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| A newfangled news tangle |
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Statement from Pentagon Spokesman Lawrence DiRita on Latest Seymour Hersh Article DefenseLINK — Permalink The Iranian regime's apparent nuclear ambitions and its demonstrated support for terrorist organizations is a global challenge that deserves much more serious treatment than Seymour Hersh provides in the New Yorker article titled "The Coming Wars." | |
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Paul @Wizbang: It seems Seymour Hersh played fast and loose with the facts. (again) That brought about a fisking of Pentagonic proportions. Norbizness: Today's non-denial denial by Pentagon spokes-thing Lawrence "Curly Joe" DiRita: "Mr. Hersh's article [on Iran] is so... Jeff Goldstein: Two words: Condi Rice **** update: Pentagon reacts to the Hersh report (via Malkin) **** update 2: I would say that... |
Joe Gandelman: The Pentagon has issued a devastatingly sarcastic denial, but if you look at denials as legal documents — for every... Wretchard: Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita has gone on the record attacking Hersh's piece, ripping its specifics to pieces,... Jason Van Steenwyk: The Pentagon gets into the fisking business!!! Here's an official Pentagon press release basically destroying Sy Hersh. |
| Also: Donald Sensing, Betsy Newmark, Michelle Malkin | |
Roemer lashes out in DNC chairman race CNN — Permalink ST. LOUIS, Missouri (CNN) — The campaign for Democratic chairman turned contentious over the weekend when Tim Roemer lashed out at criticism of his views on abortion and accused opponents of negative campaigning. | |
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Kevin Drum: This, on the other hand, is ridiculous: [snipped quote] The fact that liberal states sometimes elect moderate Republicans... Oliver Willis: Pro-life voices are welcome within the Democratic party, but in the same way that pro-choicers have no major impact on... Jerome Armstrong: Also, there's Frost's strong support for President Bush, by Markos; and CNN's Tim "Republicans have a big tent; why can't we?" |
Ezra Klein: Can't Hack It — So far as I'm concerned, this disqualifies Tim Roemer from any consideration for DNC Chair: "Roemer... Orrin Judd: ROVE MUST BE BEHIND IT: Roemer lashes out in DNC chairman race: Memo criticizes candidate's opposition to abortion... Jim D: Roemer and the Big Tent — Tim Roemer's fussing about litmus tests. |
Funeral for Murdered NJ Family ABC 7 Eyewitness News — Permalink (Jersey City-WABC, January 17, 2005) — It was the kind of crime that one doesn't soon forget. It's also not your typical end to a break-in. Four family members, killed; their throats slashed. While friends and neighbors in Jersey City grieve, the FBI is investigating whether their deaths are connected to terrorism. | |
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Kiwi Bob: They were all Egyptian Coptics The FBI is considering other terrorist links, including the fact that a cousin of the... Michelle Malkin: A few other new angles and developments: ABC News reports that a cousin of the slain family has been a translator working for the prosecution in the trial of Lynne Stewart. |
Hindrocket: Update From New Jersey — Reader Tom Pechinski points out that the ABC television affiliate in New York has reported... Roger L. Simon: UPDATE: Interesting. In some ways I'm glad this investigation is being conducted quietly, away from media scrutiny for now. |
Bush Won't Rule Out Action Against Iran Over Nukes Reuters — Permalink Jan 17, 2005 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush said on Monday he would not rule out military action against Iran if that country was not more forthcoming about its suspected nuclear weapons program. | |
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Roger L. Simon: Am I wrong? The President of the United States has now essentially corroborated Hersh. Jeralyn Merritt: Bush Won't Rule Out Military Action Against Iran — President Bush told NBC News tonight he won't rule out military action against Iran. |
Charles Johnson: A Message to Tehran — Bush Won't Rule Out Action Against Iran Over Nukes. |
THE COMING WARS By / New Yorker — Permalink George W. Bush's reëlection was not his only victory last fall. The President and his national-security advisers have consolidated control over the military and intelligence communities' strategic analyses and covert operations to a degree unmatched since the rise of the post-Second World War national-security state. | |
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Tim Dunlop: Iraq: the sequel — A lot of comment around the traps about the Seymour Hersh article that suggests the Bush... Roger L. Simon: When I heard about his latest infusion of goo in The New Yorker this morning, to wit that the US is spying on Iranian... The Poor Man: Hersh — Now would be a super time to join the army! "George W. Bush's relection was not his only victory last fall. |
Daniel Drezner: Open Sy Hersh thread — Feel free to comment on the veracity and implications of Sy Hersh's latest New Yorker essay here. Wretchard: As the Seymour Hersh article in the New Yorker illustrated, a large part of American society is unalterably opposed to the War on Terror not simply in Iraq. Flamingo Jones: Iran: Target or Role Model? It looks like Iran is next up on the U.S. Hitlist. That probably doesn't come as a surprise to anyone. |
| Also: Barbara O'Brien, Avedon Carol, Donald Sensing, Talking Dog, Lambert @Corrente, McQ, Jim Henley, Larre @LeftCoaster, Orrin Judd | |
Next stop: Iran By / NY Daily News — Permalink WASHINGTON - U.S. commandos are hunting for secret nuclear and chemical weapons sites and other targets in Iran, and have a plan to turn the hard-line Islamic country into the next front in the war on terrorism. "It's not if we're going to do anything against Iran. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Award winning and controversial journalist Seymour Hersch is at the center of a furor again — this time over his report... Jeff Goldstein: Seymour Hersh: "Next stop: Iran" — From the New York Daily News: [snipped quote] 9 OTHER military secrets intelligence... |
Scott Sala: The New York Daily News is reporting that we are already conducting extensive covert operations in Iran. Donald Sensing: Hersh penned a piece in the New Yorker, summarized in the in NY Daily News. |
Immigrant Family's Slaying Sparks Tensions By / AP — Permalink JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) - A funeral for an Egyptian Christian couple and their two daughters slain last week devolved into a melee after the services Monday, with mourners shoving and punching each other as many blamed Muslims for the killings. | |
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Hindrocket: Today's story, on the other hand, says that no cash or jewelry was found in the home. |
Michelle Malkin: From AP: [snipped quote] The NY Daily News now says that the wound in daughter Sylvia's wrist, tattooed with a Coptic cross, was a defensive wound, not a deliberate attack. |
Post Columnist Marjorie Williams Dies By / WaPo — Permalink Marjorie Williams, 47, a Washington Post columnist known for her elegantly crafted essays on American society and fearless profiles of the political elite, died of cancer Jan. 16 at her home in Washington. | |
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Paul Glastris: Yet Marjorie was always able to crack such people, and her profiles rose to the level of literature, as David Von Drehle... Josh Marshall: A Death Observed: Marjorie Williams, reporter, essayist and Washington Post columnist died at her home yesterday in Washington. Jonah Goldberg: AWFUL NEWS — Marjorie Williams died. |
Orrin Judd: HAVING CHEATED TIME TOO BRIEFLY: Post Columnist Marjorie Williams Dies (David Von Drehle, January 17, 2005, Washington... Tom Biro: Marjorie Williams, 47, Washington Post columnist — The Washington Post's David Von Drehle offers some details in to the... |
Kerry Criticizes Election Outcome AP — Permalink BOSTON - Sen. John Kerry , in some of his most pointed public comments yet about the presidential election, invoked Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy on Monday as he criticized President Bush and decried reports of voter disenfranchisement. | |
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Charles Johnson: In a short, shining moment of graciousness he conceded the election; but the grace has been replaced with bitter, sore loser whining: Kerry Criticizes Election Outcome. Jim Boulet: DOG BITES MAN: KERRY CRITICIZES ELECTION OUTCOME — NYTimes: [snipped quote] Evidently, the only fair elections are those won by Democrats, either by hook or crook. |
Patrick Ruffini: Kerry Meets With Foreign Leaders — No, no, this time he really did... "Kerry declined to specify which leaders expressed a desire to help more with Iraq, or how. |
White House Again Backs Amendment on Marriage By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 - The White House sought on Sunday to reassure conservatives that President Bush would work hard on behalf of a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, backtracking from remarks Mr. Bush made in an interview suggesting that he would not press the Senate to vote on the amendment this year. | |
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Steve M.: New York Times today Dr. Diane Mosbacher and Dr. Nanette Kathryn Gartrell were married Thursday at the Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort, in Victoria, British Columbia. Tom Tomorrow: But even so, the thing about pandering to a noisy constituency is that they'll hold you to it, as we learn this morning:... Radley Balko: Lest there be any confusion, the White house cleared the matter up today: [snipped quote] Guess Bush was against the amendment before he was for it. |
Hugh Hewitt: Teddy's continued peddling of the Iraq is Vietnam idiocy, as on yesterday's Face The Nation —"And this clearly is... Avedon Carol: Next morning: Oops! Which country is the worst offender in the Oil For Food scandal? Aw. you guessed. Hear The Issues. |
A Terrorist Lawyer on Trial By / Front Page Magazine — Permalink It is rare when average citizens have the ability to decide how the United States government conducts the War on Terror. However, an anonymous federal jury in New York has just been tapped with such an opportunity. | |
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Jay Tea: Attorneys gone wild; or, getting caught with your briefs down — While I was browsing Little Green Footballs earlier... |
Charles Johnson: A Terrorist Lawyer on Trial — Brian Hecht has a good look at the trial of accused terrorist abetter Lynne Stewart: A Terrorist Lawyer on Trial. |
Violence flares briefly at anti-terrorism event By / San Francisco Chronicle — Permalink A Berkeley rally against terrorism that featured a bombed Israeli bus turned briefly violent Sunday when angry counter demonstrators carrying Palestinian flags marched into the mostly pro-Israel crowd. | |
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Charles Johnson: "We Are Martyrs, We Can't Wait" — Supporters of Palestinian terrorism really showed their true faces in Berkeley yesterday: Violence flares briefly at anti-terrorism event. Smash: Violence in Berkeley — Anti-Terror Rally Disrupted A PEACEFUL VIGIL to honor the memory of victims of terror in Israel... |
Joseph Alexander Norland: The terrorists and their huggers at Berkeley — In a piece that speaks for itself, The SF Gate reports: "Violence flares... |
How Top Spies in Ukraine Changed the Nation's Path By / NYT — Permalink KIEV, Ukraine, Jan. 16 - As protests here against a rigged presidential election overwhelmed the capital last fall, an alarm sounded at Interior Ministry bases outside the city. It was just after 10 p.m. on Nov. 28. More than 10,000 troops scrambled toward trucks. | |
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Daniel Drezner: In the New York Times, C.J. Chivers has a riveting behind-the-scenes look at Ukraine's security services during the... Glenn Reynolds: SLAVIC MILITARY HEROES: One in the Ukraine (via Bloggledygook), and one in Russia. Somebody should do something nice for them. Orrin Judd: ORANGE SILOVIKI: How Top Spies in Ukraine Changed the Nation's Path (C. J. CHIVERS, 1/17/05, NY Times) [snipped quote] If... |
Jeff Goldstein: Tinker Tailor Soldier Ukranian Secret Police Commander — Mark Moore tips me off to this fascinating account of Ukranian... Cori Dauber: Wow — My students, for whom the Cold War is just something you read about in books, just wouldn't understand the... |
CBS News Draws Ire of Bloggers NYT — Permalink The handling of documents appears to have tripped up CBS News again, and once more bloggers have provided instant - and biting - critiques of the incident. | |
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Paul @Wizbang: Irony by the pound — This is rich: CBS News Draws Ire of Bloggers The handling of documents appears to have tripped up... Glenn Reynolds: RATHERGATE UPDATE: The New York Times looks at the locked PDF file question. |
TVNewser: The NY Times has a response from Linda Mason. > FNC's Greg Palkot files a moving must-read "Reporters Notebook" from Indonesia. |
In Rice's rise, many see King's dream refracted By / New Orleans Times-Picayune — Permalink In September 1963, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the eulogy for three of the four girls killed in the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. What King could not know was that, within earshot of the blast, just blocks... | |
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Glenn Reynolds: AN INTERESTING MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY REMEMBRANCE: [snipped quote] Indeed. (Via The Mad Parson). |
Jayson @PoliPundit: In certain, presumably-unintentional respects, this article looks into whether or not Condi Rice is taking Martin Luther King's legacy to a different level. |
Theories Emerging in NJ Family Murders ABC 7 Eyewitness News — Permalink (Jersey City-WABC, January 17, 2005) — A massive turnout is expected this morning at the funerals of a Jersey City family. The family was found bound, gagged and slashed to death on Friday. The police are talking about robbery and religious hatred as motives. | |
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Damian Penny: "Some Muslim guys said if you don't stop this, we're going to come out and kill you," said a family friend, who requested anonymity, citing fears for his safety. |
Charles Johnson: Here's a disturbing connection, just reported by local ABC News in New Jersey, in the case of the murdered family of Coptic Christians: Theories Emerging in NJ Family Murders. |
An Awkward Alliance WaPo — Permalink Lyndon Johnson's first speech to Congress as president featured a blunt challenge: "No memorial oration or eulogy could more eloquently honor President Kennedy's memory than the earliest possible passage of the civil rights bill for which he fought so long." | |
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New Donkey: MLK and LBJ — Probably like a fair number of other people, I decided to spend part of the weekend prior to MLK Day... |
Taegan Goddard: Judgment Days — The Washington Post reviews Judgment Days by Nick Kotz, a "thorough and thoughtful book" which... |
Powell's exit strategy: Never, ever, look back US News — Permalink Secretary of State Colin Powell is a man who knows how to leave. In fact, he's changed jobs and posts so often during his military and political career that he has the plan down pat. Powell's strategy is simple: Be ready to leave for good on the last day. | |
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Chris Bowers: Hillary Hatred On the Left — When I was younger I bought into a lot of Noise Machine lies about Democrats, even though I still voted for them. |
Taegan Goddard: Clinton is Running — "You don't have to take it from us about Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton 's desire to run for president," says Washington Whispers. |
Fishing Expedition By / Weekly Standard — Permalink THE CBS REPORT issued last week by Richard Thornburgh and Louis Boccardi left a number of interesting questions unanswered. The Internet in general and the blogosphere in particular are a means of harnessing open-source information. | |
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Charles Johnson: Rathergate Fishing Expedition — The editors of the Weekly Standard invite the blogosphere on a Fishing Expedition, to... |
Glenn Reynolds: Meanwhile, John Podhoretz looks at the missing political bias, and Bill Kristol notes that quite a few unanswered questions remain. |
Who's Afraid of Tom Wolfe? Independed Women's Forum — Permalink A panel discussion over Tom Wolfe's book "I Am Charlotte Simmons" will be held at IWF's Washington, DC, headquarters on the evening of January 18. IWF Senior Editor Charlotte Hays will moderate the panel, which will feature David Brooks (New York Times), John... | |
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Deacon: That's the title of a panel discussion concerning Wolfe's novel I am Charlotte Simmons sponsored by the excellent... John Derbyshire: DERB DOES DC — Since you mention it, K-Lo: I shall be participating in a panel discussion at the Independent Women's Forum Tuesday evening. |
Stefan Beck: PostedHere's an event that I'd love to attend—alas, it's way down in D.C., and I'll be here at the office assisting... |
Journalist: U.S. planning for possible attack on Iran CNN — Permalink WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Bush administration has been carrying out secret reconnaissance missions to learn about nuclear, chemical and missile sites in Iran in preparation for possible airstrikes there, journalist Seymour Hersh said Sunday. | |
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Scott Sala: Even the White House is calling the article "riddled with inaccuracies." CNN jumps in, playing it overly cautious. KJL: NEXT UP: IRAN? Report: We're at work there already. Caution: It's by Sy Hersh (see John J. Miller's 2001 piece). |
Oliver @LiquidList: Wow, check out Dan Bartlett's clumsy non-denial denial of Seymour Hersh's allegation that the Bush administration has... |
Summers' remarks on women draw fire By / Boston Globe — Permalink CAMBRIDGE — The president of Harvard University, Lawrence H. Summers, sparked an uproar at an academic conference Friday when he said that innate differences between men and women might be one reason fewer women succeed in science and math careers. | |
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Michelle Malkin: WEEPING WOMEN IN THE IVORY TOWER — Harvard University President Lawrence Summers gave a provocative talk last Friday on... Orrin Judd: AT HARVARD WE DON'T BELIEVE IN GENDER (via The Mother Judd): Summers' remarks on women draw fire (Marcella Bombardieri, January 17, 2005, Boston Globe) [snipped quote] Sissy. |
KJL: UN-P.C. SUMMERS — Boston Globe: [snipped quote] [See Malkin for more. ] |
China Curbs Discussion of Late Leader Who Opposed Crackdown By / NYT — Permalink BEIJING, Jan. 17 - Chinese leaders imposed a ban today on news reports about the death of Zhao Ziyang, the former Communist Party chief who opposed the 1989 crackdown on democracy protesters, suggesting that his official obituary would treat him as a pariah. | |
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Richard TPD: China surrounds Zhao's death with curtain of silence — Should we be surprised to see the CCP blacking out CNN news... |
Daniel Drezner: Developing... UPDATE: Looks like the Chinese government is attempting to try hypothesis no. 2 out, according to the New... |
Before He Had His 'Dream,' King Wrote a Letter By / WaPo — Permalink It happened again the other day. One of my children came home and, at dinner, brought up the topic that comes up each year at this time. It shouldn't have surprised me. For years now, Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been all about The Dream. | |
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Max B. Sawicky: Today Mr. Rosenberg happens upon the brainstorm of citing MLK's Letter from a Birmingham Jail, proving that great minds run in similar currents. |
Nick Gillespie: [quote]This 'Wait' has almost always meant 'Never.' We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that 'justice too long delayed is justice denied.'" [end quote] Whole thing here. |
Broadcast All Over By / WaPo — Permalink When Tavis Smiley walked away from his National Public Radio show last month, he did not go quietly. In a series of interviews, he cast aspersions on his former employer, telling Time: "It is ironic that a Republican president has an administration that is more inclusive and more diverse than a so-called liberal-media-elite network." | |
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James Joyner: Tavis Smiley: Bush Administration More Diverse than NPR — Howie Kurtz reports on the ugly divorce between National... Betsy Newmark: Howard Kurtz has the skinny on Tavis Smiley's parting from NPR. |
Michelle Malkin: Check out Howard Kurtz's column this morning, which spotlights Smiley's fallout with NPR. |
Back for four years, more powerful than ever. Who's calling Bush an idiot now? By / Times of London — Permalink THE LAVISH American presidential inaugural celebrations that will be witnessed this week were championed by Warren Harding. In 1921, when Congress refused to finance his plans for a grand parade, he ignored it and went to the private sector to raise funds for an extravaganza. | |
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Hindrocket: President Bush's Second Term — The London Times offers a balanced assessment of the prospects for President Bush's... Tim Blair: FUN FOR LEFTIES — First, a speech of your own to deliver during George W. Bush's inauguration: [snipped quote] With practice, you may even be able to memorise it. |
Jayson @PoliPundit: And as outlined in this article, he who has the last laugh . . . . |
An Emerging Reform Majority? By / Weekly Standard — Permalink IS A BIPARTISAN COALITION REQUIRED to pass legislation that would allow individuals to invest their Social Security payroll taxes in stocks and bonds? Not really. Surely, the White House will endorse a Social Security reform plan that slows the growth of benefits by roughly 40 percent, right? | |
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Noam Scheiber: Fred Barnes has some interesting reporting on the where the White House privatization plan is headed |
Orrin Judd: IT'LL PASS THE HOUSE, BE FILIBUSTERED IN THE SENATE, AND GET THE GOP TO 60 SEATS IN '06: An Emerging Reform Majority? |
Abbas orders Palestinian crackdown on militants CNN — Permalink RAMALLAH, West Bank (CNN) — Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday ordered Palestinian security forces to stop attacks by Palestinian militants on Israelis. The move comes after a Palestinian attack Thursday on the Gaza-Israel border that killed six Israeli civilians. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Is it going to be the same 'ol same 'ol with a Palestinian leader — or is it for real this time: "RAMALLAH, West Bank... |
Roger L. Simon: Big News from the Middle East — Mahmoud Abbas has apparently ordered Hamas and other terror groups to stop the violence. |
The Depolarizing Power of the Blogosphere By / TCS — Permalink Professor Cass Sunstein underestimates the Blogosphere when he argues in a recent Boston Review article that the Internet will further polarize America. Previously left- and right-of-center citizens were brought together at times through watching the same network newscasts and reading identical local papers. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: Now Jim Miller takes the argument further, and I have to say that it has gained force in the intervening two years. |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: BLOGS AS AN INSTRUMENT OF DEPOLARIZATION — James Miller extols the power of the Blogosphere to unite Americans:... |
The Depressed Press By / NYT — Permalink Washington — America's quality media are now wading through the Slough of Despond. Our self-flagellation, handwringing and narcissism threaten our mission to act as counterweight to government power. Hear the wailing: The bloggers are coming! | |
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Hugh Hewitt: Then there is William Safire on the bloggers: "Blogs will compete with op-ed columns for "views you can use," and the... |
Ed Cone: William Safire is not completely clueless about blogging and journalism...but he still misses a couple of key points in this morning's NYT column. |
Marjorie Williams WaPo — Permalink TO WRITE ABOUT columnist Marjorie Williams is to know one thing with awful certainty: She would have done it better herself. Marjorie died yesterday, three days after her 47th birthday, following a valiant, 3 1/2-year battle with a cancer that was supposed to have killed her long ago. | |
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Tom Biro: The Post also features an editorial about Williams, expressing the thoughts and feelings her colleagues and the newspaper community have today. |
Ramesh Ponnuru: That column really was terrific, just as the appreciations are saying. My condolences to her family. |
CBS ASKS KATIE: BE NEW DAN By / New York Post — Permalink With Dan Rather on the way out, CBS could be planning to become the "Cute" Broadcasting System. Katie Couric has been approached about taking over the anchor chair on the "CBS Evening News," a network source has told Time magazine. | |
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TVNewser: > NY Post: "Katie's name is one of many that have been circulated for that job. She's under contract to NBC," NBC rep Allison Gollust says. |
John Derbyshire: "AMERICA'S SWEETHEART" — I don't *get* Katie Couric. "CBS could be planning to become the 'cute' broadcasting system." |
U.S. found no evidence WMD moved from Iraq AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - As the hunt for weapons of mass destruction dragged on unsuccessfully in Iraq, top Bush administration officials speculated publicly that the banned armaments may have been smuggled out of the country before the war started. | |
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Oliver Willis: U.S. found no evidence WMD moved from Iraq [snipped quote] But hey, who cares if 1,300 Americans are dead? |
Atrios: Don't Forget Syria! Actually, forget Syria: [snipped quote] ...another pet theory down the toilet. |
Anxious Iraqis Are Leaving Before Elections WaPo — Permalink BAGHDAD — Abu Muhanned, a former Iraqi army officer, fished into his back pocket and pulled out a black leather wallet stuffed with $100 bills. He had brought his wife and 12-year-old son to a busy travel agency in downtown Baghdad last week to buy airplane tickets to Egypt. | |
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Cori Dauber: So intimidation works — Having interviewed Iraqis who plan to vote the other day, today the Post interviews Iraqis who intend to bail. |
Mary Ratcliff: Today confirmation of that fact can be found in this Wa Po article: But despite the significance of the... |
The Man Who Puts Words in the President's Mouth Defends His Style By / NYT — Permalink Michael Gerson, President Bush's 40-year-old speechwriter, had a mild heart attack in mid-December that put him in intensive care for two days. The timing could not have been worse for Mr. Gerson: it was the height of speechwriting season, and Mr. Bush's second Inaugural Address and 2005 State of the Union address were menacingly close. | |
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Cori Dauber: But check out the headline here: "The Man Who Puts Words in the President's Mouth Defends His Style." Betsy Newmark: The New York TImes jumps on the bandwagon to criticize Michael Gerson for writing speeches for Bush that have religious metaphors and language in them. |
Paul @Wizbang: In this story, we hear the Democrats are making great strides to pander to the the religious people of the country after... |
The Case for Boredom By / Opinion Journal — Permalink Marine Cpl. Isaac D. Pacheco of northern Kentucky enlisted in the Marines on Sept. 12, 2001, and has been serving in Iraq at the Combined Press Information Center. Recently he wrote this for his local newspaper: | |
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Mrs Greyhawk: The last two weeks' worth of good news is available from: Chrenkoff Opinion Journal Winds of Change Thanks for helping to publicize the good news. Glenn Reynolds: ARTHUR CHRENKOFF posts his regular roundup of underreported good news from Iraq, and observes: [snipped quote] And thanks... FrancoAlemán: This is the intro, but there's much, much more at the link: [snipped quote] Read every line of the rest. |
Arthur Chrenkoff: Good news from Iraq, Part 19 — Note: Also available at the "Opinion Journal" and Winds of Change. Pejman Yousefzadeh: YOUR WEEKLY CHRENKOFF — Read. |
The Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Now the Bushes By / WaPo — Permalink Amid the celebration and crowds of Inauguration Day came a surprisingly intimate moment between father and son. As John F. Kennedy's parade passed the reviewing stand where Joseph P. Kennedy was watching, the new president looked up and tipped his hat — a... | |
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James Joyner: The Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Now the Bushes? Steven Taylor: Via WaPo: The Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Now the Bushes [snipped quote] On one level, this is all trivia/novelty-i.e, a bunch of people from the same family having political success. Betsy Newmark: The Washington Post looks at the Bush dynasty and notes that Bush hasn't created the sort of glamour that the Kennedys or even the Reagans did. |
Joe Gandelman: The Bushes: Now The U.S.'s Leading Political Dynasty — When President George Bush is inaugurated into his second term... Hugh Hewitt: The Washington Post has a funny headline: "The Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Now the Bushes." Let's review the history. Orrin Judd: EARLY INNINGS: The Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Now the Bushes: Second Term Firmly Establishes a Dynasty and Eases Sting of... |
| Also: Taegan Goddard | |
Airbus unveils giant A380 plane By / BBC — Permalink Tuesday's official unveiling of the enormous Airbus A380 will be a milestone in aviation history. The ceremony will mark more than a decade of development of what is widely seen as a triumph of design and engineering. | |
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Donald Sensing: The BBC offers a glowing and chauvinistic story about the new largest passenger airplane in the world, the Airbus A380 airliner. Greg Ransom: THE AIRBUS A380 — VERSUS the Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner. Watch the Dreamliner fly here. It's new technology is described here. |
Damian Penny: Size does matter — Airbus, the European aerospace consortium, will officially roll out the world's largest passenger jet tomorrow. |
Soldier's jail term seen as too light By / AP — Permalink BAGHDAD — News that a US Army reservist had been sentenced to 10 years behind bars for physically and sexually abusing Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison drew scorn yesterday from Iraqis who thought he should have been tried in Baghdad and punished with death. | |
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Thomas Lang: As for Iraq, Redstate.org's Mark Kilmer has a post on a recent Associated Press article gauging Iraqi reaction to the... |
Juan Cole: Many Iraqis responded angrily to the 10-year sentence meted out to US Army reservist Charles Graner for his role in... |
On Gonzales, Kennedy Breaks With Colleagues WaPo — Permalink Democratic senators have been lambasting President Bush's nominee for attorney general, White House Counsel Alberto R. Gonzales, for his role in developing aggressive administration policies for the detention and interrogation of suspected terrorists. | |
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Orrin Judd: BRAINS OF THE PARTY: On Gonzales, Kennedy Breaks With Colleagues (Mike Allen and Brian Faler, January 17, 2005,... |
Jeralyn Merritt: Sen. Edward Kennedy said Sunday he may vote against him. [snipped quote] The Washington Post is less than thrilled with Gonzales. |
As Rice Prepares to Move Up, Diplomacy May Be on Rise, Too By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 - Her confirmation as the 66th secretary of state is a foregone conclusion, and the White House plans to swear her in on Inauguration Day. But starting Tuesday morning, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will begin what could stretch to... | |
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Matthew Yglesias: Rice's Reality-Based State Department — There's a lot to be said about this New York Times article which argues that... |
Gregory Djerejian: By the way, and speaking of Condi Rice, she appears to view the Truman analogy as apropos too: "In campaign speeches... |
No Call for Agency to Sell Fix for Social Security, Aide Says By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 - A senior White House official said on Sunday that career employees of the Social Security Administration would not be asked to advocate "any specific prescription" for the program's financial problems, but he defended government efforts to convince people that the problems were severe. | |
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Josh Marshall: So for instance you have Sen. Bill Frist today, with about as much knowledge as taste, saying that in 2008 Social Security will be hit by a "huge demographic tidal wave." |
Steve Antler: It relates to whether the Social Security Administration is being "politicized" by the Bush administration. |
Goodbye, Dan. Hello, Katie? By / Time — Permalink Four CBS news staff members lost their jobs last week in the wake of an independent-panel report that found serious flaws in the journalism that led to a 60 Minutes Wednesday story about President Bush's National Guard service. | |
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KJL: THE EVENING NEWS WITH KATIE — I'm just going to pretend this Couric thing is a joke. |
Lorie Byrd: If CBS is seriously considering Katie Couric for their top anchor job, they are even more clueless about their own bias than I thought. |
Britain's online imam declares war as he calls young to jihad Times of London — Permalink AN EXTREMIST London cleric is using live broadcasts on the internet to urge young British Muslims to join al-Qaeda and has condoned suicide terrorist attacks. Omar Bakri Mohammed, who has lived in the UK for 18 years on social security benefits, pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden and told his followers that they were in a state of war with Britain. | |
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Charles Johnson: Omar Bakri Mohammed Declares War — While the "British Muslim journalist" in the previous post threatens web sites like... |
Tim Blair: And speaking of British welfare ... [snipped quote] A civilised nation would treat this cleric as Ray treats characters from Web comics. |
How a Vote Could Derail Democracy By / NYT — Permalink IRAQ is about to reach a point of no return. If, as President Bush insists, it goes ahead with elections for the new transitional government on Jan. 30, Iraq may score a huge moral and political victory for democracy over violence and terrorism. | |
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David Adesnik: One week ago, he argued in the NY Times that going ahead with elections on Jan. 30 may derail democracy in Iraq. |
Matthew Yglesias: But via David Adesnik I see that Larry Diamond did argue this recently. |
The Fake Crisis By / Rolling Stone — Permalink To hear George Bush tell it, Social Security is about to go broke. Since his re-election, the president has launched a full-scale campaign to convince the public that the retirement system will run out of money starting in 2018. | |
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Chris Bowers: Shorter Krugman — Rolling Stone has a good Q & A out with Krguman about Social Security. |
Lambert @Corrente: Looting Social Security: A must-read from Paul Krugman — Gee, you'd think material like this would be in the New York Times or something. |
Report: U.S. Conducting Secret Missions Inside Iran Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has been conducting secret reconnaissance missions inside Iran to help identify potential nuclear, chemical and missile targets, The New Yorker magazine reported Sunday. | |
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Andrew Sullivan: Sy Hersh's report says that "the United States has been conducting secret reconnaissance missions inside Iran to help... Charles Johnson: The Media Are the Enemy — Once again Seymour Hersh puts his career and his massive ego ahead of the national security... Trent Telenko: Pakistan Turns States Evidence — I don't as a rule trust Seymour Hersh's stories on the US Military, but I have seen... |
Damian Penny: That's what Seymour Hersh says in his latest New Yorker article: The United States has been conducting secret... Avedon Carol: But even practicality and common sense don't restrain them: "Report: U.S. Conducting Secret Missions Inside Iran... McQ: Apparently this is a surprise to some ... A breathless Boston Globe reports that the intrepid Seymore Hersh has... |
| Also: Kos @DailyKos, Jeff Quinton, James Joyner, Lambert @Corrente, Jeralyn Merritt, Orrin Judd, Glenn Reynolds, Susan Madrak | |
California professor flunks Kuwaiti's pro-U.S. essay By / Washington Times — Permalink A 17-year-old Kuwaiti student whose uncles were kidnapped and tortured by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's invaders more than a decade ago said his California college political science professor failed him for praising the United States in a final-exam essay last month. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Michelle Malkin links to how Outside the Beltway's James Joyner and Poliblogger's Steven Taylor graded the essay by the... Michelle Malkin: It got renewed attention this weekend when Washington Times spotlighted Al-Qloushi on Sunday. Steven Taylor: Free Grading — Paul of Wizbang notes the following story from WaTi ("California professor flunks Kuwaiti's pro-U.S. essay") and e-mailed me to see if I would grade the essay. |
Jesse Taylor: I Blame You, Liberalchu! Student gets bad grade on essay. Essay sucks. James Joyner notes suckitude. Atrios: Sucking — After hearing about this story of "liberal bias" I emailed the student and asked for a copy of his essay, which I never got, as I was curious. James Joyner: California Professor Flunks (Awful) Pro-U.S. Essay — Drudge has drawn attention to a piece in today's Washington Times:... |
| Also: Paul @Wizbang, Jan Haugland, Jonah Goldberg | |
Transcript of Bush Interview WaPo — Permalink Following is the White House transcript of The Washington Post's interview with President Bush, conducted by staff writers Michael A. Fletcher and Jim VandeHei Friday aboard Air Force One en route to Jacksonville, Fla.: | |
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Andrew Sullivan: "AN ACCOUNTABILITY MOMENT": This quote might help clear up some misunderstandings about president Bush. Bruce Sanborn: A Demanding Father — The Washington Post came at Bush yesterday with questions trying to elicit admissions of incompetence in war and error in attempting free-elections for Iraq. Wretchard: The Washington Post's transcript of the interview renders the actual exchange as follows. |
Thomas Lang: While the liberal blogosphere has been buzzing over various passages in the Washington Post's interview with President... Tom Tomorrow: Sorry, Andy — Yesterday, Sullivan was clutching at this exchange like a drowning man grasping for a piece of driftwood:... Gregory Djerejian: Meantime, I was happy to see this snippet from Bush's interview with the WaPo: "Well, you know, it's interesting. |
| Also: David Allan Pell, Rox Populi, Jeanne D'Arc, Norbizness, Steven Taylor, SLZoll, John Cole, Skippy, Kevin Drum, Gary Farber | |
The Red Sea By / WaPo — Permalink Early in December, with a photographer and his assistant, I drove from Nebraska, near the geographical center of the United States, to the heart of Texas — more than 700 miles, through empty spaces and sprawling cities and all or part of four states. | |
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Susanna Cornett: His article has gotten quite a bit of blogospheric attention. Here's Part I of my entry - a fantasy tour of The Blue Debris. The Poor Man: Making a big stir this week is an utterly unreadable piece in the Washington Post about "Red America". Tim Blair: LAND OF MYSTERY — The Washington Post's David Von Drehle visits an alien world: "Early in December, with a photographer... |
Mitch Berg: David Von Drehle of the WaPo convoyed through Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas, easily steering clear of any Blue counties,... Ginny @ChicagoBoyz: von Drehle's Trek through the Great Red Plains — I've spent most of my life along the north/south axis that David von Drehle describes as "The Red Sea" in The Washington Post. Patrick Ruffini: The apology for 2004 comes in today's pre-inaugural Washington Post magazine, with David Von Drehle's voyage into the heart of Bush Country, entitled "The Red Sea." |
| Also: Stuart Buck, Deacon, Steve Dillard, Glenn Reynolds, Orrin Judd | |
An Alternative Inaugural Address Weekly Standard — Permalink MY FELLOW AMERICANS, I had intended to reach out to all of you and bring a divided nation together. But I changed my mind. America isn't divided by political ethos or ethnic origin. America isn't divided by region or religion. America is divided by jerks. | |
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Ted Barlow: Ain't that the truth. I'm looking at P.J. O'Rourke this morning, a writer whom I've always liked. (via Pandagon.) Mitch Berg: If Only... ...P.J. O'Rourke were Dubya's speechwriter, as in his Alternative Inaugural Address from the Weekly Standard. Jesse Taylor: P.J. O'Rourke — Publicly jerks off. It's about as pretty as it sounds. |
Pejman Yousefzadeh: And the message is clear and concise: Go to hell. —P.J. O'Rourke (Thanks to Stephen Bainbridge for the link.) Arthur Chrenkoff: And last but not least, P.J. O'Rourke's alternative inauguration address: "My fellow Americans, I had intended to reach out to all of you and bring a divided nation together. Scott Sala: Alternative Inaugural Address — P.J. O'Rourke offers an alternative version of the Inaugural Address that the nation will hear this Thursday. |
| Also: Steve Bainbridge | |
Gossip Would Do L.A. and The Times Good By / LAT — Permalink An experimental column in which the Los Angeles Times invites outside critics to take their best shot at Southern California's heaviest newspaper. Did you know that Mayor James Hahn's marriage had collapsed? And the kids are living with him, not his wife? | |
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Bryan Keefer: Which is why it's too bad that the first installment, by Slate blogger Mickey Kaus, falls on its face. Kevin Roderick: In the first installment, Slate blogger Mickey Kaus doesn't urge the paper to be smarter, fairer, deeper, more local,... Hugh Hewitt: Mickey's piece is "Gossip Would Do L.A. and The Times Good." I have also agreed to write for this space, and my first piece there will show up in a week or two. |
Roger Ailes: What A Hack Wants — Diminutive dimwit Mickey Kaus thinks a major problem with the Los Angeles Times is that it doesn't print enough gossip. Kevin Aylward: They're running an occasional column called Outside The Tent, which the describe as follows:An experimental column in... Michelle Malkin: THE L.A. TIMES SAYS "KICK ME"—BY INVITATION ONLY — I notice the L.A. Times has a new feature called "Outside the... |
| Also: Greg Ransom, Matt Welch | |
The Vote on Mr. Gonzales WaPo — Permalink DESPITE A POOR performance at his confirmation hearing, Alberto R. Gonzales appears almost certain to be confirmed by the Senate as attorney general. Senators of both parties declared themselves dissatisfied with Mr. Gonzales's lack of responsiveness to questions about his judgments as White House counsel on the detention of foreign prisoners. | |
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Andrew Sullivan: RE-THINKING GONZALES: This Washington Post editorial is a must-read. Deacon: Three fallacies about Gonzales — The Washington Post editorial board opposes the confirmation of Alberto Gonzales as U.S. Attorney General. Mary @LeftCoaster: Today's WaPo was strong in its statement that Gonzales should not be confirmed. |
Kriston @BeggingToDiffer: LEGAL RECOMMENDATIONS OUGHT TO CONSIDER THE LAW — One can see how the fuzziness of American policy on torture emerged... Lambert @Corrente: WaPo gives Beltway Dems cover to vote No on Gonzales — A fine editorial this Sunday morning: [snipped quote] Let's see... Jeralyn Merritt: The Washington Post is less than thrilled with Gonzales. Don't miss David Corn's article about Gonzales and his confirmation hearing in LA Weekly. |
'ISLAMIC HATE' EYED IN SLAYS New York Post — Permalink The father of a murdered New Jersey family was threatened for making anti-Muslim remarks online — and the gruesome quadruple slaying may have been the hateful retaliation, sources told The Post yesterday. | |
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McQ: we are going to track you down like a chicken and kill you — That was the threat made against a Coptic Christian family... Michael J. Totten: Hate Crime in Jersey City — Ugh. What happened to Theo Van Gogh could happen to anyone. That means you. Michelle Malkin: The New York Post reports today that the father was an outspoken critic of Islamists: "Hossam Armanious, 47, who along... |
Charles Johnson: Islamic Murder of Coptic Christians in NJ? 'Islamic Hate' Eyed in Slayings. (Thanks to all who emailed about this.) John Derbyshire: CHRISTIAN FAMILY MURDERED — This story is very disturbing. An entire family of Egyptian Copts (i.e. Hindrocket: The New York Post reports: [snipped quote] As we've said many times before, these fanatics cannot be reasoned with or deterred. |
| Also: Ed Driscoll | |
News Analysis: Oil-for-Food Audits Reveal Sevan as Mysterious Manager Fox News — Permalink NEW YORK — Perhaps Paul Volcker (search), head of the United Nations-authorized inquiry into the U.N. Oil-for-Food program, was speaking solely of graft when he said recently that the internal audits of Oil-for-Food contained "no flaming red flags." | |
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Roger L. Simon: If we are to believe this article by Claudia Rosett and George Russell, who have been following the scandal as closely... Arthur Chrenkoff: The lessons of UNron — [snipped quote] So write Claudia Rosett and George Russell (hat tip: Dan Foty). What are the lessons? |
Cori Dauber: Update: Fox News, meanwhile, publishes a piece that actually tells its audience what the released audit had to say, and... Cliff May: Claudia Rosett and George Russell explain. |
Swagland By / LAT — Permalink In Swagland, the streets are paved with freebies, from promotional T-shirts, CDs and DVDs, to designer clothing, jewelry and perfume, to spa treatments, Broadway show tickets and suites in five-star hotels, to cellphones, laptops and luxury sports cars on loan. | |
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Armed Liberal: First, from this Sunday's L.A. Times Magazine: "Swagland. It's not a mythical over-the-rainbow realm, an Eastern European country, a theme park. Ed Driscoll: Swagland — The LA Times has an amusing, if over-the-top look at the temptations of swag that journalists face. |
Matt Welch: Them Dang Freelancers and Their Questionable Ethics! |
Bush: Voters Ratified Iraq Policy CBS News — Permalink "We had an accountability moment, and that's called the 2004 elections," Mr. Bush said in an interview with The Washington Post for Sunday's editions. "The American people listened to different assessments made about what was taking place in Iraq, and they looked at the two candidates, and chose me." | |
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Wretchard: A CBS article entitled "Bush: Voters Ratified Iraq Policy" has this for its opening paragraph. |
Andrew Olmsted: TOP TOPICS Demonstrating a fascinating understanding of culpability, President Bush claims that his reelection victory... |
'Blink': Hunch Power By / NYT — Permalink MALCOLM GLADWELL has written a book about the power of first impressions, and every review, including this one, is going to begin with the reviewer's first impression of the book. Mine was: Boffo. | |
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Cori Dauber: "Blink" — I'm going off-topic here because while channel surfing recently (I swear I only watch C-SPAN when something... Ann Althouse: David Brooks has a pithy review of Malcolm Gladwell's book "Blink." And here's a great discussion on the subject (posts + comments). Josh Chafetz: DAVID BROOKS has a good review in the NYT Book Review of Malcom Gladwell's Blink. Judge Posner also reviews it and is distinctly less impressed. |
PoliPundit: Well, it turns out there's a scientific basis for this: "There is the story of the psychologist John Gottman, who since... Glenn Reynolds: UPDATE: More reviews, by David Brooks and Richard Posner. (Via Oxblog). ANOTHER UPDATE: More here from Ann Althouse. |
Scorers of New SAT Get Ready for Essays By / WaPo — Permalink IOWA CITY — With just two months to go before the much-heralded new SAT is given, a team of English professors and psychometricians is poring over sample essays to determine what kind of writing should be rewarded and what penalized. Much of the scoring proceeds swiftly. | |
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Pejman Yousefzadeh: Tyler Cowen is quite right to worry about the new direction of the SAT's. Tyler Cowen: Why I worry about essays for the new SAT — [snipped quote] Read more here. |
Betsy Newmark: The Washington Post looks at the training for the graders. |
Bush Says Election Ratified Iraq Policy WaPo — Permalink President Bush said the public's decision to reelect him was a ratification of his approach toward Iraq and that there was no reason to hold any administration officials accountable for mistakes or misjudgments in prewar planning or managing the violent aftermath. | |
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Jack Cluth: The ends justifies the means: Being a Republican means never having to say you're sorry — Bush Says Election Ratified... Barbara O'Brien: Beam Me Up — From today's Washington Post: "President Bush said the public's decision to reelect him was a... Kriston @BeggingToDiffer: THE BUCK STOPPED IN NOVEMBER — The Washington Post: [snipped quote] The BTD Forum discussion on the topic is already healthy and charged. |
Wretchard: Washington Post summarizes its account of an interview with President Bush entitled "US voters 'endorsed Iraq policy' "... Gary Farber: THE HEAD, IT DOTH EXPLODE. Sometimes all you need to do is just listen. New Donkey: Gay Marriage Cynicism — Another great moment in the Washington Post's interview with the President occurred when he... |
| Also: Talking Dog, Rox Populi, Avedon Carol, Taegan Goddard, Jeanne D'Arc, Mary @PacificViews, Steven Taylor, Steve Bainbridge, Jesse Taylor, Echidne @AmStreet, Michael Froomkin, James Martin Capozzola, Matthew Yglesias, Oliver Willis, Jim Henley, Cookie Jill, Lambert @Corrente, Susan Madrak, Larre @LeftCoaster, Josh Marshall, Melanie @AmStreet, The Poor Man | |
How Long Is Too Long for the Court's Justices? By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON — Lifetime tenure for judges was "the best expedient which can be devised in any government," Alexander Hamilton wrote in The Federalist No. 78, defending the Constitution's provision for judges to "hold their Offices during good Behavior." | |
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TChris: The Framers thought so, but Linda Greenhouse reports on the academic argument for proposals that would limit a justice's tenure on the Court. Orrin Judd: OVER EAGAR: How Long Is Too Long for the Court's Justices? |
Jim Lindgren: Here are Greenhouse's opening paragraphs in the NY Times: [snipped quote] The article goes on from our proposal to... |
NBC NEWS TODAY SHOW CO-HOST KATIE COURIC HAS BEEN APPROACHED ABOUT CBS NEWS ANCHOR JOB, NETWORK SOURCE TELLS TIME Time — Permalink New York - Four CBS News staff members lost their jobs last week in the wake of an independent-panel report that found serious flaws in the journalism that led to a 60 Minutes Wednesday story about President Bush's National Guard service. | |
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Atrios: From Time: "Katie Couric A network source tells TIME the Today Show co-anchor has been approached about the job. Joe Gandelman: And no, Rudy Guiliani has not reccomended Bernard Kerik to fill The Dan Spot...so here are the answers... |
TVNewser: Rather Replacement: 'Time' Floats List Of Names — The headline on Time's press release this morning: "NBC News Today... |
Iraq is George Bush's Vietnam: US Senator Kennedy AFP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AFP) - America's ongoing military entanglement in Iraq has become President George Bush 's Vietnam, US Senator Edward Kennedy, a leading member of the opposition Democratic party, said. The harsh words refer to the US role and ultimate defeat in the 1964-1975 Vietnam war. | |
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Jack Cluth: Now all we need are more Democrats to step forward and call this what it is: a fiasco — Iraq is George Bush's Vietnam:... |
Stephen Green: A Public Service Announcement — No, Ted Kennedy, you're wrong. |
TIME Poll: PRESIDENT BUSH'S APPROVAL RATING UP TO 53%, UP FROM 49% IN DECEMBER Time — Permalink New York - President Bush's approval rating has risen to 53%, according to the latest TIME poll conducted January 12 and 13. His approval rating is up 4 points from his Dec. 13-14 approval rating of 49%. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: THE NEW TIME POLL has some good news for Bush: "President Bush's approval rating has risen to 53%, according to the latest TIME poll conducted January 12 and 13. Taegan Goddard: Bush Approval Up — President Bush's approval rating has risen to 53%, according to the latest Time poll. |
Captain Ed: About That Poll — Time Magazine publishes a new opinion poll today that shows President Bush picking up more support in... PoliPundit: Bush JA — Bush Job Approval at 53 percent. |
Pop-Tarts or Freedom? By / NYT — Permalink In the wake of U.S. aid to help Muslim and other victims of the recent tsunami, Colin Powell suggested that maybe, now that the Muslim world had seen "American generosity" and "American values in action," it wouldn't be so hostile to America. | |
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Hindrocket: A Ringing Endorsement, Sort Of — In yesterday's New York Times, Tom Friedman offered a ringing endorsement of President Bush's foreign policy: [snipped quote] Exactly. John Cole: Must Read Friedman — Go, Tom, Go: [snipped quote] Say it, say it agin, and keep preaching it, because it is the truth. |
Cori Dauber: Friedman on anti-Americanism — He's got a great way to compare anti-Americanism in the Muslim world versus... |
U.S. Lowers Expectations for Once-Heralded Iraq Vote By / Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Unable to deliver on its lofty goal of bringing democracy to Iraq through the Jan. 30 elections, the Bush administration is pressing a damage-control campaign to lower expectations for the vote. | |
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Kos @DailyKos: Moving the goalposts. Again. Remember when the elections were the end-all, be-all of Iraqi democracy? |
Taegan Goddard: Lowering Expectations for Iraqi Elections — "Unable to deliver on its lofty goal of bringing democracy to Iraq through... |
A Question of Numbers By / NYT — Permalink In 1938, the Social Security Act was only three years old, but its future was already very much in doubt. Conservatives claimed it would bankrupt the nation, and independent critics argued that the way it was financed amounted to ''financial hocus-pocus,'' as one editorial in The New York Times put it. | |
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PGL: This New York Times article this weekend by Roger Lowenstein is getting a lot of well deserved praise. Josh Marshall: If you're following or care about the Social Security debate, you really must read the article by Roger Lowenstein in today's New York Times Magazine. Robert Prather: » PoliBlog: Politics is the Master Science linked with Free Grading Social security history Though the author's... |
David Allan Pell: The New Math is Words — In his NYT Magazine piece A Question of Numbers, Roger Lowenstein explains that there is really... Kevin Drum: Roger Lowenstein tells us today in the New York Times Magazine: "David Langer, an independent actuary who made a study... Nathan Newman: NY Times: SocSec Immigration Projections Off — Emphasizing one of my favorite themes on social security, the NY Times... |
Not Always Diplomatic in Her First Major Post By / LAT — Permalink STANFORD — She helped lead the nation to war and in the process became one of President Bush's closest friends and most intimate advisors. But even before she headed the National Security Council, Condoleezza Rice held a job that required grit, skill, political savvy and a sublime degree of self-confidence: running Stanford University. | |
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James Martin Capozzola: The Los Angeles Times today reports, in "Not Always Diplomatic in Her First Major Post," by Mark Z. Barabak, that... Susan Madrak: REACHING OUT TO THE WORLD — Via Jim C. over at Rittenhouse, it doesn't look like Condi is going to be any better at... |
Orrin Judd: Not Always Diplomatic in Her First Major Post: Condoleezza Rice, about to become secretary of State, was a divisive figure while at Stanford. |
Breaking the Code By / NYT — Permalink One afternoon late last month, I paid a visit to the offices of Americans for Tax Reform, the conservative lobbying outfit headed by Grover Norquist. Though Norquist ranks among the Republican Party's leading operators, neither he nor his organization is quite yet a household name. | |
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Steve M.: A few thoughts about Nicholas Confessore's article on Social Security in tThe New York Times Magazine (I mean, besides the obvious, which is "We're about to get reamed!") Matthew Yglesias: Ergo, "Breaking The Code" about tax reform la Bush: Read More... [snipped quote] One criticism is that unlike Jonathan... |
Nathan Newman: As this long and indepth analysis emphasizes: "In theoretical terms, Bush's cuts have brought the United States tax code... |
Bush says election ratified Iraq policy MSNBC — Permalink President Bush said the public's decision to reelect him was a ratification of his approach toward Iraq and that there was no reason to hold any administration officials accountable for mistakes or misjudgments in prewar planning or managing the violent aftermath. | |
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Radley Balko: No Accountability — Now I'm depressed: [snipped quote] There was some good news from the Washington Post interview,... |
Edward _: Just when I was starting to like the man a little, he reveals his true character: "President Bush said the public's... |
Damage seen to ancient Babylon By / AP — Permalink LONDON — US-led troops using the ancient Iraqi city of Babylon as a base have damaged and contaminated artifacts dating back thousands of years in one of the most important archeological sites in the world, the British Museum said yesterday. | |
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Andrew Olmsted: ETCETERA American troops using remnants of the ancient city of Babylon have apparently caused damage to the relics left at the site. |
Juan Cole: In another blow to the US image in Iraq, archeologists have made an initial assessment that the US military damaged the site of ancient Babylon while using it as a military base. |
The Critical Battle for Iraq's Energy By / WaPo — Permalink BAGHDAD — The armed men waited until at least 10 tanker trucks were in line outside the huge refinery in the Sunni Triangle city of Baiji, a major source of gasoline for Iraq. | |
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Andrew Olmsted: RECONSTRUCTION & THE ECONOMY The insurgency is having greater success disrupting Iraq's oil production (link requires... |
David Adesnik: LOSING THE OIL WAR: The WaPo has an important article about the rising effectiveness of insurgent attacks on the oil industry in Iraq. |
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? NYT — Permalink Pittsburgh — THIS is what we should do about Social Security: At the same time we acknowledge that it is the most successful domestic program in American history, we should also admit that Social Security, in its present form, is unsustainable. | |
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Kevin Drum: Here's what he thinks we need: [snipped quote] O'Neill doesn't provide many details, but he does say that everyone over 35 should be left in the current system. |
Ellen Dana Nagler: Here's what O'Neill proposes...In a massive display of chutzpah (and what feels like illegality, though it probably... |