Top Items:
New York Times:
G.O.P. Plan Would Allow Spying Without Warrants — WASHINGTON, March 8 — The plan by Senate Republicans to step up oversight of the National Security Agency's domestic surveillance program would also give legislative sanction for the first time to long-term eavesdropping on Americans without …
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New York Times:
The Death of the Intelligence Panel — The wrenching debate in the 1970's over the abuse of presidential power produced two groundbreaking reforms aimed at preventing a president from using war or broader claims of national security to trample Americans' rights.
Eric Lichtblau / New York Times:
Justice Dept. Report Cites F.B.I. Violations — WASHINGTON, March 8 — The Federal Bureau of Investigation found apparent violations of its own wiretapping and other intelligence-gathering procedures more than 100 times in the last two years, and problems appear to have grown more frequent …
Carl Hulse / New York Times:
A Rebellion in the G.O.P. on Security, a Signature Issue — WASHINGTON, March 8 — After more than five years of allowing President Bush relatively free rein to set their course, Republicans in Congress are suddenly, if selectively, in rebellion, a mutiny all the more surprising since …
Jonathan Weisman / Washington Post:
Congress Prepares for Port Showdown — Lawmakers Take First Steps Toward Ending Bush Deal — The shot of the gritty Baltimore waterfront pulls back to reveal a youthful, serious Senate candidate intoning: "President Bush wants to sell this port — and five others — to the United Arab Emirates …
Glenn Greenwald / Unclaimed Territory:
Sen. Rockefeller praises the GOP's actions on the Intelligence Committee — (updated below - updated again with response from Sen. Rockefeller's spokeswoman) — No matter how strong of an immunity one thinks one has constructed against being shocked and disgusted by the acts of national Democrats …
Washington Post:
Senator Resumes Lobbyist Huddles — After saying in January that he would end his regular meetings with lobbyists, Sen. Rick Santorum (Pa.), the third-ranking GOP leader in the Senate, has continued to meet with many of the same lobbyists at the same time and on the same day of the week.
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New York Times:
Senate Votes to Ban Gifts and Meals of Lobbyists — WASHINGTON, March 8 — Facing accusations that lawmakers are not serious about breaking the tight bond between Capitol Hill and K Street, the Senate voted Wednesday to bar members of Congress and their aides from accepting gifts and meals from lobbyists.
LiberalOasis:
An Iran Strategy — In January, Liberal Oasis criticized Sen. Hilllary Clinton's approach on Iran's nuclear program. — Clinton was seeking to outhawk the Bushies, accusing them of "outsourcing it to others and standing on the sidelines". — That was dumb from the get-go.
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Alexandra von Maltzan / All Things Beautiful:
Iran Is Building A Nuclear Weapon
Iran Is Building A Nuclear Weapon
Discussion:
Sigmund, Carl and Alfred
Peggy Noonan / Opinion Journal:
Boy in a Bubble — What George Clooney doesn't know about life. — Memo to: The Academy — From: Just another viewer — Re: Advice, as if you wanted more — I cannot remember a time when, in the days after the Academy Awards show, it was not criticized, and even blasted.
Associated Press:
Vanity Fair: Bush Had Ties to Abramoff — WASHINGTON - Convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff says President Bush knew him well enough to joke with him about weightlifting. "What are you benching, buff guy?" Abramoff said Bush asked him. The president has said he doesn't know Abramoff.
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David Crary / Associated Press:
Men's Rights Group Eyes Child Support Stay — NEW YORK - Contending that women have more options than they do in the event of an unintended pregnancy, men's rights activists are mounting a long shot legal campaign aimed at giving them the chance to opt out of financial responsibility for raising a child.
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Ezra Klein:
Against CanadaCare — As Matt alludes to here, international comparisons are a little tricky. But he's wrong to defend Canada's health care system. Now, it is true that Americans spend way more on health care, per capita, than other countries do. Taking the Canada example, our neighbors up north spend $2,535 per citizen.
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Washington Post:
Negative Perception Of Islam Increasing — Poll Numbers in U.S. Higher Than in 2001 — As the war in Iraq grinds into its fourth year, a growing proportion of Americans are expressing unfavorable views of Islam, and a majority now say that Muslims are disproportionately prone to violence …
Jacob Weisberg / Slate:
The Three Stooges — Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Howard Dean. — According to the latest CBS News poll, George W. Bush's approval rating hit a personal worst of 34 percent in February, making him the most unpopular president since Nixon during Watergate.
Washington Post:
Bush: Congress 'Shortchanged' New Orleans — Touring Gulf Coast, President Calls for Restoration of $1.5 Billion for Levee Repairs — NEW ORLEANS, March 8 — President Bush, on a Gulf Coast inspection tour that included his first visit to this city's storm-shattered Lower Ninth Ward …
Discussion:
The Carpetbagger Report, The Moderate Voice, The Next Hurrah and The Democratic Daily Blog
TimChapman / Townhall.com:
HR 1606 - Hearing Markup — I am at the House Administration Committee markup of HR 1606, the Online Freedom of Speech Act. The committee hopes to report the bill out of committee today. Majority Leader John Boehner has indicated his desire to move the legislation quickly.
Discussion:
RedState, Hugh Hewitt, Roger L. Simon, Outside The Beltway and tapscottscopydesk.blogspot.com