Top Items:
Opinion Journal:
World Bank Justice — Wolfowitz's resignation offers a window into a corrupt institution. — So after weeks of nasty leaks and media smears, the World Bank's board of executive directors yesterday cleared President Paul Wolfowitz of ethical misconduct for following the board's own advice …
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, Washington Post, Neptunus Lex, The American Mind, Betsy's Page, Power Line and On Deadline
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Steven R. Weisman / New York Times:
Wolfowitz Resigns From World Bank — Paul D. Wolfowitz, ending a furor over favoritism that blew up into a global fight over American leadership, announced his resignation as president of the World Bank Thursday evening after the bank's board accepted his claim that his mistakes at the bank were made in good faith.
Steven R. Weisman / New York Times:
How Battles at Bank Ended 'Second Chance' at a Career — Paul D. Wolfowitz was ready to move on from the Pentagon in early 2005. He had been thwarted in his effort to become defense secretary or national security adviser. And the war in Iraq had deteriorated.
Karen DeYoung / Washington Post:
For Washington Insider, Job Was an Uneasy Fit — As he prepared to assume the World Bank presidency in the spring of 2005, Paul D. Wolfowitz reached out to the bank's skeptical senior managers. In informal meetings, he took copious notes and asked respectful questions.
Discussion:
Slate
Douglas W. Kmiec / Washington Post:
Testimony in a Teacup — What's Overlooked in Comey's Histrionics — James Comey's Senate testimony on Tuesday was staggeringly histrionic. It has, as Sen. Arlen Specter suggested, the dramatic flair of the Saturday Night Massacre. Presidential emissaries seeking the signature …
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Marty Lederman / Balkinization:
Is This the Best the Administration's Surrogates Can Do? (with speculation about why the White House was so eager to obtain Ashcroft's signature) — Doug Kmiec, head of OLC at the end of the Reagan Administration, has a profoundly misguided Op-Ed in tomorrow's Washington Post in which he tries …
New York Times:
Senate Democrats Plan a Resolution on Gonzales — Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales's standing in Congress weakened further on Thursday as Senate Democrats arranged to hold a no-confidence vote and the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee predicted that the furor …
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Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
Just the Two of Us — For President Bush, the sensation must have been akin to watching his own funeral. — Bush's closest ally, Tony Blair, was on his final visit to the White House before the British prime minister, now deeply unpopular, leaves office.
Discussion:
New York Times
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Fred Thompson / Pajamas Media:
First Blogger? — Since the '04 Howard Dean campaign, the Internet has been seen as fertile ground for presidential candidates. But the advent of a possible candidacy by former Senator Fred Thompson could take online politics to a new level. In this exclusive article for Pajamas Media …
David Saltonstall / NY Daily News:
In Rudy's heart & on payroll — Judith Giuliani got $125G to craft speeches — Being Mrs. Rudy Giuliani can't be easy, but at least it pays well - about $10,000 a month. — A day after the former mayor disclosed in federal filings that he considers his third wife, Judith, a salaried employee …
Sam Youngman / The Hill:
McCain's missed votes on Iraq trigger Reid rebuke — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is the only presidential candidate in Congress to have missed a major vote on the Iraq war this year, and his absences are not sitting well with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).
Peggy Noonan / Opinion Journal:
The Man Who Wasn't There — Fred Thompson isn't yet running, but he's running a great campaign. — Having watched the second Republican debate the other night, it's clear to me the subject today is Fred Thompson, the man who wasn't there. While the other candidates bang away earnestly …
Discussion:
Instapundit.com
John Ward Anderson / Washington Post:
60 Die in Iraq; Study Warns Of Collapse — British Center Finds Country Close to Being a 'Failed State' — More than 60 people were killed and dozens wounded in mortar strikes, drive-by shootings, roadside explosions, suicide bombings and other violent attacks in Iraq on Thursday …
Steven Erlanger / New York Times:
8 Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza Kill at Least 7 — Palestinians fled Thursday after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. The attack was among four by Israel that killed at least three Palestinians and were aimed at the Hamas military wing and the Hamas-dominated Executive Force police unit.
Patrick O'Connor / The Politico:
Murtha accused of rules violation — Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) threatened to deny any further spending projects to a Republican who challenged him over an earmark, his antagonist has charged — a potential violation of House rules. — Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) had challenged money …
Washington Wire:
Edwards's Hedge-Fund Tie Hurts Populist Campaign — John Harwood reports from the Wall Street Journal's Capital Bureau. — HEDGE-FUND MONEY fattens Edwards's wallet but hurts populist message. — The Democratic presidential candidate's $1.7 million in pay and investment income …
Discussion:
Grasping Reality …
Frank Newport / Gallup Poll:
Majorities of Republicans, conservatives, and frequent church attenders in favor — PRINCETON, NJ — A substantial majority of the American public favors the expansion of federal hate crime legislation to include crimes against people based on their gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity.