Today’s edition of quick hits.
* In the face of a presidential veto threat over defense appropriations, House Dems are taking Bush on over raises for the troops:”Mr. President, you have consistently called on Congress and the American people to support our troops. Considering the sacrifices that our military families make, the Democratic proposal to provide the troops with the pay raise they deserve and an increase in benefits for the spouses they may leave behind is one small way that we can support our troops. When it comes to supporting our troops, our actions must match our words.”
* In a surprise turnaround, former EPA chief Christine Todd Whitman “abruptly reversed herself Friday and agreed to testify before Congress on her agency’s response to the environmental fallout of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Two days ago, Whitman’s lawyer Joel Kobert had denied a request from a House panel chaired by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., for his client to testify, noting she was named in two lawsuits related to the issue. But today, Whitman herself told Nadler in a hand-delivered letter that she was willing to participate in a hearing ‘if you insist.'”
* No matter what you think of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, Chris Bowers has an interesting analysis of the senator and recent national polls.
* Frank Bowman, a law professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia, makes a persuasive case that Congress “could and should impeach Alberto Gonzales.” There are a variety of reasons, of course, but Bowman argues the David Iglesias firing alone is enough to tip the scales.
* For all the complaining that I do about how conservatives enjoy consequence-free standards on broadcast media, apparently I’m mistaken — right-wing activist Melanie Morgan has been banned by PBS. Said Linda Winslow, executive producer of NewsHouse, “Since the program is produced live, we can’t do much to eliminate rude guests from your television screen once the segment has begun; what we can do is guarantee you will never see that person on our program again.” To see what prompted the decision, here’s Part 1 of the clip, and here’s Part 2.
* Donald Rumsfeld is thinking about establishing “a new foundation” to “remain engaged in public policy issues” and offer “teaching and research fellowships for graduate and post-graduate students.” The goal, apparently, is to “promote continued U.S. engagement in world affairs in furtherance of U.S. security interests.” This has “bad idea” written all over it.
* Sorry for the lack of analysis on the new immigration measure; it’s just not really my issue. I’ve decided to outsource my commentary to Kevin Drum, whose post on the subject I strongly endorse.
* The Congressional Food Stamp Challenge seems like a worthwhile project.
* ABC News: “The White House appointee in charge of the Education Department’s troubled financial aid office took home $250,000 in bonuses, leading Democratic lawmakers to question what she did to deserve such lavish rewards. ‘Given that the student loan programs became increasingly rife with conflicts of interest and unethical practices’ during the four years Theresa Shaw served as chief operating officer of the Federal Student Aid office, ‘it is questionable whether these bonuses were justified,’ House Education Committee Chairman George Miller, D.-Calif., told ABC News.”
* The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is spending up to $4 million to publicize a 200th anniversary celebration while the agency has cut $700,000 from hurricane research. This, too, has “bad idea” written all over it.
* Krugman: “What we need to realize is that the infamous ‘Bush bubble,’ the administration’s no-reality zone, extends a long way beyond the White House. Millions of Americans believe that patriotic torturers are keeping us safe, that there’s a vast Islamic axis of evil, that victory in Iraq is just around the corner, that Bush appointees are doing a heckuva job — and that news reports contradicting these beliefs reflect liberal media bias. And the Republican nomination will go either to someone who shares these beliefs, and would therefore run the country the same way Mr. Bush has, or to a very, very good liar.”
* AP: “A bipartisan group of senators is pushing legislation that would force the CIA to release an inspector general’s report on the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The CIA has spent more than 20 months weighing requests under the Freedom of Information Act for its internal investigation of the attacks but has yet to release any portion of it. The agency is the only federal office involved in counterterrorism operations that has not made at least a version of its internal 9/11 investigation public.”
* And finally, in an apparent attempt to drive me insane, CNBC chief Washington correspondent and Wall Street Journal national political editor John Harwood, comparing John McCain and Rudy Giuliani, claimed, “Rudy Giuliani also has a bit of a claim to combat in a different way, because he was on the ground in 9/11.”
Anything to add? Consider this an end-of-the-day open thread.