memeorandum: A Look at Bush's Assertions About Iraq (Anne Gearan/Associated Press)

9:35 AM ET, September 14, 2007

Top Items:

Text of the President's Address — Following is the prepared text of President Bush's address on Iraq, as provided by the White House: — THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. In the life of all free nations, there come moments that decide the direction of a country and reveal the character of its people.

Washington Post:

The Least Bad Plan — PRESIDENT BUSH'S explanation of his latest plans for Iraq last night was marred by a couple of important omissions. First, the president failed to acknowledge that, according to the standards he himself established in January, the surge of U.S. troops into Iraq has been a failure …

Discussion: Booman Tribune, Oliver Willis and Time

New York Times:

No Exit, No Strategy — This was the week in which Americans hoped they would get straight talk and clear thinking on Iraq. What they got was two exhausting days of Congressional testimony by the American military commander, hours of news conferences and interviews, clouds of cut …

Discussion: Pottersville, The Carpetbagger Report, Hullabaloo and The Mahablog

Fred Kaplan / Slate:

BUSH'S APPALLING IRAQ SPEECH. — President Bush's TV address tonight was the worst speech he's ever given on the war in Iraq, and that's saying a lot. Every premise, every proposal, nearly every substantive point was sheer fiction. The only question is whether he was being deceptive or delusional.

Discussion: Truthdig, All Spin Zone and The Caucus

The Politico:

Bush speech to the nation: advance excerpts — Here are excerpts of the prepared text of President Bush's 9 p.m. Iraq address from the Oval Office, as released by the White House for use on dinnertime newscasts: — On keeping us safe here at home: — In Iraq, an ally of the United States is fighting for its survival.

Discussion: CNN, The Corner, Think Progress, Riehl World View, FP Passport, The Reaction, The Huffington Post, Taylor Marsh, AMERICAblog, Truthdig and Sister Toldjah

David E. Sanger / New York Times:
Multiple Messages and Audiences

Discussion: Prairie Weather and Althouse

Anne Gearan / Associated Press:
A Look at Bush's Assertions About Iraq

Discussion: Cliff Schecter and PoliBlog (TM)

Think Progress:
Matthews: Bush's claim of '36 countries' in Iraq is 'ludicrous.'

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Democratic Daily and Liberal Values

Fox News:
Bush to Order 5,700 Troops Home from Iraq by End of Year

Discussion: Democrats.senate.gov, Hot Air, michellemalkin.com and Gateway Pundit

Doyle McManus / Los Angeles Times:
Bush redefines 'victory'

Discussion: The Politico, Obsidian Wings and SWJ Blog

Mark Silva / The Swamp:
Bush: 'Success' means some soldiers come home

Discussion: New York Times

ABCNEWS:
Bush Appeals to Nation on Iraq

Discussion: On Deadline, MSNBC, Guardian and Think Progress

Matt Cooper / Condé Nast Portfolio Magazine:

CAPITAL — The Liberal Case for Ted Olson — Lots of rumors floating about that the administration is backing off appointing Ted Olson as Attorney General because of Democratic objections. Look, he was my lawyer in the CIA leak case for my Supreme Court appeal.

Discussion: Salon, American Spectator, TalkLeft, The Van Der Galiën Gazette and New York Times

Dan Eggen / Washington Post:
Gonzales Ready to Leave the Stage

Discussion: Law Blog

Opinion Journal:
Borking Mr. Olson — President Reid gives AG orders to the White House.

Discussion: Betsy's Page

Ronald A. Cass / Real Clear Politics: Dems Try to Choose Bush's Attorney General

The Prowler / American Spectator:

The New York Times MovesOn — The New York Times in the past has rejected "advocacy" ads from Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, as well as from the National Right to Life Committee, despite the fact that both would have qualified for the same "special advocacy, stand by" rates that the radical …

Discussion: New York Post, Don Surber, Betsy's Page and NewsBusters.org

Katharine Q. Seelye / New York Times:

Angered by an Antiwar Ad, Giuliani Seeks Equal Space — The New York Times came under attack Thursday by Rudolph W. Giuliani and a group of conservative Republicans for what they said was favoritism in the rate charged to MoveOn.org, a liberal group that opposes the war …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, The Politico and TPM Election Central

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:

Hsustock: The Definition Of Insanity — If the definition of insanity is repeating the same actions over and over despite consistent failure, then the American judiciary needs a shrink when it comes to Norman Hsu. Despite having run out on his sentencing for a nolo contendere plea on fraud 15 years ago …

Discussion: New York Times and Redstate

Peggy Noonan / Opinion Journal:

Just the Facts — Gen. Petraeus brings some clarity to the Iraq debate. — We are at a new point in the American experience of the Iraq war. It is also a decisive one: We have to decide, now, what to do. Stay. Go. Stay in a certain way, or at a certain size.

Discussion: GINA COBB

RIA Novosti:

U.S. develops 14-ton super bomb, bigger than Russian vacuum bomb — The U.S. has a 14-ton super bomb more destructive than the vacuum bomb just tested by Russia, a U.S. general said Wednesday. — The statement was made by retired Lt. General McInerney, chairman of the Iran Policy Committee …

Discussion: The Newshoggers and Op For

Christopher Lee / Washington Post:

N.J.'s Corzine to Defy New Health-Care Rules — Fight Grows Over Changes in Children's Program — Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine informed President Bush this week that New Jersey will not obey federal rules that would make it harder to enroll middle-income kids for a popular government-subsidized health insurance program.

David Bauder / Associated Press:

Ex-ABC consultant said to fake interview — A former ABC News consultant fired last year because he couldn't authenticate academic credentials is at the center of a new dispute over apparently faked interviews with Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Bill Gates and others.

Discussion: The Corner and NewsBusters.org