Finally, as promised, a Special Comment on FISA and the Junior Senator from Illinois.

The Democratic leadership in the Senate, Republican knuckle-dragging in the same chamber, and the mediocre skills of whoever wrote the final version of the FISA bill, have combined to give Senator Barack Obama… a second chance to make a first impression.

And he damned well better take it.

The Senate vote on this tortured and reckless piece of legislation has now been postponed until after the 4th of July break.

The Democrats, completing their FISA experience (a collective impression of Homer Simpson falling off a cliff and hitting every bramble on the way down), didn't exactly plan this fortuitous delay.

 Last week, the vote on their cave-in was imminent.

But, while arguing over a piece of housing legislation, about how many mortgage lenders can dance on the head of a pin, Republicans dithered so long about protecting their constituents -- the banks -- that the Senate calendar got backed up.

 This, in turn, gave Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid some time to think.

 There was one among his group, chosen to run for President, who had loudly assailed the idea of handing a get-out-of-jail-free card to corporations who had approached definitional fascism by breaking the law in concert with the Bush Administration.

 But this Senator had suddenly realized, that to the large group of voters who operate with an information base that would make Cliffs Notes look like the Encyclopedia, if, in the final vote, he stood against FISA, he would hand them a rock with which they could hit him over the head, a rock wrapped up in a piece of paper reading:

 Thus, Senator Obama, was born your first second chance.

Senator Reid was kind enough to help you out by composing an amendment that would keep FISA, which you rightly endorse, but strips out the telecom immunity, which you rightly oppose.

It's a protest, a decidedly lame one, but in our daily world of political transactions, voting for the amendment when it has no chance of passing and has been in essence constructed as pure Obama C-Y-A, that is a petty crime.

Whether it will do more to harm your premise of "new politics" than to your credibility as an immunity-opponent, is for you, Senator, to assess.

And live with.

It would be sweet to have a pure, politics-free president, but the last of those retired from office in 1797.

 And while we've all quoted the farewell address of "The Father Of Our Nation" for 211 years now, nobody seems to want to remember that its point was to urge his children that: whatever you do, for God's sake, don't form political parties, some day they will kill you.

 Anyway, Senator, your problem here isn't the backlash about telecom immunity, and it isn't really about your political fluidity on the FISA bill.

Your problem is what happens even if this plays out according to plan next week:

1) You vote for the anti-immunity amendment.

2) The anti-immunity amendment fails.

3) You vote for the FISA legislation.

And 4) The FISA legislation passes.

Oh, and, 5) Senator:

The Republicans still run against you with the 'elections-for-dummies 'message: "Obama voted uh-uh… thing terror-stop."

 Because, inside the obscenity that was Charlie Black's comment about how a terrorist attack in this country would be good -- good for his boy McCain's chances for election…

Inside the inhuman calculation that Benazhir Bhutto did not die in vain, she helped McCain in the New Hampshire primary.

There is a sad and cynical reality.

The Republicans can scare some of the people all of the time, and they can scare all of the people some of the time.

This is all they are right now.

Nobody ever said it better than did Aaron Sorkin in his script for the movie "The American President":

 "Whatever your particular problem is, friend, I promise you, Bob Rumson (and for Bob Rumson, reed "John McCain") is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things and two things only: Making you afraid of it, and telling you who's to blame for it."

 Republicans, with almost no exceptions, have no true credibility on counter-terrorism, no track record of prevention or amelioration, and their president can't even remember the name of the skyscraper he claims to have saved in Los Angeles.

 And yet, somehow, the Republicans have managed to convince the public that it doesn't matter that Mr. Bush had already completed 22 percent of his first term, when he, his administration, and his party, failed so catastrophically on 9/11.

The President and party who were at fault, were magically transformed into the president and party who would never let it happen again.

 An unjust... repellant... nefarious, trick.

But, politically, rather a neat trick.

 Senator, the Republicans are going to paint you as soft on terror no matter how you vote on FISA.

Or how you vote on the Telecom Immunity Amendment.

Or on the next farm bill.

Last week it was Grover Norquist calling you "John Kerry with a tan."

By November 1st, it'll be Dick Cheney calling you "Osama Bin Laden with a tan."

When you announced your support of this latest FISA bill (with or without the telecom immunity), the Republicans raced to get out a press release accusing you of flip-flopping.

You shared the exact same position, on which they are running their entire campaign and they criticized you anyway!

So, Senator, from their point of view, they think they've got you boxed in.

Vote for FISA and you've contradicted yourself.

Vote against FISA and it's "Obama voted uh-uh… thing terror-stop."

Vote for FISA and against immunity, and it's: political expediency, and Democrats soft on terror, and "Obama voted uh-uh… thing terror-stop."

This is a problem, Senator.

Because, flatly, of all the measures that can be taken to aid our damaged nation, and our de-valued constitution, the first, if not the foremost, is not blocking telecom immunity, but making sure no Republican is in the White House past noon next January 20th.

Of all the remedial efforts against the Bush Administration's high crimes and misdemeanors, and of all the prophylactic steps against further inroads against the freedoms of the citizens of this nation and the rights of everyone else, the primary step must still come to us through the prism of politics.

Would that it were otherwise. But it ain't.

Frankly, Senator, this political tight-rope act you've tried on FISA the last two weeks, which from the outside seems to have been intended to increase the chances of your election, probably hasn't helped in the slightest.

There is, fortunately, a possible, a most unexpected, solution.

Your second second chance.

 Since the final version of the FISA bill was passed down from on high, John Dean has been reading it, and re-reading it, and cross-referencing it with other relevant law, and thinking.

Something bothered him about it.

Or, more correctly, something didn't bother him about it.

Turns out lawyers at the ACLU have been doing the same thing for the last ten days.

John compared notes with them, and will be devoting his column at "Find Law" this week, to this unlikely conclusion:

The Republicans who wrote most of this bill at Mr. Bush's urging, managed to immunize the telecoms from civil suits.

But not from criminal prosecution.

 Senator, here is John Dean's summary of his findings, which he sent me this morning.

 "It is clear not only from the language of the bill (which must be read in the context of other, related statutes to be clearly understood),

but also from the legislative history, that there is absolutely no criminal immunity for anyone in these FISA amendments."

 More over, Senator, it seems as if a lot of people have known this, for a long time.

 "During the January 24th, 2008 debate in the Senate, Senator Brownback noted, "The immunity provisions would not apply to the Government or Government officials. Cases against the Government regarding the alleged programs would continue.  And the provisions would apply only to civil and not criminal cases."

 In fact, Senator, just last week, Attorney General Mukasey and Director of National Intelligence McConnell sent a letter, for the record, to House Speaker Pelosi emphasizing that the liability protection, quote, "does not immunize any criminal conduct."

And if you ask, Senator, about the President responding to all this by belching out a series of pardons or a blanket pardon to those who broke the law on his behalf, Dean has you covered here, too…

 It… "would require acceptance by them of the fact that they had broken the law, and thus be an admission of guilt.

"And a blanket pardon would be an admission by Bush that his war on terror has been a lawless undertaking, operating beyond the bounds of the Constitution and statutes that check the powers of the president and the executive branch.

"It would be an admission by Bush, too, of his own criminal culpability (which is why Nixon refused to grant his aides a pardon.)

 Senator -- sometimes it is better to be lucky, than good.

Keep your eye on the wording of the legislation to make sure the Republicans don't realize its flaws.

Then vote for the amendment to strip telecom immunity out of the FISA bill.

Then after that fails, vote for the FISA bill, if that's your final answer.

Then the minute the president has signed the FISA bill, you announce that you voted for it because it renews FISA -- and because it permits a bigger prize than just civil suits, that it allows for criminal prosecution of past illegal eavesdropping.

Say, loudly, that your understanding of this bill is such, that if you are elected, your Attorney General will begin a full-scale criminal investigation of the Telecom Companies who collaborated with President Bush in eavesdropping on Americans.

And mention -- oh by the way -- that your Attorney General will subpoena such records, notes, e-mail, data, and testimony, from any and all Bush Administration officials, FBI or CIA personnel, or any members of the Executive Branch, who may have as much as breathed in the general direction of these nefarious acts of domestic spying at Mr. Bush's behest.

Wait -- you say there's a political hit waiting for you there too?

Another "Obama voted uh-uh… thing terror-stop."

Actually, Senator, you've already gone down this road, when you spoke to my colleague, Will Bunch, of the Philadelphia Daily News, on April 14th of this year.

He asked about the possibility of criminal investigations of the 43rd President and his henchmen.

 "What I would want to do," you told him, "is have my Justice Department and my Attorney General immediately review the information that's already there and to find out, are there inquiries that need to be pursued.

I can't prejudge that, because we don't have access to all the material right now."

"You're also right that I would not want my first term consumed by what was perceived on the part of Republicans as a partisan witch hunt,

because I think we've got too many problems we've got to solve."

"Now, if I found out that there were high officials who knowingly, consciously broke existing laws, engaged in cover-ups of those crimes with knowledge forefront, 

then I think a basic principle of our Constitution is: nobody above the law. And I think that's roughly how I would look at it."

 Make this clear, Senator.

You've already taken the political hit from the Right, for saying you'd seek to strip out, or rescind immunity.

You've already taken the political hit from the Left, for saying you'd vote for the FISA bill even with the immunity.

You've paid the political price in advance.

Now buy yourself -- and those who have most ardently supported you -- something worth more than just class action suits against Verizon.

Explain that you are standing aside on civil immunity, not just for political expediency, but for a greater and more tangible good -- the holding to account, of the most-corrupt, the most dangerous, and the most anti-democracy presidential administration in our long history.

Of course, if you disagree with this interpretation -- if you think the FISA bill doesn't have the giant loophole, or if you don't think you, as president, would be ready to support criminal prosecution of… well, criminals -- then your duty is clear.

Vote against the FISA bill, if it still carries that immunity.

The Republicans are going to call you the names any which way, Senator.

They're going to cry regardless, Senator.

And as the old line goes: give them something to cry about.

Good night, and good luck.

Swift Kick:  In 35 days it will have been four years since the so-called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth launched their first ad against Senator John Kerry. In our fifth story on the Countdown: The Swift Boaters making their first entry into the 2008 campaign... not as a 527... but because Senator John McCain today used one of them... as a surrogate.  This on a day when his opponent, Senator Barack Obama, not only praised the presumptive Republican nominee's patriotism...  But declared all future attacks as off limits.

The "I" in G.I.:  The line is from the movie "Chinatown." The mortician chortles to Jack Nicholson: "Middle of a drought -- and the Water Commissioner Drowns. Only in L.A.!" Our fourth story on the Countdown: From the day he introduced his new G-I Bill, Senator Jim Webb of Virginia faced the utter opposition of President Bush and Senator McCain. Senator Webb joins us in a moment to react to today's Chinatown-like, inside-outing of the process, in which, at today's signing of the new G-I Bill, President Bush... congratulated himself... and Senator McCain.

Flip-Flops:  This weekend, Senator John McCain said, quote, "This election is about trust and trusting people's word. And unfortunately, apparently on several items Senator Obama's word cannot be trusted." In our third story tonight, judging candidates based on their consistency. You see where I'm going with this. The signing of the G-I Bill, not the only time Senator McCain was against something, before he was for it -- or vice versa -- or both. You may want to get pencil and paper and write all these down.

Worsties...see below.

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD:  Bobby Jindal, governor of LA, William Kristol and Monica Crowley vie for tonight's top honors.

FISA Special Comment.

Unity or Bust:  To hear the newspaper recount it, the top Republican and McCain supporter simply sauntered in to its Washington bureau and dropped the first overt racism bomb of the general election. If it sounds like Grover Norquist's suggestion that Barack Obama was just "John Kerry was a tan" was meant to upstage the Obama-Clinton Unity Love Fest... In our fifth story on the Countdown: he did not quite succeed. Full coverage of Norquist's remark, presently. First: They didn't go to Smiley, Pennsylvania. They didn't go to Compromise, Mississippi. They didn't even go to Happiness Park, Illinois. The forecast: 76 degrees and cloudy this afternoon in Unity, New Hampshire.

Dis Unity:  How do you smear a guy as unpatriotic, without smearing him as unpatriotic? You claim he loves something else... more than his country. Our fourth story tonight, the McCain campaign debuts its anti-Obama strategy. Obama puts himself first, partisanship and party first... over country. The McCain camp memo going out yesterday, with the heading, "Country First versus Self-Serving Partisanship." So who got the memo?

ODDBALL: A bathtub in a tree, a man splashes into water, and a brothel on a bus.

Grover's Trash Mouth:  The story literally walked itself into the Washington bureau of The Los Angeles Times, figuratively bit the editor on the backside, and they put it... on a blog. Our third story on the Countdown: three days after chief strategist Charlie Black's conclusion that a terrorist attack on the U-S would help John McCain's campaign...Republican grandee Grover Norquist crossed the racial line to which McCain had been trying to cleave; crossed it by about 5,000 miles.

Worsties...see below.

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD:  Congressman Bill Delahunt of Massachusetts and David Addington, Richard Johnson, and Sean Hannity vie for tonight's top honors.

Life On Mars:    Somewhere - H-G Wells is smiling. "The probability is very good for microbial life on Mars" Our number one story on the Countdown - that - the conclusion of the head scientist of the Phoenix Lander Project. That, and we should look out for Martian Asparagus -- probably not super-intelligent Asparagus, but possibly super-nutritious.

The Wall Street Journal has some of the background information on that amazing ball girl catch viral video ad for Gatorade.

The Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco has a site to represent their effort to name the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant sewage plant after George W. Bush. (Don't miss the official seal.)

The most recent Quinnipiac swing state poll shows Obama ahead in Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The Guy Caruso quote in Thursday's show about how little offshore drilling would add to overall oil supplies and how little it would ultimately decrease the price of gas (in five to ten years) was in general news reports like this Reuters item. The news peg, if you want to get into the nitty gritty of it all, is this recently released International Energy Outlook 2008 report and the even more recent Annual Energy Outlook 2008 report - both from the Energy Information Administration of which Caruso is the head.

NPR has more on the perils soldiers face while they wait for government benefit checks to help cover their medical costs. The non-profit, non-governmental organization that Keith mentioned last night in connection with the Isaac Stevens story is Operation Homefront.

Unity Now:   If you have had the sneaking suspicion that, as a Presidential candidate, John McCain might be turning into Bob Dole, but that this was a suspicion you did not dare give voice to -- hit the mute button, quickly, and keep it off until I give you the high sign. Our fifth story on the Countdown: never mind Dole, after the first comprehensive polling in the swing states... he might be turning into Alf Landon. Then again, this could always be June for Barack Obama, the way it was June for Michael Dukakis.

Look Who's Talking:  The Bush Doctrine: If you do it, it's appeasement. If we do it, it's diplomacy. In our fourth story tonight, President Bush today lifted some of the U-S sanctions on North Korea, a member of the axis of evil, about which Vice President Cheney once said, "We don't negotiate with evil, we defeat it." Mr. Bush said he lifted the sanctions after extensive, multi-party negotiations including the U-S, Evil, China, Russia, Japan and South Evil.

ODDBALL: Fireworks demonstrations, and a kid moons his high school class.

The GOP Horserace:  John McCain has yet to address it seriously. Charlie Black has yet to re-surface since it was revealed. But -- in our third story on the Countdown -- former McCain chief strategist Mike Murphy is talking about Mr. Black's revelation to Fortune magazine that a terrorist attack, on U-S soil, between now and the election, would be, in his opinion, good -- good for McCain's chances of becoming President. And Mr. Murphy has somehow turned it into a sexist joke.

Worsties...see below.

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD: Sean Hannity, Antonin Scalia and Bill-o vie for tonight's top honors.

Celebrity-ish Sex Tape:  Number one tonight on the Countdown: the return of, stories my producers are forcing me to cover... and Verne Troyer, a-k-a Mini Me, Has Made A Sex Tape.  Let's start our team coverage with a sound bite gratuitously pulled out of an interview that has nothing to do with the topic.

In It To Win It:  The cover photo -- with the lapelle pin -- is getting all the attention. The interview... has all the news. Our fifth story on the Countdown: Asked by Rolling Stone publisher Yann Wenner about how Democrats have "cowered" in the wake of past Republican attacks. Senator Obama responding, quote: "Yeah, I don't do cowering." That, evident, today... in at least three issues... not even counting the Rolling Stone issue.

Playing Politics with Terror:  "Bin Laden may have just given us a little boost. Amazing, huh?" Senator John McCain's observations on the release of a new Al Qaeda tape - made in 2004 while he was stumping for Senator Chris Shays in Connecticut . At least the third such documented evidence where he has said that terrorism could help the GOP. Raising tonight still more questions about why -- when his own chief strategist - Charlie Black -- concluded a terrorist attack could increase McCain's chances of getting elected -- Senator McCain reacted by saying --quote-- "I cannot imagine why he would say it. It's not true."  Our fourth story on the Countdown - maybe that explains why Mr. Black still has a job, and why Black and McCain are still maintaining silence on the admission.

ODDBALL: A ball girl's unbelievable catch and a slack rope walker slacks off.

Power Play:  In a major speech on gas prices and energy policy today, John McCain had good news and bad news... the good news is he knows exactly how to lower gas prices for consumers. The bad news is, he knows how to do it for consumers... living in the year 20-24. Our third story tonight... The Lexington Project... McCain's new name for his slate of energy proposals, which he outlined and fleshed out today... in Las Vegas.

Worsties...see below.

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD: Gretchen Carlson of Fox News, an Australian that sounds like a pirate, and Bill-O vie for tonight's top honors.

Oaf of Office:  Despite his status as the political equivalent of a pet-rock, lame-duck President George Bush still manages to intimidate the opposition, and put troops in harm's way.  But our number one story on the Countdown tonight is neither about coersion nor corruption -- rather, the gaffes that keep on giving.

Here's the Fortune Magazine story in which chief campaign strategist for Senator John McCain, Charlie Black, acknowledges seeing terrorist attacks on the U.S. as politically advantageous for his candidate.

This is MoveOn.org's note to members, beseeching them to encourage Barack Obama to keep his promise to support a filibuster of the bill containing retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies.

How did Barack Obama's half-brother's quote, "Because, I am a Muslim myself, and I don't think that my being a Muslim has got anything to do with my brother being the President of the United States" become, "...will be a good president for the Jewish people, despite his Muslim background" - the hot new Obama smear among Worst People in the World like Monica Crowley? Here's the debunking by Jake Tapper of ABC News.

The results of the USA Today/Gallup poll cited last night on Countdown are best read on the Gallup site.

Here's the official site for the Oklahoma Full Auto Shoot. It looks like the event featured on the air is called "Kill the car."

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General report: An Investigation of Allegations of Politicized Hiring in the Department of Justice Honors Program and summer Law Intern Program (pdf) The most straightforwardly damning stuff is in the Conclusions and Recommendations section beginning on page 98.

And again, the Newsweek poll to decide the best alternative title for Bill O'Reilly's bold, fresh piece of book is here.

The link will be included in the next Countdown Supplemental but since a lot of Countdown viewers are surely anxious to participate in the poll mentioned on tonight's show, you can find it here.

Fear and Voting:  A day since the revelation that his chief strategist, the veteran lobbyist Charlie Black, had admitted that a terrorist attack in this country before that election would be a quote "big advantage" to his campaign, Senator John McCain has still not fired Black, nor directly addressed the implications of what Black said, for the nation's safety, and the Republican party's integrity. But, in our fifth story tonight, it turns out McCain himself essentially said the same thing about George W. Bush's campaign in 2004.

The Clinton Factor:  If a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, a political journey of five months evidently begins with 27 words. Our fourth story on the Countdown: that, the kinda brief, first endorsement of Barack Obama by former President Clinton today. 27 -- just one below a remarkable statistic: 28 percent... The percentage of Americans polled by USA Today and Gallup identifying themselves as... Republicans... the lowest in two decades. Yet is there still some silver lining in here for the GOP?

ODDBALL: A return to the auto shoot and a restaurant based on guns.

Perverted Justice:  "I may have gone too far in asking political questions of applicants for career positions and I may have taken inappropriate political considerations into account." The testimony of the former Department of Justice liason to the White House Monica Goodling, about the politically-motivated firings of U-S Attorneys. Our third story on the Countdown -- a special edition of "Bussshed" -- It turns out she may not have even been the leading partisan in the Bush Administration's attempt to make the Justice Department into a kind of goon squad for the Republican Party. The Justice Department's own watchdog - the Inspector general - finding clear evidence that fully-qualified job and internship applicants were deliberately rejected... In clear violation of DOJ policy and anti-discrimination laws. Because they were Democrats, Liberals, or simply had "affiliations" with so-called liberal causes.

Worsties...see below.

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD:  Corynne Steindler and a certain foul mouthed Fox News host vie for tonight's top honors.

Bateman On Set:  File under: no good deed goes unpunished.  A superhero saddled with bad baggage and a negative image... Until he saves the life of a PR executive...  Who's then determined to rehabilitate the fabled, but flawed do-gooder.  Our number one story on the Countdown - summer blockbuster "Hancock" - with Will Smith as the alcohol-addicted, reckless, though well-intentioned anti-hero... And Jason Bateman -- the man who will attempt to rescue him.

The Charlie Black Comments:  The chief campaign strategist for Senator John McCain has told "Fortune Magazine" that a terrorist attack on U-S soil before the election would be a quote "big advantage" for the presumptive Republican nominee. Our fifth story on the Countdown: The first rule of "October Surprise" is... you do not talk about "October Surprise." Senator McCain's immediate reaction upon learning what Mister Black had said? Quote: "I cannot imagine why he would say it. It's not true."  The McCain campaign then claiming Mister Black did not remember making the comments in Fortune...  Mr. Black himself... deeply regretting the comments. Put them all together: Black deeply regrets something that his colleagues had claimed he could not remember.

State of the Unity:  Where is the Unity the Democrats have this year, so long sought? It's about twelve miles east of Ascutney, Vermont. Just down from Sunapee. A-ya. Our fourth story on the Countdown: Obama and Clinton's first joint appearance Friday... At Unity New Hampshire. Where, in January's primary, they each got 107 votes.  Awww.

ODDBALL: The Palm Tree Bandit...and an ugly dog.

Gas Lines:  After his proposal of a gas-tax holiday to cut gas prices met with blistering criticism as a gimmick, John McCain today shifted away from gimmickry... and on to... Cash prizes! In our third story tonight, for the first person to come up with an alternative to gas guzzlers, the new McCain jackpot is now... 3-hundred million dollars!

Worsties...see below.

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD: A sports writer for the New York Post, Monica Crowley, and  US Representative Michele Bachmann vie for tonight's top honors.

George Carlin, 1937-2008:  George Carlin was that most rare of contributors to this nation. He succeeded within the establishment, then succeeded outside of it, and then took outsider cred with him and operated from within the belly of the establishment for 40 years. Our number one story on the Countdown: George Carlin died last night in Santa Monica, aged 71, heart failure, just hours after checking himself into a hospital for chest pains. He had been on stage as recently as the weekend earlier, at Las Vegas.

The Newsweek poll showing Barack Obama with a surprising lead over John McCain is here.

The mayonnaise advertisement in which Bill-O could find no other message than that "gay people like mayonnaise" is available for viewing on YouTube:
[YouTube:nLNPdZPSII0]
The line that earned Bernard Goldberg a "best smackdown" credit on Friday's show: "Bill, if you think a major corporation like Heinz is trying to sell a product like mayonnaise by appealing to gay people; and I say this in the best possible sense; you're nuts. This is not a gay issue, it's a mayonnaise issue."

Scott McClellan's prepared statement at the outset of his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee.

Keith introduced John Cusack as having acted in 57 films. How many can you name? And as long as you're quizzing yourself, here's the Bush-McCain challenge Cusack talked about on Countdown.

Omentum: Even those most fully deserving the title of Obom-maniacs did not dare to dream. Even the most faithful among the McCaananites did not have such nightmares. A new edition of the Newsweek poll -- in which the men were tied a month ago -- anything but, at the hour summer formally begins. Our fifth story on the Countdown: Obama... by fifteen. With the caveat that Mike Dukakis had a similar lead at this point in his race 20 years ago...

Fourth Down: It's the last thing a man says before he becomes President. A catcheism between him and the Chief Justice, which concludes with him swearing he quote "will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God." Nothing in there about **ignoring** the Constitution, nor gutting it.Yet in our fourth story tonight, there's Mr. Bush doing it again, and being aided and abetted, by Democrats who out-number his people on Capitol Hill.

ODDBALL: The greatest tape in Bush history (maybe) and water found on Mars (maybe)

The McClellan Hearing: "Only those who know the underlying truth can bring this to an end. Sadly, they remain silent." The words of former White House press secretary Scott McClellan...This time, under oath... in our third story on the Countdown. Describing the Bush administration's "over-stated and over-packaged" selling of pre-war intelligence. And facing critics, like Ranking Republican Lamar Smith...Who snidely welcomed McClellan to the Judiciary Committee's first meeting of... the Book Of The Month Club.

Worsties...see below.

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD: John Bolton, Paula Froelich and Chris Wallace vie for tonight's top honors.

On War & Politics: He's acted in at least 57 films. Produced 8. Written 3. But in our number one story on the Countdown, John Cusack now has a **new** role. Political polemicist. John Cusack joins us presently. First - his debut commercial for move on dot org

You can read for yourself the original questionnaire from the Midwest Democracy Project which includes the answers provided by the only two candidates who bothered to respond, Edwards and Obama. (The question at hand in last night's show is number 1-B.)

The introductory page points out, "While the focus of the questionnaire has centered on answers submitted by Senator Barack Obama's campaign, it should be noted that the campaigns of Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator John McCain, Governor Mike Huckabee and Congressman Ron Paul have yet to answer a single question from the questionnaire."

H.R.6304 a.k.a. FISA Amendments Act of 2008 passed the House a few hours ago 293-129. In case you're curious, find out how your representative voted.

The $162 billion measure to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that Keith mentioend offers no withdrawal time tables but does provide historic increases in aid for our returning troops to help pay for college is H.R.2642. (There are several versions but I believe this is the most recent.)

(While poking around the Congressional archive I also found H. Res. 1275: honoring the life of Timothy John Russert, Jr., public servant, political analyst, and author.)

The Military Commissions Act can be read in its entirety here if you'd like to read what it says about habeas corpus. And the decision by the Supreme Court granting habeas corpus rights to detainees is also available but note this is a 134 page pdf and may take a while to load.

Here are the results of the Quinnipiac University poll showing Senator Obama leading in all three swing states of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, the subject of Wednesday's story #5.

From Wednesday's script:

One last note from here in Washington. Even if you don't believe in omens, the Memorial ended with the playing of a recording of a ukulele version of the song "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." And, within minutes, as those of us who laughed and grieved left the Kennedy Center, we were stopped in our tracks.

By this.

A vivid, double rainbow, that had spread across Washington's skies while we were all in that building saying goodbye. It may be cornball, and it may be easily explained by the meteorological conditions of this turbulent Spring in the Capitol, but if there's any way a soul was behind that I know that was Russert. I'd recognize him anywhere.

The ukulele version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.

Run For the Money:   Senator Barack Obama today officially opted out of the presidential campaign public financing system... And Senator John McCain today immediately declared Obama had, quote, "completely reversed himself and gone back, not on his word to me, but the commitment he made to the American people." But in our fifth story: Obama's promise, even taken just on face value, was to accept public financing if his Republican opponent agreed to do the same. Senator McCain had in essence been running his general election campaign on private funds -- not public financing -- since he became the presumptive nominee on March 4th. McCain, late this afternoon, said he had just decided to switch to public funding. But to quote Jesse Jackson's old self-caricature on Saturday Night Live: "The Question is Moot."

Spies Like Us:  Never appease political bullies, President Bush admonished at the Israeli knesset. Oddly, House Democrats chose to ignore him, on the subject of... dealing with him. A new FISA bill, that gives President Bush exactly what he wants. The increased ability to spy on Americans without a warrant. And a level of immunity to the telecom companies who already illegally spied on Americans for him. Our fourth story on the Countdown -- and the Democrats may split over the tentative deal.

ODDBALL: A kitty rescue, a car that's a phone, and a car that runs on water.

Serial Drillers:  The people of Iraq have one truly vast and valuable national resource... oil. With Saddam Hussein gone, his grip on the nation's resources has been broken, and thanks to the sacrifices of American troops and the Iraqi people, those resources, that oil, is now being returned to its historic, rightful owners... the oil companies. In our third story tonight, the New York Times reporting today that on the 30th of this month, five major oil companies... and a number of smaller ones... will announce the first deals to service Iraq's largest oil fields. The companies include the four original partners in the Iraq Petroleum Company, which have wanted to get back in for 36 years. Mission A-freakin-Complished. 
 
Worsts...see below.

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD: A rare tri-fecta for a certain media magnate.

What She Said:  It is said that Mamie and Dwight Eisenhower so personally disliked Bess and Harry Truman that they refused to enter the White House for even the ceremonial cup of coffee with them in the hour before Eisenhower's first inaugural. President Truman was supposedly so offended by what he saw as a sleight against the First Lady that he was going to refuse to get into the same car with the Eisenhowers -- until the Missus said, in effect, "Harry, we get to get the hell out of here now, let's go." Our number one story on the Countdown: it's McCain versus Obama. Cindy McCain... attacking Michelle Obama.

Battleground Bounce: In this campaign that Tim Russert loved covering so much... it is a detail that would have absolutely delighted him. Here this morning, the two men vying to become the next president of the United States... sitting next to each other at Tim Russert's funeral... at his family's request. Ahead this hour, we will pay tribute to our departed friend and colleague with a look at the moving memorial service that followed the funeral this afternoon at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and perhaps, more moving still, a seemingly small gesture from Tim Russert's son Luke that will tell you in short-hand just what this family is all about. But in our fifth story on the Countdown -- because Tim Russert would be screaming "you skipped the lead" -- we begin with the latest in the run for the White House.

Hit on Mrs.:  It's not an unreasonable request. To ask that personal attacks against the wife of a candidate, as part of a misguided strategy to torpedo a political campaign, be off limits.  Having heard his fill of falsehoods about Michelle Obama, candidate and husband Barack Obama has drawn a line in the sand.  In our fourth story on the Countdown, expressing disdain for what has clearly become "open season" on spouses, Obama made his case in an interview last night.

ODDBALL: A mutton race and pie fight.

The Energy of McCain:  John McCain is famous for saying he does not know much about the economy... and for parading around those advisors of his who... he says...do know something about the economy. Our third story tonight... a Countdown Special Report on the price of gas... and how McCain's chief economic advisor, among others... helped create and defend pivotal legislation that unleashed speculators to run up gas prices. It is, in essence, a legalized form of insider trading... de-regulation that let speculators overwhelm trading in oil futures... those complicated contracts that let commercial users of oil hedge their bets about future price and supply fluctuations... by agreeing to prices and delivery dates ahead of time. Since this legislation passed... gasoline prices have more than doubled... and commodity traders have made tens of millions of dollars... devastating thousands of small companies that deal in oil... and creating the risk of a speculative bubble... popping. How does McCain fit in? The road connecting him to four-dollar gas begins... with Enron.

Worsties...see below.

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD:  Comedian Rush Limbaugh, the County Board of Education serving Roseville, California and  William Kristol of The New York Times

Tim Russert 1950-2008:   "He hath borne himself beyond the promise of his age, going, in the figure of a lamb, the feats of a lion: he hath indeed bettered expectation, than you must expect of me to tell you how." The epitaph, fitting, of course, and inscribed on the program for the Memorial Service given here today for Tim Russert. At least a thousand people celebrating his life... First in the private family ceremony this morning, featuring the presidential candidates, side by side. Then, this afternoon, at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Our number one story on the Countdown: our final goodbye to Tim Russert. Highlights of the eulogies, every word of them filled with heart and love, and producing tears and laughs... And afterwards, one story of an extraordinarily generous act today, from Tim's son Luke. And a symbol to carry alongside our memories of Tim.

What appears to be the most common citation to show McCain's pre-flip-flop support of the ban on offshore drilling for oil last time he ran for president is this report from the Sustainable Energy Coalition. Dated January 18, 2000, "Presidential Candidates' Views on Energy Policy and Related Environmental Issues" summarized candidate McCain's position thusly:

Also cited is McCain's vote in 2005 to bar oil and gas leasing in ANWR.

Because Vice President Cheney's much repeated claim that the Chinese are drilling for oil in Cuban waters near Florida is nakedly false there's no source documentation to link to on the matter. If there is a source document, it's George Will's column of June 5 which many point to as the origin of the claim. For some reason, while Cheney has corrected himself, Mr. Will and The Washington Post do not appear to have done the same. UPDATE: George Will made the correction at the end of this June 17 column. Thanks Nancy for the pointer.

The ABC News report (with some useful citations) on how the Veterans Administration is treating vets like lab rats can be found here.

The online record of the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing mentioned in last night's Bushed, segment, "To receive testimony on the origins of aggressive interrogation techniques: Part I of the Committee's inquiry into the treatment of detainees in U.S. custody" is not full and complete but does contain some prepared statements that support the news accounts. For example this from Dr. Jerald F. Ogrisseg, Former Chief, Psychology Services, 336th Training Group, United States Air Force Survival School:

Here's the full "I'm Voting Republican" commercial, the first half of which was aired last night.

The Andrew Sullivan item Keith mentioned last night is here though more illustrative are the direct accounts of the Obama campaign's solicitations of help for flood-stricken areas.

Even if we surpass the biggest boasts of Iranian officials about the range of the Shahab missile (1200 miles) and grant it a generous 3000 km/1864 miles, map readers, and that may or may not include Gregg Jarrett of Fox News, will note that still doesn't put it in range of the U.S. That 3000 km range appears to be the longest range of any missile of which there is actual inventory and not just a "program" or speculation on this accounting of North Korean & Iranian missiles. This map from the Federation of American Scientists may be a little old in terms of its missile data but is useful in showing how various ranges lay out on a global map.

From Monday's show: The broader context of McCain fundraiser Clayton Williams' remarks on rape and the weather actually makes them more offensive. From a March 26, 1990 New York Times report,

Mr. Williams made the remark on Saturday while preparing for a cattle roundup at his West Texas ranch. He compared the cold, foggy weather spoiling the event to a rape, telling ranch hands, campaign workers and reporters around a campfire, ''If it's inevitable, just relax and enjoy it.''

So the issue of rape was not part of the larger conversation. He was simply talking about the weather and in searching his brain for anything in all the wide universe that might be analogous to the situation, came up with rape.

Proving that often a farcical argument makes the best political firestorm... Senator McCain's Campaign today accused Senator Obama of being a "a perfect manifestation of a September 10th mindset," and of taking a "law enforcement approach" to terrorism. Our fifth story on the Countdown: this comes 28 days after an FBI counter-terrorism agent told the House Judiciary Committee that under President Bush, the Bureau had hired and appointed counter-terrorism supervisors with little or no experience in anything but domestic crime, and had a rule rotating out all counter-terrorism specialists once they reached five years experience. In short, agent Bassem Yousef said, under a Republican Administration, the FBI was, in effect, taking a 'law enforcement approach to terrorism.'

Drill Bit:  John McCain can't buy a break. As he continues to try to put daylight between himself and President Bush... First McCain flip-flops on his opposition to the 27-year-old moratorium on drilling along the US Coast-line...Tonight the breaking news that Mr. Bush will demand tomorrow that Congress do that exact thing. So, in our fourth story on the Countdown, suddenly the juxtaposition is Senator Obama, standing with the man who won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work on climate change. And Senator McCain, standing with... President Bush and Big Oil.

ODDBALL: A camel rises from a crash and a robot girlfriend.

Crisis McManagement:  If it was not quite "Heckuva Job, Brownie" today, it was dangerously close. In our third story tonight, the Bush Administration faced once again with American cities underwater. Only this time, two potential presidents offer alternatives.

Worsties...see below.

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD:  David and Elizabeth Lawson of West Jordan, Utah, Gregg Jarrett and Darrel Issa vie for tonight's top honors.

It's Gotta Be the Shoes:   The basketball player who served as the warm-up act at the Gore-Obama event last night was Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons. I believe I identified him as playing for the Denver Jellymakers, who went out of business after the 1946 season. And the reason the next warm-up act, Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, pulled off her shoe will be explained shortly -- but when I said she was evoking memories of "Castro at the U-N" I should've said "Khruschev at the U-N." Even though there's no evidence Khruschev actually took off his shoe and banged it on the podium at the U-N. Maybe I should've said the Governor reminded me of the Denver Jellymakers, who went out of business after the 1946 season. Our number one story on the Countdown: and we haven't even gotten to the humor by politicians -- like Cindy McCain's latest recipe-scandal... Or, this video, a Democratic internet ad... in sheep's clothing.

Gore More Years:  Al Gore endorses Barack Obama. Really going out on a limb there. Why now, you ask? Check your calendar. Perhaps because, on June 16th, 1999 -- nine years ago today -- he began what remains the Red Badge of Courage for the Democratic Party -- he announced his candidacy for President. In our fifth story on the Countdown: just as likely, of course, the symmetry of getting to bring so much unity to the Democrats -- in Michigan -- we'll take you to Detroit presently. Just as news hits of disapproval of John McCain among rank-and-file Republicans... crossing 50 percent... And as the "Clinton Supporters For McCain" movement, is hit by scandal.

Remembering Tim Russert:  Whenever he was asked what his dream job was... Tim Russert inevitably said "the one I have now." But, if prodded, he would admit that if he could add something to his portfolio, it would be, to own the Buffalo Bills football team. "But," he said in one interview six years ago, "I still want to host "Meet the Press" -- and own the Buffalo Bills on the side." Our fourth story on the Countdown: something about that, today, which would have put a big smile on Tim's face.

ODDBALL: A Bush basketball clinic, a bamboo band, and a world record for movie watching.

The GOP Horserace: In our third story on the Countdown... the on-going riddle of Obama- Clinton... As Obama's campaign makes its first hire from the former Clinton campaign... but someone the Clinton camp had fired. And the presumptive Republican nominee, Senator John McCain, continues to repeat a falsehood... in pursuit of his own face-off with Senator Obama.

Worsties...see below.

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD: The National Press CLub, Monica Crowley and Fox News vie for tonight's top honors.

Disaster Response:   If it was not quite "Heckuva Job, Brownie" this weekend, it was dangerously close. In our number-one story tonight, the floods devastating cities and farms across the Mid-West... and how the men who would be president responded this weekend.

Finally tonight, as promised, a Special Comment on Senator John McCain's conclusion that it's "not too important" when American forces come home from Iraq.

Thoughts, offered more in sorrow, than in anger.

For two full days now, the Senator and his supporters have been outraged at what they see as the subtraction of context from this extraordinary remark.

This is, sadly, the excuse of our time, for everything.

Still. If the Senator claims truncation, we will correct that, first.

"A lot of people," Matt Lauer began, "now say the surge is working."

"Anybody who knows the facts on the ground say that," the Senator interjected.

"If it's now working, Senator," Matt continued, "do you now have a better estimate of when American forces can come home from Iraq?"

"No," answered McCain. "But that's not too important. What's important is the casualties in Iraq. Americans are in South Korea. Americans are in Japan. American troops are in Germany.

"That's all fine. American casualties and the ability to withdraw. We will be able to withdraw.

"General Petraeus is going to tell us in July when he thinks we are. But the key to it is we don't want any more Americans in harm's way. And that way they will be safe, and serve our country, and come home with honor and victory - not in defeat,  which is what Senator Obama's proposal would have done. And I'm proud of them, and they're doing a great job. And we are succeeding. And it's fascinating that Senator Obama still doesn't realize it."

And there is the context of what Senator McCain said.

Well... not quite, Senator.

The full context, is that the Iraq you see, is a figment of your imagination.

This is not a war about "honor and victory," Sir.

This is a war you, and the President you support and seek to succeed, conned this nation into.

Yes, sir.

You.

Of the prospect of war in Iraq, you said, quote, "I believe that success will be fairly easy."

John McCain... September 24th... 2002.

"I believe that we can win an overwhelming victory in a very short period of time."

John McCain... September 29th... 2002.

Of the ouster of Saddam and the Baathists:

"There's no doubt in my mind that once these people are gone, that we will be welcomed as liberators."

John McCain... March 24th... 2003.

Asked, about a long-term commitment in Iraq, quote, "are you talking about something in terms of South Korea, for instance, where you would expect U.S. troops to be in Iraq for decades?"

 "No," you answered. "I don't think decades, but I think years. A little straight talk, I think years. And I hope that we can gradually reduce that presence."

John McCain... March 18th... 2004.

You were asked about the troops, and the future.

"I would hope that we could bring them all home. I would hope that we would probably leave some military advisers, as we have in other countries, to help them with

their training and equipment and that kind of stuff."…I think one of our big problems has been the fact that many Iraqis resent American military presence.

And I don't pretend to know exactly Iraqi public opinion. But as soon as we can reduce our visibility as much as possible, the better I think it is going to be."

John McCain... January 31st... 2005

When a speaker at your town hall, five months ago, referenced the President's forecast that we might stay in Iraq for 50 years, you cut him off.

"Make it a hundred! We've been in Japan for 60 years. We've been in South Korea 50 years or so. That would be fine with me. As long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed. That's fine by me…"

John McCain... January 3rd... 2008.

And your forecast of your hypothetical first term.

"By January, 2013, America has welcomed home most of the servicemen and women who have sacrificed terribly so that America might be secure in her freedom. The Iraq war has been won."

John McCain... May 15th... 2008.

That, Senator McCain, is context.

You have attested to: a fairly easy success; an overwhelming victory in a very short period of time; in which we would be welcomed as liberators; which you assured us would not require our troops stay for decades but merely for years; from which we could bring them all home, since you noted many Iraqis resent American military presence; in which all those troops coming home will also stay there, not being injured, for a hundred years; but most will be back by 2013; and the timing of their return, is… not… that… important.

That, Senator McCain, is context.

And that, Senator McCain, is madness.

The Government Accountability Office just released a study Tuesday that concludes that one out of every ten soldiers sent to Iraq, takes with them medical problems "severe enough to significantly limit their ability to fight."

In five years, we have now sent 43-thousand of them to war even though… they were already wounded.

And when they come home, is… not… that… important.

---

Jalal al Din al Sagir, a member of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, and Ali al Adeeb, of the rival Dawa Political Party, gave a series of interviews last week about the particulars of this country's demand for a "Status of Forces" agreement with Iraq -- a treaty ...which Mr. Bush does not intend to show Congress before he signs it.

The Iraqi politicians say the treaty demands Iraq's consent to the establishment of nearly double the number of U-S military bases in Iraq -- from about 30, to 58, and from temporary, to permanent.

Those will be American men and women who must, of necessity, staff these bases - staff them, in Mr. McCain's M-C Escher dream world in which our people can all come home while they stay there for a hundred years but they'll be back by 2013.

And when they come home, is not… that… important.

---

Last year, a 20-year old soldier from the Bronx, on the day of his re-deployment to a second tour in Iraq, said he just couldn't face the smell of burning flesh again. So, Jonathan Aponte paid a hit man 500 dollars... to shoot him in the knee.

Mount Sinai Hospital in New York reported treating a patient identifying himself as another Iraq-bound soldier, who claimed he had accidentally swallowed a pen at the bus station. No one doubted his story until examinations proved there was a second pen in his stomach bearing the logo of Greyhound Bus Lines.

In 2006, says his sister, a 24-year old Army Specialist from Washington State, on the eve of his second deployment, strapped a pack full of tools to his back, and then jumped off the roof of his house, injuring his spine.

And when they come home -- or more correctly all those like them who did not risk death or disability to avoid going back -- when they come home, is not… that… important.

You've sold them all out, Senator.

You.

You, whose sacrifice for this country was as all-encompassing and as horrible as the rest of us can only imagine in our darkest moments.

You, who survived, so that you could make America a better place where young men did not have to go and die in pointless wars… or be maimed… or be held prisoner… or have to hire hit-men to shoot them in the knee because that couldn't be worse.

You… who should know better.

---

Where, Senator, is the man who once said "veterans hate war more than anyone else, because veterans know, because veterans know these brave Americans, and others, know, that there is nothing more painful than the loss of a comrade."

Where is he, Sir?

Where is the man who described that ineffable truth?

Oh, so long ago you touched the essence of the reality of Iraq. Your comments about your lost comrades -- yesterday.

The men and women in Iraq, today, Senator -- they are your comrades, too.

And you are condemning them to die.

To die, for your misdirection, for Mr. Bush's lies -- for whoever makes the money off building 58 permanent American bases and all the weapons and all the bullets and all the wiring so costly and so slip-shod that it electrocutes our comrades as they step, not to fight freedom's enemies, but into the shower at the base.

That, Senator, that is context.

It is an easy thing to dismiss Senator McCain as a sad and befuddled figure, already challenging for some kind of campaign record for malaprops.

Just yesterday in Philadelphia he answered Senator Obama, not by defending or explaining his own "not that important" remark, but by seizing upon Obama's "bitter" remark - or trying to.

Obama had foolishly said that some, in despair, in small towns, cling to their religion and their guns.

Senator McCain vowed he'd go to those towns and tell them, "I don't agree with Senator Obama that they cling to their religion and the Constitution because they're bitter."

It was hard not to dismiss with a laugh, Senator McCain, or any Republican, for even accidentally implying that he's clung to the Constitution -- not after the last seven years.

It was hard, the day before, not to become almost bemused when the Senator tried to say he would veto every single bill with ear-marks, but wound up, instead, vowing "I will veto every single beer."

It was hard, this week, not to laugh at how Senator McCain could offer any serious defense against the accusation that he is running for President Bush's third term, when a 2006 interview suddenly surfaced in which McCain said he would consider Dick Cheney for a position in a McCain administration.

"I don't know if I would want him as Vice President. He and I have the same strengths. But to serve in other capacities? Hell, yeah."

These are all very funny, in a macabre yet unthreatening way.

And then one remembers Senator McCain's inability to separate Sunni and Shia, or his insistence that Iran is training Al-Qaeda for service in Iraq, and then being corrected about it, and then saying the same thing again anyway.

And then one is, inevitably, drawn back again to the overlooked substance of yesterday's remark...

"If (the surge) is now working, Senator, do you now have a better estimate of when American forces can come home from Iraq?"

"No."

No?

The surge is working and even that still tells Senator McCain nothing about when we can ransom our soldiers?

Wasn't that the ultimate purpose of the surge? To get them out?

If we cannot tell -- if McCain cannot even guess -- doesn't that, by definition, mean... the surge isn't working?

---

And ultimately we are drawn back to the "not... too... important" remark, in its full context:

The context of the kaleidoscope of confused rhetoric, and endless non sequitur, and mutually exclusive conclusions -- and what they add up to: a veritable tragedy, a microcosm of the American tragedy that is Iraq, a tragedy of a man who himself will never understand… "the context."

Your tragedy, Senator McCain?

No. I'm sorry.

This tragedy... is of Justin Mixon of Bogalusa, Louisiana.

And it's of Christopher McCarthy of Virginia Beach.

It's of Quincy Green of El Paso, and Joshua Waltenbaugh of Ford City, P.A.

The tragedy is of Shane Duffy of Taunton Mass, and Jonathan Emard of Mesquite, Texas.

It's of Cody Legg of Escondido in California, and David Hurst of Fort Sill in Oklahoma.

The tragedy is of Thomas Duncan the 3rd of Rowlett, Texas, and Tyler Pickett of Saratoga, Wyoming.

And who are they, Senator?

They are ten Americans.... who have died in Iraq... since the first of this month. There are four more. The Defense Department has not yet identified the others.

And while you, Senator, may ask for all the context you can get, those ten men... will never know any of it.

Because the true context here, is that if you could ask those American war heroes, or the family and the friends that loved them, if they have a better estimate of when American forces can come home from Iraq…

They could rightly say, "No. But that's… not… too… important."

Good night, and good luck.

War More Years:  In the slums of Baghdad...In Basra, in the South... In the Sunni-dominated city of Mosul, in the North... American troops have made recent gains, which American commanders will not call victories. Reporters in those cities conclude that the areas have been secured, not by American will, but because the various insurgent groups seem to prefer, currently, not to fight, but to talk -- and move their fighters out of town. Our fifth story on the Countdown: Senator John McCain has looked at Baghdad, at Basra, and Mosul... and he has declared triumph, where the Generals in the field, would not.

Constitutional Correction: The Supreme Court has twice before ruled against the Bush administration on this seminal issue... But never as panoramically... as in its decision today. Our fourth story on the Countdown: detainees at Guantanamo Bay -- non-U-S citizens -- do have the right, under the U-S Constitution... to challenge their detention in civilian U-S courts... according to this nation's highest court. In a moment, Jonathan Turley assesses just how critical this ruling, really is.

ODDBALL: A pig that doesn't like dirt and a real live unicorn.

Fox Bites: It was vintage Fox... a microcosmic preview of the Republican low-road strategy for going after Barrock Obama... pretending to take the high road, while raising questions about his American-ness... defining him as "the other"-- different, you know, from real Americans (sshh... white Americans)-- like you and me. In our third story tonight, Fox tries to have it both ways on one of those arguably petty things, which collectively reinforce the big things... and Obama strikes back... on all of the crap getting thrown at him. Before the dust had even settled on E.D. Hill's career following her reference last week...

Worsties...see below.

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD: Lou Dobbs, Antonin Scalia and Sean Hannity vie for tonight's top honors.

Special Comment...see post. 

To dispel the reflexive claim by the McCain campaign that his remarks about bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq is "not too important" here's the Today show clip with Matt Lauer in which he says exactly what he's being accused of saying in exactly the context in which he's being accused of saying it. (The Iraq questions begin at 5:40.)

Barack Obama's "Dr. Rice, foreign policy expert" is Dr. Susan Rice.

A sample of the results of the most recent NBC/WSJ poll mentioned on last night's show can be found in this pdf.

The Department of Labor report on "the Employment Situation" in the U.S. can be accessed as a 28 page pdf.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee's draft report on Abramoff is a collection of documents linked on the committee's official site. The report pertaining specifically to Abramoff's White House access and the repeatedly wrong answers given by the White House with regard to contact between Abramoff and President Bush is this pdf.

Babble on Babylon:   If Senator John McCain loses that election handily... He may look back to this day as the moment the remaining chance slipped from his grasp. Before the sun had risen in his home state... Senator McCain had spoken as if he simply did not care what how long our American heroes serving in Iraq have to stay there. Our fifth story on the Countdown: Senator McCain, suggesting this morning that bringing American troops home from Iraq is, quote: "Not too important. What's important is the casualties in Iraq."  As if Iraq were the Korean De-militarized Zone. And not a place where 12 Americans have died in just the first 11 days of this month.

"Supporting" the Troops:  4,095 American troops are dead. Nearly 30,000 more wounded. 40,000 diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. All since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Our fourth story on the Countdown -- and John McCain says it's not too important when the others finally come home?

ODDBALL: A runaway bear, a guy with a nail in his head and the world's most expensive watermelon.

Obamomentum:  As Barack Obama staggered over the finish line last week...  Battered and bruised...  His party in tatters...  The universal question was, how could he possibly come back, possibly keep disaffected Democrats from flocking to John McCain? As tonight's new NBC News, Wall Street Journal poll shows in our third story... Mission Accomplished. Not only does Obama have a lead outside the margin of error... he already leads McCain among some of the key groups the media have said he is struggling with.

Worsties...see below.

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD: Steve Doocy, Bill-O and Katie Couric vie for tonight's top honors.

President Ronald Reagan had been one of them, in a prior career. President Bill Clinton occasionally basked in their glory. And in our number one story on the Countdown, presidential hopeful Barock Obama appears to be amassing his young-Hollywood buddies list. With names that can be annoyingly contracted... Like J-Lo... Even, Scar-Jo.

Slate has a nice write up of the "fist pound" or "dap." A popular photo in the rampant online mocking of the suggestion by Fox News and others that bumping fists is somehow a terrorist gesture is this one of Former President Bush with tennis star Anna Kournikova.

(FYI, the popular Bush/Pope fist pound photo is an illusion. Bush is putting his glasses in his pocket and the Pope is just gesturing.)

In his second appearance on Countdown, former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan explained that he received a letter from Congressman John Conyers to testify before the House Judiciary Committee. If you're curious what it looks like to be invited to testify before a Congressional committee, you can read the letter yourself in pdf form here.

Following up on the Rupert Murdoch quote that Bill Moyers threw in the face of Bill-O's ambush producer, it's interesting to see the context that followed the quote in the coverage by the UK's The Guardian newspaper dated February 11, 2003:

Mr Murdoch said the price of oil would be the war's main benefit on the world economy.

"The greatest thing to come out of this for the world economy, if you could put it that way, would be $20 a barrel for oil. That's bigger than any tax cut in the any country."

Today a barrel of Brent crude costs $31.68 while US light crude costs $34.53. During the last war on Iraq in 1991, the price of oil doubled to $40 a barrel. A $10 increase in the cost of oil is seen as the equivalent of a 0.2% cut in economic growth in America and Europe.

The articles of impeachment of President Bush, introduced to Congress by Representative Dennis Kucinich, can be read on his official site.

You can find his articles of impeachment for Vice President Cheney there as well.

In case you missed tonight's no.1 re: Bill Moyers and the thwarted O'Reilly producer ambush, you can see the actual incident here, here and the longest best quality version here.

It's the General, Stupid:  It has been argued that every Barack Obama Presidential campaign ad could consist of the following message: "The Day President Bush took office, the price of a gallon of gas was a dollar-47, and now it's four bucks. "And you're thinking of voting for another Republican?" Our fifth story on the Countdown: the first official weekday of the one-on-one Presidential campaign.  And even with the visceral and human imperative that is Iraq...  Right now: it's the Economy, Stupid.

The Truthiness Hurts:  There exists the distinct possibility that John McCain has three greater challengers to face in the general election than the presumptive Democratic nominee. -- McCain versus Himself...-- McCain versus videotape of himself...-- And McCain versus the truth. Our fourth story on the Countdown: Senator McCain caught lying to the media... about having criticized the media.

ODDBALL: Shin kickers andhouse movers.

McClellan Returns:  Plame-Gate, Round Two... Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan today agreeing to testify, voluntarily, to the House Judiciary Committee about the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame in the wake of her husband's criticism of the White House rationale for the war in Iraq. Our third story on the Countdown: Scott McClellan's first interview since he accepted Chairman John Conyers' invitation. That invitation may impact the White House's continuing stance on the Plame case... To say nothing of its unswerving insistence that everyone thought Saddam Hussein had WMD... that it was just as mis-led by the intelligence as we were... Scott McClellan will join us again in a moment. First, the corroboration for his book -- as reported by the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Worsties...see below.

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD: A restaurant owner from Ontario, Brad Blakeman and Neil Cavuto

Ambush Whacked:   We have previously tried to help you prepare for the inevitable attack of a Bill O'Reilly stalker-producer. Clearly we should just defer to the expertise of the one and only Bill Moyers, who, in our Number One story tonight, cleaned the frickin' clock of Billo's toady at the National Conference for Media Reform in Minneapolis. Kid named Porta Potty, I believe. No. Porter Berry. The Murdochian devils are in high dudgeon and full attack -- I had to stave off one, staking out, outside my home ten days ago, and another, day before yesterday, at the office. But Moyers? As L-L Cool J put it, "Listen to the way, I slay, your crew." The carnage in a moment, first a brief reminder of the gentler methods we offered... in these **practice** interactions.