memeorandum: US plans 'Vatican-sized' Iraq embassy (Ed Pilkington/Guardian)

12:25 PM ET, May 21, 2007

Top Items:

Don't Run for the Border — America needs comprehensive immigration reform, but not a law enacted in haste. — It's understandable that the White House and its Senate negotiating partners want to rush through the compromise immigration bill they agreed to Thursday.

Discussion: The Truth Laid Bear, Heritage Foundation, American Spectator, Betsy's Page, QandO and Macsmind

Washington Times:

Few senators support the illegals bill — Fewer than 20 senators are publicly committed to supporting the immigration deal that hits the Senate floor today while nearly 40 are already opposed or have serious concerns, underscoring how difficult it will be for President Bush and his allies to craft a coalition that can pass the bill.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, National Review, Hot Air and Don Surber

Chitra Ragavan / US News:

Getting in Deeper... Another week reveals more lapses in judgment by the Bush team — For months, congressional Democrats have tried to force embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales out of his job by using what one congressional source called "conventional weapons"-incriminating E-mails …

Discussion: The Next Hurrah and Talking Points Memo

The New / New York Times:
G.O.P. Senator Says Gonzales Might Quit

Discussion: Firedoglake, All Spin Zone, Crooks and Liars and Air America Radio

ABCNEWS:
Key GOP Senator: Gonzales May Resign to Avoid Vote

Discussion: NION and TalkLeft

Sen. John McCain / MSNBC:

'Meet the Press' transcript for May 20, 2007 — MR. TIM RUSSERT: Our issues this Sunday: Should the United States set a firm deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq? Yes, says Democratic presidential candidate Senator Chris Dodd. No says possible Republican presidential candidate and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Discussion: LiberalOasis, The Carpetbagger Report, DonkeyRising, Campaign for America's … and Weekly Standard

Michael D. Shear / Washington Post:
Gingrich gives salute to Falwell

Discussion: Reason Magazine, Shakesville, The Reaction, TAPPED, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, Talking Points Memo, TPMCafe blogs and The Carpetbagger Report

Jose Antonio Vargas / Washington Post:

Online, GOP Is Playing Catch-Up — When David All, a former Republican congressional aide, launched a blog recently that he hopes will spur his fellow Republicans to bridge the digital divide, he did his best to sound upbeat. "Today our Revolution begins," he wrote. "Tomorrow we fight."

Discussion: Townhall.com, Chicago Tribune, Norwegianity, TIME, The Atlantic Online, Oliver Willis, Liberal Values, Prairie Weather and the david all group

Raleigh News & Observer:
Edwards blazes trail on Internet

Discussion: John Edwards '08 Blog

Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:

Interviews, Going the Way of the Linotype? — The humble interview, the linchpin of journalism for centuries, is under assault. — It is a transaction that clearly favors the person asking the questions. A print reporter writes down someone's answers, then picks and chooses how much …

Discussion: BuzzMachine and mediabistro.com

Jay Rosen / PressThink: Howard Kurtz Sez: "The humble interview, the linchpin of journalism …

Des Moines Register:

Mitt Romney leads Republicans — Mitt Romney has sprinted ahead of presidential competitors John McCain and Rudy Giuliani in a new Iowa Poll of likely Republican caucus participants. — The Des Moines Register poll shows Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, is the top choice of 30 percent …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, The Politico, Outside The Beltway, TIME: Swampland, The American Mind and GOPProgress.com

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Romney Making Gains in Iowa

Discussion: Power Line

New York Times:

Editorial: Why This Scandal Matters — As Monica Goodling, a key player in the United States attorney scandal, prepares to testify before Congress on Wednesday, the administration's strategy is clear. It has offered up implausible excuses, hidden the most damaging evidence and feigned memory lapses …

Discussion: AMERICAblog, Norwegianity, Middle Earth Journal and Law Blog

Sean Cockerham / The Olympian:
McKay suggests cover-up in prosecutor case

Discussion: Election Law

Jonathan Spyer / Jerusalem Post:

Analysis: Why might Syria wish to sow chaos in Lebanon now? — Thirty eight people lost their lives on Sunday in fierce fighting between the Lebanese military and Sunni jihadist operatives near the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp, close to the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli.

Discussion: Across the Bay, Taylor Marsh, Hot Air, Associated Press, From Beirut to the Beltway and Gateway Pundit

Newt Gingrich / Winning the Future:

Liberty University Commencement Address — Jerry Falwell, Jr., Jonathan Falwell, Dr. Godwin, Provost Rist, members of the Board, faculty, administrators, distinguished guests, and, most of all, the Graduating Class of 2007. As I look out upon you I am deeply grateful to Dr. Falwell …

Discussion: Firedoglake

Nico / Think Progress: Gingrich Cites 'Opportunity' To 'Convert All Of America' To Fundamentalism

Ze'ev Schiff / Haaretz:

U.S. policy turnabout may enable Israel to enter talks with Syria — Washington has given Israel the green light to accept Syrian President Bashar Assad's call for peace talks, in a change of position accompanied by several preconditions. — The Bush administration has given Israel permission …

Discussion: The Impolitic, The Belgravia Dispatch and The Atlantic Online

Sarah Lyall / New York Times:

Gay Britons Serve in Military With Little Fuss, as Predicted Discord Does Not Occur — The officer, a squadron leader in the Royal Air Force, felt he had no choice. So he stood up in front of his squad of 30 to 40 people. — "I said, 'Right, I've got something to tell you,' " he said.

Discussion: The Sideshow, Shakesville and Think Progress

New York Times:

Emphasis Shifts for New Breed of Evangelicals — The evangelical Christian movement, which has been pivotal in reshaping the country's political landscape since the 1980s, has shifted in potentially momentous ways in recent years, broadening its agenda and exposing new fissures.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Hot Air and Chicago Tribune

Paul Richter / Los Angeles Times:

Iraqi leadership's failures raise pressure on U.S. — Congress may push for the premier's ouster in the coming months if no progress is made toward its 'benchmarks.' — WASHINGTON — As Iraq's government compiles a record of failure, the Bush administration is under growing pressure …

Discussion: Scotsman

Ed Pilkington / Guardian:

US plans 'Vatican-sized' Iraq embassy — When the idea of building a new US embassy in Baghdad was first mooted by the American administration in the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq, there seemed to be a grandiose logic to it. — The compound, by the side of the Tigris …

Discussion: AMERICAblog, Brilliant at Breakfast, Telegraph and Rising Hegemon

Associated Press:

Mosque threatens Jihad against Pakistan gov't — A defiant cleric warned Pakistan authorities that a raid on his mosque where two policemen are being held captive by radical Islamic students would lead to a holy war against the government, as police detained dozens of students.

Discussion: Michael P.F. van der Galiën

Multi-National Force:

Iraqi Security Forces repel attacks in Mosul — BAGHDAD — Iraqi Security Forces repelled a large-scale terrorist attack in Mosul Wednesday. — Iraqi Security Forces countered several terrorists who targeted bridges, transition jails, police stations and a combat outpost …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Pajamas Media, IRAQ THE MODEL and The Fourth Rail

Joe Garofoli / San Francisco Chronicle:

Chronicle to cut 25% of jobs in newsroom — To cut costs and try to adapt to a changing media marketplace, The Chronicle will trim 25 percent of its newsroom staff by the end of the summer. — "This is one of the biggest one-time hits we've heard about anywhere in the country," …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Attytood and Calitics

Darryl Fears / Washington Post:

Discord on the Immigration Accord — Groups on Both Sides Plan to Challenge Senate Compromise — There is little doubt about how grass-roots organizations feel about a bipartisan immigration compromise reached in the Senate: They don't like it. — The New York Immigration Coalition issued …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Majikthise, bRight & Early and Cato Institute

Gene Sperling / Bloomberg:

Rangel Passes Up Payback to Get Trade Deal Done: Gene Sperling — Charles Rangel never got the memo. — Such a memo might have said: Now that you are chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee following the Democratic sweep of Congress last year, it's time for partisanship and payback.

Discussion: Sirotablog and WorkingForChange