Alison Stewart in for Keith tonight...

Shades of Success:  At least 123-Americans have been killed in Iraq this May, making it the third-deadliest month since the war began.  Our fifth story on the Countdown: Soldiers still stationed in Iraq, now asking the question, quote: "When are we going to get out of here?"... Amid new questions tonight, that President Bush envisions keeping a military presence in that country for the long haul.

Decision 2008:  Tonight, the 2008 campaign officially enters the "You know" stage. Number four in our countdown, you know Al Gore is not running, at least not now. But you know why he might be tempted.

ODDBALL:  A deer exacts revenge for bambi and if you loved last night's magical slo-mo balloon footage, have we got a doozie for you tonight.

High Speed Chases:  If you've seen a police car chase on t-v lately, there's a reason why, more likely than not, it's low-speed.  In our third story on the Countdown, the risks of the high-speed chases .  Depending on the crime, it would seem police are better off letting a speeding vehicle escape than weaving through heavy traffic to catch the culprit.  There are some people in the DC area who no doubt think this.

TB Cause no longer TBD?:  So, you know that nightmare where your fiance's Dad works in a federal tuberculosis lab, and then during your honeymoon you expose her to one of the scariest forms of tuberculosis there is?  In our second story tonight, it turns out that the man who flew internationally... and snuck back into the U-S... knowing he carried an often-deadly form of T-B... is the son-in-law of a longtime tuberculosis researcher who works at... the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Conspiracy theorists, start your engines.

Bacon or Fakin'?:  Jungle Jack Hanna's keen insight helps us figure out whether monster pig is a huge hog or just plain hogwash. 

If you haven't seen this thing on the internets, then you haven't been on the internets.  It's Monster Pig, and it's more porky than a house transportation bill.  But is it real...or fake?

Tonight...a Countdown investigation with the only man America can trust during this mutant hog scandal, America's Zookeeper, Jungle Jack Hanna.  It's gonna be good.    

Some of what we're working on for tonight...

"My job is to protect the American people."

How many times have we heard that line from President Bush over the last few years? Why then, should the American people ever have to read a story about his administration actually going to court to stop to a company from testing its cattle herd for Mad Cow Disease?

You read that right, the administration wasn't arguing against expansion of testing, it was arguing that one premium beef company should not be allowed to test its entire herd and advertise its product as "mad cow safe", because that might force the larger beef companies (the ones with all the lobbyists and influence) to begin testing their herds.

WASHINGTON: The Bush administration said Tuesday it will fight to keep meatpackers from testing all their animals for mad cow disease.

The Agriculture Department tests fewer than 1 percent of slaughtered
cows for the disease, which can be fatal to humans who eat tainted
beef. A beef producer in the western state of Kansas, Creekstone Farms
Premium Beef, wants to test all of its cows.

Larger meat companies feared that move because, if Creekstone should
test its meat and advertised it as safe, they might have to perform the
expensive tests on their larger herds as well.

Thankfully, U.S. District Judge James Robertson said the government lacked
the authority to restrict the company from testing, and threw the bums out of court.

(bushcow image lifted from baseface)

Plus...

THE REAL VOTING FRAUD STORY The L.A. Times gets to the bottom of why, it seems, Tom Heffelfinger, the former U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, ended up on the list of prosecutors targeted by Alberto Gonzales's Justice Department for firing. And the winner is: having worked to protect the voting rights of Native Americans. How dare he.

Good thing he'd already resigned before he may have been forced to do so.

No matter what else may come out about Karl Rove's role in the firings, President Bush has already made up his mind that Turdblossom is innocent. Check out this exchange from an interview Mr. Bush did with McClatchy:

"Q How central a role did Rove play in the U.S.
attorney business? That's what everybody wants to know. Was he the main guy drawing up the list?

THE PRESIDENT: Just look at the facts as they've come out.

Q It's unclear.

THE PRESIDENT: There has been plenty of testimony, plenty of hearings, plenty of statements. And one thing is for certain, that there was no wrongdoing done."

In related news on this story, a question Countdown has pondered: could Alberto Gonzales be disbarred? The answer is a definite maybe. A professor at Georgetown Law concluding "It depends crucially on what the facts are. Given the most favorable interpretation, there's a clear case for disbarment."

DEMINTED GOP Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina is blaming recent U.S. deaths in Iraq on "wimps" in Congress. And by "wimps," we don't think he means Republicans. Even the phrase "cut and run" makes a comeback in his diatribe. "Al-Qaeda knows that we've got a lot of wimps in Congress. I believe a lot of the casualties can be laid at the feet of all the talk in Congress about how we've got to get out, we've got to cut and run."

GO FIGURINE There's booming business in Jerry Falwell memorabilia over on eBay, including an autographed bobblehead doll that went for -- wait for it -- $145.

from The Boston Globe:

We knew the popular nighttime MSNBC anchor, a former ESPN host and WCVB sportscaster, was a fan of lists. So we asked Olbermann, in Boston on Thursday night to speak at an ACLU-Massachusetts banquet, to give us five quick answers to the following. Here are his responses.

Alison Stewart in for Keith tonight...

Right Said Fred:  A Hollywood actor turned Republican politician -- (in this case, turned Hollywood actor again) -- about to make a run for the White House.  It's far from official yet... but new reports say Senator Thompson is planning to enter the presidential race in early July... hoping to take advantage of the Fourth of July holiday.  The "Law and Order" star... annoucing this week that has already raised several million dollars and is launching an exploratory committee.  If you thought the stage was crowded at the **first** Republican debate... now imagine making room for one more podium.

Little Girl Lost:  Unfortunately, stories about missing children are all too common.  Most we don't ever hear about, while others dominate the 24 hour newcycle.  There's often a lot of discussion about which sad tales of lost children get coverage and which don't, but when the pope gets involved--there's no doubt you'll hear about it on the news.  Number four in our countdown, the search for a British four year old has captivated most of Europe for the past 27 days. Her parent's desperate quest has millionaires, celebrities and even benedict the xvi reaching out to the family today.

ODDBALL:  A look at the dark underbelly of the racing world.  Babies...racing other babies...for money.  Actually, it's kinda cute...also bed racing and some super duper slo-mo internets video of a water balloon popping. 

Slipping Through:  In our number-three story tonight... one of the administration's first responders when it comes to biological warfare... which can include the use of infectious diseases... has been put to the test.  Specifically... could the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention... in conjunction with the rest of the US government... stop one man carrying a deadly disease... from entering the country?  The answer was no... and today was the day for excuses... his for why he did it... and the government's for why it failed to stop him... even though it knew exactly who he was.

Try...try...try again! A man survives a skydiving accident... slamming into the earth at 100 miles an hour... and now he's jumping again...we'll take you along for the ride.

Your Cheatin' Heart:  Renaissance man Mo Rocca joins Alison to break down some major hypocrosy on the part of Tom Delay and some dirty cheating by American Idol winner Jordin Sparks.  This segment will knock your socks on your rear!

Some of what we're working on for tonight...

It looks like President Bush has chosen Robert Zoellick, another member of his inner circle and, yes, another neo-con as his choice to head the World Bank.

Expect a formal announcement today, as well as eventual confirmation of Mr. Zoellick by the bank itself. Perhaps they, like Countdown -- with fresh visions of Bill Frist -- are filing Mr. Zoellick under "coulda been worse."

Also.....

...in case you were wondering, Tom DeLay believes God is talking to him, or he's just hearing voices.  For what it's worth, fellow Delay followers will be reminded that when he smiled for his mugshot he claimed to be projecting the image of Jesus (and not an indicted ex-congressman and roach exterminator.)

GENDER SLAP  Some days come reminders that foreign policy isn't going to be the only lasting legacy of the Bush administration. Take the Supreme Court in yet another sobering 5-4 decision. The Justices have made it virtually impossible for employees (read women) to sue for pay discrimation that only reveals itself over time. The Court, now requiring employees to file all formal complaints with a federal agency within 180 days after their pay was determined. And here's the catch: EVEN IF THEY DIDN'T YET KNOW THE DISCRIMINATION HAD TAKEN PLACE. Big business is, of course, thrilled with the ruling. And Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg so outraged that she decided to read her dissent from the bench. In those remarks, she invited Congress to overturn the Court's decision. (Don't hold your breath.)

Hillary Clinton says she is going to try.

IS FREDDY READY? Former Republican Senator and Law & Order cast member Fred Thompson seems set to announce his latest role: that he is forming a "testing the waters" committee for a presidential run. That's one step below an exploratory committee in case you were wondering... so while not a first step, he is at least looking to get up out of his lounge chair by the side of the pool.

The Politico just reported he'll be ready to jump in by the Fourth of the July.

G-O-O-D T-I-M-E-S  Get those placards and that little bell ready. The National Spelling Bee starts today, and Countdown curiosity Samir Patel, who has never yet won, is making his fifth and final appearance at the annual spell-a-thon. 

Bloody Monday:  In his Rose Garden news conference last week... President Bush, having told Americans to expect heavy fighting in Iraq in the months ahead... warning of a quote: "bloody ... very difficult August"  The month Mister Bush should have been warning about, perhaps: The one we are in right now.  Our fifth story on the Countdown: Ten American soldiers dying in Iraq on Memorial Day... making May, with three days yet to go, already the deadliest month of the year for U-S troops... as well as the deadliest month since November, 2004.

An Inconvenient Question:  Our conversation with Al Gore continues.  About the conversation: the national political conversation.  And the inevitable conversation about whether or not he's going to... you know.

ODDBALL:  Miss USA falls down, Morons fall down a British hillside, and a bikini clad woman falls down during a sprint.  If this Oddball were a movie it would be called "Speed 2"...no wait, how about "Falling Down".

Decision 2008:  Again we turn to politics and two of the latest surprises in the 2008 campaign.  Our third story tonight... Funny, wasn't it, that Vice President Gore knew it was "500 or so days" to the election.  The correct figure is... 515 if you count today.  Meantime, good news for a Democrat not undecided...And a seismic shift for conservatives that some might call, "Power Over Principle."

Outbreak?:  The last time the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quarantined an individual carrying a dangerous disease was 1963.  The disease was smallpox.  In our number-two story tonight... 44 years later, it's a man with a rare, drug-resistant form of tuberculosis is in quarantine.  And this time, there are two planeloads of people who may have been exposed.   The C-D-C is now tracking down the passengers who flew with him when he traveled to Europe... and then back to Canada.

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD:  Sean Hannity's hair, a guy that licked his comb before he ran it through his hair, and Pat Buchanan's sister vie for top honors tonight.

Li-Lo Uh Oh:  Lindsay Lohan is in re-rehab after some Hollywood tomfoolery this weekend.  Paul F. Tompkins joins Keith to explain how all of this drunk driving business could have been avoided if Lohan hadn't parted ways with Herbie the Lovebug.

Some of what we're working of for tonight...

We have a feeling the administration might be ready to do far more than impose sanctions across the Middle East beyond Iraq. U.S. officials were among those who leaked word to the N.Y. Times over the weekend of Iraqi militants leaving that country to carry out attacks elsewhere.

PEACE OUT Cindy Sheehan used this Memorial Day to announce that giving up her role as the face of the nation's anti-war movement. 21-months after her son Casey was killed in Iraq, Ms. Sheehan posted in a resignation letter on Daily Kos that she has had enough with being smeared and ridiculed, and that she is calling it quits. Can you blame her? Quoting Ms. Sheehan:"I am going to take whatever I have left and go home. I am going to go home and be a mother to my surviving children and try to regain some of what I have lost."

THE PACE OF PROGRESS Joint Chiefs Chairman Peter Pace falsely claimed this Memorial Day that the number of Americans in uniform killed in Iraq is just "approaching" the number of Americans killed on 9/11 – 3,000. For the record, General, more than 3,450 Americans have lost their lives in the Iraq conflict. And you, General, have just lost a large measure of credibility.

BUSH'S MONICA PROBLEM On the required reading front, Newsweek does another excellent job on Gonzales Gate. This week: more juicy details on Gonzo and Andy Card's ICU shakedown of then-Attorney General Ashcroft. At one point, says the mag, nearly 30 top officials at Justice were willing to resign in disgust when the Department's legal opinion of the wiretapping program was ignored by the White House. Newsweek also wonders if Monica Goodling will be remembered as President Bush's Rosemary Woods.

MAZEL TOV, DAVID Our own David Shuster got married this weekend. So it's a safe bet he won't be joining us to discuss the Newsweek article tonight, and we will be the worse for it… 

Signing of the Times: This weekend President Bush will mark his sixth Memorial Day as a wartime president. This nation, to mark the more than 34-hundred Americans that have been killed for his war in Iraq. And any talk of supporting the 162,000 troops still serving in Iraq -- by bringing them home -- is on indefinite hold with tonight's signing of the war funding bill by President Bush.

The Intelligence: So much for his having credibility because he "reads the intelligence". A newly-released report: almost everything that happened in Iraq after we invaded -- the insurgency, the economic chaos, the rise of Al Qaeda -- was predicted by the CIA before the war...and the President knew it.

ODDBALL: a shocking theft, committed by an elderly woman on a motorized scooter -- caught on tape! ... Plus, when stage diving goes bad and the newest coolest gadget of the week.

"A Mighty Heart": Countdown brings you NBC's Ann Curry's exclusive interview with Angelina Jolie, who is playing the role of Marianne Pearl, the widow of slain journalist Daniel Pearl.

Out with a Bang: 
There's a reason why very few TV companies let hosts stay on their live shows even after they've announced they're leaving. Rosie O'Donnell's tenure on "The View" comes to an end, three weeks early.
 
WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD: Senator John McCain has missed more votes than anyone other than Tim Johnson, who is recovering from a brain hemmorage... Fred Thompson is the possible new face in the '08 campaign, too bad he's using the same old fear tactics as everyone else... and former Undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith did not just use bad intel in the march to war with Iraq, he's now accused of simply making some of it up.

One Shining Moment
: Is our long National nightmare over? Not yet. It's time for the season recap of American Idol, Our retrospective on the finest that this season of Idol had to offer. It's a very short retrospective.

President Bush yesterday insisted he is a credible messenger on the war, because he reads the intelligence. That answer was rendered obscenely ironic today, as the Senate Intelligence Committee released two reports from the National Intelligence Council, both given to the White House in January, 2003... both predicting virtually everything that did go wrong... would go wrong.

READ THE REPORTS FOR YOURSELF HERE

This should probably come as no shock to anyone, (with the possible exception of the use of the word "Newshole"), but is it any wonder that Fox Noise viewers seem less informed about the reality on the ground in Iraq?.

Some of what we're working on for tonight...

With no press conferences, and with no debate, President Bush has ordered up a plan for responding to a catastrophic "event" under which he has entrusted himself with leading the entire federal government, not just the executive branch. The scheme, laid out in a document entitled National Security Presidential Directive NSPD 51 and Homeland Security Presidential Directive HSPD-20 that Mr. Bush signed in secret on May 9.

It defines a catastropic event as "any incident,
regardless of location, that results in extraordinary
levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption
severely affecting the U.S. population,
infrastructure, environment, economy, or government
functions." That would mean another 9/11, Hurricane
Katrina, a bad day on Wall Street, an upcoming
election, you name it. Sorry, he names it. As for
claiming the right to run roughshod over the other
branches of government, U.S. Constitution be damned,
the document pays lip service to the need for "a
cooperative effort among the executive, legislative,
and judicial branches of the Federal Government" but
says this effort would be "coordinated by the
President."

All in all, a document that would seem to be the paper
equivalent of reserving the right for a dictatorial
coup. Augusto Pinochet would be proud.

THE MORNING AFTER To many, it no doubt feels like a hangover
without having partied the night before. What happened still almost
defies explanation. What the Washington Post calls "a historical rarity:
the passage of a bill opposed by the speaker of the House and a
majority of the speaker's party." And yet pass the Iraq war funding
bill did, by a vote of 280-142 in the House and by 80-14 in the Senate.
Even stranger, of the 16 senators who voted against going to war to
begin with in 2002, 11 voted last night to give President Bush whatever
he wants.

Hillary Clinton, among the senators whose votes switched in the
opposite direction. Having voted for the war resolution in '02, last
night, she was among the small majority to vote against it. (GOP
strategists, already salivating over the attack ad possibilities, no
doubt.) Mrs. Clinton, it should be noted, waited until after Barack
Obama voted to cast her ballot... thereby keeping her voting record on
the conflict in line with her main opponent's.

A new poll in the New York Times showing that, on Iraq, the Democrats and the White House are seriously misreading the mood of the American public.

CHOW CHOWS OF WAR
It seems a bird didn't just crap on the president's
arm at yesterday's news conference in the Rose Garden,
it also crapped all over his attempt to threaten the
children of reporters who dared to ask tough
questions. As our own Dana Milbank points out (as part
of his day job at the Washington Post) Mr. Bush's
warning that Al Qaeda is a threat to the children of
NY Times correspondent Jim Rutenberg failed to take
one thing into account: "Rutenberg has no children,
only a brown chow chow named Little Bear."

We must have missed Part I of this contest, but we have to say Hillary Clinton and her peeps seem to get the whole YouTube thing a little better than the rest...

[YouTube:LClOHUFUC5g]

It's especially good once you take a look at the competition. Here we have some of the other contenders, and some helpful hints for the field:

• Senator Obama, nice endorsement, but you usually want to avoid seeing reflections of camera equipment in the shot.

• Senator Dodd, have you been arrested? Are you being held hostage somewhere, forced to do this video against your will? Hint: Get a plant or something.

• Senator McCain, self-deprecating humor... good. Touching your mouth a lot... not good.

• Congressman Tancredo, kudos for trying to mix it up a bit. But could you stop the car please? We'll hitch a ride with someone less obsessed with illegal immigrants.

• John Edwards, getting a big star was a good call. Might have picked one without a Hugo Chavez issue at the moment, but hey...

• Senator Joe Biden wins for sheer volume: 83 videos and counting! This one's 13 minutes long. Not bad, but think about editing it down a tad for the average YouTuber's shorter attention-span. And maybe show a kid getting hurt on a skateboard or something.

• Oh, we take that back -- Mitt Romney's got 144. Of course, the whole point of YouTube video is to actually have video, but when you're this good looking, we guess it's ok to go with still photos over lousy audio about radical Islam.

• Mister Giuliani, the whole "they hate us for our freedom" thing is actually pretty much univerally mocked on the internets. Highlighting it as a campaign position will get you that one-star rating everytime.

• Ron Paul, we sorta hoped the big "internet candidate" would have more than one lone YouTube video to share with supporters. The music is fantastic, but we have to say your effort reminds us a bit of the commercials for that guy who teaches you how to use your computer.

Update: Ok, we missed Ron Paul's current crop of video, including a nice one called "Educating Rudy".

• Governor Richardson, it's really not fair to slam you for your LonelyGov15 style video, when you have such great ones too, but we're pretty deep into this thing and can't muck with the concept now.

• Mister Kucinich? Mister Kucinich? Can I go to the bathroom? (Please don't let our good natured ribbing prevent you from actually hearing today's lesson. There should be a test on this stuff.)

• Finally, Mike Gravel teaches us about the "fair tax". Nothing terribly wrong with his video, except that we keep expecting him to offer us a hard candy from the dish next to the sofa.

Is that all of them?

Close enough.

Press Conference Bird Bombed: Mister Bush, crapped upon both literally and figuratively in the Rose Garden this morning. First by an hour of hard questions, second by the bird that pooped on his suit. But the message of the day: If the people of this country, through their votes, tell President Bush to get us out of Iraq, they are ignored. If the Democratic representatives of this country, through their legislation, tell President Bush to get us out of Iraq, they are ignored. But, if his remarks at a news conference today are to be believed -- always a dicey proposition with him -- if members of the Iraqi Government tell President Bush to get us out of Iraq -- we're out.

Credibility: One minute we're safer -- the next they're coming to get us. The president says Congress is stretching out the Gonzales investigation -- yet it's his White House that's stonewalling. He was asked today if he has any credibility left -- and it wasn't much of an answer. John Dean joins us.

ODDBALL: The wild scrable up a 50 tower of Hong Kong buns and the little toddler who ruined the artwork of Tibetan Monks in a Kansas City train station.

Gonzo & Monica: First he told Congress that the meeting with Monica Goodling never took place. Now he's said it did but it wasn't how she described it. That'd be... lying to Congress... right? Fortunately they have Alberto Gonzales's successor ready.

Mom is 60:
Science and Life. A 60-year-old woman giving birth to twins. The new mother defends her position... a move even her own daughter doesn't support.
 
WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD: The police officer who demonstrated his Taser on a willing participant's...special place -- the package store with a drive-thru window that also sells cups of ice for the ride home -- and the Pentaton needs Arabic language experts in the worst way... but not if they're gay. Can't have that.

Bury the Idol
: It's over, it's finally over. After a two-hour spectacular, full of song, self-congratulation and kitsch, the latest winner was finally anointed. Princess Maria is here too tell us how many albums what's-her-name is going to sell.

Some of what we're working on for tonight...

There's just too many things to rant about in President Bush's press conference today, we'll try to sort through the spin and bring something to you later in the day (like around 8pm...on the air).

The most outrageous exchange occurred when the President said Iraq was not just a danger to the U-S, it was a direct danger to David Gregory's children.

And should anyone think that was a slip, he did it again 20 minutes later to Jim Rutenberg of the NY Times (after making fun of his tie).

Some other doozies...

- "Our credibility is at stake in the Middle East."

- "I'm credible because I see the intelligence."

- "It was a surprise to me that Saddam Hussein didn't have WMD"

- The escalation of sectarian violence in Iraq is simply a "snapshot in time."

- He's looking forward to a "different configuration in Iraq."  Which sounds like NewSpeak for... something else.

- "If there is wrongdoing at the Justice Department, it will be taken care of." -- like that CIA leak thing?

In the meantime, the march toward confrontation with Iran continues. The President said Thursday he will work with
allies to strengthen sanctions on Iran after new report showed Tehran
is accelerating its uranium enrichment program.

"We need to
strengthen our sanctions regime," Bush said in a Rose Garden news
conference. Leaders of Iran "continue to be defiant as to the demands
of the free world," he said.

LEFT IN THE LURCH Even after four cups of coffee, this one still might be difficult to swallow. Countdown's on its first and has had to read it three times already. Congressional leaders, like Senator Harry Reid, rationalize that they would have been more vulnerable from White House attacks -- FROM CRAWFORD OR CAMP DAVID, no doubt -- that they were again on vacation this Memorial Day weekend, than they would have been from anger from the left.

Anger? We predict you ain't seen nothing yet. And Countdown knows from anger.

OBSTRUCTION OF "COMFORT" Attorney General Gonzales has responded to the most damaging revelation to come out of yesterday's testimony by former aide Monica Goodling: that he may have obstructed justice by speaking to Ms. Goodling in a bid to influence her testimony. Ms. Goodling told lawmakers yesterday that during a March meeting, Mr. Gonzales asked her questions that left her uncomfortable, tried to conjure recollections, get their stories consistent. "I just thought maybe we shouldn't have that conversation," she said.

Through a spokesman, Mr. Gonzales responded that the "Statements (he) made ... were intended only to comfort her in a very difficult period." Nevermind that HE testified before Congress that he'd never spoken to senior aides since the firings in an effort "to protect the integrity of this investigation."

THE FRIST CHOICE Looks like Dr. Bill Frist, the former Republican leader of the Senate, is the White House favorite to replace Paul Wolfowitz at the World Bank. Let's hope he's better at combating global poverty than he was at diagnosing Terry Schiavo.

SECRETARY OF SPIN Does it not seem -- were we to take the President's remarks at Connecticut's Coast Guard Academy at face value -- that Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff should have better things to do with his time these days than to criticize those who are working to defeat the immigration bill?

HEART ATTACK ON A BUN For those of you left wondering what a Lincoln Log sandwich is after "The Sopranos" Sunday, our friend Brian Williams shares his recollections of the sammys his mother made him back in his North Jersey youth (as well as a few other observations about this week's
episode) over on Slate.

Full Transcript

Fear We Go Again: The President has a secret. He claims Osama Bin Laden was setting up a terror cell in Iraq, from which to strike America. Of course this was in 2005, two years after Mr. Bush kindly opened up Iraq so terrorists could go there. Plus, the Democrats reeling after their Congressional leadership gives away the Iraq store to the President. What do the actual anti-war Democrats do now? And why did Senator Clinton remain silent today?

Enter Monica: Accusations of inaccuracy and a lack of candor in sworn testimony. Admissions of inappropriate political litmus tests for prosecutors, and an unusual qualification to be White House liaison for the Department of Justice... she was class president. Monica Goodling goes to the Hill.

ODDBALL: An orangutan rampage in Taiwan and the world's oldest wrestler in India, it's a crazy video edition of Oddball tonight.

Operation Provocation: With all the real war in the mid-east, today war games were added. U.S. policy-makers again struggling to confront and understand yet another mid-east adversary, and one that really does have nuclear material. A show of force off the coast of Iran.

Feud With A View: Rosie O'Donnell and Elizabeth Hasselbeck

finally slug it out live on The View, providing five minutes of the most uncomfortable television in broadcasting history.

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD: A convicted murderer gives a shout-out to his favorite football team -- as his last words before execution... the baseball player who threatened his wife by text-messaging a phyoto of his handgun... and the State of Virginia, which welcomes the grandson of the Vice President of the United States into the world with a big stop sign.

A Special Comment: The Democrats' Neville Chamberlain Moment, the President's political triumph on the backs of the service men and women in Iraq, and the political earthquake most of the politicians can't even hear, because they are too busy congratulating themselves... too loudly. VIDEO/TRANSCRIPT

Keith Olbermann will deliver a Special Comment tonight on the "compromise" struck between the Democratic leadership and the White House over the latest troop funding bill...

Here's a preview...

"The Democratic leadership has, in sum, claimed a compromise with the Administration, in which the only things truly compromised are the trust of the voters, the ethics of the Democrats, and the lives of our brave, and doomed, friends, and family, in Iraq.

You, the men and women elected with the simplest of directions - Stop The War - have traded your strength, your bargaining position, and the uniform support of those who elected you… for a handful of magic beans."

Countdown tonight, 8pm ET/5pm PT  VIDEO/TRANSCRIPT

Some of what we're working on for tonight...

George Bush's Monica problem is testifying before Congress, today. If you don't know what channel position C-Span is with your cable provider, we suggest you look into it, pronto - or WATCH THE LIVE VIDEO HERE. That said, exactly how willing the former Justice Department aide is going to be to turn on her colleagues remains to be seen, immunity or no. Countdown is perhaps most curious to see if she'll be wearing that same Ralph Lauren polo t-shirt she had on in the only photograph we've had of her, until now.

IMMUNITY NOW
In other Bush administration scandal news, Congressman Henry Waxman is going to deny Rove aide Susan Ralston's request for immunity from prosecution in the Abramoff case, at least for now. Ralston's lawyer says his client "would testify about Abramoff's relationships with White House officials and 'the use by White House officials of political e-mail accounts'
at the Republican National Committee." Congressman Waxman deciding to hold off for now, in order to seek the same information from other sources. 

SNOW JOB
In case you missed it, Tony Snow attacked Al Gore's new book "The Assault on Reason" yesterday, and if you've read anything about the it, the attack seemed right out of the pages of the book itself.
Mr. Snow saying "I don't know if they're going to do a reprinting of the book to try to get the facts straight. The fact-checkers may have to take a look at it." He added, "These are highly complex publishing issues and I can't be an expert on them." Gee, do you think Penguin Press would let a former Vice President launch controversial charges against the current administration without employing the services of a fact checker? With that in mind, Mr. Gore's response is a short one: "This book, unlike the President's State of the Union Address, has been fact-checked."
Touche.

To hear more from Mr. Gore, this programming note that he will be joining us on the Countdown to discuss his new book, and so much more, on Tuesday.

Compromise & Second Surge:  Iraq Funding Compromise. The Democrats get benchmarks...The President gets the right to waive the benchmarks. What the hell kind of benchmarks are they if the President can just waive them? Plus,  In the interim, the Pentagon to reportedly overlap troops exiting Iraq, and troops reaching Iraq to create a kind of "second surge."

George Bush's Monica: A Congressional committee threatens to subpoena Karl Rove, the Justice Department dumps more documents -- but some are repeats...and on deck, for testimony tomorrow: Monica Goodling.

ODDBALL: The second best sporting event at Pimlico race track over the weekend, and the little cat at Shea Stadium who thought he had a great hiding place.

Meet the Bickersons: Is anything actually wrong with a Senator swearing, in private, at another Senator? Is it another matter though, if the same Senator suggests another presidential candidate should threaten Guatamalans with a Varmint Gun? The road to the White House is beginning to look like a Mad Max movie.

Child Attacked by Pit Bulls:
The video is gratuitous. The story behind it -- the odds kids face of being bitten by a dog -- is not.
 
WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD: The jewel thief who leaves behind his resume, Bill O'Reilly admits to being an extremist right-wing "talk show nut", and the pressure is beginning to get to Shock Jock Rush Limbaugh.

First Church of Paris
: Paris Hilton lays it on thick, being photographed with a Holy Bible and "The Power of Now" under her arm as she prepares for her stay in the Big House. Jeffrey Ross is here to... analyze.

A couple of things we're looking at for tonight...

Senator Joe Lieberman's need for some hand-holding could explain why the Democrats suddenly seem willing to cave on submitting an Iraq spending bill without any benchmarks or timetables.

The Connecticut Independent discussed the possibility of switching parties with Bloomberg news, saying "I hope the moment doesn't come that I feel so separated from the caucus"
that he decides to shift allegiance to the Republicans.

As for what that moment might look like, Mr. Lieberman invoked Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's famous 1964 definition of pornography: "I'll know it when I see it."

DIAL IT DOWN, BUDDY
A word of advice to the fired U.S. attorney for New Mexico, David Iglesias, that he might want to be a little less candid about how much he is enjoying his
15 minutes of fame. "I've loved it," Iglesias tells the Washington Post. "From an exposure point of view it's been incredible. ... In a perverse way this has already put me on the national map. My own test is: If it's a show I've heard of, I'll probably do it." No surprise, he's also contemplating a book deal.

DENVER MONKEY DIES OF BUBONIC PLAGUE
Bubonic plague has killed a capuchin monkey at the Denver Zoo. Veterinarians there say she may have eaten a squirrel that was infected. Apparently, some two dozen squirrels around the city have tested positive for the disease. The long-term implications are unclear, but for now, Countdown is advising against eating roadkill.

Monica Novotny is in for Keith tonight...

Worst in History? Former President Jimmy Carter lashes out at the Bush Administration, calling Bush's foreign policy "the worst in history". The White House fires back, calling Carter "irrelevant", and now the Georgia Democrat says his comments were careless, while the current President shrugs them off. But was Carter right? That discussion won't be taking place.

No Full Confidence: The Senate might have a vote of no-confidence on the Attorney General. The House might do the same thing. The Texas Bar Association looking into possible punishments for Alberto Gonzales. The President... not fazed in the slightest... He's doing Tammy Wynette real proud.

ODDBALL: Stunts in fire and water, animals run amok and the most dangerous idea in the history of television!

The Page Six Deep Six: As Rupert Murdoch moves to try to buy the Wall Street Journal... damaging headlines on exactly how he does business as a so-called "news" man.

You're Fired / I Quit: 

It's official, according to "The Donald", after six seasons of "The Apprentice"... he's done. He told T-V Guide that N-B-C wanted to do another one "but I just don't have the time." Which is interesting, considering that "The Apprentice" was nowhere to be seen on NBC's fall schedule.
 
Broken Idol News
: On the eve of the finale... will the ratings slide continue and is there anything Idol can do to top last year's final results show? All that... and Paula breaks her nose. The Princess is here.

Some of what we're working on for tonight...

It looks like there could be hard proof as to why Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee wanted to delay Phase II of its report on pre-war intelligence, shall we say, indefinitely. As part of that report, we are now learning that "Two intelligence assessments from January 2003 predicted that the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and subsequent U.S. occupation of Iraq could lead to internal violence and provide a boost to Islamic extremists and terrorists in the region."

HE CAN'T RECALL Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says he is, too, able to tell President Bush "no"... he just can't recall any instances when he has.
"Gonzales, a friend and adviser to Bush since their days in Texas, calls their close relationship 'a good thing.'

'Being able to go and having a very candid conversation and telling the president: 'Mr. President, this cannot be done. You can't do this,' — I think you want that,' Gonzales told reporters this week. 'And I think having a personal relationship makes that, quite frankly, much easier always to deliver bad news.'

'Do you recall a time when you (were) in there and said, 'Mr. President, we can't do this?'' Gonzales was asked.

'Oh, yeah,' the attorney general responded.

'Can you share it with us?' a reporter asked.

'No," Gonzales said.'

Senator Arlen Specter predicted yesterday that Mister Gonzales would step down before the Senate ever proceeded with a no-confidence vote against him. We'd advise against holding your breath.

CARTER'S CRITICISM  There seem to be two schools of thought on the ex-presidents club. The one that says the members of the highly-exclusive, largely-genteel bunch should keep their mouths shut when it comes to talking about each other. And the one that says they've earned the right to say whatever it is they want, whenever they want. Especially when their humanitarian efforts have earned them a Nobel Peace Prize.

King Cheney:  It was thirty years ago tomorrow that Richard Nixon, the disgraced former president, appeared on television and told interviewer David Frost, quote, "When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal.  Tonight, in the fifth story on our Countdown... Nixon's former intern... Vice President Dick Cheney... has provided the nation with this administration's equivalent of that claim... his lawyer telling a judge Mr. Cheney can not be held legally responsible for anything that he says, true or false and, furthermore, that Cheney, because he holds the vice presidency... an office meant to serve the people... has absolute immunity against any lawsuit brought by any of the people.

Under Armored:  The quest to give our troops the best protection possible.  As Congress and the White House negotiate over war funds... Lisa Myers investigates whether we're using the best body armor possible.

ODDBALL:  Pot brownies, coppers, 911 calls all making for an extremely rare but richly and deliciously one topic oddball tonight.  For all that have requested the links to web video we use in oddball, here's a link  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrCqPaSm8TA  This does not absolve you from completing your civic duty and actually watching the show.  Carry on.

Feeling the Heat:   While lately having confirmed the existence of the problem...The Bush administration is again emphasizing it will not support any limits, targets or plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming.   Polls show a majority of democrats, independents, even republicans, consider global warming a crisis and favor immediate action, due in no small part to the efforts of Al Gore and his documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," a phenomonon that's pushed the issue to center stage.   Our third story on the Countdown, is this the climate Al Gore needs, to recycle himself back into politics in 2008?

As the Wheel Turns:  Just when you thought the world of fast paced bike racing couldn't get any more interesting...Greg Le Mond, Floyd Landis and Floyd Landis' manager take it to a whole new level.  They Invented a three man bicycle!!  Actually, it's something far more disturbing. 

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD:  A teacher re-enacts a scene from "The Great Outdoors" with dire consequences, a nuclear power plant worker's previous job gets him in trouble, and your winner is a "known known".

"D.C. Idol":  The exciting conclusion of our first and last ever political singing competition.  Tune in for the shocking result! 

Gonzo's No Confidence Vote, Wolfowitz Hits the Bricks:   You heard it here first: Alberto Gonzales could quite possibly be the next president of the World Bank.  Hey, in this administration, it could happen.  Our fifth story on the Countdown: As one Bush administration scandal reaches a conclusion another still on its ascent to a boiling point. NBC News learning tonight that an agreement for Paul Wolfowitz to resign from the World Bank has been reached, just as Senate Democrats reach concensus to seek a no-confidence vote on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

.5% Too Much:   Congress wants to give our fighting men and women a three-and-a-half percent pay raise.  But the White House says... that's too much.  We'll examine if this administration really supports our military.

ODDBALL:  Freaked out sheep and when that kid said she wanted to get into the act, she got INTO the act.

Air Traffic Poison:  Our third story on the Countdown is the kind of thing that, if you aren't already slightly afraid of flying, will make you slightly afraid of it.  Air Traffic controllers the very people responsible for keeping your plane safely in the air and safely back to earth possibly poisoned by a deadly gas while trying to do their jobs.  And then told, through their dizziness, to keep doing their jobs.

Back to the Grassy Knoll:  Lone gunman or multiple shooters.   In our number two story on the Countdown: the debate has flared up again... this time predicated on the idea that forensic science gets better with every passing decade, and the last word of 1977, may only be the preamble of 2007.

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD:  Conservative radio talk show host and 'Newshour' shouter Melanie Morgan, sister of Pat, Bay Buchanan, and Comedian Rush Limbaugh duking it out for the top honor tonight. 

Doolittle Downer:  Maria Milito breaks her own record for Countdown appearances regarding American Idol, with her analysis on the incredibly dissappointing American Idol results from last night.