Today’s edition of quick hits. <\/p>\n
* NYT<\/a>: “A panel of six military officers convicted a former driver for Osama bin Laden of one war crime Wednesday but acquitted him of another, completing the first military commission trial here and the first conducted by the United States since the end of World War II. In a stinging setback for the military prosecutors, the commission acquitted the former driver, Salim Ahmed Hamdan, of a conspiracy charge, arguably the more serious of two charges he faced. Mr. Hamdan\u2019s conviction came on a separate charge of providing material support for terrorism.”<\/p>\n * Officials sound like they’re done with the probe<\/a>: “Bruce Ivins, a suspect in the 2001 anthrax killings, was the custodian of a flask of a highly purified anthrax spores that had “certain genetic mutations identical to the anthrax used in the attacks,” according to court documents that were unsealed Wednesday.”<\/p>\n * This sounds encouraging<\/a>: “A federal grand jury has subpoenaed several former senior Justice Department attorneys for an investigation into the politicization of the Department’s own Civil Rights Division, according to sources close to the investigation. The extraordinary step by the Justice Department of subpoenaing attorneys once from within its own ranks was taken because several of them refused to voluntarily give interviews to the Department Inspector General, which has been conducting its own probe of the politicization of the Civil Rights Division, the same sources said.”<\/p>\n * House Republicans are already starting to triangulate against Bush<\/a>: “A House Republican leader is lambasting President Bush on his decision not to call Congress back into session to deal with the energy crisis. In a legislative update sent to GOP members and staff on Tuesday, Republican House Policy Committee Chairman Thaddeus McCotter (Mich.) accused “Beijing George” Bush of throwing House Republicans “under the bone-dry bus” on his way to the Olympics in China.”<\/p>\n * Mitt Romney was asked to name a single bill John McCain has produced in 26 years on energy independence. Romney responded, “I’m not a historian<\/a>.”<\/p>\n * The White House may be livid, but Ron Suskind stands by his work<\/a>.<\/p>\n * So long, Phill Kline<\/a>. Please stop seeking public office. * So tiresome<\/a>: “The latest is Rep. Frank Wolf of Virginia, who according to the Politico claimed that Cuba ‘has given a lease to the Chinese’ to drill in the Gulf of Mexico.”<\/p>\n * The Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins is the latest to get in on the China\u2019s-drilling-Cuba myth<\/a>.<\/p>\n * I can’t believe the AP actually ran this mistaken report<\/a>: \u201cNovak has been a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times for decades. He announced late last month he has a brain.\u201d<\/p>\n * The Auto Alliance — which represents BMW, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Mazda, Mercedez Benz, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota, and Volkswagen — seems to think<\/a> Obama is right about routine auto maintenance.<\/p>\n * All the major outlets will have someone moderating a debate this year except ABC News. Organizers swear it has nothing to do with<\/a> the Gibson\/Stephanopoulos debacle from a few months ago.<\/p>\n * Note to Jerome Corsi: when you fall in a ditch, stop digging<\/a>.<\/p>\n * Sorry, Zeitgeist, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) continues to solidify her reputation<\/a> as Congress’ looniest member.<\/p>\n * I agree, John Kerry has been very, very good<\/a> as an Obama surrogate.<\/p>\n * \u201c#dontgo” is many things, but I wouldn’t call it a “movement<\/a>.\u201d (thanks to Dale for the tip)<\/p>\n * I’ll never really understand why anyone considers Newt Gingrich<\/a> an intellectual.<\/p>\n
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\n* Sounds like the appropriate response<\/a>: “Pelosi released a ‘top 10 questions for the House GOP on energy,’ which includes slams like this: ‘When House Republicans were in the majority for 12 years, our dependence on foreign oil escalated. Why didn\u2019t House Republicans do something about America\u2019s energy independence to ensure we wouldn\u2019t reach the energy crisis we\u2019re in now?'”<\/p>\n