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Archive Edition for   Friday, August 6, 2004Go to Current Page
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Quoted in this edition:

Ace of Spades HQ
  Ace
Agence France Presse
Allah Is In The House
  Allah
Althouse
  Ann Althouse
the american street
  Julia
  BeckyG
The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler
  B.C
ArchPundit
  ArchPundit
Associated Press
  Terence Hunt
  Will Lester
  Ron Fournier
  Todd Pitman
  Sharon Theimer
  Curt Anderson
Asymmetrical Information
  Jane Galt
Backcountry Conservative
  Jeff Quinton
baldilocks
  Baldilocks
Balloon Juice
  John Cole
BBC
Begging to Differ
  Hei Lun
  Greg @BeggingToDiffer
Betsy's Page
  Betsy Newmark
Billmon
  Billmon
BLACKFIVE
  Blackfive
Boston Globe
  Michael Kranish
  Patrick Healy
Brad DeLong's Semi-Daily Journal
  DeLong
Captain's Quarters
  Captain Ed
Chicago Tribune
CJR Campaign Desk Home
  Brian Montopoli
Clayton Cramer's BLOG
  Clayton Cramer
CNN
CNSNews
  Susan Jones
Cold Fury
  Mike Hendrix
The Corner
  KJL
  Andrew Stuttaford
  Tim Graham
corrente
  Lambert @Corrente
  The Farmer
Crooked Timber
  Belle Waring
Daily Kos
  Kos
Daimnation!
  Damian Penny
Dan Gillmor's eJournal
  Dan Gillmor
danieldrezner.com
  Daniel Drezner
Dean's World
  Dean Esmay
Demagogue
  Eugene Oregon
Discourse.net
  Michael Froomkin
DonkeyRising
  EDM
Drudge Report
Ed Driscoll.com
  Ed Driscoll
EdCone.com
  Ed Cone
The Edge of England's Sword
  Iain Murray
Eschaton
  Atrios
etc.
  Noam Scheiber
Fox News
  Dana Blanton
Guardian
Hit & Run
  Brian Doherty
  Nick Gillespie
HobbsOnline
  Bill Hobbs
Hullabaloo
  Digby
Informed Comment
  Juan Cole
Instapundit.com
  Glenn Reynolds
INTEL DUMP
  Phillip Carter
International Herald Tribune
Ipse Dixit
  C. D. Harris
Israel news and commentary from IsraPundit
  Fred Lapides
  Joseph Alexander Norland
JustOneMinute
  Tom Maguire
kausfiles
  Mickey Kaus
Lean Left
  Kevin Raybould
  Kevin T. Keith
The Left Coaster
  Steve Soto
  Soccerdad
LibertarianJackass.com
  Libertarian
The Liquid List
  Tarek @LiquidList
Little Green Footballs
  Charles Johnson
Los Angeles Times
  Ralph Nader
The Mahablog
  Barbara O'Brien
matthew
  Matthew Yglesias
Media Matters for America
Media Notes Extra
  Howard Kurtz
Michelle Malkin
  Michelle Malkin
The Moderate Voice
  Joe Gandelman
MSNBC
MyDD
  Jerome Armstrong
  Chris Bowers
NathanNewman.org
  Nathan Newman
The National Debate
  Robert Cox
National Review
The New Republic
  David L. Englin
New York Post
  John Crudele
New York Times
  Paul Krugman
  David Leonhardt
  Shaila K. Dewan
  Jodi Wilgoren
  Bruce Springsteen
Newsday
  John Zogby
No More Mister Nice Blog
  Steve M.
Off the Kuff
  Charles Kuffner
Oh, That Liberal Media
  John Rosenberg
Oliver Willis
  Oliver Willis
One Hand Clapping
  Donald Sensing
Online Journalism Review
  Mark Glaser
Open Source Politics
  Chris Gruber
Opinion Journal
  Heather Mac Donald
  Peggy Noonan
Opinions You Should Have
  Tom Burka
Outside The Beltway
  James Joyner
pandagon.net
  Jesse Taylor
Pejmanesque
  Pejman Yousefzadeh
The Peking Duck
  Richard TPD
PoliBlog
  Steven Taylor
Power Line
  The Big Trunk
  Hindrocket
PRESTOPUNDIT
  Greg Ransom
Priorities & Frivolities
  Robert Garcia Tagorda
ProfessorBainbridge.com
  Steve Bainbridge
protein wisdom
  Jeff Goldstein
QandO
  McQ
  Dale Franks
Rantingprofs
  Cori Dauber
Reuters
  Tim Ahmann
The Right Coast
  Mike Rappaport
Right Wing News
  John Hawkins
Roger L. Simon
  Roger L. Simon
RuminateThis
  Jack K.
Sadly, No!
  The Dark Window
Salon
  Joe Conason
Seattle Times
Seeing The Forest
  Dave Johnson
skippy the bush kangaroo
  Skippy
Slate
  Duncan Watts
A Small Victory
  Michele Catalano
Southern Appeal
  Rice Grad
  Joel Foreman
  Michael DeBow
The Spoons Experience
  Christopher Kanis
Suburban Guerrilla
  Susan Madrak
t a c i t u s
  Thorley Winston
  Bird Dog
  Harley
Taegan Goddard's Political Wire
  Taegan Goddard
the talking dog
  Talking Dog
TalkLeft
  Jeralyn Merritt
TAPPED
  Sam Rosenfeld
  Garance Franke-Ruta
  Matthew Yglesias
  Anna Palmer
  Nick Confessore
Tech Central Station
  Stephen Bainbridge
Telegraph
This Modern World
  Bob Harris
Tim Blair
  Tim Blair
Time
  Sally B. Donnelly
UPI
  Richard Tomkins
Vodkapundit
  Will Collier
War and Piece
  Laura Rozen
The Washington Monthly
  Kevin Drum
Washington Post
  Charles Krauthammer
  Gary Alan Fine
Washington Times
  Brian DeBose
White House
Wired
  Adam L. Penenberg
World O'Crap
  SLZoll



Veteran retracts criticism of Kerry
  By / Boston Globe   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON — A week after Senator John F. Kerry heralded his wartime experience by surrounding himself at the Democratic convention with his Vietnam ''Band of Brothers," a separate group of veterans has launched a television ad campaign and a book that questions the basis for some of Kerry's combat medals.
Joe Gandelman: One of Kerry's accusers has retracted part of his statement. And then he retracted his retraction (so he still thinks Kerry is a liar).
Thorley Winston: Re: About that "Retraction" from Kerry's CO - Never Mind — By now many of you know that Boston Globe has printed a...
Kevin Drum: One of them, Lieutenant Commander George Elliott (Kerry's commanding officer in Vietnam), now says that it was a...
Steven Taylor: Not So Swift: George Elliot and His Many Positions — Veteran retracts criticism of Kerry.
Steve Soto: One Of Kerry's Accusers Retracts His Charges - Why Not, It's Regnery Publishing — One of John Kerry's former...
Will Collier: Dirty Pool At The Boston Globe — Is John Kerry's hometown paper acting as a spin arm of the Kerry campaign?
Also: Robert Cox, Von @ObsidianWings, Charles Johnson, Donald Sensing, Richard TPD, Joel Foreman, Ace, Kos, Jeffrey Dubner, John Cole, Tom Maguire, Mike Hendrix, Steve M., Oliver Willis, Taegan Goddard, Atrios, Howard Kurtz, Roger L. Simon, Clayton Cramer, Macallan

JUDY WOODRUFF'S INSIDE POLITICS
  CNN   —   Permalink 
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNOUNCER: John Kerry's war record comes under attack.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John Kerry has not been honest about what happened in Vietnam.
Joe Gandelman: So now a GOP-allied group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group of former military colleagues who were not in the boat,...
Roger L. Simon: I also read the transcript of the interchange between Judy Woodruff, Jim Rassman and Larry Thurlow linked by Instapundit.
Glenn Reynolds: Here's the transcript.
Ann Althouse: This seems to be the main point made by a vet who appears in the anti-Kerry ad who was interviewed on CNN the other day...
John Cole: What Has Them Reeling — After spending over a year annointing a candidate with the bifurcated platform that Kerry is a...
Blackfive: CNN Transcript of Two Viet Nam Veterans Recollections of John Kerry: JUDY WOODRUFF'S INSIDE POLITICS WOODRUFF: We've...
Also: Atrios, Tom Maguire, Digby

BOSTON GLOBE 'REPORTER' COMMISSIONED TO WRITE CAMPAIGN BOOK FOREWORD -- WHILE COVERING KERRY
  Drudge Report   —   Permalink 
BOSTON GLOBE journalist Mike Kranish has been commissioned to write the foreword of the Kerry-Edwards campaign book — just as he is covering the campaign in an official capacity as a journalist for the BOSTON GLOBE!
Thorley Winston: As far Michael Kranish, the reporter who claimed that Elliot was retracting his statements in his sworn affidavit, it...
Greg Ransom: MORE. UPDATE: Kranish is a paid feature writer for the Kerry-Edwards campaign.
John Cole: But then again, Kerry is aware that the press is in bed with him, and his base would not know any better.
Pejman Yousefzadeh: BIG MEDIA COLLAPSES ON THE JOB AGAIN — And here is the story behind it. By the way, doesn't that mean that this post and others like it ought to be updated?

Job Growth Meager, Markets Stunned
  By / Reuters   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. employers added a paltry 32,000 workers to payrolls last month, the government said on Friday in a startlingly weak report that led Wall Street to forecast a slower pace of Federal Reserve interest-rate rises.
Joe Gandelman: The first key is one that came out to day — the job growth figures, which are not good.
Jane Galt: The Bush Toast-o-Meter goes to "Extra crispy" — Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad news on jobs — the economy only created 32,000 jobs in July.
Bob Harris: Oil at record highs; job growth 86% below expectations (Note: this entry posted by Bob Harris) In Bush's words, the economy has turned a corner.
Talking Dog: Two fascinating pieces from the news that one would usually associated with the downfall of the sitting Imperium, at...

This election year, a 'bounce' falls flat
  By / Newsday   —   Permalink 
Matthew Dowd is a bright guy. He would have to be as pollster for the president of the United States. So when he declared a short time before the Democratic National Convention that John Kerry would receive about a 15-point bounce, he was displaying both a good sense of history and an astute skill in the game of expectations.
Libertarian: THE BOUNCE EXPLAINED Many commentators are obsessed with the small "bounce" Kerry received after the Democratic Convention.
Chris Bowers: John Zogby thinks there are only 5%: [snipped quote] I am not sure what Zogby is basing the 20 to 25 percent historical...
Hindrocket: John Zogby, on the other hand, sees Bush's prospects, both short term and long term, as poor.
Steve Soto: John Zogby himself runs a good piece today explaining not only why it was typical GOP expectations-hyping to believe...
McQ: Well, per Zogby, who by the way predicted a Kerry win months ago, the reason has to do with this unique election year
Taegan Goddard: Why Kerry's Bounce Fell Flat — As far as polls go, this election "is proving to be a history-defying year in many ways," John Zogby writes.

WHY WALL STREET IS GUESSING WRONG ON JOBS GROWTH
  By / New York Post   —   Permalink 
WALL Street thinks the gov ernment will report strong U.S. job growth tomorrow.
I think Wall Street is wrong.
The consensus is that the Labor Department will saythat anywhere from 215,000 to 300,000 jobs were created in July when its report is released before Friday's opening bell.
Mickey Kaus: Plus—Tommy Franks backs Kerry on 'Nam — This John Crudele column from Thursday's N.Y. Post is now looking mighty prescient.
Bill Hobbs: According to the New York Post's John Crudele, a year ago that lead to the job-growth number being slashed by 83,000 jobs in July.
Nathan Newman: The Jobs Report — John Crudele at the New York Post is predicting a bad jobs report today, not so much because he...
Ace: This guy has been complaining about these adjustments for a while, and not just when they hurt Bush.
Hindrocket: STILL MORE: Reader Stan Brown advises: [quote] Please read Crudele ("Why Wall Street is guessing wrong on jobs growth").[end quote]

Kerry pans president for staying with tots on 9/11
  By / Washington Times   —   Permalink 
Sen. John Kerry yesterday said he wouldn't have stuck around to read to children after learning of the September 11 attacks, directly criticizing President Bush's actions that day.
Joe Gandelman: That has been the scene this week as Democratic candidate John Kerry used a controversial piece of a Michael Moore film...
Tim Blair: MORE FLOPPING FROM MR FLIPPY — First he was in favour of reading the book, and then he was against it: "Sen. John...
Tom Maguire: "My friends, the high road may be harder, but it leads to a better place." before he said: "First of all, had I been...
KJL: RUDY ON KERRY IN THE CLASSROOM — "John Kerry must be frustrated in his campaign if he is armchair quarterbacking based on cues from Michael Moore."

Remarks by the President to the Unity Journalists of Color Convention
  White House   —   Permalink 
It's good that — Ernest tells me that there's nearly 10,000 members of your organization. I congratulate you for reaching out and including a lot of people. You represent a very important profession — it's one that I'm quite familiar with. (Laughter.)
John Rosenberg: As the transcript of the president's appearance makes clear, however, neither the questioners nor the president equated affirmative action with quotas.
Matthew Yglesias: Today, speaking to the UNITY conference of minority journalists, he offered a possible explanation: "I think one — you know, look, you can't read a newspaper if you can't read."
Susan Madrak: 'A DOER, NOT A TALKER' — In just a few short hours, Bush's address and Q&A at the UNITY conference this morning has...
Oliver Willis: War On Terror Undergoes Rebranding — More gems from Bush's press conference today: [snipped quote] That will not fit on a bumper sticker.

Muffing the Bounce
  By / WaPo   —   Permalink 
No bounce for Kerry. The Democrats and their pollsters will tell you this is because the electorate has already made up its mind. But if that is the case, why are they campaigning? Why have a convention in the first place?
Mike Rappaport: Krauthammer on Why There Was No Bounce — Krauthammer explains: "No bounce for Kerry.
Donald Sensing: Quoth Charles Krauthammer, "His entire [DNC] speech, the entire convention, was a celebration of his military service.
James Joyner: Muffing the Bounce — Charles Krauthammer explains why he thinks Kerry got no "bounce" from the convention.
Pejman Yousefzadeh: Charles Krauthammer discusses why there was little to no bounce for John Kerry coming out of the Democratic National...
Hindrocket: The Bounce That Wasn't — Charles Krauthammer has some sensible thoughts on why the Democratic convention provided no boost for John Kerry.

Democratic Louisiana congressman switches to GOP
  AP   —   Permalink 
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Rodney Alexander switched his party affiliation to Republican on Friday — making the surprise flip in the last minute of registration for the Nov. 2 ballot virtually assuring the seat for the GOP.
Rice Grad: Welcome to the party! Louisiana Congressman Rodney Alexander has forsaken the Democrats and joined the GOP.
Jerome Armstrong: Lost one in Louisiana — Rodney Alexander (LA-5) just switched his filing to GOP: [snipped quote] crapola.
Kos: LA-06: Alexander switches to GOP — Despite no credible GOP opposition, Rep. Rodney Alexander switched parties.

Only 32,000 Jobs Are Added in July
  AP   —   Permalink 
The nation's payroll growth slowed dramatically in July with a paltry 32,000 jobs being added_ a potentially troubling sign that the rough patch the economy hit in June was no aberration.
Pejman Yousefzadeh: From the bad news/good news files—first, the bad news: "The nation's payroll growth slowed dramatically in July with a...
Susan Madrak: And as usual, the numbers from last month were revised downward. So were May's numbers.
Captain Ed: UPDATE: And then, a cold dash of water: "The 32,000 net jobs added in July represented the smallest gain in hiring...
Skippy: the asspress: "may's payrolls also were revised down to show a gain of 208,000."
Atrios: Only 32K new jobs. Last month's numbers revised downards from 112k to 78K. May's numbers were revised downwards as well.

Republicans' Dishonorable Charge
  By / Salon   —   Permalink 
"Dishonest and dishonorable" is how John McCain described the attack ad now appearing on television in several swing states, courtesy of the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth." Dishonest because the men who appear in the ad make false claims about John Kerry's wartime conduct and decorations.
Joe Gandelman: This so angered Senator John McCain that he demanded the White House denounce and call off the ads — which it has not.
Kos: Joe Conason, in his column today, exposes the leadership of Swiftboat Veterans for Revisionist History (or whatever it is they call themselves).
Chris Gruber: Republicans' Dishonorable Charge by Joe Conason Scott Swett, Swiftboat Hatriot from the DKos diaries CNN Trifecta Who is...
Jeralyn Merritt: For more on the already discredited ad attacking Kerry, visit Media Matters. Update: Joe Conason has more.

What About Iraq?
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
A funny thing happened after the United States transferred sovereignty over Iraq. On the ground, things didn't change, except for the worse.
But as Matthew Yglesias of The American Prospect puts it, the cosmetic change in regime had the effect of "Afghanizing" the media coverage of Iraq.
Richard TPD: I'm not the only one who's noticed this. [snipped quote] Read the whole thing for a very grim reminder of how we are losing this war.
Belle Waring: He is become Giant Media Matt. Mentioned by name in a Krugman column, thank you very much.
John Cole: Big Media Matt — Matt Yglesias gets a mention in a Paul Krugman op-ed. And I remember when he just started his website and I was one of the first promoting him...
Matthew Yglesias: Paul Krugman — Best column ever.

Ire to the Chief
  By / WaPo   —   Permalink 
Anyone who hobnobs with progressives knows by now that a fair proportion of these bright and articulate Americans hate George W. Bush. They abhor him. The embrace of Bush hatred has even appeared in otherwise sober journals of opinion such as the New Republic.
Garance Franke-Ruta: Today, the Washington Post published a piece, "Ire to the Chief," by Northwestern University sociologist Gary Alan Fine, that renews these questions.
Kevin Raybould: Apparently, Tenure Doesn't Mean What it Once Did — The gist of this article is that hatred of presidents is irrational...
Greg Ransom: ACADEMICS — why all the hate?
Nick Gillespie: They reference the guys' pasts as much as anything they've done in office. Whole thing here.

Democratic Party Should Live Up to Its Name
  By / LAT   —   Permalink 
Though the Democrats have the right to robustly oppose my independent presidential campaign, they don't have the right to engage in dirty tricks designed to deny millions of voters the opportunity to choose who should be the next president.
But that's what is happening.
Jeff Goldstein: Ladies and Gentlemen, your modern Democratic Party, part 2... Presidential hopeful Ralph Nader, writing in today's LA...
James Joyner: Democratic Party Should Live Up to Its Name — Ralph Nader, in a blistering op-ed in today's LA Times, charges that the "Democratic Party Should Live Up to Its Name."
C. D. Harris: Fat Chance — Ralph Nader says that the Democratic Party Should Live Up to Its Name and lay off their campaign of "dirty tricks" to keep him off state ballots.

Bush urges immediate end to 'soft money' ads
  Washington Times   —   Permalink 
The White House yesterday distanced itself from a political ad that questions John Kerry's Vietnam service and called on the Democratic presidential nominee to join President Bush in demanding an "immediate cessation" of all advertisements by outside groups.
Joe Gandelman: It put some distance between itelf and the ad — then in another move applauded by GOP partisans, The White House...
Susan Madrak: This from Atrios: [snipped quote] And of course Bush, who's aware Kerry is counting on MoveOn and ACT ads to fill the...
Captain Ed: Instead, the Bush campaign has upped the ante, and the Kerry campaign can't afford to meet the bid: "The White House...
Howard Kurtz: "The White House yesterday distanced itself from a political ad that questions John Kerry's Vietnam service and called...

Pakistan: U.S. blew undercover operation
  MSNBC   —   Permalink 
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - The al-Qaida suspect named by U.S. officials as the source of information that led to this week's terrorist alerts was working undercover, Pakistani intelligence sources said Friday, putting an end to the sting operation and forcing Pakistan to hide the man in a secret location.
Talking Dog: The veep sends me this piece from MSNBC pointing out that the informer just picked up on Pakistan during the Democratic...
Lambert @Corrente: Gaslight watch: Bush, in latest extremely non-political terror alert, blows AQ double agent — I hate to say "I told you so," but "I told you so."

Bush Defends Terror-Threat Alert
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush on Friday defended the decision to issue terrorism warnings and tighten security in New York and Washington, saying "the threats we're dealing with are real" even though some of the intelligence on which the government acted was as much as four years old.
Michele Catalano: quack, quack (Updated) You knew I was going to do it. George Bush, speaking at the UNITY conference today. bq.
Joel Foreman: Bush made some good points, and a couple of funny jokes, but the crowd was not with him.
Oliver Willis: Bush Flip Flop 08.06.04: "Who in heck wants to be a war president?" 02.08.04: "I'm a war president"

What, Me Register?
  By / Wired   —   Permalink 
I have a confession. I'm not always who or what I appear to be.
Depending on my mood, I'm a 92-year-old spinster from Topeka whose hobbies include snowboarding, macramé and cryptology; the CEO of a successful high-tech firm in Bumblebutt, New York, whose company has a market capitalization of four cents; or an Alaskan mango grower.
Will Collier: Bill Hobbs has a blurb today about people intentionally putting phony information in registration-required media site...
Bill Hobbs: One of those men, Adam L. Penenberg, an assistant professor at New York University and the assistant director of the...

Farmer, 73, is held for shooting burglar in leg
  Telegraph   —   Permalink 
A 73-year-old farmer has been arrested after allegedly using a shotgun to shoot a burglar who was caught on his property.
The man called police after seeing a suspected thief on his farm in Ockbrook, near Derby, at around 6am.
Christopher Kanis: FORMERLY GREAT BRITAIN — I used to be a huge Anglophile. I haven't felt that way for a long time.
B.C: Speaking Of Leaving The Door Open For Would-be Conquerors... In another case of the Socialist S**tstain Elitists...

AP Poll: Kerry narrows security issue gap
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON — Democrat John Kerry, whose nominating convention highlighted his war service and focused on national security, has narrowed the gap on President Bush's strong suit of protecting the country, according to an Associated Press poll that shows the race remains tight.
Richard TPD: So it's refreshing to see that Kerry is dramatically closing the once yawning gap between them on this issue. [snipped quote] Sweet.
Taegan Goddard: In the latest AP poll, Kerry leads Bush 48% to 45%. Bush led by four points in the last poll.

Kerry questions Bush's wartime leadership
  By / Boston Globe   —   Permalink 
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Challenging President Bush's "maturity" as a wartime leader, Democratic nominee John F. Kerry said yesterday that he would have excused himself from the Florida classroom on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, where Bush continued reading to children after learning about the attacks on the Twin Towers.
John Hawkins: "Is this the sort of "decisive leadership" in the war on terrorism that we can look forward to if John Kerry gets in the White House?
Hei Lun: Might? So it's a definite yes! Or no. Or both! Way to straddle the fence there, Mr. Kerry.

A hiring letdown
  CNN   —   Permalink 
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Hiring by U.S. employers slowed significantly in July, according to a government report Friday, as the number of new jobs added to payrolls came in far below Wall Street expectations.
Tom Burka: Some have already blamed Keye's candidacy for causing a large drop in job growth reported this morning, while others are...
Jesse Taylor: But leave comforted by the fact that corner-turning has been put on indefinite hiatus until the last effects of the Clenis wear off on our great national economy.
DeLong: "Job growth weaker than expected - Aug. 6, 2004: Hiring by U.S. employers slowed significantly in July, according to a...

Job Growth Anemic, Markets Stunned
  By / Reuters   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. employers added just 32,000 workers to payrolls last month, a surprisingly weak number that led Wall Street to fret about second-half economic growth and to expect a slower pace of interest-rate rises.
Lambert @Corrente: Great headlines of our time: "Job Growth Anemic, Markets Stunned" — Um, I'm not stunned. Are you stunned? Didn't think so.
Steven Taylor: Bad Jobs/Econ News — Job Growth Meager, Markets Stunned

Singer Rick James Dies at 56
  AP   —   Permalink 
LOS ANGELES — Funk legend Rick James (search), best known for the 1981 hit "Super Freak," (search) died Friday, apparently of natural causes, police said. He was 56.
James died at 9:45 a.m. at a residence near Universal City, said Officer Esther Reyes, a Police Department spokeswoman.
Damian Penny: Rick James, R.I.P. He was found dead this morning. James was just 56 years old.
Michele Catalano: Rick James Dead — Rick James is dead. I know I made fun of him a lot, given the whole Chappelle thing, but...damn.

Pakistan Qaeda suspect named during email sting
  Reuters   —   Permalink 
ISLAMABAD, Aug 6 (Reuters) - U.S. officials revealed the name of captured al Qaeda suspect Mohammad Naeem Noor Khan while he was still cooperating with Pakistani authorities, a Pakistani intelligence source told Reuters on Friday.
Betsy Newmark: This could explain why the administration did not release as many details as the media would have liked when it issued the terror warning.
Hindrocket: Khan Cooperation Alleged — A Pakistani intelligence source has told Reuters that Mohammad Naeem Noor Khan cooperated...

Sistani heads for treatment in UK
  BBC   —   Permalink 
Iraq's most influential Shia leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has left Iraq and is on his way to London to be treated for a heart condition.
Airport officials in Beirut said the ayatollah arrived on a chartered jet from Iraq before departing for London.
Roger L. Simon: UPDATE: This BBC report offers curious support to Zeyad's theory: "The ayatollah suffered a health crisis related to his...
KJL: SISTANI EN ROUTE TO LONDON
Allah: However, it is better to avoid them." * * * Sistani in UK for heart treatment

The GOP's rent-a-senator
  Chicago Tribune   —   Permalink 
Alan Keyes, the prospective GOP nominee for the U.S. Senate, arrived 13 minutes late for his bizarre little rally on Wednesday—and by little we mean about 12 supporters and 24 media hounds—outside the Union League Club in downtown Chicago.
ArchPundit: Posting May Be Slow — Because I'm laughing too hard.... Let me make one correction—this isn't rent a Senator, this is rent a candidate.
Christopher Kanis: RELATED: The Trib editorializes against the out-of-state candidate.
Howard Kurtz: The Chicago Tribune offers this editorial: "Mr. Keyes may have noticed a large body of water as he flew into O'Hare.

Plan of Action
  By / TNR   —   Permalink 
The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution last Friday giving the government of Sudan 30 days to comply with its July 3 agreement to put a stop to violence against civilians in Darfur and to allow aid through to the 1.2 million people in refugee camps, or else.
Sam Rosenfeld: David Englin, who writes the all-Sudan blog Ripple of Hope, actually goes to the trouble of trying to answer this today over at TNR.
Matthew Yglesias: Rather a lot, it seems. I think, though, that this sort of all-or-nothing attitude is counterproductive.

Scientist says Ireland is lost island of Atlantis
  Reuters   —   Permalink 
DUBLIN, Ireland (Reuters) — Atlantis, the legendary island-nation whose existence has been debated for thousands of years, was actually Ireland, according to a new theory by a Swedish scientist.
Iain Murray: Whenever you see some form of the words "Scientist says X is Atlantis," you can be pretty sure that the last thing the source is is a real scientist.
Christopher Kanis: IS IRELAND ACTUALLY THE LOST CITY OF ATLANTIS? So says some sweedish Egghead. Hmmm, let's see.

Iraq Evidence Led Feds to Albany Mosque
  Fox News   —   Permalink 
Information found in Iraq led federal investigators to become suspicious of an Albany, N.Y., mosque leader, FOX News has learned.
Last summer, U.S. troops discovered Yassin Muhhiddin Aref's (search) name, telephone number and address in a book left behind in a vacated terrorist training camp, a U.S. official told FOX News.
Clayton Cramer: No Connection Between Iraq & Terrorism, Right — Coverage of the arrests of the Albany mosque imam include this: "ALBANY, N.Y.
Mike Hendrix: None so blind etc. Well. Well well well well well well well well well well: [snipped quote] Large screaming bold type obviously mine, as a visual aid for the wilfully unseeing.
Glenn Reynolds: HEY, MAYBE THIS TERROR STUFF REALLY IS ALL CONNECTED: [snipped quote] Go figure. UPDATE: Link was bad before. Fixed now.
Charles Johnson: Albany Mosque Imam: "The Commander" — The name, address, and telephone number of the imam of the Masjid As-Salam mosque...
The Big Trunk: Connect this — Fox News reports: "Iraq evidence led feds to Albany mosque."
Bird Dog: From FoxNews: [snipped quote] Did they actually traffic in shoulder-launched missiles? No, but they were willing to participate in militant jihad.

A Return to Childhood
  NRO   —   Permalink 
The new immaturity.
I would never have imagined that journalists, academics, actors, artists, and the intelligentsia in general would have so opposed the end of dictatorship and promotion of democracy abroad.
Bill Hobbs: Victor Davis Hanson's latest commentary is another excellent read. As usual. Read the whole thing.
Charles Johnson: The New Immaturity — Victor Davis Hanson, on the Democratic Party's Return to Childhood.

Job Growth Grinds Nearly to Halt in July, Labor Dept. Reports
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
Job growth ground nearly to a halt last month, the Labor Department reported today, in a clear sign that the economy has weakened in recent months.
Employers added just 32,000 jobs in July, a small fraction of what forecasters had expected and the smallest gain this year.
Matthew Yglesias: President George "Turning The Corner" Bush can't be happy to see that job growth numbers have turned south again, but...
John Cole: The unemployment rate dropped to 5.5%, and it is spun as bad news...

McCain Condemns Ad Criticizing Kerry's Military Service
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
Republican Sen. John McCain, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam, called an ad criticizing John Kerry's military service "dishonest and dishonorable" and urged the White House on Thursday to condemn it as well.
The White House declined.
Captain Ed: Upping The Ante — After the Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth ad and book came out this week, the Kerry campaign (as...
Phillip Carter: "Dishonest and Dishonorable" — That's how Sen. John McCain described the new anti-Kerry attack ad, being launched by a group that calls themselves "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth".
Jeralyn Merritt: McCain Comes to Kerry's Defense — Sen. John McCain, a former POW in Vietnam, has asked President Bush to condemn the latest ad attacking John Kerry's Vietnam service.
Noam Scheiber: When John McCain agreed to campaign for George W. Bush back in June, pundits rushed to reprise that old LBJ line about...
Tim Graham: The story doesn't even address what the ad says until paragraph 8, and it does not include one statement from the Swift Boat vets and not one quote from the ad itself.
Skippy: the washpost: "republican sen. john mccain, a former prisoner of war in vietnam, called an ad criticizing john kerry's...

Keyes reportedly set to accept GOP bid
  Chicago Tribune   —   Permalink 
Maryland conservative Alan Keyes, a former Republican presidential contender and talk-show host, has agreed to accept the nomination as the Illinois GOP nominee for Senate and plans a public rollout for his campaign on Sunday, several Republican sources said Thursday.
Taegan Goddard: In Illinois, Keyes Will Accept Senate Nomination — "Maryland conservative Alan Keyes, a former Republican presidential...
Christopher Kanis: KEYES TO ACCEPT IL GOP OFFER, RUN FOR SENATE — Hardly a surprise — most believed that Keyes' "I need to think it over" delay was just showmanship.

Source: Keyes to Run Against Obama in Ill.
  AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON Aug. 6, 2004 — Former presidential hopeful and talk-show host Alan Keyes has agreed to become Illinois Republicans' U.S. Senate candidate and will announce his intentions Sunday, a senior GOP official said Friday.
Brian Doherty: UPDATE: Associated Press, via ABC News, is reporting that Keyes is going to run.
Jeralyn Merritt: Report: Keyes to Run Against Obama — Sources say Alan Keyes has decided to run against Obama in Illinois. Obama's the man.

U.S. Troops, Sadr Militants Clash for Second Day
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Coalition troops battled militiamen loyal to Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr in several Iraqi cities Friday, the second day of fighting that has shattered truces to end a widespread Shiite rebellion two months ago.
Matthew Yglesias: Unfortunately, none of the coverage I'm seeing of the latest clashes in Iraq is telling us much about how the Iraqi security forces are performing.
Cori Dauber: As you read the coverage of Sadr's return to the frontlines, notice the names of the Shia cities involved, and ask...

Our Own Worst Enemy
  By / Opinion Journal   —   Permalink 
Even as the Bush administration warns of an imminent terror attack, it is again allowing the "rights" brigades to dictate the parameters of national defense. The administration just cancelled a passenger screening system designed to keep terrorists off planes, acceding to the demands of "privacy" advocates.
Dean Esmay: Privacy and Danger — Heather Mac Donald says the Bush administration is selling out airline security to placate overzealous privacy advocates.
The Big Trunk: The war against self-defense — This enraging Wall Street Journal column by Heather Mac Donald reports the demise of the...
Michelle Malkin: AIRPORT INSECURITY — A plague of persistent P.C. follies in America's airports... The invaluable Heather Mac Donald...
Mike Rappaport: Kerry, Bush and the War on Terror — According to the Wall Street Journal: [snipped quote] John Kerry says he could fight the war on terror better than George Bush.
Dale Franks: Asking for it — Heather MacDonald writes in the Wall Street Journal that, when it comes to protecting ourselves from terrorism, we're our own worst enemy.
Cori Dauber: But as Heather MacDonald writes this morning, the privacy special interest groups have succeeded in sinking the program.

Nibbled to Death by Ducks
  By / TCS   —   Permalink 
Earlier this year, California Assemblywoman Judy Chu introduced the "Corporate Elections Fairness Act of 2004," which would have given shareholders a much greater role in board of director elections.
Glenn Reynolds: STEPHEN BAINBRIDGE writes on California's business climate and being nibbled to death by ducks.
Steve Bainbridge: Nibbled to Death by Ducks — My latest TCS column tackles the way California puts business to the Death of 1000 Cuts.
Greg Ransom: IN CALIFORNIA it's economic death by a thousand cuts.

Consumer Confidence Highest Since January
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON - Consumer confidence surged during the past month to its highest level since the beginning of the year, with Americans feeling better about their own finances and more optimistic about the future despite renewed terror threats and rising oil prices.
Captain Ed: Economy Inspiring Higher Consumer Confidence — In another significant development for the upcoming presidential...
Betsy Newmark: Here's some good economic news. Maybe the real situation is getting out. [snipped quote] Keep your fingers crossed that the employment figures will be good today.

Israel flouts road map with new settlement
  Guardian   —   Permalink 
Israel has announced plans for thousands of homes in a new settlement near Jerusalem, ignoring its undertaking in the road map to freeze settlement activity.
The proposed settlement, on 1,518 hectares (3,750 acres) of West Bank land, would be sited between Jerusalem and the settlement of Ma'ale Adumim and provide a bridge between them.
Joseph Alexander Norland: I meant Der Guardian, entittled, "Israel flouts road map with new settlement", includes the standard array of EUrabian calumny.
Juan Cole: It is usefully read in conjunction with Israel flouts road map with new settlement in The Guardian: "Israel has...

Radical cleric calls for uprising in Iraq
  IHT   —   Permalink 
BAGHDAD The radical Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr called Thursday for a national uprising against American and coalition forces as a two-month truce between Sadr and the United States military appeared to collapse.
Soccerdad: Other news in Iraq Radical cleric calls for uprising in IraqThe 2 month truce between Sadr and the US/interium government is falling apart.
Juan Cole: 17 Dead, Dozens Wounded as Iraqi South Erupts 2 US Troops Killed, 5 Wounded in Najaf Alex Berenson of the New York Times...

Some of Kerry's Vietnam comrades say he lied
  By / UPI   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 (UPI) — Some former Vietnam comrades of Sen. John Kerry accused the Democratic Party's nominee for president Thursday of lying about his war record and exploits.
Greg Ransom: THE UPI has more details on John Kerry's service in Vietnam.
John Hawkins: Why is it that men who were fighting side by side with John Kerry in other boats are telling stories like this one?

Decentralized Intelligence
  By / Slate   —   Permalink 
The most publicized recommendation of the 9/11 commission—and one President Bush and Sen. John Kerry have raced to endorse—is that the United States create a national director of intelligence. Centralizing is an understandable response to the pre-9/11 intelligence fiasco.
James Joyner: Decentralized Intelligence — Sociologist Duncan Watts has an intriguing piece in Slate entitled, "Decentralized...
Daniel Drezner: Furthermore, Columbia sociologist Duncan Watts has a Slate piece that suggests the urge to centralize control/authority...

White House repudiates anti-Kerry ad
  AFP   —   Permalink 
COLUMBUS, United States (AFP) - The White House distanced itself from a commercial by a controversial veterans' group that accuses Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry of lying about his service in Vietnam.
John Hawkins: The White House has taken the same position.
Allah: With little to gain by associating himself with the swift boat vets, and no doubt realizing he'll be blamed whatever the...

Submerging the truth about Swift Boat Vets on Hannity & Colmes, Scarborough Country
  Media Matters for America   —   Permalink 
FOX News Channel's Hannity & Colmes and MSNBC's Scarborough Country both gave free airtime on August 4 to a new, misleading ad sponsored by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a recently formed group dedicated to attacking Senator John Kerry's record during and after his service in Vietnam.
Charles Kuffner: The latter link comes from Media Matters for America, which has quite a bit more about SV and its baloney.
Digby: Media Matters has the full debunking. Update: Here's Judy Botox's framing of the issue. I think it's exactly the Kerry campaign wanted it framed.
Chris Gruber: In addition to that overlooked fact (to which a Republican acquaintance of mine replied "So what?"), there's at least one other outright distortion.
Atrios: Swift Boat Lies and Liars — At Media Matters.

08/05/04 Poll: Small Convention Bump for Kerry
  By / Fox News   —   Permalink 
The race for the White House remains tight with the Democratic nominee receiving a small bump after his party's convention in Boston. In addition, little movement in the race can be expected in the remaining 90 days of the campaign as majorities of voters say...
Talking Dog: So... we have things like this Fox poll (you know its fair and balanced) that gives Kerry a slight (wihtin margin of...
EDM: Fox Poll finds Gains for Kerry — A Fox news/Opinion Dynamics poll released August 5th found that "While not moving the...
Taegan Goddard: New Polls — According to the latest Fox News poll, the presidential race "remains tight" with Sen. John Kerry "receiving a small bump after his party's convention in Boston."
Barbara O'Brien: Faux Faces Facts — Ok, so Kerry got a convention bump after all. Shut up.
Billmon: Here's the headline on the poll story: Small Convention Bump for Kerry But check out these numbers: According to Fox,...

Texas homebuilder, GOP donor helps finance anti-Kerry veterans' group
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON (AP) — A wealthy Texan and prolific Republican donor is helping bankroll a television ad assailing Democrat John Kerry's decorated military record in the Vietnam War.
The Farmer: "Link [CNP] Principals: The 1982-1983 officers of the Council for National Policy (CNP) were: Thomas F. Ellis, pres;..."
Julia: all the news that fits — The New York Times on 527 groups airing ads against Bush: "The Ad Campaign: Ads for (and at No...

Bush Misspeak Cites U.S. Readiness to Harm U.S.
  Reuters   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush told a roomful of top Pentagon brass on Thursday that his administration would never stop looking for ways to harm the United States.
Cori Dauber: It's cheap, and it's mean, and quite frankly they wouldn't do it to another politician, the same way during the 2000...
Allah: UPDATE: He would. Top of page two. UPDATE: Bush uncorks one of his own. Naturally, his gets its own news article.
Tom Maguire: Looks Like Kerry Was Right George Bush, briefly possessed by the spirit of Michael Moore, told a room full of Generals...
Clayton Cramer: Did Bush Misspeak? This Reuters news story is headlined: "Bush Misspeak Cites U.S. Readiness to Harm U.S." Why?
Oliver Willis: Bush Reveals The Plan — Bush: [snipped quote] >Bush Misspeak Cites U.S. Readiness to Harm U.S.

Kerry Raps Bush on Initial 9/11 Inaction
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON - John Kerry said Thursday he would have jumped into action more quickly than President Bush did on Sept. 11, 2001, raising the stakes in the political fight over terrorism as Bush warned that the United States can't afford to "grow timid and weary and afraid" in Iraq or elsewhere.
Baldilocks: The Moore Effect: [snipped quote] What's the big deal about President Bush doing nothing in the seven minutes after getting word about the terrorist attacks on 9/11?
Charles Johnson: John F. Kerry not only set foot in moonbat territory today, he crossed over into full-blown Michael Moore-influenced...

Lawsuit Says Women Were Misled to Delay Abortions
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 4 - To the panicked women who called the number for the Causeway Center for Women, listed in the phone book under "abortion services," William A. Graham was a soothing voice on the other end of the line.
Kevin T. Keith: Anti-Choice Activist Deceives and Manipulates Women Seeking Abortions, Forces Them to Carry Unwanted Pregnancies — I...
Steve M.: "I also did not want to bring another severely ill child into this world or be in the position where I am unable to give...

President Signs Defense Bill
  White House   —   Permalink 
Room 350, Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Please be seated.
America and our allies are fighting a new kind of war against a different kind of enemy. This conflict places great demands on the men and women of our armed forces, including our Guard and Reserve.
Tarek @LiquidList: Instead, we will sign into law a $418 billion Department of Defense appropriations bill which "reflects" the priorities...
Anna Palmer: As Bush signed the $417 billion defense spending bill this afternoon, he proclaimed that his administration will "never...
Skippy: from the white house official website, a transcription of awol's talk after he signed a new defense bill.
Eugene Oregon: Here is what he said during the signing ceremony "That's why this bill provides $95 million to help the people of Darfur, in western Sudan.
Billmon: George W. Bush Remarks by the President at the Signing of H.R. 4613 August 5, 2004 I haven't heard one that bad since Richard Nixon was in the last stages of self-immolation.
Brian Montopoli: Speaking at the signing of a defense appropriations act, he said the following: "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we.
Also: Jay Bullock, Atrios

Kerry Remarks at the UNITY 2004 Conference
  WaPo   —   Permalink 
I believe I can fight a more effective, more thoughtful, more strategic, more proactive, more sensitive war on terror that reaches out to other nations and brings them to our side and lives up to American values in history.
Mike Hendrix: "Kerry has called for a 'more sensitive' war on terror, and that seems right to me," Gidget said in a press conference...
Allah: Would he? If anyone can find a transcript, let me know. UPDATE: He would. Top of page two. UPDATE: Bush uncorks one of his own.

Kerry knocks Bush for 9/11 performance
  MSNBC   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON - As President Bush headed out for campaign events in the Midwest on Thursday, Sen. John Kerry criticized Bush's performance in the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks and told journalists that America remains a nation divided along racial and economic lines.
McQ: That no politician should use the events that transpired for poltical gain? Well then, what's this?
DeLong: But I Thought Reading "My Pet Goat" Was the Highest-Priority Use of My Time... Nicely Done... "MSNBC - Bush pushes...
Atrios: Big John, Today — Link: "Had I been reading to children and had my top aide whisper in my ear that America is under...
Lambert @Corrente: If Kerry had been President... Naturally, MSGOP buries the money quote from Kerry deep, deep down in a story about the...
Betsy Newmark: I think Kerry has made a mistake by criticizing Bush for staying for seven minutes to read with the children when he got the news of the planes hitting the towers.
Oliver Willis: Kerry: "Had I been reading to children and had my top aide whisper in my ear that America is under attack, I would have...

A new 'Bushism': We're gonna get us
  AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON - President Bush offered up a new entry for his catalog of "Bushisms" on Thursday, declaring that his administration will "never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people."
Jack K.: As he's signing the Defense Spending Bill (proving once again the old maxim about two things at once), the President of...
Kos: So, in a moment of rare frankness, he finally told the truth. [snipped quote] Truer words have never been spoken.
Skippy: freep msnbc while researching the story below about how awol lies awake at night thinking about ways to ruin the united...

Two Albany, N.Y., Mosque Leaders Arrested
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON - Two leaders of a mosque in Albany, N.Y., have been arrested in an alleged plot involving a scheme to buy a shoulder-fired missile, the Justice Department announced Thursday.
Garance Franke-Ruta: But even the prosecutor in this case acknowledges, in The New York Times, that there was no terrorist plot here that was...
Hindrocket: Other arrests, like those at the mosque in Albany, where the mosque's imam its founder are charged with trying to obtain...
Baldilocks: This is the most petty, childish crap I've witnessed since high school. In the meantime, the War on Terror continues.
Greg @BeggingToDiffer: When I clicked on the link in the email, I was taken to a page that lead with a different story about two men in New...

Bush Insists His Administration Seeking 'new Ways to Harm Our Country'
  AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush offered up a new entry for his catalog of "Bushisms" on Thursday, declaring that his administration will "never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people."
The Farmer: Patakitawney Fill — You know how to be sure something is a posed marketing event?
Skippy: the asspress actually reported it!! with the headline "bush insists his administration seeking 'new ways to harm our country.' could people be waking up?
Michael Froomkin: Bush Insists His Administration Seeking 'new Ways to Harm Our Country': Bush Insists His Administration Seeking 'new...
Atrios: ...AP actually runs with it: "Bush Insists His Administration Seeking 'new Ways to Harm Our Country' The Associated Press Published: Aug 5, 2004"

Charlie Daniels Angers Arab Community
  AP   —   Permalink 
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) - Charlie Daniels, the man who wrote and sang "This Ain't No Rag, It's a Flag," is drawing heat from Arab-Americans who say it refers to a derogatory term used against them.
Steve M.: In fact, you might even find that heavily Arab-American cities will invite you to perform: DEARBORN, Mich. - Charlie...
Allah: The devil went down to Dearborn. And made everyone laugh with his mind-blowing, soul-shaking hypocrisy.

July Surprised
  TNR   —   Permalink 
July 29, Faisal Saleh Hayyat, Pakistan's interior minister, announced the arrest of a high-ranking Al Qaeda figure on local television. After a tense standoff in Gujrat, a city some 100 miles southeast of Islamabad, Pakistani security forces had captured the...
Kevin Drum: Judis, Ackerman and Ansari vote for "manipulation": [snipped quote] Of course, this isn't conclusive. It might still be a coincidence.
Laura Rozen: Were we right? ask The New Republic's intelligence reporters Spencer Ackerman, John Judis and Massoud Ansari, regarding...

Vietnam Veterans Buy Ads to Attack Kerry
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
A group of Vietnam veterans has bought television time in three swing states for an advertisement that attacks Senator John Kerry, accusing him of lying about his war record, including the circumstances surrounding his medals, and betraying his comrades by later opposing the war.
Dave Johnson: From a New York Times story about this smear, "Mr. Kerry's aides circulated an 18-page packet discrediting the veterans...
Steve Soto: A group funded in large part by a major Bush donor from Houston, homebuilder Robert Parry, has begun running $500,000 in...

VETS CHARGE: KERRY KILLED FLEEING TEEN; LIED FOR MEDAL
  Drudge Report   —   Permalink 
A veterans group seeking to deeply discredit Democrat John Kerry's military service will charge in the new bombshell book UNFIT FOR COMMAND:
"Kerry earned his Silver Star by killing a lone, fleeing, teenage Viet Cong in a loincloth."
Steve M.: The Boston Globe reports that a source for those Kerry-hating Swift boat veterans — who's also one of the stars of...
John Hawkins: Update #1 ***: Ugh...read this story about Kerry and ask yourself if we can trust him to be the next leader of...
Damian Penny: All I'll say is this: the allegations made by "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" had better be true.
Tom Maguire: Interestingly, the major details seems to be confirmed by Kerry's own story as told to the Boston Globe.
Richard TPD: Kerry murdered teens and burnt villages and he totally sucks — We all know by now about Drudge's latest hatchet job in...
Ed Driscoll: Full Metal Möbius Loop — If you read the material that Drudge is quoting from Unfit For Command and you compare it...
Also: Ann Althouse, Captain Ed, Steven Taylor, Matt Singer, Bill @INDCJournal, Betsy Newmark, Jesse Taylor, Roger L. Simon, James Joyner, Jeff Quinton

McCain condemns anti-Kerry ad
  AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. John McCain, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam, called an ad criticizing John Kerry's military service "dishonest and dishonorable" and urged the White House on Thursday to condemn it as well.
John Cole: The first I saw of the talking points appeared in the Miami Herald: "The Kerry campaign has denounced the Swift Boat...
Charles Kuffner: Swift Boat Veterans — Swift Boat Veteran Roy Hoffmann, part one: [snipped quote] Swift Boat Veteran Roy Hoffmann, part two: [snipped quote] Just so you know.
Chris Gruber: Several of the men vocally claim that they "served with John Kerry,' overlooking the fact that not one of them — not...
Susan Madrak: STANDUP GUY — I respect John McCain for how quickly and strongly he stood up for Kerry - and in the same news cycle,...
Garance Franke-Ruta: McCain today reclaimed his role from earlier in the year as a defender of John Kerry's wartime heroism
John Hawkins: Viet Cong Vets for Kerry Refute Swiftboat Book By Scott Ott — To preempt the release of a new book questioning John...
Also: Steve Soto, Dale Franks, Brian Crouch, Steven Taylor, Digby, DeLong, Kos, Atrios, Jesse Taylor, Taegan Goddard

McCain condemns anti-Kerry ads, calls on White House to follow suit
  AP   —   Permalink 
(08-05) 07:20 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) —
Republican Sen. John McCain, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam, called an ad criticizing John Kerry's military service "dishonest and dishonorable" and urged the White House on Thursday to condemn it as well.
Dan Gillmor: Standards of Honor — AP: McCain condemns anti-Kerry ads, calls on White House to follow suit.
Tom Maguire: Meanwhile, the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth have an ad attacking Kerry, which John McCain has condemned.
Ace: Swift Boat Vets Revisited: The McCain Factor — I stupidly forgot about this angle.
John Hawkins: "Note that they did not actually repudiate the ad, they just ** WISELY ** said they're not criticizing Kerry's record...
McQ: McCain weighs in on Swift Boat Vets Ad — Following the release of the Swift Boat Vets ad condemning John Kerry, Sen...
Allah: First Sullivan, now McCain. Praise Allah that there are grudge-bearing, media-friendly "maverick" conservatives to tell us what "the real issues" are come November.
Also: Betsy Newmark, Oliver Willis, C. D. Harris, Roger L. Simon, Glenn Reynolds

Chords for Change
  By / NYT   —   Permalink 
A nation's artists and musicians have a particular place in its social and political life. Over the years I've tried to think long and hard about what it means to be American: about the distinctive identity and position we have in the world, and how that position is best carried.
Mike Hendrix: I don't really care all that much about politics, but when I saw what smart guys like Eddie Vedder and Bruuuuce!™ were saying about Shrubco, I knew I had to speak out.
Cori Dauber: FIRST RULE: IT IS NEVER THE MEDIA'S FAULT — You know, if you don't laugh, you cry.
Joe Gandelman: In what has truly become the time-honored tradition of entertainers seeking to use their celebrity and clout with fans...
Skippy: pennsylvania avenue freeze out thanks to our buddy the hamster, we find this nytimes op-ed piece by, and a ted koppel...
Kevin T. Keith: Yet The Boss has an opinion piece in today's paper, describing his gradual shift from a non-partisan, generally...
Harley: The Country We Carry In Our Hearts... Bruce Springsteen writes about America here. It's worth a read.
Also: Tarek @LiquidList, Sam Rosenfeld, Edward _, David Allan Pell, Tom Maguire, Steve Gilliard, Jeralyn Merritt, Atrios, Charles Kuffner, Allah

Investigators Concluded Shelby Leaked Message
  WaPo   —   Permalink 
Federal investigators concluded that Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.) divulged classified intercepted messages to the media when he was on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, according to sources familiar with the probe.
Robert Garcia Tagorda: Leaks and Other National Security Issues — I approach this Richard Shelby story much the same way that I approach the Valerie Plame story.
Joe Gandelman: Reports the Washington Post: "Federal investigators concluded that Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.) divulged classified...
Jeff Quinton: Senator Leaked Classified Material — WaPo: [snipped quote] Via James Joyner, who has more. Other blogging: Rusty Shackelford VodkaPundit
Nick Confessore: I am quite frankly mystified why the media has not paid a tenth the attention to Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.)'s...
Atrios: Shelby, you see, actually leaked serious classified information which the media then broadcast.
John Cole: Loose Lips — Damnit, Shelby: [snipped quote] Just so irresponsible.
Also: Tom Maguire, James Joyner, KJL, Stephen Green, Susan Madrak, Betsy Newmark

Now Is the Time
  By / Opinion Journal   —   Permalink 
Life should be fun. It should be satisfying and exciting. As much as possible one should do what one's heart dictates, as long as it is constructive and helpful. (If it is not, one should take one's heart to a minister, rabbi or therapist, and get one's heart in order.)
Charles Johnson: Now Is the Time — Peggy Noonan shows the UNITY Conference pseudo-journalists how it's done: Now Is the Time.
Michael DeBow: Good news for the GOP: Peggy Noonan is taking a leave of absence from the Wall Street Journal to work with Republican candidates (but not including President Bush).
Robert Cox: Peggy Noonan Leaves MSNBC, Wall Street Journal for GOP OpinionJournal.com Life should be fun. It should be satisfying and exciting.
Howard Kurtz: Former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan, in a refreshing bit of honesty, is going off the Wall Street Journal payroll: ...
Betsy Newmark: Peggy Noonan is taking a leave of absence to help out the Bush campaign because she feels it's the right and important thing to do.
Taegan Goddard: Noonan Goes to Work for GOP — Peggy Noonan, perhaps the Wall Street Journal's most famous columnist, announced today...
Also: Jesse Taylor, Dean Esmay, Tbogg

Kerry's Three-Faced Foreign Policy
  LAT   —   Permalink 
His past raises a question: Is he driven by a solid worldview or just politics?
If I read the tea leaves at the Democratic convention correctly, it seems that John F. Kerry served in Vietnam.
Steve Bainbridge: In yesterday's LA Times, Max Boot detailed some highlights of that record:After winning election to the Senate in 1984,...
Bird Dog: And so does Max Boot, who observes a certain inconsistency in the candidate's foreign policy principles.
Tom Maguire: Three Card Kerry — Max Boot thinks John Kerry is playing Three Card Monte with us on foreign policy: There are three...
Pejman Yousefzadeh: ANOTHER UPDATE: Max Boot has more on Kerry's policy incoherence: "Figuring out in advance what any potential president...
Robert Garcia Tagorda: Like Max Boot, for instance, he spotlights the Democratic candidate's shifting approaches to international affairs: [snipped quote] Read the whole thing.
McQ: Mr. Kerry, which is it? Max Boot, of the LA Times, is confused.
Also: Betsy Newmark

An Air Marshal's View of Flight 327
  By / Time   —   Permalink 
For much of the past month a fight has been raging in news reports and over the Internet about the behavior of 14 male Middle Eastern passengers on Northwest Airlines Flight 327 from Detroit to Los Angeles.
Skippy: here is the view point of one of the federal air marshalls that was on that flight, as reported on time.com:...
Tom Maguire: For a guy whose bottom line is that there was "never an imminent threat" to the passengers or plane, he sure took a lot of interest in the band members.
Michelle Malkin: Time magazine talks to a federal air marshal who was on the plane.
Steve Bainbridge: Time magazine has now published a story interviewing a Federal Air Marshall who was on the flight, who states:The FAM...
SLZoll: Dave Adams, Federal Air Marshal spokesman, told the NY Times that, contrary to what Annie said, seven of the musicians...

This band of brothers has a different view of Kerry
  Seattle Times   —   Permalink 
Don't look now, but the Kerry campaign is about to start attacking a group of Vietnam War veterans. After making Kerry's service as a swift-boat captain a cornerstone of the Democratic National Convention last week, the campaign's new goal will be to discredit some of Kerry's fellow soldiers as (shudder) politically motivated.
McQ: Collin Levey of the Seattle Times is of the opinion that the Democrats will indeed go after the Swift Boat Vets and...
Glenn Reynolds: Meanwhile, here's more on the subject from Collin Levey in the Seattle Times. MORE: Skepticism about the ad here.
Bill Hobbs: UPDATE: The Seattle Times' Collin Levey has an excellent commentary.

The Terror Alerts
  NYT   —   Permalink 
Our lives have changed so much since Sept. 11, 2001. We know that we may never again be free of the threat of terrorism. It's been a tough adjustment for everyone, and the burden on President Bush is especially heavy.
Andrew Stuttaford: DIGGING A DEEPER HOLE — Not everything in this New York Times editorial is made up of cheap shots and innuendo (for...
Tom Maguire: That, coupled with the follow-up news on the nature of the intelligence (something old, something new, something...
John Cole: The Nerve — The balls on these people: [snipped quote] Gee- I wonder who was leading the charge in making the 'delivery'...
Captain Ed: Gray Lady Undone By Itself, Howard Dean — Today's editorial from the New York Times sets new lows for intellectual...
BeckyG: The Terror Alerts I wish we could help boost readership for this. What do you think?
Allah: UPDATE: Gonna be a lot of hits on the Times's op-ed page manana.

More Anti-American Images Found at German Subway Stores
  By / CNSNews   —   Permalink 
(CNSNews.com) - Picture this: a gigantic cheeseburger (with tomatoes and lettuce) slamming into two high-rise buildings, as cartoon characters run from the flaming ruins.
Steve M.: On Wednesday, the conservative CNSNews.com gave us this: More Anti-American Images Found at German Subway Stores Picture...
Michael DeBow: However, other anti-American images remain in its European marketing. (Hat tip: The Corner.)
KJL: SUBWAY KEEPS CHEESEBURGER CRASHING INTO TWO TOWERS
Charles Johnson: Subway Mocks 9/11 in Germany — You probably heard about the Subway food chain's anti-American advertising in...
Christopher Kanis: CONTINUE TO BOYCOTT SUBWAY — It's worse than you think: [snipped quote] See previous item here.
The Dark Window: The Terroristic Cheeseburger Of Doom — The bizarre Wing Nut crusade against Subway restaurants continues today and...
Also: John Hawkins

Albany Mosque Raid Uncovers Missile Plot
  By / AP   —   Permalink 
WASHINGTON (AP) - Two leaders of a mosque in Albany, N.Y., were arrested on charges stemming from an alleged plot to help a man they thought was a terrorist purchase a shoulder-fired missile, federal authorities said Thursday.
Ace: Albany Terrorists Are Part of Iraq-Based Al Qaeda Affiliate — Don't expect the fair and balanced journalists preferred...
Fred Lapides: ...beneath the prayer mat? Albany Mosque Raid Uncovers Missile Plot
Michelle Malkin: MISSILE-SHOPPING IN AMERICA — Today's lead homeland security news is the story of an Albany, N.Y., mosque raid that uncovered a shoulder-fired missile purchase plot.

Dear Bloggers: Media Discover Promotional Potential of Blogosphere
  By / Online Journalism Review   —   Permalink 
Could we be entering a belated Age of Enlightenment when it comes to the way media companies treat independent bloggers? After years of deep-linking legal debates and arguments about whether bloggers are journalists, some mainstream media outlets are starting to realize a link from a prominent blogger can bring traffic and buzz.
Dan Gillmor: Bloggers and Big Media — Mark Glaser reports at Online Journalism Review that big media companies are "starting to work with — instead of against — the blogosphere."
Ed Cone: I guess they were paying attention.... Online Journalism Review: "The Wall Street Journal Online is promoting one story per day outside its subscription wall to bloggers.
Robert Cox: Big Media Warms to Bloggers Online Journalism Review The Wall Street Journal Online is promoting one story per day outside its subscription wall to bloggers.