Today’s edition of quick hits.<\/p>\n
* I wrote a piece for The American Prospect<\/a> on John McCain and the media. Some of the content may be vaguely familiar to regular readers, but everyone should go take a look<\/a> anyway.<\/p>\n * It’s hard not to enjoy the irony of Bush criticizing Congress for taking a week-long recess — right before he leaves for a vacation<\/a>.<\/p>\n * Dems on the Senate Judiciary Committee want to know what the Department of Justice plans to do<\/a> about Monica Goodling taking the 5th. Law professor Jonathan Turley explains Goodling’s predicament: “She would basically be saying that despite having a high-ranking position in the Justice Department, she will not cooperate with a coequal branch… Congress has oversight responsibility over the Justice Department, over Monica Goodling. It would be an obvious contradiction with her job description.”<\/p>\n * On a related note, Dems on the House Judiciary Committee are still anxious to chat with Goodling, as well. Late last week, her lawyer said she’s taking the 5th with them, too, but today, Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Subcommittee Chairwoman Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) questioned<\/a> whether her claim to 5th Amendment privileges is based on valid reasons. (thanks to L.M. for the tip)<\/p>\n * And in still more purge-related news, did Alberto Gonzales lie to Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) about Tim Griffin’s appointment to be the U.S. Attorney in Little Rock? It sure looks like it<\/a>.<\/p>\n * Alex Koppelman has a terrific piece<\/a> in Salon today on “how the ‘Fair and Balanced’ network pits Democrats against their own party.” Ever wondered about some of the self-identified Dems who help enable Fox News? Koppelman explains who’s going on, why, and what the problem is.<\/p>\n * Eric Boehlert takes a solid look at The Note and asks, while it undergoes some kind of overhaul, whether it can still save itself<\/a>. “The Note’s been cribbing off Karl Rove’s talking points for way too long,” Boehlert explains. “Let’s hope the new Note tosses those tattered notes, drops the phony Beltway-reporters-are-celebrities shtick, and gets back to its journalistic roots.” Good advice. * AP<\/a>: “For just the second time since the war began, the Army is sending large units back to Iraq without giving them at least a year at home, defense officials said Monday. The move signaled how stretched the U.S. fighting force has become.”<\/p>\n * Raw Story<\/a>: “Potrero, California boasts a broad swath of meadowland that currently houses derelict chicken coops. Surrounded by the Cleveland National Forest, the property boasts a former chicken ranch and includes an environmentally sensitive, protected agricultural preserve southeast of San Diego. But if private security contractor Blackwater USA gets its way, this 850-strong community will soon host an 824-acre military training base, replacing the erstwhile chicken ranch with fifteen firing ranges and an emergency vehicle operator’s course the length of ten football fields.” (thanks to Curmudgeon for the heads-up)<\/p>\n * Long-time readers may recall that I’ve written about Robert Cobb<\/a>, a former White House ethics lawyer who was appointed inspector general of NASA in 2002, and some of his controversial on-the-job practices. Yesterday, Leaders of Senate and House subcommittees overseeing NASA called for Cobb’s ouster<\/a>, “saying he had abused his authority and created a hostile workplace that interfered with his office’s doing its job.”<\/p>\n * Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) is pursuing a plan<\/a> to restore voting rights to convicted felons. Good for him. He’s facing some serious resistance from state GOP lawmakers, though, and may have to swallow a weak compromise.<\/p>\n
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\n* Remember that still-unresolved 16 words from Bush’s 2003 State of the Union? The WaPo offers another background piece<\/a> on the lie and the failures behind the lie.<\/p>\n