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TIMES GIVES LEFTIES A HEFTY DISCOUNT FOR 'BETRAY US' AD — The New York Times dramatically slashed its normal rates for a full-page advertisement for MoveOn.org's ad questioning the integrity of Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq. — Headlined "Cooking the Books …
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COMPLAINT FILED WITH FEC OVER BETRAY US AD — Guess what I did at lunch? That's right, I petitioned my government for redress of grievances, specifically illegal political advertising practices by the New York Times and MoveOn.org. We are all well aware of the sorry political advertisement calling the General a traitor.


SEN. CLINTON'S SLUR — Sen. Hillary Clinton yesterday found …
Discussion:
The Politico, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Mahablog, Taylor Marsh, Wake up America and Blue Crab Boulevard

Abu Risha murdered — I was in the middle of putting the finishing touches on an short piece about Iraqi Sunni politics due out later today when I got an urgent flash that Abd al-Sattar Abu Risha had been murdered in Anbar. Nothing could have been more predictable than the murder of Abu Risha …
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Sunni World — The cheerleaders for the surge have constructed a Disney-esque fantasy of Iraq which might as well be in Orlando for all it has to do with the grim reality on the ground. And Abu Risha's assassination isn't likely to dim that fantasy. — During his visit to Iraq last week …

Key anti-al-Qaida sheik slain in Iraq
Discussion:
The Corner, Washington Monthly, The Long War Journal, Crooks and Liars, Hot Air, Publius Pundit and 9/11 Families …


Clinton, Pelosi, Greenspan, Bloomberg, Gates, Annan Also Say Interviews 'Fakes' — Brian Ross Reports: — Former President Bill Clinton, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Microsoft founder Bill Gates …
Discussion:
War and Piece, Attytood, The Newshoggers, MoJoBlog, The Lede, Right Wing Nut House, Mercury Rising, TVNewser and Washington Post

The Other Iraq Surge — A sharp increase in contributions from the military to Democrats suggests the Republican commander-in-chief and his party are losing the troops' support. — Assessed favorably this week by the war's lead general, the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq appears to be causing …
Discussion:
The Carpetbagger Report, The New Republic, The Caucus, Boston Globe, TPM Election Central, Cliff Schecter and INSTAPUTZ

Dems Demand Boehner Apologize For "Small Price" Troop Deaths Remark — Okay, here we go. — Democratic leaders are now opening fire on GOP House leader John Boehner, demanding that he apologize for saying in an interview yesterday that troop deaths in Iraq would be a "small price" …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Weekly Standard, Crooks and Liars, MyDD, The Politico, D-Day, BuzzFlash.org, The Democratic Daily and TIME: Swampland
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CT-Sen: Lamont would win rematch — Daily Kos commissioned the following poll from independent pollster Research 2000: — Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 9/10-12. Likely voters. MoE 4% (No trend lines) … Lieberman won 50-40-10 in 2006, so the poll tracks closely.
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Is a Fred Thompson Campaign Necessary? — Fred Thompson's plunge into the presidential pool — more belly-flop than swan dive — was the strangest product launch since that of New Coke in 1985. Then the question was: Is this product necessary? A similar question stumped Thompson the day he plunged.
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Help Not Wanted — Almost immediately following the launch …
Discussion:
Althouse, Wonkette, The Carpetbagger Report, The Impolitic, Los Angeles Times and HazZzMat


Obama: Congress Won't Challenge Bush — MAQUOKETA, Iowa — Despite the unpopularity of the Iraq war, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama predicted Thursday that Congress won't directly challenge President Bush's plans and will focus instead on putting a ceiling on the number of troops deployed to that country.
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FRED: NOT SURE ABOUT NATIONAL CAT FUND, SCHIAVO — THE VILLAGES — Republican Presidential hopeful Fred Thompson, addressing some Florida-specific questions for a Tampa Bay-area cable program, says he doesn't have an opinion about a national catastrophic insurance fund or the 2005 congressional intervention in the Terri Schiavo case.

As Bush Prepares for 'Surge' Address Tonight: Here Is What He Promised in January Speech — NEW YORK With President Bush reportedly ready to endorse a full continuation of the "surge" in Iraq through next summer in a speech to the nation tonight, a look back at what he promised in his address …

CALIFORNIA VOTERS CAN'T CHANGE THE 2008 ELECTION RULES ON THEIR OWN. — Republican presidential candidates are crossing the country promising voters that they'll pick judges who will be "strict constructionists" of the U.S. Constitution. Meanwhile, Republican activists in California …

43% Support Petraeus Recommendation, 38% Oppose — Forty-three percent (43%) of Americans favor the recommendation made by General David Petraeus to withdraw 30,000 soldiers from Iraq but leave 130,000 troops in place at least through the summer. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found …


Researcher: Bin Laden's beard is real, video is not — On the Friday before the sixth anniversary of 9/11, Osama bin Laden appeared in a new video, his first since prior to the U.S. presidential elections in 2004. In analyzing the video, Neal Krawetz of Hactor Factor, an expert on digital image forensics …

A New Strain of Anti-Semitism is Spreading — Who recently said: "These Jews started 19 Crusades. The 19th was World War (1). Why? Only to build Israel." — Some holdover Nazi? — Hardly. It was former Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan of Turkey, a NATO ally.

Security chief says terrorists have been arrested on Texas border — DALLAS - Texas' top homeland security official said Wednesday that terrorists with ties to Hezbollah, Hamas and al-Qaida have been arrested crossing the Texas border with Mexico in recent years. — "Has there ever been anyone linked to terrorism arrested?"
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Captain's Quarters