The Rudy campaign is disputing the big story today saying that he blew off Iraq Study Group meetings even as he found the time to make big money giving speeches.

But Rudy’s pushback is easily proven to be entirely bogus.

So according to Rudy’s statement, he appears to be claiming that he bagged on the Baker-Hamilton commission after it became clear he was going to run for president. But as Greg Sargent shows here, Rudy was already an all-but-announced candidate many months before to signed on to the commission. Okay, so the presidential candidate dodge doesn’t really work. What next?

AP: FBI is questioning Sen. Ted Stevens’ (R-AK) former aides about his ties to corrupt oil exec.

Hmmmm. I’m used to Republicans getting indicted, but not for dealing coke.

SC State Treasurer Thomas Ravenel indicted for conspiracy to distribute crack.

And here’s video of Ravenel endorsing Rudy.

Late Update: Hmmm, bad media day for Rudy. Turns out this guy Ravenel is the chairman of Rudy’s campaign in South Carolina.

Maybe Rudy’s campaign manager was selling some of that crack to Fred Thompson.

Just off the Reuters wire …

Tougher sanctions or a blockade on Iran could help foment growing internal dissent to topple the government, former U.S. Republican senator Fred Thompson, a potential presidential candidate, said on Tuesday.

See Rudy’s SC campaign chairman’s indictment for conspiracy to distribute crack.

The charges carry a max sentence of 20 years.

Late Update: The original report in the South Carolina newspaper The State referred to crack cocaine. However, the indictment refers only to cocaine. And an updated version of the story at The State website seems to refer only to cocaine. Hopefully the Giuliani campaign can clear up the confusion.

Later Update: Giuliani camp on Ravenel: we didn’t know he was a crack dealer.

Bloomberg, who’s pondering an independent run for President, officially leaves the GOP. That and other political news of the day in today’s Election Central Happy Hour Roundup.

C’mon, guess. How many of the 1,000 employees working in the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad speak Arabic fluently?

Update: This post originally said that the embassy has 200 U.S. employees — it actually has 1,000, 200 of whom are foreign service officers.

Today’s Must Read: was there ever such a coy witness as CIA general counsel-designate John Rizzo? With lawyerly exactitude, Rizzo spent two long hours yesterday evading senators’ questions on what interrogation techniques the agency permits, whether the CIA can detain U.S. citizens overseas, and much more.

A new poll finds Hillary with a strong lead in New York over both Rudy and Bloomberg. That and other political news of the day in today’s Election Central Morning Roundup.