The Daily Muck

Republicans in the House offered a resolution to investigate Rep. William Jefferson following his indictment this week. Not to be outdone, the House Democrats offered a proposal that would require the ethics committee to investigate automatically any lawmaker within thirty days of an indictment or report. Both proposals were approved. (NY Times)

Yesterday Attorney General Alberto Gonzales confirmed that a controversial warantless wiretapping program was the reason for his late-night run to John Ashcroft’s hospital bed. The disclosure conflicts with Gonzales’ 2006 testimony that the program had not been met with objections by members of the Justice Department. (Think Progress)

Bradley Schlozman’s testimony yesterday left Senators with plenty of information to grapple with. Schlozman admitted that he boasted about hiring Republican lawyers, though denied that he took political affiliation into account when filling career positions. He also left the Democratic panel deeply suspicious of the timing of voter fraud indictments he brought just before the midterm election in Missouri. Sen. Leahy (D-VT) was particularly irate during the testimony, accusing the Justice Department and the White House of stonewalling the committee’s investigation. (Boston Globe, LA Times, McClatchy Newspapers)

Republicans looking for a place to relax and pad their resume need look no further than the Department of Homeland Security. (ABC’s The Blotter)

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is seeking to expand the investigation of links between Jack Abramoff and the White House. (Associated Press)

We reported last week that former interim US Attorney Tim Griffin was shopping for a job with Fred Thompson. But it seems Griffin’s newfound infamy is hampering his job search; a chairman of a national law firm said, “we got a phone call from a recruiter on his behalf but wouldn’t touch it with a 10-foot pole.” (Think Progress)

Both President Bush and Vice-President Cheney expressed their sympathy for Scooter Libby following his sentencing yesterday to 30 months imprisonment. Bush constrained his statements to feeling “terrible” for Libby’s family. However, Cheney went so far as to say he hoped Libby would eventually get off, an unusual stance for someone who should be on the “USA” side of “USA vs. Libby.” (Associated Press)

Pittsburgh’s US attorney, Mary Buchanan, is set to meet privately with House investigators this week regarding her role in the selection of US attorneys to be fired. (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)