Wonkette

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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• “Virtually all” of the National Security Agency’s tips to the F.B.I. in the aftermath of 9/11 “led to dead ends or innocent Americans.” Former prosecutor: “The information was so thin, and the connections were so remote, that they never led to anything.” [NYT]
• Speaker Dennis Hastert is only now publicly addressing the recent scandals; he may be the next target of criticism and scrutiny. [WP]
• Senate Judiciary Committee postpones vote on Samuel Alito until next Tuesday. [WP, WT]
• New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin: “Surely God is mad at America. He sent us hurricane after hurricane after hurricane, and it’s destroyed and put stress on this country. . . Surely he doesn’t approve of us being in Iraq under false pretenses. But surely he is upset at black America also. We’re not taking care of ourselves.” [WP]
• Al Gore attacks Bush for “breaking the law repeatedly and insistently.” [WP, WT, USAT]
• American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights plan suits over NSA eavesdropping. [NYT]
• Rep. Bob Ney is gaining recognition from the midst of the Jack Abramoff scandal. [NYT]
• Bush honors Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, asks Americans to “remember the remaining work.” [NYT, WT]
• Laura Bush defends Republican from corruption label, says some lobbying can be important. [WT]
• Sandra Day O’Connor’s unique voice and technique of questioning will be lost in the new court. [USAT]

• Lawyers at the Justice Department warned that Rep. Tom Delay’s (R-Texas) redistricting plan was illegal under the Voting Rights Act but senior officials vetoed their findings. [WP]
• Senate Armed Services Committee seeks answers about Pentagon’s propaganda campaign in Iraqi media. Scott McClellan: “We’re very concerned about the reports. We have asked the Department of Defense for more information.” [NYT]
• Revelations about Samuel Alito’s views on abortion “are stiffening Democratic resistance and complicating the nomination for moderates in both parties.” Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.): “Certainly the chance of a filibuster is greater today than it was the day Alito was nominated.” [WP, NYT]
• Conversation in 2004 with Time’s Viveca Novak is said to have motivated Rove to change his testimony in the leak investigation. [NYT]
• Prosecutors are investigating whether Jack Abramoff “brokered lucrative jobs for Congressional aides at powerful lobbying firms in exchange for legislative favors.” [NYT]
• Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) breaks from most in her party with support of Rep. John Murtha’s (D-Pa.) plan for withdrawal. Strategist: “If Karl Rove was writing the timing of this, he wouldn’t have written it any differently, with the president of the United States expressing resolve and the Democratic leader offering surrender. For Republicans, this is manna from heaven.” [WP, WT]
• Bush marks World AIDS Day: “I believe America has a unique ability, and a special calling, to fight this disease.” Dean says the administration has “stood in the way of important global efforts to curb this disease.” [WP]

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• Reliable Source: RNC covers the tab for 1.4m White House Christmas cards. [WP]
• Lloyd Grove’s Lowdown: Al Sharpton will attend White House ceremony today honoring Rosa Parks. Sharpton on Bush: “He’s reaching out, but why? Because he’s at 37%? When George Bush reaches out his hand, he’s usually got something up his sleeve.” [NYDN]
• Rush & Molloy: Clinton wore “gold-embroidered military regalia” to Russian ball last weekend. [NYDN]
• Page SIx: Rick Lazio for New York Attorney General? [NYP]

• Karl Rove is under pressure in the White House to, “at a minimum,” issue an apology; Patrick Fitzgerald may still charge him with making false statements. Strategist: “Karl does not have any real enemies in the White House, but there are a lot of people in the White House wondering how they can put this behind them if the cloud remains over Karl.” [WP]
• Democrats are trying to frame ‘06 to their advantage; slogan “Together, American Can Do Better” is displayed at events and national platform will be unveiled. [NYT, LAT, LAT, WT, USAT]
• Congressional Democrats join John McCain in calling for better treatment of detainees. [WP]
• Scott McClellan’s “credibility is already on trial,” his “reputation has been left dangling in the glare of the television lights.” [NYT]
• Tuesday’s gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey will be an “early measure” of ‘06. [WSJ]
• Bush will be met with widespread anti-Americanism on his upcoming trip to South America. [WP, WSJ]
• Administration’s flu plan criticized on Capitol Hill. [NYT]
• House Republicans are willing to cut food stamp program for 300,000 legal immigrants in effort to shave down the budget. [WP]
• Lawmakers turn out in force for funeral of Rosa Parks. [WP, NYT]
• Harry Reid’s idea for a closed-session originated from Tom Daschle. Charles Schumer: “My phones have been ringing off the hook… It has played far better than we had thought.” [WP]
• Former Deputy Interior Secretary said Jack Abramoff offered him a job while he was at the department. [NYT]
• Michael Chertoff unveils border security plan. [USAT]

• Samuel Alito rallies the Republican base while riling liberals; the fight “seems to be the political confirmation battle that both sides have been gearing up to fight for more than a decade.” Harry Reid: “Bush would leave the Supreme Court looking less like America and more like an old boys club.” Orrin Hatch: “This one is going to be Armageddon.” [WP, NYT, NYT, NYT, LAT, WT, WT, USAT, USAT]
• Alito will shift court to the right: “On some of the most contentious issues that came before the high court, Alito has been to the right of the centrist swing voter he would replace.” [WP, LAT, USAT, USAT]
• Alito’s fate rests in the vote of moderate Republicans; filibuster remains available. [WP, LAT]
• Alito was an easy second choice for Bush; Karl Rove phoned key conservative leaders before the announcement. [WT, WT]
• Bush’s selection of Alito works to unite his party after misstep of Miers. [WP, LAT]
• Abortion seen as the central issue. [NYT, NYT, LAT]
• Alito “has a strong free-market philosophy likely to please corporate America,” say experts. [LAT]
• At trial, Scooter Libby’s interests will be divorced from the prerogatives of the White House. [WP]
• More than 30,000 people have paid tribute to Rosa Parks at the Capitol Rotunda. [WP, USAT]
• Scott McClellan takes fire from correspondents. Terry Moran: “There’s been a wound to your credibility here. A falsehood, wittingly or unwittingly, was told from this podium.” [WP]

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• Bush will nominate conservative appeals court Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court; his resume is similar to John Roberts‘ and he has upheld restrictions on abortion. [WP, AP, Reuters]
• Filibuster fight may loom. Harry Reid: “If he wants to divert attention from all of his many problems, he can send us somebody that is going to create a lot of problems.” Arlen Specter: “There could be a real tough battle here and a real tough fight, depending on whom the president puts up.” [WP, NYT, WSJ, LAT]
• 55% in Gallup Poll believe the Bush presidency is a failure; Bush starts a busy week of his comeback strategy with Supreme Court nomination. Nicolle Wallace: “We’ll be going around the [media] filter to communicate directly with the American people about the things they care about.” [USAT]
• Reid calls for Rove’s resignation and an apology from Bush; Rove, meanwhile, “remains in significant [legal] danger.” [WP, NYT, WT]
• Bush pays tribute to Rosa Parks at Capitol Hill ceremony. Condoleezza Rice in Montgomery: “I can honestly say that without Mrs. Parks, I probably would not be standing here today as secretary of state.” [NYT]
• Scooter Libby “has no sense of entitlement, no sense that he’s been victimized. Just an attitude of ‘circumstances have to be dealt with,’” says Mary Matalin; friends plan on establishing legal fund as his defense expands. [WP, NYT, WSJ]

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Okay, sure, you can admire Rosa Parks for sparking an idealistic, peaceful movement for racial equality if you want to. Mostly, we like her because she was pissed. Anger is an important part of successful activism and it’s rare that it’s so legitimately righteous. Activists these days tend to make statements by voluntarily putting themselves in positions that lack dignity — giant puppet costumes; Michael Moore films; Crawford, Texas — here’s the woman who made history by keeping hers. MORE »