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A Scott Beauchamp Update — Since our last statement on "Shock Troops," a Diarist by Private Scott Thomas Beauchamp that we published in our July 23 issue, we have continued our investigation into the article's veracity. On Wednesday, for a brief period, The Drudge Report posted several documents …
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Apocalypse No — The New Republic's editors seem to have mistaken Vietnam movies for real life. — "I love chicks that have been intimate with IED's," he announced to his fellow soldiers sitting in the chow tent in Camp Falcon in Baghdad. "It really turns me on—melted skin, missing limbs, plastic noses."
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Internal Dem memo faults party message — Democrats are losing the battle for voters' hearts because the party's message lacks emotional appeal, according to a widely circulated critique of House Democratic communications strategy. — "Our message sounds like an audit report on defense logistics …
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New Democrat strategy: We must stimulate the amygdalae! — This is high-larious. The Hill reports on an internal Democrat strategy memo complaining that the Democrat Party is too hyper-rational and lacks emotional appeal. — For real. They think "SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILLLLLDREN!" is too bland and accountant-like:
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FEMA Meets the Press, Which Happens to Be . . . FEMA — FEMA has truly learned the lessons of Katrina. Even its handling of the media has improved dramatically. For example, as the California wildfires raged Tuesday, Vice Adm. Harvey E. Johnson, the deputy administrator, had a 1 p.m. news briefing.
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FEMA Stages Press Conference: Staff Pose As Journalists And Ask 'Softball' Questions — On Tuesday, while "wildfires raged" in California, Vice Adm. Harvey E. Johnson, the deputy administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), held a press conference at FEMA's Southwest D.C. offices that was …
Discussion:
Shakespeare's Sister
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Court orders Wilson freed in teen sex case — ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) — The Georgia Supreme Court on Friday ordered that Genarlow Wilson be released from prison, ruling 4-3 that his sentence for a teen sex conviction was cruel and unusual punishment. — Wilson, 21, was convicted in 2005 …
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Georgia Supreme Court freeing Genarlow Wilson — The Georgia Supreme Court on Friday ordered the release of Genarlow Wilson, the Douglas County teenager who has been serving a controversial 10-year sentence for consensual oral sex. — The court's 4-3 decision upholds a Monroe County judge's ruling …
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Patriots Stand Up — Sen. Chris Dodd gave a great statement on the floor of the Senate this morning. You can watch video here on his Senate website. I asked for a written copy of the remarks, because there wasn't a transcript available, and am reprinting them here with permission because I've had several e-mails asking for this.
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The New Right-Wing Smear Machine — On February 27, 2001, two members of the American Gold Star Mothers, an organization of women who've lost sons or daughters in combat, dropped by the temporary basement offices of the new junior senator from New York, Hillary Clinton.
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Another Man From Hope — Who is Mike Huckabee? — Republicans have won five of the last seven presidential elections by running candidates who broadly fit the Ronald Reagan model—fiscally conservative, and firmly but not harshly conservative on social issues.
Discussion:
Washington Wire, The Atlantic Online, National Review Online, Eunomia and No More Mister Nice Blog
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Panel to See Papers on Agency's Eavesdropping — The White House on Thursday offered to share secret documents on the National Security Agency's domestic surveillance program with the Senate Judiciary Committee, a step toward possible compromise on eavesdropping legislation.
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Sen. Webb On Hardball: "The Cheney element of the administration is well represented in the United States Senate" — Play (702) (thanks to Heather for vids) — On Thursday's Hardball Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) talked with Chris Matthews about the strong push from Dick Cheney and some members of the Senate …
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Andy Sipowicz Goes to Washington — The news that John Gotti tried, back in the 1980s, to persuade his fellow organized-crime CEOs to sign off on having Rudy Giuliani killed may be Giuliani's equivalent of the videotape that Osama bin Laden released in time to swing the 2004 presidential election for Bush.
Discussion:
Unqualified Offerings
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Officials balked on '05 Blackwater inquiry — State Department e-mails obtained by ABC News discuss how to deflect a Times reporter's questions about a civilian shooting death. — Even as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice defended her department's oversight of private security contractors …
Discussion:
The Blotter