meme orandum
| A newfangled news tangle |
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July Surprise? By / TNR — Permalink Late last month, President Bush lost his greatest advantage in his bid for reelection. A poll conducted by ABC News and The Washington Post discovered that challenger John Kerry was running even with the president on the critical question of whom voters trust to handle the war on terrorism. | |
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Jonathan H. Adler: RE: JULY SURPRISE — I was surprised by TNR's embrace of this tired conspiratorial tale. Jonah Goldberg: Regardless of the merits (I'm still reading it) I guarantee we'll be hearing a lot about this. Tom Maguire: Lookin' Good In The Tin Foil Hat — John Judis and Spencer Ackerman of the New Republic are lookin' good in their tin-foil lined Yankees caps. |
Steve M.: So Bush wants the Pakistanis to get bin Laden and other high-value al-Qaeda targets before the election, preferably during the Democratic convention, according to The New Republic. Kevin Raybould: Oh, Now He's Important — The Bush Administration is apparently demanding that Pakistan find Bin Laden before the... Nick Confessore: Don't miss John Judis, Spencer Ackerman, and Massoud Ansari's new piece in The New Republic, "July Surprise." |
| Also: Gregory Djerejian, Holden, Ezra Klein, Jesse Taylor, Laura Rozen, SK Bubba, Bob Harris, Bo Cowgill, Kevin Drum, Steve Soto, Joe Gandelman, Hugh Hewitt, Taegan Goddard, Oliver Willis, Matthew Yglesias, The Poor Man, Attaturk, Josh Marshall | |
France opposes UN Sudan sanctions BBC — Permalink France says it does not support US plans for international sanctions on Sudan if violence continues in Darfur. The UN Security Council is due to discuss a US draft resolution imposing sanctions on militias accused of "ethnic cleansing" against non-Arabs. | |
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Cori Dauber: Tell me again how it's all about failed American diplomacy with the French Now they won't stand up against gencoide. Captain Ed: The US and British are working the UNSC for a resolution that would try to stop the Sudan from becoming another Rwanda,... Smash: More French Perfidy — FRENCH PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC supports forced famine and ethnic cleansing in Sudan, BBC reports. |
Ace: France: Non to Sudan Sanctions — I have this bizarre dream in which one day the mainstream media actually dares to ask... Charles Johnson: France: Blood for Oil — France's deliberate obstructionism reaches new depths of despicability, as they announce... Blackfive: France opposes UN Sudan sanctions France says it does not support US plans for international sanctions on Sudan if violence continues in Darfur. |
| Also: Glenn Reynolds | |
Inquiry will back intelligence that Iraq sought uranium By / Financial Times — Permalink A UK government inquiry into the intelligence used to justify the war in Iraq is expected to conclude that Britain's spies were correct to say that Saddam Hussein's regime sought to buy uranium from Niger. | |
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Tom Smith: Oh those WMDs update — Looks like Iraq was trying to get uranium from Niger. But don't expect to hear about it on NPR, NBC, etc., etc. Tim Dunlop: Yellowcake of darkness — If you go to the blog-monitoring site called Memeorandum, you'll find a lot of pro-war types... Clayton Cramer: Buying Uranium in Niger — The Financial Times is reporting that Lord Butler's report concludes that yes, indeed, it... |
Mitch Berg: Uranium from Niger - a Brit Government report will soon show Iraq was in the market.. [snipped quote] All right, Dems - who's going to be the first to admit they were wrong? C. D. Harris: Actually, No I Don't Oh, now this is really going to send the anti-warBush crowd into a tizzy (in the unlikely event... Stefan Sharkansky: Not Quite All the News That's Fit to Print — The Financial Times reported yesterday that the soon-to-be-published... |
| Also: Jesse Taylor, Jonah Goldberg, Ace, Steve M., The Big Trunk, James Joyner, Hugh Hewitt, Captain Ed, Tom Maguire, Pejman Yousefzadeh, Glenn Reynolds, Jon Henke, Holden | |
President Declines NAACP Invite to Speak AP — Permalink PHILADELPHIA - President Bush declined an invitation to speak at the NAACP's annual convention, the group said. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People expects more than 8,000 people to attend the convention opening Saturday. | |
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Jesse Taylor: I Can't Hug You All! George W. Bush again declined to appear at the NAACP Convention. Attaturk: President Declines NAACP Invite to Speak [snipped quote] Like yesterday in North Carolina when he said "I'm going to... Captain Ed: Gee, Thanks, But I Have To Wash My Hair That Night — The AP reports that George Bush has turned down an NAACP... |
Bird Dog: Update: While we're on the subject, George Bush turned down an invitation to speak at the NAACP convention. Jon Henke: "We won't vote for you, now...still" — The NAACP is getting the Presidential brush-off... "President Bush declined an... |
Senate Iraq Report Said to Skirt White House Use of Intelligence By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 7 - A bipartisan Senate report to be issued Friday that is highly critical of prewar intelligence on Iraq will sidestep the question of how the Bush administration used that information to make the case for war, Congressional officials said Wednesday. | |
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Gregory Djerejian: Buried Lede Watch — [snipped quote] This, er, little piece of news is buried in Graf 5 of this Douglas Jehl NYT piece. Tom Maguire: Although the headline and the first few paragraphs are spent deploring the non-coverage of the White House use of the... Cori Dauber: The reporter writes: The unanimous report by the panel will say there is no evidence that intelligence officials were... |
Glenn Reynolds: That's what the New York Times is reporting, and Tom Maguire has an observation: "More than 200 witnesses, any of whom... DeDurkheim: Duck and Cover — It is always nice to have friends in high places who can protect you when your ass is in a sling. Attaturk: Majority Rules — Need a reason to vote against your Republican Incumbent? OK...another one? |
Bush declines NAACP invitation AP — Permalink PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (AP) — President Bush declined an invitation to speak at the NAACP's annual convention, the group said. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People expects more than 8,000 people to attend the convention, which opens on Saturday. | |
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John Hawkins: Bush Was Right Not To Speak To The NAACP Annual Convention — I was pleased to hear that George Bush has once again... Oliver Willis: Bush declines NAACP invitation NAACP spokesman John White said Wednesday that Bush has declined invitations in each year... |
Holden: We all know he will be the first president since Hoover to leave the country with fewer jobs than we had at the... Kevin Drum: Guess what else he has in common with Hoover? [snipped quote] But at least Hoover had a distinguished pre-presidential career, including yeoman work feeding starving Belgians. |
Ridge says al Qaeda planning attack CNN — Permalink WASHINGTON (CNN) — Al Qaeda plans a large-scale attack on the United States "in an effort to disrupt the democratic process" before November's elections, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Thursday. Ridge cited "recent interdictions" for the new warning. | |
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Wretchard: Tom Ridge just announced that the Al Qaeda were planning a major terrorist attack on American soil before the November elections. Jesse Taylor: Capturing America's Heart — Oh, in case they can't capture those terrorist fellas by the Democratic Convention or the... Taegan Goddard: Update: Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Al Qaeda plans a large-scale attack on the United States "in an... |
Michael Froomkin: Nation Faces Danger of Media Attention to Kerry — Yet another piece of scaremongering about terrorism from the... Jeff Jarvis: Terror alerts become terror yawns : CNN on air is harping on Tom Ridge's announcement that terrorists might strike before the elections. |
The Good News About Productivity By / TCS — Permalink "This story of positive structural changes in the American economy — the very rapid growth of potential output — is the big story about the economy during the past four years. | |
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The Big Trunk: In that regard, see this piece by Arnold Kling. Virginia - Thursday: On TechCentral Station, Arnold Kling suggests that the media bias toward negative news probably hurts coverage of productivity gains. Glenn Reynolds: ARNOLD KLING notes the ongoing productivity boom, and talks about its economic consequences — and why such a dramatic phenomenon is getting so little attention. |
Ace: In Other Positive Economic News: Arnold King explains why the boom in productivity — the best four-year increase in productivity since at least 1960 — is a good thing. Bird Dog: But what Krugman leaves out (intentionally, I believe) is productivity growth which, as Arnold Kling observes, is "probably the single most important economic statistic". |
Turning Success Into Failure NYT — Permalink There are, in theory, three workweeks left for Congress before lawmakers race off to the presidential campaign season. But taxpayers should not hold their breath for anything substantive to happen. | |
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Robert Garcia Tagorda: Stuart Buck has the answers, but here's a hint: The Times no longer finds the effort "punitive," "atrocious," "devastating," "harsh," and "odious." Christopher Kanis: WHAT A DIFFERENCE 8 YEARS CAN MAKE — Stuart Buck does the legwork and looks at what the New York Times said about Welfare reform 8 years ago, versus what they say today. Stuart Buck: The New York Times on Welfare Reform — The New York Times, today: "[N]one of the shortcomings of the G.O.P.-controlled... |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: INTELLECTUAL WHIPLASH — Stuart Buck notes that the New York Times appears to have completely changed its tune regarding welfare reform over the past eight years. Glenn Reynolds: STUART BUCK NOTES historical revisionism at The New York Times where welfare reform is concerned. |
A Little Gob Will Do Ya By / WaPo — Permalink Several disturbing scenes stand out in Michael Moore's agitprop movie "Fahrenheit 9/11," but one that always prompts "ewwws" from the audience involves a comb, some saliva and the stubborn coif of Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul D. Wolfowitz. | |
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Robert Cox: If you have not seen it, I recommend the Frontline episode tonight (see TIVO THIS) TIVO THIS Judy Woodruff's Inside... Taegan Goddard: Blogger Moves To TV — "That foul-mouthed red-haired vixen known as the Wonkette... has leveraged her popular political... |
Michelle Malkin: MTV'S REAL WORLD JOURNALISM — The Washington Post's Richard "Fluff Daddy" Leiby announces that the other half of the... Jeff Jarvis: MTV hired Wonkette Ana Marie Cox to cover the conventions. I've been pushing for AMC to go on TV since I first met her. |
FOR THE RECORD LAT — Permalink Iraqi handover — A news analysis about the new Iraqi government in Sunday's Section A stated that outgoing administrator L. Paul Bremer III did not give a farewell speech to the country. His spokesman has since said that Bremer taped an address that was given to Iraqi broadcast media. | |
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Tim Blair: CORRECTION PUBLICIZED TO WESTERN NEWS MEDIA — Patterico reports that the LA Times has finally corrected its "Paul... Patterico: The Times today issues the following correction: "Iraqi handover — A news analysis about the new Iraqi government in... |
Glenn Reynolds: No apology, however, for the story's snarky language: "L. Paul Bremer III, the civilian administrator for Iraq, left... |
CAN'T KEEP HANDS OFF EACH OTHER Drudge Report — Permalink Hugs, kisses to the cheek, affectionate touching of the face, caressing of the back, grabbing of the arm, fingers to the neck, rubbing of the knees... John Kerry and John Edwards can't keep their hands off each other! | |
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Edward Driscoll: NOT THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG with that. UPDATE: James Taranto has some thoughts on the hair care pair. Charles Johnson: Keep Your Hands to Yourself! It's a touchy feely kind of Democratic ticket, in a metrosexual sort of way. |
Attaturk: Matty Boy, Mr. Homo-Eroticism — Apparently, the new certified official talking point of the day out of the substantive,... Clayton Cramer: From Drudge Report: "CAN'T KEEP HANDS OFF EACH OTHER Hugs, kisses to the cheek, affectionate touching of the face,... |
Breck Girl Takes On Dr. No By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON — I'm happy for John Kerry. Long-faced guy, as some Bushies refer to him, finally found somebody to stand at the podium and give him an adoring look. Heaven knows Teresa was never going to do it. | |
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Tom Smith: It's impossible to take Maureen seriously. But to be fair, this is the sort of thing she does well. Steve Soto: Check out Maureen Dowd's take on the Kerry/Edwards match up to Bush/Cheney: Ordinarily, the John-John ticket might seem... |
DeLong: "It looks like we can add Mark Schmitt and Maureen Dowd to the list. UPDATE: We can add John Kerry now too...I sense some spine!" Susan Q. Stranahan: Meantime, Maureen Dowd, the New York Times' maven of the arch one-liner, has a different view of the whole thing. |
AP Poll: Bush Gains Slight Lead Over Kerry By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - President Bush has opened a slight lead over John Kerry while regaining the confidence of some voters on the economy and other domestic issues, according to an Associated Press poll with a silver lining for Democrats. | |
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Steven Taylor: The Edwards Bounce — Not so much: AP Poll: Bush Gains Slight Lead Over Kerry. Hugh Hewitt: Kerry's Dead-Cat Bounce: The AP-Ipsos poll —conducted over three days beginning Monday, and including the day of the... |
Captain Ed: AP: Polls Bumped Upwards — For Bush — A new poll of registered voters conducted earlier this week shows new movement... |
The news: A nation divided LAT — Permalink If the American news media are lucky, 2004 will be remembered as the year of living dangerously. If not, then this election cycle may be recalled as the point at which journalism's slide back into partisanship became a kind of free fall. | |
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Robert Cox: Fox News - Unfair and Unbalanced The Los Angeles Times Fox News is the most blatantly biased major American news organization since the era of yellow journalism. Jeff Jarvis: The mostest : I enjoyed this counterpoint of superlatives this morning: : In the LA Times, Tim Ruttan wails about the... Cori Dauber: Here's the LA Times media critic today: (And it's worth knowing what the LA Times media critic has to say about Fox... |
Greg Ransom: Glenn quotes Tim Rutten: "If the American news media are lucky, 2004 will be remembered as the year of living dangerously. Glenn Reynolds: UPDATE: You know, I think that Tim Rutten is right: "If the American news media are lucky, 2004 will be remembered as the year of living dangerously. |
Cutting Edge in the Arts Now Is Joining a PAC By / NYT — Permalink IN a bygone era — say, 18 months ago — Laura Owens, a painter, might have seemed to be pioneering a new form of performance art. On Tuesday night, Ms. Owens, one of the most critically embraced young artists in America, whose dreamlike work hung at this... | |
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Matt Welch: The first breaks the shocking news that New York writers and artists don't like the Republican president; the second... |
Virginia - Thursday: The first is about fashion: [quote] "There's always been a lot of liberal rhetoric that you associate with any arts community,...[end quote] |
Transcript: McCain on Kerry Fox News — Permalink WASHINGTON — This is a partial transcript of The Tony Snow Show, FOX News Radio, July 7, 2004, that has been edited for clarity. TONY SNOW, HOST: Welcome back, friends. I'm joined now on the line by Senator John McCain of Arizona. Senator McCain, thanks for joining us. | |
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McQ: As McCain said earlier on Tony Snow's show in answer to this question: "SNOW: Senator, Dick Cheney has become the focus of a lot of controversy now. Chris Bowers: McCain: Kerry Never Offered Me VP Slot, but Bush Did — As kos has already demonstrated, on the March 18th CBS Early... |
Oliver Willis: McCain: Kerry Never Offered — From an interview yesterday with Tony Snow: SNOW: Well, you're absolutely right though, it's going to be fun to see. |
Kerry Fails to Get Lift From Edwards' Pick, Zogby Poll Shows Bloomberg — Permalink July 8 (Bloomberg) — Democratic candidate John Kerry's standing against President George W. Bush didn't improve following his pick of North Carolina Senator John Edwards as his running mate July 6, according to a Zogby International poll. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: But then again, maybe no: "Democratic candidate John Kerry's standing against President George W. Bush didn't improve... Steve Soto: Thursday Quick Hits — Some notes this morning that are of interest: Zogby's initial snapshot poll after the Edwards pick shows no bounce for Kerry. |
Glenn Reynolds: Surprisingly, the Edwards pick hasn't boosted Kerry much in the polls, despite the overwhelmingly positive reaction from the press and punditry. |
Court: fence violates int'l law, must be dismantled By / Haaretz — Permalink The International Court of Justice will rule on Friday that the separation fence contravenes international law, that it must be dismantled, and that compensation must be paid to the Palestinian owners of property confiscated for its construction, according to documents obtained by Haaretz. | |
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Ted Belman: ICJ: fence violates int'l law, must be dismantled — By Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondent The International Court of... |
Gene @HarrysPlace: Haaretz is reporting that the International Court of Justice will rule Friday that the West Bank separation fence contravenes international law and must be dismantled. |
D'Amato Suggests Bush Drop Cheney for Powell or McCain By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 7 - Alfonse M. D'Amato, the once-influential Republican senator from New York, says that President Bush should drop Vice President Dick Cheney. | |
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Holden: I Can't Wait to Hear What Cheney Has to Say to Him — [snipped quote] Link. Thanks to Marc Sobel for the alert. Susan Q. Stranahan: Just when we thought it was safe to go back into the news cycle again, here comes Ray Hernandez raising the Jaws of the 2004 campaign season: Another Veepstakes! |
Tom Maguire: More Greasing Of Skids For Cheney — Al D'Amato and Bruce Bartlett want Dick Cheney out. |
AP: Iraq insurgency larger than thought By / AP — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Iraq insurgency is far larger than the 5,000 guerrillas previously thought to be at its core, U.S. military officials say, and it's being led by well-armed Iraqi Sunnis angry at being pushed from power alongside Saddam Hussein. | |
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Hindrocket: Take this story: "Iraq Insurgency Larger Than Thought." |
Oliver Willis: "pockets of dead-enders" — AP: Iraq insurgency larger than thought The Iraq insurgency is far larger than the 5,000... |
I write badly, therefore I am a would-be terrorist By / Houston Chronicle — Permalink I don't think of myself as a dangerous character. Neither, I think, do the lively old ladies who routinely trample me on the escalators at Neiman Marcus. Nor the other software salesmen who race past me into early retirement. | |
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Kevin Raybould: Life in Bush's America — This is what we have become: [snipped quote] Digby is enraged by this, the Elegant Variation is sarcastic. |
Digby: Watch What You Say — This is the kind of thing that makes me wonder if Bush, Ashcroft and Company haven't already... |
Bloggers Suffer Burnout By / Wired — Permalink In the days following the U.S. invasion of Iraq last year, a new blog called Whisky Bar quickly became a popular online destination for opponents of the war. The site's author, who ran the site as a virtual bar with himself as the bartender, encouraged visitors to share their views on the topic at hand. | |
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Robert Cox: Blogger Burnout Wired Billmon's inability to keep up with the demands of moderating comments in the face of a job,... Bill Hobbs: Blog In, Blog On, Burn Out — Wired looks at blogging burnout. I'd comment but I'm going to resist the temptation... |
Glenn Reynolds: WIRED NEWS reports on blogging burnout. Howard Owens, an ex-blogger who sent the article, emails: "Though burnout isn't exactly why I quit. |
The New Cosby Kids By / NYT — Permalink It was such a dog-bites-man story that I almost skipped right by: Billionaire Bashes Poor Blacks. The only thing that gave this particular story a little piquancy is that the billionaire doing the bashing is black himself. | |
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Holden: Barbara Ehrenreich is subbing for Tom Frieman on the Op-Ed page of the New York Times. Captain Ed: No, Rall won't have to challenge Cos, because equally Euroethnic Barbara Ehrenreich at the New York Times has taken her... |
James Panero: Puerile editorial watch — Barbara Ehrenreich goes juvenile in today's New York Times. [snipped quote] Thomas Friedman, where art thou? |
Bill Clinton's "My Life," Abridged Weekly Standard — Permalink CHAPTER 1: Shreveport, Louisiana, 1943. Our future president's father, William Jefferson Blythe Jr., escorts "a date with some kind of medical emergency" into a hospital where our future president's mother is working as a nurse. | |
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Deacon: Never give a saga an even break — The Weekly Standard presents an abridged version of Bill Clinton's My Life. |
Steve M.: Why is the CBS News Web site reproducing The Weekly Standard's snarky "abridged version" of Bill Clinton's book, which is also up at the Standard's site? |
Charter funds 'pilfered' By / L.A. Daily News — Permalink Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - The Los Angeles Unified School District and other California school districts are depriving charter schools of their fair share of special education funding by withholding up to 37 percent of the money, according to a study released today. | |
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Joanne Jacobs: Special ed skim — California school districts are skimming special education funding owed to charter schools, says a Reason Foundation report. |
Nick Gillespie: The whole report is here. And here's an LA Daily News story on it. |
Republicans Move Fast to Make Experience of Edwards an Issue NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 7 - At President Bush's first campaign stop in North Carolina on Wednesday morning, he was asked how Vice President Dick Cheney stacked up against the new Democratic vice-presidential candidate, who, the president was told, is already being described as "charming, engaging, a nimble campaigner, a populist and even sexy." | |
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DeDurkheim: Chimpies people are also attacking Edwards on a lack of experience. Betsy Newmark: The Republicans are trying their hardest to paint Edwards in their chosen way before the public at large forms an opinion of him. |
Hugh Hewitt: Also steamrolled: John Edwards by President Bush, plaintiffs' lawyers' big bucks for Edwards by the Washington Post, and... |
Cheney alternatives By / Washington Times — Permalink John Kerry made headlines with the surprise pick of North Carolina Sen. John Edwards as his running mate. At least for the time being, he has helped energize his campaign. This may increase the pressure on George W. Bush to replace Dick Cheney as vice president. | |
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Thomas Lang: In yesterday's Washington Times, columnist Bruce Bartlett fueled speculation about a potential Republican veepstakes by... Kevin Drum: Bruce Bartlett summarizes the basic argument in the Washington Times today: Cheney is a polarizing figure, his approval ratings are low, and he can't run for president in 2008. |
Matthew Yglesias: Bruce Bartlett makes the case: [snipped quote] That may be Bruce Bartlett's main reservation about Condi Rice. |
Poll: Kerry gets a bounce from Edwards pick By / MSNBC — Permalink Presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry's selection of Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., to be his running mate already seems to be paying immediate, although perhaps temporary, dividends for his campaign, a new NBC poll finds. | |
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Holden: [quote]Mark Murray of NBC goes through yet more results and writes: "Moreover, when asked who is more optimistic about the...[end quote] David Allan Pell: But while the Edwards related numbers in the latest instant poll probably don't mean all that much, the Cheney numbers are worth another look. Ruy Teixeira: Even more impressive, in NBC News' overnight poll, Kerry-Edwards leads Bush-Cheney by 11 points (54-43). |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: Maybe yes: "Presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry's selection of Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., to be his running mate... Joe Gandelman: Full details of the poll are here but a few hightlights include: (1)The poll by Princeton Survey Research Associates... Steve Soto: And the NBC poll showed an immediate bounce, and that more of those polled would want Edwards to be president than Pottymouth Dick. |
| Also: Mathew Gross | |
Falluja Pullout Left Haven of Insurgents, Officials Say By / NYT — Permalink CAMP FALLUJA, Iraq, July 6 - American and Iraqi officials say that a decision in April to pull back American forces from Falluja inadvertently created a safe haven for terrorists and insurgents there. But officials are reluctant to send American troops back into the city for fear of touching off another uprising. | |
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Hugh Hewitt: The Fallujah strategy is debated in the New York Times. Watch for the new Iraqi government to ask for the Marines to resume their offensive. Cori Dauber: Now, there's no question that the administration made the decision that the administration made, and that decision is their responsibility. Oliver Willis: Falluja Pullout Left Haven of Insurgents, Officials Say American and Iraqi officials say that a decision in April to... |
Tacitus: Brief break in blog vacation to say: Miserable, gutless, spineless, war-losing and absolutely predictable failure. Attaturk: Here is another example of "W"incompetence in action. |
Bill Cosby has more harsh words for black community AP — Permalink CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) — Bill Cosby went off on another tirade against the black community Thursday, telling a room full of activists that black children are running around not knowing how to read or write and "going nowhere." | |
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Bird Dog: Makes you wonder what Rall thinks about Bill Cosby. Jesse Jackson didn't look too pleased, although he did defend Cosby's statements. |
Michelle Malkin: You wanna send Bill Cosby to "racial re-education camp," too, huh? |
Ridge Warns of Election Terror Plot By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - The United States is tightening security in the face of a steady stream of intelligence indicating al-Qaida may seek to mount an attack aimed at disrupting elections, the White House and Homeland Security officials said Thursday. | |
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Attaturk: "Our three weapons are fear, and surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical devotion to the dope" As... |
Steve Soto: Today, we got our latest warning of terrorist attacks here at home aimed at disrupting our elections. |
Lawmakers Take Aim at Part of Patriot Act By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Lawmakers who say portions of the USA Patriot Act went too far are taking aim at its provision that made it easier for investigators to learn what people are reading — despite a veto threat from the White House. | |
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Jeralyn Merritt: White House Makes New Civil Liberties Threat — Is this blackmail or what? |
Captain Ed: Never mind that "hate-crime" legislation goes far further towards establishing thought crime than the Patriot Act's... |
Dowdy Expectations By / NRO — Permalink In that memo — no doubt crafted to lower expectations — Dowd matter of factly predicts, based on his analysis of past Gallup surveys, that Bush may well be 15 points behind John Kerry at the beginning of August. No, I didn't make this up. | |
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MB Williams: GOP doubting Thomas-pollsters go public — I generally don't read National Review Online, but my curiousity was piqued... |
Dale Franks: Political pollster Tony Fabrizio, notes that President Bush's chief campaign strategist, Matt Dowd, appears to be predicting a Bush loss in November. |
Kerry and Edwards: The Buddy Picture By / WaPo — Permalink CLEVELAND, July 7 — To begin with, there's the dicey matter of the all-important first shot of John Kerry and John Edwards and their wives getting off the campaign plane. The new running mates and running matrons emerge with a triumphant wave. | |
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Ezra Klein: Whether or not they catch a mildly ironic sign on their aircraft stairwell. Yup, that's the measure. And you know what creates bad articles? |
Taegan Goddard: Million Air — The Washington Post notes that "the all-important first shot of John Kerry and John Edwards and their wives getting off the campaign plane" had a significant glitch. |
D'AMATO TO PARTY BIGS: DUMP DICK By / New York Post — Permalink ALBANY — Former Republican Sen. Alfonse D'Amato yesterday called on President Bush to dump Dick Cheney from the GOP ticket. D'Amato described Cheney as a "decent, honorable and patriotic American," but urged Bush to "add a bold and farsighted dimension to his ticket." | |
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Max B. Sawicky: HE'S TANNED, RESTED, & READY — Al D'Amato for Republican Vice Presidential candidate! Yes! |
Susan Q. Stranahan: Proving that nobody loves a vacuum, especially journalists, the New York Post's Kenneth Lovett also reported D'Amato's... |
A Triumph of Images By / Opinion Journal — Permalink The Kerry-Edwards rollout has been almost flawless, a triumph of image that obscured uncomfortable realities. The two senators are not, as the Boston Herald merrily front-paged yesterday morning, "THEY'RE LEFT OF TED!" They are the son of a mill worker and the husband of an 'umble immigrant. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Peggy Noonan reviews the Kerry rollout of John Edwards. SLZoll: Deep Thoughts, by Peggy Noonan Here's Our Lady of the Dolphins: By the way, Republicans tend not to point at the crowd in this way. |
Jesse Taylor: Nooners truly astounds today, managing to write a column about Kerry and Edwards that focuses on: 1.) |
WEASELS BLOCKED U.S. PROBE OF U.N. OIL SCAM By / New York Post — Permalink WASHINGTON — Transcripts of secret U.N. Security Council sessions show that U.S. and British diplomats were constantly thwarted by their French, Russian and Chinese counterparts while investigating Saddam Hussein's dirty deals under the oil-for-food program. | |
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Clayton Cramer: I Am So Surprised! The New York Post reported on July 6: [snipped quote] Well what do you know? Ace: Shock: Our Trusted "Allies" Thwarted Oil-For-Food Inquiry at Every Turn — The Roll of Honor continues burnishing its image: France, Russia, China, Syria. |
Betsy Newmark: Check out which weasels blocked a US inquiry into the UN oil for food scam. |
Guantanamo inmates to get speedy hearings Washington Times — Permalink Washington, DC, Jul. 8 (UPI) — In response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the Pentagon has announced all 595 terror suspects held at Cuba's Guantanamo Bay prison will get speedy hearings. The hearings will determine if each of the men meets the definition of "enemy combatant," which would justify their detention. | |
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Norbizness: A little article on the new and improved, quasi-Constitutional enemy combatant hearings that will be going down in Cuba very soon. |
Nick Gillespie: Gitmo Hearings — In response to recent Supreme Court rulings, the Pentagon is holding hearings for all so-called enemy combatants held at Guanatanamo Bay. |
Groups want Ryan back in Illinois race By / Washington Times — Permalink The Illinois Republican Party is under fire from grass-roots groups who say the party forced U.S. senatorial candidate Jack Ryan to withdraw from the race, and they want his name returned to the ballot. | |
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ArchPundit: Really, Which is More Weird — The Moonie Times reports on the Draft, errr..don't replace, err...hell I don't know what to call it effort to get Jack! to stay on the ballot. |
Taegan Goddard: Meanwhile, the Washington Times notes the Illinois Republican Party "is under fire from grass-roots groups who say the... |
The unbalanced ticket By / Townhall.com — Permalink WASHINGTON — Whatever John Edwards does for a Democratic ticket led by John Kerry, he does not bring it balance. Apart from harsh words exchanged during the primary campaign season, the party's future presidential and vice-presidential nominees disagree on little (capital punishment and international trade are exceptions). | |
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Jesse Taylor: Robert Novak, always ready to be a reliable stenographer for whatever conservative group calls, discusses how the... |
Betsy Newmark: Bob Novak looks for the real reason why Kerry picked Edwards and not Gephardt, Vilsack, or Graham. |
Ticket touts its values, good hair By / Washington Times — Permalink CLEVELAND — The Democratic presidential ticket of John Kerry and John Edwards campaigned together for the first time yesterday, with Mr. Kerry saying their appeal boils down to their values, their vision — and their hair. | |
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Howard Kurtz: The Washington Times focuses on the one issue largely overlooked by the press: "The Democratic presidential ticket of... |
Betsy Newmark: This is why you should choose the Democratic ticket according to Kerry. [quote] "We think this is a dream ticket," Mr. Kerry told a rally of thousands in Cleveland yesterday.[end quote] |
In Desperate Move, Kerry Adopts Puppy By / Townhall.com — Permalink I guess with John Kerry's choice of John Edwards as his running mate, he really does want to stand up for all Americans, from those worth only $60 million to those worth in excess of $800 million. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Meanwhile, Ann Coulter eviscerates the choice. |
SLZoll: Ann Coulter uses this week's column to attack John Edwards for being John Kerry's VP pick, because Edwards is rich, and... |
Missing Marine mystery deepens By / MSNBC — Permalink The strange disappearance of Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, reportedly kidnapped in Iraq nearly three weeks ago, grows even more mysterious. Senior Pentagon officials tell NBC News, a man claiming to be Hassoun, called his family in Lebanon and the U.S.... | |
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Joe Gandelman: Reports NBC News: [snipped quote] Three words for news sources on this story: (1)confirm, (2)exercise, (3)restraint. Susanna Cornett: But this is quite interesting: [snipped quote] As I noted earlier today, shades of Audrey Seiler. |
Cori Dauber: It looks as if the question is no longer "is he safe?" but is now "was this a hoax?" Developing, as they say. Captain Ed: Now, however, military sources say Hassoun may have hoaxed the world: [snipped quote] This opens all sorts of possible explanations of Hassoun's motivations and connections. |
Filipino Workers Barred From Going to Iraq By / AP — Permalink CAIRO, Egypt - Armed Iraq insurgents threatened to kill a Filipino hostage if his country does not withdraw from Iraq, according to a video that aired Wednesday. The Philippines responded by barring Filipino workers from traveling to Iraq. | |
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Michelle Malkin: THE PHILIPPINES GOES WOBBLY — Captain Ed notes that my parents' native land is going soft in the wake of threats by... Captain Ed: In an action certain to encourage the kidnapping of more foreigners, the Filipinos have run up the white flag, at least... |
Moe Lane: A New Hostage Situation. Things to remember about this development: [snipped quote] 1). |
Arthur: On the Rocks By / Slate — Permalink Forget Camelot. Forget Merlin the wizard and the Sword in the Stone. Forget the Lady of the Lake, Morgan le Fay, and Guinevere getting moist over Robert Goulet. Forget all the fancy fairy tales that have come down to us from Mallory, Tennyson, T.H. White, Lerner and Lowe, John Boorman, and Monty Python. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: I see that the new King Arthur film is bound and determined to be a complete disaster. Arthur Chrenkoff: By the sounds of it, the new film version is still somewhat off the mark: the new Arthur , according to Slate's David... |
Eugene Volokh: Pun of the day: "Woad trip," as a throwaway caption in Slate's review of Arthur. |
Gruesome Discovery ABCNEWS — Permalink A 14-year-old boy was arrested today in connection with the discovery of three bodies at a New Mexico ranch owned by ABC newsman Sam Donaldson, authorities said. The bodies were found Tuesday on Donaldson's remote ranch north of Hondo, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department said. | |
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James Joyner: Bodies Found at Sam Donaldson's Ranch — ABC News - Teen Arrested After Three Bodies Found at Sam Donaldson's Ranch [snipped quote] How bizarre—and tragic. Susanna Cornett: Death on the Donaldson spread — Three bodies have been found on newsman Sam Donaldson's ranch: "Three bodies were... |
Robert Cox: Sam Donaldson Unearths Murder Case ABC News A 14-year-old boy was arrested today in connection with the discovery of... |
Sources: Lay Indicted in Enron's Collapse AP — Permalink HOUSTON (AP) — The three-year investigation of Enron Corp.'s scandalous collapse has reached the top of the energy company, with the criminal indictment of founder and former chief executive Kenneth Lay, sources told The Associated Press on Wednesday. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Hell Has Frozen Over — It really has: [snipped quote] We have a special interest in this here in California. Jon Henke: Unless you go to jail — and does anyone think any of our modern malefactors of great wealth will actually do time?..."... |
Tbogg: This happened: Former Enron Corp. chairman and CEO Kenneth Lay has been indicted on criminal charges related to the... Holden: Kennyboy To Do the Perp Walk — It's About Time [snipped quote] Lest we forget. |
Kerry Appears More Relaxed With Edwards By / AP — Permalink FOX CHAPEL, Pa. - Aloof, dour and wooden are the oft-repeated adjectives to describe John Kerry . The presence of running mate John Edwards altered that image Wednesday. | |
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Steve Soto: LOL! Even the skeptical media is noticing that Kerry now appears more relaxed with Edwards than he did flying solo. |
Charles Johnson: Masks of Relaxation — The Associated Press would like you to know that Kerry Appears More Relaxed With Edwards. |
Kerry Gains Campaign Ace, Risking Anti-Lawyer Anger NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 6 - Tapping Senator John Edwards for the Democratic presidential ticket gives John Kerry an energetic campaign partner and will allow Mr. Kerry to solidify the support of wealthy lawyers who can contribute millions to the campaign and the... | |
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TChris: Edwards Under Attack — The President and his fellow country-bangers don't like trial lawyers, and they figure voters don't like them much either. Dwight Meredith: "The New York Times remembers that attacking trial lawyers is part of the Karl Rove playbook. |
Von @ObsidianWings: Show that you ain't beholden to your class action pals, John, and ease the fears of big business. Good politics and, yes, good policy too. Steve Bainbridge: Even the NY Times gets it (after all, even a stopped clock is right twice a day):Mr. Edwards's background as a trial... |
DISASTER IS LURKING By / New York Post — Permalink JOHN Kerry's choice of John Edwards as his vice presidential candidate is getting predictable but sincere applause from Democrats, relieved that some charisma will enliven their presidential ticket. | |
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Taegan Goddard: Morris: Trial Lawyers May Haunt Edwards — Dick Morris says "the initial positive reaction" to Sen. John Kerry's pick of... Stephen Green: Follow the Money — This could get interesting: [snipped quote] I have the feeling we'll find out. |
Michael DeBow: Dick Morris predicts that John Edwards's fund-raising among high-rolling plaintiffs' lawyers will come back to haunt the... |
UNDER THE DOME The Hill — Permalink Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), rapping at a Rainbow/PUSH labor breakfast in Chicago as he introduced the Democratic Senate candidate Even though Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) has been criticized for a dearth of minorities among the top advisers to his... | |
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James Panero: And who else is penning the preface but a certain John F. Kerry. (Here is the listing on Barnes and Noble's web site—don't look for it on Amazon; it's not yet there). John Cole: Say, or example, just letting the American people know where Kerry's campaign slogan came from: [snipped quote] That ought to be a big hit at the VFW. |
Glenn Reynolds: LET AMERICA BE AMERICA: "Guys, you gotta vet the poets you quote." |
Ex-GOP Senator Suggests Bush Dump Cheney By / AP — Permalink ALBANY, N.Y. - President Bush should consider dumping Vice President Dick Cheney from the Republican ticket this year, an influential former GOP senator said Wednesday. Alfonse D'Amato said Bush should consider putting Secretary of State Colin Powell or Sen. John McCain of Arizona on the GOP ticket. | |
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Joe Gandelman: His statement is here. But would those choices fly? Steve Soto: Pothole Al has come out and called for Bush to dump Cheney and replace him with either Colin Powell (not going to happen) or John McCain (also not going to happen). |
Steven Taylor: Alex, I'll Take "People Not to Take Advice From" for $300 — Ex-GOP Senator Suggests Bush Dump Cheney [snipped quote] A)... |
Why the French Act Isn't Funny Anymore Time — Permalink It is easy to make fun of the French and their pompous pretense to the grandeur they shed a half-century ago when their loss of honor under Vichy, and then their loss of empire, relegated them to the rank of second-class power. But the fun is over. | |
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Deacon: The future that doesn't work — Charles Krauthammer on French obstructionism. Steve Bainbridge: France — The case for treating France as a strategic competitor rather than an ally has rarely been made more... Dale Franks: Pouty Pundit Pans Parisian Posturing — Charles Krauthammer writes that France's act isn't funny any more. |
James Joyner: Chirac: Obstructionist or Appeaser — Charles Krauthammer has a column in TIME called, "Why the French Act Isn't Funny Anymore." Betsy Newmark: Charles Krauthammer nails it. [snipped quote] Read the rest. Krauthammer is as brilliant as ever. |
Hamas Spokesman on UAE TV Program: On the Recruitment and Training of Palestinian Suicide Bombers (www.memritv.org) MEMRI — Permalink Al-Majd TV, a United Arab Emirates religious channel, hosted Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Sami Abu Zuhri, and Faraj Shalhoub, an expert on Palestinian affairs, to discuss the recruitment and training of Palestinian suicide bombers. | |
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Ted Belman: Frightening — PA/Jihad & Terrorism Studies Project MEMRI Hamas Spokesman on UAE TV Program: On the Recruitment and... |
Charles Johnson: The interviewees are a Hamas spokesman and Faraj Shalhoub, an expert on Palestinian affairs: On the Recruitment and Training of Palestinian Suicide Bombers. |
Judgement Calls By / NRO — Permalink After the arrow has hit, the bowman's success is in the hands of whoever decides where to paint the target. President George W. Bush's Iraq arrow is still in flight, so I'm going to paint the target where I think it should have been. | |
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Ted Belman: Is America winning or losing in Iraq — Judgement Calls: Measuring success in Iraq. |
Deacon: Measuring success in Iraq — This piece by Max Singer in NRO is as good an assessment as I've seen of whether we have succeeded, and will likely succeed, in Iraq. |
In North Carolina, Bush Takes a Swipe at Edwards By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, July 7 — President Bush campaigned today in North Carolina, where he criticized Democrats for blocking some of his judicial nominees and took a back-handed swipe at Senator John Edwards, the state's freshman Democratic senator and now Senator John Kerry's choice for running mate. | |
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Dale Franks: The campaign takes shape — I got a Kick out ofthis paragraph in the New York Times, about the President campaigning in North Carolina. John J. Miller: Breaking news: "When a questioner noted that Mr. Edwards had been described as charming and a 'nimble campaigner' and... |
Steve Soto: After the White House said yesterday that the president wanted to stay above the fray, Mr. Bush dispensed with that... |
Rockefeller Republicans Take Manhattan NRO — Permalink The lineup of primetime speakers at the Republican Convention predictably reflects its New York location by giving prominent spots to the hosts, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor George Pataki. But those enjoying the coveted spotlight also pay tribute to New York's former Governor Nelson Rockefeller. | |
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Dale Franks: RINO Stampede — NRO's Kate O'Beirne isn't happy about the prime-time speakers' line-up for the GOP convention. John Hawkins: No, The Rockerfeller Republicans Aren't On The Comeback Trail — Andrew Sullivan & Kate O'Beirne are wondering whether... Andrew Sullivan: Kate O'Beirne wants to know where the real leaders of today's GOP are: Rick Santorum, Tom DeLay, Bill Frist. She's right. |
Kos: In short, the GOoPers are hiding their conservatives from public consumption. Kevin Drum: Today he links to Kate O'Beirne in National Review wondering why the Republican party is so desperate to hide its true... |
With Spidey, less is Moore NY Daily News — Permalink Has "Spider-Man 2" pushed "Fahrenheit 9/11" director Michael Moore out of the limelight? And is Moore having trouble coping with his predictable drop from the top spot? | |
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Tim Blair: Moore faced criticism at home, too, where a cineplex appearance at Battery Park brought him in contact with an... Betsy Newmark: Cheers for Kid Rock. Pejman Yousefzadeh: PATHETIC — Can Michael Moore sink any lower? [snipped quote] I almost feel sorry for the guy. Almost. |
Robert Cox: TIVO THIS Judy Woodruff's Inside Politics: Edward Kennedy NewsHour: Bill Clinton 60 Minutes: Sean Penn Dennis... Jeff Goldstein: Wow. I guess he really can spin a web any size. Or at least the size of rhino-hipped faux populist **** Story C. D. Harris: Awwww! "The director [Michael Moore] hastily wrapped things up and wandered away dejectedly." |
| Also: Ace, Michael DeBow, Jonah Goldberg, Glenn Reynolds | |
U.S. Removed Radioactive Materials From Iraq Facility By / WaPo — Permalink Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced yesterday that almost two tons of low-enriched uranium and about 1,000 radioactive samples used for research had been removed from Iraq's Tuwaitha Nuclear Center and brought to the United States for security reasons. | |
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Laura Rozen: After that, the Washington Post's Walter Pincus reports, the US somehow shockingly let the facility get looted: "In... Cori Dauber: Is this really that unimportant of a story? What's really striking here is this: broadcast news picks up stories from the Times and Post all the time. James Joyner: U.S. Removed Radioactive Materials From Iraq Facility — WaPo - U.S. Removed Radioactive Materials From Iraq Facility [snipped quote] Interesting. |
Jon Henke: Re: this story... "...almost two tons of low-enriched uranium and about 1,000 radioactive samples used for... Steven Taylor: Interesting: Nuclear Materials Removed from Iraq — U.S. Removed Radioactive Materials From Iraq Facility. |
John Edwards, Esq. By / Washington Monthly — Permalink On August 5th, NBC's Meet the Press featured someone and something we're likely to see much more of in years to come: Senator John Edwards (D-N.C.) squaring off against a nervous representative of the Bush administration. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: That's very much in line from Josh Green's persuasive argument on the subject a few years ago in The Washington Monthly. Rivka: The Last Blogger On Earth To Post About Edwards — I'm quite pleased with Kerry's choice of John Edwards for VP, which... Steve Gilliard: But the reason the GOP hates Edwards is not so much the man, as it was with Clinton, few question his character, but his success as a lawyer suing large corporations. |
Angry Bear: AB UPDATE: Slacktivist brings us this episode — surely just one of many — of John Edwards shamelessly prostrating... Kash: (See for example this story, via Atrios.) On the other hand, Cheney was running a major corporation, presiding over that company's misdeeds. Atrios: This is the kind of trial lawyer John Edwards was: The defining case in Edwards' legal career wrapped up that same year. |
Prepare for jumbo shrimp prices By / San Francisco Chronicle — Permalink Shrimp, the most popular seafood in America, may become more expensive soon as a result of new tariffs that the U.S. government is considering on imports from some countries in a move to bolster domestic shrimp production and prevent dumping, or sales at artificially low prices. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: There simply aren't any arguments to be mounted in favor of the combination of tax cuts and entitlement expansions, or... DeLong: "Free" Trade — The Bush administration decides to make China and Vietnam a little bit poorer: "Prepare for jumbo... Jeff A. Taylor: Netting an Election — Hmmm, the very day the Democrats evince some intention to push for votes from the South, the Bush... |
PGL: But the trade protectionists rule the Bush White House: "Shrimp, the most popular seafood in America, may become more... Max B. Sawicky: CHICKEN OF THE SEA — Bush's free trade policy is all wet. |
Iranian Intel Officers Captured in Iraq Fox News — Permalink WASHINGTON — American and Iraqi joint patrols, along with U.S. Special Operations (search) teams, captured two men with explosives in Baghdad on Monday who identified themselves as Iranian (search) intelligence officers, FOX News has confirmed. | |
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Bo Cowgill: It is doing everything it can to prevent that collapse — which is why it has bullied British soldiers in the gulf, sent... Patrick Belton: AND SOME SO-CALLED 'REALISTS' STILL SAY WE OUGHT TO BE COUSINING UP TO THESE GUYS: [snipped quote] These, please note,... Bird Dog: Iranian Belligerence — Yesterday, two Iranian intelligence officers were caught with explosives in Baghdad, FoxNews reported. |
Jeff Goldstein: Somebody come find me if we go to war with Iran or anything. Otherwise, be back later today. **** More. And more. Ace: I'm sure everyone knows this, but this is one of those stories that's too big not to blog: Iranian intelligence agents... Jan Haugland: Iranian agents caught with explosives in Baghdad — An American-Iraqi joint patrol has captured two Iranian intelligence officers in Baghdad. |
| Also: Hugh Hewitt, Clayton Cramer, Attaturk, Joe Gandelman, Blackfive, Dale Franks, Dean Esmay, Hindrocket, Andrew Sullivan, Glenn Reynolds, Captain Ed | |
Talk Down By / TNR — Permalink It was, I think, the right decision. John Edwards will make a great running mate for Kerry. But missed in the natural brouhaha is the actual speech John Kerry gave announcing his choice. It's perhaps the first national stump speech given by Kerry now that the primaries are long over and the national campaign is beginning. | |
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Bo Cowgill: ANDREW SULLIVAN shows that no matter how good Kerry's VP selection was, his speech was lousy. Stefan Sharkansky: Kerry's "flatulently vapid" rallying cry — Andrew Sullivan fisks John Kerry's speech introducing John Edwards as his running mate. |
Betsy Newmark: Andrew Sullivan fisks John Kerry's speech yesterday and finds it vapid and vacuous. Not a rave review. Andrew Sullivan: If this is Kerry's message, Bush will continue to be one of the luckiest politicians alive. I fisk away here. |
Primer For a Revolution By / WaPo — Permalink ISTANBUL — How do you make a peaceful democratic revolution? That's the big issue these days for political activists from Cairo to Hong Kong. I put the question to the past year's most successful revolutionary, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. | |
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Gregory Djerejian: TPM approvingly and uncritically links to this Dave Ignatius op-ed. Josh Marshall: For our text, let's use the column by David Ignatius in Tuesday's Washington Post. |
Matthew Yglesias: I made these points at greater length in the May Prospect and Josh Kurlantzick made some of them at around the same time in TNR and Josh Marshall has a post on it today. |
Body Politic Will Reject 'Charisma Transplant' By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON — Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, and Senator John Edwards, a North Carolina Democrat, were born in the same hospital in the small town of Seneca, S.C., within two years of each other. | |
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Howard Kurtz: One of the few major-pundit dissenters is William Safire, who says Kerry picked John E. BeGood out of a lack of... Steve M.: William Safire, conservative columnist for The New York Times In campaign terms, Cheney brought almost nothing. Ezra Klein: In the hack trunks we've got William Safire with a column berating Kerry for being less confident in his vice-presidential pick than Bush was. |
Noam Scheiber: Bill Safire sounds like he's making a distinction without a difference: [snipped quote] Maybe I'm a little quaint when... Hugh Hewitt: Bill Safire in the New York Times pours water on the idea that Edwards helps in the south —not with the National Journal's rating as the fourth most liberal member of the Senate. Ed Cone: Underestimate Edwards at your own peril. I'm hearing a lot of whistling past the graveyard from Republicans, but I suspect they know this is not good news for their guy. |
| Also: Michael Froomkin | |
Kerry could spurn public cash By / The Hill — Permalink Some Democratic strategists and fundraisers say Sen. John Kerry should seriously consider opting out of public funding in his bid to defeat President Bush this fall. | |
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Steve Soto: If you had proven that you could raise money as well or better than George W. Bush, and had an energized campaign... Taegan Goddard: Kerry Urged To Spurn Public Funds — "Some Democratic strategists and fundraisers say Sen. John Kerry should seriously... |
Jerome Armstrong: On The Hill (via Political Wire) there's finally chatter about Kerry opting out of taking the public financing in the... |
The Best Choice By / WaPo — Permalink When you hear Republicans disparage Sen. John Edwards's lack of experience, remember the words of Sen. Orrin Hatch, spoken to George W. Bush at a debate on Dec. 6, 1999. "You've been a great governor," Hatch declared of his rival for the Republican presidential nomination. | |
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Steve Soto: But as E. J. Dionne noted today in the Post, if Kerry had picked Gephardt, the White House line would have been that Kerry was too insecure to pick someone like Edwards. McQ: Checking the Media's reaction to Edwards — Some interesting takes on the Edwards pick: EJ Dionne think it was "The Best... Matthew Yglesias: The ever-reliable E.J. Dionne, however, steps into the breach and points out the obvious: [snipped quote] As a political argument, that's good enough for me. |
Kos: We'll, E.J. Dionne shares this moment from 2000: [snipped quote] And checkmate. Holden: Count on E. J. Dionne to provide the anecdotal antidote: [snipped quote] Update: Rude Pundit provides an historic perspective. Michael Froomkin: Now look at E.J. Dionne's column on why Edwards is The Right Choice and the Gep would have been a mistake: Republicans... |
Europe Reluctantly Deciding It Has Less Time for Time Off By / NYT — Permalink FRANKFURT, July 6 — For Michael Stahl, a technician at a cordless telephone factory in the town of Bocholt, summer is usually a carefree season of long evenings in his garden and even longer vacations. | |
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James Joyner: Europeans Working More Hours — NYT - Europe Reluctantly Deciding It Has Less Time for Time Off [RSS] Susanna Cornett: It's a tragedy. |
Kash: Labor Versus Leisure in the US and Europe — Today's NY Times has a story about the amount of time off that people in Europe enjoy. |