Today’s edition of quick hits.
* While almost no crimes are more heinous, this was probably the right call: “The Supreme Court ruled, 5 to 4, on Wednesday that sentencing someone to death for raping a child is unconstitutional, assuming that the victim is not killed. ‘The death penalty is not a proportional punishment for the rape of a child,’ Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for the court. He was joined by Justices John Paul Stevens, David H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer. The court overturned a ruling by the Louisiana Supreme Court, which had held that child rape is unique in the harm it inflicts not just upon the victim but on society and that, short of first-degree murder, no crime is more deserving of the death penalty.”
* Speaking of major Supreme Court rulings: “The Supreme Court on Wednesday dashed the hopes of more than 32,000 fishermen and Alaska Natives who’ve been waiting for nearly 20 years to hear whether Exxon Mobil Corp. must pay billions in punitive damages for its role in the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. In a victory for corporations seeking to limit big-dollar lawsuits, the court decided 5-3 to reduce the $2.5 billion punitive damages. The award was excessive, the justices wrote, and reduced it to $507.5 million.”
* For years, John McCain has seen terrorism as a boost for Republicans. It’s the opposite of his rhetoric of the past couple of days.
* It’s stunning to consider, but Afghanistan is looking more like Iraq all the time. Insurgent attacks are up nearly 40% in provinces once touted as evidence of success.
* The long national FEC nightmare is over, and the Federal Election Commission will now function again.
* James Hansen has a message for those who want to hear it: “Exactly 20 years after warning America about global warming, a top NASA scientist said the situation has gotten so bad that the world’s only hope is drastic action…. ‘We’re toast if we don’t get on a very different path,’ Hansen, director of the Goddard Institute of Space Sciences who is sometimes called the godfather of global warming science, told The Associated Press. ‘This is the last chance.'” (thanks to R.K.)
* This was a no-brainer, which most Republicans opposed: “The House approved legislation to shield 25 million families from a scheduled tax increase this year, voting to raise taxes on the private equity industry and major oil companies to offset part of the measure’s $60 billion cost.”
* Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-.NY.) will oppose the “compromise” FISA bill. Good for him.
* On a related note, it’s interesting what one senator can do: “Senate progress toward approving a sweeping housing rescue plan was delayed on Wednesday by the objections of a Republican lawmaker who wants to attach an amendment dealing with renewable energy. Nevada Sen. John Ensign — whose state is among the hardest hit by a deep housing market slump — was refusing to allow the housing bill to proceed without a vote on extending tax incentives for renewable energy technologies.”
* Can’t say I blame them: “Skeptical states are shoving aside millions of federal dollars for abstinence education, walking away from the program the Bush administration touts for slowing teen sexual activity. Barely half the states are still in, and two more say they are leaving.”
* Republicans are still lying about China drilling for oil in Cuban waters? Still?
* Maureen Dowd was taken to task over the weekend by the NYT’s public editor, but her first column since was actually quite good.
* Joe Conason explains that Obama has all the right enemies.
* MTV will accept political advertising this year for the first time in the network’s 27-year history. I wonder which presidential candidate is more likely to target the network?
* Oh my: “One question left unanswered by the officials summoned to Capitol Hill yesterday to talk about arms dealer AEY was this: Why did U.S. taxpayers end up spending $300 million for Cold War-era ammunition rounds which it easily could have gotten it for free? Eastern Europe is full of old Soviet-era ammunition. And many countries have been offering to give it away for years. Countries like Bosnia, Bulgaria and Hungary. In fact, the Albanian Defense Minister himself offered to give the U.S. virtually the same ammo that AEY ended up providing under contract.”
* And here I thought Limbaugh couldn’t get any more offensive. I was mistaken.
* Scott McClellan is getting cheeky: “McClellan who is clear that he has no great admiration for Cheney, joked to the audience that his national book tour has given him some ideas for book titles Cheney might consider: ‘The Lies I Told,’ or ‘I Upped Halliburton’s Income – So Up Yours.'”
* And finally, I wonder how this vote will turn out: “Reagan has his highways. Lincoln has his memorial. Washington has the capital (and a state, too). But President Bush may soon be the sole president to have a memorial named after him that you can contribute to from the bathroom. From the Department of Damned-With-Faint-Praise, a group going by the regal-sounding name of the Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco is planning to ask voters here to change the name of a prize-winning water treatment plant on the shoreline to the George W. Bush Sewage Plant. The plan, naturally hatched in a bar, would place a vote on the November ballot to provide ‘an appropriate honor for a truly unique president.'”
Anything to add? Consider this an end-of-the-day open thread.