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Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Breaking: Anti-Syrian Lebanese cabinet member murdered in Beirut suburb — Via Snapped Shot. They're not 100% sure yet that it was a political assassination but Fox just broke in to say the shooter was a sniper. If the Syrians are behind it, it's both par for the course and incredibly stupid …
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Washington Post:
Lebanese Official Assassinated in Beirut — Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, a vocal opponent of Syrian involvement in the country and a leader of the country's Maronite Christian minority, was assassinated in Beirut today, intensifying an already volatile situation and pushing …
Lebanon Daily Star:
Pierre Gemayel's assasination — Prominent Christian politician Pierre Gemayel was assassinated in a suburb of Beirut on Tuesday his death will heighten the political tension in Lebanon, where Hezbollah has threatened to topple the government if it does not get a bigger say in Cabinet decision making.
David Germain / Associated Press:
Film Director Robert Altman Dies — Robert Altman, the caustic and irreverent satirist behind "M-A-S-H," "Nashville" and "The Player" who made a career out of bucking Hollywood management and story conventions, died at a Los Angeles Hospital, his Sandcastle 5 Productions Company said Tuesday.
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Bill Sammon / Examiner:
Romney: 'I'm a conservative Republican' — WASHINGTON - Eager to position himself as the most conservative GOP presidential hopeful, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney accused Sen. John McCain Monday of being "disingenuous" on gay marriage. — In an interview with The Examiner …
Discussion:
JunkYardBlog, The Right Angle, Classical Values, Miscellaneous Objections, PoliPundit.com and Oliver Willis
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worldpublicopinion.org:
Baghdad Shias Believe Killings May Increase Once U.S.-led Forces Depart but Large Majorities Still Support Withdrawal Within a Year — Shias in the Capital—Unlike Those in the Rest of Iraq—Oppose Disarming Militias — Most Shia Arabs living in Baghdad have shifted in recent months …
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Spengler / Asia Times:
Jihadis and whores — Wars are won by destroying the enemy's will to fight. A nation is never really beaten until it sells its women. — The French sold their women to the German occupiers in 1940, and the Germans and Japanese sold their women to the Americans after World War II.
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David S. Cloud / New York Times:
U.S. Considers Raising Troop Levels in Iraq — Pentagon officials conducting a review of Iraq strategy are considering a substantial but temporary increase in American troop levels and the addition of several thousand more trainers to work with Iraqi forces, a senior Defense Department official said Monday.
Richard Cohen / Washington Post:
The Lingo Of Vietnam — The way President Bush whisked through Vietnam — oh, if only we had done the same 40 years ago — it seemed as if he was feeling an obvious parallel with the war in Iraq. His aides, who somehow lose IQ points by mere proximity to the commander in chief …
Discussion:
Democracy Project, Booman Tribune, Obsidian Wings, Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy and Seeing the Forest
New York Times:
Clinton Won Easily, but Bankroll Shows the Toll — She had only token opposition, but Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton still spent more on her re-election — upward of $30 million — than any other candidate for Senate this year. So where did all the money go?
CNN:
Poll: More Americans prefer Bush's father — WASHINGTON (CNN) — Only one in four Americans believe President Bush is a better president than his father, George H. W. Bush, a new CNN poll has found. — Six in 10 said the elder Bush, who served one term from 1989-1993, did a better job in office …
Walter Pincus / Washington Post:
Intelligence Panel Staffer Reinstated — A Democratic staff member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has had his security clearances reinstated and yesterday resumed work for the panel, ending a pre-election drama during which senior House Republicans alleged …
Rick Klein / Boston Globe:
Pelosi team tries to steer Democrats to the center — Wary of plans by House liberals — WASHINGTON — Anxious to chart a centrist course with Democrats' new majority in Congress, incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her top deputies are busily working in private and public to rein …
Discussion:
Reuters, The Moderate Voice, Townhall.com Blog's …, Wake up America, The Heretik, The Strata-Sphere, Booman Tribune and The Corner
Yuval Yoaz / Haaretz:
In precedent-setting ruling court says state must recognize gay marriage — In a precedent-setting ruling, the High Court of Justice on Tuesday ruled that five gay couples wedded outside of Israel can be registered as married couples. — A sweeping majority of six justices to one ruled …
Matt Apuzzo / Associated Press:
Reno Files Challenge to Terror Law — Former Attorney General Janet Reno and seven other former Justice Department officials filed court papers Monday arguing that the Bush administration is setting a dangerous precedent by trying a suspected terrorist outside the court system.
Robert Reich / Robert Reich's Blog:
John McCain's Real Plan for Iraq — I talked with John McCain Sunday morning in the green room just before "This Week." I asked him why he continued to call for more troops for Iraq when he must know it's a political non-starter. He said he thought it important for the morale of the troops.
Jonathan Weisman / Washington Post:
Democrats Plan Series of Votes on Ethics Reforms — Despite divisions among Democrats over how far to go in revising ethics rules, House leaders plan a major rollout of an ethics reform bill early next year to demonstrate concern about an issue that helped defeat the Republicans in the midterm elections.