Top Items:
Michael R. Gordon / New York Times:
Bush Adviser's Memo Cites Doubts About Iraqi Leader — A classified memorandum by President Bush's national security adviser expressed serious doubts about whether Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki had the capacity to control the sectarian violence in Iraq and recommended that the United States …
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Nawaf Obaid / Washington Post:
Stepping Into Iraq — Saudi Arabia Will Protect Sunnis if the U.S. Leaves — In February 2003, a month before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, warned President Bush that he would be "solving one problem and creating five more" if he removed Saddam Hussein by force.
Washington Post:
Bloc Led by Shiite Cleric Quits Iraqi Government — Lawmakers Loyal to Moqtada al-Sadr Protest Prime Minister's Summit With Bush — A bloc of Iraqi lawmakers allied with militia leader Moqtada al-Sadr announced Wednesday that they were suspending their involvement in the government …
Washington Post:
As Iraq Deteriorates, Iraqis Get More Blame — From troops on the ground to members of Congress, Americans increasingly blame the continuing violence and destruction in Iraq on the people most affected by it: the Iraqis. — Even Democrats who have criticized the Bush administration's conduct …
Discussion:
Associated Press, New York Times, PrairiePundit, Big Brass Blog, CorrenteWire, ParaPundit, Gun Toting Liberal and The News Blog
New York Times:
Text of U.S. Security Adviser's Iraq Memo — Following is the text of a Nov. 8 memorandum prepared for cabinet-level officials by Stephen J. Hadley, the national security adviser, and his aides on the National Security Council. The five-page document, classified secret, was read and transcribed by The New York Times.
Discussion:
TAPPED, The Heretik, The Carpetbagger Report, Unqualified Offerings, CNN Political Ticker, On Deadline and PoliBlog (TM)
Michael D. Shear / Washington Post:
In Following His Own Script, Webb May Test Senate's Limits — At a recent White House reception for freshman members of Congress, Virginia's newest senator tried to avoid President Bush. Democrat James Webb declined to stand in a presidential receiving line or to have his picture taken …
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Emily Heil / The Hill:
Son also rises in testy Webb-Bush exchange — President Bush has pledged to work with the new Democratic majorities in Congress, but he has already gotten off on the wrong foot with Jim Webb, whose surprise victory over Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) tipped the Senate to the Democrats.
Washington Post:
Pelosi Passes on Hastings, Harman for House Intel Chair — House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has decided against naming either Reps. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House intelligence committee, or Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), the panel's No. 2 Democrat …
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, MSNBC, Associated Press, The Caucus, Captain's Quarters, Balloon Juice, Redstate, Unclaimed Territory, TAPPED, PoliBlog (TM), The Corner, TIME, TalkLeft, CorrenteWire, Done With Mirrors, The Reaction, The Hill, NewsBusters.org, Legal Fiction, Decision '08, Outside The Beltway and QandO
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New York Times:
Pelosi Won't Pick Tainted Lawmaker for Key Post — Representative Nancy Pelosi announced on Tuesday that she would not award the chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee to Representative Alcee L. Hastings of Florida, who was a leading contender for the post.
Washington Post:
Economics Experts Join Romney's PAC — He hasn't even formed his presidential exploratory committee, but Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) has already signed up an economic brain trust to advise him, led by two former chairmen of President Bush's Council of Economic Advisers.
Discussion:
First Read
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Josh Gerstein / New York Sun:
Gingrich: Free Speech Should Be Curtailed To Fight Terrorism — A former House speaker, Newt Gingrich, is causing a stir by proposing that free speech may have to be curtailed in order to fight terrorism. — "We need to get ahead of the curve rather than wait until we actually literally lose a city …
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Linda Deutsch / Associated Press:
Judge strikes down Bush on terror groups — LOS ANGELES - A federal judge struck down President Bush's authority to designate groups as terrorists, saying his post-Sept. 11 executive order was unconstitutionally vague, according to a ruling released Tuesday.
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Dan Eggen / Washington Post:
Judge Strikes Down Parts of Executive Order on Terrorism
Judge Strikes Down Parts of Executive Order on Terrorism
Discussion:
Hyscience
Glenn Harlan Reynolds / TCS Daily:
A Second American Civil War? — Is America in danger of civil war? Not immediately, perhaps, but famed science fiction writer Orson Scott Card thinks that we're in enough danger that he's authored a cautionary tale entitled Empire that's set in more-or-less present times.
Discussion:
Sadly, No!
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Ali Waked / Ynetnews:
Report: Syrian network planned to kill Lebanese officials — Al-Mustaqbal newspaper reports Lebanese security forces exposed network of 200 members which trained in refugee camps in Lebanon, planned to assassinate 36 senior Lebanese officials — The Lebanese security forces exposed a network …
Dennis Prager / Townhall.com:
America, Not Keith Ellison, decides what book a congressman takes his oath on — Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress, has announced that he will not take his oath of office on the Bible, but on the bible of Islam, the Koran.
Andrew DeMillo / Associated Press:
Clark wants to avoid late campaign start — LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Wesley Clark said Tuesday he wants to avoid waiting too late to make a decision on whether to run for president — a mistake he made in his failed 2004 bid. "I think it was clear that I got in too late last time," …
Robert Samuelson / Real Clear Politics:
Globalization Makes an Easy Scapegoat — WASHINGTON — We may be about to shoot ourselves in the foot — or maybe the chest — on trade. In the name of "fair trade,'' we may punish our own exporters. In 2005, worldwide exports exceeded $10 trillion. Since 1980, they've more than tripled while the overall global economy doubled.
Discussion:
Angry Bear
Cindy George / Houston Chronicle:
Houston man admits trying to help Taliban — A second man, in U.S. illegally, faces similar conspiracy and weapons charges — One of two Houston men accused of training to fight with the Taliban pleaded guilty this afternoon in federal court. — Kobie Diallo Williams, 33 …