Bits of Information.

Wednesday’s Mini-Report
Posted 5:30 pm
Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Bush isn’t done with Tony Blair quite yet: “President Bush has talked with British Prime Minister Tony Blair about taking a role as a Middle East peace envoy after he leaves office next week. Assistant Secretary of State David Welch, the State Department’s top diplomat for the Middle East, talked with Blair in London on Wednesday, while the White House and State Department spoke glowingly about the prime minister’s credentials but said there was nothing to announce yet. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert also expressed support for Blair playing a role in the Middle East.”

* This might be interesting: “The New York Times is currently undertaking a major news investigation, led by managing editor Jill Abramson, into News Corp.’s business dealings throughout the world, according to a source with knowledge of the project.” Abramson told the New York Observer she is leading “an investigative project for the next month” and that it “involves a group of domestic and foreign reporters, but I obviously can’t tell you what it is.”

* More bad news for the troops and their families: “The Army is considering whether it will have to extend the combat tours of troops in Iraq if President Bush opts to maintain the recent buildup of forces through spring 2008.”

* Newt Gingrich, for reasons that are unclear, has a new commercial that hopes to exploit fears of terrorism and fears of immigrants in one demagogic package. In the spot, Newt claims, “Muhamed Atta and several of the 9/11 hijackers entered the United States illegally.” He’s wrong.

* All these years later, major news outlets still don’t understand the Libby leak.

* Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer believes conservative blogs are “more analytical and restrained” while “the more liberal blogs are a lot more pungent and profane.” He’s obviously never read conservative blogs.

* This isn’t getting nearly enough attention: “With gas prices near record highs and global warming making more headlines than ever, the Senate is getting close to a vote on one of the most ambitious pieces of energy legislation this country has seen in decades. From an environmental perspective, analysts said it’s the first time in a long time that lawmakers are considering meaningful legislation to reduce fossil fuel consumption and address global warming. ‘All the right pieces are floating around,” said Dave Hamilton, director for global warming and energy projects at the Sierra Club. “This Congress will be judged to a large extent on what happens at this moment.’” (thanks D.H.)

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