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, Captain's Quarters, The Atlantic Online, IraqSlogger.com, The American Mind, The Populist, Macsmind, BobGeiger.com, Right Wing Nut House, Crooks and Liars, Angry Bear, The Newshoggers, PoliBlog (TM), Jules Crittenden, 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 …
Tim Hames / Times of London:
Crucial Gaza security HQ falls to Hamas — James Hider in Jerusalem, Paul Martin in Rafah, and David Byers — Hamas fighters seized control of one of the last remaining headquarters of the secular Fatah movement in Gaza today, bringing the Islamists to the brink of seizing power in the wartorn strip.
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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.
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.
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—
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:
protein wisdom, Townhall.com, Washington Monthly, The Jawa Report, Betsy's Page, Confederate Yankee, Captain's Quarters, Hot Air, ShrinkWrapped, Taylor Marsh, Neptunus Lex, Brian Beutler, BLACKFIVE, JammieWearingFool, National Review, Don Surber, The Strata-Sphere, Power Line, Gay Patriot, 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 …
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.
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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
Matt Apuzzo / Washington Post:
Judge Won't Delay Libby Prison Term — The federal judge presiding over the trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby today ordered Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff to report to prison within weeks to begin serving a 30-month sentence for lying to federal investigators about his role …
Discussion:
Watching Those We Chose
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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 …
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
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.