Today’s edition of quick hits.
* With Larry Craig having blamed The Idaho Statesman for his troubles, the paper offered a response in the form on an editorial today: “During a brief — and largely defiant — public appearance Tuesday afternoon, Sen. Larry Craig apologized for bringing ‘a cloud over Idaho.’ We’re sorry, senator. This cloud does not belong to the people who have elected you for the past 27 years. It’s all yours. It stems from your mistakes.”
* Interesting developments in Pakistan: “Pakistani Gen. Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto were on the verge Wednesday night of forming an improbable alliance that would involve him stepping down from the army but continuing as president and her returning to Pakistan after eight years of exile to try to win back her old job, officials on both sides said. ‘We’re very close to an agreement,’ Bhutto said.”
* Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki sat down with McClatchy Newspapers for an exclusive interview and said he has no intention of resigning and doesn’t expect to be forced out. He noted modest improvements in Iraqi security, and said it was his leadership, not Bush’s surge, that were responsible. Maliki also blamed the administration for the sectarianism that plagues the country, but stopped short of calling for a withdrawal of U.S. troops.
* Bush in New Orleans this morning: “It’s sometimes hard for people to see progress when you live in a community all the time. Laura and I get to come — we don’t live here, we come on occasion. And it’s easy to think about what it was like when we first came here after the hurricane, and what it’s like today. And this town is coming back.” Tim Grieve translates: “You don’t see the progress because you live here. I come here once in a while, so I know better.”
* Speaking of New Orleans, on the second anniversary of the storm hitting the Gulf Coast, Digby has a painful timeline of events from August 29, 2005.
* In light of NRO’s Michael Rubin getting stuck in Greenland due to an airline strike, Kevin Drum hatches a new plan to “finally solve the wingnut pundit problem.”
* I assume I’m the only person here who’s seen every episode of “Little Britain,” a sketch-comedy show on BBC, but last year, the show has this one skit in which a powerful male politician consistently gets caught having gay sex, and consistently has to read implausible public explanations. One, in particular, seems prophetic this week.
* I wish cable-news talking heads realized how foolish they appear when they tell viewers that Obama and Clinton have both claimed Bush’s surge policy is working. Why don’t these people know what they’re talking about? Shouldn’t they stay off the air until they read a newspaper or two?
* Interesting conflict-of-interest controversy in Maine: “[I[f Collins were to lose the election, the wife of the executive editor of a major newspaper in Collins’ home state would be out of a job — which would cause some serious inconvenience for that household.” Hmm.
* House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) said he’s not ruling out Bush impeachment. “Nancy Pelosi has impeachment ‘off the table,’ but that’s off her table, it is not off John Conyers’ table,” he said.
* I haven’t seen the Bourne Supremacy Ultimatum, but I am surprised at all the political discussions it’s prompted.
* A whopping 11% of Americans believe that the U.S. has “already achieved victory” in Iraq. I’m going to hope that these 11% are being clever, and are embracing the ol’ declare-victory-and-go-home tack.
* Christian Broadcasting Network’s David Brody did an item yesterday on blogger Lane Hudson filing an FEC complaint against Fred Thompson for misusing his exploratory committee. Brody wrote, “Well, now Fred Thompson has an angry girlfriend. His name (don’t go there) is Lane Hudson.” I have no idea what this means, or why Brody would write something like this, but it probably won’t hurt his chances of being on Meet the Press several more times.
* And finally, there’s this wild story from the New York Daily News: “Moon Karl Rove, and you’ll be arrested. When the politico spoke on American University’s campus in April, he was met by a throng of angry Democratic students’ behinds as they dropped trou and blocked Rove’s motorcade. Most of the kids were given 40 hours of community service by the university, but on Friday, the cheeky group was notified that the Secret Service has issued warrants for their arrest. Details are bare, but the students are reportedly being charged with crossing a police line and disorderly conduct.”
Anything to add? Consider this an end-of-the-day open thread.