• The teevee shows Mad Men and 30 Rock LITERALLY WON the Emmy Awards last night. [New York Times]
• President Obama will visit the UN for the first time next week, as will, presumably, some very excited sixth graders from North Jersey. Both will be avoiding Ahmadinejad and Gaddafi. [Times Online]
• The jealous gossips of the SEC might make Bank of America and Merrill Lynch spill all the details about their initial tryst, even though normally this sort of thing is protected under attorney-client privilege and none of anyone else’s business anyway. [New York Times]
• The fellows from Brooklyn who perhaps intended to blow it up are in even bigger trouble now that police unearthed handwritten bombing cheat sheets. [WSJ]
• All the count-y countries are gearing up for the G20, which is being held in Pittsburgh, meaning Obama will have to convince the world’s leaders to follow his economic agenda after he has just forced them to come to Pittsburgh. [Reuters]
• David Paterson is committed to losing the race for governorship of New York despite Obama warning him that as eager as Paterson might be to suffer this public embarrassment, it will be bad for other people (like: the Democrats) too. [CNN]

Of course, PROBE avoidance was the only way for Chairman COX to escape Madoff’s TAINT. GET IT????? Thank you loquaciousmusic for the screenshot! [AP]

John McCain pissed off about a million Republican businessmen (and especially George Will) when he angrily pretended to fire Securities & Exchange Commission chairman Christopher Cox. Then the maverick idiot announced he wanted New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo — a famous Democrat who was even married to a Kennedy, once — to take over the SEC. Obviously, Cuomo directly caused the entire American economic collapse: “Andrew Cuomo, the youngest Housing and Urban Development secretary in history, made a series of decisions between 1997 and 2001 that gave birth to the country’s current crisis.” [Village Voice]

* Video shows Bush was warned about the potential for a levee breach, despite denials after the fact: “Was the president misinformed, misspoken or misleading?” [WP, USAT]
* Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco hesitantly told Bush that the levees were safe on the morning of Aug. 29th. [AP]
* U.S. and India announce deal for nuclear cooperation, for energy and weapons; “new plan would allow India enough fissile material for as many as 50 weapons a year.” [WP, NYT, W$J]
* Senate passes renewal of the Patriot Act by vote of 89 to 10. [NYT]
* 54% disapprove of Bush’s handling of the war on terrorism and 64% say the country is on the wrong track, according to LAT-Bloomberg poll; findings echo new Gallup poll. [LAT, Bloomberg, USAT]
* Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee,vows to stop Dubai port deal. [WP, W$J]

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• Judith Miller recalls June 23, 2003 conversation with “Scooter” Libby about Joseph Wilson during her last day of testimony in the leak investigation; contempt-of-court threat is lifted. Attorneys believe Patrick Fitzgerald “is looking into a broad conspiracy charge against a group of administration officials or into charging one or more officials with easier-to-prove crimes such as disclosing classified material, making false statements or perjury.” [WP, WSJ, NYT]
• NBC/WSJ poll: 27% support Miers while 51% don’t know enough to venture an opinion; approval of Bush rests at 39% and only 28% of Americans believe the country is heading in the right direction — a ten year low. [WSJ]
• SEC subpoenas Frist for personal documents related to sale of health care stock; he is expected to testify under oath. [WP, NYT, WSJ]
• Bush defends use of religion to sell Miers: “[P]art of Harriet Miers’s life is her religion.” Alberto Gonzales: “I believe that she is pro-life.” [WP, NYT, WT, USAT]
• Democrats are hopeful about their political opportunities in 2006. Charlie Cook: “Right now, if I had to bet would the Democrats take the House and Senate back, I’d say no. But are the odds a heck of a lot better than they were three months ago or six months ago? Heck, yes.” [NYT]

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News of Bill Frist’s ethics troubles — his well-timed dumping of family stock and subsequent probes by both the Justice Department and the SEC — on top of his base-alienating stem-cell position shift has us wondering: At what point do we pull the feeding tube from his presidential ambitions? MORE »

• Bush packs for Texas as Hurricane Rita approaches. [NYT]
• Senate Judiciary Committee approves Roberts by vote of 13 to 5. [WP, NYT, WSJ, LAT, WT, USAT]
• Defying White House calls to control spending, the Senate passes $100b bill for farm and rural development and approves $82.9b military bill. [WSJ]
• Department of Homeland Security is playing hands-on role in preparations for Hurricane Rita. [WSJ]
• Bush says pulling out of Iraq “would allow the terrorists to claim an historic victory over the United States” and “make that country a source of terror and instability. . . for decades.” [USAT]
• Jack Abramoff bragged about his close relationship with Karl Rove, says Tyco executive. [WP]

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