ThinkFast: May 1, 2008

Today marks the fifth anniversary of President Bush’s infamous “Mission Accomplished” moment aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln. Editor and Publisher takes a look at the back at the media coverage on May 1, 2003, when reporters rushed to report that the Bush administration was “planning to withdraw most United States combat forces from Iraq over the next several months.”

The Justice Department agreed yesterday “to show the Senate and House Intelligence Committees secret…legal opinions justifying harsh interrogation techniques that critics call torture.” In a Senate hearing, a department spokesman said “that the administration believed that the president could ignore or modify existing executive orders” on interrogation techniques “without disclosing the new interpretation.”

Though he’s promised to not raise taxes, Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) campaign acknowledged yesterday “that the health plan he outlined this week would” effectively increase tax payments for some workers, primarily those with high incomes and expensive health plans.” The campaign will not yet say “how many taxpayers might see their taxes go up.”

The Justice Department said yesterday that the “Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court approved 2,370 warrants last year targeting people in the United States believed to be linked to international terror organizations” which amounted to “a record number of requests.” “The number of warrants has more than doubled since the terrorist attacks of 2001.”

Blackwater Worldwide “is seeking outside investors to increase its financial position, a move that comes even as it fends off criticism over its tactics in protecting diplomats in Iraq and elsewhere.” In April, “the State Department said it was going ahead with another one-year contract that continues Blackwater’s work into 2009.”

“The Senate unanimously approved legislation yesterday to ensure that tight credit markets don’t impede students’ ability to obtain college loans.” The bill would “increase limits on the amount borrowers can receive in federally subsidized student loans.”

Interior Secretary Dick Kempthorne proposed yesterday to allow people to carry concealed weapons in some national parks and wildlife refuges, a rule that would “overturn a 25-year-old regulation that has restricted loaded guns” in these areas.

Auto loan delinquency in the United States “hit a 17-year high in the fourth quarter of 2007, according to the American Bankers Association. Some 3.13 percent of car loans were overdue 30 days or more.” Edmunds.com, which provides automotive information, estimates that “nearly a fourth of borrowers are ‘upside down‘ in their car loans, meaning the car is worth less than the loan balance.”

Speaking after touring Fort Bragg’s 82nd Airborne Division barracks yesterday, Army Secretary Pete Geren called the poor condition of the barracks “unacceptable.” Geren added that “improvements are coming, but some of the problems can’t be fixed quickly.”

A lawyer representing veterans’ groups asked a federal judge yesterday “to order the government to provide better mental health care” for veterans. Noting that “18 U.S. veterans commit suicide every day,” Arturo Gonzalez told the judge, “The system, your honor, has crashed, it has been overwhelmed,” adding, “more of these veterans are dying in the United States than out in combat. That is wrong.”

And finally: For the 19th time, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN) has nabbed the title of “fastest man in Congress,” in the annual ACLI Capital Challenge three-mile race. “Nineteen wins in 19 tries seems pretty good for an old guy,” said Gordon’s spokeswoman. Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) also once again won “fastest woman in Congress.” Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) won the prize for being “dead last,” coming in behind 76-year old Sen. Dick Lugar (R-IN). But Sessions, an “accomplished long-distance runner,” had to walk instead of run the race, on doctor’s orders.

What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.