“Coulter’s latest book, Guilty: Liberal “Victims” and Their Assault on America, is something of a misfire by Coulterian standards.”

New York’s next senator
The Senate’s gain might be the House’s loss. By selecting Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) to replace Hillary Clinton, New York Gov. David Paterson might have given Republicans a new House seat.
Gillibrand — an odd mix of gun control foe and gay rights advocate, anti amnesty for immigrants and pro alternative energy [...]

This video of Brian Williams addressing the Ad Council needed no introduction but this is the only version readily available. Turn the sound down during the short intro, which misses the point Williams is making, and watch his speech. It’s good.

A new book chronicles the early days after the 9/11 attacks, when Dick Cheney was always reported to be hiding in an underground bunker or a bomb shelter or an orbiting space capsule. Turns out extreme paranoia really did take hold of the vice president.
On Oct. 18, 2001, a White House alarm went off indicating [...]

Former Sen. Jesse Helms, the North Carolina Republican, has died on the Fourth of July — just like Jefferson and Adams, although the similarities end there:
Former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, a North Carolina Republican who became an icon to conservatives, died Friday at the age of 86, a senior congressional source said.
The Heritage Foundation, [...]

First on the New York Post and confirmed by CNN and NBC.
Updated at 3:36 p.m.
Tim Russert, NBC journalist and political heavyweight host of “Meet the Press,” has died after collapsing at NBC’s Washington news bureau, a source said. He was 58 years old.
Russert, who rose from the inside world of politics where he was [...]

It’s going to be a long, hot summer, especially if you’re Barack or Michelle Obama. It seems like somebody gave the signal that attacking Mrs. Obama could be the best way to take down her husband. A string of attempts to catch the possibly future first lady saying or implying things outside the so-called mainstream [...]

Steven Reynolds at All Spin Zone has a bit of Friday fun going:
Larry Craig is writing a book about energy, but he’s going to discuss those little adventures in airport restrooms as well. I’m thinking this guy needs a catchy title for his book. Maybe our readers can come up with good ones.
My suggestion [...]

As has been widely noted, critics of Scott McClellan’s new memoir, “What Happened,” are trashing the book’s author, not his writing, because they can’t dispute his accuracy. Karl Rove hurled a particularly nasty epithet at Scott. He compared him to a “liberal blogger.” Harsh.
After his book was released, Stephanopoulos was called “turncoat,” “backstabber,” “ingrate,” [...]

A portent of things to come for Scott McLellan, via the Fox News website:
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Wednesday that it’s clear former Press Secretary Scott McClellan is “disgruntled” about his time working in the Bush administration.
Perino was responding to McClellan’s new book, which slams President Bush on domestic and foreign issues, such [...]