Today’s edition of quick hits.<\/p>\n
* The White House is already downplaying<\/a> Sen. John Warner’s (R-Va.) suggestion of a small drawdown by Christmas. Asked whether Bush would leave the door open to setting a timetable, White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said, “I don’t think the president feels any differently about setting a specific timetable for withdrawal. I just think it’s important that we wait right now to hear from our commanders on the ground about the way ahead.”<\/p>\n * AP<\/a>: “Florida’s top police agency said Wednesday its investigation into former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley’s lurid Internet communications with teenage boys has been hindered because neither Foley nor the House will let investigators examine his congressional computers…. Smith said that the House claims the computers are considered congressional work papers, and that only Foley can release them for review.” Lurid IM chats are considered constitutionally protected? Really?<\/p>\n * Bob Somerby scrutinizes<\/a> the media’s coverage of the Michelle Obama’s harmless, innocuous comment about family as only Bob Somerby can. (Here’s a hint, the media embarrassed itself — again — with coverage that can only be described as pathetic.)<\/p>\n * Remember the absurd Freedom’s Watch commercials that debuted yesterday? Americans United for Change has already put together a quick response video<\/a>.<\/p>\n * Speaking of good videos, VoteVets.org has put together a new clip<\/a> of its own, this one helping emphasize opposition to Bush’s policies among the troops. The new ad features Iraq Veteran John Bruhns, who says, using various Senators’ names, “When I went to Iraq I put my country first. Now we’re stuck in a religious civil war and the troops say it’s only getting worse. Susan Collins thinks protecting George Bush is more important than protecting America. But, George Bush is obsessed with Iraq — instead of defeating Al Qaeda. And Susan Collins won’t stop him. Senator Collins, when will you put your country before politics?”<\/p>\n * NYU’s Jay Rosen responds<\/a> to Michael Skube’s recent LAT op-ed questioning the journalistic value of blogs, by highlighting some fine journalism Skube would have found if he knew what he was talking about. * Support the troops<\/a>: “The Pentagon will fall far short of its goal of sending 3,500 lifesaving armored vehicles to Iraq by the end of the year. Instead, officials expect to send about 1,500.” Blue Girl has some excellent background info<\/a> on this.<\/p>\n * Rush Limbaugh apparently believes white people don’t care about Darfur<\/a>, arguing that Democratic presidential candidates talk about the crisis only to secure support from African-American voters. (In other words, he<\/i> doesn’t care…)<\/p>\n * I’ve been wondering for years why we don’t have rayguns. It’s 2007, for crying out loud. We can go to space, but we can’t have rayguns? Apparently, our wait is nearly over<\/a>.<\/p>\n * It just gets so tiresome<\/a>: “During the August 21 edition of MSNBC’s Hardball, Washington Post staff writer Anne E. Kornblut asserted that, in contrast with Democratic crowds who applaud Democratic candidates when they say, ‘I’m going to start ending this war in Iraq,’ ‘Republican crowds are a little different. They still want to be supporting the troops.'”<\/p>\n * More evidence of “progress”<\/a> in Iraq: “Armed groups increasingly control the antiquated switching stations that channel electricity around Iraq, the electricity minister said Wednesday.”<\/p>\n * Rep. Steve King, Iowa Republican and ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee’s immigration subcommittee, believes the Bush administration employs thousands of illegal immigrants<\/a>. He did not, however, wave a list saying, “I have here in my hand<\/a>, a list of names of immigrants…”<\/p>\n
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\n* Several conservative blogs are excited today about a Newsweek item that suggests Bill Clinton didn’t do enough to go after Osama bin Laden. Dave Johnson takes a closer look<\/a> at the report.<\/p>\n