The Morning Read: Tuesday, July 3, 2007

George Bush pardoned Scooter Libby, surprising his staff and outraging his critics.

The latest round of U.K. bombings look to be a “doctor’s plot.” Wait—that name’s already taken.

Mayor Bloomberg tells everyone to relax and enjoy the holiday.

John McCain huffily dismissed speculation that yesterday’s staff layoffs were a prelude to dropping out of the race for president.

The L.A. Times says Hillary Clinton is “aiming at voters who are dubious about her but are not partisan enemies,” with some success.

She got the endorsement of Philadelphia’s mayor, John Street, yesterday. Street used to be a hot dog vendor.

Bill Clinton plunges back into the fray in Iowa, saying he’d be behind her “even if we weren’t married.”

The Times has a good piece on the Clintons’ efforts to revive Hillary’s “struggling” campaign in Iowa.

Jim Gilmore is suspending his campaign for president after seeing “bright flashes” in his eyes. It’s Gilmore, so we know they weren’t flashbulbs.

Cory Booker is still having trouble overcoming the “not black enough” label, according to a big Times feature, which is a terrific read.

Charles Barron stands by his embattled staff member.

The Post reports that Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum circumvented the city’s competitive bidding rules to buy furniture, computer equipment and the like.

The Sun says Bloomberg gathered the flacks for all city agencies earlier this year to emphasize his “independence.”

Beverley Sills, opera diva and former chairwoman of Lincoln Center, is dead.

The state inspector general released a voluminous report on the bidders for Aqueduct and other race tracks.

Two attorney generals are looking into Joe Bruno’s travel arrangements now.

Bruno once again called New York’s governor a “rich, spoiled brat.”

Bruno also said Spitzer once threatened him, saying: "I'm going to knock you out.”

Which, on this pleasant July morning, diverts your aging blogger’s mind to a mean little ditty from the summer of 1990. (See above.)