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Fail Proof By / TNR — Permalink In early April, President Bush confessed that the United States had been going through a tough stretch in Iraq. That tough stretch looks better and better in retrospect every week. | |
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Kevin Drum: He thinks the idea itself is still sound and it was only our implementation that was faulty: [snipped quote] I am very... Nathan Hallford: Neocons Revisited: Daniel Drezner has an essay up at TNR Online looking at the neocon plan of regime change in Iraq. Jacob T. Levy: Neocompetence: Dan Drezner's New Republic column is up, and it's a good one. |
Tom Maguire: Dan Drezner Opines — It's not the recipe, it's the cook. Daniel Drezner: A flaw in design or implementation? My latest TNR Online essay is now available. Matt Yglesias: More Convergence — Hey, Drezner says just what I said yesterday, though he's much more polite about it. |
GORE GOES GA-GA New York Post — Permalink I'VE been on many radio shows in the past few months talking about President Bush, and I've invariably been asked to justify the view that Bush made a place for himself in history by responding quickly and forcefully to the 9/11 attacks. | |
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Vanderleun: Source — Washington > Gore Calls for Rumsfeld and Rice to Resign"... Jon Henke: Left like Nader, nuts like Dean — Yesterday, Al Gore gave the Speech Fisked round the World before a ("nonpartisan" - ha!) Whiskey: In today's New York Post he describes Gore's speech as a public mental meltdown: "I mean that based on his behavior,... |
Michael DeBow: Podhoretz diagnoses Gore in today's NY Post: "A man who was very, very nearly president of the United States has been... Mitch Berg: Out There — Whiskey at Captain's Quarters refers us to a John Podhoretz piece on Algore's speech, courtesy of MoveOn.org, yesterday. Betsy Newmark: Meanwhile, John Podhoretz thinks that Gore needs psychological help. |
| Also: Hindrocket, Macallan | |
2006 Cuts In Domestic Spending On Table By / WaPo — Permalink The White House put government agencies on notice this month that if President Bush is reelected, his budget for 2006 may include spending cuts for virtually all agencies in charge of domestic programs, including education, homeland security and others that the president backed in this campaign year. | |
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Mike Rappaport: Good News on Spending — I'll believe in real spending cuts when I see them, but this is at least a good sign: "The... Jesse Taylor: Not This Year Or The Next... Whether or not you support spending cuts in the federal government, last I checked, lying about it wasn't a good way to lend credibility to the idea. Jeanne D'Arc: Sacrifice — File this under shocking, but not surprising: Many of the popular programs Bush has been touting during the campaign will be cut starting in February of 2005. |
Edward _: If Bush is re-elected, there's good reason to suspect that we will see significant budget cuts in 2006 in "virtually all... Kevin Raybould: Bush to Cut Programs, and Lies About the Cuts — Bush is planning on cutting programs that he has promised not to cut... Nick Confessore: HERE COME THE CUTS. The Washington Post's economics reporter, Steven Weisman, has a scoopy piece in today's edition. |
Ahmad and Me By / Slate — Permalink I first met Dr. Ahmad Chalabi in the spring of 1998, a year when George Bush was still the governor of Texas and when Bill Clinton and Al Gore were talking at a high volume about the inescapable necessity of removing Saddam Hussein from power because of his continuous connection to terrorism and his addiction to weapons of mass destruction. | |
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Digby: I actually thought this was rather poignant: "At our long meeting, Chalabi impressed me for three reasons. The Poor Man: Dude, Whatever Watch — Christopher Hitchens has a new one, defending Ahmad Chalabi. |
Ezra Klein: Update: So long as I'm linking to Slate people, here's Hitchens defending Chalabi because, well, he knows him and Ahmad just wouldn't do that. |
U.S. Military Suspending Operations In Najaf WaPo — Permalink BAGHDAD, May 27 — After seven weeks of bitter fighting, U.S. officials said Thursday they will suspend offensive military operations against the Mahdi militia of Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr around the holy city of Najaf and reposition U.S. troops there. | |
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Captain Ed: Let's hope this gamble pays off. UPDATE: This Washington Post story has more detail. Smash: Sadr Quits Najaf — RADICAL SHIITE LEADER MOQTADA AL-SADR has made an agreement with Shiite leaders to leave the holy city of Najaf, the Washington Post reports. |
Kevin Drum: From the Washington Post: "Brig. Tacitus: NYT says that only some of the Mehdi Army will depart. WaPo states only that the Mehdi Army is "pulling back." |
Reality Check -- This Is War By / LAT — Permalink The panic gripping Washington over the state of Iraq makes it clear we have been spoiled by the seemingly easy, apparently bloodless victories of the last decade. From the Persian Gulf War of 1991 to the Afghanistan war of 2001, we got used to winning largely through air power. | |
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Libertarian: BOOT CHECK Someone help me out here: did the U.S. ever officially declare war? Please advise. Steve Bainbridge: Max Boot on Iraq and the Problem of Martial Virtue — Max Boot makes an interesting point in the LA Times ($):The panic... James Joyner: I Wish I'd Said That — Apparently, Max Boot reads OTB. |
Tom Maguire: Steady On, Chaps — A spine-stiffener from Max Boot. Kevin Drum: Max Boot is the latest to make this argument, and he even goes so far as to create a tidy little table for us outlining... |
Kerry rules out delaying tactic Boston Globe — Permalink SEATTLE — John F. Kerry announced yesterday he would accept his party's presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Boston on July 29, ending a five-day flirtation with the idea of a delay that could have helped him financially but had... | |
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Glenn Reynolds: JOHN KERRY has given up on the idea of delaying his acceptance of the Democratic nomination. Is this a flip, or a flop? Howard Kurtz: Kerry will deign to accept the nomination after all, and you can tell the Boston Globe didn't think his convention... |
Steven Taylor: Taegan Goddard's Political Wire notes the following story in today's BoGlo: Kerry rules out delaying tactic "One idea... Taegan Goddard: Kerry May Seek Extension of Fundraising Time — Although Sen. John Kerry said he would not delay accepting the... |
Not fit to print By / Salon — Permalink When the full history of the Iraq war is written, one of its most scandalous chapters will be about how American journalists, in particular those at the New York Times, so easily allowed themselves to be manipulated by both dubious sources and untrustworthy... | |
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Nielsen Hayden: "Not Fit to Print," by James C. Moore, Salon, May 27, 2004: "It turned out that the aluminum tubes were covered with... Julian Sanchez: Both Slate's Jack Shafer and James C. Moore at Salon have instant reactions. One thing illustrated here is a problem with information cascades. |
Digby: As Judy says: [snipped quote] That seems to be good enough for the New York Times which is why they are constantly being played for stooges by the Republican party. |
For Some, the Blogging Never Stops By / NYT — Permalink TO celebrate four years of marriage, Richard Wiggins and his wife, Judy Matthews, recently spent a week in Key West, Fla. Early on the morning of their anniversary, Ms. Matthews heard her husband get up and go into the bathroom. He stayed there for a long time. | |
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Nathan Hallford: Blogaholics? The New York Times takes a look at people who are somewhat addicted to blogging. Edward Driscoll: The Brothers Judd link to an article in today's the New York Times that says: "The number of bloggers has grown... Bill Hobbs: And, finally, the New York Times has a must-read story today on blog obsession. |
Donald Sensing: Bloggers are mentally ill — At least, that's the impression one is left with after reading the NYT's hatchet job about bloggers, "For Some, the Blogging Never Stops." Jeff Jarvis: Herewith a summary of recent press: : Quoted in today's NY Times Circuits story about obsessive bloggers. Ed Cone: The paper of record announces that blogging can be addictive. Next week: Crack may be habit-forming for many users. |
| Also: Cori Dauber, Jan Haugland, Matt Welch, Jeralyn Merritt, Daniel Drezner, Ezra Klein, Amanda Butler | |
It didn't sit well with Liz NY Daily News — Permalink I hope that peace and tranquility reign between gossip queen Liz Smith, in one corner, and Shubert Organization Chairman Gerald Schoenfeld and wife Pat, in the other. But after calling the combatants yesterday, I'm not so sure. | |
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Captain Ed: Hey, Juice, It's All Going To Fred Anyway — Apparently upset that he no longer gets wall-to-wall TV coverage, O.J... KJL: "AND HERE'S WHERE I KILLED NIC...I MEAN, WHERE MY WIFE DIED" — O.J. Simpson is on a 10th-anniversary money-making media... |
Edward Driscoll: Well, I wouldn't go that far—Ed) And O.J. Simpson is on a tenth anniversary tour of his most infamous moment, including a photo-op at the scene of the murder. |
Prison Interrogations in Iraq Seen as Yielding Little Data on Rebels NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, May 26 — The questioning of hundreds of Iraqi prisoners last fall in the newly established interrogation center at Abu Ghraib prison yielded very little valuable intelligence, according to civilian and military officials. | |
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Steve M.: You may have already read one of the stories — "Prison Interrogations in Iraq Seen as Yielding Little Data on Rebels":... Jesse Taylor: According to this report, no. In fact, most of the information didn't even come from prison interrogations. Nathan Newman: Apparently, on top of the indignity of torture at Abu Ghraib, it turns out almost none of the prisoners were linked to the insurgency. |
The Poor Man: Big Surprise — NY Times today: [snipped quote] Expect to see this completely ignored. Cori Dauber: Lead article. (far left, above the fold.) Second article, immediately to its right. Next, but two columns wide. |
Democrats Wonder if Kerry Should Stay on Careful Path By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, May 26 — President Bush's political difficulties have prompted a debate among Democrats and aides to Senator John Kerry over how cautious his campaign should be on a variety of issues, from choosing a vice president to differentiating himself from Mr. Bush to responding to the turmoil in Iraq. | |
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Steve M.: So today, on the front page of the Times, he suggests that there might be trouble for Kerry in the future: ...Some... Matt Yglesias: Harmonic Convergence — Adam Nagourney, The New York Times: "President Bush's political difficulties have prompted a... Betsy Newmark: John Kerry's advisors can't decide if they want him to attack the President more aggressively or to sit back and hope that people will want to throw Bush out. |
Zachary Roth: In a post which Kaus ledes, "For your collection of Credulous Adam Nagourney Sentences Ron Brownstein Would Never... Howard Kurtz: The real problem, suggests Adam Nagourney in the New York Times, is that JFK is too cautious: "President Bush's... Mathew Gross: But some Dems are getting worried, according to Thursday's New York Times: [snipped quote] Yet could Kerry be acting too cautiously? |
U.S. Agrees to Suspend Fighting in Najaf After Deal With Cleric By / NYT — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq, May 27 — American forces and guerrillas loyal to the radical cleric Moktada al-Sadr agreed today to pull back from the holy Shiite city of Najaf, in a deal that signaled the end of a seven-week-old stand-off that has left hundreds of Iraqis dead. | |
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Captain Ed: Another Roll Of The Dice, In Najaf This Time — The CPA and the Bush administration rolled the dice again today,... |
Kevin Drum: From the New York Times: "The agreement, hammered out between Mr. Sadr and Iraqi leaders and approved by the Americans,... |
Poll: McCain/Kerry Ticket A Winner CBS News — Permalink (CBS) Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry holds an eight-point lead over President George W. Bush among registered voters in the latest CBS News poll, 49% to 41%, but one of the names currently bandied about as a running mate for him - Republican Sen. John McCain - gives Kerry an even larger edge when added to the ticket. | |
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Libertarian: KERRY BEATS BUSH with our without McCain as a running mate if the election is held today. Chris Bowers: Kerry/McCain beats Bush/Cheney by 14 — From CBS news. Taegan Goddard: Kerry-McCain Ticket Crushes Bush-Cheney — Sen. John Kerry "holds an eight-point lead" over President Bush among... |
Steve M.: Not only does Kerry beat Bush 49%-41% in the latest New York Times/CBS poll, but Kerry-Edwards beats Bush-Cheney 50%-40% and Kerry-McCain beats Bush-Cheney 53%-39%. Mitch Berg: Via Memeorandum, we see that a Kerry-McCain ticket is polling waaaay better than Bush/Cheney. Oliver Willis: The Choice — With John McCain as his running mate, John Kerry beats Bush by 14%. With John Edwards, he beats Bush/Cheney by 10%. |
The Ultimate Cable News Guru, When Not in Class By / NYT — Permalink BRIAN STELTER had an important editorial decision to make. A reader had sent him a tip that CNN planned to offer a video news service on the Web. Mr. Stelter was waiting for verification or denial of the item. The CNN public relations people in Atlanta had promised to get back in touch. | |
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Donald Sensing: There is also a profile piece in today's Times of Brian Stelter, an 18-year-old college student who blogs solely about cable news. Cori Dauber: What's the one site that gets positive coverage? The man behind Cablenewser has decided to out himself (so to speak.) |
Oliver Willis: Cablenewser Exposed — Congrats to Cablenewser, who gets a nice profile in the NYT today. As a media junkie, its one of my daily reads. Robert Cox: He outed himself in The New York Times. He explains more about his decision here on Cablenewser.com. Welcome into the sunglight, Brian. |
Report: 1 of Every 75 U.S. Men in Prison By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) - America's inmate population grew by 2.9 percent last year, to almost 2.1 million people, with one of every 75 men living in prison or jail. The inmate population continued its rise despite a fall in the crime rate and many states' efforts to reduce some sentences, especially for low-level drug offenders. | |
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Jeralyn Merritt: 1 of Every 75 U.S. Men in Prison — A new report by the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics finds that 1 of every 75 men in the U.S. are in prison or jail. |
Libertarian: Isn't it great to live in, not only California, but the Land of the Free? |
'N.Y. Times' criticized for quiet mea culpa USA Today — Permalink For the second time in a year, the nation's so-called paper of record, The New York Times, has admitted that the record was flawed. Judith Miller's reports — whose unnamed sources frequently included Ahmad Chalabi — have been widely challenged. | |
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Nielsen Hayden: "Media Mix," by Peter Johnson, USA Today, May 26, 2004: "Martin Kaplan, dean of the Norman Lear Center at the... |
Digby: Punchin' Judy — USA Today actually names names in this column about the Judith Miller debacle. |
TV report shows drinking at Capitol in closing days of session AP — Permalink Late at night, in the closing days of the legislative session, lobbyists, state workers and even some lawmakers gathered in offices at the State Capitol to drink beer, wine and liquor, KMSP-TV reported Wednesday night. | |
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Radley Balko: Legislating Under the Influence — Party at the Minnesota statehouse. Funny thing is, Minnesota just went to .08. |
Captain Ed: The Democrats in the Minnesota State Legislature had quite a time in the closing hours of its last session, when they fired Cherie Pierson Yecke just to show their solidarity. |
Kerry Feels Squeeze on Iraq Policy By / LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — Sen. John F. Kerry faces a stark new challenge in the campaign skirmishing over Iraq: As President Bush has moved toward his position, the Democratic Party is moving away from it. | |
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Captain Ed: The Nader Effect — As the LA Times reports in its analysis today, John Kerry's campaign strategy on Iraq has come under... Betsy Newmark: Ron Brownstein looks at how Kerry is having trouble finding a way to differentiate himself from Bush on Iraq. |
Howard Kurtz: In the Kerry-can't-win department, Ron Brownstein of the Los Angeles Times reports: "Sen. John F. Kerry faces a stark... |
How Colonel Risked His Career by Menacing Detainee and Lost By / NYT — Permalink PLANTATION, Fla. — In western Broward County, where Lt. Col. Allen B. West, 43, is preparing to start life over as a high school social studies teacher, the grass is green, the air is moist and the pressure is barometric. | |
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Steve M.: Most of the prisoners held in the special cellblock that became the setting for the worst abuses at Abu Ghraib... |
QD @SouthernAppeal: LTC West: An interesting article in the — NYT about LTC West, the Army battalion commander who lost his job (and... |
Al Gore or Al Jazeera? Front Page Magazine — Permalink The latest front in the War on Terrorism was opened yesterday - by former Vice President Al Gore. At a critical juncture in the War on Terror, with the handover of sovereignty to the Iraqi Governing Council just weeks away, Gore appeared before the MoveOn.org, a radical group which had already compared Bush to Hitler. | |
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Steve M.: (David Horowitz's Front Page Magazine: "Al Gore or Al Jazeera?") Here's Nader, calling for Bush's impeachment. |
Betsy Newmark: David Horowitz and Ben Johnson do a great fisking of Gore's speech. [snipped quote] Read the whole thing. |
Republicans Love It When Gore Gets Mad NRO — Permalink The more screaming, the better. For the record, Republican officials are denouncing the speech that former vice president Al Gore gave yesterday condemning the Bush administration's handling of the war in Iraq and the larger war on terror. | |
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Edward Driscoll: On the other hand, Byron York writes that secretly, some Republicans love it. |
Betsy Newmark: Byron York says that Republicans secretly love it whenever Gore emerges from his cave to go on what of his screaming, hoarse rants. |
Kerry warms Seattle supporters with swipes at Bush Seattle Times — Permalink As the Bush administration warned of possible new terrorist attacks, John Kerry yesterday accused the president of conducting "the most arrogant, inept, reckless, ideological foreign policy in the modern history of our nation." | |
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Stefan Sharkansky: The Seattle Times reports: "[John and Teresa Kerry] left last night's $1,000-a-plate fund-raiser at the Westin Hotel and had dinner at Canlis, overlooking Lake Union." |
Susan Q. Stranahan: Consider John Kerry's rain-soaked speech yesterday in Seattle, where a crowd of 2,000 stood, sans umbrellas (an apparent... |
Ideas for Online Publications: Lessons From Blogs, Other Signposts By / Online Journalism Review — Permalink When I went into the online news business eight years ago, I thought by now we'd own the Internet. I thought that journalistic principles and abilities would be among the most prized commodities in a medium that requires searching and sifting. | |
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Bill Hobbs: Blog News Roundup — Here's the latest in an irregular series of round-ups of news about blogging... Dan Froomkin, a... |
Jeff Jarvis: The Daily Blog : WashingtonPost.com's Dan Froomkin writes a very instructive piece for editors of online news services. |
Dieter Sues Atkins Estate and Company By / NYT — Permalink A 53-year-old man sued the estate of Dr. Robert C. Atkins and the company that promotes his diet yesterday. The suit says following the Atkins diet for two years raised the man's cholesterol so much that his arteries became clogged and required a medical procedure to open them. | |
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James Martin Capozzola: IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME — Carbohydrates and Cholesterol Head for the Courts Tell me you didn't see this coming... |
Jane Galt: Obesity suits march on: a dieter is suing Atkins for giving him arteriosclerosis. |
Bashing President Bush takes over as our No. 1 national pastime By / Townhall.com — Permalink Move over, NASCAR. Out of the way, major league baseball, horseracing or gambling. For bashing President Bush now takes its place as America's No. 1 national pastime. Sure, Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., said the president deceived the American people about why America led a coalition in invading Iraq. | |
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Jesse Taylor: But Larry Elder decides that Liberals Killed Civility...and he even has the out-of-context quotes to prove that liberals are truly the worst! Tbogg: Larry Elder, who makes a living in conservative circles by being black, wants all you mature Bush lovers (which sounds... |
Betsy Newmark: Larry Elder looks at how people, in their ordinary lives, are willing to assume that everyone agrees with their political prejudices against Bush. |
Franken factors in younger listeners By / Chicago Tribune — Permalink Despite ongoing financial woes, Air America Radio appears to have garnered a significant audience during its first month on the air, particularly among the younger listeners sought by advertisers. | |
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Oliver Willis: The numbers seem to agree. (use login: freeread/freeread) Despite ongoing financial woes, Air America Radio appears to... |
Atrios: Franken Beats Rusty — Air America on the way to global domination. |
As Ashcroft Warns of Attack, Some Question Threat and Its Timing NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, May 26 - The Bush administration said on Wednesday that it had credible intelligence suggesting that Al Qaeda is planning to attack the United States in the next several months, a period in which events like an international summit meeting and the two political conventions could offer tempting targets. | |
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Cori Dauber: Although the frame of the first few grafs is straight in their piece as well, the frame of the headline trumps it: "As... |
Tarek @LiquidList: It was nice to see that someone other than bloggers noticed the Rove effect, as this NYTimes piece reflects. |
FBI Seeks Tips on 7 Linked to Al Qaeda WaPo — Permalink The nation's top law enforcement officials, saying they are convinced al Qaeda is planning an attack on the United States in the coming months, issued an urgent plea yesterday for information about seven people who they said could be involved in such an effort. | |
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Cori Dauber: The WaPo frames it straight: The nation's top law enforcement officials, saying they are convinced al Qaeda is planning... |
Tarek @LiquidList: Politics: No News — As if there was a special mechanism (known as the Rove effect) in the White House to trigger... |
Economy Picks Up Growth in First Quarter AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) — The economy grew at a 4.4 percent annual rate in the first quarter of this year, slightly faster than previously thought and fresh evidence that the recovery possessed good momentum as it headed into the current quarter. | |
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Jane Galt: Still on track — The economy grew at 4.4% last quarter, faster than originally estimated. |
Hindrocket: More Good News — The Commerce Department reports that the economy grew at a very healthy 4.4% pace in the first... |
Kissinger Tapes Describe Crises, War and Stark Photos of Abuse By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, May 26 — News had just broken of a terrible wrongdoing committed by American soldiers, and the secretary of defense and the national security adviser debated whether there was any way to stop newspapers and television news programs from showing graphic photographs of the victims. | |
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James Martin Capozzola: In one notable conversation Kissinger, apparently looking in a mirror at the time, said to the Soviet ambassador, Anatoly Dobrynin, "Oh-h-h-h, you're a dirty old man." |
Cori Dauber: Main article below the fold. The Ashcroft/Mueller press conference is teased below the fold (with a small picture.) |
Three Accused Soldiers Had Records of Unruliness That Went Unpunished By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, May 26 — In the six months leading up to the investigation of prison abuses at Abu Ghraib, three of the seven soldiers now charged with abuse repeatedly committed infractions and disobeyed orders but received only the mildest of punishments. | |
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Deacon: Ed bases his argument on an article in the New York Times, no less. |
Captain Ed: Now the New York Times reports this morning that three of the seven soldiers involved in the abuse scandal had long histories of poor discipline, including Spec. |
Profile: Abu Hamza BBC — Permalink Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Masri is one of the most distinctive radical Islamic figures in Britain. Condemned by many Muslims as too extreme, the former Soho nightclub bouncer denies any involvement in terrorism. | |
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Deacon: Radical cleric seeks soul-mate — Here is a profile of Abu Hamza, the radical cleric who is about to be tossed out of England and sent, we trust, to the U.S. for prosecution. |
Tim Blair: UPDATE. Here's a BBC profile of old Abu. |
Survey Finds U.S. Agencies Engaged in 'Data Mining' By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, May 26 - A survey of federal agencies has found more than 120 programs that collect and analyze large amounts of personal data on individuals to predict their behavior. | |
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Phillip Carter: Robert Pear reports in this morning's New York Times on an extensive survey of federal government "data mining" efforts... |
James Joyner: U.S. Agencies Engaged In 'Data Mining' — NYT — Survey Finds U.S. Agencies Engaged In 'Data Mining' [RSS] "A survey of... |
Kerry to Spotlight Foreign Policy Differences WaPo — Permalink SEATTLE, May 26 — The competing foreign policy agendas of President Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.) will take center stage in the presidential campaign over the next two weeks, as Bush prepares for a June 30 transfer of power in Iraq and his Democratic... | |
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Noam Scheiber: FINALLY SOMEONE IS TALKING SENSE ABOUT THE POLITICS OF IRAQ: From today's Washington Post: [snipped quote] Amen. Mathew Gross: Be prepared for it. Yet Kerry is set to begin a series of speeches on foreign policy, beginning today in Seattle. |
Steven Taylor: Kerry to Remain Largely Silent on Iraq — Kerry to Highlight Foreign Policy Differences [snipped quote] Given that this... |
US asks private sector to ease bullet shortage By / Financial Times — Permalink Even in the age of unmanned aerial vehicles, satellite-guided bombs and night-vision goggles, the US army cannot fight a war without its most basic necessity: bullets. | |
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Kim du Toit: Running Out — This is not a new story, but it appears as though our forces in Iraq are running out of ammo —... Jesse Taylor: Time To Fire Hippie Power! So, how long until Bush finds a Kerry vote to blame this on? |
Tom Maguire: "I Don't Want To Die With Any Bullets In My Pistol" — Looks like Howell Raines should have enlisted. [Back-up link] Christopher Kanis: BULLET MATH — The idea that the U.S. military is running out of bullets is distrubing (although perhaps this would be a... |
Militia 'to withdraw from Najaf' BBC — Permalink Militiamen loyal to radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr are poised to pull out of the battle-scarred Iraqi holy city of Najaf, reports say. Mr Sadr has offered to withdraw his forces - but only if coalition forces also leave and return to their bases. | |
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Tacitus: The BBC reports that the CPA has agreed to suspend offensive operations and drop the arrest warrant against Sadr in exchange for....well, it's unclear what we get in return. |
Jan Haugland: Report: Sadr to withdraw from Najaf — Moqtada al-Sadr has reportedly offered to pull his Mehdi militia out of Najaf... |
Gore: Rumsfeld, Rice, Tenet Should Resign AP — Permalink NEW YORK (AP) — Al Gore called the situation in Iraq a ''catastrophe,'' angrily blamed the White House for it and demanded the resignations of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice and CIA director George Tenet. | |
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Robert Garcia Tagorda: Al Gore Unhinged — Of the many appalling parts in the former vice president's deranged speech, this one ranks near the... Smash: Gore Does the Dean Thing — Rant at NYU: Al Gore goes off the deep end. "They all must resign!" NOTE: Comments are temporarily disabled. |
Emperor Darth Misha I: Well then, how about this: "NEW YORK - Al Gore delivered a blistering denunciation Wednesday of the Bush... |
Secret US plot to grab Hook By / The Sun — Permalink EVIL hook-handed cleric Abu Hamza was arrested early today. Police made a pre-dawn raid at his London home. They plan to hold the hate-filled preacher on terror charges before deporting him for trial in America. | |
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Hindrocket: And in England, the Hook gets the hook. My guess is that he will be prosecuted for involvement in the shoe-bomber's attempt to blow up an airplane during a transatlantic flight. |
Tim Blair: The London Sun reports developments leading to his arrest: "Evil hook-handed cleric Abu Hamza was due to be arrested early today. |
Clinton Book to Be Published by Knopf Next Month Reuters — Permalink NEW YORK (Reuters) - The much-anticipated memoirs by former President Bill Clinton entitled "My Life" will be released on June 22, publishing house Alfred A. Knopf said on Wednesday. | |
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Steve M.: Here's Bill Clinton, about to go all flamboyant and mediagenic on us — his huge book is coming out a week early (in less than a month). KJL: JUNE 22 — Bill Clinton's book date moves up. |
Taegan Goddard: Clinton Memoirs Moved Up — "The much-anticipated memoirs by former President Bill Clinton entitled My Life will be released on June 22," Reuters reports. |
Gore says Rumsfeld, Rice, Tenet should step down AP — Permalink NEW YORK (AP) — Al Gore delivered a fiery denunciation Wednesday of the Bush administration's "twisted values and atrocious policies" and demanded the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice and CIA director George Tenet. | |
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Joe @ColdFury: Gorebot blows gasket — Best guesses on Weird Al's recent speech: Insanity. Indegestion. Rant button stuck in the on position, at 11. Jeff Goldstein: That's gone stark-raving mad. **** update: Evidently, spittlefoamed podium banging coupled with oddly emphasized alveolar fricatives passes for "eloquent" in some circles.* *cf. |
Moe Lane: I'll say this for Kerry...he ain't this guy*: gore-inside Gore says Rumsfeld, Rice, Tenet should step down... |
Kerry to Accept Nomination at Convention By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) - Bowing to pressure, John Kerry decided Wednesday to accept the nomination at the Democratic presidential convention in July, scuttling a plan to delay the formality so he could narrow President Bush's public money advantage. | |
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Jan Haugland: Mickey Kaus argues (I am not sure if he's really serious) that John Kerry's strange idea not to accept the nomination at... Ezra Klein: Onward to Boston — Kerry will accept the nomination at the Convention. That didn't last long. All for the best, I think. KJL: KERRY WILL ACCEPT NOMINATION AT CONVENTION — Kerry's taking the nomination in Boston... |
Moe Lane: Senator Kerry will be accepting the nomination at the Democratic convention after all, thus rescuing it from a fate... not much different than it would have been anyway. Cori Dauber: Over the last few days, sparked by the Kerry campaign's trial balloon regarding the possible non-acceptance of the... |
Paperback Writer By / TNR — Permalink Of all the former Bush administration officials to have turned against the president, General Anthony Zinni sounds the angriest. Zinni, the burly and outspoken former Marine who served briefly as Bush's envoy to the Middle East, didn't waste words condemning his old boss on "60 Minutes" this past Sunday. | |
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Dale Franks: The Hunt for Red Tom Clancy — Alan Wirbicki writes in The New Republic that the real shocker about Gen. Anthony Zinni's new book isn't the content. Kevin Drum: But now there's a new one: Tom Clancy conservatives. Alan Wirzbicki says Bush is losing them. Robert Garcia Tagorda: Tom Clancy and the Bush Administration — Does Battle Ready suggest that "President Bush, who has so effectively... |
Zachary Roth: And speaking of echoing, Kevin Drum and Nick Confessore both think that Tom Clancy's disillusionment (subscription... Nick Confessore: AS TOM CLANCY GOES... I think Alan Wirzbicki actually understates his case in this article about the new book co-authored by Tom Clancy and Gen. Anthony Zinni. |
Remarks by the President After a Meeting With Iraqis Receiving Medical Care in the United States U.S. Newswire — Permalink WASHINGTON, May 25 /U.S. Newswire/ — The following is a transcript of remarks by President Bush after a meeting with Iraqis receiving medical care in the United States: THE PRESIDENT: I'm honored to shake the hand of a brave Iraqi citizen who had his hand cut off by Saddam Hussein. | |
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Thorley Winston: As is often the case, a "Bushism" involves either misquoting something that Bush said or taking it out of context so as... |
Eugene Volokh: Here's the full context — note that Slate persists in refusing to even link to the full statements |
An Overreaction? MSNBC — Permalink May 26 - Even as Attorney General John Ashcroft warned on Wednesday that Al Qaeda planned "to hit the United States hard" in the next few months, U.S. intelligence officials were privately divided about whether the government had obtained any fresh information that justified such an extraordinary public announcement. | |
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Jon Henke: And it's not just partisans, trying to play politics with national security, who are unsure about whether we should go... |
Steve Soto: Newsweek investigative reporters Mike Isikoff and Mark Hosenball just posted a piece to the magazine's website... |
Clarke claims responsibility By / The Hill — Permalink Richard Clarke, who served as President Bush's chief of counterterrorism, has claimed sole responsibility for approving flights of Saudi Arabian citizens, including members of Osama bin Laden's family, from the United States immediately after the attacks of Sept. | |
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Tom Maguire: Richard Clarke, Again — Richard Clarke is back in the news admitting that he authorized the departure of bin Laden family members immediately after 9/11. Cori Dauber: . . Alright, maybe I'm just wrong about this, this sure wasn't the impression he left us with when last we met. Kevin Drum: Today, Alexander Bolton reports in The Hill that Clarke has, um, clarified his previous statement: "It didn't get any higher than me. |
Clayton Cramer: This news story indicates that Richard Clarke has told a couple of apparently conflicting stories about who approved... Hindrocket: More evidence arrived today in this story from The Hill, linked by Real Clear Politics: "Richard Clarke, who served as... |
No Way Out NRO — Permalink Wake-up Call: Iran is at war with us. Meet Hassan Abbasi, a well-known Iranian political scientist, longtime top official of the Revolutionary Guards, and currently "theoretician" in the office of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (how does one get a job description like that, I wonder) and the head of the National Security and Strategic Research Center. | |
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Jim Henley: A Reminder - Just because Michael Ledeen writes yet another breathless screed full of dubious to ridiculous reasons to... Radley Balko: We're Already Next Door Michael Ledeen starts the drumbeat to war with Iran, citing Iranian-led campaigns toward Arab... |
Charles Johnson: Iran is at War with Us — Michael Ledeen reports some extremely disturbing statements from a top Iranian official: No Way Out. Roger L. Simon: As we used to say in the Sixties, "the struggle continues." |
Transcript: Ashcroft, Mueller Discuss Terrorist Threat WaPo — Permalink Attorney General Ashcroft held a news briefing on the summer terrorist threat situation. The speakers at the briefing included U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller. ASHCROFT: Good afternoon. | |
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Atrios: Thanks for letting us know, John: Our intelligence confirms Al Qaida is seeking recruits who can portray themselves as Europeans. |
SK Bubba: UPDATE: The Center for American Progress has just issued this urgent bulletin: "In today's press conference, Attorney... |
Bush speech alarms even war enthusiasts San Francisco Chronicle — Permalink Washington — Even the staunchest supporters of President Bush's Iraq enterprise were less than cheered by his speech to the nation Monday night outlining the path forward, some describing the administration as being in a state of panic. | |
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Atrios: If... Big f**king Ifs: "The truth is it wouldn't take much actually to turn this around, not that they necessarily... |
Nick Gillespie: War-Torn Warriors — Reason Contributing Editor Carolyn Lochhead, the D.C. correspondent for the San Fran Chronicle, has... |
U.S. Emphasizes Intent to Transfer Full Power to Iraqis -- With Limits LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — The White House scrambled Tuesday to reassure skeptics that the U.S. planned to transfer full sovereignty to Iraqis on June 30, even as the Bush administration publicly disagreed with its closest ally about whether a new Iraqi government could block U.S. military operations. | |
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Mark Kleiman: (As the LA Times headline put it, "Full power — with limits." Sadly @SadlyNo: (The LA Times article.) |
Jesse Walker: Glad You've Cleared That Up — Headline in the L.A. Times: US Emphasizes Intent to Transfer Full Power to Iraqis—With Limits Ezra Klein: Not Liberal Media. Just Bad Media. Here's the headline: U.S Stresses Transfer of Full Authority. |
The Times and Iraq NYT — Permalink Over the last year this newspaper has shone the bright light of hindsight on decisions that led the United States into Iraq. We have examined the failings of American and allied intelligence, especially on the issue of Iraq's weapons and possible Iraqi connections to international terrorists. | |
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James Martin Capozzola: David Rees, the genius behind Get Your War On, today takes on Judith Miller, the... David Adesnik: One interesting side effect of Chalabi-gate is that it has forced the NY Times to issue a lengthy and detailed public apology for its breathless reporting about Iraqi WMD programs. Robert Cox: I will be discussing The Times most recent "mea culpa" on their Iraq coverage. I will be appearing with Michael Wolff of Vanity Fair. |
Julian Sanchez: WMD Cascades — The editors of the New York Times strutted down the runway at a hair-shirt fashion show yesterday,... Tom Maguire: Perhaps they should in light of this mea culpa from the editors of the NY Times today... Tim Cavanaugh: Shafer Defeats Miller — In the wake of Ahmad Chalabi's public dismissal, The New York Times is running today a... |
| Also: Jesse Taylor, David Allan Pell, TChris, Steve M., Jan Haugland, Hindrocket, Howard Kurtz, Taegan Goddard, Tom Tomorrow, Ed Cone, Jeff Jarvis, Jonah Goldberg, Kieran Healy, Digby, Roger Ailes, Kos, Jim Henley, Atrios, Kevin Drum | |
Hollywood@War NRO — Permalink Bringing it home. As D-Day's 60th-anniversary approaches, I'm reminded why I was so irritated by Saving Private Ryan, the 1998 Steven Spielberg film that began with 20 minutes of dramatized Normandy casualties in bloody, skillfully shot close-up. | |
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Jan Haugland: What bias would Ike have? Catherine Seipp writes a great and important article about Hollywood at War. Mark Kleiman: You can't make this stuff up — Cathy Seipp writes a column about media bias. It makes, as Kevin Drum notes, a fairly elementary logical mistake. Edward Driscoll: I don't know about you, but I can absolutely picture this exchange between writer/producer/director Lionel Chetwynd... |
Eugene Volokh: Cathy Seipp on Hollywood and war: A very good piece in NRO. Kevin Drum: HOW TO LIE WITH EXCERPTS...I guess this isn't really worth my time or yours, but it will take me a only few minutes to... Betsy Newmark: Cathy Siepp has an interesting anecdote about the producer who made the Ike: Countdown to D-Day movie to be broadcast on Memorial Day on A and E. |
| Also: Clayton Cramer, Glenn Reynolds | |
The skanks on Capitol Hill By / Townhall.com — Permalink Meet the new Monica Lewinsky. Jessica Cutler, a 24-year-old mailroom clerk and phone receptionist, worked for Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, until last Friday — when he fired her for using Senate computers to post to an Internet Web log that chronicled her trysts with six different men in Washington. | |
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Howard Kurtz: The flap over sex blogger/fired Hill staffer Jessica Cutler, which we dutifully linked to yesterday, has drawn the ire... Libertarian: Well, I don't know about millions, but I'm bored after reading Michelle Malkin's "outrage" over the most recent Swamp sex scandal. Clayton Cramer: Michelle Malkin discusses the Washingtonienne abusrdity: [snipped quote] As I was growing up, girls, and then women, wanted to be taken seriously in the workplace. |
Baldilocks: Michelle Malkin rips into the blogger known as the Washingtonienne, real name Jessica Cutler. Captain Ed: However, Michelle Malkin — a real journalist, as opposed to Cutler — wrote a terrific piece for today's Townhall... KJL: MICHELLE MALKIN VS. BELTWAY PERVERSIONS — Michelle Malkin takes on a very inside-the-Beltway sex-scandal story. |
| Also: Jesse Taylor, SLZoll, Betsy Newmark | |
Abuse of Captives More Widespread, Says Army Survey NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, May 25 — An Army summary of deaths and mistreatment involving prisoners in American custody in Iraq and Afghanistan shows a widespread pattern of abuse involving more military units than previously known. | |
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Jeanne D'Arc: Today's New York Times notes that Army officials have declared at least 12 of those to be from natural or "undetermined"... Tom Smith: To read more about how awful we are, go here. Isn't that a sweet picture of the Iraqi Major General and his grandson? Noam Scheiber: DEPT. OF NOT REASSURING MILITARY LINGO: Still more grim news from Abu Ghraib, and other detention facilities. |
Oliver @LiquidList: As the news reports of widespread torture, insurgent attacks, another wedding bomb fiasco (don't forget this one!), and... David Allan Pell: It's already being reported as a more widespead problem than we've been led to believe and it's rapidly moving up the chain. Jesse Taylor: Wash, Rinse, Repeat — So, since there are new revelations about prisoner abuse, expect the line for the next week to be... |
| Also: Howard Kurtz, Steve M., Phillip Carter, Sadly @SadlyNo | |
Iraq May Survive, but the Dream Is Dead By / NYT — Permalink It was high time President Bush spoke to the nation of the war in Iraq. A year or so ago, it was our war, and we claimed it proudly. To be sure, there was a minority that never bought into the expedition and genuinely believed that it would come to grief. | |
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John Derbyshire: AJAMI'S DREAMS, CHALABI'S AMBITIONS, BUSH'S IMPERATIVES — Kathryn: Fouad Ajami did indeed get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Michael Young: Ajami on Iraq — It took some time in coming, but Fouad Ajami has finally turned the corner on Iraq, writing, in a very... Cori Dauber: The title of his New York Times angst-fest includes the phrase, "the Dream is Dead," but it isn't entirely clear from the piece that he's yet reached that point. |
Edward _: The Dream is not Dead — Fouad Ajami laments in the NYT today that "Iraq May Survive, but the Dream Is Dead" "Let's... KJL: THE DREAM IS DEAD — Ajami is depressing this morning. What say the crowd? Fred Lapides: Iraq May Survive, but the Dream Is Dead [...] No wonder President Bush, in the most intensely felt passage of Monday night's speech, returned to Sept. 11 and its terrors. |
General Is Said To Have Urged Use of Dogs By / WaPo — Permalink A U.S. Army general dispatched by senior Pentagon officials to bolster the collection of intelligence from prisoners in Iraq last fall inspired and promoted the use of guard dogs there to frighten the Iraqis, according to sworn testimony by the top U.S. intelligence officer at the Abu Ghraib prison. | |
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Jeanne D'Arc: Both the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, relying on still classified sections of the Taguba report, say... Tarek @LiquidList: Didn't see this coming did you, General Miller? People admitting that you signed off on setting dogs on detainees? Captain Ed: Going To The Dogs — According to a Washington Post article today, military intelligence specialist Col. Thomas Pappas... |
Jeralyn Merritt: Some more fingerpointing within the Bush Administration—this time over who authorized the use of dogs during interrogations at Guantanamo. Steve M.: According to the officer, Col. Thomas Pappas, the idea came from Maj. Gen. Geoffrey D. Miller, who at the time commanded... |
Rebel Cleric's Top Aide Captured in Iraq PA — Permalink US troops captured a key lieutenant of Iraqi rebel cleric Muqtada al-Sadr during overnight clashes in Najaf that killed 24 people and wounded nearly 50. Riyadh al-Nouri, al-Sadr's brother-in-law, offered no resistance when American troops raided his home... | |
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Emperor Darth Misha I: News From the "Catastrophe" in Iraq (Via the Puppy Blender) All we can say is that if this is what the AlBore calls a... Glenn Reynolds: First this: "US troops captured a key lieutenant of Iraqi rebel cleric Muqtada al-Sadr during overnight clashes in Najaf that killed 24 people and wounded nearly 50. |
Jan Haugland: First, Riyadh al-Nouri, al-Sadr's brother-in-law and a key lieutenant was captured by American troops in Najaf during clashes that cost many militiamen their lives. |
Sadr men blamed for shell damage to Shiite holy shrine Scotsman — Permalink COALITION troops engaged in heavy fighting with militants loyal to the outlawed Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in Najaf yesterday in clashes that left at least 13 Iraqis dead and damaged one of the holiest Shia sites in Iraq. | |
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Emperor Darth Misha I: And speaking of mosques (and to make sure that we rip off the Puppy Blender's material as much as we can), here are some... |
Jan Haugland: Now a leading Shiite cleric is openly accusing al-Sadr's militia for firing on the mosque in an attempt "to agitate... |
Candidates' Iraq Policies Share Many Similarities NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, May 25 — When it comes to Iraq, it is getting harder every day to distinguish between President Bush's prescription and that of Senator John Kerry. | |
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Noam Scheiber: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING: As I explained yesterday, I just don't buy the sort of political analysis that's in today's Times:... Howard Kurtz: The New York Times provides a strong hint: "When it comes to Iraq, it is getting harder every day to distinguish... |
David Adesnik: NY TIMES UNFAMILIAR WITH CONCEPT OF "DEMOCRACY": The Times says that "it is getting harder every day" to tell the difference between Bush and Kerry's positions on Iraq. |
Worst commencement speakers of 2004 By / Townhall.com — Permalink It's graduation time, and thousands of college students will be leaving the friendly confines of undergraduate education. For most seniors, there will be no more liberal lectures, leftist rants or anti-war marches once they leave campus. | |
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Edward Driscoll: THE RUBBER DIPLOMA CIRCUIT: Via Betsy Newmark, Ben Shapiro has an amusing look at who's speaking at college commencements this year. SLZoll: Ben Shapiro Per Ben, the nation's universities are run by liberals. Hey, he should write a book about that! |
Michael DeBow: Commencement speakers (cont'd): Ben Shapiro rounds up the usual suspects, here. Betsy Newmark: Ben Shapiro looks at the partisan split in commencement speakers. |
Gephardt Promotes McCain Candidacy NYT — Permalink Representative Richard A. Gephardt, the Missouri Democrat who has often been mentioned as a running mate for Senator John Kerry, is talking kindly about another choice: Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona. | |
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Jeralyn Merritt: Gephardt Supports McCain for VP — Dick Gephardt says the Dems would accept John McCain for a Vice Presidential candidate and McCain would be a good choice: [snipped quote] Not us. Taegan Goddard: Gephardt Says McCain Would Be Good Choice — Rep. Dick Gephardt's comments in the New York Times are sure to re-fuel the... |
McQ: The Story that won't die — This is getting a bit pathetic. I mean don't the Democrats have anyone appealing enough to 'help' the Kerry ticket? Captain Ed: Only this time, the Democrat making the suggestion is presumed VP short-list candidate Dick Gephardt |
The Bush and Kerry Tilt By / NYT — Permalink George Bush and John Kerry disagree on almost every issue, with one crucial exception: they compete to support a myopic policy that is unjust, that damages our credibility around the world and that severely undermines our efforts in Iraq. | |
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David Adesnik: KRISTOF OFF THE DEEP END: I often disagree with Nick Kristof but generally think of him as someone whose arguments are worth hearing. Fred Lapides: The Bush and Kerry Tilt — Nicholas Kristoff, NYT (You can see the forces line up to de-ligitamize Israel and Bush. |
Ed Remler: Lackeys of Islamic Imperialism — Normally, I avoid reading anything NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF has to say, just to save myself... |
Poll puts Herseth in lead By / Rapid City Journal — Permalink With less than one week remaining in the campaign for South Dakota's U.S. House seat, Democrat Stephanie Herseth, who ran for the same seat in 2002, has maintained a comfortable lead over Republican Larry Diedrich, a poll shows. | |
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Kos: Zogby poll: strong Herseth lead — An independent Zogby poll gives Herseth a solid lead with just a week to go in the special election. Taegan Goddard: In South Dakota, Herseth Maintains Lead — "With less than one week remaining in the campaign for South Dakota's U.S... |
Atrios: Herseth in the Lead — Latest poll has Herseth 11 points ahead. The special election is on Tuesday. |
But can you teach it? Economist — Permalink No form of education is more commercialised than management education. But are business schools teaching the right things? APPLICATIONS to business schools are down this year—at least in America, where management education was born and where business schools still award about 85% of the world's business degrees. | |
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Bill Hobbs: Blame Bush for MBA Enrollment Slump — Via Dane Carlson's blog, I bring you more evidence of the robust economic... Tyler Cowen: Our economic recovery — Applications to MBA programs are down by 15 to 25 percent. As usual, demand for schooling goes down when the economy picks up. |
Robert Garcia Tagorda: Today, Alex Tabbarok and Craig Newmark provide expert testimony as they point to these figures: [snipped quote] Read the Economist for other thoughts on b-schools. |