memeorandum: SPITZER AIDES IN MYSTERY MEETINGS (Fredric U. Dicker/New York Post)

8:30 PM ET, September 10, 2007

Top Items:

Frank James / The Swamp:

Petraeus 'Betray Us' ad is group's 'shock and awe' — MoveOn.org was looking to get attention and so they have with their full-page New York Times ad in which they slam Gen. David Petraeus, rhyming his name with "betray us." It's the liberal group's version of shock and awe.

Deacon / Power Line:

MOVEON.ORG HITS THE BOTTOM — General Petraeus is now testifying before the House, providing his assessment of the situation in Iraq and making recommendations as to how to proceed. Here is his written testimony. — This morning, the leftist group Moveon.org ran an ad in the New York Times …

Discussion: CNN, National Review, The Mahablog, Weekly Standard, Comments From Left Field, Say Anything, Heading Right, HazZzMat, The Caucus and Gateway Pundit

Think Progress:

REPORT: Petraeus Spent At Least 17 Days In August Flacking For Bush's Escalation — The Washington Post reported this weekend that the White House political office and Gen. David Petraeus' unit have been "hard-wired" together, working jointly to "map out ways of selling the surge."

Gaius / Blue Crab Boulevard:

"Until This Moment, Senator, I Think I Never Gauged Your Cruelty Or Recklessness...." — Those were some of the words that are generally credited with beginning the downfall of Senator Joseph McCarthy. The rest of the exchange between McCarthy and Joseph Welch, acting special counsel for the US Army …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Macsmind and The American Mind

Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:
No More Flack for Iraq

Discussion: Eschaton, Salon, Open Left and DownWithTyranny!

CNN Political Ticker:
Dems join GOP in slamming ad attacking Petraeus

Discussion: Gallup Poll, Hot Air, TPMCafe blogs, Los Angeles Times, Weekly Standard, WorkingForChange and Washington Times

CNN Political Ticker:
Kerry: MoveOn.org is 'over the top'

Discussion: Wake up America

CNN Political Ticker:
Thompson calls on Democrats to return MoveOn.org donations

Discussion: Wake up America and Say Anything

Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice:
With Enemies Like This, General Petraeus Gets New Friends

Discussion: ABCNEWS

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:
Col. Joe Repya: The Assault on General David Petraeus

Discussion: Redstate

Ron Christie / The Hill:
General Betray Us?

Discussion: Confederate Yankee

Think Progress:

Petraeus Falsely Claims That Six Months Ago, 'No One Would Have Forecast' Anbar's Success — Today in his testimony to the House, Gen. David Petraeus cited the reduced violence in the Anbar province as evidence that President Bush's "surge" is working. He added that it would be "premature" …

Discussion: unbossed.com, AMERICAblog, Crooks and Liars, TPMmuckraker, Talking Points Memo, ePluribus Media Community and TalkLeft

David Stout / New York Times:

Slow Progress Being Made in Iraq, Petraeus Tells Congress — Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American military commander in Iraq, told Congress this afternoon that the United States by next summer should be able to reduce its troop strength there to about 130,000, or what it was before the recent increase.

Discussion: The Van Der Galiën Gazette, The Swamp, MoJoBlog, The Politico, DownWithTyranny!, Washington Post, CNN Political Ticker, Comments From Left Field and PoliBlog (TM)

Austin Bay Blog:

Initial thoughts on Petraeus-Crocker testimony — After three hours of testimony — at times grueling testimony — I've some initial reactions. (As it is, I have to get ready to give a speech this evening.) — My first thought is MoveOn.org lost this political battle — the chumps went an …

Discussion: michellemalkin.com, Instapundit.com and Wake up America

Nicole Belle / Crooks and Liars:
The Iraq War Report: Rep. Lantos "We can not take ANY of this …

Discussion: The Gavel and Firedoglake

Ilan Goldenberg / democracyarsenal.org:
New Thread: Petraeus's Testimony Fact Check

Discussion: TPMmuckraker, CANNONFIRE, Shakespeare's Sister, The Gavel, Ezra Klein and Taylor Marsh

Washington Post:
Petraeus Says Objectives in Iraq Are Largely Being Met

Discussion: CFR.org, MoJoBlog, Outside The Beltway, RIGHTWINGSPARKLE and PoliBlog (TM)

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:

Thompson wants 'due process' for Bin Laden — Fred Thompson said today in South Carolina that Osama bin Laden should be granted "due process." — Speaking to reporters in Greenville, Thompson said the leader of Al Qaeda "needs to be located and killed." — But, according to the AP …

Brian Ross Reports / The Blotter:

Second Bin Laden Tape Expected — Brian Ross Reports: — A second tape from Osama bin Laden was recorded in the same location as the video released last week. — People in the intelligence community who have seen the tape feel it is directly related to the 9/11 anniversary since …

The Washington Post / The Trail:
Anti-Thompson Site Connects to Romney Camp

Discussion: race42008.com and The American Mind

Jim Davenport / Associated Press:
Thompson: Due process for bin Laden

Discussion: Hot Air, The Carpetbagger Report and Stop The ACLU

Kevin Drum / Washington Monthly:

PETRAEUS'S DRAWDOWN....This slide from Gen. David Paraeus's testimony today is a work of art, isn't it? It looks like some kind of timeline for withdrawal, but all it actually says is that we'll withdraw five brigades by next July, something we already know is driven not by strategic considerations …

Discussion: New York Times

John Cole / Balloon Juice:
Look At All the Pretty Colors

Discussion: Washington Monthly and TPMmuckraker

Aaron Blake / The Hill:

Hagel bows out of politics — Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) officially announced Monday that he will not run for a third term and does not plan to run for president in 2008, setting in motion a battle for his Senate seat and leaving anti-war Republicans and independents without one of their candidates of choice in the presidential contest.

Discussion: The Politico, MyDD and Comments From Left Field

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Nebraska Senate Race Shapes Up

Discussion: TIME

The Sun:

Plans to ban plasma TV's — THE Conservatives will propose banning plasma screens and other energy-guzzling electrical goods in a report to be unveiled next week. — The proposals target white goods like fridges and freezers, as well as TVs, personal computers and DVD players that use too much energy or operate on stand-by.

Discussion: Cato-at-liberty and Dean's World

The Atlantic Online:

Hope: The New Plan — Check out this briefing slide from General Petraeus' presentation: — Basically, the idea is that about nine months from now, we'll be back to the number of troops we had in Iraq about nine months ago. After that, more stuff is supposed to change . . . maybe …

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report and Open Left

Bob Owens / Pajamas Media:

ARMY CHECKMATES THE NEW REPUBLIC — Last month Pajamas Media published an in-depth report on the scandal surrounding the "Baghdad Diarist" articles by Scott Thomas Beauchamp in The New Republic. — Now PJM's Bob Owens interviews Major John Cross, who led the U.S. Army's investigation into Private Beauchamp's shocking claims.