meme orandum
| Fresh brewed news plus stewing views |
|
|
Rove Reportedly Held Phone Talk on C.I.A. Officer By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 14 - Karl Rove, the White House senior adviser, spoke with the columnist Robert D. Novak as he was preparing an article in July 2003 that identified a C.I.A. officer who was undercover, someone who has been officially briefed on the matter said. | |
|
Hunter @DailyKos: Both the Washington Post and the New York Times today have sources telling them that Karl Rove was indeed one of the... Billmon: First the New York Times version: "Mr. Rove has told investigators that he learned from the columnist the name of the... Jeff Goldstein: Lots of people in blogland commenting on the latest chapter in Rovegate, which today has the New York Times reporting... |
Echidne: A very odd and poorly written article in the New York Times presents the Rove countergame for us. Jo Fish: Apparently, the latest spin is that now Rove heard of Valerie Plame from Novakula. John Cole: [quote]Today's rather carefully orchestrated story claims that Novak called Rove and told him about Plame, after which Rove is alleged to have said innocently, "I heard that, too."[end quote] |
| Also: Mark Kleiman, Barbara O'Brien, Tom Burka, Avedon Carol, Jesse Taylor, Jon Henke, Andrew Sullivan, John @PowerLine, Michelle Malkin, Craig Crawford, Judd @ThinkProgress, Betsy Newmark, Richard Bradley, Steve Soto, Atrios, Joe Gandelman, Matthew Sheffield, Brian Linse, TheAnchoress, Tbogg, Bill Scher, Digby, Paul @Wizbang, Tom Maguire, Captain Ed, Lorie Byrd, Lambert @Corrente, Scott @PowerLine, Jim Romenesko, John Hawkins, Kevin Drum, Chris Bowers, Ed Cone, Chris Lawrence, Laura Rozen, Armando @DailyKos, Jeralyn Merritt, Attaturk, Orrin Judd, K. J. Lopez | |
Rove Confirmed Plame Indirectly, Lawyer Says By / WaPo — Permalink White House senior adviser Karl Rove indirectly confirmed the CIA affiliation of an administration critic's wife for Robert D. Novak the week before the columnist named her and revealed her position, a lawyer involved in the case said last night. | |
|
Billmon: The Wrong Stuff — [snipped quote] At this point, the fact that Karl Rove knew Valerie Plame's name before she was... John Cole: [quote]The Washington Post, working from the same source, says Rove heard it from a reporter. "I don't think that he has a clear recollection," the lawyer said.[end quote] Barbara O'Brien: Another variation of this tale says that Bob Novak called Karl Rove with the Plame story, and Rove said "I heard that, too." |
Echidne: The Washington Post published an article which tries to clarify the Times message, but it's based on the same information so doesn't help very much. Mark Kleiman: Conveniently, according to the leaker, Rove can't remember which reporter that might have been. There are three possibilities here: 1. Ted @CrookedTimber: The lawyer said Novak had telephoned Rove to discuss another column, about Frances Fragos Townsend, who had been named deputy national security adviser for terrorism in May 2003. |
| Also: Zoe Kentucky, John @PowerLine, Michelle Malkin, Craig Crawford, Betsy Newmark, Steve Soto, Digby, Tom Maguire, Jim Romenesko, Kevin Drum, Atrios | |
Rove E-Mailed Security Official About Talk By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - After mentioning a CIA operative to a reporter, Bush confidant Karl Rove alerted the president's No. 2 security adviser about the interview and said he tried to steer the journalist away from allegations the operative's husband was making about faulty Iraq intelligence. | |
|
David Sirota: And now, at the end of the day, we find out that Rice's number two, Stephen Hadley, may be implicated in the scandal. John Cole: Powell- "No Partisan Gunslinger" — Read this Talk Left piece and tell me if my Colin Powell theory still sounds silly. |
Jeralyn Merritt: Rove Didn't Go to Africa, Not On Air Force One — The AP article detailing Rove's e-mail to Deputy National Security... John @AmericaBlog: Two points for AP - Valerie Plame WAS undercover when Novak & Rove outed her — The Associated Press followed up on... |
Who Exposed Secret Agent Plame? NRO — Permalink Read — or reread — his column from July 14, 2003. All Novak reports is that the wife of former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson is "an Agency operative on weapons of mass destruction." | |
|
K. J. Lopez: To suggest that Cliff's piece today is hacky—as Corn did on Fox—is ridiculous. Right or wrong in the end, Cliff clearly makes a logical case. Hugh Hewitt: Victor Davis Hanson on "Our Wars over the War." Cliff May asks "Who Exposed Secret Agent Plame." Matthew Yglesias: DUMBER AND DUMBER. Cliff May's latest on NRO has to be the stupidest bit of Plame mumbo-jumbo yet. |
Glenn Reynolds: And Ed Morrissey notes an irony. And I don't know what to make of this: David Corn not Novak, was the outer? PGL: Cliff May: What Did He Know and When Did He Know It? I guess Mr. May is the class clown over at the National Review. Cliff May: REPORTERS' NOTEBOOKS — This morning, I have a piece up elsewhere on NRO showing that The Nation's David Corn—not... |
| Also: Andrew Sullivan | |
State Dept. Memo Gets Scrutiny in Leak Inquiry on C.I.A. Officer By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 15 - Prosecutors in the C.I.A. leak case have shown intense interest in a 2003 State Department memorandum that explained how a former diplomat came to be dispatched on an intelligence-gathering mission and the role of his wife, a C.I.A. officer, in the trip, people who have been officially briefed on the case said. | |
|
Joe @AmericaBlog: Today's development — in tomorrow's New York Times — is the State Department's memo about Joseph Wilson and Valerie... Laura Rozen: HUH? It may be time to invest in those fabled tinfoil hats. [snipped quote] Am still reading myself. |
Jeralyn Merritt: Now we know that Valerie Wilson's identity as a CIA Agent and the wife of Joseph Wilson was revealed in a June 10, 2003... |
Source: Rove Got CIA Agent ID From Media By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Chief presidential adviser Karl Rove testified to a grand jury that he talked with two journalists before they divulged the identity of an undercover CIA officer but that he originally learned about the operative from the news media and not government sources, according to a person briefed on the testimony. | |
|
Ted @CrookedTimber: Dumb enough for you? Would you believe that Karl Rove has been keeping quiet this long to protect journalists? Michelle Malkin: MORE ROVE-MANIA..AND THE MEDIA MYSTERY DEEPENS (UPDATED) Compare and contrast... NY Times headline: Rove Reportedly Held... Glenn Reynolds: PLAME UPDATE: The leak came from the press? |
Kevin Hassett: If Karl Rove passed information that he received from one journalist on to another, he will have done something that happens a thousand times a day in Washington. Craig Crawford: The Associated Press report refers to a source "who works in the legal profession and spoke only on condition of anonymity because of the secrecy of grand jury proceedings." Betsy Newmark: The AP has the same story and it sounds like they have the same source. It sounds like their source is either Rove's lawyer or a lawyer in Fitzgerald's office. |
| Also: Joe Gandelman, Paul @Wizbang, Roger L. Simon, Tom Maguire, Lorie Byrd, Gateway Pundit, Orin Kerr, Chris Lawrence, Dr. Steven Taylor, Orrin Judd | |
Soldier survives attack; captures, medically treats sniper (Video) Army Times — Permalink During a routine patrol in Baghdad June 2, Army Pfc. Stephen Tschiderer, a medic, was shot in the chest by an enemy sniper, hiding in a van just 75 yards away. The incident was filmed by the insurgents. | |
|
McQ: Then read the story, with its ironic twist, below: [snipped quote] Did you hear the "Allah Akbar" being repeated over and over by the insurgents who filmed this? Michelle Malkin: MEMORIZE THIS NAME: ARMY PFC. STEPHEN TSCHIDERER The Army Times reports on an American hero. |
John Cole: The story is even better than just that (video here): [snipped quote] More here (.pdf). Justin @SouthernAppeal: Don't expect to see this on Hardball tonight. |
Rove fight escalates Washington Times — Permalink "Her neighbors knew this, her friends knew this, his friends knew this. A lot of blame could be put on to central cover staff and the agency because they weren't minding the store here. ... The agency never changed her cover status." | |
|
Ace: Rovemania — Not Genuine News Of Any Importance, But An Amazing Simulation — Off of Drudge, a CIA agent says that Plames neighbors knew she worked for the agency. Glenn Reynolds: I guess I could see that — except that for that to be the case she would have had to be a clandestine agent up to that... John Hawkins: Update #3 ***: As if that wasn't enough — from the Washington Times: [quote] "A former CIA covert agent who supervised...[end quote] |
John @PowerLine: This morning's Washington Times includes this denial by one of Plame's former supervisors that she was a "covert agent":... Cliff May: BURIED LEDE — Rather deep in the Washington Times story today by Stephen Dinan and Joseph Curl is this revelation: "A... Orrin Judd: HER VANITY PLATES READ "CIA MOM": Rove fight escalates (Stephen Dinan and Joseph Curl, July 15, 2005, THE WASHINGTON... |
Rove Learned CIA Agent's Name From Novak By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON — Chief presidential adviser Karl Rove testified to a grand jury that he talked with two journalists before they divulged the identity of an undercover CIA officer but that he originally learned about the operative from the news media and not government sources, according to a person briefed on the testimony. | |
|
Billmon: And finally, the Associated Press, which appears to have eliminated the middle man and gotten its version in whole cloth... John @AmericaBlog: Here's what AP wrote today: [snipped quote] NO, AP, that's not what Wilson said - I watched the interview live. James Joyner: Rove Learned CIA Agent's Name From Novak (Newsday) [snipped quote] It has been clear from very, very early in this case... |
Ace: A lot of people like this story a lot, a CNN interview in which Wilson says his wife wasn't clandestine when "outed" by... Atrios: Moronosphere — The wingnutosphere, in association with the associated press, is very excited about this interview with... |
Front-Page Fronts By / American Prospect — Permalink A federal criminal investigation into the leak of CIA officer Valerie Plame's name has in large part focused on the truthfulness of statements made to investigators by White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove, and whether he worked with others to devise a cover story to conceal his role, according to government officials familiar with the probe. | |
|
Jeralyn Merritt: Keeping an Eye on Fitzgerald's Big Picture — Murray Waas has just posted another Rove scoop. Atrios: Collaborators — Waas writes: The coverage underscores the secrecy surrounding Fitzgerald's grand-jury investigation. |
Digby: And if you haven't read Murray Waas' account of how this mysterious "lawyer who has been briefed on the case" came to talk with the NY Times and Washington Post, do so. |
General contradicted his sworn testimony on Pentagon, Abu Ghraib By / San Luis Obispo Tribune — Permalink WASHINGTON - (KRT) - An Army general who has been criticized for his role in the treatment of prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention center and Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq has contradicted his sworn congressional testimony about contacts with senior Pentagon officials. | |
|
Digby: I am not surprised. Susie Madrak: Big surprise here: WASHINGTON - (KRT) - An Army general who has been criticized for his role in the treatment of... Benito @DailyKos: In what is probably a case of perjury and contempt of Congress, the Chicago Tribune reports that transcripts acquired by... |
Atrios: Lying to Congress — Clearly misleading testimony about blowjobs is much more important than this: WASHINGTON - (KRT) -... Matthew Yglesias: It seems that General Geoffrey Miller has, um, "contradicted his sworn congressional testimony" regarding whom he spoke to at the Pentagon about detainee policy in Iraq and Gitmo. |
Shrapnel From Home By / LAT — Permalink KILLEEN, Texas — Most of the men in 4th Squad, Charlie Battery, fought two wars while they were in Iraq. There was the war against the insurgents that had them patrolling for roadside bombs and raiding houses at all hours. | |
|
Jason Van Steenwyk: Jody is alive and well — The Los Angeles Times digs into the dark side of military family life.Yep, there's a few faithless skank ho' spouses and girlfriends in every unit. Jo Fish: The old "Jody" call. The story of Jody and Dear John are as old as the military. Deployments were tough enough in peacetime. |
Avedon Carol: More stuff to see — Recommendations from Altercation include: an article about the increase in military divorce rates... |
It doesn't look good for Karl Rove By / CNN — Permalink (FindLaw) — As the scandal over the leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity has continued to unfold, there is a renewed focus on Karl Rove — the White House deputy chief of staff whom President Bush calls his political "architect." | |
|
Steve Antler: It is not beyond imagination — according to Dean's reading of law and precedent — that Joseph Wilson will be indicted... TChris: Dean on Rove — Comparing the allegations of wrongdoing by Karl Rove to the prosecution of Jonathan Randel, John Dean... |
Lorie Byrd: A Day Late — John Dean has some kind of timing, huh? I found this article at Lucianne.com. |
Results of AP-Ipsos poll AP — Permalink The Associated Press-Ipsos poll on public attitudes about President Bush, the nation's direction and terrorism fears is based on telephone interviews with 1,000 adults from all states except Alaska and Hawaii. The interviews were conducted July 11-13 by Ipsos. | |
|
Norbizness: (2) The latest Hooray For America polls are out, and it's lookin' good, if you were a masochist. John Cole: Poll Numbers Decline — Bush's numbers appear to be getting worse, according to this AP poll: [snipped quote] Gutshot. |
Chris Bowers: Lowering Bush's approval ratings is good, but stretching generic congressional ballot leads is better. Atrios: AP: 2. Overall, do you approve, disapprove or have mixed feelings about the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president? |
Harry Potter review blog BBC — Permalink Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth book in the best-selling series by JK Rowling, is released worldwide at 0001 BST on Saturday. The BBC News website's Darren Waters will be picking up his copy then and reviewing it here overnight, posting a new review entry every few chapters. | |
|
Jim Lindgren: Although we ordered a copy of the latest Harry Potter book on Amazon (scheduled to arrive on Saturday), my 18-year-old... |
Glenn Reynolds: A BBC REPORTER IS READING THE NEW HARRY POTTER BOOK, and is liveblogging the reading. Liveblogging a book — why didn't I think of that? |
Mr. Rove's Leak WaPo — Permalink THE UPROAR over Karl Rove's involvement in the leak of a CIA agent's identity makes this the third consecutive Washington summer to feature a tempest over what should have been a long-forgotten visit to the African nation of Niger by retired ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV. | |
|
Digby: Toadys "...Mr. Rove and other administration officials had a legitimate interest in rebutting Mr. Wilson's inflated... Eriposte @LeftCoaster: WaPo Editorial on Treasongate — Steve pointed me to today's Washington Post editorial on Treasongate. Jim Romenesko: That conversation took place three days before Rove spoke with Time's Matthew Cooper. (WP story and editorial.) |
Steve Soto: More Fact-Checking On The Post's Flawed Editorial Today — I don't normally poach the work of our other editors here,... K. J. Lopez: From an editorial: "But much is still unknown, and Democratic demands that Mr. Rove be fired immediately seem premature given the murky state of the evidence. Betsy Newmark: The Washington Post has a relatively balanced editorial today telling everyone to just get a grip about the Rove/Wilson/Plame story. |
Karl Rove's America By / NYT — Permalink John Gibson of Fox News says that Karl Rove should be given a medal. I agree: Mr. Rove should receive a medal from the American Political Science Association for his pioneering discoveries about modern American politics. The medal can, if necessary, be delivered to his prison cell. | |
|
Lindsay Beyerstein: Rove and relativism — Paul Krugman on Karl Rove: "What Mr. Rove understood, long before the rest of us, is that we're... McQ: Krugman: Irony Alert — Leave it to Paul Krugman to provide the quote of the day: "What Mr. Rove understood, long before... Susie Madrak: Karl Rove's America Krugman: And now we know just how far he was willing to go with these smear tactics: as part of... |
Brad DeLong: And here's Krugman: Karl Rove's America - New York Times: What Mr. Rove understood, long before the rest of us, is... Barbara O'Brien: Paul Krugman writes, "What Mr. Rove understood, long before the rest of us, is that we're not living in the America of... Bill @INDCJournal: Dark liberal pot bemoans the unbearable blackness of conservative kettles. |
| Also: Joe Gandelman, Jim Romenesko, Ed Cone, Kevin Drum, Attaturk, Joe @AmericaBlog, Atrios | |
Ethicists Offer Advice for Testing Human Brain Cells in Primates By / NYT — Permalink If stem cells ever show promise in treating diseases of the human brain, any potential therapy would need to be tested in animals. But putting human brain stem cells into monkeys or apes could raise awkward ethical dilemmas, like the possibility of generating a humanlike mind in a chimpanzee's body. | |
|
Lindsay Beyerstein: The ones some people suspect of having, like, intrinsic value and stuff: Ethicists Offer Advice for Testing Human Brain Cells in Primates. |
Orrin Judd: IMAGO HOMO: Ethicists Offer Advice for Testing Human Brain Cells in Primates (NICHOLAS WADE, 7/15/05, NY Times)... |
The Second Source By / WaPo — Permalink Two newspapers and the Associated Press have stories this morning — sparked by what appears to be a strategically crafted leak from Karl Rove's camp — that shed a little more light on the role the president's chief political strategist played in the disclosure of Valerie Plame's CIA affiliation. | |
|
Brian Linse: [UPDATE] Dan Froomkin assesses the likelihood that the info in the Times article was another leak from the Rove camp,... |
Lambert @Corrente: Welcome, WaPo readers — And a tip of the Ol' Corrente Hat to The Amazin' Froomkin for citing Tom's post. |
Chinese General Threatens Use of A-Bombs if U.S. Intrudes By / NYT — Permalink BEIJING, Friday, July 15 - China should use nuclear weapons against the United States if the American military intervenes in any conflict over Taiwan, a senior Chinese military official said Thursday. | |
|
Mark Kleiman: Dangerous lunacy — Mike O'Hare is puzzled and dismayed: <FONT color="blue"Maj. Gen. Zhu Chenghu, three stars short of a... Grant: I'll try not to lose him too many readers. Oh, and if you only read one news story today, read this one. Important stuff. |
Justin: Grant's already posted on the story of the day, but I thought you might like to know that our potential future... Pudentilla: didn't condi just visit china? [snipped quote] she's bringing that same brand of incompetence to her state department portfolio that she demonstrated as national security advisor. |
Facing hard facts By / Washington Times — Permalink Without it — without its fanatics who believe all civilizations are the same — the engine that projects Islam into the unprotected heart of Western civilization would stall and fail. It's as simple as that. | |
|
Hugh Hewitt: Apparently we can agree that it's Britain's fault" in the Times of London and Diana West's "Facing Hard Facts" from the Washington Times. |
Bunuel Cela: our essential weakness — Diane West puts it luminously in washtimes.com |
The Electoral-Based Community By / Weekly Standard — Permalink A FEW MONTHS AGO, Markos Moulitsas, proprietor and founder of the left-wing blog Daily Kos, penned a brief but extremely insightful posting. Under the heading, "Evidence that we live in a different world," Moulitsas pointed to a recent Time magazine poll that... | |
|
Kevin Drum: Over in the Weekly Standard, Dean Barnett argues today that the Democratic party is in big trouble. Rogers Cadenhead: The Weekly Standard derides the top liberal weblogs as far-left and shrill: [snipped quote] The Drudge Retort was one of... |
Hugh Hewitt: Dean Barnett has it exactly right on why the blogs are hurting the Dems and helping the GOP. |
Houston Rapper Fired As Baggage Screener By / AP — Permalink HOUSTON — When Bassam Khalaf raps, he's the Arabic Assassin. His unreleased CD, "Terror Alert," includes rhymes about flying a plane into a building and descriptions of himself as a "crazy, suicidal Arabic ... equipped with bombs." | |
|
Captain Ed: 'Arabic Assassin' Rapper Worked In Airport Security — The AP reports that a Muslim baggage screener for the... Clayton Cramer: You Got Your Wish, Sir — An Arab-American makes rap videos that praise the 9/11 terrorists, threatens to do terrorist... |
Michelle Malkin: TSA: TRAINING SUICIDAL ARABS — You've seen some of the news coverage by now of Bassam Khalaf, the self-proclaimed... James Joyner: Houston Rapper Fired As Baggage Screener (AP - Newsday) [snipped quote] It's probable that this guy is merely an idiot rather than a terrorist. |
A Poverty of Dignity and a Wealth of Rage By / NYT — Permalink A few years ago I was visiting Bahrain and sitting with friends in a fish restaurant when news appeared on an overhead TV about Muslim terrorists, men and women, who had taken hostages in Russia. | |
|
Dr. Demarche: I'll definitely address this issue at some point in the future- but today our good friend Marc Schulman at American... |
Matthew Yglesias: WHY ARE SUNNIS SO MAD? Tom Friedman's wondering: [snipped quote] This is mighty silly. |
Court Backs Bush on Trials for Qaeda Suspects at Guantánamo By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 15 - In a significant victory for the Bush administration's antiterrorism policy, a federal appeals court ruled today that military commissions could resume war crimes trials of detainees at the American naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. | |
|
Ann Althouse: UPDATE: Here's the NYT article: "The panel emphatically overturned a decision on Nov. 8 by a federal district judge in... |
John Cole: Detainee Ruling — A federal appeals court has sided with the Bush administration: [snipped quote] Seems like a pretty... |
Contrary Tales of Vioxx Role in Texan's Death By / NYT — Permalink ANGLETON, Tex., July 14 - Two very different lawyers presented two very different opening arguments - in both style and substance - Thursday in Ernst v. Merck, the first Vioxx-related lawsuit to reach a jury. | |
|
Norbizness: (1) It looks like the semiobscure town of Angleton, south of Houston, will be the staging ground for a huge class action... |
Arianna Huffington: The first of thousands of wrongful death and injury lawsuits started yesterday in the Lone Star State, seeking to prove... |
The Women of Gitmo NYT — Permalink There are countless reasons to be outraged about the abuses of detainees at American military prisons. But there is one abuse about which there can surely be no debate, even among the die-hard supporters of President Bush: the exploitation and debasement of women serving in the United States military. | |
|
Betsy Newmark: Okay, I'm sorry but I have to revisit the Gitmo story again because Michelle Malkin has brought to our attention this... Michelle Malkin: It admits it sees little difference between sexually suggestive interrogation methods designed to extract information... |
Kriston @BeggingToDiffer: SEX BOMB — The New York Times on Pentagon-authored interrogation techniques practiced at Gitmo and expanded upon at Abu Ghraib: [snipped quote] That sounds right to me. |
Murder's Row Rules NRO — Permalink The mullahs and us. Iranian dissidents appealed to the United Nations to support calls for freedom for Akbar Ganji, the brave writer who is being tortured in Tehran for the sin of exposing the murderous activities of the theocratic regime of the Islamic republic. | |
|
Dan Darling: I see Dr. Ledeen was very kind to cite me in his column over at National Review online today. K. J. Lopez: I WAS SHOCKED when I read this in Michael Ledeen's piece today: [snipped quote] EVEN THE EU. Someone should send an envoy to Kofi Annan. |
Rachel Z. Friedman: Michael Ledeen has more, as does the Regime Change Iran blog, on the man some have called the "Iranian Havel," and on the many other Iranians struggling with him. |
Prez ex-flack lumped with Rove? NY Daily News — Permalink WASHINGTON - The special prosecutor probing the outing of a CIA spy is looking beyond who leaked Valerie Plame's identity, seeking whether White House aides tried to cover their tracks after her name went public, sources told the Daily News. | |
|
The Farmer: "- [The Guardian (UK), October 2, 2003 - via Lex Nex]" More... on suspicious nature of grand jury testimony being... |
Nico @ThinkProgress: Now this, from the New York Daily News (via Carpetbagger): "Along with Bush political guru Karl Rove, the grand jury is... |
Iraq constitution on track, but not end to violence By / Reuters — Permalink BAGHDAD (Reuters) - In a month, Iraq should have a constitution, meeting a deadline set as part of a U.S.-backed timetable for its transition from occupation to independence. Whether that can defuse bloody conflict to give Iraqis a stable and sovereign state remains an open question. | |
|
Cernig: Sssshhh. Don't Mention The Civil War Thirty days from now, Iraq is supposed to have a draft constitution. Captain Ed: No Delay For Iraqi Constitution — Reuters reports this morning that despite initial widespread skepticism about the... |
McQ: Iraq: Constitution on Track — Reports from Iraq say the constitution is on track and should be ready per the timeline agreed upon. |
Military Lawyers Fought Policy on Interrogations By / WaPo — Permalink Three top military lawyers said yesterday that they lodged complaints about the Justice Department's definition of torture and how it would be applied to interrogations of enemy prisoners captured by U.S. forces, the first time they have publicly acknowledged that they objected to the policy as it was being developed in early 2003. | |
|
Norbizness: You'll never know until you read up! (5) Oh, Uncle Bandar. Pudentilla: jags didn't get the memo — [snipped quote] it's rummy's world, we just get to be shackled here. |
Andrew Sullivan: GENEVA SUSPENDED: We have new evidence that president Bush's suspension of the ban on torture under the Geneva... |
It Appears That Karl Rove Is In Serious Trouble By / FindLaw's Writ — Permalink As the scandal over the leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity has continued to unfold, there is a renewed focused on Karl Rove — the White House Deputy Chief of Staff whom President Bush calls his political "architect." | |
|
Avedon Carol: John Dean says It Appears That Karl Rove Is In Serious Trouble, because there is precedent for finding Rove guilty of... Susie Madrak: Trouble John Dean: There are stories circulating that Rove may have been told of Valerie Plame's CIA activity by a... |
Brian Linse: John Dean at Findlaw. Rove in "serious trouble". Greg Palast with a good, clear take on the Judith Miller angle. |
Pataki Will Test '08 Winds in Iowa By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 14 - Gov. George E. Pataki of New York is headed to Iowa this weekend for what associates described on Thursday as an exploration of whether he should run for president in 2008, reflecting what they called an increased likelihood that he would forgo a bid for a fourth term next year and turn to the national stage. | |
|
Avedon Carol: "Remember, the liberal New York Times editorial page endorsed this deeply delusional conservative Republican governor for re-election over an extremely capable African-American." Taegan Goddard: Pataki Exploring White House Bid — New York Gov. George Pataki (R) "is headed to Iowa this weekend for what associates... |
Matthew Yglesias: New York Governor George Pataki is visiting Iowa in what The New York Times describes "as a test of whether a moderate... K. J. Lopez: LOL — "Pataki Will Test '08 Winds in Iowa" |
Ex-Clinton Aide Charges Republicans 'Want to Kill Us' By / CNSNews — Permalink (CNSNews.com) - Young liberals this week flocked to the nation's capital to hear, among other things, liberal television pundit and Democrat political strategist Paul Begala accuse Republicans of wanting to kill him and his children to preserve tax cuts for the rich. | |
|
Betsy Newmark: Hugh Hewitt has listened to Paul Begala's rant and thinks that CNS and I were taken in by Begala's ignorance of the rules of pronoun reference. |
DJ Drummond: Paul Begala: Slander Monkey! (as originally reported in a post by Betsy Newmark) |
US appeals court says Guantanamo trial can proceed By / Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that a Guantanamo prisoner accused of being Osama bin Laden's bodyguard could be tried by a military tribunal, reversing a lower court decision that such a trial was unlawful and would violate his rights. | |
|
Jayson @PoliPundit: Exhibit A. Incidentally, the Judge Randolph to whom that article makes reference was appointed to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals by President George H.W. Bush. |
James Joyner: US appeals court says Guantanamo trial can proceed (Reuters) [snipped quote] I would have been shocked had they ruled otherwise. |
Chemist Sought in London Probe Arrested By / AP — Permalink (07-15) 07:34 PDT LONDON, United Kingdom (AP) — Police in Egypt have arrested an Egyptian biochemist sought in the probe of the London bombings, an official said Friday. Meanwhile, authorities investigated a possible link between al-Qaida and the suicide team that carried out attacks. | |
|
Jim Henley: Will our education in that matter be as baleful as our learning experience with the Khan case has been? UPDATE: Got one! Cori Dauber: On my way out the door but just had to share this: look like the Egyptians may have caught the chemist the Brits are looking for. |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: And by the way, the chemist was actually arrested. Which means the ABC report may not actually have been "the latest." |
$31.8-Billion Homeland Security Bill Passes LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — On the way to passing a $31.8-billion Homeland Security spending bill Thursday, Senate Republican leaders beat back a series of attempts — pressed by senators from states with large urban centers — to increase money for mass transit protection by as much as $1.4 billion. | |
|
Norbizness: OK... well what if your mechanic looked like this (the bastard offspring of Tom Noonan and a homeless guy)? (6a) And... |
Nico @ThinkProgress: Conservatives' Short-Term Memory Problem — How did Bill Frist commemorate the one-week anniversary of the London terrorist attacks? |
Muslim support of suicide bombing wanes By / USA Today — Permalink WASHINGTON — Support for suicide bombings has dropped significantly in several predominantly Muslim nations, a worldwide public-opinion survey has found — a positive note at a time concerns have been heightened by terrorist attacks in London, Iraq and Israel. | |
|
Daniel Drezner: Susan Page summarizes in USA Today: [snipped quote] Click here for more poll results. |
Orin Kerr: Less Support for Terrorism in Muslim Nations: From the USA Today: "Support for suicide bombings has dropped... |
'The Secret Man': The Insider By / AP — Permalink IN the spring of 1976 I took myself to the first available screening of ''All the President's Men,'' and sat enthralled in the darkness as Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman and Jason Robards portrayed the men I only wished I could be. | |
|
Jim Romenesko: > Hitchens: "Woodward's allegiance is to print, not to writing" (NYT) |
Laura Rozen: Truly interesting Hitchens review of Woodward's new book, and on leaks, Watergate, Plame, etc. |
June Industrial Production Roars Ahead By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Industrial production roared ahead in June at the fastest pace in 16 months, with half of the gain attributed to a big increase in output at the nation's utilities, reflecting the onset of hot weather. | |
|
Steve Soto: Industrial production is up and wholesale prices are flat. The deficit is down for the year, due to one-time tax collections that will not reappear next year. |
Orrin Judd: EVEN THE FED WILL HAVE TO TRY HARDER TO STALL THIS ECONOMY: June Industrial Production Roars Ahead (AP, 07.15.2005) |
History According to Harry By / Opinion Journal — Permalink Tonight, when "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" descends upon bookstores, millions of children will flutter in delight. But the sixth entry in the franchise may well please discerning adults, too. The series began as a collection of detective stories cloaked in sorcery. | |
|
Damian Penny: Harry Potter and the World War II Analogy — Jonathan Last says the fifth Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Order... |
Dr. Steven Taylor: Woe to the WSJ — On no what will Joel Stein say? Woe to the WSJ On no what will Joel Stein say? |
Christian Conservatives Will Take Aim at Supreme Court in New Telecast By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 14 - Stepping up efforts to rally churchgoers for a Supreme Court confirmation battle, Christian conservatives are organizing a telecast to churches and religious broadcasters denouncing the Supreme Court as hostile to religion and families. | |
|
TChris: Justice Sunday II: Return of the Extremists — Remember Justice Sunday? |
John Cole: Raising the Stakes — The NYT also has this write-up about "Just Us" Sunday II: [snipped quote] Shorter Tony Perkins: 'It's for the children.' |
Muslims Pay Attention By / American Spectator — Permalink How goes the battle for hearts and minds in the war on terrorism? A survey released yesterday by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, including polls conducted in six predominantly Muslim countries, offers some clues. (Note that all components of the survey were taken before the London bombings.) | |
|
Bill Roggio: Mr. Tabin neatly summarizes the data. "Support, among Muslims, for suicide bombing against civilians has also faded. |
Glenn Reynolds: JOHN TABIN LOOKS FURTHER AT THE PEW POLL on Muslim attitudes on terror and democracy. |
It's paranoia, not Islamophobia By / Guardian — Permalink Britain can take pride in how it has been trying to make a reality of political and legal equality for its 1.6 million Muslim citizens over recent years. Some Muslims still face forms of discrimination not faced by most other Britons, but many doors have swung open, especially since 1997. | |
|
Andrew Sullivan: THE "GRIEVANCE" OF BRITAIN'S MUSLIMS: David Goodhart, in the Guardian, sees no there there. |
Damian Penny: Same old Guardian — Sometimes the English paper we love to hate prints a worthwhile article, and you wonder if the editors have seen the light. |
Rehnquist Denies Rumor of Retirement By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 14 - Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, ending months of increasingly frenzied speculation about his retirement plans, declared on Thursday night that he would continue to serve "as long as my health permits." | |
|
Jeffrey Dubner: (I know, this is mostly moot after today's news.) [snipped quote] The unfailing courage of the moderates does not disappoint. |
V @LeftInTheWest: He has flat out denied the possibility of his retiring this term. |
Rare Statute Figures in Rove Case By / LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — In the early 1980s, Sharon Scranage, a clerk for the CIA in Ghana, committed what in retrospect was a historic act of betrayal. The seven-year agency employee, with a top-secret security clearance, was charged with leaking secrets to her boyfriend, a suspected operative of the Ghanaian national intelligence service. | |
|
Roger Ailes: Yet another idiot reporter printing the claims of Victoria Toerag and Bruce Sanford as if they were true: "The law was... |
Tom Maguire: ANOTHER BAD HAIR DAY: The LA Times probes the IIPA, but ignores the Espionage Act. |
UK bomb suspect arrested in Egypt -report By / Reuters — Permalink LONDON (Reuters) - An Egyptian chemistry student who may have been involved in last week's London bombings is understood to have been arrested in Cairo, a British police source said on Friday. Magdy Elnashar, 33, was wanted for questioning over the bomb attacks that killed at least 54 people and injured 700. | |
|
McQ: Reuters is claiming the Egyptian born "chemist" sought by UK authorities has been apprehended in Egypt. |
Dr. Steven Taylor: 7/7 Suspect Arrested in Egypt — Via Reuters: UK bomb suspect arrested in Egypt -report [snipped quote] Dr. Rusty Shackleford had info on this fellow yesterday. |
Hizb ut Tahrir BBC — Permalink An influential British Muslim has told Newsnight that unless action is taken against an extreme Muslim group operating in the United Kingdom then we could soon be experiencing terrorist attacks along the lines of those in Baghdad and Jerusalem. | |
|
David T: As you may be aware, there's been a bit of a stir raised by "sassy" Guardian trainee Dilpazier Aslam and his article... |
Scott Burgess: 'Sassy' Organisation: "Kill Jews Everywhere" — From the BBC, 27 August, 2003 (emphasis added): [quote] "An influential...[end quote] |
Major GOP Donor Favored as Next CPB Chairman By / WaPo — Permalink A leading Republican donor who once suggested that public broadcasting journalists should be penalized for biased programs is the top candidate to succeed the controversial chairman at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, according to people at CPB and others in public broadcasting. | |
|
Echidne: A postscript: In today's news we learn that Tomlinson will be replaced, when his term runs out, by a major... Jim Romenesko: Major GOP donor in line to replace Tomlinson as CPB chair — Washington Post Cheryl F. Halpern, the top candidate to... |
Susie Madrak: Public Servant I've been saying it all along: If they appointed even one person I could respect to an important position, I'd eat my hat. |
Karl Rove and CIA Leak; Joe Wilson Interview; Douglas Feith Interview; Middle East Tensions; London Terror Investigation CNN — Permalink THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Happening now, the battle over Karl Rove and the CIA leak intensifying. There are new accusations and recriminations. Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS. | |
|
Jon Henke: 2) Last night on CNN, Joseph Wilson suddenly recalled that, oh yeah, his wife wasn't actually "a clandestine officer the day that Bob Novak blew her identity". Glenn Reynolds: UPDATE: Joe Wilson seems to be letting more air out of what looks more and more like a grossly inflated story: "My wife... Scott @PowerLine: Over at NRO's Corner, John Podhoretz writes: [quote] Here is Joseph Wilson himself, talking to Wolf Blitzer on CNN today: "My...[end quote] |
Paul @Wizbang: Last night Joe Wilson, who was keeping a low profile on CNN's Wolf Blitzer show, confirmed what anyone with a brain knew. Dale Franks: Joe Wilson, on CNN with Wolf Blitzer tonight, dropped this bombshell: "My wife was not a clandestine officer the day that Bob Novak blew her identity." Steve Antler: Wilson loses it... Judith Miller remains in jail, and on CNN Joe seems lost in Orwellian doublethink, firmly convinced... |
| Also: John Hawkins, John Podhoretz, Betsy Newmark, John Cole, Orrin Judd | |
Support for Bin Laden, Violence Down Among Muslims, Poll Says By / WaPo — Permalink Osama bin Laden's standing has dropped significantly in some pivotal Muslim countries, while support for suicide bombings and other acts of violence has "declined dramatically," according to a new survey released yesterday. | |
|
Cori Dauber: A-13) on the front page of today's Washington Post is a story about a poll with great timing: support for both OBL and suicide bombing down in critical Islamic countries. |
Damian Penny: Freedom is winning — A new survey shows that more and more Muslims believe democracy can work in their countries, while... |
London Bombers Tied to Al Qaeda Plot in Pakistan By / ABCNEWS — Permalink July 14, 2005 — At least two men who have connections to last week's London bombings are alive and still at large. The first is a man, who was seen on surveillance tapes at Luton station, located outside of London, as he bid farewell to the four bombers the morning of the attacks. | |
|
John Cole: Ever More Noor Khan — By now you have seen this story: "The laptop computer of Naeem Noor Khan, a captured al Qaeda... Jim Henley: Comments () » Leeds (Leads) II Police are searching for one Brit of Pakistani descent and one Egyptian. McQ: London Bombing's al Qaeda ties — ABC is reporting a link has been established between the London terrorist who bombed... |
Damian Penny: This ABC report says the bombers may have been a group activated after Khan's group was arrested. 7. Avedon Carol: Oh, yeah,* thanks a bunch for all your help. Don't let people forget that the Rove Traitorgate story is all part of the Downing Street Memo story. Michelle Malkin: Paul has been working the Pakistani-al Qaeda angle that is now the subject of renewed interest in the wake of the 7/7 terrorist attacks. |
| Also: Juan Cole, LeanLeft, Captain Ed, Barbara O'Brien, Gateway Pundit, Atrios, Pejman Yousefzadeh, Sebastian Holsclaw, Marc @USSNeverdock | |
Schwarzenegger Is Drawing Fire for an Ad Deal By / NYT — Permalink LOS ANGELES, July 14 - Arnold Schwarzenegger, who refused a state salary when he became governor, stands to earn at least $5 million under previously undisclosed terms of a contract with a group of fitness magazines, an agreement that critics called an apparent conflict of interest Thursday. | |
|
Cori Dauber: The Times, which has a story about the troubles of the Governor of California front page above the fold, puts the story on pg. |
Kevin Roderick: Schwarzenegger's lucrative deal with the fitness magazines makes the front page of Friday's New York Times. |
Governor Defends Magazine Deal LAT — Permalink SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger dismissed criticism of his $8-million consulting deal with a magazine publisher Thursday, saying through a spokesman that the work takes up little time, poses no ethical conflicts and may even be saving taxpayers money. | |
|
Kevin Roderick: In Friday's follow-up LAT story, the governor's aides call it much ado about nothing and say the work takes up little... |
Jim Romenesko: Additional items for July 15, 2005 > Newsday nears end of circ scandal-related rebate program (Newsday) > Us Weekly's... |
Afghanistan crucial to terrorism fight, Howard says ABC News — Permalink MAXINE McKEW: After today's announcement, the Prime Minister is just days away from getting first-hand briefings about Afghanistan and Iraq from both George Bush and Tony Blair. He leaves on Friday for a trip that will take him to the US and United Kingdom, but tonight he joins us live from Canberra. | |
|
Blackfive: John Howard On Buying Immunity from Terror — Via Instapundit - Australian Prime Minister John Howard on what effect... Glenn Reynolds: BRAVO FOR JOHN HOWARD: [snipped quote] (Via Art Vandelay). Ms. McKew needs to read this column by Max Boot. |
Stephen Pollard: Spot on, John Howard — Telling it as it is: "MAXINE McKEW: Prime Minister, if as you say you can't rule out that... |
Chief Justice Rehnquist Leaves Hospital WaPo — Permalink Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist emphatically denied yesterday that he intends to step down from the Supreme Court in the near future, as he sought to halt a spiral of speculation about his possible retirement. | |
|
James Joyner: Chief Justice Rehnquist Leaves Hospital (WaPo, A01) "Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist emphatically denied yesterday... |
Smash: Rehnquist Won't Retire CHIEF JUSTICE WILLIAM REHNQUIST: [snipped quote] This statement was released shortly after... |
GOP Rep. Cunningham Won't Seek Reelection By / WaPo — Permalink Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.), a Vietnam War fighter pilot whose house was raided by the FBI this month in an investigation of his ties to a defense contractor, announced yesterday that he will not seek reelection but will serve out his term. | |
|
Roger Ailes: Grand Old Police Blotter: Duke's Down Edition [quote] Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.), a Vietnam War fighter pilot...[end quote] |
Attaturk: But it appears that it finally has had a consequence: [snipped quote] Oh, he didn't say it from the Dukestir? |
8 Months After U.S.-Led Siege, Insurgents Rise Again in Falluja By / NYT — Permalink FALLUJA, Iraq, July 12 - Transformed into a police state after last winter's siege, this should be the safest city in all of Iraq. Thousands of American and Iraqi troops live in crumbling buildings here and patrol streets laced with concertina wire. | |
|
Talking Dog: According to this from the Grey Lady, some eight months after a bloody siege cost the lives of over 1,500 Iraqis and... Armando @DailyKos: Meanwhile in Iraq The catastropic Iraq Debacle, which severely weakened the strong global alliance on the War on... |
Pudentilla: last throes — [snipped quote] next, dick cheney, the father of a lesbian, will explain to us how the insurgency has not... |
Democrats Suggest Blocking EPA Nominees By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Two Democratic senators suggested Thursday they may block one or more of President Bush's nominees to key Environmental Protection Agency posts unless they get answers they want from the agency. | |
|
Captain Ed: The Only Tactic They Know — Democrats in the Senate twice threatened more executive-nomination obstructionism if the... |
Jayson @PoliPundit: Fallen — They used to run this country like the Tsars of Mother Russia. Now? They've been reduced to this! |
Rehnquist Says He'll Stay on Supreme Court AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, denying rumors of his retirement, said Thursday he will continue heading the court as long his health permits. ''I'm not about to announce my retirement,'' he said in a statement obtained by The Associated Press. | |
|
James Joyner: Rehnquist Says He'll Stay on Supreme Court — Rehnquist Says He'll Stay on Supreme Court (NYT - AP) (also MSNBC, AFR) John @PowerLine: Rehnquist Staying Put — Chief Justice Rehnquist is tired of the virtual death-watch the media have been keeping outside... TChris: Update: "I'm not about to announce my retirement," he told The Associated Press. |
Michael Froomkin: But for all that, I was tremendously pleased to read Rehnquist's statement that he wishes to "put to rest the... Pejman Yousefzadeh: STAYING PUT — If Chief Justice Rehnquist wishes to stay on the Supreme Court, that is, of course, his right. Jayson @PoliPundit: Standing Tall — William Rehnquist. So, I guess those super-secret, rock-solid sources about which Robert Novak was hyperventilating last week were not that keen, eh? |
| Also: Nathan Newman, Orrin Judd, Armando @DailyKos | |
Rehnquist insists he won't resign MSNBC — Permalink WASHINGTON - Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, denying rumors of his retirement, said Thursday he will continue heading the court as long his health permits. "I'm not about to announce my retirement," he said. | |
|
Tbogg: Rehnquist Watch — Not Stone Cold William Rehnquist. Posted by Picasa Not going quietly. Taegan Goddard: Quote of the Day — [snipped quote] — Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, quoted by the AP. Link | Related News |
Joe @AmericaBlog: AP has the story: "Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, denying rumors of his retirement, said Thursday he will continue heading the court as long his health permits. |
Feith Says Pentagon Overdid WMD Rationale By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) — The top policy adviser to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld says the Bush administration erred by building its public case for war against Saddam Hussein mainly on the claim that he possessed banned weapons. | |
|
Kevin Drum: Here is Doug Feith, the outgoing #3 guy at the Pentagon: [snipped quote] Our intelligence community made, apparently, an error. |
Susie Madrak: A Matter of Method Do you f**king believe these people? |
Poll Finds Drop in Muslim Support for Terrorism By / WaPo — Permalink Osama bin Laden's standing has dropped significantly in some key Muslim countries, while support for suicide bombings and other acts of violence has "declined dramatically," according to a new survey released today. | |
|
Michael Signer: A WaPo article today by Robin Wright suggests that Al Qaeda may have stumbled in another way — this time domestically... Arthur Chrenkoff: "The new poll also found that growing majorities or pluralities of Muslims now say that democracy can work in their countries and is not just a Western ideology. Marc @USSNeverdock: Islam - Muslims Deserting bin Laden — According to a recent poll. But for some strange reason, The Washington Post uses the opprotunity to criticize the administration. |
Mark Krikorian: MUSLIM OPINION — A Pew poll of global attitudes found that support for suicide bombings has declined dramatically in the Muslim countries surveyed. Betsy Newmark: A new Pew poll shows that respondents in six Muslim countries have lower opinions about Bin Laden and suicide bombings. Patrick Ruffini: Wrong. |
| Also: Brad Plumer, Jan Haugland, Praktike, Dean Esmay, Von @ObsidianWings, Andrew Sullivan, Captain Ed, Joe Gandelman, James Joyner, Pejman Yousefzadeh, Glenn Reynolds | |
Getting Worried at the White House By / WaPo — Permalink President Bush's lackluster refusal to comment yesterday on his political guru's involvement in the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame did nothing to ease growing worries at the White House that trouble may be around the corner. There were no words of support for Karl Rove. | |
|
Avedon Carol: Digby got linked from Dan Froomkin in the WaPo, who thought Digby's point was so good that he wants to go even further:... Ted @CrookedTimber: As a brilliant double-cross to embarass the press, at the expense of Bush's likability and trustworthiness poll numbers? Joe Gandelman: Let's just say all signs suggest George Bush may still like Karl Rove but may not want to be see in public calling him... |
Barbara O'Brien: And Dan Froomkin wrote yesterday that the White House is genuinely worried, perhaps more so than at any other time in Bush's presidency. Michael Froomkin: My Brother's Really Brilliant Plamegate Idea — I break my vacation silence (soon to be enforced by a lack of web access... Digby: No Longer A Beer Buddy — "Finally, it's not just honesty where Bush is taking a hit. |
| Also: Laura Rozen, John @AmericaBlog, Lambert @Corrente | |
CIA 'outing' might fall short of crime By / USA Today — Permalink WASHINGTON — The alleged crime at the heart of a controversy that has consumed official Washington — the "outing" of a CIA officer — may not have been a crime at all under federal law, little-noticed details in a book by the agent's husband suggest. | |
|
John Cole: This could also incorporate the Toensing 'Martha Stewart' theory, in that Fitzgerald thnks Rove has perjured himself in the Grand Jury. Jon Henke: 3) USA Today reveals that Wilson's own book provides evidence that Plame would not qualify for protection under The... Matthew Sheffield: Thankfully, Wilson's ill-deserved and over-utilized fame will soon be coming to an end as USA Today and the New York... |
Paul @Wizbang: The USA Today Gets a Clue... A Year Later — Never let it be said that the USA Today wasn't a year behind the... Mark Kleiman: So far the GOP spin that this case is about IIPA or nothing remains dominant in the mainstream press. Scott @PowerLine: James Taranto links to this USA Today article and writes in "Best of the Web Today": "Unless we're missing something,... |
| Also: Steve Antler, Greg Piper, Baldilocks, Taegan Goddard, Garrett M. Graff | |
Are you ready? Tomorrow you will be in Paradise . . . Times of London — Permalink What motivates a suicide bomber? Our correspondent talks to a young Muslim who survived his intended 'martyrdom' and describes the terrorists' rigorous training | |
|
Donald Sensing: Speaking of suicide bombers, here is a detailed article by Pakistani Muslim Nasra Hassan about them in the Middle East, "Are you ready? Marc @USSNeverdock: Islam - What Motivates Terrorists? The Times (UK) reports on what motivates someone to become a suicide bomber. Hugh Hewitt: From Ed Driscoll who got it from Stanley Kurtz: "Are You Ready: Tomorrow You Will be in Paradise." |
Jan Haugland: What drives suicide bombers — Nasra Hassan of The Times talks to a young Muslim who survived his intended suicide attack. Ed Driscoll: His words are utterly chilling, as he explains how young men are turned into kamikazes: "In Gaza, S is celebrated as a... Orrin Judd: ROOT CAUSES (via Ed Driscoll): Are you ready? Tomorrow you will be in Paradise . . . : What motivates a suicide bomber? |
| Also: Roger L. Simon, Scott @PowerLine, Stanley Kurtz | |
Limbaugh blasted Mehlman's renunciation of GOP racial tactics: "Republicans are going to go bend over and grab the ankles" Media Matters for America — Permalink Nationally syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh blasted Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Ken Mehlman's plans to apologize for his party's notorious Southern Strategy at the annual convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). | |
|
Joe Gandelman: Who is this broadcaster seemingly standing in the schoolhouse door as the GOP leadership attempts to enter and start a dialogue with black Americans? LeanLeft: Limbaugh - Mad for RNC Apologizing for Racism — Filed under: Politics Media — Kevin This is disgusting. the Southern... Atrios: Limbaugh — Mad at Republicans for apologizing for exploiting racism. Over the top, even for him... |
Jesse Taylor: Your Nightly Letter From Rush Limbaugh — Listen bitches, This is El Rushbo, Rushy Montana here, telling you about the... Chris Bowers: Of course, the Republican base has reacted violently against this act of contrition: "LIMBAUGH: President Bush... Ed Cone: Rush is wrong — Limbaugh disgusted by RNC chair's apology for racially divisive politics. |
You are so lucky that you're not British, Chirac tells his people Times of London — Permalink PRESIDENT CHIRAC sought to regain favour with his worried nation yesterday by telling the French that they are far better off than the British and have no reason to take lessons from across the Channel. | |
|
McQ: I mean, is it just stupidity or a natural by-product of his arrogance: [quote] He said: "I have a lot of esteem for the British people and for Tony Blair.[end quote] Ace: I'm beginning to understand this whole cross-national voting thing: [snipped quote] M Sarkozy is known to be... Orrin Judd: TAKE MY WIFE...PLEASE: You are so lucky that you're not British, Chirac tells his people (Charles Bremner, 7/15/05, Times of London) [snipped quote] Who knew he did stand-up? |
Arthur Chrenkoff: First, he didn't like the food... Jacques Chirac doesn't think the French should look up to the Brits: "I have a lot of esteem for the British people and for Tony Blair. Betsy Newmark: He tries to convince his countrymen, that sure things aren't so bon in France right now, but at least they're not British. |
Plame Wars NRO — Permalink There is a lot that we still don't know about the case of Valerie Plame, so it would be premature to proclaim that Karl Rove has either been vindicated or discredited. Definitive judgments are going to have to wait for more information. What we know so far is far from damning. | |
|
Michelle Malkin: And check out NRO's editorial, with which I concur. K. J. Lopez: By the way, here's our editorial up today on the Plame-Rove bizness. |
PGL: PlameGate: The National Review Has No Principles at All — While I had promised not to say anything more, NRO's oped... |
China 'ready to use N-weapons against US' By / Financial Times — Permalink China is prepared to use nuclear weapons against the US if it is attacked by Washington during a confrontation over Taiwan, according to a senior Chinese military official. | |
|
Richard TPD: On top of that, the wires are awash in news about nutty nuke-happy Chinese generals, a nutty American general caught... Clayton Cramer: Going To War With China — This isn't the first time that China has indicated its willingness to use nuclear weapons on the U.S. Ramesh Ponnuru: PROVOCATION from China. |
PatHMV @Centerfield: I wasn't intending to post a third story today, but then China threatened to use nuclear weapons against the United... K. J. Lopez: FT: "CHINA 'READY TO USE N-WEAPONS AGAINST US'" (Here.) Makes you worry even more about Unocal. |
Wilson's Iraq Assertions Hold Up Under Fire From Rove Backers Bloomberg — Permalink July 14 (Bloomberg) — Two-year old assertions by former ambassador Joseph Wilson regarding Iraq and uranium, which lie at the heart of the controversy over who at the White House identified a covert U.S. operative, have held up in the face of attacks by supporters of presidential adviser Karl Rove. | |
|
Joe Gandelman: With the exception of a Wall Street Journal piece saying Americans should be thankful for Karl Rove "whistleblower,"... Barbara O'Brien: The rightie linked above was reacting to this Bloomberg article, "Wilson's Iraq Assertions Hold Up Under Fire from Rove Backers," of which Digby says, "Bookmark this." Jeralyn Merritt: Bloomberg News reports that Joseph Wilson's accusations against White House officials hold up against Republican accusations against him. |
Faiz @ThinkProgress: FACT: Wilson Was Right, Bush Was Wrong Bloomberg recently reported, "Two-year old assertions by former ambassador Joseph... Gateway Pundit: Update 2: More lies from the MSM regarding Wilson. This one is just sickening from Bloomberg.com ! Digby: Bookmark This — From Bloomberg: Wilson's Iraq Assertions Hold Up Under Fire From Rove Backers |
Support for bin Laden falls in Muslim countries By / Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Support for Osama bin Laden and suicide bombings have fallen sharply in much of the Muslim world, according to a multicountry poll released on Thursday. The survey by the Pew Research Center examined public opinion in six predominantly Muslim nations: Morocco, Pakistan, Turkey, Indonesia, Jordan and Lebanon. | |
|
Nick Gillespie: C'mon, U.S.-born Queen Noor's book wasn't that bad, was it? Whole Reuters account of survey here. The Pew survey is online here. Clayton Cramer: This latest poll suggests that if Bush's actions are alienating Muslims in the war against terror, he needs to do it... |
Ace: After they answer "Yes" — which of course they will — read them this: [snipped quote] And then watch them splutter. Orrin Judd: MORE: Support for bin Laden falls in Muslim countries (Alan Elsner Thu Jul 14, 2005, Reuters) "Support for Osama bin... |
Coleman may lead defense of Rove Minneapolis Star Tribune — Permalink Republican officials hinted Wednesday that Sen. Norm Coleman could play a leading role in responding to Democrats' attacks against White House aide Karl Rove. | |
|
Betsy Newmark: UPDATE: With the story that Norm Coleman might be leading some of the Rove defense, you think he could be the source for the NYT/WP/AP stories? Tbogg: Posted by Picasa Fresh from the battle of George Gallaway Made Me His Bitch, Norm Coleman gets to defend Karl Rove. Josh Marshall: Star Tribune confirms — TPM's mini scoop from Tuesday: Sen. Coleman (R-WH) tapped to lead defense of Karl Rove. |
Mary @PacificViews: Today, Norm Coleman added to his legacy by participating in one of the most disgusting and anti-American spectacles we've ever seen. Attaturk: I can't believe it, I just cannot believe that parody hath become reality... "Republican officials hinted Wednesday that... |
Gov. to Be Paid $8 Million by Fitness Magazines LAT — Permalink SACRAMENTO — Two days before he was sworn into office, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger accepted a consulting job paying an estimated $8 million over five years to "further the business objectives" of a national publisher of health and bodybuilding magazines. | |
|
Kevin Roderick: • Gov. Schwarzenegger's take from his deal to promote American Media's fitness magazines is either $5 million... Dr. Steven Taylor: Not Good, to Say the Least — Via the LAT: Gov. to Be Paid $8 Million by Fitness Magazines "Two days before he was... Armed Liberal: But he's stepped in something squishy and foul-smelling, and he'd better get his shoes cleaned up before he tracks it into the house. |
Doug Heller: Arnold gets paid 1% of ad revenue or $1 million a year (which ever is greater - the LA Times estimates that the contract... Joe Gandelman: The Political Descent Of Arnold Schwarzenegger — California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's political star has been... Chris Nolan: This million dollar deal - the Sac Bee says $5 million, the LATimes $8 million - with magazines that endorse and push... |
| Also: Taegan Goddard, Jim Romenesko, Clayton Cramer, Pudentilla | |
Breeding Stupidity By / Weekly Standard — Permalink THERE IS A STRANGE PAIRING of positions on the left. The first is that Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda were not connected. The work of Stephen F. Hayes and Thomas Joscelyn in THE WEEKLY STANDARD, which is supported by other serious investigative reporters... | |
|
Steve M.: Hugh Hewitt in The Weekly Standard, 7/14/05 Shahzad Tanweer, the 22-year-old son of a Pakistani-born affluent... Jesse Taylor: When Steadfastness Goes Completely Awry — Hugh Hewitt asks where the idea that Iraq is a breeding ground for terrorists comes from. Matthew Yglesias: WHERE? Hugh Hewitt wonders where the loony left got this crazy notion that the Iraq War is breeding new terrorists. |
Betsy Newmark: Hugh Hewitt debunks the idea that we've created more terrorists by invading Iraq. Hugh Hewitt: "Breeding Stupidity" is my WeeklyStandard.com column this morning. "They know who No. 5 is," is the report from London this morning. referring to the bomb-maker. Scott @PowerLine: Breeding grounds — Don't miss Hugh Hewitt's Daily Standard column: "Breeding stupidity." |
Wilson: The president should 'fire Karl Rove' MSNBC — Permalink It was two years ago today, that columnist Robert Novak outed Valerie Plame Wilson as a CIA operative. For the last eight months, Ambassador Joe Wilson has let the legal process play out and let the grand jury do its work. | |
|
Patterico: From the transcript of the TODAY show interview: Gangel: Your critics have said that this is partisan on your part,... Jim Lindgren: 2D UPDATE: Well, something that looks like a Today Show transcript is up on MSNBC's website, and its dateline is "Today show[,] Updated: 8:24 a.m. ET July 14, 2005." John @AmericaBlog: VIDEO: Ambassador Wilson on the Today Show this morning — From Today |
Digby: I don't know if you saw Wilson on the Today show, but I thought he acquitted himself very well --- mainly because he kept on the topic of the larger Iraq lies. Lorie Byrd: (Link via Instapundit) From the looks of the transcript, they could have used the suggestions. |
Younger Students Show Gains in Math and Reading By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 14 - America's elementary school students made solid gains in both reading and math in the first years of this decade, while middle school students made less progress and older teenagers hardly any, according to test results issued today that are considered the best measure of the nation's long-term education trends. | |
|
Betsy Newmark: There is some good news on the education front. Ann Althouse: This is great news: [snipped quote] Despite Spellings' efforts at sharing the credit, I expect to hear lots of people going out of their way to discredit No Child Left Behind. |
Wind Rider: Not that some won't try, but it'll be pretty hard to sidetrack the potential for a cause and effect conclusion on this... |
Keep court centered, GOP moderates urge Chicago Tribune — Permalink In the weeks before the Supreme Court concluded its term for the summer, a group of women senators, Republicans and Democrats, came together with a bold suggestion for President Bush. They, like the White House, were expecting ailing Chief Justice William Rehnquist to announce his retirement at the end of June. | |
|
Betsy Newmark: Tom Goldstein links to this Chicago Tribune story that hints that certain of the people who were thought to be on the... Jayson @PoliPundit: Agenda Journalism — By the Chicago Tribune. It's quite amazing just how many of those so-called moderates get quoted... |
Todd Zywicki: Chicago Tribune on Nomination Politics: Chicago Tribune has a story today about liberal Republicans joining with some... K. J. Lopez: WOMEN'S WORK — Apparently the letter was written weeks ago. |
Abu Ghraib Tactics Were First Used at Guantanamo By / WaPo — Permalink Interrogators at the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, forced a stubborn detainee to wear women's underwear on his head, confronted him with snarling military working dogs and attached a leash to his chains, according to a newly released... | |
|
Steve Soto: Pentagon Report On Guantanamo Destroys The "Few Bad Apples" Defense — Well, here's a story that the White House will... Barbara O'Brien: Naughty Bits — Josh White writes in today's Washington Post that Abu Ghraib tactics were first used at Guantanamo Gene @HarrysPlace: According to The Washington Post: The report's findings are the strongest indication yet that the abusive practices seen... |
Armando @DailyKos: Now it is clear the Bush Administration was lying: "Interrogators at the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay,... Marty Lederman: This uncertainty is starkly confirmed in a military report issued yesterday by Lt. Gen. Mark Schmidt and Brig. Von @ObsidianWings: Y'know, but for Rove's stupidity and/or ciminality; Bush's mis-sell of Social Security reform; and... |
| Also: Steve M., Michael @AmericaBlog, Susie Madrak, James Joyner, Avedon Carol, Michelle Malkin, John Cole, Jeralyn Merritt, Pudentilla, Tom Smith | |
Senators Who Averted Showdown Face New Test in Court Fight By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 13 - When seven Democrats and seven Republicans joined in the Senate to avert a showdown on President Bush's judicial nominees, they urged the president to remember the word "advice" in the Constitution's advice and consent clause. | |
|
Sam Rosenfeld: Just to add a bit to Matt's comments on Sheryl Gay Stolberg's latest Gang of 14 piece, the closing quote from Ben Nelson... Captain Ed: The Breakfast Club Wants A Sequel — The members of the Senate's Gang of 14 that held off the GOP push for the... Atrios: Scared of Their Own Shadows — What a bunch of spineless wankers the "gang of 14" are. |
Matthew Yglesias: GANG OF GRANDSTANDERS. Atrios sure is right about this typically inane love poem to the "Gang of 14" Senate moderates. Avedon Carol: In the NYT, Sheryl Gay Stolberg writes about the Gang of 14 as if it was some sort of profile in courage. In fact, it's cowardice. |
Dems Call for Bill on Security Clearance By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats moved forcefully into the controversy surrounding White House aide Karl Rove on Thursday, calling for legislation to deny security clearances to officials who disclose the identity of an undercover agent. | |
|
Chris Bowers: Perhaps the best news of the day comes from Senate Democrats, who have stepped up to the plate: "Senate Democrats... Neil the Ethical Werewolf: Good Work Harry — In the wake of the Rove scandal, Senate Democrats are introducing a bill to deny security clearances to officials who blow the cover of secret agents. |
Greg @TheTalentShow: Time To Pick Sides — Brilliant bit of political maneuvering by Sen. Reid : [snipped quote] It'll be hard for the... |
Senators say legislation needed for Guantanamo By / Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress should pass legislation defining the legal status of enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay to avoid more damage to the United States' image abroad and reprisals against U.S. soldiers, senators said on Thursday. | |
|
Captain Ed: I'm serious: [snipped quote] Perhaps the Senators have focused too closely on Karl Rove the past few days, and simply don't recall the lovely treatment afforded Eugene Armstrong. |
Betsy Newmark: The Senators bloviating about the report that there were three, count 'em - three, incidents of perhaps improper... |
Convicted, Executed, Not Guilty By / NYT — Permalink If Larry Griffin were being tried today for the murder of Quintin Moss, he would almost certainly be acquitted. The evidence is overwhelming that he did not kill Mr. Moss. But Mr. Griffin is not being tried today. He has already been executed for the murder. | |
|
Tarek @LiquidList: (Bob Herbert wrote more today.) Cookie Jill: ooopsie. so sorry. we bad. [snipped quote] i foresee many other mr. griffin's in our future. |
Fontana Labs: Nonetheless, this consideration seems to move a lot of people, and so I wonder about the implications of this story,... |
Sen. Clinton seeks 'Grand Theft' sex scene probe By / Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sen. Hillary Clinton pressed on Thursday for a government investigation into how simulated sex cropped up in a modified version of the blockbuster criminal adventure video game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas." | |
|
Matthew Sheffield: Reuters reporter Peter Kaplan phrased his story in more mysterious tones: "Clinton asked the U.S. Federal Trade... |
Orrin Judd: THE ONE WHO GETS IT: Sen. Clinton seeks 'Grand Theft' sex scene probe (Peter Kaplan, Jul 14, 2005, Reuters)... |