As Big Tent Democrat and many other bloggers noted yesterday, Rudy Giuliani continues to support Bernie Kerik.

It's one thing to stick up for your friends, it's another to reinvent their record.

Rudy Giuliani said Monday that if his achievements as president are as good as the crime-reduction results of his New York police commissioner, a man now under criminal investigation himself, "this country will be in great shape."

...."Bernie Kerik worked for me while I was mayor of New York City. There were mistakes made with Bernie Kerik. But what's the ultimate result for the people of New York City? The ultimate result for the people of New York City was a 74 percent reduction in shootings, a 60 percent reduction in crime, a correction program that went from being one of the worst in the country to one that was on '60 Minutes' as the best in the country, 90 percent reduction of violence in the jails."

It wasn't Bernie Kerik who brought the crime down in New York, it was Giuliani's prior police commissioner, Bill Bratton, who is now LA's police commissioner. While the reduction may have continued under Kerik, he just benefited from policies implemented years earlier by Bratton.

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No surprise here, but the Senate Judiciary Committee today voted to send Michael Mukasey on to a full Senate vote for confirmation as Attorney General.

The vote was 11 to 8, with two Democrats, Senators Charles E. Schumer of New York and Dianne Feinstein of California, joining all nine Republicans on the panel in backing the nominee. Eight Democrats voted against Mr. Mukasey.

Feinstein's vote is predictable. She hasn't been a Democrat or a progressive for years, in my opinion, with her constant joining with Senators like Orrin Hatch to promote more tough on crime bills.

Schumer is more of a disappointment. Not because he is a progressive on criminal justice issues and this is a change of hat for him -- he isn't -- but because it seems like he voted for Mukasey just to avoid looking like a jerk for suggesting his name in the first place. In other words, he cares more about his reputation than what's good for the Justice Department.

Of course, Schumer says otherwise.

Update: Here are Sen. Patrick Leahy and Dick Durbin's statements.

The BlogWorld Expo runs Thursday and Friday in Las Vegas. When I first heard about the event, I wasn't inclined to participate, but not because of the organizers or participants or because I didn't think it would be a success. It was because it seemed like the principal purpose would be for companies to sell products to bloggers and I wasn't (and am not) interested in going somewhere to go shopping.

But, it turns out there's lots of good seminars and panels and they've added a political blogging program.

So, I'll be there Thursday - Friday and participating in two panels. If you're going to be there, I hope you'll drop in on them.

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Reuters reports:

Six U.S. soldiers were killed in Iraq on Monday, the U.S. military said, making 2007 the deadliest year for U.S. forces in the country.

The deaths took the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq this year to 852. The worst previous year was 2004, when 849 deaths were recorded.

In total, 3,855 U.S. soldiers have been killed since the U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein in 2003.

As for those who do make it home, so many are going to need mental health help. The Joshua Omvig suicide prevention bill was signed into law today:

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Writing in The Hill, Kos brings a welcome antidote to the Netroots Identity Crisis:

D.C. is a funny place. No one seems to have gotten that resounding message, certainly not Bush and the new Republican minority. More surprisingly, Democrats also failed to get the message. On issue after issue, the Democratic norm has been to capitulate to the slightest pressure from the GOP. And while the public has meted record-low approval ratings for this Congress in response, the lesson apparently remains unlearned. Whether it’s Iraq funding or the Michael Mukasey confirmation, Democrats continue to give away the store without receiving any concessions in return. It’s a one-way street in a town that has ceded Article I of the Constitution for a unitary, non-compromising executive. The public is sick of this administration’s betrayals. Why aren’t Democrats?

Hear! Hear!

At Daily Kos, Welshman provides strong evidence that he misunderstands the only effective role the Netroots can play to promote progressivism. He bemoans the mean attacks on Speaker Nancy Pelosi, arguing, more or less, that she is doing the best she can.

MORE on why Welshman is wrong on the other side.

Jeffrey Toobin reviews Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' autobiography , My Grandfather's Son, in the New Yorker this week.

Like most judicial conservatives, Thomas criticizes liberal Justices for using the Constitution to promote their “policy preferences.” But, as Thomas’s book clearly demonstrates, he has sought to enshrine in the Constitution his own policy preferences—the ones he learned from his grandfather.

This is especially true on the question of race.

It's a long review and Toobin has put a great deal of thought into it making it a good read.

Jay Leno, Julia Dreyfuss, Ellen DeGeneres, Tina Fey and other big stars are supporting the striking Hollywood writers.

I like the chant the strikers are using:

"Hey, hey, pencils down.
Hollywood's a union town."

Hillary and Barack Obama, who have received $2 million in contributions from those in the entertainment industry, also offered support:

Barack Obama said he stands with the writers and urged producers to work with them to end the strike.

Hillary Rodham Clinton called for a contract that recognizes the contributions writers make to the entertainment industry.

Has John Edwards weighed in yet?

Day One strike news here and here.

The New York Times reports that MSNBC is so happy with Keith Olbermann, it is thinking of adding liberal shows to its nighttime lineup. The article devotes a lot of space to anonymous network execs who say Rosie O'Donnell is under serious consideration as a prime-time show host.

Two NBC executives acknowledged yesterday that they were talking to Rosie O’Donnell about a prime-time show on MSNBC.

I hope NBC is just floating her name just to gauge the reaction. It would be a huge mistake in my opinion.

MSNBC needs to stop playing catch-up and start being innovative. Surely there's someone with a modicum of journalistic credentials and a less antagonizing personality than Rosie. If they are committed to going the comedienne-day time talk route, I'd rather see them move Ellen DeGeneres into prime time. At least she's funny.

Seriously, though, who would you tell MSNBC to hire?

A federal jury in San Diego today found contractor Brent Wilkes guilty on all 13 counts.

The Judge told Wilkes to bring his toothbrush when he comes back for sentencing:

Burns set a Jan. 28 sentencing date for Wilkes, warning the defendant that he usually remands convicts directly to prison custody.

Looks like the jury believed the prostitutes over Wilkes, who testified in his own defense. And once again, a laughing jury doesn't bode well for the defense.

Wilkes also faces a second, 30 count federal bribery trial with his childhood friend, former CIA Executive Director Kyle Foggo.

Incredible:

Rudy Giuliani said Monday that if his achievements as president are as good as the crime-reduction results of his New York police commissioner, a man now under criminal investigation himself, "this country will be in great shape." . . . Kerik, whom Giuliani pushed to head the federal Department of Homeland Security, is under investigation on what could be multiple felony charges. . . .

Too funny.

Senator Barack Obama has run a campaign criticizing what he calls the Politics of the Moment all the while campaigning for his moments. Well, if this is true, an Obama Moment can emerge:

Despite their rhetoric about not wanting to hand President Bush another "blank check" for the Iraq War, Democrats appear poised to give him exactly that -- enough cash to keep the war going full steam for as long as six months, no strings attached. . . .Democrats are quietly preparing to give the president enough spending flexibility to keep the war going anyway. . . . Democrats began approving billions in extra funding, starting with the first stopgap spending resolution [I have no idea what Roll Call is talking about here. I kow of no additional funding measrues that have been passed since the Iraq Supplelemental that was passed prior to Petraeus's testimony. Frankly, I think Roll Call is wrong.] Next up will be the regular Defense spending bill, expected to go to conference committee Tuesday. Although the bill is not expected to include funding specifically targeted to Iraq, Democrats plan to allow much of the funding to be diverted from regular Defense accounts to the war. . . .

(Emphasis supplied.) The House can not pass such funding without the Senate. Senator Obama, just say no. Put a hold on such a bill. Lead a filibuster against it. This is your moment. Prove you are more than just pretty words.