Top Items:
Haaretz:
Ehud Olmert taking over prime ministerial powers — Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a "significant" stroke with "massive bleeding" in his brain late Wednesday night, according to a Hadassah University Hospital official, and Sharon's authority has been transferred to Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Discussion:
ynetnews.com, Atlas Shrugs, Mere Rhetoric, THE ASTUTE BLOGGER, Gina Cobb, Israellycool, Roger L. Simon, The Moderate Voice and Scared Monkeys
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Steve Weizman / Associated Press:
Israel's Sharon Suffers Massive Stroke — JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a massive stroke Wednesday and was on a respirator after falling ill at his ranch. Doctors operated to drain excess blood from his brain. — Powers were transferred to his deputy, Vice Premier Ehud Olmert.
Discussion:
All Things Beautiful, The Political Pit Bull, Associated Press, Kesher Talk, Yourish.com, neo-neocon, The RCP Blog and TigerHawk
Steven Erlanger / New York Times:
Israeli Leader Suffers Serious Stroke — JERUSALEM, Thursday, Jan. 5 - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a serious stroke Wednesday night after being taken to the hospital from his ranch in the Negev desert, and he underwent brain surgery early today to stop cerebral bleeding, a hospital official said.
Omri / Mere Rhetoric:Disaster — All our thoughts are with Prime Minister Sharon, his family, and Israel.
Herb Keinon / Jerusalem Post:Sharon moved to intensive care; vital signs stable
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo
John / AMERICAblog:
NBC confirms it's investigating whether Bush spied on CNN's Christiane Amanpour — That is the only way to read NBC's just-issued statement on why they deleted key portions of Andrea Mitchell's interview after we reported on it here earlier today. — [Background: We reported earlier today …
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Brian / mediabistro.com:
NBC Removed Reference To Amanpour To "Further Continue Our Inquiry" — Yesterday, MSNBC.com published a transcript of Andrea Mitchell's interview with author James Risen about the CIA's domestic spying program. In it, Mitchell asked Risen if he had uncovered evidence that CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour was eavesdropped upon.
Andrea Mitchell / MSNBC:
Reporter defends release of NSA spy program — James Risen says his sources are 'patriots,' CIA calls them 'unreliable' … Andrea Mitchell — New York Times reporter James Risen first broke the story two weeks ago that the National Security Agency began spying on domestic communications soon after 9/11.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, AMERICAN FUTURE, observer.com, Amygdala, The Heretik, mediabistro and mediabistro
Will / Attytood:Was Christiane Amanpour spied on — and more importantly, if so, why?
Discussion:
firedoglake
Carol D. Leonnig / Washington Post:
Surveillance Court Is Seeking Answers — The members of a secret federal court that oversees government surveillance in espionage and terrorism cases are scheduled to receive a classified briefing Monday from top Justice Department and intelligence officials about a controversial warrantless …
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Katherine Shrader / Associated Press:
White House Told NSA Briefings Broke Law — WASHINGTON - The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee told President Bush Wednesday that the White House broke the law by withholding information from the full congressional oversight committees about a new domestic surveillance program.
Patricia Wilson / Reuters:
Cheney strongly backs eavesdropping operation — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney on Wednesday strongly defended a secret domestic eavesdropping operation and said that had it been in place before the September 11 attacks the Pentagon might have been spared.
Discussion:
The Carpetbagger Report, AMERICAblog, Shakespeare's Sister, Big Brass Blog and The American Street
Bill Gertz / Washington Times:
NSA whistleblower asks to testify — A former National Security Agency official wants to tell Congress about electronic intelligence programs that he asserts were carried out illegally by the NSA and the Defense Intelligence Agency. — Russ Tice, a whistleblower who was dismissed from the NSA last year …
Crooks and Liars:
Letterman to O'Reilly: "60% of what you say is crap" — Letterman to O'Reilly: "60% of what you say is crap" — Bill joined David last night on the Late Show and found that Letterman wasn't buying his phony war on Christmas deal. David also wasn't happy about his attacking Cindy Sheehan …
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Howard Fineman / MSNBC:
Winners and losers in the Abramoff scandal — The GOP could suffer, opening the way for a third-party movement — WASHINGTON - — Howard Fineman — Forget the black hat. Everybody here is obsessed with Jack Abramoff's gangster-like attire as he came out of the federal courthouse.
Discussion:
The Washington Note, The Moderate Voice, The Mahablog, The Heretik, danieldrezner.com, Brendan Nyhan and Hullabaloo
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White House:
Personnel Announcement — President George W. Bush today recess appointed the following individuals: — Floyd Hall, of New Jersey, to be a Member of the AMTRAK Reform Board. — Enrique J. Sosa, of Florida, to be a Member of the AMTRAK Reform Board. — Nadine Hogan, of Florida …
New York Times:
Lobbyist Pleads Guilty in Fla.; 2nd Plea in 2 Days — MIAMI, Jan. 4 - A day after he pleaded guilty to three felony counts in Washington, Jack Abramoff, a once prominent Republican lobbyist, pleaded guilty today to two felony charges of conspiracy and fraud in a case stemming from his purchase of a casino boat line in 2000.
Discussion:
Angry Bear
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Associated Press:
Palestinians Enter Egypt After Border Smash — RAFAH, Gaza Strip - Hundreds of angry Palestinians streamed into Egypt on Wednesday after militants with stolen bulldozers broke through a border wall, and two Egyptian troops were killed and 30 were wounded by gunfire in the rampage.
Discussion:
The Officers' Club
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Doug Bandow / Los Angeles Times:
The lesson Jack Abramoff taught me — I'VE LONG BEEN involved in the public eye, but only as a largely unassuming policy nerd. A couple of weeks ago, however, I found myself spotlighted as a player in l'affaire Jack Abramoff — Abramoff is the lobbyist who pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion.
Peter Jackson / Associated Press:
Lynn Swann Says He'll Run for Pa. Governor — PITTSBURGH - Former Steelers star Lynn Swann declared his candidacy for Pennsylvania governor Wednesday in the city where he made his name in professional football. — He told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday afternoon …
