Top Items:
Richard Holbrooke / Washington Post:
Three Choices, Mr. President — The Least Bad Option on Iraq: Disengagement and Damage Control — Dear Mr. President: — As soon as the midterm elections are over — and regardless of their outcome — you will have to make the most consequential decision of your presidency …
Discussion:
QandO, New York Times, The Mahablog, The Glittering Eye, FP Passport, The Moderate Voice and It Shines For All
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Washington Post:
U.S. Officials: Iraqi Security Could be Ready in 12-18 Months — Ambassador Says Iraqi Political Leaders 'Must Step Up' — Top U.S. officials in Iraq today predicted that Iraqi security forces could be largely self-sufficient within 12 to 18 months and said the Iraqi government is building …
John O'Neil / New York Times:
General May Increase U.S. Troop Levels in Baghdad
General May Increase U.S. Troop Levels in Baghdad
Discussion:
TAPPED, Matthew Yglesias, The Real Ugly American.com, Whiskey Bar, Taylor Marsh and The Heretik
Daniela Deane / Washington Post:
Limbaugh Says Actor Fox Exaggerates Effects of Disease in Ads — Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh attacked actor Michael J. Fox for inserting his halting voice into the U.S. Senate campaign in Missouri, suggesting Fox was "acting" in a commercial where he's shown shaking …
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steeleformaryland.com:
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT: — Cardin Voted Against Stem Cell Research for Pure Political Gain — TEMPLE HILLS, MD - Today, Michael Steele released the following statement setting the record straight on stem cell research: — Michael Steele said, "There is only one candidate in this race …
New York Times:
Lieberman's Words on War Show Some Shifts — The widely watched campaign for United States Senate here has largely been a war of words over the war in Iraq — a war, primarily, over the words of the incumbent, Joseph I. Lieberman. — Ned Lamont, who upset Mr. Lieberman in the Democratic primary …
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Think Progress:
Rumsfeld Agrees Bush Is 'Not Backing Away From Stay The Course' — Faced with widespread disappoval of its Iraq policy, the Bush administration launched a coordinated effort this week to convince Americans it has never had a stay-the-course strategy in Iraq. On Sunday, President Bush said, "We've never been stay the course."
John Amato / Crooks and Liars:
Is Ken Mehlman kidding? We should ask Harold Ford — The answer to Josh's question is no. He's a guy who isn't afraid to smear people with racism. He's a rich white guy who can spot insanely offensive racism instantly—except when he has a hand in it. He only pays the bills …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo
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Tom Morton / jacksonholestartrib.com:
Cubin tells challenger, 'I'd slap you' — The Libertarian challenger for Wyoming's lone U.S. House seat says Rep. Barbara Cubin offended him by uttering a slur related to his physical disability. — Thomas Rankin said Cubin approached him after a campaign debate on Sunday and said …
Discussion:
Whiskey Bar, Daily Kos, AMERICAblog, WTF Is It Now??, Democratic National Committee, Democrats.com and Swing State Project
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Leef Smith / Washington Post:
Some Voting Machines Chop Off Candidates' Names — Computer Glitch Affects Voters in 3 Jurisdictions; Error Cannot Be Fixed by Nov. 7 — U.S. Senate candidate James Webb's last name has been cut off on part of the electronic ballot used by voters in Alexandria, Falls Church and Charlottesville …
Peter Baker / Washington Post:
Bush's new tack steers clear of 'stay the course' — Phrase became liability for GOP in election year … Today show — President Bush and his aides are annoyed that people keep misinterpreting his Iraq policy as "stay the course." A complete distortion, they say.
MSNBC:
Polls: Democrats closer to taking Senate control — But polls show no evidence of a national Democratic 'tidal wave' … Today show — NBC News Election Unit — NEW YORK - Two weeks out from the midterm elections, a second round of MSNBC/McClatchy polls, conducted by Mason-Dixon in eight states …
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Peter Wallsten / Los Angeles Times:
Latino and black voters reassessing ties to GOP — Clergy and other leaders say promises haven't been kept. — WASHINGTON — A major effort to draw Latinos and blacks into the Republican Party, a central element of the GOP plan to build a long-lasting majority, is in danger of collapse amid anger …
Kate Zernike / New York Times:
Seats in Danger, Democrats Proclaim Their Conservatism — Listening to Congressional candidates in middle Georgia, it is easy for someone to think that he is in a different year and, possibly, a different country. — Democrats defend themselves against accusations that they are rubber stamps for their party's leadership.
Ezra Klein:
Women in Journalism — I certainly suggest folks read my friend Dana Goldstein's article on why Gail Collins, the retiring editor of The New York Times op-ed page, didn't do more for women in punditry. Dana takes the moment to meditate on the sorry state of women in political journalism.
vote.com:
'06 ELEX: BACK TO TOSS-UP — The latest polls show something very strange and quite encouraging is happening: The Republican base seems to be coming back home. This trend, only vaguely and dimly emerging from a variety of polls, suggests that a trend may be afoot that would deny the Democrats control of the House and the Senate.
Confederate Yankee:
Abandon All Hope — This child was weak—perhaps injured or dying—as this photo was taken in the Darfur region of Sudan in 2004. He may already be dead. One thing is certain; the future of millions of children throughout the Middle East just like him will be affected by you very soon.
Kevin Drum / Political Animal:
RAW DATA....I'm reading The Truth About Conservative Christians, by Andrew Greeley and Michael Hout, which is, by a good measure, the worst and most frustratingly-written book I've read in a long while. It's a sociological picture of conservative Christians based on statistical analysis of recent survey data …
UPI:
YOUR THOUGHTS — The report that sex is always on the mind of men has one glaring flaw, when men are married, then sex becomes a distant memory. — You guy's are just now figuring this out ? Jeeze,.....thank god we are not dependent on your group for the rest of lifes answers.
Discussion:
Sister Toldjah
Arutz Sheva:
Photographer Worked With - and Kidnapped by - Arab Terrorists — Emilio Morenatti, a Spanish photographer working for the Associated Press, was kidnapped Tuesday morning in Gaza. His photos show he was trusted by Palestinian terrorists. — No terror organization has yet taken responsibility …
Holly Yeager / Financial Times:
Elections could be most costly in US history — Next month's midterm elections will be the most costly congressional races in US history, with business interests contributing three-quarters of the estimated $2.6bn that will be spent, says a non-partisan research group.
Eli Lake / New York Sun:
Conyers Hones A Case Against President Bush — WASHINGTON — The Democratic leader of the House, Nancy Pelosi, is promising that her party has no plans to pursue impeachment of President Bush if it wins a majority in next month's elections. But she intends to allow the House Judiciary Committee …
Jerry Adler / Newsweek:
Remember Global Cooling? — Why scientists find climate change so hard to predict. — Hot and Cold: Signs of global warming at a dried-up pond in China in August 2006 (left) and a 1975 NEWSWEEK report on the threat of global cooling. — In April, 1975, in an issue mostly taken …
Discussion:
A Blog For All, Tammy Bruce, Ace of Spades HQ, NewsBusters.org, Media Blog and PoliPundit.com