memeorandum: White House accuses Clintons of hypocrisy in Libby case (Matt Spetalnick/Reuters)

5:50 PM ET, July 5, 2007

Top Items:

Tony Snow / USA Today:

President respects justice — So he lifted excessive sentence but left convictions, fine, probation. — President Bush commuted part of Lewis Libby's sentence because he considered a 30-month stretch in prison too severe. Libby was convicted of obstruction of justice and perjury …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Carpetbagger Report, Happy Furry Puppy Story …, The Daily Background, MSNBC, Think Progress, The Heretik, Sentencing Law and Policy, White Collar Crime Prof Blog and New York Times

Mark Murray / MSNBC:

LIBBY PAYS $250,000 FINE — From NBC's Joel Seidman and Mark Murray — Convicted former top White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby has paid the fine of $250,400.00. The U.S. District Court has posted the canceled check on the docket this afternoon. (Our question: Where did Libby get this money to write this hefty check?)

Discussion: Think Progress, The Huffington Post and Firedoglake

Paul Kiel / TPMmuckraker:

White House: "Equal Justice?" — Sometimes it's just too easy. From this afternoon's White House press briefing: … More below.... From the briefing:

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Talking Points Memo and The Carpetbagger Report

Bob Geiger:

GOP Senators Who Voted For Clinton Impeachment Dead Silent On Libby — Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) was aghast. He was indignant as hell about how having a high public official involved in something like perjury and obstruction of justice can damage the very foundation on which our nation was built …

Discussion: Think Progress

The Smoking Gun:

Libby Pays The Man — Sentence commuted, convicted felon scoots to take care of 250K fine — On the same day that President George W. Bush wiped away his 30-month prison sentence, convicted former White House aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby purchased a $250,400 cashier's check to cover fines imposed …

Discussion: Wonkette

CNN:

White House: Clinton shameless on Libby — WASHINGTON (CNN) — White House spokesman Tony Snow fired back at former President Bill Clinton after Clinton charged that the Bush administration believes the law is a "minor obstacle" in the "Scooter" Libby case.

Discussion: bustardblog

Michael Kinsley / New York Times:
The Lying Game — WHEN the Republicans in Congress impeached …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Greg Mankiw's Blog, Booman Tribune, Multi Medium, The Carpetbagger Report, Balkinization, Commentary, Captain's Quarters, EconLog and Salon

Matt Spetalnick / Reuters:
White House accuses Clintons of hypocrisy in Libby case

Discussion: PSoTD

Dan Froomkin / Washington Post:
What Was Bush Thinking? — President Bush apparently doesn't feel …

Discussion: TalkLeft, Democrats.com and Sentencing Law and Policy

Paul Kane / Washington Post:

Domenici Breaks with Bush War Policy — Sen. Pete Domenici (N.M.), a 36-year Republican veteran of the Senate, abandoned President Bush's Iraq war policy today by publicly endorsing legislation designed to withdraw nearly all U.S. troops from Iraq by March 2008.

Discussion: Hot Air

Eric Kleefeld / Election Central:
Domenici Breaks With White House, Calls For Implementing ISG Recommendations

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Michael P.F. van der Galiën

Izhar Wani / Agence France Presse:

Muslim 'Rage Boy' says he's really angry — SRINAGAR, India (AFP) - He has become the face of Muslim fury: an angry young man whose bushy beard and fiery-eyed scowl take centre stage at nearly every pro-Islamic demonstration in Indian Kashmir. — Shakeel Bhat, 31, has been displaying …

Discussion: The Jawa Report, Jihad Watch, Gateway Pundit and Weasel Zippers

Little Green Footballs:
Rage Boy: The Interview

Discussion: Riehl World View, TigerHawk, Solomonia and Hot Air

John Steel / Telegraph:

45 Muslim doctors planned US terror raids — A group of 45 Muslim doctors threatened to use car bombs and rocket grenades in terrorist attacks in the United States during discussions on an extremist internet chat site. — Police found details of the discussions on a site run by one of a three-strong "cyber-terrorist" gang.

Discussion: Jules Crittenden, GINA COBB, Outside The Beltway, NewsBusters.org, Captain's Quarters, ThreatsWatch, JammieWearingFool, Michael P.F. van der Galiën, Jihad Watch, Confederate Yankee and Townhall.com

Rasmussen Reports:

Election 2008: Clinton, Thompson Tied — Clinton (D) 46% Romney (R) 42% — The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds New York Senator Hillary Clinton (D) tied with former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson (R) in an Election 2008 match-up. Both candidates attract support from 45% of voters.

Discussion: Charleston Daily Mail, The Moderate Voice, DownWithTyranny!, Rasmussen Reports, Pajamas Media, The Corner, PoliPundit.com, UrbanGrounds and Bluey Blog

David S. Broder / Washington Post:

A Mob-Rule Moment — Former senator Fred Thompson has begun his unannounced quest for the Republican presidential nomination by telling audiences in New Hampshire that Washington is badly out of touch with the country. — As a senior campaign adviser put it to The Post's Michael Shear …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Heading Right, Captain's Quarters, The Mahablog, Michael P.F. van der Galiën, Sirotablog, Firedoglake, Middle Earth Journal, Outside The Beltway, Moon of Alabama, Corrente, Sadly, No!, The Impolitic, Booman Tribune and The Heretik

Chris Cillizza / Washington Post:

Romney's Data Cruncher — In late 2002, Alex Gage sold his share of a well-established polling firm and set about convincing Karl Rove that he had the answer to ensuring President Bush's reelection. — His pitch was simple: Take corporate America's love affair with learning everything …

Discussion: MyDD, Redstate, Pollster.com, Donklephant, The American Mind, The Carpetbagger Report and Eduwonk.com

The Atlantic Online:

Gary Hart, Lynne Cheney, and War with China — I mentioned this yesterday in the (somewhat-insiderish) realm of the Atlantic's "Aspen Ideas Festival" blog, but the point seemed worth repeating in this marginally more public venue. The item appears after the jump, or at this link.

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns and Money and Ezra Klein

Washington Post:

Paganism May Not Pass Religious Muster — It is debatable whether paganism is a religion, per say. It is generally defined as a pre-Christian state, but it takes a wide variety of forms—all the way from relatively benign New Age-style nature worship, to pantheism, to witchcraft, and even human sacrifice.

Discussion: BlondeSense, The Newshoggers and Shakesville