Although I didn't get a chance to post yesterday, I did get to do more reading than I had expected. So... before I get on to today's news, here are a few of the stories from yesterday that you shouldn't miss:
+ It's been over a year and a half since Katrina came ashore in New Orleans, and the Bush administration apparently still can't get the response right. Those new pumps the Army Corps of Engineers put in the floodwalls? That's right: they are defective. And yes, I do believe that the administration that has made Homeland Security its major priority should be held responsible for something like this.
+ TNR's Ryan Lizza has a great piece on Obama's days as a community organizer. I've always known the connection to Alinsky was there, but I've never seen it explored very deeply until now. Speaking of which, Dana Goldstein over at Tapped compares Obama's and Hillary's take on Alinsky's methods.
+ The US Attorney scandal continues to evolve quickly. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) sent the president 5 key questions that must be answered. Analysis by TPMMuckraker shows Gonzales is still lying about his involvement in the decision making process. Josh Marshall has more here.
+ Whether or not any other presidents have fired USA's mid-term is besides the point. It's not what happened that matters; its why. Digby and Salon provide good summaries. Short on time? Here's Digby's take in one sentence:
These prosecutors were removed because they failed to prosecute Democrats for political reasons --- or they insisted on prosecuting Republicans on corruption charges.
The only way to defend what they did is to suggest that the Dept. of Justice should serve political parties and not the people. Call me crazy, but I thought that was something only the bad guys and evildoers were supposed to do.
+ Clinton and Obama both spoke to AIPAC this past week. Apparently the Israeli lobby is quite unhappy with Barack. Why? Because he stated something that should be painfully obvious to anyone paying attention: "Nobody is suffering more than the Palestinian people.” Meanwhile, The American Conservative suggests that bloggers may be slowly diluting the power of the pro-Israeli forces in DC. I'll be honest: I've never understood why we let concerns about Israel drive so much of our foreign policy. It just doesn't make any sense.
+ Alan Simpson, the straight talking conservative former Senator from Wyoming, has weighed in on the debate over "don't ask, don't tell." An excerpt:
As a lifelong Republican who served in the Army in Germany, I believe it is critical that we review -- and overturn -- the ban on gay service in the military. I voted for "don't ask, don't tell." But much has changed since 1993.
My thinking shifted when I read that the military was firing translators because they are gay. According to the Government Accountability Office, more than 300 language experts have been fired under "don't ask, don't tell," including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. This when even Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently acknowledged the nation's "foreign language deficit" and how much our government needs Farsi and Arabic speakers. Is there a "straight" way to translate Arabic? Is there a "gay" Farsi? My God, we'd better start talking sense before it is too late. We need every able-bodied, smart patriot to help us win this war...Since 1993, I have had the rich satisfaction of knowing and working with many openly gay and lesbian Americans, and I have come to realize that "gay" is an artificial category when it comes to measuring a man or woman's on-the-job performance or commitment to shared goals. It says little about the person. Our differences and prejudices pale next to our historic challenge. Gen. Pace is entitled, like anyone, to his personal opinion, even if it is completely out of the mainstream of American thinking. But he should know better than to assert this opinion as the basis for policy of a military that represents and serves an entire nation. Let us end "don't ask, don't tell." This policy has become a serious detriment to the readiness of America's forces as they attempt to accomplish what is arguably the most challenging mission in our long and cherished history.
Bravo Senator.
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