Hardball (from the Post …)
Iraqi law enforcement officials stretched a dragnet over the Green Zone and other parts of the capital Tuesday, seeking to arrest the country’s culture minister in connection with an attempted political assassination two years ago in which three people were killed, Iraqi officials said.
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said an arrest warrant had been issued for Culture Minister Asad Kamal al-Hashimi in the February 2005 attempted assassination of Mithal al-Alusi, a newly elected independent member of parliament who had been harshly criticized by many politicians here after he visited Israel in 2004. Alusi was not injured in the attack, but two sons, Ayman, 22, and Jamal, 30, were killed, as was a bodyguard.
Today’s Must Read: finally given an opportunity to expound on the “fourth branch” theory of the vice presidency, Cheney’s lawyer backs down. Looks like Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) called his bluff.
GOP Senator Voinovich joins Lugar in call for military disengagement from Iraq. That and other political news of the day in today’s Election Central Morning Roundup.
Hillary raises a million in Chicago, Obama’s home base.
Did you know that Dick Cheney is so hardcore about secrecy and security that he won’t let the White House officials in charge of security into the West Wing? No that’s not a Daily Show joke. It’s actually true. Maybe that’s why he’s already had one (now convicted) spy caught working out of his office. And, no, I’m not talking about Scooter Libby.
We run through all the comically ridiculous details in today’s episode of TPMtv …
Late Update: For a transcript of today’s episode, click here.
Former division commander in Iraq takes administration to task for attributing most violence in Iraq to al-Qaeda.
From the AP:
The Senate Judiciary Committee subpoenaed the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney’s office Wednesday for documents relating to President Bush’s warrant-free eavesdropping program.
Also named in subpoenas signed by committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., were the Justice Department and the National Security Council.
We’ll have more soon.
Here’s more on those subpoenas — what the committee wants, when they want it, and who they want to see testify.