memeorandum: Who is really stifling honest debate about the Middle East? (James Kirchick/Examiner)

2:25 PM ET, February 16, 2007

Top Items:

Bush Regains His Footing — It may seem perverse to suggest that, at the very moment the House of Representatives is repudiating his policy in Iraq, President Bush is poised for a political comeback. But don't be astonished if that is the case. — Like President Bill Clinton …

Discussion: Booman Tribune, At-Largely, Salon, The Carpetbagger Report, Outside The Beltway, Shakespeare's Sister, Right Wing Nut House, Middle Earth Journal, Gold-Plated Witch on Wheels, TalkLeft, Oliver Willis, TIME: Swampland, Macsmind, Blue Crab Boulevard and Wizbang

Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice:

Broder: George Bush Has Regained His Political Footing — Washington Post columnist David Broder points to President George Bush's press conference and concludes what yours truly did when he watched it as well: — Bush seems to have regained some of his political footing. The key Broder paragraphs:

Discussion: Booman Tribune, Instapundit.com and Jules Crittenden

David Espo / Associated Press:
Pelosi: Bush Lacks Power to Invade Iran

Discussion: All Things Beautiful, Macsmind and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Anne Flaherty / Associated Press:
Bill opposing troop surge likely to pass

Discussion: TAPPED

Don Surber:
Beware of Broders bearing gifts

Discussion: Washington Post

Jeremy Redmon / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Anti-evolution memo stirs controversy — The Anti-Defamation League is calling on state Rep. Ben Bridges to apologize for a memo distributed under his name that says the teaching of evolution should be banned in public schools because it is a religious deception stemming from an ancient Jewish sect.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, CANNONFIRE and The Next Hurrah

Dallas Morning News:

Chisum contrite over memo — Legislature: Group says evolution handout contains anti-Semitic material — AUSTIN - House Appropriations Chairman Warren Chisum said Wednesday that he's "willing to apologize" for giving colleagues a document that contains what the Anti-Defamation League called "outrageous anti-Semitic material."

Discussion: Happy Furry Puppy Story …, Off the Kuff and Pharyngula

Glenn Smith / Burnt Orange Report:
Warren "Anti-CopernicaChisum"

Discussion: Right Wing Nut House, ACSBlog, TPMCafe blogs, Daily Kos and Nitpicker

Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:

A Hard Right Punch — Michelle Malkin's Conservative Fight Has Others Coming Out Swinging — Michelle Malkin has seen her head electronically grafted onto a photo of a bikini-clad body. — She had to cancel a Berkeley book signing in the face of 200 shouting protesters. — YouTube banned one of her videos.

Discussion: Beltway Blogroll, Hot Air, Sadly, No!, Captain's Quarters, Eschaton, Wonkette, Shakespeare's Sister, The Political Pit Bull, Ed Driscoll.com, Harry's Place, Power Line, Rising Hegemon, Reason Magazine, The News Blog, Riehl World View, Jules Crittenden and NewsBusters.org

Dan Gerstein / The Politico:

Liberal Bloggers Demonstrate Their Political Immaturity, Democrat Says — If the liberal blogs want to understand why so few people outside their narrow echo chamber take them seriously, and what it will take to gain the broader credibility they crave, they should look no further than their handling …

Discussion: Dick Polman's American Debate, The Carpetbagger Report, The Agonist, Lawyers, Guns and Money, Cliff Schecter, Blue Crab Boulevard, MyDD and Middle Earth Journal

Newsweek:

The New Enemy? — Bush blames Iran's Quds Force for a spike in anti-American violence in Iraq. Who are they, and how tight are their ties with Tehran? — Members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps march in remembrance of the Iran-Iraq War — President Bush officially anointed …

Discussion: White House Watch, TPMmuckraker, The Anonymous Liberal, William K. Wolfrum, Wonkette and Los Angeles Times

David Johnston / New York Times:

White House Is Reported to Be Linked to a Dismissal — A United States attorney in Arkansas who was dismissed from his job last year by the Justice Department was ousted after Harriet E. Miers, the former White House counsel, intervened on behalf of the man who replaced him, according to Congressional aides briefed on the matter.

Discussion: Washington Post, The Carpetbagger Report, Think Progress and TPMmuckraker

Paul Kiel / TPMmuckraker:
Today's Must Read

Discussion: NWAnews.com, The Mahablog, The Caucus and ACSBlog

Kim Gamel / Associated Press:

Civilian deaths in Iraq drop overnight — BAGHDAD, Iraq - The number of Iraqi civilians killed in Baghdad's sectarian violence fell drastically overnight, an Iraqi military official said Friday, crediting the joint U.S.-Iraqi security operation that began in force just days ago.

Discussion: The Bullwinkle Blog, theneweditor.com, Counterterrorism Blog and On Deadline

Greyhawk / Mudville Gazette:
THE QUOTE "SURGE" — A quick clip from MG Caldwell's Baghdad briefing yesterday:

Discussion: Multi-National Force, INDCJournal and Michelle Malkin

Julie Hirschfeld Davis / Associated Press:

Dems Risk Image Woes Over Iraq War Moves — WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats face a host of risks as they move toward more substantive steps to tie President Bush's hands with funding restrictions on the Iraq war. — Leaders are wary of allowing the more intense anti-war activists define the party's image.

Discussion: Power Line and Jules Crittenden

Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:

Pressing Allies, President Warns of Afghan Battle — President Bush warned on Thursday that he expected "fierce fighting" to flare in Afghanistan this spring, and he pressed NATO allies to provide a bigger and more aggressive force to guard against a resurgence by the Taliban and Al Qaeda that could threaten the fragile Afghan state.

Discussion: Washington Post and Cliff Schecter

White House:
President Bush Discusses Progress in Afghanistan, Global War on Terror

Discussion: FRAMESHOP and First Draft

New York Times:

Viewers Fast-Forwarding Past Ads? Not Always — People with digital video recorders like TiVo never watch commercials, right? — Add that to the list of urban — and suburban — myths. — It turns out that a lot of people with digital video recorders are not fast-forwarding and time-shifting as much as advertisers feared.

Discussion: PoliBlog (TM), CBS News and SayUncle

James Kirchick / Examiner:

Who is really stifling honest debate about the Middle East? — WASHINGTON - Aside from the Iraq war — which has only consumed our attention for the past four years — is there an international issue that inspires more debate than the Arab-Israeli conflict?

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, Ezra Klein and Unfogged

Seth Borenstein / Associated Press:

January Weather Hottest by Far — WASHINGTON (AP) - It may be cold comfort during a frigid February, but last month was by far the hottest January ever. — The broken record was fueled by a waning El Nino and a gradually warming world, according to U.S. scientists who reported the data Thursday.

Discussion: The Democratic Daily

James K. Galbraith / The Nation:

What Kind of Economy? — This is the first in a series of essays outlining a new progressive economic policy. The series, we hope, will offer an alternative to the neoliberal thinking that has dominated economic policy within the Democratic Party leadership over the past decade.

Discussion: Political Animal and Matthew Yglesias

Nico / Think Progress:

The 'Get 'er Done' defense of escalation. — During today's Iraq debate, Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL) explained her support for sending tens of thousands of U.S. forces to Iraq by quoting that "wonderful saying" — "Get 'er done."

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report