memeorandum: First Read: Romney says you can't root for Sox and Yanks (Mark Murray/MSNBC)

2:40 PM ET, October 25, 2007

Top Items:

Baghdad Diarist Was On Guard When Questioned by Editors — The soldier whose New Republic article about military cruelty in Iraq was labeled false by Army investigators refused to defend his accusations when questioned by the magazine, even after being told that the editors could no longer support him unless he cooperated.

Irenep / Michael Yon:

Beauchamp and the Rule of Second Chances — October 25, 2007 — Beauchamp and the Rule of Second Chances: Pass it Along — I'd known that General Petraeus was once accidentally shot in the chest, but I first heard the full story this summer in Baqubah, from an eyewitness whose account I wrote about in Second Chances.

Discussion: The Newshoggers and Little Green Footballs

Greg Sargent / Horses Mouth:

Army Acknowledges Leaking Beauchamp Docs To Drudge, Promises Investigation — Updated below. — There's been a very interesting turn in the saga of The New Republic's "Baghdad Diarist," the American soldier in Iraq who's been accused of fabricating negative stories about U.S. troops and publishing them in the mag.

Discussion: National Review and Hot Air

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:

Yon: Beauchamp's Honor — Michael Yon dives into the Scott Beauchamp/New Republic fracas with a surprising and intriguing twist. Yon actually has come into contact with Beauchamp's unit, and finds the CO protective of the erstwhile Hemingway, and for good reason.

Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
The growing link between the U.S. military and right-wing media and blogs

Discussion: Pajamas Media

Docweasel / docweaselblog:

Bobby Caina Calvan Blog : the entire post with comments preserved — UPDATE: Good gracious, blogging since '97 and my first Instalanche. Thank you Mr. Reynolds! Thank you AOSHQ and the lovely and talented Michelle Malkin as well. — The entire site is 404′d, and the comments were the sweetest plum!

Little Green Footballs:
McClatchy Reporter Calvan Created His Own Reality

Discussion: docweaselblog, Hot Air and McClatchy Watch

Helene Cooper / New York Times:

New Steps by U.S. Against Iranians — The Bush administration will announce a long-debated policy of new sanctions against Iran on Thursday, accusing the elite Quds division of the Revolutionary Guard Corps of supporting terrorism, administration officials said Wednesday night.

Discussion: Think Progress, Associated Press, Committee on Oversight …, Washington Post, The Van Der Galiën Gazette, Counterterrorism Blog, Wake up America, RealClearPolitics, At-Largely, Soccer Dad, The Strata-Sphere, The American Street, Shakespeare's Sister, Prairie Weather and Atlas Shrugs

New York Times:

U.S. Levels Sanctions Against Iran Military Unit — The Bush administration announced a long-debated policy of new sanctions against Iran today, accusing the elite Quds division of the Revolutionary Guard Corps of supporting terrorism. — The administration also accused …

Robin Wright / Washington Post:
U.S. to Impose New Sanctions Targeting Iran's Military

Discussion: The Glittering Eye, The Gun Toting Liberal™, New York Times, The Swamp, ABCNEWS, The Gate, MoJoBlog and MSNBC

Little Green Footballs:

Ted Rall: Only Idiots Die in Iraq, US IQ Soars — Here's a look into the squirmy, ugly mind of Ted Rall, whose latest cartoon about US troops in Iraq says: "Only idiots signed up; only idiots died. Back home, the average I.Q. soared." — (Hat tip: LGF readers.)

Discussion: Death and Tim Blair

Andrew Fell / Weasel Zippers:
Ted Rall: Death of US Soldiers Raises IQ at Home...

Discussion: NewsBusters.org and The Jawa Report

Jonathan Weisman / Washington Post:

House Democrats Set For Vote on New Version Of Children's Health Bill — Just one week after failing to override President Bush's veto, House Democrats will put a new version of their $35 billion expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program to a vote today …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, Central Sanity, The Moderate Voice, New York Times, The American Street, Fact-esque, The Carpetbagger Report, Daily Kos and The Stakeholder

CNN:
GOP cries foul on timing of children's health vote

Discussion: The Hill, Wonkette, Middle Earth Journal, Cliff Schecter, The Rude Pundit, Take Our Country Back, michellemalkin.com, The Politico and Right Voices

Michael Cooper / The Caucus:

In His Words: Giuliani on Torture — DAVENPORT, Iowa — At a town hall meeting here last night, Rudolph W. Giuliani expanded upon his views of torture. Here is a transcript of the exchange. — Linda Gustitus, who is the president of a group called the National Religious Campaign Against Torture …

Discussion: The Newshoggers, Think Progress, TalkLeft, The Carpetbagger Report, No More Mister Nice Blog, Spin Cycle, DownWithTyranny!, The Heretik and TIME: Swampland

Roger Simon / The Politico:

Iowa Dems to set Jan. 3 caucus date — The Iowa Democratic Party Central Committee will vote Sunday night on a plan to move the Iowa Democratic caucuses to Jan. 3, the same day as the Republican caucuses. — Iowa Democratic Party Chair Scott Brennan will recommend the move …

John McCormick / The Swamp:
It's looking like Jan. 3 for Dems in Iowa

Discussion: CNN Political Ticker

Mark Murray / MSNBC:

First Read: Romney says you can't root for Sox and Yanks — From NBC/National Journal's Erin McPike and NBC's Mark Murray — MANCHESTER, NH — Right off the bat at a health-care forum here, Romney took a clear swipe at Giuliani's recent comment that he would be rooting for the Red Sox because he always supports the American League.

Discussion: TIME

John Distaso / New Hampshire Union Leader:
John DiStaso's Granite Status: Rudy just doesn't get it

Discussion: NY Daily News, Open Left, MSNBC and Boston Globe

Roger Cohen / New York Times:

Time for the Bundesmacht — Remember the Wehrmacht? It was a formidable fighting force. The modern German army, the Bundeswehr, is also very effective. Thing is, it is reluctant to fight or even place itself in danger. — Given history, that may seem just fine.

Discussion: Lean Left, TPMCafe blogs, Main and Central and Lawyers, Guns and Money

Andrew Sullivan / The Atlantic Online:

The Ron Paul Wars — RedState defends its decision to bar future posters from supporting Ron Paul: … I don't think I qualify as a Neo-Nazi or a Code Pink activist. Full Wired story here. But here's a simple message to Ron Paul supporters. You're welcome here.

Discussion: Wired News and Eunomia

Washington Post:

Biden Stumbles in Interview — In an interview with The Washington Post's editorial board, Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) asserted that he is more prepared to be president than any other candidate, disputed the notion that governors are better suited for the White House than senators and warned …

Discussion: MSNBC, The Carpetbagger Report, Shakespeare's Sister and Wonkette

Ronald Brownstein / National Journal:

Educated Women Climb Aboard — An irony of Hillary Rodham Clinton's political career is that the women who resemble her most have often appeared to support her the least. — From her first New York Senate race in 2000 to her presidential campaign this year, Clinton has connected effectively with blue-collar and working-class women.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online