memeorandum: The Tenuous Tenuousness of the Tenuous Case for Patience (The Atlantic Online)

5:05 PM ET, September 7, 2007

Top Items:

New OBL Tape: Iraq, Democratic Control — ABC News' Jonathan Karl Reports: ABC News has obtained a transcript of the latest taped message from Osama bin Laden. — Sources tell ABC News the tape, bin Laden's first message in three years, is approximately 30 minutes long, and does not contain overt threats to the United States.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, The Carpetbagger Report, theneweditor.com, Counterterrorism Blog, QandO, NewsBusters.org, The American Pundit, Kiko's House and Don Surber

Brian Ross Reports / The Blotter:

New Videotape From Bin Laden; Al Qaeda's No. 1 Still Alive — Brian Ross Reports: — Intelligence sources tell ABC News they believe the video message from Osama bin Laden is authentic, recently produced and evidence the al Qaeda leader is still alive. — According to government sources …

Discussion: Jules Crittenden, The Detroit Times, Daimnation!, Middle Earth Journal, Blue Crab Boulevard, Captain's Quarters, National Review, Associated Press, QandO, The Daily Whim and Riehl World View

MSNBC:

Dems criticized in purported bin Laden video — U.S. urged to embrace Islam to end Iraq conflict; no specific threat made — WASHINGTON - Democrats were criticized in a purported video by Osama bin Laden for failing to stop the Iraq conflict. The video, obtained Friday by the U.S. government …

Discussion: Yahoo! News, Macsmind, The Blotter, Liberty Pundit, On Deadline, Weasel Zippers, Jihad Watch and JammieWearingFool

Allahpundit / Hot Air:

U.S. intel: New Osama tape is authentic and recently produced; Update: Transcript — Osama slams Dems for failing to end war, praises Chomsky, laments ... global warming; Update: Full transcript added — A signal to attack? … Richard Clarke says he thinks the beard looks fake.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Jihad Watch, The Corner, Little Green Footballs, Take Our Country Back, Associated Press and Cold Fury

Agence France Presse:
Al-Qaeda planning fresh attacks on US: CIA chief

Discussion: Hot Air

CNN: Bin Laden tape faults Democrats, corporations

John Edwards for President:
A New Strategy Against Terrorism — Pace University, New York, NY

Discussion: TalkLeft, Taylor Marsh and The Right's Field

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:
Osama Scolds Democrats For Not Surrendering

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Stop The ACLU

Jeff G. / protein wisdom: "Transcript — Osama slams Dems for failing to end war, praises …

Rusty / The Jawa Report:
UBL Video Intercepted! UPDATE: bin Laden Praises Chomsky!

Discussion: Pat Dollard

Faiz / Think Progress:

New Twist In Saga Over 'Petraeus Report': There Will Be No Report — In the latest twist to the ongoing saga over the White House report, a senior military official tells the Washington Times today that there will actually be no report at all: … To recap, first the public was incorrectly led …

Discussion: Liberty Street, Prairie Weather, The Next Hurrah and Corrente

John Cole / Balloon Juice:

Report? What Report? — In case you wanted to fact check Petraeus's report to Bush, compare it to his testimony before Congress, or do a comparison between what Petraeus tells Bush and what the White House writes, forget about it: … Meanwhile, at the Weekly Standard, Michael Goldfarb writes:

Discussion: The Newshoggers, QandO, Middle Earth Journal and The Impolitic

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

[TS] Op-Ed Columnist: Time to Take a Stand — Gen. David Petraeus has a history of making overoptimistic assessments of progress in Iraq that happen to be convenient for his political masters.

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Huffington Post, TalkLeft, The Carpetbagger Report, WorkingForChange, FP Passport, Middle Earth Journal, Prairie Weather, SWJ Blog, No More Mister Nice Blog, Brian Beutler, Time, INSTAPUTZ, Connecting.the.Dots, Brilliant at Breakfast and The Atlantic Online

Washington Times:

Inside the Ring — Gen. Musharraf, a key Washington ally despite the problems, seized power in a bloodless military coup in 1999 that sent Mr. Sharif into exile in Saudi Arabia. — Iraq progress report — A major political event unfolding Monday will be the report to President Bush …

Discussion: TPMmuckraker, Wake up America, The Carpetbagger Report, Democratic National Committee and unbossed.com

Jurassicpork / Pottersville:
Paul Krugman: Time to Take a Stand

Discussion: Slate, CNSNews, The Moderate Voice, Left in the West, skippy the bush kangaroo, Comments From Left Field, The Impolitic and The Detroit Times

Peggy Noonan / Opinion Journal:

Off to the Races — Surprisingly, the Republican presidential campaign comes into focus. — This week the Republican candidates for the presidency tried to make it new again. Summer's over, autumn's here, they're relaunching. I think they pretty much succeeded. Their debate Wednesday night had sparks and fire.

Discussion: Comment Central, Riehl World View, The Atlantic Online, No More Mister Nice Blog, GINA COBB and Donklephant

Kos / Daily Kos:
Where are Obama and Clinton? — So where are the two "front runner" candidates on Iraq?

Discussion: The Trail and Black Shards …

The Raw Story:

Video: Dazed Bush forgets where he is — Want to get the news the media buries? Get Raw headlines in your browser. President Bush's trademark struggles with the finer points of public speaking were on full display Friday, when he thanked his "Austrian" hosts for inviting him to this year's "OPEC" summit.

Discussion: Shakespeare's Sister, The Detroit Times, The Democratic Daily and WorkingForChange

Tom Raum / Associated Press:
Bush has bad day at Sydney Opera House

Discussion: The Newshoggers, skippy the bush kangaroo and Wonkette

Douglas Martin / New York Times:

Madeleine L'Engle, Children's Writer, Is Dead — Madeleine L'Engle, who in writing more than 60 books, including childhood fables, religious meditations and science fiction, weaved emotional tapestries transcending genre and generation, died Thursday in Connecticut. She was 88.

Discussion: Shakespeare's Sister and Hecate

Catherine Donaldson-Evans / Fox News:

G.I. Joe to Become Global Task Force in Movie — Say it ain't so, G.I. Joe. — The popular all-American comic-book military man and action figure dating back to the 1940s is undergoing a significant transformation for the Paramount Pictures-distributed "G.I. Joe" film …

Discussion: BLACKFIVE, protein wisdom, Stop The ACLU, Roger Ailes, Sister Toldjah and NewsBusters.org

The Independent:

Switzerland: Europe's heart of darkness? — Switzerland is known as a haven of peace and neutrality. But today it is home to a new extremism that has alarmed the United Nations. Proposals for draconian new laws that target the country's immigrants have been condemned as unjust and racist.

Discussion: The Corner, The Borjas Blog, Say Anything, Daily Pundit and The Brussels Journal

Drudge Report:

'GREEN' GORE GOES GULFSTREAM: VIDEO CATCHES ECO-WARRIOR ON LUXURY PRIVATE JET — As former Vice President Al Gore waits to hear if he has won this year's Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless effort on climate change, a new video will air this weekend capturing Gore on a fuel-guzzling private jet!

Discussion: The American Pundit and Weasel Zippers

Chicago Tribune:

Inside Rep. Weller's Nicaragua land deal — Illinois lawmaker benefits from trade accord, fails to report extent of his ocean-view holdings — SAN JUAN DEL SUR, Nicaragua - The rolling surf of the Pacific Ocean crashes onto white sand beaches below a lush hillside in southwest Nicaragua …

Discussion: The Politico, The Swamp and TIME