The Unification Church has now released its first official statement on the turmoil at the Washington Times.

Makes Kremlinology look like simple addition.

Former Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) was sentenced today to 13 years in federal prison for his conviction on corruption charges.

Sen. Webb (D-VA) responds to Holder announcement on trials for KSM and others ...

"I have never disputed the constitutional authority of the President to convene Article III courts in cases of international terrorism. However, I remain very concerned about the wisdom of doing so. Those who have committed acts of international terrorism are enemy combatants, just as certainly as the Japanese pilots who killed thousands of Americans at Pearl Harbor. It will be disruptive, costly, and potentially counterproductive to try them as criminals in our civilian courts.

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Rudy Giuliani is right now being interviewed on the Cavuto show -- yeah, I know, just stop now. And it's amazing the utter contempt this man has for the American justice system. I can't even begin to dig out of the pile of nonsense he's spewing. But we'll have some of the video for you in a few moments.

I will give Rudy credit for realizing that the most important thing about fighting terrorism is the catch-phrases we use to describe it.

See the video after the jump.

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TPM Reader LL, in saltier language than I'll use, laments that the trial of KSM et al. won't take place in his home state of Texas because he's not sure he can rely on a New York jury to give them the death penalty. So he's sorry that the Governor of Texas is too scared to bring them to Texas.

President Obama stops briefly at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska (peers at Russia) on his trip to Asia.

Just a few minutes ago, at a Federalist Society conference in DC, fmr. AG Michael Mukasey slammed Attorney General Holder for his decision to bring key 9/11 plotters to New York for trial. Holder's plan "creates a cornucopia of intelligence for those still at large and a circus for those being tried," said Mukasey.

The Danville, Virginia Tea Party organization has announced a "Fired Up for Freedom" rally at which they'll burn Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA) in effigy, along with Speaker Pelosi.

No end to the crazy.

I'm so old I can remember when ritualized symbolic execution of public officials wasn't cool.

While Greg Craig's departure as White House counsel has been rumored for weeks, the precise reason for his leaving remains publicly unknown even after today's announcement of his resignation.

Into that void leaps Rep. Steve King (R-IA) who claims that Bob Bauer is being brought in as Craig's replacement to help cover up the alleged ties between Obama and ... ACORN.

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), whose district includes both TPM HQ and Ground Zero, issued this statement on today's announcement ...

"I thank the Department of Justice and Attorney General Eric Holder for their diligent efforts to bring to justice those who have committed acts of terrorism against the United States. In particular, I applaud the decision to bring those individuals responsible for the attack on the World Trade Center to New York to face trial in our federal courts. New York is not afraid of terrorists, we want to confront them, we want to bring them to justice, and we want to hold them accountable for their despicable actions.

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Who can blame Palin for trashing the McCain folks? What have they ever done for her?

Perry beating Hutchison by 11 points in the Texas GOP primary, says Rasmussen.

Nothing like a good lunar science newsbreak.

Election Years: When Dems fete centrist and center-right Dems for claiming new territory in red states.

Off Years: When Dems pillory centrist and center-right Dems for foot-dragging on major policy initiatives.

Here's something to make you pause and take stock of the limits of our knowledge:

NASA today opened a new chapter in our understanding of the moon. Preliminary data from the Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, indicates that the mission successfully uncovered water during the Oct. 9, 2009 impacts into the permanently shadowed region of Cabeus cater near the moon's south pole.

The impact created by the LCROSS Centaur upper stage rocket created a two-part plume of material from the bottom of the crater. The first part was a high angle plume of vapor and fine dust and the second a lower angle ejecta curtain of heavier material. This material has not seen sunlight in billions of years.

Exciting stuff.

The Obama Office of Personnel Management has issued new regulations to crack down on the notorious process of 'burrowing in'. That is, political appointees who try to worm their way into the permanent civil service.

The new regs have caused a storm on the right with wingers arguing that it's the beginning of a purge of Bushies who did this under the Bush administration -- and though the practice is by no means new, the Bush administration was particularly egregious at it. When we first looked at the story I was interested to see whether this was actually the case because it would pose a really interesting and important question about how to balance contending interests in good government. On the one hand, the Bush administration did this so egregiously, a lot of these folks probably should be removed. On the other hand, doing so would set a very troubling precedent, with each new administration, potentially, beginning with a review of new federal bureaucrats whose views they don't like.

Alas, it turns out that this isn't even what the administration is doing. So the right-wing criticism seems to be bunk, thus depriving us of an interesting reporting question.

I didn't live in New York on 9/11, though my wife did and was down there near the base of the buildings before they fell. I moved here in 2004. But as someone who lives here with his family, someone who's made his life here, I feel really good that the masterminds of the 9/11 attacks are going to be brought back here to the scene of the crime to face justice as criminals. This isn't just a matter of wanting to see punishment. It also vindicates our system of justice and values -- and for it all to happen here, the scene of the crime, among the people of this city, not out on some island or in some secret jail.

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Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart bid farewell to the man, the legend, and the award-winning xenophobe: Lou Dobbs.

There was some word the CBO would come back today with its scoring of the Senate Democrats' health care bill. But we've just found out it won't be today but is expected next week.

A lot will pivot on what CBO says.