Top Items:
Washington Post:
Spy Court Judge Quits In Protest — Jurist Concerned Bush Order Tainted Work of Secret Panel — A federal judge has resigned from the court that oversees government surveillance in intelligence cases in protest of President Bush's secret authorization of a domestic spying program, according to two sources.
Discussion:
Donklephant, In From the Cold, The Washington Monthly, Tom Watson, The Moderate Voice, War and Piece, Power Line, Hugh Hewitt, Althouse, Gateway Pundit, NewsBusters.org, The Corner on National …, Shakespeare's Sister, The Poor Man, Faithful Progressive, IntoxiNation-News …, Daily Kos, Oliver Willis, Liberty Street, TalkLeft, The Carpetbagger Report, Just a Bump in the Beltway, whatever already!, The Democratic Daily Blog, Decision '08, How Appealing and Bark Bark Woof Woof
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New York Times:
Spying Program Snared U.S. Calls — WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 - A surveillance program approved by President Bush to conduct eavesdropping without warrants has captured what are purely domestic communications in some cases, despite a requirement by the White House that one end of the intercepted conversations …
Reuters:
Senators members seek spying probe — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic and Republican calls mounted on Tuesday for U.S. congressional hearings into President George W. Bush's assertion that he can order warrantless spying on Americans with suspected terrorist ties.
Richard A. Posner / Washington Post:
Our Domestic Intelligence Crisis — We've learned that the Defense Department is deeply involved in domestic intelligence (intelligence concerning threats to national security that unfold on U.S. soil). The department's National Security Agency has been conducting, outside the framework …
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Judd / Think Progress:
Fact Check: Clinton/Carter Executive Orders Did Not Authorize Warrantless Searches of Americans — The top of the Drudge Report claims "CLINTON EXECUTIVE ORDER: SECRET SEARCH ON AMERICANS WITHOUT COURT ORDER..." It's not true. Here's the breakdown - — What Drudge says: … What Clinton actually signed:
Discussion:
Power Line, The Stakeholder, protein wisdom, Running Scared, Simianbrain, Mathew Gross, Daily Kos, The Democratic Daily Blog, Let Freedom Ring, Hammer of Truth, USS Neverdock, Say Anything, THE ASTUTE BLOGGER, A Chequer-Board of Nights …, TBogg, Don Surber, Sister Toldjah, The Political Teen and Southern Appeal
Anne E. Kornblut / New York Times:
Lobbyist Is Said to Discuss Plea and Testimony — WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 - Jack Abramoff, the Republican lobbyist under criminal investigation, has been discussing with prosecutors a deal that would grant him a reduced sentence in exchange for testimony against former political and business associates …
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Susan Schmidt / Washington Post:
Abramoff Reportedly Negotiating a Deal in Which He Would Plead Guilty, Testify — Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, facing trial on fraud charges Jan. 9 in Florida, is negotiating a possible deal with the Justice Department, in which he would agree to plead guilty and cooperate …
Discussion:
The Democratic Party
Steven Greenhouse / New York Times:
In Final Hours, M.T.A. Took a Big Risk on Pensions — On the final day of intense negotiations, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, it turns out, greatly altered what it had called its final offer, to address many of the objections of the transit workers' union.
Discussion:
Daily Blog, MaxSpeak, Majikthise, Lawyers, Guns and Money, A Blog For All and Sisyphus Shrugged
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wcbstv.com:Exclusive: Transit Union Split Over Strike
Discussion:
Hugh Hewitt, Manufacturers Blog, Red Guy in a Blue State, Suitably Flip, GOP and the City, THE NEWS BLOG and A Blog For All
Laurie Goodstein / New York Times:
Judge Rejects Teaching Intelligent Design — HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 20 - A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that it was unconstitutional for a Pennsylvania school district to present intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in high school biology courses because it is a religious viewpoint …
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Reuters:
Lebanon questions US demand to hand over hijacker — BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon criticised on Wednesday U.S. demands that it hand over a Hizbollah hijacker released by Germany after nearly 19 years in jail for murdering an American. — "Originally they (the U.S. government) could have requested that Germany hand him over.
Discussion:
RedState.org
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Patrick Cockburn / Independent:
Iraq's election result: a divided nation — Iraq is disintegrating. The first results from the parliamentary election last week show the country is dividing between Shia, Sunni and Kurdish regions. — Religious fundamentalists now have the upper hand. The secular and nationalist candidate backed …
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Charles Babington / Washington Post:
4 GOP Senators Hold Firm Against Patriot Act Renewal — Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) could barely conceal his anger. — "The Patriot Act expires on December 31, but the terrorist threat does not," he told reporters at the Capitol yesterday.
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Richard Morin / Washington Post:
Poll: Bush Approval Numbers Up — President's Job Approval Rating Increases by Eight Points — Washington Post polling editor Richard Morin was online Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 1 p.m. ET to discuss the new Post/ABC poll, which shows an eight point increase in President Bush's approval rating …
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Max Boot / Los Angeles Times:
'Plame Platoon' is AWOL on new leaks — Highly classified programs have been revealed, which could provide real aid to our enemies. So where's all that outrage now? — IT SEEMS like only yesterday that every high-minded politician, pundit and professional activist was in high dudgeon …
La Shawn / La Shawn Barber's Corner:
Do You Hate Black People? — I get e-mail from black people (and a few whites) asking me if I hate black people. I usually don't dignify the question with an answer, but I get the point. — I am more critical of blacks than I am of whites because, no offense, I care more about what happens to blacks.
Josh Meyer / Los Angeles Times:
Officials Fault Case Bush Cited — Internal breakdowns, not shortcomings in spy laws, were at play before Sept. 11, they say. — WASHINGTON — In confirming the existence of a top-secret domestic spying program, President Bush offered one case as proof that authorities desperately needed …
Brendan Simms / The New Republic:
English Teacher — Earlier this month Britain's Conservative Party elected David Cameron to be its new leader. Cameron's victory was convincing; but it has also engendered much confusion about what, exactly, Tory members were voting for—beyond Cameron's evident charm and a general sense that …
White House:
Press Briefing by Scott McClellan — MR. McCLELLAN: Good afternoon, everyone. I want to begin with talking about matters going on with the Congress right now, particularly the Senate. — The President, as you heard last night, applauds the House for its work to meet key national priorities.
Washington Post:
Clash Is Latest Chapter in Bush Effort to Widen Executive Power — The clash over the secret domestic spying program is one slice of a broader struggle over the power of the presidency that has animated the Bush administration. George W. Bush and Dick Cheney came to office convinced …
