memeorandum: In the White House, Pardon Is A Topic Too Sensitive to Mention (Peter Baker/Washington Post)

1:20 AM ET, June 6, 2007

Top Items:

Who, Me? — Bush evades his responsibility with respect to Libby. … I FEEL TERRIBLE for Scooter Libby's family. Millions of Americans feel terrible for Scooter Libby's family. But we can't do anything about the injustice that has been done. Nor can we do anything to avert …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, TalkLeft, The Anonymous Liberal, Obsidian Wings, The Gun Toting Liberal™, Townhall.com, Sisyphus Shrugged, Jules Crittenden, Cliff Schecter, State of the Day, Little Green Footballs and Middle Earth Journal

Hilton Check-In / The Smoking Gun:

Scooter Libby Love Letters — Washington elite petition judge on behalf of convicted Cheney aide — Donald Rumsfeld, Henry Kissinger, Paul Wolfowitz, and John Bolton top the list of individuals who wrote a federal judge on behalf of former White House aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby …

Peter Baker / Washington Post:

In the White House, Pardon Is A Topic Too Sensitive to Mention — The sentence imposed on former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby yesterday put President Bush in the position of making a decision he has tried to avoid for months: Trigger a fresh political storm by pardoning …

Discussion: Booman Tribune, DownWithTyranny! and Buck Naked Politics

Associated Press:

Libby sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison — WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison Tuesday for lying and obstructing the CIA leak investigation — the probe that showed a White House obsessed with criticism of its decision to go to war.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Associated Press, The Carpetbagger Report, Captain's Quarters, CorrenteWire, WTF Is It Now??, Daily Kos, Don Surber, Macsmind, Pam's House Blend, The American Mind and All Spin Zone

Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:
Notes From the Libby Sentencing

Discussion: commonsense.ourfuture.org and Mercury Rising

CNN:
Libby sentenced, Cheney 'saddened'

Discussion: Firedoglake, JustOneMinute, protein wisdom, Sentencing Law and Policy, WorkingForChange and Central Sanity

David Stout / New York Times:
Libby Gets 30 Months in Prison in C.I.A. Leak Case

Discussion: Firedoglake, Democratic National Committee, FP Passport, Norwegianity and Wonkette

Pew Research Center:

Thompson Demonstrates Broad Potential Appeal — Bush Approval Falls to 29% — Lowest Ever — Summary of Findings — Former Sen. Fred Thompson has broad potential appeal among Republican voters even before his expected entrance into the presidential race.

Discussion: The Caucus, Associated Press, DownWithTyranny!, Blue Crab Boulevard, TIME and Pollster.com

Washington Post:

McCain Sets Self Apart in Debate — Senator at Odds With GOP Rivals On Immigration Bill — Sen. John McCain of Arizona found himself isolated here Tuesday night as he staunchly defended controversial immigration legislation against a barrage of criticism from his rivals …

Discussion: Unqualified Offerings

Ann Althouse / Althouse:

Another debate tonight? Okay, I guess I'm simulblogging again... This is getting bizarre! Are people really watching? Anyway... I'm going to watch. I'll try to pay more attention tonight, now that "The Sopranos" aren't on. — (It's on CNN, at what I like to call 6 Central Time.)

Discussion: Reason Magazine and Sadly, No!

Associated Press:
Huckabee Says Thompson's Likely '08 Bid Reminds Him of 'Mighty Mouse' Candidacy

Discussion: Redstate and Ian Schwartz

CNN:
GOP 10 jostle for spotlight

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Dick Polman's American Debate, The American Mind, The Frontlines and Democratic National Committee

Elizabeth Wilner / The Politico:
The thrall of the drawl — In parsing the Fred Thompson boom …

Discussion: The American Mind and Hot Air

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Open thread: Republican presidential debate; Update: Giuliani video added

Discussion: The Fix, Weekly Standard, The Hill, Sister Toldjah, Wizbang, Power Line and Washington Times

Carrie Budoff / The Politico:

Immigration debate may stall — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) could move as early as tonight to wind down debate over the immigration bill - a move that Republicans said they will oppose, possibly stalling the bill for weeks. — Reid told reporters today that he would pull …

Discussion: Hot Air, Michelle Malkin, Tammy Bruce, American Pundit and Wizbang

Julie Hirschfeld Davis / Associated Press:
Immigration Deal Under Threat in Senate

Discussion: Reuters, American Pundit and Riehl World View

Amanda / Think Progress:

Petraeus: 'We Haven't Started The Surge Yet' — In April, during the congressional debate over war funding, Gen. David Petraeus pushed back against a withdrawal timeline from Iraq "because we're only about two months into the surge," assuring Congress that he would be able to report on progress in September:

Discussion: QandO, The Reaction, The Carpetbagger Report, AMERICAblog, Daily Kos and State of the Day

Marcia Kramer / WCBS-TV:

Bloomberg On JFK Plot: 'Stop Worrying, Get A Life' — (CBS) NEW YORK While questions continue to arise about the alleged plot to blow up a fuel pipeline beneath JFK Airport and surrounding neighborhoods, some are questioning why New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg hasn't had a louder voice since the plot was foiled on Saturday.

Discussion: Hot Air, Michelle Malkin, Gawker, Liberal Values, Six Meat Buffet and The Jawa Report

Jeralyn / TalkLeft:

GOP Debate Lowlights — Here's the transcript of the New Hampshire Republican debate tonight. Among the lowlights: — Rudy playing the terror card: — First, his self-introduction: … Now, Saddam and the terror war: … Then, he plays up the Guyana wannabes, in a question on Iran:

Discussion: New York Times and The Reaction

The Atlantic Online:
Debate — Tommy Thompson has managed to mark himself …

Discussion: Reason Magazine

Nico / Think Progress:

Leahy To Schlozman: 'You're Trying To Break Gonzales' Record' Of Saying 'I Don't Recall' — Today before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Justice Department official Bradley Schlozman was supposed to testify on his role in the politicization of the Department's Civil Rights Division …

Discussion: Firedoglake, TPM Muckraker, The Carpetbagger Report, Daily Kos and Crooks and Liars

Kevin Cullen / Boston Globe:

Graying duo keep passenger in check — Shortly before landing, Bob Hayden and a flight attendant had agreed on a signal: When she waved the plastic handcuffs, he would discreetly leave his seat and restrain an unruly passenger who had frightened some of the 150 people on board a Minneapolis …

Discussion: Blue Crab Boulevard, The Belmont Club and BLACKFIVE

Matt Browner-Hamlin / Chris Dodd for President:

GOP Debate Talk Clock — Want this on your site? copy the code below! — I love you guys. Keep it up. — reply — June 5, 2007 - 6:23pm — Anonymous — online? — Is the debate by chance streaming online? :) — reply — June 5, 2007 - 6:24pm — Anonymous

Discussion: TIME: Swampland

Dallas Morning News:

Conservatives: We must band together on immigration bill — The choice we face on immigration isn't between the Senate bill and perfection; it's between the Senate bill and the unacceptable status quo. — This is the most far-reaching and thoughtful reform of our immigration system …

Discussion: Redstate, National Review, The Palmetto Scoop, JammieWearingFool and The Atlantic Online

Ryan Grim / The Politico:

BlogJam: Bloggers can't blunder — Last week we launched a new feature called BlogJam, in which we sketch bloggers who are affecting the ongoing political conversation. — We've taken a little heat for the name ("How low can you go?" wondered one reader at Mediabistro's FishbowlDC …