memeorandum: Judo Diplomacy — The fact that Putin is adept at judo is well known and admired. (Sean Guillory/Sean's Russia Blog)

4:10 PM ET, June 16, 2007

Top Items:

Iran Strategy Stirs Debate at White House — A year after President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced a new strategy toward Iran, a behind-the-scenes debate has broken out within the administration over whether the approach has any hope of reining in Iran's nuclear program …

Discussion: The Newshoggers, The Atlantic Online, Middle Earth Journal, Corrente, CANNONFIRE and The Heretik

Robin Wright / Washington Post:

Iran Curtails Freedom In Throwback to 1979 — Iran is in the midst of a sweeping crackdown that both Iranians and U.S. analysts compare to a cultural revolution in its attempt to steer the oil-rich theocracy back to the rigid strictures of the 1979 revolution.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, The Moderate Voice, Blue Crab Boulevard, Jules Crittenden, TigerHawk and GINA COBB

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
The NYT on the administration's "debate" over whether to attack Iran

Discussion: The Newshoggers

Daniel Levy / Prospects for Peace:

What Next on Palestine: Time to Get Real — Hamas is now in control of Gaza after a cruel, if somewhat surprisingly easy, military victory over Fatah. The images coming out of the Palestinian territories have been harsh to say the least and neither side looks good to put it mildly.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, American Footprints, Conflict Blotter and A Blog For All

TigerHawk:
Palestinian civil war edition

Discussion: The Belmont Club and Conflict Blotter

Associated Press:
'Hamas was forced to take over Gaza'

Discussion: Captain's Quarters and A Blog For All

Noah Pollak / Michael J. Totten:
Iran's Victory — "The era of justice and Islamic rule has arrived."

Discussion: Power Line, Townhall.com, A Blog For All and The Belmont Club

ABCNEWS:

N.C. State Bar: Nifong Guilty of Ethics Violations — Panel Reaches Verdict as Exonerated Duke Players Watch — Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong has been found guilty by the North Carolina State Bar for a battery of ethics violations in the Duke Lacrosse case.

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications, Scared Monkeys and Associated Press

Duff Wilson / New York Times:

Facing Sanction, Duke Prosecutor Plans to Resign — Michael B. Nifong, the Durham County district attorney, announced Friday that he would resign, as he faces disciplinary charges for his handling of a sexual assault prosecution against three former Duke University lacrosse players who were later declared innocent.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press and TalkLeft

KC Johnson / Durham-in-Wonderland:
Nifong Trial, Day Four

Discussion: The Belmont Club

Steve Fainaru / Washington Post:

Iraq Contractors Face Growing Parallel War — As Security Work Increases, So Do Casualties — BAGHDAD — Private security companies, funded by billions of dollars in U.S. military and State Department contracts, are fighting insurgents on a widening scale in Iraq, enduring daily attacks …

Discussion: IraqSlogger.com, Talking Points Memo, Big Brass Blog, Norwegianity, The Carpetbagger Report, The Moderate Voice, Prairie Weather and Needlenose

Atrios / Eschaton:

Timmeh — Could The Nation team up with Air America and offer to sponsor a Republican debate please? We'll even let Lionel be involved. — Though, this bit of punditing from the patron saint of — Buffalo was even better:

Discussion: Think Progress

John Amato / Crooks and Liars:
Hannity's new BFF is Tim Russert...

Discussion: TalkLeft, Taylor Marsh and The Carpetbagger Report

Jose Antonio Vargas / Washington Post:

An Also-Ran in the GOP Polls, Ron Paul Is Huge on the Web — On Technorati, which offers a real-time glimpse of the blogosphere, the most frequently searched term this week was "YouTube." — Then comes "Ron Paul." — The presence of the obscure Republican congressman from Texas on a list …

Discussion: The Newshoggers, Liberal Values, A Blog For All, Reason, The Caucus, Donklephant and Hot Air

Fox News:

Hispanic Leaders Blast Schwarzenegger's Advice to Turn Off Spanish TV — Some Hispanic leaders lashed out Friday at California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's advice that immigrants should "turn off the Spanish television set" to better learn how to speak English.

Discussion: QandO and Gates of Vienna

Amanda Marcotte / Pandagon:
Ah-nuld holds forth on the dangers of knowing Spanish

Discussion: Eschaton and First Draft

Mark Leibovich / New York Times:

Polished and Upbeat, Romney Tries to Connect — WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Mitt Romney loves the word "great." As in, "Have a great day," "Things are going great," "I'm feeling great." Mr. Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, also looks great, sounds great and smells great, like shaving cream.

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, Michael P.F. van der Galiën, Daily Kos, The Palmetto Scoop and Balloon Juice

Alan Wirzbicki / Boston Globe:
From sidelines, Kerry rips GOP field over foreign policy

Discussion: Liberal Values and The Moderate Voice

David Johnston / New York Times:

Another Justice Dept. Official Resigns — Another Justice Department official involved in last year's dismissals of federal prosecutors is resigning, department officials said on Friday. — In this case, the departure of Michael J. Elston, chief of staff to the outgoing deputy attorney general …

Washington Post:
Justice Dept. Official To Quit

Discussion: All Spin Zone, The Carpetbagger Report and TPMmuckraker

Nico / Think Progress:

Special Counsel Probe Into Rove's Politicization Of Government Advances — The Office of Special Counsel, which has already recommended that GSA chief Lurita Doan be suspended or fired for participating in partisan activities while on the job, is now moving forward with its investigation of nearly 20 other administration agencies.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Kevin Drum / Washington Monthly:

CATO....You know, I keep hearing that unlike, say, the Heritage Foundation, the folks at Cato are relatively honest. They've got their ideology just like the rest of us, but they aren't dishonest shills willing to torture the facts any old way that's convenient.

David Boaz / Cato-at-liberty:
The Mikulski Principle — Politicians are circling around hedge funds like vultures.

Discussion: Michael P.F. van der Galiën

Laura Rozen / American Prospect:

The group blog of The American Prospect — SHADOW GOVERNMENT IN WAITING. The Bush administration had the American Enterprise Institute as its ideological brain trust and frequent employment agency. The next White House will likely have the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online

Tparty / My Left Nutmeg:

Lieberman Smacks Harry Reid, Again — Here's Joe on the Ray and Diane show from yesterday morning (mp3), in just his latest attack on Democrats - and Harry Reid in particular: … This isn't the first time Joe has gone after Reid by reinforcing a right-wing attack. Take this, from April:

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Booman Tribune and Daily Kos

Michael Novak / National Review:

The Upward Moving Middle Class — Everybody else may know this, but each time I reflect upon these Census Bureau numbers (2006), they surprise me. Anyone who has an annual household income above $92,000 is in the top quintile of the population—with all the other "rich."