Top Items:
New York Times:
Bush to Declare Gains in Iraq on Some Fronts — The Bush administration will assert in the next few days that progress in carrying out the new American strategy in Iraq has been satisfactory on nearly half of the 18 benchmarks set by Congress, according to several administration officials.
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Kelley Shannon / Associated Press:
Lady Bird Johnson dies at 94 — AUSTIN, Texas - Lady Bird Johnson, the former first lady who championed conservation and worked tenaciously for the political career of her husband, Lyndon B. Johnson, died Wednesday, a family spokeswoman said. She was 94. — Johnson, who suffered a stroke …
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Connecting.the.Dots:
Farewell to a Lady — "My mother," Lynda Bird Johnson once told me, "thinks well of everybody. She's even sure the Devil's been maligned. Just got a bad press." — I got to know the First Lady during the time her daughter worked for me when I was editor of McCalls.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice
Laura Rozen / MoJoBlog:
Intelligence Briefing on the Hill Today — The top intelligence analysts for the CIA, Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) provided a Global Security Assessment to the full House Armed Services Committee today.
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Bob Woodward / Washington Post:
CIA Said Instability Seemed 'Irreversible' — Early on the morning of Nov. 13, 2006, members of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group gathered around a dark wooden conference table in the windowless Roosevelt Room of the White House. — For more than an hour, they listened to President Bush give …
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Orlando Sentinel:
Rep. Bob Allen arrested on sex charge — TITUSVILLE - State Rep. Bob Allen was arrested Wednesday afternoon at a local park after offering to perform a sex act on an undercover officer in exchange for $20, police said. — Allen, R-Merritt Island, was booked into the Brevard County jail …
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myfoxorlando.com:
State House Rep. Arrested — Titusville police say they have arrested Florida State Rep. Robert "Bob" Allen, of Merrit Island, on second degree misdemeanor charges for soliciation for prostiution. — Allen, 48, was arrested Wednesday afternoon at Veteran's Memorial Park on East Broad St. in Titusville.
Elana Schor / The Hill:
Flynt is tracking 20 congressional sex scandal leads — Larry Flynt, the porn-industry magnate who first linked Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) to the escort service of the "D.C. Madam," said Wednesday that his investigators are tracking more than 20 leads on alleged congressional sex scandals.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Wonkette, Scrutiny Hooligans, On Deadline, Crooks and Liars and New York Times
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WCBS-TV:
Firefighters Rip Giuliani, Call Him 'Urban Legend' — New DVD Criticizes Former NYC Mayor — Giuliani's Campaign Calls Video 'Mockumentary' — (CBS) NEW YORK The International Association of Firefighters has gone on the offensive against "America's Mayor" Rudy Giuliani …
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The Big Trunk / Power Line:
FRED THOMPSON: "A LAWYER WHO IS A PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATE" — Fred Thompson has sent us the following column on the subject of his career in the practice of law. We are delighted to bring it to our readers: … Supplementing Senator Thompson's historical observations …
New York Times:
McCain Call Raises an Ethics Question — About 3 p.m. Tuesday, Senator John McCain ducked off the Senate floor, entered the Republican cloakroom and took out his mobile phone. Just hours after accepting the resignation of his two top campaign aides, he was making a conference call …
Times of London:
British blamed for mysterious Beast of Basra — British forces operating around the southern Iraqi city of Basra are being blamed for the arrival of a plague of vicious badgers that stalk the streets at night, attacking livestock and even humans. — Local farmers have caught and killed several …
Discussion:
Outside The Beltway
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Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Hmmm. A very... FELONY — Hmmm. A very knowledgeable emailer says it's a felony ... I can't vouch for the legal interpretation. But it seems like decent prima facie case and the emailer knows his stuff.
Siun / Firedoglake:
Levin-Lieberman Love Fest - One Step Closer to War on Iran — Right after Sen. Lieberman voted against U.S. troops on the Webb amendment, he launched his new Iran Amendment - cosponsored by pals Kyl, Graham, Collins and Sessions with strong support by McCain - and Senator Levin could not fall …
Discussion:
lieberman.senate.gov, My Left Nutmeg, Crooks and Liars, The Agonist and The Carpetbagger Report
Fred Thompson / National Review:
The Los Angeles Times, Preparing Another Piece on Thompson — Folks close to Fred Thompson expect another critical piece from the Los Angeles Times in the near future, this one focusing on Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn's past work for the government of Chile.
Discussion:
Hot Air