meme orandum
| Fresh brewed news plus stewing views |
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House GOP to Change Leadership Rules By / WaPo — Permalink House Republicans plan to change their rules in order to allow members indicted by state prosecutors to remain in a leadership post, a move designed to benefit Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) in case he is charged by a Texas grand jury that has indicted three of his political associates, GOP leaders said today. | |
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Norbizness: [It's OK If You're An Oily Little Jackass With A Napoleonic Complex] In light of the House Ethics Committee (now in... Lambert @Corrente: House Republicans in 1993 — trying to underscore the ethics problems of Dan Rostenkowski (D-Ill.), then-chairman of the... Kevin Raybould: GOP Situational Ethics — The joy of changing the rules of the game as you play — and of having no actually moral or... |
Steve Bainbridge: Don't Change the Rules for Delay — [snipped quote] Based on everything I've heard about this grand jury investigation, I suspect that it has a partisan motive. MB Williams: The WaPo has an update on what came of that scheming. Byron L: Back in 1993 when they were targetting Rep. Dan Rostenkowski (D-IL), then-chairman of the Ways and Means Committee who was having ethics problems of his own at the time. |
| Also: Steve Soto, TChris, Oliver Willis, Kos, Josh Marshall | |
CNN's Crowley suggested Kerry's choice of green tea proves he is out of touch with "most of America" Media Matters for America — Permalink CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley, in an attempt to portray Senator John Kerry as out-of-touch, suggested that green tea is a rare and exotic beverage unfamiliar to "most of America." | |
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Atrios: I believe multiple varieties of tea have been widely available in most of the country for quite some time. Kevin Raybould: Better Do As You Are Told; Better Listen to the Radio — God, how low and pathetic is our SCLM: ""In January 2003,..." |
Jim D: I drink green tea, maybe you've heard of it? Atrios and MMFA. Taegan Goddard: Update: Media Matters suggests green tea "may not be quite the highbrow delicacy Crowley seems to think. |
'Moral Suicide,' à la Wolfe By / NYT — Permalink It's easy to write a negative review of a Tom Wolfe novel; hundreds of people do it every few years. First, out of the thousands of sociological details Wolfe gets right, you pick out some he gets wrong (thus establishing your superior hipness). | |
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Dale Franks: Morality and Society — David Brooks reviews the New Book by Tom Wolfe, I Am Charlotte Simmons, a book, which, like many of Wolfe's books, bring up some very serious issues. Fontana Labs: If you said David Brooks—thinking, perhaps, of the Red Lobster Fiasco or Patio Man or any other bits of his nonsense— you're half-right. Will Baude: The days of single malt — It is easy to pick on a David Brooks column for being superficial and ironing over crucial sociological wrinkles. |
Steve M.: DAVID BROOKS PRAISES TOM WOLFE ...in The New York Times today — praises him because, among other things, he "takes risks in his novels to describe the moral climate of the age." Matthew Yglesias: Sex Sells — Puzzling essay by David Brooks writing on Tom Wolfe. Orrin Judd: CONFUSED BY HIS AMBITIONS: 'Moral Suicide,' à la Wolfe (DAVID BROOKS, 11/16/04, NY Times) [snipped quote] The... |
| Also: Nathan Hallford | |
Fired Flight Attendant Finds Blogs Can Backfire By / NYT — Permalink Until two weeks ago, Ellen Simonetti worked as a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines, doing her best to project the image of a stewardess from a bygone era. "In the past people expected flight attendants to be young and attractive," Ms. Simonetti, a 29-year old blonde, said from her home in Austin, Tex. "Maybe I represent the flight attendants of the past." | |
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Steve Gilliard: How not to protect your job — Fired for her blog Fired Flight Attendant Finds Blogs Can Backfire By CHRISTINE NEGRONI... Daniel Drezner: Oh, yes, there are costs to blogging — This week's blog casualties: "1) A Delta flight attendant was fired for posting... Juan Non-Volokh: Blogging Got Her Fired: The New York Times reports on the further travails of Ellen SImonetti, aka "Queen of Sky." |
Ace: Blogging Stewardress "Queen of Sky" Fired For Posting Sexy Pictures — The Times article: [snipped quote] Oh, grow up. Joe Gandelman: CAUTION: Blogs May Be Hazardous To Your Job — Delta has underlined how a company expects an employee to uphold an image... KJL: BEWARE WHAT YOU BLOG — A flight attendant reveals too much for Delta. |
| Also: Stirling Newberry | |
Senate May Ram Copyright Bill By / Wired News — Permalink WASHINGTON — Several lobbying camps from different industries and ideologies are joining forces to fight an overhaul of copyright law, which they say would radically shift in favor of Hollywood and the record companies and which Congress might try to push through during a lame-duck session that begins this week. | |
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Dan Gillmor: Copyright Cartel Goes for Big Score — Wired News: Senate May Ram Copyright Bill. Julian Sanchez: Mixed Bag — Wired News reports on the Intellectual Property Protection Act, which may be rapidly passed in a lame-duck session of Congress. Jim D: Lamar Smith Hates TiVo — He's the sponsor of this odious bill. This is a pro-Hollywood, anti-American, anti-freedom bill that must be stopped. |
Kevin Raybould: Killing Fair Use — The Republicans in the Senate (with the almost certain aid of a few Democrats) and the lawyers in Hollywood want to kill fair use. Jesse Taylor: I've Got Some Peer-To-Peer Sharing For You Right Here — Part of the reason that I really, really don't want to see us forge closer ties to Hollywood. |
Probe: Iraq U.N. Cash Sent to Bombers' Kin By / AP — Permalink NEW YORK - Saddam Hussein diverted money from the U.N. oil-for-food program to pay millions of dollars to families of Palestinian suicide bombers who carried out attacks on Israel, say congressional investigators who uncovered evidence of the money trail. | |
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Charles Johnson: And for those who continue to squawk, like robotic parrots, that Saddam Hussein had no connections to terrorists: Probe: Iraq U.N. Cash Sent to Bombers' Kin. Bird Dog: From AP: [snipped quote] So in effect, the UN has subsidized terrorist attacks by Palestinians, with Saddam Hussein as the conduit, resulting in the murders of Israeli civilians. |
Captain Ed: The AP reports that Congressional investigators keep documenting more destinations for the $21 billion Saddam stole from... |
Bush Names Rice Secretary of State By / WaPo — Permalink President Bush today nominated national security adviser Condoleezza Rice to be his next secretary of state. She will be replacing Colin L. Powell, who announced his resignation yesterday, ending four years of battles with Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld over the course of U.S. foreign policy. | |
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James Joyner: President Nominates Condoleeza Rice to Succeed Colin Powell as Secretary of State — Bush Nominates Rice Secretary of... Steve Bainbridge: With Condoleezza Rice having been nominated as Secretary of State, the Party of Lincoln has now named both of the... |
Bill @INDCJournal: Rice as SecState — I'm surprisingly detached about the appointment. Josh Marshall: Rice replaces Powell; Hadley replaces Rice; Armitage to depart State with Powell. Longer version here at the Post. |
Dems fear lobbying blacklist By / The Hill — Permalink Scores of soon-to-be-unemployed Democrats fear that their party's electoral defeat could hinder their ability to find work on K Street, a traditional safe haven and source of employment for Capitol Hill staff. | |
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Shawn @LiquidList: According to this Hill article, the word on said hill is that "powerful Republicans" (Delay) have put the word out to K... Sam Rosenfeld: The Hill reports that Tom Daschle's outgoing staffers are suffering the worst of it: [snipped quote] The town's only getting colder. |
Orrin Judd: WHEN GOING WASHINGTON MEANS SHIFTING RIGHT: Dems fear lobbying blacklist (Geoff Earle. |
Intolerance Is Not a 'Value' By / WaPo — Permalink One of my favorite teachers was a wiry little man with thick, horn-rimmed glasses who taught us fifth grade. It's been 40 years, but I can still see his crooked grin and hear his voice cracking with excitement. | |
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Avedon Carol: "I'm not sure who Timothy M. Gay is, but he wrote one of the articles Julia linked, which says: There are a lot of..." Andrew Sullivan: THE COST OF DEMONIZATION: A powerful op-ed in the Washington Post today that does indeed lay bare the ugly dangers of... |
Orrin Judd: ENDORSING SELF-HATRED IS NOT A VIRTUE: Intolerance Is Not a 'Value' (Timothy M. Gay, November 16, 2004, Washington Post)... Richard TPD: Hating gays is not a "moral value" — A powerfully worded column in today's WAPO blasts Karl Rove's strategy of demonizing gays for short-term political reward. |
Pictures of N Korea's Kim 'missing' BBC — Permalink Some portraits of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il have reportedly been taken down in Pyongyang, news agencies quoted diplomats as saying on Tuesday. The portraits were removed from some public buildings, the diplomats said. | |
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Captain Ed: An Unclear Picture In Pyongyang — The BBC reports this morning that pictures of North Korea's personality-cult leader... KJL: "DEAR LEADER" — Where is he going...or gone? |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: WHAT THE . . . Please tell me that this means what I think it might mean. |
CNN reporter: Kerry not public's cup of tea By / Palm Beach Post — Permalink WEST PALM BEACH — You've heard of red states and blue states, now what about those crucial green tea states? During a luncheon speech Monday to the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches, CNN political correspondent Candy Crowley shared an early memory from the campaign trail that may explain why John Kerry will not be president next year. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: Shocking, I know: [snipped quote] I agree that John Kerry didn't bond with the common person, but there is a contingent... JD @SouthernAppeal: Democrats have to close the green tea gap: How cool would it have been to be the waitress looked at him like he had something growing out of his head? PoliPundit: Quote of the Day — John Kerry, to a puzzled Holiday Inn waitress in 2003: "I'd like to start out with some green tea." |
Taegan Goddard: CNN's Candy Crowley, quoted by the Palm Beach Post, saying a breakfast interview with Sen. John Kerry at a Holiday... Steve Bainbridge: Well, not me this time. Instead, I give you CNN reporter Candy Crowley: [snipped quote] Heh. (For the record, I too like green tea.) |
A Bombardier's Reflection By / Opinion Journal — Permalink Jean Jacques Rousseau said that God is a comedian playing to an audience that is afraid to laugh. In his film "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb," Stanley Kubrick, to some a "god" in the pantheon of cinema, made us laugh out loud at thermonuclear war. | |
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Orrin Judd: WE'LL MEET AGAIN: A Bombardier's Reflection: The 40th anniversary of "Dr. Strangelove" prompts some Cold War reminiscences. Steve Bainbridge: Dr. Strangelove — Over at OpinionJournal.com, James Earl Jones offers a fascinating reminiscence of making Dr. Strangelove with Stanley Kubrick. |
Michael DeBow: Negative function: Fans of Dr. Strangelove will want to read James Earl Jones's column on Opinion Journal today, written to note the movie's 40th anniversary. |
Karl Rove in Running for Time's Person of the Year By / Reuters — Permalink NEW YORK (Reuters) - White House adviser Karl Rove topped the unofficial list of contenders for Time's 2004 Person of the Year, according to a panel assembled by the magazine on Tuesday to debate the question. | |
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Taegan Goddard: White House adviser Karl Rove topped the unofficial list of contenders for Time's 2004 Person of the Year, Reuters reports. |
Betsy Newmark: Apparently, several other pundits are thinking along the same lines. |
GOP Lawmakers Alter Intelligence Reform Bill to Cloak Financial Ties By / LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — Citing national security concerns, some Republican members of Congress are trying to limit the personal financial information that top federal officials must disclose. It also would end the practice of disclosing the dates of stock transactions. | |
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MB Williams: This piece buried deep in the LA Times today only strengthens that nagging concern: "GOP Lawmakers Alter Intelligence... Kevin Drum: STEALTH SQUARED....Speaking of stealth legislation, how do you like these apples? [snipped quote] Yes, that makes sense. |
Ezra Klein: We should all rejoice now that the 9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act will end this repugnant practice. |
In '08, familiar faces could aid Democrats By / Boston Globe — Permalink WASHINGTON — John Kerry returned to Washington last week and did something surprising for a defeated Democratic presidential nominee. He met with his party's leaders in the House and Senate to plot strategy for the upcoming year. | |
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Liz Cox Barrett: We (Still) Don't See No Elephants Today, the Boston Globe's Peter S. Canellos, in his weekly "National Perspective"... Taegan Goddard: Kerry Plots Future Role — Sen. John Kerry "returned to Washington last week and did something surprising for a defeated Democratic presidential nominee," the Boston Globe reports. |
Noam Scheiber: Peter Canellos has an interesting article in the Boston Globe arguing that the GOP benefits from its tendency to... Orrin Judd: In '08, familiar faces could aid Democrats (Peter S. Canellos, November 16, 2004, Boston Globe) [snipped quote] Of... |
No patriots in Bragg's socialist 'Vow' By / Telegraph — Permalink Billy Bragg, the Left-wing songwriter, has written a new version of the classic Remembrance Sunday hymn, I Vow To Thee My Country, with the emphasis on socialism rather than patriotism. | |
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Andrew Stuttaford: Songwriter Billy Bragg has come to the rescue with lyrics so irritating that I will now look at 'Imagine' with strange new respect. |
Stephen Pollard: Imagine — Lovely line by Andrew Stuttaford on Billy Bragg's new lyrics for I vow to thee my country. |
Former G.I.'s, Ordered to War, Fight Not to Go By / NYT — Permalink The Army has encountered resistance from more than 2,000 former soldiers it has ordered back to military work, complicating its efforts to fill gaps in the regular troops. | |
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Kos: So I tell these fellow former soldiers, receiving callups from the Pentagon, to fight the callups with every available resources. Steve Gilliard: Tales from the backdoor draft — Next stop, Toronto Former G.I.'s, Ordered to War, Fight Not to Go By MONICA DAVEY... |
Cori Dauber: Under Bill Keller when the the Times goes on a crusade the story's important, but the coverage tends to be disingenuous. Hecate: Soldiers Reluctant to Go — More and more soldiers appear to be saying, "Heck, no! We won't go!" . |
Mr. Powell Departs WaPo — Permalink AS SECRETARY OF state, Colin L. Powell liked to think of himself as a latter-day George C. Marshall, a loyal soldier who did his best to carry out his president's policies even if he didn't entirely agree with them. | |
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James Martin Capozzola: And the reviews of Powell's performance are rolling in: They're not good. Richard TPD: Rewarding failure — Vintage example of how the bush government operates. [snipped quote] And do you really believe he'll ever acknowledhge that? |
Matthew Yglesias: Wise words from The Washington Post editorial page: "Mr. Powell's departure may well lead to fewer arguments and more... |
Ivory Coast Hate Broadcasts Have Ended, U.N. Says By / Reuters — Permalink UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations said on Tuesday it had intervened to stop Ivory Coast radio and television stations from broadcasting hate messages aimed at French nationals and other foreigners. | |
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Arthur Chrenkoff: Meanwhile not in Iraq — The United Nations does its bit for international peace: [snipped quote] I'm sure that the... |
Ace: Anti-French Hate Broadcasts Ended in the Ivory Coast — But I'm pleased to announce that Ace of Spades HQ will continue such messages. |
Will the Moderates Speak Up? By / WaPo — Permalink So will moderate Republicans stand up? Or will the Republican right render them even more impotent than they were before Nov. 2? With our nation's capital now under even firmer Republican domination, conservatives are claiming a mandate for everything from the partial privatization of Social Security to a transformation of the judiciary. | |
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Joe Gandelman: How To Unsuccessfully Fill A Column Slot — Columnist E. J. Dionne Jr. writes the ultimate space-filling column today... Oliver Willis: EJ Dionne Barks Up A Tree That Doesn't Exist — He asks: Will the Moderates Speak Up? No, no they won't. Jesse Taylor: To E.J. Dionne — No. Next question? |
Nick Gillespie: O Where O Where Are the Moderate Republicans? Susan Madrak: THOSE MODERATE REPUBLICANS — You know, I have even less respect for this bunch, because they provide protective cover... |
Berry Won't Leave Civil Rights Panel When Term Expires By / Human Events — Permalink Mary Frances Berry, the combative chairwoman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, won't step down when her term expires in December, vowing instead to stay on the job six weeks longer at the government's expense. | |
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Lorie Byrd: The latest from her is not a bit surprising. |
KJL: MARY FRANCES BERRY'S term is up, but she ain't budging. |
DMV Chief Backs Tax by Mile By / LAT — Permalink SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday appointed a new Department of Motor Vehicles director who has advocated taxing motorists for every mile they drive — by placing tracking devices in their cars. | |
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Dale Franks: Well, it's all possible under the plan proposed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's new DMV chief, Joan Borucki. |
Kevin Drum: First this: [snipped quote] Let me get this straight. |
Brand Management By / American Prospect — Permalink After an initial post-election obsession with the phenomenon of "values" voters, more liberals seem open to the idea that improving the Democratic Party's image on national security could prove a more fruitful vein for electoral success. This, I think, is right. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: I SENSE AN INCONGRUITY — Via Kevin Drum, I find this article by Matthew Yglesias discussing how Democrats can be competitive again on the issue of national security. |
Kevin Drum: DEMOCRATS AND TERROR...Matt Yglesias suggests a few ways in which Democrats can gain more credibility on national... |
Fallujah Marine in Trouble for Pulling a Kerry NewsMax.com — Permalink The television press was awash Monday night with video of a U.S. Marine entering a Fallujah terrorist nest filled with dead snipers who, moments earlier, had been shooting at his unit. | |
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Lorie Byrd: MORE: Instapundit posted this comparison earlier found at Newsmax which noted that the least the media can do is cut this Marine the same slack they did John Kerry. |
Glenn Reynolds: FALLUJAH MARINE IN TROUBLE FOR "PULLING A KERRY:" [snipped quote] This is a twist. UPDATE: Bigwig says it was a fully justified Kerry. |
Wholesale Prices Jump on Energy Costs AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) — Propelled by sharply higher energy and food costs, wholesale prices soared by 1.7 percent in October, the largest increase since early 1990. The Producer Price Index measures costs of goods before they reach store shelves. | |
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Steve Soto: In the first Producer Price Index report since the election, wholesale prices "suddenly" shot up 1.7% in just the month of October, the largest increase in almost 15 years. Steve Antler: Loyal EconoPunditistas will say... they heard this here first. |
Stirling Newberry: Were people listening in macro-economics? Clearly not whoever is running the Fed these days. Wholesale prices jump. |
Porter's Purge NRO — Permalink I really didn't think I needed much help understanding the screams of misery emerging from the CIA's plush campus over in Langley, but since I've always taken a second opinion from America's most famous spy, I hit the trusty ouija board and very quickly — for... | |
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Dale Franks: Indeed, as Michael Ledeen characterizes the CIA today: [snipped quote] Yeah. Those guys. Joe Gandelman: Are you sure he wasn't a dissident CIA agent or an associate of Colin Powell's? |
Roger L. Simon: Brother Ledeen at the Ouija Board — JJA is back to explain the contretemps at Langley. |
U.S. Military Investigating Marine Shooting By / AP — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - The U.S. military said Tuesday it is investigating the videotaped fatal shooting of a wounded man by a U.S. Marine in a mosque in Fallujah. Iraqis condemned the act as "cowardice" and "something forbidden in Islam." | |
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Andrew Sullivan: A KILLING IN FALLUJA I: The video is grim enough; and if the marine in question is found guilty of violating rules of conduct, then he should face punishment. |
Greyhawk: Update: Damn. Wasn't aware of this story when I first posted this entry. Bizarre timing incident, to say the least. |
U.S. probes shooting of insurgent in Fallujah AP — Permalink The U.S. military is investigating the videotaped fatal shooting of a wounded and apparently unarmed Iraqi prisoner by a U.S. Marine in a mosque in Fallujah, a Marine spokesman said. | |
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Blackfive: Update: You can go to MSNBC to the Today Show's footage. The introduction by Matt Lauer is one sided (guess which?) . |
Rickheller @Centerfield: Shooting The Wounded? Did a Marine execute a wounded prisoner contrary to the Geneva Conventions. MSNBC has a link to the video. |
West Virginia Heads Down a Political Road Less Taken By / NYT — Permalink CHARLESTON, W. Va., Nov. 12 - On the eve of the presidential election, Democrats here could practically taste victory for Senator John Kerry. Senator Robert C. Byrd, the party's revered elder statesman, headlined boisterous rallies that seemed to augur a huge Democratic turnout. | |
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Hugh Hewitt: And don't miss the story of West Virginia's transition from blue to red, recounted by James Dao in today's New York Times. Taegan Goddard: "Drawn by a powerful conservatism on issues like abortion, gun control and same-sex marriage, and fed up with the... PoliPundit: West Virginia — West Virginia is getting much redder. In a decade, it may go the way of Kentucky, which has an all-Republican Congressional delegation. |
Orrin Judd: AND REDDER: West Virginia Heads Down a Political Road Less Taken (JAMES DAO, 11/16/04, NY Times) [snipped quote] Folks... Betsy Newmark: The NY Times looks at how West Virginia is trending towards the Republicans. Of course, the real test will be when Robert Byrd runs for reelection. |
U.S. Marines Rally Round Iraq Probe Comrade By / Reuters — Permalink FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. Marines rallied round a comrade under investigation for killing a wounded Iraqi during the offensive in Falluja, saying he was probably under combat stress in unpredictable, hair-trigger circumstances. | |
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Joel Foreman: Update: Marines are defending their brother in arms. |
Eugene Oregon: In fact, some Marines are already pissed that there is going to be any investigation at all [quote] "I would have shot the insurgent too.[end quote] |
Democrats Elect Reid as Senate Minority Leader By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 - Senator Harry Reid of Nevada was elected the Senate's minority leader today and vowed to strive for good working relationships with President Bush and Republican lawmakers. | |
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David Allan Pell: Meet the new Senate minority leader Harry Reid. His election, which was expected, seems to mark a distinct move towards the center or beyond. |
Hecate: Reid It And Weep — Well, they did it. The Dems have picked Harry Reid to lead the party. Good luck, Harry. You're going to need it. |
Conservative host returns to the air after week suspension for using racial slur Houston Chronicle — Permalink MILWAUKEE — A conservative radio show host who was taken off the air for using an ethnic slur resumed his show Monday, but vowed that he will not change the tone of his program. Mark Belling used the word "wetback," a derogatory term for illegal Mexican immigrants, on his Oct. 27 show about potential voter fraud in Wisconsin. | |
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Jesse Taylor: Now THAT Is (Godawful) Entertainment — Rush Limbaugh substitute host uses the word "wetback" on air, gets a week off-air and gets to keep his show. |
Eugene Oregon: TPLGOP — Mark Belling loves the GOP "A conservative radio show host who was taken off the air for using an ethnic... |
Nevada's Reid Tapped to Lead Dem. Caucus By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Sen. Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record) of Nevada won election as leader of the shrunken Democratic minority on Tuesday and said he stands ready to cooperate with Republicans or confront them as he deems necessary. "I always would rather dance than fight. | |
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Orrin Judd: For some perspective check out this factoid, Nevada's Reid Tapped to Lead Dem. |
C. D. Harris: So, their constantly repeated comparison to him having been rendered inoperative, they will no doubt be pleased that a... |
If at first you don't secede By / Salon — Permalink In the days after the election, fantasies of blue-state secession ricocheted around the Internet. Liberals indulged in maps showing Canada gathering the blue states into its social democratic embrace, leaving the red states to form their own "Jesusland." | |
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Rickheller @Centerfield: Federalism — Liberals are discovering state's rights. Conservatives are less enamored with it than before. |
Joe Carter: Apparently, some of them are starting to come to that same conclusion |
F.D.A. Strengthens Warning on the Abortion Pill By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 - The death of a California woman in January after she took an abortion pill prompted federal drug regulators on Monday to strengthen the warning label on the drug, RU-486, also known as mifepristone. | |
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Chris Mooney: See here for the New York Times report on this. In the wake of a death attributed to this drug, pro-lifers want it withdrawn from the market. |
Arnold P. California: Attack on Reason, Part 397 — Here's a suggestion: Concerned Women for America should demand the banning of every drug... |
Kerry critic displays courage under fire By / Chicago Sun Times — Permalink Of all the targets of vitriol and attempted ambushes during the presidential campaign, I most admired John O'Neill of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth for his calm determination to stand his ground on his charges against John Kerry's Vietnam service in Unfit for Command, the book he co-authored. | |
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The Big Trunk: In praise of John O'Neill — In the Chicago Sun-Times Nat Hentoff pays tribute to the essential Swift Boat Vet: "Kerry critic displays courage under fire." |
Betsy Newmark: Nat Hentoff is not a crazy right-wing extremist. So, when he credits the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, attention should be paid. |
U.S. to Probe Shooting of Wounded Iraqi By / AP — Permalink NEW YORK (AP) - A U.S. Marine shot and killed a wounded and apparently unarmed Iraqi prisoner in a mosque in the former insurgent stronghold of Fallujah, according to dramatic pool television pictures broadcast Monday. A Marine spokesman in Washington said the shooting was under investigation. | |
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Barbara O'Brien: Meanwhile, the crew at Little Green Footballs (to which I'm not linking) is working overtime to justify a U.S. marine's... Vox Day: No quarter — [snipped quote] Sorry, but if you're booby-trapping your own dead and using suicide bombers as a primary... Joel Foreman: It's stories like this one that make me sympathize with anti-war folks while at the same time feeling more and more like we have to fight dirty to win against jihadists. |
McQ: If that is indeed the case, I'm sure some action will be taken." It appears that's precisely what is happening now. Jason Van Steenwyk: Shooting — Technically speaking, I'd have to say that this Marine is probably guilty of murder. Ace: US Soldier "Executes" Terrorist Playing Dead — The left's new Abu Ghraib? |
| Also: Lorie Byrd | |
Former Soldiers Fighting Army on Callbacks By / NYT — Permalink The Army has encountered resistance from more than 2,000 former soldiers it has ordered back to military work, complicating its efforts to fill gaps in the regular troops. | |
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Tom Tomorrow: ...whoops! Here's the link. Mathew Gross: Former Soldiers Fighting Army on Callbacks NYT: "The Army has encountered resistance from more than 2,000 former... |
Jeralyn Merritt: There are 2,000 former soldiers fighting callbacks to the army. Another 110,000 are watching how it plays out. |
Rice's NSC Tenure Complicates New Post WaPo — Permalink Condoleezza Rice, who will be named as Colin L. Powell's replacement as early as today, has forged an extraordinarily close relationship with President Bush. But, paradoxically, many experts consider her one of the weakest national security advisers in recent history in terms of managing interagency conflicts. | |
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Joe Gandelman: But Washington Post notes that Rice has her work cut out for her since the paper says she is not exactly beloved in the... Matthew Yglesias: A Most Ingenius Paradox — I'm with Josh, there's nothing especially "paradoxical" about President Mismanagement wanting to promote his inept National Security Advisor. Orrin Judd: TALK ABOUT MISSING THE POINT: Rice's NSC Tenure Complicates New Post: Failure to Manage Agency Infighting Cited (Glenn... |
Laura Rozen: David Rothkopf, via this Washington Post piece, identifies the real crux of the problem of design in Bush's national... Jesse Taylor: B.) Was godawful at mediating interagency conflicts in the intelligence community. Steve Soto: Washington Post Does First Hit Piece On Rice — In an unusually pointed critique of Rice's failings as a NSA and her... |
| Also: Daniel Drezner, Josh Marshall | |
Marine kills injured prisoner in Iraqi mosque MSNBC — Permalink FALLUJAH, Iraq — The U.S. military is investigating the killing of a wounded and apparently unarmed Iraqi prisoner inside a mosque during combat operations here, the Defense Department told NBC News on Monday. | |
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Steve M.: I don't find myself inclined to be self-righteous as I read about the apparent shooting of an unarmed prisoner by a... Betsy Newmark: I sure hope this story of a Marine shooting a wounded man in Fallujah won't become the newest media shark feeding like Abu Ghraib. Tom Tomorrow: More important matters — I assume you've heard about this by now. |
Cori Dauber: (This is a truncated version of the report from last night.) You have to chalk this up as another demonstration of the wisdom of embedding. Matthew Yglesias: UPDATE: It's shocking, really, to see things like this go down. Eugene Oregon: Watch the Video — Following up on Arnold's earlier post I just wanted to highlight this report from NBC's Kevin Sites,... |
| Also: Mathew Gross, Jeralyn Merritt, Mitch Berg, Lambert @Corrente, Ezra Klein | |
Penn Hills studying Santorum residency issue By / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — Permalink The Penn Hills School District, which is paying about $38,000 a year for five of U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum's children to attend a cyber charter school, is looking into whether the Republican senator resides in the district. | |
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James Martin Capozzola: According to Sunday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ("Penn Hills Studying Santorum Residency Issue," by Eleanor Chute), "The... Avedon Carol: (Pete is also very excited about this little scandal involving Senator Man-on-Dog.) 04:49 GMT |
Susan Madrak: DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO — I actually feel a warm glow when someone points out yet another glaring example of... |
A Jew defends the cross By / Townhall.com — Permalink Here is a description of the seal of Los Angeles County. There are six small panels, three going up and down each side of the seal's central figure. Top left: engineering instruments. | |
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SLZoll: 2. Then, there is Dennis Prager's exciting tale of derring-do, "A Jew Defends the Cross." |
In-Cog-Nito @ChicagoBoyz: Prager Article — Good article by Dennis Prager. |
Tax cuts here and abroad By / Townhall.com — Permalink President Bush's tax cuts over the last four years were strongly opposed by liberals, and even many moderates saw them as controversial, at least. So it is interesting to discover, according to a new report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and... | |
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Jesse Taylor: Europe's Doing It! If someone can explain the point of this Bruce Bartlett column to me, I'd be very appreciative. |
Greg Ransom: TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH IN EUROPE. |
After day of cabinet resignations, many fear a shift to the right Knight Ridder — Permalink WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Colin Powell's resignation and a flood of high-level departures at the State Department and CIA remove the cautionary voices that had often acted as a brake on President Bush's aggressive foreign policy. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: I think Warren Strobel and Jonathan Landay characterize the shifts in the Bush national security team just right: ... Barbara O'Brien: Warren Strobel and Jonathan Landay at Knight Ridder write, "U.S. officials and foreign policy analysts said Monday that... Orrin Judd: MORE: After day of cabinet resignations, many fear a shift to the right (Warren P. Strobel and Jonathan S. Landay,... |
Joe Gandelman: Knight-Ridder reporters Warren Strobel and Jonathan Landay write that some fear it's of a move by the administration... Laura Rozen: Dick Cheney. Late Monday Update: Strobel & Landay: Powell was pushed out a bit earlier than he would have wished. Gregory Djerejian: Department of 'It's the Small Things' — [snipped quote] ( Strobel over at Knight-Ridder, hat tip: Laura Rozen) |
Moves Cement Hard-Line Stance On Foreign Policy By / WaPo — Permalink Powell's departure — and Bush's intention to name his confidante, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, as Powell's replacement — would mark the triumph of a hard-edged approach to diplomacy espoused by Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. | |
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Joe Gandelman: For instance, the Washington Post echoes the view that Powell's departure and Rice's elevation indicate foreign policy... Gregory Djerejian: Or will they all be operating in lockstep, as this Glenn Kessler piece suggests? MORE: Read this too. |
Betsy Newmark: You can hear the Washington Post the yelps of dismay that their golden boy, Colin Powell, is leaving, and being replaced by that "hard-liner," Condi Rice. Jeralyn Merritt: Update: The Washington Post says the appointment of Rice as Secretary of State is a cementing of the hawkish approach to foreign policy endorsed by Cheney and Rumsfeld. |
Schumer Says He Won't Run For Governor NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 - Senator Charles E. Schumer on Monday ruled out running for governor of New York in 2006, saying that he would instead help lead the Democratic Party's efforts to retake the Senate. | |
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Hecate: Mr Elliot Spitzer to the Red Phone Please The NYT says Shumer will stay in D.C. By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ and MICHAEL... Orrin Judd: YEAH, HE'S GOT HIS FINGER ON THE PULSE OF MIDDLE AMERICA...: Schumer Says He Won't Run For Governor (RAYMOND HERNANDEZ... |
Pessimist @LeftCoaster: Schumer Says He Won't Run for Governor [snipped quote] All it took was a good ego stroking! |
Military investigates shooting of wounded insurgent CNN — Permalink FALLUJA, Iraq (CNN) — The U.S. military is investigating whether a Marine shot dead an unarmed, wounded insurgent during the battle for Falluja in an incident captured on videotape by a pool reporter. | |
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Captain Ed: Marine Shoots Wounded Iraqi, Film At 11 — An NBC News embed videotaped a Marine shooting an apparently wounded Iraqi... Arnold P. California: [quote] A Marine approached one of the men in the mosque saying, "He's [expletive] faking he's dead. He's faking he's [expletive] dead."[end quote] Hecate: Every war has atrocities. Now, there's a new one in Iraq. But it's too icky to show on tv. Too bad. |
Oliver @LiquidList: Now that Bush's neutered Voice Of ReasonTM has found his way back to the Reality Based CommunityTM, and Bush has... Eugene Oregon: So now the military is going to "investigate" the incident. |
Election Over, McCain Criticizes Bush on Climate Change By / NYT — Permalink Wasting no time distancing himself from President Bush on an issue that has long divided them, Senator John McCain yesterday called the White House stance on climate change "terribly disappointing" and said inaction in the face of mounting scientific data was unjustified. | |
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Steve Soto: So when you now want to regain your honor by criticizing Bush on things you want to run on in 2008, no one will buy it. |
Mathew Gross: Too Late — Election Over, McCain Criticizes Bush on Climate Change. Fat lot of good that does us now, Senator. |
Marines Investigate Apparent Slaying of Wounded Insurgent By / WaPo — Permalink Marine commanders in Iraq are investigating an incident in which a Marine apparently shot and killed a severely wounded and unarmed Iraqi in a mosque in Fallujah, a Pentagon official said last night. | |
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Cori Dauber: THE SHOOTING OF THE UNARMED ENEMY — The top part of this article precisely follows the details as laid out by Kevin Sites, (far more than is true for all of the reports so far.) |
Armed Liberal: The Horror of War, In Our Living Rooms — None of us know what happened inside the mosque in Fallouja. |
Holland's Deadly Tolerance By / Weekly Standard — Permalink THE AFTERNOON of Election Day in Washington, one of the Dutch journalists in town to cover the vote mentioned to me that there had been a spectacular killing in Amsterdam that morning, which would be international news as soon as the dust cleared from the Bush-Kerry contest. | |
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Orrin Judd: ARE WE ALL INQUISITORS NOW? : Holland's Deadly Tolerance: Another political assassination and its aftermath. |
Tim Blair: Progressives may be unmoved, but the Dutch are taking action: "At this point, the Dutch seem more inclined to move from... |
C.I.A. Churning Continues as 2 Top Officials Resign By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 - The head of the Central Intelligence Agency's clandestine service and his deputy both resigned their posts on Monday, effective immediately, becoming the most significant casualties of an effort by Porter J. Goss to overhaul the agency's spying operations. | |
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Gregory Djerejian: Cabinet and Sub-Cabinet Going-Ons — OK, so Powell is out; Condi is in; Hadley to replace Condi; Rummy appears (alas) to... |
Steve Soto: Goss Forces Out Two More From CIA — Continuing his White House-directed purge of CIA officials that won't be rubber... |
Officials Double Saddam's Oil-for-Food Theft AP — Permalink WASHINGTON — Saddam Hussein's (search) regime made more than $21.3 billion in illegal revenue by subverting the U.N. Oil-for-Food program and other sanctions — more than double previous estimates, according to congressional investigators. | |
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Andrew Sullivan: IT GETS WORSE: The amount of money siphoned from the U.N.'s "oil-for-food" program in Iraq may be double what we originally feared. |
Jan Haugland: UNSCAM update — US Congressional investigators of the oil-for-food palaces scandal now estimate that Saddam Hussein's... |
Condoleezza Rice to Be Named Secretary of State ABCNEWS — Permalink Nov. 15, 2004— National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, one of President Bush's closest counselors, will be nominated to replace Colin Powell as secretary of state, ABC News has learned. Senior administration sources confirmed that Rice would be Bush's choice. | |
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Steve M.: Condoleezza Rice will replace Colin Powell as secretary of state and her deputy, Stephen Hadley, will move up to her job; here's ABC's online story. Laura Rozen: Second term national security team scorecard: Rice to State, Stephen Hadley to become national security advisor,... Pejman Yousefzadeh: UPDATE: It looks like we will have Secretary of State Rice. This would appear to mean that Rumsfeld is not leaving anytime soon. |
Joe Gandelman: Topped Rice _1992852_rice_150afp President George Bush has ordered Rice for the State Department: he will propose... Glenn Reynolds: ABC NEWS IS REPORTING that Condi Rice will replace Colin Powell as Secretary of State. John Hawkins: ACLU: Bigot Bush Dumps Black Powell For Christian Condi By Scott Ott — President George Bush today added to his "record... |
| Also: Whiskey, Charles Johnson, Daniel Drezner, Jan Haugland, Susanna Cornett, Bird Dog, Oliver Willis, Ann Althouse, Roger L. Simon, Mathew Gross, Alisa @SilentRunning, Josh Marshall | |
Man Sets Himself on Fire Near White House By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - A man set himself afire Monday just outside a White House gate and repeatedly yelled "Allah Allah" after Secret Service officers put out the flames and one held him facedown on the sidewalk. | |
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The Big Trunk: A job action — According to the Washington Post, the bearded gent shouting "Allah" outside the White House yesterday... Laura Rozen: Is it just me, or does this seem like an unproductive way to treat someone cooperating in the war on terror, or for that... Joe Gandelman: Man Sets Himself On Fire Outside The White House — It turns out he was an FBI terrorism informant. |
Hecate: Recently, we've had a suicide at the site of the World Trade Towers, apparently to protest the election and now, a man... Jeff A. Taylor: Better there than here. Update: That human torch turns out to be an FBI anti-terror informant. I'm done here. Utterly spent. Skippy: flaming snitch talkleft is telling us the man who set himself on fire in front of the white house yesterday was an fbi informant. |
| Also: Armed Liberal, Jeralyn Merritt, Oliver @LiquidList | |
Bush Envoy Calls on Israel to Release Jailed Palestinian Leader By / Village Voice — Permalink During an interview with host Larry King on CNN last night, James. A Baker, the former U.S. secretary of state, who currently serves as the Bush administration's special envoy on Iraqi debt, called on the Israeli government to release Marwan Barghouti, the... | |
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Jan Haugland: Arafat II — I hope James Baker is not representing Bush's Middle East policy when he is asking Israel to release mass-murdering terrorist Marwan Barghouti. Captain Ed: James Baker urged Israel to release a Palestinian who masterminded several of the attacks that murdered scores of... The Big Trunk: Philosophizing disgrace — James Baker has called on Israel to release Marwoun Barghouti, who is serving five life... |
Arthur Chrenkoff: James Baker's realpolitik — Bush Sr's Secretary of State, Bush Jr's special envoy on Iraqi debt, and Kerry's not-to-be... Charles Johnson: Baker Calls for Release of Terrorist — Here's a glimpse of what John Kerry's foreign policy might have meant for... Orrin Judd: HE JUST THINKS HE'S VON KARAJAN: Bush Envoy Calls on Israel to Release Jailed Palestinian Leader (Kareem Fahim, November... |
Bush Chooses Rice to Replace Powell By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - President Bush has chosen national security adviser Condoleezza Rice to replace Colin Powell as secretary of state in his second term, a senior administration official said Monday. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Meanwhile, there were other resignations as well that mean saying "adios" to Education Secretary Rod Paige, Agriculture Secretary Ann Venemen and Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. Whiskey: Addendum from Ed: Whiskey and I agree on the selection of Dr. Rice, which is also being reported by the AP. Steve Soto: Yup, Rice Will Replace Powell (check your back Colin) It's a done deal. |
Baldilocks: Secretary of State Colin Powell, Secretary of Education Rod Paige, Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman, and Secretary... SK Bubba: Oh Condaleeza won't you come out tonight! Condolezza "Mushroom Cloud" Rice to replace Powell at Secretary of State. Jesse Taylor: Rice In The Soup — Bush is going to nominate Condoleeza Rice to take Colin Powell's place. So, we take an incompetent NSA and promote her? |
Safire to Retire from 'NYT' Op-Ed Column By / Editor and Publisher — Permalink NEW YORK William Safire, the conservative voice on the New York Times Op-Ed page for more than three decades, will end his regular column in early 2005, a Times spokeswoman said Monday. | |
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Edward _: UPDATE 2: Speaking of not letting the door hit you: Marshall links to this report that William (I can't believe I get... Mitch Berg: Exit Safire — One less reason to read the Times, coming this January;Safire is retiring. Safire's always been an inspiration to me. Tbogg: Having stopped thinking back in the eighties, William Safire has finally elected to stop writing...his columns that is. |
DeLong: William Safire Off the Op-Ed Page — Joshua Micah Marshall writes that William Safire is retiring from the New York... Josh Marshall: Safire to exit — OpEd page early next year. It's not a day for criticism, I guess There were many good days in the past, no doubt. Betsy Newmark: I'll miss Safire in the NY Times. Now, David Brooks' column is the only reason to read the thing. |
| Also: Susan Madrak | |
The CIA Fights Back By / Weekly Standard — Permalink ON NOVEMBER 5, 2004, a top aide to new CIA Director Porter Goss warned the associate deputy director of counterintelligence about unauthorized leaks to the media. It was an admonition that might be considered unnecessary: secrecy is a hallmark of the agency and, in any case, such leaks are often against the law. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: And read this on goings-on at the CIA. Matthew Yglesias: Stephen Hayes has a piece out in The Weekly Standard pretending not to understand what's happening at the CIA and... Avedon Carol: Cannibals — There's a lot out right now about the "war" between the White House and the CIA. |
Roger L. Simon: UPDATE: Stephen Hayes has more on the Leakers of Langley, including an explication de Washington Post texte. Jeff Goldstein: CIAo — Stephen Hayes, "The CIA Fights Back," The Weekly Standard, Nov. 15: [snipped quote] One of the reasons I voted... The Big Trunk: The bureacracy at war — At the Standard Online Stephen Hayes provides the essential guide to the fight the CIA is most intent on winning: "The CIA fights back." |
| Also: Orrin Judd, Betsy Newmark | |
Powell Said Poised to Leave Bush Cabinet By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Colin Powell , who pleaded President Bush 's case for ousting Iraq 's Saddam Hussein to a skeptical U.N. Security Council, told top aides Monday he will resign from the Cabinet, high-ranking State Department officials said. | |
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Tarek @LiquidList: My boss and I were joshing around with some possible futures for departing Bush Cabinet members. Pejman Yousefzadeh: THE DEPARTURE OF COLIN POWELL — Colin Powell was a good Secretary of State, but if there was an obstacle between him... Steve M.: David Halberstam, The Best and the Brightest Hmmm ... first Bush moves to purge the CIA of "officers believed to have... |
Joe Gandelman: It has long been rumored that Powell would only serve one term anyway and news reports say he plans to leave as soon as Bush picks a successor. Edward _: Let him mop up the mess. UPDATE: Add Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman and Education Secretary Rod Paige to the list. Captain Ed: The AP offers John Danforth as the leading candidate: [snipped quote] I'd expect Rice to get the nod over Powell, but Danforth is an intriguing selection. |
| Also: Laura Rozen, Ann Althouse, Roger L. Simon, Alisa @SilentRunning | |
Military Bases Warned on Boy Scouts By / AP — Permalink CHICAGO - The Pentagon has agreed to warn military bases worldwide that they should not directly sponsor Boy Scout troops, partially resolving claims that the government has improperly supported a group that requires members to believe in God. | |
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Greyhawk: Scout's Honor — This is repulsive. and I echo Hugh Hewitt in hoping someone at the Pentagon reverses this nonsense quickly - or better yet declares the whole thing a fraud. Betsy Newmark: Apparently, the military can't sponsor a Boy Scout troop because the scouts require a belief in God. KJL: PENTAGON VS. BOY SCOUTS? The DoD has evidently caved to the ACLU |
Hugh Hewitt: This decision by the Department of Defense to cave to stupid ACLU demands disappoints me. Greg Ransom: THE U.S. MILITARY HAS BANNED THE BOY SCOUTS. Why? Because Boy Scouts believe in God. I kid you not. |
Rice Expected to Be Named Secretary of State Fox News — Permalink WASHINGTON — White House officials said Monday they expect President Bush to name Condoleezza Rice (search) to replace Colin Powell as secretary of state, sources told FOX News on Monday night. | |
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Jan Haugland: Who can blame her? Update: New Secretary of State is expected to be Condoleezza Rice. Jeralyn Merritt: White House Officials: It's Condi Rice — White House officials are telling Fox News that Bush has decided on Condi Rice to replace Colin Powell as Secretary of State. |
Damian Penny: It's Condi — Fox News says Condolezza Rice is going to replace Colin Powell. Richard Lugar was my first choice, but I think she'll do a fine job. Orrin Judd: SHE CHOSE...: Rice Expected to Be Named Secretary of State (Fox News, November 15, 2004) "White House officials said... |
Sources: Colin Powell resigns CNN — Permalink WASHINGTON (CNN) — U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has submitted his resignation to President Bush, a senior administration official told CNN on Monday. Powell is the most prominent of four Cabinet officials whose resignations will be announced Monday, sources told CNN. | |
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Kevin Drum: CABINET RESHUFFLING....CNN reports that four more cabinet members are resigning, including Colin Powell at the State Department. Joe Gandelman: CABINET CHANGES: Powell And Others Resign — The long awaited prediction has come true: Secretary of State Colin Powell,... Charles Johnson: Powell Resigns — Colin Powell resigns. WASHINGTON (CNN) — U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has submitted his... |
Acidman: I respect the man, and I believe that he's done a lot of good, hard work for his country, but I am NOT sorry to see him resign. Captain Ed: Powell Resigns — As expected, Secretary of State Colin Powell has submitted his resignation and will leave the Bush Administration in January, CNN reports this morning. Taegan Goddard: Powell and Three Others Resign From Cabinet — Secretary of State Colin Powell has submitted his resignation to President Bush, a senior administration official told CNN. |
| Also: Nick Confessore, Woundwort, Josh Marshall | |
Secretary of State Powell Expected to Resign By / WaPo — Permalink Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, who has sparred for four years with the more hawkish members of President Bush's war cabinet, plans to announce his resignation today, administration officials said. | |
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The Talking Dog: Goodbye, Grownups — Secretary of State Colin Powell announced his resignation, which is expected to be one of four... David Adesnik: A JOB OPENING FOR PATRICK: Colin Powell resigns. UPDATE: Joe Gandelman rounds-up the reactions to Powell's departure and the speculations about his replacement. Nick Gillespie: The Wash Post is reporting that such figurative and literal heavyweights as Rod "Education" Paige, Ann "Agriculture"... |
Bill @INDCJournal: Now git!" Your predictions/recommendatio ns for SecState? UPDATE: Paige and Veneman are gone as well. Shawn @LiquidList: Politics: Bush Admin Changes Today — WaPo: [snipped quote] Looks like we'll have a much better idea of what the second Bush Administration will look like this week. Daniel Drezner: Open cabinet reshuffle thread — Mike Allen and William Branigin are reporting in the Washington Post that Colin Powell will resign today as Secretary of State. |
| Also: Nick @BeggingToDiffer | |
And the Nominees Are . . . By / Opinion Journal — Permalink The Supreme Court is shaping up as the first defining issue of a second Bush term—and that's before there's a nominee or even an opening. Consider the gauntlet thrown down last week by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist at the Federalist Society's annual conference. | |
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Hugh Hewitt: OpinionJournal.com has a nice recap of the short list of possible Supreme Court nominees. Orrin Judd: EIGHT TENTHS OF THE LAW: And the Nominees Are . . . : Here's a short list of who might be on deck for the Supreme Court. PoliPundit: SCOTUS — Here's your clip-n-save list of possible Supreme Court nominees. |
Steve Dillard: And the Nominees Are . . . : The WSJ has compiled this short list of potential Bush Supreme Court nominees. Mike Rappaport: Possible Justices — The Wall Street Journal lists 8 possible nominees for the Supreme Court. |
Until Successor Is Confirmed, Powell Pledges to Work Hard By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 - Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said today that he would resign as soon as a successor was chosen, the result of what he described as a longstanding agreement with President Bush that he would serve only four years as the nation's chief diplomat. | |
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Roger Ailes: General Powell's legacy won't be the "Powell Doctrine," it will be his United Nations Power Point presentation, the one presenting a fictitious case for invading Iraq. James Martin Capozzola: [Post-publication addendum: The New York Times is reporting additional resignations are expected: Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman and Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham. Richard TPD: Powell's out — No surprise there. Colin was far from perfect, but considering the company he kept, he still stood out as the pearl among the swine. |
David Allan Pell: The Man in the Middle Steps Out — As expected, Colin Powell has left the building. Taegan Goddard: The AP notes speculation on a successor has centered on U.N. Ambassador John Danforth and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice. Gregory Djerejian: Powell Exits — Hasn't been a great day for us over here at B.D. Well, I'm back at the blogging station this Monday evening and will comment on all this shortly. |
Falluja Rebels Battle On; Clashes Across Iraq Reuters — Permalink FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. warplanes bombarded hard core rebel areas of Falluja on Monday and troops hunted insurgents house-to-house, while heavy clashes broke out in other cities and insurgents attacked Iraq's oil network. | |
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Juan Cole: Sunni Arab Regions in Flames — Heavy fighting continued in Fallujah on Monday, according to Reuters, as some guerrillas there demonstrated that they would fight to the death. Steve Gilliard: Battle for Fallujah, part 15 — Wounded GI Juan Cole wrote this today Sunni Arab Regions in Flames "Heavy fighting... |
Steve Soto: With the announcement that Colin Powell amongst others is leaving the administration before a second term begins, and... Jane Galt: He takes a list of cities the insurgents claim to control-Fallujah, Samaraa, Qaem, Baaquba, Hawijah, Tallafar, Heet,... |
Man Tries to Set Self Ablaze at White House Fox News — Permalink An unidentified man tried to set himself on fire outside the White House fence midday Monday, witnesses said. Onlookers said the incident took place outside the Northwest gate. Uniformed Secret Service (search) agents were seen rushing to surround the man, who had graying hair and glasses. | |
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Clayton Cramer: This incident, however, is not something that you can easily ascribe to that sort of cyncial dishonesty Jeff Goldstein: Breaking: Man of "Arab descent" immolates self outside White House (Fox News) Well, it is a free country… ... |
Jim Treacher: Two half-hearted zingers — This game show just got a lot easier. Maybe he was saying, "All o' my skin is hurtin'!" Kiwi Bob: I am not sure this is what was meant by that statement. Anyway it seems he only managed to burn his trousers. |
Shake Up at CIA Headquarters Continues By / WaPo — Permalink The two top officials running the CIA's clandestine service resigned this morning, following a series of clashes with Director Porter J. Goss's chief of staff. Stephen R. Kappes, the deputy director of operations, and his deputy, Michael Sulick, announced their resignations at a senior staff meeting, according to former CIA officials. | |
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David Allan Pell: There are differences of opinion as to whether the shake up at the CIA is justified. But there are probably few who are very surprised. Joe Gandelman: War Report: The war continues — the war between the CIA and the administration, that is. |
Lambert @Corrente: CIA bloodletting continues — I just can't understand why Bush would want winger political operatives from the House to... |
Report: U.S. Marine Kills Wounded Iraqi AP — Permalink In this image taken from pool video provided to the Associated Press by NBC News, a U.S. marine is seen, left, raising his rifle in the direction of Iraqi prisoners lying on the floor of a mosque in Fallujah, Iraq Saturday Nov. | |
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Charles Johnson: NBC: Marine Kills Wounded Iraqi — Here comes the next Abu Ghraib scandal, brought to you with great relish by NBC: Report: U.S. Marine Kills Wounded Iraqi. |
Lambert @Corrente: "(ABC)" Just another fraternity prank.... "The NBC's Kevin Sites says the wounded men had been left in the mosque after marines had fought their way in on Friday and Saturday. |
A not-so-covert swipe at Condi? NY Daily News — Permalink Should Condoleezza Rice be worried about the memoir that ex- CIA director George Tenet is peddling? The former spy chief "trashes" the national security adviser in his book proposal, one publishing insider tells us. | |
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Steve M.: UPDATE: Oh, and speaking of tents and calls of nature, the New York Daily News has this today: Should Condoleezza... Taegan Goddard: However, the New York Daily News notes former CIA Director George Tenet "trashes" Rice in his book proposal. |
Steve Soto: And note that George Tenet may be trashing Rice in his upcoming memoirs. Laura Rozen: George Tenet's confidential, but not classified, book proposal, not kind to the NSC advisor, the NY Daily News reports. |
Sun to Give Out Operating System for Free By / AP — Permalink SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - After investing roughly $500 million and spending years of development time on its next-generation operating system, Sun Microsystems Inc. on Monday will announce an aggressive price for the software - free. | |
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Dale Franks: Via Captain Ed, I see that Sun Microsystems is gonna give away the new version of the Solaris operating system for free as an open source product. |
Captain Ed: Sun Offers Free Operating System — Sun Microsystems announced today that its long-awaited new version of its Solaris... |
A sunny 'W' seizes the moment By / US News — Permalink Suddenly, the West Wing is buzzing with a new sense of possibility. Reports on the assault in Fallujah (story, Page 16) have been cautiously positive. The president's first call to Harry Reid, the new Senate Democratic leader, raised hopes that he might get more cooperation from his congressional adversaries. | |
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David Allan Pell: House Cleaning — From USNews.com: The president is moving briskly to seize the moment. Orrin Judd: THE SUN SHINES EAST, THE SUN SHINES WEST, I KNOW WHERE THE SUN SHINES BEST...: A sunny 'W' seizes the moment: Bush... |
Taegan Goddard: Senior White House officials tell U.S. News that Bush plans to replace at least half his cabinet over the next few months. Ann Althouse: Bush is buoyant, Colin Powell is resigning, Arafat is still dead, there was quick victory in Fallujah, new places may open on the Supreme Court. |
Mini clash of civilizations By / Washington Times — Permalink The Netherlands has long been Europe's most permissive society — everything from window-shopping in Amsterdam for scantily clad hookers (50 to 80 Euros for 15 to 30 minutes) to hashish aroma in marijuana smoke-filled cafes. The government and the sex workers union protect some 30,000 women. | |
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Libertarian: I don't know what Arnaud de Borchgrave is talking about. What we see in Europe is a lack of civilization not a clash of civilizations. Clayton Cramer: Oh yes, this other charming way of responding to criticism: [snipped quote] If, ten years ago, Hollywood had made a... |
The Elder: Arnaud de Borchgrave at the The Washington Times, is calling it "a mini clash of civilizations": Could the Netherlands... Joel Foreman: This Washington Times article lays out the jihad tinder box that is The Netherlands, and makes the case that the Dutch... |
Bush to name campaign chief to head GOP By / AP — Permalink (11-15) 10:00 PST WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush on Monday tapped the chairman of his re-election campaign, Ken Mehlman, to head the Republican Party. Mehlman, a protege of chief White House strategist Karl Rove, is Bush's pick to replace party chairman Ed Gillespie who is returning to the private sector. | |
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Orrin Judd: PERMANENTIZING THE MAJORITY: Bush to name campaign chief to head GOP (RON FOURNIER, November 15, 2004, AP)... |
Leopold Stotch: New RNC Chair — I didn't even know this guy was a Republican ... Update: If you're too young (or lame) to get the joke, click here, then here. |
Tape Urges Strikes on U.S. Troops in Iraq AP — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq 's most feared terror leader told insurgents in an audiotape found Monday on an Islamic Web site that the Americans will move on other guerrilla strongholds after Fallujah and urged the guerrillas to strike first. | |
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Baldilocks: "Iraq's most feared terror leader told insurgents in an audiotape found Monday on an Islamic Web site that the Americans... |
Jeff Quinton: Diggers Realm linked with Former FBI Informant, Mohamed Alanssi, Burns Self In Front Of White House — Another Message... |
Secretary of State Powell quitting; will serve until successor is OK'd MSNBC — Permalink WASHINGTON - Colin Powell has submitted his resignation as secretary of state, joining at least five other Cabinet members in planning to depart either prior to or early in President Bush's second term, sources told NBC News on Monday. | |
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David Allan Pell: Well, that theme is ending, big time. Powell is on the way out. Condi Rice is on the way in. Mathew Gross: Powell Resigns — Not unexpected: [snipped quote] Gotta love those Missouri ex-Senators. |
Jack K.: Sad Little Jokes by Knowledgable sources ...Administration officials, apparently seeing an opportunity to make... Tbogg: More fallout from ODB's death... Colin Powell, who apparently spent the last four years as Secretary of State (who knew?) is calling it quits. |
Schumer to Drop Governor's Race By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Charles Schumer said Monday he has ruled out a run for New York governor in 2006 and instead will head the Democratic Party's effort to win seats in the Senate. | |
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Steve M.: Chuck Schumer isn't going to run for governor in 2006. Taegan Goddard: Schumer to Lead Fundraising for Senate Democrats — Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) will become head the Democratic... |
Jeralyn Merritt: Schumer Won't Run for N.Y. Governor — New York Senator Charles Schumer announced today he will not run for Governor in 2006. |