Top Items:
Associated Press:
Nasrallah speaks, vows surprises — Hizbullah leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, spoke for the first Thursday since the beginning of the week, saying Hizbullah's entire infrastructure and leadership hierarchy were still intact and functional. — "I can confirm without exaggerating …
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Hussein Dakroub / Associated Press:
New Israeli-Hezbollah fighting breaks out — BEIRUT, Lebanon - A large fight between Israeli forces and Hezbollah guerrillas broke out Thursday evening on the Lebanese side of the border, the Israeli army said, adding that its troops suffered casualties but did not elaborate.
Eli Lake / New York Sun:
Leading Saudi Sheik Pronounces Fatwa Against Hezbollah — CAIRO, Egypt — One of Saudi Arabia's leading Wahhabi sheiks, Abdullah bin Jabreen has issued a strongly worded religious edict, or fatwa, declaring it unlawful to support, join or pray for Hezbollah, the Shiite militias lobbing missiles into northern Israel.
rasmussenreports.com:
Middle East: Hezbollah to Blame for Current Strife, 56% Say — Many Fear a Wider Regional Conflict to Come — A week into the renewed violence between Israel and Lebanon triggered by the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers, 56% of Americans say that Lebanon-based terrorist group Hezbollah is to blame for the conflict.
Victor Davis Hanson / Real Clear Politics:
Patience is Wearing Thin
Patience is Wearing Thin
Discussion:
The Claremont Institute, ShrinkWrapped, The American Thinker, Blue Crab Boulevard, The Anchoress and Power Line
Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:
Joe Lieberman: Running Against Himself — Joe Lieberman's appropriation of the Rovian politics of projection in this race has been acute. He's accused Ned Lamont being a flip-flopper on Iraq, when in fact it was Joe who voted for a permanent presence there and has now changed his mind.
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Associated Press:
Lamont Pulls Even With Lieberman In Latest Poll — HAMDEN, Conn. — Democratic challenger Ned Lamont has pulled into a dead heat in his U.S. Senate race with incumbent Joe Lieberman, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday. — The poll shows Lamont ahead 51-47 percent …
Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Connecticut: Poll Shows Lieberman Trailing Among Dems.
Connecticut: Poll Shows Lieberman Trailing Among Dems.
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters, Firedoglake, AMERICAblog, MyDD, TPMCafe, Power Line, Booman Tribune and LamontBlog
whdh.com:
Former president to campaign for Lieberman
Former president to campaign for Lieberman
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, MyDD, THE NEWS BLOG, Firedoglake, Mia Culpa, Blue Crab Boulevard and Dohiyi Mir
Ignacio Russell Cano / Ynetnews:
In Spain, anti-Semitism is new leftist trend — Spanish Jews knew there were hard times ahead. Prime Minister Zapatero has not disappointed them — Madrid: Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Prime Minister of Spain and Secretary General of the Socialist Party, arrived to power at a time nobody expected, not even inside the Party.
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news24.com:
Spanish PM in scarf scandal — Madrid - Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has come under criticism for posing with a Palestinian scarf on his shoulders after accusing Israel of using force "abusively" to defend itself, press reports said on Thursday.
Reuters:
Israel: Spain relations hurt by PM's accusation IDF uses 'abuses force' — Israel's envoy to Spain said on Thursday the two countries' relations had been damaged after the Spanish prime minister accused Israel of using "abusive force" during an event at which he also wore a Palestinian scarf.
Washington Post:
President Bush Addresses NAACP Convention — BUSH: Thank you very much. — Bruce, thanks for your introduction. — Bruce is a polite guy. I thought what he was going to say, "It's about time you showed up." — Ain't I glad I did? — See, I see this as a moment of opportunity.
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Glenn Greenwald / Unclaimed Territory:
Response to right-wing personal attacks — As I've noted several times in the last couple of weeks, my focus on the lawlessness, extremist rhetoric and violence-inciting tactics of the Bush movement and its followers in the blogosphere has triggered a slew of posts on multiple blogs devoted …
Discussion:
Patterico's Pontifications, Wizbang, Outside The Beltway, PoliBlog, Ace of Spades HQ, Publius Pundit, Right Wing Nut House, Riehl World View, The Real Ugly American.com, Liberty and Justice, Asymmetrical Information, Confederate Yankee, protein wisdom, The Left Coaster, A Chequer-Board of Nights …, Blue Crab Boulevard, Shakespeare's Sister, JunkYardBlog, Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler, The Politburo Diktat and ProfessorBainbridge.com
Michael S. Rosenwald / Washington Post:
Marriott Hotels Ban Smoking In Rooms — Marriott International Inc., the nation's largest hotel chain, said yesterday that it will ban smoking in its nearly 400,000 hotel rooms in the United States and Canada, casting the decision as less about public health and more about taking care of the bottom line.
citizensforethics.org:
CREW FEC COMPLAINT AGAINST REP. DELAY PAC - ARMPAC - RESULTS IN $115,000 FINE — One of Largest Fines in FEC History — Washington, DC - Last night, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) released a conciliation agreement reached with Americans for a Republican Majority political action committee …
New York Times:
Judge Gives Wal-Mart Reprieve on Benefits — In a setback to state efforts to force employers to provide more generous health benefits, a federal judge yesterday struck down a Maryland law that was aimed at the nation's largest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores. — The judge ruled that the federal …
Jerry Seper / Washington Times:
Minutemen not watching over funds — A growing number of Minuteman Civil Defense Corps leaders and volunteers are questioning the whereabouts of hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of dollars in donations collected in the past 15 months, challenging the organization's leadership over financial accountability.