memeorandum: The Wyoming Governor's and the U.S. Senate's Unnoticed Options … (Vikram David Amar/FindLaw's Writ)

2:52 AM ET, June 9, 2007

Top Items:

Pace retires as head of Joint Chiefs — WASHINGTON - Bitter divisions over the Iraq war, particularly on Capitol Hill, led the Bush administration to change course and replace Gen. Peter Pace as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a grim Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday.

Discussion: The Impolitic, CBS News and NewsBusters.org

Cernig / The Newshoggers:

"New Broom" To Head Chiefs Of Staff — Pace is out as Chief of Staff, in an unexpected move. … Mullen is obviously intended to repair bridges with America's European defense partners so damaged by Rummie's "Old Europe" policies. In his bio, his experience in working with NATO and European officers is the big stand-out point.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Think Progress and The Moderate Voice

Washington Post:

Joint Chiefs Chair Will Bow Out — Pentagon Wary of Thorny Reconfirmation Hearings — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced yesterday that Marine Gen. Peter Pace will step down as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in September, a move that Gates said will avert …

Discussion: Bluey Blog

CNN:

Pace to be replaced at Joint Chiefs … WASHINGTON (CNN) — Anticipation of a "contentious" confirmation process on Capitol Hill prompted the decision to replace Gen. Peter Pace as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff when his term ends in September, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday.

Discussion: NO QUARTER, The Talent Show and QandO

MSNBC:

Top Joint Chiefs of Staff leaders being replaced — Citing war and Congress, Gates to change chairman and vice chairman — The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, is being replaced after six years as chairman and vice chairman of the top military command. — MSNBC video

Discussion: Westhawk and Michelle Malkin

Thom Shanker / New York Times:
Chairman of Joint Chiefs Will Not Be Reappointed

Discussion: the talking dog and Think Progress

David Stout / New York Times:
General Peter Pace to Retire as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Discussion: The Democratic Daily

Joel Havemann / Los Angeles Times:
Pace out as head of Joint Chiefs

Discussion: The Belmont Club and Pajamas Media

Nico / Think Progress:
New Joint Chiefs Nominee: 'This War Is Going To Go On For A Long Time.

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report and Comments From Left Field

Allahpundit / Hot Air:

Breaking: Paris going back to jail; Update: Shep Smith snark video added! Update: More Shep snark! — According to Shep Smith, she was dragged screaming from the courtroom. Schadenfreudemania! — Update: CNN's viewers are unloading on them for the wall-to-wall coverage of this crap.

Discussion: The Smoking Gun, Gateway Pundit and Michelle Malkin

Washington Post:
Paris Hilton Ordered Back to Jail

Discussion: Hot Air, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, All Spin Zone, TalkLeft, The Reaction, DownWithTyranny!, Scared Monkeys, TMZ.com and Patterico's Pontifications

TMZ.com:
Paris Will Spend Weekend in Med Jail

Discussion: Balloon Juice, The Atlantic Online, DownWithTyranny! and The Superficial

John Distaso / New Hampshire Union Leader:

Fred Thompson plans late-June trip to NH — MANCHESTER - Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson will make his first visit to New Hampshire as a potential presidential candidate later this month, a high-ranking Republican says. — State Senate Minority Leader Ted Gatsas, R-Manchester …

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:

Thompson Considering Ames? — Campaign officials for former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson (R) are set to meet with Republican Party of Iowa executive director Chuck Laudner today in Washington, according to several informed sources. — The meeting was set up by a third party unaffiliated …

Discussion: The Caucus, The Atlantic Online and Confederate Yankee

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
Fred Thompson to pay first visit S.C.

Discussion: Wizbang and The Palmetto Scoop

Emptywheel / The Next Hurrah:

Shorter Reggie: I Will Remember Your Interest in Public Service the Next Time Someone Really Needs It — As I was reading the Amicus Brief from Robert Bork and friends today, I was thinking to myself, "Jeebus! They sure pulled this together quickly, with 12 fancy lawyers agreeing on a brief within 72 hours.

Discussion: Making Light

Josh Gerstein / New York Sun:

Professors Back Libby on Appeal — Group Includes Dershowitz, Bork — A dozen legal scholars, including a noted civil libertarian, Alan Dershowitz, are coming to the aid of a convicted White House aide facing a 2 1/2-year prison sentence. The scholars submitted an amicus brief Thursday …

Discussion: The Next Hurrah and JustOneMinute

Alexandra Gekas / Newsweek:

John Lewis Remembers a Civil-Rights Nemesis — Jim Clark, the sheriff of Selma, Ala., led the charge against protesters on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in the civil-rights showdown known as 'Bloody Sunday.' He passed away this week. Rep. John Lewis, who survived the blows of Clark's men, remembers his nemesis.

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters: Look Back In Disappointment — Newsweek has a fascinating interview …

Robert Schmidt / Bloomberg:

Justice Official May Revise Voter-Fraud Testimony, People Say — A Justice Department lawyer under fire for bringing criminal voter-fraud charges on the eve of the 2006 election may revise his Senate testimony about the case, which angered other U.S. prosecutors, officials familiar with the matter said.

Discussion: TPMmuckraker, Election Law, The BRAD BLOG and Think Progress

Zachary A. Goldfarb / Washington Post:
Hearing on FEC Pick Could Add Fuel to Debate Over Justice Dept.

Discussion: National Review

New York Times:

Immigration Bill Sponsors Vow to Press On — The authors of a comprehensive immigration bill said today that they would try to resuscitate the measure, which stalled Thursday when the Senate refused to cut off debate, as President Bush urged senators from both parties to bring the bill back to the floor.

Discussion: Guardian and TalkLeft

Jim Rutenberg / New York Times: As Senate Deal Sinks, So Does Bush's Power

Chuck Todd / MSNBC:

Taking New Hampshire for granite — Relevance of the first-in-the-nation primary never more in doubt — Have you captured a candidate on camera? We want to see it. Click here to send us your pictures and videos, and we'll post the best on MSNBC.com. — Political Director

Discussion: National Review

Philip Klein / American Spectator:
Newt Says He May Be Able To Do More on Sidelines - Friday …

Discussion: Power Line

Rasmussen Reports:

Why the Senate Immigration Bill Failed — Elite newspapers and countless bloggers are writing their own explanations of why the compromise immigration legislation failed last night. Most of the write-ups discuss legislative tactics, an amendment offered by Senator Byron Dorgan (D) …

Discussion: CNN Political Ticker, DownWithTyranny!, Blue Crab Boulevard, Bluey Blog, PoliPundit.com and Macsmind

Pat Milton / Associated Press:

Official says JFK terror probe widening — NEW YORK - The investigation into the thwarted plot to bomb John F. Kennedy International Airport is widening beyond the four men in custody, with more suspects sought outside the U.S. for their suspected roles, a law enforcement official said Friday.

Discussion: Michelle Malkin

ACSBlog:

Leading Conservative Activist Seeks Punitive Damages — Judge Robert Bork, one of the fathers of the modern judicial conservative movement whose nomination to the Supreme Court was rejected by the Senate, is seeking $1,000,000 in compensatory damages, plus punitive damages, after he slipped and fell at the Yale Club of New York City.