memeorandum: The wheels on the bus go off and off (Don Surber)

8:45 PM ET, September 7, 2007

Top Items:

New OBL Tape: Iraq, Democratic Control — ABC News' Jonathan Karl, Pierre Thomas, Luis Martinez and Theresa Cook Report: ABC News has obtained a transcript of the latest taped message from the United States' most wanted terrorist, and a senior U.S. intelligence official has confirmed to ABC News that …

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: John Edwards for President, Associated Press, Taylor Marsh, Jules Crittenden, The Detroit Times, Daimnation!, Cold Fury, Blue Crab Boulevard, Middle Earth Journal, National Review and Captain's Quarters

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

OBL — As I skimmed the transcript of the new bin Laden tape with its discussion of global warming, subprime credit woes, Noam Chomsky, Richard Perle, the low tax nirvana of Islam and a bunch of other stuff, I could not help feeling sad again about how we gave this joker a new lease on life by invading Iraq.

Discussion: Eschaton

MSNBC:

Bush: Bin Laden's video underscores threats — Al-Qaida chief criticizes Dems over Iraq, urges Americans to embrace Islam — SYDNEY, Australia - President Bush said Saturday that Osama bin Laden's first video appearance in three years is a reminder of "the dangerous world in which we live."

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, The Blotter, Macsmind, Weasel Zippers, Liberty Pundit, Jihad Watch, On Deadline and JammieWearingFool

Mike Glover / Associated Press:

"(AP) Thompson campaign bus rumbles through rural Iowa" — Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson defended his support for the war in Iraq on Friday, saying public support for the war is beginning to grow. — Thompson was in Iowa, where he started the day meeting with residents …

Discussion: Brave New Films blog, Think Progress, Democratic National Committee, The Carpetbagger Report, MSNBC and TBogg

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: Little Green Footballs, Associated Press, Take Our Country Back and Pat Dollard

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

Discussion: GINA COBB

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

Discussion: Hot Air

David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo: OSAMA BIN LADEN: TERRORIST AND POLITICAL PUNDIT

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

Discussion: Daimnation!

Robert / Jihad Watch:
Only his hairdresser knows for sure

Discussion: The Jawa Report and Reuters

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: Weekly Standard, Washington Times, The Sideshow, Liberty Street, TPMmuckraker, Prairie Weather, The Carpetbagger Report, Democratic National Committee, Middle Earth Journal and unbossed.com

John Cole / Balloon Juice:
Report? What Report? — In case you wanted to fact check …

Discussion: The Newshoggers, Wake up America, QandO, The Impolitic and Captain's Quarters

Center for American Progress:
Key Questions on the White House Report and Petraeus-Crocker Testimony

Discussion: The Huffington Post and Daily Kos

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, Swords Crossed, No More Mister Nice Blog, Riehl World View and The Atlantic Online

Kos / Daily Kos:

Where are Obama and Clinton? — So where are the two "front runner" candidates on Iraq? Have they conquered their fear and actually said something of substance regarding the pre-emptive capitulation bill? — Well, there's certainly nothing at Obama's blog, which tells us that Obama …

Discussion: The Trail, Taylor Marsh and Black Shards …

Lydia Saad / Gallup Poll:
Gallup Ranks the 2008 Candidates According to a Feeling Thermometer

Discussion: Comments From Left Field, The Moderate Voice, The Swamp, Blue Crab Boulevard and Connecting.the.Dots

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 — SYDNEY, Australia - President Bush had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day at the Sydney Opera House. — He'd only reached the third sentence of Friday's speech to business leaders, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, when he committed his first gaffe.

Discussion: The Newshoggers, skippy the bush kangaroo, Wonkette and TIME: Swampland

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

Libby Quaid / Associated Press:

Rudy: Illegal immigration not a crime — WASHINGTON - Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani said illegal immigration is not a crime, prompting rival Mitt Romney to accuse him of not taking the problem seriously. — The two have clashed for weeks over illegal immigration …

Discussion: MyDD and Riehl World View

The Glenn Beck Program:
GLENN BECK PROGRAM BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

Discussion: Daily Pundit, Liberty Pundit and The American Pundit

Peter Hardin / Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Bush federal judge pick criticized — Getchell was not on joint list of nominees favored by Sens. Warner, Webb — WASHINGTON — President Bush has nominated Richmond lawyer E. Duncan Getchell Jr. to a federal appeals bench in a pick that already faces major trouble.

Discussion: Think Progress and Washington Post

David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:
ADVICE AND CONSENT: THE BUSH WAY

Discussion: White House and Open Left

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: Weasel Zippers, The Atlantic Online and The American Pundit

Ryan Sager / Latest Politics:

Fred Thompson Proposes Marriage Amendment to Restrain Judges — Speaking in Sioux City, Iowa, moments ago, Fred Thompson endorsed an amendment to the Constitution that would prevent state judges from altering the definition of marriage without the direction of their states' legislatures.

Discussion: Riehl World View, Balkinization and Lawyers, Guns and Money