Top Items:
Dan Balz / Washington Post:
A Failure of Leadership in a Flawed Political Culture — The collapse of comprehensive immigration revision in the Senate last night represents a political defeat for President Bush, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), the bill's most prominent sponsors.
Discussion:
The Politico, Stubborn Facts, Taylor Marsh, Hot Air, The Caucus, Washington Times, Betsy's Page, Steve Sailer, Blue Crab Boulevard and Associated Press
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New York Times:
Immigrant Bill, Short 15 Votes, Stalls in Senate — The sweeping immigration overhaul endorsed by President Bush crumbled in the Senate on Thursday night, leaving the future of one of the administration's chief domestic priorities in serious doubt. — After a day of tension and fruitless maneuvering …
Matthew Mosk / Washington Post:
Defections to Fred Thompson Pose a Major Threat to McCain — John Dowd represented Sen. John McCain in his darkest hour, the "Keating Five" scandal. He supported McCain the first time he ran for president in 2000 and signed up to be a major fundraiser for him in this year's presidential race.
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters, Redstate, MSNBC, TIME, Townhall.com, On Deadline and Beltway Blogroll
John Hawkins / Right Wing News:
The Inside Story Of How The Senate Immigration Bill Died — A GOP Aide, who's one of my sources in the Senate, gave me the rundown on what happened to the Senate bill today. — After the 2nd cloture vote failure at noon on Thursday, Harry Reid could not get unanimous consent to call …
Discussion:
Townhall.com, Shakesville, The Young Turks, The Moderate Voice, Michael P.F. van der Galiën, Sister Toldjah and IMAO
Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
Two Years of Humble Pie — In Britain, Canada and other civilized places, national elections are often called, run and concluded within six weeks. In America, election campaigns go on forever. It used to be one year, now it's two. No one planned this, but like other evolutionary artifacts …
Fouad Ajami / Opinion Journal:
Fallen Soldier — Mr. President, do not leave this man behind. — Mr. President, some weeks ago, I wrote a letter of appeal, a character reference, to Judge Reggie B. Walton, urging leniency for I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Scooter, I said, has seen the undoing of his world, but he comes before a …
Discussion:
The Anonymous Liberal, Power Line, Eunomia, Unqualified Offerings, Brendan Nyhan and National Review
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New York Times:
It's Subpoena Time — For months, senators have listened to a parade of well-coached Justice Department witnesses claiming to know nothing about how nine prosecutors were chosen for firing. This week, it was the turn of Bradley Schlozman, a former federal attorney in Missouri, to be uninformative and not credible.
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Jill Gardiner / New York Sun:
Peace Corps Is Edwards Terror Plan — Senator Edwards is outlining a new national security strategy that hinges on the creation of a 10,000-person civilian peace corps to stem the tide of terrorism in weak and unstable countries. — Mr. Edwards's plan, which he presented in Manhattan yesterday …
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Gregory / The Belgravia Dispatch:
WILY VLADIMIR — PUTIN TO BUSH: So, what's so special about putting the interceptors in Poland? (Putin and Bush comment here). — Putin, I think it's fair to say, rather outmaneuvered Bush on this issue at the G-8 meeting, first by making the case there's nothing particularly magic …
Discussion:
White House
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Muckraked:
Turning the Page: The Real Che? — He's the ultimate symbol of radical chic but was Che Guevara really a homophobic, racist square who personally ordered the jailing and executions of innocent men, women and children? — That's according to Humberto Fontova, the author of …
Discussion:
Hot Air
Keith Bradsher / New York Times:
Rise in China's Pork Prices Signals End to Cheap Output — Few things are as essential to the Chinese as their pigs. — From pork spare ribs and mu shu pork to char siu bao — barbecued pork buns — pork is a staple of the Chinese diet. So in this Year of the Pig, an acute shortage …
Stephen Benjamin / New York Times:
Don't Ask, Don't Translate — IMAGINE for a moment an American soldier deep in the Iraqi desert. His unit is about to head out when he receives a cable detailing an insurgent ambush right in his convoy's path. With this information, he and his soldiers are now prepared for the danger that lies ahead.
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
[TS] Op-Ed Columnist: Lies, Sighs and Politics — If early campaign reporting is any guide, the bad media habits that helped install the worst president ever in the White House haven't changed a bit.
Shailagh Murray / Washington Post:
Careful Strategy Is Used to Derail Immigration Bill — Two weeks ago, when the immigration bill landed on the Senate floor, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) voted against an amendment that targeted one of its key provisions: a guest-worker program that President Bush and many U.S. companies have sought for years.
Marc Kaufman / Washington Post:
Complaints Heard About NASA Inspector General — Former top associates of embattled NASA Inspector General Robert "Moose" Cobb accused him in an unusual House-Senate congressional inquiry yesterday of being abusive, vulgar, unprofessional and seemingly beholden to top management of the agency he oversees.
Discussion:
Balloon Juice