Top Items:
CNN:
Governor denies clemency for ex-gang leader — Appeals court refuses to block Williams' execution — SACRAMENTO, California (CNN) — California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has denied clemency for convicted killer Stanley Tookie Williams, who co-founded the Crips street gang.
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David Kravets / Associated Press:
Schwarzenegger Denies Clemency for Williams — SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday refused to spare the life of Stanley Tookie Williams, the founder of the murderous Crips gang who awaited execution after midnight in a case that set off a debate over the possibility of redemption on death row.
John Cole / Balloon Juice:
No Clemency for Tookie — I don't find this surprising at all: … I have a lot of reasons why I dislike and oppose the death penalty, and not one of them has to do with a concern for the fate of guilty men. I dislike the death penalty because it is irreversible, it is arbitrary …
Discussion:
James Wolcott, TalkLeft, The Reaction, One Hand Clapping, Riehl World View, THE TENSION and IMAO
Evelyn Nieves / Washington Post:Schwarzenegger Denies Clemency for Williams
Discussion:
Comments From Left Field
washingtonpost.blog:
Froomkin on White House Briefing — In Sunday's Washington Post, the paper's new ombudsman, Deborah Howell, writes that The Post's political reporters don't like my column. She states that the column is "highly opinionated and liberal" and concludes that it should no longer bear the name …
Discussion:
First Draft, mediabistro, Crooks and Liars, The Stakeholder, Poynter Online and NewsBusters.org
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Omar / IRAQ THE MODEL:
The voting has begun! (updated) — Voting in Iraq's second parliamentary elections has begun this morning; this coincides with the deadline for all campaigning activities by all lists and parties who are required now to enter "electoral silence". — The first votes are coming from army bases, detention centers and hospitals.
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Gateway Pundit:
As Voting Begins, Bush Talks Freedom, Iraqis Dance — THOUSANDS OF IRAQIS HEAD TO THE POLLS TODAY, EARLY VOTING HAS BEGUN, — VIDEO HERE — 300,000 Iraqis voted today, 90,000 from hospitals, 20,000 from prisons — President Bush reminds the world that while the path toward Iraqi democracy …
ABCNEWS:
Poll: Broad Optimism in Iraq, But Also Deep Divisions Among Groups — On the Eve of the Elections, Most Iraqis Want Iraq To Stay Unified — Dec. 12, 2005 — Surprising levels of optimism prevail in Iraq with living conditions improved, security more a national worry than a local one, and expectations for the future high.
Discussion:
G e n e r a t i o n W h y ?, Captain's Quarters, OSM, BBC, The Huffington Post, QandO, PunditGuy, SoCalPundit, The Anchoress, Blogs for Bush, A Chequer-Board of Nights …, Silent Running, USS Neverdock, Jay Reding.com, And Rightly So!, The Jawa Report v3.0 Beta, Balloon Juice, The Political Teen, Sister Toldjah, THE ASTUTE BLOGGER, Brainster's Blog, The Political Pit Bull and Blogs of War
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White House:
President Discusses War on Terror and Upcoming Iraqi Elections — THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. (Applause.) Thank you. Thanks for the warm welcome. Thank you for the chance to come and speak to the Philadelphia World Affairs Council. This is an important organization that has …
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The Australian:
Race warfare divides city — SYDNEY exploded into a second night of race warfare as tensions between rival ethnic gangs escalated into a series of late-night revenge attacks on white Australian males across the south and west of the city. — Shots were fired as groups of young men …
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Jerry Seper / Washington Times:
Patriot Act report targets meth — A conference report by Senate and House negotiators to extend for four years provisions of the USA Patriot Act includes a comprehensive anti-methamphetamine package restricting the sale of products containing ingredients needed to cook the drug and providing …
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NewsMax.com:
Chris Wallace: Mike Wallace Has 'Lost It' — "Fox News Sunday" anchorman Chris Wallace says father Mike Wallace has "lost it" - after the legendary CBS newsman told the Boston Globe last week that the fact George Bush had been elected president shows America is "[expletive]-up." — "He's lost it.
James Lileks / American Enterprise Magazine:
A 2005 Rollick — Behold: 2005 was the most important year in human history. — Okay, maybe not. There have been better years, and worse ones. The Goths did not sack New York City. No plague. Asteroids didn't deform the globe. The center held, and if some rough beast …
Discussion:
JustOneMinute
David Stout / New York Times:
Supreme Court to Review Texas Districting Dispute — WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 - The United States Supreme Court agreed today to review the constitutionality of the Texas redistricting plan that was engineered by Representative Tom DeLay, the House majority leader until recently …
Discussion:
Bark Bark Woof Woof
Stuart Elliott / New York Times:
To Promote a Cable Network, a Plan to Inundate the Internet — The MSNBC cable network plans to flood the Internet this week with its largest concentrated online pitch, running advertising on hundreds of Web sites and blogs. The cost of the campaign, to promote three prime-time programs, is estimated at just under $1 million.
John Fund / Opinion Journal:
Dr. Coburn, I Presume — Why does Barbara Boxer want to stop him from delivering babies? — It is often said that Congress is disconnected from reality. No kidding. It funded a "bridge to nowhere" in Alaska to the tune of $225 million until Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma led a crusade to transfer the money to Katrina victims.
