Top Items:
New York Times:
Cheney Assails Press on Report on Bank Data — WASHINGTON, June 23 — Vice President Dick Cheney on Friday vigorously defended a secret program that examines banking records of Americans and others in a vast international database, and harshly criticized the news media for disclosing …
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Tom Raum / Associated Press:
Analysis: CIA program expands Bush's power — WASHINGTON - A secret CIA-Treasury program to track financial records of millions of Americans is the latest installment in an expansion of executive authority in the name of fighting terrorism. The administration doesn't apologize …
Heather Mac Donald / Weekly Standard:
National Security Be Damned — BY NOW IT'S UNDENIABLE: The New York Times is a national security threat. So drunk is it on its own power and so antagonistic to the Bush administration that it will expose every classified antiterror program it finds out about, no matter how legal the program …
New York Times:
Following the Money, and the Rules — After the attacks on 9/11, when the terrorist threat seemed equally dangerous and amorphous, one of the few clear strategies for counterattack was to follow the money. Almost everyone, including this page, urged the Bush administration to be aggressive …
New York Times:
White House Says Tracking Bank Data Deters Terror — WASHINGTON, June 23 — The White House vigorously defended today a secret program of combing through a vast international data base containing banking transactions involving thousands of Americans. Vice President Dick Cheney and other officials …
Discussion:
The Duck of Minerva
Examiner:
White House becoming more secretive after leaks — Washington, D.C. - The Bush administration is becoming more secretive in response to press disclosures about the tracking of global financial transfers and other counter-terrorism measures, said Homeland Security Director Michael Chertoff.
Discussion:
The Agonist
New York Times:
F.B.I. Killed Plot in Talking Stage, a Top Aide Says — WASHINGTON, June 23 — A plot to topple the Sears Tower in Chicago and attack the F.B.I. headquarters in Miami was "more aspirational than operational," a top bureau official said Friday, a day after seven Florida men were arrested on terrorism charges.
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Del Quentin Wilber / Washington Post:
Lone Democrat in Bush Cabinet Is Departing — Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, who oversaw the tightening of airport security after the 2001 terrorist attacks and is the lone Democrat in President Bush's Cabinet, will step down early next month, the White House announced yesterday.
Discussion:
The Sundries Shack
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Jennifer Loven / Associated Press:
Mineta to Quit As Transportation Secretary
Mineta to Quit As Transportation Secretary
Discussion:
The Florida Masochist
Martin Peretz / The New Republic:
A MESSAGE FROM TNR'S LIEBERMAN-LOVING NEOCON OWNER: — Forgive me. But I never read Daily Kos until today. Well, now that I've read it, the first thought that came to me is how illiterate Kos is, just plain illiterate. There has been other not-with-a-pick-axe-but-with-a- bludgeon left-wing journalism …
White House:
Executive Order: Protecting the Property Rights of the American People — By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to strengthen the rights of the American people against the taking of their private property, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Dan Balz / Washington Post:
Clinton Says GOP Blindly Follows Bush — She Calls an Open Debate on the Iraq War More Important Than Party Unity — One day after suffering a pair of defeats on the Senate floor, Democratic leaders argued yesterday that their internal divisions over Iraq will help push the country toward …
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Matt Stoller / MyDD:
Young People Should Respect their Elder Liars — I didn't want to just let this article from Richard Morin titled 'Jon Stewart, Enemy of Democracy' (or 'Comedy Poisoning Democracy') go unanswered (via Alternet). Here's Morin's argument. … Ugh, there are so many bad leaps of logic here.
Associated Press:
Television producer Aaron Spelling dies — LOS ANGELES, California (AP) — Aaron Spelling, a onetime movie bit player who created a massive number of hit series, from the vintage "Charlie's Angels" and "Dynasty" to "Beverly Hills 90210" and "Melrose Place," died Friday, his publicist said. He was 83.
Discussion:
Ed Driscoll.com
Punkass Marc / PunkAssBlog.com:
ATHEISM FOR DECEPTIVE A**HOLE FUNDIES — Stop me if you're shocked: as far as the Christies are concerned, the Raving Atheist has decided to shut his yammering trap: … Instead, he will limit his raving to attacks on women's rights. — As you might recall, Amanda wrote …
Bill Gertz / Washington Times:
Ex-DIA analyst admits passing secrets to China — A former Defense Intelligence Agency analyst has pleaded guilty to illegally holding classified documents and admitted in a plea agreement to passing "top secret" information to Chinese intelligence officials.
Discussion:
Hot Air
Rose French / Associated Press:
Gore 'not planning' 2008 White House run — NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Former Vice President Al Gore got the same question at a hometown book signing Friday that he gets all over the world when pitching his documentary and book on global warming: Will he run for president in 2008?