Top Items:
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Everyone we fight in Iraq is now "al-Qaida" — Josh Marshall publishes an e-mail from a reader who identifies what is one of the most astonishing instances of mindless, pro-government "reporting" yet: … That the Bush administration, and specifically its military commanders …
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John F. Burns / New York Times:
Militants Said to Flee Before U.S. Offensive — The operational commander of troops battling to drive fighters with Al Qaeda from Baquba said Friday that 80 percent of the top Qaeda leaders in the city fled before the American-led offensive began earlier this week.
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters, The Moderate Voice, Lawyers, Guns and Money, The Strata-Sphere, Kiko's House, Prairie Weather and CNN
Pauline Jelinek / Associated Press:
US may reduce forces in Iraq by spring — WASHINGTON - The U.S. may be able to reduce combat forces in Iraq by next spring if Iraq's own security forces continue to grow and improve, a senior American commander said Friday. He denied reports the U.S. is arming Sunni insurgent groups to help in the fight against al-Qaida.
Discussion:
The Reaction, The Mahablog, The Heretik, Michael P.F. van der Galiën, Daily Kos, KnoxViews, All Spin Zone and The Newshoggers
Blackanthem Military News:
Operation 'Arrowhead Ripper' continues in Baqouba — Blackanthem Military News, BAQOUBA, Iraq - Task Force Lightning continued its offensive operation in and around the capital of Diyala province, Iraq, today as part of a powerful crack down on al-Qaida terrorists operating in the area.
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo: TPM Reader SM writes in ... I don't know if SM's claim is accurate in the particular.
White House:
Press Briefing by Dana Perino — White House Conference Center Briefing Room — MS. PERINO: Happy Friday. One quick announcement. Today the governor of Wyoming appointed John Barrasso to fill the vacancy caused by the unfortunate death of U.S. Senator Craig Thomas.
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Faiz / Think Progress:
Olbermann Fact-Checks White House, Finds No Special Exemption For Cheney — Yesterday, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino defended Dick Cheney's claim of existing outside the Executive Order (EO) that governs the preservation of classified data, a directive which applies to all Executive Branch officials.
Discussion:
Michael P.F. van der Galiën, War and Piece, The Gun Toting Liberal™ and State of the Day
Josh Meyer / Los Angeles Times:
Bush claims oversight exemption too — The White House says the president's own order on classified data does not apply to his office or the vice president's. — WASHINGTON — The White House said Friday that, like Vice President Dick Cheney's office, President Bush's office is not allowing …
Peter Baker / Washington Post:
White House Defends Cheney's Refusal of Oversight — The White House defended Vice President Cheney yesterday in a dispute over his office's refusal to comply with an executive order regulating the handling of classified information as Democrats and other critics assailed him for disregarding rules that others follow.
Discussion:
MSNBC
WSMV-TV:
WSMV-TV: Thompson Announcement Set For Nashville — Headquarters To Be Based At Fall School building — Reported By Dennis Ferrier — NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Channel 4 News Nationwide Exclusive — Fred Thompson is set to announce that Nashville will be the home of his national campaign headquarters, WSMV is reporting.
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Dan Eggen / Washington Post:
Third-in-Command at Justice Dept. Resigns — Mercer to Leave Washington Job but Keep U.S. Attorney's Position in Montana — The Justice Department's third-in-command announced his resignation yesterday, becoming the sixth aide to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales to leave amid …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Next Hurrah, The Gun Toting Liberal™ and Michael P.F. van der Galiën
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Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice:
Around The Sphere June 23, 2007 — Our famous linkfest taking readers to intriguing reading at weblogs representing various opinions from all over the blogo-you-know-what. Linked posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Moderate Voice or its writers.
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Roger Ebert / Chicago Sun Times:
A Mighty Heart — "A Mighty Heart" begins with shots of the teeming streets of Karachi, Pakistan, a city with a population that seems jammed in, shoulder to shoulder. Terrorists will emerge from this sea of humanity, kidnap the American journalist Daniel Pearl and disappear.
Discussion:
Jules Crittenden
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Thomas E. Ricks / Washington Post:
Iraq Push Revives Criticism of Force Size — Baghdad Offensive May Shift Violence Elsewhere — The major U.S. offensive launched last weekend against insurgents in and around Baghdad has significantly expanded the military's battleground in Iraq — "a surge of operations," …
Discussion:
Prairie Weather
David Cho / Washington Post:
Democrats Propose New Tax Rate on Investment Funds — Top House Democrats today introduced wide-ranging legislation that would more than double the tax rate that private equity firms, venture capital funds and many hedge funds pay on their gains. — The proposed legislation would cause …
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Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:
Attacking Capital — Democrats in the House have begun following …
Attacking Capital — Democrats in the House have begun following …
Discussion:
SCSUScholars
Amir Taheri / New York Post:
IRAQ: MILITARY GAINS, GOV'T MESS — SIX months ago, the U.S.- led Coalition force in Iraq appeared to be largely in self-defense mode, allowing terrorists and insurgents much latitude in parts of Baghdad and the troubled provinces of Anbar and Diyala. At the same time, the government …
Discussion:
The Belmont Club
Associated Press:
Diaz's bag with Maoist slogan raises ire — AGUAS CALIENTES, Peru - Actress Cameron Diaz appears to have committed a major fashion faux pas in Peru. The voice of Princess Fiona in the animated "Shrek" films may have inadvertently offended Peruvians who suffered decades of violence …