Top Items:
New York Times:
Democrats Force Senate Into Closed Session Over Iraq Data — WASHINGTON — Democrats forced the Republican-controlled Senate into an unusual closed session Tuesday, questioning intelligence that President Bush used in the run-up to the war in Iraq and accusing Republicans of ignoring the issue.
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rawstory.com:
Reid takes Senate into closed session over Iraq intelligence — RAW STORY — The Senate's Democratic leader Harry Reid (D-NV) unexpectedly pulled the Senate into secret session Tuesday afternoon in order to have closed discussion of Iraq intelligence, RAW STORY has learned.
Liz Sidoti / Associated Press:
Democrats Force Closed Meeting on Iraq — Democrats forced the Republican-controlled Senate into an unusual closed session Tuesday, demanding answers about intelligence that led to the Iraq war. Republicans derided the move as a political stunt. — In a speech on the Senate floor …
Discussion:
The Corner on National …, JunkYardBlog, A Blog For All, California Conservative and Stop The ACLU
Fox News:
Senate Goes Into Rare Closed Session — WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate prepared to go into closed session Tuesday after Democrats enacted a rare parliamentary rule forcing the shutdown of the chamber so senators could speak in a classified session about the lead-up to the war in Iraq.
Charles Hurt / Washington Times:
Both parties prepared for 'Armageddon' fight — Senate Democrats and Republicans — along with interest groups both for and against Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr.'s Supreme Court nomination — fell into formation yesterday to begin the battle they've been expecting for more than a decade.
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Ann Althouse / New York Times:Separated at the Bench — NO sooner did we learn that President Bush …
David D. Kirkpatrick / New York Times:Conservatives Scrambling to Prepare for a Tough Fight
Discussion:
Big Brass Blog
E. J. Dionne Jr / Washington Post:
What the 'Shield' Covered Up — Has anyone noticed that the coverup worked? — In his impressive presentation of the indictment of Lewis "Scooter" Libby last week, Patrick Fitzgerald expressed the wish that witnesses had testified when subpoenas were issued in August 2004, and …
Discussion:
firedoglake, The Huffington Post, TAPPED, Alternate Brain, Middle Earth Journal, Poynter Online, Roger Ailes and Daily Kos
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Thomas Oliphant / Boston Globe:
The coverup worked — NO ONE really noticed, but Patrick Fitzgerald made an unassailable point last week about the timing of the indictment that his CIA leak investigation has produced so far. — ''I would have wanted nothing better," he said, ''that when the subpoenas were issued in August of 2004 …
Tom Curry / MSNBC:
Specter goes to bat for high court nominee — Judiciary Committee chairman sends strong signals that he'll help Alito — WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., sent strong signals Monday that he would use all his clout to help federal appeals court …
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Sideshow, The Moderate Voice, RedState.org, Left in the West, The Heretik, Ezra Klein and TAPPED
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Charles Lane / Washington Post:Alito Leans Right Where O'Connor Swung Left
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New York Times, The Reaction, The Left Coaster, The Heretik, The Anonymous Liberal, TMH's Bacon Bits, Don Surber and Wonkette
The Age:
Hicks sexually abused, says father — Terror suspect David Hicks was sexually abused during two, 10-hour beatings by US attackers, his father Terry has told the ABC's Four Corners program. — Hicks has been in US custody since he was captured alongside Taliban forces in Afghanistan in late 2001 …
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Matthew Yglesias / TAPPED:
NUCLEAR OPTION REDUX. This morning on NPR there was a segment about the "Gang of 14" and the nuclear option in the context of Sam Alito. Since this seems likely to be a subject of debate, it's worth re-iterating some arguments from the first time around. — The filibuster is bad.
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Michelle Malkin:
UNHINGED: THE MUGSHOT COLLECTION — Today's the official launch date for my new book, Unhinged: Exposing Liberals Gone Wild: — I had fun with this one (wait 'til you see the back cover) and think you'll enjoy it—or, if you're on the other side of the aisle, you'll enjoy hating it.
Washington Post:
Trial Could Pit Libby's Interests Against Bush's — Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, is expected to plead not guilty to charges that he lied and obstructed justice in the CIA leak probe when he is arraigned Thursday, setting the stage for a possible courtroom fight …
Discussion:
The Heretik, Billmon, firedoglake, AMERICAblog, The Left Coaster, The Carpetbagger Report and Bark Bark Woof Woof
Gateway Pundit:
Before Novak, The Joe Wilson Speech that Made Clear His Agenda — ** The June 2003 Joe Wilson Speech You Are Not Supposed to Hear! ONE MONTH BEFORE ROBERT NOVAK WROTE HIS COLUMN, AMBASSADOR JOSEPH WILSON LAID OUT HIS AGENDA AGAINST THE US ADMINISTRATION AND ISRAEL AT THE LEFTIST 2003 IRAQ FORUM CONFERENCE,
Cass Sunstein / Washington Post:
On the Contrary — As an appeals court judge, Samuel Alito has compiled a massive record that includes more than 240 opinions. Of these, the most illuminating may well be his 41 dissents — opinions that he has written by himself, rejecting the views of his colleagues.
Steven Greenhouse / New York Times:
Labor Dept. Is Rebuked Over Pact With Wal-Mart — The Labor Department's inspector general strongly criticized department officials yesterday for "serious breakdowns" in procedures involving an agreement promising Wal-Mart Stores 15 days' notice before labor investigators would inspect its stores for child labor violations.
Discussion:
The Carpetbagger Report, Confined Space, Roger Ailes, The Left Coaster and NathanNewman.org
Lauran Neergaard / Associated Press:
Bush Outlines $7.1B Flu-Fighting Strategy — WASHINGTON - President Bush outlined a $7.1 billion strategy Tuesday to prepare for the danger of a pandemic influenza outbreak, saying he wanted to stockpile enough vaccine to protect 20 million Americans against the current strain of bird flu as a first wave of protection.
