Top Items:
Kim Curtis / Associated Press:
Crips Gang Co-Founder Executed in Calif. — SAN QUENTIN, Calif. (AP) - Convicted killer Stanley Tookie Williams, the Crips gang co-founder whose case stirred a national debate about capital punishment versus the possibility of redemption, was executed Tuesday morning.
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Michelle Malkin:
THE TOOKIE FILES: NOTES ON THE FREAK SHOW — ***scroll for rolling updates*** — It's a zoo outside San Quentin prison, where convicted murderer/Crips gang co-founder Stanley "Tookie" Williams is scheduled to die by injection at San Quentin Prison at 12:01am Pacific time for murdering four people during two 1979 holdups.
Los Angeles Times:
Governor Didn't Believe Williams Had Reformed — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger did not just reject Stanley Tookie Williams' request for clemency, he aggressively attacked the central element of the former gang leader's case: Williams, he said, had never really reformed.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Blogcritics.org, Sisyphus Shrugged, The Heretik, Stop The ACLU and How Appealing
baldilocks:
To A Young One Who Is An Apologist For A Terrorist — Sometimes it's of use to respond to one's more problematic commenters, if only to make a point or ten. — Jeremy, a William and Mary student, writes in my only other Stanley "Tookie" Williams post:
Captain Ed / Captain's Quarters:
The Last Hours Of Tookie — Stanley "Tookie" Williams has run out of options for avoiding his long-delayed execution, having lost both his bid for clemency and his final appeal to the US Supreme Court this evening. Retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor likely got the call …
Kieran Healy / Crooked Timber:Knock Knock, Bang Bang — Jim Henley points us to Radley …
Discussion:
Unqualified Offerings
CNN:
LIVE FROM... Iraqi Armed Forces to Lead Security for Election; Syrian Critic Murdered; Death and Drama in New York; Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays? ; The Life and Death of Richard Pryor — THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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H-Bomb / anklebitingpundits.com:
DeLay Having an Impact in Vulnerable Congressional Districts — For the past couple of weeks, we have been reporting on the rumblings in the House of Representatives; is a coup afoot? If so, who is involved? Could it really be successful? — Well, information obtained by ABP yesterday might add fuel to such speculation.
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …
E. J. Dionne Jr / Washington Post:
Beyond The War Spin — After this week's elections in Iraq, will our national debate be about what the United States should do to salvage the best outcome it can from a war policy that has been riddled with errors and miscalculations? Or will we mostly discuss how politicians should position themselves on the war?
Wpnieditor / washingtonpost.blog:
John Harris Responds to Reader Comments — Washington Post Political Editor John Harris posted a response to readers in the comments area of the preceding post, but we are posting separately here to make it easier to find. — Harris's response follows: — Several of the comments here refer to me …
Kirk Semple / New York Times:
Iraqi Ministry Denies Captives Were Abused — RAMADI, Iraq, Dec. 12 - The Iraqi Interior Ministry insisted Monday that none of the 625 prisoners discovered last week in an Iraqi detention center had been tortured or abused, despite assertions by American officials to the contrary.
Discussion:
Power Line
Peter Baker / Washington Post:
Bush Estimates Iraqi Death Toll in War at 30,000 — PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 12 — President Bush estimated Monday that 30,000 Iraqis have died in the war since U.S.-led forces invaded in March 2003, but he offered no second thoughts about ordering the attack and said the threat of terrorism …
BBC:
Survey finds optimism in new Iraq — An opinion poll suggests Iraqis are generally optimistic about their lives, in spite of the violence that has plagued Iraq since the US-led invasion. — But the survey, carried out for the BBC and other media, found security fears still dominate most Iraqis' thoughts.
USA Today:
Bush's job approval rating bounces up a few points — WASHINGTON — President Bush's job approval rating, on a long slide since his re-election last year, rebounded from historic lows in a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll taken this weekend. (Related: Poll results)
Jane Hamsher / firedoglake:
Split Screen Bimbos: This Is How We Get Our Information? — Tonight's episode of Hardball was truly staggering. Jim VandeHei pipes up and announces that Stephen Hadley told Karl Rove about Valerie Plame's identity early in the game, prior to his conversation with Robert Novak:
