The Bush administration names Condoleezza Rice as the first dowager empress of Iraq . . . Yeah, today’s the day we’ve been anticipating for at least a century: California finally goes off the deep end . . . Sen. Robert Graham (D-Fla.) announces the end of his pursuit of the Democratic presidential nomination . . . Sen. Don Rickles (R-Okla.) says he will not seek re-election next year. Such a shame . . . Yasi Arafat appoints Ahmed Qureia prime minister. Plus ça change, anyone? . . . Frank J. Gaffney Jr. is hard at work protecting what’s left of his reputation . . . Ditto Daniel Pipes . . . Mona Charen, who I swear must be somebody’s daughter or niece or second cousin or something since there’s just no other reasonable explanation, writes in today’s Washington Times: “I have never before heard liberal members of the press wondering aloud (and not without some relish) whether a fellow journalist might have committed a crime in publishing classified information. The usual response is to give them prizes and banquets. . . . This is a completely manufactured scandal. The Democrats are hot for it because they believe they can use it to get Karl Rove.” . . . Guess which non-native-born Washington Times Cliff Notes writer posted this comment at his blog today: “‘Pumping Iron’ . . . is about cunning, wit and irony -- as incarnated in the larger-than-life figure of an Austrian super-star who is more American than millions of native-borns.” . . . Martha Stewart seeks dismissal of securities fraud charges . . . Stewart, by the way, is among the rich and famous who deny having drained Georgica Pond, East Hampton, N.Y., in July . . . Carrier Corp. terminates 1,200 employees in already-beleaguered Syracuse, N.Y.