ichael Kranish has an interesting piece in the Boston Globe about Fred Thompsons involvement in the Watergate hearings.

WASHINGTON — The day before Senate Watergate Committee minority counsel Fred Thompson made the inquiry that launched him into the national spotlight — asking an aide to President Nixon whether there was a White House taping system — he telephoned Nixon’s lawyer.

Thompson tipped off the White House that the committee knew about the taping system and would be making the information public. In his all-but-forgotten Watergate memoir, “At That Point in Time,” Thompson said he acted with “no authority” in divulging the committee’s knowledge of the tapes, which provided the evidence that led to Nixon’s resignation. It was one of many Thompson leaks to the Nixon team, according to a former investigator for Democrats on the committee, Scott Armstrong , who remains upset at Thompson’s actions.

John Whitesides writes in the Reuters:

Presidential politics spiced up Independence Day celebrations across Iowa on Wednesday, as Bill and Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney competed for attention in the same parade and four other 2008 candidates blanketed the state.

Crowds jammed front lawns, porches and sidewalks in Clear Lake for a chance to see Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton and her husband, the former president, as well as Republican Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts.

Everyone�s a Winner, as White House Hopefuls Spin Money Numbers

The Candidates Arrive: Clinton, Edwards Warmly Greeted At Teachers’ Convention

Republicans Trail Democrats in Fund-Raising

Steve Forbes: Giuliani is the fiscal conservative we need in Washington

Romney opposed pardons as governor, but defends Bush on Libby

Biden, Romney Weigh In On Bush’s Handling Of Aide

Paul, uninvited to GOP forum, attracts a loyal flock for rally

Ron Paul using iPhones to push campaign

Normally this wouldn’t make it into the blog BUT it is a slow holiday news day & since Gore is heavily RUMORED to be running for president I thought I would bring it up.

The 24-year-old son of former Vice President Al Gore was arrested for drug possession on Wednesday after he was stopped for allegedly speeding in his hybrid Toyota Prius, a sheriff’s official said.

Al Gore III — whose father is a leading advocate of policies to fight global warming — was driving his environmentally friendly car at about 100 miles per hour on a freeway south of Los Angeles when he was pulled over by an Orange County sheriff’s deputy at about 2:15 a.m..

Just wanted to take a moment and wish you all a very happy 4th of July.

This country that I love often gets a bad wrap. We are by no means perfect and yet the United States has saved the world from the brink of destruction on more than one occasion. The United States has lead the way to never-imagined scientific discovery, we have produced some of the most brilliant radical and at the same time conservative minds in history, created wonderful works of art, music, literature and of course moving images and yes we landed not just one but twelve men on the moon and returned them safely to the Earth and one day we will send more men and woman back to its surface.

The United States has lived through many administrations, many Congresses, much political and social strife, economic downtimes and world war. In our history we have always prevailed and been reborn anew. We have come back to our equilibrium stronger and with new vigor for the evolution of humankind.

There is no terrorist force, no political insurrection, no economic downturn we cannot weather. Our nation was born as bombs burst and enemies appeared on all sides. From those battles we gave birth to a political and economic ideology that lit the world on fire and I am confident, on this independence day, we will once again rise up, fight our enemies, strengthen our economy, explore our philosophy and give to the world another revolution or two before things look insurmountable once again.

Goodness Bless America and Happy 4th.