In the end it was apparently immigration problems with his housekeeper and nanny that caused Mr. Kerik, Bush’s choice for Secretary of Homeland Security to withdraw his nomination, according to reports at CNN and the Beeb.

The FBI didn’t notice that the guy had an employee without a green card? The man selected to head the Nation’s Border Patrol and Immigration service didn’t know his home sheltered an undocumented alien? They are going to charge him, right?

The NPR/Slate hybrid Day-to-Day covered the Pentagon misdirection on armoring vehicles in two reports on Thursday. Alex Chadwick talks with two NCOs who discuss using 1/8-inch steel plate and sections of wide conveyer belts to make their vehicles safer as they transport fuel in Iraq.

It was the Mike Pesca report that demonstrates how truly clueless this Pentagon is about the real world. An obfuscating Pentagon parrot started talking about all of the preliminary work that needs to be done before adding armor to trucks: redesigning the suspension, beefing up the transmission and drive trains to take the extra weight.

While I realize that the Pentagon is looking for work to funnel to future employers of its civilians and millions to spend on research is tempting, but get a damn grip. We are not talking about race cars, these are trucks! The additional weight of armor? These vehicles transport tanks! Their loads are measured in TONS! Is a couple hundred pounds of steel likely to have any real impact on a tractor-trailer?

Cable television is big on do-it-yourself shows and make-overs, why doesn’t somebody come up with a program that pits teams against each other to armor National Guard and Reserve trucks, a militarized version of Pimp My Ride. The winner gets to specify which unit currently deployed in Iraq will get a package containing maps, radios, and GPS receivers as well as the modified vehicles. Maybe they could get a tie-in with National Geographic, Garmon, Motorola, and one of the satellite radio services.

[Ed: Pimp My Ride is a real show, my neighbor’s oldest son keeps threatening to turn my name in over the appearance of my van.]

Apparently engrossed with his Star Wars missile defense system and his mission to the planets [AKA the undebated dollar dump to Tom Delay’s district], President Bush may be attempting to build a Deathstar orbiting satellite.

Of course no one will admit that’s what’s happening, not even Senator Rocketfeller, apparently having problems breathing inside the large black helmet he wore, who protested the inclusion of an obscenely expensive program that he couldn’t confirm was actually in the intelligence budget that may not exist, but if it does it’s classified.

There was a report from George Lucas’s junior assistant’s dog groomer that Mr. Lucas has been holding meetings with his intellectual property attorney about the government’s continuing unauthorized use of his trademarks which was giving a bad name to fictional evil geniuses.

Anonymous sources said that it might be an armed satellite intended to control neighboring space around the planet in violation of multiple international treaties, or seed money for a Bush project to balance the budget by assisting the relatives of deposed African leaders recover hidden assets.

Devolving . . .

Friday Catblogging^TM [Kevin Drum]

It’s Herself!

Momma Eve, the oldest cat ever. I didn’t think she allowed pictures.

They say she could catch squirrels and blue jays.

[Ed: All of the cats you will see here, except one, are descendants of this cat, who was at least 16 years old when she died. Her true grey color is shown on her right side.]