Top Items:
Dan Eggen / Washington Post:
White House Dismissed '02 Surveillance Proposal — The Bush administration rejected a 2002 Senate proposal that would have made it easier for FBI agents to obtain surveillance warrants in terrorism cases, concluding that the system was working well and that it would likely be unconstitutional to lower the legal standard.
Discussion:
JustOneMinute, The Volokh Conspiracy, AMERICAblog, The Washington Monthly and Crooks and Liars
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Jonathan S. Landay / Knight Ridder:
In 2002, Justice Department said eavesdropping law working well — WASHINGTON - A July 2002 Justice Department statement to a Senate committee appears to contradict several key arguments that the Bush administration is making to defend its eavesdropping on U.S. citizens without court warrants.
Jim Puzzanghera / Lexington Herald-Leader:
More Americans favor impeaching Bush, poll says — Today's topic: Domestic spying — WASHINGTON - The word "impeachment" is popping up increasingly these days and not just off the lips of liberal activists spouting predictable bumper-sticker slogans. — After the unfounded claims …
Ron Fournier / Associated Press:
Sen. Clinton Blasts Bush on Eavesdropping — WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton called President Bush's explanations for eavesdropping on domestic conversations without warrants "strange" and "far-fetched" Wednesday in blistering criticism ahead of the president's State of the Union address.
MSNBC:
Bush to visit spy agency, defend surveillance — Sen. McCain, uncertain if president exceeded authority, welcomes hearings … WASHINGTON - President Bush heads to the National Security Agency on Wednesday for another speech defending his controversial spying program …
news, politics, jobs …:
Panel: Interactivity Ethics — Last Thursday, washingtonpost.com turned off the reader comments feature on post.blog , a blog dedicated to sharing news by and about The Post and washingtonpost.com. The move came after several comments containing personal attacks, profanity and hate speech …
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Digby / Hullabaloo:
Incivility — Boy that Washington Post chat with bloggers sure was fun, huh kids? It's really cool when guys like Glenn Reynolds cojmpletely misrepresent themselves in a national forum. It shows once again how out of control the left is. — Here's Glenn:
Michael Liedtke / Associated Press:
Google Agrees to Censor Results in China — SAN FRANCISCO - Online search engine leader Google Inc. has agreed to censor its results in China, adhering to the country's free-speech restrictions in return for better access in the Internet's fastest growing market.
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New York Times:
Al Qaeda's Big Boast — IF Osama bin Laden's aim in releasing an audiotape was to gauge his enemies' reaction, he must have been gratified to find that America's leaders and opinion-makers understand him little better than they did on 9/11. The proof is in how his offer of a "long-term truce" was treated.
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Christopher Hitchens / Slate:Al-Qaida Is Losing — There's desperation in Osama's voice.
Discussion:
In the Bullpen, Sister Toldjah, The Right Place, The Middle Ground, Decision '08 and BrothersJudd Blog
New York Times:
Senators in Need of a Spine — Judge Samuel Alito Jr., whose entire history suggests that he holds extreme views about the expansive powers of the presidency and the limited role of Congress, will almost certainly be a Supreme Court justice soon. His elevation will come courtesy …
Kevin Sites / Agence France Presse:
Hamas goes to urns refusing to disarm — GAZA CITY (AFP) - Hamas, the radical Islamist faction behind a majority of attacks on Israel, vowed not to disarm or negotiate with the Jewish state if it enters the Palestinian parliament after the election. — Unbowed by international pressure …
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The New Republic:
WILL ALITO MAKE HILLARY PRESIDENT?: — Chris Cillizza over at "The Fix" has an interesting post today about whether or not Hillary can win a presidential election. His conclusion is a tentative yes—something I agree with despite Marisa Katz's excellent piece laying out some of the obstacles Hillary faces …
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James Clench / The Sun:
My pal the psychopath — Crawling ... George with Saddam Hussein's son, Uday — CELEB Big Brother prat George Galloway is today exposed in his revolting true colours — fawning before Saddam Hussein's murderous son Uday. — An astonishing video shown in part on the Sun TV Bulletin depicts Galloway …
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters, Iowa Voice, The American Thinker, This Is London, Kesher Talk, A Blog For All and In the Bullpen
Mark / Decision '08:
Responding To Greenwald - Again — There's been a lot of back and forth between blogs on the right and Glenn Greenwald lately, partly because, much to his credit, he's one of the few leftie bloggers who will engage in substantive debates and link back to the blogs he's criticizing …
Jerusalem Post:
Iran: We'll put Israel in 'eternal coma' — TEHERAN, IRAN — Were Israel to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, Iran would respond so strongly that it would put the Jewish state into "an eternal coma" like Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's, the Iranian defense minister said Wednesday.
Brian Ross / ABCNEWS:
EXCLUSIVE: Al Qaeda Sees Resurgence in Pakistani Tribal Areas — Videotape Shows Terror Network Actively Recruiting, Plotting Attacks — Jan. 24, 2006 — Al Qaeda and its former protectors — the Taliban — are in the midst of a powerful resurgence, according to accounts by local officials …
Val Prieto / Babalu Blog:
The Great Wall of Havana (Updated) — The news ticker at the US Interests Section in Havana has so infuriated fidel castro that they are now clearing the adjacent site and preparing it for the construction of the Great Wall of Havana. — In a country where even paint is hard to come by …
Steven Erlanger / New York Times:
Palestinians Set for Vote and Big Shift — RAMALLAH, West Bank, Jan. 24 - For better or worse, Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, has gotten what he wanted: Palestinian legislative elections, the first such vote in a decade. — But Mr. Abbas's accomplishment with the election on Wednesday is also an extraordinary risk.
Discussion:
Israel news and commentary …, ThreatsWatch.Org, Mediacrity and The Counterterrorism Blog
John R. Lott Jr / New York Times:
Pulling Rank — REPUBLICAN senators have found a new friend during judicial confirmations: the American Bar Association. During the confirmation hearings of John G. Roberts Jr. and Samuel A. Alito Jr., the senators invoked A.B.A. evaluations to ward off Democratic attacks …
Will / Attytood:
The Ed Rendell Party: Like it's 1999 — There's nothing more frustrating for a blogger than getting tied up on real-life work, etc., when we'd wanted to write last night about the Democratic fiasco right here in Pennsylvania. — That would be the stunning endorsement of right-wing Supreme …
John In Dc / Open Letter To Chris Matthews:
Frequently Asked Questions — 1. What is your complaint with Chris Matthews and MSNBC? — Chris Matthews is a major opinion leader who has repeatedly compared Americans concerned about the war in Iraq to Osama bin Laden, a charge that borders on accusing over half the American public with treason.
