From next US Atty Gen to children's health...

From American Progress:

Think Fast...

"President Bush is expected to name an attorney general soon - perhaps this week. The five finalists: Michael Mukasey, Theodore B. (Ted) Olson, Laurence H. Silberman, George J. Terwilliger and Larry D. Thompson." Olson appears to be emerging as the frontrunner.

60 percent: Americans who say we "should set a timetable to withdraw forces 'and stick to that timetable regardless of what is going on in Iraq.'"

The White House's decision to send Rosh Hashanah greetings a week early elicited "a quizzical reaction around town among the president's Jewish friends and supporters." Former RNC chairman Ken Mehlman, who, like White House chief of staff Josh Bolten, is Jewish, "sent Bolten an e-mail asking why the White House had seemingly flubbed the date."

Barry Jackson, one of Karl Rove's key replacements in the White House, is seen as a "highly partisan go-getter." An acquaintance of Jackson's said he isn't interested "'let's get along' kind of stuff."

The Pentagon is preparing to build its first base for U.S. forces near the Iraqi-Iranian border, a major new effort to curb the flow of advanced Iranian weaponry to Shiite militants across Iraq. "The base will be located about four miles from the Iranian border and will be used for at least two years."

In a new study of the neurobiology of politics, "scientists have found that liberals tolerate ambiguity and conflict better than conservatives because of how their brains work. " The study found that "liberals were 4.9 times as likely as conservatives to show activity in the brain circuits that deal with conflicts."

"US regulators will on Monday present results of a year-long inquiry into investment scams that are fleecing retirees out of their life savings. The Securities and Exchange Commission will report on the growing phenomenon of 'free lunch' seminars that financial advisers offer to older people."

9/11 Commission co-chairs Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton write: "Two years ago, we and our colleagues issued a report card assessing the U.S. government's progress on the bipartisan recommendations in the 9/11 commission report. We concluded that the nation was not safe enough. Our judgment remains the same today: We still lack a sense of urgency in the face of grave danger."

And finally: At an event promoting children's health insurance legislation, Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) "noted that the bill would insure 12 million more kids and pointed out that President Bush 'used to be for this.'" "But let me tell you something about him," Dingell continued. "I knew him before he was a virgin." Dingell provided no further context for his "virgin" comment.

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