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Richard A. Oppel Jr / New York Times:
Iraq Insurgency Runs on Stolen Oil Profits — BAIJI, Iraq — The Baiji refinery, with its distillation towers rising against the Hamrin Mountains, may be the most important industrial site in the Sunni Arab-dominated regions of Iraq. On a good day, 500 tanker trucks will leave the refinery filled …
Discussion:
The Newshoggers, BAGnewsNotes, Political Byline, On Deadline, Greatscat! and American Street
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Bradley Brooks / Associated Press:
McCain makes unannounced trip to Iraq — BAGHDAD - Sen. John McCain, the Republican Party's presumptive nominee for president who has linked his political future to U.S. success in Iraq, was in Baghdad on Sunday for meetings with Iraqi and U.S. diplomatic and military officials, a U.S. government official said.
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
McCain in Iraq — John McCain took some time off of the campaign trail and hit the ground in Iraq this morning. The media calls it a “surprise visit”, but he had given indications that he would visit Iraq after he clinched the nomination in order to get a fresh assessment of the progress …
John F. Burns / New York Times:
Five Years — FIVE years on, it seems positively surreal. — On the evening of March 19, 2003, a small group of Western journalists had grandstand seats for the big event in Baghdad, the start of the full-scale American bombing of strategic targets in the Iraqi capital.
Paul J. Weber / Associated Press:
Clinton campaign wants Texas to postpone party conventions — As final results from the Texas Democratic caucus remain unknown, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign wants signatures from the March 4 contest verified before party conventions are held around the state later this month.
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Eriposte / The Left Coaster:
The Clinton Rules and The Obama Rules — One of the useful side-effects of the Jeremiah Wright brouhaha is its ample illustration of The Clinton Rules and The Obama Rules for this campaign. These rules are based on the Brilliant and Thought-Provoking JournalismTM of some of the major …
The Politico:
Obama, Clinton brace for three-month deadlock — The Democratic race has entered its World War I phase, a bloody fight between two adversaries making only the most incremental of gains. And there is no reason to think either side will emerge from the trenches anytime soon.
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Andrew Ferguson / Weekly Standard:
The Wit & Wisdom of Barack Obama — Some of it may sound familiar. — There's still room for whimsy at the New Yorker magazine, I don't care what you've heard. Just the other day two of the New Yorker's bloggers (now there's a phrase to send Harold Ross spinning) were chewing over the widely noted eloquence of Barack Obama.
New York Times:
The Intelligence Cover-Up — For more than two years now, Congress, the news media, current and former national security officials, think tanks and academic institutions have been engaged in a profound debate over how to modernize the law governing electronic spying to keep pace with technology.
Richard Russo / Washington Post:
A Novel Take on an Ending — Back when I was teaching fiction writing, I used to pitch my students, especially the beginners, on complexity. They seemed to think that readers would be attracted to their characters' virtue and would recognize shared humanity in their strength and courage …
New York Times:
Through Bush-Colored Glasses — President Bush admitted on Friday that times are tough. So much for the straight talk. — Mr. Bush went on to paint a false picture of the economy. He dismissed virtually every proposal Congress is working on to alleviate the mortgage crisis, sticking to his administration's inadequate ideas.
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Obama's gains — A pretty stunning gain out of Iowa for Obama, where an Iowa Democratic official confirmed to me just now that the county convention results will translate into a 25-14-6 edge for Obama over Clinton and Edwards. — That's a gain of nine for the Illinois senator …
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Chuck Todd / MSNBC:
Iowa update — From NBC's Chuck Todd — We have final …
Iowa update — From NBC's Chuck Todd — We have final …
Discussion:
The Carpetbagger Report, The Field, TPM Election Central, 2008 Democratic … and The Reaction
Ali / Think Progress:
Perino: men know more about war ‘by osmosis.’ — Perino: men know more about war ‘by osmosis.’ — On Fox News Sunday today, White House press secretary Dana Perino was named the “Power Player of the Week.” She explained to host Chris Wallace that, in addition to the pressure to look good …