memeorandum: After five years of torture, Bisher is slowly slipping into madness (Guardian)

1:40 PM ET, January 9, 2007

Top Items:

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: Needlenose and PoliPundit.com

Frank Newport / Gallup Poll:

Public Opposes Troop Surge by 61% to 36% Margin — Support primarily among Republican base — PRINCETON, NJ — President Bush will address the nation Wednesday night, and according to most reports, he will announce plans for a "surge" or escalation in the number of American troops in Iraq.

Discussion: The Next Hurrah, DownWithTyranny!, The Swamp, Gun Toting Liberal ™ and Don Surber

Jeff Zeleny / New York Times:

Democrats Split Over Iraq Approach — The new Democratic majority in Congress is divided over how to assert its power in opposing President Bush's plan to send more troops to Baghdad, as leaders explore ways to block financing for a military expansion without being accused of abandoning American forces already in Iraq.

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Balkinization, The Carpetbagger Report, Brilliant at Breakfast, Wonkette, Althouse and MyDD

USA Today:
Most say no to Iraq buildup — WASHINGTON — President Bush …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Carpetbagger Report, New York Times, Think Progress, The Political Pit Bull, Daily Kos, The Democratic Daily, The Impolitic, TalkLeft, Suburban Guerrilla and The Caucus

Daily Mail: Blair refuses to match US troop 'surge' in Iraq

Michael Abramowitz / Washington Post:
Bush Works To Rally Support for Iraq 'Surge'

Discussion: Think Progress, BobGeiger.com, Booman Tribune, Reason Magazine, the talking dog, The Heretik, CBS News, AMERICAblog and State of the Day

Pajamas Media:

America's Boots on the Ground in Somalia — AMERICA'S BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN SOMALIA — The al-Qaeda affiliated Islamic Courts Union's (ICU) rapid retreat in the face of Ethiopia's military campaign in Somalia has puzzled many observers. How could the Ethiopians roll up the jihadists so quickly?

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Road to Surfdom, Right Wing News, Captain's Quarters, Flopping Aces, The Strata-Sphere, CBS News, Outside The Beltway and Counterterrorism Blog

Karen DeYoung / Washington Post:
U.S. Strike in Somalia Targets Al-Qaeda Figure

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
PJM: U.S. forces operating in Somalia since last month

Discussion: Guardian, Pajamas Media and Riehl World View

Washington Post:

Schwarzenegger Proposes Universal Health Coverage — California Plan Could Cost State $12 Billion — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Monday proposed a system of universal health insurance for Californians that would make the nation's most populous state the third to guarantee medical coverage for all its residents.

Discussion: Political Animal and The Moderate Voice

gov.ca.gov:

Gov. Schwarzenegger Tackles California's Broken Health Care System, Proposes Comprehensive Plan to Help All Californians — With 6.5 million Californians uninsured for all or part of the year - more than any other state in the nation - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today shared his comprehensive plans …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Ezra Klein, MaxSpeak, Crossroads/Health Care, On Deadline and Sister Toldjah

Jordan Rau / Los Angeles Times:
Gov. seeks sweeping health system reforms

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The Autopsy, Townhall.com Blog's … and PrestoPundit

Jim Davenport / Associated Press:

DeMint endorses Romney for president — COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Sen. Jim DeMint has endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the 2008 presidential race, according to a letter the South Carolina senator is sending to state Republicans. — The endorsement letter …

Discussion: Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog and Power Line

Scott Helman / Boston Globe:
Romney event nets more than $6.5m

Discussion: Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

A.M. Mora y Leon / Publius Pundit:

RED STAR OVER VENEZUELA — Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez has signalled his true intentions with more clarity than ever today, announcing that he would expropriate: — 1. All the phone lines — 2. All the electricity — As this happened, a provincial governor from Bolivar state …

Discussion: Fausta's blog, Club for Growth, QandO, Blue Crab Boulevard and Daily Pundit

Ian James / Associated Press:
Chavez: Will Nationalize Telecoms, Power

Discussion: Redstate and PoliBlog (TM)

Swampland:

Now that I have your attention — I love it! First day of Swampitude and the left-wing blogosphere—which is overpopulated by illiberal leftists and reactionary progressives—is already attacking me: 24 mostly mingy comments about my Left Behind post, many of which seem to be steaming off …

Discussion: Political Animal, The Horse's Mouth, QandO, This Modern World, Sister Toldjah, First Draft, Eschaton, Matthew Yglesias, The Impolitic and Suburban Guerrilla

Booman Tribune: Open Letter to Joe Klein

Karen Lee Ziner / Providence Journal:

ACLU sues state police — PROVIDENCE — The Rhode Island Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union yesterday filed a federal lawsuit against the state police, alleging racial profiling and violation of the constitutional rights of 14 Guatemalan nationals during a July traffic stop …

Discussion: It Shines For All, Stop The ACLU and PoliPundit.com

New York Post:

RIPENS APPLE — BELCHING BOG BLAMED FOR CITYWIDE GAS STINK — Who cut the cheese? — New Jersey, apparently. — Across the length and breadth of Manhattan, people were asking, "What's that smell?" after a pungent odor like natural gas or rotten eggs blanketed the borough and northern …

Discussion: Suitably Flip, A Blog For All and On Deadline

Guardian:

After five years of torture, Bisher is slowly slipping into madness — False allegations from MI5 put my clients in Guantánamo Bay and the British government has failed them abysmally — G Brent Mickum — The day after tomorrow marks the confluence of two ignominious anniversaries.

Discussion: Firedoglake and Daily Kos

Eric Boehlert / Media Matters for America:

Michelle Malkin's credibility, R.I.P. — It's time for warbloggers to find a new conspiracy theory to promote because their most recent one, which involved accusing the Associated Press of manufacturing a source in Iraq and colluding with the insurgents, blew up in their faces.

Discussion: The Agonist, NewsHog, Patterico's Pontifications, The Huffington Post, The Impolitic, The Gadflyer, New York Times and Michelle Malkin

Orlando Sentinel:

Geraldo wants to whoop up on Olbermann — So here's one I missed over the holidays — Geraldo Rivera coming to town and threatening to beat up on Keith Olbermann. — Apparently Geraldo was visiting with 104.1 FM's Monsters just before Christmas, when they asked him about the time he made …

Discussion: NewsBusters.org

Heidi / Euphoric Reality:

WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Mexican Gunmen Involved in Arizona Border Incident Actually Uniformed Mexican Force — The incursion into U.S. territory last week by "Mexican gunmen" was not a chance confrontation between the Arizona National Guard and untrained illegal immigrants, but a deliberate …

Discussion: Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler, Riehl World View, Hot Air, Something, Gun Toting Liberal ™, third world county and Bill's Bites

New York Post:

ROSIE BLOWS UP AT 'LIAR' BABS — THE tension between "The View" creator Barbara Walters and co-host Rosie O'Donnell, sparked by O'Donnell's feud with Donald Trump, boiled over yesterday morning when the portly comic called Walters "a [bleeping] liar." — The fight started around 8:30 a.m …

Discussion: NewsBusters.org and Gay Patriot