To impeach or not to impeach? The question may soon be academic.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., predicted Wednesday that Gonzales would soon be out.

"I think he is gone. I don't think he'll last long," Reid said in an interview with Nevada reporters. Asked how long, Reid responded: "Days."

The first Republican in Congress to make a public demand for Alberto Gonzales' dismissal: Sen. John Sununu.

So much for those who hoped Patrick Fitzgerald would talk to a Congressional Committee about the Valerie Plame leak investigation. He says he'd rather not. Grand jury secrecy still protects those who weren't indicted and evidence beyond what came out at the Scooter Libby trial.

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., asked Fitzgerald last week to meet with members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which will hold hearings on the Bush administration's handling of CIA operative Valerie Plame's classified employment status.

In a letter to Waxman, Fitzgerald did not refuse to cooperate with the congressional probe but made it clear he had little to say. "I do not believe it would be appropriate for me to offer opinions, as your letter suggests the committee may seek, about the ultimate responsibility of senior White House officials for the disclosure of Ms. Wilson's identity," Fitzgerald wrote.

Martin Anderson's life ended in his 14th year, when he was beaten to death in a Florida boot camp (more here and here). Gov. Crist announced today that Florida will pay $5 million to settle the claims of Martin's family.

Seven guards and a nurse were charged with manslaughter in November over the death of Anderson, whose beating by guards was caught on videotape.

Chiquita Banana has agreed to pay $25 million for paying Colombian terrorists to protect its workers in the field. It will also plead guilty to a criminal Information.

The settlement resolves a lengthy Justice Department investigation into the company's financial dealings with terrorist organizations in Colombia.

In court documents filed Wednesday, federal prosecutors said the Cincinnati-based company and several unnamed high-ranking corporate officers paid about $1.7 million between 1997 and 2004 to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, known as AUC for its Spanish initials. The AUC has been responsible for some of the worst massacres in Colombia's civil conflict and for a sizable percentage of the country's cocaine exports. The right-wing group was designated by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization in September 2001.

Chiquita also paid money to FARC. How did the Justice Department find out?

Via Greg Sargent, one of the best reporters around BTW, Move On privately grumbling to House Dems:

MoveOn is privately demanding that House Dem leaders make key changes to their legislation on Iraq -- a move that could seriously complicate the leadership's efforts to build consensus behind an approach to ending the Iraq war, Election Central has confirmed. MoveOn's Washington director, Tom Matzzie, confirmed in an interview that the group told people in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office this afternoon that they were unhappy with two major components of the bill. He said that the bill lacks tough enough enforcement language -- meaning that the bill doesn't contain strong enough provisions to compel withdrawal after the deadlines set forth in the legislation.

How about a little PUBLIC grumbling Move On?

Via my "mortal enemies" (this is a joke) at MYDD, an analysis of the latest version of the travesty that is the House Leadership/Blue Dog Iraq Supplemental Bill.

What this analysis and all analysis I have seen seems not to understand is once Bush gets the money, he need not comply with provisions that violate the separation of powers. You can agree with that view or not, but practically speaking THAT is what will happen.

You want to stop the Iraq Debacle you can not fund Bush's war. To pretend that there is another way is an insult to the intelligence of the American People. That is why I (And I speak ONLY for me) urge opposition to the House Dem Leadership/Blue Dog proposal, as it is a travesty that does nothing to end the Debacle.

Sen. Patrick Leahy was on CNN's The Situation Room. Speaking of Karl Rove, he said (no link, received from show by e-mail):

BLITZER: The White House counsel, Fred Fielding, was up on the Hill today. I don't know if you had a chance to meet with him. But he's not necessarily ruling out allowing some White House staffers, maybe even Karl Rove to come and testify. Do you want Karl Rove to testify before your panel?

LEAHY: I've never met Mr. Fielding. Frankly, I don't care whether he says he's going to allow people or not. We'll subpoena the people we want. If they want to defy the subpoena, then you get into a stonewall situation I suspect they don't want to have.

BLITZER: Will you subpoena Karl Rove?

LEAHY: Yes. He can appear voluntarily if he wants. If he doesn't, I will subpoena him. The attorney general said, Well, there are some staff people or lower level people -- I'm not sure whether I want to allow them to testify or not. I said, Frankly, Mr. Attorney General, it's not your decision. It's mine and the committee's. We will have subpoenas. I would hope that they wouldn't try to stonewall subpoenas.

More...

Kudos to marijuna advocate Ed Rosenthal. A federal judge in California today threw out the charges against him, agreeing they were the result of a vindictive prosecution:

A federal judge threw out criminal charges today against an Oakland man accused of growing medical marijuana, ruling that authorities had vindictively prosecuted him because of remarks he made after he successfully appealed an earlier conviction.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco dismissed charges of tax evasion and money laundering against Ed Rosenthal, an author and activist who has been dubbed the "Guru of Ganja."

Unlike MYDD, and as always, I speak only for me, I strongly oppose the Dem Leadership/Blue Dog bill that does absolutely nothing to stop the Iraq Debacle. It makes no sense whatsoever to support this Blue Dog bill that gives Bush everything he could want while at the same time giving the GOP the opportunity to demonize the Democratic Party.

For reasons only MYDD can explain, they are whipping Dem members to get them to support this travesty. I strongly oppose their efforts and urge just the opposite.

The Out of Iraq Caucus membership is provided on the flip. Since the GOP will oppose this bill, the Out of Iraq Caucus can stop this bill, a terrible bill, from becoming law. If you agree with me, contact your Congressperson and let them know.

In addition to sleep-driving, sleep-eating emerging as side effects of Ambien, Lunesta and similar hypnotic-sedative sleeping pills, there is also sex while sleeping.

The FDA is asking the makers of Ambien and similar drugs to strengthen the label warnings on the drugs to disclose these and other risks.

More....

Gonzo's fall guy Sampson getting every consideration:

Good eye, or good ear, from TPM Reader JB. Apparently, the White House and Alberto Gonzales are so miffed with Kyle Sampson for doing the whole Attorney Purge on his own that they're letting him stay on the job -- from which he supposedly resigned on Monday -- indefinitely as he "goes job hunting."

Does Gonzo's denial still pass the red face test? Did it ever? For the record, the way to properly label someone a fall guy is to throw him out immediately and then, when things quiet down, take care of him/her in a discreet manner.

Former New York police and correction commissioner, Bernie Kerik last month turned down an offer from the feds to plead guilty to federal tax fraud and conspiracy to commit wiretapping in exchange for a sentence of less than two years.

One of Kerik's lawyers, Ken Breen, says Kerik turned down the deal because he did nothing wrong and paid his taxes. Kerik's other lawyer, Joe Tacopina, is currently involved in a murder trial which I suppose accounts for Breen making the public response.

Kerik, you may remember, was nominated for Homeland Security chief at the urging of Rudy Giuliani. Kerik withdrew his nomination after negative details of his personal and professional life came to light. [TalkLeft coverage is accessible here.]

Now what? Reading between the lines, I'd say Kerik will soon be indicted, Rudy's campaign will take another hit due to his close relationship and sponsorship of Bernie, and I can't help but wonder, if the feds think Bernie conspired to wiretap Albert Pirro's boat at the request of former Westchester D.A. Jeannine Pirro, whether she's in trouble too. Background on that is here. She's been lawyered up in that investigation for a while. Did she talk her way out of it, give up Bernie to save herself or is she going to go down too? I may disagree with Jeannine politically and on crime issues, but I really do hope she's in the clear on the wiretapping.