memeorandum: HEAD COUNT — Sure, Britain's still in. But what about Mongolia? (Nick Curran/RADAR)

3:10 AM ET, June 14, 2007

Top Items:

The Progressive Case for a Libby Pardon — All the views expressed in this post are those of the author and not of any client of his firm. — Until a very short while ago, few had heard of Scooter Libby. Today, still not a celebrity with the larger public, he carries on his shoulders …

Discussion: TIME: Swampland, Firedoglake, Daily Kos, TalkLeft, American Prospect, Jules Crittenden, FRAMESHOP, Taylor Marsh, Blog P.I., The Moderate Voice and The Atlantic Online

Digby / Hullabaloo:

Bubblicious — Can someone tell me what hold Scooter Libby has on everyone in Washington that he can even get Barack Obama's general counsel to go to bat for him? Pictures? Videos? What? … Well, that's a slick argument — if you happen to be a 12 year old. (General counsel? Really?)

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Lawyers, Guns and Money, The Sideshow and The American Street

Greg Sargent / Election Central:

Obama Opposes Libby Pardon — Via Atrios, Obama campaign general counsel Robert Bauer caused the Senator some trouble today by writing a piece on the Huffington Post blog arguing for a pardon for Scooter Libby. Presumably not a popular position among Dems. — So we just asked the Obama campaign where he stood on a pardon.

Discussion: Comments From Left Field, DownWithTyranny!, Firedoglake and TalkLeft

Bill Roggio / The Fourth Rail:

Samarra Mosque bombing suspects identified; reports of violence — Samarra provincial police force members detained as unconfirmed reports of attacks on mosques, shrines surface — The Iraqi police have made arrests in this morning's twin bombings of the al-Askaria mosque's remaining minarets.

Discussion: Multi-National Force, kuna.net.kw, IraqSlogger.com and The Belmont Club

StrategyPage:
Why The Most Important Stuff Is Not Reported

Discussion: The Strata-Sphere

Ann Scott Tyson / Washington Post:
No Drop in Iraq Violence Seen Since Troop Buildup

Discussion: Balloon Juice

John F. Burns / New York Times:
Efforts to Avert Sectarian Reprisals After Shrine Attack

Discussion: IraqSlogger.com

ABCNEWS:

Music Video Has a 'Crush on Obama' — Risqué YouTube Song Takes Obama Campaign by Surprise — An amusing, risqué music video, featuring a nubile young woman breathlessly singing her love for presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., appeared on the Web this week.

Discussion: The Caucus, The Atlantic Online, Oliver Willis, Connecting.the.Dots and Political Punch

Katharine Q. Seelye / New York Times:
Clearly, YouTube — The quadrennial ritual of presidential debates …

Discussion: Wonkette and The American Princess

Paul Kiel / TPMmuckraker:

Specter to White House: Let's Make a Deal — Here's Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Arlen Specter (R-PA) on the floor of the Senate today making an offer to the White House for a compromise: — The standing offer from the White House is that congressional investigators interview White House aides …

Discussion: CNN

Associated Press:

Iran moves to execute porn stars … TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's parliament on Wednesday voted in favor of a bill that could lead to death penalty for persons convicted of working in the production of pornographic movies. — With a 148-5 vote in favor and four abstentions …

Discussion: Neptunus Lex, The Reaction and protein wisdom

Greg Gordon / Real Cities:

Ex-Justice Dept. lawyer can't recall his role in controversial policies — WASHINGTON - Another former Justice Department lawyer went before Congress on Wednesday with few answers for his Democratic interrogators and a spotty memory. — Hans von Spakovsky, who's seeking a full six-year term …

Discussion: The Politico, Washington Monthly and Election Law

Neil A. Lewis / New York Times: Justice Dept. Reshapes Its Civil Rights Mission

Charles Malik / Lebanese Political Journal:

Assassination at Nejmeh - I was there — This is the closest I've been. — I was 50m from this attack. — We were in a cafe next to Luna Park enjoying the late afternoon next to the sea after an intense day. — Children were playing on the equipment under the setting sun.

Discussion: From Beirut to the Beltway, Blacksmiths of Lebanon, Atlas Shrugs and The Populist

Azi Paybarah / New York Observer:

A Rap Legend Digs Hillary—Also, Obama — Run-D.M.C. founding member likes Clinton 'because it's gangsta' — Darryl McDaniels walked outside of the swanky Capitale nightclub in Manhattan last week, flipped his phone closed, and announced to a handful of reporters that he had come …

Discussion: Too Sense

Agence France Presse:

Iraq surge a failure, top Democrats tell Bush — Top US congressional Democrats bluntly told President George W. Bush Wednesday that his Iraq troop "surge" policy was a failure. — Senate Majority leader Harry Reid and House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi challenged the president …

Discussion: National Review, Wizbang, Associated Press, Macsmind, Truthdig and JammieWearingFool

Rasmussen Reports:

Poll: Voters Want Smaller Steps to Immigration Reform With Focus on Enforcement — Just 20% of American voters want Congress to try and pass the immigration reform bill that failed in the Senate last week. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 51% would like their legislators to …

Discussion: Bloomberg, Los Angeles Times, Iowa Voice, The Reaction, Blue Crab Boulevard, protein wisdom, Rasmussen Reports, Hot Air and Donklephant

Amy Sherman / Florida Today:

Rush Limbaugh in hurricane info tempest — S. Florida county may drop radio station as official storm broadcast site — FORT LAUDERDALE — If it truly wants to be Broward County's official hurricane radio station, here's what WIOD (610 AM) needs to do: — Fire Rush Limbaugh.

Discussion: Sun-Sentinel, The Radio Equalizer, NewsBusters.org and JammieWearingFool

Scott Lilly / Center for American Progress:

When Chutzpah is an Understatement — About 30 years ago the Hunt Brothers came close to cornering the world market on silver. But where they failed House Republican leaders have succeeded. They have clearly established a corner on the market in political brass.

Discussion: The Politico, Think Progress and New York Times

Mike Soraghan / The Hill:

DoD braces for a fight with Pelosi — Pentagon officials are bracing for a fight with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) over her desire to allow lawmakers' adult children to tag along on taxpayer-funded travel for free. — Pelosi wants them to be able to fill the role of lawmakers' spouses …

Discussion: Bluey Blog and Outside The Beltway

Los Angeles Times:

Research shows Hilton prison time longer than most — Paris Hilton will end up serving more time behind bars than the vast majority of inmates sent to Los Angeles County jail for similar offenses, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis of jail records. — Whether Hilton received special treatment …

Discussion: TalkLeft and Washington Monthly

Calev Ben-Dor / Jerusalem Post:

Analysis: Hamas victory could be an opportunity for Israel — Despite Israel's natural inclination to view Hamas's military victory over Fatah forces in Gaza with despair, the movement's complete control over the Gaza Strip might not be as bad as we fear. In fact, it may offer the best opportunity …

Discussion: Associated Press and Power Line

Carrie Budoff / The Politico:

GOP issues rules to avoid Macaca moments — The Macaca moment has morphed into an official learning tool for the Republican establishment. — It's right there, on pages 18 and 22 of an Internet guide from the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee that its chairman, Sen. John Ensign …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters

John Harwood / Wall Street Journal:

Bleak Mood Drags Down Support for Bush, Congress — An increasingly gloomy political environment has soured Americans on President Bush and Congress, scrambled the Republicans' 2008 field, and strengthened Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton's lead, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.

Discussion: The Agonist, Liberal Values and Taegan Goddard's …