On NPR’s On Point today, a caller asked Brookings analyst Michael O’Hanlon to respond to Glenn Greenwald’s recent article which revealed O’Hanlon’s trip to Iraq had been choreographed by the Defense Department. “Well, I don’t have high regard for the kind of journalism that Mr. Greenwald has carried out here,” O’Hanlon said. “I’m not going to spend a whole lot of time rebutting Mr. Greenwald because he’s had frankly more time and more readership than he deserves.” Crooks and Liars has the audio.

Following President Bush and Karl Rove’s joint appearance yesterday on the White House lawn announcing Rove’s upcoming departure, CBS correspondent Bill Plante shouted, “If he’s so smart, how come you lost Congress?” For having the temerity to disrupt the White House’s scripted performance, Plante said he has been subjected to right-wing abuse:

As the President and Karl Rove walked away from the lectern after their emotional announcement of Rove’s resignation, I yelled a question: “If he’s so smart, why did you lose Congress?”

The President, as usual, didn’t answer. That’s OK — he doesn’t have to if he doesn’t want to. But judging by some of the reaction, you’d think I had been shouting obscenities in church!

“Unprofessional;” “Inappropriate;” “Unbecoming;” “Doesn’t show much class;” “you are a total idiot;” “Shill for the liberal Democrats.”

Christopher Hitchens on Rove:

I know something which is known to few but is not a secret. Karl Rove is not a believer, and he doesn’t shout it from the rooftops, but when asked, he answers quite honestly. I think the way he puts it is, “I’m not fortunate enough to be a person of faith.”

Rove, addressing President Bush:

At month’s end, I will join those whom you meet in your travels, the ordinary Americans who tell you they are praying for you. Like them, I will ask for God’s continued gifts of strength and wisdom for you and your work, your vital work for our country and the world, and for the Almighty’s continued blessing of our great country.

Last week, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani angered 9/11 rescue workers when he claimed he “was at ground zero as often, if not more, than most of the workers.” Though the insensitive and revealing comments garnered traditional news coverage, political pundits overwhelmingly ignored Rudy’s gaffe, according to a media analysis by Greg Sargent and Benjy Sarlin at The Horse’s Mouth.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) delivered a letter today addressed to Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and John Rockefeller (D-WV), urging them to fix the FISA law that was passed before Congress recessed:

I know both of you share my disappointment at the process that led to passage of the recent law, and at the flawed outcome itself, which you and I and many others strongly opposed. [...]

When the Senate reconvenes in September, I fully support your committees working expeditiously together and in a bipartisan manner to develop a longer-term statutory change that better serves American national security interests and comports with the Constitution and proper judicial and congressional oversight.

Karl Rove will grant his first post-resignation exclusive to right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh. A press release from Premiere Radio Networks states:

Live on the radio airwaves tomorrow, August 15, at 1:06 p.m. ET, Karl Rove will be a guest on The Rush Limbaugh Show. This is the former Deputy Chief of Staff’s first exclusive interview since his resignation from the Bush Administration.

On his radio show yesterday, Rush lavished Rove with praise, calling him “one of the smartest people you would ever run into” and a “fine, upstanding, cheerful, optimistic person just like the president is.”

With his softball questions and divisive partisan rhetorical attacks on progressives, Rush Limbaugh has made his radio show a friendly forum for the Bush White House. And he has been rewarded for it. While the White House hosted a group of ten top conservative radio hosts earlier this month, Limbaugh was treated to his own private confab with Bush. He described it recently on his radio show in the following way:

The president and I, Ed Gillespie in the room who took over for Dan Bartlett. We had cigars and beverages for a couple hours in the Treaty Room up in the residence. It was so much fun.

Just prior to the November 2006 midterm elections, Bush appeared on Rush’s show to emphasize his call for staying the course in Iraq. Limbaugh has also coddled numerous other administration officials on his show, including Dick Cheney, Tony Snow, Condoleezza Rice, and Donald Rumsfeld. Expect tomorrow’s appearance by Rove to be similarly treated as love fest.

“In one of the worst single incidents” in four years of war in Iraq, “three suicide bombers driving fuel tankers attacked a town, home to an ancient minority sect, in northern Iraq” today, killing at least 175 people while injuring hundreds more.