Top Items:
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 …
Discussion:
Booman Tribune, Comments From Left Field, All Spin Zone, TIME: Swampland, Taylor Marsh and NO QUARTER
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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 …
Washington Post:
Judge Won't Delay Libby's Prison Term for Appeal — A federal judge today ordered I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby to report to prison within weeks to begin serving a 30-month sentence for lying to federal investigators about his role in disclosing a covert CIA officer's identity to the media.
Discussion:
On Deadline, DownWithTyranny!, TalkLeft, Don Singleton, Wonkette, Watching Those We Chose and Balloon Juice
New York Times:
Palestinian President Dissolves Government — The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, dissolved the unity government today, dismissing the prime minister, Ismail Haniya of Hamas, and announced the establishment of a temporary emergency government until new elections can be held.
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CNN:
Palestinian leader declares state of emergency … GAZA CITY (CNN) — President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority government and declared a state of emergency Thursday after four days of fighting that has left Hamas in control of much of Gaza.
Discussion:
Times of London, Publius Pundit, BBC, Wizbang, Michael P.F. van der Galiën, Harry's Place and Daimnation!
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:
New York Times, Washington Monthly, protein wisdom, BLACKFIVE, Taylor Marsh, Neptunus Lex, The Carpetbagger Report, Hot Air, Townhall.com, ShrinkWrapped, Confederate Yankee, Betsy's Page, Captain's Quarters, Gay Patriot, Brian Beutler, The Populist, National Review, The Jawa Report, The Strata-Sphere, Don Surber, JammieWearingFool, Instapundit.com, Power Line, Iowa Voice and PoliPundit.com
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Greg Sargent / Election Central:
Politico Story Saying Reid Called Generals "Incompetent" Is Denied — One of the big stories of the day is this front-page piece in The Politico that claims that Harry Reid blasted General Peter Pace as "incompetent" and described General David Petraeus in similar terms on a recent conference call with liberal bloggers.
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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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:
New York Times, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, DownWithTyranny!, Think Progress, IraqSlogger.com, Outside The Beltway, Informed Comment, Heading Right, Agence France Presse, Power Line, The Democratic Daily, The Mahablog, The Populist, Macsmind, The Atlantic Online, BobGeiger.com, The American Mind, Central Sanity, Guardian, Angry Bear, Right Wing Nut House, The Carpetbagger Report, PoliBlog (TM), The Newshoggers, Jules Crittenden, Captain's Quarters, Comments From Left Field and State of the Day
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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.
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.
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:
CNN Political Ticker, Huffington Post, TIME: Swampland, Captain's Quarters, race42008.com and Hot Air
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Matt David / The Politico:
McCain and Romney tangle over abortion
McCain and Romney tangle over abortion
Discussion:
eyeon08.com, Patrick Ruffini, race42008.com, Political Punch, Bluey Blog and National Review
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.
Discussion:
Brian Beutler, The Atlantic Online, Middle Earth Journal, Ezra Klein and Lawyers, Guns and Money
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Chris Matthews on Fred Thompson's sexiness and smells — I've written a fair amount recently about the media's obsession with the faux-masculinity of GOP candidates in general, and the tough-guy military persona of Fred Thompson in particular, and don't have all that much to add about that specific topic at the moment.
Discussion:
Unfogged
Ezra Klein:
The Political Brain — I'm genuinely not a big fan of advice books for Democrats. Most of them strike me as very little beyond a complicated rationale for why the author's personal position is the only ideology that could construct a crushing majority in this country.
Sam Youngman / The Hill:
Obama aide wants Libby pardoned — Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) top lawyer publicly made the case yesterday for a presidential pardon for convicted White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. — Obama general counsel Robert Bauer did not ask his boss, a presidential candidate …
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 …
Discussion:
The RBC, Liberal Values, Associated Press, Ezra Klein, The Atlantic Online and Angry Bear
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 …