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Charles Krauthammer / Washington Post:
Deserting Petraeus — "The key to turning [Anbar] around was the shift in allegiance by tribal sheiks. But the sheiks turned only after a prolonged offensive by American and Iraqi forces, starting in November, that put al-Qaeda groups on the run." — Finally, after four terribly long years, we know what works.
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TalkLeft, The Atlantic Online, New Pairodimes, Blue Crab Boulevard, Wizbang and Whiskey Fire
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New York Times:
Bush Distorts Qaeda Links, Critics Assert — In rebuffing calls to bring troops home from Iraq, President Bush on Thursday employed a stark and ominous defense. "The same folks that are bombing innocent people in Iraq," he said, "were the ones who attacked us in America on September the 11th …
Discussion:
MSNBC, Outside The Beltway, Prairie Weather, Rising Hegemon, Attytood, TPMCafe blogs and Liberal Values
Thomas B. Edsall / Huffington Post:
Strategists Agree: McCain's Only Option Is To Turn His Back On Bush — According to private conversations with political operatives from both parties, John McCain has no choice but to adopt a high risk strategy to revive his presidential bid, a double Hail Mary: Throw one stink bomb …
Discussion:
Prose Before Hos
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Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice:
The Implosion Of Senator John McCain (UPDATED)
The Implosion Of Senator John McCain (UPDATED)
Discussion:
Austin American-Statesman
The Hill:
Key vote on the Iraq war keeps House GOP united — House Republican leaders largely kept their party together on the issue of Iraq last night, with only four members breaking with their party to support a withdrawal of troops by April. — Reps. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.) and John Duncan, Jr. …
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David Blair / Telegraph:
Musharraf declares war on Muslim extremists — President Pervez Musharraf pledged to combat Muslim extremists across Pakistan yesterday as furious crowds demonstrated against the storming of the Red Mosque and two suicide bomb attacks left six dead. — In a televised address to the nation …
Discussion:
Atlas Shrugs
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Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:
Going All In? — It looks as if Pervez Musharraf has decided …
Going All In? — It looks as if Pervez Musharraf has decided …
Discussion:
The Newshoggers
Michael Gerson / Washington Post:
What Atheists Can't Answer — British author G.K. Chesterton argued that every act of blasphemy is a kind of tribute to God, because it is based on belief. "If anyone doubts this," he wrote, "let him sit down seriously and try to think blasphemous thoughts about Thor."
Discussion:
The RBC
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Victor Davis Hanson / City Journal:
The New York Times Surrenders A monument to defeatism on the editorial page — On July 8, the New York Times ran an historic editorial entitled "The Road Home," demanding an immediate American withdrawal from Iraq. It is rare that an editorial gets almost everything wrong, but "The Road Home" pulls it off.
Peggy Noonan / Opinion Journal:
American Grit — We can't fire the president right now, so we're waiting it out. — It's been a slow week in a hot era. I found myself Thursday watching President Bush's news conference and thinking about what it is about him, real or perceived, that makes people who used to smile at the mention of his name now grit their teeth.
Discussion:
Townhall.com
E. J. Dionne Jr / Washington Post:
Hold Your Fire and Brimstone — Perhaps because no one else will do it, I want to offer a qualified defense of Sen. David Vitter, the socially conservative Louisiana Republican who faces a bit of a problem. — Vitter admitted Monday night to a "very serious sin in my past" …
Rocky Mountain News:
'Seismic shift' seen on oil, gas commission — Governor appoints conservationists, industry critic to panel — Gov. Bill Ritter fundamentally reshaped oversight of Colorado's oil and gas industry Thursday, adding conservationists and an industry critic to the nine-member Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
Discussion:
The Huffington Post
Detroit Free Press:
Dems pledge to undo what Bush has done — Cheers for change fill Cobo during candidate forum — U.S. Sen. Barack Obama was the clear crowd favorite at the NAACP presidential forum in Detroit on Thursday, winning thunderous applause just for walking on stage and standing ovations when he spoke.
Michael Luo / New York Times:
Democrats Lead in Raising Money Online — The Democrats have established a commanding and growing dominance over Republicans in securing contributions online, reshaping the fund-raising landscape heading into the 2008 elections. — Online donations are emerging as a cornerstone …
Discussion:
techPresident
Guardian:
Brown message to US: it's time to build, not destroy — Minister signals foreign policy shift ahead of PM's Washington trip — The first clear signs that Gordon Brown will reorder Britain's foreign policy emerged last night when one of his closest cabinet allies urged the US to change …
Melanie McDonaghon / Times of London:
The cry should go up in Europe: more babies, please — Of all the bogeys you might have thought well and truly nailed in the past decade or so, the population control movement seemed most obviously to have a stake through its heart. At a time when we - I mean, anyone over 35 …
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Samizdata.net
Jeff Kouba / Peace Like A River:
Part II of CQ's Interview with Ambassador Said Jawad of Afghanistan — Ed Morrissey of Captain's Quarters did a very informative interview with Ambassador Said Jawad of Afghanistan and aired it on his CQ Radio program as part of BlogTalkRadio. — Here is a transcript of the second half of the interview.
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters
New York Times:
Defending an Iraq Strategy in a Race Against Time — Once again, President Bush tried today to buy more time for his strategy in Iraq, refusing to say when conditions there might allow him to begin the troop drawdown that he insists is his ultimate goal. — For now, at least …
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Fred Kaplan / Slate:
THE OUTRAGEOUS WHITE HOUSE REPORT ON IRAQ.
THE OUTRAGEOUS WHITE HOUSE REPORT ON IRAQ.
Discussion:
The Carpetbagger Report, The Democratic Daily, The Garlic, INTEL DUMP, SWJ Blog, NewsBusters.org, Corrente and Think Progress