Top Items:
The Blotter:
Senior Official Linked to Escort Service Resigns — Brian Ross and Justin Rood Report: — Deputy Secretary of State Randall L. Tobias submitted his resignation Friday, one day after confirming to ABC News that he had been a customer of a Washington, D.C. escort service whose owner …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, The Carpetbagger Report, Michelle Malkin, Pam's House Blend, Brilliant at Breakfast, On Deadline, Macsmind, Shakesville, State of the Day, Tennessee Guerilla Women, AMERICAblog, US Department of State, Cliff Schecter, The Impolitic, The Gist, theGarance.com, The Democratic Daily and Comments From Left Field
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Glenn Kessler / Washington Post:
Rice Deputy Quits After Query Over Escort Service — Randall Tobias Oversaw U.S. Foreign Aid Programs — Randall L. Tobias, the deputy secretary of state responsible for U.S. foreign aid, abruptly resigned yesterday after he was asked about an upscale escort service allegedly involved in prostitution, U.S. government sources said.
Discussion:
Norwegianity
Real Cities:
Annual terrorism report will show 29% rise in attacks — WASHINGTON - A State Department report on terrorism due out next week will show a nearly 30 percent increase in terrorist attacks worldwide in 2006 to more than 14,000, almost all of the boost due to growing violence in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. officials said Friday.
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
As noted below, the 'DC Madam' scandal has now brought down its first big-name DC political figure: Randall Tobias, until about four o'clock this afternoon the head of the US Agency for International Development and Director of US Foreign Assistance at the State Department.
Matthew L. Wald / New York Times:
Federal Official Resigns in Escort Service Inquiry — The head of the Agency for International Development, Randall L. Tobias, resigned abruptly on Friday for what he said were "personal reasons," but an administration official said Mr. Tobias's name had come up in an investigation of a suspected Washington prostitution ring.
Scott Shane / New York Times:
Former C.I.A. Chief's Memoir Irritates Some High-Ranking Readers — In January 2002, George J. Tenet, the man who oversaw all American spy agencies, was asked by a visiting Italian intelligence official what he knew about United States officials making contact with exiled Iranian opposition figures.
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Captain's Quarters
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Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:
US Raids Capture AQI Terrorists, Iranian Weapons — A day after the Pentagon announced the capture of al-Qaeda mastermind Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi, US forces in Iraq captured a number of AQI terrorists in a series of raids. They also found and detonated a truck bomb and discovered a cache of Iranian arms south of Baghdad:
Discussion:
Hyscience
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
A genuine political sea change? — There were two seemingly unrelated incidents this week which, taken together, reflect some extremely important political developments. — First was the amazing letter to The Washington Post jointly sent by all 50 Democratic Senators other than Harry Reid …
Karen DeYoung / Washington Post:
Tenet Details Efforts to Justify Invading Iraq — Former CIA Director Says White House Focused on the Idea Long Before 9/11 — White House and Pentagon officials, and particularly Vice President Cheney, were determined to attack Iraq from the first days of the Bush administration …
Times of London:7/7 'mastermind' is seized in Iraq
Discussion:
The Jawa Report, Don Surber, Atlas Shrugs, War and Piece, INSTAPUTZ, Instapundit.com, The Strata-Sphere, Secular Blasphemy, TalkLeft and Weasel Zippers
Hindrocket / Power Line:TRIFECTA — Yesterday's British newspapers had more information …
Discussion:
THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS
Dan Balz / Washington Post:
Clinton Campaign Tries to Keep Heat on Obama Over Debate Response — The first Democratic presidential debate did little to change the shape of the 2008 race, but it provided a post-debate flash point Friday between the campaigns of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton …
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Washington Post:
Mr. Obama's Worldview — BARACK OBAMA, who has been chided for failing to supplement his inspiring rhetoric as a presidential candidate with substantive stands on issues, took an important step this week toward correcting the deficiency. In a 40-minute address to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs …
David E. Sanger / New York Times:
The White House Scales Back Talk of Iraq Progress — The Bush administration will not try to assess whether the troop increase in Iraq is producing signs of political progress or greater security until September, and many of Mr. Bush's top advisers now anticipate that any gains by then will be limited …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Daily Dish, The Impolitic, Think Progress, The Newshoggers, Whiskey Fire and AMERICAblog
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Kevin Drum / Political Animal:NO LIGHT IN THE TUNNEL....Is it a surge or an escalation?
Discussion:
TalkLeft
Alan M. Dershowitz / Front Page Magazine:
The Real Jimmy Carter — I have known Jimmy Carter for years. I first met him in the spring of 1976 when, as a relatively unknown candidate for president, he sent me a handwritten letter asking for my help in his campaign on issues of crime and justice. I had just published an article …
Discussion:
THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Little Green Footballs, Blue Crab Boulevard, protein wisdom and QandO
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Washington Post:
Political Appointees No Longer to Pick Justice Interns — The Justice Department is removing political appointees from the hiring process for rookie lawyers and summer interns, amid allegations that the Bush administration had rigged the programs in favor of candidates with connections …
Discussion:
The Next Hurrah
AcademicElephant / Redstate:
Special Events — A TRUE SOURCE OF INSPIRATION — Most of the socializing goes on around here late in the evening out in the smoking pit—a somewhat dicey collection of old office chairs and plastic pool furniture outside the renovated parking garage that is our home.
Digby / Hullabaloo:
Bulletproof? — I hear from John at Crooks and Liars that old Rush is feeling some heat for his Minstrel Show. Apparently some people have had it up to here with rich, white jackasses making millions on the radio demeaning black folks for the amusement of their white neanderthal audience.
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