Top Items:
David Ignatius / Washington Post:
Taste of the Future — "Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." The acidulous wisdom of Mark Twain speaks to us across the ages, and never more than this week during the great congressional mobilization to save America's ports from the dreaded hand of Dubai.
RELATED ITEMS:
Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
A Dubai Finesse — If only Churchill were alive today, none of this would be happening. The proud imperialist would have taken care that the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., chartered in 1840 by Victoria ("by the grace of God . . . Queen defender of the faith" on …
Pamela Hess / UPI:
SECURITY & TERRORISM — UAE terminal takeover extends to 21 ports — WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (UPI) — A United Arab Emirates government-owned company is poised to take over port terminal operations in 21 American ports, far more than the six widely reported.
Washington Post:
How to Lose Friends — AMONG MANY other things, the president's job description requires him to keep abreast of economic and political developments around the world; respond to disasters such as Hurricane Katrina; oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; appoint people to run embassies …
Rowan Scarborough / Washington Times:
Chertoff unaware of ports deal until after OK — Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff was not aware a Dubai-owned company was seeking to operate terminals in six U.S. ports and that his agency was leading the review until after the deal's approval, an administration official said yesterday.
PoliPundit.com:
Of Ports and Potty-Mouths
Of Ports and Potty-Mouths
Discussion:
Blogs for Bush, Hugh Hewitt, Macsmind, The RCP Blog, The Huffington Post, Gateway Pundit, Daily Kos and The Liquid List
Vital Perspective:
A Rally for Freedom — Thanks to the inspiration of Christopher Hitchens, Washingtonians showed their peaceful solidarity on Friday with the people of Denmark. A sampling of the rally for freedom at the Embassy of Denmark below. — UPDATE: Video is now available.
RELATED ITEMS:
Greg Tinti / The Political Pit Bull:
Rallying For Denmark And Free Speech — I just got back from the Danish solidarity rally organized by Christopher Hitchens outside Denmark's Embassy in Washington. And let me just say, it was in every way the polar opposite of all the other "rallies" you have seen in reaction to the Mohammad cartoons.
Discussion:
sisu
Glenn Reynolds / Instapundit.com:
VITAL PERSPECTIVE has posted photos from the Danish Embassy march today.
VITAL PERSPECTIVE has posted photos from the Danish Embassy march today.
Discussion:
Wonkette
Edward Wong / New York Times:
As Violence Ebbs, U.S. Envoy Warns of Danger to Iraq's Future — BAGHDAD, Iraq, Feb. 24 — The American ambassador to Iraq said today that sectarian violence this week was a threat to the future of Iraq, and that Iraqi leaders would have to come together and compromise if they wanted to save their homeland.
Discussion:
The Fourth Rail, Outside The Beltway, Body and Soul, Hullabaloo, A Blog For All and The Belmont Club
RELATED ITEMS:
National Review:
Standoff in Iraq — The insurgency in Iraq has no military capability either to drive the United States military from Iraq or to stop the American training of Iraqi police and security forces — or, for that matter, to derail the formation of a new government.
Gateway Pundit:
After Shock of Golden Mosque Bombings, Iraqis Hold Unity Protests
After Shock of Golden Mosque Bombings, Iraqis Hold Unity Protests
Discussion:
Gina Cobb
Sabrina Tavernise / New York Times:
Violent Cycle of Revenge Stuns Iraqis
Violent Cycle of Revenge Stuns Iraqis
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Informed Comment, Healing Iraq, National Review, Right Wing Nut House, The Heretik, Outside The Beltway, Obsidian Wings, ShrinkWrapped, Free Iraqi, Rantingprofs, The Glittering Eye, BBC, State of the Day, Power Line, Democrat Taylor Marsh …, The Democratic Party, Confederate Yankee, 24 Steps to Liberty, The Officers' Club and A Blog For All
Andrew Cochran / The Counterterrorism Blog:
Terrorists Attack Saudi Oil Facility (updated) — LAST UPDATE AT 2:55 pm ET. One of the "nightmare scenarios" in the counterterrorism community almost happened, with an attempted terrorist attack on a major oil refinery in Abqaiq (a.k.a. Buqayq) in eastern Saudi Arabia today.
RELATED ITEMS:
Salah Nasrawi / Associated Press:
Attack Fails at Huge Saudi Oil Site — CAIRO, Egypt - Suicide bombers in explosives-laden cars attacked the world's largest oil processing facility Friday, but were prevented from breaking through the gates when guards opened fire on them, causing the vehicles to explode, officials said.
Jane Hamsher / firedoglake:
Kansas Roots Action — Phase I — Today as part of our Roots project we're asking people from Kansas (or those with ties to Kansas) to write in to local papers regarding the Senate hearings into the illegal NSA wiretaps. Kansas is the home of both Pat Roberts, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee …
RELATED ITEM:
Ellen Barry / Los Angeles Times:
Students Hail Harvard President — Their strong support for Lawrence H. Summers is seen by some as a sign of a shift in campus politics. — CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — If Harvard University President Lawrence H. Summers was worried about how the undergraduates would greet him Wednesday night …
Carl Chancellor / Knight Ridder:
Lawmaker's proposal: Bar Republicans from adopting — AKRON, Ohio - If an Ohio lawmaker's proposal becomes state law, Republicans would be barred from being adoptive parents. — State Sen. Robert Hagan sent out e-mails to fellow lawmakers late Wednesday night, stating that he intends to …
David Kaspar / Davids Medienkritik:
SPIEGEL's Karen Hughes Translation Nightmare: Bush "A Wonderful Führer" — (By Ray D.) — After releasing it's English version of an interview with US Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes, SPIEGEL ONLINE today released its German version of the same interview.
Discussion:
American Leftist, The RCP Blog, Ed Driscoll.com, Wizbang, Natalie Solent and Betsy's Page
Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:
Rally The Pundits! — Where is the clarity and vision in this Dubai Ports World debacle? On behalf of a troubled world (or punditry, anyway) I peeked behind the Great Wall to see what the Wise Folk on the other side were thinking. — The results were inconclusive, but interesting:
RELATED ITEM:
Carol D. Leonnig / Washington Post:
Special Counsel in Plame Case Invalid, Libby Contends — Attorneys for Vice President Cheney's former top aide argued yesterday that a federal court should dismiss all charges against him because a special prosecutor lacked the legal authority to bring the charges.
Discussion:
The Corner on National …, JustOneMinute, The American Thinker, firedoglake, TalkLeft and On the fringes …
Mary Dalrymple / Associated Press:
IRS: Charities Overstepping Into Politics — WASHINGTON - IRS exams found nearly three out of four churches, charities and other civic groups suspected of having violated restraints on political activity in the 2004 election actually did so, the agency said Friday.
Discussion:
IntoxiNation-News …