Top Items:
New York Times:
President Open to Benchmarks in Iraq Measure — Hours before the House approved a plan on Thursday to finance the Iraq war only through midsummer, President Bush offered his first public concession to try to resolve the impasse on war spending, acknowledging rising pressure from his own party and the public.
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CNN:
Bush open to benchmarks for Iraq … WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Bush said Thursday he will veto any bill with "haphazard, piecemeal funding," but agreed that setting benchmarks is a good way to evaluate progress in Iraq. — Bush said he has asked his chief of staff, Josh Bolten …
Shaun Mullen / The Moderate Voice:
Iraq War Dénouement: Curiouser & Curiouser — Now, I give you fair warning, either you or your head must be off, and that in about half no time! Take your choice! — From "Alice in Wonderland" — The House has approved a second Iraq war-funding bill that President Bush has vowed to veto.
Jonathan Weisman / Washington Post:
House Approves Iraq War Funding Bill
House Approves Iraq War Funding Bill
Discussion:
Associated Press, The Carpetbagger Report, Right Wing Nut House, The Impolitic, CNN, Daily Kos, Shakesville, KnoxViews and Wonkette
Garrett Epps / Salon:
Karl Rove's big election-fraud hoax — By evil chance, I spent the Saturday night before Election Day 2000 at a jolly dinner for high-level Republicans. Most of the talk over the entrees concerned why then-candidate George W. Bush had been too pusillanimous to tell the voters that Al Gore …
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Steven Mufson / Washington Post:
As Gas Prices Rise Again, Democrats Blame Big Oil — A week after U.S. gasoline prices hit a near-record $3.05 a gallon, Democrats in Congress are promoting legislation taking aim at the big oil companies, although industry experts say that the efforts aren't likely to have any effect.
Discussion:
The Glittering Eye, The Moderate Voice, ShopFloor.org, Captain's Quarters and JammieWearingFool
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Edward / Heading Right:
Understanding Commodities — Gasoline prices have jumped up again, and the Democrats want to do something about it. Not something effective, mind you — just something that proves once again that they have little understanding about commodity markets and the laws of supply and demand.
MSNBC:
Did informant aid Fort Dix plotters? — Entrapment defense may be presented in court for alleged plot against U.S. — CHERRY HILL, N.J. - He railed against the United States, helped scout out military installations for attack, offered to introduce his comrades to an arms dealer and gave …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Jihad Watch, State of the Day, Little Green Footballs, Rising Hegemon and Weasel Zippers
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Audrey Hudson / Washington Times:
Lawmaker: Fort Dix hero may need immunity — The New Jersey store clerk whose tip led to the arrest of six terror suspects needs legislative protection from being sued as a "John Doe" or whistleblower, lawmakers said yesterday. — "The events in Fort Dix are just another reminder of the need …
Ward Rubrecht / City Pages:
Gun Shy — Sipping soda from a straw and leaning on his elbows at Perkins, Troy Scheffler seems harmless enough. The 31-year-old Hamline University grad student resembles a post-Pulp Fiction John Travolta—slightly overstuffed, with graying sideburns and a small, tense smile.
Discussion:
shotinthedark.info/wp …, Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler, JunkYardBlog, protein wisdom and Classical Values
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Steven R. Weisman / New York Times:
Bush and Democrats in Accord on Trade Deals — The Bush administration reached agreement on Thursday with the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and other Democrats to attach environmental and worker protections in several pending trade accords, clearing the way for early passage of some pacts and improving prospects for others.
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Richard N. Perle / Washington Post:
How the CIA Failed America — George Tenet sets the stage in his memoir by recalling a conversation he claims to have had with me on Sept. 12, 2001: "As I walked beneath the awning that leads to the West Wing[, I] saw Richard Perle exiting the building just as I was about to enter. …
Nedra Pickler / Associated Press:
John Edwards' big ideas costly — WASHINGTON - Presidential candidate John Edwards is offering more policy proposals than any other candidate in the primary and his ideas are winning loud applause from Democratic audiences. — The question is whether other voters will cheer when they see the price tag …
Nico / Think Progress:
CBS fires Gen. Batiste over VoteVets ad. — Iraq veteran Gen. John Batiste "has been asked to leave his position as a consultant to CBS News" over a new VoteVets ad criticizing the Iraq war. He was interviewed tonight by MSNBC's Keith Olbermann. Watch it: — Digg It! — The URI to TrackBack this entry is:
Discussion:
Shakesville, Eschaton, The Agonist, Brilliant at Breakfast, Booman Tribune and Kiko's House
The Atlantic Online:
Delicate Flowers — I was at a big old get together yesterday evening featuring some people from the blogosphere, some old media types, folks with old media origins who now do some new media work, folks with new media origins who now work for MSM outlets, and even some people who aren't journalists …
Washington Post:
Edwards Says He Didn't Know About Subprime Push — The hedge fund that employed John Edwards markedly expanded its subprime lending business while he worked there, becoming a major player in the high-risk mortgage sector Edwards has pilloried in his presidential campaign.
Kimberley A. Strassel / Opinion Journal:
Canadian Drugs, Eh? — Washington fights over an unwanted program. — Listen to Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe discuss importing drugs from Canada, and you'll hear endless happy talk about "more competitive prices," "substantial savings" and how "crucial" reimportation is to "the American consumer."