CNN‘s John Roberts: “Typically Middle East conflicts don’t usually have much of an affect on us here in the United States, but the world is changing.”

And this guy didn’t get the CBS anchor job? Go figure.

Special thanks to TPM Reader SC.

Here’s a shocker:

An independent investigation has found that imprisoned former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham took advantage of secrecy and badgered congressional aides to help slip items into classified bills that would benefit him and his associates.

The finding comes from Michael Stern, an outside investigator hired by the House Intelligence Committee to look into how Cunningham was able to carry out the scheme. Stern is working with the committee to fix vulnerabilities in the way top-secret legislation is written, said congressional officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the committee still is being briefed on Stern’s findings.
. . .
Stern has told the committee that Cunningham’s efforts to steer business to friends and associates were far worse in the spending bills written by the House Appropriations Committee than those written by the House Intelligence Committee, congressional officials say. But the intelligence panel that draws up the blueprint for spending by the government’s spy agencies was not immune to his misdeeds.

Following up on the post below about Duke Cunningham’s escapades while on the House intelligence committee (as opposed to his better known misdeeds as a member of the Appropriations Committee), pay special attention to this remark from Intel Chair Pete Hoekstra:

Hoekstra said [investigator] Stern, as a final step, wants to interview Cunningham in prison to find out more about how he influenced the system. The Justice Department is resisting because it has other potential prosecutions pending in the case, so Hoekstra is considering subpoenaing the former lawmaker.

Let’s see. Major federal investigation into public corruption. GOP lawmakers and lobbyists top the list of targets. Feds want the Intel Committee to leave one of their important witnesses alone. GOP chairman considers issuing subpoena to the imprisoned Cunningham anyway.

I’m not saying Hoekstra is using his committee to impede a federal investigation, but I’m reminded of the John Poinxdexter conviction in Iran-Contra, which was thrown out on appeal due to the concurrent congressional investigation.

The American Bar Association: “The Constitution is not what the President says it is.” That and other news of the day in today’s Daily Muck.

I feel better because I was worried the folks on the subcontinent might be resting on their nuclear laurels. But now it seems Pakistan is getting into plutonium-based bomb production in a big way. So we should have a real man’s nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan after all.

New Jersey Reps. and Senators getting ready to draw a line in the sand on President Bush’s plan to phase out Social Security? There’s a press conference today in Trenton. We’ll be listening. And remember, there’s still the prize awaiting whoever can get the straight answer out of Tom Kean, Jr.

What’s the low-down on Bill’s trip to Connecticut?

Here’s an interesting article in Ha’aretz about the role of the military and civilian leaderships in Israel in the decision to launch massive retaliation in response to the July 12th Hezbollah incursion into northern Israel. The role of the Chief of Staff of the IDF is always a very prominent one in Israel. But that of Dan Halutz has seemed especially so over the last two weeks. And one also has to figure in the lack of extensive military experience of the two lead ministers of the government — Olmert and Peretz. This is at least an interesting part fo the equation.

From The Forward …

The United States is pushing for the deployment of a large international force in Lebanon, which would be authorized to confront Hezbollah and effectively prevent the militant group from rearming, senior Bush administration officials told Jewish communal leaders in recent days.

During a briefing with senior officials at several major Jewish organizations, Deputy National Security Advisor Elliot Abrams reportedly said that a multinational force in Lebanon would have to be “combat ready,” authorized and appropriately equipped to engage Hezbollah militarily if needed. Such a force, he said, would also have to patrol not only Lebanon’s border with Israel but also Lebanon’s border with Syria, to prevent smuggling of weapons to Hezbollah. In addition, such a force would have to observe Lebanon’s sea and air ports to make sure that Iran is not rearming Hezbollah, Abrams reportedly said.

As I said a few days ago, I think some international force on the ground is likely essential to any sort of resolution to this. But that’s a broad brief. Who’s going to man that mission? I would imagine that both for political and capacity reasons the United States can’t make any significant contribution to ground troops who would take on this role.

Connecticut Republican Senate candidate Schlesinger ‘searches soul’, concludes he’s done nothing wrong.