Blue Radar

As I post each morning, here are some of the political stories thatmight not be worthy of their own posts, but are nonetheless newsworthy:

• Despite death threats, bodyguards of Iraqi judges are not allowed to carry weapons.
• Richard Jewell, falsely accused of playing a part in the 1996 Olympic bombing in Atlanta, was found dead in his Georgia home at the age of 44.  An autopsy is scheduled for today.
• Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) has lost all of his committee leadership posts, and many are calling on him to resign.
• Cartoon: Why Alberto Gonzales is really leaving.
• Yesterday on Hardball, correspondent David Shuster broke down Bush's bad week. 
• Hillary Clinton has agreed to return the $23,000 she received from a fundraiser who is wanted in the state of California for not showing up for sentencing on a grand theft charge.
• Democratic presidential candidate john Edwards is calling on all SUV owners to sacrifice their sport utility vehicles for more fuel efficient cars.
• Late-Wednesday on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, John McCain joked about his summer campaign struggles: "We are doing so poorly I thought maybe I would announce on this show that I'm running for president."
• John McCain's support in his home state is falling.  He barely leads other '08 Republican hopefuls in Arizona, with 24% of the vote.  In that same poll in April, he had 32%.  In February, he had 44%.
• In receiving the endorsement of the International Firefighters Association, Chris Dodd insisted that most voters have not made up their minds just yet, and he should not be counted out.  "The voters in Iowa and New Hampshire are still very much shopping," said Dodd.
• New Jersey Democrats (Strategic Vision): Clinton - 49%, Obama - 22%, Edwards - 8%, Richardson - 5%.

If we left something out, it's because we either wrote about ityesterday or are scheduled to do so in an individual post later today. Otherwise, feel free to add any stories in the commentbox.

Comments

[Jon]

Bodyguards without weapons
This war has been going on far to long. I didn't get shocked or shake my head about this one. The whole affair has been managed very poorly by US and Iraqi officials. Why should an issue this easy be done using common sense now?

Richard Jewell
As I started reading I had the feeling the sentence would end reporting his death. Very tragic indeed.

Hillary Clinton Returning Cash
Now if she'd just return all that special interest money from lobbyists she'd have chance of winning my vote.

McCain's joke and Support in his Home State
He should go sit in his rocking chair, fold a blanket over his knees and rock away in front of a fireplace.

Dodd's Delusion
People have made up there minds. Hilary will be the nominee unless she screws up something crucial. Even then its doubtful that people will be looking Dodd's way.

[Tony]

RE: "Despite death threats, bodyguards of Iraqi judges are not allowed to carry weapons."

It makes you wonder the real reasoning behind this. Perhaps The Ministry of the Interior wants easy access if the judges "day" should ever come?, or are they afraid one of the bodyguards will off the judge?. A bodyguard can ram a pencil in the judges eyeball, so that's probably not it. Here you have a country where EVERYONE gets a gun, kids, women...pretty much anyone that wants one.

Trying to uphold the law is a deadly job in Iraq. More than 30 judges have been killed in the line of duty in recent years, the Iraqi Higher Judicial Council disclosed this month.