Top Items:
Washington Post:
Rep. Wilson Says She Contacted Prosecutor — Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) acknowledged today that she contacted a federal prosecutor to complain about the pace of his public corruption investigations, as the Senate Ethics Committee signaled that it had opened a preliminary inquiry …
Discussion:
Shakespeare's Sister, Sunlight Foundation blogs, New Mexico Politics …, The Carpetbagger Report, The Heretik, DownWithTyranny!, Talking Points Memo, Heath Haussamen …, At-Largely, TPMmuckraker, Macsmind, All Spin Zone, Citizens Blogging …, MyDD, TIME: Swampland, TBogg, Associated Press, CREW and Daily Kos
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Evan Perez / Wall Street Journal:
Gonzales Defends Move to Fire Attorneys, Denies Political Role — Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, facing criticism for the firing of eight U.S. attorneys, defended the action as appropriate but said the Justice Department handled the situation poorly. — "We could have rolled …
Discussion:
Political Animal
Eric Lichtblau / New York Times:
Former Prosecutor Says Departure Was Pressured — The former federal prosecutor in Maryland said Monday that he was forced out in early 2005 because of political pressure stemming from public corruption investigations involving associates of the state's governor, a Republican.
David Johnston / New York Times:
Messenger in Prosecutors' Firings Quits — The Justice Department official who told seven United States attorneys in December that they were being dismissed said Monday that he was resigning. — Michael A. Battle, director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys …
Christy Hardin Smith / Firedoglake:
US Attorney Hearings Promise Some Fireworks Today (And Tomorrow)
US Attorney Hearings Promise Some Fireworks Today (And Tomorrow)
Peter Hamby / CNN:
Companies to pull ads from Coulter's Web site … WASHINGTON (CNN) — At least three major companies want their ads pulled from Ann Coulter's Web site, following customer complaints about the right-wing commentator referring to Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards as a "faggot."
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Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:
The Long Fuse on Ann Coulter's Bomb — At first, Ann Coulter's anti-gay crack at a Washington conference Friday drew almost no media coverage, although it was witnessed by hundreds of journalists and political operatives and captured by television cameras. — But after some Democrats …
Discussion:
Hot Air, Simianbrain, CorrenteWire, Riehl World View, Nitpicker, Ace of Spades HQ, At-Largely and PostWatch
Jack Shafer / Slate:
Our Ann Coulter Problem — WHY THE PRESS CAN'T IGNORE HER. — Ann Coulter shocked nobody last week by calling presidential candidate John Edwards a "faggot" during her appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference. — Here's the YouTube video, as well as the quotation captured by the Associated Press:
Lauren Frayer / Associated Press:
9 U.S. soldiers killed north of Baghdad — BAGHDAD, Iraq - Nine American soldiers died in explosions north of Baghdad, the U.S. military announced Tuesday after the deadliest single day for U.S. troops in Iraq in nearly a month. — Six soldiers died when a bomb exploded Monday near …
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Army Times:
Walter Reed woes bring turmoil at the top — The more than 1 million soldiers of the Army, deeply involved on two war fronts, suddenly find themselves serving under leadership tainted by scandal and in critical transition. Army Secretary Francis Harvey is out, pushed out the door by his boss, Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
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Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
Two Generals Provide A Contrast in Accountability
Two Generals Provide A Contrast in Accountability
Discussion:
Op For
Susan Milligan / Boston Globe:
States may force megaprimary, winnow the 2008 field early — 19 states look to have early say in '08 race — WASHINGTON — States with more than half the nation's population are zeroing in on Feb. 5 next year to stage their presidential primaries, creating a single day that could determine …
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Washington Post:
Libby Jurors Consider Cooper Conversation — Jurors in the perjury trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby indicated yesterday they remain focused on whether Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff lied to the FBI about a July 12, 2003, conversation with Matthew Cooper, then a reporter for Time magazine.
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Michael McAuliff / NY Daily News:
Hil & Bam gear up for battle over Jewish vote — WASHINGTON - Fresh off their battle for the hearts of black Americans, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are about to go head to head for Jewish votes. — The leaders for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 plan dueling receptions Monday …
Discussion:
The Caucus
RADAR:
MCCAIN STAFFERS BAIL OFF THE CRAZY TRAIN — John McCain's Obama- esque remarks about our "wasted" resources in Iraq weren't the only comments that landed him in hot water after a recent appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. Many of his staff were blindsided by his campaign announcement.
Discussion:
Political Animal
Giles Smith / Times of London:
War of words after call for independence — The simmering feud between China and Taiwan burst into the open yesterday when Beijing criticised the President of Taiwan for making strident calls for independence. — Li Zhaoxing, the Chinese Foreign Minister, speaking at the Chinese People's …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice
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Roger Simon / The Politico:
The Romney Rehab Plan — Mitt Romney may be low in the polls right now, but he is a man with a plan, a plan to make him the Republican nominee for president. — Though he is at only 4 percent in national polls, The Politico has learned that in the coming weeks and months, he will:
Jonathan Weisman / Washington Post:
Democrats Alter Plan To Restrict Iraq War — Senior House Democrats, seeking to placate members of their party from Republican-leaning districts, are pushing a plan that would place restrictions on President Bush's ability to wage the war in Iraq but would allow him to waive them if he publicly justifies his position.
Fox News:
WEBB INTRODUCES BILL BARRING FUNDING FOR MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAN — WASHINGTON — A Democratic senator on Monday introduced legislation that in some cases would deny funding for the Bush administration to take military action against Iran without first getting congressional approval.
Discussion:
Outside The Beltway, AmSpec Blog, Taylor Marsh, GOP Bloggers, The Political Pit Bull and Jules Crittenden
Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:
Incivility — I wanted to write something about the degenerative effects of incivility in politics in the wake of the comments and commentary today. Instead, a CQ reader sent me a link to a speech three years ago by Heritage Foundation president Dr. Edwin J. Fuelner.
Yoav Stern / Haaretz:
Missing Iranian official may have information on Ron Arad — A former Iranian deputy defense minister whose reported disappearance in Turkey sparked allegations of a Mossad and CIA-linked kidnapping is likely to possess information on missing Israel Air Force navigator Ron Arad, a British newspaper reported Monday.
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters, Telegraph, Ynetnews, The Blotter, Hot Air, Israel Matzav and Obsidian Wings
Eric Boehlert / Media Matters for America:
Hillary, Iraq, and the press — The press insists Sen. Hillary Clinton's 2002 vote to authorize the war in Iraq could doom her 2008 campaign. But a new, largely ignored, poll indicates Democrats don't much care about her vote. In fact, most Democrats don't even think the vote was a mistake.