Top Items:
Associated Press:
Gonzales Accepts Resignation of Top Aide — WASHINGTON — Attorney General Alberto Gonzales abruptly canceled travel plans Tuesday amid growing calls for his ouster over the firings of eight federal prosecutors during a White House-directed housecleaning of U.S. attorneys.
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Crew / Citizens Blogging for Responsibility …:
BREAKING: CREW wants Special Prosecutor to investigate potential criminal violations in U.S. Attorney firings — CREW wants the immediate appointment of a Special Prosecutor to investigate potential criminal violations related to the recent dismissals of eight U.S. Attorneys.
CNN:
Gonzales: 'Mistakes were made' in U.S. attorneys' firings … WASHINGTON (CNN) — Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Tuesday that "mistakes were made" regarding the firing of eight U.S. attorneys and he accepts responsibility for the ordeal. — "My pledge to the American people is to find out what went wrong here," he said.
Discussion:
The Carpetbagger Report, Redstate, Booman Tribune, The Moderate Voice, Wonkette, PoliBlog (TM), Outside The Beltway and Kiko's House
Amanda / Think Progress:
Gonzales Lied Under Oath, Said All Bush-Appointed Attorneys Would Be 'Senate-Confirmed' — A little-noticed provision slipped into the Patriot Act in 2005 allows the President to appoint "interim" U.S. attorneys for an indefinite period of time, without Senate confirmation.
Bill Brubaker / Washington Post:
Gonzales Accepts Responsibility for 'Mistakes' — Schumer Warns Sampson's Resignation Does Not Absolve Attorney General — Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales said today he does not regret firing eight federal prosecutors last year, but he accepts responsibility for "mistakes" …
Discussion:
Salon, Dick Polman's American Debate, Wonkette, Sister Toldjah, Heath Haussamen … and Firedoglake
Paul Kiel / TPMmuckraker:
Gonzales: I'm "Dismayed" — We just watched Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' press conference here. The gist: Gonzales said that he accepts responsibility for the "mistakes" made at the Justice Department... but argued that he is not "aware" of "all decisions" at the Justice Department.
Ian Swanson / The Hill:
Pelosi hears boos at AIPAC — Members of the main pro-Israel lobbying group offered scattered boos to a statement by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) that the Iraq war has been a failure on several scores. — The boos, mixed with some polite applause, stood in stark contrast …
Discussion:
The Nation, New York Times, Crooks and Liars, American Prospect, Hang Right Politics, Power Line and Booman Tribune
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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 …
CNN:
Poll: 58 percent want Iraq withdrawal by 2008 or sooner … WASHINGTON (CNN) — Nearly six in 10 Americans want to see U.S. troops leave Iraq either immediately or within a year, and more would rather have Congress running U.S. policy in the conflict than President Bush, according to a CNN poll out Tuesday.
Discussion:
The Coffee House, BobGeiger.com, Associated Press, DownWithTyranny!, Booman Tribune, Pollster, Sirotablog and The Democratic Daily
Aamer Madhani / Chicago Tribune:
Don't drop `don't ask, don't tell,' Pace says — 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 homosexual acts "are immoral," akin to a member of the armed forces conducting …
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Mark Green / The Politico:
Air America's Invitation — Tweaking the Fox News Channel, the president of liberal Air America Radio this morning sent a letter to the chairmen of four state Republican parties, offering to host and broadcast the state parties' upcoming presidential debates.
Devlin Barrett / Associated Press:
Clinton: Right-wing conspiracy is back — WASHINGTON - The "vast, right-wing conspiracy" is back, presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton is warning, using a phrase she once coined to describe partisan plotting. — Once derided for her use of the phrase, Clinton is now trying to turn the imagery to her advantage.
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The Blotter:
Exclusive: Curveball, the Defector Whose Lies Led to War — Brian Ross and Rhonda Schwartz Report: — The Iraqi defector known as Curveball, whose fabricated stories of "mobile biological weapons labs" helped lead the U.S. to war four years ago, is still being protected by the German intelligence service …
Rasmussen Reports:
MN Senate Poll: Coleman 46% Franken 36% — Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman (R) knows he is high on the Democrats' wish list this cycle and the first Rasmussen Reports Senate poll for Election 2008 shows the incumbent starting off below the 50% level of support.
Adam Schreck / Los Angeles Times:
Congressman says he doesn't believe in God — Democrat Pete Stark of California is the highest-ranking elected official in the U.S. to make such a public acknowledgement. — WASHINGTON — Cue the jokes about godless politicians and Bay Area liberals. — Secular groups Monday applauded …
Christian Trejbal / The Roanoke Times:
Shedding light on concealed handguns — Editor's note: The database has been removed. Read the statement. — Today is the start of Sunshine Week, the annual week in which we reflect on the importance of open government and public records. To mark the occasion, I want to take you on an excursion into freedom of information land.
Gail Shister / Philadelphia Inquirer:
FOB (and Hillary) sees no effect on 'CBS Evening News' — Can a friend of Bill's cover Hillary? — Absolutely, says new CBS Evening News chief Rick Kaplan, a pal of both Clintons' since 1974. He slept in the White House twice during Bill Clinton's administration.
Jonah Goldberg / Los Angeles Times:
Unity is overrated — Calls to 'put politics aside' really mean 'stop disagreeing with me and shut up.' — BECAUSE WE'RE AT the start of the electoral roller coaster, the part where the car slowly chugs upward, building anticipation for the gut-wrenching plunges and loop-the-loops ahead …