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ABCNEWS:
Al Sadr Fled Iraq, Fearing U.S. Bombs — Insurgent Leader Reportedly Moved to Iran With Members of Mahdi Army — The story tonight in Iraq is not the arrival of more U.S. troops, but the departure of one of the country's most powerful men, Moqtada al Sadr and members of his army.
Discussion:
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Qassim Abdul-Zahra / Associated Press:
Officials linked to al-Sadr deny he fled — BAGHDAD, Iraq - Supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr said Wednesday that the radical Shiite cleric was still in Iraq, denying a report that he fled to Iran ahead of a security crackdown targeting his militia. — An Iraqi government official said al-Sadr …
Dr. Rusty Shackleford / The Jawa Report:
Video: American Soldier Held Hostage in Iraq Alive — A video posted on a Shiite Islamist website has emerged of an American soldier being held hostage, Spc. Ahmed K. Altaie. The Jawa Report has obtained a copy of the video. It is posted below. — Right after Altaie was captured …
Discussion:
Outside The Beltway
CNN:
Uncle: Abducted U.S. soldier appears in video … BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — The uncle of an Iraqi-American U.S. soldier abducted last October in Baghdad identified his missing nephew Wednesday in a video posted on a militant Shiite Web site. — U.S. Army Sgt. Ahmed K. Altaie was kidnapped October 23 …
Amanda Marcotte / Pandagon:
People who claim to love Jesus write me — Update: To correct misinformation in the comments, I was not "fired". I offered my resignation and it was accepted. — Because I had the nerve to be critical of the Catholic church's stance on birth control and abortion—nevermind …
Discussion:
MyDD, FRAMESHOP, Pen-Elayne on the Web, Gold-Plated Witch on Wheels, culturekitchen and If I Ran the Zoo
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Lane Hudson / The Huffington Post:
Right-Wing Attack Puts Bloggers' Lives in Danger — The ramifications of Bill Donohue and the Catholic League's reckless rhetoric has materialized in the form of death threats to bloggers Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwan. This is what happens when the ultra-right wing is given the megaphone of mainstream media.
Shakespeare's Sister:
Announcement — I regret to say that I have also resigned from the Edwards campaign. In spite of what was widely reported, I was not hired as a blogger, but a part-time technical advisor, which is the role I am vacating. — I would like to make very clear that the campaign did not push me out …
Discussion:
MyDD, Patterico's Pontifications, Beltway Blogroll, NewsHog, Lawyers, Guns and Money, The Caucus, The Navel of the Internet, The Heretik, Althouse, The Mahablog, Vox Popoli, Riehl World View, Alternate Brain, Pen-Elayne on the Web, The American Street, Gold-Plated Witch on Wheels, Majikthise, All Spin Zone, Wizbang, The Jawa Report, The Democratic Daily, Liberal Values, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, Pinko Feminist Hellcat, On Deadline, Done With Mirrors, UrbanGrounds, QandO, The Fix and State of the Day
USA Today:
Poll shows Clinton, Giuliani pull ahead ias campaigns kick off — WASHINGTON — New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani have widened leads over their rivals in recent weeks as they began to openly campaign for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations …
Discussion:
New York Times, The Caucus, CNN Political Ticker, Opinion Journal and No More Mister Nice Blog
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New York Times:
House Begins Full Debate on the Iraq War — The House opened a full-throated debate on Tuesday over the Iraq war as lawmakers began considering a resolution to denounce President Bush's plan to add troops. Democratic leaders said the debate was the first step in using Congressional authority to intervene in the conflict.
Discussion:
Faithful Progressive
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Dana Milbank / Washington Post:For the GOP, Taking the War Out of the War Debate
Discussion:
CorrenteWire
Frank J. Gaffney Jr / Washington Times:
Truly 'inappropriate' behavior — Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled, or hanged. — It is, of course, unimaginable that the penalties proposed by one of our most admired presidents …
Discussion:
The Strata-Sphere, Gateway Pundit, If I Ran the Zoo, The Carpetbagger Report, Roger Ailes and Rising Hegemon
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New York Times:
Pact With North Korea Draws Fire From a Wide Range of Critics in U.S. — The deal that could lead North Korea to shut its main nuclear reactor came under criticism from both ends of the political spectrum immediately after it was announced on Tuesday. — From the right, hardliners argued …
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Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:
Shooter, Say It Ain't So! — When Ted Wells came back from lunch today and announced that he had released Dick Cheney as a witness I was damn near brokenhearted. After all that, and Shooter lets me down. Did he not want to testify on Libby's behalf, did Team Libby decide he could do more harm than good …
RELATED:
Drudge Report:
HOUSE HEARING ON 'WARMING OF THE PLANET' CANCELED AFTER SNOW/ICE STORM HEARING NOTICE — The Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality hearing scheduled for Wednesday, February 14, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. in room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building has been postponed due to inclement weather.
John Bresnahan / The Politico:
House Democrats' New Strategy: Force Slow End to War — Led by Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Pa., and supported by several well-funded anti-war groups, the coalition's goal is to limit or sharply reduce the number of U.S. troops available for the Iraq conflict, rather than to openly cut off funding for the war itself.
Lizette Alvarez / New York Times:
Army Giving More Waivers in Recruiting — The number of waivers granted to Army recruits with criminal backgrounds has grown about 65 percent in the last three years, increasing to 8,129 in 2006 from 4,918 in 2003, Department of Defense records show. — During that time …
Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:
Obama Apologizes for Saying Troops' Lives 'Wasted' — Senator Enters Race for White House Highlighting Iraq Stance, But Stirs Controversy with Comment — Senator Barack Obama, D-Ill., entered the race for the White House over the weekend and is immediately feeling the hot spotlight …
Robert VerBruggen / Washington Times:
Ready to aim — ARMED AMERICA: THE STORY OF HOW AND WHY GUNS BECAME AS AMERICAN AS APPLE PIE — By Clayton E. Cramer, Nelson Current, $26.99, 320 pages — In 1996, Michael Bellesiles published a paper in the Journal of American History. The thesis: Early Americans rarely owned firearms …
Nathan Gonzales / Opinion Journal:
The Ever-'Present' Obama — Barack has a along track record of not taking a stand. — Finally and officially, Barack Obama is running for president. His symbolic announcement, in the Land of Lincoln, called for a new era in politics. Obama downplayed his thin federal experience …
Discussion:
Betsy's Page
Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:
In 1993 Memo, Giuliani Staff Gave Harsh Assessment of Flaws — Sometimes in politics, the most damaging accusations come from your own staff. — Rudolph W. Giuliani learned that lesson again yesterday when a "vulnerability study," including warnings about his "weirdness factor" …
Discussion:
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