Top Items:
Ned Parker / Los Angeles Times:
Saudis' role in Iraq insurgency outlined — Sunni extremists from Saudi Arabia make up half the foreign fighters in Iraq, many suicide bombers, a U.S. official says. — BAGHDAD — Although Bush administration officials have frequently lashed out at Syria and Iran, accusing it of helping insurgents …
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Louis Uchitelle / New York Times:
The Richest of the Rich, Proud of a New Gilded Age — The tributes to Sanford I. Weill line the walls of the carpeted hallway that leads to his skyscraper office, with its panoramic view of Central Park. A dozen framed magazine covers, their colors as vivid as an Andy Warhol painting, are the most arresting.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Impolitic, Liberty Street, Norwegianity, TalkLeft and The Atlantic Online
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Kevin Drum / Washington Monthly:
THE NEW GILDED AGE....What a depressing story this is from Louis Uchitelle in the New York Times today. I mean, it's nice to know that there are a few rich people who aren't complete a**holes, but it seems safe to say that the majority fall pretty safely into this category.
Lauren R. Dorgan / Concord Monitor:
Clinton, Romney lead poll — Head-to-head contests pose challenges — July 15. — illary Clinton and Mitt Romney hold the leads in their respective New Hampshire primary races, a new Monitor poll shows. But it's not all good news for the top two: The poll finds each would face thornier challenges …
Discussion:
The Newshoggers, The Atlantic Online, TBogg, Open Left, Liberal Values, MyDD and Taegan Goddard's …
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John Amato / Crooks and Liars:
Jim Webb rips into Graham for putting political words in our Soldiers' mouths — Lindsay Graham sounded like he was on a pot of coffee, seven Red Bulls and a couple of packs of cigarettes—while being fluent at the Evelyn Wood talking points course. Jim Webb was not thrilled to be sitting next to him.
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Steven Mufson / Washington Post:
Climate Change Debate Hinges On Economics — Lawmakers Doubt Voters Would Fund Big Carbon Cuts — Here's the good news about climate change: Energy and climate experts say the world already possesses the technological know-how for trimming greenhouse gas emissions enough to slow the perilous rise in the Earth's temperatures.
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Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Fred Hiatt defends the administration's mild, restrained secrecy — Senior Washington Bush spokesman Fred Hiatt — who also works as the Editorial Page Editor of The Washington Post — shatters conventional wisdom this morning by defending the Bush administration's mild, balanced, and restrained use of government secrecy.
Discussion:
Hullabaloo
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Associated Press:
Ralph Nader says he is considering 2008 presidential run — READING, Pennsylvania (AP) — Consumer advocate Ralph Nader told the Green Party's national convention that he is considering a 2008 presidential run and accused Democrats of trying to shut smaller parties out of the political process.
Matt Bai / New York Times:
What Does It Take? — Of all the campaign themes that will emerge leading up to the 2008 primaries, one you probably won't hear a lot about is experience. That's because the candidates who are at the moment best positioned for the nominations of their parties have surprisingly little of it.
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Michael M. Rosen / The Politico:
Insufficient funds? — If you read the papers in recent days …
Insufficient funds? — If you read the papers in recent days …
Discussion:
ABCNEWS
Omar Sinan / Associated Press:
Bin Laden praises martyrdom in new video — CAIRO, Egypt - A new al-Qaida videotape posted Sunday on a militant Web site featured a short, undated clip of a weary-looking Osama bin Laden praising martyrdom. — The bin Laden clip, which lasted less than a minute, was part …
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N. Gregory Mankiw / New York Times:
Fair Taxes? Depends What You Mean by 'Fair' — DO the rich pay their fair share in taxes? This is likely to become a defining question during the presidential campaign. — At a recent fund-raiser for Hillary Clinton, the billionaire investor Warren E. Buffett said that rich guys like him weren't paying enough.
ABCNEWS:
Thompson Uses Loophole to Avoid Reporting Fundraising — Opponents Claim Ex-Senator In Violation of Campaign Finance Reform Law — Former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., has avoided revealing his fundraising figures by exploiting a legal loophole whereby he says he is simply "testing the waters" …
Discussion:
race42008.com
Bill Curry / Hartford Courant:
Lieberman: Blind To Folly — In 1979, I was a freshman state senator lucky enough to be seated next to Joe Lieberman. Lucky because he was majority leader and it meant I could chat him up regularly, and lucky because he was funny, kind, decent and smart. — In 1988, Joe went after Lowell Weicker's U.S. Senate seat.
Johann Hari / The Independent:
Ship of fools: Johann Hari sets sail with America's swashbuckling neocons — The Iraq war has been an amazing success, global warming is just a myth - and as for Guantanamo Bay, it's practically a holiday camp... The annual cruise organised by the 'National Review', mouthpiece of right-wing America …
Discussion:
The Democratic Daily, The Impolitic, TPMCafe blogs, DownWithTyranny!, The Next Hurrah, The Garlic and Booman Tribune
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Larisa Alexandrovna / At-Largely:
Send Liberals to "Gas Chambers."... Astonishing Right-Wing Extremism!
Send Liberals to "Gas Chambers."... Astonishing Right-Wing Extremism!
Confederate Yankee:
Iranian Missiles Recovered In Iraq [with Photos] — Via MNF-I: … That press release went up yesterday. I got copies of the photographs documenting the scene from MNF-I PAO this morning. — Iranian 107mm rocket captured while aimed at U.S. FOB Hammer in Iraq. (click photo for full size).
Discussion:
BLACKFIVE
Ian Urbina / New York Times:
As Loved Ones Fight On, War Doubts Arise — Cpl. April Ponce De Leon describes herself and her husband as "gung-ho marines," and in two weeks she deploys to Iraq, where her husband has been fighting since March. — But she says she stopped believing in the war last month after a telephone conversation with him.