Brokekid.net

People seem to like this guy, though the little I saw of his performance I thought he was a little bizarre.

and is being investigated from the Bush appointed head of the Office of Special Counsel.

The decision by Bloch’s office is the latest evidence that Rove’s once-vaunted operations inside the government, which helped the GOP hold the White House and Congress for six years, now threaten to mire the administration in investigations.

The question of improper political influence over government decision-making is at the heart of the controversy over the firing of U.S. attorneys and the ongoing congressional investigation of the special e-mail system installed in the White House and other government offices by the Republican National Committee.

Update: more info here

Things seem to be going rather swimmingly for this administration.

• For six years, the Bush administration, aided by Justice Department political appointees, has pursued an aggressive legal effort to restrict voter turnout in key battleground states in ways that favor Republican political candidates
• Bush: My Confidence in AG Has “Increased”
• The Bush Administration has lost all credibility
• Forbes: Bush Administration Awash in Scandals
• Bush Administration Continues Into the Dark Side
• A hostage situation, in which a beleaguered President Bush, barricaded in the White House, is threatening dire consequences for innocent bystanders — the troops — if his demands aren’t met

Link.

Looks like he may be forced out. But the story doesn’t stop here, he may be in some trouble.

The Carpetbagger Report caught an interesting tibdit from Slate that I had missed regarding Sen. Whitehouse’s Q&A with Gonzales yesterday.

One of the finest moments comes when Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., busts out a big, big chart. Which happens after almost everyone has gone home. The chart compares the Clinton protocol for appropriate contacts between the White House and the DoJ on pending criminal cases with the Bush protocol. According to Whitehouse, the Clinton protocol authorized just four folks at the White House to chat with three folks at Justice. The chart had four boxes talking to three boxes.

Out comes the Bush protocol, and now 417 different people at the White House have contacts about pending criminal cases with 30-some people at Justice. You can just see zillions of small boxes nattering back and forth. It seems that just about everyone in the White House including the guys in the mailroom, had a vote on ongoing criminal matters.

Sen. Pat Leahy, D-Vt., calls this “the most astounding thing” he’s seen in 32 years.

This came just moments after Gonzales agreed with Whitehouse’s assertions on DoJ independence.

Whitehouse began by finding some common ground with Gonzales. “I assume that we can agree with the proposition that in the enforcement of the laws the Department of Justice should be independent,” Whitehouse said. “Yes, sir,” Gonzales responded. “Can we also agree that one of the institutions of government that the Department of Justice needs to be independent from, in the enforcement of the laws is the White House?” Whitehouse asked. “No question about it, Senator,” Gonzales said.

“And, indeed, over long history there have been concerns about influence from the White House to the Department of Justice, and people, indeed members of this committee, have expressed concern about the White House-Justice connection over many years. Is that not also correct?” Whitehouse asked. “I think that’s a legitimate concern,” Gonzales responded. “I think that’s very important.”

The Clinton Whitehouse allowed only FOUR contacts with DOJ folks. The Bush Whitehouse currently has “417 different people at the White House have contacts about pending criminal cases with 30-some people at Justice.” (emphasis mine)

• Top 500 fonts of the web (via lifehacker.com)
• Alphabet in raw beef (via boingboing.net)



• Modded plastic soldier alphabet (via boingboing.net)

• if you’ve got old computer gear sitting around your place, take it to Freedom Plaza in DC for ecycling day, I’ll be there dropping off my crapola
• DoMyStuff…great idea, terrible name. I’d love if this caught on
• Open Source Social Networking with Elgg
• Linking parking spaces to carbon emissions, not a bad idea (via Treehugger.com)
  “Richmond, in South London, has introduced new parking charges linked to carbon-dioxide emissions. Large and heavily-polluting cars will pay three times the standard cost, which could be up to £750 a year, according to the BBC. In many parts of London there is completely free parking for green cars, as in other cities.”
  
  Brings to mind this post from Kottke.org:
  People cruising the streets for parking meters do so because meter pricing is too low. “Underpriced curb spaces are like rent-controlled apartments: hard to find and, once you do, crazy to give up. This increases the time costs (and therefore the congestion and pollution costs) of cruising.”
• General Mills Kubrick Series
• Best Beers in America? Now you know
• Overheard in NY
  

  Eight-year-old son: Dad, I can’t even tell the Ninja Turtles apart! They all look the same, they just have different bandages and stuff.
  Dad: Well, do you know their names?
  Son: Uhhh… There’s the blue one… Armadillo?