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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.
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"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.

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.


Pace to Step Down as Chairman of Joint Chiefs — Gates Recommends Bush Nominate Adm. Michael G. Mullen for Post — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced today that Marine Gen. Peter W. Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will step down at the end of his two-year term in September …
Discussion:
Bluey Blog


General Peter Pace to Retire as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — Gen. Peter Pace is being replaced as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a move that reflects a feeling among top civilian officials at the Pentagon and in the White House that the American military needs new leadership …

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 …
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Defections to Fred Thompson Pose a Major Threat to McCain — John Dowd represented Sen. John McCain in his darkest hour, the "Keating Five" scandal. He supported McCain the first time he ran for president in 2000 and signed up to be a major fundraiser for him in this year's presidential race.
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters, The Politico, Redstate, Washington Times, MSNBC, No More Mister Nice Blog, Thomas P.M. Barnett, The Carpetbagger Report, Riehl World View, Michael P.F. van der Galiën, Connecting.the.Dots, DownWithTyranny!, The Atlantic Online, TIME, Feministe, CNN Political Ticker, Needlenose, Wonkette, On Deadline and Townhall.com

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 …

Newt Says He May Be Able To Do More on Sidelines - Friday …
Discussion:
Power Line


Hilton Ordered Back to Jail! — Paris Hilton was just ordered back to jail in Lynwood to serve out the remainder of her sentence! She'll get credit for at least 5 days already served. — Hilton left the courtroom in tears, screaming, "Mom, Mom, Mom." Hilton was also heard saying "It's not right."
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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.

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.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, Booman Tribune, The Volokh Conspiracy, Blue Mass. Group, The Moderate Voice and Think Progress
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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) …
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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.
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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.
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Hearing on FEC Pick Could Add Fuel to Debate Over Justice Dept.
Discussion:
National Review


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.
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Arrests of 31 in U.S. Sweep Bring Fear in New Haven — Over the last several years, this city has gone to great lengths to turn itself into a kind of haven, quite literally, for illegal immigrants. It was not that new immigrants were pouring in, but that there were thousands already living here …

[TS] Op-Ed Columnist: Lies, Sighs and Politics — If early campaign reporting is any guide, the bad media habits that helped install the worst president ever in the White House haven't changed a bit.

UPDATED: The end of Putin's anti-missile tantrum — and thoughts on Russia's real dilemmas — The Cold Spell ended quickly. Despite the sensationalist "Cold War" revival rhetoric, the mutual interests bind the US and Russia -and Russia and Europe. The Russian threat to "re-target" …