Top Items:
Omar / IRAQ THE MODEL:
Operation Baghdad Has Started! — Minutes after nighttime curfew began in Baghdad at 9 pm we saw breaking news on al-Hurra and al-Jazeera saying that Baghdad's security operation has just started. — The news says the first operation is currently underway in Azamiyah in the northeastern part of the city.
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Agence France Presse:
Iraqi and US forces launch Baghdad security crackdown — BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraqi and US forces swept through a notorious Sunni district of Baghdad, searching houses and seizing weapons in a blitz by around 2,000 US troops and an Iraqi army brigade, a US officer said.
Pajamas Media:
FLASH: OPERATION BAGHDAD HAS STARTED! — US Army soldiers from the 5-20 Infantry Division take up positions to provide cover for fellow soldiers as part of the launch of Operation Arrowhead Strike Six in the Shaab neighbourhood of northern Baghdad. — EXCLUSIVE From PJM Baghdad Editor Omar @ Iraq the Model @ 11:00 AM, PST
John Podhoretz / New York Post:
RUDY'S RIGHT STUFF — IT'S semi-pseudo-almost-nearly kind-of official: Rudy's running for president. Basically. In essence. He could change his mind. But he probably won't. Almost certainly. — Which makes sense. Rudy Giuliani is leading the Republican field by five points …
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cbn.com:
FRC President: Giuliani 'Far Outside the Mainstream of Conservative Thought'
FRC President: Giuliani 'Far Outside the Mainstream of Conservative Thought'
Discussion:
The Carpetbagger Report, Barone Blog, The Political Pit Bull, TIME, CNN Political Ticker and Liberal Values
Digby / Hullabaloo:
It's Giuliani Time — As often happens, Glenn Greenwald …
It's Giuliani Time — As often happens, Glenn Greenwald …
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog, Unclaimed Territory, CorrenteWire, The Heretik and Captain's Quarters
John McIntyre / TIME:
Giuliani Is In and Becomes the Immediate Favorite
Giuliani Is In and Becomes the Immediate Favorite
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, Hotline On Call, The Political Pit Bull, Decision '08 and The Jawa Report
New York Times:
Military Wants More Civilians to Help in Iraq — Senior military officers, including members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have told President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates that the new Iraq strategy could fail unless more civilian agencies step forward quickly to carry out plans …
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Neil A. Lewis / New York Times:
Libby Speaks on Tape, but May Not in Court — The jurors deciding the perjury case against I. Lewis Libby Jr. listened to his voice on audiotape for hours on Tuesday as his lawyers quietly explored a surprise strategy, keeping him off the witness stand, that would ensure that the jurors never hear his voice in person.
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Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:
Questions — Hi I'm Marv Albert, and on my left is Doug Collins....
Questions — Hi I'm Marv Albert, and on my left is Doug Collins....
Discussion:
Hullabaloo
The Politico:
GOP Views Clinton As Virtually Unbeatable — What many conservatives regard as the nightmare scenario — President Hillary Rodham Clinton — is increasingly seen by veteran Republican politicians and strategists as virtual inevitability. — In GOP circles, the Democratic front-runner is seen as so strong …
Discussion:
MyDD, The Moderate Voice, The Reaction, Macsmind, Hot Air, Booman Tribune, The Democratic Daily and Orcinus
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Matt Stoller / MyDD:
Scapegoating Immigrants in 2008 — Racism is a real problem in this country. I know a lot of people want to think that we've moved beyond race, but what does it say when Hillary Clinton's campaign Chair, Terry McAuliffe, has the following exchange on NPR about immigration.
Reuters:
Lawmaker: U.S. sent giant pallets of cash into Iraq … WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The Federal Reserve sent record payouts of more than $4 billion in cash to Baghdad on giant pallets aboard military planes shortly before the United States gave control back to Iraqis, lawmakers said Tuesday.
Discussion:
TPMmuckraker, DownWithTyranny!, The Carpetbagger Report, Gun Toting Liberal ™ and All Spin Zone
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Jay Newton-Small / Bloomberg:
Waxman Probes Iraq Contracting, Missing $12 Billion (Update1)
Waxman Probes Iraq Contracting, Missing $12 Billion (Update1)
Discussion:
David Phinney
Alex Johnson / MSNBC:
Exasperated House bypasses Senate on Iraq — Representatives schedule their own vote to oppose Bush's troop 'surge' — WASHINGTON - House leaders got fed up with waiting around for the Senate to act and decided Tuesday to go ahead with their own vote on a resolution opposing President Bush's plan to add 21,500 U.S. troops in Iraq.
Carpetbagger / The Carpetbagger Report:
In defense of vagueness and ambiguities — Kevin Drum touched on a point today I've been kicking around for a long while. I'd love to get some feedback on this. — In light of John Edwards' decision to unveil a fairly detailed health care plan, Mark Schmitt suggests it's a bad idea …
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Mary Katharine Ham / Townhall.com:
McCain Campaign Staff and Bloggers: The Lovers' Quarrel Conference Call — All right, so some would argue that McCain and the bloggers have never had enough of a relationship to qualify the current disagreements as "lovers' quarrels," but the call and the conversation the campaign staff is starting to have is a bit, "baby, come back.
Joe Klein / TIME: Swampland:
Slow News Day? — Arianna Huffington, the doyenne of the Hollywood left, has taken time from her busy schedule to attack me for something I said on Meet the Press three years ago. Since this lone quote has become an article of faith among the take-no-prisoners left, let me respond: — 1. Yes, I said it.
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Arianna Huffington / The Huffington Post:
My Six-Point Reaction to Joe Klein's Seven-Point Response
My Six-Point Reaction to Joe Klein's Seven-Point Response
Discussion:
NewsBusters.org
Ted Bridis / Associated Press:
Hackers Attack Key Net Traffic Computers — WASHINGTON (AP) — Hackers briefly overwhelmed at least three of the 13 computers that help manage global computer traffic Tuesday in one of the most significant attacks against the Internet since 2002. — Experts said the unusually powerful attacks lasted …
Babak Dehghanpisheh / Newsweek:
'Give Us the Proof' — Iran's ambassador to Baghdad responds to charges that Tehran is fostering sectarian violence and helping insurgents in Iraq. — Tensions between the United States and Iran, seldom below simmering, are reaching boiling point in Iraq.
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters
Vince Patton / KGW-TV:
Global warming debate spurs Ore. title tiff — In the face of evidence agreed upon by hundreds of climate scientists, George Taylor holds firm. He does not believe human activities are the main cause of global climate change. — Taylor also holds a unique title: State Climatologist.
Matthew Mosk / Washington Post:
In Campaign 2008, Candidates Starting Earlier, Spending More — Starting as early as last June, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was hiring staffers and consultants in New Hampshire and Iowa and building the foundation for his 2008 presidential bid at a time when those in early battleground states typically …
George Monbiot / Guardian:
A 9/11 conspiracy virus is sweeping the world, but it has no basis in fact — Loose Change is a sharp, slick film with an authoritative voiceover, but it drowns the truth in an ocean of nonsense — There is a virus sweeping the world. It infects opponents of the Bush government …