Today’s edition of quick hits. <\/p>\n
* This<\/a> is pretty huge: “The top military and civilian leaders of the U.S. Air Force will be fired Thursday after a critical report regarding the mistaken transport of nuclear-tipped missiles, military sources said. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will ask Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley and Secretary Michael W. Wynne to resign after a report on the August flight in which a B-52 bomber crew mistakenly flew across the country with nuclear weapons, sources said.”<\/p>\n * Some very good advice<\/a>: “Barack Obama said Thursday he’s in no rush to pick a vice presidential candidate, telling CNN ‘everybody needs to settle down’ and let the vetting process run its course.”<\/p>\n * McCain’s trip to Florida was marked by some very<\/a> effective<\/a> criticisms from the Obama campaign over his opposition to a National Catastrophic Insurance Fund (a big issue in the hurricane-targeted Sunshine State). <\/p>\n * I know Bristol, Va., is on the southern end of Appalachia, and Appalachia is Obama’s worst-performing region, but locals seemed pretty excited<\/a> about seeing him this morning.<\/p>\n * Senate Republicans would rather “make political points<\/a>” than debate how best to combat global warming. How do we know? Because they admit it in private memos.<\/p>\n * Typical<\/a>: “As President Bush’s health chief, Tommy Thompson was criticized for not doing enough to help workers exposed to toxic debris from the Sept. 11 attacks at the World Trade Center. Now, a company he leads has won a $11 million contract to treat some of those workers who responded to New York’s ground zero.”<\/p>\n * Might Patrick Fitzgerald talk to Congress<\/a>?<\/p>\n * Major Clinton backers are, not surprisingly, rallying behind Obama<\/a> (including Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland<\/a>, who’s bound to get some serious VP consideration). * I suspect veterans of the war in Iraq with PTSD would find recovery easier if they weren’t in barracks across the street<\/a> from an Army infantry firing range. (thanks to reader K.Z.)<\/p>\n * VoteBoth really hasn’t formulated an effective strategy if Lanny Davis<\/a> is joining the team.<\/p>\n * To add a coda to a story<\/a> we’ve been following: “Two protesters who were inappropriately strip searched after protesting at a George W. Bush campaign rally in 2004 have been awarded $750,000. Alice McCabe and Christine Nelson had brought a civil suit related to their arrest and later strip search at the jail. An eight-member jury found Wednesday that the Secret Service took lawful action, but that a strip search at the Linn County Jail was not warranted because the women were being charged with a simple misdemeanor. McCabe was awarded $250,000 and Nelson $500,000. Charges against the women had already been dropped.” (thanks to B.D. )<\/p>\n * Wyden’s right; Rumsfeld should be held accountable<\/a>.<\/p>\n * It’s a great logo, and some terrific branding, but for McCain to steal Obama’s stuff<\/a> is just kind of cheap for a Republican presidential campaign.<\/p>\n * On a related note, I think the McCain campaign is taking “golf gear<\/a>” a little too seriously.<\/p>\n
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\n* Looks like Sen. Robert Byrd is headed home<\/a> from the hospital.<\/p>\n