memeorandum: GOP Tax Dilemma (Stephen Moore/Opinion Journal)

10:50 PM ET, October 5, 2007

Top Items:

Nathan Baca / KDFX-TV:

Alleged Haggard Escort: 'Sen. Craig Visited Me' — NewsChannel 3 — The male escort responsible for the downfall of Christian evangelist leader Ted Haggard is now alleging that embattled Senator Larry Craig also came to see him. — While promoting his new book during a radio interview …

Discussion: The Gun Toting Liberal™, Pam's House Blend, Wonkette, DownWithTyranny! and Shakespeare's Sister

PageOneQ:
Haggard prostitute claims he met Larry Craig, Blogger who outed Craig …

Discussion: Wake up America, skippy the bush kangaroo, Pam's House Blend and Wonkette

John Cole / Balloon Juice:

The Republican Decline — Long piece by David Brooks in which he attempts to figure out why the Republican party appears to be in shambles: … Hogwash. If you want to know why the Republican party is in shambles, read this: … For starters, people got tired of being associated with these drooling retards.

Discussion: AMERICAN DIGEST, The Young Turks, Wizbang, Middle Earth Journal, PoliBlog (TM), Taylor Marsh and Unqualified Offerings

Media Matters for America:

So where is Sean Hannity's flag lapel pin? … Discussing a recent interview with a reporter in Iowa in which Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) said that he had stopped wearing an American flag pin on his lapel during the lead-up to the Iraq war, Fox News host Sean Hannity said on the October 4 broadcast …

Discussion: Comments from Left Field

Chicago Sun Times:
Obama stuck in no-pin zone

Discussion: FP Passport and TIME

Andrew Sullivan / The Atlantic Online:

Peggy Noonan's Open Eyes — I've long enjoyed Peggy Noonan's work (except for one dreadful book even she must regret writing). I don't always agree with her, but she represents for me that brand of blue-state conservatism that came of age in the Reagan era, one that was often Catholic …

Peggy Noonan / Opinion Journal:

The Trance — Bush . . . Clinton . . . Bush . . . Clinton . . . Getting very sleepy . . . Barack Obama has a great thinking look. I mean the look he gets on his face when he's thinking, not the look he presents in debate, where they all control their faces knowing they may be in the reaction shot …

Discussion: Thought Theater, Comments from Left Field, Blue Crab Boulevard and No More Mister Nice Blog

New York Times:

Bush Defends Treatment of Terrorism Suspects — President Bush defended his administration's treatment of terrorism suspects today, but the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee accused the president of keeping Congress in the dark about how those suspects are interrogated.

Discussion: the talking dog, Prairie Weather, The Impolitic and Comments from Left Field

Brian Faughnan / Weekly Standard:

Gallup: Americans Back White House Plan for Iraq Drawdown — We are constantly told by the Left that the American people support their efforts to get the United States out of Iraq as quickly as possible. The Netroots demand that Congress put more pressure on the White House …

Discussion: The Strata-Sphere, Wake up America, Gallup Poll and Gateway Pundit

Michael Roston / Huffington Post:

Dems Postpone Rollout Of Controversial Wiretapping Bill — Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), the House Majority Leader, postponed a press conference announcing new reforms of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act after progressive lawmakers banded together and said they would fight any legislation …

Discussion: Open Left, Daily Kos and WorkingForChange

Zogby:

Zogby Poll: Unknown Conservative Fares Well in Republican "Blind Bio" Poll — Candidate A (Casscells) is a world-renowned physician and researcher, leader in bio-technology, administrator of one of the leading heart and cancer research centers; he also manages a government agency …

Discussion: The BRAD BLOG, Truthdig and Reason Magazine

Guardian:

The fallout from an attack on Iran would be devastating — The drumbeat of war in Washington is growing - and so must public pressure against British involvement in such folly — Seumas Milne — It seems almost incredible after the catastrophe of the Iraq war, but the signs are growing …

Discussion: PrairiePundit and The Van Der Galiën Gazette

The Atlantic Online:

Reagan's Disciples Plan Relaunch Of Conservative Movement — Fed up with neocons, theocons and convict cons, a group of former aides to Ronald Reagan want to reanimate the Republican Party by reviving the organization that brought Reagan to power. — The revitalized Citizens For The Republic …

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report, Think Progress and Eunomia

Kerry Howley / Reason Magazine:

Don't Be Bought by Those Slickers — An angel sends me this scan of the backpage of the New Light of Myanmar. Note the text at the bottom: "Eleven violent protestors were arrested together with one-12 inch knife, one pointed thin iron rod, a pair of scissors, five catapults, marbles, nuts …

Discussion: Weekly Standard

Naomi Wolf / Firedoglake:

Blackwater: "Newly Created Thug Caste" — (Naomi Wolf is the author of The End of America: Letter of Warning To A Young Patriot. She has written extensively about Blackwater and joins us in the comments — jh) — Congress is finally asking questions of Erik Prince, the head of Blackwater …

Discussion: Confederate Yankee, Think Progress and The Agonist

Michael Crowley / The New Republic:

OBAMA'S NEW AD: — His latest Iowa spot focuses on—surprise! —Iraq, and stars Retired Air Force General Merrill McPeak. The general praises Obama for "showing insight and courage others did not" in opposing the war, and declares that "the old Washington hands have let us down.

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Obama HQ

Mark Silva / The Swamp:

Bush: 'Never really thought about' war - no Iran plan — President Bush in the Oval Office today. Photo by Ron Edmonds/AP. — President Bush, interviewed "in the room where I make decisions,'' said that he "never really thought about the decision to put men and women in harm's way'' when he was running for president.