Top Items:
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.
Discussion:
OrinKerr.com, Concurring Opinions, JustOneMinute, The Democratic Daily Blog, Amygdala and Unfogged
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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.
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.
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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.
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Bryan / Hot Air:
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.
Discussion:
protein wisdom
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 …
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 …
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.
Discussion:
Sister Toldjah, Right Wing News, Gateway Pundit, Hullabaloo, The Washington Monthly, The Carpetbagger Report, TAPPED, Carol Platt Liebau, The Political Pit Bull, California Conservative, GOP Bloggers, Blue Crab Boulevard, PunditGuy, THE BRAD BLOG, Ankle Biting Pundits › News, Ace of Spades HQ, On Deadline and Decision '08
Michelle Malkin:
JOHN MURTHA HANGS THE MARINES — Expose the Left has the video of Rep. Murtha's verdict first, trial later condemnation of the US Marines. Here's the partial transcript: … The investigation into the incident at Haditha is not complete. Knight Ridder reports: … NBC News: … Hugh Hewitt:
Discussion:
Confederate Yankee, Captain's Quarters, Billmon, Unclaimed Territory, The Mahablog, All Things Beautiful, BLACKFIVE, Outside The Beltway, California Conservative, Iowa Voice, Gateway Pundit, Flopping Aces, Brilliant at Breakfast, newsbusters.org, In From the Cold, TBogg, QandO, Ninth State, Blue Star Chronicles, Super Fun Power Hour, Brainster's Blog, The Jawa Report v3.0 Beta and Legal Fiction
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Renae Merle / Washington Post:
Processing of Security-Clearance Requests Resumes — The Pentagon yesterday partially lifted a suspension of its security-clearance program that had put thousands of government contractors' employees in limbo. — The Defense Security Service suspended the program three weeks ago …
Jason DeParle / New York Times:
G.O.P. Conservatives Topple Veteran State Lawmakers in Pennsylvania — WASHINGTON, May 17 — A revolt among Pennsylvania conservatives gained national attention on Wednesday after challengers toppled at least 12 state lawmakers they deemed insufficiently committed to small government and fiscal restraint.
Judd / Think Progress:
New Ads Funded by Big Oil Portray Global Warming Science as Smear Campaign Against Carbon Dioxide — Yesterday, the Competitive Enterprise Institute - a front group funded by ExxonMobil and other big oil companies - launched two advertisements in response to Al Gore's new movie, An Inconvenient Truth.
Hotline On Call:
Have A Heart — This has to be just about the nastiest piece of direct mail we've ever seen. — A candidate for State Assembly in the central valley region of CA, Bill Conrad (R) is apparently running on the platform that his opponent won't survive his term because he had a heart transplant.
Ken Silverstein / Harper's:
"Fairy Tales" — The (lack of) intelligence underpinning Bush's Iraq policy — During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Saddam Hussein's Information Minister became the butt of a million jokes for predicting that American soldiers were being routed, even as U.S. troops were quickly closing in on Baghdad.
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
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.