Top Items:
Steven R. Weisman / New York Times:
Rice Admits U.S. Underestimated Hamas Strength — LONDON, Jan. 29 — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice acknowledged Sunday that the United States had failed to understand the depth of hostility among Palestinians toward their longtime leaders. The hostility led to an election victory …
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Scott Shiloh / Arutz Sheva:
Mofaz: Hamas Acting Responsibly; Hamas: Israel Must Change Flag — Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz told the Israeli cabinet on Sunday that since the election Hamas was acting responsibly. Shortly afterwards, a senior Hamas official called on Israel to change its flag.
John O'Neil / New York Times:Abbas and Hamas Leader Call for Continuation of Aid
Discussion:
The RCP Blog
Debra Burlingame / Opinion Journal:
Our Right to Security — Al Qaeda, not the FBI, is the greater threat to America. — One of the most excruciating images of the September 11 attacks is the sight of a man who was trapped in one of the World Trade Center towers. Stripped of his suit jacket and tie and hanging on to what appears …
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Philip Bobbitt / New York Times:
Why We Listen — IN the debate over whether the National Security Agency's eavesdropping violated the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, we must not lose sight of the fact that the world we entered on 9/11 will require rewriting that statute and other laws.
David D. Kirkpatrick / New York Times:
In Alito, G.O.P. Reaps Harvest Planted in '82 — Last February, as rumors swirled about the failing health of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, a team of conservative grass-roots organizers, public relations specialists and legal strategists met to prepare a battle plan to ensure any vacancies were filled by like-minded jurists.
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Jonathan Weisman / Washington Post:
Corruption Scandals Cast Shadow on GOP Leadership Race — In eight concise paragraphs, two moderate and two conservative House Republicans put into writing last week what they say many of their colleagues quietly fear: the GOP's plunging poll numbers, rising public support for a Congress controlled …
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John Fund / Opinion Journal:The Republican Soul — Tom DeLay's predecessor talks about how to reclaim it.
Discussion:
QandO
New York Times:
ABC News Anchor Is Badly Injured by Bomb in Iraq — BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 30 — One of the new co-anchors of ABC's evening newscast, Bob Woodruff, and a network cameraman suffered head wounds and other serious injuries on Sunday when a large roadside bomb struck the Iraqi military vehicle carrying them north of the capital.
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Jonathan Finer / Washington Post:ABC Team Stabilized After Iraq Convoy Hit
Discussion:
Rantingprofs, mediabistro, Informed Comment, Donklephant, The Moderate Voice and Conglomerate Blog
Robert Pear / New York Times:
Budget to Hurt Poor People on Medicaid, Report Says — WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 — Millions of low-income people would have to pay more for health care under a bill worked out by Congress, and some of them would forgo care or drop out of Medicaid because of the higher co-payments and premiums …
Michelle Malkin:
PHOTO OF THE DAY — Yahoo!/AP caption: In this photo released by Venezuela's Miraflores Press, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez embraces visiting U.S. peace activist Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq, during his national broadcast 'Hello President' in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2006.
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New York Times:
An Enron Jury Free of Grudges? Easy, Judge Says — HOUSTON, Jan. 29 — Chances are that in this city's pool of 2.3 million registered voters, there are at least 16 people who are not angry about the implosion of Enron, the largest business collapse in history. But finding them in a single day could be a challenge.
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Shankar Vedantam / Washington Post:
Study Ties Political Leanings to Hidden Biases — Put a group of people together at a party and observe how they behave. Differently than when they are alone? Differently than when they are with family? What if they're in a stadium instead of at a party? What if they're all men?
Associated Press:
Exxon Mobil Sees Record Profit for U.S. Co. — IRVING, Texas - Exxon Mobil Corp. posted record profits for any U.S. company on Monday — $10.71 billion for the fourth quarter and $36.13 billion for the year — as the world's biggest publicly traded oil company benefited from high oil and gas prices and demand for refined products.
Crooks and Liars:
Katrina Vanden Heuvel on the Evil Liberal Bloggers — Katrina Vanden Heuvel on the Evil Liberal Bloggers — I have to say that I'm a big fan of Katrina and have interviewed her on this blog- (I really enjoyed her book) so it comes as a real bummer for me to have to write this.
Joby Warrick / Washington Post:
Interior Offered Extensive Katrina Aid — FEMA Ignored Proposals or Didn't Use Resources Effectively, Department Says — Hundreds of federal search-and-rescue workers and large numbers of boats, aircraft and bulldozers were offered to FEMA in the hours immediately after Hurricane Katrina hit …
Craig Whitlock / Washington Post:
Al Qaeda Detainee's Mysterious Release — Moroccan Spoke Of Aiding Bin Laden During 2001 Escape — RABAT, Morocco — For more than a decade, Osama bin Laden had few soldiers more devoted than Abdallah Tabarak. A former Moroccan transit worker, Tabarak served as a bodyguard for the al Qaeda leader …
Discussion:
The Counterterrorism Blog, Booman Tribune, the talking dog, Body and Soul, Brilliant at Breakfast and Daily Kos
Michael Kinsley / Slate:
Kick Me, I'm a Democrat — The game politicians play. — It seems to be time once again to play Kick the Democrats. Everyone can play, including Democrats. The rules are simple. When Republicans lose elections, it is because they didn't get enough votes.
Washington Post:
Swann's Popularity Has a Downside for Some Pennsylvania Republicans — Former Pittsburgh Steelers legend Lynn Swann, who is hoping to be the Republican nominee in this year's Pennsylvania governor's race, is giving Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell more than a run for his money in the latest polls.
