Top Items:
Robert Tait / Guardian:
Iran issues stark warning on oil price — War of words over trade sanctions — Iran stepped up its defiance of international pressure over its nuclear programme yesterday by warning of soaring oil prices if it is subjected to economic sanctions. As diplomats from the US, Europe, Russia …
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CNN:
Iran plans Holocaust conference — TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) — Iran, whose president has labeled the attempt by Nazi Germany to exterminate Jews during World War II a "myth" and called for the destruction of Israel, announced Sunday it will hold a conference on the Holocaust.
William Kristol / Weekly Standard:
And Now Iran — An unrepentant rogue state with a history of sponsoring terrorists seeks to develop weapons of mass destruction. The United States tries to work with European allies to deal with the problem peacefully, depending on International Atomic Energy Agency inspections and United Nations sanctions.
Jerusalem Post:
Report: IAF trained for Iran attack — IAF pilots have completed their mission training and fighter jets have been prepared for an Israeli attack on Iran, the British Sunday Times reported. — The article reported that "the elite 69 strategic F-15 I squadron" had been equipped with weapons …
Newsweek:
Lobbying: The Web Widens — Jan. 23, 2006 issue - Ohio Rep. Robert Ney personally lobbied the then Secretary of State Colin Powell to relax U.S. sanctions on Iran. Who asked him to? A convicted airplane broker who had just taken the congressman and a top aide on an expense-paid trip to London, NEWSWEEK has learned.
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Time:
Jack Abramoff's $10,000 Question — Lobbyist Jack Abramoff's Oct. 23, 2000, e-mail to his business partner Michael Scanlon was, as usual, not subtle. "Would 10K for NRCC from Suncruz for Ney help?" Scanlon shot back: "Yes, alot [sic]! But would have to give them a definate [sic] answer—and they need it this week ..."
David Hammer / Associated Press:Rep. Ney to Temporarily Cede Panel Chair
Discussion:
The Corner on National …
Hope Yen / Associated Press:
Feinstein Warns Against Alito Filibuster — WASHINGTON - A Democrat who plans to vote against Samuel Alito sided on Sunday with a Republican colleague on the Senate Judiciary Committee in cautioning against a filibuster of the Supreme Court nominee. — "I do not see a likelihood of a filibuster …
Discussion:
The Left Coaster, The Left Coaster, The Next Hurrah, First Draft, Happy Furry Puppy Story …, Confirm Them and PunditGuy
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Jonathan Alter / Newsweek:
A Power Outage on Capitol Hill — We are in danger of scrapping our checks and balances-not just for a few years (as was done during the Civil War), but for good. — Jan. 23, 2006 issue - What if we faced a constitutional crisis and hardly anyone noticed?
TigerHawk:Remembering May, the 'gang of 14' and the vindication of various people
Discussion:
firedoglake, Power Line, Captain's Quarters, PoliBlog, The Right Coast and ProfessorBainbridge.com
Captain Ed / Captain's Quarters:Feinstein: Forget The Filibuster
Discussion:
A Chequer-Board of Nights …
David Bauder / Associated Press:
Cronkite: Time for U.S. to Leave Iraq — Former CBS anchor Walter Cronkite, whose 1968 conclusion that the Vietnam War was unwinnable keenly influenced public opinion then, said Sunday he'd say the same thing today about Iraq. — "It's my belief that we should get out now," Cronkite said in a meeting with reporters.
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Media Matters for America:
Post ombudsman Howell twice falsely claimed Democrats received contributions from Abramoff … In a January 15 column touting The Washington Post's coverage of the influence-peddling scandal surrounding lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Post ombudsman Deborah Howell twice claimed that Democrats received campaign contributions from Abramoff.
Discussion:
firedoglake
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Larry Rohter / New York Times:
What Is Missing in This Woman's Victory? Coattails — SANTIAGO, Chile, Jan. 15 - Michelle Bachelet, a Socialist, a doctor and a former political prisoner and exile, on Sunday became the first woman to be elected president of Chile, decisively defeating Sebastián Piñera, a conservative billionaire businessman.
Discussion:
Crooked Timber
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Larry Rohter / New York Times:A Leader Making Peace With Chile's Past
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice
Thomas B. Edsall / Washington Post:
In Ga., Abramoff Scandal Threatens a Political Ascendancy — DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — Ralph Reed, candidate for lieutenant governor, had just finished his opening statement to the Dawson County Republican Party when retired pulp paper executive Gary Pichon sprang from his seat with a question that cut to the chase:
Zogby:
Bush job approval dips again to 39% New Zogby Survey shows Iraq a Partisan War — In the face of rising gas prices, partisan sniping over Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, and a resumption of insurgent violence in Iraq, President Bush's job approval rating has slipped into a post-holiday funk …
New York Review of Books:
ON NSA SPYING: A LETTER TO CONGRESS — Dear Members of Congress: — We are scholars of constitutional law and former government officials. We write in our individual capacities as citizens concerned by the Bush administration's National Security Agency domestic spying program …
Discussion:
Begging to Differ
Erin McCormick / San Francisco Chronicle:
Anti-war activists take Pelosi to task Minority leader negotiates with lawmakers to her right — Her opposition to the Iraq war may have earned her a reputation as a radical lefty in Washington. — But when Democratic minority leader Nancy Pelosi came home to hold a town hall meeting …
US News:
Vegging Out With the 'Soup Nazi' — He shocked former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle by beating him by just over 4,000 votes last year, repelled the administration's bid to shut down a key Air Force base back home in South Dakota, and is talked about as a possible 2008 vice presidential candidate for the GOP.
Jon Gertner / New York Times:
What Is a Living Wage? — If It Happened in Baltimore, Maybe It Can Happen Anywhere — For a few weeks in the summer of 1995, Jen Kern spent her days at a table in the Library of Congress in Washington, poring over the fine print of state constitutions from around the country.
