Today’s edition of quick hits.<\/p>\n
* Well, this<\/a> might shake up the Iraq debate a bit: “The U.S. military’s top general said Monday that the Joint Chiefs of Staff is weighing a range of possible new directions in Iraq, including, if President Bush deems it necessary, an even bigger troop buildup<\/i>…. He mentioned no potential range of increases or decreases in force levels. Another possibility being considered, he said, is maintaining the current level of troops for some period beyond September.” (emphasis added)<\/p>\n * The relationship between the netroots and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign has been a little awkward, but even the most die-hard Clinton critic would have to concede the senator’s campaign is making a real effort<\/a>: today, on a conference call exclusively for progressive bloggers, former Amb. Joe Wilson endorsed Clinton’s campaign. (Disclosure: I was on the call.) Wilson, a fierce critic of Bush’s Iraq policy, cited Iraq as the reason for the endorsement.<\/p>\n * The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, owned by right-wing billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife, is not exactly known for a progressive editorial policy. It’s why this<\/a> was encouraging: “The [Tribune-Review] yesterday called the Bush administration’s plans to stay the course in Iraq a ‘prescription for American suicide.’ The editorial … added, ‘And quite frankly, during last Thursday’s news conference, when George Bush started blathering about ‘sometimes the decisions you make and the consequences don’t enable you to be loved,’ we had to question his mental stability.'”<\/p>\n * Speaking of editorial boards, apparently the Chicago Sun-Times wants everyone to know that last week’s announcement was misconstrued — it will not<\/a> be an intentionally liberal paper.<\/p>\n * How far gone is William Kristol? Time’s Jay Carney, hardly a liberal firebrand, takes him to task<\/a> today in a thorough smackdown.<\/p>\n * My friend Tom Schaller has a terrific piece<\/a> in the New York Daily News explaining how the International Association of Firefighters’ 13-minute video released last week is “the latest straw to bend Rudy’s back.” The 9\/11 halo gets tarnished more and more all the time. * If a writer intentionally goes easy<\/a> on his government sources, he shouldn’t call himself a journalist.<\/p>\n * Wouldn’t it be nice if Donald Rumsfeld testified<\/a> at the next hearing on the Tillman scandal?<\/p>\n * Every time I start to think John McCain’s campaign is toast, I remember that political reporters will do what they have to do to shamelessly bolster his effort<\/a>: “On the July 15 broadcast of Fox Broadcasting Co.’s Fox News Sunday, NPR national political correspondent Mara Liasson claimed that during a July 14 New Hampshire town hall meeting, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) ‘took questions for an hour and a half and answered them all, you know, with the same kind of candor and honesty that people come to expect from John McCain.’ Later in the program, Liasson claimed that McCain ‘is a candidate who always says, you know, he puts principle above politics.'” Have these people no pride?<\/p>\n * Speaking of Fox News, a network personality compared to tobacco addicts to African Americans<\/a> over the weekend, suggesting neither should face “discrimination.”<\/p>\n * Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) is facing so many investigations for his various scandals that he’s created<\/a> a legal defense fund.<\/p>\n * On a related note, Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.) could probably use a legal defense fund, but after the FBI raided his house, his financial backers stopped returning his phone calls<\/a>. Imagine that.<\/p>\n * Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) was invited to attend Lady Bird Johnson’s funeral last week, but reportedly blew it off<\/a> for a campaign event. Classy.<\/p>\n
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\n* A man with a gun walked into Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter’s office and yelled, “I am the emperor. I am here to take over state government.” Details are still a little sketchy, but there was an incident<\/a>, and state troopers reportedly shot and killed the man. The governor’s spokesperson said Ritter is “shaken and rattled” but fine.<\/p>\n