Top Items:
Siobhan Gorman / Baltimore Sun:
NSA killed system that sifted phone data legally … WASHINGTON // The National Security Agency developed a pilot program in the late 1990s that would have enabled it to gather and analyze massive amounts of communications data without running afoul of privacy laws.
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New York Times:
U.S. Focused on Obtaining Long-Distance Phone Data, Company Officials Indicate — Government efforts to obtain data from the nation's largest phone companies for a national security database appear to have focused on long-distance carriers, not local ones, statements by company officials indicate.
Washington Post:
Lawmakers Reexamine Hayden — CIA Pick's Involvement in Wiretap Program Raises Questions — In hearings today on President Bush's choice to head the CIA, senators will face an array of questions, loose ends and seeming contradictions about the administration's domestic surveillance techniques.
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, The Left Coaster, The American Street, Wonkette, AMERICAblog and Just a Bump in the Beltway
Scott Shane / New York Times:
C.I.A. Pick Dazzles Many, but Critics See Mixed Résumé
C.I.A. Pick Dazzles Many, but Critics See Mixed Résumé
Discussion:
JustOneMinute
MSNBC:
Lawmaker: Marines killed Iraqis 'in cold blood' — Navy conducting war crimes probe into November violence in Haditha — A video provided to Reuters in March by Hamourabi, a human rights group, shows covered bodies, which Hamourabi says are of 15 civilians shot to death by Marines in Haditha in November.
Discussion:
Flopping Aces, QandO, Outside The Beltway, TBogg, Hullabaloo, The Left Coaster, Rantingprofs, The Political Pit Bull, Super Fun Power Hour, The Wide Awake Cafe, The Carpetbagger Report, Amygdala, The Democratic Daily Blog, Running Scared, Chickenhawk Express, BTC News, Democrat Taylor Marsh …, Right Voices, Varifrank, Macsmind, Bark Bark Woof Woof, Shakespeare's Sister, THE NEWS BLOG, Pharyngula, The Reality-Based Community, The Moderate Voice, Daily Kos and AMERICAblog
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John Conyers Jr / Washington Post:
No Rush to Impeachment — As Republicans have become increasingly nervous about whether they will be able to maintain control of the House in the midterm elections, they have resorted to the straw-man strategy of identifying a parade of horrors to come if Democrats gain the majority.
Peggy Noonan / Opinion Journal:
Out of Touch — What the president's immigration speech and "The DaVinci Code" have in common. — What was missing in the president's approach the other night was the expression, or suggestion, of context. The context was a crisis that had gone unanswered as it has built …
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns and Money, Shakespeare's Sister, Riehl World View, The Carpetbagger Report and alicublog
Laurie Kellman / Associated Press:
Feingold, Specter Clash Over Gay Marriage — WASHINGTON - A Senate committee approved a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage Thursday, after a shouting match that ended when one Democrat strode out and the Republican chairman bid him "good riddance." — "I don't need to be lectured by you.
Discussion:
Ankle Biting Pundits › News
William Triplett / Variety:
Tony Snow at the White House — Possibly through Inauguration Day 2009, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. Running time: 40 MIN. — In the often surreal world of the televised press briefing, the media don't stand a chance against a nice guy, and judging by his first performance …
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Eric Lipton / New York Times:
Seeking to Control Borders, Bush Turns to Big Military Contractors — WASHINGTON, May 17 — The quick fix may involve sending in the National Guard. But to really patch up the broken border, President Bush is preparing to turn to a familiar administration partner: the nation's giant military contractors.
Ali Akbar Dareini / Associated Press:
Iran Rejects European Nuclear Incentives — TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's president mocked a package of incentives to suspend uranium enrichment, saying Wednesday they were like giving up gold for chocolate — defiance that appeared certain to complicate U.S. efforts to curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
George F. Will / Washington Post:
Who Isn't A 'Values Voter'? — An aggressively annoying new phrase in America's political lexicon is "values voters." It is used proudly by social conservatives, and carelessly by the media to denote such conservatives. — This phrase diminishes our understanding of politics.
Washington Post:
Anti-Incumbent Voters Sent Messages Tuesday — Pennsylvania voters dumped two Republican leaders in the state Senate and scared a GOP member of Congress, while Oregon voters sent a warning they are unhappy with the Democratic governor. — Cumulatively, the results Tuesday were the latest signals …
wsbtv.com:
McKinney Sponsors Bill Honoring Capitol Police — WASHINGTON — Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, who could face criminal charges for allegedly punching a Capitol police officer in Washington, D.C., has signed on as a co-sponsor of a House bill formally honoring Capitol Police officers.
Frederic J. Frommer / Associated Press:
Sensenbrenner: Bush Turned Back on Bill — WASHINGTON - Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, who has pushed a tough border security bill through the House, accused President Bush on Wednesday of abandoning the legislation after asking for many of its provisions. — "He basically turned his back on provisions …
New York Times:
And if It's a Boy, Will It Be Lleh? — Chances are you don't have any friends named Nevaeh. Chances are today's toddlers will. — In 1999, there were only eight newborn American girls named Nevaeh. Last year, it was the 70th-most-popular name for baby girls, ahead of Sara, Vanessa and Amanda.
Discussion:
Althouse
Vox Popoli:
Relax, folks — The WB emails: … No, not at all. WND regularly edits my column, albeit usually before it appears. I actually turned this one in early, so this was clearly on Mr. Farah's orders. I happen to know that he really, really, really didn't like it.
Bryan / hotair.com:
Breaking: Ahmadinejad to send a Letter to the Pope — As nearly every single character in the Star Wars universe says, "I have a bad feeling about this." … He also invited Bush to become a Muslim. And you would be wise to interpret the word "invite" to have a whiff of the mob inviting you to dinner at the end of a pier.
Dahlia Lithwick / Slate:
Pack Rats — It's not a good idea to start stacking the federal bench. — It's not difficult to understand, given President George W. Bush's tanking poll numbers and the defection of even his staunchest supporters, why he's again pantomiming at packing the federal judiciary.
Discussion:
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