A Haunting Costume, Jo Ann & Judy and Retro Tshirts

To take you into the weekend . . .

• Who will blink? The President (less likely) . . . Congressional Democrats (more likely . . .) or Senate Republicans (unknown?). Congress has adjourned for Thanksgiving recess (must be friggin' nice) without approving a $50 billion dollar package to continue fund the war in Iraq. The Dems say the Prez won't get funding without conditions. The Prez says bring it. But Sen. Kit Bond is signaling there is room for a compromise, if it included additional war funding.
• The Ghost of Halloween - Could your Trick or Treat costume cost you your job? Director of Immigration Julie Myers, who has taken tons of criticism from Sen. Claire McCaskill, now faces another obstacle to her re-confirmation: alleged racial insensitivity. Myers is now taking heat for giving the "most original" costume award to a white employee wearing an escaped prisoner costume, dreadlocks and makeup that darkened his skin. "I can forgive anyone who apologizes for a wrong deed," said McCaskill. "But it doesn't change the fact that the incident showed a woeful lack of judgment." And now Sen. Bond, who is distantly related to Myers, seems to have had enough. "The way things are going, we may not ever vote on her nomination," Bond said Friday. "Our nation's immigration enforcement agency needs non-controversial leadership. That would be best served by going in a different direction with this nomination."
• Women for Rudy - Judith Giuliani hosted a Women for Rudy reception for her husband's presidential campaign Friday. Or at least she tried. Several G.O.P. Congresswomen backing Rudy, including Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, were unable to make it. (It may have been because she was busy voting to extend the 2002 farm bill.) But the party went on. “Sometimes the media will say that the Democrats have all the women votes locked up,” Judy Giuliani said. “I don’t think so.”
• RetroPresident.com - Finally, a hat tip to loyal blog reader Matt Lyons for this fun find. It's RetroPresident.com where you can buy shirts supporting your old favorite commander-in-chief. An "I Like Ike," runs $19.90. A women's organic Roosevelt T is a bit steeper at $26.90. I think a couple would be cool to buy, but bumper stickers have gotten me in enough hot water.