Top Items:
Aaron Beard / Associated Press:
Rape Charges Dropped in Duke Case — DURHAM, N.C. — Prosecutors dropped rape charges Friday against three Duke University lacrosse players accused of attacking a stripper at a team party, but the three still face kidnapping and sexual offense charges. — According to court papers filed Friday …
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New York Times:
Rape Charges Dropped in Duke Case — The district attorney today dropped rape charges against three former Duke University lacrosse players, but plans to go forward with sexual assault and kidnapping charges, his office said. — Michael B. Nifong, the Durham district attorney …
Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Breaking: Durham D.A. drops rape charges against Duke lacrosse players; Update: Press conference video added — But the kidnapping and sexual offense charges remain. … I haven't followed the case at all and was planning to ignore the news, but then I got an e-mail from the boss reminding me that the story was breaking.
Discussion:
Redstate, Slublog, Durham-in-Wonderland, QandO, Daily Pundit, protein wisdom and Ace of Spades HQ
The Blotter:
Al Qaeda Sends a Message to Democrats — Brian Ross and Hoda Osman Report: — Al Qaeda has sent a message to leaders of the Democratic party that credit for the defeat of congressional Republicans belongs to the terrorists. — In a portion of the tape from al Qaeda No. 2 man …
KCCI-TV:
KCCI Poll Shows Vilsack 3rd Among Democratic Hopefuls — DES MOINES, Iowa — The Tom Vilsack campaign said it will get out the message that he is the best nominee for the party. But an exclusive new poll by KCCI-TV shows he has some work to do in his own state.
Discussion:
The Carpetbagger Report, Middle Earth Journal, MyDD, The Debate Link and Taegan Goddard's …
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Sue Lindsey / Associated Press:
Lawmaker stands firm on Quran criticism — ROCKY MOUNT, Va. - A congressman said Thursday that he will not retract a letter warning that unless immigration is tightened, "many more Muslims will be elected" and use the Quran to take the oath of office. — Republican Rep. Virgil Goode …
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Rich Miller / Chicago Sun Times:
Pundits lose grip on reality when dealing with the Internet — What is it about the Internet that makes some political pundits, columnists and reporters so goofy? It seems like almost every time I read a mainstream media story about political Web sites and bloggers, the pieces are full of ill-informed junk.
Eli Lake / New York Sun:
America Will Increase Arms, Training for Fatah Security — WASHINGTON — To counter Iran's arming of Hamas, America will step up its training and arming of the Palestinian Arab president's personal security services, the American ambassador to Israel said yesterday.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice
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Brian C. Ledbetter / snapped shot: Nice Ceasefire! — Don't worry yourselves, it's only a mere "gunbattle".
Bob Geiger / BobGeiger.com:
On Snowe-Landrieu Bipartisan Initiative: Kiss My Democratic Ass — Nausea alert: Do not read this on a full stomach if you're a Progressive, who has had it up to your eyeballs with some elected Democrats regularly accepting prison shower-room, Ned-Beatty-in-'Deliverance' treatment from Republicans …
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Mel Konner / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Carter's about-face betrays Jews, Christians — We are in that season when Jews celebrate one of their few successful rebellions against oppression. Christians celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace. How ironic, then, that Jewish-Americans are embroiled in a grim struggle …
Peggy Noonan / Opinion Journal:
News of a Sleighing — This just in: Santa Claus is coming to town. — Sunday is Christmas Eve. It feels wrong to speak here of small and sentimental things such as politics. The most passionately committed Americans right now, and the most imaginative, are children waiting for a large laughing man with a full white beard.
Talking Points Memo:
Lovely. — According to Network World's Paul McNamara, the communications director for U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT), Todd Shriber, hired two 'hackers' to break into the computer of his alma mater, Texas Christian University, and change his college grades.
Shreema Mehta / newstandardnews.net:
Big Pharma's Profit Pursuit Means Fewer New Drugs, Report Says — Although drug makers typically justify the high cost of medicines by citing research expenses, a new government report says their research investments are mostly funding highly profitable modifications of existing drug designs, not new treatments.
Hassan M. Fattah / New York Times:
Bickering Saudis Struggle for an Answer to Iran's Rising Influence in the Middle East — At a late-night reading this week, a self-styled poet raised his hand for silence and began a riff on neighboring Iraq, in the old style of Bedouin storytellers. — "Saddam Hussein was a real leader …
Edmund L. Andrews / New York Times:
Study Suggests Incentives on Oil Barely Help U.S. — The United States offers some of the most lucrative incentives in the world to companies that drill for oil in publicly owned coastal waters, but a newly released study suggests that the government is getting very little for its money.
Discussion:
MyDD, AMERICAblog, Cato-at-liberty, Political Animal, On Deadline and No More Mister Nice Blog
Lyndsey Layton / Washington Post:
Pelosi Aims To Recast Self, Party — On a scale associated with presidential inaugurations, Nancy Pelosi is planning four days of celebration surrounding her Jan. 4 swearing-in as the first female speaker of the House. She will return to the blue-collar Baltimore neighborhood where she grew up …
Discussion:
Power Line