Top Items:
Matt Stoller / MyDD:
The Capitulation Bill: "Obviously it's a good move" — The crazy thing about the fight is that Democratic insiders are convinced that capitulation is the right strategy. They actually believe that this will put pressure on the Republicans in the fall, and that standing up to Bush is a bad idea.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, The Huffington Post, Brilliant at Breakfast, Taylor Marsh, DownWithTyranny!, Balloon Juice and Daily Kos
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Carl Hulse / New York Times:
News Analysis: On War Funds, Democrats Saw No Option but to Cede Ground to Bush — Congressional contortions over the Iraq spending bill could end up with most House Democrats momentarily occupying the position they were so desperate to vacate: the minority.
Discussion:
Think Progress, The Politico, Shakesville, Jules Crittenden, MSNBC and Republic of Sestakastan
Susan Ferrechio / CQ.com:
Democrats Set Stage for Next War Debate — Before deciding to blink in the long standoff over war spending and troop withdrawal, House Democrats convinced themselves President Bush is scoring only a short-term victory. — The House is expected to send to the Senate late Thursday …
Greg Sargent / Election Central:
Dem Leadership: If We'd Confronted Bush On Iraq, White House Would Have Criticized Us — With the House set to vote on the no-timelines Iraq War funding bill later today, The New York Times provides a glimpse into the thinking among top Dems that led to the current proposal: … Oooooooooooooo, scary!
Patrick O'Connor / The Politico:
GOP slams Pelosi in new ad campaign — House Republicans have a fairly simple plan to reclaim the majority: Blame Nancy. — The National Republican Congressional Committee launches its first national advertising blitz Thursday with a drive to tie freshmen Democrats to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Mike Soraghan / The Hill:
House Democrats bracing for unpalatable Iraq vote
House Democrats bracing for unpalatable Iraq vote
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, CQ.com, Happy Furry Puppy Story …, Booman Tribune and All Spin Zone
CNN:
Bush: Expect 'heavy fighting' in Iraq this summer … WASHINGTON (CNN) — As Congress was poised to approve money for U.S. forces in Iraq on Thursday, President Bush warned Americans to expect "heavy fighting" this summer during a critical time in his war strategy.
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Dale Franks / QandO:
QUESTIONS FOR OUR LIBERAL FRIENDS — Bruce is a big boy, and certainly doesn't need me to help him out, but let's talk about Iraq for a moment. Because I have questions for people like Oliver Willis to which I'm curious to hear the answers. And I'm not asking in a snarky way. I'm honestly interested.
RELATED:
Oliver Willis:
AN ANSWER TO OUR CONSERVATIVE FRIENDS — I'm going to answer these questions posted by conservative Dale Franks here and not in their comments because I know quite a few of the cons who read my site regularly ask the same questions (and by "ask" I mean regurgitate existing talking points) …
Rose Garden / White House:
Press Conference by the President — THE PRESIDENT: Please be seated. Thank you, all. Good morning. — Today, Congress will vote on legislation that provides our troops with the funds they need. It makes clear that our Iraqi partners must demonstrate progress on security and reconciliation.
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Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Improvement in Iraq: Trust Joe Klein and his secret sources
Improvement in Iraq: Trust Joe Klein and his secret sources
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Instapundit.com, Booman Tribune, The Belmont Club, TalkLeft and Michael P.F. van der Galiën
Susan Bell / Scotsman:
Raid on spy's home 'reveals details of Chirac's secret £30m bank account' — LONG-STANDING rumours that the former French president Jacques Chirac holds a secret multi-million-euro bank account in Japan appear to have been confirmed by files seized from the home of a senior spy.
Dalia Sussman / New York Times:
POLL SHOWS OPPOSITION TO IRAQ WAR AT ALL TIME HIGH — Americans now view the war in Iraq more negatively than at any time since the war began, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll. — Six in 10 Americans say the United States should have stayed out of Iraq and more than three …
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh
RELATED:
CBS News:
CBS Poll: 76% Say War's Going Badly — Record Number In CBS/NYT Survey Say Getting Involved In Iraq Was A Mistake — (CBS) As President Bush and Congress hammer out an Iraq war funding bill, a CBS News/New York Times poll shows the number of Americans who say the war is going badly has reached a new high …
Sudarsan Raghavan / Washington Post:
Morgue Data Show Increase In Sectarian Killings in Iraq — More than three months into a U.S.-Iraqi security offensive designed to curtail sectarian violence in Baghdad and other parts of Iraq, Health Ministry statistics show that such killings are rising again.
Discussion:
Atlantic Free Press, Informed Comment, Michael P.F. van der Galiën, Balloon Juice and Truthdig
Associated Press:
U.S. military continues to discharge gay Arab linguists, and Congress members seek hearing — WASHINGTON: Lawmakers who say the military has kicked out 58 Arabic linguists because they were gay want the Pentagon to explain how it can afford to let the valuable language specialists go.
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Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Dems' panel chiefs cash in on bundling — Powerful Democratic chairmen and subcommittee chairmen have relied on lobbyists to raise money during the first three months of this year, according to recent fundraising reports, which cast light on the strong opposition to lobbying reform
Washington Post:
In the Democratic Congress, Pork Still Gets Served — 'Phonemarking' Is Among Ways Around Appropriations Process — When the new Democratic majority in the House of Representatives passed one of its first spending bills, funding the Energy Department for the rest of 2007 …
New Hampshire Union Leader:
The gambler: John McCain goes all in — FOR MONTHS, Sen. John McCain has been roughed up by critics who say the maverick senator beloved in 2000 has been replaced by a panderer willing to say anything to get the GOP nomination. Those critics are not paying attention.
Opinion Journal:
Immigration and Welfare — Most of them will pay at least as much as they collect. — The immigration debate is roaring again, and we're happy to join the fun. One place to start is a myth that has become a key talking point among restrictionists on the right—to wit …
Gateway Pundit:
Grim Milestone: War on Terror Fatalities Reach Ominous Threshold — It is not an easy decision to vote for war. — It's not easy committing your soldiers to the battlefield. — Yet, the democratic-led Congress did just that in 2002. — Surely, they knew what their vote would mean …
Washington Post:
Rules Skirted, Millions Wasted on Navy Boat Barriers — The men from al-Qaeda guided their bomb-laden skiff through the harbor and drew near the USS Cole, detonating a quarter-ton of C-4 plastic explosive that killed 17 sailors and tore a 40-foot hole in the side of the Navy destroyer.