Today’s edition of quick hits.<\/p>\n
* As if Alberto Gonzales didn’t have enough problems, Rep. Adam Putnam (R-Fla.), the Chairman of the Republican Conference and the number three in the House Republican leadership, today called on<\/a> the AG to resign. CNN quotes him as saying that “[Gonzales] did not distinguish himself in the hearing… there remains a cloud over the Department… I think they would be well served by fresh leadership.”<\/p>\n * On a related note, Sen. Jeff Sessions<\/a> (R-Ala.), a close Bush ally, said today that Gonzales should do the honorable thing and step aside. “I think the attorney general ought to take the weekend and think about this and ask himself whether he can effectively reconstitute the attorney general’s office and I’ll be thinking about the same thing,” said Sessions, who serves as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “If he feels like he cannot, then it would be best for the president and the country to resign.”<\/p>\n * Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) could only think of one reason<\/a> Gonzales should keep his job: “I think he should, because frankly I don’t think the Democrats will be satisfied by the resignation of Al Gonzales. This is, at its base, a political fishing expedition, and they’re not going to be satisfied with just Al Gonzales.” That’s quite a vote of confidence, isn’t it? Gonzales should stay on, not because of this qualifications or record, but because Cornyn doesn’t like Democrats.<\/p>\n * Vermont’s State Senate became the first legislative body in the country to call for the impeachment<\/a> of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, saying their actions have raised “serious questions of constitutionality.” The non-binding resolution passed on a 16-9 vote after minimal debate.<\/p>\n * Just what we needed, another congressional Republican in the midst of a federal criminal investigation<\/a>: “In a second blow to House Republicans this week, the FBI raided a business tied to the family of Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) Thursday afternoon as part of an ongoing investigation into the three-term lawmaker.” CREW has background<\/a> on the two investigations into Renzi.<\/p>\n * As for Rep. John Doolittle’s (R-Calif.) legal troubles, the Republican lawmaker compared himself<\/a> to the Duke Lacrosse team today. * Matthew Yglesias<\/a>: “I caught some MSNBC earlier this afternoon, and it was really just pathetic. The topic under discussion was that Harry Reid apparently said the Iraq War was lost. Since Reid’s an important legislative leader, this did seem like a good subject for a story. But, of course, instead of using it as an opportunity to bring some knowledgeable people on and discuss whether or not Reid was right<\/i> about the war, they used it as an opportunity to bring on a ‘Democratic strategist’ and a ‘Republican strategist’ neither of whom seemed like especially prominent strategists, to talk about the political fallout from the statement…. Soon enough, they moved on to more Anna Nicole Smith coverage.” This has been another installment of why I don’t watch television news.<\/p>\n * The president reportedly went out of his way to tell Speaker Pelosi, “I didn’t criticize your trip to Syria<\/a>.” In reality, Bush, Cheney, and the White House press office all fanned the flames<\/a> for days, for no reason other than to score some cheap points. Asked if she was surprised, Pelosi laughed. “Surprised? I’m beyond surprise.”<\/p>\n * The newest Fox News poll asked respondents, “One Senator recently claimed that setting a date for a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq is more accurately described as a date for surrender — do you think it is accurate to compare withdrawal with surrender?” A surprising 61% said no<\/a>. (Even 45% of Republicans said no.) The White House p.r. offensive isn’t working.<\/p>\n * TP has a wild story<\/a> about Bill O’Reilly and his staff going after a Denver Post TV critic who had the audacity to criticize the Fox News blowhard. You’ll have to read the whole thing — there’s hypocrisy, stalking, a parking lot ambush … a little bit of everything in this one.<\/p>\n * Henry Waxman finds it odd that former White House Chief of Staff Andy Card will talk to Jon Stewart but not<\/a> the House Oversight Committee.<\/p>\n * And MSNBC has decided<\/a> to replace Don Imus with a simulcast of Philadelphia talk-show host Michael Smerconish. As his record<\/a> makes clear, Smerconish is … drum roll … another far-right conservative. The liberal media strikes again.<\/p>\n Anything to add? Consider this an end-of-the-day open thread.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today’s edition of quick hits. * As if Alberto Gonzales didn’t have enough problems, Rep. Adam Putnam (R-Fla.), the Chairman of the Republican Conference and the number three in the House Republican leadership, today called on the AG to resign. 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\n* The Hill<\/a>: “The union of former Deputy Interior Secretary J. Steven Griles and Sue Ellen Wooldridge could have implications for the investigation into Griles’s ties to ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff.” This may sound like nothing, but given the back story<\/a>, it’s actually an interesting development.<\/p>\n