memeorandum: Bush and Abramoff have met. Here is the photo. (Crew/Citizens Blogging …)

8:50 AM ET, January 9, 2007

Top Items:

The AC-130 gunship is capable of firing thousands of rounds per second. — (CBS/AP) A U.S. Air Force gunship has conducted a strike against suspected members of al Qaeda in Somalia, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports exclusively. — The targets included …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Flopping Aces, Mark My Words, A Blog For All, Blue Crab Boulevard, Neptunus Lex, Pajamas Media, Ace of Spades HQ, Blogs for Bush, Atlas Shrugs, The Strata-Sphere, Joe's Dartblog, Daimnation!, Bill's Bites and Secular Blasphemy

Allahpundit / Hot Air:

U.S. gunship attacks Al Qaeda in Somalia; Update: Success? — The left gets a new root cause, the rest of us get that rush of well being that invariably comes with payback. Everybody wins. … Update: If we got the people we're hoping we got, you'll see one or more of these names in the news very shortly.

Discussion: SevenStripes.com and Don Surber

CNN:

U.S. targets al Qaeda suspects in Somalia, Pentagon official says — WASHINGTON (CNN) — A U.S. gunship has attacked suspected al Qaeda targets in southern Somalia, a senior Pentagon official said Monday. — The AC-130 flew its mission within the last 24 hours, the official told CNN.

Discussion: Blogcritics Section, jules crittenden and Dr. Sanity

Mary Katharine Ham / Michelle Malkin:

Breaking: Reports of U.S. airstrikes on al-Qaeda in Somalia — Just heard it on Fox, which noted "casualties on the ground," but didn't specify beyond that. — Story here: … Possibly a "major blow?" … The perps of the embassy attacks, huh? — Flashback to Nairobi, Kenya, Aug 7, 1998:

Discussion: Riehl World View and The Jawa Report

Karen DeYoung / Washington Post:

U.S. Strike in Somalia Targets Al-Qaeda Figure — A U.S. Air Force AC-130 gunship attacked suspected al-Qaeda members in southern Somalia on Sunday, and U.S. sources said the operation may have hit a senior terrorist figure. — The strike took place near the Kenyan border, according to a senior officer at the Pentagon.

Discussion: The Agonist, The Raw Story, Right Wing Nut House and Tammy Bruce

MSNBC:
U.S. airstrike targets al-Qaida in Somalia

Discussion: Left I on the News, Counterterrorism Blog and Macsmind

Captain Ed / Captain's Quarters: You Can Run But You Can't Hide, The Extended Dance Mix

Fox News: U.S. LAUNCHES ATTACK ON SUSPECTED AL QAEDA MEMBERS IN SOMALIA

Austin Bay Blog:
UPDATED: AC-130 airstrikes on Al Qaeda in Somalia

Discussion: Mercury News, Pajamas Media, Michelle Malkin and The Agonist

David Espo / Associated Press:

Democrats may deny funds for Iraq surge — WASHINGTON - In a blunt challenge to President Bush, the leader of the Senate's new Democratic majority said Monday he will "look at everything" within his power to wind down the war in Iraq, short of cutting off funding for troops already deployed.

Discussion: The Political Pit Bull

jules crittenden:

Democratic War Plan — Democratic War Plan here. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on how the Democrats plan to execute their war plan here. — "We have a platform we didn't have before, Leader Pelosi and I, and we're going to ... focus attention on this war in many different ways," said Reid.

Discussion: Sister Toldjah

Jeff Zeleny / New York Times:
Democrats Split Over Iraq Approach

Discussion: Brilliant at Breakfast and Balkinization

USA Today:

Most say no to Iraq buildup — WASHINGTON — President Bush will outline his "new way forward" in Iraq on Wednesday to a nation that overwhelmingly opposes sending more U.S. troops and is increasingly skeptical that the war can be won. — A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday shows …

Discussion: New York Times, The Moderate Voice, The American Street, TalkLeft and The Democratic Daily

Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:

White House Gears Up to Sell Plan for Troop Increase in Iraq — The White House is planning an aggressive effort to sell Congress and the American public on President Bush's new strategy for Iraq, beginning with a prime-time address to the nation on Wednesday night, followed Thursday …

Discussion: The Next Hurrah and Stop The ACLU

White House:
Press Briefing by Tony Snow

Discussion: Balkinization

Crew / Citizens Blogging for Responsibility …:

Bush and Abramoff have met. Here is the photo. — As we saw as recently as last Friday, the Bush Administration has gone to great lengths to prevent any access to information documenting a relationship with Jack Abramoff. But that relationship exists. CREW was provided a photo …

Discussion: Tennessee Guerilla Women and The Huffington Post

Huffington Post:

THE MISSING PHOTOGRAPH.... Citizens for Reponsibility and Ethics In Washington (CREW) have released a never-publicized picture of President Bush with jailed Lobbyist Jack Abramoff. … More information about the White House attempts to cover up records of Abramoff's visits were uncovered by ABC News last Friday:

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and Democratic Underground

Jordan Rau / Los Angeles Times:

Gov. seeks sweeping health system reforms — SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today proposed upending just about every portion of the healthcare industry in one of the country's most elaborate efforts at holding down medical costs and expanding insurance to those who don't have it.

Discussion: PrestoPundit

Jordan Rau / Los Angeles Times:
Gov. offers bold prescription

Discussion: The RBC and Political Animal

Tim Dickinson / Rolling Stone National Affairs Daily:

Lieberman on Surge: What's "The Worst that Could Happen"? — [UPDATE: Welcome Atrios, C&L readers.] — Over the weekend, I caught a snippet of CSPAN's coverage of the McCain/Lieberman "surge" party at the American Enterprise Institute. It was after all the speeches, with the Senators kibitzing with reporters as the hour ran down.

Discussion: Brilliant at Breakfast, The Reaction, Suburban Guerrilla, The Carpetbagger Report, Sirotablog, Eschaton, Liberty Street, Shakespeare's Sister, My Left Nutmeg and Daily Kos

John Amato / Crooks and Liars:
The "Surge Protectors" — (Warning: Cringe factor is on High Alert from this video clip.)

Discussion: My Left Nutmeg, DownWithTyranny! and Firedoglake

Ian James / Associated Press:

Chavez: Will Nationalize Telecoms, Power — CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced plans Monday to nationalize the country's electrical and telecommunications companies, calling them "strategic sectors" that should be in the hands of the nation.

Discussion: Redstate

A.M. Mora y Leon / Publius Pundit:
RED STAR OVER VENEZUELA

Discussion: Club for Growth and Daily Pundit

Daily Mail:

Blair refuses to match US troop 'surge' in Iraq — Tony Blair will make clear this week that Britain is not going to send more troops to Iraq even if the US pushes ahead with a "surge" of 20,000 extra soldiers. — The Prime Minister will insist that the UK will stick to its own strategy …

Michelle Goldberg / Salon:

The holy blitz rolls on — The Christian right is a "deeply anti-democratic movement" that gains force by exploiting Americans' fears, argues Chris Hedges. Salon talks with the former New York Times reporter about his fearless new book, "American Fascists." — Pastor Rod Parsley of the World Harvest Church

Discussion: Feministe, Prairie Weather, Unfogged and No Capital

John F. Burns / New York Times:

Hussein's Voice Speaks in Court in Praise of Chemical Atrocities — The courtroom he dominated for 15 months seemed much smaller on Monday without him there to mock the judges and assert his menacing place in history. — But the thick, high-register voice of Saddam Hussein was unmistakable.

Discussion: The American Street