memeorandum: Domenici wants new, reduced U.S. mission in Iraq (Heath Haussamen on New Mexico Politics)

5:25 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 …, MSNBC, The Daily Background, 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

CNN:
White House: Clinton shameless on Libby

Discussion: bustardblog and Angry Bear

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

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

Heath Haussamen on New Mexico Politics:

Domenici wants new, reduced U.S. mission in Iraq — U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici has decided to support a redeployment of many American troops from Iraq by March 2008 as part of a new, reduced mission in that war-torn country. — The GOP senator from New Mexico announced today that he has decided …

Discussion: Think Progress, DownWithTyranny! and The Carpetbagger Report

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

The Raw Story:

Top Democrat endorses Hillary — Former House Majority Leader and 2004 presidential contender Dick Gephardt (D-MO) will endorse Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) this afternoon in her bid for the presidency, according a senior campaign aide. A spokesman for the campaign confirmed the claim to RAW STORY this morning.

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, The Gun Toting Liberal™ and Wonkette

Karen Tumulty / TIME: Swampland: Dick Gephardt Endorses Hillary Clinton

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, Rasmussen Reports, The Moderate Voice, DownWithTyranny!, 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, Firedoglake, Middle Earth Journal, Moon of Alabama, Outside The Beltway, 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, Pollster.com, Redstate, Donklephant, The Carpetbagger Report and Eduwonk.com

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

David Usborne / The Independent:

Guantanamo inmates allowed film nights and gardening — A holiday camp it plainly will never be but the American officers running the Guantanamo Bay compound in Cuba are taking steps to make the lives of its detainees marginally more tolerable with recreational treats such as once-a-week film nights and limited access to television.

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