Top Items:
New York Times:
Bush Secretly Lifted Some Limits on Spying in U.S. After 9/11, Officials Say — WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 - Months after the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush secretly authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on Americans and others inside the United States to search for evidence …
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The Volokh Conspiracy, Power Line, Happy Furry Puppy Story …, Michelle Malkin, Hugh Hewitt, The Mahablog, INTEL DUMP, Mia Culpa, The Heretik, QandO, The Political Pit Bull, Balkinization, The Carpetbagger Report, Instapundit.com, War and Piece, SpeakSpeak News, First Draft, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, PrawfsBlawg, Bark Bark Woof Woof, Confederate Yankee, Hit and Run, Vox Popoli, Oliver Willis, TalkLeft, Concurring Opinions, AMERICAblog, How Appealing, Democratic Veteran and Politics in the Zeros
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Dan Eggen / Washington Post:
Bush Authorized Domestic Spying — President Bush signed a secret order in 2002 authorizing the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on U.S. citizens and foreign nationals in the United States, despite previous legal prohibitions against such domestic spying, sources with knowledge of the program said last night.
John F. Burns / New York Times:
Freedom From Fear Lifts Sunnis — BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 15 - Ali is only 9 years old. But when he and his buddies broke away from a street soccer game to drop into a polling station in Baghdad's Adhamiya district at noon on Thursday, Ali, a chirpy, tousle-haired youngster …
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CNN:
Iraqi polls extend hours as turnout high — 'It's the beginning of our new life' … BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — Iraqis turned out in droves Thursday to elect their first full-term parliament since the ouster of Saddam Hussein. — Turnout was so heavy across the country that the Independent …
Josh White / Washington Post:
President Relents, Backs Torture Ban — President Bush reversed position yesterday and endorsed a torture ban crafted by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) after months of White House attempts to weaken the measure, which would prohibit the "cruel, inhuman, or degrading" treatment of any detainee in U.S. custody anywhere in the world.
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Brian Knowlton / New York Times:Bush and McCain Reach Deal on Treatment of Terror Suspects
Discussion:
Democratic Veteran
Matt Pottinger / Opinion Journal:
Mightier Than the Pen — Why I gave up journalism to join the Marines. — When people ask why I recently left The Wall Street Journal to join the Marines, I usually have a short answer. It felt like the time had come to stop reporting events and get more directly involved.
Dafna Linzer / Washington Post:
Report: Bush Had More Prewar Intelligence Than Congress — A congressional report made public yesterday concluded that President Bush and his inner circle had access to more intelligence and reviewed more sensitive material than what was shared with Congress when it gave Bush the authority to wage war against Iraq.
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Jonathan S. Landay / Knight Ridder:Congress doesn't see same intelligence as president, report finds
Katherine Shrader / Associated Press:Senator stalls intelligence spending bill
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The Democratic Daily Blog
Dan Balz / Washington Post:
Pelosi Hails Democrats' Diverse War Stances — House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said yesterday that Democrats should not seek a unified position on an exit strategy in Iraq, calling the war a matter of individual conscience and saying differing positions within the caucus are a source of strength for the party.
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John Harwood / Wall Street Journal:
Republicans Risk Losing Key Voting Bloc — Senior Citizens' Unhappiness With Issues — Has Implications for Midterm Elections — WASHINGTON - While President Bush has high hopes for today's elections in Iraq, his Republican Party faces a different challenge at home …
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Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
In Iran, Arming for Armageddon — Lest you get carried away with today's good news from Iraq, consider what's happening next door in Iran. The wild pronouncements of the new Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have gotten sporadic press ever since he called for Israel to be wiped off the map.
New York Times:
N.Y. Transit Union Rejects Offer and Will Begin Limited Strike — After five hours of intense negotiations with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the transit workers' union decided this morning to delay for four days a decision on whether to strike the New York City subway and bus system …
Discussion:
THE NEWS BLOG
Jonathan Weisman / Washington Post:
Democrats Criticize Bush For Saying DeLay's Innocent — Democratic leaders sternly criticized President Bush yesterday for saying former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) is innocent of felonious campaign finance abuses, suggesting his comments virtually amounted to jury tampering before DeLay stands trial.
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njdc.org:
Breaking News: GOP House Top Priority? Christmas Vote! — War in Iraq, war against terrorism, war in Afghanistan, move over — today, House GOP leaders have decided there is a more pressing war to attend to: the fictional war against Christmas, which apparently requires protection for Christmas symbols.
Rachel L. Swarns / New York Times:
House Votes for 698 Miles of Fences on Mexico Border — WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 - House Republicans voted on Thursday night to toughen a border security bill by requiring the Department of Homeland Security to build five fences along 698 miles of the United States border with Mexico to block …
Discussion:
TalkLeft
Ylan Q. Mui / Washington Post:
Wal-Mart Throws an Undercut at Target — Chain-Store Strategy Changes for the Christmas Blitz — Sales tags touting deep price cuts were flying like battle flags this week in the electronics department of Wal-Mart in Manassas. Twice each week, about a dozen employees sneak into enemy territory …
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ScrappleFace
