Top Items:
Adam Zagorin / Time:
Exclusive: Charges Sought Against Rumsfeld Over Prison Abuse — A lawsuit in Germany will seek a criminal prosecution of the outgoing Defense Secretary and other U.S. officials for their alleged role in abuses at Abu Ghraib and Gitmo — Just days after his resignation …
RELATED ITEMS:
Claudia Parsons / Reuters:
Al Qaeda gloats over Rumsfeld — BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A purported audio recording by the leader of Iraq's al Qaeda wing gloated over the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, as a top U.S. general said the military was preparing to recommend strategy changes.
Discussion:
Scared Monkeys, Channel NewsAsia, Secular Blasphemy, MaxedOutMama and Ankle Biting Pundits
Ryan Lizza / The New Republic:
A PUTSCH AT THE DNC?: — Some big name Democrats want to oust DNC Chairman Howard Dean, arguing that his stubborn commitment to the 50-state strategy and his stinginess with funds for House races cost the Democrats several pickup opportunities. — The candidate being floated to replace Dean?
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, DownWithTyranny!, TIME, Riehl World View, Taylor Marsh, Donklephant, The Carpetbagger Report, Mudville Gazette, The Political Pit Bull, Lawyers, Guns and Money, Oliver Willis, Shakespeare's Sister, Suburban Guerrilla, Volunteer Voters, KnoxViews, Blue Crab Boulevard and Bizzyblog
RELATED ITEMS:
Joe Conason / Salon:
Howard Dean, vindicated — The DNC chairman's "crazy" strategy of rebuilding the Democratic Party across all states helped it ride the national wave against the GOP. — Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean laughs during a news conference Wednesday in Washington.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, The Huffington Post, Alabama Liberation Front, Firedoglake and Brilliant at Breakfast
Matt Stoller / MyDD:
How Could Dean Be Ousted? — I worked for Simon Rosenberg for DNC Chair. I've read the charter and the bylaws of the Democratic National Committee, and I've seen the process up close. It's an election to become DNC Chair. Dean won, he won on a platform of putting money towards state parties …
Jon Hemming / Reuters:
Khamenei calls elections a victory for Iran — TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday called U.S. President George W. Bush's defeat in congressional elections a victory for Iran. — Bush has accused Iran of trying to make a nuclear bomb …
Discussion:
GOP Bloggers, Don Surber, Flopping Aces, Gay Patriot, Daily Pundit and Blue Crab Boulevard
ABCNEWS:
EXCLUSIVE: McCain Begins Preliminary White House Run — Exploratory Committee to Be Set Up This Month, No Final Decision Has Been Made — His party may have taken "a thumpin'," in the words of President Bush, but ABC News has learned that Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and his political team …
Discussion:
Daily Pundit
Helene Cooper / New York Times:
Bolton's Chances of Confirmation Are 'Nil,' Official Says — President Bush has pledged to be a bipartisan, consensus builder now that Democrats are to control Congress, and since Wednesday he has made conciliatory gestures. The question now is whether Mr. Bush is ready to junk …
Rusty Shackleford / Townhall.com:
Jon Stewart: Democratic majority kingmaker — Forget left of center bloggers, Jon Stewart is this year's kingmaker. Without him and The Daily Show, the Democrats would not have made such large inroads in the midterm elections. Let me explain why. — In 1994 Republicans swept to victory …
CNN:
Marine to receive Medal of Honor for Iraq heroism — (CNN) — President Bush announced on Friday that the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration, will be awarded posthumously to Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham. — In April 2004, Dunham was leading a patrol in an Iraqi town near …
Pam Belluck / New York Times:
Gain for Same-Sex Marriage in Massachusetts — Lawmakers in Massachusetts, the only state where same-sex marriage is legal, dealt what appeared to be a fatal blow Thursday to a proposed constitutional amendment to ban it. — In a flurry of strategic maneuvering, supporters …
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns and Money
Justin Rood / TPMmuckraker:
MuckWatch: We Pick Our Favorite Dems — The Democrats swept into the majority in Congress vowing to fight the culture of corruption. Bad news for the muckraking biz, right? Thankfully, less-than-squeaky pasts don't appear to be a factor in the Dems' reasoning as they divvy up leadership posts and committee chairs.
Discussion:
TPMCafe blogs
Jack E. Jett / RADAR:
CONFESSIONS OF AN ANGRY HUSTLER — Ted Haggard's bitter boy toy tells all — HEAVEN CAN WAIT Reverend Ted Haggard begs forgiveness — On November 3, all-American family man Ted Haggard resigned as head of the 30-million strong National Association of Evangelicals after a male prostitute …
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
The Great Revulsion — I'm not feeling giddy as much as greatly relieved. O.K., maybe a little giddy. Give 'em hell, Harry and Nancy! — Here's what I wrote more than three years ago, in the introduction to my column collection "The Great Unraveling": "I have a vision — maybe just a hope …
Eric Lichtblau / New York Times:
With Power Set to Be Split, Wiretaps Re-emerge as Issue — The Bush administration escalated its defense of the National Security Agency's domestic wiretapping program on Thursday, even as Democrats in Congress vowed to investigate the program aggressively once they assume power.
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Balloon Juice, Inactivist, Unclaimed Territory and The Carpetbagger Report
Washington Post:
After 2 Decades in Ascent, A Stunning Breakdown — The George Allen who conceded defeat yesterday in Virginia's nasty U.S. Senate campaign was the one who revitalized Virginia's Republican Party and the one who was considered a front-runner for the White House, with his folksy, football-and-cowboy charm.
Radley Balko / Reason Magazine:
A Challenge to Democrats and the Lefty Blogosphere — In its election recap, the Washington Post reports the following from the state of West Virginia: … Emphasis mine. — Here's the challenge: Mollahan is, to say the least, "ethically challenged." There's no sensible reason …
Washington Wire:
Republicans Lead in Most House Races That Remain Undecided — Narrow margins for some candidates, such as Buchanan in Florida and incumbent Rep. Hayes in North Carolina, make recounts likely. But "it's very unusual for recounts to alter races," says Carl Forti of House Republican campaign committee …