memeorandum: Can Bush Find An Exit? (Time)

9:20 AM ET, December 7, 2006

Top Items:

Sudarsan Raghavan / Washington Post:

Threats Wrapped in Misunderstandings — The Iraq Study Group's prescriptions hinge on a fragile Iraqi government's ability to achieve national reconciliation and security at a time when the country is fractured along sectarian lines, its security forces are ineffective and competing visions threaten …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, The Sundries Shack and The Glittering Eye

Jamie Holly / Crooks and Liars:

Feingold Cuts Through The ISG Hype on Countdown — Keith Olbermann had Russ Feingold on to give his assessment of the now very famous Iraq Study Group report. — Video - WMV Video -QT — Feingold said what I have felt all day. This report does not give us a clear path in Iraq and leaves the future of the war up in the air.

Discussion: feingold.senate.gov, MyDD and TPMmuckraker

Spencer Ackerman / American Prospect:

No Middle Ground — The Iraq Study Group calls its prescription "responsible transition;" there's nothing responsible about it. — Given the specific lineup of the 10 wise men and women serving on the Iraq Study Group, the most conspicuous absence is that of supermodel Heidi Klum.

Discussion: Outside The Beltway, Obsidian Wings, jules crittenden, Captain's Quarters, Pajamas Media, Booman Tribune, Don Surber, Unqualified Offerings, Media Blog, Dymaxion World, Daily Kos, Defense Tech, The Reaction and Matthew Yglesias

Agence France Presse:

Baker panel's mention of Palestinian "right of return" raises eyebrows — A reference to Palestinians' "right of return" in the report issued by the high-level Iraq Study Group broke a diplomatic taboo which sparked immediate concern in Israel and surprise among Middle East policy experts.

Discussion: New York Times, Hot Air, Redstate, Insight and Roger L. Simon

Washington Post:

The Realists' Repudiation Of Policies for a War, Region — The Iraq Study Group report released yesterday might well be titled "The Realist Manifesto." — From the very first page, in which co-chairmen James A. Baker III and Lee H. Hamilton scold that "our leaders must be candid and forthright …

Discussion: New York Times, Democracy Project, Legal Fiction, Marc Cooper, The Carpetbagger Report, On Deadline, The Lede, The Democratic Daily and Blue Crab Boulevard

Washington Post:
From Hundreds Of Sources, Panel Forged Consensus

Discussion: PoliBlog (TM)

Christopher Dickey / Newsweek: U.S troops just don't have the means to stop Iraq's death squads.

The Truth Laid Bear:
The Iraq Study Group Report

Discussion: Hot Air, Captain's Quarters, Outside The Beltway, MsUnderestimated and Dean's World

John Amato / Crooks and Liars: Al Gore on Iraq: "This was the worst strategic mistake in the …

CNN:

Senate approves Gates as defense secretary … WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Senate voted 95-2 Wednesday to approve Robert Gates as President Bush's choice to replace Donald Rumsfeld as defense secretary. — The vote came a day after the nomination sailed through the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Discussion: The Reaction, The Democratic Daily, Macsmind and Donklephant

Fred Kaplan / Slate: Enter the Grown-Up — ROBERT GATES' IMPRESSIVE—AND REASSURING—CONFIRMATION HEARINGS.

Ann Scott Tyson / Washington Post: Senate Confirms Gates as Defense Secretary

Air Force Times:
Senate confirms Gates as defense secretary, 95-2

Discussion: In From the Cold

Anne Plummer Flaherty / Associated Press:
Gates confirmed as secretary of defense

Discussion: The Political Pit Bull and Outside The Beltway

David Stout / New York Times:
Senate Confirms Gates as Defense Secretary

Discussion: Hot Air, FP Passport and A Blog For All

Khaled Abu Toameh / Jerusalem Post:

Hamas smuggled $66 million in 8 months — Hamas officials have managed to smuggle more than $66 million in cash through the Rafah border crossing in the past eight months, a member of the Hamas-led government revealed Wednesday. — Meanwhile, sources close to the Hamas-led government claimed …

Discussion: Yourish.com, The Jawa Report, BizzyBlog, A Blog For All, American Thinker, Sigmund, Carl and Alfred, Power Line, Ace of Spades HQ, Wizbang and Macsmind

Captain Ed / Captain's Quarters:
Hamas Shoots Its Mouth Off

Discussion: Washington Times, Sister Toldjah and Patterico's Pontifications

Aaron Klein / WorldNetDaily:
Report: Hamas met delegation of Democrats

Discussion: Jerusalem Post and The American Pundit

Winston / The Spirit of Man:

Students Protesting — More than 2000 students of Tehran University gathered on Wednesday to commemorate the students day and protest against the regime. Students Day has always been a strong excuse for students to get together and show their anger. Police and Islamic vigilantes kept …

Gateway Pundit: Iranian Students Protest Regime... Shout "Death to Dictators!"

Michelle Malkin:

The Great Australian Bikini March; Plus: Muslim boys urinate on Bible — Aussie ladies are taking to the streets in their two-piece swimwear to protest those thug mullahs who attacked unveiled women as "uncovered meat." (Hat tip - Ace) — A.M. Mora y Leon at Publius Pundit notes:

Discussion: The Australian, Power Line and Tammy Bruce

A.M. Mora y Leon / Publius Pundit:
AUSTRALIAN BIKINI MARCH

Discussion: NEWS.com.au and The Coalition of the Swilling

T. F. Boggs / t.f. boggs:

What we should and should not do: An Authoritative Voice... After watching the Iraq Survey Group press conference today I am a firm believer that all politicians are idiots. Okay well not all of them but they all have a problem understanding reality. If any politician is reading …

Discussion: Gateway Pundit

Jeanne Cummings / Wall Street Journal:

Postcampaign Lobbying Thrives — Democrats Are Fêted — Ahead of Push — For Stricter Ethics Rules — WASHINGTON — Democrats may be promising a clampdown on lobbyist freebies once they take control of Congress. But ahead of that push, party leaders are collecting lobbyists' checks …

New York Times:

Former Aide Parts With Carter Over Book — An adviser to former President Jimmy Carter and onetime executive director of the Carter Center has publicly parted ways with his former boss, citing concerns with the accuracy and integrity of Mr. Carter's latest book, "Palestine Peace Not Apartheid."

Discussion: TPMmuckraker

Linda Greenhouse / New York Times:

Case of the Dwindling Docket Mystifies the Supreme Court — On the Supreme Court's color-coded master calendar, which was distributed months before the term began on the first Monday in October, Dec. 6 is marked in red to signify a day when the justices are scheduled to be on the bench, hearing arguments.

Discussion: Outside The Beltway and The Volokh Conspiracy

Associated Press:

Mixed reaction to Cheney's daughter's pregnancy … WASHINGTON (AP) — Conservative leaders voiced dismay Wednesday at news that Mary Cheney, the lesbian daughter of Dick Cheney, is pregnant, while a gay-rights group said the vice president faces "a lifetime of sleepless nights" …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Demagogue, All Spin Zone and TPMCafe blogs

Ned Parker / Times of London:

'I'll flee the country as soon as the US leaves' — The Iraqi sergeant has dodged bullets from the al-Mahdi Army and traded fire with Sunni insurgents. — Yet in his years with the Iraqi Army he has learnt one simple lesson: once the US military pulls back in Iraq, he should leave the country if he wants to survive.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters and Hot Air

Digby / Hullabaloo:

Wise Men Were Wiser Then — The following is an excerpt from Rick Perlstein's upcoming book Nixonland: The Politics and Culture of the American Berserk, 1965-1972 — The President began to look almost demented. At a March 25th speech to AFL-CIO Building Trades Department …