The Donald Rumsfeld allies who had been using that Pentagon inspector general’s report as ammunition against David Barstow’s Pulitzer Prize-winning piece for the New York Times about military TV pundits are now curiously silent after the IG report was withdrawn yesterday because numerous factual errors undermined its conclusions.
Late Update: A response … of sorts.
From the Times …
Mr. Zardari’s presentation, however, left some members confused and disappointed, according to a person who attended the meeting. He said little about how the Pakistani government planned to regain momentum in the fight against the militants. And when he asked for financial assistance, he likened it to the government’s bailout of the troubled insurance giant, American International Group.
As you know, there’s been this long-simmering question of whether federal officials forced BofA CEO Ken Lewis to complete the purchase of Merrill Lynch even after the company’s mounting losses made it clear it wasn’t a good deal on the business merits. Ben Bernanke testified earlier this week that there was no effort to do anything untoward, and that all the relevant federal regulators were on hand during the key meetings. But the House Oversight Committee has been reviewing notes of phone conversations and other government records. And a person familiar with the probe tells the Journal “there’s fire there.” They’re apparently going to call everyone back up to the Hill next month to testify on the matter under oath.
Climate change legislation or health care reform? Centrist Dems in the House are telling Nancy Pelosi she has to choose — and that health care should be the priority. That and the day’s other political news in the TPMDC Morning Roundup.
Charlie Rose interviewed Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner last night in advance of the bank stress test results being released (watch here). The takeaway is that there was an intensely negotiated, political process between banks and regulators over what the results should be. Geithner says we will find the results “reassuring” and falls back on the old chestnut that if no one is happy they must have done something right:
“You’re going to hear criticism from both sides in this,” Geithner said. “A lot of people will say these were unfairly tough. … And there will be other people to say … that losses could be worse. And they may be right.”
They may be right?
Anticipate Karl Rove’s long-awaited testimony before Congress about the US Attorney firings sometime in early June, Rove’s lawyer tells TPMmuckraker.
GOP pollster Kellyanne Conway, on Obama possibly nominating a woman to replace David Souter:
Can you imagine any of Obama’s nominees being treated the way that Sarah Palin and her family were treated by the media? It’s “interesting,” as they say in Washington. Gender and class ended up being a huge obstacle for one person, and they’re likely to be a huge boost to this person that Barack Obama selects.