memeorandum: Making a list of reasons for firing U.S. attorneys (Richard A. Serrano/Los Angeles Times)

7:55 PM ET, March 21, 2007

Top Items:

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.

Discussion: Multi Medium

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: Multi Medium

Robert Gehrke / Salt Lake Tribune:

E-mail complaints show Ward's frustration with smut campaign — WASHINGTON - In a frank e-mail exchange, Brent Ward complained to senior Justice Department officials about resistance from several U.S. Attorneys to prosecuting obscenity cases. — Those complaints apparently contributed to the later …

Discussion: Angry Bear

Richard A. Serrano / Los Angeles Times:
Making a list of reasons for firing U.S. attorneys

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications, JustOneMinute, The Carpetbagger Report, TPMmuckraker and Wizbang

Arizona Republic:
Renzi inquiry at issue in ouster

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report and Shakespeare's Sister

Associated Press:
House panel OKs Rove, Miers subpoenas

Discussion: protein wisdom, Hot Air and Patterico's Pontifications

New York Times:
Ousted California Prosecutor Previously Had Disputes on Strategy

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Macsmind and The Mahablog

Bob Geiger:
Study: White House Guilty Of "Political Profiling"

Discussion: JustOneMinute, The Agonist and Michael P.F. van der Galiën

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.

Discussion: Washington Post, Center for American Progress, Neptunus Lex, State of the Day, ACSBlog, Riehl World View, Unfogged, The Volokh Conspiracy and The Democratic Daily

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 …

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report, Shakespeare's Sister and U.S. Newswire

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.

Discussion: The Raw Story, Redstate, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES and Pam's House Blend

Laurie Kellman / Associated Press:
House panel OKs Rove, Miers subpoenas

Discussion: Firedoglake, Gateway Pundit, 2Millionth Web Log, DownWithTyranny!, The Gun Toting Liberal ™, NewsHog, Stop The ACLU, The Carpetbagger Report and All Spin Zone

MSNBC:
House panel subpoenas White House aides

Discussion: Political Radar and TPMmuckraker

Adam Liptak / New York Times:
The White House and Congress Seem Headed Toward a Familiar Collision

Discussion: White House Watch, The Carpetbagger Report, Law Blog and Reason Magazine

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.

Lewis Fein / Cathy's World:

In Praise of Susan Estrich, and In Memory of the Loss of Cathy — We lost Cathy at 2:05 PM today. May her memory last, her family persevere and her friends endure this terrible loss. We'll all have more to write shortly, but for now I'd like to truly praise Susan Estrich.

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications, Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler and Dr. Helen

Valerie J. Nelson / Los Angeles Times:

Catherine Seipp, 49; critic took on Times — Catherine Seipp, a writer and media critic who became known in the 1990s for her pointed coverage of the Los Angeles Times in Buzz magazine, has died. She was 49. — Seipp, a nonsmoker who was diagnosed with lung cancer five years ago …

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.

Discussion: QandO, Right Wing Champ and Cafe Hayek

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, Ace of Spades HQ, Washington Post, Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler, Flopping Aces, Riehl World View, NewsBusters.org and Sister Toldjah

Jan Lopatka / Reuters:
Czech leader Klaus fights global warming 'religion'

Discussion: Sister Toldjah, CNN Political Ticker and Don Surber

David Roberts / The Huffington Post:
Al Gore's Legislative Recommendations to the House

Discussion: Gristmill and time-blog.com

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 …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Pam's House Blend, The Democratic Daily and digg

Lane Hudson / The Huffington Post:
Tony Snow: WH Asserts Privilege for Conversations That Never Took Place!

Discussion: Think Progress and The Carpetbagger Report

Arianna Huffington / The Huffington Post:

Who Created "Hillary 1984"? Mystery Solved! — For the last two weeks, the Internet has been buzzing about the hottest online mystery since lonelygirl15: who was behind the "Hillary 1984" video mashup? — Some suspected right wing SwiftBoaters. Some speculated it was the work of disaffected Democratic consultants.

Discussion: techPresident, the david all group, Chicago Sun Times, runobama.com, The Fix, Mouth of the Potomac and On Deadline

New York Post: HILL LAUGHS OFF 'BIG BROTHER'

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:

Colorado Senate: Leading Republican to Exit Race — UPDATE, 6:30 p.m. ET: McInnis made it official this afternoon, releasing a statement to the press that the race wasn't right for his family. McInnis's departure leaves Republicans without an obvious candidate, although chatter surrounding …

Discussion: Denver Post, DownWithTyranny!, Daily Kos, MyDD and Senate 2008 Guru

M.E. Sprengelmeyer / Rocky Mountain News:
McInnis won't run for Senate

Discussion: MyDD, Slapstick Politics and Senate 2008 Guru

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 …