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Quoted in this edition:

ABC News
ABCNEWS
  Brian Ross
Allah Is In The House
  Allah
American Digest
  Vanderleun
American Prospect
  Matthew Yglesias
Amygdala
  Gary Farber
www.AndrewSullivan.com
  Andrew Sullivan
ARMAVIRUMQUE
  Stefan Beck
Associated Press
  Ron Fournier
  Curt Anderson
  Lara Jakes Jordan
  John Solomon
Balloon Juice
  John Cole
Begging to Differ
  Hei Lun
THE BELGRAVIA DISPATCH
  Gregory Djerejian
Belmont Club
  Wretchard
Betsy's Page
  Betsy Newmark
Body and Soul
  Jeanne D'Arc
Boston Globe
Captain's Quarters
  Captain Ed
Catallarchy.net
  Doug Allen
Centerfield
  Tully @Centerfield
Chicago Boyz
  Sylvain Galineau
Citizen Smash
  Smash
City Journal
  Michael Knox Beran
CJR Campaign Desk Home
  Thomas Lang
  Liz Cox Barrett
CNN
Cold Fury
  Mike Hendrix
The Corner
  KJL
  Rich Lowry
  Jonah Goldberg
  Jonathan H. Adler
  Rod Dreher
  John J. Miller
corrente
  Tom @Corrente
Crescat Sententia
  Will Baude
Crooked Timber
  Ted Barlow
Daily Kos
  Kos
  DemFromCT
Daimnation!
  Damian Penny
Dan Gillmor's eJournal
  Dan Gillmor
danieldrezner.com
  Daniel Drezner
Dean's World
  Dean Esmay
Demagogue
  Frederick Maryland
  Zoe Kentucky
Denver Post
  Susan Greene
DonkeyRising
  Ruy Teixeira
Drudge Report
Electablog
  David Allan Pell
Eschaton
  Atrios
  Pie
etc.
  Noam Scheiber
Fox News
  Liza Porteus
Guardian
  Jonathan Freedland
Haaretz
  Nathan Guttman
Happy Furry Puppy Story Time with Norbizness
  Norbizness
Harry's Place
  Harry @HarrysPlace
Hit & Run
  Hanah Metchis
  Nick Gillespie
  Matt Welch
HughHewitt.com
  Hugh Hewitt
INDC Journal
  Bill @INDCJournal
Instapundit.com
  Glenn Reynolds
Ipse Dixit
  C. D. Harris
joannejacobs.com
  Joanne Jacobs
JustOneMinute
  Tom Maguire
Lean Left
  Kevin Raybould
  Kevin T. Keith
  Tgirsch
The Left Coaster
  Steve Soto
Little Green Footballs
  Charles Johnson
Long Beach Press-Telegram
Los Angeles Times
  Paul Richter
  Richard B. Schmitt
Mathew Gross
  Mathew Gross
matthew
  Matthew Yglesias
MaxSpeak, You Listen!
  Max B. Sawicky
Media Notes Extra
  Howard Kurtz
Michelle Malkin
  Michelle Malkin
The Moderate Voice
  Joe Gandelman
Mudville Gazette
  Greyhawk
The National Debate
  Robert Cox
National Review
  Clinton W. Taylor
The New Republic
  Will Baude
New York Times
  Eric Lichtblau
  David E. Sanger
  Philip Shenon
  Stephen Sestanovich
  Paul Krugman
  David Brooks
  Mark Glassman
NewsMax.com
Newsweek
No More Mister Nice Blog
  Steve M.
Obsidian Wings
  Edward _
Off the Kuff
  Charles Kuffner
One Hand Clapping
  Donald Sensing
Opinion Journal
Outside The Beltway
  James Joyner
OxBlog
  David Adesnik
Pacific Views
  Natasha @PacificViews
pandagon.net
  Jesse Taylor
  Ezra Klein
Pejmanesque
  Pejman Yousefzadeh
PoliBlog
  Steven Taylor
Power Line
  The Big Trunk
  Hindrocket
PRESTOPUNDIT
  Greg Ransom
protein wisdom
  Jeff Goldstein
QandO
  McQ
  Jon Henke
  Dale Franks
Respectful of Otters
  Rivka
Reuters
  Irwin Arieff
  Thomas Ferraro
  Megan Goldin
The Right Coast
  Tom Smith
Right Wing News
  John Hawkins
the road to surfdom
  Tim Dunlop
Roger Ailes
  Roger Ailes
Roger L. Simon
  Roger L. Simon
Sadly, No!
  Sadly @SadlyNo
Salon
  Patrick Smith
  David Gopoian
San Diego Union-Tribune
  George Varga
Secular Blasphemy
  Jan Haugland
Seeing The Forest
  Dave Johnson
Sgt. Stryker's Daily Briefing
  Stryker
Shot In The Dark
  Mitch Berg
Southern Appeal
  Steve Dillard
  Joel Foreman
  QD @SouthernAppeal
The Spoons Experience
  Christopher Kanis
Stephen Pollard
  Stephen Pollard
Steve Gilliard's News Blog
  Steve Gilliard
Suburban Guerrilla
  Susan Madrak
t a c i t u s
  Bird Dog
Taegan Goddard's Political Wire
  Taegan Goddard
Talking Points Memo
  Josh Marshall
TAPPED
  Matthew Yglesias
  Nick Confessore
»«TBogg»«
  Tbogg
Tech Central Station
  Glenn Harlan Reynolds
Tim Blair
  Tim Blair
Townhall.com
  Brent Bozell
  Michelle Malkin
Travelling Shoes
  H.D. Miller
Unfogged
  Fontana Labs
  Bob @Unfogged
USA Today
  John Diamond
  Michelle Malkin
The Volokh Conspiracy
  Orin Kerr
Wall Street Journal
  Julia Angwin
Wampum
  Dwight Meredith
War and Piece
  Laura Rozen
The Washington Monthly
  Kevin Drum
Washington Post
  Susan Schmidt
  Hanna Rosin
Washington Times
Winds of Change.NET
  Dan Darling
WomensWallStreet
  Annie Jacobsen
World O'Crap
  SLZoll



Nuclear arms reportedly found in Iraq
  Washington Times   —   Permalink 
Baghdad, Iraq, Jul. 21 (UPI) — Iraqi security reportedly discovered three missiles carrying nuclear heads concealed in a concrete trench northwest of Baghdad, official sources said Wednesday.
Hugh Hewitt: If this is true, the seriousness of the effort in Iraq and its rightness ought at last to be clear to the Kerry-Moore Democrats.
Jan Haugland: Glowing rumour from Iraq — Obviously, this news story has changed.
Atrios: THEY'RE OVER HERE!" No nuclear missiles have been found in Iraq.
Greyhawk: No Nukes is Good Nukes — No nukes in Iraq?
Laura Rozen: Nevermind.
Sadly @SadlyNo: Journalism à la Rant — The Rant, home to Justin "The Hottest New Conservative Writer On The Web" Darr, offers...
Also: Tutakai @Centerfield, Bird Dog, Steve M., Dale Franks, Joel Foreman, Tim Blair, Damian Penny, The Big Trunk, Allah, James Joyner, Glenn Reynolds, Betsy Newmark, Jonah Goldberg

Sandy Berger's Heavy Lifting
  NRO   —   Permalink 
The troubling details of the Archives document removal.
In Washington this morning, government officials are trying to piece together the facts of the Sandy Berger case in an attempt to understand what the former Clinton administration national-security adviser was trying to accomplish when he took highly classified documents from the National Archives.
Hugh Hewitt: See Byron York's excellent piece from NationalReview.com, and keep an eye on The Corner for late developments.
Roger L. Simon: Flipping Bergers — Byron York has an interesting summation of the Sandy Berger situation so far with an intriguing...
Pejman Yousefzadeh: UPDATE: Byron York gives us the logistics of the alleged pantscapades: "Berger, who yesterday quit his position as an...
C. D. Harris: The additional fact, of which I was unaware until this morning, that Berger removed documents from the Archives secure...
Michelle Malkin: IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH "LUCK" — Byron York's take on Trousergate is excellent.
Bill @INDCJournal: Well, this is certainly titillating: Third, it appears that Berger's "inadvertent" actions clearly aroused the suspicion of the professional staff at the Archives.
Also: Betsy Newmark, Glenn Reynolds, Greg Ransom, The Big Trunk

A Right-Wing Smear Is Gathering Steam
  LAT   —   Permalink 
For the last two weeks, I have been subjected — along with my wife, Valerie Plame — to a partisan Republican smear campaign. In right-wing blogs and on the editorial pages of the Wall Street Journal and the National Review, I've been accused of being a liar and, worse, a traitor.
Greyhawk: Hey Joe, Where you goin' With That... Joe Wilson cries out: "For the last two weeks, I have been subjected — along with...
Pejman Yousefzadeh: You may also want to read this devastating editorial on Wilson, the former ambassador's own response, and Tom Maguire's brilliant demolition of that response.
McQ: But no. Today we're treated to a Joe Wilson whine about a right-wing smear job (ironic isn't it, him protesting a...
Dave Johnson: In A Right-Wing Smear Is Gathering Steam, Wilson writes, "For the last two weeks, I have been subjected ? along with my...
Tom Maguire: Joe Wilson Is Back For More — Joe Wilson celebrates the first anniversary of his famous NY Times op-ed with a commemorative column in the LA Times.
James Joyner: A Right-Wing Smear Is Gathering Steam — Joe Wilson has an op-ed in today's LAT claiming a "Right-Wing Smear Is Gathering Steam."
Also: Greg Ransom, Steve Antler, KJL

Berger drops out as Kerry foreign-policy adviser
  USA Today   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON — Former national security adviser Samuel Berger stepped aside from his work as a foreign-policy adviser to Democrat John Kerry's presidential campaign Tuesday, after Berger acknowledged that he had mishandled classified documents that were under review by the independent commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks.
Steven Taylor: However, aside from issue involving clothes-stuffing (which I currently considered uncofirmed), there is another aspect...
Dan Gillmor: USA Today reports, for example: "There is no indication that Berger's action affected the 9/11 commission's work; a...
Sylvain Galineau: Except Berger's claims of an "honest mistake" are starting to look exceedingly weak, and although, in my opinion, they...
Nick Confessore: Meanwhile, USA Today provides what I think is a very balanced account that naturally leads with the sizzle but doesn't bury the exculpatory information too far down.
Glenn Reynolds: And it was on multiple occasions: "After one of his visits to the Archives last fall, one of the government officials...
Howard Kurtz: USA Today raises the timing question, which is linked to the original leak to the AP: "The investigation, which...
Also: Bird Dog

The Syrian Wayne Newton
  By / NRO   —   Permalink 
Annie Jacobsen's recent piece for WomensWallStreet.Com made waves. Her account of flying with her family while 14 Middle Eastern passengers acted in a threatening and apparently coordinated manner makes for a terrifying read.
The Big Trunk: NRO has posted a column by Clinton Taylor that has the rest of the story, in which Power Line makes a surprise appearance: "The Syrian Wayne Newton."
Christopher Kanis: SYRIAN BAND LOCATED — Clinton W. Taylor has done some good detective work, and seems to have located the Syrian band at issue in the "Terrorist Dry Run" article.
Daniel Drezner: UPDATE: Clinton W. Taylor has a fact-filled report over at NRO that clears up a lot of confusion.
Michelle Malkin: National Review Online has just posted an article by Clint Taylor, who seems to have identified the mystery band on Flight 327.
Charles Johnson: Syrian Flight Mystery Solved — At National Review, Clinton W. Taylor has solved the mystery of the Syrian musicians...

The Sixteen Words, Again
  WaPo   —   Permalink 
REMEMBER THE affair of "the sixteen words"? A year ago this month official Washington was convulsed by a controversy over whether President Bush had knowingly twisted the truth about Iraq to persuade the country to go to war. A former U.S. ambassador, Joseph C. Wilson IV, made that charge.
Glenn Reynolds: THE JOE WILSON IMPLOSION: The Washington Post editorializes: "Mr. Wilson chose to emphasize the latter point, that no...
Gregory Djerejian: Straight Shooting on the 16 Words... ...in this WaPo masthead: Money quotes: [snipped quote] So easy, isn't it?
Betsy Newmark: The Washington Post has an editorial that, with some quibbling, says that Bush was right and didn't lie.
James Joyner: Update: McQ takes the piece apart line-by-line. Update: WaPo has an editorial entitled "The Sixteen Words, Again."
Mitch Berg: Disintegration — You know the basis of your credibility - if you're a darling of the left, like Joe Wilson - is falling apart when even the WaPo bails on you.
Captain Ed: WaPo: Wilson Lied — Even the Washington Post, in an editorial that had to hurt, has decided that the notorious 16 words...
Also: Tom Maguire, Ace, KJL, John Cole

The hysterical skies
  By / Salon   —   Permalink 
The piece in question, "Terror in the Skies, Again?" is the work of Annie Jacobsen, a writer for WomensWallStreet.com. Jacobsen shares the account of the emotional meltdown she and her fellow passengers experienced when, aboard a Northwest Airlines flight from Detroit to Los Angeles, a group of Middle Eastern passengers proceeded to act "suspiciously."
Norbizness: Recently, this maternal hypervigilance has manifested itself in the causing of a minor national panic over Syrian...
Daniel Drezner: From the left: Salon's "Ask the Pilot" columnist Patrick Smith.
SLZoll: Flight 327 — The Terror Continues Reader B.F. Diehl directs us to the latest Salon's "Ask the Pilot" column, which is entitled "The Hysterical Skies".
Kos: The hysterical skies — Read at your own peril. This is guaranteed to raise your pulse: [snipped quote] Now I'm really gonna go pack.
Kevin Raybould: The pilot's reception on a conservative talk show demonstrates that I was pretty much correct in my original posting:...
Bob @Unfogged: Spreading (t)error — I saw this at Salon.
Also: Ed Cone

Clinton defends aide during Denver book stop
  By / Denver Post   —   Permalink 
Bill Clinton defended his embattled national security adviser Tuesday as a man who "always got things right," even if his desk was a mess.
"We were all laughing about it on the way over here," the former president said of the investigation into Samuel "Sandy" Berger on classified terrorism documents missing from the National Archives.
Hugh Hewitt: Yesterday in Denver Bill Clinton said he had known of the Berger investigation for many months.
Pejman Yousefzadeh: But this excuse is just absurd: [quote] Bill Clinton defended his embattled national security adviser Tuesday as a man who "always got things right," even if his desk was a mess.[end quote]
McQ: Its just hillarious — Yes folks, in an attempt to point out how serious national security is to Bill Clinton, he's...
John Cole: [quote]- The Denver Post Mr. Berger said his lapse was "sloppy," but House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said "sloppy" wasn't the right word.[end quote]
Joel Foreman: Perhaps I have no sense of humor, but I do not find this funny, Mr. President. [snipped quote] So Berger's a slob and that's the best defense Clinton can offer?
Taegan Goddard: Meanwhile, in an interview with the Denver Post, former President Bill Clinton "questioned the timing of the Berger flap...
Also: KJL, James Joyner

Lawmen Contradict Berger's Sox Docs Denials
  NewsMax.com   —   Permalink 
Law enforcement officials are contradicting denials from Sandy Berger's lawyer and two friends who say the former national security adviser never stuffed super-secret 9/11 documents into his socks during three or more visits to the National Archives last fall.
Jonah Goldberg: But A) CNN is bolstering the sock story and B) keep in mind that he might have hidden the notes in his socks "knowingly"...
Betsy Newmark: CNN is sticking by the socks story or at least reporting that its sources are sticking by the story. If that holds, it's all over.
Andrew Sullivan: THE SOCKS, THE SOCKS: CNN has some sources saying Berger did too stuff his socks.
Roger L. Simon: The Great Socks Controversy continues, despite Berger's lawyer's denials: Reports CNN's Bob Franken: "Three law...
Pejman Yousefzadeh: AN EIGHTH UPDATE: For whatever it is worth, this report indicates that stockings may indeed have been involved: "Law...

Iraq Interior Ministry Says Report on Nukes 'Stupid'
  Reuters   —   Permalink 
BAGHDAD, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq 's Interior Ministry dismissed as "stupid" a report in a local newspaper Wednesday that said three nuclear missiles had been found near Saddam Hussein 's hometown of Tikrit.
Steve M.: Please note, however, this surprisingly frank concession from the story on the talk radio site: The Iraq Interior...
Joel Foreman: But what if it is? Washington Times posting (in case link above gets backed up). Iraq: Stupid report.
Charles Johnson: But Iraq's Interior Ministry says the report is 'stupid'.
Smash: No Nukes Found in Tikrit — THE IRAQI INTERIOR MINISTRY is denying a report that nuclear warheads have been discovered in Tikrit, Reuters reports.
Damian Penny: Yeah.) Update: the interim Iraqi government calls the report "stupid", which should presumably settle the matter.
Jonah Goldberg: NUKE STORY UNRAVELS

Too Many Blue Helmets Still Unfilled
  By / LAT   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON — In another setback for U.S. efforts in Iraq, the United Nations has been unable to secure enough troops to protect a U.N. contingent headed to the country to help with elections and rebuilding.
McQ: Very. [snipped quote] The more I watch this useless collection of fools the more I'm convinced unilateral action is the way to go. 1,000 troops.
James Joyner: Too Many Blue Helmets Still Unfilled — LAT - Too Many Blue Helmets Still Unfilled [snipped quote] Why is this an embarrasment for the Bush administration?
Greyhawk: However, hopefully they're aware of this related story: "...the United Nations has been unable to secure enough troops...
Captain Ed: After loudly demanding an end to the CPA occupation of the country and pressing for elections at the earliest possible...

Democrats Outraising The GOP This Year
  WaPo   —   Permalink 
John F. Kerry and the major Democratic Party committees have collectively outraised their Republican counterparts this year, blunting one of the GOP's biggest and longest-standing political advantages, new Federal Election Commission reports show.
Charles Kuffner: Given the excellent news about the Democrats' fundraising, I'm feeling more optimistic each day about November.
Zoe Kentucky: Back to the Future? Yet another way this election year is shaping up to look like 1992— check this out.
Ted Barlow: UPDATE: From the Washington Post: John F. Kerry and the major Democratic Party committees have collectively outraised...
Noam Scheiber: This Washington Post article, reporting that the Democrats' various fundraising operations have collectively outraised...
Ezra Klein: Nothing But Money — Can you feel the ground shifting: [snipped quote] This is f**king phenomenal.
Taegan Goddard: Democrats Raising More Money Than GOP — Sen. John Kerry "and the major Democratic Party committees have collectively...
Also: Steve Soto

A Kerry Adviser Leaves the Race Over Missing Documents
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON, July 20 - Samuel R. Berger, the former national security adviser to President Bill Clinton, resigned abruptly Tuesday as a senior adviser to John Kerry's presidential campaign after the disclosure that he had improperly removed classified material on terrorism from a secure government reading room last year.
Hugh Hewitt: The New York Times reports on the depth of the Kerry-Berger relationship: "For months, Mr. Berger has consulted...
Dan Gillmor: The Berger Affair — NY Times: A Kerry Adviser Leaves the Race Over Missing Documents.
Christopher Kanis: The New York Times finally covers the story, although with an article that tries to whitewash the facts of the case and make it sound like a Republican dirty trick.
Dave Johnson: The NY Times has a little story about Berger today, A Kerry Adviser Leaves the Race Over Missing Documents "Mr...
Matthew Yglesias: Some remarks would seem to be in order regarding the ongoing saga of former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger and the classified documents.
Captain Ed: Trousergate Timing Gets More Curious — The New York Times, in its update on the Sandy Berger debacle known as...
Also: Virginia Postrel, Andrew Sullivan, Bird Dog

Poll Shows Kerry Leading Among Registered Latinos
  WaPo   —   Permalink 
Democratic Sen. John F. Kerry holds a strong lead over President Bush among the nation's Hispanic voters, with a majority rejecting the president's handling of the economy and saying the war in Iraq was a mistake, according to a survey by The Washington Post, Univision and the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute.
Taegan Goddard: Kerry Holds Big Lead Among Hispanics — Sen. John Kerry "holds a strong lead" over President Bush "among the nation's...
DemFromCT: Poll Shows Kerry Leading Among Registered Latinos [editor's note, by DemFromCT]: This story is posted in hopes of giving...
Steve Soto: According to a Washington Post poll out tonight, Kerry leads Bush by a 2 to 1 margin amongst registered Latino voters,...

Video Shows 9/11 Hijackers' Security Check
  AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON - Surveillance video from Washington Dulles International Airport the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, shows four of the five hijackers being pulled aside to undergo additional scrutiny after setting off metal detectors but then permitted to board the fateful flight that crashed into the Pentagon .
Damian Penny: So close... A newly released surveillance video from Washington Dulles airport shows four of the 9/11 hijackers being...
Charles Johnson: 9/11 Hijackers on Surveillance Video — A previously unpublicized video shows the September 11 hijackers of Flight 77...
David Allan Pell: For example, a newly obtained video shows us that four of the five hijackers who boarded the Pentagon-bound plane at...

Pro Circuit
  By / TNR   —   Permalink 
During the fights over George W. Bush's controversial judicial nominees—Miguel Estrada, Priscilla Owen, Janice Rogers Brown, and others—liberals and conservatives alike often spoke of the battles as part of a larger struggle.
Orin Kerr: Blakely and the Selection of Lower Court Judges: Over at TNR Online, Will Baude draws a connection between the lower...
Will Baude: Also, I have a piece up at TNR Online, on how "(t)he weeks of frenetic activity that have followed the Supreme Court's...
James Joyner: Lower Courts Matter — Will Baude, writing at TNR Online, argues rather persuasively that federal appelate courts are...

Maxed-out GOP
  By / Salon   —   Permalink 
There are many reasons for the Democrats to be hopeful heading into Boston next week, but the most important of these may be that the Bush campaign has maximized its potential and trails in the polls.
Taegan Goddard: And Salon reports on an academic analysis of undecided voters: "There are many reasons for the Democrats to be hopeful...
Ruy Teixeira: Written by political scientist David Gopoian, "Maxed-Out GOP" argues that: "There are many reasons for the Democrats to...
Andrew Sullivan: HAS BUSH MAXED OUT? It's hard to see where his extra votes are going to come from. ANOSMIC DREAMS: More about life without smell.

Howard Dean's Incest Vote
  NRO   —   Permalink 
Howard Dean — for all intents and purposes — exited the Democratic primaries with his famous scream. But it would have been the voters who'd screamed had they known about a vote buried in Dean's lefty Vermont past — in favor of incest. Yes, in favor of incest.
Fontana Labs: Incest couple "super-neat," says long-forgotten Republican — Kevin Drum gives us this gem from NRO: Howard Dean voted for incest!
Nick Gillespie: National Review has a piece up titled "Howard Dean's Incest Vote," that details how, 20 years ago as a Vermont state...
Kevin Drum: DID JOHN KERRY VOTE IN FAVOR CANNIBALISM?....I know you're going to think I'm making this up, but I'm not.
Steve M.: Go to the story and you learn the less-than-shocking truth: In 1982, Dean, as a Vermont state legislator, voted to allow...

Tour director says fans spat at Armstrong
  Reuters   —   Permalink 
L'ALPE D'HUEZ, France (Reuters) - Tour de France director Jean-Marie Leblanc has admitted he had seen fans spit at five-times champion Lance Armstrong during the 15.5-km time trial to L'Alpe d'Huez.
Betsy Newmark: Here's how cultured and sophisticated the French are. They're spitting at Lance Armstrong.
Charles Johnson: Feel the Love — European "cycling fans" were spitting at Lance Armstrong during today's stage of the Tour de France: Tour director says fans spat at Armstrong.
Smash: Idiots — TOUR DE FRANCE SPECTATORS spit at Lance Armstrong. Because, you know, Armstrong is an American, and Bush is Hitler.

More Evidence of an Iran-Al Qaeda Connection
  Newsweek   —   Permalink 
July 21 - Just eight months before the September 11 terror attacks, top conspirator Ramzi bin al-Shibh received a four-week visa to Iran and then flew to Tehran—an apparent stop-off point on his way to meet with Al Qaeda chiefs in Afghanistan, according to law-enforcement documents obtained by NEWSWEEK.
Andrew Sullivan: IRAN AND AL QAEDA: More evidence of a "collaborative relationship."
Laura Rozen: Newsweek scoop: Ramzi bin al-Shibh, the would-be 9/11 terrorist now in US custody, flew from Amsterdam to Tehran in...
Dan Darling: In any case, Newsweek has the scoop on Iran, (and an interesting follow-up) courtesy of the U.S. 9/11 Commission and...

Berger says he made 'honest mistake'
  CNN   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON (CNN) — In his first public comments since news broke that he is the subject of a federal criminal probe involving top-secret memos, former Clinton administration national security adviser Sandy Berger said Tuesday evening that he made "an honest mistake."
Hugh Hewitt: The Belmont Club is struck postless by the Berger scandal. Wretchard knows what it means to act this way with classified...
Mike Hendrix: Must have been inadvertent. Don't know how this could have happened, but I'm sure it was just an honest mistake.
John Cole: "Sloppy" Talking Points and Their "Inadvertent" Bad Reasoning — It should come as no surprise to veteran watchers of...
Wretchard: Speechless — The Berger story will make it impossible to post until a sense of its extent emerges.

Berger Resigns as Informal Kerry Adviser
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
Former national security adviser Sandy Berger, the subject of a criminal investigation over the disappearance of terrorism documents, stepped aside on Tuesday as an informal adviser to Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.
John Cole: The story: "Clinton administration national security adviser Samuel R.
Jeanne D'Arc: Overcooked Berger — I'm not really delving into the whole Sandy Berger flap, mainly because I'm not all that...
Christopher Kanis: The sole partial exception is the Washington Post, which points out that the classified documents which Berger allegedly...
Liz Cox Barrett: "Meanwhile," he writes, "it's noted that the Washington Post was describing Berger as a 'top Kerry adviser' back in May, but is now calling him an 'informal' advisor.
Glenn Reynolds: THIS SEEMS HARD to square with the "honest mistake" theory: "A government official with knowledge of the probe said...
The Big Trunk: But Susan Schmidt's Washington Post story on the Chuckles escapades states categorically, based on the word of "a...
Also: Steve Soto, Andrew Sullivan, Lambert @Corrente, Stefan Sharkansky, Bird Dog

Conflicting reports leave uranium case open
  By / USA Today   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON — In the case of Iraq's alleged attempt to buy uranium in Africa — a key reason the Bush administration cited for its belief that Iraq was developing weapons of mass destruction — not even hindsight is 20/20.
Kevin Drum: At the tail end of a USA Today column on the subject, John Diamond remembers to mention this: [snipped quote] Wilson's...
McQ: This intelligence has since been deemed to be correct.
Laura Rozen: USA Today's John Diamond does a nice job here cutting through the muck on the Niger uranium Wilson story: "Did Iraq, in fact, try to buy uranium in Niger?
Tom Maguire: We also note that USA Today has a new article on the 16 Words, and we extract this nugget: Bush joined the fray Tuesday...

Presbyterians divest themselves from Israel
  By / Haaretz   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON - The Presbyterian Church's 216th General Assembly caught American Jewish organizations off guard and by surprise. The Presbyterians have never concealed their criticism of Israeli policies in the territories, but years of dialogue between Jews and Presbyterians had created an impression of an understanding between the communities.
Christopher Kanis: ISLAM NO LONGER ONLY EXPLICITLY ANTISEMITIC MAJOR RELGION IN U.S. Nice going, Presbyterians!
Glenn Reynolds: I'M GUESSING THAT THERE'S A CONNECTION between these two headlines: Presbyterians divest themselves from Israel...

Berger: Incident Was 'Honest Mistake'
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON - Former national security adviser Sandy Berger says he regrets the way he handled classified terrorism documents, calling the whole thing "an honest mistake." Republicans say the matter raises questions about whether the former Clinton administration official sought to hide embarrassing materials.
Susan Madrak: Today, he said the Justice Department notified them before the case was leaked to the public.
Michelle Malkin: BERGER & A SIDE ORDER OF LIES — "Inadvertent?"
Atrios: Certainly, the first we became aware of it was upon seeing the media reports. ...and today.

Iraq dismisses nuclear find report
  Reuters   —   Permalink 
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's Interior Ministry has dismissed as "stupid" a report in a local newspaper that said three nuclear missiles were found near Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.
A senior U.S. military official told reporters on Wednesday he had no information on the report in the Iraqi newspaper al-Sabah.
Bird Dog: Been Down This WMD Road Before — But UPI is reporting this (the Washington Times changed the link to the story, and it...
The Big Trunk: UPDATE: Reuters says no nukes: "Iraq dismisses nuclear find report." (Courtesy of Plastic Hallway.)
Dale Franks: Before you get your panties in a wad, however, Reuters is reporting that Iraqi Interior Ministry officials are denying the story.

Bush Tells Iowa Crowd What He Learned From Sept. 11
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, July 20 - Just two days before the commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks renders its judgment on his administration's handling of the terror plot and its aftermath, President Bush told supporters here that the lessons he learned from that day led him to the decision to depose Saddam Hussein.
Thomas Lang: Spin Buster — Rich Men, Poor Coverage David E. Sanger's writeup of President Bush's visit to Cedar Rapids, Iowa caught...
Andrew Sullivan: THE WAR, OR, ER, PEACE PRESIDENT: Bush seems to be changing his tune a little on the campaign trail: [snipped quote] How does he know?
Ted Barlow: Pandering to the wrong base — Mr. Bush noted: "The enemy declared war on us. Nobody wants to be the war president.

CLINTON SAYS BERGER-DOCUMENTS FUROR IS JUST POLITICS: 'WE WERE ALL LAUGHING ABOUT IT'
  Drudge Report   —   Permalink 
Former president Bill Clinton defends his embattled national security advisor as a man who "always got things right," even if his desk was a mess.
"We were all laughing about it," Clinton said about the investigation into Sandy Berger for taking classified terrorism documents from the National Archives.
Mathew Gross: The Timing of Berger — The Big Dog weighs in: [snipped quote] It's terrible timing, to be precise.
Roger L. Simon: Clinton Not Doing Kerry Any Favors — In a DRUDGE REPORT FLASH 2004... this one from the Denver Post, so I guess it's...
James Joyner: Clinton: Laughing About It — Matt Drudge [snipped quote] Unbelievable. Update (7/21): Drudge got this one right.
Tully @Centerfield: Berger — Geez, I hate to cite Drudge, but... I made a bet today with a Democratic Party candidate I'm currently working...
Andrew Sullivan: Meanwhile, Clinton thinks the possible leaking of classified information is just hilarious. About as hilarious as his anti-terror policy.
Joe Gandelman: UPDATE: Drudge reports that in a Denver Post interview former President Bill Clinton says "We were all laughing about it" — meaning the Berger case.
Also: Glenn Reynolds, Captain Ed

One Killed As Car Explodes at Tenn. Hotel
  AP   —   Permalink 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A sport utility vehicle exploded in a parking lot at Nashville's largest hotel, killing one male inside, and authorities said they suspected a homemade bomb was involved.
The Big Trunk: Grand ole car bomb — The AP reports: "One killed as car bomb explodes at Tenn. hotel."
Damian Penny: Car bomb in Nashville — An SUV blew up outside the Opryland Hotel, killing the driver. Police believe a bomb was involved, though that's unconfirmed.
Charles Johnson: Car Bomb in Tennessee — Very few details yet, but a car bomb has apparently exploded in the parking lot of Nashville's largest hotel: One Killed As Car Explodes at Tenn. Hotel.

9/11 Report to Cite 10 Missed Opportunities
  WaPo   —   Permalink 
The final report by the commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks details as many as 10 missed opportunities by the Bush and Clinton administrations to detect or derail the deadly terrorist hijackings, but the panel stops short of saying the attacks...
Greyhawk: According to the WaPo "The final report by the commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks details as many as...
James Joyner: 9/11 Report to Cite 10 Missed Opportunities — WaPo - 9/11 Report to Cite 10 Missed Opportunities [snipped quote] Not really surprising.
Joe Gandelman: Upcoming 911 Commission Report Faults BOTH Administrations — The bipartisan 911 Commission's report comes out tomorrow...
Kos: Smearing Berger to distract from 9/11 — I have admittedly ignored the Sandy Berger thing.
Gregory Djerejian: More on Iran — More Iran-related teasers from the 9/11 Commission report to be released tomorrow: [snipped quote] There's nothing really new in all of this.

Missed Opportunity
  By / ABCNEWS   —   Permalink 
An airport surveillance tape obtained by ABC News shows the five hijackers of American Airlines Flight 77 easily passing through security at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., in the hour before the flight took off on the morning of Sept.
Laura Rozen: With all this recent discussion of Iran giving safe passage to some of the 9/11 hijackers, including at this site, it's...
KJL: NEW TAPE SHOWS 9/11 HIJACKERS GOING THROUGH DULLES SECURITY

Desperadoes
  NYT   —   Permalink 
Something went awry at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas last Saturday night. Linda Ronstadt did what she has done at several concerts across the country this summer. She dedicated the song "Desperado"- an encore - to Michael Moore and urged members of the audience to go see his new movie, "Fahrenheit 9/11."
John Hawkins: For example, here's a typically silly snippet from an editorial on the subject from the New York Times... "Elsewhere,...
Tom Maguire: The NY Times Finds Time For Linda Ronstadt — Regrettably, the NY Times does not find time to engage their brains in...
QD @SouthernAppeal: Ronstadt: The NYT weighs in with an editorial on Linda Ronstadt's firing for voicing some pro-Michael Moore sentiments while performing at the Aladdin Casino in Las Vegas.

Amid Probe, Berger Cuts Ties With Kerry Camp
  By / LAT   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON — Former national security advisor Samuel R. "Sandy" Berger withdrew Tuesday as an advisor to the presidential campaign of Sen. John F. Kerry after the disclosure that he was being investigated for the mishandling of classified documents from his years in the Clinton administration.
Hugh Hewitt: Here's a very strange paragraph from the Los Angeles Times story on the matter: "Al Felzenberg, a spokesman for the...
Howard Kurtz: 'Sandy' Berger withdrew Tuesday as an adviser to the presidential campaign of Sen. John F. Kerry after the disclosure...
Taegan Goddard: Berger Quits Kerry Campaign — Former national security advisor Sandy Berger "withdrew Tuesday as an advisor to the...

G.O.P. Blames Clinton for Intelligence Failures
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON, July 20 - The political haggling over the conclusions of the Sept. 11 commission began in earnest on Tuesday, with the leaders of the commission traveling to Capitol Hill for the first of a series of private briefings for members of Congress about the panel's final report.
Susan Madrak: You knew this was coming: "WASHINGTON, July 20 - The political haggling over the conclusions of the Sept. 11 commission...
Dwight Meredith: The New York Times carries a story that may help answer that question.
David Allan Pell: The 9-11 Blame Game — We must be due for yet another 9-11 report because the political bashing has started already.

Timing of leak in Berger probe questioned
  Boston Globe   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON — The revelation that Samuel R. Berger is under investigation for mishandling secret materials related to the 9/11 Commission investigation drew charges yesterday from top Republicans that the former national security adviser may have been trying to cover up Clinton administration failures in the fight against terrorism.
Steven Taylor: (BoGlo) "The timing of this leak suggests that the White House is more concerned about protecting its political hide...
Rich Lowry: "TIMING OF THE LEAK IN BERGER PROBE QUESTIONED" — That's the headline of the Boston Globe piece today.

The FOX-hater's upside-down world
  By / Townhall.com   —   Permalink 
Is there anything funnier to watch than the Left suddenly discovering the virtues of journalistic objectivity? Liberals arrogantly have ruled the news media roost for decades, regularly demeaning conservative ideas and leaders in their ongoing quest for progress and enlightenment.
Jesse Taylor: Life On The Farm — Brent Bozell is complaining because someone else decided to be a media critic and didn't criticize the librul media.
SLZoll: Brent Bozell Surprisingly, Brent doesn't like Outfoxed, the documentary about the unfairness and imbalance of Fox News.
Roger Ailes: But his criticism goes deeper than that: [quote] It doesn't help matters that Robert Greenwald, the creator of "Outfoxed," is a very sloppy amateur at the science of media analysis. [end quote]

Saudis find U.S. hostage's head
  CNN   —   Permalink 
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (CNN) — Saudi security forces carrying out a major anti-terrorist operation have found the head of slain U.S. hostage Paul M. Johnson Jr., a Saudi Interior Ministry official said.
Authorities discovered the head in a freezer at a villa where weapons and ammunition also were found.
Jeff Goldstein: In some dude's freezer in a Riyadh villa. Probably just a cultural thing, this keeping of severed hostage heads in the icebox.
James Joyner: Saudis Raid Al Qaeda, Find Paul Johnson's Head — CNN - Saudis find U.S. hostage's head "The head of slain U.S. hostage...

Berger Quits as an Adviser to Kerry
  By / WaPo   —   Permalink 
Clinton administration national security adviser Samuel R. "Sandy" Berger, under criminal investigation for removing copies of highly classified documents from the National Archives, severed his ties to John F. Kerry's campaign yesterday.
Hugh Hewitt: The Washington Post reports that a senior Kerry campaign official asserts that Berger did not tell the campaign he was under investigation.
Betsy Newmark: How is it that when Berger was "inadvertently" removing classified documents from the Archives, he took drafts of the same document.
Nick Confessore: I seem to recall that the Post had all but banned anonymous sources from its news stories, yet here's the paragraph from...
Roger L. Simon: The first two were essentially banal(no new ground) but the WaPo was more interesting, including this tidbit: A Kerry...

A Shrinking Base
  By / WaPo   —   Permalink 
Yes, sir, this is Bush country: Real pit barbecues, yellow ribbons on church doors, wild boar in the woods. Fort Stewart 10 minutes away. And one preteen party loyalist greeting guests for his mother's Party for the President, on National Party for the...
Steve Gilliard: The military: trending away from Bush — He and his friends may vote for regime change, at home A Shrinking Base Support...
Steve Soto: The next time you hear that the military will vote in lockstep behind their dear leader, remember this piece.
James Joyner: This is in stark contrast to a long WaPo piece entitled "The Shrinking Base," which cites anecdotal...
David Adesnik: SOLDIERS FOR KERRY? The WaPo has a long report up on our soldiers growing antipathy toward their Commander-in-Chief.

Candidates ignore 'security moms,' at their peril
  By / USA Today   —   Permalink 
I am what this year's election pollsters call a "security mom." I'm married with two young children. I own a gun. And I vote.
Nothing matters more to me right now than the safety of my home and the survival of my homeland.
Norbizness: Of course, this sort of inactivity will not be countenanced by mothers of action, a/k/a Type A Security Moms, such as...
KJL: LISTEN TO THE SECURITY MOMS — Michelle Malkin in USA TODAY today.
James Joyner: Security Moms and a Shrinking Base — Michele Malkin has an op-ed in USA Today column entitled "Candidates ignore 'security moms,' at their peril."
Michelle Malkin: A NATIONAL SECURITY MOM MANIFESTO — I've written a piece for USA Today that was posted online tonight and will appear...

Colleagues defend Berger in documents probe
  CNN   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Former colleagues Tuesday defended former national security adviser Samuel Berger from allegations that he took secret documents from the National Archives while reviewing Clinton administration records for the 9/11 commission.
Tim Blair: Fox News says yes: [snipped quote] But ex-White House flack Lanny Davis says no: [snipped quote] Only Socks himself knows for sure.
Pie: Link. The 9/11 Commission seems to be doing its darndest to keep their report non-partisan.
Joe Gandelman: It doesn't make any difference how many of his colleagues or friends vouch for him. How could a pro be so careless??
Hei Lun: If this is true, then there would be no doubt that he intentionally stole those documents (He's denying it).
Kevin Drum: SANDY BERGER....Sandy Berger continues to be the top story on CNN: [snipped quote] I too want this ruffian to come forward.
Steven Taylor: Socks II — CNN is also reporting the socks bit, and this is more detail than this morning: [snipped quote] Most strange.
Also: James Joyner, Jonah Goldberg, Captain Ed, Roger L. Simon, Betsy Newmark, C. D. Harris

Hoeffel arrested in protest at embassy
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Joseph M. Hoeffel was arrested yesterday outside the Sudanese Embassy, becoming the third congressman in a week charged with protesting what they described as genocide in the African nation.
Ezra Klein: Doing Right — In Cuffs — God, I'd be proud to have this man as my senator: [snipped quote] This is generally Atrios's job, but go show Hoeffel the money.
Taegan Goddard: Hoeffel Arrested in Protest — Rep. Joseph Hoeffel (D-PA) [snipped quote] the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Drinking those cool Krispy Kremes
  CNN   —   Permalink 
Doughnut retailer unveils frozen beverage line, including a glazed-flavored drink.
Krispy Kreme's new frozen blended drinks come in four flavors and are available in select stores Wednesday.
Kevin Drum: BREAKFAST....Just in case eating donuts is too much hassle, you can now drink your donuts. God bless America.
Mike Hendrix: Vileness — Oh, Christ, no: [snipped quote] Now don't get me wrong, I've eaten many of these things. Many, many of them.

In Defense of Memorization
  By / City Journal   —   Permalink 
If there's one thing progressive educators don't like it's rote learning. As a result, we now have several generations of Americans who've never memorized much of anything. Even highly educated people in their thirties and forties are often unable to recite half a dozen lines of classic poetry or prose.
Will Baude: This recent City Journal piece on memorizing poetry has prompted the always-wonderful Our Girl in Chicago to her own musings on the subject.
Joanne Jacobs: By the shining big sea waters — In the new City Journal, Michael Knox Beran defends teaching children to memorize poetry.
Betsy Newmark: Michael Knox Beran makes a powerful argument for introducing kids to the joys of memorizing poetry and other examples of great language.

Take the Commander in Chief Test
  TCS   —   Permalink 
As Washington pastimes go, Monday morning quarterbacking intelligence matters is overtaking second-guessing the Redskins. So now it's time for the rest of us to test our Commander-in-Chief decision skills. The Commander-in-Chief test lets you be the history maker.
Vanderleun: Military Affairs — Relax, This is Only a Quiz AN INTERESTING RUNDOWN OF US PRESIDENTS AND MOMENTS OF CRISIS : TCS: Tech...
James Joyner: The Commander in Chief Test — Philip O'Connor invites you to "Take the Commander in Chief Test" at TCS.

U.S. death toll in Iraq hits 900
  AP   —   Permalink 
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A roadside bomb exploded north of Baghdad early Wednesday, killing one U.S. 1st Infantry Division soldier and bringing to 900 the number of U.S. military forces killed since the beginning of military operations in March 2003.
Frederick Maryland: MSNBC reports: [snipped quote] I have a feeling that, unlike the June 28 news, Condi Rice is not rushing to tell our president about this development.
Tbogg: All of this is to say that, when confronted with an ugly truth, it's time to deflect, deflect, deflect... Love all the...
Atrios: Number 900 just happened.

Why Are the Kids Alright?
  By / TCS   —   Permalink 
Last week, Jim Glassman wrote that the younger generation is doing quite well:
"Young people have become aggressively normal. Violence, drug use and teen sex have declined. Kids are becoming more conservative politically and socially.
Hanah Metchis: How did a whole generation of kids turn out so darn good? Glenn Reynold's says it's because of decentralization!
Greg Ransom: Consider these reflections explaining why the "teenager problem" has faded. Call Reynolds the genius of the everyday world.
Glenn Reynolds: My TechCentralStation column, looking at the troubling lack of problems among today's youth, is up. Harry Potter, however, is not mentioned.

How Saddam Failed the Yeltsin Test
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
Most anyone who's worked in government has a story - probably re-told often these days, given the Iraq debate - about facing a big decision on the basis of information that then turned out to be wrong.
Roger L. Simon: The Limits of Intelligence — What I thought an important NYT op-ed this morning - How Saddam Failed the Yeltsin Test -...
David Adesnik: As Stephen Sestanovich points out on today's op-ed page, Bush was right to act based on this theory: "When America...
Captain Ed: Sense From The NYT's Op-Ed Section — Now that the "Bush Lied!" meme has been thoroughly debunked and its proponents...

Berger, Under Attack, Steps Aside as Kerry Adviser
  Reuters   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former national security adviser Samuel Berger, under investigation for removing classified documents from the National Archives, stepped aside on Tuesday as an informal adviser to Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.
Roger Ailes: God-fearing man of God Rick Santorum takes a big old piss on the Ninth Commandment: [snipped quote] (Reuters, via Talking Points Memo.)
Joe Gandelman: Reuters has this: "Lanny Breuer, Berger's attorney, said he was told the government was appreciative of Berger's cooperation in the probe.
Josh Marshall: Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) Advertisement says that Berger took information on port security from those documents and gave...

The dangerous game of catch-and-release
  By / Townhall.com   —   Permalink 
Let me state the obvious for the 9,999th time: America is still not serious about enforcing its immigration laws. The latest addition to my homeland insecurity files comes from New Ipswich, New Hampshire.
Last week, the local police there stopped a speeding van.
Greg Ransom: THE GAME IS CATCH-AND-RELEASE.
SLZoll: Michelle Malkin Those damned illegal aliens are still here. Let me state the obvious for the 9,999th time: America is still not serious about enforcing its immigration laws.

Terror in the Skies, Again?
  By / WomensWallStreet   —   Permalink 
Note from the E-ditors: You are about to read an account of what happened during a domestic flight that one of our writers, Annie Jacobsen, took from Detroit to Los Angeles. The WWS Editorial Team debated long and hard about how to handle this information and ultimately we decided it was something that should be shared.
Stephen Pollard: It happened — Annie Jacobsen has a follow up piece on the reaction to her story about flying from Detroit to LA.
Bob @Unfogged: It's the harrowing story of how Annie Jacobsen was terrified by a group of Syrian men (one of whom was holding — for a while — a mysterious McDonald's bag) on a recent flight.
Rivka: Annie Jacobsen, of "Women's Wall Street.com," is ready to oblige. If you read World O'Crap, and you should, you're already familiar with the story.
Stryker: Gladys Kravitz to the Rescue — Quotes from the most unintentionally funny article I've read in quite some time: One wore a yellow T-shirt and held a McDonald's bag.
Dean Esmay: Annie Jacobsen's Followup — Last week, many of us were moved by Annie Jacobsen's article, Terror in the Skies.

Warner: New Report Backs Iraq WMD Claims
  AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON - An upcoming report will contain "a good deal of new information" backing up the Bush administration's contention that Saddam Hussein pursued weapons of mass destruction, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner, R-Va., said Tuesday.
Glenn Reynolds: Then there's this story, with further problems for the "Bush Lied" claim: [quote] An upcoming report will contain "a good deal...[end quote]
Betsy Newmark: Senator John Warner, the Einstein who arranged the Reverend Moon ceremony at the Capitol, is now spilling information...
Captain Ed: Besides, with the news that the commission report will wind up without concluding that the attacks were avoidable and...
Hindrocket: Survey Group Report to Support WMD Claims — Senator John Warner says that the report of the Iraq Survey Group due in...

Part II: Terror in the Skies, Again?
  By / WomensWallStreet   —   Permalink 
Last Tuesday morning, WomensWallStreet.com (WWS) published my first-person account of a recent Northwest Airlines flight that I took from Detroit to Los Angeles called "Terror in the Skies, Again?"
Tgirsch: Nope, the problem, it would seem is that horrible political correctness: [snipped quote] I'm sorry, but what a steaming load of s**t that is.
Dean Esmay: Some cast doubt on her story. Today she answers her critics and has more to say.
Christopher Kanis: TERROR IN THE SKIES, PART II — Annie Jacobsen has a followup. I won't have time to read it until tonight.
Tbogg: Annie Jacobsen said that the investigators couldn't even say what kind of instruments the musicians were carrying...
Daniel Drezner: Following up on Annie Jacobsen — Since I'm already blogging on homeland security today, I should point out that Annie...
Glenn Reynolds: TERROR IN THE SKIES, UPDATE: Here's another piece by Annie Jacobsen. It's worth reading in connection with this post by Daniel Drezner.
Also: KJL, The Big Trunk, Charles Johnson

The perils of power
  By / Guardian   —   Permalink 
It's happened twice this year. Sceptics about the war against Iraq find themselves shouting at the TV, overwhelmed with the urge to hammer their fists against the chest of a cabinet minister or wondering if they have woken up in an Alice-in-Wonderland country where black is white and white is black.
Harry @HarrysPlace: 'Close to a majority' — Jonathan Freedland makes some very valid points in his Guardian piece today but in the midst is...
Natasha @PacificViews: A U.K. editorial wonders if the prime minister's role has too much power, and if there is any other profession where grandiose cock-ups seem to have no serious consequences.

Mr. Wilson's Defense
  Opinion Journal   —   Permalink 
After U.S. and British intelligence reports exposed his falsehoods in the last 10 days, Joe Wilson is finally defending himself. We're therefore glad to return to this story one more time, because there are some larger lessons here about the law, and for the Beltway media and Bush White House.
Glenn Reynolds: Related thoughts on Wilson's credibility here. And a reader suggests that "The Joe Wilson Implosion" is a pretty good name for a '60s band.
Josh Marshall: In the Wall Street Journal today, the editors return to the Wilson matter and then let the other shoe drop.
The Big Trunk: The rest of the story — The Wall Street Journal highlights the Senate Intellligence Committee report findings that...
Donald Sensing: Today's Review and Outlook on the Wall Street Journal's OpinionJournal site says it's time to close down the special investigation into the Valerie Plame Scandal.
SLZoll: An anonymous Wall Street Journal editorial writer brings us this insight from a piece called "Mr. Wilson's Defense: Why the Plame special prosecutor should close up shop."
Dean Esmay: From today's Wall Street Journal: [snipped quote] There's more. Read the rest here if you want.

AP: Berger Steps Down As Kerry Adviser
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON (AP) - Former national security adviser Sandy Berger, the subject of a criminal investigation over the disappearance of terrorism documents, stepped aside on Tuesday as an informal adviser to Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.
Joe Gandelman: National Security Groin Pains — Former national security adviser Sandy Berger quit Tuesday as an informal adviser to...
C. D. Harris: Since Timing Is The Real Issue... So, Sandy Berger has stepped down as an advisor to John "Weeble" Kerry.
James Joyner: Berger Steps Down As Kerry Adviser — AP - Berger Steps Down As Kerry Adviser [snipped quote] We knew that was coming.
Glenn Reynolds: THE KERRY CAMPAIGN has shed Sandy Berger but Ed Morrissey says that the New York Times is spinning the resignation.
Captain Ed: Kerry Gives Berger The Boot — The Kerry campaign acted with uncharacteristic haste to distance itself from the debacle...
Roger L. Simon: UPDATE: According to the AP, Berger's gone. Things certainly move fast in the nation's capital these days.
Also: The Big Trunk, Bird Dog

Berger Steps Down From Kerry Campaign
  By / Fox News   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON — Former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger (search) announced Tuesday that he would no longer serve as an informal adviser to John Kerry (search) in his race for the White House, after reports revealed Berger is the subject of a criminal investigation over the disappearance of terrorism documents.
Glenn Reynolds: READER MICHAEL GREENSPAN makes this obvious, but important, point regarding the Sandy Berger story: [snipped quote] Yes.
Tom Maguire: Sand-Berg SquarePants Steps Down From Kerry Campaign — So says Fox. Why is the first quote on the political impact from a Republican?
Daniel Drezner: LAST UPDATE: Berger has announced he won't be advising the Kerry campaign. Sounds about right.
Dale Franks: The secret of Sandy Berger's Pants — With the deepest sorrow, John Kerry's campaign is pushing Sandy Berger overboard.
James Joyner: See also: Fox News - Berger Steps Down From Kerry Campaign

UN vote demands Israel tear down barrier
  ABC News   —   Permalink 
The UN General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to demand Israel obey a World Court ruling and tear down its West Bank barrier, but Australia has joined Israel and the United States in opposing the resolution.
The vote in the 191-nation assembly was 150-6, with 10 abstentions.
Damian Penny: In a related story, the UN General Assembly has voted 150-6 in favor of a resolution that the Israelis tear down the...
Tim Blair: COALITION OF THE WALLING — Australia was one of only six countries to vote against the ICJ ruling on Israel's security barrier at the UN General Assembly a few hours ago.

The real deal
  By / San Diego Union-Tribune   —   Permalink 
Other singers may have a greater passion for music than Linda Ronstadt. But few have a greater passion for more types of music, or the willingness to perform them, even at the risk of falling on her face.
"I've done that a couple of times," acknowledged Ronstadt with a knowing chuckle.
John Hawkins: I would of let it go at that, but this comment by Linda Ronstadt was just too good to pass up... "It's a real conflict...
Charles Johnson: Ronstadt: America = Weimar Republic — Linda Ronstadt is a delicate flower, whose artistic concentration can be easily disrupted by the presence of the wrong kind of fan.
Captain Ed: Today's Hollywood Consistency Moment — The San Diego Union-Tribune brings us today's Hollywood Consistency Award...
Doug Allen: In the last several weeks alone, anti-incumbent newsmakers have come from Michael Moore (of course), MoveOn.org,...
Betsy Newmark: Drudge links to this inanity by Linda Ronstadt. [snipped quote] So, she likes to force her political opinions on her audience who just came to hear her sing.

The Fog of Advisers
  By / American Prospect   —   Permalink 
The proposal forthcoming from the 9-11 Commission to create a Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to oversee all of the federal government's intelligence activities will be no panacea to solve all the problems that have plagued the American intelligence community for years.
Matthew Yglesias: DNI — Kevin Drum thinks my enthusiasm for creating a Director of National Intelligence is off-base.
Kevin Drum: SHAKING UP INTELLIGENCE...Over at the Prospect, Matt Yglesias suggests it would be a good idea to create a new cabinet...

Report: Michael Jackson to Be Father of Quadruplets
  Reuters   —   Permalink 
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop star Michael Jackson, facing a trial on child molestation charges, is about to become a father to four more children — quadruplets — by way of a surrogate mother, Us Weekly magazine reported on Tuesday.
McQ: Oh man ... does this guy ever go away? [snipped quote] His fascination with children goes beyond normal to obsessive.
H.D. Miller: And thus it ends: the news of the day sprialling downward into a pathetic and disturbing finale. [snipped quote] Creepy moron.
Allah: Suddenly, selective reductions don't sound so bad.
Damian Penny: He's not real. We just made him up to scare children Michael Jackson is...oh, you read it.
Joe Gandelman: Oh, please, God, make him go away, anywhere (with or without bars)...A magazine reports that Michael Jackson who is...
Jonah Goldberg: DISGUSTING — Michael Jackson is going to have quadruplets. I'm refraining from the dirty jokes.

UN Assembly Tells Israel to Tear Down Barrier
  By / Reuters   —   Permalink 
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Israel must obey a World Court ruling and tear down its West Bank barrier, the U.N. General Assembly demanded in a resolution adopted by an overwhelming vote on Tuesday.
Captain Ed: UN Admonishes Israel Defence While Ignoring Palestinian Terror — Proving once again its uselessness as a partner...
Charles Johnson: And Israel must immediately cease oppressing the Islamic killers, by tearing down the defensive barrier that has been...

Measure to Outlaw Flag Burning Advances in Senate
  By / Reuters   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A proposed constitutional amendment to outlaw the burning of the American flag won the approval on Tuesday of a Senate Judiciary Committee split largely along party lines.
Gary Farber: THE MENACE OF OUR TIMES is being addressed again. Yes, a budget plan to pay back the national debt is at hand.
Jonathan H. Adler: BURN THIS AMENDMENT — With judicial nominations in limbo, the potential implosion of the federal sentencing guidelines,...
Steve Dillard: From the "I could not agree more" files: Preach on, Professor Adler!

Fox News sued over 'fair and balanced'
  Long Beach Press-Telegram   —   Permalink 
NEW YORK — Fox News' use of the slogan "Fair and Balanced' constitutes deceptive advertising, two political advocacy groups claimed Monday in a petition filed with the Federal Trade Commission.
Jonathan H. Adler: MoveOn.org and the "historically nonpartisan" Common Cause have filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission...
Michelle Malkin: LABEL THIS — So, MoveOn.org and Common Cause are suing FOX News to stop them from using the slogan "Fair and Balanced."
QD @SouthernAppeal: "Fair and Balanced": According to this story, moveon.org and the "historically nonpartisan" Common Cause (hey, that's...

FBI Probes Berger for Document Removal
  WaPo   —   Permalink 
The FBI is investigating Clinton administration national security adviser Samuel R. "Sandy" Berger's removal of classified documents from the National Archives, attorneys for Berger confirmed last night.
Steve M.: Washington Post The haters who pursued Clinton for eight years worked and worked and worked, patiently trying to build a case that could destroy him.
Daniel Drezner: The Washington Post has more details. Andrew Sullivan is "gob-smacked." Josh Marshall finds it "inexplicable," while Glenn Reynolds says it's "bizarre."
Josh Marshall: According to this article in the Post, the National Archives began investigating this matter in October and then referred it to the FBI in January.
Matthew Yglesias: Berger — Well, taking classified documents out of the archives is illegal whether it was done intentionall or not, so I...
Jan Haugland: The mainstream media isn't over it to a comparable degree, but you'll find the story in e.g AP and also WaPo:President...
Steve Soto: The Washington Post story on this even points out that the FBI hasn't even interviewed Berger yet, nor do they consider...
Also: Hugh Hewitt, Steven Taylor, Captain Ed, James Joyner, Michelle Malkin

AP: Berger Probed for Taking 9/11 Memos
  AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON — President Clinton's national security adviser, Sandy Berger (search), is the focus of a Justice Department investigation after removing highly classified terrorism documents and handwritten notes from a secure reading room during preparations for the Sept. 11 commission (search) hearings, The Associated Press has learned.
Hei Lun: The story get more ridiculous with a report that Berger may or may not have stuffed those documents into his socks.
Donald Sensing: Update: Has anyone reading ever stuffed documents (or anything else, for that matter) into your socks inadvertently?
Daniel Drezner: Also, David Gergen said the following in the Fox News story: "David Gergen, who was an adviser to Clinton and worked...
Joe Gandelman: Sounds that way: "Berger's home and office were searched earlier this year by FBI (search) agents armed with warrants...
Jonah Goldberg: Maybe. But it's now being reported that Berger shoved the stuff in his socks. His socks.
Smash: So it always floors me when I read something like this. [snipped quote] If I ever did something like this, I would not only lose my job, but I'd almost certainly go to prison.
Also: Betsy Newmark, Captain Ed, Jon Henke, Roger L. Simon, C. D. Harris, B.C, Pejman Yousefzadeh, Bird Dog, James Joyner

AP: Clinton Adviser Probed in Terror Memos
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON - President Clinton 's national security adviser, Sandy Berger, is the focus of a Justice Department investigation after removing highly classified terrorism documents and handwritten notes from a secure reading room during preparations for the Sept. 11 commission hearings, The Associated Press has learned.
Kevin Drum: Two days ago, on July 19, 2004, AP reported that former NSA Sandy Berger had removed some classified documents from the...
Max B. Sawicky: BERGER IN FOR GRILLING — I never liked him anyway. Madeleine either. Defense of the Kosova trip (which I supported) was demagogic.
Hugh Hewitt: This is huge. Why would Berger steal classified handwritten notes?
H.D. Miller: Inadvertent? See what I mean, farce. [snipped quote] In his pants?
Daniel Drezner: So Sandy Berger is in a spot of trouble, according to John Solomon's AP report: "Sandy Berger, former President...
Jon Henke: Sandy "G Gordon" Berger — At this point, I'm not entirely sure what to make of the charges against Sandy Berger.
Also: C. D. Harris, Robert Clayton Dean, Joe Gandelman, Pejman Yousefzadeh, Josh Marshall, Blackfive, Christopher Kanis, Captain Ed, Michelle Malkin, Steve Antler, The Big Trunk, Betsy Newmark, Glenn Reynolds, Charles Johnson

Berger under investigation for taking classified memos
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON - President Clinton's national security adviser, Sandy Berger, is the focus of a Justice Department investigation after removing highly classified terrorism documents and handwritten notes from a secure reading room during preparations for the Sept. 11 commission hearings, The Associated Press has learned.
Laura Rozen: Berger steps down as Kerry adviser. Update: My few right wing friends and relatives are having a field day with this.
Matthew Yglesias: UPDATE: Thanks to commenter Keef, I see the 9-11 Commission saying that whatever Berger did it in no way impacted their...
Robert Cox: Despite Pete Williams reports that Berger was observed secreting documents in his clothing, was confronted about the...
Tom Maguire: UPDATE: From MSNBC: Al Felzenberg, spokesman for the Sept. 11 commission, said the Berger investigation will have no bearing on the panel's report.
Tim Dunlop: UPDATE: Berger has now quit as a Kerry adviser. Apparently Bush is still President. UPDATE 2: Two things.
Tom @Corrente: Republican Noise / Distraction Machine kicks into high gear — Anyone else find the Sandy Berger story a bit, um,...
Also: Virginia Postrel, James Joyner

The Arabian Candidate
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
In the original version of "The Manchurian Candidate," Senator John Iselin, whom Chinese agents are plotting to put in the White House, is a right-wing demagogue modeled on Senator Joseph McCarthy. As Roger Ebert wrote, the plan is to "use anticommunist hysteria as a cover for a communist takeover."
Stefan Beck: What of Paul Krugman, though? Is he a member of the Tinfoil Helmet Martyrs Brigade?
Kevin Raybould: Luskin's head is Going to Explode — Krugman is on today: [snipped quote] Thing is — he is correct.
Ezra Klein: First, Krugman skewers the idea that Bush has been tough on terror.
Jon Henke: So, when Paul Krugman suggests that "nothing in Mr. Bush's record would make [the terrorists] unhappy at the prospect of four more years", the Democrats denounce that, as well.
Edward _: This all came rushing back to me as I read Paul Krugman's column this morning. I can't believe his editor didn't convince him to tone it down a bit.
Kevin T. Keith: Krugman Smokes Out the Al Qaeda Infiltrator — Paul Krugman pulled out all the stops today in his New York Times column.
Also: Steve Gilliard, Pie, Mitch Berg, Mary InLosGatos, Natasha @PacificViews, Tbogg, Susan Madrak

Soviet Icon Lenin Died of Syphilis-Experts Say
  By / Reuters   —   Permalink 
BEERSHEBA, Israel (Reuters) - There were whispers in the Kremlin and salons of Europe for decades but it was never more than idle gossip until a team of Israeli doctors announced that they had solved an 80-year-old medical mystery.
Joe Gandelman: Clap for Lenin — They have now concluded that Communist icon Vladimir Lenin died a painful death from syphilis.
H.D. Miller: The Pox — Ladies and gents, it's a bumper crop of farce [snipped quote] Diseased moron.
KJL: LENIN DIED OF SYPHILIS
Gary Farber: SO PRECIOUS IT MUST BE RATIONED. Hey, if true, at least Lenin wasn't poisoned.
Pejman Yousefzadeh: THANKS, BUT WE PRETTY MUCH KNEW THERE WAS A SCREW LOOSE — They needed medical experts to tell us this?
Damian Penny: This explains a lot — Lenin had serious mental disorders brought on by syphilis: There were whispers in the Kremlin and...

What Really Happened on Flight 327?
  NYT   —   Permalink 
"We interviewed all 14 of these individuals,'' Mr. Adams said. " They were members of a Syrian band" traveling to a gig at a casino near Los Angeles, he said, adding that their names were run through "every possible" data bank and terrorist watch list.
Bob @Unfogged: They were a band of musicians on their way to a wedding gig, and they had the misfortune of being observed (I'd say microscopically) by a grandstanding hysteric.
The Big Trunk: Band on the run — Michelle Malkin notes today's New York Times story by Joe Sharkey on the Jacobsens' June 29 Northwest...
Rod Dreher: Michelle Malkin links to it, and publishes a fascinating letter to the Times cc'd to her by its author.
SLZoll: Oh, and while the NY Times did briefly cover the story, they didn't come up many new facts.
Donald Sensing: Joe Sharkey of the NY Times wrote about the flight today. He spoke with Mr. and Ms. Jacobsen and Federal Air Marshal Service spokesman Dave Adams.
Michelle Malkin: STRIKE UP THE BAND — The New York Times ran a piece today by Joe Sharkey purporting to report on "What Really Happened"...
Also: Daniel Drezner

Clinton adviser probed about removing classified terror memos
  USA Today   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON — Samuel Berger, President Clinton's national security adviser, is the focus of a criminal investigation into whether he improperly removed notes and classified documents from the National Archives during preparations for hearings by the commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks.
The Big Trunk: I'm on the road today as usual, and I learned about the Berger investigation from my hotel copy of USA Today.
Howard Kurtz: "The AP has popped an odd but intriguing story: "President Clinton's national security adviser, Sandy Berger, is the...
James Joyner: USA Today - Clinton adviser probed about removing classified terror memos — Basically a rewrite of the AP wire material...
Steve Soto: Even David Gergen thinks the timing is suspect of the comments from government officials on this non-story.
John J. Miller: BERGER KING — K Lo: How does someone "inadvertently" remove documents from the National Archives? Can shoplifters now use this excuse?

Liberals Step Up Political Assault Against Fox News
  By / WSJ   —   Permalink 
During presidential election years, conservative politicians have often attacked the media for their liberal bias. But during this year's campaign, liberals are fighting back with what they see as a powerful issue — the alleged conservative slant of the Fox News Channel, a unit of the media conglomerate News Corp.
Robert Cox: And unlike certain populist liberals who can mow down conservative opponents, provided they're straw men, Press is used...
Matt Welch: The Left and Laughter — When they say the Left has no sense of humor, and is addicted to lawsuits & government...
Taegan Goddard: Liberals Take on Fox News — The Wall Street Journal runs a very interesting story about "the political assault" liberals are waging against Fox News.
Kevin T. Keith: The Independent Media Institute has also challenged Fox's trademark in the slogan.
Nick Confessore: So you won't be surprised to learn I don't think much of this lawsuit, filed yesterday against FOX by MoveOn.org and...

Learning to Think, and Live
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
A few years ago, I taught a course at Yale. Over dinners, I'd listen to my students talk about their other courses, and in many of these conversations there was one that stood out: Grand Strategy. For many students, this yearlong course was not just a class, but a life-altering event.
Tom Smith: This country, the rule of law, babies, forests, mountains, large fish, wild animals, fast and/or large cars, beauty in...
Betsy Newmark: David Brooks has a nice tribute to one of his professors and how that professor inspired students to be independent thinkers.
Ezra Klein: Next is Brooks with an apolitical column on a great teacher he knew.
Fontana Labs: Brooks' latest is the inspiring tale of Charles Hill and Molly Worthen, a pupil turned biographer.
The Big Trunk: David Brooks briefly introduces Professor Hill in his New York Times column today, and explores his impact on one of his students: "Learning to think, and live."
QD @SouthernAppeal: Great Profs: Interesting David Brooks column today. On one level, it's a nice tribute to a Yale prof he obviously admires.
Also: Ken Masugi

Clinton Aide Took Classified Material
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON, July 19 - President Bill Clinton's national security adviser, Samuel R. Berger, removed classified security documents from the National Archives while vetting them in preparation for testimony before the Sept. 11 commission and has become the subject of a criminal investigation, his lawyer said Monday night.
Steve Soto: The AP reported last night that Berger through his attorney had admitted to removing classified security documents from...
Captain Ed: UPDATE: The New York Times' Mark Glassman doesn't just spin the story, he sanitizes it.
Roger L. Simon: Meanwhile, the NYT, isn't must better, devoting only a few bland graphs, but at least written by their own reporter.
James Joyner: NYT - Clinton Aide Took Classified Material [no RSS] The piece contains no new information and, indeed, rather notably...