memeorandum: A Rather Controversial Ending (Johnnie L. Roberts/Newsweek)

1:50 PM ET, September 22, 2007

Top Items:

Collecting of Details on Travelers Documented — U.S. Effort More Extensive Than Previously Known — The U.S. government is collecting electronic records on the travel habits of millions of Americans who fly, drive or take cruises abroad, retaining data on the persons with whom they travel …

Discussion: The Newshoggers, Brilliant at Breakfast, Talking Points Memo, Norwegianity, Prairie Weather, Hullabaloo, skippy the bush kangaroo and The Raw Story

Nina Bernstein / New York Times:

Spitzer Grants Illegal Immigrants Easier Access to Driver's Licenses — New York State, home to more than 500,000 illegal immigrants, will issue driver's licenses without regard to immigration status under a policy change announced yesterday by Gov. Eliot Spitzer.

Discussion: TalkLeft

WWW.NY.GOV:

DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES CHANGES LICENSE POLICY TO INCLUDE MORE NEW YORKERS AND IMPLEMENTS NEW REGIME OF ANTI-FRAUD MEASURES TO STRENGTHEN THE SECURITY OF THE SYSTEM — Improves Safety of New York Streets, Lowers Auto Insurance Rates and Brings more New Yorkers into the System

Discussion: Inside Long Island Politics, CWA-NJ Conservatives … and ImmigrationProf Blog

Andrew Kirtzman / WCBS-TV:
N.Y. Drops Citizenship Proof For Driver's Licenses

Discussion: Macsmind, The Oxford Medievalist and The American Pundit

Kenneth P. Vogel / The Politico:

Romney silent on Blackwater shooting — Mitt Romney has remained mum on the alleged killing of 11 Iraqis by a company where one of his top advisers serves as vice chairman, even as the case has led to an uproar in Baghdad and Washington. Barack Obama, John McCain and other politicians …

Discussion: The Washington Note, Los Angeles Times and Associated Press

Matthew Lee / Associated Press:

Feds target Blackwater in weapons probe — WASHINGTON - Federal prosecutors are investigating whether employees of the private security firm Blackwater USA illegally smuggled into Iraq weapons that may have been sold on the black market and ended up in the hands of a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, officials said Friday.

Discussion: CNN, The Carpetbagger Report, DownWithTyranny!, The Sideshow, CANNONFIRE, Angry Bear, Majikthise, CTron, Brilliant at Breakfast and Captain's Quarters

Andrew E. Kramer / New York Times:
Blackwater Resumes Guarding U.S. Envoys in Iraq

Discussion: BAGnewsNotes

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:

Romney: Giuliani will need family support — MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. — Mitt Romney used a press conference here to take a veiled but unmistakable shot at Rudy Giuliani's messy personal life, saying that the eventual Republican nominee would need to have a united front from their family to defeat Hillary Clinton.

Discussion: CNN Political Ticker and All Spin Zone

The Politico:

Protecting kids at the expense of politics — The current debate in the Congress over reauthorizing the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) will play an important role in shaping the future of health care in America. — Fundamental questions over which direction our country takes …

Discussion: The Swamp

Christopher Lee / Washington Post:
Senate and House Reach Accord on Health Insurance for Children

Discussion: TIME: Swampland and Connecting.the.Dots

Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:

Rudy: 9/11 Changed My Mind On Gun Control — Rudy, speaking before the National Rifle Association today, offered a creative explanation for why his views have changed from ardent support for gun control as Mayor of New York to strong support for the Second Amendment as a GOP Presidential candidate.

Discussion: WTF Is It Now?!?

The Washington Post / The Trail:
For Mrs. Giuliani, the NRA Can Wait

Discussion: Dick Polman's American Debate, Betsy's Page and Washington Wire

New York Times:

Israeli Raid on Syria Fuels Debate on Weapons — American concerns about ties between Syria and North Korea have long focused on a partnership involving missiles and missile technology. Even many hawks within the Bush administration have expressed doubts that the Syrians have the money …

Discussion: TIME: Swampland and The Newshoggers

Associated Press:

SoCal investors sue Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu — SANTA ANA, Calif.—A Laguna Beach investment firm filed a lawsuit against Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu on Friday, claiming he defrauded investors out of at least $23 million and required them to donate to Democratic candidates.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters and Neptunus Lex

Johnnie L. Roberts / Newsweek:

A Rather Controversial Ending — Dan Rather's $70 million lawsuit alleges there was more to his CBS departure than meets the eye. But former colleagues aren't convinced. — In parts, it reads like a political thriller, with a cast of "right-wing" hit men out to force a powerful journalist to heel.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, QandO and Blue Crab Boulevard

Simon Caldwell / Daily Mail:

Pope in 'freedom' blast at Islam — The Pope has again risked provoking the wrath of the Islamic world, by criticising its treatment of Christians. — Benedict XVI attacked Muslim nations where Christians are either persecuted or given the status of second-class citizens under the Shariah Islamic law.

Discussion: Gateway Pundit and Atlas Shrugs

Jonathan Schwarz / A Tiny Revolution:

Threatening Lieberman-Kyl Amendment On Iran — Amazingly, no one anywhere in the US media seems to have noticed that yesterday Jon Kyl (Arizona) and Joe Lieberman filed an extremely threatening amendment on Iran to the FY 2008 Defense Authorization bill. I guess all their time was taken …

Discussion: Democrats.com, National Review Online and The Newshoggers

Robin Finn / New York Times:

Finding Her Passion on Capitol Hill — LAURIE RUBINER strides into an empty conference room at Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's Midtown headquarters clutching a teensy silver Blackberry and a cellphone — obligatory equipment, she says with a minor grimace, explaining that she is a closet technophobe.

Discussion: The Huffington Post

CBC News:

U.S., France agree on new sanctions against Iran: Rice — U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner spoke Friday of a common front against Iran's nuclear program that included support for new sanctions against Tehran.

Discussion: The Van Der Galiën Gazette, Don Surber and Wizbang

Nicole Belle / Crooks and Liars:

After Announcing Retirement, Rep. Weller Aide Pushes Political Reporter Down Stairs — What a horrible, terrible, very bad, no good day Rep. Jerry Weller (R-IL) is having. Facing questions about ethics over some Nicaraguan investments, Weller announced this morning the old stand by of wanting …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Reason Magazine and Baltimore Sun