Uncle Sigmund, call your office . . .

The talkfest on Hardball dealt wholly with NYC Mayor Bloomberg's "switching" to "independent," and Chris Matthews absentmindedly produced the best analysis of the evening, during one Hardball segment, by referring unintentionally to Bloomberg as "Rupert Murdoch."

Instantly corrected, of course, but the slip stands up better than the correction. That's pretty much the real political news about Bloomberg. Notwithstanding the hundreds of declarations on this program that Bloomberg's announcement will shake up the presidential race, the actuality, I believe, is that if the announcement shakes up anything, it will largely shake up ...   more »

The Rudy Giuliani campaign web site has issued a terse and noncommittal statement on the federal indictment against Giuliani's South Carolina campaign manager, Thomas Ravenel:

"Our campaign has no information about the accusations pending against Mr. Ravenel. Mr. Ravenel has stepped down from his volunteer responsibilities with the campaign."

The exact extent of Giuliani's acquaintance with Ravenel remains unclear. Giuliani appeared with Ravenel at campaign stops in South Carolina in August and November of 2006, when Ravenel was the GOP nominee for state treasurer, and sat with him at a minor league Pelicans baseball game in April 2007, etc.

But ...   more »

While I do not always agree with comments posted on the Free Republic web site, sometimes the Freepers hit the nail on the head. Viz today’s response to the indictment yesterday afternoon of South Carolina state treasurer Thomas Ravenel and acquaintance Michael L. Miller on charges of cocaine distribution.

The indictment alleges that  beginning in and around late 2005, and  continuing up to the date of this indictment -- June 19, 2007 --  defs knowingly and intentionally did combine, conspire and agree together . . . to knowingly and intentionally and unlawfully to possess with intent to ...   more »