Top Items:
David Stout / New York Times:
Defense of Eavesdropping Is Met With Skepticism in Senate — WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 — Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales told skeptical senators today that the Bush administration's domestic eavesdropping program is legal, constitutional and vital to national security in a time of terrorism.
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Alberto R. Gonzales / Opinion Journal:
America Expects Surveillance — Monitoring the enemy is necessary and appropriate. — In the days following Sept. 11, 2001, President Bush charted a course of action to respond to the worst attack on our homeland in history. He promised to use every tool available to defeat al Qaeda …
Glenn Greenwald / Unclaimed Territory:
Live blogging the NSA hearings — The logistics of live-blogging from the Committee room were too complicated, so I am live-blogging the hearings off-site. I may be able to do it from the Committee room itself for the afternoon session, but I'd rather have full blogging abilities outside of the room than be in the room.
USA Today:
Telecoms let NSA spy on calls — The National Security Agency has secured the cooperation of large telecommunications companies, including AT&T, MCI and Sprint, in its efforts to eavesdrop without warrants on international calls by suspected terrorists, according to seven telecommunications executives.
BBC:
Four killed in cartoon protests — Four people have died in violent protests against cartoons satirising the Prophet Muhammad, following more than a week of demonstrations. — Three people died after police in Afghanistan fired on protesters when a police station came under attack, a government spokesman said.
Discussion:
Gateway Pundit, News Blog, Gina Cobb, Washington Post, Blinq, Outside The Beltway, Haaretz, The Moderate Voice and The Counterterrorism Blog
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Michelle Malkin:
"WITH OUR BLOOD WE WILL REDEEM OUR PROPHET" — ***scroll for updates...Danish soldiers attacked in Iraq while helping children*** — The Cartoon Jihad continues: — Reuters: … Moderate Moslem groups and Western leaders condemned the weekend violence and calls to arms and called for calm.
Victor Davis Hanson / realclearpolitics.com:
A European Awakening Against Islamic Fascism? — Over the last four years Americans have played a sort of parlor game wondering when—or if—the Europeans might awake to the danger of Islamic fascism and choose a more muscular role in the war on terrorism. — But after the acrimony …
Discussion:
All Things Beautiful, irishpennants.com, Instapundit.com, Sister Toldjah and Austin Bay Blog
Jim Galloway / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Republican senators urge Reed to quit race — Twenty-one Republican state senators on Friday called for Ralph Reed to withdraw from the contest for lieutenant governor, declaring that his ties to Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff could jeopardize the re-election of Gov. Sonny Perdue and the rest of the GOP ticket.
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Washington Post:
Handful of Races May Tip Control of Congress — In Pennsylvania, Sen. Rick Santorum (R) has been running behind his challenger for months. In Montana, Sen. Conrad Burns (R), linked to the Jack Abramoff scandal, is on the defensive. In Ohio, Sen. Mike DeWine (R) is struggling to overcome …
Jonathan Weisman / Washington Post:
Bush's $2.8 Trillion Budget Proposal Cuts Domestic Programs — President Bush today proposed a $2.8 trillion budget for fiscal 2007 that would cut billions of dollars from domestic programs ranging from Medicare and food stamps to local law enforcement and disease control …
Discussion:
The Left Coaster
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somethingawful.com:
Leave a Message in the Anonymous Muslim Man Complaint Box — I saw on the TV that there is a show now with a woman host. This is not very bad by itself because the woman was dressed in accordance with the laws of Islam and did not expose herself and inflame the lust of any male guests.
Judd / Think Progress:
VIDEO: Senate Conservatives Refuse To Put Gonzales Under Oath — Watch the right-wing members of the committee take a principled stand against accountability: … Specter wins the vote but concludes "this is really not a very good way to begin this hearing." — Full Transcript:
Times of London:
Self-harmers to be given clean blades — NURSES want patients who are intent on harming themselves to be provided with clean blades so that they can cut themselves more safely. — They say people determined to harm themselves should be helped to minimise the risk of infection from dirty blades …
Francoalemán / Barcepundit:
NOW, ZAPATERO HAS DEFINITELY put Spain in the wrong side. With all Western countries publicly defending free speech and condemning the barbaric acts of violence after the publication of the Danish cartoons, Zapatero and Erdogan write an open letter that has been published in today's International Herald Tribune:
Matthew Yglesias / TAPPED:
WHAT HAPPENED TO POWER HUNGER? I'm glad to see that Arlen Specter seems a bit troubled by massive presidential lawbreaking, and I'm more than a little curious why more Republicans don't share his point of view. High-minded concerns aside, you would think that members would care …
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Jack Kelly: A Syrian sidestep? — About those Iraqi WMDs: More signs are pointing to a neighborly transfer — Last week a man who had been deputy chief of Saddam Hussein's air force claimed Iraq moved weapons of mass destruction into Syria before the war began.
