memeorandum: AUSTRALIA DAY — Whoa! Almost out of time to run an Australia … (Tim B./Tim Blair)

12:20 AM ET, January 27, 2007

Top Items:

Ottawa reaches $10M settlement with Arar — Ottawa has reached a $10-million settlement with Maher Arar over Canada's role in a U.S. decision to deport him to Syria, where he was jailed and tortured. — Prime Minister Stephen Harper is scheduled to make the settlement announcement on Friday afternoon …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters and Peaktalk

Associated Press:

Canada compensates man U.S. deported to Syria … OTTAWA, Canada (AP) — Canada's prime minister apologized to Maher Arar on Friday and announced the government would compensate him C$10.5 million (US$8.9 million) for its role in his deportation from the U.S. to Syria, where he was tortured while held in prison for nearly a year.

Discussion: Unclaimed Territory and ImmigrationProf Blog

Justin Rood / TPMmuckraker:
Canadian PM to Apologize to Arar

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report and ACSBlog

Rick MacWilliam / canada.com:
Arar rift with U.S. grows

Discussion: TPMmuckraker

Michael Isikoff / Newsweek:

Will Rove Testify? — The president's political guru—and counselor Dan Bartlett—have been subpoenaed by Scooter Libby's lawyers. What it means for the most-watched trial in Washington—and who's next on the witness stand. — Rove watching President Bush fly off to Camp David last Saturday

Discussion: TalkLeft, Firedoglake, The News Blog and Wonkette

Associated Press:

House Speaker Pelosi visits Iraq — BAGHDAD, Iraq - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record) and Rep. John Murtha (news, bio, voting record), both vocal war critics, were in the Iraqi capital Friday at the head of a delegation of House members on a fact-finding mission …

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, TexasFred's, Scared Monkeys, Gateway Pundit, Don Surber, Riehl World View and Waking the Giant

San Francisco Chronicle:
Pelosi to meet with al-Maliki in quick visit to Iraq

Discussion: Blogs for Bush, CNN Political Ticker, The Jawa Report and Sister Toldjah

Associated Press:

Bush: 'I'm the decision-maker' in Iraq troops — President challenges lawmakers to give 'surge' plan a chance to work — President Bush, right, meets with Defense chief Robert Gates, left, and Army Lt. General David Petraeus at the White House. — NBC VIDEO — Jan. 26: President Bush speaks to reporters on Friday.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Reuters, Sister Toldjah, The Moderate Voice, The Caucus, The Political Pit Bull, The Democratic Daily and Liberal Values

William Branigin / Washington Post:
Bush: 'I'm the Decision-Maker' on Iraq

Discussion: The Fourth Rail, The Democratic Daily, Redstate, Talking Points Memo, Blogs of War, TPMCafe blogs, American Footprints, Bradford Plumer and The Carpetbagger Report

Think Progress:
President Bush: 'I'm The Decision-Maker'

Discussion: The Impolitic, The Heretik and Reuters

Allahpundit / Hot Air:

Video: Gates says the anti-surge resolution "emboldens the enemy" — If you haven't signed the pledge yet, now's your chance. — Update: Mitch McConnell: "This is it." — Update: CNN's got a copy of the early draft of McCain's resolution. Bet-hedging with an eye to 2008 or grudging compromise …

Discussion: CNN Political Ticker, Wizbang, Bill Hobbs, Don Surber and Blue Crab Boulevard

Alexander Mooney / CNN Political Ticker:
McConnell "skeptical" Iraqi government will step up

Discussion: The Politico

Associated Press:

4 troops abducted, killed in Iraq attack — BAGHDAD, Iraq - In perhaps the boldest and most sophisticated attack in four years of warfare, gunmen speaking English, wearing U.S. military uniforms and carrying American weapons abducted four U.S. soldiers last week at the provincial headquarters …

Discussion: The Jawa Report, Hot Air, NO QUARTER and The Carpetbagger Report

Editor and Publisher:
AP Disputes Military Claims on Deaths of Americans in Iraq

Discussion: Hot Air, War and Piece and Atlas Shrugs

Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:

Back in the Saddle — You know things are going well on your blog when everyone is so busy they don't even have room for you to post. Our site administrator RBG finally gave me the thumbs up to start blogging again today since things are thankfully a bit slower (emptywheel's fingers must …

Discussion: spazeboy

Thomas Ferraro / Reuters:

Bush accepts Republican House resolution on Iraq — CAMBRIDGE, Maryland (Reuters) - President George W. Bush met privately with House Republicans on Friday and agreed to an alternative resolution to set "benchmarks" for progress in his plan to send more troops to Iraq, party officials said.

Discussion: The American Street and CorrenteWire

Kanep / Capitol Briefing:
SOTU, Take Two — CAMBRIDGE, Md. - State of the union, take two.

Discussion: The Stakeholder

Kenneth P. Vogel / The Politico:

Amid Question of Flip-flopping, McCain to Back Reform Bill — Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., will sponsor a bill to strengthen campaign finance laws in this session of Congress despite vehement opposition to campaign finance reform from conservative Republican activists whose support he needs …

Discussion: Election Law

Matt Browner Hamlin / rightsfield.com:
McCain Asks His Supporters To Set His Agenda

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report and Hullabaloo

New York Times:

Corrections: For the Record — Because of an editing error, an article in some copies on Jan. 14 about wealthy foreigners moving to Switzerland and negotiating tax breaks incorrectly described a formula used for determining a lump sum tax payment. The immigrants negotiate an annual payment based …

Discussion: Power Line, Brendan Nyhan and NewsBusters.org

Shailagh Murray / Washington Post:

Hagel Ponders White House Run As War Criticism Raises His Profile — His Republican colleagues regard him warily. The White House barely speaks to him. He is reviled by his party's conservative base. — Looks as though Sen. Chuck Hagel is on a roll. — Both parties have their Iraq war contrarians.

Discussion: Redstate, Balloon Juice, Blogs of War, DownWithTyranny!, Hotline On Call, Taylor Marsh, The Caucus, The Reaction, Donklephant, Blue Crab Boulevard, Unqualified Offerings, Cato-at-liberty, The Carpetbagger Report, Riehl World View, Wonkette, Sister Toldjah, Chuck Hagel for President … and The Heretik

Guardian:

China censorship damaged us, Google founders admit — Jane Martinson in Davos — Google's decision to censor its search engine in China was bad for the company, its founders admitted yesterday. — Google, launched in 1998 by two Stanford University dropouts, Sergey Brin and Larry Page …

Discussion: Gun Toting Liberal ™ and A Blog For All

Alexander Mooney / CNN Political Ticker:

House majority leader threatens revised resolution authorizing force in Iraq — WASHINGTON (CNN) — Democrats may push a new bill authorizing the use of force in Iraq — replacing the 2002 bill that allowed the Bush administration to proceed with the war, a top Democrat said Friday.

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report and Daily Kos

Julia Preston / New York Times:

Immigration Raid Draws Protest From Labor Officials — An immigration raid at a huge North Carolina pork-packing plant provoked protests yesterday from union officials, who said the company, Smithfield Foods, had collaborated with the authorities searching for illegal immigrants to discourage its workers from organizing.

Discussion: Facing South and ImmigrationProf Blog