memeorandum: Rudy's Florida "Firewall"? (Chris Cillizza/The Fix)

1:00 AM ET, August 29, 2007

Top Items:

How Did News Outlets Miss Senator's Arrest for Nearly Three Months? — NEW YORK The revelation late Monday that Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) was arrested nearly three months ago for allegedly making sexual advances in a men's room raises the issue of how such an action could occur without the press reporting it.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Gay Orbit, Think Progress, The Democratic Daily, TVNewser, Daily Kos, Minnesota Monitor, TBogg, SteveAudio, Truthdig and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Slate:

SLATE EDITORS SQUABBLE ABOUT THE IDAHO SENATOR'S BATHROOM ARREST. — When the news of Sen. Larry Craig's arrest and guilty plea for lewd conduct broke Monday evening, it set off a vigorous e-mail squabble among Slate editors. Some of us thought the arrest was justified, others were appalled …

Discussion: News Hounds, Donklephant, Townhall.com, Captain's Quarters, baldilocks, D-Day, The Smoking Gun, Reason Magazine, bustardblog, Classical Values and OregonLive.com

ABCNEWS:

Craig to Hold Press Conference: Will He Resign? — Idaho Republican Is Expected to Discuss His Guilty Plea in Public Restroom Incident — Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, is seen during a 2006 hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. Craig pleaded guilty on Aug. 8, 2007, to misdemeanor disorderly conduct …

Discussion: The Politico, Hot Air, CNN, Pam's House Blend, The Democratic Daily, AMERICAblog and Wake up America

David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:

WHAT DID SEN. CRAIG ACTUALLY DO? — We've had lots of back and forth discussion here internally about what conduct by Sen. Craig in that Minneapolis airport restroom was actually illegal. We've posted the arrest report, so take a look and reach your own conclusions. — Leering stares, foot tapping, a lingering presence.

Discussion: NewWest, TPMmuckraker, Outside The Beltway, All Spin Zone, Macsmind, Liberal Values, The American Street, The Carpetbagger Report, IntoxiNation, Reason Magazine, D-Day, Balloon Juice, The Atlantic Online, HorsesAss.Org, UrbanGrounds and Idaho Statesman

Mark Murray / MSNBC:

Romney links Craig with Bill Clinton — From NBC's Mark Murray — In his interview on CNBC's Kudlow & Company (which will air later this afternoon), Mitt Romney had some sharp words for Sen. Larry Craig, who had endorsed the former Massachusetts governor's presidential campaign and was his Idaho chairman.

Discussion: The Caucus, The Raw Story, Norwegianity, On Deadline, The Corner, TIME, Greatscat! and The Right's Field

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

CRAIG'S CATCH-22 — Following up on David's post below on what Craig 'did', I have to imagine this was one of those catch-22s that Craig really had no way out of. I'm going to assume for the sake of the discussion that the gestures Craig is described as making are ones easily recognizable as soliciting sex.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Lawyers, Guns and Money and Stubborn Facts

Fox News:

Senator Larry Craig: 'I am Not Gay' — WASHINGTON — Sen. Larry Craig denied Tuesday that he did anything wrong but pleaded for forgiveness from Idahoans after being arrested in June in connection with a police sting operation in lewd conduct in a men's bathroom at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Discussion: Think Progress, NewsBusters.org, Associated Press, Sisyphus Shrugged, CNN Political Ticker, Macsmind, Flopping Aces, Firedoglake, D-Day, Gateway Pundit, The Democratic Daily and Hot Air

John Amato / Crooks and Liars:
Craig's Bathroom Bust Statement: "I am Not Gay!"

Discussion: Firedoglake, AMERICAblog, Idaho Values Alliance News, Comments From Left Field, The Reaction, Unqualified Offerings, TalkLeft and DownWithTyranny!

Elana Schor / The Hill:
Police: Craig was 'agitated, demeaning'

Discussion: On Deadline, CNN, Crooks and Liars, CNN Political Ticker, Wonkette and Balloon Juice

Logan Murphy / Crooks and Liars: 1999 Video: Republican Larry Craig Calls Bill Clinton "A Nasty, Bad Naughty Boy"

Matt / Think Progress:
Brownback on Craig: It's 'not good,' 'very odd.'

Discussion: The Right's Field, TPM Election Central and USA Today

Garance / theGarance.com:
Is Solicitation a Crime in Minnesota?

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns and Money

Washington Wire:
Sen. Craig: 'I Am Not Gay'

Discussion: Political Radar

Paul Kane / Washington Post:
Idaho Senator Asserts: 'I Never Have Been Gay'

Discussion: OregonLive.com

The Raw Story:

US PREPARING 'MASSIVE' MILITARY ATTACK AGAINST IRAN: STUDY — The United States has the capacity for and may be prepared to launch without warning a massive assault on Iranian uranium enrichment facilities, as well as government buildings and infrastructure, using long-range bombers and missiles, according to a new analysis.

Discussion: On Deadline, The Newshoggers, The American Street, Comments From Left Field, Democrats.com, At-Largely, "7.62mm Justice" ™, Shakespeare's Sister and Unqualified Offerings

Charles Bremner / Times of London:

Sarkozy talks of bombing if Iran gets nuclear arms — President Sarkozy called Iran's nuclear ambition the world's most dangerous problem yesterday and raised the possibility that the country could be bombed if it persisted in building an atomic weapon. — The French leader used tough …

Discussion: The Agonist, Telegraph, WorkingForChange, The Van Der Galiën Gazette and The Influence Peddler

Matt / Think Progress:

Fear-mongering Bush warns of Iranian 'nuclear holocaust.' — In his speech about Iraq to the American Legion today, President Bush warned that allowing Iran to pursue "technology that could lead to nuclear weapons threatens to put a region already known for instability and violence under the shadow of a nuclear holocaust."

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report, Middle Earth Journal, Comments From Left Field, The Sideshow and Brave New Films blog

White House:
President Bush Addresses the 89th Annual National Convention of the American Legion

Discussion: At-Largely, Take Our Country Back, Townhall.com and Wake up America

Olivier Knox / Agence France Presse:
US warns Iran over Iraq, nuclear program

Discussion: The Reaction, DownWithTyranny! and At-Largely

BBC:

US 'seizes Iranian group in Iraq' — Seven Iranians working for the Iranian Electricity Ministry have been arrested by US forces in Baghdad, the Iranian embassy says. — A spokesman told the BBC the embassy had contacted the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and would send a formal protest letter in the morning.

Discussion: At-Largely and Comments From Left Field

Edmund Blair / Reuters:
Iran says ready to fill vacuum in Iraq left by U.S.

Discussion: Sweetness & Light

Marc Santora / New York Times:

Republicans Plan to Penalize States on Primaries — The Republican National Committee plans to penalize at least four states holding early primaries, including New Hampshire and Florida, by refusing to seat at least half their delegates at the party's national convention in 2008, a party official said Tuesday.

Discussion: The Right's Field and eyeon08.com

Tim Padgett / Time:
Will Dean's War on Florida Backfire?

Discussion: MyDD and Sisyphus Shrugged

GottaLaff / Cliff Schecter:

Lieberman as next Attorney General? — That's what Marjorie Cohn is saying on The Thom Hartmann Show. The talk started a few hours ago, from what they're saying. (not that it didn't occur to any of us earlier, but it's going around now) Per Cohn: — It would stop the Senate investigations dead in their tracks.

Discussion: Swing State Project, Booman Tribune, Comments From Left Field, No More Mister Nice Blog, Middle Earth Journal and Left in the West

Atrios / Eschaton:

Lay Off Miss Teen S.C. — I don't know if she's dumb as a stone or if she just understandably had a bit of a brain fart. I've got a Ph.D and I probably had moments like that in public. Either way she's just a young woman whose worst moment wasn't appreciably worse than the regular outbursts of our commander in chief.

Discussion: The Talent Show