Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Stunning devastation in the Southeast: “Rescue crews, some with the help of the National Guard, went door-to-door looking for more victims a day after a cluster of tornadoes tore through the South, killing at least 52 people and injuring several hundred. Residents in five states tried to salvage what they could Wednesday from homes reduced to piles of debris. Tens of thousands were without power after dozens of twisters were reported in Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama.”
* Sounds like Republican officials on the Hill have reason to be nervous: “Top House Republicans were told in recent days that a former employee of their campaign committee may have forged an official audit during the contentious 2006 election cycle and that they should brace for the possibility that an unfolding investigation could uncover financial improprieties stretching back several years, according to GOP sources briefed on the members-only discussions.”
* I often wish the White House wasn’t so humiliating: “In congressional testimony yesterday, CIA director Michael Hayden confirmed that his agency used waterboarding on three al Qaeda suspects. In 2006, Hayden banned the use of waterboarding in CIA interrogations. The Pentagon also banned its employees from using it, and the FBI said its investigators do not use coercive tactics in interviewing terror suspects. But in today’s gaggle, White House said that it may approve the use of waterboarding again ‘depend[ing] upon circumstances.’ … Later, in a press briefing, Fratto tried to distance himself from these remarks, claiming that he only was talking about ‘the process’ of approving waterboarding. ‘I’m not speculating,’ he declared.”
* Oddly enough, just last week, Bush was boasting that the nation is better off than it was eight years ago, because our military is stronger than it was: “The military’s top uniformed officer says U.S. forces are ‘significantly stressed’ by fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan while simultaneously trying to stem the tide of violent extremism elsewhere. ‘The pace of ongoing operations has prevented our forces from fully training for the full spectrum of operations and impacts our ability to be ready to counter future threats,’ Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in testimony prepared for delivery Wednesday.”
* When it comes to shattering records, Democratic turnout on Super Tuesday was pretty impressive.
* And speaking of Super Tuesday, I suppose it’s not too surprising that quite a few Floridians showed up at their polling stations yesterday, wondering why they weren’t allowed to vote. (Florida’s primary was last week.) The Palm Beach County Election Supervisor alone received over 100 calls.
* In a pleasant surprise, the president has backed off a plan to enter into a treaty with Iraq without congressional approval: “The administration has maintained that the agreement would not rise to the level of a treaty. The ‘security guarantee’ statement appeared in the announcement because Iraqis wanted it on the table, the administration official said. But, he said, the United States does not believe it to be necessary. ‘We say, look, if you want a security guarantee, that will be a treaty, and a treaty will have to go to our Senate,’ endangering the whole agreement, he said.”
* What on earth was going on in New Mexico? “The state Democratic Party chairman is formally apologizing for not adequately preparing for Tuesday’s caucus. ‘We had long lines and it’s the responsibility of the party to say we needed to do a better job,’ said Chairman Brian Colon. ‘Instead of 4,000 volunteers, we probably needed 6,000 volunteers. For voters who weren’t able to vote, I have that regret.’ Among the issues voters had were very long lines at some voting locations – up to three hours at Rio Rancho High School – and a lack of ballots. Colon said nobody could have predicted such a high turnout at the caucus, which brought in more than 152,000 voters.”
* Former White House Chief of Staff Andy Card wishes for another Bush presidency — this time, with Jeb. No, I don’t understand it, either.
* The Senate considered amendment to the surveillance bill this afternoon, sponsored by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md), which would mandate that the law expire in four years. 60 votes were needed for passage; it got 49. (Because of the interest in the candidates, it’s worth noting that Obama voted with the party, but Clinton, who was in DC, did not vote.)
* One of the problems I’ve noticed with bloggers enthusiastically taking sides in a presidential primary fight is that they become so obsessed, they’re not worth reading anymore; their posts are just too predictable. Hugh Hewitt, a Mitt Romney sycophant, became just such a person quite a while ago, though it appears he realizes that his cause is lost.
* After last year’s Rich Little fiasco, the hosts of this year’s White House Correspondents Association dinner wanted to go a little younger. After Ellen DeGeneres and Steve Carrell turned them down, late night TV host Craig Ferguson accepted.
* And finally, a quote of the day, from the National Review’s Mark Steyn: “The real story of the night, when you look at their rallies and their turn-out numbers, is that the Dems have two strong candidates either of whom could lead a united party to victory. Forget the gaseous platitudes: in Dem terms, their choice on Super Duper Tuesday was deciding which candidate was Super Duper and which was merely Super. Over on the GOP side, it was a choice between Weak & Divisive or Weaker & Unacceptable. Doesn’t bode well for November.”
Anything to add? Consider this an end-of-the-day open thread.
