memeorandum: EXCLUSIVE: CIA Nominee Hayden Linked to MZM (Justin Rood/TPM Muckraker)

2:35 PM ET, May 8, 2006

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Bush Turns to Gen. Hayden to Lead CIA — WASHINGTON — President Bush on Monday chose Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden to lead the embattled Central Intelligence Agency, re-igniting a debate over the domestic surveillance program that the onetime head of the National Security Agency once ran.

Discussion: Fox News, In From the Cold, The Strata-Sphere, Associated Press, Iowa Voice, Blogcritics.org, Wizbang, Super Fun Power Hour, Right Voices, Ace of Spades HQ, Outside The Beltway, Macsmind, The Sandbox, Flopping Aces, Power Line and PunditGuy

CNN:

Bush nominates Hayden for CIA chief — Some lawmakers question selection of military officer for post — WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Bush nominated Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden to be the new CIA chief Monday, setting up a possible battle with members of Congress who question whether …

Discussion: TPM Muckraker, New York Times, Confederate Yankee, The Democratic Daily Blog, Democrat Taylor Marsh …, The Carpetbagger Report, Jay Reding.com and Althouse

Washington Post:

Hayden Nominated to Head CIA — President Bush named Gen. Michael V. Hayden as CIA director today in the face of heavy criticism from Republicans as well as Democrats. — Bush cited Hayden's background of "more than 20 years of experience" as he announced the nomination, which was widely reported over the weekend.

Discussion: Unclaimed Territory, Middle Earth Journal, War and Piece, FP Passport and Air America Radio

John O'Neil / New York Times:
C.I.A. Nominee May Face Tough Fight

Discussion: TAPPED, A Blog For All, Eric Umansky and The Washington Monthly

Associated Press:
Text: Bush and CIA Nominee Gen. Hayden

Discussion: Defense Tech

Dafna Linzer / Washington Post:
In GOP, Doubts On Likely CIA Pick

Discussion: The Hotline's Blogometer, PoliBlog, The Heretik, Majikthise, Media Blog on National …, TBogg and The American Mind

Karl Vick / Washington Post:

Iran's Leader Writes to President Bush — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has written a letter to President Bush, a spokesman for Iran's hard-line government said Monday. The letter proposed "new solutions for getting out of international problems and the current fragile situation in the world …

Discussion: The Washington Monthly and Andrew Warner

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Jerusalem Post:

Peres says that Iran 'can also be wiped off the map' — TEHRAN, Iran — Vice Premier Shimon Peres said Monday in an interview to Reuters that "the president of Iran should remember that Iran can also be wiped off the map," Army Radio reported. — According to Peres …

Discussion: IMAO and Ace of Spades HQ

Christine Hauser / New York Times:
Iranian President Writes Letter to Bush

Discussion: Daniel W. Drezner

MSNBC:
Iranian president writes letter to Bush

Discussion: The Left Coaster and Hot Air

Robert / Jihad Watch:
"Dear unclean infidel dog..."

Discussion: Sploid

Jim VandeHei / Washington Post:

Rove's Time in Limbo Near End in CIA Leak Case — Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald is wrapping up his investigation into White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove's role in the CIA leak case by weighing this central question: — Did Rove, who was deeply involved in defending President Bush's use …

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Firedoglake, The Next Hurrah, TAPPED, Right Wing Nut House, State of the Day, Booman Tribune, The Strata-Sphere, Bark Bark Woof Woof, Think Progress, Wonkette, Needlenose and WTF Is It Now??

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Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
Republicans Stoke an Old Fire: Judicial Nominations

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Betsy's Page, Wonkette, Daily Pundit and Iowa Voice

Jim Rutenberg / New York Times:
Rove Is Using Threat of Loss to Stir G.O.P.

Jackie Calmes / Wall Street Journal:

Al Gore Might Yet Join 2008 Contenders — Former Vice President Keeps Mum — As His Movie Sparks Talk of a White House Run — First there was Clinton-Gore. Could Clinton vs. Gore be next? — For former Vice President Al Gore, a rash of favorable publicity surrounding this month's opening …

Discussion: AMERICAblog, Ankle Biting Pundits › News, Brainster's Blog, The Carpetbagger Report and Tennessee Guerilla Women

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Jill / Brilliant at Breakfast:
Second thoughts on Hillary

Discussion: Bull Moose, TAPPED, Vox Baby, The RCP Blog and Classical Values

Christopher Lee / Washington Post:

Bush's Appointees Not As Diverse as Clinton's — President Bush's crop of political appointees includes fewer women and minorities than did President Bill Clinton's at comparable points in their presidencies, according to a new report by House Democrats. — Women made up about 37 percent …

Discussion: RightWinged.com, USS Neverdock, Blue Crab Boulevard, Michelle Malkin, HolyCoast.com, Betsy's Page, Texas Rainmaker and Just a Bump in the Beltway

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Al Kamen / Washington Post:
The USDA on Iraq: Everything's Coming Up Rosy

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The Carpetbagger Report, The Washington Monthly and american footprints

Elisabeth Bumiller / New York Times:

His Legacy and His Library Occupy Bush's Thoughts — WASHINGTON — President Bush had dinner last month on the Stanford University campus at the home of George P. Shultz, who was President Ronald Reagan's secretary of state, and the topic of conversation was not, as might be expected, the war in Iraq.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Ezra Klein, AMERICAblog, The Heretik, Pam's House Blend and Taegan Goddard's …

Michael Powell / Washington Post:

U.S. Immigration Debate Is a Road Well Traveled — NEW YORK — They were portrayed as a disreputable lot, the immigrant hordes of this great city. — The Germans refused for decades to give up their native tongue and raucous beer gardens. The Irish of Hell's Kitchen brawled and clung to political sinecures.

Discussion: TAPPED, The Corner on National …, The Heretik and TalkLeft

USA Today:

Bush approval rating hits new low — WASHINGTON — President Bush's approval rating has slumped to 31% in a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, the lowest of his presidency and a warning sign for Republicans in the November elections. — The survey of 1,013 adults, taken Friday through Sunday …

Discussion: A Tiny Revolution and The Carpetbagger Report

Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:

What's in a Name? Plenty If It's Kennedy — It's hard to imagine that Patrick Kennedy would have gotten elected to Congress a dozen years ago without his last name. — It's equally hard to imagine that the media would be going wild about his late-night car crash and prescription drug addiction if he weren't a Kennedy.

Discussion: Blue Crab Boulevard, AmSpec Blog, A Blog For All, Daily Pundit, NewsBusters.org and The Dread Pundit Bluto

Sebastian Mallaby:

Don't Feed the Beast — George W. Bush is not the sort of president who reads journals such as the Atlantic Monthly. But at least someone at the White House should check out the piece in the new issue by Jonathan Rauch. For honest believers in tax cuts, it's devastating.

Discussion: The Mahablog, Norwegianity and Greg's Opinion

The Blotter:

CIA's Foggo Expected to Resign Soon — Brian Ross and Richard Esposito Report: — Dusty Foggo, the executive director of the CIA linked to a bribery investigation, is expected to resign soon, according to CIA officials and his associates. — Outgoing CIA Director Porter Goss had refused …