From the Papers

The few things I found relevant in my read of the papers this morning:

- Uber-slimeball and indicted former lobbyist Jack Abramoff's web of nastiness may extend into the Interior Department: the Washington Post reports this morning that Abramoff promised allies a deputy secretary's assistance on blocking a casino project even as he was negotiating a job offer with that official. The Post notes dryly "It can be a federal crime for government officials to negotiate for a job while being involved in decisions affecting the potential employer."

- Jeffrey Rosen's piece in the New York Times Magazine, "Roberts v. the Future," is a provocative article, offering insight into some areas of law that might appear on the Supreme Court's docket somewhere down the road. I found it quite interesting.

- And from the LA Times, this article examines the fractured nature of war critics' rhetoric, and how in the face of a disunited opposition, the White House feels comfortable offering up "stay the course." The author quotes one "senior administration official" as saying "There is obviously frustration out there; it has become an emotional issue. The sentiment is: 'Do Something!' But what are we going to do that we aren't already doing? Nobody has a good answer."

Aside from being patently untrue (for suggestions on what to do, see Wes Clark, John McCain, Chuck Hagel, Joe Biden among others), this statement only cements the Jon Stewart-stated formulation that the White House is not paying attention to the serious questions being asked about the conduct of the war by very serious people. While President Bush continues to fight the "pull out all our troops today" straw-man offered up by practically no one (Feingold and others calling for withdrawal generally use the end of next year as a target date, remember), he blithely ignores the suggestions from any/all sides that might actually have some merit.

Frustrating, indeed.

I'm going to be away from the computer for much of the day (another birding trip, all around Boston and surrounding areas), so I'll catch up with the shows upon my return. If anything noteworthy happens, as always feel free to discuss in the comments.