Top Items:
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.
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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 …
Nasser Karimi / Associated Press:
Iraq, Iran reach agreement on security — TEHRAN, Iran - Iraq's president said Wednesday he had reached a security agreement with Iran, which the United States accuses of fueling the chaos in the war-torn country. Iran's president called on countries to stop backing "terrorists" in Iraq and for the Americans to withdraw.
Deb Riechmann / Associated Press:
U.S.-Iraq summit put off until Thursday — AMMAN, Jordan - President Bush's high-stakes summit with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was put off Wednesday after public disclosure of U.S. doubts about his capacity to control sectarian warfare. The White House said the two leaders would meet on Thursday.
Noble Americans / CNN:
Ahmadinejad's letter to Americans — [Editor's note: This is the full text of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's open letter to "the American People," as supplied to CNN.] — (CNN) — In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful — O, Almighty God, bestow upon humanity …
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David Espo / Associated Press:
Frist will not seek presidency in 2008 — WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Wednesday he will not run for president in 2008, a high-profile campaign dropout more than a year before the first convention delegates are chosen. — "In the Bible, God tells us for everything there is a season …
Discussion:
The Fix, Hot Air, Democrats.com, The Political Pit Bull, Outside The Beltway and The Democratic Daily
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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 …
Discussion:
Associated Press, TIME, Professor Bainbridge's Journal, The Moderate Voice, Iowa Voice, The Heretik, Daily Pundit and PSoTD
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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 …
Discussion:
Not Larry Sabato, commonsensepoliticalthought …, Power Line, Firedoglake, Hot Air, Hullabaloo, Dick Polman's American Debate, The Moderate Voice, Townhall.com Blog's …, clarkstooksbury, Shakespeare's Sister, Taylor Marsh, Sunlight Foundation blogs, The News Blog, First Read, Iowa Voice, Middle Earth Journal, Sirotablog, Riehl World View, Volunteer Voters, BLACKFIVE, The Carpetbagger Report, Ed Driscoll.com, The Caucus, Unclaimed Territory, Sister Toldjah, CorrenteWire, Daily Kos, TIME, Think Progress, The Heretik, The Mahablog, AMERICAblog, Kesher Talk, Althouse, On Deadline and The Corner
Kirk Johnson / New York Times:
Pro-Peace Symbol Forces Win Battle in Colorado Town — Peace is fighting back in Pagosa Springs. — Last week, a couple were threatened with fines of $25 a day by their homeowners' association unless they removed a four-foot wreath shaped like a peace symbol from the front of their house.
Michelle Humphrey / NewsBusters.org:
Drunken DeVito Slams Bush on ABC's 'View' (with Video) — As Matt Drudge reported earlier, actor Danny DeVito seemed drunk when he went on an anti-Bush tirade on ABC's The View on Wednesday. DeVito recounted how he last visited the White House during the Clinton years, warmly noting that …
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," …
Roddy Boyd / New York Post:
HANK'S NEW LADY — GREENBERG PUTS SQUEEZE ON PINCH'S PAPER — Billionaire insurance titan Maurice "Hank" Greenberg has begun buying huge blocks of New York Times stock to break the Sulzberger family's stranglehold on the media empire, The Post has learned.
Ted Bridis / Associated Press:
U.S. Bans Sale of IPods to North Korea — WASHINGTON — The Bush administration wants North Korea's attention, so like a scolding parent it's trying to make it tougher for that country's eccentric leader to buy iPods, plasma televisions and Segway electric scooters.
Discussion:
The Reaction
Shmuel Rosner / Reuters:
Chirac: France, U.S. agree there is no point talking to Syria — France and the United States agree there is no point in talking to Syria because the conditions for an honest dialogue do not exist, French President Jacques Chirac said Wednesday. — Chirac's comments come …
Nico / Think Progress:
Right-Wing Attack On Pelosi Over 'Union Hypocrisy' Systematically Debunked — Right-wing media outlets are engaged in an effort to tar House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who won the Cesar Chavez award from the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation in 2003, as anti-worker.
Diane McWhorter / Slate:
The N-Word — UNMENTIONABLE LESSONS OF THE MIDTERM AFTERMATH. — There's been something weird about the denouement of the midterm elections, starting with the pronounced absence of Democratic triumphalism. The prevailing mood has been stunned relief rather than glee …
Michael Calderone / New York Observer:
Washington Post Class Gets Graded — Welcome to corporate America, journos! Reporters at The Washington Post will now be ranked with a multiple-choice job-performance assessment each year. — Accompanying an annual written evaluation, each reporter will be described as …