LIGHTNING ROUND: A PARTY OF GROWN-UPS NO MORE.

• One of the most interesting questions to come out of the Jane Harman/AIPAC/wiretapping story is whether the California representative persuaded The New York Times to hold back on its devastating warrantless wiretapping story until after the 2004 elections (the story ultimately ran at the end of the following year). But Times Executive Editor Bill Keller has denied that such a quid pro quo took place.
• Remember Rudy Giuliani? Well, now he wants to run for governor of New York where he would have an excellent chance against the plummeting David Paterson. But in a New York Post interview the former Big Apple mayor seems to think the key to his own victory -- and for the GOP -- lies with whipping up cultural resentment over Paterson's intention to pursue gay marriage rights in New York state. Only thing is, a majority in New York state supports legalizing gay marriage and Giuliani himself has already downplayed the ability of the issue to draw voters to the GOP. It's almost comforting to know Giuliani is still as narcissistic and out of step with the contemporary political environment as he was two years ago.
• I'm glad that President Obama is openly mocking the insecure man-children of the American right wing who think that shaking the hand of a local elected demagogue constitutes some sort of showing of weakness -- they should be mocked, and if they didn't possess so many megaphones, we could advance to completely ignoring them, too. Also, the book Chavez gave Obama has shot up to number 2 on the Amazon best seller's list.
• The Thomas More Law Center, last seen funding efforts to keep Dover, Pennsylvania, children steeped in scientific ignorance, has filed suit against Janet Napolitano and the Department of Homeland Security for their report on right-wing extremism. Best line: "Plaintiff [Kevin] Murray believes that the Obama administration’s policies are leading to the creation of a world government that would usurp the sovereignty of the United States and the authority of its Constitution, thereby infringing upon his liberty."
• A federal district court has ruled against the Obama administration's continuing bizarre defense of the Bush-era warrantless wiretapping program, once again putting the ball back in the DOJ's court.
• Remainders: Al Franken begins staffing up for the inevitable; relevant technology geeks love Obama's new CTO, Aneesh Chopra; John Boehner is apparently a very stupid man; the DSCC outraises the NRSC for the quarter but is more deeply in debt; and George W. Bush goes to court.

--Mori Dinauer