memeorandum: IGNATIUS ON RICE — David Ignatius: "But as with any strategy … (Gregory/The Belgravia Dispatch)

4:10 PM ET, February 1, 2007

Top Items:

Update: Cartoon Marketing Ignites Bomb Scare [VIDEO] — Pranksters give finger to the media... Attempts at buzz marketing are nearly always lame, awkward, and obvious; that's about the worst (or, perhaps, best) that can be said of them, most of the time. Rare indeed is the word …

CNN:

Two held after ad campaign triggers Boston bomb scare … BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) — Authorities have arrested two men in connection with electronic light boards depicting a middle-finger-waving moon man that triggered repeated bomb scares around Boston on Wednesday and prompted the closure …

Discussion: ScrappleFace, The Daily Whim, The Radio Equalizer and Outside The Beltway

August J. Pollak / xoverboard.com:

Thomas Menino is an incompetent coward — I have never lived in Boston, and I have never supported a Republican for any elected office. But I would send money to a Republican opponent against Boston Mayor Tom Menino just to get him out of office if he actually dares to do something as cowardly and abusive-of-power as this.

Discussion: Blinq, The News Blog, Attytood and WCVB-TV

CNN:
Two plead not guilty to Boston hoax charges

Discussion: Ace of Spades HQ and Wonkette

Jonathan Silverstein / ABCNEWS:
As Boston Reeled, Was Artist Asked to Keep Quiet?

Discussion: Little Green Footballs and skippy the bush kangaroo

Taylor Marsh:
Toon Terror in Boston

Discussion: MyDD

Michael Powell / Washington Post: Marketing Gimmick Goes Bad in Boston

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 …

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, Riehl World View, The Sundries Shack, Wake up America, Media Blog, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Little Green Footballs, Sister Toldjah, BLACKFIVE and Power Line

Defense Tech:

BREAKING: DOUBLE THE TROOPS IN "SURGE" (UPDATED) — President Bush and his new military chiefs have been saying for nearly a month that they would "surge" an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq, in a last, grand push to quell the violence in Baghdad and in Anbar Province.

Discussion: MyDD, AMERICAblog, Hughes for America, Think Progress, Crooks and Liars, IraqSlogger.com, Bring it On! and All Spin Zone

Paul Kiel / TPMmuckraker:

Analysis: "Surge" Far Larger Than 20,000 Troops — A analysis released today by the Congressional Budget Office shows that the administration, in its public comments, has vastly underestimated the actual number of extra troops that will be deployed to Iraq under the president's "surge" plan.

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report

Doug Mellgren / Associated Press:

Al Gore nominated for Nobel Peace Prize — OSLO, Norway - Former Vice President Al Gore was nominated for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his wide-reaching efforts to draw the world's attention to the dangers of global warming, a Norwegian lawmaker said Thursday.

Agence France Presse:
Al Gore seen as possible winner of 2007 Nobel Peace Prize

Discussion: Hot Air

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 …

Discussion: The Political Pit Bull, Confederate Yankee, Hot Air, Middle Earth Journal, Andrew Sullivan, The Jawa Report, Daily Pundit and Hyscience

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, Associated Press and The Carpetbagger Report

Jonah Goldberg / Los Angeles Times:

The soft bigotry of blowhards — Wesley Clark et al should watch what they say and how they say it. — WESLEY CLARK, the retired general and once — and no doubt future — presidential candidate, says the United States is going to attack Iran. How does he know?

Discussion: TAPPED, Ezra Klein and Matthew Yglesias

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 …

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 …

Discussion: Hot Air, Attytood, On Deadline, Crunchy Con and Hang Right Politics

Gregory / The Belgravia Dispatch:

IGNATIUS ON RICE — David Ignatius: "But as with any strategy, Rice's realignment idea has the virtue of offering a basis for discussion and careful thinking about a region perched on the edge of a volcano." Ignatius, sorry to say, is too easily impressed here. Snippets:

Discussion: American Footprints, The Road to Surfdom and Matthew Yglesias

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, Tom Watson, Hughes for America, skippy the bush kangaroo, The Democratic Daily, Pandagon, Pajamas Media, Liberal Values and Lonewacko

George F. Will / Washington Post:

A Tide For School Choice — Fifty-seven years later, Sumner Elementary School in Topeka is back in the news. That city's board of education is still wrongly preventing the right people from getting into that building. Two educators wanted to use Sumner for a charter school …

Discussion: Eduwonk.com and The Corner