Top Items:
John Byrne / rawstory.com:
Democrats slash Feingold move on censure, as Feingold says party 'cowering' — While mainstream media outlets have pounced on the fact that Democrats blocked an effort by one of their own to censure President Bush over his warrantless wiretapping program, RAW STORY has found that Senate Democratic offices are fuming.
Discussion:
MyDD, Balloon Juice, The Strata-Sphere, Dependable Renegade, Democrats.com, BlueOregon and Decision '08
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Matt Stoller / MyDD:
Cue Republican Whining and Posturing on Feingold — According to Progress Now, Senator Wayne 'Whiny' Allard, Republican of Colorado, accused Feingold of 'siding with terrorists' by introducing his censure resolution. They have a petition up demanding Allard apologize.
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, Sirotablog, bluejersey.net, Democrat Taylor Marsh …, Shadow of the Hegemon and The Agonist
Carl Hulse / New York Times:
Democrats Beat Quick Retreat on Call to Censure President — WASHINGTON, March 13 — Senate Democrats on Monday blocked an immediate vote on a call by one of their own to censure President Bush for his eavesdropping program. — They acted after Republicans said they were eager to pass judgment …
Glenn Greenwald / Unclaimed Territory:
Censure Resolution goes to Judiciary Committee; Democrats turn on Feingold
Censure Resolution goes to Judiciary Committee; Democrats turn on Feingold
Discussion:
Vichy Democrats
Ralph Peters / realclearpolitics.com:
Myths of Iraq — During a recent visit to Baghdad, I saw an enormous failure. On the part of our media. The reality in the streets, day after day, bore little resemblance to the sensational claims of civil war and disaster in the headlines. — No one with first-hand experience of Iraq …
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Jesus' General:
Recruiting "top drawer blacks" for the GOP — Adele Fergusen — Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal — Dear Mrs. Fergusen, — I think you answered your own question about why black people aren't flocking to the Republican Party. If, as you point out, slavery was a godsend to them …
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Faithful Progressive:
I'm Not Sick of Atrios or Digby: Building a Team Means Religious and Secular Liberals Hearing Each Other Out — I love Atrios, but he's not exactly politically savvy when it comes to the concerns of religious moderates and liberals—the fastest growing part of the Democratic Party base.
Discussion:
The Green Knight, Hullabaloo, Shakespeare's Sister, Pharyngula, Preemptive Karma, THE NEWS BLOG and Why Now?
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Atrios / Eschaton:
On Religion and Politics — Since I'm now getting angry emails about things I've never even said let's clear a few things up. — I'm not hostile to religion. I don't much care about religion. I'm not much interested in it. This isn't strange. Most people aren't much interested in religion other than their own, if that.
Haaretz:
Jail siege ends as PFLP chief Sa'adat, 5 others surrender — A tense, gunfire-punctuated nine-hour IDF siege of a Jericho prison complex ended after dark on Tuesday with the abrupt surrender of Ahmed Sa'adat and five other militants. — Sa'adat, leader of the Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine …
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Jacques Steinberg / New York Times:
Mike Wallace Retiring From '60 Minutes' — When asked in an interview last April if he would ever consider retiring from "60 Minutes," Mike Wallace said that he planned to do so only "when my toes turn up." — "Well," Mr. Wallace said, amending that statement in an interview today, "they're just beginning to curl a trifle."
Insight:
Bush delegates most issues, focuses only on Iraq, '06 campaign — President Bush has decided to stay out of the lion's share of decisions made by his administration. — Sources close to the administration said that over the last year, Mr. Bush has chosen to focus on two issues …
breakawaymag.com:
YOUR INNER WARRIOR: SUITING UP FOR BATTLE — Lust stalks you like a beast, attacking at every opportunity, attempting to poison your life with its self-centered cravings. It's a teen guy's No. 1 battle. Guys who are victorious have learned to face present and future temptations head-on.
Austin Bay Blog:
A lefty gives us a mea culpa/the divide on the left reflects the divide on the right — David Aaronovitch in the Times On-Line tells us how he got Milosevic wrong. He connects failing to remove Milosevic -the moral as well as military failure — to taking out Saddam. — The lede:
Wall Street Journal:
Bush's Approval Ratings Slip In the Latest Harris Poll — President Bush's job-approval ratings continue to slip, according to a recent Harris Interactive poll, while job-approval ratings for most of his key cabinet members also remain low. — Mr. Bush's current job-approval ratings stand at 36% in March …
New York Times:
Drop Out of the College — The Electoral College is an antidemocratic relic. Everyone who remembers 2000 knows that it can lead to the election of the candidate who loses the popular vote as president. But the Electoral College's other serious flaws are perhaps even more debilitating for a democracy.
citizensforethics.org:
CREW FILES IRS COMPLAINT AGAINST GROVER NORQUIST'S AMERICANS FOR TAX REFORM — Washington, DC - Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) today filed an Internal Revenue Services (IRS) complaint against Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), and American for Tax Reform Foundation …
Katie Hafner / New York Times:
Judge Plans to Order Google to Turn Over Data to U.S. — SAN JOSE, Calif., March 14 — After the Justice Department sharply cut back its request for search-engine data from Google, a federal judge indicated today that he would instruct the company to comply with a government subpoena …
Stephanie Saul / New York Times:
Study Links Ambien Use to Unconscious Food Forays — The sleeping pill Ambien seems to unlock a primitive desire to eat in some patients, according to emerging medical case studies that describe how the drug's users sometimes sleepwalk into their kitchens, claw through their refrigerators …
Barry Schweid / Associated Press:
New Panel to Investigate Iraq War Policy — WASHINGTON - Ten prominent Americans, including former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, are forming a bipartisan group to assess the Bush administration's policies in Iraq and political and economic developments in the troubled country.
Larisa Alexandrovna / The Huffington Post:
Karl shoots blanks at Plame — In a one-two volley this week, two major publications ran wild with bold face font and shrieking headlines to report nothing of substance - Odd how such things work, but there seems to be a pattern, a familiar pattern. — First up is a gem from the The Chicago Tribune …
Discussion:
Sister Toldjah, Air America Radio, The Strata-Sphere, Poynter Online and The Left Coaster
John R. Bradley / Washington Times:
Tehran elite turning on extremist presidency — TEHRAN — Iran's clerical and business establishments, deeply concerned by what they see as reckless spending and needlessly aggressive foreign policies, are increasingly turning against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.