Top Items:
New York Times:
Bush's Public Approval at New Low Point — Americans have a bleaker view of the country's direction than at any time in more than two decades, and sharp disapproval of President Bush's handling of gasoline prices has combined with intensified unhappiness about Iraq to create a grim political environment …
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CBS News:
Poll: Dim View Of Bush, GOP — Bush Disappoints On Key Issues; Democrats In Congress Trump GOP — (CBS) President Bush and the Republican Congress show nearly record low ratings while Democrats are viewed much more favorably in their performance on the issues that matter most to Americans …
Nick Wadhams / Associated Press:
Letter Shows Iran's President Seeking Bond — UNITED NATIONS - With his 18-page letter, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivered President Bush a history lesson, philosophy lecture and religious sermon laced with references to Jesus Christ. — The document gives rare insight …
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Michael Slackman / New York Times:
Iranian Letter: Using Religion to Lecture Bush — CAIRO, May 9 — With the tone of a teacher and the certainty of a believer, the president of Iran wrote to President Bush that Western democracy had failed and that the invasion of Iraq, American treatment of prisoners and support for Israel …
Washington Post:
GOP Reaches Deal on Tax Cuts — $70 Billion Measure Would Extend Breaks — House and Senate Republican negotiators reached a final agreement yesterday on a five-year, nearly $70 billion tax package that extends President Bush's deep cuts to tax rates on dividends and capital gains …
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Maryehayes / Miss Kelly:
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: "I Really Wonder What You Are Doing Here at Harvard" — After listening to Ayaan Hirsi Ali's talk at Harvard JFK's School of Government this afternoon, I went up to shake her hand and let her know much I admired her. She is physically a slight woman. How can it be that such a small woman is so feared?
Discussion:
Kesher Talk, The Volokh Conspiracy, Environmental Republican, Peaktalk and Blue Crab Boulevard
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ksg.harvard.edu:
"Profiles in Leadership" with Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Member, Dutch Parliament & Time Magazine's 2005 "World's Most Influential Leaders" — Description — The Center for Public Leadership and the Harvard Dutch Cultural Society invite you to join us for "PROFILES IN LEADERSHIP" …
Charles Hurt / Washington Times:
GOP rips lowering of nominee's ABA rating — Republicans yesterday blamed bias for the American Bar Association's decision to downgrade a Bush judicial nominee's rating from "well-qualified" to "qualified," before a second hearing demanded by Democrats. — "It's telling that the only thing …
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Michelle Malkin:
DHS: DENY, HEDGE, SPIN — The Customs and Border Protection agency at DHS has issued a statement, much-ballyhooed by blind Bush supporters, which calls the Inland Valley Bulletin's story on the Border Patrol/Minutemen/Mexican government "inaccurate." Let's examine the full bluster:
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lieberman.senate.gov:
Lieberman Seeks Probe into HUD Secretary's Cancellation of Contract to Man Who Disliked Bush — WASHINGTON - Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., Tuesday asked the Inspector General of the Department of Housing and Urban Development …
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Noah Shachtman / Wired News:
Ex-NSA Chief Assails Bush Taps — NEW YORK — Former National Security Agency director Bobby Ray Inman lashed out at the Bush administration Monday night over its continued use of warrantless domestic wiretaps, making him one of the highest-ranking former intelligence officials to criticize the program in public, analysts say.
Washington Post:
The Year of the Black Republican? — GOP Targets Democratic Constituency in 3 High-Profile Races — COLUMBUS, Ohio — When J. Kenneth Blackwell took the stage here on May 2 to claim the Republican nomination for governor, he became something more than his party's standard-bearer in a bellwether state.
Ken Silverstein / Harper's:
"Nine Fingers" and the Third Man — New connections between the CIA and the Cunningham Scandal — Justin Rood at TPM Muckraker posted an interesting story yesterday, explaining why the Bush Administration's explanation for Porter Goss's sudden departure from the CIA looks increasingly lame.
Discussion:
TPM Muckraker, Wonkette, Billmon, War and Piece, ReidBlog, Talking Points Memo and NO QUARTER
Eric / Plunderbund:
ODP to Ohio Bloggers: Barack Nobama! — So Russell notices Obama will be at the 2006 Ohio Democratic Party State Dinner and emails the ODP and asks about some tickets for bloggers to both cover the event and get energized for the '06 elections. He says:
Radio Blogger:
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Mahmoud, son of Xerxes: "You know, he's obviously a communicator." — DR: Hugh Hewitt? — HH: Mr. Secretary, welcome back to the program. — DR: Thank you. It's good to be with you. — HH: Good to have you here.