memeorandum @ 8:10 AM ET, September 8, 2007

8:10 AM ET, September 8, 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 …

Discussion: IMAO, Doug Ross, Jihad Watch, baldilocks, Media Research Center, Pajamas Media, Right Wing Nut House, Red Alerts, TBogg, All Spin Zone, bRight & Early, The Detroit Times, The Atlantic Online, Power Line, Fausta's blog, The Gun Toting Liberal™, NYT, Talking Points Memo, skippy the bush kangaroo, Sister Toldjah, Comments From Left Field, Liberal Values, Right Voices, The Impolitic, small dead animals, Cold Fury, Captain's Quarters, Dr. Sanity, Wake up America, Classical Values, NewsBusters.org, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, The Moderate Voice, protein wisdom, Wizbang, GINA COBB, Associated Press, Atlas Shrugs, The Strata-Sphere, RADAMISTO, CNN, Stop The ACLU, Sweetness & Light, Weasel Zippers, theneweditor.com, Little Green Footballs, Redstate, Daimnation!, Gay Patriot, Roger L. Simon, Ezra Klein, QandO, The Carpetbagger Report, The American Pundit, Counterterrorism Blog, Kiko's House, Take Our Country Back, Don Surber, The Jawa Report, CBS News and John Edwards for President

Jennifer Parker / Political Radar:

Thompson Calls bin Laden "Symbolic"; Draws GOP Fire — ABC News' Bret Hovell and Jennifer Parker report: Former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., has only been an official Republican presidential candidate for a day. But his comments are already drawing fire from his GOP rivals.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Taylor Marsh and Patterico's Pontifications

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: Townhall.com, the talking dog, Jules Crittenden and Jihad Watch

Andrew Roth / Club for Growth:
Osama bin Laden's Record on Economic Issues

Discussion: Macsmind, Liberty Pundit, Classical Values and The Belmont Club

Mike Glover / Associated Press:
"(AP) Thompson campaign bus rumbles through rural Iowa"

Discussion: Brave New Films blog, Think Progress, MyDD, Brilliant at Breakfast, Democratic National Committee, The Carpetbagger Report, TBogg, Talking Points Memo and MSNBC

CBS News:
Where Is Osama Bin Laden?

Discussion: Gawker, Gateway Pundit, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Hot Air and Daimnation!

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

Discussion: ePluribus Media Community

Bill Richardson / Washington Post:

Why We Should Exit Iraq Now — Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards have suggested that there is little difference among us on Iraq. This is not true: I am the only leading Democratic candidate committed to getting all our troops out and doing so quickly.

Discussion: Eschaton

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

Discussion: TPM Election Central, The Trail, The Talent Show, Black Shards … and My Left Wing

David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:

OVER THE TOP, EVEN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE — Maybe there is a limit as to how far the White House will—or can—go to spin the situation on the ground in Iraq as positive. — On his way to the APEC conference in Australia this week, President Bush made a surprise visit to Iraq.

Discussion: Needlenose

White House:
President Bush Attends APEC Business Summit

Discussion: The Rude Pundit and First Draft

Jake Thompson / Omaha World-Herald:

Hagel is calling it quits — WORLD-HERALD BUREAU, COPYRIGHT 2007 OMAHA WORLD-HERALD — WASHINGTON - Chuck Hagel will announce Monday that he is retiring from the U.S. Senate and will not run for president next year, people close to the Nebraska Republican said Friday.

Discussion: Riehl World View

The Corner:

Madeleine L'Engle at Home — You know her as the author of A Wrinkle in Time — possibly the best and most memorable young person's novel written in the United States since World War II. If you're lucky, you read or sampled a dozen or more of the 60-odd books she wrote for children and adults …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online

Cara Rubinsky / Associated Press:
'A Wrinkle in Time' author L'Engle dies

Discussion: Liberal Values, Gawker, GINA COBB, New York Times and First Draft

Jonathan Stempel / Reuters:

Countrywide to cut up to 12,000 jobs — NEW YORK (Reuters) - Countrywide Financial Corp, the largest U.S. mortgage lender, said on Friday it plans to cut 10,000 to 12,000 jobs to cope with weak housing demand, rising foreclosures and tightening credit markets.

Julia Koch / Spiegel Online:

Behavioral Science Turns to Dogs for Answers — For a long time, domesticated dogs were seen as just the slobbering, dumbed-down ancestor of the wild wolf. Dogs, though, have learned a few tricks of their own through the millennia — and can teach us a lot about ourselves.

Discussion: Wizbang and Betsy's Page

Kos / Daily Kos:

Hillary wants withdrawal bill with teeth — Hillary is finally showing leadership on the pre-emptive capitulation efforts in Congress. This statement was sent to me via email, so no link yet: … I have to say I'm shocked at the silence from the Obama campaign.

Discussion: TalkLeft, Taylor Marsh, The Agonist and Riehl World View

Richard Simon / Los Angeles Times:

Senate's vote revives overseas abortion issue — Despite a veto threat, 53 senators back overturning a ban on aid to groups that offer support for the procedure. — WASHINGTON — Defying a White House veto threat, the Democratic-controlled Senate voted Thursday to overturn a long-standing ban …

Discussion: Bush v. Choice and The Sideshow

Andrew Norfolk / Times of London:

Our followers 'must live in peace until strong enough to wage jihad' — One of the world's most respected Deobandi scholars believes that aggressive military jihad should be waged by Muslims "to establish the supremacy of Islam" worldwide. — Justice Muhammad Taqi Usmani argues that Muslims …

Discussion: Jihad Watch and Weasel Zippers

Ryan Sager / Latest Politics:

Thompson's First Campaign Event: Unimpressive — I just attended Fred Thompson's first campaign event in Des Moines, Iowa. The quick take: This is a whimper of a start. — I'm writing from the filing center that the Thompson campaign has set up in the Polk County Convention Complex …

Discussion: Hotline On Call, Washington Post, Daily Kos and Riehl World View

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: Say Anything, The Reaction, MyDD, The Glenn Beck Program and Riehl World View

David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:

ADVICE AND CONSENT: THE BUSH WAY — Yesterday, the White House announced it would nominate E. Duncan Getchell, Jr., to a seat on the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. But as the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports today, Getchell was not on a list of five possible nominees submitted …

Discussion: Law Blog and Open Left

Peter Hardin / Richmond Times-Dispatch:
Bush federal judge pick criticized

Discussion: White House, Think Progress and Washington Post

David Whitney / Sacramento Bee:

Doolittle: 'I am running again. Period.' — WASHINGTON - Rep. John Doolittle defiantly declared Friday that he will not retire from Congress despite increasing Republican concern that if he runs for a 10th term next year, the seat could fall to Democratic challenger Charlie Brown.

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, The Fix and Calitics