memeorandum: Baker: A face-saving disaster? (The American Thinker)

Democrats and Iraq — The Democrats will not be able to savor their victory for long. Americans are waiting to hear if they have any good ideas for how to get out of Iraq without creating even wider chaos and terrorism. — Criticizing President Bush's gross mismanagement of the war was a winning electoral strategy.

Discussion: NO QUARTER, AMERICAN FUTURE and Little Green Footballs

RELATED ITEMS:

Karl / protein wisdom:

Giving the Old, Old Grey Lady Some Oversight — The New York Times opines: … A cursory look the schedules for a few Congressional committees and sub-committees shows that in the past 18 months to 2 years there were only these three days of hearings. And this one. And this one. And this one.

Discussion: Sister Toldjah and Don Surber

Washington Post:

Panel May Have Few Good Options to Offer — Bipartisan Group's Plan Expected in Dec. — After meeting with President Bush tomorrow, a panel of prestigious Americans will begin deliberations to chart a new course on Iraq, with the goal of stabilizing the country with a different U.S. strategy and possibly the withdrawal of troops.

Discussion: The Heretik and Redstate

New York Times:

In Gates Selection, White House Hopes to Close Rift Between State and Defense — President Bush selected Robert M. Gates as his new defense secretary in part to close a long-running rift between the Defense Department and the State Department that has hobbled progress on Iraq …

Discussion: Hot Air and AMERICAblog

New York Times:
Democrats Aim to Save Inquiry on Work in Iraq

Discussion: Taylor Marsh and Needlenose

Craig Gilbert / JSOnline:

Feingold rules out 2008 run for president — cgilbert@journalsentinel.com — Washington - Sen. Russ Feingold will not seek his party's presidential nomination in 2008, the Wisconsin Democrat told the Journal Sentinel on Saturday. — "I never got to that point where I'd rather …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Unclaimed Territory, The Democratic Daily, MyDD, Power Line, All Spin Zone, Don Surber, Riehl World View, Daily Kos, DownWithTyranny!, Althouse and Joe's Dartblog

Mark Steyn / Chicago Sun Times:

U.S. must prove it's a staying power — On the radio a couple of weeks ago, Hugh Hewitt suggested to me the terrorists might try to pull a Spain on the U.S. elections. You'll recall (though evidently many Americans don't) that in 2004 hundreds of commuters were slaughtered in multiple train bombings in Madrid.

Discussion: A Large Regular, Once Upon a Time, Blue Crab Boulevard, Cold Fury and Fausta's blog

Richard A. Oppel Jr / New York Times:

Sectarian Rifts Foretell Pitfalls of Iraqi Troops' Taking Control — BAQUBA, Iraq — It did not take long for Col. Brian D. Jones to begin to have doubts about the new Iraqi commander. — The commander, Brig. Gen. Shakir Hulail Hussein al-Kaabi, was chosen this summer by the Shiite-led government …

Discussion: Firedoglake and The Moderate Voice

Justin Bergman / Associated Press:

U.S. vetoes condemnation of Gaza strikes — UNITED NATIONS - The United States vetoed a U.N. Security Council draft resolution Saturday that sought to condemn an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip and demand Israeli troops pull out of the territory.

Discussion: Atlas Shrugs, Verbal Caricature, Little Green Footballs, Flopping Aces and Alabama Liberation Front

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Helene Cooper / New York Times:
U.N. Post Will Test Bush on Pledge for Consensus

Discussion: The American Thinker and The Corner

Neil A. Lewis / New York Times:

New Democratic Majority Throws Bush's Judicial Nominations Into Uncertainty — The impending Democratic takeover of the Senate, lawmakers and administration officials agree, will produce a vast change in an area that has produced some of the sharpest partisan battles in recent years …

Discussion: The American Street, The Heretik and TalkLeft

Washington Post:

Webb May Be Senate Maverick — Newest Member Expected to Take Antiwar Lead — James Webb walked into the Fish Market restaurant in Alexandria in December and wanted longtime Democratic strategist Steve Jarding to answer just one question: What were his chances of defeating Sen. George Allen …

Discussion: TalkLeft, Riehl World View and DownWithTyranny!

The American Thinker:

Baker: A face-saving disaster? — The Baker commission seems to be doing a lot more than just re-thinking Iraq. It appears to be copiously leaking a Vietnam-type cut-and-run plan that will leave the Gulf far more dangerous than it is now. The Vietnam model looks like a "face-saving" …

Bloomberg:

Democratic Lobbyists Relish Return to Washington's Power Elite — Nov. 10 (Bloomberg) — Thomas Boggs, dean of the Democratic lobbyists in Washington, boasts of a tie to incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that no one in his profession can match: He has known her since they were both 4 years old.

Discussion: The Sundries Shack and PSoTD

Christy Hardin Smith / Firedoglake:

Sunday Talking Head Thread — (Geese in an enclosure in Germany. AFP/DDP/Michael Urban.) — Here's the Sunday Talking Head line-up. Read it and weep: — C-Span's Washington Journal: 8:30am - Naftali Bendavid, Chicago Tribune, Deputy Washington Bureau Chief; 9am - Phoner From Baghdad …

Brent Budowsky / The Huffington Post:

Veteran's Day Message To Karl Rove: Take Your Terror Scares and Shove Them Up Your Ass! — I was honored to spend most of Veteran's Day at the Vietnam Memorial with a rally and ceremony honoring heroes of America from every branch of the service, and their families, immediate and extended.