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:
The Left Coaster, The Strata-Sphere, Associated Press, Democrats.com, TAPPED, Environmental Republican, NewsBusters.org, Democrat Taylor Marsh …, The American Street, Blogs for Bush, In From the Cold, Comments From Left Field, The Washington Monthly, Michelle Malkin, Daily Kos, Sister Toldjah, All Things Conservative, Flopping Aces, PunditGuy, Democracy Project, Villainous Company, Macsmind, Decision '08, AMERICAN FUTURE, Booman Tribune, Mark in Mexico, Vidiot Speak, State of the Day, Ezra Klein, A Blog For All, Blue Crab Boulevard, Bring it On!, The Influence Peddler, Hit and Run, Brainster's Blog, SoCalPundit, The Blogging of the President, Low on the Hog, The Carpetbagger Report, The Big Pharaoh and The Jawa Report v3.0 Beta
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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.
Discussion:
Hot Air, Power Line, In the Bullpen, The Anonymous Liberal, Amygdala, PoliBlog, liberal catnip and State of the Day
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."
ABCNEWS:
Phone-Records Surveillance Is Broadly Acceptable to Public
Phone-Records Surveillance Is Broadly Acceptable to Public
Discussion:
The Carpetbagger Report, TalkLeft, Solomonia, Dr. Sanity, Ace of Spades HQ, In Search Of Utopia and TheWorldNewser
Fox News:
Bush to Address Nation Monday Night on Immigration — WASHINGTON — President Bush will address the nation on immigration reform Monday night from the Oval Office. — The White House said Friday that this is the first time it has requested network time for a presidential address on a specific domestic issue.
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Lolita C. Baldor / ABCNEWS:
Pentagon Exploring Using Military to Patrol Border — Pentagon Exploring Ways Military Can Help Provide More Security Along U.S. Southern Border — WASHINGTON May 12, 2006 (AP)— The Pentagon is looking at ways the military can help provide more security along the U.S. southern border …
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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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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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 …
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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.
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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.
John Gibson / Fox News:
Procreation Not Recreation — Make more babies. That's the lesson drawn out of two interesting stories over the last couple days. — First, a story Wednesday that half the kids under 5 years old in this country are minorities. By far, the greatest number are Hispanic. — Know what that means?
Discussion:
The Carpetbagger Report, Shakespeare's Sister, News Hounds and The Democratic Daily Blog
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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."
Charles Babington / Washington Post:
Democrats Won't Try To Impeach President — Seeking to choke off a Republican rallying cry, the House's top Democrat has told colleagues that the party will not seek to impeach President Bush even if it gains control of the House in November's elections, her office said last night.
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 …
Washington Post:
House Injects Prayer Into Defense Bill — The House passed a $513 billion defense authorization bill yesterday that includes language intended to allow chaplains to pray in the name of Jesus at public military ceremonies, undercutting new Air Force and Navy guidelines on religion.
Jonathan Weisman / Washington Post:
Senate Passes $70 Billion in Tax Cuts — Measure Set to Become the Sixth Reduction in Six Years Amid Warnings on Deficit — The Senate gave final approval yesterday to a five-year, $70 billion tax package that would extend deep cuts to tax rates on dividends and capital gains for two years …
Discussion:
Beat the Press, NewDonkey.com, Obsidian Wings, The Democratic Daily Blog, Angry Bear and Ezra Klein
Cenk Uygur / The Huffington Post:
Michael Smerconish Is a Pussy — Michael Smerconish is a pussy. A big gaping pussy. — He loves to talk tough from his comfortable reclining chair about death penalties and the war on terror - and how tough he would be in killing people. Yeah, I know, you're really tough.
Online NewsHour:
The President speaks out — JIM LEHRER: As the story gained momentum this morning, President Bush made a statement at the White House. And here it is in full. — PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: After September the 11th, I vowed to the American people that our government would do everything within …
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" …
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 …
George F. Will / Washington Post:
Our Right And His Wrongs — Presidents swear to "protect and defend the Constitution." The Constitution says: "Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech." On April 28, on Don Imus's radio program, discussing the charge that the McCain-Feingold law abridges freedom …