Even the Washington Post editiorial writers have tough words for Joe Wilson and what happened to his wife Valerie Plame:

… the person most responsible for the end of Ms. Plame’s CIA career is Mr. Wilson. Mr. Wilson chose to go public with an explosive charge, claiming — falsely, as it turned out — that he had debunked reports of Iraqi uranium-shopping in Niger . … He diverted responsibility from himself and his false charges by claiming that President Bush’s closest aides had engaged in an illegal conspiracy. It’s unfortunate that so many people took him seriously.

Bill Maher is a notorious George Bush hater, which makes what he recently told Larry King, spotted by the Forward newspaper’s Campaign Confidential blog, all the more remarkable:

I mean can you imagine if there was a terrorist organization that took over the country on our northern border, which would be Canada, and they started shelling us in our northern cities and Minnesota and Bangor, Maine was being shelled, what do you think George Bush would do?

I think he would nuke them before breakfast. And, look, you know I don’t like George Bush but he is the best president we’ve ever had on Israel because for some reason he gets that.

First, the answer to last week’s question. Who was the last independent/third party incumbent Senator to succesfully run for re-election as an independent/third-party candidate?

Richard Andrews correctly said Harry Byrd of Virginia. Dr. Wong added: And before “Young” Harry Byrd, I think “Young” Bob LaFollette was the last non-Dem or -Rep who successfully ran for re-election (albeit as a Progressive). Nebraskan George Norris ran and won as an Independent in 1936, but lost his subsequent re-election bid in ‘42.

(By the way, if Bernie Sanders replaces Jim Jeffords in Vermont, it would be the first time an independent/third party Senator is replaced by a different independent/third party Senator.)

Now, the next Extreme Trivia question. In the great 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger-Yaphet Kotto-Richard Dawson masterpiece of a movie, “Running Man,” which Justice Department division regulated the Running Man contest?

(This piece originally ran June 27, in the midst of days and days of rain. With the approach of Tropical Storm Ernesto, we present this encore performance.)

We go right to the Hannah Storm center desk for all the latest on the Franklin Raines we’ve been having.

The Maxine Waters are rising so high, the Lynn Rivers are so swollen. we may have to open the gates at Kenneth Dam.  We urge you to stay away from Celinda Lake, Anthony Lake, and Jim Lake — even if you’re vacationing up at Henry Cabot Lodge.

Meantime, beware of Roger Mudd slides.  And all the fallen Charles Tries.  Enough to fill the Harriet Woods.  Or an entire Forrest Sawyer.

Thankfully, the water has been great for my back yard.  My Chuck Grassley has never looked better.  Neither have my Gennifer Flowers.  But I’ll have to pick the Doug Weads.  And yesterday, my house lost all Francis Gary Powers.

And at least it’s not Tony Snow.  And at least it’s not John Snow.  And at least it’s not Olympia Snowe.  What is rain could easily be a Jeff Flake or a Floyd Flake.  Just thinking about cold makes me shiver, like Aaron Brrrrrr.  Of course, we could use some sun, like in Iraq, where it’s always Sunni out.

You know what they say about the season: In like Jeffrey Lyons, out like Brian Lamb.

Coming up next: Traffic — lots of Tom Delays on our Jim Rhodes and Lloyd Bridges.

And later: Sports.  Where have you gone, Curt Flood?

(Doonesbury, Washington Post, 8/31/06)

Google CEO Eric Schmidt is joining Apple’s Board of Directors.  He should feel comfortable at his first board meeting when he looks over the table and spots fellow board member Al Gore.  Schmidt, after all, is comfortable with Democrats.  He gives them money.  Lots of it.

A search of opensecrets.org reveals that since 1998, Schmidt has given $195,466 to Democratic federal candidates and committees.  How much to the GOP?  $8,500.  Wendy Schmidt have given $46,500 to Democrats and $3,000 to Republicans.

Of course, Schmidt asks others to give money to Democrats as well.  A September 20, 2000, Reuters report:

Flamboyant rock star Elton John, making his first foray into American politics after three decades of performing in the United States, endorsed Vice President Al Gore at a ritzy Silicon Valley fund-raiser. John, the entertainer at a $10,000-a-plate dinner Tuesday, began his set with “Your Song.” But before his next number, he showed his political stripes to the business leaders of America’s technological mecca.  “I’ve never done a political fund-raiser before, and I’m an English man who has been coming to America for 30 years,” John told the 320 guests, who included actors Robin Williams and Sharon Stone as well as a slew of high-tech executives. .. The fund-raiser, at the home of Novell Corp. Chief Executive Eric Schmidt, raised $3.25 million for the Democratic National Committee.

Yes, Gore and Schmidt: quite comfortable together.

Power Line points out this New York Times correction:

An article on Sunday about New Yorkers who are being discussed as possible presidential candidates in 2008 misidentified the last New Yorker to be nominated for a major party’s national ticket. It was Jack Kemp, a former congressman from the Buffalo area who was the Republican vice presidential candidate in 1996 — not Geraldine Ferraro, a former Democratic congresswoman from Queens, who was the vice presidential candidate in 1984

Newbusters recently caught CBS “Early Show” co-host Hannah Storm saying this:

“Global warming is something that just doesn’t seem to resonate with people.”

As Tropical Storm Ernesto approaches, we’ll give Hannah Storm a pass on the global warming policy debate for right now — for the mere fact that when it comes to lots of rain and wind headed up the East Coast, few are better suited to report the weather than someone named Hannah Storm.

In today’s column, Bob Novak writes this about Newt Gingrich:

He depicts failed efforts to broadcast the truth to Iran and North Korea. The problem is that Gingrich has played fast and loose with facts, understating the actual U.S. effort.  Gingrich ignored a personal correction from Kenneth Tomlinson, chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, and continued the misrepresentation. … Unfounded accusations about U.S. international broadcasts point to a longtime carelessness with facts.

The fact of the matter, as Novak points out, is that America actually has a robust and expanding satellite TV news broadcasting operation to Iran (I used to work for the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees America’s nonmilitary international broadcasting.)

Is it having an impact?  Tomlinson wrote this in the Wall Street Journal, May 6, 2006:

Small satellite dishes are proliferating in Iran and there are strong indications that VOA’s nightly programming is becoming a staple for large numbers of Iranians. Telephone polling (which tends to undercount audiences living under repressive regimes) show that better than one-in-five adult television viewers say they regularly watch VOA’s satellite television programs.   As was the case with RFE/RL and VOA in the Cold War, it is important that our broadcasts are provocative — and credible. Intense journalistic supervision is critical to achieving this goal. Truth does not lie half way between the views of Washington and Tehran. But talk and debate programs give Iranians a taste of freedom — and enlightenment.

This is precisely the model that worked during the Cold War — broadcasting the truth to repressed people.  Ultimately, the furture of Iran is up to the people of Iran.  But with the mullahs oeprating four 24/7 satellite channels of their own, beaming throughout the region, America’s efforts should be applauded by leaders like Newt Gingrich.

CBS News’ Bob Schieffer was asked by WTWP radio this morning if he ever got the Katie Couric photo touch-up treatement.  “No, but I wish they had,” he joked. “I’d like to be a little taller.”