Top Items:
New York Times:
Top Syrian Seen as Prime Suspect in Assassination — UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 20 - The United Nations investigation into the murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri of Lebanon is focusing on the powerful brother-in-law of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria as the main suspect …
Discussion:
Right Wing Nut House, Blogs for Bush, Hit and Run, Wonkette, The Moderate Voice and AMERICAN FUTURE
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Chris Kromm / Facing South:
ESP wonder; newspapers channel Bush — What do this newspaper editorial, this one, this one, and this one all have in common? — All of them are unsigned editorials, which makes it look like they're original opinion pieces for each paper. (The Colorado Gazette even says it's "our view.")
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jdnews.com:
Time to close up this federal trough — One of the smartest things President Bush did to reduce recovery costs in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita was to suspend Davis-Bacon Act rules in the hardest hit states. But Congress is frantically trying to overrule the president …
Think Progress:
BREAKING: DeLay's Lawyer Lies About MoveOn — Tom DeLay's attorney, Dick DeGuerin, claims that the judge presiding over DeLay's criminal case in Texas, Bob Perkins, should be disqualified. A central part of his claim is that an organization that Perkins has donated to in the past, MoveOn …
Discussion:
Pandagon, Off the Kuff, The Stakeholder, Daily Kos, The All Spin Zone, First Draft, The Carpetbagger Report and Crooks and Liars
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Suzanne Gamboa / Associated Press:
DeLay in Court; Lawyers Request New Judge — AUSTIN, Texas - Rep. Tom DeLay appeared in court Friday for the first time since his indictment, but his arraignment on conspiracy and money laundering charges was delayed pending a hearing on his request for a new judge in the politically charged case.
Captain Ed / Captain's Quarters:
Bad News Turns Into Flood On Miers — This morning's news has administration aides choking on their morning coffee regarding the Harriet Miers nomination. While the Wall Street Journal comes out in opposition to her confirmation and urges withdrawal, the New York Sun reports …
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John Fund / Opinion Journal:Lotto Trouble — The Miers nomination pits a Swift Boat author …
Discussion:
The Right Coast
Frank Bass / Associated Press:Miers Firm Received Bush Campaign Payments
Discussion:
WTF Is It Now??
Washington Post:
A Palpable Silence at the White House — At 7:30 each morning, President Bush's senior staff gathers to discuss the important issues of the day — Middle East peace, the Harriet Miers nomination, the latest hurricane bearing down on the coast. Everything, that is, except the issue on everyone's mind.
Discussion:
democracyarsenal.org, AMERICAblog, Shakespeare's Sister, Houtopia, Just a Bump in the Beltway and RedState.org
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David Johnston / New York Times:Cover-Up Issue Is Seen as Focus in Leak Inquiry
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, The Next Hurrah, The Huffington Post, thoughtsonline.blogspot.com, ScrappleFace, NewsHog, Hullabaloo, Prairie Weather, The Anonymous Liberal, TalkLeft, The Carpetbagger Report, QandO, All Things Beautiful, Taegan Goddard's …, Mathew Gross, The Left Coaster, Ace of Spades HQ, WTF Is It Now?? and Decision '08
Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
Miers: The Only Exit Strategy — It's no secret that I think the Harriet Miers nomination was a mistake. Nonetheless, when asked how she will do in her confirmation hearings, my answer is, I hope she does well. I have no desire to see her humiliated. Nor would I take any joy in seeing her rejected …
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Los Angeles Times:
'Rudderless White House' Fights Miers' Choppy Seas — WASHINGTON — The Bush White House is not supposed to work like this. — The nomination of Harriet E. Miers to the Supreme Court has gotten off to a stumbling start that bears little resemblance to the president's first-term performance …
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Mary Curtius / Chicago Tribune:
Official: FEMA failed in Katrina — Agency veteran says ex-director was unresponsive — WASHINGTON — The only FEMA employee to ride out Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans painted a grim portrait Thursday of an agency led by officials who were unprepared for the scope of the disaster …
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Associated Press:
Afghan leader tries to calm anti-U.S. rage over video — KABUL, AFGHANISTAN - Today Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai condemned the alleged desecration of the bodies of two dead Taliban fighters by U.S. troops, but he said mistakes happen in war and Afghans shouldn't let it mar their impression of the United States.
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Juan / Informed Comment:US Military Desecrates bodies of Afghans to Uproar
Discussion:
Prairie Weather
Los Angeles Times:
Bush Critic Became Target of Libby, Former Aides Say — Cheney's chief of staff reportedly sought an aggressive campaign against Wilson. — WASHINGTON — Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff was so angry about the public statements of former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV …
Discussion:
mediabistro, firedoglake, War and Piece, The All Spin Zone and Just a Bump in the Beltway
Kieran Healy / Crooked Timber:
Ye Ladies of Easy Leisure — So by now everyone and his same-sex partner knows that Maggie Gallagher's stint at Volokh is one long struggle between her strong argument that marriage has many benefits and her handwaving about gay people bringing down the Roman Empire.
National Review:
With a Whimper — The Western media was relatively quiet about the quite amazing news from the recent trifecta in Iraq: very little violence on election day, Sunni participation, and approval of the constitution. Those who forecasted that either the Sunnis would boycott …
Ryan Lizza / The New Republic:
Beached Party — That was fast. Last month, George W. Bush was the leader of the conservative movement. This month, he's a traitor. "I don't think that Bush was ever one of us," says Bruce Bartlett, the conservative columnist and former Reagan and Bush 41 official. "And conservatives knew that.
James K. Glassman / Tech Central Station:
Are Americans Becoming Europeans? — MILAN - I have just finished a two-week trip to Europe — my honeymoon, if you must know — and, as usual with a European trip, I have come away with two completely different impressions. — Europe, or at least the parts I go to, is a wonderful place to live and to visit.
Discussion:
TAPPED
