memeorandum: Number of Soldiers to Be Left in Iraq Remains Unclear (David S. Cloud/New York Times)

10:20 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.

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: Macsmind, Truthdig, All Spin Zone and The Caucus

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, The Impolitic, New York Post and Oliver Willis

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: TIME, Pottersville, Hullabaloo, Democrats.com, The Carpetbagger Report, Los Angeles Times and The Mahablog

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

Discussion: Prairie Weather and Althouse

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

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

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

Discussion: Cliff Schecter and PoliBlog (TM)

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

Discussion: The Politico, CNN, Obsidian Wings and SWJ Blog

David S. Cloud / New York Times:
Number of Soldiers to Be Left in Iraq Remains Unclear

Discussion: Chicago Tribune, The Swamp and The Politico

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: Brendan Nyhan, TIME, The Politico, No More Mister Nice Blog, TPM Election Central and Gateway Pundit

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

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: Fausta's blog, JammieWearingFool and Redstate

Dan Frosch / New York Times:
Judge in Colorado Sets Bond of $5 Million for Democratic Fund-Raiser

Discussion: Los Angeles Times and Blue Crab Boulevard

Chris / TVNewser:

Edwards Pays And Waits — The John Edwards campaign paid for its two minutes, but still had to wait. After the president's Oval Office address on troop strength and the U.S. commitment in Iraq, all the networks (except the Fox TV network special hosted by FNC's Shepard Smith) aired the Democratic response from Sen. Jack Reed.

Discussion: Redstate

Tom Shales / Washington Post: On the Nation's TVs, A Familiar Picture

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: Captain's Quarters, The Newshoggers, QandO and Op For

Sonya Geis / Washington Post:

Scholars Decry Law School's About-Face on New Dean — Scholars across the political spectrum protested what they called an assault on academic freedom after the University of California at Irvine withdrew a job offer from a liberal professor who wrote an op-ed criticizing the Bush administration.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Power Line, New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Townhall.com

John R. Emshwiller / Wall Street Journal:

For Clinton, 2000 Fund-Raising Controversy Lingers — Ex-Supporter Paul — Stays on the Attack — With Suit, Claims — LOS ANGELES — As Sen. Hillary Clinton grapples with the burgeoning scandal surrounding disgraced fund-raiser Norman Hsu, she can't quite shake a fund-raising controversy from her 2000 Senate campaign.

Discussion: USA Today, Blue Crab Boulevard and Betsy's Page

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

The Blotter:

Foley Unlikely to Be Prosecuted; Lewd Internet Messages Too Old — Vic Walter and Krista Kjellman Report: — Disgraced former Congressman Mark Foley, whose e-mails and instant messages to teenage former congressional pages shocked the country, may avoid criminal prosecution in Florida …

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.