Our intelligence czar living the czar’s life. From CQ:

On many a workday lunchtime, the nominal boss of U.S. intelligence, John D. Negroponte, can be found at a private club in downtown Washington, getting a massage, taking a swim, and having lunch, followed by a good cigar and a perusal of the daily papers in the club’s library.

“He spends three hours there [every] Monday through Friday,” gripes a
senior counterterrorism official, noting that the former ambassador has a security detail sitting outside all that time in chase cars. Others say they’ve seen the Director of National Intelligence at the University Club, a 100-year-old mansion-like redoubt of dark oak panels and high ceilings a few blocks from the White House, only “several” times a week….

…there seems to be a new, relaxed John Negroponte. And some close
observers think they know why.

He’s figured out the job. Which is to say, he really doesn’t have much control over the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies.

The Foggo of war. (Hint|: the Duke/Wilkes link into the CIA). That and other news of the day in today’s Daily Muck.

This week in TPMCafe Book Club we’re featuring Gershom Gorenberg’s The Accidental Empire: Israel and the Birth of the Settlements, 1967-1977 and the current state affairs in Israel-Palestine. Gorenberg just got the conversation started with a post about how and why he wrote the book. Stop by and check it out.

Katherine Harris abruptly cancels five campaign stops, the Lakeland (FL) Ledger reports.

The paper says her campaign is in “full crisis mode” as questions mount over her involvement with crooked contractor Mitchell Wade.

They’re not calling the game yet – but no one’s saying those skies don’t look like rain.

Tampa Tribune: “Gov. Jeb Bush’s office is refusing to release documents or answer questions about a $400,000 tax credit awarded to MZM Inc., whose former chief executive pleaded guilty last week to bribery and illegal campaign contributions.”

Mark your calendars...

The judge for Jack Abramoff’s SunCruz fraud case in Florida has pushed back his sentencing there to Wednesday, March 29th. His business partner Adam Kidan will be sentenced the same day. It’s earlier than the two had wanted, because they’re busily talking to prosecutors and worried that doing some of that talking in public might hurt their plea deal. Or as Abramoff’s lawyer put it:

“We will name names. We will provide the public with evidence of what is going on out there.”

Can’t wait.

Multitasking?

We know Mitch Wade as coconspirator #2, the guy who bought all the houses and antiques and boats for the now-imprisoned Duke Cunningham in exchange for Duke’s help bagging defense and intelligence procurement projects.

But Wade had his finger in some other pies too.

It turns out that Wade was also the registered agent for something called the “Iranian Democratization Foundation.” The date of registration was in April 2004 and it’s now “dissolved.”

What’s it all about? Your guess is as good as ours. But we’re looking into it.

Yesterday, we linked to this picture from the Larimer County (CO) Republican party website, which shows Rep. Maryilyn Musgrave introducing two Marines at a GOP fundraiser, an apparent violation of standing military regs. The photos in question have now been scrubbed from the Larimer County GOP website.

Call off the dogs!

Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA) — “Representative A” in Mitchell Wade’s plea agreement — issued a statement today saying he has done nothing wrong and is not hiring a lawyer. He also said neither he nor his staff have ever been contacted by the Feds.

In Wade’s plea two weeks ago, the crooked contractor indentified Goode as a recipient of illegal campaign contributions from his company, MZM. Wade also pegged Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL) — “Representative B” — for the same offense.

Unlike Goode, Harris lawyered up last week, as fans will recall, hiring ace campaign finance shark Ben Ginsberg. (More on Ginsberg’s colorful history later.)

PC-Rage-Mac-Envy update.

So, my own predictions notwithstanding, this weekend, I took the plunge. I went out and bought my first Mac.

I am, it turns out, afflicted with a severe characterological disorder which prevents me from ever reading directions for any new product I purchase but rather forces me to stumble around by trial and error until I figure out how the new thing works. No pity please, I’ve had the condition since childhood. But that did create a few grumbly moments as I tried to figure out how to do some elementary task. At first at least, not having the right mouse key was something like learning to ride a bike.

Within about a day though I felt like I’d gotten my sea legs. And so far I have to say that I’m really pleased with the decision.