Top Items:
Lisa Rein / Washington Post:
Down on the Ranch, President Wages War on the Underbrush — Bush Conscripts Aides in Tireless Pursuit of Clearing Ground — CRAWFORD, Tex., Dec. 30 — On most of the 365 days he has enjoyed at his secluded ranch here, President Bush's idea of paradise is to hop in his white Ford pickup truck …
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The Talking Dog / The American Street:
The New Frontiersman — There is a fascinating piece in the WaPo profiling the President's favorite activity, brush clearing. Buried in there is a fascinating milestone that, as of this day, New Year's Eve of 2005, less than five years into the presidency, the President has spent an inconceivable 365 days …
Discussion:
the talking dog
David E. Sanger / New York Times:
President Uses a Quiet Vacation to Prepare His Agenda for 2006 — CRAWFORD, Tex., Dec. 31 - For six days, President Bush has stayed in nearly complete isolation on his ranch here - just mountain-biking and brush-clearing, the White House insisted daily, with only one guest, his mother-in-law, Jenna Welch.
Anick Jesdanun / Associated Press:
White House Says Web Site Counts Visitors — NEW YORK - The White House said Friday its Web tracking technology is consistent with federal rules because it only counts the number of visitors anonymously and doesn't record personal information. — The White House's site uses what's known as a Web bug …
Courier-Mail:
White House denies calling for probe — THE White House said overnight it had no role in the Justice Department's decision to investigate the leaking of classified information indicating that President George W. Bush authorised a secret government wiretap program.
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Anne E. Kornblut / New York Times:
Lobbyist Is Given Deadline to Take Deal or Go to Trial — WASHINGTON, Dec. 30 - The indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff must decide by Tuesday whether he will accept a plea or stand trial on fraud charges in a Florida case, a judge in Federal District Court told Mr. Abramoff's lawyers and prosecutors in a court hearing on Friday.
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Washington Post:
Chalabi Named Iraq Oil Minister — Fuel Crisis Spurs Mandatory Leave For Incumbent — BAGHDAD, Dec. 30 — As a fuel crisis deepened in Iraq, the government replaced its oil minister with controversial Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Chalabi, whose poor performance in the Dec. 15 elections …
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Martin Walker / UPI:
SECURITY & TERRORISM — German media: U.S. prepares Iran strike — WASHINGTON, Dec. 30 (UPI) — The Bush administration is preparing its NATO allies for a possible military strike against suspected nuclear sites in Iran in the New Year, according to German media reports, reinforcing similar earlier suggestions in the Turkish media.
Discussion:
The Early Days …
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James Taranto / Opinion Journal:
Latter-day President? — A Mitt Romney candidacy would test the religious right. — BOSTON—Mitt Romney insists he has hardly thought about running for president: "That's a decision you make way down the road." With the 2008 election 1,039 days away, that's fair enough. But I'm guessing he'll run.
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Mike Luckovich / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Response to "Why?" — on 10-26, i did an illustration depicting the word "why" using the names of the 2,000 troops who had, at that time, died in iraq. here on this blog, the feedback from readers, both pro and con was enormous. in response, a young woman, an 11th grader, has created the response above.
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BBC:
Indonesia bomb leaves eight dead — At least eight people have been killed and 45 hurt by a bomb blast at a market in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province, police say. — Witnesses in the town of Palu reported seeing bodies lying on the ground after hearing a deafening blast.
Discussion:
The Jawa Report v3.0 Beta
T. A. Frank / The New Republic:
Brutal Honesty — Since inaugurating the "Today in Despotism" series earlier this year, TNR ONLINE has chronicled the activities of a number of strongmen. Some are old, some are young; some are religious, some are atheist; some are called "Guide of the First of September Great Revolution …
Bill Maher / The Huffington Post:
Thoughts on 2005 — To me, the big event of '05 was George Bush demonstrating that the Era of Small Lies is over. — But not small thinking. Isn't it stupid that he always has to try to appoint a Texan to everything? Attorney General, Supreme Court, education...is Texas where the great minds all are now and I missed it?
New York Times:
U.S. Women Accuse a Coach of Harassment — SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 30 - Some members of the United States women's skeleton team, including the 2002 Olympic gold medalist Tristan Gale, have accused Coach Tim Nardiello of a pattern of sexual harassment dating to 2002.
Dan / Riehl World View:
2005: The Year In Military Heroism — Between seeing this post of Sondrak's on Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. 1st Class Paul Smith and all the brouhaha over various nonsensical year end lists, I decided to do a tribute post to America's War Heroes of 2005. In my view, they cannot get and certainly …
Roger L. Simon / Mystery Novelist and Screenwriter:
Naming names (yourself) — Neo-neocon has written again (and eloquently, as usual) of her favorite topic, political change - who makes it, why and what happens. This time (in response to an essay by "Bookworm") she is dealing with the unease many feel (especially blue staters) …
Glenn Greenwald / Unclaimed Territory:
Threatening Administration critics with criminal prosecution — Yesterday's report that the Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the disclosure of the Administration's illegal surveillance program should come as no surprise. Wielding threats of criminal prosecution …
Discussion:
The Sideshow
Brian / mediabistro.com:
Controversial Conservative Bill Bennett Becoming CNN Political Analyst In '06 — First on TVNewser: Controversial conservative talk show host Bill Bennett will become a CNN political analyst early in 2006, TVNewser has learned. — This month's departure of Bob Novak left the network without a high-profile conservative commentator.
Discussion:
The Carpetbagger Report, Associated Press, The Washington Monthly, WTF Is It Now?? and Blah3.com
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The Florida Masochist:
The 2005 Knucklehead of the year award — The time has finally come to crown the Grand Knucklehead(s) of 2005. Who will it be? — It all began at my other blog with this post about a truck driver. Since that day I've given out over 100 awards. It hasn't always been a daily award but TFM tried hard to find one every day.
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters
