Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Not surprisingly, the Bush gang has become a little shy about the CIA torture tape scandal: “White House lawyers have advised President Bush’s spokeswoman not to answer specific questions about why the CIA destroyed tapes of terror suspects under interrogation, as Congress seeks answers about the matter…. With that review ongoing, the White House counsel’s office has instructed Bush’s press secretary, Dana Perino, not to get into details with reporters. ‘I think that that’s appropriate, and I’ll adhere to it,’ Perino said Monday. She said her previous statement remains accurate — that Bush has no recollection of hearing about the tapes’ existence or their destruction before being briefed about it last Thursday.”
* Here’s a clip of Perino talking about why she won’t be talking about the destroyed torture tapes.
* And here’s a video of Perino dodging Scooter Libby-related questions. She looked pretty uncomfortable — if the press corps is smart, it’ll follow up tomorrow.
* Welcome news from the Supreme Court: “The Supreme Court decided today that judges may impose lighter sentences for crack cocaine, adding its voice to a racially sensitive debate over federal guidelines that call for tougher penalties for crack than for powder cocaine…. In the crack case, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said it was reasonable for a federal judge in Virginia to impose a lower sentence than one prescribed by the guidelines because of his disagreement with the rule that imposed the same sentence for a crack dealer as for someone selling 100 times as much powder cocaine.” It was a 7-to-2 ruling.
* TP: “In today’s White House press briefing, Press Secretary Dana Perino said that, “this weekend,” the White House counsel sent out a notice to “all employees” ordering them to preserve documents and evidence” related to the torture-tape destruction. Didn’t this notice go out a few days too late?
* Congressional Dems have offered the Bush gang a ridiculously slanted deal: the White House gets all the war funding it wants, with no strings attached, and in exchange, Dems get to exceed Bush’s domestic spending limits by a mere $18 billion. Apparently, the Bush gang isn’t going for the deal that’s already in their favor.
* On a related note: “Liberal group MoveOn.org is seeking this week to pressure the Senate Democrats running for president to oppose and block a war spending bill that does not include a plan for withdrawal from Iraq. Not satisfied with reports that a massive omnibus spending bill currently in the works will include some funding for the wars but no commitment to bring soldiers home, the group wants to get the Democratic candidates to stop the effort.”
* See you in a six-and-a-half years, Conrad Black.
* When did House Speaker Nancy Pelosi learn about the administration’s waterboarding? Spencer Ackerman takes a closer look.
* Remember all of those U.S. Attorneys the administration fired for not being loyal Bushies? They’ve all apparently landed on their feet, and are keeping in touch with one another: “Six of the attorneys marked the anniversary of their firings at a private dinner in San Diego 10 days ago, where they toasted one another for persevering.”
* The exodus continues: “A top-ranking Republican on one of the most influential committees in Congress announced Friday that he plans to resign — opening up yet another G.O.P. seat in a year that has already seen 18 Republicans announce plans to leave the chamber. Jim McCrery, of Louisiana, said at a news conference late Friday that he does not intend to seek re-election to the House next year. McCrery, currently serving his 10th full term, is the ranking Republican on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and was in line to chair the committee before Democrats took control in the 2006 elections.”
* WaPo: “National Review has apologized for an ‘editing failure’ involving a blogger in Lebanon and says it can no longer stand by a disputed dispatch from W. Thomas Smith Jr. The former Marine resigned Friday, saying he ‘should have been more specific in terms of my sourcing.'” Sounds like more than an “editing failure.”
* Remember Ann Coulter? Apparently, she’s avoiding prosecution on voter fraud thanks in part to the statute of limitations.
* Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell has an op-ed in the NYT today urging Congress to extend Bush-friendly FISA laws. Chris Dodd has a good piece explaining why McConnell is “flat wrong.”
* Speaking of “flat wrong,” the White House and Treasury Department are pushing their solution to the mortgage crisis. Paul Krugman takes it apart today and exposes it as a sham.
* Once again, the Coalition of the Shrinking.
* And finally, here’s a cheeky kind of ad for healthcare reform: “In Iowa today, 10 newspapers are running a full page ad advocating for a single-payer health-care bill, highlighting the fact Vice President Dick Cheney has benefited from his government-provided coverage. ‘If he were anyone else, he’d probably be dead by now,’ the ad claims.” The ad is a project of the California Nurses Association and the National Nurses Organizing Committee. Cheney’s office responded, “[S]omething this outrageous does not warrant a response.”
Anything to add? Consider this an end-of-the-day open thread.