The Morning Read: Friday, July 13, 2007

State officials failed to convince Michael Chertoff to give New York more anti-terrorism funding.

Assembly Democrats will meet in New York City, not Albany, on the day Michael Bloomberg said congestion pricing legislation had to be passed.

Eliot Spitzer took a friendly swipe at Michael Bloomberg for going to Idaho instead of DC yesterday.

Joe Bruno is giving up his state police security detail.

Andrew Cuomo wants the Indian Point nuclear power plant shut down.

The former mayor of Newark, NJ is indicted on charges of misusing about $58,000 on Jacuzzis, movies, alcohol and tennis tournaments. (In court, he was wearing handcuffs and leg shackles.)

A court date to determine damage awards from September 11th is set right before the sixth anniversary of the attacks.

Steve Kornacki writes that so far, Barack Obama’s candidacy has helped Hillary Clinton.

Fred Thompson is gaining on Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney in the polls.

On-line fund-raising has been good for Democrats.

Al Sharpton vows to hit the presidential trail if Giuliani is the GOP candidate.

George Bush admitted publicly for the first time that a member of his administration leaked the name of a CIA agent [subscription].

And Al D’Amato will be a dad, at age 70.