Top Items:
Susan Saulny / New York Times:
Thompson Declares His Candidacy for President — After months of false starts, staff shake-ups, and questions about the seriousness of his intention to run for president, Fred Thompson rolled out his presidential candidacy this evening with a two-pronged, guerrilla-style entry into the race …
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Fox News:
Thompson, Immigration Top Questions at Republican Primary Debate — WASHINGTON — The eight Republican presidential candidates took some light-hearted jabs at Fred Thompson on Wednesday night, saying they welcome him into the contest for the GOP nomination but wondered why he chose to join the race now.
Discussion:
Hot Air, Wall Street Journal, Liberty Pundit, The Fix, Associated Press, Daily Kos and Lonewacko
Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Open thread: Fred announces on Leno; Update: Web announcement video now live; Update: Leno announcement video added — Late night for the big A. If you're staying up for it, feel free to sound off. If you just can't be bothered, Geraghty has a sneak peek at the transcript.
National Review:
The Fallout From Jim Mills' Departure May Really Hurt Thompson — Jim Mills' departure from the Thompson campaign is actually even bigger than it looks. Not that Thompson couldn't function without Mills — he only been in the office for a week, I understand — but the aftershocks are huge.
National Review:
Fred Thompson on Jay Leno: "I'm running for President of the United States." — Fred's in. NBC just sent the transcript: … It's on.
Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:
Breaking: GOP Senate Leader McConnell Says Craig Won't Resign If Cleared — Crazier and crazier. Now GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell has gone and said at a press conference and said that Larry Craig won't be resigning if he's ultimately exonerated of the charges against him.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Comments From Left Field, The Carpetbagger Report, CQPolitics.com and AMERICAblog
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Larry Johnson / NO QUARTER:
Staging Nukes for Iran? — Why the hubbub over a B-52 taking off from a B-52 base in Minot, North Dakota and subsequently landing at a B-52 base in Barksdale, Louisiana? That's like getting excited if you see a postal worker in uniform walking out of a post office.
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, The Newshoggers, Suburban Guerrilla, Discourse.net, The Agonist and Rook's Rant
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Amanda / Think Progress:
Bush 'Still Believed Saddam Possessed WMD' In April 2006 — In Oct. 2004, President Bush finally admitted that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction: "Iraq did not have the weapons that our intelligence believed were there." — Yet according to former White House chief of staff Andy Card …
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Sidney Blumenthal / Salon:
Bush knew Saddam had no weapons of mass destruction — Salon exclusive: Two former CIA officers say the president squelched top-secret intelligence, and a briefing by George Tenet, months before invading Iraq. — (Clockwise from top left) Naji Sabri, George W. Bush, Colin Powell and George Tenet.
Pajamas Media:
LIVE FREE OR DEBATE — PJM's Vodkapundit Stephen Green liveblogged the debate with martini glass in hand. — Support Pajamas Media; Visit Our Advertisers — 6:49pm First martini down. Going to run upstairs to pour a second one before things get started.
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Jackie Kucinich / The Hill:
Rep. Gillmor dies — Rep. Paul Gillmor (R-Ohio) passed away suddenly Tuesday night, according to his office. He was 68. — According to an inter-conference email obtained by The Hill, Gillmor did not show up to the office this morning causing his staff to become concerned.
Discussion:
JammieWearingFool, On Deadline, Outside The Beltway, The Gun Toting Liberal™ and Shakespeare's Sister
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Patrick O'Connor / The Politico:
Gillmor found dead in apartment
Gillmor found dead in apartment
Discussion:
CNN, The Swamp, Detroit Populist Times, The Newshoggers, Crooks and Liars, Sister Toldjah, Swing State Project and Liberty Pundit
New York Times:
Clinton Donor Fails to Appear In Court Again — The mystery of Norman Hsu, the wealthy Clinton donor who turned out to be a fugitive from justice, took a bizarre twist yesterday when Mr. Hsu, who skipped out after pleading no contest in a California fraud case 15 years ago, disappeared yet again.
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Fox News:
Dems Dirty Donor Norman Hsu Fails to Show for Bail Reduction …
Dems Dirty Donor Norman Hsu Fails to Show for Bail Reduction …
Discussion:
Suitably Flip, Gateway Pundit, New York Times, Hot Air, Captain's Quarters, Los Angeles Times, DownWithTyranny!, Wizbang, Riehl World View, Right Wing Nut House, Associated Press, A Blog For All, Blue Crab Boulevard, Wake up America, The American Pundit, Don Surber, Washington Times and Detroit Populist Times
Spencer S. Hsu / Washington Post:
GAO Criticizes Homeland Security's Efforts to Fulfill Its Mission — Hobbled by inadequate funding, unclear priorities, continuing reorganizations and the absence of an overarching strategy, the U.S. Homeland Security Department is failing to achieve its mission of preventing and responding …
Discussion:
Obsidian Wings
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Squawkbox.tv / riverbendblog.blogspot.com:
Baghdad Burning — ... I'll meet you 'round the bend my friend, where hearts can heal and souls can mend... Leaving Home... Two months ago, the suitcases were packed. My lone, large suitcase sat in my bedroom for nearly six weeks, so full of clothes and personal items, that it took me …
Discussion:
Pottersville
Carl Hulse / New York Times:
Democrats Newly Willing to Compromise on Iraq — With a mixed picture emerging about progress in Iraq, Senate Democratic leaders are showing a new openness to compromise as they try to attract Republican support for forcing at least modest troop withdrawals in the coming months.
Karen DeYoung / Washington Post:
Jones Report: Iraqi Security Forces Not Ready — Logistical Self-Sufficiency Is at Least Two Years Away — Iraq's Interior Ministry is "dysfunctional," filled with sectarianism and corruption, according to an independent assessment of the Iraqi security forces to be published tomorrow.
Peterhamby / CNN Political Ticker:
Richardson to bloggers: 'I make no apologies' — FLORENCE, South Carolina (CNN) — At a campaign stop Wednesday at Horne's Country Buffet, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson struck back at prominent liberal blogs that yesterday called Richardson a "buffoon" …