Top Items:
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:
In From the Cold, Hugh Hewitt, The Left Coaster, Democrats.com, Blue Crab Boulevard, The Strata-Sphere, Daily Kos, Vidiot Speak, All Things Conservative, State of the Day, A Blog For All, Blogs for Bush, Bring it On!, Hit and Run, Michelle Malkin, The Blogging of the President, Brainster's Blog, The Influence Peddler, Villainous Company, Stop The ACLU and Macsmind
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New York Times:
Bush Is Pressed Over New Report on Surveillance — WASHINGTON, May 11 — Congressional Republicans and Democrats alike demanded answers from the Bush administration on Thursday about a report that the National Security Agency had collected records of millions of domestic phone calls …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Right Wing Nut House, Media Research Center, Maverick Views, The Carpetbagger Report, The American Thinker, Balkinization, The Volokh Conspiracy, Decision '08, Hullabaloo, Left I on the News, The Next Hurrah, NewsHog, Air America Radio, Gateway Pundit, Charging RINO, Outside The Beltway, QandO, PoliBlog, Right Wing News, ScrappleFace, Wizbang, The Washington Monthly and Think Progress
New York Times:
Ever-Expanding Secret — Ever since its secret domestic wiretapping program was exposed, the Bush administration has depicted it as a narrow examination of calls made by and to suspected terrorists. But its refusal to provide any details about the extent of the spying has raised doubts.
Bruce Mohl / Boston Globe:
Most put security ahead of privacy — Say that sharing call records OK — Mark Jellison, a Verizon customer in Quincy, isn't fazed that his phone company may have turned over his calling records and those of millions of others to the National Security Agency as part of an effort to thwart terrorism.
Eugene Robinson / Washington Post:
An Easy Call: Lying — At least now we know that the Bush administration's name for spying on Americans without first seeking court approval — the "terrorist surveillance program" — isn't an exercise in Orwellian doublespeak after all. It's just a bald-faced lie.
Discussion:
The Mahablog
Chicago Tribune:
The NSA has your number — This sounds like a vast and unchecked intrusion on privacy — The National Security Agency has been amassing a vast, secret database with records of tens of millions of telephone calls made by Americans, USA Today reported on Thursday.
David Stout / New York Times:
Senate Leaders Expect Immigration Bill Next Week — WASHINGTON, May 11 — Senate leaders said today that they had broken a political stalemate and would bring to the floor next week an immigration bill that could put millions of illegals on the road to eventual American citizenship.
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Timothy Dwyer / Washington Post:
One Juror Between Terrorist And Death — Only one juror stood between the death penalty and Zacarias Moussaoui and that juror frustrated his colleagues because he never explained his vote, according to the foreman of the jury that sentenced the al-Qaeda operative to life in prison last week.
Discussion:
Althouse, Ace of Spades HQ, A Blog For All, The Influence Peddler, Hot Air, Betsy's Page, Outside The Beltway and Lifelike Pundits
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Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
Sparing Moussaoui for the Wrong Reasons — I am no great fan of the death penalty. I oppose it in almost all cases, though not on principle. There are crimes — high, monstrous and rare — that warrant the ultimate sanction. — Not because it is a deterrent; the evidence for deterrence is very equivocal.
Paul Caron / TaxProf Blog:
Joint Economic Committee Releases Tax Cuts Make Tax System More Progressive — The Joint Economic Committee yesterday released Federal Income Tax System Is Highly Progressive After Recent Tax Cuts (#109-36):
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David Ignatius / Washington Post:
How the CIA Came Unglued — To understand what went so badly wrong at the CIA under Porter Goss, it's worth examining the career of his executive director, the onomatopoetic Kyle "Dusty" Foggo. His rise illustrates the conservative cronyism, leak paranoia and political vendettas that undermined Goss's tenure.
Discussion:
The Cranky Insomniac
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NEWS.com.au:
Video calls for 'sea of blood' — A VIDEO by an al-Qaeda member posted on the Internet overnight calls on Muslims to attack Denmark, Norway and France for publishing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. — "Muslims avenge your Prophet .... We deeply desire that the small state of Denmark …
Charles R. Babcock / Washington Post:
House Appropriations Chairman Is Facing Federal Investigation — The Justice Department has begun investigating the activities of Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, focusing in part on his dealings with a lobbying firm that hired some of his former staff members …
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Monica Davey / New York Times:
New Fears of Security Risks in Electronic Voting Systems — CHICAGO, May 11 — With primary election dates fast approaching in many states, officials in Pennsylvania and California issued urgent directives in recent days about a potential security risk in their Diebold Election Systems touch …
Iraqipundit / IraqPundit:
Indexing Iraq — Brookings, the liberal Washington think tank, this week released a massive compendium of statistics about the extraordinary situation in Iraq. The report, by Michael O'Hanlon and Nina Kamp, consists of 55 pages of tables and graphs addressing everything from civilian deaths to economic growth to life expectancy.
ACLU:
ACLU Condemns NSA's Massive Database of Americans' Phone Call Records, Demands Full, Thorough Congressional Investigation — WASHINGTON - In a story released today in USA Today it was revealed that the NSA has been collecting call information about millions of American residents and businesses served by Verizon, AT&T and BellSouth.
Baltimore Examiner:
Conservatives won't be fooled again — The Washington DC Examiner Newspaper, The Examiner — WASHINGTON - Low poll numbers are nothing new to President Bush these days, but the latest surveys reflect a significant shift in the political landscape as growing numbers of conservatives …
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters
David Anfinrud:
US Senate leaders reach deal on immigration legislation — page: — Again the Republicans cave to the Democrats. When will they learn. The only reason I vote Republican is I know that the Democrats would destroy this country. My top reasons Why I vote the lesser of two evils.