The Monica Mess

May have gone too far? Is that why she initially took the Fifth?

L.A. Times: "Monica M. Goodling, until now the mystery woman in the scandal involving eight fired federal prosecutors, came out of the shadows today and fingered former Deputy Atty. Gen. Paul McNulty -- but not Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales -- for possible wrongdoing.

"In testimony to the House Judiciary Committee today, Goodling, who resigned in April as the Justice Department's liaison with the White House, denied a major role in the firings. She acknowledged seeing the list of U.S. attorneys recommended for termination as early as January 2006, but she said the list was a product of D. Kyle Sampson, Gonzales' chief of staff at the time."

Boston Globe: "Goodling's admission that she considered party affiliation when vetting candidates for civil service assistant prosecutor jobs added to a growing picture of politicization of the nation's law enforcement system under Gonzales, critics alleged."

I'm trying to decide who's madder: liberals steamed at the Democrats for the war-funding compromise, or conservatives angry with the Republicans for the immigration compromise. First, the libs, such as Americablog's John Aravosis:

"In my view, they blustered and they blinked. Yeah, it's nice that the Dems attached the minimum wage, and I'm happy about that, but that's not really the point is it? We're in a war that is destroying our country. $7.25 an hour isn't going to fix that. It's also not why the Democrats were elected."

HuffPoster William Jackson makes the blood-on-their-hands argument:

"Democrats in Congress would like to bring an end to America's role in the war without being held primarily accountable for how it ends. They want President Bush, under the pottery barn rule, to be stuck with owning the war because his administration has made a tragic mess of it. However, he clearly wants to pass the baton to the next administration, on the backs of the men in the field, and preserve a tattered legacy. Democratic senators and representatives will share ownership when they fund putting men in harm's way and keeping the war machine going into 2008."

As for the shaky immigration deal, the Washington Times reports:

"The bipartisan immigration bill being pushed by the White House and Sen. Jon Kyl, Arizona Republican, is fracturing rather than 'saving' the Republican Party nationally, according to angry party leaders and new poll findings.

"Arizona Republican Party officials have received 'hundreds and hundreds of calls, e-mails and letters from Republicans angry about the bill,' state party Chairman Randy Pullen told The Washington Times. 'They were saying, "I am going to register independent and not give you any more money" -- and that's the base of our party saying that,' " Mr. Pullen said."

At Salon, Thomas Schaller begins his post by quoting Rush Limbaugh: