Top Items:
Washington Post:
Blasts Destroy Remnants of Samarra Shiite Shrine — Early morning blasts Wednesday destroyed two minarets at the same Shiite shrine in Samarra where an attack last year demolished the mosque's gilded dome and plunged the country into a wave of deadly sectarian violence.
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Graham Bowley / New York Times:
Minarets on Shiite Shrine in Iraq Destroyed in Attack — Left, a file photo from Dec. 2003 shows intact the two minarets and the Golden Dome of the al-Askari mosque in Samarra. At right, the mosque today after the attack on the minarets. The dome was destroyed in the 2006 attack.
CNN:
U.S. official: Mosque attack may have been inside job … BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — Authorities have evidence that Wednesday's bombing of the Askariya Mosque in Samarra was an inside job, and 15 members of the Iraqi security forces have been arrested, a U.S. military official said.
Kenneth P. Vogel / The Politico:
Rivals try to deflate F. Thompson campaign — Fred Thompson has had a relatively easy ride as he has flirted with a bid for the Republican presidential nomination. His strategists have found traction promoting him as the heir to Ronald Reagan — and a conservative alternative to the top tier of the GOP field.
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Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Open thread: Fred on "The Tonight Show"; Update: Video added; Update: GOP oppo researchers start digging — If Karol's staying up for this, it must be a capital-"e" Event. Likelihood of a surprise announcement: 20%. His aides were whispering about early July, but that could have been a smokescreen to set up a surprise tonight.
Discussion:
Townhall.com, No More Mister Nice Blog, Alarming News, The Caucus, Bluey Blog and Don Surber
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Paul Kiel / TPMmuckraker:
Committees Subpoena Former Rove Aide, Miers — The House and Senate judiciary committees will issue subpoenas to former Karl Rove aide Sara Taylor and former White House counsel Harriet Miers this morning, the AP is reporting. — The subpoenas follow fast on Justice Department emails turned …
Nouri Al-Maliki / Opinion Journal:
Our Common Struggle — America had its civil war. Why expect freedom to come easy to Iraq? — BAGHDAD, Iraq—Americans keen to understand the ongoing struggle for a new Iraq can be guided by the example of their own history. In the 1860s, your country fought a great struggle of its own …
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Damien Cave / New York Times:
Iraqis Are Failing to Meet U.S. Benchmarks — Iraq's political leaders have failed to reach agreements on nearly every law that the Americans have demanded as benchmarks, despite heavy pressure from Congress, the White House and top military commanders. With only three months until progress reports …
Avi Issacharoff / Reuters:
14 Palestinians killed as Hamas nears complete Gaza conquest — At least 14 Palestinians were killed by Hamas fire Wednesday, including 13 members of Fatah, as Hamas was on the verge of completing its conquest of the Gaza Strip. — Hamas is now in control of southern, central …
Discussion:
Jerusalem Post, American Footprints, New York Times, Mere Rhetoric, Blue Crab Boulevard and The Belmont Club
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Scott Wyman / Sun-Sentinel:
Broward may cancel deal with radio station because it airs Rush Limbaugh — Rush Limbaugh has long been a thorn in the side of liberals, but now, because of him, some Democratic politicians don't even want to join with a local radio station to broadcast hurricane information.
Dennis McLellan / Los Angeles Times:
Don Herbert, 89; TV's 'Mr. Wizard' taught science to young baby boomers — Don Herbert, who explained the wonderful world of science to millions of young baby boomers on television in the 1950s and '60s as "Mr. Wizard" and did the same for another generation of youngsters on the Nickelodeon cable TV channel in the 1980s, died Tuesday.
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home.ourfuture.org:
The Progressive Majority: Why a Conservative America is a Myth — For anyone interested in where the American public really stands on the big issues that distinguish progressives from conservatives — including the issues at the forefront of today's political debates — "The Progressive Majority …
Aaron Blake / The Hill:
Coleman faces challenge from his former adviser — An Iraq war veteran and former adviser to Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) yesterday said he is considering a primary challenge against the lawmaker in 2008. — Retired Lt. Col. Joe Repya (R) lost a race for the state Republican Party chairmanship last week …
Camille Paglia / Salon:
Don't run, Al. Don't! — The self-defeating Draft Al campaign is just the tip of the Democrats' woes. Plus: Paris and Lindsay's mommy problems, and the heyday of Hollywood pizazz. — "Run, Al, run!" — This chant, according to media reports, is being heard from the crowd wherever former Vice President Al Gore speaks.
John Hawkins / Right Wing News:
The Rightosphere Temperature Check For June — Right Wing News emailed more than 240 right-of-center bloggers and asked them to answer 8 questions. The following 52 blogs responded, — Aaron's CC, The Absurd Report, The Agitator, The American Princess, Argghhhh!, AtlanticBlog, Bad Example …
Discussion:
Townhall.com, Bad Example, Argghhh!, UrbanGrounds, BitsBlog, Blogs of War and Grouchy Old Cripple
Spencer Ackerman / TPMmuckraker:
Due Process: No One's Kidding You, Tony — White House spokesman Tony Snow got incredulous at his briefing today when asked if indefinite detentions of enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay undermines President Bush's global push for democratization. Quoth Snow: "Are you kidding me?"
Janet Hook / Los Angeles Times:
Large majority supports path to citizenship — A poll finds 63% of all respondents, and 65% of Republicans, back the controversial measure. — WASHINGTON — A strong majority of Americans — including nearly two-thirds of Republicans — favor allowing illegal immigrants to become citizens …
Austin Bay / StrategyPage:
Al-Qaida Fails Sexual Politics — The U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College in Quantico, Va., now has a cultural anthropologist on its faculty. Welcome to 21st century warfare, where knowing your enemy includes knowing his myths and marriage mores, as well as his political goals and military capabilities.
Confederate Yankee:
Burning the Smoking Gun — On March 12, Thomas Harding, Defense Correspondent of the U.K. Daily Telegraph, published what many regarded as evidence of the literal "smoking gun" proving Iranian government involvement in Iraq: … Other Iranian ordnance, such as explosively-formed projectiles designed …
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