Top Items:
Washington Post:
Sympathetic Vibrations — Democrats fumed last week at Vice President Cheney's suggestion that criticism of the administration's war policies was itself becoming a hindrance to the war effort. But a new poll indicates most Americans are sympathetic to Cheney's point.
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Glenn Reynolds / Instapundit.com:
IT'S A REVERSE-VIETNAM: On Reliable Sources I said that the Plame scandal was a reverse-Watergate, with the press, not the White House, keeping the important secrets about what happened. But looking at the transcript, I see that Iraq is also a reverse Vietnam, as made clear in this statement from UPI correspondent Pamela Hess:
Associated Press:
Second Reporter Asked to Testify on Leak — WASHINGTON - A second Time magazine reporter has been asked to testify in the CIA leak case, this time about her discussions with Karl Rove's attorney, a sign that prosecutors are still exploring charges against the White House aide.
Discussion:
firedoglake, TalkLeft, War and Piece, Hullabaloo, The Strata-Sphere, Think Progress and CALIFORNIA YANKEE
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Empty Wheel / The Next Hurrah:Rove Over and Over — I guess, when I noted in July that Rove …
Discussion:
Needlenose
Sean Rayment / Telegraph:
'Trophy' video exposes private security contractors shooting up Iraqi drivers — A "trophy" video appearing to show security guards in Baghdad randomly shooting Iraqi civilians has sparked two investigations after it was posted on the internet, the Sunday Telegraph can reveal.
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Daily Kos:
"Trophy Video" of Civilian Shootings By Contractors Emerges — Oh, that's just great. Just great. From the Sunday Telegraph (UK): … According to the Telegraph reporter, the video is even set to music: "Mystery Train", by Elvis Presley. — And so the circle — or spiral — continues.
Agence France Presse:
White House claims 'strong consensus' on Iraq pullout — WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House has for the first time claimed ownership of an Iraq withdrawal plan, arguing that a troop pullout blueprint unveiled this past week by a Democratic senator was "remarkably similar" to its own.
Discussion:
The Left Coaster, The Heretik, MyDD, AMERICAblog, firedoglake, Best of the Blogs, Secular Blasphemy and Seeing the Forest
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Arthur Silber / Once Upon a Time:
When Honor Is No Longer Possible: A Nation Beyond Forgiveness — Some stories are almost impossible to contemplate. This is one of them. — In June, Col. Ted Westhusing was found dead near the Baghdad airport. His death was most likely a suicide, a single gunshot wound to the head.
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T. Christian Miller / Los Angeles Times:
A Journey That Ended in Anguish — Col. Ted Westhusing, a military ethicist who volunteered to go to Iraq, was upset by what he saw. His apparent suicide raises questions. — "War is the hardest place to make moral judgments." — Col. Ted Westhusing, Journal of Military Ethics
Discussion:
Hugh Hewitt, No More Apples, The American Street, Just a Bump in the Beltway, Rising Hegemon and CorrenteWire
Sarah Baxter / Times of London:
Bruce Willis comes out fighting for Iraq's forgotten GI heroes — ANGERED by negative portrayals of the conflict in Iraq, Bruce Willis, the Hollywood star, is to make a pro-war film in which American soldiers will be depicted as brave fighters for freedom and democracy.
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Jazz / Running Scared:
"War" on Christmas: The Echo Chamber Strikes Back — Apparently some of the right wingnutterati has taken exception to our pointing out the blatant mendacity of the Bushies' "war on Christmas" meme as it applied to the now disproven story of the US Post Office attacking Christmas.
Discussion:
Real Teen
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Ellen Knickmeyer / Washington Post:
Shiite Urges U.S. to Give Iraqis Leeway In Rebel Fight — Americans Have Blocked Tougher Tactics, Cleric Says — BAGHDAD — The leader of Iraq's most powerful political party has called on the United States to let Iraqi fighters take a more aggressive role against insurgents …
Discussion:
Body and Soul, Rantingprofs, Patridiot Watch, The Washington Monthly, Middle Earth Journal and CorrenteWire
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Edward Wong / New York Times:Shiite Cleric Increases His Power in Iraq
Discussion:
Informed Comment, Rantingprofs, The Heretik, Unclaimed Territory, Big Lizards and CALIFORNIA YANKEE
Frank Rich / truthout.org:
Dishonest, Reprehensible, Corrupt ... George W. Bush is so desperate for allies that his hapless Asian tour took him to Ulan Bator, a first for an American president, so he could mingle with the yaks and give personal thanks for Mongolia's contribution of some 160 soldiers to "the coalition of the willing."
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New York Times:
Look Who's Talking About Making a Comeback in the Senate — WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 - Trent Lott is talking again - and again and again and again. — It has been three years since White House officials and some Senate Republicans orchestrated Mr. Lott's ouster as Senate majority leader amid an uproar over racially insensitive remarks.
Judd / Think Progress:
Fox News Host Chris Wallace Claims President Bush "Never" Linked Saddam and al-Qaeda — In a stunning display of historical revisionism, Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace argued this morning that President Bush never tried to link al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein:
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars
Editor and Publisher:
Macon Paper Breaks News on Congressmen Hurt in Iraq — NEW YORK The Macon (Ga.) Telegraph was apparently the first newspaper to carry news today that a military vehicle carrying U.S. politicians overturned on the way to the Baghdad airport on Saturday and injured two members of Congress.
Discussion:
AMERICAblog
Stephen Moore / Opinion Journal:
'Reform. Reform. Reform.' — John McCain explains his eclectic—and troubling—economic philosophy. — WASHINGTON—The more Republicans stumble in Washington, the higher Sen. John McCain climbs in the polls. His political fortunes seem to run countercyclical to those of the party whose nomination …
Ken McCracken / WILLisms.com:
Pundit Roundtable — Hi everyone, and welcome back to PUNDIT ROUNDTABLE, our weekly roundup of pundit opinions. I am your host, Ken McCracken. — I hope everyone had a turkeylicious holiday week. — Our topic this week is a vital one: — The Senate has recently voted …
