Today’s edition of quick hits.
* This afternoon, based on no law that anyone can recognize, the White House ordered former WH Counsel Harriet Miers to disobey a congressional subpoena. Unlike Sara Taylor, who appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee but declined to answer some questions, Miers will not show up at all. Her successor, Fred Fielding, insisted that Miers has “absolute immunity.”
* Dems are extremely unhappy about the Miers announcement. House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers issued a statement: “A congressional subpoena, such as the one issued to Ms. Miers, carries with it two obligations: the obligation to appear, and the obligation to testify and/or produce documents. Even if a witness intends to assert privilege in response to a subpoena, that intention to assert privilege does not obviate the obligation to appear.” Conyers, who urged Miers to “reconsider,” said the hearing will take place tomorrow morning, with an empty chair if necessary.
* Sara Taylor, during her appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee today, seemed confused about her loyalties. At one point she said, “I took an oath to the president, and I take that oath very seriously.” When Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy asked if perhaps she meant an “oath to the Constitution,” Taylor clarified — but still seemed confused.
* In a display that was embarrassing, even by his standards, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) referred to Senate Republicans who disapprove of Bush’s Iraq policy as “wimps.” Boehner, who did not serve in the military, is known for being particularly courageous when it’s other people whose lives are on the line.
* The Bush administration is using an official HHS website to tell Americans that abortions make women feel “sad,” and lead to substance-abuse problems.
* Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) still isn’t happy with Dick Cheney — Durbin’s Senate appropriations panel “refused to fund $4.8 million in the vice president’s budget until Cheney’s office complies with parts of an executive order governing its handling of classified information.”
* The White House unveiled a renovated press briefing room today, but according to the NYT, “[W]ith the White House press corps under attack from liberal bloggers as being too cozy with the Bush administration, some reporters say they feel a little bit queasy about attending.” That apparently didn’t stop the frivolity.
* Something about being in the Bush administration ruins people’s memories. It’s remarkable.
* NSA Stephen Hadley was on the Hill today; it didn’t go well: “Several Republican senators told President Bush’s top national security aide privately Wednesday that they did not want Bush to wait until September to change course in Iraq.” And if more than a handful of them actually vote the right way, I’ll be very impressed.
* John McCain seems to have finally stumbled upon the problem with his faltering presidential campaign: “gay sweaters.”
* On a related note, Tom Tancredo believes he’s responsible for McCain’s decline. (He’s xenophobic and suffering from delusions of grandeur.)
* No matter how reasonable the Iraq Study Group’s report may have appeared last fall, the panel’s recommendations have been “overtaken by events in Iraq.”
* Did Bush’s 2003 tax cuts for the wealthy boost the economy? Not so much.
* Apparently, Chicago, a solidly Democratic city, doesn’t need two newspapers, each with their own conservative editorial board. (The Sun-Times is glad to be free of Murdoch.)
* Bush is prepared to veto the Dems’ student-loan bill because it doesn’t waste nearly enough money on financial services companies.
* One has to assume David Vitter will not be the last noteworthy name from the DC Madam’s call list.
* Why does the Washington Post consider Medicare “radical“?
* And finally, during the Q&A portion of the president’s event in Cleveland yesterday, a 13-year-old girl asked Bush what his “next step with the immigration bill” will be. The president responded sarcastically, with a wry “yeah, thanks.” People in the audience laughed, leading the young girl to start crying. It’s been that kind of presidency, hey George?
Anything to add? Consider this an end-of-the-day open thread.