Karl Rove has agreed to provide additional testimony in the case of the CIA officer who was outed by the press. We have it on good authority that her name is Valerie Plame. But I refuse to pull a Judith Miller and spend time in the slammer. With the Hammer. Most likely.

Federal prosecutors have accepted Rove’s offer
but they say they can’t guarantee that he won’t be indicted. Rove replied that he can’t guarantee that he won’t keep leaking the names of CIA operatives.

Rove has already appeared before the grand jury three times. Either they like his face or… no, they just want information. Rove thought the third time was a charm but it SO WASN’T. Maybe he’ll score with number four.

Apparently before you get indicted, you receive a “target letter.” (I’ve called DeLay’s office for confirmation.) Rove’s attorney stresses that his client has not received such a letter. And, if he had, he would most likely direct mail it.

The Statesman’s Selby beats everyone to the punch, coining the phrase “Earle Swirl.”

As in, “Maybe, another Earle Swirl could be building.”

Selby is referring to Ronnie Earle’s son,
Jason Earle, who is running for Rep. Terry Keel’s vacant seat. Now that dear old dad
has gone and indicted Tom DeLay for money laundering and a really bad toupee, will Junior’s campaign take some of the heat?

And what of Elizabeth Earle, Ronnie’s daughter? Yes, apparently Earle has a daughter. She’s over at County Court and the rumor is that she might want to be DA some day.

Will Ronnie continue to pound DeLay, causing the swirl to twirl? Will Jason be able to earn the party nod? Will Elizabeth ever emerge from her brother’s shadow?

Stay tuned for the next dramatic episode of, “My Name Is Earle.”

Just what we wanted to hear.

Today Vice President Dick Cheney said that the U.S. should be prepared to fight the war on terror for… DECADES.

This is not going to help Bush’s ratings.

Cheney: “Like other great duties in history, it will require decades of patient effort, and it will be resisted by
those whose only hope for power is through the spread of violence.”

Cheney added that this is a war we can win, or “my name isn’t
Colonel Klink.”

Harriet Miers may be single but she’s not dead, man. Even a Supreme Court nominee has certain needs.

Much has been made of Miers’ former beau, Judge Nathan Hecht. Although Hecht apparently helped Harriet find religion, (prompting one reader to ask if he knew her in the “biblical” sense), Hecht also “dated” Justice Priscilla Owen. Was he with both at the same time? Is he with both now? Does he like playing baliff to the judge? Kinky.

This reminds me of a story my mother-in-law told me about Marlon Brando (of A Streetcar Named Desire, not The Godfather.) She met Brando when she was a flight attendant, and he asked her out. That night, Brando showed up at her apartment with another woman. My mother-in-law, bless her heart, asked me, “Now tell me – what’s one guy going to do with
two girls?”

Exactly what Harriet must be thinking. And Hecht isn’t the *only* man these two vamps are fighting over.

In an interview with D Magazine earlier this year, Harriet had only sweet things to say about Priscilla during her confirmation hearings:

“I’ve been disappointed to see some things. For instance, on Priscilla Owens. Knowing and watching her over the course of the years, knowing the incredible person that she is, and knowing what a highly capable and qualified jurist that she is, what’s happened to her in the judicial process is surprising and disappointing. You would never expect that someone who is as well thought of in our state, across party lines, could experience what she’s had to experience. It’s just personally very, very disappointing that she has been treated the way she’s been treated.”

Harriet added, “For Priscilla to be treated like a common low-class hooker, well, it’s very disappointing. To me. Personally.”

Guest writer Perry’s Mollycoddler was writing this live. Now it’s a few hours later so it’s no longer “live” but it’s pretty damn close. – Ed. Note

Perry’s Mollycoddler here. I have infiltrated the LBJ School, and I’m writing this email live from “Modern American Political Campaigns.” Wayne Slater of the Dallas Morning News is currently speaking and he’s about to introduce Mark Halperin of ABC’s “The Note,” not to be mistaken with “The View.”

Big applause…welcome Mark Halperin. Oooh, he said he’s going to answer our questions. Excellent.

I just realized something. Mark Halperin had a cameo appearance in the documentary The War Room. He was standing outside a debate location and Paul Begala asked him to do his best Al Gore impression. He was spot on. I hope someone asks him to do it today.

Halperin is about to list some of the major problems with the media. Oh wait… he just mentioned public officials and asked if that “young state legislator was here today.” He was, of course, referring to Representative Patrick Rose. When Wayne interrupted and asked, “Patrick, are you here?” there was silence.

Poor Patrick, missing an opportunity to make nice with a big-time political reporter.

Okay, problem number 1 – deadlines. Apparently, deadlines cause reporters to mess up. Simple enough. It happens all the time on FOX, right? Problem 2 – the rigors of production. So doing your job is a problem. Gotcha. Problem 3 – reporters are not policy experts. Hack political reporters don’t know crap about healthcare and such. I tend to agree. Of course, hack politicians don’t know crap about healthcare either, so this one is a wash. Problem 4 – the Left and the Right hate the press…both think the press is biased against them. According to Halperin, some of the press is biased against Republicans. Some. Also, some reporters are biased against Democrats. Some. Halperin just said the cardinal rule to remember – reporters are not your friends. PM Note – I just think reporters are whores…not bloggers, just reporters.

Problems 5-8 – reporters seize on little things that happen, turn them into superficial metaphors, appeal to the lowest common denominator and are just plain lazy. Lazy? Interesting. Being in that political bubble grinds you down… makes you tired… and lazy. Good to know. Finally, news organizations have not figured out how to make money with a sound economic model with new media (or old media for that matter). Well, duh. Pink Lady hasn’t figured that out yet, so why would anyone think Rupert Murdoch could do it?

The solution to these problems, according to Mark, is to have journalists and media moguls who actually, get ready for it, who actually care about the news. I like it. He’s such an idealist though, because we all know that’ll never happen.

Now it’s a Q&A session. Boring. LBJ students do not ask good questions. They all want to know how to save the world. I’m standing by for something juicy, otherwise, this last half hour might be a waste….

Well, the last good point made was this – until the mainstream media can once again become a public referee of the political process and of politicians and policy in general, they will continue to have major credibility issues. Until then, it’s up to bloggers like you, PL, to keep it real. So…keep it real.

At a Rose Garden news conference this morning, President Bush reiterated his support of Harriet Miers.

Bush: “I know her heart. She knows exactly the kind of judge I’m
looking for.”

Other words Bush used to describe Harriet: highly intelligent; enormously accomplished; incredibly bright; eminently qualified; a pioneer; an extraordinary woman.

This photo in the Oval Office was apparently taken after Miers flashed
her thong.

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor has been chosen as the new chancellor
for the College of William and Mary, located in Colonial Williamsburg, VA.
At least she won’t have to invest in a powdered wig.

Why don’t you hit me with your best indictment?

Yesterday Tom DeLay was dealt another blow by a Texas jury – or, as he would say, “partisan hacks.”

This time, it’s money laundering - $190K that violates the state ban on using corporate money in local elections. The indictment also includes conspiracy to commit money laundering charges. And, for good measure, a charge for even thinking about committing money laundering. If the money laundering charge sticks, the punishment could be life in prison.

LIFE IN PRISON. Or, as DeLay would call it, “an abomination of justice.” Or, as I would call it, “justice.” Or, as TNT would call it, a made-for-TV movie. Starring Joe Pesci as DeLay.

George: What is it you want, Harriet? What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I’ll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey. That’s a pretty good idea. I’ll give you the moon, Harriet.

Harriet: I’ll take it. Then what?

George: Well, then you can swallow it, and it’ll all dissolve, see… and the moonbeams would shoot out of your fingers and your toes and the ends of your hair… am I talking too much?

So is Harriet a dead-ringer for Mrs. Brady?

Or Alice?

Former Majority Leader and Current Nobody Tom DeLay is telling anyone who will listen that he’s still at large and in charge.

FOX News (OK, granted, they’ll ALWAYS be listening): “I can do my job with or without the title.”

Chron: “I will virtually be in charge of the agenda and driving the agenda.”

CNN: “I think it will be over and be over very, very soon. And I think I will go back to be majority leader.”

More FOX: “I will advise the speaker, and I will work on the agenda.”

Kind of breaks your heart just a little bit, doesn’t it? Now, go ahead, Tom. Blow out your hammers.

Welcome to the Bush Supreme Court.

Wash Post: If confirmed, she would be a rare appointee with no experience as a judge at
any level.

This could only mean that Bush has announced his nominee for the highest court in the nation!

This morning, Bush nominated fellow Texan Harriet Miers,
White House Counsel and former law partner
at Locke, Liddell & Sapp (aka Perry’s Consulting Group).

Did you see the announcement? Bush called her “exceptionally well suited” to sit on the bench. Well-suited? Girl was wearing shoulder pads. I couldn’t see her legs but I’m guessing… matching leg warmers.

Here’s what gets me. Miers has never been married, no children. Bush has nominated a SINGLE WOMAN to the Supreme Court. Should make those Supreme Court Singles Happy Hours a little more lively…