The Rest Of The Week In Review

Putting this up early just to get it out of the way. I'll be on planes most of today, anyway, and the rest of the week will be consumed with the DNC convention. So here's what I missed:

• In the latest developments in the anthrax case, the FBI was forced to release more details after they admitted that they botched key elements of the investigation.

But F.B.I. officials acknowledged at the closed-door briefing, according to people who were there, that the sample Dr. Ivins gave them in 2002 did in fact come from the same strain used in the attacks, but, because of limitations in the bureau's testing methods and Dr. Ivins's failure to provide the sample in the format requested, the F.B.I. did not realize that it was a correct match until three years later.

This is quickly becoming a debacle. Sen. Grassley is going to hold hearings in the Judiciary Committee.

• The good news: Michael Bloomberg is committed to bold plans for renewable energy, including installing wind turbines all over New York City. The bad news: he wants to break term limits and run for another term. Term limits aren't all that great, but they make more sense for an executive, and the way Bloomberg is going about this - leaning on Big Media figures to endorse his proposal - smacks of collusion and a corporate takeover.

• I didn't flag it at the time, but there's an interesting article in last week's New York Times Magazine about education policy in post-Katrina New Orleans. It's quite the conservative project they've got going on down there.

• The Swift Boaters have moved from attacking John Kerry's military record to making up lies about Chuck Schumer's role in the failure of IndyMac Bank.

• What do you know, a majority of Americans want religion out of politics! How could they have gotten that idea? It wouldn't be because of the theocratic incursion into practically every aspect of American political life, would it? Or the Congress returning to an extraordinary special session to keep one woman on life support?

• Some days I can't believe what's become of America. There have always been outrages, of course, but things like this seem almost routine, and completely unremarked-upon in the larger debate. We get plenty of thinly-veiled cover stories that shill for Administration lies, but nothing about the ICE detainee who was murdered, essentially.

• So this Cheney Administration acolyte is bucking for a high-up job at the Energy Department. What's unclear to me is whether he's being tapped for a career position or a political job. If it's a political job, I don't see how it matters at all; it's not like he can take Cheney-Bush further to the right on energy policy.

• Did anybody think that illegal immigrants self-deporting would work? Anyone? How much money was spent on this program to get 8 people to leave the country?

• On the California front, Arnold Schwarzenegger's new budget plan is virtually identical to his old budget plan, so he could have put this out three months ago and sped everything up. The proposed three-year increase in the sales tax will galvanize conservatives against it, so I don't see any sort of end-game here. The Yacht Party solution is just to say no - it's fundamentally at odds with reaching any solution. Arnold can call the legislature girlie-men all he wants.

• The right wing has found the seat of power in America, and they're taking action to fight Wikipedia. They are brave warriors.

• What's with Mia Farrow and Blackwater CEO Erik Prince having lunch together?

• In case you were wondering where your favorite liberal blogging stars were located these days, here's the primer. Best to Matt Yglesias, Kevin Drum, Steve Benen and Hilzoy for their new gigs.

• And finally, careful, McCain campaign, pro-Obama the Dungeons & Dragons crowd is mobilizing. Where's my limited-edition Obama/Biden Bag of Holding? I don't know, but you can buy the T-shirt.