Wonkette

I’ve had my picture taken with Katherine Harris — in matching outfits, no less. My work here is done.

Greetings. It’s David Lat, one of your two editors here at Wonkette. And just like Star Jones, another ex-prosecutor-turned-sassy-personality, I’m using this week to say good-bye — at least for now.

As is usually the case, the gossip is true. I’m leaving the wild ‘n wacky world of politics, which I’ve enjoyed blogging about for the past five months, to return to my first love: the law. Not the practice of it, but writing about it; I’m going back to the legal blogosphere, from whence I came. Having spent a truckload of dough earnin’ a fancy law school degree, as well as several years in legal practice, I figure I might as well put it all to some productive use (with “productive” loosely defined).

The full details, plus teary farewells, after the jump (or just click here, then scroll down).

MORE »

Congratulations are in order for Wonkette’s original intern, Henry the Intern. Last weekend, he graduated from Bard College at the tender age of 20. Earlier this month, Henry was named a finalist in the New York Times’s “Win a Trip with Nick Kristof” essay contest. (You can read his submission here.)

The indefatigable Henry was kind enough to do a wrap-up of White House press secretary Tony Snow’s appearance on Lou Dobbs last night. You can read his review — accompanied by video clips — after the jump.

MORE »

Read this, then this. Interesting factoid. We didn’t notice until Henry the Intern, who knows all there is to know about the media world, pointed it out to us. MORE »

* Immigration as the new abortion? Interesting. Don’t know if we’d describe Emma Lazarus as a “hotty,” though; she’s no Fran Townsend. [got detroit?] MORE »

(Henry the Intern is out sick today, so please blame your editors for this somewhat tardy and shorter-than-usual newswrap.) MORE »

MORE »

Henry the intern is liveblogging today

Henry the intern is liveblogging today

Henry the intern is liveblogging today

Henry the intern works so I don

A self described surly old bastard writes us today, moved by concern for an item mentioned in our Daily Briefing: “The first dog to walk on the Senate floor dies. Is this a warning or a news item?” MORE »

Henry the intern blogs the John Roberts confirmation hearing. Updated throughout the day. Earlier posts after the jump.
UPDATE 4:53PM

3:50 — Roberts to Feinstein: “I have always supported, and support today, equal rights for women.” Feinstein: “You speak about modesty and humility and yet none of [these memos] were modest or humble.”

3:54 — Feinstein grills Roberts on his view of Roe v. Wade and women’s rights.

4:06 — Onward to the “hapless toad” case, specifically in terms of environmental regulations.

4:11 — Feinstein asks if Roberts believes that the separation of church and state should be absolute? Roberts: “I don’t know what that means when you say absolute separation.”

4:14 — On end of life decisions, Roberts says, “It’s a free country and the right to be left alone is one of our basic rights.”

4:18 — Sessions steps up to the plate: “You have validated the president’s confidence in you.”

4:34 — Sessions drags on, attempts humor to compensate for killing time before unrelated Senate vote. Keyword: attempts.

4:38 — Writer of Fox News lower-thirds falls asleep; graphics rotate evergreen facts about the rules of the Judiciary Committee and information about Roberts.

4:49 — Sessions definitely knows how to filibuster.

4:50 — 7.5 hours of hearings today over and out.

MORE »

Henry the intern will be providing commentary on the John Roberts confirmation hearings throughout the day. The top entry is the most recent installment. All highlights in order after the jump.

UPDATE 3:48PM

3:01 — Nancy Grace’s show begins. “Let’s go right back in,” she says.

3:03 — Coburn: “I find it somewhat amusing that we can predict your life expectancy. . . I am a physician.” He breaks into tears: “My heart breaks for less divisiveness, less partisanship.”

3:10 — Lugar arrives to introduce Roberts. What is up –literally– with his eyebrows? He reads a brief biography of Roberts. “Simply put, John Roberts is a brilliant lawyer,” Lugar says. Roberts appears to be getting emotional.

3:18 — Warner: “I find this a singular privilege.”

3:20 –Warner recalls that he was taken by the “erect man” when he first spotted Roberts. It was love at first sight, indeed.

3:26 — Roberts finally speaks. He is smiling widely and displaying the strict composure of Condi Rice. His eyes beam as if reading an imaginary TelePrompTer. “I come before the committee with no agenda. I have no agenda,” he says. “But I do have a commitment [to] confront every case with an open mind.”

3:33 — Specter: “Thank you for that very profound statement. . . That concludes our hearing.”

MORE »

You can judge for yourself how far the Roberts confirmation hearings have fallen in the Washington mediasphere: We asked the intern to cover them. MORE »