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Crooks and Liars:
Cafferty: Dictatorship — Jack Cafferty didn't hold back today: — Video-WMP Video-QT — Cafferty: We all hope nothing happens to Arlen Specter, the Republican head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, cause he might be all that stands between us and a full blown dictatorship in this country.
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John O'Neil / New York Times:
Bush Says U.S. Spying Is Not Widespread — President Bush today denied that the government is "mining or trolling through the personal lives of innocent Americans," as Democrats expressed outrage over a news report describing a National Security Agency program that has collected vast amounts of telephone records.
Rich Noyes / NewsBusters.org:
Hyping USA Today's "Big Brother" Bombshell: TV Jumps on Stale NSA Database Story — Seismic! Shocking! Startling! A bombshell!! That's how the ABC, CBS and NBC morning shows described a front-page story in today's (Thursday's) USA Today that breathlessly touted how "NSA has massive database of Americans' phone calls."
Discussion:
The Strata-Sphere, Outside The Beltway, The Swamp, Captain's Quarters, Midtopia, PoliBlog, The Left Coaster, The Volokh Conspiracy, The Washington Monthly, Booman Tribune, Right Wing News, QandO, In the Bullpen, BLACKFIVE, Comments From Left Field, INTEL DUMP, Flopping Aces and Gateway Pundit
Associated Press:
Text: Bush's Comments on NSA Activities — Remarks by President Bush Thursday on reports of the National Security Agency building a secret database of U.S. telephone records, as transcribed by the White House: — After September the 11th, I vowed to the American people that our government …
Discussion:
Pacific Views, The American Thinker, The Democratic Daily Blog, Blue Crab Boulevard and Gateway Pundit
Glenn Greenwald / Unclaimed Territory:
No need for Congress, no need for courts — (updated below) — I just this morning read the obviously significant USA Today article detailing the fact that the NSA is maintaining a comprehensive data base of every call made by every American - both internationally and domestically …
Discussion:
JustOneMinute, Defense Tech, TalkLeft, RightWinged.com, The Volokh Conspiracy, The American Mind, AMERICAblog, Firedoglake, The Anonymous Liberal, Confederate Yankee, rubber hose, Balkinization, The Sideshow, Amygdala, Sister Toldjah, NewsHog, The Mahablog, The Huffington Post, Obsidian Wings, lgf, TAPPED, USA Today, Decision '08, CorrenteWire, A Blog For All and Bark Bark Woof Woof
Devlin Barrett / Associated Press:
NSA Stymies Justice Dept. Spying Probe — WASHINGTON — The government has abruptly ended an inquiry into the warrantless eavesdropping program because the National Security Agency refused to grant Justice Department lawyers the necessary security clearance to probe the matter.
Bloomberg:
NSA Collected Phone Records in U.S., Lott Says (Update1) — May 11 (Bloomberg) — The U.S. National Security Agency has obtained the phone records of millions of Americans in an effort to stop terrorists, a Senate Intelligence Committee member confirmed. — News of the program …
Discussion:
Unqualified Offerings
USA Today:
Bush defends NSA data collection program — WASHINGTON — Responding quickly to a USA TODAY report that his administration has collected information on tens of millions of domestic phone calls, President Bush today said everthing the National Security Agency has done is legal …
Associated Press:
Bush: We're not trolling your personal life — Lawmakers demand answers on phone records report — WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional Republicans and Democrats demanded answers from the Bush administration Thursday about a government spy agency secretly collecting records …
The Raw Story:
Conyers, Harman introduce bill to kill NSA phone call database — Reps. Jane Harman (D-CA) and John Conyers (D-MI) today introduced the "Lawful Intelligence and Surveillance of Terrorists in an Emergency by NSA Act" (The LISTEN Act), RAW STORY has learned. — The Act would require any attempt …
Discussion:
Firedoglake
Glenn Greenwald / Unclaimed Territory:
Legal issues governing the Administration's newly disclosed surveillance program
Legal issues governing the Administration's newly disclosed surveillance program
Ryan Alessi / Lexington Herald-Leader:
Grand jury indicts Gov. Ernie Fletcher — The special grand jury that's been investigating state government hiring practices today indicted Gov. Ernie Fletcher on three misdemeanor charges of conspiracy, official misconduct and political discrimination. — The jury also indicted former …
Discussion:
Outside The Beltway
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irna.ir:
President says his letter to President Bush was invitation to Islam — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here Thursday that his letter to President George W. Bush did not concern the nuclear dossier, but rather was an invitation to Islam and the prophets culture.
Discussion:
protein wisdom, A Blog For All, sugiero, Blue Crab Boulevard, Jihad Watch, littlegreenfootballs.com and Dinocrat
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Joshua Lynsen / washblade.com:
Dean slams gay marriage on '700 Club' — DNC chair misstates party platform, angering gay Democrats, activists — Democratic Party Chair Howard Dean has contradicted his party's platform and infuriated gay rights advocates by saying the party's platform states "marriage is between a man and a woman."
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Baltimore Examiner:
Snow issues detailed rebuttals to media coverage of the president — WASHINGTON - New White House Press Secretary Tony Snow is starting off in a combative mode against the press by issuing detailed rebuttals to what he considers unfair coverage of Bush. — "The New York Times continues …
The Raw Story:
DeLay notifies Speaker of the House he will resign June 9 — It's official: Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) has announced he will resign from Congress June 9. A copy of his resignation letter was acquired by RAW STORY. — Congressman Tom DeLay — Representing the 22nd District of Texas
Jonathan Allen / The Hill:
Gang balks on Judge Boyle — The outlook for Judge Terrence Boyle, nominated to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, became cloudier yesterday as Democrats reiterated opposition to him and some Republican members of the influential Gang of 14 declined to offer support.
Wall Street Journal:
Breakdown of Trust Led Judge Luttig To Clash With Bush — After Fight in Terrorism Case, — Conservative Star Gives Up — Court Seat for Boeing Job — New Task: Appease McCain — McLEAN, Va. — On Nov. 22, U.S. Circuit Judge J. Michael Luttig was at work in his chambers …
Larisa Alexandrovna / The Raw Story:
US military, intelligence officials raise concern about possible preparations for Iran strike — Use of Iraq terror group bypassed Congress, sources say — Concern is building among the military and the intelligence community that the US may be preparing for a military strike on Iran …