memeorandum: Belgium to impose tax on barbequing to fight global warming (en.rian.ru)

9:00 AM ET, April 5, 2007

Top Items:

Mary Ann Akers / The Sleuth:

Democrats Outraged Over Fox Recess Appointment — Senate Democrats are livid over what they view as President Bush's illegal maneuver to bypass the Senate confirmation process and appoint controversial nominee Sam Fox as ambassador to Belgium while Congress is away on recess.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Captain's Quarters and Riehl World View

David Stout / New York Times:

Bush Defies Democrats With 3 Appointments — President Bush used Congress's Easter break today to defy Democratic lawmakers and appoint three officials who have already drawn heavy criticism on Capitol Hill. — The president used recess appointments to install Sam Fox …

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, PoliBlog (TM), the talking dog, Bark Bark Woof Woof, Democracy Project, CorrenteWire and TalkLeft

White House:

Personnel Announcement — President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate ten individuals, appoint twelve individuals, recess appoint four individuals and designate one individual to serve in his Administration. The President today also announced that he has appointed one individual to serve in his Administration.

Discussion: Chronicle of the Conspiracy, Sister Toldjah and Liberal Values

Al Kamen / Washington Post:
Recess Appointments Granted to 'Swift Boat' Donor, 2 Other Nominees

Discussion: The Huffington Post and Balkinization

Bob Geiger:
Bush To Recess-Appoint Swift-Boat Scumbag Fox

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The Moderate Voice, NewsHog, Redstate, Comments From Left Field, The Reaction and The Agonist

Michael Roston / The Raw Story:
Bush recess appoints major Swift Boat Vets donor

Discussion: Prairie Weather

Hindrocket / Power Line:
WELL DONE, W — It' s a small point, but I was disappointed …

Discussion: Associated Press

Washington Post:

Pratfall in Damascus — Nancy Pelosi's foolish shuttle diplomacy — HOUSE SPEAKER Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) offered an excellent demonstration yesterday of why members of Congress should not attempt to supplant the secretary of state when traveling abroad.

Discussion: Think Progress and QandO

Dugald McConnell / CNN:

Carter backs Pelosi's trip, despite Bush's rebuke … WASHINGTON (CNN) — Former President Jimmy Carter expressed his support for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Syria, rejecting White House criticism of the visit. — "I was glad that she went," Carter said Wednesday.

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:
Pelosi's Pratfall — Nancy Pelosi's amateurish fumble …

Discussion: Macsmind

pmo.gov.il:
Clarification from the Prime Minister's Bureau

Discussion: New York Times, NewsHog, Redstate, Gateway Pundit, News Bloggers Blog and The Corner

en.rian.ru:

Belgium to impose tax on barbequing to fight global warming — The government of Belgium's French-speaking region of Wallonia, which has a population of about 4 million, has approved a tax on barbequing, local media reported. — Experts said that between 50 and 100 grams of CO2 …

Discussion: The Sundries Shack and WorldwideStandard.com

Ali Akbar Dareini / Associated Press:

British navy crew leaves Iran for London — TEHRAN, Iran - Fifteen British sailors and marines held captive for nearly two weeks left Iran early Thursday aboard a commercial flight bound for London, ending a standoff a day after Iran's president announced their surprise release.

Discussion: The Jawa Report

Eli Lake / New York Sun:
U.S. Helped Free Iranian Diplomat

Discussion: Hot Air

Guardian:
Iran to release British sailors tomorrow

Discussion: The Osterley Times, New York Times and BBC

Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:

EXCLUSIVE: Obama Bests Clinton in Primary Fundraising — Newcomer Obama Raises More Primary Cash than Clinton — ABC News has learned that the $23.5 million Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., raised for his presidential campaign for use in the primaries is more than that raised by the Democratic frontrunner, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.

Discussion: Redstate, Dick Polman's American Debate, The RBC, AMERICAblog, State of the Day, PoliBlog (TM), MyDD and Hotline On Call

Zogby:
UPDATED - Zogby: Three-Way Race as Hillary Holds Narrow Dem Lead in New Hampshire

Discussion: The Democratic Daily

Associated Press:

Students peacefully protest Cheney's upcoming appearance at BYU — PROVO, Utah (AP) — More than 200 demonstrators held a quiet rally Wednesday at Brigham Young University to protest Vice President Dick Cheney's upcoming commencement speech, while his supporters staged a counter-protest.

Discussion: THIS DIVIDED STATE and TalkLeft

The Huffington Post:
Bryan Young and Steven Greenstreet: Free Speech Closes Early At BYU

Discussion: THIS DIVIDED STATE

Washington Post:

Gonzales Prepares to Fight for His Job in Testimony — Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales has retreated from public view this week in an intensive effort to save his job, spending hours practicing testimony and phoning lawmakers for support in preparation for pivotal appearances in the Senate this month …

Newsweek:
Docked for Duty? — The Justice Department called David Iglesias …

Discussion: TPMmuckraker, Seeing the Forest and All Spin Zone

Greg Mitchell / Editor and Publisher:

Two Soldiers Likely Killed by 'Friendly Fire' — Contrary to Press Reports — And One Was Not Fully Trained — WASHINGTON Two soldiers killed in Iraq in February may have died as a result of friendly fire, Army officials said Wednesday, not from enemy fire, as the press reported.

Discussion: Attytood, Nitpicker, AMERICAblog and All Spin Zone

Michael Davis / Chattanooga Times Free Press:

Morphing a conspiracy? — 'Honor system does not work on the Web' — A Chattanooga Internet firm doctored a photo of White House aide Karl Rove to show him holding a folder with the company's logo, fueling speculation in the blogosphere that the president's top adviser …

Discussion: CANNONFIRE and CorrenteWire

Murray Waas / The Huffington Post:

Favoritism Towards Wolfowitz Girl Friend — Employees of the World Bank have been "expressing concern, dismay, and outrage" regarding favoritism shown by the bank and the Bush administration towards the one-time girl friend of World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz, according …

Discussion: New Yorker, Wonkette, TalkLeft and Matthew Yglesias

Alexander Mooney / CNN Political Ticker:

Giuliani stands by support of publicly-funded abortions — TALLAHASSEE, Florida (CNN) — Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani told CNN Wednesday he supports public funding for some abortions, a position he advocated as mayor and one that will likely put the GOP presidential candidate at odds with social conservatives in his party.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Captain's Quarters, Redstate, Hot Air, Say Anything, PoliBlog (TM), The Influence Peddler, The Caucus, Booman Tribune, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Eschaton, Rising Hegemon, Crooks and Liars and Feministe

SilentPatriot / Crooks and Liars:
A Video Clip Rudy is Bound to Regret

Discussion: Redstate

Francis Fukuyama / DO NOT WRITE HERE …:

The history at the end of history — Condoleezza Rice wants to bring democracy to the Middle East. Ms. Rice, an expert on what is now an obsolete subject, the Soviet Union, believes this can be done the way the United States brought democracy to Chile or Iran or Afghanistan - that is, by violently overthrowing governments.

Discussion: NewsHog

Dan Arnall / ABCNEWS:

'Strong Possibility' Gas Will Rise to $4 — Oil Prices Ease After Iran Hostages Are Freed, but Analysts Say High Demand to Keep Gas Prices High — ABC News Business Unit — For the past two weeks, Iran has not just been holding 15 British soldiers captive; it's been holding the world's oil markets hostage, too.