Top Items:
Robert Burns / Associated Press:
Pentagon: Al-Qaida operative captured — WASHINGTON - The Pentagon announced Friday the capture of one of al-Qaida's most senior and most experienced operatives, an Iraqi who was trying to return to his native country when he was captured. — Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, said the captive is Abdul al-Hadi al-Iraqi.
Discussion:
The Newshoggers, Agence France Presse, No More Mister Nice Blog, Power Line, Gateway Pundit and Riehl World View
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MSNBC:
Al-Qaida official seen as major catch for U.S. — Close confidant to bin Laden, al-Zawahiri headed for Guantanamo Bay — WASHINGTON - A senior al-Qaida commander who was handed over to U.S. custody this week is believed to be a close confidant of Osama bin Laden who has provided U.S. intelligence officials …
Greyhawk / Mudville Gazette:
WHAT HE SAID — General Petraeus briefed House and Senate members this week.
WHAT HE SAID — General Petraeus briefed House and Senate members this week.
New York Times:
Ex-C.I.A. Chief, in Book, Assails Cheney on Iraq — George J. Tenet, the former director of central intelligence, has lashed out against Vice President Dick Cheney and other Bush administration officials in a new book, saying they pushed the country to war in Iraq without ever conducting a …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, David Corn, Washington Post, TPMmuckraker, Patterico's Pontifications, Hot Air, Taylor Marsh, CNN Political Ticker, The Carpetbagger Report, DallasMorningViews, Political Animal, Brilliant at Breakfast, The Mahablog, The Gun Toting Liberal™, Donklephant, The Heretik, Reason Magazine, First Read, WorkingForChange, Wonkette, On Deadline, CBS News, Rising Hegemon, AMERICAblog and Daily Kos
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Jesse Lee / The Gavel:
Oversight Committee Invites Former CIA Director to Testify — A letter (pdf): … On Wednesday the Oversight Committee approved a subpoena for testimony from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice regarding the assertion that Iraq sought to import uranium from Niger.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars
Zuzu / Feministe:
The terrorism that dare not speak its name — Why is it that the media and the government never calls the "pro-life" groups who plant bombs at women's clinics what they are: terrorists? — From the AP article, entitled "Explosive found at Austin women's clinic": … Actually, I shouldn't say "from" the AP article.
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Associated Press:
Explosive found at Austin women's clinic — AUSTIN — A package left at a women's clinic that performs abortions contained an explosive device capable of inflicting serious injury or death, investigators said today. — "It was in fact an explosive device," said David Carter, assistant chief of the Austin Police Department.
New York Times:
In Debate, Democrats Show More Unity Than Strife — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was professorial and emphatic as she spoke Thursday night about health care, Iraq and whether Wal-Mart was good for America (a "mixed blessing," she decided) . — Senator Barack Obama of Illinois …
Discussion:
Washington Post, TigerHawk, CAROLINAS' NEWS CHANNEL, Captain's Quarters, CNN Political Ticker, DonkeyRising, Time, The Democratic Daily, TIME, Althouse, My Left Wing, ABCNEWS, Instapundit.com, The Right Angle, The Moderate Voice, Shakesville, Hotline On Call, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Wake up America, The Heretik, First Read, Crooks and Liars and Reason Magazine
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Tamar Lewin / New York Times:
Dean at M.I.T. Resigns, Ending a 28-Year Lie — Marilee Jones, the dean of admissions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, became well known for urging stressed-out students competing for elite colleges to calm down and stop trying to be perfect. Yesterday she admitted …
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Kevin Drum / Political Animal:
OFF WITH HER HEAD....I'm curious: what do people think about the MIT dean story?
OFF WITH HER HEAD....I'm curious: what do people think about the MIT dean story?
Discussion:
Brian Beutler
Ryan Sager / New York Sun Politics:
Giuliani's Startling Departure — In a startling departure from his previously stated position on civil unions, Mayor Giuliani came out to The New York Sun yesterday evening in opposition to the civil union law just passed by the New Hampshire state Senate. — "Mayor Giuliani believes marriage is between one man and one woman.
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Shailagh Murray / Washington Post:
Senate Sends War Timetable To Bush's Desk — As Funding Bill Heads to Likely Veto, Talks on Revised Legislation Begin — The Senate approved a $124 billion Iraq war spending bill yesterday that would force troop withdrawals to begin as early as July 1, inviting President Bush's veto …
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Mcq / QandO:
A GUN-BANNER'S WET DREAM — After first cautioning everyone that he's not a "liberal zealot" by telling us all about his experiences with weapons, Dan Simpson regales us with how he would disarm America (this in answer to the contention that with over 200+ million guns in the US, it would be impossible).
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Real Cities:
Administration considered firing at least 12 U.S. attorneys but cut list down — WASHINGTON - Congressional sources who have seen unedited internal documents say the Bush administration considered firing at least a dozen U.S. attorneys before paring down its list to eight late last year.
Discussion:
TPMmuckraker
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al.com:
Militia raid targets weapons — Explosives, ammo found; 6 men arrested — Simultaneous raids carried out in four Alabama counties Thursday turned up truckloads of explosives and weapons, including 130 grenades, an improvised rocket launcher and 2,500 rounds of ammunition belonging to the small …
Mark Blumenthal / Pollster:
Tag Clouds for the Democratic Debate — Janet Harris, a friend and Pollster reader, sends an interesting bit of analysis she did on last night's MSNBC Democratic debate. Using the free site TagCrowd, she created a set of "tag clouds" that provides a visual depiction of the words used most often last night by each of the candidates.
Kevin Drum / Political Animal:
BLASTING THE BRASS....Lt. Col. Paul Yingling, one of the officers responsible for the Army's success in Tall Afar last year, has penned a blistering attack in the Armed Forces Journal aimed at our current military brass: … Phil Carter, who returned last year from a tour in Iraq, is impressed:
Emptywheel / The Next Hurrah:
The Documents Not Turned Over — Last night, DOJ provided Congress with a list of Kyle Sampson documents it wasn't going to turn over. They begin on December 19, not long after the firings, and continue until March 8, when Sampson resigned. The withheld emails suggest some of the key issues the WH is trying to hide, particularly:
River / riverbendblog.blogspot.com:
The Great Wall of Segregation... ...Which is the wall the current Iraqi government is building (with the support and guidance of the Americans). It's a wall that is intended to separate and isolate what is now considered the largest 'Sunni' area in Baghdad- let no one say the Americans are not building anything.
David S. Broder / Washington Post:
Straight Talking Again — Credit John McCain with one thing: When you're 70 years old, are running for president a second time and have been stumping through the country for many months, it's difficult to spring any surprises in your formal announcement speech.