Top Items:
Washington Post:
Iraq at Risk of Further Strife, Intelligence Report Warns — A new National Intelligence Estimate depicts an Iraq involved in a multi-faceted struggle among religious groups and sects and says that without a sharp reversal in the violence and changes among the Shiite, Sunni and Kurd leadership, the situation could further deteriorate.
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Spencer Ackerman / TPMmuckraker:
NIE: The Surge Can't Work — Wow, this is grim. According to the just-released Key Judgments of the National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq, political reconciliation is likely a bridge too far over the next year and a half. — The Sunnis remain "unwilling to accept minority status" …
Think Progress:
Hadley Ignores NIE, Says White House Will Still Not Call Iraq A 'Civil War' — At a press briefing this morning, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley said the White House will continue to avoid using the term "civil war" to describe events in Iraq, despite the findings of the new National Intelligence Estimate.
Paul Kiel / TPMmuckraker:
Admin Official: "The Best Plan Is To Have This Plan Succeed"
Admin Official: "The Best Plan Is To Have This Plan Succeed"
Discussion:
Wake up America
KC Johnson / Durham-in-Wonderland:
The Edwards-Marcotte Fiasco — An astute observer of this case recommends analyzing events through the prism of what he's termed the "courage-meter." People in positions of authority have displayed little or no courage to do the right thing throughout this affair.
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New York Times:
Climate Panel Issues Urgent Warning to Curb Gases — The world is already committed to centuries of warming, shifting weather patterns and rising seas from the atmospheric buildup of gases that trap heat, but the warming can be substantially blunted by prompt action, an international network of climate experts said today.
Discussion:
NewsBusters.org, Flopping Aces, The Strata-Sphere, The Left Coaster, The Huffington Post, Blue Crab Boulevard, Liberal Values, It's Getting Hot In Here, The Agonist, Texas Rainmaker, DownWithTyranny!, Attytood, Sister Toldjah, Guardian Unlimited, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, On Deadline and Pandagon
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IAN / Hot Air:
Video: Imam prays to stop 'oppression and occupation' at DNC meeting Update: Imam ID'd Update: More info on Imam — The Democratic National Committee is in the midst of its winter meeting. Here's the convocation for today's festivities, offered by an imam. — Transcript:
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Robert / Jihad Watch:
Imam prays to stop 'oppression and occupation' at Democratic …
Imam prays to stop 'oppression and occupation' at Democratic …
Discussion:
Debbie Schlussel
Ezra Klein / American Prospect:
Edwards On Iran — TAP talks to John Edwards about America's foreign policy challenges in the Middle East. … EK: So, the Iran speech to Herzliya. That caused me to think a little bit more about what we had spoken about Iraq [in a previous interview]. And so I wanted to talk to you for a minute about —
Discussion:
Ezra Klein, Hullabaloo, DownWithTyranny!, CorrenteWire, Unfogged and Shakespeare's Sister
Andrew Taylor / Associated Press:
Bush administration seeks $245B for wars — WASHINGTON - The Bush administration will ask for another $100 billion for military and diplomatic operations in Iraq and Afghanistan this year and seek $145 billion for 2008, a senior administration official said Friday.
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New York Times:
A Bipartisan Trade Policy — The newest Democratic members of Congress have arrived in Washington with an important message from the voters: American workers are feeling economically insecure, and globalization and trade are heightening their fears. The White House and the new Congress still …
Dana Blanton / Fox News:
FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS MOST COMFORTABLE WITH RUDY GIULIANI AS PRESIDENT — NEW YORK — More voters say they would be comfortable with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani as president than other top 2008 contenders, though majorities would also be comfortable with other leaders from both parties …
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Michael Yon:
The Hands of God — A Village, North of Mosul: Friday 26 January 07 — He was dressed as a woman as he walked down the alley toward the mosque full of worshippers. It was Friday, just before Ashura, and the air was chilled. — The bomb strapped to his body was studded with ball-bearings …
Discussion:
Op For
Associated Press:
Defense Official Resigns Over Detainee Remarks — WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior Pentagon official resigned Friday over controversial remarks in which he criticized lawyers who represent terrorism suspects, the Defense Department said. — Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said Charles ''Cully'' Stimson …
Discussion:
TalkLeft
Washington Post:
Senate Democrats Split on Measure Opposing Bush — Compromise Called Weak; Report Raises Estimate of Troops Needed for 'Surge' — Senate Democratic leaders who decided to back a Republican resolution against President Bush's Iraq war plan in hopes of winning broad bipartisan support ran …
Thomas Z. Freedman / Washington Post:
How to Really Help Low-Wage Workers — If the House and Senate are able to agree on a minimum-wage hike and the president signs the bill, some may say we will have done enough to help low-income workers. It's true that low-wage workers urgently need a raise, that millions of Americans work full …
James Pethokoukis / US News:
Perky Economy Starts to Relieve Worker Angst — Maybe the U.S. economy added 111,000 jobs last month, but maybe it didn't. Given that the Labor Department later revised higher its monthly jobs numbers 75 percent of the time last year, there's a good chance the final number for January will be somewhere north of 111,000.
William Branigin / Washington Post:
U.S. Not Planning for War With Iran, Gates Says — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates denied today that the United States is planning for war with Iran, saying that U.S. military efforts are focused on countering alleged Iranian activities against American troops in Iraq.
Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
Who's to Blame for The Killing — This week the internecine warfare in Iraq, already bewildering — Sunni vs. Shiite, Kurd vs. Arab, jihadist vs. infidel, with various Iranians, Syrians and assorted freelancers thrown into the maelstrom — went bizarre. In one of the biggest battles of the war …
Emptywheel / The Next Hurrah:
Fairly Prejudicial — Man, I'm going to have to ask David Shuster to give me fashion tips before I do this—boy do I look rumpled (though, of course, he's not liveblogging for 6 hours before he does his TV gig). — This is the key passage from yesterday's endless court arguments.