Today’s edition of quick hits.<\/p>\n
* The House Ethics Committee officially opened<\/a> an expansive investigation into Foley sex scandal this afternoon, approving nearly four dozen subpoenas for witnesses and documents. The committee’s chairman, Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.), said a newly formed subcommittee’s investigation “will go wherever our evidence leads us.”<\/p>\n * A few moments later, Hastings, who got the job because Hastert gave it to him, undermined his own objectivity<\/a> when he declared, “I think the Speaker has done an excellent job.”<\/p>\n * If TV preacher Pat Robertson didn’t exist, we’d have to invent him<\/a>.<\/p>\n * NRCC Chairman Tom Reynolds is now losing<\/a> in his own district.<\/p>\n * Thanks to all of you who sent me supportive emails about having been quoted<\/a> in the WaPo print edition today.<\/p>\n * George Will<\/a> wrote today, “If, after the Foley episode — a maraschino cherry atop the Democrats’ delectable sundae of Republican miseries — the Democrats cannot gain 13 seats, they should go into another line of work.” Similarly, Newsweek’s Howard Fineman<\/a> wrote, “If the Democrats can’t take the Hill now, they deserve to go the way of the Whigs.” I’m almost inclined to agree with both of them.<\/p>\n * If you’re like me, and want to read Woodward’s “State of Denial” but haven’t had time yet, Slate’s John Dickerson does a terrific job relaying many of the highlights<\/a>. * The Dow Jones Industrial Average reached an all-time high this week — sort of<\/a>. If you want to get all reality-based about it, the Dow is still 17% below its 2000 peak once inflation is taken into account.<\/p>\n * As much as I’m enjoying covering the Foley scandal, Sen. Feingold is still absolutely right: Foley is nothing compared to Iraq<\/a>.<\/p>\n * I realize the political world never really seems to care about Bush’s signing statements — it’s my favorite poli sci story of this presidency — but the Boston Globe’s Charlie Savage deserves some kind of award for his coverage<\/a> of the issue.<\/p>\n * My other favorite poli sci story of this presidency is the abandonment of congressional oversight. The American Prospect’s Robert Kuttner has a great piece<\/a> on the subject this week.<\/p>\n * How many congressional candidates have scrambled to check their websites for pictures of their candidate and Mark Foley? How many haven’t<\/i>?<\/a><\/p>\n
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\n* Republicans hate it when Democratic lawmakers say the troops are overextended and under-equipped. Of course, Dems appear a lot more in touch when U.S. troops say the exact same thing<\/a>.<\/p>\n