Top Items:
ABCNEWS:
New Documents from Saddam Hussein's Archives Discuss Bin Laden, WMDs — U.S. Government Releases Papers From Saddam's Reign — March 16, 2006 — Following are the ABC News Investigative Unit's summaries of four of the nine Iraqi documents from Saddam Hussein's government, which were released by the U.S. government Wednesday.
Discussion:
GOP Bloggers, AMERICAblog, AMERICAN FUTURE, NewsBusters.org, Iowa Voice, Wizbang and Blogs for Bush
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apnews.excite.com:
Witness Tampering Cited in Moussaoui Case — WASHINGTON (AP) - Lawyers for two airlines being sued for damages by 9/11 victims prompted a federal lawyer to coach witnesses in the trial of al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui so the government's death penalty case would not undercut their defense, victims' lawyers allege.
Discussion:
Big Lizards
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Dafydd / Big Lizards:
Moussaoui Case - Shocking Allegation — In Salvaging Death From Life, we discussed the insane decision by Clinton-appointed Judge Leonie Brinkema to throw out the better half of the prosecution's case for the death penalty against Zacarias Moussaoui, on the grounds that a lawyer working …
Charles Babington / Washington Post:
Bill Would Allow Warrantless Spying — GOP Plan Would Bring Surveillance Under Review of Congress, FISA Court — The Bush administration could continue its policy of spying on targeted Americans without obtaining warrants, but only if it justifies the action to a small group of lawmakers …
Discussion:
Balloon Juice, Daily Kos, Vichy Democrats, The Huffington Post, Truthdig and Decision '08
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Significantly Loosening Its Requirements / Unclaimed …:
The new Nixon Law is introduced — that which the President does is legal — (updated below) — Michael DeWine yesterday introduced what he is calling The Terrorist Surveillance Act of 2006 (.pdf), co-sponsored by those independent maverick Republicans Olympia Snowe, Chuck Hagel and Lindsay Graham.
Discussion:
Balkinization
Investor's Business Daily:
Declassified Truth — The War On Terror: The government is finally getting around to unloading some of Saddam Hussein's secret documents. A look at just a few pages already leads to some blockbuster revelations. — In the early stages of the war that began three years ago …
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Washington Post:
Congress Raises Ceiling for Borrowing — $100 Billion Is Spent Without Offsetting Cuts — Congress raised the limit on the federal government's borrowing by $781 billion yesterday, and then lawmakers voted to spend well over $100 billion on the war in Iraq, hurricane relief, education …
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Carl Hulse / New York Times:
Senate Approves Budget, Breaking Spending Limits — WASHINGTON, March 16 — The Senate narrowly approved a $2.8 trillion election-year budget Thursday that broke spending limits only hours after it increased federal borrowing power to avert a government default.
Discussion:
The Carpetbagger Report
New York Times:
U.S. and Iranians Agree to Discuss Violence in Iraq — TEHRAN, March 16 — Iran and the United States agreed Thursday to hold direct talks on how to halt sectarian violence and restore calm in Iraq, offering the first face-to-face conversation between the sides after months of confrontation over Iran's nuclear program.
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, QandO, The Heretik, Preemptive Karma, State of the Day and Washington Post
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New York Times:
Time for Facts, Not Resolutions — We understand the frustration that led Senator Russell Feingold to introduce a measure that would censure President Bush for authorizing warrantless spying on Americans. It's galling to watch from the outside as the Republicans and most Democrats refuse …
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Robert F. Worth / New York Times:
Kurds Destroy Shrine in Rage at Leadership — HALABJA, Iraq, March 16 — For nearly two decades, Kurds have gathered peacefully in this mountainous corner of northern Iraq to commemorate one of the blackest days in their history. It was here that Saddam Hussein's government launched …
Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
Pandora and Polygamy — And now, polygamy. — With the sweetly titled HBO series "Big Love," polygamy comes out of the closet. Under the headline "Polygamists, Unite!" Newsweek informs us of "polygamy activists emerging in the wake of the gay-marriage movement."
Discussion:
The Corner on National …, Andrew Sullivan, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Sister Toldjah and PoliBlog
David Ignatius / Washington Post:
Fighting Smarter In Iraq — BAGHDAD — Three years on, the U.S. military is finally becoming adept at fighting a counterinsurgency war in Iraq. Sadly, these are precisely the skills that should have been mastered before America launched its invasion in March 2003.
Steven R. Weisman / New York Times:
Democracy Push by Bush Attracts Doubters in Party — Even as it presents an updated national security strategy, the Bush administration is facing fresh doubts from some Republicans who say its emphasis on promoting democracy around the world has come at the expense of protecting other American interests.
Jim VandeHei / Washington Post:
GOP Irritation At Bush Was Long Brewing — President Bush's troubles with congressional Republicans, which erupted during the backlash to the Dubai seaport deal, are rooted in policy frustrations and personal resentments that GOP lawmakers say stretch back to the opening days of the administration.
Matt Stoller / MyDD:
Campaign Finance and Blogs: A Simple and Non-Legal Explanation — I updated this to include the media exemption, which I had forgotten. — Ok, so campaign finance regulations make my head hurt, so I'm going to try to explain the basic idea behind the differing bills instead of the legal ins-and-outs …
Jim Dwyer / New York Times:
Police Memos Say Arrest Tactics Calmed Protest — In five internal reports made public yesterday as part of a lawsuit, New York City police commanders candidly discuss how they had successfully used "proactive arrests," covert surveillance and psychological tactics at political demonstrations in 2002 …