memeorandum: Rising opposition to US troop increase (Edward Luce/Financial Times)

5:25 PM ET, January 2, 2007

Top Items:

AP Again Challenged on Iraqi Source — Continues to Stand By Reporting — NEW YORK A long-running dispute between The Associated Press and critics over one of its Iraqi sources show no signs of abating, despite at least two lengthy rebuttals by the news organization.

Discussion: The Jawa Report, Flopping Aces, Patterico's Pontifications, Wake up America, BizzyBlog and Ace of Spades HQ

Armed Liberal / Winds of Change.NET:

"It's Just A Scratch" — In a display of clueless arrogance unmatched since the Black Knight refused to yield to King Arthur, the AP replies to its critics on l'affaire Jamail Hussein: … Here's the problem, Ms. Carroll. We don't believe he exists. If he doesn't exist, much of your reporting from Iraq is subject to dispute.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Confederate Yankee:

Gone in 60 Stories: The Grunt Work — It has long needed to be done, and I kept hoping someone else would do it: checking out the list of 61 Associated Press stories ferreted out by Curt at Flopping Aces, where the AP used Iraqi Police Captain Jamil Hussein as a source.

Discussion: Redstate, Ace of Spades HQ, jules crittenden, The Strata-Sphere, Wizbang and Flopping Aces

Confederate Yankee:

Gone in 60 Stories — On December 5 of this year, I wrote a blog post entitled 60 Billion Minutes, where I wrote: … In the weeks since that date, the Associated Press has maintained that the stories they originally reported on November 24-25 of burning mosques and burning men is true …

Discussion: Blue Crab Boulevard, The Strata-Sphere and PrairiePundit

Virgil Goode / USA Today:

Save Judeo-Christian values — Immigration leaves USA vulnerable to Muslim extremists' infiltration. — A letter I sent in early December was written in response to hundreds of e-mails from constituents upset about Rep.-elect Keith Ellison's decision to use the Quran in connection with his congressional swearing-in.

Discussion: Think Progress, The Carpetbagger Report, Reason Magazine, Right Wing Nut House, No More Mister Nice Blog, Political Animal, The Heretik, The Sundries Shack, The Moderate Voice, Daily Kos and ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES

USA Today:
Ugly voices tarnish debut of Congress' first Muslim

Discussion: Shakespeare's Sister

Ynetnews:

Iran: Hitler was a Jew — Advisor to President Ahmadinejad claims Nazi leader was Jew who conspired with USSR and Britain to establish Jewish state — Just when you thought the Iranian leadership could stoop no further: A top advisor to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Secular Blasphemy, jules crittenden, Michael P.F. van der Galiën, Wake up America, Blinq, AMERICAN FUTURE, Hot Air, Clarity & Resolve, Ace of Spades HQ and PrairiePundit

Associated Press:
Iran vows to 'humiliate' U.S.

Discussion: JOSHUAPUNDIT

NY Daily News:

Revealed: Rudy's '08 battle plans — It's clearly laid out in 140 pages of printed text, handwriting and spreadsheets: The top-secret plan for Rudy Giuliani's bid for the White House. — The remarkably detailed dossier sets out the budgets, schedules and fund-raising plans that will underpin …

Discussion: Agence France Presse, The Carpetbagger Report, Political Animal, Outside The Beltway, The New York Observer …, TIME, Shakespeare's Sister, Ankle Biting Pundits, On Deadline, Hot Air, Donklephant, The Right Angle, The Moderate Voice, Daily Kos, Daily Pundit and The Democratic Daily

Lauren Frayer / Associated Press:

Iraqi Government to Investigate Saddam Hanging, Leak of Video — BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — The prime minister on Tuesday ordered an investigation into the conduct of Saddam Hussein's execution in a bid to learn who among the witnesses taunted the former Iraqi leader in the last minutes of his life, then leaked a cell phone video.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Christopher Hitchens / Slate:
Lynching the Dictator — ON SATURDAY MORNING, THE UNITED STATES HELPED …

Discussion: Hot Air, MSNBC, Associated Press and Bill's Bites

Andrew Ward / Financial Times:

Jeb Bush quiet about long-term plans — When Jeb Bush was asked recently how he planned to spend his first day after stepping down as governor of Florida, he reeled off a checklist of things he wanted to do: "I hope to wake up. Work out. Maybe read the local paper. Sports page probably.

Discussion: PoliPundit.com and Daily Pundit

Abby Goodnough / New York Times:
Jeb Bush Ponders Future, Not Knowing What It Holds

Discussion: MyDD and Outside The Beltway

Justin Rood / TPMmuckraker:

House GOP: Don't Hurt Us — Please — Republicans aren't yet an official minority in the House, but they're already beginning a campaign to portray themselves as victims of a heartless Democratic majority. — In a "Dear Colleague" letter circulated to fellow Republicans …

Discussion: Hullabaloo, Political Animal, The Carpetbagger Report, Shakespeare's Sister and Reason Magazine

Michael Roston / The Raw Story:

CNN apologizes for Obama gaffe in Bin Laden graphic — Print page sponsored by Velvet Revolution. — Update: Senator Obama's office called RAW STORY to comment on the incident and CNN's apology, which can be found at the end of the story. — A Monday night broadcast of CNN's Situation Room …

Discussion: The Radio Equalizer, Shakespeare's Sister and BobGeiger.com

Carl Hulse / New York Times:

As New Congress Nears, House Democrats Could Be Headed for Own Divide — Representative John D. Dingell, a Michigan Democrat who with more than 50 years' tenure is the senior member of the House, is not so sure about the idea of creating an independent group to enforce ethics rules.

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, TAPPED, Captain's Quarters and The Strata-Sphere

Washington Post:
Democrats To Start Without GOP Input

Mark Bowden / Opinion Journal:

So, Saddam Is Dead . . . But the way of the world remains Saddam's. — Now that they have hanged Saddam Hussein, perhaps we can begin to appreciate the irony and the lessons of his demise. — Any nation is, at heart, an idea. Once people started organizing themselves in groups larger …

New York Times:

Few Iraqis Are Gaining U.S. Sanctuary — With thousands of Iraqis desperately fleeing this country every day, advocates for refugees, and even some American officials, say there is an urgent need to allow more Iraqi refugees into the United States. — Until recently the Bush administration …

Discussion: TAPPED, The Carpetbagger Report, rubber hose, Prairie Weather, No More Mister Nice Blog, Air America Radio, War and Piece, CorrenteWire and The Democratic Daily

John M. Shalikashvili / New York Times:

Second Thoughts on Gays in the Military — TWO weeks ago, President Bush called for a long-term plan to increase the size of the armed forces. As our leaders consider various options for carrying out Mr. Bush's vision, one issue likely to generate fierce debate is "don't ask, don't tell …

Discussion: Outside The Beltway, Gun Toting Liberal ™, Shakespeare's Sister, Reason Magazine, JustOneMinute, Demagogue, It Shines For All and Daily Kos

Ezra Klein / TAPPED:

TRY SOME DELICIOUS DANISH? Some interesting discussion between Tyler Cowen and Matt on whether we can scale up Denmark's mixture of economic security and dynamism for a country the size of the US. The basis for this discussion is Jon Cohn's excellent examination of the development and success …

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias

Tyler Cowen / Marginal Revolution: Can we just scale up Denmark?

Editor and Publisher:

AP Asks: Why So Many Upset by Iraq Death Toll? — PHILADELPHIA The country largely kept the faith during World War II, even as about 400,000 U.S. forces died - 20,000 just in the month long Battle of the Bulge. Before turning against the wars in Korea and Vietnam, Americans tolerated thousands more deaths than in Iraq.

Discussion: American Footprints, The Sideshow, Larisa Alexandrovna's …, Shakespeare's Sister and Attytood