. . . for a very short time. Probably too short to see anyone, but if you’re around, shoot me an e-mail. Maybe we can do lunch, maybe not.

[Guest post by Jack Dunphy]

Imagine the disappointment here in the Dunphy house when it was reported that Michelle Obama was flouncing about Moscow while toting an Italian handbag that cost nearly $6,000. Well, I’m relieved to report that the Evita Peron analogies can be suspended, as a spokeswoman for the handbag’s manufacturer, VBH, has now identified the First Lady’s purse as one that goes for a mere $875.

See, she’s just a regular gal from Chicago after all.

–Jack Dunphy

[Guest post by DRJ]

Jake Tapper has a photo from the G8 meeting in Rome. He calls it “When in Rome … ?” That’s good but I bet someone here can do better.

[Photo removed by DRJ. See this Hot Air post for the reason why.]

— DRJ

[Guest post by DRJ]

The Democrats are still at war with the CIA now that Director Leon Panetta has advised Congress about a covert CIA operation that began shortly after 9/11, a program that had not previously been revealed. Some Democrats believe this is proof the CIA misled Congress as Speaker Nancy Pelosi previously claimed:

“House intelligence chairman Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, is unhappy that the CIA conducted the program for nearly eight years before Panetta told Congress about it on June 24.

“These notifications have led me to conclude that this committee has been misled, has not been provided full and complete notifications, and (in at least one case) was affirmatively lied to,” Reyes wrote in a letter to the top Republican on the Committee, Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich.

To some Democrats, this is a gotcha moment: proof that Pelosi was right when she said in May that the CIA lied to her about waterboarding in September 2002 and that “they mislead Congress all the time.”

Six Democrats on the Intelligence Committee have demanded Panetta correct his May 2009 statement that the CIA didn’t mislead Congress and acknowledge Pelosi was right. The CIA responded that Panetta stands by his earlier statement, and even Reyes agrees with Panetta that “the Agency does not and will not lie to Congress.” Instead, Reyes is taking a middle ground that criticizes the CIA for failing to brief Congress on this program.

As Rick Klein, author of ABC’s The Note, puts it: “That’s a far cry from Pelosi’s statement in May that “they mislead us all the time,” but it leaves open the possibility they could have fallen short of those “high standards” of “truthfulness in reporting” when they briefed Pelosi back in September 2002.”

— DRJ

Hmmm:

The sheriff claims the DOJ is investigating his office for political reasons, not because of racial profiling; according to Arpaio, the Democrats in Washington don’t agree with section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows local law enforcement agencies to assist with illegal immigration enforcement efforts.

“It only took them 60 days to come after me,” Arpaio said. “Sixty days. It usually takes about two years to open up a letter in the Justice Department.”

The DOJ informed the sheriff’s office in March that it was investigating. Since then, Arpaio said the agency has yet to cite any specific examples of racial profiling.

I don’t know anything about this investigation. But I don’t trust Obama’s attitude on illegal immigration.