Top Items:
David E. Sanger / New York Times:
Study Doesn't Share Bush's Optimism on Terror Fight — Three years ago, Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld wrote a memo to his colleagues in the Pentagon posing a critical question in the "long war'' against terrorism: Is Washington's strategy successfully killing or capturing terrorists faster than new enemies are being created?
Discussion:
AMERICAblog, Daily Kos, Opinion, Sic Semper Tyrannis 2006, FP Passport, Hotline On Call and Middle Earth Journal
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David Ignatius / Washington Post:
The Big Question Democrats Are Ducking — No matter how you slice it, the National Intelligence Estimate warning that the Iraq war has spawned more terrorism is big trouble for President Bush and his party in this election year. It goes to the heart of Bush's argument for invading Iraq, which was that it would make America safer.
Discussion:
Back Talk, Taylor Marsh, The Horse's Mouth, The Bullwinkle Blog, Blue Crab Boulevard, KC Buzz Blog and Op For
Washington Post:
Sobering Conclusions On Why Jihad Has Spread — In announcing yesterday that he would release the key judgments of a controversial National Intelligence Estimate, President Bush said he agreed with the document's conclusion "that because of our successes against the leadership of al-Qaeda …
New York Times:
The Fine Art of Declassification — It's hard to think of a president and an administration more devoted to secrecy than President Bush and his team. Except, that is, when it suits Mr. Bush politically to give the public a glimpse of the secrets. And so, yesterday, he ordered …
Captain Ed / Captain's Quarters:
The Real NIE Revelations
The Real NIE Revelations
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias, ShrinkWrapped, Flopping Aces, AMERICAblog, Right Wing Nut House and SEIXON
Balkinization:
Spineless Democrats Deserve to Lose — From the New York Times: … I'm afraid it's already too late for that, Senator Reid. — I am puzzled by and ashamed of the Democrats' moral cowardice on this bill. The latest version of the bill blesses detainee abuse and looks the other way on forms …
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New York Times:
Deal Is Likely on Detainees but Not on Eavesdropping — Senator John W. Warner, right, Republican of Virginia, after a party caucus meeting Tuesday. Mr. Warner is one of three senators who have resisted the administration on wording of legislation on terrorism suspects.
Washington Post:
Detainee Bill in Final Stages — White House Appears to Be Winning Wide Legal Latitude — White House national security adviser Stephen J. Hadley met with Republican senators yesterday in an effort to reach final agreement on legislation that would govern the military trials of terrorism suspects …
Discussion:
Firedoglake
Digby / Hullabaloo:
Faithbased Torture — By now probably everyone knows …
Faithbased Torture — By now probably everyone knows …
Discussion:
Left in the West
Richard Miniter / Opinion Journal:
What Clinton Didn't Do . . . . . . .and when he didn't do it. — Bill Clinton's outburst on Fox News was something of a public service, launching a debate about the antiterror policies of his administration. This is important because every George W. Bush policy that arouses the ire of Democrats …
Discussion:
Outside The Beltway, Miniter's Notebook, Hot Air, Power Line, PoliBlog, Blue Crab Boulevard and Macsmind
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Lydia Saad / Gallup Poll:
Bush Blamed More Than Clinton for Failure to Capture Bin Laden — Views are predictably partisan; independents mostly blame Bush — PRINCETON, NJ — The recent firestorm over former President Bill Clinton's culpability for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was fueled on Tuesday when Secretary …
New York Times:
Opera Canceled Over a Depiction of Muhammad — A leading German opera house has canceled performances of a Mozart opera because of security fears stirred by a scene that depicts the severed head of the Prophet Muhammad, prompting a storm of protest here about what many see as the surrender of artistic freedom.
Discussion:
Liberty and Justice, The Political Pit Bull, The Mahablog, Outside The Beltway and Peaktalk
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Tom Bevan / TIME:
How Partisan Is Too Partisan? — That's the question we tried to tackle at the Pajamas Media event last night at the National Press Club. The gist of my remarks was that it is a very difficult, if not impossible question to answer. Indeed, I came to the conclusion that it's probably best …
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David B. Caruso / Associated Press:
NYC Mulls Ban on Trans Fats in Eateries — NEW YORK (AP) — Three years after the city banned smoking in restaurants, health officials are talking about prohibiting something they say is almost as bad: artificial trans fatty acids. — The city health department unveiled a proposal Tuesday …
Amit R. Paley / Washington Post:
Most Iraqis Favor Immediate U.S. Pullout, Polls Show — A strong majority of Iraqis want U.S.-led military forces to immediately withdraw from the country, saying their swift departure would make Iraq more secure and decrease sectarian violence, according to new polls by the State Department and independent researchers.
Bashir Goth / Washington Post:
Community Censorship Plagues the House of Islam — Even worse than the official censorship is censorship imposed by the community, which then becomes self-censorship. Friends, colleagues and even ordinary acquaintances all impose strict censorship rules on me under the guise of being concerned about my personal safety or honor.
Harold Meyerson / Washington Post:
The 'Moderate Republican' Scam — Sen. Lincoln Chafee, Republican of Rhode Island, is seeking reelection in his heavily Democratic state by insisting he's not really a Republican, or at least not part of the gang responsible for the decade's debacles. He didn't even vote for George W. Bush in 2004, he protests.
White House:
Press Briefing by Homeland Security Advisor Frances Fragos Townsend — Office of the Director of National Intelligence — MS. TOWNSEND: Good evening, everybody. Given the leak this weekend of classified information regarding the National Intelligence Estimate dated April 2006 and entitled …