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David Espo / Associated Press:
DeLay Abandons Bid to Remain House Leader — WASHINGTON - Embattled Rep. Tom DeLay on Saturday abandoned his bid to remain as House majority leader, clearing the way for leadership elections among Republicans eager to shed the taint of scandal. — In a letter to rank-and-file Republicans …
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Jonathan Weisman / Washington Post:
Tide Turning Against DeLay — Some House Republicans Push for Leadership Elections — Rank-and-file House Republicans took the first formal step toward permanently replacing Rep. Tom DeLay (Tex.) in the House's leadership by unveiling a petition to hold a special leadership election in the coming weeks.
New York Times:
Officials Focus on a 2nd Firm Tied to DeLay — WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 - Having secured a guilty plea from the lobbyist Jack Abramoff, prosecutors are entering a new phase of the corruption investigation in Washington and are focusing on a lobbying firm that may hold the key to whether Tom DeLay …
Carl Hulse / New York Times:
Rebels in G.O.P. Call for DeLay to Be Replaced — WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 - A rebellious band of House Republicans moved Friday to bar Representative Tom DeLay of Texas from regaining his position as majority leader, demanding a vote to replace him permanently at the top of the party hierarchy.
Discussion:
The Washington Monthly
Carol D. Leonnig / Washington Post:
Report Rebuts Bush on Spying — A report by Congress's research arm concluded yesterday that the administration's justification for the warrantless eavesdropping authorized by President Bush conflicts with existing law and hinges on weak legal arguments. — The Congressional Research …
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Hindrocket / Power Line:
THEY'LL BE OK IF NO ONE READS THE REPORT — Yesterday the Congressional Research Service released a report that purported to be a bipartisan analysis of the legal issues raised by the NSA electronic intercept controversy, titled "Presidential Authority to Conduct Warrantless Electronic Surveillance …
Discussion:
The Right Coast
Nelson Hernandez / Washington Post:
In Video, Al Qaeda's No. 2 Tells Bush to Admit Defeat in Iraq — Accusations Fly Day After Lethal Insurgent Attacks — BAGHDAD, Jan. 6 — Al Qaeda's second-in-command said President Bush had admitted defeat in Iraq by announcing plans to reduce the American troop presence in the country, saying the move would be a victory for Islam.
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New York Times:
Americans Said to Meet Rebels, Exploiting Rift — BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 6 - American officials are talking with local Iraqi insurgent leaders to exploit a rift that has opened between homegrown insurgents and radical groups like Al Qaeda, and to draw the local leaders into the political process …
Discussion:
The New Republic, Body and Soul, Publius Pundit, www.AndrewSullivan.com, Informed Comment, Althouse and BrothersJudd Blog
Michelle Malkin:
VIDEO: A VETERAN TELLS OFF MURTHA/MORAN — This. Is. Priceless. — As I noted in the post just below, Sgt. Mark Seavey confronted Democrat Reps. Jim Moran and John Murtha at a town hall meeting in Arlington, Va., earlier this week and left the moonbats momentarily speechless.
Discussion:
Mudville Gazette, The Strata-Sphere, Opinion Journal, Betsy's Page, TigerHawk, bRight & Early, Atlas Shrugs, Power Line, USS Neverdock, Flopping Aces and Macsmind
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Annie Gowen / Washington Post:600 Listen to Critic of Iraq War
Discussion:
All Things Beautiful, Mudville Gazette, Michelle Malkin, Mark in Mexico and bRight & Early
Edward M. Kennedy / Washington Post:
Alito's Credibility Problem — Every Supreme Court nominee bears a heavy burden to demonstrate that he or she is committed to the constitutional principles that have been vital in advancing fairness, decency and equal opportunity in our society. As Judge Samuel Alito approaches …
BBC:
My Lai massacre hero dies at 62 — Hugh Thompson Jnr, a former US military helicopter pilot who helped stop one of the most infamous massacres of the Vietnam War has died, aged 62. — Mr Thompson and his crew came upon US troops killing civilians at the village of My Lai on 16 March 1968.
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Daniela Deane / Washington Post:
White House Denounces Robertson's Remarks on Sharon — Television Evangelist Said Prime Minister's Illness Was Deserved — The White House today criticized television evangelist Pat Robertson's remarks that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's severe illness was deserved, calling the comments "wholly inappropriate and offensive."
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Glenn Greenwald / Unclaimed Territory:
Sharing our "secrets" with Osama — One of the most revealing aspects of the NSA scandal has been the way in which Bush followers have been running around shrieking that national security has been damaged and treason has been committed by the New York Times.
Discussion:
Hullabaloo
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Associated Press:
Poll: Democrats favored to control Congress — Following Abramoff scandal, public uneasy with Republican Party, AP finds — WASHINGTON - In an ominous election-year sign for Republicans, Americans are leaning sharply toward giving Democrats control of Congress, an AP-Ipsos poll finds.
Brock N. Meeks / MSNBC:
Homeland Security opening private mail — Retired professor confused, angered when letter from abroad is opened — WASHINGTON - — Brock N. Meeks — In the 50 years that Grant Goodman has known and corresponded with a colleague in the Philippines he never had any reason to suspect …
Michael Forsythe / Bloomberg:
`DeLay Inc.' Lobbying Firm Has Links to Three Capital Scandals — Jan. 6 (Bloomberg) — Representative Tom DeLay's campaign to get Republicans to dominate Washington lobbying may have worked too well for Alexander Strategy Group. — The firm has links to no fewer than three of the scandals convulsing the U.S. capital.
William Kristol / Weekly Standard:
Just the Facts — IT'S CONVENTIONAL WISDOM. In fact, it's more than conventional wisdom. It's an article of faith among the enlightened: There was no connection, at least no significant connection, between Saddam Hussein's regime and al Qaeda and other terrorist groups.
Discussion:
Abu Aardvark, Right Wing Nut House, The Strata-Sphere, Macsmind, Dr. Sanity, Michelle Malkin and Power Line
