meme orandum
| A newfangled news tangle |
|
|
Robertson called for the assassination of Venezuela's president Media Matters for America — Permalink Pat Robertson, host of Christian Broadcasting Network's The 700 Club and founder of the Christian Coalition of America, called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. ROBERTSON: There was a popular coup that overthrew him [Chavez]. | |
|
Randy Paul: Right-Wing Diplomacy — I guess I really don't know what else to say about Pat Robertson's nuttiness that hasn't already... Susie Madrak: Another Godly Man From the Left Coaster via Media Matters, well-known man of God Pat Robertson calls for an... Brian Linse: Pat Robertson calls for the assassination of Hugo Chavez. I guess he's getting frustrated with that whole "Jesus is Love" thing. |
Xan @Corrente: Radical Cleric Robertson Waves Red Cape — So Atrios points us over to MediaMatters for word that, just this morning,... David Sirota: Pat Robertson's Unhelpful Call for Assassination — Here's an interesting question: To an objective non-American looking... Greg Saunders: Greg Saunders : A Christian Jihad I probably should be surprised by this completely insane remark by Pat Robertson, but... |
| Also: Captain Ed, Greg @TheTalentShow, James Joyner, Mark Kleiman, Dr. Steven Taylor, Lambert @Corrente, McQ, Kevin Drum, Matt Singer, Steve Soto, Oliver Willis, Jesse Taylor, Atrios, Judd @ThinkProgress | |
Draft Constitution Would Fundamentally Change Iraq WaPo — Permalink BAGHDAD, Aug. 22 — Shiites and Kurds were sending a draft constitution to parliament on Monday that would fundamentally change Iraq, transforming the country into a loose federation, with a weak central administration governed by Islamic law, negotiators said. | |
|
Garance Franke-Ruta: The Washington Post's suggested as much earlier today: [snipped quote] But this defective new constitution cannot be... Atrios: The Noble Cause — I guess this is what they died for: The draft, slated for action by a Monday deadline, would be a... Lambert @Corrente: Iraq clusterf**k: Was an Islamic Republic the "noble cause" for which Casey Sheehan died? |
Larre @LeftCoaster: Well, a little after midday, WaPo is reporting that "Shiites and Kurds were sending a draft constitution to parliament... Armando @DailyKos: The Iraq Constitution: By the Shia and Kurds — Pretty pictures? : [snipped quote] Aahhh, the "pretty pictures" for Bush will come in the Spring they hope. Jo Fish: In agreeing to agree in principle on the understanding of the principles of the draft of the understanding of the new constitution, the Shiites and the Kurds have really done it! |
| Also: Oliver Willis, Von @ObsidianWings, Cori Dauber | |
The Tail That Wags the Blog By / WaPo — Permalink I constantly tell myself: Ignore the blog. Do your work. You are an enormous literary figure and cultural icon, not a mere "blogger." You must produce high-end journalism with grand themes and huge groaning multi-syllabic words like "eschatological," and you can't be dribbling away all your ideas on the blog. | |
|
Jeff Jarvis: Washington Post blogger Joel Aschenbach writes a funny (almost as funny as the accompanying illustration) take on blogs... Jan Haugland: Blogs to take over the world (one blogger at the time) WaPo columnist Joel Achenbach, who also blogs, has a hilarious article called the tail that wags the blog. James Joyner: The Tail That Wags the Blog — Joel Achenbach has an amusing, and familiar, tale of the progress of his blog. |
Vanderleun: Washington Post, The Tail That Wags the Blog Jim Romenesko: WPer: "The blog is hungry. " The blog will not be ignored. "Washington Post Joel Achenbach has been blogging for just eight months and he already fantasizes about killing it. Terry Heaton: Joel Achenbach reminded of this wonderful quote this morning in a hilarious WashingtonPost.com blog post about feeding the beast that is the blog. |
| Also: Ed Cone, La Shawn Barber | |
Fresh deadline for Iraq document BBC — Permalink Iraqi negotiators have been given three more days to reach agreement on the draft of a new constitution. MPs met for a brief session minutes before the 2000 GMT deadline to receive the draft expired, but did not vote. | |
|
Brian Linse: Simon, Totten, and Armed Liberal still not writing about the Iraqi constitution and the US-sanctioned concessions to Islamic fundamentalism. James Joyner: Fresh deadline for Iraq document (BBC) [snipped quote] This is eerily similar to the process that the U.S. used to get... Donald Sensing: The BBC reports, "Iraqi negotiators have been given three more days to reach agreement on the draft of a new constitution. |
Damian Penny: Update: the BBC says the constitutional negotiators have asked for three more days to finish their work. Jan Haugland: In the end, the parliament voted to give the parties three more days to come to an agreement. |
Democrats Split on Tactics for Confirmation Hearings By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 - Two weeks before senators begin questioning the Supreme Court nominee, John G. Roberts Jr., the debate over his confirmation is becoming a test of Senate Democrats as well. | |
|
Michael Crowley: Two big articles today in the Times and the Post chronicle surging tensions between the party's liberal base and its... Avedon Carol: Is it an accident that not only The Washington Post but the NYT have this same story today?) Pejman Yousefzadeh: But Roberts supporters surely must take heart on reading this: [snipped quote] Of course, all of these splits can only help Roberts. |
Captain Ed: The Washington Post and the New York Times picks up on this battle, but look at it superficially in terms of specific issues rather than as the gestalt of the party itself. Tully @Centerfield: Democrats Split on Tactics for Confirmation Hearings "Former Senator John Breaux, a Louisiana Democrat, said the hearings were a test of his party's independence. |
Democrats Split Over Position on Iraq War WaPo — Permalink Democrats say a long-standing rift in the party over the Iraq war has grown increasingly raw in recent days, as stay-the-course elected leaders who voted for the war three years ago confront rising impatience from activists and strategists who want to challenge President Bush aggressively to withdraw troops. | |
|
Frederick Maryland: The Washington Post reports today: [snipped quote] I think there are a variety of reasons why congressional Dems aren't... Tarek @LiquidList: There must be some kind of solution to the growing dissonance inside the party between the self-proclaimed centrists who... Pete Ross: Iraq: Where Dems Agree — Peter Baker and Shailagh Murray are generating some buzz with their article in today's WaPo... |
Mark Leon Goldberg: Conventional wisdom distilled from the pages of the Washington Post, Bull Moose and elsewhere would have it that most... Norbizness: Bolded interludes come from this article... (1) "Credit the Democrats for not trying to pour more gasoline on the fire,... Ann Althouse: Should Democrats bring back the Vietnam era anti-war imagery, with folksinging gatherings and get-out-now rhetoric? |
| Also: Hugh Hewitt, Captain Ed, Avedon Carol, Riggsveda @Corrente, Susie Madrak, Juan Cole, Armando @DailyKos | |
Page One Feature By / Jewish Press — Permalink I am a Hollywood screenwriter. I have written feature films, episodic television, movies for network and cable. An Emmy Award for the screenplay for my film "The Devil's Arithmetic" sits over the fireplace in our living room. | |
|
Roger L. Simon: Out of the Closet and Into the Streets — I am not a Republican (not interested in joining any political party these... Ed Driscoll: The Affiliation That Dare Not Speak Its Name — Via Roger L. Simon and Atlas Shrugged, another member of Hollywood... |
TheAnchoress: A few things I read that were pretty good and you might enjoy: Cathy Seipp at NRO This screenwriter, a Hollywood Republican, essentially commits career suicide in this piece. Ace: You'll Never Do Lunch In This Town Again — Hollywood screenwriter and blogger Robert Avrech comes out as a... |
Iraqi Leaders Report Agreement, but Key Issues Remain By / NYT — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 22 - Less than an hour before the deadline for finishing a new constitution, Iraqi leaders said tonight they had reached general agreement on the document. | |
|
Cernig: According to the New York Times, there are three major sticking points: The first issue was that the alliance of Kurds... Dr. Steven Taylor: Now You See, Now You Don't — Via the NYT: Iraqi Leaders Reach Agreement on New Constitution [snipped quote] But, before... |
Talking Dog: The Iraqi National Assembly decided to respond to U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad the way many of my classmates back at... |
Navy Officer Affirms Assertions About Pre-9/11 Data on Atta By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 - An active-duty Navy captain has become the second military officer to come forward publicly to say that a secret defense intelligence program tagged the ringleader of the Sept. 11 attacks as a possible terrorist more than a year before the attacks. | |
|
Captain Ed: Able Danger: Second Source Sheds Anonymity, Confirms Shaffer — The second source for the Able Danger story, the... |
Laura Rozen: (Editor's note: I've updated this post). Update: Here's more on Phillpott's statement from the New York Times. |
Pentagon Can't Verify Atta Speculation AP — Permalink WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has been unable to validate claims that a secret intelligence unit identified Sept. 11 hijacker Mohamed Atta as a terrorist more than a year before the attacks, a Defense Department spokesman said Monday. | |
|
Billmon: The vast liberal conspiracy to conceal Bill Clinton's responsibility for 9/11 has seized control of the Department of Defense! Kevin Drum: The Pentagon, for its part, has broken its silence and says that its research so far has not verified any of Shaffer's... |
Captain Ed: Able Danger: Pentagon Can't Find Data — The Pentagon has provided its official response to the revelations made almost... Laura Rozen: The AP reports on the Pentagon's current response to Able Danger claims: [snipped quote] (Thx to reader WA for the heads up). |
Sometimes It's Who You Offend NRO — Permalink Radio-talk-show host Michael Graham is out of a job. Let's imagine a scenario that's not so fictional. Suppose we had a big multinational corporation called Filch. Its code of conduct includes some dubious provisions that can be interpreted to encourage aggressive business and accounting practices. | |
|
Paul @PowerLine: UPDATE: Andrew McCarthy at NRO sums it up nicely when he says that Graham's offense "was worthy of a wince, not a pink slip. |
Kathryn Jean Lopez: WHO YOU OFFENDED — Andy McCarthy takes a closer look. |
More baloney from Krugman American Thinker — Permalink Paul Krugman, tries to respond today to withering attacks on his column from last Friday in which he declared that a full statewide manual recount would have given Al Gore the victory in Florida in 2000. Somebody at the New York Times may have gotten concerned about how far from the truth Krugman was straying. | |
|
Scott @PowerLine: While John is away on personal business, Richard Baehr does the honors once again: "More baloney from Krugman." Betsy Newmark: MONDAY LINKS — Richard Baehr just tears Paul Krugman apart. This is a followup to his first ripping of Krugman. |
Don: Apparently he thinks that other op-eds are as unreliable as his.Update 2... Richard Baehr at The American Thinker has an... |
Resurrecting Jim Crow for Political Gain Opinion Journal — Permalink The Voting Rights Act, whose 40th anniversary we celebrate this month, has helped minorities elect 81 sitting members of Congress and thousands of local officials. | |
|
Avedon Carol: If you want to see the wingers play the racist card again, John Fund is on the case, insisting there is no election... MJA @SouthernAppeal: Voter ID = Jim Crow — John Fund has a great article in the WSJ on liberals' use of racial scare-tactics and "victimization" in order to try to maintain their power. Glenn Reynolds: JOHN FUND writes about loose talk regarding election fraud and quotes my law school classmate Joe Andrew: [snipped quote] It wasn't, of course. |
John Fund: I hope Huffington Post readers look at this piece of mine in today's Wall Street Journal in that spirit. Betsy Newmark: USING JIM CROW TO SCORE POLITICAL POINTS — John Fund has a column in today's Wall Street Journal about how some... Kathryn Jean Lopez: JOHN FUND ON VOTER FRAUD — In today's WSJ: [snipped quote] Read it all here. |
Folk Singer Supports Anti-War Protesters By / AP — Permalink CRAWFORD, Texas — Joan Baez was against the Vietnam War and she showed it _ appearing at marches, once even blocking the entrance of a military induction center. The folk singer is against the Iraq war, too, and she showed her support Sunday to protesters camping out near President Bush's ranch. | |
|
Marc @USSNeverdock: America - Pro Bush Rally Growing — ABC News reports on the growing counter protest to Sheehan's. Ed Cone: The V word — Unsurprising headline of the day: "Folk Singer Supports Anti-War Protesters." Joan Baez? Ann Althouse: She's a humdinger. Folksinger. |
Bill Hobbs: They are volunteers and heroes, not victims. UPDATE: The Sheehan protest has officially jumped the shark. Norm Geras: Song of peace "[Joan] Baez took to the stage for about 500 people on an acre lot offered by a landowner who opposes the... |
MONEY PIT New York Post — Permalink August 22, 2005 — AIR America, the much-hyped liberal media ven ture that was supposed to revolutionize talk radio, is "solvent and apparently stable": So claim the gullible cheerleaders at The New York Times, who made that unsubstantiated assertion in a recent glowing profile of Air America host... | |
|
Brian Maloney: But the charity scam is just the tip of the iceberg. Read the rest here. TheAnchoress: Perhaps he should follow Morgan's example. Malkin and Maloney spell out the Air America story in the NY Post. |
Joshua Sharf: All this is covered in a hopefully-not-too-shrill oped in this morning's New York Post. La Shawn Barber: The New Medium At Its Best — The New York Post published a must-read op-ed called Money Pit. |
Leaders in Iraq Report Progress on Constitution By / NYT — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq, Monday, Aug. 22 -Iraqi leaders moved to the brink of agreement on a new constitution on Sunday, solving several contentious issues but still struggling with the potentially explosive questions of Shiite autonomy and the role of Islam in family disputes and the judiciary. | |
|
Arianna Huffington: And they try to hide it. Just look at today's above-the-fold, front-page story on Iraq's constitution. Susie Madrak: Why do they have so much trouble admitting the obvious - that women will be reduced to chattel in Iraq? John Hawkins: Daily Links For August 22, 2005 — Foreign "Scotland Yard Believes It Has Thwarted An Al-Qaeda Gas Attack Aimed At... |
Jan Haugland: Iraqi constitution deadline — Progress on the Iraqi constitution, but they are not there yet: Iraqi leaders moved to... Dr. Steven Taylor: More on the Iraqi Constitution-in-Waiting (and Waiting, and Waiting and…) Via the NYT (Leaders in Iraq Report... Juan Cole: Dexter Filkins of the NYT reveals some of the details about which the constitution drafting committee has been arguing. |
| Also: Andrew Olmsted, James Joyner | |
Thompson considers run for U.S. presidency Detroit Free Press — Permalink Former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson acknowledged this week that he is considering a run for the White House in 2008 as an extension of his mission to improve the nation's health care. "I can't think of anybody else as vocal on this issue as I have been," he said. | |
|
Scott Shields: He told the Detroit Free Press that he wants to run to highlight healthcare issues. Krempasky @RedState: Well, he's at least thinking about it. As another RS'er put it, "That sound you hear is America shrugging." |
Steve Bainbridge: A brief flash of hope — When I saw this headline from the Detroit Free Press: "Thompson considers run for U.S. presidency" I had a brief moment of hope. Taegan Goddard: Thompson Considering White House Bid — Former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson (R) said he is [snipped quote] reports the Detroit Free Press. |
Bush: US must finish job in Iraq to honor the fallen By / Reuters — Permalink SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) - President George W. Bush, speaking amid protests and growing public unease over Iraq, said on Monday America owed it to the more than 1,800 U.S. soldiers killed there to complete the mission, which he linked with the campaign against terrorism. | |
|
Magpie @PacificViews: Continuing his cross-country stump to shore up support for his failing policies in Iraq, Dubya today offered yet another reason why the US should stay in Iraq. |
Chris Andersen: Bush finally defines the mission in Iraq — [snipped quote] Shorter version: The mission in Iraq is to give meaning to the mission in Iraq. |
Synthesiser pioneer Dr Moog dies BBC — Permalink Synthesiser pioneer Dr Robert Moog has died at his North Carolina home aged 71, four months after being diagnosed with brain cancer. Born in the New York district of Queens, his instruments were used by The Beatles and The Doors among others. | |
|
Ed Driscoll: Dr. Robert Moog Died — A friend in Manhattan sent me a link to this BBC article; Bob Moog was one of the great pioneers of musical synthesizers. |
Norbizness: Robert Moog, 1934-2005. |
Skin Cells Converted to Stem Cells By / WaPo — Permalink Scientists for the first time have turned ordinary skin cells into what appear to be embryonic stem cells — without having to use human eggs or make new human embryos in the process, as has always been required in the past, a Harvard research team announced yesterday. | |
|
Susie Madrak: Progress Of course, the wingnuts will use this as a pretext to shut down embryonic stem cell research: Scientists for... Pejman Yousefzadeh: MORE GOOD NEWS ON THE STEM CELL FRONT — And happily, uncontroversially good news: "Scientists for the first time have... Kathryn Jean Lopez: POTENTIAL GOOD STEM-CELL NEWS — From Rick Weiss in the Washington Post: "Scientists for the first time have turned... |
Simon @Centerfield: Having your cake and eating it — The Washington Post is reporting that a Harvard research team has succeded in morphing... Glenn Reynolds: STEM CELL UPDATE: [snipped quote] It's still early, but I hope this pans out. |
Other guides ask what colleges can do for you. We ask what are colleges doing for the country. By / Washington Monthly — Permalink This month, U.S. News & World Report releases its annual rankings of colleges. First published in 1983, the guide has become its own mini-event: College presidents, education reporters, alumni, parents, and high school juniors alike all scramble to get their hands on the rankings. | |
|
James Joyner: The Washington Monthly College Guide "There's a good reason for the American fixation with rankings—if done correctly, they can help tell us what's working and what's not. Jim Dallas: A&M, UT ranked among top thirty schools by Washington Monthly — Yes, the US News and World Report once again overlooks... |
Bill @INDCJournal: Check out the Washington Monthly College Guide: "Other guides ask what colleges can do for you. |
In Explaining Life's Complexity, Darwinists and Doubters Clash By / NYT — Permalink At the heart of the debate over intelligent design is this question: Can a scientific explanation of the history of life include the actions of an unseen higher being? | |
|
Shawn @LiquidList: And since my methodology is apparently good enough for the New York Times to write about on another matter for four... Jo Fish: Miller to help with it's editorial guidance has led a story with this opening: [snipped quote] Yeah, and take away the... Stefan @MemeFirst: Intelligent Design: Finally a testable hypothesis — There is a great ending to Kenneth Chang's NYT article on evolution today. |
Susanna Cornett: Yesterday and today, the NYTimes weighed in with what is, for them, very even-handed pieces: here is Sunday's, here is the one from today. Brad DeLong: Opinions on Shape of Earth Differ — When Paul Krugman said that if the Bush administration announced that the earth was... Ed Cone: More ID in NYT — More from the NYT on "Intelligent Design" and evolution. |
More young blacks ready to embrace GOP By / Boston Globe — Permalink WASHINGTON — Adam Hunter, an ambitious law student with bright eyes, an easy smile, and plenty of charisma, seems practically destined for politics. A half century ago, his grandfather helped register blacks living in rural South Carolina to vote. | |
|
Jayson @PoliPundit: And I certainly don't trust the Boston Globe. But I found this article quite interesting nonetheless. Hugh Hewitt: The Boston Globe reports on the increasingly likelihood that young African Americans will align with Republicans. |
TheAnchoress: A smart piece that points out: Ask a thirty-five year old infertile woman whether she has "the ability to control her... |
White House Week US News — Permalink The recent controversy swirling around Karl Rove hasn't slowed him a bit. That's according to White House insiders who say Bush's political boy genius is as engaged as ever in high-level decision making despite all the attacks by angry Democrats alleging he improperly—and possibly illegally—outed a covert CIA operative. | |
|
Taegan Goddard: Conservatives Bet on Allen — Conservative Republicans are "becoming increasingly convinced that Virginia Sen. George... |
Judd @ThinkProgress: Rove's involvement in the leak |
Robert Moog, Music Synthesizer Creator, Dies By / NYT — Permalink Robert Moog, the creator of the electronic music synthesizer that bears his name and that became ubiquitous among both experimental composers and rock musicians in the 1960's and 1970's, died on Sunday at his home in Asheville, N.C. He was 71. | |
|
Brian Linse: Patching in Heaven. Sad news that Dr. Robert Moog, inventor of the Moog Sythesizer, has died at the age of 71. |
Skippy: the nytimes tells us: at the height of his synthesizer's popularity, when progressive rock bands like yes, tangerine... |
John Roberts' Woman Problem By / Slate — Permalink Score one for Bruce Reed. He picked up on what I completely missed this week: that the most telling aspect of Supreme Court nominee John Roberts' adolescence was not his staunch refusal to get high in the woods, but his contempt for all things female. | |
|
Anne-Marie Slaughter: If well organized enough, it is quite possible that Iraqi women can secure the same rights in a Muslim state recognizing... |
Ezra Klein: So what a sad commentary on the country's recent direction that the primary problems with her male replacement all orbit around his attitude towards women. |
From paradise to paradox in Aruba By / St. Petersburg Times — Permalink ORANJESTAD, Aruba - Hurricanes almost never come this far south in the Caribbean. It's one of the many attractions that lure hundreds of thousands of tourists each year to the sunny, slow-paced island of Aruba. | |
|
Brian Stelter: For Media In Aruba, "Any Tidbit Will Do" — Arubans complain that "unbalanced and overblown coverage by the U.S. media... |
Jim Romenesko: Arubans' patience with American news media is wearing thin — St. Petersburg Times They complain that unbalanced and... |
Lawmakers Set to Receive Iraq Constitution By / AP — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq - A Shiite negotiator said Monday a draft constitution would be presented to Iraq's parliament, but a key Sunni Arab delegate said talk of a deal was premature and he doubted an agreement was possible by the midnight deadline. | |
|
Dr. Steven Taylor: The Mixed Message Continues (and a Few Comments on Federalism) Via the AP: Lawmakers Set to Receive Iraq Constitution... |
Jeralyn Merritt: More from the Guardian here. Garance at Tapped writes |
The Trillion-Dollar War By / NYT — Permalink THE human cost of the more than 2,000 American military personnel killed and 14,500 wounded so far in Iraq and Afghanistan is all too apparent. But the financial toll is still largely hidden from public view and, like the suffering of those who have lost loved ones, will persist long after the fighting is over. | |
|
Matt Welch: See a graphical representation of Bilmes' math here; her column here. Radley Balko: Now, a former Commerce Dept. official and budgeting and public finance professor at Harvard says that another five years in Iraq would put the war's cost at over $1.3 trillion. |
Norbizness: BUt aybody who wants to stay in Iraq until 2010, spending nearly $1 trillion, trying to prop up a government run on... Libertarian Jackass: THE TRILLION DOLLAR WAR? Killing people and blowing up things is quite expensive. |
SEAN PENN IN IRAN San Francisco Chronicle — Permalink In June, Sean Penn and two friends traveled to Tehran. It was Penn's first trip to the country. What he found was a culture in conflict. Although the nation is ruled by a very conservative, tradition-bound government, Penn talked to many younger Iranians who... | |
|
Evariste: Noted traitor Sean Penn gives comfort to the enemy again. Bombs in Beirut. Gaza is Judenrein. |
Smash: What the heck is Sean Penn doing in Iran, and why should I care? And the observation: In American politics, nothing important ever happens in August. |
Whirling Durbin By / Opinion Journal — Permalink One of the little imperfections of our American political system is that the qualifications of an excellent lawyer like John Roberts are judged, and often subjected to vituperative questioning, by politicians who are manifestly unfit for the job. | |
|
Hugh Hewitt: Manuel Miranda warns that Dick Durbin has the most to lose from next week's Judiciary Committee hearings. Scott @PowerLine: Manuel Miranda's OpinionJournal column is a good companion to Paul's column: "Whirling Durbin." |
Steve Bainbridge: Take down — Manuel Miranda blisters Illinois Senator Dick Durbin ... but good. |
Kansas senator visits State Fair Des Moines Register — Permalink U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., in Iowa on Friday, said he's close to deciding on a 2008 presidential bid. Brownback added that he is touring early primary states and raising money. He visited the Iowa State Fair on Friday. | |
|
Scott Shields: Forgetting his poll numbers, one of the reasons Brownback is interested in running, according to the Des Moines Register strikes me as a little funny. |
Taegan Goddard: Brownback Close to 2008 Decision — While in Iowa, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) said "he's close to deciding on a 2008 presidential bid," the Des Moines Register reports. |
Shiite official: Iraq to draft constitution on time CNN — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — Just hours before the latest deadline, a draft constitution will be presented Monday to the Iraqi National Assembly, said Baha Al-Arajia, a Shiite member of the committee drafting the document. But the committee is still working out the details, officials said. | |
|
Daveed Gartenstein-Ross: Senior Iraqi officials have said that another extension may be needed. There has reportedly been progress on the role of Islam in the new constitution. |
James Joyner: Iraq delays vote on draft constitution [sic] (CNN) [snipped quote] Al-Sagheer has identified the problem precisely: The "Sunnis" are not a monolith. |
Iraq Militias Push Voter Sign-Up WaPo — Permalink BAGHDAD, Aug. 21 — Two major armed factions opposed to Iraq's still unfinished constitution on Sunday ordered their followers to register for an upcoming vote on the new charter, with one faction urging a vote against it and the other telling supporters to wait for further orders. | |
|
Anne-Marie Slaughter: And the sudden claim of the insurgents that the "jihad of word" is akin to "jihad by sword" and thus that their... |
Cori Dauber: Now that one segment of that group has made it clear that anyone participating in the political process is a legitimate... |
Under US noses, brutal insurgents rule Sunni citadel Guardian — Permalink The executions are carried out at dawn on Haqlania bridge, the entrance to Haditha. A small crowd usually turns up to watch even though the killings are filmed and made available on DVD in the market the same afternoon. One of last week's victims was a young man in a black tracksuit. | |
|
Billmon: At best, it means the Sunni insurgency will last for years, maybe decades, spawning the creation of more fundamentalist... Juan Cole: The Guardian reveals that Haditha, a small farm town of 90,000 near the Euphrates, has become a stronghold of Ansar al-Sunna and Zarqawi's Monotheism and Holy War. Attaturk: Stories you won't hear from CNN/MSNBC/Rupertland — Just how well do we control Iraq...not very. |
Riggsveda @Corrente: And Clear Channel does its masters' bidding over in Salt Lake City, pulling down the curtain on Cindy Sheehan's right to... Jo Fish: After all, what are the Sunni's going to do, fight? |
Exploring ways to expand the discussion Oregonian — Permalink The public editor position was created at The Oregonian more than a decade ago largely to expand the conversation between readers and the newspaper. But I fear that conversation is being drowned out by technology. | |
|
Jim Romenesko: More editor/ombud columns: > "I'm still waiting for my first call concerning Judith Miller" (Akron BJ) > Bleeding bull... |
Ed Cone: Portland at the party — Portland Oregonian local web/journalism plans (via JR, who has some plans of his own). |
Firms Hit by ID Theft Find Way to Cash In on Victims By / LAT — Permalink Elizabeth Rosen was plenty angry when ChoicePoint Inc. sent her a form letter acknowledging that crooks might have perused some of her most sensitive personal and financial data. | |
|
Laura Rozen: How about that. How can they possibly be allowed to profit from their irresponsibility and lack of accountability? Arthur Silber: A WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN — I think we've reached the point where I can't even make my brain absorb stories like this... |
Kevin Drum: Here's how they've responded to the theft of hundreds of thousands of private consumer records from their database:... |
Why Everybody Is a Reporter Broadcasting & Cable — Permalink Paul Chenoweth never leaves home without his digital camera or video camera. A graduate student at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., he shoots video and photos around town and posts them to his technology-themed Weblog, Chasing the Dragon's Tail. | |
|
Glenn Reynolds: GRASSROOTS VIDEO JOURNALISM: Broadcasting & Cable writes: "Citizen journalism seemed to reach critical mass this summer... Bill Hobbs: We Got The Memo — Broadcasting & Cable magazine has a great story about grassroots video journalism and its increasing use by television news operations such as Nashville's WKRN. |
Brian Stelter: The Ticker: Hannity, Shearer, Gupta... > CNNbias.org says its campaign against CNN has been "unusually disruptive" and... |
Cuba's Ganji New York Sun — Permalink Freedom is on the march in Cuba, and Fidel Castro seems nervous. Over the past month, he has intensified his crackdown on political dissenters, making arrests at a pace unseen since the last wave of repression in 2003. | |
|
Kathryn Jean Lopez: CUBA'S GANJI — NY Sun: "Freedom is on the march in Cuba, and Fidel Castro seems nervous. |
Brian Keegan: While We Wait for Castro to Die... The oppression just south of Florida goes on. [snipped quote] Democracy in Iraq would be good. |
Bush plans bid to rally Iraq support CNN — Permalink CRAWFORD, Texas (CNN) — President Bush will launch a new round of speeches to rally support for the war in Iraq, advisers said Sunday, as protesters camped outside Bush's Texas home and polls showed weaker support for the two-year conflict. | |
|
Billmon: Now it looks like we're going to get the political version: [snipped quote] Aside from the emphemeral propaganda benefits... |
Steve Clemons: Iraq as Wedge Issue — President Bush is planning a rally to stir up support for the war in Iraq. |
Officials in Iraq Report on Past Week's Successes DefenseLINK — Permalink WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2005 - The rebuilding effort continues in Iraq, and coalition military officials here today provided a summary of the past week's progress. | |
|
Arthur Chrenkoff: Life imitates Chrenkoff — Pentagon starts putting out its weekly summaries of positive developments in Iraq: "Officials in Iraq Report on Past Week's Successes" Do I claim credit? |
Marc @USSNeverdock: Iraq - Good News Round Up — No it's not Chrenkoff this time but the US government is taking a page from his book. |
Drumbeat grows louder for fuel efficiency By / Washington Times — Permalink The recently approved energy legislation excluded the biggest item that would have cut U.S. dependence on foreign oil as well as help lower record-high oil and gasoline prices: higher fuel efficiency standards for cars and sport utility vehicles. | |
|
McQ: The Washington Times today onerously tells us: "The recently approved energy legislation excluded the biggest item that... Ace: Stephen J. Dubner notes: [snipped quote] The Washington Times reports that the drumbeat for raising fuel efficiency is getting louder in DC. |
Damian Penny: It doesn't mean abandoning North Dakota, it means keeping the thermostat a degree or two cooler in the winter. (via... Judith Weiss: Thermal depolymerization — Increased fuel efficiency should go hand in hand with encouraging innovative solutions to fuel needs. |
SHOCKING PEEK BEHIND SCENES By / New York Post — Permalink ALBANY — Someone secretly recorded private telephone calls to Gov. Pataki, his wife, Libby, then-Sen. Alfonse D'Amato and others — capturing sensitive personal and political conversations, tapes obtained by The Post reveal. | |
|
Taegan Goddard: The Secret Pataki Tapes — "Someone secretly recorded private telephone calls" to New York Gov. George Pataki (R), his... |
Tbogg: Shorter New York Post — Somebody illegally recorded phonecalls which is entirely unethical. Here's the good stuff that was in them. |
Letters NYT — Permalink To the Editor: In his essay ''Bad News'' (July 31), Richard A. Posner relies on shallow, cynical generalizations about us consumers of news (e.g., ''The public's interest in factual accuracy is less an interest in truth than a delight in the unmasking of the opposition's errors''). | |
|
S.L.: But they had to be a little surprised to learn that one of those letter writers was the normally taciturn Bill Keller,... |
Jim Romenesko: NYT editor Keller blasts Posner's "Bad News" essay in NYTBR — New York Times In his recent New York Times Book Review... |
Iraqi Factions Negotiate Over Constitution By / AP — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq - With a midnight deadline only hours away, Iraq's political leaders met Monday in search of a compromise over a new constitution, but negotiators said major differences remained over the role of Islam and women's rights. | |
|
James Joyner: Iraqi Factions Negotiate Over Constitution — The extended deadline for submitting a new Iraqi constitution is only... |
Dr. Steven Taylor: Iraqi Constitution Update — Unfortunately, the litany remains pretty much unchanged (via th AP): Iraqi Factions... |
Trent Lott's unlearned lesson By / Townhall.com — Permalink Mississippi Senator Trent Lott's new memoir, Herding Cats: A Life in Politics, goes on sale this week, more than 2-1/2 years after he was ousted as the Senate's Republican leader. That experience, it would seem, has taught him nothing. | |
|
John Hawkins: Decides 1st Amendment Protects Prison Inmate's Right To Start Study Group (How Moronic)" "Michael Graham: For Linking... |
Damian Penny: Speaking of ten-cent brains... Trent Lott still doesn't get it, if his autobiography is any indication. |
Programme transcript BBC — Permalink What follows is a transcript of "A question of Leadership", first broadcast Sunday 21 August 2005, 22:20 BST on BBC One. This should be checked against transmission for accuracy and to ensure the clear identification of individual speakers. | |
|
Norm Geras: With evidence of mistakes of this sort from Sacranie and other Muslim spokesmen John Ware's programme was replete. |
David T: However, MCBWatch concludes: The problem is that there is a tremendous double-standard here, because at other times the MCB do display a willingness to draw the line. |
Sunnis Warn Against Constitution Draft By / AP — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq - A day before the deadline for the new constitution, Sunni Arabs appealed Sunday to the United States and United Nations to prevent Shiites and Kurds from pushing a draft through parliament without their consent, warning it would only worsen the crisis in Iraq. | |
|
Captain Ed: A broad agreement on the text has apparently been reached between secular and religious Shi'ite factions and the Kurds,... Glenn Reynolds: UPDATE: More on the Kurds' unhappiness, here. ANOTHER UPDATE: The Sunnis don't like it either. |
Richard TPD: (IF the draft is approved - Sunni representatives have just appealed to the US to help stop this draft from being pushed... |
Former regime members run revolt from Jordan-Iraq Reuters — Permalink BAGHDAD, Aug 21 (Reuters) - The new Iraqi government complained on Sunday that former officials who served Saddam Hussein are helping fund and organise the Sunni Arab insurgency from neighbouring Jordan and said this was "unacceptable". | |
|
Juan Cole: The Iraqi government is worried about Jordan becoming a neo-Baathist base for the guerrilla war against Baghdad. |
Andrew Olmsted: THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE The Iraqi government claims that former members of the Hussein government are directing part of... |
In globalization twist, unions target Wal-Mart worldwide AFP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AFP) - A global coalition of unions is launching an unprecedented campaign to organize workers around the world at US retail giant Wal-Mart, seeking to bring a new level of globalization to the labor movement. | |
|
Riggsveda @Corrente: Don't worry, Bentonville...Andy Stern's dream may yet come true, and you and your minions will reap your rewards. |
Susie Madrak: Solidarity A coalition of unions around the world announce plans to target Wal-Mart. |
US relents on Islamic law to reach Iraq deal Guardian — Permalink The United States has eased its opposition to an Islamic Iraqi state to help clinch a deal on a draft constitution before tonight's deadline. American diplomats backed religious conservatives who threatened to torpedo talks over the shape of the new Iraq unless Islam was a primary source of law. | |
|
Nico @ThinkProgress: "If approved, critics say that the proposals would erode women's rights and other freedoms enshrined under existing laws." Steve M.: Secular and liberal groups were dismayed at the move, branding it a betrayal of Washington's promise to advocate equal... Damian Penny: Disturbing new reports suggest that the Bush Administration, desperate to finalize a deal on a new Iraqi constitution,... |
Avedon Carol: And, of course, now that our government is writing off the freedoms of most of the Iraqi people, it's up to Digby to... Andrew Olmsted: TOP TOPICS The United States has reportedly agreed to the inclusion of greater Islamic influence on the new Iraqi... |
Poll shows hurdles for Romney By / Boston Globe — Permalink Governor Mitt Romney's conservative stance on social issues is causing political trouble for him in Massachusetts, where a 60 percent majority of adults surveyed in a Boston Globe poll say they oppose his veto of an emergency contraception bill and 39 percent say they are less likely to vote for him because of his opposition to abortion. | |
|
Gerry Daly: Poll: Romney in Re-elect Trouble; Clinton leads Kerry in MA — The Boston Globe reports: "As Romney weighs whether to... Taegan Goddard: Romney's Right Turn Hurting Him at Home — As Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) "weighs whether to forgo a reelection... |
Brendan Nyhan: John Kerry is not a popular guy, part 2 — More from the John Kerry is not popular files: a Boston Globe poll in... |
Army Planning for Four More Years in Iraq By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - The Army is planning for the possibility of keeping the current number of soldiers in Iraq — well over 100,000 — for four more years, the Army's top general said Saturday. He said the number could be adjusted lower if called for by slowing the force rotation or by shortening tours for soldiers. | |
|
Richard TPD: Hagel's statements come on the heels of an announcement by the Army's top general that the Army is making plans for a... |
Arnold P. California: And I liked this bit: "[Gen. Peter] Schoomaker's comments come amid indications from Bush administration officials and... |
GOP Senator Says Iraq Looking Like Vietnam By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - A leading Republican senator and prospective presidential candidate said Sunday that the war in Iraq has destabilized the Middle East and is looking more like the Vietnam conflict from a generation ago. | |
|
Avedon Carol: Is there any way that the invasion of Iraq hasn't been a failure? Even Chuck Hagel (R-No Man's Land) admits it, now. Richard TPD: What's Going Down — By guest-blogger Other Lisa, cross-posted on the paper tiger... With 60% of Americans now... John @PowerLine: The Associated Press reports: "A leading Republican senator and prospective presidential candidate said Sunday that the... |
Montag: Associated Press: GOP Senator Says Iraq Looking Like Vietnam Jerome Armstrong: But from the sound of what Hagel is saying, that's even too long away, Hagel Says Iraq War Looking Like Vietnam: "By any... Greg Ransom: Sen. Hagel jumps ship on Iraq war — "What I think the White House does not yet understand — and some of my colleagues — "the dam has broke on this policy. |
| Also: Leopold Stotch, Lorie Byrd, Tim Graham, Taegan Goddard, Jayson @PoliPundit | |
Militias on the Rise Across Iraq WaPo — Permalink BASRA, Iraq — Shiite and Kurdish militias, often operating as part of Iraqi government security forces, have carried out a wave of abductions, assassinations and other acts of intimidation, consolidating their control over territory across northern and... | |
|
Cori Dauber: But his group is now generally considered a militia. So are these two militia groups, two insurgent groups, or an insurgent group and a militia group? Randall Parker: Also, the continued rise of militias who are partitioning Iraq could lead to larger scale civil war and more attacks on US troops. Gregory Djerejian: But critics have charged that they are wresting control over security forces to claim de facto territory and authority,... |
Cernig: Already, the scene is set for more of the same old same old: Shiite and Kurdish militias, often operating as part of... Jerome Armstrong: On Iraq, Militias on the Rise Across Iraq paints a dire picture. Matthew Yglesias: Militia Building — There's an excellent rundown of the rise of government-by-party-milit ia in Iraq in today's Washington Post. |
| Also: Steve M., Kevin Drum, Von @ObsidianWings, Jesse Taylor, Judd @ThinkProgress, Pudentilla, Hilzoy @ObsidianWings | |
Transcript for August 21 MSNBC — Permalink MR. DAVID GREGORY: Our issues this Sunday: The war in Iraq. More violence as Iraqis struggle to draft a constitution before their new deadline tomorrow. And at home, war protesters hold vigils across the country as the debate over prolonged U.S. involvement rages. | |
|
Ezra Klein: Russ Makes Sense — I think this exchange between [host] David Gregory and Russ Feingold on this week's Meet the Press... Oliver Willis: The "Gut" Primary: Russ Feingold Is Making Sense — The Senator from Wisconsin continues to lay it out on the table MR. GREGORY: Senator, how do you define success in Iraq? Taegan Goddard: Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS), on Meet the Press, on whether he would support Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) for president in 2008. |
Judd @ThinkProgress: Lott: Bush Was Determined To Invade Iraq Before Diplomacy Started » Yesterday on Meet the Press, Sen. Trent Lott... Arianna Huffington: Over at MTP, we were treated to Trent Lott desperately jumping through hoops in his reason-defying war-defending song and dance. Magpie @PacificViews: For example, here's former CIA Mideast specialist Reuel Marc Gerecht speaking on Sunday's NBC program, 'Meet the Press':... |
| Also: Atrios, Echidne | |
Kurds Fault U.S. on Iraqi Charter By / WaPo — Permalink BAGHDAD, Aug. 20 — Kurdish politicians negotiating a draft constitution criticized the U.S. ambassador to Iraq on Saturday for allegedly pushing them to accept too great a role for Islamic law in his drive to complete the charter on time. | |
|
Garance Franke-Ruta: The debate over the Iraqi constitution and its provisions that would turn back the clock on Iraqi women and transform... Andy McCarthy: Now, if several reports this weekend are accurate, we see the shocking ultimate destination of the democracy diversion. Ivo Daalder: The Iraqi Constitution — From: America Abroad The central role of our ambassador in Iraq in writing the Iraqi... |
Cernig: Yet again we are on Iraqi Constitution watch - and yet again it looks like Iraq's sectarian and ethnic groups remain... Matthew Yglesias: Update [2005-8-21 12:29:52 by yglesias]: See also the US goverment's efforts to enshrine theocracy in the Iraqi constitution. Steve Bainbridge: McCarthy on Iraq — I'm not the only conservative who's worried about Iraq. Over at the Corner, Andy McCarthy writes: [snipped quote] Yep. |
Hagel Says Iraq War Looking Like Vietnam By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) — A leading Republican senator and prospective presidential candidate said Sunday that the war in Iraq has destabilized the Middle East and is looking more like the Vietnam conflict from a generation ago. | |
|
Mark Leon Goldberg: In the last week alone, Senator Chuck Hagel has compared Iraq to Vietnam, repeated his line that "the White House is... Cernig: It's hardly surprising then that more and more veterans and even serving soldiers are concluding, like Chuck Hagel, that "we're not winning". Joe @AmericaBlog: Hagel: Iraq looking like Vietnam and "We're not winning" — More blunt talk from the Republican Senator from Nebraska:... |
Joe Gandelman: GOP Senator Likens Iraq War To Vietnam — Comparisons between the Iraq War and that yardstick of American failed wars... Kieran Healy: Chuck Hagel, the Republican U.S. Senator from Nebraska, this morning: Hagel scoffed at the idea that U.S. troops could... |
Of Minds and Metrics By / US News — Permalink Metrics are hard to come by in the war on terrorism. We can know the number of improvised explosive devices that go off in Iraq and the number of suicide bombers there, but we can only guess at whether these numbers represent the last throes of a terrorist movement or its continuing growth. | |
|
Bryan Preston: And Michael Barone finds evidence that we're doing fairly well there, too: [snipped quote] This is tremendous news. Hugh Hewitt: The Most Important "Metric" — As usual, Michael Barone is far ahead of the pundit pack in penning a crucial column on whether or not the GWOT is being won. Glenn Reynolds: MICHAEL BARONE writes about metrics in the War on Terror: "But the most important changes occurring, not just in Iraq but across the Muslim world, are changes in people's minds. |
Jan Haugland: Metric: support for terror falling in Islamic countries — Very good article by Michael Barone about how to measure success or failure in the war on terror: Of Minds and Metrics. Donald Sensing: Support for terrorism drops dramatically — Michael Barone writes of the Pew Global Attitudes Project's recent survey of... Pejman Yousefzadeh: "OF MINDS AND METRICS" — A very useful—and heartening—report from Michael Barone: "Metrics are hard to come by in the war on terrorism. |
War protesters sleeping with the enemy By / Chicago Sun Times — Permalink At Cindy Sheehan's side since Aug. 6 when she began her anti-war protest outside President Bush's Texas ranch have been three groups that openly support the Iraqi insurgency against U.S. troops: Code Pink-Women For Peace, United for Peace & Justice, and Veterans For Peace. | |
|
Avedon Carol: No, I didn't think so. (via) That rat Novak actually has the nerve to suggest that peace groups are sleeping with the enemy. Taegan Goddard: McCaskill Likely to Challenge Talent — "Democratic recruitment of star challengers against incumbent Republican... |
Gerry Daly: Novak: McCaskill Expected To Run — Bob Novak thinks it is going to happen: [snipped quote] I've been saying for months... Digby: Novak: Black Kettle Edition — War protesters sleeping with the enemy |
Peacenik paper fawns over antiwar mom By / LAT — Permalink I CANNOT IMAGINE what it would be like to lose my child the way Cindy Sheehan lost her son, Casey, in Iraq. The bereaved mother, who until Thursday had been camped outside President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, has every right to protest the war, and her demonstration was certainly news. | |
|
Bill @INDCJournal: Then I read the piece, an excellent critique of the paper's Cindy Sheehan coverage, and my fears were assuaged. Jim Romenesko: > Claim: LAT gives readers one-sided coverage of Sheehan story (LAT) > Sheehan calls MSM "a propaganda tool for the government" (KR) Captain Ed: He focuses on the coverage provided by the LAT on the Sheehan protest in Crawford, a scolding that applies to more... |
Kevin Roderick: • Patrick (Patterico) Frey grabbed the Outside the Tent spot in Sunday's LAT to criticize the paper's coverage of Cindy Sheehan. Bill Hobbs: Dishonor and Sacrifice — I've barely written about Cindy Sheehan, the rabidly anti-war mom whose son Casey was killed... Jeff Jarvis: A clear illustration of that comes when you read Frank Rich in the New York Times alongside Patrick Frey (aka Patterico) in the LA Times. |
| Also: TheAnchoress, Patterico, Roger L. Simon, Dean Esmay, Pejman Yousefzadeh, Scott @PowerLine, Cori Dauber, Spoons, Glenn Reynolds | |
Bill Frist Backs 'Intelligent Design' By / AP — Permalink NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Echoing similar comments from President Bush, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said "intelligent design" should be taught in public schools alongside evolution. "I think today a pluralistic society should have access to a broad range of fact, of science, including faith," Frist said. | |
|
Ezra Klein: Criticism from his friends on the Christian Right, however, shivered the poor doctor's spine, and in a vain attempt to... Jo Fish: UnIntelligent Senators — Frist, a politician who can be swayed by any breeze more than five knots, has managed to make... |
DC Media Girl: He's back to his old faith-based tricks: NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Echoing similar comments from President Bush, Senate... |
Top job fighting extremism for Muslim who praised bomber By / Telegraph — Permalink A Muslim accused of anti-Semitism is to be appointed to a government role in charge of rooting out extremism in the wake of last month's suicide bombings in London. | |
|
Andy McCarthy: The Telegraph reports that one Inayat Bunglawala, the media secretary for the Muslim Council of Britain, is somehow... David T: Meanwhile, the Telegraph reports on the eccentric views of Inayat Bunglawala The BBC's preview of tonight's Panorama is here. Damian Penny: Fox, meet henhouse — The British government has appointed a Jew-hating Muslim extremist to a commission responsible... |
Jan Haugland: British government woos extremist light — Does this mean the British government still doesn't get it? Andrew Cochran: Today's Sunday Telegraph reports that "A Muslim accused of anti-Semitism is to be appointed to a government role in... Pejman Yousefzadeh: 'Cause apparently it can get you a job with the British government: [snipped quote] All snark aside, I find this utterly incomprehensible. |
'Peace Mom's' marriage a metaphor for Dems By / Chicago Sun Times — Permalink Cindy Sheehan's son Casey died in Sadr City last year, and that fact is supposed to put her beyond reproach. For as the New York Times' Maureen Dowd informed us: ''The moral authority of parents who bury children killed in Iraq is absolute." Really? | |
|
Cori Dauber: I don't agree with everything in this Mark Steyn column (unusually) but I certainly agree with him when he explains that. Glenn Reynolds: MARK STEYN: "They're not children in Iraq; they're grown-ups who made their own decision to join the military. Scott @PowerLine: And don't miss the Chicago Sun-Times column by Mark Steyn: "'Peace Mom's' marriage a metaphor for Dems." |
Bill Hobbs: Also don't miss: Mark Steyn's column on Cindy Sheehan and the Left's insistence on calling American soldiers serving in Iraq "children." Paul @PowerLine: Today's "must read" piece — Scott is right — please don't miss Mark Steyn's column on Cindy Sheehan. |
Saddam's prison letter published BBC — Permalink A letter from ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, describing himself as a sacrifice for Iraq, has been published in Jordanian newspapers. The letter was delivered by the International Committee of the Red Cross, which says it is genuine. | |
|
Joe Gandelman: A Letter From Saddam Hussein Is Published — Jailed ex-Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has written a martyr-like letter... Jeralyn Merritt: Red Cross Distributes Saddam's Prison Letter — A letter written in jail by Saddam Hussein has been distributed by the Red Cross and published. |
Gateway Pundit: The letter was delivered to the International Order of the Red Cross who said it was authentic. |
Bronze Stars go to Guard medics By / Seattle Times — Permalink The day before Carlos Lazo was awarded a Bronze Star for his actions as a combat medic in Fallujah, he made one of his regular phone calls to Cuba. He told his two sons, 16 and 19, who live in Cuba, that he would be thinking of them when U.S. Rep. Jim... | |
|
James Joyner: Bronze Stars go to Guard medics (Seattle Times) [snipped quote] Frankly, I can't fathom getting on a raft and leaving... Kathryn Jean Lopez: BAGDAD JIM pins bronze stars. |
Tbogg: Tour de Poulet — Via NRO's K-Low: BAGDAD JIM [Kathryn Jean Lopez] pins bronze stars. |
Another insult to America's heritage at Freedom Center By / NY Daily News — Permalink A global network of human rights museums is urging the International Freedom Center to downplay America in its exhibits and programs at Ground Zero, the Daily News has learned. | |
|
Betsy Newmark: And they are indeed appalling. First, as the New York Daily News reported, the overarching idea is to minimize America . Scott @PowerLine: Abomination at Ground Zero — Today's New York Daily News reports: "Another insult to America's heritage at Freedom Center." |
Jeff Jarvis: The News says the IFC had… …"drawn inspiration" and received "important practical advice" from the International Coalition of Historic Site Museums of Conscience. |
Making a mockery of Ground Zero NY Daily News — Permalink The International Freedom Center, which proposes to run a museum at Ground Zero, announced in April that it has "drawn inspiration and received some important practical advice" from a group of so-called museums of conscience around the world. | |
|
Betsy Newmark: As the New York Daily News points out in an editorial, the IFC may end up rejecting all this "inspiration." Scott @PowerLine: The Daily News comments in an editorial: "Making a mockery of Ground Zero." |
Jeff Jarvis: He didn't return calls. The News also editorializes against this offensive insanity. |
From the heart: A shared loss, but divided opinions AP — Permalink Cindy Sheehan's encampment near President Bush's ranch has stirred emotions ranging from anger to fellow-feeling among Minnesota mothers who also have lost sons in Iraq. Panchot, of Northome, is the mother of 26-year-old Army Staff Sgt. Dale Panchot, who was killed Nov. 17, 2003. | |
|
Dafydd: The only exception to the rule so far is today's Minneapolis Star Tribune, which featured two grieving mothers who... |
Scott @PowerLine: Minnesota's mothers and sons — Today's Star Tribune carries profiles of twelve Minnesota mothers whose sons have been... |
Mr. Barone's analysis Washington Times — Permalink Dating to Ronald Reagan's 1980 election to the presidency, political essayist Michael Barone has been writing arguably the most trenchant, thought-provoking analyses of American electoral politics. | |
|
Adam C: Yesterday, the WashingtonTimes scored some points with me by publishing a summary of Mr. Barone's 2006 biennial Almanac of American Politics. Paul @PowerLine: "In the public interest," the Washington Times editorial board treats us to the highlights of Michael Barone's... PoliPundit: How the Voting Rights Act helps Republicans — Michael Barone: "On the House side, where Republicans control 232 (53... |
Glenn Reynolds: You can read highlights from the introduction here. Ed Driscoll: Barone On 2004: Perception Versus Reality — Michael Barone compares the conventional wisdom going into the 2004... |
French countryside hit by a massive invasion of frogs By / Independent — Permalink A campaign in France to exterminate frogs may sound like the beginning of a civil war, but these are no ordinary frogs. Hunters working for the government's wildlife agency will be stalking ponds in south-west France this weekend, aimed with flash-lights, rifles, silencers and night-vision sights. | |
|
Brian Micklethwait: France menaced by frogs — France has been attacked by an infestation of frogs! I know, the metaphors are even now exploding inside your head. |
Kathryn Jean Lopez: No. No. Calm down. But we are talking France, where—no kidding—frogs are invading (so unlike them, I know...). |
Top general: Army preparing for 4 more years AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Army is making plans to keep the current number of soldiers in Iraq — well over 100,000 — for four more years, the Army's top general said Saturday. In an Associated Press interview, Gen. Peter Schoomaker said the Army is prepared for the "worst case" in terms of the required level of troops in Iraq. | |
|
McQ: It's a plan, not a promise — Before the screech owls of the anti-war left get up to full volume, let's take a look at... James Joyner: Army Planning for Four More Years in Iraq [snipped quote] See also "Top general: Army preparing for 4 more years" Given... Damon McCullar: The story is also being carried by CNN (that where I heard about it)That's seven years in Iraq if they get out in four more years. |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: That is why this story is reassuring: [snipped quote] Now again, it is entirely possible that we will see a faster... Natasha @PacificViews: Four More Years — It's not just a campaign slogan for a president's re-election campaign, now it's a battle plan |
Lott Demurs on Frist Character Question AP — Permalink WASHINGTON — When Sen. Trent Lott decides which GOP presidential candidate to support in 2008, it apparently will not be Sen. Bill Frist, the Tennessee Republican who Lott says betrayed him at a low moment in his political career. | |
|
Montag: Associated Press: Lott Demurs on Frist Character Question |
TChris: Frist's desire to placate the extremists may nonetheless be doomed to failure, given his inability to elicit a kind word... |
The Safety Net She Believed In Was Pulled Away When She Fell By / LAT — Permalink Debra Potter made a good living selling disability coverage. But like many working Americans, she learned the hard way that federal law now favors insurers. Until a few years ago, Debra Potter made sure that her family could cruise the Caribbean, watch the NFL on big-screen TV and keep her elderly mother and in-laws at home in comfort. | |
|
Susie Madrak: There are plenty of people who play by the rules and still get the shaft, and that's why we need laws (and lawyers) to... |
Kevin Drum: DISABILITY BLUES...Peter Gosselin, who has written an excellent series of stories about increasing income volatility... |
Militias Wresting Control Across Iraq's North and South WaPo — Permalink BASRA, Iraq — Shiite and Kurdish militias, often operating as part of Iraqi government security forces, have carried out a wave of abductions, assassinations and other acts of intimidation, consolidating their control over territory across northern and... | |
|
Randall Parker: Anthony Shadid and Steve Fainaru of the Washington Post have detailed long article on how Iraq is getting split up and fought over by rival factions. Michael Crowley: Sunday's Washington Post had a big front-pager on the highly ominous rise of Shiite and Kurdish militias within the U.S.-trained Iraqi security forces. |
Garance Franke-Ruta: And yet the embattled elements of the former regime in Iraq would already seem to be rallying the masses behind a... Juan Cole: Anthony Shadid and Steven Fainaru report on the way in which militias and militia-infiltrated police forces have established hegemony in cities such as Basra and Mosul. |
U.S. "concession" on Islam said to turn Iraq talks Reuters — Permalink BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. concessions to Islamists on the role of religion in Iraqi law marked a turn in talks on a constitution, negotiators said on Saturday as they raced to meet a 48-hour deadline under intense U.S. pressure to clinch a deal. | |
|
Gateway Pundit: (AFP) About a dozen senior leaders, representing the Shi'ite Islamist-led interim government, secular Shi'ite former... Pejman Yousefzadeh: SHAPING THE IRAQI CONSTITUTION — There is a great deal of talk about how the U.S. is tacitly endorsing a greater role for Islam in the Iraqi constitution. Hilzoy @ObsidianWings: As one Kurdish politician put it: [quote] "We understand the Americans have sided with the Shi'ites," he said. "It's shocking.[end quote] |
John Cole: Iraq Round-Up Once again, we have hosed the Kurds and appear to be tactily endorsing enshrining Sharia in the... Echidne: Only the Kurds Stand for Secular Democracy Now — Read this lovely quote on what Bush and his boots of freedom marching... |
Muslim leaders 'in denial' claim BBC — Permalink Britain's most powerful Islamic body is "in denial" about the prevalence of extreme views among its members, one of its founders has told the BBC. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) pledged to tackle extremism "head on" after the 7 July attacks in London. | |
|
Marc @USSNeverdock: But I will give them credit where it's due and they deserve credit for last night's Panorama show, "A Question of Leadership". |
Jan Haugland: It adds up to the feeling of having the world turn upside down when the earlier so tough-on-terror Tony Blair seems to... |
Steal This Book. Or at Least Download It Free. By / NYT — Permalink TALK to Warren Adler, and watch some favorite clichés crumble. Remember "The War of the Roses," the novel - and later, the movie - about a brutal divorce? Mr. Adler wrote the book and the screenplay, even though he has been married (happily, he says) to the same woman for 54 years. | |
|
Tyler Cowen: Addendum: Here is a good story on the marketing of ebooks, and one entrepreneurs who thinks the days of paper books are over. |
Jeff Jarvis: The exploding book, continued Warren Adler is giving away his 28th book. Add this to prior evidence of the exploding book. |
Four GIs Killed by Bomb in Afghanistan By / AP — Permalink KABUL, Afghanistan - A roadside bomb killed four U.S. soldiers and wounded three Sunday as they were patrolling in southern Afghanistan, the deadliest attack on American forces here in nearly two months, the U.S. military said. | |
|
Norbizness: Today: The blasts [injuring two U.S. Embassy workers] come amid rising attacks by a Taliban-led insurgency that has... |
Steve M.: Seven U.S. soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan over the past four days... Some 187 U.S. service members have been... |
Sifting Old, New Writings For Roberts's Philosophy WaPo — Permalink John G. Roberts Jr. was keen to correct a proposed letter for President Ronald Reagan's signature that said the federal courts have "earned and enjoyed the confidence of the American people . . . for [their] impartiality, independence, and fairness." | |
|
John Rosenberg: Mining The Roberts Memos For Dirt ... But Finding Gold — Once again, the Washington Post, mining the old Roberts memos... |
Jo Fish: More Justice French Fry, Part Whatever in an inifinite series — Hey, Little Ricky's gotta be likin' this French Fry Guy... |
For Battle-Scarred, Airborne Backup By / WaPo — Permalink The captain was airborne somewhere between Germany and Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Northwest Washington, he was badly injured, and she knew almost nothing about him. | |
|
Blackfive: You don't even know if he knows that you are there, but you stay with him anyway... Turns into this: For Battle-Scarred,... |
Glenn Reynolds: SOLDIERS' ANGELS: FROM BLACKFIVE POST to Washington Post article! |