memeorandum: WORLD WAR IV WITH THE WRONG ROSIE (Roger L. Simon/Pajamas Media)

2:30 PM ET, September 11, 2007

Top Items:

Petraeus, Crocker Face Skepticism on Drawdown — Army Gen. David H. Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker went before Congress for a second day today to deliver a progress report on the war in Iraq and explain a new military plan to withdraw the 30,000 reinforcements sent there earlier this year to improve security.

Discussion: Think Progress, Taylor Marsh, INTEL DUMP, Wonkette, The Democratic Daily and Democrats.com

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: The Heretik, Bloomberg, Wake up America, Shakespeare's Sister, Prairie Weather and The Gavel

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, Cato-at-liberty, Hullabaloo, The BRAD BLOG, The Carpetbagger Report, Gateway Pundit, Middle Earth Journal, Liberty Street and Prairie Weather

George Will / Real Clear Politics:

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, Outside The Beltway, New York Post, Washington Post, michellemalkin.com, QandO, DownWithTyranny!, The Van Der Galiën Gazette, The Huffington Post, Newsweek, Balloon Juice, race42008.com, Democratic Strategist, Jon Swift, The Galloping Beaver, RADAMISTO, CFR.org and Atlantic Free Press

New York Times:
Empty Calories — For months, President Bush has been promising …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Talking Points Memo, New York Post, TigerHawk, Washington Post, Real Clear Politics, The Peking Duck, Prairie Weather, SWJ Blog, Left in the West, Hoystory and BobKrumm.com

Fred Kaplan / Slate:
The House Tosses Softballs to Gen. Petraeus

Discussion: TPMmuckraker, The Carpetbagger Report, New York Times, Taylor Marsh, Macsmind, Washington Post, The Xsociate Files, Obsidian Wings, Crooks and Liars, Think Progress 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: The Newshoggers, Balloon Juice, TPM Election Central, The Politico, The Carpetbagger Report, Dick Polman's American Debate and Gateway Pundit

AlaskaReport.com:
Petraeus report aka 'Bush Report'

Discussion: Pen and Sword

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: Weekly Standard, Commentary, Balloon Juice, Solomonia, alicublog, Townhall.com and Daily Kos

Roger L. Simon / Pajamas Media:

WORLD WAR IV WITH THE WRONG ROSIE — Pajamas Media CEO Roger L. Simon reviews Norman Podhoretz's World War IV: The Long Struggle Against Islamofascism, published on the sixth anniversary of 9/11. — Support Pajamas Media; Visit Our Advertisers — "You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you."

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Townhall.com, Classical Values, Power Line, Fausta's blog and Roger L. Simon

John Bresnahan / The Politico:

Miers, Bolten contempt filings delayed — House Democratic leaders have decided to postpone a vote on a criminal contempt resolution against White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers for several weeks, and possibly longer, according to top lawmakers and aides.

Discussion: TPMmuckraker and Democrats.com

Adam Nossiter / New York Times:
Democrats See Politics in a Governor's Jailing

Discussion: TPMmuckraker and Daily Kos

Rasmussen Reports:

Minnesota Senate — Coleman at 46% Democrats Close Behind — Minnesota is likely to host one of the more interesting and competitive Senate races in Election 2008. — The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone poll of the race shows incumbent Senator Norm Coleman (R) attracting just 46% support …

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …, TPM Election Central, Open Left, MyDD, Daily Kos and Pollster.com

Virginia Senate / Rasmussen Reports:
Democrat Warner Holds Large Lead Over Davis and Gilmore

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …, MyDD, TPM Election Central and Pollster.com

Matt / Think Progress:

Lieberman Decries 'Terrible, Partisan, Political Sniping,' Then Rocks Out With Hannity, Coulter — On Fox News this morning, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) used a moment of silence commemorating 9/11 to decry the "terrible, partisan political sniping" that he says ruined the "unity that we felt after September 11″:

Discussion: News Hounds

David Hinckley / NY Daily News:
Montgomery Gentry loves country and sings for 'Freedom'

Discussion: Agitprop and Brave New Films blog

Michelle Malkin:

9/11: Remembrance and resistance — Update 1:30pm Eastern. Memorial photo of the day comes from Iraq, via MNF-I: — The caption reads: — Never Forget — Task Force Marne Soldiers take time on the sixth anniversary of the attacks Sept. 11, 2001, for a remembrance ceremony at the Task Force Marne Headquarters.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, GINA COBB, Pajamas Media, Wake up America, Washington Times, USA Today, The Mahablog, The Moderate Voice, La Shawn Barber's Corner, The Anchoress, Riehl World View, Balloon Juice, Israel Matzav and The Peking Duck

Johnny Dollar / Olbermann Watch:

Keith Olbermann Admits He Is Un-American! — And reprehensible too. Don't blame us...it's his words:

Discussion: protein wisdom, The Radio Equalizer and Hot Air

John O'Connor / The State:

GOP's Thompson brings young campaign to S.C. — Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson introduced himself to the Palmetto State on Monday, and won over Sumter residents Marylou Smith and Nalva Malcom. — Smith, 64, and Malcom, 67, were two of about 400 people who waited under …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Post & Courier, Arizona Republic, CNN Political Ticker and MSNBC

CBS News:
Poll: Giuliani Tumbles, GOP Race Tightens

Discussion: Hot Air, MyDD, Right Wing Nut House, race42008.com, Brave New Films blog, Pollster.com and The Trail

Andrew Sullivan / The Atlantic Online:

The Surge's Real Target: Iran? — That's NRO's Andy McCarthy's instructive 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 …

Discussion: The Newshoggers

Andy McCarthy / The Corner: Re: Re: Ackerman and Andy and Drawdown

Andrew Sullivan / The Atlantic Online:

Annals Of Propaganda — Brit Hume coaches Petraeus to echo Bush administration talking points, describing the entire conflict in Iraq as a battle against al Qaeda. It was the final word of the GOP infomercial last night, a low-point in military press relations.

Andrew Sullivan / The Atlantic Online:

Quote for the Day — "The Vietnam experience left the military leadership feeling that they should advise against involvement in counterinsurgencies unless specific, perhaps unlikely, circumstances obtain — i.e. domestic public support, the promise of a quick campaign …