Today’s edition of quick hits.
* A devastating 7.9-magnitude earthquake in China: “Thousands of people have been killed by Monday’s powerful earthquake in just one affected region of central China, its government said, with the toll expected to keep rising as bodies are retrieved from schools, homes and factories. The Chinese government said at least 8,600 people were dead, but that the death toll was sure to rise as authorities began to reach some of the worst-hit areas.” Reaching those areas is proving difficult — the quake severely damaged roads in the area around the epicenter.
* Progress remains slow in Burma: “Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon criticized Myanmar’s military junta Monday for what he called its ‘unacceptably slow response’ to helping cyclone victims. Three of the U.N. Security Council’s five veto-wielding members — France, Britain and the United States — remain interested in a possible resolution that could require Myanmar’s government open its doors to more aid, several council diplomats said.” Diplomats told the AP discussions were ongoing this afternoon.
* Harry Reid is working hard to resolve the impasse over the FEC. In the latest move, the Senate Majority Leader gave Bush a choice: either drop Hans von Spakovsky or tell Senate Republicans to let lawmakers vote against him.
* Must-read piece from the LAT: “The number of Americans being secretly wiretapped or having their financial and other records reviewed by the government has continued to increase as officials aggressively use powers approved after the Sept. 11 attacks. But the number of terrorism prosecutions ending up in court — one measure of the effectiveness of such sleuthing — has continued to decline, in some cases precipitously. The trends, visible in new government data and a private analysis of Justice Department records, are worrisome to civil liberties groups and some legal scholars. They say it is further evidence that the government has compromised the privacy rights of ordinary citizens without much to show for it.”
* Quote of the Day: “If a conservative is a liberal who’s been mugged, I guess that means a liberal is a conservative who’s been denied insurance because of a congenital condition.”
* 82% of Americans don’t agree on much, but according to a new ABC News poll, “Eighty-two percent of Americans now say the country’s seriously off on the wrong track, up 10 points in the last year” and only a single percentage point less than its record high in polls since 1973.”
* Following up on an earlier item, the House Republicans’ new re-branding phrase — “Change You Deserve” — also happens to be the marketing slogan for a prescription anti-depressant.
* Ohio Dems want to pretend Marc Dann no longer exists. I don’t blame them.
* John Conyers is still asking the right questions.
* A bunch of Ron Paul fans recently announced the purchase of 50 acres in West Texas in order to build a gated community “containing 100 percent Ron Paul supporters and or people that live by the ideals of freedom and liberty.” Ron Paul, not surprisingly, doesn’t want to live in Paulville. I wouldn’t either.
* Note to Terry McAuliffe: Tim Russert’s father isn’t dead.
* Note to Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty: If you’re being considered for the Republican presidential ticket, it’s not a good idea to joke about your wife not wanting to have sex with you.
* Raise your hand if you’re surprised: “The State Department’s policies ‘not only contradicted the anti-corruption mission but indirectly contributed to and has allowed corruption to fester at the highest levels of the Iraqi government,’ Brennan told the Senate Democratic Policy Committee.”
* Defense contractors probably shouldn’t set up tax shelters to avoid paying U.S. taxes. Just saying. (via)
* Bill Kristol thinks Obama will pick Dick Gephardt as his running mate. Remember, Kristol is paid large sums of money to give his political opinions.
* If you haven’t already seen it, Bill O’Reilly’s on-air meltdown is quite an extraordinary sight. I have suspicion the guy has some serious anger-management issues.
Anything to add? Consider this an end-of-the-day open thread.