune Minnesota Poll shows Pawlenty's approval ratings dropping below 50% for the first time.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* As the H1N1 virus reaches Asia for the first time, the World Health Organization said today the number of confirmed cases stand at 331.

* The AP suggests there's reason for at least some optimism: "The swine flu virus that has frightened the world is beginning to look a little less ominous.... One flu expert says there's no reason to believe the new virus is a more serious strain than seasonal flu."

* President Obama briefly interrupted a White House press briefing today to announce that he'd spoken with Justice Souter, who said he's retiring. The president lauded Souter's tenure and thanked him for his service. Obama hopes to have his nominee confirmed in time for the October session.

* April was the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Iraq in seven months.

* These developments in Iraq will not, however, change the withdrawal plan.

* Eleven Democrats opposed cramdown and screwed over struggling homeowners yesterday. Ryan Grim went and asked all 11 what they were thinking.

* Some still take Condoleezza Rice seriously. I don't know why.

* When it came to Chrysler's future, a couple of "vulture funds" played chicken with the Obama White House. The funds lost.

* I can only hope this was a clerical error and that the White House isn't backing off its commitment of ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

* After quoting Dr. John Reilly, an MIT economist, for months, far-right lawmakers are now attacking him.

* Once in a while, I'm surprised at just how far prominent right-wing bloggers like Erick Erickson will go.

* I wonder if, right about now, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) is rethinking the whole "secession" idea.

* Anita Dunn is taking over for Ellen Moran, as the new communications director at the White House.

* Byron York's weak defense.

* Right-wing radio host Jay Severin blamed H1N1 on "some of the world's lowest of primitives in poor Mexico." He was then suspended by his employer.

* The Washington Times, reporting on a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing with Maersk Alabama Captain Richard Phillips, said John Kerry "clearly enjoyed a taste of the seaman." Seriously. This is supposed to be a newspaper.

* And finally, Happy "Mission Accomplished" Day. Has it been six years already?

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge (R) really is eyeing the Senate race.

* Joe Torsella, who was the only officially announced Democrat in Pennsylvania's Senate race before last week, doesn't appear anxious to step aside for Arlen Specter anytime soon.

* How bad are things for New York Gov. David Paterson (D) in advance of next year's campaign? A new Marist Poll not only shows his approval rating dropping to 19%, but the same poll shows a majority of New Yorkers would prefer to see former Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) back in office.

* Speaking of New York, the same Marist Poll shows Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) in a tough spot in her campaign next year. While Gillibrand still has a double-digit lead over Rep. Peter King (R), who has already indicated his interest in the race, she trails former Gov. George Pataki (R) in a hypothetical match-up.

* John Kasich, a former House Republican who became a Fox News personality, is running for governor in Ohio.

* Republicans had hoped to recruit a credible opponent to run against Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.) next year, and seem to have found their candidate: Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta.

* Will California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) support the Republicans' gubernatorial nominee next year? Maybe, maybe not.

* John Oxendine, a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Georgia, seems to have decided on a vaguely secessionist platform. It is, by the way, the 21st century. Just thought I'd mention that.

* Former Rep. Bob Barr of Georgia, the Libertarian Party's presidential nominee in 2008, told CNN over the weekend it's hard to "overestimate the damage" that's been done to the Republican Party. He said today's GOP is "in very deep trouble."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The CDC believes the current trends on the H1N1 virus are "encouraging," at least for now.

* President Obama is targeting off-shore tax havens. Republicans aren't happy about it.

* The vulnerabilities in Pakistan's nuclear arsenal are more than a little terrifying.

* The Boston Globe's future is very bleak, but no official word yet on whether it'll survive the rest of the month.

* The White House says it doesn't plan on asking Congress for any more bank bailout money.

* Violence is down in Iraq, but for gay Iraqis, the danger is constant.

* The Obama administration's efforts during Chrysler's bankruptcy proceedings should strengthen its position in upcoming negotiations with GM stakeholders.

* We can do without the early whisper campaign against Sonia Sotomayor.

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) is at least open to the idea of criminal prosecutions for Bush administration officials who may have broken laws related to torture.

* EFCA without "card check"? A compromise measure is generating some attention in the Senate.

* Stan Greenberg writes an interesting letter to Ed Gillespie.

* Weather obviously isn't the same thing as climate, but weather apparently influences public perceptions about global warming.

* Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) continues to have a way with words.

* Jack Shafer explains why Cokie Roberts probably ought to retire from the punditry business.

* John Edwards is under investigation for possible misuse of campaign funds in connection with his extramarital affair.

* Despite rumors to the contrary, Missouri has not outlawed emergency contraception.

* Al Gore for the Supreme Court? Seems like a stretch.

* And finally, Jack Kemp died over the weekend at age 73. I disagreed with him on a whole lot of issues, but in general, the former Republican vice presidential nominee was a first-class mensch. My condolences to his family and friends.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Will Arlen Specter enjoy union support next year if he continues to oppose EFCA? Joe Sestak, who keeps inching closer to the race, doesn't think so.

* On a related note, a top AFL-CIO official was more explicit regarding Specter: no EFCA support, no campaign support.

* Both Howard Dean and James Carville have urged Specter to earn party support by voting with his new party. What a concept.

* Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio (R) announced this morning that he's running for the Senate next year, setting up a heated fight against Gov. Charlie Crist (R), who's also likely to run.

* A new poll in New Hampshire offers Republicans hope against Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.) next year. The same poll offered the GOP additional good news, with former Sen. John Sununu leading Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.) in a hypothetical match-up, 46% to 41%.

* Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) insisted this morning that he is, despite rumors to the contrary, seeking re-election next year.

* And speaking of Kentucky, Rep. Ron Paul's son, Rand, told CNN yesterday he's poised to run for the Senate in the Bluegrass State, too. Rand Paul, an ophthalmologist, said he would seek to raise money for the race by turning to his father's supporters.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* AP: "U.S. health officials are no longer recommending that schools close if students come down with swine flu, the government said Tuesday." HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the virus has, for now, turned out to be milder than feared and the government decided to change its advice.

* That said, a woman in Texas today became the second person to die of H1N1 in the U.S.

* Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke expressed some qualified optimism today about the eventual end of the recession.

* Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid made a very good case today for increased U.S. investment in Pakistan. Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman John Kerry and ranking Republican Richard Lugar agree.

* The Maine House approved a gay marriage bill today, joining the Maine Senate. If Gov. John Baldacci (D) signs it into law, Maine will join Vermont as the only states to approve marriage equality outside the courts.

* In related news, the D.C. city council voted 12 to 1 today to recognize gay marriages from other states.

* President Obama and Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee agreed today on a "cash for clunkers" provision in the pending energy bill. (It's not quite the Jeffrey Leonard plan, but it's progress.)

* Tony Fabrizio, a prominent Republican pollster, hated John Boehner's new ad, which attempted to scare Americans with an attack on the president's national security policies.

* If Jack Murtha isn't thinking about retirement, he should be.

* Mike Pence really doesn't know what he's talking about.

* We probably won't hear about the president's Supreme Court nominee this week, but in the meantime, Obama has already chatted with Sens. Hatch and Specter about the process.

* AIG rebrands.

* Irrational fears have sent ammo sales soaring.

* And Samuel "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher has had gay friends, but he "wouldn't have them anywhere near" his children. I wonder what his alleged gay friends were thinking hanging out with this guy?

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* At least for now, Arlen Specter enjoys a huge lead over potential primary challenger Joe Sestak. A Public Opinion Strategies shows the incumbent ahead, 57% to 20%, thanks at least in part to Specter's name recognition advantage.

* With just one month to go before the Democratic gubernatorial primary, Terry McAuliffe appears to be pulling ahead. Public Policy Polling shows the former DNC chairman out in front with 30%, followed by Brian Moran at 20%, and Creigh Deeds at 14%.

* Concerned about the incumbent's chances in November, allies of New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) are beginning to direct their attention to the state's Republican primary.

* A new Quinnipiac poll in Ohio shows a wide-open Senate race, though Dems appear to have the early edge. Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, both Democrats, lead Republican Rob Portman in hypothetical general-election match-ups, though polls are expected to tighten as Portman becomes better known statewide.

* In related news, the same Quinnipiac poll shows Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (D) leading his top Republican challenger, former Rep. John Kasich, 51% to 32%.

* Nate Silver's recent piece comparing Joe Sestak and Arlen Specter is, according to Brendan Nyhan's analysis, flawed.

* All of a sudden, quite a few Minnesota Democrats are anxious to take on Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) next year.

* Presumably in preparation for the 2012 presidential campaign, former John McCain aide John Weaver has signed on to advise Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (R).

* The DNC is playing "Survivor" with Republican leaders, riffing off Olympia Snowe's recent comments, in a new web ad.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* President Obama continues to press Pakistan and Afghanistan on their response to the Taliban. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the discussions have produced "some very promising early signs."

* On a related note, Clinton expressed her deep regret today for civilian casualties caused by U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan. (The right will start whining about U.S. "apologies" in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...)

* At least 11 Iraqis were killed today when a car bomb exploded at a popular south Baghdad produce market.

* Bank of America needs another $34 billion in capital. This, for reasons that I don't understand, is not horrible news for the company.

* The White House is getting a little tired of Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) refusing to let the Senate vote on the president's FEMA nominee.

* The Boston Globe lives to publish another day.

* Arlen Specter has lost his Senate seniority, but if things turn out well for him, he might get it back in 2011.

* Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg makes the extremely persuasive case for more gender diversity on the Supreme Court.

* Rush Limbaugh wants to see Colin Powell leave the Republican Party.

* The latest national CNN poll shows a majority of Americans do not want to see Bush administration officials investigated over torture policies.

* It was all of the record, but I'm glad Obama recently had dinner with Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz, both of whom believe the president's economic policies have been inadequate.

* Someday, I'd love to hear the editors of the LA Times justify paying Andrew Malcolm.

* Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) continues to have a way with words.

* Birthers are not only at odds with reality, they're at odd with each other.

* Remember that crazy Washington Times editorial, insisting that Obama's approval ratings are awful? The paper retracted the piece today. Good move.

* And finally, the right's attacks against the president have become so reflexive, yesterday some conservatives blasted Obama for his choice of condiments on a hamburger.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The Progressive Change Campaign Committee launched an online straw poll yesterday to gauge support for a Joe Sestak primary campaign against Arlen Specter.

* John McCain has personally urged Tom Ridge to run in Pennsylvania against Pat Toomey.

* The National Republican Congressional Committee has launched a new attack ad campaign against Blue Dog Democrats who supported the economic recovery package in February.

* Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has seen her favorability ratings drop in her home state from 86% a year ago to 54% now.

* Rep. Kendrick Meek's (D) Senate campaign in Florida continues to generate some momentum, as evidenced by DSCC Chairman Bob Menendez's shout-out this morning on MSNBC.

* Porn star Stormy Daniels is apparently serious about running for the U.S. Senate in Louisiana, and campaigned last night in downtown Baton Rouge. Daniels, on a self-described "listening tour," is a Louisiana native, but needs to re-establish her residency after moving to Florida seven years ago. Asked about her likely opponent, Republican David Vitter, Daniels replied, "I think it's about time David Vitter started answering David Vitter questions."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* President Obama unveiled the details of his federal budget today. He also identified $17 billion in spending cuts, which was immediately deemed insufficient. (The White House has posted the budget and related materials online.)

* GM lost $6 billion in the first quarter, and its cash reserves are dwindling. In related news, GMAC has to raise $13.1 billion in a hurry.

* Pakistan declares war on the Taliban.

* According to the World Health Organization, there are now more than 2,000 people in 23 countries with confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu. Over half are in Mexico.

* North Korea appears to be gearing up for a new nuclear test.

* Senate Democratic leaders gave Sen. Arlen Specter the chairmanship of the Crime and Drugs Subcommittee. Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy isn't happy about it.

* Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said Judge Sonia Sotomayor would face stiff GOP opposition if she were nominated for the Supreme Court.

* Brian Beutler takes a closer look at the whole whisper campaign against Sotomayer.

* It's odd to hear Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, sound more reasonable than most of his GOP colleagues when it comes to judicial qualifications.

* Every time an Arabic linguist is thrown out of the U.S. military for being gay, I get a little more outraged.

* The Senate confirmed Gil Kerlikowske today as the new director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. The vote was 91 to 1.

* The Obama administration now supports letting D.C. public school students who've received vouchers to keep receiving them through graduation, but without expanding the program or allowing new students to receive taxpayer-subsidized private school tuition.

* A marriage-equality bill is headed for New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch's (D) desk. It's unclear what he'll do.

* Circle your calendar: "Karl Rove's long-awaited testimony before Congress about the US Attorney firings will likely occur around early June, according to Rove's lawyer."

* If Bill O'Reilly wanted to be less sexist, he could "help" it.

* And finally, Obama is Spock. Good to know.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos found Arlen Specter looking strong against potential Democratic primary opponents in Pennsylvania -- leading Joe Sestak by 45 points and Joe Torsella by 55 points -- but there's a glimmer of hope for Specter's Democratic detractors. The same poll found only 37% of Pennsylvania Democrats said they would "definitely" vote for the incumbent.

* The same poll offered very bad news for Republican hopeful Pat Toomey. Not only would he lose badly to Specter in a general election, he also trails Sestak and Torsella, despite the fact that few know who they are.

* Now that former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge has said he's not running, will he throw his support to Toomey? Not yet. On "Hardball" yesterday, Ridge wouldn't say whether he thinks Toomey can win, and wouldn't even commit to voting for him.

* Perhaps all that ridiculous secession talk paid off -- a Rasmussen poll in Texas shows Gov. Rick Perry edging ahead of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in next year's Republican gubernatorial primary.

* Former Rep. J.C. Watts (R-Okla.) has gone from college football player to congressman to infomercial salesman to CNN contributor to lobbyist. Now, he's expected to announce next week whether he'll run for governor in Oklahoma next year.

* And speaking of Oklahoma, it's unclear whether Sen. Tom Coburn (R) will seek re-election next year, but if he doesn't, a lot of Democratic leaders hope Gov. Brad Henry (D), a moderate Dem with a high approval rating, can be recruited to seek the seat.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Probably worth repeating: "President Barack Obama said Friday that while the swine flu virus does not appear to be as dangerous as initially thought, Americans should not let down their guard."

* The window for negotiations closes: "Pakistan declared war on its homegrown Islamic extremists Thursday in a dramatic move that could trigger a wider conflagration. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, in a late-night televised address to the nation, said Pakistan would launch a full-scale offensive against Pakistani Taliban guerrillas who've seized control of the vast Swat valley, which is about 100 miles north of the capital."

* Not too big a surprise: "The director of the White House Military Office submitted his resignation on Friday, less than two weeks after he authorized an Air Force One flyover of the Statue of Liberty that terrified thousands of people in New York City."

* Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz), the #2 Republican in the Senate, today urged Obama not to fire any of the banking CEOs who've received bailout money.

* Reports that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was briefed on Bush administration torture techniques may not reflect what actually happened.

* The Obama administration will now spend more money in Afghanistan than Iraq.

* The White House will not announce the next Supreme Court nominee next week.

* Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) is stepping up to help repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

* Good to see Attorney General Eric Holder emphasize the importance of Dawn Johnsen's OLC nomination.

* The crown of the Statue of Liberty will re-open to tourists on the 4th of July.

* There's nothing wrong with considering diversity when nominating a judge.

* Women in Texas are billed for rape kit collections?

* Apparently, some right-wing blogger, who claims to be a law professor at Cornell, is all excited about the president putting mustard on his hamburger. So is Fox News. I have no idea why.

* And finally, my friend Rob Boston debated Bill Donohue on Fox News this morning, discussing Notre Dame welcoming President Obama. Donohue said giving the president an honorary degree "would be like Howard University giving David Duke a degree in racial politics." He wasn't kidding.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) will reportedly announce tomorrow that he is running for the Senate next year, just two years after taking office. Expect a very interesting primary battle to take shape between Crist and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio.

* MoveOn.org is entering the fray in Pennsylvania, pushing for a primary challenger to take on Arlen Specter next year.

* Speaking of Specter, the Pennsylvania senator recently launched a website that appeared to be raising money to combat cancer, when it was actually just a re-election effort. The site's wording was overhauled over the weekend.

* To the frustration of Republicans everywhere, Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) re-emphasized over the weekend that he will, in fact, seek re-election next year.

* With Tom Ridge passing on the Senate race in Pennsylvania, are Republicans content to roll the dice with former Rep. Pat Toomey? No, but their options are limited. Chris Cillizza noted this morning, "State and national Republicans are treating the race like an open seat and are still looking for alternatives to Toomey -- although the names are few and far between."

* Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) is poised to announce his next move, though it's not entirely clear what that will be. Israel was initially eyeing the mayoral race in New York, but is now reportedly planning to challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in a Democratic primary.

* Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) had been eyeing the state's gubernatorial race, but with Gov. Pat Quinn (D) looking fairly strong, the popular Madigan is rumored to be turning her attention to next year's Senate race.

* Nicolle Wallace, a top adviser to George W. Bush and John McCain's presidential campaign, believes actor Gary Sinise could be the Republican Party's savior. "The natural strengths that an actor brings to politics would come in handy to anyone going up against Obama in 2012," Wallace argued over the weekend. "We will need an effective communicator who can stand toe to toe with Obama's eloquence." She was, in case you're wondering, serious.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* A U.S. soldier shot and killed five fellow soldiers at a stress clinic a U.S. base in Baghdad. It appears to be the worst case of soldier-on-soldier violence since the start over the war.

* The Obama administration intends to replace Gen. David McKiernan with Special Operations commander Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal in Afghanistan. Joe Klein seems to think that's a good move.

* Roxana Saberi will be released from an Iranian prison. That's great news.

* Three people have now died in the U.S. from H1N1. The CDC noted today, however, that the virus is spreading so quickly, it's hard to count confirmed cases.

* AP: "Two days of shelling across Sri Lanka's northern war zone killed at least 430 ethnic Tamil civilians -- and likely as many as 1,000 -- a government doctor in the area said Monday. The United Nations branded the attacks a 'bloodbath.'"

* The space shuttle Atlantis is en route to the Hubble Space Telescope.

* Robert Gibbs doesn't seem to mind at all when Dick Cheney goes on the attack.

* Interesting: "Former Senator Bob Graham, who received a classified briefing on terror detainees during the same month in the fall of 2002 as Nancy Pelosi, was not briefed about the use of either waterboarding or enhanced interrogation techniques during the meeting, he claimed in an interview with [Greg Sargent]."

* Local efforts to deter piracy are growing in Somalia.

* Fascinating item from Peter Dizikes about the "growing blue state-red state gap" surrounding stem-cell research.

* CBS Sports golf analyst David Feherty apologized yesterday (for this). No word on whether the network has plans to punish him or not.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* As expected, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) made it official this morning, kicking off his Senate campaign.

* In a blow to former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio (R), the National Republican Senatorial Committee immediately threw its support to Crist.

* RNC Chairman Michael Steele was asked whether former Sen. Norm Coleman should concede after Al Franken is deemed the winner in Minnesota. Steele replied, "No, hell no."

* Good news for Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.): Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio (D) has decided not to run for the Senate next year. With Crist getting into the race, it looks like the Democratic nomination will come down to Meek and state Sen. Dan Gelber.

* Will Sen. Blanche Lincoln's (D) opposition to EFCA push unions to support the Green Party candidate in Arkansas next year?

* The Republican field running for Missouri's open Senate seat may get a little bigger, with Washington University law school professor Thomas Schweich eyeing the race. He would likely face off against Rep. Roy Blunt and former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman.

* Michael Steele said the other day Mitt Romney's presidential campaign came up short because the Republican base "had issues with Mormonism." Yesterday, Romney criticized those comments, and Steele responded with a non-apology apology (he "regrets the way his comments have been interpreted").

* Were John Edwards' aides prepared to sabotage his campaign last year? Joe Trippi isn't buying it.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* AP: "Eleven Taliban suicide bombers attacked government buildings in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, sparking running gunbattles that killed at least 20 people and wounded three U.S. troops, officials said. U.S. and Afghan troops freed 20 hostages taken by the insurgents."

* Get ready for a new round of entitlement hysteria: "The financial underpinnings of the Medicare and Social Security programs have eroded substantially as a result of the nation's recession, according to a government forecast issued today."

* Good to see a growing number of mainstream Muslim religious leaders forming an alliance to "openly oppose the Taliban" in Pakistan.

* A bill to protect consumers from abusive credit card industry practices looks likely to pass the Senate.

* The was apparently an AP story making the rounds today about the White House faulting the EPA's findings on carbon emissions. The article was wrong.

* The budget deficit is projected to be reach $1.84 trillion this year, slightly higher than the February forecast.

* Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) is finally prepared to let the Senate vote on the president's FEMA nominee.

* It took a few tries, but prosecutors finally gained convictions against five members of the "Liberty City Six."

* 49 governors will accept stimulus funding for energy efficiency programs. Sarah Palin won't.

* Lt. Dan Choi sure would appreciate it if the Obama administration didn't fire him.

* Blue Dogs are bothered because they're not helping write the health care bill.

* The administration is poised to get tougher on enforcement of anti-trust laws. Good.

* Harold Ford's endorsement of torture won't help improve the credibility of the DLC.

* Nice to see Double X, a new online women's magazine, make its debut.

* The New York Times reported today that smaller banks have found it much easier to weather the recession. If you read the Washington Monthly, you learned all about this several months ago.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A coalition of unions have launched a new TV ad in Pennsylvania, taking on Arlen Specter for his opposition to EFCA.

* Republicans really seem to believe Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is vulnerable in Nevada next year. They just can't seem to find a credible opponent for him.

* In Florida, with Charlie Crist running for the Senate, the gubernatorial race will probably come down to state CFO Alex Sink (D) vs. state Attorney General Bill McCollum.

* Speaking of Florida, almost immediately after Crist announced, former House Speaker Marco Rubio launched an ad accusing the governor of being overly supportive of President Obama.

* John McCain is up for re-election next year, and while he's likely to win another term, a new poll shows a plurality of Arizonans believe the senator is out of touch with his constituents.

* NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions' (R-Texas) bizarre anti-Obama tantrum the other day is now the subject of a DNC fundraising effort.

* Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff accidentally announced that he's challenging Sen. Bob Bennett in a Republican primary next year, indicating his plans in a Twitter message he intended to send to one person. Shurtleff tried to pull his announcement, but it was too late.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* A disappointing White House reversal: "President Obama said on Wednesday that he is seeking to block the release of photographs that depict American military personnel abusing captives in Iraq and Afghanistan, worrying that the images could 'further inflame anti-American opinion.'" He added that the pictures "are not particularly sensational."

* You can tell when the president makes a bad decision by the number of high-profile Republicans who offer Obama praise.

* In more encouraging White House news, the administration is poised to announce new regulations of derivatives.

* What did we learn at today's Senate hearing on Bush-era torture?

* There were hopes that some of the economic numbers from April would offer some signs of hope. They didn't -- foreclosure and retail numbers were both awful.

* The president believe the "stars are aligned" to get health care reform passed this year. I hope he's right.

* On a related note, Organizing for America is getting to work rallying support on the issue.

* Something to keep in mind while Senate Republicans block Dawn Johnsen: "Her predecessor, Jay Bybee -- who went on to authorize illegal torture -- won easy confirmation in 2001 through a simple voice vote. Bybee's successor, Jack Goldsmith, was also approved by a voice vote. Steven Bradbury served for three years as an acting OLC head, and so did not have to come up for a vote. Having a full -- and filibuster-proof -- Senate vote on Johnsen would be an unusual break with recent precedent."

* I'm not sure if the new cooperative plan with the Pakistani government over the use of Predator drones is going to work out.

* Congrats to Marcy Wheeler for winning a Hillman Foundation journalism award. It's well deserved.

* Marriage equality takes a step forward in New York.

* The language Christopher Hitchens used to attack Wanda Sykes is not OK.

* Eric Boehlert asks a question I've pondered many times myself: "Does anybody actually edit the WashTimes?"

* And once in a while, it feels good to be appreciated. This very generous post brought a smile to my face.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* As expected, Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink (D) announced yesterday that she is running for governor next year, in what will be an open-seat contest. Sink, initially recruited for the Senate campaign, will likely avoid a major primary challenge.

* It's long been assumed that former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie would win the Republicans' gubernatorial primary in New Jersey without too much trouble, and stood a pretty good chance of winning the general election in November. But a Rasmussen poll yesterday showed Christie leading his even-further-right primary challenger, former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan, by just 10 points, 39% to 29%.

* In New York, Gov. David Paterson (D) continues to struggle in statewide polls. A new Quinnipiac poll shows the governor's approval rating at just 28%. He would lose badly in a primary match-up against state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo or in a general election match-up against Rudy Giuliani.

* In New Hampshire, a new Dartmouth University poll shows Rep. Paul Hodes (D) with narrow leads over his most likely Republican opponents in next year's Senate race. The poll found former Sen. John Sununu (R) trailing Hodes by three points, and former Rep. Charles Bass trailing Hodes by just one point.

* With Republicans unable, so far, to recruit a mainstream Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, some GOP leaders are slowly throwing their support to former Rep. Pat Toomey. Today, Rep. Charlie Dent (R) endorsed Toomey's campaign.

* Rep. Mary Fallin (R) appears to be the frontrunner in Oklahoma's gubernatorial race, but a new poll shows former Rep. Rep. J.C. Watts (R-Okla.) giving Fallin a run for her money, should he get into the race.

* And in 2012 news, it looks like Sen. John Ensign (R) of Nevada is mulling a presidential campaign, and is spending some time in Iowa early next month.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Chrysler is poised to eliminate a fourth of its U.S. dealerships.

* The House passed the war supplemental, 368 to 60.

* More of this, please: "President Obama took his populist campaign against the credit card industry into the country on Thursday, declaring 'enough's enough' of predatory practices and pressing Congress to pass new limits on 'anytime, any-reason rate hikes,' unfair late fees and misleading policies."

* After some minor modifications, it looks like marriage equality will be legal in New Hampshire, too.

* I guess Arlen Specter suddenly noticed his new political circumstances: he's nearly done putting together a new EFCA compromise measure. The devil, of course, will be in the details.

* On a related note, Dick Cheney seems to have done unions a favor by lashing out at EFCA this week.

* Alberto Gonzales doesn't know what "empathy" means. What a joke.

* Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) thinks the humane thing to do would be to keep detainees at Gitmo, so they can enjoy "the tropical breezes." He's a joke, too.

* Democrats closing ranks around John Murtha strikes me as a bad idea.

* House Republicans plan to try to kill energy reform through attacking it with more than 100 amendments before it can advance from the Energy and Commerce Committee.

* Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) was gracious enough to concede that President Obama is not deliberately trying to destroy the country. It's a setback for Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas).

* Michele Bachmann, still nutty.

* The Washington Times' John Solomon explains what happened yesterday with the unfortunate issue involving the president's children.

* I still have no idea who Elisabeth Hasselbeck is, or why her political opinions are of any significance, but she seems to have a habit of saying things that don't make any sense.

* And finally, the sooner Jim Cramer stops whining about Jon Stewart, the better it will be for his reputation. The world has moved on, Jim, you should, too.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Facing poor prospects, Democrat Joe Torsella has dropped out of Pennsylvania's Senate race. It means Arlen Specter is facing no Democratic opposition -- at least not yet.

* If Norm Coleman loses at the state Supreme Court, as is expected, 70% of Minnesotans want him to concede the race, while 27% want him to keep fighting in federal courts.

* The latest Rasmussen poll in New Jersey shows Gov. Jon Corzine (D) continuing to trail former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, though the margin is getting slightly better for the incumbent. In March, Corzine trailed by 15 points. Now, he's down by nine.

* In one of his first moves as a Republican candidate for Senate, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist signed onto Grover Norquist's anti-tax pledge.

* South Carolina State Rep. Nikki Haley (R) announced that she's running for governor next year, and promises to be every bit as right-wing as current Gov. Mark Sanford (R).

* According to a Democracy Corps poll, Missouri Sec. of State Robin Carnahan (D) leads Rep. Roy Blunt (R) in the state's open U.S. Senate race, 53% to 44%.

* Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) continues to look vulnerable next year, with the Public Policy Polling survey showing only 36% of voters in the state approving of Burr's job performance.

* Rumors circulated this week that Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner (D) may be ending her Senate campaign. Yesterday, Brunner rejected the speculation out of hand and vowed to keep campaigning. She's currently facing Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher in a Democratic primary.

* National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn told reporters yesterday that he expects Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison to give up her seat sometime this year as part of her gubernatorial campaign. This will, of course, further complicate the party's 2010 midterm strategy.

* Rand Paul, Ron Paul's son, is running for the Senate in Kentucky as a Republican.

* And before Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) focuses too much attention on 2012, he may want to notice new poll results showing Minnesotans hoping he doesn't run for re-election in 2010.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The military commission system is back: "The White House said on Friday that some Guantánamo detainees would be prosecuted in a military commission system that was a much-criticized centerpiece of the Bush administration's strategy for fighting terror." Obama has expanded the legal rights of defendants, banned evidence via torture, restricted evidence from hearsay, and extended more flexibility to defendants to choose their own lawyers.

* CIA Director Leon Panetta encouraged his agency today to "ignore the noise," in reference to the media and the dust-up with House Speaker Pelosi. Sounds like good advice.

* Former Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Bob Graham (D-Fla.), who has a well-earned reputation for honesty, said Pelosi is right and the CIA did not brief lawmakers on waterboarding in September 2002.

* 1,100 GM dealers are poised to lose their franchises.

* Lakhdar Boumediene is leaving Gitmo and headed to France.

* Hospitals and insurance companies are already backpedaling a bit on this week's health care breakthrough with the White House. Obama Budget Director Peter Orszag and Jonathan Oberlander say we shouldn't worry too much about this.

* Works for me: "New York City Health Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden, known for his aggressive and sometimes controversial efforts to limit smoking and consumption of trans fats in the nation's largest metropolis, has been chosen by President Obama to direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the White House said this morning."

* Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.), a key House centrist, has endorsed a compromise climate-change bill after negotiations with Henry Waxman (D-Calif.). Al Gore seems encouraged by the bill, calling it "a good start."

* As of this afternoon, 57 senators support Dawn Johnsen's OLC nomination, with four undecided on whether to let the Senate vote on her confirmation: Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, Arlen Specter, and Ben Nelson.

* Tucker Carlson and Dana Perino have joined the Fox News payroll? It's almost as if the network likes hiring people of a certain ideological bent.

* It appears that former astronaut and retired Marine Corps Gen. Charles Bolden has emerged as the president's likely choice to head NASA.

* I'm glad to see Schumer take an interest in those "extend your car warranty" spam calls.

* And finally, Michael Steele and Michele Bachmann are teaming up to attack ACORN. With intellectual firepower like that, what could possibly go wrong?

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In a significant setback for Democratic recruiting efforts, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper (D) announced late last week that he will not challenge Sen. Richard Burr (R) next year. Some recent polls showed Cooper faring very well in a hypothetical match-up. Rumor has it, the party will now turn its attention to Rep. Heath Shuler (D).

* As expected, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum (R) announced this morning that he will run for governor next year, now that Charlie Crist (R) is running for the Senate.

* Speaking of Crist, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele declined to say yesterday whether the national party supports Crist's Senate campaign. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has already endorsed the governor's bid.

* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) declined to endorse his fellow Kentucky Republican, Sen. Jim Bunning, during a Fox News interview yesterday. I can't wait to hear Bunning's response to the news.

* Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) announced late last week that he, at President Obama's urging, will not run for the Senate next year. Israel was poised to take on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in a Democratic primary.

* Obama's intervention on Gillibrand's behalf has not, however, discouraged Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), who continues to eye the Senate race.

* Former Bush Budget Director Rob Portman (R) saw his Senate campaign in Ohio get a boost the other day, when state Auditor Mary Taylor, Portman's only credible primary foe, withdrew from consideration.

* And Virginia's Democratic gubernatorial primary took an interesting twist this morning, when Brian Moran launched a new radio ad, going after Terry McAuliffe for criticizing Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential primary process. McAuliffe, Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman, supported Obama after Clinton withdrew and endorsed her rival.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* President Obama met today at some length with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with peace talks and the Iranian nuclear program high on the agenda.

* 42 mpg: "New cars and trucks will have to get 30 percent better mileage starting in 2016 under an Obama administration move to curb emissions tied to smog and global warming, sources said Monday."

* The Supreme Court, in yet another 5-4 ruling, concluded that "former attorney general John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller may not be sued by Arab Muslims who were seized in this country after the 2001 terrorist attacks and allege harsh treatment because of their religion and ethnicity." For more, check out Gary Farber's piece on Javaid Iqbal.

* After 25 years, the Tamil Tiger rebels have admitted defeat.

* In the world's largest democracy, India's Congress party won a resounding victory in month-long national elections.

* An NYC assistant principal died of the H1N1 flu over the weekend, bringing the U.S. death toll to six.

* According to congressional briefings, Pakistan is adding to its nuclear arsenal, which doesn't make any sense given its problems with a Taliban insurgency.

* House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) isn't quite ready to talk about Pelosi's ouster. Wise move.

* The UN's new envoy to Haiti: Bill Clinton.

* Stephanie Cutter, counselor to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, is stepping away from the Treasury to help shepherd the next Supreme Court nominee.

* Remember yesterday, when RNC Chairman Michael Steele hinted at support for a truth commission? His office is walking that back now.

* Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) is on board with Henry Waxman's sweeping climate change bill. Good for Dingell.

* The Sierra Club endorsed the legislation today, too.

* Tucker Carlson has listening-comprehension issues.

* Hubble repairs appear to have gone well.

* And finally, congrats to Ezra Klein on his first day at the Washington Post. He's off to a very impressive start, not surprisingly, and all of us here wish him the best with the new endeavor.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The bad news for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is that a new Mason-Dixon poll, conducted for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, shows the senator with weak support the year before his latest re-election bid. The good news for Reid is that Republicans still can't find a credible challenger.

* In light of Brian Moran's latest push, Terry McAuliffe's gubernatorial campaign in Virginia has a new video with evidence that he really did support President Obama's general-election campaign last year.

* Even before the state Supreme Court's consideration of the case, a majority of Minnesotans want to see former Sen. Norm Coleman (R) concede to Al Franken immediately. The same Rasmussen poll showed a 67% majority wants to see Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) sign Franken's election certificate if Coleman loses at the state Supreme Court.

* Merrick Alpert, a former aide to Al Gore and an Air Force officer in Bosnia, announced yesterday that he'll challenge Sen. Chris Dodd in a Democratic primary in Connecticut next year.

* Let's just summarize the latest Rasmussen poll in New York quickly: Gov. David Patterson (D) would easily lose to his likely Republican challengers, while state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) would easily win those same match-ups.

* Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) ran into some Ron Paul fans at the state Republican convention the other day, who didn't like it when Graham said, "Ron Paul is not the leader of this party.... I'm not going to give this party over to people who can't win."

* And Republicans may not agree with Bruce Springsteen's liberal politics, but that doesn't mean they mind exploiting his popularity for GOP fundraising efforts.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* It could have been better, but it's not a bad bill: "The Senate voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to put new restrictions on the credit card industry, passing a bill whose backers say will make card-issuers spell out their terms in fewer words, using plain English, and treat customers more fairly." The vote was 90 to 5.

* The White House event on fuel efficiency and car emissions sounded very encouraging.

* Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry, the new American ambassador to Afghanistan, met today with Afghan survivors of a recent bombing to promise renewed efforts to prevent civilian casualties.

* Congressional balking notwithstanding, the administration still plans to shut down Gitmo in January.

* Hillary Clinton is looking for $110 million in emergency humanitarian aid to Pakistan.

* Speaker Pelosi's concerns about the CIA appear more and more believable all the time.

* The administration is slow-walking the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, but at least it's not going to defend the policy in court.

* Margaret Hamburg, a bioterrorism expert, has been confirmed as the new commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. The Senate approved the nomination late yesterday on a voice vote.

* The details are a little fuzzy, but it seems that Zalmay Khalilzad is poised to get a very powerful role in the Afghan government. (Update: Or, perhaps not.)

* Barney Frank. Michele Bachmann. CNN. Ugh.

* I'm often unimpressed with Lanny Davis, but he's reached the right conclusion about Cheney.

* People tend to like the idea of transparency, but it doesn't always poll well when specific issues are on the line.

* Rumsfeld doesn't seem pleased with the GQ piece.

* Hey look, a new Michael Steele controversy. Just what he needed.

* It's ironic to hear Joe Scarborough complain about people being too "dumb" to be on TV.

* Krugman offers the Quote of the Day: "Look for the golden age of conservative intellectualism in America, and you keep going back, and back, and back -- and eventually you run up against William Buckley in the 1950s declaring that blacks weren't advanced enough to vote, and that Franco was the savior of Spanish civilization."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The efforts of far-right bloggers to derail Charlie Crist's Senate campaign in Florida are off to a rough start. A Mason-Dixon poll shows Crist leading his GOP primary opponent, former state House Speaker Marco Rubio, 53% to 18%. The same poll shows the governor with huge leads over his likely Democratic opponents, though neither are well known statewide.

* It seems the two Republican senators from Kentucky really do hate each other. Yesterday, Sen. Jim Bunning (R) told reporters, "If Mitch McConnell doesn't endorse me that may be the best thing that could happen to me in Kentucky."

* As Norm Coleman continues to drag out his election defeat, the fiasco is taking its toll on Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R), whose approval rating is down to just 44%.

* On a related note, a lobbyist who heads up a fundraising group for Coleman said this morning, "Is [the Senate seat] better empty than in Franken's hands? Hell, yeah."

* Judy Chu, vice-chairwoman of the California's Board of Equalization, appears to have won the special election yesterday to replace former Rep. Hilda Solis (D), who has joined the Obama administration.

* In New Jersey, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Gov. Jon Corzine (D) continuing to trail former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie (R), 45% to 38%. The same poll shows Christie pulling away from his GOP primary opponent, former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan. Last month, Christie led Lonegan by nine; this month, it's 56% to 33%.

* It's early, but Rep. Artur Davis' (D) gubernatorial campaign in Alabama is off to a promising start.

* And Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's (D-N.Y.) potential primary opponents are quickly disappearing. Yesterday, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who had already formed an exploratory committee, ended his bid, citing President Obama's stated preference.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The credit card bill is on its way to the president's desk.

* As expected, the Senate voted to deny funding, for now, to shut down Gitmo. The final vote was 90 to 6.

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: "A car bomb exploded Wednesday near several restaurants in a Shiite neighborhood of northwest Baghdad, killing 41 people and injuring more than 70, police and hospital officials said."

* Ahmadinejad announced this morning that "Iran had test-fired an upgraded surface-to-surface missile with a range of about 1,200 miles, according to the IRNA news agency."

* Nice to see Arlen Specter acknowledge publicly today, "The CIA has a very bad record when it comes to -- I was about to say candid, that's too mild -- to honesty."

* In a disappointing setback, marriage equality fell short in the New Hampshire state House today.

* Are Afghan security forces helping arm Afghan insurgents? It sure looks like it.

* On a related note, international aid to Afghanistan is made more difficult by systemic corruption.

* The creation of a Financial Markets Commission isn't getting the attention it deserves.

* Nice to see the estimable Ilan Goldenberg get a key job in the Obama administration.

* California's finances are a complete mess.

* Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) starts to play some hardball on an EFCA compromise.

* Gingrich said last night, "No one has suggested -- no one, even the most bitter partisan, has suggested -- that enhanced interrogation should be used on Nancy Pelosi." That's completely untrue.

* No one can take a stand for "traditional marriage" like Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons (R).

* I like the idea of "jerrytaylor" becoming a verb.

* Sign of the times: Lawrence Roberts, investigations editor at the Washington Post, is headed for the Huffington Post.

* Impressive: "America's poor donate more, in percentage terms, than higher-income groups do, surveys of charitable giving show."

* The Heritage Foundation fact-checked a Media Matters fact-check. In response, Media Matters fact-checked the Heritage fact-check.

* And finally, Bill O'Reilly told viewers last night, "I consider myself a middle-class guy." Bill O'Reilly makes about $10 million a year.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Joe Biden used the DNC's Organizing for America email list to promote Arlen Specter this morning. "Three weeks ago," the vice president wrote, "my friend Senator Arlen Specter added one more feat to his long and impressive career -- he became a Democrat."

* How can Norm Coleman afford to keep paying his legal bills? A party official told CNN yesterday that the National Republican Senatorial Committee has chipped in $750,000 to help the former senator keep his legal fights going.

* Terry McAuliffe still looks to be leading the pack in Virginia's gubernatorial Democratic primary. A new poll from SurveyUSA shows McAuliffe out in front with 37% support, followed by Creigh Deeds at 26%, and Brian Moran at 22%.

* In Utah, state Attorney General Mark Shurtleff (R) launched a primary challenge yesterday against Sen. Bob Bennett (R), taking on the incumbent from the far-right.

* It looked like Sen. David Vitter (R) might avoid a primary challenge next year, but Republican Suzanne Haik Terrell, who narrowly lost to Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) in 2002, is reportedly eyeing the race.

* The White House has helped Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) by convincing some potential Democratic challengers to skip the race, but Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.) conceded yesterday that he's considering taking Gillibrand on anyway.

* And Chris Kennedy, one of Robert F. Kennedy's sons, is poised to launch a Senate campaign in Illinois. Kennedy is a Chicago-area businessman who has not previously held elected office.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iraq: "Three U.S. soldiers and 12 Iraqis were killed Thursday by a bomb at a crowded market in the southern Baghdad neighborhood of Doura, residents and U.S. and Iraqi officials said."

* The U.S. death toll from H1N1 reached 10 today.

* Edward Liddy, CEO of AIG, is stepping down from his post.

* GM and UAW have reached a new deal that could save the company billions.

* Ahmed Ghailani, a "high value" Gitmo detainee will stand trial in New York City in a civilian criminal court.

* The latest data on global warming paints a bleak picture.

* When Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Ted Kennedy's cancer had gone into remission, it's possible that Reid didn't know what he was talking about.

* Reid and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) will meet tonight to strategize on an EFCA compromise.

* Overhauling the federal student-loan program moves forward.

* A week after filibustering David Hayes' Interior Department nomination, Sens. Robert Bennett (R-Utah) and Lisa Murkowski (R- Alaska) backed off and allowed Hayes to be confirmed last night.

* Will Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee derail energy reform?

* Will California get a bailout?

* How about a law mandating a week of paid vacation?

* For all the right-wing panic over Obama and gun control, Tom Coburn's measure about loaded firearms in national parks is poised to become law.

* Steven Pearlstein is making sense about the costs of health care reform.

* Glenn Beck sure does whine a lot about people being mean to him.

* Evan Bayh is doing his best to make Joe Lieberman look like Democrat of the Year.

* Ed Schultz vs. the entire cast of "Morning Joe."

* The RNC makes a lot of dumb attacks, but this one is dumber than most.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Virginia's Democratic gubernatorial primary, state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds received some rare good news this morning, earning the endorsement of the Washington Post. "Deeds may not be the obvious choice in the June 9 primary," the paper's editorial board said, "but he's the right one."

* Speaking of the race in Virginia, the latest Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos is largely in line with other recent gubernatorial surveys in the state: Terry McAuliffe is out in front with 36%, Brian Moran trailed with 22%, and Deeds is in third with 13%. In terms of general-election match-ups, all three Dems trail former state Attorney General Bob McDonnell (R).

* In Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist (R) quickly won the NRSC endorsement for his Senate campaign, but the state Republican Party will not take sides in the primary.

* Also in Florida, state Attorney General Bill McCollum (R) will likely avoid a primary in his gubernatorial campaign.

* While Rep. Joe Sestak (D) is getting grassroots encouragement to challenge Sen. Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania next year, Sestak isn't hearing any positive signals from the national party.

* Confirming months of rumors, former Rep. Scott McInnis (R) officially kicked off his gubernatorial campaign in Colorado yesterday.

* Stormy Daniels, an adult-film actress, formed an exploratory committee yesterday for the 2010 Senate race in Louisiana.

* And in 2012 news, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) will be spending some time in Iowa next month. That doesn't necessarily mean he's thinking about running for president, but it's not exactly a stretch, either.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* President Obama shared some words of wisdom with the graduating class at the Naval Academy this afternoon. He also had shared a warm exchange with a graduate by the name of John McCain IV.

* A week from now, the administration is likely to send GM into bankruptcy.

* Good: "A federal appeals court on Friday agreed with the major elements of a 2006 landmark ruling that found the nation's top tobacco companies guilty of racketeering and fraud for deceiving the public about the dangers of smoking. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington unanimously upheld requirements that manufacturers change the way they market cigarettes."

* The Feds seized Florida's BankUnited FSB late yesterday, which appears to represent the largest bank failure since the current crisis began.

* The war supplemental passed the Senate with minimal opposition.

* Roadblock Republicans are already blocking Judge David Hamilton's appeals court nomination, and the process has barely started.

* Remember that NYT front-page article about one in seven Gitmo detainees "returning" to terrorism? It looked shaky yesterday; it looks worse now.

* Supreme Court interviews continue at the White House, and we may see a nominee next week.

* Speaker Pelosi held her weekly press conference this morning, but would not go beyond her previous comments regarding the CIA and Bush-era torture.

* The State Department intends to end the workplace discrimination against gay employees.

* The U.N. is seeking $543 million for Pakistan refugees.

* The California Supreme Court's ruling on Prop. 8 will come down on Tuesday.

* Tom Ridge isn't buying Cheney's torture argument.

* Every time I see Lawrence O'Donnell on television, I like him more.

* There is something deeply wrong with right-wing talk-show host Mark Levin. Seriously.

* Joe Scarborough is contagious, and some of his oddities are rubbing off on Mika Brzezinski.

* And in San Angelo, Texas, which happens to be a very conservative area on issues like gays and immigration, four-term mayor J.W. Lown had a pretty fascinating revelation this week.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Sen. Chris Dodd's (D-Conn.) re-election chances are in doubt, but President Obama seems anxious to give him a hand.

* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) was asked late last week whether he'd be "proud" to campaign with Dick Cheney. "Would I be proud? Nobody's offering," Crist said. "Let's see. I don't want to deal in hypotheticals." He added, however, that he believes Cheney "did a great job for President Bush."

* Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge (R), who recently announced he isn't running for the Senate, said yesterday he's not prepared to endorse former Rep. Pat Toomey, currently the leading GOP candidate.

* Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) now says it's "very unlikely" she'll run for governor in 2010. She added that she's tired of being asked.

* In Oklahoma, former Rep. J.C. Watts (R-Okla.) seemed to be inching towards a gubernatorial campaign next year, but has instead decided to skip the race, citing "business and contractual obligations."

* And in 2012 news, in case Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour's (R) upcoming visit to Iowa wasn't explicit enough, Barbour will also make a stop in New Hampshire on June 24.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The U.N. Security Council began meeting this afternoon to explore options in response to North Korea's nuclear test.

* H1N1 claims its 12th U.S. victim, this time in Chicago. According to an AP report, the CDC has documented more than 6,700 cases in the U.S., most of them mild.

* Colin Powell -- the one conservatives seem anxious to drive out of the GOP -- remains a popular national figure. Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh aren't.

* It didn't generate a lot of attention on Friday, but President Obama signed into a law a measure on military procurement that's likely to save taxpayers a lot of money.

* Charles Bolden, a retired Marine general and former space shuttle pilot, has been nominated as the next NASA administrator. He'll be NASA's first African-American chief.

* Roh Moo-hyun, a former president of South Korea, committed suicide over the weekend, jumping off a cliff. Roh had been mired in a corruption scandal.

* Some Dem senators see some signs of progress in Afghanistan.

* Hillary Clinton surprised Yale grads today at their commencement.

* Sam Schulman case against gay marriage in the Weekly Standard is extraordinarily unpersuasive.

* Whether he realizes it or not, Newt Gingrich is not the Speaker of the House.

* Zakaria on Iran.

* At least one conservative Republican lawmaker didn't care for the RNC's tasteless James Bond spoof/ad.

* And in 1972, a New York Times reporter and editor had the Watergate story, but didn't pursue it. The reporter left the paper to go to law school and the editor focused his attention on the 1972 Republican convention. Amazing.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* While Rep. Joe Sestak (D) is getting some grassroots (and netroots) encouragement to run against Sen. Arlen Specter in a Democratic primary next year, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the White House will be pushing Sestak in the other direction.

* On a related note, Specter is doing quite a bit of outreach to local Democratic leaders in Pennsylvania, some of whom are less amenable than others.

* In a big setback for Republican recruiting efforts, former U.S. Attorney Tim Griffin (R) announced over the weekend that he is not running for the Senate next year in Arkansas. Griffin had been the leading challenger to take on Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D). For now, Lincoln's leading opponent is state Sen. Kim Hendren (R), best known for recently calling Chuck Schumer "that Jew."

* President Obama will be in Las Vegas later today, appearing at a fundraiser for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

* And speaking of Reid, a right-wing political action committee called "Our Country Deserves Better" is launching an ad blitz, attacking the Senate Majority Leader.

* Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) is still vulnerable, but with no top-tier Dems running, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Burr leading his remaining potential opponents by healthy margins.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Undeterred by yesterday's international condemnations, North Korea "reportedly fired two more short-range missiles into waters off its east coast" earlier today.

* Exceeding all expectations, consumer confidence numbers soared over the last month. This, in turn, helped rally Wall Street.

* In more discouraging economic news, American home values are still awful.

* Two more New Yorkers have died of the H1N1 virus.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid seems to be, slowly but surely, coming around to a more sensible approach on Gitmo detainees.

* President Obama today praised Judge Sonia Sotomayor for having "great empathy." Wait, did I say Obama and Sotomayor? Actually, that was George H.W. Bush's quote, when he introduced Clarence Thomas.

* If Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) is offended by something Sotomayor wrote in 1996, why did he vote for her nomination in 1998?

* I really doubt Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) will support a Sotomayor filibuster.

* Obama will stop in Riyadh on June 3, discussing Middle East peace with Saudi King Abdullah.

* Yesterday, Obama maintained the presidential tradition of having a wreath placed at a Confederate monument at Arlington National Cemetery, but started a new tradition by also sending a wreath to the African American Civil War Memorial.

* Norm Coleman is under the mistaken impression that his opinion on the Sotomayor nomination is important.

* Whether Robert Samuelson likes it or not, there is no Social Security crisis.

* Tucker Carlson thinks he can create a credible rival to the Huffington Post. What could possibly go wrong?

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Marco Rubio's (R) Senate campaign in Florida got a little help today, with endorsements from Mike Huckabee and Jeb Bush, Jr. (the former governor's son).

* Liz Cheney, who was on national television again yesterday (natch), said she's not focused on seeking elected office "right now."

* New York Gov. David Paterson's (D) re-elections chances remain pretty awful. A new Siena College poll put his favorability rating statewide at 27%.

* Rep. Jack Murtha (D-Pa.), now in his 19th term, will face a primary challenge for the first time. Former naval officer Ryan Bucchianeri, a graduate of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, announced yesterday he will take on the incumbent.

* Florida may be one of the nation's most diverse states, but the Republican Party will run a slate of middle-aged white men in all of the major statewide races next year.

* According to a new Quinnipiac poll, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) is still struggling in his re-election chances next year, but he seems to have turned a corner. He now trails former Rep. Rob Simmons by six (45% to 39%), after trailing by 16 points in April.

* Speaking of Dodd, Peter Schiff, a libertarian brokerage firm owner who predicted the U.S. financial meltdown, is "leaning towards" a Senate campaign in Connecticut next year.

* Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) announced this morning that he is not running for mayor in NYC. City Comptroller William Thompson is now the likely Democratic nominee.

* Retired professional football player Mike Minter (R) had been slated to run against Larry Kissell (D) in North Carolina next year, but yesterday, Minter took a pass on the race.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* North Korea's government believes it is no longer bound by the 1953 armistice that halted the Korean War. It also threatened "a powerful military strike," apparently against South Korea, if any of its trade ships are stopped for inspection.

* In Pakistan, "suicide attackers spraying gunfire rammed a carload of explosives into a building housing an ambulance service" today, killing at least 23 and wounding nearly 300.

* A bomb exploded on a western Baghdad street today, killing an American soldier and four Iraqi civilians. The death toll for American troops in Iraq this month (20) is the highest since last September.

* Cyclone Aila in eastern India and Bangladesh has killed at least 191 people.

* Given the ugly nature of the attacks, I wonder if Republican Party leaders realize the kind of damage its base and allies are doing.

* Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) said this morning that Judge Sotomayor "has serious problems," though he was unclear as to what those problems were. He added, however, "I don't sense a filibuster in the works."

* Also taking the wind from the right-wing sails, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a member of the Judiciary Committee, told C-SPAN this morning that Sotomayor will be confirmed.

* Two new ads are reaching television sets, one supporting Sotomayor's nomination, and one opposing.

* The RNC has pulled its shameful "Pussy Galore" parody.

* Competing national polls have offered a variety of results, but the latest Gallup poll shows a majority of Americans opposing marriage equality.

* What's Ted Olson up to, and what's his role in trying to overturn California's Prop. 8?

* It still amuses me to think Bush/Cheney wanted Bernie Kerik, who was indicted yesterday for lying to the White House during his vetting, to be the Secretary of Homeland Security.

* Christopher Nelson, a long-time Asia policy expert and author of the Nelson Report, tackles the five basic questions about what's going on with North Korea.

* Funny thing about conservative opposition to gay marriage -- even far-right lawmakers have a hard time explaining what's wrong with it.

* And finally, Glenn Beck offers up the mixed-metaphor Quote of the Day: "Right now, it's the bottom of the ninth and we are down to our last out and our last strike. Will our government take strike three looking? Or, will they wake up and save the day with a heroic three pointer on a penalty shot?"

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A new Quinnipiac poll out of Pennsylvania shows Arlen Specter leading Pat Toomey in a hypothetical general-election match-up by nine points, 46% to 37%, which is a significantly closer race than a Quinnipiac poll taken earlier in the month.

* The same poll shows Specter leading Joe Sestak in a Democratic primary match-up, 50% to 21%.

* In a signal of where Florida's Senate race is headed, the Club for Growth went after Charlie Crist (R) yesterday for being insufficiently conservative on taxes.

* Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) told reporters yesterday that he will not support Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) next year, should Burris seek a full term.

* Given recent revelations, Burris would be wise to gracefully retire, rather seek a full term of his own.

* With state Attorney General Roy Cooper (D) passing on the Senate race next year, Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) is reportedly giving the race another look.

* Ethan Berkowitz (D), who nearly defeated Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) last year, now intends to run against Gov. Sarah Palin in 2010, if she seeks a second term.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* GM struck a deal with creditors today, which "would give them a 10 percent stake in the new company and the ability to buy more shares if the recovery of the automaker goes well."

* Unrest in Pakistan: "Multiple bombs exploded in two Pakistani cities on Thursday, just hours after Taliban groups issued an extraordinary warning for people to evacuate several large cities, saying they were preparing 'major attacks.'"

* The foreclosure crisis isn't even close to being over.

* Americans seem generally impressed with Sotomayor so far.

* For no apparent reason, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) wants to delay a vote on Sotomayor until September, as compared to August.

* Sen. Pat Roberts (R) of Kansas announced today he'll vote against the Sotomayor nomination.

* The NRA, to conservatives' dismay, isn't inclined to go after Sotomayor.

* The White House, meanwhile, seems optimistic that Sotomayor is, in fact, pro-choice.

* Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) of Utah believes it's "highly likely" that Sotomayor will be confirmed.

* The administration is eyeing the creation of one agency that would be responsible for regulating the banking industry.

* Those with health insurance pay a bundle in higher premiums every year to make up for those with no insurance.

* Look for the FBI to begin playing a larger role in international counter-terrorism.

* Apparently under the impression that he's helping his party, Karl Rove has now gone after Sotomayor as "sort of a schoolmarm," who is overly reliant on "emotion."

* No, Cardozo doesn't count as the first Hispanic justice.

* Glenn Beck is still talking about ACORN?

* Nice column from Gail Collins on the need to reform the student loan system.

* Bill O'Reilly seems to have a real hang-up about blogs. This time, he's annoyed the left and the right, apparently because he and his producers have never heard of "nutpicking."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* With just five months until the election, the latest Research 2000 poll in New Jersey for Daily Kos shows Gov. Jon Corzine (D) continuing to trail in his re-election fight. In a match-up against former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie (R), the likely Republican challenger, Corzine is down by seven, 46% to 39%.

* And speaking of New Jersey's gubernatorial race, Mitt Romney threw his support to Christie yesterday, prompting former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan, Christie's GOP rival, to attack them both. "Mitt Romney was rejected by Republican Primary voters because he was a moderate trying to pass himself off as a conservative just in time to win an election," Lonegan said. "Chris Christie has done the exact same thing in this race." The primary is Tuesday.

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D), who enters his re-election bid in Connecticut as an underdog, launched his first television ad of the cycle today, which highlights his recent successes on credit card reform. The ad works hard to connect Dodd to President Obama.

* Will Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) seek re-election next year? He has pushed off a decision on the race, announcing yesterday he won't say either way until the summer. If Pawlenty runs and loses, his presidential aspirations will almost certainly be ruined.

* In Kentucky, Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo (D) released an internal poll yesterday showing him ahead of state Attorney General Jack Conway (D) in their Senate primary. The winner will likely be favored against incumbent Sen. Jim Bunning (R), if he stays in the race.

* And Ralph Nader is weighing in on the Democratic gubernatorial primary in Virginia, yesterday accusing Terry McAuliffe of trying to bribe him in 2004 -- with "an unspecified amount of money" -- to stay out of battleground states, in order to help John Kerry against George W. Bush. McAuliffe isn't exactly denying the charge, though his spokesperson added, "It looks like Ralph Nader misses seeing his name in the press. Terry's focused on talking with Virginians about jobs, not feeding Ralph Nader's ego."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* More than half a year after the election, the Minnesota Supreme Court will begin considering Norm Coleman's case today.

* Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) ended the suspense this morning and announced that he will seek re-election next year. Though there were several Democrats eyeing the race if Coburn retired, the incumbent will enter the race as the strong favorite.

* In Florida, state Sen. Dan Gelber (D) appears to be ending his Senate campaign, telling supporters he's "taking a step back" from the race. Gelber's departure leaves Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) as the likely Democratic nominee.

* The DCCC will begin airing radio ads today, targeting six vulnerable House Republicans for having voted against President Obama's economic stimulus package.

* If his comments on MSNBC late last week were any indication, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) will be pretty aggressive in supporting Sen. Arlen Specter over Rep. Joe Sestak in a Democratic Senate primary next year.

* Voters in New Jersey will head to the polls tomorrow to choose the major parties' gubernatorial candidates. Gov. Jon Corzine is facing token opposition in a Democratic primary, but the Republican primary contest between former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie and former Bogota mayor Steve Lonegan has proven harder to predict.

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Friday's edition of quick hits:

* UAW members approved General Motors concessions this afternoon.

* North Korea, not only test fired yet another short-range missile today, it "warned it would act in "self-defense" if provoked by the U.N. Security Council."

* The bad news is, the nation's GDP fell at a 5.7% annual rate in the first quarter. The good news is, previous estimates put the number at 6.1%.

* Federal investigators issued subpoenas to Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.) today, as part of the larger investigation into the PMA Group. Visclosky's former chief of staff had lobbied for the firm.

* It's good to see the White House take cyber-security seriously (without sacrificing net neutrality).

* By one new estimate, climate-change disasters "kill around 300,000 people a year and cause about $125 billion in economic losses."

* Robert Gibbs walked back Sotomayor's "wise Latina" quote today, telling reporters, "I've not talked specifically with her about this, but I think that -- I think she'd say that her word choice in 2001 was poor, that she was simply making the point that personal experiences are relevant to the process of judging."

* At this point, President Obama's approval ratings seem to be holding up quite well.

* Howard Dean is on board with Chuck Schumer's public-option compromise.

* Is Obama "getting tough" with Israel?

* Krugman explains why the hype surrounding inflation is almost certainly misguided (and probably politically motivated).

* National Security Advisor Gen. Jim Jones isn't impressed by Dick Cheney's recent arguments.

* The Times-Observer in Warren, Pa., ran a classified ad yesterday that seemed to call for the president's assassination. The publisher said it was "unfortunate" the ad made it into the paper, and the editors will be cooperating with law enforcement officials.

* A crackdown on the tossing of cigarette butts would be most welcome.

* President Obama is doing wonders for D.C. eating establishments.

* You know Gingrich is pushing the envelope when Rove thinks he's gone a little too far.

* And finally, the strangest headline of the day: "Romney won't rule out Sotomayor filibuster." I'm pretty sure he won't get a vote.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* GM bankruptcy: "President Obama and automotive executives spoke of reinvention, restructuring and a leaner, stronger 'new General Motors' on Monday as they laid out their visions for one of the country's most iconic companies."

* The outlook appears bleak for the Air France jet carrying 228 people from Rio de Janeiro, which apparently crashed into the Atlantic Ocean last night.

* Afghanistan: "Two roadside bombs that struck back-to-back only miles apart hit two U.S. military vehicles Monday, killing four American troops, U.S. and Afghan officials said."

* Some signs of progress for the Pakistani military in its efforts against the Taliban.

* Ret. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, who commanded U.S. forces in Iraq in 2003-2004, now supports a truth commission to investigate Bush-era wrongdoing, including questions surrounding torture policies.

* AP: "Attorney General Eric Holder has ordered increased security for a host of unnamed individuals and facilities in the wake of the slaying of abortion Dr. George Tiller. Jeff Carter, a spokesman for the U.S. Marshals Service, confirmed Holder's move early Monday."

* We're learning quite a bit more about Scott Roeder, the man accused of assassinating Dr. George Tiller in Kansas yesterday.

* If Roeder's intention was to scare other medical clinics into closing their doors, he failed.

* Randall Terry seems to be a very strange man.

* If you hear that the federal government "has become the owner of a significant swath of Corporate America," please know that isn't even remotely true.

* State lawmakers in Nevada overrode Gov. Jim Gibbons' (R) veto and legalized domestic partnerships for same-sex couples over the weekend.

* When I saw that Sen. Max Baucus' (D) constituents were angry about his handling of health care reform, I was afraid they wanted him to be more conservative. As it turns out, the opposite is true.

* Reminder: Saudi Arabia does not have freedom of the press.

* New rule for the whole country: no more accusing imaginary black men of committing imaginary crimes.

* It's nice of Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) to help debunk bogus GOP arguments on EFCA.

* Bob Barr speaks up to urge the Supreme Court to intervene on behalf of Troy Davis -- before the state of Georgia kills him.

* The "America's Future Now" conference got underway in D.C. today.

* Birthers sure are a strange group of folks.

* I didn't expect Katie Couric's speech at Princeton to be quite so ... cheeky.

* It's never a good idea to watch "Fox News Sunday" if you don't have to.

* I knew, if we waited long enough, some right-wing activist would call Sonia Sotomayor "Justice J-Lo." It was only a matter of time.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Norm Coleman's legal team had a rough first day at the Minnesota Supreme Court, where the justices seemed thoroughly unimpressed with the former senator's case. Justice Christopher Dietzen, a Republican appointee and the most conservative judge on the panel, said Coleman's argument had "no concrete evidence to back it up."

* While Terry McAuliffe seemed to be on a roll in Virginia's Democratic gubernatorial primary, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows state Sen. Creigh Deeds surging from third to first. PPP has Deeds with 27% support, followed by McAuliffe at 24%, and former state Del. Brian Moran, who had been in second, running third with 22%.

* With Rep. John McHugh (R-N.Y.) leaving Congress to become Secretary of the Army, wrangling is already underway in advance of the special election in New York's 23rd district.

* There's soon to be an opening in Utah's lieutenant governor's office, now that Gary Herbert (R) is taking over for John Huntsman (R) in the governor's office. Who wants to be the new #2? Josh Romney, one of Mitt Romney's sons.

* State Sen. Dan Gelber (D) is headed out of the Democratic Senate primary in Florida, but Rep. Corrine Brown (D) is thinking of getting in.

* Voters head to the polls in New Jersey's gubernatorial primaries.

* Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine announced yesterday that the party's fall meeting will be held in Texas, which Kaine believes is "poised to move" from red to blue.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* USAT: "A Muslim convert who said he was opposed to the U.S. military shot two soldiers outside an Arkansas recruiting station, killing one, police said Monday." The suspected shooter, Abdul Hakim Mujahid Muhammad, is in police custody.

* Kim Jong Il has apparently chosen his successor, telling North Korean officials to pledge loyalty to his youngest son, Kim Jong-un.

* Judge Sonia Sotomoyar was on the Hill today, meeting with senators. By all reports, the discussions went well.

* GM has reportedly sold off its Hummer brand to a Chinese company.

* Brazil has confirmed the crash of an Air France jet carrying 228 people.

* We continue to learn more about Scott Roeder.

* Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger believes "California's day of reckoning is here."

* Remember the pending (and dubious) charges against Dr. Cyril H. Wecht in Pennsylvania? They've been dropped.

* In light of the subpoenas he received in the PMA Group controversy, Rep. Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.) is giving up his gavel on an Appropriations subcommittee.

* The bad news is, sales for U.S. auto manufacturers in May were awful, compared to May of last year. The good news is, May was the best month for the companies this calendar year.

* Though Harry Reid had said otherwise, Ted Kennedy will not be returning to work this week.

* By any standards of decency, Playboy's feature yesterday on conservative women in politics was indefensible.

* Did President Obama change his position on releasing detainee abuse photos from Iraq and Afghanistan at the urging of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki? Maybe.

* The CIA seems to be placing a renewed emphasis on employee diversity.

* The White House issued a gay-pride proclamation yesterday, recommitting the administration to, among other things, ending the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. The proclamation did not, however, say when these changes might occur.

* Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) is poised to hold hearings on reforming the State Secrets Act.

* And Nancy Pfotenhauer, a former spokesperson for the McCain campaign, said on MSNBC yesterday that she doesn't believe Dick Cheney "would be making statements that he knew to be inaccurate." Bill Press and David Shuster laughed on the air. I'm glad.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie earned the Republican gubernatorial nomination yesterday in New Jersey, winning about 54% of the vote. Incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine (D) faced token opposition and won easily.

* In Pennsylvania, the Democratic establishment doesn't want to see Sen. Arlen Specter face a primary challenge, but the party's voters see things differently. A survey released yesterday by Susquehanna Research and Polling found 63% of Pennsylvania Democrats would like to see the incumbent face off against a primary challenger.

* Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) was asked about his all-but certain presidential campaign in 2012 yesterday. He replied he isn't "ruling anything in or out."

* Speaking of Minnesota, now that Republicans will be looking for a gubernatorial successor, will Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) run? Probably not.

* How about former Sen. Norm Coleman (R)? Might he run for governor? It's the subject of some interest.

* We knew former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes (D) was likely to run for some statewide office next year, we just weren't sure which. Today, Barnes will reportedly announce he's running to reclaim his old job, and will skip the Senate race against Sen. Johnny Isakson (R).

* Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina's (R) Senate campaign ran into a little trouble yesterday when evidence surfaced showing she's failed to vote in most of the recent election cycles.

* And while 2012 polls continue to have very little practical value, CNN asked Republican voters who they'd like to see as their party's presidential nominee in the next cycle. Mike Huckabee garnered 22%, followed by Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney, with 21% each.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* There were slight improvements in economic data related to the services industry and factory orders, but the numbers still failed to meet expectations.

* NYT: "A military investigation has concluded that American personnel made significant errors in carrying out some of the airstrikes in western Afghanistan on May 4 that killed dozens of Afghan civilians, according to a senior American military official."

* Marriage equality passed the New Hampshire legislature this afternoon, and is poised to become law.

* Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) not only announced that he's likely to reject Sonia Sotomayor's nomination, he did so in the most obnoxious way possible, telling reporters the judge has "a character problem."

* A senior administration official told ABC News today, "This president and his outreach are very threatening to bin Laden and al Qaeda. It's terribly bad news to bin Laden and al Qaeda. They're beginning to lose the propaganda war."

* McClatchy: "Operation Rescue adviser helped Tiller suspect track doctor's court dates."

* On a related note, Blue Girl makes the case that "all the warning signs were there" surrounding Scott Roeder.

* If we could keep a tighter lid on confidential nuclear secrets, that'd be great.

* Yet another Republican joins the Obama administration, with former Rep. Jim Leach (R) of Iowa becoming the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities

* The Hill: "House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) is making plans to offer a resolution as early as Wednesday afternoon that will provide Democrats political cover on an FBI investigation into the now-defunct PMA Group and its ties to senior Democratic lawmakers."

* If the "Morning Joe" wants to know about successful, unionized businesses, they won't have to look too hard.

* Fox News is still promoting "Tea Parties"? Really?

* Did Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) tell a local radio station she'll vote against EFCA? The senator's office is denying it.

* There were a few headlines today suggesting Rush Limbaugh is open to supporting the Sotomayor nomination. That's not quite what the radio host said.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* With just five days to go before the Democratic gubernatorial primary in Virginia, a new SurveyUSA poll shows Terry McAuliffe ahead with 35%, followed by state Sen. Creigh Deeds with 29%, and former state Del. Brian Moran close behind at 26%. The SUSA poll differs from a recent PPP survey, which showed Deeds inching ahead.

* In this year's other gubernatorial race, a new Rasmussen poll in New Jersey shows former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie (R) leading incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine (D) by double digits: 51% to 38%.

* The Republican Senate primary in Connecticut is getting a little more crowded, with Tom Foley, a former U.S. ambassador to Ireland, throwing his hat into the ring yesterday.

* Positioning is well underway in Minnesota, with a suddenly wide-open gubernatorial race on tap for next year. Among the Republicans reportedly eyeing the race are former Sen. Rod Grams and former Rep. Jim Ramstad (R). No word yet on whether former Sen. Norm Coleman (R) might run.

* In the increasingly unpredictable Senate race in Florida, Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) announced yesterday that she's forming an exploratory committee.

* And speaking of the Senate race in Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist (R) enjoys the support of the Republican establishment, but former state House Speaker Marco Rubio continues to pick up far-right supporters.

* Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) made abundantly clear yesterday that he will not run for president in 2012.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* If you missed President Obama's speech in Cairo this morning, and wanted to watch it in its entirety, it's online.

* Busted: "The government is charging Angelo R. Mozilo, the former chief executive of the mortgage lender Countrywide Financial, and two other company executives with civil fraud. The Securities and Exchange Commission said Thursday afternoon that its case also accused Mr. Mozilo of illegal insider trading."

* Sonia Sotomayor finished the Senate Judiciary Committee's questionnaire in record time. Bonus points for turning it in early?

* A court has ordered South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) to take $700 million in stimulus money, whether he wants it or not.

* Immigration reform this year?

* President Obama's policy towards Israel is being undermined by lawmakers in his own party.

* How dishonest is Liz Cheney's political analysis? She's willing to say things Dick Cheney has already rejected.

* Ezra explains, "The toxic loans portion of Tim Geithner's Public Private Investment Program looks to be officially dead."

* Harold Koh's nomination isn't going anywhere for a while thanks to an anonymous hold.

* Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) makes children cry.

* House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) believes the PMA Group controversy deserves more scrutiny.

* Good move for transparency: "The House will begin posting representatives' expense reports online, giving the public easy access to records of the millions of dollars lawmakers spend on staff and items such as catering, cars, computers and TVs."

* Karl Rove thinks the health of the economy will affect the president's popular support. He's quite a genius, you know.

* The New York Times' Andrew Ross Sorkin walks back his anti-union remarks.

* And congrats to my friend Rachel Maddow on her nomination for a Television Critics' Association Award. Note, her show is the only prime-time cable talk show to get a nomination. Well deserved.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* With just a few days to go before Virginia's Democratic gubernatorial primary, the latest Suffolk University poll shows state Senator Creigh Deeds surging out in front with 29% support, followed by Terry McAuliffe at 26%, and former state House Delegate Brian Moran with 23%.

* On a related note, the latest Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos also shows Deeds surging from third to first, leading with 30%, followed by Moran at 27%, and McAuliffe at 26%.

* In an awkward development in Nevada, Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons would like to help defeat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) next year, but yesterday, Reid picked up an endorsement from Gibbons' wife. Nevada's First Couple are in the midst of a bitter and ugly divorce.

* Rumor has it that former Sen. Norm Coleman (R) may concede after all if (when) he fails at the Minnesota Supreme Court.

* Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), in a surprise move, announced yesterday she is not running for the Senate next year, despite reports she was moving closer to a primary challenge against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. Maloney's apparent reversal came shortly after she was pressured by Vice President Biden to skip the race.

* In related news, Gillibrand was endorsed this morning by the Rev. Al Sharpton and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.).

* Far-right bloggers are going to have to work a lot harder: Gov. Charlie Crist is crushing former state House Speaker Marco Rubio in Florida's GOP Senate primary.

* And Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) hopes to use his fundraising network to help finance his son's Senate campaign in Kentucky. His son, Rand, has never held elected office.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* AP: "A suicide bomber killed 30 people attending Friday prayers at a mosque, while a roadside bomb left four soldiers dead in Pakistan's tribal belt — the latest violence to rock the country's northwest as the army says it is beating back the Taliban in the Swat Valley."

* It's about time someone finally caught them: "A retired U.S. State Department worker with top secret security clearance and his wife have been indicted on charges of spying for Cuba over the past three decades."

* Good: "While the political debate over the shooting of Dr. George Tiller focused on the speech of abortion opponents, the Department of Justice is launching an investigation into whether anyone else was involved with the shooting [and] investigating for potential violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinics Entrances Act."

* Philip Mudd, under consideration to be the undersecretary of intelligence and analysis at the Department of Homeland Security, has withdrawn from the process. His role in Bush-era interrogation techniques has been at issue.

* Republican obstructionism is delaying yet another Obama administration nominee. This time, it's Robert Groves, the president's choice to lead the U.S. Census Bureau.

* British Prime Minister Gordon Brown isn't having a good week.

* Canada doesn't want our Gitmo detainees.

* When it comes to conservative columnists at the Washington Post, there really ought to be a more stringent fact-checking process.

* The Republican attacks have clearly had an effect: Speaker Pelosi's approval ratings have tanked.

* Ezra notes one of the ironies of the health care debate: "In most cases, individuals arguing that health reform is too expensive are dead-set against policies that would make it cheaper."

* Rick Sanchez seems to enjoy taking on Bill O'Reilly. (A feud would no doubt be good for ratings.)

* Best of luck, Satyam Khanna.

* Libertarians, you're not allowed to make your own money.

* And former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) explained last night that the key for Republicans in the future is to compete "in the Ethernet." If he says so.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* With just one day to go before Virginia's Democratic gubernatorial primary, a new Public Policy Polling survey shows Creigh Deeds out in front with 40% support, followed by Terry McAuliffe at 26%, and Brian Moran at 24%. Rumor has it, there may be another poll or two on this race later today.

* In a bit of a surprise, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) has decided not to run for the Senate next year. She will, however, seek re-election.

* In case there are any lingering doubts about Rep. Joe Sestak's (D) intentions, he said over the weekend that it would "take an act of God" to stop him from running for the Senate next year.

* On a related note, Sen. Arlen Specter did his best to woo attendees at the Pennsylvania Democratic Party's annual state committee meeting this weekend. The former Republican said he is "pleased and proud" to be a Dem.

* As expected, Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.) held an event in Birmingham to announce that he's running for governor next year.

* Does anyone really believe Norm Coleman is going to win at the Minnesota Supreme Court? Not really.

* In related news, Coleman has not yet taken any steps to run in next year's gubernatorial campaign in Minnesota.

* With state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo continuing to consider a Democratic primary campaign against New York Gov. David Paterson, Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) said Cuomo risks "racial polarization in a primary."

* David Plouffe, President Obama's campaign manager, will now lend his services to Gov. Deval Patrick's (D) re-election campaign in Massachusetts.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Tune into NPR's "Marketplace," starting in about 30 minutes, which will feature an interview with Paul Kedrosky of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, discussing the special section in the current issue of the Monthly on the economy and entrepreneurs.

* The Supreme Court puts the Chrysler sale to Fiat on hold.

* North Korea sentenced two American journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, to 12 years of hard labor. Expect the country to use the two for leverage in negotiations.

* In related news, U.S. officials are considering putting North Korea back on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, and a new plan to "interdict, possibly with China's help, North Korean sea and air shipments suspected of carrying weapons or nuclear technology."

* AP: "The Defense Department said Monday that U.S. troops did not follow proper tactics and procedures during an air assault on Taliban fighters last month."

* The U.S. Supreme Court also took a firm stand against judicial bribery, while taking a pass on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

* In a bizarre series of events, Republicans in the New York state Senate have reclaimed the majority, after just five months of Democratic rule. The prospect of legalized gay marriage may have played a role in the switch.

* This sounds like a rather extraordinary shoot out in Acapulco yesterday.

* U.S. officials have to be pleased with the results from Lebanon's elections.

* European parliamentary elections were far less encouraging.

* Lakhdar Boumediene talks to ABC News about life in Gitmo.

* A debate over interrogation photos is threatening a military supplemental bill.

* Sonia Sotomayor broke her ankle after tripping this morning at LaGuardia Airport.

* Sen. Chuck Grassley's (R-Iowa) tweet clarification is still incoherent.

* Anyone know why Lanny Davis would write for NewsMax?

* Bill O'Reilly apologized to CNN late last week after mischaracterizing its coverage of an Army recruiter's murder.

* And finally, Salon does a nice job summarizing, and responding to, the latest "crazy right-wing myths about Obama." Salon had a similar piece before last November's election, but the right-wing myths have evolved in the ensuing months.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Following Sarah Palin's appearance last night at a Republican congressional fundraiser, an unnamed GOP senator from the South told The Hill, "She has to hunker down and govern and show she's not a joke."

* It's primary day for Virginia's Democratic gubernatorial candidates.

* Remember former New Hampshire Sen. Bob Smith? He was a far-right Republican, then an independent, then a Republican who endorsed John Kerry, than the only Republican incumbent in the Senate in recent memory to lose in a primary. Now, Smith is running for the Senate again -- in Florida.

* Sen. Richard Burr (R) is still considered vulnerable in North Carolina next year, but Dems can't find a top-tier challenger. Yesterday, Rep. Heath Shuler (D) ruled out the possibility.

* The Club for Growth has apparently decided to make Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's (R) Senate campaign as difficult as possible. Yesterday, the right-wing group gave Crist its "Comrade of the Month" award.

* NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg is still favored to win re-election, but his support has fallen off considerably.

* Ethan Hastert, former House Speaker Dennis Hastert's (R) son, is running for his father's former seat. The younger Hastert, who is 31 years old, has never worked in government at any level.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Devastating: "Militants opened fire on security guards and rushed a small truck packed with explosives through the gates of a five-star hotel in this northwestern city on Friday, detonating a huge bomb in the parking lot that killed at least 11 people and wounded 55, Pakistani officials said. Witnesses said the blast left a crater six feet deep and 15 feet wide and was powerful enough to be heard for miles. Police officials estimated that more than 1,000 pounds of explosives were used."

* WaPo: "Ten of the nation's largest banks will be allowed to repay $68 billion in federal aid granted at the height of the financial crisis, the Treasury Department announced this morning. The banks, which could begin to return money this week, include J.P. Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and Capital One Financial, according to statements from the companies."

* More interrogation secrecy: "The Obama administration objected yesterday to the release of certain Bush-era documents that detail the videotaped interrogations of CIA detainees at secret prisons, arguing to a federal judge that doing so would endanger national security and benefit al-Qaeda's recruitment efforts."

* On a related note, Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham are prepared to shut down the entire government over Bush-era torture photos.

* The Sotomayor hearings will begin in the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 13. Senate Republicans, as usual, aren't happy.

* Sotomayor received some unexpected support today from Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), who defended her "wise Latina" remarks.

* If the U.S. Supreme Court delays the deal between Fiat and Chrysler, the arrangement may fall apart.

* I'm starting to get the impression that Jon Voight isn't very bright.

* Which is the majority party in the state Senate in New York? Your guess is as good as mine.

* GM gets a new CEO.

* Waxman-Markey would raise billions in revenue, not raise the deficit.

* Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) won't filibuster a public option, but Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) won't support a public option.

* Brendan Nyhan has a great timeline on Obama loyalty smears.

* George W. Bush, secret Muslim.

* George Will thinks the president uses the word "I" too much. Will doesn't know what he's talking about.

* And finally, it's nice to see far-right "quackery" get this kind of attention.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* After running third for months, former state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds staged a stunning come-from-behind victory in Virginia's Democratic gubernatorial primary. It wasn't even close -- Deeds finished with 50% of the vote, followed by Terry McAuliffe with 26% and Brian Moran with 24%. Deeds, who won 10 of the state's 11 congressional districts, will face former state Attorney General Bob McDonnell in November.

* In related news, the defeat was likely bitter for McAuliffe, who had led the contest as recently as a month ago. "McAuliffe ended up doing the worst in the Washington suburbs, the place where people knew him best, despite amassing a $7.5 million war chest," the WaPo noted. "He spent an average of $90 per vote."

* In this year's other gubernatorial campaign, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) continues to trail former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie (R). A new Quinnipiac poll shows the challenger leading by 10, 50% to 40%. It's the first poll since last week's primaries.

* Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D) seems to be gearing up for a primary race against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) in New York next year. Maloney has added strategist Joe Trippi to her team, and hired Penn, Schoen & Berland to do polling.

* On a related note, Gov. David Paterson (D) is still unpopular.

* In a provocative new line of attack, Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Penn.) argued yesterday that Sen. Arlen Specter may be a "flight risk."

* A new Quinnipiac poll in Florida shows state CFO Alex Sink (D) leading state Attorney General Bill McCollum (R) in next year's gubernatorial race, 38% to 34%.

* The same poll shows Gov. Charlie Crist leading former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio in a Republican Senate primary, 54% to 23%.

* Interesting take on the possible Senate match-up in Louisiana: "If I'm a Louisiana voter trying to determine who's the sharper cookie, what are my options?: A gal who made a reasonably comfortable living off exploiting the ungovernable urges of some men or a married public official who risked everything for the privilege of paying large sums of money for some working girl to handle his urges."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The guard shot at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum has died.

* The suspected killer is a "birther" with a long list of groups of people he hates.

* A car bomb at a crowded food market in southern Iraq killed about 30 people today and wounded dozens more.

* The Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal on the Chrysler sale to Fiat, and the deal was reportedly wrapped up today.

* NYT: "The Obama administration on Wednesday appointed a compensation overseer with broad discretion to set the pay for 175 top executives at seven of the nation's largest companies, which have received hundreds of billions of dollars in federal assistance to survive."

* Seventeen Uighurs find a new home in Palau.

* A "grass-roots rebellion" was launched against the Taliban in a remote area of northern Pakistan yesterday.

* The U.N. Security Council is moving closer towards toughening export and financial sanctions on North Korea, including possible inspections of North Korean ships.

* Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) took an unusually antagonist attitude towards HCAN, the major health care reform coalition, this afternoon. "I am unaware that HCAN has any votes on the floor of the United States Senate," Conrad said, after saying he doesn't much care what the progressive coalition thinks.

* Organizing for America takes the next step in organizing in support of health care reform.

* Hopes that Ted Kennedy would rejoin the Senate appear to have been overly optimistic -- he is poised to undergo a new round of chemotherapy and is not expected back in June.

* Operation Rescue may purchase Dr. George Tiller's clinic.

* Maine considers creating a unicameral legislature.

* Hey, look, Liz Cheney is on national television again. And wouldn't you know it, she's still lying about her father's record.

* It looks like David Letterman's anti-Palin "Top 10 List" went too far.

* I have no idea why conservative media personalities continue to pick fights with Jon Stewart, but Joe Scarborough can't seem to help himself.

* Jeremiah Wright has become a ridiculous parody of himself.

* And some Senate Dems had a little fun yesterday, putting together a guide for lawmakers who feel they can't scrutinize Sotomayor and tackle their usual Senate duties. It's called, "A Handy How-To Guide for Republican Judiciary Members: Special mastication and ambulation edition." It offers step-by step instructions on how to walk and chew gum at the same time.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) told ABC News yesterday that he believes Republicans may take back the House in 2010. Given the current Democratic advantage, Republicans would need a net gain of at least 40 House seats next year.

* In may be a short-term boost, thanks to his big primary victory, but Creigh Deeds (D) now leads Bob McDonnell (R) in Virginia's gubernatorial race. A new Rasmussen poll shows the former state senator ahead of the former state attorney general, 47% to 41%.

* In Minnesota, a state election court has ordered Norm Coleman to pay Al Franken $94,783.15 in itemized costs.

* Rep. Michael Castle (R) of Delaware certainly seems to have his eye on a Senate race, but his House Republican colleagues are trying to offer enticements to get him to seek re-election to the House.

* In Oklahoma, state Attorney General Drew Edmondson (D), part of a well known Oklahoma political family, announced yesterday he's running for governor next year. He'll face Lt. Gov. Jari Askins in a Democratic primary.

* It's sure to be an uphill climb, but Dems believe they have a shot in next year's gubernatorial campaign in Alabama. A new survey (pdf) from Public Policy Polling shows Bradley Byrne (R), head of the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education, leads Rep. Artur Davis (D) by just four points, 39% to 35%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* It's official -- the H1N1 swine flu virus is the first global flu epidemic in 41 years.

* The Senate passed landmark legislation this afternoon to regulate tobacco products. It passed 79 to 17.

* For now, James Von Brunn is still alive in a D.C. hospital. Today, he was charged with murder.

* The right's new line of attack: James Von Brunn, a notorious racist and anti-Semite, is a lefty.

* President Obama hosted a town-hall discussion today in Green Bay on health care reform.

* Congressional Republicans are balking at federal funding for the International Monetary Fund. Today, Robert Gates and Hillary Clinton accused GOP lawmakers of undermining U.S. national security interests.

* Stephen Johns, the security officer who was murdered yesterday at the Holocaust Memorial, is part of a union that requested bulletproof vests. The vests were never issued.

* Fox News went to comical lengths not to talk about yesterday's shooting at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

* New York's state Senate, still a mess.

* The AMA's opposition to health care reform prompted one high-profile physician to resign from the organization today.

* Dr. George Tiller is gone, but a Nebraska doctor stepped up yesterday to say he'll perform late-term abortions in Kansas.

* Letterman walked back some of his Palin jokes, but the RNC wants a Letterman boycott. (What will Dave do without those insightful and engaging Republican guests?)

* Brendan Nyhan has a fascinating item on the difficulties in getting people to stop believing a lie.

* Video of the Day.

* Jeremiah Wright, please stop talking.

* Michael Steele should probably just steer clear of metaphors altogether.

* Once in a great while, Joe Scarborough says something sensible. This morning, for example, he mocked right-wing calls for a GM boycott "stupid," and the conservative proponents of the boycott "morons."

* And this afternoon, President Obama signed the coolest excused-absence note in the history of excused-absence notes.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* While Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D) is considered a top primary challenged for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) in New York next year, the incumbent may have more than one opponent. Yesterday, labor activist Jonathan Tasini, perhaps best known in campaign circles for an unsuccessful challenge against Hillary Clinton in 2006, is now taking on Gillibrand.

* Rep. Roy Blunt's (R) Senate campaign in Missouri caught a break yesterday when Thomas Schweich announced that he's not running, despite encouragement from GOP leaders such as Jack Danforth, and will support Blunt next year.

* In Wisconsin, a new Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos shows incumbent Gov. Jim Doyle (D) with fairly strong leads over some of his likely Republican challengers next year, but there are a couple of warning signs. First, Doyle is running below 50%. Second, should former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) seek his old job, the race is a toss-up.

* Speaking of Wisconsin, there are a few vulnerable Senate Democrats seeking re-election next year. Sen. Russ Feingold (D) isn't one of them.

* It's looking more and more like Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) will run for the Senate next year. Yesterday, he declined an offer to become the top Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee.

* And in Iran, it's too soon to know who'll win the country's presidential election, but I found it interesting to read that the chief campaign strategist for Mir Hossein Mousavi, the main challenger to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, "obsessively" studied Barack Obama's presidential campaign. The WSJ reported, "To pursue young voters, Mr. Jalaeipour created pages on social-networking sites such as Facebook and asked supporters to make their profile picture green, the color of the campaign. He commissioned movie stars to make a video clip in support of Mr. Mousavi and posted it on YouTube and elsewhere."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Both sides have claimed victory in Iran's closely-watched presidential election. Iranian officials, for what it's worth, claim Ahmadinejad is well ahead.

* President Obama had some interesting things to say about the Iranian election today, noting that administration officials are "excited to see what appears to be a robust debate taking place in Iran." He added that the debate itself may "help advance our ability to engage them in new ways."

* The U.N. Security Council unanimously passed a resolution today to "tighten sanctions targeting North Korea's nuclear and missile development programs, including encouraging United Nations members to inspect cargo vessels and airplanes suspected of carrying weapons and other military materiel." The inspections are not, however, mandatory at this point.

* The House today approved the Senate's version of the bill regulating tobacco products. The measure now heads to the president's desk, where it will be signed into law.

* After some White House prodding, House and Senate negotiators agreed last night on the $105.9 billion supplemental spending bill.

* Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) once again raised the prospect of Republicans boycotting the Sotomayor confirmation hearings. I've lost track of Kyl's latest justification for whining, but I'm sure it's riveting.

* The BBC has a very helpful report explaining how Iran is ruled.

* The administration came under fire today from the left for its defense in court of the Defense of Marriage Act. The Justice Department insists it didn't have any choice; the agency's attorneys are required to defend current law. Obama is on record supporting a repeal of DOMA.

* Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) is headed back to rehab.

* The House ethics committee is taking up a PMA Group probe.

* This is a White House that takes picket lines seriously.

* Some Republicans now want to see David Letterman fired.

* Other Republicans are blaming the president for Letterman's Palin jokes.

* And finally, if Pat Buchanan would at least pretend to be respectful of people who aren't white Christian men, I'd appreciate it.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Two House Democrats, Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania and Carolyn Maloney of New York, are very likely to challenge incumbents in Democratic Senate primaries, no matter what the White House asks of them.

* Late last week, in an announcement that surprised no one, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) of Texas told supporters she's running for governor next year, taking on incumbent Gov. Rick Perry in a Republican primary.

* Former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-Penn.), for now, is the only Republican in the field for next year's Senate race in Pennsylvania, and as a result, he's starting to raise money at a pretty quick clip.

* On a related note, the GOP establishment on the Hill hoped to find a primary challenger for Toomey, but now seems to be resigned to supporting him. National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn's (R-Texas) political action committee, for example, sent Toomey a check last week for $5,000.

* Far-right bloggers have hoped to pressure Republican leaders to, at a minimum, stay out of the Republican primary in Florida's Senate race. It's not working -- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ken.) has extended his enthusiastic support to Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.

* In related news, Democrats continue to rally behind Reps. Kendrick Meek's (D) Senate campaign in Florida. Reps. Ron Klein and Debbie Wasserman Schultz have both thrown their support to the Miami congressman.

* And actor Chuck Norris continues to give his backing to the most right-wing Republican candidates he can find. In his new endorsements, Norris now supports Bob Vander Plaats' (R) gubernatorial campaign in Iowa, and Roy Moore's gubernatorial campaign in Alabama.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Latest from the AP on developments in Iran, and video footage of a protestor who was shot earlier today.

* Video of Obama's AMA speech. (Note the vigorous support for a public option.)

* North Korea, perhaps jealous that Iran has captured international attention, wants everyone to know it intends to "weaponize" all the plutonium in its possession.

* Gen. Stanley McChrystal takes the reins in Afghanistan.

* President Obama is poised to unveil his plans to revamp federal regulation of the nation's financial markets. Timothy Geithner and Lawrence Summers sketched out some of the details in a WaPo op-ed.

* Ugly day on Wall Street.

* Benjamin Netanyahu's speech on Palestinian statehood has generated quite a bit of attention, but the conditions he described matter just as much as his "concession."

* Over the weekend, the president began adding new details to his plan to pay for health care reform, including $313 billion in new proposed savings.

* A New York state senator who'd flipped to the GOP flipped back today, bringing the chamber back to parity between the two parties.

* Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and one of Congress's more influential voices on foreign affairs, told reporters today that Obama deserves an "A" on foreign policy thus far.

* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is still talking about a filibuster against Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

* John McCain's understanding of health care policy hasn't progressed at all since his presidential campaign.

* Six Flags has declared bankruptcy.

* The Congressional Black Caucus would like to see more diversity on the Sunday political talk shows. It's a good point.

* Great piece of reporting from Matt Kennard on the U.S. military ignoring its own regulations and permitting white supremacists to join its ranks.

* And a stimulus history lesson from Paul Krugman that Republicans may want to keep in mind.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Just as the Republican establishment was solidifying its support for Charlie Crist's Senate race in Florida, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) indicated he would break with the leadership and throw his support to former state House Speaker Marco Rubio, running to Crist's right.

* As expected, Arlen Specter will enjoy the backing of the Democratic establishment, as evidenced by a fundraiser DSCC Chairman Bob Menendez will host for Specter in NYC later this month. Rep. Joe Sestak (D), meanwhile, is staffing up for a primary campaign.

* President Obama lent his name to a fundraising email issued yesterday in support of Creigh Deeds' gubernatorial campaign in Virginia.

* Despite his recent controversy involving China, Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) is still planning to launch a statewide campaign.

* Tea Party activist Tom Cox is launching a Republican Senate campaign in Arkansas. Cox has never held or sought public office.

* In Kansas' open Senate race, Reps. Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt continue to run neck in neck.

* And finally, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) has all but ruled out a gubernatorial campaign in Minnesota next year, but the wacky lawmaker told Minnesota Public Radio that she's still considering the possibility.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* If the ruling regime in Iran hoped the idea of a partial recount would help diffuse some of the anger among voters who feel betrayed, the regime was clearly mistaken.

* Iranian officials today also banned all foreign news reporting from the streets. An NBC News producer was, however, "able to report from the scene of a rally in central Tehran that plainclothes militia were beating pro-reform protesters with sticks. Some of the plainclothes officials were chanting, 'Death to America.'"

* If our political system made sense, the "Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States" report would spark immediate interest in an ambitious new energy policy.

* AP: "Declaring North Korea a 'grave threat' to the world, President Barack Obama on Tuesday pledged the U.S. and its allies will aggressively enforce fresh international penalties against the nuclear-armed nation and stop rewarding its leaders for repeated provocations. In a display of unity with South Korea's leader, Obama said the world must break a pattern in which North Korea puts the globe on edge, only to put itself in line for concessions if it holds out long enough."

* Dennis Ross is, in fact, moving to the National Security Council from the State Department.

* No bailout for California.

* The New York Times editorial board took the administration to task today on its support, or lack thereof, on GLBT issues. "The administration," the editorial explained, "needs a new direction on gay rights."

* On a related note, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said today "a number of senators" are working on a measure to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and the chamber would "welcome a legislative proposal from the White House on repeal so as to provide clear guidance on what the President would like to see and when."

* The Bush White House believed its visitor logs were private presidential records, and therefore not subject to the Freedom of Information Act. Apparently, the Obama White House has come to the same conclusion.

* If the Washington Times would at least pretend to tell its readers the truth, it would be far less embarrassing.

* CNBC's Erin Burnett makes little effort to hide her antipathy for liberals, but to compare the Employee Free Choice Act to the Iranian presidential election is ridiculous, even for her.

* I guess the feud between Palin and Letterman is just about over?

* And Time's Joe Klein comments on the latest rhetoric from the neocons: "The point is, neoconservatives like McCain and Wehner just can't seem to quit their dangerous habit of making broad, extreme statements based on ideology rather than detailed knowledge of the situation in Iran and elsewhere. This was always the main problem with McCain's candidacy -- he would have been a trigger-happy President, just as Wehner's old boss, George W. Bush, was. We are well out of that."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* U.S. News reports that the "word around the Twin Cities is that Democrat Al Franken will be certified the winner after the State Supreme Court rules against Republican Norm Coleman's appeal of the outcome last November."

* The anti-gay National Organization for Marriage is threatening to spend $500,000 in support of Republican primary challenges for any Republican in New York who backs marriage equality at the state level.

* The Republican Governors Association has launched its first attack ad of the campaign season, blasting New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) as a "Wall Street banker."

* The Democratic Governors Association released a poll late yesterday on the Virginia race, showing Creigh Deeds (D) leading Bob McDonnell, 42% to 38%.

* Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's (D-N.Y.) campaign got a boost yesterday with an endorsement from ACORN's political action committee.

* Gillibrand is still under fire, though, from her likely Democratic primary challenger. Rep. Carolyn Maloney yesterday took aim at the senator's "character."

* Speaking of New York, a Quinnipiac poll shows NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg with a 22-point lead over his next closest competitor, City Comptroller William Thompson.

* And in North Carolina, Dems still haven't found a top-tier candidate to run for the Senate, but incumbent Sen. Richard Burr (R) still looks vulnerable. A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Burr trailing a generic Democrat, 41% to 38%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* In Iran, protests intensity -- as do government crackdowns.

* Obama's unveils his sweeping new market regulations.

* The administration's proposal for a Consumer Financial Product Safety Commission sounds just about right.

* Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) started the day as a member of the Republican Senate leadership. He didn't end the day as one.

* An NYT report explores new revelations about "recent intercepts" of "private telephone calls and e-mail messages" through the NSA.

* On Twitter, we're all Iranians now (literally).

* Obama will reiterate his opposition to DOMA.

* How Eric Cantor managed to become a House Republican leader without knowing the meaning of the word "silence" is a mystery.

* Conrad's co-op "compromise" keeps generating attention. This is more than a little discouraging.

* Harriet Miers testified, behind closed doors, on the U.S. Attorney purge scandal. Karl Rove is next, though we don't know when to expect his testimony.

* Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) conceded that passing health care reform through the reconciliation process is "legal" and "ethical."

* Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has an important op-ed today on human trafficking.

* South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) had a very bad day yesterday.

* Matt Duss 1, Robert Kagan 0.

* Beautiful post by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

* Maureen Dowd devotes an entire column to criticizing President Obama for occasionally eating fast-food.

* Why doesn't NPR want Juan Williams identifying himself with NPR when he goes on Bill O'Reilly's Fox News program? This is why.

* Josh Marshall will be on Colbert tonight.

* Can you imagine an elected office coming down to a game of high-card?

* And finally, as you've probably noticed, today was a complete mess, tech wise. Here's hoping tomorrow is a better day. Thanks for your patience.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Pennsylvania, a new Rasmussen poll shows Sen. Arlen Specter with a comfortable lead over Rep. Joe Sestak in a Democratic primary, but the margin is shrinking. The incumbent, a former Republican, now leads by 19 points, 51% to 32%.

* On a related note, Sestak continues to push the idea that Specter is a "flight risk" for Democrats.

* New Hampshire's state attorney general, Kelly Ayotte (R), has been sought out by party leaders to run for the Senate next year against Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.), and she's apparently thinking about it.

* Illinois' state attorney general, Lisa Madigan (D), is still eyeing next year's Senate race, but is reportedly telling party leaders she expects an Obama endorsement and a clear primary field. With state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias already running hard, Madigan's conditions may be hard to meet.

* The Republican primary in next year's Senate race in Missouri remains very much in flux. Thomas Schweich dropped out of the race last week, but state Sen. Chuck Purgason is poised to jump in.

* Have we seen the last of former presidential hopeful John Edwards' political career? To hear the former North Carolina senator tell it, his future is unclear. "Sometimes you just keep your head down and work hard and see what happens," Edwards told the Washington Post.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Latest from Tehran: "Hundreds of thousands of black-clad protesters massed quietly in central Tehran on Thursday for another day of protest over last week's disputed presidential election, even as the Iranian government made its first move toward some form of dialogue to defuse the outrage."

* Mousavi's external spokesman, Mohsen Makhmalbaf: "Ahmadinejad is the Bush of Iran. And Mousavi is the Obama of Iran."

* Henry Kissinger, the smartest person John McCain knows (his words, not mine), thinks Obama's line on Iran is just right.

* The U.S. Supreme Court, in another 5-4 ruling (natch), rules that "convicts do not have a right under the Constitution to obtain DNA testing to try to prove their innocence after being found guilty."

* Devastation in Somalia: "Somali Security Minister Omar Hashi Aden was among at least 50 people killed in a suicide-bombing that the al-Shabaab Islamist group, accused by the U.S. of backing al-Qaeda, said it carried out.... The blast killed 50 people and injured 100, al-Jazeera reported, without citing anyone."

* The Senate passed the $106 billion war spending bill this afternoon, but just barely.

* The Senate also unanimously approved a non-binding apology for slavery, though a disclaimer was added to the measure to make clear Congress doesn't support reparations. The resolution passed the day before Juneteenth, which commemorates the emancipation of slaves in 1865.

* It's safe to say health care reform is having a very bad week.

* Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee, with help from a few Dems, ignored the administration and approved spending on the F-22.

* Joe Nocera reviews the White House proposed regulatory reforms for the financial industry: "[T]he Obama plan is little more than an attempt to stick some new regulatory fingers into a very leaky financial dam rather than rebuild the dam itself."

* Call it son of subprime.

* Americans seem to have the right idea when it comes to Gitmo.

* The original rationale for Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) disclosing his adultery gets walked back.

* Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) announced this morning that the Obama administration's infamous brief on DOMA may not have been as troubling as originally thought. Indeed, Frank issued a statement that read, "After rereading this brief, I do not think that the Obama administration should be subject to harsh criticism in this instance."

* On a related note, here's another interesting item with an alternate look on the DOMA brief.

* On second thought, maybe Tom Daschle's departure from the cabinet was a good thing.

* Michael Savage: "The white Christian heterosexual married male is the epitome of everything right with America." Words fail.

* And finally, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) defended John Ensign today, offering reporters an interesting quote: "I've got plenty of sins that I'm not going to share with anyone else."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In next year's Senate race in Pennsylvania, either Arlen Specter and Joe Sestak will be well positioned to defeat former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) in a general election match-up, according to a new Rasmussen poll.

* In Virginia, the latest Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos shows Bob McDonnell's (R) lead over Creigh Deeds (D) shrinking in the closely watched gubernatorial race. A few weeks ago, the poll showed McDonnell leading by 12 points, but now the margin is just one, 45% to 44%.

* In a setback for Republican recruiting, former Rep. Jon Porter (R) officially ruled out a Senate campaign next year against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D).

* In New Mexico*, a poll from the Democratic Governors Association shows Lt. Gov. Diane Denish (D) with big leads over her likely Republican rivals.

* In Hawaii, the latest Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos shows Democrats in a good position to recapture the governor's mansion next year. In hypothetical general election match-ups, both Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D) and Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann (D) lead Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona (R) by about 10 points.

* And in Louisiana, Dems have been looking for a top-tier challenger to take on Sen. David Vitter (R) next year, and they may have found one. Rumor has it that Rep. Charlie Melancon (D) is poised to launch a Senate campaign. Vitter is considered a vulnerable incumbent, after running on a "family values" platform and then getting caught up with a prostitution ring.

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mother moose palin at work....

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* As of the latest reports, another opposition rally is scheduled in Tehran for tomorrow afternoon.

* Good point: "Isn't it funny that conservative who used to complain about Obama's use of rhetorical powers as 'just words' now think his relative caution in speaking out about Iran is a deep betrayal of everything American?"

* Latest from Pakistan: "Pakistani ground troops moved into Taliban-controlled areas Friday and engaged in the first gunbattle of a new offensive in the volatile northwest, as an aerial and artillery bombardment pounded other targets."

* Ken Starr, yes that Ken Starr, endorsed Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination.

* H1N1: "America's count of swine flu cases has risen to 21,449 cases and the number of deaths have nearly doubled to 87.... The tally is up from the last week's count of 18,000 cases and 44 deaths. Worldwide, the number of confirmed cases reached 44,287, the WHO reported Friday. WHO says cases increased by more than 10 percent in two days."

* Washington Monthly contributing editor Art Levine has a fascinating report on the House Homeland Security Committee taking up a key chemical security bill. In the face of pressure from Republicans and the chemical industry, it looks like committee Dems have moved in the wrong direction.

* R. Allen Stanford, busted.

* Unemployment on the rise in 48 states and D.C.

* A rare bit of good news for Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.).

* Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's elbow surgery apparently went well today.

* Age-discrimination lawsuits get a little tougher, thanks to another 5-4 ruling from the Supreme Court.

* Republican excitement notwithstanding, the Gerland Walpin "controversy" doesn't stand up well to scrutiny.

* Walpin's outster was set in motion by a unanimous request the White House received from the board of the Corporation for National and Community Service.

* Google Translate service adds Farsi to its list of languages.

* Apparently, Reader's Digest wasn't conservative enough, so its editors are making a deliberate effort to move it even further to the right.

* One of the funniest things I've ever heard: Steve Doocy insisting that "here at Fox, we still do journalism." That he said it with a straight face was a little unnerving, though.

* Glenn Beck thinks "the government" tried to "destroy" Samuel "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher? Which government would that be?

* NPR's ombudsman has every reason to be "embarrassed" by Juan Williams' appearances on O'Reilly's Fox News show.

* I want my "Arrested Development" documentary, and I want it now.

* A fun behind-the-scenes video of President Obama and Stephen Colbert.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Health concerns have forced Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) to limit his work schedule, but he nevertheless took time to film a 30-second commercial in support of Sen. Chris Dodd's (D-Conn.) re-election campaign.

* In the wake of an embarrassing sex scandal, Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) has seen his approval rating drop to 39%. The Mason-Dixon poll, however, found that more than six in 10 Nevadans do not think Ensign should resign.

* Interestingly enough, even now, Ensign's approval rating is slightly higher than that of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who is seeking re-election next year.

* Much to the delight of Democratic recruiters, Rep. Charlie Melancon (D) has decided he will run against Sen. David Vitter (R) next year in Louisiana.

* Much to the delight of Republican recruiters, it looks like Rep. Mike Castle (R) has decided to run for the Senate in Delaware next year.

* A new Public Policy Polling survey shows Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland's (D) approval rating dropping to 42%. In a hypothetical match-up against congressman-turned-Fox News personality John Kasich, the poll shows Strickland leading by just two points, 44% to 42%.

* Speaking of Ohio, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) will apparently not face a primary challenge next year, after all.

* New Yorker Tom Golisano is eyeing a Senate campaign in Florida? As a Democrat?

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Unrest continues in Iran: "Riot police used clubs and tear gas to disperse protesters in a Tehran square Monday after the elite Revolutionary Guard Corps warned Iranians not to continue disputing the results of the June 12 presidential election, and an influential supervisory body said voting irregularities were not sufficient to alter the outcome."

* The Supreme Court today chipped away a little at the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but left Section 5 of the act in place. It was an 8-1 ruling, with only Clarence Thomas dissenting.

* A rocket attack on Bagram Air Base yesterday killed U.S. soldiers and wounded six other Americans.

* Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the new U.S. commander in Afghanistan, intends to sharply restrict airstrikes in the country, in the hopes of reducing civilian fatalities that undermine the American-led mission.

* In Iraq, a truck bomb near Kirkuk over the weekend killed at least 63 people.

* President Obama held a brief event at the White House today to praise an announcement from the pharmaceutical industry on cutting drug costs in Medicare. The president also used a phrase we haven't heard much since the election.

* Iran's efforts to censor and control its citizens' access to the Internet is remarkable, and makes China look almost liberal by comparison.

* The Supreme Court decided today not to hear an appearl regarding Valerie Plame Wilson's civil suit against Lewis "Scooter" Libby, effectively ending the matter.

* The Obama administration is drawing plaudits for its diversity.

* Sonia Sotomayor is no longer a member of the Belizean Grove women's organization.

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) endorsed marriage equality. Good for him.

* Congressional Republicans banned Internet gambling a few years ago. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) is optimistic this Congress can repeal the ban.

* Bolstering an argument from the weekend, MSNBC's Joe Scarborough took issue with John McCain's and Lindsey Graham's criticism of the White House policy on Iran, calling their attacks "outrageous."

* Not only is there less to the Gerald Walpin "controversy" than meets the eye, but if you want to talk about firing IGs, consider Reagan's record from January '81.

* Quote of the Day: "The economists who have pledged allegiance to the Republican Party this year ... have stopped thinking like economists."

* As part of a scary, right-wing conference over the weekend, Pat Buchanan talked up English-only initiatives -- under a banner that spelled the word "conference" incorrectly.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Despite having taken some steps for a statewide campaign, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced yesterday that he will not run for governor of California next year.

* Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) has endorsed former Florida state House Speaker Marco Rubio's (R) Senate campaign. While most of the GOP establishment is backing Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R), a growing number of far-right leaders are throwing their support to the even-more-conservative Rubio.

* The latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Dems with the edge in next year's Senate race in Ohio. While the Democratic primary will pit Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner against one another, both lead former Bush OMB Director Rob Portman (R) by about nine points.

* Will Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) seek a second term next year? A whole lot of in-state insiders, from both parties, expect her to skip the race and focus on her national ambitions.

* Rep. Charlie Melancon (D) starts off his Senate campaign in Louisiana as an underdog, trailing incumbent Sen. David Vitter (R) in a Research 2000 poll by seven points, 48% to 41%. Given the state and circumstances, Vitter can't be pleased that he's already polling below the 50% threshold.

* The RNC is, not surprisingly, prepared to invest heavily to help former Attorney General Bob McDonnell win Virginia's gubernatorial campaign, and transferred $1.5 million to the candidate's coffers in May.

* Sen. Chris Dodd's (D-Conn.) re-election prospects are still shaky, but he seems to be reconnecting with the party base in Connecticut.

* New York Gov. David Paterson (D) is slightly less unpopular than he was, but "the Siena College Research Institute poll released Monday also indicates that seven out of 10 New York state voters would vote for someone other than Paterson in next year's gubernatorial contest."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iran's Guardian Council has "refused to nullify" the contested presidential election. No big surprise.

* Iran has also created a "special" court to try arrested protestors.

* Iranian women continue to stand up in large numbers.

* North Korea keeps making noises about its next missile launch.

* The deadly accident yesterday on the D.C. metro system was just breathtaking.

* More than a few politicos in South Carolina are having trouble believing that Gov. Mark Sanford (R) has really been hiking since last week.

* And even now, with Sanford poised to return to work, the governor who wasn't with his family on Father's Day also hasn't spoken to his wife.

* If you missed today's White House press conference, the entire video is online.

* Sen. John Ensign (R) of Nevada apologized to his Republican colleagues today, but he doesn't want to talk to anyone else.

* In an interesting twist, Sean Hannity believes Ensign should resign.

* Iran's dissident soccer players, banned for life.

* To her credit, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) isn't giving up on a public option.

* Even now, all of these years later, Richard Nixon can still appear even crazier.

* Next week, the White House will host an event commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, further evidence of the administration hoping to heal the rift with gay-rights supporters.

* What do you know, the state Senate in New York can get even nuttier after all.

* Recent buzz notwithstanding, the latest WaPo/ABC poll shows Obama with a 65% approval rating.

* Despite conservative rumors to the contrary, ACORN isn't changing its name.

* The Washington Times drops the pretense and starts doing conservative activism?

* The RNC and ABC are still at odds.

* And finally, Charles Krauthammer's criticism of Obama for describing Khamenei as Iran's "supreme leader" might be more persuasive if Krauthammer hadn't repeatedly referred to Khamenei as Iran's "supreme leader."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A new Quinnipiac poll in New York shows an extremely competitive Democratic primary in next year's Senate race, if, as expected, Rep. Carolyn Maloney challenges appointed Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. At this point, about half New York Dems are undecided, but among those with a preference, Maloney edges Gillibrand, 27% to 23%. Both easily lead Rep. Peter King (R) in a hypothetical general election match-up.

* Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has vowed to support former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), no matter how long he keeps fighting last year's election results.

* On a related note, Cornyn's NRSC continues to support Coleman's efforts financially, directing nearly $1 million to the former senator last month alone.

* The League of Conservation Voters has let members of Congress know that anyone who votes against the Waxman-Markey climate change bill will be automatically ineligible for an LCV endorsement next year.

* Is Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) laying the groundwork for a presidential campaign? Probably.

* And speaking of 2012, the latest poll from the Pew Research Center asked Republicans about their support for prominent GOP officials. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) was easily the most popular figure in her own party, with Mitt Romney a distant second.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* A powerful bomb killed at least 60 people today in an eastern Baghdad market.

* Confrontation near the Iranian Parliament: "Hundreds of protesters clashed with waves of riot police and paramilitary militia in Tehran on Wednesday, witnesses said, as Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, insisted that the authorities would not yield to pressure from opponents demanding a new election following allegations of electoral fraud."

* North Korea's government called the United States "imperialists" today and said the "army and people of Korea will ... wipe out the aggressors on the globe once and for all."

* An airstrike, likely from an American drone, "killed at least 60 people at a funeral for a Taliban fighter in South Waziristan on Tuesday."

* After more than four years without one, a U.S. ambassador to Syria is en route to Damascus.

* The Obama administration has "stepped up its efforts yesterday to salvage a four-year-old peace accord for Sudan, convening officials from 32 countries and international organizations amid fears that Africa's longest-running civil war could resume."

* Did the White House signal last night that a public option is less important than a bipartisan deal? Not according to one of the senators at the meeting.

* With House Democratic leaders finally in agreement, Waxman-Markey will likely get a vote on Friday.

* If you missed South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's (R) press conference this afternoon, it's online.

* Proving once again that the network is beyond parody, Fox News labeled Sanford a Democrat during his event today.

* Setting a land-speed record, the Family Research Council dropped Sanford very quickly from its big upcoming religious-right event.

* I don't think it matters, but technically, adultery is illegal in South Carolina.

* Tesla Motors gets a government loan for its electric sedan project.

* We haven't seen a good impeachment trial in a long while.

* R.I.P., Dr. Jerri Nielsen.

* The Republican temper tantrum against ABC keeps getting stranger.

* And Dick Cheney finally got the book deal he wanted, when his former aide, Mary Matalin, used her Simon & Schuster imprint to get the former vice president a deal. Matalin also came to Karl Rove's rescue. Industry insiders don't expect either book to sell especially well.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour will take over for Mark Sanford as chairman of the Republican Governors Association. Sanford resigned from the post yesterday.

* It's a Republican pollster, but Strategic Vision shows former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie (R) leading incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine (D) in this year's gubernatorial race in New Jersey, 51% to 39%.

* State Rep. Nikki Haley (R), running for governor in South Carolina next year, has generally been known as Mark Sanford's favorite for the race. Yesterday, Haley "removed a picture of the governor and any mention of him from her campaign Web site."

* Former U.S. Ambassador Tom Schieffer kicked off his gubernatorial campaign in Texas yesterday, running as a Democrat despite his work in the Bush administration. "I am a Democrat -- as Sam Rayburn used to say without prefix, suffix or apology -- and I think it is time we all had a governor," Schieffer said.

* Rep. Joe Sestak (D) took one step closer to launching a Senate campaign in Pennsylvania, telling supporters in a fundraising letter that he's received encouragement from his family.

* In related news, a new poll in Pennsylvania shows bad news for Sen. Arlen Specter, with 57% of voters in the state agreeing that it's "time for a change," and only 43% of Democrats saying Specter deserves another term.

* In still more Pennsylvania news, Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.) effectively ruled out a Senate campaign next year, boosting former Rep. Pat Toomey's chances of being the Republican candidate.

* And in Florida, Marco Rubio continues to line up far-right supporters for his Senate campaign in Florida, the latest being Rep. Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) who was a big supporter of Charlie Crist's gubernatorial campaign in 2006.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The latest from Iran: "As Iran's embattled opposition leader said he would "not back down for a second" in challenging the disputed elections, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told President Obama on Thursday to avoid interfering in Iran's affairs and demanded an apology from the American leader for striking the same critical tones as his predecessor, George W. Bush."

* The Supreme Court, in an 8-1 ruling, makes the right call on the strip-search of a 13-year-old girl suspected of having ibuprofen.

* South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's (R) office said today he will not resign, but there's a growing number of key officials who want him gone, and his constituents would prefer he step down.

* The Waxman-Markey energy bill is headed for a vote tomorrow on the House floor, with the outcome very much in doubt. Today, President Obama leaned on lawmakers to pass the legislation. Brad Plumer has a very good look at the behind-the-scenes wrangling to secure a majority.

* I'm delighted to see Harold Koh was confirmed this afternoon, 62 to 35.

* Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania is on board with the public-option plan sketched out by Sen. Chuck Schumer.

* Art Levine considers the showdown between lobbyists' interests and the nation's interests.

* Mark Sanford's personal emails to his mistress are his own business. Who leaked them, however, continues to be of interest.

* Why is right-wing shock-jock Michael Savage threatening Media Matters?

* With the Letterman controversy more or less finished, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) has started a new feud, this time taking on an Alaskan blogger.

* In light of Hal Turner's arrest, that DHS report on extremists continues to look more and more relevant.

* Sen. Sam Brownback (R) of Kansas officially announced his opposition to Sonia Sotomayor's nomination yesterday, joining Sens. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.).

* If you're a Republican candidate guilty of adultery, don't worry, the Washington Examiner can help pretend it didn't happen.

* Ezra Klein notices that conservative bloggers tend to live in an alternate universe.

* Fox News is sorry it identified Mark Sanford as a Democrat yesterday.

* As expected, the $3,100 cap-and-trade GOP talking point has been thoroughly debunked, but House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) keeps repeating it.

* Think Bush's Justice Department couldn't possibly look any worse? Think again.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Bloodshed in Baghdad: "A bomb mounted on a motorcycle exploded in an outdoor market in Baghdad on Friday, killing nearly a dozen people and wounded scores more in a third straight day of violence in the capital ahead of the Tuesday deadline for American troops to withdraw from Iraqi cities.... Nearly 200 people were killed and hundreds wounded in attacks over the past week in Baghdad and elsewhere in the country, with the deadliest attacks aimed at Shiites."

* More signs of trouble out of Iran: "An influential Iranian cleric told worshipers Friday that those stirring unrest in connection with the recent election should be punished 'ruthlessly and savagely' and convicted for waging war against God, a crime that under Shiite Islamic law is punishable by death."

* The CIA's declassification of that 2004 report we've been waiting for will happen ... someday.

* For all the recent complains about "apology tours," South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) seems to be in the middle of one.

* At this point, some of the Democratic fence-sitters on Waxman-Markey appear to be announcing their support for the bill, and the leadership seems confident that the bill will pass.

* House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers' (D-Mich.) wife, Monica Conyers, the president pro tem of the Detroit city council, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit bribery.

* Sen. Kay Hagan's (D-N.C.) opposition to a public option is a major stumbling block, so MoveOn.org is putting the pressure on.

* One of these days, conservative Republican lawmakers are going to learn to stay away from comparing American leaders to Iranian's authoritarian regime. It's not only insulting; it makes them appear ridiculous.

* Given how very, very wrong she is, and how often her arguments fall apart upon scrutiny, it's disturbing that Betsy McCaughey is given major media platforms as often as she is.

* Sarah Palin's comeback insults are about as fresh and creative as her policy agenda.

* Vice President Biden spoke at a party fundraiser with gay and lesbian donors yesterday, and reiterated the administration's commitment to gay rights. He added that he doesn't blame supporters for their "impatience." Despite recent tensions, Biden reportedly drew "repeated standing ovations."

* The Senate's impeachment trial against U.S. District Judge Sam Kent was cut short when he resigned yesterday.

* I'm familiar with the notion that "sex sells," but Burger King's ad campaign in Singapore is wildly inappropriate.

* Michael Savage is apparently no longer threatening the staff of Media Matters.

* And Rhode Island's official name is "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations." Policymakers are moving towards dropping the last two words in the long name. Seems like a good idea.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The Club For Growth is still trying to figure out ways to make Sen. Arlen Specter as miserable in Pennsylvania as possible.

* In related news, former Rep. Pat Toomey, who will likely be the Republican Senate candidate in Pennsylvania next year, is attacking Rep. Joe Sestak (D), Specter's likely primary rival, for his support of the Waxman-Markey global warming bill last week.

* With about a year left before California Democrats choose their gubernatorial nominee, a new poll shows state Attorney General Jerry Brown with a big lead over San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

* Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) may have referenced certifying Al Franken's victory after the upcoming ruling from the state Supreme Court, but a closer look suggests Pawlenty's comments were nothing new.

* Is former New Hampshire Sen. John Sununu (R) planning to run again for the Senate next year? We'll apparently find out this week. Sununu's father, former Gov. John H. Sununu, who also happens to be the current Republican state party chairman, said he expects other possible GOP candidates to get out of the way should Sununu launch a campaign.

* Peter Schiff, an advisor to Ron Paul's presidential campaign, is moving forward with his plans to run for the Senate in Connecticut, apparently as a Republican. He would face former Rep. Rob Simmons and state Sen. Sam Caligiuri in a GOP primary.

* And as Mitt Romney continues a lengthy run for the presidency, his already-assembled team has to figure out how to spend the next few years.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The latest from Honduras: "One day after the country's president, Manuel Zelaya, was abruptly awakened, ousted and deported by the army here, hundreds of protesters massed at the presidential offices in an increasingly tense face-off with hundreds of camouflage-clad soldiers carrying riot shields and automatic weapons."

* President Obama described Zelaya ouster as a "not legal" coup, meaning that the current government is not legitimate as far as the U.S. is concerned. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today called on for the "full restoration" of democracy in the country.

* The Iranian government certified the results of its own dubious presidential election. Protestors were not pleased.

* Bernie Madoff was sentenced today to 150 years.

* New lighting standards may not seem especially exciting, but they're important anyway.

* A big event at the White House this afternoon, commemorating the anniversary of the Stonewall riots of 1969, and hosting 250 gay leaders in the East Room in honor of LGBT Pride Month.

* Speaking of Stonewall, is history repeating itself, this time in Texas?

* Most senators are heading home this week. Max Baucus isn't -- he has health care homework to finish.

* With the Iranian regime consolidating power, what's Mir Hossein Mousavi's next move?

* At an event this morning at the Center for American Progress, Tom Daschle said, "I don't think the public option is dead at all. I think it's very much alive."

* Keep an eye on the big upcoming election in Afghanistan.

* Bizarre developments at a San Diego fundraiser for a Democratic congressional candidate over the weekend, prompting an internal affairs investigation.

* A series of office posters celebrating Gay Pride Month at the Department of Labor were defaced or removed recently. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis warned employees about this kind of behavior: "I do want to make myself absolutely clear: Respect for others is non-negotiable at the U.S. Department of Labor."

* I imagine MIT's John Reilly is pretty frustrated.

* Did Israel and the Bush administration have an "understanding" on settlements? Apparently not.

* There's no shortage of nutty state lawmakers out there, but when it comes to being "special," Missouri's Cynthia Davis (R) is pretty extraordinary.

* Pat Boone was never a good entertainer, but his political activism is even more offensive.

* Do "red" states have a lock on morality and virtue? Not so much.

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WEDNESDAY'S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP....

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) conceded yesterday that he is "going to get into the race against" Sen. Arlen Specter next year, taking on the incumbent in a Democratic primary in Pennsylvania.

* A senior advisor to Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) said the congresswoman has "definitely decided to run" against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in a Democratic primary in next year.

* With about four months remaining until Election Day in New Jersey, the latest Public Policy Polling survey shows former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie (R) leading incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine (D), 51% to 41%.

* Republicans have launched a new round of attack ads against freshman Rep. Tom Perriello (D) in Virginia for his vote to combat global warming. The NRCC will also go after Democrats in 13 other districts with radio ads or robocalls.

* Left with no other choices, Republicans are slowly beginning to coalesce around former Rep. Pat Toomey's (R-Pa.) Senate campaign. Today, Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) became the third member of Pennsylvania's congressional delegation to endorse the far-right candidate.

* Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) is facing a new television ad in her home state, criticizing her position on the public option in health care reform. The ad, sponsored by a coalition including MoveOn.org, Democracy for America, and Change Congress, features a breast cancer survivor criticizing the insurance companies.

* And finally, God apparently doesn't want Samuel "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher to be a candidate for public office.

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WEDNESDAY'S MINI-REPORT....

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Diplomats from the E.U. are considering "whether to withdraw the ambassadors of all 27 member nations [from Iran] in a dispute over the [Iranian] detention of the British Embassy's local personnel."*

* Honduras grows isolated: "France, Spain, Italy, Chile and Colombia joined other nations Wednesday in recalling their ambassadors. The Pentagon suspended joint U.S.-Honduran military operations and the World Bank said it was freezing loans. Honduras' three neighbors have suspended cross-border trade."

* California, as expected, is in a state of "fiscal emergency."

* President Obama hosted a town hall meeting in Virginia this afternoon on health care. Reading over his introductory remarks, I noticed he once again voiced unambiguous support for a public option, saying he "strongly" supports the provision, which he described as "important."

* Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) was hospitalized yesterday in Los Angeles. It's not clear what prompted the medical emergency, but his spokesperson said the congressman is "feeling much better now."

* I feel like I've seen this report before: "The Justice Department has once again delayed the release of the CIA's internal investigation of its controversial interrogation and detention program. The government had intended to complete its review of the 2004 Inspector General report two weeks ago. But continued interagency debate about how much of the secret report could be made public pushed back the deadline."

* The number of officials in South Carolina, including several high-profile Republicans, calling for Gov. Mark Sanford's (R) resignation continues to go up.

* For his part, Sanford had vowed to release personal financial records to help prove he did not use state money for trips to see his mistress. Today, he changed his mind, and said he would not release the records.

* The NYT reported that that "an estimated three-quarters of people who are pushed into personal bankruptcy by medical problems actually had insurance when they got sick or were injured."

* Reiterating his previous position, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) remains opposed to a public option. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), meanwhile, is still "hard at work" drafting a public option that "competes on a level playing field with private insurance companies."

* If Howard Dean's co-authors -- Igor Volsky And Faiz Shakir -- are any indication, "Howard Dean's Prescription for Real Health Care Reform" should be a great book.

* Quote of the Day, from Thomas Friedman: "There is much in the House cap-and-trade energy bill that just passed that I absolutely hate. It is too weak in key areas and way too complicated in others. A simple, straightforward carbon tax would have made much more sense than this Rube Goldberg contraption. It is pathetic that we couldn't do better. It is appalling that so much had to be given away to polluters. It stinks. It's a mess. I detest it. Now let's get it passed in the Senate and make it law."

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THURSDAY'S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP....

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* After taking some steps towards the race, former Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) announced that he will not run for the Senate next year. While Rep. Paul Hodes is well positioned as the Democratic candidate, Republicans are now left without a top-tier challenger, though attention is shifting to state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte and conservative businessman Fred Tausch.

* Reports yesterday that Rep. Joe Sestak (D) had announced he would take on Sen. Arlen Specter in a Democratic primary in Pennsylvania next year may have been premature. Sestak, according to his spokesperson, has not yet "made a final decision."

* For months, polls in New Jersey have shown Gov. Jon Corzine (D) trailing Republican Chris Christie in this year's gubernatorial campaign by wide margins. A Fairleigh Dickinson University poll released yesterday, however, shows a closer contest, with Christie leading the incumbent, 45% to 39%.

* In related news, Corzine will get some help from President Obama in two weeks, when the two appear at a rally at Rutgers University on July 16. The president will also appear at a Corzine fundraiser.

* Former eBay president Meg Whitman's (R) gubernatorial campaign in California is off to a good start, at least as far as fundraising is concerned. Whitman collected $6.5 million over the last five months, on top of the $4 million she invested in her own campaign.

* Rep. Artur Davis' (D) gubernatorial campaign in Alabama got a little easier yesterday when state Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb decided not to run. As of now, it looks like Davis will not face a primary opponent will face off against state Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks in a primary.

* Rhode Island Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts (D) said yesterday she will seek re-election, instead of running for governor. State Attorney General Patrick Lynch and state Treasurer Frank Caprio are now expected to fight it out for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

* Now that his Senate campaign is officially over, will Norm Coleman (R) direct his attention to the gubernatorial race in Minnesota next year? Maybe.

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THURSDAY'S MINI-REPORT....

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Marines launched a major offensive in Afghanistan's Helmand River valley early today, described as "the first large-scale test of the U.S. military's new counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan."

* As part of the offensive, one American soldier is believed to have been kidnapped, while another was killed in a firefight.

* North Korea continues to fire short-range missiles off its East coast.

* Vice President Joe Biden arrives in Iraq.

* President Obama covered quite a bit of ground in an interview with the AP today.

* Two years ago, polls in Pakistan showed a populace largely unconcerned with the Taliban and the activities of al Qaeda. Not anymore. Pakistanis "now consider terrorist groups a 'critical threat' to their country."

* Left with very limited options, California has started to pay vendors and taxpayers with I.O.U.'s.

* Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) remains hospitalized.

* An openly gay Navy Seaman was apparently killed this week at Camp Pendelton, and a "person of interest" in connection to the possible murder is "being held in the Navy brig at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar."

* According to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, no administration officials had agreed to participate in the now-cancelled Washington Post "salons."

* New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg endorses a public option as part of health care reform.

* Douglas Kmiec is Obama's choice to be Ambassador to Malta. Nice gig.

* The bizarre behavior by some members of the San Diego Sheriff's department* at a Francine Busby fundraiser last weekend continues to generate interest.

* Rush Limbaugh whined today that "chicks" have "chickified the news." He just keeps getting dumber.

* Similarly, Michael Scheuer seems to be getting increasingly nutty.

* And finally, Andrew Sullivan ponders what Fox News and other Republican outlets would do if Obama treated the American flag the same way Sarah Palin did. It's not an unreasonable question.

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FRIDAY'S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP....

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In a bit of a surprise, former President Bill Clinton will headline a fundraiser for Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) later this month. Maloney is planning a primary challenge to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and it's the incumbent who enjoys the support of the party establishment, including many of Hillary Clinton's former advisers. A spokesperson said the fundraiser was arranged "some time ago" and isn't an endorsement of Maloney's Senate campaign.

* On Tuesday, Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) said he will run against Sen. Arlen Specter in a Democratic primary. On Wednesday, his spokesperson said no official decision had been made. On Thursday, Sestak once again said, "I am going to get in this race."

* Economic difficulties are taking their toll on Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland's approval rating, which has slipped to 46% in a new Quinnipiac poll. Strickland is seeking a second term next year.

* If New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte (R) enters the Senate race against Rep. Paul Hodes (D) next year, she'll apparently enter as the likely favorite. A poll released yesterday showed Ayotte leading Hodes by four, 39% to 35%, including a seven-point lead among New Hampshire independents.

* In related news, Hodes' fundraising is off to a good start, with the House Democrat raising $725,000 in the second quarter.

* The DNC has begun airing ads in Kentucky going after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) for his obstruction of the Obama agenda. McConnell, however, isn't seeking re-election until 2014. A DNC spokesperson explained, "He should still care about what his constituents think -- and hopefully it'll send a message to others."

* Will North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven (R) take on Sen. Byron Dorgan (D) next year? The North Dakota Republican Party certainly hopes so.

* And Les Otten, a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Maine, is catching flack for using a campaign logo that looks very similar to that of the Obama presidential campaign. The Otten Exploratory Campaign denies having copied the Democratic president's logo.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Yesterday, U.S. troops faced minimal resistance in Afghanistan. Today was far more difficult: "Taliban insurgents stepped up attacks Friday against U.S. Marines in southern Afghanistan's Helmand River valley, forcing troops in some areas to spend the day fighting instead of carrying out plans to meet with residents and local leaders."

* Don't count on fair trials: "A top Iranian cleric said Friday that some of the detained Iranian staffers of the British Embassy in Tehran will be put on trial, and he accused Britain of a role in instigating widespread protests that erupted over the country's disputed presidential election."

* New round of U.S. attacks along the Afghan border: "U.S. missiles struck a training facility allegedly operated by Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud and a militant hide-out Friday, killing 15 people and wounding 27 others, intelligence officials said."

* Russia has approved a plan to allow American troops to fly over Russian territory as part of military operations in Afghanistan. The agreement is scheduled to be formally announced early next week, when President Obama visits Moscow.

* U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is in Burma today, meeting with the ruling generals about the release of political prisoners. No word on whether there is, or will be, progress on this front.

* World Health Organization head Margaret Chan believes the international spread of the H1N1 virus is now unstoppable, but nevertheless mild.

* Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) has been released from a Los Angeles hospital.

* Is the Obama administration nearing a deal with the hospital industry? Maybe.

* Dick Cheney had a hand, behind the scenes, in responding to the Plame scandal? You don't say.

* Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) offered some odd advice to a constituent who wants the same kind of health care options he has: "Just go work for the federal government."

* If a credible news network publicizes the results of an incomplete CBO analysis, it should also let the public know about the more reliable and accurate CBO analysis.

* Paul Krugman ponders exactly what's wrong with the Wall Street Journal.

* And just in time for tomorrow, the case against fireworks displays.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Penn.) hasn't officially launched his Senate campaign, but he is in the midst of a statewide tour. His remarks to voters don't leave any doubt: "This isn't something I wanted to do four months ago, but it has to be done. Someone has to be in this race that's credible."

* In an impressive display, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) appears to have raised nearly $3 million in his first fundraising quarter as a Senate candidate. It's a reminder of just how much establishment support Crist enjoys, and the extent to which Republicans are desperate to keep this seat.

* With Alaska Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell (R) moving up to the governor's office later this month, Rep. Don Young (R) is glad to know Parnell won't be challenging him in another Republican primary next year.

* New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte (R) is mulling a Senate campaign, but Gov. John Lynch (D) is reminding her that, not too long ago, she committed to serving a full term, which runs through 2013.

* Rep. Lee Terry (R) of Nebraska is considered a possibly vulnerable incumbent, and now appears to have a credible challenger. State Sen. Tom White (D) has launched an exploratory committee, to the delight of the DCCC.

* Dan Glickman was a Democratic House member, the Secretary of Agriculture, and is now chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America. Is his next move a Senate campaign in Kansas? He's thinking about it, but doesn't sound anxious to throw his hat into the ring.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The next step after the 1991 Start Treaty: "The United States and Russia, seeking to move forward on one of the most significant arms control treaties since the end of the cold war, announced Monday that they had reached a preliminary agreement on cutting each country's stockpiles of strategic nuclear weapons by as much as one-third."

* Afghanistan: "In the largest one-day death toll in months for U.S. troops in Afghanistan, seven American service members were killed today."

* Violence in the streets of Urumqi: "The Chinese state news agency reported Monday that 156 people were killed and more than 800 injured when rioters clashed with the police in a regional capital in western China after days of rising tensions between members of the Uighur ethnic group and Han Chinese."

* Ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya tried to return to his country yesterday. It didn't go well.

* Iran's Mir Hossein Mousavi made his first public appearance in a while today.

* GM's plan to "sell its best assets to a new, government-backed company" was approved late yesterday by a federal judge.

* North Korea may not have food for its people, but it does have seven missiles it can shoot into the Sea of Japan on the 4th of July.

* Vietnam war architect and former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara died today at age 93.

* Marion Berry, arrested again.

* Did Vice President Biden suggest tacit approval of a hypothetical Israeli attack on Iran? It's become "something of a Rorschach test."

* Health care companies are spending $1.4 million per day on lobbying.

* Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told CNN yesterday that he's advised the president to move "in a measured way" in changing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." It's not at all clear what "measured" means in that context, but it's probably not good.

* Tragically, life for gay Iraqis in their own country has gotten worse since the fall of Saddam.

* In response to the paper's "salon" controversy, the Washington Post is launching an internal review. (And in related news, the problem within the industry may extend beyond the Post.)

* House Minority Leader John Boehner (R) told Fox News yesterday that stimulus package hasn't produced any contracts in his home state of Ohio. As is too often the case, Boehner has no idea what he's talking about.

* I don't care if she's the president's daughter; major news networks should not do reports on Malia Obama's clothes.

* Remember when Sarah Palin said how "bothered" she gets when people "whine" about media coverage? Good times.

* And finally, good advice from Paul Krugman: "You should always remember: 1. Don't believe anything Heritage says. 2. If you find what Heritage is saying plausible, remember rule 1."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Al Franken (D) will be sworn in this afternoon as the junior senator from Minnesota.

* The National Republican Senatorial Committee welcomes him with an unusually cheap web video, taking a Franken impersonation of the late Paul Wellstone out of context.

* Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele believes Sarah Palin will help the party by campaigning for Republican gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia. The campaigns themselves, however, haven't rushed to invite Palin for a visit.

* A new Quinnipiac poll shows Ohioans souring on Democratic leaders, from President Obama on down, as the state's economy struggles badly through the recession. Democratic Senate candidates Lee Fisher and Jennifer Brunner still lead former Bush Budget Director Rob Portman, but by narrow margins. Likewise, Gov. Ted Strickland (D) leads John Kasich, but only by five points.

* He hasn't put up Crist-like numbers, but Rep. Kendrick Meek's (D-Fla.) Senate campaign reportedly raised $1.2 million in the second quarter.

* Speaking of Florida, Reps. Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) announced yesterday they are supporting Charlie Crist in the GOP primary over Marco Rubio.

* GOP officials would still love to see Rep. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) run for the Senate next year, but that still seems very unlikely.

* And actor Alec Baldwin doesn't seem to be making any immediate plans, but he's apparently interested in running for public office.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* In Afghanistan, U.S. troops forced Taliban fighters to flee from the country's southern Helmand province.

* Elsewhere in Afghanistan, coalition troops endured more casualties today.

* The latest from Pakistan: "Two missiles fired from a remotely piloted American aircraft struck a militant base on Tuesday in the South Waziristan tribal region, killing 16 militants, according to intelligence officials and residents reached by telephone."

* Fighting in Urumqui continues for a third day: "Rival protesters took to the streets again on Tuesday, defying Chinese government efforts to lock down this regional capital of 2.3 million people and other places across its western desert region after bloody clashes between Muslim Uighurs and security forces that were mostly Han Chinese."

* Mahmoud Ahmadinejad thinks Iran's recent presidential election was "the freest" and "the healthiest" ever. Imagine that.

* In case Biden confused anyone, President Obama made clear today that the United States is "absolutely not" giving Israel a green light to attack Iran.

* The American Bar Association's standing committee on the federal judiciary has "unanimously found Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be 'well qualified' for elevation to the Supreme Court, its highest ranking."

* Don't believe the rumors about the CBO scoring the House's tri-committee health care bill. It's a bogus story, and there is no score.

* Sen. Dick Lugar (R) of Indiana likes what he sees from President Obama's trip to Russia.

* Speculators draw attention: "The Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Tuesday will announce that it'll begin publishing how much hedge funds and other big financial firms are trading in oil and other commodities, with an eye toward curbing what critics say is speculation that pushes prices up."

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) isn't anxious to think about another stimulus.

* House Dems have a few words for Rahm Emanuel.

* The Justice Department thinks AT&T and Verizon might be abusing their telecom market power.

* At long last, Alberto Gonzales finds a job.

* In other employment news, Dan Froomkin didn't go without a home for very long -- the Huffington Post has named him its Washington Bureau Chief.

* And of this morning, Washington, D.C., recognizes same-sex marriages performed legally in other states.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In a surprise move, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) will announce today that she's skipping both the U.S. Senate race and the gubernatorial race next year. She was expected to run for one or the other, but will instead seek re-election.

* New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte (R) is resigning her post to pursue a U.S. Senate campaign, to the delight of NRSC recruiters. In New Hampshire, state attorneys general are appointed, and this will be Ayotte's first campaign for elective office. It's likely she'll face Republican primary opponents.

* Ayotte had committed to serving as the state attorney general through 2013, prompting New Hampshire Democrats to issue a statement that read, "We're seeing a national trend where Republicans have abandoned their responsibilities to their constituents in favor of political gain. From Alaska to New Hampshire, Republicans just can't seem to honor their commitment to the public. Not unlike Sarah Palin, Kelly Ayotte has broken her promise to the people she represents and put politics before public service."

* The latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Bob McDonnell (R) leading Creigh Deeds (D) in Virginia's gubernatorial race, 49% to 43%. The same poll showed Republican candidates ahead in the contests for lieutenant governor and attorney general, as well.

* His favored Republican successor continues to raise money for a campaign, but Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) told local reporters yesterday he still plans to seek re-election.

* There were reports that Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D) may have been thinking about running for governor of South Dakota, but yesterday, she announced she's seeking re-election to the House.

* And freshman Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R) hasn't ruled out a primary challenge against Sen. Bob Bennett (R) in Utah next year.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* This wasn't quite as productive as it could have been: "The Group of Eight industrialized nations joined with developing countries in agreeing Wednesday that average global temperatures shouldn't increase by more than 2 degrees Celsius in a significant new acknowledgement in the fight against global warming. The United States and other G-8 leaders also said they supported a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent or more by 2050."

* The conflict in Urumqi continues: "The Chinese government blanketed this strife-torn city with 20,000 new security troops on Wednesday, as thousands of residents began to flee following the deadly ethnic clashes that erupted over the weekend."

* Latest from Pakistan: "Pilotless United States aircraft killed at least 43 militants loyal to the leader of the Pakistani Taliban in two different attacks on Wednesday, according to regional news reports that could not be independently confirmed."

* Another health care deal: "The nation's hospitals will give up $155 billion in future Medicare and Medicaid payments to help defray the cost of President Barack Obama's health care plan, a concession the White House hopes will boost an overhaul effort that's hit a roadblock in Congress."

* President Obama has asked famed geneticist Francis Collins to head the National Institutes of Health. Collins is perhaps best known for his completion of the groundbreaking Human Genome Project.

* Massachusetts files suit to challenge the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act.

* Here's hoping Jeh Johnson's comments this week on post-acquittal detention does not represent the administration's plans.

* Whatever happened to that plan to purchase toxic assets from banks? Not much.

* A Google operating system would likely shake up the industry considerably.

* And finally, Karl Rove spent a couple of hours yesterday talking about the U.S. Attorney purge scandal with investigators for the House Judiciary Committee. What happens next is less clear.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* With Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan announcing yesterday that she isn't running for the Senate, Rep. Mark Kirk (R) wasted no time in throwing his hat into the ring.

* Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway (D) impressed quite a few observers yesterday when he reported having raised over $1.3 million in the second quarter for his U.S. Senate campaign. That's not only far more than any of his competitors in either party, it's also the best fundraising quarter for a Senate candidate in Kentucky history.

* Left with no choice, is former Rep. Pat Toomey the Republicans' guy in Pennsylvania's Senate race next year? Not so fast -- reports suggest the NRSC is reaching out to state Sen. Jane Orie.

* Former Sen. Norm Coleman (R) may be considering Minnesota's gubernatorial race next year, but he shouldn't discount the damage done to his reputation during the recount ordeal. A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Coleman's favorable rating down to just 38%. Asked if his recount efforts make them "more or less likely" to support a Coleman gubernatorial campaign, a majority of respondents said "less likely."

* New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) continues to trail Chris Christie in this year's gubernatorial campaign, but the margin is shrinking a little. Rasmussen recently showed Corzine trailing by 10, but a new poll shows Corzine down by seven.

* While Republicans ponder who might challenge Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.) in a primary next year, Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet (D) continues to pick up support in advance of the 2010 race.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iraq: "Attacks in Baghdad and a city in northern Iraq killed at least 41 people and wounded dozens more on Thursday, the worst violence since Iraq celebrated the withdrawal of American troops from cities and towns last month."

* Iran: "Thousands of Iranians poured into the streets of Tehran Thursday, clapping, chanting, almost mocking the authorities as they once again turned out in large numbers in defiance of the government's threat to crush their protests with violence. As tear gas canisters cracked and hissed in the middle of crowds, and baton wielding police chased up and down sidewalks, as young people, some bloodied, ran for cover, there was an almost festive feeling on the streets of Tehran, eyewitnesses reported."

* How long until the G8 becomes the G11?

* CNN reported today that HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius believes some vaccine to fight the H1N1 virus should be available for distribution in mid-October.

* After a series of bizarre developments, Pedro Espada Jr. has rejoined the Democratic Party in the New York state Senate, thus returning Dems to the majority.

* Good: "Afghanistan's government has revised a marriage law that sparked an international outcry over sections that appeared to legalize marital rape, Justice Ministry officials said Thursday."

* The Senate won't even try to take up the climate-change bill until after the August recess.

* On a related note, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) is going to disappoint a whole lot of people when she puts coal's short-term interests above everyone else's long-term interests.

* If true, this is outrageous beyond words: "More than 60 campers from Northeast Philadelphia were turned away from a private swim club and left to wonder if their race was the reason."

* Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) insisted on the House floor today that Alan Carlin, a global warming denying economist, is "a 35-year veteran scientist at the EPA."

* Can't someone please stop voter-suppression guru Hans Von Spakovsky from having any involvement with the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights?

* Steven Teles ponders, "What Makes a Compromise Good?"

* And finally, "The Daily Show's" John Oliver was in D.C. yesterday, and shared some interesting thoughts on the mainstream media. Most notably, Oliver described Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh as "almost a joke within themselves ... beneath contempt."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* There were reports earlier in the week that Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) raised quite a bit of money in the first quarter of his Senate campaign, but it was hard to predict he'd collect $4.3 million in just 50 days. In contrast, former state House Speaker Marco Rubio, Crist's primary opponent, took in $340,000 over the same period of time.

* Chris Christie, New Jersey's Republican gubernatorial hopeful, will not invite Sarah Palin to campaign with him this year. He will, however, welcome Rudy Giuliani to the trail.

* The latest Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos shows Ohio's Democratic Senate candidates, Lt. Gov Lee Fisher and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, with modest leads over former Bush Budget Chief Rob Portman (R). In the Democratic primary, Fisher enjoys a narrow lead over Brunner, but the majority of Ohio's Dems have not yet chosen a favorite.

* In a bit of a surprise, a University of Texas poll shows Gov. Rick Perry with a big lead over his primary challenger, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, in next year's match-up. According to the poll, Perry currently leads by 12.

* Carly Fiorina continues to move closer to launching a Republican Senate campaign against Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), but inconvenient details keep raising questions about her prospects.

* And in Minnesota, Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty hopes to be the GOP's presidential nominee in 2012, but at this point, he'd lose badly to President Obama in his own home state.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* More on this tomorrow: "The Bush White House so strictly controlled access to its warrantless eavesdropping program that only three Justice Department lawyers were aware of the plan, which nearly ignited mass resignations and a constitutional crisis when a wider circle of administration officials began to question its legality, according to a watchdog report released today."

* Ghana seems pretty excited about President Obama's visit.

* Obama and Pope Benedict XVI meet for a chat.

* Iraqi Kurds have a vision for a semiautonomous region. Maliki insists Iraq "cannot be divided into two."

* CIA Director Leon Panetta has ordered "an internal inquiry into the agency's handling of a contentious and still highly classified intelligence program that has caused a heated dispute" between the CIA and lawmakers.

* The new GM: "General Motors emerged from bankruptcy this morning, with chief executive Fritz Henderson promising that the fallen corporate giant will be reformed and that 'business as usual is over.'"

* If this is legit, and not grandstanding, it's a fine idea: "Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) says he's investigating charges of racism at a private pool in suburban Philadelphia where a group of minority students were turned away last month."

* The Obama administration reminded the public yesterday that we may see an aggressive return of the swine flu virus in the fall. With good planning, the president said, "we may end up averting a crisis." He added, "That's our fervent hope."

* There are conflicting reports, but it seems Rep. Mark Kirk's (R) campaign plans in Illinois next year are very much in flux.

* It's nice of Scarborough to express concern for his "friend" Pelosi, but an apology would be more appropriate.

* Progress/movement on Robert Groves' nomination to head the Census Bureau?

* And finally, Sen. John Cornyn (R) of Texas was asked for a reaction to John Ensign's sex scandal. "It's not good," Cornyn said, winning the Understatement of the Day Award. Asked if Ensign can recover, Cornyn added, "I just don't know the answer to that."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) surprised nearly everyone late last week when he said he'd walk away from a Senate campaign unless the party cleared his path and ensured he would face no primary opponent. His ultimatum seems to have worked -- Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna will reportedly announce today that he's making way for Kirk today.

* As for who Kirk might face next November, Illinois state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) hopes to position himself as the leader of the pack. He released a lengthy list of endorsements today, featuring two members of Illinois' congressional delegation -- Reps. Bill Foster (D) and Phil Hare (D) -- and more than a few state legislators.

* Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) reportedly raised more than $1 million in the second quarter, all of which he'll no doubt transfer to his Senate campaign coffers. He'll start his primary race with $4.2 million cash on hand.

* Meanwhile, Sestak's likely Democratic rival, Sen. Arlen Specter, is apparently in even better shape, financially. While it's unclear what the incumbent will raise as a Democratic senator, Specter does have $6.7 million cash on hand.

* In still more fundraising news, Alex Sink (D) appears to be trailing Bill McCollum (R) a little in Florida's gubernatorial race, but Sink has the edge when it comes to contributions.

* And in Nevada, two-term Clark County commissioner Rory Reid, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's son, is poised to launch a gubernatorial campaign.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "Two United States Marines were killed in a roadside explosion in the southern province of Helmand, a United States forces spokeswoman said Sunday. A third American service member wounded in Afghanistan died on Friday back home."

* The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, has come to the conclusion that "Afghan security forces will have to be far larger than currently planned if President Obama's strategy for winning the war is to succeed, according to senior military officials. Such an expansion would require spending billions more than the $7.5 billion the administration has budgeted annually to build up the Afghan army and police over the next several years, and the likely deployment of thousands more U.S. troops as trainers and advisers, officials said."

* Urumqi: "Police fatally shot two Uighur men and wounded a third Monday in western China, where violence has persisted to flare despite the massive numbers of troops sent to restore calm more than a week after deadly ethnic rioting. It is the first time the Chinese government has acknowledged that its security forces opened fire since communal violence hit Urumqi."

* According to medical researchers, the H1N1 virus "bears a disturbing resemblance to the virus strain that caused the 1918 flu pandemic, with a greater ability to infect the lungs than common seasonal flu viruses."

* Replacing the car czar: "Steven Rattner, head of President Obama's task force on restructuring the auto industry, is stepping down after seeing General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC enter and emerge from bankruptcy proceedings during his five-month tenure." He'll reportedly be succeeded by Ron Bloom, who's had an active role on Rattner's team.

* Meet Dr. Regina Benjamin, who, pending Senate confirmation, will likely be the new U.S. Surgeon General.

* Would the White House ask Congress to delay its August recess? Maybe.

* Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) of Ohio noted late last week that will not be part of "a filibuster on climate change." Whether he votes for the bill is another matter.

* Audra Shay, the new chair of the Young Republicans, has drawn considerable criticism for racially-charged comments online, but the matter did not stop her from getting the job.

* Fox News personality Brian Kilmeade continues to draw fire for last week's comments on radical "purity" and Americans' habit of "marrying other species and other ethnicities."

* I'm starting to get the sense that Joe Klein isn't impressed with Bill Kristol.

* Althouse sure does write some nutty posts.

* Lanny Davis writes some nutty stuff, too.

* Even now, it appears the RNC doesn't know what EFCA is.

* And Al Kamen ponders Sen. Tom Coburn's (R-Okla.) doctor-patient relationship with Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.): "If a guy can't trust his OB-GYN, who can he trust?"

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Despite being utterly humiliated by a sex scandal, Sen. John Ensign (R) of Nevada said yesterday that he will not only ignore calls for his resignation, but will also seek re-election in 2012. He added that he intends to "work to earn" voters' respect.

* A new Quinnipiac poll shows New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine trailing Republican Chris Christie by double digits, 53% to 41%, with just four months to go.

* Rep. Jim Gerlach (R) of Pennsylvania is giving up his House seat to run for governor next year.

* As expected, Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna said yesterday that he intends to end his Senate campaign, in order to make way for Rep. Mark Kirk (R), who threatened to skip the race unless McKenna got out of his way.

* Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) officially kicked off her gubernatorial campaign yesterday, setting up a primary fight with incumbent Gov. Rick Perry. Hutchison ends the exploratory phase after having raised over $6.7 million in the first half of the year. Perry's campaign said the governor has more than $9 million cash on hand, but raised less over the same period.

* New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte is gearing up for her Senate campaign, but since she's never sought elected office, voters are still getting to know her positions on the issues. State GOP Chairman John Sununu said yesterday Ayotte is "more conservative than the press has made her out to be," including being "pretty conservative" on social issues and "extremely conservative" on fiscal issues. Sununu also said he believes Ayotte opposes abortion rights.

* To the disappointment of the NRSC, Pennsylvania state Sen. Jane Orie (R) will not take on former Rep. Pat Toomey in a Senate primary.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* In the wake of the recent turmoil in Iran, no one seems to know how many Iranians were killed.

* Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) of Iowa makes no effort to hide the fact that he's applying a double standard to Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

* Sen. Jeff Sessions (R) of Alabama is also applying a double standard to Sotomayor, but he is making an effort to hide it.

* President Obama really doesn't want Congress to spend $1.75 billion for more F-22s that the Pentagon doesn't want.

* The president met last night with leaders from the Jewish community, seeking to assuage their concerns about being "too tough on Israel and too soft on Iran."

* An Army major who's been convinced that the president is not a natural-born citizen is refusing an order to deploy to Afghanistan. The Birther is also apparently a long-time member of the right-wing Free Republic website.

* Karl Rove, still the Original King of Irony, is worried about lawmakers leaking sensitive national security information.

* Glenn Beck was outraged yesterday about Sotomayor receiving softball questions during her first day of hearings. Sotomayor wasn't asked any questions yesterday.

* Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-Minn.) obsession with the census just isn't healthy.

* Michael Steele keeps saying dumb things.

* Isaac Chotiner 1, Jonah Goldberg 0.

* The interesting consequence of Mark Sanford's scandal: politicians are finding that it's more difficult than it used to be to simply disappear for a while.

* Chyron on Sean Hannity's Fox News program last night: "Journalism is dead." Irony, however, is not.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Left with no other choice, and after having been turned down by other sought-after candidates, the National Republican Senatorial Committee broke down yesterday and got behind former Rep. Pat Toomey's Senate campaign in Pennsylvania.

* Sen. Arlen Specter's fundraising looks strong, but not overwhelming. He took in $1.73 million in the second quarter and has about $7.5 million in cash on hand.

* Can Joe Sestak beat Specter in a Democratic primary next year? Sen. Bob Casey (D) thinks he can.

* In Nevada, polls show Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) with tepid support for re-election, but his fundraising is still looking strong, raising $3.25 million in the second quarter. He does not yet have a credible Republican challenger.

* If New York Gov. David Paterson (D) is planning to seek a second term, he's going to have to pick up the fundraising pace.*

* Rep. Mike Castle (R) is expected to launch a Senate campaign next year, but his fundraising doesn't reflect preparation for a big campaign -- he only raised $125,000 in the second quarter.

* While Charlie Crist enjoys support from the Republican establishment, Marco Rubio continues to pick up right-wing support for his Senate campaign in Florida. Rubio's latest endorsement is from Dick Armey.

* Next year's gubernatorial race in Tennessee is wide open.

* So is next year's gubernatorial race in South Carolina.

* And in California yesterday, Democrat Judy Chu won a special election to the U.S. House, succeeding Hilda Solis, who left the House to become Labor Secretary.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* A passenger jet crashed in northwestern Iran this morning, killing all 168 passengers and crew.

* In Afghanistan, July is "shaping up as the deadliest month" since the U.S. invasion eight years ago. The AP added, "The rate of deaths in July -- about three a day -- is approaching some of the highest levels of the Iraq war."

* Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, bouncing back from elbow surgery, gave a major address on U.S. foreign policy today. Spencer Ackerman had a good item summarizing some key points.

* Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) conceded this morning that Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination will not be filibustered when it reaches the Senate floor.

* Cornyn, however, still doesn't understand the basics of the Ricci case.

* President Obama didn't ask Sotomayor's views on abortion rights, and she didn't offer her perspective on the issue before being offered the nomination.

* Under the circumstances -- namely, ugly attacks on Sotomayor's ethnicity -- it seems unwise for Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) to parrot an old Ricky Ricardo line during confirmation hearings.

* South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) just got back from a personal excursion, and now he's taking another one. Seems like a bad idea.

* Interior Secretary Ken Salazar sure would appreciate it if the Senate would vote, eventually, on the some of his senior staff positions (which, in reality, probably shouldn't be subject to Senate confirmation anyway).

* That Birther Army Major should be facing a court martial fairly soon.

* On a related note, there are nine House Birthers and counting.

* Zach Carter considers what would happen to credit default swaps as a result of Waxman-Markey climate change bill.

* ABC's Jake Tapper opens an account on Daily Kos?

* And a caller challenged Glenn Beck today on health-care policy. His on-air breakdown was pretty extraordinary, even for him. Pay particular attention to the high-pitched scream about three and a half minutes in. Wow.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Is former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio prepared to give up his Senate campaign against Charlie Crist (R)? There's some talk to that effect, though the far-right candidate denies he's dropping out of the race.

* Speaking of Crist, it may not please Republican primary voters to hear the Florida governor concede that he believes the stimulus package is working.

* In Virginia, a new Rasmussen poll shows Republicans Bob McDonnell leading Democrat Creigh Deeds by three points, 44% to 41%.

* In New Jersey, a new poll from Monmouth University shows incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine (D) still trailing his Republican challenger, Chris Christie, 45% to 37%.

* Howard Dean is weighing on the Senate primary in New York, and has thrown his support to incumbent Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D).

* Sarah Palin has given the left a real fundraising boost: "MoveOn.org has raised over $120,000 in just a day after sending out an email criticizing the Alaska governor and asking for money."

* Thirteen months after ending her Democratic presidential campaign, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is almost done paying off her campaign debts.

* Karenna Gore Schiff, Al Gore's oldest daughter, thinking about a congressional campaign? Nothing definite yet, but there's apparently some interest.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* With Senate Republicans ruling out a filibuster, Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination is on track for a confirmation vote in early August -- before the chamber breaks for recess.

* The U.N. has approved new sanctions against North Korea. (Let me guess -- Kim Jung Il will consider this an "act of war.")

* Former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson gets an earful from Congress.

* Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) raised a few eyebrows during today's hearings when he said he was looking forward to doing "that crack cocaine thing" with Sen. Patrick Leahy and Wade Henderson, the president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. He then conceded that he "misspoke."

* That lawsuit filed by the Birther in the Army resisting deployment? It's already been thrown out.

* I'll have more on this in the morning, but the AP has gone into some additional details to back up the "$1.5 trillion" figure. The explanation, however, isn't entirely satisfying.

* John Yoo, still lying.

* Former Reps. Mickey Edwards (R-Okla.) and Chris Shays (R-Conn.) have conceded that, during the Bush years, congressional Republicans put their party's interests over the Constitution. Nice of them to notice.

* NASA has refurbished video of the original moon landing.

* A right-wing Republican candidate for the state legislature in Virginia told an audience recently, "We have the chance to fight this battle at the ballot box before we have to resort to the bullet box."

* Rep. Joe Courtney (D) of Connecticut makes a good case for health care reform, by telling his congressional colleagues, "When I listen to the hysterical descriptions of what is in this legislation, I would remind many members to look at themselves in the mirror. Because what they are presently entitled to as members of Congress is exactly what this legislation is proposing to create for all Americans."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Sen. Arlen Specter has some work to do if he's going to impress the left in advance of next year's Democratic primary. With that in mind, Specter is thinking about attending the Netroots Nation conference in Pittsburgh next month.

* In New Hampshire, the latest Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos shows a very competitive open-seat Senate context next year. In a match-up pitting Rep. Paul Hodes (D) against former Rep. Charlie Bass (R), Hodes leads by five, 42% to 37%. In a match-up pitting Hodes against state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte (R), Ayotte leads by the slimmest of margins, 39% to 38%.

* On a related note, Ayotte may be NRSC's favorite, but it seems very likely she'll have at least one primary challenger.

* New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine's (D) campaign still trails in its re-election fight, but the incumbent hopes to benefit from a rally yesterday alongside President Obama. Corzine told the crowd, "Now, with a partner in the White House, there is no limit to what we can accomplish."

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has weighed in on the Democratic primary in New York, and has thrown his support to incumbent Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

* Speaking of the New York race, a new Rasmussen poll shows Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D) leading Gillibrand statewide, 33% to 27%, though about a third of Democrats in the state remain undecided.

* Rep. Mark Kirk (R) will launch his Senate campaign in Illinois on Monday.

* Is Alaska's gubernatorial race a Democratic pick-up opportunity next year? Maybe.

* And in Minnesota, the number of credible Democratic candidates anxious to take on Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) keeps growing.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Deadly blast in Indonesia: "Eight people were killed Friday in two separate explosions at the J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in central Jakarta, just over a week after the world's most populous majority-Muslim nation held a peaceful presidential election."

* Unrest continues in Iran: "Security forces used tear gas and batons to break up opposition demonstrations during and after the Friday Prayer at Tehran University, witnesses said, as the leading opposition cleric, urging national unity, harshly assailed the government's handling of what he termed a 'crisis.'"

* Sen. Dick Lugar (R) of Indiana announced his support for Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination today. Soon after, other Republicans, including Florida's Mel Martinez and Maine's Olympia Snowe, followed suit.

* Following up on an earlier item, health care reform has passed both the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Education and Labor Committee. Energy and Commerce, however, remains the more difficult challenge.

* Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) apparently doesn't want President Obama to talk about health care. Imagine, just for a moment, how much closer we'd be to real reform if the 60-seat Dem majority didn't care what Grassley thinks.

* Home construction went up more than expected in June.

* There are no metro areas in the U.S. in recovery yet, but MSNBC and Moody's Economy.com have identified 23 of the nation's metro areas "nearing the bottom of the recession."

* If you missed President Obama's speech at the NAACP event last night in New York, it's worth watching. When you're done, check out Adam Serwer's great post on this.

* An expanded hate-crimes measure takes one step closer to becoming law.

* Joel Sawyer, who has served as South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's communications director, resigned today. That was a very good idea.

* Paul Krugman explains the problem with Goldman Sachs' record quarterly profits.

* EFCA without card check? T.A. Frank presented the idea in this very magazine not too long ago, and it seems to be the basis for a new Senate "compromise."

* It's about time: "Foreigners who have HIV would be allowed to travel and immigrate to the United States under a plan by federal health officials to lift a 22-year ban on infected visitors that critics say was unnecessary from the start."

* Under the circumstances, I think The Hill may not have much of a choice but to drop David Keene's column.

* Fascinating discussion between Glenn Greenwald and Chuck Todd on investigating Bush-era torture. Take a wild guess who made the more compelling case.

* Were Chinese intelligence officers were given access to Uighur detainees at Gitmo?

* Don't go away mad, Lou Dobbs, just go away.

* Why am I pessimistic about the new Pecora Commission? Two words: Bill Thomas.

* And finally, one of these days, the GOP is going to learn something about modern technology: "A Republican National Committee online game that challenges players to spend trillions of dollars was taken down today after reports that it offered some objectionable items for sale - including sexually explicit, anti-Semitic and anti-Latino items."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* As expected, Rep. Mark Kirk (R) is now officially a U.S. Senate candidate in Illinois.

* On a related note, Kirk was prepared to walk away from the campaign if he had to face a primary challenge, but as it turns out, Kirk's plan didn't go well. He's slated to face former Judge Don Lowery in a GOP primary, though I assume Lowery will be pressured to stand aside.

* Heating up in Pennsylvania: "Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) spent his first two months as a Democrat quietly introducing himself to his new party colleagues. Now that he's made some headway, the former Republican has come out guns blazing against one of them -- Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), the two-term congressman who refuses to concede the Democratic Senate nomination."

* And speaking of Pennsylvania, Gov. Ed Rendell (D) still wants Sestak to skip the primary race.

* Using Twitter this morning, New Jersey gubernatorial hopeful Chris Christie (R) announced Sheriff Kim Guadagno will be his running mate.

* The recent sex scandal has not been good for Sen. John Ensign's (R) standing in his home state of Nevada. A poll by the Las Vegas Review-Journal shows his approval rating down to 31%. More encouraging for the senator, though, were results showing that a majority of Nevada residents do not believe he should resign.

* In statewide campaigns, Florida Democrats haven't had much to cheer about in a long while. There are some early signs, however, that the party will enter 2010 stronger than usual.

* The stage is just about set for next year's gubernatorial campaign in New Mexico.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* With 10 days left in July, this month is already the deadliest for U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

* New warnings from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei against Iranian dissidents.

* Three weeks after having gone missing, Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl appeared on a Taliban video over the weekend.

* In a rather shocking display, conservative media figure Ralph Peters appeared on Fox News yesterday and, without proof, called Bergdahl "an apparent deserter." Peters added that the Taliban can "save us a lot of legal hassles and legal bills" by killing the American serviceman.

* Israel has not been swayed by Americans requests and will continue with its plans for a planned housing project in east Jerusalem.

* The new U.S. policy on targeting drug trafficking networks in Afghanistan gets a personnel boost.

* Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's trip to India appears to be off to a good start.

* Joe Lieberman told MSNBC today he thinks it's "impossible" to get health care reform through the Senate before the August recess. He neglected to mention that he's one of the reasons the deadline is likely out of reach.

* Defense Secretary Robert Gates plans to increase the size of the Army by 22,000.

* For the House Republican Conference to promote Rep. Todd Tiahrt's (R-Kan.) bizarre anti-abortion speech from last week is pretty ridiculous.

* Violent crime has fallen considerably in most major cities. No one's sure why.

* Lou Dobbs continues to embarrass himself and his employer.

* Audra Shay's election to head the Young Republicans National Federation is so wrong, it's even drawing fire from Joe Scarborough.

* On a related note, the list of conservative officials busted for sending racist emails keeps growing.

* The Apollo 11 crew gets a warm welcome at the White House.

* Remember Fox News' Brian Kilmeade's recent argument, lamenting the lack of racial purity in the United States? He apologized this morning.

* And I'd be remiss if I neglected to mention the passing of legendary journalist Walter Cronkite, who died late Friday at his home in New York. He was 92.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rep. Carolyn Maloney's (D) Senate campaign in New York ran into trouble yesterday when, in relaying a quote from someone else, she used the n-word. She later apologized: "It's no excuse, but I was so caught up in relaying the story exactly as it was told to me that, in doing so, I repeated a word that should never be repeated."

* Despite rumors to the contrary, former Florida state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R), at least for now, insists he will not end his Senate campaign. Rubio faces long odds in a Republican primary against Gov. Charlie Crist (R).

* Former New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte (R) officially launched an "exploratory committee" for her Senate campaign yesterday.

* The DCCC outraised the NRCC in June, $7.15 million to $3.1 million. For the year to date, the DCCC leads, $30.84 million to $17.55 million.

* In the other chamber, the DSCC raised $6.2 million in June, as compared to the NRSC's $3.4 million. The Dems' Senate campaign committee, however, is carrying far more debt that its Republican counterpart.

* The latest Siena College Research Institute poll shows a slight uptick in New York Gov. David Paterson's (D) public standing, but not enough to offer him serious hope. In the new survey, 36% of New Yorkers have a favorable view of Paterson, up from 27% in May. In a hypothetical primary match-up against New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D), Paterson still trails by 42 points.

* I don't think Rep. Joe Sestak (D) cares one bit that Gov. Ed Rendell (D) doesn't want him to run for the Senate.

* And in Michigan, the field of Republican gubernatorial hopefuls got a little more crowded yesterday when Rick Snyder, a former president of Gateway Computers, threw his hat into the ring. It will be Snyder's first attempt at elected office.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Pakistan: "Three days of clashes between security forces and militants in northwest Pakistan near the Afghan border left more than 56 militants and six soldiers dead, the military said Tuesday."

* Iraq: "A series of bombings rocked Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least 15 people and wounding more than 100, as attackers struck at a bustling sheep market, a crowd of impoverished job seekers and a funeral, Iraqi security officials said."

* Afghanistan: "Eight suicide attackers mounted assaults on government compounds in two eastern towns on Tuesday, killing six members of the Afghan security forces and wounding four, officials said."

* Sarah Palin caught violating state ethics laws (again)?

* California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) brokered a deal on the state budget yesterday. The agreement avoids broad-based tax increases, and instead, in the midst of the recession, slashes services for the elderly and the poor, including health care access for seniors and children.

* Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke isn't worried about inflation.

* Reports of new protests continue to come out from Iran.

* Blue Dogs stopped by the White House this afternoon for a chat about health care reform.

* The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, not surprisingly, hopes to derail health care reform efforts.

* President Obama's call with bloggers seemed to go well. (For the record, because I work for a magazine, I was not a part of the call.)

* Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) will not let the Senate vote on qualified State Department nominees because he disapproves of the administration's position on the coup in Honduras.

* The Weekly Standard: "More Partisan Hackery."

* Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) probably ought to get a good legal team together.

* The White House will miss its own deadline on a report detailing the administration's policy on detaining terror suspects.

* USA Today/Gallup has Obama's approval rating at 55%. So does the AP.

* If more cable news shows ran fact-checking segments like this one, I'd watch more cable news shows.

* Harvard's Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested last week after "breaking into" his own Cambridge home. The charges have since been dropped.

* I wonder what the reaction would have been if an MSNBC personality gushed, during an interview, about having voted for the Democratic subject of the interview.

* The media reports about a $23 trillion bailout are wildly irresponsible.

* And finally, Rep. Mike Castle (R) of Delaware, a relative moderate by contemporary GOP standards, held a town-hall meeting recently. That wouldn't be especially noteworthy, were it not for the fact that right-wing activists quickly created a "mob-like atmosphere," pressing Castle on a wide range of bizarre conspiracy theories. Castle was routinely booed for not being nearly conservative enough. It was quite a sight.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Arlen Specter's re-election campaign in Pennsylvania took a hit this morning, with the release of a new Quinnipiac poll showing his lead over former Rep. Pat Toomey (R), in a hypothetical general-election match-up, shrinking to just one point, 45% to 44%. A couple of months ago, Specter led by 22.

* The same poll showed Specter's primary opponent, Rep. Joe Sestak (D), trailing Toomey by four, 39% to 35%, though Sestak, unlike Specter, is largely unknown to most of the state. Specter also leads Sestak among Pennsylvania Democrats, 55% to 23%.

* And speaking of Pennsylvania, Quinnipiac also found that next year's gubernatorial campaign is wide open. None of the top Democratic candidates had 20% support, and among Republicans, state Attorney General Tom Corbett appears to have the early edge with 38% support.

* Kelly Ayotte's Republican Senate campaign in New Hampshire got some good news this morning, when businessman Fred Tausch said he would end his nascent campaign.

* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R), apparently hoping to impress the party's right-wing base, announced yesterday that he opposes Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination. Given Florida's large Hispanic population, expect to hear a lot more about this.

* While the Democratic campaign committees have enjoyed stronger fundraising of late over their Republican counterparts, the RNC is still faring better than the DNC.

* The latest survey from Public Policy Polling in Louisiana shows Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) leading Rep. Charlie Melancon (D), 44% to 32%. While the margin will no doubt be encouraging to Republicans, the poll offered several warning signs for Vitter, including the fact that only 38% of respondents believe Vitter deserves another term.

* And in New York, Rep. John McHugh (R) is leaving Congress to become Secretary of the Army, and the NRCC is already launching attacks against the likely Democratic candidate hoping to replace him. McHugh has not yet resigned his seat.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* As far as President Obama is concerned, U.S. withdrawal policy in Iraq is still on schedule.

* Today, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned that the United States "would not offer North Korea any sweeteners to return to talks and would consider extending a 'defense umbrella' over the Middle East if Iran does not heed calls to halt its nuclear weapons program."

* Pakistan is worried that the U.S. offensive against the Taliban in Afghanistan will force militants across the border, and Pakistan doesn't have the troops needed to stop them.

* As far as Speaker Pelosi is concerned, there are enough votes in the House to pass health care reform.

* On a related note, Pelosi believes the House can and should keep working through the August recess.

* It's hard to reconcile moves like these with pre-inauguration promises of more transparency: "Invoking an argument used by President George W. Bush, the Obama administration has turned down a request from a watchdog group for a list of health industry executives who have visited the White House to discuss the massive healthcare overhaul."

* When it came to Democrats voting on the Thune amendment, whether the senator represented a "blue" or a "red" state made a big difference.

* No matter which version of health care reform advances, expect an individual mandate.

* Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) became the fifth Senate Republican to announce his support for Judge Sonya Sotomayor's nomination.

* How did Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl end up in the hands of the enemy?

* And why won't Ralph Peters stop saying stupid things about Bergdahl being taken hostage.

* South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) is leaving the country again, this time for a European vacation.

* Of all the compensation in the United States, more than a third is now going to "executives and other highly compensated employees."

* Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) is backing off his F-22 demands.

* If you're looking for a full transcription of the White House call with bloggers on Monday, you're in luck.

* For some reason, that "fool me once" expression seems to trip up conservatives. I'm not sure why.

* That "$23 trillion bailout" nonsense keeps making the rounds. That's unfortunate.

* And finally, be sure to take a look at "Palin's Resignation: The Edited Version." It turns out, Vanity Fair can do more to annoy the Alaska governor after all.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Connecticut, a new Quinnipiac poll shows former Rep. Rob Simmons (R) continuing to lead incumbent Sen. Chris Dodd (D), 48% to 39%. Most notably, independents in Connecticut currently favor Simmons by a two-to-one margin.

* He's been running for a while now, but Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) will officially kick off his Senate campaign on Sunday, and then hit the road on a seven-city swing. With Madigan and Schakowsky out of contention, Giannoulias is arguably the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.

* Speaking of Illinois, businessman Christopher Kennedy, one of Robert Kennedy's sons, was reportedly interested in the Senate race, but may now be eyeing a gubernatorial campaign.

* We knew former Sen. Mike DeWine (R) would seek statewide office in Ohio next year; we just didn't know which one. DeWine announced yesterday he's running to be state attorney general.

* It's a Republican polling firm, but Strategic Vision has Chris Christie (R) leading Gov. Jon Corzine (D) in the New Jersey's gubernatorial race, 53% to 38%.

* And in Alabama, Republican Les Phillip hopes to take on Rep. Parker Griffith (D), and recently picked up an endorsement from Mike Huckabee to impress the party base. The endorsement, however, proved to be extremely expensive for Philip -- he paid Huckabee a $33,990 speaking fee, a $600 photography fee, and about $9,000 to host the event itself. It led the Republican congressional hopeful to report negative fundraising for the quarter.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* An unexpected rise in home sales and drop in the share of foreclosures on the market sent stocks soaring on Wall Street.

* North Korea has taken to taunting and mocking Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. What officials hopes to accomplish with this is unclear.

* As corruption scandals go, this one out of New Jersey is a real doozy.

* By October, the U.S. expects to have 160 million vaccines ready in response to the H1N1 virus.

* Bryant Neal Vinas, a 26-year-old American who helped al Qaeda, is now cooperating with U.S. authorities and is likely to provide valuable intelligence.

* House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) refuses to apologize for his bogus attacks against Speaker Pelosi regarding the CIA.

* The White House released materials last night, documenting meetings with health industry officials over the last several months. Officials had initially resisted the disclosure, though there's nothing especially scandalous in the records.

* Organizing for America is ramping up its organizing efforts, including support for a public option as one of the key principles to health care reform.

* The next time you hear a GOP lawmaker brag that the "Lewin Group" is "independent" and "non-partisan," keep mind that it's owned by a health insurance company.

* Lou Dobbs keeps digging.

* Scandal-plagued Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) has lost his chief of staff.

* Wouldn't it be great if we could go a few days without hearing of another racist anti-Obama email being circulated by a prominent conservative activist/official? Too much to ask?

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Sen. Arlen Specter and Rep. Joe Sestak, the Dems vying for the Democratic Senate nomination in Pennsylvania next year, will appear at the Netroots Nation conference on Friday, August 14. That's bound to be interesting.

* As Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) prepares to step down half-way through her only term in office, her support nationwide continues to sink, and most Americans now view her negatively.

* It looks like Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) may face a primary challenge after all, with state Comptroller Dan Hynes eyeing the race.

* While the GOP establishment continues to favor state attorney general Kelly Ayotte's (R) Senate campaign in New Hampshire, former gubernatorial nominee Ovide LaMontagne continues to move forward with plans for his own campaign, including some new staffing moves yesterday.

* Former Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder (D), who has always been unpredictable, is apparently in no hurry to support state Sen. Creigh Deeds' (D) gubernatorial campaign, despite requests from Obama's team.

* Trouble in California? A Rasmussen poll shows Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) leading Carly Fiorina (R) in a general-election match-up, 45% to 41%.

* In a setback for DCCC recruiting, state Sen. Darrel Aubertine has decided not to run to replace Rep. John McHugh (R) in New York's 23rd.

* Sen. Jim DeMint's (R) seat in South Carolina is presumably fairly safe, but in light of his recent antics, the DSCC is taking another look at the race, and has begun conversations with state Sen. Brad Hutto about a possible campaign. Hutto was in DC yesterday for a meeting with DSCC executive director J.B. Poersch.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Education is on the to-do list, too: "President Obama launched a competition Friday for $4.35 billion in federal education funds, urging states to ease restrictions on charter schools, link teacher pay to student achievement and adopt common national academic standards to be eligible for the money."

* No big surprise, but Republican Sens. Orrin Hatch (Utah) and John Cornyn (Texas) have announced their opposition to Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination.

* From Nicaragua to Honduras: "Ousted Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya walked under a border chain Friday and returned to his country nearly a month after being removed by a military-led coup."

* Iran continues to crack down on Internet usage; and Iranians continue to look for ways around government interference.

* Hamas, seeking legitimacy, isn't giving up on armed resistance, but it is talking up a "culture of resistance."

* Effective today, the minimum wage goes from $6.55 to $7.25 an hour.

* California lawmakers have signed off on their budget deal.

* I'm starting to get the impression that Sen. John Ensign's (R-Nev.) aides are worried about the future careers -- so they're running away from the disgraced senator.

* Worried about the implications of the delay in the health care reform fight? Nate Silver explains why waiting until after August isn't necessarily disastrous.

* Does Rep. Heath Shuler, a conservative North Carolina Democrat, live with The Fellowship on C Street? It's hard to say.

* I assume you've seen it, but "The Daily Show" did the definitive take-down the other day of the media (read: Dobbs) and the Birther nonsense.

* Delaying House business because of the "Boehner Beach Party" seems like a bad idea.

* Tweet of the Day: "Dear @ChuckGrassley: Next time, learn the facts about health reform: http://bit.ly/iL8Vn (Also, learn to spell 'Pelosi')"

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In New Jersey's gubernatorial campaign, Republican Chris Christie is hoping to capitalize on the recent corruption scandal in the state by emphasizing his background as a prosecutor.

* In related news, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) has chosen state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D) as his running mate. Weinberg, not coincidentally, is best known for her work on ethics reform.

* In this year's other gubernatorial race, R. Creigh Deeds and Bob McDonnell faced off over the weekend in their first head-to-head debate.

* As expected, Illinois state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) officially launched his Senate campaign over the weekend. Giannoulias, with $2 million raised and an endorsement from Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), appears to be the frontrunner for the party's nod.

* Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick's (D) chances for re-election appear poor, at least for now. A new Boston Globe poll shows his approval rating down to just 35% statewide. Among self-identified independents, it's down to 28%.

* Former Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.), who narrowly lost his re-election bid last year, has apparently decided not to seek a re-match. Rep. Tom Periello (D), who defeated Goode, will remain a top GOP target.

* And under the circumstances, scandal-plagued Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), perhaps best known for his experiences with prostitutes, should probably steer clear of attack ads featuring the phrase "love fest."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* At the start of a two-day summit between the United States and China, President Obama emphasized the fact that the relationship between the two countries will shape the 21st century. The U.S. delegation for the talks will be led by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

* New home sales in the U.S. far exceeded expectations last month, showing the larger increase in more than eight years.

* Images from intelligence satellites of Arctic ice bolstered the evidence of global warming. The Bush administration kept the images hidden; the Obama administration has released them.

* Sens. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) have announced their opposition to the Sotomayor nomination. No big surprise.

* The $644-million Community Stabilization Program in Iraq has been suspended due to alleged widespread corruption.

* Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, in what I believe is a first, seems to be hitting the campaign trail, hoping for a second term.

* How can policymakers pay for health care? John Kerry's idea about imposing an excise tax on "gold-plated Cadillac" insurance plans seems to be generating quite a bit of support.

* In the wake of the controversy surrounding Skip Gates' arrest, racial slurs at The Root have become a real problem.

* Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is real sorry he suggested last week that the U.S. needed to prepare for a possible military confrontation with India.

* It was a pleasant surprise to see Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.) acknowledge that United States has detention facilities that could safely hold Gitmo inmates. Alas, he's still wrong about the policy.

* Rick Santorum apparently can't read health care legislation. After all those years in the House and Senate, Santorum really should have learned a little more about the process.

* Yet another far-right, "family values" Republican has been caught up in a sex scandal. The latest is Tennessee State Sen. Paul Stanley (R), a married Sunday school teacher, ardent anti-gay lawmaker, and proponent of abstinence-only education, who acknowledged his adultery after his mistress' boyfriend tried to blackmail him. The boyfriend, apparently, had video of the state senator in a "compromising" position.

* Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), never accused of being the sharpest crayon in the box, argued today on the Senate floor that burning oil doesn't cause pollution. He wasn't kidding.

* One of the guest hosts of MSNBC's "Countdown" this week will be none other than Howard Dean. That ought to be fun.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* With Sen. Jim Bunning (R) retiring in Kentucky, what does the landscape look like for the open-seat contest? For Republicans, Trey Grayson, Kentucky's secretary of state, is likely to have the field to himself, and has been raising money for months, assuming Bunning would eventually step aside. For Democrats, the contest will come down to state Attorney General Jack Conway and Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo.

* Former Sen. Norm Coleman (R) has been cagey about his future political plans, and there's been widespread speculation about whether he would run for governor in Minnesota next year. According to a local report, Coleman is "telling friends and political colleagues he will not run for that spot." Expect an official announcement in the Spring.

* Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher's (D) Senate campaign got a bit of a boost yesterday when he received an endorsement from Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio). Fisher, who is running against Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner in a Democratic primary, has also received the backing of Gov. Ted Strickland (D).

* When President Obama hosts a health care event in Virginia tomorrow, gubernatorial hopeful Creigh Deeds will not join him on the stage. The event is in Washington County, where Obama only received 33% of the vote in 2008, despite winning Virginia overall.

* Has the DSCC finally found a credible challenger for Sen. Richard Burr (R) in North Carolina next year? Perhaps. North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall was in DC yesterday to chat about the race with party leaders.

* And in New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is still considered the favorite as he seeks a third term, but the incumbent's lead over NYC Comptroller William Thompson (D) has shrunk considerably in recent months. A new Quinnipiac poll shows Bloomberg ahead, 47% to 37%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination this afternoon, on a 13 to 6 vote. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) joined every Democrat on the committee in support of the nominee.

* Also on the House this afternoon, the House Financial Services Committee voted to approve a measure pushed by the Obama administration to impose new restraints on executive pay. The bill passed 40 to 28, along straight party lines. The NYT noted, "The bill does not set pay limits. Instead it gives shareholders the right to vote on pay and requires that independent directors from outside of management serve on compensation committees."

* President Obama spoke at an AARP-sponsored forum this afternoon, and explained that the biggest threat to Medicare is the status quo.

* Iran's Mir Hossein Mousavi is calling for a new round of street protests during religious festivities scheduled for next week.

* Media Matters noticed that the president's conservative detractors have begun heavily relying on racial rhetoric to attack Obama. TPM noticed the same thing.

* Defense Secretary Robert Gates made another trip to southern Iraq this morning.

* Obama cabinet secretaries have identified $243 million in cost-cutting measures, more than double the original $100 million target.

* Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), who seems to be disturbed, said today that health care reform will "put seniors in a position of being put to death by their government."

* Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Sgt. James Crowley will join the president on Thursday at 6 p.m. for a casual get-together at the White House.

* In general, right-wing opponents of health care reform probably shouldn't walk around in public with nooses and props that hang members of Congress in effigy.

* When Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) blamed blaming right-wing, southern Republicans for the Republican Party's troubles, he apparently meant it to be "off the record."

* Under the circumstances, Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif.) probably shouldn't casually throw around words like "nuts." He is, after all, an apparent Birther.

* On a related note, Hawaii's health director apparently checked the president's birth certificate again, and discovered that Obama was, in fact, born in Hawaii on Aug. 4, 1961, and "is a natural-born American citizen." Lunatics won't care.

* I assume you've seen it, but just in case, Shatner's dramatic reading of Palin was an instant classic.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* If New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) is going to make his move and win re-election, he's going to have to do it soon. A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Corzine trailing Republican Chris Christie by 14 points, 50% to 36%. The margin is up from Christie's 10-point lead a month ago. The election is about three months away.

* Just when it seemed Sen. Chris Dodd's (D-Conn.) re-election campaign was getting back on track, an old controversy about his mortgage makes a comeback. This week, the AP reported that a former Countrywide official "has told House and Senate investigators that [Dodd] knew that he was part of the company's VIP loan program."

* In an interesting experiment, the 2010 Iowa caucuses -- not to be confused with the 2012 Iowa caucuses -- will apparently be held on a Saturday, instead of a Tuesday. While presidential candidates will obviously not be on the ballot, these caucuses matter in state legislative races. If it goes well (i.e., stronger turnout), keep an eye on whether this might be a permanent change.

* Joining a long list, Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) announced yesterday that he will seek re-election, and skip a race against Sen. Richard Burr (R) next year. Still on the DSCC's radar are North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and former state senator and Iraq war veteran Cal Cunningham.

* National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas), perhaps best known for saying he wants his party to emulate the Taliban, announced this morning that his NRCC would target as many as 80 House Democrats next year.

* And in South Dakota, Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin took a pass on the gubernatorial race, but the party successfully recruited their #2 choice, state Sen. Scott Heidepriem, who will probably not have to worry about a primary.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Fed seems cautiously optimistic about the beginnings of an economic recovery.

* Iraqi security forces, against the wishes of the U.S., launched an offensive against an Iranian dissident group. It's a move fraught with implications.

* Despite 280 supporters in the House, a sweeping food safety bill, which would improve inspections and oversight, is being slowed down on the Hill.

* Despite today's deal, some Blue Dogs still don't like health care reform.

* The center-right health care "compromise" emerging from the Senate Finance Committee will reportedly cost under $900 billion over 10 years. No word yet on what kind of concessions, or gimmicks, make this possible.

* When pressed, even the most right-wing lawmakers will rail against government-run health care and praise Medicare in the same breath.

* Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) of Louisiana wants to find the "center" of the health care reform debate. I have no idea what that means.

* The DCCC is not amused by mock-hangings put together by reform opponents.

* In an apparent attempt to be as annoying as humanly possible, Sen. Ben Nelson (D) of Nebraska says he's undecided about Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. The conservative Democrat said yesterday he needs to "convince myself she won't be an activist" on the bench.

* It can be challenging to keep the conservative front-groups straight when it comes the fight over health care reform, but ThinkProgress has done some interesting research on the Coalition to Protect Patients' Rights.

* The New America Foundation's Frida Berrigan has a great piece on the neocons drumming up opposition to the administration's policies on nuclear weapons.

* Both of Colorado's freshmen Democratic senators, Michael Bennet and Mark Udall, are taking heat from the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence for their votes on the Thune Amendment last week.

* Tennessee's Paul Stanley (R), in the wake of an ugly sex scandal, wisely chose to resign yesterday.

* And finally, Fox News can't find Egypt on a map. Apparently, the network's staffers are as confused as its audience.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) of Texas confirmed yesterday that she will resign her Senate seat later this year, in order to focus her attention on her gubernatorial campaign. Incumbent Gov. Rick Perry, who will face Hutchison in a GOP primary, would fill the vacancy in advance of a special election.

* In a strange twist, just a few hours after explaining her intention to resign this fall, Hutchison reversed course and said she may stay in the Senate while running for governor. Hutchison added that her comments were meant to suggest that Perry should drop out of the race. It's all rather confusing.

* The latest SurveyUSA poll shows Bob McDonnell (R) leading Creigh Deeds (D) in Virginia's gubernatorial race by 15 points, 55% to 40%. In early June, SUSA showed McDonnell up by four.

* Rudy Giuliani, laying the groundwork for a likely gubernatorial campaign next year, will speak at the Crain's Business Breakfast Forum today in New York, delivering an address on "his ideas for fixing the nation's economy, and the economic and political problems in New York State."

* California Republicans probably shouldn't count on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) to give the party's candidates a boost next year. A new poll from the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California puts the governor's approval rating at just 28%. The same poll showed President Obama's approval rating in the Golden State at 65%.

* In a setback for NRCC recruiting, Connecticut state Sen. John McKinney (R) has decided not to take on Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.).

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Col. Timothy R. Reese wrote an interesting memo: "A senior American military adviser in Baghdad has concluded in an unusually blunt memo that the Iraqi forces suffer from deeply entrenched deficiencies but are now capable of protecting the Iraqi government, and that it is time 'for the U.S. to declare victory and go home.'" Reese acknowledged the corruption and poor management in the Iraqi forces, but said they're competent enough to hold off insurgents, and there's not much more we can do anyway.

* A federal judge today ordered military officials to release Mohammed Jawad, who was reportedly taken into U.S. custody when he was 12 years old, from the military prison at Guantanamo Bay.

* The problems in Iran continue: "Iranian police arrested mourners who gathered at a Tehran cemetery to commemorate victims of the unrest that followed the country's disputed June presidential election , witnesses said. Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi was also blocked from attending the graveside memorial after he defied a government ban on the gathering."

* Dozens of liberal House Democrats continue to threaten to derail health care reform, following Henry Waxman's compromise with some Blue Dogs yesterday.

* There's quite a bit of wasteful spending in the Pentagon spending bill for fiscal 2010. The Obama administration instructed Congress not to send him a pork-padded bill, and the House responded today by approving it anyway, 400 to 30.

* A sixth Republican senator, Tennessee's Lamar Alexander, endorsed Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination today.

* The media's interest in the Obama/Crowley/Gates get-together this afternoon is more than a little excessive. How bad is it? This afternoon, MSNBC not only aired footage of Henry Louis Gates walking to a car, on his way to the airport, it also put a countdown graphic on the screen, letting viewers know the number of hours, minutes, and seconds remaining until the "beer summit."

* On a related note, a Boston police officer was suspended yesterday for writing an email calling Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. a "jungle monkey." Boston Mayor Mayor Thomas M. Menino said last night that the officer, Justin Barrett, is "gone," adding, "it's like cancer, you don't keep those cancers around."

* It took a whole lot of effort, but Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) finally conceded today that he believes the president is a natural-born citizen of the United States.

* If more reporters covered the health care debate as well as Time's Karen Tumulty does, the country would be a lot better off.

* Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) recently unveiled their alternative health care plan. It probably won't surprise you to learn their plan is awful.

* And when Fox News personalities start making fun of Lou Dobbs, that should send a pretty clear signal to CNN that he's an embarrassment to the network.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Reports today suggest Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) may not take on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in a primary after all.

* Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R), as part of her gubernatorial campaign in Texas, included a series of hidden phrases on her campaign website, including "rick perry gay." A reporter discovered that the site offers automatically generated words and phrases. A Hutchison spokesperson said "rick perry gay" would be removed.

* Republican candidates in both of this year's gubernatorial campaigns -- New Jersey and Virginia -- are having a hard time with questions about Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination. Do they alienate Latino voters or anger the far-right base?

* Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has decided not to attend an event at the Reagan Presidential Library next weekend hosted by a prominent California Republican women's group. There were reports that Palin had previously accepted an invitation, making this the latest in a series of scheduling problems for the conservative former governor.

* Hoping to coax North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven (R) into a Senate race against incumbent Sen. Byron Dorgan (D), the National Republican Senatorial Committee claims to have a poll showing Hoeven leading Dorgan in a head-to-head race, 53% to 36%.

* Democratic leaders hoped to see Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah) run for statewide office next year, but he will instead seek re-election.

* Wall Street banker John Chachas (R) apparently intends to take on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) in Nevada next year.

* And there's apparently another uproar among Republican National Committee members. This time, the fight is over whether to let Jim Greer, chairman of the Florida Republican Party and a key ally of RNC Chairman Michael Steele, become head of the party's Rules Committee. Many party leaders perceive Greer as a moderate, and don't want him in a position of influence.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* More bloodshed in Baghdad: "Bombs exploded near five Shiite mosques around Baghdad within 45 minutes on Friday as worshipers attended prayer services, killing at least 29 people in what appeared to be a coordinated attack against followers of the anti-American cleric Moktada al-Sadr, Iraqi officials and a Sadr aide said."

* "Cash for clunkers" received a strong enough reception that it started to run out of money. The House voted today, with plenty of Republican votes, to direct an additional $2 billion into the program.

* The House tackled executive salaries, too: "The House of Representatives approved legislation today that would give shareholders of companies the right to cast advisory votes on executive compensation and empower financial regulators to limit pay that they deem inappropriate. The bill, which passed 237-185, came in response to public outrage over lavish pay received by executives at Wall Street firms that took billions in emergency aid from the government."

* Gen. Stanley McChrystal is bringing a new U.S. strategy to Afghanistan, but he still wants a lot more boots on the ground.

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D) of Connecticut announced today that he's been diagnosed with a treatable form of prostate cancer. He will stay in the Senate, will seek re-election, and is confident about a full recovery.

* Congress will investigate fraudulent letters sent to lawmakers during the cap-and-trade debate.

* New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo with the Quote of the Day: "When the banks did well, their employees were paid well. When the banks did poorly, their employees were paid well. And when the banks did very poorly, they were bailed out by taxpayers and their employees were still paid well."

* Media Matters is going after Lou Dobbs with ads -- to be aired on CNN.

* House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) doesn't buy into the Birther conspiracy theory, which he blames on liberal bloggers and MSNBC.

* A right-wing activist group is distributing advice to conservatives on how to disrupt public events and harass Democratic lawmakers. Stay classy, conservatives.

* Peggy Noonan remembers Richard Nixon a lot differently than the rest of us.

* Megan McArdle argues against national health insurance. Ezra Klein was going to respond, but had trouble: "In 1,600 words, she doesn't muster a single link to a study or argument, nor a single number that she didn't make up (what numbers do exist come in the form of thought experiments and assumptions). Megan's argument against national health insurance boils down to a visceral hatred of the government."

* And finally, I thought National Review's Andy McCarthy couldn't be a bigger embarrassment. I stand corrected.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* After several weeks of open speculation, Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) will finally and officially kick off his Senate campaign tomorrow morning at a VFW hall in his suburban Philadelphia district. He will, of course, face Sen. Arlen Specter in a Democratic primary.

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D) of Connecticut insists that his recent diagnosis of early stage prostate cancer will not affect his re-election plans. A Dodd aide conceded, however, that the surgery the senator will undergo this month will mean he will "have a slightly more sedentary August than he'd planned."

* In case there are any lingering doubts, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) has said he will not take on incumbent Sen. David Vitter (R) in a primary next year.

* Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R), hoping to lay the groundwork for a 2012 presidential campaign, delivered a big speech late last week to members of the Republican National Committee. Ed Kilgore reported on the event: "It wasn't exactly greeted as a trumpet blast; a nice familiar tune from a kazoo might be a more apt metaphor."

* Iowa's GOP has been looking for a credible, top-tier challenger to take on incumbent Gov. Chet Culver (D) next year. The party has turned to former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R), who served four terms, and who is reportedly eyeing a comeback. Branstad is currently serving as president of Des Moines University.

* Is North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall (D) the Dems' go-to candidate to take on Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) next year? It's starting to look that way. If Marshall runs, it will be her second attempt at a U.S. Senate race, following an unsuccessful primary campaign in 2002.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "A bomb exploded near a police convoy Monday morning in Herat, the main city in Western Afghanistan, killing at least 10 people and wounding at least 29. The Taliban claimed responsibility, saying that a local police chief had been the target. The attack, less than three weeks before scheduled presidential elections, happened in a busy neighborhood in Herat as children were on their way to school."

* Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was formally given a second term as Iran's president today. Under the circumstances, the ceremony was a little awkward.

* And speaking of Iran, officials opened a mass trial over the weekend against more than 100 alleged dissidents. Raise your hand if you think the proceedings will be fair.

* Also in Iran, there are ongoing questions as to the whereabouts of three Americans "believed to have been arrested by Iranian authorities after going on a hiking trip in neighboring Iraq."

* The days may be numbered for "Cash for Clunkers."

* Not a bad size settlement: "The Securities and Exchange Commission today said Bank of America Corp. has agreed to pay $33 million to settle charges the Charlotte bank misled investors about bonuses paid to Merrill Lynch & Co. executives."

* The White House maintains its commitment not to raise taxes on the middle class.

* After 18 years, the remains of Navy Capt. Michael Scott Speicher have been identified and are being returned to the U.S.

* In a move exacerbating tensions, Israeli security forces evicted two more Palestinian families in East Jerusalem yesterday. The U.S. State Department condemned the move.

* Also in Israel over the weekend, a masked gunman killed two, and wounded 11, at a center for gay youth in Tel Aviv.

* It's good to see the new and expanded G.I. Bill take effect.

* Petty Officer Jonathan Campos was accused of killing Seaman August Provost in late June, and was also facing charges of drug use, larceny, burglary, theft, arson, and unlawful handling of a deceased individual. Campos was found dead in his cell late last week, due to self-inflicted asphyxiation.

* Interesting video from the White House on the letters the president reads every day, and how they arrive at his desk.

* Have I mentioned lately how right-wing Liz Cheney is?

* And there are a lot of questions surrounding the MSNBC/Fox News/GE/News Corp. "truce," and how it might affect "Countdown." Keith Olbermann seems likely to address the subject this evening.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* As promised, Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) officially launched his Senate campaign this morning, and will take on Sen. Arlen Specter in a Democratic primary. Specter's team wasted no time in "welcoming" Sestak to the race.

* The latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Bob McDonnell (R) leading Creigh Deeds (D) in Virginia's gubernatorial race by a comfortable margin, 51% to 37%. Driving McDonnell's lead is a more motivated Republican base.

* New Jersey Gov. Gov. Jon Corzine (D) is still struggling in statewide polls, putting his re-election very much in doubt. A new Monmouth University/Gannett poll shows Corzine trailing Republican Chris Christie by 14 points, 50% to 36%. A month ago, the same pollster showed Christie up by eight.

* Corzine's campaign is hoping a new ad will help turn things around -- it features footage from President Obama's recent rally in New Jersey.

* Former Rep. Pat Toomey, the likely Republican nominee for Senate in Pennsylvania next year, is apparently trying to move a little towards the middle after years as a far-right conservative. Today, he endorsed Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination.

* Former Rep. Bob Beauprez is entering the crowded field of Colorado Republicans hoping to take on Sen. Michael Bennet (D) next year.

* Retired football coach Lou Holtz met with National Republican Congressional Committee leaders last week, apparently to explore a race next year against freshman Rep. Suzanne Kosmas (D-Fla.).

* And Rep. Mark Kirk (R), running for the Senate in Illinois next year, is awfully sorry he violated all kinds of rules by tweeting while on active duty with the Naval Reserve in late July.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "Taliban militants fired at least nine rockets at the Afghan capital before dawn on Tuesday in the biggest attack of its kind for several years, some landing near major Western embassies, police and witnesses said. Amid a serious escalation of violence before August 20 presidential elections, a provincial governor escaped unhurt after roadside bombs hit his convoy just west of the capital in an apparent assassination attempt, a spokesman said."

* It looks like Senate Republicans, under pressure from dealers back home, will cave on "cash for clunkers" a $2 billion extension will pass this week.

* Iranian officials confirmed today that Iran has detained three American travelers hiking in Iraqi mountains.

* How many wingnuts will accuse Bill Clinton of North Korean "appeasement"? The list is growing.

* President Obama gives Senate Democrats a pep talk.

* Consumer spending went up in June, but not for any good reasons.

* The Democratic National Committee released a pretty hard-hitting statement this afternoon, slamming Republicans for "inciting angry mobs" or "rabid right-wing extremists."

* On a related note, "Town Halls Gone Wild" continued today in a variety of locations.

* CBS News offers a good example of how not to report on the right-wing harassment strategy.

* Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D) of Texas hasn't changed his mind at all after his run-in with a right-wing mob: "I am more committed than ever to win approval of legislation to offer more individual choice to access affordable health care. An effective public plan is essential to achieve that goal."

* What's more, Doggett told CNN today, "I'll tell you, unless more Americans who are suffering under the insurance companies get out there and express their opinion, write their letter to the editor, call these talk shows -- if they don't get their message out the insurance companies will win in September and we just cannot let that happen."

* HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius reminds folks of "the reason we're even having this conversation" about reform in a WaPo op-ed.

* Nice to see Blue Dog Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.) have a few unkind words about George W. Bush and health care today.

* Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is apparently getting a little frustrated with opposition to the administration financial regulation proposals.

* Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) gives local Nebraska businessman Michael Snider a call. (Note Nelson's explanation for why he won't commit to a public option.)

* When Bonner and Associates sent forged letters during the ACES debate, the firm was working on behalf of coal companies.

* Media Matters put together an ad going after Lou Dobbs and his "birther" campaign. CNN won't air it.

* MSNBC will disclose Richard Wolffe corporate p.r. work to viewers in the future. As for "Countdown," don't expect to see Wolffe for awhile.

* "Mouthpiece Theater" is back. It shouldn't be.

* On a related note, "Mouthpiece Theater" has been subjected to all kinds of criticism lately, but none of it was as powerful as this.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In the race to take Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) in Minnesota next year, her 2008 opponent, El Tinklenberg (D), was preparing for a rematch but has instead decided to bow out. The move signals party support for state Senate assistant majority leader Tarryl Clark (D).

* Why are Dems struggling in Virginia's gubernatorial race this year? It may have something to do with a motivated state Republican Party -- filled with right-wing "birthers."

* While the Republican establishment continues to rally behind former New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte's Senate campaign, her likely primary opponents show no signs of getting out of the way. Former gubernatorial nominee Ovide Lamontagne announced yesterday that he's launching a series of stops statewide, as part of an apparent pre-campaign tour.

* We won't have to wait too much longer to learn whether Rep. Mike Castle (R) will run for the Senate next year -- he'll announce his intentions within the next month.

* Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak (D) is seeking re-election this year, but apparently also has his eyes on Minnesota's wide-open gubernatorial campaign next year. If Rybak runs, he'll likely be considered the frontrunner.

* A new Field Poll survey released yesterday shows California's political mainstream and California's Republican Party moving in different directions.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Prominent conservatives sure seem upset about President Clinton freeing Laura Ling and Euna Lee from North Korea.

* Sen. Kit Bond (R) of Missouri, who is retiring next year, today became the sixth Senate Republican to endorse Sonia Sotomayor's nomination.

* Yesterday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs suggested the administration considers Mahmoud Ahmadinejad "the elected leader" of Iran. Today, he walked that back.

* A pair of nuclear-powered Russian attack submarines got a little closer than usual to the United States this week.

* CNN not only won't air an ad criticizing Lou Dobbs, it's also rejected an ad criticizing insurance giant Cigna's CEO, Ed Hanway, on health care reform.

* Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.) is clearly unimpressed with Max Baucus' Gang of Six.

* My friend Alex Koppelman does a nice job with "Salon's handy-dandy guide to refuting the Birthers."

* Kathleen Parker makes an interesting observation: "Southern Republicans, it seems, have seceded from sanity."

* This Washington Post article is really awful. Seriously, it's horrible.

* I have no idea why NPR's Mara Liasson would tell Fox News that the Cash for Clunkers program to Hurricane Katrina are similar.

* If you really want to annoy a teabagging right-wing mob, try telling them some demonstrable facts about Reagan.

* "Show Me Progress'" two-year blogoversary.

* It's become so common for conservatives to argue that Medicare is not a government program that Tim Noah has started a feature on it.

* For the love of God, will the majority please stop treating Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) like he's a reasonable, sensible lawmaker?

* No, really, will the majority please stop treating Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) like he's a reasonable, sensible lawmaker?

* Fox News' Brian Kilmead believes protestors who disrupt public events and confront politicians are "threatening" and should be Tased or "beaten to a pulp." That is, he used to believe that, when Republicans were in the majority and the protestors were liberal activists.

* And finally, "Mouthpiece Theater" is no more.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Prominent conservatives sure seem upset about President Clinton freeing Laura Ling and Euna Lee from North Korea.

* Sen. Kit Bond (R) of Missouri, who is retiring next year, today became the sixth Senate Republican to endorse Sonia Sotomayor's nomination.

* Yesterday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs suggested the administration considers Mahmoud Ahmadinejad "the elected leader" of Iran. Today, he walked that back.

* A pair of nuclear-powered Russian attack submarines got a little closer than usual to the United States this week.

* CNN not only won't air an ad criticizing Lou Dobbs, it's also rejected an ad criticizing insurance giant Cigna's CEO, Ed Hanway, on health care reform.

* Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.) is clearly unimpressed with Max Baucus' Gang of Six.

* My friend Alex Koppelman does a nice job with "Salon's handy-dandy guide to refuting the Birthers."

* Kathleen Parker makes an interesting observation: "Southern Republicans, it seems, have seceded from sanity."

* This Washington Post article is really awful. Seriously, it's horrible.

* I have no idea why NPR's Mara Liasson would tell Fox News that the Cash for Clunkers program to Hurricane Katrina are similar.

* If you really want to annoy a teabagging right-wing mob, try telling them some demonstrable facts about Reagan.

* "Show Me Progress'" two-year blogoversary.

* It's become so common for conservatives to argue that Medicare is not a government program that Tim Noah has started a feature on it.

* For the love of God, will the majority please stop treating Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) like he's a reasonable, sensible lawmaker?

* No, really, will the majority please stop treating Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) like he's a reasonable, sensible lawmaker?

* Fox News' Brian Kilmead believes protestors who disrupt public events and confront politicians are "threatening" and should be Tased or "beaten to a pulp." That is, he used to believe that, when Republicans were in the majority and the protestors were liberal activists.

* And finally, "Mouthpiece Theater" is no more.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Hoping to change the direction of New Jersey's gubernatorial race, Gov. Jon Corzine (D) is going after Chris Christie (R) for his connections to George W. Bush, who isn't especially popular in the Garden State. "Chris Christie. He was a George W. Bush Pioneer. Helped raise over $350,000 for him. And getting named U.S. Attorney in return," the voiceover says.

* In Virginia, Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Creigh Deeds will be joined by President Obama and Gov. Tim Kaine at a fundraiser.

* Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) continues to look like the frontrunner for the Democratic nod in next year's open-seat Senate race. A new poll shows him with 45% support in a multi-candidate field, far out in front of potential rivals Chris Kennedy and Chicago Urban League president Cheryle Jackson.

* On a related note, the Republican establishment must be at least a little worried about Giannoulias' chances -- Sean Hannity went after the candidate on the air this week.

* Rand Paul, a Kentucky ophthalmologist, has formally launched a U.S. Senate campaign. Paul, a Republican, is perhaps best known for being Ron Paul's son. This will be the younger Paul's first attempt at elected office.

* NRSC Chairman John Cornyn (R-Texas) believes a combination of "fear" and "anger" will create "real opportunities" for Republicans in the midterm elections.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "In another sign of growing violence in the last two weeks before national elections, a group of civilians, mainly women and children traveling to a wedding party, were killed by a roadside bomb on Wednesday in the southern province of Helmand."

* Ten Democratic senators, including some genuine progressive like Feingold and Franken, wrote to the White House today, "saying that they will not support any domestic climate change bill that did not protect American industries from competition from countries that did not impose similar restraints on climate-altering gases."

* Former Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) -- you know, the guy with cash in his freezer -- was found guilty yesterday by a federal jury on 11 counts of corruption. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 30.

* Is the stimulus working as advertised? Council of Economic Advisers Chair Christina Romer makes a very compelling case that it is.

* The White House struck a deal a while back with the pharmaceutical industry -- the drug companies agree to support health care reform, and the administration agrees to seek no more than $80 billion in savings from the drug manufacturers. Now, the industry wants to make sure Democratic policymakers stick to the deal.

* A deal to extend "cash for clunkers" by $2 billion is "imminent."

* Support for U.S. policy in Afghanistan is slipping, and a CNN poll found that 41% favor the ongoing war.

* Why were those three American hikers arrested in Iran?

* Dear Max Baucus, please stop trying to convince Mike Enzi to support health care reform. Chuck Grassley, too. Sincerely, Steve.

* Much to the dismay of religious right groups, the American Psychological Association declared yesterday that gay people cannot become straight through therapy or other treatments.

* Glenn Beck's insane antics are causing some advertisers to walk away.

* There's just no reason for major media outlets to keep quoting John Bolton as an authoritative source.

* NPR's Mara Liasson backed off her comments yesterday comparing "cash for clunkers" to Hurricane Katrina.

* O'Reilly, just one day after getting slammed by Olbermann, is back to attacking G.E. What a coincidence.

* Fox News' Trace Gallagher interviewed Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) on "cash for clunkers" yesterday, and apparently she was doing a little too good a job responding to Republican talking points. He quickly ended the segment, saying he a "breaking news" story he had to report. The big story? "Shark Week" on the Discovery Channel.

* That obviously-fake Kenyan birth certificate was a prank that a few too many on the right fell for.

* Michelle Cottle with the Quote of the Day: "I have given up hope for a loyal opposition. I'd settle for a sane one." I have the same thought, just about every day.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In a surprise move, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D) will announce today she she's changed her mind and will not take on Sep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) in a Senate primary in New York next year. This is, of course, exactly what party leaders wanted to hear.

* A new Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos shows still more discouraging numbers for New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D). With about three months until election day, Corzine now trails Chris Christie (R) by eight, 48% to 40%.

* In related news, New Jersey Dems spent some time yesterday reminding folks about Christie's opposition to Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination.

* In Virginia, a Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos poll shows Republican Bob McDonnell building on his earlier leads over Democrat Creigh Deeds. The former state attorney general is now up by eight, 51% to 43%.

* On a related note, President Obama appeared in Northern Virginia last night at a fundraiser for Deeds. It was the first joint appearance for the two since Deeds won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

* In a setback for NRCC recruiting, retired football coach Lou Holtz has decided not to run for Congress against Rep. Suzanne Kosmas (D-Fla.).

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iraq: "A suicide bombing outside a mosque in northern Iraq and a string of bombings in Baghdad targeting Shiite pilgrims killed at least 36 people Friday, police officials said, a grim reminder of the insurgency's continued ability to sow bloodshed despite recent security gains."

* It appears Iran, if it pursues a nuclear weapons program, won't be able to produce weapons-grade uranium until 2013, at the earliest.

* White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is troubled by the prominent right-wing voices who make frequent use of rhetoric regarding Nazis, Hitler, and the Holocaust.

* Someone probably ought to tell Fox News' Glenn Beck that joking about assassinating American political leaders isn't amusing.

* It's still unclear why Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) has decided to resign, rather than complete the rest of his term.

* Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has the right idea: laugh out loud at the very mention of John Bolton's name.

* Congressional Democrats aren't impressed with the deal between the administration and the pharmaceutical industry.

* Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is still very open to passing health care reform through reconciliation, and Max Baucus (D-Mont.) thinks it "could get to the point" in which Dems pass reform without the GOP.

* If you're going to appear on camera to attack health care reform, and you're going to insist that you are "just a mom from a few blocks away" and "not affiliated with any political party," it's best to clean up your online profile -- which identifies your extensive work with the Republican Party.

* I'm glad Tim Phillips from the far-right Americans for Prosperity agreed to appear on Rachel Maddow's show last night. I'm even more glad Maddow took him apart.

* National Review's Rich Lowry should probably read National Review's Andy McCarthy.

* What is Peggy Noonan talking about?

* For a good part of the week, many high-profile conservatives flatly denied that the right-wing mobs protesting reform carried signs with swastikas and Nazi references. They should probably drop the denials, given the photographic evidence.

* Sen. Jeff Sessions' (R-Ala.) poison-pill amendment in the hate crimes bill deserves a closer look.

* The CBPP scrutinizes an employer responsibility requirement crafted by the Senate Finance Committee's Gang of Six and finds that it would have "serious consequences, particularly for low-income and minority workers, women, and workers with disabilities."

* Joe Conason takes a look at Clinton Derangement Syndrome, "North Korean strain."

* And the DCCC launches "HealthCareFactCheck.com," while OFA launches "Setting the Record Straight."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) announced a month ago that he would retire from the Senate at the end of his term next year. With comments that will not please party leaders, Burris has started walking back his announcement, suggesting he might change his mind. "You never say never," Burris told ABC News. "What I'm still hearing," Burris said, is "people from all over the country and they are saying, 'Don't give up that seat.'"

* With the Specter-Sestak primary officially underway in Pennsylvania, the race is on for endorsements. The challenger picked up support from VoteVets.org's political action committee this morning. "Joe Sestak will bring the same honesty, integrity, and hard work with which he's always served America to the U.S. Senate," said VoteVets.org chairman Jon Soltz.

* Thanks to a so-called "money bomb" from Ron Paul supporters, Connecticut investment advisor Peter Schiff (R), a former Paul aide, raise more than $800,000 in the first four weeks of his Senate campaign.

* Speaking of Connecticut, will Sen. Chris Dodd (D) get a boost now that the Senate Ethics Committee has cleared him of any wrongdoing in the Countrywide mortgage controversy? Maybe, but CQ notes today that "state Republicans are doing their darnedest to keep that from happening."

* In Illinois, Gov. Pat Quinn (D), seeking his first full term after moving up in the wake of the Blagojevich scandal, will face state Comptroller Dan Hynes in a Democratic primary.

* And in Nevada, attorney/real estate developer Danny Tarkanian has announced he's running for the Senate next year, hoping to take on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). Tarkanian ran an unsuccessful state Senate campaign in 2004 and an unsuccessful secretary of state campaign in 2006. Tarkanian, who has never held public office, is perhaps best known for being the son of a famous basketball coach.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iraq: "At least 47 people were killed and hundreds were wounded early Monday morning as a series of bomb attacks struck Baghdad and an entire village near the northern city of Mosul. Nearly 100 people have been killed and scores wounded in Mosul and Baghdad since Friday in the worst outburst in violence since June 30, when Iraqis officially took the lead on national security and American troops largely withdrew to their bases."

* President Obama, in Mexico for a summit of North American leaders, said today U.S. policymakers will get to immigration reform, but not this year, and not until after health care reform passes and the economy is stronger.

* There are still 400 people unaccounted for in the wake of yesterday's mudslide in Taiwan.

* And speaking of natural disasters, a massive quake struck in the Indian Ocean off India's Andaman Islands today. India, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, and Bangladesh are under a tsunami watch.

* House Democratic leaders sent conservatives into apoplexy today, writing an op-ed describing right-wing efforts to shut down debate over health care reform as "un-American."

* Keep an eye on the collapse of the commercial real estate market.

* Pentagon targets 50 Afghan drug traffickers with Taliban ties, as part of the new U.S. policy in Afghanistan.

* An armed man attended a town-hall meeting in Tennessee hosted by a Democratic congressman, but there's no evidence of a threat.

* Nice work from the LA Times fact-checking common health care claims. (thanks to reader T.C. for the tip)

* It's safe to say the "deal" between the White House and the pharmaceutical industry is looking a little shaky.

* Preparing for the second wave of the H1N1 virus.

* As the need for action on global warming mounts, the public desire for action fades.

* Drudge gets slower.

* Jonathan Cohn takes down Robert Samuelson's latest column quite nicely.

* Palin's "death panel" gets a "pants-on-fire" rating, but Glenn Beck approves.

* It's practically inevitable that unemployment will reach double-digits, right? Maybe, maybe not.

* I've wondered for quite some time about how the word "fail" went from being a verb to an interjection.

* And speaking of linguistics, I like the idea of "Rumsfeld" becoming a verb.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The bad news for New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) is that a new Quinnipiac poll shows him trailing Republican Chris Christie by nine, 51% to 42%. The good news is, Quinnipiac showed him trailing by 12 a month ago.

* With Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) ending her primary campaign against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) will other Dems steer clear, too? Probably. Over the last few days, Reps. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.) and Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) both said they don't intend to run.

* As expected, Urban League president Cheryle Jackson announced yesterday that she's running for the Senate in Illinois, and will face state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias in a Democratic primary. Potential problem for Jackson: she served as Rod Blagojevich's press secretary during his first term.

* The Republican primary in Kansas open-seat Senate race continues to be very competitive. A new SurveyUSA poll shows Rep. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) leading Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), 38% to 32%, with a whole lot of undecideds.

* Minnesota state Sen. Mike Jungbauer (R) announced that he's running for governor next year, because, he believes, God told him to run. Jungbauer, a graduate of the Moody Bible Institute, lives in Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R) district.

* Who will Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) choose to replace Sen. Mel Martinez (R)? Chris Cillizza considers the possibilities. For what it's worth, Jeb Bush isn't interested.

* With Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's (R-Tex.) giving up her seat to run for governor, would-be successors are already eyeing the Senate seat. Apparently, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.) is interested.

* In the special election to replace Rep. John McHugh (R) in New York's 23rd, Dems will run attorney Bill Owens against state Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava (R). Owens isn't exactly a liberal.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* HRC continues to step up: "Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton unveiled a $17 million plan on Tuesday to fight the widespread sexual violence in eastern Congo, a problem she said was 'evil in its basest form.' Speaking during an unprecedented visit by an American secretary of state to Goma, in the epicenter of Congo's war-torn east, she said the American government would help train gynecologists, supply rape victims with video cameras to document violence and send military engineers to help train Congolese police officers to crack down on rapists."

* A Burmese court convicted pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kui yesterday, after being charged with allowing a U.S. national into her home. The White House condemned the conviciotn.

* Rove was far more deeply involved with the U.S. Attorney purge scandal than previously known. More on this tomorrow.

* Gen. Stanley McChrystal wants 45,000 additional U.S. troops in Afghanistan and to see the number of U.S. government civilian workers doubled.

* On a related note, Marc Lynch's concerns about U.S. policy in Afghanistan are compelling

* Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) seems to know how to handle obnoxious far-right hecklers.

* Is Baitullah Mehsud alive or dead?

* Congress may not buy those unwanted C-37s after all.

* IF GM's Volt, a rechargeable electric car, can really get 230 miles per gallon, it's a real game-changer.

* White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs would like to see news outlets explain to the public that Sarah Palin's "death panel" garbage isn't true. I don't blame him.

* Add Roger Simon to the list of conservatives disgusted with Palin's recent antics.

* And speaking of Palin, the Republican-led state legislature overrode the former governor's veto and accepted $28 million in federal stimulus money for energy cost relief.

* Sen. Chris Dodd's (D-Conn.) cancer surgery was today, and it reportedly went well.

* Eunice Kennedy Shriver dies at age 88.

* Impeachment talk resurfaces for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R).

* More confusion about Medicare being a government program.

* Niall Ferguson compared President Obama to Felix the Cat because they're both "black" and "lucky." I have no idea what Ferguson was thinking, or why his editors published this.

* Quote from today's presidential town-hall meeting that helped remind folks that Obama is not Bush: "Okay, I've only got time for a couple more questions. Somebody here who has a concern about health care that has not been raised, or is skeptical and suspicious and wants to make sure that -- because I don't want people thinking I just have a bunch of plants in here."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Much to the relief of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) in Nevada, Rep. Dean Heller (R) has decided not to challenge the incumbent next year. He informed National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn of his decision yesterday.

* Democrats hoping to shake up New Jersey's gubernatorial campaign may have caught a break this week. New documents, released as part of the U.S. Attorney purge scandal, show that Republican gubernatorial hopeful Chris Christie was laying the groundwork for his campaign -- with Karl Rove's guidance -- while serving as a federal prosecutor.

* In Virginia, Rasmussen shows Bob McDonnell (R) continuing to lead Creigh Deeds (D) in the state's gubernatorial race, 47% to 38%.

* Apparently feeling some heat from the left, Sen. Ben Nelson (D) of Nebraska, who is up for re-election next year, has begun airing new TV ads in his home state, touting his support for health care reform.

* In Texas, Tom Schieffer's (D) gubernatorial campaign has a key hurdle to clear in a competitive Democratic primary: his work in the Bush/Cheney administration.

* It looked for a while like Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) would seek re-election without a Democratic opponent next year. That's no longer the case -- former state Sen. Tom Feigen (D) will kick off his campaign on Friday. Bob Krause, chairman of the Iowa Democratic Veterans Caucus, has also been eyeing the race, but hasn't done much since launching an exploratory committee five months ago.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Fed believes the economy is "pulling out of its downward spiral," and issued its "most optimistic assessment in more than a year."

* Dahaneh: "U.S. Marines battled Taliban fighters Wednesday for control of a strategic southern town in a new operation to cut militant supply lines and allow Afghan residents to vote in next week's presidential election."

* Asked today about success in Afghanistan, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke said, "We'll know it when we see it." That doesn't sound encouraging.

* Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) of Alaska rejected the "death panel" nonsense yesterday, telling an Anchorage crowd, "Quite honestly, I'm so offended at that terminology because it absolutely isn't (in the bill). There is no reason to gin up fear in the American public by saying things that are not included in the bill."

* Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel speaks up, responds to ridiculous right-wing attacks.

* A conservative activist held a "Death to Obama" sign at a town-hall event in Maryland today.

* Another Republican official sending racist emails and assassination jokes? Imagine that.

* Rep. David Scott (D) of Georgia, whose district office was defaced with a large swastika, appeared on CNN this afternoon, and shared some of the right-wing hate mail he's received lately. "But we have to understand is," Scott said, "we can't let these kinds of racist things, or that swastika, win this debate. And that is not gonna happen."

* Glenn Beck loses yet another corporate sponsor.

* Today's Tom Toles -- "Cradle-to-Grave Crazy" -- is terrific.

* Some conservative outlet has been doing robo-calls, but have made it appear as if they're calling from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) office. Reid's actual office responded today.

* I'm starting to think that maybe, just maybe, the Washington Times' John Solomon isn't an objective journalist with high professional standards.

* Interesting report on the differences in how Fox News covered Arlen Specter's, then President Obama's, town-hall events.

* In case you've heard any odd rumors about Vivek Kundra today, they're not true.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Virginia gubernatorial hopeful Creigh Deeds (D) is struggling a bit in the polls, and has decided it's time to shake-up the staff. Monica Dixon, Kevin Mack, and Mo Elleithee have been added to the campaign team.

* Sen. Arlen Specter's lead over Rep. Joe Sestak in Pennsylvania's Democratic primary is shrinking. A new Rasmussen poll shows the incumbent up by 13, 47% to 34%, after having led by 19 in June.

* On a related note, as Specter and Sestak go at it, former Rep. Pat Toomey, the conservative Republican, is now leading both Democratic candidates in head-to-head match-ups.

* With top-tier GOP candidates taking a pass on a race against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) in Nevada next year, Nevada Republican Party Chairwoman Sue Lowden is moving towards launching a campaign.

* Curtis Coleman, an adviser to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R), will apparently seek the GOP nomination in the race against Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) next year.

* Roll Call reports, "It's looking increasingly likely that state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias will be Democrats' anointed candidate in the 2010 Illinois Senate race."

* Similarly, the party establishment in Kentucky seems to be rallying behind state Attorney General Jack Conway (D) for next year's open Senate seat contest.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iraq: "At least 20 people were killed and 30 wounded in a double suicide bombing Thursday in northern Iraq, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said. Two suicide bombers with explosive vests carried out the attack at a cafe in Sinjar, a town west of Mosul."

* Afghanistan: "Four NATO service members -- three Britons and one American -- were killed Thursday in separate attacks in southern Afghanistan, according to NATO and Britain's Defence Ministry said."

* Pakistan: "Helicopter gunships pummeled a key Taliban commander's bases in Pakistan's northwest, killing at least 12 insurgents Thursday as government forces ratcheted up pressure on the militants following their top leader's reported death, officials said."

* U.S. retail sales were supposed to increase in July. They didn't.

* The Obama administration is putting together "50 benchmarks to measure success in Afghanistan."

* Nearly seven in 10 Pakistanis are worried that extremists will take control of their country. Also note, however, that Pakistanis have very little fondness for Taliban insurgents.

* Talk of impeachment for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) gets a little louder.

* After all the fuss about every lawmaker reading every word of the health care bill, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) of Kentucky opposes reform despite not having read the legislation.

* Can we stop pretending Chuck Grassley is serious about health care reform?

* Seriously, can we stop pretending Chuck Grassley is serious about health care reform?

* Yesterday, a right-wing activist in Maryland protested at a town-hall event, holding a sign that read, "Death To Obama, Death To Michelle And Her Two Stupid Kids." A Secret Service investigation is underway.

* Howard Dean doesn't want to chat with Lou Dobbs.

* Another very strong fact-checking segment on ABC, this time from Dr. Tim Johnson, the network's chief medical editor.

* Good point: "One weird thing about our press is that lies about personal stuff, and things which are likely just inadvertent slips, can cause Great Outrage among the assembled Villagers, while sustained and repeated lies about policy are just laundered and retransmitted."

* Rush Limbaugh thinks Sarah Palin has "intellectual heft."

* On a related note, if you think Sarah Palin has been writing her own Facebook notes, I have a Bridge to Nowhere I'd like to sell you.

* R.I.P., Les Paul.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Howard Dean argued yesterday that "there will be primaries" for Democratic lawmakers who oppose a public option as part of health care reform.

* It's a Democratic pollster, so take the results with a grain of salt, but a Democracy Corps survey shows New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) trailing former U.S. attorney Chris Christie (R) by just six points, 43% to 37%. Obviously, an incumbent with 37% support is awful, but the margin suggests the race may be getting closer.

* A new Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos shows the Democratic Senate primary in Pennsylvania getting much more competitive. Sen. Arlen Specter now leads Rep. Joe Sestak by 15, 48% to 33%. That may sound like a large gap, but the same pollster showed the incumbent leading by 45 points in May. While Rasmussen recently found Republican Pat Toomey leading either Dem in a hypothetical general election match-up, R2K found Specter and Sestak with narrow leads.

* In California, a Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos shows a wide-open contest in next year's gubernatorial campaign. State Attorney General Jerry Brown seems to enjoy an edge in the Democratic primary and in hypothetical general election match-ups, but it is still, as Markos put it, "anyone's ballgame."

* On a related note, the same poll looked at next year's Senate race in California. At this point, incumbent Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) enjoys leads of over 20 points against both of her likely Republican challengers.

* In next year's Senate race in Connecticut, the Republican field may get a little bigger, with Linda McMahon, the CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, weighing a campaign. A source close to McMahon said that she is "seriously considering" the race.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Taiwanese typhoon kills more than 500 people.

* Sen. Jim Webb (D) of Virginia traveled to Burma today "to meet with the leader of the junta there, just days after the country's pro-democracy leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, was convicted and returned to house arrest in a case that drew international condemnation."

* Sen. Kent Conrad (D) of North Dakota, one of the Senate Finance Committee's Gang of Six, told constituents today he will oppose a public option. That's disappointing, but what matters more is the procedural vote -- I care less whether he votes against the public option, and more whether he supports the filibuster of the public option.

* President Obama's town-hall event in Montana on health care went quite well.

* I guess those conservative fears of inflation were unfounded.

* Former President Clinton delivered a very strong speech at Netroots Nation last night.

* A possible breakthrough on cancer treatment?

* A statewide vote on marriage equality in California will apparently have to wait until 2012.

* Specter and Grassley are apparently going at it via Twitter.

* Ezra Klein chats with Ezekiel Emanuel.

* Heath Shuler has a tendency to let his fans down in Washington, doesn't he?

* There have apparently been some developments with John Edwards' sex scandal. Christopher Beam ponders what would happen now if Edwards were, in fact, the president.

* In the category of "if you can't beam 'em" we have David Axelrod writing his own viral email. It can't hurt.

* We're still waiting for Eric Cantor to share his thoughts on conservative abuse of Nazi and Holocaust rhetoric. Anytime you're ready, Mr. Minority Whip.

* And John Sides has a fascinating item, taking all of the fact-checking items on health care reform from Politifact.com, and categorizing claims from "true" to "pants on fire" for the president, Republicans, and Democrats. Care to take a guess which contingent has been the least honest?

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* After being coy for months about his plans, Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle (D) has decided not to seek a third term next year.

* As expected, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) officially kicks off her gubernatorial campaign in Texas today. She'll face incumbent Gov. Rick Perry in a very competitive GOP primary.

* A Washington Post poll released over the weekend shows Bob McDonnell (R) continuing to lead Creigh Deeds (D) in Virginia's gubernatorial race. Among all registered voters, McDonnell leads 47% to 40%. Among those who say they're certain to vote in November, McDonnell's lead grows to 15 points, 54% to 39%.

* The good news for New York Gov. David A. Paterson (D) is that a new Quinnipiac poll shows his approval rating up slightly. The bad news is, he's now up to 30%. In a hypothetical primary match-up against state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Paterson trails, 61% to 15%.

* There was a straw poll over the weekend at the Netroots Nation conference, held this year in Pittsburgh, on the Democratic Senate primary in Pennsylvania. Rep. Joe Sestak apparently enjoys far more netroots support than Sen. Arlen Specter, leading 46% to 10%. A third of the straw-poll participants are undecided, and 7% disapprove of both candidates. Sestak and Specter appeared at the conference.

* In North Carolina, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall is moving forward with a possible Senate campaign against incumbent Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), but the DSCC is still keeping its recruiting options open. The latest buzz is focused on former Lt. Gov. Dennis Wicker (D), who's receiving encouragement from former Gov. Jim Hunt, among others.

* Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) has long been worried about a challenge from the right next year, and it appears those concerns were justified. Conservative Bob Lang will reportedly run against Vitter, but will run as an independent.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* At a presidential event in Arizona this afternoon, two civilians were seen carrying assault rifles. This is legal in the state.

* Suicide bombing in Russia, today: "At least 20 people were killed, and dozens were wounded when a suicide bomber rammed a truck filled with explosives into a police headquarters in Russia's tumultuous North Caucasus region on Monday, according to government officials, the latest episode in a spate of violence to hit the area in recent weeks."

* Suicide bombing in Afghanistan, over the weekend: "A massive car bomb apparently driven by a suicide bomber exploded outside the front gate of the headquarters of U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan Saturday morning, sending a shock wave that could be heard across the city."

* Sen. James Webb (D-Va.) met with the military government of Burma on Saturday, and won the release of an American who'd been sentenced to seven years in prison for swimming to the house of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The mission "may open the door to further U.S. engagement" with Burmese authorities.

* Late Friday, Alabama's Colonial Bank failed. It was the biggest bank failure since Washington Mutual and the sixth largest bank failure in American history.

* Mir Hussein Moussavi launched the Green Way of Hope movement in Iran.

* Because our discourse is too often silly, it appears that [e-mail] is no more.

* The bad news: the 2009 budget deficit will be $1.6 trillion. The good news: it had been projected to be $1.8 trillion.

* The stimulus package helped prevent another depression. Most Americans, apparently, aren't impressed.

* Kevin makes the case for a public option before concluding, "It's worth fighting for a public option. But it's not worth sinking healthcare reform over it. That would hurt too many real flesh-and-blood people who need this, and a second chance wouldn't come along for a long time. We've failed on the healthcare front too many times to accept failure again." Adam Serwer is thinking along the same lines.

* Glenn Beck loses another sponsor.

* Dick Armey parted ways with a major DC lobbying firm, in light of his role with FreedomWorks. The firm, DLA Piper, represents drug firms that support health care reform. FreedomWorks is organizing angry right-wing protests against health care reform.

* Shah Rukh Khan, one of Bollywood's most recognizable movie stars, was in the United States to promote his new film about the racial profiling of Muslims. Khan, a Muslim star in a largely Hindu country, was, ironically, recently detained at Newark's airport for no apparent reason. He was released after two hours of questioning.

* Conservative activists in Atlanta hoped to hold a rally at Centennial Olympic Park over the weekend in opposition to health care reform. The goal was to draw a crowd of 15,000. According to local reports, about 3,000 showed up.

* Will health care reform receive bipartisan support in the House? Rep. Joseph Cao (R-La.) seems inclined to vote for it.

* Sign of the Apocalypse: disgraced right-wing Texan Tom DeLay, the former House Majority Leader, will join the contestants on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" next season. Seriously.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* While Gov. Jon Corzine (D) and Chris Christie (R) battle it out in New Jersey's gubernatorial campaign, the Sierra Club weighed in on the race yesterday, endorsing independent Chris Daggett.

* Rep. Mark Kirk (R) starts his Senate campaign in Illinois in a reasonably strong position, leading state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias in a hypothetical match-up, 41% to 38%, in the latest Rasmussen poll.

* There's a fair amount of speculation about who Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) will appoint to replace Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) until the end of next year, but Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) announced yesterday he does not want to be considered for the post.

* Speaking of Florida, the state's Chamber of Commerce released a poll yesterday showing state Attorney General Bill McCollum (R) leading state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink (D), 43% to 34%, in next year's gubernatorial race.

* Republicans in Colorado and D.C. haven't exactly been overwhelmed by their candidates poised to take on Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) next year. They've turned their attention to former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton (R), who is reportedly considering the race.

* And Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) will, by all appearances, seek re-election next year, but might she have higher ambitions? Bachmann told a right-wing website this week she would run for president if she felt "that's what the Lord was calling me to do."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Today's chat at the White House seemed to go well: "President Barack Obama said Tuesday that he saw 'movement in the right direction' on the crucial question of Israeli settlement construction in Palestinian areas, after Israeli officials described an apparent de facto slowdown there. Speaking following an Oval Office meeting with President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Mr. Obama said that a climate had developed for 'positive steps' in the region."

* Afghanistan: "A suicide bomber blew up a car near a NATO convoy on the dusty outskirts of Kabul on Tuesday, and mortars or rockets struck near the presidential palace as the Afghan government moved to stop the media from reporting on violence during this week's presidential election."

* Thanks to unexpected demand, General Motors is bringing back 1,350 of its U.S. and Canadian auto workers.

* Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki now supports a referendum that could force U.S. troops out of the country ahead of schedule. The referendum still needs to be approved by the Iraqi parliament.

* Sen. Mike Enzi, (R-Wyo.), a member of the Finance Committee's Gang of Six, wants to break up health care reform into separate pieces.

* A man carrying a semi-automatic assault rifle outside a presidential event told fellow protestors, "We will forcefully resist people imposing their will on us through the strength of the majority with a vote."

* On a related note, Josh Marshall considers the recent history of political violence and the modern American right.

* Glenn Beck keeps losing advertisers.

* President Obama will host "a web- and phone-based meeting on Thursday for all supporters, according to a letter sent to the Organizing for America email list today."

* The Justice Department has hired a liaison to the gay community.

* Even Joe Scarborough realizes a public option is not a "government takeover."

* More astroturf letters emerge on cap-and-trade.

* The RNC's talking points on co-ops are factually wrong. Imagine that.

* Sen. Ben Nelson is surprisingly thin-skinned.

* Nicholas Beaudrot explains health care reform in a very helpful flowchart. It's far more coherent than that thing John Boehner's office came up with a while back.

* And finally, political reporter Robert Novak died today. The controversial columnist and pundit, who embraced the nickname "The Prince of Darkness" for his memoir, is perhaps best known for his column publicly identifying CIA operative Valerie Plame. Novak died at his home of a brain tumor. He was 78.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Two new polls shows Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's (R) Senate campaign looking strong against his far-right primary opponent, former state House Speaker Marco Rubio. Quinnipiac shows Crist ahead by 29 points (55% to 26%), while Rasmussen shows Crist up by 22 points (53% to 31%).

* Businessman Chris Kennedy had expressed quite a bit of interest in running for the Senate in Illinois as a Democrat, but he announced yesterday that he will not run.

* Former HP CEO Carly Fiorina took the first step towards a Republican Senate campaign against Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) yesterday. Fiorina is perhaps best known to the political world as an advisor/surrogate for the McCain/Palin presidential campaign.

* A SurveyUSA poll in Kentucky shows Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo ahead in the Democratic primary for the open Senate seat next year. He leads state Attorney General Jack Conway in the poll by eight, 39% to 31%.

* The latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) looking rather weak in his bid for a full term next year. He leads a couple of his lesser-known Republican rivals, but trails former Rep. Bob Beauprez (R) by three, 42% to 39%.

* Labor leader Richard Trumka wants Democratic lawmakers to know that if they vote against a public option, union support is on the line when they seek re-election.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Devastating attacks in Iraq: "A string of attacks in Baghdad, including two bombings near prominent government buildings, killed at least 95 people and wounded more than 530 Wednesday morning in the bloodiest day in the capital since the withdrawal of U.S. troops from cities.... The two deadliest bombings targeted the finance and foreign ministries, which are among the most heavily guarded buildings in Baghdad, Iraqi authorities said."

* Afghans head to the polls tomorrow, and the country is on edge.

* Two North Korean officials head to Santa Fe to chat with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D). The North Koreans reportedly requested the meeting, and the State Department approved.

* On a related note, former President Bill Clinton briefed President Obama and his team on North Korea in the Situation Room yesterday (the real one, not that CNN thing).

* Israel: "Several officials said Tuesday that [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu], Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Housing Minister Ariel Atias had quietly agreed to suspend all government tenders to build new Jewish housing in the West Bank and East Jerusalem at least until the start of next year."

* This ought to be interesting: "The Swiss banking giant UBS on Wednesday reached a final deal with the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service in which it will ultimately disclose names and account details for more than 4,450 wealthy Americans suspected of tax evasion."

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is prepared to pass health care reform "by any legislative means necessary."

* Some talking points never change: "Top Senate Republicans warned [Attorney General Eric Holder] on Wednesday not to name a special prosecutor to investigate Bush policies allowing brutal techniques on terrorism suspects, saying that doing so would drive a wedge between the Justice Department and the CIA and 'leave us more vulnerable to attack.'"

* UnitedHealth Group claims to be an insurance company that wants health care reform. If that's true, why is it directing its employees to attend right-wing, anti-reform Tea Parties?

* Good: "An Oklahoma judge on Tuesday overturned a state law that required women seeking an abortion to receive an ultrasound and a doctor's description of the fetus."

* How big a hack is Dick Armey? He's trying to politicize the H1N1 virus.

* Limbaugh cheers on the lunatic from Barney Frank's town hall, while Steve Doocy, in an apparent attempt to be even more ridiculous than usual, thinks the congressman was mean to the nutty protestor.

* Steven Pearlstein dismisses the significance of the public option: "It is not the be-all and end-all of health-care reform." He added it's "a political non-starter that threatens the entire reform effort. It's time to let it go." Ezra responds.

* Families USA does a nice job with this: "10 Reasons to Support The Health Care Reform Bills."

* As if the anti-Semitism from anti-health reform protesters weren't disgusting enough, if keeps getting worse.

* Fox News comes up with a new way to source its brand of "journalism."

* Glenn Beck loses yet another advertiser.

* R.I.P., Don Hewitt.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Club for Growth, a right-wing lobbying organization, is launching an ad campaign in Iowa, Maine, and Wyoming, hoping to convince the Republican members of the Senate Finance Committee's Gang of Six "not to cave in to the liberals on health care."

* A new Quinnipiac poll shows state Attorney General Bill McCollum (R) ahead in Florida's 2010 gubernatorial race. The poll finds McCollum leading state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink (D) by four, 38% to 34%. Both candidates have relatively low name-ID, suggesting that fundraising and advertising will make a big difference.

* There's a good reason the Republican establishment was desperate to see Sen. Jim Bunning (R) resign. A new SurveyUSA poll in Kentucky shows Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R) leading state Attorney General Jack Conway (D) and Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo (D) in hypothetical match-ups by about six points. Either Dem was expected to beat Bunning.

* Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-N.C.) had been recruited to run against Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) next year, but Etheridge withdrew from consideration. This week, he's apparently giving the race another look.

* Rep. Mark Kirk (R) hoped his Senate campaign in Illinois wouldn't have to deal with a primary challenge. That isn't quite working out as planned -- conservative lawyer and real estate developer Pat Hughes has launched his own campaign, joining at least six other Republicans who've filed paperwork for the GOP primary.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Despite threats from the Taliban, Afghans voted today in a national election. Vote-counting is underway.

* The Cash-for-Clunkers program will wrap up on Monday at 8 p.m.

* Scottish authorities freed Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, the Libyan convicted in the Pan Am 103 bombing, today. The Obama administration was not pleased with the move.

* Speaker Pelosi believes the only way to pass health care reform in the House is to include a public option in the bill.

* In 2004, the CIA contracted with Blackwater to target al Qaeda operatives. The program was canceled before being implemented.

* American support for the war in Afghanistan continues to fall. A majority now see the conflict as not worth fighting, only one-in-four want to see more U.S. troops sent to the country.

* Confusion about health care reform among rank-and-file Republicans keeps getting worse.

* The conservative approach to health care reform in a nutshell: "Limbaugh tells caller who can't afford $6,000 to treat broken wrist: 'Well, you shouldn't have broken your wrist.'"

* If Rick Scott insists on lying about reform, the least he could do is come up with more plausible nonsense.

* E.J. Dionne urges Americans attending public policy debates to leave their guns at home. That seems reasonable.

* Harold Meyerson explains why negotiating with Republicans on health care reform is folly.

* Media Matters documents the "myths and falsehoods about health care reform." Clip and save.

* Corrupt-politician-turned-TV-dancer Tom DeLay wants Chris Matthews to ask the president to "show me his gift certificate." Maybe the poor guy has spent a little too much time around bug spray?

* Michael J.W. Stickings weighs in with a hearty defense of Ontario's health care system. (Hint: conservatives are wrong.)

* I have no idea why President Obama's choice in neckwear, or lack thereof, is of any interest to anyone.

* I have no idea why the length of First Lady Michelle Obama's pants is of any interest to anyone.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Creigh Deeds, the Democratic gubernatorial hopeful in Virginia, has a new strategy in mind to go after frontrunner Bob McDonnell (R). A source close to the candidate told Chris Cillizza that Deeds "will cast the race as a choice between the policies put in place by popular Democratic Govs. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and those of former president George W. Bush."

* DNC fundraising outpaced RNC fundraising in July, $9 million to $6 million. The prior was no doubt helped by a major fundraiser President Obama held for the DNC in Chicago last month.

* As for the campaign committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee edged out its Democratic counterpart in July, $2.75 million to just over $2 million.

* Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio's Senate campaign is struggling, facing Gov. Charlie Crist in a Republican primary. Rubio does enjoy the support of the party's far-right base, however, as evidenced by the new cover story from the National Review.

* Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter's (D) re-election efforts are looking shaky at this point, with a new survey from Public Policy Polling showing the incumbent trailing former Rep. Scott McInnis (R) in a hypothetical general election match-up, 46% to 38%. Ritter's biggest hurdle right now is weak support from Colorado's Democrats. Party leaders fear a tough gubernatorial race will also have down-ballot consequences, especially for Sen. Michael Bennet (D).

* Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson is expected to be the Republicans' Senate candidate next year, but a new poll shows Ron Paul's son, ophthalmologist Rand Paul, creeping up on the party establishment's pick.

* And in Utah, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R) continues to flirt with the idea of taking on Sen. Bob Bennett in a Republican primary next year. Chaffetz has already reserved ChaffetzForSenate.com, though he said it was a precautionary move -- he didn't want someone else taking it while he weighs his options.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke offered "his most hopeful assessment in more than a year" today, asserting that "the prospects for a return to growth in the near term appear good."

* No results yet from Afghanistan's presidential race, but incumbent Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah both claimed to be positioned to win. More likely, the two will compete in a run-off election.

* U.S. home sales rose in July, the fourth consecutive rise.

* Yesterday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said health care reform has to feature a public option. Today, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said, "I'm for a public option, but I'm also for passing a bill." The Maryland Democrat added, "We believe the public option is a necessary, useful and very important aspect of this. But, you know, we'll have to see, because there are many other important aspects of the bill, as well."

* World Health Organization officials expect the H1N1 virus to generate an "explosion" of cases in the coming months. The WHO's Western Pacific director said some countries could see the number of cases double every three to four days for months.

* Good news and bad news from a South Dakota judge on the state's anti-abortion laws.

* As of today, President Obama is on vacation.

* Sen. Ted Kennedy would like to see state lawmakers change the law on Senate replacements. State lawmakers do not appear anxious to act on his request.

* Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), who clearly isn't well, believes the United States is on track to be like Iran. "Why don't Americans see what we're doing?" the right-wing senator asked on a talk-radio show yesterday.

* Given last week's ratings, perhaps "Meet the Press" should have invited Rachel Maddow on sooner.

* James Fallows reflects on last night's "Daily Show": "I have been far too soft on Betsy McCaughey. Even when conferring on her the title of 'most destructive effect on public discourse by a single person' for the 1990s. She is way less responsible and tethered to the world of 'normal' facts and discourse than I had imagined."

* On a related note, McCaughey resigned today from her position as a director of Cantel Medical Corp.

* When the American Medical Association was skeptical about health care reform, Fox News approved of the group. Now that the AMA supports reform, the Republican network is far less fond of the organization.

* And finally, Rep. Allen Boyd of Florida is one of the chamber's most conservative Democrats. He was, for example, the only House Dem to support Bush's effort to privatize Social Security. He was, however, hosting a town-hall event in his district this week, when someone suggested that health care reform would force Americans to give the government access to their bank accounts. "That's not true," Boyd responded. "When someone sends you something on the Internet that sounds crazy, how about just checking it a little bit?" Good advice.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In a surprise development, RNC Chairman Michael Steele appeared on a radio program last week, and seemed to agree with a radio talk-show host who blasted House GOP leaders John Boehner and Roy Blunt. With the latter running for the Senate next year in Missouri, the remarks are likely to be widely circulated.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) appears to be struggling badly in his re-election bid in Nevada next year. The latest Mason-Dixon poll shows Reid trailing both real estate lawyer Danny Tarkanian and state GOP Chairwoman Sue Lowden in hypothetical match-ups.

* And speaking of Nevada, if scandal-plagued Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) seeks re-election, he'll likely lose badly in a GOP primary.

* If California, former eBay CEO Meg Whitman is moving forward with her Republican gubernatorial campaign, but she's declining invitations to debate her GOP primary rivals. Her refusals are raising questions about Whitman's readiness for prime time.

* In New York, a new Siena Poll shows Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's (D) re-election prospects looking shaky, in part because of weak name i.d. (Gillibrand was appointed to the Senate seat after Hillary Clinton became Secretary of State). The poll found 24% of New Yorkers who said Gillibrand deserves to win a full term next year, 35% who prefer someone else, and 41% who are unsure.

* And in Georgia, the latest Rasmussen poll shows former Gov. Roy Barnes leading the 2010 Democratic gubernatorial primary, well out in front of state Attorney General Thurbert Baker.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Hot off the presses: "The Obama administration on Monday released additional portions of a long-classified CIA report on the agency's interrogation of high-level Qaeda detainees. The document contains new allegations of detainee abuse at secret prisons around the world and seems likely to prolong a debate about the legality and effectiveness of employing coercive methods to elicit intelligence from terrorist suspects.... The report, presciently, noted that 'the agency faces potentially serious long-term political and legal challenges as a result of the . . . program, particularly its use of [Enhanced Interrogation Techniques] and the inability of the U.S. Government to decide what it will ultimately do with terrorists detained by the agency.'"

* Afghanistan's Finance Minister, with unofficial results, said President Hamid Karzai has won re-election with 68% support.

* The High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group: "President Obama has approved the creation of an elite team of interrogators to question key terrorism suspects, part of a broader effort to revamp U.S. policy on detention and interrogation, senior administration officials said Sunday." The CIA seems rather pleased with the development.

* The Obama administration has decided to break with Bush-era rules and will notify the International Committee of the Red Cross about the names of detainees held by U.S. Special Operations forces.

* The H1H1 flu vaccination campaign will be "unprecedented in its scope." Preparations include "more than 2,800 local health departments have begun recruiting pediatricians, obstetricians, nurses, pharmacists, paramedics and even dentists, along with a small army of volunteers from churches and other groups."

* Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) says he really does support a public option.

* New twist: health care reform supporter shows up at a public event with a gun.

* On a related note: "Chris Broughton, the man who brought an assault rifle to an Obama event in Arizona earlier this week, and William Kostric, who protested outside a presidential forum in New Hampshire armed with a handgun last week, are both listed as "team members" of the Arizona chapter of the We The People organization."

* A spokesperson for Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) said he will not file a lawsuit challenging the president's citizenship, but the right-wing lawmaker thinks it's "ridiculous" that the president hasn't "produced" his birth certificate. (Franks isn't the sharpest tool in the shed.)

* Michael Tomasky on health care reform and the left: "[L]iberals have to fight hard for something they're not terribly excited about. A health bill will likely have a very weak public option or it won't have one at all. But liberals will have to battle for that bill as if it's life and death (which in fact it will be for thousands of Americans), because its defeat would constitute a historic victory for the birthers and the gun-toters and the Hitler analogists. In the coming weeks, building toward a possible congressional vote in November, progressives will have to get out in force to show middle America that there's support for reform as well as opposition, even though they may find the final bill disappointing."

* How anyone could consider Fred Barnes anything but a sad joke is beyond me.

* The addition of Laura Rozen has instantly made the Politico a stronger publication.

* I'm actually going to miss Slate's "Today's Papers" feature, and think the magazine is making a big mistake by getting rid of it.

* As of this morning, Glenn Beck has lost 33 advertisers.

* Fox News probably shouldn't promote right-wing activist gatherings quite this much. It's almost as if it weren't really a "news" network at all....

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Despite the humiliations of his presidential campaign, Rudy Giuliani is moving closer to launching a gubernatorial campaign in New York.

* In a bit of a surprise, former Rep. Bob Beauprez (R) announced that he will not challenge Sen. Michael Bennet (D) in Colorado next year.

* In South Carolina, state Attorney General Henry McMaster (R) kicked off his gubernatorial campaign yesterday. In his announcement, McMaster took a not-so-subtle shot at South Carolina's current governor: "There's been too much dishonesty and too many scandals."

* As if the prospect of a primary challenge weren't enough, Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah) is now facing a new round of criticism from the Club for Growth, which is accusing Bennett of not being nearly right-wing enough.

* There's already a large field of Arkansas Republicans anxious to take on Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) next year. But might she also face a Democratic primary challenger?

* Confirming earlier reports, former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton (D) said he's sticking with his plans to take on Rep. Steve Cohen (D) in a primary next year.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "Five car bombs detonated in a single simultaneous blast Tuesday in Afghanistan's largest southern city, flattening of buildings and killing at least 41 people, officials said. In other violence, four U.S. servicemen were killed by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan, making 2009 the deadliest year for the growing contingent of foreign troops since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001."

* Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) sounds very discouraged about health care reform's prospects: "We're headed in the direction of doing absolutely nothing, and I think that's unfortunate."

* Consumer confidence is looking a little better.

* On the CIA Inspector General Report, read Glenn, publius, and Michael Scherer.

* Is half a torture investigation better than none at all? Dahlia Lithwick ponders.

* John McCain today told supportive constituents today that President Obama supports the Constitution. The senator was roundly booed for the comment.

* On a related note, McCain's discussion with constituents was aired live on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News. I don't know why.

* Obama's FCC will enforce net neutrality and vowed to go after companies that violate its tenets.

* South Carolina Republicans continue to weigh impeachment against Gov. Mark Sanford (R).

* The result of our public discourse: "A 'vandalism spree' hit the Colorado Democratic Party headquarters in Denver today, where the 'vandal allegedly used a hammer to smash' 11 windows."

* Rush Limbaugh thinks the president might be after his genitalia.

* Utah State Sen. Chris Buttars (R) sure does seem to hate gay people.

* Sean Hannity invited a guest onto his program last night to complain about comparisons between right-wing activists and "brown shirts." The guest proceeded to compare the Democratic agenda to "National Socialism" and accuse administration officials of having swastikas on their arms.

* When it comes to ratings, Fox News is a great success. Fox Business Network is, at least for now, a colossal failure.

* And finally, there was a lengthy discussion yesterday on "Fox & Friends" about whether the Republican effort to sink health care reform is a "conspiracy theory." I'm fairly certain they weren't kidding.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* While the right is targeting House Democrats who supported cap-and-trade legislation in June, four independent groups -- the League of Conservation Voters, the Sierra Club, MoveOn and Americans United for Change -- are targeting five House Republicans for opposing the same bill.

* Speaking of ads, the DNC is launching a new radio ad campaign, applauding 13 House Dems for supporting the stimulus package and S-CHIP.

* Last week, New York Gov. David Paterson (D) seemed to suggest that racial bias in the media has played in a role in the criticism of administration. Yesterday, he walked it back.

* Virginia gubernatorial hopeful Creigh Deeds (D) is launching a new radio ad, intended to bolster Deeds' support among African-American voters. The minute-long spot, called "Fired Up," features President Obama's praise for the state senator.

* In California, two new polls show San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom trailing state Attorney General Jerry Brown in the Democratic gubernatorial primary by wide margins. Of particular interest were results showing Newsom trailing Brown in San Francisco, which should be the mayor's strongest area.

* And in Connecticut, Joe Lieberman responded to the possibility that actor Alec Baldwin might run against him in 2012. Lieberman taunted Baldwin on CNN, saying, "Make my day." In a statement, the actor said he has no plans to run for office, but added, "Part of me would hate to see Lieberman go.... There are so few moderate Republicans left in the Senate today."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* In a bit of a surprise, new U.S. home sales jumped 9.6% in July, beating analysts' expectations for the fourth straight month.

* The Cash for Clunkers program wrapped up this week, and led to nearly 700,000 new car sales. The program, which most have deemed a success, came in under its $3 billion budget.

* South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's (R) troubles got worse today when Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer (R) urged Sanford to resign, and vowed not to seek another term if the governor would finally step down. Sanford said he would not be "railroaded" out of office.

* If Massachusetts lawmakers are still willing to change the process for replacing U.S. senators, Gov. Deval Patrick (D) would sign a bill into law.

* Funeral arrangements were announced today for Edward Kennedy. He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, just 95 feet south of the area where his older brothers, President John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy, were laid to rest.

* Vice President Biden delivered a heartfelt tribute to Kennedy today. The two served together for nearly four decades.

* The Vietnam Veterans of America, a national advocacy group, is not at all impressed with the vile, right-wing "death book" attacks.

* Betsy McCaughey continues to be poison for the political discourse.

* Karl Rove and Rush Limbaugh are no better.

* In light of President Obama's decision to re-nominate Ben Bernanke at the Fed, James K. Galbraith's piece in the new issue of the Monthly is all the more significant.

* You know that attack on the Colorado Democratic Party Headquarters? The initial reports suggested it was the work of enraged right-wing activists. There may be more to it than that.

* It looks like Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) is going for the full "birther" after all.

* And, as the anniversary of the Hurricane Katrina disaster approaches, right-wing radio host Neal Boortz today referred to the victims of the story as human "debris." You stay classy, conservatives.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A new Rasmussen poll in New Jersey finds that former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie (R) now leads incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine (D), 47% to 36%. The 11-point margin is slightly less than Christie's 13-point lead a few weeks ago. When leaners are pushed into choose one of the candidates, though, Christie's lead shrinks from 13 points three weeks ago, to eight points now.

* In Virginia's gubernatorial race, the Republican Governors Association launched a new attack ad against Creigh Deeds (D), accusing him of being a "big spender."

* On a related note, Deeds has a new radio ad, which refers to the candidate as "that underdog guy." The spot tells voters Deeds is "a little more Mark Warner and a lot less George Bush."

* In a surprise announcement, three-term Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas (R) announced this morning that he will not seek re-election next year. Douglas added that he won't run for any other statewide office in 2010, but he will serve until the end of his current term.

* As expected, Rep. Charlie Melancon (D) of Louisiana announced this morning that he will take on Sen. David Vitter (R) next year. In light of Vitter's prostitution scandal, the race is expected to be competitive.

* Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is expected to win the Democratic primary fight in next year's Senate race, but the field of primary opponents is growing. Yesterday, Chicago's Inspector General, David Hoffman, stepped down from his post to launch a Senate campaign.

* Last year, Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) barely held onto his seat. Next year, he'll face another tough challenge -- state Rep. Harry Crawford (D), a DCCC favorite, announced yesterday he'll take on the controversial congressman.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation issues another grim report card: "The agency reported that the banking industry lost $3.7 billion in the second quarter amid a surge in bad loans made to home builders, commercial real estate developers, and small and midsize businesses. Its deposit insurance fund dropped 20 percent, to $10.4 billion, in the second quarter, its lowest level in nearly 16 years."

* The revised GDP numbers from the second quarter showed the economy shrank at a 1% annual rate. The previous estimate was a 1.5% decline.

* House Committee on Energy and Commerce put together a terrific resource, measuring the impact of health care reform on every congressional district in the country.

* Ted Kennedy's body arrived in Boston this afternoon, after traveling a 70-mile route, with spectators lining the streets.

* The RNC conceded today its claim that the government may discriminate against Republican voters for medical treatment isn't true. As an RNC spokesperson put it, the claim was "inartfully worded."

* A man who brought an assault rifle and a handgun to a presidential event in Arizona last week had attended church services the day before. His pastor told the congregation that he was going to "pray for Barack Obama to die and go to hell."

* A federal investigation prevented New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) from joining the Obama cabinet, but it looks like Richardson is in the clear.

* Blue Dog Democrats sure do get a lot of money from the pharmaceutical, health care. and health insurance industries.

* I'm glad to see Wendell Potter's efforts get some more attention. I still think his should be a household name by now. Is anyone's perspective more relevant in the health care debate?

* Adam Serwer 1, Any McCarthy 0.

* Looks like Beck and O'Reilly have made Van Jones the man they love to hate.

* Remember when there was talk that John McCain might revert to his 2001 form after the presidential campaign was over? So much for that idea.

* It's good to see "Matthew Alexander" join VetVoice.

* I'm young and healthy, and plan to be around for a very long time. But if something horrible ever happens to me, by all means, politicize my death.

* I'm not entirely sure who Andrew Breitbart is, but his attacks on Ted Kennedy yesterday were vile.

* Limbaugh is, of course, attacking Kennedy, too.

* Digby asks an interesting question: "How long is everyone going to deny just how fu**ing crazy mainstream Republicanism has become? And when are people going to start asking seriously where this is headed?"

* A reader let me know about this insightful piece from Michael Seitzman, who shares a suggestion about how to deal with the crazies: "Stop trying to get these people to realize how wrong they are and how right you are. Stop trying to apply reason to the profoundly unreasonable. Stop trying to mitigate or explain their collective temper tantrum. Stop trying to curry their favor, their votes, their attention. They don't care about truth, right and wrong, good or bad. They care about stomping feet, crying victim, and pointing fingers."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) has chosen his former chief of staff, George LeMieux, to replace Sen. Mel Martinez (R) through the end of next year. LeMieux is Crist's closest political advisor and serves as deputy state attorney general until 2006.

* To the widespread disappointment of Democrats everywhere, Mitt Romney will not run for Ted Kennedy's Senate seat in January.

* A Democracy Corps poll in New Jersey shows Chris Christie (R) leading incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine by just two points, 43% to 41%, with independent Chris Daggett with 7% support. In a head-to-head contest, Christie is up by three, 46% to 43%.

* Rex Rammell, a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Idaho, joked this week about hunting President Obama. He later said he was kidding, and "would never support him being assassinated."

* As if Sen. David Vitter's (R-La.) re-election prospects weren't challenging enough -- he's facing a credible Democratic challenger and is burdened by a prostitution scandal -- he may soon face a primary challenge from Gen. Russell Honore.

* Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas (R) will step down next year after four terms, but he will not run for president in 2012.

* Theocrat Roy Moore (R), running for governor in Alabama next year, has secured an endorsement from actor Chuck Norris.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Consumer spending in the U.S. edges up, just a little.

* Iran really shouldn't stonewall nuclear watchdogs.

* The Taliban was driven from three Pashtun-dominated districts in northern Afghanistan in 2001, and the area has been considered safe for quite a while. Now, Taliban insurgents are back, and they're taking over.

* On a related note, the more there are accusations of fraud and voter coercion in Afghanistan's presidential election, the worse it is for the legitimacy of the Kabul government.

* When it comes to the health care debate, conservatives seem almost obsessed with "death."

* Apparently hoping to prove how truly crazy he's become, Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) claims to have been just days away from filing a lawsuit challenging the president's citizenship.

* I'm glad to see Tom Coburn's remarks this week to a wife of a brain-injury victim start to get noticed. If Democrats were better organized and had a more favorable media environment, the video probably would be the single most important exchange of the summer.

* According to local officials, including some very conservative Republicans, the Obama White House is doing some terrific work on post-Katrina efforts in Louisiana.

* Newt Gingrich wants President Obama to fire Attorney General Eric Holder. Newt Gingrich isn't very bright.

* South Carolina's GOP lawmakers are moving forward with possible impeachment plans against Gov. Mark Sanford (R).

* On a related note, half of Sanford's constituents want him to go away.

* Greg Sargent keeps making Stephen Hayes look foolish. Hayes, for reasons I don't understand, keeps coming back for more, and Greg keeps making Hayes look worse.

* Nice piece today from Michael Tomasky on Drudge and Breitbart.

* I have no idea whether turnout for the next Tea Party events will be strong or not, but I've never seen events get this kind of publicity from an outlet pretending to be a "news" network.

* Michael Scheuer, still nutty.

* And finally, if you haven't already seen it, watch this mock cable-news debate: "Is Using A Minotaur To Gore Detainees A Form Of Torture?" It's painfully funny and painfully sad at the same time. Instant classic.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Who'll run to fill the Senate vacancy left by Ted Kennedy? Some of his Senate colleagues believe his widow, Vicky, deserves serious consideration.

* On a related note, former Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II (D-Mass.) is also very much a part of the mix.

* Last week, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) picked his former chief of staff, George Lemieux, to serve in the Senate through the end of next year. The selection isn't going over especially well.

* Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) bid for a full term is likely to get a little more complicated if/when former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff challenges the appointed senator in a Democratic primary.

* I haven't seen anything about the methodology, but the Alabama Education Association has a poll showing Rep. Artur Davis (D) leading his likely Republican opponents in next year's gubernatorial race.

* Confirming earlier reports, Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) announced late last week that he will not take on Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) next year. Braley will, however, seek re-election to the House.

* And while the Republicans' 2012 presidential field remains very much in flux, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) isn't even thinking about it. "I wouldn't get out of my driveway without my wife shooting me in the back," DeMint said.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the commander of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan, has released his new assessment of the war. "The situation in Afghanistan is serious, but success is achievable and demands a revised implementation strategy, commitment and resolve, and increased unity of effort," General McChrystal said in a statement. The report does not call for additional U.S. troops, but that's likely to come soon.

* The era of one-party dominance in Japan has ended, and the center-left Democratic Party won a huge victory over the weekend against the Liberal Democratic Party.

* The forest fires in California are "still very much out of control."

* Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) announced today the special election to fill the Senate vacancy left by Ted Kennedy will be held on January 19. On September 9, however, state lawmakers will debate whether to change the law and allow Patrick to appoint an interim placeholder senator.

* Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who's pretending to work on health care reform, sent out a fundraising letter vowing to defeat "Obamacare." The conservative senator's office later said the appeal was referring only to the public option.

* Mike Huckabee made some pretty vile comments about reform and Ted Kennedy last week. Today, instead of apologizing, he doubled down.

* Speaking of vile reform-related rhetoric, say hello to Rep. Pete Olson (R) of Texas.

* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) still thinks the health care status quo in the United States is fine.

* I neglected to note this strange WaPo piece over the weekend with an overtly Cheney-centric view on torture. Greenwald does the requisite response.

* Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) was involved in a serious boating accident in Montana on Friday, and is hospitalized in stable condition.

* For the first time that anyone can remember, Florida's population is shrinking.

* Michael Scheuer thinks Democrats are "pro-terrorist." What an odd man.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told the publisher of the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he hopes the paper goes out of business. The paper was not pleased. Reid later said he was kidding.

* Betsy McCaughey continues to be poison for the public discourse.

* Chris Wallace isn't even pretending to be anything but a torture apologist.

* I'm not at all pleased to see Disney is buying Marvel.

* How ugly has it become for conservative activists fighting against health care reform? When Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) hosted a town-hall meeting and requested 10 seconds of silence out of respect for Sen. Ted Kennedy's death, some of the conservatives shouted through it. Classy.

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THE PRO-FAMILY CASE FOR REFORM....

For quite a while now, there have been ongoing efforts to make reform more appealing by framing it ways that conservatives might like. The right claims to be worried about fiscal responsibility, for example, so reform advocates note that the status quo is fiscally devastating.

Conservatives are also ostensibly concerned about marriages and traditional family structures. So perhaps the right might care that, in some instances, our broken health care system promotes and encourages divorce. The NYT's Nicholas Kristof explains how the status quo "breaks apart families," and highlights the experiences of a pseudonymous friend named M.

She was married to a sweet, gentle man whom she loved, but who had become increasingly absent-minded. Finally, he was diagnosed with early-onset dementia.

The disease is degenerative, and he will become steadily less able to care for himself. At some point, as his medical needs multiply, he will probably need to be institutionalized.

The hospital arranged a conference call with a social worker, who outlined how the dementia and its financial toll on the family would progress, and then added, out of the blue: "Maybe you should divorce."

"I was blown away," M. told me. But, she said, the hospital staff members explained that they had seen it all before, many times. If M.'s husband required long-term care, the costs would be catastrophic even for a middle-class family with savings.

Eventually, after the expenses whittled away their combined assets, her husband could go on Medicaid -- but by then their children's nest egg would be gone, along with her 401(k) plan. She would face a bleak retirement with neither her husband nor her savings.



Apparently, these kinds of divorces are so common in American society that the law is written to seize assets of ex-spouses up to five years later. Kristof's friend was encouraged to not only divorce her ailing husband, but to do so quickly.

Once this happens, the government (i.e., taxpayers) ends up picking up the tab, but not until the person who's sick is left with nothing. M.'s family lawyer told her, "I don't see any other options for you."

No other industrialized democracy on earth allows its citizens to endure such nightmares. Indeed, Kritof noted an American Journal of Medicine study that found 62% of all American bankruptcies are linked to medical bills -- and more than three out of four of those bankruptcies occurred among those with insurance. Again, every citizen of every other industrialized democracy on the planet need not worry about such a scenario.

Reform proponents want to end this insanity. Conservatives -- you know, the crowd that considers itself "pro-family" -- are fighting like hell to stop them.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Given a variety of recent controversies surrounding Chris Christie, the Republican gubernatorial hopeful in New Jersey, Democrats hoped to see Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine narrowing the gap. A new Quinnipiac poll doesn't show that at all, with Christie still leading Corzine by 10, 47% to 37%. Independent Chris Daggett is third with 9%.

* On the other hand, a poll on the same race from Farleigh Dickenson University shows Christie's lead over Corzine at just five points, 47% to 42%.

* In Virginia, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows an increasingly competitive contest, with Republican Bob McDonnell now leading Democrat Creigh Deeds by seven, 49% to 42%. A month ago, PPP had McDonnell up by 14.

* And speaking of McDonnell, his 1989 master's thesis at TV preacher Pat Robertson's Regent University is shaking up the gubernatorial race, and the GOP candidate hosted an 80-minute conference call yesterday to discuss the issue in detail. Deeds' communications director said the story has the "potential to really change the dynamics of this race."

* In a bit of a surprise, Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) announced yesterday that he will not take on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) next year. He conceded that he was interested in the race, but didn't think he could raise enough money to win. King's pass on the race leaves Republicans without a top-tier challenger.

* The DSCC hoped to recruit state Sen. C. Bradley Hutto to take on Sen. Jim DeMint (R) next year in South Carolina, but Hutto has decided to skip the race. His decision leaves Democrats without a top-tier challenger for the Senate's most right-wing member.

* And in Louisiana, retired Army Gen. Russel Honore is trying to knock down rumors that he's poised to take on Sen. David Vitter (R) in a Republican primary next year. Honore rejected the rumors, saying, "I am not running for office."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* For a change, auto sales were encouraging in August. Ford, Honda, and Hyundai had a good moth, while GM and Chrysler fared far less well.

* America's manufacturing sector grew last month for the first time in 19 months. President Obama called it "a sign that we're on the path to economic recovery."

* National Security Adviser and retired Gen. Jim Jones believe President Obama is having greater success taking terrorists out of commission than former President Bush did. Interesting report from ABC's Jake Tapper.

* It's a little complicated, but the reconciliation process makes it more likely, not less, that health care reform will have a robust public option.

* The AFL-CIO expects a public option. So does John Conyers.

* The other Sen. Nelson (Bill of Florida) is down on the public option and says it doesn't have the votes.

* How low have the Tea Baggers' gone? They've even willing to hook up with Howard Kaloogian. Wow, that's low.

* It's surprising to see Alberto Gonzales endorse Eric Holder's new CIA-related investigation.

* Liz Cheney sure does lie a lot. In fact, when she's not lying about one area of public policy, she's lying about another.

* Did Texas execute an innocent man? David Grann considers the case of Cameron Todd Willingham.

* That awful Washington Post profile of the National Organization for Marriage's Brian Brown was even worse than originally

* In light of Ted Kennedy's passing, might conservatives show him some respect? Apparently not.

* CNN's Lou Dobbs hasn't been making as many headlines lately, but he's planning to be involved in a very disturbing event in about two weeks, which will be even more offensive than his usual broadcasts.

* On his radio show today, Glenn Beck decided to "get all Jesus" on his audience, and warned of a "Satan"-like "perversion" of the United States.

* George Will wants to see the United States withdraw from Afghanistan.

* Rest assured, House Democrats have not banned patriotic Muzak, though you may hear otherwise.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Massachusetts, Vicki Reggie Kennedy reportedly has no intention of running for the Senate vacancy left by her late husband, Ted Kennedy. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and former Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.) are also unlikely to run.

* On the other hand, state Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) became the first candidate to launch a campaign in the race. The special election is scheduled for Jan. 19, but one assumes Coakley will have plenty of competitors for the Dec. 8 primary.

* Gilbert Baker, an Arkansas state senator and former chairman of the state's Republican Party, launched a Senate campaign yesterday, hoping to take on incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) next year.

* Former Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber (D), who left office after two terms in 2003, is apparently interested in running for his old job again in 2010.

* Entertainer Kinky Friedman is poised to launch another gubernatorial campaign in Texas, this time as a Democrat.

* In low-turnout contests, California Lt. Gov. John Garamendi (D) and businessman David Harmer (R) won in their respective primaries yesterday in the race to replace former Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.). Garamendi and Harmer will now face off in November.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "A Taliban suicide bomber detonated his explosives as Afghanistan's deputy chief of intelligence visited a mosque east of Kabul on Wednesday, killing the Afghan official and 22 others."

* On a related note, the allegations of election corruption in Afghanistan are getting more serious.

* Largest Medicare fraud fine ever: "Top aides in the Obama administration announced a $2.3 billion settlement on Wednesday with the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. over the company's illegal promotion of its now-withdrawn painkiller, Bextra."

* Iran's top nuclear negotiator said yesterday he's ready for some international chats.

* Can the AFL-CIO be satisfied with no card check in the Employee Free Choice Act?

* This makes me genuinely angry: "Low-wage workers are routinely denied proper overtime pay and are often paid less than the minimum wage, according to a new study based on a survey of workers in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago."

* If Benjamin Netanyahu wants to establish stronger ties with the Obama administration, he can cut a deal on curtailing Israeli settlements.

* The shift in U.S. strategy on illegal opium crops in Afghanistan is apparently producing encouraging results.

* The White House has apparently hurt Sen. Chuck Grassley's (R-Iowa) feelings. What a joke.

* Rep. Phil Gingrey (R) of Georgia wants President Obama to vow to veto any health care bill that includes a public option or a co-op. I don't think he was kidding.

* On a related note, as congressional Republicans move further and further away from health care reform, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) still wants a "bipartisan" solution.

* RNC Chairman Michael Steele, still an embarrassment to himself.

* Kate Sheppard ponders the consequences of failing to pass a climate bill this year. Hint: that would be bad.

* FP: "It's not too late to stop Africa's largest country from splitting in half. But Obama needs to act now to prevent the worst."

* Diane Sawyer will replace Charlie Gibson as the anchor of ABC's "World News."

* Did you catch Tom Ridge on "The Rachel Maddow Show" last night? You should.

* The far-right is not at all happy about Jon Henke's efforts targeting WorldNetDaily. It's a sign that Jon is doing the right thing.

* South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) believes God is on his side.

* I'm delighted to see EmailChecker.org, and I'm glad it's off to a good start.

* Jim Traficant, a free man.

* Fox News stalks the Media Matters offices.

* And finally, keep a close eye on Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, who has only hired one law clerk for next year's term. The buzz in judicial circles was very loud today about the possibility of his retirement.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The controversy surrounding Bob McDonnell's right-wing thesis is not yet hurting the Republican gubernatorial candidate's campaign in Virginia. The latest Rasmussen poll shows him leading Creigh Deeds (D) by nine, 51% to 42%.

* That said, the controversy has renewed Democratic interests in the race, and the DNC is poised to invest $5 million in the Virginia gubernatorial contest with just two months remaining.

* And in still more news out of Virginia, a Public Policy Polling survey shows George Allen (R), the former governor and senator, looking rather strong should he try to launch a comeback.

* Retired baseball player Curt Schilling is considering a Senate campaign in Massachusetts. Schilling, who has never held public office, is a conservative Republican activist who campaigned for George W. Bush and John McCain in the last two cycles, and is an admitted admirer of Ann Coulter's.

* If Schilling does run, he will not be eligible to run as a Republican.

* And speaking of Massachusetts, state Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) formally kicked off her Senate campaign today.

* It looks as if Nevada Republican Party Chairwoman Sue Lowden is giving up her post so she can run against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

* And in Illinois, Rep. Mark Kirk (R), running for the Senate, is under fire for remarks suggesting condoms can reduce illegal immigration from Mexico. The comments, made two years ago, are the focus of new a new ad campaign from Illinois Immigrant Action, a Chicago-based immigration reform advocacy group. (thanks to reader GK for the heads-up)

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Defense Secretary Robert Gates doesn't think it's a good time to withdraw from Afghanistan.

* Vice President Biden explains why the stimulus is working even better than expected.

* Quick, someone tell James Inhofe: "The Arctic is warmer than it's been in 2,000 years, according to a new study, even though it should be cooling because of changes in the Earth's orbit that cause the region to get less direct sunlight."

* Headline written to drive me batty: "GOP calls VA pamphlet a 'death book.' Experts say it isn't."

* In the wake of its coup, the U.S. is "cutting all non-humanitarian aid to Honduras."

* Reps. Lynn Woolsey and Raul Grijalva, the two leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said any health care bill lacking a public option -- with Medicare-based reimbursement rates -- will be deemed "unacceptable." The Progressive Change Campaign Committee is also keeping the pressure on.

* Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) sure did have a good approach to health care policy some months ago. Too bad he's now ready to scrap the public option.

* On a related note, Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) may be a member of the Gang of Six, but he really doesn't support health care reform.

* Right-wing Tea Bagger protestors have labeled Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) as "wanted for treason."

* Outrageous: "Private security guards at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul were pressured to participate in naked pool parties and perform sex acts to gain promotions or assignment to preferable shifts, according to one of 12 guards who have gone public with their complaints."

* Tom Toles has been even more brilliant than usual lately. See yesterday's contribution and today's.

* When Megan McArdle uses statistics, they're not necessary "statistics."

* Glenn Beck is still losing advertisers.

* Tom Ridge doesn't agree with the wording on the book jacket of his own book.

* Van Jones apologized yesterday for having called Republicans "a**holes" before joining the Obama administration.

* The Washington Post editorial board wants to see Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) step down as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

* Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-N.Y.) said lawmakers will get around to repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell eventually. "We have a very heavy, busy agenda and a few months left to do it," he said. "So it may not be now, but that doesn't mean it won't be soon."

* I had no idea nepotism rates in Congress had declined this much. That's a good thing.

* Looks like the RNC doesn't want to talk about its work with WorldNetDaily.

* There's been some violence and threats of violence at various political events lately, but I think this is the first one in which one person bit the finger off another.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The new problem for Chris Christie's (R) gubernatorial campaign: he hit a motorcyclist in 2002, but was not issued a ticket. Christie was a U.S. Attorney at the time.

* Bob McDonnell's gubernatorial campaign in Virginia has a new ad, emphasizing his wife and three of his daughters. The ad is no doubt a response to the McDonnell's thesis, which denigrated feminism and women in the workplace.

* A new Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) struggling badly in Nevada in advance of next year's re-election fight. The poll shows him trailing both Danny Tarkanian (R) and Sue Lowden (R) in hypothetical match-ups by about four points, despite their low name-ID.

* Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D), currently the leading Senate candidate for next year's race, came out strong this week in support of marriage equality.

* Massachusetts Republicans thinks they have a shot to win Ted Kennedy's Senate seat in January. The trick: mobilizing the 36% of voters who backed John McCain.

* Speaking of the Bay State, Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), the most conservative Dem in the Massachusetts delegation, is also poised to run.

* And in Kentucky, the latest Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos shows Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R) leading Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo (D) and Attorney General Jack Conway (D) in hypothetical general election match-ups, by about five points each.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Oh my: "A NATO jet blasted two fuel tankers hijacked by the Taliban in northern Afghanistan, setting off a huge fireball Friday that killed up to 90 people, Afghan officials said." NATO plans to investigate the tragedy.

* Not good: "Israeli officials said Friday that the government would authorize construction of hundreds of new housing units in West Bank settlements in advance of a building freeze of six to nine months aimed at restarting peace talks with the Palestinians. The announcement prompted a sharp rebuke from the White House and the Palestinian leadership."

* In a surprise move, International Brotherhood of Teamsters leader James Hoffa said he wants a health care reform bill, but would be satisfied if there was no public option.

* Why do you suppose huge rallies in support of health care reform go unreported?

* August retail numbers offered "a glimmer of hope."

* Looks like Van Jones probably won't be around for the long-haul.

* The president's team is not looking at U.S. policy in Afghanistan the same way. There are apparently some pretty stark divisions among leading administration officials.

* House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) wants to see his colleagues be flexible on the public option. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), meanwhile, is apparently ready to kill reform over the public option.

* Tim Geithner's vision for regulating the financial industry looks pretty good.

* How desperate is Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) to impress the right-wing base in advance of his presidential campaign? He's willing to say some remarkably stupid things.

* MSNBC yanked Pat Buchanan's Hitler defense from its site yesterday. No word on whether the column will affect his role as a political pundit for the network.

* Legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act looks like it's coming soon.

* If a Friday went by without a Steve M. post about Peggy Noonan's column, I'd be pretty disappointed.

* The AP ran a photo of a Marine attacked in Afghanistan. The Pentagon isn't pleased.

* Rush Limbaugh's fill-in host today raised the prospect of secession.

* I remember a time -- it was called "the entire Bush presidency" -- when Nazi comparisons were considered beyond the pale and evidence of a deranged political ideology.

* James K. Glassman, best known for his silly "Dow 36,000" book, will lead George W. Bush's "action-oriented think tank." Seems like a perfect match.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Former Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II (D-Mass.) announced yesterday he will not run for the Senate seat left vacant by his uncle, Ted Kennedy.

* In related news, Canton Selectman Bob Burr (R) is running for the Senate in Massachusetts' upcoming special election. He may face retired baseball player/GOP activist Curt Schilling, who published a political platform the other day. Former Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey (R), who served under Mitt Romney for one term, has decided not to run.

* As for Democrats in the Massachusetts race, it looks like Rep. Ed Markey (D) is getting ready to launch a campaign. He would face, at a minimum, state Attorney General Martha Coakley in a Democratic primary.

* In Iowa, Bob Vander Plaats (R) announced that he's running for governor next year, vowing to fight for "true conservative principles." Former Gov. Terry Branstad (R) continues to eye the race, and would be the favorite if he runs.

* In New Jersey, this seems like a detail voters will hear more about: "The New Jersey governor's race is getting so down and dirty that nothing is off limits. Not even Chris Christie's driving the wrong way on a one-way street, crashing into a motorcyclist, sending the motorcyclist to the hospital, flashing his US Attorney ID to get out of a ticket, apparently settling a lawsuit with a non-disclosed settlement and then lying about ever being sued in the first place."

* Creigh Deeds (D) is launching his first TV ad campaign in voter-right northern Virginia this week.

* Is Rudy Giuliani poised to launch a gubernatorial campaign? He's "still thinking" about it.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "Four U.S. Marines died Tuesday when they walked into a well-laid ambush by insurgents in Afghanistan's eastern Kunar province. Seven Afghan troops and an interpreter for the Marine commander also died in the ambush and the subsequent battle, which lasted some seven hours. Three American service members and 14 Afghan security force members were wounded."

* Also in Afghanistan: "Incumbent Hamid Karzai has widened his lead in the recent presidential election beyond the margin that would require a runoff vote, Afghan officials said Tuesday, but widespread fraud allegations have prompted an internationally led oversight panel to order a recount."

* Obama, Pelosi, and Reid met privately this afternoon in the Oval Office to talk about health care reform. Reid told reporters after the discussion that reconciliation remains an option.

* The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities raises some important concerns about the Baucus reform plan.

* Economists expected consumers to curtail their borrowing by $4 billion as the recession drags on. It turned out to be five times that total, the highest since the government started keeping track in 1943.

* Justice Sonia Sotomayor takes her seat for the first time.

* Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.) will deliver the Republican response to President Obama's health care speech tomorrow night. He may not be the ideal choice for the GOP.

* When former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) walked away from her duties unexpectedly in July, her resignation ended up costing Alaskan taxpayer at least $40,000, the AP discovered, "not including a special legislative session partly linked to her departure."

* Matters get slightly worse for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R).

* Good ruling in the Abdullah al-Kidd case late last week: "Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft is not immune from being sued by a man who claims he was illegally detained under Justice Department policies implemented after the September 11 terror attacks, a federal appeals court ruled Friday."

* The NYT and WaPo run good editorials on the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case.

* Strong piece on "czars" from Dave Weigel: "A debate about the power of the executive branch and the collapsing trust between the president and the Senate -- it's the constant filibusters of presidential nominees that really started this process of end-runs around confirmation hearings -- would be healthy. But so far this "czars" debate seems like a witch hunt egged on by sloppy reporting."

* Zachary Roth summarizes the controversy surrounding Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.).

* Karl Rove is a ridiculous individual. Seriously, he's a ridiculous individual.

* Keith Olbermann hopes to put together some research on Glenn Beck.

* Beck thinks liberals might try to hurt him.

* And Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) is a man of many talents.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Looks like Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.) is joining the Democratic field in Massachusetts' special election to fill Ted Kennedy's Senate vacancy. Former Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.) formally announced yesterday that he will not run.

* The primaries in Massachusetts won't be held for another three months, and the field isn't close to being complete. At this point, though, state Attorney General Martha Coakley leads a multi-candidate Democratic field according to a new Rasmussen poll.

* Former Colorado Lt. Gov. Jane Norton (R) will, after NRSC recruiting efforts, run for the Senate next year. She filed the paperwork yesterday and will formally launch a campaign next week. Norton will face a GOP primary, but is widely considered to be the favorite.

* There's a crowded Republican field in Connecticut, where several GOP candidates hope to take on incumbent Sen. Chris Dodd (D) next year, but former Rep. Rob Simmons (R) seems to be the choice of the Republican in-state establishment.

* Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao (R-La.) is widely considered the most vulnerable House Republican incumbent next year, and he now has his first official Democratic challenger: state Rep. Cedric Richmond. Expect a crowded primary.

* And in Nebraska, Rep. Lee Terry (R) is considered a possible Democratic target next year, and the DCCC has apparently convinced state Sen. Tom White (D) to take on the incumbent.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Quite a scene in Mexico City today: "The hijacking of a commercial airliner carrying 104 passengers ended peacefully Wednesday when five to seven people were taken into custody at Mexico City's airport."

* Quite a scene in Kunduz yesterday: "Stephen Farrell, a New York Times reporter held captive by militants in northern Afghanistan, was freed in a military commando raid early Wednesday, but his Afghan interpreter was killed during the rescue effort."

* Iran: "American intelligence agencies have concluded in recent months that Iran has enough nuclear fuel to make a rapid, if risky, sprint for sufficient enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon. But in a series of briefings to President Obama, they say they believe the country is still holding off on taking the last critical steps in designing a sophisticated bomb."

* The Supreme Court heard arguments today in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, No. 08-205.

* The Federal Reserve believes there's enough economic activity in the U.S. to suggest the recession may be over.

* House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) was asked today about the absence of the Republican health care plan. He dodged the question.

* Five dozen Republicans in the South Carolina state legislature called on Gov. Mark Sanford (R) to resign.

* Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is sounding pretty enthusiastic about pursuing health care reform through reconciliation.

* Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) wants President Obama to take the public option off the table.

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) will not replace Ted Kennedy as the chair of the Senate HELP Committee, but will instead remain chairman of the Banking Committee. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) will instead take Kennedy's place.

* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ken.) said Republicans will not accept a "trigger" as a compromise move on the public option.

* A major new coalition gets to work on getting a climate and energy bill passed this year.

* Greg Sargent unveils some cool new tools at Who Runs Gov, including a "Health Care Reform Tracker" and a new "Moderated Wiki" for its profiles of D.C. power players. Both like they're going to be useful applications (which I'll probably be using often).

* Low college graduation rates are bad for the country. Why isn't this talked about more?

* Nice find from Lindsay Beyerstein on the Tea Baggers' bus company and its work during the Katrina crisis.

* It's amusing that during the Bush administration, Bill O'Reilly didn't think the White House had enough "czars."

* Tell the truth, is anyone surprised that Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio) is a birther?

* The line between parody and reality among right-wing activists is easily blurred.

* Olbermann walks back his request for Glenn Beck info.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In the wake of Rep. Joe Wilson's (R-S.C.) dishonest outburst during last night's presidential address, his Democratic opponent, Rob Miller, has raised a whopping $200,000 in contributions. Miller, it's worth noting, is seeking a rematch, after losing to Wilson last year by eight points in one of the nation's most conservative districts.

* With the controversy surrounding his thesis changing Virginia's gubernatorial campaign, Republican hopeful Bob McDonnell is now being questioned about 2003 remarks in which he suggested gay people shouldn't be able to serve as judges.

* In related news, Creigh Deeds, the Democratic candidate in Virginia's closely-watched gubernatorial campaign, has launched his first ad targeting McDonnell on the thesis issue.

* Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick's (D) re-election bid got a little more difficult yesterday with state Treasurer Timothy Cahill announcing he's running for governor next year as an independent.

* Speaking of Massachusetts, Andy Card, George W. Bush's first White House chief of staff, is "seriously considering" running for the Senate in the upcoming special election.

* And in related news, the prospect of retired baseball player Curt Schilling running for the Senate isn't exactly a popular idea among Bay State voters.

* Democrats finally fielded a credible opponent to take on Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) in 2010, with North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall throwing her hat into the ring yesterday.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* As far as the administration is concerned, the stimulus package has already saved/created a million jobs.

* Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner sees growing confidence in the markets.

* Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) believes every Republican senator will reject reform, including Maine Sens. Snowe and Collins.

* ABC's Jake Tapper reports that President Obama scheduled a meeting today with 16 Senate Democratic moderates and Joe Lieberman. It's not yet clear what the meeting was all about.

* Obama kept his pitch going today, delivering a speech to a group of nurses.

* Vice President Biden believes a health care bill will be done "before Thanksgiving."

* Sounds like he's stalling for time: "Iran is not prepared to discuss halting its uranium enrichment program in response to Western demands but is proposing instead a worldwide control system aimed at eliminating nuclear weapons, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's top political aide said in an interview Thursday."

* Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) hasn't exactly been a cheerleader for the White House's reform plan, but today, he said the president gave reform "a big boost last night."

* Censure is still on the table for Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.).

* Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) thinks Wilson's outburst was the Democrats' fault.

* Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), the new chairman of the Senate HELP Committee, supports a public option, but said today it's not a deal-breaker.

* House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) wasted no time in starting to lie once again about the details of health care reform.

* Sen. George LeMieux (R) was sworn in today as the new/temporary senator from Florida.

* The Kennedy Caucus Room? Sounds good to me.

* In light of this week's round of musical committee chairs, Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) is going to be the new chair of the Agriculture Committee. That's not especially good news.

* It took long enough: "Cass Sunstein, President Obama's pick to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, was confirmed handily by the Senate just now by a vote of 57 ayes to 40 nays. Glenn Beck will no doubt rue this day for as long as he shall live."

* Time offers a new list of the 10 most powerful women in Washington.

* Good new ad from the Clean Energy Works coalition.

* And finally, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) appears to have perfected the half-clap, which looks like it might be applause, but isn't.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The day after President Obama's health care speech, the DNC raised more than $1 million. Not bad, considering that no dedicated fundraising appeal went out yesterday.

* Rob Miller, Rep. Joe Wilson's (R) Democratic opponent in South Carolina, has now raised $750,000 since Wednesday night's outburst.

* At the same time, quite a few right-wing donors are moving to support Wilson. He's raised $200,000 since the controversy broke.

* The latest poll from Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research shows Chris Christie's (R) lead over New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) down to just three points, 41% to 38%. Rasmussen, however, has Christie up by eight, 46% to 38%.

* Former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff (D) officially launched a primary campaign yesterday against appointed Sen. Michael Bennet (D).

* Speaking of Colorado, Rasmussen shows Bennet with a narrow lead against Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck (R) in a hypothetical match-up, and a narrow deficit against Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier (R).

* In Colorado's gubernatorial race, Rasmussen also shows incumbent Gov. Bill Ritter (D) with a narrow lead over state Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry (R), but trailing challenger Scott McInnis by five points.

* A new Public Policy Polling survey shows Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) leading Secretary of State Elaine Marshall by 11, 42% to 31%.

* And in an ominous item, the Cook Political Report believes Republicans have a 50-50 shot at defeating Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) in Nevada next year, despite failing to recruit a top-tier challenger.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Diplomatic progress: "The United States and five partner countries have accepted Iran's new offer to hold talks, even though Iran insists it will not negotiate over its disputed nuclear program, the State Department said Friday."

* I think CNN screwed this up: "Radio traffic about a Coast Guard training exercise Friday led to erroneous television news reports that guardsmen had fired on a recreational boat in the Potomac River, near where President Obama was remembering the 9/11 attacks, a senior Coast Guard official said."

* Congressional Democrats are not on board with the administration's policy in Afghanistan.

* House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) told CNN this morning that a public option will be in the House bill "in some form."

* Remember to wash those hands: "Influenza is circulating unusually early this year with cases in all 50 states -- nearly all the swine flu variety, government health officials said Friday."

* Uh oh: "For liberal Democrats unhappy with the way Max Baucus is handling health care reform, here's another dose of bad news: He's got his hands on climate and energy, too. Behind closed doors, Sen. Baucus has been staking his claim on major aspects of the climate bill, including financing for a cap-and-trade system."

* Will Vladimir Putin run for president again in 2012? It seems like a safe bet.

* It seems hard to believe, but there's a new poll showing Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) trailing his Democratic opponent in the wake of Wilson's "you lie" outburst. In the meantime, censure is still on the table in the House.

* Two-thirds of the members of the South Carolina Republican Party's executive committee wants Gov. Mark Sanford (R) to resign.

* On a related note, "What's the matter with South Carolina?"

* Jesse Singal 1, Camille Paglia 0.

* Americans United for Change launches a hard-hitting ad in support of health care reform.

* A right-wing rally in D.C. is scheduled to take place tomorrow, organized in part by Fox News. Estimates vary widely on expected crowd size -- I've seen everything from 20,000 (from conservatives trying to lower expectations) to 2 million (from liberals trying to raise expectations).

* Warren Buffett, the world's second richest man, would love to see Democrats raise taxes on the wealthy.

* A worthwhile PSA: "First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden will urge Americans to support military families in a public service announcement that will be broadcast on Friday in baseball stadiums across the country, the White House announced."

* Another focus group that liked President Obama's health care speech.

* Much to my disappointment, it appears that Bradley Schlozman will avoid prosecution.

* Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) has an awful habit of touting stimulus money after bashing stimulus money, while pretending it's not stimulus money.

* Michael Kinsley lands at The Atlantic.

* And finally, I'm starting to think Pat Buchanan might be a bigot. Try to contain your surprise.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In New Jersey's closely watched gubernatorial race, a new Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey Poll shows Chris Christie's (R) lead over incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine shrinking to eight among likely voters, 47% to 38%. Among all registered voters, not just those who consider themselves likely to vote, Christie's lead is just one point.

* Bob McDonnell, the Republican gubernatorial hopeful in Virginia, accidentally dropped an F-bomb during a live radio interview late last week. Responding to a question about whether a tax increase may be necessary to fund transportation projects, the usually-disciplined conservative said, "I'm going to find other ways to be able to fund transportation. I've outlined twelve f***ing funding mechanisms that are creative, that are entrepreneurial." A spokesperson later told reporters, "It was an accident. It is that simple."

* As a side note, McDonnell sponsored legislation in Virginia to punish students who use profanity.

* In a bit of a surprise, former White House Chief of Staff Andy Card (R) has announced he will not run in the special election to fill Massachusetts' Senate vacancy.

* In related news, Reps. John Tierney (D) and Ed Markey (D) have also decided not to run.

* In Connecticut, the latest Rasmussen poll shows Sen. Chris Dodd (D) leading some of his would-be Republican challengers, but trailing former Rep. Rob Simmons, the leading GOP contender, by 10 points, 49% to 39%.

* Former Rep. James Traficant (D-Ohio), who was released from federal prison last week after serving seven years on a bribery and racketeering conviction, told CNN this morning he might launch a comeback.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* President Obama took his message of financial reform to Wall Street today. The crowd wasn't impressed, but they weren't the target audience.

* Somalia: "A U.S. commando attack in Somalia has killed an al Qaeda operative who is on the FBI's list of most wanted terrorists, sources tell ABC News. The dead terrorist, Saleh Ali Nabhan, is believed to have taken part in the 1998 attacks on U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. He is also believed to have orchestrated the 2002 bombing of a resort hotel in Mombasa, Kenay, and a failed missile attack on an Israeli airliner leaving Mombasa airport."

* Pakistan: "A missile fired from a suspected unmanned U.S. drone slammed into a car in a Pakistani tribal region close to the Afghan border Monday, killing four people, intelligence officials and residents said."

* New rules for the American-run prison at the Bagram Air Base?

* Osama bin Laden has apparently released a new audiotape.

* Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) is not on board with expanding the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan.

* Sounds like there's an appetite for big government: "One year after Wall Street teetered on the brink of collapse, seven out of 10 Americans lack confidence the federal government has taken safeguards to prevent another financial industry meltdown, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll."

* As of yesterday, the H1N1 swine flu vaccine will be available by the first week of October, 2 weeks earlier than previously expected.

* Baucus Plan: $880 billion over 10 years.

* The House Committee on Education and Labor put this interactive graphic together, and I really like it.

* When is it okay to lie about not having a college degree?

* It looks like Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) is capable of embarrassment.

* Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens' former clerks are "convinced" he will retire late next spring.

* Note to John McCain: when you're discussing U.S. policy in Afghanistan, you really ought to avoid the words "muddle through."

* Glenn Beck sure has lost a lot of advertisers.

* And in light of the Lehman anniversary, this video from the DNC seems worth watching, if for no other reason, than to remind us of how scary things were and how far we've come.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In 2005, when Creigh Deeds (D) and Bob McDonnell (R) faced off in Virginia's attorney general race, the National Rifle Association backed Deeds. In 2009, the NRA has switched and has thrown its support to McDonnell.

* The latest Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos in Arkansas shows incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) below the 50% threshold, but nevertheless leading her GOP challengers in hypothetical general election match-ups. The margins ranged from a seven-point lead to a 19-point lead. It's early, and Lincoln is obviously vulnerable, but the results are better for the Democrat than expected.

* Research 2000 also polled Connecticut, and found incumbent Sen. Chris Dodd (D) trailing former Rep. Rob Simmons (R) by four, 46% to 42%. That margin is far smaller than a recent Rasmussen poll that showed Simmons up by 10.

* Former Rep. Rick Lazio (R-N.Y.), soundly defeated by Hillary Clinton in a Senate race in 2000, has decided to run for governor next year.

* Speaking of New York, contrary to some reports, Rudy Giuliani is not running for the Senate next year.

* Former President Bill Clinton will wade into California's Democratic gubernatorial primary, and throw his support to San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. Most polls show Newsom trailing state Attorney General Jerry Brown by a wide margin, though Clinton's endorsement may shake up the race.

* In Massachusetts' upcoming special election to fill Ted Kennedy's vacancy, City Year co-founder Alan Khazei has announced he'll compete in the Democratic primary. Steve Pagliuca, a managing director at Bain Capital and managing partner of the Boston Celtics, is also eyeing the race.

* And in Michigan, retired football player Jay Riemersma announced yesterday that he's running to replace Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R), who's running for governor. Riemersma has never held public office, but has worked at the right-wing Family Research Council since hanging up his cleats. Shortly before Election Day last year, Riemersma wrote a piece called, "How could Christians vote for Obama?"

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said today the recession is "very likely over," but he doesn't think the job market is going to improve anytime soon.

* Retail sales figures were stronger than expected in August.

* Vice President Biden made his third trip to Iraq this year earlier today, but while he was in the Green Zone, "three large explosions near the American Embassy shook downtown Baghdad."

* The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, told the Senate Armed Services Committee today he'll likely need more troops -- and more time -- for the U.S. strategy is Afghanistan. Senate Republicans were pleased; Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) was not.

* U.S. support for the war in Afghanistan has reached an all-time low in the new CNN poll.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) let his colleagues know today that if Republicans slow down the chamber's schedule, he'll cancel their week-long break in October.

* Reid is also unafraid, for now, of reconciliation.

* The House is debating formal criticism of Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) this afternoon.

* A conservative activist brought two guns to a protest outside President Obama's event in Minnesota over the weekend.

* Muntader al-Zaidi, freed after nine months in an Iraqi jail.

* The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) would save quite a bit of money.

* Might Operation Rescue go out of business? It's apparently a distinct possibility.

* Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) isn't especially impressed with the arguments of his right-wing constituents.

* After an 83 to 7 vote, ACORN will no longer be eligible for HUD grants.

* On a related note, ACORN is considering filing suit against Fox News, Breitbart.com, and two conservative activists.

* R.I.P., Norman Borlaug. Thanks for all the lives you saved.

* As it turns out, Obama's off-the-record "jackass" comment seems to be working pretty well, politically.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A couple of new polls in New Jersey, where the gubernatorial race keeps getting more interesting. A Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey Poll shows Gov. Jon Corzine (D) edging past Chris Christie, 41% to 40%. A Public Policy Polling survey, however, shows Christie up by nine, 44% to 35%.

* Speaking of this year's gubernatorial campaigns, a Clarus Research Group poll released last night shows Creigh Deeds (D) narrowing the gap against Bob McDonnell (R) in Virginia. The former state attorney general now leads by five, 42% to 37%.

* In a big surprise, Rep. Stephen Lynch (D) has reversed course and will not run for the Senate in Massachusetts.

* The RNC is investing $7 million in Virginia's gubernatorial race. That's $2 million more than the DNC.

* President Obama appeared alongside Sen. Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania yesterday, for back-to-back fundraising events.

* The latest Rasmussen poll in Nevada shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) struggling badly against both of his largely unknown GOP opponents.

* A new Quinnipiac poll in Ohio shows Gov. Ted Strickland (D) with a 10-point lead over former Rep. John Kasich (R), 46% to 36%, in next year's gubernatorial race.

* The same poll shows both Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate -- Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner -- leading in hypothetical general election match-ups.

* World Wresting Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon announced today she's running for the Senate in Connecticut. McMahon will run in a crowded Republican field for the chance to take on Sen. Chris Dodd (D).

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "The Afghan national election commission, in its first full tally of ballots cast in last month's presidential election, announced Wednesday that President Hamid Karzai had won 54.6 percent of the vote, a large enough margin to win reelection without a runoff against his top challenger, Abdullah Abdullah."

* Congressional Dems, especially Jay Rockefeller, aren't especially impressed with the Baucus health care plan.

* At least the CBO likes it.

* The sooner Baucus fixes his bill's free-rider problem, the better.

* Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) almost certainly won't support a public option, but he seems amenable to a trigger.

* The House formally rebuked Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) late yesterday. The final vote was 240 to 179.

* The House ethics committee is investigating allegations involving Reps. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), and Sam Graves (R-Mo.), in unrelated matters.

* Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), a staunch opponent of abortion rights, is prepared to kill health care reform unless it includes even more restrictions on abortion funding.

* I don't think Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) understands what a "czar" is.

* GOP leaders are still lying about cap-and-trade costs.

* Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) is surprisingly optimistic about reform getting "more than 60 votes." What does he know the rest of us don't?

* It's hilarious hearing Rick Santorum explain why Republicans should be able to use reconciliation on large and small bills, but Democrats shouldn't.

* As the recession drags on, student loan default rates are up significantly.

* Look for more armed passengers on Amtrak.

* Fred Kaplan: "How distributing cash -- to Karzai, Abdullah, and other bigwigs -- could help us win in Afghanistan."

* Every state has its crazies -- even New Jersey.

* Orly Taitz gets laughed out of court.

* Katharine Weymouth isn't having a good summer.

* Bush purged U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden, and Obama has undone the damage.

* Headline of the day: "Uninsured Americans hope reform brings health coverage."

* ACORN is auditing itself.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A new Suffolk University/WHDH-TV poll in Massachusetts shows state Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) as the odds-on favorite in the special election to fill the Senate vacancy left by Ted Kennedy. She's far better known, at least for now, than her Democratic rivals, and she leads the top GOP candidate in a hypothetical match-up by 30 points. (thanks to V.S. for the tip)

* A new Quinnipiac poll shows Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) trailing his leading Republican opponents, but the gap is shrinking. In a hypothetical match-up against former Rep. Rob Simmons (R), the GOP challenger leads 44% to 39%. In July, Simmons led by nine.

* Speaking of the Senate race in Connecticut, financier Peter Schiff, a former advisor to Ron Paul, is now officially running in the Republican primary, hoping to take on Dodd next November.

* In New York, a Marist poll shows 70% of voters in the state hoping Gov. David Paterson (D) does not seek another term. Two-thirds of New Yorkers, and more than three-quarters of New York Democrats, want to see state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo run to replace Paterson. In a primary, Cuomo leads Paterson by 47 points.

* In Colorado, Rasmussen shows former Lt. Go. Jane Norton (R) leading appointed Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo) by nine points, 45% to 36%. Norton enjoys much better name recognition, despite Bennet already being in the Senate.

* In New Hampshire, Rasmussen shows former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte (R) leading Rep. Paul Hodes (D) in a hypothetical match-up by eight, 46% to 38%.

* In North Carolina, Rasmussen shows incumbent Sen. Richard Burr (R) with a 10-point lead over Secretary of State Elaine Marshall (D) in a hypothetical match-up, 48% to 38%. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D) has also been eyeing the race, but he trails Burr by an even larger margin.

* Rep. Roy Blunt's (R) Senate campaign in Missouri just got a little easier, with former state treasurer Sarah Steelman (R) deciding not to take on Blunt in a GOP primary.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "At least 16 people were killed, including international soldiers, and 55 were wounded when a car bomb rocked parts of Afghanistan's capital Thursday, authorities said. At least six Italian soldiers were killed and four others were wounded in the blast, Ignazio La Russa, Italy's defense minister said. Ten Afghan civilians were also killed, said Fareed Rayel, an Afghan Ministry of Public Health spokesman."

* The House approved the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) this afternoon. The final vote was 253 to 171.

* Hottest. August. Ever.

* The House voted to cut off ACORN from receiving any federal grants, 345 to 75.

* The Senate confirmed Gerard Lynch to fill a vacancy on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, the first Obama circuit-court nominee to win approval.

* Speaker Pelosi said the House really will pass a reform bill with a public option. I hope she's right.

* She's also deeply concerned, in general, about political violence.

* Bush's Interior Department sure was corrupt.

* Rush Limbaugh has concluded that segregated school busing in "Obama's America" may be a good idea.

* Good: "The Indiana Court of Appeals has struck down the state's voter ID law, saying it violates the state Constitution. The court ruled 3-0 Thursday that the law must be declared void because it regulates voters in a way that is not 'uniform and impartial.' The judges say the ID law treats in-person voters and mail-in voters differently."

* Oh my: "The South Carolina Supreme Court has ordered an insurance company to pay $10 million for wrongly revoking the insurance policy of a 17-year-old college student after he tested positive for HIV. The court called the 2002 decision by the insurance company 'reprehensible.'"

* A lot of media figures have done a very poor job with the "story" about "czars," but Greta Van Susteren seems to be worse than most.

* Joe Scarborough can't remember any instances in which Glenn Beck and/or Rush Limbaugh have said racist things on the air. Media Matters refreshes Scarborough's memory.

* It's hard to imagine, but in 2007, there were 139 colleges with six-year graduation rates below 10 percent.

* Media Matters Action Network launches SmearBuster.org.

* I shouldn't be, but I'm amazed CNN would run something this stupid: "Obama as witch doctor: Racist or satirical?"

* The Wall Street Journal's James Taranto is an exceedingly foolish person.

* Sean Hannity claimed that ACORN is "on schedule to get eight and a half trillion dollars of stimulus money." In other words, as far as Hannity is concerned, literally every single penny in the stimulus will go to ACORN -- plus another $100 billion. Wow.

* Happy Constitution Day.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Virginia's gubernatorial race is getting more competitive, though how much more depends on which poll you rely on. Rasmussen shows Bob McDonnell (R) leading Creigh Deeds (D) by just two, 48% to 46%. Research 2000, however, shows McDonnell up by seven, 50% to 43%.

* Speaking of the McDonnell-Deeds contest, the two faced off in a heated debate in Northern Virginia yesterday. Deeds ran into more trouble after the event, giving seemingly contradictory answers on taxes.

* Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.) hasn't officially launched a Senate campaign, but he nevertheless is running the first television ad of the race in advance of the January special election. The ad hopes to connect Capuano to Ted Kennedy's legacy.

* Also in Massachusetts, Boston Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca (D) announced yesterday that he's joining the crowded Democratic field for the Senate, too.

* The GOP gubernatorial primary in Texas will likely be one of next year's most heated contests. The latest Rasmussen poll shows Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison leading incumbent Gov. Rick Perry by two, 40% to 38%.

* Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Fla.) yesterday became the second member of the Florida GOP delegation to endorse former state House Speaker Marco Rubio's (R) Senate campaign, instead of Gov. Charlie Crist (R). Brown-Waite's announcement further underscores the right-wing's dissatisfaction with Crist.

* As expected, the White House has announced that President Obama will support Sen. Michael Bennet's (D-Colo.) 2010 bid for a full term. Bennet, who was appointed to the seat earlier this year, will face former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff in a Democratic primary.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iranians return to the streets: "Tens of thousands of green-clad protesters chanted and carried banners through the heart of Tehran and other Iranian cities on Friday, defying tear gas and truncheons as they turned large swaths of a government-organized anti-Israel march into the largest opposition rally in two months."

* Pakistan: "Scores of bloodied and bandaged victims filled hospital beds after a suicide car bomber destroyed a two-story hotel Friday in northwest Pakistan, killing 29 people and underscoring the relentless security threat to the region."

* A detail for best-system-in-the-world crowd to consider: "Nearly 45,000 people die in the United States each year -- one every 12 minutes -- in large part because they lack health insurance and cannot get good care, Harvard Medical School researchers found in an analysis released on Thursday."

* While reporting from the religious right's Values Voter Summit today, MSNBC reporter Brian Mooar was confronted and heckled by right-wing audience members.

* According to several reports, Najibullah Zazi, the Denver man at the center of an alleged New York bomb plot, has "admitted" his ties to al Qaeda and is "in negotiations to plead guilty to a terror charge."

* Good: "Julius Genachowski, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, plans to propose a new so-called net neutrality rule Monday that could prevent telecommunications, cable and wireless companies from blocking Internet applications, according to sources at the agency."

* Harold Hongju Koh was sworn in yesterday as the State Department's chief lawyer. It's about time.

* Fox News took out an ad in the Washington Post today, attacking the mainstream television networks for their coverage of last week's right-wing protests in D.C. The ad is patently false, and the other networks aren't happy about it.

* It's hard to imagine why anyone would take Fox News contributor Andrew Napolitano's legal judgment seriously.

* I realize Drudge links to her stuff, but Camille Paglia really doesn't belong at Salon.

* South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R), like all governors, had a high-ranking security clearance. Emphasis on "had."

* Did Bill O'Reilly really endorse a public option as part of health care reform? In the context of the larger discussion, perhaps not.

* Remember Ellen Sauerbrey? The failed Maryland politician who got an important diplomatic job in the Bush administration she was clearly unqualified for? Her Obama Derangement Syndrome is over the top.

* "Should universities and colleges include a up-front statement of [extra] expenses when advertising tuition costs to prospective and enrolled students?" Isn't the answer obvious?

* Irving Kristol, generally considered the father of neo-conservatism, died today. He was 89.

* J. Craig Venter to receive the National Medal of Science.

* And finally, SNL explains what happened before Rep. Joe Wilson's (R-S.C.) outburst during President Obama's recent speech on health care.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* President Obama has reportedly signaled to New York Gov. David Paterson (D) that he should skip next year's gubernatorial race. Paterson has said publicly he intends to run anyway, but the NYT reports today that Paterson is "mulling his options" and is "open to the possibility of withdrawing."

* A Washington Post poll published over the weekend shows Bob McDonnell's (R) lead in Virginia's gubernatorial race slipping to just four points, 51% to 47%. McDonnell had lead Creigh Deeds (D) by as much as 15 points a month ago.

* Speaking of Virginia, former Gov. Doug Wilder (D) has not yet thrown his support to Deeds, so President Obama has gotten in touch with Wilder to express the White House's expectations.

* In one of the first big endorsements in Massachusetts' special election, Rep. Barney Frank (D) has announced his support for Rep. Mike Capuano (D).

* In Iowa, former Gov. Terry Branstad (R), who has expressed a strong interest in seeking his former job, fares very well in a new Des Moines Register poll. Current Gov. Chet Culver (D) has been considered a fairly safe bet for re-election, but Branstad would obviously change the equation considerably.

* On a related note, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) of Iowa has seen his standing falter in recent months in his home state. His approval rating is still a strong 57%, it was nearly 20 points higher earlier this year.

* And the religious right's Values Voter Summit held an unscientific 2012 straw poll on Saturday, and Mike Huckabee came out on top with 28% support. He was followed by Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty, and Mike Pence.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Baucus, Take Two: "The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Max Baucus, said Monday that he would modify his health care bill to provide more generous assistance to moderate-income Americans, to help them buy insurance. In addition, Mr. Baucus said he would make changes to reduce the impact of a proposed tax on high-end health insurance policies."

* The consequences of the missile defense shift: "Russia said Saturday it will scrap a plan to deploy missiles near Poland since Washington has dropped plans for a missile shield in Eastern Europe. The Kremlin also harshly criticized Iran's president for new comments denying the Holocaust."

* Multiple arrests: "Federal agents have charged a 24-year-old Colorado resident, his father and another man with making false statements as part of an extensive terror investigation that stretches to Pakistan. Najibullah Zazi, an Afghan national, and his father, Mohammed Wali Zazi, were arrested Saturday night in the Denver suburb of Aurora."

* Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) still wants a "trigger," but is it any good?

* ThinkProgress catches up with Fox News hatchet-man Jesse Watters.

* Bill O'Reilly apparently felt shy at the Values Voter Summit.

* There have been plenty of awful responses to the House passing the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA), but Rep. Lee Terry's (D-Neb.) reaction was one of the dumbest.

* John McHugh is finally the Secretary of the Army.

* LGF and PowerLine's falling out speaks to a larger schism among conservatives -- those who are sane are being shunned.

* Joe Wilson's (R-S.C.) recent behavior has helped push a Rhode Island state lawmaker out of the Republican Party.

* Anonymous Liberal tackles an NEA "scandal" that far-right blogs are worked up about today.

* Republican lawmakers sure do love "Fox Nation."

* Who, exactly, has seen Joe Biden's birth certificate?

* And finally, "Kids in the Hall" saw Glenn Beck coming years ago.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The White House is taking "an increasingly direct role in contests across the country," as evidenced by the interest in New York's gubernatorial campaign.

* On a related note, a new Siena College poll in New York shows more bad news for Gov. David Paterson (D). Only 18% of New Yorkers think the governor is doing a good or excellent job in office. The poll added that Democrats, "by a significant margin," believe Paterson is well-intentioned but ineffective, bad on fiscal issues, and lacking leadership skills.

* With many Virginians still learning about the controversy surrounding Bob McDonnell's right-wing thesis, Creigh Deeds (D) is hitting the Republican gubernatorial hopeful even harder on the issue in a new television ad.

* Former U.S. Attorney Tim Griffin (R), a close Karl Rove ally and a key figure in the U.S. Attorney purge scandal, has announced he's running against Rep. Vic Snyder (D) in Arkansas next year.

* Jeb Bush argued yesterday that the national Republican Party shouldn't intervene in the Republican primary for Florida's Senate race. Bush said he'd like to see Marco Rubio, the far-right former state House speaker, "be given a chance" against Gov. Charlie Crist (R).

* Pennsylvania's crowded 2010 gubernatorial primary has yet another candidate, with former Rep. Joseph Hoeffel (D) throwing his hat into the ring.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Massachusetts state Senate passed a bill to empower Gov. Deval Patrick (D) to fill the Senate vacancy. Expect the legislation to be signed as early as tomorrow, with an interim senator to be named before the week's end.

* Keep expectations low: "President Obama on Tuesday chided the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority for not doing more to move peace talks forward but announced no breakthrough after meeting here privately with both men."

* Busy day at Turtle Bay: "Some 100 heads of state gathered at the United Nations on Tuesday for an unprecedented daylong conference on combating climate change, with leaders like Presidents Obama and Hu Jintao of China acknowledging that agreement is an important goal, but also stressing their own needs. Negotiators have been struggling to hammer out a deal to cut global emissions by December in Copenhagen, and the United Nations organizers are hoping that gathering the leaders will give the talks new political momentum."

* After falling at his home, Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) has been hospitalized.

* The counter-terror probe expands: "Investigators are looking for about a dozen more people in connection with a wide-ranging terror investigation that has already netted arrests in Colorado and New York City, a source familiar with the investigation said Tuesday."

* The recession is having a real, practical impact on the everyday lives of Americans.

* President Obama's chat with David Letterman seemed to go well last night.

* Reflecting on the president's media-blitz, the Washington Post assembled a misguided panel of observers.

* These guys are nothing if not responsive to criticism: "An August 10, 2009 National Endowment for the Arts conference call in which artists were asked to help support President Obama's agenda -- a call that at least one good government group called 'inappropriate' -- has prompted the White House to issue new guidelines to prevent such a call from ever happening again."

* Fox News' Megyn Kelly doesn't realize that the "stars and bars" is not used to describe the flag of the United States.

* It's a real shame to see what's become of Michael Barone.

* The one vote Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is most proud of is rejecting aid to areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.

* Jonathan Cohn starts giving "Truman scores" to various health care proposals.

* And in still more comedic news, be sure to check out Will Ferrell, Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde, and others in their fake PSA that looks out for the poor health insurance executives. "[W]hy is Obama trying to reform health care when insurance companies are doing just fine making billions of dollars in profit?" Ferrell asks.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A new Rasmussen poll shows Chris Christie (R) leading incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine (D) in New Jersey's gubernatorial race by seven, 48% to 41%. Earlier this month, Christie's lead was eight, but Corzine is running short on time -- Election Day is six weeks away.

* Former eBay executive Meg Whitman launched her Republican gubernatorial campaign in California yesterday. In her kick-off speech, she complained about taxes, spending, and regulations.

* Speaking of California, former Hewlett-Packard executive Carly Fiorina is moving closer to launching her Republican senatorial campaign. To help get the word out, Fiorina's team has unveiled a rather dreadful website, and a head-shaking new slogan: "Carlyfornia dreamin."

* Former Rep. Rick Lazio (R) formally launched his gubernatorial campaign in New York yesterday.

* Retired baseball player Curt Schilling announced yesterday that he will not run for the Senate in Massachusetts' upcoming special election.

* A new Rasmussen poll shows a very competitive Senate race in Missouri next year, with Rep. Roy Blunt (R) and Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) tied at 46% each.

* And in case there were any lingering doubts about whether Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) is running for president in 2012, the increasingly right-wing governor launched a new political action committee yesterday. He's calling it the "Freedom First" PAC.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The president was well received at the U.N. today: "The United States is ready to begin a new era of engagement with the world, President Obama said Wednesday in a sweeping address to the United Nations General Assembly in which he sought to clearly delineate differences between his administration and that of former President George W. Bush. 'We have re-engaged the United Nations,' Mr. Obama said, to cheers from world leaders and delegates in the cavernous hall of the General Assembly."

* The next speech went less well: "Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, the Libyan leader, took the lectern at the United Nations on Wednesday morning for his first address at the General Assembly and delivered a long and rambling diatribe -- far exceeding the 15-minute limit on speeches -- against the Security Council and a host of other perceived enemies, while urging the world to welcome President Obama, referring to him as 'our son.'"

* Guess which part of that paragraph Fox News found important.

* The Massachusetts Legislature gave final approval this afternoon to a bill that will allow Gov. Deval Patrick to fill the state's U.S. Senate vacancy. Patrick will have to declare an emergency in order to legally appoint the interim senator.

* The Fed continues to sound optimistic notes about the economy.

* The White House is exploring multiple alternatives in Afghanistan, "including a plan advocated by Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. to scale back American forces and focus more on rooting out Al Qaeda there and in Pakistan."

* The House easily extended unemployment benefits yesterday; the Senate intends to do the same soon.

* The White House gets impatient with Republicans' lies about Medicare, issues hard-hitting response.

* New U.S. policy on state secrets.

* The Washington Post hosted a lengthy Q&A today exclusively on ACORN. How very sad.

* The American Association of Justice starts rallying opposition to medical malpractice reform.

* How discouraging can Blue Dogs be? Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Ga.) argued that Medicare is part of a Soviet-style system. Seriously.

* So long, flavored cigarettes.

* Salon's multi-part series on Glenn Beck has been infinitely more informative than that recent Time cover story.

* PG&E has no use for the U.S. Chamber Of Commerce's global warming denials.

* Glenn Thrush extends an important apology to Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.), after running a very misleading transcript provided by the NRCC.

* Bill Clinton has some compelling thoughts on higher ed.

* Glenn Beck hates the 14th Amendment.

* Electric and hybrid cars may be so quiet "that they pose a threat to pedestrians."

* Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) thinks marriage equality is evidence of "socialism." What a clown.

* Quote of the Day: "Many Republican politicians keep a little box filled with government programs that they break open in the event that they run into actual human beings with real problems."

* And finally, there's great symbolism in Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) sleeping during yesterday's health care reform hearing.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Gov. Jon Corzine's (D) campaign released a very aggressive new ad yesterday, going after Chris Christie (R) for throwing "his weight around" as a U.S. attorney to gain special treatment.

* Will Northern Virginia dictate another statewide race? With just six weeks left in Virginia's gubernatorial campaign, Mark Blumenthal takes a closer look.

* Republicans' scorched-earth efforts throughout August helped generate a wildly successful fundraising month for the RNC.

* New York Gov. David Paterson (D) conceded that he would not seek another term if he thinks his candidacy would hurt his party.

* In Arizona, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows state Attorney General Terry Goddard with comfortable leads in next year's gubernatorial race over all of her his likely GOP challengers, including incumbent Gov. Jan Brewer. Brewer, who took office after Janet Napolitano (D) joined the Obama cabinet, has an approval rating of just 26%.

* In Iowa, a new Rasmussen poll shows former Gov. Terry Branstad (R) looking very strong, if he decides to seek his old job. In a hypothetical match-up, Branstad leads incumbent Gov. Chet Culver (D) by 20 points, 54% to 34%.

* Speaking of Iowa, Rasmussen also shows Sen. Charles Grassley (R) with a huge lead over his likely Democratic challenger Bob Krause, 56% to 30%. Krause, who served in the state and had a 20-year career with the state's Department of Transportation, is not widely known.

* And the Ron Paul fundraising machine continues to be effective, as evidenced by Rand Paul's $1 million in contributions. Rand, the Texas Republican's son, is an ophthalmologist running for the U.S. Senate in Kentucky.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Good start: "President Obama presided over the United Nations Security Council on Thursday as it unanimously passed a resolution aimed at shoring up the international commitment to limiting the spread of nuclear weapons, in particular halting the diversion of nuclear material for bomb development."

* I don't imagine this'll be the last word on the subject: "The Senate Finance Committee rejected a Democratic amendment to its healthcare bill that would have expanded prescription-drug coverage to people on Medicare."

* Najibullah Zazi gets indicted: "The Justice Department announced Thursday that a 24-year-old immigrant from Afghanistan has been indicted on a charge of conspiring to use "weapons of mass destruction" against targets in the United States, and federal prosecutors sought his indefinite detention without bail."

* What's the latest on the census worker found dead in Kentucky? Zachary Roth summarizes the latest.

* Predictable: "The Massachusetts Republican Party has gone to court in an attempt to stop the appointment of Paul Kirk to the late Ted Kennedy's Senate seat."

* Let's put Speaker Pelosi down as a "no" on a public-option "trigger."

* HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebilius makes clear that flu vaccines will be voluntary. Don't believe anyone who says otherwise.

* Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) notices that some of his GOP colleagues are pawns of the health insurance industry.

* Gen. Stanley McChrystal says "there's no rift" with the White House and he isn't resigning.

* Better than it sounds: "The Obama administration has decided not to seek new legislation from Congress authorizing the indefinite detention of about 50 terrorism suspects being held without charges at at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, officials said Wednesday." Glenn Greenwald explains why this is good news.

* New optimism on an AIDS vaccine?

* Consequences of the missile-defense shift: "Hmm, Russian president Medvedev certainly sounds more open to sanctions against Iran than his foreign minister did a couple of weeks ago. I wonder what might explain that."

* ACORN heads to court.

* On a related note: "The community organizing group ACORN is under review by a Treasury Department inspector general as part of an investigation into the Internal Revenue Service's oversight of non-profit organizations."

* Journalism school enrollment is soaring even as the industry is tanking.

* Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) heads home from the hospital.

* Media Matters highlights RedState.org's "deep, shadowy connections with ACORN."

* Water on the moon. Cool.

* I'd encourage the White House to put Vice President Biden in front of more seniors, more often.

* Quote of the Day, from Matt Yglesias: "I was out on the Hamburg cocktail party circuit last night and mentioned to a German woman that an American Senator had been mentioning Germany as an example of a country where government doesn't run the health care system. Well, she laughed pretty hard at that idea. I tried to explain to her that he's a really important Senator, known for being sharper than some of his colleagues on the Finance Committee and then it turned into more one of those rueful laughs."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A new InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion Research poll shows Bob McDonnell's (R) lead over Creigh Deeds in Virginia's gubernatorial race down to just 4 points, 51% to 47%.

* A Democracy Corps poll shows Chris Christie's (R) lead over New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) down to just one point, 40% to 39%, with independent Chris Daggett third with 11%.

* In a setback for Deeds' campaign in Virginia, former Gov. Douglas Wilder (D) is ignoring a direct request from President Obama and declining to back the Democratic nominee.

* A new Rasmussen poll in California shows incumbent Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) with 10-point leads over her top GOP challengers. Boxer is, however, below the 50% threshold.

* Speaking of California, Meg Whitman's (R) gubernatorial campaign is getting off to a rough start, in light of revelations that she's hardly ever voted in her adult life.

* A couple of new polls show former New York Gov. George Pataki (R) as a credible challenger for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) next year.

* Speaking of New York, a Marist College poll shows most voters want to see Gov. David Paterson (D) skip next year's election, but they also don't want the White House to pressure him.

* While most recent polls showed Democratic candidates faring well in next year's Senate race in Ohio, a new Rasmussen poll shows former Bush budget director Rod Portman (R) with narrow leads over the top Dems.

* Massachusetts voters are still down on Gov. Deval Patrick (D), but they're not exactly ready to vote for a Republican, either.

* The upcoming special election in New York's 23rd may be a three-way contest between a moderate Dem, a moderate Republican, and a far-right Republican with backing from the Club for Growth.

* In Illinois' Senate race, Alexi Giannoulias (D) has earned the SEIU's endorsement.

* And speaking of Illinois, former state GOP chairman Andy McKenna is now running for governor.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The G20 is about as efficient as Congress: "A year after the panic that brought the world's financial system to the brink of collapse, the Group of 20 nations will now assume the role of a permanent council on global economic cooperation. But there is still no global regulatory framework to prevent another major market meltdown."

* On a related note, get used the G20 becoming the new standard global forum. President Obama prefers it to the G8, which will focus more on national security than economic issues.

* Georgia struggles with a "once in 500 years flood."

* More evidence for Inhofe and the deniers to ignore: "Climate researchers now predict the planet will warm by 6.3 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century even if the world's leaders fulfill their most ambitious climate pledges, a much faster and broader scale of change than forecast just two years ago."

* Remember the public-option fireworks planned for today? They've been delayed until Tuesday.

* The vaccine for H1N1 will be available in less than two weeks. "There will be enough vaccine for every American," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told reporters at the White House.

* After being hospitalized briefly, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is ready to get back to work.

* Zachary Roth has been doing a great job keeping up on the circumstances surrounding the death of Bill Sparkman, the census worker found dead in Kentucky. The local coroner has confirmed that the word "Fed" was, in fact, written on Sparkman's chest.

* The U.S. Chamber of Commerce loses another member over its right-wing approach to climate change. This time, it's New Mexico's largest utility, PNM.

* Water, water everywhere. Yesterday, Earth's Moon. Today, Mars.

* Mark Kleiman recommends calling the public option Medicare Part E. Sounds good to me.

* The chimera of student opposition to SAFRA.

* There were some important flaws in Michael Gerson's column today.

* A.L. takes on the ACORN "stings."

* Yesterday, there was a conference call between Vice President Biden and governors of U.S. states and territories. The only no-show? Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R). Given his love of the stimulus, it's odd that he was the only one who didn't make time.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Bob McDonnell, the Republican gubernatorial candidate in Virginia, was pressed by Chris Wallace yesterday on the controversy surrounding his 1989 thesis. Wallace asked if the right-wing wish-list represented "a pretty radical agenda." McDonnell replied, "No."

* New York Gov. David Paterson (D) isn't sure what kind of support he might receive from the White House next year, but he said on "Meet the Press" yesterday, "I'm running for governor."

* While most recent polls show Ohio Governor Ted Strickland (D) looking fairly strong in his re-election bid next year, the latest Rasmussen poll shows him trailing former Rep. John Kasich (R) by one, 46% to 45%.

* The latest poll in Michigan's GOP gubernatorial primary shows state Attorney General Mike Cox with an early edge over his Republican challengers. On the other hand, Ann Arbor investor Rick Snyder (R) won a straw poll at the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference over the weekend.

* Sen. John McCain (R) is going to seek re-election next year, and the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows him leading his potential Democratic challengers by wide margins.

* Conservative columnist George Will offered some hearty support to Marco Rubio's far-right Senate campaign in Florida over the weekend, despite the Republican establishment's backing of Gov. Charlie Crist (R). Will specifically complained about Crist's support for the economic recovery package and concerns over global warming.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* With just five weeks until Election Day in Virginia's gubernatorial race, Creigh Deeds (D) has unveiled a new television ad, touting the support of Sen. Mark Warner (D). Warner, also a former governor, is easily the most popular political figure in the commonwealth.

* The special election in New York's 23rd got a little more interesting yesterday when the right-wing Club for Growth bypassed the moderate Republican candidate and threw its support to Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman. GOP leaders, who have backed Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava, are increasingly worried about the race.

* In Massachusetts, state Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) is hosting a press conference today, pointing to the strong support her Senate campaign enjoys from a variety of women's groups and leaders.

* In California, the latest Rasmussen poll shows state Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) looking strong against all the likely Republican gubernatorial candidates. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (D) fares far less well, and trails the GOP hopefuls in hypothetical match-ups.

* Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) is obviously moving towards a presidential campaign, but only 30% of his constituents want to see him run for the White House.

* And in Kentucky, Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo (D), a leading U.S. Senate candidate, has suffered a serious setback with the release of a profanity-laced recording. The tape, leaked yesterday, features Mongiardo trashing Gov. Steve Beshear (D), who endorsed him earlier this year. Mongiardo added that he's "close to saying f**k it all. I do not need this job. I do not need the U.S. Senate." Mongiardo is facing state Attorney General Jack Conway (D) in a competitive Democratic primary.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iran: "One day after it said it test-fired missiles capable of striking targets 1,250 miles from its soil, Iran said Tuesday that it would soon offer a timetable for international inspectors to visit a hitherto secret nuclear enrichment facility, but that it was not prepared to renounce its nuclear program or debate its 'rights' to operate the previously undeclared plant."

* The U.S. has a different idea: "The Obama administration is laying plans to cut Iran's economic links to the rest of the world if talks this week over the country's nuclear ambitions founder, according to officials and outside experts familiar with the plans."

* President Obama met with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen today at the White House to explore a new strategy in Afghanistan. Rasmussen agreed that it's less important to discuss troop levels, and more important to figure out what the mission should be.

* The administration has cleared 75 of the remaining 223 Guantanamo prisoners for release.

* If you missed some of the "fun" of today's Senate Finance Committee hearing, the NYT and Tim Noah did some good live-blogging.

* This year's White House "Family Day" proclamation honored children of "same-sex couples" for the first time.

* Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) will join House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) tomorrow at event to promote public funding of private schools in D.C.

* In case there were any doubts, interim Sen. Paul Kirk (D-Mass.) supports a public option.

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) is taking the lead on repealing retroactive immunity for telecoms that worked with the Bush administration's warrantless-wiretap program.

* Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) doesn't understand foreign policy.

* A.L. sets Mickey Kaus straight.

* I guess Republicans don't want Chicago to get the Olympics?

* It's one thing for far-right activists to lie on national television. It's another when the network doesn't correct the record for viewers.

* I wish O'Reilly would leave Vermont alone.

* The Washington Post is holding some kind of contest to hire a new op-ed columnist. I don't think Matt Yglesias is going to get the job.

* And Rob Kutner, a writer at "The Tonight Show," put together a good new video on health care reform.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A new Quinnipiac poll in New Jersey finds a gubernatorial race that keeps getting more competitive. A month ago, Quinnipiac found Chris Christie (R) leading Gov. Jon Corzine (D) by 10. Now, Christie's lead is down to four: 43% to 39%. Independent Chris Daggett is third with 12%.

* Speaking of competitive gubernatorial races, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Bob McDonnell's (R) lead over Creigh Deeds (D) down to five points, 48% to 43%.

* In New Jersey, the DNC has a new ad, highlighting an instance in which Christie cut off a cancer survivor when he got impatient with her question.

* California Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) has, as a practical matter, been running for governor for most of the year, but yesterday he formally launched an exploratory committee.

* A new Rasmussen poll shows Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) struggling in her re-election bid, trailing all of her would-be Republican challengers in hypothetical match-ups.

* Given that nearly all of the candidates have low name recognition, the race is very likely to change dramatically in the coming months, but a new Quinnipiac poll shows state Attorney General Tom Corbett (R) as the leading gubernatorial candidate in Pennsylvania's 2010 race.

* And in Minnesota, former Sen. Norm Coleman (R) is doing his part to help Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) raise money for her re-election fight.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Indonesian earthquake kills 75.

* A massive tsunami hit Samoa and American Samoa, killing at least 119.

* We knew this was coming: "The Environmental Protection Agency announced a proposed rule Wednesday to begin regulating greenhouse gas emissions from thousands of power plants and large industrial facilities."

* On a related note, cap-and-trade finally gets unveiled in the Senate.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has scrapped the Senate's Columbus Day recess, so the chamber can work on health care reform. Good move.

* Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) isn't convinced the public option is dead.

* Encouraging vote: "The Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday rejected a Republican proposal to tighten restrictions on abortion under a bill to overhaul the health care system."

* Sen. Olympia Snowe's (R-Maine) constituents want to see her break party ranks on health care.

* Roll Call reports that the White House is still working on a possible health care bill. Robert Gibbs knocks it down.

* Another possible compromise on a public option?

* The efforts aren't working: "The number of homes lost to foreclosures rose about 17 percent in the second quarter of this year despite the launch of an extensive government program aimed at helping borrowers save their home, according to government data released Wednesday."

* Second quarter GDP was readjusted in a positive direction -- it was down 0.7%, not 1%.

* An expedited withdrawal timeline for Iraq? Maybe.

* NIH gets $5 billion in grants. Good.

* Despite yesterday's setback(s), the White House is not abandoning the public option.

* Why is Reagan's national security adviser lobbying on behalf of Sudan?

* How college students' brains work.

* When Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) called the president "an enemy of humanity," he apparently only meant part of humanity.

* It's hard to believe how badly three Hyatt hotels in Boston treated their housekeepers.

* House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) criticized President Obama today for traveling abroad to ask for an American Olympics in 2016. Boehner said Obama should focus his attention on "the problems we have here at home." Dems reminded Boehner he took a two-week trip abroad just last month.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Another poll, another piece of evidence that New Jersey's gubernatorial race is tightening. This morning, a Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey Poll shows Chris Christie's (R) lead over incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine (D) down to three, 43% to 40%. Independent Chris Daggett is third with 8%.

* While most recent polling in Virginia shows a very tight race, a new Rasmussen poll shows Bob McDonnell (R) expanding on his earlier lead over Creigh Deeds. Rasmussen now has McDonnell up by nine, 51% to 42%.

* A new Quinnipiac poll out of Pennsylvania shows Sen. Arlen Specter leading Rep. Joe Sestak in a Democratic primary, 44% to 25%. While the 19-point margin may sound discouraging for Sestak fans, it's worth noting that Quinnipiac showed Specter leading by 32 points in July. At this point, former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) has narrow leads over both Dems in hypothetical match-ups.

* Former Nevada state Republican Party Chairwoman Sue Lowden officially kicked off her Senate campaign against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) today. She'll join a crowded GOP primary field, though Lowden seems to enjoy some early support from the party establishment.

* Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman (R), running for governor in California, is still trying to explain why she didn't even register to vote until she was 46. Whitman said yesterday she was busy with her family, though she added, "It is no excuse. My voting record, my registration record, is unacceptable."

* In the three-way, special election contest in New York's 23rd, a new Siena poll shows Dede Scozzafava (R) out in front with 35%, followed by Bill Owens (D) with 28%, and Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman with 16%.

* And in Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) was asked about his willingness to support scandal-plagued Sen. David Vitter's (R) re-election campaign. "We haven't made that decision yet," Jindal said.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* A reasonably good start in Geneva: "Iran and the big powers opposed to its nuclear program appeared to make progress Thursday in talks that included the highest-level direct discussions with the United States in many years, with both sides agreeing to hold further negotiations and the Iranians pledging to allow foreign inspectors into a newly disclosed uranium enrichment factory."

* President Obama called the talks "constructive."

* 1,100 dead as a result of Indonesian quakes.

* Bank of America' Ken Lewis is departing, but he'll enjoy a very luxurious retirement.

* Mark Lippert, the Deputy National Security Adviser and Chief of Staff to the NSC, is leaving the White House to return to active duty as a Navy Seal.

* Peter Galbraith is fired in Afghanistan for questioning the legitimacy of recent election results.

* Sen. Tom Carper's (D-Del.) public option compromise is making the rounds. Ezra says it's better than the trigger idea; Jon Cohn thinks it might not be necessary.

* House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) doesn't think the public option is popular because he doesn't personally know any supporters.

* This might be interesting: "A federal judge today ordered the Justice Department to release records of interviews with former Vice President Dick Cheney conducted during its investigation into the Valerie Plame leak."

* When it comes to helping low-income college students, there hasn't been enough progress on Pell Grants.

* George Will really should steer clear of columns about the environment.

* Quite a find: "Scientists today announced the discovery of the oldest fossil skeleton of a human ancestor. The find reveals that our forebears underwent a previously unknown stage of evolution more than a million years before Lucy, the iconic early human ancestor specimen that walked the Earth 3.2 million years ago."

* Gerrymandering promotes political polarization? Don't believe it.

* RNC Chairman Michael Steele believe his party is "up against ... fanaticism." I found that hilarious.

* And finally, Austan Goolsbee is, in fact, funny.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In a new Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos, Chris Christie's (R) lead in New Jersey's gubernatorial race continues to shrink, with the challenger now ahead of Gov. Jon Corzine (D) by four, 46% to 42%. Independent Chris Daggett, who was included in the poll for the first time, was third with 7%.

* In related news, the three New Jersey gubernatorial hopefuls met for a debate last night, and managed to have a fairly civil affair.

* The Republican Governors Association is going after Creigh Deeds (D) in Virginia on taxes, and his recent difficulty answering a question on the subject. "Republicans believe this is their silver bullet," Chris Cillizza said.

* New polling in Delaware this week shows a competitive U.S. Senate race, with Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.), if he runs, as the early frontrunner.

* Rep. Mark Kirk (R) is considered the very likely Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in Illinois next year, but former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka threw his support to Kirk's primary opponent, largely unknown real estate developer Patrick Hughes, yesterday. Ditka has no political background, but remains influential in some Illinois GOP circles.

* Sen. Chris Dodd's (D) reelection campaign announced yesterday that President Obama will travel to Connecticut in three weeks for a fundraiser.

* Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher's (D) Senate campaign continues to pick up support from party leaders. This week, Fisher received an endorsement from former president Bill Clinton.

* And in Pennsylvania, Sen. Arlen Specter is encouraging Rep. Joe Sestak to resign from Congress to focus on his Senate campaign full-time.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* In case you hadn't heard, Rio will host the 2016 Olympics.

* On an internal House whip count finds, at this point, 170 "firm" votes for a robust public option. It'll take 218 to pass.

* 3,000 still missing after Indonesian earthquakes.

* Sen. John Ensign's (R-Nev.) fate may be in the hands of the Senate Ethics Committee, the Justice Department, or both.

* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ken.) has decided he doesn't want to talk about John Ensign. Imagine that.

* Dems taunt GOP: "Where's your health plan?"

* All the Senate Finance Committee has to do now is pass the health care reform bill.

* MM even has a copy of the guy's driver's license: "Media Matters confirms student at center of Fox fueled Jennings controversy was of legal age."

* Michigan's government shutdown, thankfully, did not last very long.

* Yes, lenders, you do receive government subsidies.

* Fox News is a hopeless embarrassment, but I wouldn't laugh at it quite so much if it hired literate people to write its chyron copy.

* Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) was asked yesterday to comment on Glenn Beck's success as a media personality. Graham replied, "Only in America can you make that much money crying." The senator went on to argue that Beck is "not aligned with any party as far as I can tell. He's aligned with cynicism. And there's always been a market for cynicism."

* Thank you, John Cole, for these words of sanity about the Olympic decision: "This is the kind of mind-numbingly stupid wankery that we get when people have nothing to say but feel the need to say something anyway. The President went, like every other head of state, to try to get the Olympics for his country. It was awarded to Rio. Nothing else happened, and anyone who states otherwise is simply sniffing glue. And no matter what happened, the Republicans would be claiming that it is bad for Obama."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* With just one month to go before Virginia's gubernatorial race, the DNC is directing an additional $1 million to support Creigh Deeds' (D) campaign. "We see a real strong opportunity here,'' said DNC communications director Brad Woodhouse. "We're real pleased with the direction of the race."

* Interesting historical trend: for the last 32 years, Virginia has sided with the gubernatorial candidate whose party had lost the presidential race the year prior.

* In yet another setback for Meg Whitman's (R) gubernatorial campaign in California, it appears the former eBay CEO, who recently described herself as a "darned good" conservative Republican, endorsed Sen. Barbara Boxer's (D) re-election campaign in 2004. Whitman also contributed $4,000 to Boxer.

* In his latest ad targeting Sen. Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania, Rep. Joe Sestak is, not surprisingly, reminding voters about Specter's 30-year career as a Republican and his support for the McCain-Palin ticket.

* Rep. Kendrick Meek's (D) Senate campaign in Florida continues to enjoy the enthusiastic backing of former President Bill Clinton.

* And in Arizona, Sen. John McCain (R) is expected to do pretty well in his re-election bid next year, but might he have to worry about a GOP primary? Anti-immigration activist Chris Simcox is already running, and apparently, former Rep. J.D. Hayworth is "weighing a candidacy." Hayworth, a right-wing former sportscaster, was booted from Congress in 2006 after more than a decade on the Hill.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "Groups of tribal militia attacked two American outposts in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, the American military said, killing eight American soldiers and two Afghan police officers in a bold attack that was the deadliest for American soldiers in months."

* Pakistan: "A suicide bomber blew himself up Monday in the lobby of the U.N. food agency in Islamabad, killing three people just a day after the new leader of the Pakistani Taliban vowed fresh attacks to avenge U.S missile strikes in the northwest, police and witnesses said."

* Will the Senate Finance Committee vote on a health care reform bill tomorrow? Almost certainly not, and delays from the CBO may delay a vote until next week.

* Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants advice from commanders to the president to be private and confidential.

* Vaccinations against the H1N1 flu virus will be limited but available this week, but unless you're a medical professional, you probably shouldn't bother trying to get it right away.

* Plutonium Page had a good item last night on where things stand with Iran's nuclear program and international efforts.

* The Federal Trade Commission finds new reasons to scrutinize bloggers who take fees to review goods and services.

* Nearly two dozen House liberals are on board with a bill to prohibit the administration from sending additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan.

* Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor isn't impressed with what the Roberts Court is doing to some of the precedents she helped establish.

* President Obama will speak on Saturday at the annual dinner for the Human Rights Campaign, a leading gay rights advocacy group.

* MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, watching Rush Limbaugh celebrate the U.S. Olympic bid defeat, noted on the air this morning that mainstream voters watching the radio host must think, "My God, the Republicans have gone off the deep-end."

* Is modern technology actually helping college students to become better writers? It's a debatable point.

* State lawmakers in South Carolina still want Gov. Mark Sanford (R) to resign.

* House GOP leaders really don't like net neutrality.

* If you haven't seen it, Ryan Lizza's big New Yorker piece on Larry Summers & Co. is online.

* The The New Republic helped professional liar Betsy McCaughey in her efforts to destroy Clinton's health care reform. This week, the magazine makes amends.

* Bill Frist begins to walk back his support for health care reform.

* Fox News ran an online correction about a claim in one of its smear jobs against Department of Education official Kevin Jennings. Will any of the network's on-air personalities follow suit?

* In related news, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is directing his ire towards Jennings. Given his background, that's not a good idea.

* And over the last few days, there's been more than a little debate in conservative circles right now about the role and influence of right-wing voices like Limbaugh and Beck.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* For the first time all year, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) has climbed back in front in his re-election bid. A new Fairleigh Dickinson University Public Mind poll shows the incumbent leading Chris Christie (R) by a very narrow margin, 44% to 43%.

* In a big win for NSRC recruiting, Rep. Mike Castle (R) will announce any minute now that he's running for the Senate in Delaware next year. Castle is likely to face state Attorney General and Iraq war veteran Beau Biden (D) next November.

* In a turn towards the ugly, a top surrogate for Virginia gubernatorial hopeful Bob McDonnell (R) mocked Creigh Deeds' (D) speech impediment at a campaign event. The surrogate later apologized.

* Former state House Speaker Marco Rubio's (R) Senate campaign in Florida got a boost this week by winning over Karl Rove. It's another sign that Gov. Charlie Crist (R) may have to worry about Rubio after all.

* In related news, Rubio raised nearly $1 million in the third quarter, which is a significant improvement, but far behind Crist's totals.

* A new Rasmussen poll shows a competitive Senate race in Kentucky next year. Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson appears to be the strongest Republican candidate, while state Attorney General Jack Conway appears to be the strongest Democratic candidate.

* Former Ron Paul economic adviser Peter Schiff (R), running for the Senate in Connecticut, compared policymakers in Washington to Nazis, and compared himself to WWII heroes.

* And while New Hampshire's competitive Senate race next year is of great interest, it's worth keeping in mind that 86% of state voters are "still trying to decide" which candidate they prefer.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Attorney General Eric Holder commented publicly on the Najibullah Zazi case today, calling the threat "very serious" and one which "could have resulted in the loss of American lives."

* Holder added that closing Gitmo would be a lot easier were it not for the politics in Congress.

* The White House still isn't on board with another stimulus, but the president's economic team "discussed a wide range of ideas at a meeting on Monday," and may consider "extending" the first stimulus package in new ways. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), meanwhile, remains an active proponent of a new spending bill.

* Thomas Perez was finally confirmed by the Senate today to head the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. The final vote was 72 to 22.

* A new Gallup poll shows support for health care reform improving, thanks to diminished opposition.

* CNN ran into scandal-plagued Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) on the Hill today. He insists he didn't do anything wrong.

* And then there were five: Apple walks away from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce over its opposition to combating global warming.

* I wonder what Axelrod and Ailes talked about.

* I've always liked Elizabeth Blackburn, and was glad to see her get a Nobel Prize this morning.

* Steve M. read Richard Cohen's column so I didn't have to.

* How economic crises close the doors to higher ed.

* Is Keith Olbermann really going to deliver an hour-long "Special Comment" on health care tomorrow night? Should be interesting.

* Beck keeps losing advertisers, here and across the Atlantic.

* Rep. Nathan Deal (R), a gubernatorial candidate in Georgia, learns why "ghetto grandmothers" might be considered offensive.

* It's a genuine shame to see what's become of Dick Gephardt.

* MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell occasionally finds odd trivia important.

* And finally, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor took an active role in oral arguments on her first day on the bench. She has, in other words, already said more than Justice Clarence Thomas has uttered in years.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* No matter which poll you rely on, New Jersey's gubernatorial race is close. While a Fairleigh Dickinson poll showed Gov. Jon Corzine (D) lead Chris Christie (R) by one point yesterday, the latest Rasmussen poll shows Christie up by three, 47% to 44%. Two weeks ago, Rasmussen put Christie's lead at seven points.

* On a related note, Vice President Biden will be in New Jersey later today, and will appear at an event for Corzine.

* In Virginia, Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Creigh Deeds said yesterday that "what's going on in Washington" has made his own campaign "very tough." It's not a good sign when, a month before the election, the candidate starts blaming others.

* Republicans' chances of winning Iowa's 2010 gubernatorial race got a little better today, when former Gov. Terry Branstad (R) filed the paperwork for his comeback bid. Early polls show him looking extremely strong against incumbent Gov. Chet Culver (D).

* The Democratic Senate primary in Florida gets a little more crowded today when former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre enters the race. Ferre, who is 74, last sought public office in 2001, when he lost a re-election campaign in Miami.

* In a Democratic pollster, but the latest survey from Momentum Analysis shows Robin Carnahan (D) leading Roy Blunt (R) in Missouri's 2010 Senate race, 48% to 45%.

* In Kansas, a Survey USA poll shows Jerry Moran leading Todd Tiahrt in the Republican Senate primary, 43% to 27%. About a third of Kansas Republicans are still undecided.

* And in Vermont, Sen. Pat Leahy (D) is considered a lock for re-election, but he'll apparently face a primary challenge from the left.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* On the president's desk: "The formal request by the nation's top Afghanistan commander for more troops is now in President Barack Obama's hands, administration officials said Wednesday as the war launched after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks reached its eight-year mark with no end in sight."

* Obama doesn't intend to double-down or withdraw.

* Oh my: "Two men were arrested when police found a pipe bomb, two shotguns, bomb-making materials, ammunition, a can of propane and SWAT costumes in their car Tuesday night in New Haven, Conn. So far the police don't have a clear sense of what the pair were planning to do, New Haven Police spokesman Officer Joe Avery told TPM."

* A House GOP effort to force Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) from the chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee fell far short.

* Speaker Pelosi moving towards a watered-down public option?

* The "czars" hearing came to the expected result: "Five constitutional experts testified at a Senate hearing Tuesday that President Obama's extensive use of policy 'czars' is legal -- as long as the officials do not overstep their authority."

* Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) doesn't care what the constitutional experts say on the subject.

* Dahlia Lithwick's Supreme Court dispatches continue to be brilliant. In the latest, she reports on yesterday's hearing regarding animal-cruelty videos.

* National Review columnist John Derbyshire digs deeper in his opposition to women voting.

* If you exclude Fox News viewers, the president is pretty popular in North Carolina.

* John Blevins and Marvin Ammori offer a very helpful look at the Comcast v. FCC case pending in the D.C. Circuit.

* Why on earth would Newsweek ask someone from the Consumer Bankers Association for their opinion on SAFRA?

* On a related note, SAFRA is clearly an issue in which Obama is winning.

* Thanks to Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maine for helping make the case for a public option.

* Newt Gingrich continues to lose touch with reality.

* And finally, Rep. Louie Gohmert, a right-wing Republican from Texas, in arguing against repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," managed to insist that a hate-crimes bill would lead to a legalization of necrophilia, pedophilia, and bestiality. He then used scripture to condemn homosexuality before comparing his opponents to Nazis. Seriously.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Two months before Massachusetts' special election Senate primaries, state Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) released a poll showing her with a wide lead. Coakley currently enjoys 47% in the multi-candidate primary field, while Rep. Michael Capuano (D) is a distant second with 12%.

* Despite his humiliating sex scandal, Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) looks relatively strong in his re-election prospects. The latest Rasmussen poll shows Vitter leading Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-La.) by 10, 46% to 36%.

* NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas) believes there are only five House Republican incumbents who are vulnerable in 2010. That's probably true, but it's because the GOP lost so many other seats in the last couple of election cycles. The House Republican caucus is down to just 177 members. Of course it won't have many vulnerable incumbents left.

* There's growing discontent among far-right Republicans about his Senate campaign, but Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) continues to be a powerhouse when it comes to fundraising.

* In California, a new Field Poll shows Meg Whitman and Tom Campbell in a dead heat in the Republican gubernatorial primary.

* According to the latest Public Policy Polling survey, Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) continues to have a low approval rating (36%), but nevertheless enjoys double-digit leads over his potential Democratic challengers.

* And in case there are any doubts about Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's (R) presidential plans, he announced this week that he'll headline an Iowa Republican party event in November.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "A car packed with explosives blew up beside the Indian Embassy on Thursday, leaving more than a dozen dead in what India's foreign secretary said was a direct attack on the embassy compound, the second in two years. The blast killed 17 people and wounded 63."

* Retail sales saw their first gains in 14 months in September.

* The Making Home Affordable program met its target: "The Obama administration reached its goal of signing up 500,000 borrowers for its foreclosure prevention program three weeks early, government officials said Thursday morning."

* Defense Secretary Robert Gates does not want congressional Republicans to make U.S. policy in Afghanistan a partisan issue.

* The Senate Finance Committee will finally vote on health care reform on Tuesday morning.

* Speaker Pelosi is playing it smart with CBO scores on various reform alternatives.

* Ben Nelson sounds amendable to the opt-out compromise. So does Max Baucus.

* According to Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), the leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, there are 208 votes for a "robust" public option. Reformers will need 218 for passage.

* In the Senate, 30 members of the Senate Democratic Caucus are also on board with an ambitious public option.

* If you missed it, Keith Olbermann's hour-long "Special Comment" on health care is online.

* Expanded hate-crimes measure passes the House.

* Rep. Charlie Rangel's (D-N.Y.) troubles with the House Ethics Committee seem to be getting worse.

* The president is poised to name the first openly gay ambassador in the Obama administration.

* Marriage equality in D.C. is looking pretty likely.

* Maybe it's time to "rethink the whole four year college experience."

* There are enough votes to confirm President Obama's nominee to be the Labor Department's top enforcement official, but Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) put a hold on the nomination.

* MSNBC host Contessa Brewer isn't happy about the NRCC's sexism, either.

* The Fox News smear campaign against Kevin Jennings is getting worse.

* The abortion registry in Oklahoma is ridiculous.

* Limbaugh is lashing out at Scarborough. That ought to be an interesting feud.

* The co-founder and national coordinator for the Tea Party Patriots owe the IRS over half a million dollars.

* And it was only a matter of time before right-wing loons put impeachment on the table.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* With less than a month to go, Bob McDonnell's (R) gubernatorial campaign in Virginia appears to be gaining strength. A new Washington Post now shows him leading R. Creigh Deeds (D) by nine points, 53% to 44%, among likely voters. A month ago, the same poll showed McDonnell up by four.

* In New Jersey's gubernatorial race, one new poll shows incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine (D) up by three, while another new poll shows challenger Chris Christie (R) up by three.

* The special election in New York's 23rd is sparking serious rifts in Republican circles, with the NRCC backing state Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava (R), despite her moderate record, and the party's base rallying behind far-right Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman.

* Former Florida state House Speaker Marco Rubio, running a conservative U.S. Senate campaign while facing Gov. Charlie Crist in a Republican primary, accused the GOP establishment yesterday of being shrill and lazy. The National Republican Senatorial Committee was not pleased.

* The latest Field Poll in California shows state Attorney General Jerry Brown leading San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, 47% to 27%.

* After Sen. David Vitter's (R-La.) vote on sexual assault victims working for defense contractors, the Young Democrats of Louisiana are going after the senator pretty aggressively.

* In a bit of a surprise, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman (D) announced that he will not run in Minnesota's open gubernatorial race next year. Party leaders are still waiting on word from Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak (D), who is rumored to be leaning towards launching a campaign.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) re-election prospects continue to look like an uphill climb. A new Mason-Dixon poll found him trailing both of his Republican challengers in hypothetical match-ups, including a 10-point gap against Nevada Republican Party Chairwoman Sue Lowden, 49% to 39%.

* In New Jersey's gubernatorial race, independent Chris Daggett has won the endorsement of the state's largest newspaper, the Star-Ledger.

* In related news, there's apparently a growing sense in Democratic circles that it's going to have to go negative next year. "Very often the instinct for an incumbent party is to defend and justify," said Geoff Garin, a pollster for Democratic candidates. "But in this kind of environment, the best defense is a good offense. This needs to be a cycle where Republican vulnerabilities are a central part of the debate."

* In California, the latest Field Poll shows Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) looking fairly strong for re-election next year. In a hypothetical match-up against former HP CEO Carly Fiorina, the incumbent leads by 14, 49% to 35%.

* Rep. Kendrick Meek's (D) Senate campaign in Florida leaked an internal poll over the weekend. While it showed Meek trailing Gov. Charlie Crist (R) in a hypothetical match-up by 16 points, the poll also found that Crist's support is soft statewide and among voters who know both candidates, Meek actually enjoys a narrow lead.

* U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan, a controversial Bush-era prosecutor who has been accused of using her office to pursue a partisan agenda, is considering a congressional campaign in Pennsylvania.

* Sarah Palin has made herself available to the Republican gubernatorial campaigns in Virginia and New Jersey. Neither, apparently, want to be associated with the former Alaska governor.

* Similarly, in California, Carly Fiorina was asked about her own associations with Palin. She told reporters, "I've never met Sarah Palin. Next question."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Pakistan: "A suicide car bombing targeting Pakistani troops killed 41 people Monday, the fourth grisly militant attack in just over a week, as the Taliban pledged to mobilize fighters across the country for more strikes."

* More Pakistan: "Pakistani commandos freed dozens of hostages held by militants at the army's own headquarters Sunday, ending a bloody, 22-hour drama that embarrassed the nation's military as it plans a new offensive against al-Qaida and the Taliban. At least 19 people died in the standoff, including three captives and eight of the militants, who wore army fatigues in the audacious assault. The rescue operation began before dawn Sunday, ultimately freeing 42 hostages, the military said. One attacker, described as the militants' ringleader, was captured."

* Iraq: "A spate of car bombings killed 19 people Sunday in Iraq's western Anbar province, once a hotbed of insurgency that later become a showcase for restoring peace."

* North Korea wants attention in advance of multi-party talks: "North Korea fired five short-range missiles into the sea Monday and declared a navigation ban in waters off its eastern and western coasts, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency."

* I think AHIP's tactics backfired.

* AARP isn't impressed with the insurers trade group, either.

* John Harwood said his blind quote/paraphrase yesterday was not in reference to the "LGBT community or the marchers." Adam Serwer added, "[T]he folks who have spent all day explaining how this one anonymous statement proved the 'truth' of the president's contempt for the LGBT community were just plain wrong."

* Gay rights advances in California.

* The first women to win a Nobel prize in economics: "Americans Elinor Ostrom and Oliver Williamson won the Nobel Prize for economics for work on how community institutions can prevent conflict, the Nobel Committee announced Monday."

* Trying to fight against inflation right now seems like a spectacularly bad idea.

* The DNC ad featuring Bob Dole gets pulled at the request of the former Senate Majority Leader.

* Why did Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-La.) fire Melody Teague?

* Fox News is mad at the White House. Imagine that.

* White House counsel Greg Craig was rumored to be on his way out, but as of Friday, he said, "I have no plans to leave whatsoever. The rumors that I'm about to leave are false. The reports that I'm about to leave are wrong. I have no plans to leave."

* The fascinating story of Hardin, Montana, and the ways in which private prison developers prey on desperate towns.

* California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald M. George believes his state's reliance on the referendum process has "rendered our state government dysfunctional." He's right.

* Do you suppose right-wing blogger Erick Erickson has ever even heard of Godwin's Law? I seriously doubt it.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Chris Christie (R) leading New Jersey's gubernatorial campaign by just one point over Gov. Jon Corzine (D), 40% to 39%. Independent Chris Daggett is third with 13%.

* House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) will face a primary challenge next year, with Vince Morgan, a New York banker, announcing his campaign yesterday. Morgan is a former campaign director for Rangel.

* Virginia gubernatorial hopeful Creigh Deeds' (D) new campaign ad reminds voters in Northern Virginia that Bob McDonnell (R) attended "Pat Robertson's law school."

* Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) has an internal poll showing him leading Alexi Giannoulias (D) in next year's Senate campaign in a hypothetical match-up, 42% to 35%.

* In case there were any doubts, South Carolina Republican Sen. Jim DeMint announced yesterday that he will, in fact, seek re-election next year.

* It's way too early to hold her to any specific commitments, but Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said yesterday she doesn't plan to run for president again.

* And in New York City's mayoral race, the White House ostensibly supports William C. Thompson Jr.'s (D) campaign, but it seems rather "lukewarm" about it.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Russia isn't quite on board yet with the U.S. plans regarding Iran.

* When President Obama sent 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in March, he also approved sending an additional 13,000 support troops, which the Pentagon is now deploying.

* AHIP seems to be getting increasingly desperate to derail health care reform.

* Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) used to say the public option isn't worth pursuing because it doesn't have 60 votes. Now he's saying it's not worth pursuing because he just doesn't like the idea.

* A couple of House Blue Dogs explain why they're breaking with their center-right group on health care reform.

* The always-helpful Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has some worthwhile analysis of the Senate Finance Committee reform bill, and it's need for improvements.

* The National Jewish Democratic Council believes conservative use of Nazi rhetoric to criticize Democratic policies has reached "epidemic proportions."

* Republican attacks on the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) may be tricky in light of the series of contributions Republicans have accepted from SEIU.

* Have you noticed all of those GOP lawmakers who just hate the stimulus, except for the money going to their state/district? Add Rep. Phil Gingrey (R) of Georgia to the list.

* I have no idea what the Washington Post's Ed O'Keefe is talking about here.

* Abstaining from Academic Abstention.

* Rush Limbaugh's chances of becoming an NFL owner appear remote.

* Eugene Robinson reflects on far-right attitudes on America lately: "Why, oh why, do conservatives hate America so? Okay, I know, it's just some conservatives who've been exhibiting what they, in a different context, surely would describe as 'Hanoi Jane' behavior.... 'I'm With the Taliban Against America' is not likely to be a winning slogan."

* On a related note, Rachel Maddow's segment on this on Friday was excellent.

* And speaking of things worth watching, if you missed Jon Stewart's segment on CNN last night, take the time to savor every second. Here's hoping CNN's executives didn't miss it, either.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* With just three weeks until New Jersey's gubernatorial race, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Chris Christie (R) leading Gov. Jon Corzine (D) by just one point, 41% to 40%. Independent Chris Daggett is running a distant third with 14%.

* In related news, now isn't a good time for a new Christie controversy, but the AP has a report on the potential misuse of public funds during Christie's tenure as a U.S. Attorney in the Bush administration.

* In Virginia's gubernatorial race, a new Rasmussen poll shows Bob McDonnell (R) leading Creigh Deeds (D) by seven, 50% to 43%.

* In advance of the special election in New York's 23rd, Republican Dede Scozzafava is "running dangerously low on campaign cash, according to several GOP sources familiar with her spending and fundraising." The election is Nov. 3.

* Sen. Arlen Specter's re-election numbers in Pennsylvania continue to look pretty awful: "A new Susquehanna Polling and Research survey finds that only 31% of Pennsylvania voters believe Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) should be re-elected, and 59% believe it's time to give someone else a chance."

* He's still in a very tough spot for re-election, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will have the resources he needs to compete -- he raised more than $2 million in the third quarter, due in large part to a fundraiser hosted by President Obama.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Someone's making money: "A year after accepting a bailout from Washington, a resurgent JPMorgan Chase reported another round of surprisingly strong profits on Wednesday, strengthening its position at the pinnacle of American finance. Morgan's results -- $3.6 billion in profit for the third quarter -- fanned hopes on Wall Street that, despite lingering troubles, the nation's banking industry was entering a new period of prosperity."

* Kevin offers a valuable rejoinder: "There's an insanity here that's almost beyond analysis. Wall Street can spark an economic slowdown that misses destroying the planet and causing a second Great Depression only by a hair's breadth -- said hair being an 11th hour emergency infusion of trillions of taxpayer dollars -- and then turn around and use those trillions to return to bubble levels of profitability within 12 months. And they can do it even though the rest of the economy is still suffering through the worst recession since World War II. It's mind boggling."

* Given that Social Security is not expected to get a cost of living increase next year, this sounds like a good idea: "President Barack Obama is calling on Congress to approve $250 payments to more than 50 million seniors to make up for no increase in Social Security next year. The White House put the cost at $13 billion."

* Even during two wars: "For the first time in more than 35 years, the U.S. military has met all of its annual recruiting goals." The economy is cited as the main factor.

* Rep. Bobby Wexler (D-Fla.) announced that he will resign in January to become president of the Washington-based Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation. Seems like an odd move.

* Blue Cross fires health care reform. The White House fires back.

* Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) was asked whether he would vote for a bill that Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) opposes. "I don't know," he said. "That's a good question."

* If Snowe is swayed by her constituents' concerns, she may find it interesting to know Maine residents want a public option.

* As negotiations continue, Jonathan Cohn has a terrific piece on the "Top Ten Things Worth Fighting For" in health care reform.

* Unions do not want to see reform watered down.

* David Roberts: Seven reasons for optimism about the Senate climate bill.

* RNC Chairman Michael Steele changed the name of his new blog. Good move.

* Speaking of Steele, I don't think he understands what happens to cows and moving trains intersect.

* Making Pell Grants work.

* The group bidding on the St. Louis Rams franchise has reportedly parted ways with Rush Limbaugh.

* MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan got pretty impatient today with Chamber of Commerce president Thomas Donahue. I can't say I blame him.

* It's always good to see breakthroughs: "President Barack Obama has nominated a Minnesota policewoman to become the first openly gay person to serve as a U.S. marshal."

* Air America gets a redesign. Looks good.

* Cake Wrecks is a brilliant idea, executed beautifully.

* As a rule, Glenn Beck should just steer clear of Nazi comparisons.

* If I didn't know better, I might think Pat Buchanan is a racist.

* And finally, Townhall's Ben Shapiro explains why he feels comfortable saying he hates America: "So yes, I hate Obama's America. Because Obama's America isn't America -- it's the European view of America, implemented from high office. Opposing the total redefinition of America isn't anti-American; it's patriotic."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* As New Jersey's gubernatorial campaign enters the home stretch, President Obama will once again visit the Garden State in support of Gov. Jon Corzine (D).

* In Pennsylvania, a new Rasmussen poll offers more bad news for Sen. Arlen Specter. The poll shows his lead over Rep. Joe Sestak in a Democratic primary down to just four points, 46% to 42%, after having led by 13 in August. Just as important, the same poll shows Specter trailing former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) in a general election match-up, while Sestak leads Toomey.

* In the closely watched special election in New York's 23rd, a new poll shows Democrat Bill Owens with a modest lead over Dede Scozzafava (R), 33% to 29%. Conservative Doug Hoffman is a competitive third with 23%. Divisions among conservatives over the race are becoming more serious.

* Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden (D), who recently returned home from duty in Iraq with the Army National Guard, conceded this morning that he's thinking about running for the Senate next year.

* In discouraging news for Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), his Republican opponent, Rob Simmons, had stronger fundraising in the third quarter than he did.

* As the Senate campaign in Florida begins to take shape, Gov. Charlie Crist's (R) approval rating has slipped to 48%.

* Christie Vilsack, Tom Vilsack's wife, is weighing a Senate campaign against Chuck Grassley (R) in Iowa next year. It could create a fascinating contest -- Jason Zengerle noted, "[S]he might actually have a better shot against Grassley than her husband would have.... [T]here are some people in Iowa who think Christie is the real political talent in the Vilsack family."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Pakistan: "Teams of militants dressed in police uniforms simultaneously attacked three law enforcement agencies in Lahore on Thursday morning, the fifth major attack by militants in Pakistan in the last 10 days.... More than 30 people were killed, including 19 police officers and at least 11 militants, police officials said."

* The foreclosure crisis continues: "The number of homeowners pulled into the foreclosure process increased by 5 percent during the third quarter as a government program to help borrowers stay in their homes struggled to gain traction, according to RealtyTrac data released Thursday."

* A runoff if Afghanistan's presidential election appears likely.

* Good: "Handing President Barack Obama a partial victory in his effort to close the Guantanamo Bay prison, House Democrats on Thursday repelled a Republican effort to block transfer of any of the detainees to the U.S. Instead, by a 224-193 vote, the House stood by a Democratic plan to allow suspected enemy combatants held at the controversial facility in Cuba to be shipped to U.S. soil -- but only to be prosecuted for their suspected crimes."

* Money well spent: "President Barack Obama signed legislation Thursday providing an additional $7.5 billion in assistance to the Pakistani government."

* The president was in New Orleans today, recommitting his administration to rebuilding the Gulf Coast. "I promise you this," Obama said during his first visit to the city as president. "Together we will rebuild this region and we will build it stronger than before."

* Seems encouraging: "A key House committee on Thursday passed legislation reining in the multitrillion-dollar market for financial derivatives. The House Financial Services Committee passed the bill on a 43-26 vote, with only one Republican, Rep. Walter Jones (N.C.), siding with all Democrats."

* Senate Republican opposition to extending unemployment benefits is a real problem.

* Even Greenspan seems to get it: "U.S. regulators should consider breaking up large financial institutions considered 'too big to fail,' former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said."

* Progress towards a nuclear deal with Iran?

* For now, the Senate Republican caucus is not prepared to punish Olympia Snowe for having voted for health care reform in the Finance Committee.

* The right's sexist attacks against Sens. Snowe and Collins begin.

* Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was hospitalized overnight after an apparent adverse reaction to medication.

* CNN scuttles an anti-Dobbs ad.

* The right-wing writer the Republican National Committee hired to write content for its new website has an interesting background.

* How did yesterday's hearing on for-profit colleges go? It could have been worse.

* I'd love to see this gain some traction: "A group of 10 Democratic senators today reintroduced legislation designed to end the sentencing disparity between powder and crack cocaine -- a long-standing push that never quite seems to get enacted."

* In the 21st century, it's not okay for interracial couples to be denied marriage licenses.

* And finally, Sean Hannity still isn't happy that President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. His alternative? "frankly," he said, "I would've given it to George Bush." Of course he would have.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Who's leading in New Jersey's gubernatorial race? It depends on which poll you read. The New York Times has incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine (D) leading Chris Christie (R) by three (40% to 37%), while SurveyUSA has Christie up by one (40% to 39%), and Rasmussen has them tied at 38% each.

* How can we tell that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) is worried about re-election in Nevada next year? He's already running TV ads, including a bio spot long-term incumbents rarely find necessary.

* Yesterday, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden (D) said he's thinking about running for the Senate next year. If he does, it'll be quite a match-up -- a new Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos shows Rep. Mike Castle (R) leading Biden by just one point, 46% to 45%, in a hypothetical general election contest.

* In Iowa, a new Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos shows Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) leading Christie Vilsack (D) in a hypothetical match-up, but the margin was more competitive than I expected -- 51% to 40%.

* On a related note, the same poll found a close gubernatorial race in Iowa next year. Former Gov. Terry Branstad (R) leads incumbent Gov. Chet Culver (D) by five, 48% to 43%.

* It looks like Sen. John Ensign's (R-Nev.) sex scandal is having quite an effect on his fundraising.

* House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) may face more than one primary challenger next year.

* Florida Republicans have finally found someone ready to take on Rep. Alan Grayson (D) next year. There's just one small problem: the GOP challenger lives 300 miles from the district.

* In California, Republican gubernatorial hopeful Meg Whitman has been embarrassed by her lack of a voting record. Looks like Republican Senate hopeful Carly Fiorina is in the same boat.

* And while the conventional wisdom suggests Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) is in deep trouble in Arkansas next year, a new DSCC poll offers the incumbent some encouraging results.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Pakistan: "A trio of suicide attackers, including a rare female bomber, set off two blasts outside a police station in the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar on Friday, killing 11 people in the latest bloodshed in an unrelenting wave of terror plaguing the country."

* The CBO numbers on the House health care reform bill look good, but keep in mind, it's pretty preliminary, and today's reporting is outdated. We'll know more when there's a final House bill.

* Is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) working the inside game for a public option?

* Despite reports to the contrary this week, Reid will not invite Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) to closed-door negotiating sessions on shaping the Senate's health care reform bill.

* Another possible compromise on the public option is in the mix, this time in the House.

* Is the AMA's unexpected support for reform about to take another unexpected turn?

* The bizarre right-wing accusations against the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) have apparently produced at least one death threat.

* The pro-SAFRA YouTube video, with a takeoff on Beyonce's ubiquitous "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)." Informative or cringe-inducing? Or both?

* Rachel Maddow vs. Americans for Prosperity's Tim Phillips. Go watch.

* Glenn Beck's Mao hysteria actually came up during today's briefing with the White House press corps. (Why those guys follow Beck's lead remains a mystery to me.)

* Anita Dunn responds to Beck's tantrum.

* On a related note, during his tirade, Beck probably should have skipped that Hitler reference.

* Another Bush administration official is heads to jail.

* The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has a bad week.

* House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has spent over $10,000 for the services of professional speaking coaches? Doesn't that sound a little high?

* Remember when House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) said he hadn't heard from a single American outside of Congress or the White House who supports a public option? I don't imagine he'll be saying that again.

* Best comment I've seen today on the "balloon boy" coverage: "[W]hether or not the drama was staged, it certainly served as a perfect metaphor for cable news: America spent hours riveted by a powerful and gripping story that turned out to be totally meaningless, and will have no significant impact on anybody's lives going forward."

* Good news: John McCain will not be on a Sunday show this weekend. Bad news: he'll be on Jay Leno tonight instead.

* President Obama was asked by 9-year-old Tyren Scott yesterday, "Why do people hate you?" I found the president's answer pretty compelling.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The Washington Post editorial board endorsed Creigh Deeds' (D) gubernatorial campaign over the weekend: "If he has not always been the most adroit advocate for astute policies, that is preferable to Mr. McDonnell's silver-tongued embrace of ideas that would mire Virginia in a traffic-clogged, backward-looking past. Virginians should not confuse Mr. McDonnell's adept oratory for wisdom, nor Mr. Deeds's plain speech for indirection. In fact, it is Mr. Deeds whose ideas hold the promise of a prosperous future."

* In New Jersey, Gov. Jon Corzine (D) won endorsements over the weekend from both the New York Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

* Speaking of New Jersey, Republican gubernatorial hopeful Chris Christie has been frustrated by independent candidate Chris Daggett's growing support, which is splitting the anti-incumbent vote. With that in mind, Christie has begun going after Daggett and Corzine.

* Making matters more challenging for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D), the Progressive Change Campaign Committee is launching an ad campaign in Nevada this week, challenging Reid to pass a public option. The spot is titled, "Is Harry Reid Strong Enough?" and features a constituent who explains she'll "only be voting on one issue"" next year: whether Reid is able to "pass a public health insurance option into law."

* Rep. Corrine Brown (D) had launched a Senate exploratory committee, but decided late last week to forgo the Senate race and instead seek re-election to the House.

* Connecticut Democrats are continuing to make an issue of GOP Senate candidate Linda McMahon's leadership of World Wrestling Entertainment, and some of the "racier" content her company aired on television.

* It's long been assumed that Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) would cruise to an easy victory in his Senate primary race against former state House Speaker Marco Rubio. Those assumptions are being challenged more and more all the time.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* New offensive launched by the Pakistani military Saturday in the insurgent haven of South Waziristan.

* President Hamid Karzai is headed for a runoff now that a panel of United Nations-appointed experts has stripped him of nearly a million votes.

* Multi-party talks with Iran get underway. Time has an interesting behind-the-scenes report on the pre-talk positioning.

* The administration has a new policy towards Sudan, which was fleshed out today.

* That's quite a hoax on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

* The stimulus saved/created a whole lot of jobs in education.

* The White House isn't happy about big bonuses on Wall Street.

* On a related note, it was nice to see Wall Street suffer a setback on the Hill. That doesn't happen often.

* House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) just loves the derivatives industry. What a joke.

* Senate HELP Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is eyeing reconciliation for student-loan reform.

* White House launches the GreenGov Challenge.

* Remember all of those Republican lawmakers who hated the recovery bill but love to deliver big checks back to their district? Add Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) to the list.

* There are a few problems with Superfreakonomics and it's analysis of global warming.

* The Washington Post's "salon" problem continues.

* Voters in Maine and Washington will vote on legal recognition for same-sex relationships, and the White House has issued a statement taking the correct position on both.

* A loophole in the consumer financial protection agency?

* That's a lot of planets.

* Louisiana Gov. Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) thinks Keith Bardwell should resign. Good call. But what about Sen. David Vitter (R)?

* Republican outreach to Jewish voters takes another step backwards.

* I'm beginning to think Stephen Hayes' reporting isn't especially reliable.

* Ziegler vs. Keene on Palin.

* New, bipartisan efforts on the Hill for a college-football playoff.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In New Jersey, a new Monmouth/Gannett poll (pdf) shows Gov. Jon Corzine (D) and Chris Christie (R) tied at 39% each. Two weeks left until Election Day.

* In Virginia, a Clarus Research poll shows Bob McDonnell extending on his earlier lead, and is now up by eight over Creigh Deeds (D), 49% to 41%.

* Speaking of Deeds, the Democratic gubernatorial hopeful's campaign is running a new ad in Northern Virginia, touting its endorsement from the Washington Post.

* In the latest sign of a right-wing lawmaker bucking the requests of the party establishment, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) has thrown his support to former Florida state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R) in next year's Senate race, despite NRSC backing for Charlie Crist (R).

* A new Rasmussen poll in Illinois shows Rep. Mark Kirk (R) and Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) tied in a hypothetical match-up, 41% each. Kirk leads the other Democratic candidates.

* Florida Republicans have found a credible challenger for Rep. Alan Grayson (D), but it will require a significant change of address. Ken Miller had already announced that he was taking on Rep. Suzanne Kosmas (D-Fla.), but has now decided to move so that he can run against Grayson.

* In Pennsylvania, Connecticut's Ned Lamont endorsed Rep. Joe Sestak's (D) Senate campaign yesterday.

* And in South Carolina, attorney Chad McGowan (D) announced that he wants to take on Sen. Jim DeMint (R) next year. McGowan, who has not sought public office before, will face Mike Ruckes and Gary M. Stephens in a Democratic primary. DeMint is heavily favored to win re-election.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Hamid Karzai, under to intense pressure from the Obama administration, agreed today to compete in a runoff election on Nov. 7 in Afghanistan.

* Uigurs' plea will be heard in court after all.

* George W. Bush wanted Bernie Kerik to be the Secretary of Homeland Security. Now Kerik is off to jail.

* Is Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) the subject of an FBI investigation?

* The U.S. Chamber of Commerce was the #1 biggest spender on D.C. lobbying in the last quarter. Their total -- $34.7 million -- was more than the next 18 highest filers combined.

* There are a variety of ways to pay for health care. The Excise Tax proposal is a sound and reasonable approach.

* Someone probably ought to remind Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) that he's not the Commander in Chief. (Maybe someone should "put him in his place"?)

* California's attorney general, Jerry Brown, files suit against State Street, the large Boston-based bank.

* Rush Limbaugh today told New York Times reporter Andrew Revkin over the air, "Mr. Revkin, why don't you just go kill yourself and help the planet by dying?" Paul Krugman added, "[R]emember, Rush is a mainstream conservative who focuses mainly on policy. Always good to remember what we're dealing with."

* In related news, it seems that far too many Republicans have "a violence problem."

* The NYT's Elizabeth Bumiller reported that there's "frustration" building among military leaders over the White House's deliberations on U.S. policy in Afghanistan. But is the report true?

* A weak economy means less borrowing for higher ed.

* The two county Republican Party chairmen in South Carolina apologized for their anti-Semitism.

* Nice to see Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) feeling better.

* Please don't let Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) screw up the Census. It's too important for his nonsense.

* I've never been able to figure out why anyone would listen to Larry Kudlow.

* Rachel Maddow would love to have Liz Cheney on as a guest. Cheney prefers to chat with Sean Hannity. To borrow some phrases, what is Cheney afraid of? Why doesn't she want to debate the issues?

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In New Jersey's gubernatorial race, a new Rasmussen poll shows Gov. Jon Corzine (D) leading Chris Christie (R) by one, 37% to 36%. However, when independent Chris Daggett's supporters were pushed further, Christie led Corzine, 41% to 39%.

* Two new polls show Bob McDonnell (R) pulling away in Virginia's gubernatorial race. A SurveyUSA poll shows McDonnell leading Creigh Deeds (D) by a whopping 19 points, 59% to 40%, while a Public Policy Polling survey shows McDonnell up by 12, 52% to 40%.

* Though Deeds has kept his distance from President Obama, the Democratic gubernatorial hopeful's new ad relies entirely on a recent endorsement speech from the president.

* Florida's Senate race is getting more interesting all the time. A new Quinnipiac poll shows Gov. Charlie Crist's lead over Marco Rubio dropping quickly in the Republican primary. Crist still leads by 15, 50% to 35%, but Crist led by 29 in the last Quinnipiac poll. For what it's worth, the same poll showed Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) leading Rubio in a hypothetical match-up, 36% to 33%, while Crist led Meek by 20.

* Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's (D) Senate campaign has been struggling of late, but reports of financial difficulties may doom her bid. Brunner is facing Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher in a Democratic primary, and the party establishment has largely rallied behind Fisher.

* Despite his scandals, Sen. David Vitter (R) still maintains strong re-election numbers in Louisiana. The latest poll from the Times-Picayune shows the far-right Republican leading Rep. Charlie Melancon (D) by 12, 48% to 36%.

* In Michigan, a Detroit News poll shows Rep. Pete Hoekstra and state Attorney General Mike Cox as the leading contenders for the Republican nomination in next year's gubernatorial race. Lt. Gov. John Cherry is the leading Democratic candidate, though most Michigan Dems remain undecided. In hypothetical match-ups, Cherry maintains small leads over both Hoekstra and Cox.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Big story out of Vienna: "Iranian negotiators have agreed to a draft of a deal to ship about three-quarters of the country's stockpile of nuclear fuel to Russia for enrichment, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Wednesday. But he cautioned that the arrangement would still have to be approved by Friday in Tehran and Washington."

* Congressional Dems, as promised, are going after health insurers' antitrust exemption.

* Good move: "Responding to the growing furor over the paychecks of executives at companies that received billions of dollars in federal bailouts, the Obama administration will order the companies that received the most aid to deeply slash the compensation to their highest paid executives, an official involved in the decision said on Wednesday."

* Good to see the AIDS funding bill sail through the House on a 408 to 9 vote.

* I haven't seen a detailed vote count, but according to Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the robust public option is up to 210 votes in the House. It'll need eight more to pass.

* The doc fix fails.

* The gap between Wall Street and Main Street was, up until a couple of decades ago, quite modest. Brian Griffiths, a Goldman Sachs International adviser and former adviser to Margaret Thatcher, said yesterday, "We have to tolerate the inequality as a way to achieve greater prosperity and opportunity for all."

* Where's the bill, Roy? Good question.

* For all the far-right fussing, Poland seems pretty satisfied with U.S. missile defense plans.

* Here's a good example of the Republican Party and its cable news network acting in concert.

* Nice summary from Jon Chait: "[T]hat's the sum total of this dark White House strategy: point out that wildly biased right-wing a network is not a legitimate news organization, and negotiate with executives rather than an implacably hostile lobby. If that's Chicago style politics, then Chicago must not be such a bad place."

* Organizing for America organized over 300,000 calls to the Hill yesterday on health care reform. That's pretty impressive.

* When it comes to higher ed, there's expensive, and then there's expensive.

* The Senior Citizens League is trying to scare the hell out of seniors on Democratic health care reform plans.

* Will lower health-care costs mean higher wages? Almost certainly, yes.

* Kevin Jennings looks like he'll survive the right-wing kerfuffle. Chris Good explores how and why he weathered the storm.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A new Rutgers-Eagleton Poll in New Jersey's gubernatorial race shows Gov. Jon Corzine (D) with a three-point lead over Chris Christie (R), 39% to 36%. Support for independent Chris Daggett's campaign has surged to 20% in the poll.

* President Obama campaigned with Corzine in New Jersey last night, speaking at a rally with 3,000 people at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

* Hoping to turn things around in the special election in New York's 23rd, Dede Scozzafava (R) campaigned yesterday outside of one of Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman's offices. That probably wasn't a good idea.

* In Florida, a new Rasmussen poll shows Gov. Charlie Crist's lead over Marco Rubio down to 15 points, 49% to 35%, in a Republican Senate primary. The results are nearly identical to the poll released by Quinnipiac yesterday.

* Speaking of Florida, Rasmussen also found state Attorney General Bill McCollum (R) leading state CFO Alex Sink (D) in next year's open gubernatorial campaign, 46% to 35%.

* A Research 2000 poll for the PCCC found Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) trailing in his re-election bid next year, but by smaller margins than some other recent polls. This survey found Reid trailing Sue Lowden and Danny Tarkanian by five points each.

* To the disappointment of Kansas Democrats, Party Chairman Larry Gates announced this week that he will not run for governor next year.

* Would Arkansas Lt. Gov. Bill Halter (D) challenge Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) in a primary next year? Rumor has it, Halter's thinking about it.

* And in 2012 news, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) apparently isn't planning a presidential campaign, but she'd like to see fellow crazy person, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), run for the Republican nomination.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Good to see: "Washington launched its biggest offensive yet against runaway Wall Street pay practices Thursday, taking aim at everyone from senior executives to high-flying traders of complex securities. Leading the charge was the White House, which outline a series of drastic pay cuts for top executives at the nation's biggest bailed-out companies, including AIG, Citigroup and Bank of America."

* In related news: "A day after the Obama administration clamped down on executive pay at companies that received federal bailouts, the Federal Reserve acted more broadly Thursday to curb pay packages that encouraged bankers and other executives to take the kinds of reckless risks that contributed to the housing bubble."

* With a unanimous vote at the FCC, net neutrality takes another encouraging step.

* I hope the insurance industry wasn't too attached to that anti-trust exemption.

* The public supports taking it away, too.

* So true: "The battle to pass financial regulatory reform is going to be like trench warfare: a grinding, bloody struggle that's won a single subparagraph at a time against a relentless barrage of money, lawyers, and lunches at Tosca. And that's the optimistic view."

* Hmm: "Three dozen moderate Democrats are warning Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) that they must show that their health care bill will cut long-term costs or they will vote it down."

* The politics surrounding the failure of the "doc fix" aren't what they appear at first blush.

* There's a very good reason the pharmaceutical industry has been smiling for months.

* White House economist Christina Romer thinks unemployment will be a problem for a very long time.

* I caught some flack on my post the other day about President Obama's support for the public option, but Speaker Pelosi's office seems to think I'm right.

* The Senate can be infuriating: "Nine former U.S. assistant secretaries of state have written to Senate leaders warning that U.S. relations with the Western hemisphere 'are being damaged' because of a dispute that has blocked the confirmation of two key diplomatic appointees to the region."

* Fox News = professional wrestling.

* NPR's Ken Rudin apologizes for Obama-Nixon comparison. Good for him.

* Ruth Marcus responded to related criticism, but didn't walk back her odd comments.

* You'll always remember your first furlough fest.

* Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) disagrees with Dick Cheney's "dithering" criticism.

* The NYT's Ross Douthat opposes gay marriage, but he's having trouble explaining why.

* Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) thinks Bob Dole's position on health care will "increase a non-pro-freedom agenda." First, that's dumb. Second, isn't the phrase she's looking for there "anti-freedom"?

* The NYT's Andrew Revkin thinks Rush Limbaugh owes him an apology. I think he's right.

* It's awful to get fired. It's really awful to learn you've been fired through a Google Alert issued by Fox News.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* More competing poll results in New Jersey's gubernatorial race. A Democracy Corps poll shows Gov. Jon Corzine (D) leading Chris Christie (R), 42% to 39%, with independent Chris Daggett at 13%. A SurveyUSA poll, however, shows Christie leading Corzine, 41% to 39%, with Daggett at 19%.

* Christie is going with an endorsement from former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean (R) in one of the campaign's last ads.

* Democratic Party leaders not only expect Creigh Deeds (D) to lose Virginia's gubernatorial race, they're starting to talk about his poor campaign strategy. "Obama, Kaine and others had drawn a road map to victory in Virginia," one official said. "Deeds chose another path."

* Deeds' new ad in Southwest Virginia touts his opposition to "that cap and trade bill."

* A new Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos in the closely watched special election in New York's 23rd shows Democrat Bill Owens out in front with 35%. Republican Dede Scozzafava is second in the three-way contest with 30%, and Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman is third with 23%.

* On a related note, Hoffman continues to pick up support for prominent right-wing leaders. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) threw her support to Hoffman on her Facebook page, joining Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, Dick Armey, Glenn Beck, and Rush Limbaugh among far-right activists supporting the Conservative Party candidate over the Republican nominee.

* President Obama will be in Connecticut tonight, appearing at a fundraiser for Sen. Chris Dodd (D).

* And in New York City, with less than two weeks to go, a Marist College poll shows New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) leading Comptroller William Thompson (D), 52% to 36%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Oh my: "A suicide bomber attacked a suspected nuclear-weapons site Friday in Pakistan, raising fears about the security of the nuclear arsenal, while two other terrorist blasts made it another bloody day in the country's struggle against extremism."

* A sign of things to come? "NATO defense ministers gave their broad endorsement Friday to the counterinsurgency strategy for Afghanistan laid out by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, increasing pressure on the Obama administration and on their own governments to commit more military and civilian resources to the mission."

* Iran delays a decision on the nuke deal until Monday.

* Plans for a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency move forward in the House.

* Harry Reid is reportedly close to getting 60 votes for a public option with the opt-out.

* Reid & Co. are also counting votes on a public option with a trigger, which may have even more support.

* To say that Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) has some concerns about the trigger idea would be an understatement.

* House Speaker Pelosi still doesn't have quite as many votes for her robust reform plan as she'd like. But when it comes to negotiations with the Senate and White House Pelosi does, however, have a strategy in mind.

* John McCain, by his own admission, doesn't understand much about the Internet or computers. But apparently he knows enough to try and block net neutrality.

* I'd love to see Arlen Specter reverse course on Dawn Johnsen's nomination.

* The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing in November on the efficacy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." First step towards repeal.

* Eyeing "revolutionary changes" to America's schools.

* That's an awfully nice family portrait.

* Jeb Bush doesn't want to see the Republican Party become the "old white guy party." He'd also like to see the GOP shed its image as the "party of no." Good luck with that.

* Those right-wing House members who are panicky about imaginary Muslim spies on congressional committees finally filed a request with the House Sergeant at Arms to launch an investigation.

* The Culture of Corruption meme isn't quite over yet: "An Alaska businessman admitted to giving gifts to Republican Rep. Don Young, the state's long-serving sole congressman, in a confession made public this week as part of an ongoing federal investigation into political corruption in the state."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* It seems very hard to believe, but a new Suffolk University poll shows Gov. Jon Corzine (D) leading the New Jersey gubernatorial race by nine points over Republican Chris Christie, 42% to 33%. No other poll shows Corzine with anything like that kind of lead.

* On a related note, with just eight days left before voters head to the polls, Corzine is blanketing the airwaves with four new television ads, one of which prominently features President Obama.

* If newspaper endorsements were a deciding factor, Creigh Deeds' (D) gubernatorial campaign in Virginia would be in great shape. After having already earned an endorsement from the Washington Post, Deeds also got the nod over the weekend from the editorial boards of the Virginian Pilot and the Roanoke Times, two of the state's largest papers.

* Despite far-right activists flocking to Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman in New York's 23rd, the National Republican Congressional Committee says it remains committed to GOP nominee Dede Scozzafava.

* The primary isn't until December, but in the Senate special election in Massachusetts, the Boston Globe reports that state Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) has positioned herself as a strong frontrunner.

* In Iowa, Christie Vilsack has decided not to take on Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) next year, disappointing some leading Democrats who thought she'd make a very credible candidate. However, Roxanne Conlin, an attorney who ran an unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign in Iowa in 1982, says she is "more likely than not" to take on Grassley in 2010.

* She's been running for months, but former New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte (R) formally launched her Senate campaign over the weekend.

* And disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) is once again toying with the idea of running for president. He made similar noises in advance of the 1996, 2000, and 2008 presidential campaigns, which is why this probably isn't worth taking seriously.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The twin car bombs in Baghdad yesterday were simply devastating. "Unlike the carnage unleashed by attacks in crowded mosques, restaurants and markets, aimed at igniting sectarian strife, these blasts appeared to rely on a distinctly political logic."

* As of this afternoon, the bomb blasts had killed as many 155 people, with more than 500 wounded and an unknown number still missing.

* Two helicopter crashes in Afghanistan today killed at least 14 Americans.

* President Obama spoke to a military audience in Jacksonville, Fla., today, defending his Afghanistan timetable. He said he would not "rush the solemn decision of sending you into harm's way.... I won't risk your lives unless it is absolutely necessary. And if it is necessary, we will back you up to the hilt."

* Saturday, President Obama declared H1N1 flu a national emergency, which in turn "clears the way for his health chief to give hospitals wider leeway in how they handle a possible surge of new patients."

* There are too many institutions that are too big to fail. Policymakers are poised to consider solutions to the problem.

* Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), a strong supporter of a public option, is satisfied with the opt-out compromise.

* On a related note, A.L. has an interesting item about the larger political implications of the opt-out approach.

* The newspaper industry is in very, very deep trouble.

* CNN should not be slipping into fourth place in primetime among the cable news networks.

* Forcing women to pay higher health care premiums than men, based on nothing but gender, is crazy.

* First they came for the multibillion-dollar media companies...

* Why, oh why, can't Dawn Johnsen's nomination to head the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel come up for a vote?

* If government-run health care is such a tragic mistake, these 55 Republicans should stop taking advantage of Medicare immediately.

* Before the controversy over Treasury "snubbing" Fox News goes away completely, Fox News is contesting the administration's version of events, and the White House is pushing back against the pushback.

* Fred Hiatt doesn't like the public option. Peter Orszag isn't impressed with Hiatt's argument. Neither is publius.

* Malkin takes cheap shots at the Axelrod family. Classy.

* Roland Burris should probably brush up on some governmental details before the next Senate hearing.

* Jane Hall, associate professor in the School of Communication at American University, felt compelled to leave Fox News after 11 years as a contributor in part because of Glenn Beck's insanity.

* Guess how much the Republican National Committee's silly new website cost. A whopping $1.4 million -- five times more the DNC's redesigned site. I'm afraid the RNC didn't get its money's worth.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Polling in New Jersey's gubernatorial campaign remains volatile. While a poll released yesterday showed Gov. Jon Corzine (D) up by nine, new surveys from Rasmussen and Public Policy Polling show Chris Christie (R) with narrow leads.

* Corzine conceded yesterday that if he had it to do over again, he would have re-worded his "threw his weight around" ad.

* In related news, with Republicans turning their guns on independent candidate Chris Daggett in New Jersey, Daggett's negative ratings have gone up sharply lately.

* In New York's 23rd, actor/politician Fred Thompson (R) has thrown his support to Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman. So has Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R).

* President Obama was in Miami last night, where he raised $1.5 million for Democratic House and Senate candidates.

* In Wisconsin, Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton (D) announced yesterday that she is not running in next year's open gubernatorial race. The decision makes it more likely that Milwaukee Mayor Thomas Barrett will be the Democratic frontrunner, though he has not yet announced his plans.

* In Massachusetts, a Rasmussen poll shows Gov. Deval Patrick (D) with weak re-election numbers, but he nevertheless leads in a three-way contest. The poll has the incumbent ahead with 34% support, followed by Christy Mihos (R) and Tim Cahill (I) with 23% each.

* And in New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg's campaign is taking voter targeting efforts to new heights (or depths, depending on one's perspective).

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "Eight Americans died in combat in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, bringing October's total to 53 and making it the deadliest month for Americans in the eight-year war. September and October were both deadlier months overall for NATO troops."

* The significance of Matthew Hoh's resignation in Afghanistan: "in a move that has sent ripples all the way to the White House, Hoh, 36, became the first U.S. official known to resign in protest over the Afghan war, which he had come to believe simply fueled the insurgency. 'I have lost understanding of and confidence in the strategic purposes of the United States' presence in Afghanistan,' he wrote Sept. 10 in a four-page letter to the department's head of personnel."

* Iran responds to nuke offer: "Iran accepted the general framework of a U.N.-draft nuclear deal Tuesday, but said it would seek 'important changes' that could test the willingness of world powers to make concessions in exchange for a pact to rein in Tehran's ability to make atomic warheads."

* Good move: "The Obama administration is giving a jolt to the futuristic 'smart' electric grid, hoping to more quickly bring America's power transmission system into the digital age. President Barack Obama, during a visit to a solar energy facility in Arcadia, Fla., is announcing Tuesday that he is making available $3.4 billion in government support for 100 projects aimed at modernizing the power grid."

* Global cooling doesn't exist. Quick, someone let Inhofe know.

* In May, a new credit card law stopped banks from arbitrarily raising interest rates. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) is taking the next step, proposing "freezing interest rates and fees on existing credit card balances until a new law took effect."

* The votes still aren't there for a robust public option in the House.

* Snowe's prepared to support the GOP filibuster.

* This Politico piece is easily the most annoying thing you'll read all week.

* At the mercy of big-time college athletics.

* Ordering Hispanic workers at a New Mexico hotel to Anglicize their names is crazy.

* And right-wing activist Randall Terry "has launched a contest to encourage people to make videos burning House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in effigy." Seriously.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The polls in New Jersey's gubernatorial race continue to be all over the place. A new Quinnipiac poll released this morning shows Gov. Jon Corzine (D) leading Chris Christie (R) by five, 43% to 38%. It's the first time Corzine has led in a Quinnipiac poll all year. Two weeks ago, Quinnipiac had Christie up by one.

* In Virginia's gubernatorial race, Bob McDonnell (R) appears to be pulling away from Creigh Deeds (D). SurveyUSA now has McDonnell up by 17, while Public Policy Polling shows him leading by 15.

* There's increasing grumbling among Virginia Democrats that Deeds isn't just going to lose, but may also be a drag on Democratic candidates down-ballot.

* Despite Deeds' troubles, President Obama campaigned alongside the gubernatorial hopeful yesterday in Norfolk. "A lot of people are saying, 'Oh, you know, the polls don't look the way we want them to,' and 'I'm not sure it's going to happen,'" the president said. "Listen, let me tell you something. I don't believe in can't. I don't believe in giving up."

* Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in New York's 23rd continues to pick up endorsements from leading right-wing figures. Yesterday, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) bucked his party and threw his support to Hoffman. Reps. Tom Cole of Oklahoma and Dana Rohrabacher of California did the same thing.

* And Sen. Arlen Specter's standing in Pennsylvania continues to fall in advance of his re-election bid next year. A new Franklin and Marshall poll shows him leading Rep. Joe Sestak in a Democratic primary by 12, down from a 26-point lead in August. The poll put Specter's overall approval rating at just 29%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Pakistan: "The arrival of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in Pakistan was overshadowed Wednesday by a devastating car bomb that tore through a market in the northwest city of Peshawar, an attack aimed at civilians and marking a clear escalation in the Taliban campaign to undermine the government." At last count, the bomb killed as many as 101 people, most of them women, and wounded about 160.

* Kabul: "Taliban militants wearing suicide vests stormed a guest house used by U.N. staff in the heart of the Afghan capital early Wednesday, killing 12 people -- including six U.N. staff -- in the biggest in a series of attacks intended to undermine next month's presidential runoff election. One of the six U.N. dead was an American, the U.S. Embassy said."

* Ahmed Wali Karzai, on the CIA's payroll?

* President Obama signed the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act this afternoon in the East Room. In the process, an expanded hate-crimes measure also became law.

* Words fail.

* Expect the House health care reform bill tomorrow.

* Nevada Republicans may think it's funny, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid really was targeted by a car bomb in 1981.

* Did Dick Cheney try to banish New York Times journalists from Air Force One? Dana Perino acknowledged today "it's possible." (Follow-up question for Perino and the media establishment: anyone prepared to condemn this as a Nixonian abuse reminiscent of Hugo Chavez?)

* In related news, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs reportedly met today with Fox News senior vice president Michael Clemente. Oh, to have been a fly on the wall....

* South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanfrod (R) might still get impeached, but probably not anytime soon.

* Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) recently called a Federal Reserve official a "K Street whore." Yesterday, he apologized.

* The investigation into Census Bureau worker Bill Sparkman's murder has been ongoing, albeit quietly. A local law enforcement official said the probe is progressing, and should be complete in a matter of weeks.

* Isn't the U.S. Chamber of Commerce supposed to be against frivolous lawsuits?

* Can online learning help low-income students get degrees?

* Paul Begala labels Joe Lieberman "Traitor Joe."

* Wealthy Democratic donors occasionally visit the White House. I'm not sure why anyone would find that shocking.

* Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia says a lot of outrageous things. Opposing the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education isn't one of them.

* And finally California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger got creative in a letter to state lawmakers this week, with a seven-line note. The first letter of every line collectively spells "f**k you." The governor's spokesperson called it a mere "coincidence." There's a one in 10 billion chance he's telling the truth.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A new Rasmussen poll shows Bob McDonnell (R) building on his earlier leads in Virginia's gubernatorial race, and now enjoys a 13-point edge over Creigh Deeds (D), 54% to 41%.

* For his part, Deeds is going with a closing message that uses some of his awkwardness as a selling point. "If you want 'slick' go with the other guy," the narrator tells viewers in the Democrat's latest ad.

* Over the summer, when Gov. Jon Corzine's (D) campaign was struggling badly in New Jersey, the White House took a more active interest in the race. After meetings with David Axelrod and political director Patrick Gaspard in the Garden State, Corzine made some changes, including replacing his pollster.

* In the special election in New York's 23rd, a new Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos shows Democrat Bill Owens with the narrowest of leads. The results, which won't be formally available until later, show Owens leading with 33%, with Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman extremely close behimd with 32%. Republican Dede Scozzafava, who was in second, is slipping badly, with 21% support.

* MoveOn.org moved yesterday to help support the Owens campaign.

* A right-wing group calling itself Common Sense in America is pulling a dirty trick this week, "praising" Dede Scozzafava for some center-left positions. The ad, engineered by Hoffman supporters, called Scozzafava "the best choice for progressives." The intention, obviously, is to convince Republican voters that Scozzafava isn't nearly conservative enough, while hoping to fool Democratic voters.

* In Texas, where Gov. Rick Perry is facing Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in a closely-watched Republican gubernatorial primary, Dick Cheney has weighed in, throwing his support to Hutchison.

* The latest Ohio Newspaper Poll (pdf) shows Gov. Ted Strickland (D) leading Republican challenger John Kasich (R) by just one point, 48% to 47%.

* And in New York, Chris Collins' (R) gubernatorial campaign is off to a bad start, after the county executive compared Jewish state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to Hitler and suggested he might be the anti-Christ.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* CBO gives the House Democrats' health care reform bill an $894 billion price tag over the next 10 years. Just as important, the bill, if passed, would reduce the deficit by $104 billion over the next decade.

* Iran wants to change the nature of the nuclear deal. What a surprise.

* Sounds like HRC isn't satisfied with what she's seeing from Pakistan: "U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's said on Thursday it was 'hard to believe' that no one in Pakistan's government knew where al Qaeda leaders were hiding, striking a new tone on a trip where Washington's credibility has come under attack."

* Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) is on board with the motion to proceed, which will at least send health care reform to the floor for debate and amendments. Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) said the same thing this afternoon. Baby steps.

* President Obama talks up small businesses.

* More evidence of the stimulus helping: "A historic nosedive in state tax collections extended into the third quarter of the year, and only an infusion of federal stimulus money has averted widespread program cuts and worker layoffs."

* Jon Cohn takes a closer look at the merits of the new House health care reform bill. (He likes it.)

* If you've seen the AP story on the stimulus and job creation, you should know that it's pretty misleading.

* A graphic display of inequality.

* Steve Miller, the director of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE), testified under oath this morning about Bonner and Associates sending fake constituent letters to members of Congress. It really didn't go well.

* Same-day voter registration. Sounds good to me.

* I wonder why Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) is afraid of Rachel Maddow? I can say from personal experience that she's a delightful interviewer.

*MSNBC is only too pleased to air an anti-Dobbs advertisement.

* Best wishes to Fred Clarkson on a speedy recovery.

* Crowley and Gates meet for beers, again.

* "Tea Party" activists tried to organize a "flash mob" to protest at the Capitol this morning, when House Democrats unveiled their health care reform bill. By most estimates, about 10 right-wing activists showed up. One Northern Virginia Teabagger said, "If this is organized, we suck."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* With just a few days left in New Jersey's gubernatorial race, the polls are all over the place. A Research 2000 poll shows Chris Christie (R) leading Gov. Jon Corzine (D) by one point; a Democracy Corps poll shows Corzine up by five points; a Fairleigh Dickinson poll shows Corzine up by one point; and a SurveyUSA poll has them tied.

* For his part, Christie's new message yesterday dared the governor to "man up and say I'm fat."

* In Virginia's gubernatorial race, the last Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos before the election shows Bob McDonnell (R) leading Creigh Deeds (D) by 10 points, 54% to 44%. It's one of many polls this week showing McDonnell with a double-digit lead.

* In the special election in New York's 23rd, all three candidates were supposed to debate on Wednesday night, but Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman refused to attend because the event was hosted by a public radio station. Last night, all three candidates attended a debate at the local ABC affiliate in Syracuse. The ill will between Hoffman and Republican Dede Scozzafava was apparently obvious.

* In the PCCC poll we talked about earlier, Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) leads state Sen. Gilbert Baker (R) in a hypothetical match-up by two, 41% to 39%.

* New Mexico Democrats were pleased to learn that former Rep. Heather Wilson (R) has decided not to run for governor next year. She was considered the Republicans' strongest candidate. Lt. Gov. Diane Denish (D) is now considered the frontrunner to succeed Gov. Bill Richardson (D).

* A special election in California's 10th next week has been largely overlooked, but a new SurveyUSA poll shows Lt. Gov. John Garamendi (D) as the leading candidate to fill the vacancy left by Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.), who joined the Obama administration earlier this year.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iran seemed amendable to the proposed nuclear deal. Then, it didn't.

* Not an easy day for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Pakistan.

* Weak consumer confidence has consequences.

* Good move: "President Obama has strengthened the authority and independence of an espionage oversight board made up of private citizens with top-level security clearances and a mandate to uncover illegal spying. In an executive order released Thursday by the White House, Mr. Obama rolled back several changes made by the Bush administration that had weakened the Intelligence Oversight Board, a panel that helps presidents make sure spy agencies are obeying federal laws and presidential directives."

* Hmm: "House ethics investigators have been scrutinizing the activities of more than 30 lawmakers and several aides in inquiries about issues including defense lobbying and corporate influence peddling, according to a confidential House ethics committee report prepared in July." But is there less here than meets the eye?

* Chris Hayes asks a terrific question: Anyone notice that the president signed a $680 billion defense appropriations bill in the midst of our heated debates about $90 billion a year for heath care?

* Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) thinks the health care debate is more important than the 9/11 attacks. If a Democrat had said this, would the right be all right with it?

* What was the CBO score on the House reform bill? That's a little complicated.

* Will the public plan have higher premiums than private insurance? Ezra Klein takes a closer look.

* More evidence that a lack of health care coverage can lead to American deaths.

* It pains me to admit it, but Rick Santorum's criticism of the Bush administration's Afghanistan policy happens to be correct.

* I'm afraid Stephen Spruiell is badly confused about education policy.

* Sounds like financier and philanthropist George Soros has an interesting new project.

* I'm not at all pleased about publius' "semi-permanent vacation." He's long been one of my very favorites.

* White House goes open source, embraces Drupal.

* It's odd that Jeb Bush, after all of his exposure to government and politics, still doesn't understand what "capitalism" means. There's just something wrong with those Bush boys.

* Fox News' interest in the "War on Christmas" seems to come earlier every year.

* Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) has a habit of saying remarkably dumb things.

* CNN's Lou Dobbs thinks his critics are shooting at his home. There's reason for skepticism.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A late surge in New Jersey's gubernatorial race? Three new polls out this morning show Chris Christie (R) leading Gov. Jon Corzine (D) the day before voters head to the polls. Quinnipiac has Christie up by two (42% to 40%); Public Policy Polling puts Christie's lead at six (47% to 41%); and Monmouth shows Christie leading by one (43% to 42%).

* President Obama appeared at two Corzine rallies in New Jersey yesterday, as part of the campaign's GOTV drive.

* In New York's 23rd, a new Siena poll, taken after Scozzafava's endorsement announcement, shows Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman leading Democrat Bill Owens by five, 41% to 36%.

* Republican Dede Scozzafava is now going all out in support of Owens. The GOP candidate, who suspended her campaign Saturday, endorsed Owens yesterday, and appeared at an Owens campaign event last night. Today, Scozzafava robocalls in support of the Democratic candidate will begin in the district.

* On a related note, Vice President Biden will be in New York's 23rd today in support of Owens, while politician/actor Fred Thompson will be on the ground to generate support for Hoffman.

* In Virginia, Bob McDonnell (R) didn't want to be seen with Sarah Palin, but the controversial former governor is featured on a new robocall, which encourages Virginians to "vote for Sarah's principles" on Election Day.

* Late Friday, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (D) ended his gubernatorial campaign. Polls showed him trailing state Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) badly.

* In Florida, a Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times/Bay News 9 poll shows Gov. Charlie Crist's (R) approval rating dropping to 42%. In his Senate primary against Marco Rubio, however, Crist still leads, 50% to 28%.

* On a related note, the same poll showed Florida's gubernatorial campaign looking very competitive, with state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink (D) narrowly leading state Attorney General Bill McCollum (R), 38% to 37%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "Afghan officials canceled a runoff presidential vote set for Saturday and declared President Hamid Karzai the winner on Monday, a day after his remaining challenger, Abdullah Abdullah, withdrew."

* Pakistan: "A suicide bomber killed 35 people outside a bank near Pakistan's capital Monday, as the U.N. said spreading violence has forced it to start pulling out some expatriate staff and suspend long-term development work in areas along the Afghan border."

* U.S. manufacturing activity grew in October at the fastest pace in more than three years.

* And in other encouraging economic news, Ford is doing surprisingly well of late: "The Ford Motor Company posted a surprise third-quarter profit of $997 million on Monday and said that it had had its first profitable quarter in North America in more than four years. The carmaker also said that, at least temporarily, it had stopped rapidly depleting its cash reserves."

* A health care reform bill may very well reach the floor this week, with a vote next week.

* Goldman's sales and its clandestine wagers: "In 2006 and 2007, Goldman Sachs Group peddled more than $40 billion in securities backed by at least 200,000 risky home mortgages, but never told the buyers it was secretly betting that a sharp drop in U.S. housing prices would send the value of those securities plummeting."

* CNN is very bad at stimulus math. The Associated Press is far better.

* Big Dog celebrated in Kosovo: "Thousands of ethnic Albanians braved low temperatures and a cold wind in Kosovo's capital Pristina to welcome former President Bill Clinton on Sunday as he attended the unveiling of an 11-foot (3.5-meter) statue of himself on a key boulevard that also bears his name. Clinton is celebrated as a hero by Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority for launching NATO's bombing campaign against Yugoslavia in 1999 that stopped the brutal Serb forces' crackdown on independence-seeking ethnic Albanians.

* The abuse of power scandal surrounding Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is pretty serious stuff.

* Nice charts on why U.S. health care costs so much.

* A tentative agreement on a media shield law.

* When it came to his employees leaking the name of a covert CIA official during a war, Dick Cheney sure was forgetful. Indeed, he couldn't recall much of anything.

* An actual fist fight among staffers at the Washington Post? Wow.

* Making higher ed more consumer-focused.

* DVR users are watching commercials. That's surprising.

* Another setback for the Washington Times' goal of being considered a credible newspaper.

* If Fox News had ethical and journalistic standards, this Mike Huckabee lapse would be a huge deal.

* And finally, this is a thought I ponder all the time: "Imagine what would have happened to Joe Lieberman long ago if Lyndon Johnson were President." Or, of course, if LBJ were Senate Majority Leader.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In the last batch of polls in New Jersey's gubernatorial race, SurveyUSA has Chris Christie (R) leading Gov. Jon Corzine (D) by three (45% to 42%); Democracy Corps has Corzine leading Christie by four (41% to 37%); and Monmouth has Corzine up by two (43% to 41%).

* In New York's 23rd, Rush Limbaugh said Republican Dede Scozzafava is "guilty of widespread bestiality. She has screwed every RINO in the country." Bill Owens denounced the attack; Doug Hoffman didn't.

* Hoffman not only doesn't live in the district he hopes to represent, but 95% of his contributions have come from outside New York's 23rd. I don't think I've ever heard of that kind of ratio for a House candidate.

* In Illinois, former state Attorney General Jim Ryan (R) is joining a crowded Republican gubernatorial field. Jim Ryan is not related to former Illinois Gov. George Ryan (R), who is now a convicted felon.

* Speaking of Illinois, state Treasurer and U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias (D) has a new poll showing him leading Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) by three points, 46% to 43%, in a hypothetical match-up.

* A new University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll shows Texas Gov. Rick Perry leading Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in their Republican gubernatorial primary, 42% to 30%. The same poll shows no favorite among Texas Democrats.

* And in 2012, right-wing Rep. Steve King (R) of Iowa hasn't ruled out a presidential bid. "[W]e'll see what happens, but I'm making no plans to run for president," King told the NBC affiliated in Des Moines. "I didn't make any plans to run for Congress either, and so -- I've long surpassed my personal aspirations, and I just count it as a blessing to be able to engage in this debate."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Probably not a good sign for diplomatic efforts: "Iran's supreme leader, spurning what he described as several personal overtures from President Obama, warned Tuesday that negotiating with United States was 'naive and perverted' and said Iranian politicians should not be 'deceived' into starting such talks."

* German Chancellor Angela Merkel addressed a joint session of Congress today, pressing lawmakers on the need for legislation on global warming. Merkel is the first German chancellor to ever address a joint session.

* A White House decision on the future of U.S. policy in Afghanistan is still "weeks" away.

* Senate Democratic leaders, including Harry Reid, were committed to getting health care reform done before the end of the calendar year. They're not saying that anymore, which is more than a little discouraging.

* In the House, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) is "reasonably confident" that a compromise will be worked out with Democratic opponents of abortion rights on the reform bill.

* Some Doug Hoffman supporters in New York's 23rd began harassing voters today, requiring police intervention.

* It's an election day, which necessarily means baseless accusations of voter fraud from far-right activists. How predictable.

* Painful: "Nearly half of all U.S. children and 90 percent of black youngsters will be on food stamps at some point during childhood, and fallout from the current recession could push those numbers even higher, researchers say."

* No matter how difficult the economic circumstances, Senate Republicans continue to hold unemployment benefits hostage.

* Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) gets a private meeting with President Obama this afternoon, presumably to talk about health care reform.

* Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said this morning that climate change legislation "is moving faster than we expected." I'll take that as a good sign.

* A new poll shows a plurality of Nebraskans supporting a public option, 46% to 44%. Will Ben Nelson notice?

* In higher ed, yes, race still matters.

* Did Fox News get a ratings bump after drawing White House criticism? Not so much.

* Media Matters Action Network launches "Conservative Transparency," documenting the sources of conservative funding.

* For the better part of the weekend, Fox News told viewers that Dede Scozzafava ended her congressional campaign to help Doug Hoffman. No wonder the network's viewers seem so confused about current events.

* According to far-right Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.), Democratic health care reform plans will "destroy America." Hyperbole, however, will survive.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Yesterday's least successful Democratic candidate, Virginia's Creigh Deeds, was also the least progressive Democratic candidate.

* Anthony Foxx was elected mayor yesterday of Charlotte, N.C. He'll be the city's first Democratic mayor in a quarter-century.

* Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley (D), the leading candidate to succeed Ted Kennedy in the Senate, launched her first television ad of the campaign yesterday. The Democratic primary is Dec. 8.

* Former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, best known in political circles for being an awkward McCain/Palin surrogate throughout last year's presidential campaign, formally launched her U.S. Senate campaign in California today. Fiorina, a Republican, hopes to take on incumbent Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), but will first face far-right state Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (R) in a primary.

* In Florida, state Sen. Paula Dockery (R) kicked off her gubernatorial campaign yesterday and will face state Attorney General Bill McCollum in a Republican primary. The winner will face state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink (D), who does not face a primary challenger.

* Speaking of Florida, Senate hopeful Marco Rubio's fundraising website features a homepage with a single image: President Obama with Charlie Crist.

* And in Kentucky, the Republican establishment has rallied behind Secretary of State Trey Grayson's (R) Senate campaign, but a new poll shows him trailing in a GOP primary against ophthalmologist and first-time candidate Rand Paul, 35% to 32%. Paul is best known for being the son of Texas Rep. Ron Paul (R).

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Unrest returns to the streets of Tehran.

* Interesting: "In a landmark ruling, an Italian judge on Wednesday convicted a base chief for the Central Intelligence Agency and 22 other American C.I.A. operatives of kidnapping a Muslim cleric from the streets of Milan in 2003." Kevin added: "Let me get this straight: the Italian judge was happy to convict a bunch of Americans who he knew would never pay a price since they'll never be extradited, but he wasn't willing to convict the Italians involved in all this, who would have paid a price. You'll excuse me, I hope, if I don't exactly see this as a triumph of judicial independence."

* Not surprisingly, the Fed left interest rates near zero.

* A House vote on health care reform on Saturday?

* A Senate vote on extending unemployment benefits today?

* Sen. James Inhofe (R) of Oklahoma stopped by the Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on a climate change bill, refused to discuss the basis of his opposition, and left to continue his boycott. What a clown.

* In related news, a tri-partisan group of senators -- John Kerry, Lindsey Graham, and Joe Lieberman -- announced their combined efforts to advance a climate bill.

* Harold Meyerson makes the case for the House health care reform bill. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities also touts its strengths.

* Election-day victories for higher ed.

* John Stossel thinks he's being criticized because he's at Fox. John, trust me, you were criticized plenty before.

* 10 Recovery Act Myths.

* Louisiana Justice of the Peace Keith Bardwelll resigned. It's about time.

* Why is Newsweek co-hosting a discussion on energy policy with an oil-industry lobbying group?

* MSNBC's Chris Matthews thinks it's awful to talk about whether Chris Christie is overweight. MSNBC's Chris Matthews also thinks it's great to talk about whether Al Gore is overweight.

* When Sarah Palin's book becomes a best seller, remember that it helps to have right-wing outlets buying copies in bulk and selling them for under $5.

* Have I mentioned lately how glad I am that government intervention prevented a depression?

* Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) isn't sure what "dithering" means, but he's pretty sure President Obama is guilty of it.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* A stunning tragedy: "Eleven people plus an attacker were killed and 31 were wounded after a gunman opened fire at Fort Hood in Texas on Thursday, a Fort Hood spokesman said. The gunman was a soldier, and two other soldiers have been detained as suspects, said the spokesman, Lt. Gen. Bob Cone. Officials said they believe three gunmen were involved. At least two of the gunmen wore military uniforms, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said. One of the shooters has been apprehended, Fort Hood spokesman Sgt. Maj. Jamie Posten told CNN."

* President Obama addressed the shooting this afternoon, calling the incident "a horrific outburst of violence." He added, "These are men and women who made the selfless and courageous decision" to risk their lives in the service of the nation. "It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil."

* Congress approved an extension of unemployment benefits today, as well as the home-buyer tax credit. President Obama is expected to sign them into law tomorrow.

* A dozen right-wing protestors refused to leave Speaker Pelosi's congressional office and were arrested.

* The phrase of the day at the Tea Party rally at the Capitol seemed to be "Kill the bill." Even now, I'm still not quite sure what it is about health care reform these folks hate so much.

* Nice to see retail sales have a fairly strong month, posting the retailing industry's best performance in more than a year.

* Despite a ridiculous "boycott" of the proceedings, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved its climate bill today, on 10 to 1 vote.

* Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will apparently not seek another term in office, an announcement that will add additional disarray to the already chaotic Palestinian political system.

* House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) vowed unanimous opposition to health care reform from the House Republican caucus.

* The American Center Society joined the AMA and the AARP in endorsing the House health care reform bill.

* Bernie Kerik, Rudy Giuliani's former police commissioner and George W. Bush's one-time choice to head the Department of Homeland Security, is headed for prison.

* President Obama hosted a White House Tribal Nations Conference today, which included leaders from 564 federally recognized tribes.

* It's not a good time to subsidize rich kids' educations.

* Immunity for prosecutors who frame innocent men for murder? I hope not.

* If Republicans were to reclaim the House majority, I suspect the calls for baseless presidential impeachment would get pretty loud.

* And Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) talks about how she starts her day: "The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning out of bed, I grab my cell phone and I look to RedState ... and I feel like I at least am kind of prepared to get out of bed, and then I go read the editorial page of Investors Business Daily or the Wall Street Journal for a wider background of knowledge for the day... I just find it is one of the most credible sources of information out there." I think she's serious.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* More details emerge in the Fort Hood massacre.

* Sgt. Kimberly Munley, who took down Nidal Malik Hasan, is being hailed as a hero.

* The gunman in Orlando was apprehended this afternoon.

* Afghanistan: "More than 25 international and Afghan troops were wounded Friday in western Afghanistan -- possibly by friendly fire -- during a search operation for two U.S. Army paratroopers who had gone missing, according to the military."

* The White House issued an SAP (statement of administration policy) in support of the House health care reform bill.

* Despite earlier assurances, the House will not vote on a single-payer amendment as part of the health care reform debate. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), who championed the measure, said today, "I didn't want the legacy of single-payer to be that it jeopardized passage of healthcare reform this year."

* To help make passage more likely this year, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said today that senators should expect to work Saturdays in December.

* Several House Republicans blew off important votes on national security policy to tell some right-wing activists yesterday how much they hate health care reform. Priorities, people.

* On a related note, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) had so much fun yesterday, he wants another right-wing rally in opposition to health care reform tomorrow.

* You may not be aware of this, but 4 gajillion people attended the right-wing rally yesterday. The media wants you to think it was only 3 gajillion, but that's not true at all.

* Media Matters has a good-but-scary video with some of the highlights from yesterday. It makes one thing perfectly clear: a lot of those folks are stark raving mad.

* Interesting fight at UC Berkeley over subsidizing of college sports.

* Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) refuses to let the Senate vote on a major veterans' benefits bill. So much for supporting the troops.

* Speaking of Republican obstructionism, the White House made some concessions and convinced Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) to let the Senate vote on a pair of key State Department nominees.

* Also, Coburn's effort to remove political science funding from the National Science Foundation's budget failed. Good.

* House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) mildly criticized Rush Limbaugh's Nazi rhetoric today. Start the countdown for the apology.

* And if you saw President Obama talk about the tragedy at Fort Wood yesterday, and it made you long for George W. Bush's presidency, there's something horribly wrong.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The Club for Growth's political action committee formally endorsed Marco Rubio's (R) Senate campaign in Florida this morning, reinforcing expectations of a bitter fight in the Sunshine State over whether Gov. Charlie Crist (R) is right-wing enough for the party base.

* While most of the Republican establishment is excited about former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte's (R) Senate campaign in New Hampshire, Ovide Lamontagne (R) is launching a campaign of his own. Lamontagne was the GOP's gubernatorial nominee in 1996, when he lost to Jeanne Shaheen (D), and hasn't sought elective office since.

* In Illinois, Rep. Mark Kirk (R) wants Sarah Palin's endorsement for his Senate campaign, but is he seeking Glenn Beck's support, too? Kirk apparently doesn't want to talk about it.

* Roxanne Conlin, who ran for governor in Iowa unsuccessfully 27 years ago, has decided to take on Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) next year.

* A new poll (pdf) conducted for the Los Angeles Times and the University of Southern California suggests Golden State Democrats are not yet entirely sold on Jerry Brown's (D) gubernatorial campaign. Most want another choice, offering a possible opening to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D), who conceded last week that she hadn't ruled out the possibility of running for governor next year.

* Speaking of California, most state Republicans don't yet know much about the GOP Senate candidates, but at this point, Carly Fiorina and Chuck DeVore -- the Republicans hoping to get the party nod to take on Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) -- are tied at 27% each.

* And in Iowa over the weekend, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) continued his unannounced presidential campaign at the state Republican Party's annual event at the state fairgrounds. Reviews were mixed.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Fort Hood developments: "Nidal Malik Hasan, the Army psychiatrist who allegedly gunned down dozens of people at Fort Hood last week before being wounded by police, is conscious and talking to medical personnel at a U.S. Army hospital in San Antonio, hospital officials said Monday."

* Espionage charges in Iran: "Three American hikers who were arrested in Iran this summer after straying across its border with Iraq have been accused of spying, an Iranian state news agency reported on Monday."

* President Obama made a surprise video appearance at the celebrations in Germany today.

* In case you weren't annoyed enough, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) expects to see the odious Stupak amendment in the Senate version of the health care reform bill. Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Fla.), meanwhile, fully expects to see the Senate kill the provision.

* Scott Roeder has apparently confessed to assassinating Dr. George Tiller in Wichita in May.

* President Obama quietly spent a couple of hours on Friday visiting with wounded soldiers and family members at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and also awarded two Purple Hearts. The media wasn't invited.

* A huge shake-up at the right-wing, Moonie-owned Washington Times.

* Speaker Pelosi thinks there may be more than one House Republican voting for the post-conference health care reform bill. I'll believe it when I see it.

* Some right-wing voices are using racist language to criticize Rep. Joseph Cao (R-La.) for his vote on the reform bill.

* In difficult times, community college often makes sense.

* Have I mentioned lately how much I like Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.)?

* Moving on: scandal-plagued Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) moves out of the strange townhouse on C Street.

* According to the Pedestrian Danger Index, Florida is the most dangerous state in the country for pedestrians. I could have told you that without a study.

* Everyone caught Markos driving Tom Tancredo from the air on Friday, right?

* Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) reflected on some of the right-wing protestors he encountered late last week: "Some of the people [at the rally] that wanted to engage me in conversation appeared to have been the losers in the 'Are you smarter than Michele Bachmann contest?'."

* And on a related note, I enjoyed this Tweet from Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), who noticed that Michele Bachmann inexplicably wore a lei during the debate on health care reform: "I wonder if Michele Bachmann wearing a lei (on the Floor) means she has recognized that Hawaii is a state and President Obama is a citizen?"

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell (R) announced yesterday she will not seek another term next year. Three top-tier Democrats had already announced their campaigns -- Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz , Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy and 2006 Senate nominee Ned Lamont -- and the leading Republican at this point appears to be Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele. The race quickly became one of the top Democratic pick-up opportunities of 2010.

* MoveOn.org has launched a new ad targeting seven House incumbents who opposed health care reform on Saturday. The spot accuses the lawmakers of having "stood small" while others "stood tall."

* In Colorado, state Sen. Josh Penry (R) is ending his gubernatorial campaign, and throwing his support to his primary opponent, former Rep. Scott McInnis (R). Penry's announcement is something of a setback for the national party, which had heavily recruited him. The move sets up a showdown for McInnis against incumbent Gov. Bill Ritter (D) next year.

* The latest Public Policy Polling survey in Maine shows a plurality of Maine Republicans (46%) disapproving of the job Sen. Olympia Snowe (R) is doing. Perhaps more important, if Snowe were to face a more conservative primary challenger, Maine Republicans would vote against Snowe, 59% to 31%.

* In the Senate special election in Massachusetts, frontrunner and state Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) said she wouldn't vote for a health care reform bill with the Stupak amendment. Coakley's top Democratic challenger, Rep. Michael Capuano, who voted for the bill, criticized the position.

* In Nevada, former state GOP Chair Sue Lowden's Senate campaign has taken a hit after laughing about the 1981 assassination attempt on Harry Reid's life. She's apparently also facing criticism from Ron Paul fans for having undermined his presidential campaign last year.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Pakistan: "A suicide car bomber attacked a crowded market in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, killing 24 people and illustrating militants' growing willingness to target civilians in their war against the government."

* Afghanistan: "In a pair of raids on Sunday, Afghan police and American soldiers discovered a half-million pounds of ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer that is used in the overwhelming majority of homemade bombs here. Some 2,000 bomb-making devices like timers and triggers were also found, and 15 Afghans were detained."

* Fort Hood investigation: "Intelligence agencies intercepted communications last year and this year between the military psychiatrist accused of shooting to death 13 people at Fort Hood, Tex., and a radical cleric in Yemen known for his incendiary anti-American teachings."

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) unveiled his financial/regulatory reform legislation today.

* CBS News reported that the White House is moving forward with a plan to send 40,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan. The White House strongly denies that a decision has been made.

* John Allen Muhammad, best known as the D.C. sniper from 2002, has been denied clemency and will be executed in Virginia tonight.

* After a ridiculous delay, Judge Andre M. Davis was confirmed by the Senate yesterday, with a 72 to 16 vote. Davis will sit on the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.

* Rajiv J. Shah was nominated today to be the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development.

* Sen. Bob Menendez (D) of New Jersey is trying to bring attention to the fact that the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 131,000 veterans are homeless on any given night.

* Remember reconciliation? Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) does.

* Strange days at the far-right Washington Times.

* Speaking of conservative newspapers, the scandal surrounding the New York Post is pretty striking.

* The NYT argues that Democratic officials haven't done enough to emphasis cost-savings in heath care. Peter Orszag responds.

* Who is more valuable, a football coach or a professor?

* Glenn Beck loses a fight against a certain crudely-named website.

* Obama administration endorses paid sick leave. Good.

* It looks like South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) will escape impeachment after all.

* Happy blogoversary to Mustang Bobby.

* Dan Pfeiffer replaces Anita Dunn as White House communications director. Dunn was serving in an interim capacity, and began the transition out in April.

* Note to Sen. David Vitter (R-La.): Given your sex scandals, it's best not to talk too much about your efforts to protect raw oysters.

* And finally, this John Cole post struck a chord with me: "The funny thing about all of this is that no matter how bad all their ideas are, no matter how disastrous their governance has been, no matter how many horrible things they have done to the economy and this country, what really is killing the Republican party is that deep down, they are just complete assholes."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Last week, Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) stated his comfort with women paying more for health care than men, comparing women with smokers. His Democratic challenger, attorney Grier Raggio, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, are now making this a key campaign issue.

* A new Quinnipiac poll in Ohio shows Gov. Ted Strickland (D) tied with former Rep. Rep. John Kasich (R) in next year's gubernatorial race, 40% each.

* In Connecticut, state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) probably isn't running for governor next year, but expect him to run a strong campaign against Joe Lieberman in 2012.

* And speaking of Connecticut, Ned Lamont has brought on Howard Wolfson, a longtime Hillary Clinton aide, to help advise his gubernatorial campaign.

* In California, Senate hopeful Carly Fiorina (R) is trying to make an issue of Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) preferring to be called "senator," and not "ma'am." Fiorina is "hitting Boxer with a new Web ad and a new Website devoted entirely to this criticism."

* Rep. Mark Kirk (R), running for the Senate in Illinois, has traditionally tried to position himself as a pro-choice moderate. But after his vote on the Stupak amendment, NARAL Pro-Choice America said the organization "no longer considers Kirk pro-choice" on abortion.

* Gallup shows Republicans taking a slight edge over Dems on the generic congressional ballot question, 48% to 44%. I'm still skeptical about the predictive value of generic-ballot polls a year before an election.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Advising President Obama on Afghanistan, Gates, Clinton, and Mullen favor 30,000 or more additional U.S. troops, but there are still some disagreements between them: "Officials said that while Admiral Mullen and Mrs. Clinton were generally in sync with Mr. Gates in supporting an option of about 30,000 troops, there were variations in their positions and they were not working in lock step."

* Felix Salmon takes a closer look at Sen. Chris Dodd's (D-Conn.) proposed financial regulatory reform proposal. In general, it's a positive review.

* Tell me again why ACORN is a bigger deal than this? "Top executives at Blackwater Worldwide authorized secret payments of about $1 million to Iraqi officials that were intended to silence their criticism and buy their support after a September 2007 episode in which Blackwater security guards fatally shot 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad, according to former company officials."

* Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) certainly sounds open to giving Lieberman the boot: "Let's see what happens. I don't think anybody should be filibustering -- nobody should be filibustering health care. Either vote it up or vote it down."

* A tragic story of a Greek Orthodox priest, visiting the U.S., who got lost in Tampa. He asked Marine reservist Jasen D. Bruce for directions, and Bruce allegedly beat him with a tire iron, suspecting the priest of being an Islamic terrorist.

* The Anti-Defamation league isn't happy with Republican officials' tolerance of right-wing activists and their misuse of Holocaust imagery.

* The new GI Bill and how it helps.

* The American Medical Association now opposes the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, has officially criticized gay marriage bans for contributing to health disparities, and endorsed additional medical research involving marijuana.

* Melody Barnes, who oversees President Obama's Domestic Policy Council, publicly endorsed gay marriage at an event Boston College's School of Law.

* How ridiculous was Sarah Palin's "In God We Trust" allegation? Even Fox News concedes she's wrong.

* Pat Garafalo did a nice job putting together a side-by-side comparison of the two congressional bills on financial re-regulation.

* Sean Hannity tries to fool his audience. Jon Stewart notices.

* Bill O'Reilly conceded last night that the United States "can't kill all the Muslims" -- so the country should simply try to win hearts and minds. Oh my.

* Fox cancelled "Dollhouse" today.

* Even a decade later, Limbaugh revels in attacking Bill Clinton.

* It seems that Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is getting dumber as times goes on.

* I'm hard pressed to imagine why anyone would pay Condoleezza Rice and Stephen Hadley for advice on any subject.

* And to those who wear, have worn, or will wear the uniform, Happy Veterans Day.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Conservatives still think there's a possibility that last week's results from New York's 23rd may be overturned.

* Most of his constituents believe Sen. Joe Lieberman is aligned more with the Republican Party. Imagine that.

* While most recent polls in Connecticut have shown Sen. Chris Dodd's (D) standing improving, a new Quinnipiac poll shows him trailing former Rep. Rob Simmons (R-Conn.) by double digits, 49% to 38%."After inching up in the polls for months, Sen. Christopher Dodd is sliding back down again on job approval," Quinnipiac poll director Douglas Schwartz said.

* Quinnipiac also has a new poll in Ohio pointing to more problems for Dems, with former Bush Budget Director Rob Portman (R) enjoying narrow leads in next year's Senate race over his likely Democratic challengers.

* On a related note, Portman does have a Republican primary challenger, car dealer Tom Ganley, who launched a television ad campaign this week to help improve his name recognition. Ganley's campaign manager said the ad is primarily airing on Fox News in media markets across Ohio.

* Is Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden (D) running for the Senate next year? At the state party's Jefferson Jackson Dinner this week, he received all kinds of encouragement, but Biden has not yet made an announcement.

* Rep. Thomas Perriello (D-Va.), who narrowly won last year in a center-right district, apparently believes in using his seat to do the right thing. With the congressman having voted for health care and energy reform, his spokesperson told a local paper, "A lot of the political pundits and all the conventional wisdom is saying that this is going to cost him the election next year. He didn't come to Congress to get reelected."

* CNN keeps asking Gen. David Petraeus if he's running for president. "I'll close it right here, right now," Petraeus said. "I will remind you of the great country song that used to ask 'What about no don't you understand.'"

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Nidal Hasan was charged today with 13 counts of premeditated murder.

* Fed targets overdraft fees: "The Federal Reserve on Thursday released a new rule to prohibit banks from automatically enrolling customers in overdraft protection programs, which charge fees when consumers spend more than they have."

* Defense Secretary Robert Gates targets leaks coming out of the Pentagon.

* Would "work-sharing" programs help improve the job market?

* ACORN sues the federal government.

* The results in New York's 23rd probably won't be overturned.

* CNN's John King will replace Lou Dobbs in the 7 p.m. (eastern) slot.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) ponders new funding options for health care reform, including raising the Medicare tax for those making more than $250,000.

* Rep. Steve Buyer (R) of Indiana should probably hire a good lawyer right about now.

* Who's going to defend child labor? Other than assorted business groups and their lobbyists, that is.

* Glass-Steagall was repealed 10 years ago today. Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) got it right then, and has a few thoughts about what to do now.

* Even for the RNC, this new flip-flop talk is just stupid.

* If a school is going to have multiple chaplains to accommodate a spiritually diverse student body, it's only natural for there to be questions about the lack of a humanist chaplain.

* Paul Krugman: "So the whole idea of Fox Business is problematic. It's Fox, which means that it's basically an arm of the GOP; but that's a terrible match for business coverage, because the economy just refuses to punish liberals and reward conservatives the way it's supposed to."

* The sample in that Gallup poll yesterday was a little skewed with regards to party I.D.

* Did Michele Bachmann and Steve King violate House rules by using their official sites for grassroots organizing? Probably.

* Joe Klein thinks Jamie Kirchick is a "dishonest [expletive]" and a "[expletiving] propagandist." That's not unreasonable.

* Remember, you, too, can learn to speak Tea Bag.

* And finally, The Onion reflects on the big media story of the day: "Acting on anonymous tips from within the Hispanic-American community, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials on Wednesday deported Luis Miguel Salvador Aguila Dominguez, who has been living illegally in the United States under the name Lou Dobbs for 48 years."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Vote counting continues in New York's 23rd. The chances of overturning the results appear, at this point, to be "highly remote."

* A new Rasmussen poll in Texas shows incumbent Gov. Rick Perry (R) leading his primary challenger, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) by double digits, 46% to 35%.

* Taking the Republican divisions up a notch, Florida's Marco Rubio (R) has been named the keynote speaker for next year's Conservative Political Action Conference, which will no doubt be a boost for his Senate campaign against Gov. Charlie Crist (R). As Evan McMorris-Santoro noted, "It's hard to overstate the importance of a CPAC appearance for a conservative politician."

* In the upcoming special election in Massachusetts to fill Ted Kennedy's old Senate seat, state attorney general Martha Coakley (D) is the frontrunner, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will throw her support to Coakley's principal rival, Rep. Michael Capuano (D), in the Democratic primary.

* Former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R) is apparently thinking about running for governor next year in Colorado. If Tancredo runs as a Republican, he'll face former Rep. Scott McInnis in a GOP primary.

* Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-N.C.) will make an announcement either today or tomorrow as to whether he'll run for the Senate next year against incumbent Sen. Richard Burr (R). If Etheridge runs, he'll start off as the underdog -- a new survey (pdf) from Public Policy Polling has Burr leading Etheridge by 10.

* Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) claims he's not moving sharply to the right in advance of next year's Senate race. There's ample evidence to the contrary.

* Florida Republicans have a candidate to take on Rep. Alan Grayson (D) next year; they just don't like him very much.

* Might Ralph Nader run for the Senate in Connecticut next year? It's possible.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* President Obama, off to a good start in Asia.

* We thought we might see a CBO score on the Senate health care bill today. No such luck.

* A "significant" amount of water on the moon. Cool.

* NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg supports the Obama administration's decision to try terrorists in a New York court. Bloomberg believes it's "fitting" to have their trial near Ground Zero.

* Interesting move: "Federal prosecutors on Thursday moved to seize several U.S. assets allegedly controlled by entities linked to the government of Iran, including a mosque and Islamic school in Potomac, Maryland in Prince William County and a Manhattan skyscraper. Prosecutors described an intricate web of ties allegedly connecting the properties to an Iranian bank that has been identified as a key financier of Tehran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and possibly acts of terrorism."

* A surprisingly candid report from Goldman Sachs on killing health care reform to maximize shareholder profits.

* John Solomon, out at the Washington Times.

* Immigration reform in 2010? It's possible.

* Coathangers for Dems who voted for the Stupak amendment.

* On a related note, constitutional questions surrounding Stupak's provision?

* Apparently, Sarah Palin has a new book coming out. Some of her more notable claims are already being dunked by other Republicans.

* Fred Kaplan on Afghanistan: "It's not how many troops to send; it's what those troops will do."

* Politicizing the end of the ffel program.

* Melody Barnes, the head of President Obama's Domestic Policy Council, recently told students at Boston College Law School that she supports gay marriage. There was some talk the White House didn't want a video of Barnes' comments released, but White House officials have told the school that it can post and publicize the remarks.

* And finally, here's an outside-the-box idea: Palin and Rod Blagojevich co-hosting a talk show: "They could call it 'The Hockey Mom and the Hair.'"

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) had promised to leave the Senate this year to focus on her gubernatorial campaign in Texas. Over the weekend, Hutchison shifted gears, explaining that she would not step down until the GOP primary in March.

* To the disappointment of the DSCC, Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-N.C.) is not running for the Senate next year against incumbent Sen. Richard Burr (R). Secretary of State Elaine Marshall (D) is currently the leading Dem in the race.

* Following a push from the White House, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D) is running for governor in Wisconsin next year.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) has a new, minute-long ad up in Nevada, touting his position as "America's most powerful senator."

* New York Gov. David Paterson (D) continues to look like a candidate seeking another term next year, but a new Siena poll shows him trailing state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo in a hypothetical primary match-up by a whopping 59 points, 75% to 16%.

* Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) still isn't popular -- a new Washington Post/ABC News poll found that a majority of Americans wouldn't even consider voting for her if she ran for president, and 60% said Palin isn't qualified to be president.

* Is Rudy Giuliani (R) going to run for governor? He's taking the idea "into consideration."

* Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, however, is not running for governor, and wants to see the scuttlebutt end.

* And in 2012 news, right-wing activist Liz Cheney suggested her father, Dick Cheney, might consider a presidential campaign in three years. She may have been kidding; it's hard to tell.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* President Obama talks up human rights in China. Nice move.

* Good news: retail sales looked encouraging in October. Bad news: Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke believes the recovery will be weak, with lingering unemployment and tight credit.

* IAEA worries about Iran: "The United Nations' nuclear watchdog is concerned that Iran's belated revelation of a new uranium enrichment site may mean it is hiding further nuclear activity, an agency report said on Monday."

* Stunning: "The number of Americans who lack dependable access to adequate food shot up last year to 49 million, the largest number since the government has been keeping track, according to a federal report released Monday that shows particularly steep increases in food scarcity among families with children." Blue Girl has more.

* GM reported a $1.2 billion quarterly loss, which, oddly enough, was good considered good news. Even harder to believe is the fact that GM is now saying it's prepared to pay off federal loans ahead of schedule.

* The U.S. Postal Service implemented a strategy of $10 billion in cost-cutting measures. It still lost $3.8 billion in the 2009 fiscal year.

* After having opposed judicial filibusters for the last eight years, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) announced today he will filibuster Judge David Hamilton's appeals court nomination.

* Figures: "Even as drug makers promise to support Washington's health care overhaul by shaving $8 billion a year off the nation's drug costs after the legislation takes effect, the industry has been raising its prices at the fastest rate in years."

* That's a lot improper payments: "The government paid more than $47 billion in questionable Medicare claims including medical treatment showing little relation to a patient's condition, wasting taxpayer money at a rate nearly three times that of the previous year."

* What's with that new report from the Center on Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)? Igor Volsky had a good item on this.

* There are still some people (see Ignatius, David) worried about inflation. Please ignore them.

* Late last week, former Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

* Nice piece from Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) on the inanity of much of the health care debate.

* The perils of being a poor ivy leaguer.

* John McCain now hates the AARP.

* I was very disappointed to see that Anonymous Liberal is taking an extended break from blogging. He's long been one of my favorites.

* I'm going out of my way not to write posts about Sarah Palin today, but it's worth noting that her a wide variety of claims from book have already been thoroughly debunked.

* And finally, the right-wing Tea Party event in southern Virginia, where participants were planning to burn Democratic lawmakers in effigy, is off. "We had to cancel it," an organizer said. "The property owner won't allow us to do it. The media attention was something that he didn't want."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* At the urging of Fox News' Glenn Beck, Conservative Party congressional candidate Doug Hoffman "un-conceded" the race in New York's 23rd. Two weeks ago, Hoffman apparently lost the race, but some spreadsheet errors have since narrowed the margin of his defeat.

* For what it's worth, it still seems exceedingly unlikely that Hoffman will overcome the vote deficit.

* In Iowa, a new Des Moines Register poll offers awful news for Gov. Chet Culver (D), who's seeking re-election next year. The incumbent's approval rating is down to 40%, and in a hypothetical match-up against former Gov. Terry Branstad (R), Culver now trails by 24 points, 57% to 33%.

* Speaking of Iowa, the same poll shows Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) with a big lead over Democrat Roxanne Conlin, 57% to 30%. Conlin last sought statewide office 27 years ago, and many Iowans don't remember her -- Conlin's name I.D. is only 62%. Grassley, however, did not win over voters during his antics during the health care debate, and only 39% of Iowans approve of his handling of the issue.

* In Kansas, there's a heated gubernatorial Senate primary between two Republican members of the U.S. House, Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt. At this point, Moran appears to be pulling away.

* Alexi Giannoulias' (D) Senate campaign in Illinois continues to pick up steam, earning a big endorsement yesterday from Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.).

* If former Sen. Norm Coleman (R) runs for governor next year, a new Rasmussen poll shows he'll be the frontrunner for the GOP nomination. It would be Coleman's second run for the job -- he lost to Jesse Ventura in 1998.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The shift from unipolar power? "President Barack Obama's first visit to China underscored a shifting balance of power: two giants moving closer to being equals."

* As of a few minutes ago, the Republican filibuster of Judge David Hamilton was defeated, 70 to 29. The vote makes Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) look pretty bad.

* No word, as of this minute, from the CBO on the Senate health care bill. The plan, for now, is for the leadership to unveil the bill tomorrow, with the first vote by this weekend.

* White House isn't happy about the approval of settlement expansion in Jerusalem. From a press statement: "We are dismayed at the Jerusalem Planning Committee's decision to move forward on the approval process for the expansion of Gilo in Jerusalem. At a time when we are working to re-launch negotiations, these actions make it more difficult for our efforts to succeed. Neither party should engage in efforts or take actions that could unilaterally pre-empt, or appear to pre-empt, negotiations. The U.S. also objects to other Israeli practices in Jerusalem related to housing, including the continuing pattern of evictions and demolitions of Palestinian homes. Our position is clear: the status of Jerusalem is a permanent status issue that must be resolved through negotiations between the parties."

* Tackling financial fraud: "The Obama administration has formed a new task force to target financial fraud -- replacing an earlier corporate fraud task force. Attorney General Eric Holder says the new group will have a broader scope -- and incorporate state investigators as well as federal agencies -- to investigate and prosecute financial crimes that worsened the market collapse."

* Pakistan thinks it's making real progress against the Taliban. The Obama administration isn't quite as confident.

* It looks like Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner may want to explain these efforts from last year at the New York Fed.

* Let's just say Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.) isn't impressed with the database work associated with tracking stimulus spending.

* The public seems comfortable with a surcharge on the rich to pay for health care reform.

* So, if I'm reading the new CNN poll correctly, Americans are comfortable with trials against terrorists suspect, and they're comfortable with these trials on American soil. But if they're in civilian courts, as compared to military tribunals, the public balks. How much does the electorate really appreciate the legal nuances here?

* C Street House loses its tax-exempt status. Good move.

* The DCCC slams Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) following his insane references to NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg's kids.

* Depressing, but not unexpected: "Uninsured patients with traumatic injuries, such as car crashes, falls and gunshot wounds, were almost twice as likely to die in the hospital as similarly injured patients with health insurance, according to a troubling new study."

* The inspirational story of Tererai Trent.

* John McCain loves the AARP. John McCain hates the AARP. Even now, Jukebox John keeps changing his tune.

* And while I continue to steer clear of actual, stand-alone posts on Sarah Palin, it's probably worth noting that her book appears to be a work of fiction. Not true at all. Just totally wrong about reality.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist (R) has taken a pounding for weeks from his Senate primary rival, former state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R). National Journal reports that Crist is now poised to start punching back. The governor's campaign manager said Rubio "has had five to six months of the ability to go around and say whatever he'd like, and that's now changing."

* A new survey (pdf) from Public Policy Polling shows a very competitive Senate contest in Missouri, one of next year's most closely watched races. The poll shows Rep. Roy Blunt (R) with a large lead over his primary opponent, but Blunt currently trails Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan by the narrowest of margins, 43% to 42%.

* New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) has not officially launched a gubernatorial campaign yet, but he and his team have reportedly begun looking at possible running mates. On the list is New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson, who recently looked quite strong in a narrow defeat against NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

* Virginia Gov. and DNC Chairman Tim Kaine spent some time this week talking about Creigh Deeds (D) getting trounced in this year's gubernatorial race. Kaine believes Deeds would have fared far better if he'd motivated the Democratic base and stuck closer to President Obama.

* Next year's gubernatorial race in Kansas may be an open-seat contest, but Sen. Sam Brownback (R) looks so strong, he's spent the last several months running unopposed. Tom Wiggans (D), a Kansas business leader, announced yesterday that he'll take on Brownback. It will be Wiggans' first attempt at elected office, and he will likely face no opposition for the Democratic nomination.

* Don't be too surprised if former HHS Secretary and Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) runs against Sen. Russ Feingold (D) next year in Wisconsin.

* In Connecticut, former wrestling executive Linda McMahon's (R) Senate campaign continues to struggle in being taken seriously. A former employee is now blasting McMahon for, among other things, failing to provide health care and pensions for her wrestlers.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The CBO has scored the Senate health care bill at $849 billion over 10 years. It will cut the federal budget deficit by $127 billion over the first decade, and as $650 billion in the second decade. The plan extends coverage to 31 million uninsured Americans, which would bring the overall total to 94% of the population.

* Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a surprise visit to Afghanistan earlier today, on the eve of Hamid Karzai's inauguration.

* Offered a very good deal, Iran nevertheless continues to be uncooperative.

* It looks like Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) will join his party on the motion to proceed on health care reform.

* HHS pushback: "Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Wednesday afternoon issued a strong statement intended to put distance between federal policy and an influential panel's recommendations that most women should start regular breast cancer screening at age 50, not 40."

* President Obama expects Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to be convicted and executed.

* Even after the economic crisis, exactly zero Senate Republicans are expected to support re-regulation of the financial industry.

* Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has finally dropped his hold on veterans' benefits bill.

* Wait, Somali pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama again?

* Democrats want to pass a law mandating paid sick leave for H1N1 sufferers. Business groups and their lobbyists are fighting the proposal.

* On a related note, a majority of Americans claim they don't want the H1N1 vaccine. I guess that'll mean more for the rest of us.

* Are there troops available for an escalation in Afghanistan?

* Professional courtesies be damned, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) intends to force the reading of the entire health care bill.

* The stimulus bill has helped millions of Americans avoid falling into poverty.

* Incremental progress on lessening suicides in the U.S. military.

* Zombies as potent metaphors.

* Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) today became the longest-serving member of Congress ever.

* Rep. Donald Manzullo (R-Ill.) on Monday called Islam a "savage religion." He issued a qualified apology yesterday.

* Conservative lawmakers in Texas may have inadvertently made marriage illegal in the state. Oops.

* Dahlia Lithwick: "Opposition to the Obama administration's plan to try alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his confederates in a federal court in New York City is hardening into two camps. One is concerned that we may be unwittingly playing into the terrorists' hands. The other is incensed that we already have. What both camps share, besides a kind of unhinged logic and complete disregard for the legal process, is an obsessive fascination with the accused. The result is a broad willingness to sacrifice our commitment to legal principles in favor of the symbolic satisfaction of crushing the hopes and dreams of a motley group of criminals."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* As absentee ballots get counted in New York's 23rd, it looks like Doug Hoffman is going to lose to Rep. Bill Owens (D-N.Y.), again.

* In a bizarre twist, Hoffman now claims there was a conspiracy among union members and ACORN to "sway the results" of the congressional special election. Even local Republican officials dismiss the accusations as "absolutely false."

* A new Rasmussen poll shows California Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) tied with Meg Whitman (R) in next year's gubernatorial campaign, 41% each. Brown leads the other Republican candidates in hypothetical match-ups by about 10 points.

* Speaking of California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) is apparently done with electoral politics. ''I have never labeled myself as a politician, so I am not going to run for anything else,'' Schwarzenegger said Tuesday.

* Former North Carolina Lt. Gov. Dennis Wicker (D) is the latest in a long line of Democrats to decide not to run against Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) next year.

* Republican National Committeeman Sean Mahoney had been rumored as a possible Senate candidate in New Hampshire, but he's decided not to join the crowded GOP primary. Barring any unexpected announcements, former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, former gubernatorial nominee Ovide Lamontagne, and businessman Bill Binnie will vie for Republican nod in the open-seat contest.

* Arkansas Lt. Governor Bill Halter (D) remains coy about whether he'll take on incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) in a primary next year.

* Sarah Palin said she'd consider Glenn Beck as a running mate in 2012. I'm not sure if she was kidding.

* Dick Cheney, meanwhile, still isn't interested in running for anything in 2012.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Pakistan: "A suicide bomber killed 16 people Thursday outside a courthouse in northwestern Pakistan, the latest attack in an onslaught by Islamist militants fighting back against an army offensive in the nearby Afghan border region. The bombing was the sixth in less than two weeks in and around Peshawar."

* Ugh: "A rising proportion of fixed-rate home loans made to people with good credit are sinking into foreclosure, adding to concerns about the strength of the economic recovery."

* Judge David Hamilton was confirmed today to the 7th Circuit. The final vote was 59 to 39. For reasons I'll never understand, 39 out of 40 Senate Republicans -- including Snowe and Collins -- voted against him.

* House Speaker Nancy Pelosi likes the Senate health care reform bill, and thinks it's provision on abortion-funding restrictions works a lot better than the Stupak amendment.

* The White House's Nancy-Ann DeParle also prefers the Senate provision to the Stupak language.

* It's hard to believe how much college tuition rates are going up in California. It's going to price a lot of students right out of their schools.

* Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy to become Europe's new president.

* Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) pushed a measure yesterday to freeze credit card rates on existing balances through the holiday season. Senate Republicans quickly blocked it.

* It's painful to think about, but there are 17 counties in the United States in which the poverty rate for children is 50%.

* Steve Doocy, surprisingly bad at arithmetic.

* Charles Krauthammer understands domestic policy about as well as he understands foreign policy.

* Maybe Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) should read T.R. Reid's book again. I don't think he understood it the first time around.

* Good piece from Michael Crowley on President Obama's Asia trip: "[G]ive the man some more time."

* If conservatives disagree with the president, it's big news. If conservatives agree with the president, it's ignored. In terms what constitutes a news-worthy development, isn't that backwards?

* Just two weeks after getting caught using old footage to exaggerate right-wing crowd sizes, Fox News used old footage to exaggerate a right-wing crowd size. Today, the Republican network apologized, again.

* Rupert Murdoch gets the O'Reilly treatment.

* Nice summary of the Palin problem: "Yesterday I was thinking about how everything she says sounds like it's just plucked from the tea party talking points of the day, but ... they aren't just talking points, they're sort of bizarrely, syntactically mashed up talking points. I wonder what really goes on inside her head? Lots of politicians have mastered the art of speaking in talking points and never going off message, but mostly they at least try to sound like they know what they're talking about. Palin doesn't. She just spouts the sixth grade version of the talking points with an apparently total unawareness that she sounds like a child."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Doug Hoffman has once again lost the congressional special election in New York's 23rd.

* Surprisingly enough, a new Rasmussen poll shows Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) struggling badly with his Republican supporters back home. In a hypothetical primary match-up against former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.), McCain's lead is just two points, 45% to 43%.

* There's no official word, but there are reports that Rudy Giuliani will not run for governor in New York next year. There are some rumors, however, that he's eyeing the Senate race, instead.

* If Giuliani does take on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) in New York, a new Marist poll suggests he'll start as the frontrunner. Gillibrand, who was appointed to the seat earlier this year, is still not universally knows in the state.

* A new Zogby poll (telephone, not internet) shows Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) leading her top Republican challenger, state Sen. Gilbert Baker, by two points, 41% to 39%. If Lincoln supports the health care bill, Zogby shows her losing support.

* In California, a Rasmussen poll shows Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) below the 50% threshold, but nevertheless leading both of her Republican rivals by about 10 points each.

* Sen. Arlen Specter, still hoping to impress Democratic primary voters, told bloggers yesterday that he does not support a military escalation in Afghanistan.

* A new Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos in Florida continues to show a very competitive gubernatorial race. State Attorney General Bill McCollum (R) leads state CFO Alex Sink (D) by two, 35% to 33%.

* Speaking of Florida, Blue Dog Rep. Allen Boyd (D) is facing a primary challenge next year, and a new poll suggests state Senate Minority Leader Al Lawson may have the early edge over the incumbent.

* Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) was asked yesterday afternoon whether Sarah Palin is qualified to be president. He really didn't want to answer the question.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Still no word from Sens. Landrieu and Lincoln as to whether they'd rather kill health care reform than let the Senate debate the bill. Landrieu said she'd end the suspense in the morning.

* Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) gets a provision he was looking for: "Senate Democratic leaders have amended their newly released health reform bill to include a contentious provision allowing some workers to receive cash vouchers toward exchange coverage in lieu of enrolling in employer-based plans."

* It's encouraging to see Jim Comey and Jack Goldsmith, two top ranking officials from the Bush Justice Department, defend the decision to try Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four accused co-conspirators in an NYC criminal court.

* The House passed the "Doc Fix" last night, on a 243 to 183 vote. House Republicans were for it before they were against it.

* A slap on the wrist: "The Senate ethics committee on Friday issued a sternly worded rebuke to Senator Roland Burris of Illinois, saying he had made misleading and inaccurate statements about the circumstances surrounding his appointment by disgraced Governor Rod Blagojevich. But it made no recommendation for punishment."

* Did Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) knowingly violate Senate ethics rules? Probably.

* The University of California probably didn't intend to be one of the most expensive in the country, and yet, here we are.

* Systemic change doesn't happen over night: "Narratives will always be with us, but it would be nice if they could at least be tenuously based on reality.... [T]he 'silver tongued orator' narrative has really been plucked out of nowhere. Yes, Obama is a good speaker, but there's zero evidence that his administration or his governing style is based on this in any significant way. Just the opposite, in fact. So knock it off, folks."

* Impeachment is still a possibility for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R).

* I argued yesterday that it takes a lot of nerve for Karl Rove to criticize the White House for releasing bad news on Friday afternoons. Media Matters fleshes the point out in more detail.

* If Dick Armey goes around saying "read the bill," mantra like, he should probably take the time to read the bills he criticizing.

* Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), still not very bright.

* Stephen Colbert and David Letterman seem mildly concerned that President Obama is cooler than they are.

* And in Utah, state Sen. Chris Buttars (R), one of the nation's more notorious homophobic bigots, explained a little bit about his worldview this week. "I meet with the gays here and there," Buttars said. "They were in my house two weeks ago. I don't mind gays. But I don't want 'em stuffing it down my throat all the time."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In a disappointment for the DCCC, which hopes to keep retirements to a minimum, Rep. Dennis Moore (D) of Kansas announced this morning that he'll retire at the end of this term. Republicans immediately declared it a major pick-up opportunity, but it's probably best described as a swing district -- Bush carried it easily in 2000 and 2004, but President Obama narrowly won Kansas' 3rd last year.

* With two weeks to go before the Senate primary in Massachusetts, a Boston Globe poll shows state Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) with a big lead over Rep. Michael Capuano (D), 43% to 22%."Things could change, but it would have to go really sour for [Coakley] over the next few weeks,'' said pollster Andrew E. Smith.

* On the other hand, Capuano is still picking up support. Late last week, Diane Patrick, Gov. Deval Patrick's (D) wife, threw her support to the congressman.

* New York Gov. David Paterson (D) recently launched a television ad campaign to boost his standing, but so far, the efforts have not paid dividends. The latest Marist poll found that a majority of New Yorkers have seen at least one of the commercials, but it didn't matter -- nearly two-thirds of those who saw one of the ads still hope Paterson doesn't seek another term next year. Oddly enough, the governor fared slightly better among those who didn't see any of the ads.

* Next year's gubernatorial race in Michigan is still wide open. A new Denno-Noor poll shows Lt. Gov. John Cherry (D) leading the Democratic field, but he only has 20% support and most Michigan Dems are undecided. Likewise, Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R) leads the GOP field with 21%.

* Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) has had some trouble winning over some of the more progressive members of the New York delegation, but her efforts are beginning to pay off. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), one of Congress' most progressive leaders, will reportedly endorse Gillibrand today.

* It's unclear if North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven (R) intends to take on Sen. Byron Dorgan (D) next year, but if he does, a Zogby poll shows Hoeven easily defeating the incumbent senator.

* Would demagogic television personality Lou Dobbs run for president in 2012? Dobbs said the idea is not "crazy." There may be some disagreement on the subject.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "Bombings and shootings killed 12 people across Afghanistan, including four American troops and three children, as President Barack Obama convened his war council again Monday to fine-tune a strategy to respond to the intransigent violence."

* Encouraging real estate news: "Home sales surged for the second month in a row in October, climbing to the highest level in 2 1/2 years as first-time buyers rushed to take advantage of an expiring tax credit. Home sales nationwide are now up nearly 37 percent from their bottom in January."

* HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius unveiled state-by-state details on how health care reform would help nationwide.

* Is reconciliation still on the table? Maybe, but there are plenty of reasons the Senate leadership hopes to avoid it.

* Iraq elections in January? Don't count on it.

* South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) faces 37 charges of ethics violations.

* Bill Moyers' presence on television will be sorely missed.

* If policymakers are looking for areas for infrastructure investment, sewage treatment plants are definitely worth the money.

* The job market, four-year degrees, and the two-year degrees.

* The inner-workings of the Washington Times.

* Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) not only won't appear on NSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show," his office refuses to return calls from Maddow staffers. Sounds pretty cowardly.

* I'm starting to get the impression that the LA Times' Andrew Malcolm is using his platform for partisan purposes. Call it a hunch.

* Speaking of shameless partisan hacks, Dick Cheney is now whining about President Obama bowing to the emperor of Japan. Fun fact: Cheney worked for Nixon and H.W. Bush, both of whom bowed to the emperor of Japan.

* It's a little under the radar right now, but Sen. John Ensign's (R-Nev.) sex scandal continues to get uglier.

* Ari Fleischer will be representing the BCS. Figures.

* Interesting item from Mark Kleiman: "Your high-school civics teacher no doubt told you that you should 'vote for the person, not the party.' Madison and Hamilton, who hated what they called 'faction,' would have agreed. All three of them were wrong. Party is the only mechanism by which voters can influence actual outcomes."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The conventional wisdom insists President Obama is losing independents (an ambiguous word to begin with). Charles Franklin takes a closer look at the evidence and finds steady independent support for the president since August.

* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) is trying to get off the ropes as his Senate campaign loses GOP support to primary rival Marco Rubio. Crist argued yesterday that it would be "hard to be more conservative than I am on [the] issues." No one seriously believes that, but I guess he's not considering a party switch.

* In Arizona, the latest Rasmussen poll shows state Attorney General Terry Goddard (D) as the leading contender for next year's gubernatorial campaign, with modest leads over the likely GOP candidates. The exception: controversial Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, known for his scandalous approach to immigration policy, who enjoyed majority support in the poll. Arpaio has not, however, said whether he's eyeing the race.

* Former Ambassador Tom Schieffer (D) has ended his gubernatorial campaign in Texas. His departure makes it that much more likely that Houston Mayor Bill White (D) will get in the race.

* Rep. Bob Inglis (R-S.C.) is facing some primary competition next year, despite his conservative voting record, because the base is convinced he's not right-wing enough. Inglis has been a long-time mentor to Sen. Jim DeMint (R), but the far-right senator will apparently not endorse his old friend.

* In California, Carly Fiorina (R) still hopes to generate conservative support for her Senate campaign. Yesterday, when asked whether she might get an endorsement from Sarah Palin, Fiorina told reporters, "I have no idea. You'll have to ask Sarah Palin. She's on a mega book tour right now -- that's exciting to see. I share Sarah Palin's values."

* Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) is reportedly mulling over whether to take on Sen. Russ Feingold (D) next year. A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Feingold with a comfortable lead over Thompson, 50% to 41%, in a hypothetical match-up.

* I'm already officially tired of hearing about Lou Dobbs' possible interest in a presidential campaign.

* And speaking of misguided national ambitions, former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) will be testing the presidential waters in South Carolina next month.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Brutal massacres in the Philippines: "A police official says 11 more bodies have been unearthed from a mass grave in the southern Philippines, bringing the death toll from a massacre of political supporters and journalists to 46." Blue Girl has more.

* Third quarter growth was revised downward, from 3.5% to 2.8%.

* President Obama intends to "finish the job" in Afghanistan.

* He's also reaffirming U.S. ties to India: "The relationship between the United States and India will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century," Obama said -- twice.

* Nearly one in four U.S. mortgages is under water (owner owes more than the home's value). That's astounding.

* The Senate leadership thinks the reconciliation process is far more trouble than it's worth.

* Census worker Bill Sparkman's death has been ruled a suicide by Kentucky state police. Officials believe Sparkman hoped to make his death look like a murder to help his family with the insurance money.

* There's growing support among House Democrats for a "pay as you fight" measure, which would raise taxes to pay for the war in Afghanistan.

* Rep. Mark Kirk's (R-Ill.) opposition to Gitmo transfers gets a little less rigid.

* Bill O'Reilly is delusional if he thinks Bill Moyers' retirement was motivated by a Fox News ambush.

* Dick Cheney is delusional if he thinks he can speak for Americans in uniform.

* Is the right still worked up about those stolen CRU emails?

* Early decision still important to colleges.

* Opponents of health care reform have spent $75 million in advertising to convince the public it's a bad idea. Proponents have spent $73.5 million.

* And finally, Sarah Palin has plenty of right-wing fans. They're just not sure why they like her. Since I can't understand it either, they're confusion is oddly comforting.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* It's been hard to keep track of the status of Doug Hoffman's unsuccessful congressional election in New York's 23rd -- he's conceded and unconceded a couple of times -- but as of yesterday, he's officially done. Maybe Hoffman will stick to this one.

* With two weeks to go until the primaries in Massachusetts' special election to fill Ted Kennedy's Senate seat, a Rasmussen poll shows the Democratic race tightening a little. State Attorney General Martha Coakley still enjoys a big lead over Rep. Michael Capuano, 36% to 21%, but the margin appears to be shrinking a bit.

* Speaking of Massachusetts, Rasmussen shows Gov. Deval Patrick (D) with small leads over his rivals in next year's re-election fight. Patrick's edge comes by way of a three-way contest, with State Treasurer Tim Cahill running as an independent.

* In New York, former mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) hasn't said whether he'll run for the Senate next year against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), but Rasmussen and Zogby both have new polls showing him leading the appointed incumbent.

* The crowded GOP Senate primary in Connecticut is starting to thin out, with former Ambassador Tom Foley (R) shifting his attention from the Senate race to the gubernatorial race.

* California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) announced to Jay Leno last night that Republican state Sen. Abel Maldonado is his choice to be the new lieutenant governor. Whether the legislature will approve the nomination is unclear.

* Former Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jon Runyan intends to run as a Republican against Rep. John Adler (D) in New Jersey next year, but he's rejoining the NFL first, to play for the San Diego Chargers.

* Might former Rep. J.D. Hayworth take on Sen. John McCain in a Republican primary in Arizona next year? Hayworth seems to be thinking about it.

* And annoying speculation shifts from Lou Dobbs' interest in running for president to Lou Dobbs' interest in running for the Senate.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iraq: "At least 10 people were reported killed Wednesday in Iraq, including four who perished in twin bombings near a revered Shiite shrine in Karbala. The other six were members of a family whose home north of Baghdad was raided overnight by suspected insurgents, according to Iraqi authorities."

* Good news on the economic front: "[T]he number of newly laid-off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits fell below 500,000 last week for the first time since January.... The number of people filing first-time claims for jobless aid fell by 35,000 to 466,000, the Labor Department said Wednesday. That was the fewest since September of last year. And it was far better than the 500,000 economists had expected."

* More good news on the economic front: "Consumer spending ticked upward in October, the Commerce Department estimated today, a marked reversal from the month before."

* When President Obama unveils the future of U.S. policy in Afghanistan, he'll do so in a speech at West Point.

* Soon after the president's remarks, the House Foreign Affairs Committee will hear directly from Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

* In a bit of a surprise, support for additional troops in Afghanistan is growing, not shrinking.

* Israeli officials today approved a 10-month settlement freeze, but the exceptions to the policy make it controversial.

* The U.S. delegation to Copenhagen next month will include Al Gore.

* More lists from the White House visitor logs.

* The media gave Sarah Palin all kinds of attention last week -- more than most Americans were interested in.

* Phillip Carter resigned this week from the Defense Department after just seven months on the job. He cited "personal reasons," which by all accounts, is the truth.

* Alex Koppelman and Mike Madden have a nice overview on why the Senate leadership aren't anxious to approve health care legislation through the reconciliation process.

* One step closer to impeachment proceedings against South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R).

* If John McCain wants to talk about "viciousness" and "personalization" in political attacks, we can oblige.

* Over time, policymakers shifted their focus away from class size in K-12. The same shift is underway in higher ed.

* Of the 10 longest pieces of congressional legislation considered over the last decade, five of the bills were written by Republicans. (If the GOP were willing to consider ending the whining about the length of the health care bill, now would be a very good time.)

* For Dana Perino, maybe Bush's first term doesn't count.

* And finally, as presidential pardons for Thanksgiving turkeys go, today's was pretty amusing.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* James Bopp Jr. is defending his "purity test" for Republican candidates seeking RNC support in the 2010 elections. He called it an "effective way to regain trust with conservative voters that has been undermined" by G.O.P. financial support for "liberal Republican ticket-switchers."

* Now that Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman appears to be done conceding and unconceding, he's made it clear that he will seek a re-match in New York's 23rd next year.

* Another poll shows Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard (D) looking very strong against incumbent Gov. Jan Brewer (R) in a hypothetical match-up, 47% to 28%.

* After his surprisingly strong showing in the city's recent mayoral race, New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr. (D) is weighing a variety of possible races next year, including a possible primary campaign against appointed Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

* Nevada's gubernatorial race remains rather unpredictable at this point. If Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman runs as an independent, a Nevada News Bureau poll shows Bush-appointed federal judge Brian Sandoval (R) leading a three-way contest.

* "Draft Dick Cheney 2012" got to work today. Good luck with that.

* A right-wing group called Tea Party Nation will host the "First National Tea Party Convention" in Nashville in early February. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) will be a featured speaker, and Sarah Palin will serve as keynote speaker.

* Palin has raised the notion of running on a national ticket with Glenn Beck. The Fox News personality suggested he wouldn't be interested, because the half-term governor would always be "yapping" from "the kitchen."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Dubai World, a government investment company, seems to be out of money. Global markets did not respond well to the news.

* More on the Iran news tomorrow: "The United Nations nuclear watchdog's governing board voted overwhelmingly Friday to censure Iran for its defiant nuclear policies, and demanded an immediate halt to work on an uranium-enrichment plant built in secret in mountain tunnels south of the Iranian capital."

* Some political progress in Baghdad: "Iraqi politicians pushed ahead Friday with a compromise over a contested election law, awaiting approval from Kurdish officials on a deal that would increase the number of seats in parliament as a way to mute criticism and allow a vote crucial to U.S. plans in the country to go forward."

* In Afghanistan, much of the Taliban's control rests in the southern part of the country. More recently, however, it's power is growing in the north, threatening, among other things, a NATO supply line.

* Need a refresher on what the controversy surrounding the PMA Group is all about? Here's a good primer.

* Helpful report from Robert Schlesinger on "The Staggering Rise of the Filibuster."

* I realize the Tea Party crowd is pretty extreme, but what kind of people publicly heckle a grieving family?

* Mike Wooten speaks, and he's calling Sarah Palin's book "a pack of lies." It's not an uncommon assessment.

* Since when does student-loan debt interfere with becoming an attorney?

* So, how did Tareq and Michaele Salahi get into the White House's state dinner this week? And will they face charges as a result?

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The proposed RNC "purity test" is struggling to pick up support from party leaders. Yesterday, former RNC chairman Ed Gillespie told CBS it would not be "in the best interest of the party."

* In a surprise move, the Boston Globe endorsed community service leader Alan Khazei in Massachusetts' Senate Democratic primary. Recent polls show Khazei struggling to get to double digits. The primary election is Dec. 8 -- a week from tomorrow.

* On a related note, former Massachusetts governor and presidential nominee Michael Dukakis (D) threw his support to Rep. Mike Capuano's (D) Senate campaign. State Attorney General Martha Coakley remains the Democratic frontrunner, but there's some evidence to suggest Capuano is closing the gap.

* In Wisconsin, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D) leads next year's gubernatorial race, but by a narrow margin. Barrett leads former Rep. Mark Neumann (R) by two (41% to 39%); leads former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) by five (46% to 41%), and is tied 40% each against Milwaukee County executive Scott Walker (R).

* In Michigan, a new Mitchell Research & Communications poll shows state Attorney General Mike Cox leading Rep. Pete Hoekstra in a Republican gubernatorial primary, 27% to 24%.

* Republicans have been eyeing Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas) as a vulnerable incumbent, but the leading GOP challenger will apparently skip the race next year.

* Ralph Nader is still thinking about running for the Senate in Connecticut next year.

* And in a bit of surprise, Mike Huckabee said he is "less than likely" to run for president in 2012. I find that pretty hard to believe.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* As of this afternoon, the gunman believed to be responsible for shooting four uniformed police officers in Tacoma, Washington, remains at large. (Because the suspect, Maurice Clemmons, had his sentence commuted by Mike Huckabee, there's a political angle to the story.)

* In a brazen attempt to antagonize the world, Iran announced its intentions to build 10 new sites to enrich uranium, dramatically expanding the same nuclear program that has helped isolate the regime.

* Not encouraging: "President Asif Ali Zardari has ceded his position in Pakistan's nuclear command structure to his prime minister, in a sudden political maneuver widely seen as a fresh sign of turmoil on the eve of President Obama's strategy announcement for the region."

* Expect President Obama to lay out "a time frame for winding down the American involvement in the war in Afghanistan" tomorrow night.

* The status quo needs improvement: "The administration said Monday that it would increase the pressure on banks to help troubled homeowners receive permanently lower mortgage payments. The Treasury Department said that mortgage servicers would be required to submit plans on how they would decide whether a loan would be permanently modified. Bank that fall short of the guidelines of their agreement could face fines or sanctions, the Treasury said."

* Oh my: "With food stamp use at record highs and climbing every month, a program once scorned as a failed welfare scheme now helps feed one in eight Americans and one in four children."

* Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo, of the traditional National Party, appears to have won Honduras' presidential election.

* The Senate should expect to work quite a few weekends in December.

* A war tax is "probably not" going to happen.

* The White House press corps' interest in the "party crashers" story seems more than a little excessive.

* The elite community college.

* Another potential domestic terrorist is caught with a bomb-making lab in his Ohio home.

* Smart piece from Marc Ambinder on the success of Obama's Asia trip.

* Interesting: "Jeff Sharlet, who burst onto the scene with his book about The Family, the shadowy fundamentalist organization that has infested American politics like a nest of rabid termites, has leveled another revolting accusation at the group. His research and investigation into the group, which involved infiltrating them and living with them, reveals that U.S. lawmakers who are members of The Family are behind the atrocious, hateful Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2009 that is likely to become law in Uganda."

* The Palin "bus" tour has apparently included some private-jet travel.

* I haven't felt the need to write about the ridiculous "Climategate" nonsense, but Kevin's post strikes all the right notes.

* There's something deeply wrong with the right: "By a wide margin, Americans consider Rush Limbaugh the nation's most influential conservative voice. Those are the results of a poll conducted by '60 Minutes' and Vanity Fair magazine and issued Sunday. The radio host was picked by 26 percent of those who responded, followed by Fox News Channel's Glenn Beck at 11 percent. Actual politicians -- former Vice President Dick Cheney and former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin -- were the choice of 10 percent each."

* A list to help motivate the liberal a base a bit.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The proposed RNC "purity test" continues to draw criticism from the party establishment, with many leading Republicans believing the measure "would only spur intra-party bickering at a time when Republicans are poised to make significant gains in next year's mid-term elections."

* Scandal-plagued Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) boasted yesterday that "a lot of people running for office next year" want to campaign alongside him, despite his humiliating sex scandal. And who, exactly, are these candidates anxious to be seen with Ensign? Neither the senator nor his office would say. Hmm.

* If the race came down to endorsements, Rep. Mike Capuano's (D) Senate campaign in Massachusetts would be in great shape. Today, Rep. Ed Markey (D), the dean of the Massachusetts House delegation, will throw his support to Capuano, who trails state Attorney General Martha Coakley in all the polls. The primary is a week from today.

* In New Hampshire, Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.) will likely face a stiff challenge next year, and the GOP field of candidates hoping to take her on keeps growing.

* Dems consider Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) possibly vulnerable next year, and have apparently cleared the primary field for Dr. Ami Bera (D).

* Voters in Atlanta will choose a new mayor today, with a runoff election between city councilwoman Mary Norwood and former state Sen. Kamim Reed.

* And in a not-so-classy move that may have a little something to do with 2012, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) wants everyone to know that he wouldn't have granted clemency to Maurice Clemmons.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Another big shift at GM: "General Motors said Tuesday that its chief executive, Fritz Henderson, is resigning and will be replaced on an interim basis by the automaker's new chairman, Edward Whitacre Jr. The stunning move by the G.M. board to replace Mr. Henderson marks another big step in the transformation of the nation's largest automaker since it emerged from bankruptcy in July."

* Iran seems to want a confrontation: "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday the country did not have to tell the U.N. nuclear agency about its plans to build nuclear sites unless it used imported technology."

* Sen. Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) is still eyeing a repeal of the health insurance industry's antitrust exemption.

* COBRA assistance is poised to expire for a whole lot of struggling Americans.

* Real estate data: "October pending homes sales rose for the ninth straight month and hit their highest levels since March 2006, just about when the housing bubble was at its peak."

* The D.C. Council voted to legalize marriage equality today, 11 to 2. There's one more procedural hurdle before Mayor Adrian Fenty signs the measure into law.

* Is a gas-tax increase a possibility?

* Senate Dems mocked John McCain relentlessly today for his shameless Medicare flip-flop.

* I've heard a lot of talk over the years that Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) doesn't know much about public policy. The fact that he seems to have no idea what war bonds are doesn't improve his reputation.

* Don't be too surprised if Baltimore's mayor is forced from office.

* Media Matters tackles "Climategate": "Since the reported theft of emails from the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia, conservative media figures have aggressively claimed that those emails undermine the overwhelming scientific consensus that human activities are causing climate change, dubbing the supposed scandal 'Climategate.' But these critics have largely rested their claims on outlandish distortions and misrepresentations of the contents of the stolen emails, greatly undermining their dubious smears."

* Lou Dobbs headed to CNBC? They've chatted.

* The question of whether the remaining, weakened public option is worth fighting for continues to spread.

* John Lott is talking about distorted research? That's not a good idea.

* Does college neutralize racial disparities?

* For the record, I don't think the Bush administration screwed up at Tora Bora on purpose.

* And reader J.B. alerts me to this item about Goldman Sachs employees arming themselves, just in case.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The DCCC is determined to keep retirements to a minimum, but in the second time in two weeks, a center-right House Democratic incumbent is heading home. Rep. John Tanner (D) of Tennessee will wrap up his congressional career after more than two decades. The district backed John McCain last year, and is expected to be a key GOP pick-up opportunity.

* On a related note, Dems quickly moved to recruit a credible candidate for Tanner's seat, and got the person they were looking for -- Tennessee state Sen. Roy Herron (D) ended his gubernatorial bid this morning to begin running for Congress.

* Good news: "A federal judge in New Jersey on Tuesday rejected an attempt by the Republican National Committee to end nearly three-decade-old restrictions on GOP 'ballot security' programs that historically discriminated against minority voters."

* A few months ago, the DSCC tried to recruit Iraq war veteran and former state Sen. Cal Cunningham (D) to take on Sen. Richard Burr (R) in North Carolina next year. Cunningham announced several weeks ago that he would pass on the race, but apparently, he's reconsidering that decision.

* Illinois state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is the Democratic frontrunner in next year's Senate race, but former Chicago Inspector David Hoffman is still in the game, and has launched a new television ad. The primary is in two months.

* Republicans intend to mount a serious challenge to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) next year in New York, but so far, the field of GOP candidates isn't especially daunting. Attention has now turned to Mike Balboni of Long Island, a former Republican New York State Senator and state homeland security official.

* Voters in Atlanta chose a new mayor yesterday, but the results are too close to call, and a recount is likely.

* Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) isn't surprised he fares poorly in 2012 polls. "[O]utside of Minnesota or a few other places, nobody knows who I am," he said.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* A lively discussion with the Senate Armed Services Committee on the new U.S. strategy in Afghanistan.

* Interesting quote from President Obama about his decision: "I am painfully clear that this is politically unpopular. Not only is this not popular, but it's least popular in my own party. But that's not how I make decisions."

* A new round of changes against Nadal Hasan.

* Senate Republicans spent much of the day complaining about Medicare cuts. The AARP says Republicans are wrong and Democrats are right.

* Long overdue: "The Obama administration on Wednesday approved the first human embryonic stem cells for experiments by federally funded scientists under a new policy designed to dramatically expand government support for one of the most promising but also most contentious fields of biomedical research."

* Oh, how I wish the political establishment would stop pretending John McCain understands foreign policy. He doesn't.

* CNBC doesn't want Lou Dobbs.

* Dear Congress, please listen to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities on the estate tax.

* SAFRA may still pass this Congress, but it's going to have to wait until next year.

* The health care reform bill would be worse without a public option, but it wouldn't be "worthless."

* On a related note, Ezra ponders what the Democratic majority could get in exchange for a public option if the party's mainstream tried to strike a deal with center-right Dems.

* Peter Orszag considers the reform bill the biggest cost-savings measure ever considered by the federal government. The claim has the benefit of being true.

* The Washington Times' troubles continue to get worse.

* Ever wonder why Rasmussen's poll results seem so much different (and worse for Obama) than other polls? Mark Blumenthal ponders.

* Some Senate Republicans are angry now that they're taking heat over their votes on the Franken amendment to the defense spending bill.

* And we're closing in on the 10th anniversary of the Clinton administration's handover of the Panama Canal. Looking back at the GOP arguments at the time, we see how incredibly wrong they were.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A new Rasmussen poll offers more bad news for Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) in Arkansas -- she now trails all four of her Republican challengers in hypothetical matchups. Worse, much of the opposition is driven by Arkansans' opposition to health care reform.

* A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Rep. Mike Castle (R) leading Delaware's closely-watched Senate race. In a hypothetical race against state Attorney General Beau Biden (D), the long-time congressman is up by six, 45% to 39%.

* President Obama's new policy in Afghanistan has become an issue in Pennsylvania's Democratic Senate primary -- Rep. Joe Sestak supports the administration's decision, and Sen. Arlen Specter is going after him over it.

* The key to success in Massachusetts' Democratic Senate primary? If the candidates' new ads are any indication, it's claiming Ted Kennedy's mantle.

* In Connecticut, the Republicans' gubernatorial primary is getting pretty crowded. Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele joined the field yesterday, and former ambassador Tom Foley will join the race today, ending his faltering Senate bid.

* Far-right activist Eric Forcade will take on Rep. C.W. Bill Young in a Republican primary in Florida next year. Forcade says he is motivated by the positions "that have been popularized by Glenn Beck."

* Sen. Bob Bennett (R) of Utah continues to look vulnerable to a possible primary challenge -- a new Deseret News poll finds only 27% of Utahns want him to have another term.

* Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.), who was elected to Congress after launching a primary campaign against a centrist Democrat, may now face a primary challenge of her own.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The White House jobs summit has wrapped up.

* Encouraging: "First-time claims for unemployment insurance dropped by 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 457,000, the lowest total since the week of Sept. 6, 2008, the Labor Department said Thursday. Wall Street economists expected an increase, according to a survey by Thomson Reuters."

* Deputy Attorney General David W. Ogden, who manages the day-to-day operations at the Justice Department, is stepping down in February.

* Bank of America apparently has a plan to repay all of its federal aid. That's $45 billion.

* A national Reuters poll found that nearly 60% of Americans support a public option as part of health care reform.

* Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke had an unpleasant day with the Senate Banking Committee, which is considering his re-nomination. Under fire from members of both parties, Bernanke eventually conceded, "In the area where we had responsibility, the bank holding companies, we should have done more. That is a mistake we won't make again." Nevertheless, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has a hold on the nomination.

* As expected, the Mikulski amendment passed today. McCain's Medicare amendment didn't.

* Vice President Biden today called the administration's policy in Afghanistan "a clean break from the failed Afghanistan policy of the Bush administration, and a new, focused strategy that can succeed."

* On a related note, a new USA Today/Gallup poll shows a narrow majority of Americans supporting the Obama policy.

* Brown Dog Democrats -- Dems from manufacturing and coal states -- are willing to consider the climate bill, but have presented the White House with a series of conditions to consider.

* Comcast is buying NBC.

* And for what it's worth, the Comcast CEO is a big supporter of health care reform.

* Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington would like the Senate Ethics Committee to review the process of secret holds.

* MSNBC's Chris Matthews apologized last night for calling the U.S. Military Academy at West Point President Obama's "enemy camp." Matthews told viewers, "I used the wrong words and, worse than that, I said something that is just not right and for that I deeply apologize."

* What the Bushies did to the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department was a tragedy.

* Newt Gingrich, still not fact-oriented.

* Are threats against the president up this year? Perhaps not.

* I'm reminded as to why Robert Samuelson isn't worth reading.

* Another FNC journalistic ethics fiasco: "'Fox & Friends' co-host Gretchen Carlson interviewed Derek Jeter Wednesday morning -- but in the course of praising the Yankees star, she neglected to mention that her husband is his agent!"

* Beautiful speech from New York state Sen. Diane Savino (D) on marriage equality.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* To the delight of the DSCC, Iraq war veteran and former state Sen. Cal Cunningham (D) announced that he's running to take on Sen. Richard Burr (R) in North Carolina next year. Cunningham will face Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and attorney Ken Lewis in a Democratic primary.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) is still looking extremely vulnerable in his re-election fight next year. A new Mason-Dixon poll shows his approval rating at just 38%, and he trails both of his Republican challengers in hypothetical match-ups.

* A Research 2000 poll for Daily Kos shows Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) of Arkansas faring better against her GOP rivals than this week's Rasmussen poll, but just as important, it also shows her vulnerable to a possible primary challenge by Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, who has expressed an interest in the race.

* The DSCC's loss is the DGA's gain -- Houston Mayor Bill White (D) will end his Senate campaign in Texas today and announce that he's running for governor, instead.

* It appears that former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) may not be running for governor after all.

* Former Rep. John Hostettler (R), who suffered a crushing defeat in 2006, has decided to take on Sen. Evan Bayh (D) in Indiana next year. Bayh remains the favorite.

* Illinois state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D), the frontrunner for the Democratic Senate nomination, launched his first television ad yesterday. The primary is in February.

* And Lou Dobbs' political career is apparently off to a rough start -- yesterday, he lost the support of anti-immigrant group Americans for Legal Immigration.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Pakistan: "At least 40 people were killed and scores were injured Friday when a pair of suicide bombers stormed a crowded mosque in the military district of Rawalpindi City, joined by assailants who hurled grenades and sprayed gunfire among the worshipers. Officials said two attackers died when they blew themselves up during the most well-attended prayer service of the week, and two others were killed by security forces."

* NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, responding to President Obama's speech, announced that NATO will send an additional 7,000 troops, all of whom will be "new forces," to the coalition fighting in Afghanistan.

* Technically, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty expires tomorrow, but both U.S. and Russian leaders will simply continue to operate as if it were in place as negotiators continue to work on a new deal.

* We will apparently learn about a new White House policy next week, intended to "jump start" the job market.

* In a surprise move, it now appears President Obama will appear at the international climate summit in Copenhagen at the end of the meeting, instead of at the beginning.

* Good news on H1N1: "Swine flu infections continue to wane, just as vaccine is becoming plentiful enough that some communities are allowing everyone to get it, not just those in priority groups."

* G.M.'s management shake-up isn't quite done.

* The Senate will be voting over the weekend on amendments to the health care reform bill.

* Congressional Republicans would have us believe cost-saving measures in reform aren't to be trusted, because they won't "stick" (Congress won't follow through in the future). They should read this fascinating report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

* Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is very likely wrong about increased recovery efforts.

* World's most deliberative body? Not if Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) has a say in the matter. What an embarrassment.

* Zero GOP votes: "The House voted to permanently extend the estate tax on Thursday, approving a measure that would lock in a top rate of 45 percent on some multimillion dollar estates."

* Republicans attacking Dems on Medicare Advantage probably ought to take a closer look at their own record.

* The new, expanded GI Bill has so many applicants, officials can't keep up with demand.

* Insightful post on health care reform from Ezra Klein: "Thousands and thousands of lives will be saved by this bill. Bankruptcies will be averted. Rescission letters won't be sent. Parents won't have to fret because they can't take their child, or themselves, to the emergency room. This bill will, without doubt, do more good than any single piece of legislation passed during my (admittedly brief) lifetime. If it passes, the party that fought for it for decades deserves to feel a sense of accomplishment."

* The investigation into Sen. John Ensign's (R-Nev.) sex scandal continues to heat up.

* Some Obama wealthiest contributors are "becoming a bit whiny," because the White House isn't doling out enough perks to high-dollar donors.

* Andrew Malcolm isn't very good at what he does.

* Far-right activists are still going after Kevin Jennings? Aren't we passed this one, yet?

* And finally, the correction of the day, as published by the Washington Post: "A Nov. 26 article in the District edition of Local Living incorrectly said a Public Enemy song declared 9/11 a joke. The song refers to 911, the emergency phone number."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Massachusetts' Senate special-election primaries are tomorrow, and state Attorney General Martha Coakley (D), the apparent frontrunner, is getting an 11th-hour boost: robocalls recorded by Bill Clinton.

* Speaking of Democratic primaries, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) will be in Philadelphia today, throwing his support to Rep. Joe Sestak's Senate campaign. Sestak is, of course, challenging Sen. Arlen Specter for the Democratic nod.

* Iraq war veteran and former state Sen. Cal Cunningham (D) officially kicked off his Senate campaign this morning, and hopes to take on Sen. Richard Burr (R) in North Carolina next year. Cunningham will face Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and attorney Ken Lewis in a Democratic primary.

* The Kennedy family is staying officially neutral in the race to replace Ted Kennedy in the Senate, but Caroline Kennedy has signaled her support for Alan Khazei, a community service activist. Most recent polling shows Khazei running third in the Democratic field.

* There are still rumors about Rudy Giuliani running for the Senate next year, but the former mayor doesn't seem focused on politics right now -- he just signed a contract with Brazil to serve as a long-term security advisor for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

* Kasim Reed was certified as the next mayor of Atlanta, but Mary Norwood is expected to call for a recount today.

* There's been on-again, off-again talk of Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) facing a credible primary challenge next year. Looks like the talk is on again.

* The latest Rasmussen poll in South Carolina shows a pretty competitive gubernatorial race. Despite the state's very conservative leanings, South Carolina Education Superintendent Jim Rex (D) fares quite well against the major GOP candidates.

* And speaking of South Carolina, as part of an apparent presidential campaign, former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) is headed to the Palmetto State for some events this week.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Climate talks underway in Copenhagen.

* Unrest in Iran far from over: "Thousands of student protesters gathered at universities in Tehran and other cities across Iran on Monday, chanting anti-government slogans and fighting with security forces in the most violent street protests since the summer."

* Iraqi lawmakers approved a revised elections law, clearing the way for national elections early next year.

* Tracing the Mumbai terrorism back to Chicago: "Federal prosecutors charged a Chicago man Monday with carrying out surveillance on targets in India in advance of deadly terrorist attacks that wracked that nation's business center last year and killed 170 people, including six Americans."

* The financial industry bailout is not only poised to be cheaper than expected, but is also poised to add hundreds of billions to the Treasury. It prompted Kevin Drum to call the overall effort "remarkably successful." Matt Yglesias adds, "[T]he fact of the matter is that the much-derided TARP program has been a big success."

* Medicare buy-in really is on the table.

* Expect the Gitmo detainees to end up in Thomson, Ill.

* Adding Politico to the Pulitzer board strikes me as a mistake.

* At this point, most Americans seem to agree with the new Afghanistan policy.

* As a rhetorical matter, "cap and trade" is out; "energy independence legislation" is in.

* We have no idea where in the world Osama bin Laden is.

* I hope this is true: "Two of Congress's three openly gay members said Saturday that the U.S. House is poised to pass bills to provide health coverage for the same-sex partners of gay federal workers and to protect all gay and transgender employees from job discrimination." The Obama administration supports the legislation.

* Sign of the Times: "From Florida comes news that business leaders in the state are telling the state's public colleges to 'Stop Asking for Money!' Because it's a recession and, you know, they don't have any."

* The White House press secretary encouraged a reporter to "calm down." This shouldn't be scandalous.

* I don't think I'll ever understand John Fund.

* BCS, still a dumb system.

* Josh Marshall is having a lot of fun with that story about the fake hijacking.

* And finally, 68 years ago today, a day that will live in infamy.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Voters head to the polls in Massachusetts today, with both parties selecting nominees for next month's Senate special election. Democrats will choose between state Attorney General Martha Coakley, U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano, City Year cofounder Alan Khazei, and Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca. The Republican primary features state Sen. Scott Brown and Duxbury businessman Jack Robinson.

* The closely watched Republican Senate primary in Kansas continues to get more interesting. While Rep. Jerry Moran (R) has been leading from the start, a new SurveyUSA poll shows Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R) closing the gap considerably over the last couple of months.

* With Rep. Mike Castle (R) giving up his House seat in Delaware to run for the Senate, the open House seat has drawn the interest of both parties. The latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows former Lt. Gov. John Carney (D) leading the pack, enjoying double-digit leads over former state Sen. Charlie Copeland (R) and businessman Fred Cullis (R) in hypothetical match-ups.

* Rep. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.) was set to face state Sen. Al Lawson in a Democratic primary, but facing an overwhelming financial disadvantage, Lawson is now thinking about switching to the state chief financial officer race.

* In a provocative comment, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D) said that he would have "easily" won a second term if state law permitted incumbents to seek re-election. The remark comes just a month after Creigh Deeds (D) was trounced by Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell (R).

* As hard as it is to believe, former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) really seems serious about running for president. Asked on ABC yesterday if he's really interested, Santorum said, "Absolutely -- absolutely taking a look."

* And it was probably nothing, but former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) suggested she's open to running for president as a third-party candidate in 2012. Asked by a conservative radio talk-show host if she's consider this route, Palin said, "That depends on how things go in the next couple of years.... If the Republican party gets back to that [conservative] base, I think our party is going to be stronger and there's not going to be a need for a third party, but I'll play that by ear in these coming months, coming years."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Five coordinated attacks in Baghdad today killed at least 127 people, wounding hundreds more. The attacks included multiple suicide car bombers, including one on a police patrol.

* Gen. Stanley McChrystal and Ambassador Karl Eikenberry haven't always been on the same page, but today, speaking to the House Armed Services Committee, they were both on board with the administration's new strategy in Afghanistan.

* McChrystal sees value in targeting Osama bin Laden.

* Defense Secretary Robert Gates stops by Afghanistan, reminds Hamid Karzai of U.S. expectations.

* Good news: "With the second wave of H1N1 infections having crested in the United States, leading epidemiologists are predicting that the pandemic could end up ranking as the mildest since modern medicine began documenting influenza outbreaks."

* Medicare buy-in in 2010?

* White House moves the pieces on the chessboard with Pakistan.

* I was glad to see the president mention "water" during his talk about infrastructure projects: "More than 20 percent of the nation's water treatment systems have violated key provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act over the last five years, according to a New York Times analysis of federal data."

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) isn't apologizing for his historical comparison yesterday.

* Domestic support for the new U.S. policy in Afghanistan seems to be growing.

* White House still taking transparency seriously.

* John Kerry keeps shining a light on the Bush administration's costly Tora Bora mistake.

* Oh my: "A report by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities indicates that the U.S. is one of only two nations on Earth in which people aged 25 to 34 have lower educational attainment than their parents."

* An independent audit shows no criminal misconduct within ACORN.

* Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) is against public and private health care insurance. Wow.

* I'll never understand why the L.A. Times undermines its reputation by paying/publishing Andrew Malcolm. Every day offers more examples of his unprofessional work. Isn't it time for him to just make it official and jump to Fox News?

* Don't forget the '72 Dolphins, Bobby Jindal.

* And finally, it may be time to end Beck's gold rush: "Glenn Beck's dual embrace of gold -- as an investment vehicle for his listeners and a personal moneymaking opportunity for himself -- has drawn boos from various journalism watchdogs. And now it looks like the talk-show host's close relationship with one purveyor of gold coins has gotten him in a bit of trouble with his employer Fox News."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley won the Democratic Senate primary yesterday, in the race to fill the vacancy left by Ted Kennedy. With nearly all of the precincts reporting, Coakley led the multi-candidate field with 47% support, followed by Rep. Michael Capuana with 28%.

* On a related note, Massachusetts state Senator Scott Brown easily won the Republican Senate primary, defeating a lesser-known businessman by 77%. Brown will face Coakley in a Jan. 19 special election, and Coakley will be the heavy favorite.

* In Connecticut, the latest Rasmussen poll shows Sen. Chris Dodd (D) continuing to struggle the year before his re-election bid. He now trails former Rep. Rob Simmons (R) by 13 points, 48% to 35%. Dodd also trails wrestling executive Linda McMahon (R) by six, 44% to 38%.

* Speaking of Dodd, there have been some rumors that the senator and former presidential candidate may retire, facing long odds. People close to Dodd say those rumors aren't true.

* The AFL-CIO has thrown its support to Alexi Giannoulias' (D) Senate campaign in Illinois. His primary is in February.

* Not quite one year into her first term, North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue's (D) polling numbers are suffering badly. A new statewide poll says only 20% of North Carolinians would like to see her get a second term. She has three years to change some minds.

* Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (R) was expected to run for Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's (R-Texas) Senate seat, but announced yesterday that he will instead seek re-election to his current job.

* Now that Nevada Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki (R) has been cleared of criminal wrongdoing -- he faced felony charges on alleged corruption -- will he renew plans to run against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)? Apparently not.

* And following up on an item from yesterday, Florida state Sen. Al Lawson (D) apparently intends to stay in the race against U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.), despite his lack of funds for the primary.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Pakistan: "Five people arrested in Pakistan had been reported missing in the United States, and police are confident they were planning terrorist acts, a Pakistani police official told CNN."

* It's going to get worse before it might get better: "Coalition forces can attain "success" in Afghanistan, but U.S. officials should wait until December 2010 before they can measure the progress of the troop surge, a top U.S. commander told a Senate committee Wednesday. Gen. David Petraeus, head of U.S. Central Command, predicted the surge will be met by an increase in violence in spring 2010 and a rise in 'security incidents' in the summer."

* Maybe we should have tried this sooner: "The American commander in charge of training the Afghan security forces said Wednesday that there had been a recent wave of recruits for the Afghan Army, most likely because of a pay increase that he said put salaries close to those of Taliban fighters."

* It looks like South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) won't be impeached after all.

* President Obama seems impressed with the tentative compromise on the public option in the Senate.

* Jonathan Cohn asks 10 good questions about the policy specifics that are not yet clear.

* Justice Clarence Thomas apparently isn't pleased with Justice Sonia Sotomayor. That's an excellent sign on the quality of her work.

* TSA: "The Department of Homeland Security has initiated unspecified personnel actions against individuals involved in the bungled online posting this spring of a government document that revealed airport screening secrets, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told senators Wednesday morning."

* TARP: "The independent panel that oversees the government's financial bailout program concluded in a year-end review that, despite flaws and lingering problems, the program 'can be credited with stopping an economic panic.'"

* Wouldn't it be nice to apply the "The One Percent Doctrine" to the climate?

* Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) may understand the economics of prostitution, but he doesn't understand the economics of drug reimportation.

* New tax on bank bonuses? Sounds good to me.

* Homeless college students.

* Reebok's new butt-centered ad campaign is ridiculous.

* Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) thinks ACORN may soon be able in a position to help regulate the financial services industry. There has to be a medication for what's ailing that poor woman.

* That Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) is confused about the difference between the words "fact" and "fiction" explains a lot.

* Sure, Fox News' Gretchen Carlson seems conspicuously unintelligent, but it may be an act to appeal to an audience that appreciates stupidity.

* And remember Russell Wiseman (R), mayor of the Memphis suburb of Arlington, who argued last week that the president deliberately scheduled his Afghanistan speech to coincide with the "Peanuts" Christmas special? Wiseman now considers his remarks a "poor attempt at tongue-in-cheek humor."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rep. Brian Baird (D) of Washington state will retire at the end of his term. He's the third House Democratic incumbent to announce his retirement over the last three weeks. Though Washington's 3rd backed Bush in 2000 and 2004, it supported President Obama last year.

* Within hours of Baird's announcement, state Rep. Jaime Herrera (R) entered the race, and will likely enjoy the party establishment's backing.

* In Ohio, a Rasmussen poll shows the state's struggling economy taking its toll on Gov. Ted Strickland (D). In a match-up against former Rep. John Kasich (R) in next year's gubernatorial race, Strickland now trails by nine, 48% to 39%.

* In Pennsylvania, Sen. Arlen Specter seems to have regained his footing in his Democratic primary race against Rep. Joe Sestak. While the Rasmussen last poll showed Sestak within single digits of the incumbent, a new poll shows Specter leading by 13, 48% to 35%.

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), considered one of the Senate Democrats' most vulnerable members, continues to enjoy the assistance of Vice President Biden, who'll be in Connecticut on Friday for a Dodd fundraiser.

* While it's still unclear who the likely GOP candidate is to run to replace Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R), right-wing South Carolina Sen. Jim Demint (R) will throw his support to Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams (R) today.

* After a recount in Atlanta, former state Sen. Kasim Reed will be sworn in as the city's next mayor.

* Nevada Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki (R) apparently hasn't given up on the idea of challenging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). Krolicki has long been interested in the race, but was sidetracked by corruption charges, which he was cleared of earlier this week.

* Keep an eye on Arkansas Lt. Governor Bill Halter (D), who seems to be inching closer to a primary fight against incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D).

* And speaking of Arkansas, former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) believes Republicans must resist the temptation to be an inclusive party. "One of the things that concerns me is that in the United States there is real talk of maybe we need to have this big tent and accommodate every view," Huckabee said Sunday. "That will kill the conservative movement."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Targeting al Qaeda: "A 'high-ranking' al-Qaida figure was killed Thursday in an attack by a drone aircraft in northwest Pakistan, U.S. officials told NBC News. The officials did not identify who was killed, except to say that it was not al-Qaida's supreme leader, Osama bin Laden. If the report is confirmed, it would be the first time coalition forces had killed a top al-Qaida figure in almost a year."

* Pakistan: "Five young Muslim American men arrested here Wednesday were on their way to the heart of the Taliban sanctuary in Pakistan's tribal areas with the intention of training to fight against American troops in Afghanistan, Pakistani police authorities said Thursday."

* A temporary break: "The Senate voted 56 to 43 on Thursday afternoon to temporarily put aside the major health care legislation and take up a crucial package of spending measures needed to finance many government operations.... A final vote on the spending package is expected on Sunday, and the Senate would then return to the health care bill, aides said."

* Good move: "Moving to quell the uproar over the return of big paydays on Wall Street, Goldman Sachs announced on Thursday that its top executives would forgo cash bonuses this year and that it would give shareholders a say in determining compensation."

* Wait, now conservative Republicans don't think the health care reform bill is long enough? It's so difficult to keep up with their talking points.

* A major setback for marriage equality in New Jersey.

* Rick Warren finally feels compelled to speak out against anti-gay legislation in Uganda.

* On Human Rights Day, there's renewed interest in a "New Domestic Human Rights Agenda."

* I'm sorry to see E&P fold after all of 125 years.

* I'm glad to see PolitiFact get a syndication deal.

* The oil industry's capacity for dishonesty is almost limitless.

* College in three years?

* Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wants to prohibit excessively loud TV commercials. I heartily endorse his effort.

* Stephanopoulos to "GMA," Cuomo to "20/20."

* And finally, Glenn Beck has endorsed "abolishing" Medicare. One wonders how many congressional Republicans will go on record supporting this position. Perhaps some effort should be made to ask them.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The Cook Political Report has made Connecticut's Senate race "Lean Republican" for the first time, making Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) the only Democratic incumbent now favored to lose. The analysis concluded that Dodd is "just too badly damaged to have a decent shot at getting re-elected, almost regardless of who wins the Republican nomination," adding that the incumbent "is about as unelectable as unindicted incumbents get." Ouch.

* On a related note, few lawmakers enjoy as much goodwill in Democratic politics as Chris Dodd, and the establishment will continue to rally to his defense. Tonight, Vice President Biden will be in Connecticut for a Dodd fundraiser, though the senator will still be in D.C.

* In Ohio's closely watched Senate race, former Bush budget director Rob Portman (R) -- yes, Bush's former budget director actually has the gall to run for the Senate -- has a narrow lead over Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D). The latest Rasmussen poll shows Portman up by two, 38% to 36%.

* In Illinois, a new Rasmussen poll shows state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) leading Rep. Mark Kirk (R) in a hypothetical match-up, 42% to 39%. Two months ago, Rasmussen showed the two leading candidates tied at 41% each. The new poll also shows Giannoulias leading his leading primary rival, former Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman, by four, 42% to 38%.

* With Rep Brian Baird (D-Wash.) announcing his retirement, Republicans wasted no time in announcing their leading candidate, and Democrats are doing the same thing -- state Rep. Deb Wallace (D) announced her campaign yesterday morning. Rumor has it that the DCCC loves her.

* Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) decided to skip California's gubernatorial race, but if Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) steps down -- either to run for governor or to retire -- don't be surprised if Villaraigosa eyes the Senate race.

* Interesting tidbit: nine House Democrats are forgoing re-election next year, three are retiring, and six are seeking higher office. Two years ago at this point, far more Republicans were eyeing the exit.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* It passed with zero GOP votes: "More than a year after the near-collapse of Wall Street plunged the economy into crisis, the House on Friday approved the most sweeping overhaul of the nation's financial regulatory system since the Great Depression."

* A cramdown measure was defeated in the House, thanks to Blue Dog Democrats and Republicans.

* Secretary of Defense Robert Gates expects new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.

* From 2004 to 2006, the lines were blurred out of existence: "Private security guards from Blackwater Worldwide participated in some of the C.I.A.'s most sensitive activities --clandestine raids with agency officers against people suspected of being insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan and the transporting of detainees, according to former company employees and intelligence officials."

* It's safe to say Greece is having some very serious fiscal problems.

* The latest retail-sales report looked pretty good.

* For reasons that I can't begin to understand, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) thinks health care reform is still going too fast.

* Why students drop out of college.

* Krugman, who has defended the Fed chairman, today takes Bernanke to task.

* Matt Taibbi trashes President Obama and his economic team. Tim Fernholz describes Taibbi's piece as "a factual mess," "a conspiracy theorist's dream," "pernicious for a lot of journalistic reasons," and sidestepping actual administration policy failures. "It's almost as if he cherry-picked what he thought would fit with his narrative," Fernholz adds.

* Legislation related to a college football playoff is stalled in a House committee, but Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) hopes to get it moving in the Senate. President Obama has said he'd sign the bill into law.

* Good question: "Why does the LAT allow Andrew Malcolm to continue to misrepresent polling?"

* Josh Marshall catches CNN's coverage yesterday on the Copenhagen conference: "First we hear Al Gore, discussing the evidence for warming. And after that, the latest from Sarah Palin discussing the science on her Facebook page. That's the debate. Proud moment."

* Bachmann kills what was left of irony: she told a crowd this week, referring to the Obama administration, "These people are not connected to reality."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* And then there were four House Democratic retirements: "After more than a quarter-century of public service to his home state of Tennessee, U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon announced his plans to retire from Congress when his current term ends in 2010." It's expected to be a likely GOP pick-up next year.

* On a related note, Hawaii Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D) had already announced plans to give up his seat to run for governor, but he will actually step down before the end of his term to focus on his statewide race.

* Houston elected City Controller Annise Parker as its new mayor, with 53% of the vote. Houston is now the largest city in American history to elect an openly gay mayor.

* Good news for New York Gov. David Paterson (D): a new Siena poll (pdf) shows his approval rating inching up. Bad news: he still trails Andrew Cuomo in a Democratic primary by 44 points.

* In Illinois, a Chicago Tribune poll finds Alexi Giannoulias (D) and Rep. Mark Kirk (R) leading their respective Senate primaries. The election is on Feb. 2.

* And speaking of Illinois, the same poll shows Gov. Pat Quinn (D) and former Attorney General Jim Ryan (R) leading their respective gubernatorial primaries.

* Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) is clearly in trouble next year, but she's already getting some support from the state party, and union allies are targeting her top GOP challenger.

* Speaking of Democratic Senate incumbents who are in trouble, the latest Rasmussen poll shows appointed Sen. Michael Bennet (D) trailing former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton (R) in Colorado, 46% to 37%.

* And in Rhode Island, there are now zero Republicans running for governor next year. Term limits prevent incumbent Gov. Don Carcieri (R) from seeking a third term.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Climate talks in Copenhagen hit a rough patch today, but parties have returned to the negotiating table.

* The threat is not a distant one: Al Gore explains that ice in Arctic Ocean may vanish by 2014.

* Inclement weather hurt attendance, but President Obama nevertheless pressured bank execs today "to take 'extraordinary' steps to revive lending for small businesses and homeowners, drawing a firm commitment from one large bank to make more loans and vaguer assurances from others."

* On a related note, Citigroup is paying the government back $20 billion, making it "the last of the big Wall Street banks to exit the government's bailout program, after persuading regulators that it was sound enough to stand on its own."

* Omnibus spending bill is headed for the president's desk.

* White House condemns the anti-homosexuality bill pending in the Ugandan parliament.

* Should be interesting: "Computer technicians have found 22 million missing White House e-mails from the administration of President George W. Bush, according to two groups that are settling lawsuits they filed over the failure by the Bush White House to install an electronic record keeping system."

* The Kerry-Graham-Lieberman climate bill is seeking support in the Senate, but it's not the only bipartisan bill -- the Cantwell-Snowe measure has also been introduced.

* A poll released today shows a whopping 81% of Dems support punishing Joe Lieberman for his behavior in the health care debate.

* OMB Director Peter Orszag takes on the factually-challenged Wall Street Journal.

* More schools in danger of losing federal funds.

* Efforts to lower the volume on television ads are facing resistance from congressional Republicans.

* ACORN wins an important court battle.

* On a related note, Joe Conason has a strong piece on the "duplicity in the famous [ACORN] tapes."

* The process through which media professionals seek credentials from the Congressional Radio-Television Galleries seems flawed.

* Paul Samuelson, R.I.P.

* And even now, Republican officials are interested in the president's birth certificate. What an embarrassment.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* To gain a stronger financial edge in advance of next year's midterms, Republicans are counting on Teabaggers to pony up: "Conservative leaders are eager to turn Tea Party anger into election-year cash - and to do that, they're launching a flurry of new political action committees aimed at collecting small-dollar donations from newly engaged anti-tax, anti-spending activists."

* It's unclear if New York City Comptroller William Thompson (D) intends to challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in a primary next year, but if he does, a new Quinnipiac polls shows Thompson faring very well.

* In related news, Gillibrand continues to reach out to possible Democratic rivals, in the hopes of winning them over. So far, it's working -- this week, Suffolk County Legislative Majority Leader Jon Cooper (D), a leading Gillibrand detractor, announced that he's not only skipping a primary, he's actually endorsing the incumbent senator.

* Republicans have made Rep. Tom Perriello (D) of Virginia's 5th congressional district one of the party's top 2010 targets. But the GOP field is huge, and the party's favored candidate, state Sen. Robert Hurt, has been deemed insufficiently right-wing by the Tea Party crowd. Dems hope to see a NY23 dynamic emerge.

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D) of Connecticut swears he's sticking with his re-election plans, polls be damned, but speculation about retirement scenarios continues to emerge.

* Louisiana Secretary of State Jay Dardenne (R) takes one step closer to challenging Sen. David Vitter (R) in a Republican primary next year.

* And in Texas, entertainer Kinky Friedman was seeking the Democrats' gubernatorial nomination, but he ended his bid yesterday, announcing that he will instead run to be the state's agriculture commissioner.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Kabul: "A suicide bomber struck outside a hotel popular with foreigners on Tuesday, killing at least eight people and wounding 40 others, the Afghan authorities said."

* Baghdad: "A series of car bombs exploded in central Baghdad on Tuesday morning near the Green Zone, government ministries and the Iranian Embassy, killing four people and wounding at least 14 others, Iraqi police officials said."

* Marriage equality in the nation's capital: "The D.C. Council gave final approval Tuesday to a bill to legalize same-sex marriage, setting off a wave of excitement in the gay community even as opponents vow to continue the fight on Capitol Hill."

* Is Olympia Snowe's vote on health care in play? As of this afternoon, she still has "misgivings."

* President Obama met with the Senate Democratic caucus today about health care, and sounded optimistic afterwards.

* AARP endorses Senate health reform bill.

* GM's new leadership intends to repay federal loans by the end of June.

* Speaker Pelosi intends to pass a new jobs bill by the State of the Union in January.

* Obama continues to promote "cash for caulkers."

* Not bad: "A solid majority of Americans support the idea of a global treaty that would require the United States to reduce significantly greenhouse gas emissions, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, although many also express concern about the potential impact on the economy."

* Resurrecting Glass-Steagall?

* Kevin Drum thinks the remaining health plan is actually quite good: "[T]his is still a huge achievement that will benefits tens of millions of people in very concrete ways and will do it without expanding our long-term deficit. Either with or without a public option, this is more than Bill Clinton ever did, more than Teddy Kennedy did, more than LBJ did, more than Truman did, and more than FDR did. There won't be many other times in our lives any of us will be able to say that. So pass the bill. The longer we wait, the worse it will get. Pass it now."

* Chuck Lane probably shouldn't have picked a fight with Ezra Klein.

* Funny money in higher education.

* And finally, Keith Olbermann considers whether conservatives have a voice in the media.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Florida's Republican Senate primary, Gov. Charlie Crist was, just a few months ago, considered the prohibitive favorite. A new Rasmussen poll now shows him tied with former state House Speaker Marco Rubio, with each garnering 43% support.

* After four House Dems announced their retirements over four weeks, GOP leaders are starting rumors about other possible departures. It prompted several prominent Democratic incumbents to announce yesterday that they will run for re-election next year, despite rumors to the contrary.

* The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has put together a new video, going after five Republican lawmakers -- Dan Lungren and Mary Bono Mack of California, Lee Terry of Nebraska, Joe Wilson of South Carolina, and Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania -- for voting against reforming Wall Street.

* In Florida's open gubernatorial race, state Attorney General Bill McCollum (R) leads state CFO Alex Sink (D) in a new Rasmussen poll, 44% to 39%. McCollum's five point lead was 11 points in a Rasmussen poll a couple of months ago.

* Former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R) has reportedly been thinking about taking on Sen. John McCain (R) in a primary in Arizona next year, but he may not be quite as competitive as he thought -- a new poll shows McCain leading in a hypothetical match up by 20 points.

* Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) continues to move quickly away from his moderate record in advance of his Senate campaign. Just two months ago, Kirk supported transferring detainees out of Gitmo. Yesterday, he reversed course.

* In Colorado, former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton (R), hoping to pick up right-wing support for her Senate campaign, has announced her support for eliminating the U.S. Department of Education.

* Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) apparently intends to seek another term in 2012, and he hasn't ruled out running as a Republican.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* It was a close, 218-214 vote: "The House on Wednesday passed legislation giving the federal government the ability to borrow a whopping $290 billion to finance its operations for just six additional weeks."

* Pushing tensions further: "Iran on Wednesday test-fired an upgraded version of its most advanced missile, which is capable of hitting Israel and parts of Europe, in a new show of strength aimed at preventing any military strike against it amid the nuclear standoff with the West."

* On a related note, the House approved last night new sanctions aimed at Iran's nuclear program, 412 to 12.

* Can't hurt to try, I suppose: "President Obama wrote a personal letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il that a U.S. envoy delivered, a senior U.S. official said Wednesday."

* Don't expect to see the Fed increase interest rates for a long time.

* On a related note, I wouldn't have chosen Ben Bernanke as Time's Person of the Year, but the magazine didn't ask me.

* Howard Dean thinks the health care reform plan would be a "dream" for insurance companies; the White House responds. Ezra has more on this.

* On a related note, Nate Silver has 20 questions for progressives who want to kill the health care reform plan.

* When the Monthly reported that tropical forests would be central to the climate talks in Copenhagen, we were right.

* That Joe Arpaio is real, and not some over-the-top character in a Grisham novel, is rather disturbing.

* Paul Krugman weighs in on whether cutting minimum wage would be good for the economy. (Hint: it wouldn't.)

* Right-wing activists sure do love those reform/Holocaust comparisons, don't they?

* "Moonlight Madness" -- the practice of being a full-time student and full-time worker simultaneously.

* Is it a two-fer if you defraud disabled veterans and the government at the same time?

* The least Dick Armey can do is get Rachel Maddow's name right.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The DSCC continues to have high hopes targeting freshman Sen. Richard Burr (R) in North Carolina next year. The latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows the incumbent with a 35% approval rating -- most of the state doesn't seem to know who he is -- and against a generic Democrat, Burr only leads by one, 42% to 41%.

* Speaking of the Senate race in North Carolina, it appears the White House is signaling its support for former state senator and Iraq war veteran Cal Cunningham in the Democratic primary.

* In Missouri's closely watched Senate race, a new Rasmussen poll shows Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) narrowly leading Rep. Roy Blunt (R), 46% to 44%.

* Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) has an uphill climb in seeking re-election next year, but she's getting help from Bill Clinton, who knows a bit about Arkansas.

* In Florida, Rep. Kendrick Meek, the leading Democrat in next year's Senate race, continues to trail both GOP candidates in the latest Rasmussen poll, but he fares better against Gov. Charlie Crist than former state House Speaker Marco Rubio.

* Speaking of Florida, Allen West, a Republican candidate in the 22nd Congressional District, explained this week, "There are three words I hate to hear used. I hate big-tent. I hate inclusiveness. And I hate outreach."

* Tom Wiggans, the likely Democratic candidate in Kansas' gubernatorial race next year, ended his campaign yesterday. The state party would prefer not to let Sen. Sam Brownback (R) run unopposed.

* The Republican primary in Georgia's gubernatorial race is very crowded, but it appears John Oxendine, the state's fire and insurance commissioner, is the early frontrunner.

* In Pennsylvania, a new Quinnipiac poll shows state Attorney General Tom Corbett (R) as the early favorite in next year's gubernatorial campaign.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Trying to give the Copenhagen talks a shot in the arm: "With time running out, the United States sought Thursday to inject new momentum into talks here aimed at reaching a global agreement to control greenhouse gases, backing a proposal to create an international pot of money for developing countries that could be worth more than $100 billion a year by the end of the next decade."

* In addition, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, at the talks, reminded China that it must agree to monitoring if a deal is to be reached. An international agreement, Clinton added, would be impossible "in the absence of transparency from the second-biggest emitter" in the world -- in other words, China.

* China doesn't sound like it's ready to strike a deal.

* At least one right-wing member of Congress is on China's side on this.

* House passes jobs bill, 217 to 212: "Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) muscled a $154 billion jobs bill through the House on Wednesday evening just before Congress departed for a holiday recess. With the vote in serious doubt until seconds before it was gaveled to a close, Pelosi worked the floor furiously, imploring her caucus to stick with her and move the measure through." It received zero GOP votes.

* The AFL-CIO is really unsatisfied with the Senate health care bill. SEIU President Andy Stern doesn't like the bill, but nevertheless believes "it is time for the Senate to send this bill on to conference."

* Perhaps today's single most gratifying moment was watching Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) cut off Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), not letting him finish a speech.

* The Senate Banking Committee approved Ben Bernanke's Federal Reserve nomination, 16 to 7.

* Paul Krugman wants the reform bill to pass: "By all means criticize the administration. But don't take it out on the tens of millions of Americans who will have health insurance if this bill passes, but will be out of luck -- and, in some cases, dead -- if it doesn't."

* John Podesta makes the progressive case for the reform bill.

* David Plouffe is weighing in, too.

* I've seen some commenters ask how the Senate bill controls health care costs without a public option. Ezra offers five good examples.

* Lee Fang raises a compelling point about Howard Dean's evolving standards on what constitutes "real" reform.

* Taking the gamble out of student loans.

* Some on the right are calling for an immigration moratorium. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis slammed the idea.

* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) was asked about his former friendship with Al Gore. Perry said he'd personally seen the light on carbon emissions, while the former vice president has "gone to hell."

* And for some in the political media establishment, it will always, always be 1998.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* MoveOn.org launched a fundraising campaign this week, collecting funds to be used against Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) in 2012. The initial goal was $400,000. In less than 48 hours, donations topped $1 million.

* The NRCC hopes to help House Republicans win a majority in next year's midterms, but the campaign committee's fundraising is surprisingly weak at this point.

* In Pennsylvania, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Sen. Arlen Specter looking unexpectedly strong in his Democratic primary race against Rep. Joe Sestak, with the incumbent senator now leading by 23 points, 53% to 30%. In a general election match-up against former Rep. Pat Toomey, the poll showed the candidates tied at 44% each.

* While a Rasmussen poll this week showed Florida Gov. Charlie Crist tied in his Republican Senate primary against former state House Speaker Marco Rubio, a new Zogby poll shows Crist up by nine, 45% to 36%.

* In California's gubernatorial race, a new statewide poll shows former eBay CEO Meg Whitman leads the Republican field, but state Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) leads all GOP candidates in hypothetical match-ups.

* President Obama has taken an interest in Wisconsin's gubernatorial race, and is signaling his support for Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

* Former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) continues to show an interest in challenging Sen. John McCain in a Republican primary next year, and was in D.C. yesterday for some meetings with possible supporters.

* Rand Paul's Senate campaign in Kentucky suffered a humiliating setback yesterday, when his chief spokesperson, Christopher Hightower, had to resign. Hightower was shown to have posted "disturbing images" and a series of racist comments on his MySpace page.

* Don't be too surprised if former New Mexico Republican Gov. Gary Johnson (R), who's something of a political gadfly, runs for president in 2012.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Sounds like encouraging progress on START: "The United States and Russia have reached agreement on most major issues in a new treaty that would cut their deployed strategic nuclear warheads by one-fourth and allow each side to continue to verify the other's stockpiles, officials said Friday.... President Obama said that the two sides are 'quite close' to concluding a new version of the pact."

* Congressional Republicans will throw a fit, but for now, there's marriage equality in the nation's capital: "District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty signed a measure recognizing such marriages as legal.... Fenty signed the measure at All Souls Church, a Unitarian Universalist house of worship in the northwest part of the district that is known for its diversity and for the welcoming of same-sex couples."

* Keep an eye on this one: "The Iraqi government said Friday that Iranian troops had crossed the border and occupied a portion of an oil field situated on disputed land between the two countries, but Iranian officials immediately and vehemently disputed the account."

* If someone could please address this: "Militants in Iraq have used $26 off-the-shelf software to intercept live video feeds from U.S. Predator drones, potentially providing them with information they need to evade or monitor U.S. military operations."

* It doesn't sound like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will filibuster health care reform.

* Paul Krugman defends the Senate health care proposal: "[L]et's all take a deep breath, and consider just how much good this bill would do, if passed -- and how much better it would be than anything that seemed possible just a few years ago. With all its flaws, the Senate health bill would be the biggest expansion of the social safety net since Medicare, greatly improving the lives of millions. Getting this bill would be much, much better than watching health care reform fail."

* Jon Chait "defends" Bill Kristol from my pointed abuse.

* I guess congressional gridlock doesn't apply to college football's postseason.

* Remember Michael Zak, the right-wing author the Republican National Committee hired to write content for the new RNC website? This week, Zak compared President Obama to Hitler. Classy.

* I'm a little surprised to see Joe Trippi become a contributor to Fox News.

* Betsy McCaughey awarded the Health Care Misinformer of the Year prize. Well deserved.

* How ridiculous is right-wing radio host/GOP activist Laura Ingraham? Bill O'Reilly told her on the air, "You are a blind ideologue." Ouch.

* RNC Chairman Michael Steele is easily confused. Today, the poor guy argued that health care reform is "going to cost us over a trillion dollars a year." What a strange man.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The DCCC is launching a round of robocalls in congressional districts in Florida, Michigan, and Pennsylvania this week, targeting GOP lawmakers for being "cozy with Wall Street and unwilling to overhaul the financial system that led to last year's economic meltdown."

* The DNC raised $5.9 million in November, as compared to the $6.4 million raised by the RNC in the same month. Both committees are about even in cash-on-hand.

* We don't yet know if North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven (R) intends to challenge Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) next year, but if he does, Rasmussen shows Hoeven with a significant lead in the hypothetical match-up, 52% to 37%.

* Rep. Baron Hill (D-Ind.), a leading House Blue Dog, has said he will seek re-election next year, but don't be surprised if he leaves the Hill soon after to run for governor in 2012.

* New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr. has been mentioned as a leading candidate for a variety of offices next year -- he ran a surprisingly strong race for mayor this year -- but seems especially interested in a possible primary challenge against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D).

* And speaking of New York, former mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) is still weighing his options for next year. According to the latest report, Giuliani has ruled out a gubernatorial campaign -- he apparently thinks state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is unbeatable -- and would consider a Senate campaign against Gillibrand, though people close to Giuliani consider it a long shot.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Tehran: "Iran's most senior dissident cleric, Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, has died, his grandson said Sunday. He was 87. Nasser Montazeri said his grandfather, who was seen as the spiritual father of Iran's reform movement, died in his sleep overnight."

* Hopefully, a good sign: "The hiring of temporary workers has surged, suggesting that the nation's employers might soon take the next step, bringing on permanent workers, if they can just convince themselves that the upturn in the economy will be sustained."

* The American Medical Association formally endorses the Senate health care bill.

* President Obama's Passenger Bill of Rights: "The federal government will impose big fines starting this spring on airlines that keep passengers waiting on the tarmac too long without feeding them or letting them off the plane. Airlines that let a plane sit on the tarmac for more than two hours without giving passengers food or water, or more than three hours without offering them the option of getting off, will face fines of $27,500 a passenger, the secretary of transportation announced on Monday."

* Counter-terrorism: "On orders from President Barack Obama, the U.S. military launched cruise missiles early Thursday against two suspected al-Qaeda sites in Yemen, administration officials told ABC News in a report broadcast on ABC World News with Charles Gibson."

* Health care reform is going to save a lot of American families a lot of money.

* We know about the ways in which the Senate health care bill got worse (it lost the public option), but in a variety of other ways, it got much better.

* Jane Hamsher writes up 10 specific reasons she'd like to see the Senate health care bill defeated. Jonathan Cohn and Ezra Klein write up specific rebuttals to Hamsher's list.

* CNBC's John Harwood is taking cheap and unnecessary shots at progressive opponents of health care reform. Completely uncalled for.

* Joe Klein takes down Tom Coburn.

* Tim Fernholz takes down Robert Samuelson.

* Reimportation obviously didn't come together this year. The White House isn't done with the idea, though.

* I shouldn't be surprised, but prominent right-wing bloggers probably shouldn't publish posts hoping for senators to die.

* John McCain feels comfortable telling us what Ted Kennedy would have thought. Remember when McCain had class? It's been a long time.

* How did South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) avoid impeachment?

* When the federal government takes a more active role in education.

* Watching the Senate become cruel: "The Senate hasn't just lost a bit of its collegiality. It's become heartlessly ferocious -- a place where the death of an honored friend presents an opportunity to kill his legislation, and in which the infirmity of an ailing colleague is seen as a potential path to procedural victory.... At this point in its history, however, consensus is a laughable goal. Basic decency doesn't even seem achievable. And if the behavior of the Senate has changed, then so too must its rules."

* Mike Huckabee compares Ben Nelson to Judas. Wow.

* Don't bring a gun to a snowball fight.

* A well deserved honor for Glenn Beck.

* And similarly, the Politifact Lie of the Year was probably an obvious choice, but the editors made the right call.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* To no one's surprise, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) will announce today that he's not running for the Senate next year, making it very likely that Giuliani will not seek any elected office in 2010. He will reportedly throw his support to former Rep. Rick Lazio (R), who badly lost his Senate bid nine years ago to Hillary Clinton.

* Former Bush Budget Director Rob Portman (R) is running for U.S. Senate in Ohio, hoping voters overlook his record in the Bush administration. To that end, it's odd that Portman invited Karl Rove to appear at an Ohio Lincoln Day Dinner on January 21.

* It seems hard to imagine, but a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows ophthalmologist Rand Paul (R), Ron Paul's inexperienced son, with a big lead in his Senate primary race in Kentucky. The poll shows Paul with 44% among Republicans, while Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson, who enjoys the party's backing, has 25%.

* It's always best to take internal polls with a grain of salt, but Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) is circulating data showing him trailing former Rep. Rob Simmons (R) by five, 51% to 46%. That's not good news for the incumbent, but it's far better than the double-digit deficits Dodd has seen in other recent polls.

* In Illinois, a new Rasmussen poll shows interesting results for Democrats. Incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn (D), who assumed the office after Blagojevich's impeachment, trails former state Attorney General Jim Ryan (R) in a hypothetical match-up, 46% to 39%. State Comptroller Dan Hynes (D), however, taking on Quinn in a Democratic primary, narrowly leads Ryan in his own hypothetical match-up.

* There have been rumors about Rep. John Spratt (D-S.C.) retiring next year, but his spokesperson insisted yesterday that he is, in fact, running for re-election.

* Bill Kristol wants to see House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-Ind.), one of Congress' dimmest bulbs, take on Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) next year. That seems unlikely.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* A little more provocative: "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declined to give a yes-or-no answer on whether he could assure the West that Iran would never weaponize its nuclear material and turn it into a bomb."

* Economic growth in the third quarter was revised downward again, to 2.2%: "The Commerce Department's new reading on gross domestic product for the July-to-September quarter was slower than the 2.8% growth rate estimated just a month ago."

* Serious shortfalls: "The recession's jobless toll is draining unemployment-compensation funds so fast that according to federal projections, 40 state programs will go broke within two years and need $90 billion in loans to keep issuing the benefit checks."

* Encouraging figures in the real estate market: "Extraordinary government efforts to stabilize the housing market are paying off. What happens when the help runs out is anyone's guess. Sales of previously occupied homes surged in November to the highest level in nearly three years, spurred by federal subsidies for starter homes and a massive Federal Reserve push to drive down mortgage rates."

* Obama finds cost savings: "President Barack Obama on Monday touted the federal government's efforts to become more efficient, highlighting a new report that shows billions of dollars in savings on contract costs. The report by the Office of Management and Budget shows that agencies have identified more than $19 billion in contract savings for fiscal year 2010, which began Oct. 1. Obama said that puts the government on track to meet its goal of saving $40 billion annually by fiscal year 2011."

* Obscene: "Ed Hanway, CEO of Cigna, one of the nation's largest health insurance companies, will step down at the end of this year, in just over a week. When he does, he'll get $73,200,000 as compensation for a job well done."

* An unexpected drop in crime: "The homicide rate dropped 10 percent in the first half of this year as crime rates reached their lowest point nationally since the 1960s, the FBI reported Monday."

* A welcome reversal: "An Army general in Iraq backed away from his threat today to court martial female soldiers who get pregnant."

* The New York Times editorial board supports the Democratic health care reform plan.

* So does a group of prominent economists who've been tracking the process.

* Jane Hamsher argues health care reform won't really work "on behalf of the 'poor.'" Jonathan Cohn responds.

* Nate Silver tackles the "insidious myth of reconciliation."

* Fair and balanced: "'Fox & Friends' lists '5 things conservatives hate' and '5 things liberals hate' about Senate health care bill."

* Giving colleges a new mission: prepare kids for college.

* Deadly volcano ash isn't funny.

* For all her talk about small government and the evils of spending, Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-Minn.) family farm has received over a quarter million dollars in government handouts.

* Mary Matalin described proponents of health care reform as "health care jihadists." Seriously. CNN pays her for this kind of stuff.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (R-Texas) wants the party's base to be more tolerant of moderate candidates. The Texas senator said conservatives "have to yield to the world as it is and not necessarily how they wish it would be." That's not going to go over well.

* Rep. Parker Griffith of Alabama, who switched parties yesterday, will "refund campaign contributions to any donors who ask for their money back." The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee wants its money back.

* In a big setback for his Senate campaign, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) lost the support of two prominent Florida Republicans who'd already endorsed his candidacy. Reps. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) withdrew their endorsements yesterday, and when asked why, one cryptically replied, "He knows why."

* On a related note, it looks increasingly as if the "Florida Republican Party organization is now in the midst of a civil war, with the latest shoe to drop being that embattled party chairman Jim Greer has called for a special executive committee meeting, in response to a request that he be ousted as chairman."

* A year before the midterms, a survey from Public Policy Polling suggests Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is not particularly vulnerable.

* A Republican pollster finds a very competitive GOP field in next year's gubernatorial race in South Carolina. The leading candidates -- state Attorney General Henry McMaster and Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer -- are currently tied at 22% each.

* Former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton (R), running for the Senate in Colorado next year, is still working to curry favor with right-wing activists, no matter how extreme they are.

* And in Arizona, former Rep. J.D. Hayworth has not yet launched a primary campaign against Sen. John McCain, but in light of the possibility, the two camps are already going at it.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Republican leaders, most notably John McCain, have reportedly been reaching out to Rep. Chris Carney (D-Pa.) about switching parties. Carney issued a statement late yesterday, saying, "I appreciate the Republican Party's outreach, but I have no plans to change parties."

* In related news, Rep. Parker Griffith of Alabama switched parties this week, but only after commissioning a general-election poll in his district.

* He's not up for re-election until 2012, but Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) has not done much to improve his stature this year. CNN's latest national poll found that Lieberman's favorable rating has dropped 9 points over the last few weeks. The biggest decline came among self-identified independents.

* Several top Republicans, including Karl Rove, have been trying to recruit Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) to run in next year's Senate race in New York, but the Long Island lawmaker has said he's not inclined to try. "All I've told them is that over the holidays I'll discuss it with my family, but I don't see any reason to change my mind," King said.

* In one of the bigger surprises of the 2006 cycle, Sen. Jim Webb (D) defeated incumbent Sen. George Allen (R) in Virginia, thanks at least in part to Allen's infamous "macaca" slur. Allen conceded this week that he's pondering a rematch in 2012.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Yemen: "Yemeni jets launched an aerial assault Thursday against suspected senior al Qaeda operatives meeting in a remote location, and about 30 militants were killed, according to the Yemen news agency SABA.... One of the militants may have been the radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, the embassy said."

* Encouraging: "The Labor Department said the number of new claims for unemployment benefits fell to 452,000 last week, down 28,000 from the previous week, providing the latest sign the job market is gradually improving. It was the best figure since September 2008, before the credit crisis peaked. A recovery in the job market is vital to a strong recovery."

* There was one other vote in the Senate this morning: "The Senate voted Thursday to raise the ceiling on the government debt to $12.4 trillion, a massive increase over the current limit and a political problem that President Barack Obama has promised to address next year." The final vote was 60 to 39, though George Voinovich's (R) broke ranks and voted with Dems, and Indiana's Evan Bayh (D) voted with the GOP.

* Uganda may "soften" its insane anti-gay legislation, with the country's Ethics and Integrity Minister Nsaba Buturo suggesting life sentences may replace execution for "offenders."

* What you need to know following the Copenhagen climate summit.

* Fatigue and nerves can cause trouble: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) accidentally voted against health care reform this morning, before quickly correcting himself.

* In the U.S., we're talking more and more about students getting their college degrees in four years instead of three. In the U.K., they're pondering a similar shift -- from three years to two.

* I've long thought this would be a good idea: "A group of judges, political officials and lawyers, led by the retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, has begun a campaign to persuade states to choose judges on the basis of merit, rather than their ability to win an election."

* And at Chicago's Second City, the comedy troupe held a weekend-long 50th anniversary bash. Stephen Colbert, a Second City alum, was on hand, and reflected on Fox News' Glenn Beck, who makes satire so difficult because he's genuinely deranged. Beck "raised the stupid bar and now it's nearly inapproachable," Colbert said. "I worry that if we use that as a model....if somebody doesn't believe what they're saying, it's very hard to out-stupid them. Because then there's no place to sink our hook into, there's no mountain to climb there. I can't climb Glenn Beck since there's nothing there."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) is "very confident" that no other House Democrats will switch parties before the midterm elections.

* Remember former Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, perhaps best known for prosecuting disgraced former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R)? Earle is now running for lieutenant governor in Texas as a Democrat.

* In Alabama, Rep. Parker Griffith, who became a Republican last week, is still facing a crowded GOP primary. But what about a Democratic opponent? The DCCC has reached out to state Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, who is running an uphill gubernatorial campaign and may be interested in jumping into the House race.

* Louisiana Democrats taking on Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) next year believe they have yet another key issue -- Vitter blocked the EPA from releasing a report on the dangers posed by formaldehyde. The issue is of particular significance in Louisiana in light of the 34,000 Louisianans who lived in FEMA trailers after Hurricane Katrina.

* Rep. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.), a prominent Blue Dog, would ostensibly be a top GOP target next year, but Roll Call reports that Republicans are "having recruiting problems in Florida's Panhandle-based 2nd district."

* It may seem early, but Rep. Tim Bishop's (D-N.Y.) Republican opponent launched a general-election ad this morning, 11 months before Election Day.

* And in Ohio, former representative and convicted felon Jim Traficant is apparently contemplating a comeback, and may run in a Democratic primary against a yet-to-be named House incumbent.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl, the only known American serviceman being held captivity: "The Taliban released a video Friday showing a U.S. soldier who was captured more than five months ago in eastern Afghanistan."

* Three attacks in three days against Shiites in Pakistan: "A suicide bomber killed more than 30 people at a Shiite religious procession in Karachi on Monday, setting off rioting in parts of the city and prompting fears that extremist groups already waging a multi-front war against the government were now trying to foment sectarian violence against the country's minority Shiite Muslims."

* Claiming responsibility: "Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility Friday for an attempt to destroy a Northwest Airlines jet over Detroit on Christmas Day, saying that it had done so in response to airstrikes against the group in Yemen this month. The group said it had provided Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab with an explosive device that failed because of 'a technical fault.'"

* Tehran: "Iranian security forces stormed a series of opposition offices on Monday, rounding up at least 12 prominent anti-government activists in a new crackdown on the country's reformist movement, opposition Web sites and activists reported."

* Israel's Housing Ministry announced plans today to build nearly 700 housing units in Jewish areas of Jerusalem. The White House isn't happy about it.

* Preliminary evidence points to slightly better-than-expected U.S. retail numbers during the holidays.

* Is full-body scanning equipment on the way?

* Despite the intense criticism from Roman Catholic bishops, the nation's Catholic hospitals have signaled that they support the Senate's compromise on abortion funding in health care reform.

* Jonathan Gruber explores the merit on taxing "Cadillac" health plans to finance reform.

* Ethics watchdogs have been impressed thus far by what they've seen from the Obama White House.

* I'm starting to get the impression that Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) isn't fond of higher ed.

* Victor Davis Hanson writes odd things.

* R.I.P., Percy Sutton.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Former Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R) is poised to formally announce a gubernatorial campaign in Rhode Island. Chafee parted ways with the Republican Party after his 2006 defeat, and it's unclear what party affiliation he'll use in next year's campaign.

* In a setback for DCCC recruiting, Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks (D) announced that he will not run for Congress next year, and will instead continue his gubernatorial campaign. Party leaders hoped to see Sparks run against Rep. Park Griffith, who became a Republican last week.

* Rep. Mark Kirk (R) is the leading Republican candidate in Illinois' 2010 Senate race, prompting some desperation from his primary challenger, Andy Martin. This week, Martin, a right-wing lawyer, launched a radio ad speculating as to whether Kirk "is a homosexual." Subtle.

* Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) isn't up for re-election until 2012, but if Gov. Dave Heineman (R) decides to challenge him, a new Rasmussen poll suggests Nelson would be a big underdog.

* In Maryland, former state lawmaker George W. Owings III is poised to challenge incumbent Gov. Martin O'Malley in a Democratic gubernatorial primary. Owings, perhaps best known for his work in former Gov. Bob Ehrlich's Republican administration, apparently intends to challenge O'Malley from the right.

* Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D) would appear ineligible for a third term -- the state has a term-limits law -- but he's apparently commissioned a poll to "assess his political standing as he considers whether to challenge a state law that prohibits governors from serving three terms." If Freudenthal decides to step down after eight years in office, he'll likely throw his support to state Sen. Mike Massie (D).

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* He didn't sound pleased: "President Obama on Tuesday blamed a 'systemic failure' in the nation's security apparatus for the attempted bombing of a passenger jet on Christmas Day and vowed to identify the problems and 'deal with them immediately.'"

* Preliminary reports point to very dangerous materials: "A dangerous explosive allegedly concealed by Nigerian student Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab in his underwear could have blown a hole in the side of his Detroit-bound aircraft if it had been detonated, according to two federal sources briefed on the investigation."

* Tehran: "Iranian security forces made a wave of new arrests Tuesday, including Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi's sister and a relative of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, pressing forward with a broadening crackdown on the reformist movement in the wake of deadly protests this week."

* North Korea claims to have an American citizen in custody who, N.K. officials say, entered the country illegally from China.

* Good economic news: consumer confidence is climbing and many hiring managers expect to add full-time workers in 2010.

* Less good economic news: "Home prices rose modestly in October but beneath the apparent good news were some disquieting signs of deterioration. Analysts expect prices this winter to resume their descent, putting fresh pressure on the fragile economy."

* Kabul: "As the U.S. and its allies try to overcome logistical hurdles and rush some 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan in 2010, intelligence officials are warning that the Taliban-led insurgency is expanding and that 'time is running out' for the U.S.-led coalition to prove that its strategy can succeed."

* Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) has blocked a vote on the nominee to hear the Transportation Security Administration, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) plans to force a vote on Erroll Southers when the Senate reconvenes in January.

* The Obama administration seems pretty concerned about the new Japanese leadership.

* Bob Herbert tackles the excise tax intended to finance health care reform. Ezra Klein responds.

* Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), a champion of abortion rights, seems largely satisfied with the compromise funding language in the Senate bill.

* Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) will be the subject of an ethics probe, though no one seems to know why.

* This certainly doesn't sound good: "The political action committee behind the Tea Party Express (TPE) -- which already has been slammed as inauthentic and corporate-controlled by rival factions in the Tea Party movement -- directed around two thirds of its spending during a recent reporting period back to the Republican consulting firm that created the PAC in the first place."

* And apparently, words like "alleged" are a little too sophisticated for Fox News.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rep. George Radanovich (R-Calif.) became the 13th House Republican to announce he won't seek re-election yesterday. Though there will likely be a crowded GOP primary, the district is expected to remain in GOP hands -- McCain won here with 52% last year, and Bush won the district with 61% in 2004.

* Massachusetts state Sen. Scott Brown, the Republican nominee in the special election to fill Ted Kennedy's Senate seat, launched his first television ad of the race today. The GOP candidate uses the ad to try to tie himself to JFK's legacy. Brown will face state Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) on Jan. 19.

* Former Sen. Mark Dayton (D), as part of his gubernatorial campaign, announced yesterday that he's been taking medication for many years to treat depression. Dayton, a recovering alcoholic, also conceded that he briefly began drinking again towards the end of his one term in the Senate. "I am a candidate for governor and I think people have a right to know this about me," he said yesterday.

* Perhaps concerned about this standing back home, Sen. Ben Nelson (D) of Nebraska is launching a new television ad tonight explaining his position on health care reform. In light of all the distortions, Nelson says in the spot, "I want you to hear directly from me."

* And while there's still no official word, former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R) continues to move closer to challenging Sen. John McCain in a Republican primary in Arizona next year. Hayworth, who became a right-wing radio talk-show host after losing his re-election bid in 2006 told his listeners this week that "we may have moved past due diligence into something that is more than a legal term of art ... something called 'testing the waters.' So stay tuned on that."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* A suicide bomber killed eight Americans in Afghanistan today, at an attack at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost province.

* Anbar, Iraq: "Twin bombings -- one an assassination attempt against an Iraqi provincial governor -- killed 23 people and wounded the governor Wednesday in the worst violence in months to hit the western province that was once al-Qaida's top stronghold in Iraq."

* Getting a sense of the intelligence breakdown that allowed Abdulmutallab onto that flight.

* Yemen: "Yemeni security forces stormed an al-Qaida hide-out Wednesday in a principle militant stronghold in the country's west, setting off clashes, officials said, as a security chief vowed to fight the group's powerful local branch until it was eliminated."

* That's a lot of transparency: "Fulfilling one of the transparency goals of President Obama's administration, the White House today released more than 25,000 records of visitors who came through the gates at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue this year."

* On a related note, Obama also declared today that "no information may remain classified indefinitely."

* Great story on why the House Committee on Financial Services can be so dysfunctional.

* I'm beginning to wonder if Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.) is getting dumber by the day.

* The implosion of the far-right Washington Times continues apace.

* Fox News still wants to see a war against Iran.

* Good tip: "Just because green jobs are growing doesn't necessarily mean it helps to have a green major."

* Brad DeLong: "[M]y grade for the Obama economic team for its first year would definitely be: exceeds expectations."

* And in 2003, the Dixie Chicks were excoriated for criticizing George W. Bush at a concert overseas. Six years later, Ted Nugent trashed President Obama at an event overseas, but will likely face far less pushback -- because few remember who Ted Nugent even is. (Remember "Cat Scratch Fever"? That was released in 1977.)

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The Democratic Change Commission, which was convened to examine the presidential nominating process, will apparently recommend eliminating the influence of superdelegates. The recommendation will be further evaluated by the Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee.

* Much to the chagrin of the DCCC, Kansas state Sen. Laura Kelly (D) announced this morning she is ending her campaign against first-term Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R). Dems believe Jenkins is vulnerable, and will likely try to get state Sen. Tom Holland into the race.

* Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) new fundraising letter suggests he's expecting to face a primary challenge from former Rep. J.D. Hayworth.

* Sen. Richard Burr (R) of North Carolina is considered one of the more vulnerable Republican incumbents in 2010, but he still doesn't mind being associated with the Bush presidency -- Karl Rove is headed to N.C. to help Burr raise money.

* The intra-party fight within Florida's state GOP is getting even more intense. This week, a group of key Republican fundraisers in the state -- most are top allies of Jeb Bush -- called on Florida GOP Chairman Jim Greer to resign.

* He's been running for months, but yesterday, ophthalmologist Rand Paul formally filed the paperwork to run for the U.S. Senate in Kentucky. Paul, who has no experience in government at any level, is best known for being Rep. Ron Paul's (R-Texas) son, and for being named after Ayn Rand.

* Former congressman and convicted felon Jim Traficant said yesterday is he "going to run" for Congress next year, though he hasn't picked a district. Traficant served seven years behind bars after being convicted on federal corruption charges. He was released in September, and would have to quickly establish residency somewhere in order to pretend he's part of the community he wants to represent.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Learning more about yesterday's suicide attack in Afghanistan: "The C.I.A. operatives stationed where a suicide bombing occurred Wednesday -- killing at least eight Americans -- were responsible for collecting information about militant networks in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and plotting missions to kill the networks' top leaders. Seven of the victims at Forward Operating Base Chapman were C.I.A. officers, and one of the victims was the base chief, officials said. The attack at the remote base in southeastern Afghanistan on Wednesday was carried out by someone who wore an Afghan National Army uniform, according to NATO officials."

* The suicide bomber in the attack was not searched because he'd been invited onto the base -- the attacker had been courted as a possible informant.

* Charges pending against Blackwater for the September 2007 shooting in Nisoor Square have been thrown out: "U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina said Justice Department prosecutors improperly built their case on sworn statements that had been given under a promise of immunity. Urbina said the government's explanations were 'contradictory, unbelievable and lacking in credibility.'"

* More encouraging economic news: "The number of newly laid-off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits dropped unexpectedly last week, another indication that the job market may be healing as the economy slowly recovers."

* ABC News reported this week that two of the plotters of the failed Christmas terrorist plot had been released by the Bush/Cheney administration. The network has partially retracted its report, saying that one of the two was not involved.

* Radical Yemen cleric Anwar Awlaki is apparently not dead. Good to know.

* Sessions' controversy deepens: "Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) in 2004 collected more than $24,000 from a financial firm since revealed to be part of a massive, billion-dollar Ponzi scheme, federal election data shows. The contributions came from Stanford Financial -- run by indicted financier Allen Stanford -- and together comprised the second-largest contribution from any firm to Sessions' campaign that year, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, citing official Federal Election Commission reports."

* Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) wants to debate Dick Cheney.

* Interesting item from Noam Scheiber: "[T]he government's stress tests -- an eight-week effort to vet the balance sheets of the country's biggest banks -- was the single most consequential economic policy of 2009."

* Another lapse in judgment at the Washington Post.

* TheConservatives.com, a big project of the Washington Times, has apparently been scrapped.

* Rush Limbaugh was hospitalized overnight in Hawaii after experiencing chest pains. By all accounts, the right-wing radio host is expected to fully recover.

* And Rachel Maddow noticed that several media outlets simply passed along Dick Cheney's vile attack against the White House yesterday without noting how spectacularly dishonest it was. She offered news outlets and media professionals some worthwhile advice: "Again, my friends and colleagues in the media have two choices in covering this. You can just copy down what the Republicans and Vice President Cheney are saying, and click 'send,' call it journalism, or you can actually fact-check those comments and put them into context. Your choice. It's your country."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rep. Henry Brown (R) of South Carolina will announce today that he will not seek re-election in November. Brown, who won a closer-than-expected contest in 2008, was facing a tough primary challenge from Carroll Campbell III. Republicans expect to keep the seat in GOP hands, though it's one more open-seat campaign for the party to deal with.

* Chris Cillizza notes the context of the Brown announcement: "The decision by South Carolina Rep. Henry Brown to retire brings Republican retirements to 14, a number that, if it continues to rise in the coming months, could curtail the expected GOP gains in the House in November."

* The National Republican Congressional Committee is having some trouble raising money, in part because "tightfisted Republican incumbents" haven't chipped in the way they're expected to.

* Former Sen. Lincoln Chafee will formally kick off his gubernatorial campaign in Rhode Island today. Though Chafee served on the Hill as a Republican, he will reportedly run this year as an independent.

* Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) apparently has a new book coming out in March, and will kick off a book tour in Iowa in March. The location is probably not an accident.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Yemeni authorities believe they killed some of those responsible for the threats against the U.S. Embassy, shooting two al Qaeda militants and wounding two others today.

* New Year's Day in Pakistan: "At least 75 civilians were killed and dozens were wounded Friday when a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at an outdoor volleyball game in northwestern Pakistan, police said. The attack apparently was aimed at members of an anti-Taliban "peace committee" that has been challenging the influence of insurgents, officials and town elders said."

* Las Vegas shooting: "A gunman in a black trench coat opened fire Monday morning in the lobby of the Federal Courthouse in downtown Las Vegas, killing a court security officer and wounding a deputy United States marshal before fleeing. He was then shot in the head and killed nearby."

* Special scrutiny: "Citizens of 14 nations, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria, who are flying to the United States will be subjected indefinitely to the intense screening at airports worldwide that was imposed after the Christmas Day bombing plot, Obama administration officials announced Sunday."

* More good economic news today, with an unexpectedly strong report on manufacturing activity.

* A leader of the Tea Party "movement" seems to have a racism problem (as well as a spelling problem).

* Anthrax scare in five Alabama federal offices this morning, with multiple threatening letters containing a white powder. An FBI official said none of the letters have tested positive for anthrax.

* Institutional resistance: "President Obama's ambitious plan to begin phasing out nuclear weapons has run up against powerful resistance from officials in the Pentagon and other U.S. agencies, posing a threat to one of his most important foreign policy initiatives."

* Medical experts believe the Obama administration's response to the H1N1 pandemic "worked out better than many had dared hope."

* The Secret Service is investigating an effigy of President Obama that was found hanging off a building in Plains, Ga., over the weekend.

* I don't think I've read anyone, anywhere, who's quite as optimistic about the U.S. economy as Daniel Gross. If growth and job creation meet his expectations, he's going to look very smart. If not, not so much.

* Dear scientists, please speak up.

* Given Republican standards, I guess it's only fair to add H.W. Bush to the list of weak-on-terror presidents.

* I really do hate term limits.

* R.I.P., Deborah Howell.

* Newark Mayor Cory Booker redefines "constituent services."

* Student loans keep getting more difficult to obtain.

* Borrowing a page from Jeff Foxworthy, you might be a member of the secular-socialist left if....

* And after a spate of truly ridiculous items from a certain conservative blogger, be sure to "analyze Glenn Reynolds' body language." After all, "it would be irresponsible not to."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Massachusetts, Rasmussen polled the upcoming special election to fill Ted Kennedy's seat, and found Martha Coakley (D) leading Scott Brown (R), 50% to 41%. The election is two weeks from today.

* Michigan Lt. Gov. John Cherry (D), in something of a surprise, announced today that he will not be a candidate for governor this year. State Democratic leaders seem rather pleased with the news.

* Sen. Bob Bennett (R) of Utah continues to face pressure from the state party's far-right base, and will now face yet another primary challenger. Mike Lee, the general counsel to former Gov. John Huntsman (R), will throw his hat into the ring tomorrow, and is expected to be a credible challenger.

* Rep. Pete King's (R-N.Y.) on-again, off-again interest in running for the Senate appears to be moving back towards on-again. After practically ruling out the possibility a few months ago, King told Don Imus yesterday, "Actually, I am looking at it."

* Rep. Pete Hoekstra's (R) gubernatorial campaign in Michigan neglected to purchase the candidate's name as a URL. Big mistake.

* New York Gov. David Paterson (D) will likely face state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo in a primary, but in the meantime, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy (D) has also formed an exploratory committee for the same race.

* And in the latest in a series of setbacks for Gov. Charlie Crist (R) in Florida, state GOP Chairman Jim Greer will give up his office today, facing pressure from right-wing activists.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* More on this tomorrow: "President Obama summoned 20 of his top national security aides for a White House meeting Tuesday afternoon, after which he is expected to announce a series of steps to improve airline safety, according to administration officials."

* The suicide bomber who killed seven CIA operatives in Afghanistan last week "was a Jordanian informant who lured intelligence officers into a trap by promising new information about al-Qaeda's top leadership."

* Not good: "The number of people preparing to buy a home in November fell sharply in the latest sign that the housing market, which had been rebounding strongly, may be headed for a 'double-dip' downturn over the winter."

* December was a good month for most of the major auto manufacturers -- except for GM and Chrysler.

* Another South Carolina county Republican Party voted to censure Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) for only being mostly right-wing.

* Instead of having a debate over health care policy, we're having a debate over whether there should be cameras watching those negotiating over health care policy. The complaints aren't exactly compelling.

* Dear National Counterterrorism Center: please hire more Middle East analysts.

* Typical: "Senate Republicans are determined to prevent the creation of an independent Consumer Financial Protection Agency because they consider it as threatening as their current arch-nemesis regulator: the Environmental Protection Agency."

* Commenting on progress towards health care reform, Dan Pfeiffer urges Americans not to "fall prey to the cynicism and pessimism of a lot of the chattering class." Sounds like good advice.

* If only Fox News could remember 2001. It was only a litle more than eight years ago.

* American colleges not responsive to labor needs.

* Republican strategist John Feehery believes Erick Erickson is "a complete joker" and is "overrated and overnoted." That's more than fair, but it was still amusing to see the fairly prominent right-wing blogger on "The Colbert Report" last night.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* As was briefly mentioned earlier, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D) announced late yesterday that he will not seek a second term in November. Dems don't seem especially broken up over the news -- Ritter's poll numbers looked very weak -- and there are several credible Dems waiting in the wings. Look for former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff (D) or Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) to seriously consider the race.

* With Sen. Byron Dorgan (D) retiring this year in North Dakota, in-state Democratic leaders have apparently reached out to MSNBC host Ed Schultz about a possible campaign. Schultz is thinking about it.

* Less than a day after conceding he doesn't think Republicans can take the House majority, RNC Chairman Michael Steele spent a fair amount of time yesterday walking back his prediction.

* Rep. Pete King (R) of New York has gone back and forth so many times on whether he's interested in this year's Senate race, it's hard to keep track of where he stands. As of late last week, King told Don Imus he might run. This morning, he told ABC he's "leaning against" it.

* Speaking of New York, talk of former Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D) running for the Senate in the Empire State keeps getting louder. Ford, a center-right Dem who unsuccessfully ran for the Senate in his home state of Tennessee, has apparently had "discussion" with "top Democratic donors" about challenging appointed Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) in a primary.

* In yet another setback for Charlie Crist's (R) Senate campaign in Florida, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), considered a rising star in right-wing politics, threw his support today to Marco Rubio, Crist's primary rival.

* Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's (R-Texas) gubernatorial campaign will spent quite a bit of money tomorrow night, buying an ad during the Texas-Alabama college football national championship game.

* And in Florida, Republicans have finally recruited a credible challenger for Rep. Alan Grayson (D), with state Rep. Kurt Kelly (R) kicking off his campaign yesterday.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Not surprisingly, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was indicted today.

* Something to keep an eye on: "The White House says that an unclassified version of the review of intelligence failures that led to the failed Christmas Day attempt to explode Northwest Flight 253 will be released Thursday. The review, conducted by White House homeland security adviser John Brennan, will pinpoint the various failures of the intelligence community to 'connect the dots,' as President Obama put it on Tuesday."

* The formal conference committee on the health care reform bill has officially been scuttled. The plan is to complete the process in a few weeks.

* My kind of initiative: "President Barack Obama announced Wednesday a $250 million public-private initiative designed to improve national math and science education. Specifically, the money will be used to promote five new partnerships intended to help train over 10,000 new math and science teachers over the next five years. It will also be used to support the professional development of more than 100,000 current math, science, technology and engineering teachers, according to the White House."

* The Congressional Native American Caucus was not pleased with RNC Chairman Michael Steele's "honest Injun" comment during an appearance on Fox News.

* A group of 39 House Republicans hope to crush marriage equality in the nation's capital.

* The White House wouldn't mind Congress pushing off the SOTU to Feb. 2. That's probably a good idea.

* Holocaust Museum shooter James Von Brunn died today in a prison hospital.

* Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), who appears to be stark raving mad, told a conservative talk-radio show yesterday that President Obama has "not kept a single promise to the American people.... All the promises he's kept are the ones that endanger our lives."

* The unemployed are straining community colleges across the country.

* Matt Yglesias takes a look at the "looming public pension disaster."

* I get the distinct impression that Sean Hannity doesn't know what the word "cold" means.

* Glenn Beck told his radio audience today that Ted Kenney lived "a long and evil life." Stay classy, Glenn.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Dems' optimism about the Senate race in Connecticut seems justified -- a Public Policy Polling survey shows state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) leading all of the Republican candidates by at least 30 points.

* In North Dakota, Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D) announced yesterday that he will seek re-election to the House, and not run to replace Sen. Byron Dorgan (D), who is retiring.

* As for who the Democratic candidate might be in North Dakota, former state Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp (D) appears to be a leading contender. MSNBC's Ed Schultz's name remains in the mix, though he conceded late yesterday that he's "a long way from any kind of decision."

* In Massachusetts, state Attorney General Martha Coakley, the Democrats' Senate nominee, yesterday launched her first television ad since the primary. The special election to fill the vacancy left by Ted Kennedy will be held on Jan. 19.

* In related news, the Kennedy family remained neutral during the Democratic primary, but Vikki Kennedy formally threw her support to Coakley today.

* A new Rasmussen poll in Arkansas offers more bad news for Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D). The poll shows the incumbent trailing all of her potential Republican challengers in hypothetical match-ups, in margins ranging from eight to 12 points.

* With Gov. Bill Ritter (D) retiring this year, Colorado Dems hope to recruit a top-tier candidate to run in November. Near the top of the list, apparently, is Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who was a senator from the state before joining the Obama cabinet. Salazar, so far, hasn't dropped any hints about his intentions either way.

* Is former Rep. Harold Ford (D-Tenn.) serious about the Senate race in New York. Probably not.

* And in Michigan, Lt. Gov. John Cherry's (D) departure from the gubernatorial race seems to be welcome news to in-state Democrats, most of whom expected him to lose. As for who will be the Dem candidate, Rep. Gary Peters (D) isn't running, but state House Speaker Andy Dillon (D) is.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The post-review security improvements: "President Obama on Thursday ordered a series of steps to improve the government's ability to collect, share, analyze and act on intelligence of terrorist threats, saying the findings of a government review of the attempted airline bombing on Christmas Day revealed significant shortcomings in national security."

* Here's the summary of the security review, and here's the president's directive on corrective actions.

* The White House announced today that President Obama will re-nominate Dawn Johnsen for the OLC.

* Iraq: "Three bombs exploded in a residential area near Ramadi in Iraq's western Anbar province on Thursday, killing seven people including relatives of an Iraqi Army anti-terrorist special forces commander, police said."

* Marriage equality comes up short in the New Jersey state Senate.

* Remarkably, U.S. official realized that Abdulmutallab was a potential threat while the plane was in the air, and planned to question him when he arrived in Detroit on Christmas.

* President Obama has ordered "a 'surge' of federal air marshals to be in place by Feb.1 in what officials said was a "race against time," with other suicide bombers believed to be in the terrorist pipeline, federal officials told ABC News."

* Yet another tragic shooting: "A disgruntled employee armed with an assault rifle and a handgun walked into a St. Louis manufacturing plant and opened fire Thursday, killing three people and wounding at least five others before apparently taking his own life, police and media reports said."

* This certainly doesn't look good: "Controversial deals that sent billions of bailout dollars to Goldman Sachs and other banks were kept quiet under pressure from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, then led by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner."

* The number of U.S. workers filing new unemployment claims rose a little last week, but beat expectations again.

* On a related note, December retail sales showed some modest gains.

* Why do Senate Republicans hate the Transportation Security Administration?

* That this headline is necessary saddens me: "Experts: Cold snap doesn't disprove global warming."

* EPA: "The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a stricter new standard for smog-causing pollutants on Thursday that, if adopted, will impose large costs on industry and local governments but will also bring substantial health benefits to millions of Americans."

* Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon (D) announced her resignation. Good move.

* More math and science teachers would be a good thing.

* And in case you haven't heard, Glenn Beck has a pretty serious problem when it comes to racial issues.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Colorado, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced yesterday that he will not run for governor next year. Just as important, Salazar, a former U.S. senator, said he will instead endorse Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper's (D) still-unannounced campaign.

* For what it's worth, the latest Rasmussen poll shows Hickenlooper narrowly trailing former Rep. Scott McInnis (R) in a hypothetical gubernatorial match-up, 45% to 42%.

* A right-wing outfit called American Future Fund, based out of Iowa, has launched an attack ad against Martha Coakley's (D) Senate campaign in Massachusetts.

* In Connecticut, another statewide poll, this one from Rasmussen, shows state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) with huge leads over the Republican field, which fared far better against incumbent Sen. Chris Dodd (D).

* In Pennsylvania, Rep. Jim Gerlach (R) had been running for governor, but his campaign has struggled badly against primary opponent and state Attorney General Tom Corbett. Yesterday, Gerlach decided to end his statewide race and seek re-election to Congress.

* It's a genuine shame that such a response was necessary, but in Illinois, Senate hopeful Mark Kirk (R) denied right-wing rumors about his sexual orientation. "No, it's not true," Kirk said about allegations he's gay.

* The New York political world is scrambling in light of reports on Harold Ford's possible interest in a Senate campaign this year. This week, Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Harry Reid (D-Nev.) intervened to scuttle the idea, with Schumer reaching out to Ford directly. NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I), however, seems to be encouraging Ford to run.

* Former North Dakota Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp (D) is reportedly "very interested" in running against Gov. John Hoeven (R) in the race to succeed Sen. Byron Dorgan (D). The two candidates ran against each other 10 years ago, when Hoeven was first elected.

* In Iowa, former Gov. Terry Branstad (R) officially kicked off his campaign to get his old job back. Branstad served four terms in the '80s and '90s, and is expected to be very competitive against incumbent Gov. Chet Culver (D) in November.

* In Arizona, former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R) conceded yesterday that he's "seriously considering" a primary campaign against Sen. John McCain (R) this year.

* The right-wing Club for Growth announced today that it will work to keep Utah Sen. Robert Bennett (R) from winning re-election this year.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Abdulmutallab's court proceedings get underway: "The 23-year-old Nigerian man accused of trying to bomb a Northwest flight on Christmas Day was arraigned on Friday in a Detroit courtroom. He said little during the hearing and stood mute while his lawyers entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf."

* Did a misspelling play a role in Abdulmutallab having a visa?

* Defense Secretary Robert Gates will remain in his cabinet post at least through 2010.

* H1N1 is now only widespread in one state: Alabama.

* Marriage equality approved by Portugal's parliament.

* The economic benefits of health care reform may be pretty dramatic.

* House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) noted today that it's "not fair to blame any one person or political party for all job losses." That's a nice change of pace, but didn't he spend all of 2009 making the opposite argument?

* As if he didn't have enough trouble, RNC Chairman Michael Steele's "Honest Injun" comment is still drawing heat.

* It's almost certainly unfair to characterize Jon Gruber as some kind of shill for the administration, but his HHS contract should have been disclosed.

* Michael Gerson believes it's entirely appropriate for media professionals to proselytize during on-air news broadcasts -- and if you disagree, you're "intolerant."

* After weeks of GOPers accusing President Obama of not saying something he did say, Giuliani is lauding Obama for saying something he didn't say.

* Alec MacGillis makes the case against the excise tax. Ezra Klein responds.

* Catherine Eugenia "Jean" Finnegan Biden, the vice president's mother, died today. She was 92.

* Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), quite a hack.

* Fox News' Geraldo Rivera, quite a sellout.

* Too many law schools?

* Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch agrees that "the vast majority of Muslims" are "not terrorists." That's the good news. The bad news is, Koch, who's become increasingly nutty in recent years, believes "hundreds of millions" of Muslims are terrorists.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* With Dems increasingly concerned about the Senate race in Massachusetts, Hari Sevugan, the DNC's national press secretary, is headed to Boston to help with Martha Coakley's effort. Bill Clinton will campaign in the state on Friday. The special election is a week from tomorrow.

* Even before the "negro dialect" remarks became a story, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) continues to struggle in his home state. A new Mason-Dixon poll shows him trailing all of his Republican rivals in hypothetical match-ups, and only 33% of voters have a favorable view of the senator.

* Expect North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven (R) to kick off his Senate campaign tonight. It's an open-seat contest following Sen. Byron Dorgan's (D) retirement announcement last week.

* Former Tennessee Rep. Harold Ford's (D) apparent interest in New York's Senate race continues to grow more serious -- he's starting to staff up.

* In related news, Rep. Pete King (R) announced this morning he isn't going to run for the Senate in New York next year. Will he change his mind again? It's certainly possible.

* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) is obviously worried about the GOP's right-wing base rejecting him, so he's trying to present himself as more conservative. Late last week, his Senate campaign launched a half-hearted "petition" campaign to stand up to "Obamacare secrecy" on health care.

* In Pennsylvania, Rep. Jim Gerlach (R) has ended his gubernatorial campaign and will instead seek re-election, but he'll nevertheless face a primary opponent.

* In four consecutive races, former Rep. Mike Sodrel (R) has gone up against Rep. Baron Hill (D), and they've traded victories before Hill's landslide in 2008. This morning, Sodrel said he's taking on Hill once again, for the fifth consecutive cycle.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Transferring control of the prison at Bagram Air Field to Afghan control? A step forward.

* Iran signals interest in a nuclear fuel swap. Hmm.

* Targeting banks: "The budget President Obama submits next month is likely to include fees on banks and other financial institutions as the White House seeks to demonstrate its eagerness to trim the federal deficit, an administration official said."

* Harry Reid is ready to move on from the weekend's race-related unpleasantness.

* The legal proceedings testing California's ban on same-sex marriage get off to a tense start.

* Big week for health care reform.

* Slower U.S. troop deployment to Afghanistan frustrates White House.

* Did Abdulmutallab have a one-way ticket to Detroit on Christmas? Actually, no, but everyone from CNN to Rush Limbaugh to Jon Stewart said he did.

* That "quote" from Bill Clinton to Ted Kennedy about Obama? There's reason for skepticism.

* Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, won all kinds of concessions on the House version of the climate bill. Now he's vowing to reject the legislation, if it passes the Senate, even if the concessions remain.

* Good question from Fareed Zakaria: "[K]eep in mind that the crucial intelligence we received [about Abdulmutallab] was from the boy's father. If that father had believed that the United States was a rogue superpower that would torture and abuse his child without any sense of decency, would he have turned him in?"

* Since the networks won't do it, Media Matters will: "Every Monday morning, the Media Matters Action Network will publish a memo correcting the conservative misinformation that was left unchallenged the day before. Over time, we hope that our work will help contribute to a culture of accountability that is currently lacking on Sunday morning."

* Strong marks on lobbying restrictions, ethics rules, and disclosures: "A coalition of watchdog and reform groups gave President Barack Obama's administration high marks for its efforts to increase transparency in its first year."

* Odd trend in higher ed: "In one of those unintuitive stories that come out of the recession, NPR points out that cheaper tuition at state universities may actually be detrimental to in-state students."

* Krugman weighs in on the controversy surrounding Jon Gruber's HHS contract.

* Is the White House backing away from net neutrality? Not so much.

* Interesting story behind how Jim Wilkinson -- a self-described "pro-life, pro-gun, Texas Republican" who worked for Bush -- ended up backing Obama.

* That Jay Leno experiment always seemed like a bad idea to me.

* And finally, Blagojevich isn't quite done embarrassing himself. He probably never will be.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* How engaged is the GOP's far-right base in the special election in Massachusetts? Senate hopeful Scott Brown (R) raised more than $1.3 million in a single day, all online.

* In the meantime, an internal poll shows Martha Coakley (D) leading Brown by 15 points. (That Dems even felt it necessary to leak the internal numbers suggests they're feeling the heat.)

* Former Tennessee Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D) noted today that he is "strongly considering running for the United States Senate" in New York. In preparation, the center-right Tennessean hopes to reinvent himself as a center-left New Yorker -- Ford voted in 2006 for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, but now claims to support gay marriage.

* The White House is making it clear that it's opposed to Ford's possible primary campaign against appointed Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D).

* As for Republicans and the Senate race in the Empire State, former Rep. Susan Molinari (R) had expressed interest in a possible campaign, but announced yesterday that she's skipping the race.

* By all appearances, former Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman (D) is struggling in his Senate race this year, but his primary campaign may get a boost after endorsements from both the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times today.

* In Colorado, the White House has also signaled its favorite in the race to replace retiring Gov. Bill Ritter (D). Word leaked out that President Obama personally called Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) on Friday to "encourage" him to run.

* Things keep getting worse for Gov. Charlie Crist (R) in Florida -- he lost a Senate straw poll in his hometown by a nearly two-to-one margin.

* In Oklahoma, Rep. Ban Boren, one of the most conservative Democrats on the Hill, hopes his party loses seats in the midterm elections, because he believes it will give him more power in 2011.

* And also in Oklahoma, Rep. Mary Fallin (R) appears to be the prohibitive favorite to win the state's open gubernatorial race in November.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* A huge, life-saving development: "A wide-ranging plot to bomb government ministries and other public places, to be followed by a wave of political assassinations, was uncovered by Iraqi officials, who responded Tuesday by bringing much of the capital to a virtual standstill while security forces conducted raids that netted large quantities of explosives, officials said. At least 4 suicide car bombers — and as many as 10 — were apparently on their way to government buildings Tuesday morning when they were stopped by the police and arrested, the authorities said."

* Iranian nuclear scientist killed: "An Iranian scientist was killed Tuesday by a remote-controlled bomb planted on a motorcycle parked outside his home, state news outlets reported."

* Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) hasn't decided whether to betray everyone on health care reform.

* The Federal Reserve made so much money in 2009, it returned about $45 billion to the U.S. Treasury last year.

* Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) had hinted that he might support Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) ouster yesterday. Today, Feingold reversed course and sided with Reid.

* The John Yoo interview was probably not Jon Stewart's greatest moment.

* Jon Chait tackles the Cadillac Tax.

* What kind of person would steal disaster relief money from hurricane victims?

* New (depressing) career advice for law students.

* Tom Geoghegan thinks the filibuster is unconstitutional. While I found that pretty persuasive, Garrett Epps and Scott Lemieux did not.

* According to the State Department, there are more female ambassadors posted in Washington than at any time in history. The number is five times greater than it was in the late 1990s. The arc of history is long....

* And on Fox News, cold weather still means global warming isn't real. No wonder the propaganda outlet's viewers are so confused.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Massachusetts, Rasmussen has Martha Coakley (D) leading Scott Brown (R) by just two, 49% to 47%.

* Dems are worried enough about the race that the DSCC has made a quick $567,000 ad buy to boost Coakley's chances. The SEIU is up with a major ad buy of its own, which connects Brown to Sarah Palin.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) probably doesn't need more evidence to know his re-election bid is in trouble, but he got some anyway -- a new Rasmussen poll shows Reid trailing two of his GOP challengers by double digits. Worse, the margin has grown over the last month.

* Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) has agreed to run for governor in Colorado last year, following encouragement from the president and other leading Dems. Hickenlooper is expected to get the Democratic nomination and will likely face former Rep. Scott McInnis (R) in November.

* Former Rep. Tom Campbell (R) has been running for governor, but his campaign has struggled badly. Campbell is now poised to drop out -- and run for the Senate instead. He would face Carly Fiorina in a GOP primary.

* Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz (D) was the leading gubernatorial candidate, but yesterday, she switched gears and decided to run in state's attorney general race. Bysiewicz's departure makes it that much more likely that Ned Lamont will be well positioned to be Connecticut's next governor.

* Rep. Bart Stupak (D) seems interested in running for governor in Michigan this year, and has scheduled some in-state traveling outside his district. Stupak added that that he would skip the race if there's a crowded primary.

* And in Maryland, Rep. Donna Edwards' (D) primary challenger dropped out yesterday, all but assuring her re-election to the House.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The latest out of Haiti, where the national government appears to be paralyzed.

* Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described the devastation in Haiti as a tragedy of "biblical proportions."

* Digby posted a list of relief/humanitarian agencies on the ground in Haiti.

* U.S. and Russia are "really close" to a new arms treaty, replacing START, which has expired.

* According to the Federal Reserve, there is economic growth in 10 of its 12 districts.

* Wall Street CEOs on the defensive: "Challenged by a skeptical special commission, top Wall Street bankers apologized Wednesday for risky behavior that led to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. But they still declared it seemed appropriate at the time."

* The New York Post has very odd priorities.

* Harry Reid thinks it was a waste of time pleading with Olympia Snowe to be reasonable on health care reform. He's probably right.

* Of one of the right-wing founders of the Tea Party movement is pulling out of the Tea Party Convention. These fissures really do matter.

* The South Carolina state House voted today to censure it's scandal-plagued governor, Mark Sanford (R).

* On health care reform, the Senate wants state-based exchanges; the House wants a national exchange. President Obama is siding with the House -- and he's right.

* African Americans are more optimistic about their prospects for the future in the Obama era.

* Google may give up on China altogether.

* The story of President Obama's first veto sounds like an interesting topic, but it's not really.

* The U.S. military is under the impression that it's under no obligation to clean up the environmental messes it's leaving in Iraq. The news echoes a point we here at the Monthly reported recently.

* Why college rankings never change much.

* I sometimes get the impression that Shep Smith should move to a real network. Today was one of those days.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* As of early this morning, Vicky Kennedy's "Let's Do It For Ted" email appeal for Martha Coakley's Senate campaign in Massachusetts had raised over $520,000 in less than a day. By mid-morning, sources tell me the total cleared $600,000.

* On a related note, Coakley won six endorsements yesterday from newspaper editorial boards in Massachusetts, including the Boston Globe, the state's largest paper.

* Also in Massachusetts, Republican Scott Brown has positioned himself as a regular guy, driving a truck with 200,000 miles on it, but we learned yesterday that he has nearly as many homes as John McCain.

* Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) doesn't sound especially intimidated by former Rep. Harold Ford's (D-Tenn.) interest in a primary challenge. "If Harold Ford wants to move from Tennessee and run in New York, he is welcome to do so," she said yesterday. "His record of being anti-choice, anti-marriage equality and now opposed to President Obama's health care legislation may be right for Tennessee" but not New York, she added.

* In Ohio, a new Rasmussen poll shows former Bush budget director Rob Portman (R) leading both of his Democratic opponents in this year's Senate race. While Lee Fisher (D) is expected to win the Democratic nod over Jennifer Brunner (D), at this point, Portman leads Fisher by seven and Brunner by three.

* Republican hopes of flipping Connecticut's Senate seat after Sen. Chris Dodd's (D) retirement appear to be fading fast -- Quinnipiac shows state AG Richard Blumenthal (D) crushing the GOP field in general election match-ups.

* In New Hampshire, a new Rasmussen poll shows Rep. Paul Hodes (D) trailing former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte (R) in a hypothetical match-up, but leading the other Republicans facing Ayotte in a primary.

* The gubernatorial race in Minnesota is still in flux, but a Rasmussen poll shows a couple of former senators -- Norm Coleman (R) and Mark Dayton (D) -- leading their respective fields.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Red Cross believes the death toll in Haiti may reach 50,000 people.

* President Obama delivered a message to the Haitian people this morning, saying he could understand why they would "look up and ask have we somehow been forsaken." He added, "You have not been forsaken. You have not been forgotten. Today you must know help is arriving." The president went on to explain that the U.S. is launching "one of the largest relief efforts in our recent history," but he acknowledged it may be an excruciating few days before it can arrive where it's needed because "roads are impassable, the main port is badly damaged and communication is just coming on line."

* On a related note, international relief and emergency aid is reaching Haiti, but helping victims is proving to be a "logistical nightmare."

* Obama is calling on his two immediate predecessors -- George W. Bush and Bill Clinton -- to help lead the nation's humanitarian and relief efforts in Haiti.

* Bill Clinton also has an op-ed in the WaPo today on what the U.S. can do to help Haiti, both in the short term and beyond.

* In Iraq: "Three bombs exploded in quick succession after sunset Thursday in the southern holy city of Najaf, killing up to 25 people and wounding scores of others, Iraqi Interior Ministry officials said. "

* Plaudits: "Google's surprising decision this week to abandon cooperation with Chinese government censors -- and, possibly, its four-year effort to do business here -- is galvanizing an unusually broad coalition of foreigners who hope for a fresh chance to rein in the conduct of an emerging great power."

* Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), who apparently has never heard of Rolling Stone magazine, was disappointed that its new issue didn't name him the #1 enemy of the planet. He was #7.

* Kevin Drum sketches out a pretty straightforward plan for tackling long-term deficit reduction.

* A college in Maine is taking the idea of "four-year degree" seriously.

* And on MSNBC this morning, co-host Mika Brzezinski joined her colleagues in mocking Sarah Palin's inability to choose a favorite among the nation's founders. Brzezinski suggested her favorite was Abraham Lincoln, and I can only hope she was kidding.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A new Suffolk University poll in Massachusetts shows Scott Brown (R) leading Martha Coakley (D) by four, 50% to 46%. Independent Joe Kennedy was at 3%. A Research 2000 poll released a few hours earlier showed Coakley up by eight, 49% to 41%, but the Suffolk poll is being taken more seriously, and the panic in Democratic circles nationwide is palpable.

* Vicki Kennedy filmed a new television ad for Coakley, which was released this morning and will be on Massachusetts TV sets soon.

* President Obama filmed a video message and a new robocall message on Coakley's behalf. There are also unconfirmed rumors about a possible presidential visit to the Bay State before Tuesday.

* Ten Kennedy Jr. is also appealing to voters, yesterday releasing an emotional email message in support of Coakley.

* In North Dakota, a new Research 2000 poll shows Gov. John Hoeven (R) with huge leads over his Democratic challengers in this year's open Senate race. Hoeven's closest competitor, former state Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp, trails him by 21 points.

* In light of the difficulties from earlier this week, the Senate Majority Leader is probably pleased to see the launch of "African-Americans for Senator Harry Reid."

* Taegan Goddard ponders the possibility of former Rep. Harold Ford (D-Tenn.) running for the Senate in New York as an independent. This morning, Ford sounded open to the idea.

* And speaking of New York, if state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) runs for governor as expected, money won't be an issue for his campaign -- Cuomo has more than $16 million in his coffers, more than five times the size of Gov. David Paterson's (D) war chest.

* And in South Carolina, don't be surprised if Strom Thurmond's youngest son, the 33-year-old Paul Thurmond, runs for Congress this year.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Addressing the misery in Haiti: "Hundreds of U.S. troops touched down in earthquake-shattered Port-au-Prince overnight and were soon handing out food and water to stricken survivors, as relief groups struggled to deliver aid Friday and fears spread of unrest in Haiti's fourth day of desperation."

* Afghanistan: "A suicide bomber on Thursday walked into a crowded bazaar in the town of Deh Rawood, in Uruzgan province, and detonated his explosives, killing at least 16 civilians -- many of them women and children -- and wounding more than a dozen others, the province's governor and NATO military officials said. It was the largest insurgent attack against civilians since September. Meanwhile, a suicide car bombing in restive Helmand province killed an Afghan police officer and wounded four other officers and a civilian, according to NATO officials."

* Discouraging retail numbers from December. They were better than 2008, but that's not saying much.

* Report on Hasan shooting: "The military's defenses against threats from inside its own ranks are outdated and ineffective, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said on Friday as he described the findings of a Pentagon review of the Nov. 5 shooting spree at Fort Hood, Texas."

* Pentagon officials are aware of the possible repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" this year, and are engaged in internal discussions about implementation.

* On a related note, those fighting for fairness and improved military readiness will not get any help from Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, who inexplicably still supports DADT.

* This seems like an issue that might have some potency in an election: "As Obama and progressives stand up to recover the money paid by hardworking Americans, conservatives are already showing signs they will fight to shield the Wall Street bankers who helped cause the crisis."

* Senate to consider climate bill in the spring?

* Nice to see that E&P is back, though it's missing some familiar faces.

* Paul Krugman follows up on the controversy surrounding Jon Gruber and his HHS contract.

* As institutions of higher ed struggle financially across the country, some universities are thinking about raising tuition rates just to pay for their athletic programs.

* And it was good to see the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists push their Doomsday Clock back one minute, in light of President Obama's sound foreign policy.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The final poll in Massachusetts from Public Policy Polling shows Republican Scott Brown leading Democrat Martha Coakley by five, 51% to 46%.

* Independent political handicapper Stu Rothenberg rates the race a "Lean Takeover," and predicted this morning that Brown is "headed for a comfortable win."

* Former Sen. Norm Coleman (R), who was considered the Republican frontrunner in this year's gubernatorial race in Minnesota, has decided not to run this year. State lawmakers Marty Seifert and Tom Emmer are now considered the two most competitive remaining Republicans.

* In New York, a Marist Poll shows Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) leading former Rep. Harold Ford (D-Tenn.) in a hypothetical primary, 43% to 24%. A third of Dems polled were undecided.

* The latest Rasmussen poll in California shows Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) with fairly narrow leads over her likely GOP challengers.

* In Colorado, the latest Rasmussen poll shows former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton (R) leading appointed Sen. Michael Bennet (D) in this year's Senate race, 49% to 37%, despite Norton's shift to the hard right.

* Sen. Russ Feingold's (D) re-election prospects in Wisconsin improved when it was reported that his Republican challenger failed to pay state income tax in four of the last five years.

* And in Nebraska, Sen. Ben Nelson (D) isn't up for re-election until 2012, but in the meantime, his approval rating has dropped to 42% in a new Omaha World-Herald poll. The drop is attributed to public attitudes about Nelson and the health care reform bill.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In New York, a Seina poll (pdf) shows Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) with a big lead over Harold Ford in a likely primary match-up, but the appointed senator trailing former Gov. George Pataki (R) in a hypothetical general election.

* In keeping with other recent data, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) enjoys big leads over the Republican field in the latest Research 2000 poll of the upcoming Senate race.

* In Florida, Rep. Kendrick Meek (D), the party's leading candidate in the upcoming Senate race, has temporarily suspended his campaign to travel to Haiti to help with relief efforts. Meek's district has one of the nation's highest Haitian-American populations.

* A Research 2000 poll in Colorado shows Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) and former Rep. Scott McInnis (R) tied at 43% in this year's gubernatorial race.

* On a related note, the same poll shows appointed Sen. Mike Bennet (D) leading former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton (R), 40% to 39%.

* In Texas, a Rasmussen poll shows Gov. Rick Perry leading Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in their GOP gubernatorial primary race, 43% to 33%.

* Republicans in New Mexico have struggled to find a credible gubernatorial candidate, but have persuaded Pete Domenici Jr. to run. Domenici is the son of a longtime retired New Mexico senator, but Jr. has never sought elected office at any level before.

* Dispelling retirement rumors, Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.) announced that he will seek re-election.

* And with Rep. Vic Snyder (D) retiring in Arkansas this year, will Dems find a credible candidate to step up? Apparently, they have two: both Lt. Gov. Bill Halter (D) and retired Gen. Wesley Clark (D) are interested.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Haiti: "U.S. troops landed on the lawn of Haiti's shattered presidential palace to the cheers of quake victims on Tuesday, and the U.N. said it would throw more police and soldiers into the sluggish global effort to aid the devastated country. The U.N. forces are aimed at quelling the outbursts of violence that have slowed distribution of supplies, leaving many Haitians still without help a week after the magnitude-7.0 quake killed an estimated 200,000 people."

* Turnout in Massachusetts's special election is reportedly higher than expected. While higher turnout usually benefits the Democrat, no one in the party seems to think this maxim applies today.

* In case you're curious, there are no exit polls.

* President Obama focused on schools this morning: "Obama traveled to an elementary school in the Virginia suburbs to make a pitch for Congress to expand his signature education initiative, Race to the Top. Mr. Obama said he would ask lawmakers to approve an additional $1.3 billion for the initiative, a grant competition that is intended to spur innovation in schools by requiring states to pledge adherence to stricter standards."

* A "Fox & Friends" host encouraged viewers, on the air, to "make a call to Massachusetts and get some people out to the polls" because, as she put it, Scott Brown may help investors' stock portfolios.

* Interesting story about Defense Secretary Robert Gates encouraging his military aides to stop wearing combat fatigues to work.

* The problem with tuition freezes.

* Bill O'Reilly is genuinely disappointed about who can and cannot make fun of: "48 years ago in this country we could make fun of Arabs.... We could make fun of people in a general way, and certainly, Ahab was the Arab was a general parody. But now, we can't. What has changed in America?" He wasn't kidding.

* And if you're looking for a little something to feel good about today, take a look at this video, showing a search-and-rescue team from Los Angeles, freeing a woman in Haiti who'd been trapped under a collapsed hotel. A crowd assembled, and cheered, "U.S.A., U.S.A."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Former Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-Tenn.) took another step closer to a Senate campaign in New York yesterday, taking "a leave of absence from his Wall Street job so he can have more time to travel around New York State and decide whether to challenge Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand in the Democratic primary."

* Despite his humiliating prostitution scandal, Sen. David Vitter, a family-values Republican in Louisiana, leads Rep. Charlie Melancon (D) in a Rasmussen poll, 53% to 35%.

* Former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R) has been running for his old job for a couple of months, but yesterday, he formally announced his candidacy. He'll take on Gov. Chet Culver (D) in November, with early polls showing Branstad leading.

* Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) is likely to face a rematch this year against former Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R), but a new poll shows the incumbent leading by nine, 48% to 39%.

* In Hawaii, a Mason-Dixon poll shows the leading Democratic gubernatorial candidates -- Neil Abercrombie and Mufi Hannemann -- with modest leads over the leading Republican, Duke Aiona. In the Democratic primary, Abercrombie has a three-point lead, but most Hawaii Dems remain undecided.

* And Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) announced this morning that Sarah Palin will campaign for her on April 7. Should be an interesting event.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Haiti suffers once again: "A 6.1 magnitude earthquake rocked Haiti Wednesday morning, shaking buildings and sending panicked people running into the streets only eight days after the country's capital was devastated by a previous quake."

* Relief efforts nevertheless continued apace: "A strong aftershock rattled nerves but didn't stop a struggling relief effort that saw some positive signs Wednesday -- among them the arrival of a U.S. hospital ship, the restoration of running water at Haiti's largest hospital and news that 2,000 more U.S. Marines were being sent to the quake zone."

* President Obama reinforced "his support for an independent agency to protect consumers against lending abuses that contributed to the financial crisis" yesterday, telling Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) that a Consumer Financial Protection Agency is "nonnegotiable."

* Speaker Pelosi vows: "We will move forward."

* The House Dems' caucus meeting was pushed to tomorrow.

* Another tragic shooting in Virginia: "Police with dogs and heat-sensing equipment hunted for a man they say shot eight people to death Tuesday and then nearly took down a police helicopter that was trying to flush him out of the woods near this central Virginia town."

* Was the Massachusetts race a referendum on the Obama agenda? Not according to a key GOP pollster, it wasn't.

* Is Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) really open to using reconciliation on health care? That seems hard to believe.

* President Obama's approval rating in the new AP poll: 56%.

* The paper's last experiment on this didn't go well: "The New York Times announced Wednesday that it intended to charge frequent readers for access to its Web site, a step being debated across the industry that nearly every major newspaper has so far feared to take."

* Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) claims to be "frustrated" with Washington. Wasn't it his sweetheart deal for his home state, after holding health care reform hostage, that offended so many people?

* I'd assumed no one would seriously defend Pat Robertson's comments last week on Haiti. I stand corrected.

* The true cost of college.

* Roy Edroso's headline -- "Scott Brown Wins Mass. Race, Giving GOP 41-59 Majority in the Senate" -- is probably the most important 12 words written today.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In New York, the latest Rasmussen poll shows Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) leads former Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-Tenn.) in a Democratic primary, 48% to 23%. If Ford runs as an independent, Gillibrand leads the race with 39%, followed by an unnamed Republican with 34%, and Ford with 10%.

* In Missouri, generally considered one of the Dems' best Senate pick-up opportunities, a new Rasmussen poll shows Rep. Roy Blunt (R) leading Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D), 49% to 43%.

* In Pennsylvania, Rasmussen shows Sen. Arlen Specter doing surprisingly well in his Democratic primary against Rep. Joe Sestak, leading 53% to 32%.

* Just a week after ending his gubernatorial campaign in California, former Rep. Tom Campbell (R) now leads the Republican field in this year's Senate race.

* Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway (D) officially kicked off his Senate campaign yesterday. It's an open-seat contest, with Sen. Jim Bunning (R) retiring.

* Emboldened by the results in Massachusetts, Tea Party activists are targeting Rep. Mark Kirk (R), hoping to defeat his Senate campaign in Illinois.

* And in Nevada, Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki (R) had decided not to run against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D), but is now reconsidering his decision.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Haiti: "Aid flowed into the ravaged Haitian capital on Thursday, and relief workers began shifting their focus to longer-term challenges, primary among them providing shelter for as many as a million people displaced by last week's earthquake."

* Mass relocation for Haiti's homeless: "Haitian officials launched Thursday a huge operation to move hundreds of thousands of homeless outside the ruined capital, as medics worked feverishly to treat the countless injured. In a bid to house an estimated 500,000 left destitute by the January 12 quake, the Haitian government said it was seeking to relocate them out of squalid, stinking tent cities into accommodation outside Port-au-Prince."

* Looks like Wall Street doesn't care for calls for additional accountability on Wall Street.

* Good advice: "The reform campaign Health Care for America Now has taken stock of the week's events, and have a simple message for Democrats: As leadership, and leading members and labor groups are suggesting, pass the Senate health care bill, tie it to a separate bill enacting key fixes. But more importantly: Get it done. Now."

* Good stuff from Clinton on Internet freedoms: "Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called Thursday for unfettered access to the Internet around the globe after several incidents of online censorship and cyber attacks have presented new questions for the role of technology in diplomacy."

* Not good: "More Americans than anticipated filed claims for unemployment benefits last week, reflecting a backlog of applications from the year-end holidays."

* Republicans are "overjoyed" at the "unprecedented influence corporations will now have in federal campaigns" in the wake of the Citizens United ruling from the Supreme Court.

* Air America Radio is no more.

* The Anti-Defamation isn't pleased with Rush Limbaugh's casual anti-Semitism.

* Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) isn't exactly in a rush to help those suffering from a broken health care system.

* Today's college freshmen seem awfully nervous about the future.

* A newspaper in Philly ran a photo of Sen.-elect Scott Brown (R) today, with a caption that read, "How will Dems recover after losing majority?"

* Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R), who was just inaugurated last week, will deliver the Republican response to President Obama's State of the Union address on Wednesday.

* Be on the lookout for a new right-wing talking point: Obama "invaded" Haiti without congressional approval.

* And it was a bit of a surprise to see Cindy McCain, Sen. John McCain's wife, endorse gay marriage and publicly protest California's Prop 8.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In an interesting twist in Texas, former President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush are throwing their support to Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in her Republican gubernatorial primary against Gov. Rick Perry. Twelve years ago, the Bushes were prominent Perry backers.

* In Pennsylvania, a Rasmussen poll shows former Rep. Pat Toomey, a far-right Republican, leading both Arlen Specter and Joe Sestak in hypothetical general election match-ups.

* Former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R) is making taking steps in Arizona to challenge Sen. John McCain in a primary, but the challenger would start as a long-shot -- Rasmussen shows McCain up by 22 points.

* One of the Dems' better gubernatorial pick-up opportunities is in, oddly enough, Georgia. A Rasmussen poll shows former Gov. Roy Barnes (D), seeking his old job back, leading most of the GOP field, and trailing the Republican frontrunner, John Oxendine, by just two, 44% to 42%.

* In California, the latest Field Poll shows state Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) with fairly comfortable leads in this year's gubernatorial campaign. The same poll shows Meg Whitman as the prohibitive favorite for the GOP nomination.

* In Connecticut's wide-open gubernatorial race, a Quinnipiac poll shows Ned Lamont (D) as the early frontrunner in the Democratic primary and general election.

* Sen. Richard Burr's (R-N.C.) approval rating is just 36%, but the latest survey from Public Policy Polling nevertheless shows him leading his top Democratic challengers by seven to nine points.

* Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter (D) and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) appeared on a radio show yesterday at the same time. It didn't go well.

* And CNBC's Larry Kudlow considered a Republican Senate campaign in Connecticut a few months ago, before deciding not to pursue it. With no top-tier Republicans running for the Senate in New York this year, Kudlow's name is, oddly enough, once again in the mix.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Haiti: "Haitians are fleeing their quake-ravaged capital by the hundreds of thousands, aid officials said Friday, as their government promised to help nearly a half-million more move from squalid camps on curbsides and vacant lots into safer, cleaner tent cities."

* New tensions in Baghdad: "The two biggest secular coalitions were hit hardest by this month's decision to bar about 500 candidates from parliamentary elections in March, a top election official said Thursday, as efforts to resolve what has become a political crisis intensified.... In an early effort to resolve the crisis, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. suggested that the list of the disqualified be set aside until after the elections, so that only those on the list who won would have to be examined for Baathist ties, according to Iraqi officials."

* President Obama pushes a jobs bill, among other things, in Ohio.

* Are Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke's prospects for a second term in real trouble? Actually, yes.

* China really doesn't take criticism well.

* Gitmo: "A presidentially created task force has recommended about three dozen Guantanamo Bay detainees face trial or military commissions, two government officials said Friday. Such prosecutions would almost certainly take place in the United States. The two officials said that a task force has recommended 35 Guantanamo Bay detainees for prosecution. Attorney General Eric Holder has already decided that five of those will be tried in New York federal court for their alleged roles in the 2001 terror attacks. Another six have been chosen to face military commissions."

* As Obama goes after banks with a populist pitch, Republicans bring "class warfare" back from the rhetorical trash heap.

* It was only a matter of time before more conservatives starting criticizing Haiti for not having been colonized long enough.

* Tuition-free, online higher ed?

* Dear Jewish air-travelers: using a tefillin is apparently going to cause some trouble.

* I absolutely loved Tom Toles's latest gem. Clip it, save it, send it to your representative.

* Pass the damn bill: "59 out of 59 Democratic incumbent Senators voted for the Obama health care plan. And 218 Democratic House incumbents voted for the Obama health care plan. This plan does not poll well today. And if the narrative about the plan in the media becomes a narrative of failure, all about why Obamacare went down, it will poll even worse.... The votes cannot be untaken. But it is still possible to (a) accomplish something for the American people, (b) at least have a chance at turning the narrative around, and (c) avoid demoralizing those people who do like the health care plan."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In a major blow to the DSCC, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden (D) announced this morning that he will not run for the Senate this year. His decision makes it very likely that Rep. Mike Castle (R) will win in November, giving the GOP a key pick-up.

* There was some talk that after the Massachusetts special election, there would be a flood of Democratic retirements. That has not yet happened, but Arkansas Rep. Marion Berry (D) is poised to announce he's stepping down at the end of his term. He'll be the 12th House Dem incumbent to retire this year. There are 14 House Republicans retiring.

* Confirming long-rumored plans, former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R) has decided to give up his far-right radio talk show and take on Sen. John McCain in a Republican primary in Arizona next year.

* In Nevada, a new Research 2000 poll shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) trailing his GOP opponents by about 10 points each. If Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman runs as a Democrat, he leads those same Republican challengers by narrow margins.

* A new Ohio Newspaper Poll shows incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland (D) trailing former Rep. John Kasich (R) by six, 51% to 45%.

* With timing running out in Illinois's Senate primaries, a new Chicago Tribune poll shows state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) and Rep. Mark Kirk (R) leading their respective fields.

* A new Rasmussen poll shows Sen. Evan Bayh (D) with narrow leads over his Republican challengers, but if right-wing Rep. Mike Pence (R) runs, Rasmussen shows him leading Bayh by three, 47% to 44%.

* Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) of Arkansas trails state Sen. Gilbert Baker (R), her top GOP opponent, by 4 points in the latest Mason-Dixon poll, 43% to 39%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Putting together a long-term relief plan: "Haiti will ask the international conference meeting in Montreal on Monday for $3 billion to rebuild this city, left largely in ruins by the Jan. 12 earthquake, according to a senior Haitian government official."

* Baghdad: "A coordinated attack of vehicle bombs on Monday ripped through the perimeters of three hotel compounds known for housing foreign journalists, destroying a nearby apartment building and leaving at least 36 people dead."

* The Iraq bombings followed the execution of Ali Hassan al-Majid, a former Iraqi official best known as "Chemical Ali."

* Housing crisis: "Home sales slid in December, putting at least a temporary end to a gradually improving picture for real estate and deepening questions about the market's viability."

* President Obama re-emphasizes the middle-class agenda: "Promising repeatedly to 'keep fighting' for average Americans, President Obama rolled out new proposals Monday to help struggling middle-class families, setting the stage for his first State of the Union address Wednesday night."

* Soon after, congressional Republicans said they hate all of the president's ideas, including tax breaks favored by the White House.

* Taliban talks: "This -- to be very clear -- isn't a shift of position. Both Richard Holbrooke, the Obama administration's special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the commander of NATO troops in the war, have said that they would support any outreach made by the Afghan government to reconcile with insurgents not linked to al-Qaeda."

* As of today, will Ben Bernanke get to keep his job at the Fed? Roll Call reports that a push from administration officials "has turned the tide" in the nominee's favor.

* House Majority Whip James Clyburn's (D-S.C.) frustration with the Senate is both understandable and growing.

* Fact checking the Sunday shows.

* Laurie Mylroie probably isn't the best choice to offer "expert" analysis to the Pentagon.

* The extent to which the Republican National Committee is willing to mislead Americans, even its own supporters, is limitless.

* Caps on student loan repayments?

* One of the best possible excuses for missing jury duty: busy running the executive branch of the federal government.

* And Sen. Jim DeMint has been so conditioned to say "Democrat Party," he can't even use the word "democratic" in other contexts. How sad.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The latest Research 2000 poll in New York shows Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand leading former Rep. Harold Ford of Tennessee in a Democratic primary, 41% to 27%. The same poll shows state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo leading incumbent Gov. David Paterson in a Democratic primary, 63% to 19%.

* Sen. Joe Lieberman (I- Conn.) said over the weekend that he's "likely" to remain an independent, but that's it's "possible" he could be a "good old-fashioned New England moderate Republican."

* Rep. Mike Pence (R) had been sought out by Republican leaders to challenge Sen. Evan Bayh (D) in Indiana next year, but Pence announced today that he will not run for the Senate this year. He is, however, still mulling a presidential campaign in 2012.

* In Nevada, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman has been mulling an independent bid for governor for several months, but announced yesterday that he will skip the race.

* Rep. Bart Stupak (D) of Michigan recently said he was considering a gubernatorial campaign, but announced this morning that he will instead seek re-election to the House.

* With the leading Democratic contenders skipping the Senate race in Delaware this year, the most likely candidate appears to be New Castle County executive Chris Coons, who would take on the favorite, Rep. Mike Castle (R). Marc Ambinder noted a little history: "Back in 1972, no Democrat wanted to run against a popular Republican, so a young New Castle County Councilman with no money entered the race. His name: Joe Biden."

* And in Utah, a Salt Lake Tribune poll shows incumbent Gov. Gary Herbert (R) with a big lead over challenger Peter Corroon (D), 55% to 30%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Haiti: "The dusty soccer field lined with spacious tents is an oasis for earthquake survivors among Haiti's homeless sheltering by the hundreds of thousands in squalid camps. Competition for the canvas homes has boiled into arguments and machete fights, a sign of the desperation felt by the hundreds of thousands of people without homes struggling for shelter in this wrecked city. Haiti's president has asked the world for 200,000 tents and says he will sleep in one himself."

* Baghdad: "A suicide bomber driving a truck packed with explosives attacked the Iraqi Interior Ministry's forensics division Tuesday morning, killing at least 38 people. The attack, a day after coordinated bombings on three landmark hotels in the capital, drove up the death toll in Baghdad over the past 24 hours to nearly 75 people. In all, nearly 150 people were wounded in the explosions."

* The Senate today voted to reject a plan to create a deficit commission. The final vote was 53-46, but a majority of the Senate is no longer enough to pass legislation.

* Please tell me the Senate isn't going to screw up the possibility of progress on health care reform.

* A little boost in consumer confidence.

* Schadenfreude alert: "Alleging a plot to tamper with phones in Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu's office in the Hale Boggs Federal Building in downtown New Orleans, the FBI arrested four people Monday, including James O'Keefe, 25, a conservative filmmaker whose undercover videos at ACORN field offices severely damaged the advocacy group's credibility."

* Fox News was despondent after learning of O'Keefe's arrest.

* Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wasn't impressed with the high court's ruling on Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

* On a related note, here's an interesting question: does Fox News' coverage constitute campaign contributions to Republicans?

* Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.) was under a Justice Department investigation, but as of today, he's been cleared of any wrongdoing.

* Bill O'Reilly thinks the south side of Chicago is "like Haiti."

* New rules on colleges and federal aid.

* Michael Cohen ponders whether governing in the United States is still possible.

* South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer (R), who recently compared low-income families to "stray animals," regrets his choice of words. What a prince.

* Quote of the day, from Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.):"There's a lot of populism going on in this country right now, and I'm tired of it."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Pennsylvania, a Franklin & Marshall poll shows former right-wing Rep. Pat Toomey (R) looking surprisingly strong in this year's Senate race, leading incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter, 45% to 31%. In the Democratic primary, Specter leads Rep. Joe Sestak, though most voters remain undecided.

* A Rasmussen poll in Delaware shows Rep. Mike Castle (R) with a huge lead in this year's Senate race, topping New Castle County Executive Chris Coons (D) by nearly 30 points. Coons nevertheless appears to be gearing up for the race.

* In Florida's gubernatorial race, state Attorney General Bill McCollum (R) now leads state CFO Alex Sink (D) by 10 in the latest Quinnipiac poll, 51% to 41%.

* Speaking of Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist (R) appears to have ruled out an independent Senate bid this year.

* Former right-wing Rep. J.D. Hayworth, who is taking on Sen. John McCain in a Republican primary in Arizona this year, is apparently a "Birther."

* In Illinois, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows state Comptroller Dan Hynes (D) taking the lead (pdf) in his primary challenge against incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn (D), 41% to 40%.

* Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) shot down retirement rumors today, and said he will seek re-election.

* And in Pennsylvania, Republicans have successfully recruited former U.S. Attorney Tom Marino (R) to run against Rep. Chris Carney (D-Pa.).

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Signs of life in Haiti? "As the United Nations dispatched thousands of earthquake survivors to clean the streets in a growing cash-for-work program, this devastated capital showed increasing signs of stirring back to life on Wednesday as Haitians restarted factory assembly lines, visited their barbers, sought replacement cell phones and even picked up their dry cleaning."

* New counter-terrorism efforts, approved by President Obama directly, in Yemen: "U.S. military teams and intelligence agencies are deeply involved in secret joint operations with Yemeni troops who in the past six weeks have killed scores of people, among them six of 15 top leaders of a regional al-Qaeda affiliate, according to senior administration officials."

* There was a CNBC report earlier that said Pelosi has 218 votes to pass the Senate health care bill. That report was wrong. Democratic leaders are, however, increasingly vocal about their commitment to getting something done.

* The reform problem is, however, nearly as complicated procedurally as it is politically.

* John Brennan, the White House counterterrorism advisor, isn't impressed with Joe Lieberman's Fort Hood concerns.

* Kabul: "The Afghan government is set to unveil an ambitious, far-reaching plan to persuade the Taliban's foot soldiers to abandon their fight and to offer an opening for the movement's leaders to return to politics in the country they once ruled."

* President Obama continues to work with Russia on START talks.

* Two months ago, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) was fine with Khalid Shaikh Mohammed being tried in New York. Now, Bloomberg is no longer pleased. (It seems to have more to do with the mayor's office looking for some additional federal funds, and less to do with the usual GOP fear-mongering.)

* Former CIA operative John Kiriakou has argued publicly that he has first-hand evidence on the efficacy of torture, and has been widely cited over the years by conservatives. It turns out, Kiriakou didn't know what he was talking about.

* The DCCC's new "State of the Union 'Fact Check Fox' Team" seems like a worthwhile endeavor.

* The new iPad looks pretty darn cool.

* The White House says its "budget freeze" won't hurt higher education.

* There's no easy way to say this, but Center for Military Readiness' Elaine Donnelly appears to be stark raving mad.

* When right-wing activist James O'Keefe was trying to destroy ACORN, Fox News thought he was extremely important. Now that O'Keefe is a suspected criminal, Fox News doesn't want to talk about him anymore.

* On a related note, what did Andrew Breitbart know about O'Keefe's activities and when did he know it?

* Mugshot: "James O'Keefe, the face of 'conservative journalism.'"

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The "purity test" to be considered by the Republican National Committee looks to be in trouble. Yesterday, RNC Chairman Michael Steele announced his formal opposition and state party chairs voted unanimously to kill the proposal.

* It appears that Rep. John Boozman (R) will soon announce his retirement from the House to run against Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) in Arkansas this year. A formal decision is expected by the weekend.

* In Illinois, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) leading Rep. Mark Kirk (R) in this year's U.S. Senate race, 42% to 34%. In hypothetical match-ups, Kirk fares better against the other Democratic candidates. Both parties will host primary contests next week.

* A new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California shows former Rep. Tom Campbell (R) trailing Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) by just four points, 45% to 41%.

* Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) hasn't moved any closer to running for the Senate against incumbent Sen. Russ Feingold (D), but Rasmussen shows Thompson leading if he runs.

* And White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is still annoyed by the recent results in Massachusetts, telling CBS News' Katie Couric yesterday, "I don't want to re-litigate this, but there is no doubt in my mind we could have won that race."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Senate confirmed Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to a second term today, following a 70 to 30. The margin may seem lopsided, but it was the closest-ever vote for a Fed chairman's confirmation.

* Iraq: "A key al-Qaida in Iraq figure involved in smuggling hundreds of suicide bombers across the border from Syria has been killed in a raid in northern Iraq, the U.S. military said Thursday."

* Ford: "Ford Motor Co posted its first full-year profit since 2005 on Thursday and said it expects to stay profitable in 2010 despite a still fragile economy and a debt heavy balance sheet."

* Still awful: "New claims for unemployment insurance dropped to 470,000 for the week ended Jan. 23, from 478,000 the previous week. The four-week moving average, which aims to smooth volatility in the data, rose by 9,500 to 456,250."

* Tehran: "Iran hanged two men convicted in the wake of the unrest that erupted after last year's disputed election, as a top opposition figure predicted President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would be ousted before the end of his term."

* Federal debt limit: "The Senate agreed Thursday to raise the legal limit on government borrowing to a record $14.3 trillion, a total that would permit the Treasury Department to cover the nation's bills through the end of this year."

* 48 million Americans tuned in to watch President Obama's State of the Union address. That's the most-watched SOTU since 2003, and it's good news for the White House.

* There's apparently some real tensions right now between the White House and the Supreme Court.

* I'm still having trouble figuring out exactly what right-wing activist James O'Keefe hoped to accomplish with regard to Sen. Mary Landrieu's (D-La.) phones.

* Right-wing Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) believes O'Keefe getting caught committing alleged crimes may be part of a liberal conspiracy. Or something. King is disturbed and it's hard to know what he's trying to say.

* In the meantime, O'Keefe has been ordered to move in with his parents. The future of conservative media, indeed.

* Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) wants to cut federal spending. But if you ask for details, he throws a bit of a tantrum.

* Fred Kaplan makes a very compelling argument that if we're looking to cut the budget, the Pentagon shouldn't be excluded.

* Weapons for professors?

* Bill O'Reilly likes the idea of the CIA kidnapping Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, and possibly torturing the House Speaker.

* Saying goodbye to two legends, J.D. Salinger and Howard Zinn.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Indiana Rep. Steve Buyer (R) this morning became the 15th House Republican to announce his retirement this term. The decision was likely motivated by serious ethics allegations surrounding Buyer, which he has struggled to explain. Given the district's history, it's expected to remain in GOP hands.

* It appears that the Republican National Committee's "purity resolution" will be scuttled, in favor of a compromise that would "require candidates to commit to a series of conservative positions."

* Ten months before the midterms, it appears Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is pretty safe. A new Rasmussen poll shows him leading Roxanne Conlin (D), a candidate Dems have been touting, by 28 points.

* In North Carolina, Sen. Richard Burr (R) still looks vulnerable, but a new Rasmussen poll nevertheless shows him with double-digit leads over his top Democratic challengers.

* Republicans in Connecticut have been struggling to find a top-tier gubernatorial candidate for this year's race, but it appears former Rep. Chris Shays (R), who narrowly lost re-election in 2008, is interested. One small problem: Shays no longer lives in Connecticut.

* It's still extremely unlikely, but speculation continues about whether Florida Gov. Charlie Crist might switch parties and run for the Senate as a Democrat. As a procedural matter, he would have until April 30, at the latest, to make up his mind.

* Arizona Dems hope Sen. John McCain and former Rep. J.D. Hayworth undermine each other so badly in their primary fight that Rodney Glassman, a Tucson councilman and Air Force JAG Reserve officer, has a shot at winning in November.

* And if former Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-Tenn.) really does run for the Senate in New York, he's going to have a tough time living down his record of far-right rhetoric on immigration.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Sending FEMA trailers to Haiti may not be the best idea.

* Karzai appears to support these talks: "Members of the Taliban leadership met with a United Nations official earlier this month to discuss the possibility of entering into face-to-face peace talks with the Afghan government, American and United Nations officials said Friday."

* A reversal appears imminent: "The Obama administration appears to have abandoned plans to put Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and four co-conspirators on trial in Lower Manhattan, according to administration sources."

* Scott Roeder, guilty.

* Right-wing activist James O'Keefe comments for the first time since his arrest on his extremely odd Louisiana scheme.

* Dahlia Lithwick asks an excellent question: "Why is KBR so afraid of letting Jamie Leigh Jones have her day in court?"

* Colleges appear to be warming up to the idea of direct lending.

* Despite the dwindling line-up for the Tea Party convention a week from tomorrow, former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) is still scheduled to deliver the keynote.

* Timothy Jost reminds us just how awful the House Republican health care plan really was.

* With the benefit of hindsight, House Republicans aren't so sure letting cameras in for today's Q&A with the president was a good idea.

* Fox News, in its latest bid to become a parody of itself, offered some truly ridiculous coverage of Obama's appearance with the GOP caucus.

* Many thanks to reader I.P. for registering PassTheDamnBill.com and having it redirect to a certain blogger's health care strategy memo.

* And finally, if you only watch one thing today, watch the president in Baltimore. If you're willing to watch two things today, also watch this absolutely brilliant clip of Charlie Brooker explaining "How To Report The News."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* RNC members rejected the proposed "purity test" for Republican candidates the other day, and instead "adopted a rule that will prod GOP leaders to provide financial support to only those candidates who support the party's platform."

* This isn't what Michael Steele wanted to see: "Democratic Party committees entered an off-year election with more money in the bank than their Republican counterparts for the first time in at least 18 years, giving the party a financial boost as it tries to stave off a surge by the opposition."

* Sen. John McCain's (R) approval rating in his home state of Arizona has fallen to just 40%, the lowest since McCain's involvement in the Keating Five scandal came to public light nearly 20 years ago. The pollster who conducted the survey, however, still believes the incumbent senator will win his primary fight this year.

* Republicans in the Hoosier state had hoped to see Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita (R) take on Sen. Evan Bayh (D) this year, but Rokita announced this morning that he will instead run to succeed retiring Rep. Steve Buyer (R). Rokita will join a crowded GOP primary, but more important, the decision leaves the state party without a credible challenger to take on Bayh.

* Squelching rumors about his future plans, Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-Tenn.) announced today that he will seek re-election in November. Davis's district leans heavily to the right, but he remains a popular Blue Dog incumbent.

* There are several major statewide primaries in Illinois tomorrow, and things are getting ugly.

* And in Kentucky, home to a competitive Republican Senate primary, most of the GOP establishment has rallied behind Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson, but former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) has thrown her support to right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul (R), a political novice. Paul is best known as Rep. Ron Paul's (R-Tex.) son.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iraq: "A female suicide bomber detonated her explosives inside a way station for Shiite pilgrims Monday, killing 54 people and rattling security officials who are struggling against a possible rise in violence before key elections next month."

* Haiti: "[E]ven as food-aid workers enjoyed their most successful day since the Jan. 12 earthquake, the increasingly prominent role of U.S. troops and civilians in the capital is creating high expectations that the Obama administration is struggling to contain. The needs are extraordinary, and the common refrain is that the Americans will provide."

* Budget: "President Obama sent Congress on Monday a proposed budget of $3.8 trillion for the fiscal year 2011, saying that his plan would produce a decade-long reduction in the deficit from $1.6 trillion this year, a shortfall swollen by $100 billion in additional tax cuts and public works spending that he is seeking right away."

* Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, the ranking Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, said today the proposed "Volcker Rule" and Bank Tax have no shot in the Senate.

* Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was read his rights "only after ... Abdulmutallab had stopped talking to authorities."

* China thoroughly unhappy about the latest arms deal between U.S. and Taiwan.

* Middle East: "The Obama administration is quietly working with Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf allies to speed up arms sales and rapidly upgrade defenses for oil terminals and other key infrastructure in a bid to thwart future military attacks by Iran, according to former and current U.S. and Middle Eastern government officials. "

* Defense Secretary Roberts Gates is sacking the head of the "star-crossed, nearly $350 billion" F-35 program and is "withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in performance fees to JSF-maker Lockheed Martin." Gates told reporters, "When things go wrong, people will be held accountable." I like this Gates guy more and more all the time.

* Eyeing a "sweeping overhaul" of No Child Left Behind.

* Candy Crowley will take over CNN's "State of Union." She's not my favorite journalist, but I'm glad to see some diversity -- Crowley will be the only Sunday show host who isn't a white guy.

* May a thousand job tax credit proposals bloom.

* What's inside the Quadrennial Defense Review? Robert Farley takes a look.

* On a related note: "The Pentagon will no longer shape the U.S. military to fight two major conventional wars at once, but rather prepare for numerous conflicts and not all in the same style, according to a draft of a new strategic outlook the Pentagon is announcing on Monday."

* It looks like the Obama administration has curtailed enforcement of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" a lot. Good.

* I still think Obama's right about the itemized deduction rates, even if Congress disagrees.

* Fact Checking the Sunday Shows.

* Characterizing college aid as "welfare"? Please.

* Sad, but true: "The moral here is that right now the GOP literally has no ideas about how the nation should actually be governed. And the scary thing is that lack of ideas seems to be a winning platform."

* President Obama takes questions via YouTube.

* Bill O'Reilly is really, really bad at math.

* Charles Krauthammer apparently doesn't like Nigerians.

* CBS exercises some odd judgment when it comes to accepting and rejecting Super Bowl ads.

* Fox Nation's crush on Scott Brown is humiliating, even for Fox Nation.

* And on a related note, if you missed Paul Krugman confronting Roger Ailes yesterday, you'll definitely want to check out this clip.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* To say that Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) is the most endangered Senate incumbent would be an understatement. The latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows her trailing Rep. John Boozman (R), who will formally enter the race this week, by a whopping 23 points (56% to 33%). Another top GOP contender, state Senate Minority Leader Gilbert Baker, leads the incumbent by 15.

* Several big primaries today in Illinois.

* In New York, a new Marist Poll shows Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) leading former Rep. Harold Ford (D-Tenn.) in a Senate primary, 44% to 27%.

* On a related note, Ford probably didn't improve his chances during his appearance on "The Colbert Report" last night.

* California's Republican gubernatorial primary -- pitting former EBay CEO Meg Whitman against state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner -- is getting nastier by the day. Yesterday, Poizner accused Whitman adviser Mike Murphy on "intimidation tactics" in an effort to get him to drop out of the race. Murphy responded by questioning Poizner's "mental condition."

* Despite the discouraging polls, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he really is going to run for re-election this year.

* In Michigan, a new EPIC-MRA poll shows state Attorney General Mike Cox leading Rep. Pete Hoekstra in a Republican primary, 32% to 25%.

* And in Connecticut, former Rep. Rob Simmons (R) was the leading Senate candidate this year. Now that Chris Dodd is retiring, Simmons's chances have greatly diminished, and yesterday he didn't rule out dropping his Senate bid and running for his old House seat.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Slowly but surely, food distribution is improving in Haiti.

* GM and Ford had a good January, for a change.

* China isn't happy about it, but President Obama intends to meet with the Dalai Lama.

* It's impossible to take Tehran at its word, but: "Iran said on Tuesday it was ready to send its uranium abroad for further enrichment as requested by the U.N. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced the decision in an interview with state Iranian television. He said Iran will have 'no problem' giving the West its low-enriched uranium and taking it back several months later when it is enriched by 20 percent."

* Obama was in New Hampshire today to talk up his plan to free up $30 billion in lending for small businesses.

* Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) is in an intensive care unit following complications from gall bladder surgery.

* No, really, cancel Haiti's debt.

* I'm beginning to think John McCain just doesn't like gay people.

* Good report from Blue Girl on the latest out of Afghanistan.

* Frank Lantz pens a memo on how best to kill Wall Street reform.

* The House Republicans' energy policy appears to be a copy-and-paste job from Bush administration proposals.

* Adam Serwer 1, Richard Cohen 0.

* Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is still having trouble rationalizing her opposition to health care reform.

* Oh look, Daniel Pipes wants the U.S. to attack Iran. Imagine that.

* The National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and the Council of Independent Colleges team up on an interesting new project.

* And Bruce Bartlett, a veteran of the Reagan and H.W. Bush administrations, fears that "between 20% and 50%" of the Republican Party is "either insane or mind-numbingly stupid."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Illinois' Senate primaries yesterday, state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) and Rep. Mark Kirk (R) won their respective contests, and will face one another in November.

* Illinois' gubernatorial primaries were far more competitive, and the results are far less clear. On the GOP side, state Sen. Bill Brady leads state Sen. Kirk Dillard by less than a percentage point, with votes still being tallied. On the Democratic side, incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn has declared victory, but his lead over state Comptroller Dan Hynes is also less than a percentage point.

* In one of the day's bigger surprises, Ethan Hastert, son of the former House Speaker, lost his GOP congressional primary.

* It looks like former Sen. Dan Coats (R) will take on Sen. Evan Bayh (D) in Indiana this year. More on this later.

* In Florida, Rep. Bob Wexler (D) gave up his congressional seat last year, and primaries were held yesterday on the bid to replace him. State Sen. Ted Deutch won a Democratic primary, and is favored to win an April 13 special election.

* A new Quinnipiac poll in New York shows Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) leading former Rep. Harold Ford (D-Tenn.) in a likely primary, 36% to 18%.

* The same poll shows state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) leading incumbent Gov. David Paterson (D) in a primary match-up by 32 points.

* In Texas, a Rasmussen poll shows incumbent Gov. Rick Perry with a strong lead over Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in a Republican gubernatorial primary, 44% to 29%.

* And given his recent health problems, speculation is growing that Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) may feel the need to retire this year, giving Republicans another pick-up opportunity in the House.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* A key court ruling: "Iraq once again stepped back from a political crisis of its own making when an appeals court on Wednesday temporarily overruled a controversial step to disqualify hundreds of candidates in next month's election for having ties to Saddam Hussein's Baath Party."

* Pakistan: "A roadside bomb killed three U.S. special forces troops and three schoolgirls in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday in an attack that drew attention to a little-publicized American military training mission in the al-Qaida and Taliban heartland."

* Iraq: "A blast tore through a crowd of Shiite pilgrims just outside the holy city of Karbala south of Baghdad, killing at least 23 people and injuring 120 in the second attack this week on the huge religious processions for annual observances, officials said."

* Terror threat: "The Obama administration's top intelligence officials on Tuesday described it as 'certain' that al-Qaeda or its allies will try to attack the United States in the next six months, and they called for new flexibility in how U.S. officials detain and question terrorist suspects."

* Another round of offensive AIG bonuses.

* Is Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) open to repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"? Maybe.

* There's a small but important loophole that Republicans may exploit prevent Senate consideration of reconciliation bills, which in theory, only need a simple majority to pass.

* The administration wants to cut some parts of the federal budget. The non-proliferation budget isn't on the chopping block.

* President Obama makes some encouraging remarks about Net Neutrality.

* Twelve years ago, the Lancet medical journal published a paper connecting autism to childhood vaccines. This week, Lancet formally retracted the paper.

* The president doesn't hate Las Vegas. Good to know.

* If you missed Obama's talk this morning with Senate Dems, the video is online.

* What college really pays.

* The Washington Post seems oddly unaware of its own polling data.

* And supporters of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" continue to be some of the strangest people in public life: "On NPR yesterday, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) was asked why he believes DADT should remain in place. Hunter, a former marine, said that it would hurt the "special bond" between soldiers 'if you open up the military to transgenders, to hermaphrodites, to gays and lesbians.'"

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Delaware, New Castle County Executive Chris Coons (D) officially launched his Senate bid yesterday, with the enthusiastic support of the state and national party. He'll be the underdog against Rep. Mike Castle (R).

* A new Rasmussen poll shows Rep. Mark Kirk (R) with the early lead over state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) in Illinois' Senate race, 46% to 40%.

* Speaking of Illinois, Democrats leaders were dismayed when pawnbroker Scott Lee Cohen spent a lot of his own money and won the party's nomination for lieutenant governor this week. Those concerns grew far more intense today when it was reported that Cohen was arrested in 2005 for holding a knife to his prostitute girlfriend's neck. (In case you're wondering, the only way Dems can get this guy off the ballot would be for Cohen to voluntarily quit.)

* In Connecticut, a new Rasmussen poll continues to show state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) looking strong in the open Senate race. His margin over the top Republican candidates is about 20 points.

* Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) was made to look pretty foolish during his exchange with President Obama last week, so naturally, the far-right lawmaker is trying to raise money off the incident.

* Some recent polls showed former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) as a very competitive opponent against Sen. Russ Feingold (D) this year, but we learned this week that Thompson has accepted a new job with a venture capital fund, making it unlikely that he'll run for office this year.

* And in California, Senate hopeful Carly Fiorina (R) released a new web video late yesterday, going after her primary opponent, former Rep. Tom Campbell, as a FCINO (fiscal conservative in name only). It features some kind of demonic sheep/man, and is among the strangest ads for a major office I've ever seen.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Haiti: "Ten U.S. missionaries in Haiti were charged Thursday with child kidnapping and criminal association for allegedly trying to take children illegally out of the earthquake-hit country."

* A severely unpleasant day on Wall Street: "All three major indexes lost at least 2.6 percent on a day when two of Wall Street's biggest fears re-emerged -- a deteriorating jobs market and the debt woes facing foreign governments -- feeding anxiety about the health of the global recovery." Of particular interest was financial instability in Greece, Portugal, and Spain.

* Securities fraud: "New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo today announced that his office is filing civil charges against former Bank of America Corp. chief executive Ken Lewis, former chief financial officer Joe Price and the Charlotte bank."

* Raising the debt ceiling with no GOP votes.

* Gen. McChrystal sees "significant progress" in Afghanistan.

* White House seeks an apology from Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.).

* The House easily approved a bill today to improve the nation's cybersecurity systems. It passed 424-0.

* White House lawyers are quietly working in anticipation of a Supreme Court vacancy -- or two.

* Sen. Paul Kirk (D-Mass.) bid farewell to the Senate today, and devoted some time to honoring Ted Kennedy. As a demonstration of courtesy, a grand total of zero Republicans showed up for his departure speech. Stay classy, GOP.

* Coming through for unions: "The Obama administration is considering a proposal that would heavily favor government contractors that implement policies designed by organized labor."

* The next time Republicans wonder why African-American voters back Democrats, they should remember this NAACP scorecard.

* Classless: "Don Imus asked Chris Wallace on his Fox Business show whether Fox News contributor Sarah Palin would be sitting on Wallace's lap during an interview on Fox News Sunday this weekend. Wallace responded: 'One can only hope.'"

* Rahm Emanuel still feeling the heat over his use of the word "retarded."

* Rush Limbaugh, however, is using the same word in the same way, generating criticism from Sarah Palin's spokesperson.

* Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) has a very short memory when it comes to his own Senate record.

* I know the media establishment refuses to believe it, but Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) simply doesn't know what he's talking about when it comes to national security. He doesn't even keep up on the basics of current events.

* And finally, President Obama went off-script briefly this morning at a prayer breakfast, talking about civility in the discourse. "Surely you can question my policies without questioning my faith," the president said, pausing for a few seconds before adding, "or, for that matter, my citizenship."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Yesterday afternoon, state Comptroller Dan Hynes conceded to Gov. Pat Quinn in the Illinois Democratic governor's primary. Quinn won by less than 1% of the vote.

* Speaking of Illinois, Quinn desperately wants millionaire pawnbroker Scott Lee Cohen, who inexplicably won the state's Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, to drop out of the race.

* Cohen, who spent $2 million of his own money on the primary, has vowed to stay in the race, despite his stunning personal scandals.

* A new Rasmussen poll shows former Lt. Governor Jane Norton (R) leading appointed Sen. Michael Bennet (D) by 14, 51% to 37%.

* Former Sen. Dan Coats' (R) comeback effort in Indiana took another hit yesterday when we learned that, as a corporate lobbyist, he worked for an oil company connected to Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. Coats apparently intends to take on Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) this year.

* In Michigan, don't be too surprised if former Rep. Joe Schwarz runs for governor as an independent this year. Schwarz, who served in Congress as a Republican, lost a 2006 primary after GOP voters deemed him too moderate.

* In Kansas, Rep. Jerry Moran continues to lead Rep. Todd Tiahrt in a Senate primary, though the religious right is rallying behind Tiahrt.

* In New York's 23rd, Doug Hoffman is back, and his Conservative Party allies are demanding that the local Republican Party nominate him as their candidate -- or else see a repeat of the special election fiasco. (thanks to reader D.B. for the tip)

* Well aware of the long odds, North Dakota state Sen. Tracy Potter (D) has decided to take on Gov. John Hoeven (R) in a Senate campaign this year. Hoeven is perceived as unbeatable, but Potter said he's "going to take on Goliath."

* Republican Senate hopeful Carly Fiorina's bizarre campaign in California is promising "more shocking web-based ads or videos" in the wake of the Demon Sheep clip.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iraq: "Two attacks on Shiite pilgrims returning from the holy city of Karbala left at least 28 people dead Friday, the latest in a series of bombings that appear designed to discredit Iraqi security forces and inflame sectarian tension."

* Pakistan: "A huge bomb blast tore apart a bus carrying Shiites to a religious procession in the southern city of Karachi on Friday afternoon, and barely two hours later another lethal explosion struck a hospital where many of the wounded had been taken, police and hospital officials said. At least 25 people were killed and 100 more were wounded in the two attacks."

* North Korea: "Amid accounts of starvation, food shortages in the army and runaway inflation, senior economic officials in North Korea have been fired in recent days, according to reports in the South Korean media."

* On tap in the House next week: "The House of Representatives plans next week to vote on -- and probably approve -- a measure to strip health insurers' antitrust protections, which will be Congress' first step this year to try to overhaul the nation's health care system."

* Speaking of the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said today, "With Senator Kennedy as our inspiration, with the leadership of President Barack Obama and with your help, we will pass health insurance reform this year."

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) has been working diligently to find a bipartisan approach to reforming the rules on Wall Street. With Republicans no longer willing to compromise, Dodd conceded that senators have "reached an impasse."

* Is the H1N1 epidemic over? Public health officials aren't prepared to go quite that far, but they federal officials reported today that, for the fourth consecutive week, "no states had widespread flu activity."

* A helpful overview of what a Senate "hold" is all about.

* New emails raise interesting questions about expansive powers Sarah Palin extended to her husband during her half-term as Alaska's governor.

* How to grant tenure.

* Whose presence in the military is more dangerous -- gay servicemen and women, or a criminal like Ollie North?

* How dumb is the Virginia Republican Party? It put together a bizarre video insisting that snow fall is evidence that global warming doesn't exist.

* And at the Tea Party "convention" today, former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) told unhinged activists that President Obama was only elected because "we do not have a civics, literacy test before people can vote in this country." Tancredo, in other words, seems to regret the end of Jim Crow laws. Only Republicans can get away with such insanity....

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* As expected, Arkansas Rep. John Boozman (R) officially kicked off his Senate campaign over the weekend. Two of his GOP primary opponents, Tom Cox and Buddy Rogers, dropped out.

* The open Senate race in Ohio continues to look competitive. A new Rasmussen poll shows former Bush budget director Rob Portman (R) with four-point leads over his Democratic challengers, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.

* Democrats looking for a top-tier gubernatorial candidate in Michigan may be pleased to know Lansing Mayor Virgil Bernero (D) announced his campaign this morning.

* With state Sen. Don Benton (R) throwing his hat in the ring, there are now seven Republicans running to take on Sen. Patty Murray (D- Wash.) in November. The two most credible GOP candidates in the state -- Rep. Dave Reichert and former state senator Dino Rossi -- have not yet decided whether to run.

* The Pennsylvania Democratic Party formally endorsed Sen. Arlen Specter's re-election bid over primary challenger Rep. Joe Sestak over the weekend. Given that Specter is the incumbent, this did not necessarily come as a surprise.

* In New Hampshire, the latest Research 2000 poll shows Kelly Ayotte (R) leading in this year's Senate race, but her primary campaign appears surprisingly competitive.

* Former Sen. Dan Coats (R), hoping to make a comeback by running for his old job again in Indiana, told North Carolina voters not too long ago that their state is a "better place" to live than Indiana. Coats also apparently worked as a lobbyist for a variety of foreign countries, including Yemen.

* And Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu (D) was elected New Orleans' new mayor over the weekend.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iran: "Iran informed the International Atomic Energy Agency on Monday that it will start producing higher-grade enriched uranium, prompting the United States and France to call for tougher U.N. sanctions against the country."

* Tehran fails to impress: "Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on Saturday played down assertions by Iran that it is ready to reach a deal on its nuclear program, saying Tehran's overall response to overtures from the Obama administration has been 'quite disappointing.'"

* Anthem Blue Cross in California is jacking up its health care premiums by as much as 39% next month. The Obama administration wants "a detailed justification for these rate increases to the public."

* Ukraine: "The opposition leader Viktor F. Yanukovich appeared on Monday to have won a narrow victory in Ukraine's presidential election, according to nearly complete results, giving him an unlikely comeback from his humiliating defeat in the 2004 Orange Revolution, when he was shunned as a bumbling Kremlin sidekick."

* Why the European debt crisis matters to the United States.

* After the explosion at the Kleen Energy Systems: "All workers at a Connecticut power plant that exploded have been accounted for, leaving the death toll at five and the number of injured at 12, the mayor of Middletown said on Monday."

* Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was asked if the U.S. is at risk of losing its triple-A bond rating. "Absolutely not," he replied. "And that will never happen to this country. When people were most worried about the stability of the world, they still found safety in the Treasuries and the dollar. That is a very, very important sign of basic confidence in our capacity as a country to work together to fix these problems."

* Matt Yglesias explains why President Obama is having far more success than the conventional wisdom suggests.

* Getting a sense of what and whether college students actually learned after four years.

* Retired Col. David Hunt, a Fox News military analyst, is generally pretty conservative. But he supports the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and criticized John McCain on the air over the issue.

* Fact checking the Sunday shows.

* No one ever expects the Spanish Inquisition.

* Remember that awful Reuters report about the Obama budget and "backdoor" taxes that don't exist in reality? The reporter who wrote it is no longer at Reuters.

* I tend to think Sarah Palin writing her beliefs on her palm is a fun little side story, but it never occurred to me the defense that Fox News would come up with. Gretchen Carlson "suggested that it was a brilliantly clever plot to draw attention to Obama's use of a teleprompter." Oh my.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Any chance Illinois State Comptroller Dan Hynes, who narrowly lost to Gov. Pat Quinn in a Democratic gubernatorial primary last week, would replace Scott Lee Cohen as Quinn's running mate? Hynes apparently isn't interested.

* Speaking of Illinois, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D), arguably the most popular statewide officeholder in the state, will serve as chairman of Alexi Giannoulias's (D) Senate campaign.

* Former Sen. Dan Coats (R) has shaken up the Senate race in Indiana, but if he follows through on his plans, he won't have a direct shot at Sen. Evan Bayh (D) -- former Rep. John Hostettler (R) has vowed to stay in the race and compete against Coats in a primary.

* Keep an eye on Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), this year's chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. The DCCC believes Sessions really is vulnerable this year.

* Speaking of Texas, the latest Public Policy Polling survey shows a competitive three-way race in the Republican gubernatorial primary. Incumbent Gov. Rick Perry leads with 39% support, followed by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison at 28%, and novice/right-wing activist Debra Medina close behind with 24%. If no candidate receives 50%, there will be a run-off.

* Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), who seems oddly serious about running for president in 2012, endorsed Marco Rubio's Senate campaign in Florida yesterday. It's become something of a litmus test in far-right circles -- if you don't back Rubio, the GOP base won't trust you.

* In South Carolina, state Rep. Tim Scott (R) was running for lieutenant governor, but ended his campaign yesterday to run for Congress. If elected, Scott would be the first African-American Republican in the House since J.C. Watts, who left Congress nearly eight years ago.

* And in Mississippi, former Fox News commentator and Tea Party activist Angela McGlowan (R) announced yesterday that she's running for Congress in Mississippi's 1st district. McGlowan hopes to take on Rep. Travis Childers (D), but will join a crowded GOP primary.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iran: "Brushing aside international calls for stricter sanctions against it, Iran said Tuesday it had begun enriching uranium for use in a medical reactor to a higher level of purity, raising the stakes again in its dispute with the United States and other countries over its nuclear program. The United States responded by saying it would seek United Nations backing for new sanctions within weeks."

* More Iran: "In recent weeks, Iranian security officials have unleashed a wave of arrests across the country in an effort to neutralize the political opposition, silence critical voices and head off widespread protests when the nation marks the anniversary of the revolution on Thursday, Iran analysts inside and outside the country said."

* If the AP report is accurate, the Senate "jobs bill" is poised to be exceedingly disappointing.

* Hopes of a rescue for Greece seem to improve.

* China's pollution problem is pretty extraordinary: "China's government on Tuesday unveiled its most detailed survey ever of the pollution plaguing the country, revealing that water pollution in 2007 was more than twice as severe as official figures that had long omitted agricultural waste."

* President Obama stops by the press briefing room. (Will they stop complaining about the lack of press conferences for a while?)

* Despite the bluster, the House Republican leadership isn't going to blow off the invitation to the White House summit on health care reform.

* In light of the weather and next week's recess, the House has scrapped its legislative schedule until the 22nd. Among other things, that means a delay on a bill stripping health insurers of their anti-trust exemption.

* Direct student lending to create American jobs.

* White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has a little fun at former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's (R) expense.

* OFA isn't done with its efforts to pass health care reform.

* Countering the Luntz memo on financial reform.

* And the Senate rejected Craig Becker's nomination to the National Labor Relations Board this afternoon. A majority supported the nomination, which in the American system in the 21st century, means the nomination fails.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-Mich.) announced this morning that he will not seek re-election this year, becoming the 17th House Republican to retire. Ehlers' 3rd district leans clearly in the GOP's favor, though it was more competitive in 2008. Ehlers had been facing a right-wing primary opponent.

* In Pennsylvania, a new Rasmussen poll shows Sen. Arlen Specter leading primary challenger Rep. Joe Sestak, 51% to 36%. The 15-point margin is slightly better for Sestak than Specter's 21-point lead a month ago.

* The same poll, meanwhile, shows former far-right Rep. Pat Toomey (R) leading Specter and Sestak in hypothetical general election match-ups by about eight points each.

* In Missouri, VoteVets is going after Rep. Roy Blunt (R), who is in a competitive Senate race this year.

* Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (D) is still trailing former Rep. John Kasich (R) in this year's gubernatorial race, but a new Rasmussen poll shows Strickland closing the gap a bit, now trailing by six (47% to 41%).

* In Colorado's gubernatorial race, Rasmussen shows Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) with a four-point lead over former Rep. Scott McInnis (R), 49% to 45%.

* Republicans are optimistic about picking up the late Rep. John Murtha's (D) House seat in Pennsylvania, but there are several reasons why the Murtha seat is "something short of a sure thing pickup for House Republicans."

* And despite her truly awful Senate campaign, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) will seek re-election to her current post.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rep. Diane Watson (D-Calif.) will retire this year, becoming the 13th House Dem to step down at the end of this Congress. It's such a Democratic seat, Republicans are not expected to field a candidate.

* In Texas, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows tepid support statewide for Republican Gov. Rick Perry, but he nevertheless leads Houston Mayor Bill White (D) in a hypothetical match-up, 48% to 42%.

* Democratic leaders had hoped to recruit University of Michigan regent Denise Ilitch into the state's gubernatorial race, but she announced yesterday that she isn't running. Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero and state House Speaker Andy Dillon are now the top two Dems in the race.

* Sen. Jim DeMint's (R-S.C.) Democratic challenger, attorney Chad McGowan, announced yesterday that he's ending his long-shot campaign. "I've come to the conclusion that now is the wrong time for me to mount a successful campaign for the United States Senate," McGowan said in a statement Wednesday. "The demands of a young family place a premium on every minute."

* Speaking of DeMint, the right-wing senator had been making noises about weighing in on the GOP Senate primary in Arizona, where Sen. John McCain and former Rep. J.D. Hayworth are competing, but DeMint said yesterday he will remain neutral.

* Republicans have put Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) at the top of their target list, but a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows him looking quite competitive against his GOP rivals.

* And in Alabama, the NRCC just sent out a fundraising letter attacking Rep. Parker Griffith -- who recently became a Republican. Oops.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Former President Bill Clinton was hospitalized this afternoon in New York City, reportedly for a condition related to his heart.

* Tehran: "Iran's president boasted Thursday that his nation had the capacity to make weapons grade nuclear fuel if it chose to, in a speech designed to rally the nation as it marked the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution."

* Unrest in Iran: "A massive Iranian security presence, including riot police and gangs of motorbike-riding militia, appeared to snuff out attempts Thursday by anti-government protesters to orchestrate counter-demonstrations on the anniversary of the revolution that created Iran's Islamic republic."

* Preventing a Greek tragedy: "European leaders, facing a crucial test for the credibility of their common currency, promised 'determined and coordinated action' to safeguard the euro as they sought to persuade jittery bond market investors that Greece would not be allowed to default on its government debt."

* Some more encouraging economic news: "The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, welcome news for the White House as it predicted more than a million jobs will be created this year."

* Concerns about the "bipartisan" jobs bill: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is rewriting a jobs bill after Democrats complained of too many concessions to Republicans."

* A serious economic warning: "Over the next several years, failed commercial real estate loans could litter American cities with empty stores and office complexes, cause hundreds of bank failures and weaken the economy, a watchdog report says."

* It's the kind of news that hasn't generated a lot of attention, but many colleges were able to stay open last year due to the stimulus package.

* John McCain's willingness to humiliate himself is almost limitless. Now, the senator who used to take global warming seriously now claims to not understand the very phenomenon.

* For now, marriage equality in Iowa and New Hampshire appears safe.

* I think it's a shame Marvel Comics felt the need to apologize for mocking the Teabaggers.

* A right-wing state senator in Missouri opposes gay servicemen and women serving openly in the U.S. military because it might "offend the terrorists." I seem to recall quite a bit of "appeasement" talk during the Bush/Cheney era; I wonder whatever happened to all of that.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rhode Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D) will retire at the end of his term after 16 years on the Hill. Kennedy's district is heavily Democratic, and high-profile Dems, including Providence Mayor David Cicilline and Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts, are likely to consider the race.

* Despite rumors and faltering support, New York Gov. David Paterson (D) told supporters via email yesterday that he will seek another term. Paterson will almost certainly face state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo in a Democratic primary.

* In Missouri's closely watched Senate race, Rep. Roy Blunt (R) now leads Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) by seven, 49% to 42%. Blunt's lead is one point larger than it was a month ago.

* A University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll shows incumbent Gov. Rick Perry (R) with a big lead over primary challengers, though he's still short of 50%. Houston Mayor Bill White (D) is leading the Democratic field.

* Former Sen. Dan Coats (R), hoping to make a comeback, has registered to vote in Indiana -- the state he left about a decade ago -- and rented a house to establish residency.

* In related news, a Research 2000 poll shows incumbent Sen. Evan Bayh (D) leading Coats by 20 points in a hypothetical match-up, 55% to 35%.

* North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr (R) will face a primary challenger this year, with Asheboro City Councilman Eddie Burks throwing his hat in the ring yesterday.

* In a bit of surprise, Nevada Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki's (R) on-again/off-again interest in taking on Sen. Harry Reid (D) in November is off again. Krolicki said he will instead seek re-election to his current post.

* Joyce Murtha, Rep. John Murtha's (D-Pa.) widow, may be the Dems' top choice to run for her late husband's seat.

* And in Florida, Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) announced his retirement yesterday, and a few hours later, his brother, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), announced he's giving up his seat to run in his brother's district.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* A major offensive in Afghanistan: "Thousands of U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers traveling in helicopters and mine-resistant vehicles began punching into a key Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan early Saturday morning, as one of the largest operations to assert government control over this country got underway."

* Former President Bill Clinton was released from an NYC hospital earlier today, and is reportedly in good health.

* Inflation fears in China: "For the second time in less than five weeks, China's central bank has moved to limit lending to consumers and businesses by ordering big commercial banks to park a larger share of their deposits at the central bank."

* Relatively good economic news: "A modestly better-than-expected report on retail sales for January could suggest stronger economic growth in coming months. The 0.5 percent gain reported Friday by the Commerce Department exceeded the 0.3 percent increase economists had expected."

* Nodar Kumaritashvili: "A men's Olympic luger from the country of Georgia died Friday after a high-speed crash during training. IOC president Jacques Rogge said the death hours before the opening ceremony 'clearly casts a shadow over these games.'"

* Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) worked for months with Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) on crafting a bipartisan reform plan for Wall Street. Shelby proved impossible, and the talks collapsed. This week, Dodd began trying again, this time with Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.).

* Sarah Palin refuses to allow the media access to her speeches. Isn't she technically a paid media professional, snubbing her own colleagues?

* If you haven't read Krugman's column on Republicans and Medicare, please do so.

* Higher ed in Nevada is kind of screwed.

* Fox News personality Dana Perino, still not the sharpest tool in the shed.

* Fox News is not above politicizing Bill Clinton's heart troubles.

* An incredibly irresponsible report from the Nashville CBS affiliate on a Muslim community in rural Tennessee leads to vandalism.

* I'm finding it difficult to be surprised: "The Massachusetts man charged this week for stockpiling weapons after saying he feared an imminent 'Armageddon' appears to have been active in his local Tea Party group, and saw Sarah Palin, on a 'righteous 'Mission from God,' as the only figure capable of averting the destruction of society."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Former congressman and right-wing radio host J.D. Hayworth (R) will officially kick off his primary challenge against Sen. John McCain (R) in Arizona today.

* With Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) retiring, prospective Dems are lining up to run for the seat. Providence Mayor David Cicilline and Bill Lynch, chairman of the state Democratic Party, have declared their candidacies.

* Iowa Gov. Chet Culver (D) is struggling badly in his re-election bid. A Des Moines Register poll shows the incumbent trailing former Gov. Terry Brandstad (R) by 20 points, 53% to 33%. Branstad, however, still has a GOP primary to win, and Culver fares far better against the other Republican candidates.

* Expect Ned Lamont (D) to formally enter Connecticut's gubernatorial race tomorrow. He'll face Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy in a primary, but Lamont will likely be the favorite.

* As if former Tennessee Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D), eyeing a Senate campaign in New York, didn't have enough early troubles, there are now questions surrounding the New York state income taxes he hasn't paid.

* On a related note, the "Draft Harold Ford" effort got off to a comically bad start last week.

* Despite a humiliating prostitution scandal, Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) continues to lead in his re-election campaign. Rasmussen now shows the scandal-plagued incumbent leading Rep. Charlie Melancon (D) by 24 points, 57% to 33%.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) looks like he'll have a very tough re-election fight, but his campaign may be slightly easier if there's a "Tea Party" candidate running, which may split the conservative vote.

* And in Texas, an Austin American-Statesman poll shows Gov. Rick Perry (R) leading the GOP field with 45% support in the primary, 16 points ahead of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) at 29%. A Research 2000 poll pegs Perry's support at 42%, 12 points head of Hutchison. To avoid a runoff, Perry will need to top 50% when voters head to the polls two weeks from tomorrow.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "Coalition and Afghan forces continued taking fire on Monday from Taliban forces in northern and central parts of the city of Marja, the focus of a major offensive in Helmand Province. American patrols in northern Marja were fired on repeatedly throughout the day, and reporters for news agencies in the area said Taliban fighters were using roadside bombs and snipers."

* From the weekend: "Twelve Afghan civilians died Sunday after U.S. rockets mistakenly hit a house during the much-trumpeted offensive to clear the last Taliban stronghold in Helmand province, a loss of life that is likely to seriously undermine the operation and the renewed American-led mission to win the trust of the population."

* A little help from our friends: "Spain announced Monday that it will accept five detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the largest commitment by a European country and a boost for the Obama administration's dragging effort to close the military detention center."

* Goldman Sachs manages to look even worse: "Wall Street tactics akin to the ones that fostered subprime mortgages in America have worsened the financial crisis shaking Greece and undermining the euro by enabling European governments to hide their mounting debts."

* HRC speaking in Qatar about Iran: "Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday that the United States fears Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has gained enough power to potentially supplant the Tehran government."

* The bizarre and deadly tragedy of Amy Bishop -- and her multiple victims.

* President Obama chooses Rashad Hussain from the White House counsel's office as his special envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

* A very unflattering portrait of the Congressional Black Caucus's political and charitable wings.

* Obama wants you to go to college.

* Good column from E.J. Dionne Jr. on what Bill Clinton could teach President Obama.

* Fact checking the Sunday shows.

* If Chris Wallace sounds confused and unformed after "studying up" for a discussion on climate change, perhaps he's in the wrong line of work.

* Fox News is worried about Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield jacking up their premiums right now -- not because it will hurt the public, but because the rate increase may help advocates of health care reform.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "Fighting has slowed in the battle for Marja, with Taliban fighters still engaging in fierce resistance but with less consistency, a spokesman for the international forces said Tuesday."

* Speaking in Saudi Arabia, HRC sends Iran another message: "The confrontation with Iran over its nuclear program appeared to deepen Tuesday as Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton escalated her verbal assault during a Persian Gulf visit and Russia joined the United States and France in bluntly questioning Iran's ultimate intentions in enriching uranium."

* The other nukes: "President Obama told an enthusiastic audience of union officials on Tuesday that the Energy Department had approved a loan guarantee intended to underwrite construction of two nuclear reactors in Georgia, with taxpayers picking up much of the financial risk. If the project goes forward, it would be the first nuclear reactor built in the United States since the 1970s."

* Upbeat earnings reports made Wall Street happy.

* John Murtha is laid to rest at a funeral service in Johnstown, Pa.

* Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) was hospitalized overnight after a fall in his home. He was diagnosed with a bleeding ulcer and is expected to make a full recovery.

* I still find it hard to believe the Washington Post hired Marc Thiessen.

* No, really. I still find it hard to believe the Washington Post hired Marc Thiessen.

* The story of SUNY Binghamton and its desire to compete in Division I athletics is a striking and cautionary tale.

* There's all kinds of talk about possible vacancies on the Supreme Court, but I'd be surprised if there's more than one.

* Nice to see Will Bunch join the Media Matters team.

* The Heritage Foundation isn't a very good think tank.

* And on Fox News this morning, Steve Doocy suggested that potential airline terrorists all "pretty much look alike." I don't know if Doocy has ever seen pictures of Richard Reid and Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, but if he thinks the two look similar, he has a real problem.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Connecticut's Ned Lamont (D) officially kicked off his gubernatorial campaign yesterday.

* New York Gov. David Paterson (D), undeterred by intense disapproval from voters and his party, is poised to officially launch his re-election campaign. He will likely face state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo in a Democratic primary.

* In California, a Rasmussen poll shows the gubernatorial race all tied up, with state Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) and Meg Whitman (R) with 43% each. Brown leads Whitman's primary opponent, Steve Poizner, by 12.

* In case there were any lingering doubts, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) yesterday ruled out running for governor this year.

* Democratic chances of picking off Sen. Richard Burr (R) this year in North Carolina aren't great, but they're better than expected given the larger climate.

* Former Gov. Mike Huckabee's daughter, Sarah Huckabee, has led the former presidential candidate's political action committee. Yesterday, she left HuckPAC to become the campaign manager for Rep. John Boozman's Senate campaign in Arkansas, suggesting Mike Huckabee might not be running for president in 2012.

* Former Vice President Dan Quayle's son, Ben Quayle, is finding his congressional campaign in Arizona is getting off to a rough start. The 33-year-old attorney registered to vote when he turned 20, but has never cast a ballot in a local election. Quayle, who kicked off his House campaign late last week, conceded, "I haven't been involved in politics."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Following a full meeting of the president's national security team: "Senior U.S. military leaders told President Obama that the offensive in southern Afghanistan is proceeding well, and that a significant number of Taliban forces have left the city in the face of the U.S.-Afghan forces. 'It's clear that a lot of individuals with the Taliban decided they did not want to stay in this stronghold and have left,' Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said, describing the hour-long meeting Wednesday in the Situation Room."

* The threat of sectarian violence in Iraq, just weeks before national elections, remains very real, and there's not much the United States can do about it.

* For the first time in seven years, the size of the U.S. military presence in Iraq has fallen below 100,000.

* The White House named a new U.S. ambassador to Syria yesterday, which wouldn't be especially noteworthy except it's the first time we've had an ambassador to Syria since 2005.

* President Obama is moving forward with his bipartisan commission on debt reduction. He's chosen former Wyoming Sen. Alan Simpson (R) and former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles (D) to serve as co-chairmen.

* The Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United vs. FEC is widely disliked by the vast majority of the American public.

* I tried to care about the new, right-wing "Mount Vernon Statement," but just couldn't find a reason to bother.

* Sallie Mae is part of the effort to kill a student-loan reform bill that would save taxpayers millions of dollars and help more Americans go to college.

* And if you think conservative Republican lawmakers are ridiculous at the federal level, consider how truly insane they can be at the state level. In South Carolina, one GOP lawmaker introduced a bill to prohibit the state from accepting U.S. currency. Seriously.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Former Rep. Charles Bass (R-N.H.), swept out of office four years ago in the midst of Republican failures, is now running to get his old job back. It's an open seat race in New Hampshire's 2nd district, with Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.) running for Senate.

* Auto dealer and right-wing activist Tom Ganley (R) is ending his Senate primary campaign in Ohio -- he's been running an up-hill fight against Rob Portman, Bush's former budget director -- and will instead run against Rep. Betty Sutton (D).

* President Obama will be in Colorado today, to help generate support for Sen. Michael Bennet (D), who was appointed to the Senate last year, and is seeking a full term this year.

* Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D) is apparently very interested in running for the Senate in Indiana this year, but the DCCC hates to lose an incumbent in a district Republicans would likely pick up.

* Most of the potential Democratic candidates in Indiana are not well known statewide, and in a new Rasmussen poll, trail corporate lobbyist Dan Coats (R) in hypothetical general-election match-ups.

* In Kansas, there were real concerns that Sen. Sam Brownback (R) would run for governor effectively unopposed. Yesterday, however, state Sen. Tom Holland (D) announced he would take on the heavy favorite.

* In Vermont's gubernatorial race, Secretary of State Deb Markowtiz (D) has a narrow lead over Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie (R), 43% to 41%. Markowitz is part of a crowded Democratic primary field, but the other Dems trail Dubie in hypothetical match-ups.

* And in 2012 news, former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) seems pretty serious about running for president (yes, of the United States).

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Domestic terrorism in Austin? "A software engineer upset with the Internal Revenue Service set fire to his home Thursday and then flew his plane into a multistory office building that houses federal tax employees, authorities said. The pilot was presumed to have died in the crash, federal law enforcement officials said. At least two people were injured and a third person who worked in the building was unaccounted for, fire officials said."

* Pakistan: "A bomb blast at a mosque in Pakistan's northwestern tribal belt killed 29 people including some militants Thursday, underscoring the relentless security threat here even as Pakistani-U.S. cooperation against extremism appears on the upswing."

* Bernanke better know what he's doing: "The Federal Reserve, taking its first step to normalize lending after more than two years of extraordinary actions to prop up the economy, on Thursday raised the interest rate it charges banks on emergency loans."

* IAEA: "The United Nation's nuclear inspectors declared for the first time on Thursday that extensive information it has collected raised concerns of the Iran military's 'past or current undisclosed activities' to develop a nuclear weapon. The report was an unusually strongly-worded conclusion that seems certain to accelerate Iran's confrontation with much of the rest of the world."

* China won't care for this: "President Barack Obama welcomed the Dalai Lama for closely-watched White House talks Thursday, risking fallout in China over the get-together and Obama's statement supporting preservation of Tibet's identity and human rights."

* Heckuva job, Rudy: "Bernard B. Kerik, a former New York police commissioner who rose to national prominence, was sentenced to four years in prison on Thursday after pleading guilty to eight felony charges, including tax fraud and lying to White House officials."

* The health insurance industry doesn't want to get blamed for the steep premium increases being imposed by the health insurance industry on its customers. The White House is unimpressed.

* College, without high school.

* It sure must have been nice to be filthy rich during the Bush/Cheney era, knowing that Republican policymakers were looking out for you.

* Karl Rove, still not very bright.

* I'm always looking for sophisticated political analysis of video games. Adam Serwer picks up the slack.

* And finally, I know the big political story of the day is the start of the CPAC event in D.C., but I just didn't have the stomach for it today. I'll look forward to reading the coverage of those who were on hand for the gathering, but in the meantime Media Matters and the Media Matters Action Network offer some of the highlights (or lowlights, as the case may be).

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* It looks like Indiana Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D) really will run for the Senate, hoping to succeed Sen. Evan Bayh (D).

* On a related note, there is a complicating factor: Indiana's Democratic state central committee will not formally be able to choose a candidate until after May 4. If, however, Ellsworth becomes a consensus pick, and no other top-tier candidates step forward for consideration, he might be able to position himself as a de facto candidate well before the formal selection.

* President Obama will be in Nevada today, hoping to give Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D) struggling campaign a boost. The powerful pair will attend a town-hall meeting in Las Vegas, before speaking later to the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. Obama also joined Reid at a DNC fundraiser last night.

* South Carolina's gubernatorial race is getting a little clearer, at least on the Democratic side, with Mullins McLeod dropping out and endorsing state Sen. Vincent Sheheen, the frontrunner for the party nod.

* Speaking of South Carolina, remember Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer (R), who recently compared low-income families to stray animals? His burgeoning gubernatorial campaign released a new TV ad yesterday touting Bauer's support for ending "generational handouts."

* San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's (D) gubernatorial campaign didn't go especially well, but he's now considering running for lieutenant governor.

* The right-wing FreedomWorks group, led by Dick Armey, will throw its support to Utah's Mike Lee, who is challenging incumbent Sen. Bob Bennett in a Republican primary.

* A new poll out of Iowa shows Sen. Charles Grassley (R) with a 21-point lead over Roxanner Conlin (D), 56% to 35%.

* And in Pennsylvania, former U.S. Attorney and far-right loyal Bushie Mary Beth Buchanan (R) is running for Congress, and apparently doesn't like people talking about her suspicious prosecutorial judgment

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Case closed: "After seven frustrating years probing the deadly 2001 anthrax mailings, the FBI closed the case Friday, concluding a mentally unhinged government researcher acted alone in the attacks that killed five people and unnerved Americans nationwide."

* The mortgage crisis isn't over: "President Barack Obama used a campaign push for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Friday to announce a new fund to support homeowners in five states hit hardest by the housing crisis."

* In fact, the mortgage crisis may be shifting: "A mortgage crisis like the one that has devastated homeowners is enveloping the nation's office and retail buildings."

* Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) has a cancerous stomach tumor, but is expected to make a full recovery. He may miss some Senate votes, but intends to keep working throughout his treatments.

* Operation Iraqi Freedom becomes Operation New Dawn.

* When it comes to analysis of the federal budget, deficits, and government spending, Peggy Noonan is almost comically confused.

* The estimable Harold Pollack reminds us how truly ridiculous the Wall Street Journal's editorial page is on health care policy analysis.

* At CPAC, it's apparently not too soon to tell jokes about anti-government radicals flying airplanes into buildings.

* In tough times, states put Medicaid on the chopping block.

* Time for concealed weapons at college?

* In a depressing sign of the times, former Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga.) was booed at a CPAC panel today when he described waterboarding as torture.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Florida's closely watched GOP Senate primary, a new Rasmussen poll shows Marco Rubio building on his earlier leads, and now tops Florida Gov. Charlie Crist by 18 points, 54% to 36%.

* New York Gov. David Paterson (D) announced over the weekend that he will ignore everyone's advice and run for a second term. A new Siena College poll shows him trailing state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) in a primary by 42 points.

* Speaking of New York, the same Siena poll shows Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) leading her likely primary rival, Tennessee's Harold Ford Jr., 42% to 16%. Neither are especially well known statewide.

* In Pennsylvania, former Lt. Gov. Mark Singel (D) announced that he will run to succeed the late John Murtha in the 12th district. Murtha's widow, Joyce, will apparently not seek the seat.

* And speaking of the Keystone State, Rep. Jim Gerlach (R) got some good news when his primary challenger, Steve Welch, ended his campaign.

* Dispelling any rumors, Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), the House's longest-serving member, has announced he will seek re-election.

* Rep. C.W. Bill Young (R-Fla.) isn't retiring, either.

* Former representative and recently-released felon James Traficant (D-Ohio) is eyeing a comeback, but missed a filing deadline for candidates last week. Traficant may, however, still run as an independent.

* And Texas Rep. Ron Paul (R) won CPAC's 2012 straw poll on Saturday night.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "An airstrike launched Sunday by United States Special Forces helicopters against what international troops believed to be a group of insurgents ended up killing as many as 27 civilians in the worst such case since at least September, Afghan officials said Monday."

* Senate vote on jobs bill still set for later today, though whether Republicans will allow senators to vote on the stripped-down bill remains unclear.

* For those keeping score, there are now 21 Democratic senators who support using reconciliation to vote on a public option.

* New consumer protections on credit cards go into effect today.

* The next step on education policy: "President Obama will seek to raise academic standards across the country by requiring states to certify that their benchmarks for reading and mathematics put students on track for college or a career, administration officials said Sunday."

* I can only hope that Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) does not support terrorist acts against the government of the United States.

* Oklahoma's outrageous anti-abortion law has been deemed unconstitutional. Good.

* Foreign militaries that have made the transition to allowing openly gay service members have not endured disruptions. Unless the right thinks the American military is weaker than those foreign militaries, our transition shouldn't be a problem, either.

* The "Volcker rule" picks up endorsements from five former Treasury secretaries.

* Powerful piece from Adam Serwer: "Whereas al-Zawahiri and bin Laden turned to al-Sharif for a method to circumvent the plain language of the Koran, Bush and Cheney went to Yoo and Jay Bybee to circumvent the plain language of the law."

* I still find it hard to believe that the Washington Post hired Marc Thiessen as a columnist.

* ACORN undergoing some pretty significant institutional changes.

* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) seems to be getting more and more confused.

* Clarence Thomas hasn't said a word on the court in four years.

* Fact checking the Sunday shows.

* Bruce Bartlett makes Glenn Reynolds look pretty foolish.

* Even tenure isn't enough to shield professors from layoffs.

* Fox News hatchet-man Griff Jenkins loves being the ambusher, not the ambushee.

* Alexander Haig dies at age 85.

* Leonard Pitts Jr.: "To listen to talk radio, to watch TV pundits, to read a newspaper's online message board, is to realize that increasingly, we are a people estranged from critical thinking, divorced from logic, alienated from even objective truth.... [O]bjective reality does not change because you refuse to accept it. The fact that you refuse to acknowledge a wall does not change the fact that it's a wall. And you shouldn't have to hit it to find that out."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (D) got some good news today when a Quinnipiac poll showed him leading former Rep. John Kasich (R) by five, 44% to 39%."There has been an improvement in voters' views of Gov. Ted Strickland," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "The movement is a few points, but it is consistent across a number of measures."

* In Florida, a new Rasmussen poll shows Rep. Kendrick Meek (D), the likely Democratic candidate for the Senate this year, trailing both Republicans by wide margins.

* With Tea Party activist Jon Ashjian running for the Senate in Nevada, a new poll shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) in a more competitive position against his GOP challengers.

* Religious right leader James Dobson threw his support to Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) yesterday, further cementing Perry's support with the GOP's right-wing base.

* In related news, the latest survey from PPP shows Perry leading Texas' Republican gubernatorial primary by nine points over Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, 40% to 31%. Tea Party activist Debra Medina has seen her support slip, and the poll shows her with 20%.

* Disappointing Republicans in Connecticut, former Rep. Chris Shays (R) announced yesterday that he will not run for governor this year.

* In Maryland, Eric Wargotz is running for the Republican Senate nomination. Wargotz proclaimed over the weekend that he does not believe President Obama "was born in the United States."

* Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D) appears to have the inside edge among Democrats in Indiana's Senate race, but Rep. Baron Hill (D) acknowledged yesterday he's "open to the idea" of running for Senate.

* Former congressman and recently-released felon James Traficant has announced he's leaving the Democratic Party to run for Congress in Ohio as an independent.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Rough day for Toyota on Capitol Hill: "The president of Toyota's U.S. operations acknowledged to skeptical lawmakers on Tuesday that the company's recalls of millions of its cars may "not totally" solve the problem of sudden and dangerous acceleration."

* White House officially calls for health insurers to lose their anti-trust exemption.

* Dick Cheney apparently suffered his fifth heart attack yesterday, but is expected to be discharged from the hospital within a couple of days.

* Good to see House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) condemn Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) for his tacit support for last week's suicide bomber in Austin.

* In light of Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) bizarre remarks about having been misled about TARP policy in 2008, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) called the conservative senator's comments "pathetically untrue" and "cowardly." Harsh, to be sure, but true.

* California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) is unimpressed with his party's talking points on health care policy.

* This may not turn out well: "GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham confirmed Monday he is working with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to break the logjam on closing the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and bringing the prisoners to trial."

* For crying out loud: "A top Tea Party leader derided Barack Obama as 'our half white, racist president' in an email to colleagues."

* The Navy is prepared to lift its ban on female submarine crew members

* It may seem odd to incorporate YouTube in a college admissions process, but here we are.

* And on a personal note, today is, for lack of a better word, my "Blogoversary" -- I started blogging exactly seven years ago today. Given the relative youth of the medium, I guess this means I've been at it for quite a long while. Whether you've been reading for seven days or seven years, my most sincere thanks for the support.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Mitt Romney is under fire from the GOP's right-wing base for supporting Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) re-election campaign.

* In Pennsylvania, a new Franklin and Marshall poll shows former right-wing congressman Pat Toomey leading both Democratic candidates, Arlen Specter and Joe Sestak, by narrow margins. In both hypothetical match-ups, most voters remain undecided. More importantly, though, 63% of registered voters in the state believe Specter should not get another term.

* In Ohio, a new Quinnipiac poll shows a competitive open Senate race. Former Bush Budget Director Rob Portman leads Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D) by three (40% to 37%) and Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner (D) by five (40% to 35%).

* Former Sen. Lincoln Chafee is running for governor in Rhode Island as an independent, and an early poll shows him as the frontrunner to win.

* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) is taking more heat in his Senate campaign from members of his own party. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) is launching attack ads against Crist, while former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) has described Crist's support for economic recovery efforts as "unforgivable."

* In Texas' GOP gubernatorial primary, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison seems to think she's going to lose, an assessment borne out by all the recent polls. Chris Cillizza considers why Hutchison, who was supposed to be a strong contender, fell far short.

* DSCC Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said there will be no additional incumbents retiring this year.

* And as hard as it may be to believe, right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul, Rep. Ron Paul's (R-Texas) son, appears to be the clear frontrunner in Kentucky's GOP Senate primary. Despite overwhelming party support for Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson, yet another poll shows Paul way out in front.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Toyota sure is sorry.

* The House passed legislation today to end the anti-trust exemption for health insurance companies. The final vote was 406 to 19.

* Don't expect interest rates to go up anytime soon.

* Is it possible that Pakistan has really arrested half of the Afghan Taliban's leadership?

* If you want to watch tomorrow's health care summit, the cable news networks plan on offering all kinds of coverage.

* Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) is once again taking steps to kill health care reform over abortion.

* Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) wants the estate tax to be at the top of the Senate's priority list. Sometimes, these far-right lawmakers really are parodies of themselves.

* Facing congressional resistance, the "Volcker Rule" appears to be in trouble.

* Blackwater would be stripped of its federal funding if it "started registering black people to vote." Nice one, Serwer.

* I often wonder if Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) is a secret liberal who says stupid things on purpose to make Republicans look ridiculous.

* When Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) decides to go after Republicans, few progressive voices are as cutting and brutal.

* Birthers are apparently dominant in the Arizona legislature's state House GOP caucus.

* The higher education recession.

* It's hard not to wonder if the Washington Post regrets not looking into Marc Thiessen's record before the paper hired him.

* Remember that chain email that made the rounds about AirTran Flight 297? It was literally unbelievable before, and it's now completely debunked.

* Yes, tragically, Limbaugh's racism can get worse.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* There have been rumors about a story that would effectively ruin New York Gov. David Paterson's (D) re-election prospects. It was published in the NYT this morning.

* A possible scandal in Florida: "U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio charged grocery bills, repairs to the family minivan and purchases from a wine store less than a mile from his West Miami home to the Republican Party of Florida while he was speaker of the Florida House, according to records obtained by The Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times."

* Former Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D) of Tennessee tried to connect last night with gay-rights supporters in New York. Given Ford's repeated support for an anti-gay constitutional amendment, it didn't go well.

* In a web video, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is calling out his primary challenger, Rep. J.D. Hayworth for being a Birther. In a GOP primary in Arizona, this may not be effective.

* Sen. Robert Bennett (R) of Utah is already facing a primary challenge, and now that primary field is growing. Former Rep. Merrill Cook (R) will throw hit hat in the ring today.

* In New Mexico, Democratic Lt. Gov. Diane Denish appears to be the frontrunner in this year's gubernatorial race, at least according to the latest survey from Public Policy Polling.

* In Delaware, Rasmussen shows Rep. Mike Castle (R) leading in the open Senate race, leading Chris Coons (D) by 21 points, 53% to 32%.

* Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) will face his toughest challenger ever this year, with Morgan Griffith (R), the majority leader of the state House of Delegates, launching his campaign this week.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Paterson was out of friends and out of options: "Gov. David A. Paterson is set to announce that he will not seek election in the wake of reports that he and the State Police intervened in a domestic-assault case against a senior aide, according to a person told about the plans. He is expected to make the announcement this afternoon."

* Scuttlebutt is getting louder that Florida Gov. Charlie Crist will leave the GOP and run for the Senate as an independent. The governor's campaign described the rumors as "patently false."

* In Illinois, a Research 2000 poll conducted for Daily Kos shows state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) leading Rep. Mark Kirk (R) in their Senate race, 43% to 36%.

* The same poll shows Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) leading his Republican challengers by double digits, in Quinn's bid for a full term.

* A Suffolk poll in Massachusetts shows incumbent Gov. Deval Patrick's (D) support slipping statewide, though he still narrowly leads in a three-way contest. Patrick, who's running for re-election this year, has 33% support, followed by Republican Charlie Baker with 25%, and state Treasurer Tim Cahill, a former Dem running as an independent, with 23%.

* In Nevada, a Mason-Dixon poll shows incumbent Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) still trailing in his primary race against Brian Sandoval (R), but the margin is a little closer. A month ago, Sandoval led by 16 points. Now, his lead is down to seven points.

* In North Carolina, where Sen. Richard Burr (R) is considered vulnerable, a new Rasmussen poll shows him with comfortable leads over his Democratic challengers.

* The race to replace the late Rep. John Murtha (D) in Pennsylvania is still in flux, with former Lt. Gov. Mark Singel (D) unexpectedly quitting yesterday. The leading Dems are now former state Treasurer Barbara Hafer and former Murtha aide Mark Critz.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "Insurgents struck Friday at hotels in the heart of Kabul with suicide attackers and a car bomb, killing at least 16 people -- half of them foreigners -- in an assault that showed the militants remain a potent force despite setbacks on the battlefield and the arrest of more than a dozen key leaders."

* GDP: "The U.S. economy grew at a slightly faster pace than originally thought during the last three months of 2009, according to a government report Friday." The original report pointed to 5.7% growth; the revised report says the economy grew at an annual rate of 5.9% in Q4.

* New York Gov. David Paterson (D) won't seek re-election, but he intends to serve the rest of the year.

* Yoo seems to owe us some emails: "Senior Democrats and watchdog groups demanded Friday that the Justice Department investigate the disappearance of e-mail messages by Bush lawyers who drafted memos blessing harsh interrogation tactics, saying their absence cast doubt on an ethics report that cleared the lawyers of professional misconduct."

* The House ethics committee believes Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) violated House rules "that forbid hidden financing by corporations."

* In related news, the PMA Group probe appears to be complete: "The House ethics committee will clear seven members of Congress in a year-long probe that explored whether they may have violated ethics rules in steering hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds to contractors represented by one powerful defense lobby firm."

* It's as if Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) were a walking, talking case study on the desperate need for Senate reform.

* The Obama administration is "planning to use the government's enormous buying power to prod private companies to improve wages and benefits for millions of workers."

* Good advice from House Dems from former Rep. Marjorie Margolies (D-Pa.), who knows a little something about casting tough votes.

* Good to see SEIU's Andy Stern on the White House's debt commission.

* The White House will need a new social secretary.

* Did the Falwell-created Liberty University violate tax law? It sure looks like it.

* Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) hearts lobbyists.

* It's awfully big of the president to be this gracious towards Dick Cheney. Obama obviously has a lot of character, but I'm not sure I would be so classy if I were in his shoes.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Making things a little easier for Indiana Democrats, Rep. Baron Hill (D) announced over the weekend that he is not running for the Senate, and threw his support to Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D), who is now the frontrunner for the party's nod.

* On a related note, a Research 2000 poll conducted last week in Indiana shows Ellsworth trailing corporate lobbyist Dan Coats (R) in a hypothetical match-up, but only by one point, 37% to 36%. Ellsworth is still not well known statewide.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is still in a precarious re-election position, but a new Mason-Dixon poll shows him with a slight lead if a Tea Party candidate makes it a three-way race. In a head-to-head match-up, however, Reid still trails his top GOP challengers by double digits.

* In Maryland, where former Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R) may take on incumbent Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) in a rematch of their 2006 race, Rasmussen shows O'Malley up by six, 49% to 43%.

* In Delaware, a Research 2000 poll shows Rep. Mike Castle (R) with an 18-point lead over Chris Coons (D) in the state's open Senate race.

* Bush HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson, a former four-term Wisconsin governor, appears increasingly likely to take on Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) in November.

* Former Colorado Lt. Gov. Jane Norton (R), running for the Senate this year, brags in a new ad about eliminating funding for Planned Parenthood.

* With Rep. Dennis Moore (D) retiring in Kansas' 3rd, can Dems recruit a credible challenger and keep the seat? Maybe -- his wife, Stephene Moore, is apparently interested.

* And speaking of family affairs, DuBose Porter (D) is running in a competitive gubernatorial primary in Georgia this year, while his wife, Carol Porter (D), is running against Republican Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The official death toll in Chile stands at 723, with 19 others missing.

* As devastating as Chile's quake was, government regulations and preparations prevented it from being even worse.

* Uh oh: "Hazardous materials crews and the FBI were on the scene Monday at the IRS building in Ogden, Utah, where several people were subjected to decontamination showers.... The IRS confirmed that 'an unknown substance' was discovered but also gave no further details. Local news reports suggested that a suspicious white powder may have been found in mail delivered to the facility."

* Sen. Jim Bunning's (R-Ky.) tantrum is also hurting doctors in a serious way.

* Greece isn't out of the woods yet: "The commissioner for monetary affairs at the European Union, Olli Rehn, said Monday that austerity measures announced by the Greek government to stave off a mounting fiscal crisis were 'in the right direction' but not adequate to reduce a bloated budget deficit by 4 percent this year and tackle a debt crisis threatening the euro zone."

* President Obama has a rare opportunity to leave his mark on the Fed.

* Education on the agenda: "President Obama pledged today to tackle the dropout rate of American high school students, calling it an economic imperative if the United States intends to remain competitive in the global society."

* Let's just say cap-and-trade's future isn't looking very good.

* Republicans sure have voted in support of reconciliation a lot. It's enough to make me wonder if, perhaps, their whining is insincere now.

* As a connoisseur of John McCain's flip-flops, I can really appreciate how perfect this reversal is.

* Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) seems pretty annoyed at the media's reconciliation-related confusion. I don't blame him.

* Undergraduates just aren't interested in majoring in business anymore.

* If the Democrats' health care reform proposal goes easy on the insurance industry, why are they fighting so hard against it?

* Fact checking the Sunday shows.

* Rep. Nathan Deal (R) is resigning from Congress, ostensibly to focus his attention on his gubernatorial campaign. But there may be another explanation -- an embarrassing, ongoing ethics investigation.

* Keeping the Olympics in one permanent location? Where I have I heard that idea before?

* And for all the hyperventilating about snow fall disproving climate change, January 2010 was the warmest January ever recorded. Someone ought to let Inhofe know.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Penn.) got surprisingly good news in a new Quinnipiac poll, which shows him leading in both his primary and the general election. Specter, according to Quinnipiac, leads Rep. Joe Sestak (D), 53% to 29%, in the race for the Democratic nomination. The same poll shows the incumbent pulling ahead of former Rep. Pat Toomey, a right-wing Republican, 49% to 42%.

* Sen. John McCain (R) caught a bit of a break in Arizona yesterday, when four key Tea Party groups issued a statement saying they will not endorse anyone in the Senate GOP primary. McCain's Republican challenger, former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, is expected to generate more support from far-right activists like those in Tea Party organizations.

* Lt. Gov Bill Halter's (D) Senate campaign in Arkansas got off to a good start yesterday, with the AFL-CIO throwing its support to Halter over incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D). Labor groups and their allies have been at odds with Lincoln over a variety of issues, most notably her opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act.

* It's primary day in Texas, and the Republicans' gubernatorial contest is the marquee match-up. Expect incumbent Gov. Rick Perry (R) to do very well, but he'll need 50% to avoid a runoff.

* State Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) has been running for governor in California for a while now, but he's poised to make it official today. Brown served two terms as governor from 1975 until 1983.

* Confirming other recent polling in Rhode Island, Rasmussen shows former Sen. Lincoln Chafee, running as an independent, leading the state's gubernatorial race.

* Illinois Dems need a candidate to run for lieutenant governor, but they're not sure who to pick.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Chile: "As smaller tremors continued to jolt this earthquake-ravaged country, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton flew into Chile's damaged main airport on Tuesday morning, bearing a handful of satellite phones and promises of more help."

* As of today, the death toll from Chile's earthquake stands at 795 people.

* The other shoe falls on Paterson: "Gov. David A. Paterson personally directed two state employees to contact the woman who had accused his close aide of assaulting her, according to two people with direct knowledge of the governor's actions."

* Dodd (D-Conn.) and Corker (R-Tenn.) are nearing a deal to house a new consumer-protection regulator inside the Federal Reserve.

* On a related note, the compromise proposal isn't going over well.

* Toyota's loss is American auto manufacturers' gain.

* Liz Cheney's smear against Justice Department attorneys is literally disgusting, and I'm glad to see the attacks generate some pushback. "Keep America Safe" is beneath contempt.

* Some of you asked the other day for a rebuttal to Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) arguments at the health care summit. Ezra was up to the task, and his response is well worth reading.

* Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) will vote with far-right Republicans against health care reform. Not a big surprise.

* If health care reform fails, the whole country is in deep trouble, but rural communities will be hit especially hard.

* Given the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's dangerous approach to climate change, I'm glad to see Microsoft show some leadership on this.

* Wait, you mean O'Keefe and Breitbart didn't really have the goods? "Brooklyn prosecutors on Monday cleared ACORN of criminal wrongdoing after a four-month probe that began when undercover conservative activists filmed workers giving what appeared to be illegal advice on how to hide money." A law enforcement official said, "They edited the tape to meet their agenda." Imagine that.

* The Department of Education and the politics of failure.

* This worries me: "The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors right-wing extremist activity, finds 'that an astonishing 363 new Patriot groups appeared in 2009, with the totals going from 149 groups (including 42 militias) to 512 (127 of them militias) -- a 244% jump' from 2008.

* FDR's congressional majorities were much bigger than Obama's.

* Health care reform's success would be a boon to entrepreneurs. Christina Davidson isn't sure how quantify "how significantly that fear of being uninsured suppresses individual initiative," but we have the answer.

* And in case there's any lingering doubt, real live literal filibusters still aren't a realistic option, no matter how appealing they may seem.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Texas Gov. Rick Perry easily won his Republican gubernatorial primary yesterday, defeating Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison by more than 20 points. Hutchison conceded last night, and there will be no runoff.

* On a related note, Texas Democrats nominated former Houston Mayor Bill White as their gubernatorial nominee. Despite the state's obvious political leanings, the Democratic Governors Association released a memo yesterday entitled, "Why Democrats can win Texas." It touted White as an "outsider who can bring people together" while portraying Perry in the Republican primary as having "sprinted to the far right."

* As for Kay Bailey Hutchison, she announced her plans months ago to step down from the Senate, whether her gubernatorial campaign was successful or not. While Republicans in D.C. hope to convince her to change her mind, if Hutchison keeps her promise, Perry will appoint a temporary senator to serve until November.

* Billionaire media mogul Mort Zuckerman announced yesterday that he will not run for the Senate in New York this year, despite Republican overtures. The announcement came just a few hours after a statewide poll showing Zuckerman trailing Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) by 33 points.

* Businessman Jon Ashjian today filed to run for the Senate in Nevada on the Tea Party ballot line, all but assuring a three-way contest in Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's re-election bid.

* In Pennsylvania, a Quinnipiac poll shows state Attorney General Tom Corbett as the leading Republican gubernatorial candidate. There are several candidates in the Democratic field, but the poll shows no clear favorite.

* The AFL-CIO is working on creating a "firewall" strategy that the union hopes will help prevent a Republican takeover of Congress.

* In Georgia, former Gov. Roy Barnes (D) is running to get his old job back, and the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows him with narrow leads over the GOP field.

* Former Rep. Joe Schwarz (R.), defeated in a GOP primary a few years ago for not being right-wing enough, is launching a gubernatorial campaign in Michigan this year.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iraq: "Three powerful suicide bombings killed at least 33 people and wounded more than 50 Wednesday in the restive Diyala province northeast of Baghdad, authorities said. Most of those killed and wounded were Iraqi police officers charged with securing the province's capital city ahead of elections Sunday. "

* Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) announced a "leave of absence" from his powerful post as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee today. Whether he'll ever get his gavel back remains unclear.

* Marriage equality reaches the nation's capital. Western civilization remains unaffected.

* Matters get slightly worse for New York Gov. David Paterson (D).

* Greece tried to alleviate creditors' fears today with a new $6.5 billion austerity plan.

* Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) is blaming Harry Reid for Bunning's five-day hostage standoff over unemployment benefits.

* On a related note, Kevin Drum explains, "Bunning is a moron."

* Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), the co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, is threatening to vote with far-right Republicans to kill health care reform. This isn't the first time Grijalva has talked like this.

* I was very sorry to hear that the blogger known as "Jon Swift" has died.

* Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is not above trying to connect his hatred for gays to his opposition to federal wage requirements.

* As part of our ongoing coverage of SUNY Binghamton's troubling transition to Division I athletics, the school announced this week that its basketball team will not be participating in the America East tournament this year.

* Leave Grant's picture on the $50 alone.

* And finally, Rod Blagojevich was -- in all seriousness -- the "guest of honor at a Northwestern University panel on ethics in politics last night." The disgraced former governor reportedly "elicited laughs from the audience -- and not necessarily intentionally."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Kentucky, Senate candidate Jack Conway (D) is exploiting outrage surrounding Sen. Jim Bunning's (R) latest tantrum in a new campaign ad.

* Speaking of new campaign ads, Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) unveiled her first re-election ad this morning. Lincoln, who's facing a primary opponent, boasts in the spot about her opposition to bailouts, the public option, and cap-and-trade. Lincoln also reminds voters, "I don't answer to my party; I answer to Arkansas."

* In the meantime, Lincoln is losing progressive allies at a rapid clip. First it was key labor unions; now it's EMILY's list.

* In North Dakota, Gov. John Hoeven (R) looks to be a very strong Senate candidate, and this week, his most credible Democratic challenger, former state Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp (D), decided not to run.

* The right-wing Club for Growth continues to go after Sen. Robert Bennett (R) in Utah, launching a new ad accusing Bennett of supporting bailouts, wasteful spending, and health care reform. The incumbent senator is facing several primary opponents, but the Club for Growth is not formally backing any of the challengers.

* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is going on the offensive against his primary opponent, former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, reminding voters of Hayworth's role in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.

* The DCCC had hoped Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), chairman of the National Republican Campaign Committee, might be vulnerable this year. After some disappointing primary results this week, Dems are turning their attention elsewhere.

* Rep. Dan Boren (D), easily one of Congress' most conservative Democrats, may represent a heavily-Republican district, but he nevertheless seems like a safe bet for re-election.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iraq: "Iraq opened its polls early on Thursday for hundreds of thousands of soldiers and police officers responsible for protecting the country's electorate, and they came under assault themselves. In all, three attacks in Baghdad, two in Mosul and another in Diyala struck near polling stations where Iraqi forces mustered to vote, a potentially ominous foreshadowing of the violence extremists have vowed to carry out in an effort to mar Sunday's pivotal election of a new parliament."

* Jobs bill: "Democrats' jobs agenda is moving again after stalling briefly, as the House passed one measure designed to boost employment Thursday and the Senate pressed forward on another. The House voted Thursday afternoon, 217-201, to approve a $15 billion jobs measure whose centerpiece is a Social Security tax break for companies hiring new employees. Six Republicans joined the vast majority of Democrats to approve the bill."

* Still not good, but slightly better: "Claims for U.S. jobless benefits dropped last week from a three-month high, pointing to an improvement in the labor market that is slow to develop."

* You know who'll win if health care loses? Wellpoint.

* Robocalls as part of the NRCC's "code red" program: "National Republicans are planning to unleash a huge wave of robocalls tomorrow targeting dozens of House Dems and warning their constituents that Obama and Nancy Pelosi are plotting to 'ram' their 'dangerous' health reform plans through Congress."

* On a related note, the robocalls are filled with deceptive claims. Try to contain your surprise.

* New chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee: Rep. Sander Levin (D) of Michigan.

* The House approved a resolution yesterday characterizing the Feb. 18 suicide plane attack in Austin as "terrorism." The final vote was 408-2. Both opponents were Republicans.

* Craig Becker may yet join the National Labor Relations Board.

* Well, that's creative: Bibles for porn.

* Get well soon, Michael Froomkin.

* For crying out loud: "A Louisiana sheriff plans to arm volunteers with shotguns, riot shields, batons, and a .50-caliber machine gun mounted on a 'war wagon,' as part of 'Operation Exodus,' a program to provide security in the event of a terrorist attack or civic unrest."

* I have to admit, I enjoy these stories immensely: "It's no good for a family values Republican to get picked up on a DWI. But substantially worse to get picked up for a DWI after leaving a gay nightclub with an unidentified man in a state vehicle."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rep. William Delahunt (D) of Massachusetts has been rumored as a likely retirement for quite some time, and last night, we learned that the incumbent lawmaker will not seek re-election in November.

* Texas is obviously friendly territory for Republicans on a statewide basis, but a Rasmussen poll shows incumbent Gov. Rick Perry (R) leading Houston Mayor Bill White (D) by only six points, 49% to 43%. Both Perry and White won their respective primary contests this week.

* Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) is facing an uphill re-election fight, but her campaign got a bit of a boost yesterday when former President Bill Clinton announced he will support Lincoln.

* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's (R) criticism of Marco Rubio (R) is getting a little more aggressive as Crist falls further behind in their Senate primary. The governor said of the former House Speaker, "When this guy calls himself the real conservative in the race, I've got to point out that it's the opposite."

* In Arizona, former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R) is using the movie Avatar to go after Sen. John McCain (R). A new ad depicts McCain with a blue face, and features copy that reads, "John McCain, nominee for Best Conservative Actor."

* Speaking of McCain, it seems the team that ran his 2008 presidential campaign has largely signed on as aides to Tim Cahill's independent gubernatorial campaign in Massachusetts.

* Kentucky Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo (D) has launched his first TV ad in support of his Senate campaign, and like his primary challenger, he's exploiting public disappointment in Republican Sen. Jim Bunning's recent antics.

* In Pennsylvania, Rep. Joe Sestak's (D) Senate primary bid hasn't had much to celebrate lately, so the campaign was no doubt delighted to see an endorsement from the National Organization for Women.

* And in Wyoming, it looks like Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D) will not seek a third term. The Democratic bench in the state is a little thin, and Republicans expect to win the governorship in Freudenthal's absence.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iraq's cautious, careful embrace of democratic elections.

* G.M.: "General Motors said Friday that it planned to reinstate 661 dealers that it cut last year as part of its bankruptcy reorganization. The number is more than half of the nearly 1,100 dealers who challenged G.M. termination decision."

* U.S. nuclear policy at a crossroads.

* Turkey really isn't happy about this: "A congressional committee voted Thursday to label as "genocide" the Ottoman-era slaughter of Armenians, shrugging off a last-minute warning from Obama administration officials that it would alienate Turkey, a key U.S. ally."

* Keep a very close eye on what Rep. Bart Gordon (D) of Tennessee has to say about health care reform.

* In the wake of the "fear-gate" controversy, DNC Chairman Tim Kaine urges the Republican National Committee to "clean house."

* The floor fight will no doubt be far more difficult, but I was glad to see the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday approve Dawn Johnsen's nomination to head the Office of Legal Counsel.

* CNN's Wolf Blitzer did a real disserve to his audience and to his network yesterday with his coverage of the Liz Cheney's McCarthyite smears against Justice Department attorneys.

* Sen. Tom Coburn's (R-Okla.) obstructionist tactics are interfering with peace efforts in Northern Uganda. Fortunately, some are beginning to notice.

* National Journal often does good work. Its ideological rankings for lawmakers are an exception.

* Sensible people don't compare health care reform to the Bataan Death March.

* Stay classy, Cato Institute.

* Post-Bush military readiness is one of those issues that deserves more attention.

* Despite perceptions, Gen X professors want tenure, too.

* Remember, as far as Fox News is concerned, Republican activist/faux journalist Megyn Kelly is a neutral, independent media professional. Riiiiight.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Nevada, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) continues to struggle in his re-election bid. The latest Rasmussen poll shows him trailing both of his Republican challengers by double digits. The poll did not, however, include a Tea Party candidate in the mix.

* It took a surprisingly long time, but Illinois state Sen. Bill Brady was finally declared the winner of the Republican gubernatorial primary. Brady, who will face Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn in November, ended up beating state Sen. Kirk Dillard by 193 votes.

* In Colorado, Rasmussen shows incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet (D) struggling against former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton (R). Bennet's primary challenger, Andrew Romanoff, fares better.

* A new SurveyUSA poll in Kentucky shows Rand Paul (R) and Dan Mongiardo (D) leading their respective Senate primary campaigns.

* Former Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R) appears to be moving closer to a rematch against Gov. Martin O'Malley (D).

* Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa) was rumored as a possible retirement, but he's filed for re-election.

* Dan Kildee (D) has ended his gubernatorial campaign in Michigan.

* And in Minnesota, Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) is gearing up for a presidential campaign, but his constituents aren't exactly impressed -- Pawlenty's approval rating has dropped to 42%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The bottom falls out: the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Florida Gov. Charlie Crist trailing Marco Rubio in a Republican Senate primary by 32 points, 60% to 28%.

* Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), this year's chairman on the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said yesterday's he feels "honor-bound" to stick with his endorsement of Crist, but Cornyn didn't sound happy about it.

* In related news, Crist's new criticism of Rubio has him talking about his opponent possibly charging a "back wax" to the state GOP.

* In Colorado, Rasmussen shows former Rep. Scott McInnis (R) leading Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) in this year's gubernatorial campaign, 48% to 42%.

* In Ohio, Rasmussen also shows former Bush Budget Director Rob Portman (R) with narrow leads over his Democratic challengers in this year's Senate race, topping Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner by about five points each.

* The Pennsylvania Democratic Party Executive Committee formally chose Mark Critz to run in the special election to fill John Murtha's vacancy. Critz, a former Murtha aide, will face a still unnamed Republican challenger on May 18.

* It wasn't unexpected, but in case there were any lingering doubts, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) formally filed his paperwork in Las Vegas yesterday to run for re-election.

* Right-wing activist Doug Hoffman, who lost a closely watched special election in New York's 23rd last year, will try again in November. Hoffman, who'll face Rep. Bill Owens (D) in a rematch, hopes to win the nominations of the Republican, Conservative, and Independence parties.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Israel puts Biden in an awkward spot: "Hours after Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. vowed unyielding American support for Israel's security here on Tuesday, Israel's interior ministry announced 1,600 new housing units for Jews in East Jerusalem."

* But Biden does the right thing: "'I condemn the decision by the government of Israel to advance planning for new housing units in East Jerusalem. The substance and timing of the announcement, particularly with the launching of proximity talks, is precisely the kind of step that undermines the trust we need right now and runs counter to the constructive discussions that I've had here in Israel,' Biden said in a statement released while he was having dinner with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at his residence. 'We must build an atmosphere to support negotiations, not complicate them.'"

* Same-sex couples start getting married in the nation's capital. Civilization remains intact.

* Speaking of D.C., health care reform advocates took to the streets in protest today.

* Must-read: "Leading Congressional Republicans are arguing that getting tough on terrorism means trying all foreign terrorism suspects before military commissions. But national security officials who served in the Bush administration say that taking away the criminal justice option would weaken the government's hand."

* Hoping to keep the RNC's so-called "Fear-gate" controversy going, the DNC sets up a "Fight the Fear" site.

* The White House honors International Women's Day.

* Bringing ROTC back to Stanford.

* Negotiating with Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) is made more difficult by the fact that he doesn't quite have his facts straight.

* Senate Republicans sure used to love the reconciliation process.

* The new attack ad against health care reform is filled with inaccurate claims. Try to contain your surprise.

* Some of you may be too young to remember this, but 14 years ago, rabid anti-Clinton Republicans thought "File-gate" was a major scandal, worthy of an extensive federal investigation. All these years later, we learned today that the controversy was ... without merit. Is it too late for an "I told you so"?

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A new national AP poll shows Democrats leading Republicans by six, 44% to 38%, on the generic congressional ballot.

* Scandal-plagued right-wing activist Ralph Reed (R) considered running for Congress in Georgia this year, but announced this morning he will remain in the private sector.

* In Nevada, Jon Scott Ashjian is running for the Senate as a Tea Party candidate, and it's not entirely surprising that Republicans are attacking him as a phony. Both of the leading GOP candidates are accusing Ashjian of being a Democratic plant, intended to split the right.

* In Michigan, Connie Saltonstall, a former teacher and county commissioner, announced yesterday she will take on Rep. Bart Stupak in a Democratic primary. The election will be in early August.

* Speaking of primaries, Rep. Mike Castle (R) was expected to cruise to his party's Senate nomination in Delaware this year, but conservative activist Christine O'Donnell is poised to take him on in a GOP primary. O'Donnell was the Republican nominee against Joe Biden in 2008. Castle remains the odds-on favorite.

* Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio is launching his first television ad today. It will run on Fox News stations across the state.

* And in Arkansas, Republicans had high hopes of picking up Rep. Marion Berry's (D) seat after the incumbent announced his retirement, but with the filing deadline having come and gone, and with no credible GOP candidates getting into the race, independent observers now believe Dems will likely keep the seat.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* House Speaker Pelosi was asked if believed the House would end up having the votes to pass health care reform. "Yes," Pelosi said. "If we took it up today, yes."

* Look for a new CBO score on the latest health care proposal within the next 24 hours.

* Not bad: "Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia posted net gains in employment in January, the Labor Department reported Wednesday, providing further evidence that the economy is slowly gaining momentum."

* A long-term commitment: "Even as the United States military withdraws the forces it sent urgently to Haiti after its devastating earthquake in January, President Obama on Wednesday pledged a lasting commitment to aid and assistance."

* Good for the House: "House Democratic leaders banned Wednesday the practice of doling out multimillion-dollar, no-bid contracts to private contractors, a move that will shake up the lobbying industry that has come to rely on securing these so-called earmarks for their corporate clients."

* Education: "Culminating a year's work, a panel of educators convened by the nation's governors and state school superintendents released a set of proposed common academic standards on Wednesday. The standards, posted on the panel's web site, lay out the panel's vision of what American public school students should learn in math and English, year by year, from kindergarten to high school graduation."

* Eyeing earmarks: "House Democratic leaders said on Wednesday that they would no longer dole out budget 'earmarks' to profit-making companies, wiping out one of the most lucrative and controversial means of awarding no-bid contracts to private firms."

* Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is eyeing filibuster reform, too. Look for the first hearing in the Rules and Administration Committee before the end of the month.

* Great piece from Ben Brandzel, of MoveOn or Organizing for America fame, on progressives and health care reform.

* With the arrest of the blond-haired, blue-eyed Colleen Renee LaRose, it looks like all terrorists don't look alike. Someone ought to let Steve Doocy know.

* Things get a little worse for Eric Massa.

* No, right-wing media, the president is not trying to ban sport fishing.

* It doesn't get a lot of attention, but a provision of the Senate health care plan allows states to pursue single-payer, if they so choose.

* As a rule, public universities are public for a reason.

* Alas, Rush Limbaugh won't go into exile if health care reform becomes law. He will, however, rely on Costa Rica's socialized system.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The bad news just keeps on coming for Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's (R) Senate campaign. Yet another poll, this time from Insider Advantage/Florida Times-Union, shows him trailing Marco Rubio in their Republican primary by a whopping 34 points, 60% to 26%.

* Former Colorado Lt. Gov. Jane Norton, the leading Republican candidate for the Senate this year, recently told a right-wing crowd that she considers Social Security an untrustworthy "Ponzi scheme."

* Speaking of Colorado, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) out in front of former Rep. Scott McInnis (R) in this year's gubernatorial race, 50% to 39%.

* In Illinois, Rasmussen shows state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) leading Rep. Mark Kirk (R) in this year's Senate race, 44% to 41%.

* Leading neocon Dan Senor, the former top spokesman for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, is apparently thinking seriously about running for the Senate in New York this year as a Republican. He would take on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).

* For her part, Gillibrand doesn't sound especially worried about Senor, given his discrediting role in the Bush administration.

* There are plenty of incumbent Senate Democrats who are vulnerable this year. Sen. Ron Wyden (D) of Oregon isn't one of them.

* In Connecticut, former Stamford mayor Dannel Malloy will take on Ned Lamont in a Democratic gubernatorial primary. It will be Malloy's second attempt at the office.

* Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, a leading GOP gubernatorial candidate in California, hasn't quite figured out how to work with the press. Yesterday, she invited reporters to a public appearance, but when they asked questions, Whitman had security escort them away. Odd.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Vote-counting in Iraq is a contentious process. Maliki seems to have the early lead.

* A 7.2-magnitude aftershock in Chile, coinciding with President Sebastian Pinera's inauguration.

* Vice President Biden leaves Israel on an uneasy note.

* Getting worse slower: "The foreclosure crisis isn't over, but the pace of growth may finally be slowing down."

* Still too high, but it's good to see a drop in initial unemployment filings.

* With his eyes on the calendar, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) is prepared to move ahead with financial regulatory reform next week without Republicans.

* A key development to keep an eye on: "Senate Democrats said Thursday that they are inclined to add an overhaul of the nation's student loan program to the final health-care bill."

* Meet 11-year-old Marcelas Owens.

* Rep. Mike Capuano (D-Mass.) is considering betrayal on health care reform. Sounds like his constituents might want to touch base with him.

* The Holder disclosure story hardly seems worth far-right excitement.

* The final vote on this was 356-65: "In an overwhelming show of bipartisan support for President Obama's troop surge in Afghanistan, the House on Wednesday soundly defeated a resolution setting a timetable for withdrawal."

* President Obama gives away his Nobel Prize money.

* A rebuke for the RNC's outrageous fundraising tactics: "The House has voted 416-0 to ban misleading mailers designed to look like official communications from the Census Bureau of the kind that two national Republican groups recently sent out. "

* The tragedy of Juanita Goggins.

* I don't much care if Chief Justice John Roberts didn't like the State of the Union address.

* Interesting study: having a black instructor in the sciences makes black students more likely to actually follow through and graduate from college with degrees in math or science.

* Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) will headline this year's Netroots Nation conference in July.

* And finally, Glenn Beck and followers think you, personally, are dangerous. (This is just for fun, but the video does a great job of actually incorporating your name into the clip.)

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Pennsylvania, a new Research 2000 poll shows Sen. Arlen Specter (D) building on his earlier leads over his primary challenger, Rep. Joe Sestak, with Specter now up by 19 points. Perhaps more importantly, the poll also shows Specter leading former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) by six, 47% to 41%.

* In Colorado, a new survey from Public Policy Polling has Sen. Michael Bennet (D) looking surprisingly competitive, after months of tepid support. Bennett is now tied with the Republican front-runner, far-right former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton, at 43% each. The appointed senator leads the other GOP contenders by six to eight points. Andrew Romanoff, Bennett's primary challenger, fares slightly better against all the Republican candidates.

* In California, a Research 2000 poll shows Meg Whitman leading the Republicans gubernatorial primary, but trailing Jerry Brown (D) by four points in a general-election match-up, 45% to 41%.

* The same survey shows Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) leading her likely GOP challengers by margins ranging from four to 10 points.

* And speaking of California, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (D) will announce today that he's running for lieutenant governor.

* In Michigan's Republican gubernatorial primary, Rep. Pete Hoekstra leads the large field in a new poll conducted for Michigan's Booth Newspapers. State Attorney General Mike Cox, once considered the frontrunner, has slipped to third in the survey.

* Polls show Sen. David Vitter (R) looking strong in his re-election bid in Louisiana, but Dems continue to consider him vulnerable. Rep. Charlie Melancon's (D) campaign is touting an internal poll showing the challenger within striking distance.

* Doug Hoffman is running again in New York's 23rd, and this time, he's going to try actually living in the congressional district.

* Businessman Tim Burns will be the GOP candidate in the special election in Pennsylvania's 12th district, a race to replace the late Rep. John Murtha (D). Burns will face Mark Critz (D), a was a top aide to Murtha.

* In 2012 news, it sure doesn't sound like Mike Huckabee intends to run for president.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Pakistan: "In the fifth terrorist attack this week in Pakistan, extremists set off twin suicide bombs Friday in the eastern city of Lahore, killing at least 43 people, a reminder of the continued threat to the country despite an overall fall in violence."

* Clinton has some stern words for Israel: "Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton warned Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Friday that Israel had sent a "deeply negative signal" about the U.S.-Israeli relationship and urged him to take immediate steps to demonstrate it was interested in renewing efforts at a Middle East peace agreement."

* Baby steps: "February was hardly an ideal month for retailers: snowstorms blanketed many parts of the country, and car dealerships faced an uproar over safety concerns. But sales for the month still rose solidly, the government reported Friday, raising hopes that Americans were growing more confident about the economy."

* Sens. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) had a 45-minute meeting with President Obama yesterday to discuss immigration reform. Graham thinks a bill is possible, but not if Democrats pass a budget fix to health care reform through reconciliation.

* On a related note, a good primer on reconciliation -- in just 85 seconds.

* Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) conceded today that his bloc of pro-life Democratic votes on health care is starting to crack a little.

* Expect a House vote on health care by Friday or Saturday.

* The Obama administration eyes Janet Yellen as the new vice chairwoman of the Federal Reserve. Krugman approves.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) wife and daughter were in a serious car accident yesterday. The daughter has been released from the hospital, but Reid's wife underwent surgery today.

* It appears Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) isn't especially effective as a lawmaker -- of the 97 bills Kucinich has sponsored since taking office over a decade ago, only three have become law, while 93 "didn't even make it out of committee."

* Are career colleges the way to boost additional graduates in the U.S. by 2020.

* A Mississippi school district cancelled its prom to prevent a lesbian couple from attending. The ACLU is suing.

* Karl Rove loves torture.

* Quite a lurid story: "The Majority Leader of the Utah House took a nude hot-tub with a 15-year old employee, then paid her $150,000 and had her pledge to keep quiet, he admitted yesterday."

* And wouldn't you know it, Limbaugh hates "social justice," too.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* With a closely-watched Senate race in Nevada this year, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) re-election prospects may depend, at least in part, on whether there's a Tea Party candidate splitting the right. At this point, the Tea Party of Nevada is apparently in the midst of an intense conflict with Tea Party Nation -- the latter believes the former is phony.

* In Illinois' key Senate race, Rep. Mark Kirk (R) launched his first television ad of the general election today. He uses the word "Republican," but also highlights the word "independent" in an on-screen graphic.

* Florida's gubernatorial campaign is eight months away, but neither state Attorney General Bill McCollum (R) nor state CFO Alex Sink (D) are especially well known.

* Carly Fiorina's (R) increasingly odd Senate campaign in California seems to have a real fondness for creating bizarre web videos.

* Corporate D.C. lobbyist Dan Coats (R), running for the Senate in Indiana, claims to hate the 2008 financial industry bailout. His lobbying record, however, paints a different picture.

* Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero's (D) gubernatorial campaign in Michigan got a boost on Friday when the state AFL-CIO endorsed him.

* And in 2012 news, Minnesotans have seen Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) up close for two terms, and a majority of them have no intention of supporting his presidential campaign. Probably not a good sign.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Mexico: "President Barack Obama is 'deeply saddened and outraged' at news of the murders of a federal employee and two relatives of workers at the U.S. consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, an administration spokesman said."

* Netanyahu is sorry U.S. officials are upset, but Israel isn't changing course: "In the face of sharp American disapproval of an Israeli plan for an East Jerusalem building project, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu firmly rejected Monday any curbs on new Jewish settlements in and around Jerusalem."

* And predictably, GOP leaders are attacking the Obama administration for being unhappy with Israel.

* Step one is done: the House Budget Committee voted 21 to 16 this afternoon to send the final health care reform package to the House Rules Committee. Two Blue Dogs -- Texas's Chet Edwards and Florida's Allen Boyd -- voted with Republicans. Both voted against reform in November.

* Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) kicks off his initiative to reform the way Wall Street does business. The White House is pleased. More surprisingly, Elizabeth Warren seems to like the plan, too.

* Good to see industrial production edge up.

* Eyeing an overhaul of No Child Left Behind.

* Student aid bill "hobbles forward."

* Fantastic interview with Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens from Jeff Toobin. Of particular interest: Stevens will retire before the end of Obama's first term.

* Fareed Zakaria on the success of Obama's approach to Pakistan.

* After Rep. Dennis Kucinich's (D-Ohio) votes against health care, against the hate crimes bill, against the Democratic budget, against the cap-and-trade bill, and against financial regulation, Nate Silver considers the liberal lawmaker's value to the Democratic Party.

* Utah's House Republican majority leader resigned in the wake of his under-age, hush-money, hot-tub scandal. Probably a good idea.

* Fact Checking the Sunday Shows.

* Harry Reid issued a statement today, noting that he still expects his wife to make a "full recovery."

* And on a related note, I'm reminded why I don't miss reading right-wing blogs: one relatively prominent conservative blogger suggested, in print, that Reid's wife should be "euthanized." He was apparently making an insane observation about why he hates health care reform.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The GOP strategist behind the Willie Horton ads in 1988 is now going after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). The new spot accuses Reid of being supported by Arab slave-masters.

* Sen. Arlen Specter's (D-Pa.) primary campaign got a boost yesterday with an endorsement from the Pennsylvania chapter of the Service Employees International Union.

* Speaking of labor endorsements, Sen. Michael Bennet's (D-Colo.) primary campaign also got a boost yesterday with an endorsement from the Colorado chapter of AFSCME.

* On a related note, today is a key day for Bennet's campaign, with Colorado hosting its first round of precinct caucuses across the state.

* And in still more Colorado news, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Bennet leading his Democratic primary challenger, Andrew Romanoff, by six, 40% to 34%.

* As the far-right wing of the GOP rallies against Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), probably feeling a sense of obligation, has agreed to campaign alongside her former running mate later this month.

* In California, Senate hopeful Carly Fiorina supported cap-and-trade, right up until she started running for office as a Republican.

* And in North Carolina, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows no clear favorite in the crowded Democratic Senate primary. NC Secretary of State Elaine Marshall (D) is out in front, but her support is only at 20%. Former state Senator Cal Cunningham (D) is second with 16%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Israel: "The discord between the United States and Israel over Jewish building in East Jerusalem deepened Tuesday with Israeli officials rejecting demands by Washington and expressing anger over the public upbraiding of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by the Obama administration. On a day of scattered -- although, in spots, fierce -- disturbances by Palestinians in East Jerusalem, news emerged that Israel was moving ahead with a second building project there."

* Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. troops in the Middle East and South Asia, had a nuanced answer for the Senate Armed Services Committee on DADT repeal, but he acknowledged for the first time that "the time has come" to consider scrapping the existing policy.

* Don't expect interest rates to go up any time soon: "The Federal Reserve on Tuesday repeated its pledge to hold interest rates at record lows to foster the economic recovery and ease high unemployment."

* Nice to see a boost in consumer sentiment, for a change.

* Words of wisdom from Attorney General Eric Holder to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science.

* Important piece on U.S. Central Command and the "Israeli intransigence on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict" that is jeopardizing U.S. standing in the Middle East.

* There's a fascinating tale behind the gun used at the Pentagon shooting two weeks ago. The madman, John Patrick Bedell, was able to get the gun without a background check -- which would have prevented the sale -- at a Las Vegas gun show, taking advantage of the gun-show loophole.

* The burden of higher-ed costs on students and their families in California is pretty extraordinary.

* And demonstrating the kind of dignity we've come to expect from House Republicans, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) spoke on the House floor today and said the health care reform legislation should be eaten ... and then "passed." Stay classy, Louie.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), facing an uphill re-election fight and a tough primary challenge, has a new television ad out this week that knocks labor unions. Seems like an odd strategy in advance of a Democratic primary.

* In the fight in Colorado between appointed Sen. Michael Bennet and former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff for the Democratic Senate nomination, the first round goes to the challenger.

* In Connecticut, once thought to be a key Republican pick-up opportunity, a new Quinnipiac poll shows state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) with leads of about 34 points over the top GOP candidates. In the Republican primary, wrestling executive Linda McMahon is now in the lead.

* On the national level, progressive groups are beginning to get more seriously involved in a primary fight against Rep. Bart Stupak (D) in Michigan.

* A new Field Poll in California shows Meg Whitman (R) way out in front over Steve Poizner (R) in the Republican gubernatorial primary, and enjoying a narrow edge over state Attorney General Jerry Brown (D).

* Speaking of California, if Rasmussen is to be believed, Sen. Barbara Boxer's (D-Calif.) re-election bid is still struggling, and her lead over the Republican field ranges from two to six points.

* New York Republicans are still struggling to find a credible challenger to take on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) in November. Yesterday, former Rep. Joe DioGuardi (R) kicked off his campaign. DioGuardi, who served two terms in the House more than two decades ago, is best known as the father of one of the "American Idol" judges.

* Will former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) take on Sen. Russ Feingold (D) this year? Thompson, who also served as Bush's HHS Secretary and ran an unsuccessful presidential campaign, said the odds are "50-50."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Pakistan: "Suspected U.S. drones fired missiles at vehicles and hit a militant hide-out in a tribal region of northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing at least nine insurgents, two officials said."

* Expect a CBO score on health care reform tonight. Probably. We think.

* President Obama will appear at his fourth health care rally in two weeks on Friday, this time appearing at George Mason University in Virginia.

* Good: "The drive to pass health care legislation intersected with calls for President Obama's proposed overhaul of the student loan system on the sun-soaked steps of the Capitol on Wednesday. House Democrats plan to tack a student loan package onto the health care bill in order to get the controversial overhaul through the chamber."

* A Republican effort to freeze on earmarks for a year came to an abrupt halt yesterday, when the Senate voted 68 to 29 to defeat a one-year moratorium on earmarks. Fifteen Republicans opposed the idea.

* Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao (R-La.) became the second House Republican to sign on as a co-sponsor of a measure to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

* Fox News and other opponents of health care reform have taken to making up surveys and falsely attributing them to the New England Journal of Medicine.

* The American Graduation Initiative lacks some necessary support.

* Rep. John Shadegg, a right-wing Republican from Arizona, was part of a bizarre interview on MSNBC this morning, in which Shadegg seemed to endorse a public option, and expressed surprising sympathy for single-payer.

* And speaking of odd interviews, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) undermined his own party's talking points this, conceding on ABC this morning that the "deem and pass" approach being considered for health care reform is entirely legitimate. "The rules of the House allow for this type of deeming provision, it's called a self-executing provision which means that once the bill, the rule for the next bill passes, the Senate bill is automatically is deemed as having passed," Cantor explained.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* New York's gubernatorial race will likely get a significant shake-up when Long Island Democrat Steve Levy runs as a Republican.

* Support for Connie Saltonstall, who is challenging Rep. Bart Stupak (Mich.) in a Democratic primary, keeps growing -- the National Organization for Women is now getting behind Saltonstall's campaign.

* If Rasmussen is to be believed, Sen. John McCain's (R) lead over his Arizona primary challenger, former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, is slipping -- McCain is now up by seven, 48% to 41%.

* The latest survey from Public Policy Polling continues to show Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) struggling with a 35% approval rating. However, the same poll shows Burr leading his largely unknown Democratic challengers.

* It looks like Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) is even more vulnerable than previously thought. A new Field Poll shows her trailing Tom Campbell (R) by one point, and leading the other GOP candidates by narrow margins.

* In Connecticut's Democratic gubernatorial primary, Ned Lamont leads Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy in a new Quinnipiac poll, but "undecided" leads them both.

* Michigan's Republican gubernatorial primary is now a three-way tie between businessman Rick Snyder, state Attorney General Mike Cox, and Rep. Pete Hoekstra.

* Retired football player Jon Runyan will join the GOP field hoping to take on Rep. John Adler (D-N.J.) in November.

* And in South Dakota, former Obama campaign guru Steve Hildebrand is considering running against Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin in a Democratic primary. "I want to see how she votes on health care," Hildebrand said. "If the vote is very, very close and we lose it or come close to losing it, I will take a seriously look at challenging her... She is on the wrong side of history."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Vote-counting in Iraq is a bit of a mess.

* President Obama signs a jobs bill into law, hopefully the first in a series.

* On a related note, the number of Americans filing for initial unemployment insurance fell last week, but it's still too high.

* A vote on a House resolution to prevent a vote on a self-executing rule was defeated.

* When an insurance company targets HIV patients to drop their health coverage, it tells you quite a bit about the industry.

* South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) will apparently be allowed to keep his job, but he'll pay $74,000 in ethics fines.

* Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) didn't just endorse the Democratic health care reform package, he's begun putting real effort into convincing other Dems to support it, too. Good for him.

* Seems like a key concession right now: "Student Lender Not Actually Sure if Direct Lending Will Cut Jobs."

* I really do like these Organizing for America videos; they're well done.

* Speaking of great videos, Amanda Terkel has the gem of the day, comparing Fox News' Bret Baier's interview with President Obama to his interview with then-President Bush. Fantastic clip.

* Change I can believe in: "Quietly, free of headlines and fanfare, the Obama White House is toning down the bellicose 'war on drugs' position that's defined the country's narcotics policy for the last 25 years."

* Right-wing bloggers really should learn to use Google before accusing the president of making up earthquakes.

* And in the deranged wing of the Republican Party, the new complaint is that it's morally wrong to ask Congress to vote on health care reform on a Sunday because, as Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), it's "the Sabbath." Glenn Beck called the legislative schedule "an affront to God." Conservatives do pick strange things to complain about.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* How badly is Florida Gov. Charlie Crist struggling in his Republican Senate primary against former state House Speaker Marco Rubio? The latest Research 2000 poll shows Rubio's support nearly doubling Crist's -- Rubio 58%, Crist 30%.

* Republicans in Kentucky and D.C. are starting to worry that right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul might actually beat Trey Grayson in the Republican Senate primary.

* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is already facing a tough primary challenge, and now a credible Democrat is eyeing the race: Arizona businesswoman Nan Stockholm Walden.

* In the race to replace the late Rep. John Murtha in Pennsylvania, it looks like Democrat Mark Critz has the early edge.

* In New York, Long Island Democrat Steve Levy announced this morning that he will run for governor as a Republican.

* Speaking of New York, Levy's gubernatorial GOP primary opponent, former Rep. Rick Lazio, said he will not jump to the Senate race.

* And in still more New York news, the Working Families Party is about to make life much more difficult on Rep. Mike Arcuri (D), now that he's chosen betrayal and will oppose health care reform after supporting it in November.

* The U.S. Chamber of Commerce intends to spend at least $50 million to elect "pro-business" candidates this year.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* HRC in Russia: "U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday that American and Russian negotiators are 'on the brink' of agreement on a nuclear arms reduction treaty."

* Rep. Suzanne Kosmas (D-Fla.) was a "no" on health care, now she's a "yes." That makes six in the "no to yes" category, which is absolutely critical to success.

* Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-Ind.) was a yes, and announced that he'll stay a yes. A key vote, to be sure.

* Health care vote watch: Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) was a no and will stay a no, Mary Jo Kilroy (D-Ohio) was a yes and will stay a yes.

* Democratic memo published by Politico appears to be a fake.

* The memo hoax was pushed aggressively by leading congressional Republicans.

* Looks like the president's speech to the House caucus will be on the Hill, instead of the White House.

* Thanks to Republican budget cuts in Arizona, 47,000 low-income children will lose their health coverage.

* Sean Hannity has some explaining to do.

* The stimulus worked.

* Bob Greenstein gets it.

* Follow-up on the guy in Ohio with Parkinson's who was mocked and upbraided by right-wing activists.

* Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) have an immigration reform plan.

* Christiane Amanpour is a surprisingly good choice for ABC's "This Week."

* Re-organizing No Child Left Behind with an eye towards higher-ed.

* Let's not overlook the significance of the date: the U.S. invasion of Iraq began seven years ago today.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* New York's gubernatorial race got a little more interesting last week, but Steve Levy's Republican campaign is off to a rough start -- a new Siena poll (pdf) shows him trailing former Rep. Rick Lazio in a GOP primary by 47 points. State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) leads both Republicans by wide margins.

* Speaking of New York, now that Rep Michael Arcuri (D) voted with far-right Republicans against health care reform, after having voted for it in November, his union support in the district is poised to disappear entirely.

* In Kentucky, the latest Research 2000 poll shows right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul leading Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson by 12 -- 40% to 28% -- in the Republicans' Senate primary. In the Democratic primary, Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo leads state Attorney General Jack Conway by a slightly larger margin. In general election match-ups, both Republicans lead both Democrats.

* Michigan's competitive gubernatorial race continues to be very close. A new Marketing Resource Group poll shows a three-way tie for the GOP nomination between Pete Hoekstra, Mike Cox, and Rick Snyder. Andy Dillon leads the Democratic field.

* North Dakota Republicans met at a convention and chose state Rep. Rick Berg to take on Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D) in November.

* Former Obama campaign aide Steve Hildebrand was prepared to take on Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.) in a Democratic primary if she voted against health care reform. She opposed the bill, but Hildebrand has apparently changed his mind.

* Sen. George LeMieux (R-Fla.) was appointed as a place-holder senator, but apparently he's thinking about running for his own term at some point.

* And in California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) now has the worst poll numbers of "any governor in modern state history including Gray Davis, who was ousted by Schwarzenegger in a popular uprising." The former actor's approval rating in the latest Field Poll was 23%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, still not happy with Israel.

* Google gives up on China.

* President Obama will reportedly sign the first phase of health care reform into law tomorrow morning, around 11:15 a.m. (ET). He'll also hit the road this week, appearing in Iowa City to help promote the new law.

* Leading far-right voices did not respond well to yesterday's historic breakthrough.

* On a related note, Tea Party protestors not only threw around racist and anti-gay slurs, they also used offensive language towards at least one Hispanic lawmaker.

* Noting the outrageous conduct of the right-wing activists, Bill Bennett seems confused about what "racism" means, while a right-wing House member suggests conservative bigotry is Democrats' fault.

* Sarabeth ponders the efficacy of Stupak's strategizing.

* It was largely overshadowed by health care developments, but a huge crowd protested in support of immigration reform in D.C. yesterday. President Obama addressed the crowd via a videotaped message.

* As a national entity, ACORN is no more.

* Horse trading on student loan reform.

* Jane Mayer makes Marc Thiessen look even more ridiculous.

* Fact checking the Sunday shows.

* Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) is just not a serious person.

* I'm a big fan of Dave Weigel's reporting, and I was delighted to learn today that he's headed to the Washington Post. The Independent's loss is the Post's gain, and I wish him all the best in the new gig.

* Can we start helping Rush Limbaugh pack?

* And I feel a little awkward about mentioning this, but I wanted Andrew Sabl to know how much I appreciate his post about my health care-related efforts. His item means a great deal to me.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In the wake of his vote against health care reform, Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) is likely to face a primary challenge from Jack Shea, the president of the Allegheny County Labor Council.

* On a related note, if the wake of his vote against health care reform, Rep. John Adler (D-N.J.) is finding support from his Democratic base quickly evaporating. Facing a tough Republican challenge this year, that's a problem.

* It's unclear if former Wisconsin Gov. and Bush cabinet secretary Tommy Thompson (R) will run for the Senate this year, but if he does, Public Policy Polling shows him trailing Sen. Russ Feingold (D) by three, 47% to 44%.

* Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) is seeking her first full term, but a Rasmussen poll shows her in an effective three-way tie with two primary challengers.

* Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-Ind.) looks to be an early underdog in his Senate race, but he still not well known statewide.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) believes the Senate can pass the health care reconciliation bill without any changes.

* Right-wing vandalism against the offices of pro-reform lawmakers is a national embarrassment.

* The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a Republican ally, but the USCOC will not support the party's push for repeal of the new health care law.

* Photo of the day.

* Graphic of the day.

* Quote of the day.

* Euphemism of the day.

* Paragraphs of the day, as published last August:

Despite his illness, Senator Kennedy made a forceful appearance at the Democratic convention in Denver, exhorting his party to victory and declaring that the fight for universal health insurance had been "the cause of my life.''

He pursued that cause vigorously, and even as his health declined, he spent days reaching out to colleagues to win support for a sweeping overhaul; when members of Obama's administration questioned the president's decision to spend so much political capital on the seemingly intractable health care issue, Obama reportedly replied, "I promised Teddy.''



* Legislation reforming the way Wall Street operates is headed to the Senate floor.

* A terrific behind-the-scenes look at how the White House approached the health care fight over the last few months.

* A.L. took a look at the state attorneys genearl's lawsuit against the new health care law: "It is beyond frivolous. I can't believe actual lawyers are willing to sign it."

* Jamie Leigh Jones to get her day in court.

* Worth keeping an eye on: "Attorney General Eric Holder has appointed U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald to lead a probe into whether laws were broken after photos of undercover CIA agents were found in the cell of an alleged 9/11 conspirator at Guantanamo."

* Bob Herbert would like to see Republicans to address their "absence of class." It's good advice the party will no doubt ignore.

* Thomas Ricks seems to hold Marc Thiessen in low regard, too.

* Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) is an unusually foolish man.

* The late Jerry Falwell's right-wing university wants to get in on the litigation against health care reform.

* Paul Krugman is right about Christiane Amanpour, Tom Shales is wrong.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In the wake of health care reform passing, the Democratic National Committee raised $2 million in two days -- without actually making a formal fundraising appeal.

* In Ohio's closely watched gubernatorial campaign, Public Policy Polling now shows former congressman and Fox News personality John Kasich (R) leading incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland (D), 42% to 37%.

* Hoping to shake up the Republican primary in Kentucky's Senate race, Dick Cheney has announced his support for Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson. Most recent polls show Grayson trailing right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul.

* As Utah Republicans gather for local caucuses, Sen. Bob Bennett's (R) future may be in jeopardy.

* In Vermont's open gubernatorial race, Rasmussen shows Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie (R) leading all of his would-be Democratic challengers in hypothetical match-ups. There are currently five top-tier Democrats vying for the party's nomination, and Vermont Secretary of State Deb Markowitz (D) is the most competitive against Dubie according to the poll.

* Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) ended up voting for health care reform over the weekend, but his primary challenger, former Charlevoix County Commissioner Connie Saltonstall, intends to continue with her campaign.

* Rep. Brad Ellsworth's (D) Senate campaign in Indiana will get a boost of $1 million from retiring Sen. Evan Bayh's (D) coffers.

* And in Georgia, Gov. Sonny Perdue (R) announced that the special election to replace Rep. Nathan Deal (R), who resigned to run for Perdue's job, will be April 27. Republicans are widely expected to keep the seat in GOP hands.

[teapeebubbles]

today's early edition of quick hits:

* Done deal? "President Obama and his Russian counterpart, President Dmitri A. Medvedev, have broken through a logjam in their arms control negotiations and expect to sign a new treaty in Prague next month that would slash American and Russian nuclear arsenals, officials from both nations said Wednesday."

* U.S. housing market still struggling.

* Not helpful: "With strains still high between Israel and the United States over the issue of Jewish settlements, construction of a contentious Jewish housing project in a predominantly Arab neighborhood of East Jerusalem could start at any time, Israeli officials and experts said Wednesday."

* Improved prospects for financial industry reform?

* As promised, President Obama signed that executive order today on abortion funding.

* Today's must-read: "For all the political and economic uncertainties about health reform, at least one thing seems clear: The bill that President Obama signed on Tuesday is the federal government's biggest attack on economic inequality since inequality began rising more than three decades ago."

* Funny, I didn't realize Republicans would be able to parse "full repeal."

* What's in the new health care law? The White House puts together a compelling list.

* Brian Beutler puts together a wild list of the 10 most ridiculous GOP-proposed health care amendments.

* Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) should probably offer taxpayers a hint as to how much of their money he'll waste challenging health care reform.

* The Wall Street Journal makes very odd editorial decisions.

* Winners in the fight over student loan reform.

* Dear Michael Steele, avoid the phrase "firing line."

* And Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wants everyone to know, "I am pleased to report that, contrary to Sen. Bunning's prediction, I am alive and in good health."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Pennsylvania, the latest Franklin and Marshall College survey shows a very close Senate race. Far-right former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) leads Sen. Arlen Specter (D) by four, 33% to 29%, but another third of poll respondents described themselves as undecided.

* Speaking of close Senate races, Public Policy Polling shows former Bush Budget Director Rob Portman (R) holding onto modest leads over his top Democratic challengers, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.

* A new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California shows Carly Fiorina with the narrowest of leads over Tom Campbell in their Senate primary, though other recent polls have shown Campbell ahead.

* The attack ads are getting a little more intense in Florida between Senate hopefuls Marco Rubio and Gov. Charlie Crist, as part of their Republican primary.

* In a bit of a surprise, Dan Senor, the former spokesperson for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, announced yesterday he will not take on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) this year. Senor had already taken some preliminary steps towards launching a campaign.

* As expected, former Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R) will seek a rematch against incumbent Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) this year. Republicans didn't really have anyone else interested in running.

* Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.) dodged one primary opponent this week, but picked up another. Yesterday, Dr. Kevin Weiland said he would take on the incumbent, motivated in part by her opposition to the Affordable Care Act.

* And once again, Gen. David Petraeus isn't going to be a candidate for public office.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Final health care vote looks set for 9:30 p.m. (ET) in the House.

* The right continues to be out of control: "An envelope filled with white powder was sent to the district office of Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) today, the congressman said in a statement."

* Better news on new unemployment claims, which beat expectations, but they're still too high.

* Looks like France and Germany have come to an agreement on aid to Greece.

* Pulling a Bunning, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) blocks an extension of unemployment benefits.

* When you media reports that White House and congressional staffers are "exempt from health care bill," know that those reports are wrong.

* Republican senators are likely to block Goodwin Liu's nomination to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, in part because he supports health care reform.

* Senate Republicans demand that President Obama refrain from making recess appointments. Or what?

* The policy consequences of health care repeal would be severe.

* Gingrich, naturally, thinks recent political violence is Democrats' fault.

* James Joyner agrees that it's time for conservative leaders to calm the base.

* Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.), another target of right-wing political violence, found House Minority Leader John Boehner's (R-Ohio) admonition far too weak.

* Ann Coulter will not be going to Canada, where her brand of hate is frowned upon.

* Good piece from Josh Marshall on recent right-wing tactics:"It's time for a truth moment for the national Republican party. Incitement matters. They have to take responsibility for what they've done: which is nothing less than a campaign of incitement for which they're now unwilling to take any responsibility."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* With Massachusetts' increasingly strange Sen. Scott Brown (R) refusing to retract or apologize for his bizarre remarks about Rachel Maddow possibly running against him, the MSNBC host took out a full-page ad in the Boston Globe today.

* In Arkansas, a new Research 2000 poll shows incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln leading Lt. Gov. Bill Halter in a Democratic primary, 44% to 31%. But in general election match-ups, Lincoln currently trails all five GOP candidates, and Halter looks stronger.

* In related news, Lincoln continues to distance herself from labor unions, but "documents show Lincoln aggressively sought the support of these 'Washington D.C. unions' several months ago --undercutting her derision for them."

* In the state of Washington, a Research 2000 poll shows incumbent Sen. Patty Murray (D) with surprisingly strong, double-digit leads over her three most credible Republican challengers, Dino Rossi, Dave Reichert, and Don Benton.

* In an interesting twist in Kentucky's Democratic Senate primary, state AG Jack Conway is hitting Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo for opposing health care reform.

* With Rep. Dennis Moore (D-Kan.) retiring this year, Kansas Democrats have been searching for a top-tier candidate. They found one: Dennis Moore's wife, Stephene.

* In South Florida, congressional candidate Corey Poitier, an African-American Republican running in a heavily Democratic district, referred to President Obama this week as "Buckwheat."

* And believe it or not, Rick Santorum continues to pursue a presidential campaign.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Election results in Iraq: "The former interim prime minister, Iyad Allawi, a secular Shiite once derided as an American puppet, galvanized the votes of Sunnis who sat out Iraq's first national elections and clawed his way back from political obscurity. But his wafer-thin edge of 91 to 89 over his nearest rival, the incumbent prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, falls far short of the majority of 163 of the 325 seats in parliament that he needs to form a government."

* Uh oh: "A South Korean naval ship sank early Saturday after an explosion tore a hole in its bottom near a disputed sea border with North Korea. The cause of the explosion was not clear, and the Seoul government did not blame North Korea for the incident."

* Campaign-finance ruling: "A federal appeals court on Friday handed another victory to conservative opponents of campaign-finance restrictions, striking down limits on individual contributions to independent groups who want to use the money for or against candidates in federal elections."

* Welcome changes to the Home Affordable Modification Program and the Federal Housing Administration program: "The Obama administration announced new ways Friday to tackle the foreclosure crisis, in part by requiring lenders to temporarily slash or eliminate monthly mortgage payments for many borrowers who are unemployed."

* Senate Republicans did what they do best: they blocked an extension of unemployment benefits.

* House Minority Whip Eric Cantor's (R-Va.) spokesperson tries to explain why the GOP leader got the story of the magic bullet so very, very wrong this week.

* The closer one looks at the right's health care claims, the more one realizes conservatives are practically allergic to honest debate.

* In Tennessee, a man named Harry Weisiger apparently saw a stranger with an Obama-Biden bumper sticker, and proceeded to lose his mind.

* Fact-checking Joe Scarborough's claim that the Affordable Care Act represents "largest tax increase in history." (Hint: he's lying.)

* Despite foolish rumors to the contrary, members of Congress and their staffs must enroll in the new insurance exchanges created by the ACA. They did not "exempt" themselves, no matter what your emails from your crazy uncle say.

* On a related note, no, the IRS will not be auditing people to see if they have health insurance.

* Ever get the feeling that Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) just isn't well?

* Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) is coming on strong as one of Congress' nuttier members.

* How much student debt is too much?

* When we reported about the need for a beefed up rail corridor to ease truck traffic on 1-81, we were ahead of the curve.

* And on his Fox News show, Glenn Beck decried "using the politics of fear." Seriously.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Charlie Crist is still losing to Marco Rubio in Florida's Republican Senate primary, but the latest Mason-Dixon poll puts Rubio's lead at "only" 11 points, 48% to 37%.

* Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) needed a running mate, and the state party has chosen Sheila Simon, an attorney and former city council member. Simon is perhaps best known as the daughter of former Senator Paul Simon (D).

* The primary is not until August. But Democrats in Minnesota's 6th congressional district formally endorsed state Sen. Tarryl Clark (D) over the weekend, hoping Clark can topple right-wing Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) in November.

* Many New York Republicans were delighted to recruit Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, a former Dem, to run for governor on the GOP ticket, but rank-and-file Republicans in the Empire State aren't impressed. The latest Maris poll, Levy trails former Rep. Rick Lazio in the Republican gubernatorial primary by 36 points.

* At this point, former Sen. Lincoln Chafee (I) continues to look like the frontrunner in Rhode Island's gubernatorial race.

* Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons is dropping out of Tennessee's Republican gubernatorial primary, making it a three-way contest between Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, Rep. Zach Wamp, and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey.

* And speaking of dropping out, I'd completely forgotten that he was still running, but former New Hampshire Sen. Bob Smith (R) was apparently trying to run for the Senate this year in Florida. Late last week, however, Smith quit, citing poor fundraising.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Deadly attack in Russia: "Female suicide bombers set off huge explosions in two subway stations in central Moscow during the Monday morning rush hour, Russian officials said, killing more than three dozen people and raising fears that the Muslim insurgency in southern Russia was once again being brought to the country's heart." As of this afternoon, 37 deaths were confirmed, along with more than 100 who were injured.

* Afghanistan's Western-educated minister of finance reflected on his interactions yesterday with President Obama: "He asked very, very informed questions." This is the latest in the "he isn't Bush" chronicles.

* U.S. Marshals in Michigan have released mugshots of eight Hutaree militia members who were allegedly plotting an upcoming terrorist attack.

* The Obama administration's efforts to find a permanent head of the Transportation Security Administration hit another stumbling block over the weekend when Maj. Gen. Robert A. Harding, a retired Army intelligence officer, withdrew from consideration.

* Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, not only endorsed the new nuclear arms treaty with Russia, but also called for its swift ratification.

* More Democratic lawmakers face death threats, while right-wing activists target Democratic offices in Michigan and Alaska with vandalism.

* Looks like Aetna CEO Ron Williams may have a problem with the truth.

* "Race to the Top" winners were announced today, with Delaware and Tennessee winning lucrative awards.

* Good editorial on Goodwin Liu, an Obama judicial nominee to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

* Fake-census forms distributed by the Republican National Committee are now illegal.

* I'm beginning to think Gen. James T. Conway, the commandant of the Marine Corps, hates gay people.

* Paul Krugman suggests it's time to scratch Douglas Holtz-Eakin off the "shrinking list of reasonable, reasonably honest conservatives."

* Fact checking the Sunday shows.

* Is job retraining worth it?

* In the wake of several new, disgraceful sex scandals, only Fox News would ask: "Is the Media Out to Get the Pope?"

* Dear Oklahoma state Senate, watch those typos.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Former Rep. Nathan Deal (R) resigned from Congress last week, ostensibly so he can focus on his gubernatorial campaign. As he departs, the House Ethics Committee wrapped up its report on allegations surrounding Deal, and concluded yesterday that he appeared to have acted improperly.

* Chuck DeVore (R), running for the Senate in California, has "severed all ties" with Erik Brown. Brown is the consultant best known for getting reimbursed for "meals" at a Los Angeles bondage nightclub.

* In Missouri, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Rep. Roy Blunt (R) edging ahead of Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) in this year's open Senate race, 45% to 41%.

* In Ohio's Democratic Senate primary, Quinnipiac shows Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher leading Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, 33% to 26%. A plurality of Democratic voters remains undecided.

* The latest Research 2000 poll in Wisconsin shows incumbent Sen. Russ Feingold (D) with comfortable leads over his announced GOP challengers. If former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) runs, Feingold's lead is just four points, 48% to 44%.

* Republicans are struggling to find a credible opponent for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) in New York, but a new Marist poll shows former Gov. George Pataki (R) leading the appointed incumbent by two in a hypothetical match-up.

* In Arkansas' Democratic Senate primary, Lt. Gov. Bill Halter's new commercial goes after Sen. Blanche Lincoln for having supported TARP in 2008.

* And putting rumors to an end, House Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt (D-S.C.) officially filed for re-election yesterday.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Obama administration takes a new approach to aid to Haiti.

* Nissan unveils an electric-car model that will sell for about $25,000 including federal tax credits, "making it roughly comparable to conventional autos and posing a significant test of consumers' allegiance to gasoline-powered vehicles."

* More details on the RNC's Voyeur West Hollywood scandal, including the name of the fired staffer and the effort to clear Erik Brown. Sarabeth has some related questions.

* Volcker: "White House advisor Paul Volcker sounded hopeful Tuesday about the possibility of meaningful financial regulatory reform passing this year.... But at the same time, he voiced skepticism about efforts by banking lobbyists to carve out exemptions from regulation that would force transparency on certain types of derivative trading."

* As disappointing as its editorial board can be, the Washington Post has hired some really terrific journalists lately, Thiessen notwithstanding.

* Gen. Jack Sheehan's (Ret.) apology was both necessary and overdue.

* NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) wants the administration to do more to address gun violence.

* It seems likely American taxpayers will make money off the Citibank bailout, to the tune of about $8 billion.

* It was extremely amusing to see Fox News break away from President Obama's speech today to watch a plane land without incident.

* Remember when Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) pretended to be an expert on Iraq and the U.S. military presence there? It's still hard to believe anyone actually fell for that one.

* A physics breakthrough: "After 16 years and $10 billion -- and a long morning of electrical groaning and sweating -- there was joy in the meadows and tunnels of the Swiss-French countryside Tuesday: the world's biggest physics machine, the Large Hadron Collider, finally began to collide subatomic particles."

* Sarah Palin, college fundraiser?

* A fine column from Eugene Robinson on political threats and violence: "It is dishonest for right-wing commentators to insist on an equivalence that does not exist. The danger of political violence in this country comes overwhelmingly from one direction -- the right, not the left. The vitriolic, anti-government hate speech that is spewed on talk radio every day -- and, quite regularly, at Tea Party rallies -- is calibrated not to inform but to incite."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) gave her word last year that she would step down from Congress this year, regardless of the outcome of her gubernatorial campaign. Hutchison has since changed her mind, and will stay on through 2012.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) had hoped to get a re-election boost in Nevada this year with Scott Ashjian running as a right-wing Tea Party candidate, which might split the conservative vote. That plan is looking shaky: Ashjian is now facing up to 14 years in prison.

* Dems got some good news in Ohio today, with a new Quinnipiac poll showing Democrats leading in both the gubernatorial and Senate races this year.

* Sen. Arlen Specter's (D-Pa.) campaign got a bit of a boost yesterday when he picked up an endorsement from Pennsylvania's AFL-CIO.

* In Florida's closely-watched Republican Senate primary, Marco Rubio has won the backing of Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), an influential far-right senator. Coburn said his decision was based in part on Charlie Crist's support for economic recovery efforts last year.

* California Senate candidate Carly Fiorina (R) ran into some trouble yesterday when she extended Passover best wishes to Jewish voters, and said the holiday is an occasion in which "we break bread." Not in Judaism, they don't.

* In Alabama, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Rep. Artur Davis (D) leading the state's Democratic gubernatorial primary by 10 points over state Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks.

* And in South Dakota, Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D) is leading her GOP challengers in hypothetical match-ups, by margins ranging from 2 to 12 points, at least according to Rasmussen. In related news, Herseth Sandlin's Democratic primary challenger ended his bid yesterday.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Another attack in Russia: "Two suicide bombers -- including one impersonating a police officer -- killed 12 people Wednesday in southern Russia. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said the blasts may have been organized by the same militants who attacked the Moscow subway."

* Doku K. Umarov, a Chechen rebel leader, claimed responsibility for Monday's double bombing in Moscow, and warned that more attacks were likely.

* Big federal court ruling: "A federal judge ruled Wednesday that government investigators illegally wiretapped the phone conversations of an Islamic charity and two American lawyers without a search warrant."

* I didn't realize this was an option: "The Army secretary said on Wednesday he would not discharge gay personnel who admitted their sexual orientation to him, despite the 'don't ask, don't tell' stance that remains official military policy."

* What a surprise: "The first of several British investigations into the e-mails leaked from one of the world's leading climate research centers has largely vindicated the scientists involved."

* Fascinating piece from Andrew Sabl on the rhetoric of the health care debate, specifically the efficacy of the word "mandate." I wish I'd thought to write this one.

* Former Florida GOP chairman Jim Greer facing a criminal investigation?

* Dear state of Utah, you can't take federal land just because you want to.

* When your right-wing uncle sends you an email saying the IRS will hire 16,000 new agents to enforce the health care law, remember that the claim isn't true.

* Great segment last night from Rachel Maddow on the infamous C Street house and some unresolved tax-law questions that need answers. (thanks to M.R. for the reminder)

* Shelby Steele appears to have published one the worst op-eds of all time.

* Trinity College will probably resist efforts to remove "Our Lord" from its diplomas.

* I found this story about the 10 personal letters President Obama reads every day pretty compelling.

* Yep: "Obama could propose cutting taxes to zero, deporting everyone who can't speak English, renaming the country 'Jesusland' -- doesn't matter. The GOP answer will always be the same."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* With former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) targeting several key House districts represented by Democrats -- targeting, by the way, with actual crosshairs -- the Dems are starting to raise money off of Palin's efforts. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas (D-Fla.), for example, emailed supporters: "Help Send Sarah Palin a Message."

* The Republican Senate primary in Arizona is getting increasingly contentious. Former Rep. J.D. Hayworth is claiming that Sen. John McCain is weak and inconsistent on immigration policy. A McCain spokesperson described Hayworth's criticism as "disgraceful" and "despicable."

* There are a lot of candidates running for governor in both parties in Alabama this year, but the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Republicans leading in every possible match-up.

* Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) is running for re-election this year, but has signaled his intention to retire at the end of his second term.

* In Kansas, SurveyUSA continues to show Rep. Jerry Moran (R) leading Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R) in their Republican Senate primary, 42% to 32%.

* In an odd twist, Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.), a moderate Dem, is facing a primary challenger from the right. That's not usually how Democratic primaries work, which is why it'll probably be unsuccessful.

* In the wake of Rep. Tim Holden's (D-Pa.) decision to vote with Republicans against health care reform, the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO will withhold its support for Holden in his primary campaign.

* Former Tennessee House Majority Leader Kim McMillan (D) is ending her gubernatorial campaign, and will instead enter the mayoral race in Clarksville.

* And in Massachusetts, Sen. Scott Brown (R) continues to suggest Rachel Maddow might run against him, despite all the reality to the contrary. This week, Rachel delivered a helpful reminder to the strange senator on the air: "Senator Brown, you need to stop lying."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The White House's most significant achievement yet in addressing global warming: "The Obama administration finalized the first national rules curbing greenhouse gas emissions Thursday, mandating that the U.S. car and light-truck fleet reach an average fuel efficiency of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016."

* New filings for unemployment dropped last week, "matching the lowest level since August 2008." The totals are still too high, though they're improving.

* GM had its best month in years in March, and the whole industry seemed to get a real boost.

* The Obama administration's new efforts to counter drug trafficking are off to a good start: "Opium seizures in Afghanistan soared 924 percent last year because of better cooperation between Afghan and international forces, the top U.S. drug enforcement official said Thursday."

* Rhode Island experiences its worst flooding in 200 years.

* D.C. will host a nuclear security summit later this month. There were some fears that Chinese President Hu Jintao wouldn't attend, but to officials' relief, he said this morning he'll be there.

* One of the Hutaree members arrested over the weekend had 46 guns and 13,000 rounds of ammunition in his Indiana home.

* The New York Times editorial board seems fairly impressed with the administration's plan on coastal drilling: "President Obama ... announced a decision to expand oil and gas exploration in selected areas of America's coastal waters that will satisfy neither extreme but is, on the whole, a careful and useful addition to the steps he has already taken to reduce the nation's energy dependence."

* More questionable spending from the RNC?

* Larry Sabato backs off his claim about liberals and war heroes. Good move.

* Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) may need to brush up on his geology basics.

* The College Guide blog has nothing but April Fools-related posts today.

* National Review's symposium on black unemployment will feature six white panelists -- and no one else.

* If the Tea Party crowd is going to wave right-wing signs for the cameras, they should probably proof-read them first.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Arizona, recent polls show Sen. John McCain (R) leading former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R) in their Republican Senate primary, but by a variety of margins. A new Research 2000 poll shows the incumbent ahead by a pretty comfortable margin, 52% to 37%.

* Rex Rammell (R), running for governor in Idaho this year, told ABC News this week that if right-wing militias want to "show a little force" in opposition to the U.S. government, "I don't have a problem with that."

* In Ohio, the latest Rasmussen poll shows a very competitive gubernatorial race, with former Rep. John Kasich (R) leading incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland (D) by the slimmest of margins, 46% to 45%. Strickland had been trailing by far larger margins.

* Craig Varoga, a longtime Democratic political operative, has formed a group intended to oppose far-right Tea Party candidates. It's called the Patriot Majority PAC.

* In the GOP primary in Arkansas' 2nd congressional district, the Republican establishment is rallying behind former Karl Rove protege Tim Griffin. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R), however, has thrown his support to Griffin's primary opponent, Scott Wallace.

* And in Kansas City, a white supremacist running for the Senate can force radio stations to air his commercials, regardless of their racist and anti-Semitic content, because he has filed required papers to qualify as a write-in candidate. Legally, stations are required to broadcast the ads of "legally qualified candidates" if they have the money to pay for them. Said KMBZ program director Neil Larrimore in response to listener complaints, "Our hands are tied."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Scott Roeder sentenced to life in prison for the first-degree murder of Dr. George Tiller.

* An encouraging, and surprising, turn of events: "After months of tense relations, China is showing new willingness to engage in talks with the United States, a diplomatic opening that may help the Obama administration achieve U.N. consensus on tightening sanctions on Iran."

* An extremist group sent letters to more than 30 U.S. governors, from both parties, this week, demanding their resignations. The FBI "has issued an intelligence note warning police that an anti-government group's call to remove dozens of sitting governors may encourage others to act out violently."

* On a related note, Zachary Roth did a nice job pulling together the "top ten flare-ups of anti-government violence -- or threats of violence -- in the Obama era."

* The Obama administration is moving forward with a new security protocols for people flying to the United States. The overhauled system will be intelligence-based, and is intended to "raise flags about travelers whose names do not appear on no-fly watch lists, but whose travel patterns or personal traits create suspicions."

* Major Gen. Paul Eaton (Ret.), who oversaw training of Iraqi security forces in 2003 and 2004, supports getting rid of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

* Does the RNC consider alcohol "office supplies"?

* New water guidelines from the EPA "could curtail some of the most contentious coal mining techniques used across Appalachia."

* The DNC is selling T-shirts celebrating Vice President Biden's description of health care reform as a "BFD." The first shipment of the shirts, which go for $25, sold out entirely this week.

* Some news outlets are still peddling debunked Republican myths from the early years of the Clinton presidency. Still.

* Given universities' financial troubles, it's not at all encouraging to see so many college presidents give themselves raises.

* Ta-Nehisi Coates sets Charles Lane straight.

* He was probably trying to be sarcastic, but hearing Sean Hannity refer to Tea Party radicals as "Tim McVeigh wannabees" -- and then hearing them clap -- was disconcerting.

* And on a related note, Rush Limbaugh told his minions today that the words "storefront," "factory," and "worker" are "Marxist-Leninist terms." I don't think he was kidding.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* American Crossroads, a 527 committee set up as a "shadow" RNC filled with prominent Republican strategists and former RNC officials, intends to spend $50 million to help Republican congressional candidates this year.

* Former Rep. John Kasich, the Republican gubernatorial candidate in Ohio this year, made over $600,000 from Lehman Brothers in 2008.

* In California, a new LA Times/USC poll shows Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) leading a generic Republican candidate, 48% to 34%. As for the actual GOP candidates, former Rep. Tom Campbell (R) leads the Republican primary field with 29%.

* On a related note, the same poll shows former eBay CEO Meg Whitman leading the Golden State's gubernatorial campaign, easily beating state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner in the Republican primary, and edging state Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) in a general election match-up, 44% to 41%.

* Sen. John Thune (R) will run for re-election this year in South Dakota with no Democratic opponent.

* And in Alabama, the DCCC had high hopes that attorney Josh Segall would give Rep. Mike Rogers (R) a tough race in November, a year after the Democrat nearly knocked off Rogers in 2008. Though Segall had already raised over $400,000 for a rematch, late Friday, he announced he'll skip the race.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Pakistan: "In the most direct attack on an American facility in Pakistan in years, militants mounted a multipronged assault against the United States Consulate in this northern city on Monday, using a truck bomb, machine guns and rocket launchers, Pakistani and American officials said." At least 6 Pakistanis were killed and 20 wounded.

* In an apparent bid to destroy his credibility and standing, Afghan President Hamid Karzai threatened to join the Taliban unless the West pulls back from its demands for reform.

* GOP obstructionism has consequences: "Thanks to congressional inaction, more than 200,000 laid-off workers could lose access to unemployment benefits this week, and no flood insurance policies will be renewed or issued until Congress returns on April 12 -- despite record long-term joblessness and record rainfall."

* A pretty major earthquake rocked Mexico's Baja California peninsula Sunday, and could be felt throughout much of the Southwestern U.S.

* Iraq: "Three car bombs detonated near foreign embassies in Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least 32 people and wounding more than 200, security officials said."

* A deadly cover-up after "badly bungled American Special Operations assault in February" in Afghanistan.

* And speaking of deadly cover-ups, a secret video was leaked today of "a U.S. Army Apache helicopter in Baghdad in 2007 repeatedly opening fire on a group of men that included a Reuters photographer and his driver -- and then on a van that stopped to rescue one of the wounded men."

* Drone strikes continue to batter al Qaeda.

* NHTSA will seek a civil judgment of $16.375 million against Toyota.

* It can be a little confusing to see the unemployment rate go up when the economy adds jobs. The WaPo had a good piece on why this happens.

* The Turkish ambassador to the U.S. comes back.

* The fiscal crisis facing Greece has not yet been resolved.

* I'm deeply skeptical about charter schools for a reason.

* When it comes to science, evidence, and climate, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) isn't very bright.

* Fact checking the Sunday shows.

* The truth about for-profit higher ed.

* Fact-checking Marc Thiessen's error-ridden book is challenging, but Media Matters is up to the task.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Nevada, Rasmussen shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) trailing all of his Republican challengers in hypothetical match-ups, in margins ranging from 7 to 15 points.

* In Pennsylvania, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) leading Sen. Arlen Specter (D) by three, 46% to 43%. Toomey leads Specter's primary opponent, Rep. Joe Sestak (D) by six.

* We learned this week about former Rep. John Kasich, Ohio's Republican gubernatorial hopeful, benefited from a lucrative compensation package from Lehman Brothers as it collapsed in 2008. Yesterday, incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland (D) called on Kasich to release his income tax returns.

* In Indiana, corporate lobbyist Dan Coats is making opposition to cap-and-trade part of his Republican Senate campaign. In 2008, however, Coats lobbied in support of cap-and-trade on behalf of one of his clients.

* With Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) distancing herself from labor unions in her re-election bid, the Communications Workers of America is launching a new TV ad, blasting Lincoln over her ties to "Washington special interests."

* Now that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is distancing himself from his "maverick" label, his primary challenger, former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.), is pouncing. "If you're scoring at home, how many reversals is this?" Hayworth said. "He's moving away from legislative reversals into branding reversals. It's the new John McCain, non-maverick edition, for the Arizona Senate election."

* Speaking of Arizona, the DSCC was disappointed to learn that attorney and businesswoman Nan Stockholm Walden has decided not to run for the Senate this year.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Rescue efforts have been suspended at the mine near Montcoal, West Virginia.

* An overhaul of the U.S. approach to nuclear security: "President Obama said Monday that he was revamping American nuclear strategy to substantially narrow the conditions under which the United States would use nuclear weapons. But the president said in an interview that he was carving out an exception for 'outliers like Iran and North Korea' that have violated or renounced the main treaty to halt nuclear proliferation."

* A unanimous appeals court decision is a major blow to net neutrality: "Comcast on Tuesday won its federal lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission in a ruling that undermines the agency's ability to regulate Internet service providers just as it unrolls a sweeping broadband agenda."

* Afghan President Hamid Karzai was scheduled to visit the White House in mid-May. Given Karzai's increasingly erratic behavior, the visit is now in doubt.

* Iraq: "Coordinated bombings across Baghdad destroyed seven buildings and killed at least 35 people on Tuesday, Iraqi authorities said, bringing the number slain around the capital in the last five days to more than 100."

* Concerns over Greece's debt crisis linger.

* Don't be surprised if U.S. taxpayers make a net profit from the bank bailouts.

* After MSNBC learned that David Shuster had auditioned for a new show at CNN, MSNBC suspended Shuster "indefinitely."

* Colleges are cutting costs everywhere, "even at schools that have no cost."

* It's surprisingly common how often I wonder whether Weekly Standard pieces are parodies. That's not a good sign.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In March, DNC fundraising was even stronger than RNC fundraising, $13 million to $11.4 million. Given that this was the RNC's strongest-ever March in a non-presidential-election year, the DNC's total -- driven in large part by the success of health care reform -- is pretty impressive.

* In Illinois, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Rep. Mark Kirk (R) leading state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) in this year's Senate race, 37% to 33%. Undecided voters total 30%.

* Pennsylvania's Democratic Senate primary appears to be getting increasingly less competitive. A new Quinnipiac poll finds Sen. Arlen Specter leading Rep. Joe Sestak, 53% to 32%.

* Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman has invested another $20 million from her own bank account into her Republican gubernatorial campaign in California. Whitman has now spent $59 million of her own money on the race -- and it's only April, and she hasn't even won her primary yet.

* Rumors are getting pretty loud about Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) considering retirement.

* Speaking of Michigan, a new EPIC/MRA poll shows Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R) out in front in the state's gubernatorial contest.

* With former Rep. Eric Massa (D) gone, Democratic officials in New York's 29th are rallying behind Matthew Zeller, an Army veteran with family roots in New York's Southern Tier, to run this year.

* As expected, Stephene Moore announced yesterday she will run for the seat currently occupied by her husband, retiring Rep. Dennis Moore (D-Kan.).

* And in Louisiana, porn star Stormy Daniels had talked about running against scandal-plagued Sen. David Vitter (R), but yesterday, Daniels said she's joining the GOP. The announcement appeared to be tongue-in-cheek: "It is time again to inspire positive risks and out-of-the-box thinking in the interest of growing a strong economy and a strong America," Daniels said in a press release. "For me, this spirit can be summed up in the RNC's investment of donor funds at Voyeur."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Upheaval in Kyrgyzstan: "Large-scale protests on Wednesday appeared to overthrow the government of Kyrgyzstan, an important Amerian ally in Central Asia. Government officials said at least 41 people had been killed in bloody fighting between riot police and demonstrators in the capital of Bishkek and elsewhere in the country."

* Still ducking responsibility: "Former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan defended his stewardship of the U.S. economy in the run-up to the financial crisis Wednesday, rebuffing accusations that regulatory and other failures by the Fed under his leadership were a major cause of the near-collapse of the financial system."

* Upper Big Branch mine: "High levels of dangerous methane gas made it impossible for rescuers to venture inside a coal mine Wednesday to search for survivors of an explosion that killed 25 workers."

* President Obama arrives in Prague to sign a new arms treaty with Russia.

* If all goes well, G.M. would like to repay its taxpayer loans five years early.

* An American-born radical cleric, affiliated with al Qaeda, has found his name on a kill list. The debate begins on whether this is legally dubious, or just kind of scary.

* Wait, military officials can't find their copies of the 2007 attack in Iraq that killed two Reuters journalists?

* David Ignatius reports that President Obama is "seriously considering" proposing an American peace plan to resolve the Palestinian conflict.

* Newt Gingrich sure does lie a lot.

* Rachel Maddow takes a closer look at heavily-edited ACORN tapes.

* A plaza to remember the "stand in the schoolhouse door."

* White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs described remarks from CNN contributor Erick Erickson about the American Community Survey as "remarkably crazy." Sounds about right.

* And Rupert Murdoch, which owns Fox News, said last night that he doesn't believe the Republican network should be "supporting the Tea Party." I think it's a little late for that.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The center of the GOP universe will in New Orleans today, with the start of the Southern Republican Leadership Conference.

* In Pennsylvania, a new Quinnipiac poll shows former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) out in front of Sen. Arlen Specter (D), 46% to 41%. In March, Quinnipiac showed Specter leading.

* In related news, Quinnipiac also shows state Attorney General Tom Corbett (R) leading Pennsylvania's gubernatorial race, despite his having filed a frivolous lawsuit challenging the new Affordable Care Act.

* With Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) considering retirement, the incumbent is facing heavy pressure from party leaders to seek re-election.

* In Colorado's Senate race, Rasmussen shows appointed incumbent Michael Bennet (D) still trailing, but by a slimmer margin. The senator, according to the poll, is now down by five against former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton (R), 46% to 41%.

* In Illinois, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Bill Brady (R) leading Gov. Pat Quinn (D) by 10, despite the fact that most voters don't know who Brady is.

* Former Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R) officially launched a campaign to get his old job back yesterday, but was immediately met with questions about his former running mate, Michael Steele.

* I'm not sure where his confidence comes from, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said if the election were right now, he'd win another term.

* The Republican field hoping to take on Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) in November got a little bigger this week, with state Commerce Secretary Richard Leinenkugel kicking off his campaign.

* Many Indiana Democrats are wondering if retiring Sen. Evan Bayh (D) might run for governor in 2012.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Rescue crews hope to re-enter the Upper Big Branch mine tonight, while President Obama presses for more answers on mine safety.

* Unrest spread throughout Bishkek today, and while Kyrgyzstan's president was forced to flee, he said from an unknown location saying that he would not resign.

* Chinese officials signal an encouraging shift on currency policy, but Krugman isn't sure whether to believe them.

* After some encouraging weeks, new jobless claims went up last week unexpectedly.

* Spencer Ackerman considers the national security case against killing Anwar al-Awlaki.

* Republicans aren't happy about it, but Senate Dems are moving forward on Goodwin Liu's nomination to the 9th Circuit.

* Glacier National Park continues to lose its glaciers.

* The "16,000 IRS Agents" lie really is painfully ridiculous -- which is why prominent Republican leaders keep repeating it, assuming Americans aren't smart enough to know better.

* North Carolina's Republican Party chairman wants Michael Steele to resign.

* Making the SAT "optional": a growing number of colleges don't require the SATs for admission.

* I have to admit, I'm glad to see the "half-term governor" line start to catch on.

* Gregory Giusti was arrested this week for threatening Speaker Nancy Pelosi's life over health care reform. Reflecting on what drove him to such behavior, Giusti's mother blamed Fox News.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The Service Employees International Union (SEIU), one of the nation's leading and most politically influential unions, is moving forward with its plans to create its own political party in North Carolina, with the intention of fielding candidates as early as this year.

* Sen. Bob Bennett (R) in Utah is in so much political trouble back home, he'll stay in Utah to campaign when the Senate reconvenes next week after a two-week recess. Bennett will reportedly stay in Utah until the state's Republican caucuses on May 8.

* In Illinois, Rasmussen has state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) trailing Rep. Mark Kirk (R), 41% to 37%.

* After Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) voted with Republicans against health care reform, there was widespread talk that Allegheny County Labor Council chief Jack Shea would take him on in a Democratic primary. Yesterday, Shea decided against it.

* In related news, Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) also voted with the GOP on health care reform, and his would-be primary challenger also took a pass on the race this week.

* Florida CFO Alex Sink, the Dems' gubernatorial hopeful this year, has been struggling a bit of late, and made some significant staffing changes yesterday.

* There will be a special election in Hawaii's 1st congressional district on May 22, and Democrats are increasingly concerned about losing the seat. The problem is that it's a three-way race -- two Democrats against one Republican.

* In West Virginia, Spike Maynard (R) is taking on Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) this year, which wouldn't be especially noteworthy were it not for Maynard's close, personal ties to Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* President Obama wants the next Supreme Court nominee confirmed in time for the October session, but some Senate Republicans are already openly speculating about filibustering a nominee they have not yet seen.

* National Review expects GOP senators to oppose the president's nominee, regardless of who it is.

* Michael Scherer reviews some of the many names currently being bandied about for the president's short list.

* Of the various possibilities, the right clearly prefers Merrick Garland.

* West Virginia: "Funerals began Friday for some of the 25 miners killed in a West Virginia coal mine, while rescue teams were making their fourth attempt to reach four workers still missing."

* Green shoots: "Inventories held by wholesalers rose by a larger-than-expected amount in February while sales increased for the 11th consecutive month."

* No link yet, but reliable sources tell me Dawn Johnsen is withdrawing as the president's choice to head the OLC.

* Greek's debt crisis continues to appear increasingly dire.

* An Israeli delegation was scheduled to attend President Obama's nuclear security summit next week. Prime Minister Netanyahu, fearing talk about his undeclared nuclear arsenal, is now refusing to participate.

* The latest alleged domestic terrorist: Larry Eugene North, an east Texas man who also hates his government.

* The number of Republican officials calling for RNC Chairman Michael Steele's ouster is growing.

* Forget Norquist's pledge; how about the Tax Fairness Pledge?

* TS gets credit, not only for endorsing my "former half-term governor" frame, but also for making Glenn Reynolds look very foolish.

* Speaking of framing, Andrew Sabl follows up on his insightful take on how best to characterize the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act. A good read, to be sure.

* A new academic discipline: male studies?

* And CNN's Kyra Phillips seems to now realize it was a bad idea to air a segment with Richard Cohen on "curing" homosexuality.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Nevada, the latest Mason-Dixon poll continues to show Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) struggling. In a hypothetical race between Reid, former Nevada state senator Sue Lowden (R), and Tea Party of Nevada candidate Scott Ashjian, Reid trails Lowden by eight.

* As if Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) needed more discouraging news, Rasmussen now shows him trailing Marco Rubio in their Senate primary by nearly 30 points, 57% to 28%.

* Adding insult to injury, Crist reported his first quarter fundraising totals late on Friday afternoon. In all likelihood, his campaign chose that time in the hopes that we wouldn't notice he raised less than a third of Rubio's total over the same period of time.

* The latest Morning Call/Muhlenberg College Poll in Pennsylvania shows former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) up by seven against Sen. Arlen Specter (D), 47% to 40%.

* In Ohio, the latest Research 2000 poll found Gov. Ted Strickland (D) leading former Rep. John Kasich (R) in this year's gubernatorial race, 45% to 40%.

* On a related note, the same poll shows both Democratic Senate hopefuls in Ohio, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, leading former Bush Budget Director Rob Portman by narrow margins.

* Wrestling executive Linda McMahon's Republican Senate campaign in Connecticut has been struggling, but a new steroids controversy will likely make matters worse.

* And Mitt Romney didn't attend the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, but he nevertheless eked out a narrow win in its 2012 straw poll. Rep. Ron Paul was a close second, followed by Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Tragic plane crash in Russia on Saturday: "Polish President Lech Kaczynski was killed early Saturday when the plane he was traveling in with his wife and a Polish delegation crashed at a western Russian airport, according to the Russian regional governor." President Obama called the accident "devastating to Poland, to the United States, and to the world."

* Also over the weekend, the four bodies of the missing West Virginia coal miners were found, raising the death toll to 29.

* Massey CEO Don Blankenship characterized the efforts of federal safety regulators "as silly as global warming."

* Afghanistan: "U.S. troops opened fire on a bus carrying Afghan civilians Monday, killing five people, officials said, setting off anti-American protests in a key southern city where coalition forces hope to rally the public for a coming offensive against the Taliban."

* Pulitzer Prize awards announced.

* The effects of Republican obstructionism: thousands of home closings have been delayed because buyers cannot obtain flood insurance:

* Two new names for the Supreme Court short list: federal appeals court judge Sidney Thomas of Montana and former Georgia Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears.

* There was some chatter today about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton being considered for the high court. Administration officials quickly knocked down the rumors. We can probably discount scuttlebutt about Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), too.

* DNC launches a new ad in support of Wall Street reform.

* I'd be surprised if most voters were well versed on the subject, but for what it's worth, a new CNN poll shows 70% of Americans want the Senate to ratify the New START.

* Stranger in a strange land: Blue Girl goes to a Tea Party gathering.

* President Obama ditched the press on Saturday to attend a soccer game of one of his daughters. Reporters were really not happy about this.

* Most colleges require students to have health insurance when they enroll. If students aren't on their parents' plans, they essentially have to enroll in the plan offered by the school. The trouble is that it turns out most of those plans are kind of terrible.

* Fact checking the Sunday shows.

* I never take internet-based polls seriously.

* Radical domestic extremists, including the KKK, are "'roaring back' after years out of the limelight."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* It's Election Day in Florida's 19th congressional district, where voters will elect a new House member to replace former Rep. Robert Wexler (D).

* Sens. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), and Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) have a combined $20 million in their campaign coffers. Since all three are retiring, their party wants that money.

* New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) has not yet announced whether he'll run for governor, but a new Quinnipiac poll shows him with considerable leads over the top GOP candidates.

* On a related note, the same poll shows Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) easily defeating Bruce Blakeman (R), but trailing former Gov. George Pataki (R), who has not yet announced his 2010 plans.

* In Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist's (R) Senate campaign has a tough new ad airing this week, connecting Marco Rubio to in-state corruption.

* The latest SurveyUSA poll in Kentucky shows state Attorney General Jack Conway closing the gap against Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo in the Democratic Senate primary, while Rand Paul leads Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson in the Republican primary, 45% to 30%.

* Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) campaign unveiled a new web video yesterday mocking primary challenger J.D. Hayworth as something of a lunatic.

* Former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) will be in Boston tomorrow for another right-wing Tea Party event. Organizers encouraged Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) to attend, but he declined.

* Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) thinks Republicans have the "momentum" in the 2010 elections -- and he considers that great news.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Nuclear Security Summit: "The final communique of President Obama's nuclear summit would commit the 47 nations in attendance to secure all nuclear material in four years, according to a draft of the document obtained by The Washington Post."

* Michelle Obama and Jill Biden make a surprise stop in Haiti.

* In a surprise move, Service Employees International Union President Andrew Stern is stepping down from his post, with significant repercussions for the labor movement.

* Gen. Ray Odierno is leaving his post in Iraq, and will be succeeded by Lt. Gen. Lloyd Austin.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) sketched out his vision for what the Senate will work on over the next seven weeks. Immigration reform will have to wait until after Memorial Day.

* Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) wants hearings to investigate the Upper Creek mining disaster.

* In the meantime, Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship may have a problem with his shareholders.

* And on a related note, Limbaugh thinks the union members at the mine should have done more -- not realizing this was a non-union mine.

* Another step backwards for reproductive rights in Nebraska.

* Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) warned Republicans today to expect up-or-down votes on all of President Obama's judicial nominees

* After evaluating Sarah Palin's remarks on nuclear arms, Fred Kaplan concludes she's a "total idiot."

* When institutions of higher ed get more selective and less generous at the same time.

* Conservatives won't like it, but the American mainstream wants the White House to care what international leaders think.

* A nutty birther in the Army refused to deploy to Afghanistan because he thinks the president wasn't born in Hawaii, and was promptly court-martialed.

* Ta-Nehisi Coates with the post of the day: "The Ghost of Bobby Lee."

* Given the "You lie!" fiasco, it's always just a little more interesting when Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) blatantly, shamelessly lies.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The latest CNN poll shows Democrats leading Republicans on the generic congressional ballot, 50% to 46%. The latest Gallup poll shows Republicans leading Democrats on the generic congressional ballot, 48% to 44%. That ought to clear things up.

* Former New York Gov. George Pataki (R) will reportedly not take on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) this year. Gillibrand's election prospects are now greatly improved -- no credible Republican wants to face her -- and Pataki appears likely to run for president in 2012.

* Texas Republicans chose two more congressional candidates yesterday -- former oil executive Bill Flores will take on Rep. Chet Edwards (D), while Quico Canseco will face Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D).

* Might Rep. Joe Sestak's (D-Pa.) strategy of a "truncated campaign" against Sen. Arlen Specter in a Democratic primary work? Maybe. Most recent polling shows the incumbent ahead by comfortable margins, but Rasmussen now shows Specter's lead down to just two points, 44% to 42%.

* Former Colorado Lt. Gov. Jane Norton, the leading Republican Senate candidate this year, has proven herself to be surprisingly right-wing, but even she's not willing to commit to a full repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

* Just a day after anti-reform activist Rick Scott launched a gubernatorial primary campaign against state Attorney General Bill McCollum in Florida, McCollum is welcoming Scott to the race by going after Scott's scandalous background.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* China earthquake kills at least 589 people.

* More green shoots: "Retail sales rose for the third straight month in March as better weather and auto incentives brought out shoppers in force. The rise was more than economists had expected. It's the latest sign that consumer spending is rising fast enough to support a modest economic recovery."

* U.S. forces leave Afghanistan's Korengal Valley.

* Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) eyes derivatives, which is an issue is of increasing significance to Democrats in both chambers.

* Democratic Senate centrists aren't in any hurry to tackle immigration reform.

* Absolutely fantastic piece from University of Chicago law professor Geoffrey Stone on conservatives, liberals, and judicial philosophy.

* Don't buy the nonsense that 47% of American households owe no taxes.

* I'm still amazed that someone of Jon Kyl's limited skills, knowledge, intellect, and awareness of current events can rise to be the #2 Republican in the U.S. Senate.

* John McCain's gives new meaning to the phrase "trigger happy."

* Hmm: "California's attorney general on Tuesday launched a probe into the finances of a state university foundation and the alleged dumping of documents related to Sarah Palin's upcoming speech at the school."

* The House's two most ridiculous members agree to share a right-wing press secretary to push their deranged arguments.

* George Shultz, Reagan's Secretary of State, rejects GOP talking points and praises President Obama's nuclear strategy.

* Former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) thinks the White House's agenda is "un-American." What a pathetic clown.

* Ted Frier draws an interesting parallel between Wall Street and the Titanic ... which was also too big to fail.

* More evidence that the recession is leading students to community colleges.

* It seems Breitbart is making a habit of releasing deceptive videos.

* I had a chance to work with Alex Koppelman a bit at Salon and I've long considered him an astute observer and class act. Best wishes to him in his new endeavors.

* Similarly, I'm sorry to see Jonathan Cohn close up The Treatment, which I found invaluable throughout the debate over health care reform.

* President Obama held a news conference late yesterday as the nuclear summit came to a close. Fox News interrupted its coverage to air Glenn Beck's show. Amazing.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* While the Republican establishment rallies to support Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson's Senate campaign, Sen. Jim Bunning (R) is throwing his support to right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul.

* In Florida, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Marco Rubio with a 23-point lead over Charlie Crist in their Republican Senate primary, 56% to 33%. If, however, Crist runs as an independent, he narrowly leads the three-way field.

* On a related note, Crist's campaign manager didn't rule out the possibility that the governor would exit the GOP primary and run as an independent.

* David Malpass, best known for his work as Bear Stearns' former chief global economist, has decided to take on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) in New York this year. Malpass, who has never held elected office, will run in the GOP primary.

* Speaking of the Empire State, Republican gubernatorial hopeful Carl Paladino will not drop out of the race, despite reports this week about his racist and explicit emails.

* The latest poll out of Pennsylvania shows Pat Toomey (R) leading Sen. Arlen Specter (D) in a hypothetical Senate match-up, 48% to 38%.

* The latest poll out of Arkansas shows the Democratic Senate field growing increasingly competitive, with incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln leading her chief primary rival, Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, by only seven points, 38% to 31%.

* Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) is still the favorite to win the open Senate contest this year, but his campaign is hitting some speed-bumps.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Quite a sight: "A plume of volcanic ash from Iceland hovering over Northern Europe severely disrupted air travel for hundreds of thousands of airline passengers Thursday as authorities cancelled flights across the region."

* President Obama speaks in Florida, recommits his administration to NASA's future.

* Labor Secretary Hilda Solis has her eyes on Massey Energy.

* Housing crisis isn't over: "A record number of U.S. homes were lost to foreclosure in the first three months of this year, a sign banks are starting to wade through the backlog of troubled home loans at a faster pace, according to a new report."

* Targeting the Taliban: "The Pentagon has increased its use of the military's most elite special operations teams in Afghanistan, more than doubling the number of the highly trained teams assigned to hunt down Taliban leaders, according to senior officials."

* The public is still open to persuasion on the merits of the Affordable Care Act.

* Good to know: "Climate change researchers accused of manipulating or hiding data in last year's 'Climategate' affair were guilty of sloppy record-keeping but not bad science, an independent panel in Britain concluded Wednesday."

* On a related note, expect to see the Kerry-Graham-Lieberman climate bill on April 26.

* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) still isn't truth-oriented.

* Scandal-plagued, far-right Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) is willing to fight to support formaldehyde, no matter what EPA scientists think.

* A right-wing House member admits to ignoring the law on completing Census forms.

* The president's and vice president's tax returns are open to public review.

* Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) doesn't mind sympathizing with terrorists. He does mind if you point this out to him.

* It's a stretch to say where you go to college is irrelevant.

* Um, CBS? Why are you publishing un-sourced gossip from Ben Domenech?

* I'm so glad to see the CBPP finally launch a blog. I'm a huge CBPP fan, I've been wanting them to do this for a while.

* Remember, a Republican lie doesn't have to make sense; it doesn't have to withstand scrutiny; it doesn't even have to be persuasive. It just has to be repeated.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* To the relief of the DSCC, former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) announced yesterday that he will not run for the Senate this year. The decision improves Sen. Russ Feingold's (D) re-election chances considerably.

* After Charlie Crist (R) vetoed an education bill championed by conservative Republicans in the state legislature, former Sen. Connie Mack (R) resigned as chairman of Crist's Senate campaign.

* As speculation about Crist's future in the GOP intensifies, NRSC Chairman John Cornyn (R-Texas) is warning the Floridian not to run as an independent.

* The latest Mason-Dixon poll in Nevada shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) trailing Sue Lowden (R) by 10 points, even when a full slate of third-party candidates is included in the mix.

* In Hawaii's upcoming special election, a new Research 2000 poll shows Charles Djou (R) narrowly leading a three-way contest. He's running against two Democrats at the same time, splitting the party's support in half.

* The DNC is prepared to invest more than $50 million in cash and services for House, Senate, and gubernatorial campaigns this year, starting in June.

* The latest Research 2000 poll in Arkansas shows Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) with a 12-point lead over her primary challenger, Bill Halter, 45% to 33%.

* Michael Heath kicked off his independent gubernatorial campaign in Maine earlier this week. Yesterday, he quit.

* And most likely presidential candidates create political action committees to support like-minded candidates, raising money specifically for the purpose of donating it. Former half-term governor Sarah Palin's PAC spent $409,000 in the first quarter, but only $9,500 in support of candidates.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Wow: "Goldman Sachs, which emerged relatively unscathed from the financial crisis, was accused of securities fraud in a civil suit filed Friday by the Securities and Exchange Commission, which claims the bank created and sold a mortgage investment that was secretly devised to fail. The move marks the first time that regulators have taken action against a Wall Street deal that helped investors capitalize on the collapse of the housing market. Goldman itself profited by betting against the very mortgage investments that it sold to its customers."

* Senate Dems would love to use Goldman to advance Wall Street reform, the way they used Anthem to advance health care reform.

* A new line in the sand: President Obama will veto financial regulatory reform if it fails to regulate the derivatives market.

* Blackwater: "The former president of Blackwater Worldwide and four other former officials at the embattled security firm were indicted Friday on federal weapons charges, partially the result of a raid two years ago by agents that rounded up 22 weapons, including AK-47s."

* Good: "President Obama called Friday for Congress to pass legislation giving voting representation to residents of the nation's capital. The House Democratic leader, Representative Steny Hoyer of Maryland, plans to bring the measure, called the D.C. Voting Rights Act, to the floor next week for a vote."

* Wise words from President Clinton on the consequences of angry, right-wing rhetoric.

* After the Senate passed an extension of unemployment benefits, the House did the same on a 289 to 112 vote. President Obama signed it into law last night.

* A long day of conservative badgering for appeals court nominee Goodwin Liu.

* Solicitor General Elena Kagan has come under some progressive criticism over her views on executive power, but the critiques are not universal.

* CATO makes Romney look pretty foolish.

* The Washington Post really shouldn't give platforms to bigots.

* Do you suppose the Teabaggers know Republicans voted against troop funding?

* Hoping to change the law when it comes to student loans and bankruptcy.

* I'm afraid Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) doesn't know the meaning of the word "own."

* Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) thinks the United States may be "reliant upon the Soviet Union" for future low-earth orbit access. He's not very bright.

* Jon Stewart offered some worthwhile guidance to Fox News last night.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Late on Friday, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) conceded that he has not ruled out running for the Senate as an independent. "I'm not thinking about that today," he said in response to a reporter's question. "We'll look at that later on."

* In related news, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) has decided to jump on the bandwagon, announcing his support for Marco Rubio over Crist.

* And in still more Florida news, a new Quinnipiac poll shows the state's gubernatorial race growing more competitive, with state AG Bill McCollum (R) leading state CFO Alex Sink (D) by four, 40% to 36%. Despite holding statewide office, neither candidate is well known.

* In Massachusetts, the Republican State Convention chose Charles Baker as their gubernatorial candidate over the weekend. He'll face incumbent Gov. Deval Patrick (D) and state Treasurer Timothy Cahill (I) in November. A new poll shows Patrick with a narrow lead in the three-way race.

* Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) is feeling some heat from primary challenger Marcy Winograd, but delegates to the California Democratic Party met over the weekend and formally endorsed the incumbent.

* Polls have been all over the place in Arizona's Republican Senate primary, but Rasmussen now has Sen. John McCain leading former Rep. J.D. Hayworth by just five points, 47% to 42%.

* As expected, former Republican National Committeeman Sean Mahoney has announced he'll take on Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D) this year in New Hampshire.

* Former New York Gov. George Pataki (R) appears to be moving towards a presidential campaign, as is Mississippi Haley Barbour (R). Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), however, appears to have ruled out a national campaign.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Progress over the skies of Europe: "Poland reopened four airports and the Netherlands reopened one shortly after European officials carved up the sky Monday, creating three zones to more quickly break the flight deadlock caused by volcanic ash flowing from Iceland over Europe."

* I do love green shoots: "The index of U.S. leading indicators rose in March by the most in 10 months, a sign the economy will keep growing into the second half of the year."

* Into the lion's den: "President Obama will take his case for tougher financial regulation to Wall Street's backyard this week, the White House announced Monday."

* Gates on Iran: "Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates acknowledged Sunday that in January he sent a memo to the White House outlining the 'next steps in our defense planning process' for Iran."

* Gun activists converge on the D.C. area.

* Rumors were true: "President Barack Obama has nominated Harvard medical professor Donald Berwick to oversee Medicare and Medicaid."

* Sigh: "Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine.) on Monday issued subpoenas to the Obama administration regarding the shootings at Ft. Hood last year."

* Andrew Sabl ponders "the fundamental difference between the kind of responsible libertarians whom I happily have dinner with and the 'buy more guns, more bullets' contingent."

* Adam Serwer ponders the "flame war between Tom Goldstein and Glenn Greenwald over Solicitor General Elena Kagan's suitability for the Supreme Court."

* On a related note, Greenwald makes a very compelling case for Diane Wood to fill John Paul Stevens' vacancy on the high court.

* Greenwald also reports that the White House has sought out defenders for Elana Kagan. For the record, I haven't heard a word from my White House sources on this, but I have no idea if my experience is the norm.

* White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs meets with angry reporters to tend to "frayed relations."

* A great political cartoon appropriately mocks the Senate Minority Leader, who has no qualms repeating a lie, even after it's exposed as a lie.

* Fact checking the Sunday shows.

* Financial aid season is not always a pleasant one.

* And in Georgia, former Gov. Roy Barnes (D), who seeking his old job back, mocked far-right Republicans who throw around rhetoric about secession from the U.S. "Do they not know that the Yankees have got the atomic bomb now?" Barnes joked.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) told a Tampa-area TV station yesterday that he's mulling his options. "The law gives you until April 30 to make such a declaration and I'm going to take my time and be as thoughtful as I need to be," Crist said. He said today, however, that he will stay in the Senate race -- either as an independent or as a Republican.

* In the meantime, the GOP establishment hopes to end his chances. Today, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) will endorse Marco Rubio.

* Republicans continue to rally in support of corporate lobbyist Dan Coats' (R) Senate campaign in Indiana, but Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) this morning threw his backing to state Sen. Marlin Stutzman (R).

* On a related note, Rasmussen shows Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D) trailing both Coats and Stutzman by wide margins.

* In New York, the latest Siena poll shows Andrew Cuomo (D) crushing his various GOP challengers.

* Texas' gubernatorial race continues to look very competitive, with Rasmussen showing incumbent Gov. Rick Perry (R) leading Houston Mayor Bill White (D) by only four points, 48% to 44%.

* Mac D'Alessandro, a regional political director for the SEIU, is reportedly eyeing a primary campaign against Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), who voted with Republicans on health care reform.

* And it may not happen anytime too soon, but White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel apparently intends to run for mayor in Chicago, eventually.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Key 8-1 ruling: "The Supreme Court struck down a federal law Tuesday aimed at banning videos depicting graphic violence against animals, saying that it violates the constitutional right to free speech."

* An argument over gun rights led to this major disappointment: "In a stunning reversal, Democratic leaders have decided that the House of Representatives won't consider a bill that would have given the District of Columbia full voting rights in Congress. 'The price was way too high,' explained House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., in announcing the decision Tuesday."

* Another good move from the administration: "Surrounded by women athletes and Olympians Vice President Biden announced today that the Obama administration is rolling back a controversial Title IX compliance requirement enacted under the Bush administration. 'Making Title IX as strong as possible is a no-brainer,' Biden said this afternoon at an event at George Washington University."

* The right fought vehemently in opposition to Marisa Demeo, a President Obama nominee to the D.C. Superior Court, primarily because she's a lesbian. After waiting for 13 months for a vote, the Senate ended a Republican filibuster today.

* SEC: "The Securities and Exchange Commission is examining whether any of the 19 largest U.S. banks are using an accounting trick that a bankruptcy examiner has said led to the collapse of Lehman Brothers, SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro said Tuesday."

* Any chance the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland might help with global warming? It's not likely.

* Donald Berwick, the new Medicare/Medicaid chief, looks like a fine choice.

* Judging community colleges.

* In case Fox News is too liberal for you, there may soon be an even more ridiculous option: RightNetwork. The guy who played Frasier is apparently involved.

* Glenn Beck is claiming to hear voices in his head.

* R.I.P, Dr. Dorothy Height.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In the major parties' first quarter fundraising totals, both the DCCC and the DSCC outraised their Republican counterparts. The Democratic committees also have more cash on hand than the NRCC and NRSC.

* Meanwhile, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas) declared yesterday that making gains in this year's midterms isn't enough to constitute success. "Anything less" than a Republican majority, Sessions said, would mean he fell short of his "mission statement."

* With the winds continuing to shift in Florida, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said this morning he won't support Charlie Crist's Senate campaign under any circumstances.

* Dave Weigel "got an early look at a survey of state GOP delegates conducted by a Utah firm" yesterday, and it appears that incumbent Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah) is in very deep trouble this year. It's conceivable that Bennett will lose so badly at the state Republican convention in two weeks, there won't even be a primary.

* On a related note, however, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) hopes to try to rescue Bennett.

* With the special election in Hawaii's first congressional district coming up next week, the DCCC has decided to go after Republican candidate Charles Djou. Dems fear a loss in this race is a real possibility, because it's a three-way contest -- two Democrats against one Republican.

* In New Hampshire, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows former state AG Kelly Ayotte (R) leading Rep. Paul Hodes (D) in this year's open Senate race, 47% to 40%.

* Ben Quayle is running for Congress in Arizona, and it appears fundraising won't be a problem -- his former V.P. father is lining up establishment friends to cut big checks for the first-time candidate.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* When Senate Republicans block votes on Obama administration nominees, it's routine. When Senate Republicans block votes on about 100 Obama administration nominees, all on the same day, it's a reminder of how just absurd the GOP's obstructionism can be.

* No, the president didn't intervene to sic the SEC on Goldman Sachs.

* On a related note, the new, far-right conspiracy theory about Goldman, the DNC, and Google really doesn't make sense.

* The administration was thrilled: "General Motors Co. has repaid the $8.1 billion in loans it got from the U.S. and Canadian governments, a move its CEO says is a sign automaker is on the road to recovery. GM CEO Whitacre announced the loan paybacks Wednesday at the company's Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Kan., where he said GM is investing $257 million in that factory and the Detroit-Hamtramck plant, both of which will build the next generation of the midsize Chevrolet Malibu."

* Bold approach: "Sens. Sherrod Brown (right), Ted Kaufman, Robert Casey and Sheldon Whitehouse are introducing a new financial-reform bill, the Safe Banking Act of 2010, to limit the size of the banks -- and, in the process, break up existing firms."

* Rescind that invitation: "The Army is considering whether to rescind an invitation to evangelist Franklin Graham to appear at the Pentagon amid complaints about his description of Islam as evil, a military spokesman said Wednesday."

* American women are now apparently outpacing American men in higher education achievement. And yet, women still earn less than men.

* This NYT op-ed on anti-trust policy provides further support for the thesis of the Monthly's latest cover story.

* As it turns out, there really are some unhinged nutjobs in the House Republican caucus.

* On a related note, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) forgets that it's best to read magazine articles before condemning them.

* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) changes his story a bit on illegal immigrants deliberately causing auto accidents.

* I haven't seen RNC Chairman Michael Steele popping off as much lately, but he's back today, lying about Wall Street reform. Can he go back into hiding now?

* And finally, the Embassy of Kenya will throw a real tea party on Capitol Hill next week, celebrating Kenya's new status as the world's top exporter of tea. I don't imagine Dick Armey and Fox News will be there.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Hoping to wrap the primary race up once and for all, Dick Cheney this morning threw his support to Marco Rubio in Florida's Senate race. The former V.P. took plenty of not-so-subtle shots at Rubio's Republican opponent and one-time frontrunner, Gov. Charlie Crist.

* On a related note, Rasmussen shows Rubio leading in a hypothetical, three-way match-up, with 37% support. Crist is second in the poll with 30%, and Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) is third with 22%.

* And while Florida's Senate field may be poised to shrink on the GOP side, it may be poised to grow on the Democratic side. Billionaire real estate developer and financier Jeff Greene, listed by Forbes as one of the richest people in the world, is thinking about taking on Rep. Kendrick Meek in a Democratic primary.

* In California, the latest Rasmussen poll shows state AG Jerry Brown (D) out in front over Meg Whitman (R) in the gubernatorial race, 44% to 38%.

* The DSCC still has high hopes for former North Carolina state Sen. Cal Cunningham in his potential bid against Sen. Richard Burr (R), but Cunningham appears to be struggling to fill his campaign coffers with the donations he'll need.

* On a related note, Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, one of the two top Democratic candidates running for the Senate this year, is in even worse financial shape, and ended the first quarter with only $79,000 in the bank. Her primary opponent, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, has $1.8 million in cash on hand.

* And scandal-plagued Republican Sen. John Ensign (R) isn't up for re-election until 2012, but like all senators, he's expected to keep raising money for the next race. In the first quarter of 2010, the humiliated far-right lawmaker raised just $50 -- no, that's not a typo -- which came from one guy.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Things go from bad to worse on the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil platform.

* Better, but still too high: "First-time claims for jobless benefits fell last week, evidence that employers are laying off fewer workers. But claims remain too high to signal steady job creation."

* Home sales "rose more than expected in March, reversing three months of declines."

* Greece: "The Greek debt crisis escalated again Thursday as new data showed the government's gaping budget deficit was worse than previously thought and investors expressed fears that officials in Athens may not agree to stringent demands for an international bailout."

* The Dems' Wall Street reform bill will reduce the budget deficit.

* Iran: "In a matter of days, the United Nations will impose sanctions against Iran for illegally pursuing nuclear weapons, Vice President Joe Biden said in an interview Thursday."

* Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) thinks tackling immigration reform "destroys the ability to do something like energy and climate." I suspect he might be right about this, though Stephen Stromberg touches on a related point about EPA action that's worth watching.

* The latest summary of Sue Lowden's "Chickens for Checkups" controversy.

* Does Rep. Darrel Issa (R-Calif.) have any proof to bolster his White House/SEC conspiracy theory? By his own admission, "No."

* The Senate Budget Committee moves on this year's budget.

* Did this morning's RNC piece from the Washington Times get the story right? Not necessarily.

* Stephanie Cutter will oversee the White House's health care messaging strategy. Good move.

* Is it me, or is DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano just plain likable?

* Joe Conason explains why it matters that the U.S. is becoming more respected internationally in the Obama era.

* That's even more than I would have guessed: "In recent years, at least 20 Fox News personalities have endorsed, raised money, or campaigned for Republican candidates or causes, or against Democratic candidates or causes, in more than 300 instances and in at least 49 states."

* New rules about unpaid interns.

* And Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.) believes "trained professionals" can spot undocumented immigrants based on what they're wearing. Seriously.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A reporter asked Florida Gov. Charlie Crist yesterday about his loyalty to the Republican Party. He responded by talking about his role in the GOP in the past tense: "I have very much enjoyed being a member of the Republican Party."

* A prominent conservative voice in Nevada politics is sounding the alarm about Sue "Chicken for Checkups" Lowden's future: "If the campaign doesn't get its 'stuff' together FAST, Lowden risks becoming the next Charlie Crist."

* In California, a new SurveyUSA poll shows Meg Whitman with a big lead over Steve Poizner in the Republicans' gubernatorial primary.

* The same California poll shows Tom Campbell leading the Republicans' Senate primary, with Carly Fiorina running seven points behind, and Chuck DeVore a more distant third.

* Republicans had struggled to find a top-tier challenger for Rep. Alan Grayson (D), but it now appears former state Sen. Daniel Webster (R) is poised to launch a campaign.

* There are only three weeks left before the filing deadline for candidates in Wyoming, and as of today, there are no Democrats running for governor. If you're a Montana Democrat reading this, just think: Easiest. Primary. Ever.

* In Maryland, Rasmussen shows incumbent Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) with a narrow lead over the Republican he defeated four years ago, Bob Ehrlich, 47% to 44%.

* Nate Silver's latest analysis finds that Senate Dems are poised to lose quite a few seats this year, but probably not enough to lose their majority.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* As expected, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) signed into law an odious new anti-immigrant bill today.

* At least 58 people killed in Iraq: "A coordinated series of explosions struck a party headquarters, two mosques, a market and a shop in Baghdad on Friday, deepening the country's turmoil amid a political impasse and a concerted military campaign against the leaders of Al Qaeda in Iraq."

* Pulling the alarm: "Pushed to the brink of bankruptcy, Greece on Friday requested a massive, $56 billion rescue that is aimed at preventing a financial meltdown in the heart of Europe and will test the resolve of the European Union to uphold its pledge to bail out the troubled Mediterranean nation."

* New home sales surged 27% in March. It was "the biggest monthly increase in 47 years."

* Is the climate/energy bill dead?

* The Treasury Department expects the overall price tag for TARP to be as low as $87 billion, when all is said and done.

* Death threats force Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) to close his district offices.

* The disaster at the Deepwater Horizon rig has not gone unnoticed in the context of the debate over drilling policy.

* FCC Commissioner Michael Copps envisions a major fight over net neutrality.

* Congressional Dems craft a legislative plan to respond to the Citizens United ruling.

* President Obama is the most popular leader in the world. Conservatives will no doubt try to argue that this is awful news.

* Killing an American by firing-squad? In the 21st century?

* The DADT conspiracy theories don't stand up well to scrutiny.

* Matt Yglesias underscores the problem with Jonah Goldberg's work.

* Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin, the Army doctor who's convinced the president isn't a natural born citizen, has thrown away a decorated military career.

* Fighting against tuition hikes.

* Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's (R) ridiculous lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act may help in unexpected ways.

* Republicans lawmakers want to "start over." On what? On everything.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Vice President Biden campaigned in Pennsylvania the other day, and told voters he'd consider it "a personal favor" if they voted for Sen. Arlen Specter.

* By all appearances, Sen. Bob Bennett's (R) career as a senator from Utah will come to an end this year. Bennett, after three terms as a conservative senator, is being rejected by GOP delegates as not being right-wing enough.

* In a bit of a surprise, Minnesota state House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher (D) won her party's convention nod for governor, edging out Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak (D). Kelliher may yet face additional challengers, however, in advance of an Aug. 10 primary.

* In Georgia, there were some hopes among Democrats that state Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond (D) would be competitive against Sen. Johnny Isakson (R), but the latest Rasmussen poll shows the Republican incumbent ahead by 16, 51% to 35%.

* Sen. Russ Feingold's (D-Wis.) re-election prospects appear relatively secure, but the incumbent is nevertheless launching his first television ad of the season this week. It emphasizes, among other things, his opposition to the Wall Street bailout bill in 2008.

* In keeping with the general pattern, Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef (R) has announced he's scrapping his campaign against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) in New York. The pattern, of course, refers to a seemingly-endless stream of Republicans who get ready to take on Gillibrand, only to drop out soon after.

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) won't be up for a second term until 2013, but he's off to a rough start. After nearly four months in office, the governor's approval rating is down to a woeful 33%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* As promised, Senate Republicans blocked a vote to start debate on Wall Street reform this afternoon. In a rather ridiculous move, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) joined with the GOP, proving once again just how embarrassing he can be.

* Iraq: "Seven weeks after Iraqis went to the polls, a special elections court disqualified a winning parliamentary candidate, likely reversing the narrow defeat of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki's coalition and possibly allowing him the first chance to form a new coalition government."

* Political chaos continues to threaten Thailand.

* President Obama eulogizes 29 coal miners killed in West Virginia earlier this month. "Our task, here on Earth, is to save lives from being lost in another such tragedy," the president said.

* Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) still thinks the climate/energy bill is headed for the Senate floor -- eventually.

* Encouraging: "The recovery is shaping up to be stronger than expected and there is little risk the economy will slip back into a recession, according to USA TODAY's quarterly survey of 46 leading economists."

* Maybe this will have an impact on the policy debate? "Coast Guard officials said Monday afternoon that the oil spill near Louisiana was now covering an area in the Gulf of Mexico of 48 miles by 39 miles at its widest points, and they have been unable to engage a mechanism that could shut off the well thousands of feet below the ocean's surface."

* Should be an interesting case: "The Supreme Court, wading into a thicket of free-speech and children's rights issues, agreed Monday to decide whether California can ban the sale or rental of violent video games to minors."

* On a related note, there will be no announcement this week on the next Supreme Court nominee.

* Mary Kay Henry, not Anna Burger, will head the SEIU.

* What was Joseph Sean McVey doing at Asheville Regional Airport yesterday, armed and interested in seeing the president?

* Howard Kurtz gets into the fact-checking game on CNN, which is good. But if the segment is going be a both-sides-do-it feature, that isn't good at all.

* How do you know for sure the crazy immigration law passed last week in Arizona goes too far? Tom Tancredo thinks it's excessive.

* Jesus will stay on Trinity University's diploma.

* George W. Bush's memoir will be released later this year -- a week after the midterms.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist will announce his plans for the rest of the year on Thursday, the day before the filing deadline for an expected independent Senate bid.

* Asked yesterday whether Crist would caucus with Democrats or Republicans should he win as an independent, the governor said, "You're way ahead of me."

* Sen. Bob Bennett (R) is now running third in Utah, reinforcing the fact that his career is nearly over -- there's just no room for a conservative senator in a very conservative party.

* Last week, Ohio Republicans sent out a mailer saying they're trying to take Rep. Betty Sutton (D-Ohio) "out of the House and send her back to the kitchen." Sutton is fighting back, calling on her Republican opponent to denounce the misogynistic attack.

* The Democratic primary in North Carolina's Senate race is just a week away, and at this point, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall has a slight edge over former state Sen. Cal Cunningham in the multi-candidate race. If no candidate gets a majority 40%, the top two will compete in a June runoff. [fixed]

* In Kentucky, Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo (D), a leading Senate candidate, emphasizes his opposition to cap-and-trade -- the basis for his party's energy policy -- in a new campaign ad.

* Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) will not run unopposed after all -- Fox News commentator Jay Townsend will kick off his Republican campaign this weekend.

* And in Georgia, real estate magnate Ray Boyd had planned on running for governor as a Republican, but will now reportedly run as an independent. Boyd has said he intends to spend $2 million of his own money on the race.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Senate tried again to start a debate on Wall Street reform. And once again, Republicans and Ben Nelson refused to let the debate begin. The vote was 57 to 41, just like yesterday. (The negative press apparently didn't faze them.)

* Uh oh: "Greece's credit rating was lowered to junk status Tuesday by a leading credit agency, a decision that rocked financial markets and deepened fears that a debt crisis in Europe could spiral out of control."

* It led to an unpleasant day on Wall Street.

* Krugman evaluates the situation and warns of a "cohesion crisis." He concluded, "It's getting a bit scary out there."

* At the same time, however, we learned that U.S. consumer confidence rose in April, reaching its highest level in 19 months.

* Interesting day on the Hill: "Blistered by lawmakers for 'unbridled greed,' Goldman Sachs executives on Tuesday unflinchingly defended their conduct and denied the huge Wall Street investment bank helped cause the near-meltdown of the nation's financial system."

* The Mexican government has warned its citizens about visiting Arizona. That's probably a good idea.

* Good: "The National Institutes of Health will announce Tuesday that four additional lines of human embryonic stem cells are now eligible for federal funding, including the most widely used line."

* Keep an eye on this: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) maintained Tuesday he will bring up climate legislation ahead of an immigration bill, noting the former 'is much farther down the road in terms of a product.'"

* President Obama's "Main Street Tour" reaches Iowa.

* It's like the C. Montgomery Burns Chair in Business Administration.

* Great Eugene Robinson column on Arizona, Tea Partiers, and immigration: "Isn't the whole premise of the Tea Party movement that overreaching government poses a grave threat to individual freedom? ... Or is there some kind of exception if the people whose freedoms are being taken away happen to have brown skin and might speak Spanish?"

* Yeah, I remember when calling the president a "racist" used to be controversial, too.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Gallup's latest congressional poll finds that Republicans still benefit from an "enthusiasm gap" over Democrats in advance of the midterm elections.

* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is now expected to launch an independent Senate bid. He'll formally announce his plans at an event tomorrow afternoon in St. Petersburg.

* Speaking of Florida, Marco Rubio (R) seems to be already shifting to a general-election posture, criticizing Arizona's new immigration law yesterday despite right-wing support for the measure.

* Actor Michael J. Fox is the star of Sen. Arlen Specter's (D-Pa.) new campaign ad. "Arlen Specter is moving forward," Fox says. "He's won the battles to double funding for biomedical research, to find cures and to save lives. He's smart, tough and always moving forward." The actor appeared in two Democratic ads in 2006, prompting Rush Limbaugh to mock Fox's Parkinson's.

* In Ohio, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher pulling away from Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner in their Democratic Senate primary. Though the two were running close for many months, Quinnipiac now shows Fisher up by 17, 41% to 24%.

* It may not bolster her standing with rank-and-file Democrats, but Sen. Blanche Lincoln's (D) re-election bid is getting support from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is launching a new campaign ad on her behalf.

* Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) is not exactly a reliable Democratic ally, but he has agreed to host a fundraiser in support of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

* With so much attention on Arizona politics of late, it's worth noting that Gov. Jan Brewer (R) trails state Attorney General Terry Goddard (D) in the latest survey from Public Policy Polling, 47% to 44%.

* And how far gone are some GOP contingents? Rep. Lynn Jenkins, a far-right Republican in Kansas, is getting a primary challenger. Republican state Sen. Dennis Pyle said Jenkins just isn't far-right enough.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* European debt crisis: "European and International Monetary Fund officials on Wednesday were considering a dramatically increased $158 billion bailout package for Greece as the country's debt crisis continued to ripple across Europe, with Standard & Poor's downgrading the credit rating on Spain, the continent's fourth-largest economy."

* Don't expect the Fed to touch interest rates for a while.

* Left with no other options: "Crews were poised to begin setting fire to oil leaking from the site of an exploded drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, a last-ditch effort to get rid of it before it reaches environmentally sensitive marshlands on the coast."

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) intends to move on climate/energy before immigration, but dismisses out of hand GOP calls for him to drop immigration reform altogether.

* Success on rescissions.

* Good move: "After nine years of regulatory review, the federal government gave the green light Wednesday to the nation's first offshore wind farm, a sprawling project off the coast of Cape Cod."

* Hoping to make clear enough for even the RNC to understand, the House once again unanimously passed a measure to prohibit fake-Census mailings.

* President Obama takes his "Main Street Tour" to Missouri.

* Wall Street always whines incessantly about new regulations. And it's always wrong.

* Prime Minister Gordon Brown's chances of another term just took a sudden turn for the worse.

* The striking similarities between law school debt and sub-prime mortgages.

* It's crazy on so many levels: "[Former Rep. Tom Tancredo] claimed that Obama is purposefully withholding his birth certificate in order to fuel birther conspiracies that make the right wing look nuts."

* The correct response to "show us your papers."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele believes there's "a real possibility" that Gov. Charlie Crist could win Florida's Senate race as an independent. That's probably not the message the RNC intended to push today.

* In Ohio, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D) narrowly leading former Bush Budget Director Rob Portman (R) in this year's Senate race, 40% to 37%.

* On a related note, the same poll shows Gov. Ted Strickland (D) leading Fox News personality John Kasich (R) in this year's gubernatorial race, 44% to 38%.

* Former Rep. Scott McInnis, the leading Republican in Colorado's gubernatorial race, argued this week that he'd like to see his state duplicate the outrageous new immigration law in Arizona.

* Polls in Arizona's Republican Senate primary have been all over the place, but for what it's worth, a Rocky Mountain poll released yesterday shows Sen. John McCain crushing former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, 54% to 28%. Public Policy Polling shows McCain ahead, but by a more modest margin, 46% to 35%.

* Speaking of Arizona, while PPP shows state Attorney General Terry Goddard (D) leading Gov. Jan Brewer (R), Rasmussen shows the incumbent ahead, 48% to 40%.

* Indiana's Republican Senate primary is just a week away, and a new SurveyUSA poll shows corporate lobbyist Dan Coats leading the field. The poll showed Coats ahead with 36%, followed by former Rep. John Hostettler with 24%.

* And in Michigan, Rasmussen shows Rep. Peter Hoekstra out in front of the Republican gubernatorial field with 28%. Rick Snyder and state Attorney General Mike Cox are about tied for second.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico: "Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Thursday designated a widening oil slick pill in the Gulf of Mexico as "a spill of national significance" as government officials acknowledged that the amount of oil spewing daily from the well is far more than earlier thought."

* Administration steps up: "President Obama increased his administration's role in the cleanup of the vast oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, by positioning the Department of Defense to assist the giant oil company BP in dealing with the spill and by sending three top officials to Louisiana."

* Greece: "European leaders raced on Thursday to complete a financial rescue package for Greece, hoping to head off a chain reaction against other heavily indebted European nations that could turn into a financial meltdown across the continent."

* Initial filings for unemployment benefits dropped a bit, but they're still too high.

* On top of their other legislative priorities, congressional Dems plan to move on a new campaign-finance measure, intended in part to respond to the Citizens United ruling, before July 4.

* Another coal mine tragedy, this time in Kentucky.

* More litigation challenging Arizona's immigration law.

* As Karzai's legitimacy continues to falter, the Taliban strengthens.

* President Obama has made his selections to fill vacancies on the Federal Reserve board.

* House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) was asked yesterday whether he supports Arizona's new immigration law. He refused to say, calling the question a "false choice," which doesn't make any sense. No Profile in Courage Award for you, Eric.

* Oh, good. Frank Luntz has new suggestions on how Republicans can deceive the public.

* If you think Republicans in D.C. have crazy ideas, consider what Republicans in state legislatures are up to.

* A certain former half-term governor considers deranged media personality Glenn Beck "an inspiring patriot." The mind reels.

* The recession isn't slowing down college enrollment rates.

* It's almost as if Karl Rove doesn't remember 2001 through 2008 at all.

* Saying goodbye to civil rights icon Dorothy I. Height.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele believes there's "a real possibility" that Gov. Charlie Crist could win Florida's Senate race as an independent. That's probably not the message the RNC intended to push today.

* In Ohio, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D) narrowly leading former Bush Budget Director Rob Portman (R) in this year's Senate race, 40% to 37%.

* On a related note, the same poll shows Gov. Ted Strickland (D) leading Fox News personality John Kasich (R) in this year's gubernatorial race, 44% to 38%.

* Former Rep. Scott McInnis, the leading Republican in Colorado's gubernatorial race, argued this week that he'd like to see his state duplicate the outrageous new immigration law in Arizona.

* Polls in Arizona's Republican Senate primary have been all over the place, but for what it's worth, a Rocky Mountain poll released yesterday shows Sen. John McCain crushing former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, 54% to 28%. Public Policy Polling shows McCain ahead, but by a more modest margin, 46% to 35%.

* Speaking of Arizona, while PPP shows state Attorney General Terry Goddard (D) leading Gov. Jan Brewer (R), Rasmussen shows the incumbent ahead, 48% to 40%.

* Indiana's Republican Senate primary is just a week away, and a new SurveyUSA poll shows corporate lobbyist Dan Coats leading the field. The poll showed Coats ahead with 36%, followed by former Rep. John Hostettler with 24%.

* And in Michigan, Rasmussen shows Rep. Peter Hoekstra out in front of the Republican gubernatorial field with 28%. Rick Snyder and state Attorney General Mike Cox are about tied for second.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* What a nightmare for the Gulf coastline: "That stretch of coastline is full of marshlands, replete with reeds and piles of dead grass that could soak up oil like a sponge. Unlike fish, the area's famous populations of blue crabs and oysters won't be able to outrun the slick. And, precisely at this time of year, the region is host to vast numbers of migratory birds returning from their wintering grounds in South America. Besides the damage to fish and wildlife, even the land itself could be a victim of the spill. One scientist said if the oil kills marsh grasses, it could eliminate a key natural barrier that keeps Louisiana's precious coastline from eroding."

* Greece: "The Greek government, rapidly running out of time to shore up its finances, was close to completing negotiations for assistance from the International Monetary Fund, European officials said on Friday."

* It's not just the SEC: "Federal prosecutors have opened an investigation into trading at Goldman Sachs, raising the possibility of criminal charges against the Wall Street giant, according to people familiar with the matter."

* Another encouraging shift: "The Pakistani military, long reluctant to heed American urging that it attack Pakistani militant groups in their main base in North Waziristan, is coming around to the idea that it must do so, in its own interests. Western officials have long believed that North Waziristan is the single most important haven for militants with Al Qaeda and the Taliban fighting American and NATO forces in Afghanistan. Pakistan has nurtured militant groups in the area for years in order to exert influence beyond its borders."

* Wesam El-Hanafi and Sabirhan Hasanoff, both U.S. citizens living in New York City, have been accused of providing support to al Qaeda in the form of "computer advice and assistance, services and currency."

* Anthem Blue Cross customers in California, many of whom were poised to get hit with a massive rate hike, get a temporary reprieve.

* The Dems' Wall Street reform package is tougher than Wall Street expected.

* The Arizona Department of Education has already begun "telling school districts that teachers whose spoken English it deems to be heavily accented or ungrammatical must be removed from classes for students still learning English."

* On a related note, Arizona hates the Affordable Care Act, but wants the money made available through reform.

* South Carolina Lt. Governor Andre Bauer (R) just doesn't like poor people.

* For-profit schools take a hit after criticism from an Obama administration official.

* The joke Al Gore was offered, but never told: "It's true I got C's and D's my freshman year at Harvard, but, in my own defense, that was the year I invented the bong."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (I) is not prepared to say which party he would caucus with if he's elected to the Senate.

* The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has a controversial new TV ad up in Arkansas, in support of Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D). The racial aspect is hard to overlook.

* A new poll from the Honolulu Advertiser shows exactly the scenario Dems feared -- in the upcoming special election in Hawaii, Ed Case and Colleen Hanabusa are splitting the Democratic vote, putting Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou (R) out in front.

* With time running out in Ohio's Democratic Senate primary, two new polls show Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher leading Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner by healthy margins. Quinnipiac has Fisher up by 19 points, while a Suffolk University poll shows Fisher leading by 28.

* Former Rep. and convicted felon Jim Traficant announced this morning he will try to return to Congress, running as an independent in Ohio's 17th. The incumbent is Rep. Tim Ryan (D).

* In Kentucky, religious right leader James Dobson has changed course, dropping his support for Trey Grayson in the Republican Senate primary, and announcing this morning that he's now backing right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul. Dobson had endorsed Grayson just last week.

* In North Carolina, a new survey from Public Policy Polling still has Elaine Marshall leading Cal Cunningham in the Democratic Senate primary, to be held tomorrow. Neither candidate appears likely to get 40% of the vote, making a runoff between the two all but inevitable.

* Joe Arpaio, the controversial Arizona sheriff from Maricopa County, is considering a gubernatorial campaign. He may announce his intentions as early as today.

* If Chris Coons (D) is going to be competitive in Delaware's Senate race, he's going to have to pick up the pace -- Rasmussen shows Rep. Michael Castle (R) up by 23 points, 55% to 32%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Ugh: "Officials from the Obama administration and oil giant BP say it might take up to three months to seal off a leaking oil well 5,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico that has created a massive environmental crisis that could affect much of the Gulf Coast."

* BP claims it's making some progress on stemming oil leaks. Of course, BP has claimed a lot of things.

* The administration has set up a website devoted exclusively to the BP Oil Spill.

* Times Square probe: "The police and F.B.I. investigators have interviewed the owner of the 1993 Nissan Pathfinder found loaded with explosives and rigged to blow up in Times Square, and do not consider that person to be a suspect in the case, the police said on Monday."

* Not acting alone? "The failed car bombing in Times Square increasingly appears to have been coordinated by more than one person in a plot with international links, Obama administration officials said Tuesday."

* U.N.: "Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the United Nations' top leadership used a high-level nuclear conference Monday to publicly scold Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his country's defiance of U.N. resolutions, while the United States and its European allies staged a walkout to protest Tehran's nuclear stance."

* Progress on rescuing Greece, but questions remain.

* Rep. Gene Taylor (D) of Mississippi doesn't seem to understand oil spills.

* Pakistan: "Army helicopter gunships pounded insurgent hideouts in northwest Pakistan on Sunday, killing at least 22 militants, a government official said."

* Good: "The FBI has launched a criminal investigation of the Massey Energy Co. mine where earlier this month an explosion killed 29 West Virginia miners, according to the Associated Press."

* I was mistaken; Alan Greenspan can look worse.

* Moving in the wrong direction on net neutrality.

* Don't expect Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to quit anytime soon.

* South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) will not face criminal charges.

* It seems pretty likely that, in a few more decades, Asia will have some of the finest universities in the world.

* I'm still not crazy about charter schools.

* There's some good gay rights provisions in the Senate Dems' immigration reform blueprint.

* A sad development, about doors I've walked through more than a few times: "The Supreme Court is permanently closing its massive, bronze front doors to the public, citing security risks."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* It's primary day in Indiana, North Carolina, and Ohio.

* Controversial Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio (R) will not run for governor this year, though he insists he'd win if he ran.

* Democratic officials are circulating a new poll showing that in Hawaii's upcoming special election, former Rep. Ed Case (D) can win, and state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa (D) cannot. At this point, both Dems will cancel each other out handing the seat to Republican Charles Djou.

* In Pennsylvania, Quinnipiac showed Sen. Arlen Specter leading Rep. Joe Sestak in their Democratic primary by 21 points a month ago. Quinnipiac now has the incumbent leading by just eight, 47% to 39%. A Muhlenberg College/Morning Call tracking poll showed similar results.

* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) has been officially neutral in Kentucky's Republican Senate primary, but today he formally threw his support to Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson.

* Sen. Blanche Lincoln's (D) re-election effort in Arkansas continues to enjoy support from former President Bill Clinton.

* Scott Lee Cohen was forced out of Illinois' race for lieutenant governor a couple of months ago, but he now plans to run for governor as an independent.

* Ron Kirkland, a Republican congressional candidate in Tennessee, has boasted that during his military career, gay service members "were taken care of" in ways that he "can't describe."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Faisal Shahzad: "The suspect in a failed attempted to detonate a car bomb in Times Square has implicated himself and is cooperating with authorities in an investigation that is spreading overseas as investigators look for links to the plot in the would-be bomber's native Pakistan."

* A brief reprieve: "Shifting and easing winds on Monday bought time for weather-beaten crews to bottle up and burn off a massive slick of rust-colored crude oil before it fouls fragile marshes and sugary beaches across four Gulf Coast states."

* Ouch: "The euro fell sharply on Tuesday and major indexes in Europe and the United States tumbled as the sovereign debt crisis in Europe and the risk of contagion continued to hang over the market."

* At least 29 people were killed in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky this week "by either floodwaters or tornadoes."

* Biggest increase in nine years: "Orders to U.S. factories rose a surprising 1.3 percent in March with widespread gains in many industries offsetting a big drop in commercial aircraft."

* Gen. Paul Eaton (Ret.), who trained Iraqi troops during the Bush/Cheney era, was disgusted by John McCain's and Pete King's demagoguery on Mirandizing the Times Square suspect today.

* One of Bush's more ridiculous cabinet secretaries, HUD's Alphonso Jackson, won't be going to jail after all.

* Good post from Mark Kleiman on the Obama administration's drug strategy.

* Not surprisingly, student loan defaults are increasing.

* Look for a new Supreme Court nominee next week.

* The Wall Street Journal editorial page, among others, would have us believe government employees are better paid than private workers. It's not true.

* A worthwhile endeavor: putting an end to prison rape.

* Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R) has an odd sense of humor.

* Kent State, 40 years later.

* Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) ends his effort to give Virtus a modesty shield. Good move.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The margin was closer than he would have liked, but corporate lobbyist Dan Coats won Indiana's Republican Senate primary yesterday. Rep. Dan Burton (R) staved off a primary challenger, too.

* In North Carolina, as expected, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall edged former state Sen. Cal Cunningham in the Democratic Senate primary, but neither received 40% of the vote and will face each other again in a June 22 runoff.

* In Ohio, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher defeated Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner in the Democratic Senate primary, and will face former Bush Budget Director Rob Portman (R), who did not face a primary opponent, in November.

* A post-announcement bump for Charlie Crist? Rasmussen's latest poll of Florida's Senate race shows the now-independent Crist leading the pack with 38%, followed by Republican Marco Rubio with 34%, and Democrat Kendrick Meek at 17%.

* President Obama wants to help the Democrat in Hawaii's 1st district special election, but there are two and the White House is neutral between them. So, the president has recorded a robocall encouraging a "crucial" vote for "a Democrat" for help with "our agenda for change."

* Speaking of Hawaii, Dems aren't feeling comfortable about the House special election, but former Rep. Neil Abercrombie's (D) gubernatorial campaign is on much firmer ground.

* The Republican establishment continues to rally behind Trey Grayson's Senate campaign, but the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul leading Grayson by a comfortable margin, 46% to 28%.

* And in Virginia, former Rep. Virgil Goode has apparently joined the Constitution Party, which believes Republicans are too liberal. Goode is reportedly considering another run for Congress against Rep. Thomas Perriello (D), who defeated him in 2008.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* BP Oil Spill: "Authorities battling the massive oil spill off the Gulf Coast planned to ignite part of the slick on Wednesday, the second such burn since oil started spewing into the water two weeks ago. The effort to remove oil from the surface comes as oil giant BP said it had stopped one of three leaks at the deep-water well."

* Greece: "Rioting over harsh austerity measures left three people dead in a torched Athens bank and clouds of tear gas drifting past parliament, in an outburst of anger that underlined the long and difficult struggle Greece faces to stick with painful cutbacks that come with an international bailout."

* Overdue security measure: "The U.S. government on Wednesday began requiring airlines to check no-fly lists much more quickly as a way to screen out terrorist suspects, officials said, after revelations that the man suspected of trying to detonate a car bomb in Times Square was able to board an international flight even though his name was listed."

* FinReg progress? "Top senators on the banking panel released the details of a bipartisan deal on how to unwind big financial firms that are considered too big to fail."

* Good: "[I]t turns out that Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y) is not supporting Connecticut independent Sen. Joe Lieberman's new proposal to strip the citizenship of those who are involved with terror groups."

* There were some reports this week that the FCC was moving in the wrong direction on net neutrality. Now there are reports that the FCC's direction has greatly improved.

* Another staff shake-up at the RNC?

* House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) really has no idea what he's talking about.

* Appeals Court Judge Diane Wood became the fourth jurist to meet with President Obama about the vacancy on the Supreme Court. We'll likely hear an announcement within eight days.

* 51 senators: no more secret holds.

* Now we know: "Finally, the truth can be told. The United States has officially announced that it has 5,113 nuclear weapons in its arsenal, plus 'several thousand' more waiting to be dismantled."

* To protest Arizona's immigration law, the Phoenix Suns of the NBA become "Los Suns."

* Obama administration eyes new rules on how for-profit colleges operate.

* Dahlia Lithwick weighs in on Ken Cuccinelli's dangerous suit against climate change.

* After nearly a half-century of ownership, the Washington Post is selling Newsweek.

* Hugh Hewitt may not fully appreciate what a "cliche" is.

* Interesting: "Three of the top five choices in the Southern Republican Leadership Conference's recent straw poll on favorite 2012 presidential candidates had more than one thing in common: They're all on the Fox News Channel payroll."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* British voters head to the polls today.

* Gallup's latest poll shows Republicans holding onto their edge over Democrats on voter enthusiasm, but the margin is getting smaller.

* Despite the concerns of Democratic Party leaders that the campaign will help Republicans, Hawaii's Colleen Hanabusa (D) said yesterday she will not drop out of the upcoming congressional special election.

* On Monday, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said he didn't intend to endorse Rand Paul in Kentucky's Republican Senate primary. On Wednesday, DeMint endorsed Paul anyway.

* On a related note, a new poll in Kentucky shows Paul leading Secretary of State Trey Grayson by 12, 44% to 32%.

* Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) has struggled at times in his Senate campaign, but Rasmussen nevertheless shows him with big leads over his potential GOP rivals.

* Mocking Carly Fiorina's (R) bizarre Senate campaign ads in California, the DSCC is doubling down on the "demon sheep" humor.

* Rep. Zack Space (D-Ohio) voted with Republicans against health care reform, so local labor groups are following through on their promises to withhold support for his re-election campaign.

* And in Pennsylvania, with two weeks to go before the Democratic Senate primary, Rep. Joe Sestak is going after Sen. Arlen Specter on the incumbent's biggest vulnerability: his associations with George W. Bush, Rick Santorum, and Sarah Palin.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Wall Street: "In a moment of uncontrolled selling, major indexes fell nearly 9 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average tumbled more than 550 points in about five minutes, falling almost 1,000 points on the day.... Computer programs intensified the selloff as markets fell through trading limits. And then, almost as quickly, the markets recovered most of the decline."

* Greece: "Greek lawmakers approved drastic austerity cuts Thursday needed to secure international rescue loans worth euro110 billion ($140 billion) and police fired tear gas to repel stone-throwing protesters after the vote."

* BP Oil Spill: "Oil was lapping on the shores of sensitive barrier islands on Thursday, as crews prepared to lower a 100-ton box they hoped would contain most of the crude spewing from a blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico."

* Law-enforcement officials now believe the Pakistani Taliban may have been involved with the attempted Times Square car bombing after all.

* On a related note, the Obama administration is "preparing to deliver to Pakistan a detailed request for urgent and specific assistance on the case."

* It looks like Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) audit-the-fed measure has a real shot at passing.

* Brown/Kaufman gets a boost: "Harry Reid will make sure that an amendment to break up megabanks and cap their size comes up for a vote, the Senate majority leader said."

* Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) finally got a vote on his effort to gut consumer financial protections in the Wall Street reform bill. His measure failed badly.

* Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) is moving forward with his "Terrorist Expatriation Act." (Did he have to go with "TEA"?) It's a little different than what he described yesterday, but it's still a dubious approach.

* Lifting BP's liability cap seems like a very good idea right about now.

* Better, but still too high: "The number of Americans filing initial claims for unemployment insurance fell for the third straight week, according to weekly government data released Thursday."

* The Obama administration is doing the right thing on net neutrality. How good is the policy? Put it this way -- John Boehner hates it.

* Smart move: "Senator Chuck Schumer has just sent a letter to the governor of Arizona, asking her to delay the implementation of the immigration law (SB 1070) in order to give Congress time to implement Federal immigration reform."

* Syracuse University is surprisingly forward thinking.

* Rep. Louis Gohmert (R-Texas) must have flunked his statistics class.

* The White House continues to quietly defend Solicitor General Elena Kagan behind the scenes. I wouldn't be too surprised if that had a larger significance.

* The RNC's "Obama v. Constitution" site isn't even close to being accurate. What a surprise.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* I'm still skeptical he'll be able to keep this up going forward, but for now, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is benefiting from his new role as a Senate candidate with no party affiliation. A new Mason-Dixon poll showing him leading the pack with 38%, followed by Marco Rubio (R) at 32%, and Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) at 19%.

* In a bit of a surprise, former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) endorsed Carly Fiorina's (R) Senate campaign in California yesterday, dismissing former Rep. Tom Campbell (R) as a "liberal member of the GOP."

* With Colleen Hanabusa refusing to drop out of Hawaii's 1st District special election, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is considering giving up on the race altogehter.

* In North Carolina, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall will now face former state Sen. Cal Cunningham in a Democratic Senate run-off, for the right to take on Sen. Richard Burr (R) in November. Rasmussen shows Marshall with a five-point edge among Dems, 42% to 37%.

* The latest Research 2000 poll in Arizona's Republican Senate primary shows Sen. John McCain leading former Rep. J.D. Hayworth by 12, 48% to 36%. It's worth noting, however, that McCain's margin has slipped a bit since March, and is now below 50%.

* In Arkansas, a new Mason-Dixon poll shows Sen. Blanche Lincoln leading Lt. Gov. Bill Halter in their Senate Democratic primary, 44% to 32%. The chances of a runoff appear to be growing stronger.

* In Iowa, a new poll from KCCI offers Dems some encouraging news. In the gubernatorial race, Gov. Terry Branstad's (R) lead over incumbent Gov. Chet Culver (D) has shrunk from 16 points to 7. And in the Senate race, incumbent Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) is still leading Roxanne Conlin (D), but the margin is down to single digits for the first time, 49% to 40%.

* Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, recently defeated in a Senate Democratic primary, had suggested she'd withhold support from the candidate who defeated her, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher. Yesterday, however, Brunner suggested she may come around.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* In the Gulf: "It was part engineering marvel, part video game challenge Friday as crews painstakingly worked to lower a box the size of a house over the ruptured oil well that has spewed an estimated 3 million gallons of crude into the sea. Camera-equipped underwater robots operated by joystick from the surface labored to maneuver the 100-ton concrete-and-steel vault into place so it could eventually capture the oil and funnel it up to a tanker."

* Perhaps Germany could have acted a little sooner: "The German parliament gave overwhelming approval Friday to the unpopular financial rescue plan put together by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund to save Greece from bankruptcy."

* British political leaders scramble for the next step in their first hung Parliament in a generation.

* Supreme Court scuttlebutt kicked into high gear today. Expect an announcement by Monday. Rumors still point to Solicitor General Elana Kagan as the frontrunner to fill the vacancy.

* Cash for Caulkers rebates easily passed the House yesterday, 246-161.

* There was another bomb scare in Times Square this afternoon, but it was a false alarm.

* Sean Hannity thinks the Obama administration has ignored the flooding in Tennessee. Officials in Tennessee disagree. "I've never seen this kind of response," said Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen (D), "and we've had our share of tornadoes and so forth." I guess this isn't "Obama's Katrina" either?

* Spencer Ackerman reports on the Pentagon banning four accomplished journalists for publishing the classified name of an interrogator who testified before a military commission. The name was already in the public domain.

* The Washington Post may be selling Newsweek, but it still has Kaplan.

* Defense Secretary Robert Gates really is planning to repeal DADT. I still don't know why he wants Congress to wait, though.

* Whit Ayres, a high-profile Republican pollster and co-founder of an outfit called "Resurgent Republic," thinks his party should exploit fears of terrorism. Big surprise.

* Struggling to understand why the LA Times keeps Andrew Malcolm on the payroll.

* Aliou Niasse, who helped identify the car bomb in Times Square, reflects on what transpired last weekend, and the faith of the terrorist. "That's not religion," Niasse said. "Because the Islam religion is not terrorist. Because if I know this guy is Muslim, he do that, if I know that, I'm going to catch him before he run away."

* And finally, best wishes to Charlie Homans, who leaves the Washington Monthly today, after a terrific run, to become an editor at Foreign Policy. We'll miss him and wish him all the best.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* With two Dems cancelling out the Democratic vote in Hawaii's 1st, and with the party unable to convince Colleen Hanabusa to withdraw, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced this morning that it has no choice but to give up on the special election campaign.

* The Democratic Senate primary in Pennsylvania has suddenly become a lot more interesting. While incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter has led for months, new polls show Rep. Joe Sestak (D) benefitting from a late surge. Rasmussen now has the challenger up by five, 47% to 42%, while a tracking poll also shows Sestak up by the exact same margin.

* Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum (R) was generally considered the frontrunner in this year's gubernatorial race, but a new Mason-Dixon poll shows his support slipping. He still leads in the GOP primary, but his once-huge lead is down to 14 points, 38% to 24%, over Rick Scott , the right-wing opponent of health care reform.

* In Illinois' closely-watched Senate race, the latest Research 2000 poll shows Rep. Mark Kirk (R) leading state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) by three, 41% to 38%.

* A new Washington Post poll in Maryland shows incumbent Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) leading former Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R) by eight, 49% to 41%, among registered voters. Among likely voters, however, the two are tied at 47% each.

* In Indiana, corporate lobbyist Dan Coats (R) leads Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D) in the latest Rasmussen poll, 51% to 36%. Coats, who served as a senator before leaving Indiana more than a decade ago, enjoys significantly higher name-recognition statewide.

* And in Michigan, Connie Saltonstall (D) has withdrawn from the race to replace retiring Rep. Bart Stupak (D). Saltonstall was challenging Stupak in a primary, but after his announcement, the party establishment rallied behind state Rep. Gary McDowell (D), leaving Saltonstall with insufficient support to continue.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* European debt crisis: "European leaders agreed early Monday to provide a huge rescue package of nearly $1 trillion to combat the debt crisis that has engulfed Europe.... In an extraordinary session that lasted into the early morning hours, finance ministers from the European Union agreed on a deal that would provide $560 billion in new loans and $76 billion under an existing lending program."

* Wall Street was pleased.

* Paul Krugman considers what the European plan will (and won't) do.

* Iraq: "Nearly 100 people died and at least 300 others were injured Monday in a series of attacks that crisscrossed Iraq, targeting security forces, factory workers and shoppers on what authorities called the deadliest day of the year."

* BP Oil Spill: "BP on Monday resumed injecting dispersants into the gusher a mile below the Gulf of Mexico, as it weighed its next steps. Ideas include "top hats" and "junk shots" to try to contain the spewing crude."

* The twists and turns of British politics: "Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Monday offered to step down by this fall as he announced the opening of formal negotiations with a rival party to form a "progressive alliance" and block the Conservative Party from retaking power in Britain."

* Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) conceded today that it's hard for him to envision a GOP filibuster of Elena Kagan's Supreme Court nomination.

* For all the talk about Kagan's lack of experience as a judge, more than a third of the justices who've served on the Supreme Court were never judges before their high court tenures.

* Probably worth bookmarking for future reference: "Myths and falsehoods about Elena Kagan's Supreme Court nomination."

* By Sean Hannity's reasoning, President Obama should nominate liberal judges and Republican senators should "go along."

* It troubles me that Republicans consider Fred Malek acceptable for polite company.

* Fact-checking the Sunday shows.

* Fox News personality Mike Huckabee is strikingly bad at math.

* The idea of taxing colleges is now apparently no longer confided to one ill-conceived budget plan in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

* And Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) explained today that it doesn't much matter who President Obama nominates, given the knee-jerk reactions from many on the right. "We have some Republicans who would automatically oppose anybody who was nominated," Leahy said. "The President could nominate Moses the Law Giver. In fact I told the President, I said you realize if you'd nominated Moses the Law Giver, somebody would raise, 'but he doesn't have a birth certificate! Where's his birth certificate!'"

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* West Virginia holds its primary elections today, and there will be considerable attention focused on Rep. Alan Mollohan (D), who's facing a tough primary challenge.

* Slipping in the polls with only a week to go before the primary, Sen. Arlen Specter (D) is unveiling a new television ad in Pennsylvania, touting his support from President Obama.

* And speaking of Pennsylvania's Democratic Senate primary, Rasmussen shows former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) leading both Democratic candidates, but he fares much better against the incumbent. Toomey leads Specter in a general election match-up by 12, while leading Rep. Joe Sestak (D) by 2.

* A shadowy group called Americans for Job Security is spending more than $1 million to attack Arkansas Lt. Gov. Bill Halter in his Democratic primary against Sen. Blanche Lincoln. And what is Americans for Job Security? No one seems to know, though it's "headquarters" points to a P.O. box in a D.C. suburb. Greg Sargent noted that it's "remarkable that this group could help decide who represents the state of Arkansas in the upper chamber -- even though we know nothing about who's funding it, why, and who the group even supports."

* In California, Meg Whitman's lead in the Republican gubernatorial primary has all but disappeared. A new SurveyUSA poll shows the former eBay CEO leading state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner by just two points, 39% to 37%. Last month, she led by 22.

* Why do so many Dems feel like they have a shot at beating Sen. Richard Burr (R) in North Carolina this year? Because of polls like this one -- a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows both of the remaining Democratic candidates (Elaine Marshall and Cal Cunningham) within single digits of the incumbent.

* Of all the candidates to mull a comeback, disgraced former Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.) seems especially misguided.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Tories and Liberal Democrats find agreement; Gordon Brown departs; and Conservative Party leader David Cameron becomes Prime Minister.

* BP oil spill: "Three big oil and oil service companies all pointed fingers at one another for blame in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in testimony Tuesday at the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. While saying that it was too early to make a final determination of the cause of the April 20 blowout that started the spill, the companies stressed one another's failures.'

* On a related note, this seems like an important data point: "BP makes enough profit in four days to cover the costs of the spill cleanup thus far."

* Sounds to me like a good idea: "President Obama is proposing to split the agency that oversees offshore oil drilling into two parts, one to inspect oil rigs and enforce safety and the other to oversee leases for drilling and collect royalties, the White House said Tuesday."

* Karzai comes for a visit: "Afghan President Hamid Karzai arrived in Washington on Monday morning for a four-day visit designed to publicly turn the page in the often-testy relationship between his government and the Obama administration and to solidify a working partnership between them."

* Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) sends the right signals on DADT repeal.

* David Roberts updates us on where things stand with the Kerry/Lieberman climate bill, which will be unveiled tomorrow. Its odds aren't great, but the legislation is far from dead.

* Republican proposal to redo Fannie and Freddie is described as "disastrous."

* I'm well aware of how spectacularly unpopular the bank bailout bill is, but there's growing evidence of its merit.

* Taking a look at the student loan market, after the sweeping reform proposal became law.

* And finally, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) spoke yesterday at Emory University's commencement. "I was also going to give a graduation speech in Arizona this weekend," he told attendees. "But with my accent, I was afraid they would try to deport me."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* With less than a week until Pennsylvania's Senate Democratic primary, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Sen. Arlen Specter's lead over Rep. Joe Sestak shrinking to two points, 44% to 42%. Last month, Quinnipiac showed Specter leading by 21.

* Would Sen. Bob Bennett (R), defeated at Utah's Republican Party convention over the weekend, seek -election as a write-in candidate? He hasn't ruled it out.

* Republicans launched an effort last week to mock Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, this year's Democratic nominee for Senate, for footage of him shirtless. Yesterday, Ohio Democrats presented a rebuttal -- Republican Rob Portman is responsible, they said, for literally taking the shirts off workers' backs.

* Next week's special election in Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district is drawing quite a bit of attention, and the latest Susquehanna Polling & Research survey shows Mark Critz (D) leading Tim Burns (R), 44% to 38%.

* In Massachusetts, where Gov. Deval Patrick (D) is facing a tough race for a second term, Rasmussen shows the incumbent leading the three-way pack. Patrick enjoys 45% support in the poll, followed by Charlie Baker (R) with 31%, and Tim Cahill (I) third at 14%.

* New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) hasn't formally announced his gubernatorial campaign, but the latest Marist poll nevertheless shows him crushing his GOP challengers by about 40 points each.

* Looks like the Republican National Convention will be held in Tampa in 2012.

* And Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) controversial new ad on immigration has a new problem: the sheriff shown patrolling the border doesn't actually represent a county on the border.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* A disaster with unfolding and unpredictable consequences: "BP America said Monday that it would take another 75 days to finish one of two relief wells it's drilling to shut down the flow. By then, if the spill doesn't worsen and the relief well stops the leak, some 20 million gallons of oil will be swirling in the gulf, nearly double the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989."

* Are major media outlets failing to give the BP oil spill disaster enough attention? The evidence seems pretty clear.

* Tragedy in Libya: "A Libyan plane carrying 104 people crashed Wednesday on approach to Tripoli's airport, leaving a field scattered with smoldering debris that included a large chunk of the tail painted with the airline's brightly colored logo. A 10-year-old Dutch boy was the only known survivor."

* Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan begins to make the rounds on the Hill.

* I wish I shared his optimism: "President Barack Obama reaffirmed the United States' commitment to Afghanistan after meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the White House on Wednesday, hailing a 'strong partnership based on mutual respect.'"

* Yes, Arizona's xenophobia can get worse: "Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has signed a bill targeting a school district's ethnic studies program, hours after a report by United Nations human rights experts condemned the measure.'

* On a related note, Arizona's recent moves are costing the state dearly, and not just in lost respect.

* I shouldn't be surprised, but it's disconcerting to learn that Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.), the ranking member on the Senate Intelligence Committee, has no idea what he's talking about on national security issues.

* White House gives the American Power Act a hearty endorsement.

* How weak is Eric Cantor's new "YouCut" gimmick? Even RedState is trashing it.

* The Obama administration's Department of Education supports for-profit schools -- to a point.

* George Alan Rekers insists he's not gay. If his statement sounds a bit like Larry Craig's initial remarks to his sex scandal, that's just an unfortunate coincidence.

* There's been some concerns raised about Kagan's commitment to diversity at Harvard. Randall Kennedy offers a compelling response.

* The right's initial attacks on Kagan's nomination are so misguided, Ken Starr -- yes, that Ken Starr -- thinks they don't "serve the country well."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* It's a survey from a Democratic pollster, but a new poll in Nevada shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) pulling ahead in his re-election bid, now leading Sue "Bring a Chicken to the Doctor" Lowden (R) by five, 42% to 37%.

* On a related note, Lowden also seems to be slipping among Nevada Republicans. A Mason-Dixon poll shows her leading the GOP Senate primary field, but only with just 30% support. Her two closest Republican rivals are both within single digits.

* A new Quinnipiac poll might give Rep. Joe Sestak another boost in his Pennsylvania Democratic primary against Sen. Arlen Specter. Testing general election match-ups, Quinnipiac shows Sestak faring better against Republican Pat Toomey than Specter does.

* On a related note, Specter made an unfortunate mistake at a key moment: he opened and closed his remarks to the Allegheny County Democratic Committee's Jefferson-Jackson dinner this week by thanking them for their support. Regrettably, he called them the Allegheny County Republicans.

* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (I) has decided he's going to hold onto the money he received from Republicans before leaving the GOP Senate primary.

* With less than a week to go before Kentucky's Senate Republican primary, a new SurveyUSA poll shows right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul easily beating Secretary of State Trey Grayson, 49% to 33%.

* Speaking of Kentucky, the latest Bluegrass Poll shows a far more competitive race in the Democratic Senate primary. Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo now leads state Attorney General Jack Conway by just one point, 38% to 37%.

* And in New York, activist Jonathan Tasini announced today that he's dropping his long-shot primary bid against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D), and will instead take on Rep. Charles Rangel (D).

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Shahzad's in custody, but the case continues: "Federal authorities raided a half-dozen locations in Long Island, New Jersey and the Boston area early Thursday morning and took three people into custody as part of the investigation into the failed Times Square car bombing, which Obama administration officials have said was aided and directed by the Pakistani Taliban."

* If at first BP doesn't succeed: "Setting aside their 'top hat' strategy for now, BP officials said Thursday they would instead try threading a small tube into a jagged pipe gushing crude from the Gulf seafloor."

* Predictable GOP opposition: "Senate Democrats seeking to punish BP for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill were turned back Thursday when they sought quick passage of legislation that significantly raises oil companies' liability cap on economic damages from offshore disasters." It was Sen. Lisa Murkowki (R-Alaska) doing the oil industry's bidding.

* In related news, Transocean desperately hopes to limit its liability for the disaster.

* Bangkok: "The Thai authorities' latest attempt to bring an end to eight weeks of anti-government rallies turned bloody on Thursday night with one of the protest leaders shot and severely wounded in unclear circumstances and number of clashes between demonstrators and security forces."

* Better, but not good enough: "The number of Americans filing claims for jobless benefits dropped for a fourth straight week, a sign that employers are retaining more workers as the economy expands."

* Wall Street scrutiny broadens: "The New York attorney general has started an investigation of eight banks to determine whether they provided misleading information to rating agencies in order to inflate the grades of certain mortgage securities, according to two people with knowledge of the investigation."

* In related news, some key amendments were added to the Wall Street reform package today.

* Brad Johnson goes over the details of the new American Power Act, and compares it to recently considered related measures.

* The White House sends the new START to the Senate for consideration.

* After excessive delays, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved Goodwin Liu judicial nomination on a party-line vote, 12 to 7.

* John Cole puts together a compelling list of what we've learned this week about "What It Takes To Be a Justice."

* Taking a fresh look at student loan debt.

* Some of the nation's leading milbloggers, including a few very conservative sites, support DADT repeal.

* Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) takes the wind from far-right sails, agrees that Elena Kagan supports the military.

* I'm not the only one who embraces the notion of "conversation enders."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* As Pennsylvania's Democratic Senate primary heats up, two new polls shows Rep. Joe Sestak inching past Sen. Arlen Specter. A new Research 2000 poll shows the challenger up by two, 45% to 43%, while a Suffolk poll shows Sestak by nine, 49% to 40%.

* In Arkansas' Democratic Senate primary, Research 2000 shows incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln leading Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, 46% to 37%. If Lincoln doesn't top 50% next week, the two will meet again in a runoff election.

* On a related note, a group called Americans for Jobs Security continues to go after Halter with racially-charged messages.

* In Kentucky, the latest Research 2000 poll shows Rand Paul leading Trey Grayson in the Republican Senate primary by 10 points, while Daniel Mongiardo's lead in the Democratic Senate primary over Jack Conway is down to three points.

* Linda McMahon, the faltering Republican Senate candidate in Connecticut, is trying to revive her campaign by calling for more offshore drilling. Seems like a bad idea.

* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist lost his Senate campaign staff when he left the Republican Party, but he now has a new campaign manager: his sister, who isn't a campaign professional, but is a public school teacher.

* Scandal-plagued Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) is trailing his Republican primary challenger, Brian Sandoval, by 18 points in a new Mason-Dixon poll.

* In Wisconsin, Democratic leaders have rallied behind state Sen. Julie Lassa as the strongest candidate to run for the seat Rep. Dave Obey (D) is giving up.

* And in Utah, Sen. Bob Bennett (R) has said he won't run as an independent in the wake of being rejected by his own party, but if he changes his mind, he'd have to go to court to challenge the state early deadline, which annoys independent candidates across the country.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* More Shahzad fallout: "The Pakistani government has arrested a suspect with connections to a Pakistani militant group who said he acted as an accomplice to the man accused of trying to bomb Times Square, U.S. officials said."

* On a related note, NBC News' Pete Williams was asked this morning why so much progress has been made so quickly. He explained, "It's all because he's talking so much. Prosecutors ask him every day, do you want a lawyer? Do you want to go to court? He says no and keeps talking."

* More jitters: "After a nearly $1 trillion rescue package meant to end Europe's debt crisis once and for all, financial markets took a second look Friday and began to worry about how the plan would actually work and the implications of the drastic austerity measures for the fragile European economies."

* How are things going in Afghanistan? Not well.

* Marc Ambinder reports on the Defense Intelligence Agency classified interrogation facility inside Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan.

* New Hampshire lawmakers were offered a chance to criminalize the new Affordable Care Act. They chose not to, but I wish the margin had been a little wider.

* EPA doesn't need to Congress to regulate pollution: "The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled a final rule on Thursday for regulating major emitters of greenhouse gases, like coal-fired power plants, under the Clean Air Act. Starting in July 2011, new sources of at least 100,000 tons of greenhouse gases a year and any existing plants that increase emissions by 75,000 tons will have to seek permits, the agency said."

* The FBI is looking for a white man suspected of firebombing a Jacksonville mosque this week. The shrapnel from the pipebomb was found up to a hundred yards away, but no one was injured.

* Adam Serwer takes a closer look at Elena Kagan's record on executive power, and argues that many of the recent arguments don't withstand scrutiny.

* I'd love to see the end of the carried-interest loophole, but it's a tough reform to pass.

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) loses his cool with a reporter. Conservatives can hardly contain their glee.

* The Associated Press wonders if too many Americans are going to college. It's not exactly a great question.

* Michael Gerson's piece on the politics of immigration policy makes a lot of sense. (No, that's not sarcasm.)

* Chait tackles misleading conservative arguments over the Affordable Care Act's price tag.

* Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) doesn't want a mosque to be built near Ground Zero in NYC because "it is very offensive and it's wrong." He could just drop the pretense and wear an "I'm A Bigot" button his lapel, but that might be too obvious.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In the final Quinnipiac poll in Pennsylvania's Democratic Senate primary, Rep. Joe Sestak leads Sen. Arlen Specter by just one point, 42% to 41%. Last week, Specter led by two, suggesting Sestak is closing well.

* By some accounts, the White House now expects Specter to come up short tomorrow.

* In the final survey from Public Policy Polling in Kentucky's Republican Senate primary, right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul continues to have a big lead over Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson, 52% to 34%.

* Last week, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said his re-election campaign is on track, and media reports to the contrary are wrong. Over the weekend, McCain lost both his campaign manager and part-time deputy campaign manager.

* As expected, Democratic leaders in Indiana formally chose Rep. Brad Ellsworth on Saturday to run to replace Sen. Evan Bayh (D). Ellsworth will face corporate lobbyist Dan Coats (R), who won his primary fight last week, in November.

* Former eBay executive Meg Whitman's (R) gubernatorial campaign in California has struggled of late, but she's getting some additional support from the Republican establishment. Yesterday, Dick Cheney endorsed her.

* Charlie Crist's post-announcement bounce may be ending in Florida's Senate race. A new Rasmussen poll shows former right-wing House Speaker Marco Rubio (R) back out in front, leading Crist by eight, 39% to 31%.Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) is third with 18%.

* In Texas, Rasmussen shows Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) leading Houston Mayor Bill White (D) in this year's gubernatorial race, 51% to 38%. Most recent polls have showed the two far closer.

* And in Florida's gubernatorial race, state CFO Alex Sink (D) has been struggling a bit in the polls, and there are new reports that Lawton "Bud" Chiles III, son of the late Florida governor and senator, is thinking about challenging Sink in a Democratic primary.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The good news is, BP's mile-long pipe is doing fairly well in capturing some of the oil in the Gulf, and diverting it to a drill ship on the surface. The bad news is the pipe is only catching about 1,000 barrels a day -- meaning it's containing the flow, not stopping it -- and the gushing continues apace.

* In the meantime, "Lawmakers on Monday voiced anger towards federal regulators and oil companies in the aftermath of the Gulf disaster, with some going as far as demanding a criminal investigation."

* Iran has reportedly agreed to send the bulk of its nuclear material to Turkey. The White House, not surprisingly, is skeptical of the deal between Turkey, Brazil, and Iran.

* General Motors scored its first quarterly profit in nearly three years: "The $865 million first-quarter profit is a dramatic reversal from the huge $6 billion loss in the same period last year."

* On a related note, Chrysler has paid back American taxpayers $1.9 billion, out of the $4 billion it received in loans.

* Controversial 7-2 ruling: "The Supreme Court ruled Monday that federal officials can indefinitely hold inmates considered 'sexually dangerous' after their prison terms are complete." Then why bother with sentencing at all?

* President Obama's first two nominees to head the TSA didn't work out well. The White House hopes the third time's the charm, and has sent John Pistole, deputy director of the FBI, to the Senate for confirmation.

* Signing the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act into law: "President Obama signed legislation on Monday intended to promote free press around the world, a bipartisan measure inspired by the murder in Pakistan of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter, shortly after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001."

* Kevin Drum takes the Obama administration to task over its record on civil liberties.

* The global-cooling crowd has some tough numbers to spin.

* For the thousandth time, Elena Kagan is not anti-military.

* For that matter, her college thesis isn't as exciting as right-wing bloggers would have you believe.

* Fox News' Brit Hume, in his infinite wisdom, doesn't think the BP oil spill disaster is such a big deal because he hasn't seen much oil.

* If you have a few minutes, the new video from D.C. Douglas L. Baxterstein Jr. -- you know, the guy who lost his Geico voiceover job for drunk-dialing FreedomWorks -- is pretty darn funny.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* At this point, the Democratic establishment continues to support Richard Blumenthal's Senate campaign in Connecticut. That should help his chances, barring any additional revelations.

* Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson has a theory to explain why he's losing to right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul in the Republican Senate primary: Paul is on Fox News all the time, getting softball questions, and Grayson isn't.

* It seems implausible, but Sen. Bob Bennett (R), defeated at the Utah Republican Party's convention and ineligible for the primary ballot, continues to drop hints about a possible write-in campaign.

* Speaking of Utah, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) has heard rumors about facing a primary challenge, but he's committed to running for re-election in 2012 anyway.

* Scott Walker, a Republican gubernatorial hopeful in Wisconsin, criticized Arizona's scandalous immigration law on Friday, saying, "In America, we don't want our citizens getting pulled over because of how they look." Less than a half-day later, Walker announced his support for Arizona's law. By Saturday, he announced he would have signed the Arizona measure into law.

* It seems all but certain that New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) will run for governor this year, but he won't announce before the state Democratic Party convention begins in about a week.

* And Greg Sargent had a very smart piece yesterday about the primary campaigns of Bill Halter and Joe Sestak, who, if successful, really would represent a victory for the left.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Diplomatic breakthrough: "The Obama administration announced Tuesday a deal with other powers, including Russia and China, to impose a fourth set of sanctions on Iran in as many years, touching off a contest with Tehran to win support in the United Nations Security Council."

* Taliban takes credit for deadly bombing in Afghanistan: "A powerful car bomb exploded early Tuesday within a few feet of a passing military convoy on the western edge of Kabul, killing at least a dozen Afghan civilians and six foreign troops, including five Americans, U.S. military and Afghan officials said."

* This is likely to come with consequences: "South Korea will formally blame North Korea on Thursday for launching a torpedo at one of its warships in March, causing an explosion that killed 46 sailors and heightened tensions in one of the world's most perilous regions, U.S. and East Asian officials said."

* How many Republicans will end up voting for Wall Street reform? Probably four or five.

* Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates pressed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on ratifying the new nuclear arms treaty.

* Did Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) and his mistress hook-up in state parks?

* The first batch of paperwork on Elena Kagan -- hundreds of pages worth -- heads to the Senate for review.

* In the meantime, his party's talking points notwithstanding, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) does not consider Kagan "anti-military."

* The Democratic effort to eliminate secret holds in the Senate gets a little GOP support. A pleasant surprise, to be sure.

* One of the members of that team of scientific elites sent to the Gulf to deal with the oil spill crisis turned out to be a bit of a crackpot.

* On a related note, a presidential commission, tasked with identifying exactly what happened with this spill and why, is in the works.

* Just think of all the money we'd save if we didn't care about malnourished children.

* GM is doing pretty well thanks to the reviled "government takeover." Who would have thought it? Well, we did.

* Interesting research at the University of Vermont on understanding the way in which different students learn.

* A math teacher in an Alabama public high school hoped to teach angles to his geometry students by talking about how to assassinate President Obama.

* And finally, Michael Kinsley had an interesting thought this week: "Now that the sex lives of Supreme Court justices have become grist for commentators, we are finally free to discuss a question formerly only whispered about in the shadows: Why does Justice Antonin Scalia, by common consent the leading intellectual force on the Court, have nine children? Is this normal? Or should I say 'normal,' as some people choose to define it? Can he represent the views of ordinary Americans when he practices such a minority lifestyle? After all, having nine children is far more unusual in this country than, say, being a lesbian."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rasmussen polled the Connecticut Senate race yesterday, following a report on state AG Richard Blumenthal (D) using misleading rhetoric about his military service. The poll shows Blumenthal still leading his GOP challengers, but by narrow margins.

* Kentucky Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo (D) conceded last night after losing a narrow Senate primary fight against state AG Jack Conway (D), but Mongiardo is nevertheless calling for a re-canvassing of the votes. Officials do not expect this to alter the outcome.

* Nevada Dems have filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission over Sue Lowden (R) receiving an expensive RV from a donor.

* There's ample evidence that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is concerned about his prospects in the GOP primary this year, but a new Rasmussen poll shows him leading former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R) by 12, 52% to 40%.

* In North Carolina's Senate Democratic primary, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall will face former state Sen. Cal Cunningham in a June 22 runoff, and she'll now enjoy the support of attorney Ken Lewis, who finished third in the initial primary.

* Former Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) won a gubernatorial primary last night in the hopes of getting his old job back. He'll face retired basketball player Chris Dudley, who won his Republican primary.

* State Rep. Jeffrey Perry (R), hoping to replace retiring Rep. Bill Delahunt (D), is now at the center of a disturbing controversy over "two illegal strip searches of teenage girls conducted by an officer under Perry's command."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* A brief reprieve for Florida: "News spread quickly Wednesday that tar balls found on beaches in the Lower Florida Keys were not from the Gulf of Mexico spill, a welcome reprieve for residents still fearful about the fate of their vacation mecca."

* The oil spill disaster nevertheless has Floridians feeling panicky.

* The housing crisis isn't over: "The number of U.S. homeowners who are behind on their mortgages rose to a record level in the first quarter, according to industry data released Wednesday that also included tentative signs the nation's foreclosure crisis may be starting to ease."

* At least inflation isn't even close to being a problem.

* Violence continues to rock Bangkok as civil unrest worsens.

* President Obama welcomed his Mexican counterpart, Felipe Calderon, to the White House today for only the second state visit since Obama took office last year.

* The NYT defends its Blumenthal story, but it's not exactly a compelling response.

* Elena Kagan's confirmation hearings will begin on June 28.

* A dreadful milestone in Afghanistan: "On Tuesday, the toll of American dead in Afghanistan passed 1,000, after a suicide bomb in Kabul killed at least five United States service members. Having taken nearly seven years to reach the first 500 dead, the war killed the second 500 in fewer than two. A resurgent Taliban active in almost every province, a weak central government incapable of protecting its people and a larger number of American troops in harm's way all contributed to the accelerating pace of death. "

* Former V.P. Walter Mondale reminds the Senate about the importance of reforming the filibuster.

* Michael Gerson's understanding of the U.S. debt leaves much to be desired.

* Campbell Brown is leaving CNN. She admits it's the result of low ratings, giving the network a chance to try something different.

* The story of the guy who conned his way into Harvard really sounds like a bizarre Hollywood script, even though it's all real.

* And Rep. Mark Souder's (R-Ind.) impassioned speech in support of "traditional marriage" -- delivered just six months ago -- appears far more extraordinary with the benefit of hindsight.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In the first polls of Kentucky's Senate race since the primaries, Rasmussen finds right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul leading state Attorney General Jack Conway, 59% to 34%.

* Speaking of Kentucky, Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo (D) has reversed course and will not request a re-canvassing of the state's voting machines and absentee ballots.

* California's gubernatorial race is getting more competitive, with a new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California showing former eBay CEO Meg Whitman leading state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, 38% to 29%, in the Republican primary. Whitman has generally led by huge margins.

* On a related note, the same poll shows an increasingly competitive Republican Senate primary in California, too. The PPIC survey has Carly Fiorina leading Tom Campbell, 25% to 23%, with Chuck DeVore a competitive third at 16%.

* Interesting tidbit that may be of concern to Kentucky Republicans: Rand Paul easily won his Senate primary with 206,159 votes. In the Democratic Senate primary, Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo received 221,269 -- and came in second.

* In South Carolina, Rasmussen shows Nikki Haley out in front in the Republican gubernatorial primary, with 30% support. Three other candidates are between 19% and 12% support.

* Utah Sen. Bob Bennett (R) has been flirting with the idea of running a write-in campaign, and will formally announce his plans in a press conference this afternoon.

* The latest survey in Colorado from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Michael Bennet (D) leading former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton (R), 44% to 41%. Norton has been leading this race for months.

* And Glenn Beck has apparently partnered with FreedomWorks to elect more right-wing extremists this year.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* BP oil spill disaster: "BP conceded Thursday that more oil than it estimated is gushing into the Gulf of Mexico as heavy crude washed into Louisiana's wetlands for the first time, feeding worries and uncertainty about the massive monthlong spill."

* On a related note, the Obama administration today ordered BP to use a less-toxic chemical dispersant to break up the oil in the Gulf.

* ABC News' Jake Tapper reports that President Obama will replace the Director of National Intelligence, Admiral Dennis Blair (ret.), possibly as early as tomorrow.

* It looks pretty clear that North Korea fired a torpedo in March that sank a South Korean ship, killing 46. Tensions are quickly escalating.

* The weekly jobless claim numbers were not at all encouraging: "New jobless claims filed last week rose by 25,000 to 471,000, the government reported moments ago, defying predictions that they would drop. It's the largest rise in three months."

* On a related note, Frank Ahrens has a good summary of why things are so ugly on Wall Street right now.

* Mexican President Felipe Calderon addressed a joint session of Congress today, and singled out the Arizona anti-immigrant law for criticism.

* Sen. Jeff Sessions (R) of Alabama, who's had quite a difficult time with racial issues, described Rand Paul's opposition to the Civil Rights Act as "wrong."

* The House Democratic caucus is back to 255 members, as Rep. Mark Critz (D-Pa.) was sworn in this afternoon. Critz won a special election in Pennsylvania's 12th on Tuesday.

* There's something decidedly sketchy about universities paying admissions personal receive bonuses based on the number of students they enroll.

* For reasons I'll never understand, CNN.com published a piece on the newly-crowned Miss USA, a Lebanese-American, with this headline: "Miss USA: Muslim Trailblazer Or Hezbollah Spy?"

* And finally, Bruce Bartlett reflects on Rand Paul: "As we know from history, the free market did not lead to a breakdown of segregation... Thus we have a perfect test of the libertarian philosophy and an indisputable conclusion: it didn't work. Freedom did not lead to a decline in racism; it only got worse. I don't believe Rand is a racist; I think he is a fool who is suffering from the foolish consistency syndrome that affects all libertarians."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In April fundraising totals, the DNC outraised the RNC, $10.4 million to $6.9 million. Among the Senate campaign committees, however, the NRSC outraised the DSCC, though the DSCC still has a narrow edge in cash on hand.

* In the first poll since Pennsylvania's primary, Rasmussen shows Rep. Joe Sestak (D) leading former Rep. Pat Toomey (R), 46% to 42%.

* In Nevada's closely watched Senate race, Public Policy Polling shows Sue Lowden slipping badly in her Republican primary. Former state Rep. Sharron Angle is now out in front in the GOP field with 29% support, followed by Lowden at 26%, and former college basketball player Danny Tarkanian a close third with 24%.

* With just a month until the runoff election in North Carolina's Democratic Senate primary, Cal Cunningham's staff is undergoing a significant shake-up, including the departures of his campaign manager and communications director.

* Utah Sen. Bob Bennett (R) announced yesterday that he will not wage a write-in campaign after all.

* In Minnesota, there's a fairly large field of credible Democratic gubernatorial candidates, and the latest Minnesota Public Radio/Humphrey Institute poll shows former Sen. Mark Dayton leading the primary field.

* In Washington, former state Sen. Dino Rossi (R) has been contemplating a campaign against incumbent Sen. Patty Murray (D), but the right appears to have grown tired of waiting for him. Yesterday, former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) announced her support for retired football player Clint Didier's Senate campaign. The filing deadline is June 11.

* And in Idaho, Vaughn Ward is running for the Republican nomination in Idaho's 1st House district. Asked in a debate this week whether he would support a measure on Puerto Rican statehood, Ward said he opposes "extending statehood to some, to any other country," adding that he doesn't care "what country ... wants to become part of America." Told that Puerto Rico is an American territory, not a foreign country, Ward said, "I really don't care what it is."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* BP oil spill disaster: "Officials closed the public beach [at Grand Isle, Louisiana] Friday as thick gobs of oil resembling melted chocolate washed up, a very visible reminder of the blown-out well that has been spewing crude into the Gulf of Mexico for a month. Up to now, only tar balls and a light sheen had come ashore."

* Answering the question, at least for now, of whether Germany is committed to addressing the regional fiscal crisis: "Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany narrowly pushed the country's share of the nearly $1 trillion stabilization package for the euro through Parliament Friday in the face of significant public opposition."

* On a related note, Steven Pearlstein explains why it's Germany, not Greece, that's at the heart of the ongoing crisis.

* North Korea has to realize it's playing with an intensifying fire: "Citing 'overwhelming' evidence that North Korea sank a South Korean warship, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton warned the communist state Friday of international consequences."

* Another good move on emissions: "President Barack Obama called for first-ever mileage and emissions standards for big rig and work trucks Friday, seeking to limit pollution from the large vehicles that contribute a big share of it."

* Ugh: "About 15 hours after Massey CEO Don Blankenship told Congress that worker safety is the company's top priority, another Massey miner died in West Virginia."

* The leading contender for the DNI job is James R. Clapper, the Pentagon's top intelligence official.

* The cost of the 2008 financial industry bailout has fallen again, this time by $11.4 billion.

* Support on the left is hardly universal, but both Paul Krugman and Ed Andrews are quite pleased with the Wall Street reform package that passed the Senate last night.

* The right-wing members of the Texas Board of Education, as part of their painful textbook crusade, really are proving themselves to be stark raving mad.

* Colleges with large endowments weren't victims of the recession; they may have precipitated it.

* Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, told Fox News he isn't part of the Republican establishment. I think he was serious.

* The bad news is, the Republican National Committee spent donor money on softball equipment. The good news is, the RNC spent slightly more on softball equipment than on an outing to a lesbian-themed bondage nightclub.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Following a week of criticism, Connecticut Attorney General and Senate hopeful Richard Blumenthal (D) apologized for having used misleading rhetoric about his military service. He told the Hartford Courant, "I have made mistakes and I am sorry. I truly regret offending anyone."

* As expected, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) launched his gubernatorial campaign on Saturday. A new Siena poll already shows him with enormous leads over his GOP challengers.

* A St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald/Bay News 9 poll released over the weekend shows Gov. Charlie Crist's (I) departure from the Republican Party continuing to help his Senate prospects. Crist currently leads in the three-way match-up with 30% support, followed by Marco Rubio (R) at 27%. Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) is running third with 15%.

* Former wrestling executive Linda McMahon (R) won her state party's endorsement in the Connecticut Senate race. Former Rep. Rob Simmons (R), the one-time favorite, had said he would drop out of the race if he didn't receive the state GOP's nod at the convention. He's since changed his mind, and will take on McMahon in a primary.

* Colorado's major parties held their party conventions over the weekend. On the Republican side, Weld County Prosecutor Ken Buck came out on top, though former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton skipped the convention and plans to petition her way onto the primary ballot. Among Dems, former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff defeated appointed Sen. Michael Bennet.

* Karl Rove began offering Rand Paul's Senate campaign in Kentucky some strategic/media advice last week.

* In a surprise move, Dick Leinenkugel ended his Republican Senate campaign in Wisconsin yesterday, just a month after getting started. Leinenkugel threw his support to businessman Ron Johnson, who kicked off his campaign after being inspired by a Dick Morris appearance on Fox News.

* The latest Research 2000 poll in California shows former Rep. Tom Campbell leading Carly Fiorina in the GOP Senate primary, 37% to 22%. The same poll shows Meg Whitman still leading the GOP gubernatorial primary over Steve Poizner, but the margin has shrunk from 33 points to 10.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* With tensions escalating quickly, South Korea is ending nearly all trade with North Korea, and blocking North Korean merchant ships access to South Korean shipping lanes.

* Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton described U.S. support of South Korea as "unequivocal," and announced that the American military and South Korean forces initiate joint military exercises.

* Yemen: "Yemeni tribesmen kidnapped two American tourists, a man and a woman, Monday morning outside the capital city of Sana, the American Embassy in Yemen confirmed on Monday." The kidnappers are reportedly seeking the release of an imprisoned ally.

* Construction gains: "The drills, saws and sanders that fell silent during the economic slowdown are beginning to whir again. For the first time in years, U.S. builders are hiring laborers. The nation's construction industry added 14,000 jobs nationwide in April, according to the Labor Department, marking the first back-to-back monthly gains in that sector since 2006."

* Housing gains: "Homebuyers rushed to take advantage of government incentives and low mortgage rates in April, giving the housing market its biggest boost in five months."

* The Kandahar operation: "The Obama administration's campaign to drive the Taliban out of Afghanistan's second-largest city is a go-for-broke move that even its authors are unsure will succeed."

* Texas gubernatorial hopeful, Houston Mayor Bill White (D), will, if elected, try to undo the damage done to the state curriculum by the Texas Board of Education.

* There were many predictions that the Great Recession would lead to an increase in crime rates. The opposite occurred.

* Bagram: "A federal appeals court ruled Friday that three men who had been detained by the United States military for years without trial in Afghanistan had no recourse to American courts. The decision was a broad victory for the Obama administration in its efforts to hold terrorism suspects overseas for indefinite periods without judicial oversight."

* Ron Chusid sets Arthur C. Brooks straight.

* Fox News' on-air news team probably shouldn't use the word "we" when talking about Republicans, at least if the network intends to keep up appearances.

* Can a college's emphasis on research prestige actually undermine undergraduate education?

* I have no idea why anyone at a major news outlet would find the crossing of Elena Kagan's legs interesting.

* Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's wife apparently calls him "Mr. Clueless." She's referring to his familiarity with technology, but I kind of like the broader applicability of the label.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* To the delight of the NRSC, former state Sen. Dino Rossi (R) has agreed to run against Sen. Patty Murray (D) in Washington this year. Rossi, who is best known for losing two close gubernatorial races in 2004 and 2008, has already hired a former Dick Armey aide to help run his campaign. Initial polling shows Murray with a narrow lead.

* The Service Employees International Union is enlisting a candidate to take on Rep. Larry Kissell (D), a Blue Dog from North Carolina, this year. The SEIU has already "privately reached out to Wendell Fant, an Iraq War vet, who used to work for Kissell, and is now in the process of collecting signatures to get him on the ballot as an independent."

* The latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll shows Gov. Rick Perry (R) up by nine in his re-election fight against Houston Mayor Bill White (D), 44% to 35%.

* A new SurveyUSA poll in California shows Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman with comfortable leads in their respective Senate and gubernatorial Republican primaries.

* Despite finishing third in the special election in Hawaii's 1st, former Rep. Ed Case (D) fully intends to try again in November. This time, he'll likely face state Sen. Colleen Hanabusa in a primary.

* The latest Siena poll in New York shows Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D), slowly but surely, building a strong base of support.

* In Florida, Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) picked up an endorsement for his Senate bid from the Florida AFL-CIO, but he'll share an endorsement from the Florida Education Association with Gov. Charlie Crist (I).

* In related news, Crist is facing a lawsuit from the Talking Heads' David Byrne for using "Road to Nowhere" without permission or proper licenses.

* In Alabama, a Research 2000 poll shows Rep. Artur Davis (D) and Bradley Byrne (R), the chancellor of the Alabama Community College System, leading their respective gubernatorial primaries.

* And in Colorado, Tom Wiens (R) ended his Senate campaign, throwing his support to the Tea Party-backed Ken Buck.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* This better work: "The most critical moment in the oil spill crisis in the Gulf of Mexico is at hand, as BP engineers armed with 50,000 pounds of dense mud and a fleet of robotic submarines are poised to attempt a "top kill" maneuver to plug the leaking well a mile below the surface."

* President Obama will be back in Louisiana on Friday to assess the response to the BP oil spill disaster. In announcing the visit, the White House noted in a statement that the administration "has mobilized one of the largest responses to a catastrophic event in history, with more than 1,200 vessels in the region and more than 22,000 people, including many of the brightest scientific minds from both the public and private sector, working around the clock to mitigate the oil's impact."

* As far as the White House is concerned, there's no doubt this is the worst oil spill in American history.

* Tensions continue to rise: "Relations between North and South Korea, already strained over the sinking of a South Korean warship, deteriorated to their worst point in many years on Tuesday as the South Korean president redesignated the North as its archenemy, and the North retaliated by severing its few remaining ties with the South."

* Along the border: "President Obama will send up to 1,200 National Guard troops to the Southwest border and increase spending on law enforcement, yielding to demands from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers there that border security be tightened, administration officials said."

* U.S. consumer confidence rises to its highest level since August 2007.

* For the first time in seven years, there are more U.S. troops in Afghanistan than Iraq.

* Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) sees action on the climate/energy bill in mid-Summer.

* The administration weighs a new approach to the line-item veto.

* Get ready for Round 3 in the congressional fight to extend unemployment benefits.

* Fox News aired footage from Obama's speech at West Point, but carefully edited out all of the applause.

* Because college financial aid is tricky, many families rule out colleges they might be able to afford.

* Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) doesn't take criticism well.

* The chief ethics lawyer for George W. Bush believes there's nothing untoward about the Joe Sestak job offer.

* Vice President Biden will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Memorial Day. Some conservatives are outraged that the president isn't doing this himself. They shouldn't be.

* Ouch: "When Ann Curry, news anchor of the Today Show, gave the commencement speech at Wheaton College in Massachusetts last Saturday, she listed several famous graduates -- Wes Craven and Billy Graham among them -- of the wrong Wheaton College."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), apparently hoping to lower the same expectations that he built up, said yesterday it would be a "steep climb" for Republicans to retake the House majority in the midterm elections.

* A new Quinnipiac poll shows Dems back out in front on the generic congressional ballot, leading 42% to 36%. Two months ago, the GOP led, 44% to 39%.

* In the latest twist in Arizona's Senate Republican primary, Sen. John McCain's campaign is strongly suggesting in a new web ad that former J.D. Hayworth is "dumb." The criticism comes on the heels of a video in which Hayworth insisted that the United States never declared war on Nazi Germany.

* As expected, former state Sen. Dino Rossi (R) formally kicked off his Senate campaign in the state of Washington this morning.

* After struggling badly for months, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) is starting to look a little stronger. A new Suffolk University poll shows the incumbent with a 13-point lead over Republican challenger Charlie Baker, 42% to 29%, with state Treasurer Tim Cahill (I) third with 14%/

* In Florida, the latest poll commissioned by the St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald/BayNews9/Central Florida News 13, shows state Attorney General Bill McCollum (R) leading in this year's gubernatorial race, but not by much. The survey shows him up by just two points over state CFO Alex Sink (D), 34% to 32%.

* Speaking of Florida's gubernatorial race, state Sen. Paula Dockery (R), struggling to get noticed, ended her statewide campaign this week. Dockery cited poor fundraising in a statement.

* New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) announced this morning that Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy (D) will be his running mate in this year's gubernatorial campaign.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The "top kill" effort to stop the oil gusher in the Gulf is underway. There is, of course, no guarantee it will work.

* BP's internal investigation of the disaster "points to a series of equipment failures, mistakes and missed warning signs that led to the blowout and fire on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, according to lawmakers briefed by the company."

* The Interior Department's Minerals Management Service is not held in high regard right now.

* Photo essays of the Gulf are not for the faint of heart.

* The State Department continues to state its support for South Korea, as tensions with North Korea escalate.

* New home sales got another boost, thanks to government tax credits. Orders on durable goods also offers signs of hope.

* With Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) announcing his support, the Senate Armed Services Committee is likely to approve a repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

* Service chiefs, however, still want to wait until after December (which, politically, would likely push off repeal until 2013, at the very earliest).

* Conservatives don't want to hear this, but police chiefs believe anti-immigrant measures like the one in Arizona will make crime worse, not better.

* The right has some new attack against Elena Kagan. It's already been debunked.

* Opponents still outnumber supporters, but health care reform's popularity has grown quite a bit over the last couple of months.

* Speaking of health care, the Affordable Care Act won't hurt state budgets.

* The return of the 'al-Qaeda Seven' witch hunt?

* Is the awards system for scientists way off?

* Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) is wrapping up his final year in the chamber on a classy note.

* Right-wing activist James O'Keefe pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor.

* And finally, once in a while, Fox News's style of reporting is offensive and wrong, even conservative congressional Republicans can't take it. Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio) said on the House floor this week, "I don't know what they're doing at Fox News, but they should stop smoking it and get back to reporting the facts."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rand Paul, the Republican Senate nominee in Kentucky, replaced his campaign manager yesterday, following last week's extreme difficulties.

* In Connecticut, speculation that the Vietnam story would derail Richard Blumenthal's (D) Senate bid appears to have been misplaced. A new Quinnipiac poll shows Blumenthal leading Linda McMahon (R), 56% to 31%. The pollster's analysis added, "The more voters get to know McMahon the less they like her."

* In related news, former Rep. Rob Simmons, who dropped out of the Senate GOP primary in Connecticut this week, said he doesn't think McMahon can win, and doesn't appear anxious to campaign on her behalf.

* And speaking of Connecticut, Quinnipiac also polled the gubernatorial race, and found Ned Lamont (D) and former ambassador Tom Foley (R) leading their respective primary fields.

* In Nevada's closely-watched Senate race, Sue Lowden's (R) troubles got a little worse, with the right-wing Club for Growth launching attack ads against her for not being conservative enough.

* The latest California survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) struggling with a low approval rating, but nevertheless maintaining modest leads over all of her potential Republican challengers.

* Disgraced former Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.) will not be making a comeback this year after all.

* Also in New York, businessman Myers Mermel has entered the field of Republicans running for governor.

* And in Kansas, the latest SurveyUSA poll shows Rep. Jerry Moran pulling away in the Republican Senate primary, leading Rep. Todd Tiahrt by 24 points, 52% to 28%. The winner of the primary will be heavily favored to win in November.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The "top kill" efforts had to be temporarily halted this afternoon, but officials intend to re-start the pumping tonight. We won't have a sense of the efficacy for a while, but there's still a fair amount of optimism about the strategy.

* Tensions continue to rise around the Korean peninsula: "North Korea said on Thursday that it was cutting off a naval hot line used to prevent clashes on its disputed sea border with South Korea, while the South conducted a large naval drill in a show of force after the sinking of one of its warships."

* The White House's first formal National Security Strategy was released today.

* Are the votes there in the House to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"? Speaker Pelosi thinks so. We may see a vote tonight.

* New unemployment filings dropped by 14,000 last week. The numbers are -- let's all say it together -- still far too high, and the modest drop was not as strong as expected.

* Germany may not fully appreciate what the regional economic crisis will do to Germany.

* First quarter GDP numbers were slightly lower than originally estimated.

* Do House Dems have the votes to pass a new, post-Citizens United, campaign finance reform bill? The leadership thinks so, and we can expect a vote on the DISCLOSE Act fairly soon.

* The Justice Department are moving forward with plans to challenge Arizona's new anti-immigrant law.

* Justice Antonin Scalia and former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor don't see a problem with Elena Kagan's lack of judicial experience.

* It's just astounding that "more than 113 census takers have been the victims of assaults or attacks this month."

* Kaplan University's agreement to offer some California Community College courses isn't working out well.

* And as a rule, House Republicans are at their absolute nuttiest when they're trying to rationalize their hatred of gay people. It'd be funny if it weren't so pathetic.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A new Research 2000 poll of Pennsylvania's Senate race shows Rep. Joe Sestak (D) with a narrow lead over former Rep. Pat Toomey (R), 43% to 40%. A few weeks ago, Research 2000 found Toomey ahead by five.

* In the first poll of Kentucky's Senate race taken after revelations about Rand Paul's (R) extremist worldview, Research 200 shows the GOP candidate with a narrow lead. The results, released late yesterday, has Paul up by three over state Attorney General Jack Conway (D), 44% to 41%.

* In Arkansas' Democratic Senate primary, Research 2000 shows Lt. Gov. Bill Halter inching past incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln, 47% to 44%. In general election match-ups, Rep. John Boozman (R) leads Lincoln by 20 points, while Halter trails Boozman by 11.

* A new Mason-Dixon poll in Nevada shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) far more competitive against his increasingly bizarre GOP challengers. Reid trails Sue Lowden by three points (42% to 39%) and leads Sharron Angle (R) by the same margin. In the Republican primary, Lowden now leads Angle by one, 30% to 29%.

* On a related note, as recently as 2006, Nevada Senate hopeful Sharron Angle voiced her support for Prohibition. Angle is also facing new questions about ties to the Church of Scientology.

* A new Ohio Poll shows the state's very competitive U.S. Senate race about as close as it can be. The survey find Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D) with a one-point lead over former Bush Budget Director Rob Portman (R), 47% to 46%,

* The same Ohio Poll shows incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland (D) leading John Kasich (R), 49% to 44%.

* Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) hasn't ruled out supporting former wrestling executive Linda McMahon (R) in this year's Senate race in his home state.

* And in Wisconsin, Republicans appear to be clearing the field for plastics manufacturer Ron Johnson to take on Sen. Russ Feingold (D) in November. Yesterday, Terrence Wall dropped out, without explanation.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Two junk shot attempts in the Gulf have come up short: "BP's renewed efforts at plugging the flow of oil from its runaway well in the Gulf of Mexico stalled again on Friday, as the company suspended pumping operations for the second time in two days, according to a technician involved with the response effort."

* POTUS on the scene: "Under pressure to step up his response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, President Barack Obama tried to assure the country Thursday that he and his administration are in charge and working feverishly to clean up the mess."

* "You are not alone, and you will not be abandoned," Obama said. "We are on your side, and we will see this through."

* A deadly milestone in Afghanistan: "The U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, launched in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, reached a milestone today as reports of one more service member killed in the conflict raised the total number of U.S. military deaths in and around Afghanistan to 1,000."

* There's ample reason to be deeply skeptical about BP's claims.

* I continue to be amazed the deficit hawks are willing to undermine our fragile recovery: "The House passed a $93 billion package of jobless benefits and business tax breaks Friday after moderate Democrats fed up with deficit spending forced leaders to slice billions of additional dollars from the legislation. The House voted, 215 to 204, to approve the measure, which would extend expanded benefits for the unemployed through November, finance thousands of summer jobs and renew for one year dozens of expired tax credits and deductions for businesses and individuals."

* Consumer spending flattened in April.

* Peggy Noonan's column today was one of the more ridiculous pieces I've seen in quite a while. I lacked the stomach to pick it apart, but Andrew Sullivan, Ron Chusid, and Steve M. showed more patience.

* Richard Painter, the chief White House ethics officer under George W. Bush, considered the latest information in the Sestak "story." He told Greg Sargent, "Based on the information disclosed from the White House, it's even more apparent that this is a non issue. No scandal. Time to move on."

* And yet, when Rep. Darrel Issa (R-Calif.) held another ridiculous press conference, MSNBC carried the whole thing live. It's painful to see the kind of judgments major media outlets will sometimes make.

* Will Folks released phone records today documenting phone calls between himself and South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley (R). Ed Kilgore bravely summarizes the latest details of the story.

* The Condition of Education is released with some interesting new revelations.

* And Glenn Beck used his radio show today to mock President Obama's 11-year-old daughter for several minutes. He later apologized, but it's a reminder that some of the leading right-wing voices are not only deranged, they're also classless.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* After his third-place showing in Hawaii's recent special election, former Rep. Ed Case (D) announced that he will not run again this fall. The decision clears the way for state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa (D) to take on Rep. Charles Djou (R) in a head-to-head match-up. (thanks to several alert readers for passing this along)

* In the wake of the controversy over Rand Paul's (R) extreme worldview, multiple polls show a competitive Senate race in Kentucky, though Paul is still ahead. A Bluegrass Poll, for example, shows the right-wing ophthalmologist leading state Attorney General Jack Conway (D) by six, 51% to 45%.

* Still more evidence that Connecticut voters aren't swayed by the Vietnam-related controversy: a Research 2000 poll shows state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) leading wrestling executive Linda McMahon (R), 52% to 33%.

* With a week to go before California's Republican primaries, a USC/LA Times poll shows Carly Fiorina leading Tom Campbell in the Senate race 38% to 23%. The same poll shows Meg Whitman leading Steve Poizner in a gubernatorial primary, 53% to 29%.

* Rep. Mark Kirk, the Republican Senate candidate in Illinois, exaggerated his military service on multiple occasions, usually in print. There is a video, however, of Kirk misstating the truth during a congressional hearing.

* Recent polling out of Georgia suggest former Gov. Roy Barnes won't have any trouble winning this year's Democratic gubernatorial primary.

* And in South Carolina, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows incumbent Sen. Jim DeMint (R) leading Vic Rawl (D), 49% to 30%. DeMint is, of course, the heavy favorite, but I'm a little surprised DeMint is below 50%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* As of this afternoon, there were nine confirmed fatalities and dozens of injuries in the violence off the coast of Gaza, where the Israeli military targeted an aid flotilla.

* As expected, the diplomatic crisis for Israel is fairly intense: "Several European nations and Turkey summoned Israeli envoys for an explanation of the actions. At the request of Turkey, The United Nations Security Council met in emergency session on Monday over the attack, which occurred in international waters north of Gaza and killed at least nine people."

* Israel's relationship with Turkey, a NATO member and key ally for Israel in the Muslim world, is poised to deteriorate to new lows.

* Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has postponed his trip to Washington, which was scheduled for tomorrow.

* The next effort to address the gusher of leaking oil in the Gulf carries a serious potential downside: it could make matters worse.

* BP CEO Tony Hayward went ridiculously off message, saying he'd like to resolve the crisis because it's the only way he'll get his life back. And BP wonders why so many are so incensed.

* Inching away from the brink on the Korean peninsula: "North Korea expressed a desire to keep a joint industrial complex in operation, South Korean officials said on Monday, while the South indicated that it might reconsider its decision to revive psychological warfare against the North. The two movements showed that the two Koreas were carefully weighing the option of easing their confrontation, analysts said."

* A severe storm forced President Obama to cancel his prepared Memorial Day remarks in Illinois this afternoon, fearful that the lightening may be dangerous for the audience. When it became apparent the storm would not clear anytime soon, the president met with families on buses where attendees had taken shelter.

* Germany's president, a largely ceremonial post, was forced to resign after making controversial remarks about using the military to protect the country's economic interests.

* Phoenix was home over the weekend to some large demonstrations both for and against Arizona's new anti-immigrant law.

* Ohio has seen its biggest jump in job growth in 22 years.

* The World Science Festival will get underway in New York this week. Looks like a great event.

* Great piece from the estimable Jessica Valenti on the "fake feminism" of a certain former half-term governor.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The talk was more than just rhetoric: "Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday that federal authorities have opened criminal and civil investigations into the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill."

* More fallout from yesterday's violence: "The U.N. Security Council early Tuesday condemned 'those acts which resulted in' the deaths of at least nine civilians aboard an aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip, and called for a 'prompt, impartial, credible and transparent' investigation into why and how the Israeli military acted to stop the ships from reaching their destination."

* While additional efforts to challenge the Gaza Strip blockade are underway, the blockade has been loosened, at least for now.

* Fred Kaplan: "How Israel botched what should have been a straightforward military operation."

* The Obama administration is under intense pressure from several members of Congress to take Israel's side in the dispute. They're not all Republicans.

* For its part, the administration is urging U.S. allies to show restraint in their condemnations, pending additional information on exactly what transpired.

* BP needs some public relations help, so it's hired Dick Cheney's former campaign press secretary. He has a credible public reputation, right?

* More evidence of stimulus success: "The economic recovery gained strength on the biggest rise in construction spending in nearly a decade and the 10th straight month of expansion for the manufacturing sector."

* Adam Serwer takes a closer look at today's Supreme Court ruling on Miranda rights.

* Conditions in Haiti are stable enough to allow most of the U.S. forces on the ground to head home today.

* Get to know Rep. Darrel Issa (R-Calif.). He's quite a piece of work.

* Tim Noah explains why we always seem to be killing al Qaeda's #3.

* Number of segments CNN ran about Richard Blumenthal's (D) exaggerated military service record: 11. Number of segments CNN ran about Mark Kirk's (R) even more exaggerated military service record: zero. Remember, the right still believes the media's liberal.

* Student loans are starting to seem like a structural problem. Isn't it time for a structural solution?

* And if you weren't around over the weekend, I hope you'll take a moment to consider this item from Saturday, about the new rules the political world is applying to President Obama, which weren't applied to his predecessors. I think it's important, and I'm trying to get the word out

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Kentucky's closely-watched Senate race, Rasmussen recently showed Rand Paul (R) leading Jack Conway (D) by 25 points. Now that Paul's extremist views are better known, his lead is down to eight points, 49% to 41%.

* National Review appears to have very little respect for Linda McMahon (R), the right-wing wrestling executive, and the Republicans' U.S. Senate candidate in Connecticut this year. "If decency means nothing, McMahon is the businesswoman par excellence," Rich Lowry wrote.

* On a related note, McMahon's Democratic opponent, state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, has launched his first television ads of the campaign.

* In California's Senate race, Tom Campbell (R) appears to be giving up with less than a week until the primary. Unable to match Carly Fiorina's (R) enormous wealth, Campbell has pulled all of his television advertising.

* Sue Lowden's (R) painful Senate campaign in Nevada is starting to worry about the upcoming Republican primary -- money that had been set aside for the general election is now being utilized.

* In a poll commissioned by the DSCC, Rep. Joe Sestak (D) leads former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) in this year's Senate race, 47% to 40%.

* Republicans will field a candidate to take on Sen. Chuck Schumer (D) this year in New York. Former CIA officer Gary Berntsen is now the GOP's designee, though he's still facing a challenge from Conservative Party nominee Jay Townsend.

* Remember Dale Peterson in Alabama, whose campaign ads for agriculture commissioner went viral? He came in third yesterday.

* And while Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) of Texas had vowed to step down, win or lose, after running in a gubernatorial primary earlier this year, don't be too surprised if she goes back on her word and runs for re-election in 2012.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The cut-and-cap effort isn't working, either: "As the crude crept closer to Florida, the risky effort to contain the nation's worst oil spill hit a snag Wednesday when a diamond-edged saw became stuck in a thick pipe on a blown-out well at the bottom of the Gulf."

* Netanyahu's defense: "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mounted a vigorous public defense of Israel's blockade of Gaza on Wednesday.... In his first nationally broadcast comments on the raid, Mr. Netanyahu accused Israel's critics of hypocrisy and said the blockade of the Hamas-controlled territory of Gaza was necessary to prevent rockets and missiles from being smuggled to militants."

* Right-wing media personalities and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) are suggesting President Obama is partly to blame for the incident off the Israeli coast. Seriously.

* In the meantime, the White House has urged Israel -- privately and publicly -- to show great restraint when it comes to other aid ships on their way towards Gaza.

* Afghanistan: "Taliban militants launched a suicide attack on Afghanistan's national peace conference Wednesday as President Hamid Karzai interrupted his opening remarks to reassure nervous delegates hearing the thump of rockets and rattle of gunfire outside. No delegates were harmed but at least two attackers were killed in fighting with Afghan security forces near the giant tent erected for the three-day gathering, officials said."

* Getting North Korea's attention: "The U.S. aircraft carrier USS George Washington will participate in a joint naval exercise with South Korea next week in the Yellow Sea, the same waters west of the Korean peninsula where North Korea is accused of sinking a South Korean warship last March, ABC News has learned."

* I'm not sure why BP can't see oil plumes that are clearly there.

* Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-La.) would like to see BP CEO Tony Hayward lose his job.

* In related news, Hayward is sorry about the whole "want my life back" thing.

* Better than expected news on pending home sales.

* Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama resigns, in large part because of a broken promise to get rid of a U.S. base in Okinawa.

* Democrats' Wall Street reform bill is popular, and apparently so is Elena Kagan.

* Scary thought: Newsmax would like to purchase Newsweek.

* The Collegiate Learning Assessment may not be the most effective test.

* Occasionally, the Weekly Standard really is cringe-worthy.

* And Glenn Beck now believes he never said U.S. officials are "mimicking" Nazi Germany. That's true, except for all the times he said U.S. officials are "mimicking" Nazi Germany.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Nevada, a new Suffolk University poll shows Sharron Angle jumping out in front in the Republican Senate primary with 33% support. Danny Tarkanian is second in the poll with 26%, followed by Sue Lowden at 25%. A Research 2000 poll, to be released soon, is expected to show similar results.

* Starting to panic a bit, Lowden is now running attack ads against Angle, including this bizarre spot connecting Angle to Scientologists.

* And in still more Nevada GOP news, Lowden is also confronting new questions about whether her recent campaign spending violates federal election laws.

* Earlier this week, former Rep. Tom Campbell (R-Calif.) announced he was pulling his Senate campaign ads from the TV airwaves, but tomorrow, his campaign will reportedly make one more pre-primary ad push.

* Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) of Alaska was not expected to face much of a primary challenge this year, but yesterday, former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) announced her support for Murkowski's Republican opponent, attorney Joe Miller. The party establishment, of course, will stick with the incumbent.

* And speaking of Alaska's Senate race, Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams (D) announced he'll take on Murkowski in November, if she wins her primary challenge. (thanks to reader B.M.)

* With time running out in South Carolina's Republican gubernatorial primary, Nikki Haley (R) is now facing another round of allegations about an affair.

* In Iowa, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows former Gov. Terry Branstad (R) leading incumbent Gov. Chet Culver (D) by 15 points, 52% to 37%.

* And in New York, former Rep. Rick Lazio (R) emerged as the party's gubernatorial favorite at the state GOP convention. The development was a significant blow to state party chairman Ed Cox, who backed former Democrat Steve Levy.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* A modicum of preliminary progress at the source: "Delicately manipulating a 20-foot-long shear at depths of nearly a mile, technicians successfully snipped a key riser pipe on Thursday in their effort to contain the oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico from a stricken undersea well. They prepared to cap the severed pipe later in the day with a dome that they hoped would allow them to funnel the oil to tankers on the surface."

* President Obama will return to the Gulf Coast for another visit tomorrow -- his third trip in a month. He also put all new oil drilling in the Gulf on hold, and sent BP a bill for $69 million.

* Louisiana's plan to dredge up walls of sand to protect coastal marshes has been approved by the White House. BP will have to fully fund that, too.

* There are new projections that show the enormous spill reaching Florida soon, and heading up the Atlantic Coast in the coming weeks and months.

* No, we're not going to nuke the spill.

* One of the fatalities aboard the flotilla headed for Gaza was a 19-year-old American, who was shot five times, including four shots to the head.

* Another slight improvement in the number of Americans filing for jobless benefits. It's still too high.

* Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) stopped by the White House for a chat with the president.

* The Obama administration is crafting new protections for airline passengers.

* Even the Republican-led state Senate in Kentucky has no use for Rand Paul's extremism on the Civil Rights Act.

* Terrific move by the NYT: "The New York Times said Thursday that it would begin hosting the popular blog FiveThirtyEight and make its founder, Nate Silver, a regular contributor to the newspaper and the Sunday magazine."

* On a related note, Greg Sargent had an insightful item about the new model of ideological journalism.

* George W. Bush, still O.K. with torture.

* Great column on former Supreme Court Justice David Souter's approach to "originalism," and its "tenuous connection to reality."

* The three-year bachelor's degree may not be a great idea.

* The Blagojevich trial gets underway in Chicago.

* The right's rhetoric about the Community Reinvestment Act is so tiresome.

* Did Bill O'Reilly compare gay people to al Qaeda last night? Yep, pretty much.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Nevada's Senate race, the latest Research 2000 poll shows Sharon Angle jumping out in front of the GOP field with 34% support. Sue Lowden continues to falter and drops to 25%, with Danny Tarkanian a close third with 24%. In general election match-ups, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) now leads all three of the leading Republicans, in margins ranging from four to six points.

* And speaking of Nevada, the state's gubernatorial race is also getting more interesting. The Research 2000 poll shows Brian Sandoval cruising past incumbent Gov. Jim Gibbons in a Republican primary. In the general election, Sandoval leads Rory Reid by 10, while Reid leads Gibbons by 21.

* In Connecticut, Rasmussen recently showed Richard Blumenthal (D) leading Linda McMahon (R) by just a few points. In its new poll, Rasmussen shows Blumenthal up by 23 points, 56% to 33%.

* Speaking of McMahon, the former wrestling company executive isn't sure whether steroids are a health hazard. She wasn't kidding.

* As if Florida's election season couldn't get any screwier, Lawton "Bud" Chiles III, son of the former Democratic governor, announced he's running for governor this year as an independent. He has never held elected office. (thanks to reader V.S.)

* Arguably the nation's most competitive Senate race is in Missouri this year, where Rasmussen shows Rep. Roy Blunt (R) leading Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) by just one point, 45% to 44%

* It looks like California's GOP gubernatorial primary is turning into a rout -- a new Field Poll shows Meg Whitman with a two-to-one lead over state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, 51% to 25%.

* Faced with limited prospects, Washington State Senator Don Benton (R) ended his Senate campaign yesterday, and endorsed his primary rival, Dino Rossi.

* In Michigan's Republican gubernatorial primary, the latest EPIC-MRA poll shows Rep. Pete Hoekstra leading a multi-candidate field with 30%.

* Nikki Haley's (R) gubernatorial campaign in South Carolina will get a boost starting today with robocalls recorded by former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R). Palin had previously denounced all robocalls, and these new ones may violate state law.

* And in Alabama, we won't have Rep. Artur Davis (D) to kick around anymore -- he's apparently done with politics for good after a humiliating defeat this week in a gubernatorial primary.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* At the source: "BP began capturing some of the oil and gas gushing from a damaged Gulf of Mexico well Friday after placing a containment cap on the wellhead deep below the surface.... The containment device was successfully funneling oil and gas to a drill ship stationed above the source of the massive spill, BP officials and the U.S. Coast Guard commander on the scene said. But they cautioned that it remains unclear how much of the leaking crude is being captured and said some seepage would continue even in a best-case scenario."

* President Obama is on the scene again, and sees some signs of progress.

* The president has, once again, been forced to indefinitely delay his trip to Australia, Indonesia, and Guam.

* Florida: "Tar balls and tar cakes rolled onto the shores of Pensacola Beach Friday morning, just as federal officials announced that a cap over the gusher has started to work."

* BP's efforts to contain media coverage of the disaster are more than a little troubling.

* Looks like retired Air Force Gen. James Clapper will be nominated as the next Director of National Intelligence.

* Another showdown off the coast of Gaza appears imminent.

* Gut-wrenching: "Another female ex-employee of KBR has come forward to claim that she was raped while working for the military contracting company in Iraq. According to a lawsuit filed in federal court in Houston Wednesday, Anna Mayo was working at KBR's facility in Balad in November 2009 when she was assaulted by an unnamed rapist who worked for KBR. She charges that she was choked unconscious with a rope, beaten and raped."

* Afghanistan: "Afghan President Hamid Karzai got a modest political boost Friday when a national peace conference backed his efforts to launch substantive talks with the Taliban and other Afghan insurgent forces."

* I just didn't have the patience to debunk David Rivkin's latest misleading op-ed. Fortunately, Matt Gertz was up to the task.

* It's heartening to see the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division function again, the way it should. The way in which Bush/Cheney gutted the office was a genuine tragedy.

* U.S. News put together a pro-con debate between Democratic Sens. Mary Landrieu (La.) and Bill Nelson (Fla.) over whether offshore drilling should be expanded. I think Nelson's take is far more compelling.

* The Department of Education makes a smart staffing move.

* Nice graphic on how a bill becomes a law.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The latest Mason-Dixon poll in Nevada shows Sharron Angle leading the pack in the Republican Senate primary, with 32% support.. Danny Tarkanian is second with 24%, and Sue Lowden is a close third with 23%.

* The final Research 2000 poll before Arkansas' Democratic Senate primary runoff shows Lt. Gov. Bill Halter with a narrow lead over incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln. 49% to 45%.

* It appears increasingly likely that Gov. Charlie Crist's (I) Senate campaign will be dogged by allegations stemming from former party chairman Jim Greer's arrest on fraud charges last week.

* Democratic hopes of defeating Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) this year were bolstered over the weekend when Dems rallied behind state Sen. Tarryl Clark (D), who will not face a primary challenger.

* Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) re-election bid got a bit of a boost late last week, with the National Rifle Association announcing its endorsement of the senator.

* The results of Alabama's Republican gubernatorial primary last week were so close, we're still not sure which two candidates are headed for the runoff election.

* And in Iowa, where Dems had hopes that Sen. Charles Grassley (R) might be vulnerable this year, those hopes are fading. The latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows the incumbent with a pretty huge lead.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The containment cap in the Gulf is gradually collecting even more of the gushing oil. Nevertheless, a bigger cap is in the works, which will provide a tighter and more effective fit.

* After a briefing from Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, President Obama said at a cabinet meeting that the administration would hold BP fully accountable, and that officials would work with states to revitalize the Gulf Coast in the long run.

* BP thinks it's paid "every claim" thus far. It hasn't.

* Afghanistan: "Ten NATO soldiers, including seven Americans, were killed in a wave of violence in Afghanistan on Monday -- the deadliest day this year for the international forces. The bloodshed came as Taliban insurgents ramp up bombings and attacks on NATO forces ahead of a major operation in the southern Taliban stronghold of Kandahar that Washington hopes will turn the tide of the war."

* Mohamed Mahmood Alessa and Carlos Eduardo Almonte: "Two New Jersey men who were bound for Somalia with the stated intention of joining an Islamic extremist group to kill American troops were arrested at Kennedy International Airport late Saturday, federal and local authorities said on Sunday." They seem to have been complete idiots.

* Afghanistan's top intelligence chief and interior minister quit over the weekend.

* Wikileaks' source gets busted: "Federal officials have arrested an Army intelligence analyst who boasted of giving classified U.S. combat video and hundreds of thousands of classified State Department records to whistleblower site Wikileaks, Wired.com has learned."

* If the federal government puts money into the economy, and state governments take money out of the economy, the result isn't encouraging.

* Just think of the money we'd save if we closed the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.

* Right-wing criticism of the media might be slightly more coherent if those doing the criticizing were even vaguely aware of what the media actually reports.

* Fact-checking the Sunday shows.

* As Newsweek's troubles continue, it has to hope that it doesn't lose its best talent. It's already a serious problem: Michael Isikoff has left the magazine to join NBC News.

* College isn't just about knowledge acquisition and learning.

* Replacing a fake White House correspondent with a fake news network isn't a good idea: don't give Helen Thomas' seat to Fox News.

* Ironic signs at BP gas stations: "Warning: Do Not Leave Pumps Unattended. You Are Responsible For Spills."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* South Carolina's Republican gubernatorial primary is wrapping up with "a last minute flurry of lie detector tests." It's been that kind of race.

* At this point, the White House expects incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) to lose her primary contest in Arkansas today.

* Ohio's closely-watched Senate race couldn't be any more competitive. The latest Rasmussen poll shows Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and former Bush Budget Director Rob Portman (R) tied at 43% each.

* A new poll from the University of Washington shows Sen. Patty Murray (D) leading state Sen. Dino Rossi (R) among likely voters, 46% to 40%. Among registered voters, however, Rossi currently has the edge, 42% to 39%.

* Most expect Chris Coons (D) to have a very tough time against Rep. Mike Castle (R) in Delaware's U.S. Senate race this year, but Democrats aren't giving up. Vice President Biden, whose former seat is at stake, said yesterday he would host a fundraiser for Coons later on June 28.

* In North Carolina, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Richard Burr (R) leading his Democratic challengers by 7 and 11 points, respectively. Rasmussen says Burr's edge over Elaine Marshall or Cal Cunningham is even bigger.

* And last week, Gallup showed Republicans jumping out to a six-point lead on the generic congressional ballot. Those results now look like an outlier -- Gallup's new results show the parties tied against 46%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Plumes in the Gulf: The government confirmed Tuesday that plumes of dispersed oil were spreading far below the ocean surface from the leaking well in the Gulf of Mexico, raising fresh concerns about the potential impact of the spill on sea life. Tests conducted by researchers at the University of South Florida found that the concentrations of oil-related chemicals in the water were generally low. Still, the tests confirmed that some toxic compounds that would normally be expected to evaporate from the surface in a shallow-water oil spill were instead spreading through the ocean in the Deepwater Horizon leak."

* Progress with the containment cap: "A containment cap placed over the leaking BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico is now sucking up even more oil to the surface -- nearly 15,000 barrels (630,000 gallons) a day, more than the low end of the government's estimate of all the oil that was leaking, Coast Guard Adm. Thad W. Allen said Monday morning."

* BP "systemically ignored its own safety policies," not just in the Gulf, but throughout its North American operations.

* Big vote tomorrow on Iran: "The United States and its allies called for a U.N. vote Wednesday on imposing new sanctions on Iran's suspect nuclear program, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said those would be followed by even stricter unilateral penalties by Washington and others."

* President Obama returns to health care, selling his policy to seniors.

* Police have charged a father-and-son team for threatening Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and his family over the health care vote.

* A high school in Kalamazoo was fortunate enough to get the president as a commencement speaker yesterday: "On Monday, he imparted his buck-stops-here philosophy to an audience of high school graduates, telling them: 'Don't make excuses. Take responsibility not just for your successes. Take responsibility where you fall short as well.'"

* The media's best efforts notwithstanding, few Americans actually care whether the White House offered jobs to Senate candidates.

* Defense Secretary Robert Gates has a pretty tough job.

* The college accreditation system needs some work.

* The artist formerly known as Blackwater is up for sale. In the meantime, as silly as this seems, the company is getting into the retail game.

* Chait flags a photo of a protestor trying to tie together multiple right-wing conspiracy theories in one bizarre message. It's quite an "accomplishment."

* Annoying media outlets to the president: Once more, with feeling.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Georgia held a special election runoff yesterday, and elected Tom Graves (R) to fill the remainder of former Rep. Nathan Deal's (R) term. The House Republican caucus will now be back at 178 members.

* In case she has any doubts, Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) shouldn't count on any union support in November.

* While the Republican Governors Association was officially neutral going into the party's South Carolina gubernatorial primary, the RGA is now backing state Rep. Nikki Haley, and subtly urged Rep. Gresham Barrett to quit before their runoff.

* In Florida, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Gov. Charlie Crist (I) leading the three-way Senate race with 37% support. Marco Rubio (R) is a close second with 33%, followed by Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) in third with 17%.

* Kentucky's Rand Paul, the Republican Senate candidate, has decided to start talking to the national media again, but, at least for now, will only speak to the Fox News Channel and the Fox Business Channel. I wonder why that is.

* Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) reiterated yesterday that he may yet endorse wrestling executive Linda McMahon (R) in this year's Senate race in Connecticut. "I'm not ready to make a choice," Lieberman told reporters yesterday.

* Alabama election officials concluded yesterday that businessman Tim James just missed the Republicans' gubernatorial runoff, falling just 167 votes shy. James will apparently seek a recount, even though he'd have to pay for it out of his own pocket.

* Former Rep. Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) wanted to make a comeback, but came in third yesterday in a GOP primary.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* President Obama is headed back to the Gulf Coast next week, for his fourth trip since the BP oil spill began. This time, he'll be in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.

* The administration, meanwhile, is tightening the BP leash: "The Coast Guard told BP on Wednesday that it wanted to monitor the process of paying out compensation claims from the country's worst oil spill, and it pressed the company to come up with a better plan for collecting and processing the thousands of barrels of leaked oil now being recovered from the damaged oil well in the Gulf of Mexico."

* Turtle Bay: "The U.N. Security Council imposed a fourth round of sanctions in as many years on a defiant Iran on Wednesday over a nuclear program the West suspects is aimed at developing atomic weapons."

* The sanctions aren't the final word on the subject. They're just the beginning - the "1" of a "1,2,3 punch," as one senior White House official told Jake Tapper.

* Afghanistan: "Taliban insurgents shot down a NATO helicopter in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing four United States soldiers on board, according to Afghan and United States military officials."

* In related news, the Taliban have also been "stepping up a campaign of assassinations in recent months against officials and anyone associated with local government in an attempt to undermine counterinsurgency operations in the south."

* The Federal Reserve's Beige Book offers mild encouragement: "The economic recovery is finally spreading to all parts of the country. But the modest pace of growth suggests companies won't be ramping up hiring to quickly drive down unemployment. A Federal Reserve survey, released Wednesday, found that economic activity improved across all 12 regions tracked. The last time all regions were in a growth mode was roughly before the recession started in December 2007."

* The military still has far more to do on traumatic brain injuries.

* Are conservatives better informed about economics? Um, no.

* In the future will American colleges need to educate more students, make greater use of technology, or come up with new funding strategies? All of the above?

* I'm convinced: Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) has earned a #1 seed in my March-Madness-Style brackets for Most Ridiculous Member of Congress.

* Karl Rove, the Republicans' electoral genius, seems to think 48 plus 45 equals 100. That would explain a few things.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Despite party pressure, Rep. Gresham Barrett (R), at least for now, refuses to drop out of the Republican gubernatorial runoff against state Rep. Nikki Haley. The election is in two weeks.

* Despite his scandalous past, ethical problems, and lack of any government experience at any level, Rick Scott is now leading Florida's Republican gubernatorial primary. A new Quinnipiac poll shows him leading state Attorney General Bill McCollum, 44% to 31%.

* The same poll shows another neophyte, Jeff Greene, closing the gap in the Senate Democratic primary, trailing Rep. Kendrick Meek by just two points, 29% to 27%, with "undecided" in the lead with 37%.

* In Connecticut, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Richard Blumenthal (D) leading Linda McMahon (R) in the open Senate race, 55% to 35%. Blumenthal's 20-point lead is down slightly from a month ago.

* It seems unfathomable, but a new Rasmussen poll shows Sharron Angle (R) leading Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) in Nevada's Senate race, 50% to 39%.

* In California, Rasmussen shows state Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) narrowly leading former eBay CEO Meg Whitman (R) in their gubernatorial contest, 45% to 44%.

* Despite the controversy surrounding his repeated public falsehoods, Rep. Mark Kirk (R) leads Illinois' Senate race in the latest Rasmussen poll, with Kirk ahead of state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) by three, 42% to 39%.

* Daily Kos has dropped Research 2000 as its pollster.

* A ballot measure was approved in California this week that may have a significant impact on the state's elections. The measure "puts in place an unusual 'top two' primary election process [that] could lead to a renaissance for centrist lawmakers."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* I'll believe it when the checks arrive: "Oil giant BP, under mounting pressure to meet its obligations in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, has agreed to implement a more transparent and expedited claims process to pay individuals and businesses harmed by the disaster, U.S. officials said Thursday."

* Is BP doing enough to protect the health of workers fighting the oil spill in the Gulf? Probably not.

* President Obama spent about an hour today with the families of those killed if the Deepwater Horizon explosion.

* House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) is still working out his argument when it comes to taxpayers being on the hook for the disaster in the Gulf.

* Afghanistan: "A suicide bomb ripped through a wedding party for a family with ties to police in the Taliban's heartland in Afghanistan, killing at least 40 people and wounding dozens more, officials said Thursday."

* Things aren't going as well as we hoped in Kandahar, and Gen. McChrystal wants more time.

* New applications for unemployment benefits -- still too high.

* After recent events in Arkansas, at least the White House seems to realize it needs to mend some fences with labor.

* The conference committee on Wall Street reform got to work today.

* GOP lawmakers in Tennessee tried to pass measures to block the Affordable Care Act at the state level. They failed. (thanks to reader P.A. for the tip)

* Glenn Greenwald references this post of mine from December in a critical way, but re-reading what I wrote, I think the larger point stands up pretty well. Yglesias has some related thoughts.

* A college degree is hardly a guarantee when it comes to staying out of poverty.

* The press conference on the Hill today on mohair subsidies went surprisingly badly for Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.). Put it this way: it's a bad sign when members of Congress leave a press conference bleeding.

* If it's all right with Politico, I'd prefer we skip the discussion over what White House officials are wearing.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Sen. Jim DeMint's (R-S.C.) office insists it had nothing to do with Alvin Greene winning the Democratic Senate nomination in South Carolina this week. I'm inclined to believe that, since DeMint had no incentive to launch such a scheme, but that doesn't make Greene's success any easier to explain.

* On a related note, Greene is starting to talk to the media more, and he appears to be ... how do I put this kindly ... in way over his head.

* In Nevada, unhinged Senate nominee Sharron Angle (R) not only promoted a controversial, Scientology-backed drug rehabilitation program as a lawmaker, she also appeared in a promotional video on its behalf.

* Speaking of Nevada, a new Rasmussen poll shows former federal judge Brian Sandoval (R) with a big lead over Clark County Commission Chair Rory Reid (D) in their gubernatorial race, 54% to 31%.

* California Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Jerry Brown yesterday compared Meg Whitman's (R) propaganda efforts to Joseph Goebbels. He later said it was "jogging talk" that was "taken out of context."

* The latest "Birther" to run for Congress? Republican Andy Harris, who's challenging Rep. Frank Kratovil (D) in Maryland.

* A Democratic group called Commonsense Ten is getting to work, intended to counter some of the independent groups raising money to support Republicans in the midterms. The founding members of Commonsense Ten are "former Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee executive director Jim Jordan, Monica Dixon, a former aide to Al Gore and Sen. Mark Warner, and veteran party operative Jeff Forbes."

* And in South Carolina, more than half of Republican voters want someone more right-wing than Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) representing them, suggesting he might have trouble in a primary. Fortunately for him, he's not up until 2012.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Officials have nearly doubled the estimate of the amount of oil gushing into the Gulf every day. The new estimate puts the total at between 25,000 to 30,000 barrels of oil a day. Another group of experts concluded the range is between 20,000 and 40,000.

* A conservative estimate of the costs of this disaster: $28 billion.

* Upping the pressure on the Republican congressional leadership, a House GOP lawmaker -- from Florida -- has endorsed lifting the liability cap.

* Iraq: "Two American soldiers were killed and six were wounded Friday by a car bomb north of Baghdad, wrapping up a week of renewed insurgent attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq."

* Afghanistan: "Two U.S. troops and at least 11 civilians died in violence across southern Afghanistan on Friday, including one attack in which a suicide bomber wearing a burqa blew himself up in a bazaar."

* Not good: "Sales at retailers unexpectedly fell in May, raising some questions about how much consumers will be able to continue contributing to an economic recovery."

* Eyes on the prize: "President Obama, returning to his theme of 'jobs, jobs, jobs,' called on Congress Friday to pass a string of initiatives aimed at spurring hiring by small businesses, including a plan to take $30 billion from the fund that bailed out Wall Street financial institutions and steer it to community banks to lend to small firms."

* A real scandal at Arlington National Cemetery.

* South Carolina state Sen. Jake Knotts (R) has been "officially rebuked by his county Republican Party" for his "raghead" slurs.

* Good move: "In a vote that advocates of abortion rights sought beforehand to keep quiet, the Senate Armed Services Committee passed a provision on May 27 to allow privately financed abortions at military hospitals and bases."

* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) did the right thing vetoing an odious anti-abortion bill.

* Terrific piece from Dahlia Lithwick on former Supreme Court Justice David Souter's commencement speech at Harvard.

* The future of affirmative action in college admissions.

* I hadn't heard about Roger Simon's health issues, and welcome him back to work.

* The right-wing media really seems to hate soccer and the World Cup.

* Glenn Beck should try to leave the president's family alone.

* And on a related note, Media Matters takes a look at Beck's new novel. Based on the review, it may be the among the worst novels ever written.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* American Crossroads, a Republican campaign operation backed by Karl Rove, launched a new attack ad in Nevada today, condemning Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for helping pass the economic recovery package that prevented a depression last year.

* He seemed a little reluctant to admit it, but Florida Senate hopeful Marco Rubio (R) told CNBC's Larry Kudlow that he still supports coastal oil drilling. Kudlow summed the segment up at the end: "Mr. Crist is going to run against offshore drilling, and you are going to run in favor of it, do I have that right?"

* In Texas' gubernatorial race, incumbent Gov. Rick Perry (R) is worried enough about Dallas Mayor former Houston Mayor Bill White (D) that Perry may refuse to participate in a debate.

* South Carolina's Vic Rawl, shocked by last week's defeat in last week's Democratic Senate primary, may file an official protest over Alvin Greene's bizarre victory.

* Speaking of South Carolina, much of the Republican establishment is thrilled with Nikki Haley, but some prominent GOP leaders still hope she loses the runoff a week from tomorrow. Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer (R) has endorsed her challenger, Rep. Gresham Barrett (R).

* Giving his re-election prospects a bit of a boost, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (D) picked up the National Rifle Association's endorsement this morning.

* Indiana Republicans have chosen state Sen. Marlin Stutzman (R) to run to replace former Rep. Mark Souder (R), who resigned in disgrace last month.

* In New York's gubernatorial race, a new Siena poll shows Andrew Cuomo (D) with a huge lead, but not quite as huge as the last poll. Cuomo now leads by about 36 points over each of his GOP challengers.

* Karl Rove is not only backing Rep. Todd Tiahrt in Kansas' Senate Republican primary, he's also attacking Tiahrt's challenger, Rep. Jerry Moran (R), with unusually harsh criticism.

* And most of the candidates on the National Republican Congressional Committee's "Young Guns" program have something in common: they're not especially young.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* New plan: "British energy giant BP unveiled a plan on Monday it hopes will vastly increase the amount of oil it is capturing from its blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico as President Barack Obama arrived there to assert leadership in clean-up efforts."

* BP: "For the sake of saving time and drilling costs on its ill-fated exploration well, BP took 'shortcuts' that led to the oil spill disaster that will end up costing the oil giant billions of dollars in cleanup and compensation costs, according to a letter from two House Democrats who have been leading an investigation of the spill."

* President Obama spent the day along the Gulf Coast, during his fourth trip to the region since the April 20 explosion. The White House also learned today that all the major networks will carry his Oval Office address tomorrow.

* International assistance: "In late May, the administration accepted Mexico's offer of two skimmers and 13,779 feet of boom; a Dutch offer of three sets of Koseq sweeping arms, which attach to the sides of ships and gather oil; and eight skimming systems offered by Norway."

* There's apparently not much point in calling BP's toll-free call centers.

* The session didn't last long, but Iraq's new parliament met today for the first time.

* The Supreme Court announced that it won't hear the appeal of Maher Arar's case. Adam Serwer explores the significance.

* Marc Ambinder has some compelling pushback over the reports of lucrative mineral deposits in Afghanistan.

* Israel creates a government-appointed commission to investigate the raid on the Gaza flotilla.

* An apparent deal with the NRA may help advance a new campaign finance bill on the Hill.

* TARP money continues to be repaid.

* Ella: "A French drug company is seeking to offer American women something their European counterparts already have: a pill that works long after 'the morning after.' ... But the new drug is a close chemical relative of the abortion pill RU-486, raising the possibility that it could also induce abortion by making the womb inhospitable for an embryo."

* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) still hates the idea of repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," but he also still seems badly confused over the policy details.

* Fact checking the Sunday shows.

* Speaking of the Sunday shows, why aren't more women invited on as guests?

* The Senate prepares hearings on American for-profit schools and their policies.

* Who wrote Glenn Beck's new novel? It's hard to say for sure, but the only thing we know for sure is that Beck didn't. The deranged media personality conceded there was "no way" he was going to sit down and actually write the book.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Louisiana, a new Public Policy Polling survey shows scandal-plagued Sen. David Vitter (R) leading Rep. Charlie Melancon (D) by nine, 46% to 37%. It's as close as Melancon has been in any poll, and may be the result of Vitter's support for the oil industry.

* Meg Whitman, the Republican gubernatorial candidate in California, reportedly pushed an employee in an executive conference room at eBay's headquarters a few years ago. The former CEO paid a six-figure financial settlement.

* Alvin Greene's Senate candidacy continues to be a source of fascination, especially since the candidate still can't explain why he spent more than $10,000 on a filing fee. During a CNN appearance over the weekend, Don Lemon asked Greene if he was "mentally sound" and "impaired by anything" during the interview.

* As promised, right-wing activists are, at least for now, refusing to endorse state Sen. Robert Hurt (R), who won the GOP primary last week in Virginia's 5th congressional district.

* Before the Alabama Republican gubernatorial runoff election, there will apparently be a recount, which is scheduled to begin today.

* Respecting a long-held tradition, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said he will not personally campaign against Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). [Update: It's a tradition, by the way, that Bill Frist ignored by going after Tom Daschle in 2004.]

* And NPR released a poll this morning analyzing 70 key, competitive House districts. In the districts that voted Democratic in 2008, the GOP leads on a generic ballot, 47% to 42%. In the "red" districts, Republicans led 53% to 37%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* It's been that kind of disaster: "A drill ship resumed siphoning off oil gushing from a blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday after a bolt of lightning struck the vessel and ignited a fire that halted containment efforts, the company said."

* Rumor has it that former Justice Department inspector general Michael Bromwich will, any minute now, be named the new director of the Minerals Management Service -- the Interior Department agency severely corrupted during the Bush/Cheney administration.

* The House Energy and Commerce Committee held a tense hearing today, during which lawmakers demanded the CEOs of the world's largest oil companies "justify offshore drilling and explain how their safety practices differed from BP's."

* The executives' answers were not exactly well received.

* Just six days before the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded: "BP took measures to cut costs in the weeks before the catastrophic blowout in the Gulf of Mexico as it dealt with one problem after another, prompting a BP engineer to describe the doomed rig as a 'nightmare well,' according to internal documents released Monday."

* During his trip to the Gulf Coast, President Obama spoke at a rally with U.S. troops in Pensacola: "This is an assault on our shores, and we're going to fight back with everything we've got," the president told a fired-up crowd of Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine and Coast Guard troops this morning, to cheers. "And that includes mobilizing our resources with the greatest military in the world."

* I guess old habits die hard: "Nearly two dozen members of the House GOP from the Gulf Coast region, joined by Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-La.), called Tuesday for President Obama to reverse the post-BP disaster moratorium on offshore drilling in deep water."

* At first blush, preemptive relief well drilling seems entirely reasonable.

* Minor drug offenses will no longer trigger automatic deportation for documented immigrants.

* James Rubin offers a very compelling defense of U.S. foreign policy in the Obama era.

* Yes, it really does seem like we're introduced to another Republican "nutjob" every week.

* The New York Times' Jim Risen does not seem to respond to criticism well.

* The U.S. education system still needs to catch up to economic realities.

* And finally, it appears that Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) really is on a roll this week. Last night, he took to the floor of the House to argue that Arizona law enforcement can also target undocumented immigrants by considering "what kind of shoes people wear" and through utilizing "a sixth sense."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rand Paul, the Republican Senate nominee in Kentucky, had pledged to reject all financial help from senators who voted for the Troubled Asset Relief Program. Paul has since decided to abandon that pledge, and his campaign said it wasn't intended to apply to the general election.

* With less than a week until the Senate Democratic runoff in North Carolina, both candidates are picking up support. This week, former state Sen. Cal Cunningham received some 11th hour funding from the DSCC, while North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall picked up an endorsement from MoveOn.org yesterday.

* In the state of Washington, Sen. Patty Murray (D) leads Dino Rossi (R) by seven in a new Elway Research poll, 47% to 40%. Murray's lead over the lesser-known GOP candidates is about twice as big.

* A new Associated Press-GfK Poll found Americans "want Democrats to win control of Congress by a 46 percent to 39 percent margin. That is the second straight month in which Democrats have held a delicate advantage on that question since April, when 44 percent preferred Republicans and 41 percent picked Democrats."

* Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) remains a strong favorite for re-election in Alaska this year, but her primary challenger, Fairbanks lawyer Joe Miller, continues to pick up right-wing support. Today, the Tea Party Express will throw its endorsement to the challenger.

* Don't be too surprised if Alexi Giannoulias (D) and Rep. Mark Kirk (R) face an independent challenger in Illinois' Senate race. Mike Niecestro, a Chicago-area mortgage broker, is collecting signatures to appear on the ballot, and has vowed to spend $1 million of his own money on the race. Niecestro would apparently run to the right, and has reached out to Tea Partiers.

* Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) has said he's not particularly interested in running for president, but the Fox News personality asked that he be included the next time the Des Moines Register polls Iowans about the 2012 race.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The latest official estimates state that "as much as 60,000 barrels a day could be spewing into the Gulf of Mexico." That's about double the figure from last week. Josh Nelson has more.

* Not sure why this didn't happen sooner: "BP expanded its effort to recover oil at its runaway Deepwater Horizon well overnight, activating a system it hopes will raise the amount of crude being collected to 20,000 to 28,000 barrels a day."

* At the White House today, when BP executives spoke briefly at the media, they did not take questions. ABC's Jake Tapper asked, "How's that 'relative trickle' going?" in reference CEO Tony Hayward describing the oil gusher in the Gulf as a "relative trickle."

* Don't worry, though, BP won't forget about "the small people."

* If lawmakers cared as much about struggling families as they do about long-term deficits, votes like these wouldn't happen: "A Democratic effort to break a Senate impasse over a major package of tax breaks, tax increases and unemployment pay failed Wednesday morning on a test vote, forcing the leadership to begin scaling back the measure in order to win over Republicans and Democrats worried about the bill's $140 billion cost and its impact on the national deficit."

* Congressional ethics investigations are underway, looking at eight lawmakers -- five Republicans and three Democrats -- who "held fundraisers within 48 hours of a major House vote on a Wall Street reform bill or received substantial donations from business people with a financial stake in the bill."

* Deserves additional scrutiny: "It hasn't gotten much attention nationally, but on Monday a man and a woman in their 20s showed up at an entrance to one of the most important military bases in the country with a car full of guns and fraudulent military ID."

* Smart post from Yglesias: "The Filibuster and Incentive-Compatible Governance."

* Lawrence O'Donnell will get his own hour-long 10 p.m. (ET) weekday slot, following "Countdown" at 8 and "The Rachel Maddow Show" at 9.

* Retired Gen. John Sheehan seems to really hate gay people.

* Ted Frier scrutinizes Arthur C. Brooks so I don't have to.

* The continuing recession is apparently causing some college graduates to flock to jobs as skilled laborers.

* Fox News claimed today that the White House gave part of Arizona to Mexico. The story is 100% wrong, proving again that you're better off just guessing the news than relying on Fox.

* Rush Limbaugh has now decided he hates the school-lunch program, and believes low-income children should "dumpster dive." Classy.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* With apparently no way to get Alvin Greene off the ballot as their Senate nominee, some South Carolina Dems have launched an effort to "put a more polished candidate on the ballot as an independent." The preferred candidate appears to be former congressional candidate Linda Ketner.

* The DNC is kicking off a new voter turnout initiative, called "Raise Your Vote."

* In Nevada, right-wing activists are leaning heavily on Tim Fasano, a third-party Senate candidate with the right-wing Independent American Party, to get out of Sharron Angle's (R) way.

* Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman (R) continues to invest heavily in her gubernatorial campaign in California. This week, she contributed another $20 million of her own money.

* Whitman is also reaching out to Latino voters, running Spanish-language ads criticizing Arizona's anti-immigrant law, hoping the community wasn't paying attention to Whitman's message from the primary season.

* In Florida, state Attorney General Bill McCollum (R) has found himself struggling to win the GOP primary, thanks to Rick Scott's (R) very aggressive advertising campaign. In a hard-hitting interview, McCollum said he's "appalled" by Scott, and all but calls his rival a criminal.

* It's a Rasmussen poll, so take the results with a grain of salt, but in Arkansas' Senate race, the pollster finds Rep. John Boozman (R) crushing incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D), 61% to 32%.

* In Illinois' gubernatorial race, a new Public Policy Polling survey shows Bill Brady (R) leading incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn (D), 34% to 30%. The Republican lead is boosted by a Green Party candidate pulling 9% support.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* A certain Texan's apology notwithstanding, BP CEO Tony Hayward did not have a pleasant experience on Capitol Hill today: "Hayward grew defensive as the accusatory tone of the hearing grew more heated and members of the House panel began asking detailed questions about the design of the company's oil well and the faulty decisions BP engineers and managers made about keeping it under control. As the hearing proceeded, he was unable -- and, occasionally, unwilling -- to answer detailed questions."

* In related news, Hayward should have made a little more of an effort to change his rhetoric from the words he used in his television ad campaign.

* It's almost hard to believe, but Rep. Joe Barton's (R-Texas) top corporate donor is a partner on ... BP's Deepwater Horizon rig.

* The fallout from the raid: "Israel announced Thursday that it will loosen its blockade of the Gaza Strip and allow more goods to enter the territory. The decision came in response to international pressure on Israel to end its siege of the strip following an Israeli raid on a Turkish aid ship that left nine activists dead."

* The number of people filing for unemployment benefits was expected to drop last week. It didn't: "The Labor Department says initial claims for jobless benefits rose by 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 472,000, the highest level in a month."

* The Obama administration rolled out new sanctions on Iran yesterday.

* Another good piece from Dahlia Lithwick: "Ignoring Maher Arar won't make his torture claims go away."

* Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) seems to realize that health care costs would go up if the individual mandate -- an idea he used to support -- were scrapped. He doesn't care.

* Shameless: when Fox News aired footage from this morning's hearing with Hayward, the network edited out Barton's apology. Imagine that.

* College enrollment recently saw its largest increase in 40 years. Much of it is the result in a boost in minority enrollment.

* And finally, Bill Randall, a Republican congressional candidate in North Carolina, believes there's a "possibility" that federal officials and BP "colluded" to create the oil spill in the Gulf. He couldn't explain why anyone would want this, and added, "I'm not necessarily a conspiracy person." Randall nevertheless signaled his support for an "investigation," leading me to once again wonder where in the world the Republican Party finds these clowns.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Left with no real choice, the South Carolina Democratic Party's executive committee voted overwhelmingly yesterday to reject calls for a new Senate primary. Though party officials called the election "flawed," Alvin Greene is nevertheless the Democratic nominee.

* The Democratic Governors Association is going after John Kasich (R) pretty aggressively in Ohio this week, with a new ad slamming his Wall Street work for Lehman Brothers. "When Lehmann Brothers collapsed, Ohio seniors lost $480 million from their retirement funds," says the narrator. "John Kasich got rich while Ohio seniors lost millions."

* In Minnesota, the gubernatorial race appears very close in a new SurveyUSA poll. Former Sen. Mark Dayton (D) leads Tom Emmer (R) by three, 38% to 35%, though Emmer has narrow leads over the other Democratic candidates in hypothetical match-ups.

* Jeff Greene is still going after Rep. Kendrick Meek in Florida's Senate Democratic primary, with Greene launching an attack ad accusing Meek of improprieties in a real estate deal. Oddly, Greene isn't running the ad in Florida, but rather, in D.C. The goal, apparently, is to spark interest in an ethics investigation.

* Rep. Mary Fallin (R) continues to be the frontrunner in Oklahoma's gubernatorial race, with a new Sooner Poll showing her with double-digit leads over the leading Democratic candidates.

* It's Rasmussen, so take the results with a grain of salt, but the pollster find Texas Gov. Rick Perry's (R) lead over Dallas former Houston Mayor Bill White (D) slipping into single-digit territory, 48% to 40%.

* Chris Cillizza raised a good point yesterday: the wave of Democratic retirements that many expected never materialized.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* In the most successful day since the crisis began, containment mechanisms were able to capture 25,290 barrels of oil gushing from the wrecked well in the Gulf yesterday.

* BP CEO Tony Hayward is "being relieved of day-to-day responsibility for managing the Gulf of Mexico oil spill," and the reins will be handed to BP Managing Director. Bob Dudley. I guess this means Hayward can get his "life back"?

* Afghanistan: "Three Americans and a British soldier died in fighting Friday in southern Afghanistan, raising to 34 the number of U.S. troops killed in the war so far this month."

* Faced with opposition from Blue Dogs and the Congressional Black Caucus, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi yesterday pulled the DISCLOSE Act, the campaign-finance bill pending in the chamber. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen said obituaries for the proposal are "very, very premature."

* It took some Senate scrambling, but the Medicare "doc fix" passed today. It was approved without a roll call vote.

* North Korea: "Bowing to reality, the North Korean government has lifted all restrictions on private markets -- a last-resort option for a leadership desperate to prevent its people from starving."

* In Florida, Senate candidate Marco Rubio (R) has an odd sense of "personal responsibility."

* CIA torture review: "Attorney General said Thursday evening that the Justice Department prosecutor conducting a review of torture of detainees by the CIA, which was launched last August, is 'close to the end of the time that he needs and will be making some recommendations to me,' Main Justice reports."

* C Street members off the hook: "The Office of Congressional Ethics has dropped its investigation into whether several Members of Congress received an improper gift in the form of below-market rent at a Capitol Hill townhouse, five of the lawmakers' offices have confirmed."

* I'd feel better about Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) if he stopped saying making claims with no basis in reality.

* An important argument at the American Constitution Society event yesterday: "Republican senators and conservative jurists found themselves on the defensive after Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) blasted 'conservative activism' on federal courts."

* Great speech from AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on immigration and economic policy.

* There was a problem with the live stream this morning, but the video of the entire Monthly/NAF event is now online.

* The "use income to promote diversity" public policy tactic is not easy.

* Even now, the right is still hung up on ACORN. How sad.

* It's seems more than a little bizarre for a state official to use Twitter to announce an impending execution. I get that it's a versatile application, but c'mon.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* It took a little while, but former state Rep. Vic Rawl has conceded the South Carolina Senate Democratic primary to confused, unemployed newcomer Alvin Greene.

* It's a Chamber of Commerce poll, so I can't speak to its methodology, but in Florida, it shows Gov. Charlie Crist (I) expanding his lead in the Senate race, topping Marco Rubio (R) by double digits, 42% to 31%. Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) is third with 14%.

* On a related note, the same poll shows disgraced former health care executive Rick Scott leading state Attorney General Bill McCollum in the Republican gubernatorial primary, 35% to 30%.

* In Colorado, a new Denver Post poll shows Sen. Michael Bennet with a big lead over Andrew Romanoff in the Democratic Senate primary, 53% to 36%. Likewise, Ken Buck leads former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton in the Republican Senate primary, 53% to 37%. In a hypothetical match-up, Buck leads Bennet by three points, 46% to 43%.

* On a related note, the same poll also found former Rep. Scott McInnis (R) leading Denver Mayor John Hicklenlooper (D) in Colorado's gubernatorial race, 47% to 43%.

* Utah's Republican Senate primary is tomorrow, and a new Deseret News/KSL-TV poll shows Tim Bridgewater leading Mike Lee, 42% to 33%.

* Elsewhere in Utah, Rep. Jim Matheson (D) is facing a primary, in large part because he voted with Republicans on health care reform. The Deseret News poll shows him leading former schoolteacher Claudia Wright for the party nod, 52% to 33%.

* Brian Sandoval, the Republican gubernatorial nominee in Nevada, said he wasn't recruited for the race. There's ample evidence to the contrary.

* And Alabama Republicans can finally have their gubernatorial runoff, now that a recount found businessman Tim James came in third. James, son of former Gov. Fob James (R), spent $200,000 for the recount -- and managed to lose a net total of 104 votes.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Not surprisingly, Faisal Shahzad pleaded guilty today to the attempted Times Square car-bombing. And to think, we managed to get a guilty plea without torture. Imagine that.

* Not good: oil collection at the Deepwater Horizon wellhead slowed today because of weather and maintenance issues.

* Key 6-3 ruling from the high court: "In a case pitting free speech against national security, the Supreme Court on Monday upheld a federal law that makes it a crime to provide 'material support' to foreign terrorist organizations, even if the help takes the form of training for peacefully resolving conflicts."

* Iraq: "Two car bombs exploded near a government-owned bank in central Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least 26 people and injuring more than 53, police said."

* Good move, but the details will matter: "Facing growing pressure from around the world, China's central bank announced Saturday that it is prepared to allow the country's currency to float more freely against the dollar and other foreign currencies, potentially raising the cost of Chinese goods."

* The White House is getting behind the DISCLOSE Act in a more forceful way as the possibility of a vote draws closer.

* German Chancellor Angela Merkel is very wrong about the economy, and is putting the global recovery at risk with her focus on deficits.

* Expectations were low when the Home Affordable Modification Program was approved. The disappointing results, then, were predictable.

* Looks like there will be a Consumer Financial Protection Agency coming out of conference, but it will exist within the Federal Reserve.

* While the Republican establishment throws Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) under the bus over his pro-BP remarks, the GOP caucus isn't exactly united.

* Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) is apparently annoying some of his colleagues with his efforts to pass a climate/energy bill.

* I've occasionally given Mika Brzezinski a hard time, but her remarks this morning, marveling at Rudy Giuliani's lies, were terrific.

* The SAT's (many) problems.

* The court's "balls and strikes" metaphor has never really worked.

* Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) not only continues to say truly insane things, he also seems to think he knows something about Socrates and Plato. What an unbelievable clown.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Four states -- North Carolina, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Utah -- will host primary elections today. Arguably the most competitive contests to keep an eye on are two Senate primaries: Democrats in North Carolina, and Republicans in Utah.

* In Texas, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows the gubernatorial race unexpectedly tied. Incumbent Gov. Rick Perry (R) and former Houston Mayor Bill White (D) have 43% support each in the poll, with White benefiting from a six-point lead among Texas independents.

* Her support is below the 50% threshold, but Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) still has big leads in a new Quinnipiac poll over her Republican challengers.

* On a related note, the same poll shows state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) with 2-to-1 leads in New York's gubernatorial race.

* It's Rasmussen, so take the results with a grain of salt, but its latest poll in Arizona shows Sen. John McCain leading former Rep. J.D. Hayworth in a Republican primary, 47% to 36%.

* Former wrestling executive Linda McMahon is expected to be the Republican Senate candidate in Connecticut, but economist Peter Schiff, a former Ron Paul backer, has secured enough petition signatures to qualify for the primary ballot.

* In New Hampshire, Rep. Paul Hodes (D) is going after former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte (R) in a new TV ad, mocking her handling of an alleged mortgage fraud scheme.

* There's at least a possibility that Bob Vander Plaats, who recently lost the Republican gubernatorial primary in Iowa, may run as an independent, undermining Terry Branstad's (R) campaign.

* And in Nevada, journalists have grown so frustrated by Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle's refusal to talk to reporters that an NBC affiliate in Nevada has resorted to practically begging the right-wing extremist to talk about her record and views for the public's benefit.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Mike Allen thinks all signs point to Gen. McChrystal's ouster. Michael Scherer thinks all signs point to the opposite. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

* There is one report, from Joe Klein citing an anonymous source, that McChrystal has offered to resign.

* Defense Secretary Robert Gates said today that his top commander in Afghanistan "made a significant mistake and exercised poor judgment" in his remarks to Rolling Stone.

* Plenty of Republicans have been critical of McChrystal today, but as far as I can tell, only one has said publicly that the president probably ought to fire him.

* Ugh: "Sales of previously built homes dropped in May after huge gains the previous two months, a sign that the federal tax credit that helped energize sales at the start of the selling season has sputtered out sooner than expected."

* OMB Director Peter Orszag will leave his post next month, becoming the first member of the president's cabinet to depart. His 18 months on the job is actually a fairly lengthy run by contemporary standards.

* Good to see this on the radar again: "The Obama administration on Tuesday unveiled an ambitious plan that aspires to end homelessness among some of society's most vulnerable groups within the next decade."

* In a pleasant surprise, the Senate confirmed a whole bunch of pending administration nominees, and three district court judges, in one unanimous vote today.

* Five months after a devastating earthquake, all is not well in Haiti's Port-au-Prince.

* Standing up for health care reform: "President Barack Obama unveiled a package of consumer benefits Tuesday to build support for his health care overhaul within a divided nation and warned Republicans about trying to repeal his landmark law. 'We're not going back,' said a defiant president."

* On a related note, Obama is pushing insurers not to use reform as an excuse to raise premiums.

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R)'s economic plan would increase taxes on some in the middle class, and a cut taxes on millionaires. No wonder the right loves him.

* Will Congress pass a budget blueprint this year? Not so much.

* Good news out of the Wall Street reform conference committee on card-swipe fees.

* GAO to investigate for-profit colleges. Should be interesting.

* Big news in the media world: "CNN announced on Monday that it will no longer use content from the Associated Press, ending a business relationship that had been in place since the cable network's inception." CNN will be in a position to act as a permanent AP rival.

* Speaking of interesting media developments, Rolling Stone scored an incredible scoop with its McChrystal story, but handled it incredibly poorly.

* And in case anyone missed it, the major Rolling Stone on McChrystal is, finally, online.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* As expected, state Rep. Nikki Haley (R) cruised to an easy victory in yesterday's South Carolina Republican gubernatorial primary runoff. She'll face Democratic state Sen. Vincent Sheheen, with Haley positioned as the heavy favorite.

* The party establishment backed and recruited Cal Cunningham in North Carolina's Democratic Senate primary, but Democratic voters stuck with North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, who easily won yesterday's primary runoff. Marshall will take on incumbent Sen. Richard Burr (R) in November, who Dems continue to consider vulnerable.

* Tea Partiers got what they wanted in Utah, as right-wing attorney Mike Lee won the Republican Senate primary, edging businessman Tim Bridgewater.

* Speaking of Utah, Blue Dog Rep. Jim Matheson (D) easily won his first primary challenge, dispatching educator Claudia Wright by a 2-to-1 margin.

* In South Carolina's 1st congressional district, Tim Scott easily defeated Paul Thurmond in the Republican primary, and will likely be the first African-American Republican elected to Congress since Oklahoma's J.C. Watts. It is curious, though, that the NRCC didn't include Scott in its "Young Guns" program.

* The closely-watched Senate race in Pennsylvania couldn't be any closer. The latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Rep. Joe Sestak (D) and former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) tied at 41% each.

* It didn't take long at all for John McCain's (R) campaign in Arizona to make an attack ad out of primary challenger J.D. Hayworth's (R) background as a pitchman in a controversial infomercial.

* And despite Rep. Mark Kirk's (R) apparent allergy to the truth, he's very likely to benefit from Green Party candidate LeAlan Jones splitting progressive votes with Democratic state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* A painful setback in the Gulf: "BP suffered another setback in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, when a discharge of liquid and gases forced the company to remove the containment cap that for three weeks had been able to capture a large portion of the oil gushing from its damaged well.... Live video from the seafloor showed oil and gas storming out of the well unrestricted."

* Part of the housecleaning: "The Mineral Management Service is no more. As of today, the agency in charge of overseeing offshore oil exploration-and the ill-fated Deepwater Horizon drilling rig-will be known as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement. That's the Bureau of Ocean Energy, or BOE, for short."

* Housing: "Today, the Commerce Department reported that sales of new homes, well, went off a cliff after the expiry of the Obama administration homebuyer tax credits. In May, sales were at a rate of 300,000 a year. That is 33 percent lower than in April, when the rate was 446,000, and 18.3 percent lower year-on-year."

* Afghanistan: "June has become the deadliest month of the Afghan war for the NATO-led international military force. An Associated Press count based on announcements by the alliance and national commands shows 76 international service members have died this month. The total includes 46 Americans."

* Senate confirmation of Gen. David Petraeus to take command in Afghanistan is expected "within days." The chamber can move pretty quickly when it wants to.

* Elizabeth Warren came up with the idea of the consumer financial protection agency, and she's fairly pleased with how it's coming together.

* This was the first earthquake I've ever felt in my entire life.

* It's almost as if House Republicans are trying to appear ignorant about health care policy.

* All kinds of interesting media moves today, including the estimable Spencer Ackerman moving from the Washington Independent to Wired; Ron Fournier making the transition from the AP to National Journal; and CNN hiring Eliot Spitzer and Kathleen Parker for a new primetime show.

* Apparently SAT preparation is so popular that it's now showing up in some unexpected places.

* I really don't like it when Glenn Beck talks like this: "I think we're headed for a civil war."

* John Cole noted yesterday what he doesn't understand about contemporary movement conservatism: its proponents are "simply operating in their own made-up fictional universe in which history and the English language mean different things to them than to anyone outside the cult." I have the same thought, literally every day.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D) second general-election ad in Nevada is targeting Sharron Angle's (R) opposition to Social Security and Medicare. The spot features commentary from a representative of the Alliance for Retired Americans, who described Angle's position this way: "This is crazy."

* On a related note, it's a Rasmussen poll, so take the results with a grain of salt, but the pollster finds Angle leading Reid in Nevada, 48% to 41%. Two weeks ago, Rasmussen showed Angle up by 11 points over the incumbent.

* In Florida's increasingly competitive Republican gubernatorial primary, state Attorney General Bill McCollum (R) is nervous enough to go after disgraced former health care executive Rick Scott in a hard-hitting new ad. Recent polls show Scott pulling into the lead.

* In Pennsylvania's gubernatorial race, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows state Attorney General Tom Corbett (R) leading Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato (D), 45% to 35%.

* New Mexico's gubernatorial race looks very tight, with a new poll showing district attorney Susana Martinez (R) leading Lt. Gov. Diane Denish (D) by the narrowest of margins, 44% to 43%.

* In Iowa, far-right activists hoped GOP gubernatorial nominee Terry Branstad would pick Bob Vander Plaats as his running mate. He didn't -- Brandstad announced freshman state Sen. Kim Reynolds (R) is his choice.

* Carol Fowler, the South Carolina Democratic chairwoman, described Senate candidate Alvin Greene yesterday as "irrelevant to South Carolina voters and he is irrelevant to the fall campaign." Ouch.

* Dashing the hopes of some on the right, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) said he will not run for president in 2012.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Senate is getting ready to vote, any minute now, on the tax-extenders/jobs bill. I'll have a report in the morning.

* The BP oil spill disaster shuts down more of the Gulf Coast.

* In a bit of a surprise, the House approved the DISCLOSE Act late this afternoon, 219 to 206. It passed with the support of two House Republicans.

* Slightly better, but not even close to good enough: "This morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that initial jobless claims fell by the largest amount in two months.... The new claims number dropped slightly more than economists predicted."

* I guess bipartisanship exists in some areas: "The Senate on Thursday approved tough new sanctions on Iran aimed at discouraging that country's development of nuclear weapons and support of terrorist groups." The vote was 99 to 0.

* President Obama welcomed Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to the White House -- and to Ray's Hell Burger.

* High court ruling of note: "The Supreme Court Thursday restricted one of federal prosecutors' favorite tools for pursuing corrupt politicians and self-dealing corporate chiefs, and cast doubt on the conviction of former Enron chief Jeffrey Skilling."

* I didn't realize Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was in trouble, but he was replaced yesterday by Julia Gillard. It will be the first time the country's head of state is a woman.

* Former Vice President Al Gore was accused of sexual assault by an Oregon masseuse in 2006, but the matter was dropped by law enforcement officials for lack of evidence. Justin Elliott takes a closer look at the case and available information.

* BP is deeply unpopular.

* Fox News' Greta Van Susteren seems a tad confused about a) her responsibilities as a media professional; and b) the degree to which John McCain knows what on earth he's talking about.

* Taking a look at the efficacy of the nation's vocational programs.

* It's not a real campaign ad, but it's still the funniest campaign ad of the year.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* How worried is Texas Gov. Rick Perry's (R) team about former Houston Mayor Bill White (D)? Nervous enough that Perry's former chief of staff paid quite a bit of money to try to get the Green Party of Texas on the ballot.

* In related news, former President Bill Clinton is giving White a hand, and endorsed the Democratic gubernatorial nominee yesterday. Clinton framed the campaign as a choice "between a proven, mainstream public servant, Bill White, and one of the most strident, divisive political figures in the nation."

* It's Rasmussen, so take the results with a grain of salt, but Democrats were thrilled yesterday when Rasmussen showed Sen. Richard Burr (R) with only a one-point lead -- 44% to 43% -- over Elaine Marshall (D) in North Carolina's Senate race.

* When voters consider various candidates this year, most will view an endorsement from former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) as a clear negative. A plurality of Americans are "very uncomfortable" with candidates "endorsed by Sarah Palin."

* In the wake of revelations about his work in a sleazy infomercial, former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) apologized yesterday, calling it "a mistake." Hayworth is being hammered by John McCain's campaign, as the two face off in a Republican primary.

* In related news, a Magellan Strategies poll shows McCain leading Hayworth in the GOP primary, 52% to 29%.

* In Vermont, Rasmussen shows Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie (R) leading all five Democratic gubernatorial candidates, in margins ranging from 7 to 26 points.

* And at this point, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) probably won't endorse anyone in his state's open U.S. Senate race.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The news out of the Gulf always seems to be bad: "With a storm threatening to disrupt oil-siphoning efforts at BP Plc's blown-out Gulf of Mexico well, the U.S. Coast Guard on Friday said collection efforts would be suspended five days before the forecast onset of gale-force winds."

* The relief wells still seem to be on track for mid-August, but mid-August isn't exactly soon under the circumstances.

* Only 15 months after the White House first tried to fill the post, the Senate confirmed John Pistole as head of the Transportation Security Administration.

* Good summary of the final Wall Street reform package.

* Good summary of the DISCLOSE Act passed yesterday by the House.

* Someone seems to have trouble following the law: "An investigator has determined former Gov. Sarah Palin's legal defense fund broke state ethics law and said Palin has agreed to settle the matter by having the trust return more than $386,000 to donors."

* Jeffrey Goldberg took a cheap shot at Dave Weigel today; Adam Serwer responds.

* It's a shame the cuts to Army deployment times will take so long to implement.

* What's worse: the notion that Glenn Beck is touting Ezra Taft Benson without knowing who he is, or Glenn Beck touting Ezra Taft Benson and Beck does know who he is?

* What's happening to public colleges?

* Quote of the Day, from "Fox & Friends" co-host Brian Kilmeade: "It took the president a matter of hours to pick a commander in Afghanistan, so why is it taking months to plug the leaking oil?"

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Florida, disgraced former health care executive Rick Scott's (R) gubernatorial campaign is running into something of a "paradox." He wants to tout "his stature and experience as the get-things-done CEO of what was once the nation's largest for-profit healthcare company, while also trying to distance himself from Columbia/HCA's notorious legacy of fraud."

* While there are competing results out of North Carolina's Senate race, SurveyUSA shows incumbent Sen. Richard Burr (R) leading Secretary of State Elaine Marshall (D) by 10 points, 50% to 40%.

* In Massachusetts, the latest Boston Globe poll shows Gov. Deval Patrick (D) leading in a three-way race with 38% support. Charles Baker (R) is second with 31%, followed by Timothy Cahill (I) trailing with 9%.

* It's Rasmussen, so take the results with a grain of salt, but the pollster shows Sen. Patty Murray (D) tied with former state Sen. Dino Rossi (R) in the state of Washington, with both candidates at 47%.

* In South Carolina, Rasmussen shows Nikki Haley (R) leading Vincent Sheheen (D) in this year's gubernatorial race, 52% to 40%.

* Speaking of South Carolina, apparent Senate candidate Alvin Greene (D) is facing an ongoing criminal investigation. It's not clear if he can afford an attorney.

* I don't imagine he's happy about it, but Sen. John McCain has agreed to debate former Rep. J.D. Hayworth twice in advance of Arizona's Republican Senate primary.

* Rep. Larry Kissell's (D-N.C.) re-election prospects improved late last week when former Democratic congressional staffer Wendell Fant announced he will not run as an independent in the district.

* And in 2012 news, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, now a Fox News personality, apparently considers himself the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* This could get even uglier: "Federal officials are increasingly concerned that high waves from Tropical Storm Alex may interfere with the oil cleanup effort in the Gulf of Mexico, National Incident Commander Thad Allen told reporters in a Monday afternoon briefing."

* Major 2nd Amendment ruling: "The Second Amendment's guarantee of an individual right to bear arms applies to state and local gun control laws, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday in a 5-to-4 decision." More on this from Scott Lemieux, and at his brand-new, stand-alone blog, Adam Serwer.

* Sarbanes-Oxley also fared well at the high court: "The first group established by Congress to regulate the accounting industry survived a constitutional challenge on Monday, emerging only with its members' having a little less job security.... In its ruling, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected a challenge to the constitutionality of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which established the board and sought to reform corporate America after the Enron and WorldCom accounting scandals." It may seem unrelated, but this matters to legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act.

* Not inspiring confidence: "Top officials in President Hamid Karzai's government have repeatedly derailed corruption investigations of politically connected Afghans, according to U.S. officials who have provided Afghanistan's authorities with wiretapping technology and other assistance in efforts to crack down on endemic graft."

* And in related news: "The chairman of a key House subcommittee said Monday that she would strip $3.9 billion in aid for Afghanistan from next year's spending bill over concerns about rampant graft in the country and alleged efforts by President Hamid Karzai's government to derail corruption probes."

* Shades of the Cold War: Russian spies arrested in the U.S.

* I'm genuinely delighted to see so many Senate Democrats dismiss the "umpire analogy" as it relates to the Supreme Court.

* Not encouraging at all: "Leaders of the world's biggest economies agreed Sunday on a timetable for cutting deficits and halting the growth of their debt, but also acknowledged the need to move carefully so that reductions in spending did not set back the fragile global recovery."

* Slightly improved: "Consumer spending in the U.S. rose in May more than forecast, a sign households are gaining confidence in the recovery and the job market." Personal incomes were up a little, too.

* Former Vice President Dick Cheney was hospitalized over the weekend for medical reasons, and was released earlier today.

* The White House hasn't given up on immigration reform.

* Sen. Daniel Inouye (D) of Hawaii becomes the new president pro tempore of the Senate.

* The Monthly's Daniel Luzer interviews James Kvaal, the next deputy undersecretary of education.

* For all the bizarre theories about the now-defunct Journolist, I can personally attest to the fact that the truth is far more mundane.

* In light of the Dave Weigel mess last week, some Washington Post insiders trashed in-house bloggers to Jeffrey Goldberg. Don't miss Greg's Sargent's beautiful response.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Citing a long-gone filing deadline, officials in West Virginia announced yesterday that the special election to the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D) will be in 2012, not in November as Republicans had hoped. Gov. Joe Manchin (D) will have to select someone to fill the seat for two years -- former state party chairman Nick Casey appears to be a leading candidate -- while deciding whether to launch his own campaign in two years.

* In Ohio, a new Quinnipiac poll shows incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland (D) leading John Kasich (R) by five, 43% to 38%.

* Kentucky Senate hopeful Rand Paul spoke to Christian Homeschool Educators and was asked how old he believes the earth is. He declined to answer.

* In Wisconsin, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows incumbent Sen. Russ Feingold (D) leading right-wing businessman Ron Johnson (R) by just two, 45% to 43%.

* It's Rasmussen, so take the results with a grain of salt, but the pollster shows Sen. David Vitter (R) with a big lead over Rep. Charlie Melancon (D) in this year's race, despite Vitter's humiliating scandals, 53% to 35%.

* In Kansas, SurveyUSA found Rep. Jerry Moran up by 20 over Rep. Todd Tiahrt in the Republican Senate primary, 53% to 33%.

* Hoping for another "macaca" moment, the Democratic National Committee has launched its new "Accountability Project," a website devoted to "citizens uploading content from political events including audio and video -- a central resource to hold Republicans accountable."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* If the seas get too rough, the containment cap would have to be removed altogether: "Tropical Storm Alex is churning through the Gulf of Mexico as it threatens to become the first storm of this region's notorious hurricane season, forcing officials to delay efforts to double the amount of oil that can be siphoned from BP's damaged well."

* Day 2 of the Elena Kagan confirmation hearings.

* Consumer confidence took a sharp and painful turn for the worse in June.

* Maybe now would be a good time to focus more on economic recovery than deficit reduction: "No matter where they look, investors are seeing economic trouble. Stocks and interest rates tumbled Tuesday after signs of slowing economies from China to the U.S. spooked traders who were already uneasy about a global recovery."

* Gen. David Petraeus has another chat with the Senate Armed Services Committee, this time as part of his confirmation hearings for comamnd in Afghanistan. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, meanwhile, is retiring from the Armed Forces.

* They needed a two-thirds majority, and didn't get it: "The House of Representatives failed Tuesday to pass a bill that would extend long-term unemployment benefits through the end of November."

* Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman's (D) controversial conviction will get a second look, thanks to a Supreme Court order.

* There's a huge dispute underway between Daily Kos and Research 2000, with the blogging powerhouse accusing the pollster of fraud. Kos expects a lawsuit to be filed "within the next day or two."

* President Obama will speak at the American University School of International Service in Washington on Thursday to emphasize the need for comprehensive immigration reform.

* Short of eliminating all filibusters, abolishing filibusters of conference reports seems like a no-brainer.

* Expanding the spectrum would bring some hope to frustrated cell phone users.

* Is the religious right still upset with Gov. Mitch Daniels (R-Ind.) over his proposed "truce" in the culture war? Um, yeah.

* Do state colleges and state prisons really compete for money? Well, sort of.

* And for all the recent hullabaloo about Journolist, it turns out there's "a private RNC-related listserv" -- and it has its leaks, too.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Former President Bill Clinton shook up Colorado's Democratic Senate primary a little yesterday, breaking with party leaders and endorsing Andrew Romanoff's challenge to Sen. Michael Bennet. Some perceive this as a major fissure, but I think too much is being made of this -- Romanoff is a long-time Clinton backer who championed Hillary Clinton's campaign in Colorado, while Bennet backed Obama. Yesterday's endorsement -- which came in the form of an email -- appears to be evidence of gratitude, not a Clinton/Obama split.

* In Ohio's very competitive Senate race, a new Quinnipiac poll in shows Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D) with a narrow lead over former Bush budget director Rob Portman (R), 42% to 40%.

* Speaking of Ohio, while Quinnipiac shows incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland (D) leading former Rep. John Kasich (R), a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Kasich up by five, 42% to 37%.

* In California, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll offers some relatively good news for Democrats. It finds Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) leading Carly Fiorina (R) by four, 45% to 41%, and state A.G. Jerry Brown (D) leading Meg Whitman (R) by six, 45% to 39%.

* Freshman Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.), one of this year's key GOP targets, released his first re-election ad, and he's apparently "the first candidate of the season to smear his face with dust and dump coffee on his shirt for a campaign ad." If you watch it, this makes more sense.

* In Arizona, right-wing state Sen. Pamela Gorman (R) has launched an ad in her congressional campaign, apparently trying to argue that her ability to use multiple firearms is evidence of her qualifications.

* And in South Carolina, Senate "candidate" Alvin Greene (D) finally has a website, but it's not very good.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Could the timing be any worse? "The first major storm of the season in the Gulf of Mexico continued to disrupt oil spill cleanup and containment work on Wednesday, officials said."

* In related news, Alex is now a hurricane, and evacuations are underway in parts of Mexico and Texas.

* Taliban insurgents attacked a NATO air base in Afghanistan yesterday, in an attempt to breach the gate. They failed, and eight insurgents were killed. Two NATO soldiers received minor injuries.

* It seems extremely likely that Elena Kagan will be confirmed fairly easily to the Supreme Court. There are however, a few far-right senators trying in vain to cause a fuss.

* Speaking of confirmation, Gen. David Petraeus was approved today to serve as the new commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. The Senate vote was 99 to 0.

* I hope folks will take a few minutes to read this terrific David Leonhardt piece on the economy. It doesn't break new ground, exactly, but it's a fantastic summary of the huge risk policymakers are taking around the globe, gambling that the fragile economic recovery can withstand austerity measures.

* The Senate leadership conceded today that the vote on Wall Street reform will have to wait until after the July 4th recess.

* Shouldn't this have been done a long time ago? "The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday tightened restrictions against 'pay-to-play' practices in the municipal securities market."

* The majority has gone to ridiculous lengths to make Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) happy with this bill, but he still won't publicly commit to voting for it.

* Oh, AIG: "Reversing its oft-repeated position that it was acting only on behalf of its clients in its exotic dealings with the American International Group, Goldman Sachs now says that it also used its own money to make secret wagers against the U.S. housing market."

* No one should count on Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) to help pass an ambitious energy/climate bill.

* If the Kagan hearings accomplish nothing else, I'm glad to see the "umpire" metaphor generate serious pushback.

* CNN's Larry King is giving up his prime-time show after an extraordinary career.

* If "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is repealed, the right will rediscover its love of judicial activism.

* Conservatives' confusion over what Journolist was continues to amaze me.

* The nation should spend more on higher education because that investment will result in economic growth. But what if the truth is a little more complicated?

* Andrew Sullivan describes the contemporary right: "[N]o solutions, just anger, paranoia, insecurity and partisan hatred."

* Maybe the political world can get past blaming Bush for his spectacular failures a) after we're no longer dealing with the consequences of Bush's reign of error; and b) after Republicans stop blaming everything on Clinton.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Karl Rove's American Crossroads, an outfit created to destroy Democratic candidates this year, pulled in nearly $8.5 million in June.

* Speaking of Republican fundraising, the Republican Governors Association collected $18.9 million in the second quarter -- easily the best quarter in RGA history.

* Illinois Senate hopeful Alexi Giannoulias' (D) campaign unveiled a pretty devastating, minute-long video yesterday, highlighting opponent Mark Kirk's (R) record of falsehoods about his military service.

* In a setback for Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) in Florida's Senate race, the Florida Pipe Trades, an influential union, endorsed Gov. Charlie Crist's (I) campaign yesterday.

* It's Rasmussen, so take the results with a grain of salt, but the pollster shows right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul (R) leading state Attorney General Jack Conway (D) in Kentucky' Senate race, 49% to 42%.

* In Ohio, yet another poll shows Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D) with a narrow lead over former Bush budget director Rob Portman (R). This time, it's Public Policy Polling, which has Fisher up by two , 40% to 38%.

* Rep. Charlie Melancon's (D) Senate campaign in Louisiana is going after Sen. David Vitter (R) pretty aggressively in light of revelations that Vitter kept a violent criminal on his public payroll, even putting the aide in charge of women's issues, despite his role in assaulting his girlfriend.

* In Florida, disgraced former health care executive Rick Scott, a leading GOP gubernatorial candidate, went after his primary rival, state Attorney General Bill McCollum, for having endorsed Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign. Giuliani, Scott said, was a "pro-homosexual rights candidate."

* In Wisconsin, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker (R) leading this year's gubernatorial race by seven over Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D), 45% to 38%.

* And the Democratic National Committee said yesterday that the four finalists to host the 2012 national convention are Charlotte, Cleveland, Minneapolis, and St. Louis.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Last night, the House approved the final version of Wall Street reform, with a 237 to 192 vote. Three House Republicans broke party ranks to support the landmark legislation.

* Analysts expected unemployment claims to drop over the last week. They went up: "Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 472,000 in the week ended June 26, the Labor Department said."

* President Obama makes his pitch for immigration reform.

* Not that it'll do much good, but the House today approved extended unemployment benefits for the next five months. The vote was 270 to 153. In the face of a Republican Senate filibuster, it doesn't matter.

* In related news, there are 17 senators -- all Republicans -- who have voted repeatedly against extended benefits, despite double-digit jobless rates in their home states.

* Hurricane Alex, which has begun to dissipate, slams into northern Mexico, killing two.

* Pakistan: "At least two suicide bombers attacked a popular Muslim shrine in the Pakistani city of Lahore late Thursday night, killing 35 people and wounding 175 others, the city's top official said."

* The reasons for worry are mounting: "A slowdown in the housing and construction markets contributed to a sluggish outlook for the economy Thursday, highlighting the significance of government stimulus and job creation."

* Michael Cohen endorses a thesis I've been emphasizing: it's very likely the "real reason" Senate Republicans "are opposing a meager amount of deficit spending to help the unemployed" is that "they really don't want to see the economy improve."

* The late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) was lying in state for most of the day on the Senate floor

* The Obama administration launches Healthcare.gov, which is actually pretty useful, and is off to a productive start.

* Getting a better sense of the important litigation between Daily Kos and Research 2000.

* Local law enforcement in Oregon takes a renewed look at the sexual assault allegations against Al Gore.

* Fox News to give Mike Huckabee a tryout as a daily talk-show host.

* Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) gives Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) a much-needed history lesson.

* The 11 alleged Russian spies arrested this week were apparently surprisingly bad at espionage.

* Which colleges (appear to) offer the best return on your investment?

* The White House announces plans to deal with space junk. Good.

* A poll of 238 presidential scholars puts George W. Bush among the five worst presidents in U.S. history. That seems more than fair.

* There's actually a rather poignant point underlying the Tea Party Jesus site.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Despite the humiliating scandal surrounding borderline-pathological lies about his background, Mark Kirk's Republican Senate campaign in Illinois is raking in huge money -- $2.3 million in the second quarter.

* Is Nevada Senate candidate Sharron Angle a "Birther"? The Republican extremist would apparently prefer not to talk about her views on the subject.

* In Florida's increasingly-heated Republican gubernatorial primary, state Attorney General Bill McCollum and disgraced former health care executive Rick Scott are fighting over who hates gay people more.

* It's Rasmussen, so take the results with a grain of salt, but the pollster shows former Bush budget director Rob Portman (R) leading Ohio's Senate race, up by four over Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D), 43% to 39%.

* Right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul, the Republican Senate hopeful in Kentucky, told supporters this week that the country is approaching "a day of reckoning." I'm not sure what he means by that, but given Paul's radicalism, it's not encouraging.

* Speaking of extremists seeking statewide office, Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer (R) hates government spending, but he'll accept public financing for his campaign.

* New York Gov. David Paterson (D), after a rough partial-term in office, has said he'll never run for public office again.

* And Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) isn't up for re-election until 2012, but he said yesterday he intends to seek another term. No word yet on a possible primary challenge.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Not an easy call: "BP and Obama administration officials are nearing a major decision as they look ahead toward what they hope will be the gulf oil spill endgame: whether to change the cap that is currently capturing a significant amount of oil." (Click the link to see the pros and cons)

* Afghanistan: "Six militants armed with suicide bombs stormed the compound of an American contractor working for the United States Agency for International Development in the northern city of Kunduz on Friday, killing at least four people in an assault that left all the attackers dead, according to Afghan officials."

* Several Republican senators announced their opposition to Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan today, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), though none expressed a willingness to filibuster.

* The fate of Wall Street reform became more promising late yesterday when Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), who opposed the measure in May, announced her support for the bill.

* Seems like a great, overdue idea: "President Obama on Friday will announce 66 new broadband grants and loans totaling $795 million, part of the administration's continued rollout of Recovery Act grants meant to expand high-speed Internet connections across the country."

* House Speaker Nancy Pelosi believes it's time for the Senate to return to majority-rule, calling the filibuster "the 60-vote stranglehold on the future." She's absolutely right.

* Climate scientist Michael E. Mann has been exonerated, more than once, in the trumped up "Climategate" nonsense cooked up by global warming deniers.

* GOP Senate hopeful Rand Paul no longer backs an "underground electric immigration fence," which no one could explain or understand anyway. Paul's campaign called it an error from an aide writing for the website.

* The House ethics committee dismissed allegations against Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Calif.) yesterday, following a seven-month review.

* Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) should probably try to remember he opposed the Lily Ledbetter Act.

* Effective yesterday, the terms for student loans just got a little better. It's the result of the major overhaul approved by Democrats in March.

* The only people stranger than Glenn Beck? Glenn Beck's guests.

* And this July 4, take a moment to realize that about a fourth of the population (26%) does not realize who we declared our independence from in 1776. Among the wrong countries mentioned by poll respondents were France, China, Japan, Mexico, and Spain.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Does the "super skimmer" work in the Gulf? We really don't know yet: "Tests on a supertanker adapted to skim large quantities of oily water from the surface of the Gulf of Mexico are inconclusive because of high seas, ship owner TMT Shipping Offshore said on Monday."

* Vice President Biden visits Iraq, tries to kick-start diplomatic talks between Iraqi parties: "Vice President Biden left Iraq on Monday evening after a three-day trip in which he urged Iraqi officials to speed up the formation of the nation's new government, Iraqi officials said."

* Gen. David Petraeus formally took command in Afghanistan over the weekend. Delivering remarks at a ceremony in front of NATO headquarters in Kabul, Petraeus insisted "we are in this to win."

* Until he changes his mind again, Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) seems inclined to let the Senate vote on Wall Street reform.

* Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, about 1 million Americans will get health insurance next year who would otherwise have to go without.

* When a "ban" on earmarks isn't really a "ban."

* The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on Elena Kagan's Supreme Court nomination a week from tomorrow.

* The overlap between the Tea Party "movement" and the Republicans' far-right base is overwhelming. What a suprise.

* Dave Carr has a very compelling piece on the recent Dave Weigel affair.

* And here's a good Chart of the Day: "Reminder, The Deficit You're Freaking Out About Is Bush's Fault." Just because the right doesn't want to hear it doesn't mean it's wrong.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* As Democratic policymakers work on bringing accountability and safeguards to Wall Street, bankers, hedge fund executives, and financial services chief executives drop their campaign contributions to Democrats.

* Vice President Biden knows Dems are expected to have a rough cycle, but he nevertheless believes his party will "do a great deal better than anyone gives us credit for. I do not see this grand debacle."

* In Missouri, Rep. Roy Blunt's (R) Senate campaign is running its first television ad of the general election, it neglects to mention his party affiliation and the fact that he's served in Congress for the last 14 years.

* In North Carolina, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows a pretty competitive Senate race, with incumbent Sen. Richard Burr (R) leading Secretary of State Elaine Marshall (D) by five, 38% to 33%. Libertarian Michael Beitler is a credible third-party candidate, with 10% support in the poll.

* West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) has said he has no intention of appointing himself to fill the vacancy left by the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), but he's under increasing pressure to reconsider.

* In Colorado, Senate hopeful Jane Norton (R) doesn't want voters to consider her a lobbyist just because she did lobbying work in the 1990s.

* The DNC unveiled another TV ad over the weekend, connecting Rep. Joe Barton's (R-Texas) apology to BP to House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) comparing the financial crisis to "an ant."

* In Maryland, former Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R), hoping to get his old job back, is running into some campaign trouble because of a scandal surrounding his running mate.

* And in Ohio, convicted felon Jim Traficant's congressional comeback effort appears to be over, at least for now. Hoping to secure a spot on the ballot in Ohio's 17th, Traficant reportedly failed to submit the necessary number of valid signatures on his nominating petitions.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Obama administration, as promised, goes after Arizona: "The Justice Department filed suit Tuesday against Arizona, charging that the state's new immigration law is unconstitutional and requesting a preliminary injunction to stop the legislation from taking effect. " Among other things the filing "asserts that the Arizona law would harm people's civil rights, leading to police harassment of U.S. citizens and foreigners."

* With Netanyahu visiting the White House, this was good timing: "The Israeli military said Tuesday that it had indicted "a number of" officers and soldiers for their actions during Israel's three-week offensive in Gaza in the winter of 2008-9, including a staff sergeant accused of deliberately shooting at least one Palestinian civilian who was walking with a group of people waving a white flag."

* Pressing charges against Pfc. Bradley Manning: "An Army intelligence analyst has been charged in connection with the leak of a controversial video of a U.S. helicopter strike and the transfer of more than 50 classified State Department cables, the military said Tuesday."

* If you read far-right blogs or watch Fox News, you may have heard some hysteria about the New Black Panther Party case. Adam Serwer explains what the story is all about.

* Is climate change really worth tackling? Of course it is.

* Only Michael Steele's RNC would pay $12,000 to an unpaid adviser.

* Does technology actually play a role in helping students learn?

* Fact-checking the Sunday shows.

* Believe it or not, there really was a board game called "BP Offshore Oil Strike." The owner of a British toy museum, which houses a copy of the game, said, "The parallels between the game and the current crisis... are so spooky."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Big news out of West Virginia this morning, where Gov. Joe Manchin (D) will reportedly seek a special election this year to fill the vacancy left by the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.). Taegan Goddard added, "Manchin said he would 'highly consider' seeking the seat himself in a special election."

* In Kentucky, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows a Senate race that couldn't be any closer. Right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul (R) and state Attorney General Jack Conway (D) are tied in the poll at 43% each.

* Speaking of Rand Paul, the extremist candidate was on record opposing a physical fence along the U.S.-Mexico border. He's now reversed course, and supports the idea he rejected.

* In California, a new Field Poll shows state Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) leading former eBay CEO Meg Whitman by just one point in this year's gubernatorial campaign, 44% to 43%. Brown's unconventional campaign strategy seems to be costing him support among Latino voters and other key Democratic constituencies.

* In Indiana, Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D) launched his first television ad of the Senate campaign, emphasizing his record as a sheriff for 25 years. Subtly referencing the fact that his opponent, Dan Coats, is a corporate lobbyist, Ellsworth concluded the spot by saying "the special interests and lobbyists already have enough senators on their side."

* Massachusetts Treasurer Tim Cahill, running for governor as an independent, has seen his poll numbers drop badly in the face of intense GOP attacks, but Cahill insists he's staying in the race.

* Democrats hoping to defeat Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) in Minnesota this year will be pleased to hear that Tarryl Clark (D) has now raised a whopping $2 million for the House campaign.

* And in Florida, disgraced former health care executive Rick Scott is faring well as a Republican gubernatorial candidate, but he hasn't quite gotten around to reading up on Florida's state government.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* NATO airstrike in Afghanistan mistakenly kills five Afghan army allies.

* Iraq: "A suicide bomber blew himself up among a crowd of Shiite pilgrims at a police checkpoint in Baghdad on Wednesday night, killing at least 28 people and wounding 81 others despite intensive efforts by Iraqi security forces to foil such attacks."

* Not a big surprise: "A British panel on Wednesday exonerated the scientists caught up in the controversy known as Climategate of charges that they had manipulated their research to support preconceived ideas about global warming."

* Businesses are investing less because there's not enough consumer demand. I have no idea why conservatives find this so hard to understand.

* There were three recess appointments today, not just the high-profile one.

* Good move: "The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed new rules to limit sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide pollution from power plants. It hopes to implement the rules in 2012."

* The appeal: "The Obama administration has asked a federal court in Louisiana to reinstate the ban on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, saying the moratorium was a rational response to the unprecedented emergency of the BP oil spill."

* On a related note, President Obama will make visit the Gulf Coast again later this month. It'll be his fifth visit since the disaster.

* The White House isn't equivocating at all in its support for the lawsuit challenging Arizona's anti-immigrant law.

* After stalling for weeks, Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle (R) vetoed state legislation that would have permitted same-sex civil unions.

* In an interesting media move the Huffington Post has bought Pollster.com.

* Speaking of interesting media moves, CNN caved to right-wing activists and fired its Senior Editor of Mideast Affairs over a poorly-worded tweet.

* There are now two House Republicans calling for RNC Chairman Michael Steele's resignation.

* I honestly can't imagine being denied leukemia treatment over a one-cent underpayment.

* Joe Scarborough gets Markos blacklisted from MSNBC. When Liz Cheney gets similar treatment, I'll be impressed.

* Ayn Rand-ish arguments in support of for-profit colleges don't stand up well to scrutiny.

* The July/August 2010 issue of the Washington Monthly is online. Here's the table of contents.

* Former Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) slips, accidentally admits that Fox News helps push Republican messages.

* And if you haven't seen it, Terry Savage's bizarre column criticizing kids over free lemonade is one of the stranger pieces I've read in a very long while.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Top strategists throughout the Democratic Party have been circulating a chart recently, documenting 10 Republican-friendly groups and the amount they've collectively pledged to spend on this year's midterm elections: $200 million. Nearly every penny would go to support GOP candidates. (For context, the $200 million would be considerably more than the total spent by every independent group in the 2008 campaign combined.)

* President Obama will be on the campaign trail again today, hosting events in Nevada and Missouri.

* West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) reiterated yesterday that he would not appoint himself to serve temporarily in the vacancy left by the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D). But Manchin strongly hinted that when there's a special election -- which he hopes is in November -- he'll be on the ballot.

* In California, a new Field Poll shows incumbent Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) leading Carly Fiorina (R), best known as the failed/fired CEO of HP, by just three points, 47% to 44%.

* It's Rasmussen, so take the results with a grain of salt, but the pollster shows Marco Rubio (R) with a narrow lead over Gov. Charlie Crist (I) in Florida's Senate race, 36% to 34%. Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) is third with 15%.

* In North Carolina's Senate race, the polls are all over the map. Rasmussen now shows incumbent Sen. Richard Burr (R) leading Elaine Marshall (D) by 15 points, 52% to 37%, though the same pollster recently found Burr up by one point. PPP this week found Burr's lead at five points.

* And in Illinois, freshman Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-Ill.) is facing off against Adam Kinzinger (R), a captain in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. In a growing problem for Illinois Republicans, it now appears that Kinzinger exaggerated his military service record.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Huge, late-breaking court ruling: "A U.S. judge in Boston has ruled that a federal gay marriage ban is unconstitutional because it interferes with the right of a state to define marriage. U.S. District Judge Joseph Tauro on Thursday ruled in favor of gay couples' rights in two separate challenges to the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act."

* In the absolute best case scenario, BP believes the relief wells in the Gulf can be completed ahead of schedule. Given BP's track record and credibility, caveat emptor. True or not, a couple of key moments are coming up in the oil spill crisis, including one this weekend.

* The swap: "All 10 of the accused Russian spies held in the United States pleaded guilty Thursday at a hearing in Manhattan, a key step in a reported deal under negotiation with Russia for the largest swap of espionage detainees since the Cold War." The larger diplomatic implications are encouraging.

* It's still obviously too high, but I'll take encouraging economic news where I can find it: "New U.S. claims for unemployment insurance fell more than expected last week, government data showed on Thursday, while the number of people continuing to receive benefits in the final week of June was the lowest in seven months."

* In less-encouraging news: "Over all, same-stores sales for the nation's retailers rose 3.1 percent in June, slightly below expectations. Robert Samuels, senior retail analyst for Phoenix Equities, said in a note to clients that the results were 'lackluster at best.' Analysts characterized the outlook as shaky."

* Key arrests in Norway: "Three suspected al-Qaida members were arrested Thursday morning in what Norwegian and U.S. officials said was a terrorist plot linked to similar plans in New York and England."

* RNC Chairman Michael Steele today vowed not to resign, but he nevertheless continued to lose support from Republican lawmakers.

* If CNN is going to have J. Christian Adams on, it really should let the audience know all about his background.

* Fascinating discussion: Jonathan Cohn bemoans lack of grassroots pressure for climate change legislation; Josh Nelson offers a thoughtful response; Cohn responds to the response. Worth a read.

* Four-star Marine Gen. James Mattis will replace Gen. David Petraeus as head of the U.S. Central Command, overseeing combat in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

* Oh, good, Fox News and Republicans are talking about "death panels" again.

* On a related note, many high-profile conservatives aren't just wrong about health care policy, they're incoherent.

* Why aren't more low-income students graduating from college?

* Dick Morris is such a hack, even Fox & Friends hosts mock him.

* And in case you haven't heard, one of the more notable right-wing fits of the week has to do with Muslims and NASA. Apparently, conservatives are afraid of Muslims in space or something.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw (D) issued a ruling yesterday concluding that the state can hold a special election this year to fill the vacancy left by the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D). It makes a November election far more likely.

* Will West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) be the Democrats' Senate candidate? He conceded this morning that it's "highly likely" he'll run this year.

* And on a related note, if Manchin does run, he'll likely start as the frontrunner. A Rasmussen poll shows him leading his likely GOP rival, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R), by 14 points, 53% to 39%,

* Speaking of Rasmussen, which offers data that should be taken with a grain of salt, the pollster also released results yesterday from Illinois' closely-watched Senate race. While the last poll showed Rep. Mark Kirk (R) with a slight lead, the new poll found state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) with a one-point lead, 40% to 39%.

* The Colorado Republican Party held an event yesterday to announce the launch of a new headquarters for its 2010 "Victory program." RNC Chairman Michael Steele was on hand for the event, which prompted some key Republican candidates -- including gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis and Senate hopeful Jane Norton -- to stay away.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) campaign has a lot of Sharron Angle (R) quotes to choose from when making ads, but in the latest spot, Reid's team goes after Angle for saying she doesn't consider it her responsibility to help create jobs.

* And in Tennessee, the competitive GOP gubernatorial primary finally appears to have a frontrunner. A poll from the local NBC affiliate shows Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam (R) leading the pack with 32%, followed by Rep. Zach Wamp with 21%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) won't announce his Senate campaign until after an interim senator is named and after "a special session of the state legislature clarifies the law determining when an election for the seat to replace the late Sen. Robert C. Byrd can be held." As for when Manchin might name a placeholder, that's still unclear, too.

* In case you missed it over the weekend, retired Judge Chet Traylor will take on scandal-plagued Sen. David Vitter (R) in a Republican primary.

* On a related note, Rep. Charlie Melancon (D), Vitter's opponent, is launching robocalls going after the right-wing senator's Brent Furer problem. A woman's voice tells voters, "As you may have seen on the news, even after one of Vitter's staffers was convicted for attacking his girlfriend, stabbing her with a knife and threatening to kill her as he held her captive for an hour and a half, Vitter kept him on the payroll after he was convicted. AND gave him a raise. AND left him in charge of women's issues in the Senate office."

* Law-enforcement officials in South Carolina have ended their inquiry into how Senate candidate Alvin Greene (D) could afford the $10,440 filing fee for the Democratic primary.

* Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) was facing a primary challenge from state Treasurer Dean Martin, but Martin has ended his campaign and thrown his support to the incumbent. He cited the federal lawsuit against Arizona's anti-immigrant law as part of his rationale.

* In Connecticut, gubernatorial hopeful Tom Foley (R) boasts on his website that, during his tenure working with the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, it was "routine" for him to be "donning bulletproof vests, dodging rockets and mortars, and avoiding IEDs." Evidence suggests Foley's claims are wild exaggerations.

* In Alabama, Robert Bentley remains the frontrunner in the Republican gubernatorial runoff, but incumbent Gov. Bob Riley (R) has thrown his support to former college chancellor Bradley Byrne. The election is tomorrow.

* With no opponents, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) has decided to shut down his re-election campaign operation.

* And on a related note, Democrats also can't seem to find a candidate willing to take on Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman (R) this year. Mark Lakers (D) was running, but he dropped out last week, citing weak fundraising.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Getting closer, we hope, to containment: "Deep-sea robots swarmed around BP's ruptured oil well Monday in a delicately choreographed effort to attach a tighter-fitting cap that could finally stop crude from gushing into the Gulf of Mexico nearly three months into the crisis."

* Afghanistan: "Six U.S. service members died in separate attacks in Afghanistan on Saturday, another round of killings in what is shaping up to be the most violent summer of the nearly nine-year war."

* Uganda: "Simultaneous explosions tore through crowds watching the World Cup final at a rugby club and a restaurant in Uganda's capital, killing at least 64 people including one American, officials said. Police feared an al-Qaida-linked Somali militant group was behind the attacks." A Somali militant group linked to al Qaeda later claimed responsibility.

* The first one failed in the courts, so the administration is trying another one: "The U.S. Interior Department said Monday it is issuing a new moratorium order in a second effort to block deepwater oil and natural gas projects."

* A pretty devastating account: "In BP's Record, a History of Boldness and Costly Blunders."

* Gen. David Petraeus wants to enlist Afghan villagers in the fight against the Taliban. President Hamid Karzai isn't exactly on board with the plan.

* Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) intends to move forward with a committee vote on New START before the August recess. Jacob Heilbrunn argues that it deserves to be ratified.

* "One Nation" poised to proceed: "In an effort to replicate the tea party's success, 170 liberal and civil rights groups are forming a coalition that they hope will match the movement's political energy and influence. They promise to 'counter the tea party narrative' and help the progressive movement find its voice again after 18 months of foundering."

* For those who value ethnic, racial, and gender diversity in the federal judiciary, President Obama's record is second to none.

* The NAACP may vote as early as tomorrow on a resolution condemning racism within the Tea Party "movement."

* Considering the effects of funding shortfalls at the nation's public universities.

* For all the complaints, the U.S. Postal Service is run pretty darn well.

* Good piece on sea otters, global warming, and carbon trading.

* 100 years later, Mark Twain's autobiography, as dictated to a stenographer: "[I]n his unexpurgated autobiography, whose first volume is about to be published a century after his death, a very different Twain emerges, more pointedly political and willing to play the role of the angry prophet."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The new schedule out of West Virginia says that Gov. Joe Manchin (D) will fill the late Sen. Robert Byrd's (D) vacancy by Sunday. If he or she is sworn in on Monday, the Senate Democratic caucus will be back to 59 votes for the rest of this Congress.

* Former Rep. Scott McInnis (R), the leading Republican gubernatorial candidate in Colorado this year, now has a plagiarism controversy to overcome.

* Retired judge Chet Traylor (R) conceded yesterday that he's taking on Sen. David Vitter (R) in Louisiana's Republican Senate primary in part because of the senator's Brent Furer scandal. "That was a concern for a lot of people," Traylor said, referring to Republicans who encouraged him to run. "And certainly to women. I don't believe you put someone in charge of women's affairs who's had the kind of problems he's got."

* Alabama will hold primary runoffs today. The two races to keep an eye on are the Republicans' gubernatorial race and GOP's runoff in the 2nd congressional district.

* In Pennsylvania, a new Quinnipiac poll shows state Attorney General Tom Corbett (R) leading Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato (D), 44% to 37%.

* In Maryland, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows a very close gubernatorial rematch, with incumbent Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) leading former Gov. Robert Ehrlich (R) by just two, 45% to 42%.

* It seems hard to believe given Carly Fiorina's (R) history of humiliating failures, but a new SurveyUSA poll shows the fired HP CEO leading incumbent Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) in California's U.S. Senate race, 47% to 45%

* And speaking of California, the same SUSA poll shows Meg Whitman (R) leading Jerry Brown (D) by seven in the gubernatorial race, 46% to 39%.

* In Pennsylvania, Senate hopeful Joe Sestak (D) is now facing an attack from neocons for being insufficiently supportive of Israel. The attack is sponsored by a far-right group led in part by Bill Kristol.

* And in a move that will likely lead to several dozen additional Sunday show appearances, disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) insists he's "never been this serious" about running for president.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* A critical moment is just a few hours away: "BP plans to gradually close the outlets in the newly recapped gulf oil well, performing an 'integrity test' that could temporarily halt the flow of the oil for the first time in 85 days, and possibly allow engineers to "shut in" the well permanently."

* The number of 99ers -- Americans unemployed for 99 weeks -- stands at 1.4 million. The number has "grown sixfold in the past three years."

* Earth's hottest January-to-June on record. If only 60 senators cared.

* On a related note, expect a Senate debate on a still-unseen energy/climate bill in two weeks.

* If confirmed, Deputy Secretary of State Jacob Lew will replace Peter Orszag as the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget. Lew's qualifications aren't in doubt -- he held the exact same job in the Clinton administration.

* Federal officials have long considered Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's (R) sand berm proposal to be pretty dumb. They were right, and as is often the case, Jindal was wrong.

* Some welcome economic news: better-than-expected profits from Alcoa, CSX, and Intel.

* Post-Katrina shootings: "Six current and former police officers were charged in connection with shootings on the Danziger Bridge in the days after Hurricane Katrina that left two dead and four wounded, federal law enforcement officials announced here on Tuesday."

* Indefinite detention and the case of Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani: "A federal judge has rejected a claim by a terrorist defendant in Manhattan that his nearly five years of detention by the American government before being transferred into the civilian court system violated his Constitutional right to a speedy trial."

* Senate Republicans have found the one thing they're good at: forcing needless delays. "Elena Kagan will have to wait one more week to find out if the Senate Judiciary Committee will recommend her to the full Senate for confirmation to the Supreme Court."

* Speaking of the Senate GOP, the votes are there to end the chamber's practice of secret holds, but Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) won't allow the measure to reach the floor.

* The closer one looks at Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl's (R-Ariz.) economic ideas, the more incoherent they appear.

* Inexcusable: "Deadly yet easily preventable bloodstream infections continue to plague American hospitals because facility administrators fail to commit resources and attention to the problem, according to a survey of medical professionals released Monday."

* Rep. Sue Myrick (R-N.C.) comes up with some very odd conspiracy theories.

* Questioning the conventional wisdom that says the United States does not send enough of its young people to college.

* Regular Fox News contributor Kirsten Powers talked to host/activist/propagandist Megyn Kelly about the absurd "controversy" surrounding the New Black Panther Party. Powers is conservative, but dismisses this as nonsense. This led Kelly to freak out a bit, and threaten to cut Powers' microphone. Let this be a lesson for on-air contributors: Fox News exists for the dissemination of the agreed upon message/narrative -- and nothing else.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Nevada, Rasmussen found three weeks ago that former state Rep. Sharron Angle (R) led Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) by seven, 48% to 41%. The pollster now finds Angle up by three, 46% to 43%.

* A new Reuters/Ipsos poll in Florida shows Gov. Charlie Crist (I) leading this year's Senate race with 35% support, followed by Marco Rubio (R) at 28%, and Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) with 17%.

* Speaking of Florida, the same poll shows state CFO Alex Sink (D) narrowly leading state AG Bill McCollum (R) in this year's gubernatorial race, 31% to 30%. But when Sink faces off against disgraced former health care executive Rick Scott (R), the right-wing candidate leads by three, 34% to 31%.

* In Pennsylvania, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Rep. Joe Sestak (D) and former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) tied in this year's Senate race, with each garnering 43% support. In April, the same pollster showed Toomey ahead by eight.

* While one recent poll showed fired HP CEO Carly Fiorina (R) ahead of Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) in the Senate race in California, a new Rasmussen poll shows the incumbent up by seven, 49% to 42%.

* Alabama held its GOP gubernatorial runoff yesterday, and as expected, State Rep. Robert Bentley (R) won the party's nod, despite establishment support for former college chancellor Bradley Byrne.

* Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) had plenty of credible primary challengers this year, but they're quickly dropping out. The latest is NRA board member Buz Mills, who ended his campaign yesterday.

* Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is shedding key staffers without explanation. This week, the chief of staff in her House office and the finance director for her re-election campaign resigned unexpectedly. The deranged lawmaker is nevertheless leading in a recent poll.

* And in more Florida news, Democratic Senate candidate Jeff Greene (D) lost his campaign manager yesterday, when Josh Morrow quit after just two months on the job.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* On hold in the Gulf: "The government ordered BP to postpone a critical test on the runaway well in the Gulf of Mexico until scientists could determine whether the test on the new containment cap would not put damaging pressure on the well that could ultimately jeopardize the plugging of the leak. As of late Wednesday afternoon, BP officials and government scientists, including Energy Secretary Stephen Chu were meeting to discuss the test procedures, and how best to minimize any risks."

* By another account, government officials are "conferring Wednesday with BP executives and engineers about whether, and how, to proceed with the all-important 'integrity test' that could temporarily shut down the well and could potentially throttle the flow permanently."

* A devastating day in Afghanistan: "Eight American troops were killed in a series of attacks in southern Afghanistan, officials said Wednesday as Taliban militants pushed back against an effort to secure the volatile region."

* Stimulus facts are stubborn things: "White House economists praised the government's $787 billion stimulus program as a success on Wednesday, saying it had saved or created 2.5 million to 3.6 million jobs since it was signed a year ago.... The White House also estimated that gross domestic product, a measure of overall economic output, was 2.7 to 3.2 percent higher than it would have been without the stimulus. The new estimate is in line with projections by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office."

* On a related note, Larry Summers is making the economic case for extended unemployment benefits.

* Right off the bat, 41 million Americans will benefit from this: "From counseling for kids who struggle with their weight, to cancer screenings for their parents, preventive health care will soon be available at no out-of-pocket cost under consumer rules the Obama administration unveiled Wednesday. That means no copays, deductibles or coinsurance for people whose health insurance plans are covered by the new requirements."

* Indeed, the list of changes that benefit consumers from the Affordable Care Act is surprisingly long.

* The White House unveiled the "first formal national HIV/AIDS strategy, a plan that aims to reduce the number of new cases by 25 percent in the next five years, officials said."

* Encouraging ruling: "A federal judge on Wednesday blocked a new Nebraska law requiring mental health screenings for women seeking abortions because the measure could have made it impossible to get an abortion in the state."

* Dems hoped to convince Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) to break from the GOP on a bipartisan campaign finance reform bill. That's not going to happen.

* Matt Miller wonders why "America's business ingrates" are so irrationally hostile to the Obama administration.

* Telling the truth about cheating in higher ed.

* And in Mason City, Iowa, the North Iowa Tea Party purchased a billboard this week equating President Obama with Hitler and Lenin, declaring, "Radical Leaders Prey on the Fearful & Naive." The head of the right-wing group, responding to outraged responses, told the AP, "The purpose of the billboard was to draw attention to the socialism. It seems to have been lost in the visuals." The display is now being taken down, but it's a nevertheless a reminder of the seriousness of thought Tea Partiers bring to the table.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Sen. David Vitter (R) may be plagued by multiple scandals, but as the incumbent, it's largely assumed he'll enjoy the support of the party establishment, both in D.C. and Louisiana. But as of this week, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) has declined to endorse Vitter in his primary campaign.

* Democrats in Rhode Island hope to win back the governor's mansion this year, and those odds probably improved a bit yesterday when the party managed to avoid a primary. State Attorney General Patrick Lynch signaled his intention to end his campaign, clearing the way for state Treasurer Frank Caprio.

* The sketchy infomercial probably didn't help J.D. Hayworth's Republican Senate bid in Arizona. A new Rocky Mountain poll shows incumbent Sen. John McCain (R) crushing his primary challenger, 64% to 19%.

* It's a Democratic poll, not an independent one, but the latest numbers out of Nevada show Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) leading Sharron Angle (R), 44% to 40%.

* On a related note, Angle is no longer threatening to sue Reid for re-publishing her old website online. In all seriousness, the Reid campaign has to be disappointed, because the lawsuit would have been campaign gold.

* In Connecticut, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Ned Lamont leading Dan Malloy in a Democratic gubernatorial primary, 46% to 37%. Either Dem leads Tom Foley (R) by double digits in the general election.

* Speaking of Connecticut, is former Rep. Rob Simmons (R), who suspended his Senate campaign six weeks ago, seriously thinking about getting back into the race? It sure sounds like it.

* In North Carolina, the latest SurveyUSA poll shows incumbent Sen. Richard Burr (R) leading Elaine Marshall (D), 46% to 36%.

* And in Georgia's Republican gubernatorial primary, former Rep. Nathan Deal is slamming former secretary of state Karen Handel for not hating gay people.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* As if this wasn't a big enough news day already, Goldman settles: "Goldman Sachs has agreed to pay $550 million to the Securities and Exchange Commission, the largest penalty ever paid by a Wall Street firm, to settle charges of securities fraud linked to mortgage investments. Under the terms of the deal, Goldman will pay $300 million in fines to the Treasury Department, with the rest serving as restitution to investors in the mortgage-linked security. Goldman will not admit wrongdoing, though it will admit that its marketing materials for the investment 'contained incomplete information.'"

* Still high, but much better: "Today, the Labor Department announced that weekly initial jobless claims had fallen to a nearly two-year low -- declining 29,000 to 429,000." The best far exceeded expectations.

* I guess Petraeus proved to be persuasive: "In a welcome step forward for the Obama administration's beleaguered war strategy, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has approved a U.S.-backed plan to create local defense forces across the country in an attempt to build grass-roots opposition to the Taliban, U.S. and Afghan officials said Wednesday."

* On a related note, Fred Kaplan argues that Petraeus really has begun making improvements, "but they won't matter if Karzai doesn't reform."

* House Ethics committee takes a closer look at eight House members "who solicited and took large contributions from financial institutions even as they were debating the landmark regulatory bill, according to lawyers involved in the inquiry." Five of the eight are Republicans, three are Democrats.

* For the first time, First Lady Michelle Obama has issued a formal statement on pending legislation. In this case, she's praised the Improving Nutrition for America's Children Act, which was approved by the House Education and Labor Committee today.

* Port au Prince, six months later.

* An anti-Muslim ad from the well-funded, hysterical National Republican Trust PAC has been rejected by CBS and NBC.

* How irresponsible are Republican demands for an extension of Bush's tax cuts? Even Alan Greenspan thinks the cuts should expire as scheduled.

* You may have heard the rumor out of Minnesota that felons voting illegally helped propel Sen. Al Franken (D) to victory. Don't believe it.

* Speaking of manufactured Fox News garbage, Jon Chait takes a look at the ridiculous New Black Panther Party "story" and "the most widespread and mainstream right-wing effort to exploit racial fears against Obama."

* College attendance rates are higher than ever. Whether the students graduate is another matter.

* I often wonder whether House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-Ind.) believes his own nonsense. I'd feel better about him if I knew Pence was just deliberately trying to deceive the public.

* And in response to the NAACP condemning Tea Partiers' racism, Tea Party Express chairman Mark Williams is lashing out in jaw-dropping ways. Any chance Williams is a liberal plant, intended to make right-wing zealots look ridiculous?

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Nevada, a new Las Vegas Review-Journal/Mason Dixon poll shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) taking the lead over Sharron Angle (R), 44% to 37%. It's Reid's best showing in a Mason-Dixon poll this cycle.

* Multiple news outlets are reporting that West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) will appoint his former general counsel, Carte Goodwin, to temporarily fill the Senate vacancy left by the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D). At 36, Goodwin will be the youngest senator in the chamber, replacing the oldest.

* In Colorado, Denver's Fox affiliate reported that the Republican Governor's Association has withdrawn its financial support of Scott McInnis' (R) gubernatorial campaign, and has begun cancelling fundraisers that were previously scheduled for him. McInnis has vowed to stay in the race.

* Former Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Chet Traylor, who's taking on scandal-plagued Sen. David Vitter in a Republican primary this year, explained yesterday that Vitter has failed to be an "effective senator," adding that the senator's missteps amount to more than "personal sins." Democrats have been saying the same thing for a long while.

* In Connecticut, a new Quinnipiac poll shows state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) leading former wrestling executive Linda McMahon (R) in this year's U.S. Senate race, 54% to 37%.

* In Wisconsin, two new polls offer conflicting results. A University of Wisconsin Badger Poll shows Sen. Russ Feingold (D) leading right-wing businessman Ron Johnson (R), 33% to 28%. Rasmussen, which should still be taken with a grain of salt, shows Johnson up by one, 47% to 46%.

* Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio has raised quite a bit of money for his U.S. Senate race, but he's spent nearly all of it already.

* And the DNC this morning issued a memorandum, highlighting the differences between 2010 and the last two cycles in which Congress changed party hands (2006 and 1994). It concluded that there is no GOP "wave" on the way.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Not awful, but not quite the results we were hoping for, either: "The federal pointman for the BP oil spill says results are short of ideal in the new cap but the oil will stay shut in for another 6 hours at least. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said on a Friday afternoon conference pressure readings from the cap have not reached the level that would show there are no other leaks in the well."

* Maybe now the Fed can stop worrying about inflation? Please? "We aren't technically in a period of deflation yet, as core inflation continues to remain positive. But last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said this morning, the United States experienced the third straight month of technical deflation, with the price of consumer goods falling 0.1 percent."

* Public support for the U.S. policy in Afghanistan is not only faltering, it's reaching new lows.

* It was the warmest June on record. If only 60 senators cared.

* American soldier suicides: "Soldiers killed themselves at the rate of one per day in June making it the worst month on record for Army suicides, the service said Thursday."

* Bybee speaks: "A former Bush Justice Department official who approved brutal interrogation methods by the C.I.A. has told Congress that he never authorized several other rough tactics reportedly inflicted on terrorism suspects -- including prolonged shackling to a ceiling and repeated beatings."

* Argentina joins the fairly small group of countries that have embraced marriage equality. It's the first country, however, to do so in Latin America.

* One of the standard GOP talking points on tax rates for the wealthy is to express concern for small businesses. Don't believe it.

* Ta-Nehisi Coates on the dispute between Tea Partiers and the NAACP.

* Chris Hayes on the similarities between the argument on deficit reduction and the argument to sell the war in Iraq.

* Wouldn't Elizabeth Warren be a fine choice to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Board?

* Community colleges may be hot, but they're really going to have to pick up their game.

* Apparently, an aide to former one-term Gov. Mitt Romney (R) had some unkind words about former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R). A Palin aide talked to Politico, which published my favorite sentence of the day: "'For Washington consultants to sit around and personally disparage the Governor anonymously to reporters is unfortunate and counterproductive and frankly immature,' the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity, continued."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) hoped to see the state legislature approve a new measure over the weekend on holding a special election this year to fill the late Sen. Robert Byrd's (D) vacancy. That didn't happen, legislators have adjourned, and no one's sure what will happen next.

* In Colorado, gubernatorial hopeful Scott McInnis (R) is still reeling after his plagiarism scandal, and some of his top staffers are starting to run for the exits.

* On a related note, a SurveyUSA poll of Colorado Republicans found 64% want someone other than McInnis as their gubernatorial nominee. Leading the pack: former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R).

* In Arizona's Republican Senate primary, Sen. John McCain, former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, and political newcomer Jim Deakin held two debates in the last three days. In Friday night's event, Hayworth noted, "It's really sad to see John McCain, who should be revered as a statesman, basically reduced to a political shape-shifter. John, you've changed positions so much in this campaign maybe we'll have to set up an extra podium for you depending on which John McCain is going to answer which question." By Saturday, it was perfectly clear that "these two guys really don't like each other."

* In Nevada, the Senate race is getting increasingly interesting, but the gubernatorial race isn't -- the latest Mason-Dixon poll shows Brian Sandoval (R) leading Rory Reid (D), 47% to 36%.

* It's Rasmussen, so take the results with a grain of salt, but the pollster released its latest results in Delaware's Senate race, and it's a little closer than I'd expected. Rep. Mike Castle (R), the heavy favorite, leads New Castle County Executive Chris Coons (D) by 11, 47% to 36%.

* And in Nebraska, Democrats will field a gubernatorial candidate after all, with attorney Mike Meister allowing the state party to place his name in nomination at the state Democratic convention next weekend. He'll face incumbent Gov. Dave Heineman (R), who'll be the overwhelming favorite.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Uncertainty in the Gulf: "A pressure test of BP's undersea well that has kept fresh oil from gushing into the Gulf of Mexico will be allowed to continue for another day, despite concerns about potential new problems near the well, the government official overseeing the spill response said Monday."

* Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen told reporters there are leaks, but they're not a major concern yet. As for the seepage, Allen believes it may be unrelated to the wellhead.

* Iraq: "Two suicide bombings targeting members of local guard forces killed at least 48 people Sunday and heightened concern about the future of the groups as the number of U.S. troops in the country is reduced."

* A fascinating Washington Post report: "The top-secret world the government created in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has become so large, so unwieldy and so secretive that no one knows how much money it costs, how many people it employs, how many programs exist within it or exactly how many agencies do the same work." Plenty of good analysis on this today.

* Sixteen "notable economists and historians have joined in a consensus statement" to endorse additional government stimulus. Good advice.

* Glenn Beck's friends at Goldline may be facing some legal trouble.

* Looks like the White House signing ceremony on Wall Street reform will be on Wednesday.

* Bradford Plumer takes a look at where things stand on the energy/climate bill, and whether the bill would still be worthwhile if it lacks cap-and-trade.

* It's hard to feel sorry for CEOs who get "everything they want, yet still they whine."

* Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) knows exactly where to turn for a 10-minute interview that ignores all of his recent controversies. (I'll give you a hint: it rhymes with Rox Snooze.)

* I'm delighted the United Nations ignored congressional Republicans and extended accreditation to the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.

* Sounds right: "If students aren’t ready for life after high school, provide them with what they need to get there. Perhaps equally important, if they’re ready for college, they can just go there."

* Leading Tea Party activist Mark Williams has apparently been deemed a little too racist for his own right-wing "movement."

* The FBI worked with a company called Blogetery over the weekend to shut down some servers after officials found al Qaeda materials, child pornography, bomb-making tips, and a list of Americans appearing on a "hit list." Tea Party Nation was outraged, and suggested this might a "dry run" for the government shutting down websites "critical of the [Obama] regime." The hysterical paranoia just never ends.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* It took longer than expected, but state lawmakers in West Virginia approved a measure yesterday to allow for a special election this year, allowing voters to fill the late Sen. Robert Byrd's (D) vacancy. A deal was struck when Republicans demanded that a sitting U.S. House member -- in this case, Shelley Moore Capito, believed to be the leading GOP candidate for the Senate race -- can run for re-election and in the special election at the same time.

* And in related news, West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D), as expected, announced this morning that he's running to fill Byrd's vacancy.

* Voters in Georgia will head to the polls today, with both parties holding gubernatorial primaries. Among Dems, former Gov. Roy Barnes is favored to defeat state Attorney General Thurbert Baker, and among Republicans, former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel is leading a multi-candidate field, and may be forced into an Aug. 10 runoff.

* In Florida, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Gov. Charlie Crist (I) leading in the Senate race with 35% support. Marco Rubio (R) is second with 29%, followed by Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) with 17%. Libertarian Alex Snitker is a distant fourth with 4%. The results are largely unchanged from a similar poll taken in March.

* Scott McInnis, the Republican gubernatorial candidate in Colorado mired in a plagiarism scandal, made his first public appearance yesterday since the controversy erupted last week. He vowed not to end his campaign: "These boots are made for walking, and I'm ready to fight."

* In Idaho, Rep. Walt Minnick, easily Congress' most conservative Democrat, received an endorsement from the Tea Party Express a few weeks ago. Yesterday, citing concerns over racism, Minnick said he no longer accepts the support.

* In Arkansas, a poll commissioned by Arkansas-based Talk Business shows incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) trailing Rep. John Boozman (R) badly in this year's Senate race, 57% to 32%.

* The same poll shows Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe (D) leading challenger Jim Keet (R), 49.5% to 40.5%.

* And former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) tends to avoid "establishment" Republican candidates, giving her endorsement to more right-wing challengers, except in Iowa and New Hampshire. I wonder why that is.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Another possible option in the Gulf: "The federal government's spill chief is considering whether to pump heavy mud and cement through BP's experimental well cap that's keeping oil from the Gulf of Mexico. Retired U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen says Tuesday that the procedure would make it easier to complete the permanent fix of plugging the oil from the bottom of the blown out well because the oil would be smashed in from two directions."

* And what about that seepage? Officials apparently believe it's coming from a different well.

* The Senate voted 60 to 40 today to end a Republican filibuster of extended unemployment benefits. Two Republicans -- Maine's Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe -- sided with the majority, while one Democrat -- Nebraska's Ben Nelson -- fought to prevent a vote on the legislation.

* If only there were 60 votes for aid to states: "Since the start of the recession, at least 25 states and the District of Columbia have curtailed programs that include meal deliveries, housekeeping aid and assistance for family caregivers, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a research organization. That threatens to reverse a long-term trend of enabling people to stay in their homes longer."

* Under the circumstances, this seems more than fair: "Senior Democrats on the [House Energy and Commerce Committee] -- Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) -- used a hearing on the Interior Department's role [in the BP oil spill] to trace the disaster back to former Vice President Dick Cheney's energy policy task force."

* When Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) says the White House has never called him, he's not telling the truth.

* Harold Pollack on HIV policy: "[Last] Tuesday, the Obama administration released its National HIV/AIDS Strategy. It's imperfect, but its authors should be proud. Whatever criticisms one may have of this administration, its policy analysts are allowed to discuss serious problems as mature adults, with a minimum of the embarrassing oversimplification, euphemism, or blatant political shading. In areas such as HIV and drug policy, this is refreshing."

* In our reality, congressional Republicans have fought for weeks to oppose extended aid to the jobless. In Rep. Steve King's (R-Iowa) reality, accurate observations are "crazy."

* This clearly isn't a great time to be a recent law school graduate.

* I have to admit, I find the ongoing conservative hyperventilating about the now-defunct Journolist pretty amusing. If folks were talking about signing their names to an open letter -- a letter I signed, by the way -- then maybe it wasn't a secret plot?

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* To the disappointment of the Republican establishment, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) announced this morning that she will not run in a Senate special election this year. Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin, who launched his campaign yesterday, is now an even heavier favorite to replace the late Sen. Robert Byrd (R).

* In Georgia's gubernatorial primaries yesterday, former Gov. Roy Barnes (D) won his party's nod with 66% support, while former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel and former Rep. Nathan Deal will face off again in an Aug. 10 runoff.

* In Nevada, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) with a narrow lead in his re-election bid, up by two over former state Rep. Sharron Angle (R), 48% to 46%.

* The DCCC and NRCC both raised about $9 million in June, but the Democratic committee still enjoys a considerable lead when it comes to cash on hand.

* In related news, when it comes to the Senate campaign committees, the DSCC raised over $7 million in June, compared to the NRSC's $4 million haul. When it comes to cash on hand, the DSCC has $21.5 million, while the NRSC has $19.7 million.

* In his new defense, former Rep. John Kasich, the Republican gubernatorial hopeful in Ohio, tells voters in an ad that he didn't "run" Lehman Brothers. He was, however, one of many managing directors at Lehman while the infamous investment firm was collapsing.

* In Florida, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows state CFO Alex Sink (D) with six point leads in this year's gubernatorial race over both of the leading Republican candidates, state Attorney General Bill McCollum and disgraced former health care executive Rick Scott.

* With two weeks left before Michigan's competitive Republican gubernatorial primary, a Detroit News poll shows Mike Cox (R) with a very narrow lead over Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R), 26.4% to 25.6%,

* And in Virginia, where Republicans desperately hope to defeat Rep. Tom Perriello (D) in the 5th congressional district, the GOP got some encouraging news yesterday when a SurveyUSA poll showed Perriello trailing state Sen. Robert Hurt (R) by a whopping 23 points. Most recent polls have found the race far more competitive.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Latest from the Gulf: "BP has temporarily corked a relief tunnel deep beneath the sea floor as tropical rainstorms move toward the Gulf of Mexico. The tunnel will be used to blast mud and cement into BP's leaky well, hopefully sealing it off for good. But the threat of a tropical storm has prompted the oil giant to shut off the tunnel to keep it from being damaged."

* Not exactly reassuring: "Ben S. Bernanke, the Fed chairman, told Congress on Wednesday that it would take 'a significant amount of time' to restore the 8.5 million jobs lost in the United States in 2008 and 2009, and warned that 'the economic outlook remains unusually uncertain.' He also warned that financial conditions, particularly the European sovereign debt crisis, had 'become less supportive of economic growth in recent months.'"

* Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack held a press conference late this afternoon, apologizing to Shirley Sherrod and for the debacle. He's asked her to return to her job, and Sherrod is reportedly considering it. [Update: Vilsack has reportedly offered her a unique new position at the agency, not the position from which she was forced to resign.]

* Eyeing Pyongyang: "The United States Wednesday unveiled new sanctions against North Korea after the sinking of a South Korean warship and said the attack could be the start of more provocations by the communist state."

* I'd hoped for more, given the seriousness and scope of the scandal: "The Bush administration's Justice Department's actions were inappropriately political, but not criminal, when it fired a U.S. attorney in 2006, prosecutors said Wednesday in closing a two-year investigation without filing charges."

* Elena Kagan's Supreme Court nomination picks up another GOP supporter -- Indiana's Richard Lugar.

* Why would gunman Byron Williams have an interest in targeting the Tides Foundation? It's hard to say for sure at this point, but Glenn Beck talks about the foundation quite a bit.

* Chait on the conservative pseudojournalist method.

* More Americans are going to college, but more Americans are also starting to wonder if it's worth it.

* The right is still working on Journolist conspiracies. In the process, they're making stuff up.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Connecticut, former Rep. Rob Simmons (R) was running for the Senate, but said he'd end his bid if he failed to secure the nomination of the Connecticut Republican Party. Then he changed his mind. Then he changed his mind again and suspended his campaign. Now, Simmons has changed his mind once more, and has begun airing campaign ads this week. His primary against former wrestling executive Linda McMahon will be on August 10.

* In Colorado, Republican Senate candidate Ken Buck raised a few eyebrows yesterday when he told a voter he deserved support "because I do not wear high heels." Buck said his comment was in response to his primary opponent, Jane Norton, running an ad attacking his attacks through independent groups. "You'd think he'd be man enough to do it himself," she says in the ad.

* It's Rasmussen, so take the results with a grain of salt, but the pollster's latest results in Kentucky show a U.S. Senate race that's staying largely the same. Right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul (R) leads state Attorney General Jack Conway (D) in the poll, 49% to 41%. The results are nearly identical to other Rasmussen data from the last several weeks.

* The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is running attack ads against Rep. Joe Sestak's (D) Senate campaign in Pennsylvania, but two Pittsburgh-area television stations have agreed to stop airing the spot, concluding that the criticisms are inaccurate.

* Gov. Joe Manchin (D) is the favorite to win this year's Senate special election, but it looks like he'll have a primary opponent. Former West Virginia Secretary of State Ken Hechler (D) filed to run this week, but it's unclear how serious Hechler is -- the man is 95 years old.

* In Kansas, Rep. Jerry Moran continues to lead Rep. Todd Tiahrt in their Republican Senate primary. The latest SurveyUSA poll shows Moran up by double digits, 50% to 36%.

* In Alaska, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) is facing a primary challenge from right-wing lawyer Joe Miller, but support from the Palins apparently isn't helping. A new poll from Anchorage-based pollster Ivan Moore shows Murkowski leading by a two-to-one margin, 62% to 30%. The primary is on August 24.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Not exactly what response teams in the Gulf need right now: "BP's ruptured well will remain capped if ships evacuate the Gulf of Mexico because of a looming storm, the federal government's oil spill chief said Thursday. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said growing confidence in the cap's security convinced scientists it was safe to leave it unmonitored for a few days."

* In the meantime, China is dealing with a massive oil spill of its own.

* As of 5:15 p.m. (ET), the bill to extend unemployment benefits was literally in the car, on the way to the White House.

* Last week, the new jobless claims were encouraging. This week, not so much: "New U.S. claims for jobless benefits climbed more steeply than anticipated last week, the latest sign that the moribund labor market is struggling to recover."

* The signing of the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act (IPERA) shouldn't get lost in the shuffle today: "In a bid to show voters his administration is concerned with reducing wasteful government spending, President Obama signed a bill aimed at cutting improper payments to individuals, organizations, and contractors."

* The next step in the two-year review into Charlie Rangel: "The House ethics committee has launched a separate panel to determine whether Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) has violated House ethics rules. The panel, called an adjudicatory subcommittee, will hold a public organizational meeting July 29."

* Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner praised Wall Street bailout watchdog Elizabeth Warren today, saying she'd be "a very effectively leader" of the Consumer Financial Protection Agency. He added, "She is one of the most effective advocates of reform in the country."

* The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been fighting tooth and nail against initiatives launched by the Obama White House -- but it's the USCOC that keeps losing.

* If Senate Republicans block ratification of the New START treaty, "American credibility on nuclear issues would evaporate," and every country that's signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty would ask itself, "If the U.S. is unwilling to live up to its commitments, why should we live up to ours?"

* Ugh: "Nonprofit BlueCross and BlueShield health plans in several states, including Tennessee, stockpiled billions of dollars during the past decade, yet continued to hit consumers with hefty premium increases that could have been reduced in some cases, a new consumer study contends."

* Given the interest in the Obamas' travel plans: "Before beginning their long-planned summer vacation on Martha's Vineyard, America's first family will head to Florida's oil-stricken Gulf Coast."

* One of the unfortunate side effects of Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) siding with Republicans on Wall Street reform? He wanted the bill to get stronger, but Feingold's efforts inadvertently made it weaker.

* Megyn Kelly, still confused about current events.

* Welcome transparency: "Soon, families might have a slightly better idea what they might actually pay to attend college."

* If I haven't mention it lately, Sam Seder is a very clever man.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In an entertaining twist in Colorado, former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R) has delivered an ultimatum to the GOP's two gubernatorial candidates: if they're trailing in the polls in mid-August, they should agree to drop out and let him jump in. If they're inclined to ignore him, Tancredo has said he'll run as a third-party candidate in the fall.

* The DCCC reserves television time in 40 House districts: "The Democrats' strategy to preserve their House majority became clearer Thursday as the party made a $28 million investment in television advertising for the final weeks of the fall campaign, a plan that is designed to build a firewall to protect freshmen and longtime incumbents."

* In Florida's crazy primaries, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Rick Scott leading Bill McCollum in the Republican gubernatorial primary, 43% to 29%.

* Speaking of Florida, it's a Rasmussen poll so take the results with a grain of salt, but the pollster shows Marco Rubio (R) narrowly leading Charlie Crist (I) if Kendrick Meek is the Democratic nominee, but Crist narrowly leading Rubio if Jeff Greene is the Democratic nominee.

* There's a crowded field of Republicans running for the Senate in West Virginia -- as of late yesterday, the field had 10 candidates -- but none are expected to be able to defeat Gov. Joe Manchin (D) in November.

* In Kentucky, a Braun Research poll shows Rand Paul (R) with a narrow lead over Jack Conway (D) in the U.S. Senate race, 41% to 38%.

* In Arizona's Republican Senate primary, J.D. Hayworth has a new attack ad, going after Sen. John McCain's previous support for a bipartisan immigration package, having worked with the late Sen. Ted Kennedy on a comprehensive bill. The ad has the advantage of being true.

* And in Kansas, The Hutchinson News endorsed Tracey Mann's (R) congressional campaign in advance of his primary, but that was before the paper's editorial board realized he "questions the citizenship of President Barack Obama despite evidence that is irrefutable to most objective, rational people." The paper has since decided to "withdraw that endorsement."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* In the Gulf: "Ships relaying the sights and sounds from BP's broken oil well stood fast Friday as the leftovers of Tropical Storm Bonnie blew straight for the spill site, threatening to force a full evacuation that would leave engineers clueless about whether a makeshift cap on the gusher was holding."

* Oh my: "Long before an eruption of gas turned the Deepwater Horizon oil rig into a fireball, an alarm system designed to alert the crew and prevent combustible gases from reaching potential sources of ignition had been deliberately disabled, the former chief electronics technician on the rig testified Friday."

* European banks fared better than expected in their "stress tests."

* As the U.S. prepares for joint military drills with South Korea, North Korea is threatening a "physical response."

* Why congressional Republicans continue to cozy up to Wall Street is a mystery: "The government's pay czar announced Friday that 17 companies benefiting from federal bailout money handed out $1.6 billion in excess executive pay at the height of the financial crisis. The firms include Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Bank of America."

* As Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai considers outreach his fellow Pashtuns in the insurgency, he's losing one-time allies.

* With Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) on board, there are now three Senate Republicans prepared to support Elena Kagan's Supreme Court nomination.

* President Obama takes a brief victory lap after some legislative breakthroughs this week.

* If you want to talk about austerity, let's talk about the Pentagon.

* Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), facing serious ethics allegations, doesn't know how to say "no comment."

* Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) sounds cautiously optimistic about New START ratification.

* We certainly should do better than sixth: "[T]he U.S. now ranks sixth in the world in terms of the percent of the population with college credentials."

* R.I.P., Daniel Schorr.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In case recent developments involving Colorado Republicans weren't quite nutty enough, U.S. Senate hopeful Ken Buck -- the Tea Party favorite -- has been caught lashing out at his Birther supporters. Buck was filmed telling a voter, "Will you tell those dumbasses at the Tea Party to stop asking questions about birth certificates while I'm on the camera?" He walked back the language yesterday.

* If you're inclined to believe Rasmussen, Gov. Joe Manchin (D) has the early lead in West Virginia's Senate special election, leading John Raese (R) by 16, 51% to 35%.

* In related news, the race in West Virginia keeps getting more crowded. Including Manchin, the frontrunner in November, there are now 15 candidates, including 11 Republicans. The parties' primaries are scheduled for Aug. 28.

* Missouri is home to one of the more competitive Senate contests this year, a contest Democrats consider a pick-up opportunity. At this point, however, the GOP has the edge -- a Mason-Dixon poll shows Rep. Roy Blunt (R) leading Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D), 48% to 42%.

* In case there were any doubts about how nervous Sen. John McCain (R) has been about his GOP primary against J.D. Hayworth, consider his FEC filings -- McCain spent more than $10.2 million in the second quarter alone.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) told the Christian Broadcasting Network that GOP extremist Sharron Angle is "not mainstream for Nevada or probably most any other place in America."

* And in 2012 news, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) has ruled out a presidential campaign, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) will likely launch his national campaign next year, regardless of what other potential candidates decide.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Tony Hayward is out as BP's chief executive: "On Monday, BP's board is expected to announce that Hayward, 53, will step down on Oct. 1. The departure, say people close to the company, will be his decision as much as the board's. Hayward, a geologist who has spent his entire career working for BP, is said to recognize that he has become a liability as the company tries to move forward."

* The materials on the war in Afghanistan published through Wikileaks are important, but they're probably not the Pentagon Papers.

* Despite an assumption that Senate Republicans will refuse to allow the chamber to vote on the legislation, the DISCLOSE Act will likely come to the floor for consideration this week, probably tomorrow. President Obama is pushing the GOP to let the Senate vote.

* Housing surprise: "New-home buying surged in June after a May plunge caused by the end of a government tax credit, according to a better-than-expected report on the ailing housing sector."

* If you're looking for the Senate Dems' scaled-back energy bill, its release has been pushed until tomorrow.

* On a related note, thanks to unexpected support from Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kas.), there's hope for a renewable energy standard in the bill.

* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) thinks the war in Iraq is over. That guy is so deeply confused, it's painful to think reporters still consider him an expert on military matters.

* Are the ethics charges against Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) serious? Yes, they are.

* This year's deficit: $1.47 trillion. That's actually a little lower than previously estimated.

* It's sometimes fun to laugh at Rep. Steve King's (R-Iowa) extremism, but some of his positions aren't funny: "[King] last week voted against a bill making it easier for Native American tribal courts to prosecute non-natives who commit rape and other crimes on tribal lands." [Update: Here's some additional background information on the legislation.]

* I have low expectations, but I'm glad Senate reform continues to percolate.

* Thought-provoking piece from Van Jones on culture and technology in the wake of the Shirley Sherrod story.

* Not all for-profit colleges are the same.

* If context is irrelevant, and misleading editing is acceptable, Breitbart appears to love al Qaeda.

* On a related note, many in the media would us believe "both sides" do what Breitbart does. That's not even close to being true.

* Greg Sargent on the right's bizarre fascination with Journolist: "The real story here is that right wing media are engaged in a coordinated, conspiratorial effort to pretend that J-List represented a Vast Left-wing Media Conspiracy, when the evidence conclusively shows otherwise."

* And on the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act, Rhode Island Rep. Jim Langevin (D) will preside over the House of Representatives this afternoon. Langevin, who is a quadriplegic, will be the first person in a wheelchair to wield the gavel.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R) made it official yesterday afternoon, announcing that he's running for governor in Colorado as a member of the extremist American Constitution Party. He has not, however, filed the paperwork with the Colorado secretary of state, nor has he registered as a member of his new party.

* Speaking of Colorado, it looks like Andrew Romanoff won't be ending his primary challenge to Sen. Michael Bennet (D) anytime soon -- the former state House Speaker sold his house so he could loan his campaign $325,000.

* In Wisconsin, right-wing businessman Ron Johnson (R), taking on Sen. Russ Feingold (D), recently disclosed that he owns as much as $315,000 in BP stock. On July 9, Johnson's campaign said he would move the investments into a blind trust. Yesterday, the far-right candidate started backing away from his pledge.

* In Florida's Senate Democratic primary, Rep. Kendrick Meek launched his first television ad of the year, going after billionaire Jeff Greene pretty aggressively.

* In Tennessee, the latest Mason-Dixon poll shows Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam leading the Republican gubernatorial primary with 36% support. Rep. Zach Wamp, who recently raised the specter of seceding from the United States, is second in the poll with 25%. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, who doesn't believe Islam is a religion, is third with 20%. The winner will likely face businessman Mike McWherter (D) in November.

* In Maryland's gubernatorial rematch, a Gonzales Research poll shows Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) narrowly leading former Gov. Robert Ehrlich (R), 45% to 42%.

* It's primary day in Oklahoma, where both parties are holding gubernatorial primaries. Rep. Mary Fallin (R) and state Attorney General Drew Edmondson (D) are expected to win their respective races.

* And let this be a lesson to party activists: if you're going to remove your opponent's campaign signs on public property, look for cameras that might catch you in the act.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Changes at BP: "Three months after its giant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a chastened BP outlined a new strategy on Tuesday to revamp operations and practices around the world and turn it into a leaner operator under a new leader. But even as BP increased the money set aside for spill-related costs to $32.2 billion, executives reiterated that the April 20 Deepwater Horizon explosion was not a result of gross negligence by the company."

* On a related note, BP's Tony Hayward is leaving with a severance package that congressional Democrats aren't at all happy about.

* If only a couple of Senate Republicans cared: "Worldwide, 2010 is on track to become the warmest year on record. Scientists at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies reported recently that the average global temperature was higher over the past 12 months than during any other 12-month period in history."

* What happened to the billions of dollars in the Iraq reconstruction fund between 2003 and 2007? No one seems to know.

* It's obscure, at least for now, but we should care about Basel III.

* Will Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) cut a deal with the ethics committee? It's look a lot less likely.

* Volt gets a price tag: "The Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in car capable of driving about 40 miles at a time on battery power without using any gasoline, will have a sticker price of $41,000 before a $7,500 federal tax credit, General Motors said Tuesday. G.M. will also lease the Volt for $350 a month in the hopes of attracting consumers who want lower monthly payments or would hesitate to buy the vehicle until they are more comfortable with its technology."

* FEC raises eyebrows: "The starter's gun went off last week in the squalid new race for unlimited campaign cash. The Federal Election Commission approved the creation of two 'independent' campaign committees, one each from the left and right, expressly designed to take advantage of the new world of no rules."

* Good piece on the aims and standards of conservative media.

* On a related note, conservatives won't want to hear this, but Journolist really was a terrific resource.

* When public colleges get less funding, but spend more on sports anyway, it seems problematic.

* And Dave Weigel lands on his feet, joining the staff at Slate. All's well that ends well?

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In California, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) building on her earlier lead, and now has a nine-point advantage over fired HP CEO Carly Fiorina (R), 49% to 40%.

* On a related note, PPP also found that state Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) leads former eBay CEO Meg Whitman (R) in California's gubernatorial race, but the leading is shrinking. Brown is now up by six, 46% to 40%.

* In New York, a new Quinnipiac poll shows state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) continuing to enjoy huge leads in his gubernatorial race, leading former Rep. Rick Lazio (R) by 30 points, 56% to 26%,

* Oklahoma will have its first woman governor next year, after yesterday's gubernatorial primaries. Rep. Mary Fallin, as expected, won the Republican nomination, and in a bit of a surprise, Lt. Gov. Jari Askins edged state Attorney General Drew Edmondson for the Democratic nod.

* As of this morning, former Rep. Rob Simmons' (R) on-again/off-again Senate campaign in Connecticut is back on again.

* If you're inclined to believe Rasmussen, Illinois state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) has a narrow lead over Rep. Mark Kirk (R) in this year's Senate race, 43% to 41%.

* In an interesting Democratic primary in Tennessee, Rep. Steve Cohen (D), a white lawmaker running for re-election in a majority-African-American district, now enjoys support from the Congressional Black Caucus for the first time.

* It almost certainly won't amount to much, but Rep. Mike Castle (R), the leading candidate in Delaware's U.S. Senate race, is facing a primary challenge from Christine O'Donnell. Yesterday, O'Donnell picked up support from the Tea Party Express, which has previously helped right-wing candidates in GOP primaries in Nevada, Kentucky, and Utah.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Beige Book disappoints a bit: "The economic expansion has proceeded unevenly this summer, according to a new Federal Reserve report, with new pockets of weakness emerging in parts of the country."

* On a related note: "The latest report on orders to factory for big-ticket items on Wednesday offered another sign that the United States economy was losing strength in the second half the year."

* The oil from the disaster in the Gulf "appears to be dissolving far more rapidly than anyone expected." This does not, however, "end the many problems and scientific uncertainties associated with the spill."

* President Obama talks up the Democrats' small-business-incentives bill in New Jersey: "The provisions of this bill are things that the Republican Party has supported for years," Obama said. "This is as American as apple pie. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. They are central to our identity as a nation.... I expect us to get this done."

* U.S. troops continue to return home from Iraq.

* Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) announced today she will vote for Elena Kagan's Supreme Court confirmation. She's the fourth Senate Republicans to announce her support for the nominee.

* Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) is starting to lose some of his Democratic friends.

* A worthwhile first for the VA: "The Under Secretary of Health at the Veterans Administration issued a little-noticed directive to VA medical facilities recently, informing facilities that patients who legally use medical marijuana may not be denied access to health services because of their outside prescription."

* The sooner the Senate acts, the better: "The U.S. Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday approved the nomination of three new members to the Federal Reserve's powerful board, including Janet Yellen for vice chairman, clearing the way for a final vote by the whole Senate."

* Is Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) obsessed with gutting the EPA? Yep.

* Disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), still mad as a hatter.

* Not good: "There's not going to be enough money to fully fund Pell Grants, the government program that provides money to help low-income students to attend college."

* Jeffrey Lord just can't bring himself to shut up.

* Bill O'Reilly joins the rest of the sensible universe in opposition to Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

* Glenn Beck's Goldline scheme, illustrated.

* I intended to highlight the pathetic op-ed from Pat Caddell and Doug Schoen in the Wall Street Journal today, but just didn't have the stomach for it. Thankfully, Alex Pareene was on the case.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Nevada, Rasmussen has shown Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) trailing former state Rep. Sharron Angle (R), but closing the gap. In its newest poll, Rasmussen has Reid climbing ahead for the first time, leading 45% to 43%.

* On a related note, Angle was asked yesterday about her approach to campaign finance reform. She insisted that the DISCLOSE Act is already law. (It's not.)

* The DCCC released a memo yesterday, making the case that the Democratic majority in the House will persevere through the midterms. Nate Silver didn't find it especially persuasive.

* A new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California shows Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) leading fired HP CEO Carly Fiorina (R) by five, 39% to 34%. The same poll also found state Attorney General Jerry Brown leading former eBay CEO Meg Whitman (R), 37% to 34%.

* In Missouri's closely-watched Senate race, Rasmussen shows Rep. Roy Blunt (R) leading Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D), 49% to 43%. The results are largely in line with a Mason-Dixon poll released last week.

* In related news, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) endorsed Blunt in Missouri, which drew the ire of Bachmann's Tea Party allies, who don't consider Blunt extreme enough.

* In Florida, a new Quinnipiac poll shows challengers surging ahead in their primary contests. Rick Scott now leads state A.G. Bill McCollum in the Republican gubernatorial primary, 43% to 32%, while Jeff Greene leads Rep. Kendrick Meek in the Democratic Senate primary, 33% to 23%.

* On a related note, Meek was asked yesterday whether he'd support Greene if his opponent won the primary. Meek was non-committal.

* And in another of this year's electoral mysteries, former state Rep. Kevin Calvey was supposed to win the GOP primary in Oklahoma's 5th congressional district fairly easily, and enjoyed the backing of the party and right-wing activist groups. Instead, a camp director named James Lankford, who has never sought political office before, won the primary -- and no one knows how this happened.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* In Battle Creek, Michigan, federal regulators told Enbridge Energy Partners, a Canadian company, that its "monitoring of corrosion in the pipeline was insufficient." That pipeline has now spilled hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil into a major river in southern Michigan.

* Manhunt ends on the outskirts of Kabul: "The second U.S. sailor who went missing in eastern Afghanistan last week has been found dead and his body recovered."

* Despite some talk earlier today of a possible settlement, Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) is now facing 13 charges of House rules violations.

* This afternoon, President Obama signed the Tribal Law and Order Act, giving tribes the right and resources to "investigate and prosecute rapes perpetrated by non-Natives on tribal lands."

* Is it really that hard to get a warrant? "The Obama administration is seeking to make it easier for the FBI to compel companies to turn over records of an individual's Internet activity without a court order if agents deem the information relevant to a terrorism or intelligence investigation."

* The president maps out a defense of his education reform agenda.

* Better, but still too high: "The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment insurance fell to 457,000 last week, a figure that signals the labor market will be slow to improve even as the economy grows."

* Citigroup settles with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

* Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee want a hearing on the New Black Panther Party. They're not going to get one.

* And the media rejoices: Shirley Sherrod intends to sue right-wing hatchet-man Andrew Breitbart.

* Congress is considering lifting a ban on Internet gambling, originally imposed by Republicans in 2006.

* Jonathan Cohn considers the "stupidity of liberal apathy."

* Brendan Nyhan considers the persistence of the death panels myth.

* Michelle Cottle watches Obama on "The View" so I don't have to.

* The End of Sallie Mae?

* If there's one thing the right-wing loves, it's selective editing.

* And Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) reminds us why he's definitely a #1 seed in the brackets for Most Conspicuously Unintelligent House Member contest.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Florida's closely-watched Senate race, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Gov. Charlie Crist (I) still out in front, enjoying 37% support, followed by Marco Rubio (R) at 32%, and Jeff Greene (D) third with 17%. With Rep. Kendrick Meek as the Democratic nominee, Crist's and Rubio's numbers are a little higher, but the margins are about the same.

* On a related note, Quinnipiac also polled Florida's open gubernatorial race, and found an even more competitive contest. With Rick Scott as the GOP nominee, he leads with 29%, just two points ahead of state CFO Alex Sink (D) at 27%, and Bud Chiles (I) with 14%. If Bill McCollum wins the Republican primary, he's ahead 27% to 26% over Sink.

* In Nevada, a new Mason-Dixon poll shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) leading former state Rep. Sharron Angle (R) by just one point, 43% to 42%. The last Mason-Dixon poll showed Reid with a larger lead.

* Speaking of Reid, Kentucky Senate hopeful Jack Conway (D) has been under pressure from right-wing candidate Rand Paul (R) about whether he'd support Reid for Majority Leader if elected. This week, pressed on the issue, Conway hedged, suggesting Reid might still lose his re-election bid.

* We're just days away from Michigan's GOP gubernatorial primary, and a new EPIC/MRA poll shows a very competitive three-way contest. Rick Snyder is ahead in the poll with 26% support, followed by Mike Cox at 24%, and Pete Hoekstra at 23%. Among Democrats, Virg Bernero leads Andy Dillon by eight, 40% to 32%.

* If you're inclined to believe Rasmussen, right-wing businessman Ron Johnson (R) is leading Sen. Russ Feingold (D) in Wisconsin, 48% to 46%.

* In Nevada, Rasmussen shows Brian Sandoval (R) leading the gubernatorial race over Rory Reid (D), but Sandoval's lead is down to 10 points, and the poll was taken before Sandoval's controversial comments about Arizona's anti-immigrant policy.

* In Pennsylvania, Rasmussen shows former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) leading Rep. Joe Sestak (D) by six, 45% to 39%.

* And in the state of Washington, Rasmussen shows Sen. Patty Murray (D) leading GOP frontrunner Dino Rossi by two, 49% to 47%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "Three U.S. troops died in blasts in Afghanistan, bringing the death toll for July to at least 63 and surpassing the previous month's record as the deadliest for American forces in the nearly 9-year-old war."

* The Bush Recession was even worse than we realized: "The worst U.S. recession since the 1930s was even deeper than previously estimated, reflecting bigger slumps in consumer spending and housing, according to revised figures."

* Federal court judge Susan Bolton, recommended for the bench by Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), blocked the implementation yesterday of several provisions of Arizona's anti-immigrant bill. Now, she's facing death threats.

* Rangel's reprimand? "The subcommittee that investigated Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) has recommended that the embattled lawmaker face just a 'reprimand,' a mild form of punishment similar to that given to Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) when he was rebuked in 1997."

* Keep standing up for yourself, EPA.

* Happy Anniversary, Medicare. Here's hoping the next Congress doesn't try to subject you to a death panel.

* Something to keep an eye on: "The world's first authorized test in people of a treatment derived from human embryonic stem cells has been cleared to begin by the Food and Drug Administration. The trial will test cells developed by Geron Corporation and the University of California, Irvine in patients with new spinal cord injuries."

* Unacceptable: "Someone accused of killing a white person in North Carolina is nearly three times as likely to get the death penalty than someone accused of killing a black person, according to a study released Thursday by two researchers who looked at death sentences over a 28-year period."

* Rumor has it that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is one of the sharper members of the House Republican caucus, but when one considers his actual ideas, Ryan is still "stone-cold ignorant."

* Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) will vote to confirm Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. He's the fifth Republican senator to announce his support for the nomination.

* Even Robert Kagan, a bona fide neocon, supports ratification of New START. It just needs eight Republicans.

* Newt Gingrich is deeply confused, but so is his spokesperson.

* The GAO offers more support for those who believe there's money to be saved in the Pentagon budget.

* Sorry to see True/Slant close its virtual doors.

* There are no credible defenses for crack/powder sentencing disparities, but Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) gives it a shot (and fails miserably).

* Fixing California's higher education problems is harder than it looks.

* If it never occurred to you to connect "The Simpsons" to Weather Underground and '60s-era radicalism, then you're probably not watching Glenn Beck.

* And Washington Times columnist Jeffrey Kuhner continues to make a name for himself, this week suggesting it's time for Arizona to consider secession. He seems quite serious about it.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In a bit of a surprise, the latest Denver Post poll in Colorado shows Andrew Romanoff closing very strong in his Democratic primary against Sen. Michael Bennet, taking a narrow lead over the appointed incumbent, 48% to 45%. In the GOP Senate primary, Ken Buck leads Jane Norton in the poll by a wider margin, 50% to 41%.

* In Kentucky, a Bluegrass Poll conducted for the Louisville Courier-Journal shows Rand Paul (R) continuing to lead state Attorney General Jack Conway (D) in this year's Senate race, 51% to 43%.

* Confirming several other recent surveys, the latest Florida Poll shows Gov. Charlie Crist (I) leading this year's Senate race with 41% support. Marco Rubio (R) is second with 30%, followed by Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) with 12%.

* Speaking of Florida, Democratic Senate hopeful Jeff Greene fired Joe Trippi from his campaign team over the weekend. (Greene was also the subject of an extremely unflattering St. Petersburg Times profile, which ran yesterday.)

* As if Illinois' Senate race isn't quite odd enough, voters will apparently vote for a new senator and a temporary senator at the same time.

* In Minnesota, the latest poll from the Star Tribune shows former Sen. Mark Dayton leading the Democratic gubernatorial primary with 40%. Margaret Anderson Kelliher is second with 30%

* Interesting development in Texas: "More than a dozen prominent Dallas business and civic leaders, including several who supported Kay Bailey Hutchison in the Republican primary for governor, have signed a letter backing Democrat Bill White in his effort to unseat Republican Gov. Rick Perry in the Nov. 2 general election."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The next big step in the Gulf: "BP plans to begin easing mud into its runaway well in the Gulf of Mexico by Monday night, a preliminary step in a 'static kill' procedure that potentially could kill the Macondo well by midweek."

* There were several encouraging economic reports released this morning, including "the Institute for Supply Management's index of U.S. manufacturing activity" which showed better-than-expected results for July.

* Within the hour, the Senate will vote to end a filibuster on a bill for state aid and teacher funding -- every penny of which is paid for. Sources tell me Republicans are likely to kill the legislation anyway, just because. I'll have a full report in the morning.

* On a related note, the small-business-incentives bill isn't quite dead yet.

* As expected, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) will face an ethics committee trial "for her role in steering federal funds to a bank to which she is personally connected."

* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) announced today he will not let the Senate consider James Clapper's nomination as the next director of national intelligence. Clapper was unanimously approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee last week, but McCain does enjoy his tantrums.

* The House passed new safeguards for offshore drilling late last week. Senate Republicans will probably kill the bill.

* Newsweek was sold today to industrialist Sidney Harman. Jon Meacham is departing as the magazine's editor.

* I was under the impression that Dick Cheney had left the hospital. He hasn't.

* The RNC still isn't distancing itself from right-wing hatchetman Andrew Breitbart.

* Michelle Obama continues to tout the Child Nutrition Bill.

* On net neutrality, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) gets it.

* Former Vice President Al Gore will not face prosecution "on an allegation of sexual assault from 2006."

* It's frustrating when turnout for primaries is low.

* When states struggle to manage higher education spending.

* Ed Luce does a fine job documenting the "crisis of middle-class America."

* And Elon Green takes a very compelling -- and very amusing -- look at Pam Geller's "The Post-American Presidency."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* It's primary day in Kansas, Michigan, and Missouri. There are plenty of interesting races, including gubernatorial and congressional contests, to keep an eye on.

* Republicans have regained their lead in Gallup's generic ballot, but as I tried to emphasize two weeks ago when Dems were ahead, the wild, erratic shifts in the poll's results cast doubts on its reliability.

* The DNC probably won't have to worry about it until 2016, but superdelegates will continue to have some influence over the presidential nominating process.

* In North Carolina, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows incumbent Sen. Richard Burr (R) leading Elaine Marshall by just two points, 39% to 37%.

* In the state of Washington, Sen. Patty Murray (D) is running a new ad, targeting Dino Rossi's (R) Wall Street ties and opposition to new safeguards from financial industry abuses.

* Tom Emmer, the presumptive Republican gubernatorial nominee in Minnesota, is struggling to win over voters with his right-wing worldview. In the latest Star Tribune poll, Emmer trails all of the Democratic candidates in hypothetical match-ups, in margins ranging from 5 to 10 points.

* Speaking of extremists, Republican Ron Johnson, a Senate candidate in Wisconsin, personally paid for "The Bell Curve" author Charles Murray to speak to a local education council this year, despite questions about Murray's alleged racism.

* If you're inclined to take Rasmussen polls seriously, Nikki Haley (R) has a fairly big lead in South Carolina's gubernatorial race, leading state Sen. Vincent Sheheen (D), 49% to 35%.

* And in Florida, one of Rep. Alan Grayson's (D) Republican opponents argued that the fiery Democratic lawmaker shouldn't have missed the recent vote on war funding. Kurt Kelly (R) told Fox, "He put our soldiers, our men and women in the military, in harm's way and, in fact, maybe he wants them to die."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Fingers crossed in the Gulf: "BP began pumping mud into the blown-out Macondo well Tuesday afternoon in a much-anticipated 'static kill' procedure that could choke the well once and for all."

* In the face of pointless Republican obstructionism, the energy bill is on hold until at least September.

* In the face of pointless Republican obstructionism, the New START treaty is on hold until at least September.

* President Obama signs the Fair Sentencing Act into law.

* Beautiful speech from NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) in support a Muslim community center in Manhattan.

* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has decided to lift his hold on James Clapper's nomination to serve as director of national intelligence.

* After several Republican senators express a willingness to repeal part of the 14th Amendment, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) noted, "They've either taken leave of their senses or their principles."

* Once more with The Cooch: "Virginia joined the national debate over immigration Monday when Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II issued a legal opinion that authorizes law enforcement to check the immigration status of anyone stopped by police officers for any reason."

* The "vicious infighting" at the Republican National Committee isn't close to being done.

* Some much needed attention for the "99ers," who've "exhausted the maximum 99 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits that they can claim."

* House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-Ind.) hates wasteful government spending -- unless it benefits his district.

* Likewise, Blue Dogs don't care for public spending, unless it might help them keep their jobs.

* Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) apparently isn't leaving the Democratic Party.

* A creative approach in which students build their own scholarship.

* I don't know what's gotten into Tom Shales.

* Glad to see ABC's "This Week" will continue to partner with PolitiFact.com.

* And "Fox & Friends" co-host Steve Doocy seems confused about what a "debate" is.

* Final debate is underway on Solicitor General Elena Kagan's nomination to the Supreme Court. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) encouraged Kagan backed to "point out any errors" in his remarks as "so that we can, above all, get the facts straight." What a good idea.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* It was primary day yesterday in Michigan, Missouri, and Kansas. Several gubernatorial and Senate contests were decided, and one House incumbent -- Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick of Michigan -- lost in a Democratic primary.

* In Nevada, the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) leading former state Rep. Sharron Angle (R) by four points among likely voters, 48% to 44%. Among registered voters, Reid's lead is much larger, 52% to 36%.

* A new Quinnipiac poll in Connecticut's Senate race shows the gap narrowing a bit. State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) now leads wrestling executive Linda McMahon (R) by 10, 50% to 40%.

* In Colorado, Sen. Michael Bennet hasn't been bashful in asking President Obama for help in his Democratic primary fight against Andrew Romanoff, and the president in turn, is going all out to give Bennet a boost.

* Speaking of Colorado, if you're inclined to believe Rasmussen, the pollster shows the state's gubernatorial race following a predictable pattern. With former Rep. Tom Tancredo entering the contest as a third-party candidate, the right is split, giving Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) a boost. At this point, Hickenlooper leads according to the poll with 43% support, followed by former Rep. Scott McInnis (R) with 25%, and Tancredo with 24%.

* In the state of Washington, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Patty Murray (D) leading former state Sen. Dino Rossi (R) by just three, 49% to 46%.

* In Florida, Rasmussen finds state CFO Alex Sink (D) looking competitive in the gubernatorial race, leading state Attorney General Bill McCollum (R) by four, but trailing disgraced former health care executive Rick Scott (R) by the same margin.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The "static kill" has left me feeling optimistic: "It wasn't quite the stake through the heart, because that stake has to be made of cement, not merely mud. And the stake might have to be driven in from below, not from the top. But on the 107th day of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the runaway Macondo well has been rendered 'static' and now looks very much like a harmless hole clogged with 13-pound-per-gallon gunk."

* The long-term effects may yet be awful, but administration scientists reported today that "most" of the oil that gushed into the Gulf of Mexico since April "has dissipated or been removed from the water."

* A homemade explosive reportedly went off near Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's motorcade today. He was unharmed.

* Republicans will not filibuster Elena Kagan's Supreme Court nomination.

* Senate Democrats released a video documenting the instances in which Republicans fought against economic recovery efforts. It's quite a list.

* Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) uses an op-ed to endorse a Democratic childhood nutrition bill. Good for him.

* Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) intended to attend a funeral for four U.S. servicemembers killed last week, but stayed in D.C. for some key votes. Instead, he delivered some touching remarks from the Senate floor.

* Speaking of worthwhile remarks from senators, I was impressed with Sen. Bob Menendez's (D-N.J.) remarks after he was asked by a reporter about the GOP drive to repeal part of the 14th Amendment.

* Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) makes a funny at Sharron Angle's expense.

* Did you catch the deeply satisfying Stephen Colbert interview with GOP hack Laura Ingraham?

* Another college will no longer require applicants to submit SAT scores for admission.

* Jon Chait on Cordoba House opponents: "This episode is a major statement about American pluralism, minority rights and America's ability to make the necessary divide between moderate and extremist Muslims. A lot of people are going to eventually feel ashamed about where they stood."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* There may be more than one reason for this, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) noted this morning that he will not travel to Nevada this year to campaign against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D). Indeed, McConnell was unequivocal: "I am not going to Nevada."

* If you're inclined to believe Rasmussen, the pollster finds former Bush budget director Rob Portman leading Ohio's Senate race by four, topping Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D), 44% to 40%.

* On a related note, Rasmussen also shows the GOP leading in Ohio's gubernatorial race, with former Rep. John Kasich (R) up by three over incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland (D), 45% to 42%.

* In still more Rasmussen-related news, the pollster finds Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) leading failed HP CEO Carly Fiorina (R) in California, 45% to 40%.

* In Kentucky, Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo (D) yesterday endorsed state Attorney General Jack Conway's (D) Senate campaign, but he didn't seem especially happy about it -- Conway defeated Mongiardo in a rather bitter primary fight.

* In Connecticut, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Ned Lamont leading Dan Malloy in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, 45% to 40%. The same poll finds Tom Foley as the leading Republican candidate in the race.

* And in Michigan, a Republican primary in Rep. Bart Stupak's (D) House district is coming down to literally just one vote. Something to consider the next time someone says one vote can't make a difference.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* It's working: "BP says engineers have finished plugging the blown-out Gulf of Mexico well with cement in their effort to permanently seal it."

* After breaking a GOP filibuster yesterday, the Senate approved the state aid/jobs bill this afternoon. The final vote was 61 to 39.

* Discouraging: "This morning, the Department of Labor said that initial jobless claims edged up last week, from 460,000 to 479,000. Economists expected the number of claims to decrease. The weekly figure is the highest since April."

* Al-Shabab is clearly trying to appeal to Somali Americans: "Federal indictments unsealed Thursday in Minnesota, Alabama and California charge 14 people with terrorism offenses for allegedly aiding the radical Islamist al-Shabab organization in Somalia."

* The Affordable Care Act has "strengthened Medicare's financial condition," with the Medicare trust fund "predicted to last a dozen years longer than expected a year ago, according to a new government forecast." I'll look forward to Republicans explaining why this is a bad thing.

* On a related note, there's no Social Security crisis, either.

* So much for net neutrality? "Google and Verizon, two leading players in Internet service and content, are nearing an agreement that could allow Verizon to speed some online content to Internet users more quickly if the content's creators are willing to pay for the privilege." Google is denying the accuracy of the story.

* In related news: "The Federal Communications Commission Thursday suspended its weeks-long series of talks with Internet providers on net neutrality, dealing a blow to efforts to produce a deal that the agency could take to Congress."

* Senate Republicans are now once again blocking the nomination of James Clapper to be director of national intelligence.

* Can cramdown make a comeback?

* Stepping up in support of 99ers: "Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) introduced a bill Wednesday that would provide extra weeks of benefits to people who've reached the end of their unemployment insurance lifelines."

* Target is sorry about its right-wing campaign contribution.

* Fascinating story about conservatives playing a rigged game with Digg.

* Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) takes a firm stance against the "shameful and divisive" tactics from the right against the Cordoba House.

* Making it a little easier to see how colleges spend their money.

* Karl Rove guest hosting for Rush Limbaugh. Imagine that.

* Fox News really should be able to tell the difference between Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Shirley Sherrod. The network doesn't have many African-American viewers, but this is just sad.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Two more extreme candidates in Tennessee's gubernatorial primary effectively knocked each other out, clearing the way for Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam to win the GOP nomination. He'll face businessman Mike McWherter (D) in November.

* Also in Tennessee, Rep. Steve Cohen (D) easily won his primary fight against former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton, who hoped to make the election about race. It didn't work.

* The DSCC is now weighing whether to give up entirely on Sen. Blanche Lincoln's (D) struggling re-election bid in Arkansas.

* Colorado's Democratic Senate primary may experience a shake-up in light of reports that Denver's school system, in 2008, relied on an "exotic" financial transaction that put the district in deeper debt. Sen. Michael Bennet (D) was superintendent of the school system at the time.

* Speaking of Colorado, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (D), this year's Democratic gubernatorial nominee, has asked university president Joe Garcia to be his running mate. Garcia would be the state's first Hispanic lieutenant governor.

* Despite being a D.C. corporate lobbyist, Dan Coats (R) is still leading Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D) in Indiana's U.S. Senate race, 50% to 35%.

* In Florida, the latest Mason-Dixon polls show Rick Scott leading the Republican gubernatorial primary, and Jeff Greene leading the Democratic Senate primary.

* Scott, meanwhile, is being accused of hiding details about nearly a dozen lawsuits, which portray his company "as a ruthless employer who discriminated or cut corners in pursuit of profit."

* In Arizona, U.S. Senate candidate John Dougherty has accused his Democratic primary challenger, Rodney Glassman, "of being homophobic, and said he needs to address a comment he made about openly gay Tucson Councilwoman Karin Uhlich."

* And speaking of Arizona, former Vice President Dan Quayle's son, Ben Quayle, is a 33-year old Republican congressional candidate, with a new direct mail piece. It shows him with two young girls, along with text that notes how proud he is to be raising his family in the district. The mailing is drawing attention, though, because the girls in the picture are someone else's daughters.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The finishing touches: "BP is confirming that it plans to use a relief well to shove mud and then cement into the underground reservoir feeding the blown-out Gulf of Mexico well.... Crews have already plugged up the well from the top with mud and cement. But federal officials want BP to plug it from the bottom to make sure it's permanently sealed."

* In light of the disappointing monthly jobs report, Christina Romer, chairwoman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, urged Congress to act swiftly on pending jobs bills. "[T]oday's employment report emphasizes just how important the additional jobs measures before Congress are," Romer said. "In addition to the state fiscal relief nearing passage, the president strongly supports the small business jobs bill and targeted incentives for clean energy investments."

* In related news, Romer won't be making her case much longer: she's stepping down from her post next month.

* The first bill on tap when the Senate returns? The small business incentives measure Republicans blocked last week.

* After an odd week of on-again/off-again holds, the Senate approved James Clapper's nomination as the new director of national intelligence.

* In an unexpected win for Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the Senate also approved a $600 million border-security bill late yesterday.

* Democrats not only expanded the G.I. Bill, they're also making the program more effective.

* I like Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), but his opposition to filibuster reform is very hard to understand.

* I don't like Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), and his aversion to our reality is even harder to understand.

* Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) finally said something about the proposed Cordoba House today. But his message was so cryptic, I'm still not sure what his position is.

* Eva Rodriguez is right; Marc Thiessen can be pretty crazy.

* I'm not sure how anyone can continue to defend the merits of the half-century-old Cuban trade embargo.

* Breitbart parts ways with Kevin Pezzi, concludes that Pezzi's work does not reflect "the principles and values" of his far-right hatchet-job website.

* Given Liz Cheney advocacy work, isn't it unethical for her to guest-host for Sean Hannity? It would, if Fox News had any professional standards at all.

* I know being a Republican tracker isn't glamarous work, but the right really seems to be scraping the bottom of the barrel this year. "Spencer" should probably pursue some other line of work.

* As if the RNC's scandals weren't enough, a longtime employee of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) is filing a lawsuit, accusing Republican officials with creating a hostile environment for both of the NRSC's African-American employees.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* At the summer meeting of the Republican National Committee, chairman Michael Steele vowed to send House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to "the back of the bus." Time for a new speechwriter?

* In related news, the RNC is adjusting its presidential nominating calendar, "moving primaries to later dates and requiring states to allocate their delegates on a proportional basis."

* In Iowa, former right-wing gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats has not endorsed GOP nominee Terry Branstad, but to the disappointment of Democrats, Vander Plaats also announced he won't run as a third-party candidate.

* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) must not be too confident about his primary race -- his campaign launched a new attack ad against challenger J.D. Hayworth this morning, highlighting his ties to the Abramoff lobbying scandal.

* In Illinois, Alexi Giannoulias' (D) Senate campaign has a new spot going after Rep. Mark Kirk (R) for (a) lying a whole lot about his own background; and (b) voting as a Bush lackey for much of the last decade.

* In Connecticut, a new Quinnipiac poll shows a very close Democratic gubernatorial primary, with Ned Lamont leading Dan Malloy, 45% to 42%. The Republican gubernatorial primary is also getting more competitive, with Tom Foley leading Mike Fedele, 38% to 30%.

* On a related note, Quinnipiac also polled the Republican Senate primary, and found former Rep. Rob Simmons' renewed campaign struggling -- he's trailing former wrestling executive Linda McMahon by 22 points -- 50% to 28%.

* If you're inclined to believe Rasmussen, the pollster has Kelly Ayotte (R) with a big lead over Rep. Paul Hodes (D) in New Hampshire's Senate race, 51% to 38%.

* Former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) endorsed candidates in three key races last week -- a Senate candidate in Kansas, a gubernatorial candidate in Tennessee, and a congressional candidate in Georgia. All three lost.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The scope of the Pakistani disaster is staggering: "The number of people suffering from the massive floods in Pakistan exceeds 13 million -- more than the combined total of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the United Nations said Monday. The death toll in each of those three disasters was much higher than the 1,500 people killed so far in the floods that first hit Pakistan two weeks ago. But the U.N. estimates that 13.8 million people have been affected -- over 2 million more than the other disasters combined."

* Following through on a cost-saving commitment: "Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said on Monday that he would close a major military command, restrict the use of outside contractors and reduce the number of generals and admirals across the armed forces to trim back on unaffordable defense spending."

* Another deadly tragedy in Afghanistan: "Gunmen killed 10 members of a medical team, including six Americans, traveling in the rugged mountains of northern Afghanistan, demonstrating the reach of insurgents far from their traditional havens and shocking the expatriate community here."

* In Iraq, too: "Weekend bombings and shootings in Iraq left at least 69 people dead from the north to the south, intensifying fears of a possible surge of violence coinciding with the drawdown of U.S troops."

* House Republicans hope to do no post-election work whatsoever. Are these guys really that lazy?

* Leading Republicans continue to flirt with raising the Social Security retirement age.

* I guess I shouldn't be surprised by Robert Rubin's position on additional stimulus, but here's hoping Democratic officials ignore him.

* Deportations are up, but the Obama administration is sparing one group of immigrants who entered the country illegally: "students who came to the United States without papers when they were children."

* Interesting advice for law students: "When first tier law school graduates are having trouble finding jobs, the ones down the rung are just f**ked."

* Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), who has had some serious health issues in recent years, was hospitalized over the weekend.

* House Minority Leader John Boehner's (R-Ohio) golf habits draw more scrutiny.

* When conservative activists in the U.S. team up with Dutch MP Geert Wilders, there's a problem.

* R.I.P., Tony Judt.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* It's a huge primary day today, with key contests, up and down the ballot, in Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, and Minnesota.

* Whoever wins the gubernatorial primaries in Minnesota, it looks like the presumptive Republican nominee, Tom Emmer, will be the underdog in November. The latest SurveyUSA poll shows former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton (D) leading Emmer in a hypothetical match-up, 46%-32%

* In Delaware, Rep. Mike Castle (R) still leads Chris Coons (D) by a healthy margin. A new DailyKos/Public Policy Polling survey shows the Republican leading, 48% to 35%, which actually seems a little closer than expected to me.

* The three-way contest in Rhode Island's gubernatorial race has led to a very competitive race. The latest poll from Brown University shows Frank Caprio (D) leading Lincoln Chafee (I) by just one point.

* In Illinois' increasingly bizarre Senate race, Rep. Mark Kirk (R) is now suggesting, through some odd degrees of separation, that Alexi Giannoulias' (D) family's bank is somehow connected to Saddam Hussein.

* And in Connecticut, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) said he's "probably" running for re-election in 2012, but he hasn't "decided fully." Markos Moulitsas noted in response, "I live in perpetual fear that Joe Lieberman will retire, thus depriving us the opportunity to help kick him to the curb."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Federal Reserve's confidence in the economic recovery has faded to the point that it will now "use the proceeds from its huge mortgage-bond portfolio to buy long-term Treasury securities."

* Paul Krugman reacts: "The Fed's current policy is grossly inadequate, logically bizarre, and slightly -- but only slightly -- encouraging.... [I]t was, literally, the least the Fed could do."

* A plane crash in Alaska this morning claimed the life of former Sen. Ted Stevens (R). Former NASA chief Sean O'Keefe was on board the same flight, but is believed to have survived.

* Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) doesn't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.

* In Afghanistan, the number of civilians being killed rose 25% in the first six months of 2010, mostly at the hands of Taliban insurgents.

* Good public health news: "The H1N1 pandemic has officially ended, the World Health Organization declared Tuesday." Don't underestimate the importance of competent government agencies acting effectively.

* The House today approved a $600 million border security bill, but some jurisdictional issues means the Senate will have to vote on it again. The Senate interrupting its August recess to approve the measure is a possibility.

* Google and Verizon voice support for rules that would limit net neutrality when it comes to mobile phones.

* Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) is reportedly resting comfortably after surgery today to remove his gallbladder.

* This really isn't a healthy development: "Americans now owe more in student loans than they do on their credit cards."

* How misguided is the Republican campaign against the 14th Amendment? Fox News analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano blasted GOP leaders on the air today.

* And this isn't especially political, but I absolutely loved the story about a young woman quitting her job through 33 cleverly-written erase-board messages.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Yesterday's cliffhanger in Georgia's Republican gubernatorial primary appears to have been resolved. This morning, Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel reportedly conceded to former Rep. Nathan Deal, who appears to have won by less than 1%. Deal will face former Gov. Roy Barnes (D) in November.

* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (I) will attend a fundraising event tonight hosted by Clinton campaign aides Mark Penn and Nancy Jacobson, suggesting increasing Democratic support for the former Republican in this year's Senate race.

* Speaking of Florida, if you're inclined to believe Rasmussen, the pollster shows Crist edging Marco Rubio (R) by one if Jeff Greene is the Democratic nominee, but trailing Rubio by five if Rep. Kendrick Meek wins the Dem primary.

* In his first television ad of the cycle, Rep. Charlie Melancon, the Democratic Senate nominee in Louisiana, tells voters that Sen. David Vitter (R) "hasn't been honest with Louisiana." Melancon adds, "I'm a pro-life, pro-gun Louisiana Democrat. I've been a businessman most of my life.... I'll work with anyone, if it's the right thing to do for Louisiana."

* In Ohio, a Reuters/Ipsos poll shows former Bush budget director Rob Portman (R) leading this year's open Senate race, topping Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D) by seven, 43% to 36%. The poll also shows a considerable enthusiasm gap benefiting the GOP.

* In the state of Washington, which has a top-two, multi-candidate primary, SurveyUSA shows Sen. Patty Murray (D) leading Dino Rossi (R) , 41% to 33%. Both are expected to be the finalists next week, and will face off, head to head, in November.

* And in Indiana, Rasmussen shows corporate lobbyist Dan Coats (R) trouncing Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D) in this year's Senate race, 50% to 29%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The scope of the disaster in Pakistan may not be fully appreciated: "The United Nations is appealing for $459 million to provide immediate help to millions of flood victims in Pakistan. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said 'the worst monsoon-related floods in living memory' has affected more than 14 million people and at least six or seven million require immediate humanitarian assistance including food, clean water, shelter and medical care. It said over 1,200 people have died and at least 288,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed in the flooding."

* Making matters even worse: "The floods ravaging Pakistan are generating fears that Taliban insurgents could regroup amid the chaos and destruction. The country's already anemic economy is expected to weaken, increasing the poverty that is a factor in the militancy wracking the country."

* Petraeus wants more time; imagine that: "American military officials are building a case to minimize the planned withdrawal of some troops from Afghanistan starting next summer, in an effort to counter growing pressure on President Obama from inside his own party to begin winding the war down quickly."

* The U.S. Senate will convene briefly tomorrow to pass a resolution honoring former Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and to "give unanimous consent for $600 million in emergency funding to help secure the U.S.-Mexico border."

* Five applicants for every one job opening in the U.S.

* The ads worked: "Higher-than-anticipated response rates and an overqualified temporary workforce helped the U.S. Census Bureau keep the 2010 Census at least $1.6 billion under budget, officials announced Tuesday."

* Paul Krugman explains the significance of the 10-year bond rate, and why it's low percentage matters.

* Oh good, David Horowitz has a new project "encouraging conservative college students to be officially troublesome."

* George W. Bush apparently used to refer to Charles Krauthammer and William Kristol as "the bomber boys." How very amusing.

* Andrew Sabl considers the similarities between President Obama's first two years, and President Reagan's first two years, in that both saw falling approval ratings coincide with rising unemployment. Sabl notes a key difference, however: "Millions of lives were ruined in the Reagan Recession. But Reagan's core supporters weren't the ones most affected, and their ideology helped them rationalize not caring about those who were affected. Democrats just aren't like that. The party's political problem isn't just unemployment. It's unemployment combined with being the party that avowedly cares about unemployment and whose members are likely to be feeling it."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A story that might shake up Florida's gubernatorial race: "Two weeks before Florida's primary, new allegations of improper Medicare billing by Solantic, a health care company co-founded by Rick Scott, have surfaced, in addition to charges made by former Solantic doctors that their names and licenses were used without their consent."

* It took a little longer than expected, but Minnesota state House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher officially conceded the Democratic gubernatorial primary yesterday, giving former Sen. Mark Dayton the nomination. "I offered him my full support. He will make an excellent governor," Kelliher said in a statement.

* Any chance former Rep. Tom Tancredo will drop his independent gubernatorial bid in Colorado, now that right-wing novice Dan Maes won the Republican primary? Apparently not. "I have a better chance of winning in a three-way race than Maes has in a two-way race," Tancredo said yesterday.

* On a related note, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) leading Colorado's gubernatorial race, whether he faces one opponent or two. In a head-to-head race with Maes, Hickenlooper leads by 12; in a three-way contest with Tancredo in the mix, Hickenlooper is up by 25.

* If you're inclined to believe Rasmussen, the pollster finds Rep. Roy Blunt (R) leading Missouri's Senate race by seven, topping Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D), 50% to 43%.

* Rand Paul (R), the extremist Senate candidate in Kentucky, was forced to apologize yesterday for mischaracterizing the Fancy Farm political church picnic during a Fox News appearance. Paul characterized it as a rowdy gathering, where attendees routinely throw beer. The local Catholic Church that hosts the event, where no alcohol is served, was not amused.

* Arizona congressional candidate Ben Quayle (R), son of a certain former V.P., has been a contributing writer to a raunchy, sex-themed website -- a background he initially lied to reporters about.

* Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) will not challenge President Obama in a Democratic primary in 2012. Good to know.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* A fifth of Pakistan is currently underwater. The U.N. estimates that "about 14 million people have been affected by the floods, 6 million of them are children, according to the United Nations children's organization, usually known as Unicef. Estimates of the dead have ranged between 1,200 and 1,600."

* I sure wish someone would do something: "This morning, the Department of Labor reported that weekly initial jobless claims climbed to the highest level in five months, up 2,000 to 484,000, with last week's number revised up to 482,000. That was nearly 20,000 higher than economists expected."

* The Senate reconvened very briefly today, and by unanimous consent, approved a $600 million bill for border security.

* I'm really glad Republicans were prevented from killing off GM: "In a signal moment for the turnaround of the American auto industry, General Motors is edging toward a public stock sale, and its profits are now solid enough that the demanding CEO will step aside, saying his work is done."

* Jon Chait's amusing takedowns of Pete Wehner's propaganda take on a poetic flair.

* A New Hampshire state lawmaker resigned today after joking about Sarah Palin's death on Facebook.

* The Republican base, meanwhile, continues to use violent rhetoric when lashing out against Democratic lawmakers.

* I feel like I see this sentiment more and more all the time: "A sign of how radical and extremist the GOP now is: on the question of the war on terror (and immigration), some of us are beginning to see the relative moderation and sophistication of George W. Bush."

* Daniel Luzer: "At what point will Americans just refuse to pay huge sums of money to attend college? It's hard to tell but this does make for an interesting element to the 'is college worth it' discussion."

* Jon Stewart considered congressional Republicans' rhetoric on economic policy on "The Daily Show" last night. Responding to rhetoric from House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), Stewart said, "That is either the most profound or most retarded statement I've ever heard. You know what, actually it's the most profoundly retarded statement I've ever heard."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Nevada's closely-watched Senate race, a new Mason-Dixon poll shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) leading Sharron Angle (R) by just two points, 46% to 44%.

* In Florida, disgraced former health care executive Rick Scott's (R) scandalous past seems to be catching up with him. As more revelations come to light, his once-strong standing in the Republican gubernatorial primary is falling apart, and a new Mason-Dixon poll shows him trailing state A.G. Bill McCollum, 34% to 30%. As the two GOP gubernatorial candidates continue to slam each other, state CFO Alex Sink (D) now leads both Republicans in hypothetical match-ups.

* In a display of post-primary unity in Colorado, former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff joined Sen. Michael Bennet for a rally yesterday, endorsing his Democratic rival and urging his supporters to focus on helping elect Bennet in November.

* On a related note, Rasmussen, unlike other recent independent polls, shows GOP oddball Ken Buck leading Bennet, 46% to 41%.

* The gloves are coming off in Louisiana, where Rep. Charlie Melancon's (D) new ad goes after Sen. David Vitter (R) for hiring prostitutes, having a weak legislative record, and for hiring an abusive criminal to oversee women's issues.

* While most polls in California show Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) leading in her re-election bid, SurveyUSA shows failed former HP CEO Carly Fiorina out in front, 47% to 42%.

* Speaking of California, SurveyUSA also shows former eBay CEO Meg Whitman (R) with a narrow lead over state A.G. Jerry Brown (D), 44% to 43%.

* And in case there were any doubts, Sen. Dick Lugar (R) will seek re-election in 2012.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* One more step in the Gulf: "Although tests of BP's Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico appear to show that it is fully sealed, the government said Friday that work on a relief well will continue to complete the job of permanently plugging the gusher."

* If only 60 senators cared: "Last month was the second warmest July on record, and so far 2010 remains on track to be the hottest year."

* Was Congress' ban on ACORN funding a bill of attainder? The 2nd Circuit says no: "A federal appellate court has reversed a lower court's holding that a congressional ban on funding to ACORN violated the Constitution, and held instead that the law passes muster." The three-judge panel was unanimous.

* White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is wrapping up his thoughts on the "professional left," and told the Huffington Post that President Obama's desire to be pushed and held accountable by the left hasn't changed. "I also stand by my statement... that the vast majority of progressives and those on the left, whether that's bloggers or groups or what have you, do not hold those beliefs and are pushing in good faith for a better country as they see it," Gibbs said. "The president has urged those who want change to push for it and hold him accountable, and that's how he feels."

* Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) holds a press conference. The House Democratic caucus hopes no one watched.

* Dahlia Lithwick on the "real tragedy of the Omar Khadr trial."

* National Review's Andy McCarthy inadvertently makes the case that Liz Cheney worked for an organization that was "transparently pro-Palestinian and pro-sharia."

* Support for Social Security remains strong nationwide, but confusion about the program's finances is far too widespread.

* Will Fox News keep pushing the New Black Panther Party nonsense? Take a wild guess.

* I always appreciate it when Yglesias incorporates sci-fi into his worthwhile policy observations.

* Come to think of it, I also always appreciate it when Krugman incorporates sci-fi into his worthwhile policy observations, too. Isn't the overlap between political junkies and sci-fi fans great?

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Kansas, Republican congressional candidate Mike Pompeo directed his supporters late last week to an online item calling his Democratic opponent, Raj Goyle, "just another 'turban topper.'" The same piece said only Christians should hold public office. Pompeo's campaign later apologized.

* Rep. Joe Sestak's (D) Senate campaign in Pennsylvania got a boost today with an endorsement from NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I).

* In Florida's GOP gubernatorial primary, some recent polls showed Rick Scott falling behind Bill McCollum, but the latest Ipsos poll shows the disgraced former health care executive out in front, 42% to 32%.

* On a related note, the winner of the GOP primary will face Florida CFO Alex Sink (D), who has a new ad making fun for Scott and McCollum for their constant bickering.

* In Colorado, where Dan Maes managed to somehow win the Republican gubernatorial primary, some state GOP leaders still hope to convince him to just go away. It seems unlikely they'll succeed.

* In Nevada, Brian Sandoval (R) continues to lead this year's gubernatorial race over Rory Reid (D), with the latest Mason-Dixon poll showing him ahead, 52% to 36%.

* A number of Massachusetts Democrats hope to persuade Vicky Kennedy, Ted Kennedy's widow, to challenge Sen. Scott Brown (R) when he seeks re-election. At this point, she seems unlikely to run.

* And if you're inclined to believe Rasmussen, the pollster finds former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton (D) leading Minnesota's gubernatorial race, topping state Rep. Tom Emmer (R), 45% to 36%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The devastating floods in Pakistan will likely have a painful, lasting impact.

* Defense Secretary Robert Gates mused over retirement while chatting with Fred Kaplan, but despite some news accounts, he didn't exactly announce when he'd step down.

* Over the weekend, President Obama made yet another trip to the Gulf Coast. He heralded the spill-related progress, but assuring locals, "I'm here to tell you that our job is not finished, and we are not going anywhere until it is."

* And yes, he swam in the water.

* Likely to get NATO's attention: "President Hamid Karzai intends to disband all private security companies in Afghanistan within four months, his spokesman said Monday, a timeline that likely will meet with strong resistance from NATO forces who rely heavily on the companies to provide security to convoys and installations across the country."

* On a related note, while Afghan and NATO troops tend to focus on the Taliban threat in the south and east, insurgents are making new inroads in northern Afghanistan.

* An exceedingly rare occurrence on health care costs: "For the first time in 35 years, the one sector of the economy always guaranteed to get more expensive suddenly became a bit cheaper in July."

* The six-year Justice Department investigation into disgraced former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) has ended, though state criminal charges are still pending.

* Ella: "The Food and Drug Administration approved a controversial new form of emergency contraception Friday that can prevent a pregnancy as many as five days after sex."

* China is poised to overtake Japan as the world's second largest economy.

* What for-profit schools do well.

* On a related note, if Republicans took seriously the notion of getting health care costs under control, they'd love the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). Unfortunately, Republicans don't take seriously the notion of getting health care costs under control.

* Great Maddow segment on Social Security (and not just because I'm quoted towards the end).

* Veteran GOP strategist Ed Rollins was asked yesterday whether Republicans should "do something" about their ridiculous party chairman, Michael Steele. While Rollins said there's no time for a change, he conceded, "Obviously, he's been a disaster." I have a hunch Democrats would disagree.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* It's primary day in Wyoming and the state of Washington. The former will host a gubernatorial primary, while the latter holds a Senate primary.

* Disgraced former health care executive Rick Scott (R) launched a new television ad yesterday, urging voters to elect him governor of Florida because he opposes a community center in lower Manhattan. He made no effort to connect the two in any way, but seems to hope GOP primary voters aren't very bright.

* In Michigan's 1st congressional district, Dan Benishek has won a congressional Republican primary by just 15 votes. His opponent, state Sen. Jason Allen, could have requested a recount, but instead conceded the race yesterday.

* The death of a professional wrestler has brought the issue of steroid abuse back to the fore in Linda McMahon's (R) Senate campaign in Connecticut.

* Speaking of Connecticut, if you're inclined to believe Rasmussen, the pollster shows Dan Malloy (D) leading Tom Foley (R) in this year's open gubernatorial race, 48% to 33%.

* In Pennsylvania, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows former right-wing Rep. Pat Toomey (R) leading Rep. Joe Sestak (D) in this year's Senate race, 45% to 36%.

* Just in time for the midterms, Daily Kos is launching an email activism effort, which will be managed by Chris Bowers.

* And in case there were any doubts, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) is "absolutely" running for re-election in 2011.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Baghdad: "A suicide bomber struck early on Tuesday at an army recruiting office here, killing dozens in the first major bombing of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan — a period made more fraught than in previous years by the looming deadline for American forces to replace their combat mission here with a training role." The toll so far: 48 dead and 129 wounded.

* Crisis in Pakistan: "With disastrous flooding spreading yet more widely in Pakistan, reports of looting and protests over food on Tuesday deepened the sense of desperation across Punjab Province, the country's most populous region and its agricultural hub."

* It wasn't much, but I'm so desperate for good economic news that a slight improvement in the housing market and a jump in industrial production seemed huge.

* The things one finds when cleaning up: "The CIA has videotapes, after all, of interrogations in a secret overseas prison of admitted 9/11 plotter Ramzi Binalshibh. Discovered in a box under a desk at the CIA, the tapes could reveal how foreign governments aided the United States in holding and interrogating suspects. And they could complicate U.S. efforts to prosecute Binalshibh, who has been described as one of the 'key plot facilitators' in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks."

* A step in the right direction: "The White House is preparing a package of measures that would expand opportunities for Americans to travel to Cuba and send money there, congressional and Obama administration officials said Tuesday." The measures won't need congressional support.

* Great pieces on Park51 from Dana Milbank and Peter Beinart.

* Don't expect George W. Bush to step up and set his party straight.

* Rep. Michael Arcuri (D) of New York really ought to be ashamed of himself.

* Jonathan Cohn is back from New Orleans, offering an in-depth look at the city five years after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. His first installment was yesterday, the second was published this morning. Worth a read.

* She's absolutely right: "Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has taken up the cause of reforming state judicial campaign and election systems, writing that the 'crisis of confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary is real and growing.'"

* Yet another worthwhile stimulus project that wouldn't exist if the GOP had its way.

* I think Roger Simon intended this to be tongue-in-cheek. I also think a lot of folks didn't pick up on the sarcasm.

* Daniel Luzer: "[T]he majority of students who attend for-profit schools don't pay back their loans. This isn't really much of a surprise. More interestingly, however, this indicates that loan repayment rates are pretty bad everywhere."

* Elon Green lists the "10 Young Right-Wingers Being Prepped to Take Over the Conservative Movement."

* The estimable Anonymous Liberal: "If terrorists 'hate us because of our freedoms,' then failing to respect those freedoms amounts to appeasement, right? ... That makes Bill Kristol the Neville Chamberlain of this debate. If he was capable of logical thought, his head might explode."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In the state of Washington, Sen. Patty Murray (D) and Dino Rossi (R) won a "top-two" primary yesterday, and will face off against one another in November. Former football player Clint Didier (R) finished a distant third, despite support from Tea Partiers and Sarah Palin.

* Wyoming Republicans held their gubernatorial primary yesterday, and Matthew Mead narrowly defeated state Auditor Rita Meyer, despite Palin's backing of Meyer. Leslie Peterson narrowly won the Democratic primary, and will face Mead in the fall.

* In Kentucky's closely-watched Senate race, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Rand Paul (R) leading state Attorney General Jack Conway (D) by just five, 45% to 40%. Other recent polling has shown Paul with a larger lead.

* In Florida, a new Quinnipiac poll shows the self-financers trailing in their respective primaries. In the GOP gubernatorial race, state Attorney General Bill McCollum now leads disgraced former health insurance executive Rick Scott. 44% to 35%. In the Democratic Senate race, Rep. Kendrick Meek leads Jeff Greene, 35% to 28%.

* The latest survey from Public Policy Polling on Illinois' Senate race shows Alexi Giannoulias (D) with a two-point edge over Rep. Mark Kirk (R), 37% to 35%.

* In Missouri's Senate race, Public Policy Polling finds Rep. Roy Blunt (R) leading Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) by seven, 45% to 38%.

* Former Rep. Pat Toomey (R), the leading Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, fought for years to deregulate risky derivatives on Wall Street. This week, it's starting to come back to haunt him.

* Rep. Zack Space (D-Ohio) continues to feel the heat from his former supporters after voting with Republicans against health care reform in March. The Service Employees International Union is launching a program, called "Skip-a-Space," urging Democrats to withhold support from the incumbent.

* Former Rep. Rick Lazio (R), running for governor in New York this year, is now building his campaign strategy around hostility for a Muslim community center in lower Manhattan. By all appearances, it's not working.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Flooding crisis in Pakistan: "Shortages of the most basic supplies -- shelter, food and drinking water -- presented the biggest challenge for aid workers in Pakistan, the United Nations said Wednesday. Aid organizations and the United Nations itself have expressed alarm that the plight of millions of Pakistanis flooded from their land has yet to strike a sufficiently sympathetic nerve among donors -- neither governments nor the general public -- with aid trickling in far more slowly than needed."

* Satellite images: Pakistan before and after the flooding.

* Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) was facing 24 criminal counts, but was convicted yesterday on just one. On others, however, the jury was split 11 to 1, and federal prosecutors are likely to try again.

* One of the largest IPO's in American history: "General Motors filed paperwork on Wednesday to become a public company again and let the federal government begin selling down its stake in the carmaker."

* President Obama reminded folks today that Social Security is "not in crisis," and won't be privatized on his watch.

* He also doesn't regret his stated support for First Amendment principles.

* Massey: "Government investigators have cited Massey Energy for failing to report more than 20 accidents at its Upper Big Branch coal mine in the two years before an April explosion killed 29 miners there, according to documents released by the Mine Safety and Health Administration on Tuesday."

* I don't know what's gotten into Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) lately, but just a few weeks ago, he said there's "no question" that Elizabeth Warren is "qualified" to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Now, he's taking a very different position.

* The right hyperventilated a bit today, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) does not want an investigation into conservative critics of the Park51 community center.

* Former Bush administration Solicitor General Ted Olson, a 9/11 widower and an attorney best known for arguing on behalf of Republicans in Bush v. Gore, thinks Obama "was probably right" to support religious liberty on the Park51 matter.

* Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) has a reputation for being one of the more shamelessly anti-Muslim members of Congress, and even he thinks Newt Gingrich went too far with his Nazi comparisons.

* Note, however, that the increasingly despicable Karl Rove is making similarly vile comparisons.

* Why not have a debate about student-loan forgiveness?

* Is the DISCLOSE Act dead? Not quite yet.

* One can always tell when former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) writes her own tweets -- they're the ones with made-up words.

* Do we really need another Sunday public affairs show? Probably not, but we're getting one anyway.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Louisiana, Sen. David Vitter's (R) primary challenger, Chet Traylor, has a very hard-hitting new radio ad, urging Republicans to "man up" and vote out the incumbent.

* In Florida, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Gov. Charlie Crist (I) leading this year's Senate race, enjoying a seven point lead over Marco Rubio (R), 39% to 32%. Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) is a distant third at 16%.

* On a related note, the same poll shows state CFO Alex Sink (D) edging ahead in Florida's gubernatorial race, topping state A.G. Bill McCollum (R) by two and disgraced former health care executive Rick Scott by four.

* In Pennsylvania, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows former right-wing Rep. Pat Toomey (R) leading Rep. Joe Sestak (D) in this year's Senate race, 45% to 36%.

* PPP also finds the Republican leading Pennsylvania's gubernatorial race, with Tom Corbett (R) well ahead of Dan Onorato (D), 48% to 35%.

* Colorado Republicans still hope to convince Dan Maes to drop his odd gubernatorial campaign, even after winning last week's GOP primary, but the candidate doesn't appear willing to go anywhere.

* On a related note, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (D), now the leading gubernatorial candidate, has an amusing new ad in which he spends a fair amount of time in the shower.

* In Missouri, Senate candidate Robin Carnahan (D) has a tough new ad targeting Rep. Roy Blunt (R), identifying him as the leading proponent of the unpopular financial industry bailout. It includes a quote from CBS's Bob Schieffer, during an interview with Blunt, identifying the Republican as the man who "carried the water for the Bush administration."

* To say Republicans are cruising in Kansas' statewide races would be an understatement. A new SurveyUSA poll shows Rep. Jerry Moran (R) leading the U.S. Senate race by 46 points, and Sen. Sam Brownback (R) leading the gubernatorial race by 42 points.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Pakistan: "As Pakistan grapples with a staggering humanitarian disaster that has left millions of people homeless and many more cut off without food or clean water, American officials both here and abroad pledged increased support to the nation on Thursday, hoping to bolster a relationship that is widely viewed as critical to stability in the region. Before heading to the United Nations to appeal for more aid, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the creation of a special fund to alleviate the suffering in Pakistan, urging American families to contribute to it directly."

* Let's try not to forget the Gulf, OK? "New research confirms the existence of a huge plume of dispersed oil deep in the Gulf of Mexico and suggests that it has not broken down rapidly, raising the possibility that it might pose a threat to wildlife for months or even years."

* According to the Congressional Budget Office, this year's deficit will be slightly smaller than last year's. (New Democratic talking point: "GOP made the deficit bigger, we're making it smaller!")

* Mike Allen's report on the administration and Social Security caused a fair amount of consternation today, but there's ample reason for skepticism.

* With 40% of Americans in their 20s moving back into their parents' house at least once, the causes seem to be economic, not social/cultural.

* I suspect we'll be hearing more anecdotes like these: "An influential Muslim GOP donor is at the end of her tether, and tells TPM she may eventually have to leave the Republican party over its opposition to the Cordoba House project and other anti-Muslim positions. 'I don't know if I'll be a Republican a year from now,' says Seeme Hasan, who chairs the Hasan Family Foundation in Colorado, and close ties to the Republican party leadership."

* When a hysterical right-wing candidate get worked up about "Coexist" bumper stickers, it's evidence of a man with too much time on his hands.

* Oh good, Dr. Laura has found a friend after her racist on-air tirade.

* Just so we're clear, 9/11 is not a place.

* Quote of the Day from Jon Stewart: "I really think, if anything, the Republicans should be paying Fox News millions and millions of dollars -- not the other way around."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Bill Clinton to the rescue: "The former president has become one of the party's best salesmen. He has long been in demand to raise money for Democratic candidates, but now there is a more pressing need: raising the spirits of Democratic voters, dispensing wisdom as he works to put the party's political challenges into a broader context. A decade after he was banished from the campaign trail -- seen at the time as a liability to Vice President Al Gore's presidential ambitions -- Mr. Clinton is now the most sought-after Democrat, logging 29 stops so far this year with more to come in the fall. "

* A Kentucky cable news channel, CN2, polled the state's closely watched U.S. Senate race, and found the two challengers effectively tied. State Attorney General Jack Conway (D) had 41.7% support, while right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul (R) had 41.2%.

* In a demonstration of just how far some Blue Dogs are willing to go, Rep. Joe Donnelly (D) of Indiana has a new ad blasting cap-and-trade, calling it Nancy Pelosi's "energy tax." Donnelly is, in other words, incorporating specific Republican talking points into his re-election message.

* After a very aggressive radio ad from his primary challenger this week, Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) is threatening to sue any in-state radio stations that agree to air the spot. Among the problems: Chet Traylor alleges in the ad that Vitter assaulted a former female opponent.

* Rep. Artur Davis, after his surprisingly awful showing in Alabama's Democratic gubernatorial primary, is lashing out at Ron Sparks, who beat him easily: "Davis' words drip with disdain and lingering bitterness, providing a pathetic and potentially final note to a political career that was once noted for its fast ascendance and seemingly limitless potential."

* The latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Bill Brady (R) leading incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn (D) in this year's gubernatorial race, 39% to 30%. Quinn's support would likely be higher, but a Green Party candidate is currently generating 11% support.

* In Florida, state CFO Alex Sink, the Dems' gubernatorial nominee, tapped former gubernatorial candidate Rod Smith yesterday as her running mate.

* And for all the talk about various potential GOP kingmakers, right-wing Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) appears to have the strongest record in helping Republicans win primaries.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Once more, back to the table: "Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced Friday that Israel and the Palestinians would resume direct negotiations in Washington on Sept. 2, awakening hopes for the Middle East peace process but leaving many key questions unanswered. Mrs. Clinton said that she hoped an agreement could be reached within a year and that the negotiations would cover all the so-called 'final status' issues."

* Four new White House recess appointments: "Maria del Carmen Aponte to chief of mission for the Republic of El Salvador; Elisabeth Hagen to undersecretary for food safety at the Department of Agriculture; Winslow Sargeant to chief counsel of advocacy for the Small Business Administration; and Richard Sorian to assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services." None is considered especially controversial

* I'm glad to see the Chamber of Commerce back off its ridiculous blog post about the gender pay gap. The Chamber's COO David Chavern called his own blog's piece "simplistic and misguided," adding that it was built on "an argument from the 1960's."

* Charles Krauthammer should know that when he picks a fight with Greg Sargent, Greg is going to make him look bad.

* It's probably an inconvenient time to mention it, but the World Trade Center was a work of Islamic architecture.

* Some of the common perceptions about Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner's background aren't true.

* The significance of Viktor Bout being extradited to the U.S.

* When bad schemes go awry: "It seemed like a brilliant idea: provide a way for tea party-conscious consumers and tea party-sympathetic businesses to join forces and, well, support their local tea party. It ended in disaster, hurt feelings and more than a few accusations of flim-flammery."

* If the company had it to do over again, I suspect Target wouldn't be foolish enough to get involved in Minnesota's gubernatorial race.

* I do enjoy it when Adam Serwer uses video games to make broader political observations.

* It's a whole lot easier for students to pay their own way through college when tuition isn't excessively, crushingly expensive.

* Bill O'Reilly told Glenn Beck he'll give Beck his timeslot if more than 100,000 people show up for next week's right-wing rally in D.C. Bad idea: "It doesn't really matter how many people show up for Beck's rally. If 10,000 people turn out, he'll say there were a quarter of a million people in attendance. If 100,000 people do actually show up, he'll say there were nearly a billion people there. And Fox News will have his back, breathlessly inflating the turn out estimates, all evidence to the contrary be damned."

* And selective outrage about the "N-word" is never a good idea.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* With Florida's high-profile primaries on deck for tomorrow, there's a flurry of new data to consider. In the Republican gubernatorial primary, Mason-Dixon shows state Attorney General Bill McCollum out in front of Rick Scott by nine points (45% to 36%); Quinnipiac shows McCollum up by four points (39% to 35%); while Public Policy Polling shows Scott ahead by seven points (47% to 40%).

* As for the Sunshine State's Democratic U.S. Senate primary, Mason-Dixon shows Rep. Kendrick Meek out in front of Jeff Greeene by 12 points (42% to 30%); Quinnipiac shows Meek up by 10 points (39% to 29%); while Public Policy Polling shows Meek ahead by 24 points (51% to 27%).

* Arizona will also hold its Republican U.S. Senate primary tomorrow, and while the race was at one time expected to be competitive, Sen. John McCain, after spending heavily, is now expected to easily dispatch former Rep. J.D. Hayworth.

* The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee's priorities for the fall are beginning to take shape, with the DSCC "reserving millions of dollars in TV airtime during the month before the election in four competitive states." On the list: Missouri and Kentucky (Republican pick-up opportunities), and Pennsylvania and Colorado (protecting Democratic seats).

* The U.S. Chamber of Commerce will practically be a third party this year, investing $75 million in the 2010 midterms. Nearly all, if not literally all, of the money will help conservative Republicans.

* The latest candidate to exploit 9/11 imagery for personal gain? New York gubernatorial hopeful Rick Lazio (R).

* The Senate race in the state of Washington is getting a little messy for Republicans, with Tea Party favorite Clint Didier refusing to endorse Dino Rossi in the wake of last week's primary.

* Borrowing a page from his father's playbook, Kentucky Senate hopeful Rand Paul (R) hosted a two-day "money bomb" last week. It didn't go well -- the campaign raised $258,000, far short of its $400,000-plus goal.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* This doesn't sound good: "A U.S. district court issued a preliminary injunction on Monday stopping federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research in a slap to the Obama administration's new guidelines on the sensitive issue."

* This was opposed by many Republicans on the Hill, but it should help a lot of folks: "The sweeping reform of the credit card industry was finally completed Sunday as the last pieces of the landmark federal law designed to stop unfair or deceptive practices took effect. The final phase restricts how much card issuers can charge in penalty fees compared with the amount of the violation. For example, if you are late paying a credit card bill with a $10 minimum payment, the penalty charge cannot be more than $10."

* Xe reaches a settlement: "The private security company formerly called Blackwater Worldwide, long plagued by accusations of impropriety, has reached an agreement with the State Department for the company to pay $42 million in fines for hundreds of violations of United States export control regulations."

* The Cooch is always up to no good: "Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II, who is anti-abortion, has issued a legal opinion allowing greater restrictions on abortion clinics, drawing swift criticism from providers who say it could cause some of the facilities to close."

* Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) shows 'em how it's done.

* Media Matters has some new thoughts to share about Fox News getting a front-row seat in the White House press room. News Corp's $1 million check to the RGA changes things.

* A Texas Republican House candidate in Texas doesn't want to commit to supporting Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio). That's interesting.

* Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) believes conditions in Afghanistan are improving, thanks to the escalation. I really hope he's right, but I seem to recall Graham making very similar remarks in 2004 and 2005 about Iraq.

* How far gone is former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa./Va.)? He's praising Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) for "the quality of his arguments." Wow.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* It's primary day in Florida, Vermont, Oklahoma, Arizona, and Alaska. Among the statewide races to keep an eye on, other than the Florida contests, are the five-way Democratic gubernatorial primary in Vermont, the McCain-Hayworth contest in Arizona, and the Republican Senate primary in Alaska.

* Just a week after Rep. Joe Sestak's (D) Senate campaign in Pennsylvania won an endorsement from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I), the retired three-star Navy admiral won the support this week of former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.).

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D) new ad in Nevada reminds voters that Sharron Angle (R) has opposed an effort to save school teachers' jobs and has demanded that the government shut down the Department of Education. It's part of the "too extreme" message.

* The Arkansas AFL-CIO has announced that it will not endorse a candidate in the state's U.S. Senate race. Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) could no doubt use the help, but her hostility towards labor made the union's announcement easy to predict.

* In Louisiana, a poll conducted by WWL-TV and other local stations shows Sen. David Vitter (R) leading Rep. Charlie Melancon (D), 48% to 36%.

* The GOP primary in Florida 24th congressional district is getting so vicious, the chairman of the NRCC said this week, "It makes me sick to my stomach."

* In West Virginia's Senate race, Gov. Joe Manchin (D) appears to be off to a good start, leading John Raese (R) in one recent poll, 54% to 32%.

* In New York, gubernatorial hopeful Carl Paladino (R) has suggested transforming state prisons into dormitories for welfare recipients, where low-income Americans would be trained in, among other things, "personal hygiene."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Ugly: "Sales of previously built single-family homes plunged in July to their lowest level since May 1995 as job fears trumped low mortgage interest rates and relatively affordable home prices." The drop was 27.2% from June -- twice as bad as economists expected.

* Frank Ahrens tries to make us feel better: "Painful as it is to take in the short term, today's news about the plunge in home sales is exactly what this economy needs for the long run. Think of it as an economic colonic. Not pretty, but necessary."

* Deadly attacks in Mogadishu: "Somali insurgents disguised in government military uniforms stormed a Mogadishu hotel on Tuesday and killed at least 30 people, including six lawmakers, laying bare how vulnerable Somalia's government is, even in an area it claims to control. The insurgents methodically moved room to room, killing hotel guests who tried to bolt their doors shut, Somali officials said. When government forces finally cornered the insurgents, two blew themselves up with suicide vests."

* Here's hoping this news out of the Gulf is accurate: "Petroleum-eating bacteria - which had dined for eons on oil seeping naturally through the sea floor -- proliferated in the cloud of oil that drifted underwater for months after the April 20 accident. They not only outcompeted fellow microbes, they each ramped up their own internal metabolic machinery to digest the oil as efficiently as possible."

* Former President Jimmy Carter is headed to North Korea in the hopes of freeing Aijalon Mahli Gomes, a 31-year-old Boston resident who was sentenced in April to eight years at a hard labor camp for illegally crossing North Korea's border with China.

* There are now fewer than 50,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, the lowest since the 2003 invasion.

* Shirley Sherrod has turned down a job offer at the Agriculture Department. I can't say I blame her.

* Atrios speaks the truth: "10-year Treasury at 2.51. As I keep saying, at rates this low it's a crime not to borrow crazy amounts and spend it on SUPERTRAINS and fixing bridges and whatnot."

* During her work at the Bush State Department, Karen Hughes worked with Feisal Abdul Rauf -- except she no longer remembers that.

* Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) has described Rauf -- an American, a moderate imam, and an ally of the Bush administration -- as "a jihadist." What a buffoon.

* Anyone relying on right-wing blogger Pamela Geller as a reliable source of information is making a foolish mistake.

* Have I mentioned lately how confusing Jonah Goldberg is?

* Daniel Luzer: "Guess who's most likely to finish college? Oddly and surprisingly, it's heavy Facebook users."

* Tea Party activist Mark Williams' bigotry appears to get even worse.

* And finally, a Tea Party group has advised activists visiting D.C. this weekend which parts of the city to visit -- and which parts not to visit. Rachel Maddow and Eugene Robinson took a closer look at the advice in an amusing segment last night.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* As Florida's gubernatorial campaign gets underway in earnest, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Alex Sink (D) leading Rick Scott (R), 41% to 34%. Independent Bud Chiles is third with 8%.

* Speaking of Florida, remember David M. Rivera, the scandal-plagued Republican House candidate? He won his primary yesterday.

* In Arizona, the Republican establishment rallied behind former state Sen. Jonathan Paton as the strongest candidate to take on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) in November. GOP primary voters ignored Paton and nominated Tea Party favorite Jesse Kelly, much to the delight of the DCCC.

* A state judge will have to decide fairly soon whether the "Michigan Tea Party," which may or may not be a sham organization set up by Democrats, will be on the state ballot in November.

* In Colorado, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has launched its first ad, going after Republican nominee Ken Buck's remarks supporting repeal of the 17th Amendment.

* In Maryland's gubernatorial rematch, a new poll shows incumbent Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) leading former Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R), 47% to 41%.

* In Louisiana, Sen. David Vitter (R) is engulfed in multiple scandals, but voters haven't heard much about them. A new survey from Public Policy Polling will show the ethics-challenged incumbent leading Rep. Charlie Melancon (D), 51% to 41%.

* And while disgraced former Ohio Rep. Jim Traficant (D) has been ruled ineligible for November's ballot, he still has supporters who intend to push his candidacy in court.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Coordinated attacks in 13 Iraqi towns and cities kill dozens: "Insurgents unleashed a wave of coordinated attacks across Iraq on Wednesday in a demonstration of their ability to strike at will."

* Really not good: "Sales of U.S. new homes unexpectedly dropped in July to the lowest level on record, signaling that even with cheaper prices and reduced borrowing costs the housing market is retreating."

* Really not good, Part II: "New orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods excluding transportation equipment posted their largest decline in 1-1/2 years in July while overall booking rose far less than expected, pointing to a slowdown in manufacturing."

* Relief trickles in for victims of Pakistan flooding.

* The anti-Muslim stabbing of a New York City cabdriver is so shocking, and the details about the alleged attacker so bizarre, one hardly knows where to start.

* President Obama will visit Fort Bliss, Tex., on Tuesday to meet with U.S. troops returning from Iraq. That night, he'll deliver an Oval Office address about the end of combat operations in the country.

* Yemen remains a focus of serious attention: "For the first time since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, CIA analysts see one of al-Qaeda's offshoots -- rather than the core group now based in Pakistan -- as the most urgent threat to U.S. security, officials said."

* Alan Simpson, the co-chair of President Obama's Fiscal Responsibility Commission, apologizes for his ridiculous email this week. Paul Krugman isn't persuaded.

* Republicans made dire predictions about the Obama administration's drilling moratorium. As is often the case, they were wrong.

* A Korean cult leader, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, apparently wants the conservative Washington Times back.

* Congrats to Nate Silver and his team on FiveThirtyEight's transition to the New York Times.

* Daniel Luzer: "The recession has caused parents to save more for college, though apparently it's not working out so well."

* Former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) believes political figures who use the word "retarded" in a private meeting should be fired. She also believes political figures who use the "N-word" on national broadcasts should be protected. I wonder why that is.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) is trailing in primary bid in Alaska by about 1,500 votes, with at least 8,000 more still to be counted. If she ends up losing, Murkowski has the option of pulling a Lieberman and running as a third-party candidate. She told her supporters yesterday that "it ain't over yet, folks" and that she would wait until the absentee ballots are counted before making decisions about her short-term future.

* In Vermont's five-way Democratic gubernatorial primary, just 1% of the vote separate the top three candidates, with all of the precincts reporting. For now, state Sen. Peter Shumlin leads by 213 votes over his next closest competitor.

* Florida Republicans were forced to scrap their "party unity" event yesterday, after GOP candidates decided they still hate each other. On a related note, Bill McCollum still isn't interested in endorsing Rick Scott in the gubernatorial race, citing questions about "his character, his integrity, his honesty" and his fraud scandal.

* In Wisconsin, right-wing Senate hopeful Ron Johnson (R) is vehemently against government assistance to private entities -- except when his own business sought and received a government-issued loan to expand its factory.

* In Ohio, former Rep. John Kasich's (R) gubernatorial campaign presented a plan to streamline business regulations. There's one problem: it's nearly identical to the plan Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland approved two years ago.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D) campaign unveiled a hard-hitting new ad this morning, using Sharron Angle's own words to make the Republican candidate look like a lunatic.

* In Colorado, the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Republican extremist Ken Buck leading Sen. Michael Bennet (D) by nine, 49% to 40%. The Democrat's campaign will reportedly unveil an internal poll today showing Bennet up by four.

* In Pennsylvania, a new Franklin & Marshall poll shows former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) leading the U.S. Senate race by nine, and state A.G. Tom Corbett (R) leading the gubernatorial race by 11.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Reversing a month-long trend, the initial weekly jobless claims dropped this week, even beating expectations. While a good week is at least somewhat heartening, the numbers are still way too high.

* Monsters who want struggling families to suffer even more: "The Pakistani Taliban called the presence of foreign relief workers in this flood-ravaged country 'unacceptable' on Thursday and suggested that militants could carry out attacks against members of aid groups."

* What a mess: "The aide to President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan at the center of a politically sensitive corruption investigation is being paid by the Central Intelligence Agency.... Mr. Salehi's relationship with the C.I.A. underscores deep contradictions at the heart of the Obama administration's policy in Afghanistan, with American officials simultaneously demanding that Mr. Karzai root out the corruption that pervades his government while sometimes subsidizing the very people suspected of perpetrating it."

* Michael Enright, who allegedly attacked a New York cab driver on Tuesday in an insane hate crime, "kept a personal diary filled with anti-Islamic rants."

* Truly nauseating: "In the latest in a spate of anti-Muslim incidents over the last two days, an intoxicated man entered a mosque in Queens on Wednesday evening and proceeded to urinate on prayer rugs, New York police officials said. The man, identified as Omar Rivera, reportedly shouted anti-Muslim epithets and called worshippers who had gathered for evening prayer 'terrorists.'"

* Last August featured town-hall events that became something of a national embarrassment. This August, not so much.

* I'd feel better about Blue Dogs if they didn't joke publicly about Speaker Pelosi's mortality.

* The controversy over how much Sarah Palin was paid by California State University, Stanislaus, earlier this summer continues to simmer, and a state judge wants disclosure on how much for the former half-term governor was paid.

* Ed Chen, the former president of the White House Correspondents Association, thinks it was a "travesty of a decision" to award Fox News a seat in the front row of the briefing room.

* Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who is now a Fox News personality, believes the U.S. State Department, working with a moderate American imam to on Middle East diplomacy, constitutes "bailing out imams." I'm beginning to think maybe Huckabee isn't very bright.

* E.J. Dionne Jr. on the party of crazy: "The paradox is that a Republican Party in the grips of ideology needs to shift the campaign in a less ideological direction, hoping that voters simply cast protest ballots against hard economic times. Democrats, who are more doctrinally diverse, have every interest in turning the election into a philosophical contest, arguing that even unhappy voters cannot trust their fate to a party in the grips of a right-wing revolt. Once again on Tuesday, Republican primary participants seemed determined to give Democrats that opportunity."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* As things stand in Alaska's Republican Senate primary, Joe Miller leads Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) by 1,668 votes. There are, however, more than 20,000 absentee and disputed ballots that have not yet been counted, and that process will begin on Tuesday.

* In Florida, state Attorney General Bill McCollum is unwilling to endorse Rick Scott, the scandal-plagued health care executive who defeated in him in a Republican gubernatorial primary.

* A Mason-Dixon poll in Nevada shows Sen. Harry Reid (D) with the narrowest of leads over Sharron Angle (R) in this year's Senate race, 45% to 44%.

* In Wisconsin, Senate candidate Ron Johnson (R) is basing his campaign on opposition to spending and government intervention in private industry. He keeps getting caught, however, having sought and received federal aid for his business enterprises.

* In Missouri, a new poll shows Robin Carnahan (D) and Roy Blunt (R) tied in this year's Senate race, but there are some legitimate questions about the methodology, which may be inflating the Democrat's support.

* Does Sen. David Vitter (R) have anything to worry about in his Republican primary? Not really -- Public Policy Polling showing him easily trouncing his challengers, including retired state Supreme Court Justice Chet Traylor, who seemed like a potential threat.

* Sharron Angle's new attack ad in Nevada goes after Democrats for George W. Bush's mistakes.

* And in Iowa, Rep. Leonard Boswell's (D) opponent seems to have an ugly past: "Republican congressional candidate Brad Zaun was the mayor of Urbandale, Iowa, when he went to an ex-girlfriend's home in the middle of the night, pounded on the windows and called her a slut, according to a 2001 police report."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* There seemed to be widespread relief in some corners today that the Fed will save us all, but that's not quite what Bernanke said: "The Federal Reserve will take new action to bolster the economy only if conditions worsen further, Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said Friday, adding that he expects a continued economic recovery."

* Pakistan's devastating flooding: "Even as Pakistani and international relief officials scrambled to save people and property, they despaired that the nation's worst natural calamity had ruined just about every physical strand that knit this country together -- roads, bridges, schools, health clinics, electricity and communications. The destruction could set Pakistan back many years, if not decades, further weaken its feeble civilian administration and add to the burdens on its military."

* Former President Jimmy Carter traveled to North Korea to negotiate the release of American Aijalon Mahli Gomes. Carter was successful.

* A Mississippi middle school recently approved a policy whereby class presidents had to be white. Today, the school board changed direction. Good move.

* Where will all the money from Glenn Beck's rally go? That seems like a fair question.

* I liked it better when fire-department budgets were considered untouchable: "Fire departments around the nation are cutting jobs, closing firehouses and increasingly resorting to 'rolling brownouts' in which they shut different fire companies on different days as the economic downturn forces many cities and towns to make deep cuts that are slowing their responses to fires and other emergencies."

* California's state university system may be struggling, but one campus wanted Sarah Palin for a speaking engagement. She demanded $75,000 plus expenses, a hotel suite, first class airfare or a private Lear jet, pre-screened questions, and "bendable straws." She got it, and spoke for about a half-hour.

* Birthers claim to want the president's birth certificate. What do we call those who want proof of the president's baptism?

* Bill O'Reilly admitted, in print, that Fox News is "anti-liberal." Isn't he supposed to maintain the facade that the Republican network is "fair and balanced," regardless of ideology?

* The Weekly Standard's anti-intellectualism seems more sad than offensive.

* Saving for college really isn't cheap.

* Some worthwhile follow-up on the CBO's letter to Sen. Crapo on health care reform repeal.

* And Ahmed Sharif, the NYC cabbie who was attacked this week, said yesterday he's still glad to be a New Yorker. "I feel like I belong here," he said. "This is the city actually [for] all colors, races, religion, everyone. We live here side by side peacefully." Cheers to that.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* West Virginia held its Senate primaries over the weekend. As expected, incumbent Gov. Joe Manchin easily won the Democratic nod, and will face John Raese, who also cruised in the Republican primary.

* Speaking of weekend contests, Louisiana held its Republican Senate primary, which, not too long ago, looked like it might be competitive. It wasn't -- scandal-plagued incumbent David Vitter crushed former state Supreme Court Justice Chet Traylor, 87% to 8%. (No, that's not a typo.) Vitter will face Rep. Charlie Melancon, who cruised past minimal opposition in the Democratic primary.

* As of last week, spending on campaign ads has so far totaled $395 million for this cycle. At this point in the last midterm elections, it was $286 million.

* In Vermont's five-way Democratic gubernatorial primary, a final tally state shows Sen. Peter Shumlin narrowly ahead, but 0.9% of the vote separates him from the second and third place candidates. State Sen. Doug Racine, just 197 votes behind Shumlin, requested a recount late Friday.

* Late last week, Joe Miller, the apparent Republican Senate nominee in Alaska, compared incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski to a prostitute. Miller, soon after, blamed an aide.

* Patriot Majority, an independent expenditure outfit, has a pretty hard-hitting ad targeting Sharron Angle's (R) Senate campaign in Nevada.

* Speaking of Nevada, the latest Mason-Dixon poll of the state's gubernatorial race shows Brian Sandoval (R) with a big lead over Rory Reid (D), 53% to 31%.

* In New Mexico's gubernatorial race, an Albuquerque Journal poll shows Susana Martinez (R) with a six-point lead over Lt. Gov. Diane Denish (D), 45% to 39%. Denish's connection to Gov. Bill Richardson (D), once considered a positive, has become a drag on her support as Richardson's approval rating drops.

* And in exceedingly silly 2012 news, former right-wing U.N. Ambassador John Bolton hasn't ruled out a presidential campaign.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "Two separate roadside bomb attacks in Afghanistan killed seven U.S. service members in southern Afghanistan Monday, NATO said. The deaths bring to 14 the number of U.S. troops killed in action in eastern and southern Afghanistan over the past three days."

* On a related note: "Despite the presence of almost 150,000 foreign troops, violence across Afghanistan is at its worst since the Taliban were ousted by U.S.-backed Afghan forces in late 2001."

* Biden in Iraq: "Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. arrived in Baghdad on Monday to commemorate the official end of the United States combat mission and meet with Iraqi political leaders, who have yet to form a government more than five months after the March election."

* New Orleans: "President Obama on Sunday sought to assure this city, battered by two catastrophic disasters in five years, that federal efforts to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina would not waver even as the city struggles with the aftermath of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico."

* Consumer spending edges higher: "Americans spent last month at the fastest pace in four months, helped by a jump in demand for automobiles. Consumer spending rose 0.4 percent in July after three lackluster months, the Commerce Department said Monday. Spending fell 0.1 percent in April, rose a tiny 0.1 percent in May and was flat in June."

* Pakistan's flooding crisis also means a food crisis.

* Keeping an eye on Hurricane Earl.

* Agent Orange and veterans: a 40-Year wait.

* We know a fair amount about Bush-era scandals, corruption, fraud, and mismanagement -- but imagine what we'd know if the Bush White House hadn't "lost" so many officials' emails.

* I've been meaning to highlight Jane Mayer's piece on David and Charles Koch, right-wing billionaires going to great lengths, mainly through their "Americans for Prosperity" outfit, to finance Republican efforts in 2010. Frank Rich's column on this yesterday was terrific. (Pay particular attention why comparisons to George Soros are misguided.)

* Daniel Luzer and Justin Peters explore the disclosure/ethics issues involved with the Washington Post's ownership of Kaplan, and its reporting on education policy.

* Fox News had a guest on this morning who believes teen pregnancies stem from lessons on evolution. He was serious.

* And The Onion wins the week with "Local Man Knows Everything He Needs To Know About Muslims." (On a related note, The Onion probably needs to interview the perpetually silly James Tarnato, whose work often defies parody.)

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Sen. Lisa Murkowski had a back-up plan if the final ballot tally in Alaska's GOP Senate primary went against her: run as the Libertarian nominee. Yesterday, that avenue closed when the Alaska Libertarian Party decided, in an emergency meeting, to deny Murkowski its slot on the ballot.

* In North Carolina, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Richard Burr (R) leading Elaine Marshall (D), 43% to 38%. The pollster's report explained, "The basic contours of the race remain unchanged. Burr is unpopular, while Marshall is unknown."

* A whopping 66% of Nevada voters who intend to vote for Sharron Angle (R) wish she weren't the Republican nominee.

* Retired four-star Gen. Wesley Clark was in Illinois yesterday to endorse Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias (D). Not surprisingly, he called out Rep. Mark Kirk (R) for repeatedly misstating the truth about his military service.

* In the event that anyone in Kentucky cares about the professional backgrounds of their Senate candidates, Jack Conway's (D) campaign is reminding voters that he's been "darn good" at his job as state Attorney General. Conway is facing right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul (R), who has never served in public office, in November.

* In Minnesota, an MPR News/Humphrey Institute poll shows former Sen. Mark Dayton (D) and Tom Emmer (R) tied at 34% in this year's gubernatorial race. Independence Party candidate Tom Horner is third with 13%.

* Former representative and convicted felon Jim Traficant has collected enough signatures to run as an independent in Ohio's 17th congressional district this year.

* Following a ruling from the Michigan Court of Appeals yesterday, the Michigan Tea Party, accused of being a Democratic front, will not be on the ballot in November.

* And in 2012 news, as disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) moves forward with his apparent interest in a presidential campaign, he probably shouldn't ask Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) for an endorsement.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* It's probably best to keep expectations low: "President Obama plunges into Middle East peacemaking on Wednesday with two days of summitry he hopes will be the first step in brokering an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement within a year."

* It was nice to see a little bump in consumer confidence for a change.

* No need to panic: "A U.S. government official says the FBI's investigation of two men detained in Amsterdam is finding that it's unlikely they were on a test run for a future terror attack, even as Dutch authorities continued to hold the pair on suspicion of conspiring to commit a terrorist act. The U.S. official says the two men arrested in Amsterdam did not know each other and were not traveling together."

* Tragic, but not surprising: "A veteran of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division says he'd be surprised if the fire at the site of a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn. isn't investigated as a hate crime."

* And while Murfreesboro bigots are grabbing headlines, there are some displays of real decency in the community, too.

* Fingers crossed: "The Justice Department has filed its appeal of a federal court ruling that blocked federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research, warning that the decision could shut down life-saving research and stall medical breakthroughs."

* On a related note, another hate crime, this time in Seattle, where some moron attacked a convenience-store clerk, saying, "You're not even American, you're Al-Qaeda. Go back to your country." The victim was very likely Sikh, not Muslim.

* A pleasant surprise to see Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) implicitly defend health care reform from a baseless attack from his state's Republican governor.

* On a related note, the popularity of the Affordable Care Act is slipping.

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) has been disappointing lately, but he swears he's not going into lobbying after leaving the Senate at the end of the year.

* Donald Graham puts his mouth where his money is.

* Great piece from Dahlia Lithwick: "Ruth Bader Ginsburg shows how feminism is done. Again."

* And finally, the right was none too pleased when CBS News published an estimate of 87,000 attendees to Glenn Beck's still-pointless rally over the weekend. Unlike many conservatives, who continue to insist that several gazillion people were on hand, CBS has published a detailed report, explaining how the estimate was calculated. Sorry, conservatives, the network's count seems legit.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Florida's competitive gubernatorial race will apparently drop from three candidates to two when Bud Chiles ends his struggling independent campaign. The likely beneficiary of his support is state CFO Alex Sink (D).

* Which incumbent senator has been the most financially supportive of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) re-election campaign? Oddly enough, the answer is Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.).

* In Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate race, the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll shows right-wing former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) building on his earlier leads over Rep. Joe Sestak (D), and is now up by double digits, 47% to 37%.

* On a related note, the same poll shows state A.G. Tom Corbett (R) with an even bigger lead over Dan Onorato (D) in Pennsylvania's gubernatorial race, 49% to 34%.

* In Colorado's gubernatorial race, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) continues to look strong against Dan Maes (R), with a new poll showing Hickenlooper up by 19, 46% to 27%. Former Rep. Tom Tancredo (I) is third with 17%.

* New York continues to look favorable for Democrats this year, with a new Quinnipiac poll showing state A.G. Andrew Cuomo (D) with huge leads in the gubernatorial race, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) looking nearly as strong in her bid.

* The Democratic Governors Association launched a fairly aggressive fundraising effort in the wake of News Corp's $1 million contribution to the Republican Governors Association, and the DGA's efforts have apparently paid off. The Dems' appeal raised $1 million, matching Murdoch's investment.

* Eric Deaton's Senate campaign in Ohio was always a long shot -- he's running as a hyper-conservative Constitution Party candidate -- but his odds worsened this week when he was indicted on a single count of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

* Those who know him best: a new poll in Minnesota shows Gov. Tim Pawlenty's (R) constituents unimpressed with his presidential campaign, and unlikely to vote for him in 2012.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The first peace talks in nearly two years: "President Obama on Wednesday began the arduous process of coaxing and pressing the main Middle East participants to define and embrace a comprehensive peace settlement. But he had to begin by joining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in strongly condemning a fatal attack on the West Bank and declaring solemnly, 'We've got a lot of work to do.'"

* Manufacturing numbers here and purchasing data in China offered some of the best economic news in a while.

* Neil Irwin says there are "some reasons for at least modest optimism" on the economy, and said we're "likely" to see "a slow-and-steady recovery."

* On a related note, Christina Romer, the departing chairman of President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, offered a farewell speech to her team today, taking pride in helping the United States steer clear of "a second Great Depression."

* Some nut is holding hostages at the Discovery Communications building in a Maryland suburb of D.C.

* For the first time in 20 years, we're seeing the number of immigrants entering the country illegally decline. A weak economy and increased enforcement were cited as the main factors.

* In North Carolina, the first evacuations in anticipation of a strengthening Hurricane Earl began today.

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) wants to "move on" after his monumental screw up over education funding and demonstrably false criticism of the Obama administration. I'm sure he does, but that may be easier said than done.

* Ethics probes advance in controversies related to Reps. John Campbell (R-Calif.), Tom Price (R-Ga.), and Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.).

* New and improved federal financial aid for college students.

* Korean cult leader Sun Myung Moon gets the far-right Washington Times back.

* And Glenn Beck assured his followers that he went to the National Archives and held George Washington's hand-written first inaugural. That's not even close to true.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* As was rumored yesterday, Bud Chiles ended his independent gubernatorial campaign in Florida today, and threw his support to state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink (D).

* How worried is Rep. Mike Castle about his Republican Senate primary in Delaware? Castle, assumed to be the overwhelming favorite, purchased $113,000 worth of pre-primary airtime yesterday, suggesting Tea Party favorite Christine O'Donnell has the frontrunner awfully nervous.

* Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) and failed former HP CEO Carly Fiorina (R) had their first debate last night. The two don't appear to get along especially well.

* For the first time in a long while, Democrats were awfully pleased with a Rasmussen poll yesterday. The GOP-friendly pollster found Joe Miller (R) leading Scott McAdams (D) in Alaska's Senate race by just six points, 50% to 44%.

* In Ohio, Public Policy Polling shows former Rep. John Kasich (R) leading incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland (D), 50% to 40%. PPP also shows former Bush budget director Rob Portman (R) leading Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D) in this year's Senate race, 45% to 38%.

* The Republican Governors Association was hit this week with a $2 million penalty after campaign finance violations in Texas' 2006 gubernatorial campaign.

* As if there weren't enough controversies surrounding Sen. David Vitter (R)*, FEC documents now show him receiving campaign donations from a woman who died last year.

* And in 2012 news, John Bolton, the Bush/Cheney administration's controversial right-wing U.N. ambassador, continues to flirt with the idea of a presidential campaign.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Not again: "An offshore oil production platform caught fire Thursday in the Gulf of Mexico, forcing 13 workers into the water and triggering an emergency response to rescue them, the U.S. Coast Guard said. Coast Guard officials said one of the 13 was hurt and that the incident left a mile-long oil sheen on the water."

* Later, the Coast Guard revised its original assessment, and said there is no oil sheen.

* Off to a reasonably good start: "Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton formally reopened direct peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians on Thursday, acknowledging that 'we've been here before, and we know how difficult the road ahead will be,' but expressing confidence that the core disputes separating the two sides can be resolved within a year. In one small but hopeful early sign, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority agreed to meet in the Middle East on Sept. 14-15, and then to hold talks every two weeks thereafter."

* So much for that idea: "President Obama's economic team is looking for ways to accelerate the agonizingly slow economic recovery, but the top White House spokesman on Thursday said a large spending measure is not being considered."

* Beating expectations, first-time filers for unemployment insurance fell for the second week in a row. The totals are still far too high, of course, but I'll take good news where I can get it.

* Hurricane Earl inches closer to the East coast.

* Is this right? "In hindsight, if BP had removed the 5,000-foot-long tangle of riser pipe from its damaged Gulf well in the early days of the spill, a new blowout preventer or cap could have been installed, shutting down the well perhaps within weeks instead of months, according to both the federal incident commander and petroleum engineers."

* Elizabeth Warren was scheduled to teach contract law at Harvard Law School this semester. Now she isn't. Hmm.

* House Dems will not get on board with Social Security cuts.

* Did New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) lie about his administration's massive education-funding screw-up? It sure looks like it.

* Keeping a focus on the economy: "President Obama, seeking to pivot from foreign affairs to the economy, will kick off the campaign season next week with trips to Milwaukee and Cleveland, followed by a White House news conference."

* Should be interesting: "Sheriff Joe Arpaio has been sued by the Department of Justice because he has not given federal investigators documents needed for their probe into allegations the lawman's department discriminates against Hispanics."

* Sounds like a tough guarantee to keep: "A small college in Michigan has taken the remarkable step of guaranteeing that its students will get jobs if they finish school. And not just any jobs, good jobs."

* Reflecting on Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's (R) bizarre debate performance last night, John Cole responds, "It's the Palinization of politics. Sharon Angle, Jan Brewer, just go down the list. Ignorant know-nothings who spew the right-wing talking points, refuse to take questions from the press, and when off-script, are seen for the train-wreck that they are. Yet half the country embraces these clowns. It's terrifying."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Arizona is still buzzing about Gov. Jan Brewer's (R) bizarre debate performance this week, but it's too soon to say whether it might affect the November election.

* As a reminder of just how important the GOP considers Florida's gubernatorial race, the Republican Governors Association will transfer $2 million to the Florida Republican Party, to be used for attack ads against Democratic nominee Alex Sink.

* The Democratic Governors Association yesterday filed a complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission, over Fox News allegedly making an in-kind contribution to Republican gubernatorial hopeful John Kasich, who also happens to be a former Fox News employee.

* Hoping to capitalize on Alaska's suddenly-competitive Senate race, Sen. Mark Begich's (D-Alaska) state director, Susanne Fleek-Green, will join Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams' (D) Senate campaign team.

* On a related note, Joe Miller, Alaska's Republican Senate nominee, told CNN this week he "absolutely" wants to phase Social Security out of existence.

* In Illinois, a new Tribune/WGN poll shows Alexi Giannoulias (D) and Mark Kirk (R) tied at 34% each.

* In Delaware's suddenly interesting Republican Senate primary, Tea Party favorite Christine O'Donnell wants Rep. Mike Castle to call off his "goons." She's likely referring to the Republican establishment, which this week began attacking O'Donnell relentlessly. The primary is a week from Tuesday.

* In California, SurveyUSA shows failed HP CEO Carly Fiorina (R) with a two-point lead in the U.S. Senate race, and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman (R) with a seven-point lead in the gubernatorial race.

* And a growing number of people seem to be asking this question more and more: "Just how crazy is Allen West?"

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Terror in Pakistan: "A suicide bombing at a Shiite demonstration in the western Pakistani city of Quetta left at least 55 people dead Friday, triggering fears of an outbreak of sectarian violence as the nation continues to struggle with ruinous floods. The strike followed a suicide attack that killed at least two people in northwest Pakistan at a mosque of the Ahmedi sect, another religious minority whose members are the frequent victims of Islamist extremists. On Wednesday, suicide bombers struck a Shiite march in the city of Lahore, killing at least 30 and sparking riots."

* Hurricane Earl swipes North Carolina, heads towards New England a little worse for wear. Early reports suggest damage in North Carolina was not as bad as feared.

* Earthquake in New Zealand: "Authorities said Saturday that a major earthquake near New Zealand's second-largest city, Christchurch, caused extensive damage and scores of minor injuries but no major casualties."

* President Obama addressed the monthly jobs report at a press availability this morning, and before wrapping up, mentioned, "I will be addressing a broader package of ideas next week."

* Why is long-term unemployment declining?

* I was going to say "nice try," but it wasn't even that: "A judge on Thursday denied a request for President Barack Obama to testify at a court martial for a U.S. Army flight surgeon who refused to deploy to Afghanistan until he saw proof that Obama was born in the United States."

* Former OMB Director Peter Orszag is getting a New York Times column. It should be interesting.

* Daniel Luzer: Paying for college with retirement money.

* The NRCC embezzlement scandal leads to a guilty plea.

* Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.), currently the subject of criminal and ethics investigations stemming from his six/corruption scandal, told constituents this week, "If you don't hold us accountable, we'll do some real bad things in Washington, D.C." He was trying to talk about the economy, but I nevertheless found his lack of self-awareness hilarious.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iran: "Three months after the United Nations Security Council enacted its harshest sanctions yet against Iran, global nuclear inspectors reported Monday that the country has dug in its heels, refusing to provide inspectors with information and access they need to determine whether the real purpose of Tehran's program is to produce weapons."

* Tolerating corruption in Afghanistan: "U.S. commanders in southern Afghanistan are adopting a strategy that increasingly places the priority on fighting the Taliban even if that means tolerating some corruption."

* On a related note, this is an important setback: "A quarter-billion dollar program to lure low-level Taliban fighters away from the insurgency has foundered, with Afghans bickering over who should run it, and international donors slow to put up the money they had promised."

* A revised price-tag for the war in Iraq: $3 trillion.

* I don't know what kind of changes to Social Security his deficit commission might propose, but President Obama isn't about to let privatization move forward.

* In one of the dumber media exchanges in a long while, Fox News' Chris Wallace noted that President Obama recently characterized his "central mission" as "restoring the economy." Wallace said, "[I]s it unfair to say that this a president whose heart doesn't seem to be into winning the war on terror, no matter what it costs?" The Weekly Standard's Stephen Hayes replied, "No, I don't think that's at all unfair." No wonder the network's poor viewers are so darned confused.

* And in honor of Labor Day, be sure to check out E.J. Dionne's column today: "When unions mattered, prosperity was shared."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In case Alaska's U.S. Senate race couldn't get weirder, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, after narrowly losing in a GOP primary, may try to get on the ballot through the Alaska Libertarian Party. A decision would have to come fairly quickly -- the deadline is a week from tomorrow.

* In Colorado, far-right Senate candidate Ken Buck (R) has announced that he cannot support far-right gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes (R). It appears to be part of a larger Republican effort to get Maes to quit the race.

* For his part, Maes, who won the Republican gubernatorial primary just last month, announced late Friday that he is staying in the race, whether his party likes it or not.

* In the Senate race in the state of Washington, GOP Senate nominee Dino Rossi still hasn't received an endorsement from Clint Didier, his former primary foe.

* In apparent attempt to make Republicans look completely classless, John Raese's (R) Senate campaign in West Virginia has a new television ad that's generating some attention. Raese, desperate to attach Gov. Joe Manchin (D) to President Obama, shows a photo of the two together. The photo, however, was taken at the late Sen. Robert Byrd's (D) funeral, and the Byrd family isn't happy about it.

* In Ohio, the latest poll from the Columbus Dispatch shows former Bush budget director Rob Portman (R) and former Rep. John Kasich (R) with double-digit leads in this year's Senate and gubernatorial races, respectively.

* In New Hampshire's Republican Senate primary, former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte leads the field, but not by the margins she'd like. A Magellan Strategies poll shows Ayotte with 34% support, followed by former state Board of Education chairman Ovide Lamontagne at 21%. Businessman Bill Binnie is a close third with 17%, followed by businessman Jim Bender with 13%.

* And looking ahead, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R), both of Utah, are having an interesting spat. Hatch claims that Chaffetz pledged not to take on the incumbent senator in 2012, while Chaffetz denies anything of the sort. "I have no idea what he's thinking about," Chaffetz said of Hatch.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* This really is scandalous, and it's created real emergencies throughout the judiciary: "A determined Republican stall campaign in the Senate has sidetracked so many of the men and women nominated by President Barack Obama for judgeships that he has put fewer people on the bench than any president since Richard Nixon at a similar point in his first term 40 years ago."

* On a related note, the judiciary is becoming so politicized that Justice Clarence Thomas will only accept clerks who've worked in the offices of judges appointed by Republican presidents. It's unheard of on the modern court.

* NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is the latest leader to denounce the fringe right-wing church in Florida planning an event this week to burn copies of the Quran. "I strongly condemn that. I think it's a disrespectful action and in general I really urge people to respect other people's faith and behave respectfully. I think such actions are in strong contradiction with all the values we stand for and fight for," Rasmussen said.

* In his first-ever column, former OMB Director Peter Orzag calls for keeping all of the Bush-era tax rates in place for two more years, and then scrapping all of them at the end of 2012. Jon Chait isn't fond of the idea.

* Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) very quietly backed off her ridiculous "beheadings" claim, but she has plenty more to apologize for.

* Marty Peretz's contempt for Muslims isn't new, but it's getting uglier. Now he isn't sure if Muslim Americans are "worthy of the privileges of the First Amendment"? Seriously?

* Are American colleges like American car companies?

* I read and thoroughly enjoyed "Heads in the Sand," and can say with certainty that Jonah Goldberg's criticism of the book makes no sense at all.

* I'll look forward to Hannity, Beck, and other Fox News personalities condemning News Corp's indirect investments in North Korea.

* Tom Toles has a unique talent for capturing an important phenomenon in just one powerful frame. He does this frequently, but some days stand out. Today is one of those days.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* After 21 years as Chicago's top dog, Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) will not seek re-election next year. Speculation immediately turned to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who has expressed an interest in the job.

* Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski lost her Republican primary, but she's not prepared to walk away. "I have not made that determination that I'm going to give up," Murkowski declared. "I'm not a quitter, never have been. And I'm still in this game."

* On a related note, David Haase, the Alaska Libertarian Party's Senate nominee, conceded yesterday that he'd met with Murkowski. He said he's "considering" bowing out and letting the incumbent senator run on his ballot slot.

* Rep. Mike Castle, running for the Senate in Delaware, went after his primary challenger, Christine O'Donnell for tax problems in her background. Castle had to be embarrassed, then, when we learned he's had to make interest and penalty payments on his Capitol Hill apartment, too.

* On a related note, Castle, who didn't expect to have to spend any money on his primary, has now purchased a second round of television advertising time in Delaware. The race is clearly making Republicans very nervous.

* In Colorado, a Public Opinion Strategies poll shows Sen. Michael Bennet (D) with a narrow lead over right-wing challenger Ken Buck (R), 43% to 40%.

* Speaking of Buck, the Republican Senate hopeful has been caught scrubbing his website of some of his controversial policy positions.

* And in still more Colorado news, the Public Opinion Strategies poll also shows Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) with a big lead in this year's gubernatorial campaign, leading the three-way field with 48% support. Dan Maes (R) is second at 25%, followed by former Rep. Tom Tancredo (I) with 15%.

* Texas Watch published a poll this week showing a very competitive gubernatorial race in the Lone Star State. Incumbent Gov. Rick Perry (R) still leads former Houston Mayor Bill White (D), but by the slimmest of margins, 42% to 41%.

* And union powerhouse AFSCME launches a new ad campaign this week in four states -- Nevada, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan -- touting Democratic economic policies over the GOP's.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Operation Iraqi Freedom may be over, but the country can still be deadly for U.S. troops: "Two U.S. service members were killed and nine others were wounded when a Kurdish Iraqi soldier sprayed them with gunfire at an Iraqi army commando base north of Baghdad on Tuesday afternoon, Iraqi and U.S. military officials said."

* BP spreads the blame around, and points to a "shared responsibility" for the disaster in the Gulf: "BP released a long-awaited report Wednesday on an internal investigation into the causes of its Gulf of Mexico oil well blowout, blaming multiple failures by BP and other firms but absolving its much-criticized well design."

* An inkling of good news on the job front: "Job openings rose in July after two months of declines, a positive sign that companies could step up hiring in the coming months." The openings are at their highest levels since April.

* The Wall Street Journal would have you believe the Affordable Care Act is causing health insurance companies to raise their premiums. Stephanie Cutter cuts through the nonsense.

* Is the alleged "rift" between the White House and former OMB Director Peter Orszag over tax policy overblown? It sure seems like it.

* Feisal Abdul Rauf intends to "clearly identify all of our financial backers" for Park51. That probably won't help with Fox News.

* Robert Schlesinger urges the Tea Party crowd to stop treating the Constitution like a rough draft.

* Daniel Luzer on "the triumph of student loans."

* High on the list of people I'm not going to feel sorry for: Scooter Libby.

* Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) tends to have a way with words. Today he described the increasingly radicalized Republican Party as "nuts" and "flat-out crazy." He added, "We are going to turn the reins of the Congress over to these people who are more and more dominated by the whacko right?"

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In the latest twist in Alaska, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, recently defeated in a Republican primary, is now considering a write-in campaign. Expect some kind of announcement about the senator's future today or tomorrow.

* Republican Governors Association chairman Haley Barbour of Mississippi seems ready to give up on Colorado's gubernatorial race, now that party nominee Dan Maes seems unwilling to quit. "We have put some money in Colorado," Barbour said this week. "Past tense."

* On the other hand, the Republican Governors Association is directing $500,000 to one of Karl Rove's favorite candidates, Susana Martinez of New Mexico. Polls show Martinez leading Lt.Gov. Diane Denish (D) in the race to replace Gov. Bill Richardson (D).

* Hoping to ensure Sen. Patty Murray's (D) re-election in the state of Washington, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee's independent expenditure arm "has bought upwards of $2 million in television airtime across Washington state from Oct. 5 through Nov. 2." It's evidence that Democratic Party leaders consider Murray vulnerable, but also that her seat may be a backstop towards keeping their majority.

* In Kentucky, a new CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows a very competitive Senate race, with right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul (R) tied at 46% with state Attorney General Jack Conway (D).

* In Florida, a new CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows a couple of close races. In the U.S. Senate race, Marco Rubio (R) leads with 36%, followed by Gov. Charlie Crist (I) with 34%, and Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) third with 24%. In Florida's gubernatorial race, the same poll shows Alex Sink (D) leading Rick Scott, 49% to 42%.

* In California, a new CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows incumbent Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) leading failed former HP CEO Carly Fiorina, 48% to 44%.

* In Texas' closely watched gubernatorial race, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows incumbent Gov. Rick Perry (R) with a six-point lead over former Houston Mayor Bill White (D), 48% to 42%.

* In Massachusetts, the latest State House News Poll shows incumbent Gov. Deval Patrick (D) leading a three-way race with 34% support. Charlie Baker (R) is second with 28%, followed by Tim Cahill (I) at 18%.

* In Michigan's gubernatorial race, a Mitchell Research poll shows the contest turning into a one-sided affair. Rick Snyder (R) now leads Virg Bernero (D) by a two-to-one margin, 53% to 26%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Details are a little sketchy as I write this, but multiple news outlets are reporting that the Florida church's planned Quran burning has been cancelled.

* Good news in the Senate: "Retiring Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) said he plans to help push a package of small-business incentives through the Senate next week, a move that would give President Obama and congressional Democrats a key victory on the economy in the final weeks before the November midterm elections."

* Good news in the job market: "[I]nitial jobless claims dropped last week, falling from an adjusted 478,000 to 451,000."

* Good news from the U.S. Court of Appeals in D.C.: "President Barack Obama's administration can fund embryonic stem-cell research while it appeals a decision banning government support for any activity using cells taken from human embryos, an appeals court said."

* Good news out of Iran: "One of the three American hikers jailed in Iran for more than a year on spying charges will be released Saturday, at the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, Iranian culture ministry authorities said Thursday."

* The State Department and Interpol have issued warnings about the increased threat of terrorism this weekend.

* It's hard to believe, but the right still wants people to believe that Democrats are "coming after your guns." Who's dumb enough to fall for this stale nonsense?

* Everything you wanted to know about national infrastructure banks but were afraid to ask.

* Daniel Luzer: How journalists talk about higher education.

* Here's a crazy idea: if the Pentagon hires a company to provide translators for the Afghan battlefield, maybe they should know languages that people in Afghanistan actually speak.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* President Obama has scheduled a series of "Moving America Forward" rallies for the fall. The tour will have at least four stops -- Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Nevada -- and is intended to "rally the troops and talk to Americans about what's at stake in the outcome of the midterm elections."

* In Delaware's increasingly interesting Republican Senate primary, Christine O'Donnell's campaign got a boost yesterday with an endorsement from former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R). O'Donnell will face the one-time favorite, Rep. Mike Castle, on Tuesday.

* Nevada's Sharron Angle's (R) campaign agreed to a planned debate hosted by Jon Ralston, only to have Angle's campaign spokesperson cancel just hours later. Ralston, arguably Nevada's most prominent political journalist, really isn't happy.

* The Arizona Green Party tried to kick some candidates off the ballot this year, after evidence that the candidates are homeless people recruited by Republicans to hurt Democrats. Yesterday, a federal court denied the Arizona Green Party's request.

* Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, the likely Democratic gubernatorial nominee, has a new ad highlighting his role in trying to help prevent a horrible crime: "Barrett stepped in [in August 2009] to defend a woman who was trying to protect her 1-year-old granddaughter from the girl's drunk father. The man then attacked Barrett, beating him in the head and hand with a tire iron."

* In a new campaign ad, Republican gubernatorial hopeful Meg Whitman goes after Jerry Brown (D) based on comments Bill Clinton made during the 1992 presidential campaign.

* A new Detroit News poll shows businessman Rick Snyder (R) continuing to lead Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero (D) in this year's gubernatorial race, 56.2% to 35.9%.

* In Connecticut, does Senate candidate Linda McMahan have a dead wrestler problem? It sure looks like it.

* In Illinois, Senate hopeful Alexi Giannoulias (D) has no qualms about connecting himself to President Obama, as his new television ad shows.

* And in Maine, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Paul LePage (R) leading Libby Mitchell (D) in this year's gubernatorial race, 43% to 29%. Eliot Cutler (I) is third with 11% support.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "A fringe Florida preacher may have suspended his Koran-burning, but word reached Afghanistan too late for 24-year-old Muhammed Daoud. He was shot to death during a protest outside a NATO base in western Afghanistan, according to Afghan officials." Two separate protests became violent, both outside NATO reconstruction bases, and at least 12 people were wounded, three of them critically."

* New diplomatic idea for Iraq: "The Obama administration is encouraging a major new power-sharing arrangement in Iraq that could retain Nuri Kamal al-Maliki as prime minister but in a coalition that would significantly curb his authority."

* Salvatore Giunta's truly extraordinary heroism leads to a well-deserved, hard-earned Medal of Honor. Giunta is the first living recipient of the medal in any war since Vietnam.

* Austan Goolsbee will replace Christian Romer as the chairman of President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers. Key detail: because the Senate had already confirmed Goolsbee as a member of the council, he will not need approval to become its chair. (In other words, the dysfunctional embarrassment of the Senate will not leave the CEA without a leader for the next several months.)

* Actually, the Affordable Care Act does "bend the curve," at least a little.

* Great item from Jay Bookman: "However you want to measure it -- the ratio of government employees in the workforce, average income tax rates, total federal revenue -- government is not increasing its death grip on the American economy and by many important measures is taking less of a bite than it ever has. In other words, the basic narrative driving today's conservative anger has no real basis in fact."

* Charles Krauthammer actually managed to praise the Obama administration for the way its structured the latest round of Middle East peace talks.

* University employees pay more for health care.

* Sam Seder: "It's not that Beck fans are stupid -- it's that they passionately protest stuff they know nothing about."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* With just a day to go before New Hampshire's Republican Senate primary, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Kelly Ayotte still leading, but her margin over Ovide Lamontagne is down to just seven points, 37% to 30%. Bill Binnie and Jim Bender are third and fourth, with 13% and 12%, respectively.

* On a related note, some high-profile voices on the right could still help Lamontagne come out on top. Over the weekend, Sen. Jim DeMint (R) threw his support to Lamontagne.

* It took longer than expected, but after a statewide recount, state Sen. Peter Shumlin narrowly won Vermont's Democratic gubernatorial primary. He'll face Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie (R) in November.

* As if there weren't already enough far-right groups running attack ads against Democrats this year, two more -- Americans for Job Security and The 60 Plus Association -- are dumping $5 million into hatchet-jobs targeting House Dems.

* At least for now, the Senate candidate for Alaska's Libertarian Party, David Haase, is not willing to give up his ballot spot to Sen. Lisa Murkowski. The incumbent may yet launch a write-in campaign.

* In Nevada's closely-watched Senate race, a new Mason-Dixon poll shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) leading Sharron Angle (R) by just two, 46% to 44%.

* The same poll, by the way, shows Brian Sandoval (R) with a big lead in Nevada's gubernatorial race, topping Rory Reid (D) by 16 points, 52% to 36%.

* In New York's GOP gubernatorial primary, former Rep. Rick Lazio is running almost exclusively on an anti-Park51 platform, but the latest Siena poll suggests it's not working -- his once-huge lead over Carl Paladino has disappeared, and Lazio is now up by one, 43% to 42%.

* What's with all the candidates refusing to participate in debates this year?

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* A encouraging new Basel III agreement: "The world's top bank regulators agreed Sunday on far-reaching new rules intended to make the global banking industry safer and protect international economies from future financial disasters."

* Felix Salmon helps explain how the Basel III agreement works, and why it's generating positive reviews.

* Better than expected results along the Gulf Coast? "[A]s the weeks pass, evidence is increasing that through a combination of luck (a fortunate shift in ocean currents that kept much of the oil away from shore) and ecological circumstance (the relatively warm waters that increased the breakdown rate of the oil), the gulf region appears to have escaped the direst predictions of the spring."

* On the other hand: "Scientists on a research vessel in the Gulf of Mexico are finding a substantial layer of oily sediment stretching for dozens of miles in all directions. Their discovery suggests that a lot of oil from the Deepwater Horizon didn't simply evaporate or dissipate into the water -- it has settled to the seafloor."

* Have I mentioned lately that global austerity measures are a bad idea? "Rising long-term unemployment poses the next big threat to the global recovery, the International Monetary Fund warned Monday, as slower growth forces governments to expand social safety nets and stimulate job creation even as they are being pressed to rein in finances."

* Warren Buffett sounds optimistic about the recovery: "I am a huge bull on this country. We are not going to have a double-dip recession at all."

* Jon Chait raises an observation I've been pushing for a while: "Gingrich was once the most powerful Republican in America and remains an influential figure within the party. D'Souza has done stints at the most prestigious conservative think-tanks. The line between man and kook is getting harder and harder to discern."

* The deficit is quite a bit smaller this August than last.

* Something to watch closely on Thursday: "A long-awaited showdown vote on the START arms control treaty between the U.S. and Russia will be held this week by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee."

* Apparently, Jamie Kirchik has been running a secret email list for center-right writers. (It's called "Freedom Mail." Seriously. How could I possibly make that up?) One wonders if the media will spend weeks obsessing over it.

* Newsweek relies on the Monthly to report on America's Top Service Schools.

* When Forbes decides credibility and journalistic standards are overrated.

* Martin Peretz recently made some truly bizarre anti-Muslim remarks, sparking high-profile rebukes from, among many others, Nicholas Kristof and James Fallows. Today, Peretz tried to walk back his inflammatory comments, but Andy Sabl didn't find the apology especially compelling.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* It's a big day for primaries, especially in the Northeast. Voters will head to the polls in Delaware, D.C., Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.

* In one of today's closely-watched contests, Kelly Ayotte is clinging to a shrinking lead in New Hampshire's Republican Senate primary. A Magellan Strategies poll shows the former state A.G. leading Ovide Lamontagne by just 4 points, 35% to 31%

* Don't expect to see too much of Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) on the Hill in the next several weeks. The former is still trying to figure out how to keep her job after losing a Republican primary, and the latter is struggling to win in November.

* In Connecticut, a Quinnipiac poll shows state A.G. Richard Blumenthal (D) with a shrinking lead over wrestling executive Linda McMahon (R). The new results show Blumenthal up by six, 51% to 45%, despite his huge approval rating and McMahon's low favorability rating.

* In Nevada, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D) campaign is shifting gears a bit, focusing away from Sharron Angle's (R) radical ideology and towards Sharron Angle's radical voting record.

* In the state of Washington, a new Elway Poll shows incumbent Sen. Patty Murray (D) leading Dino Rossi (R), 50% to 41%.

* Maine's far-right gubernatorial candidate, Paul LePage (R), has occasionally boycotted journalists as part of his campaign, and yesterday he "stormed out of a press conference" after a reporter asked him questions "about his property taxes and residency."

* In Illinois' Senate race, Rep. Mark Kirk's (R) lengthy record of blatantly lying about his background continues to be the focus of Alexi Giannoulias' (D) hard-hitting advertising.

* John Sides published a chart showing seven different independent forecasts for the House midterms. Five of the seven show Republicans winning a House majority in November.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Welcome news out of Iran: "Sarah Shourd, one of three Americans held in Iran for more than a year on suspicion of spying, left the country on Tuesday after she was released on bail, and arrived in Oman a few hours later where she and her mother were reunited."

* Peace talks: "Israeli and Palestinian leaders met at this Red Sea resort Tuesday for their second round of direct talks, tackling for the first time some of the toughest 'core issues' dividing the parties as Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton scrambled to keep the talks from collapsing over the issue of renewed Israeli settlement construction."

* Best retail numbers since March: "Retail sales rose in August by the largest amount in five months, suggesting a late spring economic swoon was temporary and not the start of another recession."

* Better yet, the biggest monthly gain on business inventories in more than two years: "Inventories held by businesses jumped in July by the largest amount in two years while sales rebounded after two months of declines."

* Rumors abound on a possible Elizabeth Warren nomination to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

* The DNC pounced on the latest news about John Boehner's (R-Ohio) affinity for lobbyists, releasing its second ad of the week targeting the House Minority Leader.

* Violent crime fell sharply in 2009, but no one seems to know why.

* The International Monetary Fund is not insane. I'm delighted to hear that.

* The Press-Herald of Portland, Maine, really ought to be humiliated for running that apology.

* Fox News, in a surprising twist, will run Media Matters' ad on News Corp's RGA donation after all.

* Daniel Luzer chats at length with Alan Khazei, CEO of Be the Change, Inc., an organization that works to create national coalitions of non-profits and citizens to address issues like poverty and education, about the importance of national service.

* And sometimes, a headline can tell quite a story: "[Glenn] Beck puts his 8-28 rally on a timeline with Ten Commandments, the end of slavery, and Apollo 11."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Who won New Hampshire's closely-watched GOP Senate primary? No one's sure quite yet -- it's too close to call -- but locals hope to have a winner by the end of the day. Former state A.G. Kelly Ayotte, with the support of the Republican Party, appears to have narrowly won.

* Rep. Mike Castle will not endorse Christine O'Donnell, who defeated him yesterday in a GOP primary, in Delaware's U.S. Senate race.

* A survey taken last night by Public Policy Polling shows Chris Coons (D) starting the general-election phase with a 16-point lead over O'Donnell (R), 50% to 34%.

* Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) has decided not to run as a Libertarian this year, but has not yet ruled out a write-in campaign. An announcement about her future is now expected by Friday.

* Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) overcame a primary challenge in Harlem yesterday, defeating Adam Clayton Powell IV by a two-to-one margin, 50%, to 23%.

* In a win for progressive activism, Ann McLane Kuster defeated Katrina Swett in a New Hampshire congressional primary yesterday, in the race to replace Rep. Paul Hodes (D), who's running for the Senate.

* Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) faced a primary challenge from Wall Street veteran Reshma Saujani, but the incumbent had little trouble, winning 81% to 19%.

* In Nevada, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) hanging onto a two-point lead over Sharron Angle (R), 46% to 44%.

* And in Kentucky, the latest DailyKos/PPP poll shows right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul (R) continuing to lead state A.G. Jack Conway (D), 49% to 42%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* No breakthroughs: "Palestinian militants and Israeli forces attacked each other Wednesday, forming a grim backdrop for the latest round of U.S.-driven peace negotiations. The talks ended with no agreement on the most pressing issue: Jewish settlements."

* The oil leak stopped in July, but it's time to finish this once and for all: "The U.S. government's point man on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill said Wednesday that BP's blown-out well is expected to be permanently sealed and declared dead by Sunday, nearly five months after a rig explosion set off the disaster."

* Let your friends and family members who served in the military know -- veterans affected by the stop-loss policy are eligible for retroactive pay, but the filing deadline is in a couple of weeks.

* More good news out of Detroit: "U.S. auto sales this month are surprisingly strong, and the pace picked up during the nation's Labor Day holiday weekend, said Mark Fields, Ford Motor Co.s president of the Americas."

* He's serious about this, and I'm glad: "Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on Tuesday laid out details of his plans to save $100 billion in five years as he tries to run the Pentagon more efficiently."

* For the discussion about "uncertainty," the facts are remarkably clear: "Businesses aren't hiring because of poor sales, period, end of story."

* The DNC hopes to show voters around "BoehnerLand."

* GOP leaders really do seem to believe, for no reason at all, that their tax policies are popular. They're not.

* Daniel Luzer explores "financial literacy" and student debt.

* I have no idea what the National Federation of Republican Women was thinking by hosting this event, but having the South Carolina Senate President Glenn McConnell (R) dressing up as a Confederate general, and posing with African Americans dressed as slaves, was a spectacularly bad idea.

* Elon Green on Debra Burlingame, who the media treats as "an apolitical voice representing relatives of the 9/11 victims," but who more closely resembles "a political operative with a right-wing agenda."

* And two years ago today, the economy "teetered on the brink of collapse as the nation's largest financial institutions began to fail." It was genuinely horrifying; here's my post from that morning.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Yesterday afternoon, former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte officially won New Hampshire's GOP Senate primary, eking out a narrow win over Ovide Lamontagne.

* On a related note, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Ayotte starting the general election phase with a narrow lead over Rep. Paul Hodes (D), 47% to 43%.

* In Florida's Senate race, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Marco Rubio (R) pulling away, now leading Gov. Charlie Crist (I) by 14 points, 40% to 26%. Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) is third with 21%, and Meek is clearly pulling his improved numbers from Crist, propelling Rubio.

* Speaking of Florida, Reuters/Ipsos also shows disgraced former health care executive Rick Scott (R) narrowly leading state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink (D) in the gubernatorial race, 47% to 45%.

* Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman is breaking all kinds of spending records in her Republican gubernatorial campaign in California. So far, she's contributed $119 million to her own effort -- easily surpassing the most money any candidate has ever invested in their own race in American history.

* In Ohio, two new polls show former Rep. John Kasich (R) with increasingly-comfortable leads over incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland (D). Quinnipiac shows Kasich, a former Fox News personality and Wall Street executive, up by 17 points, 54% to 37%, while a CNN/Time poll shows Kasich up by seven, 51% to 44%.

* Speaking of Ohio, CNN/Time also shows former Bush budget director Rob Portman (R) ahead of Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D), 52% to 41%.

* In Nevada, the new CNN/Time poll shows Sharron Angle (R) with a one-point lead over Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D), 42% to 41%.

* In the state of Washington, the CNN/Time poll shows Sen. Patty Murray (D) leading in her re-election bid, topping Dino Rossi (R) by nine, 53% to 44%

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Economists expected an increase in unemployment claims; fortunately, we saw a slight dip: "Weekly initial claims for unemployment insurance fell by 3,000 to 450,000 last week, the Labor Department said this morning. It is an encouraging sign, although no weekly number should be read into too much, as the data tends to jump around."

* The Senate Banking Committee ponders Chinese currency: "The Obama administration ratcheted up its criticisms of China's economic policies on Thursday, as Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner told Congress that China had substantially undervalued its currency to gain an unfair trade advantage, engaged in widespread theft of foreign technology and improperly blocked American imports."

* While Hurricane Karl takes aim at Mexican Gulf coast, Hurricane Julia, taking advantage of unusually warm water in the Atlantic, rose in intensity to become a powerful Category 4 storm.

* While the vast majority of national polls show Republicans with a generic-ballot edge, Politico's poll shows the parties tied.

* In a surprising move, Fox News has filed a lawsuit against Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D), who's taking on Rep. Roy Blunt (R) in a key Senate race. It appears to be "the first time such a fair use fight between a media company and a political campaign has been taken to court."

* In just a few weeks, the White House will host a summit on community colleges. Daniel Luzer added, "All that's needed are a location, participants, and, well, any substantive ideas at all."

* DNC's latest video hopes to characterize the Republican slate this year as uniquely crazy. The clip, hot on the heels of this week's Senate primary in Delaware, is called "Republicans 2010: What a Bunch," and it's a frame the GOP will have to hope doesn't catch on.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Perhaps no one has more negative feelings about Delaware Senate hopeful Christine O'Donnell (R) than those who used to work for her.

* A new Quinnipiac poll shows the Buckeye State, which President Obama won two years ago, moving sharply to the right. In Ohio's open U.S. Senate race, former Bush Budget Director Rob Portman (R) now leads Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D) by a whopping 20 points. The same poll found that 58% of Ohio voters want a senator who opposes White House policies.

* In Georgia, Republican gubernatorial nominee Nathan Deal is leading in the polls, but his personal finances look far worse than his political fortunes. In the wake of a failed business venture, Deal is reportedly poised to sell his home to avert foreclosure or bankruptcy.

* In New York, former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato (R) is so unimpressed with his party's gubernatorial nominee, Carl Paladino, that D'Amato described him "dangerous" and unfit for office.

* In Alaska, radical Senate hopeful Joe Miller (R) is the target of a new progressive ad, highlighting the candidate's extremist beliefs. Parodying a Discovery Channel program, Miller is labeled "The Craziest Catch."

* A poll from the Arkansas News Bureau shows Rep. John Boozman (R) trouncing incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D), 51% to 34%. Oddly enough, most other recent polls show Lincoln trailing by an even larger margin, so maybe this will be perceived as good news by the Democrat's campaign.

* In Tennessee, Republican congressional hopeful Scott DesJarlais, taking on Rep. Lincoln Davis (D), has been accused of harassing, intimidating, and abusing his ex-wife.

* And in Texas' gubernatorial race, a UT/Texas Tribune poll finds Gov. Rick Perry (R) hanging onto a modest lead over former Houston Mayor Bill White (R), 39% to 33%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Elizabeth Warren finally and officially joins the Obama White House team. She even wrote a post today for the White House blog.

* Afghanistan: "Insurgents have kidnapped a parliamentary candidate and at least 18 election workers, Afghan officials said Friday, raising fears on the eve of an election that has emerged as a test of wills between the Afghan government and the Taliban."

* Finishing one of the jobs in the Gulf: "BP's once-gushing Macondo well should be finally and firmly 'killed' by Saturday, company officials said Friday morning. Both company and federal officials said that a "relief well," which had been drilled down nearly 18,000 feet beneath the floor of the Gulf of Mexico, appears to have broken through into the Macondo well's shaft at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. That was necessary in order to pump cement into the well from below, completing the long-awaited 'bottom kill' that will guarantee the well is sealed."

* Brian Beutler does a nice job gaming out how the House Democratic leadership may yet pull out a victory on the fight over Bush-era tax rates.

* A new phrase to look out for: "global climate disruption."

* One of the problems for Rush Limbaugh's listeners? The host struggles to tell the difference between facts and Internet hoaxes.

* The National Park Service hasn't quite issued the permits yet for the Stewart/Colbert event(s) scheduled for Oct. 30.

* Daniel Luzer: "After a decade of college costs (the actual cost of running an institution, not the price of tuition) increasing at the rate of two to five percent a year, they barely rose at all last year."

* Rep. Michele Bachmann thinks she understands what "negative rights" are. She really doesn't.

* In what I saw as one of the day's more interesting quotes, former Sen. Rick Santorum told right-wing activists at the Values Voter Summit, "Don't let them put you in the back of the bus." In context, when he mentioned "them," Santorum was referring to Republicans, not Democrats.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In the last primary day of the year, Hawaii Democrats nominated Rep. Neil Abercrombie as their gubernatorial candidate, and he'll take on Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona (R) in November. Abercrombie cruised past former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann by more than 20 points.

* The back and forth between Jerry Brown and Bill Clinton appears to be over, with the former president announcing that he'll campaign in California next month, supporting the Dems' gubernatorial nominee.

* In Georgia's gubernatorial race, Rep. Nathan Deal (R) continues to struggle with the prospect of personal financial ruin around the time of the election.

* The DSCC has launched a new ad in Delaware, targeting Senate hopeful Christine O'Donnell's (R) record of fiscal irresponsibility, including failing to pay her taxes and hiring employees she later refused to pay.

* In Pennsylvania's Senate race, a new Times Leader poll shows former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) leading Rep. Joe Sestak (D) by four, 40% to 36%. Most recent polling has shown Toomey with much bigger leads.

* In California's Senate race, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows incumbent Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) ahead by eight over failed former HP CEO Carly Fiorina (R), 50% to 42%.

* Arkansas continues to move sharply to the right, but Gov. Mike Beebe (D) isn't feeling the effects -- a Mason-Dixon poll shows the incumbent with a huge lead in his re-election bid.

* The Senate race in Utah was not expected to be competitive, and it's not -- a Deseret News poll shows Mike Lee (R) leading Sam Granato (D) by more than a two-to-one margin.

* And in the Values Voter Summit's 2012 presidential straw poll, House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-Ind.) came out on top, edging out former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R).

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan's parliamentary elections on Saturday featured 309 violent incidents and 11 civilian deaths. Officials expected much worse, and "declared a semi-victory" over how smoothly the process went.

* Iraq: "Six car bombs detonated across Baghdad on Sunday and a suicide bomber blew up a car in nearby Fallujah, killing a total of 37 people and wounding more than 100 in the deadliest day of violence in Iraq since the United States announced the end of combat operations three weeks ago."

* BP's Macondo oil well really is dead. Good.

* It seems like a whole lot of apologies are in order (and then some): "The FBI improperly opened and extended investigations of some U.S. activist groups and put members of an environmental advocacy organization on a terrorist watch list, even though they were planning nonviolent civil disobedience, the Justice Department said Monday."

* Hurricane Karl kills three in Mexico, while a weakening Hurricane Igor bears down on Bermuda.

* Would the House really adjourn this week? It'd be the earliest adjournment in 50 years.

* It's frightening to see how anxious Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to initiate a military confrontation with Iran.

* If wealthy hedge fund managers are waiting for mainstream sympathy, they'll be waiting a long time.

* Why for-profit colleges are like a pack of smokes.

* Sign of the times: "Howard Fineman, one of the more recognizable pundits on cable television and a correspondent for Newsweek for 30 years, is leaving the magazine to become a senior editor at The Huffington Post."

* Who helped break the Senate? "Gingrich Senators" had a lot to do with it: "That is, almost all of the increased polarization in the Senate over the past three decades is due to House members elected since 1978 who have since migrated to the Senate."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* An anonymous donor has donated $1 million to Tea Party Patriots to help with midterm election activities. Dave Weigel reports, "Local groups -- 2,800 are eligible -- will fill out grants and the money will head out the door by October 4."

* Joe Miller, the extremist Republican nominee for Senate in Alaska, has railed against agriculture subsidies. He also received agriculture subsidies when he owned a farm in Kansas in the 1990s.

* In a poll likely to give many Senate Dems heart palpitations, a new Public Policy Polling survey John Raese (R) leading Gov. Joe Manchin (D) in West Virginia's U.S. Senate race, 46% to 43%.

* The poll comes on the heels of Manchin picking up the support of the national and West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, which don't usually think highly of Democrats.

* Despite scandals, incompetence, and misguided priorities, Sen. David Vitter (R) is cruising to re-election in Louisiana. The latest poll from Magellan Strategies shows him leading Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-LA) by 18 points, 52% to 34%.

* The latest DSCC ad is targeted far-right Senate hopeful Ken Buck (R) in Colorado, labeling the Republican "too extreme" for Colorado.

* Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett (R) appears to be pulling away in this year's gubernatorial race, with a new Quinnipiac poll showing him up by 15 over Dan Onorato (D), 54% to 39%.

* Republicans have eyed legendary Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) as possibly being vulnerable this year, but a Detroit News poll shows the incumbent leading his GOP challenger by 19, 49.3% to 30.3%.

* Massachusetts' gubernatorial race continues to be a competitive three-way contest. The latest Suffolk poll shows incumbent Gov. Deval Patrick (D) leading Charlie Baker (R) by seven, 41% to 34%. Independent Tim Cahill was third in the poll with 14%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Fed is worried, but for now, it isn't doing anything: "Federal Reserve officials signaled for the first time on Tuesday that they are worried that the slow-moving recovery could be undermined by very low rates of inflation and hinted that they might resume buying vast amounts of government debt."

* Paul Krugman, summarizing the Fed' position, added, "We're failing in our mandate to deliver full employment; meanwhile, inflation is below target; therefore, we've decided to do nothing."

* Afghanistan: "The worst helicopter crash in four years killed nine people, bringing NATO fatalities in 2010 to 529 and making it the most deadly year of the war since 2001.... The NATO statement did not list the nationality of the soldiers, but Pentagon officials said Tuesday that most of the dead were Americans."

* Lawrence Summers will leave his job as the president's National Economic Council director after the midterm elections. Bloomberg reported this earlier, and the White House confirmed the news this afternoon.

* Despite rumored reports to the contrary yesterday, the House will not adjourn this week: "Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Tuesday shot down the suggestion that the House might adjourn at the end of this week, saying Members would definitely be in session at least through next week."

* Unexpected news from the housing sector: "Some good news for the housing market: Building starts on new homes climbed 10.5 percent in August, the Census Bureau announced this morning. Construction ramped up to an annualized pace of 598,000 homes, the highest rate since early spring. Economists had expected starts to decline slightly."

* President Obama, speaking in Philadelphia last night, offered a message to the Democratic base: "Folks, wake up! This is not some academic exercise."

* The Kaiser Family Foundation has done a tremendous job creating a new site explaining the new health care law, including an extremely helpful timeline, noting when changes will take effect. Worth bookmarking for future reference.

* Daniel Luzer on those with college degrees making more money than those without: "[C]ollege is still worth it. This is not, however, because college is any more valuable or remunerative than it used to be, but just because things are much, much worse for people who didn't go to college."

* Fox News really isn't in a position to complain about anything being taken out of context.

* GOProud, a group of gay Republicans, apparently doesn't understand that Harry Reid had to switch his vote on the defense authorization bill today for procedural reasons. Not the sharpest group of folks.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In New York, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) is set to endorse state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) in this year's gubernatorial race.

* At this point, Cuomo may need the boost -- a new Quinnipiac poll shows the frontrunner leading by only six over Carl Paladino (R). The Republican nominee is likely getting a post-primary bump, despite his record of sending racist and bestiality emails, and a platform advocating prisons for welfare recipients where low-income Americans would be trained in, among other things, "personal hygiene."

* First Lady Michelle Obama, dubbed "The Closer" in some Democratic circles, will be making a series of campaign appearances in mid-October, including stops in Wisconsin, Illinois, Colorado, Washington, and California.

* Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), dipping into her considerable campaign coffers, has already launched a new ad campaign explaining her write-in re-election bid.

* Christine O'Donnell (R), the extremist Senate candidate in Delaware, chatted with Sean Hannity for nearly 20 minutes last night, but said she would no longer speak to national news outlets.

* In Pennsylvania, a new Quinnipiac poll shows former right-wing Rep. Pat Toomey (R) with a seven-point lead over Rep. Joe Sestak (D), 50% to 43%.

* Colorado gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes (R) appears to be having trouble with his campaign finances. In his latest filings, the Republican nominee has raised only $14,462 this month, as compared to $120,468 for Tom Tancredo (I) and $218,388 for Democrat John Hickenlooper.

* In California's gubernatorial race, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Jerry Brown (D) leading Meg Whitman (R) by five, 47% to 42%.

* Speaking of PPP and gubernatorial races, the same outlet shows Rick Snyder (R) well ahead of Virg Bernero (D) in Michigan, 52% to 31%.

* And Tennessee's gubernatorial race is even more one-sided, with a new Crawford Johnson and Northcott poll showing Bill Haslam (R) leading Mike McWherter (D), 55% to 24%

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Jerusalem: "With Israel's construction freeze on Jewish settlements in the West Bank due to end this weekend, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators were seeking an elusive formula on Wednesday to keep their new peace talks going while both sides warned that if the talks ended, violence could erupt. As if to illustrate that warning, Palestinians clashed with Israeli security forces in and around the Old City of Jerusalem on Wednesday after an Israeli security guard fatally shot a Palestinian resident of Silwan."

* In a surprise move, Senate Republicans decided not to replace Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) as the ranking member on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The caucus did replace her, though, in the Senate leadership with John Barrasso of Wyoming.

* House Republicans will unveil "The Pledge to America" tomorrow. I'll have plenty of coverage once it's released.

* Look for Senate Dems to give the Disclose Act another try tomorrow, but it's probably best to keep expectations low.

* Justice Antonin Scalia and women's rights really don't go together well.

* In an apparent attempt to make my head explode, disgraced Republican lobbyist Ralph Reed insists he's "proud" of the work he did for Jack Abramoff.

* Michael Tomasky makes it plain: "A black guy with an alien name who was called a Muslim and a terrorist got elected president of the US by saying that he would raise taxes on people above $250,000. To which a Blue Dog would say, well, he lost my district by 15 points. To which I say, well, you're not black with an alien name who's being called a Muslim. Get out there and show some guts for a change."

* A pet peeve: when folks exaggerate the length of the Senate Dems' 60-vote majority. Kevin helpfully sets the record straight.

* Wait, the RNC is still paying Sarah Palin's legal bills? The 2008 campaign was nearly two years ago, but the expenses are apparently ongoing.

* On a related note, Craig Smith makes my day a little brighter, noting that "former half-term governor" line is catching on.

* Apparently the rate at which Americans finish college is not improving much.

* If you haven't seen Sen. Al Franken's (D-Minn.) remarks on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" from the Senate floor last night, they're well worth watching.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* The Texas Farm Bureau has decided not to issue an endorsement in the state's gubernatorial race, which wouldn't be especially interesting, except it's the first time in the bureau's history it hasn't backed the Republican candidate, signaling dissatisfaction with incumbent Gov. Rick Perry (R).

* In New York, a new Siena poll shows Andrew Cuomo (D) leading Carl Paladino (R) in the state's gubernatorial race, 57% to 24%, and Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D) leading Joe DioGuardi (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 57% to 31%.

* A new Quinnipiac poll, however, shows Gillibrand up by only six points against DioGuardi, 48% to 42%.

* In Delaware's Senate race, Chris Coons (D) leads Christine O'Donnell (R) in a new Time/CNN poll, 55% to 39%.

* In Colorado's Senate race, Ken Buck (R) leads appointed Sen. Michael Bennet (D) in a new Time/CNN poll, 49% to 44%.

* In Wisconsin's Senate race, Ron Johnson (R) leads Sen. Russ Feingold (D) in a new Time/CNN poll, 51% to 45%.

* In Pennsylvania's Senate race, former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) leads Rep. Joe Sestak (D) in a new Time/CNN poll, 49% to 44%.

* In California's gubernatorial race, a new Field Poll shows Jerry Brown (D) and Meg Whitman (R) tied at 41% each.

* In Arkansas, Rep. John Boozman (R) leads incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) in a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, 53% to 39%. The 14-point margin is actually slightly more competitive that several other recent polls.

* And the award for most detestable and offensive ad of the cycle so far goes to right-wing congressional candidate Renee Elmers (R), running in North Carolina, and basing her campaign on using the words "Muslims," "they," and "terrorists" interchangeably.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The U.S. is looking for some partners: "Telling the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday that his efforts to engage friends and adversaries were beginning to bear fruit, President Obama called on Arab states to support fragile Middle East peace talks and warned Iran that it would face sustained international pressure if it did not negotiate seriously over its nuclear program."

* Soon after, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the General Assembly that most of the world believes the U.S. government was responsible for executing the Sept. 11 attacks. The remarks prompted U.S. and European delegations to walk out.

* There were some hopes that the number of first-time filers of unemployment benefits would drop this week. That didn't happen: "Initial claims for jobless aid rose by 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 465,000, the Labor Department said Thursday." The uptick reversed a five-week trend.

* Housing market: "Sales of previously occupied homes rose last month, but not enough to keep August from being the second-worst month for sales in more than a decade."

* The author of the House Republicans' "Pledge for America" is a House GOP staffer "who, up till April 2010, served as a lobbyist for some of the nation's most powerful oil, pharmaceutical, and insurance companies."

* Good news out of Florida: "A 30-year-old Florida law that prohibits adoption by gay men and lesbians is unconstitutional, a state appeals court ruled on Wednesday, and the state's governor said the law would not be enforced pending a decision on whether to appeal." Gov. Charlie Crist (I) applauded the decision and said the ban would stop being enforced immediately.

* As if conservative Republicans weren't enough, conservative Democrats can screw up our system of government, too: "President Obama's pick to serve as head of the Office of Management and Budget looked headed for an easy Senate confirmation, until this afternoon, when Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) announced she will place a hold on the nomination until the Obama administration lifts a moratorium on deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico."

* It's a problem that's getting worse: "At a time of growing tensions involving Muslims in the United States, a record number of Muslim workers are complaining of employment discrimination, from co-workers calling them 'terrorist' or 'Osama' to employers barring them from wearing head scarves or taking prayer breaks."

* New allies for for-profit colleges?

* Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) knows someone in his office was responsible for publishing "all f*ggots must die" online, but he doesn't know who.

* The House GOP leadership probably should have scheduled their "Pledge" event a little better -- it coincided with President Obama's remarks at the United Nations, and the news networks covered the president instead of John Boehner.

* President Obama, talking to Democratic supporters last night: "The single biggest threat to our success is not the other party. It's us. It's complacency. It's apathy. It's indifference. It's people feeling like, well, we only got 80 percent of what we want, we didn't get the other 20, so we're just going to sit on our hands."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* After losing his Senate primary last week, Delaware Rep. Mike Castle (R) appeared to be finished with electoral politics. Now, however, Castle is poised to poll his state about the viability of a third-party, independent, write-in campaign. A Castle spokesperson put the chances of him running as a write-in "under 5 percent."

* It's not exactly encouraging that many militia activists in Alaska seem awfully fond of Senate candidate Joe Miller (R).

* In Nevada's Senate race, a new Mason-Dixon poll shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) tied with extremist challenger Sharron Angle (R), each garnering 43% support.

* Rep. Roy Blunt's (R-Mo.) Senate campaign presented Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan with a package of six proposed debates. Now Blunt has refused to participate if four of the six events he requested.

* In New York's suddenly-interesting gubernatorial race, a new Marist poll shows state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) leading Carl Paladino (R) by 19 points, 52% to 33%, with Conservative Party nominee Rick Lazio running third with 9%.

* On the heels of a PPP poll showing a competitive Senate race in West Virginia, the National Republican Senatorial Committee is launching a new round of attack ads against Gov. Joe Manchin (D).

* In Florida's gubernatorial race, the latest Mason-Dixon poll shows state CFO Alex Sink (D) leading Rick Scott (R), 47% to 40%.

* In California's Senate race, a new Field Poll shows Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) increasing her lead to six points over failed former HP CEO Carly Fiorina (R), 47% to 41%.

* In a veritable replay of last year's special election, Doug Hoffman will run again in New York's 23rd as the Conservative Party nominee against Democratic incumbent Rep. Bill Owens and Republican nominee Matt Doheny.

* Don't expect competitive races in Idaho this year -- the latest Mason-Dixon poll shows Gov. Butch Otter (R) and Sen. Mike Crapo (R) with large leads over their Democratic challengers.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* A "stronger-than-expected increase in orders for manufactured goods in August" signaled encouraging economic news.

* The House probably won't vote on tax cuts before the midterm elections, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hinted today that the schedule is far from final.

* Mahmoud Ahmadinejad argued yesterday that much of the world believes the U.S. government was responsible for 9/11. In an interview today, President Obama was not pleased: "It was offensive. It was hateful. And particularly for him to make the statement here in Manhattan, just a little north of ground zero, where families lost their loved ones -- people of all faiths, all ethnicities, who see this as the seminal tragedy of this generation -- for him to make a statement like that was inexcusable."

* For those of us who eat food, the news from the Hill isn't good: "Sen. Tom Coburn objected again Thursday to bringing up a sweeping overhaul of food safety regulations, putting the future of the bill in doubt as the 111th Congress enters its final months."

* The Justice Department feels compelled to defend the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law in court, but the White House went out of its way to make clear that "the legal maneuver was a formality, not an indication of presidential policy." Press Secretary Robert Gibbs even issued a statement: "This filing in no way diminishes the president's firm commitment to achieve a legislative repeal of D.A.D.T. -- indeed, it clearly shows why Congress must act to end this misguided policy."

* On a related note, when the DADT policy ends, Harvard will reinstate its ROTC program on campus.

* In media news, Jonathan Klein is leaving CNN, and Jeff Zucker is leaving NBC Universal.

* Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was asked today to identify some government program congressional Republicans would cut if they were in the majority. He couldn't name anything.

* Does Fox News' lawsuit against Senate candidate Robin Carnahan (D-Mo.) have merit? No, actually, it doesn't.

* If "Young Guns" is going to be a best seller, folks probably should check the comprehensive fact-check of the book.

* The New York Times reports on Americans for Job Security really being a front for political operatives funneling corporate money for electoral ends. Of course, Washington Monthly readers learned all about this in our magazine six years ago.

* The Tea Party crowd thinks it embodies the traditions of the Founding Fathers. That's absurd.

* In case you missed it, Stephen Colbert testified -- mostly, but not entirely, in character -- before the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law this morning, speaking at a hearing on "Protecting America's Harvest." It was pretty amusing, but Fox News and Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) really didn't think so.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* If Sen. Lisa Murkowski manages to win re-election in Alaska through a write-in bid, would she still caucus with Republicans? Probably, but she seems to like having "a little more flexibility."

* In Kentucky's U.S. Senate race, the last Bluegrass poll published several weeks ago showed Rand Paul (R) leading state Attorney General Jack Conway (D) by 15 points. A new Bluegrass poll, published over the weekend, showed the Republican's lead shrinking to just two points, 49% to 47%.

* In Ohio, Republicans continue to lead both of the key statewide races. The latest Cincinnati Enquirer/Ohio Newspaper Poll shows Rob Portman (R) leading the U.S. Senate race by 15, and John Kasich (R) leading the gubernatorial race by a much closer four-point margin.

* In Florida's U.S. Senate race, the latest Mason-Dixon poll shows Marco Rubio (R) continuing to pull away while his opponents split the center-left. Rubio now leads with 40% support, followed by Gov. Charlie Crist (I) with 28%. Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) is a close third with 23%.

* In California, the latest L.A. Times/USC poll shows Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) leading her re-election bid by eight, and Jerry Brown (D) leading the gubernatorial race by five.

* Iowa's gubernatorial race is quickly turning into a one-sided contest, with former Gov. Terry Branstad (R) leading incumbent Gov. Chet Culver (D) by 19 points in the latest Des Moines Register Iowa Poll, 52% to 33%.

* Massachusetts' gubernatorial race is heating up in a big way, with a new Boston Globe poll showing incumbent Gov. Deval Patrick (D) leading Charlie Baker (R) by just one point, 35% to 34%. Independent Tim Cahill is third with 11%.

* On a related note, Cahill is shedding key staffers, but he's vowing to stay in the race.

* The latest Star-Tribune poll shows Mark Dayton (D) leading Minnesota's gubernatorial race, enjoying a nine-point lead over Tom Emmer (R), 39% to 30%. Independent Tom Horner is a competitive third with 18%. support

* And in Michigan*, former Rep. Tim Walberg (R), hoping to return to Congress this year, is apparently a Birther. Asked last week whether the president is a natural-born citizen, Walberg said, "You know, I don't know, I really don't know. We don't have enough information about this president."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "Evidence is mounting that fraud in last weekend's parliamentary election was so widespread that it could affect the results in a third of provinces, calling into question the credibility of a vote that was an important test of the American and Afghan effort to build a stable and legitimate government."

* Netanyahu pushes peace talks to the breaking point: "Israel's decision this weekend to end its freeze on West Bank Jewish settlement construction sent diplomats on three continents into desperate activity on Monday as they tried to keep Middle East peace talks alive. And although the discussions covered many topics, in the end they came down to one stubborn goal: how to end settlement construction."

* It never should have taken this for the bill to become law: "With Congress just about out the door for the remainder of the election season, President Obama on Monday signed a bill to aid small businesses, saying it will do 'two big things: It's going to cut taxes, and it's going to make more loans available.'"

* Clearly not the headlines civil libertarians hoped to see: 1. "U.S. Tries to Make It Easier to Wiretap the Internet" 2. "Money Transfers Could Face Anti-Terrorism Scrutiny" 3. "Critics Balk at Obama's Justification for Killing American Terrorist."

* Responding to the headlines, Michael Crowley notes, "My hunch is that Obama could make an excellent argument against all these positions, and that it pains him to adopt them. But also that he gets constant and chilling briefings about the terror threat and would rather be accused of limiting civil liberties than of having been less than fully vigilant."

* Glenn Greenwald is far less forgiving.

* Sharp piece from John Harwood: it's the economy, not "empathy," that's driving down President Obama's political support.

* The president spoke to college journalists today, and delivered a direct message to younger voters about the midterms: "You can't sit it out. You can't suddenly just check in once every ten years or so on an exciting presidential election and then not pay attention during big midterm elections where we have a real big choice between Democrats and Republicans.... That is a big choice. That has big consequences. So even though this may not be as exciting as a presidential election it is going to make a huge difference in terms of whether we are going to be able to move our agenda forward over the next couple years."

* On a related note, the impact of the 2010 elections on American colleges really is significant, whether students fully appreciate it or not.

* And finally, in a rare congressional move, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) got so sick of attacks from Concerned Taxpayers of America that he decided to stop by the right-wing group's offices for a surprise visit.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In New York, former Rep. Rick Lazio lost his Republican gubernatorial primary, but he was nevertheless the Conservative Party's nominee. Yesterday, Lazio scrapped that campaign, presumably giving a boost to right-wing billionaire Carl Paladino's (R) campaign.

* On a related note, Paladino has acknowledged having a daughter with a mistress under his employ, in addition to his children with his wife. Last year, he brought the other daughter and her mother on a trip to the Vatican with his wife's permission.

* In Connecticut's U.S. Senate race, a new Quinnipiac poll shows state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) leading right-wing wrestling executive Linda McMahon (R) by just three points, 49% to 46%.

* In Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate race, the latest Muhlenberg College/Morning Call poll shows former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) leading Rep. Joe Sestak (D) by seven, 46% to 39%.

* In New Hampshire's U.S. Senate race, the National Republican Senatorial Committee is investing the legal maximum in a coordinated campaign in support of former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte (R). The DSCC has not yet made a similar commitment to Rep. Paul Hodes' (D) campaign.

* In Texas's gubernatorial race, a poll from a consortium of Lone Star State newspapers shows incumbent Gov. Rick Perry (R) leading former Houston Mayor Bill White (D), 46% to 39%.

* In one of the two U.S. Senate races in New York, a new Marist poll shows Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) leading Joseph DioGuardi (R) by 11, 52% to 41%.

* Vice President Biden appeared at a New Hampshire fundraiser last night, and told a group of about 200 Democratic activists and donors that the party base really needs to "stop whining."

* In related news, President Obama noted in a newly published interview, "It is inexcusable for any Democrat or progressive right now to stand on the sidelines in this midterm election."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Something to keep a close eye on in Afghanistan: "The commander of NATO troops in Afghanistan said Tuesday that the Taliban are approaching the Afghan government and foreign forces about laying down arms after almost nine years of insurgency. US General David Petraeus, who commands more than 150,000 NATO and US troops in Afghanistan, said many small insurgent groups had already made "overtures" to NATO forces about quitting the fight."

* Hoping to keep the government open: "The Senate voted 83-15 on Tuesday to end debate and move to consideration of a stopgap spending measure to avoid a government shutdown later this week. Senators could vote on final passage of the legislation Wednesday, then head out of town to campaign for the November midterm elections."

* Another successful filibuster: "Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked a Democratic plan to encourage companies to bring jobs back from overseas, as a united GOP caucus voted against a motion to debate the measure on the Senate floor."

* I don't know if we're allowed to talk about this without being accused of class warfare, but the income gap between the richest and poorest Americans grew last year "to its widest amount on record."

* The DNC's ongoing "Boehnerization" of the Republican Party continues with a new web video contrasting GOP rhetoric with Democratic action.

* Tragic shooting at the University of Texas.

* On a related note, an interesting report about gun violence: "A study due to be released this week by a coalition called Mayors Against Illegal Guns uses previously unavailable federal gun data to identify what it says are the states that most often export guns used in crimes across state lines. It concludes that the 10 worst offenders per capita, led by Mississippi, West Virginia and Kentucky, supplied nearly half the 43,000 guns traced to crime scenes in other states last year."

* When Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) talks about treating public colleges "like a business," he doesn't really know what he's talking about.

* Sen. Mary Landrieu's (D-La.) fealty to the oil industry just doesn't seem healthy.

* Wait, World War I isn't technically over?

* Fox News' Stuart Varney, who presents himself as some kind of business journalist, is painfully confused -- even by the network's low standards -- about the basics of economics. What an embarrassment.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* New York's Republican gubernatorial nominee, Carl Paladino, has assembled a team of criminals to help run his statewide campaign.

* Ohio's gubernatorial race is getting more and more competitive all the time. A new Reuters poll shows former Rep. John Kasich (R) leading incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland (D) by just one point, while a new New York Times/CBS News poll shows a similar result, with Kasich up 43% to 42%.

* Ohio's U.S. Senate race, however, is not following a similar pattern. Former Bush Budget Director Rob Portman (R) with a double-digit lead over Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D) in the New York Times/CBS News poll, 45% to 34%. A Reuters poll shows Portman up by a similar margin, 50% to 37%.

* Could a Green Party candidate in Illinois end up giving Republicans control of the U.S. Senate? Maybe. New results from Public Policy Polling show Rep. Mark Kirk (R) leading Alexi Giannoulias (D) in Illinois' U.S. Senate, 40% to 36%. Despite Giannoulias running as a progressive Dem, Green Party candidate LeAlan Jones garnered 8% support, and may help hand Kirk the seat by splitting the left.

* Maryland's gubernatorial race appeared to be surprisingly competitive, but a new Washington Post poll shows incumbent Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) leading former Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R) by 11, 52% to 41%.

* In Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate race, the latest Suffolk poll shows Rep. Joe Sestak (D) gaining a bit on former Rep. Pat Toomey (R), with the Democrat now trailing by just five, 45% to 40%.

* In Florida's U.S. Senate race, the Florida Democratic Party has released a fairly devastating new ad targeting Gov. Charlie Crist (I), highlighting some of the more conservative things he's said in recent years. With so much of Crist's support coming from Democrats, the ad is likely to hurt Crist's chances of catching up with Marco Rubio (R).

* Speaking of Rubio, the Republican Senate nominee in Florida supports English-only policies. He's also running a new television ad entirely in Spanish.

* Connecticut's Senate race is getting more competitive, and a new Quinnipiac poll shows the gubernatorial race tightening, too -- Dan Malloy (D) now leads Tom Foley (R) by just three, 45% to 42%.

* And in Minnesota, a Minnesota Public Radio-Humphrey Institute poll shows former Sen. Mark Dayton (D) up by double digits over Tom Emmer (R) in this year's gubernatorial race, 38% to 27%. The Independence Party's Tom Horner is a competitive third with16%

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Terror threat: "Threats of a possible 'Mumbai-style' terror attack on Western interests in Europe are considered 'credible' and U.S. officials aren't ruling out the possibility that the plot could extend to the U.S., a senior U.S. counterterrorism official told NBC News. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said information about a possible plot emanating from al-Qaida-linked groups in northwest Pakistan was first picked up by U.S. intelligence several weeks ago and was believed to be aimed at targets in France, Germany or the United Kingdom."

* It's not much of a surprise, but the House has officially decided to punt on the tax-policy debate until after the midterms.

* Stem-cell research can continue for now: "A federal appeals courts Tuesday ruled that the federal government can continue funding human embryonic stem cell research pending the outcome of a lawsuit challenging the Obama administration's new policies on the controversial field of science."

* Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), a constant source of crushing disappointment, went to the far-right Heritage Foundation today to endorse the Republican line on tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires.

* In light of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's imminent departure, Dave Weigel reviews why the left has never liked him.

* Good idea: "Nine retired U.S. military officers are urging that the U.S. travel ban to Cuba be lifted."

* Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) holds up millions of dollars in aid for Haiti earthquake survivors. Seriously.

* On a related note, Coburn really will just block anything and everything: "A bill aimed at increasing enforcement of existing legislation to protect sharks was scuttled in the Senate today when Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), one of the chamber's chief obstructionists, objected to a unanimous consent request by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)."

* Measuring what colleges do isn't easy.

* As appointed Sen. Ted Kaufmann (D-Del.) prepares to wrap up his brief tenure, he makes it plain: "I don't know what the answer is. I don't know what to say about the system. The system is so awful."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Rep. Mike Castle (R) has announced that he will not run as a write-in Senate candidate this year. The decision improves Newcastle County Executive Chris Coons' (D) odds over Christine O'Donnell (R).

* After making crackdowns on illegal immigration a key part of her campaign, California Republican gubernatorial nominee Meg Whitman acknowledged yesterday she paid an undocumented worker to be her maid for nine years.

* On a related note, Whitman trails Jerry Brown (D) in a new Time/CNN poll, 52% to 43%, though she leads the Democratic nominee by one in a Public Policy Institute of California poll, 38% to 37%.

* Speaking of California, the new Time/CNN poll shows Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) leading Carly Fiorina (R), 52% to 43%, among likely voters. The Public Policy Institute of California poll also shows Boxer ahead, but by a smaller 42% to 35% margin.

* In Illinois, the new Time/CNN poll shows Alexi Giannoulias (D) leading Rep. Mark Kirk (R) by one point among likely voters in this year's Senate race, 43% to 42%. Green Party candidate LeAlan Jones has 8% support in the poll.

* And speaking of Illinois, the same poll shows Bill Brady (R) leading Gov. Pat Quinn (D) in this year's gubernatorial race, but by a smaller margin that most other recent polls, 40% to 38%.

* In New York, Republican gubernatorial hopeful Carl Paladino yesterday accused Andrew Cuomo (D) of adultery, despite not having proof, and despite the fact that Paladino had a daughter with his mistress. This came shortly before Paladino threatened violence against a New York reporter.

* How offensive is Sharron Angle's (R) anti-immigrant ad in Nevada? One of her own spokespeople, acting in her personal capacity, denounced the commercial.

* In Florida's U.S. Senate race, the new Time/CNN poll shows Marco Rubio (R) continuing to expand his lead over Gov. Charlie Crist (I), 42% to 31%, Rep. Kendrick Meek is third with 23%. A new Quinnipiac poll shows Rubio with an even bigger lead, 46% to 33%, over Crist.

* And while campaigns featuring write-in campaigns are notoriously difficult to poll, the new Time/CNN poll of Alaska's U.S. Senate race shows Joe Miller (R) leading Sen. Lisa Murkowski among likely voters, 38% to 36%. Democrat Scott McAdams (D) is third with 22%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel will leave his post tomorrow, in preparation for a mayoral campaign in Chicago. His post will be filled, at least for now, by senior adviser Pete Rouse, though he may be "interim" and may not want the job long-term.

* A pleasant surprise: "New claims for unemployment benefits plunged by 16,000 last week to 453,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday, a steeper fall than had been anticipated in a sign that labor markets may be strengthening modestly."

* The Senate managed to confirm two Federal Reserve Board governor nominees, Janet Yellen and Sarah Bloom Raskin. A third, economist Peter Diamond, was blocked by Republicans for no reason. Again.

* Afghanistan: "Pakistan brought a critical NATO supply route for U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan to an abrupt halt on Thursday after NATO aircraft crossed into Pakistan in a confused attack that killed three Pakistani paramilitary troops."

* Revised totals showed that the economy grew at 1.7% in the second quarter, up ever so slightly from the previous 1.6% estimate.

* AIG is paying us back, and will likely return a profit to U.S. taxpayers.

* No progress on the Korean peninsula: "The first military talks in two years between North and South Korea ended Thursday with no apparent progress and no new talks scheduled, according to an official with South Korea's Defense Ministry."

* The Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) staffer who published an item online saying "all fa**ots must die" has been identified and fired.

* With Elizabeth Warren leaving the Hill for the administration, departing appointed Sen. Ted Kaufman (D-Del.) will take her place overseeing TARP for Congress. He's a strong choice.

* Good: "J.P. Morgan Chase, one of the nation's leading banks, announced Wednesday that it will freeze foreclosures in about half the country because of flawed paperwork, a move that Wall Street analysts said will pressure the rest of the industry to follow suit. "

* Congress' Net Neutrality bill dies.

* Andrew Shirvell, a lawyer in the office of Michigan Attorney General, seems like a very odd man.

* This is pretty scandalous: "Experts are now seriously questioning Pinal County Sheriff's Deputy Louie Puroll's much-hyped tale of being shot by drug smugglers in a remote part of the Arizona desert. But even if every detail of Puroll's story is true, it still does not square with many of the claims the Sheriff's office has peddled about the case."

* President Obama gave a hearty plug to Jon Stewart's planned rally to "restore sanity" yesterday in Virginia. Describing the kind of folks who'll attend, Obama said, "They are just expecting some common sense. ... Having those voices lifted up is really important."

* And maybe it's just me, but when I hear about a "Goldilocks" planet that appears capable of supporting life, I don't think, "Cool, maybe there are aliens there." I think "Cool, maybe we can move there after we've finished screwing up here."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Are Democrats increasingly worried about the U.S. Senate race in Connecticut? Yep. The DSCC "has bought approximately $300,000 worth of TV air time" in support of state A.G. Richard Blumenthal (D).

* In Massachusetts' gubernatorial race, independent candidate Tim Cahill's running mate is leaving the ticket and endorsing the Republican, and rumor has it that Cahill may drop out as early as today. The move would likely make re-election more difficult for incumbent Gov. Deval Patrick (D).

* California gubernatorial hopeful Meg Whitman (R) hasn't quite figured out what to do with charges she hired a maid who entered the country illegally, and her version of events appears to be changing.

* Last year, Democrats had high hopes for the U.S. Senate race in New Hampshire, but those hopes have since all but disappeared. As of yesterday, a University of New Hampshire poll showed Kelly Ayotte (R) leading Rep. Paul Hodes (D) by 15, 50% to 35%.

* The Illinois gubernatorial campaign appeared to be a major GOP pick-up opportunity, but a new Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV poll shows Republican Bill Brady's advantage fading fast. Incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn (D) is now narrowly ahead, 39% to 38%.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D) new campaign ad in Nevada reminds voters that Sharron Angle (R) has opposed mandatory coverage for mammograms.

* In Florida's gubernatorial race, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Rick Scott (R) leading Alex Sink (D), 49% to 43%, among likely voters.

* In a bit of a surprise, the NRA has thrown its support to Rep. Brad Ellsworth's (D) Senate campaign in Indiana. Polls shows Ellsworth trailing badly against corporate lobbyist Dan Coats (R).

* With nearly all polls in Wisconsin showing Sen. Russ Feingold (D) trailing right-wing businessman Ron Johnson (R), MoveOn.org has made the incumbent's re-election a top priority.

* In New York's gubernatorial race, the latest Marist Poll shows Andrew Cuomo (D) leading Carl Paladino (R) by 15 points, 53% to 38%. Meanwhile, Paladino is walking back some of his latest attacks against his opponent, but not in an honest way.

* In New Mexico's gubernatorial race, PPP shows Susana Martinez (R) leading Lt. Gov. Diane Denish (D), 50% to 42%.

* And in North Carolina's U.S. Senate race, PPP shows Elaine Marshall (D) struggling to catch incumbent Sen. Richard Burr (R), whose lead has increased to 13, 49% to 36%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* A governing deal in place in Baghdad? "Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq appeared almost assured of a second term in office on Friday after winning the support of an anti-American Shiite Islamic movement whose return to political power could reshape relations with the United States.... [A]t a time when public frustration and extremist violence have mounted, it could still take weeks or months more for Mr. Maliki to secure reelection and form a new government."

* As the diplomatic efforts continue, today marks an unflattering milestone: "Iraq on Friday will surpass the record for the country that has gone the longest between holding parliamentary elections and forming a government, experts say."

* Rahm Emanuel gets an emotional send-off from the White House, as Pete Rouse gets to work. (It's still unclear just how long Rouse's tenure is intended to last.)

* Horrifying beyond words: "American scientists deliberately infected prisoners and patients in a mental hospital in Guatemala with syphilis 60 years ago, a recently unearthed experiment that prompted U.S. officials to apologize Friday and declare outrage over 'such reprehensible research.'"

* Pakistan: "Political upheaval in Pakistan and a sudden rupture in relations with the United States have heightened the Obama administration's concern about the stability of a crucial partner in its Afghanistan war strategy."

* Crisis in Caracas: "Ecuador's military staged a spectacular rescue Thursday night to free President Rafael Correa, who was holed up in a hospital for more than 12 hours by a police uprising that threatened the nation's stability."

* Remember the flash crash? "A trading firm's use of a computer sell order triggered the May 6 market plunge, which sent the Dow Jones industrial average tumbling nearly 1,000 points in less than a half-hour, federal regulators said Friday.... The firm's trade, worth $4.1 billion, led to a chain of events the ended with market players swiftly pulling their money from stock market, the report said."

* Daniel Luzer: "[T]here's something wrong with encouraging everyone to get a BA. But there's something very wrong with the fact that our country doesn't really offer much for high school students who aren't going to earn a BA."

* R.I.P., Neil Alan Smith.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In Delaware, extremist Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell (R) suggested to her supporters last week that God wants her to win so she can filibuster the lame-duck session.

* New York gubernatorial hopeful Carl Paladino's (R) business operations netted $3 million in tax breaks with the intention of creating lots of jobs in and around Buffalo. He took advantage of the breaks, but only produced 25 new jobs.

* When it comes to a Colorado ballot proposal intended to outlaw abortions, right-wing Senate candidate Ken Buck (R) is for it, against it, and unsure what to make of it. (The proposal would give constitutional rights to fertilized human eggs from the moment of conception.)

* Speaking of Colorado, the latest McClatchy-Marist poll shows Buck (R), despite his extremism, leading Sen. Michael Bennet (D) among likely voters, 50% to 42%. The same poll shows Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) cruising in the state's gubernatorial race.

* In Illinois' U.S. Senate race, the latest Chicago Tribune poll shows Alexi Giannoulias (D) with a narrow lead over Rep. Mark Kirk (R), 38% to 36%, with 17% still undecided

* In Wisconsin's U.S. Senate race, the latest McClatchy-Marist poll shows Ron Johnson (R) still leading Sen. Russ Feingold (D) among likely voters, 52% to 45%.

* In Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate race, the latest McClatchy-Marist poll shows Pat Toomey (R) leading Rep. Joe Sestak (D) among likely voters, 51% to 42%, though the latest Susquehanna Polling and Research survey shows Sestak trailing by only three.

* Sometimes I think it would be nice if classiness still mattered in politics: "World Wrestling Entertainment, the company where Connecticut Republican Senate hopeful Linda McMahon served as CEO for years, once teamed up with the 'Girls Gone Wild' enterprise for a pay-per-view event featuring the raunchy, partly-nude show and some of the WWE's wrestling personalities."

* High on the list of incumbent Senate Dems who aren't in trouble is Maryland's Barbara Mikulski. A new Washington Post poll shows her leading her GOP challenger, 61% to 29%

* Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) refuses to participate in any additional public debates before Election Day -- unless her poll numbers start to drop, at which point she'd reconsider.

* President Obama made his first endorsement ad of the season in a new spot for Cedric Richmond, who's taking on Rep. Joseph Cao (R) in Louisiana's 2nd.

* In the very last primary of 2010, attorney Jeff Landry won the GOP nomination in Louisiana's 3rd, and is expected to win the seat that has been held by Rep. Charlie Melancon (D), who is running for Senate.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The slow process of Iraqi diplomacy: "Officials from the Sunni-backed slate that won the most votes in Iraq's parliamentary election said Monday that they might support letting Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki keep his job if their top candidate is sworn in as president with expanded powers."

* A vague State Department "travel alert" that did not include advice to avoid Europe: "The Obama administration formally warned Americans Sunday about potential terrorist attacks in Europe, urging U.S. citizens to be careful on public transportation and at tourist sites." Japan and Sweden issued similar alerts today.

* Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan spent her first morning on the high court saying more than Clarence Thomas has said in over a decade.

* A pretty significant political corruption scandal in Alabama puts several state lawmakers in handcuffs.

* An overdue resignation: "Wisconsin District Attorney Kenneth Kratz resigned today, effective immediately, after several women alleged he sent sexually inappropriate text messages during his time as DA in Calumet County."

* ThinkProgress did a nice job pulling together a video collection featuring quite a few Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill, all of whom were asked to identify specific areas of the budget they'd like to cut, and all whom failed.

* What do you know, James O'Keefe can be even more insufferable.

* The religious right has every reason to be nervous about the future of their culture war -- young people just don't look at the world the way the far-right movement does.

* On a related note, progress on sex-ed: "For the first time in more than a decade, the federal government is funding sex education programs that are not based solely on abstinence. But they are not just about handing out condoms, either."

* Paul Krugman notices that "the Ministry of Propaganda has, in effect, seized control of the Politburo." (Fox News and the Republican Party, I think he's talking to you.)

* Considering the future of for-profit colleges after the midterm elections have come and gone.

* I don't know if someone enforcing a copyright will force this from YouTube, but for now, "Donald Duck Meets Glenn Beck in Right Wing Radio Duck" is extremely clever and well worth watching.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* A bizarre trend, largely limited to GOP candidates: "They're ducking public events, refusing to publicize the ones they do hold and skipping debates and national TV interviews altogether -- out of fear of a gotcha moment that will come back to haunt them."

* In Colorado's U.S. Senate race, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows appointed Sen. Michael Bennet (D) inching past right-wing challenger Ken Buck (R), 46% to 45%. Most recent polling has shown Buck with a modest lead.

* In Connecticut's U.S. Senate race, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows state A.G. Richard Blumenthal (D) leading scandal-plagued wrestling executive Linda McMahon (R), 53% to 41%. The poll comes with news that McMahon has new attack ads, going after Blumenthal on the Vietnam issue.

* In New York's gubernatorial race, a new Siena poll shows Andrew Cuomo (D) enjoying a 24-point lead over Carl Paladino (R), 56% to 32%, as a majority of New Yorkers come to the conclusion that Paladino "is a loose cannon, who doesn't have the temperament to be governor."

* In Illinois, a new Suffolk poll shows incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn (D), who's been trailing for months, opening up a modest lead over Bill Brady (R), 43% to 37%. The same poll shows Rep. Mark Kirk (R) narrowly leading Alexi Giannoulias (D) in the U.S. Senate race, 42% to 41%.

* Though some recent polling in Ohio's gubernatorial race has shown Gov. Ted Strickland (D) within striking distance, a new Quinnipiac poll shows him trailing John Kasich (R), 50% to 41%. For what it's worth, the nine-point gap is better than the 17-point deficit Quinnipiac showed a couple of weeks ago.

* Is John Raese, the far-right Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in West Virginia, a resident of West Virginia? It's a debatable point.

* In her first television ad of the cycle, extremist Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell (R) of Delaware tells voters, "I'm not a witch." Good to know.

* And in Texas' gubernatorial race, former Houston Mayor Bill White (D) is slamming incumbent Gov. Rick Perry for more than $16 million in state technology grants that Perry's administration awarded to companies run by top Perry campaign donors. Perry is also being slammed by his own media allies for being too much of a coward to debate White before the election.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* As if she weren't offensive enough, extremist Senate candidate Sharron Angle's (R) new attack ad has not-so-subtle racial undertones. It's hard to watch without thinking of Jesse Helms.

* In case there were any doubts, Dems really are worried about Connecticut. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has added an additional $1.2 million in advertising in the state for the final three weeks of the cycle, hoping to help state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) hang on against scandal-plagued wrestling executive Linda McMahon (R).

* Delaware's U.S. Senate race appears to be getting less competitive as it progresses. A new University of Delaware poll shows Chris Coons (D) leading Christine O'Donnell (R), 61% to 37%.

* In California's key statewide races, the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) up by four in the U.S. Senate race, and state A.G. Jerry Brown (D) leading by seven in the gubernatorial race.

* In New York's gubernatorial race, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Andrew Cuomo (D) leading Carl Paladino (R) by 15, 53% to 38%.

* In Pennsylvania's key statewide races, the latest Morning Call/Muhlenberg College poll shows former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) leading the U.S. Senate race by seven points, and state A.G. Tom Corbett (R) leading the gubernatorial race by 11 points

* Ohio's U.S. Senate race was once considered one of the more competitive open-seat contests, but not anymore. A new Quinnipiac poll shows former Bush budget director Rob Portman (R) leading Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D), 55% to 36%, among likely voters.

* The U.S. House race in New York's 23rd got a little less complicated this week with Tea Party favorite Doug Hoffman's withdrawal, setting up a one-to-one contest between Rep. Bill Owens (D) and GOP challenger Matt Doheny in a traditionally "red" district.

* In New Mexico's gubernatorial race, the latest Albuquerque Journal poll shows Susana Martinez (R) continuing to lead Lt. Gov. Diane Denish (D), 47% to 41%.

* And in one of only a handful of Democratic U.S. House pick-up opportunities, the latest survey from PPP in Hawaii's 1st district shows Colleen Hanabusa (D) with the narrowest of leads over Rep. Charles Djou (R), 48% to 47%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Pakistan received an apology from the U.S. ambassador and condolences from Gen. Petraeus: "An investigation into a NATO airstrike that killed two Pakistani soldiers last week, triggering retaliatory torchings of coalition supply trucks and the closure of a key border crossing, has concluded that the incident was the result of poor cross-border coordination."

* In related news: "Dozens of tankers carrying fuel to Afghanistan for NATO troops were torched near Quetta in western Pakistan on Wednesday, the third major attack on supplies since Pakistan closed one border crossing to Afghanistan a week ago and the first at the only checkpoint that remained open."

* Afghanistan: "Taliban representatives and the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai have begun secret, high-level talks over a negotiated end to the war, according to Afghan and Arab sources."

* I have a strong hunch election-year politics might have had something to do with this: "The state of West Virginia sued two federal agencies on Wednesday, seeking to reverse the stricter controls on mountaintop coal mining adopted in 2009 by the Obama administration."

* ThinkProgress highlighted the problem yesterday of foreign fundraising from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is investing $75 million in attack ads against Democrats this election season. Yesterday, the Chamber offered a vague defense. Today, the business lobby went after ThinkProgress with a vengeance.

* Rick Sanchez spoke publicly today for the first time since last week's radio tirade, and he apologized for what he called "inartful," "tired and mangled" words that he said "were never intended to suggest any sort of narrow-mindedness and should never have been made."

* For all the grief I gave Thomas Friedman over his last column, he delivers in a big way today with a terrific column on Prop 23 in California.

* R.I.P., former Rep. Karen McCarthy.

* Daniel Luzer: "Community Colleges: Their Finest Hour?"

* And finally, Fox News' "Fox & Friends" told viewers this morning that the city of Los Angeles was ordering 10,000 jetpacks at a cost of $100,000 each. That, of course, wasn't even close to being true. "We certainly haven't bought any jetpacks," police chief Charlie Beck told the L.A. Times. "We haven't bought [squad] cars for two years." So, where'd did Fox News hear about this? The story apparently originated with the Weekly World News, a supermarket tabloid.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* This morning, the National Republican Senatorial Committee pulled its "hicky" ad from West Virginia airwaves. Probably a good move under the circumstances. West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D), meanwhile, wants John Raese (R) and his party to apologize, but that hasn't happened yet.

* Two weeks ago, a Quinnipiac poll showed a surprisingly competitive gubernatorial race in New York. That's changed quickly -- the pollster's new numbers show Andrew Cuomo (D) leading Carl Paladino (R), 55% to 37%.

* Sen. Russ Feingold (D) appears to be in real trouble in Wisconsin this year, but for reasons I don't fully understand, he doesn't want the DSCC to make any investments on his behalf before the election.

* Scandal-plagued Sen. David Vitter (R) was supposed to attend a candidates' debate in Houma, Louisiana, on Tuesday. Vitter, who hadn't declined the invitation, decided to skip the unscripted Q&A and go to a Republicans-only event 50 miles away.

* In Nevada's U.S. Senate race, a new Time/CNN poll shows Sharron Angle (R) leading Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) by two, 42% to 40%. (Among registered voters, Reid has a double-digit lead, suggesting there's still an enthusiasm gap.)

* In one of New York's two U.S. Senate races this year, incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand (D) leads Joseph DioGuardi (R) by 14 in a new Time/CNN poll (55% to 41%), and by 10 in a new PPP survey (50% to 40%).

* On a related note, the same PPP survey shows Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) leading his GOP challenger, 59% to 37%.

* In Missouri's U.S. Senate race, a new Time/CNN poll shows Roy Blunt (R) well ahead of Robin Carnahan (D), 53% to 40%, in a race Dems hoped to be a key pick-up opportunity.

* In Connecticut's U.S. Senate race, a new Time/CNN poll shows Richard Blumenthal (D) still up by double digits over Linda McMahon (R), 54% to 41%. The same poll shows Dan Malloy (D) leading Tom Foley (R) in Connecticut's gubernatorial race, 50% to 42%.

* And in Hawaii's gubernatorial race, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D) leading Duke Aiona (R) but only by two points, 49% to 47%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Still high, but better (and beating expectations): "New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, touching their lowest level in nearly three months, according to a government report on Thursday that pointed to some stability in the troubled labor market."

* A possible environmental catastrophe unfolding in Hungary: "The toxic red sludge that burst out of a Hungarian factory's reservoir reached the mighty Danube on Thursday after wreaking havoc on smaller rivers and creeks, and downstream nations rushed to test their waters."

* Blue Dog Rep. Bobby Bright (D-Ala.) became the first House Dem to declare today he wouldn't support Nancy Pelosi for another term as House Speaker next year, if there's a Democratic majority. He said he wouldn't support John Boehner (R-Ohio) for Speaker, either.

* It's not exactly swift-moving progress with Middle East peace talks: "The Arab League meeting on Friday in Libya, widely anticipated as a deadline when Israeli-Palestinian peace talks would either be renewed or definitively cut off, appears likely to pass without either occurring."

* I know he's a Republican darling, but it's hard to imagine what he's thinking here: "Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey said on Thursday that he has decided to terminate the construction of a commuter train tunnel between northern New Jersey and Manhattan because of escalating estimates of the project's cost." Paul Krugman called it "arguably the worst policy decision ever made by the government of New Jersey -- and that's saying a lot."

* The economy's problem isn't structural: "For months, companies have been sitting on the sidelines with record piles of cash, too nervous to spend. Now they're starting to deploy some of that money - not to hire workers or build factories, but to prop up their share prices."

* Nicholas Kristof explains that "the strong implication is that Republican rule would lead to the Trifecta of Torment: higher unemployment, worse deficits and greater inequity. That might be more important to ponder this fall than the ups and downs of the mud-wrestling competitions."

* Daschle's remarks on the public option have caused a stir, but they don't exactly shed any new light on the subject.

* Ryan Grim reports on the CFPB: "The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will be the first real agency of the 21st century, Elizabeth Warren said in an interview with the Huffington Post, and it will rely on interaction with the public in order to accomplish its mission."

* It's only fair to note there are a couple of degrees of separation between the NRSC and the "hicky" attack ad in West Virginia. They bought it so they own it, but "hicky" wasn't part of the Republican script.

* Wait, Tea Partiers have begun hating puppies, too?

* Americans want better colleges. They just don't want to pay for them.

* There's something pretty amusing about the idea of Lou Dobbs hiring undocumented immigrants to work at his horse farm. Apparently, Dobbs will be addressing this tonight on MSNBC's "The Last Word," which should be interesting.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* For the second consecutive month, the Republican National Committee's monthly fundraising total fell far short of expectations. In September, the RNC pulled in $9.7 million. The goal was $13.5 million.

* Speaking of fundraising, donations to the Democratic Governors Association broke its own record in the third quarter of 2010, thanks in large part to the backlash against News Corp's support for the Republican Governors Association.

* Can anyone say with any confidence exactly which state U.S. Senate candidate John Raese (R) actually lives in? It's surprisingly difficult to figure out.

* In Florida's U.S. Senate race, a new Mason-Dixon poll shows Marco Rubio (R) leading Gov. Charlie Crist (I) by 15 points, 42% to 27%, with Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) third at 21%.

* In Ohio, the latest Suffolk University poll shows former Rep. John Kasich (R) with a modest lead over incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland (D), 46% to 42%. The Senate race appears less competitive, with Rob Portman (R) leading Lee Fisher (D), 47% to 37%.

* While a recent Quinnipiac poll showed a competitive U.S. Senate race in New York, the pollster's newest release found Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) leading Joe DioGuardi (R), 55% to 34%. The same poll shows Sen. Chuck Schumer (D) leading his GOP challenger by 31 points.

* In Colorado's gubernatorial race, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper leading a three-way contest with 47% support. Former Rep. Tom Tancredo, running on a third-party ticket, is second with 33%, followed by Dan Maes (R) at 13%.

* Dem hopes in Indiana's U.S. Senate race appear to have faded entirely. The latest EPIC/MRA poll shows corporate lobbyist Dan Coats (R) leading Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D), 51% to 33%.

* And in one of the toughest DCCC ads of the year, the campaign committee reminds voters in Massachusetts' 10th about Republican candidate Jeff Perry and his role as "the supervising officer of a cop in Wareham, Scott Flanagan, who at least twice in the mid-1990s conducted illegal strip searches of female teenage suspects."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* China's best known dissident becomes the first Chinese citizen to win the Peace Prize: "Liu Xiaobo, an impassioned literary critic, political essayist and democracy advocate repeatedly jailed by the Chinese government for his writings, won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday in recognition of his pursuit of nonviolent political reform in the world's most populous country."

* Foreclosures: "Bank of America, the country's largest bank, said on Friday that it was halting all foreclosure proceedings and sales of foreclosed homes indefinitely." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is calling on other major lenders to do the same.

* Gen. James Jones departs as President Obama's national security adviser. His successor will be his deputy, Thomas Donilon.

* Wall Street ended the week on a high note, not because the economy is looking up, but because it isn't: "The Dow Jones industrial average closed Friday above 11,000 for the first time since early May as the markets digested news of another weak report on unemployment, fueling expectations the Federal Reserve will step in to help the economy."

* Would New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) reverse course on the proposed rail tunnel under the Hudson River? Maybe. (I'm not sure why he couldn't think this through before making an announcement yesterday.)

* What's been killing off honeybees over the last several years? Military scientists and entomologists close in on the culprit.

* Michael Mann has some first-hand experience with the issue that gives his op-ed added weight: "Get the anti-science bent out of politics."

* The Rachel Maddow Show has an idea for re-naming my monthly jobs chart. Works for me.

* On a related note, "Where Are The Jobs?" The GOP blocked them.

* Sarabeth has some worthwhile thoughts on the future of the foreclosure crisis, and why it might slowly get bigger.

* Kevin Drum has a compelling defense of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) low-key, behind-the-scenes style.

* Graduation rates: community colleges vs. for-profits.

* And last week, extremist Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R) in Nevada made some wildly ridiculous public remarks about Sharia Law being a threat to America. Greg Sargent has the audio and a partial transcript, and if anything, the remarks seem even worse.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* Despite any rumors you may have heard to the contrary, Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) insists he will "absolutely not" end his U.S. Senate campaign in Florida. There's some evidence to suggest Meek's unlikely withdrawal might help prevent Republican Marco Rubio from winning the open seat.

* West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D), slipping in his once-safe U.S. Senate campaign against right-wing Floridian John Raese (R), is moving quickly to the right. In a new TV ad, Manchin literally targets a cap-and-trade bill with a rifle, and he's also now open to repealing the entire Affordable Care Act.

* In Kentucky's U.S. Senate race, another independent poll shows a competitive contest, with extremist ophthalmologist Rand Paul (R) leading state Attorney General Jack Conway (D) in a Braun Research poll, 43.4% to 39.5% among likely voters.

* In Alaska, extremist Senate candidate Joe Miller (R)* believes Medicaid benefits are unconstitutional -- unless he's the one receiving Medicaid benefits.

* Massachusetts' gubernatorial race has taken an ugly turn, with independent Timothy Cahill turning the campaign "into a courtroom thriller, complete with charges of espionage, conspiracy and subterfuge."

* In Florida's gubernatorial race, the latest Mason-Dixon poll shows state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink (D) leading disgraced former health care executive Rick Scott (R), 44% to 40%.

* Michigan's gubernatorial race appears to be all but over, with the latest EPIC MRA poll showing Rick Snyder (R) leading Virg Bernero (D) by 20 points, 49% to 29%.

* And in Texas' 17th, a key House race this year, Rep. Chet Edwards' (D) Republican challenger, who has based much of his campaign on opposition to taxpayer-financed bailouts, "once led his company through a bankruptcy that let it avoid a $7.5 million debt to the U.S. government." The GOP candidate, Bill Flores, also appears to have lied about having repaid all of his debts.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* It's always best to keep hopes in Middle East peace talks in check: "Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu offered on Monday to extend a freeze on building in West Bank settlements if the Palestinian leadership declares that it recognizes Israel as the Jewish state. The offer was promptly rejected by the Palestinians."

* Criminal negligence in Hungary: "The managing director of the company whose reservoir unleashed a lethal torrent of red sludge on three villages last week has been arrested, the Hungarian prime minister announced before Parliament on Monday."

* Progress in the rescue efforts in Chile: "Rescuers on Monday finished reinforcing the hole drilled to bring 33 trapped miners to safety and sent a rescue capsule nearly all the way to where the men are trapped, proving the escape route works. That means that if all goes well, everything will be in place at midnight Tuesday to begin pulling the men out of their subterranean purgatory."

* Just what our discourse needs: a 10-stop Dick Cheney speaking tour.

* Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) told a right-wing crowd over the weekend "that he would support a federal constitutional amendment that would allow two-thirds of the states to collectively repeal a federal enactment." That's a pretty horrible idea.

* On a related note, Dave Weigel was on hand for the under-covered event, and has a fascinating, albeit disturbing, report.

* Fingers crossed: "Doctors have injected millions of human embryonic stem cells into a patient partially paralyzed by a spinal cord injury, marking the beginning of the first carefully designed attempt to test the promising but controversial therapy, officials announced Monday."

* Happy 10th blogoversary -- sure, that's a word -- to Andrew Sullivan.

* And finally, much of the media and a few too many political observers spent the day obsessing over a book that was tossed on stage at President Obama's rally in Philadelphia yesterday afternoon. Many took this as a sign of protest and anger at the president. In reality, the book was thrown by "an overzealous author who just wanted to toss his book into the president's reading list." The media's fascination -- the far-right blogs' hyperventalating -- was for naught. Again.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers.

* In West Virginia's closely-watched U.S. Senate race, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Gov. Joe Manchin (D) back out in front of John Raese (R), 48% to 45%.

* A Nevada woman has come forward to say she worked for gubernatorial hopeful Brian Sandoval (R), despite being an illegal immigrant at the time. This is particularly relevant, given that Sandoval is running on an anti-immigrant platform.

* In Florida's gubernatorial race, a new Quinnipiac poll shows disgraced former health care executive Rick Scott (R) with the narrowest of leads over state CFO Alex Sink (D), 45% to 44%.

* Speaking of Florida, President Obama has cut a radio ad for Rep. Kendrick Meek's (D) U.S. Senate campaign, calling Meek "a powerful voice for Floridians."

* Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) appears undamaged by her humiliating debate performance. A new Rocky Mountain poll shows her leading state Attorney General Terry Goddard (D), 46% to 35%, among likely voters.

* In Colorado's gubernatorial race, Republican Dan Maes, currently running third in the poll, is blaming his supporters for his current electoral difficulties.

* As Democratic triage efforts begin in earnest, the national party is pulling back in its investments in support of Reps. Steve Driehaus of Ohio, Suzanne Kosmas of Florida, Kathy Dahlkemper of Pennsylvania, and Stephanie Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota.

* After revelations about his habit of dressing up like a Nazi for several years, Republican congressional candidate Rich Iott in Ohio was quietly thrown under the GOP bus. Yesterday, Iott made clear he's not happy about it.

* In the state of Washington, Dems appear to have a rare pick-up opportunity in the 8th congressional district. A new PPP poll commissioned by Daily Kos shows incumbent Rep. Dave Reichert (R) leading by just three over his Democratic challenger, Suzan DelBene, 49% to 46%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Lifting the drilling ban: "The Obama administration on Tuesday lifted the moratorium on deepwater exploratory oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico -- provided companies follow new safety rules.... One of those new rules is that the CEO of a company responsible for a well must certify it has complied with all regulations. That could make the person at the top of the company liable for any future accidents."

* Waiting for the Fed to intervene: "A critical mass of officials at the Federal Reserve appear to favor taking new actions to reinvigorate the lagging recovery in the absence of clear signs of improvement in the economy, according to minutes of the central bank's last policy meeting."

* Good news in Chile: "After 68 days deep in a dank, hot purgatory, the first of 33 trapped miners will be hoisted to freedom Tuesday night, Chilean rescue officials told hundreds of reporters who have been covering a dramatic life-and-death struggle that has mesmerized much of the world."

* In Afghanistan, the plan to accelerate training of Afghan security forces is going reasonably well, but "the question now is whether these new forces will allow NATO and the Afghan government to reverse the insurgency's momentum and begin reducing the Western presence in the country."

* As the debate over undisclosed campaign contributions rages on, wouldn't it be nice if major news outlets care more about the fact that Karl Rove seems to be constantly lying?

* As the Washington Post's On Faith section publishes a hateful screed from Tony Perkins on National Coming Out Day, it's easy to imagine Katharine Graham weeping.

* Health Care For America Now has a new video out featuring Jack Black as a professional "Mis-Informant." It's pretty funny, and worth checking out.

* Do college dropouts cost the American taxpayer billions of dollars? Well, sort of.

* Watching Gretchen Carlson and Laura Ingraham bust a move to "Ice Ice Baby" on "Fox & Friends" this morning might be among the more horrifying things I've seen in a while.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Now that Democrats have apparently hurt the feelings of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the business lobby vowed yesterday to "ramp up" its campaign activities.

* As triage rules the day, the Washington Post's Aaron Blake has a list of U.S. House races where Democrats have "canceled all of their ad reservations." The silver lining? Dems are pulling back in two of the races because they're confident of success.

* In Nevada's U.S. Senate race, extremist candidate Sharron Angle (R) reportedly raised an astounding $14 million in the third quarter. Dems are skeptical about the claim, given that the Angle campaign hasn't released its cash-on-hand numbers, so it's hard to say how much of the $14 million has already been spent.

* On a related note, the latest survey of the race from Public Policy Polling shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) leading Angle by just one point, 49% to 48%.

* In the state of Washington, a new Elway Poll shows incumbent Sen. Patty Murray (D) leading Dino Rossi (R) by a healthy margin, 51% to 38%. Mail-in balloting, however, makes polling in state a little tricky.

* In Wisconsin's U.S. Senate race, many Dems keep waiting for the gap to narrow, but it's not yet evident in the data. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Sen. Russ Feingold (D) continuing to trail far-right challenger Ron Johnson (R), 51% to 44%.

* In Florida's U.S. Senate race, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Marco Rubio (R) leading Gov. Charlie Crist (I), 44% to 30%, while PPP shows Rubio up by 11, 44% to 33%.

* On a related note, Crist is picking up some fairly high-profile endorsements this week, with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) announcing his support for Crist yesterday, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. endorsing the governor's Senate campaign today.

* In Illinois' U.S. Senate race, a new Southern Illinois University poll shows Alexi Giannoulias (D) and Rep. Mark Kirk (R) tied at 37% each.

* And in Alaska's U.S. Senate race, a new survey from Public Policy Polling for Daily Kos shows extremist candidate Joe Miller (R) narrowly leading write-in Republican Lisa Murkowski, 35% to 33%. Democrat Scott McAdams is a competitive third with 26%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* It's hard not to feel good about the successful rescue efforts in Chile. As of now, 23 are free, and there are 10 more to go.

* Crafting a response to the foreclosure debacle: "Federal regulators on Wednesday urged the nation's lenders to verify that paperwork filed as part of the foreclosure process was properly reviewed and to file new documents if problems are found."

* ThinkProgress follows up on its previous reporting, noting today that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce received at least $885,000 from over 80 foreign companies in disclosed donations.

* House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) is so confident about the outcome of the midterms, he's already starting to make promises to members of about valuable committee assignments.

* Ordinarily, the departure of a city's public schools' chief wouldn't necessarily be national news, but the departure of D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee is a unique case.

* Michael Cohen is back from Afghanistan. He reflects on what he saw as an elections monitor.

* It's hard to believe the extent to which right-wing groups have dominated the airwaves in the hopes of buying the elections: "FEC filings show they've spent almost $2.7 million on TV ads. The advertising data we reviewed suggests the nation's leading pro-gun group has aired 1,822 ads across four Senate races. All told, these ten groups have now aired 60,052 ads since the beginning of August."

* Congrats to Annie Lowery as she makes the transition from the Washington Independent to Slate.

* Not sure what to make of this: "Apparently in the wake of the success of The Social Network, the movie about Facebook's early days, filmmaker Wes Jones is now working on a movie about Karl Rove's time in college. Yup, Karl Rove."

* Glenn Beck wonders whether Donald Duck is a government-funded propaganda tool.

* And through her House Tea Party Caucus, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) intends to teach a class to incoming congressional freshman, to help protect against what she described as "huge, bureaucratic, large, big government." It should be quite a course.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Are pollsters ignoring cell-phone-only Americans, who are more likely to be younger and Democratic? The Pew Research Center suggests that's the case, and Mark Blumenthal ponders the evidence.

* Dems had high hopes about the open U.S. Senate race in Missouri, but with polls showing Rep. Roy Blunt (R) with stubborn leads, it looks like the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is scaling back its investments. The DSCC is, however, boosting its role in Nevada.

* And with that in mind, in Nevada's U.S. Senate race, the polls don't offer much guidance. A new Suffolk University poll shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) leading Sharron Angle (R) by three, 46% to 43%, while Mason-Dixon shows Angle up by two, 47% to 45%.

* Questions of ideology aside, new evidence suggests extremist Senate candidate Joe Miller (R) in Alaska has a serious integrity problem. No wonder he refuses to answer questions about his background.

* In Florida's gubernatorial race, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling survey shows Alex Sink (D) leading Rick Scott (R), 46% to 41%.

* In Connecticut's U.S. Senate race, Quinnipiac had showed a tightening race, but its new numbers show Richard Blumenthal (D) leading Linda McMahon (R), 54% to 43%.

* In the state of Washington, a new Time/CNN poll shows incumbent Sen. Patty Murray (D) leading Dino Rossi (R) by eight, 51% to 43%.

* In Wisconsin, the new Time/CNN poll shows Ron Johnson (R) leading Sen. Russ Feingold (D), 44% to 52%, and Scott Walker (R) leading Tom Barrett (D) in the gubernatorial race, 52% to 44%.

* In West Virginia's U.S. Senate race, the new Time/CNN poll shows Gov. Joe Manchin (D) and John Raese (R) tied at 44% each.

* In Delaware's U.S. Senate race, Time/CNN poll shows Chris Coons (D) leading Christine O'Donnell (R), 57% to 38%, while a new Monmouth University poll shows Coons up by the identical margin.

* In related news, Rep. Mike Castle, who lost to O'Donnell in a GOP primary, has announced he won't make an endorsement in the race.

* And in New Hampshire, a couple of controversies are threatening leading Republican candidates. In the U.S. Senate race, the saga of Kelly Ayotte's politicized emails continues, this time with evidence that Ayotte may have politicized a death penalty case involving a murdered police officer. And in a U.S. House race, former Rep. Charlie Bass (R), hoping to make a comeback, appears to have helped a company with the Bush administration shortly after buying stock in the same company.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan: "The United States is helping senior Taliban leaders attend initial peace talks with the Afghan government in Kabul because military officials and diplomats want to take advantage of any possibility of political reconciliation, Obama administration and NATO officials said Thursday."

* The expected appeal: "The Justice Department has asked a federal judge to allow the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy on gays to continue during an appeal."

* Wrong direction: "The number of Americans filing first-time applications for unemployment benefits unexpectedly increased last week, indicating the U.S. job market is struggling to mend."

* A procedural win for health care opponents: "A federal judge in Florida on Thursday ruled that challenges to the healthcare reform law's individual mandate and its Medicaid expansion can proceed."

* The foreclosure debacle: "For more than a decade, big lenders sold millions of mortgages around the globe at lightning speed without properly transferring the physical documents that prove who legally owned the loans. Now, some of the pension systems, hedge funds and other investors that took big losses on the loans are seeking to use this flaw to force banks to compensate them or even invalidate the mortgage trades themselves. Their collective actions, if successful, could blow a hole through the balance sheets of big banks and raise fundamental questions about the financial system, financial analysts and a lawmaker said."

* The political establishment is convinced that voters don't care about the secret cash funding American elections. New data suggests "the issue may indeed matter a good deal to voters after all."

* A clip-and-save item from Jonathan Cohn on health care reform: "[F]or the sake of my friends at Fox News and anybody who might be listening to them, here are three basic questions to ask every time you hear a story about changes the Affordable Care Act is unleashing: 1) Is something actually changing? 2) Is the change related to the Affordable Care Act? 3) Is the change really for the worse?"

* Larry Mishel explains the stimulus debate very well, with a helpful metaphor.

* Daniel Luzer: "How much can you pay for college? Remember when $50,000 a year was a lot of money? Now that's not even surprising. Cost is still going up, a lot, and now $60,000 is right around the corner."

* And in a rather classic example of why I think the notion of conservative populism is silly on a fundamental level, Glenn Beck urged his followers today to start sending donations directly to corporate interests so the U.S. Chamber of Commerce can buy more elections for far-right candidates. The minions took their orders well -- the Chamber's online donation page crashed today after regular folks tried to give their money to the already-extremely-wealthy business lobby.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Are Americans really OK with this? "Spending by outside groups trying to influence the mid-term elections increased by a staggering $78 million in the last week, pushing the total spent by non-profits, labor unions and party committees to more than $200 million this cycle. That's an 80 percent increase from 2006, the last mid-term election."

* In other fundraising news, the Republican Governors Association raised a stunning $31 million in the third quarter, about triple the amount raised by the Democratic Governors Association. The DCCC, however, outraised the NRCC in September, $15.9 million to $11.2 million.

* In Florida's U.S. Senate race, Republicans are so confident in Marco Rubio's success that the NRSC has canceled $4 million in TV ads, and will instead spend the money in California, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.

* Speaking of Florida, a new Sunshine State News poll shows Alex Sink (D) leading Rick Scott (R) in this year's gubernatorial race, 48% to 45%. The same poll had shown Scott with a modest lead.

* In West Virginia's U.S. Senate race, a new Marshall University poll shows Gov. Joe Manchin (D) with a surprisingly large lead over John Raese (R), 48% to 38%.

* And speaking of West Virginia, remember when then the National Republican Senatorial Committee said it had nothing do with the "hicky" casting call? It turns out, the NRSC wasn't telling the truth.

* In Ohio's gubernatorial race, a new Ohio Poll shows John Kasich (R) leading Gov. Ted Strickland (D), 51% to 43%.

* In South Carolina's gubernatorial race, the Republican Governors Association is worried enough about Nikki Haley's (R) chances that its running attack ads against Democratic nominee Vincent Sheheen.

* In Massachusetts' gubernatorial race, the latest Suffolk University poll shows Gov. Deval Patrick (D) out in front in his re-election bid with 46% support, followed by Charlie Baker (R) with 39% and Tim Cahill (I) third at 10%.

* Vermont's gubernatorial race continues to be very close, with a new Vermont Public Radio poll showing Brian Dubie (R) leading Peter Shumlin (D) by one, 44% to 43%.

* In Nevada's gubernatorial race, Brian Sandoval (R) leads Rory Reid (D), but the margin depends on which poll you rely on. PPP shows Sandoval up by nine, while Mason-Dixon has Sandoval's leading by 15.

* And in Connecticut's gubernatorial race, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Dan Malloy (D) leading Tom Foley (R), 49% to 42%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Fed eyes a new round of intervention: "The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, appeared to remove any lingering doubt Friday that the central bank would take new actions to fortify the torpid recovery and fight low inflation and high unemployment."

* Social Security: "Another year without an increase in Social Security retirement and disability benefits is creating a political backlash that has President Barack Obama and Democrats pushing to give a $250 bonus to each of the program's 58 million recipients."

* Not helpful: "Israel ended an unofficial construction freeze in Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem on Friday, announcing plans to build 238 housing units. The move comes as hard-won peace talks are stalled over the question of whether Israel will extend its broader construction moratorium in the West Bank."

* Those worried about inflation aren't paying attention: "The economy continued to show little sign of inflation as consumer prices eased marginally in September, while the retail sector provided a glimmer of hope for consumers, government reports said on Friday."

* Seems like a no-brainer: "A domestic abuse victim filed a lawsuit Friday claiming a disgraced Wisconsin prosecutor violated her constitutional rights by sending her text messages seeking to start an affair while prosecuting her ex-boyfriend."

* Remember, not all earmarks are wasteful: "Earmarks have long been maligned as pork. I thought I'd go see what one looks like in Massachusetts, so I went to the ALS Therapy Development Institute in Cambridge."

* The Forgive Student Loan Debt initiative will piggyback onto Jon Stewart's upcoming rally, in the hopes of making the case that forgiving all students loans would boost the economy.

* During a debate this week between Delaware's major-party Senate candidates, Christine O'Donnell (R) insisted that Chris Coons (D) "paid $53,000 in a men's fashion show." She was lying.

* If you haven't taken the time to watch the clip of Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns' message to GLBT teens, you should. It's quite powerful.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama appeared at a huge "Moving America Forward" rally in Columbus, Ohio, yesterday, drawing 35,000 attendees according to local law enforcement.

* The Republican Party distanced itself from Nazi-reenacting House candidate Rich Iott last week, but House Minority Leader John Boehner's (R-Ohio) political action committee continues to support Iott financially.

* In September, the National Republican Senatorial Committee raised $8.3 million, while the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised $15.5 million over the same period. The Dems entered October leading when it comes to cash on hand, $25.6 million to $19.2 million.

* The Senate debate in Kentucky last night between Jack Conway (D) and Rand Paul (R) was quite ugly, capped by Paul's refusal to shake Conway's hand.

* The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee didn't expect to have to worry about Reps. Jim Costa (Calif.) and Raul Grijalva (Ariz.). That's suddenly changed.

* Rush Limbaugh endorsed West Virginia's John Raese's (R) Senate campaign the other day, noting that the two are both members of the same exclusive golf club in South Florida. Oddly enough, that helps reinforce the Democrats' message surprisingly well.

* On a related note, because the Raese family doesn't live in West Virginia, the Senate candidate's wife will not be able to legally vote for him this year.

* In a poll that sent shivers down the spine of many Democrats, the latest Reuters poll showed Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) leading Carly Fiorina (R) in California's U.S. Senate race by just one point, 46% to 45%.

* The same poll showed Jerry Brown (D) leading Meg Whitman (R) in California's gubernatorial race, 48% to 44%.

* In the state of Washington, Sen. Patty Murray (D) leads Dino Rossi (R) in the latest Washington Post poll, 50% to 42%.

* In New York's gubernatorial race, a new New York Times poll shows Andrew Cuomo (D) leading Carl Paladino (R) by 35 points, 59% to 24%.

* And in Pennsylvania's gubernatorial race, the latest Magellan Strategies poll shows Tom Corbett (R) continuing to lead Dan Onorato (D), 48% to 38%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iraq: "Members of United States-allied Awakening Councils have quit or been dismissed from their positions in significant numbers in recent months, prey to an intensive recruitment campaign by the Sunni insurgency, according to government officials, current and former members of the Awakening and insurgents."

* That was quick: "Bank of America said Monday that it will effectively lift its foreclosure freeze on Oct. 25 when it begins resubmitting foreclosure documents to courts in 23 states. The bank said the new documents will be used in 102,000 foreclosure actions in which judgment is pending in the 23 states."

* You've got to be kidding me: "Some employees of Florida's largest 'foreclosure mill' were given jewelry, cars and houses from the firm, in exchange for altering and forging key documents used to obtain foreclosures, according to a statement released today by the Florida Attorney General's Office."

* Homegrown terrorism: "Four men accused of planting bombs outside synagogues in the Bronx and plotting to fire missiles at military planes were convicted on Monday, in a case that was widely seen as an important test of the entrapment defense.... The four defendants -- Onta Williams, Laguerre Payen, James Cromitie and David Williams IV -- face up to life in prison. Mr. Williams and Mr. Payen were found not guilty of one charge, attempting to kill officers and employees of the United States."

* That's really not what we wanted to see: "Output at factories, mines and utilities fell 0.2 percent, the first decline since the recession ended in June 2009, according to figures from the Fed today."

* Headlines like these tells us quite a bit: "Rather Than Investigating Foreclosure Fraud, House Republicans Vow To Investigate Loans To Poor People."

* A minor detail that the far-right Concerned Taxpayers of America neglects to mention to the public: the group consists of just two people.

* Former New York Stock Exchange Director Ken Langone's partisan whining appears to have no foundation in reality.

* When PayPal's founder offered to give $100,000 to kids to drop out of college and become entrepreneurs, it really wasn't a good idea.

* If you haven't seen Jonah Goldberg's Book TV panel, it featured an exchange -- which had nothing to do with Jonah Goldberg -- that has to be one of the more bizarre things ever aired on C-SPAN.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* While extremist Senate candidate Joe Miller (R) in Alaska has been reluctant to answer questions about his professional background, yesterday he finally reversed course. The Republican Senate hopeful told the Anchorage Daily News that he was disciplined for violating ethics rules as a public employee, and conceded that he has "many flaws."

* On a related note, if you're waiting for Lisa Murkowski or Scott McAdams to drop out in Alaska, it's almost certainly not going to happen.

* In a bit of a shock, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Rep. Joe Sestak (D) edging ahead in Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate race, leading former Rep. Pat Toomey (R), 46% to 45%. Reminder: this is only one poll, and no other outlets show Sestak ahead.

* In Florida's U.S. Senate race, a new Suffolk University poll shows Marco Rubio (R) leading Gov. Charlie Crist (I), 39% to 31%. Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) is third with 22%.

* The same poll, meanwhile, shows Alex Sink (D) leading Rick Scott (R) in Florida's gubernatorial race, 45% to 38%.

* In Missouri's U.S. Senate race, which the Democratic establishment seems to have all but written off, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Robin Carnahan (D) trailing Rep. Roy Blunt (R) by just five points, 46% to 41%.

* In Ohio's gubernatorial race, it appears John Kasich (R) is pulling away. A new Quinnipiac poll shows the former Fox News personality and Wall Street executive leading Gov. Ted Strickland (D), 51% to 41%.

* In Wisconsin's gubernatorial race, a new Wisconsin Public Radio poll shows Scott Walker (R) continuing to lead Tom Barrett (D), 50% to 41%.

* In New York's two U.S. Senate race, a new poll from the New York Times shows both Kirsten Gillibrand (D) and Chuck Schumer (D) with very large leads.

* And in Arizona, a PPP poll commissioned by Daily Kos shows Jon Hulburd (D) edging past Ben Quayle (R), 46% to 44%, in the race to succeed retiring Rep. John Shaddegg (R) in this conservative district.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* China rattles global investors: "China's central bank unexpectedly announced Tuesday that it would raise interest rates for the first time in nearly three years, apparently in the hopes of dampening inflation and cooling off this country's hot property market."

* Violence at the Chechen Parliament: "Heavily armed gunmen burst into the Parliament of Chechnya in southern Russia on Tuesday morning, killing at least three people and wounding more than a dozen others before they were killed by police or by their own explosives, officials said."

* Someone shot at the Pentagon shortly before 5 a.m. this morning, possibly using a high-powered rifle. No one was injured, and for now, authorities are considering this "a random event."

* As of this afternoon, U.S. military recruiters are required to accept the applications of gays and lesbians who wish to join the military. Those same recruiters will have to inform those joining, however, that DADT may be re-imposed fairly soon.

* A far-right group hoping to deliberately suppress the Hispanic vote in Nevada will not be able to purchase airtime on Univision.

* With undisclosed millions poised to deliver huge gains for Republicans, there's a reason Karl Rove and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are laughing at their critics.

* Extremist Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R) thinks terrorists have entered the U.S. through Canada. That's completely wrong, and Canadian officials aren't happy about Angle's ignorance.

* Repealing health care reform really isn't as easy as the right might think.

* Students with cerebral disabilities are enrolling in colleges in greater numbers, and even if they don't get a degree, the education will help these young people be more competitive in the job market.

* Juan Williams is afraid of Muslims on airplanes. He seemed unembarrassed about saying this on national television.

* And we talked earlier about Christine O'Donnell's lack of familiarity with the separation of church and state, but seeing the video -- and hearing the audience marvel at the extent of her stupidity -- really helps capture the moment in ways the printed text cannot.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Wisconsin's U.S. Senate race, a new Wisconsin Public Radio poll shows a more competitive race, with Ron Johnson's (R) lead shrinking to just two points over Sen. Russ Feingold (D), 49% to 47%.

* In Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate race, following up on a PPP poll showing the Democrat inching ahead, a new Morning Call/Muhlenberg College Tracker poll shows Rep. Joe Sestak (D) with a narrow lead over former Rep. Pat Toomey (R), 44% to 41%.

* In the state of Washington, polls have continue to show Sen. Patty Murray (D) leading Dino Rossi (R) in her re-election bid, but the gap has narrowed considerably. A new survey from Public Policy Polling puts Murray's lead at just two points, 49% to 47%, while a McClatchy poll shows her up by just one, 48% to 47%.

* In Missouri's U.S. Senate race, did Rep. Roy Blunt (R) hire an immigrant who entered the country illegally? Maybe.

* In a very effective ad in California's gubernatorial race, Jerry Brown (D) is noting the eerie similarities between Meg Whitman's (R) rhetoric and that of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R).

* In Oregon's gubernatorial race, a new PPP poll for Daily Kos shows former Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) leading retired basketball player Chris Dudley (R) by just one point, 48% to 47%.

* In North Carolina's U.S. Senate race, PPP shows Elaine Marshall (D) closing the gap a bit against Sen. Richard Burr (R), but the incumbent still leads by eight, 48% to 40%.

* We can probably stop paying attention to Ohio's U.S. Senate race, where a new Quinnipiac poll shows former Bush Budget Director Rob Portman (R) leading Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D), 55% to 34%.

* In Utah's U.S. Senate race, a Deseret News/KSL-TV poll shows Mike Lee (R) leading Sam Granato (D) in the race to replace Sen. Bob Bennett, 53% to 31%.

* And in Colorado, Republicans launched an attack ad targeting Rep. Betsy Markey (D) for a vote she didn't cast, because the GOP confused her with Rep. Ed Markey (D) of Massachusetts. They're not related.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "Talks to end the war in Afghanistan involve extensive, face-to-face discussions with Taliban commanders from the highest levels of the group's leadership, who are secretly leaving their sanctuaries in Pakistan with the help of NATO troops, officials here say."

* The British brand of conservatism sure sounds familiar: "The British government on Wednesday unveiled the country's steepest public spending cuts in more than 60 years, reducing costs in government departments by an average of 19 percent, sharply curtailing welfare benefits, raising the retirement age to 66 by 2020 and eliminating hundreds of thousands of public sector jobs in an effort to bring down the bloated budget deficit."

* A possible shift in Palestinian strategy: "The Palestinian leadership, near despair about attaining a negotiated agreement with Israel on a two-state solution, is increasingly focusing on how to get international bodies and courts to declare a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem."

* When corporations use the Affordable Care Act to justify scaling back employee benefits, remember, they're lying.

* Remember, while it's important that Karl Rove is using secret donations to buy elections with anti-Democratic attack ads, it's also important that Rove's operations are using those attack ads to blatantly lie to the public.

* From now on, when conservatives hyperventilate about George Soros helping finance Media Matters, they won't be lying. As for why Soros investments are supposed to be considered controversial, I still haven't the foggiest idea.

* It was good to see President Obama sign an executive order yesterday intended to improve the education of Hispanic students.

* A Republican congressional candidate was asked this week to name a recent Supreme Court ruling he disagreed with. He pointed to the Dred Scott decision, which was issued 153 years ago.

* Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao (R-La.) is so worried about re-election, has said he'd consider supporting Nancy Pelosi for House Speaker.

* A radical right-wing group in Colorado has released an ad describing President Obama as "the Angel of Death." Classy.

* Ta-Nehisi Coates had a beautiful item today on the culture of poverty. Take a few minutes to read it.

* Maybe it's time for more consistently reliable fact-checking websites.

* And former President George W. Bush is still keeping a very low profile, but he showed up recently at an Alabama fundraiser, and conceded, "I miss being pampered." And I'm reminded why I don't miss him.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate race, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Pat Toomey's (R) lead over Joe Sestak (D) shrinking to just two points, 48% to 46%. Muhlenberg's tracking poll, meanwhile, shows the two tied at 43% each.

* Speaking of Pennsylvania, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Tom Corbett's (R) lead over Dan Onorato (D) also shrinking to just two points, 48% to 46%. Nearly every other recent poll, however, shows Corbett with a much larger lead.

* In Illinois' U.S. Senate race, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Mark Kirk (R) leading Alexi Giannoulias (D), 42% to 40%. The pollster's analysis said the biggest problem is Democratic voters who may not show up, handing the seat to Republicans.

* In Kentucky's U.S. Senate race, a new Mason-Dixon poll shows Rand Paul's (R) lead over Jack Conway (D) shrinking to five points, 48% to 43%.

* Going into October, the RNC had $3.4 million in cash on hand -- about $10 million less than the DNC.

* In Alaska's U.S. Senate race, a new Time/CNN poll shows Republicans Joe Miller and Lisa Murkowski tied with 37% each, followed by Scott McAdams at 23%.

* In Florida's U.S. Senate race, a new Time/CNN poll shows Republican Marco Rubio (R) continuing to pull away, leading Gov. Charlie Crist (I) by 14 points. The same poll shows a more competitive gubernatorial race, with Rick Scott (R) narrowly leading Alex Sink (D), 49% to 46%.

* Did Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) run afoul of his own campaign finance law by using his coffers to run an ad for a different candidate? It sure looks like it.

* On a related note, it seems as if Linda McMahon's (R) Senate campaign in Connecticut is coordinating its efforts with McMahon's wrestling company, which is also illegal.

* In California, a new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California shows Jerry Brown (D) leading Meg Whitman (R) in the gubernatorial race, 44% to 36%, and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) leading Carly Fiorina (R), 43% to 37%.

* In New York's gubernatorial race, Carl Paladino (R) has seen the bottom fall out of his statewide support, and the latest Siena poll shows him trailing Andrew Cuomo (D) by 37 points, 63% to 26%. Nearly 7 in 10 New Yorkers have an unfavorable view of the GOP nominee.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The total is still obviously too high, but it was good to see the initial jobless claims drop even more than expected over the last week.

* Passing the Affordable Care Act was a milestone achievement, but it was the first of many steps. Implementing the new law will be a major undertaking, and today's initial work on medical-loss ratios was very encouraging. (When consumer advocates are thrilled, and insurance industry lobbyists are not, it's a good sign.)

* I realize why the Juan Williams story is interesting, but reasonable people should be able to agree his story isn't similar to Shirley Sherrod's.

* Most of the benefactors backing Karl Rove's attack operations are still secret, but not all of them -- the financier of the Swift Boat Liars ponied up $7 million recently.

* As you've no doubt heard, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals allowed the Pentagon to go back to enforcing DADT late yesterday.

* Farcical: "Dick Morris used his position as a Fox News 'political analyst' to tout and solicit donations for the Republican-aligned group Americans for New Leadership weeks after they began paying him thousands of dollars. During his appearances, Morris did not disclose that he was receiving money from the group."

* Speaking of Fox News, the Republican network is being sued by a former employee who claims he was fired after complaining about workplace racism.

* The regional trends are unmistakable: in the Northeast, where sex-ed is the norm, teen-birth rates are extremely low. In the "Bible Belt," where abstinence education is the norm, teen-birth rates are extremely high. That's not a coincidence.

* I don't really mind that Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen (D) attacked the Affordable Care Act in the Wall Street Journal. I mind that his argument is filled with errors of fact and judgment.

* The country seems to be growing a lot more segregated by education.

* Have I mentioned lately that Tom Toles is a national treasure? Well, he is.

* A Tea Party group in South Dakota is sponsoring an event with Glenn Beck in just a few days. The venue holds 10,000 people, and around 9,000 seats are still available.

* And my favorite quote of the day comes from a woman named Kelly Khuri, a prominent Tea Party activist in Indiana, who tried to explain why she's so opposed to the idea of dealing with the climate crisis. "Carbon regulation, cap and trade, it's all just a money-control avenue," Khuri said. "Some people say I'm extreme, but they said the John Birch Society was extreme, too." That has to be one of my favorite quotes in a long while.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* President Obama's travel schedule has added a few more campaign stops. In the final weekend of the election cycle, the president will hold rallies in Philadelphia, Bridgeport, Chicago, and Cleveland.

* In Ohio, the latest Time/CNN poll shows incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland (D) actually leading John Kasich (R), 48% to 47%. No other poll in recent weeks shows Kasich trailing, so take it with a grain of salt. The same poll shows Rob Portman leading Ohio's U.S. Senate race by 15 points.

* Florida's gubernatorial race couldn't be much closer, with a new Sunshine State News Poll showing Alex Sink (D) and Rick Scott (R) tied at 45% each.

* Speaking of competitive gubernatorial races, the race to replace Gov. Ed Rendell (D) in Pennsylvania looked like a blowout up until very recently, and now a new Quinnipiac poll shows Tom Corbett's (R) lead over Dan Onorato (D) shrinking to just five points, 49% to 44%.

* In Nevada, extremist Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R) has taken to literally shushing reporters who ask questions she doesn't like.

* In a reminder of why GOP candidates are poised to do very well despite the Republican National Committee, the national party wrote a $15,000 check to Guam recently, hoping to boost a Republican candidate running in the island territory's gubernatorial election.

* In Connecticut's U.S. Senate race, Richard Blumenthal (D) appears to be pulling away, with a new Suffolk University poll showing him leading Linda McMahon (R), 57% to 39%.

* In Arkansas, the latest Time/CNN poll shows incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) trailing John Boozman (R), 55% to 41%, in one of the year's easiest GOP pick-ups. The same poll, however, also shows incumbent Gov. Mike Beebe (D) cruising to re-election, despite the state's shift to the sharp right.

* In Illinois' gubernatorial race, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Bill Brady (R) narrowly leading Gov. Pat Quinn (D), 42% to 41%.

* And in New York's gubernatorial race, the latest Marist poll shows Andrew Cuomo (D) with a big lead over Carl Paladino (R), 60% to 37%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* About those talks in Afghanistan: "Despite news reports of high-level talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government, no significant peace negotiations are under way in Afghanistan, U.S. officials and Afghanistan experts said Thursday."

* Nevertheless, Gen. David Petraeus continues to sound optimistic. (More surprisingly, Fred Kaplan is starting to sound more optimistic, too.)

* A swastika-adorned package was sent to Rep. Rep. Raul Grijalva's (D-Ariz.) this week, with a suspicious powder inside. The FBI has determined, as of this afternoon, that the substance is "non-toxic."

* An attempt to limit trade imbalances: "The Obama administration on Friday urged the world's biggest economies to set a numerical limit on their trade imbalances, in a major new effort to broker an international consensus on how to handle festering exchange-rate tensions."

* For the right, there's some kind of Democratic/Republican equivalence between groups using undisclosed funds to influence election outcomes. Given the actual numbers -- nearly $75 million to help the GOP, under $10 million in support of Democrats -- the talking point is demonstrably ridiculous.

* The Pentagon isn't going to ignore the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law, but Defense Secretary Robert Gates has issued a directive that would make discharges under the law a lot more difficult.

* President Obama will name Denis McDonough as his new Deputy National Security Advisor.

* In an apparent attempt to sound reasonable, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said there's "not a chance" he would pursue impeachment against the president if there's a GOP majority in the House.

* Student debt gets worse, as does the ability to pay off these student loans.

* Fox News has rewarded Juan Williams with a three-year, $2 million contract. Imagine that.

* Remember when Republicans said the Andy Griffith/Medicare commercials HHS ran were illegal propaganda? Well, the allegations were wrong.

* The idea of defunding the Supreme Court out of partisan spite is insane.

* Remember the Citizens Against Government Waste ad we talked about earlier? Campus Progress quickly put together a very clever spoof, which (a) is pretty darn clever; and (b) already annoying the hell out of Citizens Against Government Waste.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* It seems inexplicable under the circumstances, but the U.S. Senate race may be slipping away from Democrats in Illinois. A new Chicago Tribune/WGN poll shows Rep. Mark Kirk (R) leading Alexi Giannoulias (D), 44% to 41%, despite Giannoulias' earlier lead in the same poll. The latest Mason-Dixon poll shows Kirk ahead by a similar margin, 43% to 41%.

* In Florida, a new St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald/Bay News 9 poll shows the state's U.S. Senate race all but over, with Marco Rubio (R) leading Gov. Charlie Crist (I), 41% to 26%, with Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) third with 20%. The same poll shows Rick Scott (R) with a narrow lead over Alex Sink (D) in Florida's gubernatorial race, 44% to 41%.

* In Colorado, a Denver Post/9 News poll shows the U.S. Senate race all tied up, with Sen. Michael Bennet (D) and Ken Buck (R) with 47% each. The same poll shows Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) leading the gubernatorial race with 49% support, followed by former Rep. Tom Tancredo (I) with 39%, and Republican candidate Dan Maes with 9%.

* In California, a Los Angeles Times/USC poll released over the weekend showed Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) leading Carly Fiorina (R), 50% to 42%. The same poll also found Jerry Brown (D) with an even bigger lead over Meg Whitman (R) in the state's gubernatorial race, 52% to 39%.

* In Missouri's U.S. Senate race, the latest Mason-Dixon poll shows Rep. Roy Blunt (R) leading Robin Carnahan (D) by a fairly comfortable margin, 49% to 40%.

* In Ohio's gubernatorial race, a Dayton Daily News/Ohio Newspaper poll shows John Kasich (R) narrowly leading incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland (D), 49% to 47%.

* In Massachusetts' gubernatorial race, a new Boston Globe poll shows incumbent Gov. Deval Patrick (D) with a narrow lead over Charles Baker (R), 42% to 39%. Independent Tim Cahill (I) is third in the poll with 8%.

* In Maryland's gubernatorial race, Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) is starting to pull away in his rematch against former Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R). A Baltimore Sun poll shows the incumbent up, 52% to 38%, and the Washington Post shows O'Malley up by a similar margin, 54% to 40%.

* And in Minnesota's gubernatorial race, a new Star Tribune poll shows former Sen. Mark Dayton (D) ahead of Tom Emmer (R), 41% to 34%. Independent Tom Horner is third with 13%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* As if Haiti weren't struggling enough, it's now dealing with a cholera epidemic, which has killed more than 250 people so far.

* A step in the right direction on real estate, but dangers loom: "Sales of previously occupied homes are bouncing back from their anemic levels last summer, but the gains may not be sustainable if the abrupt halt in foreclosures in some states drags out and pulls down future sales."

* Try to contain your shock: "Afghan President Hamid Karzai admitted at a press conference Monday that his office accepts 'bags of money' from the Iranian government."

* The White House tries circumventing Beijing: "In a shift from its assiduous one-on-one courtship of Beijing, the administration is trying to line up coalitions -- among China's next-door neighbors and far-flung trading partners -- to present Chinese leaders with a unified front on thorny issues like the currency and its territorial claims in the South China Sea."

* If you missed it over the weekend, a WikiLeaks document dump advanced questions about the stability of Iraq.

* President Obama clearly hasn't forgotten about immigration reform, but Republican gains in the midterms will make progress extremely unlikely for the foreseeable future.

* O'Reilly sure does love his ambushes.

* If the right wants to talk about wasteful public spending, can we have a conversation about the conservative-controlled U.S. Commission on Civil Rights spending over $173,000 -- of our money -- "investigating an incident involving voter intimidation by members of the New Black Panther Party -- a case in which no voters have alleged they were intimidated"?

* I've never heard of a state that's worried about having too many colleges.

* Remember the felony charges pending against disgraced former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas)? His trial is finally getting underway.

* And finally, eight years ago today, Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.) died in a tragic plane crash. His thoughtful leadership is still greatly missed.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Though some recent polling showed a more competitive U.S. Senate race in Kentucky, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Rand Paul (R) leading Jack Conway (D) by an even greater margin, 53% to 40%.

* In Ohio's gubernatorial race, John Kasich (R) refused to participate in an NPR debate yesterday after learning, 15 minutes beforehand, that listeners would be able to submit questions. Nevertheless, a Quinnipiac poll released this morning shows Kasich leading Gov. Ted Strickland (D), 49% to 43%,

* In Colorado's U.S. Senate race, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Michael Bennet (D) and Ken Buck (R) tied at 47% each. PPP also has John Hickenlooper (D) leading in Colorado's gubernatorial race, but only by three points over former Rep. Tom Tancredo (I), 47% to 44%.

* In West Virginia's U.S. Senate race, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Gov. Joe Manchin (D) with a slightly larger lead over John Raese (R), 50% to 44%.

* In Alaska's U.S. Senate race, Joe Miller (R) has admitted to an ethics violation during his limited tenure with the Fairbanks North Star Borough.

* In Nevada's U.S. Senate race, Sharron Angle (R) has now resorted to using decoys to hide from journalists.

* Some may think the U.S. Senate race in California is effectively over, but Republicans clearly don't think so -- the National Republican Senatorial Committee will run $3 million in television ads in California this week.

* In Connecticut's U.S. Senate race, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Richard Blumenthal (D) leading Linda McMahon (R), 54% to 42%, The same poll shows Dan Malloy (D) leading Tom Foley (R) in the gubernatorial race, 48% to 43%.

* In Illinois' gubernatorial race, a new poll from the Chicago Tribune shows Bill Brady (R) with a narrow lead over Gov. Pat Quinn (D), 43% to 39%.

* And in Arizona, a new PPP poll for Daily Kos shows Gov. Jan Brewer (R) shaking off a horrific debate performance and rumors about her poor health, and leading Terry Goddard (D) by eight, 52% to 44%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* I really am glad President Obama rescued the American automotive industry: "The Ford Motor Company said on Tuesday that it earned $1.7 billion in the third quarter and that it expected to have zero net debt by the end of December, one year ahead of forecast. It was the sixth consecutive profitable quarter and the best third quarter in more than 20 years for Ford."

* On a related note, the administration has unveiled new rules to "reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants by requiring greater fuel efficiency for big trucks, buses and other heavy-duty vehicles starting with 2014 models." Look for more regulatory moves like this in 2011 and 2012, after Congress completely loses the ability to act.

* I'm starting to think some folks consider Voting While Brown to be illegal: "Tea Party members have started challenging voter registration applications and have announced plans to question individual voters at the polls whom they suspect of being ineligible. In response, liberal groups and voting rights advocates are sounding an alarm, claiming that such strategies are scare tactics intended to suppress minority and poor voters."

* Given the larger context, this may not generate as much praise as it probably deserves: "Less than halfway through his first term, President Barack Obama has appointed more openly gay officials than any other president in history. Gay activists say the estimate of more than 150 appointments so far -- from agency heads and commission members to policy officials and senior staffers -- surpasses the previous high of about 140 reached during two full terms under President Bill Clinton."

* First Lady Michelle Obama is working with OFA to encourage folks to take advantage of early voting.

* Congress still hasn't taken care of that Pell Grant problem that's been building up since the summer.

* I really do wish I knew whether it's all right to keep my cell phone in my pocket.

* Interesting-but-polite confrontation yesterday between a Fox News crew and Wisconsin Democrats.

* Right-wing hate blogger Pamela Geller has a plan to profit handsomely from bigotry.

* Based on the perspective of a woman who knew him pretty well, Clarence Thomas seems like a strange, scary man.

* From time to time, I genuinely struggle to understand how Richard Cohen's mind works.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate race, the closely-watched contest is either getting more competitive or less, depending on which poll you believe. The new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Joe Sestak (D) and Pat Toomey (R) tied at 46% each. But a new Franklin and Marshall poll shows Toomey up by seven, 43% to 36%.

* In California's U.S. Senate race, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) leading Carly Fiorina (R), 52% to 43%. A Suffolk University poll found the identical result.

* Fiorina was forced off the campaign trail yesterday, having to be hospitalized in Los Angeles with an infection stemming from reconstructive breast surgery.

* And speaking of California, the Suffolk poll also shows Jerry Brown (D) leading in the state's gubernatorial race, 50% to 42%.

* In Minnesota's gubernatorial race, the latest St. Cloud State University poll shows former Sen. Mark Dayton (D) up by 10 over Tom Emmer (R), 40% to 30%. Independence Party nominee Tom Horner is a competitive third with 19%.

* Salon lists the "10 most terrifying would-be congressmen." That's a fair description; it's a scary list.

* In Connecticut's Rhode Island's gubernatorial race, Independent Lincoln Chafee, the former Republican senator, has a new ad touting kind words about him from President Obama. (The remarks were delivered in 2008, not this year.)

* Any hopes of Dems keeping Evan Bayh's Senate seat in Indiana are long gone. The latest EPIC/MRA poll shows corporate lobbyist Dan Coats (R) leading Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D), 53% to 35%.

* And in Hawaii's gubernatorial race, a Honolulu Star-Advertiser poll shows former Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D) up by eight over Duke Aiona (R), 51% to 43%.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Scary stuff: "Federal law enforcement authorities have arrested a Northern Virginia man in connection with an alleged plot to carry out a series of terrorist bombings at stations in the Washington Metro system, according to a federal indictment. Farooque Ahmed, 34, of Ashburn, conspired with people he believed to be al-Qaeda operatives to attack the stations at Arlington National Cemetery, Pentagon City, Crystal City and Court House, the indictment said."

* Indonesia: "The death toll from a tsunami and a volcano rose to more than 300 Wednesday as more victims of Indonesia's double disasters were found and an official said a warning system installed after a deadly ocean wave in 2004 had broken from a lack of maintenance."

* I probably wouldn't characterize this as progress: "An intense military campaign aimed at crippling the Taliban has so far failed to inflict more than fleeting setbacks on the insurgency or put meaningful pressure on its leaders to seek peace, according to U.S. military and intelligence officials citing the latest assessments of the war in Afghanistan."

* This tragedy would be even worse without ongoing conservation efforts: "A growing number of creatures could disappear from the earth, with one-fifth of all vertebrates and as many as a third of all sharks and rays now facing the threat of extinction, according to a new survey assessing nearly 26,000 species across the globe."

* No, state of Arizona, you can't require documents proving citizenship for new voter registration.

* The White House hosted a discussion with representatives of LGBT organizations and senior administration officials yesterday, discussing DADT repeal. President Obama stopped in unexpectedly "to directly convey to the participants his personal commitment on this issue."

* Not again: "Chris Christie, the Republican governor of New Jersey, put a second and final stop on Wednesday morning to the most expensive public works project under way in the country, a proposed rail tunnel under the Hudson River that could have doubled commuter-train service to Manhattan."

* It pains me to see that we have to endure another phony debate about non-existent "voter fraud."

* House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence of Indiana might give up his leadership post in advance of a silly presidential campaign.

* Rep. Darrel Issa (R-Calif.) has described President Obama has "one of the most corrupt presidents in modern times." Ruth Marcus wrote today, "If Issa believes this, he is deranged. If he doesn't and is saying it anyway, he is dangerous."

* Todd Lally, a Republican congressional candidate in Kentucky, hasn't personally witnessed gender discrimination, and therefore, suspects it doesn't exist.

* Substance abuse within the Iraqi Security Forces is a real problem.

* What happens when a college student gets a scholarship, but it's too short?

* And Ralph Reed, who inexplicably feels comfortable showing his face in public, is launching campaign ads that are almost a parody of themselves.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In a boost for Sen. Lisa Murkowski's write-in bid in Alaska, the state Supreme Court ruled late yesterday that "voters can look at a list of certified write-in candidates when they go to the polls." A lower court ruling had said the opposite.

* Speaking of Alaska, a new Hays Research poll, which some have raised legitimate questions about, shows extremist candidate Joe Miller (R) dropping to third place in the U.S. Senate race.

* In California's gubernatorial race, a new Field Poll shows Jerry Brown (D) leading Meg Whitman (R) 49% to 39%. A month ago, they were tied. A new Time/CNN poll shows Brown with a smaller lead, 51% to 44%.

* In California's U.S. Senate race, Republican Carly Fiorina was released from the hospital yesterday, and is expected to be on the campaign trail today. A new Time/CNN poll shows her trailing Sen. Barbara Boxer (D), 50% to 45%.

* In Florida's gubernatorial race, most recent polls show Rick Scott (R) with a modest lead, but a new Quinnipiac poll shows Alex Sink edging past Scott, 45% to 41%.

* In Florida's U.S. Senate race, Quinnipiac shows Marco Rubio out in front, but with a smaller lead over Gov. Charlie Crist (I), 42% to 35%. Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) is third with 15%.

* In Colorado, the new Time/CNN poll shows Ken Buck with the narrowest of leads over Sen. Michael Bennet in the U.S. Senate race, 47% to 46%. The same poll shows John Hickenlooper (D) leading Colorado's gubernatorial race over Tom Tancredo (I), 51% to 37%.

* In Nevada's U.S. Senate race, the new Time/CNN poll shows Sharron Angle (R) leading Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D), 49% to 45%.

* In Kentucky's U.S. Senate race, the new Time/CNN poll shows Rand Paul (R) leading Jack Conway (D), 50% to 45%.

* In Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate race, the new Time/CNN poll shows Pat Toomey (R) leading Joe Sestak (D), 49% to 45%.

* And in Delaware, the details are still hard to understand, but Senate hopeful Christine O'Donnell (R) has threatened to sue a local radio station which recorded an interview with the candidate. O'Donnell's campaign has threatened to "crush" the station if it aired the candidate's remarks

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* I'm looking forward to seeing some serious consequences for this: "Halliburton knew weeks before the fatal explosion of the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico that the cement mixture they planned to use to seal the bottom of the well was unstable but still went ahead with the job, the presidential commission investigating the accident said on Thursday."

* Death toll in Indonesia tops 400.

* It's still too high, but this is encouraging: "Fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week, the second drop in a row and a hopeful sign the job market could be improving. The Labor Department said Thursday that initial claims for jobless benefits dropped by 21,000 to a seasonally adjusted 434,000 in the week that ended Oct. 23." This far exceeded analysts' expectations.

* Had it not been for pointless GOP obstructionism, this could have happened months ago: "Just one month after the President signed the Small Business Jobs Act, SBA has supported nearly $3 billion in loans to more than 5,000 small businesses across the country. That's more than 5,000 small business owners who've felt first-hand, within one month, the impact this new law is having on our economy."

* Remember, GM keeps paying us back. That's a good thing.

* Offensive anti-gay rhetoric is, alas, not uncommon. But Arkansas District School board member Clint McCance's rant was more disgusting than most.

* On a related note, Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), who struggling to a surprising degree to keep up with current events, continues to really dislike Muslims.

* I wonder if RNC Chairman Michael Steele realizes that Democrats hope he stays on for another term. I'm guessing not.

* Fox News, in an apparent attempt to become a parody of itself, has created an email address so its Republican fans can alert them to non-existent examples of "voter fraud." Seriously.

* Pundits didn't seem especially pleased with the appearance, but I actually kind of liked President Obama's interview with Jon Stewart on "The Daily Show."

* What college costs and how Americans buy it.

* The right gets pretty worked up if a court cites foreign precedent, but what about Vulcans?

* I'm not a parent, but if I were, I wouldn't want my kids anywhere near Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio).

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Nevada's U.S. Senate race, Sharron Angle (R) backers are distributing flyers to Nevada seniors telling them their "lifespan will depend" on how they vote on Tuesday. Demagoguery doesn't get much more odious than this.

* On a related note, Angle leads Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) in a new Mason-Dixon poll, 49% to 45%. It is the sixth consecutive poll to show the borderline-deranged candidate poised to win a U.S. Senate seat.

* In Wisconsin, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Russ Feingold (D) continuing to struggle badly, trailing right-wing businessman Ron Johnson (R) by nine points, 53% to 44%. The same poll shows Scott Walker (R) leading Wisconsin's gubernatorial race over Tom Barrett (D) by the same margin.

* In Florida's gubernatorial race, a new Mason-Dixon poll shows Alex Sink (D) narrowly leading Rick Scott (R), 46% to 43%.

* In California's U.S. Senate race, a new Field Poll shows Barbara Boxer (D) leading Carly Fiorina (R), 49% to 41%.

* In an unexpected twist, Alexi Giannoulias, Illinois' Democratic Senate candidate, has announced that he is only running positive campaign ads over the last seven days of the campaign. His opponent, Rep. Mark Kirk (R), appears to be doing the opposite.

* As the bizarre U.S. Senate race in Louisiana wraps up, much of the closing discussion is about Sen. David Vitter's (R) background in hiring prostitutes, despite running on a "family-values" platform.

* In Delaware's U.S. Senate race, Chris Coons (D) still leads Christine O'Donnell (R), but the margin varies by poll. A new Fairleigh Dickinson PublicMind survey shows Coons up by 19 points, but a Monmouth University poll puts Coons' lead at 10 points.

* While it looked for a while like the outcome of Texas' gubernatorial race might be in doubt, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows incumbent Gov. Rick Perry (R) ahead of former Houston Mayor Bill White (D), 53% to 44%.

* In Michigan's gubernatorial race, the latest Detroit News poll shows Rick Snyder (R) cruising past Virg Bernero (D), 53% to 35%.

* And in Massachusetts's gubernatorial race, a new Suffolk University poll shows incumbent Gov. Deval Patrick (D) hanging on against Charlie Baker (R), 46% to 39%. Independent Tim Cahill is third with 8%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Terror threat: "Two packages containing explosive devices originating in Yemen and bound for two places of Jewish worship in Chicago set off a global terror alert that began when one package was found at a FedEx facility in Dubai on Thursday, and then another was found early Friday morning near London, sparking a day of dramatic precautionary activity in the United States."

* Earlier media reports suggested there were no explosives found in the packages. President Obama told reporters this afternoon, however, that there were explosives and this represented a "credible terrorist threat."

* The packages reportedly originated in Yemen, where the "underwear bomber" originated, but the president did not explicitly assign blame to al Qaeda.

* I feel like we've heard this before, but maybe this time will be different: "Iran said Friday that it would resume talks with the West about its nuclear program in November, according to officials at the European Union."

* Just like the good ol' days -- Halliburton trying to shift the blame: "Halliburton, whose failed cement job on the BP well in the Gulf of Mexico was identified as a contributing factor to the deadly blowout by a presidential investigative panel on Thursday, is defending its work and assigning the blame for the accident to BP."

* Some clever folks launch the "Vote Sanity" initiative.

* Hearing Rush Limbaugh accuse Democrats of racism buries the needle on the Irony-O-Meter.

* If Tim Profitt is waiting for Lauren Valle to apologize for having her head under his shoe in Kentucky earlier this week, he shouldn't hold his breath.

* I fear the moral of the story is, if Glenn Beck criticizes you on the air, his minions will threaten to kill you.

* The bigot on the Arkansas school board who urged "fags" and "queers" to kill themselves told CNN last night that he will resign.

* Dick Morris will say anything for money.

* Is Jonah Goldberg seriously suggesting someone should murder Julian Assange? It sure seems like it.

* University of Phoenix draws renewed scrutiny: "Apparently it's not just the coming education debt rules about which the University of Phoenix needs to worry. Federal regulators have asked the school's parent company, Apollo Group Inc., to provide information and documentation about the company's internal practices."

* And Alabama Supreme Court Justice Tom Parker announced this week -- in a televised campaign ad, no less -- that the federal judge who found DADT unconstitutional is as big a "security threat" as al Qaeda. He wasn't kidding.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Anonymous Texas Republicans have begun distributing flyers in African-American neighborhoods, telling locals that straight ticket Democratic votes are being miscounted as Republican votes. That's obviously not true.

* In the state of Washington, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows the U.S. Senate race slipping away from Democrats. PPP has Dino Rossi (R) edging past Sen. Patty Murray (D), 50% to 48%. The latest McClatchy/Marist poll, meanwhile, shows Murray with a one-point lead, 49% to 48%.

* In Nevada's U.S. Senate race, a new Public Policy Polling survey shows Sharron Angle (R) up by one over Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D), 47% to 46%. It's the eighth consecutive poll showing Reid trailing, though all show Angle's lead at below 5 points. For what it's worth, Jon Ralston, Nevada's leading political reporter, still thinks Reid will come out on top.

* In Illinois' U.S. Senate race, a new Public Policy Polling survey shows Mark Kirk (R) leading Alexi Giannoulias (D), 46% to 42%. The report also noted, "The presence of the third party candidates in the race seems to really be hurting Giannoulias."

* In Kentucky's U.S. Senate race, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows that race slipping away from Dems, too. PPP now has Rand Paul (R) leading Jack Conway (D) by 15 points, 55% to 40%.

* Ohio's gubernatorial race appears to be tightening significantly as the contest nears its end. PPP shows John Kasich (R) leading incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland (D) by one point, 49% to 48%; a Columbus Dispatch poll shows Kasich up by two, 49% to 47%; and Quinnipiac shows Kasich ahead by one point, 47% to 46%.

* In Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate race, Pat Toomey (R) leads Joe Sestak (D) in all the new polling, but by varying margins. PPP has Toomey up by five (51% to 46%); a Susquehanna Polling & Research poll has Toomey ahead by two (46% to 44%); the Morning Call/Muhlenberg tracking poll has Toomey by two (48% to 44%); McClatchy/Marist has Toomey winning by seven (52% to 45%); and Quinnipiac shows Toomey up by five (50% to 45%).

* In Colorado's U.S. Senate race, the latest McClatchy/Marist shows Ken Buck (R) leading Sen. Michael Bennet (D), 49% to 45%, though PPP shows Buck with a smaller lead, 49% to 48%.

* In Alaska's U.S. Senate race, a new Public Policy Polling survey shows Joe Miller (R) as exceedingly unpopular, but winning anyway with 37% support. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Scott McAdams (D) are tied in the poll with 30% each.

* In Wisconsin's U.S. Senate race, the latest McClatchy/Marist poll shows Rob Johnson (R) mainlining his lead over Sen. Russ Feingold (D), 52% to 45%.

* In California, a new Public Policy Polling survey shows Jerry Brown (D) leading the gubernatorial race by five points, and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) leading the U.S. Senate race by four points.

* In Florida's U.S. Senate race, Marco Rubio (R) appears to be cruising to an easy win. Mason-Dixon shows him with a 17-point lead over Gov. Charlie Crist (I), while Quinnipiac shows Rubio leading by 14 points. Florida's gubernatorial race, meanwhile, remains one of the closest contests in the country.

* In West Virginia's U.S. Senate race, a new Public Policy Polling survey shows Gov. Joe Manchin (D) up by five over John Raese (R), 51% to 46%.

* And in Connecticut, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Richard Blumenthal (D) up by nine in the U.S. Senate race, while PPP shows Tom Foley (R) edging past Dan Malloy (D) in the gubernatorial race, 49% to 47%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Terrorists hoped to bring down planes: "The two package bombs intercepted by authorities in Britain and Dubai last week appear to have been built to detonate 'in flight' and to bring down the planes carrying them, President Obama's top counterterrorism adviser said."

* Unlike some recent terrorist attempts, last week's bombs "were expertly constructed and unusually sophisticated."

* A relatively good sign: "Manufacturing activity expanded last month at the fastest pace since May, driven by demand in the United States and abroad for cars, computers and other goods."

* On a related note, the Federal Reserve is expected to act in some capacity this week, but "most economists say it is unlikely to have a big impact on employment and growth."

* Tragedy in a Baghdad church: "Iraq's Christian community was in shock Monday after Islamist militants in suicide vests besieged a church during Sunday mass and then fought Iraqi commandos in a melee that left at least 58 people dead."

* Dilma Rousseff easily won Brazil's presidency over the weekend, and will become the country's first female president.

* I can only assume that ABC News, right about now, is wondering why on earth it reached out to work with Andrew Breitbart.

* Daniel Luzer does a nice job summarizing the problem with financial aid to college students.

* Offering an anti-Islam remark that was slightly worse than Juan Williams', Bill Maher offers a reminder that he, too, can say some pretty dumb things.

* And if you're wondering why Republican activists seem so worked up about bogus "voter fraud" allegations, there's no great mystery here -- their media outlets are manufacturing a controversy that doesn't exist.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Nearly all of the prognosticators are making the same predictions about tonight, but Nate Silver notes five reasons Republicans may do even better than expected tonight. Of course, there are also five reasons Democrats might exceed expectations.

* Predicting the outcome of Alaska's U.S. Senate race is pretty much impossible at this point, with a new Hays Research poll showing Joe Miller (R) in the lead with 27%, Scott McAdams (D) second at 26%, "another candidate you have to write in" at 25%, and a whole lot of undecided folks. Given the time it will take to consider the Lisa Murkowski write-in votes, I've heard rumors it could take weeks, if not months, to know the outcome of the contest.

* In Colorado's U.S. Senate race, Ken Buck (R) is well known for his radicalism on domestic policy, but it's worth noting that he's also strikingly ignorant about foreign policy.

* In New York's gubernatorial campaign, Carl Paladino (R) recently called former Gov. George Pataki (R) a "degenerate idiot." Yesterday, Pataki endorsed Paladino anyway.

* By most measures, Republicans will take several dozen House seats currently held by Democrats. But are there any "red" House seats that might flip to "blue"? Eric Kleefeld notes the handful of possibilities.

* According to research conducted by the Pew Forum's Project for Excellence in Journalism, the political candidate who received more media attention than any other is ... Delaware's Christine O'Donnell (R). In fact, O'Donnell had far more coverage than any other candidate running in 2010.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The deadliest attacks in Baghdad in months: "Insurgents unleashed a deadly series of coordinated attacks in Iraq's capital on Tuesday night, setting off more than a dozen bombs and demonstrating their ability to upend the government's measures to secure the country's largest and most important city. At least 63 people were killed and more than 280 were wounded, government officials said."

* The investigation into last week's terrorist plot continues: "American intelligence officials in September intercepted several packages containing books, papers, CDs and other household items shipped to Chicago from Yemen and considered the possibility that the parcels might be a test run for a terrorist attack, two officials said Monday night."

* BP's bottom line: "BP lifted its estimate of the likely cost of its Gulf of Mexico oil spill to $40 billion on Tuesday, denting profits, but its underlying performance beat all expectations on higher refining margins and a lower tax rate."

* I still have no idea what ABC News was thinking inviting Andrew Breitbart to help with its election coverage, but the fiasco came to an end this afternoon when the network un-invited the right-wing activist.

* While the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals considers the constitutionality of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the existing law will remain in place. (Of course, the Senate will still have a chance to put things right in the lame-duck session. We just need a couple of GOP votes to overcome the Republican filibuster.)

* GM continues to pay us back.

* Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, there's been a big boost in the number of small businesses that are offering health coverage to their workers.

* It's been that kind of year: "Rep. Tom Perriello's Charlottesville, Va., office was vandalized last night -- and the vandal posted a sign for the Democrat's opponent, Republican Robert Hurt, outside the building."

* If the election results go as expected, there will be "less money for things like Pell grants, education loans, and research funding."

* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) joins the "we can't compromise" camp. What a guy.

* Author Curtis Sittenfeld explains why "still adores President Obama."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In one of the two undecided U.S. Senate races, it looks like Sen. Patty Murray (D) will hang on and win another term in the state of Washington.

* In the other undecided contest, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) appears to have the advantage, despite being a write-in candidate, but it will reportedly be "weeks" until there's some certainty about the outcome.

* In Minnesota, which has some recent history when it comes to recounts, yesterday's gubernatorial race was pretty darn close. At this point, with nearly all of the precincts reporting, Mark Dayton (D) leads Tom Emmer (R) by 0.43%. If the finish within 0.5%, an automatic hand recount will get underway.

* Speaking of extremely close gubernatorial contests, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) "believes" he's won, but his GOP challenger has not conceded. About 11,100 votes separate the two out of 3.57 million votes cast.

* When thinking about post-census re-districting, remember that Republicans won 18 state legislative chambers yesterday, which they'll no doubt take full advantage of when drawing district lines.

* In Vermont's gubernatorial race, which was too close to call last night, Peter Shumlin (D) appears to have come out on top. It's a Dem pick-up, flipping the governor's office from "red" to "blue."

* Speaking of New England, Maine's gubernatorial race was pretty close, but Paul LePage (R) narrowly won.

* In what proved to be one of the closes House races in the country, Rep. Jerry McNerney (D) won re-election by just 121 votes in California's 11th.

* And while several pollsters fared quite well yesterday, Rasmussen wasn't one of them. It's a reminder of why I've stopped citing Rasmussen data on this site.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The long-awaited QE2: "The Federal Reserve, concerned about the slow recovery, announced a second, large purchase of Treasury bonds on Wednesday, an effort to spur economic growth by lowering long-term interest rates.... The Fed said it would buy an additional $600 billion in long-term Treasury securities by the end of June 2011, somewhat more than the $300 billion to $500 billion that many in the markets had expected."

* Paul Krugman doesn't seem especially impressed with the move.

* Austerity measures not popular with some Greeks: "After a season of bitter and widespread protests over austerity measures to address its financial crisis, Greece faced new turmoil on Wednesday as the authorities investigated an elaborate bomb plot in which relatively mild explosive devices were sent to embassies in Athens as well as to the leaders of Italy and Germany." Prime Minister George Papandreou said the letter bombs were the work of domestic terrorists, not al Qaeda.

* Three weeks, five shootings: "A fifth shooting at a U.S. military facility in Northern Virginia in recent days has been linked to the same weapon, authorities said Wednesday."

* Solid auto sales: "October was the best month for new-vehicle sales in more than two years, outside of the government rebate program in mid-2009, and General Motors surpassed expectations, but still lost market share in the United States ahead of its public stock offering."

* For crying out loud: "Both sides are claiming victory in Virginia-11, Rep. Gerry Connolly's seat. And one of the three members of the canvassing board that's overseeing the counting is none other than Hans von Spakovsky, the vote fraud bamboozler and vote suppression macher who became such a TPM favorite during the US Attorney firing days."

* Colorado's odious "fetal personhood" amendment went down in flames yesterday. Good.

* It was heartening to see Prop 23 lose in California, too.

* Several dozen House Dems lost last night, but not all of them were running under the same conditions. Dave Weigel has a smart piece on the four different types of Dems who were defeated.

* Fox News intended to do a big special tomorrow on imaginary "voter fraud" in Nevada. After Sharron Angle's (R) embarrassing defeat, the Republican network has cancelled the program.

* No doubt: "The 112th United States Congress will be a very different place for higher education issues."

* And while I'm not generally pleased with Chris Matthews' work, I was delighted to hear him ask Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) last night, "Has someone hypnotized you?"

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In one of the nation's closest gubernatorial contests, former Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) won his old job back in Oregon this week, narrowly defeating retired basketball player Chris Dudley (R), who conceded yesterday. (Interesting tidbit: the last time Kitzhaber won was in 1994 -- the last GOP "wave" election.)

* Speaking of close gubernatorial elections, former Mayor Dan Malloy (D) was declared the winner in Connecticut yesterday, narrowly defeating former Ambassador Tom Foley. This is another Dem pick-up -- Malloy will succeed incumbent Gov. M. Jodi Rell (R), who decided not to run for re-election.

* There will be no recount in Colorado's U.S. Senate race -- Ken Buck (R) conceded the race to Sen. Michael Bennet (D) yesterday afternoon.

* It may be weeks before we know the final results in the state of Washington's U.S. Senate race, but as ballots are tallied, incumbent Sen. Patty Murray's (D) lead appears to be getting a little bigger.

* And in the other undecided U.S. Senate race, it may be quite a while before we know who won in Alaska, but Scott McAdams (D) won't be in the mix -- he came in third and conceded yesterday.

* House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R) gave up his post in the GOP leadership yesterday, and apparently intends to run for governor in Indiana in 2012.

* Another interesting tidbit: after Massachusetts inexplicably elected Scott Brown (R) to the U.S. Senate, his supporters said it was the start of expanded GOP support in the Bay State. Ten months later, Democrats won every U.S. House race in Massachusetts.

* And in case you've heard rumors to the contrary, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), defeated this week, "has no interest in challenging President Obama in 2012."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* It doesn't look like talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan are going especially well.

* The trend of few couple of weeks didn't last: "The number of people seeking jobless benefits jumped sharply last week, after two straight weeks of declines."

* Not all of the economic news was discouraging: "The economy is picking up a bit from its late-summer doldrums, according to two reports Wednesday, with both the service and manufacturing sectors showing better health."

* President Obama seems to enjoy hosting these get-togethers: "In the aftermath of this week's electoral "shellacking," President Obama on Thursday invited Congressional leaders to literally break bread later this month at a dinner at the White House as he tries to adjust to a new political order with Republicans ascendant. Mr. Obama invited eight leaders, four from each party, to meet on Nov. 18 and then share a meal in the residence part of the White House."

* After such a lengthy debate over health care policy, one would like to think Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) realizes the ACA lowers the deficit -- and repealing it would increase the deficit.

* Some on the far-right probably don't look forward to extending the debt limit, but even Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) seems to realize the catastrophic results of default.

* Only a handful of House Democrats actually saw their support grow over 2008 levels. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine is one of them -- and she ran on a progressive, unapologetic platform. (Her race had been considered a "toss up," but she won by double-digits.)

* It's good to see the estimable Sam Seder back on the air.

* Ever wonder about the origins of the "landslide election" phrase? Now we know.

* For crying out loud: "The GOP plans to hold high profile hearings examining the alleged 'scientific fraud' behind global warming, a sleeper issue in this election that motivated the base quite a bit."

* There's some entertaining symbolism here -- Sarah Palin's video on the midterms shows a sunrise, which is actually just a sunset run backwards. Insert joke here.

* As the economy struggles, more Americans are returning to college. That, however, isn't going especially well.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* After trailing in the polls for about a year, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D), the onetime lieutenant governor to Rod Blagojevich, managed to win a full term this week, narrowly defeating former state Sen. Bill Brady (R).

* In Minnesota's gubernatorial election, former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton (D) leads state Rep. Tom Emmer (R) by just under 9,000 votes -- out of over 2 million votes cast -- and a recount appears inevitable.

* There are apparently still some ambiguities, but it looks like Dan Malloy (D) is probably going to be Connecticut's next governor.

* In one of the U.S. House races that remained unresolved, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D) was declared the winner in Arizona this morning. The net gain for Republicans, then, remains at 60 seats.

* On a related note, there are still 11 U.S. House races where we do not yet know who won.

* In Alaska, plenty of litigation will probably follow the resolution of the U.S. Senate race, and this morning, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) created a legal defense fund to bankroll her post-election fight with Joe Miller (R).

* Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman (R), who cruised to a landslide re-election win this week, announced yesterday he will not challenge Sen. Ben Nelson (D) in 2012. State Attorney General Jon Bruning (R) will very likely be Nelson's opponent.

* Nate Silver did some preliminary analysis and found that Rasmussen was 2010's least accurate pollster. On the other hand, SurveyUSA and Quinnipiac fared quite well.

* No one seems to want to be chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) for the 2012 cycle, and the caucus appears ready to beg Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to take the job he recently held.

* On a related note, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) is stepping down as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) after two terms.

* And in 2012 news, Howard Dean is "absolutely, categorically" not running for president in 2012. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton isn't running, either.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Confirming suspicions: "The Yemeni branch of al-Qaida on Friday claimed responsibility for the two mail bombs sent from Yemen last week and for the downing of a cargo plane in Dubai in September."

* Pakistan: "A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vest inside a mosque in northwestern Pakistan during midday prayers on Friday, according to government officials, a strike apparently aimed at worshipers who had denied support to the Taliban." At least 60 people were killed.

* The tragedy in Indonesia continues to intensify, with the volcano now responsible for 122 deaths.

* With Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) running for Minority Leader, the race is on to be Minority Whip. The current Majority Whip, James Clyburn (D-S.C.) intends to seek the job, but so does current Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). Keep an eye on this one.

* The White House appears to be casting President Obama's Asia trip in an economic light: "President Obama left Washington Friday for a 10-day Asia trip, vowing to 'pry some markets open' and search for other ways to bolster the struggling U.S. economy."

* Karl Rove told the attendees at a shale-gas conference this week that the incoming Republican House majority "sure as heck" won't pass legislation to limit greenhouse pollution from fossil fuels. "Climate is gone," Rove said. Somehow, I fear that sentence is correct in more ways than one.

* Harvard's David Cutler, a prominent former health care advisor to the Obama White House, expects Republicans to shut down the federal government early next year over "funding of discretionary health care." Unfortunately, I suspect he's right.

* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) likes the Congressional Budget Office unless it tells him something he doesn't want to hear.

* Remember all of those far-right voices who were obsessed with imaginary "voter fraud" for the last several weeks? All of a sudden, in the wake of significant GOP gains in the midterms, they seem to have lost interest.

* Eugene Robinson is entirely right about Nancy Pelosi: "She's losing her job [as Speaker] not because she does it poorly but because she does it so well."

* I was planning to do some digging through exit polls over the weekend, looking for differences between 2010 and 2006 -- but it looks Kevin already did all of the hard work.

* Fox News does not "plan" to hire Christine O'Donnell as a television personality, at least not yet.

* And I was sorry to see that Marc Ambinder is giving up blogging, but I wish him well as he moves from The Atlantic to National Journal.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Over the weekend, it appeared that Dan Malloy (D) had finally won Connecticut's gubernatorial race, though his opponent, Republican Tom Foley, has not yet accepted the results. Foley intends to address whether he'll challenge the results in a press conference today.

* According a draft schedule from Minnesota's secretary of state, the recount in the state's gubernatorial race would begin on Nov. 29 and (hopefully) wrap up on Dec. 14.

* In Arizona's 8th congressional district, incumbent Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) narrowly held on to win re-election in results announced late Friday. She defeated her right-wing challenger by under 4,000 votes.

* Similarly, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D) in Virginia's 11th congressional district also appears to have staved off his GOP challenger.

* In less encouraging House news for Dems, in New York's 1st, an initial tally showed incumbent Rep. Tim Bishop (D) ahead by a slim margin, but a recanvassing of the ballot machines showed Republican Randy Altschuler up by nearly 400 votes.

* There are, by the way, nine U.S. House races that remain unresolved.

* With several leading Dem senators unwilling to serve as the next chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the party still wants Sen. Chuck Schumer (D) to do the job again. Schumer really doesn't seem interested.

* On the other side of the aisle, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) will stay on as head of the NRSC, and Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) will keep his current post atop the NRCC.

* And how did Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) win by a surprisingly large margin in Nevada last week, after all the late polling showed him losing? Mark Blumenthal and Josh Marshall have interesting pieces on the subject.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* This seemed to go over well in India: "President Obama announced here on Monday that the United States would back India's bid for a permanent seat on an expanded United Nations Security Council, a major policy shift that underscores their strengthening partnership. Mr. Obama made the announcement -- a priority for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh -- during a late afternoon speech to Parliament."

* In response to the latest plot: "The U.S. tightened security on cargo shipments flown from abroad Monday, banning 'high-risk' cargo from flying on passenger planes after last month's discovery of a plot that originated in Yemen to send bombs in shipped packages. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano also extended last week's ban on all air cargo from Yemen to include Somalia as well."

* The race between James Clyburn and Steny Hoyer for Minority Whip is actually more interesting than I'd expected, with a surprising number of liberals lining up behind the current Majority Leader.

* Legal nonsense in Oklahoma is put on hold: "A federal judge in Oklahoma has issued a temporary restraining order barring the state from adopting a constitutional amendment voters passed last week that forbids state courts from enforcing Islamic law, also known as sharia, The Associated Press reports."

* Speaking of legal news, the U.S. Supreme Court turned down the first preliminary challenge to the Affordable Care Act today. The AP noted, "The decision Monday to reject an appeal from a former Republican state lawmaker in California was no surprise because a federal appeals court has yet to consider the case. The high court almost never reviews cases before the issues have been aired in lower courts."

* A wild story out of Maryland, where on Election Day, more than 50,000 voters were called two hours before the polls closed, suggesting Democrats who hadn't voted shouldn't bother because Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) had already won re-election. The calls apparently came from a controversial Democratic operative who hoped to help the Republican in the race.

* Republican Sen.-elect Mark Kirk of Illinois will join his new colleagues during the lame-duck session, but will have to wait until after the state Board of Elections certifies his election, which may not be until after Thanksgiving.

* Remember that weird assistant attorney general in Michigan who launched a bizarre crusade against a gay college student for no apparent reason? He's been fired.

* Kaplan sure does make a lot of money for the Washington Post Company.

* Why did Nicaragua sort-of invade Costa Rica? Because of Google Maps. (This is a subject regular readers of the Washington Monthly already know all about thanks to a fascinating recent report from John Gravois.)

* And at this point, it doesn't look like Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) have any intention of caucusing with Republicans.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* It took longer than expected, but Republican Tom Foley conceded Connecticut's gubernatorial race yesterday after narrowly losing to Gov.-elect Dan Malloy (D). To his credit, Foley told reporters, "The election on Tuesday was a conclusive victory for Dan Malloy, and this result should not be questioned."

* In Minnesota's gubernatorial race, Republican Tom Emmer, narrowly trailing Democrat Mark Dayton, will not be waiving a statewide automatic hand recount.

* In the state of Washington, Rep. Rick Larsen (D) was declared the winner of his re-election bid yesterday, defeating Republican challenger John Koster with 51% of the vote.

* In Virginia, Rep. Gerald Connolly's (D) confidence over the weekend about re-election turned out to be right -- his GOP challenger will concede defeat today in the state's 11th congressional district.

* For those keeping track, there are now seven unresolved U.S. House races: California's 11th and 20th districts, Kentucky's 6th, Illinois' 8th, New York's 1st and 25th, and Texas' 27th. All seven are currently held by Dems.

* With Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) stepping down after two terms as head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the race is on to replace him. The Washington Post reports that Rep. Steve Israel of New York "appears to have the inside track."

* On a per-vote basis, Sharron Angle's Senate campaign in Nevada was the most expensive in the country: she spent $97 a vote. A close second was Linda McMahon's Senate campaign in Connecticut, with her per vote average just 47 cents cheaper than Angle's.

* There seems to be little doubt that former New York Gov. George Pataki (R) is running for president in 2012.

* And in a poll that will likely push Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) even further to the right, a new Mason-Dixon survey in Utah shows a plurality of voters (48%) believe it's time to replace the long-time incumbent.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* John Durham, the special prosecutor in this case, has a good reputation, but this is not what I expected: "A federal prosecutor will not bring criminal charges against any of the Central Intelligence Agency officers involved in destroying videotapes depicting the brutal interrogation of Al Qaeda detainees, the Justice Department said on Tuesday.... Jose A. Rodriguez, the former head of the agency's clandestine service, ordered his staff in November 2005 to destroy tapes of the interrogations of Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri."

* Middle East peace process: "President Obama expressed concern Tuesday over the flagging Middle East peace process he helped inaugurate two months ago, as Israel announced plans for new building on land that Palestinians claim as the capital of their future state. Asked at a news conference here about the Israeli government's new plans to build 1,300 apartments in East Jerusalem, Obama said: 'This kind of activity is never helpful when it comes to peace negotiations.'"

* I really hope there's a good explanation for this: "A mysterious missile launch off the southern California coast was caught by CBS affiliate KCBS's cameras Monday night, and officials are staying tight-lipped over the nature of the projectile."

* This seems at least somewhat encouraging: "The nation's economic stress fell in September to a 16-month low, thanks to more hiring in New England, fewer foreclosures in the mid-Atlantic and declining bankruptcy filings in the Southeast, according to The Associated Press' monthly analysis of conditions around the country."

* I don't blame her for trying: "Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) is trying to negotiate an end to the race between Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (Md.) and Majority Whip James Clyburn (S.C.) for Minority Whip, a senior Democratic aide confirmed Tuesday."

* Andy Sabl does a very effective job of taking the organization Third Way to task, and reminds us of the group's president's interesting past.

* Oliver Willis knows how to shut down a stupid argument on Twitter.

* I'm glad to see the "What the F*#k has Obama Done So Far" website gain widespread fame so quickly.

* America's for-profit colleges have a new strategy: Republican alliances.

* The biggest problem with Matt Lauer's prime-time interview with George W. Bush? No one watched. NBC preempted "Chuck" for this?

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As Alaska officials begin counting write-in votes in the U.S. Senate race, Republican Joe Miller has filed a lawsuit, insisting that bad spellers' ballots be rejected. Officials plan to use their discretion on the spelling of Sen. Lisa Murkowski's (R) name, but Miller wants the will of the voters to be ignored, if those voters flubbed "Murkowski."

* On a related note, the recount in Minnesota's gubernatorial race is getting underway.

* There is "an effort underway" among RNC members to find a credible alternative to Michael Steele, who appears intent on seeking another term next year. Wisconsin GOP chief Reince Priebus appears to be a person of interest.

* Did Florida Gov.-elect Rick Scott (R) really try to pay some of his campaign workers with American Express gift cards, rather than with money? Actually, yes.

* As the vote counting in California's 11th congressional district continues, incumbent Rep. Jerry McNerney (D) has seen his lead grow, not shrink. A final tally may come by the end of the week, but Republican challenger David Harmer is already talking about a recount.

* A new poll out of Nebraska shows incumbent Sen. Ben Nelson (D) trailing state Attorney General Jon Bruning (R) by 15 points in a hypothetical 2012 match-up. For what it's worth, Nelson does enjoy a 50% approval rating in his home state.

* Speaking 2012, appointed Sen. George LeMieux (R) is making no secret of his intentions to take on Sen. Ben Bill Nelson (D) in Florida in two years.

* And in one more bit of 2012 news, is Sen. Jim Webb (D) planning to seek re-election in Virginia? Apparently, he hasn't decided. With former Sen. George Allen (R) planning a comeback, a Webb retirement would likely make this a GOP pick-up.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* We're inching closer to a healthier number: "Fewer people applied for unemployment aid last week, the third drop in four weeks and evidence that the job market is showing signs of life. If the decline continues, it could signal more hiring in the near future.... The Labor Department said Wednesday that initial claims for jobless aid dropped by 24,000 to a seasonally adjusted 435,000. Many Wall Street economists expected a smaller decrease."

* With the IPO coming right up, GM's timing couldn't be better: "General Motors on Wednesday reported its largest quarterly profit in 11 years."

* G20 in Seoul: "Obama administration officials said Thursday that they were close to securing a compromise agreement to help reduce vast trade imbalances, a step that could ease conflict between the major world economies over trade, currency and monetary policies."

* Terror threat: "A package bomb from Yemen removed from a cargo plane in Britain on Oct. 29 could have exploded over the American East Coast, Scotland Yard said in a statement on Wednesday that offered the clearest sense so far of the danger averted."

* Those regular ol' text-based warnings on cigarette packs weren't cutting it. Maybe images covering half the pack will: "Federal drug regulators unveiled 36 proposed warning labels for cigarette packages on Wednesday, including some that are striking pictures of smoking's effects."

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's (R) reputation for seriousness has been greatly exaggerated: "Christie says he's skeptical that humans are responsible for global warming."

* Rep.-elect Allen West's (R-Fla.) chief of staff today called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "garbage."

* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) thinks he has a compelling legal argument to make against the Affordable Care Act. He's sorely mistaken.

* Glenn Beck's anti-Soros tirade yesterday was pretty astounding, even by Beck standards.

* Why did Oscar Grant's killer get the minimum sentence?

* It's kind of fun to see which pundits' predictions about the midterm elections were the most incorrect.

* What the Republican House has to do with raising interest rates on student loans.

* Try to contain your surprise: "Just about a year to the day that he left CNN, Lou Dobbs is returning to cable news, this time as host of his own show on News Corp.'s Fox Business Network."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The early tallies in Alaska look very good for Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) -- nearly 98% of the write-in ballots opened yesterday went to her. The count, which began yesterday, will continue into next week.

* On a related note, a federal judge yesterday rejected Senate candidate Joe Miller's request for an injunction to stop the vote-counting. Miller had hoped voters' will would be ignored if Murkowski supporters spelled her name wrong.

* While Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele continues to seek support for another term, challengers continue to emerge. Connecticut GOP Chairman Chris Healy blasted Steele yesterday, saying, "I think at some point someone has to step up and say the emperor has no clothes. I'm more than willing to do that. I think I can give the RNC what it needs over the next two years. I don't have any confidence that the current management can get it done."

* In Texas, Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D) appears to have come up short in his re-election bid, but yesterday, he requested a manual recount.

* Senate Dems still can't find someone willing to serve as chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Yesterday, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) announced he's not interested in the post, either.

* There are three gubernatorial races in 2011, and in one of them, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear (D) will start off as a clear favorite for another term. A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows the incumbent with fairly strong leads over likely GOP challengers, and a 48% approval rating overall.

* In Nevada, PPP also found scandal-plagued Sen. John Ensign (R) with strong approval ratings among Republicans, and big leads over possible GOP primary challengers.

* And here's a fun data-point: 2010 was the worst cycle for incumbents in four decades, but 86% of incumbents still won.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Tentative political progress in Iraq: "Iraq's lawmakers took a step toward forming a government on Thursday evening, hammering out the details of a deal struck a day earlier to end an eight-month political impasse. But only three hours into the new session of Parliament, as lawmakers began the early stages of forming a government, one of the major political blocs walked out -- a portent of the political struggles ahead and the fragility of the agreement."

* This was supposed to go better: "For President Obama, the last-minute failure to seal a trade deal with South Korea that would expand American exports of automobiles and beef is an embarrassing setback that deprives him of a foreign policy trophy and demonstrates how the midterm elections may have weakened his position abroad."

* Speaking of the Korean peninsula: "President Obama marked Veterans Day on Thursday at a U.S. military base outside this capital, where he warned North Korea that the United States 'will never waver in our commitment to the security of the Republic of Korea.'"

* Bachmann ends her bid to become House Republican Conference Chair: "That sigh of relief you heard? It might have been John A. Boehner and other Republican leaders in the House when they got the word that Representative Michele Bachmann is ending her campaign for a leadership position."

* How ridiculous has it gotten on the Hill? It's now newsworthy, and a stark change of pace, when the Republicans' Senate leader mentions in passing that he's "willing to listen" to what the White House has to say.

* Odds of passage aren't at all good, but don't be too surprised if Speaker Pelosi pushes the Employment Non-Discrimination Act during the lame-duck session.

* I admit it; I absolutely love the White House white board. More please.

* Glenn Beck's disgusting rant against George Soros this week isn't going over well with prominent Jewish leaders and Holocaust survivors.

* A Republican state rep. in Tennessee warned his colleagues this week that immigrants who enter the country illegally "go out there like rats and multiply." Classy.

* A community in Kentucky wants to improve its clean-water standards to comply with EPA regulations intended to prevent bladder cancer. Local Tea Party zealots are outraged.

* Disgraced right lobbyist/activist Ralph Reed thinks President Obama would be in better shape politically if he'd embraced a "Christ-like model of leadership" -- like Sarah Palin has.

* Have I mentioned today how maddening the Senate is? "The Senate Banking Committee will make another attempt next week to clear the path for Peter A. Diamond to take a seat on the Federal Reserve's board of governors, but Republican cooperation still seems unlikely."

* Kaplan University is in trouble.

* Best wishes to Jon Soltz, chairman of VoteVets.org, as he takes a one-year leave to deploy to Iraq, as part of Operation New Dawn. Soltz will rejoin to veterans' group upon his return.

* And on a related note, a very special thanks to those who wear, have worn, or will wear an Armed Services uniform. Happy Veterans Day.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The tallies in Alaska continue to look very good for Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R). Tthe state's Division of Elections has reviewed write-in ballots for nearly half the state and she's winning about 98% of them. Counting will continue through the weekend.

* There are two U.S. House races in California in which a winner has not yet been determined, but yesterday, both incumbents -- Democrats Jim Costa and Jerry McNerney -- declared victory.

* For those still counting, there are eight unresolved U.S. House races remaining.

* Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele picked up his first official challenger this morning, with former Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis announcing his bid. Anuzis sought the same post last year, but lost to Steele.

* The RNC's field may get pretty large -- in addition to Anuzis, Pennsylvania Republican Party Chairman Rob Gleason is gearing up to run for the position.

* With his "listening tour" apparently over, former congressman and White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel will formally launch his mayoral campaign in Chicago tomorrow.

* Outgoing Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle (R) will decide early next year whether she'll take on incumbent Sen. Daniel Akaka (D) in 2012.

* Speaking of 2012 Senate races, don't be too surprised if former Sen. Jim Talent (R) seeks a rematch against Sen. Claire McCaskill (D). Talent has been gearing up for the race for quite a while, and appears better organized than the other GOP candidates eyeing the race. In 2006, McCaskill beat Talent by three points in a strong year for Dems.

* And word went out yesterday that NBC and Politico will co-host the first debate for Republican presidential candidates in spring 2011 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, Calif. You read that right -- the first debate for GOP presidential hopefuls is only about five months away. Expect a lot of kick-off announcements very early in 2011.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* As G20 meetings go, I wouldn't necessarily characterize the South Korean gathering as a success: "Leaders of the world's biggest economies agreed on Friday to curb 'persistently large imbalances' in saving and spending but deferred until next year tough decisions on how to identify and fix them."

* Then again, the U.S. still has the influence to set the agenda, and "it could have been far worse."

* Not a surprise: "Rejecting a request by a Republican gay rights group, the U.S. Supreme Court refused Friday to stop enforcement of the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy while a lower court hears a challenge to the ban."

* This could be really interesting: "Maryland's Attorney General filed a complaint in federal court this week alleging that the company and two individuals behind election day robocalls that told mostly Democratic voters to 'relax' and not bother voting violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)." New estimates suggest the calls reached more than 100,000 Maryland households -- double the previous estimate.

* I have no idea how or whether this will work: "After a brief and interrupted dalliance, Newsweek, the 77-year-old magazine, and The Daily Beast, [Tina] Brown's two-year-old Web site, have decided to put their cultural differences aside and will join forces."

* I was going to mock Arthur Laffer's latest take on the economy, which is truly laughable, but it looks like Jay Bookman beat me to it.

* If the Simpson/Bowles debt reduction plan were adopted, the impact on higher education would be dramatic -- and not in a good way.

* When Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) is so dumb that even Neil Cavuto feels compelled to correct him, you know Inhofe has pushed the envelope.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. Lisa Murkowski's (R) write-in bid in Alaska continues to appear well positioned to win -- 89% of the write-in votes have been in her favor -- but this is the week 40,000 absentee ballots get counted.

* On a related note, while Joe Miller (R) insists he can still win, his lawyers don't seem to think so -- they're packing up and leaving Alaska.

* It was very close, but Rep. Ben Chandler (D) has been declared the winner in Kentucky's 6th congressional district. His GOP challenger conceded over the weekend.

* There are now seven officially unresolved U.S. House races. The Democrat leads in two of them (California's 11th and California's 20th), but trails in the other five (Illinois 8th, Texas 27th, North Carolina 2nd, New York 25th, and New York 1st).

* The Senate Democratic leadership finally thought it had found a good member to lead the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in the 2012 election cycle. But late Friday, Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet became the latest Dem to say he's not interested, either.

* With Mississippi's Haley Barbour stepping down as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, he'll be replaced by Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

* Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) hasn't ruled out a presidential campaign at some point. "You never say never about anything," he told CNN.

* And Sarah Palin's political action committee is once again in trouble with the Federal Election Commission, filing a quarterly report filled with math errors and related mistakes. It's not the first time: "The commission has sent at least a half-dozen letters to Sarah PAC since its formation in 2009 about errors or omissions in its reports, records show."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Middle East peace: "The pledge by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to push for a new, one-time-only freeze of 90 days on settlement construction in the West Bank represents a bet by the Israelis and the Americans that enough can be accomplished so that the Palestinians will not abandon peace talks even after the freeze ends."

* Aung San Suu Kyi is finally free in Burma.

* Afghan President Hamid Karzai is increasingly critical of U.S. military operations in his country. Gen. David Petraeus isn't happy about it.

* On a related, here's the new phased four-year plan: "The Obama administration has developed a plan to begin transferring security duties in select areas of Afghanistan to that country's forces over the next 18 to 24 months, with an eye toward ending the American combat mission there by 2014, officials said Sunday."

* Some encouraging economic news: "Retail sales, helped by strong demand for autos, increased in October by the largest amount in seven months. The Commerce Department reported Monday that retail sales rose 1.2 percent last month. That was nearly double the gain that had been expected and the largest increase since March."

* Rep. Charlie Rangel's (D-N.Y.) ethics trial gets underway: "In an ominous sign for Representative Charles B. Rangel, the House ethics committee on Monday said the facts presented by a prosecutor accusing Mr. Rangel of violating Congressional rules were not in dispute and that the congressman himself had not refuted the charges." (Note: Rangel abruptly left his own proceedings this morning, complaining that he had no lawyer.)

* Thirteen protestors organized by the GetEqual campaign handcuffed themselves to the White House's north gate today to protest "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." I'm not an expert in political protests, but given that the White House already agrees with the demonstrators, wouldn't it be smarter to take the case to the U.S. Senate, where, you know, the outcome will be decided? If Barack Obama is on your side, and John McCain isn't, why protest at the White House?

* Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) were sworn in this afternoon. Sen.-elect Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) is still waiting for the state to certify his results, and should join the Senate before the end of the month.

* I'm glad President Obama put Sarah Bloom Raskin on the Fed's Board of Governors: "Sarah Bloom Raskin on Friday used her first public speech as a governor of the Federal Reserve Board to call for major changes to mortgage servicing, saying it's time for 'serious and sustained reform.'"

* Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) hates the Affordable Care Act, except when it can fund medical facilities in his state.

* Right-wing Virginia Thomas, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' wife, has stepped down as head of her far-right organization, Liberty Central.

* Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is the latest conservative to announce his distaste for the 17th Amendment.

* Disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich doesn't just want to defeat the left, he wants to "replace the left."

* Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), soon to be the House Republican Conference chairman, doesn't appear to know what "cut" means.

* For-profit colleges are still making money, but they're not enrolling as many students.

* I guess this should be funny, but I'm not altogether pleased to see such widespread recognition for "refudiate."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As the vote counting continues in Alaska's U.S. Senate race, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) has pulled ahead of Joe Miller (R) for the first time in the overall vote tally. It's a lead she seems unlikely to relinquish.

* Sen. George LeMieux (R) of Florida, appointed to the post when Mel Martinez (R) retired unexpectedly, seems intent on running for a full term in 2012. But LeMieux will have an uphill challenge when he runs -- he hasn't made much of an impression on Floridians, who don't know who he is.

* Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) will probably seek re-election in 2012. But it's not at all clear how he'll run, whether he'll seek a major party nomination, or whether he'll have the support necessary to win. In 2006, he persevered thanks to token GOP opposition -- a luxury he won't enjoy next time. Connecticut GOP Chairman Chris Healy told Roll Call, "The Republican candidate this time will be supported and stronger. And any Republican who gets over 25 percent of the vote, there's no way Lieberman can win as an Independent."

* Not surprisingly, Sen. Richard Lugar (R) will run for re-election in 2012 in Indiana. The 78-year-old incumbent is favored to win another term, but he may yet face a right-wing primary challenger.

* Steve Daines (R), an unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant governor in 2008, announced that he'll take on to Sen. Jon Tester (D) in Montana in 2012. The key GOP candidate to keep an eye on in Rep. Dennis Rehberg (R), who would likely be a more credible opponent for the Democratic incumbent.

* Former Houston Mayor Bill White (D) ran a respectable gubernatorial campaign in Texas this year, but Dems shouldn't expect to recruit him for other upcoming races -- White said yesterday he's not running for the Senate in 2012, for example.

* The Family Research Council, a religious right powerhouse, ran attack ads against Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao (R) in New Orleans last month, criticizing him for not being right-wing enough. Cao lost, and now he's blaming the FRC.

* And speaking of Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) insists he's really not running for president in 2012. No one's sure whether to believe him.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Remember the European debt crisis? It's not over: "Ireland's Prime Minister acknowledged Tuesday that the country has been all but shut out from further borrowing on world bond markets as European leaders continued crisis talks over a possible rescue for the heavily indebted nation."

* Continental concerns are growing: "European officials, increasingly concerned that the Continent's debt crisis will spread, are warning that any new rescue plans may need to cover Portugal as well as Ireland to contain the problem they tried to resolve six months ago."

* Rangel's guilty: "A House panel on Tuesday found Representative Charles B. Rangel guilty of 11 counts of ethical violations, ruling that his failure to pay taxes, improper solicitation of fund-raising donations and failure to accurately report his personal income had brought dishonor on the House."

* Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) appears to be the first Dem in the Senate to endorse a tax plan that would only extend cuts for the middle class.

* A well-deserved, hard-earned honor for an American hero, Salvatore Giunta: "An Army staff sergeant who stepped into the line of fire to help a pair of comrades on the Afghan battlefield has been given a Medal of Honor, the nation's top military award." Giunta is the first living service member from the Iraq or Afghanistan wars to be so honored.

* Defense Secretary Robert Gates thinks the neocon line on Iran is crazy. He's right.

* I don't expect much in the way of decency from right-wing provocateur James O'Keefe, but his smearing of a special-ed schoolteacher in New Jersey is truly loathsome, even by his bottom-of-the-barrel standards.

* Rep. Louie Gohmert's (R) role in the firing of a college art galleries director in Texas wasn't much better.

* I find it pretty easy to believe that Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), in the midst of health care reform negotiations, could get everything he wanted from the White House, and still refuse to support the proposal. The whole debate was about the GOP not taking "yes" for an answer.

* Everything you need to know about Gov.-elect Rick Scott's (R-Fla.) judgment: "Scott has announced that his team of economic advisers will include former Reagan advisor Art Laffer."

* Teacher training programs clearly still need some work.

* Ted Koppel raised some eyebrows the other day with a lengthy diatribe on modern media, but I found Keith Olbermann's response last night pretty compelling.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* It looks like the U.S. Senate race in Alaska is just about done with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) taking a 10,400-vote lead over Joe Miller (R). There are still 8,153 ballots Miller's team is challenging, but they wouldn't be enough to give him a victory.

* As of this morning, though, Miller was still questioning the tally. He suggested a statewide hand-recount may be in order.

* Rep. Melissa Bean (D) conceded defeat yesterday, after final tallies showed Rep.-elect Joe Walsh (R) with a 291-vote lead. Overall, the net gain for House Republicans in the midterms now stands at 61 seats.

* Sen. John Ensign (R) will apparently seek re-election in Nevada, unless he's imprisoned for his corruption scandal, which would probably interfere with his campaign schedule.

* To say that Republican leaders on the Hill want Michael Steele replaced as RNC chairman would appear to be an understatement.

* It seems awfully early to look at polls for a race that's two years away, but for what it's worth, a new survey in Virginia from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Jim Webb (D) leading former Sen. George Allen (R) in a hypothetical match-up, 49% to 45%. Webb, of course, has not yet said whether he intends to seek a second term, but Allen has made no secret of his comeback intentions.

* Perhaps the most sought after GOP endorsement in Iowa's presidential caucuses is failed former gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats', who's creating a right-wing organization in the Hawkeye State.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Hoping to prevent a disaster in Ireland: "A top British finance official said Wednesday that his country would help prop up Ireland's ailing finances - even as a team from the International Monetary Fund and European Union prepared to travel here to address the crisis and the Irish government signaled, for the first time, that it might be willing to accept a bailout."

* It wasn't as one-sided as some had guessed, but House Democrats today chose Nancy Pelosi to be the House Minority leader next year. She won with 150 votes from caucus members, 107 more than Heath Shuler received.

* On the other side of the aisle, House Republicans unanimously chose their leadership team today, including John Boehner for Speaker and Eric Cantor for Majority Leader.

* A big day for GM tomorrow.

* Is "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal dead? Not just yet.

* It looks like a real long-shot, but President Obama thinks Congress can and should pass the DREAM Act during the lame-duck session.

* More petty gamesmanship: "House Republicans announced Wednesday they plan to force a floor vote on defunding NPR in response to the firing of analyst Juan Williams last month."

* Warren Buffett uses an op-ed to thank government, specifically the Bush administration, for pulling the country back from financial doom during the financial crisis of 2008.

* All of those far-right cranks worried about inflation? They're deeply confused.

* I'm starting to think some of the far-right's opposition to President Obama is racist. Take Rush Limbaugh, for example.

* Birtherism in the Texas legislature is very likely a sign of things to come.

* Good question: "Exactly what ... would be an inappropriate amount of money to spend on college?"

* "Negotiation," by Clay Bennett, is one of my favorite political cartoons of the year.

* I'm really sorry to see the Washington Independent close its virtual doors. It did some amazing work over the last three years, served as a launching pad for some terrific journalists, and it'll be missed.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* After Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) declared victory in Alaska last night, the Republican Party of Alaska issued a statement calling on their nominee, Joe Miller, to "respect the will of the voters and end his campaign in a dignified manner."

* Miller, at this point, appears to have other plans. The Republican extremist has not conceded, and told Fox News last night that he has concerns about the vote-counting process in Alaska. Miller has not ruled out calling for a statewide hand recount.

* RNC Chairman Michael Steele still hopes to win another term, but some powerful Republican players continue to work to prevent it. Yesterday, Govs. Haley Barbour (R-Miss.) and Rick Perry (R-Texas) -- the outgoing and income chairmen of the Republican Governors Association -- both called for Steele to be replaced.

* Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) will have to run for a full term in just two years, and Republicans still hope to convince Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R) to run against him. Capito, who considered the 2010 race over the summer before deciding to seek re-election to the House, said yesterday of the 2012 Senate race, "I'm not ruling it out by any stretch."

* Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), who announced this week that he'll seek another term in 2012, remains the most popular political figure in Indiana. Whether that's enough for him to avoid a right-wing primary challenger remains to be seen.

* Freshmen congressional lawmakers won't actually cast votes until next year, but they're already trying to raise money, some to retire campaign debts, some in preparation for the next election.

* And there was some debate recently about whether former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) intended to run for president in 2012, and I was in the "of course she's running" camp. As of yesterday, it looks like my side was correct.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The first step is admitting you have a problem: "Irish officials acknowledged for the first time Thursday that Ireland was seeking aid from international lenders to try to end the debt crisis stemming from the country's failed banks that has hurt confidence in its long-term finances and renewed doubts about the stability of the euro."

* A slight uptick, but in line with expectations: "New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits rose slightly last week as expected, a government report showed on Thursday, but the underlying trend remained tilted toward a gradual improvement in the labor market."

* Congressional Republicans just don't like the unemployed: "An extension of jobless benefits enacted this summer expires Dec. 1, and on Thursday, a bill to extend them for three months failed in the House. Democrats brought the bill to the floor under fast-track rules that required a two-thirds vote to pass. Republicans opposed the legislation because they were denied a chance to attach spending cuts, so the measure fell despite winning a 258-154 majority."

* The House Ethics Committee has recommended censure for Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.).

* The first post-election Republican measure in the House was a proposal to de-fund NPR. It failed.

* Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.), to his enormous credit, is showing some passion in urging the Senate to ratify New START. He's talking, of course, to members of his own caucus. The White House, meanwhile, is getting more involved with each passing day.

* Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf wants a second term. He deserves one, but House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) may block Elmendorf because he's published budget reports that Republicans didn't find helpful. Remember, GOP officials only want to hear evidence they already agree with.

* Remember that Rand Paul supporter who stomped on a defenseless woman's head? He's pleading not guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge.

* Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) suggests a message for Democrats: "Americans do not negotiate with hostage-takers." That seems like a reasonable maxim.

* The Heritage Foundation's opposition to funding the Pell Grant program really doesn't make any sense.

* The things Fox News pundits say about Sarah Palin are a lot more interesting during commercial breaks, when they think no one's listening.

* And in Arkansas, a new Republican state lawmaker and champion of the Confederate Battle Flag, was asked this week what that flag means to him. "It's a symbol of Jesus Christ above all else," Loy Mauch said. "It's a symbol of Biblical government." I think he was serious.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) appears to have won re-election in Alaska, but Republican nominee Joe Miller has asked a federal judge for an injunction stopping state officials from certifying the election. It's not clear what more evidence Miller needs that he lost, and the state party has already urged him to stop fighting the results.

* Senate Democrats have struggled, to an almost embarrassing extent, to find a chair for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 2012. In the latest push, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and White House officials are leaning hard on Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) to accept the position.

* Two of the six unresolved U.S. House races are in New York, and in both cases, Democratic incumbents saw their vote totals inch higher yesterday. Rep. Dan Maffei (D-N.Y.) picked up more than 500 votes, and now trails by 303 votes. Also, Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.) has gained more than 100 votes, and now trails by 272 votes.

* On a related note, Bishop discovered this week that his GOP challenger, Randy Altschuler, is trying to disqualify the votes of the congressman's 86-year-old parents. Classy.

* Sen. James Webb (D) would be quite competitive if he seeks re-election, but if he retires, who would Dems turn to? Former governor and current DNC chair Tim Kaine would probably be the top choice, but keep an eye on recently-defeated Rep. Tom Perriello.

* And Vice President Biden appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" this morning, where the hosts showed him a clip of former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) telling Barbara Waters she thinks she could beat President Obama in 2012. Biden literally laughed, before telling the hosts he should say no more.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* POTUS in Lisbon: "President Obama and dozens of other world leaders began a NATO summit meeting Friday to set strategy in Afghanistan for the next four years and agree to a new global mission to take the alliance into the 21st century. In the opening session of the two-day meeting, the 28 alliance members plan to adopt a new Strategic Concept, their first in more than a decade."

* Our NATO allies want the U.S. Senate to ratify the New START treaty. Republicans seem more inclined to make Iran and North Korea happy.

* Irish rescue gets a price tag: "The financial support program being discussed between Ireland and potential donors should amount to at least 50 billion euros, officials with knowledge of the talks said Friday."

* Have I mentioned how much I love the White House White Board? I really do, and I'm delighted Austan Goolsbee keeps doing them. (If I worked in the White House, this is exactly the kind of stuff I'd be pushing all the time.)

* The utility of the Stuxnet worm: "Experts dissecting the computer worm suspected of being aimed at Iran's nuclear program have determined that it was precisely calibrated in a way that could send nuclear centrifuges wildly out of control."

* A day after recommending censure for Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), the House ethics committee delayed indefinitely a trial for Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.).

* It's probably fair to say the Transportation Security Administration's more aggressive pat-downs of passengers at airport security checkpoints isn't going over well with the traveling public.

* Most of the country doesn't know that there will be a Republican majority in the House next year. Have I mentioned lately that informed electorate is a prerequisite to a thriving democratic system of government?

* It wasn't easy, but the Senate approved the Pigford II settlement. It's about time.

* Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) wants Attorney General Eric Holder to resign. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) is either pretty dumb, or he's pretending to be pretty dumb to curry favor with the GOP base.

* Former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.) really needs to go away and enjoy a lengthy period of quiet time.

* CREW's Melanie Sloan is going where? Glenn Greenwald noted, "Leaving CREW to work for Lanny Davis would be like leaving the ACLU to work for Dick Cheney."

* I've heard of creative campus protests before, but a "yawn in" is a new one.

* David Frum finds Sarah Palin's tweets rather horrifying. He's not alone.

* And I'd find Glenn Beck less scary if he didn't do things like suggest military coups against America's elected leadership.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The U.S. Senate race in Alaska isn't wrapping up quite yet, with a federal judge announcing late Friday that he's halting the certification of Sen. Lisa Murkowski's (R) write-in victory. The court didn't rule on the merits, but paused the process until a state court could hear Joe Miller's (R) case. With that in mind, Miller will likely go to state court in Alaska today.

* Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), apparently unconcerned with alienating Murkowski further, is still pushing far-right activists to send money to Miller to help pay for his lawsuits.

* The latest count shows Rep. Tim Bishop (D) inching ahead of GOP challenger Randy Altschuler in their still unresolved U.S. House race on Long Island. The final outcome is still probably weeks away.

* Speaking of lingering House races, Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-N.C.), perhaps best known for being ambushed on video by Republican operatives earlier this year, conceded defeat the other day. The incumbent lost to anti-Muslim nurse Renee Ellmers.

* The Virginia Republican Party will choose its 2012 Senate candidate in a primary, rather than at a state convention. This will likely improve former Sen. George Allen's (R) odds.

* Maryland's gubernatorial race was home to one of the year's ugliest voter-suppression schemes. Former Maryland governor Bob Ehrlich (R), the intended beneficiary, doesn't want to talk about the controversy.

* Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) will replace Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) as the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

* Former senator and presidential candidate Carol Moseley Braun (D) has entered Chicago's mayoral race, making the competitive contest that much more crowded.

* In 2012 news, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) both made it sound as if they're not running for president, but few actually believe them.

* And on a related note, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested yesterday she's done seeking elected office altogether.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* A calculated revelation: "North Korea showed a visiting American nuclear scientist earlier this month a vast new facility it secretly and rapidly built to enrich uranium, confronting the Obama administration with the prospect that the country is preparing to expand its nuclear arsenal or build a far more powerful type of atomic bomb."

* On a related note, North Korea officials are arguing that it's simply trying to build nuclear power plants. No one believes them.

* Ireland formally applied for a rescue package yesterday. It's likely to total $109 billion to $123 billion U.S.

* Insider trading: "The FBI raided three hedge funds in connection with a widening probe into insider trading, the Wall Street Journal said on Monday."

* Another installment of the White House White Board, this time featuring Nancy-Ann DeParle explaining the medical-loss ratio in an easy-to-understand way. (Dear WH staff, please keep doing these. Maybe they'll one day be considered the fireside chats of the Obama era?)

* If conservatives are hoping to exploit the families of victims of the 1998 embassy bombings in East Africa to push for more military commissions, the right will apparently be disappointed.

* Motor Trend's Todd Lassa did a very nice job making Rush Limbaugh look like a buffoon (yes, even more so than usual).

* Add "Social Security policy" to the list of things Eric Cantor (R-Va.) pretends to understand but doesn't.

* That food safety bill we've been waiting for might still pass, but the vote has been delayed to next week.

* Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) is still the target of multiple investigations, and may yet face criminal charges, but the hush money his parents paid his mistress' family has been cleared by the Federal Election Commission.

* Matt Yglesias: "Worth noting that [incoming House Budget Committee Chairman] Paul Ryan is a dangerous madman, with monetary views well to the right of Milton Friedman."

* Jon Chait referred to today's GOP this morning as "an intransigent and largely insane party."

* Edward Luce, a reporter for The Financial Times, believes there is "a greater hatred of Obama" among congressional Republican "than there is a love of American national security."

* Rebooting Buffy strikes me as a remarkably bad idea. Rebooting Buffy without Joss Whedon strikes me as a spectacularly bad idea.

* MSNBC giving Lawrence O'Donnell a show was clearly a good idea.

* I don't want to alarm anyone, but Newt Gingrich really does lie a lot.

* The number of online courses is growing rapidly. Whether these courses are any good is a separate matter entirely.

* And you may have heard rumors about the TSA "strip searching" a young boy at the Salt Lake City International Airport. The "story" made the rounds after a Drudge push, but it's total nonsense. Someday, news outlets will stop taking Drudge stories seriously, but that I'm afraid that day is nowhere in sight.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As the recount process continues in Minnesota's gubernatorial race, the Minnesota Supreme Court yesterday rejected Tom Emmer's (R) initial salvo on eliminating votes. The state court justices ruled just two hours after hearing the Republican's argument.

* On a related note, Emmer's opponent, Democrat Mark Dayton, has hired Al Franken's legal team from the 2008 Senate recount and subsequent litigation.

* In Alaska's still unresolved U.S. Senate race, Joe Miller (R), as expected, filed suit in state court yesterday, hoping to derail certification of Sen. Lisa Murkowski's (R) apparent victory.

* Hoping to fight fire with fire, David Brock and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend are setting up American Bridge, intended to counteract the outside GOP groups, including Karl Rove's American Crossroads, that boosted Republicans in the midterms.

* In Texas' 27th congressional district, incumbent Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D) conceded the race last night. The net gain for House Republicans this year now stands at 62.

* There are, for those still counting, four unresolved U.S. House races -- two in California and two in New York. For what it's worth, the Democrat leads in three of the four, but the counting continues.

* The race to take on Michael Steele for the RNC's chairmanship continues to draw would-be party leaders. Former Bush administration official Maria Cino has created a 527 entity as part of her push to seek the position.

* And don't be too surprised if failed, radical Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R) tries again to reach Capitol Hill. If Rep. Dean Heller (R) launches a primary campaign against scandal-plagued incumbent Sen. John Ensign (R) in Nevada, Angle said she might run for Heller's U.S. House seat.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Crisis on the Korean Peninsula: "South Korea warned North Korea on Tuesday of 'enormous retaliation' if it took more aggressive steps after Pyongyang fired scores of artillery shells at a South Korean island in one of the heaviest attacks on its neighbor since the Korean War ended in 1953."

* For crying out loud: "For months, the secret talks unfolding between Taliban and Afghan leaders to end the war appeared to be showing promise, if only because of the appearance of a certain insurgent leader at one end of the table: Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, one of the most senior commanders in the Taliban movement. But now, it turns out, Mr. Mansour was apparently not Mr. Mansour at all."

* Conditions in Ireland are deteriorating: "Political infighting engulfed Ireland on Tuesday, threatening to trigger a quick election and delay a massive EU-IMF bailout. Rebels from Prime Minister Brian Cowen's own party pressed to oust him and opposition leaders demanded an election before Christmas."

* Maybe someone should do something: "Top Federal Reserve officials expect the unemployment rate to remain around nine percent at the end of next year and eight percent at the end of 2012, according to internal forecasts that drove the central bank to take new efforts to boost the economy three weeks ago."

* Also not encouraging: "Sales of previously owned homes slipped slightly in October as the housing market struggled in the face of high unemployment and tight credit."

* When dealing with congressional Republicans, if Dems "hope for the best, and plan for the worst," they'll be on the right track.

* The dispute among Senate Republicans over ethanol subsidies continues to get even more interesting.

* The fact that incoming House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is considered a leading Republican voice on economic policy is rather horrifying.

* Harold Pollack reports on encouraging developments in combating AIDS.

* After all this time, Marc Thiessen should probably know quite a bit more about the subjects he claims to care about.

* The Daily Caller's transition from credible to dubious to ignominious to cover-your-eyes-ridiculous was completed today.

* Daniel Luzer takes a closer look at some of the ethical issues surrounding Melanie Sloan's departure from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).

* Fox News refuses to air paid advertising featuring U.S. troops, apparently because they don't like what the servicemen and women have to say about repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

* And last night, former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) told Sean Hannity that Republicans shouldn't "just preach to the choir with Fox [News] viewers." I'm pretty sure that's not the network's official line, but accidental candor is better than none.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As expected, Minnesota state Canvassing Board agreed yesterday to start a hand recount of all 2.1 million votescast in the Nov. 2 gubernatorial election. At this point, Mark Dayton (D) leads Tom Emmer (R) by 8,770 votes.

* Rep. Dan Maffei (D-N.Y.) conceded yesterday in his re-election bid, losing to Ann Marie Buerkle by 567 votes. Maffei had the option of asking for a hand recount of the more than 200,000 ballots cast, but chose to step aside instead. It brings the net gain for House Republicans to 63 seats. Buerkle, by the way, is a former spokesperson for Operation Rescue, a militant anti-choice and anti-gay organization.

* On a related note, Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) has narrowly won re-election, as vote counting yesterday showed him with an insurmountable lead over his GOP challenger, Andy Vidak.

* There are now just two unresolved U.S. House races: New York's 1st district and California's 11th district. Democratic incumbents currently lead in both contests.

* Don't be surprised if appointed Sen. Roland Burris (D), who'll give up his seat next week, becomes the 21st candidate to enter Chicago's mayoral race.

* Gentry Collins, the former RNC political director who's marveled publicly at Michael Steele's incompetence and mismanagement, will now take on his former boss in the race for the RNC's chairmanship.

* If Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) intends to stay in the Senate beyond 2012, it seems likely he'd have to seek the Republican nomination. "That's his only hope," said John Olsen, president of the Connecticut AFL-CIO and a former state Democratic chairman.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Crisis on the Korean peninsula: "President Obama and South Korea's president agreed Tuesday night to hold joint military exercises as a first response to North Korea's deadly shelling of a South Korean military installation, as both countries struggled for the second time this year to keep a North Korean provocation from escalating into war."

* Obama administration succeeds in securing Israeli patience on Iran: "Some Israeli officials say the country's fingers are off the hair-trigger that would launch a strike on the Iranian nuclear program, but that convincing the United States to take a harder line on Iran remains a top national priority."

* Irish austerity: "Desperate to seal a deal for an international bailout, the government in Ireland on Wednesday unveiled a painful, four-year plan for $20 billion in spending cuts and new taxes that would slash unemployment benefits and cut welfare payments for the already hard-hit Irish public."

* Unusually good news on unemployment filings: "The number of people applying for unemployment benefits fell sharply last week to the lowest level since July 2008, a hopeful sign that improvement in the job market is accelerating. The Labor Department said Wednesday that weekly unemployment claims dropped by 34,000 to a seasonally adjusted 407,000 in the week ending Nov. 20."

* President Obama takes a compelling pitch to Kokomo, Indiana.

* Nearly 70% of the allocated TARP money has been "repaid, offset with profits, or canceled."

* The Pentagon will give Congress its DADT survey results on Tuesday. The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold hearings, including testimony from Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen, on Thursday and Friday.

* Remember the widely-mocked, color-coded terror-alert levels? They're on their way out.

* When has a country ever prospered by devaluing its currency? I'm glad you asked.

* Former right-wing Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating (R) will now lead the American Bankers Association.

* Sarah Palin is now going after First Lady Michelle Obama for trying to combat childhood obesity.

* When it comes to student loans and crushing debt, stories like Kelli Space's shouldn't even exist.

* Salon War Room blog has been counting down its Hack 30 -- a list of "the worst pundits in America." The top choice was announced this afternoon, and it's hard to argue with the selection.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Alaska's still-unresolved U.S. Senate race, Joe Miller (R) has sued the state of Alaska and the Alaska Division of Elections, prompting Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) to file a motion asking to be a party to the suit "to keep those thousands of voters from being disenfranchised by Mr. Miller."

* Late Wednesday, San Francisco Dist. Atty. Kamala Harris (D) was declared the winner of California's state attorney general race, edging past Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley (R) in the final tally. Harris' win solidifies her position as a rising star in Democratic politics, and gives California Dems a clean sweep of the statewide offices in an otherwise strong year for Republicans.

* On a related note, the latest L.A. Times/USC poll finds that California will likely be a lock for Democrats for a while -- nearly one in five Golden State voters said they would never cast a ballot for a Republican, nearly quadruple the figure for Democrats. What's more, nearly a third of Latino voters said the same thing about their attitudes towards the GOP.

* In still-more California-related news, incumbent Rep. Jerry McNerney (D) was declared the winner on Wednesday in his re-election in bid in the state's 11th district.

* At this point, there's only one unresolved U.S. House remaining: New York's 1st district. For now, incumbent Rep. Tim Bishop (D) has a very narrow, 235-vote lead over GOP challenger Randy Altschuler. Overall, the net Republican gains for the cycle is still 63 seats.

* Sen. Bob Casey (D) will seek re-election in 2012, and the first Republican to announce a campaign against him is Marc Scaringi, a former aide to former Sen. Rick Santorum (R).

* Sen.-elect Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) will reportedly be sworn in on Monday, giving the Senate a 58-42 split for the remainder of the lame-duck session.

* And don't be too surprised if former wrestling executive Linda McMahon (R), who lost her U.S. Senate race in Connecticut by 12 points earlier this month, tries electoral politics again. She hasn't even ruled out running in 2012 against Sen. Joe Lieberman (I).

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Crisis on the Korean Peninsula: "Tension mounted Friday near a South Korean island bombarded this week by North Korea, as the North's military again fired artillery, this time in what appeared to be a drill on its own territory. As an American aircraft carrier steamed toward the Yellow Sea for joint exercises with South Korea, the North's state-run media warned that the maneuvers could push the Korean Peninsula closer to 'the brink of war,' while China also raised objections."

* Following up on that last point: "This weekend's arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Yellow Sea poses a dilemma for Beijing: Should it protest angrily and aggravate ties with Washington, or quietly accept the presence of a key symbol of American military pre-eminence off Chinese shores?"

* Europe can afford to bailout Greece. And Ireland. Perhaps even Portugal. Spain is a different story.

* Presidential stitches: "President Obama had to get 12 stitches in his lip after getting a blow from an opposing player's elbow during a basketball game Friday morning, White House officials said." (Lazy media folk looking for a metaphor: the president may get banged up, but at least he's not afraid to get in the game.)

* As if health care wasn't already facing political difficulties: "As the Obama administration presses ahead with the health care law, officials are bracing for the possibility that a federal judge in Virginia will soon reject its central provision as unconstitutional and, in the worst case for the White House, halt its enforcement until higher courts can rule."

* John Judis weighs the evidence and concludes, "[T]he Obama administration's failure to seize the political opportunity afforded by the Great Recession has not necessarily opened the way to a new Republican majority. More likely, it will lead to a period where the two parties exchange power, and where neither can establish a long-lasting majority."

* And based on Fox News' own standards, such as they are, shouldn't senior judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano "be fired immediately" for dipping his toe into 9/11 Trutherism? This week, the far-right analyst appeared on a radical radio show and declared that the attacks of 911 "couldn't possibly have been done the way the government told us."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* With Joe Miller (R) refusing to concede his U.S. Senate race in Alaska, the state Republican Party is quickly moving away from its nominee. Alaska Republican Party Chairman Randy Ruedrich posted a statement to the party's website the other day, shooting down each of Miller's defenses for sticking around.

* Miller, however, shows no signs of going anywhere.

* Speaking of unresolved statewide races, the manual recount in Minnesota's gubernatorial race gets underway today. Mark Dayton (D) currently leads Tom Emmer (R) by about 9,000 votes out of 2.1 million ballots cast.

* The AP checked in with 51 members of the Republican National Committee, and found that 39 of them hope chairman Michael Steele isn't on the ballot when they choose their next chairperson in January.

* Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton continues to hint at his interest in running for president -- yes, of the United States -- in 2012.

* Disgraced former Rep. Mark Foley (R) is considering running for mayor in his hometown of West Palm Beach, Florida.

* And it's taken a while, but the Deep South's realignment is just about complete: "That the old Confederacy is shifting toward the GOP is, of course, nothing new. Southerners have been voting for Republican presidents, senators and governors for decades. But what this year's elections, and the subsequent party switching, have made unambiguously clear is that the last ramparts have fallen and political realignment has finally taken hold in one of the South's last citadels of Democratic strength: the statehouses."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Crisis on the Korean peninsula: "On the heels of South Korea's threat to force the North to 'pay a dear price for further aggression,' the country's military appeared to step back from its confrontational stance and canceled live-fire artillery drills on an island in the Yellow Sea attacked by North Korea a week ago. Still, high-profile joint exercises between the South and the United States are under way within 125 miles of the island, a show of force meant to warn North Korea but that has drawn warnings from both the North and China."

* On a related note: "With its brazen daytime artillery barrage of a civilian-inhabited island, North Korea's reclusive leaders might have achieved one thing that had so far eluded South Korea's president, Lee Myung-bak: uniting the South Korean public around a more aggressive policy toward the North."

* Tragedy in Afghanistan: "An Afghan border policeman killed six American servicemen during a training mission Monday, underscoring one of the risks in a U.S.-led program to educate enough recruits to turn over the lead for security to Afghan forces by 2014. The shooting in a remote area near the Pakistani border appeared to be the deadliest attack of its kind in at least two years."

* Tehran: "Motorcyclists attached bombs to cars carrying two of the country's top nuclear scientists early Monday, detonating them from afar. One scientist was killed and the other injured."

* The WikiLeaks fallout and a setback in America's diplomatic strength: "Diplomats and government officials around the world lamented the massive leak of U.S. diplomatic cables Monday and many predicted it would undercut their ability to deal with the United States on sensitive issues."

* On a related note, Anne Applebaum argues persuasively that the WikiLeaks document dump will end up creating more secrecy, not less.

* Iraqi refugees returned to their country in recent years as it grew more stable. Now, they're leaving again.

* The U.S. war in Afghanistan is now longer than the Soviet Union's war in Afghanistan.

* Somehow, Brian Beutler managed to convince Josh to give him his own TPM-branded blog. Congrats to Brian, whose talent and hard work clearly warrants such an honor, but who nevertheless probably needs a haircut.

* The wound isn't yet healed, but go ahead and read Jeffrey Toobin's fantastic piece on the Supreme Court's tragic Bush v. Gore ruling.

* The DREAM Act deserves to pass. It probably won't.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Alaska's still-unresolved U.S. Senate race, Joe Miller (R) tried to get a state judge to move his court case to his adopted hometown of Fairbanks. The judge refused, and the case will be heard in Juneau.

* Former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), meanwhile, is urging Miller to give up. "I think that race is over," Coleman said. "I think the counting's been done." Given that Coleman kept his post-election fight going for eight months, he may be lacking some credibility on the issue.

* In the recount in Minnesota's gubernatorial race, Mark Dayton (D) said he gained 88 votes on the first day of the hand recount, while Tom Emmer (R) gained 51 votes. Dayton entered the recount with a lead of 8,770 votes out of about 2.1 million total ballots cast.

* Roll Call reported this morning that Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) is likely to accept the job of chairing the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in the next cycle. Party leaders have had more than a little trouble finding someone to take the job.

* Yet another Republican has kicked off a campaign to be the next RNC Chair: Ann Wagner, a former leader of the Missouri Republican Party, declared her intentions yesterday. Assuming Michael Steele seeks a second term, he'll have plenty of competition.

* Sarah Palin's political action committee raised a surprisingly-strong $469,000 between Oct. 13 and Nov. 22, bringing her total for the cycle to just under $4.5 million.

* In light of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's (R-Texas) failed gubernatorial campaign earlier this year, right-wing activists have vowed to find an even-more-conservative candidate to take her on in a GOP primary in 2012. Hutchison has not yet said whether she'll seek another term.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* European debt crisis: "Fears among European bondholders spread Tuesday from the weakest members of the euro zone to other countries, including Italy and Belgium, spurring a stepped-up search for a solution to a crisis that is increasingly putting political as well as financial strain on Europe's decade-old monetary union."

* It's pretty much impossible to feel optimistic about the global climate talks underway this week in Cancun.

* This almost certainly won't work, but I give Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) credit for trying: "Senate Democratic leaders will try to push through a one-year extension of federal unemployment benefits sometime Tuesday, although they are still expected to lapse at the end of the day, sources told The Hill."

* Comcast inadvertently helps make the case for net neutrality, as Senate Democrats push the FCC to act.

* It's good to see a boost in U.S. consumer confidence.

* Republicans and health insurance companies made all kinds of dire predictions about Medicare Advantage earlier this year. Republicans and health insurance companies were wrong.

* Did Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) suggest New START might yet get a vote during the lame-duck session? It sounded like it.

* Fred Kaplan argues that the revelations from the WikiLeaks documents actually make the Obama administration's foreign policy efforts look pretty good.

* Good: "An Oklahoma constitutional amendment aimed at stopping the use of Islamic law in its courts was dealt a serious blow on Monday when a federal judge temporarily blocked the state from putting it into effect."

* Pigford II is on its way to the president's desk. It's about time.

* The DNC's Organizing for America actually encouraged its members to write letter in support of a pay freeze for federal workers. I have no idea what the OFA is thinking.

* I'm starting to think Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is pretty racist.

* Idiotic conservatives will probably learn one of these days that CNN's Anderson Cooper isn't afraid to ask good questions on the air.

* Classes at community colleges aren't as open as they used to be.

* Adam Serwer flags a gem from a special operations soldier, quoted in the Pentagon's DADT report: "We have a gay guy [in the unit]. He's big, he's mean, and he kills lots of bad guys. No one cared that he was gay." Republicans think we'd be safer if the military kicked that guy out. I continue to think that's insane.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In the recount in Minnesota's gubernatorial election, Mark Dayton's (D) campaign believes it has expanded its lead over Tom Emmer (R) by 205 votes. As the process got underway on Monday, Dayton enjoyed a lead of 8,770 votes out of about 2.1 million total ballots cast.

* There's only one unresolved U.S. House race remaining -- the contest in New York's 1st congressional district -- and while incumbent Rep. Tim Bishop (D) has a 221-vote lead over GOP challenger Randy Altschuler, it looks like the race won't be decided for several weeks.

* After a lengthy and awkward search, the Democratic Senate leadership announced yesterday that Sen. Patty Murray (D) of Washington will be the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for the next two years. It will be Murray's second stint in the job -- she chaired the DSCC in the 2002 cycle, when Dems had a net loss of two seats.

* The writing on the wall appears to be getting larger for RNC Chairman Michael Steele -- Dick Cheney and Ed Gillespie are supporting Maria Cino's bid to head the Republican National Committee.

* After cruising to an easy re-election win last month, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) will take the reins as the new chair of the Democratic Governors Association for the 2012 cycle.

* In 2008, Florida tried to force its way to the front of the presidential primary calendar, which ended up going quite poorly for everyone involved. In 2012, the state Republican Party will apparently avoid repeating the fiasco, and will instead host a candidates' debate and straw poll held before the primaries.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Just a reminder, the Monthly's annual pledge drive is underway. We sincerely appreciate those of you who've already shown generous support, and hope other readers will take a moment to help out.

* A big win for Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration: "The Obama administration scored a victory in its drive to curb the worldwide spread of nuclear material with an agreement on Wednesday by the hard-line former Soviet republic, Belarus, to surrender its stockpile of highly enriched uranium by 2012."

* Fiscal commission reports, D.O.A.: "The leaders of President Obama's fiscal commission released a final report Wednesday that is full of political dynamite, recommending sharp cuts in military spending, a higher retirement age and reforms that could cost the average taxpayer an extra $1,700 a year."

* Colin Powell joins the White House's effort to press the Senate to ratify the pending arms control treaty with Russia, New START, during the lame-duck session.

* Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) effectively announced today that Dems need to cave on tax cuts for millionaires by Monday, or he'll undermine U.S. national security interests.

* Cutting off coastal drilling areas: "Pointing to the BP blowout and risks of a new environmental disaster, the Obama administration reversed itself Wednesday and promised not to pursue offshore drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico or anywhere else along the nation's East Coast."

* On the debate over tax policy, House Dems are going with the middle-class-first plan, whether Republicans like it or not.

* It was worse than we knew: "The Federal Reserve released documents Wednesday showing that its efforts to help stabilize the markets at the height of the financial crisis reached far beyond Wall Street and deep into the economy. The disclosures reveal the extent to which corporations were forced to rely on the Fed for the money to pay suppliers and make weekly payroll. The crisis in the commercial paper market, the documents show, was more extensive and lasted longer than was previously known."

* It's not marriage equality, but state lawmakers in Illinois today passed a bill for civil unions for same-sex couples. Gov. Pat Quinn (D) will sign the measure into law.

* Major news outlets love to gush about New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R). Those same media organizations tend to ignore his massive screw-up, and subsequent dishonesty, about education policy.

* It's a rare treat to see a college accreditor actually flexing its muscles.

* The new right-wing scare tactic: DADT repeal might lead to a draft.

* And those 2.5 million Americans who've lost their unemployment benefits can thank the perpetually confused Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), who was responsible for blocking the Democratic effort to extend the jobless aid. How "moderate" of him.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The lawsuit hanging over Alaska's U.S. Senate race is now on an expedited schedule. Judge William Carey said yesterday, "We need to resolve this matter at this state court level just as soon as we can."

* In Missouri, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) appears to be in for a tough fight in 2012, with a new survey from Public Policy Polling showing the incumbent within two points -- up or down -- of the leading Republican candidates. Most notably, PPP has McCaskill trailing former Sen. Jim Talent (R) by two, 47% to 45%.

* In Massachusetts, Sen. Scott Brown's (R) head-shaking ignorance and confusion about current events doesn't appear to bother Bay State voters. A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Brown, who'll seek a full term in 2012, leading his probable Democratic challengers, in margins ranging from 7 to 16 points.

* In still more Senate news, outgoing Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle (R) appears to be leaning towards a campaign against incumbent Sen. Daniel Akaka (D) in 2012.

* Based on expected Census Bureau data, the state of New York will likely lose a congressional seat or two, giving the Empire State its smallest House delegation in two centuries.

* In New Mexico, Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D) says he's undecided about running for re-election in 2012. He'll decide "sometime in the first quarter of next year."

* While most Americans probably agree that the role of money in the political process is a problem, former RNC chairman Mike Duncan, eyeing a return to his previous post, believes the opposite. "There is not too much money in politics," he told a right-wing gathering yesterday. "There is not enough money."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* After an unexpectedly good week last week on Americans filing for their first week of unemployment benefits, this week's numbers went up 26,000 to 436,000, a little worse than expected.

* On the other hand, November retail sales "blew by analyst estimates, posting one of the biggest increases in three years.... Sales at stores open at least a year -- a crucial indicator known as same-store sales -- rose an average of 6 percent, according to Thomson Reuters, well above the 2.6 percent that analysts had expected. That was the biggest increase since 2007 except for a 9.2 percent rise in March of this year."

* A child nutrition bill championed by First Lady Michelle Obama won House approval today, and is on its way to the White House for the president's signature.

* Five former Republican Secretaries of State wrote an op-ed today, urging Senate Republicans to do the right thing and ratify New START. Note, the retired officials agree that President Obama has already provided "reasonable answers" to skeptics' questions.

* As I type, the House is considering whether to pass a censure resolution condemning Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) for his ethics transgressions.

* Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) gets away with it: "Justice Department prosecutors have cleared Senator John Ensign of criminal allegations arising from his affair with a former campaign aide and his efforts to secure lobbying work for the woman's husband, the senator's lawyers announced Wednesday."

* When I describe Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) as a racist, I mean it.

* Undermining the Truth in Lending Act really isn't a good idea.

* In case recent developments on the Hill haven't depressed you quite enough, funding for embryonic stem cell research is also in trouble.

* Juan Williams thinks unemployment benefits hurts those without jobs. Remember, Fox News considers him a liberal.

* On this, David Brooks is absolutely right: "[M]y problem with the Republican Party right now, including Paul, is that if you offered them 80-20, they say no. If you offered them 90-10, they'd say no. If you offered them 99-1, they'd say no. And that's because we've substituted governance for brokerism, for rigidity that Ronald Regan didn't have. And to me, this rigidity comes from this polarizing world view that 'they're a bunch of socialists over there.'"

* The far-right continues to lash out at public employees. AFSCME has a very compelling response to the criticism.

* How odd: "Maryland actually has the only collegiate-level competitive eating group in the United States."

* It's possible that Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.) doesn't know what "empirical" means.

* This looks like a fairly significant breakthrough: "NASA's secret is finally out: Researchers say they've forced microbes from a gnarly California lake to become arsenic-gobbling aliens. It may not be as thrilling as discovering life on Titan, but the claim is so radical that some chemists aren't yet ready to believe it. If the claim holds up, it would lend weight to the idea that life as we know it isn't the only way life could develop."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* While his election efforts in the 2010 midterms included targeting Republicans, South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint (R) is "privately reassuring" his GOP colleagues that in 2012, "he won't recruit or endorse any primary opponent against them." He does, however, intend to raise more than $10 million to attack Democratic incumbents.

* In New York's 1st congressional district, the only remaining unresolved U.S. House race, incumbent Rep. Tim Bishop's (D) narrow lead keeps inching a little higher. He now leads GOP challenger Randy Altschuler by 271 votes.

* Both the DNC and RNC "showed upwards of $15 million of debt" in their latest filings with the Federal Election Commission this week. The difference is, the RNC has so little money left in the bank, it's struggling to pay its own bills.

* Mark Dayton (D) does not yet know whether he's won Minnesota's unresolved gubernatorial elections -- he has a narrow lead over Republican Tom Emmer -- but he does know he has some bills to pay. Dayton will hold a New York fundraiser in two weeks, with former President Bill Clinton headlining the event.

* Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), apparently hoping to cause even more trouble for Dems, suggested yesterday that Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) may run against President Obama in 2012. The chief of staff to the recently-defeated senator told reporters, "Senator Feingold is not running for President in 2012. Any suggestion he is thinking of running, planning to run, or interested in running is untrue. Senator Feingold is a strong supporter of President Barack Obama and wants to see him reelected in 2012."

* And speaking of national ambitions, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who recently suggested she would not seek elected office again, reiterated that sentiment yesterday. Responding to a student in Bahrain who asked about her future plan, Clinton said, "I think I will serve as secretary of state as my last public position and the probably go back to advocacy, and probably on behalf of women and children."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Just a reminder, the Monthly's annual pledge drive is underway. We sincerely appreciate those of you who've already shown generous support, and hope other readers will take a moment to help out.

* President Obama made a surprise visit to Afghanistan this morning, and while a face-to-face meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai was scrapped due to poor weather, the president spoke to 4,000 U.S. troops after he visited with wounded servicemen and women.

* Better late than never: "U.S. and South Korean negotiators agreed Friday to a free-trade deal that the Obama administration hopes will increase American exports by billions of dollars annually and give momentum to a broader free-trade agenda."

* The Simpson/Bowles fiscal commission not only failed to get the votes needed to send the proposal to Congress, the commission ultimately decided not to take a final vote at all.

* A temporary fix: "A two-week stopgap spending bill cleared Congress Thursday night, averting a threatened shutdown Friday and buying time for the White House to try to salvage some year-end agreement after the collapse of the budget process."

* President Obama issued the first pardons of his presidency today. There were nine pardons in total, four of which related to cocaine convictions.

* In case you haven't heard, the House did, in fact, censure Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) late yesterday. The final vote was 333 to 79, making Rangel only the 23rd House lawmaker to receive such a sanction, and the first in nearly three decades.

* Dear Mitt Romney, if you'd only stop pretending to understand issues like New START, then smart people like Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) wouldn't feel compelled to make you look so foolish.

* The current net neutrality process, after some winnowing down, looks reasonably good.

* Helen Thomas wants folks to know that Congress, the White House, the American entertainment industry, and Hollywood, Wall Street are all "owned by the Zionists." Oh my.

* Sorry, Daily Caller, your lesbian-conversion-in-the-military piece is still indefensible.

* The Washington Post's Kaplan problem appears to have prompted Melinda Gates to resign from its board of directors.

* And finally, Harvard scholar Theda Skocpol offers an observation that sounds awfully familiar: "It looks more and more as if the GOP plan is to sabotage efforts to spur job growth in hopes of winning the 2012 presidential election."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As the recount wraps up in Minnesota's gubernatorial race, Mark Dayton (D) appears to have defeated Tom Emmer (R). There are still several hundred ballots the Emmer campaign is challenging, but Dayton's lead now reportedly stands at nearly 9,000 votes.

* On a related note, despite the apparent fact that there's no mathematical way for him to win, Emmer has vowed to keep fighting.

* Over the weekend, Indiana state Senator Mike Delph (R) strongly suggested he intends to challenge to Sen. Richard Lugar (R) in 2012.

* On a related note, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has reportedly put his GOP colleagues on notice -- "every incumbent" should expect a primary opponent in the next cycle.

* And speaking of Senate primaries, Florida state Senate President Mike Haridopolos (R) is apparently gearing up to take on Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) in 2012. Haridopolos would almost certainly go up against appointed Sen. George LeMieux (R), who'll give up his seat at the end of the lame-duck session.

* Missouri appears to be turning pretty "red," but the latest survey from Public Policy Polling nevertheless shows incumbent Gov. Jay Nixon (D) looking pretty strong as he gears up for a re-election fight in 2012.

* As the ongoing RNC soap opera continues, the Republican National Committee's top legal counsel, Reince Priebus, resigned yesterday, and appears likely to run for the chairmanship.

* Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) feels as if speculation on the 2012 presidential race usually leaves his name out -- and he doesn't like it.

* And disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), who's been talking about a presidential campaign since at least 1995, told Fox News yesterday he's "much more inclined to run" for president in 2012 than not run.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* In Geneva, at least Iranian officials agreed to discuss their nuclear efforts: "An Iranian negotiator on Monday met with officials from six nations, including the United States, on ways to rein in Iran's nuclear program."

* A big case at the high court: "The Supreme Court on Monday accepted what will likely become the highest-profile business case of the year, agreeing to decide whether 1.5 million female employees of Wal-Mart can pursue job discrimination claims in the largest employment class-action suit in the country's history."

* As tax policy talks continue, the latest word is that the administration's "Making Work Pay" tax credit wouldn't make it into the final package, but it would be replaced with a one-year reduction in payroll taxes for workers.

* Gen. David Petraeus said he's encouraged by progress in Afghanistan, but was asked whether the Afghan army can take the lead by NATO's 2014 deadline. He replied, "I think -- no commander ever is going to come out and say, 'I'm confident that we can do this.' I think that you say that you assess that this is -- you believe this is, you know, a reasonable prospect and knowing how important it is -- that we have to do everything we can to increase the chances of that prospect."

* Jonathan Cohn has a good piece on how congressional Republicans' handling of the "doc fix" is ridiculous. Ron Chusid has more.

* This could prove to be a fascinating case: "The Fox News network has solicited the services of a prominent D.C. law firm and an equally prominent campaign finance lawyer to ward off a suit alleging that it made illegal in-kind contributions to a Republican gubernatorial candidate."

* The Justice Department investigation into Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) has reportedly come to an end after four years.

* Maybe I have an odd sense of humor, but I find it amusing, in a tragic sort of way, that an undercover FBI agent infiltrated a mosque and was so overly aggressive, Muslim congregants felt compelled to get in touch with the FBI.

* Reports suggest that Elizabeth Edwards' health has taken a turn for the worse.

* Among its other problems, the Simpson/Bowles deficit commission wouldn't do any favors for higher ed.

* And as far as Glenn Beck is concerned, there are roughly 157 million Islamic terrorists in the world. The voices in that guy's head sure do come up with some crazy nonsense.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* With Mark Dayton (D) leading Tom Emmer (R) after the recount in Minnesota's gubernatorial race, Public Policy Polling found that 68% of Minnesotans believe Dayton won and Emmer should quit. As for the next step, Emmer continues to hope for more luck from the state canvassing board, which will consider challenged ballots tomorrow.

* Speaking of technically unresolved statewide races that appear to be over, Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) has begun weighing in on this year's Senate race in his home state, yesterday urging Joe Miller (R) to concede. Begich's office issued a statement describing Miller's ongoing court fight as "virtually certain to fail," adding that a prolonged fight "could deny Alaska full representation in the Senate" in January.

* Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) isn't making much of an effort to hide his willingness to challenge Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) in 2012. After forming a new leadership PAC, Chaffetz said of Hatch, "He's a good senator, he's a conservative senator. I still might run against him."

* Florida state Senate President Mike Haridopolos (R) is gearing up for a U.S. Senate campaign in 2012, but is off to a rough start. He pleaded guilty late last week to breaking state ethics laws -- he failed to fill out financial disclosure forms for the last five years.

* Don't be too surprised if outgoing Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.), after having lost this year, tries to make a comeback in 2012.

* Former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) won't run for Republican National Committee chairman, despite the urging of a national tea party group.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* So far, the reaction to the tax policy agreement among Senate Democrats is quite poor. I continue to think those who assume this will pass are making a mistake.

* Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) believes the defense authorization bill, including the provision repealing DADT, "will get to a vote" in the lame-duck session. Here's hoping he's right.

* Boosting hopes for ratification, at least a little, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) all but endorsed the pending arms control treaty, New START, during an interview this afternoon.

* Elizabeth Edwards died today at the age of 61.

* WikiLeaks founder in police custody: "Julian Assange, the founder of the beleaguered WikiLeaks anti-secrecy group, was denied bail by a London court on Tuesday after he was arrested on a Swedish extradition warrant for questioning in connection with alleged sex offenses."

* On a related note, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) thinks the New York Times should be subjected to a criminal investigation for publishing materials released through WikiLeaks.

* The now-complete bailout of Citigroup generated a $12 billion profit for American taxpayers.

* The Campaign for America's Future's Bill Scher, who doesn't always share the Obama administration's priorities on economy policy, ran a compelling defense for the tax deal.

* Andy Sabl considers the agreement as it related to the ethics of compromise.

* Jonathan Bernstein: "The truth is that there are a lot of people who just don't accept that the President of the United States can want something, fight for it, fight effectively and correctly, and still not get it. If it doesn't happen, it must have been -- in Obama's words -- a 'betrayal.' Those people are wrong."

* How should Americans spend public money to get good teachers? Turns out, it's a big question.

* Today is Dec. 7, known for being Pearl Harbor Day. Disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) encouraged his fans to honor the anniversary by buying his books. What a shameless hack.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Any hopes Minnesota gubernatorial nominee Tom Emmer (R) had of closing the gap against Mark Dayton (D) were shot down yesterday by the state Supreme Court.

* On a related note, Emmer is expected to concede any minute now.

* Speaking of resolving lingering elections, Rep. Tim Bishop (D) has officially won re-election in New York's 1st congressional district, with Randy Altschuler (R) finally conceding. It was the last unresolved U.S. House race, and puts the final number of net Republican gains at 63.

* In the very last unresolved race of 2010, Alaska's U.S. Senate race, a state court will hear arguments today in Joe Miller's (R) lawsuit. The AP noted, "A decision in Miller's favor could result in thousands of challenged ballots for incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski being tossed and lead to a recount."

* Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) will likely face a tough challenge, but it won't come from Ned Lamont (D), who said yesterday's he's strongly disinclined to run again. The most likely Democratic candidates, at this point, are Rep. Christopher Murphy and Connecticut Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz.

* Failed U.S. Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell (R) is in the process of forming a political action committee. She's not, in other words, going away.

* In Minnesota, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) is up for re-election in 2012, and a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows her "overwhelmingly popular" in her home state. In hypothetical match-ups, she has sizable leads among all potential GOP challengers, including a double-digit lead over Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R), though he's far more likely to run for president.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* With Social Security recipients facing a second consecutive year without a cost-of-living increase, House Dems tried to pass $250 checks to these seniors. House Republicans killed the effort this afternoon.

* A week after a national election "marred by disorganization, voter intimidation and fraud," Haiti erupts in violence.

* Gates remains optimistic about Afghanistan: "Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Wednesday that progress in the war in Afghanistan has 'exceeded my expectations,' giving a strong endorsement of the U.S. approach days before the White House is scheduled to complete a major review of its strategy."

* A rare judicial impeachment: "The Senate on Wednesday found Judge G. Thomas Porteous Jr. of Federal District Court in Louisiana guilty on four articles of impeachment, the first time the Senate has removed a federal judge from the bench in more than two decades." This is only the eighth time a federal judge has been removed from the bench through impeachment in the history of the Senate.

* For crying out loud: "As Don Blankenship prepares to give up control of Massey Energy after the nation's worst mining disaster in four decades ... corporate filings are revealing the staggering cost of his departure -- a golden parachute that will provide Blankenship with $2.7 million upon retirement, a free house for life, millions more in deferred compensation, and a 'salary continuation retirement benefit' of $18,241-a-month that will continue for 10 years after his Dec. 31 departure."

* In 2011, expect the House to do a lot less work -- not because of partisan gridlock, but because lawmakers simply won't be in D.C. nearly as often. (thanks to R.P. for the tip)

* In a setback for the Tea Party crowd, House Republican leaders threw their support to Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) to serve as the next chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

* In an even bigger setback for the Tea Party crowd, those same GOP leaders are backing Rep. Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) as the next chairman of the Appropriations Committee. Rogers is known for his love of earmarks.

* The food safety bill is in trouble on Capitol Hill, but Dems haven't given up on it.

* Congressional action on the DREAM Act is still scheduled for today, but it won't enjoy the backing of "moderates" like Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), who apparently is more worried about a 2012 primary than doing the right thing.

* Here's hoping this was hyperbole: "At an off-camera briefing this afternoon, National Economic Council director Larry Summers said that a failure to pass the tax cut compromise President Obama negotiated 'would significantly increase the risk' of a double-dip recession."

* It's great to consider this time "our generation's Sputnik moment." But to create that kind of foundation, "how about some Sputnik-level money?"

* And in her latest classic Fox News appearance, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) insisted today that tax cuts for the middle class cost money, but breaks for the rich do not. It's the kind of argument that only Bachmann could make with such enthusiasm.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As expected, Minnesota's Republican gubernatorial hopeful, Tom Emmer, conceded the race yesterday to Gov.-elect Mark Dayton (D). Left with no other options, Emmer told supporters , "Minnesotans made their choice, by however thin a margin, and we respect that choice."

* The Republican National Committee's debt problems are even worse than originally thought, with a "self-initiated internal review process" finding an additional $4 million in unreported debt.

* New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) gave a speech yesterday that fueled speculation about a possible presidential campaign, but he soon after told CBS News' Katie Couric, "I'm not going to run for president, period. End of story."

* In Michigan, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) has some ground to make up in advance of her re-election campaign in 2012. A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows the senator with a 41% approval rating.

* President Obama, however, appears to be in better shape in Michigan. PPP found the president with a 50% approval rating in the state, and with leads ranging 4 points (over Romney) to 21 points (over Palin) in hypothetical 2012 match-ups.

* Sticking with the Midwest, a new PPP survey also shows the president looking relatively strong in Minnesota, with leads ranging from five points (over Romney) to 18 points (over Palin). Most notably, Obama also has a comfortable lead over Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota's two-term governor, in his own state.

* And in Massachusetts, PPP also shows the president in good shape, including a nine-point lead over the state's former governor, Mitt Romney (R), who trails Obama in a 2012 match-up 52% to 43%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* We're not there yet, but the declines are encouraging: "The number of workers filing first- time claims for unemployment insurance payments fell last week in the U.S., showing the labor market continues to improve. Applications for jobless benefits decreased to 421,000, in line with the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News, from a revised 438,000 the prior week, Labor Department figures showed today."

* Predictable: "Chinese censors apparently began blocking the news Web sites of CNN, the BBC and the Norwegian broadcaster NRK from appearing in China on Thursday, a day before the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is to be held in Oslo to honor Liu Xiaobo, the imprisoned dissident."

* The GOP's blockade against Senate action is not impermeable: "The Senate passed on Wednesday night a one-year, fully paid-for fix to Medicare rates that would avoid a scheduled 25 percent cut to physician payments on Jan. 1. " The bill passed by unanimous consent.

* Some additional worthwhile charts on the tax policy agreement between the White House and congressional Republicans.

* Antonio Martinez, who now goes by the name Muhammad Hussain, appears to be not very bright: "A 21-year-old Baltimore construction worker, who drew federal scrutiny after he boasted on Facebook about his devotion to violent jihad, was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly tried to blow up a U.S. military recruitment center with a dummy car bomb built by the FBI."

* Five states and the District of Columbia have legalized marriage equality. Maryland may become the sixth.

* The Senate's broken. The Brennan Center has some very worthwhile, non-partisan, non-ideological ideas on how to fix it, starting with filibuster reform.

* Ted Frier wonders if maybe the rich just don't need the rest of us anymore.

* Who's to blame for low college graduation rates? If you're pointing the finger solely at the students who don't get their diploma, you may be missing the point.

* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (I) looks after his legacy: "Jim Morrison, the charismatic front man of the Doors who died nearly 40 years ago, was granted a posthumous pardon by Florida on Thursday."

* And Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) becomes the latest congressional Republican to insist that unemployment benefits, not tax cuts for the wealthy, need to be paid for. He'll fit right in with the field of 2012 GOP presidential candidates.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In the still-unresolved U.S. Senate race in Alaska, a state judge will decide today "whether to grant the state's request to dismiss [Joe] Miller's lawsuit or grant Miller's request to strictly enforce election law." If Miller loses, he'll likely appeal, dragging the process out even further.

* It's long been assumed that Virginia Republicans would rally behind former Sen. George Allen (R), assuming he seeks a comeback in 2012 by running for his old seat. But Virginia Delegate Bob Marshall (R) apparently intends to run in the primary, and he took a few rhetorical shots at Allen yesterday, slamming the former senator for, among other things, having voted to increase the debt limit. For Marshall, the far-right Allen is too liberal for "people in the Tea Party and other conservatives."

* Appointed Sen. George LeMieux (R-Fla.), whose brief tenure is nearly over, has made no secret of his intention to run for his own term in 2012, but said this week he'd skip the race if "there's somebody who would do as equal or better job than me" who runs. He was apparently referring to former Gov. Jeb Bush (R).

* Speaking of the 2012 Senate race in Florida, if LeMieux runs, he'll face a crowded GOP primary. Rep. Connie Mack and state Sen. Mike Haridopolos have already expressed interest, and yesterday, former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner moved closer to a bid of his own.

* Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D) will seek a second term in Rhode Island in 2012, but it appears he'll have a high-profile challenger: outgoing Gov. Donald Carcieri (R) is apparently interested in running.

* Republicans do not yet have a major challenger lined up to take on Sen. Bob Casey (D) in Pennsylvania in 2012, but party leaders are reportedly wooing state Sen. Kim Ward (R).

* In North Carolina, Public Policy Polling finds that Gov. Bev Perdue (D) would stand a better chance at winning re-election in 2012 if she makes gains with the Democratic base: "The folks who are willing to vote for Obama but not her are disproportionately Democratic, female, black, and liberal compared to the state as a whole."

* And former Sen. Rick Santorum's (R-Pa.) presidential ambitions are still running strong. The Fox News personality will be making his eighth trip to Iowa next week.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Liu Xiaobo's Nobel Peace Prize: "Imprisoned in China and with close family members forbidden to leave the country, the Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, an empty chair representing his absence at the prize ceremony here." The last time a winner was forbidden from attending: 1935, when Hitler prevented concentration camp prisoner Count Carl von Ossietzky from making the tip.

* The Chinese people couldn't watch, either: "China blocked broadcasts of the ceremony on television and Internet sites. Just before 8 p.m. in Beijing, as the ceremony was beginning, CNN and BBC television channels went blank -- as they had intermittently throughout the day." Text messages containing the words "Liu Xiaobo" and "Nobel prize" were also blocked.

* President Obama said Liu Xiaobo "is far more deserving of this award than I was."

* In an extraordinary display, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) of Vermont has held the Senate floor almost all day, delivering a very lengthy speech on economic inequalities. It's not a literal filibuster -- there's no bill before the chamber -- but it's the kind of showing we haven't seen from any senator in a very long time.

* Former President Bill Clinton met with Obama at the White House today, and endorsed the pending tax policy agreement. In an entertaining turn, the former president proceeded to hold "a remarkable, spur-of-the-moment news conference at a White House podium."

* In a pleasant surprise, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), not inclined to do the administration any favors, said today that the Senate is "very close" to having the support necessary to ratify the New START treaty. McCain added that he hopes it will come to the floor next week.

* The administration desperately needs to come up with a strong energy policy strategy in a hurry: "The Obama administration is retreating on long-delayed environmental regulations -- new rules governing smog and toxic emissions from industrial boilers -- as it adjusts to a changed political dynamic in Washington with a more muscular Republican opposition."

* In the meantime, the United Nations conference on climate change in Cancun is going nowhere fast.

* Command Sergeant Major Marvin Hill, a senior aide to Gen. David Petraeus, said U.S. servicemembers who can't adjust to the end of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" should consider leaving the military.

* The White House is open to an overhaul of the income tax code, but the hullabaloo over this news may be overstated.

* Hate crimes: "Two men have been charged with assault and robbery as a hate crime after attacking a Muslim religious leader on a New York City subway platform."

* New international rankings measure the capabilities of high school students around the globe. The U.S. isn't even close to the top.

* And Glenn Beck told his minions yesterday that "the revolution has begun." I'm not sure what that means, but it doesn't sound encouraging.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Late on Friday, a state judge in Alaska rejected Senate candidate Joe Miller's (R) request to disqualify thousands of write-in votes cast for Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R). Miller's options appear to be dwindling, but he still refuses to concede.

* Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele will announce later today whether he's seeking a second term as party chief. Much to the chagrin of the DNC, Steele will reportedly withdraw his name from consideration.

* Sen. Evan Bayh (D) appeared to be angling for a gubernatorial campaign in 2012, but he announced over the weekend that he won't run. Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D), who just lost his Senate bid, is reportedly interested in the race.

* We haven't heard the last of failed Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R), who's reportedly in the process of creating a right-wing political action organization called The Patriot Caucus.

* In Michigan, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows former governor John Engler (R) as the early GOP favorite to take on Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), though PPP shows Stabenow leading all of the likely Republican contenders.

* New Jersey Republicans would love to find a credible challenger to take on Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) in 2012, but they appear to be having some trouble finding a strong candidate.

* And in Mississippi, Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree (D) is eyeing a gubernatorial race next year, hoping to replace Gov. Haley Barbour (R) who is ineligible for re-election. The significance of this rests with the possible racial breakthrough -- DuPree would be Mississippi's first African-American governor.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghan insurgent killed six American troops at the entrance of a joint NATO-Afghan base over the weekend. Several suspects have been arrested.

* Afghan President Hamid Karzai reportedly considers the United States one of his "main enemies," and recently told U.S. officials, "If I had to choose sides today, I'd choose the Taliban."

* The latest intelligence out of Afghanistan conclude the war will be unwinnable "unless Pakistan roots out militants on its side of the border."

* International climate negotiations in Cancun turned out to be far more constructive than appeared likely.

* A suicide bomber in Stockholm killed himself and injured two others over the weekend. The attack would have been far more devastating, but the apparent terrorist botched the plot.

* President Obama signed the overhaul of child nutrition standards into law this morning.

* Arloc Sherman, an expert on poverty at the progressive Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, has concluded that benefits for middle- and lower-income working Americans in the tax deal would "keep more than 2 million Americans above the poverty line and reduce the severity of poverty for 19 million more."

* George Will reflects on Bush v Gore 10 years later. It doesn't go well.

* I should probably care about the "No Labels" initiative, but I'm having a hard time figuring out why.

* Right on cue, the incoming House Republican majority opposes stronger regulations of the for-profit college industry.

* In presidential history news, Dwight Eisenhower took his warnings about the "military-industrial complex" very seriously, and Richard Nixon was, in his private moments, an over-the-top bigot, lashing out at Jews, blacks, Italians, and the Irish, among others.

* I love "The Simpsons." When the show mocks Fox News, I really love "The Simpsons."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As expected, Joe Miller (R), after a series of legal and electoral setbacks, is taking his case to the state Supreme Court. Miller still hopes to disqualify about 8,000 ballots that were cast for Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R).

* Remember the secretive right-wing campaign outfit, Crossroads GPS? The Rove-backed attack operation is already taking steps to go after vulnerable House Dems, launching a $400,000 radio ad campaign this week, targeting 12 Democrats who narrowly won re-election last month.

* Former wrestling executive Linda McMahon (R) lost badly in her U.S. Senate campaign in Connecticut last month, but she's apparently not done trying. Perhaps eyeing the 2012 cycle, McMahon has scheduled a D.C. meeting with National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn.

* Recent polling suggests former Gov. John Engler is the strongest Republican candidate to take on Sen. Debbie Stabenow in 2012, but Engler said yesterday he's not interested in the race.

* In Virginia, a Clarus Research Group poll shows incumbent Sen. Jim Webb (D) with the narrowest of leads over former Sen. George Allen (R) in a hypothetical 2012 match-up. The poll showed Webb up by one point, 41% to 40%.

* Former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel (D) is talking to the Chicago Board of Elections this morning, hoping to establish residency and clear the way for his mayoral campaign.

* Outgoing Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.) was, up until quite recently, considered a rising star in Democratic politics. But after a surprisingly awful showing in Alabama's Democratic gubernatorial primary earlier this year, Davis lashed out at his party, and now wants to see an independent party in his Southern state.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Retail sales rose for a fifth straight month in November, including the biggest jump in department store sales in two years.

* Regardless of hints of encouraging data, the Fed isn't changing course: "The Federal Reserve will continue to buy bonds and keep short-term interest rates near zero, the central bank said after a policy meeting Tuesday, reflecting the nation's weak economy."

* Senate action on New START ratification could begin as early as tonight, but more likely tomorrow. The leadership is confident it has 67 votes, it's not a done deal.

* The House will vote on the standalone "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" bill tomorrow.

* The State Department is clarifying Richard Holbrooke's final words, adding additional context.

* The individual mandate in Massachusetts' health care policy is working really well. Of course, Mitt Romney can't talk about his successful policy, because primary voters will hate him for it.

* The latest report from the Pew Research Center shows broad bipartisan support for the tax deal negotiated by the White House and congressional Republicans, heated debate on the Hill notwithstanding. Oddly enough, the strongest support comes from self-identified liberal Democrats.

* Try not to be surprised: "Rep.-elect Allen West (R-Fla.) may have proven himself a prime pupil for fellow Rep. Michele Bachmann's forthcoming constitutional classes, when he recently displayed selective reverence for the Tea Party's most sacred document by calling for American news outlets to be censored for running stories based on the recent WikiLeaks cable dump."

* They did what? "When the Federal Bureau of Investigation needed a press expert to talk to its media representatives in 1984, the bureau's top leadership turned to a conservative columnist who once wrote that 'the Negro race, as a race, is in fact an inferior race.'"

* I'm prepared to start hearing rumors about Jon Bon Jovi's burgeoning career in politics. Who's with me?

* If a University of Kentucky astronomer questions the basis for modern biology for religious reasons, can the school pass him over and hire someone else to be the university's observatory director, or is that religious discrimination?

* And not content to say nonsensical things in the United States, former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) spent some time confusing people in Haiti yesterday.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* With Michael Steele announcing his desire to stay on as RNC chairman, some prominent Republican donors have warned they "will not raise money for the party if the controversial chairman wins another term."

* On a related note, Politico tried to find a Republican senator willing to support Steele's candidacy for another term at the RNC. It couldn't find one.

* A federal judge said yesterday that, despite the ongoing wrangling in the unresolved U.S. Senate race in Alaska, voters should have a senator in place by the time the new Congress convenes next month.

* Just a month after running and winning as Democratic candidates, two members of the Texas state House have switched parties. Republicans now have a legislative supermajority.

* In Minnesota, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) will seek re-election in 2012, and according to the latest Public Policy Polling survey, Republicans hope to see unhinged Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) run against her. In a hypothetical match-up between the two, Klobuchar leads by 15 points.

* Speaking of PPP surveys, the pollster finds Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) struggling a bit in Ohio in advance of his 2012 re-election bid. In hypothetical match-ups against largely unknown GOP challengers, Brown leads, but by narrow margins.

* In Wisconsin, PPP shows Sen. Herb Kohl (D) looking pretty safe at this point, though he has not yet committed to running for re-election, and Sen. Russ Feingold (D) looked safe two years out, too.

* And in Connecticut, expect a fairly large field in the U.S. Senate race when Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I) seeks another term. The latest likely candidate is Rep. Joe Courtney (D), who said this week he'll decide early next year about whether to run.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* With impressive speed, the U.S. House this afternoon approved the standalone bill repealing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. The final vote wasn't close: 250 to 175.

* If the Senate can bring the bill to the floor, clearing the 60-vote hurdle should be pretty easy: Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) endorsed repeal today.

* Iraq has until Dec. 25 to form a new government. Today, with Ayad Allawi's announcement, it appears that the obstacles have been removed for Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki. Caveats, however, abound: "Mr. Allawi did so grudgingly and with conditions, warning that an agreement brokered by the United States to form a broad power-sharing coalition government under Mr. Maliki's leadership could still unravel."

* No end in sight: "As President Obama prepares to release a review of American strategy in Afghanistan that will claim progress in the nine-year-old war there, two new classified intelligence reports offer a more negative assessment and say there is a limited chance of success unless Pakistan hunts down insurgents operating from havens on its Afghan border."

* Blue Girl has more on the latest out of Afghanistan: "Reality comes knocking."

* Heartbreaking: "Santa Claus and his elves are seeing more heartbreaking letters this year as children cite their parents' economic troubles in their wish lists. U.S. Postal Service workers who handle letters addressed to Santa at the North Pole say more letters ask for basics -- coats, socks and shoes -- rather than Barbie dolls, video games and computers."

* Suing BP: "The Department of Justice has filed a civil lawsuit in New Orleans against the oil giant BP and eight other companies over the enormous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Although the complaint does not specify the damages that the administration is seeking, the fines and penalties under the laws that are cited in the complaint could reach into the tens of billions of dollars."

* POTUS chats with CEOs: "President Barack Obama and 20 business leaders worked through lunch Wednesday on ways to boost anemic U.S. job creation and improve their own testy relations amid rising anxiety over the slow economic recovery. The president said he wants ideas from business leaders on how to 'seize the promise of this moment.'"

* Marine Commandant Gen. James Amos thinks gay soldiers could lead to additional battlefield casualties. He's wrong.

* Here's hoping this is true: "Doctors in Berlin, working with an American patient with both HIV and leukemia, have declared in a peer-reviewed journal that they believe they have cured both illnesses. It would be the first time an HIV patient has been cured."

* Dana Milbank has a message for Tea Party voters: "You've been had."

* I'll at least give Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) credit for consistency. In a caucus filled with hypocrites, at least he's sticking to his principles when it comes to earmarks.

* Why the Supreme Court will make it harder for college students to buy cheaper textbooks.

* Alas, Fox News has apparently sided with godless heathens in the War on Christmas.

* And Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia really will appear at Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-Minn.) first "class" for House lawmakers. A spokesperson for the high court told Greg Sargent that Scalia "accepted an invitation to be a guest speaker," and will reportedly speak on the separation of powers.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Pennsylvania, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Sen. Robert Casey (D) with a lukewarm approval rating of 39%. However, looking ahead of 2012, the same poll shows Casey leading a generic Republican challenger, 43% to 35%.

* On a related note, Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.) has begun "informal" discussions about taking on Casey.

* Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), looking ahead to 2012, will chat with Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Patty Murray to discuss his re-election bid, but that doesn't necessarily mean he has any interest in seeking the party's nomination.

* More than a half-dozen House Democrats who lost last month are already planning rematches in 2012. Among those eyeing a comeback are Reps. Carol Shea-Porter of New Hampshire, Phil Hare of Illinois, Dina Titus of Nevada, Frank Kratovil Jr. of Maryland, Alan Mollohan of West Virginia and Glenn Nye of Virginia.

* In Ohio, Rep. Jim Jordan (R) is arguably one of the strongest possible challengers to Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) in 2012, but he doesn't sound interested in the race.

* It seems very likely state officials in Indiana will eliminate Rep. Joe Donnelly's (D) district after the lines are redrawn, and with that in mind, Donnelly appears quite likely to run for governor in 2012.

* In Ohio, the latest Public Policy Polling survey shows President Obama's approval rating down to just 42%, but in hypothetical match-ups against likely Republican challengers, the president leads the GOP field. The margin ranges from one point (against Huckabee) to seven points (against Palin).

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The first full-scale assessment since President Obama's shift in U.S. strategy in Afghanistan: "A review of President Obama's strategy for the war in Afghanistan concludes that American forces can begin withdrawing on schedule in July, despite finding uneven signs of progress in the year since the president announced the deployment of an additional 30,000 troops, according to a summary made public Thursday."

* At the White House today, the president defended the war's progress, telling reporters, "We're in a better position to give our forces in Afghanistan the support and the resources they need to complete their mission. We are making considerable gains toward our military objectives."

* Some evidence of progress: "The stepped-up operations in Kandahar Province have left many in the Taliban demoralized, reluctant to fight and struggling to recruit, a Taliban commander said in an interview this week."

* The House was set to pass the tax deal this afternoon. This morning, there was an unexpected setback: "A liberal uprising over House procedures on Thursday was delaying a final vote on a far-reaching tax compromise brokered by the White House and Republican leaders."

* Brian Beutler has more on this: "House progressives are still prepared for President Obama's tax cut compromise to pass unamended. But they temporarily derailed that train this afternoon to be heard publicly on just how bad they think the package is."

* A pleasant surprise: "First-time claims for state unemployment benefits fell unexpectedly in the latest week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The number of initial claims in the week ending Dec. 11 fell 3,000 to 420,000."

* This followed other encouraging reports on factory production and consumer spending.

* Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. James Cartwright said today the Senate needs to ratify New START: "[W]e need it very badly."

* Solar energy zones: "The Obama administration issued proposed guidelines Thursday for solar development on public lands in the West, a move that could speed renewable energy projects that have been mired in environmental controversy."

* U.S. missile defense still doesn't work.

* Virginia's Republican gubernatorial administration believes "health reform is worth doing" and urged swift implementation of the Affordable Care Act, state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's (R) hysterical crusade notwithstanding.

* I'm glad some television commercials will stop being so much louder than others.

* Speaking of television, I am thoroughly annoyed by the cancellation of "Stargate: Universe."

* If the omnibus passes -- a big "if" -- it will be good news for the Pell Grant program.

* And apparently, right-wing, anti-gay activists want to reclaim rainbow flags for themselves. It's a reminder that right-wing, anti-gay activists are some really strange folks.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The midterm elections were just last month, but the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is already intensifying its candidate recruitment program for 2012. The first recruitment meeting was yesterday. Among the Dems' early targets: Rep. Dan Lungren, Illinois Rep.-elect Robert Dold, New Jersey Rep. Leonard Lance, New Hampshire Rep.-elect Charlie Bass, and Pennsylvania Rep. Charlie Dent. Dems would need a net gain of 25 seats to win back the House majority.

* It was assumed that Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R) would seek re-election in Arizona in 2012, but the conservative leader has not yet stated his plans. Adding to the speculation is his weak fundraising and his decision to not yet activate his political organization

* Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D) has not yet said whether he'll run again in 2012, but he already has a Republican challenger. Failed House candidate Greg Sowards, now a Tea Party activist, kicked off his Senate race yesterday. In 2008, Sowards spent several hundred thousand dollars of his own money in a House GOP primary, but lost.

* The DCCC hopes to get several recently-defeated House incumbents to seek rematches in 2012, but Rep. Walt Minnick (D) of Idaho won't be one of them. "I think I'm done with elective politics," Minnick told Roll Call. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but I think it's time for somebody else."

* Blue Dog Rep. Baron Hill (D) lost his re-election bid in Indiana last month, but apparently isn't interested in running for governor in 2012. The most talked-about Democratic candidates for the race remain Reps. Brad Ellsworth and Joe Donnelly.

* The top Republican candidate to take on Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) in 2012 appears to be state Attorney General Jon Bruning, who announced a few weeks ago, but don't be surprised if former Gov. Kay Orr (R) also throws her hat into the ring.

* In Wisconsin, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows President Obama leading his potential GOP challengers in head-to-head hypothetical match-ups, but by modest margins. The president leads Mitt Romney by only four points, but is ahead of Sarah Palin in the state by 14 points.

* And on a related note, the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows the president ahead nationally in match-ups against his likely Republican opponents. Romney is closest in the poll, trailing Obama by seven, while Palin does the worst, trailing the president by 22 points.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* As expected, President Obama signed the tax deal into law today.

* Oh my: "The CIA has pulled its top spy out of Pakistan after terrorists threatened to kill him, current and former U.S. officials said, an unusual move for the U.S. and a complication on the front lines of the fight against al-Qaida."

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) suggested today, for the first time publicly, that the Senate may actually wrap up its work for the year before Christmas. It's funny what the death of the omnibus can do to the calendar.

* Of course, with the death of the omnibus, funding the next stage of ACA implementation becomes a lot more difficult.

* Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) had hedged, just a little, on whether she's a firm "yes" vote on a clean DADT repeal bill, but today she removed all doubt -- she'll side with the majority. By most counts, repeal supporters now total 61.

* The Food Safety Modernization Act was part of the omnibus. Republicans now have a new chance to kill the bill that passed the chamber with broad bipartisan support.

* For weeks, there have been 38 judicial nominations waiting for up-or-down votes. As of last night, there are 34 -- the small Republican minority decided to let four of them get confirmation votes, and they were approved. Three of the four have waiting for a vote since May, the other since June.

* In addition to DADT repeal, the Senate will also move on the DREAM Act over the weekend. Attorney General Eric Holder offered a strong endorsement of the proposal earlier today.

* Fred Kaplan reviews the latest assessment of the war in Afghanistan. He's not encouraged.

* Why nukes aren't the only scary aspect of North Korean society.

* Best wishes to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) for a speedy recovery. The prognosis on his prostate cancer looks encouraging, thanks to doctors catching it early.

* The most entertaining part of my day was ready Jon Chait's response to Nick Gillespie.

* Looking back at the BP oil spill disaster, it's worth remembering that Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) had no idea what he was talking about.

* I'm glad this effort failed: "Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), blaming Republicans, admitted defeat Friday in his long-shot bid to advance legislation this year that would delay looming Environmental Protection Agency climate change rules. Rockefeller -- who says the rules will harm his coal-heavy state -- had vowed Thursday to try and force a vote on the measure, but now admits it's on ice for the year."

* When Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) whines about a $165,000 earmark for maple-syrup research in Vermont, remember, there's a lot to this that the senator doesn't understand.

* "The Ph.D. Challenge" actually sounds pretty clever.

* And in the upcoming Thor movie, the role of mythical Nordic deity Heimdall will be played by an African-American actor. That has racists awfully upset.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Minnesota, speculation is intensifying about Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-Minn.) interest in a 2012 U.S. Senate race, in which she would take on incumbent Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D). A Bachmann spokesperson said "nothing's off the table for the future."

* It's still unclear if Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) would seek another term in 2012, but late last week, the senator said he'd probably run as an independent, if he runs at all.

* Former California State Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (R) struggled in his U.S. Senate campaign this year, losing to Carly Fiorina in a Republican primary. He's now hinting about another statewide campaign, saying he intends to "run for office in 2012," which presumably would mean a race against Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D).

* Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) continues to be coy about his political future, and won't say whether he'll seek re-election in 2012. We're looking to make a decision during the first quarter [of 2011], if I don't run, out of respect for other people," he told the Washington Post.

* Outgoing Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) conceded the other day that he wishes he'd run for a third term. Of course, given his weak poll numbers, Pawlenty may have very well lost, ruining his presidential ambitions.

* And as odd as this may seen, former right-wing U.N. ambassador John Bolton actually seems serious about running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* South Korea fired artillery in a 90-minute drill this morning with fighter jets flying overhead. North Korea had threatened to retaliate, but later decided against it. Good move.

* Russian officials want Senate Republicans to know that negotiations on nuclear arms are already over -- they're not headed back to the table to make the GOP feel better.

* On a related note, this afternoon, Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) officially endorsed New START. Some Senate Republicans are beginning to whisper that ratification appears likely.

* Reliable sources report that Sen. Ron Wyden's (D-Ore.) cancer surgery today went very well and the prognosis is encouraging. No word yet on when he might be able to return to work, but rumor has it he could be available to vote on Wednesday.

* Monitoring America: "Nine years after the terrorist attacks of 2001, the United States is assembling a vast domestic intelligence apparatus to collect information about Americans, using the FBI, local police, state homeland security offices and military criminal investigators."

* In case there were any doubts, research shows the Roberts-led Supreme Court is extremely friendly to business interests and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

* I'm generally impressed with the work "60 Minutes" does, but last night's segment on state budgets was just a one-sided mess. Pat Garofalo has more on this.

* The Obama administration released long-awaited science guidelines late last week, intended to "insulate government scientific research from political meddling and to base policy decisions on solid data."

* President Obama will reportedly sign the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal measure into law on Wednesday.

* On a related note, Greg Sargent has a great item on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) key role in getting DADT repeal through Congress.

* I've seen the report on the White House putting Social Security cuts on the table for 2011, but I haven't seen confirmation elsewhere, and I can only hope officials recognize this as a terrible mistake.

* Fox News goes after the University of Maryland, but the school isn't sure why the Republican network would bother.

* College students plagiarizing from Conservapedia shouldn't be near institutions of higher learning.

* And Equality Matters, a new project launched by Media Matters, gets to work. Led by former Clinton administration staffer Richard Socarides and journalist Kerry Eleveld, Equality Matters intends to "push back against homophobic messages in the media and the political arena." In other words, it'll be plenty busy.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new Quinnipiac University poll shows New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's (R) approval rating down to 46%. The results saddened D.C. political reporters, who can't understand why the public won't like who they tell them to like.

* New census data will shift a total of 12 U.S. House seats in the next decade. Texas was the big winner of population shifts, and will get four new seats, while Florida also fared well, adding two seats. Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, South Carolina, Utah, and the state of Washington will each gain one. Ohio and New York were the big losers, with each state losing two seats. Illinois, New Jersey, Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Missouri, and Massachusetts will lose one each.

* The field of Connecticut Democrats anxious to run for the Senate in 2012, regardless of whether Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-Conn.) seeks re-election, continues to grow. Rep. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) indicated yesterday that he's interested.

* It's pretty early, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) already knows what he'll do in 2014: "I'm not planning on running -- I am running."

* Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), who's missing some important votes this week in order to travel Indiana for a ego-driven "farewell tour," said yesterday he won't return to politics in the short term, but is keeping his "options open" for the long term.

* Former Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.), who flirted with the idea of running in Chicago's mayoral election, announced yesterday he's skipping the race.

* Sen. Jon Tester (D) will seek re-election in Montana in 2012, but he'll do so after pissing off a whole lot of liberal supporters, who are livid over his vote on the DREAM Act.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* In the wake of the omnibus' failure, the Senate voted today to approve a continuing resolution "to fund the government through March 4." It passed 79 to 16, and heads to the House for approval before midnight.

* On a related note, there was some key funding left out of the continuing resolution that matters quite a bit, most notably on health care and financial regulations.

* A breakthrough in Baghdad: "With a show of hands, a flurry of angry shouts and many unanswered questions, Iraq's Parliament approved a new government on Tuesday, ending nine months of infighting that more than once threatened to throw the nation into a constitutional crisis."

* Net neutrality: "The Federal Communications Commission voted Tuesday to approve its first ever Internet access regulation, which ensures unimpeded access to any legal Web content for home Internet users. The FCC's three Democratic members made up a majority of votes in favor of the so-called net neutrality regulation, which was introduced more than a year ago by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski."

* Attorney General Eric Holder, warning of ongoing terrorist threats, noted on ABC this morning that Americans have to be "aware of the fact that the threat is real, the threat is different, the threat is constant."

* With the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy on its way out, ROTC programs at some Ivy League schools are on their way back in.

* President Obama assured representatives of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus today that he remains committed to both the DREAM Act and comprehensive immigration reform.

* Given the larger economic circumstances, I'm a little surprised crime rates keep falling.

* The turmoil surrounding the House Ethics Committee is pretty amazing.

* Andy Sabl has a fascinating new item on why Obama can't be an activist, an organizer, a legislator, and a president all at once.

* Actor Jon Voight appeared on Fox News last night to condemn New START. Media Matters noted that the segment was "so asinine, stupid, and intellectually dishonest that your jaw drops as you wonder how these people wound up on television." Yep, it was that bad.

* Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) apologized today for skipping two key votes over the weekend to attend a family Christmas party. He vowed that it wouldn't happen again.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) had hoped to get a ruling from the state Supreme Court to rule so that her re-election win could be certified. That now appears unlikely.

* The latest census numbers clearly give some additional power to traditionally "red" states, but Christopher Beam emphasizes the bigger picture: "When we talk about population growth in the United States, we're almost invariably talking about a group that votes Democratic."

* In Florida, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson (D) with solid leads over his potential GOP challengers in 2012, with margins ranging from 8 to 16 points. The exception, however, is former Gov. Jeb Bush (R), who leads Nelson in a hypothetical match-up, 49% to 44%.

* On a related note, PPP also found President Obama leading the Republican field in the Sunshine State, though by modest margins. Obama fares worst against Mitt Romney, who trails by two in a hypothetical match-up, and fares best against Sarah Palin, who's behind by 14 points.

* In Indiana, Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman (R) announced this week she would not run for governor in 2012, increasing speculation about Rep. Mike Pence's (R) possible entry into the race.

* Charlie Baker (R) just lost Massachusetts' gubernatorial race last month, but he's already being pressured to try again in 2014. Both the chair of Massachusetts Republican Party and the state House Minority Leader are urging Baker to give it another shot, perhaps reflecting the weakness of the GOP bench in the Bay State.

* For the record, I continue to find any speculation about another Rudy Giuliani (R) presidential campaign to be hopelessly silly.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Most of the chamber's Republicans had already left for their home districts, but the House passed the Zadroga 9/11 health bill. Around the same time, the Senate approved some more judicial nominees, and agreed to adjourn for the year.

* The defense authorization bill cleared both chambers this afternoon and is on its way to the president's desk. The House also approved the Senate's version of the food-safety bill, and that will await President Obama's signature, too.

* Third quarter GDP growth was just a little better than previously estimated.

* Gitmo: "President Obama's advisers have been drafting an executive order that would set up a system for periodically reviewing the cases of Guantanamo prisoners whom courts have approved for detention without trial, officials said."

* Adam Serwer scrutinizes the Gitmo plan, and concludes it's not at all encouraging -- though it's still preferable to Bush's policy.

* The Obama administration's next step in looking out for health care consumers: "In a move to protect consumers, the Obama administration said Tuesday that it would require health insurance companies to disclose and justify any rate increases of 10 percent or more next year." (It's the subject of the latest episode of the White House White Board -- and yes, I really do love the White House White Board.)

* More of this, please: "The Obama administration is expected to roll out a major greenhouse gas policy for power plants and refineries as soon as Wednesday, signaling it won't back off its push to fight climate change in the face of mounting opposition on Capitol Hill."

* It would have been entirely understandable for Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), still recovering from surgery for prostate cancer, to not come to work today. He showed up anyway. Good for him.

* When banks break into a families' homes and steal their belongings, that's not O.K.

* This doesn't exactly inspire confidence in Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

* One more addition to the list of lame-duck successes: the Shark Conservation Act.

* Fresh off his DADT victory, the president reemphasizes his support for passing ENDA and repealing DOMA.

* A strong column from Dana Milbank on the GOP contingent that makes up "the Petulant Party."

* Kaplan has a very bad week.

* Rick Perlstein considers what Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour's (R) "amnesia" tells us.

* On a related note, Fox tried desperately to cover for Barbour, but failed in humiliating fashion.

* In still more Fox-related news, describing Elie Wiesel as a "Holocaust Winner" is probably the most spectacular chyron fail of all time.

* And finally, a reminder to conservative media types: taking on Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) is generally a very bad idea. He's much smarter than you, and he doesn't mind making you look foolish.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Alaska Supreme Court is the latest court to smack down Joe Miller's (R) challenge to Sen. Lisa Murkowski's (R) write-in victory. Miller doesn't seem to have any options, but he still hasn't conceded, and says he's still considering what to do next.

* On a related note, Dave Weigel takes a closer look at the state Supreme Court's ruling, and notes that the judges seemed to consider Miller's arguments almost laughable.

* We noted last week that Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) intends to meet with DSCC chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) about the 2012 cycle. Yesterday, however, Lieberman went a little further, telling TPM, "Some of my colleagues in the Democratic caucus have been very gracious and kind saying they hope I run as a Democrat. Patty and I said we'd talk sometime early in the New Year."

* The Republican-focused Hispanic Leadership Network will host a conference in Miami next month, and organizers invited every GOP official who's hinted at interest in the 2012 presidential race. The only candidate to accept was Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty; the rest blew off the invitations.

* The results come from a Republican pollster, so take the numbers with a grain of salt, but a poll from Magellan Data and Mapping Strategies in Nebraska shows only 29% of the state's voters want to re-elect Sen. Ben Nelson (D). In a match-up against state Attorney General Jon Bruning (R), Nelson trailed by 14 points, 52% to 38%.

* And Public Policy Polling's latest survey in North Carolina shows President Obama improving his standing in the state. After winning North Carolina in 2008, Obama now leads all of his likely GOP challengers except Mike Huckabee, who leads the president by one point.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* We're getting closer to where we need to be: "The number of people seeking benefits edged down by 3,000 to a seasonally adjusted 420,000, the Labor Department said Thursday."

* There's other encouraging economic news, too: "Economic reports suggest employers are laying off fewer workers, businesses are ordering more computers and appliances, and consumers are spending with more confidence. Combined, the data confirm the economy is improving, and further job gains are expected in 2011."

* Terrorists strike in Rome: "Parcel bombs exploded at two embassies in Rome in a coordinated attack Thursday that raised new fears in Europe, which has been on high alert for a possible terrorist attack by Islamist radicals ahead of the holidays. But Italy's interior minister said that an initial investigation indicated the bombs might have been the work of anarchists, and an Italian anarchist group claimed responsibility for at least one of the attacks."

* The terrorist threat closer to home: "Just days before Christmas, the White House asked Americans to be vigilant this holiday season, warning of a possible -- though unspecified -- terror threat from Al Qaeda. The caution echoed a weeks' worth of warnings from law enforcement authorities."

* The saber rattling on the Korean peninsula is intensifying: "One month after a deadly exchange of artillery fire, the two Koreas ramped up their rhetoric Thursday, with South Korea's president pledging unsparing retaliation if attacked again and a top North Korean official threatening a "sacred" nuclear war if provoked."

* More of this, please: "The Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it would regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and oil refineries next year, targeting the nation's two biggest sources of carbon dioxide."

* I do find it rather odd to see prominent Republicans and Bush administration officials supporting an Iranian terrorist group.

* For the for-profit college industry, the bad news just keeps on coming.

* Here's a radical thought: maybe fewer executive branch positions should require Senate confirmation. At this point, the process is farcical.

* Pondering Clinton-era hack Lanny Davis' latest deals, Isaac Chotiner asks a good question: "How low can one man sink?"

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Expecting a staff shake-up: "President Obama is planning the first major reorganization of his administration, preparing to shuffle several positions in the West Wing as he tries to fortify his political team for the realities of divided government and his own re-election." In particular, there will be more White House lawyers to deal with nuisance requests from the new GOP House majority.

* Terror threat in Mumbai: "India's financial capital was on high alert Friday after authorities said four terrorists had entered the country and were plotting attacks here during the holidays."

* Despite the struggling economy, a lot of folks shop quite a bit this time of year: "For stores, this 11th-hour dash caps the best holiday season since 2007, and possibly the best ever."

* U.S. businesses are prohibited from doing business with Iran. There are, however, exceptions -- thousands of them.

* Just two days after action in the U.S. Senate, Russia's parliament offered preliminary support for New START with a 350-58 vote in the 450-seat State Duma.

* Remember, Congress may not want to combat global warming, so the EPA must: "Stymied in Congress, the Obama administration is moving unilaterally to clamp down on power plant and oil refinery greenhouse emissions, announcing plans for developing new standards over the next year."

* The AP runs political analysis pieces I disagree with from time to time, but this week's piece on the White House is just a train-wreck.

* North Korea's official news agency called, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), the incoming chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee "human scum" in response to her request that North Korea be added to the list of state sponsors of terror.

* Grover Norquist doesn't mind the notion of states going bankrupt. Imagine that.

* For the millions of Americans who drop out of college, when do they tend to quit? Right about now.

* Alex Pereene does a nice job summarizing the "Year in Pseudo-scandals." My personal favorite: when the far-right got hysterical about the logo for the National Security Summit. For wingnuts, it was a pro-Islam code. For the rest of us, it was based on the Bohr model of the atom. Only one of those two interpretations makes sense.

* And finally, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) told MSNBC yesterday he expects the first six months of 2011 to be a productive period on Capitol Hill. Specifically, he said, "My prediction: The next sixth months will be more like the lame-duck, where there was a lot of productivity, than like the previous two years, when there was a lot of dart-throwing." I have no idea where his confidence comes from, and I'm fairly certain he's completely wrong, but here's hoping Schumer's prediction comes true.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* It's not quite a concession, but Alaska's Joe Miller (R) announced last night he will not oppose certification of Sen. Lisa Murkowski's (R) write-in re-election win. Miller will, however, take his pointless fight to the federal courts, after striking out in state courts.

* Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R), who hasn't gone out of his way to hide his presidential ambitions, explained over the weekend that his 2012 plans will depend on "who the field is" and "their depth of conviction and specificity of prescription" in addressing the national debt. That would be the same national debt, of course, that got much worse after Daniels became George W. Bush's budget director.

* While Daniels moves closer to a presidential campaign, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) is moving in the other direction. Pressed on his national plans the other day, the governor described himself as "a definite no."

* There was isolated talk a couple of weeks ago about Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) challenging President Obama in 2012 from the left. Over the weekend, the senator insisted it "ain't gonna" happen.

* Late last week, the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners ruled that Rahm Emanuel (D) is eligible to run for mayor. His opponents will now take their case challenging Emanuel's residency to the Cook County Circuit Court.

* Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) was just re-elected last month by a very wide margin, but he has no plans on seeking another term in six years. On Fox News yesterday, the right-wing senator said of his 2016 plans, "No way, no how. I will be through at the end of this term."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Over the weekend, a suicide bomber struck a food distribution center in Pakistan's restive tribal belt, killing at least 42 people and injuring dozens: "The attack occurred in the main city in the Bajaur area as hundreds of members of the Salarzai tribe, which had been displaced by fighting between militants and the Pakistani army, lined up to collect World Food Program rations at a government center, a local official said."

* Confidential maps put together by U.N. officials "show a clear deterioration in security in parts of Afghanistan over the course of this year."

* With the New START ratification process nearly complete, President Obama will turn his attention to the next phase: negotiating with Russia to establish, for the first time, legal limits on "smaller, battlefield nuclear weapons viewed as most vulnerable to theft or diversion."

* The very idea of U.S. troops coming home from fighting a foreign war, only to end up homeless, is a national embarrassment.

* Republicans may not like the EPA acting to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, but it doesn't mean the EPA is acting "unilaterally."

* Jon Stewart continues to receive well-deserved praise for shining a light on the Zadroga 9/11 health bill. Today, the New York Times ponders whether the efforts of "The Daily Show" host make him "the modern-day equivalent of Edward R. Murrow."

* On a related note, John Culhane scrutinized the 9/11 health bill in more detail, and concluded it could be better, but it's "fair enough."

* For-profit colleges are stacking up on lobbyists for the 112th Congress, including a legion of former members of Congress, led by former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.).

* Good advice from E.J. Dionne Jr: "The Civil War is about to loom very large in the popular memory. We would do well to be candid about its causes and not allow the distortions of contemporary politics or long-standing myths to cloud our understanding of why the nation fell apart."

* President Bush's Director of National Intelligence, Vice Admiral Mike McConnell (ret.), told CNN yesterday that President Obama has been "as aggressive, if not more aggressive" in pursuing terror threats.

* Here's hoping he succeeds: "Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie vowed to end the 'birther' controversy surrounding President Obama's nationality once and for all."

* Was "refudiate" just an innocent typo? No, not really -- the former half-term governor had used the word before, on the air, suggesting she thought it was an actual word.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The process in Alaska continues to get just a little more farcical. Joe Miller (R) announced last Sunday that he would no longer fight certification of Sen. Lisa Murkowski's (R) write-in re-election victory, but yesterday morning, he took his case to federal court, after having struck out in multiple state courts. Miller also told a local CBS affiliate he's considering asking for another recount.

* Sen. Jim Webb (D) hasn't announced whether he'll seek re-election in Virginia in 2012, but he already has his first challenger: right-wing activist Jamie Radtke filed the paperwork yesterday to be part of the Republican primary.

* On a related note, a surprising number of Virginia's Tea Party zealots have convinced themselves that former Sen. George Allen (R), who's likely to try a comeback in 2012, just isn't right-wing enough anymore. Allen's lifetime rating from the American Conservative Union is 92.3%.

* Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) caused a stir earlier this year when he called for a "truce" on social issues, which drew widespread complaints from social conservatives. This week, Daniels started walking back his remarks, arguing that the "truce" was directed at liberals who are "very aggressively trying to change the definition of marriage." (I think this means he's running for president.)

* Republican National Committee members will elect their party chair next month, and at this point, current Chairman Michael Steele is bleeding support. California RNC committeeman Shawn Steel, a former ally of Steele, has thrown his support to one of the chairman's rivals.

* If Florida Republicans had their choice, they'd have former Gov. Jeb Bush (R) take on Sen. Bill Nelson (D) in 2012. A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Bush as the preferred candidate of 72% of GOP Floridians. Outgoing appointed Sen. George LeMieux (R), who clearly intends to run, received only 11% in the poll.

* Disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's (R-Ga.) daughter says her father is "much more serious than he ever has been" about running for president.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Problems in the housing sector aren't going away: "Home prices fell in the nation's major metropolitan areas from September to October, with six regions hitting new lows, and they're not expected to rebound anytime soon."

* Back-to-back suicide bombings in western Iraq yesterday killed 19 and wounded 45. The second attacker waited for emergency workers to arrive at the scene of the first to maximize the carnage during the rescue efforts.

* Speaking of Iraq, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki "ruled out the presence of any U.S. troops in Iraq after the end of 2011, saying his new government and the country's security forces were capable of confronting any remaining threats to Iraq's security, sovereignty and unity."

* Preliminary reports point to strong economic activity in the lead up to Christmas. MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, which tracks retail spending, found results that exceeded even the more optimistic forecasts.

* Big corporations have plenty of money, but they're using their cash to buy other companies, not to expand their own workforces: "They have been hesitant to use these massive piles of funds to hire as they wait to see whether the economic recovery picks up more speed. Instead, this year they've been making safer bets: buying back stocks to help boost their share prices and spending money on modestly sized mergers."

* David Shuster was a mainstay at MSNBC for many years. He's now done with the network.

* Grade inflation appears to be an actual phenomenon in American higher ed. Cracking down on it, however, is a little tricky.

* And the latest hysterical right-wing freak-out is a doozy: "The good news is that the right-wing isn't talking about President Obama being a secret Muslim right now. The bad news is that they're now concerned that he's going to use his honorary status as a Crow Tribe Indian to return the United States to Native Americans."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* I'm noticing a pattern: Alaska's Joe Miller (R) keeps bringing pointless lawsuits to court, and judges keep ruling against him. Yesterday, a federal district court judge became the latest to smack down the failed right-wing candidate.

* Though Miller has obviously lost to Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), he has not yet decided whether to concede, or keep pushing on, appealing to the 9th Circuit.

* Public Policy Polling released an interesting report yesterday, noting the approval ratings of several senators, including most of the 2012 field. The most popular incumbent seeking re-election appears to be Minnesota's Amy Klobuchar (D), with a 59% approval rating. The least popular is Connecticut's Joe Lieberman (I), with 33% support.

* With West Virginia's Joe Manchin (D) making the transition from the governor's office to the U.S. Senate, there's still some question about how and when to hold the race to permanently replace him. State Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin (D), who became acting governor last month, expects to serve through the end of 2012. State House Speaker Rick Thompson (D), who's interested in running for the post, wants to see a special election in 2011.

* In what's become a cyclical exercise, officials in Iowa and New Hampshire are once again talking about moving up their presidential nominating contests on the 2012 calendar in order to preserve their "unique" status. Nevada is planning a Feb. 18 caucus, for example, which New Hampshire insists is too close to its Feb. 14 primary. If New Hampshire moves up its date, then Iowa will feel compelled to do the same.

* Speaking of the 2012 Republican nomination, don't be surprised if former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain, a favorite personality of the Tea Party crowd, also runs for president. Cain's only political experience is a failed U.S. Senate campaign in Georgia in 2004, when he lost in a primary.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* U.S. Army Col. Viet Luong conceded today that "it has become practically impossible to stop insurgents from slipping across Afghanistan's vast border with Pakistan." If that's true, doesn't that make military success in Afghanistan almost impossible?

* Mosul police commander Lt. Col. Shamil al-Jabouri was a relentless terrorist foe, and was an al Qaeda target for assassination five times, all of them unsuccessful. Today, three suicide bombers wearing police uniforms over vests laden with explosives managed to kill him.

* No, conservatives, snow storms do not cast doubts on the veracity of climate change data.

* On a related note, I tend to think the blizzard in the Northeast is getting far too much attention, but it's probably worth noting that the storm likely delayed $1 billion worth of retail shopping.

* It seems likely that WikiLeaks revelations has severely undermined democratic reforms in Zimbabwe.

* Rep. Ralph Hall (R-Tex.), reflecting on the BP oil spill disaster: "As we saw that thing bubbling out, blossoming out -- all that energy, every minute of every hour of every day of every week -- that was tremendous to me. That we could deliver that kind of energy out there -- even on an explosion." Did I mention that Hall will be the new chairman of the House science committee?

* Remember Judith Miller? Her ignominious career trajectory has managed to take her from the New York Times to Fox News to a fringe, extremist website called Newsmax. Wow.

* The problem with higher-ed in the U.S. isn't more students going to college; it's students and their families having to pay for most of that education themselves, plus interest.

* Congrats to Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D) of Maryland, who's poised to become the longest serving female senator in American history.

* How many times has Politico run a story purporting to show hostilities between the Obama White House and the business community? Would you believe 28 times?

* And Michael Vick's dog-related crimes were awful and he clearly deserved to be punished. But Tucker Carlson thinks the quarterback deserved the death penalty and that strikes me as insane.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Federal law-enforcement officials have launched a criminal investigation into Christine O'Donnell's (R) failed U.S. Senate campaign in Delaware. The allegations are focused on evidence that the extremist candidate used campaign funds for person use.

* In response, O'Donnell, one of the most radical statewide candidates in recent memory, argued that the investigation is the result of an elaborate conspiracy involving the FBI, George Soros, both major parties in Delaware, Vice President Biden, and disgruntled former aides. All of them got together, O'Donnell said, to undermine her "political reputation."

* In Alaska, Joe Miller (R) will host a press conference tomorrow to announce whether to continue his ridiculous legal fight. Miller who lost to Sen. Lisa Murkowski's (R) write-in re-election bid, has gone 0-for-4 in the courts thus far.

* Due to population shifts, Ohio is poised to lose two congressional seats. Once the redistricting process is complete, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D) fears one of the eliminated seats will be his. The liberal, Cleveland-area lawmaker hopes to rally supporters to prevent that outcome.

* Republican National Committee members will pick their party chair next month, and the early favorite appears to be Wisconsin GOP Chairman Reince Priebus, though a majority of the 168 members on the committee are still undecided.

* Public Policy Polling's latest report shows approval ratings for governors likely to seek re-election over the next two years. The most popular incumbents appear to be Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) and Delaware Gov. Jack Markell (D). The least popular is Christine Gregoire (D) in the state of Washington.

* When it comes to Sen. Olympia Snowe's (R) 2012 re-election campaign in Maine, most of the attention is focused on who'll challenge the incumbent in a Republican primary. But what about Maine Democrats? Rosa Scarcelli (D), the CEO of an affordable-housing agency, said this week she's interested in the race, and might run if Snowe moves to the right or it appears likely Snowe will lose to a primary challenger.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Some of the best economic news in a long while: "The number of people applying for unemployment benefits fell sharply last week, with applications hitting the lowest level in two and a half years. The Labor Department said applications dropped by 34,000, to 388,000, the lowest number since the week of July 12, 2008." In general, applications below 425,000 signal modest job growth.

* Two million American veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan return home and struggle to find work: "Some experts say the grim employment landscape confronting veterans challenges the veracity of one of the central recruiting promises of the nation's all-volunteer force: that serving in the military will make them more marketable in civilian life. "

* One never knows what Joe Miller will think of next, but the Senate race in Alaska appears to be officially over: "The state of Alaska has certified Sen. Lisa Murkowski as the winner of the state's Senate race, allowing Murkowski to be sworn in with the rest of the Senate next week, according to the Associated Press."

* Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) is getting some good news as he walks out the door -- the Senate ethics committee has dismissed a complaint against him.

* MSNBC's Keith Olbermann wants to make it clear that, in his words, "Fox News is 100% bullshit." That seems like a reasonable assessment.

* Lanny Davis was subjected to some rather fierce criticism for taking on President Laurent Gbagbo of Ivory Coast as a client. Yesterday, Davis reversed course.

* Great piece from Ben Smith on Richard Ben Cramer, who apparently isn't fully aware of the fact that his "What it Takes" is "now widely considered the greatest modern presidential campaign book." (I read it -- yes, the whole thing -- in grad school, and still consider it an exceptional piece of work.)

* I'm starting to think Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) has a problem with black people. Try not to be surprised.

* Daniel Luzer: "College is still 'worth it' in the long run (the amount of money one pays to attend college will be returned in terms of additional income over a lifetime) but the increasing cost of college means that the payoff now seems to take a damn long time."

* R.I.P., Geraldine Hoff Doyle, best known as the inspiration for "Rosie the Riveter." She died Sunday at the age of 86.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The EPA is damned if it does; we're all damned if it doesn't: "With the federal government set to regulate climate-altering gases from factories and power plants for the first time, the Obama administration and the new Congress are headed for a clash that carries substantial risks for both sides."

* Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano arrived in Afghanistan this morning, and will spend New Year's Eve with U.S. troops. It's part of a week-long trip for the cabinet secretary, which will also include stops in Israel and Qatar.

* The process of trying to reform Senate rules is extremely complicated, and Brian Beutler has a helpful walkthrough of what the "constitutional option" is all about.

* Remember the ongoing court fights over "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"? Given recent developments, there's no longer any point to pursuing them.

* On a related note, Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) raised a few eyebrows when he ended up voting with the majority on DADT repeal. Now he's facing a fair amount of right-wing heat back home for having done the right thing.

* Outgoing Rep. Bob Inglis (R-S.C.) said yesterday that a "credible conservative" movement should do more than focus on "hatred" of President Obama. That's true, which is probably why conservatives aren't especially credible.

* Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) said the ideological differences between the parties on immigration policy are so great, they're "almost irreconcilable" and make compromise unrealistic. Regrettably, I suspect he's right.

* DNC Chair Tim Kaine is obviously not objective, but his take on President Obama's first two years is pretty compelling.

* When Vice President Biden called health care reform a "big f**king deal," that doesn't quality as a "gaffe."

* Is college a good investment? Of course. But while it's a smart investment for young people, it's a wise investment for states, too.

* Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) was a Democrat when she was younger. Then she read Gore Vidal's "Burr" and became a Republican. Apparently, she found Vidal "snotty" towards the founding fathers.

* Picking up where Jon Swift left off, Batocchio has a collection of Blog Posts of the Year, as chosen by the bloggers themselves. (Disclosure: one of the entries came from me.)

* I like to mock listicles as much as the next guy, but I actually kind of liked Politico's Top 10 "worst decisions of 2010." There are some real doozies in there, worthy of the recognition.

* And with that, Happy New Year to you. See you in 2011, which is to say, tomorrow.

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The Rethugs have a serious problem.
Nobody even wants to declare they're running until Saint Sarah makes up her feeble mind - but then what?

Everybody says she's going to run and everybody agrees she'll win the GOP nomination
and everybody knows she'll lose all 66 states in the general election - so what's the GOP to do?

One thing's for certain: She's NOT going to change.
She's going to be the same petty, vindictive bitch in 2012 that she is today.
Her negatives have nowhere to go but up - the more you know her, the more you don't like her.

Obama may be a less-than politician but his luck couldn't be any better.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* It took about a month longer than it should have, but Joe Miller (R) finally gave up in Alaska late on Friday. While he conceded, Miller noticeably did not congratulate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), who defeated him with a write-in bid.

* Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, hoping to get a second two-year term, appears to be in deep trouble. Politico reports today that "a majority of the RNC's 168 members indicate that they will not support the controversial chairman for another term."

* In the meantime, the field of Steele's challengers has narrowed a bit, from five hopefuls to four -- Gentry Collins ended his bid yesterday.

* There's apparently far less drama at the Democratic National Committee -- DNC Chair Tim Kaine suggested on CNN yesterday that he's staying on in his current post.

* Whether West Virginia hosts its gubernatorial campaign this year or next, former Secretary of State Betty Ireland (R) announced late last week that she's running either way.

* With Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) stepping down next year after two terms, his lieutenant governor, Phil Bryant (R), is expected to launch his own campaign today.

* Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) ended his mayoral campaign late last week, throwing his support to former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D).

* U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, one of several Republicans chosen for key posts in the Obama administration, hasn't ruled out running for president in 2012. How he'd convince Republican primary voters to nominate an Obama administration official is unclear.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* An apparent suicide bomber killed at least 21 Egyptian Christians and wounded at least 97 more in an attack on a New Year's Mass. The terrorism drew widespread international rebukes, including a condemnation from President Obama.

* The Commerce Department announced this morning that the U.S. construction industry has now grown for three consecutive months, following a dismal summer. New data also shows the manufacturing sector growing in 17 consecutive months.

* This would be quite a showdown: "Obama administration officials say they plan to reject Congressional efforts to limit the president's options on Guantanamo, setting the stage for a confrontation between the president and the new Congress on an issue that has been politically divisive since Inauguration Day." Among the options are an executive order, a signing statement, or a combination of the two.

* My biggest problem with the war in Afghanistan is the reliability of our partner: "Roads, canals and schools built in Afghanistan as part of a special U.S. military program are crumbling under Afghan stewardship, despite new steps imposed over the past year to ensure reconstruction money is not being wasted, according to government reports and interviews with military and civilian personnel."

* On a related note, just think, Afghanistan, if you play your cards right, you can "earn" permanent U.S. military bases in your country.

* The lingering confusion in conservative circles about Attorney General Eric Holder and the truly ridiculous New Black Panther Party case is exasperating. This time, it's the Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin who's deeply confused. Adam Serwer, thankfully, keeps setting the record straight.

* Rep.-elect Allen West (R-Fla.) wants members of Congress to "come together" to address "an infiltration of the Sharia practice into all of our operating systems in our country as well as across Western civilization." That guy really isn't well.

* It looks like the State of the Union will be on January 25. Mark your calendars.

* Ever wonder why the Israeli airport security system is considered so effective? Brian Palmer takes a closer look.

* Stunning photos of the "dramatic decline" of Detroit, Michigan.

* Arkansas is the latest state to look for a magical new funding formula for higher education.

* The Washington Times really seems to dislike gay people.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) hasn't said much about his 2012 plans, but he told a local radio station yesterday he believes he can win re-election, and would likely run as an independent. Lieberman didn't name names, but he added that some of his Democratic colleagues have urged him to run as a Dem, though he'd likely face a very tough primary.

* Mike Duncan, Michael Steele's predecessor at the Republican National Committee, believes Steele's efforts to keep his job are doomed. Steele, Duncan said, is effectively "out of the race."

* Mississippi's gubernatorial race, one of two statewide contests in 2011, yesterday picked up its first three candidates. Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant (R) kicked off his campaign, and effectively promised to be a clone of incumbent Gov. Haley Barbour (R), who cannot legally seek a third term. Democrat Bill Luckett and Republican Dave Dennis also launched campaigns yesterday.

* It's been obvious for a while that Rep. Mike Pence (R) of Indiana would seek some sort of promotion in 2012. As of yesterday, it appears that Pence intends to run for governor, not president, next year.

* No U.S. senator votes against his own party more than Nebraska's Ben Nelson (D). It's a point he'll very likely emphasize repeatedly over the next two years. Most recent polling shows him trailing as Nelson gears up for a re-election bid.

* Is Rep. Connie Mack (R) planning to run for the Senate in Florida next year against Sen. Bill Nelson (D)? It certainly looks like it. Mack is perhaps best known for being the son and great-grandson of U.S. senators.

* And in Nevada, Rory Reid's (D) gubernatorial campaign didn't turn out well for him last year, but with Nevada poised to gain a new U.S. House seat, don't be surprised to see Reid run for the new post.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) recently sat down with Tea Party activists in his state, hoping to convince them of his conservative fealty and urge them not to run a primary campaign against him. CNN reports today that the far-right activists characterized the meeting as "cordial," but "left vowing to oppose Lugar's bid for a seventh term."

* Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) sent an email to supporters of his political action committee this week, with a subject line that read, "Say No to RINOs in 2011." It's the latest evidence that the right-wing South Carolinian intends to play the same role in the next round of GOP primaries as he did in advance of the midterms.

* After sending mixed signals about his plan, outgoing appointed Sen. George LeMieux (R) of Florida has begun meeting with Republican campaign consultant "in anticipation of a possible run" against Sen. Bill Nelson (D) in 2012.

* Former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's (D) mayoral campaign in Chicago got another boost yesterday when a Cook County judge "agreed with the city's election board that his name should appear on the ballot."

* Incoming House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) doesn't get a vote when it comes to picking the next chair of the Republican National Committee, but he's letting party officials know he supports former Bush administration official Maria Cino.

* Public Policy Polling's Tom Jensen believes former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is, at least for now, the most viable Republican presidential contender.

* Nebraska has a quirky system that awards presidential electoral votes based on victories in individual congressional districts. The state appears interested in scrapping the unorthodox model, and moving to the winner-takes-all system used by other states.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* al-Sadr returns to Iraq: "The anti-American Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr made a surprise return to Iraq on Wednesday, ending four years of self-imposed exile in Iran and signaling the full rehabilitation of his Sadrist faction within Iraq's political process."

* Bill Daley visited the White House today, presumably as part of discussions on whether he'll become the president's new chief of staff.

* Oddly enough, though many on the left have raised concerns about Daley, Howard Dean endorsed him for the job earlier today.

* President Obama signed the most sweeping food-safety overhaul in 70 years into law yesterday. Whether it will be gutted by House Republicans remains to be seen.

* Into the lions' den: "President Obama will address the U.S. Chamber of Commerce next month in a high-profile bid to develop a better relationship after their corrosive sparring last fall over the business group's big spending to elect Republicans. He will speak on Feb. 7 to members of the nation's largest association of business and industry, said Jen Psaki, Mr. Obama's deputy communications director."

* As far as Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) is concerned, the Obama administration is "corrupt," but it hasn't committed "wrongdoing ... at a criminal level." (Raise your hand if you think Issa knows what "corrupt" means.)

* Sen. Lamar Alexander's (R-Tenn.) speech on filibuster reform was a dishonest mess.

* I'm not sure what to make of this: "Apparently the idea of letting applicants submit videos of themselves as part of their admissions packages is becoming more popular." I'm glad this wasn't an option when I was applying -- my ridiculous 1991 hair probably would have ended my chances at admission anywhere.

* The Washington Post ran an online survey for readers today, asking to rank the top eight policy issues for the new Congress. The list, at least at first, neglected to mention job creation or the economy. Oops.

* When even Bill Kristol thinks right-wing talk on the federal debt limit is "irresponsible," the House GOP is clearly pushing its luck.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning (R) made it official yesterday, launching his U.S. Senate campaign against incumbent Ben Nelson (D), though he likely won't be the only Republican in the race. In fact, a spokesperson for the Nebraska Democratic Party said, "Jon Bruning is a lightweight candidate and not very politically savvy. He got pushed out of the Senate race in 2007 so Mike Johanns could replace [Chuck] Hagel, never mind that Bruning had already raised $1 million. Watch for Bruning to be shoved aside before Nebraska's May 2012 primary."

* There's been some speculation that Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D), fresh off his re-election win, would consider a U.S. Senate race against Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) in 2012. Yesterday, however, Patrick vowed to complete his second term, which ends in 2014.

* Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Wash.) hasn't exactly distinguished himself on Capitol Hill, but he's nevertheless considering a gubernatorial bid in Washington next year.

* In Nevada, hindsight is 20/20 -- Public Policy Polling found this week that more than two-thirds of the state's Republicans wish they'd nominated someone other than Sharron Angle as their U.S. Senate candidate. Imagine that.

* Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R) of Pennsylvania/Virginia continues to move forward with his presidential campaign, and has begun hiring a team in New Hampshire.

* And on a related note, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) isn't making any effort to knock down speculation about her national ambitions, and has agreed to deliver a keynote address to a Tax Relief PAC fundraiser later this month in Iowa.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Pentagon is sending an additional 1,400 marines to Afghanistan over the next couple of months. The goal is "to try to solidify progress in areas of the south before troop reductions begin in the summer, a senior military official said on Thursday."

* The dip below the 400k level, alas, only lasted a week: "The number of Americans filing for their first week of unemployment benefits rose 18,000 to 409,000 last week. While the latest data puts a damper on the prior week's eyebrow-raising headlines -- when the figure had fallen below 400,000 for the first time in two years -- the slight increase does not come as a complete surprise either."

* Talks continue to try to find a compromise on Senate reform measures: "Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), chairman of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee, met Wednesday evening with Sen. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, to hash out a compromise."

* On a related note, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), realizing he has some leverage, isn't afraid to pursue reforms without Republican input: "We hope that Republicans see the light of day and would work with us. If not, we'll do it on our own."

* At last count, there are 26 firm "aye" votes for the Udall/Merkley reform package.

* Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), one of Congress' more ridiculous and unhinged members, is the new chair of the House Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness. This is bad news for America's colleges -- and America in general.

* Remember the NPR exec who fired Juan Williams? She's been forced out, too.

* In recent years, House Republicans tormented House Democrats with politically-awkward motions to recommit. Now in the minority, Dems are learning to play the same game.

* Elizabeth Warren announced today that Holly Petraeus will take on a new role at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Petraeus, the former director of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Military Line, is married to the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

* It wasn't a mistake; it was fraud: "The British Medical Journal on Wednesday accused a disgraced British doctor of committing an 'elaborate fraud' by faking data in his studies linking vaccines with autism."

* When Murdoch's Fox News and New York Post consider it important to consider what kind of shoes President Obama was wearing on vacation, you know the Republican Attack Machine needs some new material.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rep. Steve Israel (N.Y.), the new chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said the caucus' top goal is to make Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) the Speaker of the House again. The party will need a net gain of 25 seats in 2012 to make that happen.

* Scandal-plagued Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) may have managed to avoid criminal prosecution, but he may yet face the voters' scorn. The latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Ensign trailing Democrats in hypothetical 2012 match-ups. Republican chances of keeping the seat improve if Rep. Dean Heller (R) is the party's nominee.

* The first ad campaign of the 2012 cycle is apparently already underway in North Dakota. An Iowa-based right-wing outfit called the American Future Fund has spent $60,000 in attack ads targeting Sen. Kent Conrad (D). This prompted Commonsense Ten, a group created by Democratic operatives, to spend $30,000 on radio ads defending the senator's record.

* In Pennsylvania, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Bob Casey (D) looking pretty strong in advance of his re-election campaign next year. The senator's approval rating isn't bad, and he leads all of his potential GOP challengers by margins ranging from 7 to 23 points.

* On a related note, President Obama maintains relatively solid support in Pennsylvania. Public Policy Polling found the president leading the Republican field in margins ranging from three point (vs. Huckabee) or 15 points (vs. Palin). Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R) trails Obama in the state he used to serve, 48% to 40%.

* Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) appears to be the early frontrunner in the 2012 New Hampshire presidential primary. A new Magellan poll shows him out in front with 39% support, followed by 16% for Sarah Palin.

* The latest evidence that Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) is, in fact, running for president, will be his attendance at CPAC on Feb. 11th.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* A new domestic threat? "A piece of mail addressed to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano ignited Friday at a U.S. Postal Service facility in Washington, a day after suspicious letters 'flared up' at state government buildings in neighboring Maryland, authorities said.... FBI spokeswoman Lindsay Godwin said initial information indicated the parcel that ignited in northeast Washington about 2:45 p.m. was similar to the two packages opened in Maryland on Thursday."

* Bernanke breathes a little easier: "The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, told senators on Friday that he expected the recovery to be 'moderately stronger' this year.... 'We have seen increased evidence that a self-sustaining recovery in consumer and business spending may be taking hold,' Mr. Bernanke told the Senate Budget Committee."

* The apology: "In a letter to be distributed Friday night, Reps. Pete Sessions and Mike Fitzpatrick apologize to all 433 of their House colleagues for voting after missing out on taking their official oath of office during Wednesday's opening ceremonies of the 112th Congress."

* Popular or not, the Recovery Act kept 4.5 million Americans out of poverty.

* Jay Newton-Small notices that the new House Republican majority is off to "a rocky start." That's certainly true.

* On a related note, the Democratic National Committee seems to enjoy going on the offensive, hammering the new GOP majority for abandoning its own spending-cut promise.

* Anti-immigrant Republicans have come up with a new idea, being explored at the state level: two-tiered birth certificates, guaranteeing literal second-class citizens based on the immigration status of one's parents.

* Undermining the very idea behind a counter-insurgency strategy in Afghanistan.

* Dick Morris still doesn't know what he's talking about.

* We reported over the summer that community colleges needed to do a better job with the speed at which students can complete programs, and explained the benefits of accelerating existing programs with some federal labor funds. The Obama administration appears to agree with us.

* Rush Limbaugh, still racist.

* By now, just about everyone in America has seen or heard about Ted Williams, the homeless man with the extraordinary radio voice. A Columbus Dispatch videographer posted the extraordinary clip to YouTube, watched it get 12 million hits, and created one of the greatest social media stories ever. And then the Columbus Dispatch decided to yank it from YouTube. I really wish more outlets understood the Internet better.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Nebraska Republican Party felt compelled to remove an image from its website featuring Sen. Ben Nelson's (D) face in red as the bullseye in a target. State GOP Chairman Mark Fahnelson didn't seem happy about having to remove the image -- he said he was responding to "gripes" from Nelson's "Democrat [sic] supporters" -- but he did it anyway.

* I guess the 2012 cycle is now officially underway? Incumbent Sen. Kent Conrad (D) of North Dakota, considered a top GOP pick-up opportunity next year, is launching campaign radio ads this week.

* Remember Sue Lowden? Her Republican Senate campaign in Nevada was derailed by the "chicken for checkups" incident last year. Lowden is, however, considering a comeback, and may run again in 2012 if scandal-plagued incumbent Sen. John Ensign (R) decides not to seek re-election.

* In Nebraska, Ben Nelson (D) will soon have yet another Republican challenger, with state Treasurer Don Stenberg telling party leaders over the weekend that he's likely to launch a campaign fairly soon.

* We can expect word from Rep. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) before the end of the month as to whether he'll take on Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) next year.

* Don't be too surprised if Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's (R-Texas) faces a primary challenger if she seeks another term -- a new Blum and Weprin poll for the Dallas Morning News shows her approval rating dipping below 50% statewide, and down to just 56% among Texas Republicans.

* Freshman Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said this morning he's not interested in being a vice presidential candidate in 2012. We'll see if he sticks to that.

* And in Massachusetts, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino (D) doesn't think any Democrat can beat Sen. Scott Brown (R) in 2012. Of course, no one thought Brown could win in the first place, so it's worth remembering that surprises happen.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) remains in critical condition and is "not out of the woods yet," but as of this afternoon, she was "responding to verbal commands by raising two fingers of her left hand and even managed to give a thumbs-up."

* President Obama today led the nation in a moment of silence from the South Lawn of the White House. He also ordered flags to be flown at half-staff this week.

* Jared Lee Loughner appeared in court today for the first time, facing all kinds of charges.

* Vice President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Afghanistan today, meeting with Hamid Karzai to assess progress toward "the transition to Afghan-led security beginning this year." Biden also spent time with U.S. troops and civilian personnel.

* A man who directed repeated threats at Sen. Michael Bennet's office (D-Colo.) was arrested today by federal authorities.

* Rep. Danny Davis' (D-Ill.) office received a threatening message yesterday. In apparent reference to the assassination attempt in Tucson, a message sent to the Chicago-area Democrat read, "Danny Davis is next."

* Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, appearing in the United Arab Emirates today, argued that sanctions against Iran are hampering the country's nuclear ambitions.

* A rare White House signing statement: "President Obama said Friday that congressional restrictions on his ability to transfer Guantanamo Bay detainees for prosecution in federal courts are 'a dangerous and unprecedented challenge' to the executive branch and suggested that his administration could yet defy them."

* The Obama administration has changed U.S. passport application forms from "mother and father" to "parent one and parent two." The religious right is not at all pleased.

* The Tea Party Express has begun raising money off the shootings in Tucson. Stay classy, conservatives.

* I'd be more inclined to read more conservative bloggers if they displayed better critical thinking skills.

* Too many Americans graduate high school and are unprepared for higher ed. But are they also unprepared for military service?

* And if you're interested, a latest piece for the New York Daily News ran over the weekend, tackling Rep. Darrell Issa's (R-Calif.) claim that the Obama administration is the most "corrupt" in modern history. Here's a sneak preview: I'm fairly certain Issa's wrong.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's (R) recent trip to Florida during a blizzard at home hasn't done any drastic damage to his public standing. A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows him with a 48% approval rating.

* On a related note, the same PPP poll, however, shows President Obama with a sizable lead over Christie in New Jersey in a hypothetical 2012 match-up. In fact, Christie trails the president in the governor's own state by 17 points.

* Ohio Republicans have been looking for a credible challenger to take on Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) next year, and they appear to have found their recruit: Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor (R) has said she's 90% certain to run.

* Finding a top-tier opponent to take on Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) in Minnesota in 2012 is proving more difficult for the GOP. Rep. John Kline (R) was asked if he's interested, and he replied, "No, it's not crossing my mind. My plate's full at this time."

* Rep. Shelley Berkley (D) appears to be Dems' best chance at winning Nevada's U.S. Senate seat in 2012, but she remains uncertain about her plans. Berkley said yesterday she'll make an announcement one way or the other by late spring or early summer.

* Speaking of Nevada, it's a traditionally "red" state, but the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Nevadans leaning towards voting for President Obama again. The incumbent leads all of his likely GOP challengers in the state, but by very different margins. Mitt Romney fares the best, trailing Obama by only one point, while Sarah Palin fares the worst, trailing by 13.

* It's long been assumed that former Sen. Jim Talent (R) would take on Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) next year, but at this point, Talent is hedging and may skip the race.

* And in Iowa, a new Neighborhood Research poll shows former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) as the early favorite in Iowa's 2012 caucuses, with 24% support. Romney was second with 19%, and Palin third with 11%. The rest of the field was in single digits.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* It seems hard to even imagine, but Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) is already able to breathe on her own, though she remains in critical condition. One of her doctors told reporters today, "She has no right to look this good."

* Speaking from China today, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said North Korea's nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile programs are "becoming a direct threat to the United States."

* Gates' visit just happened to coincide with a test flight of China's new stealth fighter jet. If that wasn't enough of an eyebrow raiser, try this: "[T]he demonstration also raised questions about the degree of civilian control of the Chinese military, as China's president, Hu Jintao, and other civilian leaders appeared to have no knowledge that the test had been conducted only hours before they received Mr. Gates for a formal meeting at the Great Hall of the People."

* Oversight matters: "The U.S. official in charge of overseeing the billions of dollars being spent to rebuild Afghanistan announced his resignation Monday, just a week after he fired two of his top deputies in a major shake-up of the organization."

* Did House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King (R-N.Y.) suggest Muslim Americans aren't actually Americans when it comes to war? It sure sounded like it.

* Not exactly the ideal reaction to recent events: "Gun sales soared in Arizona and several other states on Monday after the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, according to FBI figures provided to POLITICO. Gun sales skyrocketed 60 percent in Arizona on Monday Jan. 10, compared to the corresponding Monday last year."

* State lawmakers in Illinois are poised to abolish the death penalty.

* Once and for all, Fox News' report connecting Loughner to a white supremacist group was wrong.

* I've been trying to stress this since Sunday: "In other words, even if the shooter is a complete nut, we should be asking whether the tone of our political discourse might also have played a role in triggering the shooting -- and if so, whether such a thing could happen again."

* And I've been trying to stress this for eight years: "The right and the left both have intemperate voices. But here's the key: only the conservative movement counts the most vile blowhards as leading lights, embraced by the leadership. Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Sarah Palin: these are among the most popular conservatives in America. Who are the folks on the left with equivalent popularity and influence?"

* High on the list of things that bother me about conservative media: they make stuff up.

* Ken Blackwell's understanding of constitutional history is ridiculous.

* Colleges measuring their output can be a good idea, but it doesn't have to be.

* For what it's worth, Alexander Hamilton rejected the idea of legislative supermajorities, too.

* I knew comment moderation on Sarah Palin's Facebook page was excessive, but I had no idea it was this bad.

* And Glenn Beck's website this week included a heartening message: "We must stand together against all violence." Less heartening: the message ran next to an image of Beck holding a gun.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new national Associated Press poll offers some good news for almost everyone in Washington. President Obama's approval rating, for example, is up to 53%, roughly his best numbers in a year. Approval for congressional Republicans, meanwhile, now stands at 36%, which sounds awful, but it's up from 29% in the fall.

* In Nevada, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) struggling badly if he faces Rep. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) in a primary next year. The House member, who hasn't stated his plans, leads Ensign in a hypothetical match-up, 52% to 34%.

* Speaking of Nevada, PPP also found that Republicans in the state currently favor Mitt Romney in the fight for 2012 Republican presidential nomination. Romney enjoys 31% support, followed by Sarah Palin at 19%.

* In remarks that should effectively close the door, Vicki Kennedy, the widow of Sen. Ted Kennedy, told the Boston Globe yesterday that "there's no elective office" in her future. There has been some talk of trying to recruit Kennedy to take on Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) next year.

* For the second time this week, a poll shows Mike Huckabee as the early favorite in the GOP's Iowa caucuses. This time, it's PPP showing him with a 12-point lead over Romney, his next closest competitor.

* If Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) is still weighing the possibility of a presidential campaign, his constituents have some advice: don't bother.

* And Dave Weigel raised an interesting observation about the presidential campaign calendar. We're about a year from the first caucus/primary votes, and the only candidate we know for sure to be running is President Obama. At this point in the last campaign cycle, 14 candidates from both parties had already launched their campaigns.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* House honors Tucson victims: "Shaken by the attempted assassination of their colleague, Gabrielle Giffords, and the killing of one of her aides, House members reconvened at the Capitol on Wednesday to honor the dead and the wounded in the Arizona shooting rampage and to begin reviewing security concerns with law enforcement officials."

* The memorial service in Tucson will be held tonight at the University of Arizona, starting at 8 p.m. eastern, and is expected to draw more than 14,000 attendees. President Obama is expected to speak for 10 to 15 minutes.

* Dept. of Bad Timing: "Speaker John Boehner will host a cocktail party for the Republican National Committee at the same time that President Barack Obama will be addressing the nation at the memorial service for victims of the Tucson shooting."

* Lebanon: "Hezbollah and its allies forced the collapse of the government here on Wednesday, deepening a crisis over a United Nations-backed tribunal investigating the assassination of a former prime minister."

* A man targeting Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) with death threats was taken into custody today, and faces federal charges.

* The National Climatic Data Center reports that 2010 was tied with 2005 as the warmest year on record for global surface temperature. "Nine of the Earth's 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 2001, and all 12 of the warmest years have occurred since 1997."

* Massive flooding has effectively shut down Brisbane, Australia's third-largest city. To date, 16 people have been killed, 43 are missing, and thousands have lost their homes.

* An official in the Arizona Republican Party resigned this week, fearing potential violence from Tea Party activists.

* One year after Haiti's devastating earthquake, much of the country remains in rubble.

* Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), reflecting on Saturday's shooting, said, "I wish there had been one more gun there that day in the hands of a responsible person." (There was -- the man holding that gun very nearly shot an innocent man.)

* Franks also said, "If every person in the world was like Sarah Palin, there probably wouldn't even be need for government because no one would be in danger of any kind." I have no idea what that means.

* People who live in glass houses shouldn't use teleprompters.

* Daniel Luzer: "Thought going to college would be a sensible way to get a good job? Well it looks like for the most sought-after positions in the country, only a few schools -- only five of the more than 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States -- will do."

* There's nothing wrong with saying, "Acts of monstrous criminality stand on their own. They begin and end with the criminals who commit them." But when the speaker insists that same principle doesn't apply to Muslim Americans, then it's best not to take her seriously.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The 168 members of the Republican National Committee will elect their chairman tomorrow, and by indications, incumbent Michael Steele has no chance whatsoever. The favorite, at this point, appears to be Wisconsin GOP Chair Reince Priebus.

* For what it's worth, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has officially endorsed Maria Cino for the RNC position, making an unexpected investment of his political capital.

* Far-right activists in Massachusetts would still love to find a primary challenger for Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), but they can't find anyone credible. "It is interesting that [tea party] people will say Scott Brown needs to be defeated, and you say, OK, who can beat him?' And it's crickets," Christen Varley, president of the Greater Boston Tea Party, said. "I think Scott Brown is completely safe."

* Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), arguably the NRSC's top target in 2012, appears to have his first challenger. North Dakota Public Service Commissioner Brian Kalk (R) has formed an exploratory committee.

* In New Jersey, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) with a narrow lead over his 2006 opponent, Tom Kean Jr. (R), 41% to 39%.

* In Iowa, PPP found President Obama leading all of his potential GOP challengers in a hypothetical 2012 match-ups. Mike Huckabee was the most competitive (trailing Obama by four points), while Sarah Palin was the least competitive (trailing by 16 points).

* In case there were any doubts about Sen. John Thune's (R-S.D.) interest in the 2012 presidential race, note that this week he accepted an invitation to speak to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

* In Pennsylvania, PPP found Rick Santorum running fifth in the field of Republican presidential candidates in his own state. Huckabee was first in the poll with 21%, followed by Palin at 18%.

* And Herman Cain, who ran a pizza company before becoming a Tea Party pseudo-celebrity, created a presidential exploratory committee this week, en route to officially seeking the Republican nomination. Cain's only political experience is losing a GOP Senate primary in Georgia seven years ago.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The positive trends from December didn't last: "The number of first-time claims for unemployment insurance payments jumped in the first week of 2011 to the highest level since October as more Americans lined up to file following the holidays."

* Secretary of State Hillary Clinton not only pressed Middle Eastern leaders on systemic reforms, she did so with rather blunt language. Speaking at a conference in Qatar, she said "their countries risked 'sinking into the sand' of unrest and extremism unless they liberalized their political systems and cleaned up their economies."

* Speaking of the Middle East, Vice President Biden made a surprise visit to Baghdad today, visiting with Iraqi officials and spending time with U.S. troops.

* I'm still amazed at the progress of Gabrielle Giffords' recovery: "G. Michael Lemole Jr., the hospital's chief neurosurgeon, and Peter Rhee, the head of emergency care, said Giffords since then has also been able to sit on the edge of her bed and dangle her legs over the side, move both of her arms and legs and open both of her eyes."

* Following a brief reprieve this week, House Republicans will move forward next week with their plan to repeal the entirety of the Affordable Care Act.

* On a related note, I'm not sure if "The Patient's Rights Repeal Act" is the best framing for House Dems, but I'm glad they're at least trying.

* Devastating mud slides in the mountains north of Rio de Janeiro have killed at least 355 people since yesterday.

* Jared Lee Loughner's court proceedings will be handled by a federal judge from California, after literally every district court judge in Arizona had to recuse themselves -- they all knew Judge John Roll, one of Loughner's victims.

* Daniel Luzer: "In the continuing saga of the Government Accountability Office report on for-profit colleges that was slightly exaggerated, a new paper commissioned by America's for-profit schools accuses the GAO of 'sloppy investigating.' But then, the for-profit paper (written by an Illinois research company) seems to be pretty sloppy too."

* The idea of having Democrats and Republicans sit intermixed during the State of the Union has some appeal, but Dan Amira offers a compelling case against it.

* Getting sworn in under unusually cold conditions in the Sooner State, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R) accidentally misspoke during her ceremony today. She solemnly swore to "support, obey, and offend" the Constitution, instead of "support, obey, and defend."

* There's just something amusing about the Republican National Committee having to raise its own debt ceiling.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* With Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) announcing her retirement next year, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (R) almost immediately declared his intention to run.

* On a related note, Dewhurst should probably be considered the frontrunner, but he won't be the only candidate in the open-seat contest. Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, Railroad Commissioners Elizabeth Ames Jones and Michael Williams, and former Secretary of State Roger Williams are all Republicans eyeing the race. Among Democrats, former state Comptroller John Sharp's name has been in the mix.

* Sen. Bill Nelson (D) picked up his first GOP opponent yesterday, with Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos (R) noting his intention to run in the 2012 contest.

* Despite his scandals and the investigations into his misconduct, Sen. John Ensign (R) has begun campaigning for re-election in Nevada.

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) won't face voters again before 2013, but a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Christie tied with Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D) in a hypothetical match-up.

* Michigan Republicans had hoped to recruit former state Attorney General Mike Cox (R) to run against Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) in 2012, but he announced this week that he's not interested.

* Former one-term Gov. Mitt Romney's (R) presidential plans aren't exactly a secret, but yesterday he began staffing up, suggesting his campaign will get officially underway sometime soon.

* With Rep. Joe Donnelly's (D) Indiana district likely to be eliminated in the redistricting process, the likelihood of Donnelly running for governor next year is getting better.

* And while I don't think anyone was really taking the idea seriously, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) has apparently ruled out a presidential campaign next year.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Huge upheaval in Tunisia, with the fall of Ben Ali's authoritarian government after more than two decades: "President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia has left the country amid growing chaos in the streets, French diplomats say, and the prime minister went on state television Friday night to say he is temporarily in charge."

* The regional significance of the failure of the Ali government: "The fall of Mr. Ben Ali marks the first time that widespread street demonstrations have overthrown an Arab leader. That it came by way of what was portrayed in the Middle East as a popular uprising, crossing lines of religion and ideology, seemed only to make it more potent as an example."

* Wisconsin's Reince Priebus has been elected as the new chairman of the Republican National Committee. I'll have more on this in the morning, including a guide on how to pronounce "Reince Priebus."

* Tell me again why they hate the White House so much? "JPMorgan Chase kicked off the earnings season on Friday with news that it turned a strong $17.4 billion profit in 2010, up 48 percent from $11.7 billion the year before, as the consumer lending environment improved and commercial banking notched record results."

* The Environmental Protection Agency yesterday voted to reject "the largest mountaintop mining removal permit in West Virginia's history."

* One of these days, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) will realize he's the chief executive of a state now, and has to start acting like it.

* As of this afternoon, 19 senators, including five Republicans, have formally endorsed bipartisan seating during the State of the Union address. House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is also on board, making him the first member of the GOP leadership to offer support for the idea.

* Mark Doms takes a closer look at retail sales numbers, and produces a nice chart.

* Garry Wills, who has not always been complimentary towards President Obama, described his remarks in Tucson this week as his "finest hour," and even compared the speech to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

* For anyone, least of all an Obama administration official, to think the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. would support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is strikingly ignorant.

* A renewable energy standard is a poor substitute for a cap-and-trade policy, but right-wing propaganda targeting the latter apparently worked.

* After some misleading media reports, some have been led to believe the administration is trying to take over Internet ID. This is much ado about nothing.

* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) writes for the Washington Post that he disagrees with many of the president's policies, but considers the president "a patriot sincerely intent on using his time in office to advance our country's cause." That couldn't have been easy for McCain.

* Steve M. reads (and finds the flaws in) Peggy Noonan's columns so you don't have to.

* Some explanations for the tragedy in Tucson are better than others. Robert Birgeneau, chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, has a very unpersuasive one.

* And I couldn't agree more with Farhad Manjoo: You should "never, ever use two spaces after a period."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* As of yesterday, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' (D-Ariz.) condition had been upgraded, from critical to serious. She is also now breathing on her own.

* Giffords' husband, Mark Kelly, spoke publicly yesterday, the first time since the shooting. Taking the stage at Gabriel Zimmerman's memorial service, Kelly said, "I know someday she'll get to tell you how she felt about Gabe herself." He added that Giffords loved Zimmerman "like a younger brother," and was inspired by "his idealism, his strength and his warmth."

* Tunisia: "The interim government of Tunisia struggled Monday to contain a new wave of protests as the prime minister announced a new unity coalition cabinet with members of ousted President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali's ruling party in all the most significant posts. The popular response was immediate. More than a thousand demonstrators swelled into the streets of downtown chanting for the complete eradication of the old ruling party and demanding their freedom. 'Citizens and martyrs, the government is still the same!' they chanted."

* Elections in southern Sudan appear legit, helping advance the cause of a new nation: "International observers gave south Sudan's independence referendum their seal of approval on Monday and said a vote for secession was now "virtually certain" in their first official judgment on the poll."

* Why, exactly, was Baby Doc Duvalier allowed back into Haiti? "In the past 12 months, Haiti -- already the western hemisphere's economic basket case -- has suffered an epic earthquake that according to latest estimates killed more than 250,000 people and leveled the country's infrastructure, a cholera epidemic that has claimed thousands more lives and a powder-keg political crisis tied to the fraud-tainted Nov. 28 presidential election. All the country needed now was the return of a brutal exiled dictator."

* Evidence suggests delays in Iran's nuclear program are a direct result of the Stuxnet computer worm, a destructive program created by U.S. and Israeli officials. The Stuxnet has reportedly "wiped out roughly a fifth of Iran's nuclear centrifuges and helped delay, though not destroy, Tehran's ability to make its first nuclear arms."

* Is the Israeli Labor Party unraveling? Ehud Barak's latest move suggests that it is.

* Steve Jobs is taking a medical leave of absence from Apple, telling employees he's stepping aside "so I can focus on my health." Jobs said he will remain involved in major strategic decisions.

* More of this, please: "The Obama administration on Friday announced the broadest liberalization of travel to Cuba in a decade, making it easier for American students and religious and cultural groups to visit the Communist-ruled island."

* Daniel Luzer: "A recent report from the American Enterprise Institute indicates that providing American high school students and their families with more information might dramatically change college applications in the United States."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. Kent Conrad (D) of North Dakota, one of the top Republican targets for the 2012 cycle, announced this morning that he will not seek re-election next year. Public Service Commissioner Brian Kalk (R) has already taken steps to run for the GOP nomination, and former Gov. Ed Schafer (R) may also run. Among Dems, former Rep. Earl Pomeroy is likely to take a long look at the race.

* Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz (D) will launch her U.S. Senate campaign today, a top-tier candidate who won't wait for Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) to announce his plans. Bysiewicz had some miscues last year, abandoning campaigns for governor and state attorney general, but is considered a top contender for Lieberman's seat.

* Former Sen. George Allen (R) will reportedly kick off his comeback bid within the week, announcing plans for a rematch against Sen. Jim Webb (D) in Virginia next year. Webb has not yet said whether he'll seek a second term.

* On a related note, Allen would appear to be a heavy favorite to win the GOP nod in the commonwealth, but far-right activist Jamie Radtke has already moved towards taking Allen on in a Republican primary.

* It was never really in doubt, but Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) announced this morning that he will seek re-election next year. If he can make it through a very likely GOP primary, Lugar is considered a heavy favorite for another term.

* Former President George H.W. Bush has thrown his support to Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams (R) in next year's open U.S. Senate race in the Lone Star State. Williams is generally not considered a top contender for the Republican nomination, and Bush's endorsement hasn't necessarily meant much of late -- he endorsed Kay Bailey Hutchison's gubernatorial campaign, too.

* On a related note, it looks like Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert (R) is also moving closer to running for Hutchison's Senate seat.

* Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) will clearly seek some higher office next year, but he has not yet said which one. A new outfit called "America's President Committee," organized by a former Reagan administration official, has begun a push to draft Pence into a presidential campaign. The more likely scenario is a gubernatorial campaign, but look for a Pence announcement fairly soon.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Deadly attack in Iraq: "A suicide bomber wearing a vest packed with explosives and ball bearings attacked Iraqi police recruits on Tuesday in Saddam Hussein's hometown, killing up to 60 and wounding over 100, officials said."

* More fractured government in Tunisia: "Five or more ministers from opposition parties resigned from Tunisia's unity government on Tuesday, bowing to a wave of street protests against the cabinet's domination by members of the ousted president's ruling party and putting mounting pressure on his prime minister, Mohammed Ghannouchi, to resign as well."

* In Haiti, former dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier was charged today with corruption, theft, misappropriation of funds, and assorted other felonies. Why he was allowed to step foot on Haitian soil last week still isn't clear.

* That's a pretty big quake: "A major 7.2 magnitude earthquake rocked a remote area of southwestern Pakistan early Wednesday, shaking many parts of the country and causing widespread panic, said meteorologists."

* The Supreme Court announced today it will not hear a challenge to D.C.'s marriage equality law. The move allows the law to remain in place.

* President Obama moved forward today on a new review of existing federal regulations, intended to identify "excessive, inconsistent, and redundant" measures that might interfere with the economy.

* FCC: "The proposed combination of Comcast and NBC Universal was approved by the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department on Tuesday, smoothing the way for the deal to close by the end of January."

* R.I.P, Sargent Shriver.

* Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in D.C. today for an official U.S. state visit.

* House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), still fuzzy on the consequences of his own policies, is inclined to play games with the federal debt limit.

* In a bit of a surprise, Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) supports reinstatement of the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004.

* I get the sense the Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin is on a bit of a losing streak.

* Have I mentioned lately that economic growth makes a big difference in reducing the deficit? It does.

* It's one thing to say higher ed needs a new funding model; it's something else to actually come up with one.

* And finally, the "Sarah Palin Battle Hymn," set to the tune of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic," is among the scariest things I've seen in a long while.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In light of Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I) retirement in Connecticut, the race to fill the vacancy is likely to get pretty intense. Among Dems, former Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz is already in, and Reps. Chris Murphy and Joe Courtney may soon join her. Among Republicans, former wrestling company executive Linda McMahon and former Rep. Rob Simmons are both interested. McMahon and Simmons, of course, also just ran against one another in 2010.

* The West Virginia state Supreme Court ruled yesterday that a gubernatorial race has to be held this year. Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) will reportedly try to keep the post, but will likely face at least one primary challenger. Former Secretary of State Betty Ireland (R) has already announced her intention to run.

* In Texas, former state Solicitor General Ted Cruz announced this morning that he's running for the U.S. Senate, hoping to succeed retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R).

* On a related note, Public Policy Polling reported yesterday that every possible combination of candidates shows Republicans with huge leads in the Texas contest. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (R) appeared to be the strongest candidate.

* Defeated Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell has filed the paperwork to create her own political action committee, ChristinePAC.

* Sen. Orrin Hatch (R), running for re-election in Utah next year, has reason to be nervous. He's likely to face a challenge from Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R), and a statewide poll this week shows Hatch trailing the congressman by quite a bit.

* In New Jersey, a Fairleigh Dickinson PublicMind poll shows Sen. Robert Menendez (D) with double-digit leads over potential GOP challengers, in advance of his 2012 re-election campaign.

* Speaking of the Garden State, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) insisted this week that he's not going to run for president in 2012. "I am not arrogant enough to believe that after one year as governor ... that I am ready to be president of the United States," he told Fox News.

* And in Virginia, DNC Chairman Tim Kaine believes Sen. Jim Webb (D) will run for a second term. If Webb skips the race, Kaine added that he won't be the Democratic candidate.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* It seems hard to even imagine, but Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) will be released from hospital this week, and will make the transition to Houston's Institute for Rehabilitation and Research, which specializes in helping people recuperate from brain injuries.

* Hu Jintao at the White House: "President Barack Obama pressed China on Wednesday to improve its human rights record and let its currency float freely, balancing a protocol-filled state welcome for Chinese President Hu Jintao with pointed messages on two key U.S. priorities."

* Tunisia: "Leaders of Tunisia's tiny legal opposition parties prepared a push to reshuffle the nascent unity government, scrambling Wednesday to appease public anger that at the cabinet's continued dominance by members of the ruling party of the ousted dictator Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali."

* Afghanistan: "President Hamid Karzai ordered a month's delay in seating a new Parliament on Wednesday, heightening a constitutional crisis that threatens to fuel bitter infighting and potentially even violence among the country's rival factions."

* Unexpectedly, American manufacturing is creating more jobs than it's losing. It's the first time in more than a decade.

* I do love the White House White Board. The latest installment tackles the prospect of health care repeal.

* Over 100 leading law professors: "People can disagree about the wisdom of the Affordable Care Act, but there can be no serious doubt about the constitutionality of the minimum coverage provision."

* Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley (R) apologized for the whole "brothers and sisters" flap. Good move.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) can be a little careless with his rhetoric sometimes. Describing Hu Jintao as a "dictator" was probably not a good idea -- especially given that the two are scheduled to meet tomorrow.

* Trying to strip the political discourse of all martial metaphors, including casual references to candidates "in the crosshairs," is just a silly exercise.

* That said, the political discourse would benefit from officials refraining from making Goebbels-related arguments. Yes, that means you, Rep. Steve Cohen (D) of Tennessee.

* At first blush, Christina Romer's New York Times op-ed on deficit reduction seems misplaced. But the piece is cleverer than it might seem.

* It's worth remembering, from time to time, that claims from the right about Social Security's solvency just aren't true.

* The first ever attempt to look at college progression in terms of actual learning.

* How mind-numbing was the GOP rhetoric on the House floor today? Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) offers one of the dumber examples.

* Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), speaking from the floor: "You know, I want to just advise people watching at home playing that now popular drinking game of 'you take a shot whenever Republicans say something that's not true.' Please assign a designated driver. This is going to be a long afternoon." And it was.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rep. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced this morning that he's running for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut next year, hoping to fill the vacancy left by Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I) retirement. He'll face former Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz in a Democratic primary, and the field may not be finished just yet.

* In case there were any doubts, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) told reporters yesterday that he will, in fact, seek a third term next year.

* Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) will also run in 2012, and a new Quinnipiac poll shows him in decent shape. By a 45% to 30% margin, Ohio voters believe Brown deserves a second term.

* In Texas, where there will be a open-seat Senate contest next year, Rep. Ron Paul (R) is mulling whether to run. "It's certainly crossed my mind," he said yesterday.

* Don't be surprised if Rep. Sam Graves (R) decides to take on Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) in Missouri in 2012. He told reporters this week that the race is "something that I look at and kind of evaluate and we'll see what happens."

* With Sen. Kent Conrad (D) retiring in North Dakota, in-state Tea Party activists are telling Republican leaders they're prepared for "battle for control of the party."

* As the race for the Republicans' 2012 presidential nomination kinda sorta gets underway, a top-tier of candidates with high name recognition enjoy the early lead. A new ABC News/Washington Post poll shows Mike Huckabee leading nationwide with 21%, followed by Sarah Palin with 19%, and Mitt Romney with 17%. No other candidate broke double digits, though Newt Gingrich was close at 9%. The new NBC/WSJ poll is similar, but with a slightly different order -- Romney leads with 19%, followed by Huckabee at 18% and Palin at 14%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) is now able to stand on her own, and even look at an iPad. Remarkable.

* A step in the right direction, which exceeded expectations: "New claims for unemployment benefits fell by 37,000 last week to 404,000, reversing a sharp increase two weeks ago, the Labor Department reported Thursday."

* The latest in a string of violent incidents in Iraq: "Three suicide car bombers struck Shiite pilgrims south of Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 51 people and wounding more than 180 in a third straight day of attacks across Iraq. The string of assaults, reminiscent of the bloodiest days of the Iraq war, shattered a two-month lull and presented a major challenge to the new government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki."

* A massive crackdown on organized crime: "In a blanket assault against seven mob families in New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island, the F.B.I. and local authorities began arresting close to 130 people on Thursday on charges including murder, racketeering and extortion, federal law enforcement officials said."

* Hu Jintao makes the rounds in DC: "Chinese President Hu Jintao called Thursday for deeper engagement with the United States on a broad range of issues, warning that only by working together in some areas and respecting national differences in others will the two nations avoid friction in the years ahead."

* When congressional Republicans call the Affordable Care Act "job-killing," they're lying.

* "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was an awful policy. It was also awfully expensive. (Dead-enders should be asked how they'd pay for reinstatement.)

* Travis Corcoran, a libertarian blogger in Massachusetts, following the attempted Giffords assassination, wrote, "1 down and 534 to go," and encouraged violence against officials and their aides. Today, police seized a "large amount" of weapons and ammunition from Corcoran.

* If the GOP were serious about deficit reduction, it could support the parts of the Affordable Care Act that reduce the deficit.

* The debate over the Department of Education's coming "gainful employment" rules heats up.

* I've never been a big fan of Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), but he certainly wasn't all bad.

* As much as I've criticized Condoleezza Rice over the years, I have no tolerance for the ridiculous questions Piers Morgan asked her on the air last night about Rice's personal life.

* In June, Glenn Beck told his Fox News viewers, "You're going to have to shoot them in the head," in reference to the perceived "radicals" who "believe in communism." This is not O.K.

* Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R), after telling the NAACP, "Kiss my butt," said he's immune to criticism on race because he has an adopted black son. That's a dumb defense, but it's much worse now that we know he doesn't actually have an adopted black son.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* President Obama's re-election team is poised to kick into gear, closing the office of political affairs at the White House, and setting up a headquarters in Chicago. It will be the first time a modern presidential re-election campaign has been run outside of Washington.

* Former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) appears to be "inching toward a presidential run," including scheduling speeches in states with early nominating contests, and advisers who've "quietly" begun outreach in Iowa.

* There's quite a bit of buzz this week about Ted Kennedy Jr. considering a campaign for the Senate next year in Connecticut.

* In Mississippi, the Republican gubernatorial primary keeps getting more contestants, with state Department of Revenue employee James Broadwater kicking off his campaign this week.

* There will also be a crowded primary in West Virginia this year, with several Dems running in the primary. Former West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant (D) announced yesterday she's running.

* Speaking of 2011 gubernatorial campaigns, a new poll in Louisiana shows Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) in reasonably good shape -- 49% of Louisianans want the incumbent to win a second term, while 40% want someone new.

* Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) would appear to be a top-tier 2012 presidential candidate, but he said he won't announce his plans until the summer, which by contemporary standards, is pretty late in the process.

* Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton said this week he considers himself a credible Republican presidential candidate. "Well, I think I could win the Republican nomination if I chose to run," he said, "because I do think I'm in the mainstream of the Republican Party."

* And speaking of silly presidential ambitions, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) said this morning he's "absolutely" considering another pointless national campaign.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) left Arizona today, arriving in Houston to begin treatment at a renowned rehabilitation facility.

* Jeffrey Immelt, GE's chairman and chief executive, will replace Paul Volcker as the head of the White House' outside panel of economic advisers.

* At the event in Schenectady, N.Y., at which Immelt was introduced, President Obama emphasized that "putting the economy into overdrive" is his top priority.

* Tunisia: "Tunisia's prime minister pledged Friday to quit politics after elections that he says will be held as soon as possible, amid protests by citizens still angry at officials linked to their deposed president's regime."

* The latest right-wing chain email related to health care reform purports to have been written by a judge, and includes "page citations" to make it appear more reliable. As is the case with all right-wing chain emails related to health care reform, the contents are completely wrong.

* On a related note, the Republicans' new favorite ACA argument -- that the law only reduces the deficit because it features 10 years of taxes for six years of benefits -- really is completely wrong. Why Krauthammer isn't asked to run a correction is a mystery to me.

* If the House Republican Study Committee's proposed budget cuts were somehow approved, it's hard to overstate how much damage it would do to the public.

* Here's a gem of a question: Who raised government spending faster, George W. Bush working with a Republican Congress, or President Obama working with a Democratic Congress? (Here's a hint: conservatives won't care for the answer.)

* Will technological advancements make colleges better? It seems unlikely.

* I knew sales of music albums had reached extremely low levels. I didn't realize things had gotten this bad.

* Yesterday was the two year anniversary of President Obama's inauguration, and Organizing for America put together a "Promises Kept" report. It's a reminder that a whole lot got done over the last couple of years.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Former Sen. George Allen (R) of Virginia, who lost his re-election bid in 2006, will launch his comeback bid today. The seat is currently held by Sen. Jim Webb (D), who narrowly defeated Allen, but who has not yet said whether he'll seek re-election.

* On a related note, the conventional wisdom holds that Allen's "macaca" moment doomed his chances, but there's more to it than that.

* The fight to choose the leadership of the New Hampshire Republican Party proved to be pretty interesting. State party leaders rallied behind Juliana Bergeron, but activists ignored the GOP establishment and instead backed Jack Kimball, a relative newcomer with ties to the right-wing Tea Party.

* Similarly, Republicans in the state of Washington rebuffed the party's wishes and chose far-right radio talk-show host Kirby Wilbur as the new chairman of the state Republican Party, and in Arizona, party activists rejected the choice of Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl, and instead elected tea party favorite Tom Morrissey to head the state GOP.

* The DCCC has chosen its goal/motto for the next two years: the "Drive for 25." With a net gain of 25 House seats in 2012, Democrats would re-take the House majority.

* Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), the Democratic caucus chairman, announced over the weekend that he will not run for the Senate next year. It should be a crowded primary anyway -- Rep. Chris Murphy and former Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz are already in, while Rep. Joe Courtney and Ted Kennedy Jr. appear interested.

* Jesse Kelly, the right-wing Republican who lost to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) in Arizona a few months ago, appears eager -- perhaps a little too eager -- to run again. Soon after the assassination attempt, Kelly began making phone calls about a special election and the process of filing a potential vacancy.

* And in New Hampshire, Mitt Romney easily won a largely-meaningless 2012 presidential straw poll conducted by the state Republican Party over the weekend. Participation was fairly modest -- only 300 or so party activists took part -- but Romney won 35%, followed by Ron Paul with 11%, and Tim Pawlenty with 8%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Moscow: "A bomber strode into the international arrivals hall at Moscow's busiest airport on Monday afternoon and set off an enormous explosion, witnesses and Russian officials said, leaving bodies strewn in a smoke-filled terminal while bystanders scrambled to get the wounded out on baggage carts. Russian authorities said at least 34 people were killed and 168 injured in the attack."

* Iraq: "Two car bombs struck Shi'ite pilgrims Monday in an Iraqi holy city, killing at least 18 people as crowds massed for religious rituals marking the end of a 40-day mourning period for the Islamic sect's most beloved saint."

* A major document leak: "Israeli-Palestinian peace talks over the past 17 years have operated at two levels, one public, the other behind closed doors. To the world and their own people, each side spoke of sacred, non-negotiable demands while in the Jerusalem hotel suites where the officials met those very demands were under negotiation. Internal Palestinian documents leaked to Al Jazeera and published this week illustrate that dichotomy." Don't miss Matt Duss' take on the story.

* Shocking violence directed at police officers: "A spate of shooting attacks on law enforcement officers has authorities concerned about a war on cops. In just 24 hours, at least 11 officers were shot."

* This is what I wanted to hear: "President Obama has decided not to endorse his deficit commission's recommendation to raise the retirement age, and otherwise reduce Social Security benefits, in Tuesday's State of the Union address, cheering liberals and drawing a stark line between the White House and key Republicans in Congress."

* It was a long-shot anyway: "Diplomatic efforts to end the eight-year-old impasse over Iran's nuclear program ran aground Saturday after Iranian officials refused to bargain with the United States and other world powers unless they first agreed to conditions including an immediate halt to economic sanctions."

* Leading officials in the Obama White House appears to have largely given up on Benjamin Netanyahu. I can't say I blame them.

* If the accounts are accurate, the treatment David House and Jane Hamsher received at the Quantico Marine Corps base yesterday was outrageous and inexcusable.

* If confirmed by the Senate, Donald B. Verrilli Jr., a White House deputy counsel, will replace Elena Kagan as solicitor general of the United States.

* Good move: "President Barack Obama on Monday announced a government wide series of 50 programs and proposals to increase support for U.S. military families." The initiatives, crafted by Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, include more counseling to prevent suicides, increased education grants, and expanded child-care assistance.

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) was the Republican Party's first choice to give the GOP response to the State of the Union address. He declined.

* The guy who will give the GOP response, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), doesn't seem to understand monetary policy, either.

* Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) has a problem with Muslim Americans. Imagine that.

* An important question: "How many college graduates is the United States going to need in the next few decades in order to maintain its current economic status?"

* And being Vice President doesn't mean getting out of jury duty.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The latest CNN national poll shows President Obama's approval rating at 55%, its highest point since November 2009.

* As expected, Rahm Emanuel's attorneys appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court this morning, hoping to save his mayoral campaign in Chicago. Early voting in the city begins in just six days.

* Sen. John Ensign (R) apparently won't let a massive sex/corruption scandal and criminal investigation stand in the way of seeking re-election. The Nevada senator will hold a meeting of his re-election steering committee a week from today.

* Rep. Connie Mack (R) appears to be gearing up for a U.S. Senate race in Florida, launching a new fundraising drive to get him ready for the "next opportunity." He'll join a GOP primary, with the winner set to take on Sen. Bill Nelson (D) next year.

* GOP officials hope to see Rep. Jim Jordan (R), chairman of the right-wing Republican Study Committee, run against Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) in Ohio next year, but it looks increasingly unlikely. As of now, Jordan is "leaning against it."

* In the wake of her failed bid to lead the Republican National Committee, former Missouri Republican party chair Ann Wagner is getting ready to run for the U.S. Senate next year against Sen. Claire McCaskill (D). Wagner's interest reinforces rumors that former Sen. Jim Talent is no longer a likely candidate.

* Similarly, Michigan GOP leader Saul Anuzis, who also failed in his bid for the RNC chairmanship, is apparently interested in taking on Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) in 2012.

* Former Ambassador to Ireland Tom Foley (R), who narrowly lost Connecticut's gubernatorial race last year, isn't interested in retiring Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-Conn.) seat. Instead, Foley is already planning a rematch against Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy (D) in 2014.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* In the wake of Tunisia, civil unrest in Egypt: "Thousands of people calling for the end of the 30-year rule of President Hosni Mubarak clashed with riot police here in the capital and in other Egyptian cities on Tuesday, on a day of some of the most serious civil unrest in recent memory. Three people were reported killed, two protesters in the port town of Suez and a soldier who died of injuries sustained during the protests in Cairo."

* This may not be quite what it appears to be: "President Obama will call for reducing the deficit during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, proposing a five-year freeze on non-defense government spending, officials said."

* Not the news we were hoping for: "Home prices slipped in nearly every major metropolitan area in November, with a few cities hitting their lowest levels since prices peaked about four years ago, according to a closely watched index released Tuesday."

* Federal courts in Arizona were in bad enough shape before, but given Judge John Roll's tragic death in the recent Tucson shootings, the courts have no choice but to declare a judicial emergency and walk away from its own rules about speedy trials. Maybe Senate Republicans could, I don't know, let the chamber vote on some judicial nominees or something.

* In the 1990s, congressional Republicans cultivated a real hatred for the United Nations. It's apparently getting worse.

* Remember that 2008 crash that very nearly destroyed the global economy? It was entirely preventable.

* Carol Browner, the White House's coordinator for energy and climate change policy, is poised to leave her post. Browner's intended role leading a push for action on the climate crisis didn't come together, and with her departure, progress will be even less likely.

* On odious, but largely symbolic, vote: "The House voted on Tuesday to direct the chairman of the Budget Committee to cut federal spending to 2008 levels on a broad array of programs, as they sought to play offense in what is expected to be a long battle with the Obama administration on fiscal policy."

* Fox News makes stuff up. Try not to be surprised.

* For someone who claims to be a "constitutional conservative" and devotee of the Founding Fathers, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is spectacularly ignorant when it comes to history.

* If the Republican Study Committee thinks the road to fiscal responsibility goes through cuts to education, it's sorely mistaken.

* For his next trick, Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) intends to gut several key environmental laws in his state.

* House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King (R-N.Y.) wants to make sure no takes away his crown for Lawmaker Who Hates Muslim Americans Most.

* And rumor has it, there will be a State of the Union address in about three-and-a-half hours. If you're inclined to stop by, I'll be here, making various live-blogging observations.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Though previously expected to be the Republican frontrunner, former Sen. Jim Talent (R) of Missouri will reportedly not seek a rematch against Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) next year.

* The Illinois Supreme Court gave Rahm Emanuel what he was looking for yesterday: a stay of an appellate court's decision that removed him from Chicago's mayoral ballot.

* As if Texas wasn't quite reactionary enough, GOP lawmakers in the state are advancing a measure to require photo identification in order to vote. Studies have shown such laws invariably punish the poor, minorities, and students, which I suspect is the point of the Republican effort.

* In case there were any lingering doubts about Mississippi's Gov. Haley Barbour (R) presidential ambitions, he'll be attending private events in South Carolina today.

* In West Virginia, Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) looking pretty strong in advance of his 2012 bid for a full term. Manchin, a former governor, has huge leads over most of his GOP challengers, and a nine-point lead over Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R), generally considered the state's top Republican.

* Speaking of Public Policy Polling, the pollster also found this week that President Obama, who narrowly won North Carolina's electoral votes in 2008, leading all of the top Republican presidential contenders in margins ranging from three to nine points. Romney was the most competitive, while Palin was the least.

* In Iowa, Christie Vilsack appears to be gearing up for a Democratic congressional campaign, but with the state poised to lose a seat in post-Census redistricting, her ambitions may end up pitting her against incumbent Rep. Leonard Boswell (D). Vilsack is married to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Iowa's former two-term governor.

* Jim Suttle, the Democratic mayor of Omaha, Nebraska, just half-way into his first term, was subjected to a recall campaign organized by conservative activists. Yesterday, Suttle appeared to win and will keep his job.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' (D-Ariz.) condition has been upgraded from "serious" to "good." She was scheduled to be moved from the intensive care unit to a nearby rehabilitation center today.

* Egypt cracks down: "The Egyptian government intensified efforts to crush protests on Wednesday, decreeing a new ban on public gatherings and sending police equipped with clubs, tear gas and armored carriers against small groups that defiantly gathered in Cairo to oppose the 30- year rule of President Hosni Mubarak." There were reportedly 860 protesters arrested.

* Earlier today, the upper chamber of the Russian Parliament gave its final approval to the New START nuclear arms control treaty.

* The Congressional Budget Office expects a $1.5 trillion deficit this year. Before the right starts hyperventilating, conservatives should remember that this is their fault -- the tax cuts they demanded are driving the increase.

* Speaking of the CBO, I'm glad to see Doug Elmendorf receive a full four-year term, the Republican drive to discredit the office notwithstanding.

* A story to keep an eye on: "After two suspicious packages were delivered to Sen. John Cornyn's (R-Texas) offices in the Dallas area on Wednesday, local station CBS 11 reports that bomb squad technicians detonated the two devices."

* President Obama took his SOTU message on the road today, touring Orion Energy Systems, a power technology company, in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

* Remember the widely-mocked color-coded threat system created by the Department of Homeland Security? As of April, it's gone for good.

* It's hard to say whether this will translate into substantial GOP support, but the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is fully on board with the White House's infrastructure investment plans.

* Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.), easily one of Congress' most ridiculous members, wasn't impressed with last night's address: "Mr. President, you don't believe in the Constitution. You believe in socialism." What a strange man.

* One of the House Republicans' favorite talking points about Democrats and spending is demonstrably ridiculous.

* Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) makes all kinds of inexplicable decisions, but her education policies are simply impossible to defend.

* The right's fascination with politicians and teleprompters appears to be fleeting. Imagine that.

* At a House hearing today on federal regulations, Rep. John Sullivan (R-Okla.) asked, out loud, in front of a room full of people, "How do I explain all this gobbledygook you talk about?" And people wonder why I question the GOP caucus' intellectual capacity.

* Why, oh why, did ABC's "Good Morning America" invite Christine O'Donnell on to condemn the State of the Union address? What possible reason could there be for this?

* Fox News' Steve Doocy isn't just an odd Republican media personality, he's a thin-skinned, odd Republican media personality.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) is trying to gut measures approved by voters last year, requiring nonpartisan, post-Census redistricting. This is what happens when criminals are elected to run states.

* Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams formally launched his Senate campaign this morning, hoping to succeed Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) who is retiring at the end of her term next year. He'll be part of a very crowded primary.

* Things didn't go too well for Mitt Romney in Iowa three years ago, and in the upcoming presidential race, the former moderate-turned-conservative governor might just skip the first caucuses altogether.

* Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), arguably the Senate's most right-wing member, insisted yesterday that he's not interested in running for president. He then boarded a plane bound for Iowa.

* In case it wasn't obvious enough before, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) conceded yesterday that he's "seriously thinking" about running for president. You don't say.

* With Rep. Chris Murphy (D) running for the Senate in Connecticut, the race to replace him in the 5th district is starting to take shape. Three Republicans, including the former State Sen. Sam Caligiuri who lost last year, are poised to enter the race.

* Any chance former Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.), who suffered an unexpected defeat in 2010, might seek a rematch in 2012? Apparently not.

* Remember Sharron Angle? The failed, cringe-worthy Senate candidate in Nevada last year? She was in Iowa yesterday, and hedged about whether she might run for president of the United States: "I'll just say I have lots of options for the future, and I'm investigating all my options." Whatever you say, Sharron.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* As unrest continues in Egypt, ElBaradei returns to his country: "Mohamed ElBaradei, the Nobel laureate who has become a leading opponent of President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, returned to Cairo on Thursday in an attempt to galvanize youth-led street protests that extended into a third day across the country."

* Tunisia, then Egypt, now Yemen: "Yemen, one of the Middle East's most impoverished countries and a haven for Al Qaeda militants, became the latest Arab state to witness mass protests on Thursday, as thousands of Yemenis took to the streets in the capital and other regions to demand a change in government."

* Tragedy in Uganda: "David Kato knew he was a marked man. As the most outspoken gay rights advocate in Uganda, a country where homophobia is so severe that Parliament is considering a bill to execute gay people, he had received a stream of death threats, his friends said.... On Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Kato was beaten to death with a hammer in his rough-and-tumble neighborhood." Also note, the murder generated an official White House statement, reinforcing its significance.

* Iraq: "A car bomb exploded outside a funeral tent Thursday in a mainly Shiite area of Baghdad, killing at least 48 people -- the latest in a wave of attacks that has triggered fury over the government's inability to stop the bloodshed."

* A sharp and painful reversal: "The number of people applying for unemployment benefits rose sharply last week as snowstorms in some parts of the country forced companies to lay off workers. Applications surged by a seasonally adjusted 51,000 to 454,000, the highest level since late October."

* How well is GM doing? It's withdrawing its application for $14.4 billion in federal loans to upgrade its manufacturing operations.

* On a related note, Republicans were wrong about Chrysler, too.

* Major White House staffing announcements are underway, including Jay Carney replacing Robert Gibbs as press secretary.

* This should be interesting: "President Obama has renominated Donald Berwick to be administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a pivotal position in implementing the president's health care law."

* House Speaker John Boehner is walking back his own Social Security policy.

* Bush/Cheney took unprecedented steps to undermine the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Obama is putting things right.

* There are ways to improve college investments.

* Right-wing bloggers are accusing White House speechwriters of plagiarism in the SOTU. James Joyner didn't love the speech, but he knows nonsensical attacks when he sees them.

* Similarly, Obama didn't come up with "Win the future." Neither did Gingrich. Let it go, conservatives.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) isn't running for president, but at the urging of the Republican Governors Association, it seems all but certain that the far-right House member will run for governor of the Hoosier State next year.

* The Illinois Supreme Court ruled in Rahm Emanuel's favor yesterday, putting the former White House chief of staff back on Chicago's mayoral ballot. The election is Feb. 22, and if no candidate gets 50%, there will be an April 5 runoff.

* Yesterday, the Tea Party Express, which backed a variety of GOP primary insurgents, said it doesn't intend to target Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) in Utah next year. Today, however, the far-right group walked that back, saying it would consider supporting a Hatch challenger, if a "constitutional conservative candidate" were to "step forward."

* Though once considered the 2012 frontrunner in Missouri, former Sen. Jim Talent (R) formally announced yesterday that he will not take on Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) next year.

* Reinforcing the fact that he's serious about his presidential ambitions, former Sen. Rick Santorum (R) hired two experienced Republican strategists in Iowa this week.

* As implausible as it appears, U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman (R) is apparently "leaning toward" running for president, despite having spent the last two years as a member of the Obama administration.

* Former Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R), fresh off his failed gubernatorial campaign, is now giving serious consideration to challenging Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) next year.

* And Republican leaders are off to a strong fundraising start in 2011, with millions of dollars in contributions from "banks, health insurers, and other major business interests."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Egypt: "After a day of increasingly violent protests throughout Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak ordered the military into the streets to reinforce police struggling to contain one of the most serious challenges to his long and autocratic rule. The president also imposed an overnight curfew nationwide, but fighting continued on the streets of Cairo, the capital, and smoke from fires blanketed one of the city's main streets along the Nile. The ruling party's offices were in flames at nightfall and Reuters reported looting at the burning complex."

* As I'm getting ready to publish this, Mubarak is on Egyptian television, and he's actually taking credit for the protests and the freedoms enjoyed the protestors. In other words, he's spewing madness.

* In case you're wondering, the treasures in Cairo's Egyptian Museum, home to a huge number of priceless antiquities, are safe for now.

* Afghanistan: "A bomb blast Friday at a Kabul supermarket that's popular with foreigners killed at least eight people, including three foreign nationals, police and witnesses said. The Taliban immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, and said it was directed at the head of a U.S. security contractor that's operating in Afghanistan."

* Mark Doms scrutinizes the latest domestic GDP numbers, and finds plenty to be encouraged by.

* Another nut makes violent threats targeting the office of a congressional Democrat. This time, the target was Rep. Joe Donnelly's (D-Ind.) office. The nut was arrested by the FBI and facing federal criminal charges.

* Congressional Republicans seem to think they understand the debt issues in Ireland and Britain. They really don't.

* Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) realizes filibuster reform is dead, at least for a long while, in the Senate, but he still hopes to make progress through the courts. (For the record, I think it's highly unlikely the courts would even agree to hear the case -- the judiciary won't want to weigh in on how a legislative branch shapes its rules.)

* The Washington Post op-ed page has published some doozies, but today's piece arguing for President Obama to pardon Tom DeLay was surprisingly ridiculous.

* The Wall Street Journal's James Taranto is still arguing that liberal women hate Sarah Palin because she's a "threat to their sexual identity." I thought it was dumb enough when he put it in print last week, but now he's repeated the line on national television.

* Has anyone ever had a worse memory than disgraced former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales? It's like the guy suffered some kind of head trauma.

* Apparently, today's college freshmen are so stressed, they're just "overmedicated, tightly-wound balls of tension and fear."

* Bill O'Reilly thinks it's wrong to compare American political opponents to Nazis -- unless he finds his American political opponents offensive, in which case it's fine. He may want to think through this argument a little more, though it's unlikely he'll do so.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As part of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's "Drive for 25" campaign, the House committee is launching a round of radio ads, web ads, phone calls, and emails this week, targeting 19 GOP incumbents for their support of Republican spending cuts. Nearly all of the 19 GOP House members represent districts won by President Obama in 2008.

* The far-right American Future Fund has launched an attack ad in Nebraska, targeting Sen. Ben Nelson (D) on health care. The dishonest spot is ostensibly about urging support for health care repeal.

* It's not entirely clear if the Tea Party Express intends to bring down Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) in a primary next year, but Club for Growth has made up its mind, and it intends to go after the incumbent senator.

* Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) has another official challenger in Missouri, with failed congressional candidate Ed Martin (R) launching his campaign this morning.

* All evidence suggests U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman really is planning a presidential campaign in 2012 as a Republican. No ambassador in American history has ever served an administration, and then resigned to run against the president he served.

* Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) is apparently moving closer to his own presidential bid, and is calling major GOP donors, urging them to "keep their powder dry" until he makes a formal decision.

* The latest surveys from Public Policy Polling show Mike Huckabee leading the 2012 Republican pack in West Virginia and North Carolina. Mitt Romney, who fares well in many other states, is trailing badly in both of these contests.

* And former President George W. Bush was nowhere to be found in the 2010 midterm elections, and apparently plans to keep an equally low profile in 2012. Democratic officials are likely disappointed by the news.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Egypt: "The political forces aligned against President Hosni Mubarak appeared to strengthen sharply Monday when the Army said for the first time that it would not fire on the protesters who have convulsed Egypt for a week demanding his resignation. The announcement was shortly followed by the government's first offer to talk to the protest leaders. Egypt's new vice president said on state television that he had been authorized to open a dialogue with the opposition for constitutional and political reforms."

* Some economic fallout from the uprising: "Political turbulence in Egypt is casting a pall on global financial markets and creating new risks for the shaky world economy in the months ahead. Higher prices for oil and food, a problem intensified by the Egyptian uprising, could cause further unrest in the Muslim world. Analysts also are concerned that movement could be restricted through the Suez Canal, controlled by Egypt and a crucial link in world trade."

* Oh, for crying out loud: "Fraud and mismanagement at Afghanistan's largest bank have resulted in potential losses of as much as $900 million -- three times previous estimates -- heightening concerns that the bank could collapse and trigger a broad financial panic in Afghanistan, according to American, European and Afghan officials."

* Let's just say the White House wasn't impressed with the Republican court ruling on the Affordable Care Act today.

* Consumer spending climbs higher: "Americans spent at the fastest pace in three years in 2010, boosted by a strong finish in December."

* I'd characterize this as a one-sided vote: "Southern Sudan's referendum commission says more than 99 percent of voters in the south opted for secession according to the first official primary results released since the vote was held earlier this month."

* Income inequality in Egypt is a real problem. As it turns out, though, income inequality is actually worse in the United States right now.

* In an apparent terrorist plot, Roger Stockham was arrested last week after police found him with explosives in the trunk of his car in the parking lot of the Islamic Center of America, a Dearborn, Michigan, mosque.

* Former Sen. Evan Bayh becomes a lobbyist. Try not to be surprised.

* A far-right blogger, Paul Mirengoff of Powerline, blasted the Native American invocation at the recent memorial service in Tucson, despite working at a law firm with American Indian clients. As part of the fallout, Mirengoff is no longer a part of the prominent right-wing blog.

* Are America's state universities too cheap? Actually, no, they're not.

* And Richmond Ramsey tackles a common contemporary problem: an inability to have reasonable conversations with older relatives who watch Fox News. Ramsey labels it "Fox Geezer Syndrome," which is actually a pretty good name for it.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The 2012 Democratic National Convention will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina next year, edging out St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Cleveland.

* The Republican National Committee announced yesterday it's now $23 million in debt, a budget hole with no modern precedent for a major political party.

* U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman formally delivered a letter of resignation to President Obama yesterday, and will depart on April 30. It is widely believed that Huntsman, despite serving in the Obama administration for more than two years, will seek the Republican presidential nomination.

* In Montana, Republicans have recruited the Senate candidate they wanted -- Rep. Denny Rehberg (R) will take on Sen. Jon Tester (D) next year. Businessman Steve Daines, the other Republican in the race, is expected to drop out and run instead for Rehberg's House seat.

* The National Republican Trust helped elect Sen. Scott Brown (R) in Massachusetts a year ago, but announced yesterday that it hopes to defeat Brown in a GOP primary in 2012.

* Sen. Herb Kohl (D) of Wisconsin hasn't officially said whether he'll seek re-election next year, but in the last quarter of 2010, he loaned his campaign $1 million, which should make his intentions clear.

* On a related note, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) told a local reporter yesterday that he'll seek a 25th term next year.

* Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) says he's not running for president in 2012, but told a group in Las Vegas yesterday, "If I ran for office, I would be a proud younger brother of George W. Bush and a proud son of George H.W. Bush." I suspect Democrats wouldn't have it any other way.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Political pressures intensify throughout the Arab world: "King Abdullah II of Jordan fired his government in a surprise move on Tuesday, in the face of a wave of demands of public accountability sweeping the Arab world and bringing throngs of demonstrators to the streets of Egypt."

* The U.S. manufacturing sector had a good month in January, which made Wall Street pretty happy.

* In light of the ambiguities in yesterday's court ruling, Wisconsin's Republican attorney general has decided he no longer has to enforce the provisions of the Affordable Care Act. A spokesperson for the state AG's office refused to explain what this might mean for Wisconsin families.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is aware of Republican plans that include "privatizing or eliminating Social Security," but as far as he's concerned, such plans are "off the table."

* In a bit of a surprise, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) agreed today to a two-year moratorium on earmarks. The position puts Inouye at odds with Reid.

* Illinois takes a step forward on civil rights, approving a bill making civil unions legal for same-sex couples in this state.

* As a rule, copying and pasting materials from an anti-gay hate group, and including them in a federal court ruling, strikes me as a bad idea.

* The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) appears to have a legitimate shot this year.

* Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), who, for some unknown reason, is the new Republican chair of the House Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness, can't wait to cut education funding. Particularly vulnerable: low income students who go to college thanks to Pell Grants.

* I can't think of a reason to pay close attention to the political views of politicians' kids. They're entitled to their opinions, and I'm glad when they reach the right conclusions, but they hardly seem newsworthy.

* And Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), in an apparent bid to deal with the controversy surrounding his all-white cabinet, has named an African-American staffer as his Director of Minority Affairs. That's a start, I guess.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Democrats have been closely watching Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), waiting for evidence of his 2012 plans, and hoping he'll run for re-election next year. Yesterday's news was disappointing to the party -- the Virginia senator raised only $12,000 in the fourth quarter of 2010, and has just $440,000 in the bank. They're not the numbers of someone gearing up for a major statewide contest.

* Shortly after Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) learned that the Senate ethics committee had hired a special counsel to investigate his sex/ethics/corruption scandal, the senator said his re-election bid is still on track.

* Confirming other recent polls in Nebraska, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) trailing state Attorney General Jon Bruning (R) by double digits, 50% to 39%. Nelson also trails state Treasurer Don Stenberg (R), but by a much smaller margin.

* Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) won in November, but she'll be up again next year, hoping to win her first full term. Former New York Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey (R), well known as a professional liar, is apparently thinking about challenging her.

* In Minnesota, Republicans are still looking for a top-tier challenger to take on Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D), but former Sen. Norm Coleman (R) announced yesterday he's not running.

* Former Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.), who lost in a gubernatorial bid last year, has expressed interest in the race against Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), but that now appears far less likely. Hoekstra agreed this week to become a D.C. lobbyist.

* Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) hasn't said whether he'll seek re-election, but the latest survey from Public Policy Polling suggests he'd cruise to an easy win if he runs again.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Clashes in Egypt grow increasingly violent: "The Egyptian government struck back at its opponents on Wednesday, unleashing waves of pro-government provocateurs armed with clubs, stones, rocks and knives in and around Tahrir Square in a concerted effort to rout the protesters who have called for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's near-30-year rule."

* The White House has lost patience with Mubarak. Referencing President Obama's call for a transition, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters today, "Now means now."

* Journalists targeted in Cairo: "As chaos gripped central Tahrir Square in Cairo on Wednesday, journalists covering the scene on the ground found themselves the targets of violence and intimidation by demonstrators chanting slogans in favor of President Hosni Mubarak. One prominent American television correspondent, Anderson Cooper of CNN, was struck in the head repeatedly."

* With the region on edge, Yemen's longtime president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, announced a series of concessions, including his departure and a pledge that his son would not be his successor.

* Cyclone Yasi, packing extraordinary winds up to 186 mph, batters northeastern Australia.

* Judge Roger Vinson's decision on the Affordable Care Act was so wrong on so many levels that the Center for American Progress put together a fascinating interactive graphic, detailing every error of fact and judgment, page by page.

* On a related note, Wisconsin's Republican A.G. is walking back his refusal to enforce the law, while Florida's Republican administration is sending back federal funds in light of the ruling.

* Conservatives won't like it, but the truth is, the government already regulates inactivity, and has for years.

* President Obama signs New START, ending the treaty process.

* It appears the Gulf of Mexico will recover from the BP by the end of 2012, which is faster than many people expected.

* Barbara Morrill does what I should have done yesterday -- make a cool chart documenting the media's interest in health care court rulings.

* Fox News ran a Rupert Murdoch infomercial today instead of covering events in Egypt.

* Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) wants to cut U.S. aid to Israel. Senate Democrats push back.

* Michael Kinsley made me laugh out loud with this one.

* How for-profit schools keep the federal dollars flowing.

* Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) had one unfilled cabinet post, and he finally found an African-American official to join his team.

* Bill O'Reilly doesn't understand how climate change doesn't prevent snowstorms in winter. Al Gore explains it to him.

* And best wishes to Glenn Greenwald, who's out of the hospital and on the mend. Here's to a speedy recovery, Glenn.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* With the DCCC launching ads in 19 House Republicans' districts, Crossroads GPS, the Karl Rove-backed "independent" group, is investing $90,000 on radio ads in the same districts to defend the targeted lawmakers.

* Right-wing activists in Indiana weren't bluffing -- state Treasurer Richard Mourdock (R) has begun taking the initial steps to challenge incumbent Sen. Richard Lugar (R) in a Republican primary next year.

* Apparently part of her ridiculous national ambitions, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) will travel to South Carolina -- home to one of the earliest 2012 primaries -- this week.

* Sen. John Thune (R) of South Dakota has expressed an interest in running for president, but the latest evidence suggests he'll pass on the 2012 race and remain in the Senate.

* In Massachusetts, Sen. Scott Brown (R) is likely to face a top-tier Democratic challenger next year, but it won't be Rep. Barney Frank (D). The Democratic House member said today he'll seek re-election, instead.

* In Florida, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Sen. Bill Nelson (D), up for re-election in 2012, with a 45% approval rating. That's not horrible, but only 43% of Floridians believe he deserves another term.

* Speaking of Florida, Sunshine State Republicans are interested in blowing off their party's 2012 presidential nominating calendar, and moving up their primary. RNC Chairman Reince Priebus is desperate to convince them otherwise.

* Republicans have plenty of Senate targets next year, but Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) of California probably shouldn't be one of them -- the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows her with big leads over all of her likely GOP challengers.

* And in Alaska, defeated Senate candidate Joe Miller (R) still has quite a bit of money in the bank and is thinking about a 2012 campaign against someone -- though it's unclear who. One possibility is a primary race against Rep. Don Young (R), rather than waiting until 2014 to take on Sen. Mark Begich (D).

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Violence rages in Egypt: "Protesters and government supporters fought in a second day of rock-throwing battles at a central Cairo square while more lawlessness spread around the city. New looting and arson erupted."

* The attacks on journalists are astounding: "Security forces and gangs chanting in favor of the Egyptian government hunted down journalists at their offices and in the hotels where many had taken refuge on Thursday in a widespread and overt campaign of intimidation aimed at suppressing reports from the capital. By evening, it appeared that none of the major broadcasters were able to provide live footage of Tahrir Square, the epicenter of antigovernment protests."

* It's surprising, but the Mubarak government still has some high-profile American backers on the right, including conservative media figures and Republican members of Congress.

* A step in the right direction: "Applications for jobless benefits decreased by 42,000 to 415,000 in the week ended Jan. 29, Labor Department figures showed today."

* Taking the message on the road: "President Obama brought a message of economic innovation and clean energy to this key swing state on Thursday, even as his administration continued to grapple with the rapidly changing uprising in Egypt. In a speech at Pennsylvania State University, Mr. Obama promised new tax incentives, government investment and revamped regulations for energy efficiency."

* Bernanke at the National Press Club: "The economy is poised to grow more rapidly this year, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said Thursday, dismissing fears that rising fuel prices will trigger broad-based inflation. But he stressed that it will still take several years before the unemployment rate comes down to normal levels. "

* It's heartening to hear Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' (D-Ariz.) condition continues to improve.

* Last year, a bipartisan group of senators worked for months to pass a resolution calling for greater freedom and democracy in Egypt. Thanks to secret holds, it never reached the floor.

* The White House White Board is back. In this edition, we see Austan Goolsbee, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, talk up the "Startup America" initiative for U.S. entrepreneurs.

* Ted Frier makes the case than when it comes to risking default on U.S. debt, there's a "method to GOP madness."

* For now, it looks like the Pell Grant program will be fully funded. If that sticks, it's good news.

* And the right is back to talking about impeaching President Obama again. It's been weeks since conservatives banged this drum; I was starting to think they'd forgotten about it.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Montana, Sen. Jon Tester (D) is likely to face a very tough challenge from the state's lone U.S. House member, Republican Denny Rehberg. This week, with Rehberg launching his Senate bid, Tester immediately began tying him to one of his close allies: "He's going to bring Michele Bachmann to Montana -- that's who he'll be standing beside when he announces."

* On a related note, businessman Steve Daines (R), who had been running against Tester in Montana, ended his Senate bid and launched a campaign for Rehberg's House seat.

* In a bit of a setback for NRSC recruiting, Rep. Sam Graves (R) of Missouri officially announced yesterday that he will not take on incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) in 2012. Graves called it "an agonizing decision," but wants to keep his House chairmanship.

* Former Rep. Rob Simmons (R-Conn.), who lost a Senate primary last year, sounds like he's poised to try again, this time running for retiring Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-Conn.) seat.

* There will apparently be two Mormon candidates running for the Republican presidential nomination -- Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman -- but Utah Republicans appear to strongly prefer the former Massachusetts governor to the former Utah governor.

* And speaking of Utah, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) was outwardly hostile towards Tea Party groups over the last year, but facing the threat of a tough primary challenge in 2012, the conservative senator has reversed course and begun telling Tea Partiers he's one of them.

* Sen. Daniel Akaka (D) isn't raising a lot of money just yet, but the 87-year-old legendary Hawaiian still intends to seek re-election in 2012.

* If former Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.) wanted to launch a comeback bid next year, she has the support to be quite competitive. Public Policy Polling found the recently-defeated lawmaker narrowly leading Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) in a potential rematch, 46% to 45%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* New mass protests in the streets of Cairo: "Cracks in the Egyptian establishment's support for President Hosni Mubarak began to appear Friday as jubilant crowds of hundreds of thousands packed the capital's central Tahrir Square to call for his ouster, this time unmolested by either security police or uniformed Mubarak loyalists."

* The White House's not-so-subtle hints to the Mubarak government: "The Obama administration, encouraged by the relative calm in Egypt on Friday, is urgently trying to persuade opposition groups to participate in a dialogue with Vice President Omar Suleiman in a meeting scheduled for Saturday morning."

* A federal judge in Mississippi, appointed by George W. Bush, dismissed a lawsuit challenging the Affordable Care Act -- yet another legal win for the law -- but it wasn't on the merits. District Judge Keith Starrett rejected a lawsuit because the plaintiffs lacked standing. At least 14 lawsuits have been tossed on procedural grounds.

* How can the unemployment rate go down when so few jobs are being created? Annie Lowrey offers an explanation.

* Good advice: "The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, warned Congressional Republicans on Thursday not to "play around with" a coming vote to raise the government's legal borrowing limit." He added that lawmakers shouldn't view the debt ceiling as a "bargaining chip."

* Good question: "Why is Live Action doctoring its Planned Parenthood audio?"

* Remember the 1099 problem in the Affordable Care Act? A fix was approved this week in the Senate, 81 to 17.

* Rush Limbaugh yesterday mocked violence towards journalists at the hands of Egyptian thugs. Veteran war correspondents and those who monitor journalist safety overseas were not amused.

* The law needs to be enforced: "New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Monday announced the results of an undercover investigation into a gun show in Arizona -- and that those results show just how simple it is to buy a gun there with minimal oversight."

* Is the famously lucrative Master of Business Administration just another useless, overpriced degree? It's a reasonable question.

* "Press Secretary School" actually sounds pretty fun to me: "Incoming White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, in preparation to replace Robert Gibbs, has been conducting mock press briefings, with press staffers such as Gibbs and deputies Bill Burton and Josh Earnest conducting the grillings."

* I'm sorry to see Open Left go, and I wish the best for Chris Bowers and the rest of the team that did such great work at the site over the last several years.

* The "dumbest narrative of the year so far"? That's an easy one -- Politico has now run two separate pieces on First Lady Michelle Obama praising the barbecue n Charlotte, N.C., which the publication insists on calling a "gaffe."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In a surprise move, Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) is resigning from Congress to become the new director of the Woodrow Wilson Center. There will be a special election in California 36th district to replace her.

* As expected, Rep. Denny Rehberg (R) formally announced over the weekend that he's running for the U.S. Senate in Montana, will take on incumbent Sen. Jon Tester (D) next year.

* Speaking of confirming what we already suspected, Indiana state Treasurer Richard Mourdock acknowledged over the weekend -- twice -- that he is taking on Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) in a Republican primary next year.

* In Nevada, Rep. Shelley Berkley (D) is inching closer to a U.S. Senate campaign in Nevada, though she apparently wants to make sure she won't have a primary opponent. The seat is currently held by scandal-plagued Sen. John Ensign (R), who is seeking another term.

* On a related note, Nevada will hold one of the earliest Republican presidential nominating contests next year, but while likely candidates spend a great deal of time in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, aspirants appear to be blowing off Nevada. Fascinating data point: "More potential GOP candidates have traveled to Israel this year -- three -- than to Nevada."

* In a modern first, the 2012 Democratic National Convention will not accept any corporate donations at all, with the intended goal of "increasing the influence of grassroots and individual donors." It's safe to assume the Republican National Convention will not follow suit.

* In the "invisible primary" phase, there's a very large field of likely GOP presidential candidates, but don't assume we know all of the candidates just yet. Former two-term Alabama Gov. Bob Riley (R) is apparently eyeing the race, too.

* And as of today, the Iowa caucuses are just 363 days away. There are still no Republican candidates (except for that guy in Georgia who owned a pizza company).

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* On the streets of Cairo: "With Egypt's revolt entering a third week, many parts of Cairo appeared to be resuming normal life on Monday: A.T.M.'s dispensed much-needed cash, shops and banks were staffed -- though some kept their doors shut to customers -- and the city's drivers were snarled in a vast traffic jam.... Still, signs that the revolt had not ended were rife. Plans to reopen the stock exchange were postponed until Sunday. The army kept columns of armored personnel carriers patrolling the streets, and burnt-out vehicles remained in various squares."

* Talks in Egypt progressed over the weekend: "The main Egyptian opposition groups eased up on their insistence that President Hosni Mubarak step down immediately, agreeing instead on Sunday to join in talks toward overhauling the country's political system at a more gradual pace while Mubarak remains in office." Mubarak's newly appointed vice president, Omar Suleiman, led the talks, which included leaders from the banned Muslim Brotherhood movement.

* Following a successful independence referendum, Southern Sudan is poised to become the world's newest country. The White House announced today it will recognize Southern Sudan as a sovereign, independent state in July.

* The votes are slated for tonight: "In what Senate Democrats are hoping is a sign of forthcoming comity around the politics of filling judicial vacancies, Republicans have agreed not to block the confirmation of three nominees who had been stalled in the last Congress."

* President Obama takes his case to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, one of his most aggressive adversaries: "In his most overt effort yet to mend ties with the nation's business community, President Obama on Monday pledged to make government an ally to companies as they emerge from the worst economic downturn in generations."

* Effective today, the arms control treaty known as New START takes effect in the U.S. and Russia.

* Keith Olbermann will announce his next career move tomorrow. No one seems to have any idea what he'll say.

* Former President George W. Bush was forced to cancel a planned trip to Switzerland, upon learning he might be arrested for human rights abuses upon his arrival.

* Left with a dwindling budget and a tiny staff, it appears the Democratic Leadership Council will permanently close its doors, perhaps as early as next week.

* As part of the debate over the individual health care mandate, the new question du jour on the right is whether Americans could be forced to eat broccoli. Andrew Sabl considers whether this makes any sense.

* On a related note, Sabl also ponders the libertarian approach to budgeting, and comes away shaking his head.

* A significant trade mission to India gets underway this week.

* Why is college students' emotional health the worst it's been in 20 years?

* And finally, freshman Rep. Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.) actually published this yesterday: "When I was a child, President Ronald Reagan was the nice man who gave us jelly beans when we visited the White House. I didn't know then, but I know it now: The jelly beans were much more than a sweet treat that he gave out as gifts. They represented the uniqueness and greatness of America -- each one different and special in its own way, but collectively they blended in harmony." (Dear Hill staffers, do not let your bosses actually write their own op-eds.)

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* With Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) officially giving up her seat, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn (D) has said she intends to run, and California Secretary of State Debra Bowen (D) is almost certain to jump in, too. Marcy Winograd, who ran a credible primary race against Harman, said she's "exploring the possibility."

* As if Rep. David Rivera's (R-Fla.) widespread corruption scandals couldn't get any worse, they're getting worse. There's new evidence that the Miami-Dade Republican Party, which Rivera chaired, paid $150,000 to a political consultant with close ties to Rivera, but no one can explain what the party got for the money.

* In South Carolina, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) as "virtually unbeatable in a general election," but vulnerable to a Republican primary challenger.

* In California, Public Policy Polling's latest results suggest Republicans shouldn't even try to compete in the Golden State against President Obama next year.

* In New Mexico, if Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D) decides to seek re-election next year, winning shouldn't be much of a problem -- he has double-digit leads over all potential GOP challengers.

* A Vanderbilt University poll in Tennessee shows the state in play in 2012, if Republicans nominate Sarah Palin. In a hypothetical match-up, President Obama leads the former half-term governor in Tennessee, 42% to 37%.

* Is Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) running for president? The answer is probably pretty obvious, but in case there are any doubts, an advisor to the governor told CNN yesterday, "He's running until he says he's not."

* And in less-credible news, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), who gained no traction in his 2008 presidential race, is "strongly considering" running for president again in 2012.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Protests in Cairo are not dying down: "With a new wave of demonstrations in Tahrir Square on Tuesday -- by some measures the largest anti-government protests in the two-week uprising -- Egyptians loudly rejected their government's approach to political change and renewed their demands for the immediate resignation of President Hosni Mubarak."

* In fact, today's protests were energized by the words of Wael Ghonim: "Protesters thronged Cairo's Tahrir Square on Tuesday in one of Egypt's largest anti-government demonstrations to date as their movement was energized by a television interview given by a Google executive who for two weeks had been detained by Egyptian security officials."

* On the one-month anniversary of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) being shot, her husband noted today that the recovery process is a long one, but she's "recovering at lightning speed considering her injury."

* I think we saw this coming: "House Majority Leader Eric Cantor says upcoming spending legislation will forbid the White House from using any federal dollars to pay to implement the health care law."

* Congress will never go for it, but the White House budget plan will call for aiding struggling states: "The Obama administration is proposing short-term relief to states saddled with unemployment insurance debt, coupled with a delayed increase in the income level used to tax employers for the aid to the jobless." This would be wise, which is why the GOP will kill it.

* In developments resembling a miracle, the Senate actually confirmed three pending federal district court nominees. The vacancies on the federal bench, however, remain at a crisis point.

* Rep. Bill Posey (R), a right-wing Floridian, is comfortable with accepting government-subsidized health insurance because he's not sure if he's a federal employee. And the level of intellectualism found in the Republican House caucus slips just a little lower.

* Olbermann finds a new home: "Less than a month after leaving MSNBC, liberal lightning rod Keith Olbermann said Tuesday he's headed to Current TV, the public affairs channel launched six years ago by former Vice President Al Gore." Olbermann was named chief news officer at the network, and will have a prime-time talk show.

* The only thing worse than Donald Rumsfeld's tenure as Defense Secretary is reading Rumsfeld's memoir about his tenure as Defense Secretary.

* Another embarrassment for Fox News' Bill Sammon, with the latest in a series of memo leaks.

* Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) ran an op-ed on economic policy that's so wildly, shockingly wrong, it's upsetting that Politico even published it.

* I know most of the country doesn't want to hear this, but Ronald Reagan just wasn't a very good president.

* College staffers are suffering, too.

* Maine's buffoonish governor, Paul LePage (R), refused to let officials from the state Fire Marshal's Office testify on a fireworks proposal because he doesn't like their professional judgment.

* And White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was asked yesterday to respond to Sarah Palin's weekend criticism of administration policy on Egypt. "I read that answer several times, and I still really don't know what she's saying," he said.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Making the 2012 cycle that much more difficult for Democrats, Sen. Jim Webb (D) announced this morning that he will not seek re-election in Virginia. Former Sen. George Allen (R) shifts to frontrunner status, unless Dems convince former Gov. Tim Kaine (D) to give up his DNC chairmanship and run for the seat.

* Responding to right-wing criticism over New START, Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) chided Tea Party activists in his state yesterday, telling them to "get real." He's right, but the comment probably won't go over well.

* The Dems' decision to reject all corporate financing for the 2012 Democratic National Committee is drawing praise from reform-minded organizations. Fred Wertheimer, founder of Democracy 21, said yesterday, "This is the first time anyone has made any kind of effort to address the problem of unlimited money being used to finance our presidential conventions. It will be interesting to see if Republicans are prepared to do anything similar."

* A new Quinnipiac poll out of New Jersey shows Sen. Robert Menendez's (D) approval rating on the rise, up six points since December. President Obama's approval rating in the state stands at 55%. Both will be on the ballot in 2012.

* In case there were any lingering questions, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) said again yesterday that he's not running for president in 2012.

* Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) hasn't officially said whether he's seeking re-election, but the fact that he's hired a campaign manager seems like a big hint.

* Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said he's not running for president, but could he be encouraged to jump in? "I don't want to suggest that I'm waiting for any kind of draft," he said this week. "It's really not what I want to do.... I'm not ruling anything out, but it's not something I want to do."

* Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) narrowly defeated Ilario Pantano (R) last year, but the controversial retired Marine is gearing up for a rematch.

* Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R) has heard whispers about Republican presidential candidates skipping the Iowa caucuses, and he doesn't like it.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Egypt: "Labor strikes and worker protests that flared across Egypt on Wednesday affected post offices, textile factories and even the government's flagship newspaper, as protesters recaptured the initiative in their battle for the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak."

* The first inter-Korean dialogue in a long while didn't go well: "Military discussions between North and South Korea ended on Wednesday with no improvement in their badly strained relations and no agreement about whether to hold more substantive talks in the future. A Defense Ministry official in Seoul said the talks ended abruptly at 2:30 p.m. when the North Korean delegation 'unilaterally walked away from the table and out of the meeting room.'"

* Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) has recovered to the point that she's begun speaking again. It's "another significant milestone in her recovery."

* Congressional Republicans today grilled Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke over inflation that doesn't appear to exist. I can only imagine what the economy would be like if the GOP cared a fraction as much about unemployment.

* I'm still not sure why this isn't a no-brainer: "The Obama administration wants to invest $53 billion in high-speed and intercity rail service in the next six years, expanding a signature transportation initiative it already has targeted with $10.5 billion. The plan to spend billions more on a vast high-speed-rail network was cast by the administration as vital to keeping the United States competitive with world markets that already use the technology."

* The GOP's outrageous "forcible rape" provision was removed from one anti-abortion bill, but it's still in another.

* The fact that Donald Rumsfeld has no idea what he's talking about when it comes to Saddam Hussein and weapons inspectors isn't at all encouraging.

* What do Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Republicans have in common? Among other things, they all want to see the health care mandate eliminated -- after having believed the exact opposite up until fairly recently.

* Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) seriously believes having health care coverage through Medicaid is "actually worse" than being uninsured.

* The DCCC launches a good idea: a website directed at Speaker Boehner asking, "When are the jobs?"

* Glenn Beck isn't quite done antagonizing Bill Kristol.

* It seems pretty hard to believe that the growing number of college graduates in Egypt is the driving force for the recent uprising.

* And in South Carolina, state Sen. Robert Ford (D) was arguing against a new immigration law this week because "brothers" don't work as hard as "Mexicans." He said, Ford argued, "I know brothers -- and I'm talking about black guys -- they are not going to do the dirty work at Boeing, to do that hauling and all that building, that dirty work... A brother is going to find ways to take a break." What a moron. [Update: I had originally identified Ford as a Republican. Apologies -- he's a Democrat, though that doesn't change the idiotic qualities of the remark.]

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), the second-highest ranking Republican in the chamber, will announce today he will not seek re-election next year. He's the fourth incumbent senator to announce retirement plans in just the last few weeks.

* In light of former Rep. Christopher Lee's (R) unexpected resignation in upstate New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) will have to call a special election to fill the seat. The list of possible candidates in this "red" district is pretty long, but failed gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino (R) said this morning he will not run, disappointing reporters everywhere.

* Expressing his strongest interest in the 2012 presidential race to date, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) boasted to Politico of his fundraising prowess and big-name GOP supporters. "If I were to decide to do this, we would have an unbelievable letterhead," Daniels said yesterday.

* If local polls are accurate, former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel (D) will apparently cruise to an easy win in Chicago's mayoral race. The first round of balloting begins in two weeks, but if Emanuel tops 50%, there won't be a second round.

* Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) didn't start out as a far-right homophobe. He just evolved into one in preparation for his presidential campaign.

* Colorado is generally considered a swing state, but the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows the state looking pretty "blue." President Obama has a 51% approval rating in the state, and in hypothetical 2012 match-ups, the president leads GOP contenders by margins ranging from six to 19 points.

* On a related note, New Mexico has been a swing state in recent cycles, but Public Policy Polling found Obama leading the Republican field by margins ranging from 16 to 29 points.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* In Egypt, Vice President Omar Suleiman "called on protesters to end their demonstrations and stop listening to foreign media reports on the unrest in the country." This isn't going to work. Call it a hunch.

* Pakistan: A suicide bomber linked to the Pakistani Taliban attacked soldiers during morning exercises at an army training camp in the northwest Thursday, killing 31 troops and wounding 42 others.

* That's more like it: "New applications for regular state unemployment-insurance benefits fell 36,000 to a seasonally adjusted 383,000 in the week ended Feb. 5, hitting the lowest level since July of 2008, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected an initial-claims level of 410,000."

* I'm always glad to hear Obama talk about infrastructure: "Declaring that 'we can't expect tomorrow's economy to take root using yesterday's infrastructure,' President Obama traveled to this snowbound town in a remote corner of Michigan on Thursday to make the case that expanding wireless access is critical to the nation's economic recovery."

* On a related note, though Republicans don't care, European and Asian nations are speeding ahead on high-speed rail networks.

* This bears watching: "On Wednesday, Pakistani TV news aired what is apparently video of Pakistani police interrogating Raymond Davis, the American who allegedly shot and killed two men in Lahore, Pakistan last month, and whose continued detention has touched off a diplomatic crisis."

* Kevin Warsh is stepping down from the Federal Reserve board. Matt Yglesias wants to replace him, but that strikes me as unlikely.

* CNN sure does hire a lot of conservatives. Its latest move includes hiring local Tea Party leader and radio talk show host Dana Loesch to appear as an on-air political analyst. (We already have a Fox News; we don't need another.)

* Honoring Nathan Bedford Forrest on Mississippi license plates strikes me as spectacularly offensive.

* Watching Frank Luntz's latest focus group on Fox News is likely to be give me nightmares for a while.

* Tort-reform Republicans are running into trouble from Tenther Republicans. Oh how I wish the GOP had more grown-ups.

* No, congressional Republicans, Medicaid is not bad for those who rely on it.

* Charging college students extra for earning extra college credits seems like a very bad idea .

* I don't think the State of the Union was written with Twitter in mind, but it's an interesting idea.

* Glenn Beck wants you to "Remember the Alamo," which he thinks was about "Mexican independence." I know he's beyond fact-checking, but did no one on this staff stop to think, "Wait, that doesn't sound right"?

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* With Senate Minority Leader Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) retiring, some high-profile Republicans in Arizona are already expressing interest in his seat. Rep. Jeff Flake, a close ally of the far-right Club for Growth, appears likely to launch a campaign soon, and Rep. Trent Franks said yesterday he's "seriously considering" a run.

* On the other side of the aisle, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) had told confidants she would run for the Senate in the event of Kyl's retirement. That, obviously, was before last month's shooting. If her recovery progresses quickly enough, it's possible she might consider the race, and it appears likely other Arizona Democrats will wait and see, at least for a while, what Giffords decides.

* On a related note, with Kyl departing, the race is also on to replace him as the #2 person in the Senate Republican leadership. For now, it appears the race for GOP Whip will come down to Sen. John Cornyn of Texas and Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee.

* The right-wing billionaire Koch brothers are making plans for the 2012 election cycle, and are reportedly planning to spend $88 million on conservative causes.

* Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) will seek re-election next year in Utah, but he won't get a primary endorsement from his fellow Republican from his home state, Sen. Mike Lee. It's a dynamic with no modern precedent.

* In Virginia, former Gov. Tim Kaine (D) is reportedly "disinclined" to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Jim Webb (D), but we should get a formal decision from him fairly soon. If Kaine skips the race, expect much of the party's focus to turn to former Rep. Tom Perriello (D).

* Neil Livingstone, an occasional Fox News personality, will reportedly launch a gubernatorial campaign in Montana today.

* Failed U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R-Nev.) has apparently ruled out a presidential campaign. Good to know.

* And reality-show star Donald Trump apparently wants some attention as a possible presidential candidate, as evidenced by his odd speech at CPAC yesterday. (Trump didn't mention in his remarks that he was, up until fairly recently, pro-choice, an advocate of universal health care, and a donor to Democratic candidates. Maybe he forgot.)

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* It's "pure ecstasy" in the streets of Cairo.

* Uncertainty in the near future: "The shift leaves the military in charge of this nation of 80 million, facing insistent calls for fundamental democratic change and open elections. The military has repeatedly promised to respond to the demands of protesters. But it has little recent experience in directly governing the country, and will have to defuse demonstrations and labor strikes that have paralyzed the economy and left many of the country's institutions, including state news media and the security forces, in shambles."

* In all likelihood, even the Egyptian armed forces are unsure the Egyptian armed forces will do next.

* Robert Gibbs held his final briefing today as White House press secretary.

* Rep. Jay Inslee (D) and Washington's state Attorney General Robert McKenna (R) have a worthwhile dispute over Affordable Care Act litigation. (Islee is the one whose argument has merit.)

* I continue to love the White House White Board. In the latest edition, Austan Goolsbee, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, explains the National Wireless Initiative (and makes the first-ever White House reference to "angry birds").

* Is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's law firm working with "private security" companies to undermine its political opponents? ThinkProgress makes the case.

* The U.S. ambassadorship to Luxembourg appears to a job that's difficult to screw up. Cynthia Stroum seems to have found a way.

* I don't think Sarah Palin understands the "Holy Grail" metaphor.

* For-profit colleges are structurally different from most schools. That's not exactly a compliment.

* There's been no shortage of oddities at CPAC, but the guy who argued it's "logical" for the U.S. government to "monitor" Muslim Americans because of Japanese internment during WWII might deserve some kind of award for sheer madness.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As expected, Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) launched his U.S. Senate campaign today, becoming the first candidate to officially enter the race to replace retiring Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.). A few seconds later, Flake was endorsed by the right-wing Club for Growth.

* On a related note, while Flake will likely have primary foes, some Republicans have already withdrawn from consideration. Former Rep. John Shadegg and sitting Gov. Jan Brewer both said over the weekend they're not running.

* On the other side of the aisle, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, the former Democratic governor of Arizona, has reportedly expressed some interest in the Senate race, and party officials continue to ponder whether Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) would be well enough to run for the seat, if she were still interested.

* Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) won the presidential straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference, and former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.) came in second. I'm still not sure why anyone cares, but this caused a bit of a stir over the weekend.

* Late last week, Public Policy Polling released a survey showing President Obama leading the leading GOP presidential contenders in hypothetical match-ups in nine key states: Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Colorado, New Mexico, Virginia, Iowa, and Nevada.

* The Democratic gubernatorial primary is getting pretty crowded in West Virginia, with Secretary of State Natalie Tennant becoming the fourth contender. The special election will be held later this year.

* Sarah Palin has hired Michael Glassner as her chief of staff. Given Glassner's long history in Republican campaigns, the move suggests the former half-term governor may be eyeing a presidential campaign.

* And if Republicans in Utah had to choose between their former governor, Jon Huntsman, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in a Republican presidential primary, it wouldn't be close -- Romney leads Huntsman in a new Deseret News/KSL poll by 30 points, 56% to 26%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iran: "Hundreds of riot police officers deployed in key locations in central Tehran and other major Iranian cities on Monday, beating protesters and firing tear gas to thwart opposition marches that marked the most significant street protests since the end of 2009, news reports and witnesses' accounts from Iran said."

* Egypt: "Egypt's military leaders have told a coalition of young opposition leaders that they plan to convene a panel of distinguished jurists to submit a package of constitutional amendments within 10 days for approval in a national referendum within two months, setting a breakneck schedule for the transition to civilian rule."

* Egypt's generals yesterday imposed martial law and dissolved parliament. These were not unexpected developments.

* It's genuinely amusing to see Egypt's state media quickly shift gears from pro-government propaganda to celebrating Mubarak's ouster.

* New waves of unrest in Yemen and Bahrain.

* Iraq: "A suicide bomber blew himself up Saturday near a crowd of Shiite pilgrims at a bus depot in the northern Iraqi city of Samarra, killing 38 people and wounding scores of others, police and officials said."

* Afghanistan: "Taliban fighters deploying car bombs and rocket-propelled grenades killed at least 17 members of the Afghan security forces and two civilians in the southern city of Kandahar on Saturday, the U.S.-led coalition said in a statement."

* Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's (R) union-busting efforts are not going unchallenged.

* OMB Director Jack Lew suggested to reporters today that there's some kind of agreement in place with congressional Republicans not to shut down the government. I haven't heard this elsewhere, and I find this rather hard to believe.

* Remember the sophisticated and potentially deadly bomb found last month in Spokane? Those responsible for the attempted domestic terrorism remain at large.

* My best wishes to Andrew Sullivan as he returns from a lengthy absence due to illness. Now, Andrew, if you wouldn't mind correcting the doc-fix error you made today....

* Ave Maria University, the struggling -- and extremely conservative -- Catholic university in Naples, Florida, is under new management. Its new president will be Jim Towey, who's best known for running the Bush administration's legally-dubious faith-based schemes.

* South Carolina State Sen. Lee Bright (R), who apparently has too much time on his hands, wants the Palmetto State to create its own currency. Seriously.

* Former U.S. Agriculture Department official Shirley Sherrod has filed suit against right-wing activist Andrew Breitbart. For his part, Breitbart is changing his story as to why he published the deceptive video that ruined Sherrod's career in the first place.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), the new chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, "guaranteed" this week that "the House will be in play this cycle." He added, "I can guarantee you that the Republicans are already nervous and will be more nervous as we get deeper into the cycle."

* Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R), as he moves closer to a presidential campaign, is denying reports that he lobbied on behalf of the Mexican government in support of "amnesty" policies. Using the preferred rhetoric of the GOP base, Barbour said in a statement that he "never advocated amnesty for illegal aliens."

* In New Hampshire, a WMUR Granite State Poll shows former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney as the clear frontrunner in next year's Republican presidential primary with 40% support. Sarah Palin is struggling badly in the state with 6%.

* In the special election to replace former Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) threw her support yesterday to Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn (D), giving Hahn an early edge.

* In New York, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) will seek a full term next year, a new Siena poll shows her faring well. Though Gillibrand does not yet have a key GOP rival, her approval rating is up to 57%, and 52% are inclined to support her re-election.

* Controversial Maricopa Sheriff Joe Arpaio (R) is expressing interest in running for the seat of retiring Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) in 2012.

* In Utah, a new Deseret News/KSL poll shows incumbent Sen. Orrin Hatch leading Rep. Jason Chaffetz in a hypothetical Republican primary by 10 points. Chaffetz has not yet said whether he intends to run.

* In Florida, Sen. Bill Nelson (D) fares relatively well in a new Mason-Dixon poll, but there are signs of trouble. In hypothetical match-ups against Rep. Connie Mack (R) and former Sen. George LeMieux (R), Nelson leads by 5 and 14 points, respectively. In both cases, however, the incumbent is below 50%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Bahrain: "Thousands of demonstrators poured into this nation's symbolic center, Pearl Square, late Tuesday in a raucous rally that again demonstrated the power of popular movements that are transforming the political landscape of the Middle East."

* Iran: "A day after the most significant street protests in Iran since the end of the 2009 uprising there, members of the Iranian Parliament called on Tuesday for the two most prominent opposition leaders to be prosecuted and sentenced to death for stirring unrest."

* Egypt: "The military officers governing Egypt convened a panel Tuesday to revise the country's constitution that included both a distinguished Coptic Christian jurist and a member of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, offering the first significant evidence of the military's commitment to moving the country toward democratic rule."

* Secretary of State Hillary Clinton makes clear that the foreign-aid cuts proposed by House Republicans, if approved, will prove "devastating to our national security, will render us unable to respond to unanticipated disasters and will damage our leadership around the world."

* Would the Senate approve the House's proposed cuts? According to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), no.

* Chevron's guilty: "An Ecuadorian judge on Monday ordered Chevron Corp. to pay $8.6 billion to clean up oil pollution in the country's rain forest in what is believed to be the largest-ever judgment in an environmental case. And if the U.S. oil giant doesn't publicly apologize in the next 15 days, the judge ordered the company to pay twice that amount." As far as affected farmers are concerned, it's not enough.

* Pushing back against union-busting efforts: "Demonstrators gathered in large numbers at the Wisconsin state Capitol on Tuesday, to protest Republican Gov. Scott Walker's budget proposal to help close the state's shortfall by removing nearly all collective bargaining rights for public employees. As the Wisconsin State Journal reports, over 10,000 protestors gathered at the state Capitol building Tuesday, with thousands also crowded inside the building itself."

* Slowly but surely, this story keeps getting more interesting: "A feud between a security contracting firm and a group of guerrilla computer hackers has spilled over onto K Street, as stolen e-mails reveal plans for a dirty-tricks-style campaign against critics of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce." The L.A. Times is picking up on this, too.

* Today's single most ridiculous headline from a legitimate news outlet: "Obama's budget would add $13 trillion to national debt." Is this some sort of joke? Did Fox News staffers invade the McClatchy offices?

* Greg Sargent speaks to the "justifiable homicide" lawmaker in South Dakota, who presented a defense for his bill that appears to clear the way for killing abortion doctors.

* Remember Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi, codenamed "Curveball"? He told the Bush administration Iraq had a secret biological weapons program. He was lying. (thanks to A.S. for the tip)

* I don't mind that Thomas DiLorenzo, an economics professor at Loyola University Maryland, appears to be a nut. I mind that he was called to deliver congressional testimony last week.

* A good slogan: "Put women and children last."

* And MoveOn.org has a powerful new ad responding to Republican efforts to limit women's reproductive rights. It's likely to generate some attention.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* DNC Chairman and former Gov. Tim Kaine is open to running for the U.S. Senate in Virginia, and will reportedly discuss this with President Obama directly this week. The seat is current held by Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), who's retiring. For his part, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has privately urged Kaine to run for the seat.

* Several congressional Dems will host a D.C. fundraiser for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) on March 15, intended to boost her re-election coffers in advance of the 2012 cycle.

* Edward M. Kennedy Jr. had expressed some interest in Connecticut's open U.S. Senate race next year, but has decided not to run.

* The special election in California's 36th congressional district got a little more crowded yesterday when California Secretary of State Debra Bowen (D) launched her campaign.

* Scandal-plagued Sen. John Ensign (R) is seeking re-election in Nevada, but National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (R-Texas) doesn't seem happy about it, and is making no effort to support the incumbent.

* Speaking of Nevada, Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) said yesterday she's "seriously looking" at running in next year's Senate race, and would likely be competitive against Ensign.

* A number of credible Louisiana Democrats have decided not to run for governor this year, apparently believing that incumbent Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) is too strong a favorite to win a second term.

* In Tennessee, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Bob Corker (R) looking like a safe bet for re-election, unless former Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) runs. In that hypothetical match-up, Bredesen leads Corker, 46% to 41%.

* Reality-show star Donald Trump continues to flirt with a presidential campaign, and this week changed his voter registration to the GOP. Asked about Trump having been pro-choice, but not anymore, an aide told National Journal, "People change their positions all the time, the way they change their wives."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Bahrain: "Tens of thousands of demonstrators poured into Pearl Square here late into the night as Shiite opposition leaders issued assurances they were not being influenced by Tehran and were not interested in transforming the monarchy into a religious theocracy like the Islamic Republic in Iran."

* Egypt: "Egyptians staged protests and strikes Wednesday over a host of grievances from paltry wages to toxic waste dumping, defying the second warning in three days from the nation's military rulers to halt all labor unrest at a time when the economy is staggering."

* The Fed is slightly more optimistic about 2011, at least as far as growth is concerned.

* A very big deal in Madison: "Thousands of people descended on the Wisconsin state Capitol for a second day of powerful protests Wednesday as key votes approached on Republican Gov. Scott Walker's plan to strip away the collective bargaining rights of public employees."

* Josh Marshall offers some context: "If Gov. Walker (R) is able to push through big, big changes to collective bargaining rights and makes it stick, that will be picked up in many other states and it will shape perceptions of the public mood going into the 2012 election -- from the top of the ticket all the way down to the bottom. On the other hand, if he gets shut down and the idea takes hold that he overreached, that will have similarly widespread effects in other states as well as in shaping the political terrain going into 2012."

* Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) downplayed the prospects of a government shutdown in a Fox News interview. Here's hoping he's right.

* With Republicans bringing a machete to the budget, and aiming for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Sesame Street crowd and their Democratic allies are speaking up.

* The Senate voted late yesterday to extend three counterterrorism provisions of the Patriot Act for 90 days. The vote was 86 to 12.

* Senate Dems have embraced White House messaging, and today released the caucus' "Winning the Future" agenda. It's not a bad set of ideas, but the list is more a vision statement than a to-do list -- there's no way the narrow Senate majority could overcome GOP filibusters, better yet a Republican-led House.

* Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) won't allow the Senate to vote on a nominee to head the Fish and Wildlife Service until the administration does more to make oil companies happy. Have I mentioned lately that the Senate is broken?

* The guy in South Dakota with the "justifiable homicide" bill is apparently feeling quite a bit of heat, and is prepared to make some meaningful changes to his proposal.

* David Roberts flags a poll showing public opposition to congressional Republicans' attacks on the EPA.

* Former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) is getting back in the game and launching a liberal political action committee.

* President Obama wants America to be the country in the world with the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. Is that likely to happen? Not really.

* For what it's worth, Paul Waldman, I always really liked The Gadflyer.

* I have no idea what Nir Rosen was thinking, but there's no excuse for such ugliness in the wake of the assault on Laura Logan.

* On a related note, Jim Hoft blaming Logan for her assault is just disgusting.

* I liked this line from Greg Sargent: "[I]f Fox's explicit goal has been to create a self-sustaining, self-perpetuating alternate reality, as many have alleged, it appears that when it comes to Americans' views of Muslims, the network may be succeeding brilliantly."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) has assembled an alumni association of sorts -- he holds regular conference calls with nearly all of the Dems who lost their seats in 2010. Israel apparently hopes to set up a series of rematches, starting with the 14 districts Kerry won in 2004, Obama won in 2008, but which Republicans won in 2010.

* While DNC Chairman and former Gov. Tim Kaine decides whether to launch a Senate campaign in Virginia, former Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) said he won't run if Kaine does. If Kaine passes, Perriello added, "I will consider it."

* In Pennsylvania, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D) with a reasonably good 44% to 24% approval rating. A 46% plurality believes Casey, who'll seek re-election next year, deserves another term.

* On a related note, the same Quinnipiac poll shows Pennsylvania voters preferring President Obama to a generic Republican challenger, 45% to 39%.

* Recent rumors have suggested that Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) would skip the 2012 presidential race, but "he is suddenly very eager to get his name out there." This includes interviews this week with National Review and radical TV preacher Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network.

* Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), for whatever reason, appears to be moving forward with plans for a presidential campaign, including a trip to New Hampshire on March 11 and 12.

* As former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) inches closer to his own presidential campaign, he realizes he has a Google problem. Thanks to Dan Savage, searching for Santorum's name produces results of an adult nature.

* And if Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) launches a presidential campaign, he can expect very little support from Rush Limbaugh. Daniels told CPAC's audience last week that the Republican Party "will need people who never tune in to Rush or Glenn or Laura or Sean, who surf past C-SPAN to get to SportsCenter." This did not go over well with the right-wing radio host.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Bahrain: "The army took control of [Manama] on Thursday, except at the main hospital, where thousands of people gathered screaming, crying, collapsing in grief, just hours after the police opened fire with birdshot, rubber bullets and tear gas on pro-democracy demonstrators camped in Pearl Square."

* John McCain boasted the other day that Iraq is unaffected by regional protests. He's wrong: "Unrest continued to spread in Iraq on Thursday, with new protests erupting in several cities and reports from law enforcement officials that private security guards in a city in Kurdistan fired on a group of protesters who tried to storm the political offices of the region's leader."

* Libya: "Exiled opponents of the Libyan leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, said on Thursday that protests mirroring the turmoil in the Arab world had broken out in several parts of the country on a so-called Day of Rage to challenge his 41-year-old iron rule -- the region's longest."

* Every time we dip below 400k, it inches back up: "The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits edged up last week, the government said Thursday."

* A much better number: "The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said its index of manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region nearly doubled between January and February."

* Yet another pathetic display: "Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell says he will not enact the federal health care overhaul after a judge in Florida struck down the law as unconstitutional. "

* The House approved a three-month extension of three Patriot Act surveillance authorities earlier, sending the bill to the White House for the president's signature.

* Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) suggested the government could save money by ending Pentagon sponsorship from NASCAR teams. She's now facing death threats.

* The smartest piece on the budget fight you'll read today, from the estimable E.J. Dionne, Jr.

* Georgia Republicans are desperate to cut spending, especially on infrastructure. Apparently, federal funding to expand and deepen the Savannah Port doesn't count.

* Right-wing lies about health care are nothing new, but Sen. John Barrasso's (R-Wyo.) speech on the subject the other day was a tour de force in shameless dishonesty. It's almost as if he created a list of common lies, and then strung them together.

* If college students aren't happy with budget cuts, they're really going to have to do more than remain silent.

* As if he didn't have enough trouble, Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) lashed out at a police officer who'd pulled him over, calling the policeman an "idiot" three times. The officer now wants an in-person apology.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* There was some talk DNC Chairman and former Gov. Tim Kaine would announce his Senate plans at at the Virginia Democratic Party's Jefferson-Jackson dinner Saturday, but that's not going to happen. Kaine said it'll be a couple of weeks before he makes a formal decision.

* As of yesterday, it looks like Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano appeared disinclined to run for the Senate in her home state of Arizona.

* For the second consecutive presidential cycle, Florida is causing headaches for major party nominating plans. Florida intends to hold its primary in late January; the Republican Party wants it moved to March. Neither side is budging.

* Former Rep. Chris Carney (D) appears to be looking for a rematch against freshman Rep. Tom Marino (R) in their Pennsylvania district. Carney met with DCCC officials about the race last week.

* The DCCC will not, however, get the rematch it wants in South Dakota. Former Rep. Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin (D), who lost last year, maintains strong poll numbers, but will apparently join a D.C. lobbying firm, rather than seeking a return to Congress.

* The Democratic primary in the special election for former Rep. Jane Harman's (D-Calif.) seat features a sizable field, but the winner won't run unopposed -- attorney Mike Webb announced yesterday he's running as a Republican.

* Former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin told a New York audience yesterday she's still weighing a possible presidential campaign. "I am still thinking of leading this country," she said. "I am still thinking about it. I haven't made up my mind."

* And Nate Silver ran an interesting analysis of the likely 2012 GOP presidential field this week. He found, "The early evidence ... suggests that this year's Republican field may in fact be quite weak by the standards of recent election cycles."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Firing on civilians in Bahrain: "Government forces opened fire on hundreds of mourners marching toward Pearl Square on Friday, sending people running away in panic amid the boom of concussion grenades. But even as the people fled, at least one helicopter sprayed fire on them and a witness reported seeing mourners crumpling to the ground."

* Libya: "Thousands gathered Friday for a fourth day of demonstrations in Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city, in an unprecedented challenge to the mercurial 41-year reign of Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi."

* Yemen: "Anti-government protesters clashed with loyalists of President Ali Abdullah Saleh on the streets of the capital for the eighth straight day Friday, hurling insults and chunks of concrete at one another. But the loyalists - along with Yemeni security forces, who fired shots in the air - managed to swiftly disperse the crowds."

* Egypt: "On foot and in battered taxis, tired minivans and lurching buses, hundreds of thousands of Egyptians streamed toward Tahrir Square on Friday, reaffirming their victory over the country's old repressive government and their determination to build a new free one."

* Good for the White House: "The Obama administration rescinded most of a federal regulation Friday designed to protect health workers who refuse to provide care they find objectionable on personal or religious grounds. The Health and Human Services Department eliminated nearly the entire rule put into effect by the administration of President George W. Bush during his final days in office that was widely interpreted as allowing such workers to opt out of a broad range of medical services, such as providing the emergency contraceptive Plan B, treating gay men and lesbians and prescribing birth control to single women."

* Senate, with broad bipartisan support, easily passed an aviation reauthorization bill last night. The final vote was 87 to 8.

* Net neutrality: "House Republicans on Thursday moved to block the Federal Communications Commission from enforcing new rules that prohibit broadband providers from interfering with Internet traffic on their networks."

* It sounds like Mark Ekstrum has some explaining to do: "A veteran firefighter refused to respond to last month's deadly shooting spree that left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords wounded because he had different political views than his colleagues and 'did not want to be part of it,' according to internal city memos."

* I'll assume impeachment is the next step: "The chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee fires off a letter to Nancy-Ann DeParle, asking for every document related to health care negotiations -- all of them."

* Why history may be repeating itself in Wisconsin.

* Next year's CPAC hopes to drive out participants who may respect gay people. Contemporary conservatism spirals downward, just a little more.

* This story out of Pennsylvania really is stunning: "A former juvenile court judge was convicted Friday of racketeering in a case that accused him of sending youth offenders to for-profit detention centers in exchange for millions of dollars in illicit payments from the builder and owner of the lockups."

* Even some conservatives think Texas officials created a ridiculous state education curriculum.

* A worthwhile timeline: Two years of economic recovery.

* And Matt Yglesias reflects on Mike Huckabee's attitudes towards Israel: "I have no particular view on whether or not Abraham was a real historical person, but trying to view present-day political disputes as mere extensions of events that occurred thousands of years in the past isn't going to have a happy ending."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Late last week, Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D) of New Mexico announced he will not seek re-election in 2012. He's the fourth member of the Democratic caucus to retire in advance of the coming cycle -- following Sens. Jim Webb (Va.), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), and Kent Conrad (N.D.) -- making next year that much more difficult for the party.

* In the race to replace Bingaman, some credible Democratic candidates, including state Auditor Hector Balderas and U.S. Rep. Martin Heinrich, have already strongly hinted that they'll run, and 2010 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Diane Denish is also expected to launch a campaign.

* Among New Mexico Republicans, former Rep. Heather Wilson and Rep. Steve Pearce are both reportedly in the mix.

* In Connecticut, Rep. Joe Courtney (D) announced this morning he is not running for the Senate seat currently held by retiring Sen. Joe Lieberman (I). Two other Dems are already in the race -- Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz and Rep. Christopher Murphy.

* On a related note, the Republican field in Connecticut hasn't come together just yet, but GOP officials are reportedly trying to recruit state Sen. L. Scott Frantz.

* Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano made it official late last week that she is not running for the Senate in her home state of Arizona. A DHS spokesperson told reporters, "She cares deeply about Arizona, but the Secretary intends to continue doing the job that the President asked her to do -- protecting the American people from terrorism and other threats to our country."

* RNC Chairman Reince Priebus' principal goal at this point is to keep a low profile and raise a lot of money. So far, he's doing just that -- Priebus raised $3.5 million in his first two weeks on the job, and has been largely unseen in the media.

* And in case Dems needed yet another reminder of their difficulties in the South, the party lost a state Senate special election in Louisiana the other day, giving the Republicans control of the chamber for the first time since Reconstruction.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya starts to unravel: "Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi's regime showed more signs of crumbling Monday as scores of people were reportedly killed in the capital, witnesses said military helicopters shot at protesters on the ground, and the U.S. ordered non-essential diplomats to leave the North African nation. The six-day-old uprising had reached the capital, Tripoli, by Monday morning, with reports of buildings being set ablaze and looting in some neighborhoods. In Libya's second-largest city of Benghazi, anti-government demonstrators celebrated on the streets, with reports growing that the city was now under their control."

* The violence towards unarmed civilians in Libya is heartbreaking: "The faltering government of the Libyan strongman Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi struck back at mounting protests against his 40-year rule, as helicopters and warplanes besieged parts of the capital Monday, according to witnesses and news reports from Tripoli."

* How bad has it gotten for the Libyan regime? This bad: "Members of Libya's mission to the United Nations publicly repudiated Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi on Monday, calling him a genocidal war criminal responsible for mass shootings of demonstrators protesting against his four decades in power. They called upon him to resign. The repudiation, led by Libya's deputy permanent representative at a news conference at the mission's headquarters in New York, amounted to the most high-profile defection of Libyan diplomats in the anti-Qaddafi uprising that has convulsed Libya over the past week."

* Afghanistan: "A suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance to an Afghan government office Monday, killing at least 30 people -- many who were waiting in line to obtain government identification cards, police said."

* A disgraced, racist Tea Party leader presents his new anti-union plan: get right-wing activists to pose as SEIU organizers and cause trouble.

* Apparently, it's still possible for pundits' love of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) to get more ridiculous.

* If it seems odd to have Democrats in the Wisconsin Senate flee to deny the chamber a quorum, remember, it's been a fairly common tactic for many years. Abraham Lincoln literally jumped out a window 170 years ago to deny a quorum in Illinois.

* Good point from Nate Silver: "Rasmussen should probably just drop the pretense that they are non-partisan."

* Concerns rise over Rep. David Wu's (D-Ore.) mental health.

* Arizona has an odd low-cost college plan: "Since the state evidently has no plans to give the public college more money (which could reduce tuition), the solution appears to be to give Arizona residents some low-quality education options."

* I couldn't care less whether Rush Limbaugh is fat, but when he goes after First Lady Michelle Obama on the air, suggesting that she's overweight, I wonder if Limbaugh's drug addiction has damaged his eyesight, too.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Republican leaders in New York chose Assemblywoman Jane Corwin yesterday to run as the GOP nominee in the special election to replace former Rep. Chris Lee (R). The GOP's Tea Party wing immediately criticized the selection, insisting that Corwin isn't right-wing enough.

* Hoping to defuse a controversy, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) announced yesterday he opposes a measure to honor Nathan Bedford Forrest on state-issued license plates.

* Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) is already facing a credible GOP primary challenger, and now his opponents have a new area for criticism: when Lugar returns to his home state, he lives in a hotel.

* Speaking of Indiana, Dems in the Hoosier State received some more discouraging news yesterday when former Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D) and Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel (D) said they're skipping next year's gubernatorial race.

* Voters will head to the polls in Chicago today, the first phase is electing a new mayor. If former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel tops 50% of the vote, there will be no second phase.

* Former governor and DNC Chairman Tim Kaine still hasn't said whether he's running for the Senate next year, but at Virginia's Jefferson-Jackson dinner over the weekend, attendees were effectively treated to a pro-Kaine pep rally.

* Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) was asked yesterday whether he's considering running for president in 2012. "No," he said, "I'm running for reelection to the United States Senate."

* And Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) said yesterday he'd "probably" accept an invitation to be the Republican vice presidential nominee, if it were offered.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* By all accounts, the streets of Tripoli are a war zone: "Libya appeared to slip further into chaos on Tuesday, as Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi vowed to 'fight until the last drop of my blood' and clashes intensified between rebels and his loyalists in the capital, Tripoli. Opposition forces claimed to have consolidated their hold over a string of cities across nearly half of Libya's 1,000 mile Mediterranean coast, leaving Colonel Qaddafi in control of just parts of the capital and some of southern and central Libya, including his hometown."

* New Zealand: "Rescue workers spent a cold, rainy night searching through rubble for survivors of a powerful earthquake that struck New Zealand's second-largest city, Christchurch, on Tuesday, killing at least 65 people."

* Markets freaked out a bit today, leading to a Saudi announcement: "Trying to calm turbulent oil markets, Saudi Arabia's oil minister said on Tuesday that the OPEC cartel was ready to pump more oil to compensate for any dropoff caused by unrest in the Middle East."

* He's usually more diplomatic: "To the shock of President Hamid Karzai's aides, Gen. David H. Petraeus suggested Sunday at the presidential palace that Afghans caught up in a coalition attack in northeastern Afghanistan might have burned their own children to exaggerate claims of civilian casualties, according to two participants at the meeting."

* It's not just Wisconsin: "Protestors packed into Ohio's State Capitol building and several thousand more gathered outside on Tuesday, as its legislature planned new hearings on a bill that would effectively end collective bargaining for state workers and dramatically reduce its power for local workers, like police officers and firefighters."

* Don't forget the anti-union push in Florida, too: "The bill would bar government employers from deducting either union dues or voluntary contributions to union political accounts."

* In Madison, a left-leaning website used by union supporters to rally protesters has been inaccessible in Wisconsin's capitol. Hmm.

* On a related note, "Americans for Prosperity" are launching an ad campaign in Wisconsin. Imagine that.

* I wish I knew why Republican governors don't like their constituents, and seem to want their state economies to suffer.

* Rep. David Wu (D) of Oregon is now being treated with medication and counseling after an "intervention" staged by his staffers.

* Terrific graphic from Jamison Foser: "People likely to be hired by CNN."

* George Will sure could use an editor.

* Post of the Day: "The Relationship between Union Membership and State Budget Deficits."

* The National Institute for Civil Discourse will be housed at the University of Arizona, and its honorary co-chairmen will be former presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

* And Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) is ready to see his home state of Nevada end legal prostitution, which he believes may be an impediment to economic development: "Nevada needs to be known as the first place for innovation and investment -- not as the last place where prostitution is still legal." We'll see how that goes.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Former White House chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel won Chicago's mayoral race yesterday, cruising to a fairly easy victory.

* Speaking of mayoral races, voters in Kansas City, Mo., ousted incumbent Mayor Mark Funkhouser yesterday. He's the first K.C. mayor in more than 80 years to be denied a second term.

* The right-wing American Crossroads GPS, created in part by Karl Rove, is launching radio ads targeting 22 House Democrats. The attack: these Dems aren't doing enough to support brutal, job-killing spending cuts.

* The NRSC has high expectations in the race against Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) in Missouri next year, but so far, high-profile candidates are skipping the contest. Yesterday, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R) said she, too, isn't going to run in the statewide contest.

* The GOP primary in Virginia's U.S. Senate race is getting a little crowded. Virginia Beach attorney David McCormick is the latest to launch a campaign in the commonwealth.

* At an event in Nevada yesterday, scandal-plagued Sen. John Ensign (R) was asked by an elderly constituent, "Have you repented to God for your affair?" He said he has.

* On a related note, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is getting increasingly optimistic about the party's chances against Ensign, and committee officials have lined up meetings with a series of prospective candidates, including Rep. Shelley Berkley (D).

* Republicans probably shouldn't invest too heavily against Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D) in Rhode Island next year -- a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows him looking very strong.

* And in case there were any lingering doubts about his intentions, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) was in Iowa this week, meeting with Iowa's governor and other state GOP leaders.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "Fighters loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi sought to maintain their grip on the capital, Tripoli, on Wednesday, as a growing popular uprising spread across the eastern part of the country and anti-government forces consolidated control over key Mediterranean cities."

* Oil prices: "Oil prices hit $100 per barrel for the first time since 2008, driven by growing concerns about global supplies, as Libya's Moammar Gadhafi continued to lose his grip on the oil-rich country. Similar uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt earlier this month already had markets on edge before protests escalated in Libya, which has the biggest oil reserves in Africa."

* Purple Hearts: "President Barack Obama awarded six Purple Hearts while visiting with wounded service members on Wednesday. The commander in chief met with 22 patients and their families during a midday visit to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., just outside of Washington, the White House said. Twenty-one served in Afghanistan; the other served in Iraq."

* A closer look at the Wisconsin budget: "The state's entire budget shortfall for this year -- the reason that Walker has said he must push through immediate cuts -- would be covered by the governor's relatively uncontroversial proposal to restructure the state's debt. By contrast, the proposals that have kicked up a firestorm, especially his call to curtail the collective-bargaining rights of the state's public-employees, wouldn't save any money this year."

* On a related note, Gov. Scott Walker (R) insisted the other day that he "campaigned on" his union-busting proposals, adding, "Anybody who says they are shocked on this has been asleep for the past two years." He's lying.

* The Indiana Deputy Attorney General who said he wanted to see "live ammunition" used on protesters in Wisconsin? He's been fired.

* Sens. Kerry, Franken, Cantwell, and Wyden haven't forgotten: "Four Senate Democrats wrote to Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Wednesday to oppose GOP efforts to defund net neutrality rules through spending legislation."

* Fox News gets Gallup data exactly backwards, badly misleading viewers. Is the network incompetent or dishonest?

* I knew Americans paid less for gas than other countries, but I didn't appreciate how much less.

* The director of MassHealth -- the state-run Medicaid plan that insures nearly 1.3 million Massachusetts residents -- seems to think consumers would be better off with single payer. Something to keep an eye on.

* Once more, targeting those who get in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's way.

* Interesting: "A new study shows that, beyond increased voting, going to college really has no impact on engagement in the political process."

* Terry Jeffrey expresses a sentiment that's more common than some might expect among far-right activists: "It is time to drive public schools out of business."

* And on a personal note, today is, for lack of a better word, my "Blogoversary" -- I started blogging exactly eight years ago today. (My very first post in 2003 -- I kid you not -- was complaining about the guest list on "Meet the Press." I guess some things never change.) It's hard to believe I've given more than a fourth fifth of my life to do this non-traditional profession, but I continue to enjoy the work. Whether you've been reading for eight days or eight years, my most sincere thanks for the support.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In New York's 26th congressional district, where a special election will be held to replace former Rep. Chris "Craigslist" Lee (R), a familiar dynamic is taking shape. Local Republican officials tapped Assemblywoman Jane Corwin (R) for the race, but the Tea Party wing has decided she's not right-wing enough. So, David Bellavia, co-founder of Iraq Vets for Freedom and a far-right activist, is prepared to pull a Doug Hoffman and make it a three-way race.

* In Utah, a new UtahPolicy.com/Opinionology poll shows a majority of voters in the state want to see Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) retire. In a GOP primary match-up against Rep. Jason Chaffetz, the two are tied at 42% each.

* Also in Utah, the National Republican Congressional Committee is already launching attack ads targeting Rep. Jim Matheson (D) this week, 21 months before the next election.

* Again breaking with tradition, Senator Dan Coats (R) announced yesterday he will not endorse his fellow Hoosier, Sen. Dick Lugar's (R) re-election bid. Lugar will face a primary, and Coats has vowed to remain neutral.

* Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert (R) is resigning today, apparently in preparation for a U.S. Senate campaign in Texas. He'll join a crowded GOP primary field for the seat of retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R), led by include Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst.

* In a related note, the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll suggests Dewhurst is the frontrunner for the GOP nod, but the race is still wide open -- his support stands at 27%. Among Democrats, former Rep. Chris Bell appears to have the early edge, though no Dems have yet launched Senate campaigns.

* And crazy or not, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) still knows how to raise money -- he took in $700,000 on President's Day.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "Thousands of mercenary and other forces struck back at a tightening circle of rebellions around the capital, Tripoli, on Thursday, trying to fend off an uprising against the 40-year rule of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, who blamed the revolt on 'hallucinogenic' drugs and Osama bin Laden."

* Late yesterday: "President Obama on Wednesday condemned Libya's violent crackdown against a widening anti-government movement, saying the 'suffering and bloodshed is outrageous, and it is unacceptable.' But Obama did not call for a change in Libya's autocratic government or announce specific sanctions that the United States would support to punish the country for actions that he said 'violate international norms and every standard of common decency.'"

* Below 400k is an encouraging number: "Fewer people requested unemployment benefits last week, pushing the four-week average of applications to its lowest level in more than two and a half years. The Labor Department says the number of laid-off workers applying for unemployment benefits dropped by 22,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 391,000." The four-week average is now at its best level since July 2008.

* Hardly a good use of police resources: "Wisconsin state troopers were dispatched Thursday to the doorsteps of some of the AWOL Democratic senators in hopes of finding at least one who would come back to allow a vote on a measure to curb the power of public-employee unions."

* On a related note, with Gov. Scott Walker (R) having admitted to considering placing troublemakers amid the crowd of protesters, the Madison police chief has some concerns.

* Lt. Gen. William Caldwell, the American three-star general in charge of training Afghan troops, reportedly used "psy-ops" techniques on U.S. dignitaries -- including members of Congress -- during the visits to Afghanistan. Gen. David Petraeus has launched an investigation, which doesn't bode well for Caldwell. The allegations are pretty serious.

* Did Fox News chairman Roger Ailes encourage Judith Regan to lie to federal investigators? There are affidavits that suggest he did, and Regan even claims to have a recording to prove it.

* One of the dumbest "controversies" in recent memory: "A Commerce Department inspector general investigation into the 'Climategate' controversy finds that government scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration did not manipulate climate change data."

* Hawaii joins the list of states to legalize civil unions for same-sex couples.

* Matt Miller considers New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's (R) candor: "For Christie to be rhapsodized for saying we need to reform entitlements without adding that federal taxes will have to rise as America ages makes him a half-truth-teller at best. And half-truths are all we have from the GOP so far."

* I'm reminded why I don't bother to read James Glassman's columns.

* It's easier for the Department of Education to want to define college credits, used to determine federal financial aid, than to actually do it.

* Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) heard Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) call for the end of legal prostitution in their home state, but he disagrees. Perhaps, given his sex scandals, he should have left this issue alone?

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry's chief lobbying organization, "will start directly backing political candidates in the second quarter of this year. API, whose membership includes oil giants like Exxon-Mobil and Chevron, already spends tens of millions of dollars every year on lobbying, advertisements and Astroturf campaigns to support the oil industry agenda."

* On Montana, the latest Northern News Network poll shows next year's U.S. Senate race looking very competitive. Both incumbent Sen. Jon Tester (D) and Rep. Denny Rehberg (R) have approval ratings above 50%, but in a head-to-head match-up, Rehberg leads by three, 47% to 44%.

* In Pennsylvania, a new Municipoll survey shows Sen. Bob Casey (D) with double-digit leads over all of his potential Republican challengers next year. Pollster Ed Haggerty said, "Maybe Bob Casey isn't unbeatable but he's looking pretty darn good for a Democrat in a swing state."

* Speaking of Keystone State, voters in Pennsylvania weren't fond of former Sen. Rick Santorum (R) when they ran him out of office five years ago, and they have no interest in supporting his presidential campaign now.

* Conservatives in upstate New York continue to splinter over the upcoming special election in the 26th congressional district. Local GOP county chairs unanimously selected Assemblywoman Jane Corwin as the Republican nominee, but right-wing activists insist she's not radical enough. It won't help that she contributed $1,000 to Dede Scozzafava's 2009 special election campaign

* In Florida, Republican Mike Haridopolos, president of the state Senate, is gearing up for a U.S. Senate campaign against Sen. Bill Nelson (D) next year. But first, Haridopolos was admonished by a state ethics panel for failing to accurately disclose his finances.

* Indiana Democrats aren't interested in taking on Sen. Richard Lugar (R) next year, under the assumption that he's all but unbeatable. But with Lugar suddenly vulnerable to a right-wing primary challenger, Dems are giving the race another look. Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), for example, is reportedly reevaluating his interest in a possible Senate bid.

* With Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) noting her support for collective bargaining rights for public-sector workers, her GOP challengers -- Sarah Steelman and Ed Martin -- announced that they oppose those rights. Expect more of this throughout 2012.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* On the streets of Tripoli: "Clashes erupted in Tripoli, Libya's capital, on Friday as security forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi used gunfire to try to disperse thousands of protesters who streamed out of mosques after prayers to mount their first major challenge to the government's crackdown."

* U.S. officials eye sanctions: "The United States moved to increase diplomatic pressure on the embattled Libyan government of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi on Friday, suspending relations and preparing to impose unilateral sanctions because of the deadly violence the Libyan government has directed at protesters in the country."

* Iraq is not immune: "Demonstrations turned violent across Iraq on Friday, as protesters burned buildings and security forces fired on the crowds. At least 10 people have been killed, including at least two in Mosul and another in Ramadi. Thousands of Iraqis demanding better government services took to the streets in at least 10 cities."

* It continues to be a regional uprising: "Hundreds of thousands of protesters turned out in cities across the Middle East on Friday to protest the unaccountability of their leaders and express solidarity with the uprising in Libya that Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi is trying to suppress with force."

* Excellent advice: "Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates bluntly told an audience of West Point cadets on Friday that it would be unwise for the United States to ever fight another war like Iraq or Afghanistan, and that the chances of carrying out a change of regime in that fashion again are slim."

* A cowardly move from union-busting Republicans: "Republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly took the first significant action on their plan to strip collective bargaining rights from most public workers, abruptly passing the measure early Friday morning before sleep-deprived Democrats realized what was happening."

* Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) wants to gut workers' rights, but that's not all he wants to do.

* The right doesn't want to hear this, but the massive, pro-labor protests in Madison have been remarkably peaceful.

* Polls continue to show support for labor, even if the media screws up the data.

* A must-read from David Cay Johnston: "When it comes to improving public understanding of tax policy, nothing has been more troubling than the deeply flawed coverage of the Wisconsin state employees' fight over collective bargaining."

* The recent GOP assault on women's rights has been relentless: "Virginia took a big step yesterday toward eliminating most of the state's 21 abortion clinics, approving a bill making rules so strict the medical centers would likely be forced to close, Democrats and abortion-rights supporters said."

* Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.) suggested this week that union backers in Wisconsin may need to "get a little bloody" to win their fight. Yesterday, he apologized for his choice of words.

* Rachel Maddow reports on Wisconsin. PolitiFact thinks Maddow's wrong. Maddow proves PolitiFact wrong.

* A prime-time shake-up at CNN: "CNN is reformatting 'Parker Spitzer' as an ensemble program with Eliot Spitzer -- and without Kathleen Parker, who has been his co-host for the last four months. Effective Monday, the program will be renamed 'In The Arena.'"

* I'm occasionally surprised Fox News hasn't fired Shep Smith for flashes of reasonableness.

* And Ronald Reagan said he considered "the right to belong to a free trade union" one of "the most elemental human rights." I'll look forward to the right-wing denunciations of this radical leftist.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Texas, the Republican field for the open U.S. Senate seat got more interesting late Friday, when former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert (R) launched his campaign. He joins former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz, former Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams, and Texas Railroad Commissioners Michael Williams and Elizabeth Ames Jones in the GOP field, and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (R) is expected to announce soon.

* Despite damaging questions about his mental health, Rep. David Wu (D) has filed for re-election in Oregon, and will seek another term next year.

* Florida Republicans insist they will not move their presidential primary date from January 31. As a result, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R) is poised to move up the date of its caucuses, currently scheduled for February 6, which will in turn cause New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina to move up their contests.

* Disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) will reportedly announce a presidential exploratory committee on March 8, which is a week from tomorrow.

* The DCCC had hoped to see former Rep. Betsy Markey (D) seek a rematch in 2012 against Rep. Cory Gardner (R), but over the weekend, Markey ruled out the possibility.

* In Hawaii, Sen. Daniel Inouye (D) will support Sen. Daniel Akaka's (D) re-election bid next year, but he's being surprisingly candid about Akaka's lackluster fundraising and commitment to the race. [fixed]

* Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) ruled out any presidential ambitions in his future.

* A Tea Party Patriots gathering held a presidential straw poll over the weekend in Arizona. Oddly enough, Herman Cain, a former pizza company executive, won, followed by Tim Pawlenty and Ron Paul.

* Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), one of Congress' more ridiculous members, has been in office for nearly two months, and has already said he'd consider a vice presidential nomination, were one offered.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi's forces struck back on three fronts on Monday, using fighter jets, special forces units and regular army troops in an escalation of hostilities that brought Libya closer to civil war."

* The Pentagon has "begun repositioning Navy warships to support possible action against Libya," at least as part of a "range of options." Also, President Obama used an executive order to freeze of $30 billion in Libyan assets, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the U.S. stands ready to offer "any type of assistance" to Libyans seeking to oust Moammar Gadhafi.

* For his part, Gadhafi talked to ABC's Christiane Amanpour today and, with a straight face, denied there were demonstrations against him anywhere in Libya. "My people love me. They would die for me," he said.

* Speaking to the nation's governors, President Obama today urged them not to vilify public workers. "I believe that everybody should be prepared to give up something to solve our budget challenges," Obama said. "In fact, many public employees in your respective states have already agreed to cuts. But let me also say this: I don't think it does anybody any good when public employees are denigrated or vilified or when their rights are infringed upon."

* In Wisconsin, a moderate Republican state senator considered a compromise with unions and Senate Democrats. In response, his GOP caucus considered expelling him from the Republican Party.

* If you want to make the job market even worse, pass the Republicans' Medicaid block-grant proposal.

* Hmm: "A group of six senators hashing out a bipartisan plan on deficit and debt reduction will meet for 'very important' discussions on Tuesday, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) said Monday."

* Is the high-speed rail project in Florida officially dead? Not quite yet.

* We can add the "Arab youth movements" in the Middle East to the list of things neocons don't fully understand.

* The next time you hear some hacks talking about a presidential "apology tour," remember, they're lying.

* Over the weekend, there was a brief flurry of talk about Roger Ailes getting indicted. It's still possible, I suppose, but the story behind the story is extremely thin.

* Best wishes to Andrew Sullivan as he makes the transition from The Atlantic to The Daily Beast.

* Speaking of online media, Salon.com is on the market, but merger talks with Newser.com have reportedly collapsed.

* I've given up on Rasmussen polls.

* And despite what you may have seen on some far-right sites today, Greg Sargent does not actually advocate violence at the hands of union thugs. Only someone with no familiarity with sarcasm could think otherwise.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* According to a new Public Policy Polling survey, if Wisconsin voters could do the 2010 election over again, they'd elect Tom Barrett (D) over Gov. Scott Walker (R), 52% to 45%.

* Perhaps realizing that Walker is struggling, the Republican Governors Association has launched a new television ad in Wisconsin, trying to rally support for him and his union-busting efforts. The spot follows a similar commercial launched last week by the Koch-financed Americans for Prosperity. Neither ad mentions collective-bargaining rights, the issue at the heart of the dispute.

* Karl Rove intends to raise $120 million through his secretive American Crossroads operation, all of which will go towards destroying Democrats in the 2012 cycle.

* Nebraska Treasurer Don Stenberg (R) will kick off his Senate campaign today, and will compete in a GOP primary against state Attorney General Jon Bruning. Stenberg is a three-time failed Senate candidate, coming up short in 1996, 2000, and 2006.

* On Laura Ingraham's right-wing radio show yesterday, the host, the Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol, and Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) all expressed impatience over the lack of announced Republican presidential candidates.

* A new EPIC/MRA poll in Michigan shows incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) just barely edging former Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R) in a hypothetical match-up, 44% to 42%. Hoekstra ran a failed gubernatorial bid in the state last year.

* And the GOP's 2012 presidential nominating calendar may yet face another problem, with Minnesota scheduling state caucuses on February 7, one day after Iowa's caucuses. Between this and Florida, the integrity of the existing calendar is clearly at risk.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi's forces appeared to make little headway in a concerted assault on rebels in several cities around the country and in a sustained attack early Tuesday morning in the western city of Zawiyah."

* More on Libya: "Locked in a standoff with forces loyal to Moammar Gaddafi, opposition leaders here debated Tuesday whether to request foreign airstrikes against the longtime ruler's military installations and other key facilities."

* House extends shutdown deadline: "The GOP-controlled House handily passed legislation Tuesday to cut the federal budget by $4 billion and avert a partial shutdown of the government for two weeks." (More on this in the morning, including why this was a much-needed win for Boehner.)

* Afghanistan: "Six NATO troops were killed in attacks across Afghanistan on Monday, one of the deadliest days for the international force this winter, military officials said."

* Opening doors in Madison: "A County, Wisc., judge has issued a temporary restraining order to reopen the Wisconsin Capitol building to the public. Capitol access was restricted over the weekend and again this morning, following days in which the building had been crowded with protesters."

* It's curious that the first resignation forced by Issa was one of his own aides: "House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) fired Kurt Bardella, one of Capitol Hill's top press secretaries, after he provided e-mailed correspondence with other journalists to New York Times reporter Mark Leibovich."

* I didn't have the stomach to write about it, but Charles Koch has an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal today, whining about, among other things, "crony capitalism." For compelling reactions, check out Yglesias and Brad Johnson.

* More than 300 economists, including some Nobel Laureates, agree that deep budget cuts would hurt the U.S. economy. They're right.

* This probably won't help his reputation: "A report published by a British magazine on Tuesday said the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, suggested that British journalists, including the editor of the newspaper The Guardian, were engaged in a Jewish-led conspiracy to smear his organization."

* In a surprise move, Frank Rick is moving from the New York Times to New York magazine.

* Speaking of media, Fox News' Mike Tobin claims he was "punched" by a protester in Madison, Wisconsin. Video evidence suggests he's lying.

* In related news, how offensive is Fox News' Jesse Waters? Even Fox News' Bernie Goldberg won't defend him.

* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) considers Ciudad Juarez "the most dangerous city in America." Ciudad Juarez is in Mexico.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Aides to disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) spent much of the day confirming to reporters yesterday that Gingrich would announce a presidential exploratory committee tomorrow. Last night, those same aides then said the opposite.

* In Virginia, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows next year's U.S. Senate race as a toss-up. In a hypothetical match-up pitting former Gov. Tim Kaine (D) against former Sen. George Allen (R), the two are tied at 47% each.

* Democrats' hard times in Mississippi: "Here's the latest sign of the Democratic party's monumental struggles in the deep South: The party failed to get a single candidate on the ballot for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, or auditor in Mississippi, after the state's filing deadline arrived Tuesday."

* The field of Democrats eyeing a race against Sen. Scott Brown (R) in Massachusetts next year is large, but candidates seem reluctant to launch campaigns at this point. The Boston Globe reports today that Newton Mayor Setti Warren; Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll; City Year founder Alan Khazei, businessman Robert Pozen, and Reps. Michael Capuano and Stephen Lynch are all in the mix.

* When looking for "blue" states that might be in play next year, it's best to skip past Rhode Island. PPP shows President Obama looking strong and popular in the state, with big leads over likely GOP challengers.

* Redistricting hasn't shaped California's congressional lines yet, but former Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado (R) intends to compete in the redrawn 23rd district next year anyway.

* And New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) insists he's not running for president next year, but nevertheless sounds pretty cocky about his appeal. "I have people calling me and saying to me, 'Let me explain to you how you could win,' " he told National Review. "And I'm like, 'You're barking up the wrong tree. I already know I could win.' That's not the issue. The issue is not me sitting here and saying, 'Geez, it might be too hard. I don't think I can win.' I see the opportunity both at the primary level and at the general election level."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Germany: "A man armed with a handgun attacked a bus carrying U.S. Air Force troops at Frankfurt airport Wednesday, killing two airmen and wounding two others before being taken into custody, authorities said."

* Libya: "Rebel fighters repelled powerful ground and air assaults on this key oil port Wednesday as forces loyal to Moammar Gaddafi launched their first offensive against the opposition-controlled eastern part of Libya."

* Tragedy in Afghanistan: "Nine boys collecting firewood to heat their homes in the eastern Afghanistan mountains were killed by NATO helicopter gunners who mistook them for insurgents, according to a statement on Wednesday by NATO, which apologized for the mistake. The boys, who were 9 to 15 years old, were attacked on Tuesday in what amounted to one of the war's worst cases of mistaken killings by foreign-led forces. The victims included two sets of brothers. A 10th boy survived."

* The Senate approved the measure to keep the government open for two additional weeks today, following a 91 to 9 vote. Soon after, President Obama signed it into law.

* Economic expansion: "A Federal Reserve survey released Wednesday showed that all 12 of the Fed's regions reported growth at a 'modest to moderate pace' and it pointed to a pickup in job creation in each."

* The Ohio state Senate narrowly approved Gov. John Kasich's (R) union-busting measure today, 17 to 16. Six Republicans voted with Democrats, but seven were needed to protect Ohio workers.

* Wisconsin Republicans will now fine Democrats in the state Senate $100 per day until they return. The Dems' paychecks are already being withheld.

* On a related note, Wisconsin Republicans now hope to criminalize prank phone calls. I can't imagine why.

* The U.S. Senate approved a measure to ensure that members of Congress will not receive compensation if the federal government shuts down. The GOP-led House has not yet acted.

* This GAO study has the potential to be a fairly big deal: "With Congress and the White House set to debate the merits of massive spending cuts, federal auditors have identified hundreds of overlapping government offices and programs that if merged or eliminated could save taxpayers billions of dollars. The U.S. government has, for example, more than 100 programs dealing with surface transportation issues, 82 that monitor teacher quality, 80 for economic development, 56 for 'financial literacy,' 20 offices or programs devoted to homelessness and 17 grant programs for disaster preparedness, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Tuesday. Among other redundancies, 15 agencies or offices handle food safety, and five agencies are working to ensure that the federal government uses less gasoline."

* Hiring Erick Erickson was arguably the dumbest thing CNN has ever done.

* And finally, "The President's Speech," not to be confused with "The King's Speech," is one of the funniest clips of the week

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Hawaii Sen. Daniel Akaka (D) announced last night that he will retire at the end of his term next year. The 86-year-old incumbent had made no real effort to raise funds for a re-election race, so the news doesn't come as a surprise. He's the seventh senator to announce retirement plans in advance of 2012, and the fifth Democrat.

* On a related note, David Catanese goes through some of the likely contenders for Akaka's seat, which Democratic officials fully expect to keep "blue," especially in a year in which President Obama will be on the ballot.

* In Wisconsin, a recall effort is underway, targeting eight Republican state senators who are cooperating with Gov. Scott Walker's (R) union-busting crusade. A switch of three seats would give Democrats a majority, and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin has offered its official support for the effort.

* Former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer (R), who served in Congress as a Democrat in the 1980s, is launching a presidential exploratory committee today and will be in Iowa on Monday.

* In Virginia, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows President Obama leading all of his likely GOP challengers in hypothetical match-ups. Mitt Romney does the best, trailing the president by six points, while Sarah Palin does the worst, trailing by 19 points.

* Speaking of Virginia, former Gov. Tim Kaine (D) will end the suspense next week and announce whether he'll run for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Jim Webb (D).

* And in still more Virginia news, if Kaine doesn't run, PPP shows former Rep. Tom Perriello (D) looking fairly competitive in a race against leading Republican George Allen.

* Arizona Democrats are holding off on next year's open Senate race, waiting to see whether Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) is willing or able to run. But if she isn't, Rep. Ed Pastor (D) is apparently interested.

* And in Wisconsin, PPP shows incumbent Sen. Herb Kohl (D) looking pretty strong in advance of next year's race, leading all of his likely challengers in margins ranging from 7 to 15 points. Kohl, however, has not said whether he's running.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "Forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi launched renewed airstrikes against two key rebel-held towns Thursday, a day after poorly armed citizens repelled a major government assault on the area."

* No ambiguities from the White House: "President Obama called again on Thursday for the immediate resignation of the Libyan leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, and said he had authorized American military airlifts to help transport refugees fleeing from Libya back to their home countries in the region. 'The U.S. and the entire world continues to be outraged by the appalling violence against the Libyan people,' Mr. Obama said after a White House meeting with President Felipe Calderon of Mexico. 'Muammar el-Qaddafi has lost the legitimacy to lead, and he must leave.'"

* Genuinely good news: "New applications for U.S. jobless benefits fell by 20,000 to 368,000 in the week of Feb. 26, the lowest level in nearly three years, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The last time claims were that low was in May 2008."

* Wisconsin Republicans voted for a resolution today "ordering the arrest of the 14 Democratic senators who left the state two weeks ago to avoid a vote on Gov. Scott Walker's controversial budget repair bill." The measure instructions the state Senate sergeant at arms to act "with or without force."

* Ohio's union-busting proposal features an anti-gay provision, which was quietly added in the hopes no one would notice.

* Going after Bradley Manning: "The Army announced 22 additional charges on Wednesday against Pfc. Bradley Manning, the military intelligence analyst who is accused of leaking a trove of government files to WikiLeaks a year ago."

* A health care change the White House won't mind: "The U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal an unpopular tax-reporting requirement affecting small business owners, in what would be the first substantial change to the sweeping health-care package signed into law last year. In a 314-112 vote, the House approved the measure, but the Senate is unlikely to take up the bill as it is currently drafted, adding further delay to the attempt at repealing the measure."

* Scandal-plagued Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) may have skirted criminal prosecution, but the Senate ethics inquiry appears to be intensifying.

* Public support for marriage equality keeps growing -- and there's nothing the right can do about it.

* The NFL has a major labor dispute on its hands, but the White House does not plan to intervene.

* I wonder if Fox News' Mike Tobin realizes how unintentionally hilarious he is, as he pretends to be a victim in Madison.

* The "Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being" report didn't get too much attention this week, but the NYT's Gail Collins brings us up to speed.

* Vermont's not the only state interested in single-payer health care -- some officials in Maryland are thinking along the same lines.

* This is what anti-Muslim hate looks like: "A protest of a Muslim fundraising event in Orange County last month devolved into chants of 'Muhammed was a pervert,' 'you beat your wife and rape your children,' and the like, according to a new video of the demonstration."

* And with Justice Alito as the lone dissenter in yesterday's Westboro Baptist case, the far-right jurist's odd approach to the First Amendment is getting a closer look. Richard Hasen's piece on this is worth checking out.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rep. Trent Franks (R), who just this week expressed his support for impeaching President Obama, appears to be inching closer to a U.S. Senate campaign in Arizona. Next year's race is an open-seat contest thanks to Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl's (R) retirement.

* Former Rep. Heather Wilson (R) is getting ready to launch a Senate campaign in New Mexico early next week. Wilson also ran for the Senate in 2008, but lost in a GOP primary.

* The Republicans' 2012 presidential nominating calendar is on the verge of implosion, with Utah slated to hold its caucuses on February 7, the day after the Iowa caucuses. With Minnesota and Florida also ignoring party pleas, New Hampshire is likely to move up its primary, forcing Iowa to do the same.

* Kentucky keeps moving further to the right, but Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear appears largely immune to the shift. In a new statewide poll, Beshear leads state Senate President David Williams (R) by 10 points. This is one of three gubernatorial races in 2011.

* Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) stopped by a FreedomWorks party in D.C. the other night, apparently hoping to beg the right-wing group not to support primary challenges against them.

* Former state lawmaker Carol Weston (R), the new state director for Americans for Prosperity-Maine, is considering a primary challenge to Sen. Olympia Snowe (R), who already has a few Republican opponents.

* In Virginia, Public Policy Polling found that the only statewide official with a negative approval rating is the state's right-wing attorney general, Ken Cuccinelli (R).

* Former U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman (R) has not yet launched his presidential bid, but former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu (R) has already said he'll do everything he can to defeat Huntsman's campaign.

* And in Nevada, former Senate candidate Sue Lowden (R) is claiming in court documents that she's unable to pay her campaign debts. No word on whether her creditors might accept chickens.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi's government widened its counterattack on its rebel opponents Friday, waging fierce battles to wrest control of the town of Zawiya from rebel troops, attacking an eastern oil town and firing on peaceful protesters after Friday prayers in Tripoli, witnesses said."

* As Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) sees voters abandoning him, are his GOP allies in Madison starting to waver? Maybe.

* Oil prices have reached a 29-month high.

* I wonder how much this will cost taxpayers? Aren't we too broke to defend discriminatory laws in court just to make the GOP base happy? "House Speaker John Boehner said Friday he is launching a legal defense by the House of the federal law against gay marriage, which President Barack Obama's administration has concluded is unconstitutional."

* After an absence that lasted more than four decades, the military's Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) is returning to Harvard.

* Finally, evidence of actual voter fraud -- which Republicans have sought for years -- comes to public light. Unfortunately for the GOP, the voter fraud was committed by Indiana's Republican Secretary of State. (thanks to R.S. for the tip)

* Jared Bernstein enjoys job-related charts almost as much as I do.

* If your family likes Big Bird and Elmo, the House Republican agenda is clearly problematic.

* Jared Lee Loughner is now facing 49 federal charges, as Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) continues on the road to recovery.

* Is the jobs picture even better than this morning's data suggests? David Leonhardt makes the case.

* In Wisconsin, the Walker administration would have us believe it will cost $7.5 million to clean up the Capitol after protestors leave. He's almost certainly lying.

* A great pickup for HuffPost: "Media reporter Michael Calderone is moving on from Yahoo after just one year. Calderone confirmed via Twitter that Arianna Huffington has recruited him to join the new AOL-Huffington Post conglomerate."

* In 2003, did Newt Gingrich write a bizarre memo to Donald Rumsfeld, suggesting military strikes in Gaza? Well, sort of.

* And if you missed Jon Stewart's segment comparing school teachers to Wall Street -- and how the right looks at both -- take a few minutes to watch it.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) was supposed to launch a presidential exploratory committee late last week, but balked at the last minute. Now he believes it will take "a number of weeks -- maybe six or seven" before he formally announces his intentions.

* Florida state Senate President Mike Haridopolos (R), a top-tier U.S. Senate candidate in 2012, has yet another ethics problem. He not only accepted $152,000 from a community college for a book that was never published, but Haridopolos then steered millions of dollars in state funding to his former employer.

* In Michigan, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) has her first Republican challenger, with former juvenile court judge Randy Hekman launching a campaign late last week. He's expected to be part of a larger GOP primary field.

* There's been some right-wing grumbling about former Sen. George Allen's (R) comeback bid in Virginia, but the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Allen dominating the GOP field in the commonwealth. In a five-way race, Allen is the Republican frontrunner with 67% support.

* Speaking of Virginia, we don't yet know if former Gov. and DNC Chairman Tim Kaine intends to run for the Senate -- expect word no later than next week -- but we do know that Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) isn't interested in the race.

* In Rhode Island, former Gov. Don Carcieri (R) is the top choice among Republican primary voters to take on Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D) next year, but in hypothetical match-ups, Whitehouse is the clear favorite.

* Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), one of Congress' more radical members, has been in office for just two months, but he's already open to a vice presidential nomination, should one be offered.

* And it's probably just a publicity stunt anyway, but Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) threw cold water on television personality Donald Trump's presidential ambitions yesterday. "I mean, he's famous for being famous. He may be good in business but he's not going to be president," Alexander said.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi's government widened its counterattack on its rebel opponents Friday, waging fierce battles to wrest control of the town of Zawiya from rebel troops, attacking an eastern oil town and firing on peaceful protesters after Friday prayers in Tripoli, witnesses said."

* As Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) sees voters abandoning him, are his GOP allies in Madison starting to waver? Maybe.

* Oil prices have reached a 29-month high.

* I wonder how much this will cost taxpayers? Aren't we too broke to defend discriminatory laws in court just to make the GOP base happy? "House Speaker John Boehner said Friday he is launching a legal defense by the House of the federal law against gay marriage, which President Barack Obama's administration has concluded is unconstitutional."

* After an absence that lasted more than four decades, the military's Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) is returning to Harvard.

* Finally, evidence of actual voter fraud -- which Republicans have sought for years -- comes to public light. Unfortunately for the GOP, the voter fraud was committed by Indiana's Republican Secretary of State.

* Jared Bernstein enjoys job-related charts almost as much as I do.

* If your family likes Big Bird and Elmo, the House Republican agenda is clearly problematic.

* Jared Lee Loughner is now facing 49 federal charges, as Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) continues on the road to recovery.

* Is the jobs picture even better than this morning's data suggests? David Leonhardt makes the case.

* In Wisconsin, the Walker administration would have us believe it will cost $7.5 million to clean up the Capitol after protestors leave. He's almost certainly lying.

* A great pickup for HuffPost: "Media reporter Michael Calderone is moving on from Yahoo after just one year. Calderone confirmed via Twitter that Arianna Huffington has recruited him to join the new AOL-Huffington Post conglomerate."

* In 2003, did Newt Gingrich write a bizarre memo to Donald Rumsfeld, suggesting military strikes in Gaza? Well, sort of.

* And if you missed Jon Stewart's segment comparing school teachers to Wall Street -- and how the right looks at both -- take a few minutes to watch it.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "Libyan forces loyal to Moammar Gaddafi attacked rebel-held areas again on Monday, bombing the oil terminal of Ras Lanuf and battling to maintain control of a Mediterranean coastal town farther west, the opposition reported."

* Talk of a no-fly zone intensifies: "Britain and France are drafting a U.N. resolution that would establish a no-fly zone over Libya. A British diplomat at the U.N. stressed Monday that the resolution is being prepared as a contingency in case it is needed, but no decision has been made to introduce it at the U.N. Security Council."

* President Obama's warnings to Libyan officials are also intensifying. "I want to send a very clear message to those who are around Colonel Qaddafi," he said at the White House, after a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. "It is their choice to make how they operate moving forward and they will be held accountable for whatever violence continues to take place there."

* Gitmo: "President Barack Obama on Monday lifted a two-year freeze on new military trials at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and suggested Congress was hurting national security by blocking his attempts to move some trials into U.S. civilian courts."

* Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Afghanistan this morning for an unannounced visit.

* Democrats from Wisconsin's state Senate once again invited Gov. Scott Walker (R) to discuss a resolution to the ongoing labor dispute. The governor refused, apparently because he disapproves of the senator who extended the invitation, state Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller (D).

* Also, without a hint of irony, Walker accused Miller of engaging in secret phone calls with special interest backers. Perhaps the governor no longer remembers the call he accepted from the fake David Koch?

* After a sarcastic comment from Pfc. Bradley Manning about committing suicide with his underwear, Manning has been forced to sleep naked in his cell at the Marine brig in Quantico.

* In the latest installment of the White House White Board, a series I support with some enthusiasm, Austan Goolsbee, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, tackles patent reform.

* The Supreme Court doesn't want to hear from Birthers. Imagine that.

* The National Constitution Center can do some fine work. Inviting John Yoo to a discussion on civility is not the organization's finest hour.

* For the love of god, Mike Huckabee, please stop digging.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Gearing up for re-election bid in Massachusetts next year, Sen. Scott Brown (R) was caught on video hitting up far-right billionaire David Koch for more cash. Koch invested heavily in Brown's special election win a year ago, and the Republican senator thanked him for the support, adding, "I can certainly use it again."

* The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has "welcomed" former Rep. Heather Wilson (R) to the U.S. Senate race in New Mexico, but it wasn't an especially warm welcome. What's more, it seems likely Wilson's central role in the U.S. Attorney purge scandal will once again be part of the campaign.

* In Maine, a whopping 65% of likely Republican primary voters believes Sen. Olympia Snowe doesn't belong in the GOP. Against her actual primary challengers, Snowe fares quite well -- her opponents are largely unknown -- but in general, only 33% of Maine Republicans are inclined to vote for Snowe in a primary.

* With Sen. John Ensign (R) retiring next year, will defeated Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R) try again in 2012? Maybe.

* Preliminary estimates suggest recall efforts against Republicans in Wisconsin are exceeding expectations. If this doesn't make the GOP nervous, the party isn't paying close enough attention.

* Pennsylvania always seems to be a battleground state at the presidential level, but President Obama appears fairly well positioned in the Keystone State next year. The latest Muhlenberg College poll shows the president ahead of leading GOP candidates in margins ranging from 7 to 28 points.

* Disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) isn't the only GOP presidential hopeful with multiple marriages to explain -- former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer (R) spent some time explaining his three marriages to activists in Iowa last night.

* Will Rep. Trent Franks (R) run for the Senate in Arizona next year? It sure looks like it. If so, it'll be a heated primary pitting Franks against Rep. Jeff Flake (R), with the former emphasizing social issues, and the latter focusing on fiscal issues.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "Forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi seemed to be gathering momentum as they renewed their onslaught on both the eastern and western fronts on Tuesday, threatening the western city of Zawiyah and conducting airstrikes here in the east after taunting rebels with flyovers and bombing runs near this coastal city's oil refinery."

* Pakistan: "A car bomb exploded near an office of Pakistan's main intelligence agency in the eastern city of Faisalabad on Tuesday, killing 25 people in the type of militant attack that is growing more common in the country's populous heartland."

* Commerce Secretary Gary Locke will replace John Huntsman as the U.S. Ambassador to China: "Locke is the first Chinese-American to be Secretary of Commerce. The former two-term governor of Washington state, Locke's father and maternal grandfather emigrated from China to Seattle. As a partner in the Seattle office of the international law firm, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, Locke co-chaired the firm's China practice."

* Are Wisconsin Republicans getting worn down from the fight with unions? Maybe.

* In fact, the number of Wisconsin Republicans reconsidering their support for Gov. Scott Walker's (R) anti-union scheme is growing.

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) is now picking a fight with state police and firefighters, characterizing them as "greedy" and unconcerned with "the betterment of the public."

* I can't speak to the veracity of the video, but it looks like James O'Keefe caught a former NPR development official -- not a reporter or an editor -- saying intemperate political things. There's not much NPR can do about it now; the guy has already left the network. [Correction: It appears that the NPR exec in question is on his way out the door, but doesn't start in his new gig for a few more weeks. NPR put him on administrative leave today.]

* Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) thinks the banking crisis was caused by too much government oversight. The man is practically a caricature of himself.

* Disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) wants a U.S. war with Libya immediately. That's an extraordinarily bad idea.

* What a strange man: "[Former President George W. Bush] spoke at the Desert Town Hall speaker series in Southern California yesterday and banned all media from covering the event. The former president even barred representatives from two of the events' sponsors, a local CBS affiliate and The Desert Sun, who were scheduled to moderate the question and answer period."

* You know who really loves Rep. Pete King's (R-N.Y.) anti-Muslim hearings? Fox News.

* International Women's Day: "2011 marks the 100-year anniversary of International Women's Day. The annual holiday has roots in the American Women's Suffrage Movement and is now celebrated by individuals, organizations and nations around the world. International Women's Day is a time to honor women and raise awareness about the unique obstacles they face around the world. This year's theme is 'Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women.'"

* And finally, if Alan Simpson would just stop talking -- about any and all subjects -- I'd certainly appreciate it.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Maine, the easiest path for Sen. Olympia Snowe to win re-election is to leave the Republican Party and run as an Independent. Whether she's open to the idea remains unclear.

* Karl Rove's American Crossroads operation is launching a new anti-union ad campaign, spending $750,000 in unreported funds on national attack ads targeting public service unions and President Obama. The spots will run this week on CNN, CNBC, and Fox News.

* Behind the scenes, there's intense competition underway between likely Republican presidential candidates to hire top-tier campaign aides. With that in mind, it's noteworthy that Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour's political action committee hired former RNC communications director Jim Dyke.

* The good news for Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) is that a new statewide poll shows her leading her likely GOP challengers. The bad news is, the margins of her leads are tiny, despite the fact that most Missouri voters don't even know who those Republicans are.

* Will former governor and DNC chair Tim Kaine run for the U.S. Senate in Virginia? Recently departed Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Dick Cranwell thinks he will.

* Will Wisconsin Sen. Herb Kohl (D) be the next Senate incumbent to retire? There were clearly hints in that direction yesterday.

* Attorney Byron Georgiou is the first Nevada Democrat to launch a U.S. Senate campaign in the wake of Sen. John Ensign's (R) retirement announcement, but he's not at all well known by party leaders.

* Sen. Bob Menendez (D) is a likely favorite in his re-election bid next year, but as his first term comes to an end, a plurality of New Jersey voters still don't have an opinion about him.

* In light of his recent mental health problems, Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.) is finding that most of his constituents don't want him to remain in office.

* And in Massachusetts, former Rep. Joe Kennedy (D) has made clear, once and for all, that he will not take on Sen. Scott Brown (R) in 2012.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "Forces loyal to the Libyan leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, repulsed a rebel push to the west on Wednesday and then counterattacked with airstrikes and increasingly accurate artillery fire on the strategic refinery town of Ras Lanuf, which the rebels have held for several days."

* Post-uprising unity fractures in Cairo: "Thirteen people died in overnight clashes between Christians and Muslims in the worst outbreak of sectarian violence in Egypt since last month's ouster of president Hosni Mubarak, officials reported Wednesday."

* NPR's CEO is shown the door: "NPR said Wednesday that the public radio organization's board had accepted the resignation of its chief executive, Vivian Schiller.... NPR has been consumed by controversy as of late; most recently, a Republican filmmaker released a video on Tuesday that showed one of NPR's fund-raising executives repeatedly criticizing Republicans and Tea Party supporters in a conversation with people posing as prospective donors."

* NPR's Republican detractors don't much care, though, and intend to keep fighting to eliminate every penny of federal aid the network receives.

* On Fox News today, Wisconsin State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R) said President Obama will have a "much more difficult time" winning a second term if the union-busting scheme is approved. Isn't this proposal supposed to be about the budget?

* Good for Illinois: "Illinois abolished the death penalty Wednesday, more than a decade after the state imposed a moratorium on executions out of concern that innocent people could be put to death by a justice system that had wrongly condemned 13 men. Gov. Pat Quinn also commuted the sentences of all 15 inmates remaining on death row. They will now serve life in prison with no hope of parole."

* Deadly shooting in St. Louis: "John Perry, a 48-year-old Deputy U.S. Marshal who had been with the agency for nearly 10 years, died at 7 p.m. local time on Tuesday night after being shot during a fugitive apprehension in St. Louis, Mo."

* Karl Rove's American Crossroads GPS isn't above lying in its attack ads. Try not to be surprised.

* The White House's latest moves on Guantanamo are obviously disappointing, but it's worth remembering, "Gitmo isn't open because the administration doesn't want to close it, although its efforts in this area are ripe for criticism. It's still open because Republicans in Congress successfully frightened Democrats in Congress out of giving the administration the necessary funds to close it when they had control of Congress." I'm far more inclined to blame congressional Dems than the president.

* It's hard to know what the New York Times was thinking in its heartbreaking story about a gang rape in Cleveland, Texas.

* I'm beginning to think Fox News' Juan Williams is kind of petty.

* Still trying to rationalize his ridiculously foolish remarks last week, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) now claims he was taken "out of context." He wasn't. Please stop digging, Mike.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A New York special election to replace former Rep. Chris Lee (R-Craigslist) will be held on May 24. Assemblywoman Jane Corwin (R) appears to be the frontrunner, and Democrats have not yet chosen a candidate.

* In Massachusetts, the race to take on Sen. Scott Brown (R) next year has its first high-profile Democrat, with City Year co-founder Alan Khazei forming an exploratory committee. Khazei ran a year ago in the special election that Brown ultimately won, but finished third in the Democratic primary.

* The Republican establishment is already rallying behind former Rep. Heather Wilson's (R) Senate campaign in New Mexico, but she apparently won't have a clear shot at the general election. New Mexico Lt. Gov. John Sanchez is reportedly planning to take Wilson on in a GOP primary.

* Why have Louisiana Democrats struggled to find a challenger to run against Gov. Bobby Jindal (R)? The fact that he's raised more than $9 million for his campaign probably has something to do with it.

* Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman (R) hasn't launched his presidential bid just yet, but his team is starting to make some moves in New Hampshire.

* As absurd as it seems, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) continues to consider a presidential campaign, though this week, she said she won't announce her intentions until early summer.

* The New York Times' David Brooks reflected on the 2012 presidential race this week, and when the discussion turned to disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), the columnist said, "I wouldn't let that guy run a 7-Eleven, let alone a country."

* And looking back over Gallup data from the last several decades, the GOP presidential favorite almost at this point in the cycle nearly always went on to win the party's nomination. This cycle, however, there is no early favorite.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "Forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi retook this strategic refinery town after an assault by land, air and sea Thursday, opposition leaders and fighters said, an onslaught that sent scores of rebels fleeing along a coastal road and underlined a decisive shift in momentum in an uprising that has shaken the Libyan leader's four decades of rule."

* The West weighs its options: "The United States and Europe took their toughest steps to date to isolate the government of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi on Thursday, but stopped well short of agreeing to intervene militarily at a time when Libyan government forces are inflicting heavy blows on rebels in the eastern part of the country."

* Defeat was unavoidable in Madison this afternoon: "After police carried demonstrators out of the state Assembly Thursday, Republicans entered the chamber and approved Gov. Scott Walker's bill repealing most collective bargaining by public employee unions." The final vote was 53 to 42.

* The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits climbed, a discouraging reversal after two positive weeks: "There were 397,000 initial jobless claims filed in the week ended March 5, the Labor Department said Thursday. That was up 26,000 from a revised 371,000 the week before."

* House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King (R-N.Y.) claimed today that, as far as the Justice Department is concerned, "not one terror-related case in the last two years involved neo-Nazis." That's clearly false. He also claims he never said there are "too many" mosques in America. He's wrong about that, too.

* Senate Democratic leaders want to expand the discussion of the budget, so that cuts aren't limited to non-defense discretionary spending. Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) had a response today: No.

* Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) wants Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to resign for saying things that are true. The moral of the story: don't pay too much attention to what Lindsey Graham thinks.

* This is a surprise: "Here are words that you never thought you'd hear a Pakistani general utter about the drone strikes that batter Pakistan's tribal areas: 'A majority of those eliminated are terrorists, including foreign terrorist elements.' That would be yawn-worthy if it came from the CIA, which never misses an opportunity to credit its drone strikes with taking out al-Qaeda and its affiliates. But it was the main message of an official briefing from Maj. Gen. Ghayur Mehmood in Miram Shah. He's the commander of Pakistan's Seventh Division, charged with leading troops in North Waziristan."

* Fascinating quote from Grover Norquist: "The goal is to reduce the size and scope of government spending, not to focus on the deficit." I love it when someone on the right actually tells the truth about conservatives' motivations.

* A former national security official in the Bush administration believes Peter King's hearings might make terrorist recruiting efforts easier. Here's hoping that's not the case.

* House Republicans intend to gut funding for the Special Olympics.

* We're "broke," but Republicans believe we have the funds to waste on defending discriminatory laws against court challenges.

* When Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's (R) teleprompter stops working, she stops working, too.

* American high school teachers think it's important for students to attend college, sort of.

* Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is outraged that her House GOP colleagues aren't quite as dumb as she is.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. Jim DeMint's (R-S.C.) campaign machine is becoming so big, it may rival the National Republican Senatorial Committee itself in 2012. The effect, of course, will be dragging the party even further to the hysterical right.

* Sen. Claire McCaskill's (D-Mo.) plane troubles have gotten a little worse, with revelations that she billed taxpayers for political flights on planes owned by her and her husband. She's already reimbursed the Treasury, but the controversy won't help her 2012 re-election bid.

* Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has talked to MSNBC host Joe Scarborough about running against Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) next year. Scarborough is a former Republican member of Congress from Florida.

* As part of an aggressive far-right primary challenge, Sen. Richard Lugar's (R-Ind.) residency status is now being challenged in advance of his re-election bid.

* Rep. Dean Heller (R) hasn't formally launched a U.S. Senate bid in Nevada, but his candidacy now appears to be a foregone conclusion.

* Speaking of Nevada, Mark Amodei, chair of the state GOP, will step down from his post to run for the U.S. House seat Heller will leave vacant. Failed U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R) is eyeing the same race.

* In Montana, state Attorney General Steve Bullock (D) appears likely to run for governor next year, much to the delight of state party officials who urged him to run.

* Former governor and DNC chairman Tim Kaine won't announce his U.S. Senate plans in Virginia until next week, "at the earliest."

* CNN reports today that Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is "increasingly serious" about running for president. Yes, of the United States.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Japan's devastation: "Japanese police officials said that 184 people were confirmed dead and another 700 were missing, but domestic media quoted government officials as saying that the death toll would almost certainly rise to more than 1,000. Some 200-300 bodies were found along the water line in Sendai, a port city in the northeastern part of the country and the closest major city to the epicenter."

* Scary: "The Japanese government declared an 'atomic power emergency' and evacuated thousands of residents living close to a nuclear plant in northern Japan after a major earthquake, but officials said there had been no radiation leak from the facility and that problems with its cooling system were not critical."

* Pesky government mandates and regulations work: "From seawalls that line stretches of Japan's coastline, to skyscrapers that sway to absorb earthquakes, to building codes that are among the world's most rigorous, no country may be better prepared to withstand earthquakes than Japan."

* Libya: "Forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi retook a strategic oil town and pressed toward the country's largest refinery Friday, as once-energetic rebel lines began to crumble before an onslaught of air strikes and tank and artillery fire that sent fighters in a chaotic retreat down the Mediterranean coast."

* A done deal, for now: "Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has officially taken away nearly all collective bargaining rights from the vast majority of the state's public employees. Walker signed the bill to do so privately Friday morning. He planned an afternoon news conference in the Capitol."

* On a related note, the state Senate Democrats will return home from Illinois tomorrow.

* Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) has improved so much, she intends to "see off her astronaut husband, Mark Kelly, personally during the launching of his shuttle."

* Dashed hopes: "The Maryland House of Delegates has voted to effectively kill for this year a bill that would have allowed same-sex marriage in the state."

* Following his emotional testimony yesterday, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) is being smeared and mocked by the right. They're a classy bunch, aren't they?

* Serwer 1, Thiessen 0.

* Lew 1, Krauthammer 0.

* Not only did Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) turn down jobs and economic development when he rejected rail funds, he also, according to a new report from the state Department of Transportation, threw away a project that would have generated a profit for taxpayers.

* CNN sure does pick some strange people to be paid political analysts.

* When Republican officials feel comfortable supporting something they consider "the crazy, give-a-handgun-to-a-schizophrenic bill," there's a problem.

* It's a shame it's even necessary to explain why a whites-only college scholarship is ridiculous.

* Former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) thinks it's crazy to connect intemperate political rhetoric with violent acts -- unless the rhetoric is coming from "union bosses," in which case her previous standards no longer apply.

* Why are Fox News viewers so confused about current events? Because the Republican network tells people they'll "need a prescription for everyday items like aspirin" because of the Affordable Care Act. That isn't even close to true.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* MSNBC host Joe Scarborough said that he was recruited to run for the Senate in Florida next year, NRSC denials notwithstanding, but he doesn't intend to launch a campaign. "I love the job I have and have no intention of running for the Senate," Scarborough said.

* The DCCC hoped some of the Blue Dogs who lost in 2010 might consider comeback bids in 2012, but by all appearances, they're not interested. Former Reps. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.), Bobby Bright (D-Ala.), Baron Hill (D-Ind.), Walt Minnick (D-Idaho), Travis Childers (D-Miss.), and Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) have all shut down their campaign committees.

* Missouri isn't looking like friendly territory for Democrats, but Gov. Jay Nixon (D) appears to be an exception. The latest poll from Public Policy Polling shows Nixon, the incumbent, leading his leading GOP challenger by seven points, with the governor enjoying unusual crossover appeal outside the Dem base.

* A new poll from Western New England College shows Sen. Scott Brown (R) as a clear favorite for re-election, with 52% of Massachusetts voters saying he deserves another term.

* On a related note, the group of Democrats who intend to take on Brown continues to grow, polls notwithstanding. The latest is Mayor Setti Warren of Newton, Mass., who's edging closer to launching a campaign.

* In New Jersey, a Rutgers-Eagleton poll found that Gov. Chris Christie (R) isn't the favored GOP presidential candidate amongst his own constituents.

* There was some talk in California Republican circles about former eBay CEO Meg Whitman running against Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) next year, despite her failings as a gubernatorial candidate last year. Late last week, Whitman ruled out the race, telling reporters she is "definitely not" considering a Senate bid in 2012.

* And speaking of failed gubernatorial candidates, remember New York's Carl Paladino (R)? It turns out the controversial Republican owes consultants, vendors, and staffers about $130,000. With the campaign still millions of dollars in debt, Paladino isn't paying them.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* The nuclear crisis in Japan is constantly intensifying: "Japan's struggle to contain the crisis at a stricken nuclear power plant worsened early Tuesday morning, as emergency operations to pump seawater into one crippled reactor temporarily failed, increasing the risk of a wider release of radioactive material, officials said."

* The death toll soars well past 10,000: "What the sea so violently ripped away, it has now begun to return. Hundreds of bodies are washing up along some shores in northeastern Japan, making clearer the extraordinary toll of the earthquake and tsunami that struck last week and adding to the burdens of relief workers as they ferry aid and search for survivors."

* Afghanistan: "A Taliban suicide bomber posing as an army recruit blew himself up in the midst of a crowd outside an Afghan military recruiting center on Monday in the northern city of Kunduz, killing 36 people, including five children, the authorities there said."

* Iraq: "A suicide bomber detonated a car packed with explosives outside a military headquarters on Monday in the city of Kanan, about 40 miles northeast of Baghdad, killing 11 soldiers and wounding dozens, according to local security officials."

* Bahrain: "A military force from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states entered Bahrain Monday in an attempt to restore order in the tiny island nation as anti-government demonstrations escalate."

* Credit where credit is due: "Faced with a situation they don't really know anything about (i.e. nuclear meltdowns) all the cable nets are doing a pretty good job of packing their lineups with nuclear physicists, engineers and others who know how to explain it."

* Remember that nutty Republican in the New Hampshire legislature who said the mentally disabled should be sent to Siberia? He resigned. Good move.

* In the wake of Tucson shootings, Fox News' Roger Ailes encouraged Sarah Palin to stay quiet. Instead she started talking about "blood libel."

* Speaking of the massacre, President Obama has begun carefully initiating a conversation about gun policy.

* A hoax story circulated over the weekend about an Islamic council in Pakistan protesting the use of padded bras. Fox News, which doesn't check such matters, ran the story as fact.

* For years, families in Georgia have relied on HOPE scholarships that guaranteed essentially free tuition to in-state high school students with a B-average who stayed in Georgia for college. Republican policymakers have decided to take some of that hope away.

* CNBC's Larry Kudlow made a startling observation on the air the other day, reflecting on the tragedy in Japan: "The human toll here looks to be much worse than the economic toll and we can be grateful for that." He later apologized.

* I always love it when you guys get quoted for being cleverer than I am.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As expected, Rep. Dean Heller (R) officially launched his U.S. Senate campaign in Nevada today, and hopes to replace retiring Sen. John Ensign (R). It's unclear if Heller will face a credible primary opponent, but he appears to be the frontrunner overall.

* In a new Public Policy Polling survey conducted for Daily Kos, three GOP state senators in Wisconsin appear likely to be recalled, and others are in danger.

* On a related note, Wisconsin Democrats have, as of yesterday, collected 45% of the signatures they'll need to force recall elections for eight GOP state senators.

* One of the eight targeted Republicans is facing a particularly embarrassing situation -- his own wife has signed a recall petition against him, after he left her for a 25-year old mistress.

* Is former governor and DNC Chairman Tim Kaine running for the Senate in Virginia next year? As of yesterday, he is "increasingly likely" to run.

* Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour's (R) press secretary was forced to abruptly resign yesterday after revelations that he'd circulated tasteless jokes about the Japan earthquake.

* Former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory (R) appears likely to run against North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue (D) next year, setting up a rematch of the 2008 race.

* Former Florida House Majority Leader Adam Hasner is the latest Republican to set up a U.S. Senate exploratory committee, expanding the field of GOP candidates hoping to take on Sen. Bill Nelson (D) next year.

* And speaking of Florida, the DCCC hoped to recruit former Rep. Ron Klein (D) to launch a rematch against Rep. Allen West (R) next year in Florida's 22nd, but that now appears unlikely, with Klein accepting a position with a local lobbying firm.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Japan: "A small crew of technicians braved radiation and fire through the day on Tuesday as they fought to prevent three nuclear reactors in northeastern Japan from melting down and to stop storage pools loaded with spent uranium fuel pods from bursting into flames."

* The next move: "As they raced to avert a potential nuclear catastrophe, Japanese officials said Tuesday that they were considering a risky plan to spray water from a helicopter to prevent new fires in a pool of spent fuel at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant."

* Libya: "Behind tanks, heavy artillery and airstrikes, forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi routed on Tuesday a ragtag army of insurgents and would-be revolutionaries who were holding the last defensive line before the rebel capital of Benghazi."

* A new U.S. alternative: "As Muammar Qaddafi's forces push east and bare down on opposition rebels, the White House continues to deflect calls for a no-fly zone in Libya, instead offering up an entirely new option Tuesday. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the U.S. is trying to find ways to free up some of billions of dollars of assets seized from Libyan leader's government to provide help for the Libyan opposition."

* Bahrain: "Bahrain's king declared a three-month state of emergency Tuesday to quell a Shiite uprising, as clashes spread through the capital and surrounding villages in a showdown that drew in the region's major powers and splintered along its main sectarian faultlines. At least two Bahrainis and a Saudi soldier died, and hundreds of protesters were injured by shotgun blasts and clubs."

* At this point, I'll take the good economic news where I can find it: "The Federal Reserve maintained its ultra-loose monetary policy on Tuesday, saying the economy was gaining traction while flagging potential inflation risks from costlier energy and food."

* Eternal optimism at the Senate Armed Services Committee: "Gen. David H. Petraeus told lawmakers Tuesday that the U.S. and NATO forces he commands in Afghanistan have halted the Taliban's momentum in much of the country, but he predicted difficult fighting ahead as the radical Islamist insurgents try to regain lost territory in a spring offensive."

* In the meantime, the bottom appears to be falling out when it comes to public support for the conflict.

* Senate Republicans won't let the chamber vote on cabinet secretaries until the GOP gets the trade deals it wants. Have I mentioned the ridiculousness of the chamber's dysfunction lately?

* Demonstrating the height of pettiness, Republicans in Wisconsin's state Senate are still trying to punish Democrats, refusing to count their committee votes.

* The jockeying for the next director of the FBI is already underway.

* Serwer 2, Thiessen 0.

* Congratulations to Greg Sargent, the well-deserved recipient of the Hillman Foundation's February Sidney Award for his coverage of the Wisconsin labor protests.

* Good news, says the College Board. Maybe college applications aren't as hard as we thought.

* And finally, Media Matters has a terrific new report, called, "'Where Are The Jobs?' The GOP's Two-Year Campaign Against Job Creation and Economic Growth." Reading it, I found it hard not to wonder if congressional Republicans aren't making a deliberate effort to hold the economy back in order to hurt President Obama.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In one of the nation's largest recall campaigns ever for a local election, Miami's Republican mayor, Carlos Alvarez, was easily thrown out of office yesterday.

* Speaking of South Florida, scandal-plagued Rep. David Rivera (R) is facing so many scandals, Republicans in Washington and Miami are already drawing up lists of potential primary challengers. Rivera was elected last year despite ongoing ethics allegations, and is now the target of an expanding criminal investigation.

* In Nevada, Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki (R) had considered running for the Senate, but instead yesterday threw his support to Rep. Dean Heller (R), who launched his own Senate campaign this week. Krolicki will instead probably run for Heller's U.S. House seat.

* As Ohio sours on its new Republican leadership, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) appears to have benefited. A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows the incumbent senator now leading prospective GOP challengers by margins ranging from 15 to 19 points.

* Last year, Rep. Betty Sutton (D) beat Tom Ganley (R) in Ohio's 13th district, and it's unlikely we'll see a rematch next year -- Ganley was indicted this week on three felony charges of gross sexual imposition and single counts of kidnapping, abduction, solicitation, and menacing by stalking. Ganley was a top Republican recruit in 2010.

* In Connecticut, Rep. Chris Murphy's (D) Senate campaign got a boost yesterday when the entire Connecticut House delegation threw their support to him. Murphy is facing former secretary of state Susan Bysiewicz in a Democratic primary.

* Tea Party activist Laureen Cummings launched a Senate campaign yesterday in Pennsylvania, and hopes to take on Sen. Bob Casey (D) in 2012. Though the GOP field is expected to grow, so far, it's limited to Cummings and former Rick Santorum aide Marc Scaringi.

* And in Wisconsin, thanks to a backlash against Gov. Scott Walker (R), the enthusiasm gap that Republicans enjoyed appears to have vanished.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Bad to worse in Japan: "The chairman of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission gave a significantly bleaker appraisal of the threat posed by Japan's nuclear crisis than the Japanese government, saying on Wednesday that the damage at one crippled reactor was much more serious than Japanese officials had acknowledged and advising to Americans to evacuate a wider area around the plant than the perimeter established by Japan."

* Libya: "The New York Times said Wednesday that four of its journalists reporting on the conflict in Libya were missing." The fear is they were swept up by Libyan government forces.

* Gadhafi's son boasts: "The Libyan army told people in Benghazi to lay down their arms on Wednesday as its troops advanced closer to the rebel stronghold for what could be the decisive battle in the uprising against Moammar Gadhafi. Gadhafi's son Saif al-Islam, speaking to French-based TV channel Euronews, said his troops were near Benghazi and 'everything will be over in 48 hours.'"

* CIA contractor freed in Pakistan: "A CIA security contractor who fatally shot two Pakistani men in January was released Wednesday after relatives of the victims received 'blood money' as compensation and agreed to pardon him, U.S. officials said."

* After successfully attacking collective-bargaining rights, Wisconsin Republicans will be in D.C. tonight for a lucrative fundraiser hosted by corporate lobbyists.

* House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) claims to love transparency and disclosure. Why, then, did he call a witness for testimony without disclosing the witness' generous campaign contributions to Issa?

* Oh good, the right is still trying to pretend the "terror baby" menace is a real problem.

* What kind of person mocks Japanese quake refugees? Look no further than Rush Limbaugh.

* Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) wants to open up state parks for oil and gas exploration, while slashing funding for programs that help low birth-weight babies.

* It's a long shot under the circumstances, but plenty of congressional Dems are serious about repealing the Defense of Marriage Act.

* If you've heard Wisconsin Republicans talking about a bus driver who makes $160,000 a year, it's worth learning the truth.

* Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) thinks NPR does bad journalism, but James O'Keefe does good journalism.

* Student debt is a bigger problem than we realized.

* And finally, Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain wants us to know, "It's not Planned Parenthood. No, it's planned genocide. You can quote me on that." He's quite a charmer.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Nevada, failed Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R) announced yesterday that she's running for the U.S. House, in a seat being left vacant by Dean Heller (R) who's running for the Senate. Angle, one of 2010's more ridiculous and borderline-dangerous personalities, will face a crowded GOP primary field, which will include Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki among others.

* President Obama hasn't literally said he's running for a second term, but he's obviously begun fundraising like someone who'll obviously be a candidate.

* A couple of county-level officials with the Democratic Party in Michigan are facing felony counts after trying to put bogus Tea Party candidates on the ballot to draw votes away from Republicans. Among other things, the duo have been charged with perjury and forgery.

* Rick Santorum isn't the only Republican presidential candidate with a "Google problem." Using the search engine to look up information about Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour turns up all kinds of materials related to his alleged racism.

* With Democrats increasingly confident that DNC Chairman Tim Kaine will run for the Senate in Virginia next year, attention now turns to his possible replacement at Democratic National Committee HQ. The leading contender appears to be former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland.

* In Missouri, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sarah Steelman as the early frontrunner in the GOP Senate primary, though Rep. Todd Akin would be a strong contender if he runs. The winner will face Sen. Claire McCaskill (D).

* In New Mexico, home to an open U.S. Senate race next year, there will be several Democrats vying for the party's nod, but the early favorite appears to be Rep. Martin Heinrich. Former Lt. Gov. Diane Denish is a close second.

* And Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton effectively ruled out holding government office after 2012, telling CNN she doesn't want to serve in a different cabinet role or run for national office again.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Japan: "Amid widening alarm in the United States and elsewhere about Japan's nuclear crisis, military fire trucks began spraying cooling water on spent fuel rods at the country's stricken nuclear power station late Thursday after earlier efforts to cool the rods failed, Japanese officials said. The United States' top nuclear official followed up his bleak appraisal of the grave situation at the plant the day before with a caution that it would 'take some time, possibly weeks,' to resolve."

* President Obama offered an update this afternoon: "The White House sought Thursday to show it is on top of the Japanese nuclear crisis with a Rose Garden statement and a presidential-ordered review to ensure nothing like the Fukushima Daiichi disaster happens here at home." He also urged an evacuation for Americans living within 50 miles of the facility.

* Libya: "Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi warned Benghazi residents on Thursday that an attack was imminent, as the United Nations Security Council seemed headed for a vote Thursday on a resolution authorizing not just a no-flight zone but additional steps to halt the movement of Colonel Qaddafi's forces."

* The Senate approved the House-passed budget extension this afternoon, with an 87-to-13 vote. It will soon receive the president's signature, and impose a new, April 8 deadline.

* Getting better: "The number of people who filed applications for jobless benefits fell by 16,000 last week to 385,000, the Labor Department said Thursday."

* Of the funds lent to banks through TARP, 99% of the money has been paid back. At the time, it was widely assumed we'd never see that money again.

* James O'Keefe thought he had another big scoop today. As it turns out, his "story" was not only dull, it was common knowledge months ago. (The media really needs to stop taking this guy seriously.)

* Grouping newspaper columnists together by ideology strikes me as a misguided and counter-productive idea.

* I admit I was wrong. I'd hoped that when the Washington Post hired Jennifer Rubin, she'd bring some worthwhile insights from a conservative perspective. That's clearly not happening.

* Those who thought applying to law school would be a great idea are starting to think otherwise.

* In an interesting video, which you'll probably be seeing again, Ronald Reagan proclaimed, "Where free unions and collective bargaining are forbidden, freedom is lost!" It's a reminder of how little Reagan-lovers have in common with Reagan, and if Democrats today said the same thing Reagan said 30 years ago, Tea Partiers would condemn the sentiments as radical liberalism.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As Republican policies become less popular in Ohio, President Obama is becoming more popular in the key electoral state. A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows the president leading likely GOP rivals in hypothetical match-ups, in margins ranging from 6 to 16 points.

* The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised $5.2 million in February, which was better than January, better than the National Republican Congressional Committee's haul over the same period, and the best February for House Dems ever. The DCCC still, however, carries a substantial $17.3 million debt from the 2010 cycle.

* Speaking of fundraising, Jim Messina, who is managing Obama's re-election campaign, has ambitious goals: "The nation's top Democratic contributors were given an ambitious set of marching orders on Thursday, with a select group of 450 donors each asked to raise $350,000 before the end of the year."

* Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) obviously wants to run for president in 2012. His son, Sterling, obviously doesn't want Barbour to run.

* Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) this week lent his name to an RNC fundraising letter that blasted Democrats as "socialists," a word he never used as a candidate. Soon after, the RNC retracted this, blaming an internal "mistake." RNC Chief of Staff Jeff Larson specifically said, "Senator Rubio had expressly edited out the use of the words 'leftist' and 'socialist.' The RNC takes full responsibility for this unfortunate incident."

* Speaking Jeff Larson, the RNC chief of staff appears to be facing some credible ethics allegations.

* And is former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) running for president or not? CBS News lists the evidence and concludes that a run is unlikely.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Japan: "Japanese engineers battled on Friday to cool spent fuel rods and restore electric power to pumps at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station as new challenges seemed to accumulate by the hour, with steam billowing from one reactor and damage at another apparently making it difficult to lower temperatures."

* Libya: "Trying to outmaneuver Western military intervention, Moammar Gadhafi's government declared a cease-fire on Friday against the rebel uprising faltering against his artillery, tanks and warplanes. The opposition said shells rained down well after the announcement and accused the Libyan leader of lying."

* Good news about the missing journalists: "Four New York Times journalists missing in Libya since Tuesday were captured by forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi and will be released Friday, his son, Seif al-Islam el-Qaddafi, told Christiane Amanpour in an ABC News interview."

* Yemen: "Yemen's pro-democracy protests exploded into violence on Friday, as government supporters opened fire on demonstrators in the capital, killing at least 45 people and wounding more than 200. The bloodshed failed to disperse the angry throng of protesters, the largest seen so far in a month of steadily rising demonstrations calling for Mr. Saleh's ouster."

* Pakistan: "Just one day after a CIA contractor was absolved by a Pakistani court of a double murder charge, Pakistan and U.S. relations were plunged into a new crisis Thursday over a CIA-directed drone missile strike that Pakistan said killed at least 36 civilians."

* Fiscal conservatives in the GOP think we're broke and can't afford domestic priorities. These same folks aren't worried about funding military operations in Libya.

* President Obama signed the temporary budget extension this morning, giving policymakers three weeks to strike a deal or the government will shut down.

* I'm glad to see Reid take a hard line on this: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Thursday drew a firm line with Republicans, declaring that a controversial Planned Parenthood measure will not be included in any deal on the budget."

* I'm very glad I wasn't asked about reality TV shows on my SAT.

* I've heard some good defenses of the teaching profession. I've never heard one quite as strong as this one.

* Ann Coulter -- remember her? -- is apparently still around saying ridiculous things. Last night, for example, she reflecting on the crisis in Japan and told Fox News that "radiation is actually good for you."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The special election in New York's 26th congressional district is finally set, with Democrats nominating Erie County Clerk Kathy Hochul (D) over the weekend. She'll face Assemblywoman Jane Corwin (R) in the traditionally "red" district.

* A new poll from the Billings Gazette offers a reminder that Montana's U.S. Senate race is likely to be the closest in the country in 2012. The survey found incumbent Sen. Jon Tester (D) leading Rep. Denny Rehberg (R) by just one point, 46% to 45%.

* Likely GOP presidential candidates are now still scrambling to hire top-tier staffers before their rivals do. Haley Barbour scored something of a coup over the weekend, picking up Sally Bradshaw, a veteran Republican strategist, who had worked for Mitt Romney.

* The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee narrowly outraised its Republican counterpart in February, $3.4 million to $3.3 million. The DSCC's total is the best off-year February either party's Senate committee has ever had.

* The Republican National Committee's debt problems continue in the wake of former Chairman Michael Steele's mismanagement. The RNC ended February more than $21 million in debt, following previously unreported expenses.

* In West Virginia's gubernatorial race, one of a handful of statewide contests in 2011, House Speaker Rick Thompson (D) is picking up major support from in-state unions, including the AFL-CIO and the West Virginia Education Association.

* States are facing such severe budget crunches that at least six are considering plans to scrap their 2012 presidential primaries.

* As foolish as this sounds, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) is once again making noises about another presidential campaign, but no one in New Hampshire seems to care.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "After a second night of American and European strikes by air and sea against Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi's forces, European nations on Monday rejected Libyan claims that civilians had been killed while struggling to present a united diplomatic front. On the ground in Libya, pro-Qaddafi forces were reported to be holding out against the allied campaign to break their grip. Pentagon officials said there were fewer American and coalition airstrikes in Libya Sunday night and Monday, and that the number was likely to decline further in coming days."

* Japan: "Efforts to stabilize the crippled nuclear power plant in Fukushima stalled on Monday when engineers found that crucial machinery at one reactor required repair, a process that will take two to three days, government officials said. A team of workers trying to repair another reactor, No. 3, was evacuated in the afternoon after gray smoke rose from it, said Tetsuro Fukuyama, the deputy chief cabinet secretary of the Japanese government. But no explosion was heard and the emission ended by 6 p.m., NHK, the national broadcaster, said."

* They're going to have quite a story to tell: "The Libyan government released four New York Times journalists on Monday, six days after they were captured while covering the conflict between government and rebel forces in the eastern city of Ajdabiya. They were released into the custody of Turkish diplomats and crossed safely into Tunisia in the late afternoon."

* In the nation's first-ever referendum, Egyptians approved constitutional changes that will bring national elections soon.

* House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was briefly hospitalized in Rome today, but has been released and is reportedly doing fine.

* A big court win for the ACLU: "Civil liberties advocates opposed to the government's expanded wiretapping powers can continue their fight after an appellate court on Monday reinstated a lawsuit challenging an eavesdropping law passed by Congress three years ago. The decision could put the Obama administration in the uncomfortable position of having to argue in support of broad executive authority to conduct surveillance operations -- a position that President Obama, as a presidential candidate, had once opposed."

* The cost of Operation Odyssey Dawn? The first day carried a price tag of well over $100 million in missiles alone.

* Former Secretary of State Warren Christopher, a legendary diplomat, died over the weekend. He was 85.

* This guy really isn't all there: "Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) called for a showdown with "Senate liberals" Monday, saying the GOP must not retreat from its plan to slash $61 billion even if it means funding the government just one day at a time."

* Bill Kristol believes the U.S. has never "invaded" a Muslim country, because he has a new spin on the definition of "invade."

* While Georgia has gutted its successful HOPE scholarship program, state Republicans have suddenly discovered "a great deal of state money available for private colleges in Georgia."

* At one moment, Glenn Beck was outraged that President Obama hasn't done more in Libya. Literally 20 seconds later, Beck was outraged that President Obama has done too much in Libya

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A huge mess for the senior senator from Missouri: "Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo) said Monday she will sell her private plane and pay back $287,273 in four years of back taxes, the latest chapter in a politically embarrassing saga for the moderate Democrat facing a tough reelection battle in 2012."

* Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) keeps up a busy travel schedule in advance of his upcoming presidential campaign, but he's asking taxpayers to pick up the tab for his excursions. Of particular interest was more than $300,000 in out-of-state travel expenses for the governor's bodyguards, also paid for with public funds.

* The DCCC is launching an ad campaign today, targeting 10 House Republicans for supporting cuts to Social Security and Medicare. The target list includes Reps. Paul Gosar (Ariz.), Bill Young (Fla.), Allen West (Fla.), Dan Benishek (Mich.), Joe Heck (Nev.), Lou Barletta (Pa.), Blake Farenthold (Texas), Paul Ryan (Wis.), Sean Duffy (Wis.), and David McKinley (W.Va.).

* Nevada's Sharron Angle (R) is running for Congress, and this time she's prepared to actually talk to reporters. During her failed Senate bid last year, Angle routinely ran away from journalists' questions.

* In Indiana, Jackie Walorski (R) narrowly lost to Rep. Joe Donnelly (D) last year, and she's now gearing up for a rematch. However, with the legislature poised to make the district far more GOP friendly, Donnelly is considering running for governor or the U.S. Senate.

* Don't be surprised if Rep. Jay Inslee (D) gives up his House seat next year to run for governor in the state of Washington. Inslee's hints about his intentions are becoming increasingly direct.

* West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel (D) announced this week she'll take on Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) in 2012. Fort Lauderdale businessman Patrick Murphy (D) is also running, setting up a potentially-costly primary.

* And as is silly as this sounds, Sen. Rand Paul (R) of Kentucky was in South Carolina yesterday, apparently to talk about a "possible presidential bid." He doesn't seem especially serious about this, saying he's only making trips to early primary states because he wants "the tea party to have an influence over who the nominee is in 2012." What an odd man.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: Allied fighters struck targets in Tripoli in a fourth day of airstrikes but forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi showed no signs of ending their sieges of rebel held cities, as the Security Council has demanded, while President Obama spoke on Tuesday with the French and British leaders in an effort to defuse a disagreement among the allies over how to manage the military action against Libya.

* The U.S. fighter jet crash: "An American fighter jet crashed overnight in the first known setback for the international coalition. According to the United States military, an F-15E Strike Eagle warplane went down late Monday 'when the aircraft experienced equipment malfunction.' The aircraft, normally based in England, was flying out of Aviano Air Base in northeastern Italy when it crashed. 'Both crew members ejected and are safe,' an American statement said."

* After seeing his top military commander defect to the opposition, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh offered to give up power by the end of this year. The concession "failed to pacify anti-Saleh protesters, who pressed demands that he step down immediately."

* Japan: "Workers at a leaking nuclear plant hooked up power lines to all six of the crippled complex's reactor units Tuesday, but other repercussions from the massive earthquake and tsunami were still rippling across the nation as economic losses mounted at three of Japan's flagship companies."

* A big court defeat for New Jersey's Republican governor: "Gov. Chris Christie's deep cuts to state school aid last year left New Jersey's schools unable to provide a 'thorough and efficient' education to the state's nearly 1.4 million school children, a Superior Court judge found today."

* The New York Times's Charlie Savage offers a good overview of the argument over whether it's incumbent on the White House to get congressional consent for military strikes.

* After trying to gut Title X, Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) insists, "I've never advocated reducing funding for Title X." Is he lying or is he not quite sharp enough to know his own agenda?

* Interesting read on the economy: "Global markets are signaling that sustained economic growth will more than make up for Japan's worst disaster since World War II, rising commodity prices and uprisings throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Interest-rate derivatives, bond sales by the riskiest borrowers and rebounding benchmark stock indexes all show increasing confidence in the economy."

* The next Wisconsin? "Collective bargaining rights would be restricted for many Alaska public employees under a bill introduced Monday by a state lawmaker. Rep. Carl Gatto, R-Palmer, said the bill is similar to one passed recently in Wisconsin and aimed at keeping the state on sound financial footing."

* Fox News' Juan Williams isn't just afraid of Muslim Americans. He's also afraid of African Americans.

* There was a big Tea Party convention in Tampa over the weekend. Turnout was abysmal.

* The problem with college pricing in one dramatic graph.

* A touching video on the White House blog about the health care law. It's really worth watching.

* Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) wants to run the state "like a business," but wants constituents with suggestions to send letters through the postal service -- because he doesn't use email. So, where do the emails to the governor go?

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Will the U.S. House majority be in play in 2012? Chris Cillizza takes a closer look at the latest report from Democracy Corps, a Democratic-aligned polling consortium, which says Dems could pick up the 25 seats they need to win back the majority.

* In Connecticut, the latest DailyKos/Public Policy Polling survey shows Rep. Chris Murphy with a slight edge over former Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary. In the open-seat contest -- Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) is retiring -- either Dem looks very strong in the general election.

* In Ohio, Republicans have struggled to find a top-tier challenger to take on Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) next year. It now appears state Treasurer Josh Mandel (R) is "likely" to run.

* Bill Kristol has long been a prominent backer of former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R), but he now believes she "probably shouldn't be the Republican nominee for president."

* In Nevada, failed Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R), now running for Congress, is poised to release a self-published autobiography, called, "Right Angle."

* Rep. Jeff Flake (R) of Arizona has long been a champion of comprehensive immigration reform. Now that he's running for the Senate, he's reversed course and now opposes the same policy Flake has supported for years. In other words, he's pulling a McCain.

* Mitt Romney hasn't launched his presidential campaign yet, but yesterday, he picked up a congressional endorsement in a key early nominating contest. Rep. Joe Heck (R) of Nevada, who benefitted from Romney's help last year, threw his support for the former Massachusetts governor.

* Reality television star Donald Trump, still moving forward with presidential campaign plans, will headline a major Republican dinner in Iowa this June.

* And Kansas City, Missouri, elected a new mayor yesterday, handing a surprise win to political newcomer Sly James in the non-partisan municipal election.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "Having all but destroyed the Libyan air force and air defenses, the allies turned their firepower Wednesday on the military units loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi that are besieging rebel-held cities."

* Pentagon: "Defense Secretary Robert Gates acknowledged Wednesday that there is no clear end to the international military enforcement of a no-fly zone over Libya, and says no one was ever under any illusion that the assault would last just two or three weeks. He added that the U.S. could turn over control of the operation as soon as Saturday, but could not say how the coalition operation might be resolved."

* A fascinating story about how the U.S. pulled off a major freeze of Libyan assets in just 72 hours.

* Japan: "Radioactive iodine detected in Tokyo's water supply prompted Japanese authorities on Wednesday to warn that infants in Tokyo and surrounding areas should not drink tap water, adding to the growing anxiety about public safety posed by Japan's unfolding nuclear crisis."

* Israel: "A bomb exploded at a crowded bus stop near Jerusalem's main bus station on Wednesday, killing one woman and leaving at least 24 other people injured. It was the worst attack in Jerusalem in four years, putting Israelis on alert and prompting international condemnation."

* Not good: "Purchases of new U.S. homes unexpectedly declined in February to the slowest pace on record and prices dropped to the lowest level since December 2003, adding to evidence the industry is floundering."

* I'm glad someone's saying it: "'I frankly don't understand why policy makers aren't more worried about the suffering of real families,' former Council of Economic Advisors Chair Christina Romer, who left the Administration last fall, said during a discussion at Vanderbilt University in Nashville Tuesday. 'I think there are tools we have tools we have that we can use, and I think it's shameful that we're not using them.'"

* Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) said most of the emails he received during the recent labor fight urged him to eliminate union rights for state workers. Was that true? Apparently not.

* Ouch: "It's official: Newt Gingrich now has had as many positions on Libya as he's had marriages."

* Arizona state lawmakers still pondering "birther" legislation.

* Daniel Luzer: "Gigantic student loan company Sallie Mae announced Monday that students receiving its loans can now get refunds the same day the school generates such refunds.... The catch? Well, it turns out that in order to receive their own refunds promptly students have to sign up for Sallie Mae Bank's 'Sallie Mae No-Fee Student Checking account with Debit MasterCard.'"

* Fox News takes a great deal of pleasure from bashing CNN. The Republican network seems outraged, though, when CNN bothers to hit back.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Last month, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R), his wife, and three aides flew in a luxury jet to D.C., in part because the governor wanted to deliver a speech on spending fewer taxpayer dollars. Barbour then had taxpayers pay for the trip.

* In related news, Barbour claims he wasn't involved with this corporate lobbying firm's work on creating pathways to citizenship for undocumented Mexican immigrants. His firm's federal filings suggest he's not telling the truth.

* This controversy keeps getting a little worse for the senior senator from Missouri: "Sen. Claire McCaskill's final bill for back taxes on her airplane now totals close to $320,000. That's because of $80,000 in additional interest that she expected would be added to the final amount."

* In Ohio, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) leading a generic Republican opponent next year, 45% to 29%.

* Speaking of Ohio, former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell (R) is apparently considering a Senate campaign against Brown. The far-right Blackwell is perhaps best known for losing a gubernatorial race in 2006 by a whopping 24 points, followed by a failed bid to become chairman of the RNC.

* In Michigan, Sen. Debbie Stabenow's (D) re-election prospects also appear to be improving. The latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows the incumbent leading all of her likely Republican challengers by double digits.

* In California, a new Field Poll shows Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) with a 48% approval rating, and a 46% plurality believes she deserves another term. Those are underwhelming numbers, but Feinstein is in better shape than Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) was at this point in 2009.

* The far-right Club for Growth has already raised $350,000 for Rep. Jeff Flake's (R-Ariz.) Senate campaign.

* Former Reagan consultant Fred Karger is apparently the first Republican presidential candidate to formally launch a national bid this year, but he's not expected to do well -- he's running as a conservative gay rights activist.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "Prominent members of the NATO alliance reached a tentative agreement Thursday evening to separate the political and military leadership of the Libyan air campaign, senior Western diplomats said, as allied warplanes delivered a ferocious round of airstrikes on Libyan ground forces, tanks and artillery that seems to have begun to shift momentum from the forces loyal to Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi to the rebels opposing him."

* Earlier in the day, a Libyan plane defied the no-fly zone, and was destroyed by French fighter jets.

* If the Libyan rebel army "consists of only about 1,000 trained men," that's a problem.

* Filling Congress in: "The White House will hold a classified Congressional briefing Wednesday on Libya, aides confirmed. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen and National Intelligence Director James Clapper are among the Obama administration officials slated to address Members of Congress."

* Japan: "Levels of a radioactive isotope found in Tokyo's water supply fell by more than half on Thursday, testing below the country's stringent maximum for infants, even as three workers at the stricken nuclear plant to the north suffered radiation burns as they struggled to make emergency repairs."

* We're actually inching towards a genuinely good number: "Fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week, evidence that layoffs are slowing and employers may be stepping up hiring. The Labor Department says the number of people seeking benefits dropped 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 382,000 in the week ended March 19, the fourth drop in the past five weeks."

* Portugal: "Portugal's government collapsed Wednesday after the parliament rejected a budget-cutting plan, pushing the country closer to an international bailout and triggering another test of Europe's ability to deal with an ongoing public debt crisis."

* Why did Abdulmutallab buy a ticket to Detroit for his Christmas 2009 terror plot? Because it was a cheap flight.

* Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R), still a buffoon.

* When voters elect Republicans, they have to live with the consequences. Take this gem out of Alaska: "Gov. Sean Parnell's appointee for the panel that nominates state judges testified Wednesday that he would like to see Alaskans prosecuted for having sex outside of marriage."

* Erick Erickson on the administration and Libya: "[I]t's the women's fault.... It's, apparently, the women in the Obama administration who have decided we needed to go to war in Libya.... This is typical. ... [T]his is like women drivers. We're going to war in Libya, we have no plan, we have no map, even if we have a map of war, um, it wasn't going to get read, they were going to pull over and ask the French apparently for help, or at least make the guy pull over and ask the French for help." Remember, CNN actually pays this man money to offer on-air political commentary and analysis.

* If only local reporters took an interest in the implementation of health care policy.

* The wrong way to pay for higher ed: "The American model, funded by individual debt and state appropriations, is more expensive, and the recipe to keep college attendance and graduation low. So it's not just problematic, it is, in the words of many higher education administrators, 'a broken model.'"

* And Fox News' John Stossel argued, with a straight face, "[N]o group in America has been more helped by the government than the American Indians." The things one learns watching Fox News.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In something of a surprise, Rep. Connie Mack IV (R) of Florida announced this morning that he will not run for the Senate next year, despite press accounts yesterday saying he would. His absence leaves a GOP field featuring state Senate President Mike Haridopolos, former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, all of whom have expressed interest.

* Aaron Blake and Chris Cillizza report on the national Republican Party's Census problem: "While much of the shifting population is moving to red states, there is increasing evidence that it's making those red states bluer, and most of the demographic trends are heading in Democrats' direction."

* Sen. Jim DeMint (R) of South Carolina flirted with the possibility of seeking national office next year, but yesterday, ruled out a run for president.

* In Wisconsin, Democrats believe they now have more than half the petitions they'll need to recall eight Republican state senators.

* It's still hard to imagine how Huntsman gets ahead in a GOP primary, but he's apparently going to try: "Horizon PAC, the organization widely seen as a presidential campaign-in-waiting for U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, has signed on Kyle Roberts as its media buyer and digital strategist."

* On a related note, a statewide poll in Utah this week finds that in-state Republicans overwhelmingly prefer former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney over their own former governor, Jon Huntsman, at the presidential level, 65% to 16%.

* In Virginia, the field of Republican Senate candidates may not be quite set yet. Former Sen. George Allen is obviously the favorite, but Tim Donner, the founder of Horizon Television, is also eyeing the race.

* And in New Mexico, where there's an open U.S. Senate race, former Rep. Heather Wilson appears to have the support of the GOP establishment, but Lt. Gov. John Sanchez is now expected to get in the race. Greg Sowards, a local businessman, is also planning to run, and has vowed there will be "no one to my right" in the Republican primary.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Syria: "Military troops opened fire on protesters in the southern part of Syria on Friday, according to news reports quoting witnesses, hurtling this strategically important nation along the same trajectory that has altered the landscape of power across the Middle East and North Africa."

* Libya: "Overcoming internal squabbles, NATO prepared on Friday to assume leadership from the United States of the military campaign against Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi's forces, senior NATO officials said, while the allied effort won rare military commitments in the Arab world when a Qatari fighter jet flew on patrol with the Western allies and the United Arab Emirates said it would send warplanes to join them."

* Japan: "New signs emerged on Friday that parts of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant are so damaged and contaminated that it will be harder to bring the plant under control soon. At the same time, Japanese officials began encouraging people to evacuate a larger swath of territory around the complex."

* Yemen: "As populist pressure mounted for his resignation, President Ali Abdullah Saleh told a large gathering of his supporters Friday that he was willing to hand over power as long as he can leave the nation in 'safe hands.'"

* U.S. economy: "The United States economy grew more quickly in the fourth quarter of 2010 than previously estimated as businesses maintained fairly solid spending and restocked shelves to meet rising demand." GDP was revised up to 3.1%, up from the previous 2.8% estimate.

* G.E. made over $5 billion in profits from its domestic operations. What'd it pay in taxes? Nothing.

* Vermont moves closer to becoming the first state with single-payer health care, with the state House approving a reform bill on a 92 to 49 vote. (Vermont's first-term governor, Democrat Peter Shumlin, ran on a single-payer platform and won.)

* It's not like Michigan has a problem with a struggling economy, right? "Michigan moved Thursday to significantly cut its unemployment program, becoming the first of what could be a flurry of debt-laden states to reduce aid even as high jobless rates persist." If voters didn't want this, they shouldn't have elected Republicans.

* Dear Newt, just stop digging.

* First Frank Rich, now Bob Herbert: "Bob Herbert, a columnist for The New York Times Op-Ed page, is leaving the paper after nearly 20 years. Mr. Herbert's resignation was announced in a memo to Times staff members on Friday. His last column will appear in the paper on Saturday."

* Let's just say some of the Washington Post's reporting on Social Security is ... incomplete.

* I know this has nothing to do with politics, but I'm really glad "Fringe" is getting a fourth season. I love that show.

* Good point: "Trying to making an academic education directly about specific job skills is pretty much impossible. Train students to think critically. That's the talent companies that hire for professional jobs want most anyway. Trying to do anything else at the American college is a waste of time."

* And finally, I have to admit, I feel kind of bad for Doug Hampton. First, family-values conservative Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) slept with his wife. Then, Ensign's parents try to buy him off. And finally, when he tries to get back on track with a lobbying career, he gets indicted, but Ensign doesn't. Ouch.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said over the weekend that the likely GOP presidential field may not be good enough to capture voters' excitement. "I think you might see a whole new cast of Republican candidates out within the next couple of months," he said. DeMint wasn't specific about this "new cast," but suggested New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) as a possibility.

* Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) of Iowa said "only two or three" of the candidates in the prospective Republican presidential field are actually qualified to be president. He wouldn't say which ones.

* Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R), a week after launching his presidential exploratory committee, is now unveiling his fundraising team.

* As Virginia Democrats wait to see if Tim Kaine will run for the Senate, Rep. Bobby Scott (D) is talking about running, too, setting up a difficult, costly, and potentially divisive primary.

* Nearly six months after narrowly losing his reelection bid, former Rep. Dan Maffei (D) of New York is "strongly considering" a comeback in 2012. He presumably would seek a rematch against Republican Ann Marie Buerkle.

* Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, perhaps best known as the leading Republican advocate of marijuana legalization, will apparently launch a presidential campaign next month.

* In case it seemed the freak-show qualities of the GOP field couldn't get worse, also note that disgraced former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, kicked off the bench for refusing to acknowledge federal law, is also interested in launching a presidential exploratory committee.

* Remember Ian Murphy, the guy who pretended to be a Koch brother while pulling a prank on Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R)? It appears Murphy now wants to be a Green Party congressional candidate in New York's 26th congressional district.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libyan rebels regain the momentum, for now: "Rebel forces' westward charge was repulsed on Monday by a barrage of tank and artillery fire from forces guarding one of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi's most crucial bastions of support, while the American military warned on Monday that the insurgents' rapid advances could quickly be reversed without continued coalition air support."

* President Obama will deliver a speech tonight, at 7:30 eastern, spelling out U.S. policy in more detail.

* Japan: "Workers discovered new pools of radioactive water leaking from Japan's crippled nuclear complex, officials said Monday, as emergency crews struggled to pump out hundreds of tons of contaminated water and bring the plant back under control."

* The Washington Post had an impressive piece over the weekend about Mohammed Bouazizi, who lit himself on fire in Tunisia, and instigated a regional uprising that was hard to predict just a few months ago.

* Remember reports about Michelle Rhee's extraordinary successes as chancellor of D.C. schools? Many of her accomplishments may have been radically exaggerated, to the point where her entire record may now be suspect.

* Indiana: "Indiana House Democrats who fled the state nearly six weeks ago to protest a Republican agenda they considered an assault on labor unions and public education planned to return to the Statehouse on Monday, ending one of the longest legislative walkouts in recent U.S. history."

* Maine's buffoonish governor, Paul LaPage (R), quietly completed the removal of a mural depicting Maine's labor history from the state Department of Labor.

* Well worth reading: "From Poll Taxes To Voter ID Laws: A Short History of Conservative Voter Suppression."

* I didn't realize the system was quite this ridiculous: "From the FT: stock in Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffet's company, jumps every time Anne Hathaway, the actress, gets a lot of media play. Why? The claim is that it's the fault of robotrading algorithms, which now account for most of the market, and which sometimes rely among other things on trends in news coverage."

* Getting more people through college will probably mean a focus on non-traditional students, not high school students.

* Dear gullible conservatives, I think Bill Ayers is messing with you.

* Donald Trump isn't just spewing idiocy, he's now spewing idiocy that was popular among extremists in 2007. Ben Smith added, "Trump isn't even up to date on his Birther lunacy."

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's (R) recent moves have led many to assume he isn't running for president again, but it's apparently a little too early for those conclusions. Yesterday, Huckabee said he's "very much considering another run at the presidency."

* In Indiana, state Treasurer Richard Mourdock's Republican primary campaign against Sen. Dick Lugar looks fairly serious. He's already raised $125,000 fairly quickly, a respectable start under the circumstances, and by some accounts, Mourdock has received some encouragement from Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R).

* Sen. Marco Rubio (R) of Florida, not quite three months into his first term, was pressed this morning on whether he'll run for president in 2012. Rubio ruled out the possibility, though he wasn't nearly as categorical about being a vice presidential candidate.

* Mitt Romney, hoping to curry favor with state parties in advance of his 2012 campaign, is sending $25,000 to the New Jersey state Republican Party. The Garden State is one of only a handful of states that will hold legislative races this year.

* In Arizona, Rep. Jeff Flake (R) is gearing up for a Senate campaign by blatantly, shamelessly flip-flopping on everything he's ever said about immigration policy. The reversals have not gone unnoticed.

* The Obama administration's Ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman, has added two campaign advisors in New Hampshire in advance of his expected presidential campaign. Huntsman is running as a Republican.

* And former pizza company executive Herman Cain, also running for the GOP presidential nomination, has kinda sorta backed off his contention that he would proudly discriminate against Muslim Americans while picking cabinet officials.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "Having halted a westward push by rebel fighters, forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi began a counteroffensive on Tuesday, marching eastward to the outskirts of this critical oil town, as an array of diplomats gathered in London to shape a political vision of a post-Qaddafi era."

* Japan: "Japan said Tuesday it was on 'maximum alert' over a crippled nuclear plant where radioactive water has halted repair work and plutonium has been found in the soil."

* Syria: "President Bashar al-Assad accepted the resignations of his cabinet ministers on Tuesday as some protesters began demanding that he also leave, in the most serious threat to his rule since he assumed power a decade ago."

* Cote d'Ivoire: "The UN peacekeeping mission in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) has released a statement saying forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, the country's incumbent leader, opened fire on civilians in Abidjan on Monday, killing about a dozen people."

* Not good: "Housing prices slid in January for the sixth month in a row, putting them barely above the lows reached in the depths of the recession, according to data released Tuesday. The Standard & Poor's Case-Shiller Home Price Index for 20 large cities dropped 1 percent from December, putting it only 1.1 percent above its spring 2009 low. The index is down 31.8 percent from its 2006 peak. Analysts expected a rough winter, but not quite so brutal."

* Wisconsin State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R) boasted that Republicans have busted state unions "once and for all." But I thought this was about budget issues? The GOP wasn't lying, was it?

* Any chance yet another short-term budget extension might prevent a shutdown next week? No.

* Good point: "Asking why low income people don't make it to America's most exclusive colleges is sort of like asking why low income people don't buy more BMWs. It's because the price of the good largely prohibits the economically disadvantaged from purchasing that good."

* Congrats to Tom Tomorrow on his new role with Daily Kos.

* Once in a while, Karl Rove repeats a lie so bold, even he isn't willing to defend it when pressed.

* And in an amusing twist, Donald Birther Trump thought he was being clever by releasing his birth certificate yesterday. As it turns out, however, this wasn't his actual, official birth certificate. So, what does he have to hide?

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Roughly two years after getting started, the Tea Party "movement" is increasingly unpopular with the American mainstream.

* The first formal debate for the 2012 GOP presidential candidates was scheduled for May 2, which is less than five weeks away. However, with no credible candidates having actually launched campaigns, the event has been moved to September 14.

* Add "monetary policy" to the list of policy areas former Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) doesn't understand in the slightest.

* Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) is apparently interested in launching a ridiculous presidential campaign, but doesn't seem to have a lot of confidence in its viability. Yesterday, Bachmann filed statement-of-candidacy forms with the Federal Election Commission, with the intention of trying to keep her House seat.

* In Arizona, Rep. Jeff Flake (R) is already looking pretty strong as a U.S. Senate candidate, but this weekend, he'll have a top-tier primary challenger -- Rep. Trent Franks (R) will reportedly launch a campaign on Saturday.

* Former Sen. Rick Santorum's (R) youngest daughter is reportedly suffering from a serious illness, which will keep Santorum off the campaign trail.

* In New Hampshire, Democrat Ann McLane Kuster , a favorite of liberal activists, intends to run against Rep. Charlie Bass (R) again next year. She's reportedly received encouragement to run from, among others, President Obama.

* Speaking of rematches, former Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D) of Arizona lost to political neophyte Paul Gosar last year in the state's 1st congressional district, and she'll give it another try in 2012.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The tide turns in Libya: "Moammar Gadhafi's ground forces recaptured a strategic oil town Wednesday and moved within striking distance of another major eastern city, nearly reversing the gains rebels made since international airstrikes began. Rebels pleaded for more help, while a U.S. official said government forces are making themselves harder to target by using civilian 'battle wagons' with makeshift armaments instead of tanks."

* On a related note, Reuters reported today that President Obama "signed a secret order authorizing covert U.S. government support for rebel forces seeking to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi."

* Japan: "At the Fukushima plant, the fight to cool the reactors and stem their release of radiation has become more complicated in recent days since the discovery that radioactive water is pooling in the plant, restricting the areas in which crews can work. It also puts emergency crews in the uncomfortable position of having to pump in more water to continue cooling the reactor while simultaneously pumping out contaminated water."

* During a floor debate yesterday, Republican Rep. Judy Biggert of Illinois urged her Democratic colleagues to "stop talking about jobs." Sign of the times.

* Fred Kaplan has a closer look at President Obama's speech on Libya, and is largely impressed, calling it "shrewd and sensible."

* Conservatives keep targeting scholars sympathetic to organized labor. This time, it's Michigan's Mackinac Center for Public Policy: "A conservative research group in Michigan has issued a far-reaching public records request to the labor studies departments at three public universities in the state, seeking any e-mails involving the Wisconsin labor turmoil."

* Victims of the January's shootings in Tucson want Congress to fix gun checks. They have more than a little credibility on the subject.

* General Electric is the parent company for NBC. Did that influence NBC News' decision not to report on GE paying no federal taxes last year, despite $5.1 billion in domestic profits? It seems like a fair question.

* The far-right Washington Times' reporting on the National Security Council's Samantha Power was wrong.

* The first close-ups of Mercury. Cool.

* Why did American University turn down a $300,000 grant to help prevent campus sexual abuse?

* This really is amusing -- Sarah Palin's aides demanded that the conservative Daily Caller run a 650-word statement, in its entirety, as a precondition to providing comment in an article. The publication agreed and followed Palin's demands. Today, she whined anyway, because Palin thought her quote should have been higher up in the piece.

* And what's the new Fox News complaint about the White House? Apparently, the Republican network doesn't like this year's Easter eggs. It's always something.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Longtime aides to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) are "whispering behind the scenes" that the speed of her recovery may make it possible for her to run for the Senate next year. Wishful thinking? Time will tell.

* Fights over the 2012 GOP presidential nominating calendar are intensifying, with Republican officials in Iowa and South Carolina arguing that if Florida doesn't back off, the Republican National Convention shouldn't be held in Tampa.

* Speaking of Florida, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Bill Nelson (D) looking fairly strong in advance of next year's re-election campaign. Though his statewide approval rating is underwhelming, Nelson currently has double-digit leads over his most likely GOP rivals.

* When Quinnipiac shows President Obama's approval rating going down, the media treats it as a very big deal. When the AP shows his approval rating reaching 53%, it's apparently a non-story.

* In Nevada, Rep. Shelley Berkley (D) appears to be the Democrats' strongest Senate candidate next year, but she's reportedly "torn" on whether to give up her House seat for an uncertain statewide race.

* In Wisconsin, former Rep. Mark Neumann (R), who's already lost one Senate campaign, is reportedly meeting with party leaders about running again next year, this time against Sen. Herb Kohl (D).

* It's been long assumed that Rep. Joe Donnelly (D) would run for statewide office in Indiana next year, but it's been unclear which one he'd seek. As of this week, Donnelly's eyes are apparently on the Senate -- a decision made easier by the credible right-wing primary challenge to Sen. Dick Lugar (R).

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "Moammar Gadhafi struck a defiant stance Thursday after two high-profile defections from his regime, saying he's not the one who should go -- it's the Western leaders who have decimated his military with airstrikes who should resign immediately."

* We shouldn't expect that regime to collapse anytime soon: "Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is not close to a military breaking point even though coalition strikes have seriously degraded his fighting power, the top U.S. military officer told Congress Thursday."

* Japan: "Japan is increasingly turning to other countries for help as it struggles to stabilize its tsunami-stricken nuclear plant and stop radiation leaks that are complicating efforts to recover the bodies of some of the thousands swept away by the towering wave. French, American and international experts -- even a robot -- are either in Japan or on their way, and French President Nicholas Sarkozy visited Tokyo on Thursday to meet with the prime minister and show solidarity."

* We're actually getting close to a genuinely good number: "Fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week, a sign that layoffs are dropping and companies may be stepping up hiring. The Labor Department said Thursday that the number of people seeking benefits dipped by 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 388,000 for the week that ended March 26."

* There were rumors yesterday that the White House was prepared to accept GOP demands on a roll back of the Environmental Protection Agency's regulatory power. Those rumors appear to be completely wrong.

* Good move: "Wednesday evening, the White House issued a veto threat of major legislation, the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization, if it still includes the anti-union measure the House Transportation Committee passed. The measure would undermine union organization votes, counting any non-vote by an eligible employee as a 'no' vote."

* In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott (R) will present cuts for the developmentally disabled -- and then attend a Special Olympics photo-op.

* Speaking of the Sunshine State, a Democratic state representative in Florida was rebuked for using the word "uterus" on the state House floor. You really should read this one; it's a doozy.

* Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) doesn't believe federal employees should have collective-bargaining rights. Try to contain your surprise.

* Yes, President Obama has a computer.

* Dear Newt Gingrich, when Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is mocking you, it's evidence you've reached new lows.

* Daniel Luzer: "Online education seems like a good way for colleges to make money. Low cost, high volume, no classrooms or office hours needed. Just sit back and watch the cash roll in, right? Not really."

* Let's just say that "squirmish" is as much a word as "refudiate" is.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Wisconsin Democrats have now collected enough signatures to force a Republican state senator, Dan Kapanke, into a recall election. He is one of eight GOP lawmakers being targeted, and the first to be forced into a recall vote.

* For all his nuttiness, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) continues to enjoy the rabid support of his odd fans. In the first quarter of 2011, Paul has raised roughly $3 million -- $1 million through his political action committee, $2 million through a non-profit entity called Campaign for Liberty. Paul has not yet said whether he intends to run for president again in 2012.

* Fearing costly punishment from the RNC, the chairman of the Florida Republican Party announced yesterday he's open to negotiating the date of the state's presidential primary. Party Chairman Dave Bitner said he'll settle for going fifth, after Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada.

* Police and firefighter unions have frequently sided with Republicans in recent years, but the wave of anti-union activity from high-profile Republican governors is shaking up their allegiances. Chuck Canterbury, the national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said his members are "shocked" by the turn of events.

* Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) hasn't formally launched his presidential campaign yet, but this morning, he committed to participating in a May 5 Fox News candidates forum, to be held in South Carolina. He's the first to agree to participate.

* Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) also hasn't formally announced yet, but a top aide told supporters yesterday that Romney is eyeing a launch in mid-to-late April.

* The DCCC is anxious to get back former Rep. Joe Sestak's (D) old seat in Pennsylvania, and are eyeing Jack Stollsteimer, the state's former safe schools advocate, for the race.

* And in North Dakota, Sen. Kent Conrad (D) is retiring, with no obvious heir apparent. At this point, two former aides to former Sen. Byron Dorgan (D) are both considering campaigns.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Ivory Coast crisis may be nearing an end: "Reeling from mass defections of his soldiers and security forces, Ivory Coast's strongman, Laurent Gbagbo, deployed a dwindling but determined band of loyalists Friday to defend his residence, the presidential palace and the state television station in an effort to hold off a direct assault on his embattled rule."

* Libya: "A senior aide to one of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi's sons has held secret talks in London with British authorities, a friend of the aide said on Friday, adding to the confusion and anxiety swirling around the Tripoli regime after the defection of a high-ranking minister and the departure of another senior figure to Cairo."

* Japan: "Japanese and U.S. military ships and helicopters trolled Japan's tsunami-ravaged coastline looking for bodies Friday, part of an all-out search that could be the last chance to find those swept out to sea nearly three weeks ago."

* Syria: "Thousands of protesters took to the streets in cities around Syria on Friday to chants of 'We want freedom' and security forces responded with tear gas, electrified batons, clubs and bullets, killing at least seven people, according to activists, residents and a Syrian human rights group."

* Still no deal: "Congress lurched into another weekend with no plan to fund the federal government, as House Republicans stood firm against talk that they had struck a deal with Senate Democrats to cut roughly $30 billion from federal accounts."

* President Obama thinks a shutdown would be bad for the economy. He's right.

* I can only hope Congress listens to USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah: "As Congress struggles to negotiate a budget deal to keep the government running, the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) told lawmakers Wednesday that the GOP version of the budget bill would result in the deaths of at least 70,000 children who depend on American food and health assistance around the world."

* As an extension of the fairly good news on jobs, don't forget that revisions in recent months make the job picture look even better than initially realized.

* In 2010, American workers' pay went up 2%. American CEO pay went up 27%.

* Donald Trump will reportedly have a segment every Monday morning on Fox News. (I spent a little time today making sure this isn't an April Fools' joke, and while I'm still not certain, it appears to be legit.)

* For a paid, Washington Post professional, I'm amazed Jennifer Rubin is unfamiliar with control-F, especially when she's falsely accusing Ed Kilgore of being "under-informed."

* Former CIA official Michael Scheuer really appears to be losing it.

* Three days later, the ignominious Megyn Kelly gives the conclusion of the NBPP party story -- which she's invested an enormous amount of time in hyping -- 20 seconds of air time.

* I've never entirely understood why colleges offer remedial courses anyway.

* Rutgers University paid Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi" $32,000 to deliver a speech. Rutgers paid Toni Morrison $30,000 to deliver a commencement address. Snooki has a reality show; Morrison has a Nobel prize in literature. And civilization suffers another painful setback.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In a surprise move, Rep. Trent Franks (R) of Arizona announced that he will not run for the Senate, just a few days after his staff said he would. The move is great news for Rep. Jeff Flake, who now has a clear shot at the Republican nomination, and saw Franks as a tough primary opponent.

* In New Mexico, Rep. Martin Heinrich (D) officially kicked off his Senate campaign over the weekend, hoping to replace retiring Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D). Heinrich, a two-term House member, is expected to be a top-tier competitor.

* CNN reported yesterday that former governor and DNC Chairman Tim Kaine will launch a U.S. Senate bid in Virginia, with an announcement likely within the next two weeks. The seat is currently held by the retiring Sen. Jim Webb (D).

* In the latest evidence that former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) won't run for president in 2012, several top aides from his 2008 effort are signing on with other candidates. For example, Wes Enos, who served as Huckabee's Iowa political director three years ago, has now joined Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-Minn.) team.

* Speaking of Bachmann, the crazed Minnesotan raised $2.2 million in the first quarter, much of it for her political action committee. She managed to do slightly better than Mitt Romney over the same period.

* Sen. Rand Paul (R) of Kentucky, not quite three months into his only term in public office, is now talking openly about a possible presidential campaign. Paul was in Iowa over the weekend.

* A cash-strapped Republican National Committee wants the 2012 GOP candidates to agree to participate in monthly debates, organized exclusively by the national party, as a way to help the RNC dig out of its deep debt. Candidates aren't fond of the idea.

* Though most Floridians probably couldn't pick him out a line-up, George LeMieux (R) served as an appointed U.S. senator for a couple of years, before his term ended in 2010. Now, the Republican wants to rejoin the chamber, challenging incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.

* And in Wisconsin voters will elect a state Supreme Court justice tomorrow, which may prove significant given the legal challenges to Gov. Scott Walker's (R) anti-union crusade. Sarah Palin has weighed in, backing the Republican incumbent, David Prosser, though given her unpopularity, it's unclear if the endorsement will help or hurt.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Japan: "Tokyo Electric Power Company began dumping more than 11,000 tons of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on Monday, mostly to make room in storage containers for increasing amounts of far more contaminated runoff."

* Libya: "Rebel fighters pushed back into this hard-fought oil town on Monday, seizing half of Brega and pledging to drive out Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's forces in hours in an advance that would open a vital conduit for oil sales by the opposition."

* U.S. officials had stood behind Ali Abdullah Saleh in Yemen, because he's a long-time ally. No more: "The United States, which long supported Yemen's president, even in the face of recent widespread protests, has now quietly shifted positions and has concluded that he is unlikely to bring about the required reforms and must be eased out of office, according to American and Yemeni officials."

* That would have been an interesting constitutional crisis: "Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald was repeatedly warned he would be stepping outside the law if he forcibly returned 14 Democratic senators who fled Wisconsin in February, according to internal emails." Part of the problem: there wasn't a police officer in Wisconsin prepared to forcibly detain state Senate Democrats.

* Transocean, the company that operated the infamous Deepwater Horizon oil rig, looked back at 2010 and patted itself on the back, handing on massive executive bonuses for its "best year in safety performance." As Kristen Bartoloni noted, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar was not amused.

* Radical TV Preacher Pat Robertson's support for Ivory Coast leader Laurent Gbagbo manages to look even worse upon further inspection.

* It's one things for anti-union ads to feature fake teachers. But could the far-right groups at least hire different fake teachers?

* Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R), just a few months on the job, has a fascinating new tax plan: tax breaks for the wealthy, tax hikes for the middle class.

* Great piece from Dahlia Lithwick on Clarence Thomas writing "one of the meanest Supreme Court decisions ever."

* If George Will hates trains, and sees them as part of a liberal conspiracy to "diminish Americans' individualism in order to make them more amenable to collectivism," why does he ride them?

* Good question: "[D]oes anyone else think political involvement might actually be a rather good form of education?" Yep.

* Today is the 43rd anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. I've seen several noteworthy pieces today honoring the occasion, but given the larger circumstances, I'm partial to Leonard Pitts Jr.'s piece on MLK and the rights of labor. Take a look.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Though it's generally been assumed that senators will always support the re-election of colleagues from their party, especially from their home state, Sen. Mike Lee (R) of Utah has announced he will not endorse Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) of Utah.

* In related news, Sen. Pat Toomey (R) of Pennsylvania has announced he won't endorse Sen. Olympia Snowe's (R) re-election campaign in Maine. Asked if his GOP colleague can expect his support, Toomey said, "Look, I think this is a very dynamic environment and probably almost every Republican senator's going to face a primary challenge." He added that he's "not going to be opposing" Snowe, but would go no further.

* Most Floridians have no idea who he is, but former appointed Sen. George LeMieux (R) formally announced this morning that he wants to go back to the Senate. He's challenging incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.

* In New Hampshire, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Mitt Romney has the clear favorite in the state's 2012 GOP presidential primary -- unless Donald Trump runs. Without Trump, Romney leads the field by double digits. With Trump, Romney's lead drops to just six points.

* In Missouri, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder (R), expected to be a leading gubernatorial candidate, is under fire for having taxpayers finance his stays in luxury hotels.

* In Kentucky, state Senate President David Williams (R), expected to be a leading gubernatorial candidate, needs to explain $36,000 in previously unreported gambling losses.

* With Rep. Martin Heinrich (D) running for the Senate in New Mexico, potential successors are scrambling in his Albuquerque-area House district.

* And in California's upcoming congressional special election, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn's (D) campaign got a bit of a boost over the weekend, winning a majority of the delegates in the state party, though not quite enough to secure an official party endorsement. Hahn will face California Secretary of State Debra Bowen in a Democratic primary.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Though it's generally been assumed that senators will always support the re-election of colleagues from their party, especially from their home state, Sen. Mike Lee (R) of Utah has announced he will not endorse Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) of Utah.

* In related news, Sen. Pat Toomey (R) of Pennsylvania has announced he won't endorse Sen. Olympia Snowe's (R) re-election campaign in Maine. Asked if his GOP colleague can expect his support, Toomey said, "Look, I think this is a very dynamic environment and probably almost every Republican senator's going to face a primary challenge." He added that he's "not going to be opposing" Snowe, but would go no further.

* Most Floridians have no idea who he is, but former appointed Sen. George LeMieux (R) formally announced this morning that he wants to go back to the Senate. He's challenging incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.

* In New Hampshire, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Mitt Romney has the clear favorite in the state's 2012 GOP presidential primary -- unless Donald Trump runs. Without Trump, Romney leads the field by double digits. With Trump, Romney's lead drops to just six points.

* In Missouri, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder (R), expected to be a leading gubernatorial candidate, is under fire for having taxpayers finance his stays in luxury hotels.

* In Kentucky, state Senate President David Williams (R), expected to be a leading gubernatorial candidate, needs to explain $36,000 in previously unreported gambling losses.

* With Rep. Martin Heinrich (D) running for the Senate in New Mexico, potential successors are scrambling in his Albuquerque-area House district.

* And in California's upcoming congressional special election, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn's (D) campaign got a bit of a boost over the weekend, winning a majority of the delegates in the state party, though not quite enough to secure an official party endorsement. Hahn will face California Secretary of State Debra Bowen in a Democratic primary.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Rebel forces struggling in Libya: "Forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi battered rebel fighters on the road outside this strategic oil town on Tuesday with rocket fire, mortars and artillery, driving them many miles to the north and leaving them in disarray."

* Ivory Coast: "Ivory Coast's strongman leader Laurent Gbagbo holed up in a bunker inside the presidential residence Tuesday, defiantly maintaining he won the election four months ago even as troops backing the internationally recognized winner encircled the home."

* House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) thinks the government will shut down on Friday night. So do I.

* At least something can pass both chambers: "After a months-long battle, the Senate voted Tuesday, 87 to 12, to repeal the 1099 tax-reporting requirement in Democrats' healthcare reform bill. The measure now goes to the president, who is expected to sign it, making it the first part of his party's signature reform bill to be scrapped."

* President Obama intends to veto any Republican efforts to invalidate net neutrality rules. I'm glad to hear it.

* I found this pretty amusing: "Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) wants to change the title of a bill that would permanently block Environmental Protection Agency climate regulations to the 'Koch Brothers Appreciation Act,' a reference to the billionaire brothers who are active in Republican politics."

* I'm not sure who's inclined to take Mark Penn's suggestions for campaign strategies seriously, but I suspect he'll keep offering advice anyway.

* Some crazy person attacked a Gauguin painting at the National Gallery of Art in Washington because she thought it promoted homosexuality.

* The religious right is now going after the American Cancer Society. For what it's worth, ACS, at least you're in good company.

* Maine Gov. Paul LePage's (R) bizarre move to hide a labor-history mural may end up costing state taxpayers $60,000. Electing right-wing buffoons to be governor is never a good idea.

* The lie about Pell Grants, the "welfare of the 21st century."

* House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) appeared on Glenn Beck's radio show earlier. After welcoming him to the show, the host said, "I love you." Ryan replied, "I love you, too."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As of a few minutes ago, Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg (D) led Justice David Prosser (R) by 224 votes in the closely-watched Wisconsin state Supreme Court race. Given the margin, a recount appears likely.

* Former governor and DNC Chair Tim Kaine announced yesterday that he is running for the U.S. Senate, hoping to succeed retiring Sen. Jim Webb (D). He'll likely face former Sen. George Allen (R) next year.

* Kaine immediately stepped down at the DNC, and will be replaced by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.). As a long-time admirer of DWS, I think this is a brilliant move.

* There will be a brief transition before Wasserman Schultz can take the helm at the DNC, and Donna Brazile will serve as the interim chair to bridge the gap.

* While the results in the Wisconsin state Supreme Court race remain unclear, Democrats scored a big victory last night, winning the Milwaukee County Executive post, which had long been in Republican hands. (It's an office Gov. Scott Walker himself used to hold.) Democratic businessman and philanthropist Chris Abele appears to have won by about 20 points.

* Disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) is moving forward with his presidential plans, but in Georgia, a state he represented for two decades, PPP shows him losing to President Obama in a head-to-head match-up in the deep "red" state.

* And in New York's upcoming special congressional election, David Bellavia has failed to qualify for the ballot as an independent. Dems hoped the conservative activist would split the vote on the right.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* President Obama will host a budget meeting at the White House tonight with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). The discussion is set to begin at 8:45.

* Libya: "Stung by criticism from rebel leaders, NATO officials said Wednesday that the pace of attacks on the forces of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi was increasing, after a slight slowdown as the coalition handed off responsibility earlier in the week."

* In the meantime, Gadhafi sent President Obama a letter, arguing that it'd be awfully nice of the coalition and NATO to stop firing on his military.

* Ivory Coast: "Opposition forces in Ivory Coast said Wednesday that they had begun an assault to dislodge the nation's strongman, Laurent Gbagbo, from a bunker under his residence after he refused French and United Nations demands to leave."

* House Republicans know their ridiculous one-week budget extension can't pass, but they're going to waste time on it anyway, in the hopes they can use it to play another partisan game.

* Remember the European debt crisis? It's not over: "Portugal's caretaker government decided Wednesday that it would ask the European Union for a financial bailout, after months of resisting such a move."

* The White House makes it easier to prove it gave you a tax cut.

* House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) wants you to think former Clinton budget adviser Alice Rivlin supports his radical plan. She doesn't.

* Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.), who really isn't well, believes funding NPR is unconstitutional. Whatever you say, Paul.

* On a related note, Liberty University, a school founded by a radical televangelist, gets more public funds through Pell Grants in a year than NPR gets through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

* News organizations really shouldn't struggle this much to report on the attack of a Gauguin painting at the National Gallery.

* Fox News' Juan Williams blasted the Washington Post for "burying" a news story about economic optimism among African Americans and Latinos. The Washington Post ran the story on the front page -- which is the opposite of "burying."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Wisconsin, Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg appears to have won a narrow victory over Judge David Prosser in Wisconsin's Supreme Court justice election. With all precincts reporting, Kloppenburg came out on top by 204 votes and declared victory. Though officially non-partisan, Kloppenburg's apparent win is seen as a huge victory for Wisconsin Democrats, with Prosser enjoying considerable GOP support.

* On a related note, it's worth mentioning that Prosser is seeking a recount. Despite trailing in the final vote tally, the Republican judge has begun raising money from supporters, saying he needs help "in preserving a victory."

* Because politics often doesn't make sense, Sen. Scott Brown (R) appears to be cruising in his 2012 re-election bid. A new Suffolk University poll shows him leading all likely Democratic challengers by at least 15 points. The closest competitor, former Rep. Joe Kennedy (D), trails by five, and Kennedy has already said he's not running.

* Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) told Fox News' Bill O'Reilly that she's qualified to be president: "I have a very broad, extensive background. I'm a student of many years. I've studied a number of, a wide berth of topics. I sit currently on the Intelligence Committee. We deal with the classified secrets and with the unrest that's occurring around the world. I also sit on Financial Services Committee. But again, I've lived life."

* In Mississippi, Sen. Roger Wicker (R) will seek re-election next year, and apparently isn't the least bit vulnerable. A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows the incumbent leading potential Democratic challengers by wide margins.

* The Obama administration's ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman, will be making his first visit to New Hampshire next month, delivering a commencement speech at Southern New Hampshire University. Huntsman is reportedly planning to run for president as a Republican.

* The finance chair of the California Republican Party quit this week, complaining that the party only wants to speak to "30% of the state."

* And in Iowa, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's presidential campaign is off to an unfortunate start, after a paid, full-time staffer got drunk and tried to break into a family's home in the middle of the night. Pawlenty has placed the staffer, Benjamin Foster, on a two-week unpaid suspension.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The aftershock had a magnitude of 7.1: "The strongest aftershock to hit since the day of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan rocked a wide section of the country's northeast Thursday night, prompting a tsunami alert, raising fears of further damage to the already crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and knocking out external power at three other nuclear facilities. The public broadcaster, NHK, said there were local reports of injuries, fires and blackouts."

* Libya: "Deadly strikes on rebel fighters sparked confusion and outrage outside this port city Thursday, with rebels at first accusing NATO warplanes of targeting them, and a rebel spokeswoman later saying the attack came from forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi."

* We're actually very close to a genuinely good number: "The Labor Department said Thursday the number of people seeking benefits dropped 10,000 to 382,000 in the week ending April 2. That's the third drop in four weeks.... Applications near 375,000 are consistent with a sustained increase in hiring."

* On a related note, retail sales in March were stronger than expected. That's good news, too.

* Despite the realization that the bill won't pass, the House approved a one-week stop-gap spending measure today. It was designed to fail, and President Obama has vowed a veto.

* Last night, the House rejected a measure that said climate change is real. Here's the roll call; be sure to take note of the partisan breakdown.

* Sorry John McCain and other anti-gay Republicans; the Service Chiefs aren't finding any problems with the transition away from "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

* Is House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) in control of his caucus? Not really.

* Fox News lies about poll results in ways even right-wing bloggers do not. If I didn't know better, I might think the Republican news network wants its viewers to be uninformed.

* The war on choice continues, Part I: "Lawmakers in Virginia approved an amendment Wednesday that would ban private insurance plans from covering abortions if they participate in a state health care exchange under President Obama's new health care law."

* The war on choice continues, Part II: "Marching in step with the GOP's nationwide war on a woman's right to choose, the Idaho legislature gave final approval to a bill that would outlaw abortions after 20 weeks."

* Good summary of Paul Ryan's budget plan from Ezra Klein.

* Daniel Luzer talks to Paul Combe, the president and CEO of American Student Assistance, one of America's largest student loan guarantors, about the structural problems in the industry.

* I didn't expect the "When Harry Met Sally II" clip to be quite this awesome.

* Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), one of the leading House GOP lawmakers pushing for a government shutdown, told Fox News last night, "We're trying to score a victory for the Republican people." Pence corrected himself, changing it to "American people," but he needn't have bothered. He accidentally told the truth the first time.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Wisconsin Democrats are ready to file 24,000 signatures -- 150% of the required total -- to recall state Sen. Randy Hopper (R). He'll be the second Republican to meet this fate, following last week's developments with state Sen. Dan Kapanke (R).

* It's unclear if New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch (D) will seek an unprecedented fifth two-year term in 2012, but if he does, he'll enter the race as the clear favorite. A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows the Democratic governor leading all of his likely Republican challengers by margins ranting from 18 to 28 points.

* Rep. Trent Franks (R) wasn't just prepared to launch a U.S. Senate campaign in Arizona, he'd already assembled a staff, arranged for a kick-off event at a local hotel, and had aides telling reporters about the launch. And then, Franks reversed course and said he wouldn't run. No one knows what happened, but the events are raising questions.

* With an eye on 2012, National Journal's Ron Brownstein takes a closer look at the extent to which President Obama is "struggling with white voters."

* With Republican voters apparently finding his oddities appealing, Donald Trump chatted with Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus yesterday. The call reportedly touched on a poll this week showing the television personality has one of the GOP's leading candidates.

* On a related note, Trump sat down with radical TV preacher Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network, explaining that he switched from pro-choice to pro-life because he heard about a friend who didn't want a baby, but was happy about the baby later.

* And in New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie (R) is apparently determined to criticize every cultural icon in the state. This week, that means the governor taking potshots at Bruce Springsteen for wanting to "raise taxes all the time on everyone."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* With seven-and-a-half hours to go until the shutdown: "Senate Democratic leaders say a final deal to avert a government shutdown rests in the hands of Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and will only happen if he drops an attempt to defund Planned Parenthood."

* Even if they somehow strike a deal tonight, "both sides agree" that it's "already too late for Congress to enact that complicated budget into law before midnight." It would take a day just to write a bill, and Congress would need a short-term spending bill, lasting perhaps until tomorrow, if an agreement can be reached.

* Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and a close ally of Speaker Boehner, seems to think a final deal may still be reached by this evening.

* Republicans deny that the main sticking point is Planned Parenthood funding, but Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) says emails -- which can be obtained through FOIA -- will prove Dems are telling the truth.

* No one seemed angrier about Republicans targeting Planned Parenthood than some of the Democratic women serving in the Senate.

* House Republicans voted today to repeal net neutrality. That's an extremely bad idea, and President Obama has already vowed to veto the measure should it reach his desk.

* I still find it extraordinary that her recovery has progressed this far, this quickly: "Rep. Gabrielle Giffords plans to attend the April 29 launch of the space shuttle Endeavour, which her husband, Mark Kelly, will command, Giffords' office confirmed on Friday."

* When you know the House GOP's antics have pushed the line of decency too far: "Tea Party-affiliated Republican Rep. Allen West of Florida is out with a statement in which he says he is 'disgusted at the perception that Leaders in my own Party...are now using the men and women in uniform' to pass a short-term budget bill."

* It's as if CNN is trying to be awful: "CNN got in on the action Friday afternoon with a little segment that lets 'you decide' whether Trump's [birther] rants are valid or not, treating a point of fact as though it were theory. 'Donald Trump says Obama wasn't born here,' CNN anchor Deborah Feyerick says, in a teaser for the segment. 'We'll show you the evidence, and let you decide.'"

* As costs of higher ed go up, where does all the money go?

* Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.) quotes the White Stripes at some length during floor remarks, which I suspect is a congressional first. Good for her.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In one of the first big 2012 straw polls in South Carolina was over the weekend, with the Greenville County Republican Party convention weighing in. The big winner, oddly enough, was former Sen. Rick Santorum.

* At leave five Republican presidential hopefuls sought the services of GOP operative Nick Ayers. This morning, Ayers, who served as executive director of the Republican Governors Association, signed on as former Gov. Tim Pawlenty's (R) campaign manager.

* Former Rep. Ed Case (D) will run for the open U.S. Senate seat in Hawaii, hoping to replace retiring Sen. Daniel Akaka (D). Case has an awkward electoral track record in recent years, including a failed primary against Akaka six years ago, and a failed U.S. House bid last year.

* Five years ago today, then-Gov. Mitt Romney (R) signed his statewide health care reform bill into law. Today, Dems appear eager to honor the anniversary, though Romney isn't.

* There are occasional rumors about Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' (D-Ariz.) future political plans, but it's worth emphasizing that the congresswoman "still faces a long road toward some approximation of a 'new normal,' which may not include a return to Capitol Hill."

* Throughout Capitol Hill, Republicans aren't impressed with their party's field of presidential hopefuls. Imagine that.

* In about three weeks, the first presidential debate of the 2012 cycle will be held in South Carolina. The only confirmed participants for the May 5 event are, so far, Newt Gingrich, Buddy Roemer, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty, and Rick Santorum.

* The Obama administration's ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman, will be making his first two campaign stops in New Hampshire and South Carolina, early primary states, in the first week of May.

* And Donald Trump isn't just sticking to ridiculous conspiracy theories; he's expanding them to include new laughable ideas.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Ivory Coast crisis comes to an end, as Laurent Gbagbo was pulled from his burning residence by the country's military and French personnel. "Images of Gbagbo being led into a room in a white undershirt were broadcast on television as proof of his capture even as he refused to sign a statement formally ceding power after losing November's election."

* Pakistan to CIA: you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here: "Pakistan has demanded that the United States steeply reduce the number of Central Intelligence Agency operatives and Special Operations forces working in Pakistan, and that it put on hold C.I.A. drone strikes aimed at militants in northwest Pakistan, a sign of the near collapse of cooperation between the two testy allies."

* Moammar Gaddafi has reportedly accepted a cease-fire plan proposed by the African Union, but Libyan rebels aren't on board.

* The right call from the 9th Circuit: "A federal appeals court ruled Monday that the most contested provisions of Arizona's immigration law will remain blocked from taking effect, handing the Obama administration a victory in its efforts to overturn the legislation."

* Dear White House officials, please start communicating with congressional members of your own party.

* If you missed it over the weekend, John Cole has a gem of a piece on Paul Ryan's House GOP budget plan.

* Security threat: "The U.S. government has prevented more than 350 people suspected of ties to al-Qaida and other terrorist groups from boarding U.S.-bound commercial flights since the end of 2009, The Associated Press has learned."

* On a related note, as Yemen's government falters, it's likely to become al Qaeda's "main home."

* Rush Limbaugh doesn't like the budget deal that Republicans seem to have won.

* Michael Waldman, President Clinton's former chief speechwriter, has some good advice for President Obama and his team when it comes to fighting to protect Medicare.

* When a professor is caught selling grades, it's pretty tough to spin it as offering students "incentives."

* Mariah Blake asks an important question that U.S. officials and the nuclear industry should answer: "Why is the U.S. intent on imitating one of Fukushima's scariest flaws?"

* My only problem with the "Saturday Night Live" sketch about "Fox & Friends" was that it was a little too similar to the real thing, which freaked me out. Indeed, the sketch-comic actors may have been reading actual transcripts for a script.

* On a related note, Walgreens has officially explained that it does not offer pap smears or breast exams. I'm sure Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade will want to air a correction.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign slogan -- "Believe in America Again" -- was John Kerry's presidential campaign slogan in 2003, and John Glenn's presidential campaign slogan in 1983. Worse, Romney's campaign logo looks an awful lot like a toothpaste ad.

* As expected, GOP officials in Indiana have redrawn congressional district lines, and carefully ensured that Rep. Joe Donnelly (D) got screwed. It not only increases the likelihood of a Republican pick-up, but also the chances of Donnelly giving up his seat and running for the Senate.

* Speaking of Hoosiers, Sen. Dick Lugar (R) is facing a tough primary challenge in Indiana, but he raised about $1 million in the first quarter, and now has a campaign war chest of about $3 million.

* How is President Obama doing in Florida? It depends on which pollster you ask -- PPP shows the president doing fairly well, Quinnipiac and Mason-Dixon show him faring much worse. For that matter, PPP shows Obama leading his likely GOP challengers, while Mason-Dixon shows the president trailing Romney and Huckabee in hypothetical match-ups.

* Is Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) planning a third pointless presidential campaign? Apparently, yes. If so, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is unlikely to launch a pointless campaign of his own.

* The media establishment's love for him notwithstanding, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) is largely unknown to most Americans.

* In Virginia, Republican Senate hopeful Jamie Radtke, taking on former Sen. George Allen in a GOP primary, is now arguing that the minimum wage should be eliminated entirely.

* In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is almost implausibly popular, with a new Siena Research Institute poll finding that 73% of his constituents view the governor favorably.

* And after television personality Donald Trump fails to win the Republican presidential nomination, he will "probably" run as an independent. Trump said he thought he "could possibly win as an independent," adding, "I'm not doing it for any other reason. I like winning."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Japan: "Japanese authorities on Tuesday raised the severity rating of the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant to the highest level on an international scale, on a par with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster."

* Libya: "France and Britain urged NATO on Tuesday to intensify airstrikes against Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi's forces and called on the alliance to do more to shield noncombatants from loyalist attacks."

* More good news from Ivory Coast: "Five generals pledged their loyalty to President Alassane Ouattara on Tuesday following the capture of the country's strongman leader after a four-month standoff, as French and Ivorian forces worked to eliminate the last pockets of resistance."

* Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is considering a filibuster of the budget agreement reached last week, to be voted on Thursday. It probably has more than 60 votes anyway, but the procedural delays could cause real trouble in the chamber.

* Melody Barnes explains "why young Americans should care" about Equal Pay Day.

* Eugene Robinson: "The far-right ideologues in the House seek to starve the federal government to the point where it can no longer fulfill its constitutional duty to promote the general welfare. I don't mean to sound apocalyptic, but that's what this struggle comes down to."

* In Wisconsin's state Supreme Court election, conservative Justice David Prosser planned to force a recount when it looked like he'd lost. Now that he's ahead, he wants challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg not to bother with a recount.

* During his tenure at the Pentagon, Donald Rumsfeld wrote memos that were so hilarious, I'm tempted to think they're parodies. Alas, they're real.

* If the concept of online education is going to appear more legitimate, it'll need more credible proponents than Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.).

* And two weeks ago, The Lynchburg News & Advance, a newspaper in Southern Virginia, reported that the late Jerry Falwell's Liberty University took in hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars through federal financial aid. Last week, Liberty University removed The Lynchburg News & Advance from the campus.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Former Republican Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) accidentally slipped yesterday, dropping the pretense of his exploratory committee, and told CNN, "I'm running for president." His aides soon after said this didn't mean Pawlenty is formally running for president.

* On a related note, according to Pawlenty, one of his crowning achievements in office was cutting state spending "in real terms for the first time in 150 years." Is that claim true? To put it politely, it's a stretch.

* For all of his radicalism, Rep. Paul Ryan (R) represents a Wisconsin swing district, which could conceivably be in play with a credible, well-funded Democratic challenger. With that in mind, Kenosha County Supervisor Rob Zerban (D) is reportedly poised to launch a campaign challenging the House Budget Committee chairman. One related obstacle: GOP officials are about to draw the district boundaries to make it easier for Ryan to win.

* Speaking of Wisconsin, recall efforts continue apace, targeting Republicans in the state Senate, and now Democratic candidates are stepping up for the recall elections. State Sens. Dan Kapanke (R) and Randy Hopper (R) both have credible Democratic challengers gearing up for their respective recall races.

* In Montana, Democrats have been waiting for state Attorney General Steve Bullock (D) to announce his gubernatorial plans, and apparently, the party is getting tired of waiting. Yesterday, state Sen. Larry Jent (D) kicked off his own gubernatorial campaign.

* In Mississippi, Greenville Mayor Heather McTeer Hudson will take on nine-term Blue Dog Rep. Bennie Thompson in a Democratic primary next year.

* And in Florida, likely U.S. Senate candidate Adam Hasner (R) is facing new ethics allegations after a problem with his financial disclosures. One of his primary opponents, Mike Haridopolos, has already been admonished for his own ethics violations.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "NATO, Arab and African ministers met with Libya's rebels here on Wednesday in a show of support for insurgents who are seeking to overthrow Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi against a backdrop of division over the pace of coalition air attacks on pro-Qaddafi forces."

* In related news: "NATO said it had destroyed 12 government tanks around the besieged Libyan city of Misurata on Wednesday, after criticism from within its own ranks that it was not doing enough to stop the Libyan government from shelling and shooting indiscriminately at civilians in the rebel-held portion of the city."

* House Speaker John Boehner called Paul Ryan's budget plan "an option worth considering" today, which isn't exactly a hearty endorsement. The comment drew so much attention, the Speaker's office felt compelled to later add that Boehner "fully supports" the radical proposal.

* I guess JPMorgan Chase's prediction that Wall Street reform would crush industry profits was wrong: "JPMorgan Chase kicked off bank earnings season on Wednesday, reporting that first quarter profit surged 67 percent even as problems in its mortgage lending business continued to mount."

* Despite the amusing prank press release, and the fact that the Associated Press fell for it, GE will not be sending $3.2 billion back into the U.S. Treasury.

* The worthwhile initiative is called "Joining Forces": "Starting Wednesday, first lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, plan to visit four states in two days to raise public awareness of the needs of families of military service members."

* The budget deal, set to be approved tomorrow, eliminates four "czar" positions. Republicans probably shouldn't get too excited -- the offices in question are already empty.

* Will there be any major Tea Party rallies on April 15 (Tax Day) this year? Apparently not.

* What could that teacher have been thinking? "A fourth grade teacher in Norfolk, Virginia is in trouble for getting a bit too real in a lesson on the Civil War, in which she held a mock auction of black students while letting the white students bid on them."

* As it should be: more Pell Grants means more students.

* Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), arguably the chamber's worst member, illegally landed his plane, on purpose, on a closed runway late last year, endangering construction workers doing repairs. In fact, he touched down and then "sky hopped" over six vehicles and personnel working on the runway, before landing for good. The airport manager said he'd "never seen such a reckless disregard for human life in my life." Inhofe accepted a "program of remedial training" in December as a substitute for legal action.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) announced on Fox News last night that he's formed a presidential fund-raising committee, making him the fourth Republican candidate to take this legal step. Technically, however, it's not a formal presidential exploratory committee, but rather, a "testing the waters" committee.

* Reinforcing suspicions that he's engaged in an elaborate publicity stunt, television personality Donald Trump will apparently announce his political intentions on the season finale of his reality show. It will air in mid-May.

* On a related note, Trump wants folks to know, "I have a great relationship with the blacks." Seriously, that's what he said.

* In Nevada, Rep. Shelley Berkley (D), arguably the state's most popular Democrat, has decided to run for the open U.S. Senate seat next year. If she wins the nomination, Berkley will likely face Rep. Dean Heller (R), who launched his campaign last month.

* Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said he has no interest in joining his party's ticket as the vice presidential nominee. He added, "[S]omebody would have to be pretty desperate to do that."

* At this point, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) looks very strong going into her re-election bid in Minnesota, and state Republicans are struggling to find a credible challenger for the race.

* Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) enjoys a high approval rating in his home state, but only 33% of his constituents want him to run for president.

* On a related note, to the dismay of the D.C. media establishment, only 22% of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's (R) constituents want him to run for president.

* RNC Chairman Reince Priebus was in Burlington, Vt., last night for a party fundraiser. His attendance drew 125 jeering, sign-waving protestors.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "At a two-day summit of NATO nations that opened [in Berlin] Thursday, U.S. officials played down emerging rifts among allies and said they planned to use the meeting to work toward bridging those differences."

* A discouraging reversal: "More people applied for unemployment benefits last week, the first increase in three weeks. Still, the broader trend points to a slowly healing jobs market. The government says applications for unemployment benefits rose 27,000 to a seasonally adjusted 412,000 for the week ended April 9. That left applications at their highest point since mid-February."

* That pesky 1099 provision in the Affordable Care Act is no more; President Obama signed its repeal this afternoon.

* Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) today conceded that some of the key elements of his union-busting crusade wouldn't actually save the state any money, but he nevertheless sells the labor crackdown as being fiscally necessary.

* Walker also admitted that he has no mandate to purse the anti-union agenda, since he never actually told voters this is what he intended to do.

* The Wall Street Journal's ridiculous editorial page accused President Obama of relying on "blistering partisanship" yesterday. I wonder what the WSJ would have said if Obama had echoed Reagan's budget speech from 1983.

* On a related note, Politico is criticizing the president for doing what Politico recommended. Typical.

* There's just no getting around this: "The Republican Budget Hits Poor, Elderly, and Children Hardest."

* I'm not familiar with the notion of "fat possums," but there are apparently some that made their way into the budget deal.

* Apparently, the biggest political story of the day is a vote Obama cast as a senator five years ago. Sigh.

* The U.S. Chamber of Commerce wants to see science and technology education improved. It's just not sure who should do it.

* I'd sure like to know if there's a public health risk posed by cellphones.

* Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) will be stuck with the "not intended as a factual statement" mess for quite a while. Hell, it's arguably going to be his only legacy after a long congressional career.

* And in the Texas state legislature, Republican lawmaker Leo Berman is pushing a measure to guard against the non-existent threat of Islamic Sharia law. After arguing that there are some parts of the U.S. where judges are "using" sharia, Berman was asked to support the bogus claim. "I heard it on a radio station," he said.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) is the latest Republican presidential hopeful to create a "testing the waters" account that will allow him to start raising money for his national campaign. He's the fifth candidate to do so, and probably means Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) will have to wait until 2016 to launch his own pointless campaign.

* Redistricting is already causing a stir in Iowa, with Rep. Tom Latham (R) announcing this morning he'll take on Rep. Leonard Boswell (D) in the newly-redrawn 3rd district. It'll be one of many contests pitting incumbent House members against other incumbent House members.

* Michigan Republicans had hoped to recruit former Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R) to run for the Senate next year against Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D), but he announced this morning he isn't running.

* The conventional wisdom suggests the Democratic majority in the Senate is likely to disappear in 2012, but Nate Silver's latest analysis notes, "I don't think the Republicans are terribly heavy favorites: instead just a wee bit above 50 percent."

* On a related note, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Patty Murray yesterday outlined her committee's plans for the 2012 cycle, including an informal endorsement of Rep. Shelley Berkley's (D) campaign in Nevada. Murray said DSCC is "aggressively recruiting" candidates in are Massachusetts, Indiana, Maine, Arizona, and Texas, and hopes bitter GOP primaries in some of those races will improve Dems' odds.

* In Ohio, state Treasurer Josh Mandel is arguably the only credible Republican eager to take on Sen. Sherrod Brown (D), and has begun staffing up for the campaign.

* In New Hampshire, former Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D) lost by an 11-point margin last year, but she's nevertheless trying to set up a rematch against Rep. Frank Guinta (R) for next year.

* Speaking of the Granite State, it's generally assumed that Mitt Romney is the heavy favorite in New Hampshire's presidential primary, but Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour intends to try there anyway.

* And in case Rep. Ron Paul and Sen. Rand Paul weren't quite enough, Dr. Robert Paul is apparently considering a Republican Senate campaign in Texas, in the seat currently held by the retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "Military forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, who have surrounded [Misurata] and vowed to crush its anti-Qaddafi rebellion, have been firing into residential neighborhoods with heavy weapons, including cluster bombs that have been banned by much of the world and ground-to-ground rockets, according to the accounts of witnesses and survivors and physical evidence on the ground."

* Afghanistan: "A suicide bomber in a police uniform assassinated the provincial police chief in Kandahar on Friday afternoon, the latest in a series of high-profile killings of government officials in the southern city, according to Afghan officials."

* A couple of tidbits of good economic news: "The Federal Reserve reported that U.S. factories increased production for the ninth straight month. Separately, the Labor Department said consumer prices rose just 0.1 percent last month excluding food and gas prices. That's lower than the 0.2 percent increase economists were expecting."

* Apparently, when President Obama is speaking privately to supporters, and he doesn't think anyone else is listening, he says pretty much the same things he says in public.

* This Taxpayer Receipt idea is actually pretty good.

* On a related note, a lot of Americans don't want to hear this, but by industrialized international standards, taxes in the United States are quite low.

* Late yesterday, the latest in a series of Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood failed.

* Fox News inexplicably ran a story that seemed to link an Obama speech at George Washington University with a student suicide the same day. The Republican network pulled the story today after a request from the university.

* An especially good column from Paul Krugman, and not just because it included a quote from John Cole.

* Gen. Stanley McChrystal will serve on a White House commission on military families. Pat Tillman's mother is urging his removal from the panel.

* GOP policy on the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay: "For Republicans, Gitmo is now the fictional Château d'If: Everyone there is guilty, and no one held at Gitmo should ever be allowed to leave."

* True: "You don't win the future by cutting back on your physical infrastructure out of fear of taxing pollution. Just saying."

* And after Republicans dragged Walgreens into their culture war, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is now using LensCrafters' name. The company apparently doesn't appreciate it, and noted that the right-wing lawmaker is "using our name without our knowledge or permission."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Wisconsin, the Associated Press has projected that conservative state Supreme Court Justice David Prosser has prevailed, thanks to the 7,000 votes that were "discovered" the day after the election. A statewide recount remains a possibility.

* Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.), who has struggled in recent months with mental-health issues, will likely face a primary opponent next year, with state Labor Commissioner Brad Akavian poised to kick off a bid.

* The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee had hinted about a high-profile recruit in Texas, hoping to replace retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R), and now we know who it is: Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq from 2003 to 2004.

* In Kentucky, which will hold a gubernatorial race this year, incumbent Gov. Steve Beshear (D) enjoys a 12-point lead over his GOP challenger, David Williams, in a hypothetical general election match-up.

* Sen. Bob Casey (D) is up for re-election in Pennsylvania next year, and debate a relative weak approval rating, Public Policy Polling shows him easily defeating all of his likely Republican opponents.

* In the state of Washington, state Attorney General Robert McKenna (R), a likely gubernatorial candidate, has said he opposes any efforts towards legalizing marijuana. Asked if he ever used the drug, McKenna said, "I might have."

* And Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum has a campaign slogan: "Fighting to make America America again." After being told that the phrase appears to have been borrowed by Langston Hughes -- a gay liberal -- Santorum said, "The folks who worked on that slogan for me didn't inform me that that's where it came from, if in fact it came from that."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* This was not well received: "Washington's deficit reduction debate came to Wall Street on Monday, after the Standard & Poor's rating firm lowered the outlook for the United States to negative, saying there was a risk that lawmakers might not reach agreement on how to address the country's fiscal issues."

* Japan: "A pair of thin robots on treads sent to explore buildings inside Japan's crippled nuclear reactor came back Monday with disheartening news: Radiation levels are far too high for repair crews to go inside."

* Some of those eager to engage Libya weren't quite ready: "Less than a month into the Libyan conflict, NATO is running short of precision bombs, highlighting the limitations of Britain, France and other European countries in sustaining even a relatively small military action over an extended period of time."

* Rajiv Chandrasekaran sees some progress in Afghanistan: "For the first time since the war began nearly a decade ago, the Taliban is commencing a summer fighting season with less control and influence of territory in the south than it had the previous year." He calls this "a profound shift across a swath of Afghanistan that has been the focus of the American-led military campaign."

* I think this is a good move: "President Obama will hit the road this week and forcibly deliver his message that a combination of spending cuts and tax hikes on the rich is necessary to rein in the nation's rocketing debt — a high-stakes effort to rally public support ahead of a series of contentious budget battles in Congress."

* Syria: "The State Department has secretly financed Syrian political opposition groups and related projects, including a satellite TV channel that beams anti-government programming into the country, according to previously undisclosed diplomatic cables."

* Hydrofracking: "Oil and gas companies injected hundreds of millions of gallons of hazardous or carcinogenic chemicals into wells in more than 13 states from 2005 to 2009, according to an investigation by Congressional Democrats."

* Uwe Reinhardt explains the differences between federal lawmakers' health care and what House Republicans have in mind for Medicare recipients.

* President Obama said of the KSM trial, "I remain convinced we could have handled this in New York. We could have handled it in a normal court." He's right, but that apparently doesn't matter.

* Republicans want to "reform" Social Security, a system they consider a scam. Ironically, the real scam is their proposal.

* This year's Pulitzers were announced today. I was especially pleased to see David Leonhardt among the deserving winners.

* Daniel Luzer: "Changes to rules about Pell Grants are likely to have a dramatically adverse effect on companies that operate for-profit colleges."

* I'm starting to get the sense Roger Ailes is kind of creepy.

* I'd find it easier to tolerate the inanity of "Fox & Friends" if the hosts weren't so damn lazy.

* And Happy Blogoversary to Atrios, who started Eschaton nine years ago yesterday.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Wisconsin Democrats are filing the signatures necessary to trigger a third recall election against a Republican state senator. This time, it's Luther Olsen and Dems have collected 162% of the necessary number of signatures. Olsen joins Dan Kapanke and Randy Hopper on the list of incumbents who'll likely face recall races later this year.

* Just a few days after appearing at a far-right rally in Wisconsin, former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) has relaunched her political action committee's website, now featuring far more content and online features. The moves have increased speculation that Palin may yet launch a presidential campaign.

* Disgraced former Alabama Judge Roy Moore has apparently created a presidential exploratory committee. The former state Supreme Court justice, thrown off the bench for ignoring federal law, is in the midst of a six-day, 25-stop tour of Iowa.

* This should make for an awfully interesting congressional campaign: "Christie Vilsack, the wife of Agriculture Secretary and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, is likely to challenge GOP Rep. Steve King, according to several sources familiar with her thinking."

* Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist continues to move further away from his party, this week donating $1,000 to Patrick Murphy, a Democrat hoping to take on Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) in 2012.

* As expected, Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian announced yesterday he will take on Rep. David Wu in a Democratic primary. Wu has struggled of late with mental health issues.

* And though it seems awfully early, Sen. Rand Paul (R) filed for re-election yesterday in Kentucky. Paul has only been in office for three months, and won't face voters again until 2016.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Moving well beyond a no-fly zone in Libya: "Britain announced Tuesday it will dispatch experienced military advisers to aid Libyan rebels in organizing their forces, inching toward deeper Western involvement in the two-month-old rebellion against Moammar Gaddafi."

* Syria: "Syria tried to placate protesters with declarations of sweeping reform on Tuesday while also issuing harsh threats of reprisals if demonstrations do not come to an end, as one of the Arab world's most repressive countries struggled to blunt the most serious challenge to the 40-year rule of the Assad family."

* Ignore the S&P: "A day after the nation was given a negative credit outlook, President Obama and the Treasury secretary, Timothy F. Geithner, on Tuesday defended efforts that the administration was taking to reduce the budget deficit but warned that the process would not be easy."

* On a related note, Paul Krugman reminds folks not to take the S&P "warning" seriously: "People, this was a non-event."

* My favorite response to Standard & Poor's warning -- which is to say, the response that was most in line with my own -- came from Joe Klein: "Hey, weren't you the same guys who gave AAA ratings to the repackaged subprime mortgage-backed securities that, in truth, were utter dreck? And didn't that help cause the 2008 economic collapse? And didn't subsequent accounts reveal that you were in bed with the banks whose products you were supposed to be rating? I mean, you guys are still in business?"

* Mild-mannered economist Alan Blinder blasts the House Republican budget plan, in the Wall Street Journal, no less: "The Ryan plan has received vastly too much praise from people who should know better."

* President Obama hasn't given up on immigration reform, but there's one noticeable problem: voters elected a Republican House.

* It's heartening to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights functioning again.

* Fred Hiatt has run a lot of columns on climate-change denial. He now seems surprised that so many people are receptive to the rhetoric coming from climate-change deniers.

* Daniel Luzer: "It doesn't seem that online courses are really helping to expand learning so much as they're just replacing existing courses with a new, and arguably less effective, method of delivery."

* Terrific political cartoon, capturing the partisan debate over Medicare.

* When racists say, "I am not a racist," they're still racists.

* David Barton, the right's favorite fake historian, actually believes net neutrality is -- get this -- in conflict with the Bible. The deeply strange far-right activist also called net neutrality "wicked" and "socialism on the Internet." It remains unclear if he knows what net neutrality is.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As of yesterday afternoon, Wisconsin Democrats were prepared to file recall petitions against a fourth state Senate Republican, with far more signatures collected than needed. The deadline for recall filings is less than a week away, and while Republicans say they're likely to force one Democrat into a recall election, no paperwork has yet been filed by the GOP.

* Speaking of Wisconsin, the state Governmental Accountability Board, which oversees elections, has found no evidence of wrongdoing in the recent state Supreme Court race. Conservative Justice David Prosser edged past JoAnne Kloppenburg after more than 7,000 votes mysteriously showed up the day after the election.

* We saw further evidence that Jon Huntsman really is serious about his Republican presidential campaign emerged yesterday, when his Horizon PAC hired veteran pollster Whit Ayres.

* A new Democratic group, House Majority PAC, launched tough new radio ads today, targeting 10 vulnerable House Republicans. The ads tell voters that these GOP incumbents voted for a budget plan that will "gut Medicare for our seniors to pay for trillions in new budget-busting tax breaks for millionaires and big corporations."

* After having a little time to evaluate the GOP field, 40% of Republican voters aren't satisfied with their presidential choices.

* A new Quinnipiac poll shows New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's (R) approval rating dropping to 47% among his constituents. In a match-up against President Obama in the Garden state, the governor trails the president, 52% to 39%.

* It's unclear if former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) will run for president again, but if he does, Public Policy Polling shows him starting with a big lead in the Iowa caucuses.

* Speaking of Iowa, former Iowa first lady Christie Vilsack (D) has purchased a home in Ames, as part of an expected congressional campaign against Rep. Steve King (R).

* And in Chicago, Rep. Dan Lipinski has consistently been one of Congress' less-reliable Democrats, and now it may cost him -- John Atkinson, a wealthy insurance executive and health care activist is poised to run a well-financed primary campaign against the Democratic incumbent.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "Italy and France said Wednesday they would join Britain in sending military advisers to aid beleaguered rebel fighters in Libya, marking another step toward deeper European involvement in the Libyan uprising as NATO struggles to break the stalemate there without directly joining the fight on the ground. The Obama administration has notified Congress that it will send $25 million worth of 'non-lethal' military equipment directly to the Libyan opposition, including vehicles, fuel trucks, ambulances and medical equipment, body armor, binoculars and radios."

* Hetherington: "Tim Hetherington, the conflict photographer who was a director and producer of the film 'Restrepo,' was killed in the besieged city of Misurata on Wednesday, and three photographers working beside him were wounded. The wounds to two of the photographers -- Chris Hondros and Guy Martin -- were severe, according to Andre Liohn, a colleague at the triage center where they were being treated Wednesday night."

* Housing: "Existing home sales rose slightly in March after plunging in February, but the housing market still shows no real momentum even though interest rates and home prices remain relatively low."

* That's not good: "A White House plane carrying Michelle Obama came dangerously close to a 200-ton military cargo jet and had to abort its landing at Andrews Air Force Base on Monday as the result of an air traffic controller's mistake, according to federal officials familiar with the incident."

* At a town-hall meeting in his own district, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) was booed defending tax breaks for the wealthy.

* Dahlia Lithwick offers a fascinating look at the legal state of Roe v Wade in the context of the larger abortion-rights debate.

* Shuttle launch: "President Obama and his family will attend the final launch of the space shuttle Endeavour on April 29, and perhaps join Representative Gabrielle Giffords if she is able to watch as her husband, the astronaut Mark E. Kelly, leads the mission into space, administration officials confirmed on Wednesday."

* Monday's freak-out notwithstanding, Blue Dog Rep. Jim Cooper (D) of Tennessee noted that many of his congressional colleagues "had never heard of Standard & Poor's before" this week.

* Congratulations to this year's recipients of Hillman Foundation awards, including Jessica Valenti and the amazing team at Feministing.com, and Slate's Tim Noah for his exceptional series on income inequality.

* It should easier, not harder, for military veterans to take advantage of the education benefits they've earned and were promised.

* And yesterday, MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan hosted right-wing activist Andrew Breitbart for a bizarre conversation that ended up generating quite a bit of attention. It might be a while before Ratigan's reputation recovers from this one.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* With the deadline for filing signatures in Wisconsin nearly here, it looks like we'll see a whopping eight recall elections for sitting state senators this year. Five Republicans will face challenges, and as of this morning, the GOP believes it has enough signatures to force recall elections against three Democrats.

* Speaking of Wisconsin, JoAnne Kloppenburg, trailing by 7,316 votes, is calling for a recount in the state Supreme Court race. Incumbent Judge David Prosser has, not surprisingly, denounced the move, though he was moving forward with recount efforts of his own when it looked like he had lost.

* This morning, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson launched a Republican presidential campaign at an event in New Hampshire. The former two-term governor is known for his quirky libertarian views, which include opposition to child-labor laws and criminalization of marijuana.

* Former Rep. Patrick Murphy (D) announced he's running to be state attorney general next year. The significance of that is, the party hoped he'd seek a rematch in the 8th congressional district.

* The DSCC narrowly outraised the NRSC in the first quarter, $11.6 million to $11.2 million.

* The DNC raised $20.6 million for the quarter, about $3 million more than the RNC's total.

* Not that he would have been a contender anyway, but former New York Gov. George Pataki (R) announced last night he will not run for president in 2012. He instead intends to run a deficit -reduction organization.

* And in Alaska, a year after an upset victory in a Republican Senate primary, right-wing lawyer Joe Miller finds himself deeply unpopular in his adopted home state. New survey data shows 73% of Alaskans view Miller unfavorably, which may make a race against Sen. Mark Begich (D) an uphill climb.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "President Barack Obama has approved the use of armed Predator drone aircraft in Libya to improve the precision of low-level attacks on ground targets, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday."

* More from Libya: "Rebels fighting to oust the Libyan leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, took control of a border crossing into Tunisia on Thursday in the first significant crack in his control of the country's western region since his security forces tamped down riots across the country two months ago."

* Japan: "Japan sealed off a wide area around a radiation-spewing nuclear power plant on Friday to prevent tens of thousands of residents from sneaking back to the homes they quickly evacuated, some with little more than a credit card and the clothes on their backs."

* I hope he's right, but we've heard this before: "Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the U.S. and its allies in Afghanistan may reach a turning point in the war by the end of this year.... If the Taliban can be prevented from retaking those areas when the fighting picks up this summer, and if the areas under Afghan government control are further expanded at the same time, then by the end of 2011, in Gates' words, 'We will have turned a corner.'"

* It's better, but still too high: "First-time claims for state unemployment benefits fell in the latest week but remained above 400,000 for the second straight week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The number of initial claims in the week ending April 16 fell 13,000 to 403,000."

* Bradley Manning has been transferred from the Quantico brig in Virginia to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The latter is a medium-security facility. Blue Girl has more on this.

* Did you know we've been on orange alert continuously for about six years? "The federal government is adopting a simple, two-tiered alert system to warn the public of terrorist threats and possible attacks."

* Paul Ryan's budget plan included an interesting tidbit: it calls for the debt ceiling to be raised, repeatedly.

* Labor loses another fight, this time in Oklahoma.

* Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) needs a surprising amount of coaching to keep up on current events in his own state.

* Sean Hannity wants examples of Fox News "dividing Americans along religious lines" and "scapegoating the Muslim community." Well, Sean, if you insist.

* Apparently, Glenn Beck and Mike Huckabee are feuding.

* It is interesting to have, for the first time, a president "with a personal relationship to federal student loans and other financial aid."

* And The Onion's brilliance shines again: "Though Mitt Romney is considered to be a frontrunner for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, the national spotlight has forced him to repeatedly confront a major skeleton in his political closet: that as governor of Massachusetts he once tried to help poor, uninsured sick people."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Wisconsin, Republican-aligned groups have filed recall petitions against three Democratic state senators, but the state Democratic Party intends to challenge the legitimacy of those petitions, on the grounds that many were collected improperly. (There are reports, for example, of conservatives trading alcohol for signatures in at least one location.)

* Nate Silver has a fascinating chart, measuring media coverage by month for each of the potential presidential candidates in the Republican field. In November and December, Sarah Palin dominated; in March, Newt Gingrich received a narrow plurality; and so far in April, Donald Trump has generated more coverage than most of the other candidates combined.

* Speaking of Nate, it's widely assumed that in Nevada, Rep. Dean Heller (R) will be tapped to replace Sen. John Ensign (R). But will that automatically give Heller an edge when seeking a term of his own next year? Not necessarily.

* In Florida, the Republican field of candidates hoping to take on Sen. Bill Nelson (D) next year keeps growing, with state Rep. Adam Hasner (R) officially filing his paperwork yesterday. State Senate president Mike Haridopolos is generally considered the Republican frontrunner, but he's plagued by ethics scandals, among other problems.

* Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson (R), during his first week as a presidential candidate, argued that because Americans "elected a black president," it proved "we are colorblind." He added, "Colorblind and we're not a discriminate [sic] nation."

* Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) used to support storage of nuclear materials in Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Now that he's a presidential candidate hoping to compete in Nevada, Pawlenty's views on the policy are evolving.

* In Arizona, Rep. Jeff Flake (R) is running for the Senate, so his House predecessor, former Rep. Matt Salmon (R) hopes to take back his old seat. Salmon left Congress in 2000 due to self-imposed term limits.

* And in Virginia, the Republican field of U.S. Senate candidates keeps growing, with Timothy E. Donner, a Northern Virginia television production company owner, launching a campaign this week. The GOP frontrunner, former Sen. George Allen, is delighted to have so many Republican opponents, because it dilutes the field and makes it easier for him to get the nomination.

[teapeebubbles]

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Syria: "Security forces in Syria met thousands of demonstrators with fusillades of live ammunition after noon prayers on Friday, killing at least 73 people in the bloodiest day of the five-week-old Syrian uprising, according to protesters, witnesses and accounts on social networking sites."

* McCain in Libya: "U.S. Sen. John McCain, one of the strongest proponents in Congress of the American military intervention in Libya, said Friday that Libyan rebels fighting Moammar Gadhafi's troops are his heroes. The top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee made the remark after arriving in Benghazi, a city that has been the opposition capital in the rebel-held eastern Libya."

* A federal judge in New Jersey threw out a legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act this afternoon. The case was dismissed on procedural grounds -- the plaintiffs did not have standing -- not on the merits. (thanks to K.M. for the tip)

* Jared Bernstein, arguably the leading liberal economist at the White House is leaving the administration and joining the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. For those of us hoping for as many progressive voices as possible making their case at the White House, this isn't good news.

* There is no debt crisis, and we're not really drowning in a sea of red ink.

* Republicans beat back labor rights once again, this time in New Hampshire, where GOP lawmakers, by a veto-proof majority, passed a measure "that would prohibit unions from collecting mandatory fees and disallow collective bargaining agreements that require employees to join a labor union."

* Conservatives occasionally like to argue that people will leave states with higher taxes on the wealthy, and move to lower-tax alternatives. That's not really true.

* I imagine Donald Trump, looking ahead, hopes all of his interviews are conducted by Meghan McCain, or at least those asking her style of "interview" questions. (When an interviewer asks the interviewee to hire them, it's a bad sign.)

* Apparently, Wonkette ran a bizarre item the other day related to a conspiracy theory involving Sarah Palin and one of her children. It's sparked some renewed interest in the "controversy," such as it is, but let's be clear: there's nothing to Trig Trutherism and no serious person should consider the rumors credible.

* I feel better already: "Reeling from months of scandal over debt burdens, recruiting practices, and course quality, America's for-profit college will soon have a 'code of conduct.'"

* Happy Earth Day. We have a long ways to go.

* Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly believe George Soros and Paul Krugman want to deliberately destroy the American economy. Why? So they can "build up a socialistic system." Those Fox News personalities really aren't very bright.

* And finally, remember when Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) lied about Planned Parenthood and his office later said his remarks were "not intended to be a factual statement"? Kyl has now used his power as a senator to "revise" the official transcript and strike his falsehoods from the congressional record. We'll still remember, but officially, it will be as if the comments were never made.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* When will Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) drop the pretense and launch a presidential bid? Any day now.

* Presidential hopeful Rick Santorum (R) was asked yesterday on Fox News about his vote in support of Medicare Part D. "I was against that. I spoke against it. I worked against it. But we lost," he said. The detail Santorum hopes Republicans overlook: he voted for it, and didn't even try to pay for it.

* In West Virginia, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Maloney is claiming credit for helping save 33 miners in Chile who were trapped last summer.

* Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (D) was clearly thinking about launching a U.S. Senate campaign, but has apparently decided to skip the race. When it comes to replacing retiring Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D), the Democratic primary seems likely to come down to Rep. Martin Heinrich and state Auditor Hector Balderas.

* In Kentucky, state Rep. Mike Harmon has joined Phil Moffett's Republican gubernatorial ticket. Harmon believes the invitation to run for lieutenant governor is a sign from God.

* And Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the most recent Republican presidential nominee, was asked to comment yesterday on Donald Trump's apparent national ambitions. "I'm staying out of it," McCain said, adding, "He's having the time of his life. I congratulate him for getting all of the attention."

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Libya: "NATO warplanes struck Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi's compound here early Monday and bombed a state television facility in an escalation of the air campaign to aid the rebellion against his four decades in power. The attack on the compound was the third since air raids began in mid-March, but the strike at the television facility was the most significant broadening yet of the NATO air campaign."

* The Syrian crackdown intensifies: "The Syrian Army stormed the restive city of Dara'a with tanks and soldiers and helped detain dozens in towns across the country Monday in an escalation of a widening crackdown on Syria's five-week-old uprising, according to human rights activists, residents and accounts posted on social networking sites. They said at least 25 people were killed in Dara'a, with reports of bodies strewn in the streets."

* On a related note, the Obama administration is considering sanctions against the Assad government.

* Afghanistan: "Taliban militants dug a lengthy tunnel underground and into the main jail in Kandahar city and whisked out more than 450 prisoners, most of whom were Taliban fighters, officials and insurgents said Monday."

* Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) wanted the U.S. Supreme Court to rule immediately on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. The justices turned him down.

* Wikileaks: "A trove of more than 700 classified military documents provides new and detailed accounts of the men who have done time at the Guantánamo Bay prison in Cuba, and offers new insight into the evidence against the 172 men still locked up there."

* Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh will give up power in exchange for immunity from prosecution for him and his family.

* Taking good news where I can find it: "More people bought new homes in March, giving the battered industry a small lift after the worst winter for sales in almost a half-century."

* I'd take deficit hawks more seriously if there was an agreed-upon definition of what a deficit hawk is.

* Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' (D-Ariz.) condition, remarkably enough, continues to improve, with an increased ability to speak and walk.

* Rachel Maddow is featured in eight new "Lean Forward" MSNBC promos, and I'm embarrassed to admit how much I like them.

* Daniel Luzer: "In 2009 President Obama announced that the United States should have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by the year 2020. We've got a long way to go."

* And I was curious to see whether Atlas Shrugged: Part I would be a successful film, given Tea Party support. After two weeks in theaters, it appears to the movie is an embarrassing flop.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) will formally launch his third unsuccessful presidential campaign today at an event in Iowa. He will reportedly also announce the support of three of the 19 members of the Iowa Republican Party's state central committee.

* In Massachusetts, Sen. Scott Brown (R) has his first high-profile challenger, with Alan Khazei, founder of City Year, officially kicking off his campaign this morning. Khazei ran third in the Democratic primary in the 2009 special election that Brown ultimately won.

* Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour's (R) unexpected decision not to run for president has cleared up a legion of staffers, activists, lobbyists, and donors who'd pledged to back him. Now, they're all up for grabs.

* Yesterday was the deadline in Wisconsin for recall petitions, and Republican efforts to trigger elections for two more state Senate Democrats fell short.

* Disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R), reportedly still planning a presidential campaign, accepted $300,000 from the ethanol lobbying group Growth Energy in 2009. Among the things the organization was buying: Gingrich's intention to "speak positively on ethanol-related topics to media."

* Freshman Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) now has a top-tier Democratic challenger, with former Wisconsin state Sen. Pat Kreitlow (D) launching a campaign yesterday.

* In Florida, state Rep. Adam Hasner (R) kicked off his U.S. Senate campaign yesterday, making his announcement on Mark Levin's right-wing radio talk show.

* It appears increasingly likely that far-right Rep. Todd Akin (R) will run for the U.S. Senate in Missouri next year, prompting Ed Martin (R) to instead run for the U.S. House.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The AP believes Gadhafi's power may be slipping in Libya.

* NATO, meanwhile, is "stepping up attacks on palaces, headquarters, communications centers and other prominent institutions supporting the Libyan government."

* As Syria deploys "tanks and troops against unarmed demonstrators," Europe is threatening the Assad government with sanctions. The U.S. State Department is urging Americans in Syria "to depart immediately while commercial transportation is readily available" and advised those who must remain to limit travel within the country.

* Private-sector earnings reports have pushed Wall Street to three-year highs. How this is possible in the midst of a socialist agenda, I don't know.

* I share his frustrations: "Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Tuesday slammed the debate over raising the debt ceiling as 'ridiculous' and said it is 'irresponsible' for policymakers to leave the impression that the U.S. might not pay its bills."

* Doug Holtz-Eakin, a former McCain/Palin advisor and former director of the Congressional Budget Office, said today Congress "has to raise the debt limit... We have to be good stewards of the nation's credit rating [and] doing it sooner is better than later."

* State-sponsored prayers haven't brought rain to Texas and "major wildfires continue to rage on across the state."

* Conservatives in the Prop 8 case have resorted to arguing, in legal filings, that a gay judge shouldn't be allowed to rule in cases related to gay rights.

* On a related note, gay-rights groups aren't embarrassed at all about having pressured King & Spalding to drop their case defending the Defense of Marriage Act for House Republicans.

* New right-wing idea in Louisiana: simply ban abortion rights, Supreme Court be damned.

* The new "Countdown With Keith Olbermann" will debut on Current TV on June 20.

* Imagine that: "Greek austerity is failing even to do much to reduce the deficit, because the economy is shrinking. The usually discreet Calculated Risk sums it up: 'More austerity coming -- the beatings will continue until morale improves!'"

* Michael Kazin: "The Trouble With Independents: What if these voters are just a clueless horde?"

* With McCain's trip to Libya in mind, let's note the tradition of "high-profile U.S. political visits that often seem more about keeping the visitor in the news than changing conditions on the ground."

* And Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) believes the nation's liberal women are "neutering American men" and "bringing us to the point of this incredible weakness." I don't think he was kidding.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Republican presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty yesterday raised the prospect of sending U.S. ground troops into Libya. The former Minnesota governor said he doesn't "want to" do this, "but additional resources in terms of Special Forces, limited, as well as communications capability and other enabling technologies and people, I think, would be a good use of it."

* State Auditor Hector Balderas (D) officially launched a U.S. Senate campaign in New Mexico yesterday, and hopes to replace retiring Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D). Balderas will face Rep. Martin Heinrich in a Democratic primary.

* In Nevada, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Rep. Dean Heller (R) narrowly leading in the 2012 Senate race, topping Rep. Shelley Berkley (D), 47% to 43%. In January, Heller's lead was 13 points.

* Speaking of Nevada, there were some reports this week that Sharron Angle would run as an independent in her U.S. House race if she didn't receive the GOP nod. Yesterday, the failed former Senate candidate denied any such plans.

* In Wisconsin, Dems may be able to file recall petitions targeting a sixth Republican state senator.

* In West Virginia, which will hold its gubernatorial race this year, acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) and Betty Ireland (R) are leading their respective primary campaigns. The primary election is in three weeks,

* Apparently, the first debate for GOP presidential candidates is supposed to be next week in South Carolina. No one's sure if any actual candidates will be there.

* Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) is talking about running for president. No, seriously, he really is.

* Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), a possible presidential candidate, thinks JFK quotes were uttered by Abraham Lincoln. (Since she believes Lexington and Concord are in New Hampshire, I guess this isn't surprising.)

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* New national security team: "President Obama will nominate CIA Director Leon Panetta this week as secretary of defense, replacing Robert M. Gates as part of a series of national security shifts that will also place Afghanistan war commander Gen. David H. Petraeus in the top CIA job, U.S. officials said." Also, Ryan Crocker is headed to Kabul as Ambassador and Marine Lt. Gen. John Allen will replace Petraeus.

* Afghanistan: "A veteran Afghan military pilot said to be distressed over his personal finances opened fire at Kabul airport after an argument Wednesday, killing eight U.S. troops and an American civilian contractor."

* Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke didn't say much, but he does see the recovery continuing through 2013 -- it just won't be an especially good recovery.

* An unexpected partnership: "Fatah and Hamas, the rival Palestinian movements, announced an agreement in principle on Wednesday to end a years-long internal Palestinian schism."

* It's important for people to realize that self-proclaimed health care expert Elizabeth McCaughey seems to be poison for the discourse.

* Fox News' Shep Smith, reflecting on the birther nonsense, tells the media to "just freaking stop it." Here's hoping his own network takes the advice to heart.

* I'm at a loss to explain how the same Obama administration officials who deemed the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional, and refused to defend it in court, are also somehow "screwing over a key Democratic constituency" by defending a lawyer's choice to work on the case from the other side.

* In light of deep education cuts from their new Republican governor, Pennsylvania parents wonder how they'll be able to sell 2.4 billion bake-sale cookies to make up the difference.

* It never occurred to me that college students might be less likely to drop out if they had fewer choices about what to do while there.

* Libertarians looking forward to the next two installments in the Atlas Shrugged films are likely to be disappointed. With the movie failing miserably with critics and audiences, the producer/distributor/financier no longer intends to invest in his failure.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In a move that surprised no one, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) appointed Rep. Dean Heller (R) to serve in the Senate, replacing Sen. John Ensign (R) who will step down in disgrace next week. Heller will also run for a full term next year, though now he'll do so as a quasi-incumbent.

* Mike Huckabee has not yet decided on whether to run for president again, and his current employer, Fox News, is urging him to hurry up. Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum have already left the network in advance of their presidential campaigns.

* In West Virginia, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Democrats with an edge in this year's gubernatorial race, with Ray Tomblin (D) in the strongest position.

* Rep. Heath Shuler, a Blue Dog Dem from North Carolina, will face Councilman Cecil Bothwell in a Democratic primary next year.

* It's challenging enough for Massachusetts Dems to make the case against Sen. Scott Brown (R), given his support in the polls. Why Rep. Richard Neal (D) is helping Brown by calling the senator's independence "very impressive" is a mystery to me.

* Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), an apparent presidential candidate, traveled to New Hampshire yesterday and questioned a possible rival's fealty to the GOP. "I've come to New Hampshire today because I'm very concerned," Paul said. "I want to see the original long-form certificate of Donald Trump's Republican registration."

* New polls out of Pennsylvania and Nevada show President Obama struggling. The president won both states in 2008 and will need to improve his standing in both to win re-election.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The death toll in the Southeast grows following yesterday's devastating storms: "Firefighters searched one splintered pile after another for survivors Thursday, combing the remains of houses and neighborhoods pulverized by the nation's deadliest tornado outbreak in almost four decades. At least 280 people were killed across six states -- more than two-thirds of them in Alabama, where large cities bore the half-mile-wide scars the twisters left behind."

* President Obama will be in Alabama tomorrow, meeting with locals and helping make sure the emergency response is on track.

* Terror in Morocco: "A massive terrorist bombing tore through a tourist cafe in the bustling heart of Marrakech's old quarter Thursday, killing at least 11 foreigners and three Moroccans in the country's deadliest attack in eight years."

* Libya: "Susan E. Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told the U.N. Security Council today that there is another good reason to confront Libyan forces. Moammar Qaddafi has reportedly been passing out tablets of Viagra to his front line troops to help them rape women."

* As if the GDP report wasn't discouraging enough: "More people sought unemployment benefits last week, the second rise in three weeks, a sign of the slow and uneven jobs recovery. Applications for unemployment benefits jumped 25,000 to a seasonally adjusted 429,000 for the week ending April 23, the Labor Department said Thursday. That's the highest total since late January."

* Lara Logan speaks on the brutality of her assault: "Logan, a CBS News correspondent, was in Tahrir square preparing a report for '60 Minutes' on Feb. 11 when the celebratory mood suddenly turned threatening. She was ripped away from her producer and bodyguard by a group of men who tore at her clothes and groped and beat her body. 'For an extended period of time, they raped me with their hands,' Ms. Logan said in an interview with The New York Times. She estimated that the attack lasted for about 40 minutes and involved 200 to 300 men."

* Fascinating report from Zach Carter and Ryan Grim on swipe fees. It may seem like a dull topic, but the fight between retailers and financial institutions is an important story about lobbying and the disregard for consumers.

* Speaking of interesting stories, Spencer Ackerman has a rather remarkable story on his experience with a strange person billed as the "1st Lady of Missiles."

* American women, we now know, are better educated than American men. Now if only they were paid equally, we'd have some even more meaningful progress.

* And finally, CBS News' Bob Schieffer doesn't do much in the way of commentary, so it was refreshing for him to suggest that Donald Trump is part of "an ugly strain of racism." Good for Schieffer.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Get to know Priorities USA: "Democrats with ties to the Obama White House on Friday are launching a two-pronged fundraising effort aimed at countering deep-pocketed GOP groups in 2012 -- and adopting some of the same policies on unlimited, secret donations that President Barack Obama himself has long opposed, the organizers tell POLITICO."

* In the wake of Rep. Chris Lee (R) resigning in disgrace, a special election is coming up in New York's 26th congressional district, which is generally a Republican stronghold. For those who aren't following it, now is probably a good time to start: a new Siena College poll shows Republican Jane Corwin leading Democrat Kathy Hochul by just five points. The election is May 24.

* It wasn't clear who, if anyone, would show up for the first Republican presidential candidate debate, scheduled for next week in South Carolina, and cosponsored by Fox News. This morning, Tim Pawlenty said he'll be there.

* On a related note, disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) almost certainly won't participate in the event, since it is limited to candidates who've at least formed exploratory committees. A Gingrich spokesperson said it's unlikely he'll be there, but this shouldn't be interpreted as a lack of interest in the race.

* GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum delivered a speech on foreign policy yesterday, and inexplicably forgot to even mention the war in Afghanistan.

* U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman will return from China today, and walk immediately into a presidential campaign operation that's been waiting for him.

* Sen. Joe Manchin (D) will seek a full term next year, after winning a special election last year, in a hypothetical match-up against Shelley Moore Capito (R), Machin leads by eight, 48% to 40%.

* President Obama continues to struggle in New Hampshire, a state he won in 2008 by nearly 10 points. A new WMUR Granite State poll shows the president's approval rating in the state down to 44%, and Obama trails Mitt Romney in a hypothetical head-to-head match-up.

* And in North Dakota, Rep. Rick Berg (R), after only four months in Congress, is already planning to run for the U.S. Senate next year. Yesterday, the right-wing Club for Growth said the conservative Berg isn't quite hysterical enough. It's an open-seat contest, with Sen. Kent Conrad (D) retiring, though Democrats have so far failed to recruit a credible candidate.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* In Alabama: "President Obama walked through a tornado-ravaged neighborhood in Tuscaloosa on Friday and promised 'maximum federal help' to the survivors of a series of deadly twisters that carved paths of destruction and claimed about 300 lives in six Southern states. 'I've never seen devastation like this,' Obama said as he toured the Alberta section of the city with first lady Michelle Obama and gazed at crumpled houses, uprooted trees and destroyed cars. 'It is heartbreaking.'"

* The president also told the affected communities, "We're going to make sure that you're not forgotten."

* ThinkProgress: "Dr. Kevin Trenberth, one of the world's top climate scientists, who has been exploring for years how greenhouse pollution influences extreme weather, said he believes that it is 'irresponsible not to mention climate change' in the context of these extreme tornadoes."

* Today's Space Shuttle launch was delayed until early next week due to a technical glitch. Obama nevertheless visited with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), as both were in Florida for the launch.

* Syria: "Tens of thousands of Syrians defied a bloody government crackdown on Friday and took to the streets in towns and cities across the country, responding to calls from democracy activists to stage a 'Day of Rage' to protest the military's efforts to crush the burgeoning opposition movement."

* Libya: "The fighting in Libya spilled over into neighboring Tunisia early on Friday, as troops loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi routed rebel fighters at a critical border crossing in the southwest and pursued them into the nearby town of Dehiba, said a rebel fighter who witnessed the events."

* Good: "In a 2-1 decision Friday, the panel of the U.S. court of appeals in Washington overturned a judge's order that would have blocked taxpayer funding for stem cell research."

* Great story about eight of the surviving members of the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike, who visited the White House today for the first time in their lives.

* Chrysler will pay off its government debts by the end of June.

* Groupon will no longer advertise on the website for Donald Trump's reality show. Good move.

* Dana Milbank has a very sensible take on what's become of the White House Correspondents' Association dinner -- and why it's probably best to avoid it.

* I thought it was impossible for John Stossel to stoop any lower on the journalistic integrity scale. I stand corrected.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Unless it's yet another head-fake, disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) will kick off his presidential campaign next week. He told National Journal over the weekend, "I'll be in by the 10th or 11th."

* Rep. Mike Pence (R) was scheduled to launch his gubernatorial campaign in Indiana this morning. He postponed, however, in light of the Osama bin Laden news.

* A year ahead of his re-election fight, Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), a member of the Massachusetts National Guard, apparently intends to fulfill his annual Guard training in Afghanistan. Details are a little sketchy, but Brown said yesterday, "I'm going to be going over at some point to do some missions."

* The New Hampshire Democratic Party believes it's found evidence of federal election law violations from GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney. The former Massachusetts governor is accused of funneling "soft money" through a state PAC and into his federal presidential campaign. Circumventing federal campaign contribution limits is illegal.

* With Rep. Dean Heller (R) being appointed to the Senate, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) has announced a special election in the 2nd congressional district be held on September 13, 2011. The protocol remains unclear, and the race may be a multi-candidate free-for-all, with multiple Democrats and Republicans on the ballot at the same time.

* On a related note, defeated Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R) has already made clear she intends to compete in the special election, and told supporters late last week she intends to defeat the "left wing" of the Republican Party. (That's not a typo.)

* On "Meet the Press" yesterday, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) ruled out serving on the 2012 Republican ticket. Pressed on how firm his position is, Rubio said "under no circumstances" would he be a national candidate.

* And don't forget, there's a big election in Canada today.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* POTUS: "'The world is safer,' Mr. Obama said as he appeared at a White House ceremony bestowing the Medal of Honor to two soldiers killed in the Korean War. 'It is a better place because of the death of Osama bin Laden.'"

* Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton made brief remarks this morning: "Our message to the Taliban remains the same, but today, it may have even greater resonance: You cannot wait us out. You cannot defeat us. But you can make the choice to abandon al Qaeda and participate in a peaceful political process.... Let us remind ourselves: This is America. We rise to the challenge, we persevere, and we get the job done."

* This is a pretty great shot taken in the Situation Room yesterday.

* The woman who was killed in yesterday's raid was apparently a wife to bin Laden, whom he used as a shield to try to protect himself.

* ABC News appears to be the first major news organization to have video footage of the compound where bin Laden was killed. The footage was taken after the raid.

* Like many Republicans today, Dick Cheney suggested Bush-era torture may have produced information that ultimately led to yesterday's developments. There's ample reason to be skeptical of this claim.

* A new conspiracy-theory cottage industry is born: "the deathers."

* In Libya on Saturday night: "The government of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi said he survived an airstrike in Tripoli late Saturday night that killed one of his sons and three grandchildren, in the sharpest intensification yet of the NATO air campaign intended to pressure the Libyan leader from power."

* The recovery of American auto manufacturers: "For the first time in nearly seven years, Detroit's car companies are all making money. Chrysler, the last of the three to return to profitability, said Monday it made a $116 million net profit in the first quarter on revenue of $13.1 billion. The company, which emerged from bankruptcy protection a little less than two years ago, hadn't reported a net profit since 2006."

* Presidents' favorite community college: "Miami Dade College is apparently the number one destination for Florida poor people, high school dropouts, and, well, U.S. presidents."

* On a related note, even when the economy is good, dropping out of high school is nearly always a spectacularly bad idea.

* And Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was asked to reflect on House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) crediting Bush's "vigilance" for contributing to yesterday's success. "For Eric Cantor to phrase it that way, to say [President Obama] followed the vigilance of President Bush is a degree of key partisanship that exceeded what I even expected from Cantor," Frank said. "That's just sad."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Nevada election officials announced yesterday the special election in the 2nd congressional district will be "open to all candidates and not just nominees selected by the state's political party." In other words, it's going to be a free for all, and Republican officials won't be able to keep Sharron Angle off the ballot.

* The first debate of the cycle for Republican presidential candidates is just two days away, and it appears the stage won't have many credible contenders. Yesterday, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney announced he isn't attending.

* In Wisconsin, Democrats and their allies hoped to force recall elections for eight state Senate Republicans, but it appears they'll fall short of the goal. With the deadline having come and gone, petition signatures weren't enough to force recalls of two GOP senators, leaving the total of vulnerable Republicans at six.

* Despite a recent poll showing Kathy Hochul (D) within striking distance in the upcoming New York special election in Buffalo, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee "has shown no signs of aiding Hochul, even though she has been an effective fundraiser who is running competitively in polling."

* In Ohio, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D) is likely to find that state policymakers have eliminated his district through the redistricting process. As hard as it seems to believe, the liberal Democrats is now reportedly running again anyway, only this time, he'd run in the state of Washington.

* Has reality-television show host Donald Trump already peaked? A new Fox News poll shows his support dropping in the field of GOP presidential hopefuls, slipping from 11% to 8%.

* It probably won't matter, but former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer (R) has officially moved beyond the exploratory committee and is now a full-fledged Republican presidential candidate.

* And it was a big day for politics in Canada yesterday, with the Conservative Party winning a long-sought majority. It was also an election that "decimated the Bloc Quebecois and humbled the Liberals," and made the New Democratic Party the Official Opposition for the first time ever.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Not surprisingly, some of the initial accounts from Sunday's firefight at the bin Laden compound weren't accurate: "White House officials on Tuesday sought to correct the official account of the raid in Pakistan that ended in the killing of Osama bin Laden, saying that the Qaeda leader was not armed and that his wife was not killed."

* Obama in New York tomorrow: "President Obama will travel to New York City on Thursday to mark the death of Osama bin Laden by visiting the site of the World Trade Center and meeting with families of victims from the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The president is scheduled to deliver a speech, tour the site and meet privately with family members, an administration official said."

* Iraq: "A car bomb tore through a cafe packed with young men watching a football match Tuesday in Baghdad, killing at least 16 people, officials said."

* House Republicans put together a new contract for attorney Paul Clement, and will once again pay him and his legal team $500,000 in taxpayer money to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court.

* I really wish more people still cared about this: "Arctic ice is melting faster than expected and could raise the average global sea level by as much as five feet this century, an authoritative new report suggests."

* Two UCLA geographers and a class of undergraduates authored a 2009 paper predicting Osama bin Laden's whereabouts. How'd they do? "According to a probabilistic model they created, there was an 88.9% chance that bin Laden was hiding out in a city less than 300 km from his last known location in Tora Bora: a region that included Abbottabad, Pakistan, where he was killed last night."

* The Oklahoma state House of Representatives censured state Rep. Sally Kern (R) for her racism yesterday. Some of her Republican colleagues defended her, but they were in the minority.

* Congrats to Nico Pitney on his promotion, as he becomes the executive editor at the Huffington Post.

* The American Enterprise Institute tries to weigh in on for-profit colleges. The results aren't good.

* And easily the strangest thing I've seen I'll day is a collection of tweets from people who have no idea who Osama bin Laden is. The terrorist, it turns out, wasn't living in a cave, but maybe these folks have been.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Jon Huntsman, the Obama administration's former ambassador to China, took his first step toward a Republican presidential campaign yesterday, creating a political action committee that will allow him to travel and raise money.

* Huntsman quickly drew praise from former President Jimmy Carter (D), which probably won't help his GOP bid.

* Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) has not yet decided whether he'll run for president, but he's solicited advice from George W. Bush.

* Mitt Romney's Republican presidential campaign enjoys big leads in New Hampshire primary polls, but in an ominous development, Bruce Keough, the 2008 chairman of Romney's New Hampshire campaign, has announced he won't support the former Massachusetts governor again.

* Rick Santorum created a presidential exploratory committee yesterday, moving his all-but announced campaign one step forward.

* Former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) shook up her foreign policy team yesterday, replacing Randy Scheunemann with Hoover Institution fellow Peter Schweizer. It remains unclear why Palin has a foreign policy team.

* It seems unlikely she'll be physically able to run for the seat, but Public Policy Polling found that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) would lead Rep. Jeff Flake (R) in next year's Senate race in Arizona, 48% to 41%.

* In a clever move, Democrat Darren Spellman attended a town-hall meeting hosted by Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.), and announced his campaign against the congressman.

* State House races generally don't garner national attention, but Democrats won a seat in Wisconsin yesterday that had been held by Republicans for many years. The campaign focused largely on Gov. Scott Walker's (R) anti-union agenda, and Wisconsin Dems hope to duplicate the success in the upcoming recall elections.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Watch this closely: "The Obama administration is seeking to use the killing of Osama bin Laden to accelerate a negotiated settlement with the Taliban and hasten the end of the Afghanistan war, according to U.S. officials involved in war policy. Administration officials think it could now be easier for the reclusive leader of the largest Taliban faction, Mohammad Omar, to break his group's alliance with al-Qaeda, a key U.S. requirement for any peace deal."

* On a related note: "Osama bin Laden's death is likely to revive a debate within the Afghan Taliban about their ties to al-Qaida -- a union the U.S. insists must end if the insurgents want to talk peace."

* Seeking an explanation from Pakistan: "Obama administration officials here and in Islamabad are demanding that Pakistan quickly provide answers to specific questions about Osama bin Laden and his years-long residence in a bustling Pakistani city surrounded by military installations."

* In the latest New York Times/CBS News poll released this morning, President Obama's approval rating jumped 11 points, from 46% to 57%. Support for his handling of the economy, however, reached the lowest point of his presidency.

* Despite the fact that his remarks came very late on a Sunday night, President Obama's speech announcing the killing of bin Laden was watched by 56.5 million Americans. That's 8 million more viewers than watched his State of the Union address.

* Any lingering doubts on whether Obama's call to raid the compound in Abbottabad was gutsy? Consider this piece on "the debacle that didn't happen."

* Scandalous: "U.S. mining regulators found multiple safety violations at a West Virginia mine owned by Massey Energy Co., saying Tuesday that the conditions were 'nothing short of outrageous' and accusing the company of failing to clean up its act after the 2010 explosion at its Upper Big Branch mine."

* Paul Krugman 1, Casey Mulligan 0.

* The company formerly known as Blackwater has a new ethics chief. It's former Attorney General John Ashcroft.

* On the lookout for the next economic bubble? Is higher education on the list?

* Virginia's truly bizarre, hyper-conservative state attorney general, Ken Cuccinelli, published one of the strangest tweets I've ever seen this morning: "How much would I give to be one of the 72 Virginans Osama is 'hanging out' with since Sunday?" I suppose there's supposed to be some kind of pun in there about "Virgins" and "Virginians," but he spelled the latter wrong and the whole message was just a distasteful mess.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The first debate for Republican presidential candidates is tonight in South Carolina, but the Associated Press and Reuters won't cover it because of media restrictions being imposed by News Channel and the South Carolina Republican Party.

* We've known for months that Rep. Mike Pence (R) was running for governor in Indiana, but today, he made it official. He was supposed to announce on Monday, but delayed in light of the Osama bin Laden news.

* To state Democrats' delight, Nevada state Treasurer Kate Marshall (D) announced yesterday she'll compete in the 2nd district's special election this year. It will be a multi-candidate free for all, though, with multiple Dems and Republicans running at the same time.

* A new WMUR poll in New Hampshire shows Mitt Romney continuing to lead the GOP field in the first primary state. The former Massachusetts governor has 36% support, with Donald Trump second with 11%.

* Fox News wants Mike Huckabee, one of the network's paid employees, to make up his mind about the 2012 presidential campaign. The Republican network has reportedly given Huckabee until the end of May to make a decision.

* Michele Bachmann has not yet decided whether to run for president, but she said publicly this week she wants God to give her and her husband "a special anointing on how to put our team together."

* To the disappointment of the state GOP, former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land (R) will not take on Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) next year. Michigan Republicans are still without a top-tier Senate candidate.

* And in case Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.) didn't have enough trouble, former Rep. Elizabeth Furse is now talking about taking Wu on in a Democratic primary next year. State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian is already running against the incumbent, who recently acknowledged struggling with mental health issues.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* At Ground Zero: "President Obama laid a wreath of red, white, and blue flowers at ground zero on Thursday, honoring the nearly 3,000 people killed in the September 2001 terrorist attacks and marking the death of its perpetrator, Osama bin Laden."

* This is cause for genuine concern: "The number of people applying for unemployment benefits surged last week to the highest level in eight months, a sign the job market may be weakening. The Labor Department says applications rose by 43,000 to 474,000 in the week ended April 30, the third increase in four weeks."

* Pakistani officials tell the U.S. not to make a habit of raiding their country without permission.

* POTUS to meet Team 6: "President Obama will meet members of the Navy SEAL team that killed Osama bin Laden when he visits a military base Friday in Kentucky. The Associated Press, citing an anonymous source, reported the meeting will occur during Obama's previously announced visit to Fort Campbell in Kentucky."

* Syria: "Backed by tanks, Syrian security forces raided a restive Damascus suburb Thursday morning, arresting scores of people in a broad campaign that targeted men between the ages of 18 and 50, human rights groups and activists said."

* White House budget talks: "Vice President Joe Biden said talks on a long-term budget deal will resume next week, following an initial meeting Thursday to set up the group. The first meeting included a general discussion of rival proposals, Democrats leaving the meeting said, and the only agreement made was to meet again Tuesday."

* Agreed: "Too many of today's conservatives are unable to celebrate a pure victory for America because of who was at the helm when it happened. That's disturbing."

* Judge Jack McConnell was confirmed late yesterday on a party-line vote, 50 to 44. The vote came soon after a GOP filibuster was defeated.

* Right-wing pseudo-historian David Barton was on "The Daily Show" last night, spewing a lot of nonsense. It just wasn't possible for Jon Stewart to fact-check every claim during their discussion, but Right Wing Watch detailed Barton's most glaring errors (Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV).

* Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) has a new definition for the GOP: "Get Old People."

* Daniel Luzer: "A few colleges are now starting to treat binge drinking like a public health problem, rather than just a campus discipline problem."

* America's Worst Sheriff: Joe Arpaio faces a new corruption scandal.

* Fox host Eric Bolling seemed to endorse the idea of torturing a variety of public officials, including President Obama.

* And as disgusting as it is that this incident occurred, I'm glad the district acted: "A Southeast Texas school has put a teacher on leave pending an investigation into an allegation that he asked an American-born Muslim student if she was grieving because her 'uncle' had died, referring to Osama bin Laden, a school district spokeswoman said Wednesday."

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Five Republican presidential candidates gathered for a debate last night in South Carolina. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) didn't watch it, and I have to admit, neither did I. Apparently, the participants, mostly second- and third-tier candidates, repeated a lot of tired falsehoods.

* Fox News formally terminated its contracts with Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum yesterday, as both prepare to formally launch their Republican presidential campaigns.

* Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D) conceded on the record yesterday that he's likely to run for another term in a state outside his Cleveland-area district. "If I don't have anywhere I can run in Ohio, I have to start thinking about what my options are," he said.

* To the disappointment of the state Republican Party, Nevada Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki (R) announced yesterday that he won't run in the special election in the 2nd congressional district.

* On a related note, now that Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller (D) has said the special election will be open to all qualifying candidates regardless of party, the Nevada Republican Party has filed a lawsuit. The GOP wants to nominate its own candidate.

* Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) formally took her party's reins this week, getting elected chair of the Democratic National Committee. She's the first woman ever to be nominated by a sitting president to lead a national party.

* Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) this week became the first 2012 presidential candidate to open a campaign office in Iowa.

* Arizona is one of the nation's more reliable "red" states in presidential politics, but the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows President Obama pretty competitive in the state, leading most of the GOP field and trialing Mitt Romney by only four points in a hypothetical match-up.

* Though he continues to have trouble with his state's redistricting map, PPP shows Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) with a big lead over Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder (R) in next year's gubernatorial race.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* I guess the conspiracy theorists will think the terrorists are in on the hoax: "Al-Qaida confirmed the killing of Osama bin Laden and vowed revenge, saying Friday that Americans' "happiness will turn to sadness." The statement was the first by the terror network since its leader was slain in a U.S. commando raid against his Pakistani hideout."

* Syria: "Security forces fired on demonstrators in six Syrian towns and cities in a day of protests that activists declared a "Friday of Defiance," in which 26 people died, but a withering crackdown subdued the most restive town and prevented many protesters from gathering in larger demonstrations, activists and human rights groups said."

* Japan: "Japan urged a power company Friday to suspend all three reactors at a coastal nuclear plant while a seawall and other structures are built to ensure a major earthquake or tsunami does not cause a second radiation crisis."

* I wonder if congressional Republicans have heard about this: "Americans are paying the smallest share of their income for taxes since 1958, a reflection of tax cuts and a weak economy, a USA TODAY analysis finds."

* Republicans sure do love to take orders from Wall Street: "Republican senators vowed Thursday to block any nominee to lead the fledgling Consumer Financial Protection Bureau unless stronger limits are put on its power, in the latest blow in a long-running battle to rein in the watchdog agency before it officially launches this summer."

* Let's just say Condoleezza Rice isn't having a very good week.

* I don't know Nancy Pelosi personally, but I get the feeling she enjoys annoying the hell out of her Republican colleagues.

* Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) has a new idea: abolish the Environmental Protection Agency, and fold its responsibilities into another agency.

* Remember her? "Monica Goodling, a key figure in the politicization of the Justice Department during the Bush administration, has received a public reprimand from the Virginia State Bar, Virginia Lawyers Weekly reports. The state bar found that Goodling committed 'a criminal or deliberately wrongful act' that reflected poorly on her 'honesty, trustworthiness or fitness to practice law,' the publication reports."

* Why the Department of Justice's interest in a for-profit college operation, accused of bilking taxpayers, may be bad news for Sen. Olympia Snowe (R) of Maine.

* This is an actual story from the NBC affiliate in Miami: "Floridians are going to have to start pulling up their pants and stop having sex with animals soon."

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* With his House district disappearing, Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) was bound to run for higher office in 2012. Now we know which one — Donnelly will launch a Senate campaign today, eyeing a seat currently help by Sen. Dick Lugar (R), who’s facing a tough primary campaign.

* In Virginia’s closely-watched Senate race, a new Washington Post poll shows Tim Kaine (D) and George Allen (R) tied at 46% each among registered voters. Both are also the overwhelming favorites to win their respective parties’ nominations.

* Disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has hired a campaign manager and will reportedly kick off his presidential campaign on Wednesday.

* Apparently concerned about the GOP’s chances in the special election in New York’s 26th, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) will visit the area today to support Jane Corwin (R), whose campaign has struggled of late.

* The South Carolina Republican Party held a presidential straw poll over the weekend at the Silver Elephant Dinner. Rick Santorum, the only candidate to show up, won easily.

* In Missouri, Ed Martin (R) will end his Senate campaign, and will apparently run for the House in the state’s 2nd congressional district. The seat is currently held by Rep. Todd Akin (R), who’s interested in the Senate.

* Democrat Tarryl Clark, who took on Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) in Minnesota last year, will switch districts and run against Rep. Chip Cravaack (R) in 2012.

* And former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R), whose 2008 presidential campaign was remarkable in its ineptitude, hasn’t ruled out trying again. “My major goal is to elect a Republican in 2012,” he said over the weekend. “If it turns out that I’m the best one to do that, I can probably be talked into doing it or convince myself to do it.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* This isn’t going to help: “Stung by criticism at home and in the United States following a U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden in a city north of the capital, Pakistan’s intelligence service may have leaked the name of the CIA station chief in retaliation, U.S. officials said Monday.”

* On a related note, had the mission to kill bin Laden gone awry, was the Obama administration risking a war with Pakistan? The risk was quite real.

* Syria: “A military crackdown on Syria’s seven-week uprising escalated Sunday, with reinforcements sent to two cities, more forces deployed in a southern town and nearly all communications severed to besieged locales, activists and human rights groups said. Fourteen people were killed in the city of Homs, they said, and hundreds were arrested.”

* Home videos: “The Obama administration on Saturday released five videos recovered from Osama bin Laden’s hide-out in Abbottabad, Pakistan, that an intelligence official said showed the Qaeda founder threatening the United States, condemning capitalism and at some points flubbing his lines and missing a cue. In the most candid scenes, Bin Laden can be seen watching news coverage of himself on television.”

* Adam Serwer has an extremely compelling piece explaining why bin Laden’s killing was entirely legal.

* Rep. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) was asked whether it’s fair highly-profitable oil companies to receive taxpayer subsidies. He replied, “Fair is a relative word.”

* Good: “The Texas high school teacher who allegedly told a Muslim girl in his ninth grade algebra class that ‘I bet that you’re grieving’ over the death of Osama bin Laden will not be returning to work, a school spokesperson tells TPM.”

* Ridiculous: “Yesterday, the Texas Legislature passed legislation requiring doctors to perform a sonogram at least 24 hours before an abortion and to describe what the sonogram shows. Only in cases of rape, incest, or fetal abnormality is a woman allowed to bypass that requirement.”

* Bill O’Reilly told Barack Obama in September 2008, two months before the presidential election: “You’re not gonna invade Pakistan, senator, if you’re president. You’re not gonna send ground troops in there. You know it.”

* And Donald Trump told Fox News this morning, “I am the least racist person there is.” To prove it, Trump pointed to an African American who won his reality-television show a couple of years ago. “So I am the least racist person,” he added.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The special election in New York’s 26th congressional district got a little more interesting yesterday, with the release of a new survey from Public Policy Polling, commissioned by Daily Kos. The poll found Democrat Kathy Hochul in the lead in the GOP district with 35%, followed by Jane Corwin (R) at 31% and Tea Partier Jack Davis at 24%.

* In Massachusetts, Newton Mayor Setti Warren (D) has jumped into the U.S. Senate race and hopes to take on Sen. Scott Brown (R) next year. Warren is an Iraq War veteran and the first African American to be elected mayor in Massachusetts.

* In Wisconsin, independent state reviews have verified the first two batches of recall petitions targeting Republican state senators. Next step: the recall elections themselves.

* With Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) soaring with a high approval rating, it’s likely he’ll be at or near the top of the list for 2012 running mates, no matter who wins the GOP nomination. McDonnell has already said he’d be interested in the gig.

* A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Donald Trump’s support among Republican voters collapsing quickly. After quickly rising to the top of the GOP presidential field, Trump’s standing has fallen from 26% to 8% in just four weeks.

* Mitt Romney is not expected to compete too hard in the Iowa caucuses, but he won’t ignore the state entirely, either. He’ll make his first trip to the Hawkeye State since launching an exploratory committee on May 27.

* And Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) still knows how to benefit from a money bomb: his latest tally from a three-day effort was more than $1 million.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Syria is likely to get worse: “Syria’s ruling elite, a tight-knit circle at the nexus of absolute power, loyalty to family and a visceral instinct for survival, will fight to the end in a struggle that could cast the Middle East into turmoil and even war, warned Syria’s most powerful businessman, a confidant and cousin of President Bashar al-Assad.”

* Libya: “NATO increased its bombing operations against Tripoli on Tuesday, carrying out the largest attacks in weeks as rebels appeared to make advances in their efforts to break the siege of the key western city of Misurata.”

* More on this in the morning: “Speaking in El Paso, Texas today, President Barack Obama made the case for comprehensive immigration reform, contending that providing a path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants will improve U.S. security as well as the economy. He outlined the work his administration has done to increase border security, and asserted that with security issues dealt with, it is time to find a permanent solution that will help the nation’s economy.”

* Luck of the draw: “The Obama administration has lucked out in Virginia. A three-judge panel of U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit will hear arguments Tuesday morning from plaintiffs challenging the constitutionality of the health care reform law Congress passed law last year. And all three of those judges — selected randomly by computer — were appointed by Democratic Presidents.”

* On a related note, the first day appeared to go well for the administration.

* Good for Baucus: “Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus says he doesn’t think Congress will address Social Security as part of an effort to reduce government borrowing.”

* Fact-checking Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) speech to Wall Street wasn’t easy — he lied an awful lot — but this is a thorough takedown.

* If only Florida hadn’t elected a criminal governor, it’d have a better economy: “Amtrak and rail projects in 15 states are being awarded the $2 billion that Florida lost after the governor canceled plans for high-speed train service, the Department of Transportation said Monday. The largest share of the money - nearly $800 million - will be used to upgrade train speeds from 135 mph to 160 mph on critical segments of the heavily traveled Northeast corridor, the department said in a statement.”

* Michelle Rhee, hanging out with far-right Republicans and school privatization advocated? You don’t say.

* Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) is still convinced President Obama is like Nixon. Darrell Issa isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer (unless that knife is being used to pick car locks).

* The most pathetic attack of the day: “Conservatives such as Fox News, the Daily Caller and Sarah Palin are criticizing the White House’s invitation to rapper Common for a poetry event over the purported vulgarity of his lyrics. Fox Nation, for instance, called Common a ‘vile rapper.’ But roughly half-a-year ago, Fox News had a different tone about Common. In an October 2010 report for FoxNews.com, reporter Jason Robinson interviewed the ‘rap legend’ and told him, ‘your music is very positive.’”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* With the special election for New York’s 26th district getting increasingly interesting, Karl Rove’s attack operation, American Crossroads, is launching $350,000 worth of attack ads this week. Next week, the right-wing entity is expected to drop another $300,000 in the race.

* On a related note, with far-right funds reaching the special-election race, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is investing $250,000 in the Buffalo-area district, and the House Majority PAC may soon follow with an ad buy of its own.

* In still more news out of New York’s 26th, both of New York’s Democratic senators — Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand — will be campaigning in support of Kathy Hochul’s (D) campaign early next week.

* Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) has not yet launched a presidential campaign, but he’s already boasting about his chances. He said his chances of defeating President Obama “would actually be quite good,” though he said “that’s really not a factor” in his decision.

* The latest CNN poll found Democrats leading Republicans on the generic congressional ballot, 50% to 46%. It’s the Dems’ biggest lead in a long while.

* In Virginia, President Obama appears to be surprisingly strong in the latest Public Policy Polling survey. The president leads all of his likely GOP challengers in the Commonwealth by margins ranging from nine (vs. Huckabee) to 22 (vs. Palin).

* The Obama administration’s former ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman, will begin a five-day swing through New Hampshire, starting a week from tomorrow, in advance of his Republican presidential campaign.

* Lt. General Ricardo Sanchez (D) will launch his U.S. Senate campaign in Texas today.

* And the latest national poll from the Associated Press shows President Obama’s approval rating up to 60%, its highest point in two years.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* More interesting intelligence: “U.S. officials say that Osama bin Laden kept a hand-written journal filled with planning ideas and details of operations. The journal was seized in the dramatic US raid.”

* Syria: “The Syrian military intensified a methodical, ferocious march across the country’s most restive locales on Wednesday, shelling the country’s third-largest city from tanks, forcing hundreds to flee and detaining hundreds more in what has emerged as one of the most brutal waves of repression since the Arab Spring began.”

* Libya: “Libyan rebel forces took control of the Misurata airport and swaths of territory around the besieged city Wednesday, residents and officials said, indicating that the tide might be turning, at least for now, in the bloodiest battle of Libya’s nearly three-month conflict.”

* Evidence of progress in Uganda: “Uganda’s parliament on Wednesday was forced to drop plans to debate a controversial bill that once proposed the death penalty for some gays and lesbians, but officials indicated lawmakers would debate it on Friday. U.S. leaders and rights groups have denounced the bill in recent days in hopes parliament will reject it.”

* Renewed outreach to the Muslim world: “The White House said Wednesday that President Obama planned to deliver an address in the coming days on the Middle East, in the wake of the killing of Osama bin Laden…. Administration officials said Mr. Obama would use the speech to put the death of Bin Laden in the context of the broader political transformation in the region.”

* This is a story worth watching: “The Internal Revenue Service appears to have begun to enforce a tax on gifts to the non-profit organizations that were a key vehicle for anonymous politics in the last five years and had promised to play a large role in the presidential cycle, a move which could reshape the place of money in politics in 2012.”

* On a related note, the right’s complaints about the IRS’s move are wrong, but fun to mock.

* Health care reform advocates caught a break with random judge selection on the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. The lineup at the 6th Circuit, meanwhile, isn’t encouraging at all.

* Democrats haven’t given up on the DREAM Act: “On the heels of President Obama’s renewed call to overhaul the nation’s immigration laws in Texas on Tuesday, Senate Democrats are reintroducing a bill that would give legal status to some illegal immigrants who came into the United States as children.”

* Good for Lynch: “New Hampshire’s Democratic Gov. John Lynch kept his promise and vetoed a bill Wednesday that bars unions from collecting a share of bargaining and administrative costs from non-members. Republican leaders have been working to get enough votes to override the veto.”

* What the right has in common with their sharia-loving foes.

* Koch money buys excessive influence at Florida State University.

* Par for the course: “Following the announcement of a new national emergency alert system that will alert the public to significant emergencies via mobile phone messages, right-wing media have attacked the plan, claiming that it will allow ‘Dear Leader Obama To Send You Text Messages.’ But the plan was implemented as a result of legislation introduced by GOP Sen. Jim DeMint that was overwhelmingly passed by Congress in 2006 and accompanied by an executive order signed by President Bush.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In the closely-watched U.S. Senate race in Virginia, Public Policy Polling shows former Gov. Tim Kaine (D) with a narrow lead over former Sen. George Allen (R), 46% to 44%. A Washington Post poll last week showed a similar margin.

* With Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) inching closer to a presidential run, his messy marriage is drawing new scrutiny. Daniels’ wife, Cheri, left the governor for another man in the 1990s, leaving Mitch Daniels to raise their kids alone. She later remarried Mitch Daniels, but wouldn’t campaign for him, and did not move into the governor’s mansion after his election. Cheri Daniels is scheduled to deliver her first political speech ever today.

* In the special election in New York’s 26th, Tea Party independent Jack Davis went a little crazy yesterday, and threatened to physically attack a Republican tracker following him around with a camera.

* Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) will end the exploratory phase of his campaign this week, and formally kick off his presidential bid tomorrow. It will be his third failed national campaign.

* Newt Gingrich’s day-old presidential campaign has already picked up its first congressional endorsement — Rep. Joe Barton (R) of ExxonMobil has thrown his support to the disgraced former Speaker.

* Some GOP officials continue to pressure New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) to run for president in 2012. Asked yesterday if he’s reconsidered his decision, Christie rolled his eyes and said, “No, I’m not running for president.”

* Michigan Republicans have struggled to find a top-tier challenger for Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) in 2012, but Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R) is now reportedly thinking about it.

* And in West Virginia, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, one of the state’s most popular Republican officials, will face Jonathan Miller in a primary campaign. Miller believes “God has called” him to launch a congressional campaign.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Syria: “Syrian forces carried out raids in towns on the outskirts of Damascus and a besieged city on the coast on Thursday, as the number of detainees surged in a government campaign so sweeping that human rights groups said many neighborhoods were subjected to repeated raids and some detainees picked up multiple times by competing security agencies.”

* Libya: “Pressure is mounting on Moammar Gadhafi from within his stronghold in the Libyan capital, with increasing NATO airstrikes and worsening shortages of fuel and goods.”

* A step in the right direction, but still too high: “The number of people applying for unemployment benefits plummeted last week, reversing nearly all the sharp rise reported the previous week. The Labor Department says that the number of people seeking benefits dropped 44,000 to a seasonally adjusted 434,000. That is the steepest weekly fall since February 2010.”

* Egypt: “Three months after the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, a surging crime wave in post-revolutionary Egypt has emerged as a serious threat to its promised transition to democracy.” When the police are afraid, there’s a problem.

* Thwarted plot in NYC: “Two men who the authorities said intended to carry out a terrorist attack in New York City were arrested late Wednesday, two law enforcement officials said.”

* The more one reads the Senate ethics committee’s report on John Ensign, the more extraordinary this scandal becomes.

* FBI Director Robert Mueller’s decade-long tenure will end in September, but President Obama wants him to stay on for two more years.

* OBL: “Even while sealed inside a cement compound in a Pakistani city, bin Laden functioned like a crime boss pulling strings from a prison cell, sending regular messages to his most trusted lieutenants and strategic advice to far-flung franchises, including al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen.” Some al Qaeda leaders apparently grew annoyed by his preoccupation with the United States.

* FCC Commissioner Meredith Baker, a Bush appointee, helped approve the Comcast/NBC Universal merger. She’s now leaving the FCC to become senior vice president of Comcast/NBC. That really doesn’t look good.

* Al Qaeda wants to kill President Obama’s paternal grandmother in Kenya?

* A quid-pro-quo scandal rocks Old Dominion University.

* Jon Stewart’s takedown of the Fox News hysteria over Common at the White House is exceptional and a must-see clip.

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) refuses to say whether he accepts evolutionary biology. I wonder if he’d say the same thing if asked whether he believes in gravity.

* When Florida banned “sexual contact” with “animals,” state lawmakers may have accidentally banned sex altogether, since humans are, of course, animals. Are we to assume that robot-love lobbyists were responsible for writing the ambiguous bill?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. Herb Kohl (D) of Wisconsin will retire at the end of his term next year, becoming the eighth sitting senator — and sixth Democrat — to retire this cycle. Among the names of possible candidates already being floated are former Sen. Russ Feingold (D), former gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett (D), and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R).

* Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) said this morning he’ll make “a very important announcement” on his Fox News show over the weekend. No one seems to know what the announcement will be, or whether it’ll relate to his presidential campaign.

* Fearing that a race they expected to win easily is slipping away, officials at the National Republican Congressional Committee have decided to invest an additional $400,000 in campaign ads in the special election in New York’s 26th congressional district.

* On a related note, Jane Corwin, the Republican nominee in the special election, has loaned her campaign an additional $960,000. The GOP appears to be reaching a panic level in this race. The election is a week from Tuesday.

* According to a CBS News report, if Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) runs for president, he can expect support from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R), Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), and former First Lady Laura Bush.

* The new Chicago headquarters for President Obama’s re-election effort opened its doors yesterday. It’s the first modern presidential re-election campaign not to be based in D.C.

* In West Virginia, Earl Ray Tomblin appears to have the Democratic nomination wrapped up, but Public Policy Polling shows Bill Maloney leading Betty Ireland by just one point, 32% to 31%, in the Republican primary.

* As expected, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) formally announced his third failed presidential campaign this morning.

* Rep. Todd Akin (R) will reportedly kick off his U.S. Senate campaign in Missouri next week.

* And in Kentucky, new polling shows David Williams with a commanding lead in the Republican gubernatorial primary. He’s positioned to face incumbent Gov. Steve Beshear (D) in November, and Beshear is favored to win a second term.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Pakistan: “Senior police officials said on Friday that a suicide attack that killed more than 80 cadets from a government paramilitary force was most likely retaliation for an army offensive in Pakistan’s tribal areas, and not for the death of Osama bin Laden, as the Pakistani Taliban claimed.”

* Libya: “Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi taunted his opponents in an audio recording aired on state television Friday, proving he is alive after NATO airstrikes on his compound and saying he is staying in a place ‘where you can’t reach me.’”

* OBL: “A stash of pornography was found in the hideout of Osama bin Laden by the U.S. commandos who killed him, current and former U.S. officials said on Friday. The pornography recovered in bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, consists of modern, electronically recorded video and is fairly extensive, according to the officials, who discussed the discovery with Reuters on condition of anonymity.”

* It’s not Mitchell’s fault his efforts weren’t more fruitful: “President Obama’s chief envoy to the Middle East, former Senator George J. Mitchell Jr., is leaving that post after two mostly futile years pressing Israelis and Palestinians to make peace, administration officials said on Friday.”

* Along the Mississippi: “Flood the farms to save the cities. That’s the trade-off staring at the Army Corps of Engineers in Louisiana this week as a historically high Mississippi River rolls south, flooding towns in Mississippi on Wednesday, prompting evacuations farther south, and threatening the heavily industrialized petrochemical corridor running from Baton Rouge to New Orleans and beyond.”

* Just what the nation didn’t need: another “show us your papers” state: “Despite protests outside his office and boycott threats, Georgia’s governor signed into law Friday one of the toughest anti-illegal immigration measures enacted by an individual state.”

* When President Obama called George W. Bush to tell him about bin Laden’s demise, the former president was attending a meeting of hedge fund managers in Las Vegas, eating a souffle.

* Adam Serwer: “A Liberal’s Guide To Why Killing Bin Laden Was Legal.” As it turns out, retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is thinking along the same lines.

* How are House Republicans paying for the legal defense of DOMA? No one seems to know.

* Putting down a liberal marker: “Millionaires would be hit with a 3 percent surtax under a draft Senate Democratic budget. A Senate aide told The Hill on Wednesday that the draft 2012 budget proposal presented at Tuesday’s Democratic policy lunch called for a 3 percent surtax on income above $1 million a year.”

* In his presidential campaign kick-off comments, Newt Gingrich made a series of claims. Nearly all of them were demonstrably false, and most were examples of Gingrich claiming credit for President Clinton’s successes.

* Stop looking at Fox News as a news outlet and start looking at it as a social movement organization.

* Did you hear that al Qaeda didn’t consider Vice President Biden worth targeting for assassination? Well, it’s a bogus story.

* An update on the Deficit-Reduction Panel’s plan to end the in-school interest subsidy on graduate student loans.

* A high school sophomore in New Jersey has challenged Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) to a debate on civics and the U.S. Constitution. No word on whether the right-wing lawmaker will accept, but if she does, I’d bet on the kid.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Wisconsin, potential U.S. Senate candidates are scrambling for position in the wake of Herb Kohl’s retirement. On the GOP side, Rep. Paul Ryan will announce this week whether he’s running, and if he doesn’t, former Gov. Tommy Thompson is reportedly interested. On the Democratic side, Reps. Tammy Baldwin and Ron Kind are both eyeing the race, with former Sen. Russ Feingold also in the mix.

* West Virginia held its gubernatorial primaries over the weekend, and acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin easily won the Democratic nod. Among Republicans, the GOP establishment rallied behind former Secretary of State Betty Ireland, but drilling executive Bill Maloney won fairly easily.

* Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney tried to resolve his health care troubles last week, but Fox News doesn’t appear to be buying it.

* South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) was asked yesterday whether she’d consider a GOP vice presidential nomination in 2012. She said she would not, adding, “I plan on committing to the people of this state my full four years in office.”

* With Rep. Thad McCotter (R) announcing he will not run for the Senate in 2012, Michigan Republicans still don’t have a top-tier opponent to run against Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D).

* One of Newt Gingrich’s daughters insists the GOP presidential candidate didn’t dump his first wife when she got cancer. That’s true, but Gingrch did argue with his first wife at the hospital as she recovered from cancer surgery over the terms of their divorce.

* Rep. Michele Bachman (R-Minn.) hasn’t decided whether to run for president, and she’s asking donors to help her out. In an email last week, the right-wing Minnesotan wrote, “If you want me to continue fighting the big-government Obama agenda in the U.S. House of Representatives, please make a generous donation of $25. If you want me to seek the Presidency, please make a donation of $50 or even $100 to let me know I can count on you.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s arrest: “The managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, was taken off an Air France plane at Kennedy International Airport minutes before it was to depart for Paris on Saturday, in connection with the sexual attack of a maid at a Midtown Manhattan hotel, the authorities said.”

* Given Strauss-Kahn’s role at the IMF, his arrest is likely to affect the global recovery.

* Perceived as a flight risk, Strauss-Kahn is being held without bail. Prosecutors also indicated that a similar attack may have occurred.

* Afghanistan: “Four American soldiers serving with NATO forces in Afghanistan died Monday in an explosion in the country’s south, NATO and a defense department official said, bringing home the human cost of the U.S.-led push into Taliban strongholds.”

* Libya: “Three large explosions rocked the Libyan capital Monday evening, apparently missile strikes targeting Moammar Gaddafi’s Bab al-Aziziya compound, his sprawling residential and governmental complex in the heart of Tripoli.”

* Israel: “Israel’s borders erupted in deadly clashes on Sunday as thousands of Palestinians — marching from Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank — confronted Israeli troops to mark the anniversary of Israel’s creation. More than a dozen people were reported killed and scores injured.”

* Interesting move from Obama’s team: “The White House is threatening to hold up final passage of three coveted free trade agreements unless lawmakers agree to expand retraining assistance for American workers who lose their jobs because of foreign competition.”

* The shuttle’s final flight: “With Gabrielle Giffords, the wounded Arizona congresswoman, watching from a wheelchair, the shuttle Endeavour lifted off Monday morning on a mission to pry secrets from the universe.”

* Obama meets with flood victims: “Days after the Mississippi River crested in Memphis, President Barack Obama met privately with residents forced to flee their homes, and with first responders trying to save their city. The closed-door huddles Monday took place before the president delivered a commencement address at Booker T. Washington High School.”

* Defense Secretary Bob Gates has worked for eight presidents. Referring to Obama’s decision to send Navy SEALs into Pakistan to kill Osama bin Laden, Gates told CBS, “I worked for a lot of these guys, and this is one of the most courageous calls, decisions, that I think I’ve ever seen a president make.”

* As is often the case, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is very, very sad.

* Shirley Sherrod, back at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

* I’m glad to hear Matt Yglesias is fine after having been mugged on Saturday night.

* And in case last summer wasn’t fun enough for you, Glenn Beck is now organizing a “Restoring Courage” rally in Israel in opposition to a two-state solution.

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Tuesday’s campaign round-up

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Wisconsin, Rep. Paul Ryan isn’t running for the Senate, but another high-profile Republican is: former Gov. Tommy Thompson, who was Bush’s HHS secretary and a failed presidential candidate in 2008. Still no definitive word on Democratic candidates.

* In a show of campaign finance force, Mitt Romney raised more than $10 million yesterday thanks to a well-organized “call-day” in Las Vegas.

* South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R), whose support is widely sought by 2012 Republican presidential contenders, is furious with Newt Gingrich over his criticism of the House GOP budget plan.

* Struggling and desperate after being tied to the House Republican plan to end Medicare, Jane Corwin (R) is now trying to attack Kathy Hochul (D) for supporting Medicare cuts as part New York’s 26th district special election.

* In South Carolina, Mike Campbell, the chairman of Mike Huckabee’s 2008 campaign in the state, is now shifting his allegiance to Jon Huntsman in the wake of Huckabee’s decision not to run.

* Rep. Rick Berg (R) of North Dakota, following a career in the House that’s spanned four months, is now running for the Senate. He hopes to replace Sen. Kent Conrad (D), who’s retiring.

* In Hawaii, there’s a crowded and competitive Democratic Senate primary, but all four of the Dem contenders lead former Gov. Linda Lingle (R) by double digits in head-to-head match-ups.

* In Indiana, Rep. Mike Pence (R) is the early favorite in next year’s gubernatorial race, but he won’t run unopposed. Former Indiana House Speaker John Gregg (D) has launched his campaign, and Hoosier Dems expect he’ll be a competitive candidate.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: “The administration has accelerated direct talks with the Taliban, initiated several months ago, that U.S. officials say they hope will enable President Obama to report progress toward a settlement of the Afghanistan war when he announces troop withdrawals in July.”

* Strauss-Kahn faces first call for his resignation: “Austria’s finance minister called Tuesday for the head of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, to consider resigning. It was the most direct call so far for Strauss-Kahn to step down since his arrest on sexual assault charges in New York this weekend.”

* On a related note: “The hotel maid accusing IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn of trying to rape her as she went to clean his suite is telling the truth, has ‘no agenda’ and did not know even know who he was until after the fact, her lawyer said Tuesday.”

* Middle East diplomacy: “President Obama welcomed King Abdullah of Jordan to the White House on Tuesday and declared that the United States remained committed to helping broker a peace agreement in the Middle East.”

* Speculation and oil prices: “Feel like you’re being robbed every time you fill the gas tank? Not sure who to blame? Try Wall Street. That’s not the conventional explanation, but it’s the one the facts point to.”

* Undermining Wisconsin: “Republican Gov. Scott Walker is steadily remaking the Wisconsin government, implementing conservative ideals and quietly consolidating power under the office of the governor…. ‘It’s a power grab,’ said Doug La Follette, Wisconsin’s Democratic Secretary of State. ‘[Walker] wants to control everything.’”

* On a related note, tens of thousands of Scott Walker’s constituents rallied the other day to oppose his radical agenda.

* There’s some conspiracy theories on the right about the Affordable Care Act and politically-motivated waivers. The nonsense has no basis in reality, but the talk has been loud enough to warrant a White House response.

* There’s also some “study” making the rounds suggesting the Recovery Act cost the economy a million jobs. It’s been debunked by those who know what they’re talking about.

* Good point: “Why is it, in our supposedly center-right country, conservatives seeking to dismantle the welfare state need to pretend they’re actually preserving it? I thought the American people were just a bunch of rugged individualists seeking to free themselves from the yoke of government assistance thrust on them by crypto-fascist liberals.”

* I find this easy to believe: “College presidents apparently think today’s freshmen are less prepared now than they were 10 years ago…. Furthermore, colleges are also dramatically more selective now than they were a decade ago. Why are admissions officers letting in so many unprepared students?”

* Real historians do not care for pseudo-historians like David Barton. Said one actual scholar at a Christian college: “Christians should think twice before they rely on David Barton for their understanding of the American founding. Let’s not confuse history with propaganda.”

* I find the “controversy” over Common’s role at a White House poetry slam to be hopelessly ridiculous, but I also quite enjoyed Jon Stewart and Bill O’Reilly talking about it on Fox News last night.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As Republican fears intensify that the special election in New York’s 26th is slipping away, Karl Rove’s attack operation, American Crossroads, is investing another $375,000 into the district. That increases the group’s total investment to about $700,000 — in a district that wasn’t even supposed to be competitive.

* Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich called House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) directly yesterday, apologizing for trashing his budget agenda on national television.

* With the votes tallied in California’s 36th, there will be a special-election runoff for Rep. Jane Harman’s (D) old seat. Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn (D) will apparently face Republican businessman Craig Huey, though his margin over Secretary of State Debra Bowen (D) is very narrow.

* In Kentucky, state Kentucky Senate President David Williams won a low-turnout Republican gubernatorial primary yesterday, and will face incumbent Gov. Steve Beshear (D) in the general election this fall.

* There’s been a sudden upswing over the last 24 hours in presidential speculation about Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R). He continues to say he’s not running.

* In Missouri, Rep. Todd Akin (R) entered the U.S. Senate race yesterday, joining a crowded GOP primary field that also includes former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman.

* When Jon Huntsman launches his presidential campaign, it will be headquartered in Orlando, Florida, not Utah, where Huntsman was governor.

* In Wisconsin, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D) announced yesterday he will not be a Senate candidate next year.

* Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) had said she’d announce her presidential plans in June, but yesterday, she told Fox News that she’s received so much encouragement, “we may move that up,” referring to the possible kick-off date.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Sanctions on Syria: “President Obama imposed sanctions on Syria’s leader, President Bashar al-Assad, and six other senior Syrian officials on Wednesday, ratcheting up American pressure in the wake of a bloody crackdown on political protests in the country.”

* Defense Secretary Bob Gates believes “somebody knew” in Pakistan about Osama bin Laden’s Abbottabad compound. But Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said he’s seen no evidence to suggest the senior Pakistani leadership knew of the al Qaeda leader’s whereabouts.

* Afghanistan: “A normally peaceful northern city erupted in violence Wednesday, as thousands of protesters clashed with security forces after a NATO night raid that local officials claim killed four civilians. NATO defended the night operation and said the four people who were killed, two of them women, were armed insurgents who fired on its troops.”

* Under the circumstances, this should be pretty scandalous: “Yesterday morning, House Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) visited the Chicago headquarters of the CME Group, ‘the world’s largest owner and operator’ of private exchanges for derivatives products…. Cantor told the audience of speculators that his Republican caucus would “do our part” to block the implementation of financial reforms passed last year as part of the sweeping Dodd-Frank law.”

* Many years ago, I actually got to know a couple of Secret Service agents, and discovered they’re regular people with normal human reactions: “An employee of the U.S. Secret Service accidentally sent out a tweet on the official Secret Service twitter account this week saying that he or she ‘had to monitor Fox for a story. Can’t. Deal. With. The. Blathering.’”

* Newt Gingrich believes quoting him is dishonest. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) apparently doesn’t find that persuasive — imagine that — and intends to use Gingrich’s condemnation of the Republican budget plan quite a bit in the coming months.

* I’m not sure what more Ben Stein has to do to be driven from polite company, but his thoughts on the Dominique Strauss-Kahn scandal are truly awful.

* Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) seems to have argued on Fox News that Americans’ constitutional rights “are not mandated by law.” Remember, Senate Republicans made him the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

* The U.S. Chamber of Commerce believes for-profit colleges are good for taxpayers. There’s ample room for skepticism.

* When Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) tries to talk about foreign policy, most notably U.S. policy towards Mexico, it’s probably best to assume he has no idea what he’s talking about.

* And on his radio program this week, Rush Limbaugh told his followers that if the United States defaults on its debt, “the country’s creditworthiness would go up around the world.” This is the voice of the Republican Party in the 21st century.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Republican fundraisers are reportedly running away from Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign, in the wake of several self-destructive disasters. There were, for example, 18 co-chairs for an upcoming Gingrich event in the South, but 13 bailed against his “Meet the Press” interview.

* Afraid that the special election in New York’s 26th is slipping away, Republican Jane Corwin is now running robocalls in the district, featuring a message from right-wing Rep. Allen West (R) of Florida. In the calls, West calls Corwin “the only endorsed Tea Party candidate.”

* In Ohio, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) looking fairly strong in advance of his re-election campaign next year. He enjoys sizable leads over his likely GOP challengers, with margins ranging from 9 points (vs. Ken Blackwell) to 16 points (vs. Kevin Coughlin). Brown does not, however, break the 50% threshold in any of the hypothetical match-ups.

* Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) has not yet formally launched his U.S. Senate bid, but the right-wing Club for Growth is already trashing his campaign.

* Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) finally has a Republican challenger in Minnesota, with former state Rep. Dan Severson launching a campaign this week. Severson ran unsuccessfully for Minnesota Secretary of State in 2010.

* For whatever reason, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton, currently a Fox News personality, has scheduled his first trip to New Hampshire, as part of his apparent interest in a presidential campaign.

* In New Jersey, a new Monmouth University/NJ Press Media poll shows Gov. Chris Christie’s (R) approval rating slipping a little further, and a plurality (49%) now disapprove of his job performance.

* And just two years ago, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) explained, “I wouldn’t subject myself or my family to what I see as the savagery of presidential politics.” Apparently, he’s poised to do the opposite.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* President Obama’s big speech on the Middle East: “Seeking to harness the seismic political change still unfolding in the Arab world, President Obama on Thursday publicly called for the borders prevailing before the 1967 Israeli-Arab war to be the starting point for talks to settle the conflict there, the first time an American president has explicitly taken that position. He also said that a new Palestinian state should be demilitarized.”

* If you missed the speech, here’s the transcript. Republicans hated it, but they reflexively hate everything that comes from the White House, so their knee-jerk reactions aren’t that interesting.

* Late yesterday, Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned as head of the International Monetary Fund, following accusations that he sexually attacked a hotel housekeeper. Today, Strauss-Kahn was indicted, and released after posting a $1 million cash bail and $5 million bond.

* Iraq: “Three explosions aimed at Iraqi security forces ripped through the divided northern city of Kirkuk on Thursday morning, killing at least 29 people, most of them police officers, and wounding scores more.”

* Better, but still too high: “The number of people applying for unemployment benefits fell sharply for the second straight week, suggesting the job market is slowly recovering. The Labor Department says applications for benefits dropped 29,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 409,000.”

* Floods turn deadly in Mississippi: ‘A man died Thursday after being pulled from the floodwaters overflowing from the Mississippi River, becoming what is believed to be the first flood casualty since the river started spilling into Mississippi and Louisiana.”

* By all accounts, the surgery went well: “Doctors repaired Gabrielle Giffords’ skull on Wednesday, the latest milestone in her recovery from an assassination attempt and a procedure that experts say will improve her quality of life.”

* The economy is improving, but that’s cold comfort for new college graduates facing dire conditions and limited opportunities.

* I’ll never be able to relate to such a twisted worldview: “Fox Business maligned essential anti-poverty programs, deriding food stamps, unemployment insurance, and the Earned Income Tax Credit as ‘a form a welfare, income redistribution’ and evidence that America now has an ‘entitlement mentality.’”

* And if there’s a zombie apocalypse, now you’ll know what to do.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In April fundraising, the Democratic National Committee took in more than double the Republican National Committee, $12.4 million to $6.1 million. For the year to date, the DNC has raised about $33 million, which is nearly $10 million more than the RNC’s $23.7 million.

* In the special election in California’s 36th, Secretary of State Debra Bowen conceded late yesterday, setting up a runoff pitting Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn (D) and Craig Huey (R).

* Nevada Republicans got a little good news yesterday when a state judge ruled that the upcoming special election in the 2nd district shouldn’t be a free-for-all contest, and parties should be allowed to nominate their own candidates.

* Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty will end the exploratory-committee phase and formally launch his presidential campaign at an event in Iowa on Monday.

* Speaking of Pawlenty, his Republican predecessor in Minnesota trashed his fiscal record as governor. “I don’t think any governor has left behind a worse financial mess than he has,” Arne Carlson said of Pawlenty.

* Rep. Mazie Hirono (D) announced yesterday that she’ll run for Hawaii’s open U.S. Senate seat next year. She’ll face Ed Case, among others, in a Democratic primary.

* In case anyone’s forgotten about her, former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) told Fox News last night she still has the “fire in my belly” to run for president.

* Maine Gov. Paul LePage’s (R) approval rating is down to just 31% after four difficult months in office.

* And entertainer Willie Nelson endorsed Republican presidential hopeful Gary Johnson last week, only to announce yesterday that he’s changed his mind.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Syria: “Syrian troops opened fire on protesters after prayers on Friday, killing at least 23 people, as the regime led by President Bashar al-Assad defied mounting U.S. pressure to ease its military crackdown and implement reforms.”

* Under the War Powers Act, President Obama’s authority to act in Libya expires today. It’s not clear in anyone in Congress actually cares about any of this.

* Obama at Langley: “President Barack Obama has visited CIA headquarters to congratulate the country’s intelligence workers for the years of effort that led to the discovery and killing of terrorist Osama bin Laden. Obama also thanked them for their daily work in protecting the United States, telling workers assembled to meet him that he’d never felt prouder or more confident about them.”

* Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t exactly impressing folks at the State Department with his insincere observations.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) have come to terms on a four-year extension of the Patriot Act.

* Will Senate Dems produce their own budget plan? It’s highly unlikely, but they have an explanation as to why they won’t.

* What happens to a doomsday cult when the world doesn’t end? I’ve often wondered about this.

* House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) probably shouldn’t talk about things he doesn’t understand. Medicare would certainly be near the top of the list.

* You’ve probably heard that the recession has been brutal for recent college graduates, but the evidence suggests it’s even worse than expected.

* If only accountability mattered: “So while we still have a deeply troubled economy, one piece of good news is that Americans are, once again, starting to actually make things. And we’re doing that thanks, in large part, to the fact that the Fed and the Obama administration ignored very bad advice from right-wingers — ideologues who still, in the face of all the evidence, claim to know something about creating prosperity.”

* If you haven’t seen Jon Stewart make Ben Stein look ridiculous, you’ll probably enjoy this clip.

* And on a related note, you may have seen the ridiculous press statement from Newt Gingrich’s (R) presidential campaign this week, but to fully appreciate it, you have to see John Lithgow recite it.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The special election in New York’s 26th is tomorrow, and Republicans are starting to feel pessimistic. A Siena poll was released over the weekend showing Kathy Hochul (D) leading the race with 42% support, followed by Jane Corwin (R) at 38%, and Tea Partier Jack Davis (I) at 12%.

* On a related note, Public Policy Polling released its own survey this morning, and showed similar results. Hochul leads Corwin, 42% to 36%, with Davis a distant third with 13%.

* In case you missed it over the weekend, Mitch Daniels is officially out of the 2012 presidential race and Herman Cain is officially in.

* With Daniels passing on the race, other candidates are scrambling to recruit his backers to their campaigns.

* At a Memorial Day parade in Newton, Mass., yesterday, both Sen. Scott Brown (R) and Mayor Setti Warren (D) — who may face each other on the ballot next year — participated in the festivities. When Warren reached out to Brown to shake hands, the Republican senator waved him off and walked away.

* Herman Cain’s presidential campaign looked a little silly yesterday when the candidate struggled badly with a basic question about Israel. Cain also lectured Americans to read the Constitution, and then got confused, quoting the Declaration of Independence.

* In North Dakota, with Rep. Rick Berg (R) running for the Senate, state Public Service Commissioner Brian Kalk (R) will run for Berg’s House seat.

* Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) reminded folks yesterday, “While I am flattered by everyone’s encouragement, my decision has not changed. I will not be a candidate for president in 2012.”

* And Tim Pawlenty’s hometown newspaper ran a story about his presidential campaign kickoff on the obituary page this morning. Ouch.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Joplin, Missouri: “A massive tornado that tore a six-mile path across southwestern Missouri killed at least 116 people as it smashed the city of Joplin, ripping into a hospital, crushing cars and leaving behind only splintered tree trunks where entire neighborhoods once stood.”

* Remember a year ago, when the U.S. economy seemed to be on track, before getting derailed by European debt crises? “After three days of bad news about Europe’s debt crisis sent Asian and European markets down Monday, it was Wall Street’s turn…. Another steep downgrade of Greece’s credit rating, a warning on Italy’s debt and a major defeat of Spain’s ruling party caused new worries about Europe’s debt crisis.”

* President Obama addressed an incredibly enthusiastic crowd of 25,000 people in Dublin, Ireland, today, treating the U.S. leader like a rock star.

* An important 5-4 ruling: “Conditions in California’s overcrowded prisons are so bad that they violate the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday, ordering the state to reduce its prison population by more than 30,000 inmates.”

* On a related note, U.S. crime levels “fell last year compared to 2009, continuing a downward trend that saw a 5.5 percent drop in the number of violent crimes last year and a 2.8 percent drop in the number of property crimes.”

* The Hague will investigate: “Security forces in Libya are allegedly using sexual enhancement drugs as a “machete” and gang-raping women they stop at checkpoints, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has said.”

* House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) claims to have 150 economists who are on his side when it comes to economic policies. I guess we’re not supposed to look too close at the list: “[A] closer inspection reveals that many have made baseless predictions in the past, some endorse fringe economic ideas, many are employed by entities that receive funding from the Koch brothers, and others have used extreme partisan rhetoric to attack President Obama and other Democrats. Worse, 43 of the 150 economists previously signed a letter stating President Bush’s tax cuts were ‘fiscally responsible.’”

* Michael Steele, recently thrown out of his job as chairman of the Republican National Committee has a new job: he’ll be a political analyst on MSNBC.

* The New York Times has a new op-ed columnist: Frank Bruni, a longtime NYT veteran. Bruni will be the first gay op-ed columnist in the paper’s 160-year history. (Bruni is not necessarily a consistent center-left voice, having spent much of 2000 praising George W. Bush’s presidential campaign.)

* Unfortunately, it’s not terribly surprising that the default rate on federal student loans is increasing.

* And the award for the strangest Republican of the Day goes to Maine state Rep. Frederick Ladd Wintle who, for no apparent reason, pulled a gun on a local photographer in the parking lot of a Dunkin Donuts, after acting in “a deranged manner.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In New Hampshire, a new CNN/WMUR poll of Republican voters shows Mitt Romney with a big lead in the nation’s first presidential primary. The former Massachusetts governor is out in front with 32%, and the next closest competitor, Rep. Ron Paul, is a distant second with 9%.

* The day before the special election in New York’s 26th, voters in the district received a robocall message from former President Bill Clinton in support of Democrat Kathy Hochul. Late last week, Republicans used New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for robocalls.

* In New Mexico, Lt. Gov. John Sanchez (R) will launch a Senate campaign today, and will go up against former Rep. Heather Wilson in a competitive Republican primary.

* Former ambassador Jon Huntsman, on the presidential campaign trail in New Hampshire, told voters yesterday he “hates” the idea of a border fence with Mexico, because “it’s not consistent with” American ideals. The GOP base is unlikely to find this acceptable. [Update: To clarify, Huntsman went on to say that the fence may be a necessarily evil, even though he hates it.]

* Many Democratic officials are reaching out to Elizabeth Warren to run for the Senate in Massachusetts next year, rather than head up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Warren, a law professor at Harvard, hasn’t said no.

* In Ohio, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows President Obama leading his potential GOP challengers, in margins ranging from 4 points (vs. Romney) to 10 points (vs. Palin).

* Disgraced former Alabama judge Roy Moore (R) is, apparently, still running for president, and has hired a political director in South Carolina.

* In case anyone thought it was a possibility, Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) has said he will not run for president.

* Speaking of Florida, voters in Miami will elect a new mayor today.

* And in New Jersey, a new Farleigh Dickinson University/PublicMind poll shows Gov. Chris Christie’s (R) approval rating dropping to a new low.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Joplin, Missouri: “About 1,500 people are unaccounted for in this battered city, a Fire Department official said Tuesday, as rescue workers took advantage of a few hours of sunny weather to continue searching for survivors in buildings leveled by the country’s deadliest tornado in more than 60 years. At least 117 people have died.”

* Libya: “In the heaviest attack yet on the capital since the start of the two-month-old NATO bombing campaign, alliance aircraft struck at least 15 targets in central Tripoli early Tuesday, with most of the airstrikes concentrated on an area around Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s command compound.”

* Meltdown in Japan: “In a belated acknowledgment of the severity of Japan’s nuclear disaster, the Tokyo Electric Power Company said Tuesday that three of the stricken Fukushima plant’s reactors likely suffered fuel meltdowns in the early days of the crisis.”

* What we learned on Capitol Hill today: Congress loves Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

* Josh Marshall responds: “Prime Minister Netanyahu doesn’t want a two state solution. Period. End of story. Whether this is a principle of deeply held belief (probably) or just a desire not to see his coalition government fall (certainly) doesn’t really matter. His clear aim is to perpetuate the status quo indefinitely — something that is simply not compatible with Israel’s security, America’s security or the Palestinians need for a state.”

* Setting up a good bill to die on purpose, to send a “signal” to the White House: “House Republicans will hold a vote next week on a ‘clean’ bill to raise the debt limit, without corresponding spending cuts, GOP aides said.”

* Small rays of sunshine: “More people bought new homes for a second straight month in April, a hopeful sign. Still, sales remain far below a pace that would signal a turnaround for the depressed housing market.”

* Egypt is moving forward with plans to charge former President Hosni Mubarak for his role in killing of unarmed protesters. If convicted, Mubarak could face the death penalty.

* Syria: “A U.N. investigation has formally concluded that Syria ‘very likely’ was building a secret nuclear reactor in 2007 when the partially completed project was destroyed by Israeli warplanes, according to a report Tuesday that put new pressure on the embattled government of President Bashar al-Assad.”

* I probably shouldn’t have taken so many philosophy classes as an undergraduate: “Apparently what people study in college matters for their future earnings…. This is apparently the first time that anyone has directly connected college majors to lifetime earnings.”

* A twisted and bizarre perspective: “It’s a phenomenon that any observer of modern U.S. politics senses, but now we have study documenting it: Despite all the evidence to the contrary, white Americans believe that African Americans’ social progress in society is coming at their expense.”

* What’s better than Glenn Beck’s faltering ratings? The fact that Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity are also finding shrinking audiences.

* And finally, Fox News attacked the White House’s Online Rapid Response Group, and in the process, helped provide an example of why the Online Rapid Response Group is worthwhile.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* After success in the special election in New York’s 26th, Democratic Party officials are telegraphing their punches: they plan to duplicate the strategy in districts nationwide.

* As Rep.-elect Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) takes a victory lap around the district today, Fox News is choosing to largely ignore the Democratic victory. I wonder why that is.

* In Wisconsin, if former Sen. Russ Feingold (D) decides to run for retiring Sen. Herb Kohl’s (D) seat, PPP shows him as the clear early frontrunner. In hypothetical match-ups, Feingold leads all of the likely Republican candidates in margins ranging from 10 to 15 points. Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D) does well, but not nearly as well.

* Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D) is likely to find his Ohio-area district squeezed out through redistricting, and has eyed the state of Washington as his new home. But in the Washington district he’s eyeing, only 12% of local voters think Kucinich should run.

* Former New York Gov. George Pataki (R) announced months ago that he wouldn’t run for president in 2012, but as of yesterday, he’s apparently reconsidering his decision. There’s no reason to think he’d be competitive if he runs.

* Mitt Romney is arguably the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, but FredomWorks, a right-wing outfit led by Dick Armey, is apparently determined to derail the former Massachusetts governor’s campaign. “Romney has a record and we don’t really like it that much,” the group’s communications director said.

* And in a rather comical display, former Georgia Sen. Zell Miller (D), arguably the nation’s most notorious Democrat In Name Only, has become the co-chairman of Newt Gingrich’s 2012 presidential campaign.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Rumor has it the Senate will be voting any minute now on the House Republican budget plan. I’ll have a full report in the morning.

* More deadly storms slam the central U.S.: “Several tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma City and its suburbs, killing at least eight people and injuring at least 70 others, authorities said. Among those killed was a 15-month-old boy, and searchers were looking for his missing 3-year-old brother. The storms killed two people in Kansas and four in Arkansas, and may have killed a man in Texas whose burned body was found near a downed power line.”

* Tucson shooter unfit for trial: “A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that Jared L. Loughner was not mentally competent to stand trial on charges of opening fire at a constituent event for an Arizona congresswoman in January, killing 6 and injuring 13.”

* Busted: “The Justice Department plans to move ahead with criminal charges against John Edwards, the former senator and presidential candidate, contending that he misused campaign funds to cover up an affair, a person close to Mr. Edwards said on Wednesday morning.”

* It looks like Army Gen. Martin Dempsey is President Obama’s choice to be the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

* If former FEMA director Michael Brown has thoughts on how others respond to natural disasters, he should probably keep those thoughts to himself.

* I suspect he’s trying to reassure a whole lot of folks, including himself: “Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said he is confident that the debt ceiling will be raised. The GOP opposition, he said, is just ‘political theater.’”

* Remember that odious mandatory-sonogram bill in Texas? Gov. Rick Perry (R) has signed it into law.

* Online courses don’t have to be bad, but let’s be honest about this situation.

* Beck’s new venture: “Outgoing Fox News host Glenn Beck and his company, Mercury Radio Arts, are developing a new service called ‘GBTV,’ which will be a web-based TV channel.”

* MSNBC’s Ed Schultz called far-right media personality Laura Ingraham a “right-wing slut” on his radio show yesterday — twice. Language that’s demeaning towards women is never acceptable, regardless of the target, and I’d be surprised and disappointed if MSNBC doesn’t punish Schultz for the on-air comment.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Nevada, Sharron Angle (R) has decided not to run in the upcoming House special election, much to the relief of the state Republican Party that wishes she would just go away.

* American Action Network, a far-right attack operation that tried to help buy the 2010 midterms for Republicans, claims to be a “grassroots” organization. It’s entire budget is financed by 11 rich conservatives.

* There are growing signs that former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) may run for president after all. The renewed p.r. push includes a feature-length movie about her.

* In Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) approval rating is down to 43%, and 50% support recalling him before the end of his first term. In hypothetical match-ups, Walker would trail former Sen. Russ Feingold and his 2010 opponent, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

* In Ohio, Gov. John Kasich’s (R) approval rating is down to a dismal 33%. If voters had it to do over again, they’d back former Gov. Ted Strickland (D), who lost to Kasich in November, by a 25-point margin.

* In Florida, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Sen. Bill Nelson (D) with big leads over his lesser-known Republican rivals. Nelson also enjoys a 51% approval rating.

* The same poll, by the way, found President Obama’s approval rating in Florida up seven points, to 51%.

* In Indiana, state Senate Minority Leader Vi Simpson announced this week she won’t take on former state House Speaker John Gregg in a Democratic gubernatorial primary.

* And New York’s 1st congressional district was one of the closest contests of 2010. Randy Altschuler (R), who came up short against Rep. Tim Bishop (D), will apparently seek a rematch.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* It’s been a bad month for bad guys: “Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb general accused of war crimes including masterminding the massacre of some 8,000 Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica in 1995, has been captured in Serbia after more than 15 years as one of the world’s most wanted fugitives.”

* In Missouri, there are still 232 people missing and unaccounted for after the tornado that devastated Joplin.

* I really wish Washington cared about jobs: “More Americans than forecast filed applications for unemployment benefits last week, a sign the labor market is struggling to gain momentum. Jobless claims increased by 10,000 to 424,000 in the week ended May 21, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington.”

* Afghanistan: “Eight NATO soldiers were killed in Afghanistan on Thursday, seven of them in a single incident in the southern part of the country that was the deadliest involving hidden explosive devices so far this year, officials said.”

* On a related note, this was a closer-than-expected, 204-215 vote: “The House on Thursday narrowly shot down an amendment to scale back military operations in Afghanistan.”

* Interesting 5-3 ruling: “The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that Arizona may revoke the business licenses of companies that knowingly employ illegal immigrants, rejecting arguments that the state’s law intrudes on the federal government’s power to control immigration.”

* Libya: “Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi bombarded the rebel-held city of Misrata with mortars on Thursday, and the United States said a fresh ceasefire offer from Gaddafi’s government was not credible.”

* Republicans want to make it so that President Obama will never be able to make a recess appointment ever again.

* Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) signed a bill today that puts the state on the road toward a universal health care system. It’s the first single-payer measure ever signed in the U.S., but the system won’t be in place for about five years, if not later.

* New Jersey was part of a regional cap-and-trade energy program. Thanks to Gov. Chris Christie (R), that’s no longer the case. Let’s all marvel once more at his “moderation.”

* Great column from E.J. Dionne Jr. on the New York special election (and no, I don’t just like it because he quoted me in it, though that was pretty cool).

* Daniel Luzer: “[F]or-profit schools … just spend less money educating their students. This surely matters for the quality of education.”

* Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) appears to use Glenn Beck’s show as a script for Oversight Subcommittee hearings. That’s insane.

* MSNBC’s Ed Schultz has been suspended for his offensive attack on Laura Ingraham, and he delivered a lengthy on-air apology last night. He seems lucky to have kept his job.

* Dick Cheney wants folks to know, “I worship the ground the Paul Ryan walks on.” That’s deeply creepy, but then again, so are Dick Cheney and Paul Ryan.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* After months of saying he would not run for president, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) announced this morning that he will think about a national campaign after all. Perry said he’d make a decision after the Texas legislature adjourns for the year.

* Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) announced yesterday she will declare her presidential plans at an event in Iowa in June. “We are starting the effort,” Bachmann told reporters last night.

* On a related note, Bachmann may enjoy right-wing support, but her operation hasn’t quite mastered the art of the money-bomb. This week, she held a money-bomb fundraising event entitled, “Make Barack Obama a One-Term President,” with the goal of raising $240,000 in 24 hours. Bachmann didn’t come close to reaching the fundraising target.

* Rep. Steve Israel (N.Y.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told reporters yesterday that the House of Representatives “is in play” in 2012. Dems would need a net gain of 25 seats next November to reclaim the majority.

* In a pre-announcement announcement — whatever the hell that is — former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) said he’ll launch his presidential campaign on June 6 in Western Pennsylvania.

* In Nevada, Jill Derby (D) has dropped her campaign in the 2nd district’s upcoming special election, in the hopes that it will boost state Treasurer Kate Marshall’s (D) chances.

* And in Nebraska’s Republican Senate primary, state Treasurer Don Stenberg appears to be generating the most support from the far-right, which made Mike Huckabee’s endorsement all the more important for state Attorney General Jon Bruning.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* The list of people missing or unaccounted for in Joplin, Missouri, is down to 156. The death toll stands at 126.

* A frayed partnership: “Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton warned on Friday that relations between the United States and Pakistan had reached ‘a turning point,’ and called on Pakistan’s leaders to take urgent measures against Islamic extremists in the wake of the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Mrs. Clinton, the highest-ranking American official to visit Pakistan since Navy Seals found Bin Laden hiding in a garrison town 35 miles from the capital, did not get public pledges of cooperation from the Pakistanis.”

* With very little time left before the law expired, Congress passed a four-year extension of the Patriot Act late yesterday. The House vote was 250 to 153, and the Senate vote was 72 to 23. President Obama signed the measure into law using the “autopen,” which is considered legal.

* A G8 meeting gets underway in France: “Leaders of the Group of 8 wealthiest industrialized nations pledged on Friday to send billions of dollars in new aid to Egypt and Tunisia, hoping to reduce the threat that looming economic stagnation could undermine the transition to democracy in the region.”

* With consumer confidence improving, I’ll take good economic news where I can find it.

* On a related note, the job prospects for recent college graduates appear to be improving, at least a little.

* A bizarre approach to policymaking: “Confused by their own attempt to gut the unemployment insurance system, House Republicans have pulled a bill from Rules Committee consideration at the last minute, citing an ‘education’ issue.”

* Right-wing activist James O’Keefe’s stunt group, Project Veritas, has now been granted non-profit status by the Internal Revenue Service.

* In Wisconsin: “The Marshfield man who drove to Madison to kill an abortion doctor told police that he was next going to go to an abortion clinic in Milwaukee, according to a criminal complaint filed Friday.”

* It amazes me to think DailyKos is nine years old. Congrats to Markos, Joan, and the rest of the team.

* On a related note, DailyKos’ lawsuit against pollster Research 2000 has been resolved out of court.

* I honestly can’t remember the last time a Republican in the deep South switched parties to become a Democrat, but that’s exactly what happened yesterday in Alabama.

* And finally, the Birthers — remember them? — have a new conspiracy theory: Donald Trump was a White House plant. It never ends.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As strange press stunts go, Sarah Palin’s “One Nation” bus tour is nothing short of bizarre, even for her. Reporters are well aware of this, but keep chasing the bus anyway.

* Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) finally took his campaign to Iowa on Friday. He immediately endorsed ethanol subsidies, as is required by state voters.

* As of today, Wisconsin’s Governmental Accountability Board will have approved recall elections targeting six Republican state senators.

* Speaking of Wisconsin, it appears that JoAnne Kloppenburg will no longer contest her narrow state Supreme Court defeat.

* In Illinois, the redistricting process will put as many as six congressional Republicans in a far more difficult position for re-election next year. This, in turn, may further complicate GOP efforts to hold onto the party’s House majority.

* Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) hasn’t formally kicked off her strange presidential campaign yet, but she’s “very close” to making her announcement.

* And in Texas, the Republicans’ U.S. Senate primary field continues to grow, with state Sen. Dan Patrick announcing his campaign on Laura Ingraham’s radio show. Texas Lt.Gov. David Dewhurst is still considered the frontrunner in the primary.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Is Karzai threatening NATO? “In one of his sternest warnings yet concerning civilian casualties, President Hamid Karzai said Tuesday that NATO must stop air attacks on Afghan homes immediately, or face ‘unilateral action’ from the Afghan government.”

* On a related note, Dems want out: “It’s more angst than outright anger, but House Democrats are showing real unity for the first time in pressuring President Barack Obama on Afghanistan — with influential moderates now expressing their impatience alongside the anti-war left that drove the early Iraq war debate.”

* President Obama visits Joplin, Missouri, and promises follow-through: “The cameras may leave. The spotlight may shift. But we will be with you every step of the way until Joplin is restored. We’re not going anywhere. That is not just my promise; that’s America’s promise.”

* While meeting with Joplin’s victims, the president was also seen in one heck of a photograph.

* Yesterday, President Obama marked Memorial Day with a speech at a service at Arlington National Cemetery.

* A shaky Sudanese deal: “Northern and southern Sudanese officials have agreed to a preliminary arrangement on demilitarizing the border between them, the African Union said Tuesday, though some officials from both sides immediately expressed skepticism of the deal, particularly its ability to resolve the dispute over the contested Abyei area.”

* Syed Saleem Shehzad: “A well-known Pakistani journalist has been found dead after being abducted over the weekend in an upscale neighborhood of the capital and receiving repeated threats from Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency.”

* Gen. Martin Dempsey to replace Adm. Mike Mullen as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

* As more physicians leave private practice to work at hospitals, they’re moving to the left politically. But that’s not the only reason.

* The World Health Organization had said cellphones pose no public health risk. The WHO position has apparently shifted: “Radiation from cellphones is ‘possibly carcinogenic’ to humans, according to an international expert panel organized by the World Health Organization to evaluate the safety of the increasingly ubiquitous electronic devices.”

* Remember the Fairness Doctrine? A few congressional Republicans are still scared of it.

* Daniel Luzer: “With cuts for America’s state universities getting ever more drastic, is it time for a new design for these schools?”

* Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) is convinced gay and lesbians can simply choose to be straight. And if they don’t, he says, they shouldn’t serve in the military.

* Oh how I wish CNN were capable of better judgment: “Proving once again that there’s no standard by which many mainstream media outlets are willing to hold sloppy propagandist Andrew Breitbart, CNN this afternoon invited the discredited blogger on the air to discuss the Rep. Anthony Weiner (NY-D) Twitter story. “

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* With so many other contenders having dropped out, Mitt Romney leads the GOP presidential field in Iowa according to a new survey from Public Policy Polling. The former Massachusetts governor leads the pack with 21%, followed by Sarah Palin and Herman Cain who are tied for second with 15% each. Newt Gingrich is fourth, followed by Michele Bachmann, and Tim Pawlenty, who’s running sixth with 10%.

* The same poll, by the way, shows Jon Huntsman running last with one supporter. I don’t meant 1%; I mean PPP found literally one individual person who backs the former Utah governor.

* It’s official: six Wisconsin Republican state senators will face recall elections this year. And about targeted Democratic state senators? At this point, the petition signatures have not yet been approved, and there are allegations of GOP fraud.

* Rep. Todd Akin (R) is planning to run for the Senate in Missouri, but first has to overcome a new controversy — he’s been living in one district, but voting in another. “I don’t think there is a crime,” Akin said yesterday, which isn’t exactly a strong line to take.

* Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said yesterday he’d consider running for president, despite previous assurances he would not. Today, DeMint’s office walked this back, and his spokesperson said he’s not running.

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) insists he’s still not running for president, but he will be in Iowa next month to participate in an education-related event.

* GOP presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty supports “performance pay” for health providers as part of health care reform. Oddly enough, President Obama is already on board with the idea.

* In Wisconsin, PPP shows Obama leading all of his likely GOP challengers, including a 12-point lead over Romney.

* Herman Cain claims to have been a Fox News contributor. By any common definition of the word, that’s not true.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Yemen: “Yemen appeared to tip closer to all out civil war on Wednesday as government troops and opposition tribesmen battled to control key positions in the capital and foreign diplomats boarded planes to flee.”

* Cold comfort: “The deadly tornadoes and widespread flooding that have left a trail of death and destruction throughout the South and the Midwest have also disrupted dozens of local economies just as the unsteady recovery seemed to be finding a foothold. But a new phase is slowly beginning in some hard-hit areas: reconstruction, which past disasters show is typically accompanied by a burst of new, and different, economic activity.”

* Good: “The Health and Human Services Department is telling the state of Indiana that its Medicaid plan, which bans funding to Planned Parenthood, is illegal and must be changed.”

* The Bush administration gutted the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department. The Obama administration is putting things right, which apparently annoys the hell out of conservatives.

* Also good: “U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Wednesday that some prisoners incarcerated for crack cocaine offenses should benefit from a new law that lowers crack sentences.”

* Remember last years, when congressional Republicans were apoplectic about the “deem and pass” legislative maneuver? It appears the House GOP, which had used the same maneuver many times, is using it once again. I eagerly await the media freak-out.

* Remember, Republicans desperately want the U.S. to follow the lead of the U.K.: “The UK economy is set to experience the slowest pick-up in consumer spending of any post-recession period since 1830, according to a Financial Times analysis of official forecasts.”

* The richest 1% of Americans control 40% of the nation’s wealth. Conservatives believe this isn’t quite good enough.

* On a related note, in a global context, U.S. tax rates are some of the lowest in the world. Conservatives believe this isn’t good enough, either.

* To the chagrin of the right, Jewish Democratic donors are not abandoning President Obama. Imagine that.

* Microloans: “Is there a better way to fund American colleges? There might be.”

* Georgia Republicans cracked down dramatically on undocumented immigrants, and are now outraged that there’s an apparent shortage in agricultural labor.

* And the Space Shuttle Endeavour returns to Earth for the last time, wrapping up its 16th and final mission to space. It’s an impressive legacy: “The official tally for Endeavour, after 19 years of flight, was 170 crew members, 299 days in space, 4,671 orbits of Earth and 122,883,151 miles.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) believes Democrats “have a very good chance of winning the House” majority in the 2012 elections. She also noted that Republicans hold 63 seats President Obama carried in ‘08 and if Dems win 24 of them next year, she’ll be Speaker again.

* In advance of the upcoming recall elections in Wisconsin, it appears state Republicans have already considered election shenanigans to tilt the scales in the GOP’s favor.

* In Ohio, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) leading all of his likely Republican challengers by margins ranging from 17 to 21 points.

* Former Sen. Russ Feingold (D) said this morning that he’s considering running for the open U.S. Senate seat in Wisconsin next year, and will announce his plans by Labor Day.

* In Florida, state Senate President Mike Haridopolos (R), currently running for the U.S. Senate, appeared on a radio talk show this week and was pressed on whether he’d support Paul Ryan’s House Republican budget plan. After refusing to give a straight answer 10 times, the host hung up on him.

* Texas Republicans have unveiled their post-Census redistricting map. It’s ridiculous enough to give gerrymandering a bad name.

* A former KKK organizer is running for Congress in Montana as a Republican. The candidate, John Abarr, insists he no longer does organizing for the radical hate group, but is still on the KKK’s mailing list.

* Fox News announced yesterday that as of “right now,” there is “no change” in Sarah Palin’s status with the network.

* And former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) has withdrawn from presidential contention, but if his party’s eventual nominee needs a running mate, he’s open to the possibility.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Deadly shooting in Yuma, Arizona: “The confusing situation was still being pieced together by investigators, but it appeared that a lone gunman, Carl Hal Dyess, 73, targeted the victims and then turned the gun on himself . His motivation was unclear, a law enforcement official said. One person who survived the shooting was flown to a Phoenix-area hospital, the authorities said.” It appears that five people were killed, including the gunman.

* We need this number to drop much quicker and by larger margins: “More Americans than forecast filled applications for unemployment benefits last week, signaling the labor market is struggling to pick up. Jobless claims fell by 6,000 to 422,000.”

* Iraq: “A series of bombings ripped through the capital of Iraq’s western Anbar province Thursday night, killing nine people, Iraqi officials said.”

* Tornados killed three people in central and western Massachusetts late yesterday, and injured 200 more.

* As of yesterday, all of the people reported missing in Joplin, Missouri, are accounted for. A total of 134 people have been confirmed killed by last week’s massive tornado.

* Delta Air Lines’ anti-union activities really are outrageous: “The National Mediation Board said Wednesday it will conduct a full-blown investigation into allegations by a flight attendants union that Delta Air Lines Inc. interfered in last year’s fractious organizing drive at the world’s second-largest airline by traffic.” It’s like the Wal-Mart of the airline industry.

* “Zero-tolerance” policies in schools have long been absurd: “Nearly two decades after a zero-tolerance culture took hold in American schools, a growing number of educators and elected leaders are scaling back discipline policies that led to lengthy suspensions and ousters for such mistakes as carrying toy guns or Advil.”

* Similarly, I’m glad to see the Global Commission on Drug Policy declare the “global war on drugs” a failure.

* Jill Abramson will succeed Bill Keller as the executive editor of the New York Times. She will be the first woman to be editor in the paper’s 160-year history.

* Bob Bauer is stepping down as White House counsel, resuming his role as a lawyer for the DNC and President Obama’s re-election campaign. Bauer will be replaced by the deputy presidential counsel, Kathryn Ruemmler.

* Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) has successfully rolled back child-labor laws in the state.

* Americans getting pulled over for “driving while back” remains a real problem. Just as Warrick Dunn.

* ROTC is back: “Participation in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), the country’s college-based, officer commissioning program, is apparently up 27 percent over the last four years.”

* And Glenn Beck — remember him? — will air his last Fox News program later this month, wrapping up on June 30. He won’t exactly be going out with a bang, since his ratings for May were “among the worst he’s ever posted during his Fox News run.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* On the day the Republican presidential frontrunner kicked off his campaign in New Hampshire, the state’s largest paper ran a larger front-page photo of … Sarah Palin, who was also in town. Mitt Romney’s kickoff was relegated to page A3.

* Further removing doubts that she will be a presidential candidate, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) will participate in a Republican presidential debate on June 13 in Manchester, New Hampshire.

* A leading campaign operative on Newt Gingrich’s team in Iowa has resigned. The move was unexpected — this operative is a longtime Gingrich loyalist.

* Michele Bachmann took a swipe at fellow Minnesotan and presidential campaign rival Tim Pawlenty (R) yesterday for his previous support for an individual health care mandate.

* And speaking of Minnesota, a new poll shows Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) cruising past her Republican challenger, Dan Severson, 56% to 28%. She also enjoys a 61% approval rating with her constituents.

* Former Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri (R) had expressed an interest in a Senate campaign next year, but announced this week he will not run against Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D).

* In Connecticut, former U.S. Comptroller David Walker is interested in running for the Senate, and would likely run as a Republican. Walker moved to Connecticut from Northern Virginia last year.

* Struggling to gain traction, Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams (R) will reportedly end his Senate campaign and will instead run for the U.S. House next year.

* Massachusetts state Rep. Tom Conroy (D) has joined the crowded field of Dems hoping to take on Sen. Scott Brown (R) next year.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Syria: “Syrians poured into the streets Friday in some of the largest antigovernment protests yet despite the shutdown of much of the country’s Internet network, which has been crucial to demonstrators’ ability to mobilize and a major source of information for those outside the country. The worst violence Friday appeared to be in the restive city of Hama, where at least 40 protesters were killed in a continuation of a brutal nationwide government crackdown that has lasted for months, according to local activists.”

* John Edwards, indicted: “Former vice presidential nominee John Edwards was indicted Friday on charges of violating federal election law for allegedly using nearly $1 million in illegal campaign donations to conceal an extramarital affair during his 2008 run for the Democratic presidential nomination. In a brief statement to reporters Friday afternoon, Edwards admitted that he has ‘done wrong’ but denied breaking the law.”

* The illness metaphor, which happens to be accurate, makes a comeback: “President Barack Obama on Friday told workers at a Chrysler plant in Toledo, Ohio, that the economy is on a bumpy ‘road to recovery,’ hours after the release of a lackluster jobs report. ‘This economy took a big hit,’ Obama said. ‘Just like if you have a bad illness … it’s going to take a while for you to mend, and that’s what’s happening to our economy.’”

* U.S. efforts in Libya are not popular on the Hill: “The House of Representatives voted Friday to harshly rebuke President Obama for continuing to maintain an American role in NATO operations in Libya without the express consent of Congress…. The resolution, which passed 268 to 145, was offered by Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio to siphon off swelling Republican support for a measure sponsored by Representative Dennis J. Kucinich.”

* Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) is the vice-chair for finance at the National Republican Campaign Committee. Given that his auto dealership has been accused of violating election laws, maybe he should take on different responsibilities?

* Good for them: “Two senior New Hampshire Republicans in the state house resigned their leadership positions late last night, saying that they couldn’t stay in their spots after their party turned against labor unions. ‘It is evident now that pro-worker Republican views like mine are not respected under this leadership team,’ said House Deputy Majority Leader Matt Quandt, one of the two who resigned.”

* Are Canadian doctors fleeing their country to practice in the United States? Um, no.

* The Department of Education has finally issued new rules for for-profit colleges. Are they strict enough? Not even close.

* House Speaker John Boehner has agreed to go golfing with President Obama. Perhaps Fox News will take the week off from saying the president goes golfing too much, since a Republican will be with him?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman announced over the weekend he will not participate in the Iowa caucuses. Sounding very much like an announced candidate, however, the former Obama administration officials said he “will be competing” in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Florida.

* Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) officially kicked off his presidential campaign this morning. In 2006, in his last bid for public office, Santorum lost his re-election bid in Pennsylvania by 18 points.

* There’s ample evidence that Wisconsin Republicans have resorted to dirty tricks to delay recall elections and interfere with the process.

* Speaking of Wisconsin, it appears Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D) is all but certain to run for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat next year.

* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) is reportedly growing increasingly serious about a national campaign and is “now talking about the possibility with his biggest financial backers.”

* In Iowa, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows President Obama leading all of his top Republican challengers by margins ranging from nine points (vs. Romney) to 21 points (vs. Gingrich).

* In Utah, Rep. Jason Chaffetz appears to be inching closer to taking on Sen. Orrin Hatch in a Republican primary. It’s one of the reasons Hatch has been moving so furiously to the GOP’s hysterical wing.

* Former Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D-Texas) narrowly lost his seat to Francisco Canseco (R) last year, but will seek a rematch in 2012.

* Top VA officials and Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth (D) has ruled out seeking public office in Hawaii, where she attended high school and college. Duckworth announced that were she to run anywhere, it would be in Illinois.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Iraq: “Five American soldiers were killed Monday in one of the deadliest days in two years for the American military in Iraq, a day that underscored the continuing threats American troops face as they prepare to withdraw from the country.”

* Syria: “The Syrian government said Monday that 120 people had been killed by armed protesters in the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour, amid indications that at least in some parts of the country what began as a peaceful protest movement is turning into an armed rebellion.”

* A power vacuum in Yemen: “Yemen’s embattled president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday for urgent medical treatment of wounds sustained in a bold attack on the presidential compound, Saudi officials said, abruptly shifting the political calculus that has allowed him to cling to power despite months of protest and violence.”

* Some rebel progress in Libya: “Following a series of NATO airstrikes, rebel forces retook the western mountain town of Yafran on Monday, breaking a month-long siege by forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, news agencies reported.”

* A slow drawdown could be sped up in Afghanistan: “President Obama’s national security team is contemplating troop reductions in Afghanistan that would be steeper than those discussed even a few weeks ago, with some officials arguing that such a change is justified by the rising cost of the war and the death of Osama bin Laden, which they called new ‘strategic considerations.’”

* Terrorist leaders haven’t had much luck lately: “One of Pakistan’s most wanted militant commanders, Ilyas Kashmiri, was killed in an American drone strike in the tribal territory of South Waziristan, residents and a militant active in the area said Saturday.”

* Meir Dagan: “The man who ran Israel’s Mossad spy agency until January contends that Israel’s top leaders lack judgment and that the anticipated pressures of international isolation as the Palestinians campaign for statehood could lead to rash decisions — like an airstrike on Iran.”

* Why have I given up on reading Robert Samuelson’s columns? This is why.

* An unwelcome cycle: “Due to the economy, states have less money coming in through taxes. Because many obligations (e.g. state pensions) are actually required by statue, states are saving money by reducing payments to public higher education. The colleges themselves respond by increasing tuition to cover the gap. This is a problem in states all across the union.”

* Richard Land believes Ralph Reed was “victimized” by Jack Abramoff. That’s hilarious.

* Remember when Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post said lazy union workers refused to plow the streets in the aftermath of a crippling blizzard? The story was bogus.

* And though Sarah Palin is convinced she’s right about Paul Revere, historians say otherwise. Of course, if history is at odds with Sarah Palin, leave it to Palin’s followers to try to change history.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* At this point in the Republican presidential race, Mitt Romney leads in New Hampshire, Iowa, Nevada, and as of this morning, in South Carolina. A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Romney out in front with 27%, followed by Sarah Palin at 18%, and Newt Gingrich and Herman Cain tied for third with 12% each.

* In a bit of a surprise, Ed Rollins, a top Republican political strategist who used to work for Mike Huckabee, has signed on with Rep. Michele Bachmann’s (R-Minn.) unannounced presidential campaign.

* On a related note, now that Rollins is on Bachmann’s team, it’s interestng that he said this earlier today about Sarah Palin: “Sarah has not been serious over the last couple of years. She got the Vice Presidential thing handed to her, she didn’t go to work in the sense of trying to gain more substance.”

* Former Sen. George Allen (R) of Virginia, trying to make a comeback next year, is now sorry about the whole “macaca” thing. He told a small crowd at the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s recent gathering, “I never should have singled out that young man working for my opponent calling him a name.” Earlier this year, Allen was still denying having done anything wrong.

* Romney thinks a Palin presidential campaign would be “the best thing that could happen to me.” He’s probably correct.

* The Club for Growth, an influential right-wing outfit, has released a new white paper on Romney, criticizing his record from his one term as Massachusetts’ governor.

* Herman Cain said yesterday he would consider allowing gay people to serve in his cabinet, because gays wouldn’t impose Sharia law on anyone.

* And in Maryland, Daniel Bongino, a former U.S. Secret Service agent who was part of President Obama’s protective detail, will apparently run for the U.S. Senate as a Republican.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Escalation in Libya: “In a sudden, sharp escalation of NATO’s air campaign over Libya, warplanes dropped more than 50 bombs on targets in Tripoli on Tuesday, obliterating large areas of Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi’s Bab al-Aziziya command compound.”

* Congress won’t act, and the Fed doesn’t want to: “Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke conceded that the economic recovery is ‘frustratingly slow’ for millions of unemployed Americans, but threw cold water on the notion that the central bank can be a cure-all for the economy’s ills.”

* On the other hand, Bernanke expects stronger growth in the second half of 2011, as Japan recovers and gas prices come down.

* President Obama believes the economy has to “accelerate,” but he rejected the notion of a double-dip recession.

* Pelosi wants an investigation into the Weiner controversy: “In a letter to Ethics Committee Chairman Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) and Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the committee, Pelosi (D-Calif.) said an investigation of Weiner is needed due to ‘inappropriate’ conduct. “

* I hope this doesn’t mean the end of the White House White Board: “Austan Goolsbee, a longtime adviser to President Obama and the only economist left on his core economic team, plans to leave as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers by September after a year in the job to return to the University of Chicago.”

* The story of the Catherine Ferguson Academy in Detroit, which is now closing, is just heartbreaking. Austerity in America.

* The Washington Post fact-checker said President Obama exaggerated a bit in his recent remarks about the auto industry. Given the details, I’m glad the White House fact-checked the fact-checker.

* Figuring out how much college costs should be much easier.

* Andy Sabl has a smart post about why the right offers mixed messages on Europe: “It’s all about the secularism.”

* Yes, Lieberman can get even worse: “Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) plans to attend a Glenn Beck rally in Jerusalem.”

* On a related note, Glenn Beck plans to charge his minions $5 to $10 a month to watch his online network, which will be the exclusive home of his talk show. Prediction: this will end badly.

* And George W. Bush’s $2.5 trillion in tax cuts were launched exactly 10 years ago today. One of these days, they’re bound to deliver the rewards Republicans promised at the time, right?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new Quinnipiac poll shows Mitt Romney well ahead in the race of the Republican presidential nomination, leading the pack with 25% support. Sarah Palin is second with 15%, followed by Herman Cain with 9%.

* The same Quinnipiac poll, by the way, shows President Obama leading Romney nationwide, 47% to 41%. This will get a small fraction of the attention yesterday’s WaPo/ABC poll received.

* Responding to Republican demands, Rep. Betty Sutton (D-Ohio) is donating to charity the $1,000 she received from Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.). The money will now go to a shelter for homeless women and a nonprofit for American veterans. Sutton is the first to reject Weiner’s money.

* There were widespread hopes that Sen. Scott Brown’s (R) recent buffoonery would undermine his re-election prospects. Apparently, that’s not the case — a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows the incumbent with big leads over all of his potential Democratic rivals.

* In the state of Washington, state Attorney General Rob McKenna (R) will kick off his gubernatorial campaign today, and will immediately become the favorite for the GOP nomination. Incumbent Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) is not expected to seek a third term, and Rep. Jay Inslee (D) will likely be the Democratic frontrunner.

* There are two Republicans competing in Miami’s mayoral race, and both are distancing themselves from Florida’s wildly unpopular governor, Rick Scott (R).

* In Utah, Rep. Jason Chaffetz continues to take steps towards challenging Sen. Orrin Hatch in a Republican primary next year. I have increasing clarity and I’m leaning towards doing it,” he told the Wall Street Journal.

* And in Oklahoma, Rep. Dan Boren, the only Democrat in the state’s congressional delegation and arguably Congress’ most conservative Dem, announced yesterday that he will not seek re-election next year. The seat will almost certainly shift from “blue” to “red.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Ryan Crocker to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: “President Obama’s nominee to become the new U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan told lawmakers Wednesday that the death of Osama bin Laden last month marked ‘an important step’ toward core U.S. goals in the country but that more hard work lies ahead to prevent al-Qaeda from regaining its safe havens there.”

* In the meantime: “The hugely expensive U.S. attempt at nation-building in Afghanistan has had only limited success and may not survive an American withdrawal, according to the findings of a two-year congressional investigation to be released Wednesday.”

* This won’t help at the pump: “OPEC ministers failed to reach a consensus on Wednesday on raising oil production levels, leaving quotas in place despite rising world prices.”

* The banks don’t lose often on Capitol Hill, but they lost one today: “The Senate refused to delay new rules that would sharply cut the fees that banks can charge retailers to process debit card transactions. The debit card rules were a major part of the Dodd-Frank financial regulation law passed last year. The Senate vote on Wednesday afternoon was the first major challenge to the new law.” It got 54 votes, but needed 60.

* POTUS talks up the “Skills for America’s Future” program: “President Obama came to a community college near Washington on Wednesday to talk up a $2 billion program aimed at tailoring lessons in community colleges across the country to match the needs of manufacturing companies.”

* The right thinks billionaire Israeli American Haim Saban is bolstering GOP talking points about Obama and Israel. Conservatives may want to read what Saban told Greg Sargent today.

* Some new study is making the rounds suggesting the Affordable Care Act will push 30% of U.S. employers to stop offering health coverage to their employees. There’s ample reason for skepticism.

* This year’s budget deficit is shrinking, at least a little.

* House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (R-Va.) demands that emergency disaster relief funds be offset continue to draw bipartisan criticism.

* Steven Pearlstein to Mitt Romney: “The Bolsheviks have taken over, capitalism as we know it is about to come to an end and, yet, somehow the Dow Jones industrial average has gained 47 percent since the Obama inauguration, private-sector profits are back at record levels and business investment in new equipment and software is growing at the annual rate of 11.7 percent. How weird is that?”

* The latest chain email about Obama and Osama bin Laden’s killing is, not surprisingly, bogus.

* Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) boycotted a Senate hearing yesterday looking at the financial outcomes of students who attend for profit colleges. The story behind the boycott is interesting.

* The Tampa Tribune is bragging about having a conservative slant. The “liberal media” strikes again.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Yesterday, Democratic Rep. Allyson Schwartz, who handles recruitment for the DCCC, called on Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) to resign. As of this morning, she was one of 10 Dems to do so.

* The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, having resolved allegations of Republican election fraud, certified three recall elections targeting state Senate Democrats.

* President Obama’s re-election campaign has named Katherine Archuleta as its political director. She will be the first Latina to hold the position on a major presidential campaign.

* A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows President Obama leading all of his likely GOP challengers by wide margins. The closest rival was Mitt Romney, who trails the president in the poll by 13 points.

* Apparently, the Palin and Bachmann campaigns are engaged in some kind of feud.

* And in Utah, the Hatch and Chaffetz camps are having a feud of their own.

* Tim Pawlenty’s Republican presidential campaign got a boost yesterday, picking up an endorsement from Rep. Joe “You Lie” Wilson (R) of South Carolina.

* In Minnesota, Public Policy Polling shows Obama looking quite strong in advance of the 2012 race, leading all of his GOP challengers in margins ranging from eight points (vs. Pawlenty) to 21 points (vs. Bachmann).

* Bill Kristol generally isn’t the most reliable of sources, but the conservative activist/media personality said yesterday that Rudy Giuliani intends to run for president again.

* It’s long been assumed that Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D) would run for governor in 2013, but a report this week suggests the rising star is actually interested in a Senate campaign, if the opportunity were available.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* It’s a mistake to call this an “escalation,” but U.S. counter-terrorism efforts in Yemen continue apace. This is especially true now in light of the growing power vacuum in the country.

* Syria: “About 1,000 refugees fled Syria and crossed into neighboring Turkey overnight to escape a threatened assault against the northern Syrian town of Jisr al-Shughour, Turkish officials said Thursday. The exodus came as Britain, France and other countries prepared to seek tougher action against Syria at the United Nations.”

* Discouragingly high: “The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose by 1,000 last week, according to a report on Thursday that could stoke fears the labor market recovery has stalled. Initial claims for state jobless benefits increased to 427,000, the Labor Department said.”

* Panetta’s confirmation appears to be a foregone conclusion, which is why he isn’t saying much: “The presumptive new leader of the Pentagon, Leon E. Panetta, offered almost no specifics during his Senate confirmation hearing Thursday on how he’ll oversee the war in Afghanistan, saying it was up to others in the Obama administration to decide how many troops to begin withdrawing next month.”

* The House Republican plan for Medicaid has no chance of passing the Senate. Good.

* Alabama’s new anti-immigrant law is at least as outrageous as Arizona’s, if not more so.

* Update on Gabby Giffords: “An aide says U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords struggles to communicate and it remains unclear whether she will be able to return to work five months after being shot in the head.”

* Most Americans have no idea what kind of impact the Bush tax cuts had on the deficit.

* I’m delighted to see Ta-Nehisi Coates as a guest columnist for the New York Times. Here’s hoping the paper has the good sense to keep him on beyond the summer.

* Connecting community college students to real jobs is difficult, but there are hints of progress.

* This week, the Senate confirmed Don Verrilli as the new Solicitor General of the United States. The vote was 72 to 16, and a rumored Republican filibuster fizzled.

* Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain has a theory to explain why Tea Party crowds are filled almost exclusively with white people: African Americans, Cain said, just aren’t wealthy enough for the Tea Party.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Mitt Romney may be the Republican frontrunner, and may even be leading in Iowa polls, but he’s not going to bother with this year’s Iowa Straw Poll in August. In 2007, Romney spent heavily to win the Ames straw poll, but still came in second in the caucuses.

* A new Marist poll in Rep. Anthony Weiner’s (D) New York district shows that a 56% majority of the congressman’s constituents want him to remain in office. Whether they intend to vote for him again or not is a separate issue.

* Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s (R) interest in a possible presidential campaign appears to have entered the trial-balloon phase, with lots of people close to the governor whispering to reporters about his willingness to get in the race.

* If Romney wins the GOP nomination, he shouldn’t expect to compete in his home state of Massachusetts. A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows President Obama leading Romney in the Bay state by 20 points. Other GOP candidates fared even worse.

* The first presidential candidate of the 2012 cycle to purchase paid advertising is … Rick Santorum. The former senator is launching a radio spot in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, as well as satellite radio.

* In one of two gubernatorial races this year, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear (D) appears to be on track to easily win a second term. A new statewide poll shows him leading Senate President David Williams (R) by a whopping 21 points.

* Speaking of Kentucky, Rep. Ben Chandler (D) narrowly defeated Andy Barr (R) last year, and the Republican has decided to pursue a rematch.

* In Missouri, Republicans are convinced their gubernatorial frontrunner, Peter Kinder, can’t win in 2012, but they’re not sure what to do about it.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern, several Republican presidential candidates will gather in New Hampshire for the largest GOP debate thus far in the cycle. Sharing the stage will be Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, and Ron Paul.

* On a related note, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson (R) wants to participate, but CNN won’t let him, because he has too little support. Johnson considers the network “really elitist.”

* A new national CNN poll shows Romney as the favorite for the GOP nomination, leading the pack with 24% support. Sarah Palin is second in the poll with 20%.

* Jon Huntsman’s campaign aides told reporters last week that that FedEx founder Frederick W. Smith had agreed last week to support Huntsman. Huntsman’s staff apparently wasn’t telling the truth.

* Huntsman, by the way, will apparently kick off his campaign sometime next week, and won’t be on hand for tonight’s debate.

* Pawlenty yesterday referred to the Affordable Care Act as “Obamneycare.” I suspect it’s not the last time we’ll heard the word.

* In North Carolina, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows President Obama with narrow leads over his top Republican rivals.

* On a related note, PPP also found Obama trailing Mitt Romney in South Carolina by nine points, though the president actually fares rather well against other GOP candidates, at least at this point.

* And in Michigan, the Republican efforts to recruit a top-tier Senate candidate continue to come up short. Yesterday, Republican National Committeeman Saul Anuzis announced he’s not going to run, either, citing financial difficulties.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Escalation in Syria: “Backed by tanks and helicopters, Syrian forces swept into the restive northern village of Jisr al-Shoughour late Friday, pressing an offensive against a town that has offered the stiffest challenge yet to four decades of Assad family rule.”

* Gates questions NATO’s future utility: “Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates bluntly criticized NATO nations on Friday for what he said were shortages in military spending and political will, warning of ‘a dim if not dismal future’ unless more member nations scaled up their participation in the alliance’s activities.”

* Despite a flurry of rumors yesterday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s office has strongly denied having any interest in leading the World Bank. Clinton’s longtime spokesperson called the story “completely untrue,” adding, “She has expressed absolutely no interest in the job. She would not take it if offered.”

* Thousands of pages of emails from Sarah Palin’s gubernatorial tenure were released today, to the great interest of many reporters. I haven’t read any of them, but I assume someone will tell me if there’s anything in there I should care about.

* Krugman noted in passing today that Tim Pawlenty “has turned out to be a much bigger fool than I or, I think, anyone imagined.”

* Michael Leiter, the head of the nation’s main counterterrorism center, is departing after nearly four years on the job. He’s one of a very small number of Bush administration officials that the Obama team kept on.

* Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) wants Iraqis to repay the U.S. for invading their country. That seems unlikely.

* In case the first round wasn’t quite offensive enough, Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) is planning another round of hearings targeting Muslim Americans.

* It’s hard to imagine how Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) can whine about government transparency and then ban cameras from a public event.

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) believes public broadcasting “should have ended with the Soviet Union.”

* I generally avoid news regarding celebrities, but Tracy Morgan’s homophobic rant was truly disgusting. I don’t think he’ll ever live this one down, nor should he.

* Sounds like a good idea: “The American Association of University Professors, the 47,000-member organization of professors and other academics, is urging faculty to unionize in the fact of university budget cuts and increasing use of adjunct faculty.”

* Rush Limbaugh’s misogyny isn’t new. It is, however, getting more offensive.

* No reasonable person would take Fox Business’ John Stossel seriously, but when he devotes airtime to a “debate” between an actual presidential candidate and an actor who impersonates President Obama, it’s a reminder of just how low Fox’s — and Stossel’s — standards have become.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* A rough spring for bad guys: “Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, Al Qaeda’s leader in East Africa and the mastermind of the American Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, was killed in a late-night shootout at a security checkpoint in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, Somali and American officials said Saturday.”

* Astounding statistic out of Afghanistan: “The United Nations reported this weekend that May 2011 was the deadliest for civilians since the war began.”

* Pakistan fails to inspire confidence: “Twice in recent weeks, the United States provided Pakistan with the specific locations of insurgent bomb-making factories, only to see the militants learn their cover had been blown and vacate the sites before military action could be taken, according to U.S. and Pakistani officials. Overhead surveillance video and other information was given to Pakistani officials in mid-May, officials said, as part of a trust-building effort by the Obama administration after the killing of Osama bin Laden in a U.S. raid early last month. But Pakistani military units that arrived at the sites in the tribal areas of North and South Waziristan on June 4 found them abandoned.”

* Congress recently passed resolution criticizing President Obama for using U.S. forces in an offensive against Libya. Last week, Moammar Gadhafi sent lawmakers a thank-you note, praising them for their rejection of the Obama line.

* Aides to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) released the first photographs of the congresswoman since the shooting in January.

* The Bush administration lost $6.6 billion in cash, sent to Iraq after the start of the war. Eight years later, we still don’t know where the money went, but investigators suspect our money was stolen.

* The Obama administration is expanding benefits to same-sex couples under Medicaid.

* There are at least 100 reasons why it’s a bad idea that will never happen, but Mark Halperin suggests making Bill Clinton a “jobs czar,” and I have to admit, I kind of like the idea.

* Remember that massive Republican push to convince Americans the president doesn’t support Israel? It looks like the clear majority of the country didn’t buy it.

* With tuition costs rising, are middle-class families getting “priced out” of higher ed?

* Republicans keep saying that discretionary non-defense spending is up 80% under Obama. They’re lying.

* Herman Cain’s newest criticism of the president is that Obama “was raised in Kenya.” That’s not even close to true.

* Just a reminder, the first big debate for Republican presidential candidates is tonight at 8 eastern. I won’t be live-blogging it, but if I remember, I’ll put up an open thread.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Former Obama administration official Jon Huntsman will kick off his Republican presidential campaign a week from today. The announcement will apparently be made in Liberty State Park, New Jersey, with the Statue of Liberty in the background.

* In the state of Washington, two-term Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) announced yesterday she won’t seek a third term next year. State Attorney General Rob McKenna (R) is already in the race, and the Democratic frontrunner is likely to be Rep. Jay Inslee.

* Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) appears to have closed the door on a 2012 presidential campaign, explaining this morning that he is “not considering it.” In the same interview, the right-wing senator said Michele Bachmann “does impress.”

* Speaking of Bachmann, the right-wing Minnesotan said this morning her House re-election bid is on hold while she runs for president. After her national campaign fails, Bachmann will be able to switch back fairly easily.

* Newt Gingrich wants people to know his increasingly-farcical presidential campaign is not yet dead. He is, however, apparently getting tired of being asked how much longer he can keep the charade going.

* Al Hubbard, a close Mitch Daniels ally and a former economic advisor to George W. Bush, has thrown his support to Tim Pawlenty.

* In Missouri, Rep. Todd Akin (R) is likely to run for the Senate next year, but first he has to resolve allegations of election fraud. When questions arose that he’s illegally been voting in a district where he no longer lives, Akin scrambled to change his registration.

* With Tammy Duckworth stepping down from her post at the Department of Veterans Affairs, there’s renewed speculation about the Iraq war vet possibly running for Congress in Illinois.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Expectations are a funny thing: “In the United States, retail sales declined for the first time in nearly a year, but the decline was less than forecast, and so the report helped push stock prices higher and offered some respite to investors overwhelmed by recent weak economic data.”

* Good call: “A federal judge on Tuesday upheld a gay judge’s ruling that struck down California’s same-sex marriage ban, noting that his fellow jurist could not be presumed to have a personal stake in the case just because he was in a long-term relationship with another man.”

* The Senate rejected an effort to end $6 billion in tax breaks for ethanol producers, but it got a lot more votes than it has in the past. A total of 40 senators voted for the measure.

* This should be interesting: “Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is warning President Obama that he will be in violation of the War Powers Resolution on Sunday because he has not received congressional authorization for the military mission in Libya. In a letter sent Tuesday, Boehner demanded that Obama provide a legal justification for the operation in Libya by Friday.”

* President Obama stopped in Puerto Rico today, the first official visit from a sitting president to the island since JFK.

* Here’s hoping they help change the conversation: “[T]he House Progressive Caucus is planning to turn the government’s attention back toward eliminating unemployment. Starting Wednesday, caucus members will fan out across the country on a summer tour that will attempt to push the focus away from spending reduction and toward using government resources to create jobs.”

* Giving “Don’t Know Much About History” new meaning: “American students are less proficient in their nation’s history than in any other subject, according to results of a nationwide test released on Tuesday, with most fourth graders unable to say why Abraham Lincoln was an important figure and few high school seniors able to identify China as the North Korean ally that fought American troops during the Korean War. Overall, 20 percent of fourth graders, 17 percent of eighth graders and 12 percent of high school seniors demonstrated proficiency on the exam, the National Assessment of Educational Progress.”

* “Bans” on earmarks never seem to work: “Despite a much-touted Republican plan to forbid earmarks, the recently military funding bill was full of what appear to be essentially earmarks for projects at universities.”

* Remember this one? “Tim Profitt, a former volunteer coordinator for Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) 2010 campaign, has agreed to serve probation and pay medical expenses for assaulting a MoveOn.org activist last year. After the incident, he said, ‘I would like for her to apologize to me’ — apparently the judge disagreed.”

* I’ll resist the urge to ask why Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) hates the American flag so much that he would ignore Chapter 1 of the United States Code.

* And Glenn Beck may be leaving Fox News, but before he goes, he’s done dabbling in some dangerous on-air rhetoric.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) conceded yesterday that he is giving a presidential race “some serious thought.”

* On a related note, Perry traveled to New York yesterday with longtime aide Dave Carney, who just happens to have left Newt Gingrich’s staff.

* Mitt Romney is starting to strut with overconfidence, telling a New Hampshire store owner yesterday he’d come back in four years, and “I’ll probably have Secret Service with me.” New Hampshire’s largest newspaper noted this morning, “Granite Staters prefer hard-working and humble to high-falutin’ and haughty. It would serve [Romney] well to remember.”

* In Pennsylvania, a new Quinnipiac poll shows President Obama leading Romney in a hypothetical match-up, 47% to 40%,

* The same poll, by the way, shows Sen. Bob Casey (D) looking like a safe bet for re-election. In a hypothetical match-up against a Republican opponent, Casey leads 47% to 32%.

* If Newt Gingrich were still a serious candidate, this new controversy surrounding misuse of non-profit resources would probably be pretty damaging.

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) once again made clear that he will not be a presidential candidate in 2012, despite efforts to recruit him into the race. “I’m 100 percent certain I’m not going to run,” the governor told CNN last night.

* The special election in California’s 36th features one of the most offensive ads in recent memory, created by the new Turn Right USA PAC, and targeting Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn (D). Voters will choose the district’s new lawmaker on July 12.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* The Greek debt crisis intensifies: “Thousands of Greeks went on a nationwide strike Wednesday, protesting the government’s proposal for spending cuts to enable the debt-ridden nation to continue receiving international bailout funds. Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou announced that he will reshuffle his cabinet on Thursday and seek a vote of confidence for his new government.”

* White House answers War Powers questions: “The White House is telling Congress that President Obama has the legal authority to continue American participation in the NATO-led air war in Libya, even though lawmakers have not authorized it.”

* Conservatives on the Wisconsin Supreme Court put ideology first: “The Wisconsin Supreme Court cleared the way on Tuesday for significant cuts to collective bargaining rights for public workers in the state, undoing a lower court’s decision that Wisconsin’s controversial law had been passed improperly.”

* When Pakistan detains CIA informants, including an Army major, it’s evidence of a poor ally: “Pakistan’s top military spy agency has arrested some of the Pakistani informants who fed information to the Central Intelligence Agency in the months leading up to the raid that led to the death of Osama bin Laden, according to American officials.”

* Jennifer Rubin has been pushing the line that a leading White House adviser is pressuring Israel to negotiate with the Palestinians in a manner that’s at odds with Obama’s public position on the conflict. Greg Sargent’s reporting shows Rubin’s line isn’t true.

* If workers’ incomes keep dropping, it shouldn’t come as a surprise when the economy suffers from a demand problem.

* There were reports this morning that a bunch of prominent Republican officials, including Mitt Romney, would attend Glenn Beck’s gathering in Israel later this year. The reports were completely wrong.

* Interesting “Morning Joe” segment earlier, in which a former G.M. executive not only talks about the problems within the industry and its more recent recovery, but mocks those who opposed the 2009 rescue.

* Good point from Jonathan Bernstein: “In today’s conservative marketplace, crazy equals money.”

* A strong summary: “Monday’s Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire — full of historical error, economic obfuscation, avoidance of hard truths and even outright bigotry — was a feast for connoisseurs of political dysfunction.”

* In June 2009, CNN did 60 reports on South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford’s (R) sex scandal. In June 2011, CNN has done 160 reports on the controversy surrounding Rep. Anthony Weiner (D). And remember, June 2011 is only half over.

* Remember summer jobs? “For decades they were a good way for college students, rich or poor, to earn money for living expenses. Not so much anymore.”

* Good commencement addresses are tricky. Conan O’Brien knows how to write and deliver one.

* And Politico’s preoccupation with P90X is starting to get a little creepy.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In a new national NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, Mitt Romney remains the top choice of Republican voters in the presidential race. Sarah Palin is second with 14, followed by Herman Cain at 12%. From there, it’s Rick Perry at 8%, Ron Paul with 7%, Newt Gingrich at 6%, Tim Pawlenty with 4%, Rick Santorum at 4%, and Michele Bachmann with 3%. Jon Huntsman is dead last with only 1% support.

* Of particular interest in the poll is Gingrich’s implosion. Less than a third of Republican primary voters have a positive impression of the disgraced former House Speaker, and the number of GOP voters with a negative impression has nearly tripled since April.

* FreedomWorks PAC has decided to target Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch in Utah next year. Russ Walker, the vice president of political and grassroots campaigns for FreedomWorks PAC, said, “The state of Utah is far more fiscally conservative than Orrin Hatch is. It’s an opportunity to pick up a seat, it’s an opportunity to find somebody who is better.”

* Former McCain campaign aide John Weaver, now the chief strategist for the Huntsman campaign, took some shots at the leading Republican candidates in a new interview. Weaver also described the existing GOP field as the weakest in more than seven decades.

* The Pawlenty campaign held a New Hampshire house party at the home of Ray Shakir, a right-wing Republican activist who calls President Obama a “jungle alien.”

* Al Gore praised Mitt Romney yesterday for acknowledging climate change and “sticking to his guns in the face of the anti-science wing of the Republican Party.” I’m sure GOP primary voters will be impressed by Gore’s kind words, right?

* In California’s 36th, Republican candidate Craig Huey condemned the racist ad launched this week by Turn Right USA PAC.

* North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue (D) remains unpopular a year before her re-election bid, but Public Policy Polling shows her support increasing in the wake of GOP extremism in the state legislature.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Ayman al-Zawahri takes over as al Qaeda’s leader, a month after U.S. forces killed Osama bin Laden.

* It’s too high, but at least it’s moving in the right direction: “The Labor Department said Thursday that unemployment benefit applications fell 16,000 to a seasonally adjusted 414,000, the second drop in three weeks. That’s a positive sign that layoffs are slowing.”

* It was also good to see an uptick in home construction.

* More on this tomorrow: “The Senate voted 73-27 Thursday to kill a major tax break that benefits the ethanol industry, handing a political win to a bipartisan group of lawmakers that call the incentive needless and expensive.”

* On a related note, Paul Glastris ponders whether energy subsidies are doomed.

* Pakistan: “The security relationship between the United States and Pakistan has sunk to its lowest level since the two countries agreed to cooperate after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, endangering counterterrorism programs that depend on the partnership, according to U.S. and Pakistani officials.”

* Greek crisis: “European officials on Thursday sought to calm fears over a possible financial collapse in Greece, saying that short-term aid to Athens was imminent, even as the euro slumped and concern heightened that debt troubles could engulf larger economies such as Spain.”

* As you may have heard, Anthony Weiner did, in fact, resign this afternoon.

* In another milestone, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) was released yesterday from a Houston rehabilitation hospital. Her therapy will continue as an outpatient.

* I neglected to mention yesterday that Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) held the second of his anti-Muslim hearings yesterday with the House Homeland Security Committee.

* Interesting point: “Nine of the 10 districts throughout the U.S. with the most people age 45-54 are represented by Republicans … a Bloomberg analysis of census data shows. Those would be among the first Americans to no longer have Medicare as an open-ended entitlement, and instead would be given money to buy private insurance when they’re eligible, under the plan.”

* Norah O’Donnell is making the transition from NBC to CBS’s chief White House correspondent.

* When well over half a state’s high school students are not prepared for college, it’s a problem.

* Given how strikingly low his ratings are, it’s amazing Fox’s Eric Bolling is even paid to host a nationally televised program. How can he expect to replace Glenn Beck, whose ratings have also taken a sharp turn for the worse, when he has such a tiny audience?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* We don’t yet know when there will be a special election in New York’s 9th congressional district, but Nate Silver explains why the Democrat will go into the contest as the favorite and why Republicans should keep expectations low.

* On a related note, whoever wins Anthony Weiner’s seat shouldn’t get too comfortable in Washington — the district is likely to be eliminated as part of New York’s redistricting process.

* Mitt Romney campaigned in Florida, and when he wasn’t joking with the unemployed about not having a job, he was picking up endorsements from three Florida congressmen and an influential state senator.

* Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman had agreed to deliver a speech to the Republican Leadership Conference tonight in New Orleans, but he cancelled yesterday due to a bad cold. Huntsman’s wife and two daughters will attend in his place, but will not deliver a speech.

* Speaking of Huntsman, his support for civil unions is making him the favorite among gay Republicans, including GOProud.

* In Missouri, U.S. Senate candidate Sarah Steelman is distancing herself from the House Republican plan to end Medicare, and even said yesterday she “doesn’t like the idea of vouchers.” Steelman refused to say, however, whether she would have voted for or against the plan.

* Leading Senate Democrats are still trying to recruit Elizabeth Warren to run for the Senate in Massachusetts next year. Warren, who’s overseeing the establishment of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, met again with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) this week, and hasn’t ruled out a campaign.

* Speaking of Massachusetts, Gov. Deval Patrick’s (D) approval rating is up to 54%. He’s said he doesn’t intend to run for office again, but could Patrick be persuaded to give the Senate race a second look if Warren turns the party down?

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Syrians defy crackdown: “Thousands of protesters poured into the streets of the capital’s suburbs and three of Syria’s five largest cities Friday, in a weekly show of defiance that came days before President Bashar al-Assad was expected to address Syrians for the first time in two months. Activists said at least 19 people were killed and dozens wounded.”

* This could have a huge impact: “AARP, the powerful lobbying group for older Americans, is dropping its longstanding opposition to cutting Social Security benefits, a move that could rock Washington’s debate over how to revamp the nation’s entitlement programs.”

* The AARP’s shift has already sent “shock waves through the Beltway’s large and influential entitlement reform community.”

* Austerity’s blowback: “Decaying political support for budget cuts in Europe is threatening global financial stability and could undermine a recovery that is already weakening, the International Monetary Fund warned in a trio of reports Friday.”

* I wish more governors would do this: “[Missouri] Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed a bill Friday that could have eventually required voters to provide a government-issued photo ID to cast a ballot.”

* I’d love to hear more about this: “The office of Republican Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey is claiming that Fox News chairman Roger Ailes is a confidential adviser whose interactions with the governor should remain secret under New Jersey’s executive privilege.”

* In the race for America’s worst governor: “Florida Governor Rick Scott has suspended an order requiring all state workers undergo drug testing, pending resolution of a lawsuit that called the tests an illegal search of workers’ bodies.”

* The New York Times’ “Room for Debate” featured a variety of takes on Anthony Weiner’s departure.

* White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer spoke at a Netroots Nation session today. He probably would have been received about as warmly at a CPAC session.

* Minnesota state senator Michael Jungbauer, the self-proclaimed “No. 1 global climate change denier” in the state, appears to have blatantly lied about his educational background. I guess that explains a few things.

* How very silly: “World Net Daily editor Joseph Farah plans to file a lawsuit against Esquire magazine next week over a satirical article alleging he was recalling a WND-published book questioning the legitimacy of President Barack Obama’s birth certificate.”

* In the Craziest Member of Congress bracket, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) solidifies his #1 seed.

* The Cato Institute has a new idea on reducing college costs. It’s not an especially good idea, but kudos for the effort.

* If you watch all the way to the end of this clip — literally, the last 30 seconds — you’ll see that President Obama, among his other talents, has the ability to make babies stop crying. (The look he gives the First Lady is priceless.)

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The AP reported over the week that Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s (R) team is “beginning to lay the groundwork” to compete in the Iowa presidential caucuses. Aides said the preliminary inquiries are not proof that Perry is definitely going to run.

* The latest Magellan Strategies survey in New Hampshire shows Mitt Romney with a huge lead in the first GOP presidential primary, topping the field with 42% support. No other candidate came within 30 points.

* Newt Gingrich’s campaign is in so much trouble, the disgraced former House Speaker is only scheduling events within driving distance of his Georgia and DC-area homes. He still has no staff in Iowa, following the en masse resignations of his team two weeks ago.

* In fundraising news, the DSCC outraised its Republican counterpart in May, $4.1 million to $3.1 million. Year to date, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has taken in $18.6 million to the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s $17.8 million.

* In Nevada, appointed Sen. Dean Heller may face a Republican primary, and a result, he’s abandoning his record as a pro-choice lawmaker.

* In Utah, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) appears to have a real problem. A new Deseret News/KSL-TV poll shows him tied with Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson in a hypothetical match-up, and leads likely GOP primary challenger Rep. Jason Chaffetz by just three points.

* Former Nevada Republican Party Chair Mark Amodei was easily chosen as the GOP’s nominee in the upcoming 2nd district special election. Amodei immediately launched a hysterical television ad, arguing that raising the debt ceiling would lead to a Chinese takeover of the United States.

* Former Sen. George Allen (R-Va.), trying to make a comeback, still refuses to say whether he would vote for or against his party’s budget plan, including Medicare privatization. No Profile in Courage Award for you, George.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* The Supreme Court sides with business interests once again: “The Supreme Court on Monday threw out the largest employment discrimination case in the nation’s history. The suit, against Wal-Mart Stores, had sought to consolidate the claims of as many as 1.5 million women on the theory that the company had discriminated against them in pay and promotion decisions.”

* Assad speaks: “In his first address in two months, President Bashar al-Assad of Syria promised on Monday not to bow to pressure from what he called ‘saboteurs,’ but offered a national dialogue that he said could bring change to a country where the ruling party and a single family have monopolized power for more than four decades…. Shortly after the address, activists reported protests erupting around Syria, including in the suburbs of Damascus.”

* Bob Gates confirmed these talks yesterday: “President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan said publicly for the first time on Saturday that the United States and the NATO-led coalition have been actively negotiating with the Taliban, an assertion he made in a speech that he also used to fire a broadside against his coalition allies.”

* As the accidental NATO strike on civilians helps prove, sometimes bombs land where they’re not supposed to.

* Good for those women in Saudi Arabia challenging the nation’s prohibitions on women driving.

* A big shake-up at ATF: “The acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is expected to resign in the next few days as a scandal over the agency’s ‘Fast and Furious’ anti-gun trafficking operation continues to boil.”

* If this suggests to you that we’re living in some kind of gilded age, you and I are on the same page.

* Given how expensive executions are, shouldn’t fiscal conservatives oppose capital punishment?

* I just don’t understand how anyone could take Amity Shlaes seriously.

* Ed Henry leaves CNN for Fox News. The guy has always struck me as more of a show horse than a work horse.

* Speaking of news media, MSNBC is reportedly developing a show for Chris Hayes. I’m a big fan of Chris’ work, and I’m delighted to see that the network intends to give him a bigger platform.

* And in still more media news, “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” launches tonight on Current.

* In general, I don’t really care that Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) rides the D.C. subway. But I can’t help but wonder, shouldn’t he reject this kind of government-subsidized public transportation, when there are private, free-market alternatives available? If it were up to Rand Paul, would the D.C. subway even exist?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The latest data from Gallup shows that more than one in five Americans (22%) would oppose a Mormon presidential candidate based on religion alone. That’s probably not good news for Republicans Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman, both of whom are Mormons.

* At the Republican Leadership Conference over the weekend, Rep. Ron Paul won the presidential straw poll, with Huntsman coming in a surprising second. How did Huntsman, who wasn’t even at the event, do so well? He had some friends pull some strings.

* Romney has decided not to sign a sweeping pledge in opposition to abortion rights, pushed by the Susan B. Anthony List. The GOP frontrunner is, as a result, taking some heat from some of his rivals, including Michele Bachmann.

* Thanks to a boost from the Obama Victory Fund, the Democratic National Committee outraised the Republican National Committee in May, $10.5 million to $6.2 million.

* On the other hand, the National Republican Congressional Committee ended May with twice as much cash on hand as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

* Former Sen. George Allen (R), trying to regain his old seat, has changed his mind about ethanol subsidies quite a few times. As of this week, Allen opposes the industry funds, but he was for them before he was against them.

* In California, a Field Poll shows Romney as the clear favorite among Republicans in the state, with Rudy Giuliani, who appears unlikely to run, as his next closest competitor.

* In Michigan, Republicans continue to struggle to find a credible candidate to take on Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) next year. Yesterday, radio personality Frank Bechmann became the latest possible recruit to turn the state GOP down.

* And in New Jersey, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Gov. Chris Christie’s (R) approval rating down to 44%. Most of his constituents don’t want to see him on the Republicans’ national ticket, either.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Though we don’t yet know any details about what he’ll say, President Obama will deliver a televised address tomorrow night, outlining the “scale and pace” of U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

* Iraq: “Twin explosions including a suicide bombing killed at least 22 people and wounded dozens early Tuesday near a government compound in a rare attack in the Shiite heartland, Iraqi officials said.”

* In an exceedingly rare display of bipartisanship, the Senate confirmed Leon Panetta as the new Secretary of Defense today. The final vote was 100 to 0.

* This may get a vote as early as this week: “In an effort aimed at countering a House Republican plan to defund American military operations in Libya, Senators John Kerry, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and a Democrat, and John McCain, a Republican, announced the introduction of a joint resolution on Tuesday authorizing the limited use of United States Armed Forces in Libya.”

* On a related note, President Obama’s defense for circumventing the War Powers Act continues to take heat from credible media observers. Eugene Robinson today calls the White House’s argument “nonsense.”

* I have no idea what it takes to discourage smokers, but the new on-pack warnings are certainly attention-grabbers.

* Blocked from unionizing, Wal-Mart employees are creating a new group to fight for workers’ interests. It’s called Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart).

* In a surprisingly one-sided vote, members of the American Medical Association reaffirmed their support for an individual mandate as part of health care reform.

* Why did the head of the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities resign?

* And as of today, Hoosiers in need of Planned Parenthood’s services are officially out of luck. The health care consequences for countless families in need will not be pretty, but in the name of Republican radicalism, that no longer matters.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Republican presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty will be the first candidate to air television ads in Iowa, launching a $50,000 ad buy in several Iowa media markets starting tomorrow. It’s a reminder that Pawlenty realizes he has to start gaining traction soon.

* The right-wing Club for Growth released a 12-page white paper today, characterizing Jon Huntsman’s record on public spending as “inexcusable.” If Huntsman starts gaining traction with voters, expect the other GOP candidates to use this quite a bit.

* It’s not like he needed more bad news, but it appears Newt Gingrich has a second line of credit at “the high-end jewelry store Tiffany and Co. for as much as $1 million dollars.”

* The next debate for the Republican presidential candidates is in Las Vegas next month, but Mitt Romney won’t participate. He will, however, appear in six other debates between now and the end of October.

* Michele Bachmann launched her presidential campaign last week in a televised debate, but she’ll hold a formal kick-off event in Iowa early next week.

* Bill Kristol floated a rumor the other day that Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) is reconsidering whether to run for president. Yesterday, the senator knocked this down, telling reporters, “My mind has not changed on that at all.”

* In Montana, home to one of the nation’s most closely-watched Senate races, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Rep. Denny Rehberg (R) with a narrow lead over Sen. John Tester (D), 47% to 45%.

* Karl Rove’s attack operation, American Crossroads, is launching radio ads in Missouri, going after Sen. Claire McCaskill (D).

* And in Texas, Michael Williams (R), the state’s former Railroad Commissioner, has dropped his Senate campaign and will instead run for the U.S. House in a newly created district. The GOP Senate field nevertheless remains crowded, and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has not yet said whether he’ll run.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* What to expect tonight: “President Obama plans to announce Wednesday evening that he will order the withdrawal of 10,000 American troops from Afghanistan this year, and another 20,000 troops, the remainder of the 2009 “surge,” by the end of next summer…. The president is scheduled to speak about the Afghanistan war from the White House at 8 p.m. Eastern time.”

* Syria is not responding well to EU sanctions: “The Syrian regime, besieged by street protests at home and condemnation abroad, on Wednesday lashed out at European governments for threatening a new round of sanctions and accused the West of trying to sow chaos and conflict in the Arab nation.”

* A coalition of Saudi activists urged Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to criticize Saudi Arabia’s ban on women driving. Yesterday, she did.

* Ban Ki-moon received unanimous support from the U.N. General Assembly to serve a second term as secretary-general. The South Korean diplomat will stay at his current post for another five years.

* If you haven’t already read it, “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant” from Pulitzer prize winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas is an extraordinary piece of work.

* Speaking of the amazing Vargas piece, it’s worth noting that the Washington Post had it, but didn’t want it. It’s a mistake the paper has to regret now.

* Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) goes after Attorney General Eric Holder on trials for suspected terrorists. McConnell’s shots aren’t just wrong; they’re cheap and unbecoming of someone in his position.

* The Washington Post’s in-house fact-checker, Glenn Kessler, was all set to scrutinize the substantive claims in Jon Huntsman’s campaign kick-off speech. Then Kessler realized Huntsman didn’t make any substantive claims.

* It’s early, but Keith Olbermann’s debut on Current TV seems to be off to a good start, ratings wise.

* When community college students can’t get loans, it’s a problem.

* And if Republican lawmakers want to prove they’re “pro-women,” they’re giong to have to do better than this.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Concerns about Tim Pawlenty’s campaign finances were intensified this morning by a report showing that “at least five” of his top advisers have been working for “little or not pay” for several months.

* Newt Gingrich explained yesterday why everyone involved in his campaign has a habit of quitting. “Philosophically, I am very different from normal politicians,” Gingrich said. He was speaking at the Atlanta Press Club, because he can no longer afford to fly to Iowa or New Hampshire.

* Jon Huntsman believes he can do well in Republican nominating contests, even if Republican voters don’t like him, because independents can vote in the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries. “These are wide open primaries, we forget that,” Huntsman told reporters yesterday.

* Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain told an Iowa audience yesterday that Jon Stewart mocked him because he’s “a black conservative.” I’m pretty sure that wasn’t Stewart’s motivation, but “The Daily Show” should get a good segment out of this.

* It seems very hard to believe, but a poll from Vanderbilt University shows President Obama leading all of his major Republican rivals in Tennessee. Obama lost in Tennessee in 2008 by more than 15 points, and it seems unlikely the re-election campaign will even give the Volunteer State a second look.

* The Michigan Republican Party continues to struggle in its search for a credible challenger to take on Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) next year. In the latest recruiting setback, the party reached out to a retired hockey player who also passed on the race. State House Speaker Jase Bolger (R) is also facing pressure, but doesn’t want to run, either.

* And Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), one of the House’s great liberal champions, will reportedly announce her retirement early next week. Woolsey is in her 10th term.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* If only the jobs crisis still mattered: “More Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, adding to evidence that the labor market is weakening. The Labor Department says applications rose by 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 429,000 last week. It was the second increase in three weeks and the biggest jump in a month.”

* Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Congress today he supports President Obama’s plan to draw down forces in Afghanistan, but added that Obama’s decisions were “more aggressive and incur more risk that I was originally prepared to accept.”

* Gen. David Petraeus is thinking along the same lines.

* Following this morning’s news about tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, oil prices dropped to four-month lows.

* Syria: “Syrian forces backed by snipers and tanks stormed into the border town of Khirbet al-Jouz on Thursday, sending hundreds of refugees fleeing to Turkey from the informal camp where they had sought shelter from a violent crackdown on protests in the country’s rural northwest.”

* Iraq: “Three explosions ripped through a public market on Thursday evening, killing at least 21 people, and leaving a gruesome scene of scattered body parts and bloodied shoppers.”

* It’s hard to believe Boston mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger was captured after all these years.

* A dramatic flooding crisis is developing in Minot, North Dakota. Reader K.S. reminds me that most locals don’t have flood insurance, because they never thought they’d need it.

* Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), in his infinite wisdom, pushed a measure today to prevent President Obama from appointing policy “czars.” It failed on the floor, 47 to 51.

* Rep. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) has taken a keen interest in the ethics controversies surrounding Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

* Sens. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Pat Leahy (D-Vt.), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) are trying to keep immigration reform alive. Alas, House Republicans are still in the majority, making progress all but impossible.

* Imagine if, instead of spending $1.2 trillion on wars in the Middle East, we’d committed that same amount to public investments?

* Any way you slice it, the plan for a possible tax repatriation holiday is a bad idea.

* U.S. colleges are “no longer looking quite so great for foreign students. American colleges are too expensive, and apparently not clearly providing a superior education.”

* And apparently, Fox News has decided that last night’s presidential address on Afghanistan was a “Mission Accomplished” speech. It’s as if the Republican news network doesn’t pay attention to substance at all.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Wall Street Journal, quoting a “normally reliable Republican source,” reported yesterday that Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has already decided to run for president. Aides to the governor denied that he’s already made that decision.

* A group of Mitt Romney supporters have, to very little fanfare, launched a super PAC called Restore Our Future PAC to raise and spend unlimited amounts of undisclosed money to boost his campaign.

* Speaking of Romney and campaign financing, the former governor will travel to London next month for a fundraiser with Americans living in England. Candidates very rarely hold fundraisers outside the United States — and this sounds “awfully European.”

* Six Republican presidential campaigns yesterday signed up to participate Ames Straw Poll in Iowa, paying for rental space. The candidates are Tim Pawlenty, Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, and oddly enough, Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R) of Michigan. The straw poll is scheduled for August 13.

* Newt Gingrich was asked if he’d still be a presidential candidate by the time the Iowa caucuses are held early next year. “Sure,” he said. “Of course.”

* In the state of Washington, Rep. Jay Inslee (D), as expected, is launching a gubernatorial campaign, hoping to succeed Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) who is retiring after two terms. State Attorney General Rob McKenna (R) is already in the race.

* In Florida, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Romney leading the GOP presidential field with 27% support. Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann are tied for second with 17% support each.

* When Republicans look for “blue” states to flip in 2012, they shouldn’t spend too much time in Oregon — PPP shows President Obama with big leads over all of the Republican candidates.

* Former New York Gov. George Pataki (R), for reasons I can’t understand, believes he might be a credible presidential candidate and hasn’t ruled out launching a campaign.

* And the Progressive Change Campaign Committee has announced its first endorsement of the 2012 cycle, throwing its support to state Sen. Eric Griego (D), running in New Mexico’s open 1st district. The seat is currently held by . Rep. Martin Heinrich (D), who is running for the Senate.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Pakistan’s Harakat-ul-Mujahedeen: “The cellphone of Osama bin Laden’s trusted courier, which was recovered in the raid that killed both men in Pakistan last month, contained contacts to a militant group that is a longtime asset of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, senior American officials who have been briefed on the findings say.”

* With debt-reduction talks having collapsed, President Obama will “directly intervene in the negotiations, beginning one-on-one meetings with key lawmakers next week.” On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will get the process started.

* For a change, gas prices are falling fast: “In the past 7 weeks, the average U.S. retail prices has dropped 38 cents to $3.60 per gallon. Another 25-cent drop is expected by mid-July.”

* Initial estimates showed that the economy grew at 1.8% in the first quarter. The revised estimates conclude it was actually 1.9%.

* The non-existent peace process: “Israeli and Palestinian leaders have told American and European officials who have been here repeatedly in recent weeks that they want to return to talks. But with numerous moving parts, neither side desperate about the status quo and no agreement on the terms, success is far from assured.”

* A long recovery process: “Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’s doctor says it will be about a year before it can be known whether she can return to Congress, bringing into question whether she will be able to meet Arizona’s May 2012 filing deadline for reelection.”

* Good for Perdue: “North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue (D) has vetoed a Voter-ID bill passed by the Republican-controlled state legislature. The proposed law was part of a wave of similar bills that have been pushed by Republican-led legislatures in the wake of the 2010 elections…. ‘This bill, as written, will unnecessarily and unfairly disenfranchise many eligible and legitimate voters,’ Perdue wrote in her veto announcement.”

* It’s hard to overstate how ridiculous and dangerous Sen. Tom Coburn’s (R-Okla.) “Enumerated Powers Act” really is.

* Brad DeLong asks a good question: Can somebody please tell me why the U.S. Treasury has not taken the $50 billion of TARP money it is not using for housing—and another $100 billion or so of TARP money — and said: ‘Here is the equity tranche for a U.S. government-backed infrastructure bank. Go out and build stuff!’?”

* Daniel Luzer highlights the problem of high-stakes admissions in higher ed.

* In the important IPAB debate, this matters a lot: “Earlier this week, former Democratic congressman Dick Gephardt penned an op-ed for the Huffington Post that attacked a key pillar of President Obama’s healthcare reform bill. What the online publication didn’t disclose is that Gephardt is a lobbyist representing the very corporate interests gunning to kill the program.”

* Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) scheduled a public event to sign his budget bill at a state business. Then we learned the business is owned by a man convicted on felony charges of tax evasion. Walker ended up canceling, which was probably a smart move.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In case you missed it over the weekend, the Des Moines Register’s respected Iowa Poll shows Mitt Romney narrowly leading Michele Bachmann in the Hawkeye State, 23% to 22%. Herman Cain is third with 10%, followed by Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul with 7% each. Tim Pawlenty is sixth with 6%, Rick Santorum is next with 4%, and Jon Huntsman, who has already said he won’t compete in Iowa, is eighth with 2%.

* Speaking of Iowa, Bachmann officially launched her presidential campaign again this morning, delivering an announcement speech in Waterloo, Iowa, where she was born.

* South Carolina’s closely-watched presidential primary may be scrapped in 2012, due to a budget dispute and Gov. Nikki Haley’s (R) expected veto of a spending bill. If cancelled, the South Carolina GOP would instead hold a caucus.

* Late on Friday afternoon, Karl Rove’s attack operation, Crossroads GPS, launched a $20 million ad campaign going after President Obama. The ads will start running today, and will be financed entirely by undisclosed contributions.

* The next debate for Republican presidential candidates was scheduled for mid-July in Las Vegas, but organizers postponed the event after Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman said they wouldn’t participate. Co-sponsors of the debate said they’ll reschedule soon, and hope that Texas Gov. Rick Perry will be in the race by the time the debate is held.

* Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), a very influential figure in right-wing circles, hasn’t said who he’ll endorse in the GOP presidential primaries, but he’s ruled out Huntsman.

* In Montana’s gubernatorial race, PPP shows Rep. Rick Hill (R) narrowly leading state Attorney General Steve Bullock (D), 39% to 37%. Bullock is considered the leading Democratic contender, though he has not yet announced.

* In Nevada, a Republican poll found Rep. Shelley Berkley (D) leading appointed Sen. Dean Heller (R) in next year’s U.S. Senate race, 46% to 44%.

* And speaking of Nevada, the Nevada Democratic Central Committee has picked state Treasurer Kate Marshall to run in the special election in the state’s 2nd congressional district. Her challenger will likely be former state Sen. Mark Amodei, who was chosen by the state GOP last week.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Busted: “A jury on Monday convicted Rod R. Blagojevich, the former governor of Illinois, of trying to personally benefit from his role in selecting a replacement for President Obama in the United States Senate.” He was found guilty of 17 counts of wire fraud, attempted extortion, bribery, extortion conspiracy, and bribery conspiracy.

* A wanted man: “The International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants on Monday for the Libyan leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, one of his sons and his intelligence chief, accusing them of crimes against humanity during the first two weeks of the uprising in Libya that led to a NATO bombing campaign.”

* Another discouraging 5-4 ruling on campaign finance: “[T]he Supreme Court on Monday struck down an Arizona law that provided escalating matching funds to candidates who accept public financing.”

* The news from the high court wasn’t all bad: “The Supreme Court on Monday struck down on First Amendment grounds a California law that barred the sale of violent video games to children.” It was a 7-to-2 decision.

* Remember Georgia’s misguided anti-immigrant law we talked about on Friday? Thanks to a federal judge, it’s on hold.

* Whether Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser (R) grabbed a colleague by the neck is now under investigation by the Dane County sheriff and the Wisconsin Judicial Commission.

* Ohio’s anti-voting proposal is so radical, Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State announced that he cannot support it. “I want to be perfectly clear, when I began working with the General Assembly to improve Ohio’s elections system it was never my intent to reject valid votes,” Jon Husted said in a statement.

* Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) loves oil industry subsidies, though he’s having trouble offering a coherent defense for his position. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) is in the same boat.

* Republicans keep pretending the McKinsey and Company study is reliable. We can say definitely that the GOP is wrong.

* Good post from Daniel Luzer: “Something needs to change, dramatically, in American higher education if this country is to thrive and remain economically successful. This is according to two recent reports about the state of higher education. Exactly what needs to change, however, is debatable.”

* CNN ran a segment the other day on what psychics think about the economy and unemployment. I’m not kidding.

* And reader passed along this fun one from late last week: “Actual News Headlines Vs. Fox News Headlines.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* It’s not quite a Gingrich-style exodus, but Herman Cain lost some key campaign aides yesterday when they resigned in frustration. The Republican presidential hopeful lost his campaign director in New Hampshire, and his regional field director.

* Wisconsin Democrats caught another break in the upcoming recall elections, with one of the targeted state Senate Dems losing his toughest GOP challenger.

* Speaking of Wisconsin, it looks like former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) is moving closer to launching a Senate campaign, hiring two new fundraisers.

* The House Majority PAC, a Democratic Super PAC, is launching a six-figure ad campaign this week, targeting eight House Republicans on budget issues.

* New surveys from Public Policy Polling show Michele Bachmann as the leading Republican presidential candidate in Oregon and Montana. In both cases, she enjoys very narrow leads over Mitt Romney.

* As expected, Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.) announced her retirement yesterday, and she will step down next year at the end of her 10th term.

* For now, despite budget issues, it appears South Carolina’s Republican presidential primary will not be scrapped next year.

* For reasons that are only clear to him, Rudy Giuliani will be in New Hampshire in two weeks, perhaps to help lay the groundwork for another misguided presidential campaign.

* The GOP’s Senate primary in Nebraska is getting awfully crowded, with state Sen. Deb Fischer becoming the fifth Republican in the race. The winner will take on Sen. Ben Nelson (D) next year.

* In Ohio, former Secretary of State Ken Blackwell (R) has announced he will not run for the Senate in 2012, making matters a little easier for state Treasurer Josh Mandel’s campaign.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Three suicide bombers in Kabul: “Several attackers stormed the Intercontinental Hotel in the Afghan capital, Kabul, Tuesday night, and witnesses said shooting and a loud explosion were heard as Afghan security forces rushed to the scene.” The number of casualties is not yet clear.

* Greek riots ahead of austerity vote: “Parliament must pass the measures — which include wage cuts, tax increases and privatizations, in a recession-starved country — before Greece’s foreign lenders unlock the next installment of aid that the country needs to avoid default.”

* Geithner’s endorsement reportedly helped seal the deal: “Christine Lagarde on Tuesday became the first woman to be appointed to the helm of the International Monetary Fund, taking on one of the most powerful positions in global finance as a worsening crisis in Greece threatens the euro currency union and rattles financial markets worldwide.”

* I’ll take good news where I can find it: “Prices of single-family homes snapped eight straight months of declines in April, according to a closely watched report released Tuesday.”

* Good for Lynch: “Gov. John Lynch has vetoed a bill that requires voters to show photo identification to vote in New Hampshire.”

* The DREAM Act almost certainly can’t overcome Republican opposition, but Senate Democrats haven’t given up just yet.

* It’s hard to overstate just how bad an idea the Coburn/Lieberman Medicare plan is.

* Just a few days old, New York’s marriage equality law is already pretty popular in the Empire State.

* News Corp. is selling MySpace. Is it a bad sign that I forget MySpace exists?

* Someone tried to change John Quincy Adams’ Wikipedia page to make him a “Founding Father.” Called it.

* Colleges really ought to be more careful about who gets merit scholarships.

* A Fox News personality accused Jon Stewart of “propagandizing.” Irony is dead.

* And on a related note, former News Corp. President Peter Chernin conceded that “no one” even “pretends” that Fox News’ opinion shows are “news and factual.” Good to know.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new Suffolk poll was released overnight, showing the Republican presidential hopefuls’ standing in New Hampshire. Mitt Romney continues to cruise with 36% support, but Michele Bachmann saw a big jump is now second at 11%. Ron Paul is third with 8%, and no other candidate topped 5%.

* Bachmann’s former chief of staff announced yesterday that the congresswoman is unqualified to be president, and he endorsed Tim Pawlenty’s campaign.

* A new Gallup poll found that Jon Huntsman’s support among Republican voters actually went down, not up, after he launched his presidential campaign.

* Sarah Palin caused a stir yesterday with an appearance in Iowa. She said she’s “still contemplating” whether to run for president.

* Speaking of Palin, the former half-term governor trails President Obama in a head-to-head match-up by six points — in Alaska.

* Bachmann has been using Tom Petty’s “American Girl” as a theme song at rallies. The musician isn’t happy about it, and is asking the campaign not to do it again.

* To the shock of political reporters who adore him, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s (R) support keeps slipping. A new Bloomberg poll found that most voters in the state don’t intend to give him a second term.

* As every presidential candidate is apparently obligated to do, Herman Cain will publish a book, which is scheduled to be released in October. The memoir will be called, “Who Is Herman Cain?”

* And in Minnesota, Lynne Torgerson has announced she intends to take on Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) because, as she sees it, he’s a “radical Islamist.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Greece avoids default: “The Greek Parliament backed Prime Minster George Papandreou’s bitterly contested package of austerity measures on Wednesday, clearing the way for crucial international lending to stave off default over the summer. But thousands of Greeks took to the streets in protest, and some clashed violently with police officers, who responded with tear gas.”

* Understanding what transpired in yesterday’s attack in Kabul: “Eight suicide bombers managed to elude several rings of security and reach one of the capital’s premier hotels, which was busy with guests, many of whom had come from the provinces to the city for a conference on the transition of security responsibility to Afghan control.”

* Progress: “The Senate Wednesday voted 79-20 to approve legislation to streamline its confirmation process by reducing the number of positions requiring full Senate confirmation and requiring fewer nominees to go through a full confirmation procedure.”

* Surprising progress: “The Senate voted Tuesday to confirm three of President Obama’s senior Justice Department nominees, including James Cole, whose nomination to be deputy attorney general had been stalled for nearly a year…. The Senate also confirmed, on voice votes, Lisa Monaco to run the division that handles terrorism cases and Virginia Seitz to run the Office of Legal Counsel.”

* President Obama’s withdrawal policy in Afghanistan is quite popular with the American public.

* Even now, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) doesn’t seem to understand collective bargaining.

* Speaking of strange Wisconsin Republicans, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) had an idea yesterday to shut down the Senate. His temper tantrum was short-lived.

* This ought to be interesting: “Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) said Wednesday afternoon that Democrats have reached an agreement on a budget plan and plan to unveil it as soon as next week.”

* There’s an interesting discussion underway involving the dubious constitutionality of the debt limit. It’s a story the Monthly first started exploring a couple of weeks ago.

* Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) doesn’t understand the tubes: “Federal legislative proposals to help consumers to effectively stop companies from tracking them online without their knowledge might ‘break the internet,’ a key Republican senator working on the legislation said in a hearing on the issue on Wednesday.”

* Brookings argued it’s better to invest in a college education than to invest in stocks and bonds. That’s true, but the details are more complex than Brookings suggests.

* Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) has a new idea to combat his chronic unpopularity: annoying robocalls to random constituents.

* And finally, 13 Senate Democrats, led by freshman Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), appeared together in an excellent contribution to the “It Gets Better” project. Good for them.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Virginia, one of the key 2012 battleground states, a new Quinnipiac poll shows a very close U.S. Senate race, with former Gov. Tim Kaine (D) leading former Sen. George Allen (R), 43% to 42%. On President Obama, the same poll shows Virginians split on a second term, 47% to 47%.

* A McClatchy-Marist poll of self-identified Tea Party supporters found the activists backing Texas Gov. Rick Perry as their favorite presidential candidate. Mitt Romney was a close second, followed by Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann.

* Speaking of Perry, he appears to be struggling with his own constituents. The latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows the three-term governor trailing President Obama — that’s right, in Texas — 47% to 45% in a hypothetical match-up.

* In nearby New Mexico, PPP found Obama leading all of his GOP challengers by margins ranging from seven points (vs. Romney) to 20 points (vs. Palin).

* We Are Ohio needed to submit 231,000 valid signatures to force a ballot referendum on SB5, the state’s new anti-union measure. The progressive coalition delivered nearly 1.3 million signatures to the secretary of state’s office yesterday.

* It appears that Club for Growth and Jon Huntsman are feuding. This probably won’t end well for Huntsman.

* In New Jersey, Republicans hoped to recruit businessman John Crowley to run against Sen. Bob Menendez (D) next year. Crowley announced yesterday he’s passing on the race.

* In Florida, PPP’s new poll shows Sen. Bill Nelson (D) leading his GOP challengers by about 11 points.

* In New Mexico, Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D) is retiring, but PPP found the Democratic candidates favored to keep his seat “blue,” leading the Republican candidates in hypothetical match-ups.

* And in North Carolina, Blue Dog Rep. Heath Shuler (D) is reportedly considering retirement in order to become the new Athletic Director for his alma mater, the University of Tennessee. When asked about the possibility, Shuler’s spokesperson didn’t make much of an effort to deny the reports.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Applications have been above 400,000 for 12 straight weeks: “The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits was mostly unchanged last week, evidence that the struggling economy isn’t generating many jobs. The Labor Department says unemployment benefit applications ticked down 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 428,000.”

* On the other hand, Midwest business activity “showed surprising strength this month, lifted by a jump in new orders, the Institute for Supply Management-Chicago said.”

* Iraq: “Three more American soldiers were killed this week, the United States military announced Thursday, bringing the combat-related deaths for United States forces in Iraq to a monthly toll not seen since 2008.”

* Shocking alleged crimes: “Massey Energy Co. could have prevented the West Virginia mine explosion that killed 29 workers last year and the company failed to disclose some hazards in reports it provided to government inspectors, federal safety officials said Wednesday.”

* Austerity measures spark massive British protests: “Union organizers said that more than 750,000 public employees — including teachers, lecturers, court staff, passport officers and other civil servants — walked out during the one-day strike over proposed changes to their pension system.”

* Before departing Defense Secretary Robert Gates could head home, President Obama surprised the Pentagon chief “by awarding him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor a president can bestow upon a civilian.”

* In the year’s easiest confirmation vote, the Senate approved David Petraeus’ nomination to serve as director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The vote was 94 to 0.

* This will be waiting on Petraeus’ desk: “A federal prosecutor has expanded his inquiry into harsh CIA interrogation practices during the Bush administration and is conducting a full criminal investigation into the deaths of two detainees, U.S. officials said Thursday.”

* Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is reportedly eyeing the exits.

* Good: “A judge has denied Boeing Co.’s request to dismiss a federal lawsuit that claims the company illegally retaliated against unionized workers by moving some work from Washington state to South Carolina.”

* Did the Fed’s QE2 work? Yes, but it wasn’t enough.

* Typical: “John Cornyn Fundraising After Criticizing Obama For Attending Fundraisers.”

* Smart move: “In a bit of good news on the Drug War front, the U.S. Sentencing Commission has voted to make the Senate’s recently amended crack sentencing guidelines retroactive, meaning that around 12,000 offenders will be eligible to seek a reduction in their sentences.”

* And today is Glenn Beck’s last day at Fox News. Media Matters is giving him a hearty, multi-faceted sendoff.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Federal Election Commission ruled yesterday that Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert can form a Super PAC, without worrying about triggering disclosure rules for Viacom.

* Jon Huntsman publicly vowed in May that he would not rely on his personal fortune to finance his campaign. A month later, Huntsman broke his word, and contributed nearly $2 million of his own money to his campaign coffers. For the quarter, he raised $4.1 million, including his donation to himself.

* For reasons I can’t explain, Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R) of Michigan has decided to run for president. The odd five-term congressman will kick off his national campaign tomorrow.

* In mid-May, Mitt Romney’s campaign boasted that it had raised a remarkable $10 million in just one day of aggressive fundraising. As it turns out, Romney was lying — a problem that seems to happen quite a bit with this guy.

* Utah state Attorney General Mark Shurtleff (R) worked for the Huntsman administration, but he’s endorsing Romney’s presidential bid.

* Speaking of Utah, could a Democrat actually win the state’s gubernatorial race? It seems implausible, but a statewide poll this week showed Rep. Jim Matheson (D) within three points of incumbent Gov. Gary Herbert (R) in a hypothetical match-up.

* In the state of Washington, the gubernatorial race is just getting underway, but a new poll shows Rep. Jay Inslee (D) with a narrow lead over state Attorney General Rob McKenna (R), 47% to 44%.

* In Florida, the field of Republican Senate candidates got a little more crowded, with retired Army Colonel Mike McCalister officially entering the race.

* And in Texas, GOP-mandated redistricting is forcing Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D) to move to a new congressional district, where he’ll face off in a Democratic primary against rising-star state Rep. Joaquin Castro (D).

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* A deal by Aug. 2 will be too late: “The White House believes it must strike a budget deal with Congress by July 22 to avoid a risk of defaulting on the national debt, Democratic officials briefed on the negotiations said Thursday, as Senate leaders canceled a recess next week to try to break the deadlock with Republicans.”

* A factory report offers a pleasant surprise: “The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index rose to 55.3 points in June from 53.5 the previous month. The June increase, the first upturn in four months, surprised economists who had been expecting a further decline.”

* Dominique Strauss-Kahn freed on his own recognizance: “Dominique Strauss-Kahn was released from house arrest on Friday as the sexual assault case against him moved one step closer to dismissal after prosecutors told a Manhattan judge that they had serious problems with the case.”

* Conservatives are having a very rough week at the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals: “A divided federal appeals court has struck down Michigan’s ban on consideration of race and gender in college admissions…. The 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Friday concluded in a 2-1 ruling that the voter-approved ban on ‘preferential treatment’ at state colleges and universities was unconstitutional, and ‘alters Michigan’s political structure by impermissibly burdening racial minorities.’”

* The Senate is apparently only capable of doing work Republicans can tolerate: “Ryan Crocker was confirmed by the Senate as the new ambassador to Afghanistan. Crocker was unanimously confirmed to the position on Thursday. He succeeds Karl Eikenberry, who reportedly kept strained relations with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.”

* Quite a story: “After 10 years of incarceration, and seven years after a jury sentenced him to die, 30-year-old Cory Maye will soon be going home. Mississippi Circuit Court Judge Prentiss Harrell signed a plea agreement Friday morning in which Maye pled guilty to manslaughter for the 2001 death of Prentiss, Mississippi, police officer Ron Jones, Jr.”

* I’m beginning to wonder if Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser is even safe to be around. Yesterday, he lost his cool during an interview and grabbed a microphone out of a reporter’s hand. He was being asked about violence towards a colleague at the time.

* Michele Bachmann would like to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency. The American mainstream strongly disagrees.

* The Zadroga 9/11 Health Law goes into effect today. It’s about damn time.

* Sign of the times: Florida’s Bright Futures Scholarship Program has found that its future isn’t bright at all.

* Dear Heritage Foundation, everyone makes mistakes on occasion, but refusing to acknowledge or correct obvious errors isn’t exactly the mark of a good “think” tank.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Late Friday afternoon, Tim Pawlenty’s Republican presidential campaign announced it had raised a disappointing $4.2 million in the second quarter. This will not reassure GOP establishment types who worry whether Pawlenty will have the resources to compete.

* Herman Cain’s Republican presidential campaign appears to be in turmoil, at least as far as his staff is concerned. Just a few days after his top aides in New England resigned in frustration, Cain’s Iowa director and straw poll coordinator have also resigned.

* The National Education Association, the nation’s largest union, voted Monday to endorse President Obama’s re-election bid in 2012.

* We’re still weeks away from Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s (R) 2012 decision, but in the meantime, “Americans for Rick Perry” appears to be increasingly active in Iowa.

* With former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D) out of Congress, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has announced that the special election to fill the 9th district vacancy will be Sept. 13.

* North Carolina’s GOP-dominated state legislature has gone to extraordinary lengths to redraw congressional-district lines in Republicans’ favor. National Journal sees the new map, which will no doubt face legal challenges, as a “bloodbath” for North Carolina Democrats.

* Though it would appear Virginia’s U.S. Senate race is pretty much set — former Gov. Tim Kaine (D) will face former Sen. George Allen (R) — Rep. Bobby Scott still hasn’t ruled out facing off against Kaine in a Democratic primary.

* At least for now, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ (D-Ariz.) astronaut husband, Mark Kelly, has ruled out seeking elected office. “She’s the politician in the family, I’m the space guy,” Mark Kelly said in remarks at the National Press Club. “And I see no reason to change that now.”

* Remember Klansman David Duke? He’s apparently thinking about seeking the Republican presidential nomination.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* President Obama has no interest in a short-term extension on the debt ceiling, and will host congressional leaders for a White House negotiating session on Thursday. Obama also appeared to reset the clock on the timeline: he now wants a deal within “two weeks.”

* Pakistan: “Obama administration officials believe that Pakistan’s powerful spy agency ordered the killing of a Pakistani journalist who had written scathing reports about the infiltration of militants in the country’s military, according to American officials.”

* An Exxon Mobil pipeline burst Friday in Montana, spreading 42,000 gallons of oil into the Yellowstone River.

* Keep an eye on this one: “The Obama administration and the auto industry are locked in negotiations over new vehicle mileage and emissions standards that will have a profound effect on the cars Americans drive and the health of the auto industry over the next decade and beyond.”

* A break in Kansas: “A federal judge temporarily blocked Kansas from enforcing new abortion regulations Friday that would have prevented two of the state’s three abortion providers from continuing to terminate pregnancies. U.S. District Judge Carlos Murguia’s injunction will remain in effect until a trial is held in a lawsuit challenging the Kansas rules.”

* House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) sure sounds defensive (and incoherent), doesn’t he? “Here’s the deal on our Medicare plan: ObamaCare ends Medicare as we know it,” he said today.

* Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, premiums for Americans with pre-existing conditions are shrinking.

* Gilded Age Watch: “It turns out that the good times are even better than we thought for American chief executives. A preliminary examination of executive pay in 2010, based on data available as of April 1, found that the paychecks for top American executives were growing again, after shrinking during the 2008-9 recession.”

* A must-read piece from Michael Hiltzik on how BMW layoffs in California “exemplify the evisceration of the middle class.”

* The American Values Network goes after Ayn Rand’s followers. Andy Sabl explains why the AVN’s message probably isn’t the right one.

* Dean Baker makes George Will look awfully foolish.

* Daniel Luzer asks whether “fancy” colleges are worth the added expense.

* Fox News’ Twitter account was apparently hacked yesterday, leading a series of disturbing messages about assassinating President Obama. The Secret Service is investigating.

* And on a related note, Murdoch-owned media outlets are deeply irresponsible in the United States, but I can hardly believe what his outlets are willing to do in the U.K.: “The voice mailbox of a British schoolgirl who went missing in 2002 and whose murdered body was discovered six months later was repeatedly hacked by the News of the World tabloid at a time when no one knew what had happened to her, a lawyer for her family said Monday.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Mitt Romney raised $18.25 million in his first quarter as an announced presidential candidate. That’s less than expected, and far short of his first quarter in 2007, but it’s still more than quadruple his next closest GOP rival.

* In New Hampshire, a new WMUR Granite State Poll shows Romney cruising in the Republican presidential primary with 35% support. Michele Bachmann is second with 12%, and no other candidate is in double digits.

* In the same poll, by the way, Jon Huntsman is tied for sixth with 2%. This actually shows a drop in support for the former Utah governor, despite a heavy recent push in New Hampshire.

* A “Super PAC” organized by Romney allies collected $12 million in the first six months of 2011. It’s a reminder that the other GOP candidates will find it very difficult to keep up with Romney financially.

* With recall elections coming up in Wisconsin, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is bringing national resources to the Badger State, in the hopes of helping Dems win back the state Senate.

* Despite some reports to the contrary in recent weeks, President Obama enjoys “strong, steady support from Jewish Americans.”

* As if he didn’t have enough trouble, Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign is now in debt.

* Tim Pawlenty got a bit of a boost in Iowa yesterday, when Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the daughter and top political adviser to Mike Huckabee, joined the former Minnesota governor’s campaign.

* And in Nevada, the state Supreme Court yesterday overturned a ruling from the Nevada’s Secretary of State’s office, regarding the upcoming special election in the 2nd congressional district. Whereas the race was going to be a free-for-all, with multiple candidates from multiple parties, the race to replace now-Sen. Dean Heller (R) will now feature major party nominees.

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my power was out for much of the afternoon, but it’s back, and I figured I might as well go ahead and post the quick hits I’d worked on earlier. There’s a little less content than usual, but after three hours without a connection, that’s to be expected, right?

* As far as the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is concerned, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is now officially done.

* News Corp scandal intensifies in Britain: “Britain’s political establishment ventured onto new and perilous ground on Wednesday as more startling accusations emerged in the voice mail-hacking scandal, with government leaders promising to scrutinize the operations of freewheeling newspapers owned by News Corporation and others that were once seen as too politically influential to challenge.”

* Would the White House pursue the 14th Amendment option in debt talks? No one’s ruling it out, but it seems unlikely.

* The government shutdown in Minnesota doesn’t seem likely to end anytime soon.

* President Obama today reversed existing policy and will send condolence letters to families of military service members who commit suicide while deployed. In a statement, the president said, “This issue is emotional, painful, and complicated, but these Americans served our nation bravely. They didn’t die because they were weak. And the fact that they didn’t get the help they needed must change.”

* 50-50: “Democrats’ Senate Budget chairman will present a spending plan to his party leaders Wednesday that seeks to cut the federal deficit through an equal split of tax hikes and spending cuts. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (N.D.) will brief Democratic leaders on a budget that significantly raises government tax revenues in order to reduce the deficit, according to Senate sources.”

* Dahlia Lithwick: “The Supreme Court shows corporate America how to screw over its customers and employees without breaking the law.”

* For his latest stunt, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) wants to ban public funds for development of telemedicine services, including use of RU486.

* On track to be the least productive in generations: “The 112th Congress is on pace to be one of the least productive in recent memory — as measured by votes taken, bills made into laws, nominees approved. By most of those metrics, this crowd is underperforming even the ‘do-nothing Congress’ of 1948, as Harry Truman dubbed it. The hot-temper era of Clinton impeachment in the 1990s saw more bills become law.”

* When state budget problems become so severe, an entire police force gets laid off, it’s a symptom of a larger, broken process.

* Glad to hear it: “A majority of Americans believes it is essential that the U.S. ‘continue to be a world leader in space exploration,’ according to a new poll released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center.”

* Thought your college experience was bad? “The government of North Korea appears to have ordered all college students to leave universities for 10 months in order to work on construction projects.”

* And CNN has cancelled Eliot Spitzer’s 8 p.m. political talk show. Anderson Cooper’s show will shift into the time slot. “Political Animal with Steve Benen” is apparently not going to be considered.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In New Hampshire, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows an increasingly interesting Republican presidential primary race. Mitt Romney continues to lead the pack with 25%, but in this poll, Michele Bachmann is a very competitive second with 18%.

* As if GOP presidential candidates didn’t have enough “pledges” to put up with, Iowa’s Bob Vander Plaats, a right-wing uber-activist, is unveiling his own pledge, called “The Marriage Vow: A Declaration of Dependence Upon Marriage and Family,” includes 14 points, most of which have to do with hating gay people.

* Romney’s presidential campaign intended to raise $50 million in the first half of 2011. The campaign fell approximately $30 million short of its goal. [fixed]

* Michele Bachmann is launching her first television ad of the year, going up in Iowa with a bio spot, which includes a promise not to raise the debt ceiling.

* Republicans Governors Association outraised the Democratic Governors Association over the first six months of 2011, $22.1 million to $11 million. The two-to-one margin is actually an improvement for the DGA over the last cycle.

* Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R) used to serve as former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman’s (R) chief of staff. Chaffetz is endorsing Romney anyway.

* In the special election to replace Anthony Weiner in New York’s 9th congressional district, Democrats will nominate Assemblyman David Weprin.

* Former Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran, will run next year in Illinois’ new 8th congressional district. Duckworth, a Democrat, came up short in a 2006 House race.

* And former Rep. Vin Weber (R-Minn.), now a top adviser to Tim Pawlenty’s Republican presidential campaign, argued yesterday that Bachmann is excelling in Iowa in part because “she’s got a little sex appeal.” Weber later apologized in a statement issued by the Pawlenty campaign.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* EPA targets emissions: “The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday issued new standards for coal-burning power plants in 28 states that would sharply cut smokestack emissions that have polluted forests, farms, lakes and streams across the eastern United States for decades.”

* House defeats another Libya measure: “The House on Thursday rejected a measure that would have withdrawn funding for U.S. military operations in Libya, although the amendment drew broad bipartisan support, including from a majority of Republicans.” The final vote was 199 to 229.

* A little better, but still too high: “Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 14,000 to a seasonally adjusted 418,000, the Labor Department said.”

* There’s something almost amusing about this: “Even Minnesota’s leaders don’t know the cost of the state government’s shutdown. That’s because the people who would calculate the price tag were put out of work.”

* On a related note, Minnesota’s credit rating is now in jeopardy. A downgrade will make state functions that much more expensive. (thanks to J.T. for the tip)

* Good HAMP move: “The Obama administration announced Thursday that its signature anti-foreclosure program and the Federal Housing Administration would be getting a little more generous to struggling homeowners who are out of work through no fault of their own. In making the announcement, the administration is finally heeding homeowner advocates and federal auditors who have called for extended forbearance for unemployed homeowners for over a year.”

* Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., thinks Republicans are playing a game of “Russian roulette” with the nation’s economy. He’s right.

* South Sudan: “The map of Africa will be redrawn Saturday, as South Sudan becomes an independent nation through a peace process championed by successive U.S. presidents but still beset by lingering tensions from years of war.”

* Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio) is facing an ethics probe after allegedly accepting thousands of dollars in free legal services from a Turkish-American group.

* House Republicans are whispering about impeaching President Obama. I’m surprised it took this long.

* Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) has accepted the entirety of the Republican message on debt-reduction talks. Try not to be surprised.

* Good call: “On Tuesday President Obama named Brenda Fulton to the Board of Visitors of the United States Military Academy. Fulton is the first openly gay person to sit on the board that gives advice the president about West Point.”

* And in advance of yesterday’s Twitter Town Hall at the White House, it looks like Republicans and Tea Party activists simply followed the script the Heritage Foundation wrote for them.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Asked this morning if rising unemployment would help her presidential campaign, Michele Bachmann (R) said, “I hope so.”

* On a related note, Bachmann yesterday became the first Republican presidential candidate to sign the Family Leader pledge in Iowa, which vows, among other things, to support a ban on pornography.

* Republican presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty has a new message: he’s glad Minnesota’s government shut down.

* Karl Rove’s attack operation, Crossroads GPS, is launching the second phase of its $20 million summer ad campaign, spending $7 million on negative ads targeting Democratic Sens. Bill Nelson (Fla.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Jon Tester (Mont.), Ben Nelson (Neb.), and Sherrod Brown (Ohio).

* Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, left a voice mail seeking a donation from the president of Koch Industries. That, apparently, didn’t go over well.

* In an odd twist, Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney told a group of New Hampshire voters the other day, “Unions have played a very important role historically in balancing in some cases the egregious actions of some employers.” That’s not the GOP message at all.

* Will Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D) run for the open Senate seat in Wisconsin next year? She acknowledged this week that she’s “very likely to run,” though former Sen. Russ Feingold (D) has not yet shared his intentions, and Feingold’s decision would probably influence Baldwin’s plans.

* For whatever reason, Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) is apparently running for president, and at this point, won’t say whether he intends to seek re-election to the House after his presidential campaign falters.

* And in Montana, state Sen. Dave Wanzenreid (D) ended his gubernatorial campaign yesterday, apparently to make room for Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock (D) to run.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said yesterday there was a 50-50 chance a debt deal would be complete within 48 hours. He’s not saying that anymore.

* House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) met privately with President Obama this morning, and is weighing her options about what kind of role to play in the process.

* No small allegation: “Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen said Thursday he believes the Pakistani government ‘sanctioned’ the killing of a prominent Islamabad reporter, Syed Saleem Shahzad, who was murdered in May.”

* Murdoch scandal intensifies in England: “The British police on Friday arrested a former editor of The News of the World who is also a former senior aide to Prime Minister David Cameron, and rearrested the newspaper’s former royal editor. The arrests deepened the crisis swirling around Rupert Murdoch’s media empire in Britain over allegations of phone hacking and corruption.”

* Following an appeals court ruling, the official end of DADT? “The Pentagon has ordered a halt to all separations of gay troops under “don’t ask, don’t tell” and will begin accepting applications from prospective recruits who identify themselves as homosexuals.”

* Texas’ execution of Humbero Leal Garcia has broad and important international implications. It’s definitely a story to keep an eye on.

* The space shuttle’s final launch.

* A nonpartisan budget panel has created a blueprint to end the shutdown in Minnesota. Republican lawmakers will likely ignore it.

* With allegations swirling around Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee has taken a keen interest … in Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan.

* The corporate jet industry is getting awfully worried about its symbolic value in the debt-reduction talks.

* Conservatives have accused the White House’s Jesse Lee of having “bullied” them. What’d Jesse do? He responded to their arguments on Twitter. The nerve.

* Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) believes a Senate hearing on the DREAM Act, featuring undocumented young people, of being “almost treasonous.” He’s really not well.

* Fox Business ran an online poll, asking the audience who they blame for the state of the economy. George W. Bush wasn’t one of the choices. Imagine that.

* Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has a new policy idea: the country will be better off if federal officials invest less in higher education.

* If you haven’t heard about what happened to Ikenna Njoku, you should: “For 28-year-old Ikenna Njoku, what should have been the simple act of cashing a check turned into four days in jail and the loss of his car and job.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has begun calling Iowa Republicans, which would appear to be a pretty big hint about his presidential ambitions.

* Speaking of the Hawkeye State, the Iowa Republican has a new statewide poll showing Michele Bachmann leading the GOP presidential field with 25% support. Mitt Romney is second with 21% and no other candidate reached double digits.

* Former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told Newsweek, “I believe that I can win a national election.” I believe she’s mistaken.

* Tim Pawlenty started getting a little more aggressive as a candidate yesterday, telling NBC, “I like Congresswoman Bachmann. I’ve campaigned for her. I respect her. But her record of accomplishment in Congress is non-existent.”

* It’s not a secret that Senate Democrats would love to see Elizabeth Warren run against Sen. Scott Brown (R) in Massachusetts, and there’s some evidence she may be warming to the idea.

* Bachmann’s husband, Dr. Marcus Bachmann, runs a clinic that provides ridiculous and discredited “ex-gay” reparative therapy.

* With state Senate recall elections drawing closer, Wisconsin Republicans are relying even more heavily on “sleazy dirty tricks.”

* The latest survey from Public Policy Polling in New Hampshire shows Romney leading President Obama in a general election match-up, 46% to 44%. The president leads the rest of the GOP field by fairly comfortable margins.

* Craig Miller, the former CEO of the Ruth’s Chris steakhouse chain, will join a crowded Republican Senate primary in Florida this week.

* And in Arizona, where Sen. Jon Kyl (R) is retiring, former Arizona Democratic party chairman Don Bivens has formed an exploratory committee for the race and is already assembling a credible campaign team.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Is Italy next? “Throughout Europe’s debt crisis, Italy has largely managed to steer clear of the troubles that engulfed its more profligate Mediterranean neighbors. But the contagion that started in the euro zone’s smaller countries is suddenly moving to some of its largest. As Greece teeters on the brink of a default, the game has changed: Investors are taking aim at any country suffering from a toxic combination of high debt, slow growth, and political dysfunction — and Italy has it all, in spades.”

* Pakistan: “The Obama administration is suspending and, in some cases, canceling hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to the Pakistani military, in a move to chasten Pakistan for expelling American military trainers and to press its army to fight militants more effectively.”

* Panetta in the Middle East: “Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, who arrived in Kabul on Saturday, said the United States was ‘within reach of strategically defeating Al Qaeda’ and that the American focus had narrowed to capturing or killing 10 to 20 crucial leaders of the terrorist group in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen.”

* Don’t be too surprised of Rupert Murdoch’s media scandals expand here in the U.S.

* Sixteen Democratic senators, led by Colorado’s Michael Bennet, are urging the Justice Department to examine whether the spate of voter-ID laws violate the Voting Rights Act. Here’s hoping the DoJ takes this seriously.

* Saturday, President Obama announced official recognition of the Republic of South Sudan as a sovereign and independent state.

* Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) is drawing support from many of his Democratic colleagues, but Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) has refused to endorse the plan — it reduces the debt with 50% cuts and 50% new revenue, which Nelson can’t tolerate.

* Four more banks pay back their TARP loans.

* There’s no such thing as an “Obama Doctrine,” and there’s nothing wrong with that.

* Tie the knot to get the benefits: “Now that same-sex marriage has been legalized in New York, at least a few large companies are requiring their employees to tie the knot if they want their partners to qualify for health insurance.”

* I suspect if Robert Samuelson subjected his work to editors and/or fact-checkers, he’d never see any of his columns get published. Alas, the Washington Post publishes his falsehoods anyway.

* R.I.P, Betty Ford.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* There’s a special election in California’s 36th congressional district today, pitting Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn (D) and businessman Craig Huey (R) in a competitive district generally won by Democrats. A PPP survey conducted by Daily Kos and SEIU, released yesterday, showed Hahn leading by eight points.

* The Wisconsin recall elections officially get started today.

* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has gone from reaching out to Iowa Republicans to reaching out to New Hampshire Republicans. It would appear to be a pretty big hint about his possible presidential ambitions.

* It seems hard to believe, but Public Policy Polling shows Rep. Jim Matheson (D) with modest leads in Utah’s 2012 Senate race against both Orrin Hatch and his likely GOP primary challenger, Jason Chaffetz.

* With Kentucky’s gubernatorial race just four months away, the Republican Governors Association is launching a new attack ad against incumbent Gov. Steve Beshear (D). Beshear has a big lead over GOP nominee David Williams, but the RGA has so much money, it can afford to run ads in a race Republicans widely expect to lose.

* Newt Gingrich, the thrice-divorced presidential candidate, won’t sign the right-wing “Marriage Vow” pledge without some suggested edits.

* The far-right Club for Growth has put together some new attack ads, slamming Sens. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) for having voted in previous years to raise the debt ceiling. (Club for Growth’s president voted the same way during his congressional tenure.)

* Rudy Giuliani will announce his 2012 plans “very soon.” I’m not sure who, if anyone, cares.

* Former Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) lost his re-election bid by nearly 18 points last year, but nevertheless plans to make a comeback in 2012. The liberal firebrand told an Orlando TV station yesterday he plans to run for the House again, though it’s unclear which district he’ll choose.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: “Ahmed Wali Karzai, the powerful half brother of the Afghan president and the linchpin of the security and power structure in southern Afghanistan, was shot twice in the head and killed Tuesday by a close family associate.” The motivations are unclear, but the killing “amounts to a direct blow to the power of President Hamid Karzai, who depended on his half brother’s unchallenged influence in southern Afghanistan.”

* Europe: “The debt crisis shook Europe’s core on Tuesday as market fears grew over the stability of Spain and Italy, forcing a rethink of the currency union’s strategy to restore trust in its future. Markets took a nosedive on worries that the eurozone’s third and fourth biggest economies — both too expensive to save with Europe’s rescue funds — may become the crisis’ next victims.”

* This doesn’t have to go poorly: “Federal Reserve officials are divided as to whether the central bank should consider further stimulus for the economy, even as they hash out how to exit from the recently concluded round of market-boosting activity.”

* On a related note, the Fed isn’t out of ammunition to help the economy; it’s just choosing not to shoot.

* Secretary of State Hillary Clinton believe that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has “lost legitimacy.”

* Good thinking: “The Obama administration is ramping up talks on how to revive the housing market, which is weighing on the economic recovery — and possibly the president’s re-election in 2012.”

* A hard-earned honor for Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry: “President Obama on Tuesday awarded the Medal of Honor to an Army Ranger for his courageous actions during combat in Afghanistan, only the second time since the Vietnam War that a living service member from an ongoing conflict has received the distinction.”

* Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) put his crusade against the FAA aside just long enough to place a hold on the nomination of John Bryson to head up the Commerce Department. Inhofe helps exemplify why American politics doesn’t work.

* True: “Governing by crisis is an undemocratic way for our overlords to try to avoid accountability.”

* Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) joins Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) as the only Democratic senators to oppose any debt-reduction deal that raises taxes on anyone by any amount. Nelson at least has an excuse — he’s running for re-election in a “red” state — while Webb is retiring.

* Ta-Nehisi Coates calls the Washington Post’s reporting on Michelle Obama’s launch “the dumbest story ever written in all of human history.”

* College students and their families have to be frustrated when schools jack up tuition rates during the school year.

* As the Murdoch media scandal intensifies by the day, Paul Krugman is right to note, “At this point it’s starting to look as if News Corp is better viewed as a criminal enterprise than as a media organization.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In yesterday’s special election in California’s 36th, Janice Hahn (D) defeated Craig Huey (R) by about nine points. Republicans had hoped to pull an upset in the district held by Democrats for the last 35 years.

* In Wisconsin’s state Senate recall races, all six Democratic candidates easily dispatched fake Democratic primary candidates, put up by Republicans to waste time and money.

* In a very impressive haul, President Obama’s re-election team raised $86 million in the second quarter of 2011, well over the $60 million goal. The combined total of all of the Republican presidential candidates’ fundraising is about $35 million — well under half the president’s total.

* In a bit of a surprise, Rep. Ron Paul (R) announced yesterday he will retire from Congress at the end of this term. The 75-year-old Texan will devote all of his political focus on his presidential campaign.

* Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney has rejected the right-wing pledge from the Iowa social conservative group, The Family Leader. A campaign spokesperson called some of the language in “The Marriage Vow” was deemed “undignified and inappropriate for a presidential campaign.”

* A new national Quinnipiac poll shows Romney leading the GOP field with 25% support, followed by Michele Bachmann at 14%. Sarah Palin and Rick Perry are close behind, and the only other candidates in double digits. While Romney’s support is unchanged since the last national Quinnipiac poll, Bachmann has seen a big jump, from 6% to 14%. Tim Pawlenty is a distant eighth with just 3%.

* The same poll, by the way, shows President Obama leading all of the GOP candidates in hypothetical match-ups, in margins ranging from six points (vs. Romney) to 19 points (vs. Palin).

* Carly Fiorina, the failed U.S. Senate candidate and failed former CEO of HP, has joined the National Republican Senatorial Committee as its vice chair.

* With Thaddeus McCotter, for whatever reason, still running for the Republicans’ presidential nomination, it’s worth noting that his hometown paper editorialized this week, “The thought of Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI) being president is a bit scary.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* The Federal Reserve has options to help the economy. Chairman Ben Bernanke said today he would be prepared to use them if the economy worsens.

* Mumbai: “Three bomb blasts shook the city of Mumbai at the height of the evening rush hour on Wednesday, killing at least 20 people in what Indian officials called a coordinated terror attack on the country’s economic capital.”

* Libya: “Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi is sending fresh signals through emissaries that he is ready to discuss stepping down, Western diplomats said Tuesday, as new intelligence assessments pointed to worsening conditions among his troops.”

* Congressional Democratic leader appear to be warming to Mitch McConnell’s proposal to end the debt-ceiling standoff.

* Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) became the first Republican lawmaker to call for a criminal investigation into Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp activities.

* It’s not the “administration’s debt ceiling.” Like it or not, it belongs to all of us.

* Eleven far-right U.S. senators today voted against funding the military. I remember when such votes were considered scandalous.

* Good point from Jay Bookman: “By my count, of the 33 Republican senators who voted for TARP in 2008, 15 are now gone, and another, Lisa Murkowski, was forced to seek re-election as an independent after losing her GOP primary. Of the 91 GOP congressmen who voted for the final version of TARP, 43 are no longer in the House…. That is a remarkable amount of turnover in three years’ time, and amounts to an ideological purge of an already radical caucus.”

* Dim bulbs: “House Republicans on Tuesday failed to advance a measure that would repeal regulations that increase efficiency standards for light bulbs, rules that they have assailed as an example of government overreach.” It got 223 votes, but needed a two-thirds majority.

* Changing the way college financial aid works: “It’s time for reform, but reform should be about more than providing student with more information; they should be supplying students with less actual debt.”

* Remember when the right was all worked up about Kenneth Gladney? “It took a St. Louis County jury less than 50 minutes to return a not guilty verdict in the assault trial featuring Kenneth Gladney and two union members who were charged with attacking him outside a two hall event during the tumultuous summer of 2009.”

* The right relies on the “Waterloo” comparison just a little too much.

* Capable of feeling at least some shame: “Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) is no longer a shareholder in the nation’s highly profitable oil and gas industry. Why? Because Al Sharpton yelled at him.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Iowa, yet another poll, this one from Mason-Dixon, shows Michele Bachmann leading the GOP presidential field with 32% support. Mitt Romney is close behind with 29%, but the right-wing Minnesotan is the one with all the momentum.

* As Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) continues to ponder his presidential plans, his close ties to Confederate groups are drawing new scrutiny.

* Republican presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty is investing considerable energy in convincing GOP voters that his Christian faith is at the center of his entire political worldview.

* As it turns out, Pawlenty launched his overtly-Christian push the same day as he “respectfully” declined to endorse the Family Leader’s right-wing “Marriage Vow” pledge.

* Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain also rejected the pledge, arguing that his state platform already “encompasses their values without the need to sign the pledge.”

* On a related note, Michele Bachmann, who did sign the document, is now claiming she only endorsed part of the radical pledge. (Isn’t there a Commandment against lying?)

* Among Utah Republicans, Mitt Romney leads Jon Huntsman by a whopping 53 points in the race for the GOP presidential nomination. Huntsman, of course, was elected governor of Utah twice.

* On a related note, the same poll, released yesterday by Public Policy Polling, shows Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) trailing his likely primary challenger, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, 47% to 43%.

* As the recall process gets underway in Wisconsin, a new statewide poll shows Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) approval rating dropping to just 37%.

* And on Fox News last night, former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin suggested she’d have to make up her mind about the presidential race no later than September.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Still high, but better: “The Labor Department says that weekly applications [for unemployment benefits] dropped 22,000 to a seasonally adjusted 405,000, the lowest level in almost three months.” We would have been well below the 400,000 threshold were it not for the government shutdown in Minnesota.

* On a related note, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton (D) offered a compromise today in the hopes of ending a two-week shutdown.

* FBI to review Murdoch media scandal: “The FBI has opened a preliminary review into allegations that News Corp. employees sought to hack into the phones of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, U.S. officials said. The officials said agents are trying to determine if a full investigation is warranted.”

* And across the pond: “In an abrupt reversal, the News Corporation said on Thursday afternoon that Rupert Murdoch and his son James would testify next week before a British parliamentary panel looking into phone hacking.”

* House Speaker John Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor literally embraced for the cameras today, hoping to demonstrate that they’re on “the same page.”

* There’s been an awful lot of “Gang of Six” chatter today.

* Yahoo business reporter Dan Gross that it’s “becoming clear” that House Republicans are “too crazy” to be part of the government. I’m inclined to agree.

* James Fallows speaks the truth about Eric Cantor: “The prospects for an agreement now are worse because of Rep. Cantor’s presence in them. That’s not because he’s a conservative — so, obviously, are Boehner and McConnell. It’s because he’s acting like a weasel.”

* Naturally, the GOP is desperate to cut Medicaid: “Overall, researchers found that compared to people without insurance, those with Medicaid had better access to and used more health care; they were less likely to experience unpaid medical bills; they were more likely to report being in good health; and they were less likely to report feeling depressed.”

* The Bancroft family regrets selling the Wall Street Journal to Rupert Murdoch. The Bancrofts can’t say they weren’t warned.

* The budget deficit is shrinking, all on its own.

* Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) thinks gold is money. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke explains otherwise.

* Either RNC Chairman Reince Priebus is either blatantly lying about the Moody’s credit-rating report, or the head of the Republican National Committee is functionally illiterate.

* And former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) not only disapproves of Mitch McConnell’s effort to avoid national default, she’s even willing to make up constitutional arguments to make her case.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rumors are becoming more common that Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign won’t make a concerted effort to win the Iowa caucuses, counting instead on big wins in New Hampshire and Nevada.

* With Florida Republicans remaining stubborn, New Hampshire’s elections chief is prepared to move the state’s first-in-the-nation primary to mid-January.

* Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman told Florida voters this week that he still supports Paul Ryan’s right-wing budget agenda. “I was called a radical because I’ve embraced the Ryan plan,” Huntsman said, adding, “All I can say is, guilty as charged.”

* While Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachmann were the first candidates to launch television ad campaigns this season, Ron Paul will be the first to make a significant ad buy, spending $166,000 on a spot that will air on cable and broadcast in five different television markets in Iowa and New Hampshire.

* In Pennsylvania, the latest survey from Public Poling Polling shows President Obama leading all of his GOP challengers except Mitt Romney, with whom he is tied at 44% each.

* Pawlenty believes the science is “in dispute” about whether sexual orientation is a choice. He’s wrong.

* Rick Santorum’s weak fundraising won’t help change the perception that he’s not a credible presidential candidate — the former senator raised $582,000 over the last quarter and spent nearly half of it.

* In New Hampshire, if incumbent Gov. John Lynch (D) seeks re-election, he’s a safe bet. If he doesn’t, Republicans will likely win his office.

* And The Atlantic’s Conor Friedersdorf attended the premier yesterday of the new Sarah Palin documentary in Orange County, California, generally a Republican area. He was the only person in the theater.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* A big step in Libya: “The United States formally recognized the rebel leadership in Libya as the country’s legitimate government on Friday…. At the meeting, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that Colonel Qaddafi’s government no longer had any legitimacy, and that the United States would join more than 30 countries in extending diplomatic recognition to the main opposition group, known as the Transitional National Council.”

* Syria: “Security forces fired on crowds of protesters numbering in the thousands in the suburbs of Damascus on Friday, killing 13 people, activists said, and angry inhabitants tried to build barricades of stones to block the security forces’ way.”

* The end of the two-week Minnesota shutdown: “The governor of Minnesota and the state’s Republican lawmakers announced on Thursday that they had, at last, reached a deal on the state’s budget, bringing what is expected to be a swift reopening of government services.”

* Republicans probably see this as good news: “Foreign central banks’ overall holdings of U.S. marketable securities at the Federal Reserve fell in the latest week, data from the U.S. central bank showed on Thursday.”

* Ratings agencies keep weighing in: “Standard & Poor’s said late Thursday that it could downgrade the U.S. credit rating as soon as this month, and there is a 50 percent chance it will do so within three months, if Washington fails to come to an agreement over the nation’s debt.”

* Before getting killed by U.S. forces in May, Osama bin Laden was in the process of planning a series of attacks, including an assassination attempt on President Obama.

* David Frum: “Isn’t it conceivable that Obama’s real end-game in these budget talks is to destroy Republican presidential fundraising for 2012 by goading congressional Republicans in 2011 into appearing maximally reckless and irresponsible?”

* So very dumb: “The House on Friday voted to withhold funding to enforce part of a 2007 law that increases efficiency standards for light bulbs.”

* What happens to higher education if the government defaults? Very, very bad things, apparently.

* Judicial Watch is all worked up about some White House emails on Fox News. There’s less here than meets the eye.

* Krugman: “A number of commentators seem shocked at how unreasonable Republicans are being. ‘Has the G.O.P. gone insane?’ they ask. Why, yes, it has. But this isn’t something that just happened, it’s the culmination of a process that has been going on for decades. Anyone surprised by the extremism and irresponsibility now on display either hasn’t been paying attention, or has been deliberately turning a blind eye. And may I say to those suddenly agonizing over the mental health of one of our two major parties: People like you bear some responsibility for that party’s current state.”

* And Fox News’ Eric Bolling walked back his claim that there were no domestic terrorist attacks during Bush’s eight years, saying yesterday he only means post-9/11. The problem with that, of course, is that Bolling’s wrong about this, too.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) strongly hinted about his presidential plans to the Des Moines Register, telling Iowa’s largest paper, “I’m getting more and more comfortable every day that this is what I’ve been called to do. This is what America needs.”

* In a very big surprise, Florida state Senate President Mike Haridopolos, generally considered the Republican frontrunner in the 2012 U.S. Senate race, announced this morning that he’s ending his campaign. Haridopolos, plagued by ethics controversies, led all candidates in second-quarter fundraising.

* Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich reported last week that his campaign is more than $1 million in debt. Most of the problem is the result of the disgraced former House Speaker traveling to campaign events on private jets.

* Late on Friday, Rep. Dale Kildee (D-Mich.) announced he will retire at the end of this Congress. He is currently in his 18th and final term in the chamber.

* Despite previous reluctance, Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann is poised to sign the right-wing “Cut, Cap, and Balance” pledge, much to the delight of of Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), who considers the pledge a litmus test for his possible support.

* Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who inexplicably continues to consider another presidential race, told CNN yesterday he wants his party “to get the heck out of people’s bedrooms,” at least at the federal level. At the state level, GOP interest in people’s bedrooms is fine with Giuliani.

* The progressive Americans United for Change is launching a new ad in Nevada, going after appointed Sen. Dean Heller (R) for voting to privatize Medicare twice this year — once as a House member and again as a senator.

* And as Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) continues to recover, her office continues to receive contributions in the event she’s able to seek re-election. In the second quarter, Giffords raised more than $280,000, despite making no appeals.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* In case there were any doubts, the Obama White House really doesn’t like “Cut, Cap, and Balance,” which comes to the House floor tomorrow. The administration announced a formal veto threat this afternoon.

* House Speaker John Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor had a private chat with President Obama — many believe smaller groups of players can be more productive — but no word on progress.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced this morning the Senate will remain in session, every day, until the debt-ceiling issue is resolved. This includes weekends.

* Murdoch media scandal: “Britain’s top police official resigned on Sunday, the latest casualty of the phone-hacking scandal engulfing British public life, just hours after Rebekah Brooks, the former chief executive of Rupert Murdoch’s News International, was arrested on suspicion of illegally intercepting phone calls and bribing the police.”

* Joe Nocera explains how and why the Wall Street Journal has been “Fox-ified.”

* Mike Konczal asked for a D&D alignment chart for all of the debt-ceiling positions. Gerry Canavan is up to the task, with a clever submission.

* Interesting: “The former staff director of the House Ethics Committee accused two top committee lawyers last year of secretly communicating with Republicans on the panel regarding the investigations of Democratic Reps. Maxine Waters and Charles Rangel, raising concerns over whether the long-running inquiries were compromised by key staffers.”

* Ask congressional Republicans why there’s a jobs crisis and they’ll say employers are holding back because of “uncertainty,” fueled by Democrats. Ask those who know what they’re talking about, and you’ll hear something very different.

* The motivation for this crime remains unclear: “U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell scuffled with an armed intruder at his southern Iowa farmhouse late Saturday night before his grandson pointed a gun at the intruder, who then fled, Boswell’s staff said.”

* The right would us have believe violence in U.S. communities along the Mexican border is rampant. The rhetoric has it backwards: “U.S. border cities were statistically safer on average than other cities in their states. Those border cities, big and small, have maintained lower crime rates than the national average, which itself has been falling.”

* Daniel Luzer: “Despite increasing criticism about their economic model, and simple reason, the law school racket continues to grow.”

* And congratulations to Suzy Khimm, Sarah Kliff, and Brad Plumer, three terrific reporters who are joining Ezra Klein’s team at the Washington Post.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The first of nine summer recall elections for Wisconsin state senators is today, with incumbent state Sen. Dave Hansen (D) facing a Republican challenger. Polls suggest Hansen is favored to hang on to his seat.

* A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Michele Bachmann has taken the national lead in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. She enjoys 21% support in the poll, one point ahead of Mitt Romney’s 20%. Rick Perry, who remains unannounced, is third with 12%, followed by Herman Cain with 11%. No other candidate reached double digits.

* With right-wing hostility towards a debt-ceiling compromise growing, RedState’s Erick Erickson announced yesterday his operation will not support any GOP Senate candidates who back Mitch McConnell as the caucus’ leader. The obstructionist Minority Leader is apparently not quite right-wing enough.

* Karl Rove’s attack operation, Crossroads GPS, is launching a new round of attack ads targeting 10 vulnerable Democratic House incumbents. Among other things, Crossroads blasts their votes in support of raising the debt ceiling (left unmentioned is the fact that Rove’s former boss signed debt-ceiling increases seven times in eight years).

* On a related note, Crossroads is also launching a Spanish-language ad in Hispanic-heavy markets, hoping to turn Latino voters against President Obama.

* Former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack (D) officially kicks off her congressional campaign today, and will take on right-wing Rep. Steve King (R) in the newly-redrawn 4th district next year.

* Speaking of Iowa, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) continues to reach out to Hawkeye State power-brokers, further evidence of his likely presidential campaign.

* Mitt Romney, meanwhile, doesn’t seem to be going all out in the first caucus state, but he reassured Iowans yesterday that they will see him as the campaign progresses.

* And in Michigan, a new statewide poll shows Romney leading President Obama, 46% to 42%. Obama won the state in 2008 by 16 points, and proceeded to rescue the automotive industry over Republican opposition.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Plenty of drama in London: “In a grueling afternoon of testimony before lawmakers, Rupert Murdoch and some of the most senior figures in his family’s media empire apologized profusely on Tuesday for the phone hacking scandal that has convulsed British public life, even as they insisted they had not ordered or tried to cover up illegal newsgathering practices at their newspapers and were not directly to blame.”

* Warren Buffet wants to see the debt-ceiling law eliminated entirely. So do some former Treasury secretaries. I agree with them.

* The Big Dog may be onto something: “Former President Bill Clinton would invoke the 14th Amendment — ‘without hesitation, and force the courts to stop me,’ he says — to raise the debt ceiling if he were in President Barack Obama’s shoes.” He also told Joe Conason, “I think the Constitution is clear and I think this idea that the Congress gets to vote twice on whether to pay for [expenditures] it has appropriated is crazy.”

* The Affordable Care Act will get more popular thanks to advances like these: “Virtually all health insurance plans could soon be required to offer female patients free coverage of prescription birth control, breast-pump rentals, counseling for domestic violence, and annual wellness exams and HIV tests as a result of recommendations released Tuesday by an independent advisory panel of health experts.”

* As if the first two weren’t enough, Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) is scheduling a third round of hearings on the alleged radicalization of Muslim Americans. This next round should at least be more substantive, and focus on al-Shabaab’s recruitment efforts.

* The RNC is trying to make some wild accusation about White House fundraising. How bad it is? An ethics lawyer in President George W. Bush’s White House called the allegations “an embarrassment to the Republican Party, of which I count myself a part.” Ouch.

* There are real and important similarities between the fights over the debt ceiling and the war in Iraq. Paul Glastris explains.

* I’d find House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) less grating if he didn’t play the politics of resentment in such a petty, whiny way.

* The Balanced Budget Amendment is going to fail (again), but it’s still one of the worst ideas I’ve ever heard. See pieces today from Dahlia Lithwick, Norm Ornstein, and Jonathan Bernstein.

* It sounds like a bad movie, but it’s real: “The bizarre story about the drug ring run out of a student’s dorm room at Columbia University is apparently now over.”

* A new O’Keefe video? Whatever.

* My favorite paragraph of the day: “…Democrats are clearly baffled by the challenge of persuading opponents who not only have a different set of priorities, but a different set of facts. ‘There’s a question about how much the facts matter to them,’ says a Democratic official. ‘And I don’t know what to do about that.’”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll shows Mitt Romney leading the Republican presidential field nationally, but his lead is hardly insurmountable. Romney is first with 30% support, followed by Michele Bachmann who is coming on strong with 16%, and Rick Perry is third with 11%. No other candidate is in double digits, though I’d note that Tim Pawlenty and Jon Huntsman are tied for eighth with 2% each.

* The first state Senate recall race in Wisconsin went as expected, with Democratic incumbent Dave Hansen easily defeating his scandal-plagued GOP challenger, David VanderLeest, by 32 points.

* In April, former representative and failed gubernatorial candidate Pete Hoekstra (R) announced he would not run for the U.S. Senate in 2012. This morning, he changed his mind, and launched a challenge against incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D).

* Through the 2008 race, all major-party candidates have disclosed the names of those bundling tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars on their behalf. This year, President Obama continues to do so, but every major Republican candidate refuses to make the disclosures.

* In Texas, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, as expected, launched a U.S. Senate campaign yesterday. He joins a crowded Republican field for the open seat, but early polling shows Dewhurst is arguably the frontrunner.

* In Ohio, Gov. John Kasich’s (R) approval rating is down to just 35% in a new Quinnipiac poll.

* In New Jersey, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Gov. Chris Christie’s (R) approval rating dropping to 43%, while 53% disapprove.

* Michele Bachmann’s new campaign ad in Iowa seems to position her as the most enthusiastic advocate of national default among the national candidates.

* An aide to Elizabeth Warren conceded yesterday the Harvard Law School professor and consumer advocate “will spend early August assessing” whether to run for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts next year.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* White House flexibility: “President Obama would consider a short-term measure aimed at raising the nation’s debt ceiling and avoiding a default by Aug. 2 if it were coupled with agreement on a ‘larger deal’ to reduce the deficit, his spokesman said Wednesday. The White House later clarified that Obama could accept a slight extension of the debt limit by ‘a few days’ to allow a long-term deficit-reduction and debt-ceiling deal to work its way through Congress.”

* Minnesota: “After a legislative session that dragged on late into the night, Gov. Mark Dayton of Minnesota signed on Wednesday new spending plans for the state, ending the longest and broadest shutdown in state history.”

* Murdoch media scandal: “Prime Minister David Cameron went before a loud and rowdy session of Parliament on Wednesday to offer a spirited defense of his record in Britain’s phone hacking scandal. For the first time, he seemed to distance himself from a former tabloid editor he had hired to work in 10 Downing Street.”

* Gallup found that the vast majority of Americans are concerned about economic growth and job creation, not deficit reduction. The disconnect between the Washington conversation and the public conversation is remarkable.

* Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) hates the Recovery Act. He loves, however, the projects the stimulus finances in his district, and has no qualms about showing up smiling at the ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

* Hmm: “The Justice Department has called into question a key pillar of the FBI’s case against Bruce Ivins, the Army scientist accused of mailing the anthrax-laced letters that killed five people and terrorized Congress a decade ago.”

* The Republican war on voting continues: the League of Women Voters has been forced to abandon its voter registration program in Florida due entirely to new and unnecessary GOP restrictions.

* Taxpayers in Alabama are still forced to pay to support Confederate veterans, all of whom have been dead for many years.

* Justice in the Balkans: “The final major war crimes suspect wanted by the United Nations war crimes tribunal for crimes committed during the Balkan War has been arrested.”

* President Obama nominated yet another openly-gay federal judge today, his fourth. I’m beginning to think allegations that the president secretly hates gay people aren’t true.

* If the allegations are true, Aaron Swartz seems to have a pretty serious legal problem on his hands.

* Lawrence Summers isn’t known for his sense of humor, but he has a pretty amusing take on the Winklevoss twins.

* Eventually, more folks will realize that when pseudo-historian David Barton makes a dubious claim, it’s a safe bet that the claim is wrong.

* The Onion has another one of those it’s-funny-because-it’s-true pieces: “Members of the U.S. Congress reported Wednesday they were continuing to carefully debate the issue of whether or not they should allow the country to descend into a roiling economic meltdown of historically dire proportions.” We live in stupid times.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In the new Washington Post/ABC News poll, Mitt Romney leads the Republican presidential field with 26% support. Sarah Palin is second with 18%, followed by Michele Bachmann with 12%. No other candidate is in double digits. (Pawlenty is tied for ninth with 2%.) If Palin is excluded, Romney leads Bachmann, 30% to 16%.

* In the same poll, President Obama leads all of the Republican candidates in hypothetical general-election match-ups, though Romney is the most competitive.

* Michele Bachmann sought to put the migraine issue to rest yesterday, releasing a letter from a physician on her general good health and the medication she takes for headaches. The letter was from the attending physician of Congress, not her personal physician.

* Tim Pawlenty is having so much trouble, his campaign, which expected to do very well in Iowa, is now hoping to finish “better than sixth or seventh” in the Ames Straw Poll.

* On a related note, Public Policy Polling announced that they will no longer include Pawlenty in general-election polls against President Obama.

* Americans United for Change and SEIU are launching new ads this week, targeting four House Republicans for debt-ceiling recklessness. The targets are Wisconsin’s Sean Duffy, Michigan’s Dave Camp, Minnesota’s Chip Cravaack, and New York’s Richard Hanna.

* Rick Santorum is literally moving his wife and their seven home-schooled children to Iowa, hoping to give his failing presidential campaign a boost. Chris Dodd tried a similar move in 2007, and it didn’t turn out well.

* In Ohio, a new Quinnipiac poll shows President Obama leading all of his GOP challengers, in margins ranging from four points (vs. Romney) to 16 points (vs. Palin).

* The same poll shows Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) with sizable leads over his top Republican opponents.

* In New Hampshire, home to two likely U.S. House rematch campaigns, Public Policy Polling found both Republicans ahead, but Rep. Charlie Bass (R) is in a much tougher spot than Rep. Frank Guinta (R).

* And in Maine, one of Sen. Olympia Snowe’s (R) primary challengers is still running around arguing that President Obama only claims to be a Christian, but may be a secret Muslim. At this point, it just seems so 2009.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “After weeks of uncertainty that revived fears about the foundations of the euro, European leaders on Thursday clinched a new rescue plan for Greece that could push the country into default on some of its debt for a short period but would give Europe’s bailout fund sweeping new powers to shore up struggling economies.”

* What’s up in DC this afternoon? “We’re not close to a deal,” White House spokesperson Jay Carney said.

* It sure would be nice if someone focused on job creation: “More Americans than forecast filed claims for unemployment benefits last week, reflecting the volatility of applications during the annual auto-plant retooling period. Applications for jobless benefits increased 10,000 in the week ended July 16 to 418,000, Labor Department figures showed today.”

* It sure would be nice if someone focused on job creation, Part II: “Companies are laying off employees at a level not seen in nearly a year, hobbling the job market and intensifying fears about the pace of the economic recovery.”

* Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) took a very hard line on Congress refusing to raise the debt ceiling. Then he discovered his own state’s credit rating is at risk. Now he believes lawmakers have “got to get this done immediately.” (This gave me the best laugh I’ve had all day.)

* The Democratic-led Senate will be working through the weekend. The Republican-led House will take the weekend off.

* The White House issued another veto threat today, this time over House Republican efforts to gut the EPA.

* Why is Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) turning down federal funds aimed at preventing child abuse and neglect? Apparently because he’s not a good governor.

* Nick Kristof’s frustrations with right-wing congressional Republicans are becoming increasingly palpable. The mild-mannered columnist actually seems disgusted. Good for him.

* At MSNBC’s awkward 6 p.m. slot, Cenk Uygur is out after six months. He’ll be replaced by none other than Al Sharpton.

* The controversy surrounding Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) is quietly getting more interesting.

* Officials in Guam have every reason to be severely pissed with Rep. Jeff Landry (R-La.).

* And Rush Limbaugh is convinced that the very existence of the heat index is some sort of government conspiracy. Fox News thinks so, too. I’ll at least give these folks credit for creativity.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new CNN poll shows a very competitive race for the Republican presidential nomination, at least at the national level. Mitt Romney leads with 16%, while Rick Perry is just two points behind him at 14%. Of course, one may want to approach this poll with some skepticism — it has Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin tied for third with 13% each.

* Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman’s campaign manager resigned yesterday. It’s generally not evidence of a campaign that’s on the right track.

* A measure to repeal Ohio’s SB5, which restricts collective-bargaining rights, will be on the statewide ballot next year. Polls, at least at this point, show strong support for removing the law from the books.

* Fascinating piece from Nate Silver on right-wing GOP governors: “If the states are laboratories of democracy, then the Republican Party’s research pipeline has run dry. Moderate Republican governors, a thriving species before last year’s elections, are all but extinct.”

* Hoping to turn his Republican presidential campaign around, Tim Pawlenty will invest about $1 million to improve his chances in the Ames Straw Poll.

* The Democratic National Committee has launched its first ad buy of the cycle, airing a new Spanish-language spot in support of President Obama.

* Not surprisingly, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) appears to be cruising to re-election.

* In Indiana, Sen. Dick Lugar’s (R) primary opponent is running a new television ad blasting the incumbent for having a “bromance” with President Obama.

* And former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer formally kicked off his Republican presidential campaign yesterday with an event in New Hampshire. Roemer is perhaps best known for losing in a GOP gubernatorial primary to KKK leader David Duke.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Terror rocks Oslo: “Norway suffered two shocking attacks on Friday, when powerful explosions shook the government center in the capital and, shortly after, a gunman stalked youths on an island summer camp for children of members of the governing Labor Party. Police were treating the assaults, which together killed at least 16 people, as connected, according to Norweigian news media, though it remained unclear who was behind them.”

* Massive protests in Syria: “Hundreds of thousands of Syrians across the country took to the streets on Friday, defying a brutal crackdown by security forces and demanding the end of President Bashar al-Assad’s government.”

* Oh, to be a fly on the wall for this one: “Officials from the Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury met Friday to discuss what would happen if the nation defaults on its debt, a scenario that could occur next month if Congress doesn’t raise the nation’s borrowing limit.”

* Murdoch media scandal: “Testimony by James Murdoch about Britain’s phone hacking scandal came under renewed scrutiny on Friday with Prime Minister David Cameron saying that Mr. Murdoch still had ‘questions to answer’ and a lawmaker calling for the police to open a new inquiry.”

* Murdoch media scandal, stateside: “The Justice Department is readying subpoenas as part of a probe into allegations that Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. attempted to hack into phones of Sept. 11 victims.”

* Will the FAA face a partial shutdown, starting tonight? Apparently, yes. Thanks again, congressional Republicans, for hating unions to such an irrational level.

* Europe: “It took a year and a half of politicking that pushed markets to the edge more than once, but Europe’s leaders this week may have reached an elusive goal: Make sure that what happens in Greece stays in Greece.”

* The U.S. ownership role in Chrysler is no more.

* Will Maryland be next for marriage equality? It will be if Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) has his way.

* Great piece from Amanda Marcotte on Rep. Allen West’s (R-Fla.) “anger issues.”

* I’m thrilled to see David Leonhardt become the new Washington bureau chief for the New York Times. He’s one of my favorite journalists.

* And the prospect of the Obama administration covering contraception as a standard for preventive medical care has apparently made conservative media absolutely furious. Bill O’Reilly argued that universal coverage of contraception would not lead to fewer unintended pregnancies because “[m]any women who get pregnant are blasted out of their minds when they have sex and not going to use birth control anyway.” What a classy guy.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Scandal-plagued Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.) will not seek re-election. The announcement comes on the heels of revelations about a sexual encounter with a teenage girl, which follow reports on Wu struggling with mental illness.

* Rep. Mike Ross (D) of Arkansas, one of Congress’ higher-profile Blue Dogs, announced this morning that he will retire at the end of his term next year.

* The GOP ballot for the Ames Straw poll is now set, with nine candidates in the running on Aug. 13. The ballot will feature Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty, Herman Cain, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum and Thad McCottter, all of whom are running hard in Iowa, as well as Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman, and Newt Gingrich, all of whom are less invested in the state.

* There’s apparently some kind of feud underway between Bachmann and Pawlenty. Given the gap between them in the polls — Bachmann is a leading contender, and Pawlenty is struggling badly — the former governor is probably pleased by the dispute.

* The 2012 Republican nominating calendar may get a little more complicated, with Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) considering a plan to move her state’s primary to January. The Colorado GOP, meanwhile, wants to move up its contest to the first week in February, which would also cause considerable chaos.

* Patriot Majority USA is running ads in support of Sen. Ben Nelson (D) in Nebraska, telling voters, “Ben’s fighting to tear up Washington’s credit card while protecting senior citizens.”

* The latest data from Pew Research shows white voters, even young white voters, moving to the Republican Party.

* In New York, where there’s a special election coming up to replace Anthony Weiner, Republican Bob Turner was asked whether he supports the House Republican budget plan, which ends Medicare. He called the Paul Ryan plan “a starting point for negotiations,” but would go no further. The toxicity, in other words, hasn’t gone away.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* President Obama will deliver a national address this evening on the Republicans’ debt-ceiling crisis. It will begin at 9 p.m., and be delivered from the East Room.

* Oslo: “The man accused of the killing spree in Norway was deeply influenced by a small group of American bloggers and writers who have warned for years about the threat from Islam, lacing his 1,500-page manifesto with quotations from them, as well as copying multiple passages from the tract of the Unabomber. In the document he posted online, Anders Behring Breivik, who is accused of bombing government buildings and killing scores of young people at a Labor Party camp, showed that he had closely followed the acrimonious American debate over Islam.”

* The latest on Breivik: “The self-described perpetrator of Norway’s deadly bombing and shooting rampage was ordered held in isolation at a hearing Monday after calmly telling the court that two other groups of allies stand ready to join his murderous campaign. Anders Behring Breivik has admitted bombing Norway’s capital and opening fire on a political youth group retreat on an island near the capital. He told authorities that he expects to spend the rest of his life in prison. Saying he wanted to save Europe from Muslim immigration, he entered a plea of not guilty that will guarantee him future court hearings and opportunities to address the public, even indirectly.”

* Soon after House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) unveiled his plan for raising the debt ceiling, a whole lot of right-wing GOP lawmakers said it’s not good enough and they will oppose it.

* Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) has a six-word warning for Boehner on the economy: “If you break it, you own it.”

* The guy can’t help himself: “Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) said Monday that President Barack Obama ‘would be impeached’ if the nation falls into default.”

* It’s a good thing NFL owners don’t have to worry about Tea Party primary challengers; it enables them to make compromises: “NFL players voted to OK a final deal Monday, days after the owners approved a tentative agreement, and the sides finally managed to put an end to the 4-and-a-half-month lockout, the longest work stoppage in league history.”

* R.I.P., General: “Gen. John M. Shalikashvili, the first foreign-born soldier to become the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, died Saturday morning at an Army hospital in Washington State of complications after a stroke. He was 75.”

* As if this guy wasn’t in enough trouble: “Federal investigators have opened a second criminal probe of U.S. Rep. David Rivera, examining undisclosed payments from a Miami gambling enterprise to a company tied to the Republican congressman, The Miami Herald has learned.”

* Interesting piece on how the New York Times has persevered.

* Daniel Luzer: “As part of the budget discussions one of the proposals under consideration is to reduce Pell Grants, the federal program that provides money for postsecondary education to students from low income families. That’s probably not such a responsible fiscal plan.”

* Note to state lawmakers everywhere: quoting Adolf Hitler favorably is always a bad idea.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As the next round of Wisconsin recall races draw closer, right-wing money is flooding into the state, including a $1.5 million investment from the Club for Growth.

* At this point, it appears the question isn’t whether Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) will launch a presidential campaign, but when he’ll announce. Politico reports today, “This week alone, Perry is meeting in the Texas capital with a group of elected officials from Arkansas, then with another later in the week from Tennessee and Georgia. He’s also hosting a group of national donors. Next week, he’s set to sit down with a different set of bundlers.”

* Flush with secret cash and facing legal deadlines, Karl Rove’s attack operation is launching another round of dishonest ads targeting Democrats in Florida, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, and Ohio.

* Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman has been struggling to catch on with GOP voters, but the former Obama administration official still hopes to thrive in New Hampshire. Huntsman’s staff in the Granite State is now up to 21 people, nearly triple the size of any other Republican candidate’s staff, including Mitt Romney’s.

* With Mike Huckabee not running for president, his top aides are in high demand among GOP candidates. Yesterday, the former executive director of HuckPAC joined Rick Santorum’s team as a top advisor.

* In Michigan, with former Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R) kicking off his U.S. Senate campaign, his primary opponent, John McCulloch, will drop out and endorse Hoekstra.

* In New Jersey, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Gov. Chris Christie (R) would lose badly in his own state against President Obama, 56% to 39%. Christie, it’s worth noting, has said repeatedly that he will not be a 2012 candidate.

* And in Wisconsin, if Democrats can force Gov. Scott Walker (R) into a recall race, would former Rep. Dave Obey take him on? Obey’s cagey responses to questions suggest he’s probably interested.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* If Speaker Boehner’s budget bill were to somehow reach the White House, President Obama would veto it.

* That probably won’t matter, since the Boehner bill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said today, can’t pass the Senate. (If it fails to pass the House tomorrow, this is a moot point.)

* Dems will try to ensure the Boehner bill doesn’t manage to pass thanks to support from a few Blue Dogs: “House Democratic leaders will be whipping votes against a GOP plan to raise the debt limit and slash federal spending, the office of Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the minority whip, said Tuesday.”

* Still trying to clean up the Republicans’ FAA fiasco: “Democrats on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee filed legislation Tuesday that would fund the Federal Aviation Administration without cutting grants for rural air service, which has produced the hold up that led to FAA workers being furloughed.”

* A downgrade in U.S. debt would automatically add $100 billion to the deficit that Republicans pretend to care about.

* Making it harder for those without jobs to get a job: “Hundreds of job opening listings posted on Monster.com and other jobs sites explicitly state that people who are unemployed would be less attractive applicants, with some telling the long-term unemployed to not even bother with applying.”

* In Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker (R) is forcing voters to get ID in order to participate in an election and making it harder to get ID.

* On a related note, Katrina Vanden Heuvel takes a closer look at the GOP’s “state-by-state crusade to disenfranchise voters.”

* Pat Buchanan apparently thinks alleged mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik has some worthwhile ideas. How Buchanan remains a pundit in good standing baffles me.

* Senate Republicans refused to allow a vote on Goodwin Liu’s judicial nomination. Gov. Jerry Brown (D), however, wants him on the California Supreme Court.

* The Wealth Gap: “The wealth gap between whites and minorities has risen to a historic high, according to new census data analyzed by the Pew Research Center, as the collapse of housing prices more severely affected the net worth of African American and Hispanic households.”

* Boehner said President Obama blew up the Grand Bargain talks by moving the goalposts. Even Republican sources admit the Speaker’s lying.

* Kaplan Inc. sure does get sued a lot.

* If this were fiction, I’d consider it too far-fetched. Alas, it’s real: “A revenge plot so intricate, the prosecutors were pawns.”

* Remember when House Republicans vowed to the nation, “We will fight efforts to use a national crisis for political gain”? It was in the 2010 “Pledge to America” platform. In fairness, I suppose I should note they never promised they wouldn’t create a national crisis for political gain, so maybe this doesn’t count as a straight-up broken promise.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* With Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.) resigning, Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) will choose the date for a special election, and Democratic insiders are already eyeing their favorites. State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian and state Sen. Suzanne Bonamici are considered the favorites.

* Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann took out a government-backed home loan in 2008, lowering her costs though a federally-subsidized program. A few weeks later, Bachmann announced she wanted to dismantle the very program she’d just taken advantage of.

* In Michigan’s U.S. Senate race, where the GOP finally has the match-up it wants, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) leading former Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R), 50% to 41%. Hoekstra, by the way, enjoys high name recognition — he ran for governor last year, losing badly in a GOP primary.

* In another setback for Tim Pawlenty’s presidential campaign, a member of his New Hampshire steering committee has abandoned Pawlenty’s team, and pledged her support for Mitt Romney.

* Speaking of Romney, the Republican presidential hopeful attended a Virginia Beach fundraiser yesterday and was asked who might be on his short list for VP candidates. He named Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as some of his favorites.

* In Wisconsin, the latest PPP data for Daily Kos shows Democrats in a fairly strong position to win back the state Senate through the recall-election process.

* And in Nevada, it would appear Romney is the heavy favorite in the Republican presidential caucuses, but Rep. Ron Paul sees a possible opportunity, and invested $120,000 in television advertising in the state last week.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has spent two straight days rallying support from his own caucus for a budget proposal that will then die in the Senate. By nearly all accounts, he’ll get to 217.

* Counter-terrorism: “U.S. counterterrorism officials are increasingly convinced that the killing of Osama bin Laden and the toll of seven years of CIA drone strikes have pushed al¬Qaeda to the brink of collapse.”

* Two more years: “The Senate on Wednesday unanimously confirmed Robert Mueller to a second term as FBI director.”

* Replacing Huntsman: “The Senate on Wednesday unanimously confirmed former Commerce Secretary Gary Locke as the next U.S. ambassador to China, making him the first Chinese-American to assume that post.”

* Good news for medical researchers: “A federal judge on Wednesday threw out a lawsuit that sought to block the funding of human embryonic stem cell research. The ruling follows an April appeals court decision that lifted an injunction on such funding that had been imposed in the same lawsuit.”

* Good move on energy: “The Obama administration and major auto manufacturers have reached a deal to raise fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks between 2017 and 2025, resolving a contentious negotiation over how to cut vehicles’ greenhouse gas emissions.”

* Tea Partiers held a DC rally today in opposition to Boehner’s right-wing budget proposal. Turnout was abysmal — reporters outnumbered activists (again).

* The Chicago Sun-Times believes Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) “is what’s wrong with Washington.” That seems more than fair.

* The Endangered Species Act lives to see another day, thanks to House Dems.

* I really do love the Civil Rights Division of Obama’s Justice Department.

* Congressional Republicans want to overturn an Obama administration moratorium on uranium mining around the Grand Canyon.

* Get the antacids ready now: “Looking beyond the horizon of the current insoluble legislative meltdown, a nervous Democrat pointed me yesterday to the next one: Most of the gas tax is set to expire on September 30.”

* A South Carolina Tea Party leader, who’d accused President Obama of peddling a fake birth certificate, has been arrested on charges of selling pirated versions of Microsoft software, Photoshop, and the Rosetta Stone language programs.

* Grade inflation probably exists. Does it matter?

* And Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) believes that if we lower the debt ceiling, it will “create jobs.” Some people really don’t belong in public office; Paul Broun is one of them.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Among announced GOP candidates, Gallup still shows Mitt Romney leading the Republican field nationally with 27% support. Michele Bachmann is second with 18%, followed by Ron Paul with 11%. No other candidate is in double digits.

* In Virginia, home to one of the most closely-watched Senate races in the country, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows former Gov. Tim Kaine (D) leading former Sen. George Allen (R), 46% to 43%.

* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), who appears increasingly likely to run for president, told voters yesterday the world won’t “come to an end” if the United States fails to raise the debt ceiling.

* The entire Massachusetts congressional delegation appeared in a video for the “It Gets Better” campaign, except Sen. Scott Brown (R), who refused. Brown is seeking a second term next year.

* After a series of strikingly bigoted remarks directed at Muslims, Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain issued an apology to Muslim Americans yesterday. “I am truly sorry for any comments that may have betrayed my commitment to the U.S. Constitution and the freedom of religion guaranteed by it,” he said.

* Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) was rumored to be leaving Congress next year to become the next University of Tennessee athletic director, but yesterday, the Blue Dog congressman’s office ruled it out, insisting Shuler “is running for re-election.”

* Not a headline Tim Pawlenty’s campaign wants to see: “Pawlenty struggles to step out of Bachmann’s shadow.”

* Former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will speak at an Iowa Tea Party rally on Labor Day weekend, renewing speculation about her possible national ambitions.

* And despite widespread liberal antipathy towards President Obama, new polling suggests the president enjoys the strongest support among Democratic voters of any other modern Democratic president.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* As of eight minutes ago, tonight’s vote on House Speaker John Boehner’s budget plan has been “postponed.” The leadership assumed it would have the votes by now. It doesn’t.

* Some encouraging economic news: “New claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, dropping below the key 400,000 level for the first time since early April, according to a government report on Thursday that pointed to some labor market improvement.”

* Boehner’s crying again.

* The Speaker can’t be pleased that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops hates his plan.

* James Fallows lists the five reasons House Republicans really are to blame for the debt-ceiling crisis.

* More on this from Joe Klein: “[H]ere we are. Our nation’s economy and international reputation as the world’s presiding grownup has already been badly damaged. It is a self-inflicted wound of monumental stupidity. I am usually willing to acknowledge that Democrats can be as silly, and hidebound, as Republicans — but not this time. There is zero equivalence here.”

* The FAA shutdown: “What has happened to the Federal Aviation Administration in the last few days should remind everyone of the costs of the Republicans’ obstructionism and their slash-and-burn budget games.”

* Terror plot: “An Army soldier who had been granted conscientious objector status because of his Muslim faith purchased bombmaking materials and planned to attack military personnel outside Fort Hood, Tex., the same base where 13 people were killed by an Army major in a 2009 shooting , authorities said Thursday.”

* Remember that labor dispute at an Ikea furniture factory in Virginia? It’s ended well: workers voted overwhelmingly yesterday to form a union. It’s a big win for labor.

* Sharp piece from Paul Glastris on why President Clinton supports the “Constitutional Option” as a resolution to the Republicans’ debt-ceiling crisis.

* This hardly seems like an unreasonable assessment: “A top Russian official [yesterday] called Sens. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) ‘radicals’ and ‘monsters of the Cold War’ and warned that the U.S.-Russia relationship would collapse if Republicans came to power.”

* It can’t be good when Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) gets ideas on education policy from Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R).

* Disasters happen, and with Republicans having at least some power, they’re likely to keep happening: “Call it Angell’s Fallacy: ‘X won’t happen because X would be insane.’ But these things do happen!”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) raised some eyebrows this week when he said he didn’t care if some states passed marriage-equality laws. The likely presidential candidate switched gears yesterday, saying he supports states’ rights, but not when it comes to gay marriage.

* Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman mocked rival Mitt Romney yesterday for taking the coward’s way out and refusing to take a position on Speaker Boehner’s budget plan. Huntsman did not, however, mention Romney’s name, only criticizing his “opponents in the race [who] haven’t even come up with” a stance.

* Some of the left’s heavy hitters — including Americans United for Change, SEIU, AFL-CIO, and the NEA — are launching television ads in eight states, criticizing House Republicans over default threats.

* Speaking of progressive ad buys, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy for America are launching spots in Wisconsin, as part of the state Senate recall effort.

* Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann ducked questions about her husband’s scandalous “therapy” efforts, and said her husband should effectively be off limits since he isn’t a candidate. Bachmann spent quite a bit of time blasting Michelle Obama in 2008, but has apparently changed her approach.

* In New Jersey, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Mitt Romney leading the GOP presidential race, but only barely against Bachmann, 22% to 21%.

* In North Carolina, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Romney leading Bachmann by a nearly identical margin, 23% to 22%.

* And in Nevada, home to an upcoming House special election, the GOP expects to keep this “red” seat, but the National Republican Congressional Committee isn’t taking any chances. The Republican committee launched $171,000 in attack ads yesterday.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* By some accounts, the House will pass the Republican debt-ceiling measure within the hour, clearing the way for the Senate to defeat it later tonight. Of course, this assumes Boehner really does have the votes, which at this point, appears to be a safe bet.

* If the Boehner plan wouldn’t preserve the AAA credit rating of the United States, why is anyone even talking about it as a possibility? Shouldn’t that be an automatic deal-breaker?

* I’m actually rather impressed this keeps happening: “Telephone circuits into the House of Representatives were once again near capacity on Friday after President Obama called on Americans to keep up their calls to Congress.”

* Moody’s weighs in again: “The United States’ triple-A credit rating is likely to be affirmed by Moody’s with a negative outlook, the ratings agency said on Friday, signaling that a downgrade would not come immediately, but possibly in the medium term.”

* This week, before today, investors were pulling $9 billion a day out of money-market funds, fearing congressional Republicans would simply refuse to raise the debt ceiling.

* If it would help the process along, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) would gladly bring the Balanced Budget Amendment to the Senate floor for a vote. He knows full well it wouldn’t come close to getting a two-thirds majority.

* Revelations from the Murdoch media hacking scandal aren’t quite done yet. News of the World hacked the phone of a mother to a murdered 8-year-old girl, too.

* Why won’t President Obama pursue the “Constitutional Option”? Brad Plumer explores the issue in a thoughtful item.

* Are there some more fanciful ideas for gimmicks that could resolve the crisis? Sure there are.

* Congressional Republicans have a bold new idea: force the U.S. military to accept dirty fuels the Pentagon doesn’t want. The GOP really is getting worse with each passing day.

* Bruce Bartlett, a former policy adviser to Reagan and H.W. Bush, on the GOP: “I think a good chunk of the Republican caucus is either stupid, crazy, ignorant or craven cowards.”

* House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) intends to pursue a new White House investigation because it would be “good theater.” Congress was so much more tolerable when grown-ups were in charge.

* This is probably the wrong emotional reaction, but I’m starting to feel kind of sorry for Peggy Noonan. The quality of her columns has become so awful, and the sophistication of her political analysis has become so pedantic, it’s almost as if Noonan has outsourced her career to an intern sent over by College Republicans. Maybe it’s time to consider retirement, Peggy?

* Bill O’Reilly, who I can only assume is concerned about his investment portfolio, lashed out at the Republican Party base yesterday in a fascinating tirade: “The only thing that can save Barack Obama at this point is craziness on the right…. It’s not only going to hurt the Republican Party, which has already been hurt, but it’s going to save President Obama who they hate…. The irony is, the people who dislike President Obama the most … are helping him the most. You’ve got to stop this hateful rhetoric.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, generally inclined to avoid firm positions on controversial bills, announced this morning he’s against the debt deal that gives his party practically everything it asked for.

* Fundraising for various Democratic Super PACs isn’t quite as strong as anticipated, at least not yet. The groups — Priorities USA Action, American Bridge 21st Century, Majority PAC and House Majority PAC — brought in a combined $10 million from January through June.

* In Kentucky, the latest Courier-Journal/WHAS11 Bluegrass Poll shows incumbent Gov. Steve Beshear (D) with a big lead over state Senate President David Williams (R) in this year’s gubernatorial race, 52% to 28%. Kentucky is home to one of only two gubernatorial campaigns in 2011.

* In California, a nonpartisan redistricting commission has wrapped up work on its new congressional-district map, and projections show Democrats would likely gain at least three House seats as a result of the new lines.

* The Western Conservative Summit 2011 Denver Presidential Straw Poll was held yesterday, with Herman Cain cruising to an easy win over Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Both spoke at the event, along with Rick Santorum and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton.

* Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann is receiving foreign policy advice from Islamophobic conspiracy theorist Frank Gaffney, which, while disturbing, isn’t terribly surprising.

* Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) ruled out a presidential campaign a few months ago, and reiterated yesterday that he will not be a candidate in 2012. Asked, however, about possibly joining the ticket as a V.P. nominee, Thune said, “I’m not going to rule anything out.”

* And in Texas, state Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams, over the last month, has been a U.S. Senate candidate, then a U.S. House candidate, and now a U.S. House candidate in a different district.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Late word from the Senate says the upper chamber will push off its vote on the debt deal until tomorrow. Since Senate passage isn’t considered a problem, this isn’t cause for concern, but Congress’ habit of waiting literally until the last day really isn’t helpful.

* In case there were any doubts, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced this afternoon she will vote for the debt-ceiling agreement.

* As of this writing, the House vote is still on track to occur within two hours. If there’s a delay, it would suggest the bill’s in trouble.

* A score (pdf) from the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the debt deal will reduce the debt by $2.1 trillion over the next decade.

* Syria: “Syrian security forces bombed the central city of Hama for a second day on Monday as the government pressed its campaign to crush a four-month-old popular uprising against the government of President Bashar al-Assad. On Sunday, at least 70 people were killed when the military and security forces assaulted Hama and other restive cities before dawn, in the broadest and fiercest crackdown yet.”

* Turkey: “Turkey’s top military commanders resigned en masse on Friday, a move without precedent in Turkish history that many analysts saw as a failed effort by a beleaguered institution to exert what is left of its dwindling political power.” The resignations come in response to the arrests of dozens of military leaders in a larger conspiracy investigation.

* I realize the expression doesn’t have to be racially charged, but if far-right Republican congressman could avoid comparing President Obama to a “tar baby,” I’d sure appreciate it.

* The Murdoch media scandal isn’t over: “Employees of The New York Post, Rupert Murdoch’s irreverent and hard-charging city tabloid, were told Friday to keep any documents that may pertain to the kind of illegal activity that has led to arrests and a widening investigation at the News Corporation’s British newspapers.”

* Last week, in an underreported story, someone firebombed a Planned Parenthood clinic in McKinney, Texas. Not that it should make a difference, but the clinic doesn’t even provide abortions.

* Daniel Luzer: “Despite a last-minute agreement not to cut the Pell Grant program as part of the debt ceiling deal, in general public education funding got a lot worse this year.”

* The estimable Chris Hayes will host a new weekend show on MSNBC, airing Saturday and Sunday mornings. Congratulations to Chris, who’s clearly earned it.

* The first step is admitting we have a problem: “America in the 21st century is a post-modern epistemological relativist state in which the right creates its own alternate reality in real time. And there’s nobody to sort it out because the press gives equal weight to everyone. This is the world that produced Tea Partying congressmen who believe that default on the national debt is a rational policy to shrink government.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* With Wisconsin’s state Senate recall elections coming up, the Koch-financed Americans for Prosperity is sending absentee ballots to Democrats with instructions to return the materials after the election date. Aren’t election stunts like these illegal?

* With Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) making a surprise appearance on the House floor last night, speculation soon after turned to her possible re-election plans. This morning, the congresswoman’s staff insisted that “no decision has been made” about 2012.

* It’s primary day in Mississippi, where Republicans will choose from a crowded field to choose a GOP gubernatorial nominee. Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant is considered the favorite.

* Also in Mississippi, it’s worth noting that Democrats failed to get a single candidate to run for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, or auditor.

* Jim Lee, the co-chair of Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s (R) 2010 gubernatorial campaign said Perry is “poised to enter” the presidential race “in the coming weeks.”

* Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney may be the frontrunner, but he’s going out of his way to keep a very low profile and avoid making headlines. Ben Smith said the former governor appears to be in the “Mittness Protection Program.”

* In Pennsylvania, a new Quinnipiac poll shows President Obama’s support in the state slipping badly, and he now narrowly trails Romney in a hypothetical match-up, 44% to 42%.

* In Vermont, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) crushing any potential rival in advance of his re-election bid next year. His most likely challenger, state Auditor Tom Salmon (R), trails Sanders by 34 points.

* And GOP presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman broached an awkward subject yesterday, suggesting rival Michele Bachmann’s appearance is helping drive media coverage. “She makes for good copy—and good photography,” Huntsman told John Heilemann.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* There was an 11th-hour Senate effort to prevent a widespread FAA shutdown. It looks like the effort failed, which means the House Republican stunt will cost Americans billions of dollars in uncollected taxes, and put tens of thousands of American jobs on hold for at least a month.

* The “relief rally” didn’t happen: “A Senate vote to pass the debt-ceiling plan on Tuesday may have averted the potential for the United States to default on its obligations, but it failed to lift investors’ spirits. The Dow Jones industrial average slumped 266 points by the close of trading, and all of the major Wall Street indexes shed more than 2 percent.”

* Fitch Ratings was satisfied enough with the debt deal that it won’t lower the United States’ credit rating.

* I suppose, by the right’s standards, this means Netanyahu and Obama are both anti-Israel? “In a dramatic policy shift, Israel’s prime minister has agreed to negotiate the borders of a Palestinian state based on the cease-fire line that marks off the West Bank, a TV station reported Monday.” For context, it’s worth noting that Netanyahu would accept those borders as part of a process whereby Palestinians acknowledge the right of Israel to exist.

* Syria: “After killing nearly 100 people in two days, Syrian troops tightened their siege on the city of Hama Tuesday by taking up positions near homes and sending residents fleeing for their lives.”

* Somalia: “The Shabab Islamist insurgent group, which controls much of southern Somalia, is blocking starving people from fleeing the country and setting up a cantonment camp where it is imprisoning displaced people who were trying to escape Shabab territory.”

* Good call: “A federal judge said yesterday that Planned Parenthood would probably succeed in overturning a new Kansas law that would deny the group access to federal family planning funding, saying he believes the law is unconstitutional and was intended to punish Planned Parenthood for advocating for abortion rights.”

* Alabama’s anti-immigrant law really is atrocious: “The Obama administration filed a lawsuit on Monday challenging Alabama’s recently passed immigration law.”

* Tim Geithner can’t leave his post because his successor couldn’t get confirmed.

* Joe Nocera appears to be on board with the “Tea Party Republicans = terrorists” line of argument.

* Interesting case: “A federal judge in Ohio said Monday that the Affordable Care Act does not provide for taxpayer funding for abortion. The statement was the cornerstone of the judge’s ruling to allow a defamation lawsuit brought against the Susan B. Anthony List by a former congressman to move forward.”

* Rep. Doug Laborn (R-Colo.) is sorry about the whole “tar baby” thing.

* Olbermann won’t be able to lure her away for a long while: MSNBC extended Rachel Maddow’s contract long before it expired.

* Daniel Luzer: “Student loans are a real financial bubble and this may start to become a big education problem, says a recent report by Moody’s about the student lending industry.”

* And Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is so concerned about health insurance plans covering birth control without co-pays that he delivered a speech warning of “a dying civilization.” That guy really isn’t well.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Republican presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty’s wife, Mary Pawlenty, conceded yesterday her husband “needs to move from where he’s been and show significant progress.” I don’t imagine that’s what the former governor wanted to hear, but it’s true.

* Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney unveiled an advisory team yesterday of 63 conservative attorneys, led in part by Robert Bork. There’s also a bevy of loyal Bushies on the list, including Steven Bradbury, best known for signing off on the torture memos.

* In Mississippi’s gubernatorial primaries yesterday, Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant cruised to an easy win for the Republican nomination. Among Democrats, Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny Dupree leads businessman Bill Luckett, and will face off again in an Aug. 23 runoff.

* Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann launched her third television ad in Iowa today. Like the first two, it touts the right-wing congresswoman’s opposition to raising the debt ceiling.

* On a related note, when Bachmann ran a charter school, it banned the Disney movie “Aladin” because it depicted “magic.”

* In Nevada, home to one of the nation’s most closely-watched Senate races, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows appointed Sen. Dean Heller (R) leading Rep. Shelley Berkley (D) by three, 46% to 43%.

* In Maine, Sen. Olympia Snowe’s Republican primary challengers slammed her vote in support of raising the debt ceiling yesterday.

* The Gingrich, Santorum, Paul and Cain campaigns are catching some flac for selling campaign merchandise that isn’t made in America.

* And in Hawaii, former Rep. Charles Djou (R) lost last November, but intends to run again next year, whether Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D) runs for the Senate or not.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* U.N. weighs in on Syria: “After months of inaction, the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday issued its first formal condemnation of Syria for its use of force against civilians during a bloody crackdown that has killed as many as 2,000 anti-government protesters.”

* Syria doesn’t care: “Ignoring mounting condemnations, the Syrian military deployed tanks, armored vehicles and snipers Wednesday into the symbolic center of Hama, a rebellious city that has emerged as a linchpin of the nearly five-month uprising, in what appeared a decisive step by President Bashar al-Assad to crush opposition to his rule.”

* The Republicans’ FAA shutdown continues, though President Obama said today it’s his “expectation” that the matter will be “resolved by the end of this week.” I have no idea what the resolution could look like.

* Moody’s Investors Service has confirmed the nation’s AAA credit rating, but it’s still threatening a possible downgrade in the future.

* President Obama will embark on a bus tour through the Midwest later this month, focusing on the White House’s economic message.

* Mubarak trial captivates the region: “An ailing Hosni Mubarak, who served longer than any ruler of modern Egypt until he was overthrown in a revolution in February, was rolled into a courtroom in a hospital bed on Wednesday to face formal charges of corruption and complicity in the killing of protesters. The televised trial was a seminal moment for Egypt and an Arab world roiled by revolt.”

* If Wall Street doesn’t think austerity measures will help the economy, maybe the industry could have said something sooner?

* One of the things I like least about House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is his habitual dishonesty. Consider examples one, two, and three, just from this week.

* Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) won’t be on the so-called “super committee.” I doubt he would have been considered, but it’s good news anyway.

* Reflecting on his experience presiding over the Senate, Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) said he can remember instances in which he saw things he wasn’t support to see. “There’s a lot of stories, and I probably can’t tell you that one,” he said, laughing. “Let me just say you see a lot of hand movements and gestures at times.”

* And in the Marvel Comics universe, the new Spider-Man is half African American and half Latino. This, of course, bothers Glenn Beck, who sees a connection between the Spidey development and Michelle Obama saying three years ago that the nation may need to “change” some of “our traditions.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* With the Ames Straw Poll coming up a week from Saturday, Tim Pawlenty’s campaign has decided to pull its media advertising in the 72 hours running up to the event. The former Minnesota governor had reserved $200,000 for spots, but will now focus on GOTV efforts instead.

* Speaking of Pawlenty, Al Hubbard, a former Bush administration official who’d signed on as Pawlenty’s leading policy advisor, has quit the campaign.

* With Republicans increasingly pessimistic about the Wisconsin recall elections, RNC chairman Reince Priebus, who arrived in DC by way of Wisconsin, is downplaying the races’ significance. “The localized nature of it doesn’t allow it to be analogous to the 2012 election,” he said yesterday.

* George W. Bush had a formidable fundraising network that financed his two national campaigns. Three years later, members of that network have not yet rallied behind any of the 2012 Republican presidential hopefuls.

* Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman’s (R) campaign is reportedly burdened by a “blistering internal feud,” which is “erupting into public view, with dueling camps trading charges and an exodus of campaign officials.”

* In Florida, a new Quinnipiac poll shows President Obama leading all of the GOP presidential candidates, except Mitt Romney, who is tied with the president at 44% each.

* In Wisconsin, former governor and Bush cabinet secretary Tommy Thompson hasn’t officially launched a U.S. Senate bid, but yesterday, he didn’t leave many doubts about his intentions. “You can’t take over the Senate without having a Republican senator from Wisconsin. Who is the strongest candidate to win that seat?” Thompson said. “I believe it’s myself.”

* And in Michigan, former Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R) is the heavy favorite to win the GOP’s U.S. Senate nomination, but he will have at least one primary opponent. Yesterday, Gary Glenn, the head of the state’s American Family Association, kicked off his Senate bid.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* All is not well in the world of global finance.

* Oddly enough, the day’s economic news didn’t start off all that badly, with the Labor Department announcing that initial unemployment claims ticked down a little to a seasonally adjusted 400,000.

* On a related note, while it seems ridiculous to point to good economic data today, I suppose it’s also worth noting that July retail sales were up

* Under “intense” pressure from the White House, it looks like Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner will remain at his post through next year. Part of this is driven by the White House’s desire to avoid yet another confirmation fight in the dysfunctional Senate.

* I’ll look forward to hearing more about this: “Without disclosing details, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) says she has a plan for dealing with the Republicans’ legislative hostage-taking strategy. In a meeting with a small group of reporters in her office Thursday morning, she said the dynamics of the debt limit fight — where Democrats were forced to accept deep cuts to government programs on the threat of default — will not happen again.”

* The Pentagon would not welcome the trigger: “Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned lawmakers Thursday not to enact a ‘doomsday mechanism’ that would slash an additional $600 billion from the Pentagon budget, saying that such cuts would pose a severe threat to U.S. national security.”

* Plagued by scandals and mental health issues, Rep. David Wu (D) of Oregon officially resigned last night.

* Cool news from Mars: “Scientists announced Thursday that they had detected dozens of slopes across the southern hemisphere of the planet where previously undetected dark streaks come and go with the seasons. When the planet heats up, the streaks appear and expand downhill. When it gets cold, the streaks disappear.”

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) has no use for the anti-Muslim “crazies” in his own party. Good for him.

* Checking in on the progress of Peter Thiel’s “20 Under 20” program, which invests in students to help them leave college and launch other projects.

* And finally, The Onion does it again: “After months of heated negotiations and failed attempts to achieve any kind of consensus, President Obama turned 50 years old Thursday, drawing strong criticism from Republicans in Congress…. According to White House officials, Obama attempted to work with Republicans right up until the Aug. 4 deadline, but was ultimately left with no choice except to turn a year older.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As part of the Democratic larger effort to retake the House next year, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has launched an “Accountability August,” targeting 44 vulnerable House Republicans. The Dems’ message will focus on Medicare and the debt ceiling.

* Up to his ears in behind-the-scenes campaign drama, Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman made it clear yesterday he’s standing by his top adviser, John Weaver, a veteran operative and former John McCain aide.

* Despite the RNC’s best efforts, Republican officials in Arizona, Florida, and Michigan intend to hold presidential nominating contests earlier than the party’s rules permit. The threat of procedural chaos is causing headaches for party officials nationwide.

* Swatting down rumors, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) said yesterday he will seek re-election in 2014, and rejected the notion he’d become Secretary of State in the Obama administration if the president won re-election.

* In Vermont, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Gov. Peter Shumlin (D), seeking a second term next year, enjoys solid leads over all of his possible GOP challengers.

* Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D) of Ohio continues to spend time in the state of Washington, where he apparently holds out hope of running in 2012.

* In Nevada, Shelley Berkley leads Byron Georgiou by 65 points in a Democratic Senate primary. Unlikely to overcome that kind of deficit, Georgiou is talking about possibly running as an independent, vastly improving the odds for appointed Sen. Dean Heller (R) to win a full term next year.

* With David Wu resigning in disgrace this week, the field of Democrats hoping to win his U.S. House seat in Oregon is getting crowded. Yesterday, state Sen. Suzanne Bonamici launched her bid and will face state Rep. Brad Witt and state Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian in a Democratic primary.

* And in New Mexico, Sunland Park mayor Martin Resendiz (D) admitted this week that he signed a questionable contract with a California architecture firm, but he has an excuse: he was drunk at the time. Resendiz has been considering a congressional race against Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.).

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* There are widespread reports this afternoon that Standard & Poor’s, the bond rating agency, will downgrade the United States, despite this week’s debt-reduction agreement. S&P will reportedly cite Republican intransigence on revenue as part of the rationale, drawing a direct connection between GOP policies and a step that will further weaken the economy.

* Syria: “Syria’s state media broadcast stark images of the destruction in the besieged city of Hama for the first time on Friday, showing burnt buildings, makeshift barricades and deserted streets strewn with rubble, in footage that appeared designed to show that government forces had put down a rebellion in the city.”

* Europe: “Italy buckled to world pressure in a bid to halt a market rout endangering the global economy, pledging to speed up austerity measures and social reforms in return for European Central Bank help with funding.”

* Why does the European debt crisis matter to the U.S.? This is why: “U.S. financial institutions hold considerable European financial assets that could plummet in value if the euro zone enters a full-on crisis. For example, European debt makes up almost half of all money-market fund holdings…. The crisis is also leading to heavy spending cuts and reduced borrowing that hurts U.S. exports to Europe, further endangering the American recovery.”

* Will the GOP oppose this, too? “President Barack Obama proposed tax credits Friday to help companies hire America’s 1 million unemployed military veterans and vowed to press Congress harder this fall for legislation to provide more jobs for all.”

* President Obama also said today, “We know that will take some time. We are going to get through this. Things will get better, and we’re going to get there together.”

* Record-breaking temperatures: “Almost 9,000 daily records were broken or tied last month, including 2,755 highest maximum temperatures and 6,171 highest minimum temperatures (i.e., nighttime records).”

* Obama signed the bill ending the FAA shutdown this afternoon.

* Daniel Luzer: “The debt deal, reassuring as it may have been after such a long process, won’t be very good to college students. According to an article by Candice Choi in the Chicago Sun-Times, political compromises made by both parties in order to reach an agreement to raise the debt ceiling mean that several federal college financing programs are in trouble.”

* And I’m glad to see growing talk about scrapping the debt-ceiling law, at least to help get the ball rolling on a goal that for now may seem unrealistic: “It has long been clear that the federal debt limit is far too dangerous and unstable for lawmakers to use as a political weapon. Allowing that to happen in the last few traumatic weeks created an artificial national crisis that put the economy and the savings of Americans at risk and helped produce a loss of confidence that lingered as a cause of Thursday’s stock-market plunge.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The secret donor behind the W Spann LLC shell corporation, which apparently existed to give Mitt Romney’s Super PAC $1 million, has been identified. Edward Conard, a former executive at Bain Capital, a private equity firm that Romney helped found, was responsible for the scheme.

* Tomorrow in Wisconsin, six state Senate recall elections will be held targeting Republican incumbents.

* On a related note, Americans for Prosperity’s apparent voter-suppression scheme — the Koch-financed outfit sent absentee-ballot applications to Democratic voters with the wrong date — was even more widespread than originally believed.

* According to an email sent by a close ally to Rick Perry, the Texas governor will launch his Republican presidential campaign next week. Supporters are already soliciting contributions for the as yet unannounced campaign.

* In Iowa yesterday, Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann attended Sunday services at Point of Grace Church, where the pastor told the congregation, “We inherently know that homosexual behavior is immoral and unnatural.” Bachmann and her husband posed for pictures with the pastor after services.

* Speaking of Iowa, it will be a very busy week in the Hawkeye State, including a debate on Thursday and the Ames Straw Poll on Saturday.

* And as part of the activities in Iowa, the Democratic National Committee is kicking off a campaign this week to define the GOP field as extremists candidates trying to please “the far right Tea Party wing of their party and they are following the extreme agenda of Congressional Republicans instead of leading.”

* Republican presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty has added his name to the list of candidates signing the National Organization for Marriage’s anti-gay pledge.

* And Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinders, generally expected to be the Republican gubernatorial nominee next year, was photographed with a former porn start at a bar that boasts about its “pantless parties,” held nightly.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “The interest rates on Spanish and Italian bonds plummeted Monday, and European bank shares soared, as the European Central Bank expanded its purchases of government debt to support Madrid and Rome for the first time.”

* Under intense pressure from the White House, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner has agreed to stay at his post for a while, ending speculation about his immediate plans.

* Diplomatic pressure on Syria: “Joining a chorus of global condemnation, three oil-rich Arab countries on Monday recalled their ambassadors to the Syrian capital Damascus in protest of President Bashar al-Assad’s brutal crackdown on demonstrations, as the Syrian military and security forces pressed ahead with their assault on the most restive locales.”

* It’s possible many of the leading officials at Standard & Poor’s weren’t blessed with an overabundance of intelligence.

* BoA isn’t having a good year: “Bank of America Corp was sued by American International Group Inc for more than $10 billion over an alleged ‘massive fraud’ on mortgage debt, causing the bank’s shares to tumble 22.8 percent amid worries it cannot manage a deepening litigation morass.”

* About 45,000 Verizon employees have gone on strike.

* A striking scene in London: “The rioting and looting that convulsed poorer parts of London over the weekend spread Monday to at least four new parts of the metropolitan area and broke out for the first time in another big city, in what appeared to be the worst outbreak of social unrest in Britain in 25 years.”

* The Obama administration will override some of the less-sensible measures of Bush’s No Child Left Behind law, giving states waivers on the law’s proficiency requirements.

* Fascinating item from Matt Yglesias: “[T]here’s precious little evidence that FDR’s recovery policies were any more effective than Obama’s were.”

* I feel like I’ve seen this headline a few too many times for far too long: “As Corporate Profits Rise, Workers’ Income Declines.”

* Did you catch Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s (R) Christian prayer rally on Saturday? The fine folks at Right Wing Watch tuned in to every last detail so we wouldn’t have to.

* Al Gore is certainly justified getting pissed off by the climate denial machine.

* A new “Cosmos” series hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson? I’ll actually look forward to that.

* Is going to college a good investment? Yes. But given costs and debt, the degree is worth less than it used to be.

* The founder of Tea Party Nation said liberalism is responsible for killing “a billion people in the last century.” Wow.

* And former Sen. Mark Hatfield of Oregon died over the weekend at the age of 89. He was the last great Republican senator, and he is missed.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The latest USA Today/Gallup poll shows Democrats with the edge on the congressional generic-ballot question, with Dems leading Republicans by four, 49% to 45%.

* The same USA Today/Gallup poll shows Mitt Romney leading the Republican presidential field with 24% support, followed by Rick Perry at 17%. Ron Paul is third with 14% and Michele Bachmann has slipped to fourth at 13%. No other candidate is in double digits.

* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) will reportedly make his presidential plans clear on Saturday, during visits to South Carolina and New Hampshire. With the timing of his announcement, Perry likely intends to overshadow the results of the Ames Straw Poll in Iowa.

* Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum is “welcoming” Perry to the race by slamming the governor
s federalist position on marriage equality, which Perry abandoned last week.

* As voting continues in Wisconsin’s recall elections today, ThinkProgress has a closer look at the six Republicans whose careers are on the line today.

* Republican presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty has absolutely no idea what the Fed’s quantitative easing policy is all about, but that doesn’t stop him from pretending to understand the issue and talking to voters about it.

* With his campaign struggling badly, Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman is bringing in Tom Ingram, a longtime aide to Lamar Alexander, as a “fixer” to get back on track.

* In Nevada, the latest polling from Public Policy Polling shows President Obama leading the GOP field, in margins ranging from one point (vs. Romney) to 10 points (vs. Bachmann).

* At a campaign stop in Iowa, Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich said the media is to blame for his poor fundraising.

* And in North Dakota, Rep. Rick Berg’s (R) U.S. Senate campaign got a little trickier yesterday after perennial candidate Duane Sand announced he would take on Berg in a GOP primary.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* That’s a 1,000-point swing over 24 hours: “At the close, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 429.92 points, or nearly 4 percent, at 11,239.77. Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index was up 53.07 points, or 4.74 percent, at 1,172.53, the largest point gain in a day since March 2009, and the Nasdaq was up 5.29 percent, or 124.83 points, at 2,482.52.”

* Investors don’t seem to give a damn about the S&P downgrade.

* The White House this morning canceled all public events for the day. Now we know why: “President Obama traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Tuesday to pay his respects to the 30 American servicemen killed in a helicopter crash in eastern Afghanistan over the weekend.” The president was joined by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen, Ray Mabus, the secretary of the Navy.

* On a related note, the president spent about 70 minutes meeting informally with approximately 250 family members and fellow servicemen and women after the caskets were brought off the plane.

* London: “Prime Minister David Cameron pledged Tuesday to flood the streets of London with 10,000 extra police officers, and said that Parliament would be recalled in emergency session, after rioting and looting spread across and beyond London for a third night in what the police called the worst unrest in memory.”

* This news will get buried, but it’s important: “President Obama today will announce new fuel efficiency standards that will save American businesses that operate and own commercial vehicles approximately $50 billion in fuel costs over the life of the program. These work trucks, buses, and other medium- and heavy duty vehicles will be required to meet fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emission standards for the first time ever beginning in 2014.”

* National Review, a once-proud publication, ran an item today arguing President Obama might secretly support the London riots based on a bizarre interpretation of a 1992 press release found in an ACORN archive. How very sad.

* If we put aside congressional circumstances and Republican radicalism entirely, Michael Hiltzik’s case for additional stimulus makes an enormous amount of sense.

* Education Management Corp. draws scrutiny: “The Department of Justice is suing one company of American for-profit colleges, arguing that the corporation violated the rules of federal financial aid.”

* This guy really does need help: “In an interview on Frank Gaffney’s radio program last week, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) criticized defense cuts included in the recent bipartisan budget deal and suggested lawmakers in Washington were accessories to Osama bin Laden’s goal of bankrupting the country.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Questions continue to linger surrounding the shell corporation that donated $1 million to help Mitt Romney’s campaign, as new revelations suggest there were other barely-existent companies that may have done the same thing.

* Jon Huntsman’s campaign yesterday said it would unveil a “major endorsement” today, and this morning, announced Jeb Bush Jr. is supporting Huntsman’s bid. Just to be clear, Jeb Bush Jr. is not the former Florida governor; he’s the son of the former governor, who’s never held elected office.

* In Connecticut, former Rep. Chris Shays (R), who lost his re-election bid in 2008, will reportedly run for the U.S. Senate next year. He’ll face a crowded GOP primary field, which is likely to include former wrestling executive Linda McMahon’s second run.

* About a month before the special election to replace Anthony Weiner in New York, a new Siena poll shows Democrat David Weprin leading Republican Bob Turner by just six points, 48% to 42%.

* Jon Chait raises a good point about the Republican presidential frontrunner: “Here is an important fact about Romney that nobody ever mentions: He does not have an economic plan. He talks incessantly about jobs. But his actual program to create them does not exist.”

* Campaigning in Iowa yesterday, Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum told voters the GOP would benefit from nominating a Roman Catholic candidate.

* In Michigan, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Romney ahead, but not with the kind of lead one might expect given the state (Romney’s father was governor of Michigan). Romney is first with 24%, followed by Michele Bachmann at 18%, and Rick Perry at 14%.

* Republican presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty claimed last week to have “perhaps the most international experience” of any GOP candidate in the race. Why? Because he’s visited places around the world. (Tim, that’s not really what “international experience” means in a candidate.)

* And at the Ames Straw Poll on Saturday, Mike Huckabee will be playing bass for Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, and Tim Pawlenty.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Oh, to have been a fly on the wall for this one: “President Obama is scheduled to meet with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday afternoon at the White House.”

* Afghanistan: “The top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan said Wednesday that his forces have killed the insurgents responsible for downing a Chinook helicopter packed with 30 Navy SEALs and other American troops, though the original target of their mission got away.”

* Wall Street: “Stocks on Wall Street finished steeply lower on Wednesday as the financial sector dragged down the broader market, in a sharp reversal from the rally of the previous day. Financial stocks were down by more than 7 percent at about 4 p.m., in part because of fears about their exposure to French banks as shares in those institutions dropped during European trading.”

* Syria: “The U.S. has dramatically ratcheted up the pressure on Syrian President Bashar Assad, slapping new sanctions on key companies Wednesday as White House press secretary Jay Carney said the leader is guilty of “heinous actions” and the country would be better off without him.”

* England: “Prime Minister David Cameron vowed Wednesday to prevent a ‘culture of fear’ from taking hold in Britain and authorized tougher riot-control measures, after violence and looting that began in London spread to other British cities. In a somber televised speech after a meeting with officials managing the crisis, Cameron said that ‘nothing is off the table’ to regain control of British streets, including the use of rubber bullets and water cannons.”

* Jared Bernstein on a new housing policy: “A while back, I touted this idea of taking the foreclosed properties owned by government-backed entities — Fannie, Freddie, Federal Housing Administration — off of the residential housing market and putting them into the rental market. Looks like it’s a go from the White House.”

* For what it’s worth, the deficit is shrinking.

* An excellent column from Dana Milbank on Rep. Austin Scott’s (R-Ga.) sudden desire to eliminate the Legal Services Corporation Act. It’s a must-read piece.

* Harold Meyerson is the latest to make a compelling case for additional stimulus.

* The Murdoch scandal isn’t over: “News Corp’s James Murdoch has until Thursday to respond to questions from Members of Parliament, relating to allegations that he misled them during his testimony in July.”

* Why does college tuition cost so much? College administrators point to the need for more remedial assistance, but that’s misleading.

* The Koch-financed Americans For Prosperity is still pushing its “Running on Empty” campaign, which appears to be a complete failure.

* Of the 15 most dangerous American cities for driving, three are in Florida — including the top two. No one who’s spent time in Florida will find this surprising.

* Rick Santorum thinks marriage is like water. Allen West thinks sexual orientation is like ice cream. Both of these guys freak me out a little bit.

* And while there may or may not have been a racial motivation behind the comment, it continued to rankle when right-wing members of Congress infantilize the president, comparing Obama to a “boy” while comparing Republicans to his “parents.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Iowa will host a debate tonight for the Republican presidential field. It will be the first debate to feature all eight of the announced candidates, though Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), who has not formally made his intentions clear, will not participate.

* On a related note, Perry sounded very much like a candidate in an interview with Mark Halperin, explaining, “[T]his is starting to get to that comfort level and I’ve got the calmness in my heart. I think that was a bit of a hurdle initially, but I’m very calm in my heart that this is what I’m supposed to be doing.”

* Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has raised more campaign money from lobbyists and lobbyist-linked political action committees than all of his GOP rivals combined.

* Gallup’s latest poll shows President Obama leading a generic Republican challenger by six points, 45% to 39%. In July, Obama trailed the generic GOP candidate, 47% to 39%,

* Against named GOP rivals, the latest McClatchy-Marist Poll shows the president leading all of the top Republican candidates, in margins ranging from five points (vs. Romney) to 21 points (vs. Palin).

* A new CNN poll shows a more competitive general election, with Obama’s leads over the GOP field raging from one point (vs. Romney) to six points (vs. Bachmann).

* Though coming up short in the effort to flip the state Senate, progressives in Wisconsin will continue their recall initiative targeting Gov. Scott Walker (R).

* In Nevada, wealthy Las Vegas attorney Byron Georgiou ended his U.S. Senate campaign, clearing the way for seven-term Rep. Shelley Berkley to run unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Berkley is challenging appointed Sen. Dean Heller (R).

* In New Hampshire, former Rep. Carol Shea Porter (D) is gearing up for a rematch against Rep. Frank Guinta (R), but first the Democratic will face a primary challenge from car dealer Andrew Hosmer.

* And just in time to create another circus atmosphere, former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) will travel to Iowa this weekend, attending the Iowa State Fair the same weekend as the Ames Straw Poll.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* The best data since early April: “Claims for unemployment insurance payments in the U.S. unexpectedly fell last week to a four-month low, signaling the recent slowdown in payroll gains is due to a lack of hiring rather than more firings.”

* This coupled with some corporate profit reports sent Wall Street soaring: “Stocks on Wall Street surged higher Thursday, with the broader market closing up more than 4 percent, buoyed by bargain-hunting investors, positive economic data and some easing of concerns over Europe’s finances.”

* Another deadly day in Afghanistan: “A roadside bomb killed five American troops in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, the U.S. military said, less than a week after American forces suffered their worst single loss of the Afghan war when Taliban insurgents shot down a helicopter.”

* On a related note, the Pentagon today released the names of the 30 U.S. servicemen killed in Afghanistan on Saturday.

* England: “After four nights of lawlessness, Britain is weighing whether to block statements of violence on social media sites and give police authority to order people to remove face coverings in areas where criminality is suspected, Prime Minister David Cameron said Thursday.”

* Europe: “A European market regulator is considering recommending a temporary ban on negative bets against stocks across the Continent in an effort to stop the tailspin in the markets.”

* Greg Sargent has a good report on Senate Democrats who want the debt-reduction “super committee” to focus on job creation. They have a good idea; it’s worth the political world’s time to consider it.

* Somehow, this punishment doesn’t seem quite severe enough: “A longtime northeastern Pennsylvania judge was ordered to spend nearly three decades in prison for his role in a massive juvenile justice bribery scandal that prompted the state’s high court to toss thousands of convictions.”

* Daniel Luzer: “The trouble with this ‘less money will promote efficiency’ line of thinking is basically from the mythical fantasy land of college administration. It’s just not how colleges operate.”

* With the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” gay troops were discharged unfairly can now re-enlist and serve their country again. That’s good news for everyone.

* Fox News is not above mocking children when the network doesn’t like the kids’ politics.

* During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the United States reached DEFCON 2. On 9/11, we were at DEFCON 3. As far as Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) we should currently be at DEFCON 1. He told Fox News, “I think that we’re at that point in time right now.” This guy really is frightening.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) will stop being coy tomorrow and will officially kick off his presidential campaign. He’ll reportedly make the announcement in South Carolina, but will also visit New Hampshire and Iowa over the weekend.

* If Tim Pawlenty fares poorly in the Ames Straw Poll tomorrow, he conceded this morning he’ll have to “reassess” the direction of his campaign.

* Elizabeth Warren looks increasingly like a U.S. Senate candidate in Massachusetts, and has reportedly begun working with two former top advisers to Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) about a statewide campaign.

* On a generic congressional ballot, a new Gallup poll shows Democrats leading Republicans, 51% to 44%. It’s the biggest leads Dems have had in about three years.

* On a related note, Public Policy Polling also shows Democrats with a seven-point lead on the generic-ballot question, 47% to 40%.

* In North Carolina, PPP shows President Obama leading all of his top Republican presidential challengers, by margins ranging from three points (vs. Romney) to 13 points (vs. Cain and Palin).

* In Colorado, PPP also shows the president leading the top GOP contenders, by margins ranging from seven points (vs. Romney) to 16 points (vs. Cain and Palin).

* In the upcoming special election in New York’s 9th congressional district, Republican Bob Turner is running ugly new attack ads, targeting Democrat David Weprin over his support for Muslim Americans’ rights to build a community center a few blocks from Ground Zero.

* With Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder (R) struggling, state GOP officials are wondering if they have a credible gubernatorial candidate for next year.

* And in Kentucky, Republican gubernatorial nominee David Williams’ campaign manager has resigned, which generally isn’t a good sign three months before Election Day.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* It’s at least mildly encouraging to see U.S. retail sales climbed in July, posting their biggest jump since March.

* After all of the radical swings on Wall Street over the last several days, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the week at roughly the same point that it started the week.

* Syria: “Tens of thousands of Syrians in cities and towns around their country took to the streets on Friday after noon prayers shouting ‘We will not kneel’ in a strong show of defiance against the government of President Bashar al-Assad, and at least 15 protesters were killed by security forces, human rights activists and residents said.”

* On a related note, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is urging the EU, India, and China, to ramp up the pressure on Syria even more.

* Private-sector dialog: “President Barack Obama is expected to meet Friday afternoon with chief executives from Johnson & Johnson, Wells Fargo & Co, US Bank, Xerox Corp, BlackRock Inc, according to a source familiar with the plans. He also is meeting with the CEO of Silver Lake Partners.”

* USPS: “The financially strapped U.S. Postal Service is proposing to cut its workforce by 20 percent and to withdraw from the federal health and retirement plans because it believes it could provide benefits at a lower cost.” It’s hard to believe, but over the last four years, mail volume has dropped by 20%.

* Conservative economist Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a very influential figure in Republican politics, set out to prove that the Recovery Act had almost no stimulative effect. The problem: he made a mistake and accidentally proved the exact opposite. This is the latest reminder of why credible GOP wonks are an endangered species.

* Nebraska Attorney General and Republican Senate candidate Jon Bruning compared welfare recipients to scavenging raccoons. This has not gone over well with anyone.

* How many presidential systems of government in the world have a AAA credit rating? None. As our political process cracks, I find this pretty interesting.

* Fascinating item from Aaron Carroll: “It’s not obesity, it’s not heart disease, it’s not diabetes. Kids are killed by accidents, by homicide, and by suicide. That’s why pediatricians ask about guns. But not in Florida [where it is now illegal for physicians to ask about gun ownership].”

* I can relate to this one: “Apparently people with bachelor’s degrees are more likely to work from home.”

* Dear Maine Public Broadcasting Network, when James O’Keefe is pushing one of his provocative new “news” stories, it’s best to remember his reputation for breathtaking dishonesty.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* President Obama will begun a three-day bus tour of the Midwest today, starting with a town-hall meeting in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. He’ll hit Iowa soon after.

* Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) was introduced this morning as the new chairman of the Republican Governors’ Association, succeeding Rick Perry. McDonnell is also making no effort to hide his interest in being considered for the 2012 vice presidential nomination.

* With Tim Pawlenty out of the presidential race, his rivals have been eager to say nice things about him. There’s no great mystery here: the remaining candidates wouldn’t just like an endorsement, they’re also hoping to woo Pawlenty’s staffers, donors, and supporters.

* On a related note, Pawlenty was asked yesterday if he’d like to be part of the 2012 ticket. “I’ve been down that road before,” he said, referencing 2008. “That’s not something I’m even going to consider.”

* Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann told NBC’s Meet the Press yesterday that she doesn’t “judge” gay people. As even casual observers have probably noticed, Bachmann has spent most of her political career condemning the LGBT community.

* Rep. Allen West (R) of Florida, seven months into his first term, has not yet ruled out running for the U.S. Senate next year. The extremist Republican conceded to a South Florida television station last week that “the door is cracked very slightly” on a campaign against Sen. Bill Nelson (D).

* And in Pennsylvania, Republican Tim Burns, who has twice lost U.S. House campaigns, has meet with the National Republican Senatorial Committee about possibly running against Sen. Bob Casey (D) next year. To date, Republicans have struggled badly to find a credible challenger.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* A stunning 37 insurgent attacks across Iraq: “Insurgents across Iraq launched their most significant and wide-ranging attacks in months on Monday, killing 86 people and wounding over 300, in the most violent day in Iraq this year. The violence touched nearly every region of the country, except for Kurdistan, and appeared to be aimed at security forces in both Sunni and Shiite areas.”

* In Afghanistan over the weekend: “Twenty people were killed in a suicide attack Sunday on the governor’s compound in Chaharikar in the central province of Parwan, Afghan officials said. The incident was the latest in a series of attacks in what had been the quiet provinces neighboring Kabul Province…. Sunday’s attack involved six suicide bombers.”

* It doesn’t have to be this way: “Citing an ‘extraordinary reversal of fortune,’ Moody’s Analytics on Monday significantly lowered its hopes for the nation’s economy through 2011, nearly halving its expectations for growth over the next six months.”

* Another wild day on Wall Street, this time in a positive direction: “The rally of more than 2 percent in the broader market on Monday followed one of the most tumultuous weeks ever on Wall Street, in which worries about the United States economy and the threat of a financial crisis in Europe overwhelmed traders.”

* A terrible accident in Indiana: “Just hours after lights and rigging on a concert stage at the state fair in Indianapolis toppled into a crowd, killing five people and injuring at least four dozen more, Indiana officials opened an investigation on Sunday to learn the cause of the calamity and what role the weather, including a wind gust that topped 60 miles per hour, may have played.”

* A helpful analysis of the 11th Circuit’s health care ruling from The Atlantic’s Andrew Cohen. Definitely worth a read.

* The Justice Department’s case against for-profit college chain Education Management Corporation continues to unfold.

* Reforming the criminal justice system is fiscally responsible: “While liberals have long complained that harsh mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent offenses like drug possession are unjust, the push to overhaul penal policies has been increasingly embraced by elected officials in some of the most conservative states in the country. And for a different reason: to save money.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Wisconsin will hold its final two state Senate recall elections of the year today, with two Democratic incumbents fighting to save their jobs. Daily Kos had PPP survey the districts, and it looks as if both Dems are favored.

* What kind of person lies about going to a family reunion? Apparently, Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann is exactly that kind of person.

* Gallup shows Congress’ approval rating once again dropping to an all-time low. This probably isn’t what the new House Republican majority had in mind when they got started seven months ago.

* With Tim Pawlenty out of the presidential race, some Minnesota GOP leaders hope to persuade him to run against incumbent U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). As recently as June, a PPP survey showed Klobuchar leading Pawlenty in a hypothetical match-up by 13 points.

* On a related note, Pawlenty’s backers are being wooed by the remaining candidates, and the former governor’s state director in New Hampshire has signed on with Jon Huntsman’s campaign.

* The Weekly Standard caused a stir this morning, reporting that House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) may be eyeing a presidential race, but Ryan’s office quickly knocked the rumor down, saying, “While grateful for the continued support and encouragement, Congressman Ryan has not changed his mind.”

* Ken Cuccinelli (R), Virginia’s bizarre, right-wing state Attorney General, is already planning a possible campaign against Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) in 2014.

* And for those who’ve forgotten he’s still running for president, disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) assured folks yesterday he’s still “rebuilding” his campaign, and claimed his recent debate performance helped give his fundraising a boost.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* S&P didn’t persuade Fitch: “Fitch Ratings said on Tuesday it affirmed the United States’ top-notch credit rating at AAA, giving the world’s largest economy a reprieve after it was downgraded by Standard & Poor’s little more than a week ago. Fitch said the outlook for the rating was stable.”

* Europe: “The leaders of France and Germany called Tuesday for greater economic discipline and unity among European nations but declined to take the expensive financial measures seen by many investors as the only way to halt the continent’s spiraling debt crisis.”

* Housing policy: “President Obama has directed a small team of advisers to develop a proposal that would keep the government playing a major role in the nation’s mortgage market, extending a federal loan subsidy for most home buyers, according to people familiar with the matter.”

* The Murdoch media scandal clearly isn’t finished: “A high-profile parliamentary panel investigating phone hacking at Rupert Murdoch’s now-defunct News of the World tabloid released embarrassing new evidence Tuesday that the practice of intercepting voice mail had been widely discussed at the newspaper, contradicting assertions by its owners and editors.”

* A horrible waste: “After examining hundreds of combat support and reconstruction contracts in Afghanistan, the U.S military estimates $360 million in U.S. tax dollars has ended up in the hands of people the American-led coalition has spent nearly a decade battling: the Taliban, criminals, and power brokers with ties to both.”

* Tiresome hackery from a Bush-era rascal: “Hans von Spakovsky is continuing the feeble Pajamas Media (PJM) campaign against Attorney General Eric Holder and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division with a fourth column in a series highlighting the allegedly ‘liberal’ resumes of individuals hired by DOJ.”

* A fascinating read from the estimable Chauncey DeVega on race and the right’s opposition to President Obama: “As the pundit classes try to make sense of the debt ceiling-credit downgrade political drama, they are overlooking a central element in the Tea Party GOP’s almost mouth-frothing resistance President Barack Obama since his landslide election in 2008.”

* A great piece from Aaron Carroll on “malpractice reform” in Texas under Rick Perry.

* Student loans always seem to be the exception: “Apparently Americans are cutting down on everything in the current recession…. Well almost everything. According to the same article ‘there was $550 billion in student debt outstanding in the second quarter, up 25% from $440 billion in the third quarter of 2008.’”

* Ohio State Sen. Kris Jordan (R) was involved in a domestic dispute with his wife recently, which included her calling 911 to say Jordan had a gun. The police recording from the incident features the state senator telling the police about his wife: “She got a little upset. Girls do that.” Oh my.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In the final two state Senate recall elections in Wisconsin, the Democratic incumbents cruised to easy, double-digit victories. All told, all three Dems won their recall races this year, while four of the six Republicans also got to keep their jobs. The result: the GOP majority in the chamber has slipped from 19-14 to 17-16.

* Speaking of Wisconsin, public support for recalling Gov. Scott Walker (R) appears to be slipping a bit. Public Policy Polling found that 50% of Wisconsin voters generally oppose a recall, while 47% support it. In May, those numbers were reversed.

* Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s economic vision includes laying off more federal employees, presumably making unemployment worse on purpose, at least for a while.

* Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul argued yesterday major media outlets are “frightened” of his presidential campaign, which is why he’s generally treated as an afterthought.

* In Massachusetts, Sen. Scott Brown (R) is apparently starting to worry about a challenge from Elizabeth Warren. A new fundraising appeal from the Republican senator not only includes a desperate plea, it also slams Warren for having been raised in Oklahoma.

* On a related note, Warren has reportedly begun attending house parties in the Boston area, apparently as part of an effort to lay the groundwork for a Democratic Senate campaign.

* Though South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) has been rumored as a possible VP candidate next year, the Republican governor ruled it out this morning. “It’s not something I’m interested in,” Haley told Laura Ingraham. “We need someone on this ticket who is ready.”

* Just in time to celebrate his wedding anniversary, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich is headed for Hawaii next week. This guy sure does like going on vacation, doesn’t he?

* And if Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann is counting on support from her fellow congressional Republicans from Minnesota, she’s likely to be disappointed: at this point, no one from her delegation has endorsed her.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Undermining the Christie boomlet: “Lights out for Chris Christie. Today there was buzz about him possibly jumping into the race, but that’s over. New Jersey just got its credit rating downgraded by Fitch from AA to AA-.” Yesterday, Fitch gave the federal government a AAA rating.

* In Ohio, Gov. John Kasich (R) said he’s willing to revisit his recently passed anti-union measure if public unions agree to “drop their campaign to repeal the bill on the November ballot.”

* I’m starting to get the impression that the House GOP isn’t particularly interested in job creation: “House Republicans are unlikely to support a Democratic plan to create a congressional supercommittee tasked with helping to spur U.S. job creation, seeing the proposal as leading to costly and ineffective jobs programs.”

* The left has been urging President Obama to be more aggressive in pushing a jobs agenda and combating Republican rhetoric. A Daily Kos diarist makes the case that the president is doing this week exactly what progressives have been asking him to do.

* The recent partial FAA shutdown was embarrassing for Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), but that’s not a good reason for him to lie about it: “In a letter to the editor of the Florida Times-Union last Friday, Rep. John Mica (R-FL) attempted to rewrite the reasons behind the recent shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration. Unfortunately for the Republican transportation chairman, the real reasons are well documented.”

* Speaking of Florida, the Sunshine State’s far-right governor isn’t having much luck: “Gov. Rick Scott suffered a legal setback Tuesday when the Florida Supreme Court ruled that an effort to hold up new state regulations was unconstitutional, but the practical effects of the decision are still unclear.”

* The overwhelming majority of servicemen and women in the U.S. military are extraordinary professionals and American heroes. There are, alas, a few exceptions: “An Air Force staff sergeant based in Germany says he’s been AWOL since last week because he read on the Internet that President Barack Obama’s long form birth certificate is a fraud.”

* Daniel Luzer: “[I]t seems like in both Europe and the United States there’s a lot of talk about increasing access to higher education but not much money available to actually make that happen.”

* Rush Limbaugh continues to use racially-charged language in going after the president: “Today on his radio show, Rush Limbaugh described a new Oreo that will have both chocolate and vanilla cream as a ‘biracial’ cookie and said that ‘it isn’t going to be long before it’s going to be called the Or-Bam-eo or something like this.’ Limbaugh later called it the ‘Or-Bam-eo’ himself.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In New Hampshire, the latest NH Journal poll, released yesterday, shows Mitt Romney leading the Republican presidential field with 36% support, followed by Rick Perry with 18%. Ron Paul was third with 14%, and Michele Bachmann fourth with 10%.

* Since every candidate apparently needs a Super PAC, three Bachmann supporters have formed Citizens for a Working America to collect unregulated donations in support of the right-wing Minnesotan. The Super PAC will be chaired by former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell.

* And speaking of Bachmann, her campaign’s point man for faith-based outreach faced terrorism charges in Uganda five years ago.

* Though some party officials hoped he’d consider the race, Tim Pawlenty announced yesterday that he will not take on Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) in 2012.

* The AFL-CIO’s political director said yesterday that unions will stand by President Obama in 2012. “I don’t think that the labor movement will be on the sidelines with President Obama,” Michael Podhorzer, the labor federation’s top politics officer, told The Hill.

* Following another round of rumors, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), once again, categorically denied any interest in running for president in this cycle.

* In Wisconsin, Public Policy Polling shows Bachmann leading the GOP presidential field with 24%, followed by Perry with 20%. Mitt Romney rounds out the top tier with 17%.

* The National Republican Congressional Committee continues to invest pretty heavily in the upcoming special election in Nevada’s 2nd district. The NRCC has now spent nearly $345,000 in a traditionally “red” district, leading up to the Sept. 13 election.

* In Utah, the latest Mason-Dixon poll shows Sen. Orrin Hatch leading Rep. Jason Chaffetz in a likely Republican primary match-up, 49% to 39%. The same poll found both GOP candidates leading Rep. Jim Matheson (D) in a hypothetical general-election contest.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* So much for the respite: “After just a few days of calm, stocks declined steeply on Thursday in a worldwide sell-off. The downturn was driven by fresh concerns that the worldwide economy is slowing and that Europe’s debt crisis is putting strain on the financial sector.”

* President Obama has called for Syria’s president to quit: “The future of Syria must be determined by its people, but President Bashar al-Assad is standing in their way.” Obama also signed an executive order that, among other thing, bans U.S. imports of Syrian oil.

* Soon after Obama’s announcement, leaders in Germany, France, and Britain also called on Assad to step down.

* Israel: “Militants suspected of having crossed from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula attacked a bus, vehicles and Israeli soldiers in southern Israel on Thursday, killing at least six people and wounding about two dozen more, according to the Israeli army and medical officials.”

* Libya: “Rebel fighters gained complete control on Thursday of the oil refinery in Zawiyah — just a half hour’s drive from Tripoli, the country’s capital — routing government soldiers after days of battle and advancing into other parts of this strategic port city still controlled by loyalists of Libya’s increasingly isolated leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi.”

* S&P still has some explaining to do: “The Justice Department is investigating whether the nation’s largest credit ratings agency, Standard & Poor’s, improperly rated dozens of mortgage securities in the years leading up to the financial crisis.”

* Republican Rep. Cliff Stearns pushed for this, but I’m not sure why: “The Federal Bureau of Investigation has finished screening 60,000 Ground Zero responders and others after a Florida congressman insisted they be checked against a terrorist watch list before receiving aid from a Sept. 11 program.”

* Under the Voting Rights Act, communities with heavy populations of non-English speakers can print ballots in multiple languages. Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) wants this to end.

* Over at Ten Miles Square, Rick Ungar points to a key development health care reform development: the Affordable Care Act appears to be slowing down Medicare spending.

* John Gravois wrote a great piece on the growth of American civic groups in developing countries, and had some interesting insights on the subject on NPR yesterday.

* Online education won’t lead to the extinction of on-campus learning anytime soon.

* With Republicans apparently throwing a fit because President Obama is vacationing with his family, perhaps now is a good time to note that after 31 months in office, Obama has taken 61 vacation days. At this point in his presidency, George W. Bush had already spent 180 days at his ranch. Maybe the right should find something less silly to whine about.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) announced this morning he will not be a candidate for any public office in 2012. Feingold was considered the top Democratic candidate for the open U.S. Senate seat in Wisconsin, and the top Dem challenger in a potential recall election against Gov. Scott Walker (R).

* Elizabeth Warren took the next step towards a U.S. Senate campaign in Massachusetts, yesterday launching an exploratory committee. The consumer advocate and Harvard professor is currently on a “listening tour” of the state.

* Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann claimed yesterday she worked for the IRS as a tax attorney as some kind of anti-tax mole. “The first rule of war is ‘know your enemy,’” she said. This line contradicts everything Bachmann has previously said about her IRS career.

* Speaking of Bachmann, she’ also repeatedly claimed to “postdoctorate degree” and went by “Dr. Michele Bachmann” for a while. In reality, as Mother Jones noted, she “never obtained nor sought the advanced degree that’s a prerequisite for the title.”

* In Ohio, Public Policy Polling shows President Obama’s approval rating sinking, but he still leads all of his Republican challengers by margins ranging from two points (vs. Romney) to 13 points (vs. Palin).

* And speaking of Ohio, PPP also found Gov. John Kasich’s (R) approval rating in his own state down to 36%. Only Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) is less popular among the nation’s governors.

* Confirming what has long appeared obvious, Tommy Thompson, the former governor, Bush administration official, and failed presidential candidate, is moving forward with plans to run for the Senate in Wisconsin next year.

* After posing with a porn star at a pantless bar, Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder (R), ostensibly a leading gubernatorial candidate next year, is struggling to hold onto his party’s support.

* And GOP presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman, responding to rival Rick Perry’s comments yesterday, proudly proclaimed, “To be clear, I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy.” If Huntsman thinks this will earn him Republican votes, he really is crazy.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Syria: “Thousands of Syrians took to the streets across the country on Friday calling for the downfall of President Bashar al-Assad, keeping up the pressure in the five-month-old uprising a day after an alliance of nations led by the United States publicly called on him for the first time to step down and toughened sanctions against his government. At least 18 people were reported killed, including some soldiers who disobeyed orders to shoot at protesters.”

* Libya: “Libyan rebels say a close Moammar Gadhafi associate who was once the No. 2 top regime official has defected in another blow to the increasingly isolated Libyan leader.”

* Plea deal for the West Memphis Three: “Three men convicted of the murder of three West Memphis boys have pleaded guilty to lesser charges in a deal with prosecutors that will have them released from prison with time already served.”

* Afghanistan: “Taliban insurgents blew up a truck outside the British cultural center in Kabul on Friday, then stormed the compound and fought a gun battle for more than eight hours with Afghan security forces trying to dislodge them. The violence, which came on the anniversary of Afghanistan’s 1919 independence from Britain, left at least eight people dead, in addition to the attackers, officials said.”

* Israel: “Israel struck militants in Gaza and Palestinians fired rockets back Friday following deadly gun attacks along the desert border with Egypt that have raised tensions between Israel and the new rulers in Cairo.”

* If you missed The Daily Show’s segment on “class warfare,” take the time to watch it. You’ll be glad you did.

* Is Grover Norquist’s pledge no longer sacrosanct in GOP circles? A handful of congressional Republicans have begun distancing themselves from the written promise on taxes.

* A powerful, courageous piece from Jessica Valenti: “After a life-threatening pregnancy and a premature birth I was scared to hold my newborn daughter — or to get too attached.”

* Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) believes Americans are concerned about “the rise of the Soviet Union,” which ceased to exist two decades ago. Remember, GOP leaders put her on the House Intelligence Committee.

* And for all the Republican complaints that President Obama is taking a week-long break, despite a weak economy he can’t fix on his own, Eric Boehlert notes that 18 years ago this week, then-President Reagan launched a 25-day vacation. At the time, unemployment was at 9.5%. The right really should find something new to whine about.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Texas, Gov. Rick Perry (R) intermixes state government and campaign fundraising: “Over three terms in office, Mr. Perry’s administration has doled out grants, tax breaks, contracts and appointments to hundreds of his most generous supporters and their businesses. And they have helped Mr. Perry raise more money than any politician in Texas history.”

* Though fundraising for both parties was off in July, the DCCC narrowly outraised the NRCC, $4.02 million to $3.88 million. The Republican House committee still has less debt than its Democratic counterpart.

* Former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) released a video late Friday, emphasizing her affinity for Iowa. This, coupled with a scheduled Iowa trip on Sept. 3, has renewed speculation about a possible Palin presidential campaign.

* In New York’s upcoming special election to fill Anthony Weiner’s seat, the Uniformed Fire Officers Association and the Uniformed Firefighters Association have thrown their support to Democratic Assemblyman David Weprin.

* Speaking of New York, former Gov. George Pataki (R) is apparently still considering a presidential campaign, though no one’s sure why.

* If Democrats struggle in the 2012 elections, it may well be due to Democratic voters who don’t feel like showing up — Public Policy Polling shows Democratic voter enthusiasm waning badly.

* Though the comment sparked some controversy, Mitt Romney’s “corporations are people” line has been embraced by his campaign.

* In Ohio, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) is still well ahead of all of his likely Republican challengers, but the margins have slipped since May.

* And speaking of Ohio, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D), whose district will apparently disappear next year, is still shopping for a new state to run in. He attended Seattle’s Hempfest over the weekend, where he compared the effort to legalize marijuana to the Arab Spring.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Libya: “Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi remained at large Monday, and loyalist forces still held pockets of the city, stubbornly resisting the rebels’ efforts to establish full control, but there was little doubt that the Libyan leader’s four-decade grip on power was ending.”

* The Gaddafi regime is collapsing sooner than anticipated, forcing Western countries to scramble to put together post-conflict plans for Libya.

* Egyptian/Israeli tensions reach their highest point in three decades: “Diplomats scrambled to avert a crisis in relations between Egypt and Israel on Saturday, and the Israeli government issued a rare statement of regret for the killing of three Egyptian security officers by an Israeli warplane.”

* Iran: “Two American hikers imprisoned in Iran for more than two years have been convicted of espionage and sentenced to eight years in jail, according to a news reports.”

* Just when it seemed like this would be a quiet hurricane season: “Hurricane Irene swept just north of the Dominican Republic on Monday after pummeling Puerto Rico, and forecasters saw the storm strengthening to a major hurricane off the Southeast U.S. coast by the weekend.”

* The workers didn’t get a new contract just yet, but the Verizon strike ended over the weekend, two weeks after it began.

* The world probably didn’t need an easier way to enrich uranium, but General Electric has developed a successful new laser-enrichment technique.

* The Keystone XL pipeline, which would “carry diluted bitumen — an acidic crude oil — from Canada’s Alberta tar sands to the Texas Gulf Coast,” is generating controversy.

* Juan Cole has an interesting item noting the “top 10 myths” about the war in Libya.

* A long-awaited memorial honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. opened to the public today, near the Washington Mall.

* “Insufferable” seems like an entirely fair adjective to describe the L.A. Times’ Andrew Malcolm.

* Not suspicious at all: “The e-mail accounts of Rick Scott and most of the governor-elect’s transition team were deleted soon after he took office, potentially erasing public records that state law requires be kept.”

* Something’s wrong with this picture: “[T]he total cost of tuition, room, and board at Amherst College, for instance, is $53,370 a year. Even relatively affluent people can’t easily manage to shell out $53,000 at one time. And so Amherst uses a company called Tuition Management Systems to help make tuition payments more affordable. But TMS charges a 2.99 percent fee for every credit charge transaction. That’s $1,595 a year.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Iowa, a brand new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Rick Perry leading the Republican presidential field with 22% with Mitt Romney second with 19%. Michele Bachmann, thought to be the Iowa frontrunner, is now a close third with 18%.

* The DNC has produced a new 30-second spot made up entirely of Jon Huntsman’s criticisms of his fellow Republican presidential candidates.

* In a bit of a surprise, Rep. Jason Chaffetz announced yesterday he will not take on Sen. Orrin Hatch in a Republican primary in Utah next year. Whether Hatch may face a different primary challenger remains unclear.

* Sen. Jim DeMint’s (R) American Principles Project will host a forum for GOP presidential candidates in South Carolina in a couple of weeks. Rick Santorum and Jon Huntsman aren’t invited because they’re too far down in the polls.

* MassUniting, a labor-backed coalition in Massachusetts, has a good new ad out, going after Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) as “Bobble Head Brown” for the frequency with which he goes along with the Republican agenda.

* Former Rep. Christopher Shays (R), who lost his re-election bid three years ago, will run for the Senate in Connecticut next year. After moving back to the state — Shays relocated to Maryland after losing — he’ll likely face a crowded primary.

* Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) announced yesterday he will not run for the U.S. Senate next year.

* In Michigan, a new EPIC-MRA poll shows Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) leading former Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R), 47% to 38%. The nine-point lead is significantly higher than the two-point lead she had a few months ago.

* Mississippi will hold its Democratic gubernatorial runoff today, putting Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree against businessman Bill Luckett. The winner will face Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant (R) in November.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Libya: “Rebel fighters overwhelmed Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s sprawling compound on Tuesday, crashing through its outer gates, running pell-mell through the grounds and ransacking caches of weapons abandoned by his shrinking retinue of defenders. Colonel Qaddafi and his family were nowhere to be found.”

* Housing market: “The number of people who bought new homes fell for the fourth straight month. Sales this year are on track to finish as the worst on records dating back half a century.”

* Watching Irene: “Since yesterday, Hurricane Irene has grown to a Category 2 hurricane, and presently contains maximum sustained winds of 100 mph…. Marching west-northwestward at 12 mph, the storm is very likely to intensify into a major hurricane (category 3 or higher) and head towards the U.S. East Coast, but the exact track and specific impacts remain fuzzy.”

* Regulatory overhaul: “The White House on Tuesday unveiled plans to loosen the regulatory burden for American companies, announcing cuts in regulations that administration officials said would save more than $10 billion over five years.”

* House Republicans immediately said the regulatory overhaul isn’t good enough for them.

* Maybe now S&P can get its act together: “The ratings agency Standard & Poor’s said late on Monday that its president, Deven Sharma, who has become the public face of the firm in the wake of its historic downgrade on the United States’ long-term debt rating, will step down and leave the company by the end of the year.”

* The Jamie Leigh Jones case: “Military contractor KBR is trying to get a woman who said she was raped while working for them in Iraq to pay them $2 million to cover their court fees, claiming her $145 million lawsuit against them was frivolous and fabricated.”

* The American Sociological Association identified the four primary characteristics most associated with those Americans sympathetic to the Tea Party: “Authoritarianism, ontological insecurity (fear of change), libertarianism and nativism.” Try not to be surprised.

* Dear Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas): when lawmakers schedule congressional hearings for the sole purpose of trying to “embarrass the president,” they’re not supposed to admit it out loud.

* Sharpton’s slot: “Al Sharpton has been officially named the host of the 6 PM hour on MSNBC. The network announced Tuesday that Sharpton will host ‘PoliticsNation’ on weeknights starting August 29.”

* The difference between the RNC and the Fox Nation website is practically non-existent.

* And apparently some on the right want us to be troubled by the fact that President Obama reads novels during his vacation. Conservatives sure do pick strange things to complain about.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In a national survey, Public Policy Polling shows President Obama tied with Mitt Romney in a hypothetical match-up, with each getting 45% support. The president leads Rick Perry in the poll, 49% to 43%, and leads Michele Bachmann, 50% to 42%.

* In Iowa, where voters have spent a fair amount of time getting to know the Republican presidential hopefuls, President Obama leads all of the leading GOP candidates by double digits in general-election match-ups.

* In Mississippi yesterday, Democrats nominated Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree as their gubernatorial nominee. DuPree’s nomination makes history — he’s the first major-party African-American candidate ever to win a gubernatorial nomination in Mississippi.

* In Nevada’s upcoming special election in the 2nd congressional district, a new Daily Kos/Public Policy Polling survey shows former state Sen. Mark Amodei (R) with a narrow lead over state Treasurer Kate Marshall (D), 43% to 42%.

* The right-wing Club for Growth is going after Republican Senate candidate Tommy Thompson in a new television ad, because Thompson endorsed a health care bill in the Senate that was an early version of the Affordable Care Act.

* In Hawaii, in something of a surprise, Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D) announced she will run for re-election, rather than running for the open U.S. Senate seat.

* On a related note, Hanabusa will likely find herself in a 2010 re-match, with former Rep. Charles Djou (R) hoping to make a comeback.

* And in Michigan, the latest EPIC-MRA poll shows Romney leading the GOP presidential field with 32%, followed by Perry at 17% and Bachmann at 12%. Romney’s 15-point lead is obviously sizable, but given his history with the state — his father was governor of Michigan — many expected his lead to be even bigger.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Libya: “In another sign that Colonel Qaddafi’s regime had come unglued, loyalists holding more than 30 foreign journalists captive in Tripoli’s luxury Rixos hotel abruptly let them go.”

* The bounty: “Even as the Libyan rebels claimed to have most of the capital of Tripoli under their control, the whereabouts of Moammar Gadhafi remain a mystery. Libya’s opposition National Transition Council said Wednesday it was offering a $1.7 million bounty for Gadhafi’s capture, dead or alive.”

* Gaddafi, meanwhile, delivered a radio address overnight, calling his retreat “tactical,” and vowing “martyrdom.”

* Economy: “New orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods rose in July, offering hope the ailing economy could dodge a second recession even though a gauge of business spending fell.”

* Yesterday’s earthquake caused a crack in the Washington Monument that’s four feet long and one inch wide.

* Watching Irene: “Evacuations began on a tiny barrier island off North Carolina as Hurricane Irene kept strengthening near the Bahamas Wednesday, with the U.S. East Coast in its sights. Still a Category 3 hurricane, Irene could grow to a Category 4 on Thursday, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.”

* The Congressional Budget Office projects GDP growth of 2.3% this year and 2.7% this year, with unemployment dropping to 8.5% by the end of 2012. But — and this is a key “but” — the CBO projections were completed in July, and the last few weeks have been unkind.

* Hmm: “House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has for months argued for closing tax loopholes as a way to pay for his proposed tax cuts. But it turns out he has a penchant for creating those same loopholes when it comes to helping out his biggest donors.”

* Republicans don’t want to hear this, but raising Medicare’s eligibility age would “increase overall health spending and shift costs to seniors, states, and employers.”

* I’d never heard of gay affirmative action: “Elmhurst College, a small private college about 20 miles west of Chicago, Illinois, will apparently be the first college in the country to make sexual orientation a part of its admissions process.”

* It was only a matter of time before some far-right crank said yesterday’s mid-Atlantic earthquake was a divine message. WorldNetDaily editor Joseph Farah was up to the task.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. Jim DeMint (R) will host a Labor Day event in South Carolina for all the leading Republican presidential candidates, but in a bit of a surprise, Mitt Romney has decided not to attend. Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul, Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich have accepted DeMint’s invitation.

* Rick Perry has signed the controversial Susan B. Anthony anti-abortion pledge, which makes a variety of right-wing commitments, including vowing to nominate like-minded judges and pushing to defund Planned Parenthood.

* Eric Fehrnstrom, a leading adviser to Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), accidentally outed himself as the Republican activist behind a Twitter account mocking Democratic Senate candidate Alan Khazei. Fehrnstrom has refused to apologize, and the incident undermines Brown’s claim about running an above-board campaign.

* The Perry campaign is poised to pick up its first Senate endorsement, with Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) throwing his support to the Texas governor.

* Erick Erickson would be more willing to look at George Allen’s (R) Senate primary opponents in Virginia, were it not for the fact that the company that publishes RedState.com is aligned with Allen.

* The Republican presidential nominating calendar is far from resolved, with Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) still threatening to hold a primary on Jan. 31, two weeks before Iowa’s scheduled caucus date.

* And speaking of Arizona, Democrats do not yet have a top-tier Senate candidate to run next year, but Richard Carmona, the former Surgeon General and Vietnam vet, is reportedly in the mix.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Libya: “Rebels intensified their hunt for Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi and his sons on Thursday, engaging in an intense fight with loyalists in a neighborhood of apartment blocks near his former Tripoli fortress, as Western officials said NATO was actively helping in the effort to find the elusive leader.”

* Hurricane Irene could be brutal: “The northeast seaboard, including the capital and financial center New York, rushed to prepare on Thursday for a possible mauling from Hurricane Irene that will hit the coast this weekend. From the Carolinas to Cape Cod, states, cities, ports, industries, oil refineries and nuclear plants were scrambling to activate emergency plans while residents stocked up on food and water and worked to secure homes, vehicles and boats.”

* Claims for U.S. unemployment benefits take another turn for the worse: “Jobless claims climbed by 5,000 to 417,000 in the week ended Aug. 20, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News projected a drop in claims to 405,000.”

* This year’s federal budget deficit has shrunk to $1.28 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The same report found that the deficit “will ebb substantially” over the next decade — just so long as “the Bush-era tax cuts and other measures are allowed to expire as scheduled, the report said.”

* Apple loses its leader: “Steven P. Jobs, whose insistent vision that he knew what consumers wanted made Apple one of the world’s most valuable and influential companies, is stepping down as chief executive, the company announced late Wednesday.”

* Two of my favorite writers at Slate, Tim Noah and Jack Shafer, were two of the four staffers the online magazine laid off yesterday.

* Catching Charles Dyer: “Federal officials have reportedly captured former U.S. Marine and Oath Keeper Charles Dyer in Texas, following a manhunt after Dyer skipped a court appearance for a rape charge that he believed was concocted as part of a government conspiracy against him.”

* Community colleges are important: “A whole lot of Californians will be turned away from the Golden State’s nominally open-access community colleges this year…. The problem is not just the reduced funding from the state. With the Great Recession continuing, the unemployed continue to increase demand for community colleges, which they want to attend for training in the hopes of landing a job.”

* No charges in the Wisconsin chokehold case: “There will be no criminal charges against the Wisconsin Supreme Court justice accused of choking a colleague in chambers, the special prosecutor investigating the case told The Associated Press Thursday.”

* Well, that’s weird: “The ransacking of Moammar Gadhafi’s compound is turning up some bizarre loot. Following on from the Libyan leader’s eccentric fashion accessories and his daughter’s golden mermaid couch, the latest discovery is a photo album filled with page after page of pictures of Condoleezza Rice.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The latest Associated Press-GfK poll shows Congress’ approval rating dropping to just 12%. It’s the lowest ever recorded in an AP poll.

* President Obama’s re-election team unveiled “Project Vote” yesterday, a voter-outreach drive intended to “combine grassroots organizing with digital outreach and voter registration to ‘expand the electorate’ and ‘maximize participation from crucial constituencies.’”

* Former New York Gov. George Pataki (R), after months of flirtation, has decided not to run for president this year after all. Had he gotten into the race, Pataki was not expected to do well.

* The latest poll from the Pew Forum found that 41% of Republican voters said there is “no chance” they would vote for former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R). Of the national GOP figures, only disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) fared worse, with 48% ruling him out.

* Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman told PBS yesterday he “wouldn’t hesitate” to call on the wealthy to make sacrifices. Pressed for some additional details, Huntsman quickly added, “Well, I’m not saying higher taxes.”

* In Michigan, Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra (R) stuck up for Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s ousted dictator, blaming the Obama administration for having thrown Mubarak “under the bus.”

* On a related note, Hoekstra, a former congressman and failed gubernatorial candidate, is the clear GOP favorite in the Senate race, but he won’t have a clear shot at Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) — Detroit charter school co-founder Clark Durant will apparently take on Hoekstra in a Republican primary.

* In Wisconsin, former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) hoped to have the Republican’s U.S. Senate nomination all wrapped up, but former Rep. Mark Neumann (R) will take him on in a GOP primary.

* And in New Hampshire, the GOP establishment is rallying to oust the state Republican state party’s chairman, Jack Kimball, despite his strong Tea Party backing.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* All eyes on Hurricane Irene: “As Hurricane Irene began to pelt the North Carolina coast Friday afternoon, its winds picked up speed to 100 miles per hour and the threat of danger magnified up the East Coast.”

* NYC prepares: “Nearly 300,000 people were ordered Friday to evacuate flood-prone areas and subways, buses and trains prepared to shut down a day later as Hurricane Irene steamed toward New York, the most powerful storm to target the city in decades.”

* President Obama is cutting his vacation short and will return to the White House tonight.

* On a related note, the president ordered an aircraft carrier group out to sea to avoid the storm, and convened the second day of coordination meetings with DHS and FEMA. Agencies have been “setting up outposts in coastal communities stocked with water, meals, cots, blankets and other supplies for those displaced” since last weekend.

* Terrorism in Nigeria: “A suicide bomber rammed a vehicle packed with explosives into the United Nations headquarters in the Nigerian capital of Abuja on Friday, blasting an enormous hole in the building with a thunderous detonation that left at least 18 dead, witnesses and officials said. As many as 400 people may have been inside during the attack, the first time United Nations offices have been a bombing target in Nigeria.”

* Dylan Thomas put together an impressive analysis on independent research, hoping to determine whether the 2009 Recovery Act worked. His conclusion: “I’m inclined to believe that the preponderance of evidence indicates the stimulus worked.”

* Remember the sheep replacing lawnmowers at those schools in Pennsylvania? The Rachel Maddow Show now has video.

* Weekly Standard staffers are calling in NATO airstrikes in Libya? That doesn’t strike me as a very good idea.

* A Fox News personality told viewers today that if the Washington Monument fell, “it would be a big problem.” I agree with that.

* Was Martin Luther King a popular national figure in the early- to mid-60s? No, and his popularity suffered when he turned his attention to anti-war activism and housing issues in the North.

* Prominent media figure Pat Buchanan is concerned about the “overrepresentation of white men in the body bags and caskets coming home” from the Middle East.

* It’s Women’s Equality Day.

* And for some reason, Politico published a piece from actor/activist Chuck Norris this week, which argued that the unfinished Arms Trade Treaty pending at the United Nations would impose “restrictions on our Second Amendment rights.” What Politico’s editors failed to realize is that Norris has no idea what he’s talking about.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Late Friday, Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry endorsed the National Organization for Marriage’s anti-gay pledge. By signing the pledge, Perry has reversed his support for leaving marriage issues to the states.

* Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann said over the weekend that the United States is “the king daddy dogs” when it comes to natural resources. She blamed “radical environmentalists” for the inability to access those resources.

* On a related note, Bachmann also said she’s prepared to allow for oil and natural gas drilling in the Florida Everglades if elected president.

* House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) isn’t pleased that Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney chose now to quadruple the size of his Southern California mansion.

* Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) was forced to abandon his presidential campaign a couple of weeks ago, after struggling to break into the top tier. The Huffington Post is reporting that polls weren’t the only reason Pawlenty quit — he was also deeply in debt.

* In Wisconsin, former Rep. Mark Neumann (R) will launch his Senate campaign today, and will likely face former Gov. Tommy Thompson in a GOP primary. Neumann has already run failed Senate and gubernatorial campaigns in recent cycles.

* Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum, using an odd choice of words, has accused the LGBT community of launching “a jihad” against his campaign.

* And in Arizona, much to the chagrin of party leaders, Anthony Prowell, an elementary special-ed teacher, apparently intends to run against Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in a Democratic primary.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* As of this afternoon, the death toll from Hurricane Irene stood at 35 people spanning 10 states. Flooding in several New England areas remains at crisis levels, and millions are still without power.

* The Gaddafi family flees: “Algeria said on Monday that it had allowed a two-vehicle caravan of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s relatives, including his second wife and three of his children, into the country.” The dictator himself has clearly lost control of Libya, but his whereabouts are unknown.

* Some encouraging economic news: “Consumer spending in the United States rebounded strongly in July to post the largest increase in five months on strong demand for motor vehicles, a government report showed on Monday, supporting views the economy was not falling back into recession.”

* A preliminary win in Alabama: “A federal judge temporarily blocked enforcement of Alabama’s new law cracking down on illegal immigration, ruling Monday that she needed more time to decide whether the law opposed by the Obama administration, church leaders and immigrant-rights groups is constitutional.”

* Karzai apparently doesn’t appreciate being left out of the loop: “Infuriated that Washington met secretly at least three times with a personal emissary of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, the Afghan government intentionally leaked details of the clandestine meetings, scuttling the talks and sending the Taliban intermediary into hiding.”

* Colin Powell doesn’t seem especially impressed with Dick Cheney’s new book. The two clearly were never on the same page in the White House, but Powell is now criticizing the former VP’s “cheap shots.”

* Don’t believe your lying eyes: “Eyewitness misidentification is a leading factor in wrongful convictions — according to the Innocence Project, more than 75 percent of DNA exonerations involved cases of eyewitness misidentification. In what the Innocence Project called a landmark ruling earlier this week, New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart J. Rabner wrote a long opinion holding that the legal standards for admissibility of eyewitness evidence should be modified.”

* Andy Sabl takes a look at the 2008 “Obama for America” structure and compares it to the structure of the New Model Army.

* House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) wants a retraction from the New York Times. He’s not going to get one.

* Daniel Luzer: “College costs, we all know, just keep increasing. The average private college now costs $27,293 a year in tuition alone. College prices increase at about double the rate of inflation. Oddly, however, it seems that college costs might actually be falling for America’s rich people.”

* Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) will hold another town-hall meeting this week, and this time, he won’t order police officers to confiscate constituents’ cameras.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In a national CNN poll released yesterday, Rick Perry is out in front of the announced Republican presidential candidates, leading the crowded field with 32%. Mitt Romney is second with 18%, while Michele Bachmann is third with 12%. Unlike Bachmann, Romney has seen his support slip over the last month.

* In South Carolina, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Perry with an even bigger lead, topping Romney by 20 points, 36% to 16%. Bachmann is third with 13%. South Carolina, of course, is home to a key early primary contest.

* Wisconsin State Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald (R), instrumental in passing anti-worker legislation this year, will reportedly enter a crowded GOP field in the state’s open U.S. Senate race. Fitzgerald will face former Gov. Tommy Thompson and former Rep. Mark Nuemann in a Republican primary.

* Michele Bachmann will publish an already-completed memoir in November. The book does not yet have a name.

* Perry’s gubernatorial administration automatically deletes all staff members’ emails after seven days. It’s not exactly a model for open, transparent government.

* Louisiana is home to one of a few gubernatorial races this year, but it isn’t shaping up to be much of a contest. The latest polling shows incumbent Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) lead state Sen. Rob Marionneaux (D) by 29 points with roughly three months to go before the election.

* And in Missouri, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder (R), struggling after a series of embarrassments, including allegations he attended a pants-free nightclub, said yesterday he won’t run for governor unless he’s sure he can win. Kinder is poised to launch a statewide tour to gauge levels of support.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Irene’s aftermath: “The National Guard airlifted food, water and other supplies to hundreds of people stranded without power in towns across southern Vermont on Tuesday as crews inspected damaged bridges and tried to restore washed-out highways after the remnants of Hurricane Irene caused historic flooding in the state.”

* FEMA’s dwindling bank account: “Cleaning up after Hurricane Irene could cost billions, but FEMA has less than $800 million in its coffers. So the Federal Emergency Management Agency is freezing aid money earmarked for states like Missouri, Tennessee and Alabama that were ravaged by floods and tornados earlier this year - to make sure they have enough to help with the immediate needs of states strafed by Irene.”

* Gaddafi’s allies get a deadline: “Emboldened by their military advances and increasing acceptance abroad, Libya’s rebels gave Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s recalcitrant loyalists a four-day deadline Tuesday to surrender, and they demanded that Algeria repatriate a clutch of Qaddafi family members — including his biological daughter and her own newborn daughter — who had fled into exile there the day before.”

* Fast and Furious fallout: “The ATF head has been reassigned amid an investigation into a controversial U.S. gun-trafficking operation, part of a broader shake-up at the Justice Department in which the U.S. attorney in Phoenix also stepped down, officials said Tuesday.”

* Economy: “Consumer confidence plunged in August to its lowest since the 2007-2009 recession, after a bruising battle over the budget slammed stock prices and pushed the nation to the brink of default.”

* Iraq: “Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s office put out a statement today saying the U.S. troop presence in Iraq will be gone by the end of this year as specified in an agreement made with the Bush administration”

* Stimulus: “A new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report estimates that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) increased the number of people employed by between 1.0 million and 2.9 million jobs as of June. In other words, between 1.0 million and 2.9 million people employed in June owed their jobs to the Recovery Act.”

* As a rule, when officials in Washington promise to save American taxpayers big bucks by targeting “fraud and abuse,” it’s best to just roll one’s eyes. But not always: “New government statistics show federal health care fraud prosecutions in the first eight months of 2011 are on pace to rise 85% over last year due in large part to ramped-up enforcement efforts under the Obama administration.”

* Scary: “The Houston Police Department said damage to a window at Rep. Gene Green’s office appears to be criminal mischief, not gun shots.”

* I don’t want to alarm anyone, but Dick Cheney’s book takes some liberties with the facts.

* Getting out of student loans: “One of the more troubling aspects about the rise in student loan debt is that, unlike other forms of debt, this generally isn’t dischargeable in bankruptcy. When someone files for bankruptcy he gets relief from creditors. But that doesn’t work for student loans. People are still responsible for payments on those debts, crippling interest rates an all, even if they file for bankruptcy. It’s time to change that.”

* And Rush Limbaugh, increasingly brazen on race-related issues, is now arguing that Colin Powell will support President Obama’s re-election because “melanin is thicker than water.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new national Quinnipiac poll shows Rick Perry leading the Republican presidential field, topping Mitt Romney by six points. Whether Sarah Palin is included in the mix affects levels of support, but in either scenario, Perry’s lead is the same. It’s the fourth major poll to be released showing the Texas governor as the frontrunner.

* With Romney reversing course, Sen. Jim DeMint’s (R) Labor Day cattle call in South Carolina will feature Romney, Perry, Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul, Herman Cain, and Newt Gingrich. They’ll each appear on the stage, one at a time.

* With Romney now participating in a Tea Party Express rally in New Hampshire next week, Dick Armey’s FreedomWorks has decided to pull its co-sponsorship of the event. FreedomWorks, a right-wing lobbying organization, has made no secret of its opposition to Romney’s campaign.

* The Florida Republican Party had hoped to make a lot of money through its Presidency 5 straw poll, scheduled for Sept. 24 in Orlando. This year, however, it appears to be a bust — only Cain, Paul, and Jon Huntsman are committed to participate.

* With only about two months remaining in Kentucky’s gubernatorial race, Public Policy Polling shows incumbent Gov. Steve Beshear (D) cruising to a second term, leading David Williams (R) by 27 points, 55% to 28%.

* It’s a little early to be thinking about the 2016 cycle, but Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said yesterday he doesn’t plan to run for a third term. He just won a second term last November.

* And finally, take this with a big grain of salt, but American University professor Allan Lichtman has an election formula that’s been effective in accurately calling each of the last seven presidential races. As Lichtman sees it, “Even if I am being conservative, I don’t see how Obama can lose.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Irene: “Floodwaters finally started to recede from areas of the northeast devastated by Hurricane Irene but many communities were still under water on Wednesday and relief workers battled cut-off roads and raging rivers to deliver emergency supplies.”

* President Obama will visit some storm-ravaged areas in person this weekend.

* Gaddafi is reportedly cornered: “Rebel fighters believe they have cornered Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi in the desert town of Bani Walid, only 150 miles from the capital, and have called on him to give up peacefully to avoid further bloodshed, a top official of the transition government said Wednesday.”

* Gaddafi loyalists, meanwhile, are ignoring the rebel’s deadline: “The spokesman for Moammar Gaddafi’s collapsing government on Wednesday rejected a rebel ultimatum to surrender or face an all-out military assault.”

* Economy: “U.S. factory orders rose strongly in July on the biggest jump in demand for autos in more than eight years and a surge in commercial airplane orders. The increase suggests supply chain disruptions created by the Japan crisis are easing.”

* Telecom: “The Justice Department filed a lawsuit on Wednesday to block the proposed $39 billion merger between AT&T and T-Mobile USA on antitrust grounds, saying a deal between the nation’s second- and fourth-largest wireless phone carriers would substantially lessen competition, result in higher prices and give consumers fewer innovative products.”

* Good: “President Obama said during a Tuesday radio show that hiring discrimination against the jobless ‘makes absolutely no sense’ and that he supports legislation to ban the practice.”

* Dahlia Lithwick on Dick Cheney: he is “trying, in short, to draw us back into the same tiresome debate over the efficacy of torture, which is about as compelling as a debate about the efficacy of slavery or Jim Crow laws. Only fools debate whether patently illegal programs ‘work’ — only fools or those who have been legally implicated in designing the programs in the first place.”

* The LA Times’ Andrew Malcolm insists the White House is trying to dictate to “regular American citizens” how to “observe” the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Malcolm is lying.

* Paul Glastris, the Monthly’s editor-in-chief, was on NPR today, talking about our new College Guide and Rankings.

* How will fraternities and sororities get new members without the pledge system? I don’t know, but Cornell will have to figure it out.

* Former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) laments the “astounding lack of responsible leadership by many in the Republican Party.” He’s a Republican — and he’s right.

* And finally, what was J.C. Penney thinking? “J.C. Penney is now selling a T-shirt for girls aged 7 to 16 that says, unabashedly, across its front: ‘I’m too pretty to do homework so my brother has to do it for me.’” The retailer agreed to pull the shirt today, but it’s hard to imagine why it was created and sold in the first place.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* It’s been apparent for a while that Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann was largely ignoring New Hampshire, and yesterday, her campaign confirmed it. “Iowa is our main focus right now, secondly is South Carolina,” Bachmann’s spokes person said.

* On a related note, Bachmann, who took some heat from Florida Republicans for her willingness to drill the Everglades for oil and gas, doubled down yesterday. “Let’s access this wonderful treasure trove of energy that God has given us in this country,” she said when asked about drilling the Everglades.

* After some bizarre behind-the-scenes drama, former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) agreed to speak at a Tea Party rally in Indianola, Iowa, on Saturday. Her attendance, followed by a stop in New Hampshire next week, only fuels talk about Palin’s possible presidential ambitions.

* In West Virginia’s gubernatorial race, a Democratic-aligned 501c4 group, America Works USA, has a new ad campaign targeting Republican nominee Bill Maloney. Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) will face Maloney in an Oct. 4 special election.

* In Michigan, the state Republican Party is apparently trying to clear the Senate field for former Rep. Pete Hoekstra, with sitting Gov. Rick Snyder (R) throwing his support behind Hoekstra. Former Gov. John Engler (R) also weighed in, urging conservative Clark Durant not to run in a GOP primary.

* Speaking of Midwestern Republican Senate primaries, Mark Neumann got a boost in his Wisconsin bid yesterday, picking up an endorsement from the far-right Club for Growth. The group has made no secret of its opposition to Neumann’s GOP opponent, former Gov. Tommy Thompson.

* To the relief of Montana Democrats, state Attorney General Steve Bullock (D) is expected to kick off his gubernatorial campaign next week, and will likely be the Democratic frontrunner.

* And in Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ (D) Arizona district, the local Republican Party is trying to raise funds by holding a raffle this week, awarding the winner a Glock handgun. It’s a distasteful choice — Giffords was nearly assassinated by a madman wielding a Glock.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Libya: “The transitional government of Libya’s triumphant rebels decided Thursday to extend by up to a week the deadline given to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi and his remaining fighters to surrender, but the fugitive leader rejected the ultimatum and raged at his enemies in a new broadcast that called for the country to be ‘engulfed in flames.’”

* Better, but still too high: “Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 409,000, the Labor Department said, still pointing to a jobs market struggling to find strength, but well short of a recession signal.”

* Iraq: “Under increased pressure from the United States, an Iraqi crackdown on Iranian-backed Shiite militias has helped produce a previously elusive goal: For the first time since the American invasion of Iraq, an entire month has passed without a single United States service member dying.”

* Maybe someone should do something: “The Obama administration downgraded its forecast for economic growth Thursday, predicting turmoil in the economy will likely keep unemployment above 9 percent through next year’s election.”

* On the other hand, the federal budget deficit will run “20% lower than expected this year.” Tea Partiers will be celebrating the Obama administration’s progress on deficit reduction, right?

* Counter-terrorism: “On a steady slide. On the ropes. Taking shots to the body and head. That’s how White House counterterrorism chief John Brennan described al-Qaida on Wednesday as he offered the first on-record confirmation that al-Qaida’s latest second-in-command was killed last week in Pakistan.”

* The White House’s new “We The People” online petition initiative looks pretty good.

* Liu lands on his feet: “After a protracted and ultimately losing battle for a seat on a federal appeals court, UC Berkeley law professor Goodwin Liu sailed through his state confirmation hearing Wednesday to join the California Supreme Court.” The state Commission on Judicial Appointments confirmed him unanimously.

* Did Florida’s school voucher program boost test student test scores? Of course not.

* Condoleezza Rice is the latest loyal Bushie who doesn’t like Dick Cheney’s book. “You can talk about policy differences without suggesting that your colleague somehow misled the president,” Rice told Reuters. “I don’t appreciate the attack on my integrity that that implies.”

* Elon Green on FEMA: “By most accounts, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has done an excellent job in response to Hurricane Irene, even drawing praise from Bob McDonnell, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, and Chris Christie. Unfortunately, the agency may not be as well-equipped for the next natural disaster — or even to finish the cleanup for this one.”

* Chauncey DeVega, after interviewing Whiteness, ponders Rep. Andre Carson’s (D-Ind.) charge that Tea Partiers are the same people who, in another time, would have loved to see black people “hanging on a tree.” Chauncey says Carson’s rhetoric could have been more “nuanced and precise,” but a common “political wellspring” is apparent.

* Daniel Luzer: “Given that this is college savings month, maybe now is a good time to encourage the United States of America to set a savings strategy for higher education.”

* And finally, despite this being the 21st century, Republican lawmakers in Florida aren’t ready to scrap laws unenforced criminal laws against “cohabitation.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The latest national Fox News poll shows Rick Perry leading the Republican presidential field with 26% support, followed by Mitt Romney with 18%. No other candidate is in double digits, and this is the fifth national poll in the last two weeks that shows Perry as the frontrunner.

* Perry’s book, “Fed Up!” published last year, continues to be a goldmine for his detractors. The Texas governor conceded, “I wouldn’t have written that book if I was going to run for the presidency of the United States.”

* Speaking of Perry, he also met at some length with uncommitted social and evangelical conservatives, and attendees asked about whether there might be anything embarrassing in his personal life would emerge during the campaign. “I can assure you that there is nothing in my life that will embarrass you if you decide to support me for president,” Perry replied.

* Jon Huntsman’s struggling campaign fired its campaign manager in New Hampshire yesterday, replacing him Tim Pawlenty’s former state director.

* And speaking of New Hampshire, Jack Kimball’s tumultuous reign as head of the state Republican Party ended last night when he resigned. His voluntary departure came just minutes before he was to be fired by the state’s GOP executive committee.

* Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is trying to raise money off the fact that Rachel Maddow criticized his condemnation of Medicare and Social Security.

* Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has categorically ruled out a presidential campaign. Asked this week about being the GOP nominee’s running mate, he replied, “Who knows? Like I said, I just cross bridges when I get to them.”

* The Republican establishment is moving quickly to rally behind Pete Hoekstra’s Senate campaign in Michigan, and yesterday he picked up endorsements from Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, and Iowa Rep. Steve King.

* And with two months to go before Election Day, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear (D) now leads state Senate Pres. David Williams (R), 54% to 25%. Expect the Republican Party and its allies to end all investments in this race very soon.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* I know this decision was made with the economy in mind, but it’s still a terrible move: “The Obama administration is abandoning its plan to immediately tighten air-quality rules nationwide to reduce emissions of smog-causing chemicals after an intense lobbying campaign by industry, which said the new rule would cost billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of jobs.”

* Cracking down on banks: “Federal regulators filed suit on Friday against more than a dozen leading banks, seeking billions in compensation for huge losses suffered by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on mortgage-backed securities the banks assembled during the housing boom. Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Deutsche Bank, Citigroup, Barclays and Morgan Stanley are among the defendants in the suits, brought by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie and Freddie.”

* Libya: “Rebel fighters pushed closer to Moammar Gadhafi’s hometown on Friday, despite the extension of a deadline for the town’s surrender and negotiations with tribal leaders aimed at avoiding bloodshed.”

* Syria: “As thousands of Syrian protesters poured onto the streets after midday prayers Friday, the European Union announced a ban on oil imports that could strip away a major source of financial support for the government’s five-month-old crackdown on dissent.”

* I’m beginning to think Berlusconi doesn’t believe in Italian exceptionalism: “In a sign of his frustration at the investigations into his alleged crimes and misdemeanors, Silvio Berlusconi vowed in July to leave Italy, which he described as a ‘shitty country’ that ‘sickened’ him.”

* Rendition: “The CIA’s super-secret rendition program — to whisk terrorist suspects in the dark of night to CIA black sites for interrogation — has been further exposed to the light of day in rather humble fashion: a billing dispute in upstate New York.”

* It wasn’t too long ago that Stephen Goldsmith was considered an up-and-coming superstar in Republican circles. Now, it appears his career is in shambles.

* I’m surprised it took this long: “Finally it looks like those law school applications are going down. For the last decade or so undecided young professionals, perhaps inappropriately, saw law school as a reasonably secure path to prosperity…. And then the economy collapsed. And people started to realize that just going to law school didn’t ensure a good job, or even a job at all. So why bother?”

* I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by this, but the brazenness is astounding, even for a Republican: “Conservative columnist Matthew Vadum is just going to come right out and say it: registering the poor to vote is un-American and ‘like handing out burglary tools to criminals.’”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Two new national polls of Republican voters reinforce the perception that Rick Perry is the GOP presidential frontrunner. The NBC/WSJ poll shows the Texas governor leading Mitt Romney 38% to 23%, while the Politico/GW poll shows Perry ahead of Romney, 36% to 17%.

* Arizona will not force an overhaul of the Republican nominating schedule, with Gov. Jan Brewer (R) rejecting a plan to move up her state’s primary to Jan. 31.

* Rick Perry’s Super PAC has a plan in place to spend roughly $45 million through the end of March to help the governor secure the nomination, and another $10 million after that.

* In Wisconsin, Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D) officially kicked off her U.S. Senate campaign this morning, and with Russ Feingold out of contention, will likely enjoy the party’s enthusiastic support. If elected, Baldwin would be the first openly gay senator.

* In Virginia, former Gov. Tim Kaine’s (D) Senate bid got a boost yesterday when Rep. Bobby Scott announced he will not take on Kaine in a Democratic primary. Scott will instead run for re-election.

* In Massachusetts, a Boston Globe poll shows Sen. Scott Brown’s (R) popularity slipping to a 49% favorability rating, down nine points over the last year. A new WBUR poll, meanwhile, shows him leading Elizabeth Warren (D) by nine points, 44% to 35%.

* Speaking of the Bay State, Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.) has ruled out a Senate campaign in 2012. Capuano came up short in a 2009 special-election primary.

* And Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman has apparently ruled out running as an independent if/when his GOP campaign fails.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* President Obama surveyed Hurricane Irene damage in New Jersey over the weekend. “The entire country is behind you,” he told locals. “We are going to make sure that we provide all the resources that are necessary in order to help these communities rebuild.”

* Multiple reports this afternoon suggest the Obama administration will drop U.S. troop levels in Iraq to just 3,000 by the end of this year.

* Wildfires in Texas: “Wildfires sweeping across drought-stricken Texas have destroyed more than 1,000 homes and forced thousands of evacuations in the last several days.”

* Mitt Romney presented his economic plan this afternoon. I’ll have plenty more to say about it in the morning, but I’ll note for now that the Republican presidential hopeful is not above blatant dishonesty.

* Libya: “An armed convoy of dozens of vehicles, believed to be carrying hard-core loyalists of Moammar Gaddafi, including his security chief, crossed the southern border into Niger on Tuesday, raising questions about the fugitive leader’s whereabouts and whether he was preparing to flee.”

* USPS is in big trouble, but the administration plans to intervene: “The White House is planning to present a financial rescue plan for the U.S. Postal Service in the coming weeks as part of a broader, $1.5 trillion deficit reduction package, it said Tuesday.”

* The Obama administration intends to move to an airport security system in which passengers can keep their shoes on. That should be worth a few points in the polls, right?

* The desertion rate among Afghan soldiers is not encouraging.

* The Murdoch media scandal isn’t quite done yet: “As the phone hacking scandal in Britain continues to gnaw at Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, a parliamentary panel opened new hearings on Tuesday, seeking to determine who knew about unauthorized voice mail intercepts ordered by the now defunct News of the World tabloid.”

* Some college guides are not ridiculous. Some college guides are ridiculous.

* Congratulations to Jack Shafer, as he makes the transition from Slate to Reuters.

* And on “Fox & Friends” this morning, Gretchen Carlson was furious about Jimmy Hoffa Jr. using the same language Republicans use all the time, and demanded a reaction from Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz. When DWS said, “How many times have you called out coarse language at Tea Party rallies on this network. Almost never.” Carlson replied, “I sit in the middle of the couch. I’m fair and balanced.” There’s a reason Carlson isn’t known for her self-awareness.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In the latest national Washington Post/ABC News poll of Republican primary voters, Rick Perry leads Mitt Romney, 27% to 22%. If Sarah Palin’s name is left out, Perry’s lead is 29% to 25%.

* Speaking of Perry, he suggested the other day that he might skip tonight’s debate in California. As of late yesterday, the Perry campaign said the Texas governor plans to be there. It will be his first debate as an announced presidential candidate.

* Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul has launched his first television ad of the cycle, using it to attack Perry for being a Democrat in the 1980s and supporting Al Gore in 1988. That same year, Ron Paul left the Republican Party altogether to run as a Libertarian campaign for president.

* In California, the latest Los Angeles Times poll shows President Obama leading all of his GOP rivals by wide margins, despite a lower presidential approval rating.

* In this year’s gubernatorial race in West Virginia, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows an increasingly-competitive contest. Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s (D) lead has slipped to just six points over Bill Maloney (R), 46% to 40%.

* It’s hard to believe anyone really cared, but former United Nations ambassador John Bolton announced on Fox News last night that he will not be a presidential candidate in 2012.

* Much to the relief of state Democrats, Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock (D) officially kicked off his gubernatorial campaign this morning. If he wins the Democratic nomination, as appears likely, Bullock will likely face former Rep. Rick Hill (R) next November.

* Following the redistricting process in Illinois, it looks like Reps. Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.) and Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) will face off next year against one another in a Republican primary.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “Analysts said investors were encouraged by a ruling by the German Constitutional Court that rejected challenges that aimed to block German participation in bailouts for other countries in the euro area. Still, the court said future financial rescues must be approved by Parliament’s budget committee.”

* Daniel Gross sees some domestic silver linings: “Data on retail sales and car sales for August, as I noted, were positive. The ISM manufacturing report, released on September 1, indicated that the goods sector of the economy was still expanding in August, although new orders slowed. The ISM services report, released yesterday, showed the vast services sector gained strength in August, with new orders rising.”

* The Fed: “The Federal Reserve is moving toward new steps aimed at lowering interest rates on mortgages and other kinds of long-term loans, without making another massive infusion of money into the economy.”

* In retrospect, Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s (R) decision to cut fire-department funding by 75%, and forest-service funding by a third, probably wasn’t the best of ideas.

* You know really wasn’t impressed with the Obama White House’s decision on ozone standards? Al Gore.

* It’s almost hard to believe, but the Senate actually managed to confirm an appeals court nominee. It was the first such confirmation in nearly four months.

* Josh Nelson takes a look at the energy section of Mitt Romney’s economic agenda. He finds a few too many factual errors and inconsistencies.

* After its treasurer was busted on fraud charges, the Los Angeles County Democratic Party — the biggest county party in the United States — has no idea how much money it has in the bank.

* Troy Davis, whose murder conviction has been the subject of intense national debate, is now set to be executed in Georgia later this month. There are many questions raising doubts about his guilt.

* I’d never heard of a public college conducting drugs tests on all of its students, but that’s what Linn State Technical College in Missouri is up to.

* And as you’ve probably heard, there will be a debate tonight featuring all of the Republican presidential candidates. I’m afraid I won’t be live-blogging the event, but I’ll have coverage in the morning

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry hired Deirdre Delisi to be the policy director for his campaign. And who’s Deirdre Delisi? She was also the policy director for George W. Bush’s campaign, which only helps reinforce the similarities.

* With just a few days remaining before the special election New York’s 9th congressional district, Democrat David Weprin has a new television ad touting his endorsement from the New York Times and slamming Republican Bob Turner over Medicare. The election is on Tuesday.

* On a related note, the Republican establishment has been reluctant to invest too heavily in New York’s 9th, but this week, the National Republican Congressional Committee is sending out a fundraising appeal to boost Turner’s chances. The GOP candidate has also received donations from House Speaker John Boehner and House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy.

* In Connecticut, wrestling mogul Linda McMahon is set to launch another Republican Senate campaign in another open-seat contest. McMahon spent $50 million last year in a losing effort.

* With Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D) running for the Senate in Wisconsin, the race is on to replace her in the House. Yesterday, two Democratic state representatives, Mark Pocan and Kelda Roys, prominent opponents of Gov. Scott Walker (R), kicked off their campaigns.

* In South Carolina, President Obama has no realistic shot of winning, but the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows him tied with Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, and Michele Bachmann in hypothetical match-ups.

* Similarly, in Kentucky, another reliably-red state, the president trails the leading GOP candidates, but PPP shows him beating Gingrich and Palin.

* We’re just four days until the next debate for Republican presidential candidates, and CNN, which is cosponsoring the event with the Tea Party Express, had to finagle the entry requirements to make Jon Huntsman and Rick Santorum eligible, without also inviting guys like Gary Johnson and Buddy Roemer.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Jobs crisis: “New U.S. jobless claims rose unexpectedly last week, further evidence of a weak labor market…. Applications for unemployment benefits rose to 414,000 in the week ending September 3 from an upwardly revised 412,000 the prior week.”

* Trade gap lowers: “The U.S. economy may be stumbling, but it is still standing. That was the message from two economic reports that pointed to a weak labor market but also a better performance on trade that should boost third-quarter gross domestic product.”

* Northeastern flooding: “Torrential rains across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast triggered flood warnings Thursday that forced authorities to order the evacuation of nearly 100,000 people from Maryland to New York and close numerous roads, bridges and schools. With the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee continuing to dump rain on the region, the National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings for parts of the East Coast from Virginia and Maryland to New York.”

* Murray/Hensarling panel tries to get to work: “Serious differences over how ambitious the debt supercommittee should be in cutting deficits emerged Thursday at the panel’s first meeting.”

* After one meeting, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) is already threatening to quit the super committee if members push for more defense budget cuts.

* Glenn Kessler had a good fact-checking piece on last night’s debate. My personal favorite was Rick Santorum claiming that President “only went along with the Libyan mission because the United Nations told him to.” That’s the exact opposite of reality.

* Speaking of the debate, both Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich raised fears of inflation during the event. That’s pretty crazy under these economic circumstances.

* The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division assigned two gay attorneys to work on a case that deals with the question of whether religious organizations can engage in discrimination without running afoul of sex discrimination law. National Review ran a piece arguing gay attorneys shouldn’t be allowed on the legal team. Wow.

* I’d missed this the other day, but Robert Reich had a terrific piece on the middle class in the New York Times over the weekend. Don’t miss the very cool graphic.

* HBO has picked up Aaron Sorkin’s new show “set in the competitive world of cable-television news.” I’m looking forward to it.

* Daniel Luzer: “The reason low-income students don’t finish college may be that that the maximum Pell Grant is too low; it’s simply too expensive for them to finish college.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The special election in New York’s 9th congressional district appears to be slipping away from Democrats. A new Siena poll, released this morning, shows Robert Turner (R) taking the lead over David Weprin (D), 50% to 44%.

* The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which hoped to win in New York’s 9th fairly easily, is now scrambling. The DCCC has made a $483,500 TV ad buy in the district.

* The National Republican Congressional Committee, which didn’t expect to win this special election and wasn’t willing to spend money there, is now “inquiring about buying advertising time on costly New York City broadcast television from now until the special election on Sept. 13.”

* Karl Rove’s attack operation, American Crossroads, has more than doubled its initial $120 million fundraising goal from earlier this year.

* Jon Huntsman’s presidential campaign, still struggling badly in the polls, is now changing his finance team and moving resources from Florida to New Hampshire. I don’t think it’s going to help.

* Speaking of Huntsman, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R), whose presidential endorsement will be widely sought, said yesterday she won’t even consider supporting Jon Huntsman.

* North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue (D) is still struggling in the polls, but her handling of the Hurricane Irene disaster has given her a boost with her constituents.

* Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says there is a “below zero” chance that she will launch a primary challenge in 2012.

* Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich told supporters last night, “I have people tell me on a regular basis, ‘Gee, are you still running?’” That seems like a bad sign.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Terror threat: “Federal and local officials tightened security Friday in New York and Washington as investigators probed a possible al-Qaeda plot to detonate a vehicle-borne bomb around Sunday’s 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. After U.S. officials received word of what they called a credible but unconfirmed threat to use a car bomb in New York or Washington, police and other law enforcement agents in the two cities stepped up checks of bridges, tunnels, airports, bus and rail terminals and other sites.”

* Europe: “Stocks tumbled more than 2 percent on Friday after the top German official at the European Central Bank resigned in protest of the bank’s bond-buying program, which has been a major tool in fighting the region’s debt crisis.”

* Libya: “Libyan rebels attacked the loyalist holdouts of Bani Walid and Surt on Friday night, a day before their own deadline for the surrender of those cities took effect.”

* Disaster aid: “Revising its numbers higher, the White House asked Congress on Friday for an additional $5.1 billion in disaster aid over the next 13 months beyond President Barack Obama’s earlier budget requests. The immediate impetus is the damage wrought by Hurricane Irene along the East Coast, but the cash problems of the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been building for months given the spate of devastating tornadoes and flooding in the Midwest and South this year.”

* Labor: “AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka hasn’t been shy in recent weeks about speaking out against President Obama’s willingness to compromise with Republicans … but last night he seemed elated over Obama’s jobs plan and his pledge to ‘go to the mat’ for workers.”

* Quietly increasing the debt limit: “In a 45 to 52 vote on Thursday night, the Senate failed to advance a resolution that would have disapproved of a pending $500 billion increase in the nation’s debt ceiling.”

* Congress manages to pass a bill: “Congress on Thursday passed legislation that will reform the U.S. patent system for the first time since the Truman administration. In an 89-9 vote, the Senate overwhelmingly agreed to accept the bill, dubbed the America Invents Act. It passed through the House in March with a similarly lopsided 304-117 vote.”

* Support for community colleges is very much a part of the White House’s economic plan.

* And yes, it’s hard not to like sweet pictures of the president and kids.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* With the special election in New York’s 9th district on deck for tomorrow, a new survey from Public Policy Polling confirms what all the other polls say: Republican Bob Turner leads Democrat David Weprin, 47% to 41%.

* On a related note, there’s also a special election tomorrow in Nevada’s 2nd congressional district. Though Dems had some hopes early on of competing in the race, PPP now shows Republican Mark Amodei cruising past Democrat Kate Marshall, 50% to 37%.

* A new CNN poll of Republicans nationwide shows Rick Perry continuing to lead the presidential field with 32% support. Mitt Romney is second with 21%, followed by Ron Paul with 13%. With Michele Bachmann slipping badly, no other candidate reaches double digits. (These results reflect the race without Sarah Palin’s name in the mix.)

* Bachmann’s super PAC, Keep Conservatives United, is going after Rick Perry for being insufficiently conservative on immigration policy.

* The Romney campaign, meanwhile, is going after Perry on Social Security, distributing campaign materials in Florida attacking Rick Perry as “reckless and wrong on Social Security.”

* Setting a terrific example for others, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) has announced that he won’t raise money from anyone during his service on the Murray/Hensarling super committee. Asked why, Kerry said, “Because I don’t want people to think that I’m being leveraged by contributions. I just don’t want the appearance of money being associated with anything I do on this.”

* In Missouri, in-state Republicans hoped to persuade former Sen. John Danforth (R) to run for governor in 2012. Late Friday, he announced he’s not interested.

* And with a longtime Democratic campaign treasurer in Los Angeles busted on fraud allegations, Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.) has found that her re-election fund “has been nearly wiped out.”

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Here’s today’s edition of quick hits, 90 minutes early:

* Europe: “The brewing economic crisis in Europe appeared to be sharply escalating Monday amid fears that near-bankrupt Greece may not be able to avoid a default with its creditors, threatening major European banks sitting on massive stockpiles of troubled country debt.”

* Blast at French nuclear site: “One person was killed and four were injured Monday afternoon in an explosion at a nuclear waste treatment site in southern France, according to the French Nuclear Safety Authority. The authority and local police officials said there had been no radiation leak. Some five hours after the explosion, the authority announced that the episode was over. The site, about 20 miles from Avignon, has no nuclear reactors, the authority said.”

* Afghanistan: “A suicide bomber driving a truck of firewood attacked a NATO base in central Afghanistan on Saturday afternoon, killing two civilians and injuring 77 foreign soldiers, NATO-led forces said, but none of the injuries were life-threatening…. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.”

* Middle East: “Israel scrambled its diplomatic staff out of Egypt early Saturday after protesters tore down a wall and broke into the Israeli Embassy. As thousands more protesters torched police vehicles and clashed with security forces, an Egyptian commando squad rescued six embassy guards trapped inside the building.”

* Turkey: “The Obama administration is considering a request from Turkey to base a fleet of Predator drones on Turkish soil for counterterrorism operations in northern Iraq, a decision that could strengthen a diplomatic alliance but drag the United States deeper into a regional conflict.”

* FAA: “Unions were breathing a sigh of relief Friday morning after House Republicans punted a contentious anti-union issue preventing funding for the Federal Aviation Administration to the end of December, providing back pay to agency workers and giving opponents more time to organize and fight GOP-backed anti-labor provisions.”

* I hope Brits realize he doesn’t speak for all of us: “Tomorrow, the British Parliament will hold a hearing on the ‘roots of violent radicalisation’ in the Muslim community in that country. The first witness before the committee will be Rep. Peter King (R-NY). King will reportedly be the first member of Congress to ever address a committee of Parliament.”

* Not bad: “President Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress was watched by 31 million television viewers, according to Nielsen.”

* Daniel Luzer on student-loan debt: “Shouldn’t no debt be the norm? Currently three out of five college students graduate, begin their professional lives, with debt they have to pay back for their education. What might be more interesting is the geographic and racial diversity of those who graduate without education debt. Certain states, those with more expensive state universities, probably leave their college students with higher debt.”

* Dick Cheney isn’t done fighting in support of torture.

* And Rush Limbaugh wouldn’t mind seeing George W. Bush being added to Mt. Rushmore. No, he did not appear to be kidding.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* It’s Election Day in two congressional districts today — New York’s 9th and Nevada’s 2nd. Polls show the Republican candidates favored in both special election contests.

* A new national survey from Public Policy Polling shows President Obama leading Rick Perry in a hypothetical match-up, 52% to 41%. Three weeks ago, the margin was only six points. In the same poll, Obama leads Mitt Romney, 49% to 45%.

* Just a few hours after Tim Pawlenty threw his support to Mitt Romney, Rick Perry’s presidential campaign announced Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) will back the Texas governor’s campaign.

* On a related note, Pawlenty may have endorsed Romney, but many of Pawlenty’s top supporters are not yet ready to follow the former Minnesota governor’s lead.

* Did Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum really mix up the words “illegals” and “Latinos” last night? As a matter of fact, yes, he did.

* With a longtime Democratic campaign treasurer in Los Angeles busted on fraud allegations, it appears Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-Calif.) campaign resources have also been “wiped out.” At this point, Feinstein has no idea how many campaign funds she has on hand.

* Former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) told Fox News last night she’s looming large over the Republican presidential campaign, “getting a kick out of getting out there,” raising issues, and then “watching some of the candidates get out there and discuss what it was that we just talked about.”

* Thanks to redistricting in Michigan, Reps. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Hansen Clarke (D-Mich.) will face off next year, hoping to win a newly redrawn suburban Detroit district.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* A five-hour siege in Kabul: “In the most direct assault since the American Embassy opened here nine years ago, heavily armed insurgents wearing suicide vests put the embassy and the nearby NATO headquarters in their cross hairs, showing the Taliban’s ability to enter even the most heavily fortified districts in the country.”

* Europe: “In the face of heightened market pressure to resolve the Greek debt crisis, the president of France and the chancellor of Germany will hold a video conference call Wednesday evening with the Greek prime minister, George A. Papandreou, officials announced Tuesday, with the prospect of a further restructuring of Greek debt hovering in the air.”

* Iran: “Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he intends to release two Americans who have been jailed on charges of espionage for two years and grant them a ‘unilateral pardon.’”

* Senate Republicans blocked an effort yesterday to approve a $7 billion aid package for victims of recent natural disasters. Senate Democrats will try again today.

* Shoshana Hebshi is an American citizen, with a Saudi father and a Jewish mother. She’s a wife and a mother, and lives in the American heartland. How she was treated on a flight over the weekend is a national disgrace.

* FAA: “After an ugly shutdown that furloughed thousands of employees in July, the Federal Aviation Administration should win quick approval of a deal in the House Tuesday to keep the agency running.”

* Think the American Jobs Act is too moderate? The Congressional Progressive Caucus has a plan for you.

* At this point, it doesn’t much matter, a Bush-appointed district court judge in Pennsylvania rejected the Affordable Care Act’s health care mandate today.

* It’s entirely fair to ask why CNN co-sponsored a debate for presidential candidates with a right-wing political action committee.

* Obama for America launched AttackWatch.com today. Interesting site. Remember “Fight the Smears”? The new site is like the old effort, only this one will likely be better.

* Such a no-brainer: “The jobs package President Obama sent to Congress on Monday includes a ban on hiring discrimination against the jobless.”

* It’s a credible accusation: “A liberal advocacy group is filing an ethics complaint against Rep. Darrell Issa, alleging that the California Republican has repeatedly used his public office for personal gain.”

* Drop-out prevention among students is entirely worthwhile, but if it’s going to be done, it ought to be done right.

* Did Fox News’ Steve Doocy really mock the American Jobs Act over the binder clip that held it together at a White House press event yesterday? Yes, as a matter of fact he did.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As expected, Elizabeth Warren officially kicked off her Democratic U.S. Senate campaign in Massachusetts this morning. She explained in an announcement video that she’s running because “middle class families have been chipped at, hacked at, squeezed and hammered for a generation now, and I don’t think Washington gets it.”

* As if Democrats weren’t having enough trouble recently, the Republican National Committee outraised the Democratic National Committee, $8.17 million to $5.5 million, in August. It was the RNC’s best-ever off-year August.

* Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry said Monday night he only received $5,000 from Merck, which makes the HPV vaccine Perry supported. It turns out, the pharmaceutical company actually contributed at least $30,000 to the Texas governor.

* In a week filled with fairly high-profile endorsements, this one may be the biggest: Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) endorsed Rick Perry’s presidential campaign yesterday. Nevada is a key early contest where Mitt Romney has been heavily favored.

* North Carolina’s state legislature will allow voters in May to consider an amendment to the state constitution banning marriage equality. It is already against the law for same-sex couples to marry in North Carolina, but apparently, that wasn’t good enough.

* Arizona is still set to screw up the Republican National Committee’s presidential nominating calendar, scheduling its primary for Feb. 28. RNC rules prohibit Arizona from going before the first Tuesday in March, and the state’s decision may push Iowa and New Hampshire to move up their contests.

* In Ohio, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D) had already made several trips to the state of Washington in the hopes of possibly running there, but instead, it looks like he’ll run against Rep. Marcy Captur (D) in a Democratic primary in a newly-drawn district along Lake Erie.

* In a new Gallup poll, Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman’s “positive intensity” rating is negative 1. That’s really not good.

* And still pretending he’s a credible candidate, Newt Gingrich’s campaign opened its first office in Iowa this week. In June, Gingrich’s entire Iowa staff resigned en masse.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “The Greek prime minister vowed to abide by austere cuts in the struggling country’s budget, and the leaders of France and Germany promised to support Greece as a central part of the euro zone, the three officials said Wednesday in a statement after a joint conference call.”

* U.S. economy: “U.S. retail sales rose 0.3 percent in August, compared with expectations of 0.2 percent, as reported by the Associated Press, which called the August number the weakest showing in three months as demand for autos declined…. Wholesale inflation, as measured by the Producer Price Index (PPI), was unchanged with a 0.2 percent rise in August.”

* Tick tock: “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid admonished Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) on Wednesday, suggesting that he was acting like a “dictator” in blocking transportation legislation and that his action could put 80,000 people out of work by this weekend.”

* Deepwater Horizon: “BP, running weeks behind schedule and tens of millions of dollars over budget trying to complete its troubled Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico, took numerous shortcuts that contributed to the disastrous blowout and oil spill last year, federal investigators concluded in a report released on Wednesday.”

* Over to the House: “Senate Democrats were successful the second time around Tuesday, narrowly advancing a $7 billion disaster aid package that Republicans blocked a day earlier.” Why did Republicans filibuster emergency disaster relief in the first place? Because they’re Republicans.

* Quite a scene: “United Airlines Flight 586, scheduled to depart Dulles at 12:34 p.m. for San Francisco, was evacuated Wednesday afternoon after it reportedly experienced an engine problem…. Supreme Court spokeswoman Patricia McCabe Estrada said Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was on the United flight and was evacuated without injury.”

* Despite some recent scuttlebutt, EPA chief Lisa Jackson is staying at her post.

* I wish GOP lawmakers wouldn’t embarrass us overseas: “Representative Peter T. King testified about terrorism on Tuesday before a legislative committee, but the committee was in London, not Washington, and the New York Republican found himself the uncomfortable object of tough questioning. In a hearing on ‘Roots of Violent Radicalization,’ Mr. King was asked about his own past support for the Irish Republican Army.”

* Daniel Luzer: “The Department of Education has just released the latest information about bad student loan debt. It’s worse than ever. The rate of student loan default, the percent of student loan debtors who failed to make payments on their loans, is increasing.”

* Internet speeds: “The United States as a whole lags in speed, coming in 25th behind South Korea, which has the fastest speeds in the world.” The U.S. even trails Romania.

* Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) believes the rich are getting richer, “but the poor are getting richer even faster.” That’s not even close to being true.

* And finally, asked whether the House Oversight Committee will review the Rupert Murdoch News Corp scandal, Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) told Fox News yesterday he’d consider it “inappropriate” for his committee to “start picking on media.” Given Issa’s background, that’s hilarious.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The new Bloomberg National Poll shows Rick Perry leading Mitt Romney in the race for the Republican nomination, 26% to 22%. No other candidate reaches double digits. Both of the leading GOP candidates trailed President Obama in the poll in hypothetical match-ups.

* On a related note, the latest national survey from Public Policy Polling shows Perry leading Romney, 31% to 18%. In a two-way contest, with the rest of the Republican field excluded, Perry tops Romney, 49% to 37%,

* The latest Ipsos/Reuters poll also shows the president leading both Romney and Perry nationwide, by margins of six and eight points, respectively.

* After four terms, New Hampshire’s popular incumbent governor, Democrat John Lynch, announced this morning he won’t seek re-election next year.

* At the state level, Romney leads Perry in California by eight points among Republican primary voters, while Perry leads Romney in Virginia by six points.

* Speaking of Virginia, a new Quinnipiac poll shows former Sen. George Allen (R) with a narrow lead over former Gov. Tim Kaine (D) in next year’s Senate race, 45% to 44%.

* In Missouri, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows incumbent Gov. Jay Nixon (D) cruising past Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder (R) in a potential match-up, 50% to 31%.

* In Wisconsin, Rep. Ron Kind (D) announced this morning he won’t run for the Senate, helping clear the way for Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D) to win the party’s nomination.

* In Indiana, state Sen. Mike Delph (R) has decided not to run for the Senate. The significance of this is that it sets up a two-way GOP primary next year between incumbent Sen. Dick Lugar and Richard Mourdock.

* Herman Cain’s Republican presidential campaign apparently tried to hide a top adviser who is gay.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “Worried that Europe’s debt impasse posed a growing threat to the global economy, the world’s major central banks moved Thursday to assure investors that European banks would not run short of American dollars, as they nearly did at the height of the 2008 financial crisis. The banks, in a coordinated action intended to restore market confidence, agreed to pump dollars into the European banking system in the first such show of force in more than a year.”

* U.S. jobs crisis: “New applications for unemployment compensation climbed 11,000 last week to 428,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. Initial claims from two weeks ago were revised up to 417,000 from an original reading of 414,000.”

* A well-deserved honor: “President Barack Obama on Thursday bestowed the nation’s highest military honor on Dakota Meyer, a young and humble Marine who defied orders and barreled straight into a ferocious ‘killing zone’ in Afghanistan to save 36 lives at extraordinary risk to himself.”

* Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) brought a measure to the Senate floor today, demanding cuts to foreign aid to pay for FEMA disaster relief funding. It failed, 78 to 20, but that means one-fifth of the Senate thought this idea had merit.

* Not exactly helping European banks: “A rogue trader for the Swiss bank UBS was arrested in London on Thursday, authorities said, and is suspected of causing an estimated $2 billion loss in unauthorized trades.”

* Reasonable doubts: “Hundreds of thousands of people are rallying behind Georgia death row inmate Troy Davis — not just because they oppose capital punishment but because they believe the state could put an innocent man to death. The case is fraught with drama: The murder of an off-duty police officer. Conflicting eyewitness testimony. Last-minute court decisions sparing a condemned man’s life and global dignitaries who say they fear an innocent man could die.”

* Democrats on the Murray/Hensarling super-committee are at least discussing Sen. Jeff Merkley’s (D-Ore.) idea, which would evaluate the panel’s ideas based on their impact on unemployment. MoveOn.org, meanwhile, is on board with the proposal. (Kudos to my friend Greg Sargent for his excellent work on this story.)

* A good call: “A federal judge on Wednesday blocked enforcement of a first-in-the-nation law that restricted what Florida physicians can say about guns to their patients, ruling the law violates the U.S. Constitution’s free speech guarantees and does not trample gun rights.”

* Losing the future: “The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s annual report on education across the world came out recently. America continues to lose ground.”

* It’s frustrating when prominent lefties, who should clearly know better, make racially-dumb comments about the president.

* A terrific, five-minute video explaining what tobacco company propaganda and climate deniers’ propaganda have in common.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rick Perry began going after Mitt Romney over health care much more aggressively yesterday, crediting Romney’s Massachusetts law for paving the way for President Obama’s Affordable Care Act. “I think it’s important that we put as our nominee someone that does not blur the lines between President Obama and the Republican Party,” Perry told about 200 Republican activists in Iowa.

* Romney reflected yesterday on the type of running mate he’d choose if he wins the Republican presidential nomination. At a town-hall meeting in Arizona yesterday, the former Massachusetts governor said he’d pick someone like Dick Cheney, whom he described as “a man of wisdom and judgment.”

* As if Arizona weren’t causing enough fits for the Republican National Committee’s presidential nominating calendar, now Michigan is looking to move its primary to late February.

* Tom Ridge, the former DHS secretary and former Pennsylvania governor, is throwing his support to Jon Huntsman’s presidential campaign. Ridge, generally considered a GOP moderate, will make the announcement today in New Hampshire.

* In Connecticut, a new Quinnipiac poll shows wrestling executive Linda McMahon (R) and Rep. Chris Murphy (D) leading their respective Senate primary races. In a hypothetical match-up, Murphy leads McMahon by 11 points.

* In California, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) has not yet said whether she’ll seek re-election next year, but if she does, she’ll have some ground to make up. A new Field Poll shows just 41% of state voters are inclined to give her another term.

* In Virginia’s closely-watched U.S. Senate race, George Allen (R) slammed Tim Kaine (D) last week for conducting out-of-state fundraising. This week, Allen left for California to engage in some out-of-state fundraising.

* David Axelrod has a new 2012 memo out, which emphasizes, among other things, the support President Obama enjoys from the Democratic base: “According to the latest NBC-WSJ poll, Democrats approve of his performance by an 81%-14% margin. That’s stronger than President Clinton’s support among Democrats at this point in his term and, according to Gallup, stronger than any Democratic President dating back to Harry Truman through this point in their presidency.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “Once again disappointing investors looking for European leaders to end their bickering over a rescue plan for the euro zone, finance ministers failed Friday to find common ground. They also found themselves at odds with the U.S. Treasury secretary, Timothy F. Geithner, who, after his highly unusual attendance at a meeting of top European officials, warned them that a lack of decisive action could leave ‘the fate of Europe’ to outsiders.”

* Turkey: “Turkey’s prime minister said Friday that his once-close allies in Syria’s authoritarian regime will fall in a reckoning for the bloody crackdown on their own people, as activists there reported at least 17 more dead in new raids on anti-government protesters. One protest group put the death toll as high as 32.”

* Turtle Bay: “The Palestinian president announced Friday that he would seek membership for a Palestinian state at the United Nations Security Council next week, a move strongly opposed by Israel and the United States that adds significant tension to one of the most intractable conflicts in the Middle East.”

* Buck had already been given his last meal: “At about 7:40 p.m. the U.S. Supreme Court stayed the scheduled execution of Duane Edward Buck.”

* The America Invents Act: “President Barack Obama said a law overhauling the U.S. patent system will clear the way for inventors and entrepreneurs to attract investment and create jobs, making the U.S. more competitive.”

* AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka and AFSCME chief Gerald McEntee are on board with a plan to have the Murray/Hensarling super-committee score proposals for their impact on jobs.

* With the Obama administration slowing down deportations, House Republicans get desperate to speed them up.

* Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) talks constantly about the need for comprehensive tax reform. Then why doesn’t she work on a bill for comprehensive tax reform?

* The White House’s decision to steer clear of Social Security “reform” in the debt-reduction plan makes a lot of sense.

* Karl Rove is still hung up on the Jimmy Hoffa comments from Labor Day? Time to move on, Karl.

* Are American SAT scores declining? Yes. Does that matter? Not really.

* And finally, Paul Krugman: “Modern conservatism is actually a deeply radical movement, one that is hostile to the kind of society we’ve had for the past three generations — that is, a society that, acting through the government, tries to mitigate some of the ‘common hazards of life’ through such programs as Social Security, unemployment insurance, Medicare and Medicaid. Are voters ready to embrace such a radical rejection of the kind of America we’ve all grown up in? I guess we’ll find out next year.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In the New York Times/CBS News poll released over the weekend, Rick Perry is still the national frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, leading Mitt Romney, 23% to 16%. No other candidate is in double digits.

* The Democratic National Committee launched a new effort this morning, announcing it will run Spanish-language ads touting the American Jobs Act. The ads will run in Denver, Las Vegas, and Tampa.

* In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Corbett (R) has heard the complaints from his own party’s establishment about breaking up the state’s electoral votes, but he says he pushing for the scheme anyway.

* In the meantime, Nebraska is moving in the opposite direction. Three years after President Obama won one of Nebraska’s electoral votes, Republicans are eager to prevent that from happening again and want to shift to the winner-take-all system 48 other states use.

* Mitt Romney campaigned at an Arizona Ford dealership, where, for some reason, he boasted about owning Cadillacs. Retail politics really isn’t his thing.

* Right-wing activist and failed U.S. Senate candidate Ovide Lamontagne will reportedly kick off his gubernatorial campaign in New Hampshire today. Four-term incumbent Gov. John Lynch (D) announced Friday he will not seek re-election.

* In Wisconsin, former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) filed his paperwork today for his U.S. Senate campaign, but for some reason, added that his campaign is not yet official.

* In West Virginia, a Public Policy Polling survey shows conservative Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin looking like a safe bet to win a full term next year, enjoying big leads over potential Republican challengers.

* And in Ohio, a tea party activist intends to run a GOP primary campaign against House Speaker John Boehner, citing Boehner’s inability to strip the federal budget of funding to Planned Parenthood.

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “Financial markets were focused in part on a conference call between Greek officials and the so-called troika of foreign creditors — the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission and the European Central Bank — as well as further meetings among senior officials in Athens struggling to close a gaping budget gap. But the Greek Finance Ministry tried to deflate expectations of a speedy result.”

* Deadly fights in Yemen: “Violence convulsed the streets of Yemen’s capital for a second day on Monday as government security forces battled soldiers who have joined antigovernment protesters in their movement to force President Ali Abdullah Saleh to resign. It was the worst violence since March in Yemen, the Arab world’s most impoverished country and a haven for Islamic militants.”

* I guess this is the quote of the day: “This is not class warfare. It’s math.”

* Crime rates drop: “The FBI says that violent crime dropped 6 percent in 2010, marking the fourth straight year of declines. And property crime also was down for the eighth straight year, falling 2.7 percent…. Robbery fell 10 percent, rape dropped 5 percent, and murder, non-negligent manslaughter and aggravated assault fell more than 4 percent.”

* DSK addresses his alleged crimes: “Dominique Strauss-Kahn apologized to his country on Sunday for a sexual encounter with a hotel maid he said was a ‘moral error’ he would regret all his life, and vowed to stay out of the Socialist Party’s 2012 election campaign in France.”

* I wonder if Netflix realizes it made its problems worse.

* Family values: “A Chicago judge issued a preliminary ruling Wednesday against U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) in his child-support dispute with his ex-wife, ordering the Tea Party favorite to explain why he appears to be $100,000 behind in child-support payments.”

* Fox News is worked up about the routine review of an Air Force general’s congressional testimony, but there’s just not much to the story.

* Radical Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio has assigned five investigators to look into the authenticity of President Obama’s birth certificate. There’s a deep strain of madness running through the right, and it’s just not healthy.

* Ralph Nader thinks Sarah Palin is “a lot smarter than most people credit her.” I don’t even know how to begin responding to that, so I won’t.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The latest Gallup/USA Today poll shows Rick Perry continuing to lead the Republican presidential field at the national level with 31% support, followed by Mitt Romney with 24%. In a one-on-one scenario, Perry would lead Romney, 49% to 39%.

* In Massachusetts, a brand new survey from Public Policy Polling shows consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren (D) leading Sen. Scott Brown (R) in a general election match-up, 46% to 44%. In June, Brown led Warren by 15 points.

* Ed Rollins, the former campaign manager for Michele Bachmann’s presidential bid, told MSNBC yesterday that the right-wing congresswoman “doesn’t have the ability or resources to go beyond” competing in the Iowa caucuses.

* Romney’s campaign continues to push for congressional endorsements, and this morning picked up support from Sen. Roy Blunt (R) of Missouri.

* In South Carolina, Perry is considered the favorite to win the state’s GOP presidential primary, but a new Winthrop poll shows the Texas governor with a narrow lead over Romney in the state, 31% to 27%.

* In a bit of a surprise, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee narrowly outraised the National Republican Congressional Committee in August, $3.56 million to $3 million. The NRCC still leads when it comes to cash on hand, $11.7 million to $7.7 million.

* Speaking of fundraising, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul raised more than $1 million from over 18,000 donors in his latest so-called “money bomb.”

* Democratic leaders in Arizona would still love to see Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) run next year — either for the House or Senate — but they’re not rushing her.

* And while Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman has insisted that Florida’s primary will be a top priority, he’s decided not to bother attending this weekend’s GOP straw poll in the Sunshine State. Huntsman will be in New Hampshire instead.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: “The most prominent Afghan official trying to negotiate a reconciliation with the Taliban was assassinated Tuesday night by a suicide bomber with explosives tucked in his turban who had been brought to his home by a trusted emissary.”

* The execution is set for tomorrow night: “Georgia’s board of pardons rejected a last-ditch clemency bid from Troy Davis on Tuesday, one day before his scheduled execution, despite support from figures including an ex-president and a former FBI director for the claim that he was wrongly convicted of killing a police officer in 1989.”

* The Big Dog is right: “Former President Bill Clinton has some tough words for Republican climate-change deniers: quit making the U.S. ‘look like a joke.’”

* Two veto threats in two days: “President Obama’s advisers will recommend that he veto pending House legislation that would block two key Environmental Protection Agency air-pollution rules, a White House official said.”

* Texas’ growing Latino population has given the state several new U.S. House seats, and yet, there are no new Latino districts: “The Justice Department said Monday that Texas’ state House and congressional redistricting plans didn’t comply with Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), indicating they thought the maps approved by Gov. Rick Perry (R) gave too little voting power to the growing Latino population in the state.”

* There has to be a pretty interesting story behind this: “Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander has informed his colleagues that he is dropping his Whip bid and will step down from leadership in January.”

* Good point from Stan Collender: “The question that everyone should be asking is: Why is the House GOP only proposing a short-term continuing resolution?”

* Good piece from Brad Plumer on the “pseudo-debate over Solyndra.”

* In case you missed it, Elaine Kamarck had a fascinating item today on the 15th anniversary of welfare reform: “Progressives must wage many fights to shore up the safety net. Re-litigating welfare reform shouldn’t be one of them.”

* South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) recently made up some ridiculous claims about drug-testing. Yesterday, she admitted getting all of the relevant details wrong.

* Do Republicans routinely lie about employment policy? As a matter of fact, yes, they do.

* Some photos just call out for caption contests, don’t they?

* Rep. Hansen Clarke’s (D-Mich.) “Forgive Student Debt to Stimulate the Economy” plan is worth a closer look.

* A far-right state lawmaker in Texas was asked whether Republican efforts to target family planning are part of a war on birth control, and admitted it is. “Well of course this is a war on birth control and abortions and everything, that’s what family planning is supposed to be about,” Texas Rep. Wayne Christian (R) said.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry, according to the latest survey from Public Policy Polling, isn’t terribly popular in his home state of Texas, where he has a 45% approval rating. In a hypothetical match-up against President Obama, Perry is only ahead in Texas by seven points, 51% to 44%.

* Speaking of Perry, as part of an effort to connect with the Republican Party’s leading powerbrokers, the Texas governor spent Monday night dining with Fox News chief Rupert Murdoch.

* Though it’s not yet clear what Pennsylvania will do with its electoral votes next year, the latest Magellan Strategies poll in the Keystone State shows Obama leading both Romney and Perry in head-to-head contests by double digits.

* Rick Santorum has reached out to Google so that searches for his name will produce less sexually-graphic results. Google said it can’t help the former senator, prompting Santorum to accuse the company of political bias.

* In Connecticut, former wrestling company executive Linda McMahon is launching her second U.S. Senate campaign today, after a failed bid just last year.

* Remember those overwrought, needlessly-dramatic videos Tim Pawlenty’s campaign used to release? It turns out, the guy responsible has joined the Perry campaign, which is now releasing overwrought, needlessly-dramatic videos of its own.

* Tomorrow night’s GOP debate in Orlando will have nine candidates instead of eight: former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson (R) has managed to get an invitation.

* And disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who apparently hasn’t dropped his presidential campaign yet, will release a new “Contract with America,” which he’s promised will be “very visionary.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Bauer and Fattal are now free: “Iran released on Wednesday two Americans arrested while hiking along the Iran-Iraq frontier two years ago and sentenced to eight years in prison, ending diplomatic skirmishing that has complicated the United States’ already fraught relationship with Tehran. The two men, Shane M. Bauer and Joshua F. Fattal, both 29, emerged from the notorious Evin prison at dusk and were immediately taken by a diplomatic convoy to the airport.”

* At the U.N.: “President Obama on Wednesday hailed the popular revolutions that have transformed the political landscape of the Middle East and urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders to revive talks toward a difficult peace. In the third address of his presidency to the U.N. General Assembly, Obama acknowledged that he is frustrated by lack of progress on Israeli-Palestinian peace, but he stressed that there is ‘no shortcut’ to ending the conflict, and he called for understanding of each side’s ‘legitimate aspirations.’”

* In the same speech, Obama took a stand in support of “the rights of gays & lesbians everywhere,” which was apparently a first for any U.S. president speaking to the United Nations.

* Israel: “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised President Barack Obama’s efforts to dissuade Palestinian leaders from pushing for a United Nations vote on statehood, calling Obama’s actions a ‘badge of honor’ for the president.”

* Continuing resolution: “House Dem leadership is urging all caucus members to oppose the Republican legislation to continue funding the government past September 30 on the grounds that it cuts a popular manufacturing program to pay for federal disaster aid.”

* Google on the hot seat: “Google chairman Eric Schmidt defended the company’s business practices before a panel of senators Wednesday as the lawmakers lobbed questions on search rankings and Google’s search algorithm.”

* I remember when Michael Barone was a key figure covering American politics. It’s really a shame to see what he’s become.

* Those who only rely on Fox News may not have any idea that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is now officially gone.

* America needs for pro-profit colleges, but not for the reasons Joe Nocera supports.

* This ought to be fun: “Media Matters for America, the media monitoring group that directs most of its ire at Fox News and talk radio, is getting a radio show of its own, albeit temporarily. For six weeks, the group will have a two-hour show on Sirius XM Radio.”

* A perfect fit: “If ever a writer was suited to pen editorials for Investor’s Business Daily, it’s Andrew Malcolm. And starting next month, Laura Bush’s former flak will leave his post at the Los Angeles Times to go work for IBD, a far-right newspaper that publishes loopy birther columns, climate change denial rants, nasty personal smears, and in general just makes stuff up on a regular basis.”

* If it seemed, during the debt-ceiling debate, as if major media outlets generally ignored economists, it wasn’t just your imagination.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The latest debate for the Republican presidential candidates is tonight in Orlando.

* Mitt Romney has a huge lead in New Hampshire’s Republican presidential primary, leading the GOP field with 41% support in a new Suffolk poll. Rick Perry, the national frontrunner, is running fourth in the Granite State, according to this poll.

* In Florida, a new Quinnipiac poll offers better news for the Texas governor. Perry leads Romney in the Sunshine State, 31% to 22%. No other candidate is in double digits.

* On a related note, after Romney went after Perry again on Social Security with voters in Florida, Perry’s spokesperson replied, “As he has so many times in the past, Mr. Romney seems to forget he’s a Republican.” Ouch.

* House Dems may have won the money race in August, but their Senate counterparts did not. The National Republican Senatorial Committee outraised the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee last month, $2.96 million to $2.5 million.

* As if the RNC didn’t have enough trouble with its nominating calendar, Michigan is moving forward with plans to hold its presidential primary on Feb. 28, in violation of party rules.

* Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman has begun laying off staff, and has asked consultants to work without pay for much of the summer. That’s generally not a good sign.

* The top tier continue to pick up endorsements — Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) is now backing Romney, while Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback (R) is supporting Perry.

* Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann is apparently opposed to the Arab Spring, and criticized President Obama for allowing the Mubarak government to fall in Egypt.

* And in Illinois, thanks to redistricting, Reps. Joe Walsh (R) and Randy Hultgren (R) will face off against one another next year in a GOP primary.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Wall Street: “U.S. stocks plummeted Thursday, along the rest of the world’s markets, as investors reacted to a dour outlook on the U.S. economy from the Federal Reserve and worried about the fate of European banks…. The sell-off was triggered by Wednesday’s gloomy news from the Federal Reserve, which said that it sees ‘significant downside risks’ to the U.S. economy.”

* First-time unemployment claims: “Applications for jobless benefits decreased 9,000 in the week ended Sept. 17 to 423,000, Labor Department figures showed today. Economists forecast 420,000 claims, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey.”

* That’s quite a charge: “Pakistan’s intelligence agency aided the insurgents who attacked the American Embassy in Kabul last week, Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate on Thursday.”

* At the U.N.: “Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad triggered a mass exodus from the U.N. General Assembly’s chamber Thursday with a combative speech that blasted the United States and other Western powers and questioned whether Islamist terrorists were behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks…. He also criticized the Obama administration for killing Osama bin Laden, suggesting that the al-Qaeda leader could have been the star witness at a trial that would reveal the true culprits behind the attacks on New York and Washington.”

* Big Dog on Israel: “Who’s to blame for the continued failure of the Middle East peace process? Former President Bill Clinton said today that it is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — whose government moved the goalposts upon taking power, and whose rise represents a key reason there has been no Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.”

* Will the Murray/Hensarling super-committee embrace the idea for CBO jobs scores? Apparently not.

* Labor’s efforts paid off in the Senate last night: “The AFL-CIO and organized labor in general is breathing a sigh of relief after the Senate Appropriations Committee narrowly defeated — in a tie vote Wednesday night — an effort to gut the National Labor Relations Board and prevent it from filing suits against companies that move operations to right-to-work states. “

* Did the Justice Department buy $16 muffins? Not really, but the myth is likely to endure.

* Great piece from Phil Keisling on “the tax debate we want and need.”

* Daniel Luzer takes a look at how employers talk about unemployment, with an eye towards higher ed.

* The White House’s “We The People” petition site goes live. It seems like a good idea.

* We know Fox News takes liberties with the truth. We know Fox Business plays fast and loose, too. But did you know even Fox Sports misleads viewers? (thanks to reader A.W.)

* Remember the “Ground Zero Mosque,” which wasn’t a mosque and wasn’t at Ground Zero? Well, Park51 opened yesterday, and no one noticed or cared. Civilization appears to be intact; the memory of the 9/11 attacks is unaffected; and the zealots who tried to make this into a story continue to look like foolish.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* It was easy to forget he was even in the race, but Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R) of Michigan announced yesterday he’s ending his Republican presidential campaign. He threw his support to Mitt Romney and announced he’d seek re-election to the House.

* GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul appears to have a pretty hard ceiling on his base of support, but he apparently thinks he can remain competitive — Paul is launching a $1 million ad campaign in early caucus/primary states.

* On a related note, Paul has apparently ruled out running for president on a minor-party ticket, not because he loves the Republican Party, but because third-party efforts are “very hard.”

* In Arizona, there are reports that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ (D) top aides don’t expect the congresswoman to run for the Senate, but are encouraging former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona to launch a Democratic bid. Carmona, a Vietnam war vet and accomplished physician, is “seriously considering” the race.

* Florida’s Presidency 5 straw poll is this weekend, and while most of the leading candidates are officially not participating, Rick Perry’s campaign is quietly trying to line up support for the event.

* With about seven weeks to go before Election Day for Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear (D), the governor is apparently feeling confident enough about his chances that he’s willing to be seen with President Obama.

* Former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) has no use for Ralph Nader’s efforts to find a Democratic primary challenger for the president. Feingold said he “strongly” disagrees with Nader’s initiative, adding, “I believe that re-electing President Obama is an absolute imperative for our economy, our judicial system, for progressives and for our country.”

* And former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s (R) political action committee is telling her supporters that she’s “on the verge of making her decision of whether or not to run for office” — so they should send her more money right away.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Abbas causes a stir: “Shortly after President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority formally requested the Security Council to grant full United Nations membership on Friday, international powers reached an agreement on terms to restart talks between Israel and the Palestinians, diplomats and Obama administration officials said.”

* Europe: “The Obama administration, increasingly alarmed by the spillover effects of Europe’s financial crisis, has begun an intensive lobbying campaign to persuade Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and other leaders to act decisively to stem any contagion from the Greece debt crisis.”

* With Congress unable to function well enough to consider education reforms, the White House acted on its own, announcing “that states could apply for waivers on the provision of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) that requires school proficiency in math and reading by 2014.”

* Republicans who’d been critical of the NCLB policy were nevertheless outraged by President Obama’s move, apparently just for the sake of being outraged.

* Trade assistance managed to pass the Senate last night: “The Senate passed legislation today to provide job training and other assistance to workers displaced by trade, setting the stage for passage of three free-trade agreements after next week’s recess.” It passed 70 to 27. We’ll see what happens in the House.

* In something of a breakthrough, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) has agreed to cosponsor the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act. She is the first Republican lawmaker to officially endorse the formal repeal of DOMA.

* Fortunately, no one was hurt: “Vandals have struck President Barack Obama’s campaign office in Los Angeles, police said late Thursday. BB-gun pellets were shot and an unknown object was thrown into the office, police spokeswoman Sara Faden said.”

* It’s too soon to jump to conclusions, but this is a story with potential: “The physics world is abuzz with news that a group of European physicists plans to announce Friday that it has clocked a burst of subatomic particles known as neutrinos breaking the cosmic speed limit — the speed of light — that was set by Albert Einstein in 1905. If true, it is a result that would change the world. But that ‘if’ is enormous.”

* Jacob Weisberg offers some surprisingly strong criticism of Ron Suskind, and urges readers not to believe his new book.

* I’d never heard of a college literally moving out of state, just to be closer to a private factory.

* Krugman: “Republicans claim to be deeply worried by budget deficits. Indeed, Mr. Ryan has called the deficit an ‘existential threat’ to America. Yet they are insisting that the wealthy — who presumably have as much of a stake as everyone else in the nation’s future — should not be called upon to play any role in warding off that existential threat. Well, that amounts to a demand that a small number of very lucky people be exempted from the social contract that applies to everyone else. And that, in case you’re wondering, is what real class warfare looks like.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Michigan, the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference held a straw poll yesterday, and Mitt Romney cruised to an easy win, receiving 51% of the vote. Rick Perry, who also appeared at the gathering, was second with 17%.

* Speaking of straw polls, in case you missed it, Herman Cain had a surprise win in Florida’s “Presidency 5” contest on Saturday, easily beating Perry, who hoped to win the straw poll.

* Cain admits he nearly quit the race, but now feels reinvigorated by his unexpected victory in Florida.

* The latest Super PAC endeavor comes from the right-wing FreedomWorks, which intends to raise $20 million to boost Republican candidates.

* Perry’s presidential campaign has a new video out this morning, going after Romney for changing his “No Apology” book. In the hardcover, Romney said he wanted to take his health care policy to “everyone in the country.” When it was time for the paperback, Romney quietly removed the phrase.

* In Colorado, Republican officials intend to move their presidential caucuses to Feb. 7, the day after the Iowa caucuses. The state GOP will not be penalized, though, because the caucuses will be non-binding, and Colorado’s primary will still be held in April.

* In Arizona, Don Bivens, a Phoenix lawyer and the former chairman of the state Democratic Party, kicked off his U.S. Senate campaign this morning. Party officials continue to look for signals from former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona about his possible interest in the race.

* And in case the GOP primary in Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate race weren’t quite crowded enough, it looks like state Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald (R) intends to launch a campaign of his own, perhaps as early as next week.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* FEMA’s funds: “The federal government’s disaster relief fund has enough money to continue distributing storm aid through the end of the week — longer than originally estimated, and maybe just long enough to avoid another congressional spending showdown.”

* Europe: “Wedged between impatient financial markets and restive voters, European political leaders struggled Monday to formulate a bolder response to the sovereign debt crisis that might include expanding the firepower of the euro zone’s bailout fund. European officials said a plan was in the works that would enlarge the bailout fund’s borrowing power but not the amount of money that countries were contributing.”

* After 781 days of prison for Joshua Fattal and Shane Bauer: “Two American hikers being held in an Iranian prison got a big surprise one day after their exercise routine: Instead of being blindfolded and led back to their cell, they suddenly heard the words, ‘Let’s go home.’”

* Not exactly inspiring confidence in the process: “Members of the deficit-reduction super committee have received a combined total of $41 million from the financial and real estate sectors during their time in Congress, according to a new report from Public Campaign and National People’s Action. The report also found that at least 27 current or former aides for members of the super committee have traveled through the revolving door between K Street and Capitol Hill and have lobbied on behalf of financial firms.”

* The legal arguments presented by opponents of the Affordable Care Act really are genuinely weak.

* Discrimination is illegal: “The Justice Department said late Friday that based on their preliminary investigation, a congressional redistricting map signed into law by Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry appears to have been ‘adopted, at least in part, for the purpose of diminishing the ability of citizens of the United States, on account of race, color, or membership in a language minority group, to elect their preferred candidates of choice to Congress.’”

* Russia: “Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin, who transformed post-Soviet Russia by imposing Kremlin control over most aspects of public life, moved on Saturday to return to the presidency and could remain until 2024, giving him a rule comparable in length with that of Brezhnev or Stalin.”

* Saudi Arabia will not let women drive. It will, however, let women vote and run in municipal elections. Progress.

* Scandal in Wisconsin: “Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) spokesman, plus two supporters, have now been granted immunity in the ongoing campaign finance investigation of former aides to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), from Walker’s time as Milwaukee County Executive.”

* Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) finds another country he’s willing to invade.

* I thought “Affirmative Action Bake Sales” are so 10 years ago.

* And Fox News wants you to believe the Obama administration is waging a “war on salt,” which may restrict your ability to “eat salt in your own home.” As you might imagine, that’s not true.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Though the margin of his lead has slipped a bit, Rick Perry still leads the Republican presidential field in the new CNN/Opinion Research poll with 30% support. Mitt Romney is second with 22%.

* That same CNN poll, by the way, shows President Obama leading Romney by one point (49% to 48%) and ahead of Perry by five points (51% to 46%).

* Once again, officials close to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) are shooting down rumors about the governor’s alleged interest in the presidential race.

* Perry, using footage from a Democratic Super PAC, has begun going after Romney for flip-flopping on the Race to the Top policy.

* If Jon Huntsman doesn’t improve his standing in the polls in the next couple of weeks, he may be deemed ineligible for the next Republican presidential candidate debate, scheduled for Oct. 18 in Las Vegas.

* In Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren’s Senate campaign got a boost this morning, picking up an endorsement from former Sen. Russ Feingold (D) of Wisconsin.

* Absentee/early-voting totals voting in West Virginia suggests Democrats have the early edge.

* In Kentucky, incumbent Gov. Steve Beshear (D) is feeling good enough about his re-election prospects in five weeks that he’s willing to skip gubernatorial debates.

* And it looks like Republicans will have to pick a new favorite Democrat: former NYC Mayor Ed Koch announced today he’s “now on board the Obama Reelection Express.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Greece: “Greek leaders frantically tried to steer their country away from default on Tuesday by passing a deeply unpopular new property tax. Greece has said it will run out of money to pay its many bills by mid-October if it does not receive more aid before then. But the country’s European creditors have questioned whether politicians were serious about meeting fiscal targets set as part of a $150 billion rescue package approved in 2010.”

* Related news out of Germany: “Faced with the prospect of humiliation by her own party, Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, on Tuesday showed some of the passion for saving the euro that her critics complain had been missing, beseeching German legislators and voters to support aid to Greece for their own good.”

* A possible nightmare in Libya: “U.S. officials had once thought there was little chance that terrorists could get their hands on many of the portable surface-to-air missiles that can bring down a commercial jet liner. But now that calculation is out the window, with officials at a recent secret White House meeting reporting that thousands of them have gone missing in Libya.”

* Fighting continues: “Libyan revolutionary forces battled their way into the eastern outskirts of Moammar Gadhafi’s hometown of Sirte on Tuesday, trying to link up with anti-Gadhafi fighters besieging the city from the west, commanders said.”

* In case there are any lingering doubts, there won’t be a shutdown this week: “A Cantor spokeswoman, Laena Fallon, told The Hill that the House would approve a one-week stopgap measure by unanimous consent on Thursday.”

* Leading White House officials, including Vice President Biden, continue to slam Republicans over booing a gay U.S. Army soldier serving in Iraq.

* The “Occupy Wall Street” protests lead to questions about excessive force from local law enforcement.

* Bill O’Reilly hates NPR … unless it’s helping him promote his book.

* Another one? “Despite vanishing interest and non-existent results from his previous three hearings, House Homeland Security Chairman Peter King (R-NY) is planning a fourth investigation into the Muslim community for some time in late October.”

* Andy Rooney will end his lengthy career on “60 Minutes” this week, and will make the formal announcement in his 1097th essay at the end of the broadcast.

* Rush Limbaugh, who seems to have a serious problem regarding race, believes President Obama “talks honky around white people.”

* And speaking of ugly intolerance, Sheriff Joe Arpaio was asked this week “why” he is “racist against Latinos.” Arpaio responded, “Well, I’m not going to get into my personal life.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In a move that’s likely to shake up the presidential nominating calendar considerably, Florida appears likely to move its presidential primary to Jan. 31, 2012. As CNN explained, “If that happens, it would almost certainly force the traditional early states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada to leapfrog Florida and move their primaries and caucuses into early- to mid-January.”

* In Ohio, a new Quinnipiac poll shows President Obama’s approval rating slipping to the low 40s, but in hypothetical general election match-ups, Obama leads Mitt Romney by two points, and Rick Perry by three points.

* In Pennsylvania, it’s a very similar story. Quinnipiac found the president’s support down to just 43% in the Keystone State, but Pennsylvania voters still give Obama the edge over Romney by two points, and over Perry by six points.

* Speaking of Pennsylvania, by a 12-point margin, voters in the state oppose the Republican scheme to break up Pennsylvania’s electoral votes. In Congress, of the 12 Republican House members from the state, 11 are against the plan as well.

* And in still more Pennsylvania news, Republicans in the state narrowly prefer Romney in the GOP nominating contest. The former Massachusetts governor as 18% support in the new Quinnipiac poll. Perry is a close second with 16%, followed by Rick Santorum with 12%. (Pennsylvania is Santorum’s home state.)

* If campaign donations are any indication, Wall Street absolutely loves Mitt Romney — the former governor has already $2.3 million from the financial sector.

* Michele Bachmann’s flailing campaign has decided that Iowa is a “must-win” contest for the right-wing Minnesotan. She will largely ignore the New Hampshire primary.

* Jon Huntsman’s flailing campaign, meanwhile, is doing the opposite, explaining that the former governor will “focus singularly on New Hampshire.”

* And in Montana, a new attack ad from the National Republican Senatorial Committee has mysteriously added fingers to Sen. Jon Tester’s (D) hand.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “EU and IMF inspectors will return to Greece on Thursday to decide whether Athens has done enough to secure a new batch of aid vital to avoid bankruptcy, while Germany suggested a new bailout may have to be renegotiated.”

* Terror threat: “A Massachusetts man was arrested Wednesday and accused of plotting to destroy the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol by attacking the buildings with large, remote-controlled aircraft armed with lethal amounts of explosives.”

* Syria: “Tanks pounded a Syrian town that has become a refuge for army deserters for a second day on Wednesday, residents said, in the first major battle with defecting soldiers since a six-month-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad began.”

* Making the health care appeal official: “[T]he Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the Affordable Care Act’s individual responsibility provision. We strongly disagree with their decision and today, the Obama Administration will ask the Supreme Court to hear this case, so that we can put these challenges to rest and continue moving forward implementing the law to lower the cost of health care and make it more secure for all Americans.”

* Speaking of health care, premiums for employer-sponsored insurance, spiked last year. Jonathan Cohn takes a look at the larger context.

* No one should listen to them: “Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) are pressing the deficit-reduction supercommittee to consider their proposal to cut more than $500 billion in Medicare spending over 10 years.”

* On a related note, Dems seem to have learned a few things from recent months: “Democrats on the new deficit Super Committee are determined to be better negotiators than their predecessors in earlier deficit discussions leading up to the debt limit fight.”

* This might explain a few things: “Google may be the largest search engine in the world, but when it comes to driving traffic to Politico, it’s no match for Matt Drudge.”

* Predictors of college success: “It turns out parts of the ACT predict college success quite well, but other parts are essentially irrelevant.”

* Remember when Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) forced his Department of Labor to remove a mural depicting the history of the struggle for labor rights in the state? Six months later, LePage is making up bogus explanations for his actions.

* And in case Rush Limbaugh’s hostilities towards minorities weren’t quite offensive enough, the right-wing radio host is also complaining about “the chickification of the news,” in part because a woman reporter wrote an AP article on the president.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* It took about a week, but Rick Perry yesterday backed off his comments on tuition breaks for the children of undocumented immigrants. In last week’s debate, he characterized his rivals’ position as heartless, which he said yesterday was “inappropriate,” and the result of being “overpassionate.”

* For a few weeks, every national poll has shown Perry leading Mitt Romney in the Republican presidential race, but not anymore. The new Fox News poll shows Romney leading Perry, 23% to 19%.

* Citing immigration policy, Herman Cain said he “could not” support Perry’s campaign, even if Perry won the Republican nomination. In the same interview, the former pizza company executive claimed that African-American voters “have been brainwashed.” What a strange man.

* By reaching 4% support in the Fox News poll, Jon Huntsman will apparently have just enough support to be eligible for the next debate.

* In Florida, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Perry losing his lead, and he now trails Romney in the state, 30% to 24%.

* With time running out in West Virginia, the Republican Governors Association is attacking acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) for following federal health care law. (No one ever accused the RGA of being geniuses.)

* In Ohio, the new Quinnipiac poll shows Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) with double-digit leads over both of his principal GOP challengers.

* In Connecticut, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Rep. Chris Murphy (D) leading both of the top Republican candidates, but Murphy fares better against Linda McMahon than Chris Shays.

* In Massachusetts, Sen. Scott Brown (R) went after Elizabeth Warren (D) yesterday for being too liberal and allegedly trying to “demonize employers.”

* And on a related note, Newton Mayor Setti Warren (D) ended his Senate campaign in Massachusetts yesterday, as the party rallies behind Elizabeth Warren. The two are not related.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Clearing one hurdle in Europe: “Clearing another significant hurdle in the European debt crisis, the German Parliament voted overwhelmingly on Thursday for the expansion of the bailout fund for heavily indebted European countries. With that, the front now shifts to tiny Slovakia amid questions about an approval process already months long and still not complete.”

* I’m glad he’s noticed: “Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said the U.S. is facing a crisis with a jobless rate at or above 9 percent since April 2009, and that fiscal discipline would help spur the economic recovery. ‘This unemployment situation we have, the jobs situation, is really a national crisis,’ Bernanke said in response to questions after a speech yesterday in Cleveland.”

* Speaking of jobs: “New applications for unemployment benefits sank by 37,000 last week to 391,000 to mark the lowest level since April, but a government official suggested the surprising drop may have stemmed from a variety of ‘technical’ issues not captured by normal seasonal adjustments.”

* By unanimous consent, the House approved a short-term spending measure that will keep the government’s lights on through Tuesday. The whole process took about 20 seconds.

* For more background on the European debt crisis, I’d recommend Matt Yglesias FAQ, Brad Plumer’s interview with UC Berkeley’s Barry Eichengreen, Ezra Klein’s interview with the AEI’s Desmond Lachman, and Suzy Khimm’s interview with GW’s Henry Farrell.

* Syria: “The United States ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, and embassy staff are safe after being violently confronted by a pro-regime mob while Ford met with an opposition politician in Damascus, the State Department said Thursday.”

* Immigration: “The Obama administration is escalating its crackdown on tough immigration laws, with lawyers reviewing four new state statutes to determine whether the federal government will take the extraordinary step of challenging the measures in court.”

* I remember, two years ago, when Republicans decided this was the basis for a major national controversy: “President Obama welcomed the nation’s students back to school on Wednesday with a simple appeal: Keep going to school.” His comments focused on “values like perseverance and hard work.”

* Infuriating customers is a bad idea: “Some customers are so angry about the news that Bank of America plans to start charging customers a $5 monthly debit card fee they say they will boycott the struggling bank.”

* If Occupy Wall Street had a cable news network co-sponsoring its protests, it would probably be the focus of considerably more attention.

* Understanding the college rat race: “The problem isn’t that some high school student will ruin his life because he picks Carnegie Mellon over Tufts because it’s six notches higher on the U.S. News ranking. The problem is that colleges are making their most fundamental decisions about undergraduate education based on prestige-based rankings.”

* Oh my: “In the acknowledgements page of his forthcoming book, MSNBC analyst Pat Buchanan gives ‘special thanks to Marcus Epstein for the invaluable assistance and untold hours he devoted to researching ideas, issues, and anecdotes.’ Epstein, a writer and activist with a history of inflammatory statements about race and immigration, was previously arrested for attacking a woman with a ‘karate chop’ and calling her the n-word.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As of this morning, it’s official: Florida is moving its presidential primary to Jan. 31, ignoring the pleas of the Republican National Committee. South Carolina has already vowed to move its primary up in response, which will cause Nevada to move up its caucuses, which will cause New Hampshire to move up its primary, which will cause Iowa to move up its caucuses.

* Rick Perry’s campaign has a new video going after Mitt Romney for flip-flopping on economic stimulus.

* On a related note, Romney’s campaign has a new video going after Perry on immigration.

* Jon Huntsman is closing his campaign headquarters in Florida and moving the entire operation to New Hampshire. Unless he does very well there, Huntsman will likely have to drop out after the Granite State’s primary.

* On a related note, Huntsman is also struggling with fundraising, and has begun laying off more campaign staffers.

* Newt Gingrich, who is apparently still running for president, unveiled his 21st Century Contract With America at an event in Iowa yesterday. The disgraced former House Speaker has described the 26-page document as “very visionary.”

* For whatever reason, Rudy Giuliani says he’s still considering a presidential campaign. Stop laughing.

* In Indiana, far-right opposition to Sen. Dick Lugar (R) hasn’t gone away, and the Tea Party Express will support his primary challenger, state Treasurer Richard Mourdock.

* Speaking of Tea Partiers, FreedomWorks is intervening in Nebraska’s GOP Senate primary, throwing its support to state treasurer Don Stenberg over Attorney General Jon Bruning.

* And in Florida, Rep. Vern Buchanan (R) flirted with the idea of a Senate campaign, but has now officially decided to skip the race. He will, however, seek re-election.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* U.S. economy: “The Commerce Department on Friday said consumer spending in the United States in August rose 0.2 percent, while incomes actually fell for the first time in nearly two years.”

* Europe: “Austria on Friday became the latest country to sign off on the expansion of the euro currency zone’s bailout fund for heavily indebted countries…. The decision in Vienna left just three countries out of the 17 members of the currency zone that had yet to approve the measure, which expands not only the size but the powers of the bailout fund. With Malta and the Netherlands set to vote next week, pressure mounted on Slovakia, viewed by many as the last holdout.”

* There’s no reason the media should be surprised when a nation pursues austerity measures, only to find the economic outlook “keeps getting worse, not better.”

* Harold Meyerson has a good look on the Senate’s next big challenge: “The news that our trade with China has been bad for the American middle class has finally reached the U.S. Senate. On Monday, the Senate will take up legislation that would impose tariffs on Chinese goods so long as China depresses the value of its currency.”

* The wrong call in Alabama: “A federal judge has upheld most of Alabama’s new immigration law, the nation’s harshest and most radical attempt to harness a state’s power to find and punish illegal immigrants. The consequences for Alabamans will be serious — not just for the undocumented, but for their blameless citizen children, for those who are mistaken for unauthorized immigrants and for farmers and other business owners ensnared in the law.”

* And now we’re seeing the heartbreaking consequences: “Many of the 223 Hispanic students at Foley Elementary came to school Thursday crying and afraid, said Principal Bill Lawrence. Nineteen of them withdrew, and another 39 were absent, Lawrence said, the day after a federal judge upheld much of Alabama’s strict new immigration law, which authorizes law enforcement to detain people suspected of not being U.S. citizens and requires schools to ask new enrollees for a copy of their birth certificate.”

* A protest gains allies: “New York City labor unions are preparing to back the unwieldy grassroots band occupying a park in Lower Manhattan, in a move that could mark a significant shift in the tenor of the anti-corporate Occupy Wall Street protests and send thousands more people into the streets.”

* Some “scandals” manufactured by Republican media are so pathetic, they disappear in a cloud of ignominy a couple of hours after bursting onto the scene.

* I’m amazed the Daily Caller is quadrupling down on its obviously wrong reporting. For crying out loud, just run a correction and move on.

* Does federal financial aid make colleges raise prices? It’s a dubious argument, and the evidence is hard to nail down.

* And it appears the right is all worked up because First Lady Michelle Obama went shopping at Target. I can understand conservatives disagreeing with the White House’s policy agenda, but causing a fuss over this is just deranged.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* West Virginia will hold its gubernatorial special election tomorrow, and the outcome is far from clear. Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) has led for much of the campaign, but a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows his lead all but disappearing as the candidates reach the finish line. Tomblin leads Bill Maloney (R) in the poll, 47% to 46%.

* South Carolina Republicans have chosen the new date of their presidential primary. Responding to Florida’s move last week, South Carolina will now hold its primary on Jan. 21. This will, of course, have a domino effect with the other early nominating contests.

* On a related note, the Nevada GOP’s executive board is also moving its presidential caucuses to mid-January as a consequence of Florida’s move. The exact date remains unclear, but Nevada expects to go the Saturday after New Hampshire’s primary, whenever that may be.

* The rumors surrounding New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s (R) possible presidential campaign are circulating wildly. Unnamed sources — people reportedly “close to the governor” — continue to say he’s seriously considering the race.

* In Massachusetts, Sen. Scott Brown (R) leads Elizabeth Warren (D) by just three points in a new UMass-Lowell/Boston Herald poll, 41% to 38%,

* The communications director for Herman Cain’s presidential campaign has resigned. This comes on the heels of departures from a series of other key Cain staffers, which generally isn’t a good sign.

* Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum believes “somebody in Florida” is involved in a conspiracy involving the nominating calendar. With the Sunshine State moving up its primary, Santorum believes there’s a scheme to “help the favorites.”

* Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) continues to put his name out there to be the eventual GOP nominee’s running mate. He’s done more lobbying on this than anyone else in the party.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Austerity doesn’t work: “Greece will miss a deficit target set just months ago in a massive bailout package, according to government draft budget figures released on Sunday, showing that drastic steps taken to avert bankruptcy may not be enough.”

* The economic outlook in Japan is getting uglier by the day, but the domestic news isn’t all bad: “Manufacturing grew more quickly in September as production and hiring increased, suggesting that factories would help keep the economy from slipping into a new recession.”

* U.S. auto industry is looking up, too: “Major automakers posted double-digit percentage U.S. sales gains for September in a rebound that General Motors Co said showed the economy was likely to steer clear of a double-dip recession.”

* In case you missed it over the weekend, several hundred demonstrators from the Occupy Wall Street protests were arrested as they tried to cross the Brooklyn Bridge.

* Trade deals: “The White House has sent three long-delayed trade agreements to Congress. The move puts the deals with South Korea, Colombia and Panama on a path toward final passage after years of delay.”

* Zadroga: “The newly reopened September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of $2.8 billion will start taking applications Monday. The fund is intended to help people who became ill after working at Ground Zero and others whose sicknesses can be tied to the site. Residents, workers and others may apply, including those whose claims to the first fund were denied.”

* Terrific piece from Greg Sargent on President Obama’s proposed tax hikes on the rich: “[L]et’s look at how Obama’s tax policies would really impact the wealthy if they were enacted — and how those effects would fit into the bigger picture of income disparity in America.” Spoiler alert: the right really aren’t being asked to sacrifice that much.

* Good call: “The nearly 4,000 workers who were furloughed in a two-week, partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration this summer will receive back pay, the agency said Friday.”

* Krugman tackles the Senate bill that “would threaten sanctions against China” over currency manipulation. “Respectable opinion is aghast. But respectable opinion has been consistently wrong lately, and the currency issue is no exception.”

* Vermont isn’t the only state with a Democratic governor who support single-payer health care. Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D) has similar plans of his own.

* The Republican Party of Massachusetts has a new goal: get Harvard to fire Elizabeth Warren.

* And how extreme is right-wing entertainer Hank Williams Jr.? Even the cast of “Fox & Friends” wasn’t willing to go along with his radical rant this morning. Among other things, Williams compared President Obama to Hitler.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In about an hour, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) will host a press conference, at which time he’s expected to announce that he will not run for president in 2012. Yes, he’s already made this announcement before, but apparently the clarification is necessary for reporters.

* It’s election day in West Virginia, where voters will elect a governor to serve the remainder of Joe Manchin’s term. Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) was leading businessman Bill Maloney (R), but polls now show the race too close to call.

* In a new Washington Post/ABC News poll, Mitt Romney is now back out in front in the Republican presidential race with 25% support. Rick Perry and Herman Cain are tied for second with 16% each, though Perry has seen his support fall by nearly half over the last month.

* In the same poll, President Obama enjoys narrow leads over the leading GOP candidates among all Americans, but trails Romney by two among registered voters.

* Michele Bachmann’s presidential campaign continues to falter badly, with two more top aides announcing their departure yesterday, including Ed Goeas, Bachmann’s pollster.

* Rep. Jerry Costello (D) of Illinois announced this morning that he will not seek re-election next year. Costello is currently in his 12th term.

* Romney weighed in yesterday on the racial slur that served as the name of Rick Perry’s Texas hunting lodge. He told Sean Hannity the name was “offensive.”

* Herman Cain doesn’t like “Hail to the Chief,” and if elected, he’s vowed to change it. Obligatory point: imagine if Barack Obama had said this four years ago.

* In Connecticut, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Linda McMahon with a huge lead over Chris Shays in the Republican U.S. Senate primary, 60% to 27%. In the Democratic primary, Chris Murphy has a far narrower lead over Susan Bysiewicz, 39% to 33%.

* And in Massachusetts tonight, the Democratic U.S. Senate candidates will have their first debate. It will be Elizabeth Warren’s first debate as a candidate for elected office.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* This was supposed to be reassuring: “Greece has enough money to pay pensions, salaries and bondholders through mid-November, the finance minister said Tuesday.”

* Europe’s steep climb: “Europe has had a rough ride since Greece confessed it falsified its books to join the euro. Now the economic situation is set to worsen, as the sovereign debt crisis that erupted in early 2010 threatens to send the euro zone into its second recession in three years.”

* Good: “The Ford Motor Company agreed to add 12,000 jobs and invest $6.2 billion in its United States plants in a new four-year labor contract with the United Automobile Workers union, the company said Tuesday. It also will give most workers guaranteed bonuses of at least $12,000, raise entry-level wages by several dollars an hour and move some work to the United States from other countries. Ford said the jobs and investment numbers included 6,250 jobs and $1.4 billion that it had previously announced.”

* Not good: “New orders for U.S. factory goods fell in August for the second time in three months, suggesting a possible softening in the manufacturing sector which has carried the economic recovery.”

* With a vote of 352 to 66, the House of Representatives managed to keep the government’s lights on through mid-November. GOP leaders were surprised when 53 Republicans voted against the spending measure.

* Remember, that’s our taxpayer money: “House Republicans have agreed to a new contract to pay a private law firm up to $1.5 million to defend the Defense of Marriage Act, which bans same-sex marriage on the federal level. The amount is three times the figure originally agreed upon between the House and the firm Bancroft PLLC.”

* Will the House Republican leadership allow the chamber to vote on the Senate’s bill on Chinese currency manipulation?

* Sounds fair: “Warren Buffett will happily make his tax returns public, but under one condition — Rupert Murdoch has to do it, too.”

* Some on the right believe the jobless shouldn’t “build a personal brand as an unemployee.” Andy Sabl explains why that’s offensive and ridiculous.

* Congressional Republicans aren’t done going after education: “Changes proposed by Republicans to the House funding bill would cut Pell Grants for part-time students.”

* And RedState’s Erick Erickson argued last night that the Washington Post, over the last couple of days “has written more words” on the story about Rick Perry’s leased hunting ranch “than they ever wrote on the Jeremiah Wright story, for its entire existence.” In reality, the Post has devoted roughly 4,000 words to Perry’s ranch. It’s published at least 46,000 words about Jeremiah Wright and Barack Obama.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As odd as this seems, a new CBS News poll shows Herman Cain and Mitt Romney tied for the lead in the Republican presidential contest, with each generating 17% support. Rick Perry, who enjoyed a comfortable lead two weeks ago, has seen his support drop roughly in half, and is now third with 12%. No other candidate is in double digits.

* A new Quinnipiac poll, meanwhile, shows Romney leading the field with 22% support, followed Cain at 17%, and Rick Perry at 14%.

* Perry’s campaign was able to present some good news for a change, announcing this morning that the Texas governor raised $17 million in just the last seven weeks. That’s a pretty impressive sum, and is nearly as much as Romney raised in his first quarter haul.

* With Chris Christie now officially out of the presidential race, those urging him to run are transitioning to already-announced candidates. Romney appears to be the early beneficiary.

* Univision has been in a prolonged spat with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and in apparent effort to suck up to the right-wing senator, several Republican presidential hopefuls intend to boycott the network’s upcoming debate. Yesterday, Romney, Cain, Perry, Jon Huntsman, and Michele Bachmann all bowed out of the Jan. 29 event.

* Public Policy Polling surveyed Republican primary voters in North Carolina, Nebraska, and West Virginia, and found Cain with comfortable leads in each of the three states.

* In Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren participated in her first debate as a candidate for elected office, and by all accounts, did very well.

* And in Wisconsin, though former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) has been coy about his official plans, he filed the paperwork for his U.S. Senate campaign with the FEC yesterday. He’ll be part of a crowded primary field that also includes former Rep. Mark Neumann,

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* It’s no longer a rumor: “Senate Democratic leaders on Wednesday introduced their own plan for paying for President Obama’s jobs package, proposing a 5 percent surtax on millionaires to cover the cost of the $447 billion initiative.”

* U.S. economy: “Growth in the U.S. service sector was steady in September and private hiring picked up, suggesting the economy was not yet slipping into recession.”

* Republicans have spent much of the year insisting the United States should follow the UK’s lead on austerity, but there’s a small problem: British austerity isn’t working.

* Remember how much the media celebrated Tea Partiers as regular Americans who just wanted to be heard? Occupy Wall Street isn’t afforded similar levels of respect.

* Fred Kaplan explains why Dick Cheney “should no longer be allowed on network TV.” I’m convinced.

* I’m thankful Republicans failed to shut this research down: “Scientists reported Wednesday that for the first time they used cloning techniques to coax human eggs to generate embryonic stem cells containing the genes of specific patients.”

* I hope I’m not the only one who finds grid modernization interesting: “Demonstrating its commitment to job creation and modernizing America’s infrastructure, the Obama Administration today announced it would accelerate the permitting and construction of seven proposed electric transmission lines.”

* Good move from the White House: “The Obama administration is rejecting House GOP leaders’ latest attempt to box him into a corner on environmental protections. Late Monday afternoon the Office of Management and Budget recommended the President veto two bills House Republicans are planning to bring to the floor for a vote later this week.”

* Jonathan Turley has a brutal-but-entertaining piece on disgraced former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales landing at an unaccredited law school in Tennessee: “The idea of Gonzales shaping lawyers is enough to force one into a fetal position.” So true.

* My friend Blue Girl offers “some basic rules for successful radicals.”

* Daniel Luzer considers Occupy Wall Street in the context of student-loan debt.

* Fox News chief Roger Ailes told the AP he hired Sarah Palin “because she was hot and got ratings.” That’s a fine journalistic institution you have there, Roger. Nothing but the highest in professional standards.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) told an audience in D.C. yesterday, “I am not going to be the Vice Presidential nominee. I am not going to be the Vice Presidential nominee.” Asked if he would turn down a ticket invitation from his party’s nominee, Rubio said, “Yea, I believe so,” adding again, “the answer is gonna be no.”

* With Florida having blown up the nominating calendar, Republican officials in Nevada have moved their presidential caucuses to Jan. 14. This will very likely push the New Hampshire primary to Jan. 3, which would in turn push the Iowa caucuses into December.

* President Obama is headed back on the road, taking a bus tour to North Carolina and Virginia in about two weeks.

* Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain was asked why he thinks homosexuality is a choice. “Well, you show me the science that it’s not and I’ll be persuaded,” Cain said.

* A bipartisan redistricting commission in Arizona is eyeing new, post-Census lines, which would likely benefit Democratic candidates. Republican officials, including Gov. Jan Brewer (R) have vowed to try to kill the bipartisan plan.

* In Nebraska, Sen. Ben Nelson (D) doesn’t have a high approval rating, but he appears to be reducing the gap in advance of his re-election fight. The latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Nelson trailing Jon Bruning (R), 46% to 42%. Earlier this year, Bruning was up by 11.

* In Florida, PPP found Sen. Bill Nelson (D) below the 50% threshold, but nevertheless leading his GOP challengers by double digits.

* The most crowded race the country? The Republican gubernatorial primary in Montana, which now has eight credible candidates.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “The European Central Bank increased aid to cash-strapped financial institutions Thursday, but disappointed those expecting more drastic measures to combat slowing growth and address a deepening bank emergency.”

* Germany: “Germany has begun to throw its weight behind measures to guard Europe’s financial system from a possible Greek or other government debt default, as Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday that she would support a continent-wide plan to pump more capital into banks if they need aid.”

* New claims for unemployment benefits went up, but less than expected: “Initial claims for state unemployment benefits climbed 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 401,000, the Labor Department said, from a revised 395,000 the prior week.”

* Economic silver linings: “Railroads shipments are the highest in almost three years, helping to defy concerns about a double- dip recession.”

* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will apparently force another vote stunt on the American Jobs Act, as part of a larger juvenile move to make himself happy. The actual vote is on track for next week.

* Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) threw a tantrum when he thought the White House withheld a cache of Solyndra-related emails from him. It turns out, the emails were delivered, on time, but Stearns got confused.

* GOP continues to get the Solyndra story wrong: “‘People ought to resist [demonizing alternative energy] because it’s really stupid to blame solar in general for some people not managing a corporation well,’ said R. James Woolsey, chairman of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.” Woolsey was a policy advisor to John McCain’s 2008 campaign.

* Folks should know the whole truth about so-called crisis pregnancy centers: “The centers portray themselves as nonpartisan health and counseling clinics, but in fact they oppose abortion, and sometimes even family planning, and push a political agenda on vulnerable women.”

* Greg Sargent and Elizabeth Warren 1; George Will 0.

* Whatever happened to those early college programs?

* ESPN and Hank Williams Jr. have officially parted ways after the right-wing singer compared President Obama to Hitler. In a statement, Williams said the network stepped on his First Amendment rights, apparently confusing the right to free speech with the right to an ESPN contract.

* Legal scholar Derrick Bell died yesterday in New York of carcinoid cancer. I don’t think I’ll ever forget reading “Faces at the Bottom of the Well” as an undergrad.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Reports out of Iowa suggest the state’s presidential caucuses will be held on Jan. 3, under “a tentative agreement that will be formally voted on around Oct. 16.”

* Republican officials are pressing New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner not to schedule the GOP presidential primary too early, with the goal of preventing Iowa of pushing its caucuses into December. A spokesman for Gardner said he has no plans to make a decision before next week.

* Mitt Romney’s campaign is being accused of pressuring Nevada Republicans to hold its presidential caucuses earlier than Republican National Committee rules allow. Aides to the former governor didn’t want to talk about it yesterday.

* Following Sen. Scott Brown’s (R-Mass.) inappropriate comments about Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren yesterday, Brown turned to two of his female colleagues — Republican Sens. Kelly Ayotte (N.H.) and Susan Collins (Maine) — to not only defend him, but to suggest he’s a victim.

* Speaking of Massachusetts, one of Warren’s Democratic primary opponents, Bob Massie, has dropped out of the Senate race.

* President Obama’s popularity has dropped in North Carolina, but the latest survey from Public Policy Polling still shows him with small leads over Rick Perry and Mitt Romney.

* Herman Cain said yesterday he would consider running as his party’s vice presidential nominee, though he added, “Quite frankly, based upon Governor Perry’s position on some issues, I would not be comfortable being his vice presidential nominee.”

* President Obama has personally urged former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona to run for the Senate in Arizona next year. The president also made clear he intends to heavily compete in Arizona next year, which he did not do in 2008.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* A court fight worth having: “The federal government asked an appeals court on Friday to halt an Alabama immigration law considered by many as the toughest in the United States, saying it invites discrimination against foreign-born citizens and legal immigrants.”

* Well-deserved honors: “The Nobel Peace Prize for 2011 was awarded on Friday to three women from Africa and the Arab world in acknowledgment of their nonviolent role in promoting peace, democracy and gender equality. The winners were President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia — the first woman to be elected president in modern Africa — her compatriot, the peace activist Leymah Gbowee, and Tawakkol Karman of Yemen, a pro-democracy campaigner.”

* Financial prognosticators on CNBC have characterized Occupy Wall Street protestors as “bizarre,” “freaks,” and “law-breaking” “anti-American” “anarchists” who are “more aligned with Lenin.”

* Paul Krugman knows better: “The protesters’ indictment of Wall Street as a destructive force, economically and politically, is completely right.”

* The media seems excited about this: “The head of the Energy Department’s embattled loan program announced Thursday that he was stepping down amid an expanding probe of the agency’s $535 million loan to a now-shuttered solar company.” Relevant detail: the official announced his departure in July, and this isn’t at all interesting

* An unsung hero of the civil-rights movement, the Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth, dies at age 89: “As the public face of the movement, King was its ambassador to the white world, while Mr. Shuttlesworth was the man in the trenches.”

* Koch Industries’ unseemly international business interests draw attention from ABC News’ investigative team.

* A top official in John McCain’s presidential campaign said there were “discussions” among the senator’s aides about whether Sarah Palin would be replaced between Election Day and Inauguration Day, in the event the GOP ticket won. That would have made for an interesting development.

* The Atlantic’s “Washington Ideas Forum” seemed to be going really well, right up until organizers thought it’d be a good idea for Liz Cheney to interview Dick Cheney.

* And to celebrate Fox News’ 15th anniversary, right-wing radio host Neal Boortz participated in a celebratory broadcast from Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta. He declared on the air, “Barack Obama is a bigger disaster to this country than 9/11.” The crowd behind him cheered. It’s quite a network.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Over the weekend, Ron Paul won the straw poll at the religious right’s Values Voters Summit, thanks to a last-day influx of Paul supporters to help skew the results. Herman Cain was second with 16%, and Rick Santorum was third with 16%.

* The latest WMUR Granite State Poll in New Hampshire shows Mitt Romney continuing to enjoy a comfortable lead in the state, out in front with 37% support. Herman Cain is a distant second with 12%, and no other candidate is in double digits.

* Speaking of New Hampshire, Jon Huntsman is in the Granite State, delivering a “major” foreign policy speech. Among other things, Huntsman will say he supports a pre-emptive military strike on Iran to prevent the country from having nuclear arms.

* In Massachusetts, the latest Western New England University poll shows Sen. Scott Brown (R) leading Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren by five, 47% to 42%, thanks to a big lead among independents. The same poll found Warren’s career as a Harvard professor is unlikely to hurt her campaign.

* The latest evidence that Michele Bachmann’s presidential campaign is moving in the wrong direction is the closing of her campaign headquarters in a D.C. suburb. Bachmann’s new headquarters has apparently been relocated to Iowa.

* Rick Santorum will continue to struggle to persuade his party’s establishment that he’s a credible candidate so long as his fundraising remains weak.

* In Indiana, FreedomWorks is rallying behind Richard Mourdock in his GOP primary campaign against incumbent Sen. Dick Lugar (R).

* And in New Jersey, the most recent Fairleigh Dickinson poll shows incumbent Sen. Bob Menendez (D) with very large leads over his GOP challengers, though he is slightly below the 50% threshold.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Egypt: “At least 23 people were killed and nearly 200 were wounded in downtown Cairo on Sunday night as a march by Coptic Christians turned into the deadliest outbreak of violence in Egypt since the popular revolt that toppled the country’s autocratic leader in February.”

* Afghanistan: “Prisoners held at several Afghan-run detention centers endured ‘systemic’ torture, ranging from brutal beatings to electrical shock, as part of attempts to wrest confessions from them, according to a startling report from the United Nations released Monday.”

* Wall Street: “Stocks rose sharply on Monday, bolstered by a renewed pledge by France and Germany to come up with a plan by the end of the month to tackle the euro zone debt crisis and support the region’s banks.”

* Trade deals: “The House and Senate are poised to move with lightning speed this week to approve three trade deals with South Korea, Colombia and Panama submitted just last week by President Obama. Wednesday votes are set in both the House and Senate.”

* Sad: “A conservative journalist has admitted to infiltrating the group of protesters who clashed with security at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum on Saturday — and he openly claims to have instigated the events that prompted the museum to close.”

* California’s Dream Act: “Illegal immigrants can now apply for state-financed scholarships and aid at state universities after Gov. Jerry Brown announced Saturday that he had signed the second half of a legislative package focused on such students.”

* Uncomfortable questions: “A decade after wisps of anthrax sent through the mail killed 5 people, sickened 17 others and terrorized the nation, biologists and chemists still disagree on whether federal investigators got the right man and whether the F.B.I.’s long inquiry brushed aside important clues.”

* I’m glad I never bothered to change my queue: “Abandoning a break-up plan it announced last month, Netflix said Monday morning that it had decided to keep its DVD-by-mail and online streaming services together under one name and one Web site.”

* And David Frum thinks Republicans are entirely wrong about practically every aspect of the economy, but he’s sticking with the party anyway.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new NBC News/Marist poll in Iowa shows Mitt Romney leading the Republican presidential field with 23%, which is odd given how little attention Romney has paid to the state. Herman Cain is a close second with 20%. The other candidates in double digits are Ron Paul at 11%, and Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann tied for fourth with 10% each.

* NBC News/Marist also asked New Hampshire Republicans and found Romney with a huge lead, running first with 44%. Cain and Paul are tied for second with 13%, and no other candidate reached double digits in the state.

* Another Granite State poll, this one from the Harvard and St. Anselm New Hampshire Institutes of Politics, shows Romney ahead, but not by as large a margin. This one shows Romney first with 38%, followed by Cain with 20%.

* In a very impressive display, Elizabeth Warren’s (D) Senate campaign in Massachusetts has already raised $3.15 million. Sen. Scott Brown (R), meanwhile, raised $1.55 million in the third quarter and has $10.5 million in the bank.

* The new Washington Post/Bloomberg poll shows Romney leading the GOP field at the national level with 24%, with Cain second at 16%, and Perry third with 13%. No other candidate was in double digits.

* In one of the nation’s closest Senate races, a new Quinnipiac poll shows former Gov. Tim Kaine (D) with a one-point lead over former Sen. George Allen (R) in Virginia, 45% to 44%.

* In Wisconsin, Dems formally announced they will launch a recall campaign against Gov. Scott Walker (R). The search for petition signatures will begin in November.

* And on a related note, Wisconsin state Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald (R), who partnered with Walker to strip state workers of their collective bargaining rights, kicked off his U.S. Senate campaign this morning.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* A foiled plot: “U.S. officials on Tuesday said that they had foiled an elaborate terrorist plot backed by factions of the Iranian government aimed at assassinating the Saudi ambassador to Washington. At a news conference, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said two Iranians have been charged with conspiracy to murder a foreign official and conspiracy to commit an act of international terrorism, among other charges.”

* Quite a breakthrough: “Israel and Hamas, two of the Middle East’s most implacable foes, announced Tuesday they had reached a tentative agreement brokered by Egypt to exchange more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for an Israeli soldier held captive for more than five years.”

* Oops: “Europe’s efforts to stem the sovereign debt crisis suffered an embarrassing and potentially costly setback on Tuesday night when the Slovak Parliament failed to approve the expansion of the euro rescue fund, a development that appeared likely to bring down the government but not to derail the measure…. [T]he country’s leading opposition party said it would be willing to discuss support for the fund after the government fell, pointing to eventual approval of the deal.”

* Occupy activists face arrest in Boston and D.C.

* White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley will give up his post at the end of next year, whether President Obama wins re-election or not.

* A gem of a piece from Dave Roberts: “One sign of Republicans’ success in hyping the Solyndra scandal is that they’ve got everybody calling it a scandal. Despite the turgid atmospherics, though, there still hasn’t been any official wrongdoing established, or even charged. It’s like an optical illusion of a scandal, a trick of the media light. Or, to mix metaphors, a hard candy shell with no nut inside.”

* Good piece from John Podesta and John Halpin, arguing that the U.S. Constitution “is inherently progressive.”

* The Republican “war on voting” has a very significant impact on college students.

* NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) doesn’t want any tax increases on the wealthy and has been an opponent of the Occupy Wall Street movement. So naturally, Ralph Nader, a few weeks after praising Sarah Palin’s intelligence, is advocating a Bloomberg presidential campaign. I don’t think it’s my imagination that Nader is getting crazier.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) threw his support to Mitt Romney yesterday. Romney described Christie as “a real hero in Republican circles.”

* In Iowa, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Herman Cain with a big lead in the first caucus state, topping the field with 30% support. Romney is second in the poll with 22%, followed by Ron Paul at 10%. No other candidate is in double digits.

* Slowly but surely, the Republican establishment moves closer to Romney every day. This morning, another senator, another House member, and former House Speaker Dennis Hastert all endorsed the former Massachusetts governor.

* Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the third ranking Democrat in the Senate, believes Dems are likely to “pick up a seat or two” in 2012.

* In Hawaii, former Gov. Linda Lingle (R) announced she’s running for the Senate next year, giving Republicans a credible shot at an open-seat pick-up. The leading Democrat at this point is Rep. Mazie Hirono (D), who lost to Lingle in the 2002 gubernatorial race.

* Though no one seemed to care, Michele Bachmann unveiled an 11-point economic plan yesterday.

* At an Orlando fundraiser last night, hosted by some NBA legends, President Obama told supporters, “I was mentioning to some of the basketball players who were here that this is like the second quarter, maybe the third, and we’ve still got a lot of work to do. But I want everybody to know I’m a fourth-quarter player.”

* And former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) announced yesterday that, after careful consideration, no one wants to vote for him it’s too late for him to launch another presidential campaign.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* The underwear bomber reverses his plea: “Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up a commercial airliner with a bomb in his underwear in 2009, abruptly pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to each of the eight counts against him, officials said.”

* Shaking up the Middle East: “The prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel expected to begin next week could reshape regional relationships, strengthening Egypt, Hamas and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel while posing an acute challenge to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.”

* Ryan J. Reilly walks through the Iran allegations: “It’s not every day that the U.S. Attorney General and director of the FBI stand at a press conference and accuse military officials in a foreign country of plotting to assassinate an ambassador to the United States.”

* When the Berkshire Hathaway CEO says he should pay a higher tax rate, he’s right: “Warren Buffett replied this week to a Republican request that he reveal his tax returns, revealing he made more than $62 million in income last year while paying $15,300 in payroll taxes.”

* Currency bill passes with votes to spare: “A bipartisan bill targeting China’s alleged currency manipulation easily cleared the Senate Tuesday night, despite warnings from Beijing and free-trade backers that the legislation could spark a trade war and harm the global economic recovery.” It was a bipartisan majority, featuring 46 Dems and 17 Republicans.

* Newt Gingrich said in last night’s debate that Barney Frank should be arrested. The Massachusetts Democrat was not amused.

* Did the city council in Topeka, Kansas, really repeal its domestic-violence law as part of a larger budget dispute? Actually, yes, it did.

* House Republicans are strange people: “Congressional Republicans haven’t gotten over the last government shutdown fight — perhaps because it wasn’t a clear win. They’re probing FEMA’s accounting practices in the last week of September, suggesting the agency manipulated its disaster relief fund to help Democrats avoid a political fight with Republicans.”

* Right-wing Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) now claims he deliberately didn’t pay tens of thousands of dollars in child support payments to his ex-wife because of an alleged “verbal agreement.”

* For Occupy Atlanta activists to reject Rep. John Lewis’ (D-Ga.) request to speak strikes me as a very bad idea.

* Congrats to former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) on her new gig at Current TV.

* Congrats to Annie Lowrey as she makes the transition from Slate to the New York Times.

* Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) is taking steps to push college students into majors he thinks would be better for the economy. Scott may not understand the nature of education.

* And Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), trying to compare Washington, D.C., with colonial-era England argued last night, “[T]he reason that we fought the revolution in the 16th century was to get away from that kind of onerous crown if you will.” Wow.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In a fairly impressive display, the Obama/Biden campaign announced this morning that it and the DNC had raised a combined $70 million in the third quarter — 98% of it came from donors giving less than $250. The president continues to outraise the entirety of the Republican field combined.

* With Nevada having moved its presidential caucuses to Jan. 14, New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner said yesterday he “cannot rule out the possibility of a December primary.” Gardner wants Nevada to move to Jan. 17 or later.

* On a related note, Jon Huntsman, desperate to curry favor with New Hampshire, is threatening to boycott Nevada unless it’s more cooperative with the nominating calendar.

* Herman Cain is now leading the GOP presidential race in some national polls, but not all. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released yesterday shows Mitt Romney leading Cain by four, 23% to 19%.

* Putting to rest any rumors, Vice President Biden said he will “absolutely, positively” be the VP nominee next year. “There’s never been a question about that,” he told NBC.

* Despite weak approval ratings, new polls from Time magazine and NBC/WSJ show President Obama leading all of his Republican challengers in hypothetical match-ups. Romney continues to come closest.

* On a related note, in Iowa, Public Policy Polling shows Obama’s approval rating down sharply, but he still leads all of his GOP opponents in hypothetical match-ups.

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christe (R) didn’t categorically rule out running on Romney’s ticket if he wins the nomination, but the governor said there might be “other folks who, by their disposition, are more appropriately suited for vice president.”

* In Pennsylvania, Tim Burns, following a couple of failed U.S. House bids, has decided to run against Sen. Bob Casey (D) next year.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Iran: “President Obama on Thursday vowed to push for what he called the ‘toughest sanctions’ to punish Iranian officials whom he accused of complicity in a suspected plot to kill the Saudi ambassador to the United States. At the same time, State Department officials said United States officials had been in direct contact with the government of Iran over the accusations.”

* Slovakia’s back on track: “One day after a vote rejecting a beefed-up bailout fund to help contain Europe’s deepening debt crisis brought down the government in Slovakia, the country’s main political parties appeared to reach a compromise to approve the controversial measure later this week.”

* Trade bills pass Congress: “Congress passed three long-awaited free trade agreements on Wednesday, ending a political standoff that has stretched across two presidencies…. The approval of the deals with South Korea, Colombia and Panama is a victory for President Obama and proponents of the view that foreign trade can drive America’s economic growth in the face of rising protectionist sentiment in both political parties.”

* Better, but still too high: “New claims for unemployment benefits edged down last week, according to a government report on Thursday that pointed to a modest improvement in the labor market at the start of the fourth quarter. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dipped 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 404,000, the Labor Department said, from an upwardly revised 405,000 the prior week.”

* What are Occupy Wall Street protesters so angry about? Henry Blodget answers the question in an epic post, filled with illustrative charts. It’s one of those items to bookmark for future reference.

* In an interesting move, Yahoo has split from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

* As if News Corp needed another headache, a new scandal has brought down a top executive at the European branch of the Wall Street Journal.

* A clear majority of Americans still favor the death penalty, but support has dropped to its lowest level in nearly four decades.

* OWS protests continue to include concerns over higher-ed costs: “According to a recent piece at CNBC, many of the protesters involved in the Occupy Wall Street movement are demanding a redress of student loans. Unmanageable student loan debt is a fairly common feature of the people involved in protests.”

* And finally a friend of mine told me a joke last night I thought I’d pass along: “A public union employee, a Tea Party guy, and a bank CEO are sitting at a table with a plate of a dozen cookies. The CEO takes 11 of the cookies, turns to the Tea Partier and says, “Watch out for that union guy; he wants your cookie.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rush Limbaugh lashed out at Mitt Romney on the air yesterday. “Romney is not a conservative. He’s not, folks,” the host said. “You can argue with me all day long on that, but he isn’t…. This isn’t personal, not with what country faces and so forth. I like him very much. I’ve spent some social time with him. He’s a fine guy. He’s very nice gentleman. He is a gentleman. But he’s not a conservative.”

* Romney’s campaign raised $14.2 million in the third quarter, about $3 million less than Rick Perry’s campaign over the same period. Romney’s year-to-date total is $32 million, but after spending quite a bit, he has $14.65 million left in the bank.

* The latest New Hampshire Journal poll shows Romney still leading in the nation’s first primary with 41% support, but Herman Cain has come on strong and now has 20%.

* Because New Hampshire is mad at Nevada for moving up its caucuses, Jon Huntsman will boycott next week’s debate in Las Vegas. Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich are also threatening to boycott.

* Herman Cain said he’d consider Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) as potential running mates if he wins the Republican nomination.

* In New Jersey, the latest Quinnipiac poll shows President Obama’s approval rating still falling, but he nevertheless leads all of his general election challengers by at least six points.

* Wisconsin has had a chance to put its new voter-ID law to the test. The result: long lines, confusion, and voters who simply left rather than put up with needless delays.

* With about a month to go before Louisiana’s gubernatorial election, the latest polls suggest incumbent Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) might as well be running unopposed.

* North Carolina’s entire Republican congressional delegation endorsed Pat McCrory’s (R) gubernatorial campaign this week, despite the fact that McCrory hasn’t officially launched a bid yet.

* And how scared of Elizabeth Warren is the Massachusetts Republican Party? State GOP officials are now insinuating that Warren favors violent class warfare.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Americans in Uganda: “President Barack Obama said on Friday he was sending about 100 U.S. military advisers to Uganda to support central African allies pursuing Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, and other rebel commanders. Obama’s decision commits U.S. forces to help battle a Ugandan rebel group he once condemned as an “affront to human dignity” for chilling violence that has included hacking body parts off victims, abduction of young boys to fight and young girls to be used as sex slaves.”

* Alabama: “A federal appeals court on Friday blocked a key part of Alabama’s law that requires schools to check the immigration status of students, temporarily weakening what was considered the toughest immigration law in the nation.”

* Zuccotti Park: “New York officials on Friday morning abruptly pulled back from a confrontation with Occupy Wall Street protesters, canceling a planned clearing of the park where the protesters have been camping and raising the prospect of their prolonged presence in Lower Manhattan.”

* Some hints of economic progress: “U.S. consumers spent more on autos, clothing and furniture in September to boost retail sales by the most in seven months. The gain offered a hopeful sign for the sluggish economy.”

* HHS makes a key health care change: “The Obama administration has halted work on health reform’s Community Living Assistance Services and Support, or CLASS, Act after finding it too difficult to implement.”

* Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a former Republican congressman who now serves in the president’s cabinet, said Congress won’t approve much-needed infrastructure investments because “some people don’t want Obama to be successful.”

* I can’t help but notice that Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) just isn’t a very good senator.

* Last night, House Republicans approved the odious “Protect Life Act,” 251 to 172.

* You know a Fox News lie is egregious when the cast of “Fox & Friends” feels compelled to walk a story back. That’s extremely rare.

* Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s (R) opposition to anthropology majors at public universities is all the more interesting given that his daughter has a degree in anthropology from a public university.

* And finally, wise words from Paul Krugman: “It’s a terrible thing when an individual loses his or her grip on reality. But it’s much worse when the same thing happens to a whole political party, one that already has the power to block anything the president proposes — and which may soon control the whole government.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Campaign donations from Wall Street are picking up at the presidential level, and the financial industry appears to be rallying behind Mitt Romney in a big way.

* Hoping to recalibrate his presidential campaign, Rick Perry delivered a policy speech in Pittsburgh the other day, focusing on energy policy. The Texas governor, believe it or not, apparently thinks the nation will be fine if we just drill a whole lot.

* There was a report this morning that Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) is preparing to endorse Romney in the Republican presidential race, prompting DeMint and his staff to push back aggressively against the rumors.

* The open U.S. Senate race in Virginia continues to be the nation’s most competitive race, and a new Richmond Times-Dispatch poll shows former Gov. Tim Kaine (D) with a narrow edge over former Sen. George Allen (R), 44% to 42%.

* Jon Huntsman’s presidential campaign is very nearly broke, having raised $4.51 million, but having spent $4.18 million.

* Michele Bachmann’s presidential campaign has about $1.3 million left in the bank after spending nearly $6 million in the third quarter.

* The latest polling in Nevada shows Romney with a modest lead in one of the early nominating states, with the former governor up by five over Herman Cain, 31% to 26%.

* And in Utah, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is urging Rep. Jim Matheson (D) to take on Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). To that end, the DSCC released a Anzalone Liszt showing Hatch with a modest six-point lead over Matheson in a hypothetical match-up, which reinforces the notion that Hatch is vulnerable next year.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Occupy goes global: “Buoyed by the longevity of the Occupy Wall Street encampment in Manhattan, a wave of protests swept across Asia, the Americas and Europe on Saturday, with hundreds and in some cases thousands of people expressing discontent with the economic tides in marches, rallies and occasional clashes with the police.”

* With Senate Republicans killing the American Jobs Act last week, the next Democratic priority will be a stand-alone measure investing $35 billion in states to create jobs for teachers, firefighters, and police officers.

* Leaving Iraq: “An Obama administration proposal to keep a few thousand American troops here after the end of the year to train the Iraqi military is being scaled back, as the administration has concluded that the Iraqi Parliament would not give the troops legal protection, two American officials said on Saturday.”

* Pakistan: “Amid growing American frustration with Pakistan’s handling of Islamic militancy, the government here appears less willing than ever to challenge insurgent groups and is more inclined to make peace with them.”

* House Republicans are poised to kill the Chinese currency measure approved by the Senate last week.

* Whether or not one agrees with President Obama’s decision to send 100 U.S. troops to Uganda, it’s a legal move, approved by Congress, that does not even attempt to expand presidential power.

* It looks like New Yorkers are overwhelmingly supportive of the Occupy Wall Street protests, and are inclined to allow the demonstrations to continue as long as the activists want.

* Interesting new Gallup poll: “A record-high 50% of Americans now say the use of marijuana should be made legal, up from 46% last year. Forty-six percent say marijuana use should remain illegal.”

* This is apparently irrelevant to much of the political establishment, but the Recovery Act kept 6 million Americans from slipping into poverty.

* A new way for for-profit colleges to steer clear of federal regulations: reclassify what it is they do. They’re not offering an education, they’re offering “educational services” to traditional colleges.

* It’s a trivial point, of course, but I think it’s clear the president is awfully good with kids.

* And finally, no matter what one might think of gun-control measures, reasonable people should be able to agree that National Rifle Association executive vice president Wayne LaPierre seems to be deeply paranoid about hidden political agendas that exist only in his odd imagination.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The Republican Party of Iowa announced late yesterday that its presidential caucuses are scheduled for Jan. 3. New Hampshire’s plans, meanwhile, are still unclear.

* President Obama’s re-election campaign reached its 1 millionth donor yesterday. The campaign website now boasts, “2012 One Million Strong,” as its new slogan.

* The new CNN poll shows Mitt Romney clinging to the national lead in the Republican presidential race, leading Herman Cain by just one point, 26% to 25%. Rick Perry has seen his support slip from 32% to 13% since early September. No other candidate is in double digits.

* How much does Wall Street support the Romney campaign? At this point, nearly one fourth of the former governor’s campaign donations have come from the financial industry.

* Cain, whose campaign has always appeared dubious, has reportedly used contributions from donors to buy copies of his own books from a company Cain owns. “All candidates publish books, and they offer them as premiums to donors, but most candidates aren’t buying them from their own companies,” Bill Allison, director of the Sunlight Foundation, told Bloomberg. “It raises the question of his campaign contributions ending up in his own pocket.”

* Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul delivered a policy speech in Las Vegas yesterday, unveiling his plan to cut $1 trillion in federal spending. Among the government offices Paul would like to close are five cabinet agencies, including the departments of Energy and Education, and the agency that oversees airport security.

* In Virginia, a Richmond Times-Dispatch poll shows Romney as the heavy favorite in the state’s presidential primary, leading his next closest competitor by 32 points.

* The same poll shows Romney leading President Obama in a hypothetical match-up in Virginia, 45% to 42%.

* And “Saturday Night Live” apparently hurt GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum’s feelings over the weekend. Following a skit in which Santorum was portrayed as debating from inside a gay bar, Santorum accused SNL of “bullying.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Freedom for Gilad Shalit: “In an elaborate prisoner exchange that could roil Middle East politics, an Israeli soldier held for more than five years by the militant Palestinian group Hamas was swapped on Tuesday for hundreds of Palestinians who have spent many years in Israeli jails, all them freed to jubilant welcomes tinged with bitterness and grief.”

* Clinton in Libya: “In a historic visit punctuated by celebratory gunfire and cries of ‘God is great,’ Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton toured the Libyan capital Tuesday to pledge continued U.S. support for a transitional government still struggling to consolidate control over the war-ravaged country.”

* Iran: “Iran’s nuclear program, which stumbled badly after a reported cyberattack last year, appears beset by poorly performing equipment, shortages of parts and other woes as global sanctions exert a mounting toll…. Although Iran continues to stockpile enriched uranium in defiance of U.N. resolutions, two new reports portray the country’s nuclear program as riddled with problems as scientists struggle to keep older equipment working.”

* If only Senate Republicans gave a damn: “A group of 37 state and territorial attorneys general urged the U.S. Senate to confirm Richard Cordray as the first director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau…. The group includes 29 Democratic attorneys general and eight Republicans, according to Marjorie Tharp, a spokeswoman for the association.”

* Responding to a bizarre analysis from the Investor’s Business Daily, Jared Bernstein explains the conservative outlet doesn’t understand “the fundamental concept of fiscal impulse.”

* The New York Times’ editorial board isn’t happy with the GOP presidential field’s shallow approach to foreign policy: “For a while, we were concerned that the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination were not saying much about national security and foreign affairs. Now that a few have started, maybe they were better off before.”

* Wall Street lobbyists and banking executives are bothered with Dems for identifying with concerns raised by Occupy Wall Street. Boo hoo.

* Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) wishes more of the OWS protesters showed up to vote in the 2010 midterm elections.

* Is the commitment in higher ed to protecting diversity in admissions coming to an end? It’s possible.

* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has been whining incessantly lately about President Obama traveling on a bus made in Canada. This morning, McCain changed his talking points — right after learning that his own bus was made north of the border. Oops.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* One of the conservative economists who helped craft Herman Cain’s controversial “9-9-9” tax plan said yesterday the Republican candidate should scrap the provision calling for a 9% sales tax.

* In South Carolina, a new NBC News/Marist poll shows Cain leading the Republican field with 30% support. Mitt Romney is second with 26%, and no other candidate is in double digits.

* In Florida, NBC News/Marist poll also found Cain ahead, but by the narrowest of margins, besting Romney, 32% to 31%.

* On a related note, the same poll found President Obama leading each of the top GOP candidates in Florida, though the president’s margin over Romney is just two points, 45% to 43%.

* Cain said yesterday he would consider negotiating with al Qaeda. Last night, he reversed course, saying “Maybe I didn’t understand the question…. I misspoke.”

* Under pressure from New Hampshire and several Republican candidates, would Nevada consider moving its caucus date later than Jan. 14? The door appears to be open just a crack.

* I wouldn’t ordinarily care that Romney is spending a bundle on traveling by way of private jets, were it not for the fact that he made such a fuss over telling the world that he flies commercial.

* In Wisconsin, former Sen. Russ Feingold (D) is throwing his support to Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) in next year’s open-seat contest. He encouraged progressives to donate to her to fight back against “Karl Rove, the Koch brothers, and big corporations.”

* And speaking of Wisconsin, although former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) has already filed the paperwork on his Senate campaign, he refuses to publicly acknowledge his candidacy until the Spring. I’m not sure why.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Greece: “Greek police fired tear gas as protestors threw firebombs, burnt dustbins and vandalized shops Wednesday at the start of a two-day strike ahead of a vote on a new austerity bill to stave off bankruptcy.”

* Kabul: “Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived in the Afghan capital Wednesday on an unannounced visit intended to boost faltering reconciliation efforts ahead of the planned withdrawal of NATO forces. Clinton, who traveled to Kabul on the heels of visits to Libya and Oman, was scheduled to meet Thursday with President Hamid Karzai and other government and parliamentary leaders.”

* Potentially life-saving breakthrough: “Preliminary results from the trial of a malaria vaccine show that it protected nearly half of the children who received it from bouts of serious malaria, scientists said Tuesday. The vaccine, known as RTS,S and made by GlaxoSmithKline, has been in development for more than 25 years, initially for the American military and now with most of its support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.”

* A Social Security boost: “Social Security benefits will go up by 3.6 percent next year, the first increase since 2009 for the one in five Americans who rely on government retirement and disability programs.”

* The test vote in the Senate on 400,000 jobs for teachers and first responders will probably come Friday.

* The Senate is an exasperating institution, Part I: “Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) announced Wednesday he is putting a hold on all Treasury Department nominees until the administration backs down in a dispute over Federal Emergency Management funds…. But Pryor has thrown down the gauntlet over tens of thousands of dollars in flood relief funds FEMA and the Treasury Department have tried to collect from families in his home state.”

* The Senate is an exasperating institution, Part II: “Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) blocked the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee from continuing a mark-up hearing on Wednesday in a sharp floor exchange with the committee’s chairman, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). Paul insisted on enforcement of a rule that limits hearings from going beyond two hours’ time while the Senate is in session.”

* MSNBC is moving Lawrence O’Donnell’s “The Last Word” to 10 p.m., and “The Ed Show” to the prime 8 p.m. slot.

* Fox Business executives want their on-air personalities to remember that the network is not supposed to be a cheap knockoff of Fox News Channel. “If we give the audience a choice between FNC and the almost-FNC, they will choose FNC every time,” an executive vice president said in a memo. “Earnings, taxes, jobs etc give us PLENTY to chew on.”

* And finally, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) hosted a town-hall meeting this week, but asked the local paper not to publish a notice of the meeting for the public. Why not? Because the congresswoman didn’t want voters to come and say “whatever’s on their minds.” When word of a town-hall gathering is mentioned in the paper, the Republican lawmaker’s communications director said, “you get a certain set of people.” (I think they’re called “constituents.”)

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new Associated Press study found South Carolina’s voter-ID law disproportionately prevents African-American voters from participating in elections. Try not to be surprised.

* A new AP-GfK poll shows Mitt Romney hanging on as the national leader in the Republican presidential race, leading Herman Cain by four points, 30% to 26%.

* The same AP-GfK poll shows President Obama leading each of the top GOP candidates, though as usual, Romney comes the closest, trailing by three points.

* Responding to criticism that his tax plan would hurt working families, Cain said yesterday he has a secret plan to “fix” his policy that he hasn’t “told the public” about yet. (Remember, Cain is supposed to be a real candidate for national office.)

* In Ohio, Public Policy Polling shows President Obama struggling with a low approval rating, and in a hypothetical match-up against Romney, the two are tied at 46% each.
http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2011/10/obama-struggling-in-ohio.html

* Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif.) will announce his retirement today, avoiding a primary next year against his friend Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) in California’s new 16th District.

* There’s growing talk that Nevada will move its caucus date, again, this time to February 4. If so, it will come as a great relief to New Hampshire, which is leading the charge for Nevada’s change.

* In Iowa, several GOP presidential hopefuls are hoping to get Sen. Chuck Grassley’s (R) endorsement, but they can all forget it. He announced yesterday that he won’t pick a favorite before the caucuses.

* And Texas Gov. Rick Perry hopes to get his Republican presidential campaign back on track when he unveils a flat-tax plan next week as part of a larger tax overhaul agenda.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* How did Gadhafi die? “[W]hen Gaddafi was walked out of the culvert to a truck, a firefight broke out between revolutionaries and Gaddafi’s security detail, and Gaddafi was shot in his right arm, Jibril said. When the truck started moving, ‘they came under intense crossfire,’ and Gaddafi was struck in the head, he said. ‘That was the deadly shot,’ Jibril said.”

* Europe: “Germany and France, still at odds over a plan for a more forceful response to the sovereign debt crisis, on Thursday put off a decision-making summit meeting for several days amid signs that the complexities of European politics may preclude the kind of all-encompassing resolution that markets crave.”

* Greece: “Greece’s parliament passed tough new austerity measures Thursday amid violent protests and major strikes in Athens.”

* Pakistan: “An unusually powerful American delegation arrived here Thursday and, according to a senior American official, intended to warn Pakistan that the United States would act unilaterally if necessary to attack extremists groups who use the country as a haven to kill Americans.”

* Better, but still too high: “New claims for unemployment benefits fell last week and a gauge of labor market trends hit a six-month low, a government report showed on Thursday, pointing to an improvement in the jobs market.”

* Jobs for vets: “Trying to help veterans find work when they return home from war, and bolster his appeal to that constituency, President Obama announced a partnership with companies on Wednesday that aims to employ 25,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan and military spouses within two years. “

* Andrew Sullivan: “To rid the world of Osama bin Laden, Anwar al-Awlaki and Moammar Qaddafi within six months: if Obama were a Republican, he’d be on Mount Rushmore by now.”

* Scary: “The FBI and U.S. Capitol Police are investigating an online threat made against Rep. Bobby Schilling (R-Ill.) that offered a $75,000 reward for his assassination. The FBI and Capitol Police also are investigating a similarly worded online threat against President Obama and his family and several other lawmakers.”

* Americans’ student loan debt is set to reach $1 trillion this year. “Such outstanding debt acts as a huge drag on the economy since it eats up so much of college graduates’ disposable income.”

* The FBI has been operating under a ridiculously archaic definition of rape for far too long.

* Mike Lofgren, a former congressional Republican staffer, quite a stir last month announcing his departure from the “cult.” This week, he has a great piece for the Monthly on myths surrounding millionaires.

* Shouldn’t Daily Caller staffers have been embarrassed even before last month’s EPA fiasco?

* A fascinating look at a secret report in 2000, pondering the end of the U.S. debt.

* CNN’s Anderson Cooper corrected his debate mistake. Good for him.

* No, right-wing activists, a Twitter hashtag is not a swastika. Seriously, are conservatives taking crazy pills or something?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Michele Bachmann’s presidential campaign has about six staffers in New Hampshire. This morning, they quit en masse, unsatisfied with the campaign’s direction.

* In Iowa, some recent polls show Herman Cain leading the GOP presidential pack, despite the fact that he’s shown no real interest in campaigning there. Yesterday, however, Cain hired Steve Grubbs, an experienced campaign operative and the former chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, to oversee the campaign’s in-state efforts.

* On a related note, Mitt Romney has generally avoided Iowa, figuring he’d lose there, but with both Bachmann and Rick Perry struggling, the former governor is prepared to take the first caucus state seriously again.

* In a bit of a surprise, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee outraised the National Republican Congressional Committee last month by a wide margin. The DCCC raised $6.64 million in September, compared to the NRCC’s $3.8 million. With Republicans in the House majority, the opposite was expected.

* Will Nevada move its presidential caucuses back to Feb. 4, conceding the conflict to New Hampshire? Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) is on board with the change.

* Tired of the constant stream of Republican debates? Too bad — Fox News announced two more yesterday, one in Iowa on Dec. 15 and the other in South Carolina on Jan. 16.

* The Perry campaign put together a hard-hitting new ad, accusing Romney of “misleading” the public.

* In Hawaii, Public Policy Polling found Rep. Mazie Hirono (D) leading former Gov. Linda Lingle (R) by just six points in next year’s open Senate race, 48% to 42%.

* Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will apparently not seek national office again, telling NBC this week she won’t run in 2016.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “Expectations remained high on Friday that European leaders were trying to craft a bolder solution to the region’s financial crisis, despite clear signals from French and German officials that they have sharp differences heading into an important weekend summit in Brussels.”

* Questions remain on the circumstances surrounding Gadhafi’s death: “Libyan authorities on Friday prepared to bury slain former leader Moammar Gaddafi amid calls for an investigation into the circumstances of his death, which came after he begged for his life and scolded the enraged revolutionary fighters holding him, according to new video footage.”

* The price tag for the U.S. mission: “According to the Pentagon, that was the cost to U.S. taxpayers for Muammar el-Qaddafi’s head: $1.1 billion through September, the latest figure just out of the Defense Department.”

* Annie Lowrey on the economy: “Everything is getting better. No, no, I know. It seems as if everything is getting worse again…. Even so, a spate of new data suggest that the trends, at the least, might be looking up for now, and the possibility of a double-dip recession might be fading.”

* ABC News thinks it’s found a big new scandal involving a U.S. loan that boosted manufacturing in Finland. ABC’s report is really, really, really, really misleading.

* Wingnut welfare: “Former Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina may have not have been able to run for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination after his 2009 cheating scandal, but he will at least get to talk about the campaign on national television — as a paid contributor on Fox News, the Caucus has learned.”

* Seems like a good question: “Can an academic administrator go around calling himself “doctor” if he holds only an honorary doctorate?”

* Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) told a local news outlet this week, “Privately, John Boehner … doesn’t want someone like me around.” Joe, Boehner’s not the only one who doesn’t want someone like you around.

* And Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain reflected this week on an important part of his foreign-policy vision: “My strategy for China is three words: Outgrow China.” Herman, that’s two words.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Relenting to New Hampshire’s demands, the Nevada Republican Party agreed to move its presidential caucuses — again — this time to Feb. 4. This will allow New Hampshire to hold its primary on Jan. 10, a week after the Iowa caucuses.

* In Louisiana, as expected, incumbent Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) cruised to an easy re-election victory on Saturday, winning a second term with nearly two-thirds of the total vote in a nine-candidate field.

* The latest University of Iowa poll shows Herman Cain leading the Republican presidential field in the Hawkeye State with 37% support. Mitt Romney is second in the poll with 27%.

* Rick Perry is overhauling his campaign staff structure, bringing in a series of GOP consultants who, among other things, helped Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) win his race last year.

* Some of Michele Bachmann’s staffers in New Hampshire quit late last week because the campaign asked them to work without pay for a month. This isn’t a good sign.

* Cain gave his ridiculous “9-9-9” tax plan a touch-up late last week, exempting those at or below the poverty line. Independent analyses still show the Cain proposal would still raise taxes on the poor.

* In Ohio, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) leading his GOP challengers, but by a shrinking margin. The incumbent Democrat now leads state Treasurer Josh Mandel by eight points, after having led by 15 points in August.

* Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) is still recuperating, but her campaign committee is spending again, suggesting the injured congresswoman may run again after all.

* Vice President Biden has not made 2016 plans yet, but he’s not ruling out a presidential campaign of his own. Biden will be 73 years old on Election Day 2016.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Tunisia: “A moderate Islamic party appeared to emerge as the big winner in Tunisia on Monday as preliminary results leaked out in the voting for an assembly to draft a constitution and shape a new government in this small North African country, where a revolution in January inspired uprisings across the Arab world.”

* Libya: “Libya’s interim government, under mounting international pressure, said Monday it would investigate the death of Moammar Gaddafi, but authorities remained divided over what to do with the former leader’s decomposing corpse after four days of public viewing.”

* Syria: “Robert S. Ford, the American ambassador to Damascus who has emerged as an outspoken critic of Syria’s crackdown on a seven-month uprising, has left the country after receiving what American officials called threats to his safety.”

* Europe: “As European officials worked Monday to iron out details of a plan to save the euro, fears were growing that the end result might be another example of European leaders doing as little as they think they can get away with.”

* Deadly 7.2-magnitude earthquake devastates eastern Turkey. “The death toll has risen to 279, with another 1,300 injured, Turkey’s semi-official Anatolian news agency reported, citing the country’s disaster management authority. Some 970 buildings are demolished.”

* OWS faces an attack in Portland, Maine: “Occupy Maine protesters say Sunday morning’s attack with a chemical explosive has left them with a mixture of anxiety and resolve.”

* Sgt. 1st Class Kristoffer Domeij, a U.S. Army Ranger, was killed in combat in Afghanistan over the weekend. Domeij was serving in his 14th combat deployment. That’s not a typo.

* Bad move: “NPR will no longer distribute the member station-produced program “World of Opera” to about 60 stations across the country because the show host helped organize an ongoing Washington protest, a network official said Friday evening.”

* Jillian Rayfield reports on the most offensive highlights — or lowlights, as the case may be — of Pat Buchanan’s new book, “Suicide Of A Superpower.” Spoiler Alert: Buchanan prefers an American in which white Christian men control everything.

* And President Obama’s practice of reading 10 letters a day sent to the White House is a pretty fascinating habit. One thing I didn’t know: the president has occasionally written personal checks to correspondents who are facing dire financial straits.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new CBS News/New York Times poll shows Herman Cain leading the Republican presidential field at the national level with 25%, up eight points from early October and up 20 points since mid September. Mitt Romney is second with 21%.

* Rick Perry’s presidential campaign this morning began pressing Romney to make his tax returns public — a step Romney refused to take in all of his many previous attempts at public office.

* Perry will kick off his first televised campaign commercials this week, buying ad time in Iowa with 10 weeks to go before the caucuses.

* Perry has also hired Joe Allbaugh, the campaign manager for George W. Bush’s 2000 campaign, to serve as a senior adviser.

* Cain promised yesterday that, if elected, he would sign a constitutional amendment to prohibit abortions. Cain doesn’t realize that presidents cannot sign or veto constitutional amendments.

* Ron Paul’s latest money-bomb effort is going very well, with the congressman raising nearly $3 million in small donations over the five days for his strange presidential campaign.

* Cain and Newt Gingrich will get together for a Lincoln-Douglas style debate in Texas next month. I don’t know why.

* In Ohio, former state Sen. Kevin Coughlin (R) is ending his U.S. Senate campaign, all but assuring a race next year pitting State Treasurer Josh Mandel (R) against incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown (D).

* And in Florida, former Sen. George LeMieux (R), hoping to return to the chamber, announced yesterday he’d like to see college tuition rates become more expensive, not less. That ought to help deliver the youth vote, right?

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “A plan to address the European debt crisis might include only general principles rather than the detailed initiatives urged by the United States and other major nations, according to documents outlining elements of the plan and officials familiar with the deliberations.”

* Part of the delay has to do with enticing banks to accept deeper losses: “With less than 24 hours before the summit meeting of government chiefs in Brussels, banking representatives and European officials were locked in negotiation over what losses banks should accept.”

* Quake in Turkey: “The death toll from a deadly earthquake in eastern Turkey over the weekend has risen to more than 360, the government said Tuesday.”

* Gadhafi’s body was buried today at a secret location.

* As part of the “We Can’t Wait” campaign, President Obama today pushed a new initiative intended to lower unemployment among veterans.

* Questions about Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-Fla.) dubious claims about his family history continue to intensify. All evidence suggests the right-wing lawmaker has misled the public for quite a long while.

* Despite all the recent media attention about Steve Jobs and his attitudes towards President Obama, the fact is the former Apple visionary was “really into supporting Obama in 2012” and actually “wanted to make ads” for the president’s re-election campaign.

* Media Matters rolls out new materials, including a video, on the “sabotage” question surrounding Republicans and the apparent effort to hold back the economy on purpose.

* Pat Buchanan today went after President Obama’s deceased mother. Stay classy, Pat.

* When it comes to college professors in Texas, the beatings will continue until morale improves.

* The anti-gay National Organization of Marriage has been reduced to taking pictures from Obama rallies, and pretending those crowds are their own. How sad.

* Click the link and read the whole thing: “[M]ovement conservatism has become a closed, inward-looking universe in which you get points not by sounding reasonable to uncommitted outsiders — although there are a few designated pundits who play that role professionally — but by outdoing your fellow movement members in zeal. It’s sort of reminiscent of Stalinists going after Trotskyites in the old days.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Mitt Romney, hoping to undo the self-inflicted damage from yesterday, announced this morning he “is 110 percent behind” Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s (R) measure to restrict the collective bargaining rights. Yesterday, Romney refused to endorse the same proposal.

* Rick Perry, hoping to undo some self-inflicted damage of his own, said in Florida this morning that he was just kidding when he raised questions about President Obama’s birthplace.

* And in still more news related to self-inflicted damage, Herman Cain was asked in Iowa about his position on abortion rights. He’s still screwing it up — Cain said he’s against abortions, without exception, and then added, “A family will make that choice.”

* The National Republican Senatorial Committee is condemning Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts this week for supporting the efforts of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

* In Nevada, Public Policy Polling shows Mitt Romney narrowly leading Herman Cain in the race for the GOP presidential nomination, 29% to 28%.

* In Ohio, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Cain leading Romney, 28% to 23%.

* The same Quinnipiac poll in Ohio, by the way, shows President Obama in the lead against the top Republican candidates, leading Romney by four, Cain by eight, and Perry by 11.

* Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) is now offering encouragement to the Republicans running to replace him in the Senate.

* In New Hampshire, former state Senate Majority Leader Maggie Hassan (D) kicked off her gubernatorial campaign this week.

* And in Missouri, if Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder (R) decides his scandals will prevent him from being an effective gubernatorial candidate next year, look for businessman Dave Spence to run as the Republican nominee instead.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “European leaders struggled into the night Wednesday to reassure the world that they were determined to find a comprehensive solution to the two-year-old euro zone debt crisis, hours after German lawmakers approved a proposal to more than double an emergency bailout fund.”

* Obama intends to ease student-loan burdens: “The administration’s new student loan plan, titled ‘Know Before You Owe,’ would allow college graduates to cap federal student loan repayments at 10 percent of discretionary income starting in January, two years before the cap was due to take effect under federal law. The accelerated ‘pay as you earn’ option, which Obama will authorize through executive authority, could benefit up to 1.6 million borrowers and reduce their payments by as much as a couple of hundred dollars a month…. All remaining debt on the federal loans would be forgiven after 20 years — five years earlier than under current law.”

* Occupy Oakland: “A small band of protesters … watched peacefully as city workers erected a chain-link fence around the grassy area that about 350 people had populated before police cleared the main encampment Tuesday. City officials said they planned to reopen the plaza to the public once the fence was up — to allow for protest but not camping.”

* It’s frustrating that this represents progress: “Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) is releasing his hold on Treasury Department nominees after officials there settled an issue with two of his constituents, his office announced on Wednesday.”

* Rubio isn’t out of the woods: “Documents give shape to Marco Rubio’s family history but raise new questions.”

* President Obama intervenes in support of Egyptian activists.

* Busted: “Rajat K. Gupta, a former Goldman Sachs director who surrendered to the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday morning, was charged with insider trading, the latest development in the government’s multiyear crackdown on illegal activity on Wall Street.”

* Health care at the high court: “The Supreme Court will take its first look at the challenges to the new federal health care law at its Conference on Thursday, November 10. Five of the six pending petitions (the sixth is not ready yet) were distributed to the Justices’ chambers on Wednesday, for consideration at that private session.”

* Michael Hiltzik gets it: “Students of the sciences can generally tell the difference between action and motion. The first produces results; the second is often designed to avoid results. For a laboratory experiment in how to spot the distinction, let’s examine the competing jobs plans offered by President Obama and congressional Republicans.”

* James Livingston makes the case for consumer spending: “As an economic historian who has been studying American capitalism for 35 years, I’m going to let you in on the best-kept secret of the last century: private investment — that is, using business profits to increase productivity and output — doesn’t actually drive economic growth. Consumer debt and government spending do. Private investment isn’t even necessary to promote growth.”

* Andy Sabl spent some time at Zuccotti Park and came away with some provocative observations about Occupy Wall Street.”

* How much would Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) cut federal student loans? He’d eliminate them entirely, of course.

* Steve Jobs had a chance to look at Fox News’ impact and concluded it had “become an incredibly destructive force in our society.” That seems more than fair.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Herman Cain’s campaign staffers, who travel with the candidate, have been told in a memo, “Do not speak to him unless you are spoken to.” What an odd candidate.

* The DNC slams Mitt Romney in a new video for his collective-bargaining flip-flop, making good use of his “I’m running for office for Pete’s sake” line.

* In Iowa, a new CNN/Time/ORC International poll shows Romney leading the presidential field with 24% support, followed by Cain. Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Perry barely reach double digits.

* In New Hampshire, the CNN/Time/ORC International poll found Romney way out in front with 40%, followed by Cain at 13% and Paul with 12%.

* In South Carolina, the CNN/Time/ORC International poll found Romney leading Cain, 25% to 23%. Paul and Perry barely reach double digits.

* In Florida, the CNN/Time/ORC International poll found Romney leading the field with 30%, followed by Cain at 18%.

* In Massachusetts, City Year co-founder Alan Khazei is scrapping his Democratic Senate campaign, clearing the way for Elizabeth Warren (D) to take on Sen. Scott Brown (R) next year.

* Speaking of the Bay State, Rep. John Olver (D-Mass.) announced that he is retiring at the end of the term. His district was likely to be eliminated through redistricting.

* Michele Bachmann’s campaign operation in New Hampshire has fallen apart so completely, the right-wing congresswoman had to file for the first presidential primary through the mail, rather than in person.

* In Florida, Rep. Connie Mack IV (R-Fla.) announced earlier this year that he wouldn’t run for the Senate, and yesterday, he changed his mind. Mack’s father, Connie Mack III, was a two-term senator from Florida.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* European accord reached overnight: “European leaders, in a significant step toward resolving the euro zone financial crisis, early Thursday morning obtained an agreement from banks to take a 50 percent loss on the face value of their Greek debt. The agreement on Greek debt was crucial to assembling a comprehensive package to protect the euro, which has been keeping jittery markets on edge.”

* Relevant detail: “The deal does not, and was not intended to, have any effect on the core problems facing the eurozone. There is still an urgent need to restore growth to economies which are hamstrung by uncompetitive business sectors, and continuous fiscal tightening. Recession still looms, especially in the southern economies.”

* Sarah Kliff walks readers through EuroDeal 101: “Five basics of the new agreement.”

* Slowly inching lower: “The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits dipped slightly last week, though not by enough to suggest that hiring is picking up. Weekly applications for unemployment benefits declined 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 402,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. That’s the fourth drop in six weeks.”

* Tuesday night’s clash between Oakland police and Occupy protestors put Scott Olsen in the hospital in critical condition. Olsen, a Marine who completed two tours in Iraq, was hit in the head with a police projectile.

* Oakland Mayor Jean Quan is switching gears, expressing support for the Occupy movement, and vowing to minimize police presence going forward.

* Good Medicare news: “Medicare’s basic monthly premium will rise significantly less than expected next year, the government announced Thursday. That could pay political dividends for President Barack Obama and for Democrats struggling to win over seniors in a close election.”

* Dahlia Lithwick: “One of the best things about Occupy Wall Street is the way it confuses and ignores the shrill pundit class.”

* If you haven’t read Jon Chait’s takedown of Paul Ryan, it’s well worth checking out.

* On a related note, has Paul Ryan met Paul Ryan?

* It strikes me as odd that PolitiFact would fact-check homemade signs held by random, anonymous citizens.

* Russia Today’s Alyona Minkovski has a few choice words for Politico’s Ben Smith.

* Scott Lemieux is right, conservatives really do need to stop whining about Robert Bork.

* Adding more security to the SATs seems like a bad move.

* And Greg Sargent’s 10-year-old son offers more astute — and more accurate — political analysis in one drawing than Fox News offers in a year.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In the hopes that he’ll start embarrassing himself less often and make fewer mistakes, Herman Cain has decided to spend less time on the campaign trail.

* As this photo helps demonstrate, Elizabeth Warren’s (D) Senate campaign in Massachusetts will not lack volunteers.

* If my count is right, the Cain campaign has now taken five different positions on abortion rights over the last two weeks. The Republican presidential hopeful said on Wednesday that he supports “no exceptions,” but yesterday, his staff said he supports exceptions for rape, incest, and to save the life of the mother.

* In Arizona, a CNN poll this week found President Obama running ahead of the Republicans’ top tier, leading Mitt Romney by five points, Rick Perry by six, and Cain by seven.

* The same poll found Cain narrowly leading Romney in the state, 25% to 24%.

* In Nevada, one of the nation’s most closely watched U.S. Senate races continues to get more interesting. Public Policy Polling found this week that Rep. Shelley Berkley (D) and appointed Sen. Dean Heller (R) are now tied at 45% each.

* On a related note, PPP also found Obama and Romney tied in Nevada at 46% each.

* In Wisconsin, Public Policy Polling found Gov. Scott Walker (R) hanging on with the threat of a recall hanging overhead. A 49% plurality does not want to see the governor recalled before the end of his first term, while 48% supports a recall.

* Despite Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman’s focus on the New Hampshire primary, he’s only received $1,000 in donations from within the Granite State.

* And upcoming the “Lincoln-Douglas” debate between Cain and Newt Gingrich next week has turned into quite a fundraiser for the Texas Tea Party Patriots PAC, which is selling tickets priced between $200 and $1,000.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Europe hasn’t been saved: “Sobriety displaced euphoria in Europe on Friday as new developments signaled that the debt crisis was far from over, deflating a market rally that had followed a show of resolve by European leaders. Italy was obliged to pay the highest rate in more than a decade to sell a new bond issue, a sign that investors remained wary of the country’s political paralysis and a debt load equal to 120 percent of yearly economic output.”

* BOA backpedals: “Bank of America Corp, after receiving heavy public criticism for a planned $5 per-month debit card fee, is likely to give customers more ways to avoid the fee, a person familiar with the bank’s plans said Friday.”

* The BOA blowback was noticed throughout the industry: “A month after Bank of America got pummeled by consumers and politicians for introducing plans for new debit-card fees, most other big U.S. banks are steering clear of imposing similar charges.”

* House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) thinks energy subsidies are wrong — unless he can get a $2 billion loan guarantee for a nuclear plant in his home state.

* If I had to pick the Paul Ryan’s worst quality, I’d probably go with the frequency with which he says things that aren’t true.

* Now, it’s official: the Justice Department did not pay $16 for muffins. Let us never speak of it again.

* Republicans are accusing the Affordable Care Act of including a “marriage penalty.” Jonathan Cohn explains why they really don’t want to go down that road.

* Breitbart picks up $10 million in equity funding from undisclosed investors. That’ll finance all kinds of nonsense.

* Congrats to Eli Lake on his new Daily Beast gig.

* And there’s been a flurry of Senate activity this week on, of all thing, NCAA conference membership. As the dust settles, it looks like the final score is Joe Manchin 1, Mitch McConnell 0.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In case you missed it over the weekend, the Des Moines Register’s new Iowa Poll shows Herman Cain leading among likely caucusgoers with 23%, followed by Mitt Romney with 22%.

* Also, while Rick Perry’s campaign floated the possibility of skipping upcoming debates, the Texas governor has agreed to participate in all of the next five scheduled events.

* Ron Paul told CNN yesterday he has no “intention” of running for president on a third-party ticket, and has “no plans” to do so, but he did not categorically rule it out, either.

* A new University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll shows Perry running second among Republicans in his own home state, trailing Herman Cain by one point, 27% to 26%. Romney is a distant fourth in Texas, with just 9% support among Republicans in the state.

* To the disappointment of the DSCC, Rep. Jim Matheson (D) of Utah announced late Friday that he will not run for the Senate next year, effectively taking Sen. Orrin Hatch’s (R) seat out of play.

* With a week to go before Kentucky’s gubernatorial election, GOP nominee David Williams has a new closing ad that doesn’t feature him at all. Incumbent Gov. Steve Beshear (D) is heavily favored to win a second term.

* In Wisconsin, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows President Obama leading all of his GOP challengers in hypothetical match-ups, but by modest margins. Romney, for example, trails the president by only three, 46% to 43%.

* And in Oregon, where there’s a special election coming up to replace former Rep. David Wu (D), state Sen. Suzanne Bonamici has a 34-point lead in the Democratic primary. She appears likely to take on Rob Cornilles, the GOP frontrunner.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: “At least 12 Americans were killed when a Taliban suicide car bomber attacked an armored shuttle bus in Kabul on Saturday, military officials said. The bombing was the single deadliest assault on Americans in the capital since the war began, military officials said, and follows brazen Taliban attacks on the American Embassy and NATO headquarters in the city last month.”

* The latest move in the “We Can’t Wait” campaign: “President Obama took unilateral action Monday to help stem the nation’s critical shortage of lifesaving drugs. Obama signed an executive order that gives federal regulators more power to track shortages, quickly approve replacement manufacturing sites and punish price gougers.”

* Seems like I see another one of these stories every other day: “A Republican lawmaker who has criticized the Department of Energy’s $529 million loan guarantee to an electric car company that is manufacturing vehicles overseas has championed U.S.-backed loans to a company headquartered in his home district that does business around the globe.”

* Unesco: “Palestine became the 195th full member of Unesco on Monday, as the United Nations organization defied a threatened cutoff of American funds under federal legislation from the 1990’s. The vote of Unesco’s full membership was 107 to 14, with 52 abstentions. The step will cost the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization one-quarter of its yearly budget — the 22 percent contributed by the United States (about $70 million) plus another 3 percent contributed by Israel.”

* House Republicans have mocked the White House for the lack of House Dems co-sponsoring the American Jobs Act, which GOP leaders don’t intend to bring to the floor. In response, 90 House Dems announced they’re co-sponsoring President Obama’s plan.

* Good call: “The Justice Department filed suit on Monday to block South Carolina’s immigration law, saying that the law interfered with the federal government’s supremacy on the issue of immigration.”

* The Washington Post published a truly awful front-page piece on Social Security over the weekend. Dean Baker and Paul Krugman take the time to highlight the reality that the Post overlooked.

* The right’s campaign to make First Lady Michelle Obama unpopular isn’t going well.

* Add Bill Gates’ name to the list of very rich Americans who want to see tax increases on very rich Americans.

* Happy Birthday, Danica May Camacho: “The world’s seven billionth baby was born just before midnight Sunday in a government-run hospital in the Philippines.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Herman Cain’s campaign claims to have raised $250,000 yesterday, the same day as reports on the candidate allegedly sexually harassing women employees in the 1990s. “It was one of our best fundraising days ever,” campaign manager Mark Block said this morning.

* A Super PAC supporting Rick Perry is launching a $400,000 ad campaign, including time in South Carolina, where polls show the Texas governor struggling.

* Cain and Mitt Romney are the two leading candidates in Iowa according to recent polling, but neither of them will attend the Iowa Republican Party’s Ronald Reagan Dinner in Des Moines on Friday. Cain will be in D.C. and Romney will be in New Hampshire. The five other non-Huntsman GOP candidates will be there.

* The Commission on Presidential Debates announced its schedule for 2012, selecting the dates and locations for four debates next fall. President Obama and the Republican nominee will debate in Denver, Hempstead, N.Y., and Boca Raton, Fla., while the vice presidential candidates will debate in Danville, Ky.

* Ed Rollins, Michele Bachmann’s former campaign manager, continues to trash the right-wing congresswoman, saying she has “run out of money and ideas,” and should expect to lose in Iowa.

* In the state of Washington, a new University of Washington poll shows state Attorney General Rob McKenna (R) leading Rep. Jay Inslee (D) in next year’s gubernatorial race, 44% to 38%. McKenna currently benefits from considerably higher name recognition.

* The same poll, by the way, shows President Obama faring quite well in the state of Washington, where he leads Romney by nine points, and other GOP candidates by even wider margins.

* And in Nevada, former Rep. Dana Titus (D), hoping to make a comeback, will not seek a rematch against Rep. Joe Heck (R), but will instead run to replace Rep. Shelley Berkley (D), who is now running for the Senate.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Greece was supposed to accept the Eurozone deal. It didn’t: “The Greek government was plunged into chaos on Tuesday, as lawmakers rebelled against Prime Minister George Papandreou’s surprise call for a popular referendum on a new debt deal with Greece’s foreign lenders.” Since the referendum would fail, international anxiety is rising quickly.

* On a related note, Greece’s Papandreou government may very well fall after failing a no-confidence vote later this week.

* That doesn’t sound good: “MF Global, headed by former New Jersey Senator and Goldman Sachs CEO Jon Corzine, filed for bankruptcy yesterday, but reports that $700 million is missing has spooked creditors and others on Wall Street.”

* Libyan rebels still don’t agree with one another, making a national military a tall order: “Haytham al-Obeidi said there were tensions between fighters from eastern Libya, where army officers such as his father defected en masse, and those from the west, many of them irregulars who took on Gaddafi’s military, risking torture and death.”

* Another good move from the Obama administration: “The Justice Department sent a letter to school districts in Alabama on Tuesday reminding them that they can’t deny a child access to public education due to his or her immigration status.”

* Interesting piece, by way of reader D.K.: “Private equity firms are investing in chains of used-car lots, and auto loans are being packaged into securities much like subprime mortgages. They’re attracted by the industry’s average profit of 38% for each car sold.”

* Issa should find this fascinating, right? “A high-ranking Justice Department official was ‘stunned’ when he learned in 2010 that agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) allowed weapons to ‘walk’ across the Mexican border during the Bush administration, according to recently disclosed documents.”

* In the latest move in the “We Can’t Wait” campaign, the White House is designating Virginia’s Ft. Monroe a national monument, a move intended to create jobs in the area.

* I’m always glad to see items like these: “It’s under fire for backing now-bankrupt Solyndra, but the government has a long history of investing in cutting-edge technology. Without it, many products we can’t live without may not have been developed.” The list includes the Internet, the microchip, and GPS technology.

* And a country Republican group in Virginia thought it’d be fun, as part of a Halloween email, to show a zombie President Obama with a bullet hole in his head. The image is drawing widespread criticism, even from the state GOP.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As expected, New Hampshire has set its presidential primary date for January 10, a week after the Iowa caucuses.

* Herman Cain’s Super PAC is aggressively fundraising off his sexual-harassment controversy. Cain’s campaign claims to have raised $400,000 since the reports first broke.

* While Politico was tipped off to the sexual-harassment allegations surrounding Cain, we don’t know who first made the tip. Yesterday, the Romney, Perry, Bachmann, Paul, Gingrich, Santorum, and Huntsman campaigns all denied playing a role.

* A new Quinnipiac poll shows Cain leading the GOP field nationally with 30% support, followed by Romney at 23%. Gingrich is a distant third with 10%, and no other candidate reached double digits.

* Quinnipiac’s latest polling also shows President Obama’s approval rating up to 47%, and he leads all of his Republican challengers in hypothetical match-ups, by margins ranging from five points (vs. Romney) to 16 points (vs. Perry).

* ThinkProgress has a report this week linking Romney and one of his sons connection to the Stanford Financial Group Ponzi scheme.

* The Perry campaign is going on the air in New Hampshire this week, launching a new ad that describes him as “a doer not a talker.”

* The executive director of Cornerstone Action, the conservative group that hosted a much-discussed Perry event in New Hampshire over the weekend, insists the Texas governor was not intoxicated during his strange speech.

* In Florida, a new Suffolk University poll shows Romney leading Cain among Republicans, 25% to 24%. No one else in the field is close.

* It’s long been assumed that Sen. Ben Nelson (D) would seek re-election in Nebraska next year, but he’s apparently on the fence and won’t make a final decision until later this year. National Democrats have already invested more than $800,000 with the expectation that Nelson is seeking another term.

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* The Fed keeps lowering projections: “The Federal Reserve significantly reduced its forecast of economic growth over the next two years, the latest in a long series of acknowledgements that the recovery from the 2008 financial crisis is taking much longer than it had expected.”

* Greece fuels European turmoil: “With the government teetering on the verge of collapse, the Greek cabinet offered its full support early Wednesday to Prime Minister George A. Papandreou for his surprise plan to call a referendum on the Greek financial crisis.”

* What’s Europe’s Plan B in the event Greek voters reject the deal and move towards leaving the euro? There is no Plan B.

* On a related note, I found Kevin Drum’s “A Conversation About Greece” to be terrific and informative.

* Occupy Oakland: “Thousands of Wall Street protesters marched in the streets of Oakland on Wednesday as they geared up with labor unions to picket banks, take over foreclosed homes and vacant buildings and disrupt operations at the nation’s fifth-busiest port.”

* Auto industry: “U.S. car and truck sales were expected to top 1 million in October, a surprising number for a month when sales are usually slow. When adjusted for seasonal factors, that would be the best pace since the Cash for Clunkers program in August 2009.”

* “What a Jobs Plan Looks Like.”

* Hopefully, no one took Beck’s advice seriously: “Goldline, a company that used endorsements from Glenn Beck and other conservative icons to sell hundreds of millions of dollars to consumers, has been charged with theft and fraud in a 19-count criminal complaint filed Tuesday by local officials in California.”

* Ryan Cooper takes a look at the efforts to save AmeriCorps from the Republican axe.

* Mariah Blake has a great piece on a Ponzi scheme run by a guy named Tom Petters — a story that includes Michele Bachmann, a former U.S. vice president, a one-time governor, a sitting senator, a crafty entrepreneur, an ex-con turned devout Christian, illicit drugs, and a $130,000 airborne sex escapade.

* The right’s ongoing paranoia about Journolist is just sad.

* An outrageous story about four militia guys in Georgia, busted by the FBI this week, who plotted to launch a biological-weapons attack against Americans.

* And John Bolton believes the United States shouldn’t accept election outcomes in other countries if we believe the outcomes are counter to our interests, even in the case of “free and fair elections.” Remember when Bush/Cheney wanted this guy to represent us at the United Nations?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rick Perry, in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, said he was not intoxicated or on prescription medication during his strange speech in New Hampshire yesterday. He characterized his performance as “animated.”

* Herman Cain conceded that he “may have misspoke” when he said China is “trying to develop nuclear capability.” He told the Daily Caller, “What I meant was China does not have the size of the nuclear capability that we have.”

* Rick Santorum this week completed a rare feat: he’s now visited each of Iowa’s 99 counties. It doesn’t appear to be helping — the last Des Moines Register poll found the former senator running seventh with just 5% support.

* A new Franklin and Marshall College poll in Pennsylvania shows President Obama with double-digit leads over all of his Republican opponents, though the percentage of undecided voters remains very high.

* In North Carolina, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Obama leading all of his GOP challengers except Romney, who leads the president by one point, 46% to 45%.

* In Maine, Sen. Olympia Snowe’s (R) shift to the right is helping win over Republican voters. The number of Maine Republicans who support the incumbent senator has jumped from 31% to 47%.

* In Texas’ U.S. Senate primary, featuring a crowded GOP field, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst appears to have the early edge, leading former state solicitor general Ted Cruz by 12 points in a new statewide poll.

* And in the state of Washington, Darcy Burner, a netroots favorite, is launching her third congressional bid, running in a crowded primary to replace Rep. Jay Inslee (D), who is running for governor. In her first two congressional campaigns, Burner came up short against Rep. Dave Reichert (R).

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* The Fed keeps lowering projections: “The Federal Reserve significantly reduced its forecast of economic growth over the next two years, the latest in a long series of acknowledgements that the recovery from the 2008 financial crisis is taking much longer than it had expected.”

* Greece fuels European turmoil: “With the government teetering on the verge of collapse, the Greek cabinet offered its full support early Wednesday to Prime Minister George A. Papandreou for his surprise plan to call a referendum on the Greek financial crisis.”

* What’s Europe’s Plan B in the event Greek voters reject the deal and move towards leaving the euro? There is no Plan B.

* On a related note, I found Kevin Drum’s “A Conversation About Greece” to be terrific and informative.

* Occupy Oakland: “Thousands of Wall Street protesters marched in the streets of Oakland on Wednesday as they geared up with labor unions to picket banks, take over foreclosed homes and vacant buildings and disrupt operations at the nation’s fifth-busiest port.”

* Auto industry: “U.S. car and truck sales were expected to top 1 million in October, a surprising number for a month when sales are usually slow. When adjusted for seasonal factors, that would be the best pace since the Cash for Clunkers program in August 2009.”

* “What a Jobs Plan Looks Like.”

* Hopefully, no one took Beck’s advice seriously: “Goldline, a company that used endorsements from Glenn Beck and other conservative icons to sell hundreds of millions of dollars to consumers, has been charged with theft and fraud in a 19-count criminal complaint filed Tuesday by local officials in California.”

* Ryan Cooper takes a look at the efforts to save AmeriCorps from the Republican axe.

* Mariah Blake has a great piece on a Ponzi scheme run by a guy named Tom Petters — a story that includes Michele Bachmann, a former U.S. vice president, a one-time governor, a sitting senator, a crafty entrepreneur, an ex-con turned devout Christian, illicit drugs, and a $130,000 airborne sex escapade.

* The right’s ongoing paranoia about Journolist is just sad. (Disclosure: I was on Journolist.)

* An outrageous story about four militia guys in Georgia, busted by the FBI this week, who plotted to launch a biological-weapons attack against Americans.

* And John Bolton believes the United States shouldn’t accept election outcomes in other countries if we believe the outcomes are counter to our interests, even in the case of “free and fair elections.” Remember when Bush/Cheney wanted this guy to represent us at the United Nations?

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Greek referendum scrapped: “After a tumultuous day of political gamesmanship, Prime Minister George A. Papandreou called off his plan to hold a referendum on Greece’s new loan deal with the European Union and vowed to continue in office despite rumors he would resign and growing pressure from within his own party to do so.”

* It’s good to get below the 400k plateau: “New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits fell below 400,000 last week for the first time in five weeks and a trend reading also edged lower, suggesting a modest improvement in the still-moribund labor market. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped by 9,000 in the week ending October 29 to a seasonally adjusted 397,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday.”

* Afghanistan: “The Obama administration is exploring a shift in the military’s mission in Afghanistan to an advisory role as soon as next year, senior officials said, a move that would scale back U.S. combat duties well ahead of their scheduled conclusion at the end of 2014.”

* Violence in Oakland: “Tear gas hung over Oakland for the second time in two weeks after a small group of demonstrators faced off against police early Thursday following a peaceful march of thousands of Occupy Oakland protesters. A roving group of about 100 mostly young men broke from the main group of protesters in a central plaza and roamed through downtown streets spraying graffiti, burning garbage and breaking windows.”

* House Republicans sure seem to enjoy wasting time on nonsense: “Over the protests of its Democratic minority, a House subcommittee voted on Thursday to authorize the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee to subpoena documents from the White House related to the solar manufacturer Solyndra.”

* House Energy and Commerce ranking member Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) highlighted the subpoenas as an example of why “the public holds this Congress in such low regard.”

* Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), meanwhile, compared the Republican preoccupation with Solyndra to right-wing activists’ preoccupation with the president’s birth certificate.

* PJ Media, a conservative outlet, thought it had a big Cain-related scoop. Instead, it screwed up every relevant detail in rather dramatic ways.

* Daniel Luzer considers the White House’s moves on student loans: “The United States has been financing higher education through student debt for decades. With the recent economic downtown many have been struggling to make payments on student loans. The policy change will help address this problem. It also won’t cost taxpayers anything. This seems to make a lot of sense.”

* And despite what you may have heard earlier, Grover Norquist really isn’t “some random person” to House Speaker John Boehner.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new ABC News/Washington Post poll, taken after revelations of alleged sexual harassment against Herman Cain came to public light, shows Cain still running strong in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Mitt Romney still leads the field with 24%, but Cain is second with 23%. The only other candidates in double digits are Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich, at 13% and 12%, respectively.

* In the meantime, Cain’s version of events continues to run into more inconsistencies.

* A new USA Today/Gallup poll asked respondents in just swing states for their 2012 preferences. President Obama leads Perry and Cain in hypothetical match-ups, but Romney leads the president by one, 47% to 46%.

* A Tea Party supporter had a bit of a breakdown at an Elizabeth Warren event in Massachusetts this week, leading him to call the Senate candidate a “socialist whore.” She handled it pretty well.

* Obama’s re-election campaign launched a new “Greater Together” initiative in Pennsylvania this week, hoping to court the youth vote.

* The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is launching new radio ads next week in 25 Republican districts, each of which Dems believe will be competitive next year.

* The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee considered Texas and Maine as key pick-up opportunities in 2012. That no longer appears to be the case.

* In Montana, home to one of the nation’s most competitive Senate races, a new Montana State University Billings poll shows Rep. Denny Rehberg (R) with the narrowest of leads over incumbent Sen. Jon Tester (D), 36% to 35%.

* After some initial confusion, Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx (D) has made it clear he won’t launch a primary challenge against North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue (D).

* And in North Dakota, don’t be surprised if state Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp (D) launches a U.S. Senate campaign, after receiving encouragement from retiring Sen. Kent Conrad (D).

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* G-20: “World leaders attending the G-20 summit sent a strong message to Europe on Friday that it must do more to manage its spiraling debt and financial problems but offered no explicit help, saying the region’s fate was in its own hands.”

* And on a related note: “The euro zone won verbal support but no new money at a G20 summit on Friday for its tortured efforts to overcome a sovereign debt crisis, while Italy was effectively placed under IMF supervision. Leaders of the world’s major economies, meeting on the French Riviera, told Europe to sort out its own problems and deferred until next year any move to provide more crisis-fighting resources to the International Monetary Fund.”

* Speaking of Europe and its many problems: “Acceding to pressure from European leaders, Italy ‘invited’ the International Monetary Fund to look over its shoulder to ensure that Rome is carrying out reforms devised to keep the country from succumbing to Europe’s widening sovereign debt crisis, European Union officials said Friday.”

* More developments in Herman Cain’s alleged sexual-harassment controversy.

* Republicans in Michigan gutted an anti-bullying bill by adding language that says bullying based on “moral convictions” is fine. (The religious right hates anti-bullying bills because they might interfere with evangelicals picking on gays — a practice conservatives are eager to protect.)

* Murdoch media scandal isn’t quite finished: “A journalist at the tabloid The Sun was arrested Friday on suspicion of making illegal payments to police officers, a sign that the scandal has spread beyond The News of the World to other papers in Rupert Murdoch’s British media empire.”

* The Chamber may lose a big one: “Google is considering ditching the U.S. Chamber of Commerce out of frustration with its support for legislation that would force Internet companies to police websites that peddle pirated movies and fake Viagra.”

* A few voices on the right would have us believe economic inequality isn’t really rising. Paul Krugman sets the record straight.

* On a related note, I don’t know Krugman personally, but given his cultural references, I suspect he and I would get along swimmingly.

* Mitt Romney got caught telling a huge lie on tax policy this week. The media doesn’t seem to care.

* Oh, for crying out loud: “Rather than issue retraction, O’Reilly doubles down on debunked $16 muffin story.”

* Daniel Luzer on community colleges: “Apparently increasing numbers of America’s middle class students are choosing community colleges over four-year schools in an effort of save some money, and eventually transfer to the (more expensive) colleges they really want to attend. How this is working out is a little unclear.”

* Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) has refused to pay child support to his ex-wife. Naturally, then, the right-wing Family Research Council is honoring Walsh for his “unwavering support of the family.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Voters in Ohio will head to the polls tomorrow to decide the fate of Gov. John Kasich’s (R) anti-union measure. A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows 59% of Ohioans plan to side with the left and will vote to repeal Kasich’s law.

* Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign has gone back and forth on whether to seriously compete in the Iowa caucuses. National Journal reports that the decision has been made: “Romney will play in Iowa, and he will play to win.”

* Herman Cain declared his allegiance to the right-wing Koch brothers late last week, announce he was “their brother from another mother.”

* Cain and Newt Gingrich participated in a “debate” the other night, hosted by the Texas Tea Party. The two Republican presidential hopefuls apparently agreed on just about everything.

* Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ (D-Ariz.) recovery continues and in her upcoming book, she writes about her political career, “I will get stronger. I will return.”

* Plenty of observers have been keeping an eye on Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) to see who he endorses in the presidential race, but it turns out, he won’t back anyone in the Republican primary.

* A new Reuters poll shows President Obama’s approval rating up to 49%, but he still trails Romney in a hypothetical match-up by one point.

* Ron Paul told Fox News yesterday he’s “probably not” going to support the Republican nominee unless he agrees with Paul’s agenda.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Political agreement in Greece: “Greeks awaited word on Monday on the formation of a unity government under a new leader after Prime Minister George A. Papandreou and his chief rival agreed to create a transitional administration to oversee the country’s debt-relief deal with the European Union and then hold early elections. Mr. Papandreou agreed to resign once the details were completed.”

* Italy matters more: “The epicenter of Europe’s debt crisis was rapidly shifting Monday from tiny Greece to far-bigger Italy, threatening to open a dangerous new chapter in the region’s financial turmoil and plunging embattled Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi into the deepest political crisis of his two-decade long career.”

* Syria: “The Syrian government has launched a bloody assault to retake Homs, the country’s third-largest city, ignoring the relatively muted protests of the international community and facing armed defectors who have so far prevented the government’s forces from seizing it as they did other restive locales this summer.”

* A stunning story about an alleged serial child rapist and a cover-up at Penn State.

* Iran: “Intelligence provided to U.N. nuclear officials shows that Iran’s government has mastered the critical steps needed to build a nuclear weapon, receiving assistance from foreign scientists to overcome key technical hurdles, according to Western diplomats and nuclear experts briefed on the findings.”

* Oklahoma quake: “A 5.6 magnitude earthquake shook central Oklahoma late Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. What could be the largest temblor in the state’s history damaged homes, shook buildings, caused cracks and rattled a college football stadium 50 miles from the epicenter.”

* Replacing Maj. Gen. Peter Fuller: “The top United States military commander in Afghanistan has fired a senior officer for making inappropriate public remarks about President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and his government.”

* Big Keystone XL protest at the White House: “Several thousand protesters from across the country encircled the White House on Sunday to demand that President Obama deny a permit for a proposed oil pipeline that would stretch from Alberta to the Texas coast.”

* Former President Clinton gets this just right: “I don’t think Americans can continue this level of income inequality.”

* And CBS’s “Face the Nation” had a total of eight guests on yesterday. Seven were Republicans, one was a non-partisan journalist. This is pretty egregious, but given how the Sunday shows operate, it’s not terribly surprising.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The new national NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows Mitt Romney narrowly leading Herman Cain in the race for the Republican nomination, 28% to 27%. Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry, and Ron Paul are barely in double digits.

* The same poll shows President Obama leading a generic Republican by three points, Romney by six points, and Herman Cain by 15 points.

* A growing number of Republicans who “have otherwise been sympathetic” to Cain are urging him to address the sexual-harassment allegations “clearly and forthrightly.” Cain has scheduled a press conference for this afternoon.

* The Perry campaign is increasingly focused on the Iowa caucuses, to be held eight weeks from today. The Texas governor’s team, for example, is investing over $550,000 in television ads over a two-week span.

* Michele Bachmann, who’s still running for president, yesterday said the Republican presidential candidates who aren’t as conservative as she is should be considered “frugal socialists.”

* To the delight of the DSCC, former North Dakota Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp officially kicked off her U.S. Senate campaign this morning. Heitkamp hopes to replace retiring Sen. Kent Conrad (D), who urged her to run.

* In Texas, state Railroad Commission Chair Elizabeth Ames Jones has ended her U.S. Senate campaign, due in large part to weak fundraising. She will instead run for the state Senate.

* In California, Rep. Devin Nunes (R) briefly floated the notion yesterday that he might run against Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) next year, but his chief of staff quickly pulled the congressman back, declaring, “Devin is running for the U.S. House of Representatives, period. He’s not running for the Senate.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Italy: “Cornered by the European debt crisis, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy offered a conditional resignation on Tuesday, agreeing to step down but only after Parliament passes an austerity package demanded by the European Union, a move that could bring the country closer to early elections.”

* Greece: Lucas Papademos, a respected economist, seemed on the verge Tuesday night of being named Greece’s next prime minister, Greek news outlets reported, but party leaders were still engaged in a bitter and drawn-out fight over the make-up of his cabinet.

* More encouraging news back in the U.S.: “Job openings at U.S. workplaces rose to 3.35 million in September — the highest level since August 2008 — from 3.13 million in August, the Labor Department reported Tuesday. Overall job openings rose 22% from the prior year, with private openings up 23% to 2.99 million.”

* More moves as part of the “We Can’t Wait” campaign: “President Obama renewed his campaign on Monday for measures to help veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan break into the work force, amid signs that the Senate was moving toward passing a provision of the president’s jobs bill that would give companies a tax incentive to hire returning veterans.”

* White House also eyes Head Start reforms: “Declaring that investments in early education are critical to the future competitiveness of the United States, Mr. Obama said that the government would, for the first time, require Head Start programs to meet certain standards to qualify for renewal of federal grants.”

* Combating AIDS: “Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Tuesday called on the world to create the first ‘AIDS-free generation’ by using antiviral drugs, condoms, circumcision and other approaches to stem the spread of HIV. In a highly promoted speech at the National Institutes of Health, Clinton said scientific advances led by the United States have provided the tools to minimize the spread of the deadly virus.”

* Pipeline review: “The State Department’s inspector general said Monday that he will conduct a special review of the department’s analysis of TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline.”

* Last week, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) signed a letter demanding the super-committee not raise taxes. This week, Coburn said the letter is “meaningless.”

* Republicans would have us believe federal workers are paid more than their private-sector counterparts. That’s backwards.

* Love him or hate him, President Obama seems really good at interacting with kids.

* Daniel Luzer takes a closer look at bankruptcy reform and the potential benefits for those with student-loan debts.

* Rob Tornoe on playing the race card from both sides of the deck.

* And National Journal’s Beth Reinhard talked to a voter in South Carolina today who said she wouldn’t vote for Mitt Romney “because he’s a Muslim.” Ain’t democracy grand?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Ohio, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows President Obama leading each of his Republican challengers, including a nine-point lead over Mitt Romney. If the president wins Ohio, the chances of him winning re-election are extremely good.

* A Latino Decisions poll conducted for Univision News shows Obama faring very well against the leading GOP candidates among Latino voters. The president leads Romney by 43 points, Cain by 43 points, and Perry by 47 points.

* In yesterday’s only federal race, state Sen. Suzanne Bonamici (D) and businessman Rob Cornilles (R) won their respective primaries in Oregon, and will face off in a special election to replace former Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.).

* A federal court blocked the new redistricting map in Texas yesterday for being discriminatory. A three-judge panel will now be responsible for drawing a fairer map.

* In Nebraska, state Attorney General Jon Bruning is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination to take on Sen. Ben Nelson (D) next year, but Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) shook up the race a bit yesterday, throwing his support to state Treasurer Don Stenberg.

* President Obama’s approval rating in Maine has dropped considerably, but in hypothetical match-ups, he still leads all of his Republican challengers by double digits.

* In Montana, Rep. Denny Rehberg (R), who’s running for the Senate, was seen last week promoting a cartoon depicting Obama as Muammar Gadhafi. The Republican later said he disagreed with the cartoon he was seen holding up and waving around.

* And in Missouri, businessman Dave Spence (R) initially said he’d wait to decide on a possible U.S. Senate campaign until Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder (R) announced his plans. Spence is now considering a campaign whether Kinder runs or not.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Italy on the brink: “A day after Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi offered his resignation in the face of rising global market skepticism, investors revolted Wednesday, suggesting they do not believe that even a new leadership could fix Italy’s intransigent financial problems and revive its economy. Italian bond rates crossed a crucial level of 7 percent, prompting questions about whether Italy could soon need an international bailout.” The money for that kind of bailout isn’t there.

* Wall Street noticed: “At 4 p.m., the Dow Jones industrial average was down more than 389 points, or 3.2 percent, at 11,780.94. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index was off 3.7 percent, at 1,229.10 and the Nasdaq composite index fell 3.9 percent to 2,621.65. Bank stocks were hit the hardest. During the day, Morgan Stanley was down nearly 8 percent. Bank of America was down more than 4 percent, Citigroup was 7 percent lower and JPMorgan Chase declined more than 6 percent.”

* Cutting costs: “President Obama is set to unveil an executive order on Wednesday aimed at cutting wasteful spending on excess travel, printing, cell phones and government ‘swag.’ The swag under fire includes plaques, clothing, mugs and other agency-identified items distributed to employees.”

* War on voting: “Efforts to make it more difficult for voters to cast a ballot are inconsistent with American values and will be thoroughly investigated by DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday.”

* Expect a recount in the undecided state Senate race in Virginia.

* The National Association of Manufacturers is known for being pretty conservative, but it’s impressed with the Obama White House’s focus on jobs.

* Dana Milbank notes that Republicans really want “Fast and Furious” to be a legitimate scandal, but can’t turn it into one. (Milbank is helping prove Jonathan Alter right.)

* With collective bargaining winning big in Ohio yesterday, Republicans are reminded that union-busting overreach is a dangerous electoral game.

* Is tuition really too expensive? Yes, it is.

* Dan Braganca did a nice job graphing the imbalance in the media’s coverage of health care court rulings.

* Rush Limbaugh is not above targeting innocent children if he doesn’t like the kid’s parents. Stay classy, Rush.

* With the important caveat that he’s not being serious, Ta-Nehisi Coates had the funniest piece I’ve read in a while mocking the right’s ridiculous attitudes towards sexual harassment.

* And speaking of funny, this Mike Tyson video mocking Herman Cain was hilarious.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Joe Allbaugh, George W. Bush’s 2000 campaign manager, has reportedly taken over the day-to-day operations of Rick Perry’s presidential campaign. I rather doubt that’ll make a difference.

* Perry, meanwhile, hit the morning shows earlier, and is vowing not to drop out. Counter-intuitively, his campaign is also raising money off his screw-up.

* In recent months, Gallup showed President Obama trailing a generic Republican candidate by as many as eight points. In its new poll, Obama now leads a generic GOP opponent by one point.

* In Florida, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Obama trailing Mitt Romney in a hypothetical match-up, 45% to 42%. Romney, however, trails Herman Cain among Florida Republicans, 27% to 21%.

* In Ohio, Quinnipiac shows Obama leading Romney, 45% to 42%, and Romney trailing Cain among GOP voters, 25% to 20%.

* In Pennsylvania, Quinnipiac shows Obama leading Romney, 44% to 43%, and among in-state Republicans, Cain and Romney are tied at 17% each.

* The Cain campaign has created a website devoted to attacking those who’ve accused him of sexual harassment.

* Karl Rove’s attack operation, Crossroads GPS, is launching a wildly misleading ad in Massachusetts, going after Elizabeth Warren’s (D) Senate campaign.

* Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich wants to eliminate the Congressional Budget Office. That’s really not a good idea.

* And in Missouri, Rep. Todd Akin (R) had given reporters the impression that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) had endorsed his U.S. Senate campaign. That, apparently, isn’t true.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Italy: “Italy pulled back from the brink on Thursday, as lawmakers seemed poised to usher out Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and replace his government with a cabinet of technocrats most likely led by a former European Commissioner, Mario Monti.”

* Greece: “Lucas Papademos, a respected economist with an avuncular style, was named prime minister of Greece on Thursday. He will lead a unity government that has pledged to quickly approve the tough terms of a European aid package and save the country from bankruptcy. The choice of Mr. Papademos, a former vice president of the European Central Bank, came after four days of tense negotiations that put Greece’s feuding political parties on full display.”

* State Department delays pipeline decision: “The Obama administration on Thursday said it was delaying a decision on the contested Keystone XL pipeline while it studies an alternate route through Nebraska, effectively pushing any action well past the 2012 election and into 2013.”

* The White House approves of the delay.

* We’re starting to see some noticeable progress: “The Labor Department on Thursday said initial jobless claims fell by 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 390,000 in the week ended Nov. 5, below the 398,000 forecast in a MarketWatch-compiled economist poll and the lowest level since April 2.”

* The federal budget deficit was down sharply in October as compared to last October.

* Penn State: “Joe Paterno, who has the most victories of any coach in major college football history, was fired by Penn State on Wednesday night in the wake of a sexual abuse scandal involving a prominent former assistant coach and the university’s failure to act to halt further harm.”

* Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), pushed a measure today to repeal net neutrality rules. Thankfully, the GOP failed on a 52 to 46 vote.

* I’m often frustrated by the Fed, but at least it’s not the European Central Bank.

* Murdoch media scandal continues: “James Murdoch turned on his former News of the World colleagues on Thursday as he fought to survive a second grilling over phone-hacking by British lawmakers and keep his place in his father’s media empire.”

* Congratulations to Matt Yglesias, as he makes the transition from ThinkProgress to Slate.

* I rather doubt Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) was listening, or can even understand the argument, but Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) did a terrific job explaining the ways in which marriage has evolved over time.

* Daniel Luzer: “Our workers just don’t have the skills they need to succeed in today’s economy, say America’s business leaders. Back to school with you! Well, maybe.”

* And Rush Limbaugh suggested today that women who’ve accused Herman Cain of sexual harassment may be coordinating a joint press conference “to synchronize their menstrual periods.” Remember, Rush Limbaugh is one of the most powerful and influential voices in Republican politics.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new national poll from McClatchy/Marist shows Mitt Romney leading the Republican field with 23% support, followed by Newt Gingrich in second with 19%, and Herman Cain third with 17%. I guess Gingrich’s surge is legit, for now.

* In Virginia’s undecided state Senate race, the Democrat has conceded. The chamber will officially be split 20-20, but with a Republican lieutenant governor, the GOP is effectively in control.

* In Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren isn’t backing down in the face of attacks from Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS.

* Rick Perry was in damage-control mode yesterday, appearing just about everywhere, including reading an amusing top 10 list on David Letterman last night.

* Removing all doubts about the campaign’s intentions, the Romney team is getting ready to buy TV airtime in Iowa.

* To the delight of the DSCC, former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona is launching a Democratic U.S. Senate campaign in Arizona, hoping to replace retiring Sen. Jon Kyl (R). Republicans are almost certain to nominate Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) in the race.

* In Florida, Rep. Connie Mack IV (R) has jumped out in front of the Republican field in next year’s U.S. Senate race in a new Quinnipiac poll. The same survey shows incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson (D) narrowly leading Mack in a hypothetical match-up, 42% to 40%.

* In Wisconsin, former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) has traditionally been quite sensible on stem-cell policy. Now, however, he’s running in a GOP Senate primary, so Thompson has moved sharply to the right on the issue.

* In Connecticut, former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker was thinking about running for the Senate as a Republican, but he passed on the race yesterday. The GOP primary will instead feature former wrestling company executive Linda McMahon and former Rep. Chris Shays.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “With Europe under mounting pressure to act quickly to tackle its debt crisis, the leaders of Italy and Greece moved forcefully on Friday to reinvigorate their governments and show their sincerity about economic austerity. Financial markets rallied on the news.”

* Syria: “In another grim day in what has become one of the bloodiest periods of the uprising, rights activists said that at least 18 people, including a defecting soldier, were shot dead by security forces across Syria on Friday, 11 of them in the restive city of Homs. Four were also killed in the southern city of Dara’a and two in Hama, in central Syria. One person was killed in the northwestern province of Idlib.”

* POTUS to Asia-Pac: “President Barack Obama begins a nine-day trip through the Asia-Pacific region Saturday with a stop in Hawaii for a weekend economic conference where he will press for progress on a trans-Pacific free trade agreement.”

* Ross departs: “Dennis B. Ross, a seasoned diplomat who has been one of President Obama’s most influential advisers on Iran and the Middle East, announced Thursday that he would leave the White House, at a time when Israeli-Palestinian peace talks are frozen and tensions over Iran are flaring up anew.”

* President Obama nominated Edward DuMont to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. If confirmed, he would have been the first openly gay federal appeals judge. Republicans, without cause, have blocked his nomination for 18 months — that’s not a typo — leading DuMont to quit this week and return to his law practice.

* Is the Occupy movement making difference? Consider the trajectory of media references to the phrase “income inequality.”

* Great piece from Kevin Drum on the complexity of the “Volcker rule,” and what the banks did to cause it.

* Stupid Republican tricks: “The mayor of a large city in Utah admitted he used an alias to pose as a reporter and write news stories, sometimes about himself, because he wanted to ‘try to restore balance.’”

* Daniel Luzer: “More technology will solve our problems, says one Education Department official. Innovations in technology are key to getting more Americans through college. This is, well, questionable.”

* Simon Lazarus does a nice job explaining the significance of this week’s federal appeals court ruling on the Affordable Care Act.

* The late-Friday news dump is not a myth.

* Taking victim-blaming to a new level: “Fox News’ Andrea Tantaros, who has been an unwavering supporter of Herman Cain, is now blaming victims of sexual harassment for meeting male supervisors outside of the office, thus encouraging unwanted advances. In a recent New York Daily News op-ed, Tantaros blasted one of Cain’s accusers for ‘hav[ing] dinner and drinks with a married man’ and asked: ‘At what point do women need to take some responsibility?’”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In a new Politico/GW poll, President Obama leads his top Republican challengers in hypothetical match-ups, despite a low approval rating. Obama tops Mitt Romney by six points, and Cain by nine points.

* In something akin to a Hail Mary pass, Rick Perry’s presidential campaign is making a massive ad buy on Fox News, spending nearly $1 million on commercials.

* Herman Cain’s wife, Gloria Cain, will sit down for her first nationally-televised interview tonight, appearing with Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren.

* In Ohio, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) up by 15 points over his Republican challenger, Josh Mandel. A month ago, the incumbent Democrat led by eight points.

* In Minnesota, a poll from a Minneapolis television station shows Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) with big leads over her possible GOP opponents next year, including double-digit leads over Tim Pawlenty and Norm Coleman, neither of whom appear likely to run anyway.

* A judge in Colorado has approved a Democratic-friendly congressional-district map, which makes Rep. Mike Coffman’s (R) seat far more competitive.

* Tennessee is not among the early Republican primary states, but a new Vanderbilt poll nevertheless shows Herman Cain as the top Republican candidate in the state, leading the field with 22% support.

* And in Virginia, where Republicans fared quite well last week, but a county prosecutor race in House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (R) district has in-state Dems feeling some optimism.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Italy: “With his country swept up in Europe’s debt crisis and his once-mighty political capital spent, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi resigned on Saturday, punctuating a tumultuous week and ending an era in Italian politics.”

* Sounds about right: “German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday that Europe could be living through its toughest hour since World War Two as new leaders in Italy and Greece rushed to form governments and limit the damage from the euro zone debt crisis.”

* Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is quickly running out of allies, following the Arab League’s moves over the weekend, and Jordan King Abdullah calling for his ouster today.

* The latest move in the White House’s “We Can’t Wait” campaign: “The Obama administration will announce Monday as much as $1 billion in funding to hire, train and deploy health-care workers.”

* Several localities continue their crackdowns on Occupy protests, with especially contentious scenes in Portland and Oregon.

* Chelsea Clinton has been hired by NBC News, joining George W. Bush’s daughter, Ronald Reagan’s son, John McCain’s daughter, and Tim Russert’s son.

* After Saturday night’s debate, it was good to see John McCain take a renewed stand against torture.

* Most Americans will never hear a word about this, but President Obama actually seems to have resolved “the biggest little diplomatic crisis you’ve never heard of.”

* Side benefit to housing crisis: more affordable options for college students.

* Nice piece from Doonesbury over the weekend on the Republicans’ War on voting.

* If there’s one thing Ayn Rand acolytes disapprove of, it’s the notion of “self-sacrifice.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new Bloomberg News poll in Iowa shows a very competitive GOP presidential race, with four candidates within three points of one another. Herman Cain is out in front with 20%, followed Ron Paul at 19%, Mitt Romney in third with 18%, and Newt Gingrich right behind him with 17%.

* In Wisconsin, the campaign to recall Gov. Scott Walker (R) began in earnest this morning. The Republican governor is concerned enough about the effort that he’s begun airing television ads, including one during last night’s Green Bay Packers game.

* A Super PAC created by Jon Huntsman’s (R) allies has launched an ad buy in New Hampshire, where the former Utah governor sees a primary contest that will make or break his presidential campaign.

* In Massachusetts, Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren has launched her first television ad, helping introduce herself to voters.

* As part of an apparent attempt to manage expectations, Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign keeps making more of an effort in Iowa, only to back off soon after to make it seem like he doesn’t care about the caucuses. In the latest example, the former governor said yesterday he’ll skip Iowa Gov. Terry Brandstad’s (R) big birthday fundraiser and a major gather of social conservatives over the weekend.

* In the state of New York, a new Siena poll shows Romney with a 17-point lead over his competitors in the race for the Republican nomination. In a hypothetical match-up against President Obama, the president leads Romney by 25 points.

* As the Gingrich campaign begins to generate some momentum, far-right voters in Iowa begin to receive fliers attacking the disgraced former House Speaker’s scandalous personal life.

* And in Missouri, Republican businessman Dave Spence had said he’d wait to launch a gubernatorial campaign until Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder (R) made a formal decision, but Spence changed his mind and is moving forward regardless of Kinder’s intentions.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Legal setback for OWS: “A New York judge has upheld the city’s dismantling of the Occupy Wall Street encampment, saying that the protesters’ first amendment rights don’t entitle them to camp out indefinitely in the plaza. Supreme Court Justice Michael Stallman on Tuesday denied a motion by the demonstrators seeking to be allowed back into the park with their tents and sleeping bags.”

* It’s pretty remarkable to see how many journalists got caught up in New York arrests.

* Syria: “As foreign pressure intensified on the Syrian government on Tuesday, rights activists said that the death toll from violent clashes there on Monday was much higher than first reported. They estimated that 50 to 71 people were killed, including 34 soldiers in clashes with army defectors. The total nearly matched the 72 deaths on April 22, the bloodiest day of the Syria uprising so far.”

* The continuing resolution Congress passed to keep the government open expires this week, but a spending deal is in place to keep the lights on through mid-December.

* I’ll take good economic news where I can find it: “U.S. retail sales rose in October as Americans spent their dollars at electronics stores and on the Internet, a sign that consumers are willing to open their wallets ahead of the all-important holiday shopping season.”

* Economists at the Federal Reserve Board of San Francisco, looking at the Eurozone crisis, believes the threat of a U.S. recession in the near term is greater than 50%.

* And would Europe’s mess be such a problem here? A lot of it has to do with the exports the U.S. sells to Europe.

* Not sure why this decision couldn’t have come sooner: “The builders of the controversial Keystone XL tar sands pipeline agreed Monday to reroute it around Nebraska’s ecologically fragile Sandhills in the hope the move would shorten any delay in the project, which has posed political complications for the Obama administration.”

* A fascinating piece from Jonathan Cohn on the “Two-Year Window,” examining what science tells us about babies, brain development, and why it matters in the fight against poverty.

* I’m not clear on exactly why Rush Limbaugh attacks First Lady Michelle Obama quite as often, and as furiously, as he does.

* Why universities are buying new top-level domain names, .xxx, intended for pornography providers.

* After an uproar, a real anti-bullying measure will be approved in Michigan.

* The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Washington bureau chief, Craig Gilbert, reflects on what happened after Herman Cain’s disastrous interview: “I thought we had a moment that could be pretty incendiary. We came out of there, we discussed it, and all kind of looked at each other and shook our heads about the way he handled that one question [about Libya]. You never know how something like that is going to be perceived by people, [but] we were prepared for it to generate a lot of attention.” Mission accomplished.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is getting its attack operation underway, launching ads going after Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Jon Tester of Montana.

* The latest national poll from Public Policy Polling shows President Obama leading Mitt Romney by three points. A month ago, PPP found the two tied.

* In a survey that’s very hard to believe, the new McClatchy-Marist poll found Obama leading all of his Republican challengers in hypothetical match-ups, but Newt Gingrich came closer than Romney.

* In New Hampshire, Romney continues to enjoy big leads over his GOP rivals. He tops the field with 40% support, 23 points higher than his next closest competitor, Ron Paul.

* On a related note, the same poll suggests New Hampshire is the most likely state to flip from “blue” to “red” in 2012 — Romney has a 10-point lead over the president in the Granite State.

* Hoping to explain his routine ignorance on nearly every issue, Herman Cain told reporters yesterday he reads “newspaper publications … some of the stuff on the Web … [and] some of the special bulletins that I get from the Republican National Committee.”

* In New Jersey, Quinnipiac shows Romney leading the Republican field with 29% support, followed by Gingrich at 22%.

* The same Quinnipiac poll shows President Obama with big leads over all of his Republican challengers in New Jersey, including a nine-point lead over Romney.

* Herman Cain said this week that he invited Henry Kissinger to be the Secretary of State in his administration, but Kissinger “turned my offer down.” Though Cain appeared to be serious, his aides later said the candidate was kidding.

* In California, Public Policy Polling shows Gingrich with a double-digit lead over Romney in the race for the Republican nomination, 33% to 23%.

* And the SEIU got an early start on the 2012 race, announcing this morning that it is endorsing President Obama’s re-election campaign.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Good: “U.S. industrial output rose more than expected in October as factory and mining production expanded strongly, suggesting the economy was gaining steam.”

* Helping drive the Eurozone crisis: “Borrowing costs for European governments jumped across the board Tuesday, and new data confirmed that the region’s economy is slowing, evidence on two key fronts that leaders of the euro area have yet to contain its stubborn financial crisis.”

* Isolating Assad: “Syria’s president faced a growing challenge to his iron rule from home and abroad Wednesday, with renegade troops launching their most daring attack yet on the military and world leaders looking at possibilities for a regime without Bashar Assad.”

* White House shooting: “Federal law enforcement authorities on Wednesday arrested a 21-year-old Idaho man suspected of shooting with a semiautomatic rifle at the White House on Friday night, as the Secret Service reported finding that at least one bullet had indeed struck the presidential residence.”

* China won’t like this: “President Obama and Prime Minister Julia Gillard of Australia announced plans on Wednesday for a sustained new American military presence in Australia, a deployment of 2,500 troops aimed at signaling that the United States intends to counterbalance a rising China.”

* The relentless attacks from the right, coupled with fights over process, have taken their toll on public perceptions about the Occupy Wall Street movement.

* Occupy Boston gets a court win: “Members of the Occupy Boston movement have been granted a temporary restraining order against removal by the City of Boston from Dewey Square Park.”

* Remember Pentagon whistleblower Franz Gayl? Good news: “A Marine Corps science adviser who blamed military brass for failing to field life-saving vehicles faster to troops in Iraq has had his security clearance reinstated, allowing him to return to his post at the Pentagon.”

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) has very odd priorities.

* U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan has become the first sitting cabinet secretary to publicly endorse marriage equality.

* Andy Sabl has a good look at the Commerce Clause and the cracks in the right’s ideology.

* Occupy and student loans: “A more structural approach to the problem, however, would be to dramatically limit the amount of loans students take out to go to college.”

* Given the number of homes Fox Business reaches, it’s amazing to see just how few people watch Eric Bolling.

* And in trying to make a foolish argument about Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, Fox News pointed to “Article 28 of the Constitution” for support. The U.S. Constitution does not have an article 28.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new Fox News poll shows Newt Gingrich taking the national lead in the race for the Republican nomination, enjoying 23% support. Mitt Romney is right behind him with 22%, followed by Herman Cain at 15%. No other candidate is in double digits.

* In Iowa, a new Iowa State University/Gazette/KCRG poll shows Cain leading the GOP field with 25%. Ron Paul is a competitive second with 20%, followed by Romney with 16%.

* Cain was scheduled to meet this morning with the influential Manchester Union Leader in New Hampshire, but after making a series of demands, the Republican candidate decided to cancel altogether.

* The DNC is still targeting Romney for his willingness to privatize medical care for military veterans.

* As if Cain’s profound ignorance on foreign policy weren’t a big enough problem, yesterday he said the U.S. couldn’t strike Iran because “it’s very mountainous,” and soon after, suggested “Cuban” is a language.

* In Wisconsin, a majority of voters in a Wisconsin Public Radio/St. Norbert College poll said Gov. Scott Walker (R) should, in fact, be recalled.

* California will not be competitive in 2012. A new L.A. Times poll shows President Obama leading each of his Republican rivals by large margins. Romney comes closest, and he trails Obama by 17 points.

* And in Indiana, Democrat John Gregg is trying to kick off his gubernatorial campaign, but local media doesn’t seem to care. Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) is considered the favorite in next year’s race.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Europe notwithstanding, there’s some good economic news available: “New U.S. claims for jobless benefits hit a seven-month low last week, while permits for future home construction rebounded strongly last month, bolstering views the economy was gaining traction.” New applications for unemployment benefits fell to their lowest levels since early April.

* Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez: “Convinced that the federal government was conspiring against him, the 21-year-old man accused of firing rifle shots at the White House last week drove from Idaho to Washington in an old Honda Accord on a mission to kill President Obama, whom he described as ‘the devil’ and ‘the anti-Christ,’ authorities say.”

* Occupy: “Occupy Wall Street protesters clogged streets and tied up traffic around the U.S. on Thursday to mark two months since the movement’s birth and signal they aren’t ready to quit, despite the breakup of many of their encampments by police. More than 200 people were arrested, most of them in New York.”

* The House unanimously approved tax breaks to encourage the hiring of military veterans late yesterday.

* The Senate Armed Services Committee approved a measure this week on revised detainee policies, which would allow indefinite military detention of American citizens. The White House today threatened to veto the bill.

* Oops: “House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.), who has criticized the administration for its failed loan guarantee to the firm Solyndra, urged the Energy Department to approve funding assistance for a Michigan solar company that said last week it is halting operations.”

* House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has no use super-committee co-chair Jeb Hensarling’s (R-Texas) Medicare privatization offer. She didn’t care for Rick Perry’s debate offer, either.

* The sooner, the better: “The Department of Homeland Security will begin a review on Thursday of all deportation cases before the immigration courts and start a nationwide training program for enforcement agents and prosecuting lawyers, with the goal of speeding deportations of convicted criminals and halting those of many illegal immigrants with no criminal record.”

* Good thing Obama didn’t listen to Republicans: “Chrysler said Wednesday that it would add 1,100 jobs at a sport utility vehicle plant here [in Toledo, Ohio] as it spends $1.7 billion developing new models for its Jeep brand.”

* What really causes “regulatory uncertainty”? Budget cuts.

* Daniel Luzer has more on the Texas College Republican leader who “joked” about assassinating the president.

* No, Justice Kagan shouldn’t recuse herself from the Affordable Care Act case.

* Nick Kristof reports from Cambodia on “the face of modern slavery.”

* The National Park Service’s Abraham Lincoln Home in Illinois doesn’t want Bill O’Reilly’s error-ridden book, either.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As hard as this may be to believe, a new poll published by New Hampshire Journal shows Mitt Romney’s lead in the first Republican primary shrinking considerably. He now leads Newt Gingrich by just two points, 29% to 27%. Ron Paul is third with 16%, followed by Herman Cain at 10%.

* The latest report released by the Pew Research Center shows Romney narrowly leading Cain in the race for the Republican nomination, 23% to 22%. Gingrich is third with 16%, and no other candidate is in double digits.

* The same Pew Research Center survey also found President Obama’s approval rating inching up to 46% — its highest point since June — and he leads all of his Republican challengers in hypothetical match-ups, though his margin over Romney is only two points.

* For reasons that defy comprehension, the Cain campaign is blasting Manchester’s Union Leader, New Hampshire’s largest and most politically influential newspaper, because it wanted to film an interview with him. The paper’s editors and publishers aren’t impressed.

* Cain will now receive Secret Service protection, the first Republican candidate of the 2012 cycle to get this level of security.

* Some of the staffers who quit the Gingrich campaign over the summer have decided to return now that he’s doing well again.

* As Rick Perry’s campaign struggles badly, his fundraising is starting to dry up. That’s never a good sign.

* Chris Cillizza argues that Ron Paul has a credible chance to win the Iowa caucuses.

* Michele Bachmann told Fox News this week, “I haven’t had a gaffe or something that I’ve done that has caused me to fall in the polls.” She did not appear to be kidding.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* If only there was a good reason to trust the ECB: “The financial stability of Europe has come down to one institution, the European Central Bank, which is now under heavy new pressure to rescue the euro — or possibly see it collapse.”

* An impatient Egypt: “Tens of thousands of Islamists jammed Tahrir Square on Friday in the most significant challenge yet to the authority of Egypt’s military council that seized power nine months ago with the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak.”

* Myanmar in transition: “From dictatorship to quasi democracy in less than a year, the pace of change in Myanmar has stunned even the most cynical observers of the country.”

* A day after authorities charged Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez with attempting to assassinate President Obama, Fox News, in an apparent attempt at self-parody, labeled the madman the “Occupy Shooter.”

* Republicans care about states’ rights, except when they reject and ignore states’ rights: “The House on Wednesday evening approved a controversial bill that would require all states to honor the concealed weapons permits of other states, on the strength of Republican support for the idea that different state standards should not interfere with American’s Second Amendment rights.”

* Another lobbying problem for Newt to explain: “A think tank founded by GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich collected at least $37 million over the past eight years from major health-care companies and industry groups, offering special access to the former House speaker and other perks, according to records and interviews.”

* The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on what to expect in the near future: “‘Unprecedented extreme weather and climate events’ look likely in coming decades as a result of a changing climate, says the draft report.”

* HSR: “The House and Senate voted today to eliminate most of the $8 billion that President Obama sought next year for his vision of nationwide high-speed rail. The Associated Press points out, however, that ‘billions of dollars still in the pipeline will ensure work will continue on some projects. And it’s still possible money from another transportation grant program can be steered to high-speed trains.’”

* That “60 Minutes” report was widely noticed: “Momentum for insider-trading legislation continues to grow in Congress as a top Republican lawmaker announced Thursday that he will schedule the first-ever House hearing on legislation to prevent lawmakers from trading on nonpublic information.”

* Cool: “New research that suggests Jupiter’s moon Europa has a body of water the size of the Great Lakes just two miles below its icy surface has brought scientists one step closer to determining whether or not the freezing satellite is suitable for the development of extraterrestrial life.”

* Penn State discovers that raising money in the midst of dealing with a scandal is problematic.

* If Newt Gingrich thought attacking Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was a good idea, he probably thinks differently now. Frank tore Gingrich apart on “Hardball” yesterday.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new national USA Today/Gallup poll shows Newt Gingrich leading the Republican presidential race with 22% support, followed closely by Mitt Romney at 21%. Herman Cain is third with 16%, and no other candidate is in double digits.

* A national Reuters/Ipsos poll released over the weekend also shows Gingrich leading Romney at the national level, 24% to 22%.

* Romney continues to solidify his support from the GOP establishment in New Hampshire, with Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R) throwing her support to the former governor at an event yesterday. Former Gov. John Sununu and former Sen. Judd Gregg have already endorsed Romney.

* On a related note, Rep. Charlie Bass (R-N.H.), despite having distanced himself from the “corporations are people” line, is also poised to formally announce his support for Romney today.

* Despite President Obama having rescued the American automotive industry, he trails Romney in Michigan. A new EPIC-MRA shows Romney with a five-point lead over Obama in a hypothetical match-up, 46% to 41%. Romney’s father, it’s worth noting, was governor of Michigan.

* Speaking of the Wolverine State, the same poll shows Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) leading former Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R), 48% to 42%.

* The National Republican Congressional Committee outraised its Democratic counterpart in October, but not by much: $4.56 million to $4.18 million.

* Speaking of fundraising, in a bit of a surprise, President Obama’s re-election campaign is doing better with small-dollar donors than all of his Republican rivals, and even better than the 2008 Obama campaign.

* And in Missouri, left with dwindling chances, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder (R) announced he’s skipping next year’s gubernatorial race. He’ll instead support businessman and first-time candidate Dave Spence (R).

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Terror threat: “A Manhattan man who became fascinated by the American-born Muslim militant Anwar al-Awlaki was arrested on charges of plotting to build and detonate bombs in New York, city officials announced on Sunday night.”

* Espionage: “In a significant failure for the United States in the Mideast, more than a dozen spies working for the CIA in Iran and Lebanon have been caught and the U.S. government fears they will be or have been executed, according to four current and former U.S. officials with connections to the intelligence community.”

* The police chief at UC Davis was placed on administrative leave today. Yesterday, two officers used pepper spray of peaceful protesters were also placed on administrative leave.

* UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi has heard the criticism of her handling of the brutality, but she won’t resign. “I really feel confident at this point the university needs me,” Katehi told ABC.

* Tumult in Egypt: “Egypt’s interim prime minister and cabinet offered to resign Monday in the face of a bloody third day of protests, adding to the crisis of legitimacy for the nation’s ruling military council and its faltering effort to oversee a peaceful transition to democracy.”

* Did President Obama do the right thing by not getting involved in the super-committee fiasco? Yes, he did.

* A bill managed to become a law: “Noting a small patch of bipartisan consensus, President Obama signed off Monday on a bill that provides tax credits to businesses that hire veterans.”

* First Lady Michelle Obama appeared at a NASCAR event in Florida yesterday, as part of a charitable campaign to support military veterans and their families. Many fans booed her.

* Rush Limbaugh said the First Lady deserved to be booed because of her “uppity-ism.” This isn’t a joke; he really said that.

* Should state universities be tuition free? That sounds like a good idea to me.

* I assume I’m not the only one who thinks Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) needs some kind of counseling.

* And on Fox News yesterday, Juan Williams began to offer a defense of the Occupy movement. Host Chris Wallace quickly cut him off, claiming to represent the wishes of the public. Fair and balanced, indeed.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In New Hampshire, a new Suffolk poll shows Mitt Romney with a commanding lead, enjoying 41% support. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul are tied for second with 14% each.

* A new poll in New Hampshire from Kellyanne Conway’s Polling Company also shows Romney leading Gingrich in the state, but not by quite as large a margin: 35% to 18%.

* In advance of a Republican candidates’ debate tonight on national security, the DNC organized a powerful briefing yesterday with former NATO Commander General Wesley Clark, former Navy Secretary Richard Danzig, and retired Major General Paul Eaton.

* Gingrich is still committed to privatization of Social Security.

* In South Carolina, home to the third GOP presidential primary, a poll from Kellyanne Conway’s Polling Company shows Gingrich in the lead with 31%, followed by Herman Cain with 17% and Mitt Romney with 16%.

* Remember the radical candidate pledge from Iowa’s right-wing FAMiLY Leader group? Rick Perry signed it yesterday.

* Democratic efforts in Wisconsin to recall Gov. Scott Walker (R) are well underway, and during the first four days of trying, they collected 105,000 signatures. To force a recall election, Dems and their allies will need to collect at least 540,208 signatures in 60 days.

* Jon Huntsman’s Super PAC, largely financed by the former governor’s father, spent $805,473 just last week, including a major ad buy in New Hampshire.

* And in Mississippi, Jefferson Davis would fare pretty well in a race against Abraham Lincoln.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* We thought the economy grew at 2.5% in the third quarter. Now, according to a Commerce Department report, it’s been revised to just 2%.

* Egypt: “The ruling military council agreed on Tuesday to speed up the transition to civilian rule in a deal made with Islamist groups but which seemed unlikely to satisfy the demands of liberal parties and the more than 100,000 protesters who gathered in the center of the capital to demand an immediate transfer of power.”

* Syria’s Assad losing friends fast: “In his most blatant criticism yet of Syria’s political repression, the prime minister of Turkey said for the first time on Tuesday that President Bashar al-Assad of Syria should resign, raising the pressure on Mr. Assad from a country that Syria had once counted as its friendliest neighbor and economic partner.”

* An intensifying crisis in Europe: “Banks clamored for emergency funds from the European Central Bank on Tuesday, borrowing the most since mid-2009 in a clear sign of the damage the sovereign debt crisis is inflicting on financial institutions.”

* Good for Kitzhaber: “Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber has imposed a moratorium on the death penalty for the remainder of his term, saying he’s morally opposed to the capital punishment and has long regretted allowing two men to be executed in the 1990s.”

* The Federal Reserve ought to adopt Nominal GDP level targeting. It doesn’t want to.

* Clemency: “President Barack Obama on Monday pardoned five people convicted of charges ranging from intent to distribute marijuana to running an illegal gambling business. And he issued his first commutation, ordering the release of a woman next month after serving 10 years on a 22-year sentence for cocaine distribution.”

* Daniel Luzer takes a look at the latest from UC Davis following the pepper-spray brutality.

* On a related note, Fox News’ Megyn Kelly said of pepper spray, “It’s a food product, essentially.”

* I tend to think Michele Bachmann is a national embarrassment, but decency still requires that “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” apologize for last night’s song selection. Totally inappropriate.

* And the 11th debate for the Republican presidential candidates will be held tonight on CNN, and this one will be focused entirely on foreign policy.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As the Republican establishment begins to settle in larger numbers for Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor has picked up Sen. John Thune’s (R-S.D.) endorsement.

* Newt Gingrich, in a rather embarrassing display of organizational weakness, failed to qualify for the ballot in Missouri’s primary.

* Despite his apparent pro-choice leanings, Herman Cain has signed the Susan B. Anthony List’s “Pro-Life Presidential Leadership Pledge.”

* Cain told Iowans this week that his race will make him a more competitive candidate in the general election. The evidence to the contrary is overwhelming.

* Leading social conservative activists in Iowa are still organizing in the hopes of derailing Romney’s chances in the upcoming caucuses.

* On a related note, Bob Vander Plaats’s right-wing outfit in Iowa, The FAMiLY Leader, has said it has narrowed its endorsement choices to Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum.

* Santorum believes people in the West Bank are Israelis, not “Palestinians.” For nearly a half-century, that hasn’t been the policy of the Israeli government.

* Last week, Jon Huntsman’s Super PAC spent over $800,000. This week, it’s spending an additional $650,000. For any campaign, that’s a lot of money. For a last-place campaign, it’s extraordinary.

* In Pennsylvania, the latest poll from Public Policy Polling shows President Obama struggling badly, and he’s now tied with Romney in the state at 42% each.

* Gingrich intends to teach a free Internet class to interested Americans if he’s elected president.

* And in California, the latest PPP poll shows incumbent Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) with very large leads over her potential Republican challengers. Former Rep. Tom Campbell (R) is the most competitive, and he trails Feinstein by 15 points.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Germany, too: “The German debt agency could not find buyers for almost half a bond sale of 6 billion euros. That pushed the cost of borrowing over 10 years for the bloc’s paymaster above those for the United States for the first time since October. ‘It is a complete and utter disaster,’ said Marc Ostwald, strategist at Monument Securities in London.”

* Wrong direction: “New applications for regular state unemployment-insurance benefits ticked higher, according to the latest weekly data, rising 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 393,000, the Labor Department reported Wednesday.”

* Yemen: “After months of street protests calling for his resignation, President Ali Abdullah Saleh signed an agreement Wednesday that Yemeni officials said immediately transferred power to his vice president.”

* Egypt: “The outskirts of Tahrir Square, the iconic landmark of Egypt’s revolution, plunged into chaos Wednesday, after attempts by the Egyptian military, religious clerics and doctors failed to stanch a sixth day of fighting that has posed the greatest crisis to the country since the fall of President Hosni Mubarak in February.”

* Will the failure of the super-committee lead to a credit rating downgrade? Not according to Moody’s, it won’t.

* Murdoch media scandal: “James Murdoch has resigned from the boards of the companies that publish its British newspapers including the now-defunct News of the World tabloid at the centre of the phone hacking sandal, regulatory filings show.”

* Cause for concern: “The U.S.-Russian talks to cooperate on missile defense have apparently failed, as Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced a series of retaliatory measures today aimed at giving Russia the ability to destroy the American-led system in Eastern Europe.” Medvedev sided congressional Republicans as a major point of concern.

* AIG wants more money.

* A fantastic graphic from The National Post on the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

* Newt Gingrich thinks he’s an intellectual. He’s not.

* My principal problem with Mort Zuckerman’s political analysis is that he says things that aren’t true.

* Gamers rule: “Last week, the National STEM Video Game Challenge officially opened, aiming to motivate interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning by tapping into students’ natural passion for playing and making video games.”

* Jimmy Fallon apologized to Michele Bachmann, which was the right thing to do. Bachmann isn’t satisfied, though, and now wants NBC to apologize, too.

* Mitt Romney, zombie.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Tumult in Egypt: “Egypt’s embattled military rulers appointed a new prime minister Friday as fiery crowds of supporters and opponents took to the streets, exposing the severity of a split over the leading role of the nation’s long-revered armed forces on the eve of parliamentary elections.”

* U.S. intervention: “The White House on Friday threw its weight behind Egypt’s resurgent protest movement, urging for the first time the handover of power by the interim military rulers in the Obama administration’s most public effort yet to steer Egypt toward democracy.”

* Mario Monti is running out of time: “The nation’s borrowing rates skyrocketed Friday after a grim set of bond auctions, with a new auction looming Tuesday. Another borrowing debacle could ratchet up fears that Italy has entered a debt spiral driving it toward bankruptcy and the 17-nation eurozone into its most acute crisis yet.”

* Belgium, too: “Standard & Poor’s downgraded Belgium’s financial standing Friday, citing the country’s government stalemate and a looming European recession.”

* A very unpleasant week on Wall Street: “The worst week for the stock market in two months ended with a whimper in thin trading Friday. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 4.8 percent this week, while the broader Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 4.7 percent. Both had their worst weeks since Sept. 23.”

* It’s worth appreciating what premium support is, what it isn’t, and how it’s different from a voucher.

* Newt Gingrich has said he wants to teach an online course after being elected president, but a closer look suggests he actually has something slightly different in mind.

* Michele Bachmann got an apology from Jimmy Fallon, but said it wasn’t good enough — she wanted an apology from NBC, too. Wednesday, the network did as she asked.

* I won’t even try to understand the phenomenon of Black Friday shopping.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In New Hampshire, the latest WMUR poll found Mitt Romney with a huge lead in the nation’s first primary state, enjoying 42% support. Newt Gingrich is a distant second with 15%.

* Rep. Charlie Gonzalez (D-Texas), the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, announced on Friday that he will retire at the end of this Congress. Gonzalez is wrapping up his seventh term. State Rep. Joaquin Castro (D) appears likely to run in the Democratic district.

* Rick Perry’s campaign is using video that was also used by Perry’s Super PAC, which is raising legal questions about possible coordination.

* Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona, will apparently throw his support to Perry’s presidential campaign.

* Is the Senate race in Arizona a pick-up opportunity for Democrats? It sure looks like it — a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) leading former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona (D) by just four points.

* Don’t be too surprised if former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson drops his Republican presidential bid and runs for the Libertarian Party nomination.

* How worried is Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) about being recalled? He’s already launched two separate television ads.

* A new court-approved district map in Texas will likely cost Republicans at least two U.S. House seats, and perhaps as many as four. State officials hope the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes to block the new district lines.

* In Montana, a Republican attack ad targeting Sen. Jon Tester (D) manipulated an image; a Crossroads attack ad targeting Tester was pulled over inaccuracies; and a new U.S. Chamber of Commerce attack ad targeting Tester spelled the senator’s name wrong.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* In case you thought the relationship with Pakistan couldn’t get worse: “Pakistani officials said on Saturday that NATO aircraft had killed at least 25 soldiers in strikes against two military posts at the northwestern border with Afghanistan, and the country’s supreme army commander called them unprovoked acts of aggression.”

* All eyes on Merkel: “While Europe speeds toward economic meltdown, Germany increasingly stands alone in its resistance to slamming on the brakes. Many outside Germany now say that only radical solutions will keep the euro intact. But Chancellor Angela Merkel has steadfastly opposed a shift even as the crisis is in danger of spiraling out of control, potentially leading to a splintering of the currency union.”

* An extraordinary sight as Egyptians head to the polls.

* Fitch reaffirmed America’s AAA rating, but it’s outlook for our fiscal future is turning bleak.

* Off to a good start: “Spurred by aggressive promotions from retailers, American consumers opened their wallets over the holiday weekend in a way they had not since before the recession, setting records in sales and traffic.”

* Housing, too: “Sales of new homes rose in October and the supply of homes on the market fell to its lowest level since April of last year, showing some healing in the battered housing sector.”

* The Arab League targets Syria with economic sanctions, as the pressure on Assad intensifies.

* Iraq: “A suicide bomber slammed a car packed with explosives into the gate of a prison north of Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 19 people, Iraqi officials said.”

* Looking out for the public’s interests: “A federal judge in New York on Monday threw out a settlement between the Securities and Exchange Commission and Citigroup over a 2007 mortgage derivatives deal, saying that the S.E.C.’s policy of settling cases by allowing a company to neither admit nor deny the agency’s allegations did not satisfy the law.”

* The Murdoch media scandal expands, with evidence that Rupert Murdoch “once offered to orchestrate friendly news coverage for a politician in exchange for a ‘no’ vote in Parliament.”

* Daniel Luzer takes a look at why a significant number of college students are so reluctant to take out loans.

* And on the 25th anniversary of the Iran-contra scandal, Peter Kornblu offers a reminder just how serious this fiasco really was, and how very fortunate Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush were to avoid indictments.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Herman Cain told his senior staff this morning that he is “reassessing” whether to continue his Republican presidential campaign.

* Mitt Romney’s on-again, off-again interest in competing in Iowa is apparently on-again. Yesterday, a campaign spokesperson told reporters, “Our strategy is to win there.” A moment later, she hesitated, and concluded, “We’re going to get people out to the caucuses.”

* Newt Gingrich is starting to get slightly more aggressive towards Romney, telling CNN yesterday, “If you run to the left of Teddy Kennedy, it is trickier than trying to run to the right of Newt Gingrich.”

* In Wisconsin, Democrats have already collected more than 300,000 signatures to force Gov. Scott Walker (R) into a recall election. The governor’s opponents still need about a quarter-million more signatures by mid-January.

* Romney appears to be consolidating support within South Florida’s Cuban-American community, which tends to strongly support Republicans. The former governor picked up endorsements yesterday from Reps. Ileana Ros Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), and his brother, former Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.).

* Speaking of Florida, Rep. Connie Mack (R), just months after saying he wouldn’t run for the Senate, kicked off a Senate campaign last night. The far-right congressman made his announcement on Sean Hannity’s Fox News program.

* How much trouble is Sen. Ben Nelson (D) facing in Nebraska next year? It depends on which pollster you ask.

* And in West Virginia, Bill Maloney (R) filed the paperwork yesterday to set up a 2012 rematch against Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D). In early October, Tomblin defeated Maloney by about three points.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Tehran: “Iranian protesters screaming ‘death to England’ stormed the vast British embassy compound and a diplomatic residence in Tehran on Tuesday, torched at least one vehicle, tore down the Union Jack, ransacked offices and briefly held six staff members captive during an officially approved protest of economic sanctions against Iran’s suspect nuclear energy program.”

* Iraq: “Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. arrived here on Tuesday for a historic visit meant to inaugurate a new relationship between the United States and Iraq, just weeks before the last American troops are scheduled to leave the country.”

* AA: “Saddled with an aging fleet of aircraft and high labor costs, the parent company of American Airlines filed for bankruptcy Tuesday, seeking protection from creditors while it restructures its operations. The airline said that operations would continue, that all flights would depart on schedule and that frequent-flier miles would be honored.”

* Austerity doesn’t work: “States are caught in a fiscal vise as weak economic growth, dwindling federal help and increasing appeals from hard-pressed local governments squeeze their budgets.”

* Murdoch media scandal just keeps expanding: “The former Northern Ireland secretary Peter Hain has been told by the Metropolitan police that they are investigating evidence that his computer, and those of senior Northern Ireland civil servants and intelligence agents, may have been hacked by private detectives working for News International.”

* Felix Salmon takes former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson to task for giving “his old Goldman Sachs buddies … invaluable information” in the summer of 2008, when he should have been tending to the nation’s interests.

* The Obama administration’s QuickPay program is worthwhile, cutting government reimbursement rates for small-business invoices from 30 to 15 days. But the “15 days from when?” question still matters a great deal.

* This isn’t a surprise: “The Office of Legal Counsel advised President Barack Obama on whether he could ignore Congress and raise the debt ceiling himself under the 14th Amendment. We just don’t know what they told him.”

* Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) says he cares “completely” about programs that feed the needy at shelters. Given that his sweeping budget cuts this year “slashed funding to some veteran and farm surplus programs that helped the homeless,” I don’t think Scott means it.

* On a related note, as Scott’s administration in Florida imposes harsh tuition hikes on state higher-ed students, campuses are getting organized to protest the governor’s “attack on higher education.”

* It’s amusing to compare Newt Gingrich’s take on Occupy protests to Colin Powell’s perspective. The former seems to think the latter is some kind of radical.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Herman Cain’s campaign manager, Mark Block, said last night tonight that there is “no way” that the candidate is “dropping out.” Cain added soon after, “9-9-9. 9-9-9. We’re doing fine.”

* One of Newt Gingrich’s biggest problems right now is the lack of a quality ground game. With just five weeks until the Iowa caucuses, the disgraced former House Speaker hopes to change that — he’s finally opening a campaign office in Iowa.

* In Florida, a new poll from the Florida Times-Union shows Gingrich soaring in the Sunshine State, leading the Republican presidential field with 41% support. Mitt Romney is a distant second with 17%.

* On a related note, a national Gallup poll shows Gingrich leading Romney when it comes to “positive intensity” among Republican voters.

* Democrats have recruited so many women candidates to run for the U.S. Senate that 2012 will break a record unmatched in American history.

* A new study from the Pew Research Center shows support for the Tea Party has “fallen sharply even in places considered Tea Party strongholds.”

* In what is likely a sign of things to come, two GOP state representatives in New Hampshire who had endorsed Herman Cain announced yesterday that they’re switching their support to Gingrich.

* Republican presidential hopefuls wooing the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition can back off — the group is not going to endorse in advance of January’s caucuses.

* And in Arizona, a state the Obama campaign hopes to flip in 2012, PPP shows the president trailing Romney by seven in a hypothetical match-up, but faring much better against the other Republican candidates.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* The central banks act: “The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that it joined some of the world’s major central banks in a coordinated action to inject liquidity into the global financial system as the euro zone’s financial crisis threatens to squeeze credit worldwide. Joining in the move were: the Fed, The Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank, the Fed said.”

* Investors were pleased: “Stocks rallied in the United States on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve and other central banks took action to try to contain the debt crisis in the euro zone, with market indexes gaining more than 4 percent and the Dow Jones industrial average ending up 490 points.”

* Mark Thoma, Sarah Kliff, and Matt Yglesias have helpful takes on what, exactly, the central banks did today.

* Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has arrived in Nay Pyi Daw, measuring “the depth of the political and economic opening the country’s new government has unexpectedly begun.” Among the issues to consider: is it Burma or Myanmar?

* Further isolating Tehran: “Iran is rapidly heading for increased isolation from Western countries, as the European Union is set to decide during a crucial meeting Thursday in Brussels to downgrade relations, diplomats said Wednesday.”

* Shifts continue on Capitol Hill over extending the payroll tax break. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is even open to some tax increases.

* NLRB: “The National Labor Relations Board voted Wednesday to move forward with portions of a controversial union election rule after the board’s lone Republican member showed up to register his opposition.”

* Detainee policy: “Defying the Obama administration’s threat of a veto, the Senate on Tuesday voted to increase the role of the military in imprisoning suspected members of Al Qaeda and its allies — including people arrested inside the United States. By a vote of 61 to 37, the Senate turned back an effort to strip a major military bill of a set of disputed provisions affecting the handling of terrorism cases.”

* Mitt Romney’s Fox News interview yesterday really didn’t go well.

* New Hampshire Republicans tried to force through an anti-union “right to work” bill, but came up short. Good.

* NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg probably shouldn’t think of the NYPD as his “own army.”

* Daniel Luzer on higher-ed cost cutting: “In light of Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s challenge yesterday to American universities: cut costs, somehow, it’s time to consider options.”

* Today’s quote of the day, by way of Newt Gingrich: “One of the real changes that comes when you start running for president — as opposed to being an analyst on Fox — is I have to actually know what I’m talking about.” It tells us a little something important about Gingrich’s former Fox News colleagues.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* For much of 2011, Mitt Romney ignored Iowa, making only two appearances in the state in the first eight months of the year. Now, however, Romney is going all in with an aggressive new strategy in Iowa, including the launch of a new television ad.

* Romney also hoped to cruise to an easy win in New Hampshire, with minimal investment. Yesterday, however, the former governor began airing a TV ad in the state, despite polls showing him well ahead of his Republican rivals.

* Herman Cain struck a defiant tone at a campaign stop in Ohio, but later said he’d announce whether he’ll stay in the race next week.

* Ron Paul’s campaign released a hard-hitting attack video yesterday, targeting Newt Gingrich. The web-only clip is over two minutes long, and probably won’t be aired in broadcast media.

* A new poll from University of Massachusetts Amherst shows Elizabeth Warren (D) taking the lead over Sen. Scott Brown (R) in Massachusetts’ U.S. Senate race, 43% to 39%.

* For the second time this week, a poll out of Florida shows Gingrich with a big lead in the race for the Republican nomination. Public Policy Polling found Gingrich leading Romney, 47% to 17%.

* In Montana, PPP also found Gingrich leading the Republican field, topping Ron Paul, 37% to 12%.

* Speaking of Gingrich leading at the state level, a poll from a CBS affiliate in Louisiana found Gingrich leading Romney, 31% to 23%.

* In Pennsylvania, the GOP field is not yet set in the race against Sen. Bob Casey, but PPP shows the incumbent Democrat leading all of his likely Republican rivals by double digits.

* In Missouri’s gubernatorial race, Republican businessman Dave Spence is hoping to scare away potential primary rivals by investing $2 million of his own money into his new campaign.

* And as Americans Elect looks for a presidential candidate, Republican Buddy Roemer, whose GOP campaign has struggled badly, would like to be considered.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* ECB: “Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank, laid the groundwork Thursday for a more aggressive response to the euro zone debt crisis, suggesting that the bank could increase its support for the European economy if political leaders took more radical steps to enforce spending discipline among members.”

* Tehran: “The European Union announced tightened sanctions against Iran on Thursday in the aftermath of the storming of Britain’s Tehran embassy, adding 180 Iranian officials and companies to a blacklist that freezes their assets and bans travel to member states. But the measures fell well short of demands by Britain and France for an embargo on oil purchases from Iran, one of the world’s leading producers.”

* World AIDS Day: “President Barack Obama vowed to boost U.S. efforts to fight AIDS with a new target of providing treatment to 6 million people worldwide by 2013, up from an earlier goal of 4 million.”

* This really is one of George W. Bush’s few strong points, by the way.

* Moving in the wrong direction: “The number of Americans who applied for jobless benefits last week rose above 400,000 again, an indication that the pace of hiring in the U.S. likely remains modest at best. Initial claims for unemployment compensation climbed by 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 402,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. It was the highest level in a month.”

* Not the results the West wanted to see: “Islamists claimed a decisive victory on Wednesday as early election results put them on track to win a dominant majority in Egypt’s first Parliament since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, the most significant step yet in the religious movement’s rise since the start of the Arab Spring.”

* Occupy protests met a forceful end in Los Angeles and Philadelphia, but “encampments continue from San Francisco to Boston, and in cities like Des Moines; Kansas City, Mo.; Lansing, Mich.; Lincoln, Neb.; Madison, Wis.; Portland, Me.; and Providence, R.I.”

* That’s quite a process: “Belgium neared the end of a 536-day political feud with an accord to form a full-time government that vows to prune the budget deficit to confront the financial crisis.”

* Republicans on the House’s subcommittee on higher-education policy have some thoughts on cutting college costs. They don’t actually cut the costs of college.

* Many conservatives are convinced taxes for the average middle-class family are higher now than when President Obama took office. Those conservatives are very wrong.

* Again, Alabama? “A Japanese man temporarily working at Honda’s car factory in east Alabama became the second foreign auto worker charged under the state’s law on illegal immigration, the company said Wednesday.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Newt Gingrich is so confident about his chances, he boasted to ABC yesterday, “I’m going to be the nominee.”

* Herman Cain acknowledged yesterday that he knows Ginger White, a woman who has accused him of having a 13-year extramarital affair with her, and repeatedly gave her money. Cain also said he didn’t mention this financial assistance to his wife.

* On a related note, the new Iowa Poll by the Des Moines Register shows Cain’s support falling from 23% in October to 8% now in the first caucus state.

* Rick Perry’s new television ad makes use of his “oops” moment in a self-deprecating way.

* Michele Bachmann’s presidential campaign picked up its first congressional endorsement, getting the support of Rep. Trent Franks (R) of Arizona.

* In California, the latest Field Poll shows Romney leading Gingrich in the race for the GOP nomination, but both trail President Obama by double-digit margins.

* In Wisconsin, Tommy Thompson was a governor, then a failed presidential candidate, then a corporate lobbyist. Now he’s a U.S. Senate candidate.

* In Virginia, the state’s comically right-wing attorney general, Ken Cuccinelli II (R), announced yesterday he’ll run for governor in 2013. He’ll like face Virginia Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling in a Republican primary.

* Sen. Ben Nelson (D) hasn’t officially said whether he’ll seek another term in Nebraska next year, but he’s nevertheless getting support from Democratic Super PACs.

* Republicans would love to pick Rep. Barney Frank’s (D) seat in Massachusetts next year, but the party “shouldn’t start salivating at the prospect … just yet.”

* And in 2016 news, Vice President Biden isn’t quite ready to “close the door” on a presidential campaign of his own.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned on Friday that the only real solution to Europe’s debt crisis was a drawn-out effort to alter or create new European Union treaties to punish big-spending nations, a process that will take years.”

* Quite a milestone: “The U.S. military transferred control of its sprawling headquarters outside Baghdad to the Iraqi government Friday, a deeply symbolic moment that launched the final month of a nearly decade-long U.S. presence. The last few soldiers at Camp Victory, a base that once housed 68,000 military personnel and contractors, departed early Friday afternoon.”

* The latest move in the “We Can’t Wait” campaign “President Obama today announced nearly $4 billion in combined federal and private sector energy upgrades to buildings over the next 2 years. These investments will save billions in energy costs, promote energy independence, and, according to independent estimates, create tens of thousands of jobs in the hard-hit construction sector.”

* Domestic economy: “Manufacturing grew for the 28th straight month and faster than it has since June, a report showed Thursday. The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index increased to 52.7 percent in November, up from 50.8 percent in October…. Any reading above 50 indicates expansion.”

* Showdown looming: “Ignoring a presidential veto threat, the Democratic-controlled Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a massive, $662 billion defense bill that would require the military to hold suspected terrorists linked to al-Qaida or its affiliates, even those captured on U.S. soil.”

* There were two votes in the Senate last night on extending the payroll tax break, and both failed. Senators will have plenty of additional chances to consider the policy.

* Public financing: “The House voted along party lines Thursday to abolish public funding for presidential campaigns and eliminate the Election Assistance Commission, the latest salvo in separate battles over deficit reduction and alleged voter suppression.”

* Trouble for Richardson: “Bill Richardson, the former governor of New Mexico who ran for president in 2008, is being investigated by a federal grand jury for possible violations of campaign finance laws, according to people with knowledge of the inquiry.”

* Minnesota was projecting a $5 billion deficit up until very recently. Now it’s looking at an $876 million surplus over the next two years.

* The Washington Post’s Solyndra coverage has been a terrible mess.

* The smear campaign targeting judicial nominee Caitlin Halligan has been disgraceful.

* Daniel Luzer on for-profit colleges: “Something is probably wrong at many of America’s for-profit colleges. While this is perhaps no big revelation, reformers still haven’t figured out what reforms to institute to address the problems.”

* Why would the NYPD give Fox News police protection that other networks don’t get?

* Jeffrey Goldberg reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “ordered his country’s Ministry of Immigrant Absorption to immediately shut down its ridiculous Diaspora-bashing ad campaign.”

* And when the unemployment rate drops sharply, the cast of “Fox & Friends” just doesn’t know what to do.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In case you missed it over the weekend, the Des Moines Register released its new Iowa Poll over the weekend, showing Newt Gingrich leading the Republican field, followed by Ron Paul and Mitt Romney.

* The latest NBC/Marist poll also shows Gingrich ahead in Iowa with 26%. This poll shows Romney second with 18% and Ron Paul with 17%.

* The NBC/Marist poll shows Romney faring better in New Hampshire, where he leads the pack with 39% support, followed by Gingrich at 23%.

* When it comes to hypothetical match-ups, NBC/Marist shows President Obama leading Romney in Iowa by seven, and trailing Romney in New Hampshire by three.

* With just four weeks remaining before the caucuses, Gingrich is launching his first television ad in Iowa today. It’s a minute-long spot filled with vague platitudes, nice pictures, and stirring music.

* Reality-show personality Donald Trump has agreed to moderate an upcoming Republican presidential debate sponsored by the right-wing Newsmax. The event is scheduled for Dec. 27 in Iowa.

* On a related note, Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman have already said they will not participate in the Trump-led debate.

* Huntsman will also skip a debate in Iowa this week, scheduled for Saturday.

* Gingrich is making a major push in South Carolina, where Romney appears to be struggling.

* To the surprise of no one, Wall Street and corporate lobbyists are gearing up for the U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts in a big way, hoping to help Sen. Scott Brown (R) overcome a challenge from Elizabeth Warren (D).

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Progress in Europe: “Under growing pressure from nervous financial markets, the leaders of France and Germany reached a difficult compromise agreement Monday to seek mandatory limits on budget deficits among debt-laden European governments.”

* There’s some growing optimism about the Eurozone crisis, but we don’t know if, or how long, it will last.

* Iran: “The huge explosion that destroyed a major missile-testing site near Tehran three weeks ago was a major setback for Iran’s most advanced long-range missile program, according to American and Israeli intelligence officials and missile technology experts…. It is still unclear what caused the explosion.”

* Short of a formal apology: “President Obama phoned the president of Pakistan on Sunday to offer ‘condolences’ for the deaths of two dozen soldiers killed in NATO airstrikes along the Afghan border, the White House said.”

* Russia: “Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party saw its parliament majority weaken sharply in Sunday’s vote despite allegations of widespread violations.”

* An Occupy clash in Washington: “The Occupy D.C. campaign, largely peaceful since its launch two months ago, turned confrontational Sunday when police detained 31 protesters during a tense day-long standoff in McPherson Square.”

* I’m very glad Obama saved this industry over Republican objections: “The U.S. auto industry is seeing demand recover faster than anticipated, with carmakers headed toward their best annual performance in three years at sales of 12.8 million vehicles.”

* Institutional racism: “White criminals seeking presidential pardons over the past decade have been nearly four times as likely to succeed as minorities, a ProPublica examination has found. Blacks have had the poorest chance of receiving the president’s ultimate act of mercy, according to an analysis of previously unreleased records and related data.”

* The White House hasn’t given up on Richard Cordray’s nomination to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

* No one wants to hear this, but the climate crisis is becoming increasingly severe.

* Add heath care policy to the list of things George Will probably shouldn’t write about.

* New GOP freak-out target: Howard Gutman, the U.S. ambassador to Belgium.

* Should the ATF be folded into the FBI?

* The debate over “premium support” in a nutshell.

* The Other 1%: Who has the most student loan debt?

* When PolitiFact considers a statement that’s true for its Lie of the Year award, there’s a problem.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Iowa, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows Newt Gingrich out in front of the Republican pack, leading the field with 33%. Mitt Romney and Ron Paul are tied for second with 18% each. Rick Perry, at 11%, is the only other candidate to reach double digits.

* On a related note, the latest Public Policy Polling survey out of Iowa also shows Gingrich on top, leading his rivals with 27% support. Paul is second with 18% and Romney’s third with 16%.

* In South Carolina, home to the third nominating contest, a new Winthrop University poll shows Gingrich running first with a surprisingly strong 38%, followed by Romney at 22%.

* Romney appears to be slipping in Iowa, but he hasn’t given up on the state just yet. This week, he has a new direct-mail piece telling Republicans President Obama’s campaign is “obsessed” with him.

* I don’t imagine it matters much to actual voters, but former Vice President Dan Quayle’s endorsement of Romney reinforces the sense that the GOP establishment is starting to close ranks behind the former governor.

* It seems hard to believe, but at this point, no Republican presidential campaign has more than one office open in the state of Iowa.

* A Gallup poll released yesterday found that only Gingrich and Romney are considered “acceptable” nominees by most Republican voters.

* Ron Paul is going after Gingrich in a big way in Iowa, airing a brutal new television ad.

* Michele Bachmann was endorsed yesterday by Phyllis Schlafly, a major anti-feminist leader and head of a religious group called the Eagle Forum.

* Democrats in Colorado got some good news last night when the state Supreme Court upheld their redrawn congressional-district map.

* And in the Treasure State, a new poll from the Montana Chamber of Commerce shows incumbent Sen. Jon Tester (D) leading Rep. Denny Rehberg (R) by five, 42% to 37%.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* At least 63 dead in brutal attacks in Afghanistan: “A Pakistan-based extremist group claimed responsibility for a series of coordinated attacks aimed at Afghan Shiites on Tuesday, in what many feared was an attempt to further destabilize Afghanistan by adding a new dimension of strife to a country that, though battered by a decade of war, has been free of sectarian conflict.”

* Europe: “Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner threw his weight on Tuesday behind a Franco-German plan to tackle the euro zone’s sovereign debt crisis and said the European Central Bank had to play a major role in any solution.”

* President Obama delivered a pretty amazing speech in Kansas today; I’ll have a report on this in the morning.

* U.S. drone in Iranian hands: “The radar-evading drone that crash-landed over the weekend in Iran was on a mission for the CIA, according to a senior U.S. official, raising fears that the aircraft’s sophisticated technology could be exploited by Tehran or shared with other American rivals.”

* The plaintiff in the case against the Affordable Care Act “may no longer have the standing to sue.” Something to keep an eye on.

* Remember Halliburton? “BP has accused Halliburton of destroying damaging evidence about the quality of its cement slurry that went into drilling the oil well that blew out last year and caused the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history.”

* I love this case: “The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide whether Secret Service agents protecting Vice President Dick Cheney may be sued for violating the free speech rights of a member of the public who made critical remarks about the Bush administration’s war policies.”

* Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s (R) approval rating is down to an astounding 26%. That’s about where Richard Nixon’s support stood when he resigned.

* Even David Brooks knows federal regulations “are not tanking the economy.”

* Remember that right-wing conspiracy theory about the White House forcing Ford to pull a commercial? In case it wasn’t already obvious how foolish this was, Ford’s CEO knocked down the theory on Fox News this morning.

* The White House is eager to cut college costs, but “as long as colleges can charge students tuition, and as long as it’s standard for students to go into debt to pay that tuition, there’s no incentive for colleges make any serious effort to cut costs.”

* And it looks as if Fox’s Eric Bolling believes “The Muppets” are part of a liberal agenda to “brainwash” children with an anti-corporate message. His paranoia at least gets points for creativity.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new New York Times/CBS News poll confirms what we already knew: Newt Gingrich is leading the Republican presidential field in Iowa. The disgraced former House Speaker is ahead with 31%, followed by Mitt Romney with 17%, and Ron Paul with 16%.

* On a related note, the same poll found Romney struggling with Iowa Republicans who rely on Fox News. With nearly 40% of Iowa GOP voter saying they get most of their news from the Republican network, that’s bad news for Romney.

* In North Carolina, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Gingrich with a huge lead over Romney, 51% to 14%.

* In Colorado, Public Policy Polling also found Gingrich leading Romney, 37% to 18%.

* Romney told Fox News yesterday that he will not participate in the NewsMax debate later this month moderated by Donald Trump.

* Rick Perry raised quite a bit of money after launching his presidential campaign, and faced with no choice, he’s now starting to spend it rather aggressively. Yesterday, Perry’s camp invested $1 million in TV ad time in Iowa for the three weeks leading up to the caucuses.

* The process is a little complicated, but the bottom line is the Gingrich campaign is going to have to scramble a bit to make sure he qualifies for the Republican primary ballot in Ohio.

* Though most recent polling shows a very competitive Senate race in Florida, Public Policy Polling shows incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson (D) leading Rep. Connie Mack (R), 46% to 35%.

* Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R) was moving closer to a Senate campaign against incumbent Sen. Bob Casey (D), but Pileggi changed his mind and withdrew from consideration.

* And while Republicans are confident that Nebraska’s Senate seat is a key pick-up opportunity next year, party leaders are apparently underwhelmed by the GOP slate of candidates. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn want Gov. Dave Heineman (R) to run, whether Sen. Ben Nelson seeks re-election or not.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Good for Obama: “President Obama warned Congress on Wednesday not to tie approval of the extension of a payroll tax cut to other sensitive measures such as the Keystone Pipeline project, which his administration delayed last month.”

* His vacation plans are on hold, too: “President Obama is not vacationing in Hawaii with his wife and children while the extension of the payroll tax holiday remains in limbo, and has warned GOP congressional leaders to stay in town as well. Obama had planned to fly to Hawaii with his family on Dec. 17 and stay there through New Year’s.”

* So are lawmakers’ plans: “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says the Senate won’t leave town for the Christmas holiday until Congress approves an extension of the payroll tax cut.”

* Reid to House GOP: don’t even think about jamming us on the payroll tax break.

* Can anyone seriously believe Assad? “Syrian President Bashar al-Assad defiantly denied any suggestion that he has ordered a bloody crackdown against protesters who are demanding that he resign, and claims instead that most of the people who died in the unrest were his supporters and troops.”

* Low expectations: “China, the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter, has once again emerged as the biggest puzzle at international climate change talks, sending ambiguous signals about the role it intends to play in future negotiations. This week the nation’s top climate envoy said that China would be open to signing a formal treaty limiting emissions after 2020 — but laid down conditions for doing so that are unlikely ever to be met.”

* Bye, Blago: “Rod R. Blagojevich, the former governor of Illinois, was sentenced on Wednesday to 14 years in federal prison for 18 felony corruption convictions, including trying to sell or trade the Senate seat that President Obama left behind when he moved to the White House.”

* Mumia: “Philadelphia prosecutors have dropped their pursuit of the death penalty for Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted of shooting a police officer three decades ago. He will instead serve a life sentence in prison, prosecutors said Wednesday.”

* Did the Fed really hand out $7.77 trillion to the banks during the 2008 crisis? Well, no, not exactly.

* Aasif Mandvi really wants Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) to pee in a cup.

* Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) thinks for-profit colleges are more “effective” than real colleges. First, she’s wrong. Second, the fact that she’s the chair of the House Subcommittee on Higher Education is kind of scary.

* An attempted prank last night notwithstanding, SEIU remains an active supporter of President Obama’s re-election campaign.

* It’s amazing no one was hurt: “One of the zany experiments staged by the ‘Mythbusters’ television show nearly turned into a suburban tragedy Tuesday afternoon in Dublin when the crew fired a homemade cannon toward huge containers of water at the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department bomb disposal range.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Four new Time/CNN polls show Newt Gingrich leading Mitt Romney in three of the four early nominating contests. Gingrich leads Romney by 13 points in Iowa, 23 points in South Carolina, and 23 points in Florida. Romney still leads in New Hampshire, but his margin over Gingrich has shrunk to just 9 points.

* New Quinnipiac polls also show Gingrich well ahead of his Republican rivals, leading Romney by 13 points in Florida, 18 points in Ohio, and 14 points in Pennsylvania.

* The same Quinnipiac poll tested Gingrich and Romney against President Obama in hypothetical general election match-ups. Both GOP candidates have one-point leads over the president in Ohio; Obama leads the Republicans in Pennsylvania; and in Florida, Romney has a small lead over the president while the president has a slight lead over Gingrich.

* The Romney campaign’s new ad emphasizes the former governor’s stable family life, a subtle dig at a certain thrice-married former House Speaker.

* Gingrich, meanwhile, said yesterday Romney would “certainly” be on his short-list for vice presidential candidates.

* Gingrich also said yesterday he’d like to see former Bush administration UN envoy John Bolton as his Secretary of State.

* In Massachusetts, a new UMass-Lowell/Boston Herald poll shows Elizabeth Warren (D) leading Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) by seven points, 49% to 42%.

* Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus spoke out this morning against the upcoming debate being moderated by Donald Trump.

* The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has begun buying television time in Oregon’s first congressional district, in advance of the upcoming special election.

* And Ohio Democrats have put together a pretty hilarious video targeting Republican Senate candidate Josh Mandel, who broke his vow to serve a full four-year term in state government after less than a year.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Another tragic day in Blacksburg: “A Virginia Tech police officer was fatally shot Thursday during a routine traffic stop on the Blacksburg campus and a second person was found slain in a nearby parking lot after the gunman fled, the university reports. The Associated Press, citing an unnamed law enforcement official, is reporting that the person found dead in the parking lot is the gunman who killed the officer.”

* Europe: “The European Central Bank moved aggressively to head off a recession and credit crunch in the euro area Thursday, but the bank disappointed expectations that it might ramp up its bond-buying program to contain the sovereign debt crisis. The E.C.B. cut its benchmark interest rate for the second straight month and took unprecedented steps to expand emergency financing for cash-starved banks.”

* I’m fairly certain Republicans no longer understand what “covert” actually means: “Republican US presidential candidates have redoubled their public calls for ‘covert’ operations against Iran and Syria, including sabotage, assassination and aid to opposition forces.”

* A day later, President Obama is still very wrong about access to Plan B contraception.

* Maybe the CIA shouldn’t have picked a residential neighborhood? “One of the CIA’s most important secrets in the war on terrorism was hiding in plain sight, on a leafy residential street along a busy set of train tracks in Romania’s capital. There, tucked in the basement of a government building, the CIA ran a clandestine prison, former U.S. intelligence officials said.”

* Remember the far-right freak-out over JournoList? “The former spokesman for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is shopping a 3,000-word trove of opposition research against bloggers critical of Israel to friendly neoconservative journalists. I’ve obtained an email sent by Josh Block to a private listserv called The Freedom Community, in which he throws around accusations of anti-Semitism against liberal bloggers and calls on other list members to ‘echo’ and ‘amplify’ his assault and ‘use the below [research] to attack the bad guys.’”

* Congressional Republicans sure have made it easy for the left to make Ronald Reagan look like a center-left Democrat.

* Probably a good move: “Apparently Penn State might be rethinking that whole massive football program thing.”

* Nice gig for a very good journalist: “It may be hard to believe, but CBS’ venerable newsmagazine ‘60 minutes’ has been on the air more than 40 years, and has never had a legal analyst. That is changing, as the program announced that Andrew Cohen will be joining the program as its legal analyst.”

* Save Greendale.

* A community organizer approached Bill O’Reilly last night after a fundraiser to ask him a question. O’Reilly hit the guy with an umbrella and then asked a police officer to arrest him. How very odd.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Despite the talk of lowering expectations, Mitt Romney’s Super PAC is launching a massive $3.1 million ad buy in Iowa. If Romney loses Iowa now, it looks even worse.

* Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann both dropped out of the upcoming NewsMax debate, to be moderated by Donald Trump.

* With only Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum agreeing to participate, Trump himself acknowledged this morning that the debate may be scrapped.

* In a new national Fox News poll, Gingrich leads the GOP field with 36% support, followed by Romney with 23%. No other candidate comes close.

* Struggling badly in a state where he hoped to win, Rick Perry will soon launch a two-week, 42-city bus tour of Iowa. He’s also making increasingly-aggressive ad buys.

* Speaking of Perry advertising, this week’s anti-gay culture-war ad was so out there, his lead pollster, Tony Fabrizio, objected to it and called it “nuts.”

* In perhaps the best news of the year for the Santorum campaign, the former senator will pick up Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz’s (R) endorsement today.

* At the national level, the Republicans’ “enthusiasm gap” advantage appears to be shrinking.

* In the latest Public Poling Polling Surveys, President Obama leads Romney and Gingrich in Colorado, while in North Carolina, Obama leads Gingrich and is tied with Romney.

* After hinting at a variety of options, unhinged Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) will seek a second term, running in Illinois’ redrawn 8th district, which is more Democratic-friendly than it was the last cycle.

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Today’s slightly-later-than-usual edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “European leaders, meeting until the early hours of Friday, agreed to sign an intergovernmental treaty that would require them to enforce stricter fiscal and financial discipline in their future budgets. But efforts to get unanimity among the 27 members of the European Union, as desired by Germany, failed as Britain refused to go along.”

* Robert Levinson in Iran: “Long after he vanished in Iran, retired FBI agent Robert Levinson reappeared in a video and a series of photographs sent to his family over the past year, transforming a mysterious disappearance into a hostage standoff with an unknown kidnapper, The Associated Press has learned.”

* Remember, this is pointless: “House Republican leaders on Friday formally unveiled legislation that would couple an extension of several high-priority items, including the payroll tax holiday and unemployment benefits, with provisions aimed at rounding up conservative support, such as a measure to speed up work on the Keystone XL oil pipeline.”

* When the realization kicks in that you’ve made a mistake: “Alabama’s governor said Friday that he’s looking to rewrite some of the state’s illegal immigration law next year.”

* Will Herman Cain end up on Fox News? Try not to be too surprised.

* For the White House, “Plan B stands for ‘backlash’” this week.

* Something has gone very wrong with Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) when she says nonsense like this, and seems to mean it: “Fiscal shenanigans such as permanent tax increases to pay for one-year temporary measures are precisely the problem that drove our nation into a $15 trillion debt crisis.”

* I can only imagine what a modern Congress would do if a president made recess appointments like Teddy Roosevelt did.

* Matt Ortega had a great tweet in which he noted that Rep. Paul Ryan “lies about a lie that a true statement is somehow a lie.” That actually made sense to me.

* Can Washington fix what ails American higher ed? Well, maybe.

* Good news: Smokey Bear “lives to die another day.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new poll out this morning from University of Iowa shows Newt Gingrich continuing to lead the Republican presidential field in the first caucus state. Gingrich is out in front with 30%, followed by Mitt Romney at 20%, and Ron Paul with 11%.

* In South Carolina, an NBC News-Marist poll released yesterday found Gingrich leading Romney by 19 points, 42% to 23%.

* In Florida, the same NBC News-Marist poll shows Gingrich leading Romney by a similar margin, 44% to 29%.

* In perhaps the most striking aspect of that NBC News-Marist poll, President Obama is ahead of both of the leading Republican candidates in Florida and South Carolina. Keep in mind, South Carolina is often considered one of the most consistently “red” states in the country.

* In Florida, Gingrich has hired Jose Mallea, Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R) former campaign manager, to help stay on top in the Sunshine State.

* White House Press Secretary Jay Carney was asked the other day about Rick Perry’s “war on religion” allegations. Carney responded, “I’m going to limit my comments on the struggling state of some campaigns.” Ouch.

* Jon Huntsman’s troubles are intensifying, with his former campaign manager jumping to Team Romney, and a high-profile New Hampshire supporter jumping to Team Gingrich.

* Huntsman and Gingrich will, by the way, meet in New Hampshire for a Lincoln-Douglas-style debate on foreign policy and national security.

* Texas’ redrawn congressional-district lines are on hold now that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a challenge to the new map.

* And in Massachusetts, state Rep. Thomas Conroy is ending his Democratic U.S. Senate campaign, clearing the way for Elizabeth Warren’s nomination.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Big case: “The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide whether Arizona may impose tough anti-immigration measures. Among them, in a law enacted last year, is a requirement that the police there question people they stop about their immigration status.”

* Europe: “A European summit deal to strengthen budget discipline in the euro zone failed to restore financial market confidence on Monday, forcing the European Central Bank to step in again gingerly.”

* More Europe: “Moody’s Investors Service noted Monday that it is reviewing the ratings of debt in European Union countries for a possible downgrade. S.&P. is expected to announce the results of its own review as soon as this week. Cuts in credit ratings, particularly for the so-called core euro zone countries, could play havoc with bailout plans.”

* There probably won’t be a government shutdown: “Put this in the ‘small accomplishments’ category for an especially gridlocked Congress: It appears increasingly likely that, with little fuss, lawmakers will approve a bipartisan compromise in coming days that will keep government running past Friday, when a short-term funding measure that has kept the lights on expires.”

* Iraq: “President Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki outlined a broad agenda for post-war cooperation Monday as they marked the impending end of America’s nearly decade long conflict in the Middle East.”

* Russia: “Tens of thousands took to the streets in cities across Russia on Saturday to protest alleged vote-rigging in what observers said were the largest antigovernment demonstrations in at least a decade.”

* Durban: “In the wee hours of Sunday morning, climate negotiators pulled out an agreement on climate change after two days of last-ditch efforts. The decision puts world leaders on a path to a negotiating a legal agreement beginning in 2015 and managed to avoid a total disaster, but still leaves a number of questions open.”

* The Obama White House has created a new Office of Manufacturing Policy. Sounds good to me.

* Sorry to see her go: “Michele Flournoy, the most senior female Pentagon official in history, told The Associated Press on Monday she is stepping down as the chief policy adviser to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.”

* Why did Joe Arpaio fail so miserably when confronted with more than 400 sex-crimes cases?

* Emily Crockett has a good rundown of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) pending in Congress.

* Colin Woodard: To understand the debate over the death penalty — and most everything else — consult the real map of American regional cultures.

* First Lady Michelle Obama ends up with a world record on jumping jacks.

* If Mitt Romney had it to do over again, he probably wouldn’t have sat down at Bob Garon’s table this morning in Manchester, N.H.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Newt Gingrich endorsed the so-called marriage pledge yesterday, put together by a prominent, right-wing Iowa group, the FAMiLY Leader. Among other things, the pledge demands “personal fidelity to my spouse,” which makes Gingrich’s endorsement rather amusing.

* Jon Huntsman, addressing rumors once again, said yesterday, “I’m not running as an independent. I don’t know how many times I have to say that…. I’ve been a lifelong Republican. I expect to be the nominee.” He did not explicitly address his future plans.

* A new USA Today/Gallup Swing States Poll shows President Obama trailing both Gingrich and Mitt Romney, thanks in part to a partisan enthusiasm gap.

* Rudy Giuliani told CNN that Gingrich, not Romney, “might actually be the stronger candidate” in a general election. The more this belief takes root, the bigger a problem it will be for Romney.

* In Michigan, one poll of Republican voters shows Gingrich up by two points over Romney, while another shows Romney up by 15 over Gingrich.

* In Ohio, it looks House Speaker John Boehner (R) worked behind the scenes to rig the state’s map and give Republicans an advantage in 12 of the state’s 16 congressional districts, even though Dems and Republicans are fairly well divided in Ohio.

* In North Carolina, Public Policy Polling shows Gov. Bev Perdue’s (D) approval rating down to 37%, and she trails Republican Republican Pat McCrory by 10 points in a hypothetical match-up.

* And apparently hoping to scare Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) into retirement, Karl Rove’s attack operation, Crossroads GPS, has bought a significant amount of airtime in Nebraska’s two largest media markets, exclusively for the Republicans’ smear operation. Nelson has not yet announced his 2012 plans.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Fed stands pat: “The Federal Reserve said Tuesday that it will take no new steps to boost economic growth this year, citing mounting evidence that the American economy is chugging slowly toward good health.” It added, however, that a European meltdown “could undermine the nascent American recovery.”

* The latest Washington showdown: “The White House has formally threatened to veto a GOP-authored bill that would link the extension of a payroll tax cut that President Obama has sought to other Republican priorities. The House is scheduled to vote later Tuesday on the measure.”

* Pakistan: “A senior Pakistani official told NBC News the United States’ decision to cut aid to Pakistan would only contribute to the growing sense of anti-Americanism within the population.”

* Higgs boson: “Two teams of scientists sifting debris from high-energy proton collisions in the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research outside Geneva, said today that they had recorded tantalizing hints — but only hints — of a long-sought subatomic particle known as the Higgs boson, whose existence is a key to explaining why there is mass in the universe.”

* I’m not sure this is a good idea: “Heady with their successful attempts to block trucks and curb business at busy ports up and down the West Coast, some Occupy Wall Street protesters plan to continue their blockades and keep staging similar protests.”

* Murdoch media scandal: “An e-mail chain released Tuesday by a parliamentary panel investigating the phone hacking scandal shows that Rupert Murdoch’s son James received and responded to messages in 2008 that referred to widespread phone hacking at The News of the World tabloid, the first documentation that he may have been notified of the wider problem long before he has admitted.”

* Canada’s Conservative Party government abandons the Kyoto Protocol.

* I sure am glad President Obama rescued the American auto industry.

* Should be an interesting case: “Wisconsin’s voter ID law imposes the equivalent of a poll tax on individuals with out-of-state drivers licenses and discriminates against the poor, students and the elderly, according to a federal lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday.”

* It’s a good thing Jon Corzine can afford good lawyers.

* So long, dollar coins.

* Daniel Luzer: “For-profit colleges apparently lobbied hard to undermine the rules recently enacted by the federal government to police for-profit colleges…. And apparently it worked.”

* And we can add Sean Hannity to the list of Republicans complaining that the Obamas are celebrating Christmas at the White House too much.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) threw her support to Mitt Romney this morning. Haley’s endorsement has been widely sought by GOP candidates, since South Carolina hosts the third Republican nominating contest.

* Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson is reportedly prepared to invest $20 million in support of Newt Gingrich’s campaign. If true, it would have a huge impact on the race. (The spending is made possible by the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling.)

* In a new national poll from the Associated Press/GfK, a narrow majority of Americans believe President Obama doesn’t deserve a second term. But in hypothetical match-ups against Romney and Gingrich, the president is ahead of both.

* With just 18 days left before the Iowa caucuses, Gingrich has decided to leave the campaign trail and take the weekend off. I find that inexplicable.

* In Virginia, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Obama leading Romney by six points, and Gingrich by seven points, in general election match-ups.

* PPP also found former Gov. Tim Kaine (D) leading former Sen. George Allen, 47% to 42%, in Virginia’s 2012 U.S. Senate race.

* As expected, a federal court has upheld a new congressional-district map in Illinois, which is likely to help Democrats pick up a few U.S. House seats next year.

* On a related note, Pennsylvania Republicans have completed their new district boundaries, and the new lines are intended to protect every vulnerable GOP incumbent.

* In just 30 days, Wisconsin Democrats have already collected 507,000 signatures in the hopes of forcing a recall election against Gov. Scott Walker (R).

* Rep. Geoff Davis (R-Ky.) will not seek re-election in 2012. Republicans expect to keep the seat in GOP hands.

* Is Rep. Paul Ryan (R) vulnerable in his Wisconsin district? It’s certainly a race worth watching.

* And yes, Bill Clinton will campaign for President Obama next year.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Overdue: “The SEC charged six former executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with securities fraud Friday, saying they misled the public about the companies’ exposure to subprime loans during the onset of the mortgage meltdown.”

* The House passed the omnibus spending bill to keep the government open through September, 296 to 121. The vote included a stop-gap that will let the Senate vote tomorrow. The payroll deal, if there is a payroll deal, would come sometime next week.

* Hopeless? “The credit rating agency Fitch said on Friday it thought a comprehensive solution to the euro zone’s debt crisis was beyond reach, putting six euro zone economies including Italy on watch for potential near-term downgrades.”

* This seems like a pretty big deal: “The Obama administration will propose new regulations on Thursday to give the nation’s roughly two million home-care workers minimum wage and overtime protections after those workers had long been exempted from coverage, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity.”

* We’ve tried reducing health care costs through competition between plans. It’s never had the desired effect.

* The result of a three-year investigation: “In a strongly worded critique of the country’s best-known sheriff, the Justice Department on Thursday accused Sheriff Joe Arpaio of engaging in ‘unconstitutional policing’ by unfairly targeting Latinos for detention and arrest and retaliating against those who complain.” Arpaio’s Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has had “a pervasive culture of discriminatory bias against Latinos” that “reaches the highest levels of the agency.”

* For the record, I think Jake Tapper got screwed by his network: “After a year and a half in the anchor’s seat, Christiane Amanpour will leave ABC’s This Week, the Sunday political affairs show, she said in a statement on Tuesday. She will be replaced by her predecessor, George Stephanopoulos, according to a network spokesman.”

* It’s good to see former Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) end up at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, where I’m sure he’ll do great work.

* There’s nothing wrong with colleges trying to improve graduation rates, but there’s a right way and a wrong way to do achieve this goal.

* Earlier in the week, Republican media complained that President Obama is celebrating Christmas too much. Now, Republican media believes President Obama is praising U.S. troops too much. I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand how the right thinks.

* Fox News’ graphics department is a never-ending source of entertainment.

* The Hitch passes: “Christopher Hitchens, a slashing polemicist in the tradition of Thomas Paine and George Orwell who trained his sights on targets as various as Henry Kissinger, the British monarchy and Mother Teresa, wrote a best-seller attacking religious belief, and dismayed his former comrades on the left by enthusiastically supporting the American-led war in Iraq, died Thursday at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He was 62.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* His poll support notwithstanding, Newt Gingrich is still scrambling to qualify for the Republican primary ballot in key states like Virginia. This is what a poor campaign organization looks like.

* The latest Reuters national poll shows President Obama leading Mitt Romney by eight (48% to 40%) and Gingrich by 13 (51% to 38%).

* An AP poll released last week found Obama’s approval rating among self-identified independents down to just 38%. Indy voters nevertheless prefer the president to Romney, 45% to 41%.

* Andrew Kaczynski’s latest find is a 1994 video of then-Senate candidate Romney explaining his support for strict campaign spending limits and the complete elimination of political action committees. As you might have guessed, Romney no longer holds these positions.

* As the GOP establishment continues to coalesce behind Romney, former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) has thrown his support to the former governor.

* Ron Paul believes Michele Bachmann hates Muslims. The right-wing Minnesotan denies it.

* South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) is rumored to be a possible VP candidate in 2012, despite only having been in office for less than a year. Yesterday, the governor said she is “absolutely not” considering a spot on her party’s presidential ticket.

* Democrats were delighted to recruit retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez to run for the U.S. Senate in Texas earlier this year, but he turned out to be a rather poor candidate. Friday, Sanchez quit the race, leaving Dems without a candidate a month from the filing deadline.

* And Gallup found last week that 70% of Americans already can’t wait for the 2012 presidential campaign to be over. It’s going to be a long 11 months.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* North Korea’s Kim Jong-il died Saturday of a heart attack. By most accounts, the loony/brutal communist dictator was 69 years old.

* Meet his successor: “With the abrupt death of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, the fate of his isolated, nuclear-armed regime has dropped into the hands of his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, who is such an unknown that the world did not even know for sure what he looked like until last year.”

* As of this afternoon, four Republican senators — Lugar, Brown, Snowe, and Heller — were all publicly pressuring House Republicans to stop screwing around and pass the Senate’s version of a payroll tax-break extension.

* This won’t help sectarian divisions: “Iraq’s Shiite-dominated government was thrown into crisis on Monday night as authorities issued an arrest warrant for the Sunni vice president, accusing him of running a personal death squad that assassinated security officials and government bureaucrats.”

* The U.S. Supreme Court scheduled an unprecedented three days of oral arguments in the case challenging the Affordable Care Act. The hearings will be held March 26 through March 28.

* Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey has heard Republican presidential candidates talk about “listening to the generals,” and he doesn’t like it.

* Senate Republicans blocked William Boarman’s nomination to head of the Government Printing Office, but no one knows why.

* Arvo Mikkanen, a highly-praised prosecutor in Oklahoma City, was nominated by President Obama to be a federal judge in Tulsa, and would have been the only enrolled member of an American Indian tribe to serve on the federal bench. Senate Republicans killed his nomination, too.

* A heroic figure passes: “Vaclav Havel, the writer and dissident whose eloquent dissections of Communist rule helped to destroy it in revolutions that brought down the Berlin Wall and swept Havel himself into power, died on Sunday. He was 75.”

* Looks like Minnesota’s Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch (R) has found herself in the middle of a sex scandal that could derail her career.

* In more ways than one, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio doesn’t appear to know what the phrase “civil-rights violations” means.

* I’m beginning to think the Heritage Foundation isn’t a reliable source of accurate information.

* Occupy College: “Many protestors connected to the Occupy movement are very concerned about tuition. But while President Obama is interested in a ‘candid discussion about why higher education costs so much,’ protesters have a general, though perhaps ultimately more compelling, demand: stop privatizing public colleges.”

* And Media Matters pulled together Fox & Friends’ “10 Stupidest Moments Of 2011.” There are some real doozies in there.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In New Hampshire, Public Policy Polling shows Mitt Romney still well ahead of the Republican presidential field with 35% support. Ron Paul is second with 19%, Newt Gingrich is third with 17%, and Jon Huntsman is a competitive fourth with 13%. No other candidate was in double digits.

* In South Carolina, however, a Clemson University poll of South Carolina Republicans shows Gingrich holding onto a big lead over Romney, 38% to 21%. [Update: A reader reminds me this survey was conducted from Dec. 6 to 19, which a long time in polling, and which may call the results into question given changing trends over the course of the last couple of weeks.]

* Three new national polls all show Gingrich and Romney tied among Republican voters. The Washington Post/ABC News poll shows them tied at 30% each; a CBS News poll shows them tied at 20% each; and a CNN poll shows them tied at 28% each. Paul is a relatively distant third in all three polls.

* A new national USA Today/Gallup Poll shows President Obama leading both Romney and Gingrich in hypothetical match-ups, but by only two points.

* Rick Perry is the latest GOP presidential candidate to begin attacking Gingrich, and in a new television ad, the Texas governor targets the disgraced former House Speaker for his lobbying work.

* Gingrich is clearly beginning to struggle in Iowa, but he’s fighting back, despite meager fundraising. The Gingrich camp just bought $242,000 in airtime in the Hawkeye State. He’s also launching an Iowa bus tour.

* And in Texas, ESPN college football analyst Craig James, who has never sought or held public office, is now a U.S. Senate candidate. He joins a crowded Republican primary, arguably led by Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. There is no Democratic candidate currently in the race.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* The housing market isn’t getting worse: “Five years into the worst housing depression since the 1930s, the latest monthly data from the Census Bureau indicate that the homebuilding industry is slowly coming back to life. Housing starts jumped 9.3 percent in November to an annual rate of 685,000, the highest reading in 19 months.”

* Amusing economic tweet from Daniel Gross: “with retail sales rising, GDP growth accelerating, positive data flow, U.S. in danger at growing above trend — unless gov’t acts soon!”

* A political dispute in Iraq worth keeping an eye on: “The political crisis that has erupted in Iraq widened Tuesday after the country’s Sunni vice president strongly denied terrorism charges leveled against him, alleging that three of his bodyguards gave false confessions after interrogations by Shiite-controlled security forces.”

* Interesting request: “The federal government on Tuesday asked two science journals to censor parts of two papers describing how researchers produced what appears to be a far more dangerous version of the ‘bird flu’ virus that has circulated in Asia for more than a decade.” It’s the first such request made by the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity.

* What’s next in North Korea? Fred Kaplan noted how scary it is that we know “practically nothing” about the new North Korean leader and his plans.

* Speaking of scary, if you missed this report on defrosting permafrost in the Arctic, it’s worth reading. (You might want to skip it, though, if the threat of a looming climate catastrophe makes you uncomfortable.)

* Worthwhile research: “Congress has approved dedicating $10 million to research the mysterious Gulf War illness, ending concerns from veterans’ groups that the money would disappear because of budget problems.”

* Aaron Carroll has some compelling thoughts on why the Obama administration’s misguided decision on access to Plan B contraception matters.

* Considering competing explanations for why more college students don’t graduate.

* And it’s not at all encouraging that Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly has become the voice of reason in Republican politics when it comes to a possible military confrontation in Iran.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A newly-released Iowa State/Gazette/KCRG poll shows Ron Paul leading Newt Gingrich in the Iowa caucuses, 27.5% to 25.3%, but because the poll was conducted over 10 days (Dec. 8 to 18), the results are suspect.

* Speaking of Iowa, Bob Vander Plaats, a prominent evangelical, right-wing activist, has thrown his support to Rick Sanatorum’s struggling presidential campaign.

* In still more Iowa news, Mitt Romney and his campaign are still trying to downplay their efforts in the state, but the Romney Super PAC is investing $713,132 in commercials just this week, on top of the $258,055 the official campaign is spending. The combined total points to a startling revelation: Romney is spending nearly as much in Iowa as the rest of the GOP field combined.

* Speaking of Romney and money, the former governor has relied heavily on his allied Super PAC, but yesterday said Super PACs ought to be eliminated altogether. It led a Gingrich campaign spokesperson to argue that Romney is “either a lying politician or a piece of sh*t.”

* Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, who’s been a Republican presidential candidate excluded from the debates, will abandon the GOP primaries and instead seek the Libertarian Party’s presidential nomination.

* The new CNN poll shows President Obama leading each of his Republican rivals in hypothetical general election match-ups. He leads Romney by seven (52%-45%), Ron Paul by seven (52%-45%), and Gingrich by 16 (56%-40%).

* In Virginia, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Gingrich leading Romney, 30% to 25%, but it’s not clear if Gingrich will manage to get his name onto the ballot.

* Quinnipiac also found in Virginia that former Sen. George Allen (R) is narrowly leading former Gov. Tim Kaine (D) in next year’s U.S. Senate race, 44% to 42%.

* And in Oregon’s upcoming U.S. House special election, Public Policy Polling shows Suzanne Bonamici (D) with a pretty comfortable lead over Rob Cornilles (R), 52% to 41%.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* ECB starts making offers: “After more than a year of frustrating and mostly fruitless summit meetings of European political leaders, the European Central Bank appears to have found a more promising way to ease the euro zone crisis: give money to banks at bargain-basement rates.”

* A very serious dispute in Iraq: “A political crisis unfolding in Iraq intensified Wednesday when Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki demanded that Kurdish officials hand over the country’s Sunni vice president to face criminal charges and threatened to purge the fragile coalition government of lawmakers who refuse to work with him.”

* Slayings in Syria: “Syrian rights activists and opposition groups said on Wednesday that forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad had killed more than 100 defecting soldiers, civilians and antigovernment activists over the last three days in northwestern Syria. If confirmed, the killings would constitute one of the worst spasms of violence in the nine-month-old uprising.”

* Countrywide settles: “The Justice Department on Wednesday announced the largest residential fair-lending settlement in history, saying that Bank of America had agreed to pay $335 million to settle allegations that its Countrywide Financial unit discriminated against black and Hispanic borrowers during the housing boom.”

* Nice job, Republicans: “Some say they’ll spend less on groceries. Others expect to cut back on travel. For many, there would be fewer meals out. Across the country, Americans are bracing for another financial hardship: smaller paychecks starting in January, if Congress doesn’t break a deadlock and renew a Social Security tax cut.”

* POTUS starts working the phones: “President Obama on Wednesday reached out in telephone calls to House Speaker John A. Boehner and Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, in an effort to find a resolution to the nasty battle over the expiring payroll tax holiday.”

* Add education “reform” to the list of Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s (R) failures.

* Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), through the Democracy Restoration Act, wants to restore the voting rights of citizens convicted of a felony after they complete their sentence. Given the number of states who permanently disenfranchise felons, even after they’ve served their time, Cardin’s bill sounds like a very good idea.

* There was a chance we’d see some movement on the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) this week, but the House Judiciary Committee won’t act again on it until the new year.

* Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) debunks his own report on wasteful government spending.

* And if Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) is going to invoke “Schoolhouse Rock,” he should at least try to get it right.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Two weeks ago, Newt Gingrich looked like the clear favorite to win the Iowa caucuses. Today, Gingrich said his “goal” is to be “in the top three or four” in the state.

* In a bit of a surprise, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee outraised the National Republican Congressional Committee in November, $56.2 million to $51.8 million, despite the fact that Republicans enjoy the House majority.

* And in the polar opposite news, the National Republican Senatorial Committee outraised the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, $2.9 million to $2.54 million, despite the fact that Democrats enjoy the Senate majority.

* Jon Huntsman’s presidential campaign hasn’t received much in the way of good news this year, so it was likely thrilled to pick up an endorsement today from the Concord Monitor, New Hampshire’s second-largest newspaper.

* Rick Santorum’s presidential campaign doesn’t have much in the way of resources, but a pro-Santorum super PAC is now investing $350,000 in an Iowa ad buy.

* Rick Perry forgot how his tax plan treats deductions yesterday, and had to be bailed out by campaign surrogate Bobby Jindal, the Republican governor of Louisiana.

* The number of candidates running for governor in Utah continues to grow, and retired two-star Army General Peter Cooke appears likely to kick off his campaign any day how. Cooke would run as a Democrat, while incumbent Gov. Gary Herbert faces a couple of GOP primary opponents.

* And in North Carolina, it’s a near certainty that former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory (R) will run for governor next year, setting up a rematch of the 2008 race that put Gov. Bev Perdue (D) in office.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* A series of deadly terrorist attacks in Iraq: “A wave of 16 bombings ripped across Baghdad Thursday, killing at least 69 people in the worst violence in Iraq for months. The apparently coordinated attacks struck days after the last American forces left the country and in the midst of a major government crisis between Shiite and Sunni politicians that has sent sectarian tensions soaring.”

* Because the report holds both sides responsible, and notes that Pakistanis fired first, this won’t lessen tensions: “Mistakes by both American and Pakistani troops led to airstrikes against Pakistani posts on the Afghanistan border that killed 26 Pakistani Army soldiers last month, according to a Pentagon investigation that for the first time acknowledged some American responsibility for the clash.”

* We thought GDP grew at a 2% annual rate in the third quarter, but the Commerce Department revised that total down today to 1.8%.

* Domestic terrorist sentenced: “A 37-year-old white supremacist, Kevin William Harpham, was sentenced Tuesday to 32 years in prison for placing a bomb-laden backpack along the route of a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in Spokane, Washington, in January, the U.S. Justice Department said.”

* Good: “A federal judge blocked several parts of South Carolina’s immigration law Thursday, saying in his ruling that the measure tramples on federal powers. U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel granted a preliminary injunction, according to The Associated Press and Reuters, ruling that the federal government has the sole constitutional authority to set immigration policy and regulate enforcement. Gergel said parts of South Carolina’s law are in violation of those powers.”

* Rachel Maddow had a fascinating chat with Slate, and her comments on Fox News and Roger Ailes were of particular interest.

* Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote one dissent in an 8-1 ruling year. It offers some insights into her broader thinking.

* As Glenn Kessler may have learned today, sarcasm is sometimes hard to express in print.

* Derek Thompson takes a look at the Most Important Graphs of 2011.

* Job training matters: “Despite the fact that community colleges exist at least in part to train people for jobs, many such institutions are apparently now having trouble keeping up with demand, and have had to cut bag on job training programs.”

* Paul Krugman raises an important point about political parties and the new mercury emissions standards: “[I]t matters who holds the White House. You can complain about Obama’s lack of a strong progressive agenda, which I sometimes do, or wonder what good it is to hold the White House when the other side blocks every attempt to do good through legislation. But mercury regulation would not have happened if John McCain were president. Elections have consequences, and this is one delayed consequence of 2008 that will make a big difference.”

* When the First Lady’s buttocks become a topic of conversation for members of Congress, there’s a problem.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Former President George H. W. Bush informally threw his support to Mitt Romney yesterday, saying the former governor is “not a bomb-thrower,” and is “the best choice” for Republicans.

* Newt Gingrich has repeatedly challenged Romney to a one-on-one debate. Yesterday, Romney told the AP this isn’t going to happen.

* In Virginia, Romney, Gingrich, Rick Perry, and Ron Paul qualified for the state’s March 6 primary ballot. Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, and Jon Huntsman did not.

* Not surprisingly, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) told Fox News yesterday he’s not ruling out running as vice president on his party’s 2012 ticket. Christie is a leading surrogate for the Romney campaign.

* In Iowa, right-wing leader Bob Vander Plaats is facing allegations that he offered to sell his presidential endorsement. The head of the FAMiLY LEADER denies any corruption, and announced his support for Santorum earlier this week.

* In Ohio, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) has attracted so much Republican attention, outside far-right groups have already spent nearly $2.9 million to try to destroy his re-election bid. To date, outside progressive groups have not yet spent a penny to bolster Brown’s chances.

* In Nevada, a new poll conducted for the Las Vegas Review-Journal shows Rep. Shelley Berkley (D) narrowly leading appointed Sen. Dean Heller (R), 44% to 43%.

* And in Alabama, don’t be too surprised if Rep. Spencer Bachus (R), who’s had a very bad year, faces a Republican primary challenger.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* As promised, President Obama signed the two-month extension of the payroll tax cut this afternoon in the Oval Office, and soon after left for Hawaii to join his family for the holidays.

* Syria: “Twin car bombs ripped through the morning calm of Damascus on Friday, killing at least 40 people and casting doubt on the ability of a newly arrived team of Arab League monitors to stem Syria’s growing violence.”

* Great move: “The U.S. Department of Justice will block the voter ID provisions of an election law passed in South Carolina earlier this year because the state’s own statistics demonstrated that the photo identification requirement would have a much greater impact on non-white residents, DOJ said in a letter to the state on Friday.”

* Rumors in Pakistan: “Pakistan’s powerful military pledged on Friday to continue supporting democracy, reiterating it was not planning a takeover as tensions grew over a controversial memo alleging an army plot to seize power.”

* To get the two-month extension, Dems took the surtax off the table. For round two, it’s back: “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Friday named four Senate Democrats to negotiate a full-year extension of the payroll tax holiday and said a surtax on millionaires is back on the table in the discussions.”

* A lawsuit worth watching in the wake of the strike on Anwar al-Awlaki: “The New York Times has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice charging that the government failed to release information under the Freedom of Information Act on records surrounding questions of the legality of targeted killing, especially as it relates to American citizens.”

* Remember the health care scandal surrounding South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) that we talked about last week? Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is seeking a federal investigation into the allegations, and has referred the matter to the inspector general in the Health and Human Services Department. It’s a story worth watching.

* A former Bush/Cheney budget aide is trying to make the case that the Obama administration is chiefly responsible for the federal budget deficit. That’s not even close to being true.

* I’m occasionally reminded why I don’t read National Review anymore.

* Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) took his “war on Christmas” paranoia to the House floor this week, arguing that non-existent anti-Christmas warriors “should be forced to pay back their employers for the time they took off during the holiday break.” Oh my.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Boko Haram attacks: “A series of Christmas Day church bombings rocked Nigeria on Sunday in what appeared to be a coordinated assault by a radical Islamist sect with suspected training links to Al Qaeda, raising the sect’s violent antigovernment struggle to a new and more dangerous level that the Nigerian authorities seem powerless to contain. At least 25 people were killed.”

* More violence in Iraq: “At least seven people were killed when a suicide car bomber hit Iraq’s interior ministry on Monday in the latest attack since a crisis erupted between the Shi’ite-led government and Sunni leaders a week ago.”

* Iraq’s politics in turmoil, too: “The political party loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called Monday for the dissolution of Iraq’s parliament and new elections in another move that could escalate the country’s growing sectarian crisis.”

* On the Korean peninsula: “Kim Jong-un, the newly anointed leader of North Korea, met on Monday with a private delegation of prominent South Koreans, his first face-to-face encounter with any visitors from the estranged South since assuming the top spot a week ago when his father’s death was announced.”

* Russians take to the streets to protest Putin’s 12-year domination: “Tens of thousands of flag-waving and chanting protesters called Saturday for a disputed parliamentary election to be rerun and an end to Vladimir Putin’s rule, increasing pressure on the Russian leader as he tries to win back the presidency.”

* A lot of people care about SOPA: “Hosting and domain registrar company Go Daddy has lost more than 37,000 domains in the past two days due to the company’s wishy-washy stance on the Stop Online Piracy Act.”

* Rupert Murdoch may not have thought this one through: “News Corp’s the Daily is averaging about 120,000 readers a week, or less than a quarter the number the company said it needs to make money, according to an advertising executive working with the iPad-only publication.”

* Quite a scene in the sky: “A man foaming at the mouth lunged for the airliner’s cabin door, attempting to open it as flight attendants struggled to hold him at bay. Most of the post-Thanksgiving travelers cruising at some 30,000 feet toward Kansas City that day were unaware of the potential disaster looming at the front of the plane.”

* Speaking of flying, some airline-safety measures appear wildly unnecessary: “The Federal Aviation Administration has its reasons for preventing passengers from reading from their Kindles and iPads during takeoff and landing. But they just don’t add up.”

* And late last week, the right threw a bit of a fit when President Obama referenced his own “laziness.” As it turns out, the context makes quite a bit of difference.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In New Hampshire, the latest Boston Globe poll shows Mitt Romney cruising to an easy primary win, leading the field with 39%. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul are tied for second with 17%, and Jon Huntsman is the only other candidate to reach double digits, garnering 11%.

* The Gingrich campaign announced today that its bus tour of Iowa, originally scheduled to make 44 stops, will instead make 22 stops. Put that in the “not a good sign” category.

* President Obama’s approval rating reached 47% yesterday in the Gallup Daily Tracking poll. That’s the highest it’s been in five months, and the first time since July that approval has been higher than disapproval.

* Despite talk of proportional representation in the GOP primaries, the fact remains that the Republican nominating process is effectively a winner-take-all system.

* Gingrich tried to avoid negative campaigning for a long while, but late yesterday, his campaign issued a lengthy memo questioning Romney’s conservative credentials. “Can we trust a Massachusetts Moderate to enact a conservative agenda?” asked Gingrich communications director Joe DeSantis.

* Gingrich is also targeting Ron Paul, calling on the Texan to offer a more detailed explanation for having published racist newsletters.

* In Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker (R) is apparently so convinced that he’ll face a runoff recall election that he’s already investing a fair amount of money in television commercials. Walker opponents are still in the process of collecting signatures to force the race.

* It’s likely to get pretty awkward in post-redistricting New Jersey, where Rep. Steve Rothman (D) has decided to run against Rep. Bill Pascrell (D) in 2012.

* And reality-show personality Donald Trump announced that he’s left the Republican Party and registered as an independent, in order to give Trump the option of launching a third-party presidential campaign.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Mixed economic news: “A monthly survey released Tuesday shows consumers’ confidence in the economy in December surged to the highest level since April and was near a post-recession peak. But a separate private report said home prices in most major cities in the United States fell for the second straight month in October.”

* What changes when people are looking: “Residents of the Syrian city of Homs said the government pulled some of its tanks from the streets on Tuesday morning, shortly before Arab League observers arrived to monitor pledges by the government to withdraw troops and heavy weapons from residential areas.”

* President Obama has two new nominees for the Federal Reserve’s board of governors: “Jeremy C. Stein, a Harvard professor who worked briefly for the Obama administration in early 2009, has particular expertise in the workings of financial markets. Jerome H. Powell, currently a visiting scholar at the Bipartisan Policy Center, brings private sector experience in the same area. He worked for almost a decade as a partner at the Carlyle Group, a private equity fund. Mr. Powell also served as Treasury under secretary for finance in the administration of President George H. W. Bush.”

* An unflattering portrait: “Japan’s response to the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was flawed by poor communication and delays in releasing data on dangerous radiation leaks at the facility, which was struck by an earthquake-triggered tsunami on March 11, a government-appointed investigative panel has found.”

* A more specific kind of class gap: “[T]he financial gap between Americans and their representatives in Congress has widened considerably…. Between 1984 and 2009, the median net worth of a member of the House more than doubled, according to the analysis of financial disclosures, from $280,000 to $725,000 in inflation-adjusted 2009 dollars, excluding home ­equity. Over the same period, the wealth of an American family has declined slightly.”

* Conservatives are spreading a rumor that every Chevy Volt is costing U.S. taxpayers $250,000. The rumor is, of course, completely wrong, and a reminder that the right is too often bad at math. (thanks to R.H.)

* There was a real problem facing military veterans in American colleges, due to a proposed policy change from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Fortunately, the VA addressed the issue before vets were affected.

* And if you thought Herman Cain’s videos were ridiculous, check out this actual video released late last week by the Gingrich campaign. I not only cringed watching it, at times I really wanted to just look away.

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but here are a few random items of interest you might have missed today in non-Iowa developments:

* The Money Behind the War on Voting: Think Progress reports that a group called the American Justice Partnership, a Michigan-based group which has frequently worked with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) to promote “voter ID” laws, was the primary source of funding for an unsuccessful Maine ballot initiative to repeal same-day voter registration.

* Johnson Goes Public: Former New Mexico governor, and invisible GOP presidential candidate Gary Johnson has publicly launched his bid for the 2012 Libertarian Party nomination, undoubtedly a more congenial venue.

* Spinning Super-PACS: At the WSJ, Fred Barnes struggles to justify conservative Super-PACs as nothing more than an even-the-battlefield response to Big Labor. Nice try, Fred.

* Obama Approval Up: In case you missed it, Gallup’s daily presidential approval tracking poll yesterday showed the president at a five-month high of 46%. The number’s back down to 44% today.

* Gingrich Blames Failure to Get on Virginia Ballot on Fraud By Paid Volunteers: Yes, Virginia, Newt says a single hired hand turned in about 1,500 fraudulently signed registration forms. You mean it wasn’t ACORN?

* Cheetah Dies: The chimp who played Cheetah in early 1930s Tarzan movies has died in Florida, at an estimated age of 80. RIP, buddy.

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Even the odds-and-ends are in short supply today. But here goes:

* Blogs Are Feeding Heterodox Economic Theories: Or so sez The Economist, which clearly does not approve.

* Des Moines Register Final Poll on Iowa Caucuses To Be Released Saturday Night: At 7:00 p.m. CST to be exact, in case you want to plan a party or keep yourself out of the vicinity of Ron Paul Revolutionaries.

* Speaking of the Crank-in-Chief: Kelly Clarkson Endorses Ron Paul for President: But she hastens to let people know she loves everybody.

* Another “Uh-Oh” Moment For Rick Perry: He can’t remember subject matter of court decision on gay rights he’s been attacking for years.

* Rick Santorum Says Graduating From High School and Getting Married Before Parenting Will Keep You Out of Poverty: If you are gay, of course, you’ll just have to be poor.

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As we head into the holiday weekend, I doubt a lot of people are hungry for one more dollop of political news (shame on you!) but traditions are traditions, so here’s a final mini-report:

* Romney and Perry Squabble Over Definition of “Wall Street”: Talk about the Slippery leading the Blind! And what’s with Perry being critical of “wealth-creators” anyway?

* Santorum Hits Perry For Ignorance About Sodomy: Santorum’s truly The Name on sodomy.

* Romney Wins the Murdoch Primary: So says Josh Marshall, and he’s watched enough Fox News to derange someone with less stamina.

* Tea Folk, Christian Right Remain Divided on Candidates: That’s Ron Brownstein’s conclusion after staring at the latest NBC/Marist poll. Ron’s long been arguing that Romney’s consolidation of non-Tea, secular Republicans has outpaced his weakness among more right-wing segments of the party.

* White House Decides Against Requesting Debt Limit Hike Before New Year: This is good news to all of us who’d like to end the year without hearing the words “debt limit” one more time.

* Newt Weeps: He’s got a lot to weep about.

* Reporters Outnumber Voters At Two Bachmann Stops in Iowa: But Bachmann’s old buddy Steve King did show up, and failed to endorse her one last time. Hard to feel sorry for her, but man, that’s cold!

* Krugman Concludes Keynes Was Right After All: But what does he know, other than economics and stuff like that?

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As the Republican race in Iowa gets closer, the same cannot be said about New Hampshire. A Suffolk University poll released yesterday shows Mitt Romney with more than double the support of his next closest rival. The former Massachusetts governor, who owns a mansion in the Granite State, leads with 41%, followed by Ron Paul at 15%, and Newt Gingrich at 11%.

* Once the Iowa caucuses are finished, Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann have said they’ll head to South Carolina, giving up on New Hampshire since it doesn’t appear competitive.

* Jon Huntsman promised voters months ago he wouldn’t use his personal wealth to finance his presidential campaign. He continues to break that promise and told supporters yesterday he’ll match, dollar-for-dollar, all donations made over the next three days.

* Kept from the state’s presidential primary ballot, Perry is suing Virginia, challenging the existing process and eligibility standards. Over the weekend, Gingrich, Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, and Huntsman announced they’ll join the suit.

* Romney’s team is beginning to flex its fundraising muscles, and his Super PAC has begun spending another $1 million on campaign ads in Florida and South Carolina.

* Speaking of money, after struggling to raise any money at all for most of the year, Gingrich claims to have raised nearly $9 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

* In Wisconsin, Democrats have reportedly collected over 500,000 petition signatures, making a recall race against Gov. Scott Walker (R) practically inevitable.

* Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson has officially given up on the GOP process and will seek the Libertarian Party’s nomination for president.

* And it now appears unlikely that Gingrich will be the Republican nominee, but if he somehow manages a comeback, he’ll “certainly” consider former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin as a possible running mate.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Apparent hate crimes in NYC: “A wave of arson attacks spread across eastern Queens on Sunday night, and the police said the firebombings were being investigated as bias crimes — with Muslims as the targets. No one was hurt in the four attacks, in which homemade firebombs were apparently used. In three of the four attacks, the police said, Molotov cocktails were made with Starbucks bottles. “

* That ought to be interesting: “President Obama will fly to Cleveland hours after the Iowa caucuses for an address on the economy, the White House announced Monday. Obama will travel to the Ohio city aboard Air Force One on Wednesday and will deliver remarks on the economy at Shaker Heights High School. His remarks will come shortly after Hawkeye State voters kick off the 2012 presidential nominating race.”

* Austerity doesn’t work: “Europe’s leaders braced their nations for a turbulent year, with their beleaguered economies facing a threat on two fronts: widening deficits that force more borrowing but increasing austerity measures that put growth further out of reach.”

* Good riddance: “A federal tax credit for ethanol expired on Saturday, ending an era in which the federal government provided more than $20 billion in subsidies for use of the product.”

* Adam Serwer has a helpful, detailed look at the signing statement President Obama issued with the NDAA.

* The White House will give congressional Republicans a chance to pound their chests for no particular reason: “President Obama agreed on Friday to delay a request to Congress to expand the government’s borrowing authority by $1.2 trillion, allowing lawmakers time to return from recess and register their views on it.”

* Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has heard the talk about Justices Clarence Thomas and Elena Kagan needing to recuse themselves from the ACA case, but he’s not buying it.

* Matt Yglesias makes a compelling case that the economy is going to improve quite a bit in 2012. Here’s hoping Matt’s right.

* Nintendo, Electronic Arts, and Sony Electronics had all endorsed the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). All three have since changed their minds.

* It’s hard to overstate how tiresome Artur Davis is.

* I wish the right could understand this: “[Y]es, debt matters. But right now, other things matter more. We need more, not less, government spending to get us out of our unemployment trap. And the wrongheaded, ill-informed obsession with debt is standing in the way.”

* I wish the right understood this, too: “[V]ery few who criticize the top one percent want them to stop existing…. We want them to face somewhat tighter regulations and substantially higher taxes. If you want Wall Street to contribute to ‘the public purse,’ you belong on the side of Elizabeth Warren, not Donald Trump.”

* Rick Perry supports the Keystone XL pipeline, though he may not fully understand that Canada is a foreign country: “Every barrel of oil that comes out of those sands in Canada is a barrel of oil that we don’t have to buy from a foreign source.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Newt Gingrich said yesterday of his chances in Iowa, “I don’t think I’m going to win.” A few hours later, he reversed course, saying, “We may pull off one of the greatest upsets in the history of the Iowa caucuses.”

* Mitt Romney, meanwhile, is feeling nothing but confidence, boasting yesterday he is going to “win this thing.”

* Gallup reported yesterday that the 2012 race for the Republican presidential nomination is “the most volatile … since pollsters first started tracking front-runners decades ago.”

* Campaigning in Iowa yesterday, Rick Perry complained about “the Bridge to Nowhere in Arizona.” The bridge in question is actually in Alaska.

* Rupert Murdoch relied on Twitter yesterday to say very flattering things about Rick Santorum, calling him, among other things, the “only candidate with genuine big vision” for the United States. News Corp confirmed that Murdoch’s Twitter account reflected the media mogul’s personal sentiments.

* Rep. Steve Austria, a two-term Republican from Ohio, will retire at the end of the year, rather than face one of his House colleagues in a post-redistricting primary.

* Speaking of Ohio, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, after considering moving to the state of Washington to remain in Congress, will instead run against incumbent Rep. Marcy Kaptur in a Democratic primary latter this year.

* And speaking of redistricting, the fact that an independent overseer will draw Connecticut’s new district lines is a win for Republicans.

* With Sen. Ben Nelson (D) retiring in Nebraska, will former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D) launch a comeback bid in the Cornhusker State? He expects to make a decision within the next two weeks.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Good economic news on construction spending and manufacturing activity.

* Warnings from Iran: “Iran’s army chief on Tuesday warned a nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier not to return to the Persian Gulf, as Iran’s navy ended 10 days of tense war games in the Persian Gulf. The U.S. Defense Department promptly rejected the warning.”

* Afghanistan: “The Taliban announced Tuesday that it has agreed to open a ‘political office’ in Qatar to hold talks with the United States, the first time the militant group has confirmed it has an interest in negotiating with Washington. The Taliban said in a statement that it and the United States are the ‘two main sides’ that have a vested interest in finding a solution to Afghanistan’s problems.”

* Seems like a good move from the Fed: “The Federal Reserve will begin later this month to publish a forecast of its own actions, inaugurating a policy that is intended to magnify the power of those actions by shaping the expectations of investors.”

* It’s one of the reasons Panetta got the gig: “Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta is set this week to reveal his strategy that will guide the Pentagon in cutting hundreds of billions of dollars from its budget, and with it the Obama administration’s vision of the military that the United States needs to meet 21st-century threats, according to senior officials.”

* A recess-appointment window closes: “Today was the day that legal experts and many aides in both parties thought President Obama would provide a recess appointment to Richard Cordray, his nominee to administer the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The rationale is quite technical, but here’s the bottom line: one reading of the Constitution and of executive branch administrative law suggest that today is Obama’s last day to recess appoint any of his languishing nominees, at least until the next time the Senate leaves town several weeks from now.”

* We can probably expect a major labor standoff in Indiana, where Republicans are poised for a big push on a so-called “right-to-work” initiative.

* Chris Mooney offers the latest evidence that suggests “Republicans really are anti-science.”

* Daniel Luzer: “Columbia University will apparently next semester offer a course in Occupy Wall Street.”

* Apparently, there are on the left who see Ron Paul as worthy of some political support. Kevin Drum helps set these folks straight.

* I get the sense we add “American history” to the list of subjects Rick Perry doesn’t understand especially well: “Rick Perry compared his campaign’s final push to American efforts during the Revolutionary War and on D-Day during a campaign stop Tuesday in Iowa.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In case you missed it, Michele Bachmann ended her presidential campaign less than an hour ago.

* Will Rick Perry be the next candidate to quit? Last night, that looked pretty likely, but this morning on Twitter, the Texas governor said he’s ready to get back on the campaign trail and head to South Carolina. If true, this is great news for Mitt Romney, who needs Perry to help split the anti-Romney vote.

* Bill Kristol last night urged Perry to bow out, saying on Fox News, “I just think his dignity I think will suggest to him that he get out.” Perry may have less dignity than Kristol realizes.

* Romney’s campaign is already looking ahead, and will begin airing its first television ads in Florida today, as part of an ad buy worth at least $825,000. No other candidate is on the air in the Sunshine State.

* In Nevada, Romney has already locked up the support of much of the GOP establishment, but Jon Ralston reports this morning that Rick Santorum has finally begun hiring staff in the state.

* In Utah, Sen. Orrin Hatch now has his first Republican primary challenger, with state Sen. Dan Liljenquist kicking off his campaign yesterday.

* Republicans caught a break in the state of Washington with a redistricting commission’s map of the post-census congressional boundaries.

* And on a related note, West Virginia’s congressional map is unresolved, and may be sent to a federal court for review.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* EU vs. Iran: “The countries of the European Union have agreed in principle to impose an embargo on Iranian oil, but there are many details to resolve before a decision is taken by heads of state and government at the end of January, European and French diplomats said Wednesday.”

* It’s a good thing Obama didn’t listen to Republicans on auto-industry policy: “Automakers finished 2011 on the upswing, with strong December sales in the United States and expectations for further growth this year. For Chrysler, December was the best month in nearly three years, as passenger-car deliveries more than doubled and total sales rose 37 percent. Chrysler’s sales for all of 2011 were up 26 percent. General Motors reported a 5 percent increase in December and a 13 percent gain for the year.”

* The inevitable litigation: “The recess appointments President Obama announced Wednesday are ‘almost certain’ to be challenged in court, according to a top official with … the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.”

* Before Republicans freak out over Obama’s recess appointments, they should take a look at Adam Serwer’s helpful new chart.

* Lorene Turner couldn’t find her 14-year-old granddaughter after she ran away in the fall of 2010. It turns out, she’d been mistakenly deported, despite being an American citizen.

* When military personnel make appearances at political campaign rallies while in uniform, it’s a real problem.

* Good call: “Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) rescinded rules limiting how many people can be inside the statehouse at any one time on Wednesday, a victory for Democrats and labor leaders who protested the restrictions as an attempt to quash the size of protests.”

* Renewables: “With two years of the Obama administration, almost four times as much clean energy has been put on the grid on public lands as in all the previous 40 years.” (via TOA)

* In the state of Washington, Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) will begin a push for marriage equality.

* Something may be amiss at Current: “Olbermann, the host of Current’s ‘Countdown With Keith Olbermann’ and listed on the masthead as the network’s chief news officer, was supposed to be on air Tuesday night, assuring a concerned Twitter follower earlier in the day that he was ‘headed into the office now in fact.’ But a few hours later, Olbermann announced he would not, in fact, be on the air.”

* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has some ideas about education reform at the state level. They’ve been tried, and they didn’t work.

* It’s nice of Mike Huckabee to notice: “It appears to me, and it still does to a large degree, that many of the Republicans are more interested in just defeating Barack Obama than they are in rebuilding America.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Though it certainly looked as if Rick Perry would quit the presidential race, yesterday the Texas governor reiterated his commitment to his campaign. “This wasn’t a hard decision,” Perry told reporters, adding that he’s looking forward to “actual primaries.”

* Rick Santorum, a very close second in the Iowa caucus, reportedly raised $1 million in one day. That’s pretty remarkable.

* Speaking of Santorum and money, Foster Freiss, a wealthy Wyoming financier, has identified himself as one of the principal backers of Santorum’s Super PAC, the Red, White and Blue Fund.

* With just five days until the New Hampshire primary, Jon Huntsman is now airing his first television ad in the Granite State. The former Utah governor continues to see New Hampshire as his make-or-break contest.

* Speaking of the first primary, the latest Suffolk University poll in New Hampshire shows the post-Iowa effect changing the race a little. Romney still leads with 41%, and Ron Paul is second with 18%. Rick Santorum, however, has now worked his way up to third, though his support is still just 8%.

* The Republican Governors Association raised a stunning $44 million in 2011, more than double the Democratic Governors Association’s $20 million haul over the same period.

* And while there aren’t any Kennedys in Congress right now, Joseph P. Kennedy III, Robert Kennedy’s grandson, apparently hopes to change that. The 31-year-old prosecutor is pursuing a congressional race in the Massachusetts district Rep. Barney Frank (D) currently represents.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Deadly violence in Iraq: “A suicide bomber blew himself up next to a large group of Shiite Muslims on a pilgrimage Thursday, one in a series of apparently coordinated sectarian attacks that killed at least 72 people in southern Iraq and in Baghdad. Security officials said the bombings in two Shiite districts of Baghdad and near Nasiriyah, about 200 miles southeast of the capital, also injured at least 147 people.”

* It’s a good thing Obama didn’t listen to Republicans on the auto industry: “[T]he Detroit automakers all reported market share gains in 2011, the first time they were all able to do so since 1988.”

* Another economic bright spot: “For the first time in many years, manufacturing stands out as an area of strength in the American economy.”

* Busted in Wisconsin: “Three individuals — including a former top aide to Gov. Scott Walker — were charged Thursday with felonies as part of the ongoing John Doe investigation into Walker staffers.”

* TPM reports that President Obama intends to “basically ignore Congress’ terrorists-in-military-custody mandate.”

* I was under the impression that federal ethanol subsidies had effectively been eliminated from the budget. As it turns out, they’re just “hidden a little better.”

* The Roger Simon column on Romney’s event in New Hampshire yesterday was pretty darn amusing.

* Corporate profits have rebounded to pre-recession levels. Corporate tax revenue hasn’t.

* Congratulations to Melissa Harris-Perry who will have a new show on weekend mornings on MSNBC, soon after Chris Hayes’ weekend show.

* Is it kosher to refer to Mitt Romney by his given first name (Willard), even if he prefers to go by his middle name? Andy Sabl ponders “name-calling, political ethics, and blogging.”

* Remember Herman Cain? Well, he’s apparently back, and he’s “weirder than ever.”

* Electronic textbooks are supposed to make college more affordable, but new evidence suggests they’re not saving many students much at all.

* And Bill O’Reilly thinks college students are “too stupid to vote.” Here’s hoping a whole lot of young adults prove him wrong in November.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Who won the Iowa caucuses? Probably Mitt Romney, but in light of some minor discrepancies, we’re not entirely sure.

* The Boston Globe, ostensibly Romney’s hometown paper, endorsed Jon Huntsman in New Hampshire’s Republican presidential primary. (The Globe is widely read in the Granite State.) Four years ago, the paper’s editorial board also snubbed Romney, endorsing John McCain.

* With Huntsman’s back against the wall, the pro-Huntsman super PAC is spending another $300,000 on television ads in New Hampshire. The Our Destiny super PAC is believed to be largely financed by the former governor’s wealthy father.

* Newt Gingrich told voters yesterday that if he’s able to speak to the NAACP as president, he’ll “go to their convention, talk about why the African American community should demand paychecks and not be satisfied with food stamps.”

* Rick Santorum reportedly raised $2 million in two days for his presidential campaign. There’s no way he’ll keep up that pace, but it gives his campaign a fighting chance in the short term.

* On a related note, Santorum is fighting for a decent showing in New Hampshire, but he’s also looking ahead — the former senator’s campaign is making a big ad buy in South Carolina.

* Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) believes he’s very likely to face a recall election in June. I think he’s right.

* Will North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue (D) face a primary challenge from state Rep. Bill Faison (D)? It appears to be a distinct possibility.

* John McCain accidentally endorsed the president yesterday, telling a group of voters, “I am confident, with the leadership and the backing of the American people, President Obama will turn this country around.” He corrected himself soon after.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Amazing rescue: “In the middle of a tense standoff between Iran and the United States, the crew of an American destroyer patrolling the North Arabian Sea rescued 13 Iranian fishermen who had been taken hostage by Somali pirates more than a month ago, the Pentagon announced on Friday.”

* Syria: “A bomb tore through a densely populated neighborhood in Damascus on Friday, killing 25 people and wounding dozens more in the second attack in the Syrian capital in two weeks, Syrian television and other state news media reported.”

* Encouraging step: “The Securities and Exchange Commission said on Friday that it was making a major change in how it settles some securities fraud cases, telling companies that they will no longer be allowed to neither admit nor deny the commission’s civil charges when, at the same time, they admit to or have been convicted of criminal violations.”

* A new defense footing: “President Obama has for the first time put his own stamp on an all-encompassing American military policy by turning from the grinding ground wars that he inherited from the Bush administration and refocusing on what he described as a smaller, more agile force across Asia, the Pacific and the Middle East.”

* I think President Obama made a mistake last year when he called for a federal pay freeze. I’m glad to now see him move in a better direction: “President Barack Obama will propose lifting a pay freeze for U.S. federal workers in his budget plan to be unveiled next month to give government employees a 0.5 percent pay rise, a White House official said on Friday.”

* It’s a good thing Obama didn’t listen to Republicans on the auto industry: “Chrysler will add 1,250 jobs at two Detroit factories next year — another sign that the once struggling automaker appears to be making a comeback.”

* An overdue change: “The FBI is changing its long-standing definition of rape for the first time to include sexual assaults on males following persistent calls from victims advocates who claim that the offense, as currently defined in the agency’s annual crime report, has been undercounted for decades.”

* The Obama administration is clearly aware of the progressive criticism over the NDAA bill, and officials have prepared some responses to common concerns.

* The White House launches Summer Jobs+, a worthwhile summer-jobs program that will create “nearly 180,000 employment opportunities for low-income youth in the summer of 2012, with a goal of reaching 250,000 employment opportunities by the start of summer, at least 100,000 of which will be placements in paid jobs and internships.”

* C’mon, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.). I think you’re better than this.

* Liz Cheney will now be paid political commentator for Fox News. What a shock.

* Liberty University, a Virginia school founded by the late televangelist Jerry Falwell, appears to be throwing its support to Newt Gingrich.

* NBC’s “Community” is not yet dead.

* Fox News’ Neil Cavuto wonders whether President Obama can be impeached over his recess appointments. Yeah, give that a shot, Republicans. See how it turns out.

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Life is like a roll of toilet paper.
The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* There have been all kinds of New Hampshire polls released over the last few days, and all show the same thing: Mitt Romney with significant, double-digit leads. There’s a competitive race for second place, though.

* A week from tomorrow is the South Carolina GOP primary, and Romney’s leading there, too. The latest CNN/Time/ORC poll shows Romney leading Rick Santorum by 18 points, while PPP shows Romney leading Newt Gingrich by seven points.

* And soon after South Carolina is Florida’s Republican primary, where Romney is also leading. A new Quinnipiac poll shows Romney leading with 36%, followed by Gingrich at 24%, and Santorum at 16%.

* Santorum enjoyed a massive fundraising spike after Iowa, but the funds came in too late for a major ad push in New Hampshire.

* Speaking of fundraising, Gingrich’s Super PAC is getting an extra $5 million from Sheldon Adelson.

* Ron Paul said over the weekend that he’s “essentially” ruled out running as an independent against the eventual GOP nominee. He added, however, “I don’t see why a person can’t reserve judgment and see how things turn out.”

* In a move that would be fatal in a general election, Santorum has endorsed immediate cuts to Social Security benefits.

* It’s a little late in the game, but Jon Huntsman and Santorum have each picked up their first and only endorsements from sitting members of Congress.

* And late last week, Democrat Bob Kerrey, the former Nebraska governor and senator, said he’s exploring a comeback bid, intending to run to replace Sen. Ben Nelson (D), who is retiring.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President Nicolas Sarkozy of France warned Greece on Monday that it needed to move forward with promised reforms or risk losing the next installment of badly needed bailout funds.”

* Egypt: “Poised to dominate the new Parliament here, Egypt’s largest Islamist group is putting off an expected confrontation with Egypt’s military rulers, keeping its distance from more radical Islamist parties and hoping that the United States will continue to support the country financially, a top leader of the group’s political arm said Sunday.”

* Good move: “Fending off pressure from the mining industry and congressional Republicans, the Obama administration is moving forward with a plan to ban new uranium mining claims on 1 million acres near the Grand Canyon. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is expected to finalize a 20-year ban on new mining claims on public land surrounding the Grand Canyon at an event Monday in Washington.”

* A beautiful sight: “The sun had fallen and a crowd had gathered on a chilly Sunday night on the mall at the University of Arizona, for the last event of a weekend commemorating the first anniversary of the mass shooting here one year ago. The vigil began with the Pledge of the Allegiance. Led by Representative Gabrielle Giffords.”

* It’s a good thing Obama didn’t listen to Republicans on the auto industry: “Welcome to an unlikely beacon of hope for the global auto industry — Detroit. Executives arriving this week for the Detroit auto show find a U.S. car market that has morphed from meltdown three years ago to a safe haven as concerns grow about the stability of other big economies, from Europe to China.”

* He’s really not a good governor: “An audit shows NJ Transit took a $297 million loss after Gov. Chris Christie scrapped the Hudson River rail tunnel project in 2010.”

* Is Pat Buchanan’s career at MSNBC over? It sure looks like it.

* It’s not unreasonable to wonder if ABC News just isn’t good at moderating debates for presidential candidates.

* Penn State’s secrecy problem: “The sexual abuse scandal at Penn State reflects a culture of secrecy at the football powerhouse, according to a former Penn State trustee.”

* Fox News’ graphics department continues to be unintentionally amusing.

* Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) argued on CNN this morning that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was problematic because of its “unintended consequences.” Such as? “For example,” he said, “I can’t have a cigar bar anymore.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Voting got underway this morning in New Hampshire, and all available evidence suggests the question isn’t whether Mitt Romney will win the Republican primary, but by how much. The final two-day Suffolk University/7News tracking poll shows the former governor leading with 37%, followed by Ron Paul at 18%, and Jon Huntsman at 16%.

* Newt Gingrich opened a new line of attack against Romney yesterday, targeting the taxes Romney raised while in Massachusetts. The push includes a new web video and a website, RomneyTaxes.com.

* DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz came up with a turn of phrase that we’re likely to hear again: “Mitt Romney, I think, is more of a job cremator than a job creator.”

* The latest CBS News poll shows Romney leading the Republican field at the national level, but not by much — Romney is first with 19%, followed by Gingrich at 15%, and Rick Santorum at 14%.

* The same CBS News poll found President Obama leading all of the GOP candidates except Romney, whom he trails by two points, 47% to 45%.

* Due to a paperwork error by his campaign, Huntsman will not be on the Republican primary ballot in Arizona. The state will hold its contest on Feb. 28, and the other five candidates have already qualified.

* Rep. Wally Herger (R-Calif.) will announce today he’s retiring from Congress at the end of the year. His northern-California district is expected to stay in Republican hands.

* And on a related note, Herger’s California Republican colleague, Rep. Rep. Elton Gallegly, will also not seek re-election this year. Gallegly is largely a victim of the post-census redistricting process.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Assad reduced to conspiracy theories: “In his first public address in months, President Bashar al-Assad of Syria lashed out on Tuesday at the Arab League for isolating his country, mocked Syrian rebels as traitors and vowed to subdue what he said was a foreign-backed plot against his country. ‘We will defeat this conspiracy,’ Mr. Assad declared in a speech that lasted nearly two hours.”

* The obvious call: “Oklahoma’s referendum against state judges considering Islamic law is unconstitutional, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday (Jan. 10), upholding a lower court ruling that had blocked the measure. The ruling could affect more than 20 other states where laws against Shariah are under consideration.”

* Closing a Citizens United loophole: “In a terse four words, the Supreme Court on Monday issued an order upholding prohibitions against foreigners making contributions to influence American elections. The decision clamped shut an opening that some thought the court had created two years ago in its Citizens United decision, when it relaxed campaign-finance limits on corporations and labor unions.”

* Profits: “The Federal Reserve announced Tuesday it would be transferring $76.9 billion in profits to the Treasury Department. The total represents the entire amount the central bank earned in 2011 minus its operating expenses and other costs. Under Fed policy, any excess funds beyond those needed to facilitate Fed operations are transferred to the Treasury.”

* A good personnel move: “The White House will name Cecilia Munoz, the president’s point person on immigration and outreach to the Hispanic community, as director of the Domestic Policy Council, officials said Tuesday.”

* When it comes to big economic moves, President Obama needs Congress for just about everything. But mass refinancing is an exception, and should certainly be on the table.

* Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), who doesn’t make much of an effort to hide his extremism, argued on a right-wing radio show this week U.S. military leaders should consider ignoring the orders of their commander-in-chief. He wasn’t kidding.

* Daniel Luzer: “One of the more troublesome things about student loan debt in the United States is that, unlike normal consumer debt, it can’t be charged in bankruptcy.”

* Pfc. Kyle Hockenberry’s extraordinary commitment to service: “A U.S. soldier who lost both legs and an arm from an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Afghanistan wants to stay on active duty, if the military will have him, according to a report on the Army website.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Mitt Romney’s campaign raised an impressive $24 million in the fourth quarter of 2011, and enters 2012 with more than $19 million cash on hand. To date, the campaign has already exceeded its published goals.

* On a related note, Romney’s Super PAC, which has its own expansive fundraising operation, has bought over $2.5 million in airtime for campaign ads in Florida. The primary in the Sunshine State is Jan. 28.

* And speaking of Florida, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Romney leading President Obama in the state, 46% to 43%. Obama would be ahead, but there’s a base gap — 92% of Florida Republicans would back Romney, but only 84% of Florida Dems would support the president.

* At the national level, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows President Obama leading Romney, 48% to 43%. The rest of the GOP field fared even worse in hypothetical match-ups.

* Rick Santorum raised quite a bit of money after Iowa, but he couldn’t spend in time to influence the outcome in New Hampshire. The former senator will, however, put his new-found riches to use in South Carolina, and a top Santorum consultant said they’ll spend at least $1.5 million in ads in the state.

* The most organized presidential candidate in New Hampshire wasn’t a Republican. It was President Obama.

* Is Jon Huntsman’s father prepared to throw good money after bad in his son’s failing campaign? He doesn’t want to talk about it.

* Rep. Paul Gosar (R) is worried about re-election in Arizona, so he’s moving to a neighboring, more GOP-friendly district.

* And speaking of Arizona, Sen. John McCain (R) told Sean Hannity yesterday that choosing Sarah Palin his running mate was “still the best decision I’ve ever made.” I’m not sure if he was kidding, or if his life has been a series of awful decisions.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Iran: “A bomber on a motorcycle killed a scientist from Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment site and his bodyguard-driver on Wednesday during the morning commute in Tehran, Iranian media reported, in an assassination that could further elevate international tensions over the Iranian nuclear program and stoke the country’s growing anti-Western belligerence.”

* The U.S. State Department “strongly condemned” the violence, and “categorically” denied any American involvement.

* Beige book: “The Federal Reserve said on Wednesday the economy continued to expand modestly through the end of 2011 as holiday spending proved robust, but a weak job market was still preventing incomes from rising.”

* At least someone’s focused on jobs: “President Barack Obama said Wednesday he wants to reward companies that invest in America and eliminate tax breaks for companies that don’t, and he’s planning new tax proposals to do it.” The White House calls it “insourcing.”

* Austerity doesn’t work: “Deeply indebted and nearly bankrupt, this Mediterranean nation was forced to adopt tough austerity measures to slash its deficit and secure an international bailout. But as Greece’s economy slides into free fall, critics are scanning the devastated landscape here and asking a probing question: Does austerity really work?”

* Optimism: “Small-business-owner confidence increased again in December, according to data released Tuesday. The National Federation of Independent Business’s small-business optimism index rose 1.8 points to 93.8 last month from 92.0 in November. It was the fourth consecutive increase.”

* The 10th anniversary of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.

* Dispute over labor rights in Indiana: “State House Democrats appear to be dropping last year’s walkout strategy in favor of a start-and-stop tactic to slow right-to-work legislation supported by Republicans.”

* Sens. Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham team up again: “Two Senate defense hawks plan to introduce a resolution opposing any strategy that accepts and tries to contain a nuclear-armed Iran, calling such an approach ‘a catastrophic mistake.’”

* The Republican National Committee wants corporations to be able to finance political campaigns.

* When colleges raise tuition rates, in part so they can offer discounts to prospective students, things get … complicated.

* Fox News’ Eric Bolling believes it’s his “job” to “make sure” Mitt Romney “stays as far right as possible.” I’m pretty sure that makes him a party activist, not a media professional.

* And Herman Cain argued yesterday about the Republican field, “Look, these candidates have broken the Reagan’s rule from the beginning. Reagan’s 13th commandment, you know? Don’t go negative against another Republican, but they did it anyway!” I think he meant “11th.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In a fairly impressive display, President Obama’s re-election campaign raised $42 million in the last quarter, and an additional $24 million for the Democratic National Committee. The combined $66 million can be used for the presidential campaign.

* Speaking of fundraising, in Massachusetts’ closely-watched U.S. Senate race, Sen. Scott Brown (R) raised $3.2 million in the last three months of 2011, which appeared to be pretty good. A day later, however, we learned that Democrat Elizabeth Warren raised $5.7 million over that same time period.

* Investment fund executive and top GOP donor Barry Wynn was backing Rick Perry’s presidential campaign, but in light of the Texas governor’s criticism of Bain Capital, Wynn is withdrawing his support.

* Speaking of Perry, CNN appears to have gone out of its way to ensure he’s eligible to participate in its upcoming debate.

* Former Ambassador John Bolton, perhaps best known for never seeing a war he didn’t want to start, endorsed the Romney campaign this morning. Bolton, also a Fox News analyst, considered launching a presidential campaign of his own last year.

* In Florida’s closely-watched U.S. Senate race, Quinnipiac shows incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson (D) leading Rep. Connie Mack III (R) by the narrowest of margins, 41% to 40%.

* In Ohio, Rick Santorum’s name won’t appear on the ballot at the district level in three congressional districts. The state’s primary isn’t until March 6, at which point the race will probably be over anyway.

* And in Nebraska, Karl Rove’s attack operation, American Crossroads, is already launching attack ads against Bob Kerrey — and Kerrey hasn’t even announced whether he’s running yet. Crossroads will reportedly spend $30,000 on the commercials, which run through the weekend.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Deplorable: “A video showing four United States Marines urinating on the bodies of three dead Taliban fighters provoked anger and condemnation on Thursday in Afghanistan and around the world. American officials said they feared the images could incite anti-American sentiment at a particularly delicate moment in the war effort.”

* Also in Afghanistan, the Taliban’s decision to open a political office in Qatar may advance peace talks.

* The National Intelligence Estimate, meanwhile, has concluded that the war in Afghanistan is mired in stalemate. The L.A. Times added that that security gains “have been undercut by pervasive corruption, incompetent governance and Taliban fighters operating from neighboring Pakistan, according to U.S. officials.”

* South Sudan: “Bitter ethnic tensions that had largely been shelved for the sake of achieving independence have ruptured into a cycle of massacre and revenge in the six-month-old country.”

* Addressing the climate crisis: “Simple, inexpensive measures to cut emissions of two common pollutants will slow global warming, save millions of lives and boost crop production around the world, a large international team of scientists reported Thursday. The climate change debate has centered on carbon dioxide, a gas that wafts in the atmosphere for decades, trapping heat. But in recent years, scientists have pointed to two other, shorter-term pollutants — methane and soot, also known as black carbon — that also drive climate change.”

* After a false start two weeks ago, President Obama is again asking Congress for a debt-limit increase in order for Republicans to reject it and feel better about themselves.

* In 2011, foreclosures and repossessions “fell to their lowest level since 2007.”

* It’s great to see a group of U.S. military veterans rally to support an Iraqi restaurant in Lowell, Massachusetts, after it was vandalized.

* In light of the recent discussions about Bain Capital, Matt Yglesias explains what “private equity” actually means.

* And on a related note, Paul Krugman noticed that Mitt Romney only wants to limit discussions on economic injustices and inequalities to “quiet rooms.” Krugman concluded, “Trickle-down economics has now become shut-your-trap economics.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The “King of Bain” video put together by Newt Gingrich’s Super PAC caused quite a stir, but a closer look suggests it also played fast and loose with the facts.

* Nevertheless, Gingrich’s Super PAC has excerpted from the half-hour short film to create 30- and 60-second ads for South Carolina airwaves.

* As Romney’s mass layoffs continue to generate discussion, the Obama campaign is piling on, releasing a new memo from Obama campaign adviser Stephanie Cutter.

* Rick Santorum didn’t fare well in New Hampshire, but he’s a serious enough threat for Mitt Romney’s Super PAC to target him with a new attack ad in Florida.

* Romney’s Super PAC is also airing attack ads in South Carolina and Florida targeting Gingrich, prompting the disgraced former House Speaker to threaten lawsuits against television stations that air the commercial.

* Rick Perry’s new video tells viewers, “I have never quit a day in my life.” As a rule, if a candidate is advertising their willingness to remain in the race, it’s not a good sign.

* Ron Paul doesn’t expect to be a top contender in South Carolina, but he has high hopes for his chances in Nevada.

* Right-wing businessman John Raese (R), who’s already lost three separate U.S. Senate campaign in West Virginia, is launching a fourth. Raese flew into the state from his home in Florida yesterday to file the paperwork. (Why is a Floridian running in West Virginia? I have no idea.)

* For the third time in two weeks, a House Republican from California is retiring at the end of the year. This time, it’s Rep. Jerry Lewis.

* And fake-Democrats Patrick Caddell and Douglas Schoen launched an effort to have New Hampshire Dems vote for Hillary Clinton in this week’s primary. Their project failed miserably.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Eurozone: “Standard & Poor’s Corp. on Friday stripped France of its sterling credit rating, cut Portugal’s credit to junk status and downgraded Italy’s debt by two steps in a wide-ranging action revision of European countries caught in the euro crisis. The actions, which lowered the ratings of nine countries, were the strongest signal yet that Europe’s sovereign debt woes were far from over.”

* Marines’ video scandal: “U.S. military officials said Friday they have questioned four Marines who were videotaped while urinating on Afghan corpses but that a criminal investigation was still at an early stage.”

* Reality check: unexpected drop in consumer spending coincided with “meager” retail sales, which dropped 0.2% excluding motor vehicles.

* Burmese diplomacy: “The United States restored full diplomatic relations with Myanmar on Friday, hours after the new civilian government took a major step in its rapid campaign of political and economic changes, releasing many of its most prominent political prisoners.”

* Trustmark Insurance is seeking significant rate increases for health care coverage. The Obama administration has deemed the increases unreasonable, and HHS has “ordered the insurer to rescind them or justify its refusal to do so.”

* It was widely assumed that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce would file suit to challenge President Obama’s CFPB recess appointment. Now, that’s less clear: “After doggedly opposing the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in 2010, then fighting all last year to change its composition, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce softened its stance Thursday.”

* In the least surprising poll result in a long while, Gallup has discovered that wealthy people are primarily concerned with deficit reduction, while lower-income Americans are principally concerned with job creation. As it turns out, the political establishment and media seem more in line with the former than the latter.

* If Republicans repeal the Affordable Care Act in 2013, health care premiums could rise by 25%, according to a study from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

* SOPA opponents win a round: “In a move the technology sector will surely see as a victory, a controversial antipiracy bill being debated in Congress will no longer include a provision that would require ISPs to block access to overseas Web sites accused of piracy.”

* Here’s a tip for politicians: if you have a degree in home economics, don’t tell people you have “earned a degree in Economics.”

* And if CNN does not yet realize what a foolish mistake it made hiring Dana Loesch as an on-air political contributor, the network just isn’t paying close enough attention.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Apparently one Super PAC isn’t quite enough for Mitt Romney, who now has another Super PAC investing another $455,000 in pro-Romney television ads in South Carolina this week.

* The latest numbers from PPP show Romney ahead in South Carolina with 29%, followed by 24% for Newt Gingrich. Ron Paul and Rick Santorum are roughly tied for third place, with 15% and 14% support, respectively.

* After taking considerable heat from the right, Gingrich is now urging his Super PAC to “either edit out every single mistake or to pull” the 28-minute short film on Romney’s Bain background.

* Every GOP presidential candidate sought the support of Tom Davis, an influential South Carolina state senator, and over the weekend, he threw his support to Ron Paul.

* At the national level, the latest CNN poll shows Romney leading Gingrich, 34% to 18%. Paul and Santorum are tied for third at 15%.

* A new national Fox News poll shows a similar race, with Romney out front with 40%, followed by Santorum, Gingrich, and Paul at around 14% each.

* The same Fox News poll shows President Obama leading all of his Republican rivals, though the margin over Romney is only one point, 46% to 45%.

* A federal district court judge late last week rejected Rick Perry’s lawsuit on ballot access in Virginia. GOP voters in the commonwealth, then, will have just two choices: Romney or Paul.

* Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) officially announced that he will not endorse anyone in the Republican presidential race in advance of this weekend’s primary.

* In Massachusetts, Sen. Scott Brown (R) and Elizabeth Warren (D) want to keep outside groups from advertising in their Senate race this year.

* And in related news, Warren hosted a “money bomb” over the weekend and fared quite well: she raised more than $100,000.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Escalating crisis in Yemen: “Al-Qaida militants seized full control of a town south of the Yemeni capital on Monday, overrunning army positions, storming the local prison and freeing at least 150 inmates, security officials said.”

* A day of service: “President Barack Obama evoked Martin Luther King, Jr.’s own words about public service Monday as Obama and his family celebrated the life of the late civil rights leader with a volunteer project. The president, along with wife Michelle Obama and daughter Malia, joined other volunteers at Browne Education Center in Washington.”

* When Mitt Romney ran Bain Capital, “his word was not his bond.”

* Smart move: “To head off medical conflicts of interest, the Obama administration is poised to require drug companies to disclose the payments they make to doctors for research, consulting, speaking, travel and entertainment.”

* Another smart move: “Reversing himself in what had become an awkward intraparty stalemate for Democrats, Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey said Friday that he would no longer block President Obama’s nominee to a federal appeals court. Mr. Menendez said he had decided to support the nominee, Magistrate Judge Patty Shwartz, after an ‘in-depth discussion’ with her at a meeting on Friday.”

* Hmm: “Two veteran House Republicans received discounted mortgage loans from the now-defunct Countrywide Financial Corp. under a VIP program, a congressional official said Friday. The discounts went to Reps. Howard McKeon and Elton Gallegly of California, said the official.”

* Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) wants the government to pay for his education, not yours.

* Bill Gates has given away roughly $28 billion, “which has helped save 6 million lives.” That is simply astounding.

* Did Fox News plagiarize The Atlantic Wire? It sure looks like it.

* Eugene Robinson considers the MLK legacy: “For the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., dreaming was not optional. It was a requirement of citizenship to envision a fairer, more prosperous nation no longer shackled by racism and poverty. It was a duty to imagine a world no longer ravaged by senseless wars. His most famous speech was less an invitation to share his epic dream than a commandment. In these sour, pessimistic times, it is important to remember the great lesson of King’s remarkable life: Impossible dreams can come true.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In national polls, the new ABC News/Washington Post poll shows Mitt Romney leading the field with 35%, with Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, and Rick Santorum battling it out for second place. Rick Perry is the only candidate who isn’t in double digits.

* On a related note, Gallup also shows Romney with the national lead, enjoying 37% support. Santorum and Gingrich are tied for second with 14% each, followed by Paul at 12%.

* With just five days until the South Carolina primary, a new Monmouth University poll shows Romney with a double-digit lead in the Palmetto State, topping Gingrich, 33% to 22%.

* Florida’s primary will come soon after South Carolina’s, and Public Policy Polling shows Romney cruising there, too. PPP has Romney ahead of Gingrich, 41% to 26%.

* Democratic officials announced this morning that the final night of this year’s Democratic National Convention will feature President Obama speaking at Bank of America stadium, the 74,000-seat stadium where the NFL’s Carolina Panthers play.

* Virginia’s U.S. Senate race got a little more interesting this week, with Bob Marshall, one of the most right-wing voices in Virginia’s House of Delegates, announcing he’ll run against former Sen. George Allen in the Republican primary.

* The Koch-financed Americans for Prosperity will invest roughly $8.4 million to buy television ads, hoping to persuade the public to care about the Solyndra “controversy.”

* In Indiana, Sen. Dick Lugar (R) is going on the air this week, hoping to beat back a far-right primary challenge. State Treasurer Richard Mourdock, Lugar’s opponent, is launching TV ads of his own.

* And Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), one of Congress’ most ridiculous members, told local reporters last week that he’s open to running as VP on the Republican Party’s 2012 ticket, if the eventual nominee is interested.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* The more ambitious, the better: “The Obama administration has signaled to allies that it will take a more aggressive role this year in protecting homeowners from foreclosure, a posture that fits with Obama’s populist campaign stance.”

* Taking a stand: “Wikipedia, Reddit and Boing Boing are planning to black out their services Wednesday to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act by showing users the bill’s effect on Web companies. These companies object to language in the bills, which are aimed at stopping online piracy on foreign Web sites, that grant the U.S. government the right to block entire Web sites with copyright-infringing content on them from the Internet. Wikipedia will block all of its English-language pages — the first time since the encyclopedia’s 2001 launch that it has ever restricted access to those pages as a form of protest.”

* For now, skipping a confirmation fight: “President Obama on Tuesday appointed Jeffrey Zients as acting director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Zients replaces Jack Lew, who is leaving his post as budget director to become White House chief of staff.”

* I’m delighted to see the A.G. leading on this issue: “Attorney General Eric Holder used Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy on the anniversary of the civil rights leader’s birthday Monday to emphasize the Obama administration’s dedication to protecting the American people from discriminatory voting practices.”

* Sensible financial reforms: “The largest banks must show how they would break up their assets if they were in danger of failing, under a rule approved Tuesday…. The FDIC also proposed a separate rule that would require banks with more than $10 billion in assets to conduct annual stress tests.”

* Marriage equality on the move: “The bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in Washington State is notable not just for the boldness of its ambition or for the fact that it was proposed by Gov. Christine Gregoire, a Democrat whose last memorable remarks on the issue placed her firmly in the not-yet camp. What is also striking is that some of the legislators sponsoring the measure can recall earlier debates — held years ago and sometimes only internally — in which they were certain they would oppose such a law.”

* Romney’s support for for-profit colleges warrants additional scrutiny.

* Steve M. makes the case that Rep. Allen West’s (R-Fla.) concerns about the “race card” are, at a minimum, ironic.

* Hoping to demonstrate to Bernie Goldberg that he knows the difference between Ice Cube and Ice-T, Bill O’Reilly insisted last night, “I’m a brother, man. You can’t be doing that to me.”

* And a Rick Santorum staffer actually believes that it would be wrong for a woman to serve as president because it’s against “God’s highest desire” and “his biblically expressed will.” It’s the 21st century. I just thought I’d mention.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The 2012 presidential election is still about 300 days away, but the Obama campaign is already planning to hit the airwaves, “requesting rates from TV stations for a potential — and possibly very significant — ad buy.” The Clinton ‘96 campaign also went on the air very early.

* A New York Times/CBS News poll released this morning shows Mitt Romney leading the Republican field nationally with underwhelming 28% support. Newt Gingrich is second with 21%, with Rick Santorum third with 16%.

* As for general-election match-ups, PPP shows President Obama leading Romney by five, 49% to 44%, while a new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows Romney leading Obama by two, 48% to 46%.

* Former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin said on Fox News last night that she would “vote for Newt” if she were a Republican primary voter in South Carolina. That was apparently not, however, a formal endorsement.

* The Gingrich campaign was so pleased with the standing ovation the disgraced former Speaker received in Monday night’s debate that it’s turned his answer into a campaign ad.

* A federal appeals court rejected Rick Perry’s lawsuit in Virginia yesterday, leaving Romney and Ron Paul as the only candidates who’ll appear on the state’s primary ballot.

* Some of Perry’s South Carolina supporters believe his campaign is a lost cause. They’re almost certainly right.

* On a related note, PPP found that Perry is running third in his own home state of Texas, trailing Romney and Gingrich.

* Seeing a possible opportunity, the National Republican Congressional Committee will begin airing attack ads in advance of the upcoming special election in Oregon’s 1st congressional district. The election is Jan. 31.

* And in Pennsylvania, Rep. Todd Platts (R) announced yesterday that he will retire this year and not seek re-election.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* The International Monetary Fund is “seeking to boost its war chest by $600 billion to help countries reeling from the crisis, even though some nations insist Europe must first do more to support ailing members, according to sources.”

* U.S. manufacturing: “A healthy pickup in production of manufactured goods last month added to the gathering momentum for the U.S. economy. So far, that growth has done little to help the job prospects for the millions of factory workers still sidelined by the 2007 recession.”

* Not a good day for SOPA and PIPA: “Congressional support for controversial online piracy legislation eroded dramatically on Wednesday in the face of an unprecedented online protest supported by tech titans such as Google, Wikipedia and Facebook. Several key senators withdrew their support from the Senate’s Protect IP Act.”

* Allowing GOP lawmakers feel better about themselves: “The House on Wednesday evening approved a resolution disapproving of President Obama’s request to increase the debt ceiling by another $1.2 trillion, sending it to a Senate that is expected to reject it.”

* Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) is prepared to play hardball: “A key Democrat tasked with helping to negotiate a full-year extension of the payroll tax cut, unemployment benefits, and Medicare physician reimbursements says Republicans will have to move significantly off their December demands or all three will lapse.”

* Hmm: “Texas Rep. Pete Sessions, a top member of the House GOP leadership, received a VIP mortgage from defunct lender Countrywide Financial Corp., making him the fourth current member of the House who has acknowledged getting a sweetheart deal.”

* Nearly 250 of the nation’s mayors will be in D.C. this week “to discuss some of America’s most pressing issues, including jobs and the economy.” Republican congressional leaders and presidential candidates were invited to talk to the mayors, but they all declined.

* Dear conservative media outlets, Bain Capital and Bain & Company are not the same thing.

* Per-student state funding for public colleges is dropping. That’s not good news.

* A moving story: “Samantha Garvey, a New York high school senior who has been living in a homeless shelter and recently named a semifinalist in the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search competition, will be Rep. Steve Israel’s (D-NY) guest at President Obama’s State of the Union address next Tuesday.”

* What a comedian: “The cruise liner captain accused of abandoning ship after he grounded it off the coast of Italy Friday now says he only left because he slipped and tripped into a lifeboat while helping passengers evacuate the ship.”

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As expected, Rick Perry officially “suspended” his presidential campaign this morning, and threw his support to Newt Gingrich.

* A new Politico poll out of South Carolina shows Mitt Romney leading Gingrich, 37% to 30%. The poll was in the field on Tuesday and Wednesday, so it reflects the post-debate period.

* After delivering the State of the Union address on Tuesday, President Obama will travel to five battleground states, making appearances in Cedar Rapids, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Denver, and Detroit.

* In Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker (R) now has an opponent in the upcoming recall election: former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk. She will probably not be the last Democrat seeking the position.

* A new CBS News/ New York Times poll shows President Obama and Mitt Romney tied at 45% each nationally. The president enjoys double-digit leads over the rest of the Republican field.

* Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D) of New York announced yesterday he will retire at the end of the term. Hinchey has battled colon cancer in recent years.

* In Ohio, the latest Quinnipiac poll shows President Obama leading all of his Republican challengers in hypothetical match-ups, though Romney comes the closest, trailing the president by two points, 44% to 42%. Romney also leads the GOP field in Ohio.

* On a related note, Quinnipiac also found Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) with a big lead over state Treasurer Josh Mandel (R), 47% to 32%.

* And when Dems gather for the Democratic National Convention in North Carolina this summer, they’ll hold a three-day gathering, rather than the usual four.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: “More than two dozen people were killed in a four insurgent attacks in southern Afghanistan that began late Wednesday and continued through Thursday afternoon, Afghan authorities said.”

* It’s becoming a habit: “The United States Navy has for a third time in as many weeks come to the rescue of distressed Iranian mariners in the Persian Gulf.”

* New tourism policies: “Brazilians and Chinese who want to visit the United States will have a much easier time under an executive order issued by President Obama on Thursday, and that’s fuel for the economy of Florida, where he traveled to get as much political mileage as possible from the change.”

* I wonder if congressional Republicans know (or care) about the role they played in killing the Keystone XL oil pipeline.

* A lot of the time, when someone argues, “President Obama really needs to x,” the truth is, Obama has already said it and the critic just didn’t notice.

* Ari Fleischer thinks we should feel sorry for the wealthy because they shoulder so much of the tax burden. Mark Thoma explains why that’s ridiculous.

* Do low taxes on capital gains spur growth? Not really.

* Dana Milbank had a good piece on yesterday’s debt-ceiling nonsense on the House floor: “Lawmakers went home for the holidays and got an earful from constituents about their juvenile behavior in Washington. So, in their first major act of 2012, House Republicans picked up exactly where they left off.”

* Officials in Florida are pushing for “market-based” college tuition. This might make more sense if the officials understood actual markets.

* When prominent conservative media figures are reduced to complaining about President Obama’s “lips” and “jowls,” it’s a reminder of just how pathetic the right’s criticisms can get.

* And Fox News’ Andrea Tantaros argued, on the air, that the Great Recession was a “good” thing for America’s children, because they’ve now been “humbled a little.” I don’t think she was kidding.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In South Carolina, Public Policy Polling now shows Newt Gingrich taking the lead, 35% to 29%, over Mitt Romney. Rick Santorum and Ron Paul are tied for third at 15%.

* Romney has quietly been collecting high-profile endorsements, and announcing them when he feels like he needs a positive story about his campaign in the media. This morning, that meant unveiling Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s (R) support.

* Now that Rick Santorum appears to have won Iowa by 69 votes, Romney called the former senator. Santorum said it was a concession call, but Romney said it was a congratulatory call.

* South Carolina State House Speaker Bobby Harrell was supporting Rick Perry. Yesterday, he switched to Gingrich.

* Many religious right leaders continue to rally behind Rick Santorum, and James Dobson announced his endorsement for the former senator yesterday.

* In a rather remarkable display, Elizabeth Warren, the leading Democrat in Massachusetts’ U.S. Senate race, raised over $1 million in just one day.

* In North Carolina, incumbent Gov. Bev Perdue (D) is struggling badly, and PPP now shows her trailing Republican Pat McCrory by 11 points in this year’s gubernatorial race.

* In New Jersey, state Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R) has kicked off his U.S. Senate campaign. The most recent Fairleigh Dickinson University poll shows him trailing Sen. Bob Menendez (D) by 12 points.

* In Wisconsin, Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D), the presumptive Democratic nominee in this year’s U.S. Senate race, raised over $1.1 million in the last quarter, and has been endorsed by the man she hopes to replace, retiring Sen. Herb Kohl (D).

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Scariest thing I’ve seen in a long while: “2011 was the ninth-warmest year on Earth since 1880, according to NASA scientists, and this dramatic warming is captured in this visualization.”

* Syria: “The Obama administration is preparing to close the U.S. embassy in Damascus and evacuate all American personnel by the end of this month amid rapid deterioration of the security situation in Syria, senior administration officials said. The embassy will be shuttered, officials said, unless embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad provides enhanced protection that he has so far been unwilling to authorize.”

* U.S. housing market: “Home sales hit an 11-month high in December and the number of properties on the market was the fewest in nearly seven years, pointing to a nascent recovery in the housing sector.”

* Afghanistan: “President Nicolas Sarkozy of France suspended military training and assistance for Afghan forces on Friday and said he would consider an early withdrawal from Afghanistan after an Afghan soldier shot and killed four French soldiers on a base in eastern Afghanistan.”

* Medical malpractice reform, not surprisingly, is still high on the list of things House Republican leaders would love to tackle in this Congress. But it turns out a group of states’ rights advocates within the House GOP caucus are making the process much tougher than the leadership had hoped.

* Shouldn’t this have been a unanimous decision? “An Alabama death row prisoner should not be prevented from appealing because he missed a deadline after his lawyers dropped his case and failed to tell him, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled by a 7-2 vote Wednesday.”

* A problem that can’t be ignored: “Suicides among active-duty soldiers hit another record high in 2011, Army officials said on Thursday, although there was a slight decrease if nonmobilized Reserve and National Guard troops were included in the calculation. The Army also reported a sharp increase, nearly 30 percent, in violent sex crimes last year by active-duty troops. More than half of the victims were active-duty female soldiers ages 18 to 21.”

* This is the first time Newt Gingrich has run for president of the United States, but in 1970, just a year into his first full-time teaching job, he also sought the presidency of West Georgia College.

* And finally, while I’ve generally recognized President Obama as a man of many talents, I had no idea he actually has a nice singing voice, too.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), a year after surviving an assassination attempt, has decided she’ll step down from Congress this week to focus on her ongoing recovery. Giffords will not seek re-election in November.

* On a related note, Gov. Jan Brewer (R) will have to set a day for a special election, and Democratic officials hope to persuade Giffords’ husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, to run for the seat.

* There were rumors Saturday night that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) would make an endorsement in the Republican presidential race, but he said yesterday he will “stay neutral” until after next week’s primary.

* Speaking of Florida, some initial polling suggests Newt Gingrich received a post-South Carolina bump in the polls.

* And speaking of Gingrich, the disgraced former House Speaker’s campaign reportedly pulled in more than $1 million since his win on Saturday night.

* Sen. Orrin Hatch’s (R) odds of re-election in Utah have improved, but the right-wing FreedomWorks organization still hopes to derail his campaign in advance of the state Republican Party’s convention.

* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) has once again said he’s open to running as Romney’s running mate, though yesterday he said he’s “inclined” to stay in his current job.

* Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele conceded on Friday that he believes it may be “very, very hard” for his party to maintain a House majority after the 2012 elections. He added that Republicans are “going to have to come with a good A game to hold it.”

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* New sanctions on Iran: “The European Union agreed Monday to impose a phased ban on oil purchases from Iran that officials said was needed to help force a shift in policy and avert the risk of military strikes against Tehran, as the United States expanded its sanctions to include the country’s third-largest bank.”

* The prognosis appears encouraging: “Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) underwent ‘successful’ surgery today after suffering a stroke over the weekend and is recovering in a Chicago hospital, according to a spokesman.”

* And then there were seven (and counting): “As lawmakers held their first public hearing on gay marriage, a Democratic senator on Monday announced her support for the measure, all but ensuring that Washington will become the seventh state to legalize same-sex marriage.”

* Blowing off a recusal question: “The Supreme Court has turned aside a motion from a political advocacy group that sought to argue Justice Elena Kagan should not participate in the upcoming blockbuster appeals over the constitutionality of health care reform.”

* OMB: “President Obama’s final budget proposal of his term, covering fiscal year 2013 and the decade beyond, will be released on Feb. 13, a week later than officials had previously indicated.”

* FAA compromise: “Lawmakers have reached a deal on a long-term funding bill for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that is likely to prevent shutdowns of the beleaguered agency for the foreseeable future, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said late Friday afternoon.”

* Republicans have routinely relied on this guy when arguing in support of torture: “Forty-seven-year-old John Kiriakou of Arlington was charged with violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act and the Espionage Act…. The charges also state that Kiriakou leaked information about the identity of another CIA officer who participated in Zubaydah’s interrogation.”

* Nauseating: “The race for the Arkansas’ third congressional district took a gruesome turn on Sunday, when the campaign manager for Democratic challenger Ken Aden came home and found his cat slaughtered with the word “liberal” painted on the corpse.”

* Daniel Luzer takes a look at what Occupy Wall Street means for college debt.

* What a good idea: “Given Fox’s repeated insistence that ‘On January 1st, the government is … getting rid of incandescent light bulbs,’ Media Matters’ Jocelyn Fong visited a local CVS store to evaluate their selection.” I don’t want to spoil the report for those who haven’t seen it yet, but here’s a hint: the rights claims about light bulbs haven’t exactly been truth-oriented.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Florida, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Newt Gingrich leading the Republican presidential field with 38% support. Mitt Romney was second with 33%, followed by Rick Santorum at 13%.

* If Gingrich is going to compete in Florida, he’s going to need a major cash infusion. Fortunately for him, he’s got one: the Adelson family is contributing another $5 million to the Winning Our Future super PAC.

* And speaking of Gingrich’s finances, the disgraced former House Speaker has collected $2 million in contributions since his primary win in South Carolina.

* Romney’s campaign isn’t letting Gingrich’s investments in Florida go unmatched. Team Romney has reserved nearly $2 million worth of new in-state airtime for this week, and one of his super PACs had made roughly $600,000 in additional media reservations.

* Enforcing the truce will probably prove difficult, but in Massachusetts’ U.S. Senate race, both Sen. Scott Brown (R) and Elizabeth Warren (D) have reached an agreement to restrict third-party-group spending in their race.

* Responding to Romney campaign criticisms, Gingrich released additional details yesterday about his Freddie Mac contract.

* Romney has picked up a new debate coach: Brett O’Donnell, who had been working as a strategist for Michele Bachmann.

* It’s doubtful he’ll sway a lot of voters, but actor-turned-senator Fred Thompson (R) announced his support for Gingrich last night.

* And in Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) fundraising efforts for his recall race are already proving to be very successful: from Dec. 11 through Jan. 17, the Republican governor raised a whopping $4.5 million.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “Euro zone finance ministers on Monday rejected as insufficient an offer made by private bondholders to help restructure Greece’s debts, sending negotiators back to the drawing board and raising the threat of Greek default.”

* On a related note, the IMF is clearly concerned: “The International Monetary Fund warned on Tuesday that global growth prospects had dimmed as the sovereign debt crisis in the euro zone entered a ‘perilous new phase.’ Releasing quarterly updates of three reports on the outlooks for the economy, debt and global financial stability, the fund cut its estimates of global growth this year.”

* Syria: “The Arab League sought help from the United Nations to address the escalating crisis in Syria on Tuesday, amid Syrian defiance of Arab efforts to broker a peace settlement and an upsurge of violence in which dozens of people died.”

* Rumors in Afghanistan: “The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan on Tuesday condemned rumors that the United States is planning to divide the war-torn country, saying the suggestions were ‘lies that dishonor the sacrifice of more than 1,800 American service members who have died in the cause of a unified Afghanistan.’”

* Encouraging news out of Chicago: “Sen. Mark Kirk was doing better than expected after suffering a stroke and undergoing emergency surgery, his neurosurgeon said Tuesday, noting the Illinois Republican was answering questions and even asking for his Blackberry. Dr. Richard Fessler, who performed surgery on Kirk at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, said the 52-year-old ‘is doing very well’ but that the road to recovery will be long.”

* Quorum avoidance in Indiana: “The Indiana House again remained at a standstill today, as most Democrats boycotted the chamber to stall the controversial ‘right to work’ bill.”

* The inconsistencies of libertarian lawmakers: “Outraged over being detained by the TSA when he refused a pat-down after setting off an airport scanner, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) told Fox News host Greta Van Susteren on Monday night that even though he doesn’t want ‘special treatment,’ TSA pat-downs need to be less random, targeting people such as ‘Middle Eastern students.’”

* When he was being considered for John McCain’s 2008 ticket, Mitt Romney turned over 23 years of tax returns. If McCain can see 23 years of returns, why can American voters only see two?

* For-profit colleges have their share of detractors on the Hill: “Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) is introducing legislation to limit the amount of federal funds for-profit colleges can derive from veterans.”

* And First Lady Michelle Obama will have several notable guests join her for the State of the Union address tonight. Of particular, she’ll be sitting with Debbie Bosanek, who just happens to be Warren Buffett’s secretary, and who pays a higher tax rate than her billionaire boss.

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Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In Florida, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Mitt Romney’s lead over Newt Gingrich shrinking to just two points, 36% to 34%, after the former governor led by 12 points a couple of weeks ago. Rick Santorum is a distant third with 13%.

* A new poll from Latino Decisions for Univision News and ABC News shows President Obama with 67% support among Hispanic voters in a hypothetical match-up against Romney. Against Gingrich, the president’s lead is even bigger.

* Gingrich told Fox News yesterday that he won’t compete in additional GOP debates unless audience members are allowed to express approval or disapproval to what the candidates have said.

* Citizens for Tax Justice did a detailed analysis showing the size of the tax cut Romney would give himself if elected.

* Opponents of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) did an extraordinary job collecting ballot signatures to force the governor into a recall election, but as the next phase gets underway, Walker still appears to be the favorite. A new poll from Marquette University Law School shows the governor leading all of his potential Democratic rivals by margins ranging from 6 to 10 points.

* Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) told Fox News this morning will run for re-election in November, but then quickly walked it back, saying, “I believe I’ll be looking at that, very seriously looking at coming back for a fourth term.”

* Speaking of Minnesota, Public Policy Polling found both Bachmann and former Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) struggling with low favorable ratings. In hypothetical match-ups against Sen. Al Franken, the Democrat leads Pawlenty by six and Bachmann by 15.

* In Connecticut, former Rep. Chris Shays launched his Senate campaign today, and will take on former wrestling executive Linda McMahon in a Republican primary.

* And in Arizona, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) is departing Congress, and the man she defeated in 2010, right-wing Republican Jesse Kelly, is running to replace her.

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Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Bernanke looks ahead: “The Federal Reserve said on Wednesday that it was likely to raise interest rates at the end of 2014, but not until then, adding another 18 months to the expected duration of its most basic and longest-running response to the financial crisis.”

* We should all await her return to public service: “In an extremely moving moment on the House floor, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) submitted her resignation to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) Wednesday morning after making the announcement in a video Sunday.”

* Quite an anniversary: “Egyptians gathered in Tahrir Square, the crucible of their revolution, on Wednesday in a mixture of celebration and agitation to mark the first anniversary of the protests that forced out Hosni Mubarak, the former president.”

* Indiana disappoints once again: “Indiana’s Republican-controlled House of Representatives has cleared the way for Indiana to become the first right-to-work state in the traditionally union-heavy Rust Belt.”

* Rights should never be subjected to a popularity contest: “Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey said Tuesday that he would veto a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, and he challenged the State Legislature instead to put the issue on the ballot for voters to decide.”

* With House Republicans claiming, with increasing frequency, that they passed 27 jobs bills last year, it’s worth keeping in mind just how thin and inconsequential those bills really are.

* If extremely wealthy people like Bill Gates want to see taxes go up for the rich, does the GOP consider it an example Americans waging class warfare against themselves?

* Mitt Romney seems to think voters should feel sorry for the poor banks. If he changed his campaign slogan to “Candidate of the 1%,” it would at least be accurate.

* Over-the-top rhetoric: “Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) launched into an aggressive condemnation of President Barack Obama’s stance on abortion this week, calling him the ‘enemy of life.’”

* It’s disconcerting the frequency with which the hosts of “Fox & Friends” calls for tax increases on those who make the least amount of money.

* Paul Krugman understands very well what’s wrong with PolitiFact.

* Get to know Joseph Maturo, the Republican mayor of East Haven, Conn.: “The mayor of a working-class city in Connecticut roiled by allegations of police discrimination against Hispanics is facing scathing criticism from officials for saying he “might have tacos” as a way to do something for the community.”

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A few final items for the day, if you please:

* As many of you probably noticed, the New York Times published another large chunk of reportage from Charles Duhigg and Keith Bradsher on the production of iPhones and iPads in Asia, as a follow-on to its much-discussed piece last weekend examining the scope and nature of Apple’s overseas production and supply facilities. The sequel focuses on highly questionable treatment of workers in these facilities, which often violate Apple’s own codes of conduct. I recommend you read both pieces in conjunction with Matt Yglesias’ provocative Slate column from earlier this week on what he perceives as Obama’s, and America’s, retreat into “mercantalist” thinking.

* Rep. Barney Frank, who has already announced plans to retire from Congress at the end of this term, is planning to marry his long-time partner, Jim Ready. Best wishes to them both.

* The Tea Party Express is setting up its own Super-PAC. Leave it these guys to try to give Super-PACs a bad name.

* Towards the end of a day of big-time conservative attacks on Newt Gingrich, the man who uneasily shared power with him during the Republican Revolution, former Sen. Bob Dole, really unloaded on ol’ Newt, in a jeremiad that suggested his nomination would take the whole party down.

Speaking of warring Republicans, tonight, of course, will feature another GOP candidate debate, this one from Jacksonville, sponsored by CNN, which has announced it will allow audience applause, the mother’s milk of Newt Gingrich’s debate appearances.

One of the nice things about being a West Coast blogger is that I will be in a position on occasion to publish a post well into the night if events warrant it. If anything big happens in Jax, I may toss up a post, but may otherwise hold my thoughts until the morrow.

Truth be told, after a near-sleepless night following a root canal, leading into blog posts beginning at 5:00 a.m. PST, I may set up the DVR to tape the debate, and go directly into a sleep-coma.

It’s been a fun first day here, and I greatly appreciate the many kind thoughts sent my way in comments, Twitter, and elsewhere.

Selah.

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Here’s some brain food for your mid-day meal:

* The ever-resourceful Sarah Posner of Religion Dispatches explains the connection of Gingrich Super-PAC sugar daddy and casino mogul Sheldon Adelson to an outfit producing the anti-Muslim conspiracy theory films being used to “train” NYPD officers in counter-terrorism efforts.

* Erick Erickson pitches a fit, blames Bob Dole for losing the Republican Revolution.

* Today’s best dog-bites-man headline, from Politico: “Voters polarized by Barack Obama, poll finds.” Do tell!

* From the Prospect, a reminder of everything GDP does not tell you about the economy.

And directly from the instant dustbin of history:

* My brilliant analysis of why Newt’s fans think he’s electable, published a day too late.

Enjoy!

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Day’s End and Weekend Watch

Here’s some items you might find interesting from random news and late developments today:

* Jon Huntsman becomes president of his family’s cancer foundation. No word yet what his campaign’s “genius” strategist, John Weaver is doing now, but there’s a potential future employer for Weaver born every minute.

* Ta-Nehisi Coates usefully details the evolving truth about Ron Paul’s responsibility for those racist newsletters.

* James Vega, interpreting a Times op-ed by Pew’s Andy Kohut, explains crucial difference in public perceptions of “inequality” and “unfairness.”

* Mary Dejevsky examines the consequences of a potential revival of parties of the left in Europe, beginning in France.

* And WaPo’s Paul Farhi warns that data-hogging Siri could mess up your cellphone service.

Unless you live in Florida, it should be a relatively quiet political weekend, although Hotline On Call notes that Pennsylvania’s Republican state committee is meeting to endorse one of three candidates that might ultimately face Sen. Bob Casey this November.

I do not normally plan to blog on weekends, but will be back for temporary duty tomorrow, at which time I will introduce a guest-blogger for Sunday.

Selah.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* If the latest polls out of Florida are correct, the question isn't whether Mitt Romney will win tomorrow's primary, but whether the margin of victory will reach double digits.

* On a related note, the latest NBC News/Marist poll in Florida shows President Obama leading each of the Republican candidates in hypothetical matchups. Romney comes closest, but he trails by eight points.

* A newly released poll of swing-state voters from USA Today/Gallup shows Romney leading Obama by one point, 48% to 47%.

* NBC News wants the campaign to pull a new ad featuring footage of Tom Brokaw reporting on Newt Gingrich's legal problems in 1997. The Romney campaign, at least so far, is keeping the spot on the air.

* Rick Santorum left the campaign trail over the weekend to tend to his ailing daughter, but with her condition improving, the struggling Republican presidential candidate is renewing his efforts.

* It seems hard to believe, since Democrats lost their House majority in the 2010 midterms, but the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee outraised its Republican counterpart in 2011.

* We received a pretty big hint about Bob Kerrey's intentions in Nebraska when the former Democratic senator moved towards buying property in his former home state.

* One of the more important developments in recent weeks: the more self-identified independent voters see of Romney, the less they like him.

* With North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue (D) stepping down after one term, there are quite a few Dems hoping to replace her.

* And in Arizona, Gov. Jan Brewer (R) has set the dates for the special election to fill Gabrielle Giffords' vacancy. The primaries will be held on April 17, with the election set for June 12.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iraq's Sunni leaders are ending their boycott of Parliament, easing (but not ending) the nation's political crisis.

* European leaders are crafting a fiscal compact, but there are "few signs of producing a comprehensive solution for the sovereign debt crisis or a credible plan to revive fragile economies across Europe's weakened Mediterranean tier."

* Brad Plumer has a good piece detailing where things stand.

* Violence in Syria is escalating, and a new effort at diplomacy from Russian officials appears to be a bust.

* A credible alternative to SOPA: the Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade (OPEN) Act.

* The final price tag for TARP is expected to be $34 billion -- roughly one-tenth a previous estimate.

* Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) takes "constituent services" to new, life-saving heights.

* Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) wants Democratic leaders to "get the hell out of the United States of America."

* Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) has a nasty habit of saying things that aren't true.

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Campaigns aren’t the only thing going on in the political world today. But they’re the main thing:

* Ron Paul is attracting enough Mormon support to justify a special Facebook page.

* Newt Gingrich is truly getting apocalyptic in Florida, warning evangelicals of “Second Holocaust” in Middle East.

* Meanwhile, Newt’s angel, Casino Sheldon Adelson, has arranged for his own semi-private caucus in Nevada.

* Signaling a return to normalcy after brief period of GOP angst about “electability,” Hugh Hewitt says 2012 like 1952, 1980 (you know, guaranteed Republican landslides).

* Yet again, The Donald said to be exploring third-party presidential bid.

In non-campaign news:

* Digby shows how our 1% is bigger and badder than any other country’s 1%.

* A psychiatrist charts 108 years of data on violent death rates in U.S. (including suicides), and concludes Republican presidents mean 23,000 more deaths per four-year term.

* Economist Diana Carew examines reliance of local governments on those pesky excise taxes.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* In the wake of the recent caucus fiasco, Matt Strawn, the chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, is stepping down from his post.

* Just about all of the recent polls out of Florida show Mitt Romney winning today's primary by double digits. By the time the results are announced tonight, none of the GOP candidates will even be in the state.

* There's a U.S. House special election in Oregon today, and after spending a fair amount of money, Democrats are optimistic about holding David Wu's former seat.

* Getting ahead of himself, Newt Gingrich is already making demands about the format of the fall debates against President Obama.

* In Virginia, the latest Mason-Dixon poll shows Obama with a one-point lead over Romney in the presidential race, and Tim Kaine (D) and George Allen (R) tied in the U.S. Senate race.

* With North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue (D) retiring after one term, the odds of Democrats keeping the governor's office have improved considerably.

* How bad was Gov. Rick Perry's (R) presidential campaign? He's now less popular than President Obama in his home state of Texas.

* For a comedian, Stephen Colbert knows how to raise campaign cash: the super PAC for his "quasi-satirical presidential bid" has raised over $1 million.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* How are the Eurozone talks progressing? Slowly. Keep an eye on whether the European Central Bank will forgo future profits on its Greek bonds.

* Russia is blocking diplomatic efforts to condemn the Syrian government. This isn't going over well with the rest of the world.

* Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told the Senate Intelligence Committee today that al Qaeda's core leadership will likely be reduced to "largely symbolic importance" over the next two to three years.

* Republicans on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs hoped to boycott Richard Cordray's first hearing as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The boycott, however, did not go well.

* The United States won't have a meaningful problem with the budget deficit -- unless Congress screws things up.

* Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour's (R) long list of controversial pardons continues to draw scrutiny.

* Good news out of Illinois: Sen. Mark Kirk (R), a week after suffering a stroke, has been upgraded from "serious" to "fair" condition.

* Republicans won't want to hear this, but the Affordable Care Act is likely to "boost employment" in the health care industry.

* Gender-equity in Virginia's anti-abortion bill seems like a more than fair idea.

* David Axelrod is willing to play a little rough.

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Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* A new Las Vegas Review-Journal poll shows Mitt Romney cruising to an easy victory in the Nevada caucuses. Initial results from Public Policy Polling show the same thing.

* It didn't take the Democratic National Committee long to put together a new web ad, hitting Romney for saying he's "not concerned about the very poor."

* In Ohio, Public Policy Polling shows President Obama's standing improving, and in a hypothetical match-up, he now leads Romney by seven in the Buckeye State, 49% to 42%.

* In Nevada, Sheldon Adelson is has been instrumental in Keeping Newt Gingrich's campaign going, but it's not just the casino magnate alone -- Adelson's wife and kids are providing financial support to Gingrich, too.

* It's hard to say whether Sharron Angle still has any sway in her home state, but the failed U.S. Senate candidate is throwing her support to Rick Santorum's presidential campaign.

* In North Carolina, Democratic Party leaders hoped to recruit Erskine Bowles into the gubernatorial race, but the former White House chief of staff has taken a pass.

* The bipartisan effort to limit outside groups' influence in Massachusetts' U.S. Senate race is already starting to break down.

* And in New Mexico, Public Opinion Strategies shows a very competitive U.S. Senate race, with Rep. Martin Heinrich (D) leading former Rep. Heather Wilson (R), 45% to 44%.

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Today's edition of quick hits:

* The DNC was so excited about Donald Trump's endorsement of Mitt Romney, it released this clip before the official announcement was made:


* Republican lawmakers don't want to hear this, but aggressive debt reduction would be awful for economic growth.

* Would China work with the International Monetary Fund to shore up Europe's finances?

* The White House has heard plenty of pushback over its decision to have insurers cover contraception as preventive care. Today, it helped debunk some common conservative claims.

* In supporting Planned Parenthood, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is willing to open his own wallet.

* When the Adelsons team up with the Koch brothers, what would or could possibly go wrong?

* Fairly soon, in the state of Washington, if two consenting adults fall in love and want to get married, they'll legally be able to do so.

* And in the state of New Hampshire, two consenting adults who fall in love and want to get married can already legally do so, but some Republican lawmakers are eager to change that.