memeorandum

Political Web, page A1 … for 5:15 PM ET, December 19, 2005
Current Politics Page     Also:   Tech

Top Items:

CNN:
Bush: U.S. must think, act differently  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Bush held a year-end news conference in the White House on Monday.  The president followed up on his Sunday night speech on Iraq, addressed the controversy surrounding the Patriot Act and took questions on those and other subjects.
RELATED ITEMS:
White House:
Press Conference of the President  —  THE PRESIDENT: Welcome.  Please be seated.  Thanks.  —  Last night I addressed the nation about our strategy for victory in Iraq, and the historic elections that took place in the country last week.  In a nation that once lived by the whims of a brutal dictator …
Bulldogpundit / anklebitingpundits.com:
Live Blogging The Bush Presser  —  We "liveblogged" the Bush presser, and you can see our live recap by clicking "Read More".  In general, the message was obvious on both the Patriot Act and the "spying" - It's my job to protect the American people, and I'm using whatever I'm doing to do that.
Michelle Malkin:
BUSH TAKES ON THE PRESS  —  ***scroll for reax, waiting for Dem response...***  —  The showdown starts at 10:30am EST in the East Room.  If Bush hits as hard as he did in his Saturday radio address, this should be good.  —  Think he'll call on Helen Thomas?
Scott Shields / MyDD:   Off the Deep End
Lorie Byrd / PoliPundit.com:
Hell Yes, Baby - Santa Has Come Early!
David Sirota / The Huffington Post:
Bush's "Need for Speed" Argument Runs Into the Truth
Discussion: Sirotablog
Gateway Pundit:   Bush Blitzes Beltway, Cheney Cabals in Kabul
RELATED ITEMS:
Reuters:   Gonzales: War powers authorized eavesdropping
White House:
Press Briefing by Attorney …
Contra Costa Times:   Congress demands hearings on secret surveillance in U.S.
John / AMERICAblog:
Did Bush domestic spy program eavesdrop on American journalists?  —  I had an interesting discussion this morning with DC political consultant Marc Laitin.  We both came to the conclusion that it sounds like Bush's super-secret illegal domestic spying program may be targeting US journalists …
RELATED ITEMS:
National Review:
Why Bush Approved the Wiretaps  —  In the days since the revelation that President Bush authorized the National Security Agency to bypass, in certain cases of suspected al Qaeda activity, the special court set up to provide warrants for national-security wiretaps, the question has come up repeatedly: Why did he do it?
Dr. Walid Phares / Front Page Magazine:
Undermining the War at Home
Discussion: In the Bullpen
David Stout / New York Times:
Bush Says U.S. Spy Program Is Legal and Essential  —  WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 - President Bush offered a vigorous and detailed defense of his previously secret electronic-surveillance program today, calling it a legal and essential tool in the battle against terrorism and saying that whoever disclosed it had committed a "shameful act."
Discussion: War and Piece and Simianbrain
RELATED ITEM:
New York Times:
Once-Lone Foe of Patriot Act Has Company
Discussion: Booman Tribune ~ Boo!
RELATED ITEM:
Pajamas Media:
From the Oval Office to the blogs  —  Michelle Malkin liveblogged Bush's prime time speech in the Oval Office last night, and blogs started commenting right after it ended:  —  Instapundit: "[O]ne big thing struck me: In this national televised speech, Bush went out of his way to take responsibility for the war.
RELATED ITEM:
Judith / Kesher Talk:
Welcome to the RINO Carnival  —  Welcome to the 20th RINO Sightings Carnival!  (RINO sightings is cancelled for Christmas/Hanukkah week, and returns January 2nd at Louisiana Libertarian.)  (You can check out other carnivals at the uber-carnival site, and submit posts to any of them at Conservative Cat.)
Discussion: Dr. Sanity
William M. Arkin / Early Warning:
9/11 Gone Wild  —  Yesterday's New York Times editorial on National Security Agency spying in the United States refers to "your mail and your e-mail" and "your telephone conversations" being monitored.  —  The connotation of course is that the "you" is some New York Times reading Cappuccino …
RELATED ITEM:
Ezra Klein / TAPPED:
ONE QUESTION.  Over at The Washington Post's Early Warning, William Arkin sniffs:
Discussion: Eschaton
John McIntyre / realclearpolitics.com:
Have The Democrats Walked Into a Trap......Again?  —  The political pendulum is swinging back towards President Bush.  The President's approval rating has a pattern of dipping when he takes his Crawford vacation every August then bouncing back in September upon his return to Washington.
rawstory.com:
Democrats plan sharp rebuke of pre-war intelligence, Iraq war in massive new congressional report  —  House Judiciary Committee Democrats, spearheaded by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI), are set to release possibly the sharpest congressional critique to date surrounding Iraq, RAW STORY has learned.
Discussion: Pensito Review
ABCNEWS:
Cheney Roars Back on Spying, Torture, Iraq  —  Amid Criticism of White House Methods, Cheney Worries 'People Have Lost Their Sense of Urgency' on Terrorism  —  Dec. 18, 2005 — What does Vice President Dick Cheney really think about what's going on in Iraq, the latest revelations about domestic spying and the anti-torture amendment?
Business Wire:
The National Law Journal Selects Plamegate Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald as 2005 Lawyer of the Year  —  NEW YORK—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Dec. 19, 2005—The National Law Journal(R) today announced the selection of Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald as its 2005 "Lawyer of the Year," …
Discussion: Shakespeare's Sister

About This Page:

This is a snapshot of memeorandum at 5:15 PM ET, December 19, 2005.

View another snapshot:

About memeorandum:

The Web is humming with discussions on politics and current affairs.  memeorandum is page A1 for these conversations.  Auto-updated every 5 minutes, it uncovers the most relevant items from thousands of news sites and weblogs.

Site News:

See blog.memeorandum.com for all site news.

Subscribe:

Add memeorandum to:
XML

More Items:

The Sun:
Mind of a madman  —  IRAQI tyrant Saddam Hussein has made a series …
Philip Shenon / New York Times:
In Congress, a Lobbyist's Legal Troubles Turn His Generosity Into a Burden
Discussion: Sirotablog
ThreatsWatch.Org:
Operation Moonlight, with a Twist
Jackson Diehl / Washington Post:
In the Mideast, Democratic Momentum
Leon H / RedState.org:
Yes, but Did the President Break the Law?
Discussion: Pandagon
Andrew Sullivan / Times of London:
Christmas is safe with the pagans
Von / Obsidian Wings:
Finally.  —  Finally, President Bush gives the speech that I've been awaiting.
Discussion: Ezra Klein and The Poor Man

Earlier Picks:

David E. Sanger / New York Times:
In Sunday Speech, Bush Is More Humble, but Still Firm
Commissar / The Politburo Diktat:
A Map of Kostria-Wingery  —  The kingdoms of KOS-TRIA and WINGER-Y …
Washington Post:
GOP Leaders Agree to $41.6 Billion Spending Cut
David Kaspar / Davids Medienkritik:
Stern: "America is Destroying the West"
NewsMax.com:
John McCain: Bush Right to Use NSA
US News:
About Those Side Pockets on a Cow
Michael A. Fletcher / Washington Post:
President Gives Both Reassurance, Warnings on Iraq
Tom Shales / Washington Post:
From the Oval Office, a Call to See the Light at the End of the Tunnel
 
© 2005 Memeorandum