The Nightowl Newswrap - a roundup of news you might have missed

Gonzo and the Just Us gang are getting their asses sued So far, six attorneys who were denied non-political career jobs at Justice for the unforgivable sin of being suspected of liberal leanings have sued Gonzales, Monica Goodling, who formerly served as White House Liaison; Michael Elston, former chief of staff to then-Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty; and Esther McDonald, former counsel to Gonzales. The plaintiff attorneys allege that top officials at Justice violated the applicants' privacy and right to due process through the politicized hiring process in the Honors Program and Summer Law Intern Program.

You just hate to see such a perfect couple split up Wingnut Extraordinaire Michael Ledeen is leaving the wingnut Deathstar, the American Enterprise Institute for the TIE Fighter of wingnuttia, the Foundation for Defending Democracies, founded by Cliff May.

Brilliant strategy Obama's campaign has started targeting their ads against McCain to specific audiences. In Ohio, they are going after him on the DHL deal that he ushered through that is now costing thousands of Ohio jobs. This is shrewd strategy on more than one level. For starters, the ads are psychologically effective. The target audience responds to being talked to about the issues facing their specific area. Second, it keeps McCain playing catch-up. He has to respond in kind in the same market to answer the ads, and the response ads he has mounted so far appear pretty weak and petulant. Finally, it costs money for McCain to respond, and McCain doesn't have unlimited resources. It is possible that Obama could force McCain to respond to targeted ads in swing states and burn through his money in 45 days, leaving him with no official advertising the final two weeks of the campaign. It all reminds me of an old Turkish proverb: Keeping an adversary in a constant state of agitation is it's own victory.

A $50,000 settlement for anti-Bush protesters Two retired schoolteachers were arrested at a bu$h rally in Cedar Rapids in 2004. In June, a federal jury awarded the women $750,000 on their claim, finding that their claim to free speech, assembly and freedom from unreasonable arrest and search were violated had merit. The state of Iowa appealed, and the out of court settlement was announced in a State Appeal Board preliminary report that detailed more than $9.1 million in settlements and judgments approved during FY 2008.



Ney released from custody Former GOP congressman Bob Ney was released from a halfway house and back into society yesterday. He served a year and a half of a two and a half year sentence and qualified for early release after he went to rehab. Ney was one of the corrupt congressmen who paid the price for dealing with Jack Abramoff. He admitted to trading political favors for golf trips, other gifts and campaign donations arranged by the corrupt, convicted crook Abramoff.

Why the fuck would CNN give bullshit like this credence? Un.Fucking.Believable. That the topic is even speculated about outside a congregation of the most backward snake handlers -- let alone on a 24-hour cable network that isn't Fox -- depicts the depths to which political debate has fallen. But there was the caption on CNN Friday in big bold letters: "OBAMA THE ANTICHRIST?" But we are assured that Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, the two nutjobs who strapped the milkers onto the "Left Behind" cash cow are convinced that Obama is not, in fact, the antichrist, because LaHaye can find "no indication in the Bible that the antichrist will be an American." I know. My head exploded too.

A question: Isn't K Lo, that staunch defender of the traditional family, as barren as the Sahara? Ah yes! She is, and our buddy TS at Instaputz has already dealt with her latest ridiculous assertion. At this point, is it even worth pointing out that Lopez is childless -- presumably because her insides are a rocky place where Goldberg's seed can find no purchase -- so, by her logic, she's just as culpable as the 'mos in wrecking civilization? We bow to the master.

Hundreds of protesters greet Mugabe in South Africa As African leaders gathered for a summit in Johannesburg, hundreds of protesters, angry at Mugabe's inclusion filled the streets. They planned to march to the summit venue to demand that the leaders not recognize Mugabe as a head of state after the rigged June runoff election that returned him to power.

Ten arrested in India for their role July's terrorist bombings Ten members of a banned Islamic group were arrested Saturday in connection with a series of bombings last month in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, where seventeen small blasts went off in a span of 70 minutes on July 26, killing 49 people and wounding more than 100. All 10 suspects face charges that include murder and waging war against the state.

Florida braces for Fay Residents and tourists alike are preparing for the arrival of Tropical Storm Fay, which could strenghten to hurricane force by the time it arrives in the Floeida Keys some time Monday. Gov. Charlie Crist declared a state of emergency which "threatens the state of Florida with a major disaster."

"Bigfoot" fails DNA test The two crackers who said they have a bigfoot carcass encased in ice on Jim-Bob's screen porch offered a couple of DNA samples that they said would prove they were telling the truth, but they didn't pray hard enough and science thwarted them. The first sample was human and the second was from an opossum. (Told you last night they were a couple of dumbasses.)

Yes, it is the Silly Season He's been an honorary member of Norway's elite King's Guard since 1972, and climbed steadily through the ranks, even becoming an honorary colonel in chief in 2005. And then there was yesterday, when Nils Olav, a penguin, became Sir Nils Olav when he was knighted in a special morning ceremony at the Edinburgh Zoo, watched by several hundred onlookers and attended by 130 guardsmen.