memeorandum: Stir in G.O.P. as Ex-Senator Moves to Run (New York Times)

1:25 AM ET, May 31, 2007

Top Items:

Thompson wants to be 2008's outsider — STAMFORD, Conn. — Politician-turned-actor Fred Thompson has been coy with audiences as he flirts with a bid for the Republican presidential nomination. — In an interview with USA TODAY, however, the former Tennessee senator not only makes it clear …

Discussion: CorrenteWire, Air America Radio, Sister Toldjah, Blue Crab Boulevard and No Silence Here

Mike Allen / The Politico:

Fred Thompson running for president — Fred Dalton Thompson is planning to enter the presidential race over the Fourth of July holiday, announcing that week that he has already raised several million dollars and is being backed by insiders from the past three Republican administrations, Thompson advisers told The Politico.

Susan Page / Tennessean.com:

Thompson says he plans to run, wants to be 2008's outsider — STAMFORD, Conn. — Politician-turned-actor Fred Thompson plans an unconventional campaign for president using blogs, video posts and other Internet innovations to reach voters repelled by politics-as-usual in both parties, he told USA Today.

Discussion: KnoxViews and BuzzFlash.org

David Boaz / NY Daily News:
Libertarians, beware the rigid reign of Rudy

Discussion: TalkLeft, Brian Beutler, Middle Earth Journal, New York Post, The Atlantic Online, Liberal Values, MSNBC, Balloon Juice, Reason Magazine and Michael P.F. van der Galiën

Michael D. Shear / Washington Post:
Fred Thompson to Form Presidential Committee

Discussion: TIME, The Caucus, Hot Air, Don Surber, Chicago Tribune, Captain's Quarters, Townhall.com, Booman Tribune and Connecting.the.Dots

New York Times:
Stir in G.O.P. as Ex-Senator Moves to Run

Discussion: Carol Platt Liebau

ArkansasTimes:

It's official — The U.S. Justice Department has notified Arkansas's congressional delegation that Interim Eastern District U.S. Attorney Tim Griffin is resigning effective Friday, June 1. Jane Duke will become acting U.S. attorney. (This is the assistant in the office who the Justice Department once …

Discussion: DownWithTyranny! and Watching Those We Chose

Amanda / Think Progress:

Rove-Protege Tim Griffin Resigns As U.S. Attorney — The Arkansas Times reports that the controversial U.S. attorney in Arkansas, Tim Griffin, has resigned: … Griffin, a former protege of Karl Rove, was formerly research director of the Republican National Committee.

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, My Two Sense and TIME: Swampland

Dan Eggen / Washington Post:
Justice Dept. Expands Probe To Include Hiring Practices

Discussion: The BRAD BLOG

Paul Kiel / TPMmuckraker:
WSJ: Former Rove Aide in Talks with Thompson Campaign

Discussion: ArkansasTimes and Facing South

Reuters:

Bush envisions U.S. presence in Iraq like S.Korea — Source: Reuters — President George W. Bush would like to see a lengthy U.S. troop presence in Iraq like the one in South Korea to provide stability but not in a frontline combat role, the White House said on Wednesday.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Jules Crittenden, The Road to Surfdom, The Carpetbagger Report, The Reaction, Shakesville, The Newshoggers, CorrenteWire and SamSederShow.com

David Stout / New York Times:
Bush Seeks to Double Spending for AIDS Program

Discussion: Hullabaloo

Don Surber: Iraq=Korea — Bush's insistence on amnesty for illegal aliens is terrible.

Rick Perlstein / commonsense.ourfuture.org:

E. coli conservatism (19): the ne plus ultra — Offered without comment. What is there possibly to say? … Oh, all right. One small comment. First, observe the contempt for liberty. When E. coli conservatives say self-regulation is preferable to government, they're even lying about that.

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, The Carpetbagger Report, Shakesville, Multi Medium and Seeing the Forest

Associated Press:

U.S. government fights to keep meatpackers from testing all slaughtered cattle for mad cow — WASHINGTON: The Bush administration said Tuesday it will fight to keep meatpackers from testing all their animals for mad cow disease. — The Agriculture Department tests fewer than 1 percent …

Discussion: QandO, Obsidian Wings, KnoxViews, Shakesville, Daily Kos, Instapundit.com and The Agonist

Leila Fadel / Real Cities:

Lieberman talks to troops in Baghdad — BAGHDAD, Iraq - Spc. David Williams, 22, of Boston, Mass., had two note cards in his pocket Wednesday afternoon as he waited for Sen. Joseph Lieberman. Williams serves in the 82nd Airborne Division from Fort Bragg, N.C., the first of the five "surge" …

Nico / Think Progress: Lieberman Confronted By Troops In Iraq: 'When Are We Going To Get Out Of Here?'

Kathleen Hennessey / Associated Press:

Clinton defends Iraq war funding vote — LAS VEGAS - White House hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday defended her vote against an Iraq war funding bill, saying she believes President Bush will begin withdrawing troops from Iraq soon. — The New York senator said she came …

Discussion: CorrenteWire

New York Times:
Hillary's War — On a Thursday afternoon in early May …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, theGarance.com and Inside Long Island Politics

David Weigel / Reason Magazine:

Our 44th President — Fred Thompson is so three hours ago. Via Ballot Access News comes new info about former Rep. Cynthia McKinney, last seen punching a Capitol Hill cop and then losing re-election: … Please note that she includes "impeachment of the president" among her potential campaign planks …

Discussion: Hot Air, The Sundries Shack, Washington Times and Wonkette

Rich Lowry / National Review:

Iraq—the Coming GOP Collapse? — Was talking to an influential Republican strategist who thinks if Iraq looks the way it does now in September, Bush will lose about 25 Senate Republicans on a bill with some sort of timetable for withdrawal.

Discussion: The Mahablog, Whiskey Fire, Liberal Values and Think Progress

Space News From SpaceDaily.Com:

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin Not Sure Global Warming A Problem — Michael Griffin NASA Administrator has told America's National Public Radio that while he has no doubt a trend of global warming exists "I am not sure that it is fair to say that it is a problem we must wrestle with."

Discussion: Balloon Juice and Daily Kos

Chris Achorn / My Two Sense:

Glenn Beck Ratings Report (May 21-25) — Glenn Beck's ratings for the week of May 21-25 were staggering in how low Beck's ratings have fallen. When you think his ratings have hit rock bottom, they manage to dig just a little lower. — These are the numbers are for the 7pm hour.

Discussion: DownWithTyranny! and Multi Medium

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:

The Romney Interview — I just finished my one-on-one exclusive interview with Governor Mitt Romney as we traveled between campaign stops in West Des Moines. The weather turned poor and we battled road noise, but in 15 minutes, Romney gave an impressive performance as a man with a solid grasp on policy …