memeorandum: Trashing Petraeus — MoveOn.org, and the new standards of Democratic debate. (Opinion Journal)

10:45 AM ET, September 11, 2007

Top Items:

By Bush's Own Standard, Surge Has Failed — Before Gen. David Petraeus' report, and to give it a context of optimism, the president visited Iraq's Anbar province to underscore the success of the surge in making some hitherto anarchic areas less so. More significant, however, was the fact that the president did not visit Baghdad.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, QandO, New York Post, The Huffington Post, Washington Post, race42008.com, Jon Swift, The Galloping Beaver, Balloon Juice, Atlantic Free Press, RADAMISTO, Outside The Beltway, TPMmuckraker, The Raw Story and RIGHTWINGSPARKLE

McClatchy Washington Bureau:

What Crocker and Petraeus didn't say — WASHINGTON — The Bush administration's top two officials in Iraq answered questions from Congress for more than six hours on Monday, but their testimony may have been as important for what they didn't say as for what they did.

Discussion: Shakespeare's Sister, Prairie Weather and The Gavel

New York Times:

Empty Calories — For months, President Bush has been promising an honest accounting of the situation in Iraq, a fresh look at the war strategy and a new plan for how to extricate the United States from the death spiral of the Iraqi civil war. The nation got none of that yesterday …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Real Clear Politics, New York Post, Washington Post, Prairie Weather, The Peking Duck, SWJ Blog and Left in the West

Fred Kaplan / Slate:

The House Tosses Softballs to Gen. Petraeus — SIX HOURS OF LARGELY PREDICTABLE, PRO FORMA TESTIMONY. — Maybe Tuesday will be Congress' good news day. — Monday was mainly a disgrace. Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker made their eagerly awaited appearances …

Discussion: New York Times, The Carpetbagger Report, Crooks and Liars, The Xsociate Files, Obsidian Wings, Washington Post and Think Progress

Paul Richter / Los Angeles Times:

Bush policy to bequeath Iraq to successor — The president plans to end his term with a strong U.S. military in the country and leave the issue of exiting to his successor. — WASHINGTON — The talk in Washington on Monday was all about troop reductions, yet it also brought …

Discussion: Washington Post and Middle Earth Journal

Washington Post:
The General's Long View Could Cut Withdrawal Debate Short

Discussion: Democratic Strategist, Pacific Views, Macsmind, Outside The Beltway, The Reaction, RADAMISTO, Prairie Weather, CFR.org, The Mahablog, The Democratic Daily and New York Times

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
THAT FOX "EXCLUSIVE"

Discussion: Taylor Marsh and The Moderate Voice

Bloomberg:
Petraeus's Credibility Wins Bush Extra Time for Iraq Strategy

Discussion: Reuters and Agence France Presse

Eugene Robinson / Washington Post:
'Six Months' Without End

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Next Hurrah and NO QUARTER

Michael Hirsh / Newsweek:
Hirsh: Rating Petraeus's report to the Hill

Discussion: Say Anything and Hot Air

Jackie Kucinich / The Hill:

Republicans introduce measure condemning MoveOn ad — House Republican leaders introduced a resolution Monday condemning a full-page newspaper ad from MoveOn.org that criticizes the character of Gen. David Petraeus, the commanding general of U.S. troops in Iraq.

Discussion: TPM Election Central

ABCNEWS:

MoveOn.org Ad Takes Aim at Petraeus — Ad From Liberal Activist Group Takes on Petraeus and the GOP Finds a New Talking Point — A newspaper ad from the anti-war group MoveOn.org that attacks Gen. David Petraeus has prompted a Republican outcry in Washington, D.C., as supporters …

Discussion: CNN Political Ticker, The Democratic Daily, A Chequer-Board of Nights … and Los Angeles Times

Opinion Journal:

Trashing Petraeus — MoveOn.org, and the new standards of Democratic debate. — Important as was yesterday's appearance before Congress by General David Petraeus, the events leading up to his testimony may have been more significant. Members of the Democratic leadership and their supporters …

Discussion: Boston Globe, Blue Crab Boulevard, Betsy's Page, National Review Online and Gateway Pundit

Michael Yon / The Tank:
The Times Is a Terrible Thing to Waste

Discussion: Blogs for Bush

Michelle Malkin:

9/11: Remembrance and resistance — What do you remember? When I think back to September 11, 2001, the crisp morning before jihadists struck on American soil, I remember transluscent blue skies. Green-gold leaves. And the blush pink cheeks of my then-one-year-old daughter …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Washington Times, Pajamas Media, The Peking Duck, Sister Toldjah, The Strata-Sphere, Israel Matzav and A Blog For All

Alexandra Marks / Christian Science Monitor:
In 9/11 remembrance, a turning to good deeds

Discussion: Firedoglake and Scared Monkeys

Los Angeles Times:

Clinton to cut ties with fundraiser — The Democrat's presidential campaign is refunding $850,000 linked to Norman Hsu, caught up in allegations of running a Ponzi scheme. — WASHINGTON — Confronted with the possibility that disgraced fundraiser Norman Hsu might be running …

Discussion: Washington Post, MSNBC, Stop The ACLU, Wizbang and On Deadline

Patrick Healy / New York Times:
Clinton to Return Money Linked to Fund-Raiser

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, TIME: Swampland, Los Angeles Times, Hot Air and Sunlight Foundation blogs

CBS News:

Poll: Giuliani Tumbles, GOP Race Tightens — CBS News Poll: Thompson's Entry Vaults Him To A Close Second Place In Republican Contest — (CBS) Rudy Giuliani, after holding the front-runner spot in the race for the Republican presidential nomination for months, has seen his lead nearly evaporate …

Discussion: MyDD, Right Wing Nut House, New York Times, race42008.com, Pollster.com and USA Today

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:

Strike Three? — A bomb-sniffing dog in Ankara helped Turkish authorities stop a massive terrorist attack on the anniversary of 9/11. A van full of explosives in a parking garage would have devastated the center of the large city, and it would have served as a counterpoint to the messages released by Osama bin Laden in the past week:

Michael D. Shear / Washington Post:

Romney Adviser Linked to Anti-Thompson Internet Site — A top adviser to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney appears to be behind the launch of a new Web site attacking GOP presidential rival Fred D. Thompson during his first week on the trail. — The site, PhoneyFred.org …

Discussion: The State, MSNBC, Althouse, The Democratic Daily and Daily Pundit

Norman Podhoretz / Opinion Journal:

'America the Ugly' — Six years after 9/11, it's notable how little the politics of the left have changed. — In the immediate aftermath of the attacks on us that took place on this very day six years ago, several younger commentators proclaimed the birth of an entirely new era in American history.

Discussion: Power Line, Pajamas Media, Commentary, alicublog and Daily Kos

USA Today:

Colin Powell: Terrorists are not greatest threat to nation — In an interview with GQ magazine that's scheduled to be put online here at 11 a.m. ET, former secretary of State and one-time potential presidential candidate Colin Powell has this to say about terrorism and the threat it poses to the USA:

Discussion: Reason Magazine, Donklephant and JammieWearingFool

John Tierney / New York Times:

'Feel Good' vs. 'Do Good' on Climate — After looking at one too many projections of global-warming disasters — computer graphics of coasts swamped by rising seas, mounting death tolls from heat waves — I was ready for a reality check. Instead of imagining a warmer planet …

Discussion: Reason Magazine

Andrew Sullivan / The Atlantic Online:

Attack Iran! — That's NRO's Andy McCarthy's take on the Petraeus testimony. He cites this comment from the general: … I predict an echoing chorus from the far right. In fact, I think Petraeus' testimony and the administration's agenda makes the most sense if you see all of this as a prelude …

Discussion: The Corner