Top Items:
CNN:
House panel defies Bush, votes for subpoenas … WASHINGTON (CNN) — House Democrats voted Wednesday to give their leaders the authority to force White House officials to testify on the firings of U.S. attorneys. — The House Judiciary subcommittee vote was to authorize subpoenas.
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Nico / Think Progress:
VIDEO: Former Reagan U.S. Attorney Blasts Administration Over Purge — As Atrios noted, former Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA), who served as a U.S. Attorney under President Reagan, appeared today on CNN. — Barr blasted the White House, saying "the integrity of the Department of Justice is being used …
New York Times:
House Panel Authorizes Subpoenas for Top Bush Aides — A House Judiciary subcommittee today authorized subpoenas for Karl Rove, President Bush's political adviser, and other senior White House officials in the investigation into the firing of eight United States attorneys.
Laurie Kellman / Associated Press:
House panel OKs Rove, Miers subpoenas — WASHINGTON - A House panel on Wednesday approved subpoenas for President Bush's political adviser, Karl Rove and other top White House aides, setting up a constitutional showdown over the firings of eight federal prosecutors.
Paul Kiel / TPMmuckraker:
An Email in The Gap — As Josh noted and The Politico reported last night, there appeared to be an 18-day gap in the emails released by the Justice Department Monday night, a gap right after Alberto Gonzales' chief of staff Kyle Sampson said that they should run the purge plan by the White House and Karl Rove in particular.
Christy Hardin Smith / Firedoglake:
Snow Job — It's getting deep at the White House. Tony Snow, during today's daily briefing just said that the President has no recollection of ever being asked about the US attorney firings. — And that the White House has made a "generous offer" of having WH staffers and DoJ folks …
Nico / Think Progress:
A second set of emails from the gap. — We've tracked down another set of emails during the 18-day gap (available HERE) between Kyle Sampson and Brent Ward, the head of the federal obscenity task force. In the emails, Ward complains about resistance from several U.S. Attorneys …
Discussion:
Salt Lake Tribune
Christy Hardin Smith / Firedoglake:
"The Math" — (Electoral college numbers map via The Talent Show.)
"The Math" — (Electoral college numbers map via The Talent Show.)
Newsdesk / The Swamp:
Snow swallows own old words — "What kinds of conversations does executive privilege protect?...What are the limits on privilege?'' a newspaper columnist wrote in the spring of 1998 on a subject strangely familiar today. — "Evidently, Mr. Clinton wants to shield virtually any communications …
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Lane Hudson / The Huffington Post:
Tony Snow: WH Asserts Privilege for Conversations That Never Took Place! — In the White House Press briefing that just concluded, press secretary Tony Snow said that he was not aware of the president being briefed on the US Attorney issue. He further said the president did not sign off on the firings.
epw.senate.gov:
GORE REFUSES TO TAKE PERSONAL ENERGY ETHICS PLEDGE — WASHINGTON, DC - Former Vice President Al Gore refused to take a "Personal Energy Ethics Pledge" today to consume no more energy than the average American household. The pledge was presented to Gore by Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) …
Discussion:
Hot Air, Washington Post, Ace of Spades HQ, Flopping Aces, NewsBusters.org, Riehl World View and Sister Toldjah
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Nedra Pickler / Associated Press:
Gore Implores Congress to Save Planet — WASHINGTON (AP) - Al Gore, who has reversed his political fortunes to become a potential contender in the 2008 presidential race, made an emotional return to Congress Wednesday in an appeal for an even more dramatic rescue—saving the planet.
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Susan Estrich / Fox News:
About Cathy Seipp — On Monday, her daughter Maia sent the e-mail that Cathy Seipp's friends and readers have long been dreading. Her mother was in the hospital, her lungs had collapsed, the doctors were trying to make her comfortable, she was passing peacefully.
Discussion:
Cathy's World
Steve Bainbridge / ProfessorBainbridge.com ®:
Mahoney Must Go — The LA Times reports: … Canon 387 of the Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church states that: … Can a Bishop who has lied to his flock on such a key mttner be said to be in compliance with Canon 387? No. Especially given Mahoney's long track record of other misfeasances …
Eli Lake / New York Sun:
Obama Rebuffs Soros — Billionaire's Comments on Aipac Are Scored — WASHINGTON — Leading Democrats, including Senator Obama of Illinois, are distancing themselves from an essay published this week by one of their party's leading financiers that called for the Democratic Party to …
Robert J. Samuelson / Washington Post:
Hollywood's Climate Follies — "My fellow Americans, people all over the world, we need to solve the climate crisis. It's not a political issue. It's a moral issue. We have everything we need to get started, with the possible exception of the will to act. That's a renewable resource.
Robert Salladay / Los Angeles Times:
Governor calls Limbaugh 'irrelevant' — Schwarzenegger's repudiation of the conservative talk show host comes as he is accused of betraying his party's values. — SACRAMENTO — After repeatedly being asked about his conservative critics, including talk show host Rush Limbaugh …