Top Items:
Allan Lengel / Washington Post:
FBI Says Jefferson Was Filmed Taking Cash — Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.), the target of a 14-month public corruption probe, was videotaped accepting $100,000 in $100 bills from a Northern Virginia investor who was wearing an FBI wire, according to a search warrant affidavit released yesterday.
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Philip Shenon / New York Times:
F.B.I. Contends Lawmaker Hid Bribe in Freezer — WASHINGTON, May 21 — The F.B.I. accused Representative William J. Jefferson, Democrat of Louisiana, on Sunday of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from a Kentucky businessman and stashing $90,000 from the scheme in his home freezer in Washington.
Jackson Diehl / Washington Post:
Reclaiming the Democratic Agenda — Though you'd never know it from surfing the Internet, there exists in the Democratic Party a substantial body of politicians and policymakers who believe the U.S. mission in Iraq must be sustained until it succeeds; who want to intensify American attempts …
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Opinion Journal:
Days of Rage — John McCain and Joe Lieberman feel the wrath of the antiwar left. — Two events last Friday speak volumes about the direction of modern liberal politics, and it's not an encouraging trend, especially if you're a Democrat who wants to take back the White House.
John McCain / Opinion Journal:
'Let Us Argue' — The speech the Angry Left tried to suppress. … Thank you, Bob [Kerrey, president of the New School]. Thank you, faculty, families and friends, and thank you New School Class of 2006 for your welcome and for your kind invitation to give this year's commencement address.
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog
Walter Pincus / Washington Post:
Prosecution of Journalists Is Possible in NSA Leaks — Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales raised the possibility yesterday that New York Times journalists could be prosecuted for publishing classified information based on the outcome of the criminal investigation underway into leaks …
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Adam Liptak / New York Times:
Gonzales Says Prosecutions of Journalists Are Possible — The government has the legal authority to prosecute journalists for publishing classified information, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales said yesterday. — "There are some statutes on the book which, if you read the language carefully …
Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:
Rove Lawyer Has a Pet Peeve — Robert Luskin, Karl Rove's lawyer, says he spent most of the day on May 12 taking his cat to the veterinarian and having a technician fix his computer at home. — He was stunned, therefore, when journalists started calling to ask about an online report …
Nedra Pickler / Associated Press:
Bush Praises Political Progress in Iraq — WASHINGTON (AP) — The inauguration of Iraq's new government marks a new era in relations with the country that the U.S. has occupied for more than three years, President Bush said Sunday. — "The formation of a unity government in Iraq …
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New Yorker:
LISTENING IN — A few days before the start of the confirmation hearings for General Michael Hayden, who has been nominated by President Bush to be the head of the C.I.A., I spoke to an official of the National Security Agency who recently retired. The official joined the N.S …
Washington Post:
Elections Are Crux Of GOP's Strategy — Bush Aides Look to Midterm Vote as Way to Reverse Slide — Confronting the worst poll numbers seen in the West Wing since his father went down to defeat, President Bush and his team are focusing on the fall midterm elections as the best chance …
Jim Henley / Unqualified Offerings:
Taheri-ng It Up — The New York Post has reprinted Amir Taheri's debunked Iranian "yellow badges for Jews" story. Lenin's Tomb has pictures of the print edition of the National Post story. They made the most inflammatory possible presentation. (You'll note the headline is not "Iran to Force Zoroastrians to Wear Blue.")
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Evan Hansen / Wired News:
Why We Published the AT&T Docs — A file detailing aspects of AT&T's alleged participation in the National Security Agency's warrantless domestic wiretap operation is sitting in a San Francisco courthouse. But the public cannot see it because, at AT&T's insistence, it remains under seal in court records.
Noor Khan / Associated Press:
Coalition: Attacks Kill Up to 80 Taliban — KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - A U.S.-led nighttime airstrike against a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan killed up to 80 suspected rebels, military officials said Monday. The local governor and a doctor said 17 civilians also were killed.
Raymond Hernandez / New York Times:
Schumer Plans Book Showing Both Parties Are Out of Step — WASHINGTON, May 21 — Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, who is heading the national Democratic effort to capture the United States Senate this year, has signed a book deal, the senator's office announced on Sunday.
Discussion:
QandO
Ralph Vartabedian / Los Angeles Times:
Corps' Levee Work Is Faulted — Report says barriers in New Orleans may fail again and mistakes by federal engineers raise questions about their competence nationwide. — NEW ORLEANS — A wide range of design and construction defects in levees around New Orleans raise serious doubts …