Top Items:
Ann Scott Tyson / Washington Post:
No Drop in Iraq Violence Seen Since Troop Buildup — Three months into the new U.S. military strategy that has sent tens of thousands of additional troops into Iraq, overall levels of violence in the country have not decreased, as attacks have shifted away from Baghdad and Anbar …
Discussion:
Think Progress, Power Line, Heading Right, Informed Comment, Outside The Beltway, The Mahablog, Captain's Quarters, IraqSlogger.com, Macsmind, The American Mind, The Atlantic Online, The Populist, BobGeiger.com, Right Wing Nut House, Angry Bear, Jules Crittenden, The Carpetbagger Report, The Newshoggers, PoliBlog (TM), Central Sanity, Comments From Left Field, State of the Day, Balloon Juice, The Fourth Rail and On Deadline
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USA Today:
Petraeus says security crackdown working — BAGHDAD — When Gen. David Petraeus drives through the streets of Iraq's capital, he sees "astonishing signs of normalcy" in half, perhaps two-thirds of Baghdad. — "I'm talking about professional soccer leagues with real grass field stadiums …
John Bresnahan / The Politico:
Reid labels military leader 'incompetent' — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, "incompetent" during an interview Tuesday with a group of liberal bloggers, a comment that was never reported.
Discussion:
Senator Bill Frist, protein wisdom, Townhall.com, The Jawa Report, Washington Monthly, Betsy's Page, Hot Air, Captain's Quarters, Confederate Yankee, ShrinkWrapped, Taylor Marsh, Neptunus Lex, The Populist, Brian Beutler, BLACKFIVE, JammieWearingFool, National Review, Gay Patriot, Don Surber, The Strata-Sphere, Power Line, Instapundit.com, Iowa Voice and PoliPundit.com
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Pachacutec / Firedoglake:
Libby Loses Liberty — Walton: As a prelude to my ruling, the fact that I've written lengthy decisions does not suggest I think an issue is close. We are expected to give significant consideration to what we do. My effort is to try to get it right, so this is why I tke my time so length does …
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Pachacutec / Firedoglake:
Sentencing Scooter Live Blog Part I — This morning we have the hearing as to whether or not Scooter Libby will be free on bond pending the outcome of his appeal. — For us lay people, here's the essential legal landscape: — Judge Walton has already said he is disinclined to leave Libby free …
New York Times:
Hamas Moves Close to Full Control of Gaza — The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, faced the further collapse of his power in Gaza today as fierce clashes continued and Hamas fighters took over the headquarters of Fatah's Preventive Security forces and the military intelligence building in Gaza City.
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Associated Press:
Key security HQ in Gaza City, last Fatah stronghold, falls — Hamas fighters overran Fatah-allied Preventive Security headquarters in Gaza City on Thursday, a key target in their battle to control the entire Gaza Strip, witnesses and a security agency official said.
Discussion:
Conflict Blotter, Power Line, New York Times, Confederate Yankee, QandO, Captain's Quarters, Jihad Watch, Blue Crab Boulevard and Telegraph
James Taranto / Opinion Journal:
Best of the Web — Today's Videos on WSJ.com: Dan Henninger on the F—
Best of the Web — Today's Videos on WSJ.com: Dan Henninger on the F—
Frank Phillips / Boston Globe:
Legislators vote to defeat same-sex marriage ban — A proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage was defeated today by a joint session of the Legislature by a vote of 45 to 151, eliminating any chance of getting it on the ballot in November 2008. At least 50 votes were needed to advance the measure.
Discussion:
Reason Magazine, Watching Those We Chose, Pam's House Blend, Pandagon and Daily. Gay. News.
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Roger Friedman / Fox News:
Angelina Jolie's Freedom of Press, on Her Terms — Odds 'n' Ends — Angelina Jolie's Freedom of Press, on Her Terms — Angelina Jolie's true colors came out Wednesday as she promoted a film about freedom of the press and then tried to censor all her interviews.
Discussion:
Wizbang, Iowa Voice, Boing Boing, NewsBusters.org, Romenesko, Blue Crab Boulevard and Central Sanity
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Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:
Do As I Say, Hollywood Style — Angelina Jolie has begun promoting …
Do As I Say, Hollywood Style — Angelina Jolie has begun promoting …
Discussion:
alicublog
John Hawkins / Right Wing News:
The Inside Story On What's Happening With The Senate Immigration Bill — Yesterday, a GOP aide, who is one of my sources in the Senate, gave me the rundown on what's happening with the Senate immigration bill (this is the same person who I talked to last week about the bill).
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Michael Abramowitz / Washington Post:
Bush Calls on GOP Support for Immigration Bill
Bush Calls on GOP Support for Immigration Bill
Discussion:
Bluey Blog
Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:
Former Chairman of G.O.P. Will Join Bush's Inner Circle — Ed Gillespie, a prominent Washington lobbyist, former chairman of the Republican National Committee and longtime adviser to President Bush, will join the White House inner circle as the next counselor to the president, Mr. Bush said Wednesday.
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ABCNEWS:
Edwards to Detail Health Care Plan — Presidential Candidate John Edwards to Announce Details of Health Care Overhaul Plan — Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards wants to reduce the cost of U.S. health care by removing patents for breakthrough drugs and requiring health insurance companies …
Vaclav Klaus / Financial Times:
Freedom, not climate, is at risk — We are living in strange times. One exceptionally warm winter is enough - irrespective of the fact that in the course of the 20th century the global temperature increased only by .6 per cent - for the environmentalists and their followers to suggest radical measures …
Washington Post:
Judge to Rule on Libby's Request to Remain Free Pending Appeal — The federal judge presiding over the trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby is scheduled to decide today whether Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff must report to prison within weeks to begin serving a 30-month sentence …
Ben Smith / The Politico:
All Hillary, all positive, all the time — Not long ago, a campaign had a couple of options for getting out word of a big endorsement: a press release to political reporters, or maybe a calculated leak to a big local paper. — But Wednesday morning, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign broke …
Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
McCain buys anti-Romney URL — In another sign of John McCain's plan to assault former Mitt Romney over his alleged flip-flops, the Arizona senator's campaign has purchased the website "www.mittvsfact.com" and will launch it in the coming weeks as a compendium of what they say are the former governor's differing stances.
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters, CNN Political Ticker, Huffington Post, race42008.com, Hot Air and National Review
Dan Eggen / Washington Post:
DOJ Investigates if Gonzales Tried to Influence Aide's Testimony — The Justice Department is investigating whether Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales sought to influence the testimony of a departing senior aide during a March meeting in Gonzales's office, according to correspondence released today.
Discussion:
TPMmuckraker
CBN.com:
Brody File Exclusive: Fred Thompson Abortion Questionnaire — The Brody File has in its' possession a Tennesseans for Choice questionnaire filled out by Fred Thompson. It was provided to The Brody File by a rival campaign. In it, he answers "no" when asked if he favors criminalizing abortion.
John Solomon / Washington Post:
FBI Finds It Frequently Overstepped in Collecting Data — An internal FBI audit has found that the bureau potentially violated the law or agency rules more than 1,000 times while collecting data about domestic phone calls, e-mails and financial transactions in recent years …
Ezra Klein / American Prospect:
Let's Get Serious — What do liberal hawks actually want to do regarding Iran? — "Faced with the choice between changing one's mind and proving that there is no need to do so," said John Kenneth Galbraith, "almost everyone gets busy on the proof." — Today's liberal hawks are engaged in a slightly subtler game.