The Iraq Blackwater Test  —  Depending on whether the Blackwater security firm stays in Iraq will inform us whether Prime Minister Maliki has any power or is just a U.S. puppet.  My money is on the puppet.  Over the weekend Blackwater contractors escorting a State Department/US Embassy Baghdad convoy got into a shoot out.

U.S. probing security firm's battle in Iraq  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — Iraq's Interior Ministry has revoked the license of Blackwater USA, an American security firm whose contractors are blamed for a Sunday gunbattle in Baghdad that left eight civilians dead.

Will Iraq Kick Out Blackwater?  —  TIME has obtained an incident report prepared by the U.S. government describing a fire fight Sunday in Baghdad in which at least eight Iraqis were reported killed and 13 wounded.  The deadly incident occurred when a convoy of U.S. personnel protected …

Meeting Mukasey  —  I wasn't going to post anything else on Mukasey, but come on guys and gals, there are gapping holes in what we know about him, and his supporters aren't helping matters.  Ed Whelen, a good friend who I admire deeply, tells us not to worry about Schumer and Aron's support for him.