Top Items:
Yaakov Katz / Jerusalem Post:
IDF captures airstrip, gains foothold east of Rafah — Israeli fighter jets struck the northern Gaza Strip around 2 p.m. Wednesday, firing missiles at open areas. The strike is part of the army's "pressure pot" tactic, meant to turn up pressure on Gaza by placement of troops and weapons fire with a minimum of casualties.
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters, Israel Matzav, Power Line, Yourish.com, Liberty and Justice, Security Watchtower, Haaretz and Kesher Talk
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Aussie Dave / Israellycool:
Operation Summer Rains — Before dawn today, IDF tanks and troops went into Gaza. Their mission is clear: to secure the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit. As National Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer told Israel Radio: … According to an army source …
Ibrahim Barzak / Associated Press:
Israelis keep pressure on Palestinians
Israelis keep pressure on Palestinians
Discussion:
Blogs of War, Mia Culpa, Counterterrorism Blog, Truthdig, Sister Toldjah and The Reaction —
BBC:
Hamas resist Israel recognition
Hamas resist Israel recognition
Discussion:
Atlas Shrugs, Israel Matzav, FP Passport, PoliBlog, ThreatsWatch.Org and It Shines For All
Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:
Piling On the New York Times With a Scoop — Story on Secret Program Further Rouses Critics — President Bush calls the conduct of the New York Times "disgraceful." Vice President Cheney objects to the paper having won a Pulitzer Prize. A Republican congressman wants the Times prosecuted.
Discussion:
Rantingprofs, War and Piece, NewsBusters.org, BuzzMachine, JunkYardBlog, Public Eye, Patterico's Pontifications, AMERICAN FUTURE and FishBowlDC
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The Hill:
GOP bill targets NY Times — House Republican leaders are expected to introduce a resolution today condemning The New York Times for publishing a story last week that exposed government monitoring of banking records. — The resolution is expected to condemn the leak and publication …
New York Times:
Patriotism and the Press — Over the last year, The New York Times has twice published reports about secret antiterrorism programs being run by the Bush administration. Both times, critics have claimed that the paper was being unpatriotic or even aiding the terrorists.
Kate Zernike / New York Times:
Bush's Use of Authority Riles Senator — WASHINGTON, June 27 — Senators on the Judiciary Committee accused President Bush of an "unprecedented" and "astonishing" power grab on Tuesday for making use of a device that gave him the authority to revise or ignore more than 750 laws enacted since he became president.
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Charlie Savage / Boston Globe:
Senator considers suit over Bush law challenge — WASHINGTON — The Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, Arlen Specter, said yesterday that he is ``seriously considering" filing legislation to give Congress legal standing to sue President Bush over his use of signing statements to reserve the right to bypass laws.
Jonathan Weisman / Washington Post:
Bush's Challenges of Laws He Signed Is Criticized
Bush's Challenges of Laws He Signed Is Criticized
Discussion:
Bench Memos …
Associated Press:
Justices Back Most G.O.P. Changes to Texas Districts — WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld most of the Texas congressional map engineered by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay but threw out part, saying some of the new boundaries failed to protect minority voting rights.
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Lyle Denniston / SCOTUSblog:
Decisions: No ruling on Hamdan; partisan gerrymander claim rejected — (NOTE: The Chief Justice announced that the Court will issue remaining decisions in the Term at 10 a.m. Thursday. The two still-undecided cases are the war crimes tribunal case (Hamdan v. Rumsfeld) …
Charles Babington / Washington Post:
Senate Rejects Flag Desecration Amendment — The Senate rejected by a single vote yesterday an effort to amend the Constitution to allow Congress to ban desecration of the American flag, after a two-day debate freighted with political calculations and sharp disputes over the limits of free speech.
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Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
Not Quite the Banner Day One Might Have Hoped For — As the Senate's flag-desecration debate heated up yesterday and the sparks began to fly — but before the smoke cleared — the amendment's backers were asked a burning question: Is this the most important issue facing the nation?
Discussion:
David Corn, Associated Press, The Carpetbagger Report, Balloon Juice, The Glittering Eye and Marc Cooper
Brock Vergakis / Associated Press:
U.S. Rep. Cannon wins Republican primary — SALT LAKE CITY - U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon (news, bio, voting record) said his solid victory in Utah's Republican primary is good news for President Bush and those seeking a consensus on immigration policy this year.
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Jennifer Loven / Associated Press:
Bush jogs with wounded soldier — WASHINGTON - President Bush took a jog Tuesday with a soldier who lost part of both legs in Iraq, following through on a bedside promise even the president had doubts about at the time. — Despite a slight drizzle, Bush and Staff Sgt. Christian Bagge took …
Porkbusters:
we need to stop this... now — Guest Contributor: Sen. John McCain — Last week I had the honor of speaking to a group of my fellow Republicans at the presidential library of one of my heroes — President Ronald Reagan. — When I was first elected to Congress, I was one of many newly elected members …