Top Items:
James Fallows / The Atlantic Online:
Why Iraq Has No Army — The Bush administration doesn't take the problem seriously—and it never has — W hen Saddam Hussein fell, the Iraqi people gained freedom. What they didn't get was public order. Looting began immediately, and by the time it abated, signs of an insurgency had appeared.
Adam Liptak / New York Times:
Leak Ruling Has Mystery, 8 Blank Pages — There are eight blank pages in the public version of a decision the federal appeals court in Washington issued in February. The decision ordered two reporters to be jailed unless they agreed to testify before a grand jury investigating the disclosure …
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Media Matters for America:
Coulter to O'Reilly on Media Matters: "little Nazi block watcher[]" website that "want[s] to keep me off" of CNN — On the December 1 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly invited right-wing pundit Ann Coulter on the show to discuss "far-left smear websites."
Los Angeles Times:
FBI Is Taking Another Look at Forged Prewar Intelligence — WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON — The FBI has reopened an inquiry into one of the most intriguing aspects of the pre-Iraq war intelligence fiasco: how the Bush administration came to rely on forged documents linking Iraq to nuclear weapons materials …
MSNBC:
Top al-Qaida officer reportedly killed — Group's operational leader Rabia killed by missile in Pakistan, officials say — By By Robert Windrem and Carol Grisanti — ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - The operational commander of al-Qaida, possibly the No. 3 official in the terrorist organization …
Patrick D. Healy / New York Times:
Pataki and Pirro Discuss Ending Senate Race — Gov. George E. Pataki and Jeanine F. Pirro today discussed whether she should end her troubled campaign to unseat Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, with Ms. Pirro seeking his advice and the governor asking her to think hard about dropping the bid …
James Gordon Meek / NY Daily News:
Hil used to be strictly for the war — WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Clinton left one thing out this week when she tried to explain her views on Iraq - namely that she used to agree almost completely with President Bush, even after the war took a nosedive. — On Tuesday, Clinton wrote …
Discussion:
Loaded Mouth
Associated Press:
Congress to look into 'deeply flawed' BCS system — HOUSTON — Calling the Bowl Championship Series "deeply flawed," the chairman of a congressional committee has called a hearing on the controversial system used to determine college football's national champion.
Saul Hudson / Reuters:
Rice to warn Europe to back off over detainees — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to give allies in Europe a response next week to their pressure over Washington's treatment of terrorism suspects: back off. — For almost a month …
Dana Blanton / Fox News:
12/01/05 FOX Poll: Bush Approval Rises; Public Split on Pre-War Intel — NEW YORK — President George W. Bush's approval rating recovered a few points in the week's FOX News poll, though slightly more Americans still disapprove than approve of his job performance.
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Lawrence Messina / Associated Press:
FBI Plants Fake Candidate in W.Va. Race — CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Thomas Esposito's campaign for the Legislature seemed to be following the usual pattern. The longtime Democratic mayor issued press releases, raised money and bought newspaper ads. Signs bearing his name popped up in yards around rural Logan County.
Jane Hamsher / firedoglake:
Not So Fast, Mr. Rove — This is all becoming a bit clearer. Today on CNN, Bob Franken says: … What we're supposed to believe (i.e., the Rovian spin) is that Fitzgerald erroneously thought that Rove had "mis-testified" about a conversation he had with Viveca Novak …
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Alex Raksin / Los Angeles Times:
3 Species of Fruit Bat Found to Harbor Deadly Ebola Virus — Tests by scientists in Gabon and Congo detect traces of the pathogen. Human infection may have occurred through eating the animals. — Researchers working in Gabon and Congo have identified three species of fruit bat …
Discussion:
Majikthise
Jeffrey Gettleman / New York Times:
As Senate Possibility, Menendez Carries Assets and Baggage — Representative Robert Menendez has fought his way up the ladder of New Jersey politics, rung by rung, to an influential role as the highest-ranking Hispanic in the House of Representatives. — He started his career …
Newdonkey / NewDonkey.com:
In Defense of The Moose — I rise today to a point of personal privilege: the opportunity to defend my friend and colleague, and fellow blogospheric furry mammal, The Bull Moose (a.k.a., Marshall Wittmann) from a double-barreled attempt over at DailyKos to barbecue his tough old hide.
Discussion:
Sirotablog
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Richard John Neuhaus / FIRST THINGS:
RJN 12.02.05 When Peggy Noonan... When Peggy Noonan told me many months ago that she was writing a book about John Paul II, I confess I had misgivings. There had been so many such books, albeit of greatly varying merit, and Peggy—for all her considerable talents and achievements …
