Top Items:
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 …
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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.
White House:
President Bush Discusses NSA Surveillance Program — THE PRESIDENT: After September the 11th, I vowed to the American people that our government would do everything within the law to protect them against another terrorist attack. As part of this effort, I authorized the National Security Agency …
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.
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.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Outside The Beltway, TalkLeft, QandO, Pensito Review, The Glittering Eye and Firedoglake
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 …
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:
OrinKerr.com, The Swamp, USA Today, Right Wing News, AMERICAblog, PoliBlog, The Left Coaster, QandO, BLACKFIVE and Outside The Beltway
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 …
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 …
William Branigin / Washington Post:
NSA Call-Tracking Program Sparks Alarm
NSA Call-Tracking Program Sparks Alarm
Discussion:
New York Times
AJStrata / The Strata-Sphere:
Another Day, Another National Security Leak
Another Day, Another National Security Leak
Discussion:
Macsmind, The Next Hurrah, Flopping Aces, Daily Kos, Unfogged, The Huffington Post, Sister Toldjah, INTEL DUMP, Riehl World View, The American Street, News Hounds, Democrats.com, ReidBlog, Blue Crab Boulevard, Yourish.com, AfterDowningStreet.org, Brilliant at Breakfast, The All Spin Zone, BluegrassReport.org, Scrutiny Hooligans, AMERICAblog, The Carpetbagger Report, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES and A Blog For All
Glenn Greenwald / Unclaimed Territory:
Legal issues governing the Administration's newly disclosed surveillance program — (updated below - updated again) — Orin Kerr has a post which preliminary assesses some of the legal issues involved with the domestic data gathering program, concluding (in his standard …
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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 …
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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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Thomas B. Edsall / Washington Post:
Democrats Are Fractured Over Strategy, Funds
Democrats Are Fractured Over Strategy, Funds
Discussion:
The Washington Monthly, TAPPED, Donklephant, JustOneMinute, Betsy's Page, Oliver Willis and Brainster's Blog
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 …
Phillip Martin / Burnt Orange Report:
The Tragedy of House Bill 1 — The Senate voted to pass out an incredibly twisted piece of legislation today after three days of secret meetings behind closed doors. The vote, which was unanimous and confirms that the "private club" of the Texas Senate is more important than the entire population of Texas …
Washington Post:
Plan to Give D.C. a Vote In Congress Advances — Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) is teaming up with U.S. Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) to introduce a bill that would for the first time give the District a full vote in Congress, a sign of bipartisan cooperation that advocates of D.C. voting rights hailed as a breakthrough.
Discussion:
MyDD, Betsy's Page, Outside The Beltway, TAPPED, Taegan Goddard's …, Blue Crab Boulevard and ACSBlog
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
Glenn Reynolds / Instapundit.com:
The Glenn and Helen Show: Ken Mehlman and Michael Barone on 2006 and 2008 — It's a roundup of Republican problems and solutions in today's Glenn and Helen Show. First, we talk to Ken Mehlman, chair of the Republican National Committee, about polls, anger in the base, and issues like immigration, spending, taxes, and judges.