I will have more information later (hopefully), but wanted to post this as a heads-up. There are reports on it here, here (with video), here, and here if you want to read more.

The basic story:

Apparently, at a recent press conference, Rudy Giuliani was asked a question about his prior knowledge of the collapse of the WTC towers - and the reporter was arrested at the orders of Giuliani’s press secretary. The reporter was taken to jail - in violation of the First Admendment - and is being charged with felony criminial trespass. Because the reporter was using a camera, state police are even considering charges of espionage.

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In baseball, if you're a runner caught between bases, you're said to be in a "pickle." You've sprinted towards third base, and all of a sudden there's the third baseman standing in front of you with the ball in his glove. Bummer. You know that if you go forward, you'll be easily tagged out. But if you pull up, reverse direction, and head back to second, you'll likely also be tagged out by a quick throw to the shortstop. In other words, you're in a lose-lose situation.

President Bush, one-time owner of a major league baseball team, will most likely find himself in just such a pickle next week. Because that's when (by all accounts) Scooter Libby's judge is going to rule that Scooter can't stay free while his appeals process grinds on; and hence must begin serving (within 60 days) his 30-month jail sentence. That's right -- Scooter is soon going to be behind bars.

Which leaves Bush with only two options: "To pardon, or not to pardon?" It's a lose-lose situation for him, because whichever way he goes, he's going to lose significant political support.

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James Carville should be ashamed of himself.

His wife, Republican Mary Matalin, somehow convinced him to sign a letter to the sentencing judge for Lewis "Scooter" Libby. In Scooter's defense.

The Smoking Gun has the whole letter. Written by Mary, it says on the first page:

"Though my husband James Carville, a Democratic Strategist and Clinton supporter, shares neither political nor philosophical views with Scooter, he has a deep respect for his intellect, his integrity, and joins me in the sentiments expressed here."

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Looks like there will be a second issue of The Flynt Report.

Larry Flynt placed a full-page ad yesterday in the Washington Post newspaper, promising up to one million dollars for "documented evidence of illicit sexual or intimate relations with a Congressperson, Senator, or other prominent officeholder." You can view the whole ad at Larry Flynt's personal website.

For those of you who don't remember, the first issue of The Flynt Report was published in response to Bill Clinton's impeachment and trial. It came out in 1999, just in time to derail the political career of the designated Speaker of the House, Bob Livingston (the Republicans needed a new Speaker because Newt Gingrich was stepping down in disgrace). Livingston announced his intention to resign (again, in disgrace) just before the Flynt Report was actually published.

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I'm probably guilty of committing schadenfreude in the first degree, but I couldn't help but feel that it's about time the Republican party experiences what it's like to be on the other end of the rhetorical blowtorch for a change. This blowtorch is a GOP invention, and has been wielded effectively against all dissent for years now. It even predates the Bush administration, although they have seemingly perfected its use. But now they are caught in their own circular firing squad, and even the likes of Rush Limbaugh are beginning to worry that it could destroy the party.

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Fred Thompson has gone from being an unofficial candidate for the Republican primary nomination to being a semi-official candidate. He says he's waiting for July 4th to make the whole thing official.

This makes me wonder yet again why it is that the only people from the entertainment industry who run for office seem to be Republicans. I wrote about this subject last October, which has a full list from both sides (as full as I'm aware, let me know if I missed anyone).

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Do you support the concept of gay marriage?

That used to be an unimaginable question. Not "unimaginable" in a negative sense, but "unimaginable" in the original, neutral definition of the word: "unable to be imagined," or "not imaginable." The concept of two people of the same sex being married wasn't even raised in the American conscience until the 1990s (or perhaps late 1980s -- I haven't researched the actual date, this is from my own recollection). After that point, of course, the idea has grown in prominence in the American political debate, both pro and con.

But now, mostly due to a Mormon running for president, the issue of polygamy is also inserting itself into the political debate. So the question must also be asked: Do you support the concept of polygamy? If so, why? If not, why not?

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Amidst the weeping and wailing and the chest-beating and garment-rending which is currently emanating from the anti-war crowd, I would like to interject some optimism about ending the war in Iraq.

It is cautious optimism, to be sure... but optimism nonetheless.

Now, I do not make light of the fact that Congress just voted to give Bush a few more months' funding for the war, and that during that time period hundreds of U.S. soldiers (and thousands of Iraqis, no doubt) will die. That is a tragedy which cannot be made light of in any way, shape or form. But this tragedy should be laid squarely at the feet of President Bush, and (to a lesser extent) Republicans in Congress. Yes, the Democrats acquiesced in the end, too... but make no mistake about it, this is Bush's fault -- just as the entire war has been, all along.

But I remain optimistic that, during the next round of funding (which will begin debate in Congress as early as July), things will be different. And the difference will be a widening split within congressional Republican ranks. Which will make all the difference.

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Wouldn't it be fun to have real national party conventions next year?

By "real" I mean, of course, presidential nominating conventions that actually do the work of nominating a party candidate, instead of wasting four days of America's time to certify an already-foregone conclusion. Some may call me crazy for saying so, but I think there is truly a possibility we could have at least one up-for-grabs convention next year.

[Although I have so far resisted the urge to comment on the presidential race, I must admit that I find the prospect of open conventions too tempting to pass up. Besides, it's nearly summer, and I've got to start sometime....]

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To paraphrase Mark Antony: "Friends, Americans, countrymen, lend me your web-surfing eyes. I come to bury Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, not to praise him. For he is not an honorable man."

[OK, that's one heckuva mangled quote, I admit, but it's Monday morning, so give me a break.]

Alberto Gonzales really should be packing up his personal effects from his office by now. For months, bloggers have been prematurely predicting his demise (I think I read the first "Gonzales will be gone in a week!" blogpost about three months ago). Although I avoided making such concrete predictions, I did write a slightly tongue-in-cheek article about Gonzales myself.

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