CNN interview:

I have many, many black friends . . .

But are they some of his "best friends?"

After attacks at U.N. offices in Tripoli today, the U.N. has announced it's pulling out of Libya. The U.K. embassy in Tripoli was attacked and the U.K, has expelled he Libyan ambassador, giving him 24 hours to leave Britain. Italy closed its embassy in March after attacks. Meanwhile, Nato says its attacks yesterday were targeted military attacks:

Nato has insisted its raid targeted a "command-and-control" building, and that all Nato targets were "military in nature".

Libyan officials say funerals will be held tomorrow for Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Arab Gaddafi and "the other victims," described yesterday as Saif Gaddafi's three children. What a mess.

On another topic, many immigration reform rallies were held today. In LA, the protesters called on Obama to keep his 2008 campaign promise to provide a path to legalization for the undocumented. But they are not threatening to vote against him. [More...]

Around 10 pm last night, I noticed site traffic was crazy. There were 4,000 visits an hour -- on a Saturday night. It's still going on. Almost all visitors are coming from Reddit, where someone recommended my post about Donald Trump shelling out $85,000. in 1989 for newspaper ads seeking the death penalty for the teens arrested for raping the Central Park Jogger. (They were convicted and 13 years later, exonerated and freed from prison. They are suing New York, and there was a news article this week reporting that one of them is outraged that Trump to this day refuses to apologize for the ad.)

There are more than 600 comments to the post at Reddit, most critical of Trump.

The post is still #1 at Reddit with more than 1,750 recommendations. I don't know if TalkLeft's server can withstand this kind of traffic for so many hours, so if we go down, you know why. I'll post updates if necessary at our backup site.

This TrumpMania is so odd. Do people really think Trump is going to run? I don't. Other than Celebrity Apprentice (which I watch and like) I don't get why he is such a headline-grabber. What makes him even remotely qualified? And why are people taking him so seriously?

Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs start today.

Heatles v. Celtics at 3:30. The more interesting game imo, is at 1 - Memphis v. OKC. In the serieses (?) I like the price on the Celtics (+155), though I like the Heat today (-4). I like the Grizzlies (+7) over OKC in Game 1.

Right now I am rooting for Arsenal to beat ManU so that Chelsea can have a chance catch them in the EPL.

Open Thread.

Is anyone watching the White House Correspondent's dinner? Who's there? Donald Trump, Bristol Palin and Bill O'Reilly. Also, President Obama, who is lauughing at SNL's Seth Meyers. And Sean Penn. Here's a photo gallery of "red carpet" arrivals.

Update: Meyers is killing Trump. Trump is so not amused. And Obama is laughing out loud. He then moves to Obama, who's a good sport and laughs at all the jabs, from how he's aged to how the only person who can beat Obama in 2012 is the Obama who ran in 2008.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome. Updates and video from the dinner below:.

The Pentagon is considering a death penalty trial for Abd al Rahim al Nashiri at Guantanamo. al-Nashiri is accused of orchestrating the U.S.S. Cole bombings near Yemen in 2000.

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Stephen Reyes and New Mexico criminal defense attorney Nancy Hollander are already on the case. This week, the Pentagon agreed to also fund death penalty lawyer, Rick Kammen of Indiana, at the CJA rate of $178 per hour. The Pentagon authorized 200 hours for Kammen, who previously represented al-Nashiri, to cover the period up to the Pentagon's final decision on whether to seek death. The order is here. The order says Kammen's representation will benefit both the Government and the defense.

The Pentagon is required, by law, to pay for an experienced death penalty counsel under 18 U.S.C. § 949a(b)(2)©(ii) and R.M.C. 506(b).

I don't know Navy Lt. Cmdr. Stephen Reyes, but I do know both Nancy and Rick, and they will be great advocates for al-Nashiri. [More...]

NATO launched an airstrike today that killed Saif al-Arab Gadhafi, the 29 year old son of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gadhafi, and three grandchildren.

The Libyan Government, through spokesman Moussa Ibrahim says Colonel Gaddafi and his wife were also in the house but unharmed. BBC reporter Christian Fraser writes that a few hours after the explosion:

[W]e were eventually brought to the villa, which was surrounded by reinforced concrete, cameras, and military positions. This is clearly an exclusive neighbourhood. Inside, total destruction.

....It's hard to imagine that anyone could have escaped unscathed, though according to the government spokesman the Libyan leader and his wife were present and are safe and well. But there's no independent evidence they were there.

NATO airstrikes are intended to save civilian lives in Libya. Libya says today's strike was an assassination attempt.

Madison NORML Examiner:

Sad news this morning as we learn that longtime Madison cannabis activist Ben Masel passed away shortly after 9am today from complications of cancer at hospice care in Fitchburg. Further details coming. Today's Global Cannabis Freedom March, scheduled for noon on Capitol Square, will be dedicated to Ben's memory.

R.I.P.

And a "world class" gift God has presented.

DOJ's tricks are working. After the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington sent a letter to the legislature warning that passage of a medical marijuana licensing bill would subject state workers to federal prosecution, today Governor Christine Gregoire vetoed the bill, saying she was "swayed" by the letter. (Background on the almost identical letters sent by a number of U.S. attorneys in recent weeks in states where medical marijuana is legal is here.)

More U.S. Attorneys are jumping on the bandwagon. Today, it was the U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island, sending almost a verbatim letter, even though he hadn't been asked for his position.

And in Montana today, Governor Brian Schweitzer let the bill that passed the legislature this week restricting medical marijuana become law by doing nothing. His lame explanation: [More...]

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hosted a working lunch with Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa today in Washington, the third such meeting of the Merida High-Level Consultative Group on Bilateral Cooperation Against Transnational Organized Crime. (More on Meridia here and here.) Also in attendance:

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John Brennan, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, Director of National Drug Policy of the United States Gil Kerlikowske, USAID Deputy Administrator Donald Steinberg, Acting Under Secretary of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence of the Treasury David Cohen, and Ambassador of the United States to Mexico Carlos Pascual.

The two governments issued this press release on the meeting and outlined the joint activities for the coming year. Congress has authorized $1.5 billion for Meridia since 2008, most of it for training the Mexican military and law enforcement. (As of December, 2010, $400 million had been provided. Today, the U.S. promised another $500 would be provided in 2011.) [More...]

Open Thread.