Top Items:
Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
The Defense Rests, and Not a Minute Too Soon — For a brief moment yesterday, Scooter Libby was not a former White House aide on trial for perjury. He was an orphan in need of a loving home. — "He's been under my protection for the last month; now I'm entrusting him to you," defense lawyer Ted Wells told the puzzled jurors.
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Jonathan Karl / ABCNEWS:
EXCLUSIVE: Cheney Says British Troop Withdrawal Is Positive Sign — Vice President Tells Soldiers in Tokyo the U.S. Will Not Withdraw Until the Job Is Done — British Prime Minister Tony Blair's announcement that British troops will begin withdrawing from Iraq would appear to be bad news for the Bush administration.
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David Stringer / Associated Press:
Blair announces Iraq withdrawal plan — LONDON - Britain will withdraw around 1,600 troops from Iraq in the coming months and aims to further cut its 7,100-strong contingent by late summer if Iraqi forces can secure the country's south, Prime Minister Tony Blair said Wednesday.
R. Jeffrey Smith / Washington Post:
Berger Case Still Roils Archives, Justice Dept. — In a chandeliered room at the Justice Department, the longtime head of the counterespionage section, the chief of the public integrity unit, a deputy assistant attorney general, some trial lawyers and a few FBI agents all looked down at their pant legs and socks.
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Dan Eggen / Washington Post:
Justice Dept. Statistics On Terrorism Faulted — Most of the Justice Department's major statistics on terrorism cases are highly inaccurate, and federal prosecutors routinely count cases involving drug trafficking, marriage fraud and other unrelated crimes as part of anti-terrorism efforts, according to an audit released yesterday.
Marc Santora / New York Times:
Rape Accusation Reinforces Fears in a Divided Iraq — The most wicked acts are spoken of openly and without reserve in Iraq. Torture, stabbings and bodies ripped to pieces in bombings are all part of the daily conversation. — Rape is different. — Rape is not mentioned by the victims, and rarely by the authorities.
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Matthew Mosk / Washington Post:
Hollywood Gives Obama Both Cash and Credibility — Hollywood has always gravitated to the fresh face, so the crushing turnout there yesterday at a rally and a series of fundraisers for presidential contender Barack Obama followed a familiar Tinseltown story line.
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Washington Post:
The Woman in the Middle — Moderate Democrat Is New Target of Liberal Bloggers — The Democratic majority was only three weeks old, but by Jan. 26, the grass-roots and Net-roots activists of the party's left wing had already settled on their new enemy: Rep. Ellen O. Tauscher (D-Calif.) …
Washington Post:
Swift Action Promised at Walter Reed — Investigations Urged as Army Moves to Make Repairs, Improve Staffing — The White House and congressional leaders called yesterday for swift investigation and repair of the problems plaguing outpatient care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center …
Discussion:
CNN, The Hill, Hot Air, Welcome To Andi's World, The RBC, Debsweb, Michelle Malkin and The Gavel
Washington Post:
The 'Crime' Of Blogging In Egypt — A former college student, Abdelkareem Nabil Soliman, is sitting in an Egyptian prison, awaiting sentencing tomorrow. His alleged "crime": expressing his opinions on a blog. His mistake: having the courage to do so under his own name.
Ruth Marcus / Washington Post:
Mitt Romney's Extreme Makeover — Precisely two years ago, Mitt Romney, then the governor of Massachusetts but already eyeing a 2008 presidential bid, sat in the coffee shop of a Washington hotel, doing his best not to explain his views on abortion. — Romney was speaking to a few of us from The Post …
Christopher Drew / New York Times:
Lower Voter Turnout Is Seen in States That Require ID — States that imposed identification requirements on voters reduced turnout at the polls in the 2004 presidential election by about 3 percent, and by two to three times as much for minorities, new research suggests.
Faiz / Think Progress:
Tony Snow and White House Reporters Slam The 'Hateful,' 'Polarized' Blogosphere — In a press roundtable at the National Press Club tonight, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow led a discussion with White House correspondents about the impact of the internet on their respective jobs. Their conclusion?
Discussion:
Salon, Shakespeare's Sister, The Politico, Alternate Brain, Fact-esque, Daily Kos, Suburban Guerrilla, QandO, The Agonist, The Heretik and State of the Day
Milt Freudenheim / New York Times:
Some Employers Are Offering Free Drugs — For years, employers have been pushing their workers to pay more for health care, raising premiums and out-of-pocket medical expenses in an effort to save money for the company and force workers to seek only the most necessary care.
Discussion:
Swords Crossed
outsidethewire.com:
Poll: Validating My Gut Instinct (Cap on Again) — From the Public Opinion Strategies Poll released today. — As I see it, here are the key data points and they, in their own way, show the cunning of the Murtha slow bleed strategy. — Question #5 And, which of the following …
Discussion:
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