Top Items:
New York Times:
Bullying Iran — Given America's bitter experience in Iraq, one would think that President Bush could finally figure out that threats and brute force aren't a substitute for a reasoned strategy. But Mr. Bush is at it again, this time trying to bully Iran into stopping its meddling inside Iraq.
Discussion:
Jules Crittenden, The Moderate Voice, QandO, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog and The Political Pit Bull
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New York Times:
Chirac Unfazed by Nuclear Iran, Then Backtracks — President Jacques Chirac said this week that if Iran had one or two nuclear weapons, it would not pose a big danger, and that if Iran were to launch a nuclear weapon against a country like Israel, it would lead to the immediate destruction of Tehran.
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters, Redstate, It Shines For All, Kesher Talk, FP Passport, Atlas Shrugs and Andrew Sullivan
Washington Post:
Senators Unite On Challenge to Bush's Troop Plan — Revised Warner Language That Protects Funds Is Embraced for Bipartisan Appeal — Democratic and Republican opponents of President Bush's troop-buildup plan joined forces last night behind the nonbinding resolution with the broadest bipartisan backing …
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Anne Flaherty / Associated Press:
Senate foes of troop buildup join forces
Senate foes of troop buildup join forces
Discussion:
Think Progress, Crooks and Liars, AMERICAblog, Donklephant, BobGeiger.com, The Left Coaster and Middle Earth Journal
Paul Richter / Los Angeles Times:
U.S. delays report on Iranian role in Iraq — WASHINGTON — The Bush administration has postponed plans to offer public details of its charges of Iranian meddling inside Iraq amid internal divisions over the strength of the evidence, U.S. officials said. — U.S. officials promised last week …
Discussion:
Booman Tribune
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Adam Nagourney / New York Times:
Biden Unwraps His Bid for '08 With an Oops! — In an era of meticulous political choreography, the staging of the kickoff for this presidential candidacy could hardly have gone worse. — Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, who announced his candidacy on Wednesday with the hope …
Discussion:
Think Progress, Happy Furry Puppy Story …, Outside The Beltway, Jon Swift, AMERICAblog, MSNBC, Right Wing News, NewsBusters.org, It Shines For All, CorrenteWire, The Moderate Voice, Law Blog, Booman Tribune, Blue Crab Boulevard, Political Animal, PoliBlog (TM), Hang Right Politics, Washington Post, ABCNEWS and Liberal Values
Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Audio: William Arkin supports the troops in his own funny little way — Here's the man of the hour, playing softball last night with Alan Colmes about the WaPo column heard 'round the blogospheric world. Well, the right side of the blogospheric world, anyway. — N.B.: The clip has been heavily edited.
Discussion:
Ace of Spades HQ
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William M. Arkin / Early Warning:
The Arrogant and Intolerant Speak Out — Well, one thing's abundantly clear about who will actually defend our rights to say what we believe: It isn't the hundreds who have written me saying they are soldiers or veterans or war supporters or real Americans and who also advise me to move to another country …
Ken Maguire / Associated Press:
Boston publicity ploy leads to 2 arrests — BOSTON - Several illuminated electronic devices planted at bridges and other spots in Boston threw a scare into the city Wednesday in what turned out to be a publicity campaign for a late-night cable cartoon. Most of the devices depict a character giving the finger.
Discussion:
Outside The Beltway, Scared Monkeys, CBS4Boston, Blue Crab Boulevard and Little Green Footballs
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Associated Press:
Syndicated columnist Molly Ivins dies at 62 — Best-selling author, sharp-witted Texas liberal succumbs to breast cancer — Syndicated columnist Molly Ivins poses for a portrait at her home Sept. 22 in Austin, Texas. She died Wednesday at 62 after a long battle with breast cancer.
Discussion:
Dallas Star-Telegram, Firedoglake, The Huffington Post, The Left Coaster, The Sideshow, Booman Tribune, skippy the bush kangaroo, Associated Press, Happy Furry Puppy Story …, TAPPED, SteveAudio, The Democratic Daily, The Mahablog, Liberal Values, Liberty Street, Outside The Beltway, Lifelike Pundits and The Agonist
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Kevin Hayden / The American Street:
A Sad Farewell to an American Great
A Sad Farewell to an American Great
Discussion:
Thought Theater, The Sideshow, Bring it On!, Pharyngula, Burnt Orange Report and On Deadline
San Francisco Chronicle:
MATIER AND ROSS — AIDE QUITS AS NEWSOM'S AFFAIR WITH HIS WIFE IS REVEALED — Campaign manager confronts mayor, who is 'in shock' — San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's re-election campaign manager resigned Wednesday after confronting the mayor about an affair Newsom had with his wife …
Austan Goolsbee / New York Times:
Now That a Penny Isn't Worth Much, It's Time to Make It Worth 5 Cents — How dumb do you have to be to mint money at a loss? In the latest only-in-Washington episode, we find that the government may have lost as much as $40 million coining pennies and nickels last year.
Associated Press:
Sunni Mosques Still Show Damage in Iraq — BAGHDAD, Iraq — Four Sunni mosques attacked in late November in the embattled Hurriyah neighborhood of Baghdad still bear scars from the attacks and all are now either under Shiite Muslim control or closed. — Immediately after the Nov. 24 incidents …
Discussion:
Confederate Yankee, Hot Air, Flopping Aces, Patterico's Pontifications and Blue Crab Boulevard
Josephine Hearn / The Politico:
Sanchez Accuses Democrat of Calling Her a 'Whore,' Resigns from Hispanic Group — Rep. Loretta Sanchez has quit the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, accusing the chairman, Rep. Joe Baca, of telling people she's a "whore." — Baca denied the charge. — In an interview with The Politico Wednesday …
Fox News:
TWO SENIOR IRAQI GENERALS EYED IN BRAZEN ATTACK ON U.S. SOLDIERS — Two senior Iraqi generals are being questioned in connection with last week's attack in Karbala that left five U.S. soldiers dead, Pentagon officials told FOX News Thursday. — Military officials also said the level …
Associated Press:
New York Times Reports 4Q Loss of $648M — NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Times Co. posted a $648 million loss for the fourth quarter on Wednesday as it absorbed an $814.4 million charge to write down the value of its struggling New England properties, The Boston Globe and the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
Arnold Kling / TCS Daily:
Request for Ideological Comment — "As in a church, everyone has an opinion how things ought to run. Internet users express their opinions through meetings of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). The IETF is another volunteer organization... [Requests for Comment] RFCs are the documents that define the Internet.
Frederic J. Frommer / Associated Press:
Comedian Al Franken to Run for Senate — WASHINGTON (AP) — Comedian Al Franken has decided to run for U.S. Senate in Minnesota in challenging incumbent Republican Norm Coleman, a senior Democratic official told The Associated Press on Wednesday. — The official, who requested anonymity …
Washington Post:
Bush Addresses Income Inequality — Economic Speech Touches on Executive Pay as Senators Move to Rein It In — President Bush acknowledged Wednesday that there is growing income inequality in the United States, addressing for the first time a subject that has long concerned Democrats and liberal economists.
Discussion:
The Carpetbagger Report, Captain's Quarters, The Heretik, the talking dog and The Caucus
shakespearessister.blogspot.com:
Shakes on a Campaign — I've got some news, Shakers. — I have been offered and have accepted a position as the Netroots Coordinator for John Edwards' presidential campaign, joining an outstanding internet team that now also includes Pandagon's Amanda Marcotte, with whom I'll be working closely.
Discussion:
MyDD, Liberal Values, Balloon Juice, Pajamas Media, Pandagon, Pharyngula and John Edwards '08 Blog
Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
Wherever a Senator's Question Leads, Kissinger Gamely Follows — So now it can be told: President Bush has a secret plan to end the war in Iraq. — Henry Kissinger, who as Richard Nixon's secretary of state learned something about secret plans, went before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee yesterday …