Day Two of McKinney Fever finds the august National Journal openly sneering at the Green road to the White House:

The latest wild and crazy speculation? Former Georgia Rep. Cynthia McKinney -- she of Capitol cop-punching fame -- is so disgruntled with the Democratic Party and its slate of contenders that she might seek the Green Party nomination.

Have no fear, McKinneymaniacs. As your McKinney '08 Campaign News Headquarters, Fishwrap promises to keep you fully informed and up-to-date -- even chronicling the sneers and jeers of the media elite who lack the vision to believe the unbelievable.

-- Robert Stacy McCain, assistant national editor, The Washington Times

Have you ever wanted to see potential 2008 rivals Hillary and Rudy boogie? Fishwrap has found perhaps the funniest Web site that can occupy your hours this week while Congress is on break.

Don't take it from us -- make your own or check out our personal faves.
On the GOP 2008 ticket are Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani, who has always enjoyed a good costume, and for the Democrats, Hillary Clinton and Tom Vilsack can really cut a rug.

-- Christina Bellantoni, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times

The U.S. House's special panel on global warming will hold a "mountaintop summit" next week to hear from climate change experts.
The Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a hearing at a mountain lodge in Franconia, New Hampshire, on Monday morning, chairman Ed Markey (D-Ma.) announced today in a pun-laden press release.
"With concern over global warming reaching new peaks, we will ascend a White Mountain peak to hold the first ever mountaintop 'summit' on the issue," read the release.
Markey will call on several local witnesses to hear how global warming may affect New England and its tourism, jobs, and culture.
"I think it is important for the members of this new committee to get out of Washington, where concern about this issue has lagged, and engage directly with businesses, government and concerned citizens at the local level," Markey said. "On the summit of Cannon Mountain we will have a spectacular view of a state that is concerned about its tourism industry, shorter ski seasons, changing foliage, and intense weather events which presage serious economic consequences if we don't act."
The release notes that access to the lodge is by aerial trainway only.
-- Christina Bellantoni, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times

While everyone else OD's on the Fred Thompson will-he-or-won't-he hype, Fishwrap is excited by the news that former Rep. Cynthia McKinney, Georgia Democrat, may seek the Green Party nomination.
She was interviewed Friday on New York radio station WBAI:

You know, I have on my kitchen table, I have a button that was printed in 2000. And it was printed by the Green Party, they were talking about me running as a Green. So I have had a very long relationship with the Green Party. And I think, honestly, with the failure of the Democratic majority in Congress to repeal the PATRIOT Act, to repeal the Secret Evidence Act, to repeal the Military Tribunals Act, to not institute immediately actions of impeachment against this illegitimate, illegal and immoral administration, stop the war, I have to seriously question my relationship with the Democratic Party. I know that the very learned listeners of WBAI have long been interested in how to have a truly independent voice. I understand now that with the current Democratic majority in Congress that's not possible. ....

So, you know, 2008 has not been ruled out, some kind of effort. Certainly now it is questionable as to whether that effort would come under the banner of the Democratic Party. There's no way that with the current crop of candidates who are all supporting a military action against Iran and who none of them support impeachment. They can not speak for me any longer.

So, why not McKinney? She courted the Green Party's 2004 nomination after she lost her 2002 congressional primary. ... To win the 2008 nomination Cynthia McKinney would need only break the spell that animates Nader's still-limber zombie body then fend off Black Panther alum Elaine Brown and Milton from Office Space.

-- Robert Stacy McCain, assistant national editor, The Washington Times

UPDATE 10:45 EDT: As promised, McKinney '08 Campaign News Headquarters is staying on top of the rapidly-spreading Cynthia Fever.

Don Surber: "Hey, now for the Battle Royale to be her running mate between Rosie O'Donnell and Cindy Sheehan."

Sister Toldjah:

Heck, from the way her platform would sound, I think she'd garner tons of support with the Democratic base and as a result, she might get as much attention as Cindy Sheehan did, except over a longer period of time, and the entire country could really get an up close and personal look at how far the left has fallen over the cliff. ... RUN, CYNTHIA, RUN!

The Sundries Shack offers a "little quiz" to determine "if you're flat-out bugnuts," and offers a suggestion for voters: "Never Vote for Someone Crazier than You."

Here's a Wisconsin blogger who speaks with the true voice of the American Heartland:

Please please please be true.

Ace of Spades, noting that Weigel writes for a libertarian publication, asks, "Although, to be honest, I'm not sure why Reason is snarking about her nascent candidacy. Is the problem that she's not insane enough?"

And finally, at Hot Air, AllahPundit asks:

Isn't this actually bad news? Socialist alternatives to Hillary are all to the good since they'll drain off votes from the dumber parts of the Democratic base, but if the Green nominee's too kooky it'll make it easy for the Democrats to demonize them and draw some of those votes back.

-- RSM

The consequences of ignoring global warming could be "so much worse" than the war in Iraq, former Vice President Al Gore told an audience in Washington tonight.
"The invasion of Iraq was a big mistake," Gore said. "If we do not quickly change course and start sharply reducing global warming pollution it will be a much bigger mistake."

The Democrat signed copies of his new book "The Assault on Reason," at George Washington University, and told 1,500 attendees the Bush administration and the media ignored warnings the war would be a "costly and dangerous mistake." Now 150,000 troops are "trapped in the middle of a civil war," he said.

At one point hecklers took over the event, shouting something about "hedge funds" and "genocide in Africa" at Gore as he attempted to take pre-screened questions.
Carla Cohen, co-owner of event host Politics and Prose, called the interruption "an example of an assault on reason."

Before the talk, singing protesters greeted Gore, some chanting "global warming is a fraud" while a man dressed in brown robes with a belt made of leaves donned a plastic Gore mask and alternated that with a polar bear face on a stick. His fans, however -- many sporting Gore '08 stickers -- were exuberant and cheered wildly when he said, "Something that's hard to define has gone badly wrong in the way American democracy now operates."

-- Christina Bellantoni, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times

UPDATE: Don Surber was under the impression that "dissent is patriotic."

Why was Sen. Dick Durbin, Illinois Democrat, seen recently leaving the home of a prominent Republican fundraiser? The homeowner, a well-known lobbyist who has donated to President Bush and held a fundraiser for the DC Republican Party this spring, has been doing renovations lately to his rowhouse facade.

Because of the construction, the driver of Durbin's black SUV was double-parked in front of the home the other day around 6:30 p.m. The senator, the number two Democrat in the upper chamber, was seen trotting out the front door and down the stairs before hopping into his ride.

-- Christina Bellantoni, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times

Eleanor Holmes Norton, DC's own nonvoting representative, was spotted this weekend shopping at Eastern Market. As she bought some vegetables, she chatted it up with an outdoor merchant about fundraising efforts to help rebuild the historic building that was severely damaged in a fire last month.

The merchant directed her to a booth down the way where vendors were collecting cash, and Norton (D) ran off to donate.

"She's been a loyal customer every weekend for decades," one vendor told this Fishwrapper.

-- Christina Bellantoni, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times

News that Homeland Security would release a report on a June 2004 incident aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 327 has generated enormous interest among bloggers.

The release stems from a Freedom of Information request by The Washington Times in April 2006. The Times first reported in July 2004 that the incident was believed to be a "dry run," one of several meant to test airline security after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

As Scott Johnson recalls at Powerline, this incident was first reported by Annie Jacobsen.

Ed Morrissey at Captain's Quarters notes that Mrs. Jacobsen was "derided as a panic-stricken hysteric," and suggests: "It appears that a few people may owe Jacobsen an apology."

Little Green Footballs says the report "confirms our worst suspicions -- not only about terrorist plans for another 9/11, but about DHS's amazing incompetence, because the incident was not even filed with them until four days later."

AllahPundit at Hot Air notices a resemblance between the behavior of the Flight 327 passengers and the plot busted last year in Britain.

Patterico has written extensively about the event that sparked the book "Terror in the Skies."

Don Surber considers the report a "win" for Homeland Security.

-- Robert Stacy McCain, assistant national editor, The Washington Times

Senate Republicans today said they will fight Democratic plans to hold a vote of no-confidence in Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, signaled his intent to oppose the move by Sen. Chuck Schumer, when the New York Democrat introduces the measure in mid-June.

"I'm sure that [Senate Majority Leader Harry] Reid and I will be discussing after we get back just how much they want to have that vote and what kind of vote they would have to give us in order to get that and how much floor time that it would take up to achieve all of that," Mr. McConnell said.

Mr. McConnell's spokesman, Don Stewart, was more blunt.

"If they want to do a political stunt on the floor, we’re not going to stand aside and let them do it," Mr. Stewart told me.

"This resolution does not have the force of law. It’s purely political. It’s offered by the head of the Democratic senatorial campaign committee," Mr. Stewart said. "We can’t find a single instance where the Senate has held a no-confidence vote. This isn’t the Parliament."

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times

Sen. Barack Obama fired back after John McCain lobbed the first verbal grenade over at him and Sen. Hillary Clinton for voting against the war-funding bill last night. But McCain (R-Az.), wants the last word, too.
After McCain said the votes were "equivalent of waving a white flag to al Qaeda," Obama (D-Ill.) released a statement blasting the Republican for believing "the course we are on in Iraq is working."
"And if there ever was a reflection of that, it's the fact that Senator McCain required a flack jacket, ten armored Humvees, two Apache attack helicopters, and 100 soldiers with rifles by his side to stroll through a market in Baghdad just a few weeks ago," Obama said, according to Hotline On Call.
McCain's retort:
"While Senator Obama's two years in the U.S. Senate certainly entitle him to vote against funding our troops, my service and experience combined with conversations with military leaders on the ground in Iraq lead me to believe that we must give this new strategy a chance to succeed because the consequences of failure would be catastrophic to our nation's security."
He added: "By the way, Senator Obama, it's a 'flak' jacket, not a 'flack' jacket."

-- Christina Bellantoni, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times

President Bush commented on the supplemental war funding bill this afternoon, after visiting wounded soldiers at the U.S. Naval Medical Center in Bethesda.

"First, I applaud the bipartisan effort to get a emergency supplemental bill to my desk. The speaker and the leader said they would get it done by Memorial Day recess, and they have. And I appreciate that very much," Mr. Bush said.

"You know, this effort shows what can happen when people work together. We've got a good bill that didn't have timetables or tell the military how to do its job, but also sent a clear signal to the Iraqis that there's expectations here in America, expectations that we -- about how to move forward. I look forward to continuing to work with the prime minister and his government in meeting those expectations," Mr. Bush said.

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times

The Democratic chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the ranking Republican member made another attempt today to get at presidential adviser Karl Rove's e-mails that were sent on a server outside the White House.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, Vermont Democrat, and Sen. Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania Republican, have asked Mr. Rove's attorney whether he has copies of Mr. Rove's e-mails and whether he will voluntarily turn them over for the judiciary committee's probe of the U.S. attorneys' firings.

Mr. Rove and other White House officials have used outside e-mail accounts for several years so that they can do political business without using government equipment (a violation of the Hatch Act).

The outside system is hosted by the Republican National Committee, and the RNC has said that many e-mails were not archived, and so if they were deleted, they might be permanently lost. White House servers permanently archive every e-mail sent on White House e-mail addresses.

Mr. Leahy's letter states that Mr. Rove's attorney, Robert D. Luskin, may possess the "lost" e-mails, and asks him to turn them over.

Here is the text of the letter:

May 24, 2007

Robert D. Luskin
Patton Boggs LLP
2550 M Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20037

Dear Mr. Luskin:

The White House has confirmed that an unknown number of e-mails, including those of your client, Karl Rove, from both White House accounts and those sent or received using political Republican National Committee accounts, have not been archived. You stated publicly that Mr. Rove's emails were turned over to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald as part of the investigation into the leak of the identity of a covert CIA officer by officials in the Administration that led to the conviction of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

The Department's response to the Committee, however, suggests that these emails were not in fact turned over permanently to Mr. Fitzgerald. According to the Department, Mr. Fitzgerald only obtained access to the "electronic media" containing these emails to do a search for documents related to the Plame investigation and then he returned this electronic media to you in a sealed condition.

Do you retain possession of this electronic media and will you provide the Committee with Mr. Rove's emails related to our investigation voluntarily?

Sincerely,

PATRICK LEAHY
Chairman

ARLEN SPECTER
Ranking Member

Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain of Arizona today slammed the frontrunners in the race for the Democatic nomination for voting aginst the emergency war-funding bill last night.

"I was very disappointed to see Senator Obama and Senator Clinton embrace the policy of surrender by voting against funds to support our brave men and women fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan," he said.

"This vote may win favor with MoveOn and liberal primary voters, but it's the equivalent of waving a white flag to al Qaeda."

Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois were among 14 senators to vote against the $120 billion spending bill, which passed with 80 "yes" votes from 42 Republicans, 37 Democrats and one independent.

-- S.A. Miller, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times

Senate Majoirity Leader Harry Reid opted for a light lunch today as his chamber faces tough votes on war funding and amendments to the immigration bill.

The Nevada Democrat ordered up a salad platter: one scoop of chicken salad, one scoop of tuna salad, a sliced hard-boiled egg and a side of cottage cheese topped with a cherry.

-- S.A. Miller, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times

Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton's efforts to generate some Internet buzz by asking people to help her choose a campaign song were so successful she has opted for round two.

The New York senator first appealed to Web users with 10 songs, and after getting more than 130,000 votes the campaign has narrowed it down to another 10 -- the top vote-getters and five write-ins.

Urging supporters to cast their vote, Clinton tells people: "You have spoken [and] there were some truly wonderful selections," and does a little swaying to the beat in her self-deprecating Web video.

"Anyway, I'm so gratified that all of you thought that this was such a wonderful idea," Clinton deadpans, as the video cuts to YouTubers blasting the concept.

"This is ridiculous," one says, as another adds: "Insulting!" and one more asks, "Are you freaking kidding me?"

The frontrunner for the 2008 nomination will announce the winner online or will send text messages to supporters who sign up.

Here are the song finalists. You can vote on her site, or better yet, use our comments section to suggest your own Hillary Clinton theme song.

Round One Winners:

* Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall
* Rock This Country! - Shania Twain
* Beautiful Day - U2
* Get Ready - The Temptations
* I'm a Believer - Smash Mouth
Top Write-In Suggestions:
* Are You Gonna Go My Way - Lenny Kravitz
* Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now - McFadden & Whitehead
* Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - The Police
* You and I - Celine Dion
* The Best - Tina Turner

"This bill is like Monty Python's parrot -- it's dead, dead, dead."

So said John Fund of the Wall Street Journal this morning on Laura Ingraham's radio show, thus eliciting a smile from Python fans everywhere as he discussed the Senate immigration bill. Mr. Fund said the way the bill's sponsors tried to "ram it through" without extensive hearings was an "insult," and noted that members of Congress are sure to get an earful of complaints from their constituents during the Memorial Day recess.

Mr. Fund distanced himself from today's Wall Street Journal editorial attacking the Heritage Foundation's Robert Rector, whose economic analysis of the costs of low-skill immigration has helped rally opposition to the Senate bill.

Mr. Rector was also a guest on the Ingraham show. Mr. Rector rebutted the Journal's arguments, which he said don't take account of all the facts -- including the fact that granting legal residency to illegals would make them eligible for Social Security and Medicare, two programs that are already fiscal disasters. He said the United States is engaged in "international welfare outreach," as if a shortage of domestic welfare recipients required the importation of poor foreigners.

As Ralph Hallow reports today, the bill has drawn a harsh reaction from grassroots Republicans -- including those in the home state of supporters Sen. John McCain and Jon Kyl:

Arizona Republican Party officials have received "hundreds and hundreds of calls, e-mails and letters from Republicans angry about the bill," state party Chairman Randy Pullen told The Washington Times.
"They were saying, 'I am going to register independent and not give you any more money' -- and that's the base of our party saying that," Mr. Pullen said.

Sen. John Kerry (D-Ma., 2004 prez candidate) today met with a young man he calls the "environmental ambassador" to children around the world.

Mississippi resident Jonathan Lee, 10, created a pro-environmental cartoon character named: "Go Green Man," Kerry says in a press release.

The superhero's mission is to protect 'Greenville,' but he also fights for clean water, renewable energy, wildlife, forests, and of course -- an issue close to Kerry's heart -- stopping global warming and curbing pollution.

"I couldn't be more proud of Jonathan," said Kerry. "In order for us to really have a chance at tackling this problem, we need more than just grown-ups on board.

Jonathan's message is special because he delivers it as a peer to a new generation of environmentalists, and there's nothing more powerful than that. Every child makes the world a little brighter, but I commend Jonathan for saving the world in his own way -- one superhero adventure at a time."

In a release, Kerry says Jonathan is an environmental ambassador for children around the world for telling kids to turn off lights when they aren't being used and switch to high efficiency light bulbs.

-- Christina Bellantoni, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, Vermont Democrat, chimed in on Monica Goodling's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee today.

The subtext of Mr. Leahy's statement is that Miss Goodling's lack of knowledge as to Karl Rove's involvement in the matter means they really need to get Mr. Rove himself in front of the committee.

"It is curious that yet another senior Justice Department official claims to have limited involvement in compiling the list that led to the firings of several well-performing federal prosecutors. What we have heard today seems to reinforce the mounting evidence that the White House was pulling the strings on this project to target certain prosecutors in different parts of the country," Mr. Leahy said.

"It is abundantly clear that we must do all we can to get to the truth behind this matter and the role White House played in it," he said.

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's press shop (affectionately termed the 'War Room') made a little goof in sending out an advisory about an event to be held tomorrow highlighting how local first responders are affected by the Iraq war.

The event will star Sen. Debbie Stabenow and a freshman Democrat from Montana.

The Reid press release mistakenly says Sen. John Tester (D-Mt.) will attend the press conference. Whoops! That would be Jon Tester, whose win in November over Republican Sen. Conrad Burns helped secure Democratic control of the Senate. So far, no correction has been issued. It's tough to be a freshman.

Here's a partial advisory for the 10:30 a.m. event:

****MEDIA ADVISORY****

* *

*AMERICA** SPEAKS OUT ON THE WAR IN IRAQ: FIRST RESPONDERS*

/First Responders join Senators to Highlight the Impact of the War in Iraq on their Communities///

* Washington, DC -- *U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and John Tester (D-MT) will join representatives of America's first responders Thursday for the second in a series of events to highlight how each and every American, from every walk of life, is being impacted by the Iraq war and the failed policies of the Bush Administration. The events, themed "America Speaks Out on the War in Iraq," highlight Americans from across the country who are concerned about and affected by this war, but whose voices are often lost in the debate. The Senators will join first responders from across the country including Wayne County (MI) Sheriff Warren Evans, New Castle County (DE) Executive Chris Coons and Maryland State Senator Richard Madaleno.

*WHO: *Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)

Senator John Tester (D-MT)

Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans

New Castle County Executive Chris Coons

Maryland State Senator Richard Madaleno

-- Christina Bellantoni, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times

Sen. John Kerry was crowing after President Bush withdrew the nomination of Michael Baroody as the new chief of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
"I hope the White House now knows that on an issue as important as consumer safety we won't allow them to put a fox in charge of guarding the henhouse," said Mr. Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat who opposed Mr. Baroody's confirmation.
"This agency matters too much to parents and children to be a gift to someone without even a vague interest in consumer protection," he said. "The White House now needs to send us a nominee who will fight for consumers, not one who will fight against their interests."
-- S.A. Miller, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times

Monica Goodling has been one of the key players in the U.S. attorney firings, and because she originally took the Fifth Amendment when called to testify before Congress, she has been in some ways a woman of mystery.

Further, there has been only one picture of her floating around the internet, taken from a picnic a few years ago at a reunion for Regent University law students.

Miss Goodling today was much more attractive and stylishly dressed than she appeared in that one picture, and indicated that she wanted to recast herself in a different light.

"I'd like to give the committee a little better sense of who I am, because the person that I read about on the Internet and in the newspaper is not me," she said.

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times

Monica Goodling admitted that she "crossed the law" when considering the political affiliation of job applicants at the Justice Department, but quickly amended her statement to say she crossed the "line."

Rep. Robert C. Scott, Virginia Democrat, pressed Miss Goodling.

"You crossed the line on civil legal service laws," Mr. Scott said.

"I believe I crossed the law, line," Miss Goodling said. "But I didn't mean to."

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times

There were so many cameras in the House Judiciary Committee hearing room this morning for the testimony of Monica Goodling, former White House liason for Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, that Chairman John Conyers Jr. had to clear them out.

"We have more cameras than this room can accomodate. So some of you will have to be excused," Mr. Conyers said. "This is unusual but I think it's necessary."

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times

Angela McGlowan celebrated the success of her book, Bamboozled, with a party Tuesday at Finemondo restaurant in Washington.

Among the VIPs in attendance was former Louisiana Rep. Bob Livingston, now head of the Livingston Group lobbying firm. Republican author and speaker Michael Zak was also on hand, as were publicists Sandy Schulz and Gwen Nappi of Marshall, Nappi & Schulz.

Ms. McGlowan has had a busy six weeks since her book was published in April. She was interviewed earlier this month by blogger John Hawkins of Right Wing News, and was also interviewed at Townhall by Lisa De Pasquale. She was interviewed by The Washington Times last month. And, of course, she now has a blog.

Publisher David Dunham explained how he met Ms. McGlowan at a 2006 event for author William J. Bennett. "She said, 'You're Bill Bennett's publisher? You're going to do my book.' " Ms. McGlowan's sister Debbie said, "Angela is fulfilling a dream that our father had ... to become a published author. ... Daddy is up there looking down and saying, 'That's my girl.' "

-- Robert Stacy McCain, assistant national editor, The Washington Times

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has been in the news a lot lately. So, where does his eponymous URL take you? A liberal activist Web site? Something on the federal judiciary? Not exactly. Instead, typing "www.albertogonzales.com" into your web browser takes you to the home page of my hometown's NBA team, the Portland Trail Blazers.

As Legal Times points out, in recent years, several Blazers squad members have run afoul of the law, earning the team the diminishing "Jail Blazers" moniker. Is the Justice Department sending a subtle message to Rip City?

For some reason, typing the domain 'www.albertogonzales.com' into your browser's address line takes web-surfers to the online home of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. A quick online search shows that the Attorney General's name is registered to InterCosmos Media Group of New Orleans, and was registered on Feb. 3, 2005, just as Gonzales was up for Senate confirmation.

An attempt to reach InterCosmos for an explanation was unsuccessful. But the BLT's private theory is that the link between the nation's top-law enforcement officer and the Blazers may have something to do with the team's well-documented history of blazing things other than three-point shots.

-- Eric Pfeiffer, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times

During a recent summit here at the paper, conservative bloggers conceded they have lost a lot of political ground to liberal bloggers.

The wide ranging discussion, to be detailed in our dead-tree edition this week, also revealed some of the top right-leaning bloggers aren't sure of their goals. By contrast, they said, progressive blogs like DailyKos and Eschaton are in the business of mobilizing voters and, in many cases, getting Democrats elected.

Case in point: Kos posted an item yesterday encouraging his followers to "videotape everything they do," referring to Republicans running for office.

"All it takes is one 'Macaca' incident to transform a race or create one where one didn't exist," he wrote, referring to the YouTube moment that led to Republican Sen. George Allen's defeat last November in Virginia.

"And this is no longer about finding one big blunder to put on a campaign commercial," Kos said. "It's about using video and (free) technologies like YouTube to build narratives about opponents, using their own words, at their own events."
The discussion here at the Times has already generated postings on the Internet and is sure to be an issue during the coming presidential race.

-- Christina Bellantoni, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times

UPDATE 6:40 P.M. -- NRO's Mark Krikorian reports the Senate voted 69-23 to begin debate. I'm no parliamentarian, but I believe that, since a filibuster requires 41 votes, this means when the time comes to end debate -- to put the measure to a vote -- an additional 18 "no" votes would be required to block a vote. At any rate, the debate begins with 23 senators so opposed to the measure that they don't even want to debate it.

UPDATE 6:45 P.M -- Instead of finishing the debate this week, as previously announced, the Senate has agreed to delay the final vote until June. Complete details to follow ...

UPDATE 7:30 P.M. -- At Ace of Spades HQ, Jack M. divides the Senate into 69 villains and 23 heroes -- the "heroes" being those who voted against proceeding with the debate. Interestingly, among the Democratic "heroes" who voted "no" was Montana Sen. Jon Tester, elected last year with major help from the left-wing "netroots."

UPDATE 7:50 p.m. -- Here's the official roll call vote. Sen. Jeff Sessions, Alabama Republican, calls it a "railroad job," and Hot Air's AllahPundit comments:

The left knows this is its best shot, even better than under a Democratic president in 2009. ... This is Pelosi's clean-hands, blame-Bush golden chance at amnesty. It'll be hard to resist.

UPDATE 8:45 P.M. -- Newt Gingrich just finished an interview segment on "O'Reilly," and strongly condemned the Senate bill. Bryan Preston of HotAir.com will have video.

EARLIER:

Seldom has the conservative blogosphere been as active on a single issue as it is about the Senate immigration bill, which is due for its first vote today. Lots of bloggers are linking to today's Stephen Dinan/S.A. Miller article -- discuss it at our "Insider" blog, which also links to the full text of the bill -- and other bloggers are linking to our "Immigration debacle" editorial.

This thing is so huge, we're going to do a comprehensive blog wrap-up that will be updated throughout the afternoon ...

1. Michelle Malkin is angry with Senate Republicans for what she calls a "shamnesty" bill. Having seen Mrs. Malkin mildly annoyed -- our interview earlier this month ran long, and she was running late for another appointment -- I'm sure I'd never want to see her angry. But she'll be guest-hosting "The O'Reilly Factor" tonight, so watch out, Senate Republicans.

2. Kate O'Beirne of National Review says:

"Amnesty" doesn't accurately describe the generosity of the grand compromise immigration bill. "Christmas" is closer, but not descriptive enough. How about "Amnesty with a $500,000 cash bonus?"

"Maybe some of the emotion will cool off and die down a little bit so we can have a discussion. ...

"I understand the frustration and anger that people feel after a generation of a broken system."

4. John Hawkins of Right Wing News urges his readers to contact their senators and Republican officials:

These Republicans senators are shaky, scared, and looking for an out. If we continue to bring relentless pressure to bear on them, they'll find excuses not to support the bill. ...

But, if they're not hearing from their constituents every day, they'll delude themselves into thinking that the passion behind the issue is starting to drain away. Don't let that happen!

Pick up that phone, write that email, send that fax -- heck, do all three if you're so inclined.

5. Also on the McCain blogger conference call: James Joyner, Ed Morrissey and Ann Althouse. Ryan Sager headlines his New York Sun blog post: "McCain Hits Romney Hard."

6. Patterico relates the immigration issue to welfare:

Bringing illegals out of the shadows would presumably make them eligible for benefits other citizens enjoy -- such as unemployment benefits. This will create a need for a new underclass of illegals that can't receive such benefits. ... My solution would be to get Americans off welfare. Instead, we appear to be headed towards bringing illegals "out of the shadows" and into the bright light of the government dole.

7. Jammie Wearing Fool: "This turkey has to be squashed pronto, especially if Republicans want to maintain any support in the base."

8. La Shawn Barber: "I'm so glad pro-enforcement Republican and conservative bloggers are revolting and making a ruckus over this putrid bill."

9. Tammy Bruce says it's "time to spread the love," giving the phone numbers of senators who publicly oppose the immigration bill.

10. Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit is following the issue (also here and here), and offers his own thought:

Okay, I had this thought last night as I was drifting off to sleep. But the Nyquil wore off and I still think it may make sense.

Lots of people think that the immigration bill stinks, and want to punish the GOP by staying home in 2008. Fair enough. But if you plan to punish the GOP in 2008, then you might want to support the immigration bill now. Why? Because if the Democrats win the White House and Congress in 2008, you'll get a bill that you like a whole lot less! So if you plan to punish the Republicans later, you should encourage them to pass their bill now . . . .

11. Debbie Schlussel is no fan of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, whom she accuses of pushing "AmnesTea."

12. Also no fan of Mr. Chertoff, AllahPundit of HotAir.com, with video:

Here's Bush's own secretary of homeland security displaying raw contempt for the wishes of his party's base by floating a derisive laugh line that would have fallen flat even on dKos.

13. OK, final update for now -- a "Star Wars" allusion from the inimitable Ace of Spades:

As noted city administrator Lando Calrissian said, "This deal keeps getting worse and worse."

-- Robert Stacy McCain, assistant national editor

Sen. Chuck Schumer's plan to bring a resolution of no confidence in Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales won't happen until the end of this week, at the earliest, Democratic leaders said.

Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, said no decision has yet been made on whether the measure will come to the floor this week, before the Memorial Day weekend.

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times

Wondering how those members of Congress are faring after living one week on a food stamp budget?
Check out the blogs run by Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) and Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Oh.).
The two men detailed their experiences living on $21 for food for seven days to highlight what they say is a flawed and underfunded system.
Worth nothing, Ryan had a tough time made tougher thanks to crack TSA security in Manchester, who confiscated his peanut butter and jelly before he boarded a plane to Washington.
-- Christina Bellantoni, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times

Fewer than 20 senators are publicly committed to supporting the immigration deal announced last week, Stephen Dinan and S.A. Miller will report Monday in The Washington Times.

Nearly 40 senators have already said they oppose or have serious concerns about the measure, underscoring how difficult it will be for President Bush and his allies to craft a coalition that can pass the bill.

A survey by The Times of Senate offices and public comments after the deal was announced Thursday found another 32 senators who said they cannot even take a position yet -- a result of the fact that the deal was written in secret by a dozen senators and the Bush administration, wasn't even finalized until Sunday and still hasn't reached many Senate offices.

Senators will be asked to make their first vote on the measure Monday, on whether to begin debating the bill. It will require 60 votes to pass, and leaders of both parties are urging their members to vote for it, so the debate can at least begin.

Democrats who said they oppose the Senate bill are: West Virginia Sen. Robert C. Byrd, North Dakota Sens. Kent Conrad and Byron L. Dorgan, Illinois Sens. Richard J. Durbin and Barack Obama, New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez, and Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson.

Republicans who said they oppose the Senate bill are: Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning, Oklahoma Sens. Tom Coburn and James M. Inhofe, Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole, Iowa Sen. Charles E. Grassley, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions and Wyoming Sen. Craig Thomas.

None of the senators from Virginia or Maryland have said they support the measure. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, Maryland Democrat, and Sen. John W. Warner, Virginia Republican, are in the "still reviewing/no public position" column, while Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, Maryland Democrat, and Sen. James H. Webb Jr., Virginia Democrat, both said they have concerns about the bill.

Fierce resistance to the Senate bill erupted this weekend, when delegates to Republican conventions in Georgia and South Carolina booed supporters of the bill.

Meanwhile, the blog wars over the Senate bill heated up this weekend. An Insider Politics blog post by David Eldridge on Friday drew 112 comments, and at RedState.com, White House official Kerrie Rushton began defending the bill in response to criticisms by conservatives on that site.

Blogger N.Z. Bear has posted an online version of the Senate bill.

Citizens wanting to contact their senators about the immigration bill can find the contact information by clicking here, or telephone the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

--Robert Stacy McCain, assistant national editor

Update: Don Surber of the Charleston (W.Va.) Daily News points out that the number of senators opposed and the number who've expressed concerns are close to the 41 votes needed for a filibuster, and comments:

Michelle Malkin called it the shamnesty bill and if it passes, I'm declaring myself an illegal alien so I can stop paying taxes, too. ....

Illegal immigration is a felony.

My God, how deaf, dumb and blind do you have to be not to detect that simple fact? We are a nation of laws. How I wish our lawmakers would keep that in mind.

This calls to mind the late, great Rep. Sonny Bono, California Republican. Asked to debate illegal immigration, Sonny replied: "What's to debate? It's illegal."

-- RSM

Attendees at Thursday night's 25th anniversary celebration for The Washington Times comprised a virtual who's who of conservative and religious leaders from across the country and beyond -- including former President Bush, who seemed in particularly good spirits.

He chided Maryland voters for failing last fall to elect former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (the gala's emcee) and ribbed Wes Pruden, the Times' editor-in-chief, for once referring to the former president as the "commodore of the Kennebunkport Yacht Club."

But another VIP almost stole the evening without even being in the room.

Margaret Thatcher's videotaped birthday greetings were as warmly received as any, with a crowd of more than 2,000 celebrants sitting attentively as the former prime minister, from the giant screens high on the National Building Museum walls, congratulated The Times and urged conservatives to stay strong.

And, she added, enjoy the party.

-- David Eldridge, managing editor, WashingtonTimes.com

No change today in the White House position on Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, despite news of a "no-confidence" vote to come next week in the Senate, along with continued crumbling support among Republicans for the embattled attorney general.

"We know that this has been a difficult period dealing with the discussion and questions having to do with the U.S. attorneys, but the attorney general is sticking to his job. We think he's been a very strong attorney general and we continue to support him," said White House spokesman Tony Fratto.

World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, a former top Pentagon official who helped plan the invasion of Iraq, yesterday announced he would resign after the bank's board of governors said he had acted improperly in helping his girlfriend, a bank employee, to get a promotion and a raise.

But Mr. Bush is not relenting on calls for Mr. Gonzales' resignation, Mr. Fratto said.

"It's important for any public official to have as much public confidence as he can garner, and that will ebb and flow, but it's not going to ebb and flow with this president," Mr. Fratto said.

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times

Al Franken's daughter wants you to send her dad $56.
Why? It's the comedian-turned-radio host-turned U.S. Senate candidate's birthday on Monday.
"When it came time to think of a birthday present for Dad, I knew exactly what to do. But I'm going to need your help," Thomasin Franken said in a campaign e-mail to supporters today. "I'm hoping to collect 1,000 names of people who support my dad and are willing to help me wish him a happy birthday by contributing $56 (he's turning 56!) to his campaign!"
Then she laid it on a little thicker:
"Usually, I give my dad a tie or a CD for his birthday. But this year, I'm hoping I can give him a card with the names of 1,000 friends who have supported his campaign the way he and Mom always supported me and Joe growing up," she said. "And, of course, what's a birthday card without a little cash inside?"
Franken, who is hoping to get the Democratic nomination to challenge Sen. Norm Coleman, has been creative in his fundraising appeals to say the least.
When supporters head to the site to donate, they are given these options:

$56 -- add a candle to Al's cake
$100 -- add an extra-bright candle
$250 -- add one of those trick candles that doesn't go out -- Dad always thought those were funny
$500 -- extra icing
$1,000 -- extra icing AND ice cream on the side
$2,300 -- next year, we'll throw YOU a party (note: not really)

"He'll be a great Senator for the same reasons he's a great father," said Thomasin, 26, who ended the card with a "Thanks!!!"

-- Christina Bellantoni, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times

Rep. Ed Pastor (D-Az.) made a little mistake this morning when addressing the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

Pastor, sitting in the speaker's chair for the morning, referred to his colleague as "Mr. Skeleton."

Oops -- the Missouri Democrat's name is actually Rep. Ike Skelton.

-- Christina Bellantoni, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times

Monica Goodling, former White House liason for Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, will testify before the House Judiciary Committee next week, on Thursday, May 23.

Ms. Goodling resigned from the Justice Department in early April and told Congress she would invoke her fifth amendment right to not testify.

But a federal judge last Friday granted immunity to Ms. Goodling, and she will now testify. The Times is working on whether immunity forces her or allows her to testify.

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times

The Justice Department today released an e-mail from a Bush administration official that shows that the White House was worried in February that the story about the firing of U.S. attorneys was going to be a problem.

Scott Jennings, a deputy to presidential adviser Karl Rove, sent the e-mail at 10:17 a.m. on Feb. 28 to Mr. Rove, four other White House officials, and Kyle Sampson, then-chief of staff to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales.

Mr. Jennings titled the e-mail an "urgent issue" and said he had just received a phone call from Steve Bell, chief of staff to Sen. Pete Domenici, New Mexico Republican, about former U.S. attorney for New Mexico, David Iglesias.

Mr. Iglesias, Mr. Jennings said, was preparing to hold a press conference that morning to divulge that Mr. Domenici had called him prior to the November election to see if he was going to deliver indictments on corruption charges against Democratic lawmakers before the election.

Mr. Jennings also said that Mr. Iglesias planned to say that because he did not bring indictments before the election, "he believes this ultimately led to his being asked to resign by DOJ."

"Bell said Domenici's idea is not to respond, and hopefully make this a one day story," Mr. Jennings wrote in his e-mail. "Unfortunately, I do not think that they can make an allegation such as this go away so easily."

Ironically, the Domenici incident served only to intensify pressure on the White House and the Justice Department. Mr. Domenici has been criticized, but the loudest calls for resignation have been directed at Mr. Gonzales.

Other recipients of the e-mail were White House Counsel Fred Fielding, White House Communications Director Kevin Sullivan, White House Deputy Spokeswoman Dana Perino, and Mr. Jennings' counterpart in the White House political office Sara Taylor.
The e-mail was released after Senate Judiciary Committee Patrick Leahy, Vermont Democrat, and Sen. Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania Republican, sent a letter to Mr. Gonzales on Tuesday, demanding to know why the attorney general had not met a deadline for responding to Mr. Leahy's subpoena.

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent

Rep. Bennie Thompson, Mississippi Democrat and chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, signed on as a co-sponsor this afternoon to the Pearce/Collins bill to protect "John Doe" passengers from being sued if they report suspicious activity aboard aircraft.

In a letter to the editor of The Washington Times today, Mr. Thompson said he could not support an earlier version of the legislation sponsored by Rep. Peter King, New York Republican and ranking member of the committee, that will be the subject of a conference committee on rail and safety transportation.

"At first glance the King legislation looked fine, but upon closer inspection, it didn't pass the smell test," Mr. Thompson said.

"I believe that the underlying premise of the bill is a good idea and one that has been pounded into the mind of every American since September 11 -- help law enforcement help you -- however; unlike the Pearce/Collins approach, which I support, the measure introduced by Rep. King, does not take into consideration valid causes of action for providing false or misleading information. I encourage my colleagues to work toward a solution more akin to the Pearce/Collins bills, which do not run roughshod over legal remedies that are and should be in place."

The King bill was added to the transporation safety bill through a procedural vote that Democrats today are threatening to eliminate.

House Republican Leader John Boehner is holding a press conference at 4:45 to address that rule change.

-- Audrey Hudson, national reporter, The Washington Times

World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz made a plea to the bank's board of governors last night to judge him fairly in the current flap over the pay raise given to Mr. Wolfowitz's girlfriend Shaha Riza.

Mr. Wolfowitz told the board, according to prepared remarks, that "it is quite apparent that this matter has ceased to have much to do with the case itself, and everything to do with issues about my management style and my policy choices."

Mr. Wolfowitz, who has insisted that debt assistance should be given only to countries who crack down on public corruption, maintains that he acted in good faith and was following direction from the bank's ethics committee.

Mr. Wolfowitz maintains that he tried to recuse himself from the matter of Ms. Riza's employment, but that the bank's ethics board told him he should be involved and approved of the final agreement, which was reached in September 2005.

He said he has already acknowledged a need for some changes in his leadership style, including less reliance on managers he brought to the World Bank with him from outside organizations.

He also said he plans to improve communication with vice presidents at the bank and to work more closely with staff.

He implor