memeorandum: Evangelicals Condemn Torture (Rachel Zoll/Los Angeles Times)

9:25 AM ET, March 13, 2007

Top Items:

White House Said to Prompt Firing of Prosecutors — The White House was deeply involved in the decision late last year to dismiss federal prosecutors, including some who had been criticized by Republican lawmakers, administration officials said Monday. — Last October, President Bush spoke …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Carpetbagger Report, Talking Points Memo, Think Progress, The RBC, Daily Kos, Brilliant at Breakfast, Left in the West, Political Animal, On Deadline, rubber hose, Daniel W. Drezner and Obsidian Wings

Washington Post:

Firings Had Genesis in White House — Ex-Counsel Miers First Suggested Dismissing Prosecutors 2 Years Ago, Documents Show — The White House suggested two years ago that the Justice Department fire all 93 U.S. attorneys, a proposal that eventually resulted in the dismissals of eight prosecutors last year …

Discussion: TPMmuckraker, Captain's Quarters, CorrenteWire, Shakespeare's Sister, Hullabaloo, f a t c a t politics, Bring it On!, Daily Kos, D-Day, All Spin Zone and State of the Day

Eric Lipton / New York Times:
Fast-Riser's High Hopes and Sudden Fall

Discussion: TIME: Swampland and Democratic Underground

Aamer Madhani / Chicago Tribune:

Top general calls homosexuality 'immoral' — Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Monday that he supports the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" ban on gays serving in the military because homosexuality is "immoral" and on par with having an extramarital affair.

Discussion: Pam's House Blend, Outside The Beltway, Taylor Marsh, Shakespeare's Sister and Unqualified Offerings

Associated Press:

Gen. Pace calls homosexuality immoral — WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday he considers homosexuality to be immoral and the military should not condone it by allowing gay personnel to serve openly, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Discussion: HorsesAss.Org, Left I on the News and theneweditor.com

Nico / Think Progress:
AUDIO: Top U.S. General Calls Homosexuality 'Immoral,' Compares To Adultery

Discussion: Nitpicker

John Aravosis / AMERICAblog:
General Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says gays are "immoral"

Discussion: Joe. My. God.

William J. Broad / New York Times:

From a Rapt Audience, a Call to Cool the Hype — Hollywood has a thing for Al Gore and his three-alarm film on global warming, "An Inconvenient Truth," which won an Academy Award for best documentary. So do many environmentalists, who praise him as a visionary, and many scientists …

Discussion: Roger L. Simon, QandO, The Strata-Sphere, Blue Crab Boulevard, Riehl World View, Decision '08, Hot Air, Deltoid, PoliPundit.com, Sister Toldjah and Hang Right Politics

Noel Sheppard / NewsBusters.org: Al Gore's Really Inconvenient Truth: Even the NY Times is Growing Skeptical

Washington Post:

The Pelosi Plan for Iraq — THE RESTRICTIONS on Iraq war funding drawn up by the House Democratic leadership are exquisitely tailored to bring together the party's leftist and centrist wings. For the Out of Iraq Caucus, which demands that Congress force a withdrawal of all U.S. troops …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Hot Air, Don Surber, Blue Crab Boulevard, The Strata-Sphere, TigerHawk, ScrappleFace, Michelle Malkin and Betsy's Page

SilentPatriot / Crooks and Liars:

Note to Andrea Mitchell: 18% ≠ Most Americans — On Monday's Hardball, Andrea Mitchell said this about how the Bush administration may handle any forthcoming subpoenas in the wake of the the Libby verdict: — Download (2000) | Play (1891) Download (917) | Play (1219) … In "fact," huh?

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Huffington Post, State of the Day and Think Progress

Alexander Mooney / CNN Political Ticker:

Poll: 69 percent oppose pardon for Libby in CIA leak case — WASHINGTON (CNN) — Nearly 70 percent of Americans oppose a presidential pardon for former White House aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby after his conviction on perjury and other charges related to a CIA agent's exposure, according to a CNN poll out Monday.

Discussion: JustOneMinute, TAPPED, Macsmind and Michael P.F. van der Galiën

Atrios / Eschaton:
Journamalism — Andrea Mitchell, Hardball just now:

Discussion: Firedoglake

White House:

Vice President's Remarks at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee 2007 Policy Conference — Washington, D.C. — THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Karl Rove finds out about this, he won't let me out again. (Laughter.) — Thank you very much for that warm welcome and, David, let me thank you for the introduction.

Discussion: CNN, Happy Furry Puppy Story …, NO QUARTER, The Huffington Post, The Democratic Daily and Michael P.F. van der Galiën

Ron Brynaert / The Raw Story: Cheney tells AIPAC that Congressional antiwar strategy is 'undermining' US troops

SilentPatriot / Crooks and Liars:
Cleland to Cheney: "Where the hell were you in the Vietnam War?"

Discussion: The American Street, BobGeiger.com, The Reaction, Associated Press and On Deadline

Speaker Pelosi / The Gavel:
On Cheney Comments to AIPAC

Discussion: Think Progress and DownWithTyranny!

Associated Press:

Dems abandon war authority provision — WASHINGTON - Top House Democrats retreated Monday from an attempt to limit President Bush's authority for taking military action against Iran as the leadership concentrated on a looming confrontation with the White House over the Iraq war.

Discussion: Booman Tribune, This Modern World, Kiko's House, Blogs for Bush, D-Day, Matthew Yglesias, Riehl World View and Truthdig

New York Times:

Republicans See Divided Party and Trouble in '08 — After years of political dominance, Republican voters now view their party as divided and say they are not satisfied with the choice of candidates seeking the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll.

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, AMERICAblog, Pollster, Prairie Weather and Oliver Willis

People's Daily Online:

Iranian official lashes out at Hollywood movie "300" for insulting Persian civilization — An Iranian official on Sunday lashed out at the Hollywood movie "300" for insulting the Persian civilization, local Fars News Agency reported. — Javad Shamqadri, an art advisor to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad …

Discussion: TigerHawk, News Bloggers Blog, Blue Crab Boulevard and GINA COBB

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:

When No News Is Strange News — The 19th-century German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was a giant in the field of logic. The 21st-century philosopher Chuck Hagel? Not so much. — The Republican senator from Nebraska, flirting with a 2008 presidential run, scheduled …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Betsy's Page, Blue Crab Boulevard and Omaha World-Herald

Patrick Condon / Associated Press:

Frostbite ends Bancroft-Arnesen trek — MINNEAPOLIS - A North Pole expedition meant to bring attention to global warming was called off after one of the explorers got frostbite. The explorers, Ann Bancroft and Liv Arnesen, on Saturday called off what was intended to be a 530-mile trek across …

Discussion: Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler, NewsBusters.org, Cafe Hayek, Tim Blair, Hang Right Politics, small dead animals, Ace of Spades HQ, Blue Crab Boulevard, Right Wing News and Secular Blasphemy

Agence France Presse:

Russia warning pressures Iran over nuclear plant — Russia warned Iran Monday to expect delays in launching the country's first atomic power station, adding to mounting pressure on Tehran to compromise with the international community over its controversial nuclear programme.

Discussion: The Influence Peddler and The Jawa Report

Marcia Kramer / WCBS-TV:

Sharpton Rips Obama, Keeps Endorsement On Hold — 'I'm Not Going To Be Cajoled Or Intimidated By Any Candidate' — (CBS) NEW YORK With the race for the Democratic presidential nomination already in high gear, the Reverend Al Sharpton jumped into the fray today with some tough criticism for Senator Barack Obama.