memeorandum: Senators: Prison terms for U.S. agents excessive (Michelle Mittelstadt/Houston Chronicle)

11:35 PM ET, July 17, 2007

Top Items:

Intelligence Report Warns of al-Qaeda's Capabilities — Worldwide counterterror efforts have restrained Osama bin Laden's network from again attacking the United States, but al-Qaeda's capabilities to mount such an attack have been "protected or regenerated" partly by securing a safe haven …

Discussion: Salon, The Democratic Daily, Riehl World View, At-Largely and Prairie Weather

John Bresnahan / The Politico:

Senate GOP resurgent on Iraq — The Republican establishment is rallying to the defense of President Bush and his controversial war strategy, with some GOP members of Congress cherry-picking intelligence about a resurgent Al Qaeda to buy at least two more months for Bush's Iraq strategy.

Discussion: New York Times, Captain's Quarters and AMERICAblog

Brian Ross Reports / The Blotter:
Experts: Unclassified Report 'Pure Pablum,' Hides Truth

Discussion: Washington Monthly, bustardblog, The Carpetbagger Report, Riehl World View, Macsmind, Little Green Footballs, Gateway Pundit and New York Sun

New York Times: Bush Aides See Failure in Fight With Al Qaeda in Pakistan

Spencer Ackerman / TPMmuckraker:
The NIE and Iraq: What's Missing from this Picture?

Discussion: Daily Kos, The Garlic and Prairie Weather

Klaus Marre / The Hill:

Wamp: Thompson is close to joining '08 race — Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) said Monday that he expects former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) to soon join the race for the White House. — "My view is that he'll enter the race at some point just in the coming days," said Wamp, a key supporter of Thompson.

Discussion: Hot Air, The Crone Speaks and California Conservative

Liz Sidoti / Associated Press:

AP Poll: GOP pick is 'none of the above' — WASHINGTON - And the leading Republican presidential candidate is ... none of the above. — The latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that nearly a quarter of Republicans are unwilling to back top-tier hopefuls Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson …

Discussion: MyDD, Dick Polman's American Debate, theneweditor.com, CNN Political Ticker, The Carpetbagger Report, All Spin Zone, Donklephant, New Pairodimes, The Gun Toting Liberal™, Vox Popoli, Open Left, DownWithTyranny!, The Right's Field, The American Mind and Democrats.com

Mark Murray / MSNBC:
Thompson announcement in Sept.?

Discussion: Sister Toldjah

Charles Franklin / Pollster.com:
WILL GIULIANI BE THE NEXT MCCAIN?

Discussion: Inside Long Island Politics

CNN: McCain, Edwards slip in New Hampshire

Joan Walsh / Salon:

The Salon Interview: Elizabeth Edwards — On her confrontation with Ann Coulter, why she backs gay marriage — and why Edwards is a better choice for women than Hillary Clinton. — Elizabeth Edwards listens to her husband speak at a campaign event in Concord, N.H., April 2, 2007.

Discussion: MSNBC, New York Times, TIME: Swampland, Taylor Marsh, Althouse, Hot Air, Brian Beutler, Political Radar, National Review, Brilliant at Breakfast and Riehl World View

Salon:

The Salon Interview: Elizabeth Edwards — So in January 2009, what's the first thing John Edwards does to make life different for poor people in America? — Well, a lot of it is a legislative agenda that needs to pass, but some of it he can do right away.

Discussion: TIME: Swampland, UrbanGrounds, Ian Schwartz, CNN Political Ticker, The Atlantic Online and TalkLeft

Think Progress:

Live-Blogging The Senate Iraq Filibuster — [ThinkProgress is at the Capitol building, live-blogging the all-night conservative filibuster of Iraq withdrawal legislation.] — 10:06 PM: Huffington Post is staying up tonight too. — 9:49 PM: More from the Iraq rally outside the Capitol …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Pam's House Blend, BobGeiger.com and Crooks and Liars

Mike Allen / The Politico:

A look inside the war rooms on the war — Leaders are instructing Democratic lawmakers to blitz their states with anti-Bush messages as the Senate gears up for an all-night debate on Iraq withdrawal, according to an internal memo provided to The Politico by a Democratic official.

Discussion: New York Times, Blogcritics Section, Sister Toldjah, Redstate and Hot Air

Bob Geiger: Random Notes From The Senate All-Nighter

Media Matters for America:

On Good Morning America, Sawyer falsely claimed Reid "vows to filibuster" — During the July 17 edition of ABC's Good Morning America, co-anchor Diane Sawyer falsely claimed that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) "vows to filibuster, talking all night to close out all topics besides a vote on Iraqi troop withdrawals."

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Firedoglake, The Vanity Press, Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, The Carpetbagger Report, Fact-esque and The Agonist

Satyam / Think Progress:
Nuclear Option Conservatives Embrace Permanent Filibuster For A Permanent Occupation

Discussion: Hullabaloo, Campaign for America's Future, Mad Kane's Political Madness, Daily Kos, Tangled Webs, MSNBC, AMERICAblog, The Hill and Washington Post

Washington Post:
Marathon Debate on Iraq Keeps Senators on the Hill

Discussion: McClatchy Washington Bureau and Talking Points Memo

ESPN:

Falcons' Vick indicted by grand jury in dogfighting probe — Michael Vick has been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the dogfighting probe of his property in Virginia. — The indictment alleges that Vick and his co-defendants began sponsoring dogfighting in early 2001 …

Discussion: The Daily Whim, Scared Monkeys and Shakesville

ABCNEWS:
NFL Star Sacked in Dogfight Probe

Discussion: Captain's Quarters and WILLisms.com

Washington Times:

Bush office is anti-Muslim, group says — A Muslim civil rights group today blamed Bush administration policies for promoting "Islamophobia" and said the "war on terror" won't stop terrorists. — "The new perception is that the United States has entered a war with Islam itself," …

Discussion: Don Surber, Riehl World View, Jihad Watch, Power Line, Hot Air, Little Green Footballs, Stop The ACLU and Atlas Shrugs

Matt / Think Progress:

Novak: Women's 'venom' toward Bush is 'so vicious.' — Appearing on Hugh Hewitt's radio show yesterday, conservative pundit Robert Novak claimed that "women, particularly," are making our current political discourse more "vicious":

Discussion: Townhall.com, The Carpetbagger Report, The Reaction, Shakesville, Feministing, Kindly Póg Mo Thóin and ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES

hughhewitt.townhall.com:
Robert Novak on 50 years as the Prince of Darkness.

Discussion: Pandagon

Brian Ross Reports / The Blotter:

FBI: Iraqis Being Smuggled Across the Rio Grande — Brian Ross Reports: — The FBI is investigating an alleged human smuggling operation based in Chaparral, N.M., that agents say is bringing "Iraqis and other Middle Eastern" individuals across the Rio Grande from Mexico.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, La Shawn Barber's Corner, Lonewacko, Hot Air and View From a Height

Max Boot / Commentary:

More News from Ramadi — You don't hear much about Anbar Province anymore. That's because this area, once the scene of the heaviest fighting in Iraq, has turned remarkably quiet of late. Attacks are down 80 percent since last year. If there is any cause for optimism in Iraq this is it …

Discussion: The Newshoggers, QandO, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Weekly Standard and The Corner

James Thorner / St. Petersburg Times:

Cigarmakers in a panic … Eric Newman punches the numbers on his calculator and gapes at the results one more time. — It's no mathematical error: The federal government has proposed raising taxes on premium cigars, the kind Newman's family has been rolling for decades in Ybor City, by as much as 20,000 percent.

Discussion: Outside The Beltway, Wizbang, Chronicle of the Conspiracy and ProfessorBainbridge.com ®