memeorandum: Senate's presidential contenders may face a tough choice (CNN Political Ticker)

12:20 AM ET, December 7, 2007

Top Items:

C.I.A. Destroyed Tapes of Interrogations — The Central Intelligence Agency in 2005 destroyed at least two videotapes documenting the interrogation of two Al Qaeda operatives in the agency's custody, a step it took in the midst of Congressional and legal scrutiny about the C.I.A's secret detention program …

Discussion: TalkLeft, TPMmuckraker, Right Wing Nut House, The Blotter, Emptywheel, Balkinization, Macsmind, JURIST, The Heretik, ACSBlog, Truthdig, Taylor Marsh and The Democratic Daily

Andrew Sullivan / The Atlantic Online:

This Is A Banana Republic — What defines such a republic? How about an executive that ignores the rule of law, commits war-crimes and then destroys the actual evidence? Today's bombshell is that the CIA has done just that with respect to tapes made recording the torture of enemy combatants.

Pamela Hess / wtopnews.com:
Hayden Says CIA Videotapes Destroyed

Discussion: Emptywheel

Mark Mazzetti / New York Times:
C.I.A. Destroyed 2 Tapes Showing Interrogations

Discussion: Washington Post

Cernig / The Newshoggers: CIA Destroys Torture Evidence

Mitt Romney For President News:

Governor Mitt Romney's "Faith In America" Address — "Faith In America" — Remarks As Prepared For Delivery — The George Bush Presidential Library — College Station, Texas — "Thank you, Mr. President, for your kind introduction. — "It is an honor to be here today.

Hugh Hewitt / Townhall.com:

"A Common Creed Of Moral Convictions" — Mitt Romney's "Faith in America" speech was simply magnificent, and anyone who denies it is not to be trusted as an analyst. On every level it was a masterpiece. The staging and Romney's delivery, the eclipse of all other candidates it caused …

Discussion: Riehl World View, The Corner, The Moderate Voice, National Review Online, Redstate, Hot Air, Democratic Strategist, The Carpetbagger Report, Balkinization, Captain's Quarters, The Heretik, The Newshoggers, The Sundries Shack, PoliGazette, The Politico and Betsy's Page

John Podhoretz / Commentary:

Mitt Romney's Boilerplate Mistake — So Mitt Romney, facing the rise of Mike Huckabee's Christian-centric campaign in Iowa and judging that the Huckabee surge is related to discomfort with Romney's Mormonism, gave his much-anticipated speech on faith this morning.

Discussion: TIME, Weekly Standard, The Corner, Power Line, Crunchy Con, TownHall Blog and The Atlantic Online

David Frum:
That Dog Won't Hunt — Sorry to dissent from my colleagues …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Grasping Reality … and Firedoglake

Hugh Hewitt / TownHall Blog:
Romney's —Objectively— Great, Great Day

Discussion: Hot Air and The Sundries Shack

Carpetbagger / The Carpetbagger Report:

Sexual imagery I could do without — As the estimable David Kurtz put it, this is "too much Freud from a guy named Dick." … My, my. A woman House Speaker is wielding power over men chairing committees, and Dick Cheney is mocking them for lacking "big sticks"? Seriously?

Discussion: The Swamp, Crooks and Liars, Hot Air, Wonkette and The American Street

Patrick O'Connor / The Politico:

Two GOP congresswomen quit Page Board — Two Republicans on the House Page Board resigned Thursday because the House clerk failed to notify them of two incidents involving high school-age students, including shoplifting charges and improper sexual conduct. — Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite …

Discussion: Wonkette

Mary Ann Akers / The Sleuth:

Another Sexually Charged House Page Scandal — So much for reform of the House page program in the wake of the Mark Foley scandal. House teenage pages are so wild and unsupervised that two GOP members of Congress have resigned from the House Page Board, protesting that they were not informed …

Discussion: Don Surber and The Strata-Sphere

Andrew Sullivan / The Atlantic Online:

God Wants Me As President — His surge in the polls is caused by the same forces that allowed Jesus to feed the five thousand. Well: what else is he going to believe?

Discussion: Shakespeare's Sister, The Reaction and PoliBlog (TM)

National Review:

Huckabee: Force Behind My Rise in Polls Is 'Not Human' — First Mrs. Huckabee: … Comparing effective use of campaign funds to a miracle? Cringe. Well, it's just the candidate's wife, it's not like Huckabee would say something like... Wow. Huckabee's been endorsed by both Chuck Norris AND Jesus Christ.

Discussion: Think Progress, Riehl World View, MyDD, Stop The ACLU, Outside The Beltway, The Democratic Daily, Liberal Values and Betsy's Page

San Francisco Chronicle:

SF radio personality Bernie Ward indicted on child porn charges — (12-06) 15:29 PST San Francisco - — Bernie Ward, a popular liberal San Francisco radio talk show host and former Catholic priest, has been indicted on federal child pornography charges, authorities said today.

Discussion: IMAO.US, The Radio Equalizer, Clayton Cramer's BLOG, Macsmind, Wake up America and JammieWearingFool

MSNBC:

Did Morgan Spurlock find Osama bin Laden? — 15 minutes of footage shown at film fest sparks bidding war, speculation — Rumors are flying that filmmaker Morgan Spurlock of "Super Size Me" fame may have done what the United States government has failed to do for the last six years — find Osama bin Laden.

Discussion: Debbie Schlussel, Moonbattery, Weekly Standard and Firedoglake

Matt / Think Progress:

Bush gives out wrong mortgage hotline phone number. — During his speech today announcing his plan "to ease the mortgage crisis for consumers, President Bush accidentally gave out the wrong number for his new "Hope Now Hotline" that worried homeowners are encouraged to call for assistance.

Discussion: Associated Press and Daily Kos

CNN Political Ticker:
Bush gives out wrong hotline number

Discussion: Corrente, The Swamp, Sadly, No!, First Draft and Associated Press

CNN Political Ticker:

Senate's presidential contenders may face a tough choice — WASHINGTON (CNN) — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid may put some of the Democratic presidential candidates in awkward spot this weekend. — The Nevada Democrat told reporters Thursday he will schedule a Senate vote on the Energy Bill this Saturday.

Discussion: New York Times, The Crypt's Blogs and Blue Crab Boulevard

Sara A. Carter / Washington Times:

Iraqi officers go missing in U.S. — Numerous Iraqi military and law-enforcement officials brought to the U.S. as part of special intelligence and training programs have run away and are seeking asylum in this country or disappeared altogether, The Washington Times has learned.

Discussion: The Newshoggers, Counterterrorism Blog, Outside The Beltway, TPMmuckraker, Hot Air and The Jawa Report

Richard Simon / Los Angeles Times:

House passes a sweeping energy bill — Fuel efficiency would increase and alternative sources would expand. The measure faces a tough road in the Senate. — WASHINGTON — The House on Thursday approved the biggest increase in vehicle fuel-economy standards since gasoline cost less …

Discussion: Open Left, Wonkette, Left in the West and Daily Kos