Top Items:
New York Times:
Qwest's Refusal of N.S.A. Query Is Explained — WASHINGTON, May 12 — The telecommunications company Qwest turned down requests by the National Security Agency for private telephone records because it concluded that doing so would violate federal privacy laws, a lawyer for the telephone company's former chief executive said today.
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Richard Morin / Washington Post:
Poll: Most Americans Support NSA's Efforts — A majority of Americans initially support a controversial National Security Agency program to collect information on telephone calls made in the United States in an effort to identify and investigate potential terrorist threats, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Discussion:
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Glenn Greenwald / Unclaimed Territory:
Polling hysteria and the NSA program — Somehow, The Washington Post — on the very same day most people learned about the new NSA data-collection program — managed to conduct a poll which purports to show that "63 percent of Americans said they found the NSA program to be an acceptable way to investigate terrorism."
Mark Blumenthal / Mystery Pollster:
ABC/WAPO ON NSA PHONE RECORDS — Did yesterday's USAToday story on the collection of domestic telephone records by the NSA do President George Bush a backhanded favor? An overnight survey released earlier this morning by ABC News and the Washington Post suggests that it may be doing just that.
Jason Leopold / truthout.org:
Rove Informs White House He Will Be Indicted — Within the last week, Karl Rove told President Bush and Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten, as well as a few other high level administration officials, that he will be indicted in the CIA leak case and will immediately resign his White House job …
Discussion:
The Left Coaster, The Democratic Daily Blog, The Reaction, Booman Tribune and News Hounds
George Jahn / Associated Press:
More Uranium Reportedly Found in Iran — The U.N. atomic agency has found traces of highly enriched uranium at an Iranian site linked to the country's defense ministry, diplomats said Friday. The finding added to concerns that Tehran was hiding activities that could be used to make nuclear arms.
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Kathy Gannon / Associated Press:
Iran Sought Advice in Pakistan on Attack — ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan's former army chief says Iranian officials came to him for advice on heading off an attack on their nuclear facilities, and he in effect advised them to take a hostage — Israel. — Retired Gen. Mirza Aslam Beg …
Louis Charbonneau / Reuters:
UN finds new uranium traces in Iran: diplomats
UN finds new uranium traces in Iran: diplomats
Discussion:
The Reaction
Editor and Publisher:
Tony Snow on His First Press Gaggle: "This is Just a Mess" — NEW YORK Ending his first week on the job on a chaotic note, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow on Friday conducted his first informal "press gaggle" this morning, but had to admit when it went awry, "This is just a mess."
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Josh Marshall / TPMmuckraker:
Tony's First Press Gaggle — Tony Snow holds his first White House press gaggle. Check it out below the fold ... TONY SNOW: Okay, first thing, very quickly through the President's schedule for today. As you know, there's a meeting with the former Secretaries of Defense and State …
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Federal agents raid home of CIA's former No. 3 boss — VIENNA, Va.- Federal agents Friday morning raided the home of Kyle "Dusty" Foggo, who stepped down this week from the No. 3 post at the CIA amid accusations of improper ties to a defense contractor named as a co-conspirator in the bribery case …
Discussion:
Firedoglake
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Media Matters for America:
Gibson: "Make more babies" because in "[t]wenty-five years ... the majority of the population is Hispanic" … On the May 11 edition of Fox News' The Big Story, host John Gibson advised viewers during the "My Word" segment of his program to "[d]o your duty. Make more babies."
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David Stout / New York Times:
Bush to Address Nation on Immigration — WASHINGTON, May 12 — President Bush will use a television address on Monday night to offer new proposals to spur passage of legislation that could put millions of illegal immigrants on the path to American citizenship, the White House said today.
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CNN:
Poll: Clinton outperformed Bush — (CNN) — In a new poll comparing President Bush's job performance with that of his predecessor, a strong majority of respondents said President Clinton outperformed Bush on a host of issues. — The poll of 1,021 adult Americans was conducted May 5-7 by Opinion Research Corp. for CNN.
Discussion:
Firedoglake
Tom Bevan / Real Clear Politics:
The Dem Center Fights Back — Over the last three years or so there's been a rather open, internecine brawl taking place in the Democratic Party between the antiwar Internet left and the establishment centrists. The flashpoint of this battle was the invasion of Iraq, but it is all part …
Kirstin Downey / Washington Post:
Basics, Not Luxuries, Blamed for High Debt — Why are Americans so deeply in debt? It's not because they are using credit cards to buy plasma TVs and premium coffee drinks at Starbucks. The real culprits, according to a new analysis, are the rising costs of housing, health care and education.
Faiz / Think Progress:
NSA Whistleblower To Expose More Unlawful Activity: 'People...Are Going To Be Shocked' — CongressDaily reports that former NSA staffer Russell Tice will testify to the Senate Armed Services Committee next week that not only do employees at the agency believe the activities they are being asked …
John / AMERICAblog:
US House Republicans suddenly pull cell-phone privacy bill, Rep. Markey thinks Bush spy agency types may have gotten it killed today — Well isn't this interesting. Remember when I bought General Wesley Clark's cell phone records for under a $100 in order to prove that anyone's privacy could be violated?
Wall Street Journal:
Bush's Ratings Hit New Low, Poll Shows — President Bush's approval rating has fallen to its lowest mark of his presidency, according to a new Harris Interactive poll. — Of 1,003 U.S. adults surveyed in a telephone poll, 29% think Mr. Bush is doing an "excellent or pretty good" …