Today’s edition of quick hits.<\/p>\n
* Today’s House hearing on Blackwater produced all kinds of interesting information. Here’s the AP’s lede<\/a>: “Blackwater chairman Erik Prince vigorously defended his private security company on Tuesday, rejecting charges that his staff acted like a bunch of cowboys immune to legal prosecution while protecting State Department personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. ‘I believe we acted appropriately at all times,’ Prince, a 38-year-old former Navy seal, told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.”<\/p>\n * The folks at TPM Muckraker have been doing terrific work<\/a> covering today’s hearing in great detail, so just start at the top and scroll down.<\/p>\n * The Gavel has also had some terrific coverage<\/a>, with plenty of compelling YouTube clips and transcripts.<\/p>\n * Carpetbagger regular Sarabeth takes a closer look<\/a> at the intersection of Blackwater’s over-billing and no-bid contracts.<\/p>\n * Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) had a banner day on the Hill today. Before embarrassing himself at the hearing, he was on C-SPAN, suggesting that House Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) may be in physical danger<\/a> from Blackwater if he traveled to Iraq.<\/p>\n * Discouraging news out of Pakistan<\/a>: As a widening political crisis distracts President Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s army appears to be folding in the face of a mushrooming Taliban insurgency sweeping down from the Afghan border, diplomats and Western military officials say. ‘I am very concerned that they are sort of throwing in the towel because it’s something the people don’t support and since Musharraf is also on the ropes,’ a Western military official told ABC News.”<\/p>\n * Rep. Mark Udall’s (D-Colo.) resolution condemning Rush Limbaugh for denigrating U.S. troops was officially introduced<\/a> today. No word of when, or if, it’ll get a floor vote.<\/p>\n * Last week, Hillary Clinton disappointed many Dems when she endorsed the Kyl-Lieberman Amendment, which declared Iran’s military to be a terrorist organization. Yesterday, Clinton helped to redeem herself by joining with Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) to mandate that Bush seek congressional approval<\/a> before any confrontation with Iran. * Given how close the margin is, I’m glad the majority picked up another vote<\/a> toady to override Bush’s S-CHIP veto.<\/p>\n * AP<\/a>: “The National Archives gained a little power and presidents lost some in a federal judge’s ruling Monday about the fate of public records after presidents leave office. The ruling, by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of Federal District Court, involved a challenge to a 2001 executive order issued by President Bush.”<\/p>\n * Jack Goldsmith, the former head of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, explained the origins of * WaPo<\/a>: “While waiting to be confirmed by the White House for a top civilian post at the Air Force last year, Charles D. Riechers was out of work and wanted a paycheck. So the Air Force helped arrange a job through an intelligence contractor that required him to do no work for the company, according to documents and interviews.” (thanks to S.W. for the reminder)<\/p>\n * AP<\/a>: “A federal judge refused Friday to dismiss a defamation case against Rep. John P. Murtha and ordered the Pennsylvania Democrat to give a sworn deposition about his comments alleging ‘cold-blooded murder and war crimes’ by unnamed soldiers in connection with Iraqi civilian deaths. A Marine Corps sergeant is suing the 18-term congressman for making the charge, which the soldier claims is false. Murtha, who opposes the Iraq war, made the comment during a May, 2006 Capitol Hill news conference in which he predicted that a Pentagon war crimes investigation will show Marines killed dozens of innocent Iraqi civilians in Haditha in 2005.” (thanks to tAiO for the tip)<\/p>\n * Shortly after Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.) endorsed a “war tax” proposal, Speaker Pelosi nixed the idea<\/a>.<\/p>\n * Where was Giuliani during the debate at Morgan State about the concerns of the African-American community? He was with Bo Derek in Santa Barbara<\/a>. He’s a man of the people, you know.<\/p>\n
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\n* Any chance the president might come to his senses and support healthcare access for millions of uninsured children? Apparently not<\/a>. “President Bush ‘will veto’ legislation expanding a children’s health insurance program by $35 billion over five years despite Democratic pressure lobbying him to change his mind, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino reiterated Tuesday.” It will be the fourth veto of Bush’s presidency, all of which dealt with bills that enjoyed broad, bipartisan support.<\/p>\nhis<\/strike> the administration’s definition of torture. “It came from a health care statute designed to define the circumstances under which there was an emergency situation warranting health care benefits,” he answered<\/a>. He acknowledged today that was probably not a good idea.<\/p>\n