memeorandum: McCain Launches Candidacy With Bush Critique (New York Times)

11:50 AM ET, April 26, 2007

Top Items:

The Democrats' Gonzales — Here's a Washington political riddle where you fill in the blanks: As Alberto Gonzales is to the Republicans, Blank Blank is to the Democrats — a continuing embarrassment thanks to his amateurish performance. — If you answered " Harry Reid," …

Discussion: Horses Mouth, NewsMax.com, The Newshoggers, Captain's Quarters, Macsmind, Michael P.F. van der Galiën, The American Street, QandO, Outside The Beltway, PSoTD, TPMCafe blogs, Michelle Malkin, The Anonymous Liberal, Taylor Marsh, CNN Political Ticker, Blue Crab Boulevard, neo-neocon and Betsy's Page

The Agonist:

Bush Approval Rating Falls to 28%, Lowest Level So Far, in Harris Poll — Wall Street Journal - President Bush's approval rating slipped to new lows in the most recent Harris Interactive survey, but he's not alone: For the first time since the series began, all of the political figures …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Taylor Marsh and Redstate

New York Times:

War Bill Passes House, Requiring an Iraq Pullout — The House on Wednesday narrowly approved a $124 billion war spending bill that would require American troops to begin withdrawing from Iraq by Oct. 1, setting the stage for the first veto fight between President Bush and majority Democrats.

Discussion: Jules Crittenden, The Moderate Voice, Associated Press, Captain's Quarters, The Belmont Club, First Read, Confederate Yankee and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Anne Flaherty / Associated Press:
House OKs Iraq troop withdrawal bill

Discussion: MSNBC, Captain's Quarters, Riehl World View, Confederate Yankee, Michael P.F. van der Galiën, Hot Air, Michelle Malkin, Gateway Pundit, The American Street, The Newshoggers, Sister Toldjah, Blue Crab Boulevard, Associated Press, Liberty Street, MyDD, Tennessee Guerilla Women and The Democratic Daily

Nico / Think Progress:
David Broder's Continuing Embarrassment

Discussion: TAPPED, The Carpetbagger Report, Washington Post, Central Sanity, Cliff Schecter and Middle Earth Journal

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
I really don't know whether I find it more painful or amusing …

Discussion: The Mahablog, Booman Tribune, PoliPundit.com, Liberal Values, CorrenteWire and Althouse

R. Jeffrey Smith / Washington Post:

Political Briefings At Agencies Disclosed — White House officials conducted 20 private briefings on Republican electoral prospects in the last midterm election for senior officials in at least 15 government agencies covered by federal restrictions on partisan political activity …

Discussion: TPMmuckraker, War and Piece, The Carpetbagger Report, DownWithTyranny!, The Next Hurrah, The Gavel, At-Largely, Brilliant at Breakfast, Daily Kos, The Democratic Daily, Talking Points Memo and Middle Earth Journal

Mark / CNN Political Ticker:
Tony Snow to return to White House post next week

Discussion: The Newshoggers and IMAO

Financial Times:

Industry caught in carbon 'smokescreen' — Companies and individuals rushing to go green have been spending millions on "carbon credit" projects that yield few if any environmental benefits. — A Financial Times investigation has uncovered widespread failings in the new markets for greenhouse gases …

Discussion: Samizdata.net, Don Surber, Hot Air, Sister Toldjah and European Tribune

Jonathan Adler / The Volokh Conspiracy: CAN CARBON OFFSETS BE CONFIRMED? Many celebrities have sought …

William Glaberson / New York Times:

Court Asked to Limit Lawyers at Guantánamo — The Justice Department has asked a federal appeals court to impose tighter restrictions on the hundreds of lawyers who represent detainees at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and the request has become a central issue in a new legal battle over the administration's detention policies.

Discussion: Balkinization, the talking dog, The Swamp, WSJ.com, On Deadline and cab drollery

Jeralyn / TalkLeft:
Bush Seeks to Reduce Gitmo Detainees' Access to Counsel

Discussion: Shakesville

Mike Allen / The Politico:

McCain calls for Gonzales to resign — MANCHESTER, N.H. — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) told The Politico that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should resign, becoming the most prominent Republican to desert the White House over the bungled firing of U.S. attorneys.

Discussion: Suburban Guerrilla

Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:
Journalists and John McCain: Is The Honeymoon Really Over?

Discussion: First Read and Right Wing News

New York Times:
McCain Launches Candidacy With Bush Critique

Discussion: TIME and Brendan Nyhan

Joe Lieberman / Washington Post:

One Choice in Iraq — Last week a series of coordinated suicide bombings killed more than 170 people. The victims were not soldiers or government officials but civilians — innocent men, women and children indiscriminately murdered on their way home from work and school.

Discussion: Ezra Klein, NewsBusters.org, TalkLeft, The Strata-Sphere and State of the Day

Nancy A. Youssef / Real Cities:

U.S. officials exclude car bombs in touting drop in Iraq violence — WASHINGTON - U.S. officials who say there has been a dramatic drop in sectarian violence in Iraq since President Bush began sending more American troops into Baghdad aren't counting one of the main killers of Iraqi civilians.

Discussion: Greatscat!, Hoffmania!, The Heretik and Rising Hegemon

PBS:

APRIL 25, 2007: "Buying the War" — BILL MOYERS: Four years ago this spring the Bush administration took leave of reality and plunged our country into a war so poorly planned it soon turned into a disaster. The story of how high officials misled the country has been told.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Big Brass Blog, A Tiny Revolution and Rising Hegemon

Digby / Hullabaloo:
"Buying The War" — I noticed this odd omission this morning too.

Discussion: Salon, Firedoglake, The Huffington Post, Norwegianity, Daily Kos, Taylor Marsh, Ezra Klein and Political Animal

Nico / Think Progress:

Murtha Slams McCain Over 'Outrageous' IED Joke — In a fiery speech last night, Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) blasted Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) for joking about improvised explosive devices (IED) during his appearance on the Daily Show on Tuesday. — McCain was asked by Jon Stewart …

Associated Press: McCain's humor draws criticism again

Nedra Pickler / Associated Press:

Dems play low expectations before debate — ORANGEBURG, S.C. - For presidential hopefuls, it's called the Expectations Game. — Here's how it's played: Before a debate, rival campaigns build up the skills of their opponents while downgrading their own candidate's verbal abilities.

Discussion: The Gun Toting Liberal™

Charlene Slaughter / thetandd.com:
Debate day in Orangeburg — Media swarm SCSU before presidential debate

Discussion: The State, The Caucus and Taegan Goddard's …

Pajamas Media:

Made In Iran: A Traitor's Tale — The Islamic Republic tries to hide its involvement with "layers and layers of intermediaries," the head of a special Kurdish counter-terrorism service told PJM's Richard Miniter. While this might fool the CIA, the Kurds are not misled.

Discussion: Power Line, Chicago Boyz, Gateway Pundit and INSTAPUTZ

Linda Greenhouse / New York Times:

Supreme Court Revisits Campaign Finance Law — The Supreme Court put defenders of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law on the defensive today in a spirited argument that suggested the court could soon open a significant loophole in the measure. — At issue is a major provision …

Discussion: Washington Post, Althouse, Michael P.F. van der Galiën, Patterico's Pontifications, Don Surber and Prairie Weather

Lou Dobbs / CNN:

Big media hide truth about immigration — Editor's note: Lou Dobbs' commentary appears weekly on CNN.com. — NEW YORK (CNN) — The Bush administration and the leadership of the Democratic Party are preparing to take another legislative leap at imposing a massive illegal alien amnesty on American citizens.

Discussion: ImmigrationProf Blog, Blue Crab Boulevard, Lonewacko and Concurring Opinions