Wonkette

Charles “Chip” Pickering is the only Mississippi Republican left in the House. He is the ultra-conservative son of famous racist/civil rights champion and retired federal judge Charles Pickering. Chip announced in August that he was quitting Congress so he could, of course, spend more time with his family, and get a lucrative lobbying job. The lobbying job will surely come, but on Friday it was announced that Chip is divorcing his wife so he can spend more time with all the various women he’s been connected with over the years. What, a Republican in Congress who commits adultery with the opposite sex? MORE »

On this day 50 years ago, a Republican president deployed 1,000 National Guard troops to actually help black people. [Opinion Journal]

In what world could the partnership of Orrin Hatch, Joe Lieberman, and Tom Davis becalled “bipartisan”? When Eleanor Holmes Norton is getting cozy with them, obv, so she can finally have a real-life “vote” in that crazy House of Representatives. As this is a deal with the devils, it means fucking Utah gets one more representative. Because poor and black people may only be allowed equal rights if white nutjobs in the hinterlands get a little something in return for their troubles. Oh, these four all “wrote” an op-ed today, that’s why we’re talking about it. Fun Facts we learned about DC voting rights, after the jump. MORE »

Hey, remember when Alberto Gonzales was going to be forced to resign in disgrace or something? Ha, good times. Anyway, Wan J. Kim, the head of the Civil Rights Division, is resigning. His predecessor resigned just last week! Now who will protect the civil rights of Republican-voting church-goers against those terrible ACLU liberals? [WP]

That is the one vote cast against giving Rosa Parks the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor, and it was cast by Mr. Ron Paul on April 20, 1999. This isn’t exactly breaking news but we were reminded of it today (it’s apparently been making the email rounds at a couple lobbying houses) — Ron just hates giving out medals! He even gave a little speech:

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The Department of Justice has adopted a hilarious new interpretation of “Civil Rights” which has critics criticizing with rage. MORE »

Take a look at the gentlemen to your right. Would you trust him with anything besides perhaps being an effective, physical power forward for your National Hockey League franchise? Of course not! So explain to us, please, why a federal appeals court isn’t allowing us to lock him up forever and ever without charges? MORE »

* Army General in charge of Walter Reed is fired for not supporting the troops. [WP, NYT, LAT]
* Federal prosecutors fired for not supporting Republicans come back like night-zombies to haunt the Justice Department. [WP, NYT, LAT]
* The second great “political showdown/media circus” of Selma, AL will be this weekend, Revs. Obama and Clinton presiding. [WP]
* Yes, Condoleezza Rice’s new “counselor” is a neo-con. Yes, he also has a mustache. [WP]
* Federal buildings are just like your new condo, have “workout facilities, firing ranges.” [USAT]
* International markets have testicles, and they are still firmly in Alan Greenspan’s kung-fu grip. [NYT]

In a hilarious mix-up, a Captiol File party photog was at this very moment leading a subcommittee meeting on corporate pensions. (AP) MORE »

• The Senate renewed key provisions of the Voting Rights Act 98 to 0, yesterday. President Bush is expected to sign it. [WP]

• President Bush spoke before the NAACP, receiving applause for his commitment to the VRA, and boos and heckling over the Iraq war. [WP]
• The FEC announced that former political powerhouse Americans for a Republican Majority, Tom DeLay’s PAC, will “pay $115,000 in fines for violations of federal campaign rules” and shut down permanently. [NYT]
• “While making it plain it wants civilian casualties limited, the administration is also content to see the Israelis inflict the maximum damage possible on Hezbollah.” [WP]
• Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt “claimed millions of dollars in tax deductions through a type of charitable foundation they created that until recently paid out very little in actual charity,” kept or invested the money themselves. [WP]