Top Items:
William Branigin / Washington Post:
No-Confidence Resolution Against Gonzales Fails in Senate — Senate Republicans today derailed a Democratic resolution expressing no confidence in Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, refusing to cut off debate on a measure they denounced as a meaningless political stunt.
RELATED:
Leader's Journal releases of democrats:
Americans Have Lost Confidence in the Attorney General — Today, every Senator will have the opportunity to go on record and either approve or disapprove of the performance of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Gonzales has repeatedly shown that he lacks the leadership necessary to run the Justice Department.
New York Times:
No-Confidence Vote on Gonzales Fails in the Senate — Senate Democrats fell short this afternoon in their effort to hold a vote of no confidence in Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales but still registered a strong, if symbolic, rebuke of the nation's chief law enforcement officer.
Discussion:
Washington Post
The Raw Story:
Gonzales 'no confidence' vote fails; 7 GOP switched sides — The New York Democrat raised the point while responding to an effort by Senate Republicans to argue that Schumer was committing a conflict of interest by investigating the Justice Department in the Judiciary Committee while also leading …
Emptywheel / The Next Hurrah:
Joe Chooses His New Friend, Karl Rove, Over the Rule of Law — Between Joe Lieberman's calls to bomb Iran over the weekend, and his no vote on the no confidence resolution against Alberto Gonzales today, we have hit the final straws in Joe Lieberman's little dance with the dark side.
Adam Liptak / New York Times:
Appeals Court Orders Enemy Combatant Free by Military — In a stinging rejection of one of the Bush administration's central assertions about the scope of executive authority to combat terrorism, a federal appeals court ordered the Pentagon to release a man being held as an enemy combatant.
RELATED:
Marty Lederman / Balkinization:
al-Marri Reactions I — The Hidden Alternative Holding (Surprise — It's About Abusive Interrogation!) — The principal merits holding in the court of appeals' opinion today in al-Marri is that Congress has not authorized the indefinite military detention of a person who is (i) …
Lyle Denniston / SCOTUSblog:
President denied authority to detain civilians in U.S. — UPDATE at 3:15 p.m. The Justice Department said on Monday that it will ask the full 12-member Fourth Circuit Court to reconsider en banc the panel decision in Al-Marri v. Wright (Circuit docket 06-7427).
Carol D. Leonnig / Washington Post:
Federal Court Rules in Favor of 'Enemy Combatant' — A federal appeals court today ruled that the U.S. government cannot indefinitely imprison a U.S. resident on suspicion alone, and ordered the military to either charge Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri with his alleged terrorist crimes in a civilian court or release him.
Discussion:
Obsidian Wings
Frank Newport / Gallup Poll:
Majority of Republicans Doubt Theory of Evolution — More Americans accept theory of creationism than evolution — PRINCETON, NJ — The majority of Republicans in the United States do not believe the theory of evolution is true and do not believe that humans evolved over millions of years from less advanced forms of life.
RELATED:
Cernig / The Newshoggers:
Retrocessive Intellectual Evolution — This has to be one of the saddest things I've read all week: … It is sad because it is entirely symptomatic of the lazy thinking that infests too many issues. It has become de rigeur to ignore nuanced or complex positions in favor of simplistic narratives …
Mudcat / TIME: Swampland:
Go Ahead And Shoot At Me — I woke up this morning and was going to start my stint as a guest correspondent by trying to kick up a dialogue on how my people in rural America are getting screwed into the stone ages. As an inexperienced blogger (I think this is the third time I've posted anything) …
Washington Times:
CAIR membership plummets — ONLINE EXCLUSIVE / DEVELOPING: — Membership in the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has declined more than 90 percent since the 2001 terrorist attacks, Audrey Hudson will report in Tuesday's editions of The Washington Times.
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters, Power Line, The Belmont Club, The Jawa Report, Atlas Shrugs and Jihad Watch
Meghan O'Rourke / Slate:
Diamonds Are a Girl's Worst Friend — THE TROUBLE WITH ENGAGEMENT RINGS. — The retail fantasy known as a "traditional" American wedding comprises many delicious absurdities, ranging from personalized wedding stamps to ring pillows designed for dogs to favors like "Love Mints."
Patricia Cohen / New York Times:
Richard Rorty, Philosopher, Dies at 75 — Richard Rorty, whose inventive work on philosophy, politics, literary theory and more made him one of the world's most influential contemporary thinkers, died Friday in Palo Alto, Calif. He was 75. — The cause was complications from pancreatic cancer, said his wife, Mary Varney Rorty.
Discussion:
Greg Mankiw's Blog, Reason Magazine, The Coffee House, The Atlantic Online, Marginal Revolution and Power Line
Inside Higher Ed:
DePaul Rejects Finkelstein — DePaul University on Friday formally denied tenure to Norman G. Finkelstein, who has taught political science there while attracting an international following — of both fans and critics — for his attacks on Israeli policies and the "Holocaust industry."