memeorandum: GAO Faults U.S. Military Over Munitions in Iraq (Ann Scott Tyson/Washington Post)

3:55 PM ET, March 23, 2007

Top Items:

House passes spending bill with Iraq deadline … WASHINGTON (CNN) — The House of Representatives on Friday voted 218-212 to approve a spending bill that includes a firm deadline — August 31, 2008 — for combat troops to leave Iraq. — President Bush, who already has said he would veto the bill …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler, The Reaction and Left in the West

Anne Flaherty / Associated Press:

House Dems more confident on Iraq vote — WASHINGTON - House Democrats are increasingly confident they have the votes to pass legislation designed to force an end to the war in Iraq next year. — Several party members dropped their opposition to the bill following days of wrangling within a deeply divided caucus.

Discussion: Donklephant, Skeptical Brotha, The Carpetbagger Report, Little Green Footballs and TIME: Swampland

Washington Post:

Retreat and Butter — TODAY THE House of Representatives is due to vote on a bill that would grant $25 million to spinach farmers in California. The legislation would also appropriate $75 million for peanut storage in Georgia and $15 million to protect Louisiana rice fields from saltwater.

Discussion: Horses Mouth, Think Progress, Salon, Power Line, Captain's Quarters, TalkLeft, Sadly, No! and JustOneMinute

MSNBC:

House approves 2008 deadline for war pullout — Bush calls it 'political theater' and vows to veto bill — WASHINGTON - A sharply divided House voted Friday to order President Bush to bring combat troops home from Iraq next year, but the president reiterated his vow to veto the bill …

Discussion: Hoffmania! and Oliver Willis

William Branigin / Washington Post:

House OKs Timetable for Troops in Iraq — $124B Emergency Bill Sets Binding Benchmarks for Progress in Iraq — The House of Representatives today passed a $124 billion emergency spending bill that sets binding benchmarks for progress in Iraq, establishes tough readiness standards …

Discussion: Booman Tribune, INTEL DUMP, DownWithTyranny!, Reason Magazine and The Strata-Sphere

Anne Flaherty / Associated Press:
House OKs Timetable for Troops in Iraq

Discussion: Facing South, Taylor Marsh, Wizbang and PoliPundit.com

New York Times:
Democrats Shore Up Support for Iraq Votes

Discussion: The American Street, My Left Wing, The Jawa Report and ScrappleFace

Michelle Malkin:
Pork & the war spending bill: Dogging the Blue Dogs...and serving up defeat

Discussion: Club for Growth, MyDD, Riehl World View and First Draft

Jennifer Loven / Associated Press:

White House Spokesman to Undergo Surgery — WASHINGTON (AP) - Presidential spokesman Tony Snow is undergoing surgery Monday to remove a growth in his lower abdomen, a procedure he said was being done "out of an aggressive sense of caution" because he had colon cancer two years ago.

Joe Conason / Salon:
Rove, proven liar

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Just a Bump in the Beltway and Norwegianity

White House:
Press Briefing by Tony Snow

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The Heretik, White House Watch, The RBC, The Caucus, On Deadline and First Draft

Robert Barr / Associated Press:

Iran nabs British sailors in Iraq waters — LONDON - Iranian naval vessels seized 15 British sailors who had boarded a ship suspected of smuggling cars in the Persian Gulf off the Iraqi coast on Friday, officials said. — The British government demanded "the immediate and safe return of our people and equipment."

Discussion: The Jawa Report, New York Times, Guardian, Counterterrorism Blog, The Strata-Sphere, Scotsman, GINA COBB, Gateway Pundit, NO QUARTER, Atlas Shrugs, Jules Crittenden, Blue Crab Boulevard and TigerHawk

MSNBC:

U.K. says 15 soldiers detained by Iranian navy — Ministry summons Iranian ambassador, seeks immediate return of troops — The HMS Cornwall on patrol in the North Arabian Gulf earlier this month. — NBC VIDEO — March 23: Fifteen British sailors have been detained by Iranian vessels.

Discussion: The Washington Note and NewsHog

Sky News:
British Forces Held By Iran

Discussion: THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

CNN:
Iran 'seizes' 15 British sailors

Discussion: Telegraph, Hot Air, Political Discontent, New Pairodimes and Outside The Beltway

Washington Post:

E-Mails Show Machinations to Replace Prosecutor — Administration Worked for Months to Make Rove Aide U.S. Attorney in Arkansas — Two months before Bud Cummins was fired as U.S. attorney in Little Rock, a protege of presidential adviser Karl Rove was maneuvering with the Justice Department to take his place.

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, New York Times, The Swamp, Prairie Weather, The Carpetbagger Report, Firedoglake, Donklephant, Facing South, USA Today, TPMmuckraker and Oliver Willis

Paul Kiel / TPMmuckraker:
Gonzales Aide to Senate Staff: Nothing to See Here

Discussion: Firedoglake and Grasping Reality …

David Ignatius / Washington Post:
An Inside-the-Bushies Mentality — If you read the obituary pages …

Discussion: Balloon Juice, Multi Medium, Middle Earth Journal, TPMCafe blogs, The Impolitic, TIME: Swampland and The Washington Note

Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:

Politico Rushes to Crack the Story And Ends Up With Egg on Its Face — One hour and 4 minutes before John Edwards began a news conference yesterday on the recurrence of his wife's cancer, a two-month-old Web site blared what looked like a major exclusive: "Edwards to Suspend Campaign."

Discussion: FishBowlDC, Beltway Blogroll, The Politico, The Democratic Daily, Cliff Schecter and On Deadline

Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:
washingtonpost.com Goofs on Headline

Discussion: FishBowlDC and zero.newassignment.net …

White House:

President Bush Discusses Iraq War Emergency Supplemental — THE PRESIDENT: Today I'm joined here at the White House by veterans, family members of people serving in combat, family members of those who have sacrificed. I am honored that they have joined me here today.

Discussion: alphabet city

Pew Research Center:

Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987-2007 — Political Landscape More Favorable To Democrats — Summary of Findings — View the complete report in pdf format — Increased public support for the social safety net, signs of growing public concern about income inequality …

Discussion: MyDD, Pollster, The Carpetbagger Report, DownWithTyranny!, Middle Earth Journal, Los Angeles Times and Hullabaloo

Ann Scott Tyson / Washington Post:

GAO Faults U.S. Military Over Munitions in Iraq — Report Says Insurgents Took Unsecured Explosives — The U.S. military's faulty war plans and insufficient troops in Iraq left thousands and possibly millions of tons of conventional munitions unsecured or in the hands of insurgent groups …

Discussion: Dick Polman's American Debate, The Carpetbagger Report, Lonewacko and politburo diktat 2.0

Matthew Mosk / Washington Post:

FEC Democrats Say Bush Violated Limits — The three Democrats on the Federal Election Commission revealed yesterday that they strongly believe President Bush exceeded legal spending limits during the 2004 presidential contest and that his campaign owes the government $40 million.

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report

Jackie Calmes / Wall Street Journal:

From Obama's Past: An Old Classmate, A Surprising Call — In High School, 'Ray' and 'Barry' — Were Friends, Then Took Different Paths — Sen. Barack Obama had just come off the Senate floor last Thursday, rushing to get to New Hampshire for a weekend of campaigning for president …

Discussion: Wonkette, Michelle Malkin, TIME and Riehl World View