memeorandum: GIULIANI ADVISOR PODHORETZ: IT'S A CIA PLOT TO PROTECT IRAN (Josh Marshall/Talking Points Memo)

4:45 PM ET, December 4, 2007

Top Items:

Norman Podhoretz / Commentary:

Dark Suspicions about the NIE — A new National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), entitled "Iran: Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities," has just dealt a serious blow to the argument some of us have been making that Iran is intent on building nuclear weapons and that neither diplomacy nor sanctions can prevent it from succeeding.

Faiz / Think Progress:

Bush: DNI Told Me 'We Have Some New Information, He Didn't Tell Me What The Information Was' — At a press briefing this morning, President Bush said he was told by his Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell "in August" that "we have some new information" regarding Iran's nuclear program.

Discussion: Horses Mouth, The American Street, The Newshoggers, ArmsControlWonk, Weekly Standard, The Impolitic, White House, Shakespeare's Sister, AMERICAblog, The Carpetbagger Report, Talking Points Memo, Dick Polman's American Debate, Right Wing Nut House, Danger Room, democracyarsenal.org, Discourse.net and Daily. Gay. News.

Atrios / Eschaton:

Crazy People — About 13 months to go. … It must be understood that since our intelligence agencies don't believe Iran has a nuclear weapons program, it also means that they don't know where such a program would be physically located if it did exist. This means that any desires …

Discussion: Commentary and American Footprints

The Atlantic Online:

Iran NIE Reax — Barack Obama says: … There's a very subtle dig here at Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, noting that both of them, unlike you or I or Barack Obama, had access to the classified version of the 2002 NIE on Iraq, a document that debunked substantial elements …

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report, Corrente, The Lede and Emptywheel

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

GIULIANI ADVISOR PODHORETZ: IT'S A CIA PLOT TO PROTECT IRAN — Yep, Rudy's Mideast Advisor Norman Podhoretz says the CIA is fibbing about the Iranian nuclear program to protect the Iranians from an attack by Bush or Rudy.

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report, Commentary and Lean Left

White House:

Press Conference by the President — James S. Brady Press Briefing Room — THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. I appreciate the fact that the United States Senate is going to take up the free trade agreement with Peru today. This agreement will level the playing field for American goods and services.

Discussion: New York Times, Washington Wire, Daily Kos, The Carpetbagger Report and First Draft

MSNBC:
Bush: Iran report a 'warning signal'

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The American Street, Whiskey Fire and TBogg

Klaus Marre / The Hill: Biden: Bush either not truthful or incompetent on Iran

Scott Horton / Harper's:
The Roll-Out Goes Flat

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and The Atlantic Online

Greg Mitchell / Editor and Publisher:
Debunking Iran's Nuclear Program: Another 'Intelligence Failure' …

Discussion: Daily Kos

Ali / Think Progress:
Podhoretz's 'Dark Suspicion': Intel Community Trying To Sabotage Bush With NIE

Discussion: The Corner, USA Today and Salon

CNN:
Iran: U.S. must 'pay the price' for accusations

Discussion: Buck Naked Politics, IMAO.US, Hullabaloo and Sweetness & Light

New York Times:
How Did a 2005 Estimate Go Awry?

Discussion: The Swamp, Danger Room and Washington Post

The Atlantic Online:
Red Handed — Every time I think nothing will surprise me anymore …

Discussion: nsnetwork.org, Washington Monthly and FP Passport

Brian Knowlton / New York Times:
Bush Says Iran Still a Danger Despite Report on Weapons

Discussion: The Swamp

Deacon / Power Line:

MIKE HUCKABEE — TOO MORALISTIC TO PROTECT OUR NATIONAL SECURITY — I have defended Mike Huckabee from charges that he's not a conservative. As with nearly all of the Republican candidates, there are some important conservative positions to which Huckabee has not closely adhered …

Discussion: New York Post, The Opinionator, Hot Air, The New Republic, Washington Post, Balloon Juice, PoliBlog (TM), The Newshoggers, The Right's Field, Liberal Values, Blogometer, JammieWearingFool, Outside The Beltway, Free Frank Warner, The American Street, IMAO.US and Redstate

ABCNEWS:

Mysterious Group Attacks Huckabee — Third Party Group Distributed Flier in Iowa Claiming He's Not a True Conservative, Christian — Dirty tricks? A mysterious third party group has made controversial claims against Republican 2008 presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. (Tim Sloan, AFP/Getty Images)

Discussion: The Atlantic Online and TPM Election Central

Rasmussen Reports:

Colorado 2008 Presidential Election — Colorado: Schaffer, Udall Tie for Senate; Clinton Trails Giuliani, Leads Romney — Former Congressman Bob Schaffer (R) and Congressman Mark Udall (D)—vying for the open seat vacated by retiring Senator Wayne Allard, a Republican …

Discussion: MyDD

Ed Morrissey / Captain's Quarters:
Gallup: Hillary Losing Ground (Update: Worse Than First Thought)

Discussion: The Politico, The Moderate Voice, Gallup, NewsBusters.org and Wake up America

CNN Political Ticker:
Poll shows Clinton, Giuliani down big

Discussion: The Fix, The New Republic and Los Angeles Times

Scott Horsley / NPR:

Democrats Set to Debate in Iowa as Race Tightens — Listen Live Here Beginning at 2 p.m. EST — · All of the major Democratic presidential candidates will meet in Iowa on Tuesday for a two-hour debate, as an extremely close race is shaping up in the first-in-the-nation caucuses.

Discussion: The New Republic, Daily Kos, The Caucus, The Glittering Eye, Reason Magazine and MyDD

Eric Kleefeld / TPM Election Central:

Hillary Pollster: "Kindergarten Attack" On Obama Was Just A Gag! — Now this is interesting. Yesterday the Hillary Clinton campaign was pilloried in the press after it issued a press release that attacked Barack Obama for claiming he wasn't running for President in order to fulfill a life-long ambition.

Discussion: Riehl World View, Comments from Left Field, The Talent Show, Washington Monthly, The Carpetbagger Report, Taylor Marsh and Slog

Jesse Berney / HillaryClinton.com:

The Dirty Tricks Are Starting — Campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle just sent the following message out to Hillary supporters in key early states.

Discussion: David Corn, The Swamp, michellemalkin.com, The Politico, Political Radar, Salon and Riehl World View

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Obama responds on "dirty tricks"

Discussion: MoJoBlog and TPM Election Central

John Hawkins / Right Wing News:

The 2nd Annual Worst Quotes From The Daily Kos (2007 Edition) — America's most influential blog is the Daily Kos. Democratic members of Congress post on the blog, Democratic presidential contenders cater to them, and Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas is considered to be a mainstream figure amongst Democrats.

Discussion: Moonbattery and UrbanGrounds

Michelle Malkin:

Norman Hsu indicted in NY; indictment added; feds want Billy Boy's sax back, plus "bottles of wine and champagne" — Just in from AP: … The Hillary Clinton campaign was too busy digging through Barack Obama's homework to respond. — More: Here's the indictment (PDF).

Discussion: Associated Press, Wake up America and A Blog For All

David Glovin / Bloomberg:
Fundraiser Hsu Indicted for $60 Million Fraud Scheme

Discussion: TPMmuckraker, The Blotter and TalkLeft

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

WATCH'M SQUIRM — Look at the expressions on Bush's face and the evident discomfort as he gets ready to fib and weave about when he knew the intel on Iran. — Pay particular attention to when he says he was told there was new information back in August but supposedly didn't ask what the 'new information' was.

Andrew Ross Sorkin / New York Times:

A Lurid Aftermath to a Hedge Fund Manager's Life — JUPITER, Fla. — A life of private jets and black-tie balls ended with Seth Tobias, a wealthy investment manager and a familiar presence on CNBC, floating face down in the swimming pool of his mansion here.

Discussion: Daily. Gay. News., Corrente and Tim Worstall Tabloid Edition