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Florida girl has abortion blocked By / BBC — Permalink A pregnant 13-year-old girl in Florida has been told she cannot have an abortion because she lacks the maturity to make such a decision. A state court granted an injunction which prevents the girl from terminating her pregnancy. | |
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Ann Althouse: A state judge is preventing a 13-year-old girl from having an abortion, the theory being that she is "too immature" to make her own decision. Dr. Steven Taylor: ACLU to Fight for Thirteen-Year-Old's Right to Abortion — Via the BBC: Florida girl has abortion blocked "A pregnant... Orrin Judd: Florida girl has abortion blocked (Jeremy Cooke, 4/30/05, BBC News) [snipped quote] She can't buy cigarettes or... |
Edward _: Illegal, Unconstitutional, and Cruel — A 13-year-old ward of the state of Florida has had her planned abortion blocked... Medium Lobster: But it does have a Department of Children and Families, and thank God for that: it has successfully sued to prevent a... Barbara O'Brien: Update: This is sick, too. | bar.jpg |
| Also: Cookie Jill | |
Los Alamos Bloggers Take Director to Task By / NYT — Permalink A blog rebellion among scientists and engineers at Los Alamos, the federal government's premier nuclear weapons laboratory, is threatening to end the tenure of its director, G. Peter Nanos. | |
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Tom Maguire: Check this NY Times story: "Los Alamos Bloggers Take Director to Task A blog rebellion among scientists and engineers... Cookie Jill: the revolution will be blogged go say hello to lanl: the real story that made the nytimes with a little news of their... |
Glenn Reynolds: BLOGS AND IMPACT: An interesting report in The New York Times: [snipped quote] Interesting. And, no doubt, worrisome to all sorts of people. John Cole: Los Alamos Lab Bloggers — They made the NY Times. No opinions here- just go check it out. |
Text of Mario Cuomo's Democratic response Houston Chronicle — Permalink Good morning. I'm Mario Cuomo. Today marks 100 days since President Bush took office for his second term in the White House. Politically, he and his party had everything going for them: the presidency, a Republican majority in both Houses of the Congress and a federal court system tilting ideologically in their direction. | |
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Scott @PowerLine: Learning from Mario — In his radio address for the Democrats today, Mario Cuomo showed himself to be the faithful... Taegan Goddard: Former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo (D) arguing against changing Senate rules to more easily end filibusters. |
Armando @DailyKos: Mario Cuomo gives a powerful political radio address: "Now, the Republicans in the Senate, instead of dealing with his... |
Blair hit by new leak of secret war plan By / Times of London — Permalink A SECRET document from the heart of government reveals today that Tony Blair privately committed Britain to war with Iraq and then set out to lure Saddam Hussein into providing the legal justification. | |
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EBW @Wampum: Until today the substance of the April meeting — an agreement to go to war — was not known to to members of Parliment. |
Brownie @HarrysPlace: That was the leak, that was — Early thoughts on the latest leak... A SECRET document from the heart of government... |
113 Kurds Are Found In Mass Grave By / WaPo — Permalink BAGHDAD, April 29 — U.S. investigators have exhumed the remains of 113 people — all but five of them women, children or teenagers — from a mass grave in southern Iraq that may hold at least 1,500 victims of Saddam Hussein's campaign against the Kurdish minority in the 1980s, U.S. and Iraqi officials said this week. | |
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Charles Johnson: Saddam's Atrocities — US investigators at the most recently discovered mass grave in Iraq have exhumed 113 bodies so... Captain Ed: Mass Grave Of Saddam Victims Found — For those who forget why Saddam presented such a unique threat to the region of... |
Jeremy Brown: The Washington Post offers yet another disturbing look at the reality of prewar Iraq, before the first Gulf War created... Norm Geras: Grave topic — From the Washington Post: [snipped quote] Women and children forced to stand at the edge of pits. |
Minority Rule? By / Weekly Standard — Permalink THE LEGAL LEFT IS DANGEROUSLY close to winning the political war it has been fighting against the Bush administration over the future direction of the federal courts. | |
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Ann Althouse: Lawprof Steven Calabresi has this piece in the new Weekly Standard: [snipped quote] These are strong charges. Steve Dillard: How the Democrats decide who to filibuster: Steven G. Calabresi has an excellent piece in the latest issue of the... |
Mike Rappaport: Steve Calabresi powerfully explains the damage done by these filibusters here. |
Georgia bride-to-be fabricated abduction story CNN — Permalink (CNN) — A Georgia woman, who was found in New Mexico early Saturday and who said she had been abducted, admitted today she had made up the story because she was nervous about her upcoming wedding, police said. | |
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John Cole: Alive and Well — It appears that Jennifer Wilbanks is alive and well: "A Georgia woman, who was found in New Mexico... Jeralyn Merritt: Via Crooks and Liars,on the missing bride-to-be: "That which is Nancy Grace... 4/28 transcripts GRACE: Well, look, I don't have a degree in being a police chief. |
Cori Dauber: Now, after devoting an enormous amount of time to the story of the woman in Georgia, including many interviews with... K. J. Lopez: RUNAWAY BRIDE — Can we say "slow news weekend"? CNN is doing a one-hour special on the bride story. |
Teddy Kennedy Yelled at Me! So Shouldn't He Resign? By / The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies — Permalink For 20 years I have kept my silence. I will do so no longer. In the debate over John Bolton's nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, it finally has been made clear to me that a human being who yells at another human being does not deserve to hold high office. | |
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Roger L. Simon: First John Bolton is chasing people down halls (or not) and now Teddy Kennedy is yelling at reporters. What next? |
Cliff May: For 20 years this story could not be told. Now, finally, here is the long-suppressed truth — and what it means for John Bolton. |
Ga. Woman Found, Reportedly Got Cold Feet By / AP — Permalink ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - A Georgia bride-to-be who vanished just days before her wedding turned up in New Mexico and fabricated a tale of abduction before admitting Saturday that she had gotten cold feet and "needed some time alone," police said. | |
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Captain Ed: Abduction Faked In Georgia Bride Case — The attention-grabbing case of the missing Georgia bride, Jennifer Wilbanks of... Joe Gandelman: We Know People Get Stressed Out Before Their Weddings... by Joe Gandelman ...but this...(?) UPDATE: This short piece... |
Ann Althouse: The runaway bride. "14 bridesmaids and 14 groomsmen"! Maybe it's not such a great idea to have a super-huge wedding. James Joyner: Missing Georgia Woman Found, Reportedly Got Cold Feet — Georgia Woman Found, Reportedly Got Cold Feet (AP) [snipped quote] There certainly should be criminal charges filed here. |
U.S. Recruits a Rough Ally to Be a Jailer By / NYT — Permalink Seven months before Sept. 11, 2001, the State Department issued a human rights report on Uzbekistan. It was a litany of horrors. The police repeatedly tortured prisoners, State Department officials wrote, noting that the most common techniques were "beating, often with blunt weapons, and asphyxiation with a gas mask." | |
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Henry @CrookedTimber: Outsourcing torture to Uzbekistan The New York Times, which has been doing sterling investigative work, reports that... |
Ezra Klein: We Don't Not Torture — You should really read Henry Farrell's post on our unpleasant, barely-even-denied practice of... |
Bush Plan Greeted With Caution WaPo — Permalink The solvency gap between benefits promised and Social Security taxes owed would be closed by a formula change, known as progressive indexing, that would pare back benefits for everyone currently making more than $25,000 a year — 70 percent of Americans. | |
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Lambert @Corrente: To serve Democrats — Under the headline "Bush Plan Greeted with Caution," we get the Republican's next plan. |
Matthew Yglesias: Payable Benefits — An otherwise decent Jonathan Weisman article contains this whopper: "Middle-income Americans would be hit as well, although not as hard. |
How Ally With Abuse Record Became a Surrogate U.S. Jailer By / NYT — Permalink Seven months before Sept. 11, 2001, the State Department issued a human rights report on Uzbekistan. It was a litany of horrors. The police repeatedly tortured prisoners, State Department officials wrote, noting that the most common techniques were "beating, often with blunt weapons, and asphyxiation with a gas mask." | |
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TChris: It appears that the United States transported dozens of prisoners to Uzbekistan. |
DavidNYC @DailyKos: Our Man in Uzbekistan — The New York Times today has a long article detailing the American government's relationship... |
Bush Plan Aids Poor, Squeezes the Rest By / LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — As the full dimensions of President Bush's Social Security plan come into view, so too does a broader vision: improving benefits for the poorest Americans while reducing the reliance of everyone else on government programs that long have seen them through economic difficulties. | |
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Pudentilla: bait and switch "bush plan aids poor, squeezes the rest - washington — as the full dimensions of president bush's... Susan Madrak: THE BIG PICTURE — Yep: [snipped quote] Ah, but certain non-poor Americans will always be able to count on their subsidy checks from places like the Cato Institute... |
Orrin Judd: LIKE WATCHING GALE SAYERS (*): Bush Plan Aids Poor, Squeezes the Rest (Peter G. Gosselin, April 30, 2005, LA Times)... |
Bush as Robin Hood By / NYT — Permalink Democrats have good reason to be aghast at President Bush's new proposal for Social Security. Someone has finally called their bluff. They tried yesterday to portray him as just another cruel, rich Republican for suggesting any cuts in future benefits, but that's not what the prime-time audience saw on Thursday night. | |
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Josh Marshall: John Tierney, the — Times new conservative columnist, has another column on Social Security today jumping on to the president's new bandwagon. Ann Althouse: John Tierney has an op-ed today about Bush's plan to reshape Social Security to give the greatest benefit to the poor: [snipped quote] Mr. Tierney aren't you forgetting something? Betsy Newmark: John Tierney thinks that Democrats are at risk of abandoning their self-image as the protectors of the poor. |
William Voegeli: Why have progressives rushed to denounce the president's plan? Because he has "called their bluff," says John Tierney. Orrin Judd: SUPREMELY AWKWARD: Bush as Robin Hood (JOHN TIERNEY, 4/30/05, NY Times) [snipped quote] C'mon, Democrats can hardly be... Kevin Drum: TIERNEY ON BUSH...Look, I know that conservatives are going to try and describe George Bush's Social Security plan as... |
Governor signals he'd welcome Minutemen on California border San Francisco Chronicle — Permalink Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger responded to harsh criticism about his support for armed volunteers who are patrolling the Arizona border with Mexico by praising the effort further Friday — and an aide said they are welcome to operate in California. | |
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Glenn Reynolds: IMMIGRATION IS A BIG ISSUE, AND IT'S GETTING BIGGER: Arnold Schwarzenegger has weighed in on illegal immigration, and he... |
Jeralyn Merritt: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made progress with his prison reform plan stressing rehabilitation over... |
A Currency Afloat (for All of 20 Minutes) By / NYT — Permalink HONG KONG, April 29 - The Bush administration has been pressing the Chinese government for years to allow its currency, which is pegged to the dollar, to trade more freely. It got its wish on Friday - but only for 20 minutes. | |
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Heather Hurlburt: Nor is it the only possible existential threat to our way of life (the Chinese economy, for example, or the spread of weapons of mass destruction, or global warming). |
Stirling Newberry: And yet the group think drum beat goes on. |
Wave of Attacks in Iraq Kill 40 and Wound 100 By / NYT — Permalink BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 29 - Insurgents determined to destabilize Iraq's new government executed a devastating series of coordinated attacks on Iraqi forces on Friday, detonating 12 car bombs across greater Baghdad and striking military targets throughout Iraq. | |
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Cori Dauber: The Times Covers the Wave of Bombings — The wave of bombings in Iraq yesterday is the lead article in the Times today. |
Jason Van Steenwyk: The New York Times, natch, left out that detail. Splash, out |
Senate confirms new EPA chief AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate early Friday confirmed President Bush's nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency and was poised to approve a new chief for the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, ending a standoff with two Democrats who had delayed votes to protest the administration's environmental and trade policies. | |
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Betsy Newmark: I'm glad to see that the Senate broke one hold and was ever to approve Bush's nominee for the EPA, Stephen Johnson. |
Jonathan H. Adler: According to this story, the vote for cloture to break the hold was 61-37. |
Abduction, Often Violent, a Kyrgyz Wedding Rite By / NYT — Permalink BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan - When Ainur Tairova realized she was on her way to her wedding, she started choking the driver. Her marriage was intended to be to a man she had met only the day before, and briefly at that. | |
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Betsy Newmark: If she wants to know how some really unlucky brides feel, she should be glad that she doesn't live in Kyrgyzstan where... |
K. J. Lopez: Fascinatingly frightening story on marriage in Kyrgyzstan. The New York Times says the trend for more than half of marriages there is: Want a wife? |
A 'Progressive' Solution By / Opinion Journal — Permalink Ever since President Bush first floated the idea of personal retirement accounts as part of Social Security reform, fiscal hawks have been going berserk: "This will only increase future government borrowing when the federal deficit is already sky high!," they say. | |
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William Voegeli: Bush would score any points with progressives by embracing the idea of "progressive indexation" of Social Security... |
Orrin Judd: TAKE YOUR ALLIES WHERE YOU FIND THEM: Bush finds ally in Hub executive (Michael Kranish and Nina J. Easton, April 30,... |
Steve Jobs's Review of His Biography: Ban It By / NYT — Permalink SAN FRANCISCO, April 29 - No one can accuse Steve Jobs of indifference. In an image-obsessed fit of pique, Apple Computer has banished books published by John Wiley & Sons from the shelves of Apple's 105 retail stores - all because of Wiley's plans to publish an unauthorized biography of Mr. Jobs, Apple's chief executive. | |
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Dan Gillmor: Guest Blogger: Context and Reader Bias Matter — Today's New York Times has a story about Steve Jobs' decision — an... |
Dave Winer: NY Times: "It is not possible, aside from things unimagined, to damage his reputation," said Mitchell Kertzman, a partner at Hummer Winblad Venture Partners in San Francisco. |
String of Explosions Kills 50 in Iraq WaPo — Permalink BAGHDAD, April 29 — After four waves of bombs, suicide attacks and mortars detonated Friday in the Adhamiyah neighborhood in the capital, a woman trapped in a charred, overturned van and cradling an infant in her arms screamed for help. But help was slow in coming. | |
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Cori Dauber: Yet it's reported as if it's little more than coincidence, the timing being pretty much irrelevant. |
Pudentilla: iraq is still a mess — [snipped quote] but chalabi's got the oil ministry. what, us worry? "so quick bright things come to confusion," shakespeare, a midsummer's night dream |
Vietnam marks fall of Saigon CNN — Permalink HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam — Thousands of Vietnamese took to the streets of Ho Chi Minh city to celebrate 30 years since the communist victory that ended what is known as the "American War." On April 30, 1975, North Vietnamese tanks rolled into what was then called Saigon — the capital of U.S.-backed South Vietnam. | |
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Arthur Chrenkoff: Next year, Saigon, again — There are still a few outposts of tyranny left: [quote] "Thousands of Vietnamese took to the...[end quote] |
James Joyner: Vietnam Marks 30th Anniversary of Fall of Saigon — Vietnam marks fall of Saigon (CNN) [snipped quote] American... |
Wisconsin Governor Vetoes Voter ID Bill By / AP — Permalink MADISON, Wis. - Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed a bill Friday that would have required voters to show government-issued picture identification at the polls, saying it would disenfranchise elderly voters. | |
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Michelle Malkin: Playing the scare-the-poor-and-old-pe ople card, Democrat governor Jim Doyle of election fraud-riddled Wisconsin just... |
Jayson @PoliPundit: The Party of the (Dead) People — As expected, the Democrat Governor of Wisconsin, Jim Doyle, vetoed a bill that would... |
Many of Bush's allies retreating on private accounts By / Boston Globe — Permalink WASHINGTON — The Weekly Standard, an influential conservative magazine, this week published an ''exit strategy" for the president's Social Security plan. Conservative commentator Charles Krauthammer says the White House plan for private accounts, the heart of his reforms, is on life support. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: And if Ed Crane really thinks it'll be easier to privatize after the 2006 midterms he's sorely, sorely mistaken. |
Josh Marshall: Nina Easton in The Boston Globe: "Many of Bush's allies retreating on private accounts" |
'Nelson Highway' isn't a hit with GOP Houston Chronicle — Permalink AUSTIN - For Willie Nelson, dealing with the Texas Legislature is no picnic. Fact is, the lawmakers told the state's best-known outlaw to hit the road again. | |
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James Joyner: Republicans Put Roadblock on Willie Nelson Highway 'Nelson Highway' isn't a hit with GOP (Houston Chronicle)... |
Jim Henley: Comments () » Red-Headed Stranger There was a move afoot in the Texas legislature to name a stretch of road after native-son and country music legend Willie Nelson. |
Berkeley: Memoir follows author's road to communism By / San Francisco Chronicle — Permalink Bob Avakian has devoted his life to the one ideology that he believes holds the promise of massively releasing human freedom and dignity. The ideology is communism. Berkeley-bred Avakian's new memoir, "From Ike to Mao and Beyond," leaves a breathtaking impression. | |
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Ed Driscoll: That's Why They Call It The Left Coast — Charles Johnson spots a San Francisco Chronicle article praising a new book written by a self-described Bay Area Marxist-Leninist. |
Charles Johnson: The San Francisco Chronicle, a supposedly respectable mainstream newspaper (well, sort of) publishes a surrealistically... |
'The World Is Flat': The Wealth of Yet More Nations By / NYT — Permalink A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century. By Thomas L. Friedman. 488 pp. Farrar, Straus & Giroux. $27.50. | |
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Tom Maguire: Still more: Fareed Zakaria reviews Tom Friedman's new book, as does Joseph Stiglitz. We mocked Friedman's related column below. |
Atrios: Fareed, What Have You Done... Damn. I think the list of conservatives I can still respect is now the empty set. |
On Being Disliked NRO — Permalink The new not-so-unwelcome anti-Americanism. Last year the hysteria about the hostility toward the United States reached a fevered pitch. Everyone from Jimmy Carter to our Hollywood elite lamented that America had lost its old popularity. | |
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Marc @USSNeverdock: America - Being Disliked is Good — Another Victor Hanson must read. Snippet. [snipped quote] Read the rest. John Hawkins: "— Victor Davis Hanson" |
Joseph Alexander Norland: VDH's statements about the US apply equally to Israel — Today, Victor Davis Hanson, or VDH, posted at NRO an article entitled, "On Being Disliked". |
US satellite recorded checkpoint shooting, shows speed of Italian car: CBS AFP — Permalink The report, which aired Thursday on CBS News, said US investigators concluded from the recording that the car was traveling at a speed of more than 60 miles (96 km) per hour. | |
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John @PowerLine: Satellite Recorded Checkpoint Shooting — Maybe I'm the only one who missed it, but CBS News aired a report Thursday... Captain Ed: CBS: Satellites Show Sgrena Lied — CBS News reports that the American and Italian investigators looking into the death... Jonah Goldberg: SGRENA LIED — Satellites recorded the shooting of the Italian car. It was going at least 60 miles an hour. |
Joe Gandelman: The Eye In The Sky Documents The Lie by Joe Gandelman The eye in the sky reportedly saw it all. Charles Johnson: Sgrena's Car Was Going Faster than 60 MPH — A US intelligence satellite recorded the Giuliana Sgrena shooting incident... Orrin Judd: US satellite recorded checkpoint shooting, shows speed of Italian car: CBS (AFP, 4/29/05) [snipped quote] Darn, the... |
| Also: Betsy Newmark | |
School Mistakes Huge Burrito for a Weapon AP — Permalink CLOVIS, N.M. - A call about a possible weapon at a middle school prompted police to put armed officers on rooftops, close nearby streets and lock down the school. All over a giant burrito. Someone called authorities Thursday after seeing a boy carrying something long and wrapped into Marshall Junior High. | |
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Jesse Walker: Insert Fart Joke Here — I'm not sure if this is more or less ridiculous than Chuck's UFO story, but it does bring a whole new set of connotations to the phrase "Drop the chalupa!" Jan Haugland: The school that mistook a burrito for a gun — Panic over a long package closed down a New Mexico school: Someone called... James Joyner: School Mistakes Burrito for a Weapon — School Mistakes Huge Burrito for a Weapon (AP) [snipped quote] I'm doing the former. |
Joanne Jacobs: Loaded with salsa — School people are a bit too jumpy these days. [snipped quote] An eighth grader had created the giant burrito for an extra-credit assignment. Glenn Reynolds: "SCHOOL MISTAKES HUGE BURRITO FOR WEAPON:" I've encountered some that were pretty close to deadly. Joe Gandelman: School Mistakes Burrito For Weapon — Be careful what you carry with you to eat: it may be hazardous to your freedom: [snipped quote] A burrito becomes a weapon after you eat it. |
| Also: Digby | |
Rush to Victory By / Opinion Journal — Permalink In 1987, Rush Limbaugh sat down at a microphone at radio station KFBK-AM in Sacramento and began broadcasting something called "The Rush Limbaugh Show." The rest is history. | |
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Arthur Chrenkoff: Genghis Glenn — In his latest "Opinion Journal" piece, Daniel Henninger described the "conservative-to-libertar ian... Jan Haugland: Mongol blogging hordes — There is at least one blogger who can trace his ancestry to the mongol hordes, and he has some... Ed Driscoll: Eric Cartman Meets The Fairness Doctrine — In his latest Wall Street Journal "Wonder Land" column, Daniel Henniger... |
Tom Maguire: Fearing Almost Nothing — From Daniel Henninger in the WSJ: "What was once a mostly exclusive liberal country... Glenn Reynolds: SOME READERS ARE OBJECTING to Daniel Henninger's characterization of bloggers as a virtual Mongol horde, but I think it's a compliment, and dead-accurate. Michael DeBow: Recommended reading: Robert P. George on "Judicial Activism and the Constitution," and Daniel Henninger on "Rush to Victory." |
| Also: Orrin Judd, Steve Bainbridge | |
The 'We're Smart, You're Dumb' Principle By / LAT — Permalink The ugly truth is that Democrats habitually treat voters like children. It's the basis of their philosophy. Who could possibly be against cutting voter fraud on election day? You'd have to be some sort of fruitcake. They even threatened to sue. | |
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Michelle Malkin: LOOK WHO REALLY CARES ABOUT VOTER FRAUD — Following up on David Gelernter's excellent LA Times column on the Dems'... Matthew Yglesias: Certainly, today's totally inane David Gelertner column seems to bolster that theory. Fontana Labs: Gelernter — David Gelernter, who appears to be far dumber than anyone on Yale's faculty has any right to be, offers up a very odd piece in the LA Times. |
Steve Bainbridge: After all, while the Dems may think the people are too dumb to fend for themselves, the Dem elites are pretty bright. Dale Franks: Professor David Gelernter writes in the Los Angeles Times that the Democratic Party's philosophy can be summed up in one sentence: You're too stupid to make your own decisions. Joanne Jacobs: Smarter than thou — Democrats believe "We are smart, you are dumb," writes David Gelernter in the LA Times. |
| Also: Jesse Taylor, Betsy Newmark, Lorie Byrd, Ken Masugi, C. D. Harris | |
40 Christians Arrested in Saudi Arabia for Religious Activity By Saudi Religious Police: 'For Trying to Spread the Poison and their Beliefs' MEMRI — Permalink On April 23, 2005, Saudi newspapers reported that 40 Pakistanis were arrested by the Saudi religious police in a Riyadh apartment for conducting Christian religious activity. The following are excerpts from the reports: | |
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Andrew Stuttaford: GEORGE BUSH'S FRIENDS — While George Bush was holding hands down in Texas, this is what his friend's regime was doing back at home (via MEMRI). Charles Johnson: Religious Apartheid in the Land of the Oil Ticks — In the home of the Religion of Peace and Tolerance™, 40 men,... Mark Kleiman: April 23: Crown Prince Abdullah's henchmen arrest and persecute Christians. 2. April 25: Bush welcomes Crown Prince Abdullah to Crawford. |
Matt Welch: Like Texas, Only Without the Christians — While George Bush was expressing intimacy and friendship with Saudi Arabia... Marc @USSNeverdock: Saudi Arabia - Muslim Intolerance — MEMRI reports. [snipped quote] What was the reason given for their arrest? |
Bush Cites Plan That Would Cut Social Security Benefits NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, April 28 - President Bush called Thursday night for cutting Social Security benefits for future retirees to put the system on sound financial footing, and he proposed doing so in a way that would demand the most sacrifice from higher-income people while insulating low-income workers. | |
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Michelle Malkin: That claim is being uncritically echoed by most MSM outlets: New York Times, "Bush Cites Plan That Would Cut Social... James Joyner: Michelle Malkin notes that the major news outlets, notably the NYT, WaPo, and AP, are taking President Bush's statement... Pudentilla: sez it all "bush cites plan that would cut social security benefits -washington, april 28 - president bush called... |
Steve Bainbridge: Has Bush gone Commie? President Bush proposes social security reforms that effectively means-test it: [snipped quote] Has... Riggsveda @Corrente: Bugged By The Government earwig Was the earwig as nauseating last night as I feared he would be? Steve M.: Last night, Bush told us we should accept Social Security benefit cuts for the middle class and the rich. |
| Also: Orrin Judd | |
Zoellick's Appeasement Tour By / American Prospect — Permalink On April 14, Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick became the highest ranking U.S. envoy to set foot on Sudanese soil since Secretary of State Colin Powell's September 2004 declaration that the government of Sudan was complicit in an ongoing genocide in the Darfur region. | |
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Laura Rozen: The American Prospect's Mark Leon Goldberg reports the depressing news that the Bush administration is rapidly... Soccerdad @LeftCoaster: Bush changes direction on Sudan — Leon Goldberg is reporting in the Prospect that Bush has altered course with respect to the Sudan. Matthew Yglesias: Conference Kills — We've seen an awful lot of dubious antics go down in conference committees since 2001, but my... |
Phillip Carter: That article reports that the U.S. has essentially decided to work with the Sudanese government in order to get... Eugene Oregon: Furthermore, the American Prospect's Mark Leon Goldberg reports that the Bush administration is quietly trying to kill... |
ACLU files petition on behalf of witch By / Richmond Times-Dispatch — Permalink The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia has filed a petition on behalf of Cynthia Simpson, a witch of the Wiccan faith, seeking to reverse a ruling that upheld Chesterfield County's decision to bar her from giving the invocation at Board of Supervisors meetings. | |
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Cernig: The Wiccan And The County Board — Times-Dispatch, Thors-Day. Amanda Marcotte: You have the freedom to a Judeo-Christian religion — DED Space has got some very good news for us this morning. |
Hilzoy @ObsidianWings: Why We Separate Church And State In One Easy Lesson — From the Richmond Times-Dispatch, via Pandagon, comes an article... |
'Miracle' needed to win back Senate By / Washington Times — Permalink Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid raised a few eyebrows yesterday on the Senate floor when he said it would take a "miracle" for Democrats to win enough races next year to take back the Senate. | |
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James Joyner: Reid: 'Miracle' Needed for Democrats to Win Back Senate 'Miracle' needed to win back Senate (Washington Times) [snipped quote] An amusing moment of candor. David Cohen: THE GERMANS HAVE OUTLAWED MIRACLES 'Miracle' needed to win back Senate (Charles Hurt, The Washington Times, 4/29/05)... Steve Antler: So I'll take it... Yet another instance of religion in politics. |
McQ: But in the case of Harry Reid, well, he's just not there yet: [snipped quote] Politically speaking, admissions like this are not among the brightest thing in the world. Orrin Judd: IT'D TAKE THE GREAT DEPRESSION: 'Miracle' needed to win back Senate (Charles Hurt, 4/29/05, THE WASHINGTON TIMES) [snipped quote] If only the country were a mess they'd have a shot. Taegan Goddard: Reid Doubts Democrats Will Take Senate — Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) [snipped quote] the Washington Times reports. |
| Also: PoliPundit | |
Gov. Praises 'Minuteman' Campaign LAT — Permalink SACRAMENTO — Calling the nation's borders dangerously porous, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday praised the private "Minuteman" campaign that uses armed volunteers to stop illegal immigrants from crossing into the U.S. | |
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Steve Bainbridge: (Link)" One can but assume that Arnie's worries about winning the GOP gubernatorial primary in 2006 have prompted him to appeal to the nativist/racist wing of the state party. Scott Sala: I'm for enforcing the law in a rational way." April 29 - Arnold Schwarzenegger: "I think they've done a terrific job. Pudentilla: gutter grazing — [snipped quote] will the kind of folks who make up the miniscule men campaign actually accept ahnuld as... |
Clayton Cramer: Schwarzenegger Praises Minutemen; the Reconquista — There are a number of areas where Schwarzenegger and I disagree—in... Greg @TheTalentShow: One-Term Arnie — Schwarzenegger doesn't have a chance in hell of getting reelected after a remark like this : "Calling... |
Official Pariah Sudan Valuable to America's War on Terrorism By / LAT — Permalink KHARTOUM, Sudan — The Bush administration has forged a close intelligence partnership with the Islamic regime that once welcomed Osama bin Laden here, even though Sudan continues to come under harsh U.S. and international criticism for human rights violations. | |
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Robert Tagorda: Sudan Aids in War on Terror — According to the Los Angeles Times, the Sudanese government serves as "an unlikely ally... Mark Leon Goldberg: Writes Silverstein: [snipped quote] It's worth pausing right here. Laura Rozen: The LA Times' Ken Silverstein reports on the Bush administration's secret close relationship with Sudan, an intelligence... |
Phillip Carter: On the way into work this morning, I listened to Los Angeles Times Ken Silverstein discuss his article "Official Pariah... Orrin Judd: THE SENSIBLE DESIRE NOT TO BE NEXT: Official Pariah Sudan Valuable to America's War on Terrorism: Despite once harboring... Eugene Oregon: Despite Darfur — An important report from the Los Angeles Times "The Bush administration has forged a close... |
Bush Social Security Plan Would Cut Future Benefits WaPo — Permalink President Bush called on Congress last night to curtail future Social Security benefits for all but low-income retirees in an urgent new effort to address the popular program's shaky finances. | |
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Patrick Ruffini: Repeat the Big Lie: [snipped quote] "Reduce future benefits for tens of millions of Americans." Michelle Malkin: Washington Post, "Bush Social Security Plan Would Cut Future Benefits," "President Bush called on Congress last night to... Noam Scheiber: THE NEW SOCIAL SECURITY STRATEGY: HIGH RISK, LOW RETURN: Two quick thoughts on the Social Security portion of last night's press conference. |
Jon Henke: So, last night, Bush makes a Social Security reform proposal that would 1) help control the deficit, and 2) cut benefits... Max B. Sawicky: That's the implication of the President's so-called "progressive price indexing" (PPI): converting a benefit that... Barbara O'Brien: (See, for examplle, this WaPo article, "Bush Social Security Plan Would Cut Future Benefits.") |
| Also: Atrios, Jeralyn Merritt, Armando @DailyKos, Josh Marshall | |
Bush decries border project By / Washington Times — Permalink WACO, Texas — President Bush yesterday said he opposes a civilian project to monitor illegal aliens crossing the border, characterizing them as "vigilantes." He said he would pressure Congress to further loosen immigration law. | |
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Steve Bainbridge: In contrast to Schwarzenegger, President Bush has aptly referred to these nuts as "vigilantes." Scott Sala: In an Arizona Minute — March 23 - President Bush: "I'm against vigilantes in the United States of America. |
Robert Tagorda: Some were displeased: Schwarzenegger Praises Border Volunteers (AP) [snipped quote] My thoughts on the Project happen to... |
Debate Over Gay Foster Parents Shines Light on a Dubious Stat By / WSJ — Permalink Last week, the Texas House of Representatives passed a child-services bill with an amendment that would make Texas the first state in the nation to prevent same-sex couples from becoming foster parents. The state Senate passed a conflicting bill without that measure, and the two bodies are debating how to proceed. | |
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S.Z.: The Wall Street Journal has the whole story, strangely enough: The proposed ban attracted national media attention, and... John Cole: Debunking the Bigot Brigade — Kudos to the Wall Street Journal for killing this nonsense (they also link to this... Jesse Taylor: If It's About Sex, You Don't Need To! Ed Cone and S.Z. have entries on how a fake statistic becomes a "fact". |
Tom Maguire: Good Debunking By The WSJ — The Wall Street Journal debunks a phony stat introduced by conservatives opposed to gay adoptions. Charles Kuffner: Crazy Bob does have company, though, in the form of Cathy Adams of the Texas Eagle Forum, who cited some incredibly... Ed Cone: Jon Stewart was right — The study misquoted on CNN by an anti-gay spokeswoman (who tried to make it say something it... |
Text of Bush's Press Conference-Part I AP — Permalink "/ President Bush's press conference Thursday night, as transcribed by CQ Transcripts: BUSH: Good evening. Tonight I will discuss two vital priorities for the American people, and then I'd be glad to answer some of your questions. | |
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Matthew Yglesias: During yesterday's press conference, the president once again tried to allay people's fears about the risks involved in... |
Brad DeLong: I read Bush's opening statement at his press conference last night: Text of Bush's Press Conference-Part I: The money... |
How the President's News Conference Ended Up Live on Four Networks By / NYT — Permalink In a showdown that featured inside-the-Beltway lobbying and bare-knuckle boardroom negotiating, Donald J. Trump and President Bush effectively squared off yesterday in pursuit of the same parcel of real estate - a piece of the NBC-TV prime-time lineup. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Bush Aides Battled To Get Press Conference On Four Networks — One upon a time in land called the United States there... Cori Dauber: So the networks negotiated a change in start time during leading to last minute calls for some of them to carry it at all. Brian Stelter: > New York Times: "It was that timing [the first day of sweeps], as much as the White House suggestion that Mr. Bush had... |
Riggsveda @Corrente: And then there was that bizarre pissing contest between him and Donald Trump that resulted in his being foisted on the public retina a half hour earlier than expected. James Joyner: How the President's News Conference Ended Up Live on Four Networks (RSS) "In a showdown that featured... Taegan Goddard: Trump 1, Bush 0 — [snipped quote] the New York Times reports. |
Bush Offers New Social Security Plan By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) - After nearly 60 days on the road pitching Social Security changes, President Bush is offering a new plan to fix its finances by cutting benefits of more prosperous future retirees. Democrats still aren't buying it. | |
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Michelle Malkin: ABC News / Associated Press, "Bush Offers New Social Security Plan," "After nearly 60 days on the road pitching Social... |
Tully @Centerfield: The poor would go on with the current schedules. Naturally enough, Democrats are outraged. [snipped quote] First, an obvious point. |
President touts 'progressive indexing' plan USA Today — Permalink WASHINGTON — President Bush has been touting the glories of adding individual investment accounts to Social Security since his first campaign for president. He says the proposal would allow workers to accumulate wealth and pass it on to their heirs. | |
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Michelle Malkin: See also this USA Today analysis. Yes, Bush's indexing plan is "cutting benefits" in the sense that upper-income beneficiaries would get less money than under the status quo. Tully @Centerfield: Bush has finally come up the first details of Social Security reform, and they include benefit "cuts" for the rich, and a sliding progressive scale-back for those in the middle. |
James Joyner: She points to WSJ and USA Today analysis that puts a different spin on it: "Under his proposal to adjust benefit levels,... |
The President's Preemptive Strike By / WaPo — Permalink One by one the broadcast networks caved yesterday and agreed to preempt the first night of the May ratings race to make way for President Bush's non-news conference, after ".'Sopranos'-style arm-twisting" by the White House, as one network suit described it. | |
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Cori Dauber: It isn't quite so hard to imagine when you take a look at the decision-making process regarding whether or not to carry... Brian Stelter: Prez Press Conference: Morning-After bushpressconf.jpg > Lisa de Moraes: "Thus can it be said that Donald Trump forced... |
Joe Gandelman: The Washington Post's Lisa de Moraes:"And if the White House is hoping this news conference will win Bush back some fans, don't count on fans of the preempted shows." Damian Penny: Update: a reader tipped me off to this Washington Post story about the scheduling nightmare, in which one of my blog posts is cited. |
Bush Recasts Message on Social Security By / LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — President Bush, seeking support from Democrats and moderate Republicans for an overhaul of Social Security, said Thursday that he favored changing the pension system so that benefits for low-income workers would grow faster than those for wealthy retirees. | |
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Gary Boatwright: The L.A. Times says Bush Recasts Message on Social Security: He favors a means-based approach to benefits, though he does not offer specifics. Pudentilla: the chickenhawk squawks — [snipped quote] ignore the flag draped over that coffin. awol has spoken. "at least 24 iraqis... |
Orrin Judd: "And now I'll be glad to answer some questions, starting with Terry Hunt" Bush Recasts Message on Social Security: He... Garrett M. Graff: East Room Reax — Last night while watching the press conference we were musing about how the White House press corps... |
In scathing interview, Democrat says Bush Social Security plan won't help; Dubs Cheney 'ass kisser' By / Raw Story — Permalink In an exclusive interview with RAW STORY, Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) slammed President Bush and Congressional Republicans' attempts to take on Social Security, saying he believes Bush has surrounded himself with those who agree with him and has lost touch with America. | |
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Eriposte @LeftCoaster: A couple of examples: [snipped quote] Click here to read the full interview. |
Josh Marshall: One-time Faction member and would-be Dean, Rep. Moran (D) of Virginia talks to Rawstory.com about President Bush and Social Security phase-out. |
Survey Finds Many Have Poor Grasp of Basic Economics By / NYT — Permalink With Washington considering whether to strengthen Social Security by giving Americans more responsibility for their own retirements, a survey released yesterday suggested that the typical American does not know enough about economics to prosper in such a system. | |
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Barry L. Ritholtz: Here's an excerpt from the NYT: [quote] "Given recent signs that inflation might be increasing, this [survey] is quite a...[end quote] |
Michael DeBow: Social Security reform: If you're interested in this subject — and you should be — don't miss William Voegeli's WSJ... |
Detainee Questioning Was Faked, Book Says By / WaPo — Permalink The U.S. military staged the interrogations of terrorism suspects for members of Congress and other officials visiting the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to make it appear the government was obtaining valuable intelligence, a former Army translator who worked there claims in a new book scheduled for release Monday. | |
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Pudentilla: all the world's a stage — [snipped quote] back in the day, this kind of allegation would lead, at least to a hearing or... Plutonium Page: Mock interrogations at Guantanamo Bay? The Washington Post reports: [snipped quote] There's more below the fold. |
James Joyner: Detainee Questioning Was Faked, Book Says — Detainee Questioning Was Faked, Book Says (WaPo, A21) [snipped quote] While... |
Rock, Paper, Payoff: Child's Play Wins Auction House an Art Sale By / NYT — Permalink It may have been the most expensive game of rock, paper, scissors ever played. Takashi Hashiyama, president of Maspro Denkoh Corporation, an electronics company based outside of Nagoya, Japan, could not decide whether Christie's or Sotheby's should sell... | |
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Jan Haugland: With art auctions, always start with scissors — Rock, paper, scissors decide $20M art sale. Daniel Drezner: That was flashing through my head when I read this Caroline Vogel article in the New York Times (thanks to J.H. for the... |
Tom Maguire: Game theory made simple - when in doubt, ask a kid: "It may have been the most expensive game of rock, paper, scissors ever played. JL @GrammarPolice: do not invest in this company — Guest blogger: JL of Modern Kicks From the New York Times: "Takashi Hashiyama,... |
Official Says Bolton Flouted Travel Rules By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON — John R. Bolton, the embattled nominee to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, regularly tried to set up meetings abroad with Russian, British and French officials without notifying the U.S. Embassy or the State Department, the outgoing head of the department's European bureau said Friday. | |
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Laura Rozen: To us civilians, Bolton's repeated efforts to meet with foreign officials without first clearing his foreign travel with... |
Steve Clemons: This from the AP report: [snipped quote] Poor Adam Ereli. |
Not Exactly Must-See TV By / WaPo — Permalink The television networks — and, by extension, the American viewing public — got snookered last night. Strong-armed, beguiled and wheedled into pre-empting an hour of prime-time national programming last night for President Bush's news conference, the networks were assured they would be getting must-see TV. | |
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Barbara O'Brien: Other links: Don't miss Dan Froomkin's Bush press conference news roundup. Update: This is sick, too. | bar.jpg |
Michael Froomkin: A Pithy Summary of Bush Press Conference Remarks on Social Security — Via Dan's Not Exactly Must-See TV, this perfect... |
Bush Backs Abortion Measure By / WaPo — Permalink President Bush is urging the Senate to take up a bill passed by the House this week that makes it a federal crime — complete with possible fines and jail sentences — for doctors or other adults to help patients under 18 evade parental-notification requirements by crossing state lines for an abortion. | |
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Mipe @ThinkProgress: "The Grandmother Incarceration Act" — President Bush, "who comments on only a small fraction of bills that pass either... Michelle Malkin: SQUASHING THE "THERE'S A WAR ON" MEME — I was going to comment on this curious post at Instapundit, which seems to take... |
Medium Lobster: Wombs of State — The Medium Lobster is only mildly pleased to see the House pass a new bill making it a federal crime... |
CPS fix outranks gay issue, Perry says By / Houston Chronicle — Permalink Legislators writing the final version of a bill overhauling the state's Child Protective Services system will kill a controversial provision that would prohibit homosexuals from being foster parents, Gov. Rick Perry predicted Thursday. | |
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Charles Kuffner: Well, if push comes to shove, Governor Perry would prefer privatizing CPS to stigmatizing gay foster parents. |
Byron LaMasters: The Houston Chronicle reports: [snipped quote] Well, it's not obvious to Robert Talton. |
The best of times or the worst of times for the GOP? American Thinker — Permalink The mainstream media are full of news stories, written with barely concealed glee, suggesting a GOP crackup is near. The accepted story line is that far right Christian conservatives have rocked the political boat too hard, and moderate Republicans and independents are slipping away. | |
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Ed Driscoll: For some thoughts on where the GOP as a whole stands, check out Richard Baehr's latest essay over at The American Thinker, found via Betsy Newmark. |
Betsy Newmark: Richard Baehr looks at how the Republican Party is sitting right now and is quite optimistic. |
'Inside Politics' Anchor Woodruff Leaving CNN Netscape Communications Corp — Permalink NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - CNN correspondent Judy Woodruff will leave the network and daily journalism when her contract expires in June. Woodruff has worked at the network's Washington bureau for 12 years and hosts the weekday afternoon "Inside Politics." | |
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Betsy Newmark: Judy Woodruff is leaving Inside Politics. I never saw the appeal in her bland liberalism. |
John Cole: Gbye, Judy — Personally, I liked Judy Woodruff. I will miss her. I liked Bernard Shaw, too. |
Web site claims bin Laden is dead; no confirmation By / Haaretz — Permalink A Web site claiming close ties to Al-Qaida has announced that the leader of the international terror network, Osama bin Laden, is dead, the London-based Arabic daily Asharq Al Awsat reported Friday. The claim has not been confirmed. | |
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Jan Haugland: Web rumour: Bin Laden dead — The surprise annoucement of the death of Osama Bin Laden has sparked some attention: A Web... |
Michael Young: An alleged Al-Qaeda Web site is saying so, according to this article in the London-based Saudi-owned Al-Sharq al-Awsat. |
A Very Special Kind of Math By / LAT — Permalink Once again, the Wall Street Journal plops down numbers in arguing that the rich pay too much in taxes. Do figures lie or do liars figure? The very rich are earning a larger and larger share of our national income. Therefore, fairness dictates that we must cut their taxes. | |
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Clayton Cramer: Now Jonathan Chaitt is whining in the Los Angeles Times about that Wall Street Journal article, and says what I said: ... |
Ezra Klein: Go read Jon Chait's brutal takedown of the Wall Street Journal. Nice to see him using his LA Times op-ed to land some blows. |
