Top Items:
Mark Mazzetti / New York Times:
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 …
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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.
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 …
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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.
David Frum:
That Dog Won't Hunt — Sorry to dissent from my colleagues on the Corner, but once the murmurs over the oratory subside, people are going to realize: that speech did not work. Here's why: … To be blunt, Romney is saying: — It is legitimate to ask a candidate, "Is Jesus the son of God?"
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John Podhoretz / Commentary:
Mitt Romney's Boilerplate Mistake
Mitt Romney's Boilerplate Mistake
Discussion:
Townhall.com, Redstate, TIME, The Sundries Shack, Weekly Standard, Buck Naked Politics and The Atlantic Online
Kristi Keck / CNN:
Romney: Religion 'fundamental to America's greatness'
Romney: Religion 'fundamental to America's greatness'
Discussion:
Article VI Blog, The World Wide Rant, BuzzFlash.org, Shakespeare's Sister and The Atlantic Online
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:
The Radio Equalizer, IMAO.US, Macsmind, Clayton Cramer's BLOG, Wake up America and JammieWearingFool
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 …
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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 …
Washington Post:
Review of Iran Intelligence to Be Sought — As Conservatives Reject New NIE, Republican Senators to Urge Congressional Panel — Senate Republicans are planning to call for a congressional commission to investigate the conclusions of the new National Intelligence Estimate on Iran …
Discussion:
Firedoglake
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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.
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.
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Kenneth P. Vogel / The Politico:
Ron Paul blimp charts unprecedented course — Look! — Up in the sky: It's a bird. It's a plane. It's ... Ron Paul? — If a whimsical publicity stunt goes as planned, a blimp hyping the long-shot Republican presidential campaign of the Texas congressman will launch next week.
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Alec Klein / Washington Post:
The Army's $200 Billion Makeover — March to Modernize Proves Ambitious and Controversial — EL PASO — A $200 billion plan to remake the largest war machine in history unfolds in one small way on a quiet country road in the Chihuahuan Desert. — Jack Hensley, one of a legion of contractors …
Glenn Reynolds / Instapundit.com:
I HEARD NEAL BOORTZ holding forth on the Omaha mall shooting this morning on the way to work, and I realized I haven't posted on it. I don't really have anything to say that I haven't said before. But it's worth noting — since apparently most of the media reports haven't — that this was another mass shooting in a "gun-free" zone.
Arianna Huffington / The Huffington Post:
Huckabee Tries to Shoot the Messenger, But Wounds His Campaign Instead — The way that Mike Huckabee has handled the furor caused by the Huffington Post's coverage of his role in the release of Wayne Dumond, a serial rapist who went on to rape and kill at least one other woman, has been very revealing.
Sarah Ellison / Wall Street Journal:
News Corp. Duo Set To Lead Dow Jones As Zannino Resigns — Dow Jones & Co. Chief Executive Richard F. Zannino said yesterday that he would resign as News Corp. moved ahead with plans to install a new management team that will be led by veteran News Corp. executive Leslie Hinton and Times of London Editor Robert Thomson.