The military commissions trial of Salim Hamdan, driver for Osama bin Laden, went to the jury today.

Hamdan never testified in his defense across two weeks of trial testimony. But unlike suspects on U.S. soil... Hamdan had no right to an attorney or right against self-incrimination during 18 months of military and civilian interrogations from Afghanistan to Guantánamo.

In closing arguments:

[T]he Pentagon cast bin Laden's driver as an al Qaeda insider and the defense called him a Sept. 11 scapegoat. "He's an al Qaeda warrior. He has wounded, and the people he has worked with have wounded the world," prosecutor John Murphy told the jury. "You are the conscience of the community."

Countered Navy Lt. Cmdr. Brian Mizer, on behalf of the $200-a-month driver: "We will capture or kill Osama bin Laden some day. You should not punish the general's driver today with the crimes of the general."

By the numbers: There were only 10 media members in attendance on the last day of testimony. It took a Pentagon airlift to get most of them there at all.

The Green Bay Packers' management team has not been particularly adept in its handling of Brett Favre, who wants to return to his starting quarterback job, be released, or be traded (presumably to a team that has a decent receiver or two). It's likely that Packers management will compound that problem by hiring former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer "for one month to help them handle the public relations nightmare the situation has created."

When he wasn't helping Dick Cheney out CIA agents, Comical Ari's specialty was spinning lies to the media. The Packers really think he's equipped to help them clean up the mess they've made? Does Fleischer plan to accuse Favre of hiding WMD's in his locker? Unlike White House reporters, local sports reporters tend to know the difference between truth and lies. For the Packers, the nightmare has only begun.

In the wake of recent videos showing New York City police using unnecessary or excessive force against the people they're supposed to be protecting and serving, the advocacy group One Hundred Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care is calling for federal intervention.

"These cases have run unstopped since Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly has been the police commissioner," said Noel Leader of 100 Blacks. "There has never been a lull in these outrageous examples of police abuse and misconduct."

Other complaints include "too many incidents of officers performing illegal stops and arrests."

Actor Morgan Freeman, 71, is in serious condition following a car accident in Mississippi last night. He was extracted from the vehicle with "the jaws of life" and airlifted to a hospital in Memphis.

Send good thoughts his way. Here's a famous clip from Shawshank Redemption where he meets the parole board and is asked if he's been rehabilitated:

My personal feelings on the disgraceful behavior of Rep. Jim Clyburn are no secret. In the GMA interview aired this morning, it turns out President Clinton made his feelings about Jim Clyburn quite clear as well:

Senator Edward Kennedy won't be in Denver for the Democratic Convention, but he taped a five minute video that will be shown.

He'll be missed by all and our best wishes go out to him for successful treatment so that he can attend the inauguration in person in January.

Denver's 9 News ran a story last night on the 120 credentialed bloggers at the DNC. I'm in it for a few seconds. During the taping I told them about the Big Tent which will offer space and a home base to hundreds of other bloggers without media credentials and gave them the address. It was 101 degrees out but the reporter, Adam Chodak, took his crew there and included it in the story. [More...]

I want to see the video, but, and I know Obama supporters do not like to hear this, when Bill Clinton has to assert on Good Morning America that he is "not a racist," that is NOT good for Obama. But that is where we are:

[ABC's Kate]Snow asked Clinton, "Do you personally have any regrets about what you did campaigning for your wife?" With his arms folded and looking a bit tense, Clinton replied, "Yes, but not the ones you think. And it would be counterproductive for me to talk about it."

Barely pausing for a breath, he added, "There are things I wish I'd urged her to do, things I wish I had said, things I wish I hadn't said. But I am not a racist, I never made a racist comment, and I didn't attack him personally," a clear allusion to Sen. Barack Obama.

President Clinton is a big boy, and can take care of himself, but that he has to say that is simply disgraceful.

By Big Tent Democrat

A new July 10-13 WaPo/Harvard poll shows Barack Obama with a wide lead among voters earning less than $30,000/yr, 58-28 (the 24% undecided is hard to explain). This is not unusual for the Democratic candidate for President - John Kerry won voters earning less than 15k/yr by 63-37 and those earning between 15 and 30k/yr 57-42. Jointly, these two income groups were 23% of the electorate in 2004. Obama's lead, according to WaPo, stems from "overwhelming support from two traditional Democratic constituencies: African Americans and Hispanics."

The finding that is attracting attention is Obama winning whites who earn less than 30k/year by 47-37. Some say this "knock[s] down the idea that Obama can't win the vote of White low-income workers." But that has never been the question. The question is can he win enough white working class voters (50k/year or less income being the traditional definition) to win the election. In case you missed it, John Kerry lost the election in 2004. I think Obama can and will win the election. Heck, I say he is a shoo-in. The question is this - is winning 47-37 now, with 16% undecided a good result? I do not know, but I think it is nothing to crow about.

More . . .

Nancy Pelosi is an awful Speaker of the House, imo. You may disagree, but you can not disagree with the fact that she plays fast and loose with the idea that she can block House votes when she wants. To explain away the FISA Capitulation vote and why she let it pass in the House, Pelosi bizarrely blamed the Senate, as if the Senate controlled the House calendar.

But when it comes to offshore oil drilling, Pelosi DOES control the calendar:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday ruled out a vote on new offshore oil drilling even as Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said he might be open to a compromise that included it.

Somehow she could not rule out a vote on FISA Capitulation. I mean that only involved the Constitution after all. No big deal.

Speaking for me only

One of the most clever aspects of the McCain race card play last week was the defense of the Clintons against the disgraceful smears that came from many quarters, including many Obama supporters. Of course the defense was cynical - politics is politics. But consider what will be said about Hillary and Bill Clinton when these same people start justifying why Obama did not choose Hillary as his VP. The Politico asks the obvious question - what happens when Hillary is not chosen by Obama? Mario Cuomo says:

No matter who he picks, the question is going to be raised: Are you telling me that this person would be a better qualified vice president than Hillary Clinton?

Indeed. And the response to that query from some Obama supporters will denigrate Hillary Clinton. That will hurt Obama.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

If you had to guess which presidential candidate would be attending the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota, would you pick the 47 year old or the 72 year old? If you picked Sen. Obama, you'd be wrong. McCain is making an appearance at Sturgis tomorrow night.

Sen. Obama will be celebrating his birthday in Michigan where he is set to unveil a new energy plan. Tomorrow night he'll be at a fundraiser in Boston.

If you had to guess which presidential candidate was consulting Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice on foreign affairs would you pick the one from her party -- a party which has frequently suggested she be added to the ticket as the VP candidate -- or the candidate from the other party? The Aspen Daily News, citing a new Time Magazine article, says it's Obama who has been consulting Condi Rice on foreign affairs.