Your Morning/Brunch/Lunch Quickie.

(Sorry, readers...we have storms here in Minnesota, so my internet connection keeps failing.)

Here's something you probably weren't expecting--Valerie Plame was our spy who was tracking Iran's nuclear program before she was outed in 2003; David Shuster of MSNBC says that leaking of her identity as a CIA spy to reporters damaged the US effort to follow what Washington believes are Iranian efforts to develop nuclear weapons.

Oddly enough, the House is preparing a bill that would impose criminal and civil penalties on any energy company caught price gouging; aren't you asking yourself why we don't already have a law against price gouging? Because I know I am.

According to Drudge, people who were waiting for Mary Cheney to come out with the dirt on how her father really is will be disappointed; according to her new book, they have a close-knit family, and Dick never said anything negative to her when she came out. (There's also something in the article from Vanity Fair about Dick's, uh, paranoia? I want to know about "The Jackal".)

There's a Taliban presence in Afghanistan again; makes me wonder how this "war on terror" thing is doing "such great things".

Either Todd Rutherford is trying to draw attention to himself for votes or he's a credible politician; he drives a golf cart to work to save on gas. (Of course, having a TV in it would make me want to drive it, too.)

A sheriff in Arizona sets up a posse to deal with illegal immigrants; aw, look...it's the reincarnation of Wyatt Earp!

The Clinton Foundation helps ban soda in nearly all schools now; yikes...here comes a lot of unhappy teens rioting in the streets soon.

Exxon Mobil chairman Rex Tillerson says he understands your pain...oh, and oil companies do not get together and illegally manipulate oil prices; now how did he manage to say that with a straight face?

The Brad Blog posts about a 61-year-old man who was arrested at a polling place in Cleveland, the man grew upset with a Diebold voting machine and decided to take out his anger on it; according to the reporter for News 5 in Akron, "it's unclear what caused him to become upset"...right.

Former Wall $treet Week host Louis Rukeyser died yesterday from a rare bone marrow cancer.

Michael Chertoff is very confident that FEMA is prepared for hurricane season; how confident are you to place your trust in him?

Since Congress isn't doing enough to satisfy states' desires for immigration reform, the states are taking it into their own hands. (Washington Post might require registration...if you have Firefox, then you know to use BugMeNot.)

The vote is on to extend a $70 billion package of tax-cut extensions that the GOP hopes will help halt the deterioration of their political fortunes; what do the deficit numbers look like again?

And finally, after yesterday's boycott, all that remains are some very angry Americans who want immigrants gone, like now; will this immigration mess spark a new civil war?

Tags: [Valerie Plame], [the Plame leak has caused damage to spying on Iranian nuclear program because she was the spy], [House of Representatives], [criminal and civil penalties on any energy company caught price gouging], [Mary Cheney], [Dick Cheney], [Mary Cheney talks about her loving family], [Dick Cheney has changed from being a prankster to being paranoid], [Taliban], [Afghanistan], [Taliban presence in Afghanistan again], [Todd Rutherford], [politician drives golf cart to work to save on gas], [Arizona], [sheriff creates posse to round up illegal immigrants], [Clinton Foundation], [ban of soda in almost all schools now], [Exxon Mobil chairman Rex Tillerson], [ExxonMobil chairman feels your pain], [Brad Blog], [Cleveland], [Diebold], [61-year-old man arrested for damaging Diebold voting machine], [Wall Street Week], [Louis Rukeyser is dead], [Michael Chertoff], [FEMA], [Chertoff thinks FEMA is prepared for new hurricane season], [states take immigration reform into their own hands after continued stall of bill in Congress], [House GOP looking to extend a $70 billion package of tax-cut extensions], [Bush], [after boycott, Americans are just angry, not sympathetic]