memeorandum: Report on Corporate Rules Is Assailed (Carrie Johnson/Washington Post)

3:50 PM ET, December 1, 2006

Top Items:

David E. Sanger / New York Times:

Idea of Rapid Withdrawal From Iraq Seems to Fade — In the cacophony of competing plans about how to deal with Iraq, one reality now appears clear: despite the Democrats' victory this month in an election viewed as a referendum on the war, the idea of a rapid American troop withdrawal is fast receding as a viable option.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Outside The Beltway, The Remedy, PoliBlog (TM), On Deadline and PrairiePundit

Robin Wright / Washington Post:

U.S. Considers Ending Outreach to Insurgents — The Bush administration is deliberating whether to abandon U.S. reconciliation efforts with Sunni insurgents and instead give priority to Shiites and Kurds, who won elections and now dominate the government, according to U.S. officials.

Discussion: The Corner, Matthew Yglesias, Outside The Beltway, The Carpetbagger Report, The Talent Show, Taylor Marsh, PoliBlog (TM), PrairiePundit, Westhawk, Political Animal, Ezra Klein, Happy Furry Puppy Story …, JustOneMinute, Daily Kos, Think Progress, toohotfortnr, Kiko's House and The American Street

Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:

This Is Realism? — Iran and Syria Won't Be Riding to Our Rescue — Now that the "realists" have ridden into town gleefully consigning the Bush doctrine to the ash heap of history, everyone has discovered the notion of interests, as if it were some new idea thought up by James Baker and the Iraq Study Group.

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, Booman Tribune, The Moderate Voice, Hyscience, Middle Earth Journal, Blue Crab Boulevard, Captain's Quarters and PrairiePundit

Wretchard / The Belmont Club:

But deliver us from evil — Westhawk goes directly to one of the key drivers of instability in Iraq. America's military success against the former rulers of Iraq has disrupted the very basis of its former stability. Sunni dominance. Westhawk quotes a Washington Post article which describes …

Discussion: ShrinkWrapped, Westhawk and PrairiePundit

Laura Rozen / American Prospect:

Get the Memo — A readers' guide to Stephen Hadley's reflections on Iraq. — This Wednesday, the day that President Bush was to meet with Iraqi prime minister Nouri Al Maliki in Jordan, The New York Times published a classified memo prepared by National Security advisor Stephen Hadley and his staff …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, War and Piece and Prairie Weather

New York Times:
Bush, in Meeting on Iraq, Rejects a Quick Pullout

Discussion: NewsHog

New York Times:
Bush, Maliki and That Memo

Discussion: AMERICAblog and Prairie Weather

Washington Post:
Iraq Panel to Urge Pullout Of Combat Troops by '08

Discussion: David Corn, Slate, The Mahablog, CBS News, The Huffington Post, Iowa Voice, Macsmind, QandO, The Carpetbagger Report, Wake up America, AMERICAblog, On Deadline, The American Street, Sadly, No!, Gun Toting Liberal, Discourse.net and The News Blog

MSNBC:

Report: Italian tests positive for deadly toxin — Academic had lunch with ex-spy on day he fell ill; autopsy under way … LONDON - An Italian security expert who met with a former KGB agent the day the ex-spy fell fatally ill with radiation poisoning has also tested positive for the substance, British media reported Friday.

Discussion: The Strata-Sphere, TBogg, A Blog For All, Wizbang, War and Piece, Blue Crab Boulevard, Decision '08 and Guardian

Allahpundit / Hot Air:

Breaking: Litvinenko's lunch companion tests positive for polonium; Update: "Adult member" of Litvinenko family tests positive for radiation — Few details thus far, but this doesn't bode well: … As with every new fact in this story, it could cut both ways.

Discussion: BLACKFIVE and Pajamas Media

Sky News: Radiation Hits Second Man

This Is London:
DEADLY POLONIUM TRACED TO RUSSIAN NUCLEAR PLANT

Discussion: New York Sun and Hot Air

Telegraph:
Scaramella tests positive for polonium

Discussion: The Strata-Sphere

Associated Press:

Aides: Pelosi taps Reyes to head intelligence committee … WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi has chosen a Border-Patrol-agent-turned-congressman to lead the House intelligence committee, according to congressional aides. — Democratic leaders are contacting congressional …

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report, Taylor Marsh, Wake up America, TalkLeft and Decision '08

Greg Simmons / Fox News:

REYES VOWS TO TACKLE IRAQ, WIRETAPS AS NEW HEAD OF HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE — WASHINGTON — Texas Rep. Silvestre Reyes has been chosen to head the House Intelligence Committee when the Democrats take control of Congress in January as his party tries to boost oversight of the intelligence community and get U.S. troops out of Iraq.

Discussion: Flopping Aces, Townhall.com Blog's … and Riehl World View

Economist:

A national party no more? — The Republicans are in danger of being confined to the South — THREE years ago Zell Miller, then a Democratic senator for Georgia, published an anguished book entitled "A National Party No More: The Conscience of a Conservative Democrat".

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Jonathan Singer / MyDD:
The GOP, a Regional Party of the South?

Discussion: Political Animal and Matthew Yglesias

Boston Globe:

Illegal immigrants toiled for governor — Guatemalans say firm hired them — This story was reported by Jonathan Saltzman and Maria Cramer of the Globe staff and by Globe correspondent Connie Paige and was written by Saltzman. — SUCHITEPEQUEZ, Guatemala — Outside his aqua-colored concrete house here …

Discussion: La Shawn Barber's Corner, Iowa Voice, The Corner, Washington Wire, Wizbang, Joust The Facts, Pam's House Blend, The Caucus and The Right Angle

Carrie Johnson / Washington Post:

Report on Corporate Rules Is Assailed — Investor groups sounded alarms yesterday after it emerged that a foundation with ties to a pair of well-heeled business donors and an executive battling civil charges had funded a controversial new report seeking to slash corporate regulation.

Discussion: Economist's View and Angry Bear

Cameron W. Barr / Washington Post:

Security Of Electronic Voting Is Condemned — Paper Systems Should Be Included, Agency Says — Paperless electronic voting machines used throughout the Washington region and much of the country "cannot be made secure," according to draft recommendations issued this week by a federal agency …

Discussion: Political Animal, The Caucus, Seeing the Forest, TPMmuckraker, Redstate and The Agonist

Sharon LaFraniere / New York Times:

Sex Abuse of Girls Is Stubborn Scourge in Africa — SAMBAVA, Madagascar — Thirty miles outside this down-at-the-heels seaside town, Justin Betombo tends his vanilla plants and cheers the local soccer team as if he had not a care in the world. And in fact, what was once his greatest worry …

Discussion: PrairiePundit, Ezra Klein and Pajamas Media

Abu Kais / Michael J. Totten:

The breaking of a country: Hizbullah takes to the streets of Beirut — Hundreds of thousands of Shias from the south have flooded two squares in downtown Beirut. According to LBC, the Christian participation is weak, with even lesser participation by Beirut Sunnis.