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:

• Six years ago from Monday, President Bush received a letter while on vacation, titled, "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US."
• For the first time in four decades, the top intelligence official, not the Judicial Branch of government, will decide whose communications can be monitored.  This is part of the latest intelligence bill, which was passed by the Democratic Congress over the weekend.
• The House passed an amendment to prevent the public disclosure of items in the Intelligence Budget.  (Yes, and these were Democrats)
• In a radio interview on Monday, conservative columnist Robert Novak said he no longer supports this Administration.  Listen here.
• In the August 13th edition of the New Yorker, columnist Jane Mayer analyzes some of the specific interrogation methods used on detainees and whether they produce credible intelligence.  (Sit back.  Grab some coffee or hot chocolate.  If you are in Florida, try a fruit smoothie.  Read all of this story.  It is well worth it.)
• Five Cabinet ministers loyal to Iraq's first post-Saddam Hussein leader announced a boycott of all government meetings.
• Rudolph Giuliani's daughter supports Barack Obama for president.
• The gloves came off on Monday.  Both John Edwards and Barack Obama criticized Hillary Clinton's statement at the Yearly Kos Convention, in which she refused to promise not to take money from DC lobbyists.  "If you don't think lobbyists have too much influence in Washington,then I believe you've probably been in Washington too long," said Obama.  Edwards chimed in as well: "Democratic candidates, and for that matter all candidates, should justsay we're not taking these peoples' money anymore because it's the wayto take their power away from them, and it's the way to bring about thechange that this country needs."
• National Democrats (USA Today): Clinton - 48%, Obama - 26%, Edwards - 13%.  (Again though, this is somewhat irrelevant because in the early voting states, the race is deadlocked.  Usually in these national polls it comes down to name recognition.)

If we left anything out, feel free to add any stories in the commentbox.

Comments

[granny]

Poor Robert Novak: doesn't get invited to White House dinners anymore. That entire piece of whining was about Robert Novak.