The Daily Muck

The private security firm Blackwater has nixed a $5.5 million expansion plan of its training center in North Carolina, ostensibly because of the negative press it has received in the past few weeks. Of course, given that Blackwater has been awarded a new $92 million Pentagon contract, times aren’t so hard. (McClatchy)

Charles Riechers had the best job ever. While waiting for White House confirmation to a civilian post at the Air Force, Riechers was wanting for a little extra cash. So the Air Force did what any good future employer would do: they set him up with an intelligence contractors who could pay him without requiring him to do any work. (Washington Post)

Did we say 5 subpoenas? Apparently, six Doolittle aides have been subpoenaed. (Sacramento Bee)

In response to motions filed by representative William Jefferson’s (D-LA) attorneys, the government produced documents that included a description of the FBI confronting Jefferson with a video of him accepting $100k bribe from a government informant. According to the prosecution document, Jefferson sank into his chair and “questioned how his reputation could survive.” Good question. (WashPo)

The number of environmental cases brought by the EPA between 2002-06 is down 70% from that of the mid-nineties. Of course, this might be because the agency now employs only 85% of the minimum number of investigators required by law. (Washington Post)

The Minneapolis restroom where Larry Craig famously took his wide stance last June, is undergoing renovation. New stall dividers that drop almost all the way to the floor are being installed to help people resist the temptation to peer on in fellow travelers. We look forward to visiting the old doors at the Smithsonian. (WashPo)

According to Roll Call, a 1981 federal court opinion determined that the Senate Ethics Committee falls within the definition of federal law enforcement agencies. This means that some lucky senators might get to hear the FBI tapes (sub. req.) of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK). One former member of the committee believes that the committee already is gathering information on the Stevens case. Our ears are burning. (Roll Call)

Bad news for the northern spotted owl. A group of independent scientists are arguing that the government’s conservation plan for the bird is flawed and pays no attention to research into the bird’s habitat or ecosystem. Worse, the report accuses political appointees, including former deputy secretary Julie McDonald, of altering the report to the advantage of the business community. It seems the only silver lining for the environment is that one famously anti-environment senator is Larry Craig, who may be on his way out of office soon. (McClatchy, AP)

Mitt Romney recently declared that “our numbers have shown that we are able to raise the money.” Media Matters has another take on the fund raisingnumbers. While 137 different newspapers have written 591 articles about Norman Hsu and Hilary Clinton, only 21 articles have appeared about Mitt Romney and his bundler Alan Fabian, despite the fact that Fabian faces a 23 count indictment on charges including fraud, money laundering, perjury, and obstruction of justice. And that’s not all. A Nexis search for “Robert Litchfield and Romney” (Litchfield is another big donor) returns only 27 hits despite the extensive lawsuits against Litchfield. (Media Matters)