Former DHS Secretary Tom Ridge jumps on Rudy for recommending Bernie Kerik as Ridge’s replacement: “We’re not talking about some urban city patronage job. That’s not what a Cabinet secretary’s about.”

We’ve got highlights of the feds’ press conference this morning on the Bernie Kerik indictment.

Mukasey, confirmed under cover of night, to be sworn in at “low key” ceremony this afternoon.

New ‘state of emergency’ fad grows, spreads to Georgia.

Dobson to endorse Huckabee?

Late Update: Maybe not.

Richardson blasts Sens. Clinton, Obama, Dodd, and Biden for missing Mukasey vote.

Indictment: Kerik not only accepted bribes, but whined to get them.

Another GOP retirement in the House.

Late Update: And yet another one.

Once you’ve hit the limits giving to Rudy, try really helping out his campaign by giving a gazillion dollars to the Kerik Legal Defense Trust. Thinkprogress has more.

A common sentiment in our email box today, as expressed by TPM Reader JV:

The issue on Mukasey in regards to the Dems is not (should not) just be about which disheartening AG runs our even more disheartening DOJ. It’s that once again the Dems got boxed in by something as simple as a
questionable nomination with nothing to show for it.

These guys just seem functionally unable to think past their next move, or to strategize on the most basic political level. How weak does this president need to be for these hapless Dems to score some points? Less popular than Nixon at his lowest point seems to be the bar, and that says a lot about this leadership, but can be summed up in six words: uniquely ineffective in the modern era.

And that’s what has all of us non-authoritarians out here so panicked; it’s fairly clear very little of import the majority of Americans want will be inacted or occur until this president –this historically incompetent, corrupt and unpopular president — leaves office.

It’s very depressing, especially in light of the history of fighting for freedom and equality that this country represents, when the majority leadership is so unbelievably powerless against what should be entirely conquerable challenges.