Today’s edition of quick hits.
* The so-called “surge” is underway.
* John McCain is, officially, the biggest hack in the Senate.
* For all of the things that makes Joe Lieberman popular amongst Republicans, they probably won’t care for this: Sen. Joseph Lieberman, the Connecticut independent who has been a staunch supporter of the Iraq war, suggested that it’s time for Congress to weigh a ‘war against terrorism tax’ as part of the budget process.”
* So much for the GOP talking point that debating the war in Iraq necessarily undermines the troops in the field. “Pace and Gates said they did not think debate in Congress would hurt the morale of troops in combat, undercutting an assertion by many congressional Republicans that members opposing the war were undermining the fighting forces there. ‘As long as this Congress continues to do what it has done, which is to provide the resources for the mission, the dialogue will be the dialogue, and the troops will feel supported,’ Pace said.”
* The New York Times noted today that the Pentagon wants civilian government agencies send their employees to Iraq to help out. At the State Department, the civilians really don’t want to go.
* Rudy Giuliani was for “partial birth” abortion before he was against it.
* Washington Times and Lou Dobbs continue to screw up the Speaker Pelosi/Air Force jet story. It’s almost as if they got together and decided, “Things have been going too well for her; let’s make up a story to bring her down a notch.”
* If you missed it, Salon published an edited transcript of a speech Sen. Jim Webb delivered on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday, a day after the Republican minority blocked a full debate of the Warner-Levin resolution opposing an escalation of the war in Iraq. It’s quite good.
* The House effort to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is officially underway. It’ll be interesting to see how far the measure gets before the right goes completely apoplectic about otherwise-qualified volunteers serving their country during a time of war.
* Goodbye Sesame Street? If it were up to the Bush administration, apparently so.
* Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), a House Intelligence Committee member, introduced legislation yesterday requiring the Bush administration to disclose to what degree it relies on private military contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan. Good.
* “There’s a movement afoot to build a statue to Zell Miller on the grounds of Georgia’s capitol.” You’ve got to be kidding me.
* MSNBC’s Chris Matthews told Don Imus this morning that he’s “so sick of Southern guys with ranches running this country. I want a guy to run for President who doesn’t have a f**king — I’m sorry, a ranch.”
* CREW lists the top 25 most corrupt members of the Bush administration. It’s a solid list, with plenty of research to back up the project, but I have one complaint: neither Bush nor Cheney made the list.
* Tom Tancredo is so far gone, he’s literally stooped to making up non-existent polls. It’s kind of a shame to see a guy fall apart like this.
* And, apparently, Karl Rove has a new inspiration. Rove “took a few hours off on Sunday to see the Shakespeare Theatre’s performance of ‘Richard III’ with friends, a former Post colleague tells us. It’s a bloody rendition of the scheming Richard murdering his way to the throne, dispatching a number of people, including his two young nephews, along the way. Rove, on leaving the theater, was heard saying: ‘I’ve gotta get home. I’ve got work to do.'”
If none of these particular items are of interest, consider this an end-of-the-day open thread.